Writing, roller derby, Charm City Roller Girls, Speed Regime, Female Trouble, literature, politics, history, world travel, obscure trivia, art, photography, swimming, sleep, bellydance, learning for the sake of learning, schadenfreude, existential angst, psychoanalysis, journalism, dreams, adventures, my ever-changing pantheon of Celebrity Boyfriends, dilettantism, driving to nowhere in particular, theorizing, staring up at the stars and thinking, libertarianism, college basketball, plumbing the depths of the human mind, cartoons, roller skating, fast-paced sports, innuendo and double entendre, England and her countrymen, silence and solitude, tea in all its form and splendor, the Pacific Northwest, Ultimate Frisbee, thunderstorms, nebulous intellectual concepts, yoga, muttering darkly at the stupidity of it all, keeping things tidy, witty banter, making things happen, looking for meaning in it all, questioning everything
Music
Goldfrapp, Filter, Paul Van Dyk, U2, The Crystal Method, Fatboy Slim, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Moby, NIN, Sasha and John Digweed, God Lives Underwater, Kinobe, Groove Armada, Curve, Amon Tobin, Vanessa Daou, Econoline Crush, Metallica, Prodigy, Sarah Slean, Thievery Corporation, Dido, Sarah McLachlan, Leftfield, Matthew Good Band, Cirrus, Stone Temple Pilots, Stabbing Westward, BT, Massive Attack, Astral Projection, Slowdive, The Chemical Brothers, Trentemoller, Pink Floyd, baroque chamber music, Strauss waltzes, Holst (What's your favorite planet?), Tchaikovsky, Satie, goa trance, drum and bass, swing and classic jazz, 80s New Wave, Brit-Pop, disco when I'm feeling like a proper Carter Administration baby, Madonna in small doses, Prince when he was still a pottymouth, nameless European techno you can dance to all night
Movies
Lord of the Rings, Citizen Kane, The Great Escape, American Beauty, L.A. Confidential, The Matrix and The Matrix Reloaded, Dogma, Mallrats, Wings of Desire, Dr. Strangelove, Gladiator, Pride and Prejudice (1995), Quills, Friday, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, the Austin Powers movies, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Ghostbusters, Animal House, South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Kill Bill, 300, Wet Hot American Summer, the X-Men movies, Julius Caesar (1953), Girl Interrupted, Interview with the Vampire, Anchorman, Dark City, Spaceballs, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the Star Wars movies, History of the World Part 1, the Harry Potter movies, Office Space, Metropolis, various anime, more when reminded of them
Television
The Simpsons, pretty much anything on Adult Swim, South Park, Reno 911!, History Channel documentaries, The State, The X-Files (old school), Seinfeld, Doctor Who (new series), The Prisoner, What Not to Wear, BBC World News, Arrested Development, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, Mystery Science Theater 3000, The Office (UK), The IT Crowd, Mythbusters, I Love the 70s/80s/90s, Brit-coms, Danger Mouse, Carnivale, SpongeBob SquarePants, college basketball, infomercials for kitchen gadgets (they can put me to sleep faster than Nyquil)
Books
The Man Without Qualities, On the Road, Lord of the Rings and others by J.R.R. Tolkien, Wuthering Heights, The Great Gatsby and others by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jane Eyre, Emma, Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Julius Caesar and others by Shakespeare, Crime and Punishment, Orlando, The Antichrist and others by Nietzsche, My Life as Author and Editor and others by H.L. Mencken, The Bell Jar, The Catcher in the Rye, the Harry Potter books, The Phantom Tollbooth, Slaughterhouse-Five, Down and Out in Paris and London and others by George Orwell, Gates of Fire, art history, European history, historical biographies, political and communication theory, books full of obscure trivia, more when I'm reminded of them or when I find something new I actually enjoy.
Heroes
The women and men of roller derby. The editors of and contributors to The Associated Press Stylebook.
