Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Machina's LiveJournal:

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Monday, September 28th, 2009
11:04 am	lots to catch up on! X-posted from travelogue.  ( falling behind on my updates... ) Current Mood: cheerful Current Music: Apoptygma Berserk: Electricity (Comment on this)
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
10:53 pm	zero hour, 9 AM... I leave tomorrow morning. I have been remarkably calm about this whole thing. Nay, FREAKILY calm. I got spazzed out for about an hour on Tuesday, and that's about it (save the misunderstanding that jolted me into serious action back in July when I had a full out panic attack...) I'm not sure why i'm so zen about all this, but i'm glad to know i can be a calm person when i need to be. I've just figured out what needed to be done, and then done it. Was it always this easy? It seems surreal. Have i actually not accepted yet the fact that i'll be gone to a totally new place, alone? Or have i just had ample time to mentally prep? I DID decide to do this back in April.... Goodbyes have been said, and i am very reassured that my friends will all be here when i get back, and won't forget about me. I got to do lots of cool stuff before i left, and i'm looking forward to doing a lot more when i get back. I will of course miss everyone, and i hope the same movies are released over there as in the US, because it would suck to have to wait a year to see 9 and Alice in Wonderland....but otherwise, what's a year? It's no time at all once you're dead...and what a relief, too, to be able to do something worth talking about. Time to put away the computer for tomorrow, and to try and get some sleep. It's going to be insane. And amazing. And totally different from anything else I've done. Kick. Ass. Current Mood: peaceful (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, August 17th, 2009
5:06 pm	PSA For everyone's information: It is official. I booked my flight. I will be in the US for the rest of the month, and I fly to South Korea on Thursday, Sept 3. I will be having some sort of bar night/going away party before I leave, but if you want to see me  before I go, call me NOW!!! My calendar is filling FAST. Before anyone cries: I do plan to blog and update frequently, and if you might travel to Asia in the next year, look me up! I will be just outside Seoul. (9 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, July 8th, 2009
7:28 am	I had a very vivid dream last night about being in a class, where we were required to put on a small play or performance for a project/grade. The first group went on the first day, and it was all extremely low-tech, low-key, casual little skits, so i figured mine didn't have to be spectacular. Suddenly, though, our whole class was on the road, and we were going to perform these pieces in front of a giant audience in a professional theatre. I panicked, of course, and spent the entire time running around finding props and improving my costume, adding new dialogue and effects, before my turn came up. (I was trying to create the effect of pyjamas, using a vinyl black and red bowling shirt and an apron....it was all i could find on short notice! I was going to use a red handkerchief to suggest blood for when my hand was chopped off, and that same kerchief could be tossed out from the wings for the explosion... oh,  i had it all figured out!) So I watched my classmates go through with each of their sketches, and after i ran into the dressing room to check my costume one last time, when i came out the audience was cheering....it was over. The program director looked at me and said "oh poor thing, did you just get here?" and i indignantly replied "no, i was here all along!" My teacher tried to tell me that this showcase was for more professional, polished pieces, and that mine probably wouldnt have fit in. I was seething because i had done so much work, only to have it not be shown. they could have told me in advance, or they should have let me perform. I write about this because it felt very significant when i woke up. I know that some of this was triggered by a conversation about making movies for school yesterday, but the rest...have i been spending too much time rehearsing for a 'performance' that i won't actually be able to give? have i been pressured by 'the teacher' to behave in a certain way, only to discover that it wasnt necessary at all? Socio-cultural commentary, or just performance anxiety? hmmm.... i'm late for work. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 10th, 2009
12:48 pm	Poll #1363073 Loud Twitter too Loud? Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 9 What do you think of LoudTwitter updates? View Answers I find them irritating. If I wanted to read Twitter, I'd read it. 5 (55.6%) They're convenient and interesting, since I don't have Twitter myself. 0 (0.0%) They're redundant since I already have Twitter, but otherwise I don't care either way. 3 (33.3%) Other (leave a comment) 1 (11.1%) (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, July 7th, 2008
7:40 pm	oh my god... ...I cannot stop eating blueberries. Current Music: Eiffel 65: Blue (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, February 15th, 2008
8:29 pm	also... i LOVE online winkelen. it makes me happy. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Wednesday, October 10th, 2007
7:32 am	love me! it's my birthday!!! (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, September 17th, 2007
