Quote of the Day

"Is there some sort of winking thing that Czech people do? Or did I just make a new friend??"

Virginian

Not the rifle-totin' kind though: I got my Virginia license and plates today, so I'm officially a resident. Is it strange that I kind of want to tack up my old Texas plate as a decoration? Good, I didn't think so either.

On a unrelated note, does anyone else think that the sound of any Nickelback song on the radio is much like fingernails down a chalkboard? Man those guys suck. And Train, they're pretty damn annoying as well. Thank goodness for mp3 players.

There's something just wrong with this situation:

I was listening to NPR on my way to work this morning (see earlier post re: me being a nerd) and there was this heart-wrenching story about the Pakistani earthquake and how horrible it is and how practically none of the pledged money from the international community has been received. Then they cut to the telethon fund-raiser that's been going on for what seems like YEARS, and ask again for money to support their programs, with apparently no sense of irony or shame. And I'm thinking: hmm, starving babies in Pakistan or radio programs? No brainer.

New Link

Check out the new "Tricks of the Trade" site off to the right.

This one is my favorite so far:

Street Musician:

Wear a kilt when playing bagpipes on the street. You will make twice as much money than if you wear regular clothes.


Actually, this one is pretty great as well:

Zookeeper

To get an ornate horned frog to release your finger (these gluttons bite hard and are keen to swallow as much of your hand as they can) apply a drop of household vinegar to a corner of the frog's mouth. It will release instantly.

Definitive proof that I am a nerd

I went to a swanky Washington ball tonight. The best part?

I was THIS CLOSE to Sandra Day O'Connor. How cool is that?!

I have grown to detest the smiley

I know that writing emails and such can be impersonal. It's often hard to convey tone, intent, a smile you had when you typed...these things just don't usually go so well in electronic form.

So we have the smiley face. :). Meant, it seems, to soften any email - let the reader know that you were in fact kidding, not just being rude...that it's a sarcastic comment, nothing outright mean.

Trouble is, now I can't get away from it. When I try to go without, I get comments. Yet I still feel so cheesy every time I type one in...as if I'm dotting my eyes with hearts or making dramatic curly-cues with my name in cursive. I am not an eighth-grader anymore, but the smiley sure makes me feel like one. I don't know what else to use though. I know that I come across poorly sometimes, but I rarely if ever mean to, usually I'm joking along too. I swear! I'm the kid that someone would tease, and when I then pretended to act offended or roll my eyes, the teaser tried to apologize. It takes a very great deal to really offend me, just so you all know. I spent the entire first 15 years of my life getting crap for being smart and wearing glasses and the like. So I'm pretty much ready for whatever you got.

But back to the smiley...damn thing has me cornered. And DO NOT even get me started on the new-fangled smileys that convey a range of emotions...I pretty much hate those too...even more than the normal smileys.

:)

Bumper sticker politics

On the way to work this morning I see this:

If you can read this
You're not the President.

Now that's funny.

Bad idea jeans

Does anyone else think that an at home chemical facial peel that's on sale might be a bad idea?

Just writing that made my face hurt a little.

so international

Did you ever wonder what my first name looks like in Russian?

I thought so:
Рэйчел

Here's Azeri:
Reyçel

Pretty cool, huh?

"Beautiful Man"

Listening to this song makes me wish that it made me think of someone.

Concert recap

Someone indirectly asked me (it's a long story, not interesting enough to tell) about my favorite Coldplay concert moment. It got me thinking about it.

Tough question. Largely because I have to think about specific moments, and in a whole blur of people and music and lights and whatnot, those are sort of hard to narrow down.

I think one of my favorites is a general feeling. It's that semi-silence right before a new song is going to start, when the very first hints of chords are being played, and you just know that everyone in the audience is thinking, "which one is this...?" Then there is the tell-tale sound, the dead giveaway of a certain intro, and everyone goes NUTS.

Everyone singing along to "Fix You," just like they do in the video. That was unbelievable.

Hearing "Yellow" live, because that (despite it's being overplayed) is still one of my favorite rock songs of all time.

Ditto for "The Scientist." Except it's probably more of a ballad, not a rock song.

I also love hearing the band chat with the audience; it makes everything so much more personal.

And last but not least, there's this high that lasts for days every time you see people that talented perform, whether they're huge or a garage band. Music is so great.