Triumphant...nothing

We're back from the World Series of Pop Culture, and although we did pass the test, and were the only team in our testing session to do so, we did not make it pass casting, probably because we were so shocked at passing the test that we acted like slaphappy idiots in front of the cameras. So, our trivia glory will not, for the time being, go any further than Lemmons. But Chicago was a (freezingcoldarctic) blast--we saw BodyWorlds 2 at the Museum of Science and Industry, I got to hang with with two of my three best friends from high school, Justin and Mike, and we tied one on at a dive Irish bar in Lincoln Park.

In other news, Green Options launches today, for real. I blog on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and there is great content posted every single day. If you haven't been keeping up with the news, pretty much we're at a tipping point as far as public awareness of climate change, and you'd be wise to get on the green wagon now. This is a great place to start.

Off to find fame and fortune

I haven't posted lately because I have been busy with the Green Options thang, which is working out quite nicely. I hope you'll hop on over to check out my posts, then give them some Hugg or Digg love.

This weekend is the World Series of Pop Culture regionals in Chicago, where Paul, Kevin, and I will be attempting to make the national competition (the one that is on VH1) in New York. There are a lot a team competing and not a lot of teams make it to the Sunday's regional final, but someone's got to win, so it might as well be us. It gives me an excuse to read about Veronica Mars on Wikipedia. I watched every single episode of The Office in the name of research. And it was awesome. Wish us luck!

Ink

New tattoo, long overdue, done yesterday. Take that, Joe-who-also-wanted-a-tree-on-his-arm.

That's my upper left arm. Better start lifting.

Supreme Trivia Knowledge

Won Lemmon's Trivia Night for the second time in three weeks. No big. I'd highly recommend you check it out on the nights our team, Dry Cold Canadian Winter, doesn't go. It's free; the winner of each round gets a free pitcher, and the overall winner gets a case of beer and a free pizza, the same wonderful pizza served at Blackthorn. You also get to decorate a whiteboard with whatever your team wants. This was great because Dan was on our team, so we got a pretty professional illustration. After he drew the board, the trivia lady came over to get it. The trivia guy came over to her and said, "What took them so long?" She replied, "Uh, it's pretty fucking sweet." Dan drew a maple leaf tazering that news anchor, Larry Conners, who got tazered not too long ago (which was a trivia question). Tonight's categories: Russia, Current Events, Disney Movies, Meet Me In St Louis, and Computer Acronyms. I contributed not a whole lot except I was really, really certain that The Mighty Ducks came out in '92. And that Dick Van Dyke's character in Mary Poppins was named Bert. Chim-chimeree!

Big Timer

Word on the street is that I'm about to expand my blogging to a professional (i.e. PAID!) level. I just got a regular writing gig, blogging twice-weekly on GreenOptions.com, a new green-living website set to launch in February. I'm going to be blogging mainly about sustainability and sustainability education from a teacher's perspective, although I'll be writing about all kinds of green-living goodness. From the site (still in Beta testing):

When our site goes live in February, you'll find a constantly-updated blog featuring some of the green blogosphere's best writers, a green living wiki with a wide range of practical information, a central news page for green stories from around the globe, discussion forums to share your own green practices and insights, and tools to help you make the jump to solar energy (and eventually other technologies) for your home or business.

Green Options is the brainchild of Shea Gunther and David Anderson and the senior editor is St Louis's own Jeff McIntire-Strasburg. More deets to come as I get them.

One More Thing...

...that's completely irrelevent.

How many more seasons until American Idol has split screens during auditions, with one side showing the ridiculous performers, and the other side showing Paula's drugged out, lazy-eyed, word-slurring, wrinkled-tits reaction? I know I'm not alone in my demand for this.

I've said it once, and I'll say it again: delusional people getting their dreams shattered in a cruel, intentional manner never ceases to be funny. I love the next four months, when I get to be a vocal expert. Time to get me to River City...

P.S. If I wasn't so lazy, I'd upload the pictures my grandma took of Ryan Seacrest at the Arch.

Completely, completely random...

I am pretending to finish working on my doctoral application while Chris cleans the basement, but I'm really looking at the new Blogger and watching soaps. Of note:

1) Newman's Organics puts out great products, like fake Oreos that I used to make vegan cupcakes that were awesome. Those great products do not include their new dog treats, which are making Asher's farts reek worse than a hog confinement. Seriously, I can't even breathe through my shirt, it's invading my persona.

