Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in pointedthings' LiveJournal:

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Thursday, July 17th, 2008
12:52 pm	Belief-o-matic Here's a fun way to figure out what religion you should join up with. http://www.beliefnet.com/story/76/story_7665_1.html Unfortunately, I'm leaning a little to hippy patchouli for my tastes. To no surprise, I'm not a JV, but I do really enjoy answering the door in a towel when they come visit. 1. Mahayana Buddhism (100%) 2. New Age (99%) 3. Neo-Pagan (98%) 4. Theravada Buddhism (94%) 5. Unitarian Universalism (94%) 6. Liberal Quakers (88%) 7. Taoism (82%) 8. Scientology (78%) 9. Secular Humanism (77%) 10. New Thought (75%) 11. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (71%) 12. Orthodox Quaker (67%) 13. Reform Judaism (66%) 14. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (65%) 15. Jainism (63%) 16. Hinduism (57%) 17. Bahá'í Faith (51%) 18. Sikhism (51%) 19. Nontheist (47%) 20. Orthodox Judaism (39%) 21. Islam (30%) 22. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (30%) 23. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (26%) 24. Seventh Day Adventist (26%) 25. Eastern Orthodox (17%) 26. Roman Catholic (17%) 27. Jehovah's Witness (10%) (Comment on this)
Sunday, February 3rd, 2008
10:53 am	Politik How hard is it? I'd spent two years of my life as an undergrad, studying political philosophy. Here are some handy guidelines that one can follow, in order to live in a relatively civilized way: 1. Freedom, Liberty, the Pursuit of Happiness, etc., are great things. However, one persons right to pursue or have these things extends only as far as to not impede someone else's ability to have or pursue these things. 2. Know what the Prisoners Dilemma is, and how it influences people's actions and decisions in everyday life. 3. Ask yourself if you believe life to be a "zero sum game". Think about whether you apply that philosophy in your dealings with others. Also, along the lines of electing the next President: Once s/he is elected, served one or two terms, I want to be able to approach the next election with the mindset of "the next President has some big shoes to fill", notsomuch with "hmmm...well, s/he couldn't really do much worse". (Comment on this)
Friday, January 4th, 2008
12:03 am	This New Year. I have absolutely no idea what's in store for me this year, partly because absolutely everything is up in the air. Which does make life interesting, but mostly just drives my desire to eat croissants for breakfast. "Your main assignment in 2008 is to become highly skilled at feeling good. Does that sound like something you might want to do? If so, here's the beginning of a regimen you could follow: (1) Be constantly taking notes about what experiences give you delight and what situations make you feel at home in the world. (2) Always be scheming to provide yourself with those experiences and situations. (3) Take a vow that nothing will obstruct you from seeking out and creating pleasure, peace, love, wonder, and an intimate connection with life." A practice that citypages has decided to encourage me to do anyway. Right on. Current Mood: anxious (Comment on this)
Tuesday, November 27th, 2007
9:20 pm	oh dear. Dear Santa... Dear Santa, This year I've been busy! In February I bought porn for llythefaerye (10 points). In January I committed genocide... Sorry about that, pen_grunt (-5000 points). In November I punched damm_im_good in the arm (-10 points). Last Thursday I set damm_im_good's puppy on fire (-66 points). Last week I signed my organ donor card (28 points). Overall, I've been naughty (-5038 points). For Christmas I deserve a spanking! Sincerely, pointedthings Write your letter to Santa! Enter your LJ username: (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, November 13th, 2007
11:38 pm	perspective Tonight I ran into an old acquaintance (fellow student from my study abroad time), who put a not unique but often overlooked perspective to a recurring issue I have. Sometimes I get so bitter about things in my past that I can't change, that I forget that pieces of them are a bit funny. Well, more than a bit funny. Funny in a way that you have to laugh at it, it's just that tragic. Funny in a way that if you leave out all the hurt and doubt, it couldn't be anything but funny. It's good to tell a story when all you're wanting is to get some laughs. I'm going to mark this perspective occasion by reading the Economist over coffee and a scone at my local coffee shop. Get it? Nah... Current Mood: grateful (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, July 24th, 2006
5:37 pm	Places I'd really like to go to. create your own visited country map or check our Venice travel guide Feeling hopeful. (Comment on this)
5:30 pm	Places I've been. create your own visited country map or check our Venice travel guide Feeling nostalgic. (Comment on this)
