cargoby

I moved to a new site!

2007-10-06T15:37:00.001-07:00

It's my own site too. I figured I'd make one site all about all kinds of music. This blog was a lovely starting point. Now it's time to really do my thing. Check out TheMusicStalker.com!

Wade Imre Morissette Is Pretty Good

2007-07-25T20:42:00.000-07:00

I was just farting around on MySpace looking for something, anything to do with yoga. I found kirtan artist Wade Imre Morissette. You know, he's Alanis' twin brother. Looks like he has musical talent in addition to being a yoga teacher. Actually, to be fair, he's following a musical path of yoga.

I'm going to have to buy his two albums. I really dig this ambient stuff. It's what I listen to when I'm doing my degree work for Boston University. I've found the ambient stuff is the perfect studying music.

Good studying music has either:

A) No words

or

B) No words in English to break my concentration.

So Wade Imre Morissette's music will work. I'll use it in my yoga practice too. And for those moments when I can't sleep...oh, I am falling in love with his stuff!

Check it out:

http://www.myspace.com/wadeimremorissette

Om & Namaste.

No Music Online Today

2007-06-26T12:15:00.000-07:00

What a bitch. Online radio stations have gone dark to draw attention to the Internet Radio Equality Act. If it doesn't pass, Internet radio as we know it will die forever on July 15.

Read my article and find out how you can help. It features Derek Grimme of CreamyRadio.com. You could go there and listen to their stuff, but they've gone silent today...

Superfan: The Beatle Bob Doc

2007-06-21T16:42:00.001-07:00

Superfan: The Lies, Life and Legend of Beatle Bob

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Rolling Stone With More on Bonnaroo

2007-06-21T16:41:00.000-07:00

This is why we must attend Bonnaroo

2007-06-21T16:40:00.000-07:00

News on Rihanna, The Traveling Wilburys

2007-06-01T14:40:00.000-07:00

I know, it's wrong to say there is news on The Traveling Wilburys, considering both George Harrison and Roy Orbison have passed on. Yet consider how Kurt Cobain made $50 million last year. At any rate, Rihanna and The Traveling Wilburys are newsworthy and on my page at Suite101.com. I'm actually going to be re-writing the Wilburys article and splitting it in two once my review copy of the collection arrives! So check back soon, Wilburys fans.

MelodyTrip Podcast #9 About Live Earth

2007-06-01T14:38:00.000-07:00

Here's everything you could ever want to know about what is all about. I talk to Yusuf Robb, spokesperson for Live Earth, the six-continent super concert set to take place 7.7.07.

New Paul McCartney!

2007-06-01T14:37:00.000-07:00

My latest podcast for MelodyTrip.com: Global Fest News and Tea Leaf Green

2007-05-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

Global podcast news, music from Tea Leaf Green, info on another cool podcast you may like, an astrology recommendation, and more fun stuff.

MelodyTrip.com podcast #7!

Go to the link, page down to the attachments, download it, follow along in the show notes, kick back, & enjoy!

Summer music festival season is in high gear, so check out MelodyTrip today!

3 6 Mafia Moms Didn't Want To Leave The 'Hood

2007-05-13T15:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to you, and yes, rappers have mothers too:

Mark Day on Keith Richards Snorting His Daddy

2007-05-06T18:29:00.000-07:00

Which he quickly denied. But still. It's irresistable pop culture fodder. Enjoy.

Suburban Homeboy on Don Imus

2007-05-06T17:36:00.000-07:00

I know the scandal is past and even John Corzine is recovering...but I'm just now catching up on my YouTube videos. Something about having had too much Boston University work to complete for my "Moral Self" course. Speaking of morals...this video is perfect. What a way to get back at that idiot who is finally off the air at long last!

The Latest Hollywood Hoo-Hah

2007-05-06T17:25:00.001-07:00

The Peak staff, incapable of doing actual work, makes videos. Here's Hollywood Hoo-Hah:

Mark Day Has A Qwik Fit

2007-05-06T16:56:00.000-07:00

Here's what I thought of American Idol

2007-04-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

And I do really feel jipped I didn't get to see LaKisha kicked off last night. But it was a good American Idol episode for once. Very entertaining! First, take the poll. Then you can read the article reviewing last night's big Idol Gives Back show. You can catch up on my other new stories here.

New music from Joe in stores today, tour starts Friday

2007-04-24T18:24:00.000-07:00

Read about the new album and get the tour dates for Joe. He's back to croon us into R&B heaven!

Lots o' Music-Related Writing By Me. And a Podcast!

2007-04-24T17:52:00.000-07:00

I'm a busy little freelance writer! And podcaster!

First off, the 3rd MelodyTrip.com podcast is online. This one's about Country Thunder and this weekend I'll be out at the McDowell Mountain Music Festival.

Download the podcast here.

Just page all the way down to where it says in small print "attachments" and you can click on that and download the MP3 of the podcast. We're working on the technical stuff so the podcast becomes a LOT more prominent and so I can post my crazy Country Thunder photos.

Wanna see the Country Thunder Photos? They're right here at my Webshots.com album. While you're there, you may as well check out my entertainment post, whichever one is currently in the rotation. Bookmark the URL and check back for changes.

It's very seldom I pimp all my stuff at once, so here you go. This will help keep you up on what I'm up to as a workin' gal.

Here's a little discussion on Suite101.com I started and would hope you'll join in... Is it PAST time for the N word to go or what?

Here's my actual Suite101 page with all my articles and blogs.

I can't forget to plug the Peak either! The website is still new and even more fabulous. Click on the water cooler to read my Peak Dope. I put up fresh Peak Dope several times a day for your reading/time-wasting pleasure. Don't forget to click on over to Mr. Peakerman's blog to read the One Liner News.

That's it for now!

More updates and stuff to read at my website writerheather.com.

I'm now a fan of...Maria Taylor

2007-04-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

Are these lyrics not genius?

Now that you know the words, listen to the song. It's called A Good Start and it's my new favorite.

Music stuff!

2007-04-06T12:13:00.000-07:00

I write about music all over the place. So here's a big fat list of links for you to follow.

The Peak Dope -- click on the water cooler on 987thepeak.com to get there.

Once you're there, don't forget to navigate to Mr. Peakerman's blog to read my smart-ass One Liner News which doesn't altogether have much to do with music. One Liner News is always right here.

Here's my Pop Music Page at Suite1010.com.

There you will find my new weekly music release list. There's a lot about Beyonce this week.

Here's my piece on the Loud.com Battle Rap contest and what I learned about it from interviewing beatmaker/producer Zukhan Bey on Monday.

My page has polls, discussions, articles about Amy Winehouse, Macy Gray, my hotlists, and more. So be sure to stop by!

Coming soon, a music podcast...come back to learn more soon!

A Big Fat Battle Rap Competition Anyone Can Enter

2007-04-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

The folks at Loud.com are supplying the judges, the beats, the online community, and even an online multitrack editor to lay those beats in. Your motivation is a $100,000 prize and a deal with SRC records. What are you waiting for? I talked to producer/beatmaker Zukhan Bey on Monday and he's got some tips for you!

Read all about it at Suite101.com!

If you've got the talent, go for it. If your name is Karl Rove and you're new at this, don't bother. No wack MCs allowed!

Last day to speak your piece on Sanjaya

2007-04-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've been working hard on Suite101.com to help you make fun of Sanjaya.

