Sometimes you feel like a nut

Goodbye for now, Livejournal

Tue, 10 Jan 2006 03:00:30 GMT

I have moved. I have grown le tired of it and Blogger has gotten better.

But i have 2 new entries, for the interested.

find them at http://thoughtrations.blogspot.com

Flickr

Tue, 20 Dec 2005 02:06:32 GMT

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

another good ad

Tue, 13 Dec 2005 12:09:39 GMT

napster trying to get back in the game?

http://www.getthewholething.co.uk/

nice ad.

advertising is cool

Wed, 30 Nov 2005 12:14:25 GMT

my new favorite ad: http://www.bravia-advert.com/
check out the behind the scenes making of stuff. it's pretty neat.

birthday brilliance

Tue, 29 Nov 2005 00:34:25 GMT

i think i've had a really smart idea. i think this, because it hurt.

Arrested Development, is awesome.

Awesome, but going to be cancelled. (hurt)

I think iTunes should somehow pick it up, and even if they can't pay to produce more shows to sell exclusively on iTunes, they could sell the seasons like they are selling Desperate Housewives. This would help the sitcom continue, most importantly, and subsequently provide more revenue for Apple, which in my opinion is mostly a good thing.

You heard it here first. I think the laptop and latte Apple crowd would totally jones on some first and second season.

Also i haven't been able to get through the firewall in awhile to download any new ones.

general update

Thu, 10 Nov 2005 00:19:59 GMT

new photo website-- Flickr with new pics

also, doctor says colleen is sick. doctor gave colleen many medicines to take. colleen feeling better. doctor say colleen have good Irish name-- and that doctor won't hold that against colleen. Those brits.

i've stayed home from work 2 days, and managed to accomplish the grueling task of watching this season's episodes of Gilmore Girls and The OC. Rory and Lorelai are having an excellent, albeit dramatic season, while the OC just seems to be dramatic. Seriously, i dont' give a shit about ryan and marissa and Summer's witty quips can only keep it so light hearted.

but it's back to work tomorrow. ick. my head hurts.

On Rap

Fri, 04 Nov 2005 10:47:16 GMT

I'm in my advertising strategy class, which is 4 hours long. The professor uses intricate drawings on the board to explain things, and i think it's just to make a simple subject look complicated. it annoys me and makes me forget what he's talking about.

On Rap

Every once in awhile there's a rap album that I really like. The word choice, the rhythms, self-mockery - it's all there. Sure there's some 'unpolitically correct' and 'degrading' content (bitches ain't shit but ho's and tricks)*, and sometimes the songs are just ridiculous (i'm sorry miss jackson- WHOOOO).** And I really like how they talk about eachother in songs, especially the kinship we see between Dre and Eminem
(When I was underground
No one gave a fuck I was white
No labels wanted to sign me
Almost gave up, I was like "Fuck it"
Until I met Dre
The only one who looked past
Gave me a chance
And I lit a fire up under his ass
Helped him get back to the top
Every fan black that I got
Was probably his
In exchange for every white fan that he's got
Like damn we just swapped
Sittin back look at this shit wow
I’m like "My skin, is it startin to work for my benefit now?")***

Eminem is awesome. So is Outkast. Dr.Dre has sold more records than God, and I like him, too. And now there's Kanye.

Kanye's new album, Late Registration, is great. My favorite song is 'Roses,' ("I asked the nurse "did you do the research?"/She ask me, "can you sign some t-shirts?"/Bitch is you smokin reefer?/You dont see that we hurt") and then 'Touch the Sky' ("damn those new loafers hurt mah pocket"). AND Kanye gets a big HOLLA from me for featuring Brandy in Bring Me Down, which has a nice key modulation at the beginning and good harmonies etc. She's a great fit for the lyrics, and she needs to get more PR for her album Afrodesiac.

He also did a song with the lead singer from Maroon 5, Adam Levine, called 'Heard 'Em Say,' which is pretty good, ("and i heard 'em say, nothing ever happens tomorrow today") but i can't help but feel catered to. Adam's crooning next to Kanye's rapping is a neat juxtaposition, but for some reason i'm skeptical. Maybe he's just too white. it's like John Mayer and Wu Tang Clan coming together. But i like the song, even though i can't explain why just a little off. i mean, it'd be worse if Adam Levine tried to rap or something i guess.

so, rap = cool. people gotta stop hatin'.

