Zoe Tales

Chihuahuas 101

2008-11-09T11:37:00.000-08:00

From Animal Planet's Dogs 101 series, Chihuahuas!

And note to Discovery - make your videos embeddable. Readers who have the option of just watching the adorable dogs running around and learning all the cool and important fun facts about the breed would more likely watch the video here and get turned on to the series than clicking through.

Anyhow - though I doubt anyone reads this sadly neglected blog anymore - if you see this post, click. Cool series, great video, watch the Chihuahuas and then go find other breeds you like.

Hello World, There's A Song That I'm Singing

2008-01-01T16:08:00.000-08:00

C'mon Get Happy! - The Partridge Family

It's New Year's Day and I'm not making resolutions. I'm also not making goals. I looked back on the last set of New Year's goals I wrote two years ago and I achieved only one. It was important. The rest weren't achieved because my priorities and perspectives shifted throughout the years. Life happens, things change.

Last year I started trying the practice of choosing a word to focus on and to provide a theme and touchstone throughout the year. Christine Kane has a fabulous explanation of this practice. Unsurprisingly (if you know me) I couldn't choose just one word. So last year I had three:

Effortlessness defined as "in its own perfect time" and which requires trust
Fearless which equals love
Authentic which requires honesty

2007 was in some ways was a very difficult year for me, chief among which was because of the death of my dog Zoe. However, I begin 2008 with nothing but love for my life in 2007. I learned much and transformed my life in some subtle ways and have realized that I am happy.

For those who had a notion, a notion deep inside/that it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive - Bruce Springsteen "Badlands"

However that's not to say that I have nothing left to learn or ways in which to grow or that my life cannot continue to improve. So for 2008 I'm choosing a new theme and focus (without leaving behind my words for 2007, rather seeing them as more fully incorporated).

About a month ago I started the Complaint Free World Challenge and I'll continue until I reach 21 days free of complaints, criticisms and gossip.

I also learned something about myself because I opened myself up to hearing an important message. Although I'm pretty good at living life I have a tendency to stop and look back and get stuck analyzing and examining the past. The analogy was presented to me as climbing a ladder and when I look up and climb (towards God, towards my highest and best self, towards the future) that ladder is golden. So in 2008 my theme will be to "keep climbing" and living my life like it's golden...

Cross Posted at Beyond Help and Pop Consumer

Rest Peacefully My Dear Sweet Girl

2007-07-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

Zoe
5/23/1994 - 7/16/2007

On the morning of July 16, 2007, Zoe left this life. Her heart finally got too big for her body to hold. I think the irony is poetic - she had to leave because this world got too small for the bigness of her heart. There are many stories I want to tell and are a part of this journey - stories I have been meaning to blog but have not and will retroactively - but this is my testament to her spirit and an expression of my grief, my love and my gratitude.

I am human and I am selfish. Although Zoe's health was not optimal this past year and her death was therefore not a surprise it was still a shock and emotionally devastating. Although I am grateful for this past year with her, I still wanted her to live forever. And, knowing that is not possible, my heart still stubbornly clung to the hope she would make it to the upper end of a Chihuahua's life expectancy even though my head knew I should consider it a gift of God's Grace that she lived for 13 years and that I got to spend most of those years with her.

I have had to pass through the stages of grief out of order. We were on a business trip at the time and I had to go to work a few hours after she died in my arms. Zoe was so stoic through her pain and I could be, too. I've cried some but too quickly dried my eyes and put in drops to make the red and the swelling go away. I have unpacked her things and put them away and I'll donate the medicine I refilled and food I purchased on faith just before she died. I've left her monogrammed pocked bed that she loved a giant hole into for Gracie to sleep on. Gracie looks for her but has after a few days learned that she no longer must wait for Zoe to be fed before she can eat. We all mourn in our own way and in our own time. :^)

I wonder if I will be hit with a wave of weeping and, if so, I hope it's not at the BlogHer Conference. If it is, please understand. And I will still need a hug - I haven't had enough.

The story of love is not of mine for Zoe, it is of Zoe's for me. I am humbled that she chose me as her favorite human. Zoe has always been a one human, pack of two, dog. She was my sister's dog until I willed her to allow Zoe to live with me instead. At first, for a long time, months if not years, Zoe waited patiently for my sister to return. After a couple of years there came a time when I realized that finally Zoe loved me best. Imagine that a creature who is utterly dependent on the kindness of humans for its survival decides that you are the best human on the planet and they give you all the love they have without judgment or reservation to the point of being unwilling to die if you are not there. I am a better human for wanting and trying to be worthy of such an awesome love.

I was not the only one who recognized that Zoe was special. So often people would tell me that although they didn't like dogs or little dogs or Chihuahuas Zoe was different. Because of her ability to bore into you and touch your soul with those giant brown eyes of hers. Because of the way she would shyly wait for Gracie's exuberance to die down and allow her to sidle up to someone for a pat. Because of the way she would cuddle up on your lap and defend you, any one of you, from an infidel who, by reaching for Zoe, might dare breach your personal space or attempt to take away from your cuddle time by growling or snapping at them.

And so I am grateful. Grateful for Zoe's life. Grateful for the lessons she taught me. Grateful for the comfort her presence in our pack brought to Gracie. Grateful for the time I had with her. Grateful to all the kindness shown to her by friends, family, neighbors and BlogHer conference goers. Grateful to her veterinarians who took such amazing and loving care of her. Grateful that she passed on her own before the vet could administer the shot I had made the necessary decision to give her. Grateful for the comfort of knowing that it was time for her to go, that she is no longer suffering or in pain and that she was able to hang on until she was in my arms safe and knowing it was OK for her to go.

We're still around!

2007-01-30T18:11:00.000-08:00

Hey Zoe fans - we're still around! We'll be back here someday but in the meantime come check us out at the new blog party hangout - Vox!

Beyond Help

9/11 - Happy Birthday, Poppy Rose

2006-09-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

This year, September 11 would have been my grandfather's 100th birthday.

Joshua Rose was the first African-American City Council Member in Oakland, California. Prior to that he established the Negro YMCA in Oakland.

He loved playing golf, eating peanut brittle and my grandmother. He took me to A's and Raiders games when I was a kid.

Today we celebrated his life and my grandmother's 93rd birthday. I'm glad to have some happy memories to hold tomorrow along with the sad ones.

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BlogHer '06 - Identity and Obligation Thanks and Other Shout Outs Updated

2006-08-01T13:32:00.000-07:00

My primary experience of the conference content was as moderator of the Identity and Obligation panel. I was able to catch bits of some other sessions but mine was the only one where I saw the whole thing. :-)

I've attempted to make my rounds around the blogosphere to leave thank you comments, and I will continue to do so. But let me try to call out those to whom I owe particular thanks.

I have undying gratitude to the panelists - Dawn Rouse (the microphone master), Karen Walrond, Carmen Van Kerchove, and Marisa Trevino. I moderate for a living and working with this dream team was effortless. I just had to be the designated loud mouth.

Thank you to Elisa Camahort for pulling together such a stellar group of women on this panel and for honoring me by asking me to moderate.

The session was special not just because of the amazing women surrounding me but because of the equally amazing group of people both in the room and participating virtually. Kirk recorded the session, Farah, Christine, Lynne and Karl live blogged it. Keep your eye on Amy Gahran's Wiki for additions. Denise and Jeneane chatted it. And PHAT Mommy led the BlogHers in spirit - check the comments for links to those who played the home version.

Updated to add: Liz Henry has an amazing liveblog of the session. Go read it now. I'll be waiting.

I'm going to try and make another post later where I will attempt to give a shout out to everyone I managed to meet, speak with, glimpse and give you a virtual squeal and hug if I didn't get to in person. As volunteer to help organize the conference I didn't really get to attend or participate - I got to be the hard ass at the registration table and the whipping girl for all the sponsors and attendees who for whatever reason felt that we didn't supply the experience they imagined they would have or, worse yet, imagined they were promised and for the hotel employees who insisted that we never asked for things that we had planned for and asked for for months.

Don't get me wrong - for the most part attendees, sponsors and hotel staff were lovely, appreciative and flexible. But I'm still, days later, having a particularly difficult time processing all the negativity I'm seeing expressed about the conference. In particular, I resent the implicit assumption in many of the posts and chatter that the organizers (including me) were unconscious to or uncaring about or did not plan for various aspects of the conference. Also, I'm bugged by the implicit suggestions that conference attendees (or non-attendees) have no agency or responsibility in how they experience or perceived the conference.

So, I have to give a very special shout out to the group of women who were subjected to my bitter, fried brain ranting on Saturday night and who did not slap me upside the head even though I am sure they wanted to because, hell, I wanted to slap me. xoxo to Annette John-Hall, Tiffany Brown, Gena Haskett and Tarita Thomas for allowing me to vent and promising me some specific suggestions. Much love, sisters.

Cross posted at Fizz.

Powered by QumanaTags: BlogHer, BlogHer06, Identity and Obligation, Dawn Rouse, Karen Walrond, Carmen Van Kerchove, Marisa Trevino, Elisa Camahort, Kirk Brooks, Farah Sowaleef, Christine Herron, Lynne D. Johnson, Amy Gahran, Karl Erikson, Daily Dose of Denise, Jeneane Sessum, PHAT Mommy, Liz Henry, Annette John-Hall, Tiffany B. Brown, Gena Haskette, Tarita Thomas

Chihuahua Racing

2006-06-02T12:41:00.000-07:00

This is hilarious.

Petco is putting on Unleashed: The 2nd Annual National Chihuahua Races.

KTVU the local Fox affiliate put on their own mini race this morning as part of a story on the San Francisco trials which are going on tomorrow (actually in Santa Rosa, not San Francisco).

The anchors and the traffic guy all had tears streaming down their faces at the sheer absurdity of the whole thing and the traffic guy even said he wanted to get a Chi now because they seem like so much fun. They are, dude, they are!

Check out the video clip and see why Chihuahuas are so much fun - once they are out of the gates they run back to the gates to see their people or they wander over to say "Hi!" to the other Chis and people. The only one who ran to the end (only on his second try) had another person at the other end. Too funny.

Hey, I'm rich and white, now!

2006-05-31T21:00:00.000-07:00

Jory Des Jardins, BlogHer co-founder, my neighbor and supremely fabulous blogger at Pause, was interviewed at The Huffington Post recently. The expanded BlogHer website and organization has been getting some wonderful, positive reaction and a fair bit of negative, knee-jerk backlash (generally along the lines of ... it's by and for women, so even though men are welcome, it must be whiny and sexist.) I've got to say, though, that some of the commentors to Jory's interview blew me away by their complete lack of taking even the most cursory of looks at BlogHer before launching their attacks.

Especially this one from "netparrot"

Oh thank goodness - I was worried that rich, white, liberal women weren't adequately represented online (*cough*HUFFINGTON*cough*), so thank goodness BlogHer stepped into the void. Especially since sites like TypePad and Blogger.com like, so totally exclude women! Well, they don't actually, but you know, since their URLs have no feminine pronouns in their domain names, so that won't do.

Of course, I'm simply aghast at the lack of black and latino voices on BlogHer, so it's time to balkanize again.

By: netparrot on May 31, 2006 at 05:59am

I suspect that, in addition to me, some of the women* who are Contributing Editors, Conference Speakers, or who are on either the Conference Team or Advisory Board will be stunned to find out that they are white and/or liberal and I would be willing to bet that any woman involved in BlogHer would like to know how netparrot knows anything about their finances, let alone knows whether or not they are rich. If you think Arianna's voice somehow doesn't count because she is rich,white and liberal, then what are you doing over there supporting her blog by commenting and not starting your own non-white, non-rich, non-liberal male blogging community? (Perhaps there are not enough poor, non-white, conservative male bloggers to put on a show?)

*Charlene Li, LaShawn Barber, Liza Sabater (whom Jory specifically mentioned), Marian Douglas, Nichelle Stephens, Lynne D. Johnson, Tiffany Brown, Trisha Okubo, Zadi Diaz, Kim Pearson, Laina Dawes, Danielle Henderson, Karen Walrond, Liz Henry, Desigal and LDW, plus I'm sure I've missed others.

If you are coming to Day 2 of BlogHerCon '06 check out the panel I'm moderating on "Identity and Obligation" where we will discuss issues around identity and blogging.

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Why I was a Ph.D. dropout

2006-03-03T19:27:00.000-08:00

In part, because of the very painful, peculiar and pompous writing style that you engage in that only other PhDs will ever read.

Plus, you virtually always have to "revise and re-submit" so you have to spend a ridiculously long time torturing yourself before you get finally get to enjoy inflicting agony and suffering on the dorks that actually read the nonsensical crap that you've managed to get published. Don't get me wrong - there are many brilliant academics in many fields that are doing great work and advancing not just their fields but the whole of human knowledge. Nevertheless, there's a lot of incomprehensible silliness between the covers of many an academic journal.

Here is a parody of academic writing in the form of a critical analysis of Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham.

Read it and weep. Then applaud my good sense for fleeing!

Hat tip to Daniel Drezner for the link.

