You guys,
Today I got a check in the mail from the government. That's right - the government! It said Department of the Treasury on the envelope and everything! But then I ripped it open and found out that it was worth 12 bucks. I wish I could show you a picture of my $12.71 check (I couldn't figure out a way to do it without showing you my bank account routing information and...I love you guys, but not that much [I just realized that the government wouldn't have printed my personal bank information on the check, but I'm not correcting it because it's hilarious that I thought that]). How much does fancy check paper cost? $.71? Nice. Thanks, Democracy! Yay taxes! Hug the po-lice!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
I hope that by posting this, I'm enacting a Big Jinx
mackin: and My mom got to meet david hyde peirce
mackin: she's a big frasier fan
PortablePriya: FRASIER!
PortablePriya: i like frasier, too
mackin: I bought her a season of it for christmas one year
mackin: she's not good with tv on DVD apparently
mackin: i don't think she ever watched them
PortablePriya: hahahaha!
PortablePriya: parents somehow don't get the point of that
mackin: destroyed my sad attempt at years of easy gifts
PortablePriya: hahaha
mackin: probably a good thing
PortablePriya: yeah really...i mean, you'd eventually run out
mackin: no its freakin shallow
PortablePriya: there's frasier, mad about you, and, like, this old house
mackin: its my mom for crying out loud
PortablePriya: and then you'd be out
mackin: yeah but my parents watch this old house on saturdays
PortablePriya: haha true, i guess i don't really know what that's like since i don't have a mom
PortablePriya: oh my god i don't know why i said that
PortablePriya: i have a mom
mackin: ????????????????????????????
PortablePriya: i meant to say that we don't really celebrate christmas
mackin: haha
PortablePriya: oh my god
mackin: that was horrible by the way
PortablePriya: i know
mackin: I was like shit
mackin: good thing i didn't make a your mom joke
PortablePriya: i kind of toyed with doing that, and instead of deleting it i SENT IT
mackin: she's a big frasier fan
PortablePriya: FRASIER!
PortablePriya: i like frasier, too
mackin: I bought her a season of it for christmas one year
mackin: she's not good with tv on DVD apparently
mackin: i don't think she ever watched them
PortablePriya: hahahaha!
PortablePriya: parents somehow don't get the point of that
mackin: destroyed my sad attempt at years of easy gifts
PortablePriya: hahaha
mackin: probably a good thing
PortablePriya: yeah really...i mean, you'd eventually run out
mackin: no its freakin shallow
PortablePriya: there's frasier, mad about you, and, like, this old house
mackin: its my mom for crying out loud
PortablePriya: and then you'd be out
mackin: yeah but my parents watch this old house on saturdays
PortablePriya: haha true, i guess i don't really know what that's like since i don't have a mom
PortablePriya: oh my god i don't know why i said that
PortablePriya: i have a mom
mackin: ????????????????????????????
PortablePriya: i meant to say that we don't really celebrate christmas
mackin: haha
PortablePriya: oh my god
mackin: that was horrible by the way
PortablePriya: i know
mackin: I was like shit
mackin: good thing i didn't make a your mom joke
PortablePriya: i kind of toyed with doing that, and instead of deleting it i SENT IT
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Psychotic
I don't know why that title sprang to mind, but once it did, it wouldn't leave.
This entry is about a new website that is only for Twitter users. If you are not on Twitter, don't bother, because you will think this is stupid. If you are on Twitter or familiar at all with its workings, go to http://twistori.com. I made a clicky thing under Favourite Links, on the left.
This entry is about a new website that is only for Twitter users. If you are not on Twitter, don't bother, because you will think this is stupid. If you are on Twitter or familiar at all with its workings, go to http://twistori.com. I made a clicky thing under Favourite Links, on the left.
Friday, March 27, 2009
SXSW Dos and Don'ts!
Hey guys, here are a few videos and advice from SXSW 2K9!
Here's a video of Robert, who was a volunteer at SXSW this year. He quite enjoyed it. He also enjoyed getting married to John this summer!
OH JOHN from Priya on Vimeo.
DO!
Bring sneakers! Wear them!
Take the bus in Austin if at all possible. It's super cheap, and the day pass lasts for 24 hours from the time of purchase - it doesn't run out at 3AM like the ones in LA do.
Go to panels, if you paid for it. I know you have to get up in the morning, but, even if you're not an industry professional, you can learn LOTS of really neat stuff.
Wear something with protected pockets.
