3ms in April

Brian Francis says:

ARIES: By now, the contractions of your cosmic rebirth are undeniable, and have very likely arrived with a sense of vulnerability and the overwhelming experience of an unfamiliar world. Of this you can be sure -- the beginning has arrived. Remember that after birth one is a child, and developing into a recognizable form always takes time. Bear in mind, as well, that this is not an entirely new incarnation. What you are bringing with you is the essence of your dreams, and the seed of your desire to actualize them. The first step is often the most challenging, and this you have taken. What also comes along are certain key individuals who in a sense are the keepers of your highest visions. These are the people who can see you in a way that nobody else can; who indeed can see you a bit beyond your capacity to see yourself.


CANCER: Nobody could rightfully accuse you of lacking initiative or dedication. Yet it seems you're taking your commitments a lot more seriously now than ever before, and want others to do the same. You may even be overwhelmed with the yearning for absolute fairness and integrity in your relationships, and are determined to make sure that everyone does exactly their part. Yet you run the risk of taking on a crusade, and sending others a signal that you don't really trust them. All you need to do is what's right for you, and act in the highest level of integrity you hold for yourself. This will set a rather compelling example for others who may need a kind of passive guidance rather than strict oversight. The most meaningful associations you are forming are not contractual; rather, they are bonds of spirit mostly made of threads of light, and the rest bursts of passion.


VIRGO: I would dare say this year has been one of the most interesting times in relationships for many moons, and given your history the past few years, that's saying quite a lot. Interesting does not qualify as 'things going according to plan.' What do the stars say is happening? They say you are learning: 1. Not to lose yourself in another person. 2. How to find yourself in the midst of involvement with another person. 3. How to let yourself be overwhelmed with love and respect and at the same time do nothing but draw inspiration from that. You know that love has a healing quality, and yet every circumstance in your life is compelling you not to take that factor too seriously. Life is for living; growth and experience are the same thing; love is inspiration. Right now the only healing you need is to live and be real in the moment.

Rant.

Maggie says:
I'm not sure where else to post this, but I've gotta rant.

My new neighbor just said to me (not meaning any disrespect, of course!):

"You look too prissy to be an activist."

Hmmm.

Kind of like when a certain $%^@*& dean of a certain school said to me,

"Wow. I thought you'd look more confrontational in person."

And of course, I can't forget the recent comment from someone at work:

"Well I'd heard they'd hired someone with all this great experience, but you're much too young and good-looking to be her!"

WTF?!?! Since when are intelligent, poltically-active, socially-conscious women supposed to look like unshowered, schlumpy horrors?

Oh, that's right. Since always.

Grrrrr......

Signing off, NOT the cheerleader they think I am,

Maggie

News from the Frontier

Mikaela says:
Today something happened that I've never seen happen in all my many many many years of patronizing the Frontier Restaurant (but never its menu):

There was no free table to be had.

Every single one was taken.

Thankfully, people come and go quickly, thanks to the quick food prep, so no one had to wait long, but still.

This was lunchtime. The line to order was no longer than 2 people at any one time.

And the place was packed.

Can't this model be used to revolutionize ... well ... almost everything?

On picky dating

Maggie says:
M-pyre's been laughing all week about an article first discovered by my old friend Saleem:

Picky, Picky: In the Outlet Mall of Love, Finding a Good Fit can Mean a Lot of Returns

The article brilliantly describes, among other so-true-they-hurt hilarities, one man's "taquito moment," when he realized he simply could not keep seeing a woman due to her love for 7-11 taquitos and other terrible food choices.

Isn't that the truth? It's not being picky, really, it's just knowing what we like and what we can't stand. The smallest act can make the largest, most sweeping statement.

I told M and M that we should post our own "taquito moments," until Marjorie reminded us that, "Didn't we already do that on m-pyrical?" Oops. So here's the original post, but I'm thinking it needs some almost-a-year-later updates to it in comments.

Let's get those personal taquito moments rolling!

