a girl with a dirty mouth

thoughts on transparency

2009-12-27T16:27:21Z

when we think about a Kurt Cobain or an Ian Curtis or even a Jim Morrison (despite the mostly fictional account provided by Oliver Stone) - they are these legendary, but mysterious figures that no one really "understands" but everyone wants to. these are the people you meet in a bar that you're intrigued with, you want to be the person who gets to figure them out, to learn what makes them tick, to see that little glint in their eye in a more intimate setting because you're convinced of the fire behind it.

but then there's individuals who are all on the surface, transparent, you know them from the minute you meet them. there are no secret motivations-- in fact there are no secrets at all. these are people you have an opportunity to immediately connect with or perhaps not, because so much of themselves is accessible that compatability is a quick read.

I don't understand why the former is legendary. in my experience, people who are mysterious end up lending themselves to disappointment. When I was naive I ended up building them up until I was let down when I discovered their flaws and humanity. When I got older, I immediately began to judge them as pretentious. I don't have time to figure people out anymore, I don't want to. I value so much more the individuals who wear themselves easily or even fearlessly, loudly. I want to be Those people, I want everyone who want to, to be able to know who I am, to know my values and my weaknesses. so many of the people in my life who have truly inspired me have been these people.

transparency is a new business trend but I think that we should look at it from humanity. we seek to know the 'personality' and values and motivations of a company, we should make the same attributes accessible to one another.

lakeeffect @ 2009-12-01T15:25:00

2009-12-01T20:25:10Z

So, I have an audible.com membership, since I'm home working and have wireless headphones, which has been nice. I don't make time to sit and read a book during the evenings because I enjoy spending my time talking to friends or watching tv. But during the day, I can work and listen to books (sometimes, anyway).

Here's a few of the books I've been listening to:

Hold Me Tight by Dr. Sue Johnson: I'm not a big 'relationship/marriage' book, but this one came at high recommendation. It concentrates a lot on the biological need for connection - it affects everything, including the immune system. For this analysis alone, this book has been worth the read. While it is obviously applicable to our primary partnerships, I've been looking at this more openly, relating it to more intimate friendships. All of our bonds deserve this healthy analysis in order to be our best for other people. It should be not be a surprise to anyone that I enjoy behavioral analysis.

Socialnomics by Erik Qualman- At the point at which I am in the book, it still seems like it's an introduction to social media and why people use it. It's starting to introduce how some of the best corporations are utilizing it. It's still pretty basic at this point and not offering me anything I'm not familiar with. My boss recommended it though, so I'll finish it.

Bonk by Mary Roach - this is a little self indulgent, but it's a genuinely scientific study of sex and physiological reactions. I've only just started it but it's written with humor and is research-based.

I'm also trying to convince my boss to give me some more formal Social Media training, such as attending Social Media Magic's university. Does anyone have experience with these types of programs? I need guidance on creating a social media strategy and implementation plan.

lakeeffect @ 2009-10-05T16:52:00

2009-10-05T21:09:49Z

So, I have to share this little tidbit with you...

Lately I've been perusing recipe websites (as I do some very early menu prep for Thanksgiving) in addition to the coupon blogs that I frequent and I'm noticing a trend: Being an unemployed heathen mother is a minority.

A good 90% of these blogs and recipe sites are lead/frequented by religious stay-at-home mom types. They have names like Keeping Kingdom First or joy-of-jesus-mom-of-8, etc, talking about building their 'stockpile' for armageddon.

Can't someone out there be Domestic Rockstar, Stealin' Product From The Man With Coupons and Eating Cheap to Rock Hard? Maybe I should start a revolution, you guys.

lakeeffect @ 2009-10-01T11:51:00

2009-10-01T16:44:54Z

When someone as charming and awesome as weaklingrecords gives me an lj nudge, I'm compelled to comply. Join me, won't you, as I pour myself a new cup of Starbucks Anniversary Blend and update you on the very exciting, very important life that I lead.

I see that I haven't updated since Lolla. You know, I looked forward to that all year and there were a lot of bands there that I wanted to see but the weather was sort of blah and I was sort of blah and I didn't make the most of the weekend and I regret that, now. In my defense though, the weather alternated between raining and cold and to heat stroke inducing. I'm also not the biggest fan of mud and there was a lot of that. So, there you go. This year's fun discovery was April Smith. She's precious and clever and her band The Great Picture Show is very talented.

As I mentioned previously, I'm on the great anti-depressant rollercoaster. Here's a question: Why don't they have FUN side-effects? Delusions of grandeur, increased sexual prowess, desire to paint the house in a single weekend? Nope! I get anorgasmia and bruxism. GOOD TIMES! So, Doc says we're tacking on a 2nd antidepressant to try to counter those side effects. This one actually DOES list what appears to be an entertaining side effect: mask-like facial expressions. Hey, now that's something to look forward to.

