I'm sorry I've been slack about posting. I cannot believe how busy I have been. Work has been just too crazy lately. For the past two days, I've been doing the jobs of two people (or so it seems). I don't know how late I'm going to be able to stay up tonight. I'll probably start napping at 11.

And I can't forget to mention my Christmas present from the county - I've been approved for jury duty! Part of me is excited to do my civic duty; most of me is not. Okay - why I don't want to do jury duty:

1) I HATE parking downtown.
2) I'm afraid I'll get stuck with a really boring case/judge/attorney.

When I was filling out my information online, I tried to sound more left-wing than I really am, but there's only so much I can do. I mentioned Amnesty International.

Ah well. Maybe my situation will turn out to be like 12 angry men. I'll be the one who convinces everybody not to give the death penalty or something.

What a happy note to end on. Happy New Year! I'll see you next year.

Favorite Christmas Hymns:

1. Angels we have heard on high - I like the "Gloria" part.
2. In the bleak midwinter
3. Lo, how a rose e'er blooming
4. Lullay, Lullay
5. Still, still, still
6. Hark, the herald angels sing - especially the Charlie Brown version.
7. Ding dong! Merrily on high - more a British carol than American. I think of the "Vicar of Dibley" every time I hear it.
8. The first Noel
9. Good Christian Men/Friends, rejoice!
10. Silent Night

Elizabeth's top 10 Christmas songs:

1. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, the Three Stooges version.
2. Christmas Time is Here, Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack
3. The Shepherd's Farewell, by Berlioz. I like the Cambridge Singers performance of it. I think this song ties with Rutter's What Sweeter Music. Both are just lovely.
4. The Christmas Song, sung by Nat King Cole
5. Blue Christmas, covered by Sheryl Crow
6. Oh, Santa, Veggietales.
7. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, sung by Judy Garland
8. He Shall Feed His Flock/Come Unto Him, from Handel's Messiah. That ties with For unto us a child is born.
9. Dave Matthews' Christmas Song. I usually don't care for him, but this is a great song. That ties with Natalie Merchant's version of Children, go Where I Send Thee.
10. John Lennon's Happy Christmas/War is Over. I like Melissa Etheridge's version a lot.

Favorite Christmas carols tomorrow. Best Christmas movies on Wednesday.

Bush in 30 seconds

This morning I ranked 20 of the 1,000 ads turned in to moveon.org for their Bush in 30 seconds contest. I would have ranked more, but they only let you rank 20 a day. Half of what I saw were very disturbing ads that made excellent points. Go sign up and see what you think. The top 15 ads will be judged by the celebrity panel. I haven't seen an awesome one yet, just a few very well-made ads, and some that have no clear message at all.

toll those roads

Yesterday I had to actually record a commission meeting for TXDoT. It felt great being in a room surrounded by a bunch of Texan Republicans, I tell you what. They are determined to set up a toll road system here. One of the commissioners, who is gung-ho about it, kept mentioning the governor. It was an interesting meeting and it could have been worse! I was only bored about 1/3 of the time. The rest of the time was quite informative. Most of the commissioners seemed to have good sense and I appreciated that. But that one commissioner - ugh.

I hated recording that meeting. Luckily I got the rest of the day off when I finished. I was brain-dead by that point anyway - no use to anyone.

Can someone explain this to me?

You are Rizzo the Rat.
You have few friends, but are loyal to those you do
have. Maybe if you didn't smell like sewage
you would have more.

SPECIES:
Rodentia Digesta Lotta Grub
HOMETOWN:
Brooklyn, USA

FAVORITE MOVIE:
"Rat On A Hot Tin Roof"

FAVORITE SONG:
"The Pest Is Yet To Come"

FAVORITE FOOD:
You got it, I'll eat it.

HOBBIES:
See "Favorite Food".

QUOTE:
"When do we eat?"


What Muppet are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

My crazy sister waited from 11:30am for a 2:40pm showing of Return of the King. I'm sure it will be worth it for her - she is way more into the Lord of the Rings saga than I am. I never catch a movie on opening day, unless it is by accident.

Yes, Virginia. . .

I've pretty much decided that, come the new year, I am going to go church-hopping.

