tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58651352011-10-11T12:21:03.017-04:00A little bit of this, a little bit of that. Fandoms, quotes, webfinds... nothing is safe.Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.comBlogger2251100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1099069502670591462004-10-29T13:00:00.000-04:002004-10-29T13:05:02.670-04:00

I have been maintaining dual blogs for a while now, waiting to see which worked best, and have decided to shift over to LiveJournal as my primary blog. It's already linked on this site. Mainly, LJ seems to have a better setup for tracking other blogs -- to see who I read, click on the "Friends" link.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1099065749381066272004-10-29T11:55:00.000-04:002004-10-29T12:02:29.380-04:00

At a campaign rally at which, as usual, he had banned Democrats from attending, President Bush said he wanted to speak to...Democrats. Wouldn't that be easier to do if he didn't toss them out of his events? The NDOL (New Democrats Online) discusses this conundrum and the President's gall in comparing himself to Roosevelt, Truman and Kennedy here.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1098677455871205362004-10-25T01:06:00.000-04:002004-10-25T00:10:55.870-04:00

We spent the weekend cleaning the attic (which we use as an office) of years of accumulated clutter. Now the cd's are arranged, the videotapes are off the floor, a couple of extra chairs have been put away, and the room is actually navigable and fairly presentable. Plus, I applied for two more jobs. Go me.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1098112805413812002004-10-18T11:00:00.000-04:002004-10-18T11:20:05.413-04:00

After a pleasant break visiting new relatives in St. Louis, I headed off East again on Saturday morning. The drive was smooth -- so smooth, in fact, that I became bored with I-64 and decided to take a lesser, parallel route in Kentucky. Unfortunately, I had no map more to scale than a US map (my laptop ran out of power), and the roads that claimed to be "East" turned out to be more like SSE.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1097852650187291632004-10-15T10:52:00.000-04:002004-10-15T11:04:10.186-04:00

I left my cousin's around noon, and made it to Salina (pronounced a lot like "saliva"), Kansas in time to watch the third presidential debate. The Salina Inn wasn't great -- clean, but that's all that could be said for it. And though I was on the "quiet" side, away from the freeway, I was on the side that had all of the trucks idling, then gearing up and pulling away, so I was up and on the road

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1097685990421975322004-10-13T13:33:00.000-04:002004-10-15T11:07:08.966-04:00

I left JD's at 6:30 a.m., under a bright crescent moon with the Dawn Star hanging below. I continued on Hwy 50 all the way across Nevada. Straight dry roads with visibility extending for miles, light traffic – at one point I went up to 110 (ed: let me clarify that this speed only lasted for a few seconds), but it made me too nervous, so I spent most of my time going around 94. Got one speeding

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1097372005241152092004-10-09T21:26:00.000-04:002004-10-09T21:33:25.240-04:00

After a couple of wonderful days with my folks in California, this morning we packed my harp and a small ton of other assorted belongings into my car, and at 1 pm I headed out. I've always wanted to go across country (though going alone wasn't part of the dream), and I'll be seeing parts of the country I've only flown across. All in all, I'm pretty excited. This afternoon I drove through rolling

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1096852176609571562004-10-03T21:04:00.000-04:002004-10-03T21:10:03.316-04:00

In a weak moment at the local library, I checked out Nora Roberts' Key trilogy. I've skimmed my way through the first two, Key of Knowledge and Key of Light, and expect to read the third only because I'm anal that way. The books are hack jobs -- retreads of various plots and characterizations that she's used over the last 50 or so of the romances she's churned out. I really genuinely liked

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1096571365062943572004-09-30T15:03:00.000-04:002004-09-30T15:12:35.516-04:00

I've been blogging more-or-less steadily for over a year now -- the 26th was my anniversary. Go me. ROSE Working till I drop For an audience of four: Three nuns and your mother... MARCEL It's no good complaining... ROSE And she only bothered Because it was raining! --Aspects of Love I think I'm doing a little better than Rose, anyway. So thanks for tuning in.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1096488872814392922004-09-29T16:12:00.000-04:002004-09-29T16:14:32.813-04:00

Next Wednesday I will be getting on a plane to California, and a couple of days later I will be heading out Hwy 50 towards Washington DC. So, any suggestions for things I should see along the way, places to stay, places to eat?