10:34 am	Top pick-up lines used by white supremacists, with added advice. I went to the thrift store this weekend with my sister and nearly brother in law, looking for treasures. I found some, but this wasn't one of them. Well, maybe it was in its own right. It did keep me laughing for the rest of the afternoon. Unfortunately, it also gave me a feeling of uneasiness and nausea. The following is my experience getting hit on by a white supremacist. In a thrift store filled with not exactly white people. While I was walking to an aisle filled with hideously front pleated shorts... "Hey, are you Swedish at all?" Huh? Alright, if you've ever seen me, the answer to this one is pretty obvious. But some guy needs to know. So I reply, "um, yeah, a bit". And try really hard to continue browsing the racks and not to turn around. But I do. And there's a middle aged white guy with a buzz cut coming at me with a disgusting look of awe. Crap. There are some creepy people at thrift stores, and it's not as if I've never been around creepy crazies before. I also have some experience with random creepy men trying to talk to me. It's just best to ignore them until they see a pretty flower on the sidewalk or something. "You are the palest person I've ever seen." Nice. People are starting to tell me this a lot lately. What an unfortunate coincidence that this man wished to tell me as well. I keep absently flipping through shorts, and he just keeps walking towards me. Soon he will be invading my personal bubble. I'm ok with crazy, but keep your god damn distance freako. Next came how the races shouldn't mix, it isn't the way it was intended, and that black people bring about all sorts of problems. I told him my black boyfriend was going to kick his ass. His reply, "Is he pure black, or mulatto? Because my brother, when he was in jail, he says it's the mulattos that cause all the problems..." Riiight, I'm sure your brother is in jail because he's an upstanding citizen. This is going so wrong, and he won't leave. I tell him to go away, and he just keeps on about God and the bible and races. I just can't say a thing. I'm completely irritated about what he thinks he has a right to say in public, and to me, and in my personal bubble. I'm embarrassed and scared. But amused at the same time. I wanted to have a witty reply, or a good right hook or something. Unfortunately, I had neither at the moment. I had something better. My sister happened to wander over into the vortex of creepy hate man. Diversion! I didn't look alright, and there was this guy there. She wondered what was wrong. I told her. We bust out laughing. Loudly. At him. Oh, I don't think he was pleased. But I was. Too bad he went for my sister's lack of Christianity next. Bummer. And onto the real treasures: 2 back issues of Foreign Affairs 1 pair jeans 1 pair brown trousers 3 pairs of things that don't fit me, but fit my sister. Damn. Must drink less beer. Current Mood: creative (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Wednesday, July 19th, 2006
11:41 am	worst song in the history of the world Oh dear. Scissor Sisters has done a cover of "Comfortably Numb". And it makes my skin crawl. Pink Floyd was pretty influential in my life, right around freshman year of college. I have a good deal of respect for those songs, and one of my favorites has just been defiled. I don't mind contemporary artists sampling songs, or remixes of past songs. In fact, I find some covers open my eyes to the genius of the artist as well as adding to the meaning of the original version of the song. Scissor Sisters have made it into a disco club song. Ewww. They've kicked the members of Pink Floyd in the nuts, and mocked the BeeGees. Scissor Sisters, I banish you to wherever Spandau Ballet has gone. Wait, they were better than you. Current Mood: annoyed (Comment on this)
Monday, July 17th, 2006
6:32 pm	Movie Review I watched Munich for the second time last night. I think it would be just as emotionally jarring and thought provoking if I had watched it for the thousandth time. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict draws a wide range of sharp emotions and political responses from most of the world. It is one of the greatest challenges faced by modern humanity. Why not society? Because the issue has really made me question what humanity is. I had researched one aspect of the dilemma for one of my senior papers. My group had been charged with the task of drafting a solution centered around the religious aspects of the conflict. During the same semester, I was wrapping up my senior thesis, addressing civil and ethnic conflict in the former Yugoslavia. I was pretty certain that I had a good theoretical framework to apply to the Israeli-Palestinian issue, and backed with extensive reading of