I will get to see how different faiths celebrate God, and perhaps find a church home that I feel comfortable with. Right now, I am uncomfortable at my church for various reasons. One of them being that I dislike the service going over an hour. I believe in the efficiency of time. If we are going to have communion every Sunday (which we are, pretty much), then the time for the rest of the service should be planned accordingly.

I went to a Lutheran church in Minnesota and they handled it very well. The sermons were well-put and to-the-point. They didn't speak down to the congregation, but affirmed the open quality of the church. There was communion every Sunday and the services just flowed. There was lovely music and community. I really miss that church. =(

Anyway, I hate to leave my church, because most of the congregation is like family to me, I am supposed to be representing my church on the board of MDC, and my parents won't be able to take me out for lunch after church. But it just isn't working. Worship is not supposed to be so frustrating. I won't move my membership - at least not for a while.

This is such a hard decision to come to, but I really have to. I'm going to visit Episcopalian, Lutheran and maybe Methodist churches. Perhaps I'll get up the nerve to visit a synagogue. I am slightly nervous about this decision, because I am moving from the familiar. I am moving from a situation where I am known by most of the congregation to visiting where no one knows me. We'll see how it goes.

NCC USA Statement on the Capture of Saddam Hussein

a comic conundrum on Fountains of Wayne

I just discovered this strip today. We don't get it down here.

If you are wondering how they came up with their band name, it is from a storefront in Wayne, NJ. It isn't as prosaic as it may seem. But it is a cool band name! I believe the store sells sprinklers and such (obviously fountains).

In my humble opinion. . .

The fact that we captured Saddam doesn't really change anything. We are still going to be stuck over there for-freaking-ever. My cousin (who was supposed to be getting out of the army this year) and others in his group are made to stay in the force for a longer period of time so they can be sent to Iraq.

So we have Saddam? This doesn't change the fact that we went to Iraq under false pretenses. We were told that he had weapons of mass destruction (which we have yet to find). There is no link between Iraq and al-Queda, no matter what this administration or the corporate media wants us to believe. I think we know the reason we went over there and it starts with a big O.

This won't decrease our chances of being attacked by more terrorists, in Iraq or out.

It won't affect the candidates for the presidency, or their campaigns. Here are some suggestions for the Dems.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we caught him. He was a bad man. But this capture doesn't get us out of the mess we are mired in. And we are terribly, incredibly mired.

Hello, is it me you're looking for?

Random thoughts:

1) How can it already be Tuesday?
2) Thanks to L, the best sister ever, for putting three of my four chairs together. I now have a table, and if you're in the neighborhood, you might be able to come over to dinner now.
3) My car is losing its tamale smell from Friday. That's what I get for delivering 60 dozen tamales. I have a dozen chicken for myself, but I don't know when I'll be able to eat them. Well, they freeze for a while.
4) This was my weekend: wake up on Saturday, go to rehearsal at the church. Go workout at gym, shower, go to library, go to friends' house for dinner and watch Holiday Affair and A Muppet Christmas Carol, read and go to sleep. Wake up, go to church, rehearse, eat quick lunch, go back to church, sing at concert, go to reception, do laundry, read and go to sleep. Does that count as a weekend? I need more me-time in there for it to count.
5) I have two-thirds of my Christmas cards done. I wrote them last night on my new table with the end of Metropolis on in the background. I couldn't think of what to write in them without sounding braggy or stupid, so most of them just say, "Merry Christmas and best of luck for the new year. love, Elizabeth =)".

I've just added a new icon on the left - White House for Sale. The site was started by Public Citizen and has all you ever wanted to know about the ludicrous amounts of money Bush is raising to try and keep himself in office. It just galls me that there are people who want to give it to him!

Thanks to Tom Paine for the link.

Critic's Notebook: Far-Flung Opera Lovers Hope to Tune in Next Time

A reaction to ChevronTexaco's ending support of the Met radio programs. Not that I listen to them all of the time -- I was just raised on them. I hope they can figure out some way to keep them going. It would be mighty sad to lose them.

