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Queen of the Savages [entries|archive|friends|userinfo]
What have you done today to make the world a better place?

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YARD SALE! THIS SUNDAY! TOMORROW! [Feb. 28th, 2009|05:06 pm]
Here's the info:

When: Tomorrow (Sunday, March 1st) starting at 7am

Where:2115 Mathews Ave. Redondo Beach, CA 90278
(across the street from Albertson's on Artesia & Rindge)

What: A Moving Sale!
Lots of cool stuff...furniture, fridge, books, clothes, magazines, and yes, a rubber chicken!
Lots of goth, punk, yoga, and random stuff.
Come check it out and spread the word!

Cheers,
Mel
LinkWhich way do we go?

With all the amazing things going on in the world... [Jan. 24th, 2009|02:34 am]
He's only been in office for 3 days, and already, Obama is keeping campaign promises and doing great things for the world.

Scientists have found proof of true lasting love.

A man born with severe birth defects (due to the mother taking untested drugs for morning sickness), becomes one of the most amazing singers of our time:


And yet I have spent much of the day worrying about my life. I am uncertain about my job, my apartment, and my finances. Let's take those one at a time:

1. Job: I've been with this company for 3 years and am pretty satisfied, especially since I have made some great friends here. However, the company has moved and my commute is now through downtown LA...yuck. Also, my hours have changed and my paycheck has shrunk. Also yuck. I've been looking for something closer to home, with decent hours, but nothing yet. At least I am still employed and make enough to maintain my life, just not enough to save, pay off the rest of my debt, get back to school, and go on all the wild, crazy adventures I have planned in my head.

2. Apartment: Sarah has been a great roommate and the apartment is fairly nice and in a good location, but the landlord sucks and has raised the rent 2x already. Leaving here is not a sad occasion. In fact, on March 1st, if all goes well, I will be moving into Freque's old house, a very cute 3 bedroom, 1 bath, with a huge yard (veggie garden!!!), storage, walking distance to grocery stores, bookstores, and thrift stores, and less than 2 miles to the beach. Rocking! However, Sarah has decided to move back in with her parents which means that I need to find 1-2 more roommates STAT or miss out on this awesome house!

3. Finances: This is pretty much linked to 1 and 2. I need to clear out my clutter & debt and start saving.

Really, these are all great opportunities in disguise.

Other than that, life is fantastic. Last weekend, I celebrated birthdays with Delcy and Andrew and had a blast at both, including running into a very old friend and making a super fun craft project present for Andrew:
Photobucket
It reads: "We Reserve the Right to Refuse Service to People Who Raise Lake Trolls" anyone catch the reference?

Also, my fire spinning classes are going great, yesterday (Thursday), I was spinning at the Rose Bowl in the rain under some trees while on a c-7, and a girl walking her dog asked if I compete. I said "no, I just started learning" and she said "wow, I used to compete and you're pretty good". Later that day, after work, Hauk and I went to my old yoga studio for a class and it was exactly what I needed. We ended up staying afterwards and talking to Gwen (the instructor) until almost 11pm.

This weekend, I am super busy with housework and stressing about the above; also pretty bummed about having to miss Unbelted Tourney to work..yuck. Hauk once again saved the day with tickets to LACO for after work. Next weekend, I'm supposed to meet Rob in Avila for camping at the Hot Springs, so hopefully it doesn't rain. If it does, we'll just rent a motel or something and go check out Hearst Castle. He is the constant happy in my life. <3

See, I have wonderful friends, a great boyfriend, am about to move into an awesome house and everything will work out!
LinkWhich way do we go?

'Manda Belly, Melly Belly [Dec. 4th, 2008|01:11 am]
[Tags|]
[Maps |dispatch office]
[What Kind of Adventure? |rant]
[Theme Song |"Leeds United"-Amanda Palmer]

At this point, I'm sure any Amanda Palmer fans out there know the harrowing tale of Roadrunner Records vs. Amanda Palmer's belly and the subsequent outrage and support from bellies everywhere. Here is the video in question, btw:



Her belly isn't even that prominent in the video. Ease up, Roadrunner. Anyway, my problem is not just with Roadrunner, but with the media in general. Amanda brought up the point in one of her blogs that while Roadrunner has said nothing to its male artists regarding their bellies, she, a normal (I would even say slim) chica, is being called "fat."

