MsGeek.Org v2.0

The ongoing saga of a woman in the process of reinvention.
Visit me at my new blog, MsGeek.Org v3.0
http://msgeekdotorg.blogspot.com/



Heard the Word of Blog?

Thursday, March 30, 2006

OMFG this is so good...

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Green! Green! We swear we're green!

Or at least that's what I made this Chevy Tahoe commercial say.

Click here if you have Flash.

You should try it too...the worst thing that can happen is that you win a Tahoe.

Monday, March 27, 2006

Dear Goddess, please tell me I hallucinated this. Please.

The Paris and Nicky Hilton Cartoon Show. OMFG.

I don't want to see this done unless John Kricfalusi does the character design. And it looks like he wasn't anywhere near this project.

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Just say "protect yourself."

I thought I hallucinated this back in Junior High (what we call Middle School now) but no, The Walt Disney Company made an anti-STI educational flick back in 1973 that was quite frank even for those liberated times. Here it is, thanks to Google Video:



Here's some background on it, from Other Cinema.

Of course, such frank, educational, science-based information, told in an entertaining manner, is not par for the course nowadays. There has been a return to the frightening, something that was already happening back when I had Health Class in 1976, but which started full-force in the "Just Say No" Reagan era. The only thing that compares is the current campaign of the LA Health Department against the rebound of Syphillis in the Gay Male community.

And even if you did teach teens in a frank, science-based manner about STIs, you'd lose your federal funding for health education in a twinkling. Why? Because the Feds now will only fund ABSTINENCE EDUCATION. Thanks a lot, Reagan and the Bush Family. Something that's been proven not to work, and to actually make matters worse when teens and young adults succumb to their hormones. Something that's been keeping us in the Third World column with regard to teen births and spread of STIs.

If you are a parent or even an aunt, uncle or cousin to a vulnerable teen or young adult, you should be really concerned. And get really angry. And speak up.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

I love me some Dixie Chicks. Totally.

I made my bed and I sleep like a baby
With no regrets and I don’t mind sayin’
It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger
And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Sayin’ that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over...

...Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting


If you have the Flash plugin (and most people do) then point your browser to the link and listen.

This is their message to all the right wing pricks who gave them a hard time for saying what a lot of people were thinking. You go, girls.

From the "Why do they bother" department.

Scuttlebutt says that there will be Yet Another Star Trek series.

They're anticipating there will be at least 3 new Superman movies.

And there will be not one, but TWO Star Wars series.

Folks...have you ever heard about doing something ORIGINAL for a change? Original stuff, folks. It's a scary concept, it's risky, but it's how classics are made. And who knows? You might wind up with another cash-cow franchise if someone does something original and good.

Think about it, Big Media.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

The troublesome class may cause me yet more trouble today, and this is why I am up at this hideous hour.

Today three other students and I give our group presentation. After a flurry of activity on it over the weekend (inclusive of Friday) I have been hearing crickets chirping in the direction of my fellow students yesterday and the day before.

I am afraid that this presentation is going to suck, and my grade will suffer, because three out of four people don't know how to read a scientific study properly and one is kind of shaky still at it.

I hope my Social Psych Prof (yes, the one I've been bellyaching about) is big on giving "A"s for effort. [sigh]

Monday, March 20, 2006

I (Heart) Google.

I really, really, really do. They have shown that they are on our side with regard to standing up for their users...they had to be dragged, kicking and screaming, to release any data about searches to the Feds. I don't blame them for what happened. They literally had Uncle Sam's gun at their back.

I have a LiveJournal but this is my main blog, and I have three other blogs on Blogspot. And now I have this...MY OWN GOOGLEPAGE!!!!

my GooglePage! W00t!

This is a sweet way for n00bs to build their own web presence. What would be awesome would be if GooglePages added some nice little AJAX apps that you can use on your personal pages. The Google folks are wizards where that's concerned.

In any event, there it is. Gotta love it. Thanks again Google.

