On Siskel! On Ebert! On Movie Reviews!!

Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire

Saw this one at an MJR -a very nice theater near home- with M&D & a million other people. It's getting hard to rate the film without the book nagging at the back of my mind. On its own, the film was indeed darker and a bit more creepy than the previous. We see You Know Who, in all his nasty glory, and the bloody recreation of YKW. For a little kid, that could definitely be freaky.

The beginning / intro was really well done - brief scenes of the Weasley's, the Quidditch World Cup, the Death Eaters (great costumes, guys!!), and then they are at school. Enough to get you going, but not to waste time. The foreign students were decent, though Fleur (or however you spell it) should have had MUCH longer hair. And those silly hats.... The dragons were great, the merpeople, the ending, all of it. Moaning Myrtle was irritating, but that's not news.

Really, it was good. I look forward to the DVD, where I can sit in the comfort of my own home and watch it all over and over again. It's hit like, $400Billion in sales already, but you should still go see it if you can.

Charlie & the Chocolate Factory

The roomie rented this one. Yowza! What a great movie! I remember people criticizing Depp when the film first came out. WHY?? Yea, he played Wonka as a total nutbag, but that is the character -the man's been isolated with Oompa-Loompas for the last xyears (I forgot to pay attention). I giggled out loud soo many times during this... Ahh, it was great.

The effects were interesting -thank Hollywood for special effects! One dude played a thousand O-Ls, just replicated all over. The sets all had a great magical feel, cartoony, distorted, and fun. The flashbacks were a tad odd, the last bit certainly odd. I really love all those people sleeping in the same bed; that's so cute.

Go see them both. Or, rent them both. Or, however you get your movies, do it. Fun, fun, fun!!

Random

I always mean to post those random things I see around town. Never do, of course.

So, I'm driving south through the city and go under an overpass, only to see it crowded with circus-themed floats. The best? The inflated giraffe, poking out of it's caged car.

(Today was the Thanksgiving parade)

A Vacation, in brief

I was away on vacation last week -the annual trip to Grand Cayman. Things were different this year -my bro didn't go with, so I brought a Jefner instead; the cleanup from Ivan (2004) was still in progress, with a ways to go; most of the staff at Morritt's were gone, including those providing the activities. Weather was great -hot, sunny and a sufficient, shall we say, 'breeze' to keep things comfortable. I fed a stingray for the first time, got a decent tan, stayed way too sober, and hardly spent any (of my own) money.

All the shit hit on this last weekend, which was okay, 'cause now I'm alright (almost eager) with work today. Sometimes the mindless drone is welcomed, as it drowns out the other crap.

Our flight home was begun with the check-in lady yelling at us for being sooooo late (we were there an hour before the flight left, in a 3-gate airport) and a broken bottle of rum. 3 long flights later, I had counseled a rambling woman, learned about personal aircrafts over Cincinnatti, and had discussed the asinine educational programs in Texas. We got to the house at midnight.

My Peace Corps invitation had arrived, finally! The news was recieved by glum looks and silence, certainly not matching my own excitement. Curious? I am invited to go to Mozambique on May 15, 2006 in order to work in the general Health & HIV/AIDS program. {I will have much more information and details posted soon, I promise!} The PC sent a big pack of info to get me started and have promised to send more when my departure gets closer.

The bro came by and shared some wild news. I'm not sure, really, the official status of things, as he seemed unsure himself, so I don't want to spout off too much to the 3 of you out there reading this. "Winging it" or "Going with the flow" are the terms that come to mind. It's good news, don't get me wrong, just unexpected. I'm not all the way absorbed into it yet. But suddenly, I feel old.

Aye, mi pobre cabeza.

The best of both, baby!

The latest from the geniuses at Abercrombie & Fitch... There are a bunch of girls staging a girlcott, the name alone causing a sensation, and getting themselves on the Today show. To them, a hearty 'Rock on!' But, how does one girlcott a company I've disliked since high school? I don't believe I have ever bought a single thing from there. With this company, it's been the prices that disgust me more than any of the products. Hard to say if spreading the word will make a difference. My friends aren't the kind to shop there, and certainly wouldn't wear a shirt like this one if they did shop there. Maybe the answer is to get involved with kids. Be a role model and show our daughters why they should avoid clothing like this. Show our daughters they don't need to choose -you can be beautiful and feminine and still have, and better yet, USE, your brain to go places in this world.

