Birthday Wishes

Today is my birthday, and here are my wishes. To my friends and family I wish all the joy and luck in the world. I got this totally sweet and out-of-the-blue email from a long time friend. She reminded me that the little things matter and that she is just as nice as she says I am. As for myself, I just want this new job to go well and I get a nice tan in Florida. Can't expect all my problems to be fixed in one day. :-)

By the way, I dreamt of an ice cream shop this morning. Maybe the weather will get warm enough to get a cone this weekend.

Fortune Cookies

A few of my favs:

"People find it difficult to resist your persuasive manner"

"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."

"You love Chinese food"

"Time is the wisest counsellor"

"You will experience small success, especially in romance" (7/17/2007)

ADDITION - on 3/26 started my new job, went out for Chinese for lunch, and here is my cookie fortune: "Financial prosperity is coming your way!" Haha!

The Year of the Horse:
Independent and sporty, the Horse is the male sign. The often flamboyant Horse tends to be the life of the party and is great fun to be around. They tend to love sports and, or, outdoor activities and don't mind some rough and tumble action. They function best when they have lots of freedom. The downside is they function poorly when bridled, e.g., tied down by routine. The Horse tends to be selfish and self absorbed, letting others fend for themselves, which is the Horse's preferred mode of operation. In spite of the enthusiasm with which they begin things, they tend to lose it rather quickly. You have to work to keep their interest. Ah, but it's worth it!
http://www.firepig.com/astrologysignhorse.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_(zodiac)

Other thoughts...

I totally froze my ass off last night. Then like 1 and 1/2 blocks left to go, my iPod dies. Damn battery. I really have been sucked into the work/school thing lately, cause even with the cold I was happy to go out. Plus I was reminded what living in NYC really is like. Lately I've noticed this new trend of guys tieing the front of their pants into their shoes. Sounds weird and so strange for 20 somethings to do, but I tell you it looks cool. Fly. Where else can you find a trend as such before the rest of the world? I used to wonder why headphones can be so expensive and survive among so many people who own cars. Just look at everyone (practically) on the train or walking on the street. They've got headphones on. I think my love to the big apple has resurfaced.

Happy Valentine's

I truly believe my iPod knows it is Valentine's day. It has been playing (in shuffle mode) some of the sappy songs in my list as well as a lot of jazz. Can you imagine that?! It must be evil. Bastards.

Looks like a lot of flower deliveries will be delayed, iced over and generally a mess. Since I won't be getting any (I'm not sad, just bitter)... I won't have to worry about it. Nice not to worry about such things.

Most people did not show up to the office today. Probably would have been a good idea to turn around and stay home today. But oh well. Such is life. Tonight I've got class, at least the prof has not yet canceled it. We've got an exam next week, much to review tonight. Yippie!

On that note... I'm going to have one more Krispy Kreme heart-shaped donuts that "cupid" brought in. Sugar high will help me get through the day.

Gin

This may seem funny, but I just had gin for the 1st time last night. I guess it never dawned on me to try it. Started off with a Tom Collins (with rail gin), and.... it.... was..... refreshing. Totally liked it and finished it off. Then we got talking about other types of gin. Found out some interesting points about how gin is infused with different flavors. So I had a Tanqueray and tonic. Wow, very tasty. There was some actual tastes of junpier and pine needles. Imagine that. I started to imagine drinking it in the warm southern afternoon sun. Sipping it slowly, without a care in the world. Good times. By the way, this is my quest to try some new drinks. Got bored with beer.

Someone suggested tequila next. That could get pretty funny.

The dentist appt went well, only one little cavity. Will be taken care of in 2 weeks. And I got a new toothbrush for being such a good girl. :)

Destiny

Ever start off wrong? Today is Monday, not my favorite day. But not only that, it just started off wrong. Couldn't wake up on time. Was totally slow moving. The walk/ride to work was brutal. It seemed like I kept pulling my own hair trying to keep my bag on my shoulder and walk into the brutal 0 below wind. But what if there was one little thing I could have done differently to make the day go smoothly. Can destiny be changed that easily? Am I over-qualified for this new job?

It's now about 6:30, and time to go home. Back out into the cold. It was a fairly good day in the end. Too bad I have to go work on calculus now.

