I’m sure you all have your own lists of what you want for Christmas, even if you haven’t formally made a list since you were about 13. Well, I think it’s time again. Except that my parents bought me a trip to LA for Christmas, so I won’t actually be getting any gifts from them. But things I might just buy for myself (or mom will buy for me from grandma) include:

Hunter Boots

I realize that we live in Austin, Texas, where it neither rains nor snows with any alarming frequency, but I love these freakin’ boots and I just want a pair. At $115 they certainly aren’t practical, but that’s what Christmas is for, right? And I want them in Aubergine. Purple is the new neutral.

Renew my TiVO

I’ve written about my love for TiVO and how it allows me to watch the ridiculous amount of CW I do and still maintain a normal lifestyle for someone who isn’t in high school. Well sad news is on the horizon, folks: my three-year subscription to the budink, budink service is running out.

Ugg Dakota Slippers

NORMALLY, I despise Uggs as much as the next person with a pair of eyes. But THESE Ugg Dakota slippers, first released last year, are beautiful. Cozy, comfy, and CUTE. The all-around suede contrasting lace? The shearling lining? That they’re “rated” to keep bare feet warm to -30 degrees and bare feet cool to temps as high as 80 degrees? I love them. $100 a pop, also not so practical.

Teeny-tiny charm necklace

The Vermonster aptly pointed out on my birthday that I like Statement Necklaces, but there is also a time for a wear-all-the-time necklace, a simple chain with a meaningful charm. Dogeared has my faves, like their teeny tiny heart charms and this airplane number–that’s for you, Vermonster, since now I have to spend time each month on a plane flying to see you, where my feet freeze because I have no Dakota slippers … plus they’re pretty cheap, the leeetle airplane is just $46 in sterling silver! Free automatic upgrade to Express shipping until 8am on 12/21, 20% off your entire order until 2am tonight with this code: GB2009

Fujifilm instax mini 7 + film

Like a Polaroid, except they’re going to keep making the film for it. This instant camera prints out a credit card-size color photo that is reportedly sharp and clear–awesome! Camera is $84.95, film $30 for 20 pics (nothing instant is ever cheap … except EZ-Mac?).

Dehydrator*

I know nothing about them. I couldn’t even recommend a brand to you. But if I had one, I could make flax snax crackers, and that sure would make eating Paleo a lot easier.

Elana’s Almond Flour Cookbook

I’m pretty sure I could experiment my way into a lot of these recipes, by why not get a book where it’s done for you? Available at Amazon for just $11.55 … perfect stocking stuffer! This book is from a blog I really like – Elana’s Pantry. Check it out for a sampling of the recipes!

—

*Disclaimer to make sure that I will not be responsible for the demise of any relationships: dehydrators and other kitchen appliances are not good gifts for wives/girlfriends/crushes, no matter how much they talk about wanting/needing one. They are akin to getting someone a vacuum for Christmas (thanks Mom and Dad, Christmas ‘07). Practical? Yes. Christmas gift? No. Surprise gift on a random Tuesday in the middle of March? Awesome. Thoughtful holiday time gift? Not.

Think “things she wouldn’t buy herself” NOT “things she’d use.”

Frenzy sails around her head. Divine life
And madness battle beneath her rolling
Eyes, in the hollows of Lyssa’s cheeks and
In the short-lived humans who bleed for her.

Introducing you to your fearless Paleo Challengers, meet …

Athlete Profile: Lyssa Myska Allen

Date of Birth: 9/1/84
Place of Birth: Sugar Land, TX
Started CrossFit: February 2009

Linda: 29:58
Fight Gone Bad: 333
Filthy Fifty: DNF–but close!

Deadlift: 285
Press: 90
Back Squat: 230
Clean and jerk: 125
Max Pull-ups: 15? 20?