[info]absurdmusican brought up the fact that, unfairness aside, Roadrunner needs to market their product, Amanda. This would be understandable for a pop princess type, but, as anyone familiar with her work knows, Amanda is all about punk cabaret. They signed her "as-is" and need to stick with that.

My personal thoughts on it are this: if Roadrunner has that much of a problem with her, they don't need to option her for a fourth album (as per their contract, which she has fulfilled). Amanda Palmer will continue to be awesome and make great music. However, the larger thing at work here is a rebellion (re-belly-on) against the media's ideal for females. Women should love their bodies. This is not to say that I advocate women getting fat/obese and not caring for their bodies, but simply that the media must stop advocating unrealistic models of the female form and women must learn to make healthy choices rather than reaching for impossible goals. In fact, a recent scientific study shows that women who pack it on in the middle may be more competitive, physically strong, and better able to deal with stress. So, in the spirit of healthy body image, I present my own belly. It may need a bit of toning, but it's part of me and I love it.

Melly Belly

More on the toning business later.

Who needs love at all? Your belly.
Link1 said "onward"|Which way do we go?

Save the Pie Maker, Save the World? [Nov. 23rd, 2008|02:26 am]
[What Kind of Adventure? | hopeful]
[Theme Song |"Birdhouse in Your Soul"-They Might Be Giants]

It's no secret that I absolutely LOVE Pushing Daisies. It is one of the most uplifting, beautifully shot, fun to watch shows I have ever seen. However, ABC recently announced that they are not renewing it for another season. Seriously, this is the kind of television that we need, not TMZ, not more "reality tv," we have enough drama all around. What we need is something more light hearted, positive, yet still enough intrigue, humor, and artistic value to keep us watching. What we need, is pie.

Photobucket

According to this article, Pushing Daisies is NOT OFFICIALLY CANCELLED...yet. There is still time to SAVE DAISIES by writing to ABC and letting them know how much we love this beautiful show.



So, if you didn't click the above links, here's the info:

CONTACT ABC
PHONE
(818) 460-7477

MAIL
Pushing Daisies / ABC
500 S. Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521-4551

EMAIL ABC
Send ABC a message!
(Click here)
LinkWhich way do we go?

Beauteous things [Nov. 20th, 2008|09:08 am]
[Maps |home]
[Theme Song |"Written in Blood"-She Wants Revenge]

Fall is, was, and will always be my favorite time of the year.

The Fall by madelaine
The Fall

Todos Caemos by madelaine
Photobucket

Also, goat's milk yogurt topped with pumpkin spice granola is delicious.

Now off to the Farmer's Market.
Link4 said "ONWARD!"|Which way do we go?

Last Weekend... [Nov. 14th, 2008|12:00 am]
[What Kind of Adventure? |metal love]

Turisas!

Yes, that would be Hannes and Olli of Turisas. Word to the wise, Finnish Viking metal is better enjoyed with red cups. That or I'm just getting curmudgeonly in my old age and peeved that the venue was filled with teeny boppers who were there solely for Dragonforce because they were on Guitar Hero.
Link6 said "ONWARD!"|Which way do we go?

Heh Marines... [Nov. 10th, 2008|12:50 pm]
[Maps |at work]
[What Kind of Adventure? |having a good day]
[Theme Song |"Oh No, Let's Go!"-Prince]

Happy Birthday!

Also, this weekend was AWESOME...more on that later, when I upload the pics.
Link8 said "ONWARD!"|Which way do we go?

Apropos of other things [Nov. 5th, 2008|01:34 pm]
[What Kind of Adventure? |getting things in order]
[Theme Song |"Oasis"-Amanda Palmer]

Facing things head on is always the better option.
Link5 said "ONWARD!"|Which way do we go?

For the first time in a long time... [Nov. 4th, 2008|10:07 pm]
[Theme Song |"Carry You"-VNV Nation]

I think my optimism is actually justified and not just wishful.

I have never had to wait more than 10 minutes to vote (I have been voting for a decade now), but this morning, I happily waited in line for 2 HOURS to mark those magical little bubbles for Obama/Biden, as well as Yes on 2, No on 8, and the others).