2) Days of our Lives update: something is going on with Belle, Shawn, Phillip, and Mimi, custody, babies...blah, blah, blah WHO CARES? The real news is that the old Phillip (pre-douchebag Kyle from The Real World) is back, and, in an awesome courtroom scene, peeled off a full head of facial bandages, then Victor explained that Phillip got a face transplant after he was hurt in Afghanistan. The greatest part, maybe, was that Belle was protesting how that couldn't possibly be Phillip, even though that bitch isn't anywhere near the original Belle. She's the third one. I love suspending disbelief, so that was pretty meta and sweet. TPTB must have known I was going to be off school today. So what happened with the douchebag? I don't know if he got fired or what, but from reading his blog he seems like a real peachy guy. Err, not. Misogyny and all-around asshattedness is so hot these days.

3) Chris and I, on a whim, started rewatching every episode of Carnivale. Sigh. Why was it cancelled? Why? It's so fucking good. The opening credits is probably the most badass intro to a television show, ever.

Jack is Back

At the midway point of the season premiere--

"Was there any doubt that Jack Bauer would bite out someone's jugular in the first hour?"

Noted by Chris.

This?

Is nasty.

Favor

If anyone has complete season DVDs of the following shows:

24
Grey's Anatomy
Desperate Housewives
The Sopranos


and is willing to let me borrow them to study for the World Series of Pop Culture, I would be greatly indebted.

Also, anyone who has any current versions of Trivial Pursuit, particularly 80's or Pop Culture 1 or 2 and can let me borrow it for the same purpose, the Champagne of Trivia would be greatly indebted.

Hooray for local businesses.

I've been saying for a while that I wish our neighborhood had a coffeeshop within walking distance. I've also, for a while, been waiting for the opening of the Stellina Pasta Cafe on Watson just a bit down from Biggie's. They opened Monday, and although I haven't been there yet, their menu is now online and they have full-service coffee and espresso drinks. Hooray! They have soups, pastas, salads, and sandwiches, along with selling their organic handmade pastas to take home. Hours are M-F 8-7 and Saturdays 8-5, closed Sundays.

Show

There's a State Radio show at the Creepy on Thursday, February 22nd. They are an awesome band to see live, even if you must venture into the throes of teen angst that drip from the walls at the Creepy. Tickets aren't on sale yet, but should be dirt cheap. They stream stuff online, so if you don't know them, click above to hear their music. If you were/are a Dispatch fan, this is Chad Urmston's current band. Should be badass.

Hippie Resolve

So anyway, with Christmas and everything, I really got caught up with the whole consumerism bullshit. I generally try to stay away from the siren call of the mall and shopping in general, except for grocery shopping and an occasional trip to Target or Home Eco for house stuff or the bookstore. I know that, given the opportunity, I could drop a shitload of cash on shit I don't need at places like Sephora or H&M or Sur La Table. I had been spending more time spending money than I normally do, and I felt dirty, even if they were for gifts. I thought more about this today in class when, while discussing Ishmael one of kids said, "Most of what we think we need is just psychological. We just think we need it, when in reality, we don't." Word, Elizabeth L. Word. Do we really need all the things we have?

It's not the whole it's-fucked-up-because-buying-stuff-should-not-be-a-form-of-validation thing (although that is fucked up), it's more that buying stuff means we're producing all new stuff. That takes resources and produces waste and pollution. Someone was probably exploited to manufacture it. Fossil fuels were used to transport it from manufacture to retail. And, if you didn't get the memo, global warming is upon us and we need to cut back on fossil fuel use.

It's not just that. Chris and I could be carpooling, and we haven't been. Leaving the lights on when we're not in the room. Using cloth shopping bags. I haven't been consistent with the easy things, and I feel shitty about that.

I'm not naive. Living 100% sustainably is not realistic for most people, unless you want to abandon any type of urban area, head for the hills, and live off the grid. Everything is truly a compromise. Ultimately, unless you are completely bike/human powered, you need to use fossil fuels to get places. The way Americans are going to become more sustainable is by small adjustments and changes in lifestyle. Like not validating ourselves through needless consumerism. Or eating less meat. Not becoming vegans, but one or two meat-free meals a week. Two less car trips a week. Using all compact florescent light bulbs.

To cut a rambling rant short, I'm making a re-commitment to living more sustainably. I want to show my kids and my friends that you can do it and not smell like patchouli and have stank pits and eat only soy cheese (I don't care what the vegans say, nothing can replace cheese, ever.) And you don't have to buy $2,500 organic cotton/bamboo armchairs to live sustainably. Fuck Gaiam.

Also, there's a new Freecycle-type website that is pretty badass, called Gigoit (Garbage In, Garbage Out.) Check it out if you are into the free stuff board of Craigslist.

Also, I'm going to try to sell my car again. If you are in the market for a 2004 Ford Focus with 31,xxx miles on it, holla at a girl.

Hmmm

I guess some girls really will cut you.

Monday Anecdotes

I hope you had a good weekend. Briefly...

* Saw an interesting show at the Mad Art Gallery. My friend Dan showed and he rocks.

