Ramble On.

2004-07-29T11:41:00.000-04:00

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> I've moved... 'Ramble On' can now be found at CourtneyKnapp.com We're still decorating, but come on over and please update your links. Thanks for reading! <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

2004-07-27T18:52:00.000-04:00

Ramble On: The Great White North Edition So it's eight kilometers away... is that like in miles? Canadian News. Canadian's get Braille t-shirts. Americans get Teresa's "shove it" thong. A mood killer no matter your political suasion. I get shivers just thinking about unzipping anything only to be reminded to Teresa Heinz Kerry. High five to Meghan Keane. Canadian Nudes. Working in the

2004-07-27T00:01:00.000-04:00

Hypothetically.... If someone mails you a self help book. Just a book. No note. No nothing. Should one be distraught? Confused? Touched? Just curious.

2004-07-26T23:31:00.000-04:00

I Am Gamma Enhanced. I could tell you that every time I go to WalMart I don't look for the Hulk hands. I could promise that I do not ever chase other customer through the aisles imitating a Hulk voice and smashing my big foam gloves together. But, I'd be lying. Who can resist talking foam hands? Not this girl. Twice I've been asked to 'settle down.' I think that's why I like Hulk's Diary so

2004-07-26T20:54:00.000-04:00

Talk Nerdy to Me. Thomas implores me to bleg. A quick google search and perusal through SuperPages brought up quite a few people with the exact same name as mine. I figured there's a good chance one of them will be famous. So I plan to make a mint selling the domain name I just purchased to some other Courtney. (Read: I am a narcissist who's not ready to admit conceit) Now, I want to move

2004-07-23T10:00:00.000-04:00

Have a Grande! Just in case you are going to Seattle this weekend (cough) and wanted to bring home a "Thinking Of You" gift for your favorite coffee aficionado, keep the historic Pike Place Market in mind and get your capitalism-loving-touristy-self to the first Starbuck's. While you're there, ponder the fact that the price of you daily double latte may go up for the first time in almost four

2004-07-22T17:48:00.000-04:00

Daddy not willing to pay for that increase in cup size? Enlist! Here's a new incentive to join the military: Your tax dollars are already paying for the 496 breast enlargements and 1,361 liposuction surgeries military doctors performed on soldiers and their dependents between 2000 and 2003. "All four branches of the U.S. military can get face-lifts, breast enlargements, liposuction and nose

2004-07-21T18:38:00.000-04:00

Soldiers, urine for a treat! According to an article in the New Scientist, food scientists working for the US military have developed a dried food ration that troops can hydrate by adding the filthiest of muddy swamp water or even peeing on it. This is a huge advancement in technology, will reduce the amount of water soldiers need to carry, and increase the length of time soldiers are able to

2004-07-21T17:40:00.000-04:00

Count 'em This week's Economist has an good article on the Fraser institute's "Economic Freedom of the World" This year's top 10 countries terms of economic freedom: 1. Hong Kong 2. Singapore -New Zealand -Switzerland -United Kingdom -United States 7. Australia --Canada 9. Ireland --Luxembourg See how this compares to last year's Economic Freedom Rankings: Hong Kong retains the

2004-07-20T00:26:00.000-04:00

The Ghosts in the Machines. I saw I, Robot Monday night at the Courthouse Theatres (who do accept student ID's and is probably colluding with the Ballston Theatre). The movie is loosely based on Asimov's classic sci-fi/sci-fact book and it does a surprisingly good job bringing robots to life. I, Robot had imaginative special effects and a storyline with twists, though I could do without Will

2004-07-19T19:18:00.000-04:00

Now, I am Officially Never Getting Married. I was always an odd kid. Some little girls dream about beautiful dresses and shiny diamond rings when they imagined their wedding. Some fantasize about the man who would sweep them off their feet. I told my mom "If I get married, it's so I can have a big cake and a KitchenAid mixer as a wedding gift." (And I swear, every wedding I have ever been to, a

2004-07-19T11:36:00.000-04:00

High five to James of OTB, who tips me off to this neat NYTimes article about outsourcing in the fast food industry. The order taker is in a call center in Colorado Springs, more than 900 miles away, connected to the customer and to the workers preparing the food by high-speed data lines... Cheap, quick and reliable telecommunications lines let the order takers in Colorado Springs converse

