random thoughts by M.A.

Not Your Momma's Gift Guide

2011-12-15T13:49:00.005-05:00

Here at Georgia Tech's College of Computing, we never do anything like "normal" people. Meaning, we like to step it up a notch. For the holidays, the communications team came up with a new spin on the traditional holiday gift guide. Trust me, you want to check out what we made (hint: it includes a super cool robot).

Check it out: http://www.cc.gatech.edu/holiday-gift-guide

10 Things 90s Kids Will Have to Explain to Their Children

2011-11-30T09:08:00.004-05:00

Corey sent me a link to a truly brilliant post, which I feel I must recreate here because I am jealous that I did not think of it first. I tried to select a few excerpts from Chelsea Fagan’s original post (which she describes as “ a primer for when your future children want to know what the hell you were doing with your boxy, multicolored electronics”) but, alas, I couldn't choose between them.

10 Things 90s Kids Will Have to Explain to Their Children

1. Topanga was at some point in human history considered not only a legitimate first name for a human being, but the kind of name that would inspire in malleable teenage boys a life-long infatuation. Topanga, in our day, was leading lady name-material. Topanga (pronounced Tah-payne-ga, for those who will have only ever seen in it written down) is the name of the quintessential girl-next-door who will live, along with Feeney, in our hearts forever.

2. At some point, we carried around little plastic eggs with tiny screens on them — in these screens lived our hearts, our pets, our raison d’etre, our very own Tamagotchi. We loved them, we listened to their tiny electronic screams of malnourishment, and we occasionally forgot to pick up their poop for long enough that they died a tortured, poop-filled death. They were perhaps our first foray into the life-consuming world of electronics and self-absorption, later to be fully manifested by Facebook.

3. The black Power Ranger was black and the yellow Power Ranger was Asian because…we were so completely ahead of our time and beyond the capacity to even think in terms of something as inconsequential as race that… uh… I don’t know. Casting directors were racist in the nineties.

4. Long before he was spending his days foisting his mediocre children on us, Will Smith was actually the perfect human specimen. He also undoubtedly holds some world record for saving the world the most times while simultaneously delivering flawless catchphrases and giving cool guy nods to the camera. The Men In Black rap song, at the time, was created and received by the public without the slightest trace of irony. Really. He was that good.

5. In some inevitable shift of the time-space continuum in which James Cameron continues to rob humanity of all that is good and sacred in this world, Fern Gully will be known as that movie that ripped off Avatar. It will be up to us to crusade for what is right. It is up to us to explain that Fern Gully was not only a predecessor to Avatar, but far better, in that it contained both Tim Curry as a singing pile of molasses and Robin Williams rapping about animal testing in the pharmaceutical industry. (As a side note, if you have not recently listened to the full lyrics of the “Batty Rap,” I recommend you do, as they are horrifying.)

6. A neighborhood boy who completely disregards your family and puts a ladder directly under the teenage girl’s window to climb up at his discretion is not only acceptable, it’s charming. It’s the kind of stuff that would make said family take the ladder boy under their wing and into their heart. The nineties were a simpler time, one where we didn’t have to worry about things like breaking and entering. Clarissa today would have steel bars on the inside of her window and her father would continually remind her that the next-door boy with his ladder and his touchy hands have no place in his household.

7. Though on the surface, they are the exact same thing in every conceivable way, whether you liked The Backstreet Boys or N*SYNC said more about your character than all of the terrible macaroni art you could ever make for your child psychologist. Essentially, liking *NSYNC meant you liked Justin Timberlake, as he was clearly the Seabiscuit in that race from the get-go. You even liked him with his terrible, icy-blond mini-fro. Liking the Backstreet Boys gave you a bit more of a cultured palate, as there was no clear Diana in those Supremes. Nick was kind of the wholesome, if northern-Florida-redneck safe choice (save for his humiliating younger brother, Aaron). Brian was the shy, sensitive type. AJ was the hottt, dangerous meth addict. Kevin Richardson was mute with sexy, sculpted facial hair. No one liked Howie. Choosing between the two groups was like choosing between two beloved children, but once that line was crossed–there was no going back.

8. “I wanna really really really wanna zig a zig ahh,” has a meaning, and all true nineties kids know it, but we must never share it. Like the Illuminati, it must remain between us, the keyholders. With great power comes great responsibility.

9. Lisa Frank is not the name of a woman, it is the name of a movement, a culture, a way of living. It is a theory, a concept, a belief in something greater than yourself. It is the belief that all girls are entitled to dolphins covered with rainbows, jewel-encrusted frogs, and unicorns in acid-trip colors hugging each other. It is the ideology that no notebook is complete until it literally hurts your eyes to look at from so much color saturation. It is the hope that no school supply, no matter how insignificant, will be left un-bedazzled. It is the knowledge that your eraser cap, and that of your granddaughter’s, and her granddaughter’s after her, will not be some boring little nub–it will be a diamond covered with butterflies in a rainbow of colors. It is the dream of a better tomorrow.

10. Incredibly depressing women in Indiana covered in cats and glass figurines they buy at The Hallmark Store used to troll the web 1.0 to invest thousands of dollars in tiny stuffed animals filled with plastic beans. That happened. Beanie Babies were not just significant, they were the first example most of us had of envy, greed, and wrath. If someone messed up that little heart-shaped Ty tag, so help you God, that was the end of whatever contact you had with that monster of a human being. That tag-less Beanie Baby was now trash, and you had to deal with the consequence. It was at that moment, that de-valued Beanie Baby moment, that most of us accepted the truth… we’ll never have nice things.

Update on Corey's Activities in Iraq

2011-11-16T14:49:00.009-05:00

I'm very proud of my brother, Corey Thomas. He's a Georgetown graduate who is now serving his country as a 2nd Lieutenant Platoon leader for the 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team. He is currently stationed in Iraq as leader of the 2nd Platoon, B Troop.

He's been working in a city that Time magazine once dubbed "the most dangerous city in Iraq." As troops pull out of the country, Corey and other soldiers have been assigned the important task of protecting passing conveys on their way out of the country. The groups look for IEDs and signs of enemy activity while working as a deterrent to enemies who might look to harm the passing convoys.

Today and yesterday, two articles were published that quoted Corey. I've included links to both below so you can see what he's been up to.

The Fayetville Observer: http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2011/11/16/1137503?sac=Local

Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System: http://www.dvidshub.net/news/79635/mixing-efforts-mixing-bowl#.TsQZQD0k67u

The office of public affairs for the 2nd Brigade Combat team of the 82nd Airborne Division has a website where you can read more news, look at photos and even watch videos: http://www.dvidshub.net/units/2BCT-82ABN#.TsQYaj0k67u

A way with words

2011-10-17T10:34:00.007-04:00

My mother has the ability to paint with words. Whether she uses a paper canvas or crafts her pictures on a conversational mural, she is able to produce striking images. A few days ago, she wrote the following nugget on my Facebook wall and I wanted to share it here:

I go with you to our favorite spots.

Levines bakery and later sledding in Central Park.

We fall to the earth with the snowflakes laughing.

You are here, still, in every waking hour. - Shari Thomas

My Family in One Picture

2011-10-14T16:43:00.003-04:00

If I had to describe my family in one picture, this one would definitely be in the running. I love them.

This is Anthropology

2011-10-13T10:22:00.003-04:00

This week, Florida Governor Rick Scott said that he wants to increase support for science and technology fields by shifting money away from social sciences.

On Monday, in an interview with the Herald-Tribune, Scott said "If I’m going to take money from a citizen to put into education then I’m going to take that money to create jobs. So I want that money to go to degrees where people can get jobs in this state. Is it a vital interest of the state to have more anthropologists? I don’t think so."

WTF?

Later, in a radio interview, he said "[anthropology] is a great degree if people want to get it. But we don't need them here."

Alrighty, Governor Scott, time for a smack down. We've decided that the best people to deliver it should be anthropology students from within your own state. University of South Florida students have responded to Governor Scott's comments in the following way:

Cute Animal Pictures of the Day

2011-10-12T14:49:00.018-04:00

I should probably post something on the intellectual side, especially after that last video post. Instead, I'm going to post cute pictures of otters because they make me happy. I love otters; sea or river, it doesn't matter. I got to go on exhibit with the sea otters when I worked at the Georgia Aquarium a couple of times and it was wonderful. I miss them incredibly.

To the left, you is one of the most adorable animal pictures I've ever seen: an Asian small-clawed otter holding its little baby. This picture is so cute sometimes I can't even stand it. Awww...

More pictures below.

