shallow thoughts by csolly: April 2002

Like baby pigeons, I thought scaffolding builders were practically mythical creatures. This city is covered with scaffolding. I don't need to expound on that because you know it's true. But I'd never seen scaffolding being built. Ever. Since it's all over the place, it semed weird that, in my two years of walking these streets, I'd never seen a few guys putting together the poles and boards. I thought maybe it was all put up in the wee hours of the night. Or that it was such a quick job that they were like superheros, breezing in, popping it up and flying away before anyone would notice them. I noticed them today, though. 72nd and Amsterdam. I did a double-take. It wasn't that interesting, but I made a mental note of it.

Wow ... I sing Netflix's praises, but have always said the one drawback is that it takes a few days for the movies to go through the mail, so subscribers need patience. Well, I guess something's improving or some freak accident has happened. I dropped 3 movies back in the mail yesterday morning, and they've arrived at the Netflix warehouse or whatever today. That's messed up that they got there so fast -- from NYC to Cali -- but I'm pleased as punch. Yeay Netflix! I loooooooooooooooooooove movies. edit: Someone just told me that Netflix has a warehouse in Worcester, Mass., now too, so that must be where mine were headed. Still, yeay Netflix for having a setup on the East Coast. :)

Some interesting stories from today's paper ... 'ART' VS. THE PARK A performance artist wants to wrap Central Park in yellow fabric. BLAME THE BISHOPS, NOT THE GAYS A well-written column that explains things very clearly. Oh, and my company's stock is in the toilet. Film at 11.

In "The Sopranos," Tony Soprano is my favorite character. In "Queer as Folk," Brian Kinney is my favorite character. But these are two horrible, rotten people who do horrible, rotten things to other people. So why do American television viewers love them so much? I've fallen victim to their charms too, but I still can't quite figure out why they're so awful and likable at the same time. Because they show signs of vulnerability? Possibly, but it happens for both of them so infreqently and usually pretty inappropriately so that it still ends up hurting other people. Do we like watching conscienceless people because they're so unbelievably cold? Both of them are pretty powerful, is that what we're drawn to? The people that surround them in the show fall for it all too, follow and worship them, the ones close to them knowing full well what terrible things they're capable of. And they still stand by them. I guess that's why I like these shows. The characters are pretty complex, and it's interesting to watch what they're going to do next.

{{{ Y A W N ! }}} Good mornin' ... didja have a nice weekend? :)

THE FRIDAY FIVE (a day late) 1. What are your hobbies? Movies, movies and movies. I also like doing fun new things here in New York, but I'm not sure that's really a hobby. 2. Do you collect anything? Yes. I collect postcards from all over and coerce my friends into picking them up on vacations; I have over 40. I collect movies. I have a lot of VHS and now I've got a couple of DVDs. Last I counted I had over 150 movies. And I collect penguins. They're cute and, frankly, I didn't even buy most of the penguin stuff I have; others have given to me as gifts. But I love them all and they remind me pf the people that gave them to me. 3. Is there a hobby you're interested in, but just don't have the time/money to do? Wull, sure! I'd collect cars, race sailboats and travel to outer space if I had the dough. :) 4. Have you ever turned a hobby into a moneymaking opportunity? Umm ... no. Except kitten photography, but it hasn't made any money yet. 5. Besides web-related stuff (burbs, rings, etc.), what clubs do you belong to? None that I can think of. Maybe I should find one ...

* One of my photographs from Sept. 11 was accepted by Here Is New York. I'll link to it when I find it online. (Mine would be in the "Immediate Damage" category, and I can't take browsing through them anymore looking for it and I'm not sure what number it is yet.) * Heather and I played Settlers of Catan online last night. Hello, my name is Caryn and I am a dork. (So is Heather, but she likes to pretend she's not. :P) * One of my schoolteacher friends is having a very big day - Bill Clinton is going to speak at her school today! * I'm listening to one of my favorite CDs today -- favorite out of a pitifully small collection of music: Second Coming by Stone Roses. * I'm going to donate platelets tonight. If you haven't ever, check out whether you can donate blood in your area. It's a great thing to do to help your neighbors. * And if I feel up to it after donating platelets for an hour and a half (damn me for being so small and taking so long to squeeze out those healthy cells), I'm going to try to get to URBANA, now at the Bowery Poetry Club. (If you ever go there, write down the address; it's incredibly hard to find.) * And I just read this about how many degrees from Brad Pitt this girl is. And I remembered that I'm only 1 degree from Mr. Pitt myself: My high school English teacher dated him at Mizzou. We'd get her to talk about it once a month or so. She was so cool. (Bonus points for you if you know what/where Mizzou is, you ign'rant northeasterners.)

