| This week |
[27 Apr 2008|05:39pm] |
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The most exciting events in my life this week were buying new clothes for the gym and getting my beloved Santoku knife sharpened. Both were long over-due tasks. If anyone still reads this, post what you did this week! Hopefully it's more interesting than what I did.
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| There's a party in my tummy! So yummy, so yummy! |
[08 Jan 2008|10:04pm] |
/addicted to this ditty...
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| Books |
[28 Dec 2007|12:26am] |
What are some books you've read recently?
What are some books you recommend for others to read? (Bonus points for you if the books you recommend are cheap on Amazon Marketplace)
I need to finish The China Study when I return home to my copy.
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| Small Spaces |
[27 Dec 2007|08:58pm] |
Though the economy may be sluggish at the moment, America is still land of the Consumer. And in terms of housing, consumerism means bedrooms, bathrooms, and square feet! Many of my friends are getting to stages in their lives where they're moving out of the nest to be on their own for the first time or thinking about purchasing their houses. It was no surprise for me to recently hear that today's 3-car attached garages are often bigger than an entire average 900 sq ft house from the 1950s. My friends are typical American consumers with demands for lots of space. For example, an unmarried & childless coworker of mine lives -by herself- in a house that has over 3000 sq ft of space including 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. Why she needs all this space is beyond me! Many of my other solo-flying friends often complain about the lack of space their 1 or 2 bedroom, ~1000 sq ft residences provide for them. A new trend in housing that is a backhanded slap to the face of such consumerism is micro-living.
I thought my 600 sq ft flat was cramped with two people, and definitely too small for more than two guests at a time. One man in Washington DC has a cozy 187 sq ft abode where he has had as many as 6 guests (plus his cat) in the petite living room. He may be doing it for cost-savings issues, but that's not the only reason to think tiny.
A trip to the other Washington takes us to a woman in Olympia who built her own 87 sq ft home as an experiment. She wanted to cut down on her ecological footprint and live more sustainably. After selling her house and getting rid of many of her other belongings, she was able to move into her solar-powered home which is located in a friend's backyard. The house cost $10,000 to build, but as a result of eliminating her mortgage and other excessive spending habits, this woman is able to not only save more money, but also give more to causes she supports.
And if you think that 87 sq ft was too small, how about living in just 70 sq ft of space? This little home is known as Tumbleweed House's Biensi model. It will cost you $34,997, but the hard work is done for you. It is well-constructed, has wheels, and will fit within the lines of a regular parking spot! For an extra $2,000 you can get a bathroom and 5 additional square feet of living space with Tumbleweed's XS-house model.
I think I'd have to wean myself off the idea of bigger [house] = better. If I had a nice piece of land in Tahoe and a spare $150 grand in my back pocket, a miniHOME Duo model would be the route I take. This 475 sq ft dwelling that is considered a "recreational vehicle" by the Canadian government. It can be used for "off the grid" living with its hybrid wind/solar/propane energy system and has other sustainable features such as a green roof and rain water collection system.
Perhaps by the time I am ready to make a home purchase I will be able be able to let go of some mental and material clutter and move into a little house of my own? If nothing else, it might be fun for a cubbyhouse-style retreat reminiscent of childhood play time!
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| Random thoughts. |
[26 Oct 2007|06:36pm] |
I feel sad for neglecting Livejournal for so long. But it seems in my absence, many other people also seem to have dropped off the face of Livejournal. Sigh.
Anyway, to make a real blog. I'm excited for Halloween, but I need a cool costume idea. Hopefully something that's really cheap. I don't want to be a pirate again this year.
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| hrm |
[25 May 2007|09:10am] |
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What did people use to wash dishes in a world before petrochemicals? Bleach? Just hot steamy water? Bar soap???
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| Right... |
[09 Nov 2006|01:26am] |
| What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Northeast Judging by how you talk you are probably from north Jersey, New York City, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Chances are, if you are from New York City (and not those other places) people would probably be able to tell if they actually heard you speak. | | Philadelphia | | | The Inland North | | | The Midland | | | The South | | | Boston | | | The West | | | North Central | | What American accent do you have?
Take More Quizzes |
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| boo |
[27 Oct 2006|04:27pm] |
So, I finally decided what I wanted to be for Halloween this year!
Unfortunately, I don't think it is possible to get the components that I need for the costume in time for this weekend's parties. Sad. =(
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| Movie time! |
[13 Jul 2006|11:31pm] |
I just saw the documentary "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room." It was interesting and disgusting. I recommend it.
If for nothing else, the soundtrack is pretty decent and there are about two minutes of [strippers'] boobies to catch your attention.
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| Oh, what to do... |
[09 Jul 2006|07:26pm] |
I got this email today. I really want to help this poor girl. She sounds like she has experienced a hard life beyond her meager 23 years. I think I should send her money and some American cheese singles to help bring some goodness to her life. The pain of having a deceased mother and murdered father must be great. Please keep MISS LYNN MARTIN in your thoughts! If you have any other ideas on how to help, let me know! Maybe we can raise money together!
[The email:]
FROM MISS LYNN MARTIN
COTE D'IVOIRE ABIDJAN
WEST AFRICA.
DEAR ,
PERMIT ME TO INFORM YOU OF MY DESIRE OF GOING INTO BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU.