In late August, all of my job prospects dried up but I did land an internship that has promise (crossing fingers). For those unfamiliar with the healthcare profession, there's a large array of certifications that one can pursue to specialize in a particular thing or to stay updated on the latest information. The organization I work for provides one such certification for Chronic Care Professionals and provides the only one presently offered in the critical care space. It's currently being run by one guy and his board of directors and he's looking to do some cool stuff like start an online community where physicians and nurses and healthcare professionals of all kinds can get together regionally and facilitate discussion. (If you've ever had any sort of a healthcare situation you know that these folks DO NOT talk to one another. Instead, they make you visit 5 different people and explain the same thing over and over. Oh, and also they make you fill out the same paperwork 5 times because they're assholes.) Since care for chronic diseases such as diabetes, COPD, obesity, and other conditions that require lifestyle changes and 'maintenance' make up 75% of healthcare costs, it's especially important that healthcare providers do a better job of helping their patients manage their conditions. As you can guess, when people don't manage their diabetes, they end up with complications and most likely in the hospital. Certainly there's a lot of factors such as cost and lack of access to care, but there's also behavioral issues at work here, too- just changing the mindset of the patient to be motivated to manage their health. The way that providers do that now is to get irritated and try to shove education down the patients throat. We know that doesn't work. Anyway... *steps off soap box*

One of the projects that we're (the interns) doing is something that no one else in the healthcare space has done. We're designing a very web 2.0 forum/resource-like website that will hopefully be well-received since there are no others out there like it.

I'm also doing some marketing work, designing and managing social media strategies, doing some business strategy and making lots of fun decisions. My boss has already said that it is absolutely his intention to hire me when the internship is over (at the end of the year) and is putting a retainer on the table to keep me from going elsewhere. He's suggested that he needs a VP and it's the type of positions that he sees me stepping into. It all sounds very fancy and exciting but I am cautiously optimistic.

Anyway, this internship has me working from home which is good and bad. It's good because I can hang around in my pj's all day and work on the computer and spend my lunch running the vacuum or loading the dishwasher (which surprisingly enough i've been doing a lot more of now that I'm feeling better courtesy of the aforementioned medication), but it's bad because I miss all the interpersonal communication. I loved the relationships that I had at my last job, the office banter and keeping up to date on the world and the community.

So I'm running out of things to talk about with my friends - I talk about Molly and while there's certainly lots of adorable things she's doing that are noteworthy (PS did I mention that she just turned FOUR?!), I recognize that I'm not the greatest conversationalist these days. And it's not like I have a ton of free time to get out and do things. This internship is unpaid so I'm still pinching pennies and doing things like couponing (and doing pretty well at it, actually) and cutting back on Chicago trips (unless they're work related) and gigging.

I need to get back to work here, but finally, let me extend my apologies for being so antisocial as if kate- there's a lot of you that I haven't talked to in quite some time and I assure you that it isn't personal. I've been dealing with this mental bizness and gradually stepped back from EVERYONE and I miss all of you. I ain't hatin' and I hope you aren't either.

I do manage to update my twitter and facebook and tumblr a little more frequently, so if you're in those spaces, feel free to join me there.

lakeeffect @ 2009-05-22T14:04:00

2009-05-22T18:40:47Z

So you've all been getting by with the occasional Twitter update while I'm out there living and not updating this thing.

Here's what's happening, in case you missed the headlines:

* I'm unemployed. Stupid economy. Do you need a fun marketing chick w social media experience? Holla.
* My dad has been in and out of the hospital over the past month. We hope he's all patched up, this time, mom picked him up this morning, so he's resting at home.
* Trev's company got bought. Again. That means he's been passed to 2 different companies now without ever having left voluntarily, in 5 years. Sign of the times, I guess. There's always a little good and a little bad, but mostly, he's just happy to be employed.
* Molly is over 3 and a half, now. She's precious and amazing and makes every day more awesome.
* I took Trev's little sis to her first concert, this month: Fall Out Boy, Cobra Starship, Hey Monday and some other bands. One of those other bands, All Time Low, was appropriately named. We photographed some girls with Alex before they performed - he's lucky I saw him in person before they stood on stage and told all the girls to get naked and that they wanted to feel them up. You're real fucking smooth, douchebags.
* Found out that a social networking site of google's, Orkut, is being used for child porn communities, and that Flickr - where I keep a lot of Molly's photos, is trolled daily for pictures of children to set up fake profiles for. I've had actual requests from these dirtbags to use Molly's picture on these sites and obviously I refused it, but I'm concerned now that there are plenty of others who have not asked. I'm trying to sort out how to find any pictures of her that might be in use and get them removed.
* I still love Trevor, my BFF, my bros and my D90, as if there was any doubt.
* Trev and I are going to sign our will today and put in writing that Chelle's sis gets Molly if we kick it early, Chelle gets all my pampered chef stuff, Kayla gets my camera, and don't wanna be vegetables. Oh, and if Trev and I are hanging out in a coma, Chelle does all my thinking for me. Maybe she can finally make me cool.