Sunday, March 19, 2006

I guess this shows you the quality of my brain right now...two video posts this weekend, nothing serious. Yeah, we've been in Iraq for 3 years now and it's just getting worse and worse. Any wonder I'm in an escapist mood?

Serial Experiments: Lain is one of my favorite Anime series. I'm not a major fan of Weird Al but this works very well with the visuals. Enjoy.

Friday, March 17, 2006

Bulldada from the Land of the Rising Sun: Gimme Gimme Octopus in "Shoot The Sun"



No, you didn't hallucinate that. This is a real children's show from Japan. I guess that's to be expected from the same land that brought you "Dotch Cooking Show," "Iron Chef," and vending machines that dispense hard liquor and used teenage girls' panties. Whoa.

I'm not wearing green today except for my parka, which is the warmest jacket I have and somewhat water resistant. Somehow celebrating the life of a guy who was responsible for suppressing Irish paganism isn't my cup of Irish Breakfast tea.

Thursday, March 16, 2006

And it's $187 on the Chinese Laptop...

It's not going to be a ThinkPad. It's not even going to be a Lenovo ThinkPad, which are apparently losing their luster fast.

It's a Lungmeng. "Dragon's Dream." Bearing a "Godson II" proc. You gotta love those Chinese and their leet naming skills. The "Godson II" apparently is equivalent to a Pentium III or a recent VIA EPIA platform processor. It's going to be tiny... 17 CM by 14 CM. But damn, man...only $187. And yes, it runs Linux. And only Linux. This dragon don't do windows.

I have been in technolust with both the MIT crankable lappie and the Nokia Internet Tablet. However, this might be really interesting as a PDA replacement. Maybe it will come to Fry's as a Great Quality product. They've been experimenting with AMD Geode-based desktops recently on their bargain-basement end.

There are no pictures of this mini-dragon. But I'm interested...yes, quite interested.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Here's a blast from the past...anyone remember Jot?



Now, if only Dubya's conscience was in working order...

Monday, March 13, 2006

OK. That's it. No more DailyKos for me.

That new AJAX interface is a freaking dog. The sexism got me thinking of leaving...this is the cherry atop the shit sundae.

Thanks a lot for the "upgrade." It's an upgrade like a Windows service pack that makes your PC bluescreen is an upgrade.

Friday, March 10, 2006



As usual, Molly Ivins rocks the House. And the Senate.

Why is it that only Molly has guts enough to call the pseudo-Dems out when they show off their lack of spine? Why is Kos so afraid of calling a Vichy Dem a Vichy Dem, and only Molly willing to do it and smile? Why is it that nobody but certain bloggers have gotten up the courage to squeal about the sandbagging of people like Cindy Sheehan and Paul Hackett?

Don't get me wrong: I will vote for a yellow dog if it was running as a Dem. Better a dumb animal than an evil Rethuglican. But when I vote for Dianne Feinstein this November, I will have a clothespin on my nose and regrets in my heart. And I will write in Cindy Sheehan's name on my ballot when I vote in the primary.

Thursday, March 09, 2006



Dubai is out, Halliburton is in. Anyone surprised? Nobody here at Hass Manor is. Did this whole affair stink on ice from the beginning? Anyone smell a setup?

Darth Cheney: The Phantom Menace.

BTW: The word behind the name would be an excellent suggestion. But as anyone knows, Evil Emperors don't retire. They need to be retired. Like the word is used in Blade Runner.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Looks like I gotta hang with Social Psychology anyway, but I still have tons of catch-up ball to play. And I'm going to have to apologize to some of my fellow students for being a total jerk to them when they completely forgot about the group project we were supposed to do.

I'm just going to have to assume that even if I get put together with a bunch of people in a group project that I am going to have to do everything and carry the other people in my group. Either that, or do like I did with this one presentation project I did last time and divvy everything up in chunks. That way, at least my chunk will get done and I don't have to sweat the other parts of the presentation. If the rest falls apart, I can explain the division of labor and get my good grade.