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1096221646806012372004-09-26T13:54:00.000-04:002004-09-26T14:00:46.806-04:00

Welcome to Temptation, by Jennifer Crusie, is a fun bit of mind-candy. The characters are enjoyable, the plot just twisty enough, there's hot sex, romance, murder, and a bit with a dog -- ok, it's shallow, but so what? We all need a bit of shallow fun from time to time.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1095976086150276352004-09-23T17:46:00.000-04:002004-09-23T17:48:06.150-04:00

Wonderful wedding, wonderful honeymoon. And now I'm married, and we're back in Georgetown. I will probably write about all this at greater length in the future, but the jet lag is kicking in. Tomorrow at noon I have an interview with the Dept. of Labor; the job hunt continues.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1094356491628597642004-09-04T23:45:00.000-04:002004-09-04T23:57:25.586-04:00

The Hidden Land is that rare sequel which is better than the original. I suspect, with little evidence, that Pamela Dean may have originally intended them to be one novel, but then was forced to split it in two to accommodate the presumed shorter attention span of younger readers. At any rate, this book has a lot less setup and a lot more action than The Secret Country. While not a book I plan on

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1093901883089460292004-08-30T17:32:00.000-04:002004-08-30T17:38:03.090-04:00

This morning I finished The Secret Country by Pamela Dean. It's the first book in a trilogy that was written in the 1970's, and recently I've seen several recommendations for it. On the whole, I was underwhelmed. The storyline involves five children who make up a secret world, and then find themselves inside it. I had some trouble sorting out the children and the characters they had created, and

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1093797809815796882004-08-29T13:35:00.000-04:002004-09-04T23:56:03.100-04:00

Last night I finished To the Nines, a series mystery by Janet Evanovich in which the protagonist is a female bond agent. The writing is competent and Evanovich is good at moving the action along, but the supporting characters seem flat and unreal. Not a bad read, but I wouldn't search out more.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1093360329516307592004-08-24T11:06:00.000-04:002004-08-24T11:12:09.516-04:00

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon, is one of the most interesting books I've read in a long time. The half-familiar, half-alien perspective of the narrator, an autistic boy, is maintained convincingly throughout, and the book never drops into sentimentality. This is a fast read, but not a shallow one. Highly recommended.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1093115986529686692004-08-21T15:14:00.000-04:002004-08-21T15:19:46.530-04:00

Flew into Oakland yesterday evening, had a nice dinner at Oliveto's, and was in bed before midnight. This morning I awoke to fog, but it began to lift around 11:30 and now looks like it will be a nice day. Mom and I went to the farm market this morning, and bought fresh halibut (caught yesterday out of Bodega), white corn, yellow peaches, two loaves of bread from a new organic bakery in

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1092691809936613422004-08-16T17:19:00.000-04:002004-08-16T17:30:09.936-04:00

In the past year, I have somehow developed a pronounced allergy to a number of fruits -- apples, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and most recently, figs. This is extremely frustrating, because they still all taste wonderful. But within moments of eating even a single cherry, my mouth begins to itch and burn, and doesn't stop for around 20 minutes. On the other hand, I'm not allergic to

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1092534617559317052004-08-14T21:36:00.000-04:002004-08-14T21:50:17.560-04:00

Friday I got back in to the Kerry volunteer HQ, and did database work and such for a few hours. Just as I was wrapping up, former Senator Max Cleland came in to say hi. He was very good about making sure he met pretty much everyone in the room -- even me, and I was more or less hiding behind my computer, since I didn't really care if I met him or not. Anyway, he talked for a good hour, about the

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1092339968015309962004-08-12T15:41:00.000-04:002004-08-12T15:46:08.016-04:00

Read Bitten today, a first novel by Kelley Armstrong, about a female werewolf. It's a fast, entertaining read. The gore/violence quotient was a bit much for my tastes, but the author didn't dwell on it, and the violence was a legitimate part of the character and the world-building. At least it wasn't like the Laurell K. Hamilton later books, that have turned into a series of porn scenes linked

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1092269750327171822004-08-11T20:07:00.000-04:002004-08-11T20:15:50.326-04:00

I spent four hours today answering phone calls and letters for the Kerry-Edwards campaign. One lady called to complain about the FDA preventing her from getting drugs from Canada. A man wanted to share his expertise on energy policy; another man wanted Kerry to come out against the ethanol subsidies. A couple of people were upset about Kerry's statement that he still supported the original

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1092173200767360412004-08-10T17:23:00.000-04:002004-08-10T17:26:40.766-04:00

We have a boat! Shattermask and I are going to the South of France for our honeymoon, to boat along the Canal du Midi. Very cool.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1091911239904513082004-08-07T16:34:00.000-04:002004-08-07T16:40:39.903-04:00

One full week of unemployment -- I could get used to this. I've caught up on some sleep, volunteered for John Kerry three days, alphabetized the spices, and polished off a couple of novels. At the end of every day, I am amazed at how, even without any interference from work, I failed to accomplish all that I had planned to do. Today Shattermask and I went to a library book sale, where I got a

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1091130813026436542004-07-29T15:50:00.000-04:002004-07-29T15:53:33.026-04:00

Rich Lowry has more thoughts on Barack Obama's keynote address. I must admit that Obama hadn't really floated to my conscious attention before, but I find him increasingly interesting. Last day of work here... back to cleaning out my desk, and cleaning up my hard drive.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1091037697155083682004-07-28T13:56:00.000-04:002004-07-28T14:01:37.156-04:00