--------------------------------------

friday, june 10, 2005

C'mon guys, you can do better than this

From Flying Star downtown, Mikaela and I just realized that our conversation about recent events was turning into a list of all the ways men can kill their chances. We decided it was too good not to document. We sought out Marjorie for this one, too - she had some gems to add:

• Bad grammar in the first e-mail
• You "happen" to see his car drive by when you're hanging out with friends... on multiple occasions
• He calls your roommate Pol Pot to make a point about planning (Trust us, it happened and it wasn't pretty)
• Falsely and arrogantly assuming that the poem you just shared is about him
• Grammatical errors in poems he writes for you (noticing a grammar pattern here?)
• Breaking things in your apartment
• Confessing love too early
• No sympathy for food poisoning... that he caused
• Being overly competitive at games you don't give a shit about - and then being overly exuberant at beating you in said games (think foosball)
  
• On the first date suggesting that you pick up this bill and he'll get it next time, hoping that'll entice you for a second date just to recoup your costs
• Wearing a tee shirt to Flying Star that says "Fuck Artists" and then casually thumbing through magazines as if the good reading is what brings him here and not the single ladies (this guy is sitting across from us right now!)
• Responding to every comment of yours with "But that's not what my mom says"
• He takes you to dinner at his parents' house and upon finishing his meal promptly leaves the table with his plate on it to go watch television (ladies - the way a man treats his mother is exactly how he’ll treat you)
• His otherwise calm and pleasant manner flies out the window as soon as he gets behind the steering wheel -- every journey is a screaming, swearing onslaught against other drivers
• You realize the book he’s carrying around in his back pocket is a bible

We have more, but let's leave it at that before we have to hit up the dessert selection downstairs in desperation. (And we don't mean the guy in the tee shirt.)

Traveling for Spring Break?

Maggie says:
Spring Break travels can take many forms.... you can have the alcohol-soaked Cancun trip I did with my college buddies when I was 21 and already way too old for it, or you can do a nerdy grad-school type of trip. Or maybe something that's deliciously a bit of both...

Marjorie's heading off to Utah tomorrow for a fantasy ski vacation. M-pyre friend Erik is heading down to Costa Rica to hang out with a friend who's building a house there.

Since Mikaela and I won't be leaving the cozy boundaries of the Duke City, regale us with your exciting plans so we can live through you. Who's traveling, and to where?

PS: In honor of wild and crazy college fun, my little brother Lane is pictured above. He just graduated from East Carolina University in December and soon, moments like these might be a quaint memory... Congratulations on the big new job, Lane!!!

Man oh man...

Maggie says:
This song makes me cry, yet I can't stop listening to it.

It's "Goodbye My Lover," from James Blunt. Found on Back to Bedlam.

"I'm so hollow, baby..."

A Bald Eagle hanging out in Texas

marjorie says...

Check out this killer photo that my sister Susan recently took in the Texas hill country. Yes, that is a Bald Eagle!

Oscar Moments -- Screw the Movies -- This is about CELEBRITY

Mikaela says:
Loved Jon Stewart. Love love love. His wit and timing translated well into Hollywood glamor. Bring him back! Hear me, Academy? Encore! We even remembered most of his jokes to catch up latecomers. That's pretty good! Especially the "cheap shot" -- ooo, bad pun... -- about Dick Cheney shooting Bjork. Remember?






Loved our "friend of ten years" ... the incomparable Jennifer Aniston. We love you, Jen. We hate Brad and that other woman forever!









Loved Marjorie loving Jessica Alba.

The Quote: "Did you SEE Sin City? She was hot..."




Loved Lily Tomlin and Meryl Streep. I'm thinking ... movie time! Sign these ladies up! What a dynamic duo! Something with wacky philosophy a la I Heart Huckabees and the psychological drive of Adaptation...




Mixed reviews on George Clooney. Mags & I swooned. Marjorie howled: "Bullshit, George! That's such fucking BULLshit!" A classic moment all around. Dammit, he's charming. Can't be helped. Totally transitioned to movie star -- without even being all that good! I salute his bravery and his attempts to use his political nature for good. Way to not be afraid of being called liberal!






Across the board approval of JLo. Stunning. Simply stunning. Good god, woman, you are the embodiment of statuesque. Ahem. (Some grumblings of dissention over why she's at the Ocars, though... Hot non-white woman... yeah, that may have something to do with it.) Salma Hayek (so worth the click, trust me!) was a mind-meld love fest as well. But sweet baby jesus lord. That woman's fine!



Samuel Jackson got mixed reviews.:

"Why do you love him?"
"Dude, he even made yoda look cool!"
"Yes, that's saying something..."

Morgan Freeman (with the gorgeous Rachel Weisz) and alone here is untouchable. Classy, smart, and that voice... Uh huh.

Wilson brothers got cheers from the girls and jeers from the boys. Wassup w/ that?

Ben Stiller's green screen got a chuckle out of me and awkward silence from most. Perhaps that has something to do with the fact that 1) I loved Zoolander and 2) I just saw Pink Panther... camouflage, anyone?

