One more thing

A very sad day today, Mr. Wizard has passed away.

I'd like to thank Mr. Wizard for teaching me that:
- you're taller lying down than standing up
- a feather and a quarter fall at the same rate in a vacuum
- you can suck an egg into a bottle using a match and an adult's supervision

Election Update

My guy lost by a landslide.

Turn out = 4.5%

The tagline for the Arlington Sun Gazette Newspaper (which I didn't know even existed until today):
"Reaching the most affluent audience in the DC metro area."

Ugh.

Well, 4.5% of the people spoke and that's that.

I voted for change

I voted for the guy that says everyone wants him to lose. He wants to push the limits of the position to really act as an advocate for Arlington's citizens. He has no chance of winning. And the other guy just seems too comfortable. He's stopped trying.

Also, the other guy has this horrible youtube video up with the Chairman of the Arlington County Board of Directors endorsing him and saying that no one is going to be voting in the primary, so at least you won't have to battle the lines at the polls. I don't know when I get to vote against this guy, but it's on. Maybe I'll even run against him. Voter apathy is not an appropriate marketing tool, dude.

A crisis of democracy

There is an election today in Arlington, VA. The Democratic primary is being held from 6 am to 7 pm, and there is only one contested seat on the ballot - Arlington County Treasurer. Two men who don't appear to like each other very much are running the Democratic nomination. I may be the only person intending to vote who doesn't already personally know these guys, because there doesn't seem to be any information about their actual views. What's a voter to do when all she knows about the candidates is they don't like each other?

So here's the crisis - this is a local election. There's no real advertising (I only found out about the election because of Rachel's astute eye spotting a school board sign on the road), the election has received limited press and none of it is focused on educating the voting public. It's all about the antagonism between the two.

Local politics is where the action happens and where the founders intended for the governing to happen, but there's nothing to help a voter out. Have we all adopted a not-in-my-backyard mentality when it comes to politics? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, people!! Why are we only paying attention to the governing body that is most removed from its constituent body?

So, I'm going to the polls today, and I'll cast my vote based on what I've learned during my 25 minutes of exhaustive research. Assuming that they let me vote without my missing voter registration card. I guess conviction only gets you so far.

Yo, yo, where my WASPs at?

In the fine tradition of Dynamite Hack, I give you the new ad campaign for another kooky not-vodka Smirnoff drink -

Hushed Tones Drive Musar to Madness

You know, good for Ann Curry for getting the Angelina Jolie/Brad Pitt interview, but if she doesn't stop feigning this intimate friend/confessor relationship with the poor woman, I'm gonna scream. Ms. Jolie isn't buying it, and neither is anyone else. Use your big girl voice, Ann, speak at full volume and just ask questions.

Some 2 am comments from the kitchen

Hi all - I'm hanging out in my mom's kitchen at 2 am. Since I'm not very sleepy, but I can't think of an indepth topic to write about, here's a list of random thoughts that have floated through my head today:

1. When I first got my job (well, my first job there since I'm now on number two) way back in April, 2005, I remember that I was really excited because I was going to able to afford to shop at Banana Republic. I don't know what kind of crazy crack I was smoking because, after three raises and a couple bonuses, I still will not in good conscience plop down $88 on a neutral tone shirt. I'm not sure why I thought greater access to cash would lower my consumer standards.

2. I just found out that one of my old mentees won the Weber Political Science Award, of which I am a former recipient. He was always one of my favorites. I hope he doesn't blow the prize money at Banana Republic.

3. Ghostbusters II is better than Ghostbusters I. But it's hard to believe that Bill Murray was ever a romantic lead.

4. The Lizzie Musar Apple Green iPod Mini lineage has been officially retired as I have just purchased a new white iPod with video. Its name is Fluffy Bunny and I am excited to be impressed with his battery life.

5. Thank goodness the kids of Towson can now enjoy the benefits of H & M, or rather their parents can enjoy the break on their credit cards.

6. I'm a terrible judger. Judge judge judge. But my judging happens on an entirely internal plane, I don't allow my judging to impact my opinions on social services, quality of life, or civil rights. I just think bad things sometimes, I don't act on them.

7. What does that say about me?

8. Honduras is beautiful and hot. Please let me know if you would ever like to go as I will glady fold myself into your luggage for a chance to get back to the jungle.

9. Sleeping under a mosquito net was a little like sleeping in prison. A fanciful fairy princess prison that empasized captivity with a sense of whimsy.

10. A haiku about Mother's Day:
Thanks for the birth, Mom
They say it's pretty painful
Been better since then?

Look at all the places I've been!!

In other news, I'm taking applications for new immune systems as my current one is blowing through my vital organs at an alarming rate.