Write down your schedule (include the address of each venue).
Double- or triple-book yourself, and list your plans in order of how much you want to see each act/panel/exhibition.
Take walking distance between venues into account. Yes, they're all close together, but not THAT close.
Research bands that you don't know yet - even if it's just by genre. The whole point is to make discoveries!
RSVP to parties and make note of when and where they are. They're good for free food and drinks, and clean(ish) bathrooms.
Document your trip in as much detail as possible! I tweeted, journaled, filmed and blogged (in my Blackberry - that's actually where this list is coming from).
Mingle with strangers: you will get helpful tips, entertainment, and commiseration.
Get a pedicure when you get home. It will be WORTH IT.
Here's a video of Kyle, Lauren, Marion and I eating lunch at the Mellow Mushroom last Tuesday.
At the Mellow Mushroom from Priya on Vimeo.
DON'T!
Bring a purse. Marion did and she seemed to get on okay, but I was glad to have one less thing to worry about.
Have more than a few important things on your person at a time. It'll give you less to think about during a show so you can be in the moment and enjoy your surroundings. My important things were: phone, video camera, ID and money. And sunglasses.
Be a fashion victim! Be realistic about weather changes throughout the day and - this bears repeating - WEAR SENSIBLE SHOES!
Get a manicure before you go. That is so not rock n' roll at all, and it will make you like those girls you'll inevitably see staggering around in short skirts and 5 inch heels, looking puffy and thinking they're quite impressive.
Get uppity with volunteers. They have the power to do you major favors if you are polite.
Here's a parade of Assholes in downtown Austin.
OH JOHN from Priya on Vimeo.
HAHA! Just kidding. That was an accident; here are the Assholes!
Segway Segue from Priya on Vimeo.
What do you think, guys? Did I miss anything?
Here's a video of Robert, who was a volunteer at SXSW this year. He quite enjoyed it. He also enjoyed getting married to John this summer!
OH JOHN from Priya on Vimeo.
DO!
Here's a video of Kyle, Lauren, Marion and I eating lunch at the Mellow Mushroom last Tuesday.
At the Mellow Mushroom from Priya on Vimeo.
DON'T!
Here's a parade of Assholes in downtown Austin.
OH JOHN from Priya on Vimeo.
HAHA! Just kidding. That was an accident; here are the Assholes!
Segway Segue from Priya on Vimeo.
What do you think, guys? Did I miss anything?
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Watchmen, because I said I would.
By now you've all heard everything there is to hear about the movie, and the book, and you've all formed your own opinion on it. All that's left is what I think about it, especially since I built up to it all last month. Basically it was good, but I was pretty distracted by the fact that I was compelled to use the movie to remind me of what was in the book. It was hard for me to separate the two, so my suggestion - if you haven't done so already - is for you to read the book first, and watch the movie later as a kind of fun supplemental material. I'm excited to see what they do with the Black Freighter bit, though - I heard they're coming out with an animated DVD or something.
One comment I have to make is about the gratuitousness of the violence and the sex in this movie. This is especially apparent to me in context of reports that they changed the ending in part as a reaction to 9/11 and their reluctance to show what the book did (I can't really say anything more about that here without going all Spoilery).
I feel like not enough attention was paid to the fact that Rorschach was a complete lunatic - okay, this is getting hard for me to articulate. I'll give you an example of what I mean: when he was filming Jaws, Stephen Spielberg made the decision to not include the colour red in any context other than when the shark made an appearance and killed someone: it made (and still makes) the red blood seem more shocking, and creates an obvious, elemental association between blood and the shark. I would have preferred to see Snyder indulge his little-boy tendencies only when Rorschach was responsible for the actions they depicted, since Rorschach had a deserved reputation for being savagely brutal. The way Snyder did it made the violence feel spotty and pointless.
The sex scenes (I'm counting the non-starter) were awkwardly long and strangely graphic. They were explicit not in terms of the actors' physical exposure - there wasn't anything visible that I haven't seen in a million other movies - but in terms of the actual processes of sex. I wish they hadn't done that...it made it seem pornographic, when, in the graphic novel, it was a significant event that revealed a lot about Dan's character, and about his relationship with Laurie. The character development in the novel was one of the things that made it as artistically competent as it was (besides the social and political commentaries), and to diminish that at all for the sake of a "One Night at McCool's" style wank-fest rubbed me the wrong way.
The best thing about the movie BY FAR was the fact that we went to the Alamo Drafthouse and I got to have a $5 milkshake and chocolate chip cookies for dinner. Because I'm seven.