And in other news, a guy called me today about a bad check THAT I ACTUALLY DID NOT WRITE. Apparently there's a J-Ho in Plymouth who has picked up that habit and the dude tracked me down instead. I'm so glad I'm past those days.

Today after the testamenting, I'm driving to Chicago to see a band and some bros. Tomorrow Trev's best childhood friend (and best maid) gets hitched, Sunday my Dad's makin us some Frankburgers and we're going for a boat ride, and Monday, well. Monday is a goddamned holiday and I'm not doing a fucking thing and Trev's doin it with me. Fuck yeah.

today!

2009-04-24T17:39:07Z

I've been a busy bee. I trimmed the hedges (crookedly) edged the sidewalk, planted things, raked the yard and so on.

I present you with my dirty toes, and my finished patio.

ps molly helped me pick out the plants yesterday. she insisted on her favorite colors: pink, red & purple. I snuck in some white.

the large tan container is herbs: a few kinds of basil, cilantro and spearmint.

Now, I need to finish bagging up the yard waste, shower, go to the store, pick up tiki torches from L, get some beer, clean out the coolers, clean up the kitchen, and pretend I had a nap. Cheers!

just hangin

2009-04-24T14:48:55Z

w my buddies B & D.

lakeeffect @ 2009-04-19T10:38:00

2009-04-19T14:39:17Z

Okay, you hot potatoes. My birthday is coming up and I wanna hang with you (probably, anyway). However, because this year my luck includes being crazy sick for 6 weeks with childhood diseases and being pulled over twice in a 5 minute span, my birthday is on a Wednesday. You can help this suck less. Because I'm awesome we should do something awesome to commemorate the advent of my existence.

(We're going to a wedding Saturday afternoon/early evening, so we should steer clear of planning for Saturday.)

Here's some options of things we could do:

- Drive to New Buffallo to that Four Winds casino. (So I'm not a huge fan of gambling, but there's nothing to do here and it's all fancypants up there, I hear.)
- Drive to Chicago and do something (Dave and Busters, maybe? Alternately, we could DDR at MegaPlay.)
- Have a boozin' BBQ at my house (we could do this on Wednesday, actually.) We could play excessive amounts of Guitar Hero World Tour. (This seems like the most likely option.)

Something I'd like to do- if anyone around here does it- is live band karaoke. There's a bar in Chicago that does it on Wednesday nights (though not this one), and it's a cool concept, so I hoped maybe someone here would do it, too. I'm sort of over karaoke bars. Singing over a recording is so 1989.

That, or we could book a band to play my birthday party. Somewhere. I think my neighbors might mind if a band rocked our back yard on a Wednesday night. Then again, it would drown out the sound of their dog yapping...

This is also a plea for your suggestions. What would you be most likely to be able to do and on what night? I'm an adult now, so this means planning my own birthday party is not actually in poor taste, right? Whatever. I'm a MAVERICK, and that's what we MAVERICKS do.

email from Trev

2009-04-17T22:23:26Z

I'm such a proud mommy...

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Trevor Hopper
Date: Fri, Apr 17, 2009 at 6:01 PM
Subject: yay! :D
To: Jen Hopper

moz and i got to see a band today too! neener neener!

went to k's after i picked her up and a band was setting up :)

she kept covering her ears during the sound check, but when they started
playing she was having a ball! :D

she wanted to go play the drums soooo bad... she had her eyes fixed on the
bass guitar though, because he had a set of fuzzy dice hanging from the end
of it hehe :)

thought i'd share, lubbin'!

comfort

2009-04-09T21:05:52Z

molly, @ the dr with a teddy bear confetti from the chicago theater fall out boy show

work in progress

2009-03-24T20:50:41Z

I'm going for sharper.

honest

2009-03-23T14:46:28Z

About 3-4x a year i come to this place where I become dissatisfied with my current path in life but have no ideas about how to change it. It’s that season now.

My spirit tells me I was meant for more than this, but logically I know that there’s nothing remarkable about me that would get me where I feel that I belong. I’m increasingly more certain that I’ve missed the boat on what I was supposed to do and that I will regret it for the rest of my life.

lakeeffect @ 2009-03-05T13:54:00

2009-03-05T18:56:13Z

you know who you are.

i suggest no longer trying to hack into my journal or I will make life so miserable that you will wish i'd ended you.

got your ticket?

2009-03-03T21:18:59Z

the other day we ordered chinese food and the fortune that Molly got said that she was going "to move into a new house before the end of the year"
it just so happens that as of today, our hospital is having a House Raffle limited to 3,950 entrants
the model of the $350,000 house for raffle is called "the Hardisty"; the first guy I dated's family name was "Hardesty"

this is all in good fun really, but it does beg the question, is this a sign or coincidence?

p.s. coworker lindahl loves my house and has been in the market. she claims she will totally buy ours if we win.

Tweets for today

2009-03-03T16:10:05Z

17:26 is better off keeping to herself. #