Yes, I Read My Horoscope.

This was my horoscope for today:

You're like a shark in the deep waters of the working world. You are slick. You are sleek. You are good looking, but those good looks belie razor-sharp, highly effective tools for getting what you want. The little fishies had better watch out, because you are on the hunt. Go ahead and chase those fishies. But don't go tracking any new business projects down -- they'll come to you. If they don't, spend the day studying the weather conditions.

I think my horoscope is high.

My Psychic Friends, Network

An acting colleague of mine, Wendy, has developed a new series here which is a parody of the Ghost Hunting shows on cable. I have to admit, those ghost hunting shows are a guilty pleasure of mine, even though I realize they're totally hokey (or are they??).

Anyway, if you start with Episode One, you will meet the team, including Wendy, who is "the psychic;" another member who compares ghost hunting to doing drywall; and a third who claims to be an "internet certified exorcist" who "accidentally opened a wormhole to a Satanic dimension" as a child. Silly stuff. You should check it out.

From Russia, A Century Ago

This is the most amazing thing: color photos of life in Russia, 100 years ago! I know, I didn't believe it either, but it must be for real, because the Library of Congress restored the photos. You should definitely check it out.

"Clay Figures Go Home!"

Just for fun, an old MST3K short.
Gumby!

(Sometimes you can't differentiate between the actual voices and the MST3K bots.)

I am thinking of my voice teacher today. He and his wife lost their 20 year-old son in the Pan Am flight that was bombed and crashed in Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988. He had been studying abroad and was returning home for the holidays. He was a student at Syracuse University and was studying music.

Today, August 20, Scotland lets the only convicted man from that bombing return home to die of cancer. Today, August 20, is also the birthday of this boy, who would have turned 41 today.

It's a gross irony. I only know about it because I looked up the information on the victim website. I haven't seen my voice teacher in two weeks, but I wonder what he is thinking today.

God bless the innocent victims and the families of victims who suffer from senseless violence and terror. I hope there is a special place in Heaven for all of them.

Updated, 8/28: I found a quote from my teacher in a newspaper about the release. He said:

"I am thinking as a decent human being. Let the man go and die in his own country -- he's dying anyhow. Keeping him in prison is not going to cure the illness that this whole thing is an example of, the killings and murders and the things that go on in mankind."

Mid-Year Crisis

I can't tell you how many times this summer I have wanted to write a self-pitying blog post. Because, actually, it's been a little tough this summer. I have been searching for a new job for what seems like ages, and after being a "finalist" for three positions, I still have turned up nothing. Money is tight and only gets tighter as each day goes by, and WAH. Poor, poor me.

Seriously, though, I think no one cares. I mean, of course, people care. They love me! I know you care! But there's only so much feeling sorry for yourself that you can do. Eventually, you just have to find a solution. The Universe is clearly trying to tell me something, so I better start listening.

I'm going to have to start teaching voice and guitar. I mean, why not? I know how to do both. I know I can teach voice, I think I may actually enjoy teaching voice, I'm just nervous about my limited piano skills. But I've been told that it's really no big deal. And guitar: I'm going to teach acoustic. Lots of people want to learn chords and stuff, right? I figure: I can see what teaching is like, and I can get paid better than my other part-time job.

So, please keep your fingers crossed for me. I think my time has finally arrived to get out there and be a real artist. Which inevitably involves teaching. And outreach performances. And the dreaded AUDITIONS. It is time!

But if a nice, comfy secretarial position presents itself in the meantime, I'm totally snagging it.

I need a new hobby like I need a hole in the head

I'm pleased to announce that I have a new obsession. No, it's not a movie star, sillies! (Though if you haven't yet seen 500 Days of Summer, do yourself a favor. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is adors!) l

I'll give you a few hints: 1. It's a sport. (That is shocking enough, for me) 2. It used to be popular, and professionally played, until it started dying out about 20+ years ago. 3. It now has a cult following. 4. It is badass.

