Tuesday, August 30, 2005

So I finally gave into peer pressure and got a flickr account. You should be able to see a few photos of Matt Pflud, Charlett and I at Iona in flickr sidebar. For more glorious pics check out my gallery here:

http://gallery.nonsensesoftware.com/iona/

Iona is really really foggy and even more beautiful. You should all visit there sometime in your lives. You'd like it.
posted by Unknown @ 4:11 AM

Princess:
kind of crappy trailer for a film that I'm gaffing

mademoiselle caroline writes:

Hey folks! Never fear, Caroline is here! And alive! In Austin,
Texas. Trevor* and I went to visit his folks on Tuesday and now we're
stuck here with my car and all our laundry so enjoy all the rain
you're getting while my new town gets wiped off the map. Prayers
welcome.

our neighbor, Kelly, has a brother who was less fortunate. His home in Mobile, Alabama was destroyed and he is now living in a shelter here in DC. As he put it' "I heard it was a class five. I put on my running shoes and RAN!"

*Trevor is a tugboat captain. Way cool!
posted by meg @ 12:14 AM

Sunday, August 28, 2005

Judgment Day

Spent Saturday going through about two dozen boxes of stuff in my parents' attic. They are moving to the house where I mostly grew up, back in Kinzers. Since the stuff would need to be dealt with eventually, this seemed a good a time as any.

Three boxes, some board games, two posters, and a small balaphone survived. I moved them to the new attic for my parents. One giant box of clothes went to Goodwill where I chatted nicely with a high-school kid working there. I used to work there while in high school, I told him. Four boxes of books (who knew I had so many?) went to the Mennonite Historical Society. And a lot of stuff went in the trash.

To those of you reading this who wrote me notes and letters of any sort: I am sorry for throwing virtually all of them away but I just didn't have the time to go through them all. I did reread a quite number before tossing them, however, so for all of your kind sentiment: thanks.
posted by weiss @ 5:04 PM

posted by Landon @ 6:20 PM

linkText
posted by kate @ 8:00 PM

God bless Pat Robertson!
Robertson's quote about what he said about Venezuelen President Hugo Chavez on "The 700 Club": I said our special forces could take him out. "Take him out," could be a number of things including kidnapping. There are a number of ways of taking out a dictator from power besides killing him. I was misinterpreted.

What Robertson said about Venezuelen President Hugo Chavez on "The 700 Club": If he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war.
posted by D-Bo @ 1:17 PM

Lancaster friends
You win. I'll be in town today and tomorrow (on my way back to Mount Real).

Also: thanks for the petition! The cigs got a little wet in the Potomac, but we smoked 'em anyway (see pic at right).

And: Short Guide to China SST coming soon!
posted by sasha @ 9:26 AM

Well crap. Turns out the DMV hadn't lost my ticket, it just takes them forever to get it online. So I paid it.

And yes Kate, that probably was me. I took the rack off my bike this summer because it was broken and rattling around. I just stick my locks in my backpack or hang them over my handlebars now. I don't think I really need the rack.

Also, y'all should come to see Nedelle and Xiu Xiu at Warehouse Next Door next Wednesday. Usually covers there are only seven buck and this should be a great show. Jayne, you especially should come because it's right near your house.
posted by weiss @ 8:59 AM

yo, andrew. i'lll bet you a $1.50 can ride over them tracks no-handed at 4mph. i'd recommend doing this the first time with a mountain bike, and if ya like, a helmet too. the key is to keep your weight back. i'm guessing you ate it cause you had a lot of your weight on that one hand on your handle bar -- no good. infact, I highly recommend cruzing at high speeds down very bumpy (car and intersection free) roads, especially if your riding a road bike. all that bumpin' and jumpin' makes my wrists hurt. give 'er a try

this is some crazy no handed shit
posted by kate @ 7:04 AM

Blast those yuppies, leaving their zoned parking signs everywhere and getting me a $30 fine! But then after trying to pay the ticket online and then later by phone and both times being told that my ticket number was invalid I'm wondering whether the DC bureaucracy has bumbled to my benefit this time.
posted by weiss @ 8:06 PM

oh yikes
i need a left handed messenger bag for work and a shower.
my left shoulder is way hugererer than my right, and both of them are very dirty.
it's amazing what a little time in front of a mirror will tell you...
posted by kate @ 12:12 AM

Land O'Goshen
This is Celeste, reporting from near Bristol, Ind. Life is about the same as ever in and around Goshen: the farmer's market and Rachel's Bread are still the place to be on Saturdays, the college still has maple trees and churches full of Mennonites still sing with an ethereal beauty.