2004-07-16T16:26:00.000-04:00

Grope a Canuck. Here's a conversation starter: A Canadian company is selling Braille t-shirts. Curious admirers read with their hands slogans like 'Up For Anything' or 'Cheap and Easy.' Quite classy. If you're they shy type, you can "Flip it up and Flash it" as the translations are also printed on the inside off the shirts. In other news: Manitoba, BC, and Ontario have recently seen an

2004-07-16T11:35:00.000-04:00

July 26 - August 1, 2004 ... ... Is DC Restaurant Week. This is the fourth year of the bi-annual event, which I think is one of the few good ideas the DC Convention and Tourism Corporation has come up with. And by 'come up with' I mean stole from NYC, but I digress. I live here now. Sigh. Prix fixe meals (lunch $20.04, and dinner $20.03) at over one hundred restaurant will draw big

2004-07-16T10:32:00.000-04:00

Hooray! The Mercatus Center is on the front page of the Wall Street Journal this morning. WSJ Online is subrciption only, but the article, "In Washington, Tiny Think Tank Wields Big Stick on Regulation" is also posted proudly on my fridge. When it comes to business regulation in Washington, Mercatus, Latin for market, has become the most important think tank you've never heard of. Now

2004-07-14T17:46:00.000-04:00

Get in the Kitchen and Google Me Some Dinner! Unless I have a crave-specific dinner in mind, nine times out of ten, making dinner is more of a mish-mash of experiments than system and a recipe. I am even less motivated on the night I come home late to find Jacob on the couch eating frozen pizza [Swoon] A typical evening goes something like this... 1. Look in Fridge/Cabinets. 2. Groan, remind

2004-07-14T13:41:00.000-04:00

The Grand Duchy of Courtania. Care of Obernews guest blogger Adrienne Aldredge, I am able to pass on the Free State Project and move here. New Hampshire sounds lovely and all, but how often are you given the chance to design your own country. This is excellent because so many times I voice my pragmatic concerns of the mutual implementation of free market ideal and temper it with a comment like

2004-07-12T20:13:00.000-04:00

Funniest thing all week. This land will surely vote for who?

2004-07-12T11:23:00.000-04:00

July 12 Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday Dear Jacob... You look like a monkey. And you smell like one too.

2004-07-08T15:35:00.000-04:00

It's the Tights. Highway robbery at the ticket booth and concession stand, sticky seats, gummy and sugar-coated floors combined with a general lack of interest in recent movies has kept me out of the theatre since the opening night of the first Spiderman. But, last night I braved the theatre to see Spiderman 2. I've yet to hear a bad review of the movie and I don't have much to add. But, here's

2004-07-06T18:40:00.000-04:00

Maybe I'm behind on the times... But, I think this is cool. Quickdrop is the answer to old women with attics full of junk and no desire or ability to use the online marketplace. Or pack rat luddites like me. It's a service that acts as a middle-man for those with crap to sell on e-bay who aren't quite ready to do it on their own (cough). It's a physical store, where customers bring their

2004-07-06T12:42:00.000-04:00

Sshhhhhh! I'm going to New York on Friday, so this is my obligatory 'NY is Going to Hell in a Handbasket'post before I rave about how much better it is than DC. Last month Bloomberg launched his much publicized (second!) attempt to fight noise in New York City. Bloomberg claims cites the city’s 311 hotline statistic that over 1,000 calls about noise are placed each day. New York is a loud city

2004-07-02T18:17:00.000-04:00

Celebrate Independence. I didn't think I could handle the irony of being in DC on the Fourth of July. So, I'm Southward bound and road-tripping. Enjoy the long weekend, you crazy kids behave.

2004-07-02T17:59:00.000-04:00

Perfect Frosting. Some of my favorite recipes are winners and entries in Pilsbury's Annual Bake-off. The molten chocolate lava cake is a dinner party staple and I've eaten more peanut blossom than is healthy to admit. The first Bake-off was held in 1949, a time when women rarely worked outside the home and had hours to spend in the kitchen. Each year since, thousands of women would enter lavish

2004-07-01T00:03:00.000-04:00

Fun with Technology. I discovered a fun new tool in my blog-keeper-tracker-of-site. Thus, I present to you the newest recipient phrase of the 'Oddest Google Search used to Stumble Across This Site Award" [drumroll] Tell me how to make weather with witchcraft without having to buy anything. Yeah, I forget to tell you all that I am an expert at raindances and amulets on a shoe string budget.