* New restaurant next to Soulard Market, Franco, is delicious and had the best restaurant music of my life. I heard Jeff Buckley, the Jayhawks, and Guster, all in one ladies luncheon. Pricey for dinner, but lunch was affordable and you can go to the market before or after.

* I'm retracting the statement I made about reading Ruby Payne's work. I now think she sucks a fat one. Read something else. Like Paulo Freire.

* Saw Thank You For Smoking this weekend and loved it. Next on my list: Children of Men, Six Feet Under: Season Three, Lady in the Water, and Transamerica.

* I just finished reading T.C. Boyle's A Friend of the Earth, which chronicles a fictional eco-saboteur reflecting back on his life, his activism, and the state the world has fallen into in 2026. Even if you aren't into the environmental or environmental activism, it's a great read without being preachy.

* I like the iTunes feature where your library is beamed to others within your wireless network. There's a lady at work, who is like 39, whose library consists of two CD's: George Michael and the Pussycat Dolls. No comment necessary.

Holiday Recap

I had a great holiday break, which was rudely interrupted by school yesterday. Alarm clock are a bitch. The highlights/commentary:

*DMI was great. Good family time. My brother Andrew got his First Real Job working for the Miller distributor in Des Moines. Consequently, my house only has MGD and High Life bottles. So, it's kind of like the Champagne of Trivia is sponsored by the Champagne of Beers. I saw an old guy almost die at my brothers' favorite bar, and came to the conclusion that my life would be infinitely better if I could drive around and chill with my brother Jake on the regular. Grandma Best, like the baller she is, decided to sell her Wal-Mart stock and the whole family benefited.

* I hung out with Pogge, Schuler, and Ness. We tried to avoid all other UHS alums, but people pay homage like we are godfathers, which, since we bought a lot of younger friend beer back int he day, I guess we are. Had great times with other randoms from HS, so, all in all, a good visit.

* Drank a lot and chilled a lot, college style, with my dinner club friends, as we spent an entire day gossiping, knitting, and watching the THS: Hugh Hefner and Little People, Big World, then won Lemmons Trivia Night.

* New Years was off the chain at Meghan's and Paul's. Recipe for fun: Guitar Hero, Chubby Bunny, Ice Block holding contest, Scene It, dance party featuring late 90's rap. Emily and Dan were crowned Mr. & Mrs New Year, mainly because they were the only ones who wanted to hold blocks of ice and shove marshmallows in their craws.

* Caught up with other old friends, namely Mike Cannon at Blackthorn/Friendly's and Charlie and Kim tonight at Bottleworks. There's nothing like old friends, beer, and good conversations.

* Keep my friend Ness in your thoughts. His brother Jason, only two years younger than us, passed away unexpectedly yesterday from a brain aneurysm. I was pretty close with their family in high school and they are great people facing a tragic loss.

Paging Doug Ross

Because we, except for about four times a year, pretty much only watch movies from Netflix, therefore putting us behind the curve of what's current in contemporary cinema, we just got around to watching Syriana last night. Y'all should get on it. I knew that it was about the oil industry, but I didn't really know what to expect. It's basically a critique of the oil industry, energy trade, and America's unquenchable thirst for oil, how that plays out politically, and how it affects people's lives. You should rent it, and watch the special features, too. There was (when this movie was current) debate that it's pretty ethnocentric to believe that America's energy demands have this much impact on the world, but I would have to disagree. Americans, as a whole, are very ethnocentric, so it's not a stretch to believe that our actions do have this must impact. In any event, watch the movie, if you get confused, check out the Wikipedia entry on the film so you can get a clear view of the plot and the connections between stories.

We're taking off for DMI tomorrow--family fun with Ed, Kim, et al, and cocktails with my BFF Pogge tomorrow night. ROAD TRIP. More to come tomorrow on the holiday season.

SLPS vers. 2.0

If you live in St Louis, you are probably aware of the turmoil that is happening with the St Louis Public Schools. I blogged about it earlier this year, but things have been happening at a breakneck speed. Crazy-lady Veronica O'Brien, who just months ago pushed for Diana Bourisaw's hiring as superintendent, is now saying that Bourisaw should be fired and the state should take over. Mayor Slay is also pushing for a partial state takeover. What happens when the state takes over? The school board will be replaced by a three-person panel, and the current board will remain intact but have no power and make no decisions.

I am torn about what to believe is going on. Here's what I know to be true: There is obviously a huge, huge problem. At this point, I wouldn't send my non-existent children to SLPS. There ARE good teachers in SLPS. Not all of them, but certainly a large number of committed, skilled educators. The problem, though, is not teachers. The problems are coming from inconsistent adminstration and leadership, from the superintendent and board on down. Not Bourisaw herself, she hasn't been here long enough to be inconsistent. That's part of the problem: not allowing any one superintendent enough time to make a change.

