Beth's Contradictory Brain

French Fries

What is up with french fries that are never, ever done enough at every damn restaurant I go to?? Is it the new oil they're using due to bans on trans fats? Is it that every place is in too big a hurry to let them cook for another 30 seconds? UGH!

I'm sick and tired of bad french fries!! Please tell me you've noticed this trend too.

Memorial Day Weekend

Hope you all had a good one. Hope you all had a drink to all those who have fought and died for this great country we call home.

Even though Nerdstar is a war vet, we just never feel the reality of it. I don't know how to explain that. I asked her about it the other day, but I think it partly has to do with still being in the Army, even if just the reserves.

Rolling Thunder is always in DC this weekend, and we saw a few of them when we went into DC for lunch on Sunday. It's not something that has ever interested me, in spite of me being big on veterans and motorcycles. I was thinking about that this weekend and I think for me part of it has to do with the image of "typical vets" during my lifetime has always had everything to do with Vietnam. Yes, there has always been stuff about "the greatest generation" - but all the media and movies in my life have been about the hell of Vietnam. And any time I've seen vet groups, especially those like Rolling Thunder, they're predominantly scraggly dudes all about Vietnam.

So I was wondering how the image of war vets will change once it shifts to being predominately Iraq vets.

I did ask Nerdstar if she'll one day want to vacation in Iraq. She said maybe, Mosul isn't too bad. I'm one of the few who believe that will actually be possible in ten to fifteen years.

UPDATE: Nerdstar wrote a great entry about Memorial Day.

Video

I posted a short video I took of The Kid telling me jokes - I just used my digital camera to get this. The dorkiness is strong with this one!

Sounds About Right

A Stanford professor provides evidence that automated computer car voices shouldn't nag or criticize.

That computer masquerading as a person, seemingly residing somewhere in your car, might be interested in more than mere facts. As it gets to know your voice, your facial expressions (from an onboard camera) and your style, it could adapt its conversation to your mood, just as a human passenger would. If the computer behind the synthetic voice sensed that you were tense, as the car's sensors were silently warning the computer that your driving was becoming erratic, the voice might attempt to calm you down. It would project just the right tone and employ the perfect turn of phrase.

In a 2007 study, Nass, doctoral student Helen Harris, and undergraduates Kyle Davis, David Diaz and Brooke Sullivan searched for ways to help people control their emotions in the car in a study called "Car-tharsis." In a frustrating situation, a soothing voice from the car might sympathize with your predicament: "Don't worry. There will be a chance to pass the truck." The unspoken message? You don't need to get upset. Or if you got cut off in traffic, the car might simply do the yelling for you: "Learn to drive!" or "You idiot!"

The article also talks about a lot of privacy issues and how the info your "car" gathers on you can be used for good and bad.

I know that Nerdstar and I have talked a lot about our Garmin and it's "voice" and how it would totally suck for her if the Garmin spoke to her like I do or to me like she does. I do think it's probably best that for now the Garmin is very neutral. That's not to say there isn't some ideal, personalized voice I'd like my car to talk to me in.

Interesting...

Must Read

Dale Carpenter has the best writing about the recent California ruling on gay marriage I've read.

Good for a Monday

Fortune Cookies

Better

I'm finally feeling better today. I'm trying not to overdo it too much, but I'm getting the laundry done and made a trip to the library.

One good thing about the flights last weekend was I was able to finish reading John Scalzi's Old Man's War triology (well I think there's a fourth coming out soon). They're really fun, easy reads that have some fantastic ideas in them.

Old Man's War has lots of ideas about aging and dying that really appealed to me. I can never state enough how much getting old an dying pisses me off. Offer me a life of 1000 years and I'll take it. Because no matter what you believe about what comes after this life, whatever it is makes this tiny amount of time we call life way, way too short.

In the books the soldiers also have what are called Brain Pals - like the internet and GPS and ultimate iPod and probably more all integrated into your brain. Oh yeah, you can also communicate telepathically through them. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted a Brain Pal since I started reading the books!! He also writes about what happens when you become too dependent on it and then it ceases to function - but I'd take my chances.

Anyway. I'm always the worst at describing what I've read. It's a great series and I even got my Mom interested in them.

Pity Party

Welcome to my little one person pity party.

It's 3:37 am and I can't sleep. In fact, I haven't gotten a good nights sleep in over a week. I always thought that when you were sick that was one thing you could at least do - catch up on lots of sleep. And it's not like I can use all that time being awake to get anything done around the house because I don't have the energy. Day 1 I was delirious all day. Day 2 I dropped everything I picked up. At least Day 4 I got a day of work in, since I'd missed the rest of the week. Day 5 I spent half of at the doctor and then at WalMart trying to get my meds.