2004-06-30T16:43:00.000-04:00

Craig's List, How I Adore Thee, Cont. Late last night I embraced my love of the dewey decimal system and posted. This morning I got e-mail. Hello. The Mount Pleasant Public Library is selling several card catalogs. One of the hardware stores in the area is selling them for thelibrary. Contact Pfeiffer's Hardware. I went in to get plant pots the other day and thought "Who in the world would

2004-06-30T15:52:00.000-04:00

My Drinking team has a Soccer Problem. Okay, so the 3-0 win over Denmark was good start. And being tied with England for most goals scored in tournament play (10) certainly helps. But do the Czech's have what it takes to score free beer for a year? The Bernard brewery in the Czech Republic offered 160 liters of ale over a 12-month period, while coach Karel Bruckner will get 60 liters a year for

2004-06-29T16:24:00.000-04:00

FYI: Gmail Policy Updates. So stop selling your invites already...

2004-06-29T13:19:00.000-04:00

Three Cheers! ...To the Global Prosperity Initiative field journalists here at Mercatus. Our team of scholars are conducting research on the institutional foundations of entrepreneurship and development, and the journalism fellows are with them every step of the way. Their most recent dispatches from the field are up on our website. Mark's second year of stories from the Philippines. Melinda has

2004-06-27T14:41:00.000-04:00

Hate to say I told you so... It's an interesting read. Cough. [Hillsdale alum-]Think about this: Hillsdale has been transformed from a model of libertarian education to state worship... Cough. Trans-Atlantic high five to Alberto.

2004-06-26T08:31:00.000-04:00

Honey, I'll be in Charlottesville all Week. Imagine being to produce an excuse for playing hookie from work, being late, or flaking on a significant other. Now we can, according to an article in the NYTimes (register already!)Websites hosting cell phone networks of strangers are developing, so members can cover for you by posing as someone to validate your excuse. Cellphones are usually used to

2004-06-24T17:13:00.000-04:00

Webbing, Rupees, and the Taj Mahal. It takes a lot to drag me to the cinema, but I can't wait to see the next Spidey movie. I like comics. And that Pavitr Prabhakar is an hero I can dig. Marvel created a joint project for the first 'transcreation' of a comic. Spiderman II will be translated into a local language but also rewritten and redrawn to match local culture. Check out the re-invention

2004-06-22T10:57:00.000-04:00

I should've been a marketing major... Virginia Tourism Campaign 2003 Virginia Tourism Campaign 2004

2004-06-21T18:50:00.000-04:00

Notice anything new? Look closely. Give up? Okay, I'll tell you... I've got comments again! Now both of you can tell me what you're thinking. High fives to Jeremy of the LCD for his step by step directions. Open Blogger.com. Hide comments. Turn off computer. Shake vigorously. Open Blogger.com. Show comments. Kick computer. His e-mail was really cute "Forgive me if these are basic tactics

2004-06-21T11:18:00.000-04:00

Happy X-Prize Day! History is happening in the Mojave dessert as I type. (Live Updates) Mike Melvill and his SpaceShipOne have made it into space. Everything looks good, mission official said. And Two legs Beats Four. Yes, Wales is pretty countryside but there is nothing better to do than host annual man versus equine marathons. For the first time in the race's history, Huw Lobb, a human beat

2004-06-21T10:17:00.000-04:00

We have a winner. Care of the always charming Andrew Chamberlain, here's a snap of Virginia's new ad campaign. High Five. Also.. I'd be much obliged if one of you tech-savvy readers can figure out how to fix my broken comments section. Thanks!

2004-06-18T16:30:00.000-04:00

Civil rights and price discrimination. I'd rather have a beer. Good news! Ladies night is legal from exit 2 to exit 67. The whole case was a head scratch for me. A Jersey man was charged five dollars for admission and full-price for drinks at a bar in NJ. He asked to be charged the reduced price, per the bar's "Ladies' Night" policy, but was refused because he (gasp!) is not a lady. He in- fine

2004-06-18T14:18:00.000-04:00

While in line at the bank... This afternoon there was a curmudgeonly old man was in front of me who struck up a conversation. He was in his late eighties, cane and seersucker suit requesting travelers checks for a trip to 'the islands.' Which islands? I don't know. Hoping to fill out my deposit slip before I got to the teller I asked if I could borrow one of the pens he had in the front pocket of