Please, President Obama, please be everything we hope you are and everything we need you to be.

Things have finally taken a decidedly positive turn.

*grin*
Link3 said "ONWARD!"|Which way do we go?

Meme! No surprises here, folks... [Oct. 29th, 2008|02:55 am]
[Maps |home]
[Theme Song |"Walking After Midnight"-Cowboy Junkies]

Your result for Howard Gardner's Eight Types of Intelligence Test...

Naturalistic

41% Logical, 22% Spatial, 16% Linguistic, 29% Intrapersonal, 37% Interpersonal, 16% Musical, 12% Bodily-Kinesthetic and 65% Naturalistic!

"This area has to do with nature, nurturing and relating information to one's natural surroundings. Those with it are said to have greater sensitivity to nature and their place within it, the ability to nurture and grow things, and greater ease in caring for, taming and interacting with animals. They may also be able to discern changes in weather or similar fluctuations in their natural surroundings. They are also good at recognizing and classifying different species.


'Naturalists' learn best when the subject involves collecting and analyzing, or is closely related to something prominent in nature; they also don't enjoy learning unfamiliar or seemingly useless subjects with little or no connections to nature. It is advised that naturalistic learners would learn more through being outside or in a kinesthetic way.


Careers which suit those with this intelligence include scientists, naturalists, conservationists, gardeners and farmers." (Wikipedia)

Take Howard Gardner's Eight Types of Intelligence Test at HelloQuizzy

LinkWhich way do we go?

'Tis the Season [Oct. 14th, 2008|01:00 am]
[Maps |station, just back from Wumpskate]
[Theme Song |"Destroy Everything You Touch"-Ladytron]

Skelly Mellie
Link7 said "ONWARD!"|Which way do we go?

You shouldn't be in on a night like this... [Oct. 9th, 2008|01:50 am]
[Theme Song |Wolves in the Throne Room]

Post-metal
Link6 said "ONWARD!"|Which way do we go?

Simplicity, Elegance, Cynicism [Oct. 7th, 2008|04:25 pm]
[What Kind of Adventure? | frustrated]

While on my C-7, in between catching up on The Pain, I managed to catch a bit of a show called Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel. This particular episode featured garbage and the noble folks who wade through our waste to keep the rest of the world (relatively) clean. Maybe it is the fact that I have been reading The Urban Homestead, but I couldn't help but think of how ridiculous our waste and 'waste management system' really is. How much more simple would things be if the organic matter was composted and all other material was recycled/reclaimed?

Speaking of simple, I know that inelegant things like 'broken symmetry' are the building blocks of the universe, but what happened to going with the simplest (and by extension, the most logical) solutions? I was near tears last night over some emails that my aunt sent me. Not that they were heartstring pullers, but that they all contained various reasons to vote for McCain/Palin and almost every 'fact' in them was completely fictitious and/or blatantly racist such as allegations that Obama is a Muslim and references to blacks being lazy. My aunt is not a stupid woman; far from it, yet she and others have been caught up in some kind of bizarre Christian/Republican bandwagon where truth no longer matters so long as their group maintains power.

The only simple/elegant solution that I can think of to all of this is education. Starting with our children and any open-minded people, we MUST teach logic, reason, and instill a healthy sense of cynicism. So far as I can tell, our current problems stem from a few, manipulating the masses via various affiliations, including religion, to protect and increase their own interests. The best example is the recent economic bailout. Tim Kreider put it far better than I could when he said,"...the people who own this country champion free markets and small government when they’re making money, but scamper for taxpayer bailouts when their crimes are exposed and their con games fall through. In short, they privatize gains and socialize losses, an economic philosophy also known as Heads-I-win-tails-you-lose."

The real crime is that because we are taught to be "polite" and "respectful" to/of authority figures, very few are standing up and calling BULLS*T! It is time for intelligent, reasonable people to speak out against this kind of herd mentality on both sides of the campaign and in general. We must use our brains, logic, reason, education and share these tools or as a people, we will continue to be groomed into complacency.
Link4 said "ONWARD!"|Which way do we go?

Memes [Sep. 21st, 2008|06:22 pm]
Political Test and Music Meme )
Link2 said "ONWARD!"|Which way do we go?