Take the poll! Scroll down to the bottom and speak your piece:

http://popmusic.suite101.com/

Especially because we're all hoping his time is limited...and especially because no one has voted yet! It's the cursed no-vote poll. Help a girl out!

There's also a new music blog for you and a blog about my newfound love for the Today show and its musical acts.

Soon, an article about how you, yes YOU, can become a big famous rapper. Or at least a chance for you to become one if you're any good. If you're that wack white dude from YouTube, probably not. No Average Homeboys allowed:

I'm working on that article now and will let you know when it's up. Until then, work on your freestyle skills, Above-Average Homeboys everywhere!

Chad Vader 7!

2007-03-25T17:55:00.002-07:00

Poor little racoon! I hope Chad whoops Clint's ass and gets the girl. I've been hoping Chad would get some for quite a while.

The Peak Partied with Survivor...

2007-03-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

...and a couple hundred lucky Peakerheads!

Pop music at its finest -- Avril Lavigne's Girlfriend Video

2007-03-18T18:09:00.001-07:00

Macy Gray Talks About Her New Album

2007-03-13T16:15:00.000-07:00

Big will be released on March 27. It's Macy Gray's first album full of collaboration from Will.I.Am, Justin Timberlake, new producers Jared and Whitey, Fergie, Natalie Cole, and producer Ron Fair. Her new single is out right now and available for purchase on iTunes: Finally Made Me Happy.

I talked to Macy Gray today about her new album, who she worked with, and what the new songs are all about. Read my article about Macy Gray's new album here!

Too busy to post much...again!

2007-03-13T16:05:00.000-07:00

But I have a decent excuse besides school: too much workin'. Listen to me 7-12 PST tonight, tomorrow, and Thursday online at 987thepeak.com. I'm filling for Monica for the moment. I've also been busy interviewing Macy Gray about her new album. I never talk about myself on here, so I'm making an exception today so you can learn more about me.

I'm lovin' the Ning!

2007-03-08T11:59:00.000-08:00

Just created a page for fans of my radio station, 98-7 The Peak, here in Phoenix, Arizona. I'm actually hoping strangers in Ning will come across the page, check out the website and listen online. You can be the first Peakerhead on Ning!

It's a momentous occasion! The NEW Peak website is online!

2007-03-05T21:55:00.000-08:00

Check it out! We've got a smashing new Peak website! Oh, happy day! Let's raise a glass! (Okay, so I've raised a couple glasses since I finished my research paper a couple hours ago. But I digress).

It's got Peak TV with Hollywood Hoo Ha, the one 45 at 1:45 (that's 45 as in 45 record to you young'uns), it's got the Peak blog, but I don't know who writes that stuff.

It's also got photos of Scotty, Mary, Monica, Steve and Mini! See, they look better than you thought they did!

So here's the URL: Tell a friend!

More will be coming with the Peak site, so bookmark it. Blinklist it. Make it your homepage. Listen live. Enter contests.

And look at how sexy Monica is!

And don't forget to equest a song! Especially while I'm on the air 7p-12a every Saturday night hosting the Peak Party! Because my life is empty if I don't shamelessly self-promote!

987ThePeak.com.

As Kazaa As We Can Get In Web 2.0

2007-03-04T15:46:00.000-08:00

I found a couple websites I want to share where you can stream audio without paying for it. These sights may just be interpreting the DMCA as they wish because I'm not sure this is even legal and if not, how long these sites will be around. But they're worth checking out.

If you go there and listen to an album or a song, do you do so as a freeloader or does it help you make a purchasing decision?

The selection certainly isn't great or perfect on either site -- which is exactly what turned me away from Kazaa back in the day more than the turmoil about digital rights. I find myself turning to these when I can't get the stream for my favorite online radio stations.

So read my blog at Suite101, and let me know what you think!

The hottest new music video on the net, and my new favorite song

2007-03-01T11:23:00.000-08:00

It's Beautiful Liar from Beyonce and Shakira. How on Earth have we not been treated so such a genius musical paring ever before? This is too much sexiness to handle unless you're some kind of nympho, in which case, more power to you. Wow, they're like twins... Just watch the video!

MySpace Gets Heavy Into Music Marketing and Promotion

2007-02-28T05:39:00.000-08:00

MySpace took a big leap into music marketing and promotion Monday night to pimp out MySpace Records artist Mickey Avalon.

If I were a band, I'd be friends with Tom.

Other stuff I write about at the Suite101 pop music page includes:

*Beyonce's Oscar snub
*Lily Allen does MTV's First Discover & Download Tour
*Linda Perry -- the Power Behind the Hits

You can also take my poll to let me know how you discover new music and read articles from our writers about Christina Aguilera and Talking Heads. I blog about The Police and Talking Heads.

Feel free to let me know about any kind of music or trend in pop music you'd like to hear more about. I'm open to any and all ideas about pop music, music promotion and marketing, new artists, hit songs, great albums, and pop music history to name a few.

And by the way, have you heard Mickey Avalon yet? What do you think?

Finally, I find a way to listen to Iron Butterfly online

2007-02-27T13:35:00.000-08:00

I wanted to buy In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly on iTunes until I realized that iTunes only had the 4-minute version. I didn't even know there was a 4-minute version. What's the point? So I gave up.

Then I found a place where I can listen to the song in it's 17-minute entirety online -- for free no less! Friends, let me introduce you to MP3Realm.

Now I can be a happy music fan again.

You've got to hear this guy!

2007-02-23T07:13:00.000-08:00

I just found Geoff Smith on Podshow Podshow and I am absolutely hooked on his music. At first he reminded me of Ben Folds just a little bit because of his voice. Not On The Radio is the song I keep playing over and over, you know like we did back in the day when we had casettes and we'd hit rewind over and over and over. Or back when we had 45s and all we had to do was put the needle back at the just the right groove where the song began.

Give a listen to Geoff Smith and let me know what you think!

Britney Shaves Her Head!

2007-02-17T21:39:00.000-08:00

The girl has got to be nuts. Well, we knew that. Anyway, I cover the silliness at length at Suite101.com. Happy reading. Vote too on the poll I've put up -- why did she do it? Certainly there must be a reason?

Did she just want some attention?

Dear record companies,

2007-02-14T16:09:00.000-08:00

I don’t know if the old model is working anymore. Well, duh. But more specifically, I am not sure if the amount of spins a record gets is totally where it’s at anymore.

Don’t get me wrong; I still think the more a record gets played, the more it sells. But what I’m trying to say is that isn’t all there is anymore. The case in point is MySpace the killer app and all the other alternative ways of marketing music other than traditional terrestrial radio.

In other words, the old model of giving kickbacks to the radio station who spins your new song the most is nice, but you’re likely wasting resources. It’s not all about radio spins anymore. If I were you, I’d be making my music available all over the place so it can spread virally over MySpace, blogs, podcasts, vlogs, through e-mail, through websites and any other way you can think of.

Screw DRM.

Give up. Just give music something akin to the creative commons license. I’m not saying you just allow your music to be spread for free amongst everyone and their grandmother. But for people who are reviewing your music online or talking about it on blogs or wanting to use it in a YouTube video or on MySpace, let people have a creative commons type license to use it.

Let me make a music bed out of a loop of a song for my radio show – as long as I somehow cite whether on-air or online where it came from. If I want to open a podcast with a KT Tunstall song, I should be able to as long as I give KT credit, right? It’s just like running photos in a newspaper or on a blog – you have to give credit.

Maybe this opens it up too much because how can you police that? How can you make sure some kid in Kansas who has posted your song on his blog is citing your music in a way that helps market it?