What being awake all the damn time does allow me to do is spend even more time with myself. Ugh. I'm so sick of my own company. I swear my brain is Satan. I won't even get into that mess.

I'm not sure there's anything I hate more than having a sore throat. Although it seems to be an effective weight loss solution. But wanting to cry almost every time I have to swallow is getting old fast. Trying to speak is almost as bad. And that really sucks when my Nerdstar doesn't hear me half the time anyway and I have to repeat myself.

Well. Ok. Pray the antibiotics work soon and thanks for listening.

Strep is no fun

Turns out I actually have Strep Throat. Go figure. I've never had it before. So far it's not fun.

I had been resisting going to the doctor because when I went to part time at work I gave up having insurance. I'm not big on paying for things I don't use, so I usually hate paying for health insurance. I'm not usually sick. (This year is really proving the exception to that...) Last year I did all my annual checkups and dental visits and I'm all good. And in any other city I've lived in I could see a doctor relatively cheaply for something like a sore throat. Not here in lovely DC. When I'd look at my doctor bills when I had insurance I noticed that just the charge for a regular office visit was over $100. I was hoping that this urgent care place our hospital has would be cheaper. Not so much. It cost me $200 for the doc and $35 for the strep test. I really didn't want to get the strep test because most illnesses like this are just some stupid virus you can't do anything about. Thankfully I kinda knew that something was wrong because I just wasn't getting any better. I did get 30% off for being a hospital employee. If I'd sucked it up and went to my doctor yesterday instead it probably would have cost less. Figures. But I didn't have the fever return and I didn't have those spots in my throat you usually get with strep.

Anyway. I understand doctors charge so much to cover all their costs, and because it's usually paid by insurance companies, so no one cares what the prices are. And trust me, the last thing I want to see is the government trying to implement universal health care. There are certainly plenty of "free clinics" around here I'm sure I could have used if I'd really wanted to - one of those weird advantages of not being able to get married, I'm technically poor while Nerdstar is technically rich. Hmmm maybe I should apply for food stamps or something, my take home pay barely covers our monthly food costs.

Yes, I'm rambling. Trust me, I'm actually much more coherent today. The worst thing today is the cough I've developed. I hate having a cough.

Nerdstar's in Houston visiting grandpa. I told her to get a strep test for her if she's not feeling too well.

Miserable

Apparently I caught another superbug on the flight home Monday. I went up to work for a couple of hours yesterday afternoon to help out with a project. I noticed my throat was starting to hurt - I hate that. Then by 4:00 yesterday I was shivering and couldn't get warm, fun with fevers. I had a fever of about 102 all night and it finally broke about 9 or 10 this morning. I was delirious all night which was really strange. Now I'm just weak and have spent all day dropping just about everything I pick up.

Next time I fly I'll be wearing a facemask!

On Again

The trip was nice. We had a few delays with both flights, but we got where we were going on the day we planned, so it wasn't too terrible. We mostly hung around and ate and got caught up on sleep. Yesterday we took the kid to play putt putt and it was great because no one else was there.

I got to introduce my mother to more of the internet, and set her up with a gmail account. She also has links to LOLCats and dlisted and some other tv related websites. And really - isn't that all anyone really needs?

I've got a sore throat today from the plane. Ugh. Nothing worse than lots of recycled air.

Off Again

We're flying out to Dallas in a couple of hours - down to the heat of hell. But at least we'll get some good meals and some time with the nephew.

Back on Monday, will blog Tuesday. Have a great weekend and Happy Mother's Day to all the great moms out there!!

Old School Photography

Several years ago I bought a Canon AE 1 camera. Then, on our trip from Seattle back to Austin it ate a couple of rolls of film and I put it away. But I miss the clarity of film photos and don't want to spend the money it would take to get a digital camera that takes photos that clear. I like the idea of enlarging pics I've taken to decorate parts of the house.

The other day I took the camera to a store around here and the older guy working there was really nice and told me it was probably because I was loading the film wrong. So he showed me how to make sure it was in there right and I bought some film to try it out.

I've never taken a photography class or even read up on tips or anything. I should have a much more dummy proof camera, but oh well.

Here's three sets of pics I took of the pets around the house and some at the dog park. I'll eventually get the settings for light right, and you know, learn how to focus! It was really weird not seeing the pics right after I took each one. There not too bad for a first set. They do look better in print than online.

