Sowelu...

cinnajess @ 2009-12-14T23:17:00

2009-12-15T05:16:52Z

New photos over on the Flickr. I'd suggest viewing by set; the really good stuff is in the sets Abandonments, Artsy Shots, Natural World, and Projects - that last is where you can see some of my actual art (but by no means all of it).

Feedback is appreciated/enjoyed!

cinnajess @ 2009-11-17T21:10:00

2009-11-18T03:10:20Z

Waters of Mars? Fucking AMAZING!

cinnajess @ 2009-10-28T13:29:00

2009-10-28T18:40:29Z

Some of you are long-time sci-fi readers. Maybe you can help me out. I keep having weird flashes of memory about a book I read when I was a kid and thoroughly enjoyed, but I can't remember the damn title. So I'm describing it to you, in the hopes that you've read it and remember its name.

Alright: it was about some form of post-apocalyptic Earth, and the story opens with a girl named Nita or Nina being raised by a tall furry alien whose name I can't remember. She spends time exploring the abandoned complex where she was "born" and the name of that complex includes the name Ibarra or Ybarra, the word Reproduction (I think) and is (I think) commonly referred to as the Center. She grows up, hits puberty, and breaks the rules by exploring parts of the complex forbidden to her by her guardian. Surprise surprise, she meets another human, this one a boy of the same age, named Sven. Turns out Sven has been there all along, raised by a similar guardian, with the same restrictions on his movements. They explore more and find out that humans were wiped out by war, and that their guardians had sepearated them when they were little because Nita threw a block at Sven or something and he pushed her. Or something. Aaaanyway, they end up fighting about something and despair over the condition of the human race, make up, have sex, and decide to defrost all the embryos which were saved in the Center.

Now that I've written that, it sounds horrific, but I liked it when I was 11 or whatever. Any guesses?

cinnajess @ 2009-10-16T09:11:00

2009-10-16T14:14:46Z

My Halloween costume: The Minoan Snake Goddess

Leaving off the cat and wrapping the snakes around my arms. The most commonly asked question is "What are you going to do about the boobs?" and the answer is it's tricky but I'm working on it. I'd love to just go topless, but I'd hate to be arrested. :)

Oh, I also expect only a handful of art dorks will get it. It's cool. Only a handful of art dorks got that I was a caryatid last year.

cinnajess @ 2009-10-07T21:08:00

2009-10-08T02:13:20Z

Today I found a box of squirrel skulls in the basement at work.

I love my job.

Oddly enough, I say that with no sarcasm whatsoever.

cinnajess @ 2009-09-06T04:54:00

2009-09-06T09:58:01Z

Upon reflection, most men who are my age are searching for something specific... and I'm not it. They're over "experimental" but not yet desperate.

I need to not read cl anymore. It's just so wrong.

cinnajess @ 2009-09-05T19:54:00

2009-09-06T00:55:41Z

I love to cook. It keeps my mind off of stupid things.

Unfortunately, then I eat whatever it was that I cooked.

Can't win.

Writer's Block: As the Cookie Crumbles

2009-09-02T04:07:06Z

If you ran the fortune cookie factory, what message would you make sure gets put in a cookie?

Submitted By 123ekaterina

View 668 Answers

May the next man you meet not be a total shit.

cinnajess @ 2009-08-30T21:48:00

2009-08-31T02:48:59Z

Boo!

cinnajess @ 2007-12-12T10:57:00

2007-12-12T17:05:26Z

Hi, everyone! I'm alive! And well!

College is going well, and I'm looking forward to next semester.
I'm thinking about showing my photography.
I'm painting, and not even for school.
Work sucks, and I'm going to kill my boss.
I'm ever-so-slightly broke for the holidays.
I'm sort of dating someone, and the "sort of" aspect is why it's working well. No future in it, but it amuses me.
I think I got straight A's, even though my English teacher was evil.
My car is still running.
My schedule next semester might even allow me to exercise some - I think.

How's you?

The Meme of Unread Books

2007-10-02T05:24:17Z

These are the top 106 books most often marked as "unread" by LibraryThing's users.

Bold what you have read and liked, italicise what you read but hated, and strike through what you couldn't even finish due to ~~sheer boredom~~...