Also, new ipod has arrived! Mom and Craig are visiting and they brought one over from home for my birthday! 30gb black. Currrently named Soul Pod until further inspiration strikes. It's very pretty, and the video quality is surisingly excellent. Not suprising to me, but to doubting debbies.

Also I want all of you to visit the website of Susan Gold. I have met this woman. Story to follow.

----------------------------------------
*Dr. Dre feat. Snoop, Bitches Aint' Shit
**Outkast, Miss Jackson
***Eminem, White America

Wed, 02 Nov 2005 10:55:24 GMT

All that can be promised in the following entry:

Movie: Everything is Illuminated, Rent?
TV shows: sold as series before they are made, distributed before they are completed, expected to succeed before ratings week (athf reference)
Books: overdue, under-read
Life: london, next semester housing and more!

Entertainment

Everything is Illuminated is a fantastic book. Yay, great reading. And the movie looked like it would be great. Elija Wood, some other people. But beef do i have with this movie. I saw it at the London Film Festival yesterday night, and was pretty disappointed. The movie wasn't horrible; it was one of those things where if I hadn't read the book I probably would've thought it was on the higher side of OK. Not a waste, but nothing fantastic. Lots of silence "because he's writing a book!" and scene trasitions are written 'Chapter 1 - title' with the view of a pen and paper "because he's writing a book!" I'm not really into "film" as a study or anything, but there was some heavy-handed direction in this. Every visual cliche was there- the fast rolling clouds to symbolize the passing of hours, fading flashbacks with a dream sequence like filter, a crazy guy (he's SO crazy!!!!!!!! is what they want you to think). I don't know, it just seemed so average. And I don't like Elija Wood. I don't think he's hot. I think he's a guy who's really good at playing awkward late teens/early twenties characters. I'm sure he's a good person.

Rent is supposed to come out in the theaters. I expect this to be good. The preview was great, and I think they're using a broadway cast? Not sure. But dey's sho can dance 'n sings real good. Cool.

Business News

TV!
Yesterday, I was checking to see if Desperate Housewives had a new episode to download from iTunes, and I saw a little button next to the season that says 'purchase as a gift' and then a little yellow taggie that says 'NEW' So I click 'NEW,' of course, and I am suprised at what I find. It says:
Give a Gift from the Music Store
You can gift an entire TV season, a season in progress, or an individual episode below.
- If a season is complete, you can give it as a gift by selecting Gift Season.
- If a season is still in progress, you can give all episodes as a gift by selecting Buy All Episodes.
- To give an individual episode as a gift, click Gift Episode.

What does this mean? This means that people will be buying entire seasons of a show before they are even produced. If the entertainment industry was threatened by TiVo or DVDs or illegal downloads before, I think this could help save them. Though I doubt the original peril's existance. While the price is still slightly prohibitive, I can see a world where seasons of shows are bought before they are proven good, and other mainstays of television will make much money when people buy the season passes because they're more convenient than TiVo. You still have to wait for the show to come on TV, but it will be yours the next morning. And maybe this is more important to me, but I would rather have it on my computer than on a TV because then I can watch it where ever. You know, like in London, where TV is crap and sparse.

I really like where this is going. It's for all the people who like some of Will and Grace but certainly not every episode in every season. It's for people who don't have access to normal television. And! This is certainly opening the doors for worldwide distribution on a larger scale than DVDs or tapes.

Books

I haven't been reading a ton since work started, and I haven't made it to the library to return the ones I took out before. So, brain is shrinking, wallet is shrinking.

Life

London is still great, and getting a little colder and rainier, but not bad at all. No heavy coat yet! Crazy. Mom and Craig are here to visit until Saturday, which is fun. I've got to pick out a place for dinner for tonight!
I've been looking for a place to live when I get back, because I'm more and more thinking I don't want to deal with BU on that anymore. I want to have my own room, and for what BU charges i could have my own room in an apartment on campus instead of a shared closet in a poorly maintained dorm. I don't know where all the money goes, but it's not to keeping up their buildings. It's for building a new arena or a new Hillel House or Student Village. Bah.
I've figured out my classes, and I think I'm supposed to register soon. and I need to check that out. I'm taking Portfolio Development, a history, and some general COM class that's a requirement. Hopefully, this will complete my degree and allow me time to work for Rita and look for a job. haha. oh not funny.