One comment I have to make is about the gratuitousness of the violence and the sex in this movie. This is especially apparent to me in context of reports that they changed the ending in part as a reaction to 9/11 and their reluctance to show what the book did (I can't really say anything more about that here without going all Spoilery).
I feel like not enough attention was paid to the fact that Rorschach was a complete lunatic - okay, this is getting hard for me to articulate. I'll give you an example of what I mean: when he was filming Jaws, Stephen Spielberg made the decision to not include the colour red in any context other than when the shark made an appearance and killed someone: it made (and still makes) the red blood seem more shocking, and creates an obvious, elemental association between blood and the shark. I would have preferred to see Snyder indulge his little-boy tendencies only when Rorschach was responsible for the actions they depicted, since Rorschach had a deserved reputation for being savagely brutal. The way Snyder did it made the violence feel spotty and pointless.
The sex scenes (I'm counting the non-starter) were awkwardly long and strangely graphic. They were explicit not in terms of the actors' physical exposure - there wasn't anything visible that I haven't seen in a million other movies - but in terms of the actual processes of sex. I wish they hadn't done that...it made it seem pornographic, when, in the graphic novel, it was a significant event that revealed a lot about Dan's character, and about his relationship with Laurie. The character development in the novel was one of the things that made it as artistically competent as it was (besides the social and political commentaries), and to diminish that at all for the sake of a "One Night at McCool's" style wank-fest rubbed me the wrong way.
The best thing about the movie BY FAR was the fact that we went to the Alamo Drafthouse and I got to have a $5 milkshake and chocolate chip cookies for dinner. Because I'm seven.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Spring Broken
Whoa! It's been 10 days since I last posted! I can't believe I did that.
Since then I've been pretty busy - I crammed for midterms and then went to Austin for SXSW on my Spring Break. It was all fantastic, and almost exactly how I imagined it would be (certain particulars, of course, didn't work out exactly as planned, but the overall effect was very pleasing).
I can't write too much about it right now - I have a Chaucer midterm today at 5 and I didn't read as much as I wanted to, so I need to go do that - but I will be back shortly with videos (!!), a day-by-day breakdown of what we did and who we saw, and I guess I can tell you right now that I'm working on a "SXSW Dos and Don'ts" list for an upcoming post. In the meantime, check out my Twitter, and look at this video. It's of Bedouin Soundclash - my favourite "discovery" from last week.
Since then I've been pretty busy - I crammed for midterms and then went to Austin for SXSW on my Spring Break. It was all fantastic, and almost exactly how I imagined it would be (certain particulars, of course, didn't work out exactly as planned, but the overall effect was very pleasing).
I can't write too much about it right now - I have a Chaucer midterm today at 5 and I didn't read as much as I wanted to, so I need to go do that - but I will be back shortly with videos (!!), a day-by-day breakdown of what we did and who we saw, and I guess I can tell you right now that I'm working on a "SXSW Dos and Don'ts" list for an upcoming post. In the meantime, check out my Twitter, and look at this video. It's of Bedouin Soundclash - my favourite "discovery" from last week.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Friends are, by far, the best.
me: WHY DID YOU TELL HIM
Lauren: i cant tell you what he just said
me: what did he say!?
Lauren: are you sure?
you want to know?
me: you tell me what he said or i'll tell him what you said!
Lauren: okokok
Lauren: i cant tell you what he just said
me: what did he say!?
Lauren: are you sure?
you want to know?
me: you tell me what he said or i'll tell him what you said!
Lauren: okokok
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Flickr
You guys, I finally made the leap over to Flickr tonight - I've only uploaded pictures through Summer of 2004, so feel free to take a peek and feel the blast from the past! I'll be uploading throughout the week, so keep checking back. I made a link for it under Favourite Links, on the left! Here's a taste of what you'll see there:
Jordan, Luke and Marion at (now defunct) Astroworld!
Robert at Sonic!
Me, looking gleeful!
Jordan, Luke and Marion at (now defunct) Astroworld!
Robert at Sonic!
Me, looking gleeful!
Monday, March 9, 2009
More! More! More!
I know I've been writing a bunch of Watchmen themed posts lately, but that's only because so much material has been cropping up lately. I think you can expect a couple more funny things about it, a big post about Billy Crudup's huge computer-engineered radioactive wang, and then that will be it. In the meantime, however, have at this:
This is via my brother, and it was drawn by ~MK01 and posted on Deviant Art. you can find their profile here(http://mk01.deviantart.com/).