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Anna Karenina
~~Crime and Punishment~~
Catch-22
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Wuthering Heights
The Silmarillion
Life of Pi : a novel
The Name of the Rose
Don Quixote
~~Moby Dick~~
Ulysses
Madame Bovary
The Odyssey
~~Pride and Prejudice~~
Jane Eyre
A Tale of Two Cities
The Brothers Karamazov
Guns, Germs, and Steel: the Fates of Human Societies
~~War and Peace~~
Vanity Fair
The Time Traveler's Wife
The Iliad
Emma
The Blind Assassin
The Kite Runner
Mrs. Dalloway
Great Expectations
American Gods
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Atlas Shrugged
Reading Lolita in Tehran : a Memoir in Books
Memoirs of a Geisha
Middlesex
Quicksilver
Wicked : the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
The Canterbury Tales
The Historian : a novel
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Love in the Time of Cholera
Brave New World
The Fountainhead
Foucault's Pendulum
Middlemarch
Frankenstein
The Count of Monte Cristo
Dracula
A Clockwork Orange
Anasazi Boys
The Once and Future King
The Grapes of Wrath
The Poisonwood Bible : a novel
1984
Angels & Demons
The Inferno
The Satanic Verses
Sense and Sensibility
The Portrait of Dorian Gray
Mansfield Park
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
To the Lighthouse
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Oliver Twist
Gulliver's Travels
Les Misérables
The Corrections
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
Dune
The Prince
The Sound and the Fury
Angela's Ashes : a memoir
The God of Small Things
A People's History of the United States : 1492-Present
Cryptonomicon
Neverwhere
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Dubliners
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Beloved
Slaughterhouse-5
The Scarlet Letter
Eats, Shoots, & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
The Mists of Avalon
Oryx and Crake : a novel
Collapse : How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
Cloud Atlas
The Confusion
Lolita
Persuasion
Northanger Abbey
The Catcher in the Rye
On the Road
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Freakonomics : a Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
The Aeneid
Watership Down
Gravity's Rainbow
The Hobbit
In Cold Blood : a True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences
White Teeth
Treasure Island
David Copperfield
The Three Musketeers

SO EFFIN' TRUE!

2007-09-24T05:55:25Z

Take the quiz at dicepool.com

There's two ways to end up with this result. Either you picked the silliest possible answer to each question, or you answered honestly, and happen to be a hyperactive, manic loon. Assuming you answered honestly, your profile is as follows: You are the 100-sided dice, also known as the legendary Zocchihedron. You are the bit of data that registers so far off the chart that the average person doesn't even know you exist. You are desperate for attention and will get it any way you can. Your jokes have the lowest laugh ratio, but you go for quantity, not quality. Once you get started on a pointless tangent, it takes a group effort to bring you back to reality and make you shut up. You are a distraction who is permanently distracted. You consider yourself silly and entertaining, but everyone else complains about how lame and annoying you are. The one secret they aren't telling you, is how they sometimes actually miss the noise when you're gone.

My seven random things...

2007-09-10T02:42:37Z

For you, rabid_chemist... Although I do see through your evil machinations: you're just checking to see if I'm still alive. I am.

1) I drink warm Diet Coke.

2) I own about 12 sippy cups.

3) I like tomato sandwiches.

4) I peel the skin off the bottom of my right foot. Sometimes. No, I don't know why.

5) I have a rubber fish I chew on. Frequently. No, I don't know why.

6) I love showtunes, and will sing them incessantly when I work overnights alone.

7) When a some dumb bitch sneers at my car, I wait until I catch her eye, and then make the Internationally Recognized Sign for cunnilingus, and it never fails to amuse me.

cinnajess @ 2007-08-26T11:59:00

2007-08-26T17:02:05Z

I begin college tomorrow.

Good wishes and/or words of advice are TOTALLY welcome.

Thanks.

cinnajess @ 2007-08-14T01:05:00

2007-08-14T06:07:39Z

You're The Handmaid's Tale!

by Margaret Atwood

An outraged feminist, you have been oppressed and even silenced in
your life, fueling your fury against the society as it stands. Your role has been
strictly defined by society and you are almost certainly unsatisfied with it. You
have some vague idea of how this has come to be, but insufficient power to stop it,
let alone reverse the trend. And somehow you blame yourself for everything because
people ask you to. Beware people renaming your nation a Republic.

Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Margaret Atwood's books always give me the bends. In a mostly good way. It just takes me awhile to come back to myself.

snerk

2007-08-02T16:06:29Z

POP-TARTS PRESENTS AMERICAN IDOLS LIVE

cinnajess @ 2007-08-02T00:56:00

2007-08-02T06:39:08Z

Hi, LJ Friends! No, I haven't been dead, I've just been taking a hiatus.

So this is going to be a muncha-cruncha-buncha update, right here. Settle in.

You ready?

Item #1: I still work for Michaels.

Whoo. Michaels, yeah. Whoo some more. It's all Michaelsy, and stuff. We're getting a new senior framer (the counterpart to my position) and he seems like a swell enough guy. We have a couple of new kids who are thoroughly useless, and my supervisor still sucks the big one. So I have no doubt work will continue to be a huge source of stress, but whatevs.

Item #2: I'm still single.

