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| Okay, I find this video strangely beautiful and touching. (Make sure you watch in high quality!) If you don't know the story behind Where the Hell is Matt?, it's about this man, Matt Harding, who posted videos of himself dancing all over the world. In this new video, people from many, many countries join in for a global dance party, and I defy anyone to not feel moved by it. | |
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| For years I've been trying to locate this movie I loved as a child in the '80s. It's been difficult to find it because the only thing I could remember about the movie was this: "It was animated, the characters were animals, and I believe there was a cat who was a witch. The main animal could be transported by the wind, I think there was east wind and a west wind. I remember a scene in the beginning where there is either some sort of deer or unicorn lying in the forest, maybe. I think the main character meets some sort of hedgehog character on an island." I was reminded of the movie again when Whitney at Pop Candy Blog (a v. cool site) posted a link to a collection of forgotten animated movies. It wasn't on there, but I posted the above description in the comments. It turns out that this movie is more popular than you might think, because someone posted this comment a few comments before mine: "My favorite animated and forgotten film that was not on the list: UNICO!!! That was one great movie." After seeing my vague description, the person wrote: "@turtle: zomg! see my previous post! I think you're talking about UNICO!!! I <3 Unico. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unico" And indeed we were thinking of the same movie! How random. I had found it before that person's comment, though, because I searched YouTube for "witch cat." That was my exact search. And the first link that popped up? Unico - "Witch Cat Chao" (aka Katy), which is a scene from the movie! I can't believe so many people loved this movie! AND YOU CAN WATCH IT ON YOUTUBE!: Fantastic Adventures of Unico! I am so excited. | |
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| "White Americans, what?
Nothing better to do?
Why don't you kick yourself out?
You're an immigrant, too."
--The White Stripes, "Icky Thump"
I heart the White Stripes. I'm finally listening to their new album, Icky Thump. Yea! It's a bit strange, but that's par the course with the White Stripes.
I found my copy of Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future by Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards. It was in my dresser, with some other books from school. So, s0ja, you can borrow it, if you want. It's a must read, if only for the massive collection of feminist links and resources in the back. I've found a lot of great organizations through the list. Right now I'm going down the list, signing up for any free newsletters or mailing lists. For example, even though "we don't need another wave," ;), I just signed up at Third Wave Foundation. They have to be at the forefront of any news. I need to be more aware of current feminist activism. Disappointingly (for a number of reasons), a number of the links in the book are no longer active. - iTune:Think About It-Stevie Nicks-Bella Donna
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| Damn it.
I wrote an entry, clicked to submit it, and lame Safari crashed.
Ugh. A rotten feeling to realize I spent upteen minutes typing something, only to have it disappear.
I'm not going to re-type it right now. - iTune:Think About It-Stevie Nicks-Bella Donna
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| I received a free copy of Bright Lights, Big Ass: A Self-Indulgent, Surly, Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why it Often Sucks in the City, or Who are These Idiots and Why Do They All Live Next Door to Me? by Jen Lancaster in the mail today (courtesy of Bzz Agent), and it seemed decent enough, so I started to read it.
The beginning was...mildly entertaining. I write "mildly" because I found the author (it's a memoir) to be a tad immature, self-centered, spoiled, etc. etc. But also amusing at times.
Her constant bashing of Carrie Bradshaw (of Sex and the City) annoyed me, though, especially since the basis seemed to be she's a liar, life in the city's not like that, blah blah blah, but I took her opinions with a grain of salt because, hello, she didn't seem to have a problem with watching the so-not-realistic Desperate Housewives.
But a greater annoyance was still to come.
Brace yourself.
She's a Republican.
I felt a bit twitchy at the mention of the Drudge Report, but I felt I could handle a book about a Republican, as long as she didn't mention her politics too much.
But no. The utter inanities kept coming.
From page 99: "If I could endure the fraternity party otherwise known as the Clinton administration, you can deal with President Churchy McJesus."
The fraternity party...? Okay, I don't agree with everything Clinton did during his presidency, but, please, let's compare his accomplishments to Bush's. And also, let's compare their failures. Who drove our country into the ground and is responsible for thousands of deaths? I'm thinking, not Clinton.
It gets better. She's a fan of Ann Coulter, watches Fox News regularly, and believes Sean Hannity deserves a raise.
Also?