I have the best BFFs

2006-02-28T11:31:00.000-08:00

"If anyone knows how wonderful it is to have entertaining friends, it's you. You've spent a whole lot of time cultivating just such a crew, and you don't take their affection lightly. You also don't invite someone into that circle without considering how their company will add to it, or how the existing members will take to them. So now that you're ready to 'open the books,' be sure someone lets this fortunate newcomer know just how special the invitation really is."

This is my horoscope from My Yahoo! today. I don't know that it's much of a horoscope. I mean, why aren't I going on a journey or meeting a tall, dark and handsome stranger? But it is true that I have some high standards about who I am friends with. I'm a snob. There, I said it.

Frankly, I don't know that I'd make the cut for being friends with me. Which is why I'm always supremely flattered when the bloggers I stalk give me shout outs on their blog, and better yet they sometimes let me stalk them offline, too! Not only is it pretty much the only way I get traffic (my one faithful reader - my sister- asked me for this blog's URL recently - I mean just because I didn't post for 6 months you stop visiting? Really? WTF?!?) but I only stalk the really cool kids so it's like totally awesome when they send me the linky love.

So I don't know who the fabulous person it is to whom I'm about to "open the books." My circles are so spread out across the country these days I count the years between seeing most of them in person and the visits are generally discreet, with one or two - not in circles. Damn, I miss the chance to twirl in circles. But anyhoo - if you're the lucky guy or gal the stars say are about to not only have the pleasure of my fabulous friendship, count your blessings that you are going to get an invitation to join my crew and that's really going to rock your world.

R.I.P. Mama Kitty

2006-02-25T20:44:00.000-08:00

My sister convened a family meeting this morning to discuss how to celebrate my mother's birthday. I arrived to learn that Mama Kitty - the original feral cat, and mother and grandmother to the brood that my sister and her partner care for in their backyard - leader of the "backyard babies" had died. She was probably hit by a car, which is sad, but she had a much better life and avoided that fate for years because of the fixin' and care given to her by the new owner of the house attached to the backyard that she had claimed as home.

Mama kitty was curiously small - much smaller than her children and grandchildren. And had the wisdom of age and life on the streets. She was the only one that wasn't freaked by Zoe's presence and Zoe respected her quiet authority.

Here is a link to a story from my sister which includes the tale of when Mama Kitty met Zoe.

Rest peacefully Mama Kitty.

Spring is in the Air

2006-02-10T14:32:00.000-08:00

Envy me. It's been in the 70's all week, sunny, gorgeous, clear - I can actually peek at the Bay - and flowers are blooming. There are cherry blossoms, camellias, cala lilies, daffodils and some beautiful and enormously fragrant white flower I discovered yesterday on the next block over while a was walking the dogs. Now with all these blooms busting out all over you'd think the air around here would smell like perfume. But no, it smells like skunk. And now I know why.

It turns out that it's skunk mating season and when the boy skunks come a callin' the girl skunks are not only picky but they indicate their rejection of potential suitors by dousing them with stinky skunk spray.

And I am happy to know that I have until April to enjoy this charming aroma. Oh, joy.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/02/08/HOG0KH3CT91.DTL&hw=skunks&sn=001&sc=1000

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Favorite New Finds

2006-02-06T22:17:00.000-08:00

I am so going to have to figure out how to add Flickr photos to this blog. I've never used Flickr or found out what it is all about. But I found this stream of pictures My Chihuahua is Cuter than Your Chihuahua. that is motivating me to learn all about it.

Also, I discovered a blog that reviews much of the same impulsively purchased food items as I often enjoy and occasionally mention here. Check out The Impulsive Buy.

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Message from the Universe - Must. Blog. More.

2006-02-01T23:03:00.000-08:00

I get this daily horoscope email (for entertainment purposes only, of course) that I love for the occasionally wacky and/or scarily accurate readings. The one for tomorrow (Feb 02, 2006) is more like a giant wack on the head from the universe that I interpret as saying: "Wag - get your ass in gear and actually post to your blog once in a while, girl! It will be all good."

"Are you an intellectual or a poet, WAG, a novelist or a play-write? The celestial energy is leaving you alone with your anxieties and questions. You are sure of only one thing: words are the friends you have decided to spend the rest of your life with. This is a kind of dream and a challenge that corresponds well to your sign as a Gemini. Get to work. You will find your vocation as well as your passion in your writing."

from astrocenter.com

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A Virtual Toast

2006-01-30T22:59:00.000-08:00

Today the fabulous new BlogHer site launched. The new site has amazing guides to all that is blogging goodness by BlogHers across the internets. The ladies celebrated tonight in the city by the bay, but I couldn't join them 'cause I feel crappy due to being under caffinated - if I don't get my precise morning dose of coffee I get messed up for days. But I raise a toast from across the bay to all the BlogHers but especially Laura Scott and Lisa Stone for the amazing effort they've made to get the site up and running.

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Learning to Blog

2006-01-30T15:00:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to learn how to blog better and more efficiently. I need and want to keep up with my blogging more but it's getting harder as I'm now on three different platforms! So apologies for the meta post and thanks for being my guinea pigs for this post editor service called Qumana.

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Dancing With The Stars - Random Thoughts

2006-01-05T22:34:00.000-08:00

Not a recap, just a couple of disconnected random thoughts...

Still fun but not as instantly addictive as when it appeared as a wonderful frothy summer re-run alternative.

Jerry Rice was wiggle-iscious unlike the new Jell-O commercials which, although I applaud their freshness, for some reason I find kind of hinky and they give me a little shudder.

Tia Carrere is perhaps the most naturally beautiful human I've ever seen. She used to come into the Beverly Hills Starbucks that I worked at during college and without makeup she was just stunning. It was fun to watch the guys in line behind her drool hopelessly. She was enough of a regular that she got a knowing "hey" when she ordered. Thus, one time a gentlemen asked me who she was (because he figured I knew her from the knowing "hey" not because he recognized her as the schwing! inducing babe from Wayne's World.) so that he could ask her out. I took a bit of schadenfreudey delight in letting him know that she was a married lady while secretly smirking that he had no idea just how out of his league he was.

2005-12-08T12:01:00.000-08:00

Zoe & Gracie

Neighborhood Watch

2005-12-08T11:10:00.000-08:00

Let me kick off our return with a Zoe Tale...

So my sister, the original Zoe Tale champion asked what Zoe's return to the "scene of the crime" was like. Although Zoe did not chase off any neighbors during our recent stay at my mother's house, she did remain vigilant in patrolling the neighborhood during our daily walks.

For example, one day Zoe and Gracie both decided to confront a neighborhood interloper. A young man turned down our street while walking his leashed dog. Unfortunately this was a new young man and new dog we had not previously encountered. Therefore they needed to be warned that this was Zoe's hood. Let me remind you that Zoe is a little over 3 pounds which apparently is not a concept that her Chihuahua brain can comprehend. This same brain compelled Zoe to rush out to greet the new dog and let it know what's what. You can probably guess the punchline - yes, it was a Pit Bull that received the growling and yapping greeting of two deranged Chihuahuas. Fortunately for us all the Pit Bull was beautifully mannered and fully under the control of it's young walker. They both stood there looking a bit confused by the insane toy dog posse and then just calmly walked away once I had pulled off the viscous beasties.

Zoe, however, saved her true wrath and thunder for the real threats to the neighborhood - not elderly power walkers, not pitbulls, not tree stumps, but rather the ominous neighborhood evildoer - the brick on the tree stump.

Yes, the brick on the tree stump was spotted one lovely late summer morning on our street. And Zoe would have none of it. Zoe strained mightily at the end of her leash as she lunged, barked incessantly and sought to single pawedly rid our block of hell-on-earth that nasty brick was plotting to unleash. Why, you might ask, did nobody else recognize this obvious threat? Such is the mystery and power of Zoe and why I tell her tales. Just as the elderly morning walkers never returned after being on the receiving end of the wrath of Zoe, the brick never reappeared on the tree stump or dared to show it's evil face on our block again. And my mother's neighbors rested well and easy for the remainder of our stay.

We're Back!

2005-12-08T11:07:00.000-08:00

Howdy! Wag, Zoe and Gracie are back on the blog. Sorry we have been gone longer than anticipated but life got in the way. We are finally starting to get settled into our new Oakland home and have everything up and running.

Bite Sized BlogHer Bites (BSBHB)

2005-08-03T12:03:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try posting my BlogHer reflections in small, roughly chronological posts in hopes of getting it all out. Unfortunately, I doubt I'll give you much in the way of thoughtful, in-depth analysis a la Nancy White and per Ethan's request. But, hopefully you'll feel some of the love and awesomeness (sorry - couldn't resist!)

It all started with my stalking of Elisa. Check the archives here - you'll see my many links to her! :-) She invited me to consider attending BlogHer and I volunteered to help with the conference if I could. So I wound up planning the Friday activities - which was an absolute blast for me. I felt so useful!

Pre-Friday I spent a few hours helping out the magnificent three - Elisa, Jory (who ignored my stalking - but couldn't escape) and Lisa (who foolishly agreed to allow me to now stalk her as well) - stuffing binders for BlogHer. Sadly, I had to depart early to go liberate Zoe and Gracie from the confines of my mother's kitchen. But lesson for everyone - if you can be involved in any way in the next BlogHer - attending, volunteering, live blogging, proposing a room of your own, participating in the online chats, or even just commenting on the BlogHer blog - do it! It is rewarding beyond belief and any chance to learn from the magnificent project that is do-ocracy will benefit you far more than it might cost you in time, effort or dollars.

At the stuffing soiree I had the magnificent pleasure of meeting Mindy. Mindy has the "mommy blog" which I wasn't aware of since I never paid much attention to such blogs because I thought they weren't relevant to me. Oh how very wrong I was. As I realized when I looked at Mindy's blog (which I had to immediately check out since, as a friend of mine always says, Mindy is a hoot and a half) I started realizing that a mommy blog is just the blog of a person who may or may not be interesting. Mindy is helluv interesting. Meeting and listening to the mommy bloggers (MBs) at BlogHer reinforced that - and trust me, they are all completely fascinating, and as Ms. Jen points out - party like rock stars. Besides, as Jenny pointed out - I'm a MB too - my kids just have fur!

blogher

BlogHer Rocked!

2005-08-01T13:37:00.000-07:00

So I'll post a really long post about how much BlogHer rocked and how excited I was to meet and glimpse several of my blog crushes and find so many more. I'm still coming down from the high. But, as the previous post notes - dial up ain't no fun and I tried to quickly check out some of the blogs from the 5 pages of notes I took but I'm having trouble even getting them to load and display on this computer. I've spent too much time and I've got to get back to the housing postings at Craigslist. :-)

But - for now a giant shout out to everyone at BlogHer - it was awesome!

Juggling

2005-07-24T22:38:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, I, like many kids, tried to teach myself how to juggle. I managed to learn how to successfully juggle two balls but not three. And now, as an adult, substitute life for balls.

I am always immensely relieved when I read one of those articles that tells us (now!) that we humans aren't cut out for multi-tasking. I'm so glad it's not just me!

So life has given me too many balls and my blogging is suffering for it. Consider my infrequent posts a hiatus (like when your favorite TV shows disappear for the summer - I like to think that my life makes a great dramady.)

I am semi-homeless at the moment having sold my house and, not having found a decent place to rent in its place, am sleeping on my mother's sofa (as Zoe and Gracie are not allowed in the guest room - Grandma's got no love for her fur grandbabies) and working on her dial-up connection. Sad (?) commentary on modern life that the thing I miss the most about my home is my broadband connection.

Anyhoo - since it takes virtually all my precious time when I am not out looking at rentals and when I am tying up my mother's phone line to check Craigslist and my 5 email accounts - logging in and blogging about my life is low on the list. Plus - I've got no digital cable, no On Demand, no HBO, no Replay TV and the aforementioned no broadband (so no keeping up with the 75 or so blogs I read.) So basically I am cut off from all sources of input for my random musings. And I'm too gosh darn tired to give a fig about my life so I can't imagine I could write anything that would remotely interest or amuse all y'all.

So - sporadic posts will be the norm until I'm settled. Keep me in your aggregator - I'll be back.

Love,
Wag

Hey Baby - it's the 4th of July

2005-07-04T22:15:00.000-07:00

~X~ rocks!

I listened to the Live 105 top American Rock Icons special all day and night today - very interesting. Lots to quibble with but it was unmoderated - based on listener votes. You know Kurt Cobain was going to be number one and he was but lots of varied choices all around and from all variations of "rock" from pop (Frank Sinatra) to classic (Hendrix) to R&B (Al Green) to funk (George Clinton) to Hip Hop (eminem, Beasties [forget who they chose as the "icon"], Chuck D, Jay Z, Missy Elliot...) to Punk (lots of arguable choices) to dance (Madonna) to country (Johnny Cash) and so on. It kind of reminded me of the late, great KSAN back in the '70s when they would play literally everything - it was a huge influence on my eclectic taste in music.