University Of Maryland-College Park
College Park, MARYLAND
Graduated: N/A
Student status: Alumni
Degree: Master's Degree
Major: Journalism - Public Affairs Reporting concentration
Clubs: Society of Professional Journalists; American Journalism Review
2001 to 2002
Elon University
Elon, NORTH CAROLINA
Graduated: 2001
Student status: Alumni
Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Major: Journalism
Minor: Political science, history
Clubs: The Pendulum (student newspaper and home of Tuesday Hell Nights); Elon Swim Club (Go Fish!); Honors Fellows (VA3 represent!); Elon 101 teaching assistant (for Dr. Helvey/Roselle); a bunch of random, smarty-pants honor societies no one cares about but which look good on a resume.
1997 to 2001
Atholton High
Columbia, MARYLAND
Graduated: 1997
Student status: Alumni
Degree: High School Diploma
Clubs: The Raider Review (school newspaper); Shakespeare Troupe; National Thespian Society; National Honor Society
About me: I tell myself I'm nothing special. My therapist tells me I'm an unconventional woman. My mother tells me I should be happier. My father tells me I'll always be his little girl. My sister and brother tell me I'm a dork. My friends tell me I'm crazy but that's what they like about me. My resume tells me I'm a writer and editor, with emphasis on the latter. My passport tells me I'm an American who has seen something of the world but not nearly enough. The woman who waxes my eyebrows tells me I'm a beautiful girl. Washington Post columnist David Broder tells me my writing is "wonderful and succinct." One boss tells me I'm bright. Another tells me he hears nothing but good things about me. Another tells me I'm a perpetually angry smarty-pants. Well-meaning casual acquaintances tell me I should be doing more writing. The guy I have a crush on tells me he likes my work--but he says it literally and without the slightest hint of innuendo. Coworkers tell me I don't talk to them enough. My cat tells me I'm warm and soft and that my can-opening skills make me a tolerable companion. My bellydance instructor tells me I think and try too hard. My body tells me I need to be doing more swimming. My head tells me there's something more to it all than this. My heart tells me the answers are out there. My soul tells me not to listen to what everyone else tells me.
So what can I tell you? And what do you have to tell me?
Check out my Flickr sets!
It's all about derby...
Charm City Roller GirlsHarm City HomicideDerby News Network
Who I'd like to meet: The John Steed to my Emma Peel. Writers, artists and literary types who want to form the next Bloomsbury Group or Algonquin Round Table. Aristocrats, landed gentry and lesser nobility. Someone who can teach me how to waltz and break me of my habit of always leading. Dilettantes, cognoscenti, iconoclasts and provocateurs... and people who can spell all four and use them in a sentence. People who neither snicker nor look at me blankly when I say I want to see the Wiener Philharmoniker. Modern pentathletes. A muse for whom the feeling is mutual. A traveling companion with a List of Things To See Before I Die as long as mine. People who like to go see movies and then discuss them at length in diners afterwards. Legendary wits. Men who understand and accept the fact that if they tell me that I "complete them," I will punch them in the face. Exceptional kissers. Wordsmiths. Disgruntled traffic reporters. Fellow derbyheads. Melancholics. Wikipedians. The Byronic, the Kafkaesque, the Machivellian, and people with last names that can be made into adjectives. Speakers of dead and constructed languages. Wealthy benefactors. AP Style addicts. A true intellectual sparring partner with humor, warmth and an adventurous streak... and pretty eyes. Friends with their own special kind of wit and wisdom and good conversational skills--liking Thai food, having impeccable grammar and possessing near-encyclopedic knowledge of The Simpsons helps too.
The DC Rollergirls 2009 Season Championships DC DemonCats vs. Cherry Blossom Bombshells Saturday, May 9 Doors 4 pm bout 5 pm www.dcrollergirls.com
Last month's semifinal game between Scare Force One and the Cherry Blossom Bombshells came down to a nail-biting double overtime, and the Bombshells are trying to carry that momentum to vanquish the fierce DC DemonCats, who haven't lost a game since October. This exciting season championship matchup will be the last DC Rollergirls home game until the fall, so don't miss out!