I lied about the 'and more!' part.

Branding and Licensing Expo

Wed, 26 Oct 2005 14:55:41 GMT

The Branding and Licensing Expo was at Earl's Court 2 today and yesterday, and the Suparama Supamonkey booth was quite the spectacle. Whereas others constructed highly-evolved and primary colored bright stands and display cases, Suparama went to a junk yard to construct theirs. There was plywood and rusted siding, chains to hold up posters and logos, a TV playing a video of Supa characters, and a homemade cart (really, really homemade) with rickety wheels. The cart also holds a small refrigerator around the back for "beer o'clock" and on the front, handouts, candies and badges featuring the monkey or SUPA. An old lady came bay and asked for 8 of each, to trade in her "badge club." I bet they party hard at the badge club meetings.

So we hung out at the expo for the day, talking to people about the company and the characters. What Suparama was trying to do was license their characters for anything-- clothing, video games, films -- and each character had a small background and all of them are connected through a storyline. Universal showed interest, and many contacts were made. Candy was eaten; beer was drunk. They made us Supamonkey teeshirts, and we each had a different color of blue/grey/brown, and Dave, the CEO, said that his cat slept on his last night, so he just wore his usual tee-shirt and jeans.

Oh, there were also people dressed as their company's character- even a roadside speed detector (think yellow block ontop of black rectangle) and some woman with a hat and a badge patrolled the halls. There were asian-inspired characters, and those Mr.Man and Little Miss characters from children's books. There were some dudes dressed in metallic discoball-eque suits (suits! shiney, silver, holographic lunchbox liner-looking suits), but there was no way to tell what they were promoting.

A cool day, much to have seen, and now, back to work!

Research

Mon, 24 Oct 2005 09:38:30 GMT

Before any new technological acquirement, there is much research. Before my new digital camera, there was an extensive selection procecss, and the outcome was favorable. I found a thin camera at the bottom of the high-end that, for what it lacked in features (a mere 3.2mpx) it made up for in cuteness (the Casio ex-s100).

Now, there is the new iPod, as mentioned in previous post. This weekend, Kyle, Jen and I made pumpkin pancakes for breakfast, went to Portobello Road market, and then Kyle and I headed to the Apple Store to check out the latest iPod and G5 computer. Sadness, there was no new ipod or computer in this flagship location in Oxford Circus. The impressive, 2 story building bearing the waving black flag with white apple logo was filled with the worrisomely tiny iPod Nano, but no regular ones in site. They arrive this Wednesday, and then I will be back.

So what's really all that different about this new iPod? I wasn't impressed by the last version, the iPod photo, because the new features weren't something I'd been longing for (wow! i can look at pictures of me and my friends drunk at a club WHILE drunk at a club!) and the color screen wasn't fancy enough for me to care /slash/ it looked as if it were a huge battery life hoover. I was content with pink mini.

A quick google, and I found this most helpful, in-depth review of the new iPod, detailing the pod's new specs and why they are or are not important/useful/well-designed. It's 7 pages or so, but that's sufficient for me. Though this happens to come along just as my mini and i appear to be losing interest in eachother, and my birthday is on the horizon, so maybe it was fate.

Other than that, this weekend was pretty low-key, as I've once again managed to fall under the weather, as they say, though I think it is subsiding faster than the last time i was sick. I haven't been out to drink since dinner with Suparama last thursday. Company bonding via sangria and shots of sambuca at a really good Tapas place in Covent Garden.

Tomorrow is the branding expo, which should be cool.

mini technology update

Tue, 18 Oct 2005 21:15:57 GMT

Emmanuel turned me on to Aduim and don't bother clicking that link if you're not cool enough to own a mac. This is an interview with Adium's creator who seems to be doing a great job. The only thing I want to know is when Adium will integrate to allow macs to talk via microphone and use isight cameras, because as of now I always use Adium, and occasionally pop onto iChat, but i just hate that program. It takes up too much damn room and doesn't let me organize people the way I want.

Also the new iPod is out! When I saw the Nano in all its petit glory, I says to myself i says, "Colleen, that is a silly small toy that will only hold as much as your mini, which is dying. You should wait until they come out with a big storage iPod that will be small and cute like it." And it did not take long for Apple to deliver. Maybe it'll be a birthday present. My current mini is not at all dead dead, but she is fussy and will not hold charge too long, has dificulty beginning to charge, and will occasionally skip during a song or between tracks. I think a meltdown is on the way, but I'll hold out for a bit! I think I want the new black one...sleek!