Direction

So here I sit, I'm 28 years old and I'm trying to figure out my direction. That is, I think I know what I want to do next, it just depends on the direction. The way IT is running now it's hard to say what is the best way. I've been doing a fairly good job of becoming an engineer, actually focusing on one set of skills and gaining experience in it. It may not be a huge need for it, but I've learned how to tear things down and build them back up and work around them. (The life of a desktop software package engineer... taking an install from a vendor and re-working it into a package/script to use for deployment to workstations). I actually started to enjoy the work. And on the side taking a management training course and my college courses (math, English, etc.). Now that has all changed. The new job is way more hats. Nothing specific, the school of thought is that it's an enterprise and each person on the team should know all about it. Which in a sense is good, I could learn more about the server side of things and maybe even some networking bits. But on the other side, I can't delve deep into any one thing because I'll be too busy with everything else. It feels like a step backwards, which worries me, I like the direct route forward. It sure is a bit of a dilemma, because if I don't do the new job, what do I do?

Been lazy

This is the perfect weather to be completely lazy. Most of this weekend I kind of hung around and did some cleaning and catching up on TV shows. No laundry this time. Actually I barely did anything productive. I walked as far as a block each day. Once for brunch and groceries. And once more for a cup of coffee. Sad? I think not. Today class started, Fundementals of Calculus. That's right kids, life is over. Plus I'm trying (not very hard) to catch up on the management training. And also I started some Six Sigma (google it) training. All wrapped up in a neat little bow, and soon to be torn to shreds. Work is total madness, heance the lazyness on the weekends. I'm excited about the news that Beckham coming to America. Now if only they would actually show American soccer games on TV. Well, it would be nice. Currently reading a series by Steven Burst (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jhereg_%28novel%29) Think Bond in a world of magic. Lots of great plot twists and a world that keeps you guessing. I recommened if you want to get sucked in to such a thing. I'm on my 4th book now, that sounds soooo geeky, but none of the books need to go in a specific order. He uses little clues to let you know where in the time line the story is taking place. Pretty clever.

Ok - that's all... back to work.

Gothic Lit Final - Grade 92

I'm very proud of my final, got a 92 on it. Enjoy!

FI. Short Answer (50 pts)

2. Explain the significance of the unicorn dream in the director's cut of Blade Runner. In what way does it relate to the unicorn origami Deckard finds at the end of the film?

The unicorn is an imaginative thought implanted into replicates. The humans were trying to give the replicates a sub-conscious mind. As I read further into the film, there are some repeating themes. It goes on to prove that even Deckard himself is a replicate. The origami left as a calling card by Gaff, in a sense saying that he would not come after him. Gaff knew about the unicorn dreams because he knows that they were given to the replicates.

5. Briefly explain two ways that 19th-century American writers transformed Gothic literary conventions. Use Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" to illustrate your answer.

As society changed over the century, so did the social fears. Poe’s use of poetic writing to describe the story gave people a chance to completely delve into it. He describes the surrounding estate and house with dark details. Instead of a castle being used to describe the Gothic theme, a large estate home was described. The story itself is about deep social fears of the time; incest, insane aristocrats, and being buried alive. These new themes helped carry readers along and such made the story set in “modern” times.

8. Briefly discuss and illustrate the two key cultural fears in Ridley Scott's Alien.

One of the first cultural fears I thought of from the movie Alien has to be what is out in space. This movie reminds us that maybe we are not alone in the universe. As we reach out farther into space, it becomes difficult to get help from others. The other fear is loss of human morals. At the expense of humans, the Company hopes to bring back alien specimens. Maybe the aliens are worth more than humans. Also the android is used by the Company to do their bidding. My thought is that we should be more fearful of ourselves than the aliens out in space.

9. Explain the role or function of the supernatural in Beloved.

Within the story of Beloved the supernatural theme is used to express the horrors of one’s own individual past. We learn from Sethe’s storytelling that her past is so horrible she can barely talk about, fearful of reliving it. Instead the ghost of Beloved and the eventual physical form allow Sethe to separate herself from the rest of society. Sethe is so deeply depressed about her past that she fears expressing those feelings. She basically wants it stay hidden away. This allows Beloved to feed off of Sethe’s guilty feelings to grow ever stronger. The supernatural powers feed off the fear of others. Even the rest of the town allows the ghost to existent because they believe in it. In the end Sethe needs people to help regain her sanity and completely exorcize the entity.


10. Briefly explain Angela Carter's use of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale in "The Lady of House of Love." What does Carter seem to be saying about the nature and power of love?