People in the neighborhood are setting off their firecrackers and the noise is freaking Gracie out on top of her already frayed nerves from all my out of the ordinary activity. She knows when something's up (like moving) and she starts following me around or hiding in corners or behind the toilet. Perhaps that's why when I tried to cut her nails the other day so she would be presentable to meet potential landlords she managed to out devil dog herself and whip her head around in a 360 degree motion, jaws snapping non-stop and the most unearthly howls coming out of her so that I couldn't even put her muzzle on, let alone cut her nails. I wrestled with her for 1 & 1/2 hours - I kid you not. I'm sure the neighbors thought either I was torturing her or performing a satanic ritual.

Still Blogging

2005-07-04T21:58:00.000-07:00

Although I haven't posted in a shamefully long time it's not because I have blogger's block or have decided to quit blogging - it's just a very mundane case of life getting in the way. I'm engaging in activities that I've done before - but never all at the same time so it's sapping my time and energy in a whole new way.

I'm selling my house (but I sold it without having to show it so that mercifully saved me from spontaneous combustion like a drummer from Spinal Tap.)

I'm looking for a new place to live - but renting instead of buying. I'm moving up to Oakland which is an hour drive at best and much longer if I don't avoid the very long rush hour windows during the week. I've realized that buying is much easier than renting in that you only talk to your agent when buying and when renting you have to tell the same story over and over to a bunch of different people which can be draining. Plus, I've got special circumstances of being newly self-employed (no current employer, no tax returns from SE yet), not having been a renter for many years so no landlord references and having two dogs. And then there is all my picky requirements built up from years of being the boss of me at least when it comes to home amenities.

I'm preparing for a moving sale.

I'm doing all my own packing.

I'm trying to figure out if I should rent a truck & move stuff into storage, rent a "pod", hire movers (3 of my last 4 moves have been corporate - sweet, let me tell ya.)

So... I actually have lots to share with you. I've decided to stop looking for rentals until after I close so I can focus on packing, moving and having a garage sale so I should be around to blog more.

Hey - anyone know any good local movers (the only time I hired movers on my own I got the classic horror story rip off) or have any experience with "pod" type storage?

Welcome BlogHers!

2005-07-04T21:51:00.000-07:00

Hi Jenny and anyone else who has followed the link from the BlogHer blogroll - thanks for visiting! I'm very much looking forward to BlogHer and if you haven't registered yet - you've got 3 weeks - registration closes July 25. See you there - and be sure to say "Hi!"

And Then There Is This...

2005-06-23T17:30:00.000-07:00

I start getting all warm and fuzzy and thinking maybe we all can just get along and that children are the future and they'll lead the way. Then I read this - Oprah - let that sink in - Oprah Winfrey who is, according to Forbes magazine, a billionaire and the most powerful celebrity in the world, wasn't allowed to come in and shop in an Hermes store in Paris last week. Last week! Perhaps on a remote island with no televisions could you argue that Oprah would not be recognized but Paris and in a shop for a company that aggressively courts celebrity wearings of its product?!?

I just this morning wrote to a couple of folks that Oprah experienced this back when she was a mere millionaire and that race trumps class in America in ways that aren't always the case in other countries. But if Oprah Winfrey can get shut out of a shop in 2005 in France - what hope is there for ordinary non-famous, non-billionaire black folks in America?

Oprah will discuss what she calls her "Crash" moment (after the movie) on her show when it resumes in September.

Ordinary Good

2005-06-23T15:02:00.000-07:00

It doesn't always suck. Despite my spate of pessimistic posts on the state of race, I am reminded that the hope can be greater than the despair.

I am grateful because...

Last night I was invited to join a book club and met a great group of mostly white folks who welcomed me.

I met a white woman there who is raising a biracial son and who is not blind to the fact that there are some difficulties ahead and is doing her best to be aware and to guide her child.

I've made new friends that are kind, supportive, curious and questioning even when I rant and ramble on.

I had lunch today with a white woman whom I met at the dinner after the talk about my ancestors and she was generous and supportive with her time and advice.

Another neighbor - also an older white man - noting that my house had been sold, first expressed his disappointment that he wouldn't get to pet my dogs anymore (complimenting the pets - always a good choice) and second asked me if I would be moving to Oakland. No shock and awe - just kind support and understanding. I'll miss my neighbors.

Happy Birthday to Gracie

2005-06-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

Yes - today is the 10th anniversary of the birth of the Chihuahua formerly known as "Buzzy." Zoe may get top billing here but Gracie is no less special to me. She's been with me from the tender age of 5 weeks, and despite her habit of turning into Devil Dog when it's time for routine maintenance (e.g., nail clipping), she's my sweet, goofy, super friendly, lick you from head to toe if you'll let her, sweet girl.

Dilemma

2005-06-22T22:17:00.000-07:00

blackfeminism.org has a post about an article in the Boston Globe that illustrates the difficult choice some black folks face - do you live where your people are, which often means your access to services can be limited, but you don't have to struggle with racial identity issues or do you move to the better serviced white suburbs where you're subject to being treated like an alien invader?

Two points from the article jumped out at me - one about being warned about not choosing to live in "unsafe" (black) neighborhoods and another about housing prices creating an invisible racial barrier. The first has happened to me so many times I've lost count. The second is something I see even in very diverse areas like here in the SF Bay Area. Oakland vs. Piedmont being a perfect example.

Both the original article and the post with thoughtful commentary are worth a read.

Ordinary Racism

2005-06-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

I had another close encounter of the racist kind today. I've had a lifetime of them and I'm just so tired of them.

I was talking to a neighbor this afternoon while our dogs started the process of saying their goodbyes. This neighbor is an older gentleman and loves to tell stories and reminisce. He told me a story about growing up in San Francisco and about how great the high school he went to was. He mentioned that when he was a student there in the 50's it was a great, fabulous top school. And, then, when laws changed that opened up schools to students from all neighborhoods things went downhill (in his mind.) He illustrated his lament of the educational changes wrought by not restricting kids to only the schools in their segregated neighborhoods by telling me that when he was a student there were only 2 black students and when he went by the school more recently, there were perhaps 2 white students.

Why do people say shit like this to me and assume I agree with their fucked up world view? Because I look white. Even though I am a card carrying Negro (it says so on my birth certificate), I am paler than many white folks I know. Therefore I get to hear what white people really think and would never dare say in front of black folks.

When I tell my white neighbors that I plan to move (home) to Oakland I get consistently shocked reactions. "Oakland... Oakland, CA (shudder) why?" they ask? Unspoken subtext: why would a nice, sweet little white girl like you want to move to that city full of black people?

I could blog for months and just tell you stories like this. And what can I do? Wear a t-shirt everyday proclaiming my blackness? Tell every jerk who shares their racist self with me to sod off? I don't because it wouldn't make much difference. I live my life as a black woman and eventually people figure it out or there's an appropriate opening in the conversation and I let them know. If I can, I let them know that I don't appreciate or share their point of view. But, calling people on their racist bullshit doesn't open their eyes - in fact it is quite the opposite - they close off and get defensive - "I'm not racist - I've got really good, justified, logical, fact based reasons for my bias."

I think people are really conscious of their bias - they've just learned for the most part to justify it to themselves and are smart enough to not share it with the people who are the objects of their bias. What most white people are, I believe, is unconscious to their power and how that power and the structures and systems built into every aspect of our culture and society enable their bias.

I'm sick of fighting and deeply sad that apparently I'm never going to stop hearing how much people would hate me if they really knew who I am.

Be Careful What You Wish For

2005-06-20T18:24:00.000-07:00

Or even just blog about. So I admired the easy renting made possible by the Craigslist housing postings/Google Maps mash up here. And I lusted after Michelle Kaufmann's architecture porn and put it out in the universe that someday I wished to live in a Breezehouse. So now my house is sold and I'm hitting the mashup daily. Sigh.

Hit Me Baby One More Time: Week 3

2005-06-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

My prediction: Everybody will Wang Chung tonight.

Wang Chung - Everybody Wang Chung Tonight

This version sounded exactly like the original. That's a good thing in this competition. I saw several of the bands from the cavalcade of stars that is Hit Me Baby... back in their heyday. I remember being really impressed with Wang Chung as a live band, which can be tough when you've got a lot of electronica going on. But the thing with Wang Chung is that they've also got yer traditional rock instruments at the heart of their music. The not-so-spontaneous ad lib (something along the lines of "we love you LA") showed that the vocals were indeed live and I was still impressed with the quality 20 years later.

Sophie B. Hawkins - Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover

Time has not been as kind to Sophie's voice. Her performance was that of a writhing, barefoot, hippie, drummer, shaman woman. She did not put a spell on me and damn, I'm glad she's not my lover.

Cameo - Word Up

Man, these guys were the epitome of bad 80's fashion. Remember the bright red codpiece over the skin tight tights? Well, in case you forgot, Larry Blackmon was here to remind you of the fashion mess he was when he went away. Although they dressed like the wanted to be Funkadelic's younger brothers, no matter how catchy and enjoyable Word Up was, Cameo's brand of perfectly good funk just cant touch the insane genius that oozes from George Clinton's maggot brain.

Howard Jones - No One Is To Blame

Well, props for showing the receding bit of hair he has left after his gravity defying finger-in-a-socket 80's look (unlike the cowardly dude from Flock of Seagulls who hid under a baseball cap and over compensating pony tail.) This song is pretty and melodic but boring as hell. Was then, is now.

Irene Cara - What a Feeling

Let me straighten your memories out for you. This is the big hit from the movie Flashdance which starred Jennifer Beals. Irene Cara was in the movie Fame. That's why your memories are all mixed up - light skinned sistahs in movies that involved dancing and singing.

OK - now that we've got that straightened out... my guess is that this was the biggest, most mainstream hit of the night, thus the audience was most into it. Plus, Ms. Cara busted a few moves and gave some good diva vibrato at the end. Therefore, I put her in the lead at halftime.

Today's Hits (standard disclaimer - "today" = recorded sometime after the 1980's)

Wang Chung - Hot in Herre (Nelly)

Honey, would I lie to you? You read that right. But, dude, seriously, from note one, OMG they pulled it off. Who woulda thunk that a couple of middle aged Londoner family men could rock this joint. But, Cornelius, watch out because rock it they did and it was damn entertaining even without any human ATMs.

Sophie B. Hawkins - 100 Years (Five For Fighting)

Oh happy, happy, joy, joy - a ravaged vocals singer doing a crap song. Well, at least gave us a 180 degree head to ankle costume change with an updo and slinky black gown. The best part was the preceding "where are they now?" segment that showed her playing the piano in her Venice, CA bungalow with a parrot on her shoulder. Aye matey.

Cameo - 1985 (Bowling For Soup)

There was no way this song would work because there was, in my estimation, no workable irony combination that could be made. Wang Chung's cover worked, for example, because it was played straight, no chaser - not making it their own, dawg - genius! The one thing I noticed from this performance is that with "unique" performances like these, clearly the audience goes nuts whenever they even remotely recognize a chorus or a line from one of "today's hits." Possibly the worst performance of the show.

Howard Jones - White Flag (Dido)

This is a straightforward ballad (not the one that Eminem used for Stan) so, sung in Howard Jones voice, it sounded like a Howard Jones tune. That tells me that this is essentially a pretty, but uninteresting ballad that was only remotely radio worthy because Dido has got some interesting texture to her voice.

Irene Cara - I'm Outta Love (Anastacia)

Irene Cara gets the Vanilla Ice shameless self promotion award of the evening as she uses this obscure track (outside of clubs, Anastacia is best known in this country, sadly, for getting breast cancer at a fairly young age) to debut her new group Hot "Cara"mel - get it, huh, huh? A sorta En Vogue lite girl group, the song they covered was so obscure that it may have well been a Hot Caramel original. I felt they lost all their momentum from earlier and my guess is that Wang Chung will take the prize.

But, hold on, nope - the audience is still feeling Irene Cara and her $20,000 prize goes to Women in the Arts, Inc.

Contest - anyone who can correctly identify the 5 songs I dropped lyrical hints to in this review. (Tie breaker will be identifying the 6th non-lyrical hint.) Bonus points for identifying other pop culture references. Winner gets a pop cultural-o-licious prize. Leave your guesses in the comments or email me at zoetales at gmail dot com.

Hit Me Baby One More Time: Week 2

2005-06-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

Let me begin with a plug for Dancing With The Stars which is turning out to be a nice bit of summer fluff. I point you, as always, to TVgasm for an excellent recap, but encourage you to watch for yourself - watching more TV is good!

Now onto the recap at hand...

The show kicks off with

The Knack - My Sharona

The band wore very appropriate black suits with skinny ties, simultaneously giving nods to the 80's new wave skinny tie look and the Beatles (winking at being proclaimed the new fab 4 as we were reminded in their intro.) They really performed the song and were selling it. The audience was way into it, singing and bopping along.

Haddaway - What is Love?

You know this song as the soundtrack to the SNL Roxbury skit with Chris Kattan and Will Ferrell as clueless clubbers. Regarding Haddaway's performance - all I can say is, wow NBC is good with finding the absolutely campy-ist backup dancers to embellish the dance hits! Haddaway got 5 in tube dresses that barely covered them. The audience members bobbed their heads ala SNL but were more interested in what those dresses would reveal as they rode up with every gyration than in the song. Host Vernon Kay called the performance cheeky. Touche.

Tommy Tutone - 867-5309 (Jenny)

I give this band props for having fun with it and not acting above the show. It was a perfectly fine performance. Nothing snarky to say about it.

