December | 2010 | justgotspaid's Xanga Site

Month: December 2010

True that!

Guess who earned her "TRUE" status on xanga?! justgotspaid = awesome badass, true!

I'm so surprised, I didn't even have a speech prepared, but here is goes:

I would like to thank my place of work for giving me a desk with a computer screen that does not face the rest of the office.

I would like to thank North Korea for doing enough crazy terrible shit that I always have something to write about.

I would like to thank my friends, family and nature for giving me support and something to take photos of.

I owe everything to my personal savior, Jesus Christ, so I would like to dedicate this blog to Him and thank Him for all that He has done in my life.

Lastly, I thank you, my fans. Without you I would have to readers, no feedback, no footprints and no motivation to keep slugging onward with my blog year after year. This is for all of you. I love you and thank you.

[tears] [waves] [tears] [blow kiss and wave] [more tears] [bow] [grateful, tearful smile]
Birthdays!

Today is my Dad's birthday and Saturday was Kyohei's. Since K and I aren't big into Christmas extravagance and because both of our b-days are close to Christmas anyway, I like to do something involved for his day.

1) I took him to a quick lunch and then to see The Nutcracker! This was sort of a present to myself as well, since it is one of my favorite ballets and because my dance instructor was the Sugar Plum Fairy. BUT, he had never seen it and claims to like classical music, so... AND he liked it! Well, he didn't fall asleep and said he liked it. I'm going to take that as a sign of a good choice.

2) We went to the mall to finish getting xmas presents for his family. Seriously, and correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the benefit of marrying a non-Christian from a non-Christian nation supposed to be that I could forgo the xmas presents? wrong!

3) I took him to this Brazilian Steakhouse in the next city. We went there two years ago and he hasn't stopped talking about it. Time to go back. He was really surprised and pleased. We ate a disturbing amount of delicious meat. I feel a little carbon and karma guilty, but that meat was good.

4) Last stop: after dinner we went to walk around the giant Christmas lights display at a local hospital. They have a little duck pond, which is nice because all the lights reflect in the water. He loves that kind of cheesy Christmas stuff, so it was a good call.

Thumbs up for switching to high-efficiancy LED lights!
really?!

Who asked this? Have you read any news in the past year?

From my State Dept. updates:

U.S. Citizen Travel to North Korea (Taken Question)

Taken Question

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

December 21, 2010

Q: Does the United States put any restrictions on U.S. citizens traveling to North Korea?

A: While the United States government does not restrict travel to North Korea, the Department of State warns U.S. citizens against entering North Korea without first having received a explicit official permission and an entry visa from the Government of North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea). Travel by U.S. citizens to North Korea is not routine, and U.S. citizens crossing into North Korea without proper documentation have been subject to arrest and long-term detention. The United States does not maintain diplomatic or consular relations with North Korea.

More information can be found in the Department’s North Korea Travel Warning and our Country Specific Information for North Korea.
just check off my Christmas list-- EMERGENCY STYLE

I can't decide whether to laugh or applaud the Emergency Bra. For only 29.99 this hot red bra doubles as two emergency face masks in the event of harsh chemicals or smoke in the air. It's a pretty crafty idea-- the thinking behind it is that women will always have this with them.

Comments:

thumbs up: Finally something made to keep women safe, right? Tired of getting the shaft, ladies? I also LOVE when something has multiple functions like those beds with cabinets in them or how my desk doubles as a lunch room and my computer doubles as a TV...

thumbs down: Does it have to be in that obnoxious color? I mean, that works if I wear a red or black shirt everyday... but with my luck chemical warfare would break out on the day I wear a white t-shirt. Am I right?
Poinsettia Sale!

Another thing I love about this season is the annual Poinsettia sale put on by the ag. department in the university where I work. I went again with a co-worker this year. I love all the different breeds of Poinsettias. Grafting and "creating" different breeds of flowers is fascinating to me.

I bought two plants; a red and a white. I still have one living from last year, too. I think that about does it for decorations around my apartment, ha ha.

I didn't have my camera, but I did take some photos with my cell phone

Even in the red spectrum the colors varied widely
Christmas time

Generally speaking I loath winter and Christmas and all the bundling and baggage that comes along with it. But even in my least favorite time of year, there is plenty to be happy about. Now that Kyohei has a different job and gets random different nights off every week, the possibilities are endless... we are actually doing stuff together! For instance, there was a FREE open house tour in the bed & breakfast district of our city. The inns were open, the 'oldest house in the city' and its museum were open and then just some private homes that happened to be big, beautiful, historic and in the area were open. Stupidly, I forgot my camera, so no photos to share.

We even got to take a carriage ride, open "sleigh," jingle bells and all. Many of the open houses had cookies and one even had Wassail! One of the kids serving it had never heard the song! Oh, the youth these days! OK, click here if you don't know what wassail is and click here if you don't know the song. Seriously people, I detest Christmas and even I know these things!