I don’t know but I’m just saying. Keeping music under lock and key for those of us fans who help spread it like good rock n’ roll foot soldiers is soon to be the way of the past. It has to be.

Signed,

The lowly little part-time radio DJ in Phoenix.

2007-02-09T10:56:00.000-08:00

Best new website hands down!

2007-02-08T18:20:00.000-08:00

You have got to check out this new website (new to me, anyway) because it's just hysterical. Looks like it comes from the fine folks at HBO Comedy... It's called Thisjustin.com. They got me with that Condilicious video, which is just a sidesplitter. I've always felt Condi Rice was a source of much unmined hilarity over the years and this proves it. I may almost miss the Bush administration!

Was Anna Nicole Smith a bonafide celebrity or celebrity caricature?

2007-02-08T18:14:00.000-08:00

We have no idea yet how Anna Nicole Smith died, but we’re no strangers to how she lived – in a circus mostly made up of fame and controversy in recent years. It all began so differently back in 1993 when Smith was named Playboy’s 1993 Playmate of the Year. I have to tell you what a strange experience it is to be on the air at the 98-7 The Peak during a breaking news cycle when a major celebrity dies like this.

I was a bit floored at the outpouring of sadness on the request lines! People truly loved Anna Nicole Smith. Maybe we all saw a little bit of ourselves in her, maybe we all felt sorry for her because she’s had quite a final year of living. I’d always thought of Smith as a tabloid caricature in recent years. It’s been hard to remember as the lawsuits have recently been piled upon her that she had indeed seen better days.

It was never an easy life for her, which is perhaps the most tragic of all no matter what her cause of death may be. We can only imagine that she can finally know peace.

Anna Nicole Smith is dead

2007-02-08T13:12:00.000-08:00

Anna Nicole Smith was found unconscious today in her hotel room at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida at around 2pm Eastern. The blonde bombshell has been pronounced dead; CNN is reporting she was dead before even being rushed to the hospital. She was 39 years old. Smith was Playboy's Playmate of the Year in 1993.

My ten can't-miss podcasts

2007-02-07T18:04:00.000-08:00

I haven't gotten so many votes thus far in the last poll (page down and you can take it). But from what I can tell, you're not that into podcasting. With so few votes, it's hard to tell. So if you're into podcasting, please let me know what podcasts you listen to whether it's regularly or not. I'm just curious and doing some research here. I'm way into podcasts and download a zillion of them I have no time to even listen to. They turn into something I can listen to when I'm working out at the gym or nights when I have insomnia. I used to listen to music ones a lot when I worked at a 9-5 office job last year.

Here's a list of some current favorites you can look for on iTunes:
*Podrunner
*Next Big Hit Hip-Hop
*Roots Rock Radio
*Hip Tranquil Chick
*Grammar Girl

And that's just a sampling of the audio podasts I enjoy. As for video podcasts:
*Ask a Ninja
*CNN Reliable Sources
*NBC Nightly News
*VH1 Best Week Ever
*Yogamazing

Now for the poll!

Tell me about your podcasting interests!

2007-02-04T16:28:00.000-08:00

I have an idea about a new podcast I may start...hence the research below -- a new poll. I have so very little free time, that if I'm going to start a new podcast, I want to make sure it's worth it to me and the audience. Not to mention it's about something the audience will dig. (And hopefully Digg as well!)

So please take the poll below!

2007-02-04T16:27:00.000-08:00

My MySpace bulletin from last night was a big hit

2007-01-30T20:17:00.000-08:00

So I'm sharing it here for shits and giggles. Mostly giggles:

Ok, the amber alert system can kiss my ass. it just interrupted 24. like i heard one word of what the amber alert said? I don't think so. I was trying to hear what keifer was saying. that was as lame as it gets. if you want people to care, use a crawl on the bottom of the screen. i am totally annoyed. fox is reporting on it now and it actually sounds like a juicy amber alert for once, but I sure didn't care about it 15 minutes ago while 24 was on. and let me ask you this, amber alert, if i'm at HOME watching TV, what makes you think i'm anywhere useful to helping with an amber alert? I'm done for the day. I'm sitting on my couch watching TV and hope to pass out rather soon because i'm old. I'm not going out. I won't be on the roads tonight. jesus christ.

Birth control review!

2007-01-26T08:21:00.000-08:00

People review books, albums, places to stay, restaurants etc. But no one ever reviews their birth control pill on a blog. Or do they? Can you point someone out who does? Someone else has to because that's what's great about women: we share.

A while back I was so excited to find the generic, affordable form of Seasonale because quite frankly, it irritates the hell out of me that I have to have my period every month. I just don't think it's necessary. So I have been on the Seasonale generic for a month and all I can say is it made my hormones rage to the point where my skin has broken out so badly I feel like a teenager again.

You know what? I hated being a teenager the first time.

So I called Walgreens and will soon be picking up the best-ever, never-fail pill: generic ortho-try-cyclen. Ask any women and she'll pick clear skin over quarterly periods any day. I'd rather have both, but looking like a teenager doesn't work at my age. People notice it more and that positively makes me want to kick someone in the stomach. Possibly that urge can be blamed on my raging hormones as well.

The story of the happy little house husband

2007-01-26T07:35:00.000-08:00

My boyfriend was up early before me today, scrubbing the shower and doing laundry. Possibly hell will freeze over today or we'll have a blizzard in Phoenix -- the equivalent. My happy little house husband then looked perplexed all of the sudden as he fretted over the laundry. "Oh whatever will I do about this static cling?" That's when Google, or more specifically, Generally Queer.com helped us with some tips.

I'm going to look into some kind of environmentally-friendly dryer ball after reading all this.

BTW, Jon never knew that "GQ" meant "Generally Queer" before he dated me. Hell, if it's going to give out useful household tips, maybe it's time to subscribe!

Before you pay for that iTunes season pass...

2007-01-24T05:36:00.000-08:00

I'm a huge fan of 24 on Fox. But it's on the same time as Heroes on NBC! I'm hooked on both and my better half much prefers Heroes, so we ended up watching that. (Usually I win, but not since I made him watch four hours of Jack Bauer in one shot last week).

I've already been spending a considerable amount of time on ABC.com watching Ugly Betty episodes. But I love 24 so much, I thought I'd just download episodes off iTunes. Each individual episode is $1.99, but you can buy the season pass for $44.99. Ouch. That's kind of expensive, don't you think? If I'm going to spend that much, it's going to be on the DVD once the season is through so I can get the bonus features.

Then I discovred MyFoxPhoenix.com, which streams the episodes for free. Take that, iTunes. I know you still have to sit through a really lame Chase commercial, but that's worth saving $1.99 or $44.99.

The obvious answer to my troubles would be to get a DVR and I'm thinking about it. It's just that I'm sort of against giving Cox any more of my money because I already think the cable behemouth gets enough of that. (Don't get me started on APS). Now that I've figured out how to juggle my favorite TV shows pretty much for free...who needs a DVR?

Oh hell, who needs Cox for that matter? Wait -- I can't live without CNN.

My nomination for Word of the Year 2007

2007-01-22T13:36:00.000-08:00

If there were such a contest around here, that is. SFGate.com does it every year, so maybe I'll start my own new tradition here. Anyway.