This is via my brother, and it was drawn by ~MK01 and posted on Deviant Art. you can find their profile here(http://mk01.deviantart.com/).
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Pretty Much Awesome
You guys, I support people who have self-imposed dietary restrictions. I think it takes a level of self-discipline that I could probably use in my life. I don't, however, support people who want to enforce their dietary restrictions on me via trying to guilt-trip me over the slavery of bees for honey. I don't care.
me: people who get into grad school are the new vegan
John: haha it's true, though
at this stage in our lives
it's the truth
because people who are doing it
think they're hot shit and everyone should do it
and people who don't
kind of resent how well-off the people who are doing it are
but still can't swallow how big of a fucking dickhole everyone who does it is
me: hahahaha
John: you know if i could be a vegan and not die thinking of meat and cheese and chocolate
real chocolate
i would
me: carob is for idiots
John: but yeah, carob is for fucking retards
me: yeah, if i could have a modicum of self control, i would be a vegan
i think it's so hard for us to be vegan because we don't, like, morally recoil at the idea of eating animals
hanging around vegans and vegetarians has actually made me a militant carnivore
John: exactly
me: i'm kind of republican about it
like "that's what animals are for, i hope that's real fur, etc"
John: i am too!
i mean veal?
fucking love it
baby cows are goddamn delicious
sorry
love them
won't stop
me: hahahahahha
John: fois gras, jesus it's awful what they do to those geese
but man is it good on a bleu cheese burger or what
me: if by awful you mean totally fucking effective and delicious
John: I AM HIGH BROW AND I LOVE MY HORRIBLE MEATS
me: OMG SILVER SPOON BABIES ALERT
"fois gras, it's good on a bleu cheese burger"
"yeah totally"
John: you realize our production company must be silver spoon babies, inc
right?
you're aware of this?
i hope
me: HAHAHAHA
Swinging
I've decided that the best way to get back into writing here is to force myself to do it. Much like everything else in my life lately (learning accounting, getting out of bed in the morning, meeting new people) - stop bitching and just DO IT!
This weekend was kind of nice. On Friday I ran some errands (dropped some pants off at the dry cleaner's, picked up a dress I had left for alteration, and visited the bank...like you care), and ate lunch at Chipotle with my brother. And then I came home and read Northanger Abbey. I actually did it. I just sat down and turned off my computer for a few hours and did it. I'm as shocked as you are.
Then on Saturday I read Sense and Sensibility. Well, most of it. I'm finishing it up right now. Later today I have to write the rest of my paper on the book (yeah, I wrote 5 pages without having cracked the book open) and another paper on Macbeth or King Lear - I haven't decided which, yet.
AND NOW FOR SOME WTF
Oh my god, I had plenty of sleep last night and I'm still on the brink of falling asleep again. WTF, body?! My laptop sometimes stops playing audio if it's been on too long and I have to reboot it. And yesterday the battery stopped charging. I have to keep it plugged in at all times now. WTF, computer!? I think I just have to buy a new battery or something, since the power cord and the charger port work. Dunno what to do about my sleep problem, though. Maybe I have a sleep disorder and I don't get enough rest when I'm asleep! Maybe I'm just horribly lazy. Yeah, that's probably it.
Okay, I have to get back to reading Sense & Sensibility (maybe I'm so sleepy because I'm fucking bored, actually. WE ALL KNOW WHO SHE'S GOING TO MARRY AT THE END! THE ONE SHE LOVES (that conveniently comes into a good sum of money due to the unforseen death of a distant-relative)! GOD DAMMIT!). I want to read this book, instead:
Wouldn't you?
This weekend was kind of nice. On Friday I ran some errands (dropped some pants off at the dry cleaner's, picked up a dress I had left for alteration, and visited the bank...like you care), and ate lunch at Chipotle with my brother. And then I came home and read Northanger Abbey. I actually did it. I just sat down and turned off my computer for a few hours and did it. I'm as shocked as you are.
Then on Saturday I read Sense and Sensibility. Well, most of it. I'm finishing it up right now. Later today I have to write the rest of my paper on the book (yeah, I wrote 5 pages without having cracked the book open) and another paper on Macbeth or King Lear - I haven't decided which, yet.