The fairy tale story within the short story “The Lady of House of Love” helps bring to light the essence of the tragedy. Like Sleeping Beauty the young vampire girl is under a strong spell or poison inflicted because of her family’s background. They both wish to be rescued by love. Their belief in love is that it will conquer all evil and set them free. It is their only hope of freedom. Our hero comes along, his kindness and innocence breaks the cycle of death surrounding her. It gives the vampire girl a true sense of what it feels like to be loved by another. She is ultimately able to become something she wanted to be, even though it caused her own death.


II. Essay Answer (50 pts)

5. Gothic narratives of the 19th and 20th centuries, especially those that can be included in the Science Fiction genre, sometimes explore the complexities of creation. Interestingly, these tales also blend Judeo-Christian belief with Greek mythology to explore the social and personal ramifications of a rebellious man trying to usurp the creative function of God. Explain how Mary Shelley in Frankenstein, Nathaniel Hawthorn in "Rappaccini's Daughter," and Ridley Scott in Blade Runner each merge the Promethean myth with Biblical accounts of creation. Discuss what these tales are saying about scientific hubris and the dangers of transgressing the bounds of human knowledge and ability.

As humans become more intelligent about themselves and the world around them, the idea of being a god comes to surface. A few of the gothic stories raises the question of what might happen if a human plays god (or even mother nature). Creation can not be duplicated by humans alone; it takes the miracle of Mother Nature to breathe life. Any other type of creation is truly deemed un-natural.

In the novel by Mary Shelley, Dr. Frankenstein wishes to save to save humanity from death. He believes he can create life from human parts. That it is within his power to do this completely consumes him. This idea and the possibility of proving it overshadows the question of if it should be done. The good doctor does not think of what the consequences might be by creating a life that is not truly human. There is not set plan to teach, love and live up to his own mistakes. He is such punished by the creature for abandonment. It may be that Frankenstein had noble intentions, but he was unable to fulfill his commitment of creation of life. Carrying forward with the love and caring it deserved.

Also in the story “Rappaccini’s Daughter” the doctor desires to help humanity with cures that are out of normal reach. The question remains if his daughter was created by accident or on purpose. She is capable of handling the most dangerous of plants and flowers in the garden. But on the other hand she is kept from society because of the potential of causing others harm. Her father had yet again some noble ideas but without concern of the possible consequences. How long did he think he would be able to control and keep her within his four walls? Just like any other human she wished to be accepted and loved by others. She wanted to experience life as others, instead of being condemned to a fate she did not choose.

Finally as move to the science fiction genre with the creation of robots or replicates of humans. In Blade Runner the replicates are created to do the dangerously harmful and mundane jobs that humans no longer care to do. But some of these tasks, like the prostitute, require a higher level of human-like characteristics. Here lies the true problem with un-natural creation, how do you create something to be just like you but be able to control it? This is impossibility, as the movie explains. The replicates believe themselves to be humans until their own intelligence is advanced enough to help them see that they are not humans. This is why their life span is set to only four years, the humans believe this will help control the replicates from experiencing this. Again as these non-humans come to find out the fate they did not choose for themselves they break away and attempt to be free. In the end they decide to kill their creator so that no others will be created in such a way.

All of these stories represent what could happen if humans try to take over for god. It proves the point that humans generally do not have the capacity for such a complex thing as life. Each creator in the stories met with suffering and sometimes an end of their own life because of the creature they designed. The twist on both Frankenstein’s creature and the replicates in Blade Runner is the very emotional thought process. These creatures are innocent to the world around them and see the beauty in it that most humans have become numb to. Does that not make them just as human as the rest of us? It also questions what is human and what deserves to live. Thankfully we have storytelling to test these waters before we ever attempt to test them ourselves. And hopefully stop anyone thinking of playing god.

Over-Medium Eggs

It's not impossible, I just have a huge problem making over-medium eggs. I can do the scamble thing with perfection (everyone says so). But my attempt at over-medium is like the hardest thing ever. I get the pan hot, melt the butter and crack the eggs. Got that down with no real problem. As I watch the eggs, I attempt to seperate the two so I can flip each individually. Maybe that is where I go wrong. Well, anyway... I start the feat of the flip. usually I can get the 1st one and then my hand starts to shake. I'm nervous you understand. Let's just say in the end I get one egg out of two done... then I have a huge mess to clean up.

