my fortune - things are looking up!

and i quote: your server thinks you're so beautiful, you should be stuffed and mounted (although not necessarily in that order). end quote.

giggle.
so most fortunes found in the cookies are lame lame lame (look right - lame, right? yes!).

something about happiness, security, love, intuition, rainbows, success, talents, journeys and humility. that's all well and good, but now would somebody make me laugh for F's sake???

oh chino, you're too good to me!

that's where the "fortune" above was received and opened.

*you'd like to hear another story? ok. chino is quite dimly lit and my mommie opened a cookie back a couple years to find out that "this light suits you best." ha! good for a solid chuckle.

*another? here's a doosie: so i'd been drinking some (read: a lot) and by the end of the meal i thought it a grand idea to take the colorful chop sticks that had been my good friends throughout the evening home with me. i began wrapping them and but what, out of the corner of my eye, do i see glimmering at me? pretty silver serving utensils! i thought - those will go great in my kitchen, right beside by newly acquired chop sticks. then the bill & fortune cookies & i wouldn't forget the wonderful warm wet towels land on the table. we all reached for our futures, then ... i had to worry i was caught on tape, cause it says something to the effect of: are those chop sticks in your pocket? uh oh!

what's your TEST?

i (fictionally) knocked out 98% of our group in our HH group last thursday night. all but 2 - and 1 of them was married...

my test? the burbs. the movie. if you don't like it, yer out!

your test?

i had never thought about this before last evening, but i am thinking it might indeed be a useful tool to weed out people that just won't get you. your test piece has to be something that is so totally you, something that somehow defines you deep down. yes, for me it is "the burbs" - i'm full of profound thoughts, i.e., a thinker!
a couple others last night included: zoolander (i turned that crap off - soooo bad. i'm definitely not for you if that's your test) & seinfeld (pass! immensely lots pass!).

lemme guess yours:

becky - a cross between theory of a deadman & knocked up - this is a very special, diverse and ...interesting gal

jb - many things with ninjas. oh, and must love unicorns!

mindy - otis, the dog (this actually being her dog). & the man must not be a liar, nor a cheating kind of a SOB. this bar it seems is set quite low, despite that... ;) -or is there news?!?

aaron - i know one (which i share a passion with) is noises off. another is arrested development - good good stuff. but then there are some others i not likie, like family guy. ish!

caitlin - dylan. that and a bunch of movies i likely haven't heard of. i just cheated - annie hall.

andy - no movies. no tv. modest mouse. that's it.

reid - bad (and good! - J.Gaffigan) comedy & ... oh, i got it - his movie is the departed fo sho

jen - jon stewart jon stewart and jon stewart

how'd i do???

10 all time favorite bands (plus 1) ... of all time

i've been put to (another) music challenge.
i'd get sick ot it, but i love/hate it, so i don't.

a conversation i was CC'd on:
*On 12/21/07, Abney, Barb babney@mpr.org wrote: An Easter Island head, huh? Nice, I dig it! So, throw me some suggestions.. name your top 10 bands.. babs.
*then Carl answered:
Okay Babs, here you go.
Bobbi is disappointed because she argues that this should have taken all day. Very disappointed. Seems boring to me. Best albums would take all day for sure.
But my all time list would be:
LIfter Puller (and their progeny)
Uncle Tupelo
Yo La Tengo
Tom Waits
Bettie Seveert
Archers of Loaf (really only their first album)
Pixies (even though their reunion tour was dumb)
Elvis Costello
Prince of course (especially b/c of Dirty Mind... what a powerhouse in my life)
Steve Earle
*then i chimed:
yeah. i'll get back to you both on this one. next week sometime. after an appropriate amount of
thought has been grunted out. yep - more than 7 minutes. ;)
*back to barb:
Well, I managed to squeeze in some Yo La Tengo for you today, Carl. I've pulled out some Prince for Xmas Eve, as well (dunno whether you'll be near a radio, though.) get me your list, Bobbi and I'll have something on the air for you either Wednesday or Thursday! Have a great weekend, folks!
Barb

*to THAT i wonder - all time fav? most influential to me? influential to the music world in general? one hit wonders can't be included, right? next i decide - that's painfully up to me. then i Happily answer (& in no particular order):
- prince
- underworld
- modest mouse
- dmb
- alanis morissette
- collective soul
- doves
- michael jackson
- van morrison OR bob dylan
- gomez
- kings of leon

barb happens to be a dj for the current 9am to noon every weekday. she's a hoot. tell her what YOU think (email above)!

