Giant Screw...

Giant Screw... I don't know exactly what it means, but I guess it has something to do with screwing???

That pagoda looking thing with some Tetris junk on it...

A sculpture outside the Bank of America center

A sculpture outside the Bank of America center

Thomas Joyner, wife and baby girl ... I ran into them in downtown...

It's a miniscule world after all...

Most days I take a short retain-my-sanity break and I peruse downtown for a bit with my camera. Today, the unexpected happened.

I was on my way back to the building and I saw two people in CoRE, http://www.wearecore.com, regalia. Come to find out it was Thomas, Steve Joyner's brother, and his wife and daughter. Also, I find, that they live in Fort Worth. Interesting? Why yes, it is!

Other than that, I got some cool shots of a giant screw and a pagoda-like structure that looks like a frame from Tetris was carved into its panels. I'll upload them later when I get home.

And... we're... done.

Just finished "The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green." OMG... A-mazing...

Read. Now.

*cracks whip*

The windowless face of the courts building

I wonder what they're building...

Quite a sight...

This is the fate of trees in "The big D"

After several tries, I finally got the broody shot that I wanted...

Spinach...

Spinach is soooooooooooooooooo good. I could eat spinach with ANYTHING, I swear. Tonight it's spinach marinara. Sauteed baby spinach and fresh oregano with some sweet cilantro and garlic tomato base... No basil... But maybe a tomato-basil salad.

Anyone a Breakfast Club fan? I've always loved Molly Ringwald. Pretty in Pink is good, but my fave is definately Sixteen Candles.

The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green

Such a good book...

If you ever wondered what a coming-of-age story would be like if placed in New Jersey during the 1980s involving an Orthodox Jew, than this title by Joshua Braff is a must-read.

He's a good storyteller with intermittent gaps of passage, prose and dialog in the midst of a first-hand account.

I've had it two days and I'm more than half-way through. Considering that I usually read 2 or 3 books at a time, this is extraordinary.

About a block away...

A woman was brutally murdered from "blunt force trauma" to the head and then robbed. I knew that this could possibly happen; however, I didn't think that I would be racked with this kind of shock so soon and so very close to home. This happened over the last weekend, which was followed by an incident on Monday wherein I was followed off of the DART rail at the Lovers Ln. Station.

But, on that same Monday, as I was walking to work a man riding a bicycle saw me and waved. We met later at the train station. He approached me, we talked for a bit, he introduced himself and he seemed like a nice guy. I'm not saying underhandedly that he wasn't, or that he has the capability to murder a random individual (which probably wasn't so random considering his target was a woman... he must have watched her at some time or was somewhat familiar with her). What I am saying is that all of the great interaction I've had with people since I moved here suddenly made me think twice.

Of all of the people that I've met, how many of them could be murderers, rapists, theives, vandals and/or gang members? How many of them would be willing to take advantage of me and my kindness? How on earth can I possibly continue to exist without fear or suspicion of other people?

Now, I will acknowledge that I do have a choice. Just like Londoners made their choice not to live in fear after the 7/7 bombings, I choose not to live in fear as well. If that fear must be assuaged by better arming myself to fend off these would-be attackers and perpetrators, then so be it.

Maybe Josh was right ... I think I need a six-gun.

Nah ... I'll probably get a tazer and a can of Mace.

And the cow says?

Moo.

Looking good, dahlin'... Looking good...

Things were rad today. No one followed me on, or off, of the train. Thank God. Took a walk, took a few pictures and then work... I love that stuff.

Chores and a few tunes tonight...

Oh, and another thing...

Don't eat veal.

This thing sucks (litter from sidewalks)

Where the birds perch

A view from Young Street

Imagine that...

I wasn't quite sure why I always took my camera everywhere with me, but lately, I've been discovering the reason behind it. Lately I've been capturing images that are so memorable. Things that would slip through your fingers in everyday life have become something that I revel in. The little things you see everyday. Those things that you look at, those things that make a grin form on your countenance. No matter how brief it affects you, it causes something in you to change.

Maybe the same can be said about a picture of that moment. Something that you see in that image, whether actually on the film plane, on the print or in the code that displays it on your screen, or whether you imagine it in your mind, does it affect you the same way? Will you feel that smile breach your glazed-over and satisfied face? Will you appreciate it? Or will you let it slip through your fingers again?

NOW... we're in Texas... I wasn't sure about that for a while, and then Danny did this, and I was certain that we were still in Texas...

Fidel Castro parties in Denton... Didn'ja know?

That's cute...

The unforgettable Phil... Way to go, Phil...

Which way was it to the gym again??? Oh yeah, thanks...

A very happy couple! Best wishes!

It's a Caffery and Harold sammich!