Hunting in December

The mother-load. It was finally my turn to get my own. I knew what had to be done and it was the time to execute the plan. The trap and bait were setup in my domain. I've seen a few felines carefully walk across the top of the fence, in search of food. It started of quiet, only one visitor, but he was staying on the fence. No guts no glory. Finally a big white cat with black ears came strolling along. He sniffed, walked around, marked his territory and walked around some more. He just wasn't ready to go in. For the next 10 minutes he walked the entire parameter of the yard, claiming it as his own. Finally as I waited patiently he got in the trap and started to eat. Now the problem is, he didn't freak out. In the dark I couldn't tell if the trap shut or not. Usually when it drops they tend to go crazy to get out. I needed my night vision goggles, but I don't any (the cats have the huge advantage on that one, better technology). He stood up and looked like he was going to leave, but instead just turned around. That's how I knew he was trapped. When I went to get a closer look he didn't even hiss. He is a friendly. A big one too, almost 18 pounds. Fed better than my mom's lazy suburban kitties. But his days of reproduction are over. As we waited for the transport we did a little bonding. He let me pet him through the bars, he did some funny tumble acts, and gave me a sweet look with those big black eyes. I hope we kind find a good place for him. In the end 3 more down the street were trapped. It was a good night. Santa please bring me some night vision goggles, thanks.

Quote

"Get sick, get well. Stand around an ink well" - Dylan

Hunting...

Sometimes your luck just runs out. It was a bad night to trap. The weather was too warm. Too many people out and about. Playing basketball and throwing a function at our normal hunting grounds. It was a bit annoying. We did the best we could. We were practically chasing down a few we saw on the street. The tuna was no help with piles of garbage just waiting for guests to rummage through. They were waiting for us humans to go away so they could feed in peace. Maybe if the jobs we do to support our hunting habit didn't get in the way, we would have stayed out all night. It was a tough one to give up. We were able to catch a nice boy in a backyard. He was not happy with us at all. But he'll do fine. I have a feeling that turkey was shared with a few of our feline friends. They were very thankful. And we don't give up. The hunt continues on.

Happy Turkey Day

So I went to the opera last week. I was fortunate enough to get to go. I really do enjoy the 3 hours of singing. It was Cosi tu frutti, a Mozart comedy opera. Thank goodness they used the supertitles to help us non-Italian opera sort of people follow along. The story line is fairly simple enough, 2 boys want to marry sisters. But they are caught up in a bet with a friend that means to prove that all women are unfaithful. The music was amazing. Can't beat being in a room of that size and yet be totally filled with stringed instuments. Makes my heart flutter. But what drives me out of my mind about opera is that a line will be sung 3, or 4 or 5 or even 6 time in a row. Over and over. To prove the point? To get the voice at an even higher level? To make sure it has been understood? To allow for a prop and/or costume change? Who the hell knows. Can't they just cut out the repeated lines and get it over with in an easy 1 and 1/2 hours. No, I will learn to endure it and appreate it. Opera comes but once every few years. I did enjoy every minute of it.

The rest of the weekend was chill. I did my laundry, had drinks with friends, made brownies, finished a research paper, ate the brownies in celebration (nearly all of them, my poor tummy). It was a good day.

The plan is to get out of the city quick this weekend. I really look forward to more of nothing. Well dinner, family, friends, hang out and relax kind of nothing. Funny how easy it is now to be around family when work is so "difficult". Love my job, hate my work. Haha!

That's all for now... enjoy Turkey day!

The hunt continues…

It was a dark and rainy night; we could only hope they were hungry. We decided to use a new trick, clam juice. Not even a feral cat can resist clam juice. Right away we spotted the mother hiding out in the basement windowsill. She watched us with her big eyes, wanting to trust us but still unsure. This was our only chance to help her and the kitten trapped. She apparently had a bad leg, possibly broken. Our hearts were in the right place. This was a task for the Drop Trap. If the mother goes in, the kitten will go next, and then BAM we got them both. It took only 15 minutes and the job was done. As we all got soaked to the bone we were thankful it wasn't colder out. We got each in their own cage and calmed them down quick as possible. A few neighbors stopped by to watch. We taught them our hunting techniques and that the cats were heading the doctors in the morning to be taken care of. They wanted to see the wild beasts and so we let them peak into the cages. They were thoroughly impressed with them, fine specimens, just a little food will plump them up good. Maybe they will be social-able and decide to stay indoors, their choice. We left the mamma and kitten in good hands. Operation "Save Mamma" complete.