Prufrock, moved by Barack Obama's keynote address at the DNC, wrote of her own parents' experience as immigrants. And Steven Berlin Johnson argues that we are safe, and politicians should tell us so. There's good stuff out there.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1090618205872893912004-07-23T17:15:00.000-04:002004-07-23T17:30:05.873-04:00

Naomichana has a thoughtful discussion of movie ratings as applied to fanfic, and the purpose of those warning pages authors put up asking kids to relocate themselves to a Disney site if they're underage, instead of continuing on to read the story.  Her key point is: If it's not about protecting the kiddies (who have about a million other ways to get hold of sexually explicit material anyway),

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1090531498517844852004-07-22T17:06:00.000-04:002004-07-22T17:26:09.273-04:00

Magdalene ruminated on a first date she witnessed, and got 526 comments in three days. Let me repeat that. She got 526 comments. In three days. The power of the Internet; the power of good writing; the power of hope. I saw reflections of Shattermask's and my first date and our developing relationship in her description, and I was moved and reassured.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1090419488604268822004-07-21T10:15:00.000-04:002004-07-21T10:18:08.606-04:00

The ACLU has a funny/scary flash ad on privacy.  Take a look. Also, links have been updated to more closely track my current activities.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1090270188858739972004-07-19T16:46:00.000-04:002004-07-19T16:49:48.856-04:00

While I was slacking off this weekend, Slacktivist wrote a thoughtful discussion of Why Christians Hate Gays But Love Bacon.   Makes me think a bit better of St. Paul than I am accustomed to, actually.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1089920269313303052004-07-15T15:24:00.000-04:002004-07-15T15:37:49.313-04:00

I still have a bit of trouble sorting out the older generation of Hogwarts students -- Harry's parents, Remus, Sirius, et al -- although the movie did help a bit. I think I've finally gotten Remus and Sirius separate in my mind. But even so, I tend to avoid most of the fic written about them, from a lack of sufficient caring. This, though, was just brilliant. It's one chapter, in medias res,

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1089756049020899102004-07-13T17:47:00.001-04:002004-07-13T18:09:59.710-04:00

I want to buy the final DVD of Farscape S4 that was released today, plus the two previous ones that I've been delaying purchasing. I want (with somewhat less intensity, which is to say with the heat of a rather strong lightbulb instead of with the burning heat of a brush fire rampaging out of control) to buy seasons 1-2 of TWW, and seasons 4-7 of Buffy, and all of Angel. I even want (with a

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1089666373751730822004-07-12T16:54:00.000-04:002004-07-12T17:06:13.750-04:00

The Bush Administration appears to be floating the possibility of delaying the November presidential elections in case of a terrorist attack. On the one hand, their actual stated concern -- an attack occurring either the day before or the day of the election -- appears reasonable: it would probably be impossible to have a fair election under such circumstances, if the damage from the attack was

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1089398052053967662004-07-09T14:20:00.000-04:002004-07-09T14:34:12.053-04:00

Ginmar goes to market, and ruminates on economics in Iraq. She has a sharp mind, and a good eye for the telling detail. It’s hard to figure out what to think. Some of the men who have stalls are obviously selling off their belongings while the others sell electronics and wheedle, staring you in the eyes with that unique intensity that seems to be a feature of this country, daring you to bargain

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1089323156017571742004-07-08T17:45:00.000-04:002004-07-09T13:50:16.560-04:00

Hawkins: "I've got it! I've got it! The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle; the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true! Right?" Griselda: "Right. But there's been a change: they broke the chalice from the palace!" Hawkins: "They broke the chalice from the palace?" Griselda: "And replaced it with a flagon." Hawkins: "A flagon...?" Griselda: "With the figure of a

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1089150425038269412004-07-06T17:37:00.000-04:002004-07-06T17:47:05.036-04:00

After a long day of scuba diving school, the fiance and I did a quick shower/change into party clothes and headed to the Marina at about 8:30, to watch the fireworks on a friend's boat. Only problem: at the Kennedy Center (as we were passing through) a police officer told us that all roads to get around the Mall at the west end were blocked off -- the only route through was an hour detour across

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1088607784581956682004-06-30T10:50:00.000-04:002004-06-30T11:03:04.580-04:00

The lead article in The Onion today begins In a historic decision with major implications for the future of U.S. participatory democracy, the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 Monday that the American people are unfit to govern. The story about the Reagan pyramid made me laugh, too.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1088457230184168072004-06-28T17:07:00.000-04:002004-06-28T17:13:50.183-04:00

The two major terrorism cases released by the United States Supreme Court today, Hamdi v. Rumsfeld and Rasul v. Bush, give thoughtful, balanced views on the Due Process limits on the government's right to detain people for suspected terrorist involvement. (The third case, Padilla, got returned on a technicality.) Take some time, read them. You'll be better informed. In other news, when asked to