This Goshen alumna is especially glad -- if not somewhat smug -- to not be returning to school for the first summer in 20 years.

In other news, I spent Saturday night and tonight hanging out with a Marine who recently returned from Iraq, one of his missions being the invasion of Fallujah. His parents are friends with David and Karen. So, I got to hear some war stories: about Iraqi liquor that smells like anti-freeze, searching Iraqi houses early in the morning, missing beer, and how Marines always get what they want. It was mind-opening to meet a 22-year-old, as I am, who spent his past four years in the military -- with two years in Iraq -- rather than reading books, discussing books and sitting around a lot in northern Indiana, as some of us have.

I'll sign off with these words of wisdom: Meg, I think "Se la vi" would be more accurately be translated from the Spanish as "I saw her/a feminine object."
posted by celestial @ 12:02 AM

"Se la vi" means "I saw myself" in spanish
I think you're looking for "c'est la vie"
posted by meg @ 12:08 PM

settlers of catan game reporting in...
being the third night since full moon: in what would be one of the closest catan games in g-town history, andrew "stan" histand pulled through in the final moments as dan schmidt and joel son of fath frothed at the mouth. three with nine points. one winner. stan wins the cup of love. kudos for morelbi, a hesston transfer, and a fine first game capturing 6 points. next on the agenda of fath: "lost in translation". oh, gas pushed over the 2.60 mark this week in the town where the leafy maple reigns supreme, or should i say jayco? oh blah di. se la vi.
posted by joel @ 12:07 AM

DC to Hollywood

heh heh, soooo funny
posted by meg @ 11:31 AM

Hallie Pritts
More Goshen folk in the media!

update: More Hallie!
posted by sasha @ 2:27 PM

To: All 'Lonesomers"
Did Lonesome Jim just get bought by Dream Entertainment? Sure looks like it...

Developing!
posted by sasha @ 12:27 PM

back to school?
as for myself, i'll be studying the mysteries of the universe. hey, why not?

for persons still in the system you all should know that "the finer things", goshen's used book store, will sell your college textbooks for you! what a deal. they take no commission, but i think it would be a nice gesture to offer them at least a dollar (barter equivalent: scrabble letters, a cookie or a big kiss) for their service.
posted by joel @ 11:27 AM

Rocking China SST
Wow. You know you're getting old when they send another batch of GCers to "your" SST country. All you young'ns heading off on China SST: do not fear. In a few days the Yoder/Beachy/Dyck trifecta will be in full effect, here in our nation's capital, and we will lay out for you the Tips and Tricks to Rocking China SST. We will cover such topics as "Pijiu: Friend or Foe?", "No, I Do Not Need/Want a Chinese Husband/Wife" and "Tai Gui Le! A Guide to Bargaining (For Fun And Profit)". Also look out for bonus chapters on "Surviving English Corner", "The Waiban: Getting In, Getting Out" and "Looking For Love In All the Wrong Places: Following Your Moral Compass In a Strange Land". And no, I won't be writing that last one.