This is maddening information: TOMPAINE.com - Playing The Numbers

It seems that the Iraqi Health Ministry will stop counting Iraqi civilian casualties. Gosh, I'm so glad that the war is over. Isn't life grand?

Ha Ha! They deserve to lose money! Oh wait - that's our money Halliburton is stealing.
Pentagon Finds Halliburton Overcharged

Thanks to Allen for this link: Bush's Religious Language

I want to know why God should look on us more favorably than other nations, considering the damage the USA is doing to God's creation (among other things!). I wonder if Bush has thought of that. If Bush really thought that we deserved God's favor, shouldn't he do his best to work for it?

Stam makes the point that:
"Given that state of sublime innocence in his own country, like Adam and Eve in paradise, Bush can muster only one explanation for the terrorists' hatred of his nation: "There are people who hate freedom." In other words, they are so evil that they abhor the good because it is good. (But if the terrorists hate freedom, why have they not attacked Canada, which in some respects is more democratic than the United States? Why is there not the same hatred for Switzerland, Holland or Costa Rica?)"

This article makes so many good points. Go read it already.

She looks so professional.

I wonder how her trip to the Virgin Islands turned out. I haven't talked to J since we called off our shopping trip to the Galleria. I'll try calling her this weekend and see how that goes. I'd like our friendship to stick, but I'm unsure if she wants it to, you know? *sigh*

IHT: Iraq contract ban angers U.S. allies

And in regards to that, here's a funny entry on the idiocy of this administration: An Awkward Position

Seriously, people! What are you thinking?!!

IHT: Detained at the whim of the president
An article regarding the judicial process and Guantanamo Bay.

He shall feed His flock

The choir concert is this Sunday afternoon. I am singing the alto solo"O Thou, That Tellest Good Tidings" and the first part of "He Shall Feed His Flock". I tend to get nervous singing alone in front of people. However, since I will be holding music, I don't think it will be too bad. I hope it won't be bad - b/c "O Thou" is a freaking LONG solo and I don't want my voice to get shaky anytime during it.

I read that he sang "You Can Call Me Al" at a party one night

Ex-Sen. Paul Simon of Illinois Dies at 75
What sad news. He was my kind of Democrat, and even made a cameo in one of my favorite presidential films - Dave.

I'm sure you've already heard by now, but this is extremely big news for the Democratic party and definitely increases Dean's chances for the nomination.

Gore Endorses Dean for Party Nomination

Before this, he didn't have much support from party bigwigs. I am so surprised and a little happy that Gore has done this. It is somewhat shocking that he doesn't support Lieberman, since he had chosen him for VP. I think Gore just realized that Dean has the financial support and the grassroots support that no other candidate can really depend on. And that Lieberman is too conservative to get the liberal vote.

Here's a link to Dean's blog if you want to read more about it.

Angels in America

I watched the three hours of Angels in America last night that I had recorded on Sunday. It is a pretty amazing work. I am impressed with all the actors, expecially the stage actors in it I had never seen before. I got very engrossed in it, except for a few tedious parts when Al Pacino's character was talking. I want to read more from Tony Kushner now. Or rather -- see more of his plays.

Did anybody recognize Tony Kushner and Maurice Sendak as the two rabbis by Meryl Streep in the graveyard? I was only looking for them since I read an article a few weeks ago about Maurice Sendak and there was a picture of the three of them. The IMDB don't list them in the cast, so I went and added them.

I can't wait to see the rest of it.

I hit 1,000!

There have been 1,000 hits to my blog since I started it in March! Thanks to my loyal readers -- all three of you. =) Here's to 1,000 more!

Humor for your day

You must now go to Google, type in "miserable failure", and press "I'm feeling lucky". I promise you - you won't be sorry.

Don't shop at Home Depot

Urgh. I got tired of Home Depot after my almost-daily visits during Americorps. For those of you who still go there, maybe the above link will change your mind. You should really frequent your local hardware store anyway. Keep those small operations in business and help your local economy.