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1088270451309018982004-06-26T13:15:00.000-04:002004-06-26T13:20:51.310-04:00

Geoviki has collected all of A. J. Hall's HP stories, including the snippets, dribbles and outtakes not on the main website. She's not a stalker -- she's just anal. Anyway, Lust Over Pendle is still an excellent place to start, but there's quite a bit of short prequellish bits that are good too. No one else writes HP like Hall does. She's one of the more skilled, subtle writers in any fandom, in

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1088018715475536052004-06-23T14:46:00.000-04:002004-06-23T15:25:15.476-04:00

Wendy has written a brilliant musical version of HP:OOTP set to West Side Story. Funny stuff. For example, here's Harry singing to the tune of Something's Coming. Could be Who knows? There's something due any day. I will know right away Soon as it shows. I've got a feeling there's a massacre due By Voldemort's crew, But nobody knows. Who knows? Has anyone vanished yet? Had a strange accident?

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1087942733423661862004-06-22T18:17:00.000-04:002004-06-22T18:18:53.423-04:00

My Parents have now met His Parents. Stressful weekend, but a good one, and the next visit will be more relaxed.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1087422845369651102004-06-16T17:40:00.000-04:002004-06-16T17:54:05.370-04:00

William W. Bedsworth, a California appellate judge, is one of the funniest writers I know, to the point where I am careful not to eat at the same time as I read his articles. And it turns out he has a website. Life is Good. For example: But Ferrero and Santos represent the cutting edge – or whatever is the equivalent when a blunt instrument is involved2 – of shock jock radio in Miami. Their

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1087248300643024622004-06-14T17:16:00.000-04:002004-06-14T17:25:27.680-04:00

Oh my. Yahtzee wrote Goodnight, Moon for a crossover challenge fic with The Day After Tomorrow. Lame movie, great story. It's Joan of Arcadia at the end of the world, and it's heart-breaking and gorgeous. Thanks to Perri for the recommendation.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1087238621690763222004-06-14T14:34:00.000-04:002004-06-14T14:43:41.690-04:00

Mongolians are picking last names, and wouldn't you know it, they mostly want to be named Borjigin ("master of the blue wolf"). Others prefer the name of an ancestral occupation: Blacksmith, Herdsman or Writer. Some names are linked to clans: White Camel or Black-and-White Horse. And some names have more obscure origins. One surname listed in the book, perhaps less fashionable today, is Seven

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1087161200779115212004-06-13T16:49:00.000-04:002004-06-13T17:13:20.780-04:00

...but it might be worth it. I really, truly love her Gorbachev/Thatcher RPS.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1086995287831320612004-06-11T19:07:00.000-04:002004-06-14T14:30:32.873-04:00

Spent a large portion of the day watching Reagan's funeral service on television and reading John McWhorter's The Power of Babel, on the history of Language, thanks to the federal government closure. Favorite quote, by a CNN commentator filling up airtime before the service started: It's so rare to see every living and one former-living president together. In other news, the fiance and I

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1086901068177594872004-06-10T16:47:00.000-04:002004-06-11T18:57:05.946-04:00

Yesterday I ducked out of work a bit early to see Reagan's funeral procession. When I arrived at 4th and Constitution around 4:30, the crowd was thin, and places along the railing were easy to find. It was still hot and muggy, so I found a shaded seat on a bench and waited. By 5:30, the railing was solidly packed, but I found a place on the ledge of some stairs, still in shade, where I could see

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1086811843451299932004-06-09T16:05:00.000-04:002004-06-09T16:10:43.453-04:00

Amazing how hard it is to marshal coherent thought when one's teeth ache. But since noon, when I got back to the office after lengthy torture at the dentist's, I have reviewed an opinion and revised a draft dissenting opinion and researched a bunch of cases, because I am just. that. focused. And need the distraction of work. Also I didn't want to just call it a day, because I'd like to see

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1086663792560096082004-06-07T22:56:00.000-04:002004-06-07T23:03:12.560-04:00

New poem, discovered courtesy of Annakovsky (I think) this morning. Her A Critique of Pure Reason is coming along beautifully, by the way. Xander and Dom Monaghan, and the play between reality and imagination has never been subtler. Anyway, I'm still deciding what I think of the poem. Wild Geese You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1086292211667827482004-06-03T15:41:00.000-04:002004-06-03T15:50:11.666-04:00

I knew that teachers were chronically underpaid (and more overworked than you'd think, even considering the vacations), but this article suggests that the problem is more serious than I'd thought. Opening 'graf: As a nation, we're confused about how we see teachers. Most polls show that respect for the profession has risen in recent years, yet we have certain quietly entrenched ideas—that

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1085774962410700632004-05-28T15:50:00.000-04:002004-05-28T16:09:22.410-04:00