Favorite WOD: anything with handstand pushups
Favorite Lift: power clean
Least Favorite WOD: burpees. in anything.
Least Favorite Lift: back squats

Read Write Prompt #1: In A Sentence.
American Sentences – one sentence, 17 syllables, direct observation.

Anubis
Wolf-boy, coyote smile - are you here to take me away from this hell?

Aphrodite
Love: glorious in the summer sun, framed by white and caramel-smiles.

Ares
Blood runs through shallow graves; water doesn’t stop, tears always fall; he smiles.

Bast
Picture perfect, perfumed air; red and gold; sex, energy, desire.

Eos
Flip a page, start again; fresh day, fresh smile, fresh love; there’s nothing better.

Eris
Spinning, laughing, mad girl, wild child; stop pointing that bloody gun at me.

Eros
Silver threads, connect the dots; fire your arrow, watch the cities burn.

Hedone
Skins itch, veins burn; croon to the air as the black doves take flight everywhere.

Helios
Flash-fire, wild boy; did you know that your soft lips are as gold as your skin?

Hera
Spread your feathers, beautiful birds; dance for your queen – she watches you now.

Hermes
Skimming over clouds, planning mischief; is there anything more perfect?

Lyssa
Spit flies, dribbles down; chain-check, too-tight; muscles burn, fire starts - she screams.

Peitho
Her lips are painted with need; the flush of longing streams over her skin.

Psykhe
Love: catch it in your hands, dandelion clock, before it blows away.

Rhea-Kybele
The earth is yours: she rumbles, pulses and thrums beneath you, smiling queen.

Selene
The moon does not care for you; she laughs at your ideas of romance.

Googlism for: lyssa

lyssa is my sister
lyssa is a wannabe gothie
lyssa is da bomb
lyssa is the author of this website; that much is indisputable
lyssa is perhaps the most widely respected and feared of all
lyssa is a wannabe gothie tyler 07/28/02
lyssa is currently traveling in mordent
lyssa is the co
lyssa is the ideal mother figure
lyssa is known for her depth
lyssa is a new folk rock singer who has been touring the world with royal caribbean cruise lines
lyssa is a world traveler once again with the royal caribbean cruise lines
lyssa is a feminist
lyssa is in her element
lyssa is a bright and curious young woman
lyssa is the mother of two
lyssa is part of the problem
lyssa is a victim of the media or actually arrogant enough in her assertion of privilege that we ought to resent her
lyssa is from
lyssa is surrounded by a host of characters guiding her through her travails
lyssa is beaten by her husband
lyssa is beaten by her husband linc feels the pain
lyssa is a very serene
lyssa is still working on finishing converting a few epic logs into story format
lyssa is accidentally struck over the head with a practice sword by marlis and is knocked unconscious
lyssa is a bit of an odd one
lyssa is a realtor and works for century 21
lyssa is available
lyssa is a leo so her future is taken care of
lyssa is a very beautiful young lady that has recorded her first mini album
lyssa is always a disguise
lyssa is an eminently successful doctor about to become the highest medical professional in the country
lyssa is appointed surgeon general
lyssa is raging madness
lyssa is the kind of raging madness which is known for having driven heracles out of his mind
lyssa is free
lyssa is 14 years old and this is her second year at answer camp
lyssa is happy to let thomas stay
lyssa is beaten
lyssa is my doll buddy
lyssa is one of kintara?s and xander?s friends from the grocery store
lyssa is 10 months old when her mother takes her to visit her grandmother for the first time
lyssa is a mother of twins
lyssa is capable of peering into the future
lyssa is 11 years old and is a female
lyssa is captured and imprisoned in the black fortress by the beast – whom no man has seen…and lived
lyssa is captured and imprisoned in the black fortress by
lyssa is captured and imprisoned in the black
lyssa is always beaming when helping the younger children
lyssa is kidnapped
lyssa is standing at the door ready to knock
lyssa is asleep in there
lyssa is a smallish dark blue tigress with white wings with a hint of blue
lyssa is being held in the fortress
lyssa is a sweetheart
lyssa is laura desc
lyssa is fun in its own right
lyssa is one of the rangers that works in the temple of nen in mystvale
lyssa is a brilliant doctor more than qualified for the post?but a media frenzy over an incident in her past transforms
lyssa is very understanding
lyssa is one of several angels created for a christmas exhibit
lyssa is with me almost constantly as a material symbol of confidence
lyssa is a wood elf and a follower of sune
lyssa is a wood elf and a follower of sune and a sister cleric of the temple of the healing hands
lyssa is in a niche at the top
lyssa is
lyssa is musing that she’ll have to lie the rest of her life
lyssa is a master of mind control
lyssa is not a herald so she cannot be expected to keep her vow
lyssa is an active member within the ontario camping association
lyssa is an internationally known author
lyssa is now 3 1/2 and in perfect shape
lyssa is for
lyssa is absent or poorly developed
lyssa is the manager of the department of rehabilitation at the children’s hospital of denver
lyssa is such a hungry girl
lyssa is forced to make a decision
lyssa is caught reading satanic bibles
lyssa is in kindergarten and my sister jamie is in 6th grade
lyssa is a cool person
lyssa is being so brave; i can tell she’s uncomfortable
lyssa is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable advocate of the quicklink pen
lyssa is not a probable or necessary action derived

