This and that
Dec. 4th, 2006 12:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
We put up my mother's Christmas village yesterday, which was fun. I always like looking at the houses and trying to pick which one I'd like to live in. We also had such a surplus of Christmas knick-knacks that I took a few to get more into the spirit
Panels and presentations have been announced for the Phoenix Rising convention. I was actually involved with vetting some of the proposals (I figured it was better to stay mum at the time). The convention'll be in New Orleans, May 17-21. They've gotten the Sheraton, you can register now, it all looks good. The one time I visited New Orleans, it was July, so I've always wanted to go back when it would be cooler. Unfortunately, I think we're planning a trip to Quebec for September, and that's going involve some hard saving as it is, so traveling anywhere else is out of the question this year. So y'all go have fun for me, is what I'm saying.
And I totally forgot to mention how NaNoWriMo turned out, possibly because I came in so ignominiously at about 30,000 words. I'm starting to think that NaNo is a great idea for the right kind of writer. That writer just isn't me.
More fantastic email spam:
From: Jaslyn Broadus
Subject: Re: coconut indiscretion
Raul Castro extends olive branch to U.S. Yeah, Fidel's totally not going to get better.
Rumsfeld memo: Iraq tactics not working.
Scientist Fights Church Effort to Hide Museum's Pre-Human Fossils.
Pfizer ends cholesterol drug development.
Rockwell found behind wall sets record.
"Prison Break" actor in car crash that killed teen. Lane Garrison, who plays Tweener?
'Feet,' 'Royale' still rule box office.
American Indians hail 'Apocalypto' cast.
Bollywood stars Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan have been charged with obscenity. For what looks like two kisses, as far as I can tell, in Dhoom 2. Apparently Indian culture is much more reserved in public, and the scene has not gone down well with a lot of people.
themadfish: "Operation Migration is an organization that's been trying to rebuild the migratory Whooping Crane population. They're using ultra-light aircrafts to lead captive reared crane chicks from Wisconsin back to FL. This year for the first time, a pair of their aircraft led cranes had two chicks. One of the chicks has died from a predator. However, the pair and their surviving chick has just begun their migration to FL. However, every year they have trouble rising enough money to cover the costs of leading the birds on their migration route. This year they have only a little over half of the total miles covered. Chart of their currently sponsored miles, and how far they've flown this year." (I meant to post this the other week but let it get lost in my email. So sorry!)
eldritch_flame: "Bristol-Myers is donating one dollar to AIDS every time someone goes to their website and moves the match to the candle and lights it."

Panels and presentations have been announced for the Phoenix Rising convention. I was actually involved with vetting some of the proposals (I figured it was better to stay mum at the time). The convention'll be in New Orleans, May 17-21. They've gotten the Sheraton, you can register now, it all looks good. The one time I visited New Orleans, it was July, so I've always wanted to go back when it would be cooler. Unfortunately, I think we're planning a trip to Quebec for September, and that's going involve some hard saving as it is, so traveling anywhere else is out of the question this year. So y'all go have fun for me, is what I'm saying.
And I totally forgot to mention how NaNoWriMo turned out, possibly because I came in so ignominiously at about 30,000 words. I'm starting to think that NaNo is a great idea for the right kind of writer. That writer just isn't me.
More fantastic email spam:
From: Jaslyn Broadus
Subject: Re: coconut indiscretion
Raul Castro extends olive branch to U.S. Yeah, Fidel's totally not going to get better.
Rumsfeld memo: Iraq tactics not working.
Scientist Fights Church Effort to Hide Museum's Pre-Human Fossils.
Pfizer ends cholesterol drug development.
Rockwell found behind wall sets record.
"Prison Break" actor in car crash that killed teen. Lane Garrison, who plays Tweener?
'Feet,' 'Royale' still rule box office.
American Indians hail 'Apocalypto' cast.
'Daily Show,' 'Colbert' producer leaving.
Is there such thing as bad publicity for stars? As O.J. Simpson has finally proven: Yes. Yes, there is.Bollywood stars Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan have been charged with obscenity. For what looks like two kisses, as far as I can tell, in Dhoom 2. Apparently Indian culture is much more reserved in public, and the scene has not gone down well with a lot of people.