K. that's gross & sad.

yes, folks, i am a vegetarian. why? cause the alternative is not nice. that's the most concise and perfect way i know how to describe my feelings on the matter - in a manner that avoids me sounding like i'm lecturing or judging. and ...well, so i don't have to think about the below while i'm eating. here, too, i am not pushing any agenda, just throwing out a news bit.
aint they so cute!

this information is not for the light stomached individual. you've been warned.
so, there are several workers at the "quality pork processing" company that have been seen at the Mayo clinic & then diagnosed with neurological illnesses. fun fun.
the thought is that their contact with neural "material" set up an immune response causing a type of neuritis. the peripheral nervous system inflames and affects many voluntary and involuntary movements, like picking up a pencil or dilating pupils. no. big. deal.
also, 5 of the 11 workers who have been tested show signs of Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy - a disease that weakens muscles and causes numbness. and, of course, it's too early to say whether these patients will recover. perfect.

oh my gosh! how'd this ever happen? well, workers use compressed air hoses inserted into the skull cavity to "pulverize" the brain to push it out the snout or the base of the skull. not nice.
these hoses splattered brain tissue & created a mist of ... yeah.
workers don't wear face masks therefore they likely have inhaled the ... um, yeah.


i realize (most) of you aren't often around this particular illness causing substance, but i'm sure if this is as sanitary and safe they keep this area, your meat's processing area is not much better.
something to think about.
that little guy to the right deserves better. sooooo cute.

anne courie JUMPS! (yesterday)

no wonder ya'll ain't taken seriously. seriously, THIS is news to you? sure it's for charity, but it was so highly advertised, then mentioned every 4 minutes for 2 hours before she took her leap. lame. tom hanks was on the show and suggested he'd double the amount she'd raised if she just "go right into the water" - ha! perhaps if they didn't travel to england with an entire camera crew they would've had enough to straight up donate the $10K raised. yep, she only raised 10K with this stunt. her deep quote: “I recommend it, actually. Hey, guys, this is actually fun. I feel all the blood in my body in my brain. I feel like a bird.”

oh, and here's the rest of Today's "news:"
Festive food by the 'Take Home Chef'
Forget Botox! 10 ways to give your looks a lift
Discover sparkling wine from N.M.
What type of saver are you?
iVillage: Madelyn Fernstrom on eating on the road
allDAY: Where's Matt Lauer?
10 books that make perfect presents
Julia Roberts’ favorite role: Mommy
Will Loch Ness mystery ever be solved?
Don't forget your partner this holiday!
5 ways to save during the season
Teen opts for surgery to battle weight

they also had someone from Time magazine on to discuss the 2007 yet-to-be-announced, VOTE-HERE, person of the year. when Meredith asked if she was a contender, the guest coldly, basically, said 'what have you ever done?,' but he specifically said 'uh ... no' while throwing her a quizzical squinty glance. no wonder you ain't up for it - you're so annoying.

so THAT's where all the pretty people are!

who knew? apparently they've been hiding HERE. and fyi, they don't wear jeans. none of them do. lesson learned.
nor do they carry any, ANY extra weight. you must be concave to join the festivities. i kept my coat on.

what was funniest to me about it is that one gentleman we were with, who is from Naples Fl, thought that this was normal for clubs around here. ummmm. no.

my friend toni invited me to this event. she knew basically everyone, the little social butterfly that she is. there was yummy food (and plenty of it (remember: concave?)) & dj-ed music & dancing & rich people with fancy clothes with fancy cars with fancy jewels, scantily clad. i fit right in. next event, i'll let ya'll know (pending board approval of prettiness) if you're, too, "in." good luck!!!

despite how it seems i have received that evening, i did really enjoy it. there were many nice people there whom i hope to run into again. and i felt like i was on vaca. definately a south beach vibe. fun!

top 5 shows i attended in 2007 -and the 1 dumpy one

in response to brody's request for my -->
for absolute:
1. minus the bear
2. cold war kids

3. modest mouse - second show i saw (december one)

4. cinematics/bravery

5. cribs/white rabbits OR white rabbits/tokyo police club - i just like the white rabbits LOTS. the cribs sound sucked even though i love love love the disc "mens needs womens needs whatever". and i hadn't heard of TPC until the week of the show, so had not enough opportunity to get to know them to love the show - they really aren't my style anyway.

