Date » 2006 » February

Video of the day: “Sprout and the Bean”

Feb 28 2006 | Comments 2

I hesitate to mention Joanna Newsom to those who aren’t familiar with her, because her little-girl voice can make one homicidal. Plus, she plays the harp, which is kind of a goofy instrument to most (but I think it’s kind of cool). But when I opened my iTunes today, and couldn’t decide what to listen to, I plunked a virtual finger down in the middle of my library and hers is the album that came on. Call it fate.

Newsom often has baffling lyrics, which she and her contemporaries in the New Weird America (I’m looking at you, Devendra) seem to think is hip rather than Tolkien-nerdy. Fair enough. (I’m guessing Newsom also thinks that dress is attractive.)

I think the whole package comes across better when you see Newsom live. This video is undeniably charming.

Sprout, Bean, other oddities video

liz | 4:22 PM | Uncategorized

Patch me in

Feb 28 2006 | Comments 2

I always wanted to try to quit smoking using the patch, but it ended up that my asthma got the better of me and I had to stop anyway. Now there’s the possibility that someday, maybe soon, I’ll get to put a sticker on my arm or butt or something, and even though it won’t be a puffy unicorn sticker (I don’t think, though wouldn’t that be great?), it might be fun to try.

My ex has a phobia of stickers (also crabs), so if I ever got really mad at him I could slap one of these on him. Maybe it would cheer him up.

Regulators OK Patch to Treat Depression

liz | 4:00 PM | Uncategorized

Another celebrity comes out of the closet

Feb 28 2006 | Comments 0

Okay, this guy’s only a celebrity in Australia, and only for sports fans. But his honesty is nice anyway.

Former AFL star battled depression

liz | 3:08 PM | Uncategorized

Karl Rove loves me

Feb 28 2006 | Comments 0

Quoth he: “The whole incident in the fall of 2004 showed really the power of the ‘blogosphere’ because in essence you had now, an army of self-appointed experts looking over the shoulder of the mainstream media and bringing to bear enormously sophisticated skills.”

I don’t really look over many shoulders, but I’m sure if Rove read The Trouble With Spikol, he would appreciate my alternative media credentials and my sophisticated skill at, um, chess and pet-toy choosing.

BUSH CHEERS DECLINE OF MAINSTREAM MEDIA, RISE OF ALTERNATIVE PRESS [Drudge Report]

liz | 12:19 PM | Uncategorized

Special Effexor: Perhaps I spoke too soon.

Feb 28 2006 | Comment 1

Well, last night was kind of unpleasant, as I tried to take the Effexor on a mostly empty stomach. Not a good idea, but I haven’t had much of an appetite, so it’s a conundrum. I ate a few strips of bacon and some halvah, which doesn’t really constitute a dinner. It’s at moments like these when my boyfriend, an excellent cook, gets completely frustrated with me, to the point of disgust. The way he looks at me when I say I’m not hungry is like I’m covered in some stinky goo that’s eating away at my skin. Shock. Horror. Repulsion. He doesn’t understand people who don’t eat.

I’m still a little shaky this morning, but I’m less tired. I think it’s going to be okay. True, the adjustment’s taking a little while, but I think it’s going to work out. My optimism is borne of an eternal ability to put things in perspective. Like, yes, this is somewhat tricky and a mite uncomfortable but it’s nothing like being in Auschwitz or having cancer.

So cheer up!

liz | 11:56 AM | Uncategorized

Top 10 signs it’s time for the day to be over

Feb 27 2006 | Comments 0

1. You start to lose control of your saliva.
2. You frantically comb through your desk drawer to see if you have any speed left from the days when you used to be an addict.
3. You find five ephedra pills in said drawer, and don’t take any because you’re afraid of depleting the earth’s dwindling ephedra supply.
4. You write an entire blog entry that’s funny and smart and delete it by clicking the back button.
5. You catch sight of your fuzzy earmuffs and jump because you thought you saw a chipmunk.
6. Your discover the sizzling sound you’ve been hearing for days is not a hallucination, but your Ikea desk lamp.
7. You consider letting the lampshade burst into flame just so you could have an excuse to go home and fall into bed.
8. You download the wrong João Gilberto album from iTunes.
9. You resort to turning on the overhead fluorescent lights to stay awake.
10. You realize a top 10 list is supposed to go from 10 to 1, and you could change the order to be more Letterman-like, but you’re just too tired to even do it.

Effexor rocks!

liz | 4:11 PM | Uncategorized

Whither progress?

Feb 27 2006 | Comments 0

A class exercise at NYU provides a revealing look at students’ perceptions of the mentally ill (the news ain’t good):

A letter to Liz Spikol [Livejournal]

liz | 2:52 PM | Uncategorized

Going bananas

Feb 27 2006 | Comment 1

Someone just sent me an email titled “After Reading THIS, you’ll NEVER look at a banana in the same way again!” It’s not from Chiquita or anything, just a regular person. It’s the most pro-bananas document I’ve ever seen. The only thing bananas don’t do, it seems, is cure cancer and end world hunger.

Here’s what the email says about the things that matter to you and me, i.e., can they make us less crazy?

Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS:
The vitamin B6 a banana contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Nerves:
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):
Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Stress:
Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

And for those of us who self-medicate:

Hangovers:
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

[Photo courtesy bananaflickr.com]

liz | 2:40 PM | Uncategorized