A sea otter mom with her baby

Baby Asian small-clawed otters

NOPE!

2011-10-10T16:02:00.002-04:00

Success in a MOOC

2011-09-16T09:56:00.006-04:00

This is a great video by Dave Cormier, one of the facilitators of the #change11 MOOC. As a first-time MOOC participant, I'm very excited to be in a MOOC that he's facilitating!

#change11 - Growing Pains

2011-09-16T09:14:00.004-04:00

After having just graduated with a master's in cyber anthropology, I am very excited to be a part of Georgia Tech's MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) or #change11. My excitement also speaks to the fact that I am once again in the working world and, inevitably, miss being a full-time student.

Anyway, I'm trying to dive into this MOOC but it's a bit overwhelming. However, I get the sense that that's kind of the point. By nature, a MOOC is constantly evolving according to the instructors and (mainly) the students. Participants heavily affect the flow and substance of the course and, in doing so, produce a large amount of content. Being raised in a fairly traditional education system (as I'm sure most of us were), a MOOC's dramatically different approach to learning will naturally produce some growing pains (emphasis on the word "growing").

My first instinct (as the "good" traditional student that I was) is to try to digest all the information that this MOOC is producing. However, attempting to stuff myself with the vast amount of content coming out of #change11 soon leads to a stomach ache. I'm trying to adopt the advice of the course facilitators: namely that it will be impossibly to read/watch/listen/respond to everything out there. That being said, I'm going to try to post blog reflections on how I'm interacting with the course and what I am learning. Also, instead of brushing a wide surface by trying to read/interact with as much material as possibly, I'm going to attempt to go deeper with a smaller amount of material.

I think one education's challenges in the 21st century is going to be whether they can change and adapt to new technology. Moreover, whether education can embrace new forms of technology to drive different types of learning and increase international collaboration. I think #change11 is going to be a fascinating experiment for all involved.

(note: the picture is from http://zaidlearn.blogspot.com/ - a great blog to learn more about MOOCs and innovations in education)

The Machine is Us/ing Us

2011-09-15T12:51:00.001-04:00

I've always liked this video.

I joined a MOOC/#change11

2011-09-14T16:50:00.003-04:00

So I just joined a MOOC, or a Massive Open Online Course, at Georgia Tech called #change11.

Just to catch everyone up, I recently accepted a position at Tech as the PR & Social Media Officer for the College of Computing. One of the new things coming out of this college is C21U or the Center for the 21st Century (they just LOVE their acronyms around here). This living laboratory is examining the changes in higher education and the incorporation/disruption of technology in the classroom. One aspect of C21U is this online course, #change11, which is open to the public.

Anyway, being the lifelong learner that I am and a lover of all things new and innovative in social media/technology, I decided to enroll in this class. One of the ways to earn participation is to interact with the course content via your blog. So that is exactly what I am doing. We'll see where it takes me.

Speaking of C21U, Georgia Tech is hosting a launch event for this living laboratory on Sept. 27. It is open to the public and anyone who is interested in higher education, new media, technology, etc. should definitely attend. There are going to be some amazing speakers and opportunities for people to get involved.

More to come on the rest of my life later.

My Thesis is Out!

2011-06-03T12:00:00.004-04:00

I officially hold a Master's degree! Be sure to check out my thesis, entitled "La Vida Online: The Parallel Public Sphere of Facebook as Used by Colombian Immigrant Women in Atlanta."

You can download it here: http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/anthro_theses/52/

I am so very excited. Thank you to everyone for their support!

Social Media Isolates People?

2011-01-23T23:59:00.000-05:00

Corey just sent me this article on the backlash of the academic community towards social media:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jan/22/social-networking-cyber-scepticism-twitter

Facebook Privacy for Dummies

2011-01-23T14:46:00.003-05:00

There has been an increasing backlash in the media, among academics, and my own friends regarding the information that people disseminate on Facebook. It harkens to a social fear surrounding privacy and the over-sharing of personal information. While I will be the first to admit that social media is increasingly problematic, I think it can also be empowering to many people in a variety of ways.

On that note, I want to laugh and yell at the same time whenever I see people complaining about Facebook and, yet, they have enacted NONE of the privacy settings available to them. While nothing posted on Facebook is completely "safe" there are certain precautions you can take to limit who can view your information and profile.

MA's Guide to Privacy on Facebook:

1. In the upper right corner on Facebook, click "Account" and select "Privacy Settings" from the drop down menu.

2. Start with the first option, "Connecting on Facebook," and click on the hyperlink "Account Settings." This section allows you to control who sees the type of information you share on Facebook.

3. Select the information you want certain people to see, from the most restricted (selecting "only friends" for every option) to the most open (selecting "everyone" for every option"). My current settings allow everyone to search for me or send me messages but the rest of my information is restricted to friends only.

4. Once completed, click on the button at the top that says "Back to Privacy."

5. The "Sharing on Facebook" section contains more detailed privacy settings.

6. To edit these settings, select "Custom" from the blue side bar and then click the small, blue hyperlink that says "Custom Settings."

7. You may now go through and edit each one of the options by selecting who is allowed to view your pictures, posts, and comments, as well as who can interact with you on Facebook and how.

Stay tuned for version 2 of Facebook privacy when we will discuss how you can organize groups of friends and select which group can see what. This is an ideal function if you have Facebook friends who are co-workers, bosses, professors, parents, etc.

Is Honesty the Best Policy?

2010-09-14T13:23:00.000-04:00

So I was trying to think of things to write that would be more interesting and I realized, my blog is pretty freakin' boring. You know why? Because I don't really say everything I'm feeling or experiencing. I'm not saying I should include absolutely everything on mind, but I think I try to control my virtual identity too much.

While doing my thesis research, I've discovered that the women I'm interviewing have some interesting thoughts regarding their identities on social media. When asked if they represent their "true" selves on Facebook, each one has always answered "yes." However, one of my interviewees stated that she thinks that people represent their true selves online but they choose which aspects to represent and which to leave out. For example, this woman stated that she only chooses to display aspects of her personality and life that appear exciting, interesting, and nice. I feel like this on my blog.

I don't write about my super crappy days that reflect negatively on me. Sure I write about bad things that are out of my control, but not issues that may be my fault (struggling in my marriage, feeling like I'm failing in my academic pursuits, etc.). Therefore, I've come to the conclusion that maybe I should be a little more honest on here. The blogs I enjoy reading are often brutally honest, not ones that make the author's life appear perfectly put together. That being said, we'll see how this goes on my next blog post (which hopefully will come before three months!).

Research Inspiration

2010-09-01T12:01:00.000-04:00

One of the inspirations for my social media research is Jenny Ryan's The Virtual Campfire.

This site is the digital version of her thesis research:

Based on five years of participant-observation on the social networking sites MySpace, Facebook, and Tribe.net, The Virtual Campfire explores the increasingly blurred boundaries between human and machine, public and private, voyeurism and exhibitionism, the history of media and our digitized future. Woven throughout are the stories and experiences of those who engage with these sites regularly and ritualistically, the generation of "digital natives" whose tales attest to the often strange and uncomfortable ways online social networking sites have come to be embedded in the everyday lives of American youth.

Check it out: http://www.thevirtualcampfire.org/

Check Out This Blog

2010-06-19T18:36:00.002-04:00

So Corey and I started a new blog that is currently entitled "Stuff My Family Says" until we can come up with a more original name. Check it out: http://stuffmyfamilysays.blogspot.com.

Home Sweet Home... Almost

2010-02-06T12:39:00.003-05:00

So Tim and I just bought our first home! Very exciting! The whole process moved quite fast because the house had been on the market for a while and the owner was eager to sell (like all houses in this market, I'm sure). There had only been one owner who purchased the house new in the 1950s. He passed away a couple of years ago and left the house to his neighbor who had been taking care of him. The neighbor works with horses and needed money to build a new horse barn and, therefore, was eager to sell the house. We got an amazing deal on it and it's in a great location. Here's the kicker: it needs a lot of work! At first glance, the house is definitely in livable condition. However, we have problems with moisture in the crawl space and some other issues. Tim has remained positive and is working with his dad to find the best solutions to these problems. I'm so thankful to have a husband who is so open minded and such a hard worker. He was so worried that I wouldn't want a fixer-upper, but, honestly, I couldn't imagine getting any other type of house. I'm very excited to move in! Our lease on our apartment is up March 20, so it has to be before then. Hopefully we'll start moving in by the end of February. I'll keep you posted on the process!