*i'd maybe add spoon, but it was my 30th bday and i was too cocktailed to know for sure??? :(

& in last place:

just disappointing rather ... badly drawn boy. didn't play much i knew & ended by covering an f-ing journey song. journey people! ish.

bored anyone? then elf Yourself, too!

ps: it's so weird.

i can't believe how bored i am at work today. probably my worst day ever for productivity. been here 40 min and have worked 2.

therefore, when my cousin emailed me THIS i did it and am now at least laughing...

hope your weekends are fantastic!

modest mouse & completely-missed-the-opener

a shot-gun appearance was made by me for this great, great, great one. i had a legal volunteer thingy in anoka i was in attendance at (with the show very much on my mind). the crowd was amazingly large and there were Several attorney's there stepping on each others toes, only literally. i decided at 715 to hit the road & see what i could do about fixing the horrible mistake i'd made by not buying a tix (like a sane me should have already done).

PLUG for my generosity: i was a volunteer lawyer at the wills for heroes event. i'm so nice.

back to the show... i looked like an asshat at the orpheum and am surprised anyone offered me a tix, much less talked to me at all! i was nearly suited up, whilst Everyone else was urban grudged out (does that mean anything to anyone???). i may have ruined the surprise that i did get in in that last sentence by insinuating that i did get a tix (or i suppose by blogging about it at all? opps), so no surprise, but i got in!

modest mouse is such a talented band. their cds sound sooooo fabulous, and they're so engaging, and so melodic and smooth - even on their rager songs. -live is another story, however. i don't think Isaac knows how to relax when he's on stage. the thrill of it all-the excitement-his intense body movements-and whatever else rule the performance. so, while the music is uber utterly terrific for already-fans, i wouldn't say i'd buy their album if that was all i had to go on. was the show good? heck yeah!!! i will go again and again and again. me lovity ye!ah the smell of pot in the air while isaac uses the guitar strings as a sort-of-microphone - priceless. the fav as i call ragers? tiny cities made of ashes (my overall fav, too) & spitting venom (the very last song) & fly trapped in a jar. they also played the inevitables dashboard & float on. what else? k. satin in a coffin, fire it up, we've got everything, education, and the one that says "god wouldn't want to be such an asshole" in it.

the cadence of 2 drum sets (again! - love it when they do that) and whatever else they used. as illustrated here some blowy thing that gurgled? in addition there were horns and strings and an accordion, too!

yes, eeeeeeeeeeexcellent.

Gabriel & Dresden

the bathrooms were the coolest part, but the tunes were quite nifty, too ;)

G&B R.O.C.K.E.D. out, as much as you can "rock out" behind a dj booth - just listen here.
jb's right! my ears are bleeding and there were a lot of glow sticks.

and like i said, i'm behind on the posting, so i'll just allow him to elaborate on this one: nice assessment, sir!

ari herstand & white light riot & the alarmists & this world fair

aka: the unknown order. before each equally lengthed set, the host drew from a hat of sorts the band that was to next take the stage. Khanh's opinion of this: that's so stupid. and it kind of is - difficult for scheduling - but different and fun? who knows. back to the point of this entry ... how was the show? great!

i LOVE the varsity. pretty! it is hands down the best venue of its size and not of its size. just the best. granted, dave matthews might not book it, cause of the limited capacity, but he'd put on a great show there.

i'm only going to discuss my fav. why? because i'm behind on my blogging. a. lot.

white light riot is my winner. can't believe they're only "just local." they sound so amazing live - record-quality sound on stage - aka the vocals don't suck at all, like many voices do in person. check out midway souvenirs on their myspace: awesome much? very. my opinion is that they are gonna make it big (ger, anyway)!

cheers, boys!

first dance after the wedding - this is how i'd do it

should my day ever come...
faye deserves props for making me privy to this vid

such a nice tender moment made memorable and so oh so way Funner!