Oh white people, you don't get to lead anymore

While this is rather painful to watch what with the wooden delivery and icky participants, it really picks up around minute 2 when the "dancing" starts.

Hey DC/NOVA drivers -

I'm your friend. Your gas prices are lower because I'm not out there driving up demand with the rest of you. In return for this consideration, I ask one small favor.

LET ME CROSS AT THE CROSSWALK!!

If we happen to encounter each other at a crosswalk with no signal, help a sister out and let me go first. It's kinda the law.

The simple genius of Toothpaste for Dinner

If I were to start a band

It would be called "fatally relevant" and it would be an emo punk band, because as we all know "The first thing you need is a name. Then you'll know what kind of band you've got."

Record companies take note - lowercase is key and a dealbreaker. It shows that we're humble.

I bring you the McRice Burger

It's true, I have returned from my epic trek to and across Thailand! Needless to say, it was a fantastic trip! Buddhas, beaches, wicked high temperatures, and thrice-weekly massages appear to add up to the perfect vacation.

Natural beauty and cultural exploration aside, one of my favorite and most cherished Thailand memories was found just down the street from my adoped home in the Sathorn district of Bangkok. I'm not talking about the super-cool spirit house on the corner or even the grouping of working ladies and men that apparently came out after dark (I never saw them, though, so I think the Thai prostitution industry is more centralized in other parts of the city. Parts that good girls don't frequent.). No, I'm talking about the latest culinary delight cooked up by the McDonald's Corporation. I'm talking about THE MCRICE BURGER!!

First introduced to the concept by Mrs. Kristin Ritter, I could not wait to try this delicacy for myself. Below, I give you the pictoral replay of my introduction to unexpected deliciousness.

1. An ad piques my interest in this new concept. You'll note that the McRice Burger adheres to the three basic burger tenets:
1. A grain based bun - In this case, pressed rice patties
2. A meat or meat like filler - Thailand gives you the option of chicken or pork. Yum!
3. Ruffage - Lettuce AND colorful cabbage


2. A welcoming Ronald McDonald wai's me into my local franchise. Wai-ing is a Thai form of respect.


3. "Thanks, Ronald, don't mind if I do. I hear you've got a wonderful new Asian treat that my Anglo tastebuds just can't wait to try!"


4. An ingenius marketing concept, the McRice Burger box is not only stylish, but also functional - it's designed to also be a useful sandwich holder.


4. Chicken or pork? I want an experience; I'll go for pork!


5. Look at all that goodness.


6. I take a moment to mentally prepare.


7. Words have literally failed me, though I hope this picture properly conveys my culinary delight.


8. A truly satisfied customer, and, dare I say, a lifelong convert to the temple of the McRice Burger.

Haiku about Thailand

(Blogging from Krabi, on the Andaman Coast of Southern Thailand)

Buddhas, beaches, sun
Will the temp'rature please fall?
I'll stay regardless.

Currently weighing my options about extending my trip.

Notes from a Tokyo airport

Hi all! I'm in Narita International Airport in Tokyo. My flight to Bangkok has been slightly delayed (eh, what's four hours between allies? Gives 'em more time to get my bag on the new plane!), so I've had some time to explore the Japanese retail aviation scene. Here are my observations so far:

1. Place your money in the little tray on the counter, not in the saleslady's hand. She won't know what to do with it if you put it in her hand. It will throw her for concentration. This also just seems like a more polite way of handling things.

2. I heart Japan for one simple reason - my grilled squid for dinner came with a side of mayo for dipping! Dipping mayo, just like Canada! It was beyond delicious.

3. There is a wonderful store call Comme Ca. If I had a lot of money to blow, I would spend it there. Lots of t shirts with Japanese characters saying odd things in English.

4. The English translations are very good and get the point across, but still make me giggle. "Make a 100 yen coin to commence me up" = "Please insert 100 yen to begin Internet service."

5. The Japanese have taken candy to a whole new level. Everything looks so sickeningly sweet and gooey'ed that even if I could eat it, I probably wouldn't. But I like to stare at it.

6. Japanese airport shopping mean Hermes, Coach, and Versace. To

Thailand 2k7 Resolutions

So I leave for Thailand is less than one week. In fact, I leave for Thailand in 6 days and 15 hours. I think we can all safely assume that this is going to be a trip unlike any other in the life of Lizzie Musar, so I've taken the liberty of making a few resolutions before I go.

1. I will not walk around Thailand with my iPod in my ears.
This may be the only time that I will ever walk the streets of Bangkok and beyond, and I don't want to miss the sounds of Thailand because I was too busy listening to John Mayer. In fact, I won't even bring my iPod with me. If anything, I'll bring my recently rediscovered discman so I can buy and rock out to the foreign hip hop I always end up becoming facinated with when I travel overseas.