Too Much To Write About

2010-02-02T23:06:00.002-05:00

So it's been way too long since I've posted. Here is my life over the past 1.5 months:

1. Christmas - NYC was amazing. I'm IN LOVE with my parents' apartment.
2. Found out mom had cancer, it was removed, but there's a 50% chance it could come back in her lungs.
3. Bought a house.
4. Started 2nd semester of graduate school. Busy, busy, busy.
5. My baby boy (dog) is very misbehaved. Must get him formal training. Am loosing my mind.
6. Lots of work to do on new house before we can move in.
7. Walking about 543,342,234 dogs each day.

Whew, glad we got that out of the way. Will write more later.

Children's Book Titles That Never Made it to the Best Seller List

2009-12-15T11:12:00.006-05:00

My dad sent this titles to me. I love his sense of humor. Hilarious!
Children's Book Titles That Never Made it to the Best Sellers List

You Were an Accident
Strangers Have the Best Candy
The Magic World Inside the Abandoned Refrigerator
The Boy Who Died From Eating All His Vegetables
Your Nightmares Are Real!
Grandpa Gets a Casket
Dad’s New Wife, Robert
Curious George and the High Voltage Fence
The Pop-Up Book of Human Anatomy
Whining, Kicking and Screaming To Get Your Way
What Is That Dog Doing to That Other Dog?
Why Can't Mr. Fork and Ms. Electrical Outlet Be Friends?
Daddy Drinks Because You Cry

Christmas Time is Here!

2009-12-13T13:37:00.007-05:00

My absolute favorite time of year! This year, my dad and I will realize one of our longtime dreams - Christmas in Manhattan! Tim and I will spend Christmas with his family on Christmas Eve then fly to NYC that night for Christmas and New Years with my family. I can't wait!

Life with ADHD

2009-11-18T11:20:00.001-05:00

I am sitting here, at my computer, trying to start (and finish) a paper that is due today. I must check my e-mail first (just in case the professor gave us an extension on the paper and I write the entire thing this morning for nothing). I come across an e-mail from Zoo Borns (which brings me the top newborn exotic baby animal news from zoos around the world, yes, very important news). I see that the zoo in Costa Rica had a new batch of baby sloths. I google baby sloths to find a cute video. After watching five baby sloth videos, and deciding that one day I, too, will own a baby sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica, YouTube gives me "related videos," where a cute newborn puppy is featured. Deciding that, if Tim and I end up getting a house, we will have a yard and will therefore need a new puppy, I go to Craigs List in search of a new puppy. I find an adorably Miniature Pinchser and decide that we should be its new parents. I find myself wishing that I could cuddle this cute little dog right now but my daydreams are interrupted by Teddy pawing my leg so that I pay attention to him. Can't he see that I'm trying to focus on the possibility of getting a cute little dog to cuddle with (the next best thing to a baby sloth)? I throw a toy across the room for Teddy in an effort to distract him and realize that (since it's 11 a.m.) I should probably get dressed. I go to my closet to find clothes for the day and see my wedding dress, which I really need to get cleaned. I wonder if I'm the same size I was at my wedding and decide there's only one way to find out. A couple of minutes later I'm adjusting my multiple veils and realize that Teddy has never seen my in my wedding dress. I ask him to wait around the corner as I make my grand entrance. However, I realize that the entrance won't be complete without the song that I actually walked down the isle to. I can't remember the name so I google it. I pull up itunes to download the song (because I should definitely have a permanent copy). The stupid Genius tool on itunes lets me know that a new Ciara song is out (stupid Genius always knows how to distract me). I download it instead and go to find Teddy so we can have our first dance together with me in my wedding dress. With the music way too loud we twirl around the living room until we are interrupted by a knock at the door. Suddenly aware that I'm dancing with a tiny white dog in a huge wedding dress, I fall silent and hope that they will just think that I forgot to turn my music off and go away. They continue to knock and as someone begins to unlock the door, I realize it's staff from the apartment complex checking the fire alarm. A man in his thirties enters, takes one look at me and says "I'm sorry, I knocked to see if anyone was home." Thinking fast I reply, "Oh, it's fine, I was just getting dressed." I run back to my room to hide until he leaves, suddenly extremely frustrated that he's keeping me from completing my paper.

True story, the likes of which are repeated on a daily basis in the Dye household.

Jesus on Social Media

2009-11-17T12:42:00.000-05:00

Voices from Cuba

2009-11-09T10:04:00.005-05:00

My mother told me about this blogger, Yoani Sanchez, who lives in Cuba. She has to e-mail her posts out of the country to be published by someone else (due to the strict laws there).

Her blog, Generation Y, is fascinating and echoes a lot of the feelings I picked up when living there, although I was only 11 years old.

I've realized that my family hardly ever talks about our time there. We lived there for a few months while my dad was conducting his dissertation research. Although it was only a few months, the numerous amounts of individual stories and pain I encountered will never leave me.

You should read this blog; Yoani is taking major risks by publishing it. She was just arrested and beaten on Friday, November 7, because of her blog.

Here is the link: http://www.desdecuba.com/generationy/

Teddy on People.com!

2009-11-03T12:00:00.005-05:00

My little baby is on People.com's homepage! I'm too excited. I should also mention that the person he's standing on in the photo is my mom, so I guess she's on People.com, too! Congrats to Teddy and Mom!

Oh, and that also means he's on People Pet's homepage again, too! What a little cutie pie!

Check him out: www.people.com (scroll down, he's on the right side)
http://www.peoplepets.com/photos/cute/october-s-cutest-of-the-cute/1 (you can't miss him in this one!)

P.S. He's also on the homepage with Robert Pattinson; could I be any prouder??

Can't even justify this post with a clever title

2009-10-29T09:55:00.007-04:00

This is embarrassing, but I had a Twilight dream last night. Wow, I can't believe I'm actually admitting it. Hey, it wasn't like I chose to dream that, it just happened. Do you know that Stephanie Myer came up with the idea for the entire series from one dream? She sat down the next day and started writing down her dream and three months later...ta-da...Twilight was completed. Too bad I wasn't the first one to dream about Twilight. Then I could have written Twilight and I would've demanded full-access to all the movie sets a.k.a. Robert Pattinson. Sadly, all I can do is wait until the next movie comes out and go see it along with all the screaming teenage girls. What has my life become?

P.S. I am madly in love with my amazing and attractive husband, Tim, who doesn't even come close to Edward Cullen.

P.P.S. I also must apologize to Tim for asking him (multiple times) if he were a vampire if he would bite me and turn me into a vampire, too, so that we could live forever together. Despite this annoyance, he still answered 'yes' every time. :)

Enough Vampire Posts; Here's My Life

2009-10-27T09:51:00.006-04:00

Editor's Note: After I posted this blog post, I realized that the google ads on my blog changed to "Do you have ADHD?", "The Best ADHD Medication!", and "Are you addicted to Drugs?" Hahaha.
My dear friend, Carrie Ott, sent this blog post to me from Hyperbole-and-a-half. I swear, if I had a little better literary humor in me, I could have written this blog post myself. The following post is me on a daily basis, true story.
Hyperbole-And-A-Half