I read an article about it a few years ago, and ever since, I keep thinking about it. I want to play. I want to suit up. I want to roll around in circles in knock people down!

Guessed yet?





Roller Freakin Derby, people! And I'm also pretty excited about this movie coming out.

I've found a league in DC, and it looks like, to join - or at least to "try out"- you just need to be 18 years old or over and have health insurance (heh). But I think I will wait till I get a better employment situation since I will need to buy all the gear and stuff.

Am I going to go through with it? I don't know. I'm kind of hoping I'll burn myself out before I even get to the rink (I'm pretty sure Mr. P is hoping that, too). Right now I'm trying to think of a good alias. I won't say my ideas yet because I don't want anyone to steal them, but I will say that it will be more creative than "Iron Maiden."

Natalie Portman as the Madonna

This is kind of fun. Two of my favorite things together: celebrities, and fine art.

Altered States

Have you ever woken from your sleep and not known exactly where you are? Like, if you've been traveling, or you're just extremely tired, and the room is very dark, and it takes you a few seconds to remember where you are, or what you were doing last night?

Two nights ago, I woke up in the middle of the night, and not only did I not know where I was, I actually didn't know who I was. No kidding! It was as if I was completely... blank. Nothing. Slate wiped clean. In only a few seconds, I remembered, but the pieces were swirling around and assembling in my imagination like a celestial puzzle. It was the most bizarre experience. I thought... I live in -- Rockville. Yeah. Wait, why do I live in Rockville?! And then, after a few seconds of this, I just went back to sleep.

Of course, I told Mr. P this story, and he got kind of scared and then sad, and he whispered, "you're not going crazy on me, are you?" But I didn't mean to scare him, nor was I worried about myself. I actually thought it was cool, like an interesting, new mental state. (Ha- now I sound crazy.) But seriously, it was so relaxing to be blank! I can see where perpetual blankness would be inconvenient, but a few seconds? I almost wish I could tap into that place again.

Barack, Barack, Barack Obama!

I just had to post this video in honor of Obama's visit to Ghana. Warning: it is the catchiest tune ever. It will wriggle its way into your ear and never leave. Still: pretty entertaining. He's really shakin' that cane, too.

Rock the Night Away

Damn. Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson in one day. It's as if my big brother's adolescent room just went *poof.*

I say "my brother," but I, of course, was into both: Charlie's Angels for a brief stint, and Jackson for much longer. One of my favorite and earliest "Michael Jackson Memory" is of going into my brother's room and pulling out his vinyl copy of the "Off The Wall." It was a great album, and I loved opening up the record to reveal his full-body photo. Heh.

I also remember MJ being a big deal at summer camp. My camp friends and I once choreographed a group dance to "PYT," and when there was a lice breakout (Ew!), we would sing, "Lice, Lice... doo doo doot doot..." along to "Human Nature."

During my young adulthood in France, I revisited MJ, seriously rocking out one evening to "Billie Jean" at the Paris Fireman's Ball (don't ask), as well as regularly dancing to that album with "Man in the Mirror" and "The Way You Make Me Feel" with my pianist friend Paul. I used to sing with Paul - he introduced me to the vocal music of Rachmaninoff and Faure - and after our Sunday afternoon sessions, we would take a break from classical, crank up Michael Jackson, and drink wine, dance, and cook. Good times.

I'm sure there are many more memories, and if I had to sit down and list my favorite songs of all time, Michael Jackson's tunes may take up two or three spots, at least. The only happiness we can take from his demise is no longer having to worry about his descent into crazy/plastic surgery hell, and knowing that his music will live forever. God bless, Michael. I hope you found Farrah up there, and that you two are enjoying some peace, at last.

Update-let

Hella busy right now and through next week...

Co-worker had a baby and it's just me - urgh. On the bright side: I HAD AN INTERVIEW. And they called right afterwards and scheduled A SECOND INTERVIEW.

Keep your little fingers crossed! Things may be looking up for quesa!