UPDATE: Since my own blog wouldn't let me leave a comment - grrr...

Little Man will sit on the sofa next to me and just stare at me like that until I acknowledge him. If the staring doesn't work he'll start to slightly tap me on the arm with his paw. He's a very special kitty, short bus special!

Heh

Tell me this isn't the funniest thing you've seen in months!

Netflixed

Let's see if I can remember the recent movies. I watched Cloverfield. Not impressed. When I listened to the commentary afterwards, I realized I didn't see the movie they thought they made. The guy spoke about how he and his son took a trip to Japan recently and got into Godzilla and that made him think how's there's no equal American monster. Hmmm, maybe that's because we didn't have nukes dropped on us and then used movies to deal with it. (As I've mentioned, my nephew is very into Godzilla and we've watched a lot of the movies in the past year or so.) But, even if they wanted some kind of "American" monster - that thing they designed was just hideous. Then another guy in the commentary talked about how the creature was just a baby. When I heard that I thought WTF? That didn't come through at all. I mean, if it was a baby then what were all the smaller creatures it shed?? But worst of all, I just didn't buy the whole plotline. Really? Those particular people would stay together and go back and find the girl and risk death? I didn't think so. And lastly, I'm not sure the terror of a monster in Manhattan can compete with the real terror of 9/11 - not that filmmakers can't try, or can't use the idea or the setting, this film just didn't work for me.

I watched Lars and the Real Girl. Cute movie. Ryan Gosling is great in it. Again though, watching the extras, the writer talked about how we should just let crazy people have their craziness and accommodate them more. It's a sweet idea, but I'm not sure it's realistic. It's a nice movie about accepting people and such.

Then there was Martian Child. Another cute movie. Great kid actor.

Today I watched a sci-fi film called Sunshine. Not bad, not fantastic. You can see the ending coming, not that that hurt watching the film. I think they could have fleshed out the bad guy more (no pun intended if you ever see it) and his crazy motivation. Also - why are the outsides of spaceships lit other than for us the movie viewer to be able to see them?

Recent Readings

I'm still really trying to put my library card to good use.

I read Covert about the mob in New Jersey in the 70s and 80s and a man who was undercover and then when all that was over he ended up an NBA ref. It wasn't the best writing, but it was such a good story it was fun to read. I actually learned about the book on the only morning radio show I've ever liked - Elliot In The Morning. He had the author on for an interview one day.

I think I first heard of John Scalzi over on Instapundit and then saw a link to his blog, which is a really good read. (On my short little blogroll I've got 3 authors. I guess it makes sense they've got good blogs.)

I picked up the first and third books in Old Man's War and put the second on reserve. I also picked up Android's Dream which ended up being a really fun read.

I'm not the best at retelling plots or summarizing stories - so check out the links to get good synopsis of the books.

Funny?

I'm sure you've read about the Lesbians vs Lesbians lawsuit by now.

Three islanders from Lesbos ... have taken a gay rights group to court for using the word lesbian in its name.

One of the plaintiffs said Wednesday that the name of the association, Homosexual and Lesbian Community of Greece, "insults the identity" of the people of Lesbos, who are also known as Lesbians.

I find it kinda funny.

Work and Not Work

I still have mixed feelings about this working part-time stuff.

The off days problems. I sometimes have a hard time finding useful things to do to fill up my two days a week off - you know, things other than playing online poker and watching movies. Part of that has been due to weather. It's been either cold or rainy or both and that doesn't help my self motivation problems. The organization I thought I might do some volunteering with hasn't worked out yet, maybe it's a slow time for them. Plus, every time they have an orientation I'm either out of town or working. I looked at another website for local volunteer opportunities, and just didn't see anything I'm interested in. You'd think there'd be enough house cleaning to keep my busy. I find I just don't like doing housework much. Or maybe I'm still waiting for it to feel enough like spring to do a good "spring cleaning."

Then there's the work part of life. It's no less stupid around work. I keep thinking if things at work improved I could go back to full time. But in spite of hiring several new people, there are still about four (of ten) doing 80% of the work. One of the new girls only lasted about two weeks - she was kinda nuts. I'm not sure how some of these people get through all the hiring process. We've got one lady at work who talks constantly. Literally. Things are also more chaotic at work, partly due to the new people. They just don't pay enough attention to details and mistakes are being made. This is not a job where mistakes should be tolerated. But they are. That frustrates me to no end. Our boss is on vacation for the next three weeks. Maybe the supervisor can get people better on track and making less mistakes.

I know it should be an enviable position to be in, not having to work all the time. I'm still working on how to make the most of it.