The Motels - Only The Lonely

The audience was subdued in its swaying, but there was polite recognition and cheering. Everyone knows this song but nobody loves it, I think. Also, it was a bit of a downer after 3 upbeat pop tunes. I never really dug Martha Davis (or the Waitresses.) Of the raven-haired new wave gals, I preferred Deborah Iyall of Romeo Void for her walking-the-edge-of-a-razor-could-snap-at-any-moment edginess.

Vanilla Ice - Ice, Ice Baby

So this was the big moment of the night - would he do Ice Classic? Nope, we got New Ice. But not so far removed from the original that the audience couldn't sing along with Rob's rap/metal version. And the audience ate up what Vanilla was serving.

Round Two - Songs from Today's Charts (and by that, they mean anything recorded after the last millennium when these bands had their hits.)

The Knack - Are You Gonna Be My Girl? (Jet)

Fine choice even though it was a bit out of Doug Fieger's range. The Knack managed to lend an appropriate nervous energy and again sold it with facial expressions, gestures and hip swiveling.

Haddaway - Toxic (Britney Spears)

We learned that Haddaway now plays golf. The backup dancers were back with truly frightening outfits featuring fishnet thigh-high stockings sticking up from under black boots and below denim minis and shiny bustiers. They managed to out trailer trash Britney. And, despite panning across a funny Kevin James look-alike in the audience lustily singing along, the performance failed to live up to its camp promise.

Tommy Tutone - All the Small Things (Blink 182)

Awww, poor Tommy has to work as a software developer to pay the bills - kind of sad. But Tommy did a nice job with this song, giving it a nervous, edgy punk pop sound that was pure Tutone. Nice, but the crowd didn't seem to dig it - they couldn't get into it without the exact copy and didn't react except at the chorus where they could sing along and bop as instructed.

The Motels - Don't Know Why (Norah Jones)

Well, they get the "you made it your own, Dawg" award of the evening for their sped-up version. Apparently they got the memo backstage that songs needed to be upbeat. I didn't like it and the crowd didn't know what to make of it and they just clapped along distractedly to the drumbeat since they couldn't sing along.

Vanilla Ice - Survivor (Destiny's Child)

Wow - when VI said he was going to do this as his cover choice, I thought "hmmm, interesting- girl power." But then the little promo before the song indicated that this was a selection from his new record. And sure enough this was not a cover, but a completely new rap with just a hint of the melody and the refrain "I'm a survivor." Poor VI - it is amazing how you managed to find the strength to make it through the fire that is selling 7 million records. Share your pain. But, props for being clever enough to figure out how to pimp your new record - nobody else did. The audience dug it and loved the choreography. So, damn - I think he's gonna win this thing. Will the money go to the Van Winkle foundation?

All around, a good time from performers who were, for the most part, spirited and game and even Vanilla Ice wasn't too bent on being a sad sack like he often is.

So ... the winner is: Vanilla Ice with his twenty grand going to Make A Wish (who I give props to for ending their practice of granting dying children their last wish to go hunting although apparently they didn't do it because they recognized the hideous irony.)

Hot or Not?

2005-06-11T12:22:00.000-07:00

Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise?

Summer Reality

2005-06-06T20:02:00.000-07:00

I committed to blogging Hit Me Baby One More Time, but I wish I had waited to actually see the new batch of reality shows. Surprisingly, Dancing With The Stars is more fun. I had to tune in after reading an article in the Wall Street Journal that noted that the head of programming at ABC (a Stanford MBA) resisted pitches for this British remake (yes, British producers are the rulers of goofy reality TV shows) until she gave in and was hooked after 10 minutes. Since I'm obsessed with boy bands it's no surprise that my favorite from week one was Joey McIntyre of NKOTB (also he was the most reminiscent of John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever.) But the popular favorite seems to be boxer Evander Holyfield. He was great fun to watch. The worst was Kelly Monaco who came across as incapable of more than one facial expression and one emotion as she is on General Hospital. She was savaged by the judges and will probably get booted this week. And may I just say, Trista Sutter of Bachelorette fame (but she's hoping this show will cause people to think of her as a dancer rather than as just the Bachelorette - hmmm, going on a reality show to make people forget that you starred in 2 reality series and one ridiculous, over-the-top, very pink, multi-million dollar televised wedding) did an amazing job of maintaining her permagrin at all times.

Buzz on the Ashston Kucher's Beauty and the Geek and Hell's Kitchen is good. I'm checking out The Scholar tonight.* But the best news for the summer is that realistic non-reality show Six Feet Under is back tonight. My friend Gary Calamar does the music. But I'd love it anyway.

*Caught The Scholar - kind of strange. Brought to you by Bunim-Murray, the Real World folks. When they are competing it's a bit annoying because they're in high school but they're smarter than you. It's no fun if you can't make fun of them. Then when they're not competing and studying in the dorm - well, they're in high school. And they act like it. The Real World cast with HS students would be of interest perhaps only to other HS kids, and even then, maybe not because these are the 4.6 GPA havin' nerds - not likely the super cool popular kids - and we all remember just how desperately important all that was in HS. There were flashes when I really dug it - as a super nerd myself I could appreciate some of the neuroses. We'll see - it's certainly not feel good on the level of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition but I might warm up to it a bit.

Misc Roundup

2005-06-06T19:46:00.000-07:00

Stalking can pay off ;-) Zoe Tales made it's first blog roll. Thanks to Elisa for the link love - we are humbled!

Speaking of Elisa (yes, more shameless stalking) - check out her fun, snark-filled review of the Tony Awards - from a straight woman, no less. I've got two words for you - "crapping taffeta." Enjoy.

Finally, just discovered our Technorati ranking - we're #695,411 - not bad out of 10 million, eh?

OK - comments figured out and a note on permalinks

2005-06-03T21:37:00.000-07:00

So, with Elisa's help, I've figured out the comment thing. There are two avenues for commenting - one that comes with Blogger and a separate one that installed when I installed trackbacks with Haloscan. I mentioned in my comment on the post below that I'd try to turn off the Haloscan but I think I'll leave it on. The Blogger system (I think - non Blogger users can you confirm?) asks you for a Blogger ID or leaves you anonymous. Haloscan lets you put in your email and/or URL if you want and name yourself as you will. So - until I post a post that generates alot of comments and the conversation gets disrupted by people using both systems, I'll leave both enabled so you, the reader, can decide which you prefer.

And, just so you know (because it took me a minute to figure this one out) if you want a permalink (a link just to the post instead of the whole blog) click on the time stamp at the end of the post.

Comment Woes

2005-06-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

Blogger is supposed to notify me when a comment is left here. The notices go to my gmail account for this blog. Blogger and gmail are owned and operated by Google. So you'd think these two would play nicely. But no.

If notice of the comment is sent to me, apparently the entire comment is eaten by my email and it doesn't appear on my blog. If I'm not notified of the comment then it shows up here. Thus you have a situation like today when Elisa left a comment on my Buffy Boyfriend post that arrived in my gmail box but didn't appear on the blog. So I look like a crazy person because the lone comment on that post is my response to her comment and it makes no sense!

To clarify, Elisa wrote "Oh yeah...would have pegged you for Spike all the way!! :)" , which is what I was responding to when I said yeah because of the punk rock vibe.

So, for now, advanced apologies if you leave a comment and it doesn't show. At least I'll get it (I think) and I greatly appreciate them. Same goes if you leave a comment crying out for a response (Anglea - it was Grandma Elsie) and I don't respond right away. I check the blog regularly and am therefore the single largest source of traffic and readership of my blog - traffic spikes from big-name bloggers who get coverage in Fast Company and the Wall Street Journal notwithstanding ;-)

Couldn't resist

2005-06-03T20:04:00.000-07:00

According to ReplayTV, tonight's Dateline covers...

The new face of terrorism; singer Kelly Clarkson.

Hit Me Baby One More Time: Week 1

2005-06-03T10:35:00.000-07:00

Our cast of has-beens for this week consist of:

Loverboy
Cece Peniston
A Flock of Seagulls
Arrested Development
Tiffany

As the opening credits roll, we are treated to "fans" screaming out the name of their favorite act. The guy with the headband and the girl with the iron-on "lover" t-shirt looked authentically cheesy enough. But the two O.C. extra rejects weren't terribly convincing as Arrested Development superfans.

We are introduced to our host, Vernon Kay, who enters with arms outstreched in a messianic pose, inviting worship from his adoring fans. I simply shrug and ask, "Vernon Who?"

Vernon shares with us the promise that "great music never dies." And when I think of the greats, my mind instantly turns to the one-hit-wonders of the 80's. Then Vernon slaps us senseless with the news that, not only will our greats share their greatness with us - they're gonna "put their spin on one of today's hottest songs!"

Now the rules: the studio audience (who weren't, I'm sure, made up of clueless tourists who wander around Hollywood Blvd. thinking that they are actually going to see some movie stars [tip folks: go to the Beverly Center and you'll almost certainly see at least one C-lister] and then are surprised when they only see prostitutes and sailors on leave hanging out at the USO, and surplus folks from the Tonight Show line who couldn't get tickets for Leno) will choose a winning performer and then the Ameriquest Mortgage Company donates $20,000 to the charity of the winner's choice. (I'll give you a separate post on the oddity that is Ameriquest sponsorship.)

On to the performances:

Loverboy - Working for the Weekend
From the montage to the performance, we witness the transformation of Mike Reno from skinny rocker in skintight red leather jeans to helium-filled stay puft marshmallow man with the thin and gritty voice to match. Highlight of the performance was the guitarist lip-synching into the mike when there were no vocals other than the lead.

Cece Peniston - Finally
Since lip-synching solo to dance music is boring, Cece was provided with two male back-up dancers randomly twirling and plie-ing to complete the bathhouse anthem vibe. The diva's voice is intact, though and, as Randy would say, she can still blow.

Flock of Seagulls - I Ran
I saw this band in their heyday and they sucked then. Mike Score managed to out-puffy Mike Reno and out-working class him in attire, too (Reno proclaimed WFTW to be intended as a "working class anthem.") My guess is that lead singer and synth player Score is the only original member, especially since the guitarist was running around playing something resembling a flying V and channeling Eddie Van Halen.

Arrested Development - Tennessee
I know they didn't have Dionne Farris with them but they did have the wise elder old guy - cool. AD had the crowd genuinely moving and cheering. And may I just note - Speech is tiny! I mean seriously, he didn't even reach Vernon's shoulder. But speech on, Speech, your words are powerful.

Tiffany - I Think We're Alone Now
Tiffany (who won the UK version) doesn't play an instrument and gay nightclub back up dancers wouldn't really be appropriate for a teen mall rat anthem, so Tiffany was given three unnecessary back up singers who distractedly swayed in unison and shifted their weight from leg to leg. I swear one of them was popping her gum. The audience shook their ample, non-gravity defying clevage in unison and in support.

Act 2 - Today's Hits (and I use that term loosely)

Flock of Seagulls - Hero (Enrique Iglesias)
The producers decided that obscuring Mike Reno's girth in fog would be a good idea. As for the song - Loverboy's version was no crappier than Enrique's.

Cece Peniston - There You'll Be (Faith Hill)
Again - Cece's got the vocal chops but it would have been nice to see her apply them to something that showcased them other than this dull, cloying sap. Plus, the distracted house backup singers didn't help.

Flock of Seagulls - On The Way Down (Ryan Cabrera)
So - FoS put their spin on the pop, boy and his guitar, guilty pleasure tune. It was a synth rock totally craptastic version. It was so tuneless and horrible (Mike Score couldn't even pretend that he was into putting any effort into it) that it shows you how much a cute boy who can either sing or at least have the benefit of pitch correction can "sell" a really weak song. (On the other hand, covers of "Hit Me Baby One More Time" by alt bands like Fountains of Wayne and Travis showed it to be a great pop song.)

Arrested Development - Heaven (Los Lonely Boys)
Again, in the words of one mister Randy Jackson, they took this song and made it their own, dawg. This version bore little resemblance to the original, mainly because AD inserted two original raps into it and that made it so much better, I thought. The crowd loved it too and once again they were on their feet cheering and grooving.

Tiffany - Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson)
One word woman, "spandex!" Seriously, I know you were in Playboy and all, and it's great that you're a mom, but if you really want to try to re-live your faded teen pop glory, it doesn't mean you should let it all hang out when you're clothed. (NBC managed to post the one screen shot that doesn't do justice to the sight of a middle-aged mom in a low-rise mini skirt and deep v halter.) The song you ask? Proof that Kelly Clarkson can sing.

And the winner is... no surprise, Arrested Development. They were the real deal and were the only act to have you really miss them. And, extra coolness, their donation went to UNICEF to support their efforts to respond to the crisis in Darfur in Sudan.

Edited to add link to TVgasm Recap - I'm glad to see the comments generally jibe with my take.

My Buffy Boyfriend

2005-06-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

Elisa found this groovy little quiz and she knew I'd want to take it. So, drumroll please ...

Your boyfriend is Xander.