I don't think that I am going to be able to make an A in that class, especially when you consider that my prof there was my prof last semester and gave a nice big chunk of A work an A minus. If I can salvage it, I get a B. If I don't, I'll at least pass. I'm sure that when I have to explain my transcript I can explain that I just got a sorehead as a prof. And I'd be telling the Gospel Truth.

Never again, man. Never again for that particular prof. I know to avoid him in the future.

Monday, March 06, 2006

post 667 is a go...

Aargh. I had the worst test since the Math 149 final today. Not a total flameout, but very frustrating. I'm going to talk to my prof tomorrow. Maybe I can bail on this class still. Who knows? I will have to retake it somewhere down the line, because it's a required course for my major. Social Psychology is sorta, kinda basic to a Psych major, dontchaknow.

Anyway, I talk to my prof tomorrow. I want to see what my odds are of rescuing my grade. Or more importantly, if I can bail on the class still with a W. Then perhaps I can think clearly about what to do next.

Saturday, March 04, 2006



Post 666...
(cue scary Theremin music)

I wanted to link to a couple of my posts for the benefit of believing Christians who voted for George W. Bush in 2004.

In short: you voted him in, mofos. If he winds up being the Antichrist, you are complicit in whatever he does. Better not whine when Homeland Security tells you to get chipped in your right hand or forehead, or else...

UPDATE: Here is some further recent discussion about RFID chip implantation and the Mark of the Beast:

RFID: Sign of the (End) Times?
Slashdot discussion of the article.

UPDATE 2:
More 3v1ln355... http://www.bushisantichrist.com/

Post 665, take one...

This is all about a couple of memes that I've gotten wind of. The first is from Beep:

What might have been: Jimmy Carter's answer to Peak Oil from 1977

The second is from Wil Wheaton's blog...no I was not tagged, but I'll run with it anyway.

Four Jobs I've Had In My Life in LA:

  • Web Developer

  • Floor Customer Service at Fry's, Computer Accessories Department

  • Telemarketer

  • Hot Dog Maker (assembly of finished hot dog, not stuffing sausage)



Four Movies About LA I Could Watch Over And Over:

  • Blade Runner

  • Boogie Nights (Yay Reseda!)

  • LA Story

  • Rush Hour



Four Places I've Lived All Over L.A. (With Food Memories From Each):

  • Palms: Palms Fried Shrimp (a really cool Japanese family restaurant that's long gone, alas)

  • Sherman Oaks: Chef Gregoire Le Balch's Quiche Lorraine (He is at the Kitchen Stadium in the sky now, but his daughter is the famed Josie Le Balch of Josie's Restaurant fame.)

  • Tarzana: Wil Wright's Ice Cream (Gone too...)

  • Studio City: Corned Beef Sandwich at Art's Deli...the only thing you can still get from this list.



Four LA-Themed Shows I Love(d) To Watch:

  • Dragnet

  • The KTLA Morning News

  • Any show Huell Howser does...he's corny but I love him

  • Emergency!



Four Places I Would Vacation At In LA:

  • Venice Beach

  • Little Tokyo (but not at the New Otani because of labor relations concerns)

  • (drawing blanks on the other two)




Four LA-Based Websites I Visit Daily:


  • My Left Wing

  • www.dailynews.com

  • Wil Wheaton In Exile

  • This one, to blog.



Four Of My Favorite Foods Found In LA:

  • Miso Ramen at Tampopo, West LA (In the Mitsuwa Supermarket)

  • Chipotle Chicken Burrito at Rincon Taurino, Panorama City

  • Chicken cutlet Kare Raisu at Kyushu Ramen, Van Nuys

  • Zankou Chicken, various places in LA



Four Places In LA I Would Rather Be Right Now:

  • Little Tokyo

  • Sawtelle District, particularly browsing at Giant Robot

  • Chatsworth Park, except during the height of Summer

  • The Venice Boardwalk, the original "CityWalk" and still the best.



Next post: The Post of the Beast!

Thursday, March 02, 2006

OK, this is the eighth dirty word you can't say on broadcast media...

Olbermann.

Say it with me again....

Olbermann.

Someone get George Carlin on the horn, he's got to rewrite his famous routine. (Warning: NSFW...as if my blog is ever...)