Slacktivist pointed out the devastation of the recent flooding in Haiti and the Dominican Republic here, and noted the activities of a group called Floresta, which aims to Do Good by Planting Trees. Oh, and to convert people to Christianity too, but y'know, I'm ok with that, since they expressly don't condition aid on receptivity to their message. They've planted over 2 million trees, and made a

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1085609644980764502004-05-26T18:10:00.000-04:002004-05-26T18:14:04.980-04:00

Back from California, somewhat jetlagged but hanging in there. Cleolinda gave me a good laugh this morning with Troy in 15 Minutes -- very funny.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1085089531362936592004-05-20T17:41:00.000-04:002004-05-20T23:29:52.790-04:00

These links are all worth a look. They're mostly even good news. Iraqis seek release of unfortunate detainees. Pentagon sets up tribunals to review Gitmo detentions Education of the untouchables Risks of banning gay marriage Off to California tomorrow -- blogging will be sporadic at best until mid next week.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1085004863885868262004-05-19T18:12:00.000-04:002004-05-19T18:14:23.886-04:00

I've been away from my computer for a while. These last couple of days I was attending a judicial conference thrown by my court. It was better than last year's, I think -- more law, more military issues. I only dozed off a couple of times. Even the two-hour ethics presentation was interesting, since it relied on clips from JAG and Law & Order to show ethical violations. Gotta run -- Italian

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1084567061931215392004-05-14T16:22:00.000-04:002004-05-14T16:37:41.930-04:00

Do animals understand that other creatures have their own thoughts? Can they empathize and deceive? The Economist rounds up research suggesting that they do. Funniest bit: Dr Bugnyar was conducting an experiment designed to see what ravens learn from each other while foraging. While doing so he noticed strange interactions between two males, Hugin, a subordinate bird, and Munin, a dominant one.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1084475199302109192004-05-13T14:58:00.001-04:002004-05-14T13:15:47.130-04:00

Slactivist has a nice summary of a McCain interview on Abu Ghraib that rather sums up my own feeling on the matter. Josh Marshall has also been speaking eloquently on the same topic.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1084372059458822202004-05-12T10:21:00.000-04:002004-05-12T10:27:39.456-04:00

Dove has been leading a ridiculously funny discussion on who's girlier -- Orlando Bloom or Brad Pitt. I must say, it's a close competition. Thanks to Vonnielake for the link. It's been a depressing week, and I needed the laugh.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-108422338000505192004-05-10T16:50:00.000-04:002004-05-10T17:14:51.006-04:00

Trolling through the web after a week away, here's what I found: In Talking Points, Joshua Micah Marshall discusses a Guardian article suggesting that some of these sexual humiliation methods apparently practiced at Abu Ghraib are taught to various special forces and military intelligence troops in the US and the UK, both to use them and also to prepare themselves to withstand them. He says:

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1084219575213998152004-05-10T16:05:00.000-04:002004-05-10T16:06:15.213-04:00

Keeping my fingers crossed....

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1084215664796961002004-05-10T15:00:00.000-04:002004-05-10T16:27:23.616-04:00

Blogger has finally added a comments feature, so I'm trying to sort through how that works. Bear with me as I teach myself html through experimentation. I've unfortunately lost all prior comments (through Haloscan) and I don't think it's possible to add comments to prior posts, but I think the new system will still be better. I never liked the pop-up functionality of Haloscan.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1084088659296278072004-05-09T03:44:00.000-04:002004-05-09T03:48:49.310-04:00

Yesterday W and I left around 7:30 am for Maastricht. We missed the first bus out by just a minute -- saw it pass by in front of us -- but caught a different one a bit later, and after that all of our connections were beautifully smooth. One bus ride and three trains later, we were in Maastricht a little before noon. Maastricht looks very European, but not very Dutch at all. It has bicyclists,

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1083925613122129552004-05-07T06:26:00.000-04:002004-05-07T06:31:20.763-04:00

In which I do nothing of any interest to anyone whatsoever, but do remain alive and breathing. Go play. Shoo.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1083875271511825302004-05-06T16:27:00.000-04:002004-05-06T16:33:42.920-04:00

When I woke at 8:30, the sky was a deep, cloudless blue, and I was filled with the urge to bike-ride so well known in my family. By the time I actually set off at 9:45, clouds had coalesced out of nothing, but there was still more blue than white, so I headed off to Delft on W's sturdy, upright "omi-fietz," or "Grandma-bike" as they are known here. I reached Den Haag without any problem -- no

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1083784593527522432004-05-05T15:16:00.000-04:002004-05-05T15:20:59.076-04:00

Today was a rest day. We slept in, had a slow morning, and then W and I went grocery shopping in Wassenaar. I bought lots of various goodies at a candy store attended by an extremely patient shopkeeper, and we sampled cheeses in the cheese store, and stocked up on groceries. We had thought about finding some local Liberation Day ceremony to attend, but couldn't find any close by. Then I rested