My nomination for 2007 Word of the Year for Phoenix is "particulate matter." It's on my mind and in my nostrils! I've noticed it's actually a part of the Phoenix weather report on the Weather Channel. I keep hearing this phrase wherever I go: particulate matter. It's actually bothered me for some time as I've noticed feeling sick for no reason some odd days, and then realizing later it was not a good air quality day here in town because of particulate matter.

I visited BrinkBackBlue.org today after seeing their billboard at 7th St./Cave Creek and hearing their commercials (likely on my radio station but I can't remember). To say particulate matter has become my pet peeve in the last year and a half is nothing compared to my longtime hatred of leafblower guys. I was nearly postal at the apartment complex I lived at last year because the leafblower guys would begin to make their rounds at 6am! A team of them hits my current complex once a week. Aside from the obvious noise pollution, it's the air pollution that gets me as well even though today is classified as a "good" day according to the Weather Channel.

I think we can ban the leafblower guys in Phoenix just like Palo Alto, CA did years ago. It's about time. I've noticed some of the biggest offenders in the realm of particulate matter are construction companies, but they frequently get busted and fined. It's the leafblower guys who are making us suffer daily without any repercussion, yet I could get in trouble for using a chiminea in the backyard (if I had either) on a no-burn day. (I actually get to enjoy the lovely Southwestern chiminea fire at my parents' house once in a while). We have so few days a year when we can enjoy a fireplace or chiminea, I'd rather get rid of the leafblower guys altogether and make no-burn days a thing of the past.

I plan to live here for a long time yet, so I'd like to clean the place up a bit, you know, restore it to the way it was in the 1980s when I grew up here.

More links:

*Phoenix visibility web cams
*Our air quality forecast
*Southwest region air quality forecast from Weather.com

She's in it to win it! My speculation on media coverage in 2008.

2007-01-20T08:17:00.000-08:00

Hillary Clinton announced she's launching an exploratory committee on her website. I found it amusing that CNN's only lead on the story was showing streaming video from Hillary's website. They even had to stop playing the video so they could wait for it to load. Do we even need television news anymore, much less cable?

The web really changed the landscape of election coverage three years ago and I can't wait to see where we'll be one year from now. Back in 2004, it was the year of the blogger. In 2005, we were just regrouping. Then 2006 brought us YouTube and Web 2.0 in all its glory. Will the 2008 election be defined by even more citizen journalism, blogging, del.icio.cious, Digg, Technorati and YouTube? The Hillary story hasn't even made it to the top of the pile on these sites yet. Likely because it's a Saturday morning.

And what role will MySpace play, if any? Are we already sick of MySpace? I'll probably always log on to MySpace just to keep track of all the long lost friends I've found on there, but the novelty has worn off. Hillary should have a MySpace page if he wants to win and so should all the others. It's a great vehcile for releasing campaign material of all kinds. Imagine MySpace next year filled with Obama chicklets, Hillary videos, McCain embedded photos, blogs about young activists' activities, and "street teams" in MySpace groups.

Hillary's announcement includes the promise of upcoming video chats this week so supporters can have a converstation with the Senator/former First Lady/no Tammy Wynette standin' by her man. In 2004, we had blogs. In 2008, we'll have vlogs. It's going to be about much more than JibJib.com now with all that user-created content swimming around inside the WWW. New Internet stars will be born next election year, mark my words.

Video conferencing with Hillary during her exploratory phase? It makes the world smaller if you ask me. Some kid in Iowa is going to get to talk with Hillary online in a way that never would have been available to that kid before. When Bill Clinton ran, MTV invited young people to a forum of sorts where they got an audience with Clinton and got to ask him questions. (Isn't that where "I didn't inhale" came from? It's been so long now I can't remember). Now you can just switch on your laptop and your webcam to get an audience with Mrs. Clinton. You can also bet that kid who gets to ask the Senator via video what her new new healthcare plan is will also get right onto his blog as soon as Hillary finishes answering the question.

The political landscape (or landmines if you will) of 2008 is emerging with Clinton, Obama and Edwards showing up on the Left. Brownback, McCaine and Lord Only Knows who else on the right. I'm starting to keep track though now. It's only starting to get interesting. Will the winner be the one whose campaign was savvy enough to navigate Web 2.0?

Breaking news: men can be trained!

2007-01-19T15:03:00.000-08:00

Amy Sutherland applies traditional animal training tricks and tips to the North American husband species -- and they work! I'll be trying these on my boyfriend. No more picking up his boxer shorts off the floor. I will ignore his bad behavior. Ignoring his self-inflicted haircuts may be harder. I think I'll still be hiding the clippers from him. Which reminds me, he's not home right now. I better hide 'em quick!

It's not easy being a vegetarian...

2007-01-19T08:50:00.000-08:00

...let alone being a vegan. I think in our language, "vegan" may as well be synonymous with "alien" or "scientologist." I get a lot of crap from people who don't realize they are being rude and ignorant when they make comments about what I eat (or what I don't). So it's time for some comic relief from Sfgate.com's Mark Morford.

jayselz

The Peak Secret Sauce

2007-01-15T07:03:00.000-08:00

Here's the latest video from Steve Douglas!

...Yes, our lives at The Peak are so hard. This was something we actually called a "meeting." Be sure to listen online at 987thepeak.com. Especially because I have to cover Monica Nelson's shift tonight and tomorrow night, 7-12 MST. (That's 2 hours behind EDT, kids).

Did Paula Abdul pull a Danny DeVito on The View?

2007-01-14T17:32:00.000-08:00

Remember when Danny DeVito went out drinking lemonchello with George Clooney? (Oh, to be GC's shot glass that night...) Then the next day, Danny turned up on The View as such a silly little drunk it was hysterical? If I remember correctly, I think he even sat in Rosie O'Donnell's lap. Well, it looks like Paula had a nice party night with someone prior to doing this interview. I could only imagine who her drinking partner could have been! Simon? Randy? The AI contestants? Who do you think?

The iPhone gets made fun of on SNL

2007-01-14T17:26:00.000-08:00

Saturday Night Live has gotten into the game of poking fun at the new Apple iPhone. It's not even on sale yet and it's already thoroughly invaded our pop culture. Apple must be so proud...

The first iPhone joke!

2007-01-14T17:22:00.000-08:00

The iPhone obsession is back! And what is better than info about the new Apple iPhone? Jokes about the iPhone. Here's the first one I've laid my little eyes on:

One more thing about the sago palm

2007-01-14T15:33:00.000-08:00

I wrote that it found its home next to my bed, but that's only because it needs to stay indoors for another month because it's cold outside! That's according to my dad. Then it will find its new home on my patio where my cat can gaze at it from indoors. He's already proved he can't be trusted around the sago palm, much like he couldn't be trusted around the Christmas tree.

I have finally earned my sago palm.

2007-01-14T15:06:00.000-08:00

Sago palms, or cycads, have been a tradition in my family. My grandpa was a gardener/landscaper and my dad was also a landscaper. My father owned his own nursery back in the 1980s at 21st and Bell which is now nothing but car dealerships. So sad. My dad is also a horticulture teacher. He's a genius at identifying plants by both their scientific and regular names.

Then one day, along came a daughter. The tradition of male green thumbs ended as I had no desire to carry on the family business. I've never been one to follow.

Luckily, my boyfriend seems keen to carry on the other family business -- law enforcement. So I figure since I've finally fallen in love with a suitable male companion my father really likes, I must have finally earned my sago palm because my dad gave me one today.

My dad's father gave him two sago palms and he's taken care of them for around 40 years. I got a 15-year-old offshot of one of them. My dad potted it for me in an Ikea pot and after it was accosted by the cat, it found its home next to my bed. I'll post a photo of it later after I download the photos from my camera.

