tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-322083362011-04-21T15:31:41.077-04:00For the frivolous-minded only.alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.comBlogger4351100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-29287324190516752732008-02-24T17:18:00.003-05:002008-02-25T17:21:43.774-05:00

this is huge people. thanks to some very nice and talented friends of mine, i have a new blog with its own fancy URL.if you haven't already been redirected, go to skunkgal.com, and let me know what you think of the new hotness.from now on, you'll get your sometimes-daily dose of all things me at skunkgal.com.skunkgal.com!

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-83590846854383635492008-02-21T13:45:00.007-05:002008-02-21T13:48:33.933-05:00

lady, your hair is outrageous. that look might be OK in west virginia, but that shit don't fly in ann arbor. and for the love of god, go buy a northface fleece.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-13329422370657948962008-02-21T12:15:00.002-05:002008-02-21T12:37:19.682-05:00

the only thing relating these two topics is that i have two stories about both from public radio.1. a "management guru" from london talks about the U.S. presidency. But, dare I say it, you have a small problem. The founding fathers have required you to elect a President who has to be both head of state and prime minister, the chairman and the chief executive. They are very different roles.i think

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-52214201059928688692008-02-19T13:54:00.003-05:002008-02-19T14:23:35.610-05:00

riffing off the "stuff white people like" site, a white friend and i thought, "wouldn't it be funny to make an asian site?"but damnit, someone else did it already. obviously the white people site went viral last week, and some crafty asians were quicker to the punch than i was. oh well. i'll offer up my own (and coop's) ideas here. maybe someone else can expand upon them.asian girls like: white

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-24312262198569838452008-02-19T11:51:00.004-05:002008-02-20T01:20:40.515-05:00

what i did sunday:1. bought a bike (how eco-friendly) at a local bike shop owned by two awesome gay guys.2. went grocery shopping at whole foods3. brought my own bags to whole foods4. listened to npr podcasts and this american life while shopping at whole foodsi didn't recycle our microbrew beer bottles that day, but definitely did the week before.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-47460366776852357762008-02-14T10:25:00.005-05:002008-02-14T10:57:19.259-05:00

from inside higher ed:The Georgia Board of Regents voted Wednesday to lift a ban on placing college logos on coffins, clearing the way for fans of the state’s universities to hold on to a little bit of alma mater for eternity, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. A 1982 policy barred logos on coffins, alcohol containers, sex toys and other places deemed inappropriate, and the board only

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-84266601438368926082008-02-13T18:59:00.004-05:002008-02-14T16:44:08.891-05:00

i would say, read this one: Stuff White People Likesample:#51 Living by the water#46 The Sunday New York Times#45 Asian Fusion Food#44 Public Radio#41 Indie Music#39 Netflix#37 Renovations#36 Breakfast Places#35 The Daily Show/Colbert Report#33 Marijuana#29 80s Night#24 Wine#23 Microbreweries#17 Hating their parents#14 Having Black Friends#11 Asian GirlsGREAT find, andy!

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-48447691866439977362008-02-13T18:16:00.003-05:002008-02-13T18:56:55.028-05:00

like recruiting michigan quarterbacks?i hope it's true.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-60503220804047413462008-02-12T01:11:00.000-05:002008-02-12T01:13:19.841-05:00

the oscar mayer wienermobile slid off the highway in rural PA. "slid" is a funny verb to use here.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-27317921811717798772008-02-12T00:46:00.000-05:002008-02-12T00:57:28.469-05:00

so as you may have all heard, god has stopped punishing us all with reality tv: the writers' strike is over. i was so happy, i forgot to blog about it. i celebrate by serving you all with an announcement, two reviews, and some random thoughts. 1. i think i'm done w/ nip/tuck forever. i haven't decided if the show has gotten more tawdry (and worse) or if i've become more sophisticated, but i just

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-54619865664114160762008-02-12T00:22:00.001-05:002008-02-12T00:25:55.639-05:00

it's currently my facebook status, and a handful of people have asked me why. a message i've already crafted for someone (MILD SPOILERS): 1. this mcnulty/freeman making up a serial killer storyline is completely absurd. i didn't realize i was watching desperate housewives with gangsters.2. not only is the storyline absurd, but it's taken over the show. i want more omar, snoop, chris, marlo,

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-40687919404669769782008-02-09T13:57:00.000-05:002008-02-09T14:09:37.663-05:00

my great state has managed to really muck things up.The clever people in Michigan who decided to get into a game of chicken with New Hampshire last fall over the timing of their Democratic primary should be having second thoughts this weekend.Had Michigan Democrats not engaged in gamesmanship over the shape of the nomination calendar, they would be holding the premier contest on today's slate, by