Look! Justin Timberlake isn't the only action figure who goes on vacations. GI Joe does too. New York Web Cams - This cracked me up.

This morning, I read this story on page 9 of my paper ... 3 PREGNANT WOMEN CARRYING CLONES, ITALIAN DOC CLAIMS April 24, 2002 -- ROME - An Italian fertility specialist who has said he intends to create the world's first human clone said yesterday that three women are pregnant by cloning. Two of the three pregnancies are developing in Russia and one in an "Islamic state," Severino Antinori told Italian state TV. At a conference in the United Arab Emirates earlier this month, Antinori said his cloning project was "at a very advanced stage." Antinori achieved fame a few years ago by helping a 62-year-old woman become pregnant with a donated egg. Antinori's efforts to clone humans led the United Nations in February to begin efforts to draft an international anti-cloning treaty. So ... this sounds like big, upsetting news to me, if it's true. Cloned human beings? Anyone know more about this? Wasn't it banned by the UN? I guess not yet. In other news, I did go see the Barenaked Ladies last night. They were pretty good. Very funny, and they sound awesome live. We had a good time.

How stunningly accurate. What kind of drunk are you? And try the Mormon Name Generator.

Find out which LifeSaver you are. edit: I'm peppermint, "classic." I have no idea why this web site seems to be down when it was up a few hours ago ... I'm leaving the link though in case it comes back up. And what is up with blog*spot? Half the time I try to go to a blog, the whole domain seems to be down.

Yesterday, it became clear to me that, as much as I think I know about building a web site, I clearly do not know much. Servers boggle my mind. I do not understand them at all. Yesterday, I was making a new site for work and the problems I was having were all server related. Talking to the support guy at our hosting company was just silly because I had no idea what I was talking about. DNS, nameservers, IP addresses: I thought I knew what these were, but I don't. So, does anyone know a good place online to start reading up on this stuff? Basic, basic info. And, tee hee, my favorite pop star is moving to NYC! Whoopee! :P

I can't sleep :( (And thanks to everyone who has been linking to me -- I got over 70 visits and 100 pageviews yesterday, hooray! Frightening, huh?)

Taking my blog into 2002! I added the links on the side mainly to reciprocate the surge in traffic I've gotten from my new pals at the blog bash. And now you can comment on the drivel I write. Hooray! (This weblog trend is starting to blow my mind. The power of the Internet at its best. Glad the days of web cams and wish lists seems to have passed. That was not something I could get into.) I wish I had something more interesting to say today ... but I can't think of anything, so here are some fun links instead. · Tiger Woods is NOT the sexiest thing on the links anymore · Mmmm ... Old Navy bargain basement ... · Free box of hair color - no shipping - pick your color · I don't like my boss either, but I'm not bringing a spear gun to work · What's with the tissues? "Colin and Yasser work out their differnces, next Oprah." · Lucas: "[Menace] did not live up to expectations." Duh. "[Clones] a darker feel, closer to the original saga," with "no silly characters or kids." I hope not.

Braving a Life Without Television, Joel Stein's latest column. "I hear the words Zorak and Moltar and realize that my new, lovely wife Cassandra is watching Space Ghost. I tell Frank the next day. 'We often hear complaints from wives that their husbands are not helping,' he says. 'It's an interesting twist that your wife is undermining you. Welcome to married life.'"

I watched the Color of Money this weekend ... Paul Newman ... what a dish. I don't think they make men like that anymore. ..... Are you a tough chick? I really think I am, according to this description, but maybe I'm just kidding myself. I kill bugs, live on my own and can play paintball with the best of 'em (and even have the scars to prove it). That makes me tough, right?

