Owner: Shouting to Quiet the Thunder URL:http://www.quietthethunder.blogspot.com Join Date: Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:13:59 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Sassy and smart 20-something reveals all: her life, her loves, her failures with wit, wisdom, and no sense of personal dignity. Enjoy! Site statistics:Click here
Not Exactly A Retraction, But... 2008-03-03 22:11:00 I know my earlier post poked fun at the Big D, but the reality is, the Metro Detroit area has charm all it's own. Other "miserable cities" included L.A. or New York, which people flock to all the time. So I don't think the rating score holds all that much weight when you factor in other benefits of the cities, like the fact that they are situated on major trade routes by land, air, and waterways. In fact, I've had the unique experience of diving into the Detroit River on New Year's Day. If you are really interested in how human reflexes work, I suggest trying that.I know a ton of musicians and artists that call Detroit home. Everyone knows it's the home of Motown and Techno, artists ranging from Aretha Franklin to the White Stripes. (Or my own band, En Passant!) In addition to playing out Read more:Retraction
Thanks For Making Us #1!!! 2008-03-03 17:39:00 I almost can't believe it. We did it. We really did it. I wasn't sure it was possible, but Forbes.com awarded the metro area where I reside with:America's Most Miserable CityWow. As if the fact that the state of Michigan having the highest depression, obesity, and suicide rates wasn't enough of a dream come true...zeroing in on the Metro Detroit area itself as being the worst possible place to live in the U.S. really makes my day. I suppose the fact that I'm not 400 lbs., suicidal, or shot in a drive-by is a monumental victory, huh? I shouldn't be so hard on myself faced with these kinds of odds:No. 1Detroit, Mich.Rank (out of 150)Commute Times 80Income Tax Rates 87Superfund Sites 135Unemployment 149Violent Crimes 150 Misery Measure 696 (Does this have anything to do Read more:Thanks
Organ Donation: One More Small Thing 2008-03-02 16:16:00 If I were a better blogger I'd know how to make that pic an HTML link, but you get the idea...Mike and I registered on Michigan's state website to be organ donors, obviously signing the backs of our license's achieve the same goal, but we don't have fine tip permanent markers.So, I urge anyone out there (who's religious or personal beliefs allow them to of course) to consider becoming an organ donor too, and registering online is one extra way to ensure your wishes are fulfilled. If you are a minority, organ donation is particularly critical, as finding minority matches can be next to impossible.Obviously this is a tough subject, we all hope to live a long time, but in the event that we die healthy, wouldn't it be nice to know we might help someone else do that? I cannot urge people enough Read more:Donation
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Fear in the Blank 2008-04-02 22:29:00 Have you ever found yourself staring listlessly into a blank void?Have you ever encountered too many choices, that you select none?Have you ever convinced yourself that even one small step in the right direction was useless?This is such a common enemy, there are many like you out there, rest assured. I'm talking about the fear of a blank form.My husband meets sheer terror in our mailbox - oft piled with duplicate copies of things to complete, provide verification of, or pay for. He happily forwent making any financial decisions if it meant he'd never have to complete another form. I simply tell him where to sign these days.I'm like a blank form renegade.I can grill a customer service representative to complete perfection.“Office Use Only” you say? I’ll show you.Believe it or not, thi
Best April Fool's Joke 2008-04-01 06:14:00 Leave it to this hilarious blog.Stuff White People Like, Bought by Target Read more:April
Money Talks and It Says, "Save Me!" 2008-04-03 19:41:00 Something I'm seeing pop up lately is that Gen Y doesn't tend to worry about saving for retirement. Savings are passé, following your bliss into the variegated sunset and working well into your 70’s is en vogue. I can’t argue against that entirely. There is research suggesting that Baby Boomers aren’t retiring like previous generations. Many begin second careers late in life and have a “work till I die” attitude. Some realize their dreams later and want a second shot at whatever star they thought had faded. Gen Y, seeing this example, has decided they won’t let that happen, they want to find ways to be happy now, so that they don’t sit around and dream for when days will be better.That’s all fine and good, but I wonder, why would it follow that it’s smart to eschew a sav Read more:Money
What I Like About You 2008-04-06 13:14:00 Since October of last year I've been a "blogger." I cringe a bit at the word, but I love the activity. I also love reading other people's blogs. At least the good ones where they attempt to drum up new content other than banal self-analysis or angry ranting (which I'm guilty of, to be sure, but I try to keep a reasonable mix going). So, I thought I'd write a little list of what about your blog will make me like you:1. Show Your Personality in Pictures. I really like pictures on blogs. Not stock photos and not tired images of young things on their supposed-crazy saturday night, glass lifted, chin down, eyes up, "whoo-hoos" spurting forth. I like the honest shots that are like "windows to the soul." A great example is Rebecca Thorman's simple, thought-provoking photography. She can make a pi