2. I will sample whatever food is placed in front of me.
Including dog, if it comes to that. This may be a vicious rumor, but the good people of Southeast Asia may have been eating dog, cat, and any other cute animal for a long time now, so it's probably safe. There is nothing separating a dog or monkey from the fish that I just ate for dinner, so I will embrace the culture of my hosts (not Kristin Ritter, who has most decidedly NEVER eaten dog).

3. I will not go cheap.
Granted I have things to save for and it's never a good idea to waste money, but I don't think I'll regret spending some extra cash to experience all that I can during my two weeks in Thailand.

4. I will overcome my hated of touch and indulge in many fine massages.
Some of you know that I do not like to be touched. Well, I'm going to the capital of threapeutic massage and my neck and left shoulder have been hurting me for the past month. Coincidence? I think not.

I think that's probably enough for now.

My Academic Experience at McDaniel College

I just found the CD that now contains all of my old papers from school. I'd like to now sum up these exercises by demonstrating the two common threads I have discovered:

Two Hours More of Mario Kart Can't Hurt:
The Endless Procrastination of Elizabeth Jean Musar and Her Subsequent Need to Pull Genius from Her Bum

I had a real problem with distraction and compound titles. Some might call it an addiction.

In related news, I found the article that I wrote for the Phoenix/Free Press that encouraged people to vote so they would be more attractive to the opposite (or same, whatever floats your boat) sex. While most of it is pretty bad, I enjoyed this closing section immensely -
Remember to always practice responsible voting. Vote sober, vote safely with appropriate ballot box protection, and always make sure Election Night activities are consensual. If you think you need a little practice harnessing your inner voter sexiness before Nov. 5th, the debates start Sept. 30th. Happy Voting!

I am a diabetic GENIUS!!

While at the gym yesterday, I had to test my blood sugar. I do this all the time. For the uninitiated, it involves using something that looks like a pen to poke your finger, then load the resulting drop of blood onto a little disposable strip that sticks out a machine that's about the size of the palm of your hand. It all looks like this:


It may not seem like a pain (except for the poking part), but it can be. Having to take out two little machines 6-10 times a day is not only inconvenient, but it's pretty conspicuous with all the visible blood and large electronics.

So, I give you this - THE ALL IN ONE, SELF-CONTAINED BLOOD GLUCOSE TESTING SOLUTION!!


It's pretty sweet, and while I don't quite understand how it would work, I have high hopes for my little contraption. See, you prick your finger and suck up the blood with the same little pen device. The strips are still disposable, and you load in a bunch of them at once. One stick out for each test, then gets thrown away. The whole thing can be kept in a small padded carrying case, and take the whole process from 5 steps to about 2 steps.

As my gift to the world, I'm not going to patent my idea. There's no way that I could produce this thing, and I'd much rather that someone at Accu-Chek get on this right away so that I can start using it. Perhaps they can name it after me.

Survey not about James Bond

This could be my favorite survey ever - it's about music and justifying things!!

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?
So, here's how it works:

1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie
7. Added by Courtney: comment on the songs, cuz that's what makes this interesting.

Opening Credits:
Edson Corderio - Ave Maria by Theivery Corporation
A decidedly techno song to open the film, my life story will be edgy and dramatic in ways that only hipsters and college kids will understand. The sampling of Ave Maria, though, gives it a wider base and a more approachable feel that even the old timers can get down with. Just like me, my life story will walk the line.
PS - I've never actually listened to this song, and I now hate it.


First Day of School:
You Raise Me Up - Josh Groban
Soaring orchestral arrangements leading into all too earnest lyrics about troubles and hope. Apparently my first day of school has me being taught by Bette Midler whose first unit is on How to Follow Up Wing Beneath My Wings With Something Even Sappier
PS - Another one I've never listened to and probably never will again. Oh my God, there's a gospel choir. Kill me now.

Falling in Love:
Remedy by Pete Murray (a rolicky good song by an earnest yet scruffy lyricist with a gift)
"And I will bring you roses big enough to brighten up your day." "You will be the sun, when you rise you start my day." "Can you be my remedy?"
Trapped in academic hell with Bette and the choir gals, I unexpectedly meet a boy from the wrong side of the tracks. He's smart and funny with an endearing, yet caustic wit. We bond over a mutual loathing of our feel-good education in soaring ballads, but quickly find that our affections go far beyond trading verbal barbs. He's not a rich kid, but he'll gladly offer his heart.

Fight Song:
Home - Marc Broussard
Ummm, when we fight, we slip into really deep octaves and demand to be taken home. And I'm always threatening to get on a "Greyhound that's Delta-bound."