I met E!'s Todd Newton back in St. Louis when he was Rikk Idol. I knew it ever since I first saw him on TV, that he was the same person I had met, but only today have I had it confirmed. I bought an air-conditioner today. Pretty exciting. I tried to install it myself, but I kinda dropped it out the window, and, uh, I decided I should get some help before I try it again. Yeah. And, the Blog Bash was a huge success. Very interesting people whose blogs I'm now reading because I tend to be the most interested in blogs of people I know personally. Nice to meet you Ravenwolf, NerdSlut, the Illuminated Donkey, Asparagirl and Nick. (And my pal Orchid was there too -- she helped organize it. She had a blast!) (Oh! All these links I feel obligated to post! I'm so polite. :)) Nice to meet you all! And I made 2 apple pie cakes tonight. (Didn't know I could cook, did ya?) ¼ cup butter ¼ cup sugar ½ cup flour ½ teaspoon baking powder dash of cinnamon 1 egg 1 apple Mix everything but the apple all together and spread it on the bottom of a greased pie or cake pan. Peel the apple and then slice or chop it. Push the pieces into the batter in the pan. Bake it for 40 min at 350º. (When it's about half done, I dribbled some melted butter with cinnamon in it over the top of the cake.) Talk to you tomorrow.

Well, shoot. The weather has foiled my plans. I am going to the Blog Bash later and was going to read in the park after work to pass the time before the party. But now it's pouring, thundering, lightning, the whole bit. Guess I'll just have to start drinking sooner then, huh? Have a nice weekend.

Yippie! I must say, my newest favorite movie is Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Why now? Well, I'll tell ya. ("She's going to tell, she's going to tell...") All the times I saw it in college, I watched it with a bunch of boys who would recite every line of the movie so I couldn't even hear it for myself. So I rented it a few weeks ago (and only recently returned it - which is OK cuz I had it from Netflix - no late fees). HI-larious. I watched it over and over and I think I want to buy it. And with that, a quiz:

which "monty python and the holy grail" character are you?
this quiz was made by colleen

Well, since it seems the bloggy thing do, I'll start doing it too. The Friday Five 1. What's your favorite TV show and why? I'll say Friends, because my other favorites are too embarassing to mention. (If you're enterprising and curious enough, email me, and I'll tell you what shows I really like.) 2. Who is your favorite television star? I'm having a tough time with this one cuz I like movie stars much more ... Oh! Jennifer Aniston. I love her. 3. What was your favorite TV show as a child? The Mickey Mouse Club. Great show. Matt and I used to watch it after school. 4. What show do you think should have been cancelled by now? Who Wants to be Millionaire? Gack. 5. What new show do you hope escapes the axe this season? I don't watch many new shows, but I saw Julia Louis Dreyfus' show Watching Ellie. It was OK, but I like Julia, so I hope it survives, but it probably won't.

Free stuff to do in NYC, kids!!! In today's New York Post: "BARENAKED LADIES: This Canadian alternative pop band will give a free concert Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Bryant Park. Tickets are required, and will be available beginning today at Data Vision, 445 Fifth Ave., between 39th and 40th streets; CompUSA, 420 Fifth Ave., between 37th and 38th streets; and J&R Computer World, 23 Park Row; (212) 537-8183." I got my ticket at Data Vision. The guy there said they're getting 200 tickets each day until the concert and 500 the day of the concert, Tuesday. (I think it would be safe to assume the other locations are giving away tickets the same way.) I got mine at about 9:20 a.m. and he said he was almost out. So, get up early and get your ticket -- and I'll see you there! edit: To be clear, I am not a huge fan of BNL myself, but I'm all for free outdoor concerts.

This picture says a lot about how I've been feeling lately.

I like this non-verbal blogging. :)

Say it with me ...