Hot... So very hot!

Saturated

So, if you've been wondering what I've really been up to for the past few weeks, below you will find a pictoral of my weekend (and sometimes weekday) debauchery. Instead of having a virtual onslaught of media, from now on I will upload and post regularly, especially since I have teh intarweb in mi casa... MUY BUENO!!!

Everything's peachy. I rubbed elbows with Allen Faulkner (gracias, powers that be *you know who you are*). He'll hit me back, and for your information, that's a good thing (a la Martha Stewart).

Hopefully the Caffery and I will get together. However, if we don't, that just gives me one more thing to bitch to her about... I can see it now:

"CAAAAAAAAAFFERY! YOU DIDN'T CALL ME BAAAAAAAAAACK!"
"I know Jo... You see, there was this thing with this guy from work, and he's cool, so we decided to hang out. Gas is so expensive now, and where I live, we can just walk to the bars. I'm sorry I bailed on you, but you know, a girls gotta do..."

***That exact conversation will not take place. Something really close to it will, I promise.***

The gals with the gator at the West End Marketplace

Sara and her favorite toy directly in front of the most influential marketing campaign of the 21st century.

Sara in front of Dallas' 'Old Red Courthouse'

Kara and Sara, my twin sisters, with little ol' me in the center.

Me and Mel... Now that's a great picture!

Me, Sara and Mel at Stout in Lower Greenville

At Stout in Lower Greenville

more good times...

iPod and the rail

Friend of the city... Beer and wine.

Serena, if you're out there, you have two beautiful daughters with great personalities. The younger one, which is pouting in this shot, reminds me a lot of myself when I was her age. Center of attention...

This shot, was by far my favorite.

Her daughters, who where by no means shy, enjoyed hamming it up in front of the camera.

A woman named Serena and her daughters were passing time at this fountain in downtown Dallas while waiting for their train.

Me and mah gurrl... Caffery and Jo at RipRocks in Denton

Too many puffs on the peace pipe for him...

It was a Lone Star night at RipRocks in Denton... These are my b!tches...

Hey, It could be worse, RIGHT??? (Note to Rod: He's a nice guy, just not my type.)

Rocking out at RipRocks in Denton

It feels good to get through...

I would count today as being my biggest personal success at the new jobbie-job thus far. I actually got through to someone and got the information I needed! Now that, my friends, is success...

Sara, Kara, Mel and my conscience visited this past weekend. My conscience left first, like about 2 hours after they arrived. After its departure, we made swift leave to the bar... which I think was a good idea. Pictures will be posted of the debauchery.

INTERNET AT HOME THIS WEEKEND!!! OMG!!!
*overloads on excitement*

*** UPDATE***

TWO SUCCESSES!!! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! I found it!

Pictures will be uploaded and posted, soon enough, dahlings... :)

Get over yourself...

Maybe I'm really not as different as I think I am. For some reason I walk on eggshells with a lot of people for fear that they may fear me. I hope, more than anything else at this point, that who I am does not negatively impact anyone, or even cause them to have a negative preconception about me because of my appearance or otherwise.

I think it's time to put all that crap into the back seat. I should be over this by now. Maybe it's time for me to just prioritize my public perception instead of bending to my idealism (you would be surprised at how hard it is to resist idealism). Maybe I just need to switch to a hybridization of idealism and realism, without becoming a jaded, old fart.

The revolution has a theme song, and it's by Barry Manilow.

I smell a revolution...

Lately, I've been soaking up as much information on Dallas politics as I can, that is, outside the influence of the intelligentsia and self-proclaimed politicos. It has become apparent that this city needs to become unified if it wants to survive what is ahead. I won't lie to you. I think this city needs a serious overhaul.

Let me offer an analogy: If the Dallas political system was a car, it would be a DeLorean. Why, you ask? Because it's intriguing when you look at it, it's fun to take out every once in a while; but the fact is, no one works on them anymore, so if it breaks down, you're screwed.

I think that once I do a bit more research, gather a bit more information and acclimate myself to Dallas' dismal political system, my opinions and motivation will be honed and sharpened.

Another idea: What if we started a grass-roots campaign for city unity? What if we all just got together and started forming an opinon? What if we could all make an effort to be a united front against corrupt politicians and apathy?

Would it work?

Like it wasn't enough...

That our world leaders wasted time in Scotland hammering out global issues -- which are completely unresolved -- that now, we're wasting more time, effort and resources tracking down a leak from the Bush administration that handed out the name of CIA agent Valerie Plame. We all know that Bush and his "goodfellas" are protected. It's like a bad Marlon Brando movie, or worse yet, it's an entire Sopranos season.