2004-06-16T11:14:00.000-04:00

Yesterday's News. I just read Slate's profile of the late twenty something journalist who takes a 17 year old to her prom in Maryland for participatory journalism. He confesses he wants to "know how a grown man, will feel going out on a date with Sarah, an under aged girl" From the article... Frankly, I now find it nearly impossible to believe that when I was in high school (1993-1997), every

2004-06-15T10:03:00.000-04:00

Cool. I have one G-mail invite left, e-mail me if you'd like it. Update: Even Cooler.So, I invited three people to join G-mail this week. After all three were accepted, Google sent me three more invitations. Help me saturated the market to screw E-bay... First three e-mails get 'em. Is it wrong? For me to laugh as I read this article. I take pleasure in reading about the destruction those

2004-06-11T13:10:00.000-04:00

NY Wins Again. So DC scored a point in my tabulations against NYC when I found out the Beastie Boys were playing at the 9:30 Club on the 17th. I did a little dance. Then, I found out you can't buy tickets, you can only win them from WHFS. I cried. Thus, I will subtract 6 points from the DC vs. NYC tabulations, just for getting my hopes up. If only I could find a card catalog. I adore

2004-06-10T17:45:00.000-04:00

Remember... When I used to write? And answer e-mails? And return phone calls? Yeah, sorry about that. The good news... The last month or so has been filled with changes. I used to work there, but now I work here. And that's cool. I also used to live in a crappyapartment in Fairfax and now I live here. And that's cool. High fives and thank you's to everyone who helped us move! We don't have

2004-05-28T11:40:00.000-04:00

Hey Fatso! I got a 90 in Biology. Hello, Sam. How are you doing, Joe? One of my all time favorite Seinfeld scenarios is "the Non-Fat Yogurt" episode. Besides the hilarious name tag exchange between Elaine and her date... You know what I would do if I was running for mayor. One of my campaign themes would be that everybody should wear name tags all the time to make the city friendlier. Lloyd

2004-05-20T12:52:00.000-04:00

Hang on... Site maintenance, life maintenance. I shall return.

2004-05-14T09:54:00.000-04:00

Homeward Bound. 'Tis been a busy few days for me. Next week, I start my new job and so I have a lot to accomplish to I can hit the ground running. I'm excited. Details to follow. My mini-vacation will be a trip to New York. I am going to visit my family this weekend to catch up and relax. I'll be back Monday, hopefully with a fully functioning blog and plenty to say. 'Cause everyone's my friend

2004-05-12T21:30:00.000-04:00

Reason #4271 Why I Hate My Apartment: I passed by our newly opened pool today. Expecting to see children playing and laughing I was disgusted to see two dead Canadian geese in the water. I kid you not, I wish I had a digital camera so I could tell the whole world never to rent from Circle Towers. And no, they were not just looking under the water for food. I clapped my hands, I stomped my feet,

2004-05-12T12:05:00.000-04:00

Database Fairfax. Population: 39,431 (minus one soon) Median Income: $79,659 People per Household: 3 (I say we kick out Jeremy to fit in) Median Age: 34 I learned this from the June issue of Reason. Pretty damn cool. And also slightly creepy. Much to the chagrin of my parents they'll be receiving my copy and a disturbed phone call will follow. I give it three days, tops. I especially like

2004-05-12T11:37:00.000-04:00

You Don't Say! High Five to Marginal Revolution for reiterating that women dig handsome men. Researchers found evidence suggesting that our ancestors may have gradually sacrificed fighting for wooing. Eleanor Weston at the Research Institute Senckenberg in Frankfurt drew her conclusions about the evolution of handsome men after studying facial features of chimps and gorillas. She concluded

2004-05-11T12:14:00.000-04:00

Ummm... What happened to my 'ho hum' heart? And my sidebar of links? And my comments? I don't like the new blogger.com changing my site without my permission.

2004-05-11T09:27:00.000-04:00

More on Space. X-Prize chairman Peter Diamandis says the $10million prize will be secured within five months. The favorite, Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne has already flown its spacecraft at altitudes exceeding 50,000ft at supersonic speeds. And, teams have already started to look at what they might do after the main challenge has been met. Cool. High Five to Alberto.