From page 122: "I quickly revise my I Dig Any Famous Pit Bull Advocate stance, which previously gave passes to Rosie Perez, Vin Diesel, Michael J. Fox, and Jon Stewart..."
Uh. What's Michael J. Fox done that he needs a pass for, other than being pro-stem cell research, which, you know, could save his life? I'm sorry if him having a disease offends you so much...
But wait.
There are some real fighting words.
From page 212: "I pushed through a pack of tourists from Cleveland while rushing to the register to purchase my prize. Out of the way, you slack-jawed yokels..."
Well, fuck you.
Frankly, though, even though she proclaims to be a Republican, I find that she has little understanding of politics. I think she's quite naive/ignorant about the world outside of her self-absorbed bubble.
Anyway, we don't have to worry too much about her inflicting her ignorance on the rest of us:
From page 222: "The worst part was I realized I was far more likely to vote for an American Idol contestant than a government official, as evidenced by my not walking next door to vote in the last local election because it was raining."
Super.
I'm so not finishing this book. - iTune:Think About It-Stevie Nicks-Bella Donna
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| I watched the most darling, movie yesterday: Miss Potter.
First off, it must be said that Renée Zellweger is the most talented actress of her era.
Second off, I never knew how fabulous Beatrix Potter was!
She was such a progressive, modern woman plucked down in the Victorian Era.
Britain owes her a great debt, because she donated 4,000 acres of land in the Lake District to a conservation group, having bought up all this farmland during her lifetime to protect it from developers. Can you imagine what this land would look like now if it weren't for her? Probably filled with shopping malls and McDonald's. Instead, it's a slice of beautiful nature for everyone to enjoy.
If you watch this movie, be prepared to cry (if you're a sap like me, that is). It's really quite a charming movie. - iTune:Brightest Hour-The Submarines-Honeysuckle Weeks
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| I haven't been updating my Books Read, 2007 list! I better write them down before I forget what I've read. I'm quite proud of my mix of fiction and nonfiction reads this year.
# The Official Fahrenheit 9/11 Reader by Michael Moore
How can people ignore facts, is what I want to know.
Season of the Witch by Natasha Mostert
I won ten copies of this book for my book club. It was a lot better than I expected it to be, actually, but it stills reads a bit like a male fantasy.
# The Assault on Reason by Al Gore
I agree with so much of what Gore wrote, but at times this book read like someone's dissertation, it's not always accessible to the every reader.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Finally! Ask my thoughts in person, if you want to know. Too long for here.
Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu by Lee Goldberg
This book was better than I expected it to be, because I think it's hard to translate Monk's behavior and quirks to text. I was leery about the book being from Natalie's point-of-view, because I'm not a huge fan of hers, but know I realize that it couldn't be done from any other way. An enjoyable mystery, but I don't know if I'd read another one in the series. - iTune:Fern Beard-The Submarines-Honeysuckle Weeks
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| The Pact: True Love Story by Jodi Picoult We read this novel for my book club in May. I can understand why Picoult is such a popular writer, but she's not to my tastes. I find her v. manipulative, v. deus ex machina. Also, this novel is so not a "love story." It's about a teenage couple, and the girl is found dead with a bullet wound to her head. The boy is on trial for murder, and he claims it was a suicide pact. The girl is basically the only sympathetic character in the entire novel. # BITCHfest: Ten Years of Cultural Criticism from the Pages of Bitch Magazine edited by Lisa Jervis and Andi Zeisler Highly recommended. I love that it's filled with articles about different topics, like puberty to media to slash to gender roles to stereotypes to basically anything. I loved it to pieces. I don't want to read an entire book about just one topic. A caveat: I wouldn't recommend it to someone brand new to feminism, because I think you have to have some understanding about women's history plus some understanding and recocognization of issues. For someone new to feminism, I would recommend the first feminist book I ever read: Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future by Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards. Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics by bell hooks I am so disappointed in this book. Most feminists I know, whose opinions I trust, highly recommended it. I came away with nothing, though. I felt like it was a Cliff Notes version of feminism. Chapters were two to four pages long on each topic, and I just don't think it delved into enough detail about anything. The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham June's book club book. Nonfiction. It made everyone furious with the "justice" system. Girls Rock!: Fifty Years of Women Making Music by Mina Carson, Tisa Lewis, and Susan M. Shaw Yeah. I knew women have it hard in the music industry, but some of these stories were shocking. I found the book mostly boring, though. I don't care much about when people bought their first guitar, etc. Books Read, 2007Books Read, 2006Books Read, 2005I better start reading a heck of a lot more if I want to reach my goal of 50 books. | |