7:56 pm	grammar-tastic! i'm in the midst of writing a paper for my online class, and i just mistyped the phrase "their area of expertise", as in i accidentally hit 'space' before i'd finished writing "area."  Microsoft Word then proceeded to correct what it perceived as my typo: "their are" auto-corrected into "there are" !!!!!! i'm really not sure how i feel about this! i mean, i could have not even noticed the auto correct but simply my corrected 'are' into 'area' as intended. i would have then turned in a paper with the sentence "Not all members must be present, if the meeting does not involve there area of expertise"!!!  furthermore, does no one need grammar or spelling skills anymore???? i don't want my damn computer program to do it all for me! (on the other hand, it is very handy that it capitalizes my 'i's for me, and corrects words like  'receive' which i always type too fast as 'recieve.' but the difference is, i know how to spell it...i'm just saved the extra microsecond of going back and fixing it.) anyway, grateful for the distraction, i played with it for a second to see if it corrects any other forms of  there/their/they're, but looks like it's just that one instance. i'll have to see if it corrects its/it's as well! *sigh*  ok, back to writing about special ed and IEPs and LREs and IDEA and NCLB. it's definitely stuff i'm going to need to know, but it gets kind of long-winded. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, September 13th, 2007
9:45 pm	well, everyone's doing it... I was just interested in this meme to do it, so i suppose i should post the results... 1. Go to Career Cruising, www.careercruising.com 2. Put in Username: nycareers and Password: landmark 3. Answer the "Career Matchmaker" questions (upper left-hand corner) 4. Post the top 20 results 5. Put the careers you have seriously considered in bold ( when i grow up... ) (Comment on this)
Tuesday, September 11th, 2007
12:12 am	also i've been singing Heart's "Crazy On You" all day. damn guitar hero. Current Music: what else? (Comment on this)
Saturday, September 8th, 2007
5:56 am	anyone? Who's going to Combichrist and Imperative Reaction tonight? i'd love to go, but not totally alone, and Scott's still away. if i'll see lots of people out, i'm there! (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, September 4th, 2007
11:06 am	well, Scott's off for another 3 week refinery stint, leaving me to fend for myself for almost a month yet again! it sucks missing him for that long (even though he'll be home now and then since he's not too far away), but i gotta say...living on my own while i'm in school is sometimes better for me. i'm more likely to get my homework done in an expedient fashion, more likely to actually wash my face and floss my teeth before bed, and more likely to eat healthier. my willpower sucks when i'd rather be snuggled on the couch with him watching adult swim than doing anything else! so far today i had a healthy breakfast, cleaned up the kitchen, reinstated my FitDay account, and tried to do pilates....only to discover that our cable subscription doesn't include Fitness TV. i gotta find out how much more that would cost per month...if its just a few bucks i might go ahead and put it back on the plan. i'm pretty sure it was included when we had the HBO package, but that was an extra $30 a month that we really don't need to be spending right now. anyway...before scott left, we had a lovely weekend. we saw Superbad on Friday night, which was definitely funny and i could see how guys especially would appreciate and relate to it. me, i found Knocked Up to be a little bit more relevant and funny to me personally...but i definitely recommend Superbad. i also confess that i find Seth Rogen very endearing. after that, we spent Saturday sleeping in, eating pancakes, and playing Guitar Hero. i actually unlocked a few songs on Hard, when Scott couldn't do it! However, he's much better than I am at getting all the detailed parts down on Medium, and scoring 5 stars on there. so i guess we make a good team. Sunday we went to Ringing Rock State Park with Jamie, Savia, Mute, and Kerry. it's this giant field of boulders up in Bucks County, and about a third of them resound like a bell when you hit them like a hammer! all different tones and pitches and everything, it's really weird. really funny to see everyone crouched on rocks hitting other rocks with hammers, too....we all looked like we were getting close to discovering fire, or perhaps the wheel. (it also reminded me of the Wendy's commercial where everyone is kicking tree stumps. i kept having the urge to stand up and shout "i deserve a hot juicy burger!")  after rock-whacking got old, we hiked down to see if we could find a rumored waterfall, but it was all dried up. we hung out down in the dry creekbed for a while and then climbed the waterfall rockface and hiked back and headed home. Savia and i were crammed in the back of Kerry's station wagon so we spent the drive making fun of other passengers. back at Jamie and Sarah's, we ordered sushi and chinese food and played a round of Munchkin that must have lasted 4 hours! it's a great game. i had to work yesterday, but time and a half is nice, and Scott had an awesome dinner waiting for me when i got home: green beans, garlic mashed potatoes, and chicken fingers made from scratch!! they really looked professionally done, and tasted delicious. twas a thoroughly lovely weekend, and now i just have to get motivated to get some work done for school, and study for Praxis before saturday. for now, i think i'll go do a little bit of strength training and some more cleaning before work. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, August 27th, 2007