I am NOT a Drug Addict So Stop Thinking That if You Were and Don't Start Thinking it if You Weren't Already, Okay?
Okay, so I got a check in the mail.
I think that ADHD could be diagnosed more accurately if psychiatrists took a look at how their patients react when presented with a sum of money which can only be accessed after completion of a multi-step task, like going to the bank. Normal people go to the bank to deposit their checks without pausing to feel completely overwhelmed by such a simple process. People with ADD have a much harder time with this task.
A Detailed Analysis of What it's Like Having Severe, Uncontrolled ADHD (and Probably Several Other Undiagnosed Psychological Issues) and Also Needing to Deposit Money in Your Bank Account so That You Can Afford to Purchase More ADHD Medication: A True Story
Step 1: Receive check in mail. Open check. Look at it and think "Oh good. Now I can buy my ADHD medication" because you ran out of ADHD medication three days ago.
Step 2: Get distracted by a flash of light outside. Think that maybe it's lightning. Be excited. Set check on the nearest available horizontal surface which sometimes turns out to be the floor and run to your window. Realize that what you thought was lightning was actually just the headlights of a car that turned onto your street. Feel disappointed, but not for long because now you are in the kitchen and that reminds you that you are hungry. Make a sandwich. Stand in kitchen eating sandwich because your brain cannot be bothered to find a place to sit.
Step 3: Finish sandwich, crumple up dirty napkin and set on counter because your brain cannot be bothered to a) notice that you are holding a dirty napkin, b) think "I don't want this, what do I do with it?" c) come up with a plausible solution to that question and d) take action on whatever solution you come up with. No, instead your brain becomes vaguely aware that you are holding something and that you don't want to hold it anymore because you need your hands to rearrange the magnetic words on your refrigerator into the phrase "monkey butt suck." The fact that you are holding a dirty napkin which should be thrown away doesn't even register. Just "hands full, must empty hands." The simplest solution is to set whatever is in your hands on the nearest horizontal surface just like you did with the check which you have forgotten about entirely.
Step 4: Rearrange magnets to say "enormous mountain tits." This reminds you that you do not have enormous mountain tits. In fact, you don't really have any tits to speak of whatsoever. Feel briefly ashamed of this. Wonder if you will ever get boobs. Start fantasizing about breast enhancement surgery and how you would totally do it if you had enough money. Almost remember that you need to deposit a check in the bank. Don't. Instead, start thinking about the chemical properties of Silicone. Try to recall the exact position of every element in the periodic table to see if you are still smart. Get as far as Germanium and be unable to proceed. Realize that you have to pee really, really bad. Get up, go to the bathroom and time yourself as you pee. Notice that you are out of toilet paper. Panic. Contemplate wiping with the shower curtain - no one would ever notice. Hear Boyfriend unlock door. Be happy that you don't have to wipe with the shower curtain even though you probably wouldn't have done it anyway. Yell for Boyfriend to bring you Kleenex or a paper towel. When Boyfriend brings it to you, he says "Are we out of toilet paper?" You say "Yeah." Boyfriend says "Is it your turn to buy it or mine?" Be unable to remember. Start hating civilization for burdening you with the responsibility of purchasing personal-hygiene products. Start thinking about paper. Paper is weird. We use money, which is made out of paper, to buy toilet paper, which is also made out of paper. We are trading paper for different paper. Almost remember that checks are also made out of paper and that you have one and you need to go trade it in for different paper which you can then trade for a different kind of paper still.
Step 5: Ask Boyfriend about his day. Boyfriend tells you about his day and then asks you how your day was. You say "what?" because you were distracted by thinking about words. Boyfriend asks again and you say "good. I didn't do much." Think about what exactly you did do. You sat on the couch and read Craigslist personals for three hours then you took a shower and got the mail. Almost remember that there was a check in the mail and that you need to go put it in the bank. Don't.
Step 6: Boyfriend finds envelope that check used to be in because you dropped it on the floor as soon as you noticed there was something more interesting inside. He says "Allie, did you get a check in the mail?" You say "Oh yeah! I did!" Boyfriend says "Where is it?" You say "Uhhhhhhh..." Boyfriend says "Really?" You say "I'll find it."
Step 7: Look for check. Look on the counter (of course failing to notice the dirty napkin that is still sitting there), look on the couch, look on the TV - even look in the refrigerator because sometimes you put things in there inadvertently. Finally find check on the floor next to a pile of shoes. Triumphantly declare that you have found the check.
Step 8: Hand check to Boyfriend. He'll know what to do with it. Boyfriend uses one of your word magnets to attach check to refrigerator.
Step 9: Spend the next 10 days noticing check on the refrigerator and contemplating whether or not you should take it to the bank. Start thinking about all of the steps involved: First, you'd have to brush your hair and put on real pants, then you'd have to find the car keys and your wallet - neither of which is easy to do - then you'd have to walk out to the car, get in, start the car and do a three-point turn to get out of the ridiculously tight spot that you are in. THEN you'd have to drive to the bank which is on the other side of town and there are stoplights and left turns involved. And when you actually got to the bank? You'd have to wait in line and then figure out what to say to the teller so you don't sound like an idiot for never remembering how to deposit a check. And you would almost definitely be informed of several overdraft fees that you have incurred as a result of your negligence. Then you'll leave the bank clutching all of twenty dollars that you were allowed to keep after paying off your overdraft fees. Then you'd have to drive all the way back home through the stoplights and left turns and pedestrians and other drivers. And for what? Twenty dollars?
Step 10: Get hungry. Realize that you need money to buy food. Do some calculations and figure out that twenty dollars could actually buy a hell of a lot of noodles. Almost go to bank.
Step 11: Finally decide that you want to go to the bank. Remember that it is Sunday but only after driving all the way to the bank.
Step 12: Be so mentally exhausted from your Sunday excursion that you feel unable to try again on Monday. Rationalize this by telling yourself "well, at least I tried..."
Step 13: Be hit by the reality that trying to deposit a check in the bank means nothing when it comes to actually being able to purchase food. Ask Boyfriend if he will drive you to the bank. Boyfriend reminds you that he works like a real person and therefore will be unable to drive you to the bank. Boyfriend reminds you that you also have a driver's license and a right foot. Assure Boyfriend that you will use both of those things to get yourself to the bank tomorrow.
Step 14: Tomorrow comes. Think about going to the bank. Tell yourself that you'll do it at noon. When noon rolls around, make up some excuse about being in the middle of writing a blog post and reschedule your bank trip for 2:00. At 2:00, be completely engrossed in something trivial. Forget that you told yourself you would go to the bank at 2:00. At 3:30, remember that you had planned to go to the bank at 2:00. Think "Well, it's 3:30 now and the bank closes at 5:00... by the time I got there, it would probably be too late anyway..."
Step 15: Boyfriend asks for the seventeenth time whether you went to the bank. And, for the seventeenth time, you have to make up some tenuous excuse about how something came up even though nothing came up because there is no possible way that you could be busy at this stage in your life. Finally, Boyfriend offers to use his lunch break to drive you to the bank tomorrow. Feel guilty, but also relieved. Offer to make Boyfriend a sandwich so that he can still eat lunch while driving you to the bank.
Step 16: Hear Boyfriend unlocking the door and remember that you were supposed to make him a sandwich. Sprint into the kitchen and put some bacon in the microwave so that you can look like you were caught in the middle of preparing his lunch.
Step 17: Finish making sandwich. Ask Boyfriend if he wants to hear what you wrote on your blog. Boyfriend reluctantly agrees. Read Boyfriend the longest blog post ever and then read all of your comments to him. Boyfriend will be too nice to interrupt you, so just keep reading things as long as you like.
Step 18: Boyfriend finally asks "so are we still going to the bank?" You say "I don't know, should we?" Boyfriend says "Yes" and you realize that when he said "are we still going to the bank," it wasn't so much a question as a prompt.
Step 19: Do not brush hair. Do not put on real pants. Leave the house in a stained sweatshirt that says "Spud's" and a pair of large soccer shorts. Wear slippers.
Step 20: Feel really, really, really, really nervous about going to the bank - what if you actually do have overdraft charges? What if they tell you that you owe them a thousand dollars? What if someone decides to rob the bank while you are there and they shoot you in the head? What if you get in a car accident on the way to the bank and Boyfriend dies and it's all your fault for making him drive you to the bank? What if the collections bureau is at the bank waiting for you and they try to collect all of the medical bills that you owe them right then and there but you only have one hundred dollars so they kill you and use your skin as a bowler's hat - because I would imagine that all collections officers wear bowler's hats.
Step 21: Deposit check without any complications whatsoever.
Step 22: Ask Boyfriend if he can drive you to the pharmacy so you can drop off your prescription for ADD medication. Boyfriend agrees but tells you that he is already going to be late for work, so you should hurry. On the way to the pharmacy, realize that you look like you are some degenerate drug whore and that you fully intend to purchase highly regulated drugs while looking like that. Start to become paranoid that the pharmacist will not believe you when you tell her that you have ADHD. Begin to fear that she will think you are just trying to buy amphetamines to turn a quick dollar on the street.
Step 23: Arrive at Walgreen's. Walk to the back where the pharmacy is. As soon as the pharmacist's desk is within view, notice that there is a very old lady with a walker who is going to get in line before you if you don't hurry. Break into a jog. Arrive at the pharmacist's desk at the exact same time as the old lady. Be overcome with guilt for breaking into a jog to beat out an old woman to fill your prescription for legalized speed. Let the old woman go first. This will be a mistake because the old woman has a question which she feels the need to discuss at length with the pharmacist. Be angry. Hate yourself for being angry at some poor old woman who just needs to ask a question about her medication. Hate God for putting this woman in front of you at such an inconvenient time. Hate Boyfriend for being late and making you feel rushed and therefore primed for old-person-hating.
Step 24: When it's finally your turn, be distracted thinking about hate. The pharmacist will say "Can I help you??" In a disgruntled tone of voice. Snap back to reality and half-jog, half-shuffle up to the counter in an effort to look like you are actually trying to hurry even though you can't be bothered to actually run.
Step 25: Be woefully inadequate at interacting with the pharmacist. Feel like she is definitely suspicious of you for trying to purchase such a highly regulated drug. Try your hardest to not look like someone who would buy ADD medication to sell on the street. Try to work big words into the conversation because maybe if the pharmacist thinks you are smart, she will be less suspicious of you. When the pharmacist asks you for your address and phone number, be temporarily frozen by fear and unable to recall this vital information. Now the pharmacist definitely will think that you just found your prescription lying on the ground and now you are trying to capitalize on it by turning it in, getting some amphetamines and selling them on the street. Be too distracted by your crazy paranoia to actually work on remembering your address and phone number. Panic. Try harder to remember your stupid address. Start wondering how long you have been sitting there trying to remember your address and phone number and whether you will be able to recover from this obvious display of criminal guilt should you actually succeed in recalling your information. Finally remember you address. Say it in the calmest tone of voice possible - a tone of voice that no one with a speed addiction would ever be able to adopt. Speak very slowly so as to give the impression that there is no possible way that you are high on speed. Feel so relieved at remembering your address that you remember your phone number too! Say "So, do you want my phone number now?" because no drug addict would ever volunteer that information and you have basically proven your innocence by doing so. Feel pretty good about yourself until the pharmacist asks for your insurance card. Be unable to find insurance card. Finally remember that you don't have insurance. Tell the pharmacist. The pharmacist will look annoyed, like you not having insurance is some sort of personal affront. Make some sort of connection in your head about how not having insurance will definitely make the pharmacist think that you are a drug dealer.
Step 26: The pharmacist will inform you that you can wait 20 minutes for your prescription or you can come back later. Ask what time they close. The pharmacist says 10:00. Say that you'll come back later.
Step 27: Get dropped off at home by Boyfriend, who is very, very late for work. Feel guilty. Feel incompetent. Make some popcorn and read Best of Craigslist until Boyfriend gets home again. Re-watch the movie that you rented the night before. When it's over, watch it again with the commentary on. At 8:30 PM, remember that you have to go to the pharmacy to pick up your medication before 10:00. Watch the rest of the commentary.
Step 28: Go into the bathroom to brush your hair because you definitely don't want to give the pharmacist the wrong impression a second time. Wonder if you remember how to french-braid. Try to french-braid your hair. Fail at braiding, but succeed at making your hair a matted mess befitting a drug addict. Notice that it is 9:36 PM. Bring your brush with you in the car so that you can make yourself look less like a junkie on the way.
Step 29: Start to worry that the last-minute nature of your pharmacy visit will further arouse the suspicions of the pharmacist. Be almost unable to make yourself go inside.
Step 30: Walk confidently back to the pharmacy area. Accidentally look at a surveillance camera and berate yourself for looking like you have a reason to care whether or not you are being videotaped. Try to act nonchalant. Stop to look at the expensive lotion, like maybe you didn't go to the pharmacy at 9:45 just to pick up amphetamine-based drugs. Finally make your way back to the pharmacist. Luckily, this is a different pharmacist than before. Be overly willing to show this pharmacist your ID. Leave your wallet open on the counter so the pharmacist can see that the name on your driver's license matches the name on your credit card. This will surely prove that you didn't just find your prescription in the street.
Step 31: Pharmacist will say "Do you have any questions about this medication?" You say "Not unless anything has changed!" Because you want the pharmacist to know that you are intimately familiar with this medication because you actually take it, but only as prescribed by your doctor and you don't sell it to teenagers.
Step 32: Go home. Feel exhausted. Ignore the fact that you are sleepy. Stay up until 4:00 AM reading Craigslist and The Bloggess. Fall asleep when you are unable to keep your eyes open any longer. Wake up at 5:00 AM and panic because you are downstairs on the couch and the front door isn't locked and what if there is a serial killer in your house now?
Step 33: Go check all of your locks several times, not neglecting the windows and the door to your creepy cellar.
Step 34: When you are finally almost positive that no one can get in the house, begin the process of making sure that no one is hiding in the house already. Check in closets, behind doors, under the sink, in the fucking stove and under your laundry pile. Be too afraid to check the cellar. Put something heavy on top of the cellar door and go up to bed. Close your bedroom door, lock it and move something heavy in front of it. Realize that you have to pee. Try to hold it, but have to pee badly enough that you cannot go to sleep. Finally get up and move the chest of drawers away from the door, unlock the door and go pee. Return to your room, check the closet again because maybe someone got in there while you were in the bathroom and once you are satisfied that there is no one else in your room, aside from Boyfriend who is doubtlessly annoyed by your paranoid behavior, close the door, lock it and push the chest of drawers in front of it again. Fall asleep.
Step 35: Wake up at 11:00 AM, take your ADD medication (as prescribed by your doctor) and suddenly be able to write a blog post!
Step 36: Be unable to remember how you planned to end you blog post. Get distracted. Start googling shit. Find out that paranoia is a side effect of amphetamine abuse. Feel that you need to defend yourself and the fact that you have always been paranoid even before you got into drugs started taking ADHD medication lest your readers put the pieces together and think that you are addicted to drugs.
I'm not addicted to drugs, by the way.
P.S. I might post something else today to make up for my inattention and also to prove that I am not addicted to drugs because what kind of drug addict would write two blog posts in one day?
If you didn't follow that logic, just know that I am not addicted to drugs and that somehow what I just said back there proves it.