Bluebird on My Shoulder 2008-04-08 16:11:00 In a feigned attempt at spring preparedness, I paint my first two toes a light pearlescent pink. As they peep-through my peep-toed shoes, I feel a major strut coming on. It’s spring! I can’t hide my joy about this. It’s f-ing wonderful. After a fall and winter of sadness and more days of sheer misery than I can count I can say, “f-ing wonderful” and mean it. The latest husband and wife joke around the house is that we look so cute and happy it’s like living with another person. I flirt, “Hey there new husband” as Mike grimaces and announces he’s on the prowl for a new girlfriend, So There. Our mock fight is just another sign that spring, and love, is once again, blooming.Runners emerge from their wintry cocoons. You can see the pride on their faces as they stretch Read more:Shoulder
Hey Big Government, Can I Have My $20 Back? 2008-04-09 05:35:00 I eagerly awaited my last paycheck, as Mike and I are experimenting with living off of one income and experiencing a bit of a crunch lately. I think it's fun to double-check computer generated math and was surprised to find that 40% was withheld for taxes and social security, and I hadn't made any changes. I checked a few other stubs to find that this figure is usually 32%. Then I realized my most recent check included a bonus, probably reaching some income threshold allowing the government to take more. Of course, silly me! I should have known I'd be penalized for working harder.I grasp and wholly accept that paying a portion of my income out in taxes is necessary to sustain large-scale ventures for the common good that could not otherwise be accomplished. However, I have my own ide Read more:Government
Six Months to Live 2008-04-12 06:05:00 I read an alarmist article yesterday about how blogging is bad for your health. Though I approached it with a wary eye, I raced to the finish to make certain I wasn’t in the category of blogger waiting in line for the reaper.It’s not that I really had an inkling that blogging would kill me, but that my lifestyle would; which I think was the crux of this author’s misplaced thesis. He was trying to get to the point that high strung people can have a tendency to work themselves to death, and that happens to include people who blog for a living. His argument was mistaking correlation with causation. But that’s neither here nor there…the point is: chasing goals at the expense of a balanced life (whether you are a blogger, an attorney, or a prairie dog farmer) is not good for your well Read more:Months
Sane Spending 2008-04-13 18:03:00 I know I tend to beat people over the head about saving their money, and I'm starting to lighten up a bit. My father-in-law called today and bellowed "Whatcha doin'?" without annoucing himself. I asked, annoyed, "Who is this?" He laughed and gave up his identity, which he's not used to doing because his son has always had caller ID. I recently switched phone companies for a better rate and gave it up. He groused jokingly, “Oh, you making $2 more a month on your new savings plan?”“Well…yeah…”Okay – spending the $2 a month is probably worth the sanity afforded by knowing what lies on the other end when you pick up.Later, I stumbled upon an interesting article about Frugality Burnout. I didn’t have to read on to identify myself as one of its erstwhile victims. I have bee Read more:Spending
How Being a Maid Helped Me Become a Book Editor 2008-04-15 05:54:00 Penelope Trunk’s recent article about aiming high in your job search reminded me of my own career trajectory. We often undervalue our skills and aim equal to or lower than our abilities, which used to be my tactic, or lack of one. While I doubt this story would make it in How'd You Score That Gig?, it's one of my favorites.When I was 15, one of the first jobs I got was cleaning the home of a Grande Dame in the affluent Bloomfield Hills, Michigan suburbs. Her husband had done business in Japan and their home was a fascinating collection of Italian and Japanese paraphernalia and hand-sewn walls. That’s right, padded, lush Italian fabric panels perfectly lining their walls. She had me iron and precisely fold her fine linens which she stored in a separate refrigerator while still damp from Read more:Become
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Honor Thy Tiredness 2008-04-16 17:15:00 I am starting to believe the term “mid-afternoon slump” is a fairy tale phrase devised by marketing execs for energy bar and beverage companies alike to get you to buy their crap for a sugar or caffeine high to make it through your grueling day. Similar to how the word cellulite didn’t exist until the 1970’s so companies could begin hawking thigh creams and exercise regimens; the mid-afternoon slump didn’t truly exist either. It had a perfectly good name when you were a child: naptime.I’m sitting at work, my breathing pattern slowing, my eyelids fighting for the glow of fluorescent lights. Unnerved I think, “Oh no! I’m tired!” As if there is something wrong with me, not my lifestyle. The mid-afternoon slump is natural and should be heeded. It’s your body’s unmistakab Read more:Tiredness