Until then, you can learn about the sago:

sago wiki

Lots of sago info!

The little buggers are expensive.

Don't let your dog chew on these!

Sago palm flower sustains Indonesians stranded at sea.

There was a time when these were so valuable that they were getting stolen out of front yards. I'm guessing those days are gone, as they are going cheaply on eBay. Then again, these are babies on eBay! Not the 40-year-old giants like my dad has.

Wait, just found one going for a "buy it now" price of $285 on eBay.

I know a place where you can eat fake shrimp

2007-01-12T16:17:00.000-08:00

I doubt this is an objective in your life because it certainly wasn't an objective in mine. But I have this boyfriend who likes to check online reviews before we decide where we're going out to eat, so he and I ended up at Vegetarian House on 32nd St/Indian School last night for dinner.

Our meal started with hot & sour soup, which was very good, and some spring rolls because I never met a spring roll I didn't like. Jon ordered New York "steak," which was delivered on a freshly sizzling pan. I ordered the cashew nut "shrimp" which looked and tasted very much like actual shrimp to the point that it was both realistic and creepy. It was the first fake seafood I'd ever had. I am not sure I'd order fake surf again, as I feel much more comfortable eating fake turf.

We came away not really knowing what we did eat. The restaurant sells the fake surf and turf in its fridge next to teh juice bar. I took a look and saw packages of fake fishes, chicken and steak covered in Asian lettering. Prices were cheap, so I look forward to a return trip for some of that lemongrass chicken. Jon and I sure like lemongrass and fake chicken and now that I think about it, I can't believe neither of us didn't order it! That was the great thing about the Vegetarian House -- there were pages and pages of choices. Vegetarians are seldom faced with so many choices on a menu.

The one con was the headache I had after we ate. Makes me think there was MSG in the food, but I'll give the restaurant the benefit of the doubt as I've had a mild sinus headache on and off since early yesterday.

D-backs spring training tickets go on sale Saturday

2007-01-11T16:39:00.000-08:00

The sale starts at 12 noon. I want to see the Big Unit, but I definitely don't want to see the new uniforms. Yuck. I haven't heard one person in this town say they like 'em.

Join us in the Run to Remember

2007-01-11T16:00:00.000-08:00

I plan to walk the 5K, Jon plans to run it. So if you'd like to run it with him or walk it with me, here's the info:

Arizonacops.org

Mark Day's answer to the Will It Blend? guy

2007-01-11T15:57:00.000-08:00

This is YouTube entertainment on crack. I'm a big fan of Mark Day simply because I found him on YouTube, then MySpace and I have all my subscriptions fixed so I never miss an episode. He's that good. And I've been putting the Will It Blend? series on Scotty's blog for ages now. It's about time my two YouTube passions merged...

This weekend on the Peak

2007-01-11T15:51:00.000-08:00

I have to rip myself away from blogging about the iPhone. So here's my first attempt at blogging about something else. It's Mini's weekend calendar, shot and produced by Steve.

iPhone photo fun

2007-01-11T15:50:00.000-08:00

Before you even ask, no, I do not own stock in Apple.

The iPhone makes a call

2007-01-11T15:45:00.000-08:00

The people in the call sound like Chloe and Jack from 24, except just far less frustrated and actually quite cheery.

I'm not obsessed or anything...

2007-01-11T15:43:00.000-08:00

Another video about the new iPhone...

There's no 12-step for iPhone yet, but there should be

2007-01-11T15:28:00.000-08:00

You thought "crackberries" were bad. Wait until June when we can start snatching up the Apple iPhone from Cingular. I may even be geeky enough to go buy one the day they are released. My cheapskate boyfriend is even convinced it's worth the $500 price tag. I've been easily winning him over to the Apple side though, just as I easily converted him to being vegetarian. (That I actually didn't event try to do; he merely got his hands on my John Robbins book one night after I passed out sick on the couch with a cold). He even bought me an iPod Nano for Christmas, which is the coolest thing ever. Next up, we're going to have to purchase a laptop for him.

But back to the iPhone...

I am wondering what my future monthly bill from Cingular will look like once I have this baby in my hot little hands and I'm surfing, iPodding, phoning, SMS messaging, e-mailing and syncing away. I'm a little apprehensive about being the first to buy one, because if you're an Apple fan like me you know never to buy the first batch off the conveyor belt. It's best to wait until the bugs are worked out...then again, I still bought my Powerbook practically the second it came out. It had an issue but was easily fixed. I think it was the video card or something. I don't remember. It was a small blip on my otherwise enjoyable Apple radar.

I also had a couple Treo smart phones, which I somehow managed to destroy, both in the same way -- the flippy little window thing that folded down to cover/protect the screen broke both times. I cracked them at their hinges. Then I gave up on the $400 phone and just bought the Treo PDA for somewhere around $200-250. (Another detail I forget now). I carried two things at that point, the phone and the PDA. Now I even leave the PDA in a drawer since I work at home.

I imagine, if nothing else, my stepmom will at least be jealous of my iPhone. It sure kicks the hell out of her Blackberry.

Anyway, need I remind you how cool my new coveted gadget is?

Cheapest gas in the neighborhood

2007-01-10T16:04:00.000-08:00

Here's the site you can use to find the cheapest gas in town. Since the cheap stuff is close to my home, does that mean I live in the ghetto? Or should I just shut up, gas up and thank my lucky stars?

$500 may not be that bad for the Apple iPhone

2007-01-10T15:52:00.000-08:00

At first, I balked at the price of the new Mac iPhone. Now I'm just pissed that I can't buy it until June.

Only time will tell whether or not I drop $500-600 on this thing, because I'm generally pretty cheap. I'm still mad the cheapest replacement phone I could buy from T-Mobile after losing my Motorola was a $250 Nokia. That was over a year ago. It seems a silly amount to pay for a phone. The last time I was into smart phones, I broke two in a row and vowed to never again spend that much.

But now that I've checked out the new iPhone online, I have to say it's worth the money. I can't wait until someone reviews it to tell me otherwise. But it would replace my cell phone, PDA, and iPod all at one shot. I could even e-mail from the phone. I could also watch videos on the phone, though I promise not to while driving. I imagine my productivity outside the home (while running errands, hanging out with friends, being stuck in traffic) would greatly increase with a phone like this.

I've wanted Apple to come out with a phone/PDA thing for a while since I've owned a Mac for two years now. I just want something to be a phone that can also sync up my calendar and address book. And here it is.

The touch screen thing is cool, the Bluetooth syncing is cool, all in all -- this could make my life so much easier.

I'm not going to lie...

2007-01-04T19:31:00.000-08:00

Watch until the end and then page down:

I won't lie; I didn't get it until the announcer talked about the booze spider. I thought it was a totally serious study until then. My favorite: "building webs was for suckas." Funny as all get out!

One more thing -- Happy New Year! May you achieve all your goals in 2007.

Video of Saddam Hussein being executed

2006-12-30T21:32:00.000-08:00


Here it is! The best video I have found so far of Saddam Hussein's execution. It isn't that great, very grainy, very blurry and very Blair Witch. But for those of you who want the uncensored version of things, here it is!

The trifecta of celebrity death

2006-12-30T20:54:00.000-08:00

I used to always laugh at my dad because of his trifecta of celebity death theory...you know, when one famous person dies, two more just have to follow. But this week proves the celebrity trifecta of death to be true. How often do two former world leaders and a legendary musical artist all die in the same week?