Betty Rules!

Betty Rules! Did you know? I didn't. Not until I was there, about... a foot? from the stage. THEN. I knew. I know. And, damn, I am GLAD I found out!

We (being me and 3 gys from the Detroit Feminism Group) went to The Ark, in Ann Arbor, to see Betty. Turns out, The Ark is one of the greatest places to see music. For $17.50, we had a table right next to the right corner of the stage. This is a super small place, that feels like you are having a private party. It was so intimate.

Betty is the group of 3 tuff gys, with a cute drummer and a husband/guitarist, that sing and speak and entertain. They opened with an a capella number, then rocked, then did some humorous banter between them, then some folk, some rock, some spoken, all in circles. It really is a great show, so much more than just hearing a CD (as some bands are in concert -you wonder why you paid so much to hear a CD you already 'own', let's say).

They are seriously SO funny, my cheeks were sore at the end of the night. Their music is powerful. I really liked the 'I like the way you think, I like the beer you drink, but I don't like kissing you' song. The last song was a fab cover of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. And by 'fab', I mean, it didn't sound exactly like the original. They took a great song and owned it.

After the show, they stayed to sign and meet&great. Said they were impressed with us hot chicks, and you should keep a watch on their site, as we should all appear soon in a pic. Really great ladies!

After, we were too wound up to leave. Went to /aut/ for some drinks and a frustrating string of pool games. This cutie Chad was owning the table. We all lost miserable on our first tries with him, but all came *so* close on the second. I even did so well as to get 2 balls in on one hit. Was I excited!!!

It was great, overall and through and through. WELL worth the effort of getting to and from AA.

Granny's back!

I know you all were SO on the edge of your seats...

Hugo found out about Back Alley Bikes, a community owned/run bike shop in D-town (on Cass, to make it even better ;) ). Tuesdays they are open for do-it-yourself repair, mechanic assisted. So, there I went! Hugo helped me get Granny down there, and hefted her up the stairs. There, an (extremely) attractive 'mechanic' helped me to hang granny and proceed with surgery.

We removed the rear wheel, found a new rim, pulled the tires off each and switched, removed the tire again when we found a leak, tightened the spokes and replaced the rim. The mechanic showed me what to do, but then had me do most of the work, which is really what it's all about.

I feel like such a bad-ass now.

On the way home, I realized what an asset this could be in Africa, so I'm going back to learn/volunteer and, hopefully, get enough experience to help establish some bike repair in my community. I'm pretty excited about all this, and definitely looking forward to getting more involved.

Granny, herself, was SO pleased to be healed and healthy, she insisted we go to work together, even though I was 30 min late. She's fiesty one!

Tips from a Resume Reader, 2

Editor's note: I'm not going to bother to read my last post on this, so, any repitition should be interpreted as emphasis. Take note.

1. Photos. Ahh, photos. Seems a good way to attach a face to a name, to humanize a resume, to make sure you get remembered, and in this digital age, it's just so easy. And it's just. so. wrong. Take, for two examples, the fellas I saw today. The first just looks sooo dweeby. I haven't been able to scroll past the photo to read the resume yet, and I'm going to be totally distracted when I call him. All I can think is, 'who does he remind me of?'

The second guy, well, I know who he reminds me of. And, he was right, in that we can't forget him. He looks like Mr. Belvedere (remember him, kiddies?). Or, the dad from Family Guy, if you squint. Now, how are we supposed to talk business, with this in our head??