Oh hai! [Sep. 19th, 2008|10:28 pm]
Meme from my flist:
Take a pic of yourself right now.
No, you don't get to fuss with your hair/makeup/whatever, just take the damn pic.
Post.

Photobucket

Seen here: Makeupless Mel in Skinny Puppy shirt with new sparkly 20 sided. Yes, I am currently playing D&D, but after a nasty 12 hour shift, I'm a bit ADOS (Attention Deficit Ooooh Shiny!).

Actual post later.
Link5 said "ONWARD!"|Which way do we go?

Armageddon? Nope, just another false alarm. [Sep. 10th, 2008|11:03 am]
So the LHC got flipped on and Earth is still here. I love the way people constantly look for the Armaggedon/Apocalypse/Ragnarok/End Times to begin. It's almost as if we are looking for a giant reset button. Sorry folks, we are still here and will be for a while, make the best of it.

In other news, I had a strange dream last night that Sarah Palin was a demon and got Colt-ed by the Winchester Bros. Then, I wake to find that I am late for work and that her supporters have hijacked and shopped Rosie the Riveter posters with her face. No, still not the end of the world, but I don't think she has any right to the image. Her voting record shows NO support of unions whatsoever despite the fact that her husband is a union member. Speaking of her husband, where is he in all this?

*shrug* Back to it until Fenris devours the sun and moon.
Link6 said "ONWARD!"|Which way do we go?

A word on priorities [Aug. 8th, 2008|10:38 pm]
At some point, it becomes more important to go on a camping trip with your family than to go to a really great magazine release party and spending an evening nomming curry and discussing RPGs with your beloved (yes, you, [info]absurdmusician) sounds better than roller skating with a bunch of ninjas. This is okay and actually a good thing.

Infinitely more to say on this, but, you know, priorities...
Link1 said "onward"|Which way do we go?

Fresh from the Amanda Palmer Show [Aug. 5th, 2008|02:47 am]
She is amazing and I have some video to prove it.

A 5 hour concert in 6 inch heels is not advisable, but if you can pull it off, you feel invincible.

Also, I'm not 100% positive, but I think I spent part of the night sitting next to Brian Viglione without realizing that it was him.

Wow. Anyway, more later, sleep now.
Link1 said "onward"|Which way do we go?

PSA: Blood and Cancer [Jun. 20th, 2008|12:35 am]
[Maps |my lovely new apartment]
[What Kind of Adventure? | happy]
[Theme Song |my air purifier, filtering the night air through my window]

Today, I donated platelets at the Red Cross. Yes, me, the huge needle-phobe (don't you point at my tattoos). Honestly, that's why I started donating blood over a decade ago...to get over my fears. While, I am slightly less terrified of needles than I once was, the real bonus of donating is that I get to do something that takes up very little of my time and potentially saves someone's life.

I am crazy fascinated by blood, medical stuffs, and the like. Seriously, read Five Quarts by Bill Hayes and tell me that blood is not an amazing and magical substance. What most people don't know (although it is covered in the book and Red Cross staffers will tell you if you pick their brains like me) is that while certain components of blood, such as red blood cells, can be frozen and kept viable for long periods of time, platelets have a shelf life of 5 days. Not only that, but it takes almost 3 days to medically clear these units for use in another human. That means that a constant supply is needed.

In the old days, platelets were centrifuged out of whole blood donations, but it took 5-10 donor's worth to get a SINGLE unit of platelets! Now, during a 60-100 minute collection, 1 to 2 transfusions worth of these precious clotting gems can be harvested from a single donor's blood. You sit back, relax under a blanky and watch a dvd (or talk to a friend like [info]absurdmusician, who was awesome enough to drive, then sit with me and help me finish my 4th Ed. D&D Tiefling Warlock) whilst your blood is cycled through a seperator and back into you. If you get cold, technicians put heated beanbags on you. If the anticoagulant makes you feel tingly, they give you Tums to chew on (the anticoagulant binds to calcium). If your nose itches, they itch it for you!

Take it from someone who is a longtime needle-phobe, blood donor, and soon-to-be certified phlebotomist, it's not that bad. After you are done, you don't feel the same light-headedness that whole blood donations bring, but you still get to nom some cookies and juice before you go on your way, having done your good deed for the day. I'll be back donating in two weeks, it's a small way of giving back.