Especially:
lyssa is perhaps the most widely respected and feared of all
lyssa is a feminist
lyssa is a bit of an odd one
lyssa is always a disguise
lyssa is the kind of raging madness which is known for having driven heracles out of his mind
lyssa is capable of peering into the future
lyssa is fun in its own right
lyssa is with me almost constantly as a material symbol of confidence
lyssa is musing that she’ll have to lie the rest of her life
lyssa is a master of mind control
lyssa is not a herald so she cannot be expected to keep her vow

Lyssa is madness. She is perfect imperfection, unbalanced balance, sane insanity. She is everything and nothing; she is man and god and the entire world. She does not care for trivialities such as sin and virtue – she is beyond thought, beyond emotion, beyond comprehension. She thrives in disorder, in chaos, and she nursed both Love and Strife in her manic, quivering arms. Heat and cold means nothing to her; love and hate plays no part in her world; she is beyond the whims of the other gods and yet bound by them, bound to do their will.

She is the world, the chaos, the pulsing need to live or die. Children and gods alike feel her pulsing fury. She drives sword against sword, child against child, and laughs as she dances on the graves of those who aren’t strong enough to stand against her. (But who is strong enough? Certainly not a mere human – she is Beyond such things as humanity and infinity.) She leans on the arm of War and kisses his cheeks with her blood-stained lips, then spins away to whisper to in Wisdom’s uncaring ear.

She lives: she thrives in disorder, in upsetting the balance. She doesn’t just blur the lines: she smashes them apart with her fists and her teeth, and she snaps at the throats of any who would try to stop her. She is Art, she is the Abyss. She does not stop to think about consequences, or the right way, or the greater good. She lives for herself, for her own pulsing hungers, and she does not care who knows that.

She is life, she is death; for what is living if not insanity? She nips at and kisses those who succumb to madness, who spend their days in her circling, smiling darkness. Her Maniai dance around her, cracking the bones of those who dared to enter her lair – and died for their impiety. She does not waste time with fancies; she is those fancies. She is fetishes, she is sex; she is slick, thrumming blood. She is eternal, and she is In This Moment. She breathes rot and insanity into the air, and she strokes at her dog-skin hat with truly loving hands.

She is born of Ouranos’ pain. She is the twin of Aphrodite and the Erinyes, born of blood and loss and love and hate. Aphrodite drew the dominion of love and hate; the Erinyes drew loss and blood; and she drew all and none, everything and nothing. She is not rooted to the world by material need – she seeps from the veins of one man to the next, rousing murderers and sending minds into her domain of madness. She is sent by the other gods to torture the impious; she dances between Hades, the human world and Mount Olympus, moving faster than lightning, faster than fire, faster than life.