Also, big props to Katie Oh and Juice for the visit last week. I had a great time — even in the rain — and hope we can meet up in Lancaster soon. Any chance for a ride on the 24/25th...? Let me know, yo.
posted by sasha @ 7:27 PM

so.. one last week at home.. then it's off to goshen... and then it's off to China. the reality is really sinking in (and doing so slow enough to be slightly irking)... Anyway.. former China SSTers.. any advice for Megan, myself, and the others?? And why didn't you tell me Sichuan Normal was huge?!
Here's my site I might update if I can...china woo! it has our address there too, and some other stuff.
posted by Erini CS @ 11:09 AM

Just married
yes friends and foas, the rumors are true. as of 4pm yesterday at the arlington court house, i "tied the knot" with a xerox machine!

i'm just so happy, i'm gonna get a tattoo just like this one
posted by kate @ 7:31 AM

Retrial for the "Miami Five"
For all of you out there who were on the Cuba SST (and other leftie geeks, you know who you are). Remember those five guys whose faces were plastered all over Havana and who were the subject of huge protests while we were in Cuba? It looks like they might finally get a fair trial:

Spy case Cubans win retrial outside Miami
posted by Unknown @ 3:39 AM

Karate Kid, Supreme Court style!
(part 1)
(part 2)

Also: WNBA game tonight! Whoo free tickets!
posted by sasha @ 3:51 PM

The New U.S. Christian Flag
Here's something to wake up all y'all 'Mericans over there on the other side of the pond:



All I can say is Yeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaa!
posted by Unknown @ 6:20 AM

Hey hey hey! Reporting in from St. Johns, New Brunswick. The city's very spiffy visitor center meets and exceeds my expectations for clean bathrooms and free internet. And the coast is very beautiful. Maybe in the next two days there will be some horrible tragedy and I'll have to stay in Canada forever.

So anyway, I'm doing fine and I thought I'd let you know that. I don't want to take up too much time. There'll be a full report later.

p.s. Robin, if I can't get your CD out of my head by the time I'm back, I'll just have to buy it.
posted by weiss @ 12:27 PM

gc blog game!
Match the gc bloggers' old-school pics to their site on the updated Friendly Links:

      

Also: Newt Gingrich = still kind of an asshole.
posted by sasha @ 4:27 PM

Breakthrough in Energy Bill: Bush Demands Sun Shine Longer


That's right folks! Bush has hatched another brilliant plan! In efforts to reduce our country's massive dependence on oil and seek alternative energy resources, Bush has finally decided to turn to solar energy.
However, Bush was worried that due to the fact that earth has long periods of time when the sun does not shine, otherwise known as night, that there would not be enough light to compensate for our decreased dependance on oil.
So, in a rare display of creative problem solving, Bush decided to transcend the laws of time. According to CNN.com, beginning in 2007, Bush's energy bill "will extend daylight-saving time by four weeks to save energy."
According to Idontexist.com, when asked during a press conference how he decided to extend time in response to our nation's energy crisis, Bush responded by throwing his head back, yelling, "MUUAHHAHAHA," and running off the stage.
posted by Teresa @ 7:55 PM

Speaking of blogsplosion, just before my cousin Debby & I went huckleberrying in wild, wonderful West Virginia I set up the HRC's Team Supreme blog, where our legal folks can throw up ideas and do whatever they do. They're still beginners, so give them time.

I also had a hot ham with Debby's 80-something-year-old grandfather at his country club. He wanted to know all about how blogs work and why they are interesting. Then he wanted to read some, so we found some good economics blogs and hooked him up with a folder full of bookmarks.



Tomorrow: visit with Newt! More to come.
posted by sasha @ 3:27 PM

awww, my old home town
i can see why you'd get elkins; the skiing, the rock climbing, the seasons changing in the sun. but kate, it's such a small-ass town. (i got charleston, WV - maybe WV paid them off to include WV in every test's results)
i took the test too. oregon was my top state, then conneticut, california, mass., louisianna, new hampshire, WV and dc was in the middle.overall i was very pleased. the three main places i want live, dc, san francisco and portland, were in the first half of results, with portland as my #1 city of compatibility.

i kinda want to take the test again and see if i can get harrisonburg as my number one choice - hmmm but i don't remember "abundance of poultry and meth" as one of the options.
posted by Sara @ 7:41 PM

Sheboygan, Wisconsin!
SheWheat, Sara! guess what was #23 on my findyourspot.com list, finishing jest ahead Sheboygen
Elkins, WV!
posted by kate @ 10:35 AM

Blogsplosion!
I thought given the 'blogsplosion' we've been experiencing here at shoup.blogspot.com that y'all might be interested in a few blog factoids.