See you soon.

Holy Smokes; this is Big!

Can you imagine if Obama had lost this past election? Worse, he won, but the election was stolen from him? Even worse: he ran against Bush (for a 3rd term), and Bush stole the election? Of course, that would never happen in our country. But if it had, we would be like Iran, right?

I was both highly anticipating and dreading the election last November, because I knew if Obama lost - even fair and square- there would be some mightily irate citizens on the streets. (Read: there would be riots. Like April 1968. Entire neighborhoods destroyed.) Thankfully, not only did he win, but there was, for the most part, joy in the land.

Which is why I am positively transfixed upon the news coming out of Iran the last few days. A revolution is being waged in a large and globally important country in the world. A thirty year-old institution of power is being threatened. The people - just regular citizens - are rising up and asking for their fair share. And, in an unprecedented fashion, information technology is playing a vital role.

The fate of the Middle East may ride on what happens next in Iran. History is unfolding, again! Are you paying attention?

I got a hunch

I haven't been blogging recently because I simply can't decide what to blog about. Yeah, that's it. Thankfully, this website could help me get going, on any decision!

I haven't fully explored it yet, but it looks kind of fun. It's a decision-challenged person's dream!

Who and What is Annoying Me Lately: May '09

1. Movies in theatres. There are so many bad movies out right now! I just saw Terminator, but only because I was desperate to get out of the house and get me some cheap entertainment. Aside from a few helicopter crashes and interesting chase scenes, it was pretty much a bore. But what else am I supposed to see? Tom Hanks in the Vatican Library? Ben Stiller fighting monkeys at the museum? Star Freakin' Trek?? God!

2. Susan Boyle. Look, I don't want to be a hater. I've already complained once about her hype, and now it seems that her 15 minutes are turning into an hour. Can we all chip in and send her a good voice teacher, STAT? She is just not. that. good. OK? Let it go, tone deaf people.

3. Ashton Kutcher as the King of Twitter. I'm giving twitter a chance, because it looks like you can discover many cool things there (it's like surfing the net, but in a condensed and hyper-fast way), but Ashton is not my oracle, and if he is yours, you need a life.

4. Job Search Scams. I just got conned by a job advertisement and the subsequent submission of my information and resume. I don't think they've stolen my identity (yet), but I got my revenge by reporting them to the authorities. Scammers preying on vulnerable job seekers belong in the 4th circle of Hell, the one meant for the greedy, where they make you push around money bags.

5. Reality Show "Celebrities." Am I really supposed to feel sorry for "celebrities" who decide to do reality shows in order "to provide for their families?" If you have done one of the following: sold a Senate seat, famewhored out your D-List self, or complained about the cheating husband who fathered your eight babies, I am probably less likely to watch your stupid show.

From Friends to Followers

I have discovered Twitter, and I'm pretty sure it will be my new addiction. I'm tweeting, y'all! So far, I have two tweets and 5 followers, but it's a start.

So, c'mon! Follow me, quesadelia, and all my wisdoms, on twitter. I will follow you, too.

As the Parents Turn

I received a happy surprise early last year when my father, who lives deep in the low country of South Carolina, informed me that he would be voting for Barak Obama in the Democratic primary. I almost dropped my phone, but I should have seen it coming. My dad had been conservative for a long time and in more ways that one, but he started to break from his Republican voting ways when Bush the Younger ran for president. However, a vote for Obama (and in the primary, no less) would be his first vote for a Democrat I think, ever.

The weirdness has not stopped here. Dear ol' Dad, former carnivore, is now a vegetarian. Technically, he is a vegan, because he is also avoiding dairy and eggs, but he hasn't yet owned up to this title. Sometime last year, (about the time he started voting democratic, coincidentally enough) his doctor informed him that he may need to get a heart valve replacement in a few years. He immediately began researching heart disease and diets, and he honed in on a diet recommendation developed by an actual heart doctor: a vegetarian diet. I won't link to it here because I don't remember the name of the book or the doctor, but the book is a best seller and the diet is being practiced by an entire fire station in Austin, Texas. (Manly men who fight fires can eat vegetarian!) What is shocking to me about my Dad's change of heart (!!), is my memory of eating vegetarian myself during my college days, and my dad silently thinking I was a freak for doing so. Ok, maybe that's not fair; maybe he just didn't completely understand, but that's what I was picking up on.