really tedious academic journals, I was ready to unpack the conflict. It was one of those papers that consumes all your spare time. Just when you think that you've made headway, and you fit all the major milestones on a progressive timeline towards that golden thesis statement, it gets turned upsidedown. It was a difficult issue to tackle. You don't want to take the "wrong" stance, you want to offend no one, because all involved have suffered justly. I wrote that paper 2 years ago, and hadn't thought about it much until I went to see the movie for the first time in a packed theatre. It opened up a whole new "real" experience. I had never needed to collect any ethnographies in my research, not for the middle east. For Yugoslavia, yes. I went there, asked questions, cried. I had never been in the situation of being with people who identified with either side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I had gone to see Munich with a guy I was dating at the time, and his family. His mom's side of the family is jewish. His mom CLAPPED every time one of the targeted planners of Munich was assassinated. She'd grown up in the US, as had her parents. Blindly celebrating death. Did I understand the conflict less because of this, or more? I can not believe that this is what all Jewish people feel to Arabs that they have never met, and having never been to Israel. Do we all blindly pick sides based on religion, race, ethnicity? Chose to fight in a war with people we have never met? Perhaps it is easier that way. All I know is that I have never been so embarrassed. I was in the company of someone I hoped didn't exist. Someone that I knew must exist, but it is better to go on holding faith in decency. This woman had clapped and cheered at death. Of all the research I had done, of all the life experience I had, I was pretty sure that she didn't understand what was happening in Israel and Palestine. I wanted to yell at her. I wanted to punch her. I wanted to tell her that her narrow mindedness and callous disregard for humanity was reprehensible. My grandmother once said to me that empathy and attempting to understand anothers situation before passing judgment was a unique gift, if I held on to these things, I would be a blessing to the world. I don't know how we can solve any of the worlds problems if we have lost empathy for those we think of as having a different background, for those on the opposite side of "our" fight, our enemies. For many generations we have grown away and apart from the conflicts that have plagued history. Why do we hold on so tenaciously? Do we fight with ourselves because of loyalty to a heritage that we can't really be bothered with unless something sparks a necessary allegiance? (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, July 15th, 2006
10:23 am	Beware of Pirates. Ah, Saturday morning. Things that you can count on experiencing on any given Saturday morning: cartoons, intense desire for coffee, cereal and milk, Jehovah's Witnesses. I'll take 3 out of the 4 as enjoyable experiences. The fourth can be a bit painful though. So, I'm staying at my sister and soon to be brother-in-laws house for the time being, and am up listening to the Chris Moyles show and drinking coffee. While they're having a nice sleep in, the doorbell rings. Hmmm, do I answer it? I don't really answer the phone when they're not home, or home for that matter, so should I just up and answer the door? I decide to be bold and answer the door. It could be a fun package. Nope, Jehovah's Witness. He was not bearing any fun packages. Only "Deliver me" leaflets. Bummer. Now my dad apparently likes to talk to these folks when they come knocking for upwards of an hour. God (no pun intended), I hope I don't give off the same "I want to talk to you" vibe. I don't. Every single run-in I've had, they just don't go away very easily. "Saved...blah, blah, blah...kingdom...something something...deliverance....." Goody. This time was different. Open door to old man, brief look, even more brief greeting, shove flier in hand, bye now. Hmmm...too easy. How did I drive this man away? I had showered, looked presentable, and was in fact kinda chipper. Wait-I was wearing my scary pirate shirt!!! I scared the scary religious man away with my even scarier pirate shirt. Rock. Current Mood: victorious (Comment on this)
Sunday, July 2nd, 2006
3:49 pm	I'm overextended. So I have a myspace page. I have a blog there. I feel like I'm cheating on livejournal, but myspace is kinda fun. So where do I post?!? Ah well, check out the myspace for new postings, although if I get bored of that relationship I'll post here. Or maybe I'll sneak around and post both places. Current Mood: mischievous (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Wednesday, June 28th, 2006