However, I don't know that state takeover is the best answer. The problem with state takeover is that the board that will take over is appointed (one each) by Slay, James Shrewsbury (Board of Aldermen President) and the School Board, and there is a large amount of speculation that said appointments will be just as bad as the school board that the public elected. Those opposed to state takeover believe that those who have the power to appoint the new board will not choose people based on qualifications, but on how they can serve those people who appoint (Slay, Shrewsbury, and the SB). I read one letter than believed that Slay would appoint O'Brien. DANG. Please don't. I think it is crucial that the three appointed board members are committed to working together, with a shared vision, towards making our schools outstanding for all students

A lot of people are pointing the finger at Mayor Slay. Chris has ties to Slay and his administration, and I know that he is not this evil powermonger some make him out to be. He is the mayor of the city. Obviously, he has a vested interest in the quality of the schools. I think he lost his credibility with the schools when he backed Clinkscale, Schoemehl, Archibald, and Jackson in 2003, because that ended in disaster and marked the slide from close-to-accreditation to nowhere-near-accreditation, but ultimately, he has to want what is best for the schools.

The Post-Dispatch has given ink to this highly pertinent subject, but many think the coverage is biased. There is numerous coverage from multiple perspectives available in the blogosphere. Pub Def has good coverage, although it is connected to board member Peter Downs. Downs wrote a letter to the Special Board that recommended partial state takeover, which is pretty insightful and worth reading.

All city/county people should have a vested interest in a radical change in the St Louis Schools. For so long, people who have the means (and some who don't) have sent their kids to parochial or private schools instead of city schools. It's practically a given for people I know. For people my age who are committed to living in the city, it feels like their only option. Most people wouldn't even send their kids to the outstanding public magnet schools. It doesn't have to be like that. Imagine sending your kids to a diverse neighborhood school that was clean, safe, stable, and had amazing curriculum and instruction. For free. It would draw people back to city living and would completely revitalize the area.

I think it's bullshit that people turn their backs to the problem because their children don't attend the public schools. We as a community benefit from having a population that is educated. Comprehensive education prepares people for higher education and the workplace. If a person has the ability to get a good job, with good benefits, because they have a certain level of education, they are more likely to positively contribute to their community. As it stands, public education, as a whole, is structured so that white, middle-to-upper class student can succeed. Everyone else can assimilate or fail. I am interested in how we change education so that all students, regardless of ethnicity, race, gender, or socioeconomic status, truly has the ability to succeed. If we can do that (and we can, as a community) we will take one huge step towards attaining social justice for all people.

Kirksville Goss, Y'all

I love a good crime scandal. From a press release to Fox 2 News, forwarded to me by my inside gal:


UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI
December 11, 2006
For Immediate Release
FORMER KIRKSVILLE MAYOR INDICTED ON FEDERAL ARSON CHARGES
St. Louis, Missouri: Deborah Masten was indicted on federal charges in connection with the fire of Too Talls Two Eatery and Spirits, in January 2005, United States Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway, Adair County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Williams and Kirksville Police Chief Jim Hughes, and Michael Boxler, ATF Special Agent in Charge announced today. The charges were announced at a press conference earlier today in Kirksville, Missouri.
“The indictment alleges that Ms. Masten intentionally damaged her restaurant located at 220 North Elson Street, Kirksville, by setting fire to it,” said Hanaway. “This is another example of what cooperation between state, local and federal authorities can accomplish. The suspicious nature of the fire was originally investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Missouri Fire Marshal. [Prosecuting Attorney Mark Willimas realized that resources and investigation of the BATF would be necessary] to develop the investigation to its fullest.”
“Despite the sadness of having to announce an indictment against a former public official, ATF is pleased to have been able to lend its investigative expertise with arson to this case,” added Boxler.
Masten, 52, formerly of the 1300 block of Country Club Drive, Kirksville, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one felony count of maliciously damaging real and personal property by fire. If convicted, she faces a penalty range of five to 20 years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000.
The charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations, and each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

SO AWESOME.

It Wasn't Me

I just finished watching Who Killed The Electric Car? Excellent documentary. If you are already fairly well-versed in climate change, and understand the importance of reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, this film shows just how difficult that reduction will be if our government continues to allow big business to dominate legislature. Long story short: the state of California made a law saying that all car manufacturers who sold cars in California must produce a certain percentage of zero-emissions cars (i.e. electric cars). Through pressure from the automakers and oil companies, combined with blatant conflict of interest from lawmakers, that law was repealed and GM phased out their EV-1, which was immensely popular, eventually repossessing all vehicles made, despite grassroots efforts from car leasers and environmentalists. Put it on your Netflix queue.