Something interesting.....

Congress is pushing a law that would abandon the Internet's First Amendment -- a principle called "Network neutrality" that prevents companies like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast from deciding which Web sites work best for you -- based on what site pays them the most. Your local library shouldn’t have to outbid Barnes & Noble for the right to have its Web site open quickly on your computer.

Who wants to get rid of net neutrality?

The nation's largest telephone and cable companies — including AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner — want to be Internet gatekeepers, deciding which Web sites go fast or slow and which won't load at all.

They want to tax content providers to guarantee speedy delivery of their data. They want to discriminate in favor of their own search engines, Internet phone services, and streaming video — while slowing down or blocking their competitors.

These companies have a new vision for the Internet. Instead of an even playing field, they want to reserve express lanes for their own content and services — or those from big corporations that can afford the steep tolls — and a leave the rest of us on a winding dirt road.

What's at stake?

Decisions being made now will shape the future of the Internet for a generation. Before long, all media — TV, phone and the Web — will come to your home via the same broadband connection.

The dispute over net neutrality is about who'll control access to new and emerging technologies. On the Internet, consumers are in ultimate control — deciding between content, applications and services available anywhere, no matter who owns the network. There's no middleman. But without net neutrality, the Internet will look more like cable TV. Network owners will decide which channels, content and applications are available; consumers will have to choose from their menu.

dayspa

Every girl needs a day at the spa. Ginger, Quinn and I went to the Burke-Williams day spa last Saturday, while Ginger was in town. We each went in for half hour massages and spent about an hour and a half relaxing in the spa, prior to our appointments. It was marvelous! While there, in the nude, chilling in the hottub, we saw Kendra (a playmate from the E! TV Show, "The Girls Next Door") and we also saw an actress from the TV show, "Sons and Daughters." I don't remember who she is, but we saw her nekkid. It was pretty funny and random....of course we were at the west hollywood spa on Sunset Blvd., so it's not that random. The massage and the spa experience was great. I'm definitely going back as soon as I can make time for another day at the spa!
Ginger and I did some relaxing on her trip! We went shopping on Melrose, and had lunch together before going to the spa. We went out on the Sunset strip on Saturday night and had a pretty good time there, as well. On Sunday, she finally got her taste of a PINKS' hot dog. Although, I don't think it was what she had always imagined it to be, considering her general state of being that afternoon! ;) Overall, I think she had a good visit. Thanks for a nice weekend, Ging!
I'll blog more later...

grocery store check-out lines

I just spent 20 minutes in the grocery store check-out line. Instead of employing more people to work the 15 empty check-out counters, they've now installed 19-inch flat screen tv monitors at each lane for "entertainment" while you wait in line. Is this a new and popular thing, or have I just never noticed before?
I was able to catch a 20 minute segment of enterainment "news," kind of like the kind you see at some movie theaters before the movie begins. Only, I didn't feel as entertained as I do in the theater.

And by the way, I HATE the do-it, check-it yourself lanes. "Please place item on scale, please place item in bag, please place item back on scale, item not recognized...please place...." UGHHHHH! What happened to all the high school kids that need jobs? I'm all for keepin the grocery store non-technically advanced! Keep the grocery store "checker" position from going extinct and maybe create a few more shifts, so I don't have to hear about what Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes think about their new born baby girl (which I still think is a hoax).

back at it

Been almost 2 weeks since I blogged last. ooops!...seems to be a regular thing. Blogging only every two weeks or sometimes longer!

My New York trip is almost here, a little more than a month away. I'm getting super excited..we're going on May 25th for 6 days/5 nights. So far, here is our list of things we will definitely see/do/eat:
1. Statue Of Liberty
2. Central Park
3. Grays Papaya
4. Katz Deli
5. Times Square
6. Chinatown
7. Brooklyn Bridge
8. World Trade Center Memorial
9. Bar scene in Greenwich
10. Empire State Building
11. FAO Schwartz
Been to some of these before, but I want to go back a second time. I hope the weather is perfect. To me perfect is 70s during the sunshine and 60s during the not sunshine time. light-Jacket weather. Last time I was there, it was August and we were there for a record breaking heat day of 104. The underground subways were disgustingly hot and walking around the city would have been more enjoyable if it had been 15-20 degrees cooler. So I think May is going to be perfect..I hope!

I've been really thinking about what I wrote a few weeks ago, about looking for a new job and a new career. I've pretty much decided I want to get out of the industry all together. I don't see myself as an agent anymore and I don't see myself as driven to be the career-woman anymore either. I think I want to enjoy life with a family. Not right now and not anytime soon--I'm not ready for children and all that comes with it just yet! But I know I don't want to slowly work my way up to become an agent, so it's pointless for me to stay here, working as an assistant and junior agent. I also never wanted to stay in LA forever, either. I've been here for almost 3 years. Justin and I are getting more serious...seriously into being with each other and making future plans, etc. It might seem odd because we've only been dating for 5 months, but I guess when you know, you just know. So......I just know. So here's his thing, short version. His current job is a contract position, which ends in July. Right now, there are more jobs available for him back East. It's a possibility he'll be relocating at the end of this contract. It's a possibility that I'll be going with him. Everything is just a possibility at this time, but we're talking about it almost everyday, trying to figure out what we want to do and what makes sense right now. For me, I know that I don't want to be in a long distance relationship. That is important. There are many other things that are important to me as well, but I'm going to keep those thoughts a secret for now. I don't have to share EVERYTHING in this blog, so that's it for this subject. As for a new career, I'm still thinking...

My cousin, Kristin and her husband, Russell were in town this past weekend for a convention that Russell went to in Ontario about a game, not a video game, but some worldwide war game, I can't remember the name of. We met for dinner last night in Santa Monica. We took a few pictures and I posted them on my flickr page. I tried to do some organizing in flickr, as well, but it's tough with the free account. You only get three albums with the free account. I should just pay whatever the amount is and upgrade myself to the pro-account. Maybe when I get my new camera. I'm still leaning towards the Nikon coolpix P2 or one of the canon powershots. Don't know when I'll get that yet either. Justin's camera works just fine, so I'm going to let him be cameraman in New York.

Upcoming things I'm looking forward to:
Ginger is visiting (April 21-24)
Season is celebrating her birthday (May 1st) with us at the wineries north of Santa Barbara (May 13)
Dad and Sandra are visiting California (May 19-22)
New York (May 25-30)
Quinn's party - bitersweet (June 3)
New Braunfels, family reunion (June 8-11)

That's about as far as my plans go right now. But that's a lot to look forward to, so I'm happy!

Oh, I've seen some movies recently, some of them worth mentioning. V for Vendetta was great. I especially liked V, who I just learned was played by Hugo Weaving. He delivered a speech as his introduction in the film, that I thought was exceptionally well written. I'm pasting it here, just for the heck of it..

Voilà ! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished, as the once vital voice of the verisimilitude now venerates what they once vilified. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose vis-à -vis an introduction, and so it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V.

I've also seen The Squid and the Whale, and it sucked! Don't rent it, don't bother. It's really just a boring movie..nothing interesting happens and the ending is terrible. I saw Brick just the other day, and it was alright. It's about a teenage boy who investigates the dissapearance and murder of his ex-girlfriend, while getting heavily involved in the crime surrounding her death. Not a bad movie, but not one I think everyone will like either. It will have it's targeted-appealing audience though. I think that's about it for movies. I have The Constant Gardener at home right now..probably watch that soon. And Prime and Good Night and Good Luck are on the way.
Well I better get back to work now. It's Monday, but it's like a Tuesday because I have this Friday, Good Friday off. yaya! :)