Internship: Day 2

Tue, 18 Oct 2005 13:33:45 GMT

I love that music is always playing. And that it's not so soft that you can't really even tell what the song is (which bugs me to no end-- why have it on at all?). It doesn't hurt to have the acoustics of a vaulted ceiling. There is also very little lighting, which i alternately like and am annoyed by. It's certainly by far the darkets place i've worked, because they don't turn on over head lights. That's ok, everyone looks better in soft lighting anyways.

Today they gave us the task of coming up with teaser copy for a martial arts film called Tom-Yum-Goong, a series of ads to generate buzz about the upcoming movie. Ug, it's hard. Everything sounds trite and done before- I can't legitimatly write that this is Action packed! because of course it is, just like every action movie. There's a good side and an evil side, and well, there always is- The ancient battle between good versus evil! and it is not helping that the summary ends by saying that this is a story about the relationship between a man and his elephant. which it really is, but which really isn't a teaser or a very good selling point.

I started by generating a list of words that came to mind while reading the production notes and the character and actor's backgrounds. Um, this didn't help much. devotion, family, adventure, brothel, transvestite, elephant.

this is the kind of copy i'm tempted to write:
He is not afraid of the big, bad mafia. And this time, they are big. And bad.

but that's not a. good or b. in the 'martial arts' tone.

so...

In the name of his father, his king, and injustice, Tony Jaa, star of “Ong Bak,” returns.

In the name of vengeance
In the name of honor
Tony Jaa, star of “Ong Bak,” returns.

Unrivaled strength and ability in fighting for justice.

Not a good time to be on the side of evil.

Great warriors in his past. Great battles in his future.

No diamonds in the rough there. Better keep brainstorming.

Internship: Day 1

Mon, 17 Oct 2005 10:12:39 GMT

Belle and Sebastian - I'm a Cuckoo is playing on company surround sound. Bridget can't sit proper at her desk due to large brown box filled with empty liquor bottles. This will be a fine place to work.

Suparama Supamonkey is doing several things right now, and soon I'll get to do something. I can feel it. Next week on Tuesday and Wednesday is the brand licensing expo in Earl's Court, and we're going to man the booth, which will be great. I was looking at the website and seeing who is going to be there. Perusing the booths will be a treat.

Everyone uses macs in the office (except the finance desk), which is a large room at the top of a brownstone in Oxford Circus. There are seven desks total, including mine, which is attached to the desk of the CEO, who is also apparently their main copywriter. Many of their clients are from Disney and Warner Brothers, like adverts for Friends and Will and Grace box sets, dvd covers, etc.

There's a lava lamp, a stuffed monkey, a pack of ciggarettes and a Curious George jack-in-the-box presented as my desk scenery. A strange welcome basket, yes.

I was going to post about my travels, but i think it might be boring. We had a great time, don't get me wrong, and Italy was beautiful and Amsterdam was less rainy and I stayed in a really cool hostel. We met up with people from the program in both places - Jeremy and the 5th Floor Crofton were in Italy, and we all ended up at the same Beatles cover band concert somehow (which was great- a stellar accompanyment to my mojitos), and in Amsterdam we met up with Andy and Ned and some of Andy's friends from another program. We stayed at The Flying Pig hostel, which is filled with colloege-types, has a bar open till 4am, free breakfast and internet, luggage storage and a Heinekin vending machine. Yes.

But it's good to be back in London. Homebase, for now. I'm excited about this internship, and also about packing my lunches. Today I have a salad and a small baguette with cheese on it. I forgot to get meat at Tescos. But I like cheese, so it's ok.

Oh, I also finished another awesome book while on holiday-- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. It was really good. Now i'm reading a crappy book i dont want to finish. Maybe I'll check for a new book in our library.

Re: Life

Tue, 04 Oct 2005 20:45:44 GMT

I spent this past weekend in Amsterdam with Cassie, Kim, Diana and Jillian. It was a good time, though the rain put a damper on things the whole day friday and some parts of saturday, sunday and monday. Also due to a breakdown in communication among the three of us going to the airport monday, I had to pay a 35E fee on the train because this girl said we could buy the ticket on the train. She claims to have completed that sentence in sarcasm with a "yeah, if you want to like, get caught and have a big fine." Alas, I did not speak up, went with the flow, and got screwed. A 15min train ride to the airport that should have cost 3E was 38E. Hiss. But Holland is cool.