She visits asylums and torments those who gaze upon her bloodied face, smiling and laughing at them with her jagged shark’s teeth. She is not concerned with a single mortal life; and yet, paradoxically, she is deeply concerned with those who snare her interest. She is madness, she is obsession, she is insanity, she is frenzy. She crashes her hands over the ears of animals and man alike and makes them spit with her fury – a bare sliver of the rage she feels (always feels), but enough to make their minds spin and their eyes roll. She is life, she is death: she is sex, she is despair: she is love and she is hate, and she is nothing at all.

She is madness. She is Lyssa.

Celebrity Speaker Extolls Virtues of Arcane Weaponry As Motivational Metaphor

May the Glaive be with you. Always. You know you’ve tried to use The Force. C’mon, just admit it. Reached out your hand and focused with all of your might on lifting your toy X-Wing out of a muddy puddle in the backyard when no one was looking. The Glaive, a cross between a boomerang, shuriken and a pocket knife/switchblade, was a unique weapon wielded by Colwyn, the Errol-Flynn-meets-Luke-Skywalker King of planet Krull, using Force-like techniques to control it.

Krull, the fantasy/sci-fi movie from 1983, always seemed like one part Star Wars, one part Lord of the Rings (though, I guess back then I wouldn’t have made the LOTR reference. Maybe more like classic Robin Hood films – not the Kevin Costner/Bryan Adams chickflick). You know, Hero’s Journey/Joseph Campbell stuff. Or maybe they just copped that medieval episode from classic Galactica (the one where Starbuck teaches all of those blonde pre-Narnia kids how to storm a castle while singing a song to remember their strategy). Hey, come to think of it, The Empire Strikes Back was sort of like the Ice Planet Zero BSG episode (man, those Oliva Newton-John wannabe clones were glacier-melting hot). Not sure which came first in that case, and too lazy to Wiki it today. And that whole Firefly series was kinda like the cowboy Galactica episode (Red Eye the cylon RULED!). Hey, it’s all good – it just always made sense that EVERY sci-fi franchise should have an ice planet episode, a western-in-space episode, a medieval-in-space episode, etc. It’s just what you do.

Watching Krull again recently, I realized how all of the various situations that test Colwyn in his quest to save Princess Lyssa from the evil Beast could be translated into a self-help program encouraging positive thinking, building confidence, etc. Colwyn is just such a hyper-positive dude. In the end, when your Glaive is stuck in the flesh of the hideous Beast and you can’t get it back, you’ve got to trust in yourself. Though there’s also that special fire the Princess gave you – you know, the fire that you can shoot out of your hand. That always helps, too.

- Nigel Matrix

My movie opens today in LA! So I’m a little biased: I did all the costume design for Growing Out, so obviously it’s the best movie ever. But it is a seriously good movie, fun and scary, weird and smart … it’s pretty cool, and worth checking out. (Click here to buy it from amazon and kick me back some cash!) It opens in a small theater in LA this weekend and–cross your fingers–if sales are good, it’ll open in select theaters across the country! (Austin being one, since I guaranteed a fan base … um …)

Growing Out Poster

Synopsis: A troubled songwriter discovers a human growing out of his basement floor. And falls in love with the girlfriend of the dude who lives in his backyard in a trailer. What more could you ask for?

I’m buying some tix just to support the movie, if you’re into that sort of thing OR you have friends in LA, here are the deets:

Opening on Friday January 23^rd at the Laemmle Grande 4-Plex

345 S. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90071.
(lower level of the Marriott hotel)

Tickets are $8.50 (cheap!) The first showings on Saturday and Sunday are only $6.50.