Slide. {giggle}

SURFING LESSON I'm web savvy. Very web savvy. Trust me, I just am. I'm not fabulous at programming and I don't even know all the hip little corners of the Internet. But I know how to zip around it like like no one else. So, I'm going to occasionally offer some more tips now, called Surfing Lessons. Today's tip: Did you know that in IE (and browsers that use IE, like Netcaptor) if you hit the Shift key while clicking a link, it will open in a new browser? Goodbye right-click-open-link-in-new-window! Unfortunately, the new window opens on top in IE, which is not ideal, but they do open underneath in Netcaptor! (If you are new to my blog, you will quickly find that my favorite web browser is Netcaptor.) This is a very useful trick when clicking open several links from a page of search results, many pictures in a gallery or any other situation where you're going to want to open more than one link from a single page. It's also super-handy if you're on dial-up and want all the pages to load simultaneously so you can flip through them quickly. And thus concludes today's lesson. It's still frickin' hot here in my office, but it's supposed to be less hot outside today. Still no A/C. Booooooooo! And don't forget the Big Apple Blog Bash.

That was me yesterday. Matt and Marcia called me out to Bryant Park, where we sat and basked in the sun for an hour or so. It was lovely. Thanks guys. :) Today I am cooped up in an un-air-conditioned office with lots and lots of work to do. It is sweltering. Luckily, my busy-ness (business? busyness?) has kept my mind off the sweat dotting my forehead.

My friends crack me up ... Friend: The international community will not tolerate this much longer Friend: I guess Europe is talking about putting trade sanctions on Israel See Solly: really? See Solly: wow See Solly: you know, i've been reading, in these itty bitty stories in the paper, See Solly: that there have been a lot of anti-semetic attacks in france Simultaneously ... Another Friend: oooh...i just found lipgloss in my desk Another Friend: happy day! See Solly: :-) You guys are awesome!

And look at me ... still at home and everyone else is at work ... shame on me. I'm going now!

My new favorite web site is Encarta. I was talking to Mike the other day about the Israeli-Palestinan conflict after he sent out an email asking for us to support Israel. We had a nice discussion about it. Turns out Rod is doing a lot of the same kind of research and study on the conflict as I am. Encarta is one of the places he's been looking up information. I went there last night, and what a great site! I feel smarter just going there! I've had a couple of wonderful intellectual debates this week. Intellectual property and open-source. Israel and Palestine. Journalistic objectivity. If you feel like having an intelligent conversation (i.e. something other than gossip or low-brow humor) come talk to me. (If you do want to gossip or make stupid jokes, come talk to me too!) My family is coming to visit tomorrow. I'm very excited. It's my uncle's 65th surprise birthday party (hope he's not reading this!). And my brother and his girlfriend are coming to visit too! It'll be quite the party. And Jen's family is having a reunion too, this, her last weekend in the U.S. of A. And Biren and Mike are both driving down to visit their families. So many people moving around! I hope everyone travels safely! Oh, and, I don't know if this interests you, but last night I was also reading online about the heart condition I had when I was young, Patent Ductus Arteriosus. Fascinating reading. First of all, I was really excited to read that the decription of the condition is exactly what my parents told me it was. I was afraid that hearing it through a child's ears and having years pass, my interpretation of it would have been skewed. But it's exactly what I thought. Second, what a rare case I must have been! PDA is a connection between an artery and the aorta, and "persistence of this fetal structure beyond 10 days of life is considered abnormal." I had mine fixed surgically when I was 6 years old and it sounds as though most cases are found within the first year or two of life. Other interesting factiods: * "Females are 2-3 times more likely than males to develop PDA." That's me. * A test they give to diagnose the seriousness of the condition is an Electrocardiogram. I remember having that test. They put these little sticky pads all over my chest that could be plugged into a machine. Like Elliott in ET. * "Postoperative results are best if closed while the patient is younger than 3 years. ... Patent ductus arteriosus is a common problem in premature infants and is less likely to be noted as gestational age increases to full term. Occasionally, an older child [me] is referred with the late discovery of a typical ductus arteriosus murmur (eg, machinery or continuous murmur)." Uh oh. And that explains a lot too. The doctors I've seen most of my life, when I tell them what I had, they look at me funny when I tell them I was six when I had it corrected. Like they didn't believe me, or that I am confused about what I had. Now I understand: kids are not usualy as old as 6 when it's corrected. * "An increased incidence of elevated pulmonary vascular resistance and pulmonary hypertension occurs if closed in those older than 3 years." I don't know what that means for me, but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. At this point, anyway. I'm sure this was all boring to you, but I was riveted. It was like unraveling a mystery. I was so young when it all happened that I can't really say what was going on, I just remember things like what crafts I made while in the hospital and having bandages ripped off. It all feels clearer to me now. Validating that some of my childhood memories were real. (You know what I mean ... so long ago, memories feel more dream-like.) I heard a commercial on the radio not too long ago for New York Presbyterian Hospital, where I had my surgery, and it was about how they specialize in pediatric heart conditions. That's where they had the first infant heart transplant, they said in the ad. And I knew that! When I was in the hospital, I remember my mom pointing out the TV cameras as they went down the hallway and then watching it on TV. I'm sure this was the most boring blog post of mine that you've ever read. But this is stuff that I found personally fascinating and that's why I thought I would share. Thanks for listening.