Voted Cutest Pet of the Day on People Pets!!!

2009-10-22T11:22:00.000-04:00

I'm so proud of my baby boy. He won cutest pet of the day on People Pets (which is People Magazine's equivalent for pets). I'm so proud of my little super star!

Can we say hmmmm?

2009-10-16T21:29:00.005-04:00

11.11.09 - CAN'T WAIT!

Los Diarios Vampiros

2009-10-13T11:32:00.004-04:00

I have a problem. First the Twilight series, now this. I'm becoming a tad concerned, or maybe just ultra embarrassed.

I watched the first episode of The Vampire Diaries but due to circumstances beyond my control (a husband who does NOT want to watch this show on a weekly basis) I haven't kept up with it.

I decided to watch the second episode last night online, just to give it another shot. Fast forward 3 hours: I've watched all five episodes since the pilot and I'm already anxious for this Thursday to roll around so I can catch the newest one.

I don't know what it is: forbidden love, mystery, mythic beings, or just gorgeous, sexy vampires? Regardless, it's worth a shot if any of the above strike your fancy. You can watch it on the CW on Thursdays at 8 p.m. You can also catch up on previous episodes through the show's Web site.

Research Brainstorming

2009-10-12T12:45:00.002-04:00

As a first year graduate student, pursuing my masters in anthropology, I'm being forced to examine the type of research I would like to carry out for my thesis.

Likewise, I'm planning on pursuing a doctorate after receiving my masters and I would like to begin research in areas that I can continue focusing on during my doctoral research.

What would it look like to study the effects of social media on a specific, marginalized group (within Atlanta) from an anthropological perspective? Specifically, I'm interested in examining the use of social networks within Hispanic female immigrants (between the ages of 18-25) and its affects on the negotiation of their identity between two cultures. Furthermore, how has this access to knowledge and platform for discussion affected their ability to have a voice in society and whether or not it has empowered them as women and immigrants (both traditionally marginalized groups in American society.

Wikipedia defines social media as “media designed to be disseminated through social interaction, created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques” (Wikipedia, p. 1). The article on social media on Wikipedia says that it supports humans' needs for social interaction through web-based technologies. Social media users are transformed into content producers (instead of content consumers) and, in doing so, the democratization of knowledge and information is supported. Broadcast media monologues (one to many) are transformed into into social media dialogues (many to many). Other terms for social media (also known as social networks) include user-generated content or consumer-generated media (Wikipedia, p. 1).

One of the driving theorists behind my motivation to study this topic is Michael Foucault and his work, Power as Knowledge. Foucault examines the idea that power is inherent and with the capacity for power, comes the capacity for knowledge and influence. In society, the implementation of power comes from the elite and engulfs the masses. The power of the Center appears to be naturalized because of its own self-enforcing nature and the majority of the masses don't question the power of the center. Foucault points out that there is a capacity for power within each individual and other units which fall outside of the center (Foucault, p. 465-471). Examination of Foucault's theory has lead me to realize that the power for knowledge and change is inherent in all individuals, and, therefore, within all social groups. If marginalized groups (in this case, Hispanic female immigrants) have believed that they lack power (or even the capacity for power), how has their involvement in social media affected this view? Social networks allow any individual (regardless of gender, class or ethnicity) the ability to create their own space within a virtual society and voice their opinion. If this opinion is a form of power, these networks could be the platforms that allow them to realize their capacity for power and to question the decentralization of power present in the Center.