In addition, fans can watch an expo matchup between Scare Force One and the River City Rollergirls of Richmond, VA, and check out Jason Leffler's #38 NASCAR showcar. Plus, in honor of Mother's Day, moms will get a gift at the door!
It's tailgating season, so come early to Stadium/Armory Lot 3 and get a head start on the fun! The lot opens at 3 p.m.
Tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for children ages 6-12 (5 and under free) and are available in advance through www.ticektmaster.com (service charge applies), at the RFK Stadium box office and at the door on bout day.
Our All-Stars are also hitting the road again this month, fresh off their victory against the Dutchland Derby Rollers. This time, they are heading south to take on the Dominion Derby Girls April 26. Hometown fans welcome!
Also, we are excited to announce that DC Rollergirls merchandise is now available online! Now you can buy your favorite team or league shirts, buttons, stickers and more!
Check out our new eBay Store: Dc Rollergirls Merch Be sure to watch for EXCLUSIVE AUCTION ITEMS like SIGNED TEAM PROGRAMS. Team signed program auctions will start at bout time, April 18 @ 5pm EST.
The DC Rollergirls again have back-to-back home and travel bouts in March.
On Saturday, March 14, home teams Scare Force One and DC DemonCats will face eachother for the second time this season. The 2-1 DemonCats were victorious the last time around, but 1-1 Scare Force is itching for another win. The Cherry Blossom Bombshells will take on the Boardwalk Brawlers of Shore Points Roller Derby in an expo game.
On Saturday, March 21, the DC All-Stars head to Pennsylvania again, this time to take on the Dutchland Derby Rollers in Lancaster.
You can help support the All-Stars just by going to eat some chili at the Hard Times Cafe in Old Town Alexandria March 26. Make sure you bring this flier to make sure we get credited with your purchase!
Love & Aggression: DC Rollergirls whip up some post-Valentine's fun Feb. 21
All three teams have 1-1 records now, so don't miss this bout that will put the DC DemonCats or the Cherry Blossom Bombshells on the road to the championship! Plus, enjoy an expo bout between DCRG's Scare Force One and the < a href="http://www. queencityrollergirls. net" target="_blank">Queen City Rollergirls.., all the way from Buffalo, NY.
Tickets are $12 for adults at the door and available presale through Ticketmaster (service charge applies). Get $2 off at the door with a valid military ID. Youth tickets (age 6-12) are $6 and children 5 and under are admitted free.
Make sure you don't miss any DC Rollergirls news! Join our Facebook group, follow us on Twitter or sign up for our email list at www. dcrollergirls. com.
Can't wait until bout day to get your derby fix?Have a drink with us at Madam's Organ on Thursday, Jan. 22, from 5-9 pm (happy hour prices 'til 8). Play games, arm wrestle a Rollergirl and more! Bout tickets will be for sale.
Get in the spirit of the season with the DC Rollergirls annual holiday party!
This year, we have invited local craft vendors so you can purchase unique gifts while you party with your local roller derby skaters.
All proceeds from this event benefit the DC Rollergirls and Alternative House! We are collecting gift cards from major retailers (like Target, Best Buy, grocery stores) to benefit Alternative House.
In town for Thanksgiving? Skip the malls and bring the family to roller derby Nov. 29!
Tickets are $12 for ages 12 and up, $6 for ages 6-11 and free for kids 5 and under. On sale now through Ticketmaster (service charge applies) or for face value at the door.
Sports junkie? Our announcers will provide college football score updates throughout the bout.
Do-gooder? Bring an item from the Capital Area Food Bank's most wanted list and you will be entered into a halftime drawing.
It's all about derby...