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1083704899011524962004-05-04T17:08:00.000-04:002004-05-04T17:12:09.110-04:00

The bus to Haarlem takes about 1.5 hours. As the crow flies, it's only about 25km away, but I'm sure we traveled at least 60km, going through a variety of smallish villages and stopping at every wide spot in the road. We traveled along the shore for awhile, and passed a dike (or perhaps a dam -- I'm not sure of the difference), the first I've actually seen here. We also passed a lot of tulip

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1083613613120149492004-05-03T15:46:00.000-04:002004-05-03T15:52:56.090-04:00

So the Hague was pleasant, but rather unremarkable. It felt like a generic European city -- like where they'd set a movie if they didn't want you to be able to identify it as a specific city. The Mauritshuis is a three-story building housing a fine collection of mostly Dutch art on the top two floors. I paid the extra euro for the audio tour, read the laminated cards placed in every room with

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1083529988047167492004-05-02T16:33:00.000-04:002004-05-02T16:47:58.983-04:00

At the entrance to Keukenhof, you purchase entry tickets (12 euros for an adult) and a parking ticket (4 euros). (Since the current exchange rate is about .7 to 1, these kind of prices add up quickly.) Although there is no warning sign about needing a ticket when you park or at the entrance, when you leave, the ticket is collected -- no ticket, no exit. It's a workable system, but I was a little

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1083432845621766632004-05-01T13:34:00.000-04:002004-05-01T13:42:23.700-04:00

I arrived at Schiphol airport this morning around 10. My friend W met me there, and we took the train to Den Haag and then a bus to Wassenaar, and walked to W's house through the main market street, stopping off at various small shops to pick up bread, diapers for J, and groceries. Got home around 11:30, had lunch, and went off for a bike ride in a loop around the town. It was a nice day,

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1083186880714879212004-04-28T17:14:00.000-04:002004-04-28T17:18:56.793-04:00

I'b so biserable... I can' breathe. But I've put a call into my doctor to get a referral to an allergist, who will scratch my arm and make it itch, and tell me that I'm allergic to stuff. sigh. God, I hate hayfever season.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1083100062434203332004-04-27T17:07:00.000-04:002004-04-27T17:11:57.233-04:00

Isabella V is a "post-adolescent, international fugitive" who in March 2003 ran away from an exceedingly rich, powerful family. Or it's a hoax (though to what end, no one knows). The jury's still out, but in the meantime, her blog is pretty darn entertaining.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1083015554306245522004-04-26T17:39:00.000-04:002004-04-26T17:49:25.496-04:00

Peter W. Galbraith casts a dispassionate eye over US options for How to Get Out of Iraq. His solution: a three-state model based on Yugoslavia. Josh Marshall talks about Kerry's apparent strategy of staying off the airwaves these past two months. Key points: This is one of those strategies that is improbably brilliant unless it turns out to be completely stupid. And the difficulty, as with so

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1082669383006553302004-04-22T17:29:00.000-04:002004-04-22T17:33:50.653-04:00

More thoughts on the Rapture. If you believe that there will be a Second Coming and that this is a Good Thing, then anything that is necessary to bring it about should be looked forward to with joy and helped along. If you also believe that there will be an apocalyptic period first (whether it's brief or a full 7 years) then should you also logically believe that signs that things are Very Bad

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1082585419684750692004-04-21T18:10:00.000-04:002004-04-21T18:20:15.280-04:00

Slacktivist, whose motto should be "Reading crap so you don't have to" has been slogging his way through Jenkins and LaHaye's first Rapture* book, Left Behind. Apparently, not only does the religious philosophy of premillennial dispensationalism bear only the faintest connection to Christianity and to anything actually in the Bible, but the book is almost unbelievably poorly written as well.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1082519812688419482004-04-20T23:56:00.000-04:002004-04-21T11:13:24.326-04:00

Whan that Aprille with its shoures sote The drought of March hath perced to the rote And bathed every vine in swich liqueur Of which vertu engendered is the fleur, Whan Zephyrus eke with his swete breath Inspired hath in every holt and haeth the tendre croppes, And the yonge sonne hath in the Ram his halfe course i-runne, And smalle fowles machen melodye That slapen all the nicht with open eye (

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-108215072630501922004-04-16T17:25:00.000-04:002004-04-16T17:30:28.030-04:00

Oh, this is just very cool. It's a big, glowy Easter egg, with Useful Information! In other news, the tax center fixed my SSN, so unless I am very unlucky, everything should now be just fine.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1082039760504734612004-04-15T10:36:00.000-04:002004-04-15T13:06:57.216-04:00

This morning I went to the DC Taxpayer Service Center to re-file my taxes. I got there just after 8:30, when the building opened. There were a dozen people set up to help people file online, with an automated ticketed waiting system. The ticket said that my estimated wait time was 8 minutes, and I waited less than 5. The woman I dealt with was pleasant and direct. She took my forms, entered the