The final week of 2006 brought us the ultimate celebrity trifecta of death:
1. James Brown
2. President Gerald Ford
3. Saddam Hussein

I almost feel sorry for all the journalists on vacation who got called back to their respective newsrooms to cover this trifecta!

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-23T22:27:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, and a Happy New Year!

anotherheather

Ready to track Santa Claus? NORAD has got Santa in the bag! Find out where he is!

Best of YouTube this week

2006-12-22T15:47:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness for funny videos we can find solace in online when we need some laughter to help relieve holiday stress!

Have a dick in a box:

YOU are the Time Person of the Year:

Not yer granny's pageant girl:

Most salacious news conference -- oops, I mean media stunt -- ever:

Give it up for America's New Drunk Tara! Tara Reid, you're fired!

...I plan on walking out of this the drunkest Miss USA you've ever seen... ha ha

Donald Hates Rosie:

Rosie Hated Donald First:

Donald hates her even more:

Rosie apparently doesn't want to mess up her hair again, having more pride than the Donald:

And that was the week in media drama...and fun.

Steve Douglas has just released our Peak video Christmas card!

2006-12-22T06:50:00.000-08:00

Yay! This Christmas video rules!

Can Christmas just get here so it can finally just be over?

2006-12-21T19:39:00.000-08:00

I am so sick of Christmas already! Enough! Let's just have the day and get it over with. Traffic is horrible, crowds are unruly, people are rude and as far as getting anything productive done -- yeah, give it up until January 2. More realistically, life won't be normal again until January 8. I'm not good at chilling out; I'm an ideas person and I like to work on those ideas as a writer. But the winter chill is being forced on me nonetheless.

I'm tired of eating too much holiday junkfood and the last thing I want to do is be out and about at a store or in traffic over the weekend. If I could figure out a way to stay in my apartment, I would. But I can't. My better half is trying to get me to go out on New Year's Eve and that's not going to happen either because that's amateur night. Every idiot who can't hold their liquor will on the roads and I'd like to avoid that. Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve is just enough for me. I don't want to drink because I don't want to gain any more weight than I already have.

My favorite jeans don't fit and I'm pissed about that. I'm ready for a detox diet and an hour of working out each day. I'm sick of holiday food already! Not that it isn't tasty, but the size of my ass directly influences the amount of pleasure I get from eating junk. Guess what? I suddenly don't crave chocolate at all. Pass the broccoli, please. That's the Christmas tree I'd like to have right about now.

I ate soup for dinner like a sick person. I made it for the actual sick person in the household, but he's been asleep since I got home from work. I also made him tea, but again, I am the only one reaping the benefits. I have been sucking down Wal-borne for a couple days along with my usual wheat grass/juice concoction. Whatever is going around -- everyone is sick. But I seem to be fighting it off pretty well.

So here is my list of all the things that make the holidays less fun each year. Feel free to add to it:

1. People spend too much money, go into debt, and try to impress people with gifts. It's a financial disaster for the majority of people in this country who are too traditional to rise above it.
2. The Christmas cold. Everyone is suffering from it.
3. Crowds.
4. Rude people in crowds.
5. Traffic.
6. Having to put up with making everyone happy and keeping the peace with family and friends,
7. Not being able to get anything done because everyone in the free world is on vacation! It's like treading water in between Thanksgiving and the first or second week of the new year.
8. All the sweets and the fattening foods you end up eating because they are everywhere you turn.
9. Spending so much time cooking, baking, shopping, wrapping, planning...

Finally, I can't leave my ba humbug rant up here without indulging in something Christmas-themed yet totally non-traditional. This is pretty funny:

Speaking of funny, Santa is pretty darn funny!

2006-12-18T11:07:00.000-08:00

Here are my two favorite YouTube videos so far:

The first is a crackup, not to mention a genius marketing tool for whatever company this is I've never heard of...

The second is the best. It's pure genius!

Funny comic in town this weekend!

2006-12-15T13:10:00.000-08:00

Here's a little note from Troy Conrad, who could be making you laugh if you'd just show up!

Friends,

Just a quick note to let you know about a show I'm doing in Phoenix this weekend. Tomorrow, Saturday at Hollywood Alley I'm performing with Doug Stanhope. Info is at www.hollywoodalleyrocks.com or www.dougstanhope.com,

In case you don't know Doug, he's one of the best comics on the planet. He's also arguably the MOST cutting edge and REAL comic out there.

He's done plenty of TV, but seeing him live is always eventful. Please see this show if it's even remotely possible. He's not for everyone, but he's amazing for anyone who likes the edge.

I'm also performing in Tucson with him on Sunday at 8pm as Jesus at Laffs. www.laffscomedyclub.com

In other news, things are going really well. Last week I shot a TV pilot about standups, and booked a lead in a feature film, and am waiting for my own Jesus Show pilot to be edited.

Happy Holidays!

Love,

Troy

Amazing: there are Jews in the world who actually like "Borat"

2006-12-14T12:02:00.000-08:00

I saw Borat the week after it first came out and found it to be one of the most offensive movies I have ever seen in my life. But it's also pretty funny. I definitely didn't see the naked man wrestling bit coming, which was hysterical to me especially because it made my boyfriend extremely uncomfortable. I'm not Jewish, but the anti-semitic lines in the film were what made me uncomfortable. I do still love and appreciate the comedy of Borat though, because it is truly funny. I pretty much figured any Jew I know would probably hate the film, so I never mentioned it in that company. I couldn't imagine any Jewish person in the world would approve of this movie but it turns out I am wrong! Israeli Jews absolutely love this film! The whole thing really is a joke. Sasha Baron Cohen, who plays Borat, is speaking in Hebrew during the film. The rest of it is an inside joke for Israelis. It seems Cohen was trying to expose the prejudices of others all along.

by ash_addison100

Stop Covance rally today

2006-12-14T03:03:00.000-08:00

There's a rally scheduled in front of Chandler City Hall today to stop Covance from coming to town. The Citizens Against Covance has posted all the information here about why they think citizens of Chandler should try to prevent this laboratory from coming to their city.

Covance has made its share of mistakes over the years, like the time the company imported monkeys infected with the Ebola virus into the country and allegedly discriminated against an African-American employee. Covance has even become classified as one of the top 20 animal welfare act violators. Chandler residents are worried about how Covance disposes of waste material and they are also worried about their property value.

The details from the rally flyer are below:

Please see details below for the Covance Rally scheduled this week at the final City Council meeting of the year. Visit www.stopcovance.com for more information.

Stop Covance Rally
Thursday, Dec 14th
4:30pm - 7:00pm
Location: Park across from City Hall
Arizona Ave between Boston & Buffalo St

This is a VERY IMPORTANT city hall rally to focus on the threat Covance poses to the community and the deception and
back-door-politics of the Chandler Mayor and City Council did getting them here and supporting them . Any and every one who is concerned about their health and safety is encouraged to come. The rally will start at @5pm but we will meet early at 4:30 at the park across the street then walk over as a group to the city hall. If you can't make it @4:30 we will still be out there until 7pm as the city council meeting is immediately following the rally so please still come. There will be STOP COVANCE T-shirts available to wear for $5 each and STOP COVANCE bumper stickers for $3 each. There will be only two sizes for the T-shirts..large and extra large to wear over your clothes.

All signs should be focused on the Mayor and City Council and Family/Environment issues.