Rove is protected. He's "untouchable." Right? Just like Gonzales, Rove is one of G.W.'s buddies. It would have to be the hand of God coming down on Bush -- either that or his dad -- to get Rove in a position where justice can be served through upholding a promise that Bush Jr. made.

An editorial cartoon really struck a chord with me. It pictured Rove, Gonzales, Cheney and other Bush cronies around a poker table with W. saying something to the effect of "Anyone asks, we don't know nothin' about no stool pigeon squealing to the press. Got that, Karl?" and Rove responds "Sure thing, boss."

It's just like my mother said: Fair is fair for some and unfair for others.

The dogs of war...

I'm not sure if it made me feel any safer than yesterday (and I did feel a bit uneasy when taking the train home last night, but nothing really serious to stop me from doing it), but this morning as I was getting off of the train I was greeted by a couple of police on bicycles, about 5 officers and two bomb-sniffing dogs at Union Station. These measures, no doubt, were put in place to ease the public body after the attacks on London by al-Zarqawi's miscreants. Did it make me feel any better? Still not sure.

I do know this: I tried to take a picture to send to my parents of the heightened security at the train station, but as I pulled out my camera, an officer approached me and told me that he would rather me not take pictures of officers on the platform.

"But, there are news cameras here, everyone's just going to see it on the evening news, what's the big deal?" I asked.

According to the officer, here's the big deal: The officers are doing what was ordered of them to help protect the public from the possibility of a terrorist attack on the city's mass transit system.

So, I'm thinking the logic is that they can't catch a terrorist if the terrorists know that they are there, because chances are, the cowardly bastards would avoid direct confrontation.

So, pictures are a no-no in order to make sure that we are safe...

I think I'll go suck my thumb becuase I've been pacified by 'the man.'

London

It has become increasingly clear that the war we wage worldwide is as ineffective towards the global goal of extinguishing terrorists as the EPA is in regards to efficiently remedying pollution and waste on the local scale.

What to do?

I think that our world is passive. So passive, in fact, that we seem to only walk through our lives in real consideration for only our own backyards.

In London we find that dozens of innocent lives have been oblitterated and several more people have been injured as a result of a foe we, as a global community, can neither catch nor truly identify without lumping an ethnic group together and making dangerous generalizations about their motives.

Pictures to come...

Soon, yes my dahlings... Soon I will have the Intarweb at home. Then, watch out, there'll be pictures EVERYWHERE on this blog...

You can't handle it...

Turns on a dime...

Salad and sushi for lunch today... that was a winner.

Jack comes in to town Friday night. Hopefully he brings Julie and we visit Dr. K.

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Oh, and maybe you should take time to demonstrate to everyone just exactly what a "carpet-copter" is. That would be amusing.

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NOT on deadline, abso-FREAKIN'-lutely NOT on deadline.

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Still in a cube. Cube-age...

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Pilates makes my glutes sore...

Grumbly in me Tumbly

Why did I skip lunch to finish up a couple of sentences that could have waited? That, and why did I skip lunch to do a simple task when I should have left much earlier?

I now have a grumbly in me tumbly...

This morning hurtled my entire day into another dimension. A dimension where nothing goes right.

But in that dimension, if something DOES go right, does that mean that it actually went WRONG? Or, do people in that dimension compensate for the fact that nothing goes right to ensure that SOME things go right?

Screw it. Everyone else is walking around like this is a passive life. Wake up and smell the motivation, people.

Light at the end of the...

...tunnel.

Yeah, so, on the way to work today on the DART rail, I was stuck in a tunnel for like, FORTYFIVEMINUTES next to a woman who was about to WIGOUT and probably throw a fit whilst doing the carpet-copter (you know, the thing that Homer does when he flips out).

I ended up being like ANHOURANDAHALF late to work because of it. I walked HALFAMILE in heels just to get to work. Am I frustrated? Yes. The people who got to work on time were the ones that didn't use public transportation. Is that a crock? YOU KNOW IT!

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Last night was great. Caffery. You are the woman. I can't wait 'til she comes down the mountain to spend a weekender with me at my new pad. SPECTACULAR!

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TOP FIVE FAVORITE THINGS:

Kirin Ichiban
Fatty Tuna Rolls
Manicures/Pedicures
My New Job
Watching Jack play Julie

Three days, cheers!

Today, in a word... Educational.

Today, in two words... Educational, Disappointing.

I can't believe what happened this morning on the rail. I'm apalled, nay, shocked. It's going to work out though. Even if I have to choke on my pride and cough up some dough.

To those about to rock, I salute you.

Cheers to the Fourth. Merriment to ye all...

... oh, and don't forget. Canada passed a gay marriage bill. They keep setting standards that we can't live up to. Swallow that with your Lone Star this weekend.