- 80,000 new blogs appear each day
- 55% appear to be active (meaning a post within the past 3 months)
- 13% are updated weekly
- the blogosphere is doubling every 5 1/2 months

All of this information is on www.technorati.com and appears in their recent State of the Blogosphere.


posted by Landon @ 4:23 PM

hilacious travels: goshen to bloomington with trailers!
140 miles complete. 120 more miles to go. i'm blogging from the public library in lafayette, ind. jesse stoltzfus and the fath are fine beings of bicycle energy kharma. we kicked the hills behind us and we shall mount those ahead of us. hey ho, the bloomington way! merry way the wind goes....
posted by joel @ 11:06 AM

'Partly Blogged with a Chance of Posting Flurries'
Geez, I've never seen such Shoup blog activity outside of finals week. I'm merely posting so that I can jump on this blogging bandwagon. But while I'm at it, I'll let you know that I have only 3 glorious weeks of DC living left. After which, I go join the Peabody ranks and start living with Nate, this crazy, 28-year-old, trombone-playing Buddhist with a wicked southern accent. Oh, and Teresa is living with us now, which is kick ass!
posted by julia @ 8:35 AM

flyslaughterer slays 212 in goshen laundromat ----downtown houseflies distressed, "shitting themselves with fear"
yes my friends, i am now infamous in the goshen fly community. in the space of two hours i singlehandedly, without chemical aid, massacred 212 flies. (209 died by flyswatter, 1 by notebook, and 2 by straw broom.)

i did what i had to do; i had already tried the "hey flies, don't you want to go play outside with your friends?" approach. so, channeling christopher walkin, (in his role as the pre and post headless horseman-hired-hessian-soldier-mass-murderer-with-pointy-teeth-and-shit), i just laid into those motherfuckers.

they flew for the ceilings like the arawaks fled for the hispanola hills, and, like christopher columbus, i showed no mercy.

(awful parallel, i know, but fitting, and these were flies - crawling on the toilet, buzzing around the trashcans, pestering the babies, making the speedwash feel like a hog shed- not people.)

it was creepily satisfying. so satisfying that i killed 212 of 215 flies
the remaining three i let live so they could tell all their fly friends to stay the fuck away from the laundromat.

i left the fly corpses out as a testimony, like vlad the transylvanian tyrant left heads on spears around his castle.
(well, i left them out until i had time to go and sweep them up - dead flies creep me out)
posted by Sara @ 6:38 PM

Apply for a shoup blog membership
Upgrade your membership to "admin"
Make a comment
Ask a question

You can!

click the "application comment" button

or scroll to the bottom of the screen!
posted by meg @ 11:02 PM

the coolest new bit yet
So, I've crossed the digital boundaries found this totally awesome blog site that everyone shoudl check out. Note of warning.. do not expect much! daviduh
posted by dlt @ 3:42 PM

Thanks for the hot ham in New York!
posted by Landon @ 8:18 PM

o'hara
Bad news: I don't think I'll be able to make it to Lancaster. I've got my cousin coming in for huckleberrying and staying for a week, then B. Beachy et al. come to town (with perhaps a Siberian tourist sandwiched in between) and then my golden time is up. Send my love to the Wenger clan.

Good news: We are all looking forward to seeing you in our nation's capital! Give a ring when you get here. Do you have a place to stay?

Also: Best NYT excerpt evs:

Senator Charles E. Schumer: I told [Roberts] my key question is this: Is he an ideologue?

NYT: Why would you ask him that? No one would openly call himself an ideologue.

Schumer: Some people are proud to be ideologues.

NYT: Name one.

Schumer: Lenin.

NYT: Who is not exactly current.

Schumer: Thank God!

And: Thanks for the good times, Landon! And also Meg and Teresa for the mad biking.
posted by sasha @ 4:12 PM