And NOW, my mother (my parents are divorced) has begun protesting. That is: she went to one of those "tea parties" on Tax Day. When I phoned her up late in the afternoon of April 15 to ask her an unrelated question, she informed me, in a tone of irony, that she had just been to a "tea party." I figured she had gone to one of her old-lady sorority gatherings, so I just said, "that's nice." She went on to describe the sign they made, and how there were many different kinds of people there, "democrats and republicans," and how the turn out was pretty good. "Oh. Oh! You went to one of those?!" And my immediate thought was, they watch too much Fox News. Which is true.

But hey, should I be more understanding? Open minded? Proud? After all, my parents are becoming me in college!

I said Don't Mess with It

Isn't it so hipster to blog your clever conversations? I know! Here's one that happened last night chez nous:

Mr. P: Why are they always saying "Don't Mess with Texas?" Is anyone actually messing with Texas?

Me: Not since they've been warned.

Mr. P: Are other states picking fights with Texas?

Me: Well, Mexico messed with Texas once, and it ended badly. For Mexico.

Mr. P: But I'm not messing with Texas. Why won't they leave me alone?

Me: You know, I love my friends and family in Texas; I even love many of the cities and towns, but yeah; it does seem like Texas has a giant chip on its shoulder.

Thank goodness Mr. P is from Poland and can point these things out to me. He always helps me to see the world from a different perspective.

Next step in my job search: Black Magic

It's 9:00 a.m., and the dog has already accomplished more than I have. He has managed to destroy: a softball (that the neighbor kid knocked over our fence), and the kitty box scooper (he chewed up the handle, giving it a more avant-garde look).

I haven't updated in a while because I've been super preoccupied with trying to find a new job, which I need, like, yesterday. I had an interview with a temp agency last week, because I'm an American, and when I want something, I need instant gratification. Are temp agencies like the fast-food of the employment world? I don't care. At least they can give me access to jobs which are not necessarily advertised. Anyway, the agency is interested in me and wants to place me in a particular permanent position, but they are "waiting to hear back from the client." That was almost a week ago. I was hoping they would just start putting me on temp assignments so I could at least give notice, but what I plan and hope and what the universe gives me are usually two very different things. All I really want is a straight-forward job and a non-psycho boss. Is that too much to ask? Please keep your fingers crossed for me that these two wishes come true! I'm not so excited, really, to jump back into the full-time job gig, but life is expensive, and both of us have to bring home the bacon it seems.

In addition to my interview last week, I also saw an alternative healer to help ease me of my anxiety, and boy, is that a story. It was really awesome and helped, especially with alleviating the toxic energy I had been engaging from my boss. But I must post this story separately. It's a weird one, though, but you wouldn't expect less from me now, would you?

Get Your Gay On

Here's a thought: if you are against gay marriage, don't marry a gay person.

Have you seen that horrific video about the gay storm coming? (Stephen Colbert nicely mocked it on his show.) It deserves to be mocked. If these so-called "Christians" would stop using the bible to deny consenting adults their equal rights and focus on being actual, tolerant, compassionate Christians, they might brush the fog from their eyes (storm pun!) and see that the real threat to marriage - gay or straight - is domestic violence and irresponsible adults who raise irresponsible children.

Do you know why some believe that gay marriage "threatens" straight marriage? Because once gay marriage is legalized, some closeted people will realize their marriage is actually a sham. They'll think, oh, no! All this time, and I could have just married a man/woman!

Here's a stupid little parody I found:

A Gaythering Storm from Jane Lynch