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1081974520169805222004-04-14T16:28:00.000-04:002004-04-14T16:32:36.873-04:00

Yesterday I stayed home sick with an upset stomach (that time of month, y'know), and, wonky stomach aside, had an incredibly pleasant day reading Dorothy Dunnett's Queen's Play, watching the newly-released Farscape eps Terra Firma and Twice Shy, playing Canasta, talking wedding details with my mother, and just generally kicking back. I need more days like that. Today, I am informed that DC does

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1081825453747474972004-04-12T23:04:00.000-04:002004-04-12T23:09:36.216-04:00

I generally avoid WIPs (works in progress), because I've been burned a few too many times by works that started off with a bang, sucked me in, and then left me checking fruitlessly for updates for months. And I really never read fanfic about live people, because (a) I usually don't know or care about the actor/singer/whoever, as opposed to the fictional character, and (b) it seems a bit

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1081460762593244532004-04-09T17:40:00.000-04:002004-04-14T16:24:19.483-04:00

Tongue Vibrators battle heating up. So it turns out that not only is there such a gadget as a tongue vibrator (which as I understand it is not meant to violate vibrate the tongue, but rather things which are brought into contact with the tongue), but in fact there's competition. Huh. *Edited to fix a Freudian slip.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1081432602537216332004-04-08T09:56:00.000-04:002004-04-08T17:47:45.013-04:00

Will you still need me, Will you still feed me, When I'm sixty-four? The Economist had a good overview last month of the impending global aging issue. Key points: Thus, a larger generation of old folk than ever before will need support for longer than ever before from a population of working age that is shrinking continuously in absolute size for the first time since the Black Death. And the

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1081371880824473262004-04-07T17:04:00.000-04:002004-04-14T16:25:40.546-04:00

Ginmar is staying alive in Iraq, by the skin of her teeth, and writing about it eloquently here. The military shut down the "Any Soldier" gift packages over security concerns, but anyone who's minded to do so can get a package to a soldier through Treats for Troops. They fill out the increasingly-nitpicky paperwork demanded by the DoD and ship the package you put together USPS Priority Mail,

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1081119813720429562004-04-04T19:03:00.000-04:002004-04-06T14:03:42.903-04:00

The Prosecutors: A Year in the Life of a District Attorney's Office by Gary Delsohn is a highly readable book about life inside the Major Crimes unit of the Sacramento DA's office. The author, a journalist, makes the plot flow by concentrating on a handful of notorious or graphic murder cases that occurred during the year, skimming only briefly over the thousands of more routine criminal matters.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1080943220251552042004-04-02T17:00:00.000-05:002004-04-02T17:04:00.826-05:00

I'm going out to the country with Shattermask tomorrow to watch pretty horsies race around in a field. And I expect there'll be food involved. Now if it will only stop raining, this will be good.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1080858872458017972004-04-01T17:34:00.000-05:002004-04-01T17:38:11.216-05:00

There's a girl on a motorcycle riding around Chernobyl and taking pictures... this was just fascinating. Thanks to Melymbrosia for the link.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1080769720240605202004-03-31T16:48:00.000-05:002004-03-31T16:52:17.403-05:00

Lyrics from Sunday in the Park with George have been running through my head this afternoon: I chose and my world was shaken, so what? The choice may have been mistaken, The choosing was not. You have to move on. And Mama said, "Honey, mustn't be blue. It's not so much do what you like as it is that you like what you do." Mama said, "Darling, don't make such a drama. A little less thinking, a

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1080602075339629592004-03-29T18:14:00.000-05:002004-03-29T18:19:44.496-05:00

A teenager named Andrew Cote in Edwards, Illinois, was thrown out of his Boy Scout troop, two days after getting his Eagle Scout award (the highest rank a Boy Scout can achieve), for his support of Scouting for All, a group dedicated to ending anti-gay discrimination in the Boy Scouts of America. Resonant reproduced the story from her local paper. It's interesting and well-written, and you

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1080233382395545622004-03-25T11:49:00.000-05:002004-03-25T15:56:19.140-05:00

This site, gacked from Anna S, is just fascinating, and also a bit unsettling, in that am-I-showing-stalkerish-tendencies way. You just put in any address, for instance your own, doesn't matter if you've donated or not. Then it will show you, in a widening radius, who gave what to the candidates. My neighborhood were heavy Dean supporters, with a fair sprinkling of Kerry and Bush. And check out

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1080166776059606372004-03-24T17:19:00.000-05:002004-03-24T17:23:04.030-05:00

Not much to report today, but I was interested in this article on what can be done currently with pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. There's an equal-protection argument in it that caught my eye: For a childless couple with no history of chromosome X-linked genetic disorders, the use of PGD [pre-implantation genetic diagnosis] for sex selection may seem a mere luxury. On the other hand, many

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1080066212815818242004-03-23T13:23:00.000-05:002004-03-23T13:29:13.496-05:00