2. Mr. Belvedere's second sin was his over-detailed 'Personal History'. T.M.I., sir, T.M.I.

3. There is a certain amount of optimism required when doing an online application. You have to have faith that someone out there cares. That they will read your message, read your resume and take a second to phone or email you. Always remember: there are MILLIONS of people with resumes online. Honestly. Try to stand out, in a positive way.

a. *Do Not* start your cover letter with: "although I do not have skills A, B, or D, I'm really swell with skill C and understand why the other 3 are important and necessary." Um, right. We'll be calling any day now.

b. Sometimes the following will work out in your best interest. Other times, it just gets emailed around the office for a hearty afternoon giggle. Enjoy.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Monster resume #xxxxxx

Engineer ISO meaningful employment relationship

-------------------------------------------------------------

Name: X. Xxxx

-------------------------------------------------------------

RESUME

Resume Headline: Engineer ISO meaningful employment relationship

Me: A sexy beast, 28, 6', 185lb; tan, muscular

You: An attractive manager/HR/executive-looking gal on the 4/5/6 train, 5 PM Friday

You checked me out as I boarded, and stared at my ass from Grand Central to 14th street/Union Square. You kept looking at my face and hands as I stood nervously, seeking your approval. Would you contact me? Can we meet up?

I think I've emailed you; at least the chances are good. I've sent my resume to most every valid email address in the tri-state area. I'm ready for work, I do IT. I can network most anything. I can be a fine Exchange and Active Directory engineer. I can reboot NT 4 boxes, though I would rather work with Exchange 2003 or Linux. But hell, who says my needs are important? I want to serve yours.

Rendezvous with me for a casual interview. I can fulfill all your fantasies. I'll whisper in your ear sweet promises: "you can work wirelessly in Central Park with no e-mail limits. I will make it happen; I will make it work. I'll show you how."

I'll load up your computer with software I picked up from my last employer. Heck, I won't even roll my eyes when you open macroviruses in Outlook. I'll just be glad to keep busy serving your needs. I need you, really I do. I miss being in a relationship. Being needed. Being courted by employees in search of backup retrievals, regardless of the reason. Being honored and lauded after solving the simplest of problems for end users. Yes, I can get back your bookmarks. I can fix your servers, make your laptop logon faster. Yes, I can go into your DataCenter set up RPC over HTTPS to your home so you can check Outlook email over your DSL connection.

I will shake your toner cartridges with passion; I will make the network go faster with ISA server, and get rid of pop-ups. I will crawl under your desk and gently straighten your cables, all if you let me. Choose me from the thousands of resumes that fall off your desk. I am special. I am proficient. Did I mention I am a sexy beast who will excite you every time you call me over for assistance with your palm pilot.

We will be happy and secure in our relationship. We will be safe from viruses because I always use McAffee protection; Our stability will never be threatened because of my nimble skills in NetIQ Network Management; And can keep everything private by using ISS intrusion detection (IDS), IPSEC, and S/MIME.

But you have to take the first step. I can only help you if I have a place in your company. I long for it; I yearn to be needed by you and to fulfill your demands. Hire me, promote me, send me emails asking for help and I will solve your problems.

But first you must read my resume and be impressed. Please, take the leap, reach out and grasp those sheets of earnest sincerity, the outpouring of my strengths, optimized for OCR scanning. Let me show you the breadth of my experience; meet with me and ask me about my weaknesses and all those other hard interview questions that no one has asked me for so long.

I've spent more time surfing internet porn today than I've interviewed in the last year. Take my hand and help me through it. You can stare at my ass the whole time. I won't complain. I won't even file a grievance. Not for the first six months. You can even walk up to my desk and touch my hand as you ask for help with your PowerPoint slides. Massage my neck as I install service packs on your laptop.

I can do anything. I'll set up a wireless network for you. I will fix your Active Directory, Windows 2003, or migrate to Exchange 2003 if you want me to. I'll hook up e-mail to your cell phone for telecommuters. I am a genius. I am pretty attractive. And I have nice abs.

Take a chance on me. You won't be sorry.

EXPERIENCE:

Date - - Company - - Location (removed)

Industry: IT- Software Systems & Design

Senior Windows 2003 and Exchange 2003 Consultant

Traveled around NYC and encouraged people to use Windows 2003 and Exchange 2003 instead of Linux. Fixed technical problems, major and minor stuff just so that they won't go to our competitor. Did lots of Engineering work too. If you read my resume this far, thanks! 99.359% of everything here is accurate and true, and yes I am looking for something new. Intrigued? Curious? Send me an e-mail!

