Well I'm gonna give this blogging thing another shot.

The winter is over (despite the damn snow today on the 8th of April!!), the SAD is over, the dysfunctional long-distance relationship is over (which may have contributed to the magnitude of the above), main big project at work has imploded (not my fault), and I have several things I want to blog about, including two new sources of funny. :)

1) I have discovered @frostinglickr on Twitter. A work colleague actually turned me on to her and she's hilarious in her random funny bitterness. She also has a blog: http://frostinglicker.wordpress.com. Read it when you need a pick-me-up.

2) Former work colleagues turned me on to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, described as "Jane Austen's story and copy mixed with zombies. looks like a barnes and noble classics book, but with elizabeth bennett all zombie-fied." I'm sold.

3) Not a funny but woah, totally BLINDSIDED by the House plot-shocker this week!!! WTF??? And even more surprised by the real-life reason behind it. I need to discuss and no one has watched it off their DVRs yet. TALK TO ME!!

( SPOILER ALERT )

Okay. I am back, because I need Big Bang Theory icons.

Just had a chat with someone I know who works for the MTA. When he heard I've had a new job in the Grand Central area he suddenly perked and was like, "Near Grand Central??" And I was like, yeah, it's nice, it's a shorter commute-- and he was like, "Be careful on those subways, you know sooner or later there is going to be a terrorist attack." He proceeded to tell me that there has been a policy in place since 2003 or so that if a train is attacked, the engineer and conductor are supposed to put on masks they're provided with and get out. They're supposed to abandon the train ("cut and run") in order to be able to notify the authorities. Unfortunately this means abandoning the passengers. But they figure they can do the most help by getting out and notifying the authorities.

He advised me to know my route... the tunnels...and know where the exits are. He feels the attack would come towards the back of a train since there is no personnel at the back. And he told me how to kick out a window, how to open the doors between cars with a screwdriver-- advised me to carry a pocket flashlight and screwdriver. And that what you should do is just run out of there as fast as possible through the tunnel to the next station..avoiding the third rail of course. He even offered to ride a train with me one day to show me how to open the doors with a screwdriver.

He's not really a doom and gloom sort of guy, so the seriousness and detail he gave was a bit alarming.

The first of the three baby girls I know of due to be born this holiday season have arrived! And there's two of them! :)

My former co-worker and his wife had twin girls :) http://eloisita.blogspot.com/
And I LOVE the names they chose - Eva and Amelie :) HOW CUTE ARE THEY?? :)

Of course they arrived 6 weeks early which means I have no knitting projects finished yet :) And the third baby girl, of another former co-worker, is due in 5 weeks! I better get my needles clackin!!

Awww my old boss and friend David and his wife Pam have set up a blog for their sweet baby-to-be, Lily :) I can't wait to meet her! :) I am making something but it sounds like she may be coming early, so I hope I'm finished in time!!

I was shocked to learn today, from a friend who went on a bicycling trip through Italy, that blogging is illegal in Italy, as is much of the internet. WTF? I knew about this in places like China and Indonesia and some others, via Global Voices, but Italy??

Once again, count your blessings that you live in America (for as long as our freedoms last).

Equus was disturbing. So disturbing that I left the country. (Seriously, it was a phenominal production; the acting was superb, the staging fantastic... but the story is just not my cuppa.)

Back in Ireland this week for my organization's global staff conference. That's the first half of the week; Thursday - Saturday I'm in Dublin on my own vacation time again.

Pictures here as they happen.

The plane ride over was very smooth, we had a tailwind which got us here almost an hour early. So far the weather is overcast but should have some sunny days before the week is out.

21 hours, 20 mins. to go!!!!!!

Bush administration pledges help for student loans
Fri Oct 10, 2008 12:50pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration said on Friday it would take further steps to support the student loan market for the 2009-2010 school year.

In a joint statement, U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Education Secretary Margaret Spellings said they would soon announce steps to address challenges hampering student lenders and borrowers.

"Using our newly extended authorities, the administration is moving aggressively to support the continued availability of funding for federal student loans in the next school year with the goal of restoring the government guaranteed student loan market to normal operations," they said in a statement.

(Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by James Dalgleish)

While this would be great news... I don't understand where they are getting all the money to bail everyone out when we are already in debt by the trillions.