I've been thoroughly enjoying David Lipsky's book, Absolutely American: Four Years at West Point. These points (which appear to be recurring themes) were particularly interesting: You don't have to be at West Point very long to realize the secret: Cicerelle and her fellow cadets are happier than students almost anywhere else. It's not just that everyone looks incredibly fit. They seem mentally

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1079995015769750432004-03-22T17:36:00.000-05:002004-03-22T17:40:20.796-05:00

Shattermask and I got engaged yesterday. [grins like a fool] Wish us luck.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1079822043191644532004-03-20T17:34:00.000-05:002004-03-20T17:37:25.483-05:00

Today I read Happy All the Time, by Laurie Colwin. It's a happy, fluffy book, with interesting observations on romance and marriage. The characters are well drawn, interesting, and pleasingly imperfect. A short and enjoyable read. Also, I commend to your attention Naomichana's thoughts on the workings of committees.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1079729794852393022004-03-19T15:56:00.000-05:002004-03-19T15:59:56.186-05:00

I've been developing a cold today, just feeling gradually worse as the day wears on, in that not-remotely-fatal-yet-still-irritating way that colds make you feel. I'm going to go home early, wrap myself in a blanket, and read comfort fic. And sneeze a lot. ...There goes the weekend. sigh

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1079649452093779642004-03-18T17:37:00.000-05:002004-03-18T17:47:55.296-05:00

Since I've got this song stuck in my head today, I just thought I'd share. Trippy lyrics -- the 60s were an odd time. The lyrics are also good for pointing out the difference between a metaphor and a simile, I suppose. Round like a circle in a spiral like a wheel within a wheel Never ending or beginning on an ever-spinning reel Like a snowball down a mountain or a carnival balloon Like a

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1079562973711876682004-03-17T17:36:00.000-05:002004-03-17T17:40:01.513-05:00

I am going to the Netherlands in May, to stay for a week with friends who live in the Hague. I plan to look at pretty fields of tulips and visit Bruges. Any suggestions on other things I should do while I'm there? . . .life is short and the world is wide- Simon Raven

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1079470566413458172004-03-16T15:56:00.000-05:002004-03-16T15:59:22.843-05:00

So, a dozen members of Congress have introduced this bill to permit Congress to overturn decisions of the US Supreme Court regarding the constitutionality of Acts of Congress. This of course would make Congress the final arbiter of its own acts, in flagrant violation of the established tripartite balance of powers in the US, which really has served us quite well lo these many years now. H.R.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1079392704476750002004-03-15T18:18:00.000-05:002004-03-15T18:21:40.170-05:00

Back in DC after a long weekend in California, and I'm just dead tired. Now I'm off to Italian class, in an ongoing effort to stave off the siren lure of my bed. Actual thoughts may resume tomorrow.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1078949931111193282004-03-10T15:18:00.000-05:002004-03-10T15:22:58.483-05:00

There was a short article in the WP today, to the effect that the occurrence rate of STDs is just about the same for teens who rely on abstinence as a method of birth control / STD control as it is for other teens. The reason for this, in short, is that there will inevitably be occasional failures of abstinence, and, as someone or other was quoted as saying, "It's difficult to both plan for sex

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1078887520503568182004-03-09T21:58:00.000-05:002004-03-09T22:06:56.076-05:00

I found this article on women in combat to be pretty interesting. Thanks to Phil Carter for the link. Key 'grafs: Certainly it's not unusual to see women in military leadership in Iraq. According to several sources, about 15 percent of the more than 100,000 American troops in the Persian Gulf are women, the largest deployment of females in U.S. history. The Military Police, in particular, are

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1078786172023997802004-03-08T17:49:00.000-05:002004-03-08T17:52:37.670-05:00

I have completed all my taxes, printed them out neatly, stuffed them into envelopes, and sent them off. Now I can just sit back and wait for the money to flow in like bread on the tides. So to speak. Anyway, I figure that the refunds will pay for a new PDA and a new digital camera, to replace an old Palm and an old Pentax (non-digital) which both finally broke this winter, so let's hear it for

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1078510026496929432004-03-05T13:07:00.000-05:002004-03-05T13:10:08.390-05:00

Oh golly. A TA channeling Gollum just cracked me up, and I'm not even in academia (anymore). Thanks to Naomichana for the link. In a completely different vein, I finally reached the end of Tom Clancy's Red Rabbit, my reaction to which can be summed up as don't bother. The plot was straightforward, the writing pedestrian, the characterization flat, the exposition painfully obvious and repetitive.

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5865135.post-1078355858863210332004-03-03T18:17:00.000-05:002004-03-03T18:20:38.123-05:00

The Firefly movie has been greenlit -- I'm ridiculously happy about this. [Wanders off to watch Firefly DVDs again....]

Ilaria Shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03457141031593480197noreply@blogger.com0