I can't really think that I've seen much of Holland though, as Amsterdam seems to be really just for tourists. I'm spending another 3 days there in another week, and I think I'm going to look into traveling to another part of the region, like another big city in the Netherlands, via their cross-country train system.

We stayed in a pretty posh apartment just outside the central area, in Ooster park. Ooster park is a beautiful place, as you can see in my photos, and we spent a lovely afternoon there. We booked this 'hostel' at the last minute, so most hostels were sold out for either a friday or for saturday, and this place was 5E more and had availability. We had 4 comfy beds, big windows, a futon, full kitchen and bath, and tv. A nice place to come back to, but too far away to take rests from the weary dreary days.

I did, in an effort to be cultural, go to the Van Gogh Museum. No Starry Night. No... other famous Van Gogh paintings... in their place? the artists that inspired him! The building itself is mighty unimpressive, reminiscent of a suburban high school built in the 70s. Inside was nice, but kind of cramped as a result of the rainy sunday weather.

In another effort to culturify, we tried to hit up the "Heinekin Experience" factory tour. We got lost several times on our journey there, resulting from knowing only how to get places from the center of town buses, where we were not. It probably didn't help to stop in coffee shops every 30 minutes, stay for 30 minutes, and then get lost again before regaining sense of familiarity. We repeated this process until we were hungry for dinner, and made a much easier effort to get back to town center. Not-town-center to not-town-center was our downfall, but getting back in there was relatively easy.

We passed by the Heinekin factory on the bus. And lots of people with Heinekin bags. Harumph. I can go next time.

With all the travel time I had at airports, and in flight, I managed to finish reading High Fidelity by Nick Hornby, which so many people have recommended, I decided to give it a go. And while it grabbed me, it wasn't gripping, but I suppose it wasn't supposed to be, being a 'life lesson' sort of themed book, it was well-written and made me want to see the movie. Top 10? probably not. But i'd read something else of his. Also, I checked it out of the library. I haven't checked a book out of the library for pleasure reading in awhile.

I also read last week's Newsweek (and Hello!), and gosh, there sure is a lot going on in the world. I bought it because the cover was something about the technologial revolution and communicaitons, which very closely relates to the field into which I would like to enter, and so I wanted to keep up my reading. But mostly I read the political articles. I'm always interested in what's going on in China, and one article highlighted a new sort of bio-dome-esque architectural reform of impoverished cities in China. The theory, I think, is to force people out of farming villages where they live spread far apart and relocating them to these newly designed ecological housing developments that have solar panels on the top as well as grassyness to farm. Trees and grass and rows of vegitables on top of these buildings. Crazy. There's a building in California, The Gap headquarters I think, that's designed by the same guy, and also has grass on the top of it. It was rated teh 2nd most energy-efficient building in California. So, cool.

Also, Loreli and Riley are dating in real life (Lauren Graham, Gilmore Girls, and Marc Blucas, Buffy), uniting two of my favorite shows.

Finals are this week, and I have one tomorrow (British History) and one Thursday (Marketing). Not too worried about either, but the Marketing one could be difficult. The British history is going to be like debate. Almost every history essay I write is like a case, and so, usually easy. Define terms in question. Explain relevance. Group points into themes, and analyze how why how why result. Wham. Essay.

After Thursday's exam is over, I will join classmates at pub around the corner, and then I hope to get a haircut and do some cleaning up and packing time. Saturday I leave for Florence with Jen and Luke, very exciting. I hope to do maybe a wine tour, or rent a moped or something.

For now, I am going to read some for history.