Please forward this notice to anyone that would be interested in attending. Feel free to send/post this to any other email/online groups, sites, blogs, etc where people will see. Also feel free to make into a flyer and pass out to the public. We want this rally very well publicized! SO SPREAD THE WORD!

Bay Area benefit concert starring Greg Kihn

2006-12-12T10:08:00.000-08:00

Greg is of course helping to raise money with a benefit concert. You see, our old friend Dennis Erectus had a heart attack on Thanksgiving and has been unconscious ever since. Dennis didn't have health insurance at the time so his medical bills will be obscene to say the least. Greg's show is tentatively scheduled to be in Santa Clara on January 12.

Get all the info right here.

There will be info there as it happens on how Dennis is doing (no prognosis yet) and about the concert as it takes shape. Two or three concerts are in the works. You can send Dennis a letter that will be read to him or make a monetary donation to help with his bills. Please say a little prayer for Dennis and keep him in your thoughts. I know...prayer and Dennis Erectus...not two thoughts you're likely to have in the same sentence!

Much thanks to Greg Kihn and all alumni of KOME, KSJO for helping out. Anyone who ever worked in Bay Area radio and/or music is going to come together for this, mark my words.

Your Christmas moment of zen

2006-12-11T15:26:00.000-08:00

If you aren't old enough to remember this, someone should probably chaperone you while you read my blog. I think I am finally in the mood for Christmas. There's no other way to kick it off than with Run D.M.C.'s Christmas in Hollis.

I was watching this thinking how cool it would be if the folks at ABC would use it in the soundtrack to a Christmas episode of Ugly Betty, Maybe next year.

Another cool site -- this one covers music mashups

2006-12-11T15:19:00.000-08:00

We're rather stuck on mashups at the moment at the Peak. Mary's giving me mix CDs full of them and we're just in LOVE with mashups. Is there a 12-step for mashups? Who cares. Check out this website, which I was skeptical about at first because it looks as if he hasn't updated it since late September. But all his mashup podcasts are posted here for your listening pleasure. I never realized there were so many mashups floating around in cyberspace! Just don't put any record label slime onto this website.

Cool new media site to watch in 2007

2006-12-11T14:56:00.000-08:00

The question is, can five writers each make six figures of their writing ventures in 2007? Follow the fab five at who are doing just that. They've also got a MySpace page but who doesn't? Even my cat has one. But he had a blog first because he's wicked cool. I entered their contest for free mentoring on AllFreelancing.com because I'm a whore for contests and as my boyfriend says, I like a challenge. I should win because I'm always writing and trying to make more money at it. To prove my point -- duh -- I'm writing this blog right now!

The holiday tradition of crap eating should end

2006-12-11T14:49:00.000-08:00

Every time I turn around, some magazine or television show or podcast or radio show or the stars in the sky is telling me how to avoid packing on the holiday pounds. Yawn. We hear these same "stories" each year. Don't go to a party hungry, blah blah blah...They aren't really good tips because we ignore them and get fat and happy anyway. I am working out almost every day, trying to prevent this. Mostly because I haven't been working out for months and eating what I want. So while everyone else plans on getting fatter this holiday season (don't give me that crap of how you don't plan on it, it just happens) I am hitting the treadmill and eliptical and trying to boost my yoga practice. I am also sucking down as much wheat grass as humanly possible, which is a lot.

The idea in life is prevent illness in any way you can. There really isn't enough said about preventative medicine.

This is why holiday crap eating traditions should end and be replaced with healthier traditions. Like wheatgrass. Hey, it's Christmas -- go guzzle a healthy green beverage. We lament our extra pounds every Chrismakkuh, but yet we still have no problem serving high-calorie, fatty, sugary dishes each year. I think I'll make my family a salad or something this Christmas. I'm watching the Today Show today and it's another lame story on how not to get fat during the holiday season. I couldn't help but think maybe the best thing we can serve our guests is healthy food. What's so wrong with being nurturing? Why must we keep overindulging year after year?

The cast of Scrubs does Charlie Brown

2006-12-11T11:02:00.000-08:00

No, this isn't porn. They're doing a Charlie Brown Christmas!

Another reason to hate guys with limp dicks.

2006-12-05T17:05:00.000-08:00

Did you know that we females have to pay for our birth control pills? Nope, that stuff isn't covered by insurance. So I pay $15 a month for my birth control. It's not bad, but I really can't afford the birth control pills I want, which cost a whopping $110 for a three-month supply. That would be the Seasonale, the pill where you only have your flow 4 times a year. Well, I guess I could spring for it. But that is actually TWICE what I am paying now for my pill, and I just can't justify that. I just can't part with my $110 for birth control pills.

This is partly because I am annoyed to no end that women have to pay more for medical care. Viagra is covered for men by insurance. That's right. Your jimmy goes limp and it's paid for. I, on the other hand, have to fork over money for birth control -- a family planning essential! And it's $50 for my yearly "well woman exam" that I have to have because medical science dictates it. So today I am very much hating men with limp dicks, even though it isn't their fault that this is the way things are. Unless a bunch of limp-dicked men made these decisions, which could be likely.

Just marry him before I do, sister!

2006-12-03T17:23:00.000-08:00

And while you're at it...I think my mom used to wear that shirt to the office in the 1980s...but it looks OK on you as a dress. Just don't flash us like Britney, please. No straight answers from Cameron Diaz about whether or not she and JT will marry after 4 years of dating... If you pay attention to the lyrics of My Love the man is asking her flat out!

Here's MY LOVE:

That was my shallow overindulgence in pop culture for the day. I'm done now.

You daily dose 'o Bono

2006-12-03T17:21:00.000-08:00

I probably know almost one person who would buy this

2006-12-03T17:14:00.000-08:00

And I think that person would buy this because, yes, they are that lazy. They would say they bought it for novelty reasons, but "they" would be lying. This extremely lazy person shall remain nameless.

Question of the day: the magic pill

2006-12-03T16:58:00.000-08:00

A Pill To Forget?

29 Nov 2006 - If there were something you could take after experiencing a painful or traumatic event that would permanently weaken your memory of what had just happened, would you take it?

Check it out

Heck yeah! I'd take the pill if I witnessed a horrible accident, death, or had something traumatic happen to me. Imagine if every soldier just back from duty in Iraq could take this... If it alleviates phsyical symptoms that come from emotional/mental stress like that of PTSD, I'm all for it.

I think the ethics of medicine is to preserve life, prolong life, save life, and make life more comfortable for the living. Negative memories, I think, cause more harm than good and can cripple you so much mentally and emotionally that you start to have physical symptoms from a traumatic event. At least, that is my belief from my experience of losing my mom to a rapid mutation of CJD. She died within weeks (less than five to be exact) and the mental and emotional stress of that caused me gave me about five different physical symptpms (insomnia, acid reflux, etc) about 5-6 months after her death. If I could have taken this drug closer to the time of her death...who knows?

I don't think it would lessen the passion I have to find a cure for CJD at all, which is something good -- a lesson learned -- that came from the very negative experience. I think it would have saved me a great deal of pain. Isn't that what medicine is all about?

So much creativity in the world...

2006-12-02T21:03:00.000-08:00

I might have to see later if this annoys my cat or not!

A shitty day that ended with a parade!

2006-12-02T20:50:00.000-08:00

I do love this city and its quirks, even if I forget them from time to time.