Breaking Up:
All Worked Out - Semisonic
"She's got it all worked out in her mind, and you're part of the plan, and you don't have the final word."
Ohhh, this doesn't bode well for our fair couple. Apparently, I become a little overbearing. Terribly Earnest Boyfriend can't deal with my constant china pattern picking and questions about the future. We have to talk... And our talk ends with a dissidant chord.

Prom (aka one of many college shenanigans in formal dress):
All Things Keep Getting Better (Queer Eye) - Widelife
But I am not one to stay down in the dumps for too long - oh no! I am having fun! I am going to somebody's prom, and damnit if things aren't just getting better all over the place!

Life's Okay:
Drive (Live) - REM
"Hey kids, rock and roll, nobody tells you where to go." Lots of "what if" questions, all ending in "baby."
I'm becoming more secure with the uncertainty in my life and seeing it all as unending opportunity. I'm also building up quite the steely, electric guitary exterior based on prior experiences with Terribly Earnest, Can't Take It When Things Get a Little Serious and Runs Away Ex-Boyfriend.

Mental Breakdown:
Closer to Free - Bodeans
Free=break from reality, I guess. I find madness strangely liberating. I dance around my padded cell, exclaiming that everyone should try this mental instability thing out. It's great, and I've never been happier. I feel like I'm finally getting closer to my actually self. Hey, "I just wanna live like I wanna live and love like I wanna love", afterall.

Driving :
I Touch Myself - Eve6
Oh man, I'm apparently a distracted driver. I should really keep my mind on the road, but I guess that, following my recovery, I'm realizing that Terribly Earnest and Now Absent Ex-Boyfriend is also terribly missed.

Flashback:
True Dreams of Wichita (Live) - Mike Doughty
I'm either having a flashback of a show that absent boy and I went to together or this is montage of the happier times based around the line "You had it but you sold it."

Getting Back Together:
Banditos - Refreshments
"Well, it's you and me, baby, no one we can trust...Well, I got the pistol, so I'll keep the pesos...Put the sugar in the tank of the sherrif's car and slash the deputy's tires and they won't get very far when they finally get the word that there's been a hold up. Everybody knows that the world is full of stupid people..."
Oh, it's us against the world again, but this time there are more felonous undertones. Present Again Boyfriend and I get back together, cross the border, and start our crime spree of love. And we go on great road trips because this is a great driving song.

(Before I play the next song, I just want to announce that I'm a little scared of what might come up. This is the most exciting survey I've ever taken!)

Wedding:
Casiotone Nation - Soul Coughing
A return to our indie rock roots - with a song that mentions "nipple clamps" no less! We declare ourselves citizens of the People's Republic of Our Love. And the DJ is playing a Casiotone keyboard. I don't know, this one is a real stretch, guys. Ok, here it is, "Yore, yore, he's a man, he's a man" - Boyfriend finally grows up and realizes that it's about time he made a commitment to something other than grand larceny.

Birth of a Child:
What Would You Say - Dave Matthews Band
"Every day has it's way of being forgotten - Mom, it's my birthday." I'm gonna be a bad mother.
-or-
"Rip away the tears
Drink a hope to happy years
And you may find
A lifetimes passed you by
What would you say
Dont drop the big one"
The birth will be hard, but we quickly turn to rejoicing our good fortune and hopes for the future. Best Husband Ever and I remember that we have one shot to get this right and before we know it, they'll be all grown up.

Final Battle: Firetruck live at Bonnaroo - Mike Doughty
With my child all grown up and Best Husband Ever and I just sitting around looking at each other, I become a volunteer firefighter so that I can drive the "FIRETRUCK...FIRETRUCK...FIRETRUCK" I battle fires and seal every investigation with one sweet chord. These fires are all apparently started by really high concert-goers still rocking out to my Birth of Child song, because really, nothing beats Under the Table and Dreaming.

Funeral Song:
School of Rock - Rockschool
My funeral rocks!!! Jack Black gone mainstream style! I assume I die fighting a fire.

End Credits:
Last Kiss - Pearl Jam
"Oh, where oh where can my baby be? The Lord took her away from me. She's gone to Heaven so I've got be good, so I can see my baby when I leave this world."
The end credits reveal that this little movie of my life was actually a memorial created by my loving husband, who was really Eddie Vedder the whole time and we didn't even know it.

So, I'm not sure I held to the spirit of the survey. I hope that you have enjoyed this thoroughly fictional account of what could happen in the upcoming movie of my life. Or you're at least considering buying the soundtrack...

Umm, in case you're having trouble at the man store...

There's an acceptable clothed model as well...