Date - - Company - - Location (removed)

Industry: Banking/Finance

Technical Analyst

Performed portfolio management for all IT projects

LANGUAGES:

Language Proficiency Level

American Sign Language Basic - Familiar

English Fluent - Full Knowledge {Editor here - I *luv* when people say they are fluent in english and are obviously American. Fluent in english?? God, I'd hope you are!}

Hindi Basic - Familiar

Spanish Basic - Familiar

Wow, Really?

From BBC News online today (10/12/2005): This story

"If women are healthy then they can jump start the life of their family and the economy."

"When women are educated, healthy and employed, and able to make decisions about childbearing and reproductive life, everyone benefits."

We just now figured this out? How sad is that. The important next step: will the governments or the UN take any action based on this? Or will they continue as they have been, trying to soften the symptoms of a neglected disease?

Tips from a Resume Reader

You all know the easy ones, like spelling properly and proof-reading before you print a dozen copies on that expensive paper. Let's get beyond that.

1. Include a -brief- description of your responsibilities at each job. We want to see evidence you actually use those skills you've listed.

2. Give a one-liner on the company. Please don't assume the whole wold knows what Acme Corporation does. You may give a great description of your experience as a Quality Analyst for Acme, but neglect to say what they make. That means I have to call you and "bother" you, trying to find out the details. Guess what, Bob, it annoys me, too.

3. How about a phone number that hasn't been disconnected and an email that works?

4. While we're at it, let's be professional. "LegalizeIt@biteme.net" isn't a good first move.

5. Take an extra minute to check out the format of you resume, once posted online. Be sure it's not a giant block of text. FYI: we don't read those. And there's at least one engineer out there wondering why no one has called with a job. Is that how sloppy All your work is?

...to be continued...

Long weekends

This weekend has felt crazy long. Weird. Especially as I was actually doing things. Normally that shortens the weekend, but not this time. The review:

Work - Mike, Chadd and Chadd2/Tim (or the ever-entertaining "Frick and Frack") all were in NYC for a boys only pj party. Isn't that the cutest ever? Then BossMan leaves on Wed, PReal on Thurs midday, the Greek split before lunch on Friday, with Jason just after. Made for a D-Liciously quiet week. Mmmmm :)

Home - Got the new room painted. It's a light yellow that strongly resembles the color of butter. I think it's a great color that really opens the room, brightens things. I'm working on a cloudy ceiling, and got the border done. Someone threw away the last rollerbrush, though, so the rest will have to wait until I go shop. Upstairs got Spazz to clean (CLEAN!!!), and we are getting a new pal on the 1st.

Weekend - Went to the island on Friday, mellow night in with the 'rents and without Spazz. Saturday was cool, around the house, some simple stuff. Came back to RO to see the end of the cleaning (!!!) and do the painting. Went out that night with Upstairs and Hugo. A tour of RO -O'Toules (mediocre [sp?] and full of yuppies), 5th Ave (in and out too quick to get a drink), Goodnight Gracies (decided it was the perfect place for a great date, just need to work on getting said great date; the bartender is heavy handed, and the music was pretty good), Memphis Smoke (has potential), and finally to Gusoline Alley (for those in the know, it's a sibling of Remy's).

Today I got over my anxiety to get into Caribou (do I honestly look like I'm in my 30's???) to get the NYTimes crossword. Got some good coffee and another page to this letter I'm working for my Luvr. Went to Borders with 2 books in mind and couldn't find either. Not a helper in the store, not a computer helper thing, not any assistance. Left empty handed, unlikely to return.

Alright, whatever. I'm done.

FYI

In case you have contact with anyone from AL, MS, or LA who may be interested in the following, please do share.

Throughout the month of September, Planned Parenthood Northern Michigan will provide free contraceptive care to women and men from Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, displaced by Hurricane Katrina. "We recognize that many people have been through a terrible ordeal. We are able to help in this unique way by offering free contraceptive services to displaced people who are not able to access these services through their regular provider," says PPNM CEO/Executive Director Jill Warren. Women, men, and their families in central and northern Michigan should call 1-800-230-PLAN, visit www.plannedparenthood.org/ppnm, or call one of the following numbers for information about the closest Health Center location. Marquette - (906) 225-5070 Petoskey - (231) 347-9692 Traverse City - (231) 929-1844 Mt. Pleasant - (989) 773-5602

Sorry, folks

Hey, y'all. Sorry for that word verification business on the comment section. It may pose a slight annoyance, but, it beats having all these idiots post adverts on my blog. And who wants to read that shit? Exactly.