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no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 07:09 pm (UTC)"We have grave concerns that the museum wants to enhance the prominence of something presented as fact which is just one theory."
You know, I try to be respectful of the beliefs of others, really, but GAH. ANTHROPOLOGY MAJOR SMASH!!
no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 07:35 pm (UTC)The don't want the museum to promote a "theory"... that there's actualy physical evidence for?
I believe that this is the equivalent of a two-year-old sticking his fingers in his ears and going "LALALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU".
no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 07:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 08:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 08:37 pm (UTC)Although Mira Nair seems able to sneak around the censors pretty well, considering she knew to use a fake title in order to film Kama Sutra in India, and even then it was later banned from being screened in India and Pakistan.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 10:33 pm (UTC)Thank you! So I'm not the only one!
no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 10:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 11:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 11:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 09:58 pm (UTC)And it's not like sex is taboo in Bollywood anymore. Not really, not like it used to be. Only the big family movies won't have kissing, but there will still be half-naked girls dancing around in most movies anyway.
Okay okay, I'm stopping...
no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 10:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 10:47 pm (UTC)Just wondering...
Date: 2006-12-04 07:31 pm (UTC)Not that it's any of my business and it might be relatives of his, however does anybody else find it strange that he's 26, driving around with a 17 year old boy and two 15 year old girls?
Re: Just wondering...
Date: 2006-12-04 08:09 pm (UTC)Re: Just wondering...
Date: 2006-12-04 10:37 pm (UTC)Re: Just wondering...
Date: 2006-12-04 11:17 pm (UTC)Re: Just wondering...
Date: 2006-12-06 05:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 07:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 07:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 08:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 08:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 08:52 pm (UTC)Well-played, Mel Gibson. Well-played.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 09:20 pm (UTC)Oh and hooray for the church showing once again that they don't give a damn about science or what really happened. *rolls eyes*
no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 10:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-05 05:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 10:49 pm (UTC)It's just one particular congregation (Kenya's Pentecostal) that's behind this particular move. Not all theologians are small minded enough to have their faith threatened by the existence of scientific theory.
Some people have even managed to incorporate evolutionary theory into their religious beliefs.
Anyway, it's still a stupid request, if what this congregation is trying to do is protect their intellectual authority. But by trying to hide the opposition's evidence they only weaken their own case by suggesting that their case CAN be defeated by that evidence.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-05 01:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 09:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 10:39 pm (UTC)know what else?
U.S. ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton is resigning (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061204/ap_on_re_us/bolton_resigns)
no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 11:21 pm (UTC)Relations 101: angry jingoist 'ambassador' = bad international juju.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 11:33 pm (UTC)My International Relations/Diplomatic/non-partisan self is trying REALLY hard not to be too super-happy about this.
And anyway, his replacement might be worse. So will make an effort to refrain from dancing in the streets too much.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 11:20 pm (UTC)Oh, and the stuff you hear about snotty French people is hogwash. Try to speak French in downtown Toronto and you'll see snotty; most Quebekers will bend over backwards to practice the little bit of English they know with you, and feel badly when they can't communicate fluently.
Also, about Nano - 30k is frikken AWESOME. The secret to Nano, I've since learned, is not to reach the apparently magical 50k finish line, but to start a project that otherwise wouldn't have fermented. The 50k number is just something for people to aim for, but even writing 5k is a huge accomplishment. 30k is phenomenal! Congratulations. :)
no subject
Date: 2006-12-05 12:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-05 12:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-05 04:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-04 11:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-05 12:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-05 12:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-05 05:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-05 02:51 pm (UTC)If you're not a regular Bollywood watcher you might be surprised, as I was, by what IS allowed (http://valancy-s.livejournal.com/52555.html) as long as the actors aren't kissing on the lips. Why kissing on the neck is less 'obscene', I'm not sure...
no subject
Date: 2006-12-05 03:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-05 03:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-05 04:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-06 04:44 am (UTC)And apparently LOST is going to be bumped back an hour (http://www.comingsoon.net/news/tvnews.php?id=17838) when it returns in February.