Night Moves: Going to Grad School While Working Full Time 2008-04-18 17:13:00 Going to grad school while working full time is one of the most challenging undertakings I've attempted. Since my course work gets harder as I delve deeper into my degree, my levels of tension and panic also increase. However, this is not meant to scare people, but offer my own personal experience.I would still say that if you have even the slightest inkling that graduate school may be something you are interested in - take action today. Don't wait two years to realize, Oh yeah, if I'd only started my degree two years ago...Follow the advice that I foist on others who ask me what they should know about going to grad school while working full time:1. Order Your College Transcripts. It's a banal administrative step, but painless to complete. Reminding yourself of your undergrad accomplish Read more:Night
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Secrets for Looking Great in a Publicity Shot 2008-04-23 21:04:00 Penelope Trunk recently twittered that she felt she looked “fat” and “structurally ugly” in a New York Times photo. First, not true; second, there are many people who feel they are simply not photogenic.As an opera singer, I’ve had to do a lot of headshots and photo ops, and I used to design hair and makeup for theatre productions during my undergrad. I thought I’d compile some of my favorite “secrets” for a great photo shoot. Please keep in mind photography and its subject matter is a highly developed art form, this list is non-exhaustive, and doesn’t apply to fashion or artistic photography. 1. Don’t Sweat It. I’m sure microderm abrasion is doing wonders for you – but a matte face is best for your high-profile appearance. Save the dewy look for the beach or night Read more:Secrets
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How To Instantly Make Everyone Love You and Lose 10 Pounds by Tomorrow and Make 1 Million Dollars in One Month 2008-04-21 08:02:00 Alternate Title: I, Not RobotThe dread. I’m trying to learn more about making my blog searchable and web-friendly. The number one tip is: Get rid of your cutesy titles.I like my cutesy titles, even if most of the time they are an inside joke with myself. That’s why I started this blog, for entirely selfish reasons. I needed to sort out the heavy emotions of the past year, I needed some time out, I needed to feel like 5 to 10 people a day I didn’t know thought I was kind of cool. Eventually I started writing somewhat coherently which is why I think BrazenCareerist picked me up.Then I noticed they kept changing my blog titles for their site. “It’s cool…” I thought, “otherwise the robots won’t find me.” It’s saying stuff like “otherwise the robots won’t find me” t Read more:Pounds
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Here Comes the Judge 2008-04-24 17:24:00 My day began at 6am, preparing for an 8am court date. I needed to budget time to drive the vast stretch of 55mph highway where I was awarded my speeding ticket a few weeks earlier. Cars zoomed past, drivers shot angry looks my way. I smiled, “May a similar fate befall you.”Self-righteous, smug, empty inside, I trolled along.I was pissed I needed to appear in court. They’d rejected a stunning letter I’d crafted in lieu of a hearing. Dear Sir or Madame, my opener, peppered with zingers like, if it please the court, for finesse. I indicated my willingness to accept responsibility, yet signaled open-mindedness towards paying court costs.They wanted none of my verbal shenanigans. They wanted reckoning. Their flimsy postcard summons a mocking response to my heavy stock paper and matching Read more:Judge
A Defense of Love Like Ours 2008-04-27 11:23:00 This was inspired by my cousin, who wrote a post asking readers to tell her what they are grateful for.I’ll give it a shot.My husband.He’s an honest, obvious choice.Friday we were driving home from a date and I said, “Mike, I’m so glad we’re together.”“Yeah, what would you do if you were still single?" He challenged, joking, "You’d have no one to yell at…and no one to yell back.”Anyone who is unmatched knows the din of their own voice faintly echoed back when there is no one to receive it. Whether it’s an empty room, the wrong partner, or someone whose shouting drowns yours.Mike and I have the perfect volley.And while I could end this post and leave readers musing “aw, how sweet”, I’m compelled to palpate the subject further. Don’t worry, I’ll keep it fairly Read more:Defense
Law & Order 2008-04-29 20:01:00 Today marks the six month anniversary of my father’s death. In Serbia, while ancient customs such as exhuming the interred and performing a double-burial have long been unobserved, it is still customary for family and friends to gather and remember. Nothing was planned, but I took the day off and came up with a number of things to do to commemorate the day. All of which were making me tremendously depressed. After a while, I started doing homework as a distraction.How would I know my assignment would be relevant to my father’s life?I am studying financial statements, a banal topic. More specifically how to analyze them, how to identify inconsistencies, and the impact of certain attributes or transactions on a company's health and ability to grow.What does this have to do with my f Read more:Order