Loved the science-enhanced ageless Dolly Parton. She had the audience clapping! Smart lady. Taking over Dollywood. I mean, Hollywood.

Funniest moment: Lauren Bacall's stumbling over her lines, and one guest says this, "Who cares? All she has to say is, "Fuck you; I'm Lauren Bacall."

Where I've been...

Mikaela says:

58% of States. Not too shabby... Lots missing in the South. Trip home, Maggie Mae?



create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.

Oscars redux

Maggie says:
So if anyone's wondering, M³ and Friends are really, really, really annoyed and pissed that Crash won Best Picture. More later, after I can stand to write about it...

Oscar picks

Maggie says:
M-pyre's having a Southern-themed Oscar gathering tonight: barbecued tofu, black-eyed peas, cornbread, yams, and mac&cheese. And the rumor is someone's bringing five drinks themed on each Best Picture nom. Maybe we'll take some pictures and document our fun for m-pyrical... But until then, here are my Oscar picks for tonight. Unlike most years, where I have a very separate "should win" and "will win" list, this year it's pretty close. Here's my "will wins:"

• Best Picture: Brokeback Mountain
• Best Director: Ang Lee
• Best Actress: Reese Witherspoon
• Best Actor: Phillip Seymour Hoffman
• Best Supporting Actress: Rachel Weisz
• Best Supporting Actor: Jake Gyllenhall (everyone else says Clooney, but I never saw Syriana, so I can't rightfully pick him)
• Best Adapted Screenplay: Brokeback Mountain
• Best Original Screenplay: The Squid and the Whale

This is tough! In all of the acting categories, I'd be just as happy to see someone else win. Ledger for Hoffman, Williams or Adams or Keener for Weisz, Clooney or Giamatti (just to acknowledge how damn amazing he is!) over Gyllenhall... But you have to pick someone, right?

It's going to be a fun night.

My states

marjorie says...

I have an awful memory but here it is. In one week I'll add Utah. Just to expand this notion to all of North America, add to this the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario, plus these Mexican states: Tamaulipas, Chihuahua, México, Chiapas, Guerrero, Sonora, and Baja California. I didn't include any places that I've simply driven through. If I had, I'd include a few more Mexican states and maybe Idaho. But I can't remember about Idaho.



create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.


ps: Erik is supreme.

Where I've been

Maggie says:
Love this idea. Via Alterdestiny, where Erik's been everywhere I haven't, here's my U.S. map. States I've been to are in red (airport stopovers don't count). As for the white states... let's just say that barring Louisiana, I definitely some geographic patterns to my travels, don't I?



create your own visited states map.

Before March Goes Too Far...

Brian Francis says:

ARIES: You have learned by now not to make too many assumptions, but for better or worse you're not working with complete information and will need to make a leap based on a few good guesses. What matters most is that you use the information you have available. Gather that information sooner rather than later, even if the task seems impossible, or certain delays seem interminable. Actually, nothing is really taking as long as it seems, and much that seems to make no sense will actually seem more than sensible. So, you will need to do something rather un-Arian, which is be patient in the face of gradually building pressure that may, by the time the Sun enters your sign, feel somewhat overwhelming. But the sense of excitement will be palpable, and you will know you're approaching a real turning point, and at such times, keep in mind what you want, do your best, hope for the best, and forget the rest.

CANCER: The shortest distance between you and your highest goals is a total solar eclipse. The thing is, your goals are on the level of a public resource. We may ask why in the human experience some people emerge as leaders and some as followers (with plenty who need to get out of the way). It may be that there's a cycle; it may be that some keep reincarnating in positions where the strength of their character and the clarity of their visions are what is emphasized. Or, in your case, there is a sense of feeling compelled and in a way destined to guide a certain dimension of existence on the physical plane in a particular direction, at this time in your life. There may be a big change involved for you -- or you just may rise gracefully to what you know you need to do. In any event, the time is at hand.

VIRGO: Your life recently has been like an experiment in the laboratory of Nikola Tesla. I would say 'Thomas Edison', but he was not nearly as cool. You have been on the receiving end of revolutionary ideas, stunning influences and all kinds of new energy. People have come into your life -- or you have invited them into your life -- and they have shaken up your reality. These are all having an influence on you, which may be stressful, inspiring, downright strange or even a bit nerve-wracking. The truth is you need these influences, and you can benefit greatly from them. But to maximize these changes, you must use your most precious gift, which is your flexibility. This will allow you to adjust your self-concept quickly and without resistance, so that you can open your life up to a greater sense of both strength and freedom. Remember, these things are all ideas -- but you are an idea.