Who is your Buffy boyfriend?
brought to you by Quizilla

Pretty much on target, I'd say ;-) Though, as I commented on Elisa's blog, I'd pretty much take any of 'em except for Riley who was boring and felt too threatened by the fact that Buffy was stronger than him.

Hit Me Baby One More Time

2005-05-31T17:08:00.000-07:00

NBC - that stands for "No Britney Content" and for the network which will be airing the American version of "Hit Me Baby 1 More Time" - the reality show on which faded pop stars compete for a chance to regain their former glory for a moment. I talk about my love for TV here quite often but don't often post about it and that must change. Also, given how many great sites out there that had fab recaps of this seasons shows, there was no point in me jumping when the season was half over. So, to practice my recapping skills and to tide you over the summer, I will watch bad TV so you don't have to!

Join me, won't you starting after the debut this Thursday, June 2. Welcome all fans of cheesy reality television - especially Heather Hamilton fans - I know you visited, so if any of you liked what you saw and came back for more and you're jonesing since Heather wrapped up her cheeky Apprentice recaps - I look forward to you joining me on this journey.

Modern Sin

2005-05-25T17:53:00.000-07:00

This blog post title says it all: "If thou shalt not covet, I'm going to hell." Yeah, me too.

I dragged my mom to the Sunset Magazine Celebration Weekend in Menlo Park last Sunday so we could tour the latest modern architectural prefab object of lust from the genius brain and heart of architect Michelle Kaufmann. It (the Breezehouse) was so much better than I had even dreamed.

Edited to add interior pictures link.

I've lusted after Ms. Kaufmann's first offering, the Glidehouse, ever since I read about its debut at last year's Celebration Weekend. I carried the article with me from Philadelphia to the Bay Area when I moved back here last year. As I drove around with my real estate agent looking for a home, I drove the poor man nuts as I would ask him to quickly stop in front of vacant lots as we drove around. Inevitably the empty lots would cost as much as buying a house. Plus, my agent couldn't understand my dream - he told me that he used to sell modular houses in the 60's and that he could hook me up if I really just wanted a modular home. I couldn't put into the right words that it wasn't just any modular house - it was this modular house.

Now that I've seen the Breezehouse I must have one. Someday. Someway. I don't know when, where or how - but I will.

Happy Birthday to Zoe

2005-05-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

Today is Zoe's 11th birthday. She looks good for her girlish 77 human years. Feel free to wish her well in the comments, and I promise to pass your kind words along.

It also happens to be Zoe's human's birthday (Wag - that's me)! I am, as my grandmother would always say, as old as my tongue and a little bit older than my teeth.

And the Wonderful Musical Baton Continues to Twirl

2005-05-20T11:54:00.000-07:00

Wow, I feel like I'm a real blogger now - I'm doing a meme and everything! Elisa was passed the baton by Elliott (I was at that Clinton speech at Cornell last year too - it really is a small world) and now she's passed it to me, among others. I got some link love (and was introduced to some cool new blogs), I am in any way inhabiting the same blog atmosphere as Elisa and Jory (and very indirectly, Scoble, via Elliott) so I must be arriving! O.K., enough of my basking in my self-made specialness - onto the Musical Baton!

Total volume of music files on my computer: 12 GB but this stat is somewhat misleading. This is not indicative of my music collection as I have yet to get a real MP3 player (theoretically I could listen on my PDA) or make a concerted effort to rip, store and catalog my music collection. Combination of being lazy and an early adopter/technophobe - I'll explain that one in another post. But, kickin' it old skool - I actually own something like 1,500 vinyl LPs, 200-300 vinyl 45s, and 400 or so CDs.

Last CD I bought: Devils & Dust by Bruce Springsteen, of course.

Song playing right now: Theme song to "All My Children" Sad but true - TV is more my background noise than music these days. However, the idea of getting an iPod or other such device and getting my digital music act together has been seeping into my consciousness of late and perhaps one day, in the not too distant future, I'll have a true "Now Playing."

Update: "One Life to Live" is playing Strangelove by Depeche Mode - awesome! Perfect!

Five songs I listen to alot these days:
1. God is Not Sleeping - Phil Roy
(Next four are from TV commercials that catch my attention and make me dance around when they come on)
2. Pump It - Black Eyed Peas (Best Buy)
3. Callin' Out - Lyrics Born (Diet Coke with Adrien Brody - "Bounce" and Tower Records "Funk")
4. Starry-Eyed Surprise - Paul Oakenfold (Diet Coke with roller skates - "Sparkle")
5. Feel Good Inc. - Gorillaz (iTunes & iPod with roller skates)

And when I get with my digital music future those songs are at the top of the list of songs to add.

And now I pass the baton to:

My disclaimer is that I've never been in direct contact with any of these bloggers. However, they all have interesting blogs that I enjoy reading and that I highly recommend, I suspect they'll be game, and I'll be interested to find out what they are listening to if they decide to play.

Update: It occurs to me that most of my dear readers don't blog and many would have fantastically fascinating answers - so friends - send me an email with your answer and I'll publish it here for you.

Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom

2005-05-17T15:39:00.000-07:00

It's a weird and wonderful thing when your family played an important role in the history of America. My great-great-great grandparents were William and Ellen Craft who made a daring escape from slavery by disguising Ellen as a white man and with William posing as her slave, they boarded a train and simply left. That's the extreme digest version. You can read their story in their memoir Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom.

A recent edition of their book features and introduction by Professor Barbara McCaskill, an associate professor of English at the University of Georgia. This academic year Professor McCaskill has been a Radcliffe Institute Fellow. Recently, the Radcliffe Institute hosted a presentation by Dr. McCaskill of her research on the Crafts. The presentation was held near Stanford so since Dr. McCaskill has been in correspondence with my sister and knew that there was a good-sized pocket of Craft descendents in the bay area, we were invited to be her guests at the presentation.

The idea of meeting someone who studies your family (in fact, that someone studies your family) is a little strange. Meeting Barbara, however, was a blast. Her energy and enthusiasm for my (our) history was charming. It was truly enjoyable meeting Barbara and she's been adopted into the family. It was also quite fascinating to hear the historical context and richness that she added to a story that, for us, is a family story that's been passed down for generations and is quite personal. Certainly we understand the historical importance but it was interesting to hear more detail about how the Craft's journey and subsequent activism intersected with and influenced the abolitionist movement, notions of women and blacks, and post-slavery communities among other things.

Also of note was the terrific hospitality of the Radcliffe Institute. The presentation was well organized and we had a wonderful time chatting with our hosts and several alumnae of Radcliffe at dinner afterwards.

Blog Discoveries

2005-05-17T15:01:00.000-07:00

I've added some blogs to my list of reads on the right and I want to alert you to them if you don't already know. My post on hip-hop feminism got picked up on Technorati and sent some curious folks my way. I clicked on some of the other posts under that tag and found some interesting reading. Also, BlogHer has introduced me to some of the women I've added and I am very much looking forward to hopefully meeting them at the conference.

blackfeminism.org is "a community web log about race & gender" which, you might of guessed from reading here, are subjects and the intersection of which I am interested. If you are too, I encourage you to check out this blog.

Jeneane Sessum is on the advisory board of BlogHer and has a blog that is so open, honest and authentic that I was sucked in after my first look and "allied" was immediately added to my blog feeds. I encourage you to go check out what's on Jeneane's mind today.

Nichelle Stephens will be moderating the "Brown Bloggers Go West" session at BlogHer. Check out her "Nichelle Newsletter" where she will entertain you with her saucy wit and tales of life in NYC.

Lynne d Johnson had a post on her blog "A Day In A Life" with follow up and excellent links post Chicago's Feminism and Hip Hop conference. Lynne proposed and will be hosting a "Room of Her Own" session at BlogHer to discuss feminist hip hop bloggers. Man, I don't know how I'm going to navigate that conference because I want to go to every session. Sigh.

My New Blog

2005-05-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

OK - it's been a shamefully long time since my last post. Check out what I've been up to though... birthing a new blog (the marketing one I keep mentioning) and website to market my marketing skills (though, of course, Kimley did the heavy lifting here.)

A Comment So Good...

2005-05-05T15:02:00.000-07:00

...it should be a post. My sister and her partner cared for Zoe and Gracie while I jaunted off to Phoenix for the weekend. My sister's comment on my Crazy Dogs post is juicy enough to be a Zoe Tale and a bonus guest Backyard Babies Tale, too! Enjoy...

Hmmm, I baby-sat these dogs this weekend and had a similar experience. Our "killer kitty" Zena was allowed to meet the dogs while we prayed that she wouldn't rip them to threads. As she puffed up to three times her normal size and prowled the living room, Gracie sat (on top of Zoe's monogramed pocket)and watched the kitty show with her usual tongue hanging curiosity. Several attempts to get a whiff of the kitty landed Gracie stern warning swats to the backside by Zena. Through all of the commotion, Zoe slept under a blanket.

Hours later, Zoe emerged from under my partners blanket on the couch to see Zena making another attempt at patrolling her living room (which had been invaded by nuisance pups). This time Zoe felt the need to exert her considerable three pounds of muscle. Zoe got so worked up that Zena puffed to four times her normal size and we had to quarantine her again.

Needless to say, the cat meets dog experiment didn't work so well. We decided to keep Zena closed off in the west wing until the doggies were returned home.

Curiously, our porch kitty (known as Mama kitty) who is one of the "backyard babies" that we feed, acted much like puddin' head cat. She paid little attention to the dogs as they went in and out for walks and they paid little attention to her. At one point, Zoe even sat between me and the cat on the top of the stairs. Mama kitty and Zoe were less than a foot apart and Zoe pretended she wasn't there. Mama kitty, on the other hand, seemed slightly offended and did her best to scooch a few more inches away without giving up her coveted sun spot.

The moral of the story. Who the hell knows what goes on in the heads of these critters? Making it up is the fun part.

I'm Back - Sort Of

2005-05-05T15:00:00.000-07:00

Hi - I've not posted in a while but just wanted to let y'all know that I'm still here. Just running around to Bruce shows and suffering from allergies that, as one blogger put it, make one pray for death. Anyhoo, lots of news to come. See you further on up the road!

Best News In A Long Time

2005-04-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

According to The New York Times, watching television can make you smarter. And when you watch as much television as I do, that is very good news indeed! Here's one of the great lessons from the article:

not having to think is boring. Many recent hit shows -- ''24,'' ''Survivor,'' ''The Sopranos,'' ''Alias,'' ''Lost,'' ''The Simpsons,'' ''E.R.'' -- take the opposite approach, layering each scene with a thick network of affiliations. You have to focus to follow the plot, and in focusing you're exercising the parts of your brain that map social networks, that fill in missing information, that connect multiple narrative threads.

The article is an excerpt from author Steven Johnson's forthcoming book Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter. I can't wait to read this one! Or better yet, watch the TV series.

Crazy Dogs

2005-04-25T16:23:00.000-07:00

Puddin' Head Cat (PHC) is hanging out at my house today sacked out in the bushes. When it comes to this cat my dogs are just nutty. We first met PHC when she boldly walked into our house shortly after we moved in. PHC took a tour and checked out the place. Gracie just watched while Zoe continued to snooze away in her pocket bed. PHC boldly walked over to Zoe's bed which finally got Zoe to look and then promptly crawl back into the pocket and go back to sleep. Strange cat in the house and not a peep or even mild curiosity.

Today when we went for our afternoon stroll we walked right past PHC and the dogs couldn't care less. Now, while they are sitting in the window on patrol to alert me to nefarious passers by, Gracie has just noticed that she can see PHC out the window. This has whipped Gracie into a tizzy. She is barking up a storm. Zoe is joining in even though she doesn't see what Gracie is woofing at. So up close and personal, with a chance to chase her away, these two nut dogs couldn't care less. However, safely behind glass, the sight of a sleeping cat is distressing them to no end.

Crazy! And speaking of the crazy way of dogs and why we love them so, I found a link to this great site via Doc Searls blog. dropthatsock is a site that celebrates these weird and wonderful creatures. Check it out!

Remembering NYC

2005-04-21T18:03:00.000-07:00

I am a California girl through and through. I cannot imagine anywhere else being home. And I say California because I love both the SF Bay area and the Los Angeles area - I'm strange that way (for you non-Californians, people generally dislike one if they like the other). I was born in LA and throughout my life, have lived many years there. And I do love it smog, traffic, narcissism and all. However, I consider the gorgeous, funky, diverse Bay Area, specifically Oakland, home.

Despite taking a multi-year detour through the Midwest and East Coast, I always felt in my heart that someday I would come home and therefore I could never allow myself to fall in love with any other place. One of the stops on my away from home tour was New York City. I tried at first to live in Manhattan. I couldn't take it. I wasn't very close to a subway line so it tended to be a pain to get around (if the 2nd street line were more than a myth I might have been more charitable). I didn't make enough money and lived far enough uptown that regular cabbing would have been too costly. It was the hottest summer in history when I was there so in addition to the stifling, muggy humid weather that I as a dry, desert, 72 and sunny, LA girl could not take, there was the extra rank scent of baked garbage wafting through the air. All little things that, on the balance, made me unwilling to live there more than the 3 months that I did.