Our Cell Phones Are Disconnecting 2008-05-01 20:19:00 Three friends are seated at an outdoor café, sipping coffee, their eyes resemble a congealed glaze, yet their brains doubtless working maniacally, their thumbs moving fiercely, fighting to communicate over fiber optic channels...the relentless tap tap tap against multi-hued PDAs signals utmost urgency…perhaps a child has fallen ill, their sister has gone into labor, or a lover arrived from a year long military station. When they do get a moment to stop, breathe, converse with each other, the stunning nature of their communications is revealed…Did you know my RAZR comes with a heightened sense of importance, allowing me to interrupt people mid-thought, talk louder than necessary, and grimace at sales clerks as I order a cappuccino while simultaneously fighting with my nanny?Oh yeah? T Read more:Phones
Eco-Adorned: Figs & Ginger 2008-05-03 09:00:00 I don’t know Elijah and Rhonda Wyman of Figs & Ginger
, but I feel like we should be friends. I contacted them via email to inform them I’d gone bonkers over a necklace my husband had bought me from their collection, and to ask if I could steal some images from their site.They said Yes!I love love love this jewelry. Not only is it impeccably designed, with a delicate elegance that evokes a stunning, simple line drawing when worn, but the added bonus: Rhonda (the metal-smith and designer) takes care to use recycled materials, resulting in a product that is eco-friendly, a steal for the quality, and you’ll feel and look good wearing it!Mike surprised me with the Nestlings Necklace: two birds, posed gingerly facing each other. I feel like I’m amidst a fairy tale forest scene when
Links for 2008-05-03 [del.icio.us] 2008-05-04 00:00:00
Dooce Newsletter for Leta
Baguettes: DO try this at home.
Preshrunk
20 Types of Pages that Every Blogger Should Consider
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IttyBiz » The Blog Post That Made Me $800 and My Readers $2250
My New Favoritest Blogger
Looking at Ring Fingers and Boobs
Online Stopwatch
I use this to study
Links for 2008-05-01 [del.icio.us] 2008-05-02 00:00:00
Part of the Solution « Sizzle Says
a little bird told me,: 25th kindness & insanity
Customized Hit Counters, Neat-O!
People Like to Yell at Penelope Trunk, I’d Like to Answer Her Questions 2008-05-04 20:00:00 Yet again, PenelopeTrunk
’s blog incites riot-like response. Her recent post offers a maudlin vignette of a stay-at-home-dad. He's grateful his wife supports their household, yet seems dissatisfied with his life, and possibly had a mid-afternoon tryst to take the edge off changing diapers. Readers attacked both Penelope and the mystery man. This guy thinks it's all fake. While the flurry of personal attacks were flecked with a bit of intelligent dialogue, my favorite comment came from “Sara” (emphasis added),It’s hard to say for sure since the post is short and anecdotal, but what I gleaned from this story is that it sounds like the guy feels almost… justified (or at least doesn’t sound like he feels guilty) in his actions because of the role he’s in. If anything, it’s conv
Links for 2008-05-08 [del.icio.us] 2008-05-09 00:00:00
Between the Covers Rare Books
Cool Webdesign
International Body Language, Gestures & Manners
Victorian erotica: the original cheeky girls
Anna Netrebko, soprano
God is On Everyone’s Mind Lately 2008-05-08 20:18:00 Talking about God and Jesus just got a little more hip, thanks to Penelope Trunk featuring some Christian bloggers on Brazen Careerist and mentioning that people of faith can be more productive. I mean, we’re all looking for the next edge right?While George Michael said it best, “You gotta have faith," no matter what your form of worship, I think it’s critically important to know what you are talking about before you start foaming at the mouth about someone else’s religion. Take this blogger’s denunciation of a Papal document citing a proclamation about the Catholic church being the one true church.*While this is old news (and by old, I mean biblically so) her post was further riddled with myriad misconceptions, gross over-generalizations, and cheap sensationalism, only pointing
How To Pretend You Weren’t Just Crying At Work 2008-05-08 20:00:00 Life sucks…and then you cry.Ever confused about how to handle uncontrollable crying at the office? Never fear, here’s how to turn even the most unprofessional display of emotion in your favor.Pretend You Are Choking – you’re busy, and you show it. While your nerves might be on fire, you don’t want to put ‘em out with tears! Just pretend you are choking on that sandwich you are scarfing down because you don’t have time for lunch – or your sanity!Pretend You Are Sick – you’re busy, and you show it. So busy, in fact, that you haven’t taken a sick day since 1995. No one will question your glossy-eyed look if you are hacking away as if fighting off typhoid fever.Important Documents to Shred Anyone? – Backlogs got you waterlogged? No worries, take a trip to the ol’ shre
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