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| !!!!!!!  I am excited, but I also can't believe it. Oh, LeBron, you have the hopes of an entire city on you now. It's hard to believe LeBron is only 22 years old most of the time, but then you see him smile and celebrate after a victory, and there it is.  - iMood:ecstatic
- iTune:The Gossip - "Standing in the Way of Control"
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| I am conducting an experiment with one of my local radio stations. This particular station plays mostly pop and "light rock" music. They are also owned by Clear Channel, who was behind many country music stations banning the Dixie Chicks (because Clear Channel is based in Texas, etc., and owns some 1,000 radio stations). This radio station plays many "crossover" country artists, so I wanted to determine if they would play the Dixie Chicks, specifically their newer songs. During their request hours, I requested "Not Ready to Make Nice" by the Dixie Chicks from one e-mail address; five minutes later, I requested "Thunder Road" by Bruce Springsteen from another e-mail address (I had to make the song distinctive enough, so I would know it wasn't requested by someone else). My logic is that if they played Springsteen’s song and not the Dixie Chicks’ song, obviously the Dixie Chicks must be banned from this station, too (I actually think they do play the Dixie Chicks on a local country music station, as I’m sure I’ve heard "Wide Open Spaces" lately; again, though, would they play "Not Ready to Make Nice"? That’s an experiment for another time). Unfortunately, neither request was played today. Possibly I made the requests too late—maybe too many were already ahead of me. I am going to make two song requests every day until I determine for one way or another if they will play the Dixie Chicks. **** Bush-gems from today’s press conference: "Money trumps peace."
"I don't know what's going in Iraq because I'm in this beautiful White House." | |
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| I just finished watching parts one and two of the new Jane Eyre miniseries (yea for DVR), and it is fabulous. I love the woman playing Jane (Ruth Wilson); she's not too pretty, not too plain. I love her expressions. I can't wait until the rest next Sunday, because obviously that's the best part with all of the drama and etc. I think this adaptation is the best Jane Eyre I've seen--but then, they have a lot more time to work with! I was smiling like a fool during the scene where Jane tells Rochester she has to leave for two weeks, and they argue over the money and Jane is smiling and eeeee! Ugh. I made the mistake of reading some of the message boards on imdb.com about the movie. I should have known better, though, because every discussion, about any movie or TV show, dissolves into how horrible American movies/actors/people etc., etc., etc. are. I just want to read about a movie. Thanks. Now someone needs to make a great version of Wuthering Heights (my favorite novel of all time). I love the one with Laurence Olivier, but it's not really Wuthering Heights. The other versions aren't worth mentioning. | |
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| So I have fallen in love with a new artist/duo/band/whatever: Rilo Kiley. I've had their album So Adventurous for a while now, but I've mostly just listened to it peripherally, in the background, like. Lately, though, I've been paying more attention, and it's fabulous. Yesterday I got their album The Execution of all Things, and it's just as good. I can't describe their sound. It's a bit different. It's mostly a woman singer. What's hilarious is that the two people in the band were childhood actors! One was in Salute Your Shorts. Remember that show?
Um. My Safari crashed and the entry saved, but I can't remember what else I wanted to say about Rilo Kiley. Just that you should listen to them.
"I do this thing where I think I'm real sick
But I won't go to the doctor to find out about it
Cause they make you stay real still in a real small space
As they chart up your insides and put them on display.
They'd see all of it, all of me, all of it.
All the good that won't come out of me
And all the stupid lies I hide behind.
It's such a big mistake
Lying here in your warm embrace."