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-30968352333236733602008-02-08T18:30:00.000-05:002008-02-08T18:35:09.263-05:00

jesse sent me this really depressing story about how women need to settle for a mediocre husband, and soon!then, immediately after being thoroughly disheartened, i read this new study, saying "people's spending judgment goes out the window when they're down, especially if they're a bit self-absorbed."so i do have this whole blog about myself. i'm feeling bad about my prospects. i was already

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-48505591530563781302008-02-07T17:32:00.000-05:002008-02-07T17:36:23.249-05:00

why do i keep posting about skinny, underdressed women—and donuts? issssueees.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-74585716478255443772008-02-07T17:22:00.000-05:002008-02-07T17:31:54.576-05:00

she's like, a super hottie, and she loves obama. but she was too busy going to the super bowl to vote for him. and herein lies the problem for obama—your constituency is way too attractive to vote.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-47833555261331533042008-02-07T14:35:00.001-05:002008-12-11T09:33:35.097-05:00

a chocolate frosted donut with mini m&ms on top? BRILLIANT.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-13478892816734708822008-02-05T14:08:00.001-05:002008-02-05T14:09:28.463-05:00

among the polish people, so i could eat one of these on super fat tuesday:paczkis are so bad for you ...

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-39308711391474544372008-02-04T18:02:00.000-05:002008-02-04T18:04:43.062-05:00

but this is terrible.thanks maggie

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-6846272226402999722008-01-30T17:33:00.000-05:002008-01-30T17:42:54.182-05:00

his platformhis view of hillary"I would argue that a woman's role as nurturer and object of desire, as well as her less imposing stature, tend to confuse, or even vitiate, her authority."in other news, people are absolutely horrible: Driver drops bid to sue family of boy he killedthanks matt and maggie for the heads up.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-9231422257978106782008-01-29T13:35:00.000-05:002008-01-29T13:36:20.692-05:00

try unscrambling the first line.an excellent find from andy.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-59873293008551368192008-01-28T11:41:00.000-05:002008-01-29T13:36:45.707-05:00

miss michigan won the miss america competition (yes, the one with the talent competition), and she is pretty hot. but this woman is way too tan to be from michigan. it's january, people.also, i am absolutely loving this kwame kilpatrick text message scandal. do plan on carrying on an affair with your chief of staff? don't send a shitton of text messages detailing every room where you've done the

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-50253623756327348572008-01-24T14:26:00.001-05:002008-01-24T14:32:01.268-05:00

wtf. i work blogged about this university of utah story yesterday, and the follow-up story isn't that interesting.but what is interesting is that the guy who wrote the story is named "tony pizza." this must be fake.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-64033572366136236322008-01-24T10:48:00.000-05:002008-01-24T10:50:35.212-05:00

all this talk of mercury-filled tuna makes me want to eat sushi more and more. i love living on the edge.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-64662482641964314572008-01-17T01:37:00.000-05:002008-12-11T09:33:35.668-05:00

going to the WWII memorial and the air and space museum are awesome ideas. check out these hot pics: what would make this complete is if i was pointing to where on my hand i used to live.some chromo something or other image of my bro and iif you combine that with the triple pig action--best birthday ever?

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-48856253502425072242008-01-17T01:31:00.000-05:002008-01-17T01:46:00.128-05:00

cousin mike sent me this gem of a video:Funny Kid Isnt Sorry About Huge Party - Watch more free videosthe best part is this whole fight he has w/ the broadcaster about his glasses. i'm pretty sure she wants to stab herself in the face.and lastly from cousin allen, a headline from yahoo health (not even some dinky school newspaper)::Dsylexia Can Be Overcomeand if you don't find that mildly funny,

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-37748147395234321712008-01-16T02:05:00.000-05:002008-01-16T02:11:21.999-05:00

yeah, i got a sweet burberry clutch from my mom, but is that really better than 3 pigs on a string? if you were wondering, the big pig represents the pentagon budget; the middle pig, the education budget; and the smallest pig, money to fight world hunger. but really, the point is that this thing waddles like a mofro. fo sho.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-53256253702130982532008-01-15T02:03:00.000-05:002008-01-15T02:05:26.213-05:00

this just in: texas hates its children.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-9712668962871932862008-01-11T10:31:00.000-05:002008-01-11T10:38:10.200-05:00

from the university of alabama's crimson white:"Site offers cheapter textbooks"desperately needed.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-38193274746304985472008-01-09T02:08:00.000-05:002008-01-09T02:09:51.219-05:00

thanks, jess, for the tip.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-15980135039007097612008-01-08T02:02:00.000-05:002008-12-11T09:33:36.473-05:00

with a week to reflect upon my time at home, i can definitively say this is what i did over the holidays.1. went to my palace, somerset mall. almost every day.2. played guitar hero 3. until my wrist and fingers hurt.3. watched movies national treasure: so bad, it's still bad.enchanted: the excellent moral to the story was don't get married after a day. or 5 years.sweeney todd: if you like/