In Can the Subaltern Speak?, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak defines subaltern as that which is beneath (cultures that are outside or lower than the current power structure) (Spivak, p. 531). In relation to my possible research topic, Hispanic immigrant women definitely fall into Spivak's category of subaltern. He directly addresses the inability of women and people from third world countries to speak for themselves because of their subordination by the leaders in western culture. The voices of these groups haven't been acknowledged; even if others have attempted to speak on their behalf, it's not the actual voices of these groups. Intellectuals who attempt to speak on behalf of the subaltern may not get it right; the subaltern needs to be able to voice their own opinions. He questions who has the power to define. Credit needs to be given to multiple groups of people within one society, the dominant group should not speak for all people within society (Spivak, p.531-535). Spivak's ideas illuminate to the fact that Hispanic immigrant women need the opportunities to be able to contribute their own voices to the discussions of society. They need to be able to define themselves in their own language and no be forced into a definition that has been given to them by the dominant groups of society. In relation to social media, Hispanic women are able to own their own space, which they themselves control, and are able to define themselves in the way in which they want to be perceived. Similarly, in this arena, their voices are on a level playing field with other individuals within these networks. They may enter into discourses on multiple topics through a medium in which they won't be silenced.

While the group that I'm interested in focusing on are immigrants, they are also women. Not only am I interested in examining how these women deal with their "Otherness" within American culture through social media, I want to learn how social networks have affected their identities as females within a culture that has been dominated by males in the past. In Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own, she discusses the need for women to be able to write and think on their own. In order to identify with their essential selves, women need to be given the opportunity to express their own ideas. Woolf asks, what is needed in order for women to be able to do this? She answers by saying that women must be liberated from their dependancy on men in order to write and think on their own. Women need their own space (a room of their own) to develop and produce their own ideas. When women aren't expected to act in particular roles (which have been assigned to them by men, not chosen by themselves), then they can be liberated to express themselves (Woolf, p. 257-258). Although Woolf was writing in 1929, her ideas are very applicable to our day and age. Hypothetically, it appears to me that social media may be the very space that this group of women need to express their own ideas and possibly begin to liberate themselves, not only from men, but from the dominating society as a whole.

In studying the effects of the use of social media by young Hispanic immigrant women, I believe that these women may finally have the opportunity to use a medium of communication that cannot be denied to them. Social networks allow them to express their own ideas and opinions in their own language. They don't have to conform to other's definitions of them or to the hierarchy of language used by the elite. The use of social networks may be the very tool they need to create their own space and freely express and explore their own identities, which may lead to the realization of self-empowerment of subordinated groups around the world through this medium.

My New Favorite Site

2009-09-25T10:22:00.007-04:00

I know what I want for Christmas: a personal shopper. Well, not just any shopper, I want Lauren Lefevre from Edit by Lauren.

Here's Why:
1. Not only is she super sweet, she has always dressed amazingly.
2. I have too many clothes, most of which are cheap. My closet is a mess and most of the time I don't even know what's in there.

3. I want to get the "Edit Your Wardrobe" service:How sweet is that?? I LOVE this idea! I would offer to trade her for social media services for her company, however, she's got that down pretty good with company presence on social media (including a blog, facebook and Twitter). Which, by the way, you should check out her blog for latest fashion trends and deals: editbylauren.blogspot.com.

Maybe Santa will include her in my stocking this year!

Water, Water Everywhere

2009-09-21T21:25:00.007-04:00

I can't remember the last time it rained this much in Atlanta!

Does Anyone Else Feel This Way?

2009-09-14T20:49:00.004-04:00

There's something that has been bothering me for a while: I have no set group of friends. I mean I have friends, and very close ones at that, but I don't have a "group," per say. Because of the way I left things at Berry, I'm not considered to be "in" my group of friends there. It's still hurtful to look at pictures of people being in each others weddings, getting together at holidays, etc., and knowing that I would have been there but I'm not considered for those events anymore.

I have very close individual friends, but each of them have their own group that I'm not a part of. You know, the group that goes out drinking on Friday nights or gets a place down at the beach together during the summer. I know part of this has to do with being married (and with my husband being more of a loner) but it's still hard.

I would say my closest group of friends (as a group) would have to be my Spain friends (that I studied abroad with). I love them so much but I don't spend nearly enough time with each of them so we actually see each other rarely. I guess I'm just longing for that close group of friends that calls each other each week to see what's going on that weekend. I want to be a "default" person in a group. You know, like when everyone's going out on Thursday, of course you'd call Michaelanne because she's supposed to be there. I guess having had it before makes it all the harder when you don't have it.

Sounds kind of pathetic, doesn't it? It's actually pretty embarrassing to admit this because it makes me feel like a loser. Sad, I know, but it feels better to put my feelings down in words.

I Miss My Mom

2009-09-08T11:46:00.007-04:00

My Life is Crap

2009-09-02T23:57:00.003-04:00

Ok, so my life isn't crap, not all the time at least. :) Anyway, one of my favorite blogs is mylifeiscrap.com. Here are some of my faves from recent posts. By the way, MLIC stands for "my life is crap."

- Today at the outlet mall I bought a new D-cup bra for my sister. I brought it to the register and the cashier just nodded her head and said “did you try this on, because I don’t think you can fill one of these cups, let alone both?”…MLIC

- Today I sold my best friend for $200 to pay the rent. I can’t believe how lonely I am without my dog…MLIC

- Today my mom called to wish me happy birthday. She went on and on about all the things she remembered about me as a child. Problem was it is my sister’s birthday, and all of the stuff she talked about was someone else, not me…MLIC

- Today I came home from work and my 32 year old husband was running around the house in his tightie-whiteys with a beach towel for a cape. If we had a kid it might be funny, but he was chasing the dog…MLIC

- Today I sent my 10 year old son off to school. I was so proud of his first day of 4th grade. I should say I was proud until the bus driver turned him around and sent him back off the bus. He handed me the rubber bracelet she made him remove. It said “I love boobies!”…MLIC

Jacob Black Makes Me Smile

2009-09-01T20:24:00.003-04:00

I CAN'T EVEN WAIT.

My Baby Boy

2009-08-29T10:30:00.004-04:00

Ok, I'm obsessed with my dog. Theodore Bear Dye (or Teddy as he's better known) is an eight month old maltese. He was the runt of his litter and was only a pound when we got him! He was supposed to be about five and a half pounds, however, he hit a growth spurt at about three months old and now weighs more than eight pounds.

Needless to say, I love him.

20 Apologies to Tim

2009-08-28T16:06:00.005-04:00

I happen to be married to an amazing man named Tim. He is amazing for many reasons, but today, I shall focus on the slew of crap he has to put up with. Without further adieu, my 20 apologies to Tim and, trust me, the list could be much longer.

Dearest Tim, I'm sorry for:

1. Hardly ever cooking.
2. Buying a dog that barks too much, jumps between both of us when we're snuggling on the couch and obsessively licks my face whenever you try to kiss me.
3. My repetitive jokes and personal stories.
4. Being so absorbed in the Twilight series that I yelled at you when you tried to interrupt me.
5. And, as a result, begging you to tell me whether you'd like to be a vampire or a werewolf.
6. And then asking you multiple times if you were a vampire, if you would bite me so we could live forever together.
7. Putting my cold feet against your warm legs while you're trying to sleep.
8. Snuggling with you in the middle of the night, again, when you're trying to sleep.
9. Leaving dirty dishes out too long.
10. Eating all the cookie dough before we ever get a chance to actually make cookies.
11. Getting hooked on shows that you hate: Intervention, America's Next Top Model, Snapped, etc. and not being passionate about the stock market or CNBC.
12. Loving funny animal videos so much that I show them to you incessantly.
13. Burning you by accident with my hot hair dryer when I was pretending it was a gun and I stuck it right up against your leg.
14. My incredible short attention span.
15. Whenever sitting next to you almost always turns into leaning against you, poking my shoulder into your ribs, leaning my head against your stomach, or any of the other uncomfortable positions I put you in.
16. My ability to bring up personal information in group conversations.
17. Hating beer but loving expensive alcoholic beverages.
18. Loving my computer, social media, computer games and anything related to the internet entirely too much.
19. Falling asleep at almost every social function, friend's house, car trip, or other outing that you've taken me to.
20. Being so in love with you that I literally want to smother you physically almost every day of the week.