There were pluses like taking my dogs for their daily walks at Carl Shurtz park near Gracie Mansion on the water (not lovely - it was the East River - but water nonetheless.) One of my fond memories was when Zoe threw up in protest at Rudy Giuliani's front gate. This was well before 9-11 and when Liberals were still derisive even while secretly harboring an appreciation for how much more pleasant a place Manhattan had become. I visited regularly in the late '80's and went to see bands which meant that I wandered around unsavory places very late at night and literally took my life in my hands - everyone I knew that lived there at that time had been mugged violently at least once. But I digress...

I moved to the burbs and visited Manhattan. I had a chance to get to know and know better relatives whom I didn't know well having lived 3,000 miles away most of my life. I enjoyed the fantastic restaurants, museums, shopping and more. Yes, I carped about the cost and time involved with getting there, and grumbled about my seeming inability to get my bearings there and constantly getting lost, but there were people I loved and many places I adored there so I went and my heart softened.

I bought my first home in New York - a mile from an express train that took me quickly and reasonably to Grand Central Station which allowed me visit Manhattan more easily so my heart softened some more. Also, I closed on and moved into that apartment - about 20 miles from Ground Zero - on 9-11, so in a way I felt somewhat bonded, somewhat of a New Yorker. That feeling intensified when I had the opportunity to volunteer at Ground Zero and feed rescue workers. The outpouring of compassion and comfort total strangers (that I met in other parts of the country in the months after the tragedy) would express to me upon hearing that I lived anywhere near Manhattan made me feel so proud to be a New Yorker even though in my heart I knew it was a lie.

When I left New York I was just starting to come to terms with living there. But that was it - coming to terms. And, poof, I left and it was gone - the pride, admiration and like (not love) that I had built up for New York was gone. Unlike a dear friend who will never leave New York City and return to Los Angeles (a cultural wasteland where you are forced to drive in her opinion), I can't imagine ever living there again.

I read something today, though that me realize why, although it will never be home, I do heart NY. James Rocchi, the film critic at Netflix, has a lovely essay on his blog about NYC in the context of visiting for the Tribecca Film Festival which Robert De Niro started to help heal lower Manhattan post 9-11. This paragraph crystallized it for me:

I've been to New York more than a few times in my life, but even before my first trip, I had been there a thousand times. Thanks to Woody Allen films, Jim Jarmusch films, Spike Lee films. The music of The Ramones, Public Enemy, The Velvet Underground. The novels of Lawrence Block, J.D. Sallinger, Andrew Vacchs. The photos of Diane Arbus. Spider-Man. Guys and Dolls and West Side Story and 42nd Street. The Not-Ready-For-Prime-Time Players. The New Yorker. Dorothy Parker. Andy Warhol. I don't think you can love pop culture without loving New York.

And that's the thing - when I first set foot in New York it was strange, alien and so familiar at the same time. And I do love (am obsessed with) pop culture so how could I not love New York? Plus, having lived there, my life is all the richer for it, quirks, faults, pains and all. Thanks James for reminding me to remember New York with love.

Tight!

2005-04-18T19:15:00.000-07:00

Recently we helped my grandmother move apartments and I came across her high school "autograph book" from 1929. Wow - how fascinating! It was more than just "autographs" from her classmates - it was a diary that she kept her entire senior year. Sort of like a self-created yearbook.

There were spaces for photographs of classmates and for fond notes from friends. Including the one that my grandmother had from her best friend - this is when they lived in Pittsburgh, just before my grandmother and great grandparents moved to Harlem - with the usual wishes of hoping they would remain friends after they graduated. This same best friend and her husband now live in the same retirement community as my grandmother here in California! They've remained friends for over 80 years! Amazing - how many BFF's from your yearbook are you still in touch with?

The cool thing I found came in a description of a party she attended. In describing her enjoyment of this party she wrote that she had a "tight time." More than 75 years later tight is still slang for good. There really is nothing new under the sun is there?

Puddin' Head Duck Update 2

2005-04-18T19:05:00.000-07:00

So the ducks (seen here, here and here and explained here and here) have decided to add my house to their daily rotation of lawns to visit! It's so cool to look out my front window and see them lounging contentedly and patrolling just like Gracie and Zoe. The girls don't even fuss at them!

Why I Love/Hate Blogs

2005-04-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

Hi. My name is Wag and I'm a blogger.

Yep, I'm addicted to blogs and blogging. I shake my fist at you accursed instant publishing mind-crack.

So here's my day so far...

1. Get up.
2. Work out. (Yay for me!)
3. Eat breakfast.
4. Check assorted email accounts.
5. Check My Yahoo! Page 1 for updated news.
6. Check My Yahoo! Page 2 for updated blogs.
7. Click on fresh post "Divo Blogs" at Diva Marketing.
8. Experience brief moment of disappointment that post is not actually on new Simon Cowell opera boy band Il Divo. (previously mentioned here)
9. Find post is actually about a blogroll of recommended male bloggers. (funny given the brouhaha surrounding the lack of links to female bloggers - which reminds me - plug BlogHer)
10. Start clicking on each link. (use shift when clicking on link to open new window - trick learned at Lifehacker - I think)
11. Get to link 5 (of 65) for Blog Business World.
12. Blog Business World points me to Carnival of the Vanities and this month's Carnival posted at Dr. Zen's Yeah Whatever blog.
14. Carnival of the Vanities points me to Chris Clarke's blog Creek Running North and his most remarkable post titled "Life and Death". Read this!
15. Spend about an hour reading and digesting post and the massive string of comments generated. The post combined with comments are a tutorial unto themselves about blogging - the nature of personal blogs, how comments generate discussion, how comment spam of a type gets generated, how bloggers deal with it - the whole lot of it - in actual substance and in instruction, all fascinating.
16. Carnival of the Vanities also points me to LaShawn Barber's post on blogging pet peeves which in my brain makes me think of issues raised by the reading discussed in #15. (Note: I don't much agree with Ms. Barber's politics, but I am repeatedly pointed to her blog and her insights. I have a great deal of respect for her intellect and blogging skills. And, as she is, like me, a Black woman who blogs, my curiosity is always piqued when I see her links.)
17. Write this post and spend too much time updating links, html code and trackbacks.
18. 4 hours after logging on admit that I really should take advantage of the weather and force myself to do some yard work. (Gardening is one of those things that I really, really don't want to learn how to do but it's one of those "joys of home ownership" that you take on - ugh!)

My life sucks - I love it!

I Can't Help Myself - Marketing Lessons From Reality TV

2005-04-15T12:49:00.000-07:00

Yes I keep saying that I'm going to have a separate blog just about my thoughts on marketing. And I will when my website is up. But I couldn't resist sharing these observations since they combine two of my favorite things - marketing (the way I see it) and pop culture so here goes!

On the Apprentice, both last week and this week, the key to the winning team's success was talking to their consumers. Each week, one team tapped into the hearts and minds of the target market for their products and the difference showed.

Last week the teams were tasked with creating "wearable technology" for retailer American Eagle (teen and young adult clothing). When asked what the most important piece of technology was to their consumers one team correctly answered "cell phones" because they'd asked teens. The other team replied iPods. You might get that impression from the media but really - how many teens do you know that have iPods vs. how many teens you know that have cell phones? My 17 year old niece doesn't have an iPod, doesn't use email, doesn't play video games and rarely watches television but she literally cannot live without her cellphone. Lesson: Talk to your consumers before developing new products for them!

This week, the teams were charged with developing a brochure for a new Pontiac convertible. One all male team assumed that they would win easily because they were men so therefore understood cars and their consumers better than the other, 2/3 female team. Despite the fact that most car purchases are either made or influenced by women, the woman dominated team didn't assume they knew what potential buyers wanted - they asked! And, they took it a step further and connected to what they learned about consumers emotional response to the car. No surprise, the team that talked to consumers won. Lots of lessons here including talk to your consumers, connect with them emotionally not just rationally and remember that you are not the consumer - don't try and substitute your judgment for theirs!

The third lesson comes from American Idol and judges Paula and Randy. They made the rounds of talk shows today to hawk their Ultimate Voice Coach DVD. Do I think that watching this DVD will turn anyone into the next American Idol? No. But what I like about this product is that it's a smart extension of the American Idol and Paula and Randy brands.

What this DVD offers is the dream of being the next AI in a way that all the keychains, trading cards and other tchotchkes offered up by the AI licensing machine can't. Beyond offering the chance to get a little piece of the AI dream while still watching from the audience, you're now offered a chance to be part of the AI dream. The judges are a necessary part of achieving that dream so this product feels authentic. The lesson here? Expand your brand in ways that make sense for the emotional connection your consumers have to your brand.

It felt good to get that out! Wheee - can't wait to do this all the time :-)

Interesting Intersections Continue

2005-04-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

I read in the Wall Street Journal today (sorry no link - you need a paid subscription to the online journal edition to access - if you have it it's in the Personal Journal section, page 2 in the Giving Back column under the heading First Class) that Roland Fryer, whom I discussed in a previous post, was named one of the newest Fletcher Fellows.

Alphonse Fletcher Jr., who leads Fletcher Asset Management, pledged $50 million to Harvard's W.E.B. DuBois Institute for African and African American Research to honor the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision. The selection committee is headed by Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. who, as I also mentioned in the previous post, brought together an impressive group of African American scholars at Harvard.

In addition to Professor Fryer, Brandeis Professor Anita Hill, author Stanley Crouch, anthropologist Nina Jablonski, Dance Theater of Harlem artistic director Arthur Mitchell, and artist Glenn Ligon have been selected as Fellows. The Fellows receive $50,000 stipends to explore issues related to race.

I feel encouraged by developments in the Academy such as these. And when there are events such as the efforts to forge coalitions between Black and Latino voters in LA to support Mayoral candidate Antonio Villaraigosa (my Ph.D. research focused on development of Black-Latino political coalitions in urban areas) I sort of miss my academic life. It's a fascinating time right now and I look forward to continuing to watch with eager interest from the sidelines.

BlogHer Conference 2005 - Sign Up Now

2005-04-12T18:04:00.000-07:00

I'll be there. I've become a big fan of the blogs written by a couple of the forces behind this upcoming conference - Elisa Camahort and Jory Des Jardins (Pause) - both of whom are linked to the right here - which is how I learned of this event.

I'll attend because all the areas of discussion are of great interest to me as a blogger who happens to be female and new to the game. I think the issues would be of interest to many bloggers even if they are not female or have been at this blogging business for quite some time. Will I see you there?

Some notes - visit www.blogher.org for much more and to register or volunteer...

BlogHer Conference 05 will provide an open, inclusive forum to:
1. Discuss the role of women within the larger blog community
2. Examine the developing (and debatable) code of blogging ethics
3. Discover how blogging is shrinking the world and amplifying the voices of women worldwide

In addition, educational tracks will be available focusing on:
1. Best technology practices, newbie to advanced: how to use technology and tools to achieve text, photo, audio and video blogging goals
2. Best industry-specific practices: Why are journalists, marketers, lawyers, academics, technologists and many more blogging? And how do you find the ones youre interested in?
3. The rights and the responsibilities of the blogger

Youth not wasted on the young - Updated

2005-04-12T12:38:00.000-07:00

I really can't stand people who are so focused and together when they are this young. Roland G. Fryer Jr is a professor of economics at Harvard at 27. As a former Ph.D. candidate I find this mind boggling-ly impressive. To me this is the most remarkable aspect of his story. Not the fact that he overcame a childhood that for many people would have made it difficult to stay in high school to graduate, let alone go to college on scholarship and graduate in 2 1/2 years. And, in what is turning out to be a running Maroon love-fest in this blog, he got his Ph.D. in economics at Chicago - home of a mess of Nobel Prize-winning economists. And, did I mention that he's black?

Much like with blogging, there is concern that voice of women and people of color aren't sufficiently represented in academia. Certainly not in the ranks of the "superstars." The system for rising to the top in both worlds contains some of the same elements. You get recognition for blogging when people link to you. You get recognition as a professor when people cite your work. So that this kid is getting so much attention and respect at such a young age and early stage in his career is remarkable. That he is black is all that more remarkable since being black in the academy is not yet unremarkable.

He is part of an incredible group of black academics that Henry Louis Gates Jr. has gathered together at Harvard. I've had the opportunity to in some way study with a few of the professors in that group and I feel strongly that beyond the "links" these professors have collected, they are truly impressive and would be even without the links. Gates gets it. And Gates gets Fryer so I'm all the more impressed. And, did I mention he's only 27?

UPDATE: The amazing group of African-American scholars at Harvard appears to be disbanding

Makes Me Want to Rent - Almost

2005-04-11T14:48:00.000-07:00

This genius site almost makes me want to be a renter again - almost. :-)

Having seen it, I can't imagine renting any other way. Google Maps & Craigslist Mashup

Found at PSFK

Road Trip For Bruce!

2005-04-09T18:42:00.000-07:00

In addition to my fondness for punk rock, I love a wide and eclectic variety of music. And that includes Bruce Springsteen. A lot of people find this odd but Bruce himself cites The Clash and The Sex Pistols among his key influences. Bruce has a new record coming out called Devils & Dust which is sort of "modern country" (Bruce's term) similar to his Ghost of Tom Joad record.