2004-05-11T04:46:00.000-04:00

Soul in a Bowl. As if the 'Food for the Spirit' (his gospel album) wasn't enough to turn your stomach, Smokey Robinson is venturing into the business of soul food. Frozen, microwave-ready, soul food. As both a soul food and a Smokey fan, this disappoints me. Robinson says "If you're going to make real good gumbo, it's an all-day or all-night cook. But this you just have to microwave." (Good

2004-05-10T19:14:00.000-04:00

Reason #3567 Why I Hate My Apartment: Today I came home from work and there was a note in our mailbox inviting residents to use the swimming pool. That's right, It's warm enough to swim but it's still "too cold" for them to turn off our heat! Bastards.

2004-05-10T11:11:00.000-04:00

New Yorkers always seem to get a bad rap... But, every Sunday afternoon Jayson Littman gives free hugs in Washington Square. See, we can be nice people too. In case you were wondering- No, I have never hugged this man. But I'm not a hugger, and I don't like people, and I'm self-absorbed, and I was too busy scowling as I b-lined to my office after grabbing my triple espresso (without tipping)

2004-05-10T10:09:00.000-04:00

Sporting Ignoramus. And Blind. I'd never been to Baltimore, so yesterday some friends and I road-tripped to see the Orioles play at Camden Yards. I'm a jock at heart, so any sporting event (even baseball) I enjoy. Our seats were in the nosebleed section, wayyy up... How high? Well I got home that night and found out one of my housemates was also at the game. We were chatting about the game

2004-05-07T14:10:00.000-04:00

What I Did On My Summer Vacation... I like space. I like travel. I like privately funded projects... Logic follows that I would like the X Prize Foundation which promotes the development and flight of spaceships in order to provide low-cost commercial transport of humans into space by offering a $10 Million cash prize. The prize is awarded to the first team which privately finances, builds &

2004-05-07T00:25:00.000-04:00

Lombardi's, Patsy's, John's, Totonno's, and Grimaldi's.... and Valentino's? I have seen the 'New York Style' marketing gig for as long as I can remember. All over the country people claim to make 'New York Style' Cheesecake/Bagels/Cannolis/Pizza/Delis/You name it... New York Style is code for "Not even close to as incredible as the real thing" I have a few theories on why can New York's

2004-05-06T16:51:00.000-04:00

I love this stuff. Wearable technology just gets cooler everyday. Adidas is working on The 1, a running shoe with a battery-powered sensor, microprocessor and electric motor. Each second, a sensor in the heel can take up to 20,000 readings and the embedded electronic brain can make 10,000 calculations, directing a tiny electric motor to change the shoe. The goal is to make the shoe adjust to

2004-05-06T10:06:00.000-04:00

A Pick-Up Line That Works... Are you passionate about food? Do you love everything that embodies the art of cuisine--the aromas, the flavors, the presentation? Any website that opens with those words has my attention right from the start. I write poorly but eat well, which is exactly what FoodBloggers.com is looking for. It's a site devoted to people who wish they were qualified to be

2004-05-05T12:04:00.000-04:00

Argh! Hotmail has recently added to my list of things I hate. In the midst of changing of moving my address book between e-mail accounts I noticed that the e-mails I had archived in various folders have disappeared. The folders and still there, but they are empty. Not a single e-mail. Lost into a cyber vacuum. I compulsively delete e-mail. So, I was not, nor have I ever even been close to the

2004-05-04T11:52:00.000-04:00

Just Jacob. That Jacob pens a fine parody, two examples. Here is his most recent, a satirical take on the obesity crisis. Read through and then try to guess which quotes were actually uttered by nannies and fat-tax advocates. Also, an update on the hilarious piece he wrote about Sexter.com, the latest social networking website connecting users via the Friendster model. Sexter.com users can

2004-05-04T07:03:00.000-04:00

New York Women. We pine less, so we pawn more. I have been laughing all morning.

2004-05-03T22:53:00.000-04:00

I am back... Here are some random comments from the last week or so. I like Chicago. I like the buildings, the people, the tulips, the food, the music, the murals, the lake. It is a good place. There is a lot more I want to explore, plus the summer is packed with festivals. I shall return. I hate DC. I signed up for GMail. GMail is cool. I'm just figuring out the quirks so Tim, who is far more

2004-04-27T01:08:00.000-04:00

This week... ... I am in Chicago for work. I'll be back Sunday night. E-mail me with ideas if you know the area. High Fives and a big Thank You all around to everyone who has sent me tips on the PDA's and apartment ideas over the last few days. I really appreciate your help. Thanks again and have a great week.