Thank you for loving me so deeply, not in spite of my flaws and quirks, but along with them. I love you.

Yes, the Town of Forks is Real

2009-08-27T20:37:00.006-04:00

Laugh, tease me or call me crazy, but I just finished one of the best book series ever.

I resisted Twilight as long as I could, till one of my best friends, Rachel, rented the movie for lack of something better to watch. I was hooked. Over the past two and a half weeks, I've ravaged through the four books in the series. Nothing has been able to break my focus, not even my first two weeks of grad school and the enormity of work that has come with it.

If you haven't tried the books, I strongly encourage you to read them. I don't care how old you are or if you hate reading, these books are amazing.

Oh, and the town of Forks, where the series takes place, actually exists! My family is from Washington State (not far from Forks) and my mom stopped by the town last week during her visit there. I must plan a trip soon to do some investigating of my own. :)

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!

If you've read the Twilight series, please look at the comic below. I got it from my friend Amy Cathy's blog. (Click on the image to enlarge it)

Cute Animals Part 1

2009-07-22T14:02:00.004-04:00

This is my last week at the Georgia Aquarium and I am deeply saddened! I will be starting a graduate school program in August, full-time, and therefore can't continue my position with the Aquarium.

I've gotten into the habit of sending my friends at work cute animal e-mails. As a tribue to the Aquarium and my buddies here, I've decided to do a final installment of five cute animal e-mails and I'm going to post them here. Enjoy!

Part 1 Theme: Mommy and Baby Animals

Insanely Big Cats

2009-04-29T16:55:00.003-04:00

So this may just be the worst blog post ever, but I have to share these big cat pictures with someone. Did you know that house cats can get to be this large? I surely did not. (note: obviously the last one is fake)

Twitter for Beginners

2009-03-25T09:37:00.006-04:00

Since I've been representing Georgia Aquarium on social media sites, at least twice a week (if not more) I'm asked what Twitter is, how to use it and why it's so popular. Instead of explaining it over and over, I've created a mini tutorial for Twitter newbies!

Twitter is a free micro-blogging site that allows you to send short 140-character updates --or "tweets" - to a lot of people at once. It was designed to be read on you cell, though many people read it online, too. It has a world-wide audience of six million unique visitors a month, up from 1.2 million a year ago, according to ComScore Media Metrix.

How do I get started?
Go to http://twitter.com and set up your account. Upload a personal image from your computer but remember that the dimensions need to be square and that it will appear fairly small to others, so it’s best to use a headshot.

Search for friends through your e-mail. This is the easiest way to find people you know on Twitter. From there, you can start looking at who your friends are following for recommendations.

Unlike other social media outlets, relationships on Twitter are not reciprocal. People you follow do not have to follow you or give you permission to follow them. You just sign up and start following them.

Give it time; it may take a while for people to follow you. As a rule of thumb, the more people you follow, the more will follow you. But, be careful. Your “friend feed” can become too full and overwhelming if you follow too many people, but that is up to you.

Who do I follow?
Obviously, people you know to start, but the beauty of Twitter is that you don’t have to know people personally to follow them. News outlets, TV shows, celebrities and aquariums :) frequent Twitter and are often the most interesting Twitterers to follow.

Why is Twitter so popular?
For celebrities and organizations, Twitter is gaining popularity as a way to reach fans, plug new projects and act like BFFs.

For us normal folk, it’s a fast, easy way to keep up with your friends and fave celebrities and you can easily update from your phone no matter where you are. Even if you don’t have a phone with internet capabilities (like me) it’s a great tool to use on your computer.

How do I direct a Tweet to someone?
You can either send a person a direct message (which only they can see) or you can reply to them. Next to each person’s Tweet you will see an arrow. Click on it and their name with an @ symbol will appear in your post box. You can also simply type their username at the beginning of your tweet with an @ symbol in front of it: @michaelannedye it was great seeing you today!

Your Tweet will show up in their @ Replies section and will be public for everyone following you.

Note: if their name isn’t at the beginning of the Tweet, it won’t show up in their @ Replies section. However, you can use http://search.twitter.com/ to search for your name (or any other term) and find who’s mentioned you in their Tweet even if it’s not at the beginning of their post. This is incredibly helpful when searching for Georgia Aquarium Tweets on Twitter.

Twitter Glossary
@: At reply. A public tweet directed at a fellow Twitterer, such as @Barack Obama, that shows up in their Twitter stream.

DM: Direct Message. A private message that appears in a Twitter inbox. You can only direct message people who follow you.

RT: Retweet. A tweet that you like so much that you are resending to your followers. Usually includes credit to original tweeter, such as RT @BarackObama, followed by the tweet.

Other Useful Twitter Tools
Twitpic: Post a photo on Twitpic, and then share the Twitpic link via Twitter.
Twhirl: Desktop software to help you manage your Twitter account, find your @replies and shorten URLs so they can be shared on Twitter.
Tipjoy: A service that lets you send small amounts of cash across Twitter, and then tweet about your donation.
Twibs: A list of businesses on Twitter with links to their Twitter accounts.
TweetDeck: Desktop software that lets people split their tweets into columns, such as @replies, direct messages, groups and keyword searches.
Twitterholic: Ranks Twitter users by number of followers.
Twitturly: Tracks which URLs are most popular on Twitter, based on how many times they've been shared by Twitter users.
Monitter: An easy way to keep tabs on multiple searches on Twitter at the same time.
Tiny URL: When posting a URL please, please, please use this site. It will make your long URLs short and help save you space.

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/michaelannedye
Follow Georgia Aquarium on Twitter: http://twitter.com/georgiaaquarium

Family Around the Web

2009-03-17T17:52:00.003-04:00

Do you ever go on google and search for people you know? I do. A lot. My favorite searches are my dad, mom, grandfather and myself (concieted, I know).

I just found a blog post someone posted about my grandfather. Haha... I love him. He makes me so proud: http://xnreflections.blogspot.com/2009/03/j-allen-thompson-concludes.html

Meet Teddy!

2009-03-03T09:55:00.006-05:00

I'm a proud new mother to a little maltese puppy! His name is Theodore Bear Dye (Teddy for short). He was born December 26, 2008, and he's a bundle of energy!

Check out my YouTube video of Teddy's first night home!

My Valentine's Day E-card

2009-02-12T09:08:00.003-05:00

For Valentine's Day, the mission assigned to me at work was to create the Aquarium's Valentine e-card. For my first attempt, I'm actually pretty proud of myself! Click here to check it out and be sure to send the e-card to your friends!

Facebook: 25 Random Facts About OTHER People

2009-02-11T15:07:00.003-05:00

Having been inspired by a recent article in Time Magazine, I’ve decided to create a compilation of the most amazing 25 things people have sent me via notes on Facebook. The following is a list of 25 random facts taken from other peoples' "25 Random Facts About Me." Enjoy!

25 Random Facst About Other People
1. I'm only doing this list because I see that cool people are doing it and I want to be cool.
2. I day-dream about being mute and living all-alone in a gothic cathedral ruin.
3. A few months ago, I asked my dad did he have any illegitimate children, and he said “Yes.”....Wait, What the hell?
4. I thought long and hard about the proper ratio of funny to serious items on this list. I think 60/40 is about right.
5. I wish that life was like a Broadway musical and we would burst into perfectly choreographed song and dance numbers all day.
6. I have started a collection of episodes of Rick Dees & The Weekly Top 40 from 1984-1999.
7. I sang the Rainbow Connection in a Kermit the Frog voice in front of a thousand people. I regret it, because too many people only know me as the Kermit guy.
8. When I was 12, I broke my hand from punching a wall through a pillow. It was after watching Karate Kid at a friend’s house and we were pretending the pillows were the bad guys.
9. I'm missing a testicle. Not really. Just a finger. But I did have a close call once, requiring a morning of testing with a technician who had the nerve to ask if her attractive student assistant could watch. This was almost as unnerving as the urologist who asked me how it felt.
10. I have a weird obsession with glasses. When I was younger I wanted glasses so I faked my eye exam. In all of my elementary school pictures I am wearing glasses.
11. My right pupil is shaped like a heart because I had to get six stitches. When I was in first grade, this b*tch, Chandravia, stole my blue Little Mermaid pencil. When I went to retrieve it, yanking it from her hand resulted in the recently sharpened tip stabbing my eye.
12. I broke up with my first boyfriend (in 2nd grade) because he peed on my backpack in his sleep while we were camping in the front yard.
13. I have an obsession with the hair on my arm. I hate for them to be in-grown and so I pull them out. Sometimes in class, I used to circle ingrown hairs to remind myself to rip them out when I got home.
14. I believe that God put me on this earth to be totally awesome, and to help other people to be totally awesome too.
15. At least once every day I look in the mirror and think, "Wow, I'm really pretty." I think this is an excellent habit.
16. I got a real chain letter as a kid and was terrified for weeks because it said something horrible would happen to me if I didn't pass it on to 10 people. My mom told me it was against the law to forward a chain letter so I didn't do it.
17. I was featured in The National Inquirer when I was 8.
18. I have over 200 cousins. (Editor’s Note: this was posted by one of my cousins).
19. I used to play ‘Jesus on the Cross’ with my brother in our living room. I would be Jesus, and he would be every supporting role in the Gospel.
20. I named my first car, a 1988 Pathfinder, after my great grandmother's Model T, which she called Betsy Sue. She committed suicide in Betsy Sue.
21. I don’t get what people see in bird watching. What is the point? You check off your list that you’ve seen a yellow breasted nuthatch. Big woopty-do.
22. I once rode my bike through my college campus naked. I was sober.
23. I swear I remember being born. My wife likes to bring this up in large groups so everyone can make fun of me.
24. When I was a kid, I used to hide behind a tree to poop outside so my mom would not see. The rest of the neighborhood did not think it was too funny.
25. I have a better taste in music than you do.