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-30299334894357045822008-01-08T01:50:00.000-05:002008-12-11T09:33:36.702-05:00

this was my life in michigan exactly a week ago:call me a freak, but i sort of miss home.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-970441661872128972008-01-04T10:43:00.000-05:002008-01-04T10:52:07.903-05:00

latest news: ford motor company might be selling its british brands jaguar and land rover to an indian company named tata motors. i don't know what "tatas" means in india, but it means boobs in the u.s. definitely one of the many perks of globalization.speaking of boobs, a perry bible fellowship comic for you. (click pic to enlarge, obv.)

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-55286221264977162162008-01-03T19:12:00.000-05:002008-01-03T19:17:10.362-05:00

from the people who brought us gawker and wonkette is the IO9 blog, completely dedicated to all things sci-fi. a sampling of awesomeness

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-967983696584212982008-01-02T10:51:00.000-05:002008-01-02T10:57:09.491-05:00

thanks to lloyd carr, this year's january 1 was a marked improvement over the last. hooray to michigan football for not allowing me to watch the bowl game in a DC bar. alone. wearing the maize and blue. meeting a stage actor from michigan who was recently in an episode of law and order. taking a shot every time USC scored. and subsequently getting absolutely wrecked only having to show up to work

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-41279224523696072422007-12-28T17:57:00.000-05:002007-12-28T18:26:36.570-05:00

i'm about to slip into perilously "serious talk" right now, but i've been having a hard time shaking the assassination of bhutto this past week. i'm terrified to see what happens to pakistan in the next weeks/months/years without her. she wasn't perfect and she wasn't even good (in the moral definition of the word), but does pakistan have a chance without her?but it's not even fear of the

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-8562087048638696212007-12-24T02:28:00.000-05:002008-12-11T09:33:36.841-05:00

shopping isn't horrible. it's the parking that is. here is a perfect example of why parking this time of year sucks:this is a diagram of the target parking lot. the man shown is a chubby waddler who was carrying an overstuffed dunhams bag back to what i was assuming was his car. i did my little SUV stalking move and followed him from basically the target exit, across two lanes of traffic, then

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-17003701918312223372007-12-18T17:53:00.000-05:002008-12-11T09:33:37.303-05:00

New York Ave-Florida Ave-Gallaudet U metro stop was super cute the other week.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-45854443029794427462007-12-17T16:00:00.000-05:002007-12-17T16:25:35.987-05:00

you don't need to move to a different country to experience culture shock. all you have to do is move away from michigan. this chain email did a lot of the work for me (#5 is one of my faves), but here are two more michigan revelations that have recently blown my mind.1. did you know there's no such thing as devil's and angel's night outside of detroit? my whole life i truly believed october 30th

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-25663782288575856462007-12-14T17:09:00.000-05:002007-12-14T17:11:19.054-05:00

usnews makes it on fishbowl dc, and my blog is frighteningly google-able.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-70425622504306960642007-12-13T12:18:00.000-05:002008-12-11T09:33:37.474-05:00

is it wrong that i genuinely think this is a great idea? asians are so smart sometimes.the caption on the bottom: "make your children work for their keep"

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-4907830857438430262007-12-13T01:23:00.000-05:002008-12-11T09:33:37.815-05:00

jesse's and my work holiday parties were back-to-back this week, and we brought each other as guests, usually introduced as "hi, this is my roommate (not gf/bf) ali/jesse."some differences in how a stodgy news magazine and the RIAA operate, at least on the holiday party level.locationusnews: tony and joe's, a nice georgetown waterfront restaurant. all 150 of us had the place to ourselves.RIAA:

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-57995968420337979172007-12-12T16:32:00.000-05:002007-12-12T16:35:11.344-05:00

through the work DL, i found out about MIT and yale's free courses online. my current goal is to take advantage of this soon. we'll see how motivated i am.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-12750724595790299582007-12-10T12:31:00.000-05:002007-12-10T12:38:49.926-05:00

jack bauer has gotten another (his 3rd) DUI, and probably can't work from jail for 48 days. but luckily for him, this writer's strike delays any sort of prospect for new TV or shooting episodes. i am pretty despondent about the strike. even if they agree on something tomorrow (which is impossible since talks have collapsed once again), it's not as if new episods will start popping out right away.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-7673787267593329632007-12-06T13:46:00.001-05:002007-12-06T17:47:23.208-05:00

turns out that us man-hating feminists can in fact be happy in relationships. is this a load of crap? i suspect that if you are a man-hater, your ultimate relationship would be relatively stable—you've already weeded out the worthless types that can't handle it. i guess the trouble is finding someone who can put up with you in the first place.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-10765585441606885932007-12-04T15:23:00.000-05:002007-12-04T18:31:39.836-05:00

using a sawed-off shot gun, three robbers stole $350 bucks from boy scouts and their dad while they were selling christmas trees. already, that's so wrong, but on top of that, one of the exhibits of "human waste" punched a 13yo in the face.i'm sorry, but there have got to be better people to rob than boy scouts, even if they do hate gays.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-2104736937957094352007-12-03T18:25:00.000-05:002007-12-03T18:30:03.594-05:00

michigan and florida are stripped of their democratic national convention delegates for next year.michigan and florida are playing in the capital one bowl this year.are the two connected? which one is worse? at this rate, michigan is going to start being as crappy of a state as florida. it might even get its own category in fark, heaven forbid.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-60018899246196053112007-12-03T18:21:00.001-05:002007-12-03T18:24:59.001-05:00

when it comes to the drug problem, maybe that's what i'd do if i could start this country over from scratch. plus we'd all ride bikes like crazy people.rolling stone has a very good story about how we lost the war on drugs. i like it because it reaffirms everything i kind of already thought, but had a really hard time articulating. instead, i regurgitate:As Kennedy reflected on the success of the

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-81223495450617748322007-12-03T15:53:00.000-05:002007-12-03T15:58:16.769-05:00

i took latin, so i think it's about time i ran for president.all joking (har har) aside, this is true: Because Latin is a dead language, not in a constant state of flux as living languages are, there’s no wriggle room in translating. If you haven’t understood exactly what a particular word means or how a grammatical rule works, you are likely to be, not off, but just plain wrong. There’s nothing

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-44476913749515792882007-12-03T01:10:00.000-05:002007-12-03T01:22:09.088-05:00

you know the incredible story about the english teacher in sudan who was imprisoned because she named a teddy bear "muhammad?"i have theory on the real reason for the uproar: it was sudan's war on drugs.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-60566976492805169402007-12-01T02:36:00.000-05:002007-12-01T02:38:37.062-05:00

i don't even care about the advertising and how it's quickly turning evil. rather, it's been taking forever to load, if it loads at all. did fbook piss off some hacker who is now messing w/ the system? for some reason, it's what i'm assuming.still sick. almost too sick to blog.almost.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-15813892929421112212007-11-28T18:06:00.000-05:002007-11-28T18:44:25.832-05:00

i don't really like writing about politics, but it'll be hard to avoid in the upcoming weeks. first on the list today is news about political endorsements.fabio endorses hillary clinton"She's so smart. And with her, you're getting two with one. You know I love women, because I owe my success to women. To me, it will be the biggest reward. I would love for the first time to have a woman president.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-54605541873062606832007-11-27T15:54:00.000-05:002007-11-28T01:18:27.061-05:00

nope, not the guy who stands on the "walk" side of an escalator. rather, it's a story about turning chicken poo into electricity! north carolina apparently has an abundance of the stuff, and it's causing "environmental distress." they should just ship it to their neighbors. it's what canada does to michigan.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-81899280375927413202007-11-26T22:37:00.000-05:002007-11-26T22:45:07.925-05:00

so quoth the pilot on both flights to and from michigan, as he woefully informed us that the bumpy ride would also mean no in-flight drinks. something about the safety of the flight attendants and big rolling carts. i just think the airlines are looking for any excuse to cut corners and stay afloat, figuratively speaking, of course.instead of drinking delicious watered-down cran-apple, i assumed

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-21554589478714744902007-11-23T23:47:00.000-05:002007-11-23T23:49:13.231-05:00

read on to find out what this grotesque pic is about:

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-21618527271516871152007-11-20T02:26:00.000-05:002007-11-20T02:46:06.855-05:00

i just caught the third episode of the 5th season (and i can't believe this show is still on), and i'm basically appalled by what these writers think is character-driven plot. FX's insane marketing campaign for the show was hardly subtle and, of course, worked on me, but i'm having a hard time relating to these characters. examples:1. julia (mother figure) is permanently over sean, and is now a

