gamany’s Friends and Family

Some quick relating rules....

nobody@vox.com(RPM) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:00:57 -0400

1. If you feel a burning need to tell someone to shut up more than three times in one day with ANY consistency....get out.

2. If you have to resist rolling your eyes twice a day with ANY consistency....get out.

3. If you find yourself adding a "...but" after any complement you give someone...get out.

4. If you're more preoccupied with what others THINK you are feeling rather than being sure yourself...get out.

5. If you spend 25% of your time pretending you aren't angry when you are...get out.

6. If your friends have to remind you or offer you compelling reasons to not get out....get out. (And get new friends)

7. If you feel a need to explain or justify your s/o's behavior to get that appalled look off of your loved ones faces or feel alright with your circumstances...get out.

But be warned about taking my advice. I'm a chronically single woman. Perhaps I have no earthly clue what I'm talking about, or I'm the most intolerant person on the planet.

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now

nobody@vox.com(Abject) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:29:38 -0400

It's beautiful, it's fast and it lives with me now!

Now

RSV1000R

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you don't see this everyday - a real life zombie boy

nobody@vox.com(Crystal) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:00:37 -0400

I wonder if the Magnetic Fields had this guy in mind when they wrote their Zombie Boy song...

Zombie boy

Bizarre World has the interview with Rick, who is modifying his body to look like a zombie. Even more bizarre, he says he's "happier and nicer" since he began the process. I guess that's what a healthy, if worm-infested, ego will do for you.

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Oh Spammers, you are so clever!

nobody@vox.com(Lorelei) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:43:57 -0400

I've been getting some seriously awesome Spam - with killer subject lines. They almost make me want to make my erection huge with large doses of Viagra, Cialis and other prescription drugs -- all while wearing the hottest new replica watches and bags!

Here are a few of my faves:

May the foreskin be with you.
Silence of the loins
Backdoor Lambada
Good Willie Humping

and what has to be my ultra favorite:

Sperms of Endearment

Well played, Spammer Dudes.

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Missing "the left".

nobody@vox.com(mcco12) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:39:38 -0400

So I've had this movie on my bookshelf for ages and I finally blocked out an afternoon to watch it.

Missing

I really enjoyed it. It's dated, but also quite modern: 1982's Missing, with Sissy Spacek and Jack Lemmon. (Music by freakin' VANGELIS! Talk about dated!)

The story is compelling (a young American journalist in Chile in the early 70s is kidnapped and the film chronicles his wife's and father's attempts to find him), but it's the portrayal of all the dubious activities done by the CIA and other US government agencies which holds the story together: their complicity and active involvement in the coup which put that butcher Pinochet in power.

It's based on a the true-life disappearance and execution of Charles Horman whose kidnap and murder has never been explained. Nor has the (apparently) deep involvement of the US government officials in allowing it (and even giving their stamp of approval) been explained.

It's only mildly surprising, I guess, that nearly 40 years later, the US government still hasn't declassified everything about their involvement in all this blood-letting in not only Chile but Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, etc. etc.

Anyway, the most interesting part of the movie is watching Jack Lemmon's character move from a stodgy, naive, middle of the road conservative American to having his eyes opened at all the brutality the US is involved in abroad. (They still are, obviously). Some things never change.

As in some other movies I've watched lately, I'm struck with how the idea of "the left" as a political force is largely dead today. Sure, we have liberals and people who call themselves "left" but it's so pro-establishment nowadays. There was a time when being "left" meant fighting for social justice and questioning what the government says (not just a Republican government either), what the party says, fighting for workers' rights. And in so many ways, people, the poor, the downtrodden, are far more exploited today than ever before, even in (particularly in) the US. Millions on the brink of destitution, 40 million+ with no healthcare, people eeking out a living with little access to good education or careers or power. Has American ideology crushed all true dissenters?

Not that I'm any better. It's a far cry from lamenting the sad state of affairs to actually DOING anything about it. Anyone with half a brain can complain. How do we resist today when we see all those who resisted so long ago just acquiescing to the system, continuing the system, accepting and resigning themselves to their place in the system. It's so depressing. Is resistance dead?

There used to be this avenue to subscribe to: there used to be an alternative vision of the world to ascribe to. There is no longer, I guess. Or at least it's radically changed since the 70s (and even well into the 80s). Young people used to become involved in radical political movements. Used to give speeches and resist the system and fight against what they as the corruption and duplicity of the right. Now young people think they're radical when they listen to Olivia Newton John or refuse to use Facebook.