Bruce is solo acoustic touring to promote the album. He's playing in smaller venues that seat 5,000 or less so that makes it tough for the die hard fans. However, Bruce solo acoustic country-fied is an acquired taste even for hardcore tramps*. He even warns fans that they won't get acoustic versions of the hits like Thunder Road. Fortunately, all this leads to Phoenix turning out to be a great place to try for tickets like I did this morning to help my friends Rob and Cheryl. Turns out no help was needed because demand was so low. So I snagged a single for myself and I'll be road tripping out. This may turn out to be a smart move because from the boards at Backstreets, it looks like Oakland is going to be in much higher demand.

I hope I can snag an Oakland ticket though, for sentimental reasons. The show is at the Paramount Theater. Bruce played there in 1975. And I graduated from High School at the Paramount. It was very exciting for me to know that I had walked the same stage where Bruce had played (this is before I met Bruce - a story for another post). I still would love to see him play on that stage so keep your fingers crossed for me that I get the chance!

*nickname for Springsteen fans from the line in the song Born to Run "til then tramps like us, Baby we were born to run"

Duck Update

2005-04-09T18:38:00.000-07:00

So I learned from my neighbors Joe and Jane that the Puddin' Head Ducks (scroll down for pics) are annual visitors to our neighborhood. Apparently the pair just showed up one year and continue to return. So, cool - I live in a duck retirement community!

Trying to post regularly

2005-04-08T18:07:00.000-07:00

Oy - I've been bedeviled by an Internet service outage with Comcast yesterday and an inability to get into my blog account via Firefox today. I'm using IE to post this though I'd prefer not to. I like stuff to work and get cranky when it doesn't.

At any rate, my goal of at least a post a day has been thwarted. These problems combined with reading about some other folks grappling with similar questions and Blogger's tendency to bugginess, is leading me to consider hosting my own blog software rather than using a hosted service for my next blog. I dislike adding more stuff on my plate to learn as I'm already interested in too much. But, sigh, it seems like with many things, you may get what you pay for when setting up a blog.

Random Thoughts

2005-04-08T17:39:00.000-07:00

Simon Cowell from American Idol has a new band that he put together - it's an opera boy band called Il Divo. Even though they did debut at #1 in the UK, I predict that they're going to be a flop here. I often agree with Simon's assessments of the singers on AI but I think he's gone wrong here. Pop boy bands are out of vogue these days - case in point: Backstreet Boys are on tour and playing small halls not arenas. And, the American music biz has been trying to find a winning pop-classical artist for at least 15+ years as I was given the assignment when I worked at a major record label to track down every artist in the country working in that vein because my boss was sure it was going to be the next big thing. It wasn't then and it wasn't because the idea was ahead of it's time. It's especially unlikely to resonate now with a generation of kids raised on formulaic, pitch corrected, pop singles.

When I read a description of the new Ford Mustang I thought it was going to be butt ugly but I must say, as I see more of them, I'm really liking them. They really are a good example of design that embodies the promise of the object as they look quite muscular. I had a run where it seemed like half the cars I rented on business trips were Mustangs and they really are quite fun to drive. I'd look cute in a 2005 convertible ;-)

Sprite Remix has launched their annual new flavor. After the original Tropical (which I liked very much despite the fact that I'm not a Sprite [lemon-lime in general] fan) and last year's Berryclear, they've launched the completely obtusely named Aruba Jam. Not quite a skittle-y as Berryclear, Aruba Jam offers a vaguely candy-ish cherry flavor. The hint is the red trim on the label. Somehow I doubt they grow cherries in Aruba. Update before I even publish - I checked for a link (nothing official out there yet - I think some bottles hit the shelves early before official launch) but supposedly it's orange flavored. My tastebuds could be faulty and my brain could have been thrown by the red trim but it's no where near something like Mountain Dew Live Wire which is a huge guilty pleasure for me. Fortunately Live Wire is only out in the summer so my temptation is limited. Again, I need to quite typing before investigating - I appear to be in trouble as the Live Wire website says they're staying for good not just popping up between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Hopefully, I won't be as interested if I can get it anytime.

Crowns at Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts

2005-04-06T16:41:00.000-07:00

Last night I had the opportunity to see essentially a full dress rehersal for the musical Crowns at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. Previews start tonight and the show runs through May 1.

I joined several members of my family to go see and support our dear friend Michelle Jordan. Michelle is an amazing and massively talented singer and performer (and teacher, Choir Director and spiritual counselor). Crowns was adapted for the stage by Regina Taylor (best known for her portrayal of Lily Harper in the criminally underwatched show I'll Fly Away) from the book Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry. The play tells the stories of several women, their life in their communities and in their churches, punctuated by what hat they wore and woven together with gospel songs.

Given that the show is not even in previews yet, it was remarkably well staged and pulled together. I saw another play last week on its second night of previews and it was still very rough around the edges. Crowns got a standing ovation last night so I'm sure it will only get more impressive as they continue to perform.

I highly recommend Crowns for the fascinating sociology, the strong performances and most especially for the incredible music - particularly Michelle's singing. During and after one of her songs a guy behind me kept muttering "wow" repeatedly. I am somewhat jaded and cynical when it comes to singing and performances as I worked in the music business for a while and have seen more than my fair share of "undiscovered" talent - trust me, I think most should not quit their day jobs. And I find myself blown away every time I hear this woman sing. That said, the show would be worth seeing even if Michelle weren't in it but she is so treat yourself.

Gmail Invites

2005-04-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

I now have 100 Gmail invites to offer so leave me a comment if you'd like one. Gmail boasts 2 GB storage. The nested conversation feature takes some getting used to but the search function is fantastic. And the big downside that everyone fears of seeing Adsense ads in the emails you receive is really a non-issue. I swear I absolutely do not notice them and have to make myself look. It can be pretty funny sometimes what gets auto generated. However, I have seen some really sad and scary ads generated on websites like the one for slaughter house equipment on Elisa's Santa Cruz Metro article on vegetarian dining. Or ones for "teacup" Chihuahuas on Chi blogs.

Trackbacks Enabled

2005-04-04T19:52:00.000-07:00

On my continuing quest to learn more about this blogging stuff, I've added trackbacks to my blog courtesy of Haloscan since Blogger doesn't provide them. It should be interesting to see if I get any since, as far as I can tell, one of my sisters checks in on my blog with any regularity and otherwise - unless I specifically point a friend or family member to a post, they go unread.

When I was at UCLA the radio station was known as radio for the deaf since it could only be heard in buildings specifically wired for the signal. In other words, unless you lived in a dorm or were hanging in the student union, you were out of luck. So perhaps I am blogging for the unwired ;-)

I can't pull up the blog via any search engines save for putting in the url title (zoetales) into Google given that this is a Blogger/Google blog. I've notified Yahoo! of the blog and have it linked to my My Yahoo RSS reader, but no luck there. I'm not whining - just noting that I've got some more work to do on figuring this stuff out. I've been trying to remain anonymous for now while I learn and as I'm job hunting (don't want to be the first thing a potential employer could Google up about me be a discussion of my dogs and their bodily fluids) so I haven't made a serious effort to get this thing found. But really man, what a drag that I can't even amuse myself by seeing my blog on Google.

Ah well, back to the learning curve which is steeper than I thought and taking me longer to move along than I'd like. Next up on my list of things to learn (in addition to figuring out more elegant ways to add pictures than as individual posts) is how to make jumps so my long, rambling posts don't show whole. I seem to remember that there is a tutorial on it somewhere in Blogger.

I'm thinking of exploring Type Pad for my business blog which I hope to launch in the next few weeks. Just in case - anyone out there have any thoughts on the subject?

2005-04-04T13:50:00.000-07:00

Gracie-side

2005-04-04T13:49:00.001-07:00

Zoe-side

2005-04-04T13:49:00.000-07:00

Zoe-front

2005-04-04T13:26:00.000-07:00

Ducks3

2005-04-04T13:25:00.000-07:00

Ducks2

Puddin' Head Ducks

2005-04-04T13:23:00.000-07:00

So I just started fiddlin' around with Picasa and uploaded the pictures below of my Puddin' Head ducks. Puddin' Head is the name that my friends Rob and Cheryl came up with for the cat that adopted them. Puddin' Head adopted them by just showing up to their new house when they moved to Arizona recently and staying. Having recently moved to San Jose myself, I've had assorted creatures come to my door to introduce themselves, and in some cases, walk on in to meet the dogs and check out the house. Thus, I adopted Puddin' Head as my generic name for such visitors.

In the past couple of weeks I've noticed this pair of ducks walking around my suburban neighborhood. I have no idea where they came from as there is no body of water nearby that I know of. They might be pets but I haven't seen any person interacting with them. However they came to live here - cool! And they came up to my door on Easter for a visit! Cici fed them some bread crumbs and they got so excited that one nipped her toe.

My next trick with Picasa will be to put up pictures of "the girls" Gracie and Zoe. Keep an eye out.

2005-04-04T13:21:00.000-07:00

Ducks1

Guest Tale about Kitties

2005-03-28T18:26:00.000-08:00

My sister and her partner have a large collection of cats who have chosen to live in their backyard. I thought I would share with you a "Backyard Babies Tale" about a couple of these cats. Enjoy!

Lionel and Fang are in the Igloo together! Lionel has been in there enjoying the sun, and Fang went in and started stepping on Lionel's squishy belly. Lionel was a little annoyed, but tolerated it. Now Fang has gotten comfortable and they are both snoozing in the sun! I am watching all of this from my office window. Cute!

Wrath of the Chihuahua

2005-03-28T17:34:00.000-08:00

You know that you are obsessed with Chihuahuas when several people send you links to the same story about one. This Chihuahua sounds like Zoe's long lost twin. Zoe is similarly insistent on barking at trespassers onto her territory. And by territory, that means any place she can see or is walking on. However, unlike Bobo, Zoe's attacks aren't quite as indiscriminate (probably because she doesn't run loose.)

Yesterday my family helped me move my sofa to the wall with the window at the front of my house. This was done even though it makes it tougher for me to watch my big screen TV (which is quite the sacrifice for me.) I made the move all so Zoe can patrol. Zoe likes to keep an eye on things by surveying her territory. She then barks at anyone or anything that crosses her sightline. Of course, it maybe tiresome to some of the neighbors but she is safely behind glass. The only potential danger is to herself as she sometimes gets so apoplectic that I fear she might combust like a Spinal Tap drummer.

Perry's Food for the Soul - Updated

2005-03-22T18:30:00.000-08:00

I mentioned below that I grabbed some quick tacos at Guadalajara in San Leandro the other day. When I have a bit more time and a much bigger appetite, I like to stop by my cousin's restaurant in San Leandro - Perry's Food for the Soul.

Stephanie has always been a fantastic cook and has had a lot of love for sharing her gift. I once got a serious bee in my bonnet for trying to perfect a version of our grandmother's rice pudding. Despite apprenticing in my grandmother's kitchen, I couldn't get it right. When I went off to college Stephanie found me yet another recipe and wrote me a card with the recipe and tips. Also, Oprah may have anointed Delilah's in Philadelphia as home of the best mac 'n cheese (and it's good - I would pick some up at the 30th St train terminal when I lived there and came home on the train from trips to visit the ad agency in NYC), but I could have told Oprah that cousin Stephanie actually makes the best.

So if you're near San Leandro and have a hankering for some tasty soul food - check out Perry's Food for the Soul (in Pelton Center off East 14th.) Or, talk to Stephanie about catering your next function and get ready for some seriously cheesy bliss.

UPDATE: Sadly, I must report that Perry's Food for the Soul has closed for business. The restaurant biz is a tough one and I wish Stephanie the best in whatever life holds next for her.

UPDATE 2: Please ignore the previous update. Apparently Stephanie has decided to hang on and keep up the good fight. So stop by and give her tasty food a try and help a sister out!

Keeping Busy Away From the Blog

2005-03-22T14:47:00.000-08:00

So I haven't posted in few days, in part because I've actually been out and about away from home. On Saturday I had a nice visit with my friend Gail who was in SF.

On Friday I saw Alvin Ailey in Berkeley which was quite wonderful. They performed an amazing piece titled "Caught" which I don't want to give away in case you ever get a chance to see it, but it had half the audience on their feet at the end. Also, they performed a new piece titled "Shining Star" set to the music of Earth, Wind & Fire which is my mother's favorite band so it was a special treat for her, especially since it was her first time seeing Alvin Ailey live. I'm always taken with the ability of Alvin Ailey performances be both incredibly accessible and yet so clearly and thoroughly grounded in formal dance training.

I had a late lunch before the show at Guadalajara Taqueria in San Leandro. Although, the reviews aren't stellar, I find their carnitas (served only on Fri, Sat, Sun) quite tasty. I pick up a couple of small soft tacos for a buck each and that satisfies the craving. The line is always out the door so maybe it speaks to the price, but I think the food has something to do with it.

Chihuahua vs Chihuahua

2005-03-17T16:27:00.000-08:00

I have, as mentioned at the top, two Chihuahuas - Gracie and Zoe for whom the blog was named. As we took our last walk this afternoon before a week of rain, I was struck by their differences.