--"The Good That Won't Come Out," Rilo Kiley
A lot of music reviewers chose The Decemberists' The Crane Wife as album of the year. I listened to it twice the other day. I don't dislike it, but I don't hear anything special in it, either. So okayyyyy... | |
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| The Constant Gardener by John le Carré I finished The Constant Gardener last week. I wanted to read it because the movie was my favorite movie of 2006. It's an incredibly moving and beautiful story. And romantic! I love how it's a mystery with intrigue and fighting corruption and it's political and suspenseful, but that at it's heart, it's a love story. I don't know if I want to spoil it for anyone! But I just love it. I love the way Justin changes in the story. I love that he loved Tessa so much to do so. The novel is fabulous, too, but I still prefer the movie, probably because I saw it first. I think the novel isn't as good as the movie because the movie isn't as dense as the novel. Also the movie focuses entirely on Justin's point-of-view, unlike the novel, and so I think that point is in the movie's favor, too, because his mission is the one you care about. The novel's ending felt a bit anti-climatic to me, at first. Now I'm getting over it, though. The movie's ending is essentially the same, but the order is switched around, and so you get a bit more satisfaction. But, like I said, I'm getting over that feeling. I think the ending of the novel is growing on me. | |
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| "...and now it's written all over my face." Honestly, I am amazed and grudgingly impressed at how well Bush's machine spins the truth, even in the face of ever dwindling approval ratings. Some portion of America must continue to hang in there. The latest spin is Condoleeza Rice's spew of "liberals are anti-feminist" (paraphrased, I'm sure). During Rice's recent testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Barbara Boxer drew attention to the issue that the president, his administration, Congress--even Boxer herself!--have no real sacrifice or investment in the war in Iraq, no family to lose. Rice (with Karl Rove's help, obviously) thusly accuses Boxer of being an anti-feminist and attacking Rice for being a single, childless woman! What claptrap. I am amazed that some people are buying into this interpretation, such as Elisabitch on the View, who speaks for all sad, brainwashed conservative women. I hope she is firmly in the minority. I wouldn't know it, though, from reading some accounts by the media! What "liberal media"? All of the major networks are owned by conservative corporations! See how talented they are? I'm going to believe that people have greater comprehension skills of a three-year-old, because it would cause me serious pains otherwise. Why? Because below is Boxer's actual quote: “Who pays the price? I’m not going to pay a personal price. My kids are too old and my grandchild is too young. You’re not going to pay a particular price, as I understand it, with an immediate family. So who pays the price? The American military and their families. And I just want to bring us back to that fact.” Did she belittle Rice for being a single-woman? Not in the way Rice means. She's calling out all of the people who expect families to fight a war they created, all of the people who are using regular citizens as mere pawns on their chessboard. And Rice knows exactly what Boxer meant, so she can shove her mock outrage and indignation. And shut up about how Rice can "empathize." Fuck your empathy. Empathy is not the same damn thing as seeing your sister or son or cousin come home in a body-bag. Jackass. P.S., If anyone wants to see actual examples of "anti-feminism" from a woman, look no further than Laura Bush, who said Rice would never run for president because she has no family to support her. Exact quote: "Dr. Rice, who I think would be a really good candidate (for President), is not interested. Probably because she is single, her parents are no longer living, she's an only child. You need a very supportive family and supportive friends to have this job." | |
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| Now that I'm back to using my iMac (I using my brother's Dell while he was home for the Internet), my music is being tracked by Last.fm again. So if you want to know what I'm listening to always...  My computer is being v. slow today. The little busy rainbow-circle keeps spinning and spinning and I can't do anything. Hateful. | |
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| I'm rather proud of myself. Both yesterday and today I work-out with Pilates for 40 minutes. Woohoo. I love my Pilates ball. Seriously, one of the moves is just bouncing on it. How fun is that?
I wish I didn't have to work on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, as the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame has free admission tomorrow. I still want to view the Clash exhibit.
Two of my cats, The Brat and Mello Yello, are engaged in a bitter blood-fued. They are both males, so they've never been best friends, but they've always at least tolerated each other. Lately, though...
I first noticed it on New Year's. I went to let The Brat outside (he's an indoor/outdoor cat; the others are strictly outdoor), and when I opened the door, he saw Mello Yello sitting on the porch. The Brat started growling when he saw Mello! I was, like, okay, tough, Brat, you have to go outside, and had to give him a little shove to get outside! Usually he runs outside to his food pan once the door is open.
And so this little behavior has continued, with the Brat freaking out if I open the door and he sees Mello Yello waiting--even if The Brat is a couple of feet away from the door. I think it's entirely one-sided, though, because Mello Yello doesn't seem to care what The Brat does (although, he did give him a swat after one of The Brat's "I'm refusing to go outside" episodes, because it is annoying).
And now I notice that The Brat is more eager to come inside, too. If I open the door, he tries rushing in and I have to open the door just a crack to grab him quick to wipe his paws. Usually, I have to call and call and cajole him to get him to come inside.