2004-04-26T23:50:00.000-04:00

'Only in Central Park' Update High five to the mysterious Gothamist who gives us more news about the naked tree hugging lovers.

2004-04-26T09:55:00.000-04:00

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year... Tomorrow, between 12:00 and 8:00, All Ben and Jerry's shops give customers a free cone or cup. "Ben & Jerry's fans can get in line as many times as they want, and the line moves quickly because there's no money changing hands." Last year, more than 1 million free cones were given away. 7,539 scoops went to me. I have mapped out the DC metro area. If I

2004-04-24T00:41:00.000-04:00

Foodies and Wannabe Foodies Alike.... Check out Tyler Cowen's predictions and pronouncements. And while you're at it, be sure to sample proof of prediction #2 within driving distance of DC. Pasta Plus in Laurel, Maryland. Yes, Laurel. Yes, that's in Price George's County. And, yes, it's worth the drive. Wedged between a dry cleaner, an Arby's, and a Muffler shop this is the best, most

2004-04-23T12:46:00.000-04:00

Only in Central Park... Vexing East-side nannies and delighting foreign tourists, two people, one in a thong and the other in boxers, climbed 35 feet to the top of a tree in the Park. From the tree the pair shouted threats, drank soft drinks, and had oral sex, witnesses told the police. They identified by the police as a '32-year-old man with feminine breasts' and a 17-year-old boy. The

2004-04-23T10:13:00.000-04:00

Plugging In My Little Black Book. I need your help. Many moons ago, my dear old Dad tried to give me a PDA for Christmas. He was smart about it, cutting a picture out of a catalog with a promise to head to Office Depot so I could pick out the model which one I liked best. I thought it was a good idea. However, I didn't think I had quite enough on plate to merit a computer solely for my own

2004-04-23T10:02:00.000-04:00

Really, who wants to swim in Florida? Not the police. Hoping to attract more applicants- especially African-Americans and Haitian Americans- yesterday, the North Miami PD dropped the department's swimming requirement. The issue surfaced a year ago when a Haitian-American city councilman asked police to drop the requirement because he said "blacks historically can't swim."Read it here.

2004-04-22T16:46:00.000-04:00

It's too hot to sleep... My apartment complex continues impress me with how much it can piss me off. My housemates and I are being roasted alive inside our townhouse despite having the windows and doors open. The building manager says, "The heat stays on until May 15th, it might get cold again." I don't even need AC; I just need the damn heat to be turned off. If it gets cold again I'll put on a

2004-04-22T10:27:00.000-04:00

Happy(?) Earth Day. A look at the Endangered Species Act is no cause for celebration. Since 1973 over 1,100 species have been listed as threatened or endangered. Sadly, only 27 species have ever been taken off the endangered species list according to the National Wilderness Institute. 7 species were delisted because they are extinct, 16 species were delisted due to data errors, 3 species, all

2004-04-21T10:38:00.000-04:00

Fairer, More Standardized and More Meaningful. This NYTimes article reports that the Feds are experimenting with a new citizenship exam. Currently, applicants are tested on the English language, Government, and United States History. The newest changes will focus more on the English language portion of the test care of the Citizenship and Immigration Services, "The new English exam would

2004-04-21T02:09:00.000-04:00

Car Update: It's Alive! I was feeling very motivated yesterday. A few more hours worth of work and this car will beltway ready. Now I face a dilemma. I am so proud of my handiwork, should I keep the car? There is the obvious convenience factor which is hard to turn down. But, I hate driving. And there's the whole parking, insurance, maintenance, gas thing. Hmm...I'll wait till it's road worthy

2004-04-20T15:41:00.000-04:00

Can't Thai Me Down. Sorry for the terrible title. Lately I've been craving furiously spicy Thai food. In 48 hours, I checked out Bangkok 1 and Bangkok 54. These combine for a Bangkok 3 on the Court-wishes-she-was-a-food-critic-scale. The only notable thing about either places (and I am not saying which one) was the presence of sichuan peppercorns. For the sake of clarity (and because the USDA

2004-04-20T07:09:00.000-04:00

Because it's fun to torment Atkins people... I present to you, The Pasta-Log Project. Stefano eats 0.89041095890411 bowls of pasta each day.