YAHOO

MEDICAL: Complete. Peace Corps has completed your medical review. There are no medical holds on your account at this time.

Raise

I think I got a raise today...

The North Side

It may be too early for a life update, but, I wanna get it down while it's still knocking around my nogg.

I'm in R.O. now, officially. It's a 5-bedroom place, decent sized, with only 3 of us here so far. All chicks. A dude is supposed to show up this weekend. I met him when he was touring and he seems nice; a resemblance to my pal Petie.

1 is a nice gal. Normal. Resemblance to Brenda, from 6' Under. In more ways than one, I learned recently. 2 is... odd. Loud, crude, ... but I think I just need to get used to it. Perhaps. We shall see, shan't we?

Been in the basement. Normal sized room, no ceiling so I tacked up my old "tapestry". Bathroom is good sized and clean, quite nice if you can deal with the chilly ring every time you whiz. This weekend I'll be starting a move up to the main floor. Warmer, with a real bed, not an air bed. Will share the bathroom with 2 and Boy.

Work has been better than expected. We have a new software program to deal with, so that's been pretty good for filling days. I had a tough time with all 9 hours yesterday, but not so much today. We have a new guy there, too, so its all just been full of excitement. (can you FEEL it?)

I bike to work now, as Im a short 2 miles away. Sadly, I can already feel it in my legs. Not bad, but enough to say, 'hey fatty, about time you made us work'. Those jerks.

So, today, I'm on my way home, cruising down this divided street, riding along the median. I see a black squirrel (tons of em here) chomping a nut, so I say 'hi' and encourage him to stay on the grass. What does he do? Well, run right out in front of me and my tire, of course!! I damn near ran over a squirrel with my bike!! Damn near killed myself, too. How moronic do you have to be to DELIBERATELY run in front of traffic?

So the big dilemma: What's for dinner?

Moving Day

Today, I will be officially moving. I'm heading on up to the North side, where everything is a bit more shiny and costs twice as much. It's a house, owned by a 26 yr old (who happens to own ANOTHER house, as well), managed by his 24 yr old ex girlfriend, costing my just under $400/month. I got a bit of a cut for paying 3 months up front.

The best part of the place? It's a mile from work, give or take a titch. I'm gonna find a bike (most likely mum's old yellow granny with the extra-wide, wooly seat) so I can cruise in to the office every morning. Considering I'm in D-town, winter shouldn't be too hard; cold but not necessarily snowy. Meaning, the bike riding could carry me well into the winter months.

I've met 2 of the residents: the manager, who is there when not at her current bf's place, and the new fellow who is moving into the best room -the upstairs loft, which runs for 150 more than any other room. (YOW) If only I had that kind of money...... There is a fellow leaving by Oct 1, at which point we will clean and repaint his room for me to shift into, a gal who is there until further notice, and... oh. That's it.

It should all be most interesting. Rest assured, I will keep you posted.

p.s. My blood cells have all increased to "normal" levels. Plenty of reds, hemoglobin, hematocrit, all those iron-relevant words. The report was faxed to Peace Corps yesterday evening. Stay tuned.

Updates

The latest things in life....

Was down in Ohio for a chum's wedding. It was cool, but crazy to realize she is married now. I'm starting to feel grown up, and it's a very peculiar sensation. The hubby seems nice. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, as she thought him fit for marriage. Smart girl, sane enough, ... Can't deny she knows him better than me, making her a more qualified judge. It would be nice to get to know him, though. More than a last name and shoe size, I mean.

Working on an apt. in the northern 'burbs. Gonna leave my downriver roots behind and "join the real world", as my boss keeps telling me. I'm already sad about leaving my Bella at home; it's not fair to take her with me just to move her back here in a few months. Really, it's not fair to that other brat-cat to give her relief from her nemisis, only to bring her back again. I'm selfish, though. I want my kitty with me.

I guess that's about it... I know there was more, but, hey, I'm a goldfish. I do what I can.