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-34503978080259761942007-11-19T12:34:00.000-05:002007-11-19T13:17:58.290-05:00

this story about a girl who committed suicide after her non-friend's parents (and friend?) harassed her online, calling her fat and a slut, is probably one of the most depressing stories i've read in a while. what the hell.there has also been a subsequent controversy of whether the local newspaper should have released the names of the offending parties (they didn't). i usually side with the

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-43094350363597427462007-11-16T11:49:00.001-05:002007-11-16T11:51:35.261-05:00

i know i'm not supposed to blog about work stuff, but this is too good. we just got a new IM client to chat with coworkers (about work stuff, obviously ...), and as i was trying to fiddle with the settings, i got this error message: "Server does not support VCards. Unable to save your VCard."that's seriously hilarious. whoever wrote that message probably thinks he's the funniest person in the

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-67943784329589637372007-11-15T17:36:00.000-05:002007-11-15T17:40:10.756-05:00

my schedule for the next couple days.tonight: (hopefully) going to the michigan/georgetown basketball game at verizon centertomorrow: fancy dinner and (hopefully) box seats at the kennedy center to see the national symphony orchestra (shostakovich and rimsky korsakov? sweet!)saturday: flag football extravaganza, then likely drinking aftersunday: more flag football, some kickball, some drinking,

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-64602598290848985862007-11-15T17:00:00.000-05:002007-11-15T17:03:36.223-05:00

and all of god's mongrels, this story about a guy who killed a cat to protect birds makes me laugh."If convicted on animal cruelty charges in the shooting last November, he faces up to two years in jail and a $10,000 fine." two years? really? while i can't say i approve of his methods (did anyone make the comparison to people who bomb clinics to stop abortions), animal cruelty laws are clearly

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-44088067813882541992007-11-15T00:16:00.000-05:002007-11-15T00:55:10.181-05:00

i wish that rhymed.some interesting correlations among the shows i watch:1. i'm a little sick of the "i'm a superhero/spy/devilworker, so i can't tell my friends/family about it, but i'm going to act really awkward and get torn up about it." i am, of course, referencing reaper, pushing daisies, heroes, and bionic woman (which i no longer watch. meh). all these people need to let their secrets out

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-63691289850977810442007-11-12T11:48:00.000-05:002007-11-12T11:52:58.026-05:00

is it just me, but does this pic of eli manning look like john krasinski from the office?mommy, why is the guy from license to wed wearing a giants jersey?

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-43887020555033630272007-11-08T11:13:00.000-05:002007-11-08T11:18:13.159-05:00

the fbi says that more college campus crimes are committed with knives than guns. should the NRA eat this up? of course not. the reason why people love using knives to inflict harm is b/c they are so easily accessible. more proof that i'm right: the most commonly used "weapons" for violent crime were fists and feet. i'm going to go join the limb control lobby. it's not even in the 2nd amendment.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-59907999525389378972007-11-07T12:11:00.000-05:002007-11-07T12:22:07.212-05:00

anyone else notice the changes gmail made yesterday? most of them i like, but i also have gripes.likes: the contacts box looks so much better now. if you roll your mouse over the names, the popout that you get just looks more professional. nice work.also, i like how you can roll over names in emails themselves and get a little popout box too. i think i'm calling these boxes by the wrong name, but

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-56617752549724935042007-11-07T11:33:00.001-05:002007-11-08T11:18:27.689-05:00

i am super upset right now b/c i lost this great denim one-button blazer. i think it was stolen out of my office at work, and i really want it back. it sort of looks like the one above, but this sweet dark rinse color. i'm near tears at this point. if you've seen this lost child, please return to owner. as i mentioned before, i also lost my camera at the high heels race. this is not a good month

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-65738092530559475522007-11-06T01:43:00.001-05:002007-11-06T08:52:08.726-05:00

back to fall tv. i've noticed a popular character trend this season: the geeky, awkward, jewish (or jewish-ish) adam brody/seth cohen type. i will list:1. chuck from chuck. i haven't actually watched any episodes yet (saved on tivo, the best decision of my life), but he seems like the prototype2. the spy/future bf from bionic woman. jordan bridges might not actually be jewish (he's apparently the

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-50504496921098804072007-11-01T15:30:00.000-04:002007-11-01T15:41:25.852-04:00

the atlantic monthly is actually one of my top 5 magazines, so this guy whining about how it's going downhill since it moved from boston to DC is somewhat annoying. (i like this quote: "Top-100 lists, graph metastasis, Aspen Institute–ese . . . what on earth is going on here? Is the Atlantic’s move to DC transforming it into a supersize U.S. News & World Report?") i don't really have much to say