Platelet donor

Also, in the world of cancer research (near and dear to me for many reasons):

UK: Immunotherapy using cloned immune cells cured a man's skin cancer and is now being tested for wider use

AND

Switching to a healthy lifestyle can change your genes!
Ha! See, my health-nuttiness is vindicated!

More on wedding, house, and my new hero, Tony Jaa later.

Be well,
Mel
Link8 said "ONWARD!"|Which way do we go?

LJ is messing with me... [Jun. 6th, 2008|04:57 pm]
[Maps |was Redondo, but now Station]
[What Kind of Adventure? |all over]
[Theme Song |"Extraordinary"-Liz Phair]

EDIT: THIS JOURNAL SHOULD HAVE BEEN POSTED YESTERDAY, BUT LJ WAS HAVING ISSUES WITH MY BROWSER.

So far, I have most of my basic stuff (mostly my heavy bedroom furniture) moved in to the new apartment, with thanks to [info]particle_mann, for heavy lifting, and [info]baldurrising, for use of his Van of Glory. I spent my first night there last night and discovered that I had forgotten how NOISY Redondo is, at least compared to Tujunga. I have also discovered that it is IMPOSSIBLE to get the internet/tv services that I would like for a decent price. I don't ask for much, I just want high speed wireless net, wouldn't mind basic cable tv (more for the roommate, but I do love Sci-Fi and Discovery Health), and we DO NOT WANT or need phone service. The problem is that after an extensive net search (on the local coffee shop's free wifi) and calling Extreme DSL, Charter, ATT&T, and a couple other companies, I found out that THE ONLY services available for our area are Verizon and Time Warner. I have had bad experiences with both companies because those were also the only two companies that serviced Tujunga, but we will probably end up with Time Warner due to cable issues with Verizon. My dad assures me that Time Warner is a franchise, so hopefully my experience will be better this time.

In other news, I finally spoke with my little brother, whose birthday was 2 days ago (I called him, but some friends had whisked him away and mom had no idea where he was). At the ripe old age of 17, he has decided that he needs to get out of his current situation (_I don't blame him). He has set his sites on Job Corps. I don't know much about this program, but it seems like it may be a good thing. Opinions/experiences? I did make him promise me that he would get either a high school diploma or GED NO MATTER WHAT. He is starting to show a bit more maturity in his decisions and I want to encourage this as much as possible. Hopefully, I will be visiting him soon.

Right now, I need to go pick up my dress for the wedding. I will be getting it in brown (I haven't decided what style to wear it in yet) and wearing it with some kind of light wrap (maybe a turquoise scarf) and my grandma's silver and turquoise earrings. Then, I need to go grab more stuff from Tujunga, get some Craigslist postings up, and get a bus pass so I won't have to drive to work anymore! Viva la MTA! Dress and scarf picked up; still gotta do Craigslist and get a bus pass.

Upcoming stuff:
Tomorrow Today: Work (24 shift, oh joy) EDIT: And my ambulance died...stupid starter/solenoid...
Saturday: Get off work at 6am; performing a wedding! (also, I may be doing another soon for my coworker...)
Sunday: Boogie boarding with Dad (provided that he doesn't chicken out) and moving more heavy stuff
Monday-Wednesday: (Zombie Skate on Mon) Work and settling into the new place (big decorating plans; this will take a while)
Thursday: Taking Gehrig out for his birthday; we are going to see Bill Maher
Friday: another 24, unless I can get the night off to go to Ruin with [info]boymaenad
Saturday: [info]absurdmusician will be back in town! Yay!

Other stuff in the works:
Getting signed up for classes and start working on Med School applications
Applying at a hospital or two (although I lean towards keeping a couple of shifts at the current place)
Decorating the new room; I'm going for an Eco-Steampunk-Fairy-Forest-Medical theme...we'll see how that turns out
New tattoos at some point

Also, on record, I ADORE my new roommate! She is awesome, sweet, and open to my crazy hippiness!

I am just your ordinary average everyday sane psycho super goddess...
Link3 said "ONWARD!"|Which way do we go?

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