Yesterday evening I went to the store right after work to pick up bread for a pot-luck dinner. This old (obviously Republican) guy in front of me in line started talking to the clerk about how he had to buy out-of-town newspapers, because he didn't trust the "communist" local paper. I actually started giggling behind him in line. How could I not? While he thinks the local paper is too-left swinging, I think it is a tad too conservative. I guess they must be doing something right. Anyway, I wanted to tell this guy that the reason he likes the out-of-town papers is because they are owned by different corporations than the local one. The idea of the local paper being run by communists made me want to laugh out loud. I think the clerk checking him out did a good job of keeping a good face. The people behind me weren't even paying attention, which was slightly disappointing.

Metropolis

I caught Metropolis on TCM this morning while getting ready for work. What an amazing film. The special effects are awesome, considering what the director had to work with at the time. The music is great, too. I'm not sure what I thought of all the stereotypes in it though: the ignorant workers eager to rally behind anyone, the idle rich who are obsessed with sex, the pious woman, the handsome hero, etc. Now that I think about it, pretty much all the characters are more archetypal than stereotypical. It's on my Netflix queue, so I have to wait to judge the entire film.

Show your independent spirit

The 2004 Independent Spirit award nominations are up. Check it out. Both Lost in Translation and Pieces of April are up for at least a couple, and Whale Rider is up for best foreign film.

I found this through LinkLasso at the Statesman:
statesman.com | Rural Americans twice as likely as urbanites to die in Iraq war

I don't know what it means, but it is very disturbing.

Thanks to Jane for the notice about the sale at the Chronicle Books website (it ends today). I got the second trilogy by Nick Bantock, which I could never afford at regular price. I'm so excited. I already have the Griffin and Sabine trilogy. I remember the first one I read - in Honors Chemistry, my close friend in high school Genny let me borrow it. I loved the voyeouristic feeling I got from reading the beautiful postcards and notes. It was such a thrill to open a letter in a book - kinda like a pop-up book for adults. And the art is just gorgeous in the whole series! My sister gave me a set of G and S postcards a few years back and I haven't used any of them because they are so pretty.

Thanks, Jane!

I might get a puppy for Christmas! This means I need to re-plan my apartment. Hmm.

I watched Tully last night, a simple and beautiful film. I bawled through the last few minutes and most of the credits - probably because the actor who played the dad looked so much like my dead grandfather. Overall, it is a sweet film with great acting (although there are no big actors in it - they are all semi-recognizable). It is hard to believe it is directed by a woman, because she deals so well with the relationship between the main family in the film (all males). I would definitely recommend it. Plus - on the DVD there is an extra short film called The Third Date which is really cute. It bears no resemblance to Tully - except they were both directed by women. If you are a diehard fan of 24 you should see it, because it has both Sarah Clarke and Xander Berkeley in it. Overall - worth checking out.

AlterNet: HIGHTOWER: Bush's Bubble

I know what someone is getting for Christmas and they will be very surprised!!

I didn't buy nothing

I don't know why, but I always forget about Buy Nothing Day! I remember a few days before, but then I forget. So I went shopping this Friday. Honestly, I really needed to. I had pre-ordered X2 and then cancelled it since it wasn't even sent out by Tuesday evening. I went to Best Buy on Friday (quel nightmare) and bought it. It's so awesome!

I also saw Elf on Friday. And you should go see it if you haven't already. I think I laughed about every five minutes, at least. It is very quotable and I was able to see the kid from The Christmas Story. He plays an elf and I almost missed him. "You'll shoot your eye out!"

I was asked to be vice-president of the board of MDC. When considering the position, one of the first things I thought of was, now I have something to put in the alumni magazine! I don't want to think too much about what that says about me. I do know that I'm not gonna have any wedding or babies anytime soon, so I should enjoy the items I can brag about. I am going to take the position. I wonder what the rest of the board will think, b/c you really can only go up from VP. I talked to the incoming president about her goals for MDC, and I'm trying to come up with all of mine. My main goal is to fix the web page. The current page is outdated, has lots of dead links and doesn't really represent what MDC is all about.

I talked to S last night (for two hours) and he gave me some good recommendations to work with.

I don't know why I'm trying to fit my Thanksgiving weekend into a single blog entry, but I think I've done an okay job of it.

Here's a cool link related to Buy Nothing Day and simplifying your holiday:
Simplify the Holidays - the Center for a New American Dream