Gracie is like a big mack truck of a Chihuahua. She's 9 lbs which is big for a Chi (they are supposed to be between 2 and 6) and is solidly built. She is also extremely friendly. So, aside from the usual checklist of things to do for dogs out walking, she's interested in meeting people and, if she's really lucky, finding something to eat. As we walked Gracie was all business. Charging ahead towards the sound of my neighbor working in his garage and when that didn't pan out in quality social time, marching intently towards the next patch of grass. We didn't see any of our friends and neighbors along the way today so Gracie didn't stop as we walked, except when she found a very interesting hunk of baguette that apparently fell out of a garbage can when it was picked up this morning. Of course I pulled her off, but she had a moment of hopes and dreams.

Zoe on the other hand is a bit of a hedonist intent on enjoying all the sensual pleasures nature has to offer. She wants to stop all along the way. Not just to do a handstand to put imaginary pee on the endless spots she needs to mark as her territory, but to stop and smell the roses. And I mean that literally. Zoe loves to smell flowers. She closes her eyes, sticks her snout into the center and breathes deeply, inhaling their intoxicating scent. Today we encountered some daisy-like flowers that have bloomed at the base of a tree after our last bout of week-long rain that Zoe lovingly investigated. Zoe also slowly and deliberately sniffed the little caterpillar-like bits of pollen fallen from another tree. And, of course, she wiggled her body through pristine patches of freshly cut lawn along the way.

So there you have it - no Chihuahua as yappy ankle biter stereotypes these two. Both dreamers in each their own way.

Hip Hop Feminism

2005-03-16T20:18:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: Some of the links will take you to some frank discussion and description. You should be able to tell by the context but be warned if you're sensitive to such things. Also, I do not link to the video mentioned below but if you must see it it's easy enough to Google it up.

The University of Chicago is holding a conference on Feminism and Hip Hop. This is in the wake of the protests of Nelly and his video for Tip Drill by students at Spelman and Morehouse Colleges and the resulting Take Back the Music conversation initiated by Essence Magazine. (Though some are wondering if Essence can remain an independent voice for black women now that it's been purchased by Time.)

A couple of weeks ago my mother and I accompanied my 17 year old niece to visit my grandmother. (My niece had a cool school assignment to interview someone who had lived through the Great Depression.) Later in the afternoon, I asked my niece if she was aware of the Take Back the Music movement. She wasn't (which leads me to wonder if the intended target audience is being reached) but she certainly is aware of the Tip Drill video. And I was delighted and so proud that she was as appalled by the video and much of the demeaning depictions of women in hip hop (and it's not just hip hop but that is what many, if not most, of the kids today listen to) as the women at Spelman. My niece went on a rant about how the values propagated in videos are leading girls she knows to call themselves tip drills and to back their thangs up and drop it like it's hot at eight years old. Yes, you read that right, EIGHT.

I'm all for lack of censorship and expecting parents to parent. My mom was horrified when I was listening to sex & drugs & rock & roll music in high school. She warned me not to come home from college with funny color hair - though when I did she thought I looked like a cute martian. But my parents and family did a great job of instilling values and a sense of self and self worth in me and so the music was just the music. But I wonder how girls today can resist what seems to be an onslaught of misogyny and pressure to be sexual at such a young age all in the name of "entertainment?"

I don't know that the music can be taken back. Yes I think hip hop started out in a very different place and much (not all) of it is not much more than a monetized commodity. But I don't think it ever belonged to the girls. At least, my niece gives me hope. And I'm glad some eggheads and around the way girls will be talking about it in Chicago.

New Products that Rock

2005-03-16T19:40:00.000-08:00

I'm obsessed with consumers because I am an obsessive one myself. So I figured every so often I'd tell y'all about new stuff.

I've recently tried a couple of new cereals and both are tasty and worthy additions to your pantry or the top of your fridge. The first is Kelloggs Vanilla Creme flavored Frosted Mini Wheats. The vanilla creme flavor has adds a nice hit of sweetness if not authentic vanilla flavor. And you still get all the mmmm, fiber of the original so at least you can pretend you are being healthy. On the healthy enough that you don't have to be embarrassed you are eating a kid's cereal tip, General Mills has come out with Chocolate Lucky Charms. Kick start your whole grain life with this good source, which still has the same lumps of sugar masquerading as marshmallows plus it now turns the milk into chocolate milk. Yummy! Plus right now you can find both on deal for $2 or $2.50 a box which is about half-price.

Coke with Lime (which was prominently placed all over American Idol last night) is too sweet for my tastes (odd because I love Vanilla Coke which is way sweet), probably because I've been downing lots of Inko's White Tea which is fabulously just sweet enough and only 28 calories.

So there's a food round up. I'm still waiting for the next Schick Intuition to come and rock my world.

Do NOT Mock the Monocular

2005-03-14T22:55:00.000-08:00

So when I was at the "sell weekend" for the job I took out of b-school the company put us all up at a very nice hotel and when we arrived we found a welcome/gift bag. In said bag was a monocular (think half a binocular) with a tag saying "keep your eye on us." I thought this was a silly gift as I am a firm believer in corporate gifts being something useful. And I doubt that any of the MBAs attending that weekend ever went bird watching for which apparently monoculars are useful. I had the great fortune to graduate just before the bubble burst and the amount of useless tchotchkes we highly courted students received was ridiculous. I felt strongly that the monocular fell into this category. I teased the very wonderful guy (and I will sheepishly admit I took the ribbing too far - far past the funny if it ever had any to begin with) who had organized the sell weekend for us to no end once I arrived on the job. I kept the monocular on my desk so that I could have a ready prop for mocking and making snark at a moment's notice. I got my comeuppance when the monocular was stolen.

If only I had known! Tonight's episode of 24 demonstrated the infinite usefulness of having a monocular handy for those times when a powerful electro magnetic field wipes out all power and you need to keep an eye on the bad guys. Who knew? Jack Bauer, of course.

Punk Rock Granny

2005-03-14T13:49:00.000-08:00

There was a time when I swore that I'd be a punk rock granny. Punk rock until I die. Yeah, right. Until I cut off all my funny colored hair so I could look respectable for my college yearbook picture. I still managed to hold on to some of my p-grrrl respectability for a few more years but I sit here typing this to you wearing Eileen Fisher pants, a top from Talbots and with a color in my hair that looks like hair that could grow out of a human head.

Ian MacKaye, on the other hand, is all punk rock, all the time (and has made some really cool and highly influential music along the way). Check out this article in LA Weekly for an interesting article about staying true to yourself and to your brand. Because I can't resist the marketing angle, just think how brands that remain that consistent for 25 years while still evolving and going in new and different directions could succeed.

Pop Culture in the Academy

2005-03-11T19:52:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm tuned into the blogosphere, I was curious and checked out a blog I read about in the University of Chicago Magazine (my favorite of the 3 universities I attended).

Daniel Drezner is a Professor of Political Science at Chicago (I don't know him but I was in the Ph.D. program there and - small world note - my friend Kimberly [whom I met at the Ph.D. program at UCLA where I was before I transferred to Chicago and who shares my last name but isn't really my sister] has his old office at the University of Colorado.) who blogs about

Politics, economics, globalization, academia, pop culture... all from an untenured perspective

I love the fact that he has back-to-back posts on "Should Jeffrey Sachs get $150 billion per year?" about a plan to eliminate global poverty and "The secret formula for superheroines" in which Buffy the Vampire Slayer gets a shout out. Buffy - one of the best.shows.ever.

Check it out for great reading that stimulates both sides of your brain.

And speaking of cool TV teen girl superheroines - where the heck did Joan of Arcadia go? Off to go surf and see if I can find out...

Luxury and Goodness

2005-03-09T19:06:00.000-08:00

Aaagh! Just got my first lesson on how to lose a post. I'll now attempt to re-create.

So, I promised in my previous post not to chat about marketing here. But Agenda Inc. led me to this article from USA Today about Whole Foods. ITA about the concept of linking health and pleasure. I'll rant in the future about why I think so, but until then I'll just say I'd like to combine do-gooding and pleasure by making my next car this. A girl can dream can't she?

Welcome to my Blog

2005-03-09T18:02:00.000-08:00

Hello and welcome!

Just a bit about me and my blog. I had heard about blogs a while back but didn't really explore until the elections when I started reading Daily Kos. Earlier this year I read this article on Vault about Elisa Camhort and her company Worker Bees. After checking out those two blogs and clicking on some of the links I discovered a bunch of really interesting blogs. Some of them are linked on the side here - like Pause which is interesting to me because of the topic but also because it is so beautifully written. Others (most right now) are TV related because I'm quite addicted. And some of my friends who have businesses and websites and/or blogs are listed as well. Check them out - they're all cool - guaranteed!

Anyhoo - all that surfing inspired me to start a blog. I'm still getting my feet wet and learning my way around, so bear with me as I continue to refine the formating and features. The main purpose for this blog is, as I mention at the top, to share my observations of my funny little dog Zoe (who used to belong to my sister), my other funny little dog Gracie and my random thoughts on life stuff - except marketing - read on.

I have some time on my hands since I started off the new year jobless so I've got several interesting projects going on in between looking for work. One is starting a marketing company. Once Kimley, designer extrodinaire, gets my website up and running, I'll be starting a marketing blog over there and I'll post all my marketing blog links.

Thanks for checking us out!

The Original Zoe Tale

2005-03-07T20:38:00.000-08:00

The original Zoe tale from October 1997:

OK - Zoe stories:

Sassy Zoe: We went out for our morning pee and poop Monday and Zoe was feeling feisty. This elderly couple crossed Bancroft and set foot on our block. Zoe sensed that they were trouble and attacked. She chased the old lady screaming out into the street. When I rushed in to snatch up Zoe, Gracie swooped in for the lick fest.

Sweet Zoe: When I came home from work on Monday night Zoe was sooooo happy to see me. I have never seen her do such an enthusiastic love dance. It was very touching especially since I had a pretty crummy day.

Sickly Zoe: Tuesday was Brian's last day (he got a nice promotion) so we took him out for drinks after work. Now I don't get hangovers or sick from drinking but apparently Zoe must have gotten a contact high from the alcohol fumes on my breath. While curled up sweetly next to me, without warning, she spewed forth the most vomit I've ever seen. Thank God it was just water. She created a slick on the bed 1 foot across and 2 feet long. It was bigger than her, I kid you not. We had to sleep on the sofa. And, needless to say, Zoe smells quite ripe.

Epilogue: The next morning after the Zoe attack, we managed to time our morning outing at exactly the same moment the couple from the day before set foot upon our street and it was an exact repeat of the previous day. As they fled down 138th I promised not to greet them the same way the next morning. We did not attempt the hat trick on Wednesday. I saw the old man out for a walk, though - without his wife. Zoe's mission: accomplished.

Zoe Tales

Chihuahuas 101

Hello World, There's A Song That I'm Singing

Rest Peacefully My Dear Sweet Girl

We're still around!

9/11 - Happy Birthday, Poppy Rose

BlogHer '06 - Identity and Obligation Thanks and Other Shout Outs *Updated*

Chihuahua Racing

Hey, I'm rich and white, now!

Why I was a Ph.D. dropout

I have the best BFFs

R.I.P. Mama Kitty

Spring is in the Air

Favorite New Finds

Message from the Universe - Must. Blog. More.

A Virtual Toast

Learning to Blog

Dancing With The Stars - Random Thoughts

Neighborhood Watch

We're Back!

Bite Sized BlogHer Bites (BSBHB)

BlogHer Rocked!

Juggling

Hey Baby - it's the 4th of July

Still Blogging

Welcome BlogHers!

And Then There Is This...

Ordinary Good

Happy Birthday to Gracie

Dilemma

Ordinary Racism

Be Careful What You Wish For

Hit Me Baby One More Time: Week 3

Hit Me Baby One More Time: Week 2

Hot or Not?

Summer Reality

Misc Roundup

OK - comments figured out and a note on permalinks

Comment Woes

Couldn't resist

Hit Me Baby One More Time: Week 1

My Buffy Boyfriend

Hit Me Baby One More Time

Modern Sin

Happy Birthday to Zoe

And the Wonderful Musical Baton Continues to Twirl

Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom

Blog Discoveries

My New Blog

A Comment So Good...

I'm Back - Sort Of

Best News In A Long Time

Crazy Dogs

Remembering NYC

Tight!

Puddin' Head Duck Update 2

Why I Love/Hate Blogs

I Can't Help Myself - Marketing Lessons From Reality TV

Interesting Intersections Continue

BlogHer Conference 2005 - Sign Up Now

Youth not wasted on the young - Updated

Makes Me Want to Rent - Almost

Road Trip For Bruce!

Duck Update

Trying to post regularly

Random Thoughts

Crowns at Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts

Gmail Invites

Trackbacks Enabled

Puddin' Head Ducks

Guest Tale about Kitties

Wrath of the Chihuahua

Perry's Food for the Soul - Updated

Keeping Busy Away From the Blog

Chihuahua vs Chihuahua

Hip Hop Feminism

New Products that Rock

Do NOT Mock the Monocular

Punk Rock Granny

Pop Culture in the Academy

BlogHer '06 - Identity and Obligation Thanks and Other Shout Outs Updated