Tue, 27 Sep 2005 16:39:30 GMT

So i'm eating this sandwich, that i've been waiting to eat all day and haven't had time for. It's pretty good; I tried (keep in mind that this story is told with 15 second mini breaks, as this sandwich is in the gooey/cheesy category of sanwiches, and many napkins may need be deployed for keyboard protection each time a bite is taken) yes... I tried to reheat this sanwich, and alas, I think it is not better. Not worse, mind you, as there is a certain control level where even if the components of this sandwich were all mixed up together, smooshed around already and was in the least pretty form it could possibly be in, it would still be about an 8. So here's the thing, about this sandwich, it's got like cream cheese and some kind of melty/stringy cheese (swiss or [pause to test cheese- rest: 15sec] yeah, i think it's swiss), and i think a bit of, and i hesitate to say, mayo, i think it as herbs in it. The cheeses are interlaced, harmonious. And tucked inside this cheesey exterior are thin slices of nice, red tomatoes and thin slips of ham, nestled together, surrounded by two pieces of good bread (because all bread is better here, fresher), and for the finale, we need a sandwich grill. Because all good finales involve sandwich grills. Not only sandwich grills, but cheese, and on top of this grilled cheeesy bread, there is baked asiago-like cheese, with that crunchy top that's not fuckin around with the whole "cheese" concept. I'm not quite sure where the cheese gets on the bread, but I think that perhaps, they bake the sanwiches in the morning and then toast them when I order it.

It was my hypothesis, therefore, and reason for explaining the banalities of my 4pm lunch, that this sandwich, upon bonding with butter in the frying pan, would bring my sandwich back to it's old crispy and melty self. A "reheat," if you will.

Test subject: 1/2 sandwich (ate one half already, bit by bit, cold. was not quite as satisfying as hot sandwich, which the American Sandwich Association has rated a 10.)

Implements: frying pan (1)
butter (pat)
kitchen (down the hall)

I'm reaching back to my 7th grade days of science, when we did all this crap. What's the nex--- OH

Procedure:
Heat frying pan over highish heat with pat of butter in central location. Allow butter to get hot and a little restless and place sanwich not-crispy-side-down. Allow sizzling noises to happen, wait until sandwich is warm, which should be about the time the bread is warm and golden.

Conclusions:
The sandwich did not perform as expected in the Reheat Challenge. While some sizzling occured, crunchy golden warmth was not created. Som epossible errors include impatience of sandwichtist to remove sandwich from frying pan to consume for personal and instant gratificaion. Inadvertant success took the form of the extra tablespoon of butter added to a sandwich which needs no help that area. Thoughts to consider next time would be to use an over and broil the sandwich instead of putting more fat into it.

So, it turned out alright. No better, no worse. I think from now on when i allow myslef this sandwich, I will be sure to allow myself plent of time to eat it immediately after purchase.

When I was in 6th grade, Laura Golden and I created different shoebox insulation solutions to keep an ice cube from melting. That was scientific. Then we danced around her living room to ace of base and alanis morissette. That wasn't very scientific.

High school science was not as fun, but had the best people. Because you sat tables of four, and that meant socializing, and that's what i'm good at. Too good, thought my nasty second grade teacher. but she didn't teach me science. Just that people are mean sometimes; even old people. Adrienne Patton and I spent middle school science together, and I wish i knew where she was now. We lost touch. Science wasn't strong enough.

So, that's, um, what I'm thinking about basically. In a nutshell. Sandwich is gone. So is milk. Rest in peace.

Mon, 26 Sep 2005 17:29:27 GMT

I wish there were a website that would allow you to put in the contents of your fridge, and then it would spit out a recipe using those ingrediants.

Right now, I have
4 eggs
some milk
lunch meat
babybel cheeses
2 cans crushed tomato
balsamic/oil/salt/spices
stale baguette, sadness
cereal
frozen pizza.

FROZEN PIZZA?!
ha. i didn't need a website afterall. just to make a list!

The OC

Mon, 19 Sep 2005 18:35:17 GMT

So since I'm never home to watch TV, I have now read the summary season premier of the OC via Television Without Pity. I like the recaps here because they say things like this:

Ryan reveals that he's been visiting Trey over the summer, which Marissa didn't know, and Ryan says that she shouldn't ever have to see Trey again. Ryan, on the other hand, doesn't have that choice. And whoever outfitted Marissa in that weird vest-thing joined in the center by a large hot pink flower should also be stripped of choices.

Trey smiles a little, and the bus pulls away, headed for Las Vegas. Ryan watches it go, and looks just devastated because even though Trey is an asshole and hurt him and tried to rape his girlfriend, Ryan doesn't want to lose his brother.

Photo Update

Mon, 19 Sep 2005 10:18:14 GMT

I've finally gotten around to putting up photos. I'm doing my best to take pretty pictures.