2004-04-19T23:23:00.000-04:00

Hooray for Anthony. Read it here.

2004-04-19T16:23:00.000-04:00

What's the Kenyan National Anthem? Catherine Ndereba (2:24:27) and Timothy Cherigat (2:10:37) both of Kenya won big in Boston today. For the full story see here, though I'd skip the "Stride by Stride Recap." Can anyone get over how damn fast that is? Did you know? The Kansas obscenity law covers the sale of adult novelties and that the sale or promotion of obscenity is a Class A misdemeanor on

2004-04-17T23:53:00.000-04:00

For the Public Interest? U.S. radio broadcasters have asked federal regulators to bar rival satellite radio services from offering content tailored to local markets, according to a petition obtained on Friday. The National Association of Broadcasters, which represents radio conglomerates like Clear Channel Communications Inc. , filed the request due to concerns the up and coming satellite

2004-04-17T00:10:00.000-04:00

Kicked Out of Bed for Eating Crackers... James once gave me list of his 'Deal Breakers.' They were the obvious: lying, cheating, stalking, plus a few of his own pet peeves he's developed over the years. We laughed. I like quirks. However, I've developed my list of deal breakers... [Shudder] Incessant humming. Weak handshakes. Chapped lips. Upspeak. Lousy tippers. Needy, clinging, dependent,

2004-04-17T00:01:00.000-04:00

I am... Maureen Dowd! You like to give people sillynicknames and write in really short, nonsequitur paragraphs. You're the most playful ofthe columnists and a rock-ribbed liberal, butare often accused of being too flamboyant andfrivolous. You tend to focus on style oversubstance, personality over politics. But yourheart is in the right place. Plus, you are atotal fox. Which New York Times Op-Ed

2004-04-16T16:53:00.000-04:00

A Hint to My Sweet Suburban Frathouse. Attention housemates! We must field trip to Barnes & Noble and buy this book- Tom McNulty's 'Clean Like a Man.' I liked our original system- Bedrooms are your own space, do as you please. In the commons, we divide and conquer. You take out the garbage, I do the dishes, he vacuums, all on some kind of regular basis. But alas, our humble abode has fallen

2004-04-16T10:48:00.000-04:00

I kid you not. This Saturday, Rapper-turned-skater punk Vanilla Ice is making a rare D.C. appearance at Gallaudet University. The school for the deaf. Still not kidding, I have his first punk album, 'Hard to Swallow.' High Five to Whitney.

2004-04-15T12:43:00.000-04:00

Three Things. 1) Who Knew? Today is National High Five Day. So I extend a High Five to Jacob. Why? Because he's my blog-muse. And because I said so. 2) In the last 48 hours, four different people in four different place have said "Hey, you look taller." One of these people was my housemate, who insisted I take off my shoes to be sized up. He claims people grow in spurts and is convinced I

2004-04-15T10:23:00.000-04:00

Woohoo! That is all.

2004-04-14T11:58:00.000-04:00

Just one more reason to hate the NCAA. Jeremy Bloom, the two-sport star from Colorado is in court this week and a ruling is expected tomorrow. The Readers Digest version of the story is that Bloom, the Buffalo's wide receiver is an amateur skier who wants to accept endorsements for his freestyle skiing career. The NCAA won in state district court in 2002, prompting Bloom's appeal. Since then

2004-04-14T00:54:00.000-04:00

I have a commodities fetish. + Mad Cows and reduced milk production. + Continued Troubles in Madagascar. (Vanilla) + Political unrest in western Africa. (Chocolate) _________________________________________________________ = Even higher prices for ice cream & one disappointed Court. Over the past few years there have been fluctuations in the prices of ingredients used to make ice cream, but

2004-04-14T00:24:00.000-04:00

My Goodness, My Guinness. It is good for you! "Pregnant women and racehorses, one a day" FYI: Where did the "Guinness is Good for You" come from? Guinness's advertising agency (S. H. Benson) did some market research during the 1920's to find our what people liked about Guinness. People responded that they felt good when they had their pint and the slogan was born. The slogan is still used in

2004-04-13T16:06:00.000-04:00

Quick question... Are you reading Grassroots Buzz? High Five to the mint-sharing, train-riding libertarian.