Show times :
Fri. 7:00 pm, Sat. 1:00 pm, 3:10 pm, 7:00 pm, Sun. 1:00 pm, 3:10 pm, 7:00 pm, Mon. 7:00 pm, Tues. 7:00 pm, Wed. 7:00 pm and Thurs. 7:00 pm

Die Tollwut ist eine lebensbedrohliche, durch Viren ausgelöste Infektionskrankheit, die in der Regel durch den Biss eines erkrankten Tiers übertragen wird.

In Deutschland werden ein bis drei Fälle jährlich gemeldet. Die typischen Symptome sind starke Schmerzen an der Bissstelle, Wasserscheu, Schluckstörungen, Speichelfluss, Angst und Gemütsschwankungen. Infolge zunehmender Lähmungen endet jede Erkrankung nach dem Auftreten der ersten Symptome tödlich. Durch sofort nach einem Biss eingeleitete Maßnahmen wie eine passive Immunisierung kann der Ausbruch meistens verhindert werden. Es gibt auch eine Tollwut-Schutzimpfung, die für beruflich gefährdete Personen, wie Förster oder Tierärzte, empfohlen wird.

Rabies: Definition

Tollwut, in der Fachsprache Rabies oder Lyssa, ist eine Infektionskrankheit, bei der vor allem durch den Biss eines erkrankten Tiers die Tollwut-Viren übertragen werden. In unseren Breitengraden kommt Tollwut hauptsächlich in den wildlebenden Fleischfressern (zum Beispiel Füchse, Dachse, Marder) und bei Fledermäusen vor, in Amerika sind es die Waschbären, Fledermäuse, Füchse und Stinktiere, die die Krankheit auf Hund und Katze übertragen können. Durch Hund- und Katzenbisse kann sich dann – selten – auch ein Mensch mit dem Virus anstecken. Die Zeit zwischen Ansteckung und Ausbruch der Krankheit (Inkubationszeit) beträgt durchschnittlich drei bis acht Wochen, in Extremfällen auch weniger als neun Tage bis zu einem oder sogar mehreren Jahren. Die Dauer der Inkubationszeit hängt stark von der Virusmenge und davon ab, wie weit die Bisswunde vom Gehirn entfernt ist. Bei Kopfwunden ist mit kürzerer Inkubationszeit zu rechnen als zum Beispiel bei Verletzungen an Armen und Beinen. Besteht ein Verdacht auf Kontakt mit einem tollwütigen oder tollwutverdächtigen Tier, ist umgehend das Gesundheitsamt zu verständigen.

Häufigkeit

Während in Deutschland durchschnittlich nur ein bis drei Tollwut-Fälle pro Jahr auftreten (Europa 30 Fälle), ist die Tollwut in Asien (China 5.000, Indien 15.000) weitaus häufiger; dies sollte auch bei Auslandsreisen beachtet werden. Weltweit werden rund 35.000 Tollwut-Fälle pro Jahr registriert, wobei jedoch mit einer erheblichen Dunkelziffer, vor allem in Afrika und Asien, zu rechnen ist.

Rabies: Ursachen

Die Tollwut wird durch ein Virus aus der Gruppe der zylindrisch geformten RNA-Viren, der so genannten Rhabdo-Viren, übertragen. Tiere und Menschen können sich über den virushaltigen Speichel eines tollwütigen Tiers infizieren, wenn der Speichel durch die (durch einen Biss oder eine Hautabschürfung) verletzte Haut in den Körper gelangt. An der Infektionsstelle vermehrt sich das Tollwut-Virus erst in den Muskelzellen, dann wandern die Viren über die Nerven in das Gehirn, wo sie sich weiter vermehren. Von dort aus gelangen die Tollwut-Viren in die Speicheldrüsen, in die Bauchspeicheldrüse und die Haarbalgdrüsen, wo sie sich wiederum vermehren und mit dem Sekret (Speichel, Verdauungssekret, Schweiß) abgegeben werden.