I went horseback riding in wales last weekend, and it was gorgeous. The first day with horses was rough for some, casting a timorous feeling over the group. But on Sunday, all was right, and the riding was really fun. We stayed with Nigel and Diana, who run Aber House, a bed and breakfast that holds 12 guests. Her cooking was absolutely amazing. And she assured us that our eggs were from happy chickens and that our meat was from happy cows and chickens. Happy tastes.

Fall break is planned, for October 8-17. Jen and I will be hitting up Florence, Cinq Terre on the coase,and other italian cities, and then Amsterdam for the last couple of days. What a journey!

No plans yet for this weekend, but who knows!

Wed, 07 Sep 2005 19:24:31 GMT

The Colleen and London Adventure: The Beginning.

Last night I saw the PROMS Tchaichovsky concert at Royal Albert Hall (a 5min walk from my flat, and also the venue the Spice Girls were desperately trying to reach in their film debut, "Spice Word") and it was pretty good. Seeing concerts makes me wish I could be down there playing. I miss the rush of being on stage, of knowing my solo was coming up, of the whole orchestra finally coming together in that one sticky spot. To get paid for that would be awesome, but I think I made the right choice on that one. I'd hate to be stuck teaching music. Concerts also inspire me to practice, but alas, I didn't bring Isabella with me. So, I went to the imperial college pub for a few pints. But anyways.

The social program here is amazing and subsidized. For about $150 I'm going to 3 classical concerts, 2 operas (The Magic Flute and Madame Butterfly), a couple day trips to British cities and a dance called Just for Show. Excitement.

Mid semester break is coming up, and I haven't started planning. Should get on that. Places I want to go include Nice, Morocco, Istanbul, Stockholm, Greece, Amsterdam, and I'd like to go back to asia or to India. So, i'll have to pick and choose.

I'm looking into getting a new digital camera- the one i have is a couple years old, maybe 3, and the shutter now closes when i turn it on and opens when i shut it off. it's very confused and senile. i'm thinking about the new exilim cybershot. very cute, and then i could take pics of all my travels. but, thinking.

so time to go out to imperial college bars again. last night i went to O Bar with julia and two other girls, and we were bought drinks all night by these nice guys, one of whom invitede us to his wedding. ha. it's a crazy town. then they gave us cab fare as we were leaving. sweet.

off for more drinking.

London Engaland.

Sat, 27 Aug 2005 01:28:53 GMT

hearting london, phase 1:

SORRY

WE HAVE A ROOF
LEAK WHICH WE
ARE
ENDEVOURING TO FIX

WE APOLOGISE FOR
ANY INCONVENIENCE

(sign formerly on the bathroom stall at our most recent Hyde park pub, Prince of Wales)

Sun, 07 Aug 2005 04:57:38 GMT

to read makes our speaking english is good

rebuffed.

Tue, 19 Jul 2005 14:35:51 GMT

I woke up to get to work early—it’s good to throw them off every once in awhile—and I got a block or so away and realized I’d forgotten my lunch. I turned around, retrieved my lunch, and after 10 minutes was back on the sidewalk to get to the T. At the T, the car going my way was just leaving. So, I waited. T comes, I get on, and it’s nice and air conditioned. It’s a 90 degree walking around swathed in wet air kind of day, and so I enjoyed my cool ride while I read a few pages of my book. Central, he said. I got up, stuffed my book in my bag with my sandwich and crackers, and waited. Dingding. Dingding. We waited for maybe 7 minutes (not 5, but not quite 10), before, well, nothing happened, and the T began to move again. The doors of my T car were stuck and weren’t opening, and now we were headed onto Kendall Square.

This is fine, I can just get out and walk up Mass Ave. How to get to Mass Ave from Main Street? I’m kind of lost in gross weather, and I think I’m walking the right way, but I’m not sure. I finally make it to work, and it’s 10am. So much for getting in early. See what happens when I try?

bob odenkirk rules so hard

Tue, 12 Jul 2005 19:37:58 GMT

oh man, this is further proof of Tom Goes to the Mayor awesomeness

a little taste for the lazy

Eric: but we love it out here (LA)
Eric: we're outsiders
Eric: which is good
Eric: Tim is doing a role on Yes Dear
Eric: sorry dude
Eric: they have to know
Penelope151: If you are outsiders...how did you get so many celebrity cameos in your first run?
Tim: bob knows EVERYONE!
Tim: he's very respected
Eric: he rules so hard

Tue, 12 Jul 2005 00:27:29 GMT

Isabella {flute} and I played duets with my computer. When I was done, I stuck her upright in the couch cushions. Funny how old habits come back to you.