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-57802948027104784902007-11-01T11:28:00.000-04:002007-11-01T11:31:33.363-04:00

a story about how it's hard to find coca cola at ohio university b/c of the school's pervasive pepsi contract has this headline:It's like 10,000 Pepsis when all you need is a Cokejust like the entirety of that alanis morissette song, it's not actually ironic, but it's still clever. kudos to whoever wrote it.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-47931491021290679772007-11-01T10:27:00.000-04:002007-11-01T10:53:29.958-04:00

why again, are people so upset over this costume? just b/c he's making fun of a lions assistant coach, who was earlier arrested for obscene conduct and drunken driving (for going through a wendy's drive-thru drunk and naked), doesn't make kitna a bad guy. in fact it makes him hilarious.i also like how the story points out that he is both a prankster and a devout christion. "jesus loves you! pull

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-63969348379823800392007-10-31T17:10:00.000-04:002007-10-31T17:19:42.985-04:00

turns out, devil's night, which i always assumed was a nationwide phenomenon of flame and destruction, is actually special to detroit. this is a belief i have held through college and it wasn't until very recently that bringing in your decorations and taking cover on oct. 30th was not a common practice.meanwhile, in DC the thing to do on the night before halloween is to go to the high heels race

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-65240306743781889882007-10-29T14:13:00.000-04:002007-10-29T14:25:41.554-04:00

China Arrests 774 in Crackdown on Food and Drugsok, so there are actually more than 8,000 people who work for the FDA, but 774 is still a lot. just shows that china is very big. what they aren't big on are acronyms. take for example the "General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection & Quarantine," which shortens to GAQSIQ, as in, "that gak is so sick!" doesn't lend itself much

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-18457319044082332182007-10-25T17:45:00.000-04:002007-10-25T17:54:55.791-04:00

pikachu's a girl! (thanks, maggie, for the update)look how happy she is!!

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-30084312432154950862007-10-24T17:32:00.000-04:002007-10-24T17:54:46.767-04:00

Microsoft to Pay $240 Million for Stake in Facebookand that $240 million is for a 1.6% stake in the company. The Microsoft investment throws the value of the holdings of Facebook investors into the stratosphere. Mark Zuckerberg, the 23-year-old Facebook founder who dropped out of Harvard to build the company, owns a 20 percent share which is now valued at $3 billion. Accel Partners, the venture

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-55420217635010767142007-10-23T17:08:00.001-04:002008-12-11T09:33:38.719-05:00

not sure, but it's hilarious. it's also the background of my computer right now. thanks jesse!

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-11902757027398447652007-10-23T01:46:00.001-04:002008-12-11T09:33:39.001-05:00

finally back! reasons why it's nice to be home.1. clean water. not worrying about horrible stomach issues is nice. although, as my cousin put it, drinking bad water is an "easy way to lose four pounds." yes, just like bulimia.2. cool weather. 80 degrees is cool weather.3. central air. 4. no monsoons5. no forced feedings. chinese tradition dictates you feed your guest near the point of projectile

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-32559350635737492842007-10-08T19:13:00.000-04:002008-12-11T09:33:39.640-05:00

and packing for the philippines.if there's one perk about living and working in dc, it's that the federal govt hates to work. that means, any semblance of a holiday is a day off. enter christopher columbus, who gets the bejesus protested out of in ann arbor, but earns a day of sabbath in the nation's capital. meanwhile, if ya'll didn't know, i'm heading overseas for 12ish days. i don't know if

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-39175211800840736582007-10-08T17:59:00.001-04:002008-12-11T09:33:40.230-05:00

a trip to fedex field seemed like a good idea. not so much. some highlights, clearly none from the gameplay itself.1. it was really hot and humid. apparently it got over 90. unbelievable. it was so hot i couldn't even bring myself to drink too much booze. considering i saw 2 women pass out at the stadium, that $5 water i bought at halftime was the best investment of the day. it's october people.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-77639770141144271522007-10-04T17:39:00.000-04:002007-10-04T17:44:27.740-04:00

wednesday night is a crazy night for TV. notes:1. gossip girl is by far my fave show on wed now2. bionic woman is completely disappointing all my expectations. the bionic woman is a horrible actress, and the writing is pretty rocky. it's a train wreck, basically.3. pushing daisies is completely adorable. reminds me of that ewan mcgregor flick big fish. it also reminds me of the addams family.4.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-36760234263866714802007-10-03T16:57:00.001-04:002007-10-03T17:09:26.156-04:00