So today the cats got some really nice leftovers for dinner. I opened the door to let The Brat out, and he was being his slow self, so I picked him up and put him outside, but he just tried to run back in, and I tried to push him back out, but he was acting so pathetic and weird and I was, like, okayyyyy, because Mello Yello wasn't even on the porch and it was food time, and The Brat is a freak for food. So I let him come back inside.
But then ten minutes later, I figure the others are done eating so maybe The Brat would like a turn, so I carry him to the door, and before I even open it, he starts hissing and growling! So I fed him regular cat food inside instead. Now he's sleeping on my bed. I told him he has to go out eventually, because he doesn't have an indoor litterpan.
I don't know what his problem is with Mello Yello. Mello Yello is just a big 'ole softie. Well...not really. He's been in quite a few scraps, protecting the homestead. But he wouldn't hurt The Brat, much. | |
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| For my own edification, a listing of all of the books I've read in 2007. Hopefully updated regularly! # = recommended Fiction# The Constant Gardener by John le Carré (discussed here) The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom (discussed here) | |
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| I joined the 50bookchallenge over at livejournal, a community that challenges you to read 50 books a year. I've read one book so far this year: The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. Someone selected this book in my book club, and I didn't enjoy it that much. I don't like Albom's style of writing. My book club meets tonight, so I'm curious to find out our next book! In 2006, I read 41 books! | |
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| From imdb.com: Jolie Loves Adopted Children Differently
Angelina Jolie insists she has different feelings towards each of her kids and feels especially close to her adopted children because they've already led such a hard life. The Oscar winner has two adopted children with Brad Pitt, Maddox and Zahara, as well as their biological daughter Shiloh, who was born in May. Jolie tells Elle magazine that she's more partial towards her adopted children, saying, "I think I feel so much more for Mad and Z because they're survivors, they came through so much. Shiloh seemed so privileged from the moment she was born. I have less inclination to feel for her... I met my other kids when they were six months old, they came with personality. A newborn really is this... yes, a blob! But now she's starting to have a personality... I'm conscious that I have to make sure I don't ignore her needs just because I think the others are more vulnerable." Wow. She is beyond messed up. Angelina Jolie is holding *her* privilege against an innocent baby? Yes, because it's a baby's fault that her parents are rich and famous. And she's so right, a *baby* is not in any way vulnerable. Thank you for educating me, Jolie. Here I thought babies had to rely on their parents to have any of their needs met. God, I can't stand her. Why did anyone give that crackpot children? I hope her daughter reads these little quotes when she's twelve years old and cuts off all ties with her mother, because it would just make her like-mother-like-daughter. | |
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| I am...devastated. When Ohio State couldn't convert the firstdown toward the end of the second quarter, I had tears in my eyes. When they fumbled the football inches away from the endzone and Florida recovered it and went on to a touchdown on the next play, I was full-blown crying. I watched until the end of the third quarter, but then I was done. My poor little heart couldn't take it anymore. Plus, I had work the next day.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are Ohio's only Hope; our only great sports team. And I think they still are: they did win the Championship in 2003, they did beat Michigan this year, and I don't think a great season should be negated by one (truly horrible to watch) game. It's sad that some people buy into this "culture of winning" and that second place is no longer good enough. That's called "fair-weather fans." So if anyone disses my Buckeyes, I'll smack you upside the head (metaphorically).
They are still the number one college football team in my eyes. As one of my favorite former professors said, "Yep, if they had played this game a week or two after the Michigan game, it's a different story."
Waiting 51 days to play a championship game? That's bullshit.
Now I'm back to watching my true sports love: basketball. Go Cavs and the Golden Flashes! | |
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| Um. Why are the Florida Gators, who have no business even playing in the BCS Championship, currently leading the Ohio State Buckeyes, who are beyond awesome and had a beautiful 93-yard kick-off return touchdown on the first play of the game? I am so not happy right now. This crap is what happens when a team is off for FIFTY-ONE DAYS: two personal penalties, two quarterback sacks and an INTERCEPTION. And counting. Troy Smith, I love you, but play like you’ve won a Heisman, which, oh, right, YOU HAVE. It’s okay, boys, you’ll get them. I have faith. And you know why, because the Gators have gotten lucky. The first personal penalty and being WRONGLY given a first-down led to their first touchdown. The second personal penalty led to WRONGLY being given a touchdown. I think the officials must be BLIND to think that who-cares-what-his-name-is scored to put the Gators in the lead, because EVERYONE saw that he had both knees down. I don’t know if my nerves can handle watching the rest of this game. I don’t want it to be a “good game.” I want the Gators to be CRUSHED. OH MY GOD. It is now 21-7. WTF is going on. Okay. Now it’s 21-14. Better, better.