Me, Version 2.0

Fri, 24 Jun 2005 19:04:43 GMT

Just in case anyone was wondering, life is awesome. I have a great room in a great neighborhood with some excellent roommates. My job is not particularly taxing, pays the bills, and has yummy sandwiches and salads delivered for meetings. Ada will soon come and work here, too, and she will be the 6th friend I have successfully procured a job for. Which is fun. I loved when Harry and David was full of my friends: Sharyl, Greg, Wien, Heather, and at SatoTravel with Elizabeth one summer... good times.

I also have just received word that I was accepted to be an RA for next semester in London, which is sweet. I was a little worried because the interview was strange. it went something like this:
"Let me give you some scenarios, and you tell me how you think an RA should respond. Say you come in one night to find some residents sitting in the hallway drinking from a bottle of wine. What do you do?"
"Um... well, I'm not sure what the problem is-- unless they're being loud, in which case ask them to keep it down or go into a room. I mean, everyone is of age to drink, so I'm not really sure where this would be an issue."
"Right... well, say they were drinking from a bottle of wine in the kitchen, and starting to get real loud and are singing songs. What would you do then?"
"Well, if people on the hall are bothered by it, ask them to keep it down, or go into someone's room. There's no reason for them to be in the kitchen, as far as I know, so they might as well go to a room and keep it down."
"Ok, but what if you come in on them, drinking the wine, and some of them are removing articles of clothing- then what would you do?"
"Uhhhhh well, that depends. If the reason for the clothing removal is sexual in nature, i'd ask them to go to someone's room. Again, that doesn't seem illegal so long as the circumstances aren't extreme, but there's still no reason to do that in the kitchen."

I was also asked several questions that were exactly the same as on the application, leading me to believe that maybe they hadn't even read that. That's cool.

I am also very excited, because she seemed quite insistant that they were drinking from a bottle of wine, saying it several times (and smiling as she did) and i really appreciate that this is the standard for a fun night of drinking- not "say you come in and they're all doing shots" or whatever. Also there's the possibity that these are the major issues in the dorms-- drinking wine and singing songs, and I think that's a good sign. It's especially a good sign that they liked my responses enough to pick me for the position. I think that London and I will appreciate the same things.

Also, I feel my answers were very go-with-the-flow, which is the only way i know how to answer questions like that. I figured that if they wanted someone who was going to be a hard-ass, than they'd know that's not me, and i'd be cool with not having the RA position if it meant that i had to be uber-strict. The Universe works itself out this way. So hopefully they appreciate my whimsey.

Being an RA, I get to leave for London a week early, August 21, and my ticket is paid for, which is sweet because they were not cheap.

This weekend we're heading to the Cape again. It's really wonderful there on the lake. Jamie's in town, and Ada is coming, too, and 5 people is a perfect # for playing games and poker and swimming. I'm looking forward to it.

Last night was Ada's 21st birthday, and i joined her after she'd started her boozing around 3pm or so, Solo cup of wine on the BU Beach, bottle adjacent. I got off work and headed over to her place, where we boozed with some wine and champagne with her friend John and we all got gussied up for our night out. We started with dinner at Vox, where Ada hostesses, and had excellent food and delicious cocktails. Best cocktails i've had in boston, i'd say. Then we went to meet some friends at Sonsie, where we had martinis, tequila shots, and kamikazes. And then we stumbled home into the night, a camera full of evidence and pieces of memory. But, I don't think i'll drink for awhile. I wasn't horribly hungover, but I didn't feel great. But it was fun, and worth it. Happy Birthday Ada Leigh!

This morning when i got off the T and strode towards my exit to the street, I passed the T driver sticking his head out the front window of the driving car, and I really had the urge to say Thanks! like you would if you were getting out of a cab (or rather, as you SHOULD!) and I didn't because I was too far away when i realized what was going on. Usually I never see the T driver because I don't get in the front cars. But it made me like Boston at that moment, when you can see the guy who drives the T, and you know he's been doing it for years, and until the Trains to the Future were installed with the recorded voice, it was he who spoke to us --"AAhhhhhlington." or "Pahk Street. Change here for the green line to Bahston College." Charming. Quaint. Grating. That's Boston locals for you.