$15 Georgia Aquarium Tix!

2009-02-09T14:34:00.003-05:00

To say thank you to their followers on MySpace, Facebook, Flickr, etc. Georgia Aquarium is giving out $15 tickets!

http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/socialmedia

Check out the Georgia Aquarium on its social media sites to keep up with more special deals:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Atlanta-GA/Georgia-Aquarium/22727908123
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/georgiaaquarium
Flickr: http://twitter.com/georgiaaquarium
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/georgiaaquarium

Follow Georgia Aquarium Whale Shark Biologist on Twitter

2009-02-03T10:49:00.005-05:00

Jennie, a whale shark biologist at Georgia Aquarium, will be blogging live on Twitter today! She's going to be posting pictures and updates about all the happenings behind-the-scenes. She's one of the biologists that takes care of the four whale sharks, the manta ray and all the other animals in Ocean Voyager.

Check it out: http://twitter.com/georgiaaquarium

I hate getting sick

2009-01-26T14:12:00.006-05:00

The title says it all. I don't see why I should be sick; I went to bed last night feeling fine. Woke up this morning with a super sore throat, aching body and that weak, sick feeling. Not cool.

I've got a lot of work to do this week and I can't risk missing days. Grrr...

Sea Turtles Make Great Dates

2009-01-20T10:57:00.006-05:00

I got to eat my lunch with Murphy the other day (Georgia Aquarium's loggerhead sea turtle). The biologists have taught him how to get onto a blue stretcher (in case they need to examine him) and they practice this behavior with him during the feed. They also practice having him touch his nose to a white ball. This gives him mental enrinchment and allows them to guide Murphy where they need him to go. He's adorable!

Inauguration Celebration

2009-01-20T08:50:00.004-05:00

I'm so glad the Aquarium is doing an Inauguration Celebration so that I don't have to miss watching the Inauguration while at work. I'm so very excited about this day; it's a very surreal feeling. Tim may take a long lunch and come down here to join me. I just love the feeling of excitement that is circulating around the country today.

If you're in Atlanta and would like to come watch the inauguration with the fishes, visit: http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/president.

People Can Fly!

2009-01-19T13:36:00.005-05:00

Possibly one of the most amazing videos I've seen online... ever. Wish I could do this! Click here to check it out!

Smash 'Em!

2009-01-15T09:10:00.003-05:00

So I'm not what you'd call a "gamer" persay. I don't eagerly anticipate the most recent release of Zelda, Madden, or whatever else they go crazy for. But I do love playing games on the computer. And this Christmas I actually received a Nintendo Wii! It's incredible.

Anyway, it may seem stupid, but currently my most favorite free game to play online is "Smash 'Em" from USA's Character Arcade. It's quite simple, actually, and yet it's got me hooked (even to the point that it's making it hard for my husband to get my attention at home while I'm smashing away).

Check it out: http://www.characterarcade.com/games/smash-em/

Burger King: Sacrifice Friends, Get Free Food

2009-01-09T11:34:00.000-05:00

Brilliant. Simply Brilliant.

Burger King has recently added an application to Facebook where fans must "sacrifice" 10 friends in order to receive a free whopper. In other words, delete 10 people permanently from your friends list and Burger King will send you a coupon for free food!

So apologize to those acquaintances you barely know, or don't. Save some bucks and cut down on those annoying friend feed updates from people you don't really care about anyway.

http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=33988778285

One downside: my boss at work now wants me to come up with something just as brilliant... ugh.

Animal Babies!

2009-01-08T13:04:00.001-05:00

Check out my new favorite site, Zoo Borns! It has all the newborn animal babies from various zoos and aquariums (like these meerkat babies). Georgia Aquarium's newborn wobbegong shark pups are up there and they're adorable! http://www.zooborns.com/

She cut off their tales with a carving knife

2009-01-07T18:06:00.002-05:00

So there I was, leaving my apartment with Tim, when this girl passes us on the staircase (going downstairs from the apartments from above). She's bundled up with a blue wool cap, matching gloves and a trenchcoat down to her ankles, all of which were overshadowed by the zombie-like stare that glazed over her eyes. It wasn't until I was walking down the stairs behind her that I notice it: a huge kitchen knife in her right hand, held firmly by her side.

She continues to march down the stairs, but instead of going out to the parking lot, she makes a sharp, right turn and practically runs into another apartment. So from an upstairs apartment, with a knife, and back downstairs into another apartment (not to mention, at an unusually fast pace).

Ok....whaaaaaaaaattttttt???

Fleeing the scene of a crime? Safeguarding herself from the terrors of the night? Re-enacting a zombie horror flick? All are reasonable presumptions.

Alright, enough overreacting. You didn't see her face, though. Trust me, there was something fishy going on.

Waaa! Don't leave me Stafford!

2009-01-07T17:47:00.002-05:00

So if you don't know by now, I'm a big UGA fan. Stafford and Moreno announced today that they will be leaving UGA for the NFL draft in April. Boooo. I think it's a smart decision for Moreno (ok, and maybe for Stafford, too) but what are the dawgs to do?

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/uga/stories/2009/01/07/stafford_moreno.html

Nedi Pot

2009-01-06T17:35:00.001-05:00

Priceless: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8sDIbRAXlg

The Bachelor

2009-01-06T17:09:00.000-05:00

So after sitting here and listening to my dearest co-workers howl about how funny The Bachelor was last night, I'm really thinking I need to get into it. I can never seem to follow shows long enough to keep up with them. Not to mention it's especially hard to convince Tim to let me watch The Bachelor every Monday night.

Whether you watch it or not, you should check out this blog: www.ihategreenbeans.com. It makes me want to watch the show just so I can get her jokes the next day.

Autumn Leaves and Chilly Drives

2008-10-14T17:16:00.001-04:00

The hubby and I finally took our weekend getaway to Maine! We rented a convertable and drove from Boston all the way up along Maine's coast and up into the mountains. We bundled up and blasted the heat since it was chilly with the top down. Tim reserved a room for us in a little bed and breakfast in a tiny town. We were also able to hike part of the Appalachian Trail. It was a gorgeous, relaxing weekend (although it took us FOREVER to get home flying stand-by).

Although it sounds cheesy, I'm glad to be able to take little weekend getaways as a married couple. Trust me, it's more fun than it sounds!

Joey's Return to the Sea

2008-09-12T22:00:00.003-04:00

I got to go on my first trip with Georgia Aquarium! Three Aquarium biologists and I traveled to St. Simons Island with Joey, the Aquarium's loggerhead sea turtle, to release him back into the ocean! I went as a part of the new media team to document the event with photos and video.

Joey was a rescued hatchling and the Aquarium rehabilitated him. Once Joey was six years old, Aquarium biologists weaned him off human care and taught him the skills needed to return to the ocean.

We released Joey on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008 on St. Simons Island, GA. Prior to the release, Joey was fitted with a special satellite transmitter, which allows the Aquarium to monitor Joey's activities and movements. It was amazing to see him swim out to sea and to track him online! What an awesome experience!

Check out my photos and videos here: http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/animalguide/sea-turtles/index.aspx.