Funneh:
http://gawker.com/5061628/the-top-ten-scapegoats-for-americas-depression

http://gawker.com/5061073/the-best-of-sad-floor-traders


Americans should have confidence in economy, Bush says
By Rex Nutting
Last update: 10:38 a.m. EDT Oct. 10, 2008
Comments: 33
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Americans should have confidence in the future of the markets and the economy, President Bush said Friday in a short statement from the White House. Bush offered no new measures to stem the meltdown in the banking system, but assured Americans that the government is working aggressively with its global partners to resolve the crisis. "We know what the problems are and we have the tools to fix them," he said. Bush will meet with global policymakers on Saturday. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke will meet with the Group of Seven leaders later Friday and with a broader group of global leaders on Saturday.

Seriously though, he's right. The more people panic the worse it will be. The media is eating this crisis up, and fanning the flames, etc. The economy is a pendulum... it will swing back the other way eventually. Right?

Stressed today, so came home, did yoga, took a bubble bath, and did some other stuff for work. Now I'm overly relaxed at 10:30 p.m. and thinking about going to bed. I think I am nursing a low-grade cold, or really bad allergies, or both.

5 days to Daniel, OMG.

and 10 days to Ireland again!!

I am reading The Shack which my Mom bought for me and it is REALLY good. Apparently all the women-folk in my family read it and loved it and so I have to be caught up so we can discuss it :) It's about a man whose young daughter is murdered (in a shack, hence the title), and so he's bitter, and God invites him back to the shack for a weekend to talk. There have been at least 3 points already that brought me to tears, and others that made me laugh out loud in the subway... for instance the idea of God with headphones on, bopping to the music while baking a pie and flinging flour everywhere. For that image alone it's priceless.

I haven't finished it yet, but already highly recommended.

I also finished Twilight and, frankly, read some Anne Rice instead and wait for the movie. ;)

ETA: Cleaned out the pantry and *now* I'm going to bed.

It's that time of year again... :)

I do love October. And autumn. And Halloween.

And Eastern State Penitentiary's Terror Behind the Walls. Which is where I and some friends shall be on the morrow. (after a cheesesteak of course)

Can anyone please recommend a good cheesesteak place in Philly? We have tried Geno's, D'Alessandro's, Jim's on South Street (good the first time, not so much the second time), and Pat's. Not really impressed with any of them.

basalt, I'm looking at you. :)

Nanowrimo blew up. :(

I am actually thinking of trying this year. Even though I know, that leading up the holidays is never my most productive or focused time. It would require feats of discipline heretofore unknown to me. We shall see.

I need to get Iron Man tonight. ;) *purr*

No, srsly.

http://current.com/items/89362158_fattest_man_to_get_married

I saw a guy on Discovery once...no body from the waist down, walks on his hands... HE was married.

774 points.

...

I have no words.

Except: F***kers all!!!

Every last one of you politicians is an overgrown BABY!! What, Nancy Pelosi called you names, so you're gonna vote against out of spite?? And you, Ms. Pelosi, WTF were you thinking??? And the Jewish holidays? Are you kidding me?

And you cannot blame Bush for this. You cannot blame any one man, or even one group or party. This is a huge multi-tiered mess years in the making with many, many players since at least 2004:



Nothing crept up on little cat's feet you putzes, and you still aren't capable of pulling together to fix it. A House divided against itself cannot stand - literally.

And while we're on this subject:

"I don't know what's so great about the Great Depression, but that's the name they give it."

Nancy Pelosi, did you **really** just say that? It means great as in HUGE not great as in fantastic, you dimwit.

That said... it was a bad bill anyway. But it had to be passed. Now, I am just really, really scared. This is gonna be a helluva next few months.

And now I'm going to go eat Greek food with my brother and talk about Indonesia. Because I'm in denial.

Not only did I leave Sammy for 3 days but I missed his *birthday*!! I'm gonna have to give him extra smushy cuddles tonight. :) He's been following me around and extra-clingy ever since I got back from Chicago too.

Paul Newman died :( It's affecting me more than I expected since he was 83... and my dad is 82.

And I was talking to someone about that and how I'm the youngest of 4, with a big space between my brother and me (10.5 years) and how I was pretty much a "surprise." A pleasant surprise, they tell me... and then I was thinking how with so many years between us I could very well be the last of my immediate family left alive. Well, at least I have my niece and nephews. :)

Jeez, I must be PMSing. *checks calendar*

Got back from Chicago late last night, loved it. Pics here.

Happy Birthday, jaimesara!! :) *hugs*

First? :)

Happy birthday, brain_nightlong!! :)

We will celebrate with Van Gogh soon :)