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

It has come down to this, folks.

Link to an article that links to instructions for a Dilation and Curettage.

South Dakota has passed their draconian anti-abortion law. Considering that Mississippi and Indiana are mulling similar laws in committee, with several other red states "exploring" similar legislation, and that conservatives have tipped the balance of the Supreme Court, it's looking more and more that this information needs to be disseminated. Here is another link.

This is bullshit. Women shouldn't need to know this stuff. Women should be able to go to a friendly, understanding health care provider, in complete confidence, and get this sort of thing done safely and effectively. None of us wants to go through this. No woman I know takes abortion lightly. Hell, I don't even like going to get a pap smear. But it's good to know that in the State of California my right to safe and legal abortion is protected. However, California is a wonderful Pacific blue. Safe, legal and RARE is a good frame.

However, women will get abortions. Safe or not safe. Abortion was once illegal even here. Let me tell you a story, which I also told on Daily Kos.

There is still a little pale brown spot on the steps at Hamilton High in Palms, California, a suburb of Los Angeles.

One day in the mid-1980s, when my mother and I were both living under my maternal grandmother's roof, we took a walk together. She steered me to the steps of Hamilton High, on Robertson Blvd.

She pointed at a pale brown spot. "This is where a girl died."

"Was she shot? Was she stabbed?"

"No, she aborted herself in the girls' bathroom."

Apparently a classmate of my mother's had gotten "in trouble." Palms has always been a working-class neighborhood, even though it's very close to Beverly Hills.

Back in the late 1950s, women hadn't many options with regard to dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. If you had sympathetic parents and lots of money, you could find an OB/GYN you could persuade to do a "therapeutic D&C." That was the Beverly Hills way. If you had sympathetic parents but you weren't well-heeled, you took the trip South of the Border to Tijuana, where although abortions were as illegal there as they were here, they could be had.

If you didn't have sympathetic parents you did it yourself. Knitting needles. A stretched-out coat hanger. Drinking noxious chemicals. Douching with noxious chemicals. Throwing yourself down a flight of stairs. Maybe the Curandera down the street could give you Tansy or Pennyroyal or Cohosh or a combination of the same as an "emmenagogue." Or you tell your unsympathetic parents, and they send you away to a "Home for Unwed Mothers" where you had your child away from home and from the scrutiny of your neighbors.

Anyway, the girl had aborted herself, and was hemmorhaging horribly. She panicked, ran out of the main building of the high school, tripped over a step and fell. She died there, on the steps, in a pool of blood. The firefighters didn't get there in time to save her. The coroner took her body away.

A few years later, my mother married her first husband. He was an aspiring actor with James Dean looks and a beatnik soul. He was also bisexual. One afternoon, my maternal grandfather stopped by their apartment, and discovered the aspiring actor in bed with another man. Say what you will about gay rights and the closet and so on, but this had been a secret life the guy hid from my mother. After my grandfather gave him and his friend what-for, a petition for annulment was filed with Family Court. The annulment was easily obtained, because the marriage was entered into under something less than total candor.

However, this didn't stop my mom from being pregnant by the guy. She didn't want to carry the baby to term, because she felt violated by the betrayal of trust and of the fledgling marriage. She took the trip to Tijuana like many other women did. She told me "It was a frightening, frightening experience. Somehow God protected me through it, and I was able to have you when I was in a real marriage."

She was shaking and in tears by the time she finished speaking. "I want you to realize these days weren't so long ago. I want you to know how lucky you are to live during a time where safe and legal birth control and safe and legal abortion is available. And I want you to fight if they ever get serious about turning the clock back."

When I'm in the neighborhood, I often go back to those steps, where there still is a pale brown spot on them. I think about my mother, and what she went through. I think about that poor girl who didn't make it. And I think about the current generations of girls for whom this might become a reality again.

Think about this when the pro-death motherfuckers start sleazing around your state legislatures plotting similar.

And think of the women and girls who will suffer similar fates in the red states where this is either reality or on its way to being reality.