5:14 pm	Things I really enjoy I went grocery shopping today, and spent 14.99. I got tons of great food, but the best part was the savings total at the bottom: 17.51. I feel like I've won a huge victory by saving more than I spent. I'm super coupon, advertised sale shopper! Current Mood: victorious (Comment on this)
Wednesday, May 10th, 2006
3:33 pm	Will have much more time on my hands soon. Brief Updates: 1. Dreaming about people I've dated in the past having babies. What the hell? I know that dreaming that your flying, falling, being chased, eating certain food, doing day to day activities is symbolic of certain things in your life. But having a series of dreams about ex's having babies?!?! What is wrong with my subconscious? I think I'm telling myself that I'm missing out on things in life that my friends are going through. It's sooo too early for my biological clock to be ticking! Make it stop! 2. Why yoga is not for me. My pelvic girdle will never, never melt into the floor. No matter how much you tell me to imagine it. I only breathe out of one area, my lungs. Not three. Sorry. When I try to do those stretchy poses, I wnd up looking like that hopelessly tangled mess of wire coat hangers at the bottom of the closet. 3. Checklist to becoming an alcoholic. This was going to be a longer list, but I came into the office today to find no room in the fridge for my sandwich. It had been taken over by Miller High Life. DONE. And Check. 4. Red flags to look for when looking for a job and beyond. Well, I'll have to address this one after the 15th. 5. Musicals I will not be attending. The cities only theatre company is playing a musical called "Menopause". The radio promo excerpt goes something like this, *singing* "I'm having a hot flash, I'm having a hot flash". Classy. Who says that there isn't quality culture here?!?! Current Mood: bored (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, April 27th, 2006
3:41 pm	Ahhh, childhood. Things were simpler then, no doubt. My sister's blog entry got me thinking about the way things were when I was a kid. I believed that a hot dog, with a melted square of processed cheese on top, was the best meal around. I didn't know why no one else's family didn't drive matching cars, especially not white station wagons with different colored upholstery, so you could tell which one belonged to who. Chips, Mash, Quantum Leap, and Hogan's Heros were the best shows on TV. Velour was popular, for the first time around, without the help of Juicy Couture. My barbie, myself, and my sister all had matching jogging suits. Fighting for the good, warm spots in front of the woodstove in the kitchen. Believing that you can make perfume by soaking dandelions in a cup of water in the sun. If you looked at the rocks on the dirt road, you might find a really valuable stone worth a lot of money. Like an agate. Watching ovenpancakes rise. The most efficient way to mow the lawn is to have three family members on three riding lawnmowers at once. Every summer day had the potential for making smores. Current Mood: disappointed (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, April 20th, 2006
8:14 am	Early... I had to be to work soooo early for the second day in a row. Last night was the second night in a row that I was occupied with work stuff late at night. But...after my posting yesterday, I noticed that the garbage had been taken out. Hmm...perhaps garbage fairies? Or a better theory: I post things and they magically come true. I want a vanilla milk shake I want a yummy salad for lunch I want a kitchen table and chairs I want to find a cheap and beautiful apartment in NYC I want to get accepted into a really great grad program I want a rewarding and fun job, with fantastic coworkers and an ample paycheck Now all I have to do is wait.... Current Mood: lethargic (Comment on this)
Thursday, April 13th, 2006
2:59 pm	2 good days in a row... Freakin' Cool: 1. I get the parking spot at work. For 2 whole days. All mine mine mine mine! 2. Free coffee today, free coffee tomorrow. 3. No classes tomorrow. 4. The plan for next week is actually looking good? 5. Tomorrow is PAYDAY! 6. My music can finally be louder than the music upstairs that my coworker complains about. 7. I can catch up on all the fun yet menial tasks that I've been putting off because they haven't been priority. 8. I can make loads of angry calls to insurance during the day and try to remember what having a HR Dept. felt like. 9. It's not cold out. 10. I've decided to quit facebook. 11. Reconnected with the joy in using my talents AND saw an impact. 12. Took the high-road when it was the last thing I wanted to do, realizing I would get more satisfaction from it in the long run. Current Mood: good (Comment on this)
Wednesday, March 1st, 2006