I also found this amazing video of a wassail recipe! Check out the clip at 4:20 (one of my favorite Christmas classics of all time-- Claymation Christmas Special!!!) Unfortunately, the wassail I had was made with tea, apple cider, oranges and cloves. Though none-the-less delicious and hot, was non-alcoholic.

I think the secret to loving the holidays can probably be found in gallons of eggnog and traditional Wassail! Hell, if I had a house, I might even throw a holiday party now that I have this recipe. Could this be the answer to my cold beer in winter conundrum, thesolution007? Could this be the serum that makes my heart grow two sizes in one day?
why was this secret?

I think I'm going to have to agree with the article in last week's TIME magazine that argues that too many things are being classified as Top Secret.

So... Eric, are you in?

North Korea campaigned for Eric Clapton performance, cable reveals

PYONGYANG

December 12, 2010|From David de Sola, CNN
A cable released by WikiLeaks says North Korea wanted musician Eric Clapton to perform in Pyongyang.
One of the diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks reveals that North Korean officials suggested the U.S. government make arrangements for rock icon Eric Clapton to perform in Pyongyang as a way of building "good will" between the countries.

The suggestion was relayed to the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, through an intermediary whose name was redacted from the document.

"Arranging an Eric Clapton concert in Pyongyang could also be useful, [the intermediary] said, given Kim Jong-Il's second son's devotion to the rock legend," the cable begins. "As Kim Jong-Il's second son, Kim Jong-chol, is reported to be a great fan, the performance could be an opportunity to build good will."
- 4:29 pm
- Comments Off
zombies

This is the best article about zombies and popular culture that I have read in a long time. Thanks for the share, E. Man, I just love zombie movies! Did anyone else watch AMC's The Walking Dead!? I loved it!

Of course I recommend reading the Full article

However, here are my favorite excerpts:
What if contemporary people are less interested in seeing depictions of their unconscious fears and more attracted to allegories of how their day-to-day existence feels? That would explain why so many people watched that first episode of “The Walking Dead”: They knew they would be able to relate to it.

A lot of modern life is exactly like slaughtering zombies.

Every zombie war is a war of attrition. It’s always a numbers game. And it’s more repetitive than complex. In other words, zombie killing is philosophically similar to reading and deleting 400 work e-mails on a Monday morning or filling out paperwork that only generates more paperwork, or following Twitter gossip out of obligation, or performing tedious tasks in which the only true risk is being consumed by the avalanche. The principal downside to any zombie attack is that the zombies will never stop coming; the principal downside to life is that you will be never be finished with whatever it is you do.

The Internet reminds of us this every day.

This is our collective fear projection: that we will be consumed. Zombies are like the Internet and the media and every conversation we don’t want to have. All of it comes at us endlessly (and thoughtlessly), and — if we surrender — we will be overtaken and absorbed. Yet this war is manageable, if not necessarily winnable. As long we keep deleting whatever’s directly in front of us, we survive.

Then Chuck Klosterman, the author, goes on to debunk the Zombies vs. Vampires fad. Amazing. I love this author and article!
great share too

Thanks, thesolution007

http://www.cracked.com/article_18850_7-modern-dictators-way-crazier-than-you-thought-possible.html

Guess who made #1 on the most crazy dictator list!?!

** News: New Mexico governor Bill Richardson will travel to NorKor next week as a 'private citizen'... who just happens to be a governor. Actually, this guy has been on my radar for a while because of his interest in North Korea. I just wikipedia'd him (yes, that is using wikipedia as a verb) and I can't say that I don't like the man. I would totally vote for him if I lived in New Mexico. I tried to add him as a friend on Facebook, but alas, he has too many friends already. I'll just 'like' him for now. ....unless.... he majorly f-es up next week in NorKor. I'm watching you, B!
turkish!

I've just finished my first semester of Turkish. I don't know my grade yet, but I feel good about. I don't really care about my grade anyway, I'm taking the language to learn it, not to get college credit. I have the luxury of saying this only because I am employed by a university and therefore can enroll as a non-degree seeking student and take a class for free. ah, the perks!

Only having one class at a time and not studying "for a grade" has revolutionized the way I learn. Instead of cramming a lot before the quizzes and tests, I study a little bit every day and not so much more before an exam. Also, instead of focusing on vocab that will be on that quiz/test, I make tons of flashcards of random words from class, online study, etc etc. Not trying to get an 'A' has given me a whole new mindset and approach to this class. I'm learning SO much more this way.

If only I knew what I know now when I was starting Japanese. I might be so much better. Heyhat! [alas!]

Also, I'm trying to find Turkish people's blog to pick up on. If anyone knows anyone out there, let me know!