AND NOW FOR SOME WTF
Oh my god, I had plenty of sleep last night and I'm still on the brink of falling asleep again. WTF, body?! My laptop sometimes stops playing audio if it's been on too long and I have to reboot it. And yesterday the battery stopped charging. I have to keep it plugged in at all times now. WTF, computer!? I think I just have to buy a new battery or something, since the power cord and the charger port work. Dunno what to do about my sleep problem, though. Maybe I have a sleep disorder and I don't get enough rest when I'm asleep! Maybe I'm just horribly lazy. Yeah, that's probably it.
Okay, I have to get back to reading Sense & Sensibility (maybe I'm so sleepy because I'm fucking bored, actually. WE ALL KNOW WHO SHE'S GOING TO MARRY AT THE END! THE ONE SHE LOVES (that conveniently comes into a good sum of money due to the unforseen death of a distant-relative)! GOD DAMMIT!). I want to read this book, instead:
Wouldn't you?
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Saturday Morning Cartoons (Watchmen)!
This SO WRONG. And yet...so right? Those of you who have read the Graphic Novel will really get a kick out of it.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Okay, this is just getting ridiculous.
I haven't posted in a week again! Mostly I this has to do with the fact that I use Twitter a lot more now than I did before, and every little thought I have now gets funneled there instead of here, and the fact that my life force has been drained by Accounting class. It's all I really think about anymore, or, if I'm not thinking about Accounting directly, I only think about the thing that I am thinking about really distractedly because the other part of my mind is freaking out about how I should be studying Accounting. With Stats class, I was just overwhelmed by the formulas, but I'm smart enough to understand relationships between numbers if I apply myself. With Economics, I had to understand the actual theories. With both of these subjects, it's just a matter of a lot of reading and re-reading of the notes and textbooks (for me, anyway). Accounting, however, is a completely different animal. With Accounting, I feel like no matter what I do, it's still applying mathematical concepts to WORDS. What the fuck!?!?!!!!
In other news, the weather lately has been getting better and better. It's kind of strange to experience, because the longer, more temperate days have been coinciding with an inner darkness that has been increasing this semester.
I talked to Kyle's sister on the phone for a few minutes - she called to tell me that she wore the shirt I got her for Christmas to her friend's birthday party and it made her feel so pretty (score one for me, best girlfriend ever) - and since she lives in Seattle I taunted her mercilessly by wondering aloud if "failing to move away from cold climates and freezing to death could be considered suicide". She went to college in California, so we spent some time discussing the weather there versus everywhere else in the world. In short: can one quantify AWESOME or TOTALLY SHITTY?
Accounting Accounting Accounting. Liabilities, Bank Reconciliations, Perpetual Journal Entries, Periodic Journal Entries, Closing Entries, Assets, Current Ratio, Debt Ratio, Expenses, Merchandise vs. Services, Sole Proprietorship, CAP? CAAP? BLAAHGHHHHH
Not to mention the fact that I have to read Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, King Lear, and Macbeth, and write two papers...all by Monday. Good thing I've spent most of today curled in a ball under my desk, chanting "unearned revenue is not a revenue, unearned revenue is not a revenue"! I can only take heart in the fact that Spring Break is only one week away, and the next few days are sure to pass quickly if I just don't pay too much attention.
In other news, the weather lately has been getting better and better. It's kind of strange to experience, because the longer, more temperate days have been coinciding with an inner darkness that has been increasing this semester.
I talked to Kyle's sister on the phone for a few minutes - she called to tell me that she wore the shirt I got her for Christmas to her friend's birthday party and it made her feel so pretty (score one for me, best girlfriend ever) - and since she lives in Seattle I taunted her mercilessly by wondering aloud if "failing to move away from cold climates and freezing to death could be considered suicide". She went to college in California, so we spent some time discussing the weather there versus everywhere else in the world. In short: can one quantify AWESOME or TOTALLY SHITTY?
Accounting Accounting Accounting. Liabilities, Bank Reconciliations, Perpetual Journal Entries, Periodic Journal Entries, Closing Entries, Assets, Current Ratio, Debt Ratio, Expenses, Merchandise vs. Services, Sole Proprietorship, CAP? CAAP? BLAAHGHHHHH
Not to mention the fact that I have to read Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, King Lear, and Macbeth, and write two papers...all by Monday. Good thing I've spent most of today curled in a ball under my desk, chanting "unearned revenue is not a revenue, unearned revenue is not a revenue"! I can only take heart in the fact that Spring Break is only one week away, and the next few days are sure to pass quickly if I just don't pay too much attention.
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