in this story about the zune, this was the NYT headline:Microsoft Updates Its iPod Competitorthe headline can't even mention the zune by name, but only in reference to the ipod. genius. i didn't come up with this myself (obv.), but this is the ipod market, not the mp3 one.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-32005085849072358492007-10-03T15:25:00.000-04:002007-10-03T15:48:19.467-04:00

i liked the winning "why college matters" essay, but many, many others did not. (check out the comments)But what do we really stand for? Like a true postmodern generation we refuse to weave together an overarching narrative to our own political consciousness, to present a cast of inspirational or revolutionary characters on our public stage, or to define a specific philosophy. We are a story

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-18242838587182308232007-10-03T10:26:00.000-04:002007-10-04T12:56:26.773-04:00

new york times writes a story praising the hipness of dc.“The city has exploded,” says Mary Elizabeth Albaugh, the founder and owner of Betsy Fisher, a well-established boutique on Connecticut Avenue. Albaugh opened her store because, she said, “Washington was a ghost town when it came to shopping. There was Ann Taylor and there was Alcott & Andrews,” a rather staid office-wear chain that was

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-82881684161915641072007-10-02T17:32:00.000-04:002007-10-04T14:04:00.623-04:00

in an effort to stop senegalese migrants from illegally sneaking into spain, the original hispanics are launching an ad campaign encouraging the potential movers/shakers to stay in the motherland.the commercials go something like this: "You know how this story ends.""Don't risk your life for nothing. You are the future of Africa."In one advertisement, a father recounts how his son died on a boat

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-12659873019631164272007-10-01T17:23:00.000-04:002007-10-01T18:43:15.153-04:00

this isn't too gross, but i just thought i'd warn everyone first anyway. went to the women's-only doctor last week (if you know what i mean), and got my annual. obviously i'm not going to reveal details, but i found the nurse practitioner's insistence that i get an HPV vaccine shot interesting. first of all, it's nice that it's covered (and they're pushing it), considering it's so controversial

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-6448111280315744552007-09-28T12:56:00.000-04:002007-09-28T13:06:02.040-04:00

two people sent me story links today involving siberia. weird.1. from work matt: a reindeer herder found an incredibly intact baby mammoth. the story then goes on to talk about jurassic park possibilities and also the "lucrative trade in ivory, skin, hair and other body parts" of animals.2. from jesse: instead of actual mammoths, here we have a mammoth baby.Siberian woman's 12th child weighs in

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-72068099853824391432007-09-27T11:30:00.000-04:002007-09-27T11:38:01.610-04:00

apparently mothers who gained a lot of weight before pregnancy are more likely to have a boy. that's good news for men trying to pass on the family name. too bad that henry VIII (and his wives) didn't know that. could have saved england and the catholic church a lot of grief. then again, maybe america would never have been founded. something to think about."here baby, want some more ice cream?

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-56004516082124386092007-09-26T11:58:00.000-04:002007-09-26T18:17:00.728-04:00

this is what happens when you don't force people to just speak american.Latino/a Studies hopes prof will boost profileChicana/o students given scholarshipsi mean really? do adjectives really need gender? it just causes confusion, gender defensiveness, and ugly headlines. "hispanic" might work, but that's just a little too un-pc. no one wins in this situation.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-10893389596779415202007-09-25T14:34:00.000-04:002007-09-25T14:36:58.640-04:00

"Sorority uses pregnancy suit to raise money for local agency"if anyone else thinks this is about a lawsuit somehow funding a good cause, then 1) you're sick (like me) and 2) you're wrong. click the link to find out what this is actually about ...

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-10919612897924705022007-09-24T17:34:00.001-04:002007-09-24T17:34:31.174-04:00

adding to the list of people i've emotionally ravished with painful honesty is volleyball captain dan, whose temper combined with lack of skill led to the displeasure of many and the revolt of just as many.the full story goes something like this: i joined a craigslist volleyball team in january. it was all fine for about two games, when i realized dan was a total terror on the court. there is

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-20525686249150945082007-09-20T14:16:00.001-04:002007-09-20T14:16:38.155-04:00

great cover of umbrella. how it should have been done in the first place.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-70890673187479583212007-09-20T10:31:00.000-04:002007-09-20T10:48:33.052-04:00

after visiting my tv guide podcast (highly recommended listening for tv junkies), i'm adding "pushing daisies" to my list. it's about a guy (who supposedly is just like zachary levi from "chuck") who can revive people from the dead with his touch. he then solves the mystery of who killed them, touches them again, and poof, re-dead. kind of reminds me of dead zone, but with a better lead, since