2004-04-13T00:58:00.000-04:00

Fair Trade Coffee- a double shot of social justice? Some (Fair Trade) Coffee Facts: 1) Coffee is the world's most valuable traded commodity after oil, high-growth, high-margin business. 2) About 500,000 farmers around the world produce and sell more than 170 million pounds of coffee each year through the Fair Trade network. 3) Fair Trade farmers are given access to credit at the beginning of

2004-04-13T00:07:00.000-04:00

I Love Legos. Ms. Court. Mild-mannered, coffee drinking, economics student by day. Tazer spinning, lasso of truth swinging, super hero by night. Okay, I am a dork and got a little carried away. It's the cape. You can play too. You know you want to... High fives to The Swamp. "El Nino. That's Spanish for The Nino" Why I will never teach... Jeremy Lavine of Period 3 eschews "science" and waxes

2004-04-12T16:54:00.000-04:00

A Lil' Ill Will. I abhor this man. That might not even be a strong enough word. Detest, disapprove, disdain, disfavor, dislike, disparage. I'm sure I've mentioned it before. But I don't want him to be governor of New York and I certainly don't want him to be U.S. Attorney General.

2004-04-12T15:05:00.000-04:00

Hookah and Homeschooling. High five to Radley for keeping me posted on the weird world that is Hillsdale College. Former student Deryk Schlessinger [Dr. Laura's son]... opening Hillsdale's first hookah bar. The bar is scheduled to open soon after Spring Break in downtown Hillsdale near the old Democratic Party offices. Published on 4/1, when I first read this article I thought it was an April

2004-04-12T12:07:00.000-04:00

In 48 hours... ...I accomplished nothing, which was exactly what I needed. The most strenuous thing I did was raiding my parent's pantry to pilfer every non-perishable food item I could manage. It was great to just hangout with my family and catch up. It is strange when you're the only one who doesn't live in the house. Every time I go home I feel more and more like a visitor. Not in a bad or

2004-04-10T02:20:00.000-04:00

Last night I got me some culture at the Kennedy Center. I went to see the National Symphony Orchestra with some friends. Though I don't know Tessitura from Syncopation, I thought it was great. I defer all further music related reviewing to Nectar and Ambrosia. I'll stick with restaurants. Check out the comparison between NYC and DC. A website that will prove once and for all the New York is at

2004-04-09T12:40:00.000-04:00

A tale of two cities. I went out two nights this week. Those of you who know me personally recognize that this is a big step. For those of you who don't, please realize that this is two times more than I normally go out and 200% more than I've gone out in the previous four weeks. Socializing is a general dilemma for me because I live in Fairfax, where there is nothing to do AND I live in

2004-04-08T12:29:00.000-04:00

Bow to me. I am a GRAMMAR GOD! If your mission in life is not already topreserve the English tongue, it should be.Congratulations and thank you! How grammatically sound are you? brought to you by Quizilla I admit it, I love this stuff! The quarter punishment worked like a charm. Many posts ago, I explained that when I was a little kid my Dad would charge me a quarter for each of my grammatical

2004-04-07T13:16:00.000-04:00

The calm before the storm. Today is a beautiful day- bright and sunny. I'm hoping this is Spring for real this time. I haven't been feeling the greatest for sometime now, but today is the worst of it. I feel like absolute garbage. Just the icky-cough-drained-allergies combination, and I am sure not getting enough sleep plus running all over the DC metro area can hardly help. For no apparent

2004-04-06T16:37:00.000-04:00

Family Matters. Interesting, I am guessing this will be the second time a Reason magazine arrives at my parents and I get a confused phone call about it. The first time was the January 2004 issue with Rupert Murdoch as a dominatrix. You know the one that gave you bad dreams for weeks after you recovered from the nausea. Dad: Hi. Just wanted to let you know we're still getting some of your mail

2004-04-06T13:19:00.000-04:00

UPDATE: Victory is mine! Score a point for me! My car was towed back to my parking spot on the apartment complex's dime. I will at some point post my victory photos. But for now, here's an excerpt from their apology. We would like to apologize again for any inconvenience our error may have caused. We do hope no further problems arise in the future and would like to thank you for your business

2004-04-05T12:16:00.000-04:00

Oh, the Irony. This weekend was DC United's season opener and soccer prodigy Freddie Adu's professional premier. The game was sold out days before Saturday, which might be the first time in history an MLS game has ever sold out.. But, every soccer player within 500 miles of DC was tailgating and anticipating this game. Doug's got a write-up and links here. Anywho, I passed on tickets to the