3:26 pm	Someone defiled my apple. To the officemate who violated my apple by turning it into a bong: You're not funny. I do not get a stipend on top of my salary for babysitting. I was going to eat that apple for lunch today, before it's unfortunate demise. How do you get off thinking that it's ok to take someone else's belongings, use them as a tool to smoke pot, and then not even clean up after yourself? To my poor little locally grown Empire State apple: I'm so sorry this had to happen to you. Many children's lives are ruined by the abuse of illegal substances by their close friends and family. I'm sorry I put you into an environment that you should have been able to trust as a nurturing and loving one, but instead they took advantage of your beautiful, shiny red color and round, plump shape. So, until someone 'fesses up and buys me a bag of apples, I'm holding a particular item, potentially one of your personal belongings, hostage. Justice will be served. Current Mood: annoyed (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, February 28th, 2006
4:43 pm	My Dinner So today I decided to splurge on food. Being payday and all, in addition to the fact that I'm sick and should try to eat a decent meal, I figure that I should treat myself. Now I usually don't eat out, because considering my paycheck, doing so would be outrageously expensive and irresponsible of me. I'm a fairly good cook, and on principle greatly dislike paying for something that I could do better and cheaper. Most days I bring a lunch, dinner, and a few snacks. I'm usually at the office 10-12 hours a day, so sometimes that just doesn't last me. On those special days, I engage in an internal debate over cost/quality/quantity of food available to me within a certain limited proximity (one block) to my office. My options consist mostly of pizza, burgers, bagels, and sushi. The $1 slice of pizza usually wins the contest, but one can only eat so much pizza and not gain a horrific amount of weight. Sigh. So I decide to spend $4.05 on a sandwich from Jimmy Johns, completely out of my budget, but I'm having a crap day. What the hell happened to my sandwich?!? What the hell happened to Jimmy John's?!? I went in, procured my 8" veggie sub, and left a happy woman. Back to the office to eat my dinner, only to find out that I had a piece of bread filled with lettuce. Enter: angry woman. Does anyone out there remember Big MIke's subs by the U of MN on Washington and Oak? Man, I miss that place. It's where I used to go to treat myself after a final or on an icky day. Oh, and were their sandwiches ever good. Thick slices of provalone, gobs of mayo and guac, tomatoes, sprouts, cucumbers; it was veggie bliss. They cut a ravine out of the loaf of french bread, just to fit all of the fillings in. Then they got bought up by a chain called Jimmy Johns. They claimed to offer the same sandwich, but it was NOT the same. Still, what can you do? It was a passable imitation. Fast forward to a different time, and a different place. Syracuse's Jimmy Johns, Feb. 28th, 2006. Two thin slices of cheese, so little guac that you can't taste it, not enough mayo to stick the sandwich together, but MOUNDS of lettuce! Jimmy Johns, I officially quit you. Thanks for the crappy sandwich, a-holes. I can't believe I wasted my precious $4.05 on you. I've looked at sandwiches from all sides now, from give and take, and still some how...you suck Jimmy Johns. Current Mood: frustrated (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Saturday, February 25th, 2006
9:03 pm	Retail Therapy SO what's a woman stereotypically meant to do when she's feeling a little blue? GO shopping of course! and preferably for shoes. A million glossy mags, television programmes, and our consumer-centric culture couldn't be wrong, right? I decide to indulge. Slight problem though, no cash. As I am not one of the kids with daddy's plastic that I am suffocated by daily, I must thing of a creative solution. Lucky me, nothing makes me happier than Office Max, or those special two aisles of assorted uber modern, stylish staplers and paperclips at Target. I'm addicted to many-pocketed, plastic organizers and binders of all shapes, styles, and sizes. But, oh, a special surprise was awaiting me today! Borders Books stocks a limited but satisfying assortment of stationary and kitchy office supplies by Paperchase. Hooray!!! Dizzyingly colorful and chic, these notebooks and pencil cases might as well be stocked at the MOMA Design Shop. There are cute cartoon pictures of whales with tee shirts proclaiming, "Save the Whales!". You can't help but be completely consumed by the feeling of sunshine and joy. Browsing is like the sugar high you used to get as a child after finishing off a dozen Pixie Stixs in 5 minutes. Purchased: Plastic Flapfoldersx2, matching pop circle 3-ring binder, coordinating wire-bound journal with subject dividers. Total Spent: $12.32. Retail therapy: Accomplished. Current Mood: content (Comment on this)