Rabies: Symptome

Beim Menschen verläuft die Tollwut in drei Stadien:

Vorläuferstadium

• uncharakteristische Beschwerden wie Kopfschmerzen und Appetitlosigkeit
• häufig Fieber
• Brennen, Jucken und vermehrte Schmerzempfindlichkeit im Bereich der Bisswunde

Akute neurologische Phase

• Angstgefühle, Unruhe
• Krämpfe der Schlundmuskulatur, die durch das Schlucken ausgelöst werden. Dadurch
• Angst zu trinken und
• Speichelfluss aus dem Mund, um ihn nicht schlucken zu müssen.
• abwechselnd aggressiver und depressiver Gemütszustand
• Hydrophobie: Die optische oder akustische Wahrnehmung von Wasser führt zu Unruhe und Krämpfen, die sich auf die gesamte Muskulatur erstrecken können.

Koma

• Nachlassen der Krämpfe und der Unruhe
• fortschreitende Lähmungen
• Tod

Unbehandelt führt die Tollwut in allen Fällen zum Tod (Letalität 100 Prozent). Wird der Betroffene nicht intensivmedizinisch betreut, liegen zwischen dem Auftreten der ersten Symptome und dem tödlichen Ausgang der Tollwut maximal sieben Tage. Weltweit wurde bisher nur ein Fall in den USA bekannt, wo ein 15-jähriges Mädchen an Tollwut erkrankte und überlebte, obwohl sie nicht geimpft war. Die Gründe für ihr Überleben sind unklar.

Rabies: Diagnose

Zur Diagnose der Tollwut wird das Virus direkt mikroskopisch im Speichel, in der Hirnflüssigkeit oder in den Haarfollikeln des Betroffenen nachgewiesen. Eindeutig bestätigt werden kann die Diagnose aber erst nach dem Tod des Betroffenen durch Proben aus dem Hirngewebe. Die Überträgertiere sollten unter amtstierärztlicher Aufsicht beobachtet und untersucht werden. Häufig können Antigene im Speichel des noch lebenden Tiers nachgeweisen werden. Sichern lässt sich die Verdachtsdiagnose Tollwut aber ebenfalls nur am toten Tier.

Rabies: Therapie

Jede Bisswunde, die von einem möglicherweise mit Tollwut infizierten Tier zugefügt wurde, sollte direkt ausgiebig mit Seifenlösung oder Wasser gereinigt werden, um den Erreger auszuwaschen, und mit Alkohol desinfiziert werden. Tiefere Wunden werden zusätzlich mit Kathetern ausgespült. Betroffene, bei denen der Verdacht auf eine Tollwut-Infektion besteht, sollten sofort auf intensivmedizinischen Stationen behandelt werden. Sie werden nach der Waschung unverzüglich und nach einem festgelegten Schema mit einem Totimpfstoff aktiv geimpft und – je nach Art des Tierkontakts – gleichzeitig mit einem Immunglobulin passiv gegen Tollwut immunisiert. Zusätzlich sollte vorsorglich auch gegen Tetanus (Wundstarrkrampf) geimpft werden.

Rabies: Verlauf

Die Therapie der Tollwut sollte möglichst sofort nach dem Biss durch ein tollwutverdächtiges Tier begonnen werden. Wenn die Krankheit mit den ersten Symptomen ausbricht, ist sie nicht mehr heilbar. Der tödliche Verlauf der Tollwut-Infektion kann dann nur noch mit intensivmedizinischen Mitteln (zum Beispiel durch Beatmung) hinausgezögert werden. Der Fall in den USA im Jahr 2005, wo ein 15-jähriges Mädchen Tollwut überlebte, ist bisher einzigartig und ungeklärt.