I AM MISS LYNN MARTIN, THE ONLY DAUGHTER OF DR.DUHE MARTIN MY FATHER WAS A VERY WEALTHY COCOA MERCHANT BASED IN ABIDJAN, THE ECONOMIC CAPITAL OF IVORY COAST BEFORE HE WAS POISONED TO DEATH BY HIS BUSINESS ASSOCIATES ON ONE OF THEIR OUTING TO DISCUSS ON A BUSINESS.
WHEN MY MOTHER DIED ON THE 21ST OCTOBER 1984, MY FATHER TOOK ME SO SPECIAL BECAUSE OF THE DEATH OF MOTHER AND ALSO AS THE ONLY CHILD OF DR DUHE MARTIN.BEFORE THE DEATH OF MY FATHER ON 29TH JUNE 2004 IN A PRIVATE HOSPITAL HERE IN ABIDJAN.
HE SECRETLY CALLED ME ON HIS BEDSIDE AND TOLD ME THAT HE HAS A SUM OF 18,000,000 ( EIGHTEEN MILLION DOLLARS,)DEPOSITED IN A SECURITY COMPANY HERE IN ABIDJAN.HE USED MY NAME AS NEXT OF KIN AND NOT THE BENEFICIARY DUE TO OUR POLITICAL STATUS AND THE NATURE OF DEPOSIT I CAN NOT SERVE AS THE BENEFICIARY.
HE ALSO EXPLAINED TO ME THAT IT WAS BECAUSE OF THIS WEALTH THAT HE WAS POISONED BY HIS BUSINESS ASSOCIATES. THAT I SHOULD SEEK FOR A FOREIGN PARTNER IN A COUNTRY OF MY CHOICE WHERE I WILL TRANSFER THIS MONEY AND USE IT FOR INVESTMENT PURPOSE, (SUCH AS REAL ESTATE MANAGEMENT).
I AM HONOURABLY SEEKING FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS.
2)TO SERVE AS THE GUARDIAN OF THIS FUND SINCE I AM IS STILL YOUNG GIRL OF 23YEARS.
3). You honestly take me as your family?
4). Can I completely trust you?
5). What percentage of the total amount in question will
be good for you after the money is in your country
6).TO MAKE ARRANGEMENT FOR ME TO COME OVER TO YOUR
COUNTRY AFTER THE MONEY HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED.
MOREOVER, I AM WILLING TO OFFER YOU 15% OF THE TOTAL SUM AS COMPENSATION FOR YOUR EFFORT/INPUT AFTER THE SUCCESSFUL TRANSFER OF THIS FUND TO YOUR COUNTRY OVERSEAS.FURTHERMORE, YOU CAN INDICATE YOUR OPTION TOWARDS ASSISTING ME AS I BELIEVE THAT THIS TRANSACTION WOULD BE CONCLUDED WITHOUT PROBLEMS.INTEREST TO ASSIST ME.
ANTICAIPTING TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON.
THANKS AND BEST REGRADS.
MISS LYNN MARTIN.
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[09 Jun 2006|06:32am] |
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I wish Al Gore had been as funny as he is now when he ran for President in 2000. Maybe he'll run again some time and his Linsday Lohan jokes will win over the people...
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| On another note. |
[02 Jun 2006|11:27pm] |
I totally just ate waay too much for dinner. Especially considering how late it is. I feel uck. Ung.
(And it's not too often that I think--or admit--that I overate. =/
I think I'm going to bed and roll up in a little ball.
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| yay |
[02 Jun 2006|11:25pm] |
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Earlier today I discovered UT's college radio station. I'm excited to listen to more of it. I'm sure it won't be as near to my heart at WPGU, but I'm tired of all the other commercial crap I've been made to listen to for the last few weeks on my daily commute.
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| oh! |
[27 May 2006|11:57pm] |
I so totally heart Detective Stabler.
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[27 May 2006|03:38pm] |
Things I like so far about Knoxville:
- The mountains in the background on my drive to work
- My nice (big and comfy) bedroom
- The fun winding roads
- No income tax
- Lots of different restaurants, chains and non-chains, than Central Illinois
- Greater quantity and more variety of shops than Central Illinois
Things I don't like that much about Knoxville:
- The traffic and terrible drivers
- 9.25% sales tax
- The rain and humidity of this past week
- Being so far away from family and friends
- Bad drivers and construction
Work is okay; there are some nice people. The union may go on strike next week, and I may be locked-in the plant with the salaried employees. w00t.
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| Stolen from someone else's LJ... |
[22 May 2006|06:00pm] |
...but good quick facts that I was looking for about a month ago.
QUICK FACTS ON BOTTLED WATER VERSUS CLEANING UP THE DRINKING WATER SUPPLY
- Members of the United Nations estimate that if the world took half of what it currently spends on bottled water ($100 billion annually) and invested it in water infrastructure and treatment, everyone in the world could have access to clean drinking water.
- But bottled water is cleaner, right? Actually, the U.S. EPA sets more stringent quality standards for tap water than the FDA does for bottled beverages, and roughly 40% of bottled water is actually just tap water.
- 1.5 billion barrels of oil are consumed each year to produce the plastic for water bottles, enough to fuel 100,000 cars.
- According to the Container Recycling Institute, only 14 percent of plastic water bottles are recycled.
- A water bottle in a landfill or lying around as litter will take over 1,000 years to biodegrade.
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moxieibiza's journal
two more finals to go!