And really plan to stay that way, not that there's been an astounding array of offers. It suddenly occurred to me that I have been sabotaging myself in relationships. Shut up, wolffsekunde, I hear you laughing... stuff it up your not-inconsiderable schnoz. But more importantly than that realization, I've also come to the conclusion that Boys Take Up A Lot Of Time. And Time is something that I've been trying to use more wisely (see Items 5 and 6). So I have some numbers to call for maintenance-oriented sex, people to call for hanging-out, and a list of Projects as long as my arm. I'd still like someone to love me and cuddle me all through the night, but Tchuh! that's not exactly gonna happen with the Cynicism Level I've been putting out lately.

Item #3:

THERE IS NO ITEM #3!!!

Item #4: I've been exercising.

Now let's never speak of it again. No, it's cool. I joined a gym once, but it made me neurotic. I recently bought an elliptical (thank you eBay) and thus far it's been going well. I've got hopes. It's been easier to work fitness in, and now I don't have my paranoia as an excuse not to exercise. Now if only it wasn't so BORING!

Item #5: I'm trying to cut down my drinking.

I drink. A LOT. And it just kinda needs to stop, yo. Not entirely, but I need to remember that it's y'know, a SOCIAL activity? And that groups of people can do things together BESIDES drinking? So tonight I made a list of Awesome Things To Do That Don't Include Drinking. Most of them are solo activities (the aforementioned Projects, not the least of which is photographically exploring my city), but some are group activities, the most obvious of which is gaming. So let's game, shall we? Plus I want to go to art shows and other fun things. Let me know* if there's anything SUPER exciting going on, OK? However, my time will shortly be at a premium because of...

Item #6: I'm going to college!

Yes, folks, that's right. At the tender age of 29, I'm going to do the unthinkable and get a two-year art degree, a pointless career decision that is only acceptable if you're 18 and stupid. But, no, seriously... there is a Plan. Ultimately, I'd like to be a conservator/restorer of paper/textile artifacts. I'm not sure why, but it seems like a logical offshoot of my current shtick as a picture framer, plus it's pretty fascinating. That's not set in stone; perhaps I'll discover another branch of The Arts that is suitable for me. In the meantime, however, I sure could use the experience, practice, and background. So two years at Truman, and god knows where that will take me... hopefully someplace good.

So there you have it. My current life in a (very large) nutshell.

*I'm serious about gaming, etc. If my sober company is your desire, let me know. We could always do something awesome! Plus, fellow photographers are ALWAYS welcome.

Hai I want 2 jump off this brij 2!

2007-07-18T14:03:36Z

Your Score: Sad Cookie Cat

52 % Affection, 48 % Excitability , 53 % Hunger

You are the classic Shakespearian tragedy of the lolcat universe. The sad story of a baking a cookie, succumbing to gluttony, and in turn consuming the very cookie that was to be offered. Bad grammar ensues.

Link: The Which Lolcat Are You? Test written by GumOtaku on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

cinnajess @ 2007-06-30T01:31:00

2007-06-30T06:28:42Z

If I was a Simpsons character, I'd totally look like this:

Thanks to evilphoenix for pointing the way!

I <3 The ILGRA!

2007-06-05T16:22:59Z

So, cinnajess, your LiveJournal reveals...

You are... 7% unique
(blame, for example, your interest in the ilgra)
and 15% herdlike
(partly because you, like everyone else, enjoy women).
When it comes to friends you are popular. In terms of the way you relate to people, you are wary of trusting strangers.

Your writing style (based on a recent public entry) is conventional.

Your overall weirdness is: 31

(The average level of weirdness is: 27.
You are weirder than 67% of other LJers.)

Find out what your weirdness level is!

cinnajess @ 2007-04-24T01:54:00

2007-04-24T06:54:01Z

Diet Coke with Vitamins and Minerals. Oooookay. Little weird, but whatever. I bought some, and am trying it tomorrow.

Hell, it can't be any worse for me than regular Diet Coke. And if it still tastes like Diet Coke, then I might keep buying it. Even though it'll make me feel like a typical asshole consumer.

Heigh-ho.

cinnajess @ 2007-04-24T00:14:00

2007-04-24T05:53:59Z

I took a more thorough tour of City Meth, and got the obligatory shot of the stained-glass window.

Once again, all photos will link to the appropriate album on Flickr.

I experimented with some different angles.

City Meth is wonderful for that, in that several of the walls, both interior and exterior are missing. I feel like some of the strange-angle shots are a little pretentious, but that is one of the nice things about urban exploration... you get to see things from new angles and perspectives, in ways the original creators never intended. And if you're good, you can bring that sense of delight and wonderment to others through your photos. However, if you're a rank amateur, you go home and delete 95% of what you took that day.