I WANT TO BE OUTSIDE!!! That's all I have to say today.

Good morning. I can't be sure about this, but I think I was pregnant in my dream last night. And I'm sure it's because I was talking to Sassy yesterday about baby stuff. It was interesting, the dream. But nothing I care to explore any more deeply than that for a long time. But not too long, I guess, as I read in the newspaper I love and loathe: Don't expect pregnancy at 40: study. Boo. And, if you've never been there, check out my friend Marcia's blog, The Daily Dose. She's an atheist who loves Linux, political activism and silly stuff. I almost always find something to click on there. And she updates constantly. (By the way, I'm just procratinating getting dressed and getting to work. I guess I really should get going now ...)

Oh, and, it's pookie's birthday today. Happy birthday, Ozzie! How lame am I? Celebrating a cat's birthday ... [sigh] :P

My new hobby is following the conflict in Israel. Eleanor asked me if it's going to be too depressing. I said no. I'm mostly catching myself up on the history of what's going on and following the news. If it does get depressing, I'll back off. But so far it's pretty interesting reading. I'm no expert yet, but I'm definitely farther ahead than I was a few days ago. Not much else to say, but here are a few short, quick things. * I don't feel very well. * My family is coming this weekend, which will be fun. * Sassy's having a baby girl, to be named Hunter Elizabeth, and will be married on May 30. * And I'm hungry. Talk to you later.

An excerpt from today's New York Times: All Edison offerings have been developed to address the same, age-old frustration: that failing schools have been largely unmoved by past interventions. So, the Edison rationale goes, why not enlist a for-profit entity with a management team drawn from the faculty and administrative ranks of elite universities and top school districts, as well as the boardrooms of Fortune 500 companies? In service of that message, Edison has established a marketing, media and government relations operation that is far more sophisticated and aggressive than those of many corporations, let alone most school systems. Is this an incredible compliment to my little group of six ... or have we duped them all? :)

Consider my batteries to be recharged. I just had one of the best trips to Boston I have ever had. The party on Saturday night was a roaring success. The place was packed with over 50 people. Rob spun fire. We got wasted. We danced. And we laughed harder than we have in a really long time. It even snowed.

Thank you Jen, Eleanor, Heather, Amy, Nora, Rob, Kayte, Tammy, John, Mike, Sean, Will, Dan, Suzanne, Dave, Biren, Jeff, Kristen, Angela, Lee, Dean, Lisa, Niril, the other Suzanne, Holger, Jon, Adam, Meg, Carolyn, the other Sean, Emma: I had a blast.

I'm a lucky girl to have friends like these. :)

And ... only 1 hour until I leave for my 3-day mini-vacation! I'm leaving for Boston in the morning and I'll be back on Sunday, tired and very very happy. Ciao, dahlings!

For the web savvy kids in the audience: Want to learn a trick? Got a page you want to see, but you can't because you don't have the password to get in? If it's been spidered by Google, you can see it without the password. Go to Google. Do a domain restricted search for a term that you know is on the page you're trying to get to. When you find the result you're looking for, click the Cached link and you will see the last version of the page that Google saw as it passed by. Pretty neat, huh? (Or am I the last to figure this one out?) I use this trick all the time when looking for newspaper articles that you have to buy a subscription to see.