9:39 pm	on movie ratings you know how on facebook and netflix and all those things, they have a spot for you to rate a movie out of 5 stars? it's been bugging me lately, it's so simplistic. you can't tell if people are rating the movie for how good is is, or how much they personally liked it. that's what always stumps me when i go to rate them. like, i think Titanic was a spectacularly made movie: 5 stars. i personally enjoyed it, but it's not on my favorites of all time, by any means...so, 3.5 stars. how do you express, then, through this system the sentiment of "it's not my preferred style of film, but you'll probably like it. and even if you don't, it's worth seeing once" ???  or how do you say, through stars, "i know this is a horribly cheesy movie, and not the most creative premise, but i totally dig Julia Stiles and this film just gets to me, somehow"? well? you can't. this, in a nutshell (albeit a very large one), is why facebook's new taste-in-movies comparison quiz pisses me off. and yes, i will proudly declare that i'm a sucker for "10 Things I Hate About You." (16 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, July 20th, 2007
8:46 pm	in which i gloat did you know that Harry Potter books are also going to be available at your local CVS? bet you didn't! today i was scanning in our direct delivery merchandise, when i lifted a box and found, underneath it, a box stamped all over with DO NOT PUT ON SALES FLOOR UNTIL 7/21. "this must go in the office for safekeeping at once!" i said, and proceeded to carry it upstairs, scan it in.... and read the first 350 pages or so. i stayed at work over 2 hours late, and now i am appropriately smug to all of you who will be waiting in lines at 11 PM tonight....because being a retail bitch has at least a few advantages. and i know where a Horcrux is.... i thought i was immune to the mania (of course i planned to READ it, but i haven't been dancing around with desperate anticipation all week!) but ok, i admit it. i'm a sucker for the next bit of a story. i read some article that one of you cool folks posted comparing this to the release of a Dickens installment novel, and that pleased me a lot. we're not so nerdy after all, you and i! don't worry, no spoilers. just a bit of smuggery. (*cowers as you all prepare to throw things at me*) (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, June 28th, 2007
4:00 pm	hey NYC people... New Yorkers/Northern Jersey friends: it looks like I'll be up at QXT's on Saturday night. anyone going to be out? maybe we can rendezvous at some point. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, June 19th, 2007
11:34 am	seriously, universe, cut it out already. way too much sh*t happening in quick succession these days, seriously. is it too much to ask that a week  go by without someone ending up in the hospital, getting in an accident, or dying? Charity: i hope the surgery goes quickly and smoothly, and that you get lots of wonderful painkillers to see you through the coming weeks. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Saturday, June 9th, 2007
3:55 am	guys: she's not worth your time. if i spend a single second more gloating over Paris Hilton's fate and sneering about "that whiny bitch got what she deserved" or speculating on whether not liking jail food counts as mental illness...the terrorists have already won. (not directed to anyone on my friends list...just the general public's fanatical attention to the issue. dude. she's so not worth it.) (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, June 7th, 2007
3:54 pm	i think i want a mini... I've been starting to ponder what kind of car i will get once i start teaching....walking or SEPTA is not an option when i have to look professional, carry papers and books around, and possibly work 12-14 hour days. i know that i should get a solid, used honda or toyota to start with, nice and cheap and dependable, but the lure of the New Car keeps on calling. my bank gives a better loan rate on new cars, for one...and after scrimping my way through grad school and student teaching, i'd like to think i deserve a new car as a graduation present to myself. indulge, indulge! so regardless of what i'll actually do, it's great fun to fantasize. i was tempted by the ads for the Yaris...it sounds like a nice "my generation" sort of car, good mileage, fun and customizable... but recently i have heard the Mini Cooper's siren song, and i really think i might get one, if i get a new car. it's TINY and thus parkable, which will be a bonus if we end up moving to south philly...phenomenal mileage and really really cute in addition. if it's just me in it, and occasionally a friend or two, i see no need for a normal-sized car. anyway, most cars seem way too big to me. it takes a lot of adjusting for me to even be able to see over the steering wheel. a mini would be nice like that. getting one brand new is on the extravagant side, but we'll see what kind of job i get and what kind of terms the bank can offer me. i DO have damn good credit. and just look how CUTE they are! Current Music: Gary Numan - Cars (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, May 18th, 2007
9:46 am	how much do i love The Office? never thought i'd be one of those TV-obsessed people raving about the season finale...but ZOMG, did everyone see The Office last night? and then Charity and I were on the phone every commercial break rehashing it, and as soon as it ended it was "OMIGOD YAYYYYY!!!!!" How am i going to wait all summer to find out what happens next??? In the meantime, there's nbc.com, with clips, deleted scenes, and "webisodes" which i just discovered! also, a public service announcement from Pam. (Comment on this)