E.T.A. at half-time: I'm def. crying over a football game. Lame. | |
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| O - H - I - O ! - iTune:The McCoys - "Hang on Sloopy"
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| I've noticed that since I've graduated from college, I've put on more weight than I'd like. There's no convenient gym for me to visit at home, and I'm just not as active or motivated anymore. And since I'm already a chubby person to begin with...well. It's not a good thing. Even when I did go to the gym, it was still hard to lose weight because I was at college eating college food (but, really, I think I mostly ate healthy foods).
So...I've been feeling glum about my weight and looks and general lifestyle lately, so I made a v. impulsive purchase yesterday. I still can't believe it; I usually agonize over decisions. I was telling my mom to buy the Today's Special Value on QVC yesterday, which was a a month of the NutriSystem program. She said "Why don't you buy it." So I did. And I'm not going to say the price, but it was cheaper than the one advertised on TV, etc., because it was a) through QVC and b) the Today's Special Value. If I were living by myself and had to buy my own food, I think this offer of NutriSystem would be *cheaper* than buying a month of groceries.
So I should get the package sometime around Jan. 14. I don't think I get to pick my own food or anything, because it's a special package just for QVC-members. The program is three meals a day plus snacks plus sometimes desserts. I have weekends-off, meaning I get to eat whatever I want. So I'm going to try it for a month and see what happens.
Since I'm "dieting" (although I don't really think it's a "diet," because I'm not eating *less,* I'm just eating different foods; it's a "weight loss strategy" with foods that speed up your metabolism), I figure I should work-out more, too. My mom has a stationary bike plus one of those Gliders, so I will try using them more. Plus, I want to buy this Pilates kit at K-Mart, which is on sale. If I dropped only one pant-size, I would feel rejuvenated.
And no comments like "You look fine" or etc. to make me feel better when those comments would be a) untrue and b) irrelevant, because it's how I *feel* about myself more than what I actually look like.
I have a funny story about the Brat and his new friend (which no one would ever guess), but I'll save it for another post. | |
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| I've been reading my AP Stylebook lately, aspiring journalist that I am, and the section on apostrophes bugs me. I always wrote "This semester I received all As" and was irritated when people wrote "A's." The "A" is not possessing anything! It's simply plural. But, apparently, correct AP Style is "A's." Wtf. I'm so not down with your little nonsensical quirks, AP. They aren't even consistent: "Do not use for plurals of numerals or multiple-letter cominations." So it wouldn't be "5's"; it would be "5s". Because that makes more sense than writing "As"? | |
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| 17. Visit an art gallery displaying local artists | |
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| I haven't updated with what books I've read recently! The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon Decent. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath Okay, this novel is now one of my top favorites. I'm a bit freaked out about this occurrence, but I can identify with at least 80% of the things the lead character thinks/feels/etc. in this novel-—up until the point she has a nervous breakdown, has electric shock therapy, tries to commit suicide, and winds up in a mental institution. Let's hope I'm not headed down that path, kids! Books Read, 2006Books Read, 2005 | |
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| Spears says she went `a little too far' I am not a fan of Britney Spears. But she should not have to apologize for not wearing any underwear. She should not have to apologize that photographers violated her and her privacy to get those photographs. I think it's disgusting that all people could talk about was how Britney wasn't wearing any underweare when they should have been horrified at what the photographers must have done to take those photographs. I haven't looked at them myself--because I won't violate someone's privacy that way--but people I trust over at ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) feminist mention that the shots are at an angle where the photographer must have been beneath Spears, his camera looking up. That is repulsive and disgusting. "Her recent nights out with party girls Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan — and those uncensored, R-rated crotch shots that were splashed across the Web — drew disapproval from her fans and other Spears watchers." That is such bullshit. Spears did not pose for those shots, people. God. | |
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| "I knew something was wrong with me that summer, because all I could think about was the Rosenburgs and how stupid I'd been to buy all those uncomfortable, expensive clothes, hanging limp as fish in my closet, and how all the little successes I'd trotted up so happily at college fizzled to nothing outside the slick marble and plate-glass fronts along Madison Avenue."