Three days later, I've found that the one joke I did play on someone on April Fool's Day went perfectly and my victim fell for it completely. Angela, who played all those tricks on me years and years ago is still paying for it, ladies and gents. I wrote up a lovely 'AP' article about a scientist in California who discovered that overuse of a vibrator can make orgasm through intercourse almost impossible for some women. I emailed it to her. She bought it. I have a great feeling of satisfaction. :) Guess all those years in journalism weren't for nothing, huh, Mom and Dad? Ha ha ha ... just kidding!

I have a goal. I want to teach myself to speak better. I want to sound like an adult. No more "likes," "whatevers," or ... I don't know what else I say that makes me sound uneducated, but I want to cut it out. "Yes," not "yep" or "yeah." I think this is going to be tough, but I know it's possible. (Hey, I have a friend who taught herself to have a semi-Biritish accent, like Madonna.) And, in the same vein, I want to start practicing the art of brevity. I use too many words to explain simple things. And as a friend noted a few weeks ago, "Women never answer a 'yes or no' question with a yes or no." Very insightful, and I've found it to be true ever since he said it (speaking mostly of myself). So, let's see how this goes. Wish me luck!

On a lighter note, did I ever tell you that a girl I went to elementary school and junior high with is now a professional football cheerleader? Oh hahahahahah!!! I just realized she was in a calendar too! Hoo boy. And to think, I had her over to my house to swim in our pool. I assure you though, she wasn't wearing a swimsuit anything like that.

What Women Want: Have you ever seen this movie? With Mel Gibson?
It's pretty dumb, but the first half is pretty funny and worth watching.
Anyway, even if you haven't seen it, it's about this guy who can read women's minds, hear what they're thinking. And what he discovers is that most women don't say what they're thinking; most skirt the truth and lie.
Except Helen Hunt. She actually says what's on her mind.
I think I'm like that. Or I try to be. I guess it does get me in trouble sometimes, but I think that's just how things are. I think I'd rather be a person who speaks her mind and the truth than a person who always says what people want to hear to make them feel better. Especially friends. I respect them enough to tell the truth, and hope they respect me enough for speaking it.
Of course, I also have to be prepared to hear the truth and not always have people tell me what I want to hear. Which is hard, no bones about that, so I sympthize with the people on the other end of my honesty. Just thinking out loud.
On a different topic, I came up with a theory yesterday. As we get older, men get smarter and women get more cynical. Think about it ... whaddaya think about that?

So? Were you duped yesterday, April Fool's Day? I was once. I was listening to the radio when they announced that there were going to be preview screenings of Star Wars Episode II that night, wouldn't be shown again until May 16, call your local theater. I was online at the time and went to moviefone.com and scurried around it, looking for a notice about the preview. I couldn't find it and gave up, figuring that I probably wouldn't be able to get a ticket anyway. Silly me. It wasn't until hours later -- yes, hours -- that I realized it was a joke. Tell me anything fun you did or saw on April Fool's Day. And, Dad, you'll be very happy to know that I watched The Pink Panther last night, the Peter Sellers movie you've encouraged me to see for years and years. Yeay! (Who knew the Pink Panther was actually a diamond? Not me, I tell you.) Now I just have to see A Shot in the Dark, Return of the Pink Panther, The Pink Panther Strikes Again and Casio Royale just for kicks. I love Peter Sellers. You should too.

To keep in the limerick theme ...

"Caryn, what's with you and that black cloud? Don't you know a frown is not allowed?" As you may have guessed, I'm feeling a little depressed. But when the party comes, I'll certainly join the crowd. :)

shallow thoughts by csolly

Tuesday, April 30, 2002

Monday, April 29, 2002

Saturday, April 27, 2002

Thursday, April 25, 2002

Wednesday, April 24, 2002

Tuesday, April 23, 2002

Monday, April 22, 2002

Sunday, April 21, 2002

Friday, April 19, 2002

Thursday, April 18, 2002

Wednesday, April 17, 2002

Friday, April 12, 2002

Thursday, April 11, 2002

Wednesday, April 10, 2002

Tuesday, April 09, 2002

Monday, April 08, 2002

Thursday, April 04, 2002

Wednesday, April 03, 2002

Tuesday, April 02, 2002

Monday, April 01, 2002

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