Sigh.

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soon

nobody@vox.com(Abject) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:29:06 -0400

Soon

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Alex's milestone- 3rd mth

nobody@vox.com(longest flight) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:38:23 -0400

Alex turned 3mths last week. Now he smiles more and has became more interactive. He's a sweet boy and we just love him more and more. :) I wish I can say that I have lost more weight but it has been stagnant since last month! :( With him getting bigger, it's time to work out something for my life... Life as a sahm is pretty boring!

Milestones

Laughs- Yes
Holds head steady- Steady when he's standing
Recognises your face and scent- Face, yes. Scent, he could when he was about a mth old. Now I am not sure
Squeals, gurgles, coos- Yes
Recognises your voice- Yes
Does mini-pushups- Yes
Turns towards loud sounds- Yes
Can bring hands together and may bat at toys- Not at bringing his hands together. Yes, he bat at toys today :)
Can roll over- No

He loves

to be read and sung
to sit up and stand up

He is...

interested to see us eating
more than 6kg

Sweet Alex, cute belly button!

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For the easily amused

nobody@vox.com(Lorelei) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:39:44 -0400

Seriously, I DOUBLE DOG DARE YOU not to bust a gut laughing.

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One great thing

nobody@vox.com(mcco12) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:34 -0400

about events like the Montreal Jazz Festival is discovering singers you'd never encounter otherwise. Last year the Elizabeth Shepherd Trio.

This year, an amazing singer from Cape Verde named Mayra Andrade. She sings in Portuguese, Spanish and French and her music has a lovely airiness to it. It's both upbeat and haunting. It was a highlight of the summer so far this year: standing out there with a thousand others, beer in hand, the light summer breeze on my face, listening to this beautiful music.

Some clips here: there is some interview stuff here, but it's mainly her music (I can't upload any iTunes stuff here grrr).

Mayra Andrade - (partie2)

She talks a lot about her hometown of Cape Verde, the same homeland as another famous singer, Cesario Evora. I am a big fan of Evora, too, but the thing about her music is that once you have one of her albums, you've got the gist of her body of work because it all sounds very much the same.

But Mayra Andrade's work has a lot more variety to it.

Mayra Andrade (partie3)

She talks a lot about living in Paris, too, and when she spoke French last night to the crowd, everyone went wild. They do love to be spoken to in their own language, the Quebecois. Understandable. And I have to admit, there is something very exotic about a young woman from Cape Verde, singing in Portuguese and Spanish, speaking in French, and creating this lovely music.

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Re Your Brains

nobody@vox.com(Abject) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:40:07 -0400

Re: Your Brains

Jonathan Coulton

Heya Tom, it’s Bob from the office down the hall
Good to see you buddy, how’ve you been?
Thing have been OK for me except that I’m a zombie now
I really wish you’d let us in
I think I speak for all of us when I say I understand
Why you folks might hesitate to submit to our demand
But here’s an FYI: you’re all gonna die screaming

All we want to do is eat your brains
We’re not unreasonable, I mean, no one’s gonna eat your eyes
All we want to do is eat your brains
We’re at an impasse here, maybe we should compromise:
If you open up the doors
We’ll all come inside and eat your brains

I don’t want to nitpick, Tom, but is this really your plan?
To spend your whole life locked inside a mall?
Maybe that’s OK for now but someday you’ll be out of food and guns
And then you’ll have to make the call
I’m not surprised to see you haven’t thought it through enough
You never had the head for all that bigger picture stuff
But Tom, that’s what I do, and I plan on eating you slowly

All we want to do is eat your brains
We’re not unreasonable, I mean, no one’s gonna eat your eyes
All we want to do is eat your brains
We’re at an impasse here, maybe we should compromise:
If you open up the doors
We’ll all come inside and eat your brains

I’d like to help you Tom, in any way I can
I sure appreciate the way you’re working with me
I’m not a monster Tom, well, technically I am
I guess I am

I’ve got another meeting Tom, maybe we could wrap it up
I know we’ll get to common ground somehow
Meanwhile I’ll report back to my colleagues who were chewing on the doors
I guess we’ll table this for now
I’m glad to see you take constructive criticism well
Thank you for your time I know we’re all busy as hell
And we’ll put this thing to bed
When I bash your head open

All we want to do is eat your brains
We’re not unreasonable, I mean, no one’s gonna eat your eyes
All we want to do is eat your brains
We’re at an impasse here, maybe we should compromise:
If you open up the doors
We’ll all come inside and eat your brains

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