--The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath | |
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| I don't approve of the new $1 coins. I think putting the faces of the presidents on the coins is redundant. I don't have a problem with honoring some of the presidents, but half of them are worthless and others have already been honored! Why can't women or minorities be on the coins? Why do we have to keep honoring dead white men? Why hasn't MLK Jr.'s face been put on money yet? I wouldn't even have a problem with white, male authors or scientists or doctors being honored--as long as women and minorities were honored, too. Just no more dead presidents! And these men are replacing a women's suffrage pioneer, Susan B. Anthony, and an American Indian woman, Sacagawea. No. I don't like the hook of this article, either. "The U.S. Mint is hoping that Martin Van Buren and Millard Fillmore can do what Susan B. Anthony and Sacagawea couldn't--get Americans to use dollar coins." The coins did not fail because of who was on them! I will take the Bill Clinton coin, though. But apparently he has to die before he can appear on the coin, so let's not hurry that, okay? | |
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| 1) I read this blurb for a book this morning: "When America was attacked on 9/11, its citizens almost unanimously rallied behind its new, untested president as he went to war." (Blurb for The Greatest Story Ever Sold by Frank Rich, which actually I think I might be interested in reading, as the rest of the blurb reads "What they didn't know at the time was that the Bush administration's highest priority was not to vanquish Al Qaeda but to consolidate its own power at any cost. As only he can, acclaimed New York Times columnist, Frank Rich, delivers a step-by-step chronicle of how skillfully the White House built its house of cards and how the institutions that should have exposed these fictions, the mainstream news media, were too often left powerless by the administration's relentless attack machine, their own post-9/11 timidity, and an unending parade of self-inflicted scandals.")
2) I heard someone remark on The View (shh!) yesterday about how everyone is acting like they were always against the war, but how this commenter remembered how everyone was for it at the time.
What the hell. Not once did I ever support George Bush. 9/11 did not make me rally behind him. I was always against the war. I got harassed a lot for it, too. And my parents were never for either, too. And some of my friends were against it, too. So I don't know what the heck is with this belief that at one point in time everyone supported Bush and/or the war in Iraq. Because there were always people against both. We were just made to feel like second-class citizens at the time. But we were there. So no. Don't act like everyone is against the war now just because we're sick of American soldiers dying, because now it's the popular belief, because we're "losing," because we finally got smart, etc. That's just insulting. | |
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| Yea, my personal ad has been filled! How thrilled am I with the election results? I feel like the rug will be pulled from underneath me any moment. I don't think I've ever experienced my candidate winning before! What a strange feeling, to be ahead. I'm so excited about Strickland and Brown. The US will prob. be in gridlock for two years, but at least that means Bush won't inflict more crap on us! I can't wait until January for the smoke-free bars and restaurants! A new woman Speaker of the House? I loved Pelosi long ago. Some annoying correspont on CNN this morning said that the Democrats will have a lot of "rhetoric" and no action. Okay. It's not "rhetoric" if a group actually tries to accomplish something but CAN'T because they don't have a 2/3rds majority to override any Bush-veto. And may I just say that I told lame duck Mike DeWine back in September 2005 that he should look for a new job? That journal entry: americablog.blogspot.com, my favorite political blog, issued an Action Alert on the Dirty Bomb 54, 54 US Senators who "KILLED legislation establishing an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate what went so horribly wrong with Hurricane Katrina."
I called and e-mailed my senators, DeWine and Voinovich, the shits, last night. I called again this afternoon because I wanted to talk to a real person.
A DeWine staffer sent me to another staffer, the one "who handled that." But that person wasn't in, so I could only leave a message. I said how disappointed I was, how 76% of Americans support it, as well as 64% Republicans, and how the panel the Republicans wanted wasn't bipartisan if Republicans outnumbered Democrats on it.
And then I wished DeWine good luck on finding a new job in November 2006, when we vote him out of office.
I then called Voinovich. The staffer gave me this reason as to why Voinovich voted against it: "it was illegally attached to an appropriations amendment." The staffer called it a "technicality."