The beginning and the end

So, here it is:

Peace Corps app was going okay, until my iron test showed I was iron-defient anemic. The medical folk in Washington, D.C. decided that anemia, coupled with a low heart rate, migraines and chronic insomnia, was just not a good thing to have when travelling to Africa. When I should have been getting a letter of invitation, I instead got a letter saying, 'sucks to be you, but keep us updated. Maybe you'll get a postcard.' I called Jeri, my recruiter, and she confirmed there were no programs for me until January or so.

The downside:

*I'm not going to Africa, at least... not for 6 months or so.

*I'll be here for the opening of our new Walmart, which I've been dreading since I first saw the sign at the construction site.

*All the new fall television I didn't want to get sucked into? Yep, I'll be here, rotting my brain.

*Winter. In Detroit, no less. Could there be an uglier place for such a great season?

*Major postponements in the graduate school situation. (but perhaps that's a perk?)

*I won't get to learn an obscure, but still cool, African language *6 more months of *this*.

The upside:

*Jeri said the January program was to Latin America, not Africa, so I'd get to use my spanish, which is great.

*I have time to take part in a sleep study at WSU, which, if it goes well, will net me some hard cash

*More time to work, again with the money thing (did I mention graduate school? that stuff ain't cheap)

*ummm....

*Don't need to rush on my GRE's, so maybe a better score, and time to retake if I really f-up.

Bottom line: I'm not happy. I was really getting geared up, eager to leave, excited to start the journey. And now I have to wait a minimum of 6 months, while paying all sorts of lab fees to keep monitoring my iron levels.

And that's it. Maybe there will be more to say in December. But, until then...

The End.

Ani, My Ani

Wednesday night was a great night in the history of my life. I *finally* got to an Ani DiFranco concert. A pal and his pal (a first pal once removed?) came down from the arctic to join Huguito and I for a night of jammin' guitar, which made the whole thing better.

The tickets were for lawn -a bit cheaper, a bit more comfortable, and since I haven't figured out how to dance to Ani's music, a bit more practical. We were there early enough to have a close parking spot and a real good lawn spot, save the chatty cathys next to us. The atmosphere was excellent, and that can really make or break an event. It was chock-full of women, and yes, to fit the stereotype, most were lesbians.

Erin McKeown (or some spelling like that) opened, all by herself with only an electric guitar to help her through. She was quite good though - I liked her voice, she plays well, the music was fun. Then Ani came on with Todd (?) who plays an upright bass. And damn, does he play! His addition to the whole thing added so much depth, it was really great.

At one point, S commented on the perfection of the night, on how there are times in life when you just feel so serene. Lying on the grass, under the darkening sky, with Ani DiFranco a short distance away, playing her fabulous music, and good friends with you and a crowd of good, mellow people.... I'm not entirely sure there are better ways to spend an evening.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

In and out.

Mum and I went to Meijer last night at 11p to wait for the 12:01a release of HP #6. A decent line when we arrived, good atmosphere, nice. At precisely 12:01a, the line began moving and we got our copy. It's thinner than #4, at only 652 pages, which I admit was a bit of a disappointment. Books this good... it's such a pain to reach the end.

12:34a I began reading, curled in a chair in the basement, away from the blare of the TV. Immediately, I was sucked in. Unlike the previous 5, Rowling dove right in to the story with hardly a beat missed. There was no recap -you either knew the story or you were to remain confused. And with that was an aura of urgency. It was a more dramatic story than any before.

5:20a I took a break to sleep. Awake at 10a, I got back to reading as soon as I got a mug of coffee. Potty breaks and one food break, small opportunities to refuel for the journey. 5:30p and I was finished. 17 hours from beginning to end, if you don't stop the clock for sleep.

Should you read it? Well, yes, if you are an HP fan. Be prepared, though. This is not the children's book it is claimed to be. This is a book for adults; a dark, heavy, and difficult book. Reviewers themselves note #6 to be "the darkest and most unsettling installment yet." [New York Times reviewer Michiko Kakutani]

The light in all the gloom: "You get a lot of answers in this book," Rowling [sic] said as she arrived at Edinburgh Castle for a special midnight reading before thousands of adoring fans. A lot of answers that open the door for new questions. This is going to be a seriously long year, awaiting HP#7.