The boyfriend is sick and just can't get well. I think when he snores he sounds like a duck farting half the time and the rest of the time he's gurgling so much snot in his nasal passages that he sounds like a water bong. I'm much better off but battled a teensy sinus headache today and just felt tired. So it was one of those unproductive, not-so-fun days -- although I did come up with a cool freelance article idea I hope to pitch ASAP. So all was not lost today.

Then I leave for week, unsuspecting. I buy some gas but am still making decent time to get to work when I hit a nasty traffic jam of some sort. It is then that Kramer is calling me to advise me about the traffic. A little late, but the cause of the traffic is the Fiesta of Light Electric Light Parade down Central Avenue! I love a parade! Who doesn't love a parade? I went outside for about 30 seconds to watch before I decided it was too cold (I am a desert dweller) and went back inside to watch from the warmth of the Peak studio window. There were some cool mini-Macy's lighted balloons and some cool parade floats a la Disneyland's Electrical Parade. The best was the Desert Botanical Garden float! It was perfect. It had a swaying tree and lots of lights.

This falls into the category of things my boyfriend will never understand about me.

2006-12-01T12:29:00.000-08:00

Even if he makes it to fiance and subsequently husband someday and we're a little 90-year-old couple holding hands on the porch as we wait for our grandkids to come home to visit from Mars... He will never understand why I have four times as many shoes as he does and that they are all necessary and that a woman must have several pairs of just black shoes. Period. Let alone how many pairs of black pumps we need to have. And he hasn't seen anything yet as I hardly buy shoes as I am starting a business and paying off bills. But oh, the day I break down and go shoe shopping...will probably also be the day I rent a storage shed in which to hide them from the boyfriend.

This video is so great...I've seen videos from this dude before and they're all funny. So I decided today it is time to subscribe!

Venting about local stuff, ok, not really venting but "donating" some not-so-cheery observations

2006-11-29T04:51:00.000-08:00

Herman Munster lives!
First off, we watch most of the local news channels each day here at our place. We flip around, but mostly watch channel 12 for no paricular reason. I think it's because we like to make fun of Nick Calderone and how he looks like a young Herman Munster. Turn on 12 right now and you'll see; he's covering the snow in Flagstaff.

The Schillings have no taste
Second, Curt Shilling's house and that irritating baseball diamond on the bottom of his pool have been sold. That silly baseball diamond proves a point I have always believed firmly; it doesn't matter how rich you are, money can't buy you taste. That is one cheesy pool decoration!

Stinking boyfriend is right...for once
Third, my damn boyfriend is right. I hate that. I am vehemently against the camera enforcement on the 101, but he thinks it prevents people from speeding. I guess the cameras were turned off (I didn't notice) and now speeders are enjoying their freedom again. Cameras off = speeders back to what they do best. Ok, boyfriend may be right and those cameras may have really helped slow down the speeding madness on the 101.

But my original thought remains; I still don't think you can replace the presence of human officers with traffic cameras. I worry about the guy who is speeding because he just robbed an ATM, or the guy who is speeding because he's high on meth. Those are the types of drivers that need to be taken off the road immediately by an officer. They are not the type that need a photo of their license plate taken only to have it arrive in the mail at some point later on. Meanwhile that guy who is high on meth ends up crashing into a perfectly innocent teenage motorist... We can't replace the human element in law enforcement and that's why I hate the cameras.

After a long absence...

2006-11-28T12:57:00.000-08:00

Got busy with the holiday festivities and had a cold. So I'm pretty busy with not much to say at the moment except, well, I'm busy! I'm just loaded down with work, which was always the goal. So just a quick little blog right now to tell you about the Warning Label Generator. Go make your own!

What the hell do people do in this town for a living and how do they get by?

2006-11-16T07:43:00.000-08:00

It’s a serious question. I just heard some type of call center commercial on the radio and it got me thinking about my boyfriend and his job search lately. His resume is on Career Builder and so is mine and probably yours for that matter. But I never get serious offers from any company, of course, I’m also not looking. He doesn’t either but the difference is he is looking. All he gets are calls from people who only want to pay $10.50 an hour and they’re even rude about it! The last call he got like that he told the guy to come up in price a bit and the guy muttered something rude and hung up. Then he gets calls from collection agencies wanting him to work there, or customer service jobs, which he’s already done and hates. They don’t pay well and their benefits are sad. Is he just having run-ins with bad, cheap employers, or it this what it is like for the majority of job searchers out there? Does anyone pay more than $10-12 and hour anymore? How do people pay rent on that? Prices have gone up on rent around here, the price of gas has gone up, the price of food, my health insurance just went up, my Cox bill went up – I know I’m not the only one. The cost of living isn’t getting any cheaper, but employers are.

Earlier it was wild, now it's just gross; I just collected my own poop.

2006-11-15T19:57:00.000-08:00

The county health guy comes to my door with this Hefty bag package and proceeds to accidentally drop it on my doorstep as I sign for it. He freaks out. I tell him to relax because I haven't put anything in it yet and he laughs. I say he must get a lot of jokes and he says yes. So I unwrap my very special poop kit, provided by...my taxes!

1. One white plastic spoon.
2. One upside-down hat thingy to put over the toilet to poop into.
3. One ziploc bag marked "biohazard."
4. One clear plastic cup with white lid with my name and real birthdate on it.
5. Instructions on how to do what I need to do with my...doo.

So I did it. I was looking online for birthday gifts for my dad and that triggered my colon to mooooove. I ran to my bathroom and the kit, squealing in terror as I had to get down and dirty, scooping my poop into a cup with a white spoon. NOT FUN. Squealing attracted the gross boyfriend (men never grow out of 7-year-old poop-fascination stage) who threatened to let my busy body cat into the bathroom. So, mid-process, I had to lock both bathroom doors. The drama!

With directions followed and poop safely sealed in the biohazard bag, I emerged from the bathroom with a "HIDEY HO!" Because Mr. Hanky is here!

This is WILD!

2006-11-15T13:28:00.000-08:00

Wow! I really don't have time to post this right now because I'm on deadline, but I just can't resist because this is SO mind-blowing I have to share right now with my blog audience of...well, probably one. But my little complaint to the Maricopa Co. of Environmental Services is working it's way through the appropriate channels it seems because someone is very interested in collecting my poop. That's right! I have VIP -- very important poop!

Someone from the Maricopa County Health Department office is coming by my apartment to drop off a specimen collection kit. Once I make my deposit (insert Beavis & Butthead laugh here) I am to call and have someone else come pick it up. It is Wednesday...so, is there anything left in my intestines of what made me sick over the weekend? The lady at the county health office says if it was bacterial, no. If it was viral, yes.

I knew that was keeping you awake at night.

Save a turkey!

2006-11-14T12:06:00.000-08:00

Don't eat one!

Twenty-bucks and you can spare a turkey this Thanksgiving with Farm Sanctuary. As for me, I'll probably drop a twenty on tofurkey for my SO, my aunt and I. I'm working on converting my aunt to becoming a vegetarian because she's the best candidate I've had since my SO ripped the John Robbins off the bookshelf one night.

In addition to my tofurkey, there will be a menu likely to end up looking like this:

miso "gravy"
cranberry sauce made of fresh fruits and veggies, including fresh cranberries. no stuff-in-a-can for me.
vegan lemon cake - the aunt demanded it.
some kind of stuffing.
dairy-less mashed potatoes for me, though I may end up sorry because of my carb-high problem.

Well, that's the first draft anyway!

And some Thanksgiving thoughts:

2006-11-14T11:29:00.000-08:00