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-80719791098498678242007-09-19T22:31:00.000-04:002007-12-13T13:54:41.131-05:00

and boy am i excited. to add a steady stream of shows to my regular dose of law and order franchise and college/pro football, here i list the returning shows i'm eager to see return, the new ones i have high expectations for, and lastly a list of shows i wish i watched but think i've missed the boat. on top of that, a "review" of gossip girls. first a reviewjesse's reaction to my excitement about

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-45532836491642925442007-09-19T11:34:00.000-04:002007-09-19T11:43:25.577-04:00

trying to be as apolitical as possible, i was thinking about hillary's bill problem this morning. some pundit was talking about how the clinton campaign is just waiting for a firestorm of bill clinton indiscretions to be released, and how the hillary camp most certainly has a response planned. the pundit said something along the lines of, "when the newest incarnation of a bill clinton sex scandal

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-14306410837939226452007-09-17T18:34:00.000-04:002007-09-17T18:38:15.939-04:00

i'd like to start collecting blog-endorsements and featuring them on the right rail of my blog. i want it to read like a peter travers movie-review quote "BEST comedy of the year so FAR!!"please leave flattering commentary on the comment board, e-mail them to me, or send it to me via facebook. if you'd like, you can be quoted anonymously. don't hold back! i need the ego boost. and check out one

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-2726490532424437642007-09-17T18:05:00.000-04:002007-09-17T18:12:51.936-04:00

no i'm not talking about the excessive ambient noise of city life, i'm talking about PNC bank ATMs and the self-checkout lanes at CVS (damn, that's a lot of acronyms). anyway, both electronic DIY devices are designed to YELL REALLY LOUDLY at the customer. how annoying. please ATM, tell everyone in the world that i am withdrawing money from you. beep deafeningly loudly so that the mugger down the

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-89883299358051146122007-09-14T11:21:00.000-04:002007-09-14T11:38:19.239-04:00

a slow news day at virginia tech's collegiate times results in this story. Rumors of Newman's small size exaggeratedthey are actually talking about some library, but the caption on the photo reads: "Though smaller than other universities, Newman Library has several floors of bookshelves."this is a very similar metaphor to "it's not the size of the boat, but the motion of the ocean" or if you'd

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-65433348491608374202007-09-12T15:45:00.001-04:002007-09-12T15:48:23.124-04:00

takes over the world.except for the fact he's dead.3 of the new york times' most emailed stories are about this parrot. 3 of 10! that's absurd. the parrot was pretty bad-ass though.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-27020012058242866462007-09-12T15:32:00.000-04:002007-09-12T15:34:43.719-04:00

if you want to be called, send me an email with your phone number. i lost my phone about a month short of its 6-month anniversary. the 6-month mark is my normally scheduled "i lost my phone" announcement, but for some reason, the damn thing was really eager to get gone this time around. sigh.i should never have nice things.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-62682418450522207462007-09-11T17:21:00.000-04:002007-09-11T17:36:06.075-04:00

between football and all the other problems of michigan, i can take consolation in one thing. at least we don't live in the great "magnolia state." turns out mississippi's poverty rate is increasing, 1/5 of its residents are uninsured, they have had an outbreak of west nile virus in the south, and it is the fattest state in the nation. besides the west nile, it's all probably related, but damn,

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-63481574713685393192007-09-11T10:52:00.000-04:002007-09-11T10:57:37.007-04:00

no, i still hate matt leinert and think john david booty is pretentious for having three names. i'm talking about the university of south carolina, whose mascot is the gamecocks. their school newspaper is the daily gamecockwhen we lost to them in the NIT finals in 2006, the daily got to run the awesome headline "cockblocked" and lastly, we see this gem of a headline from the university of georgia

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-467307227043681652007-09-11T00:08:00.001-04:002007-09-11T00:18:52.177-04:00

so another horrible week for a michigan fan. we are awful beyond words, but you know it's bad when you have random people at work offering condolences. "sorry to hear 'bout big blue."then there's my fantasy football team, which got rocked this week. LT did not perform as needed, and matt hasselbeck and deion branch from the seahawks were god awful. my last pick WR did better than branch.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32208336.post-18306943850189166562007-09-07T16:38:00.001-04:002008-12-11T09:33:40.753-05:00

except this:with trembling in my heart, go blue.

alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09885710459381436366noreply@blogger.com0