Rabies: Vorbeugen

Die Impfung gegen Tollwut ist sinnvoll bei Menschen, die durch ihren Beruf und in Tollwutgebieten ein erhöhtes Risiko tragen, von Tieren gebissen zu werden (zum Beispiel Jäger, Tierärzte und -pfleger, Forstpersonal). Der Impfstoff wird in mehreren Injektionen innerhalb weniger Wochen verabreicht. Die erste Auffrischimpfung sollte ein Jahr später erfolgen, dann alle zwei bis fünf Jahre. Der Schutz vor Tollwut hält bis zu fünf Jahren an.

Auch wer eine Reise in Regionen mit hoher Tollwutgefährdung plant, bei der das Risiko, mit dem Tollwut-Virus in Kontakt zu kommen, erhöht ist (zum Beispiel durch streunende Hunde bei Trekkingtouren), sollte sich gegen Tollwut impfen lassen. Grundsätzlich gilt: Tollwütige, wildlebende Tiere verlieren nicht selten zu Beginn der Erkrankung ihre Scheu vor den Menschen. Zeigen ansonsten scheue Tiere ein derartiges Verhalten, ist besonders auf Distanz zu achten.

via Australia Life Scientist

I don’t think these guys could have done research any cooler for me. They’ve combined my favourite fields all together – evolutionary biology, emerging infectious diseases, animal biology, genetics and bioinformatics.

What they’ve done is analysed the genome of the coronavirus that causes SARS -remember that? – and claim they have vindicated the poor beleagured civet cat as the natural reservoir of the disease.

Good news for the civet cat. (Maybe not, it’s possibly back on the menu).

And definitely not good news for chiropterologists and spelunkers – as bats have been implicated as the cause.

Bat’s just can’t get away from having a reputation as a “big bad”. If it’s not silly business such as  getting tangled in hair or stealing goats. There are a bunch of real viral diseases with human health impact that bats are known for being a natural reservoir for – many from Australasia. SARS is just one of the more recent additions.

• Lyssa virus
• Malaka virus
• Nipah virus
• Hendra virus
• Menangle viru
• rabies
• even Ebola

Is this good news or bad news for bats and research?

I know since before Xmas time I’ve been slow to put out new videos.

Here’s the deal I’m no longer funny. I’m completely serious all the time. So much so that even though I work in a casual Hollywood type setting I choose to wear a suit, and tie and black shiny squared off shoes. So serious people now call me the Dragon Lady, despite my obvious bulge. So Serious I am now that walking by small children playing in the streets, instantly saps away all their fun in to a machine I like to call the “Dream Stealer” which I then sell on the Chinese black market as a longevity elixir.

Ok. Maybe no. But in all truth, I don’t feel funny lately. I’m a bit under the weather, fighting off some cold/flu for over a month now. I’ve got a bit of the SAD. And to top things off, I keep getting negative news and drama dropped in my lap. And on top of it all I’m working 50 hours a week, 10 hours a day. So yea I’m slow to do things.

Work is a big stressor these days. Everything is a constant rush, and I’m totally brushing shit off just to rant in a blog. Go me. So basically I’m unmotivated and spend all my time on stickam with these fools.

(More Pics than You Can Shake a Stick at)

I am not into blogging. I think it’s silly, and I keep a daily (er, well, weekly anyway) journal that only I get to read, so why put everything out on the internet for possibly no one to read anyway?

Well, I’ll tell you why. Because random people get paid lots of money because they once blogged. And since I think I have good things to say and a finger on the pulse of Austin (you can disagree on that one), I am going to share it all with whoever wants to read. And then maybe someone will want to read it enough that it will bring in money!

Or not. But it is an interesting time, because I will soon begin freelancing. Full time. Kiss of death? Possibly. Especially since I’m leaving a magazine editor position “millions of girls would kill for” (Devil Wears Prada, anyone? my devil wears camo pants). Well let them kill, because it’s slowly killing me. I got into magazines to share stories, and I threw myself into the craft as a whole. Now I want to get back to the craft of crafting those stories, not the hoopla surrounding them. Because I don’t need fancy titles and a corner office, I need happiness.

So here’s to happiness. And eating green beans out of a can.