It was a low-key day. There was only the two of us, and we couldn't seem to quite settle on the next location to shoot. We sat out and got some sun, enjoying the day and the exterior of City Meth. And ice cream. We headed off to the Post Office, and it was nice to see some things I'd missed before... a tunnel for spying on the employees, for example. Also this...

A dust-covered glass-fronted wall cabinet that various UEers have left their mark upon. From the front it made an OK shot, but we poked our heads around and realized how amazing it looked with the door open. We took turns holding it for each other.

I wanted to go back to the Modern Apartments and Standard Liquor, but I didn't get too many shots. I did get this swell one of some busted stuff.

It made me happy.

We poked around Gary a bit more, got some interesting external shots. Most of which didn't cut it, as far as I'm concerned. There's a bank with corinthian columns and pretty lady faces. There's this TOTALLY bizarro sculpture called "The Fusion", and that link has some OK pictures of it and a brief description by the artist. Yes, it can be freely interpreted, and I guess the concepts aren't too far off, but it is one weird sculpture. But anyway, greetings from downtown Gary!

I don't know, it just looked friendly.

We ended the day revisiting City Meth, in time to see the setting sun through the same window as earlier. This photo links to a different album.

Of course, that doesn't do the magic of it justice.

cinnajess @ 2007-04-17T11:57:00

2007-04-17T17:39:43Z

This past Sunday I spent photographing Gary. Not many people showed up for the MeetUp, so I unfortunately ended up doing a fair whack of my exploring solo. Not somethng I plan to make a habit of, and will probaby never do in Chicago. But Gary's practically a ghost town, and it's hard to believe you can come to harm on a beautiful sunny day. Plus, no unneccssary risks. There was a farily ferocious looking crawl space I wanted to delve into, plus an elevator room with a rickety ladder, but I gave them both a miss until I can come back with folks.

The following photos will link to the individual album on Flickr, so feel free to click if you want to see more.

I arrived in Gary a little late, and no one was at the location.

I shot a couple photos there at City Meth, but decided I'd much rather see the things I'd missed last trip, like the Post Office.

Leaving there, I was captivated by this place, and wandered off to find a way in.

I succeeded, which was great.

Afterwards, I headed downstate to Knox, IN, where I lived briefly. A friend of mine owns a storefront down there that used to be an Opera House, so he very graciously allowed me to photograph the nice little stencilled details.

Back to the city, and a quick viewing with Owen of a church he knew about. A thoroughly gratifying end to the day.

The rest of my photos, organized by set, can be found here.

(cross-posted to chicago_urbex)

cinnajess @ 2007-04-09T23:23:00

2007-04-10T04:19:59Z

Your Love Type: ENFJ

The Giver

In love, you give your all and feel guilty when relationships fail.
For you, sex is not seperate from love and caring.

Overall, you are humorous, giving, and motivational.
However, you tend to be over-protective and critical of your partner.

Best matches: INFP or ISFP

What's Your Love Type?

Freakishly dead-on for a quicky quiz.

Today was another glorious UrbEx day...

2007-04-02T03:05:48Z

The day itself was fairly shitty, what with wind, rain and the general stupidity of Chicagoans driving under those conditions. But once we got where we were going, everything was great.

The Brach's plant, located on north Cicero near the baseline, was built in 1923, and was abandoned in 2002, when Brach's moved their manufacturing to Argentina. It's a 32-acre site, mostly empty lot, but the plant itself is comprised of a three-story office section attached to a six-story manufacturing section. At peak production, the plant employed more than a thousand workers... and by the time of its closing, only 400.

The first thing you notice is the smell: the natural odor of decay, mingled strongly, unpleasantly, with the smell of spilled corn syrup. Every so often, you'll catch a sudden whiff of coffee or vanilla flavoring. I cannot imagine visiting during the heat of summer. The stench would be incredible. Thankfully, the removal of windows and interior doors helps to air the place out...

The manufacturing floors are vast, echoing chambers, the machinery long gone, exposing the columns supporting the upper floors...

Hinting at the former existence of major production, Brach's sports its very own rail spur and train dock, housed between the two wings of the manufacturing building...

Everywhere there are signs which indicate the endless bustle that once took place here...

And in many places, striking echoes of the employees...

The small offices tucked here and there still have desks, complete with paperwork and office equipment...

Of course, it's been vandalized...

And this sole remaining denizen is NOT happy about it...

There's a few more pictures at my Flickr and TONS more I didn't capture... poor equipment (only one memory card and a camera I didn't know anything about; for example, it had a zoom?!?!) and also we were a little pressed for time. It was fascinating, and I can't wait to go back! With a spare battery, spare memory card, and a coffee filter to diffuse my flash flare (see Jesus picture). Photo buffs: does that make sense? And if you have any suggestions on improving my pictures, feel free to drop a hint or two. I'm a total novice so any help is appreciated.

(cross-posted to chicago_urbex)