I told him I didn't buy that reason. I then asked, if that were the real reason, if V. was going to look into an independent investigation in the future. Staffer said V. hadn't taken a position yet.
I told him about that 76% of Americans supported an independent investigation, including 64% of Republicans.
Staffer: "I'll be sure to pass that information on to him, miss."
I said (sarcastic), "Yeah, I'm sure you will."
He then hung up on me. Go me! | |
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| Letters to God end up in ocean, unreadThis story made my heart hurt. I think it's beautiful and sad. I think someone should compile these together and publish them—with the writers listed as anonymous, of course. He opened a few with his son, Rocky, on the beach. The first few were humorous.
"I'm still praying to hit the lottery twice: first the $50,000," one man wrote. "Than after some changes have taken place let me hit the millionaire."
Another asked God to make a certain someone "leave me alone and stay off my back," while still another asks God to calm a woman who "call the Internal Revenue on me."
One woman complained that her husband always talks about sex, and another writer anonymously dropped a dime to God on someone cheating on his wife, complete with dates, times and locations.
But those, Lacovara soon found, were the exception.
Many more were written by anguished spouses, children or widows, pouring out their hearts to God, asking for help with relatives who were using drugs, gambling or cheating on them. One man wrote from prison, saying he was innocent and wanted to be back home with his family. A woman wrote that her boyfriend was now closing the door to her daughter's bedroom each night when it used to stay open, and wondered why.
A teenager poured out her heart on yellow-lined paper in the curlicue pencil handwriting of a schoolgirl, begging God to forgive her and asking for a second chance.
"Lord, I know that I have had an abortion and I killed one of your angels," she wrote. "There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about the mistake I made."
One unwed mother wrote that her baby was due in four weeks, and asked God to make the father fall in love with her and marry her so the child would have a father. However, I don't like how the man who found the letters is exploiting them by putting them on Ebay. | |
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| Madonna adoption plans trigger broad backlashDid you really think I could resist writing about one of my least favorite people ever? My problems with this issue have nothing to do with the father wanting the child back (does he even?) or whatever... Actually, it partly is. "Madonna's supporters point out that she is donating considerable time and money to Malawi and that, on balance, the boy stands to gain. 'Angelina Jolie, Meg Ryan and Mia Farrow have done it too, drawing criticism of rich celebrities, western arrogance, racism and fashionably cute babies. But surely what counts most is the happiness of one child?' Britain's Guardian newspaper wrote in an editorial." Excuse me. The boy wouldn't be happy with his natural father? Does the Guardian or anyone else have some kind of proof that the parent is an abuser or etc.? Go to hell, Guardian. You hacks. What the hell is with the implication that Madonna would be a better parent because she's wealthy, white, and rich? Eff that shit. If these reasons decided whom could best take care of the kid and not biology, wouldn't a lot of lower- and middle-class parents have their children taken away from them and given to rich couples? So people really want to set that precedent? My main problem is that Madonna decides on a fricken whim that she wants to adopt a child, and poof! It happens. While other parents--who do not already have children!--have to wait years and have their entire life investigated and etc., etc. Also: "Malawian law bans adoptions by non-residents, but officials are granting an exemption to Madonna." UGH. | |
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| Readers: We're still high on 'Studio 60'Please let this article be true. I had a nightmare last night that Studio 60 was going to be canceled. No more Bradley Whitford every week? Nooooo! Please start watching this show! | |
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| Plan B is going to be available over-the-counter soon, but until then women have to deal with crap like this: Blogger Denied EC by Every Hospital within 100 Miles. In Ohio. It is a v. slippery slope when pharmacists and doctors are allowed to deny people medication because of "morals." "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm against smoking. Your lung cancer is pretty much your own damn fault, so I refuse to fill/prescribe these prescriptions to help you fight it." "I don't believe in 'depression.' It is in indeed all in your head, but not because of a chemical imbalance in your brain. If you want to start feeling happy, then stop acting like a damn crybaby about things. I'm not filling/prescribing this Paxil prescription." Ugh. On a lighter note, I dressed the Brat in baby clothes. He wasn't all that amused. | |
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| Recent items received that I discovered through freestuff: The Brat is not all interested in the catnip from Halo. He basically shows no reaction from smelling or eating it. At first I thought he did because he attacked the bag it was in at first, but then I realized that he just attacks everything. It's prob. best if catnip doesn't affect him, because he's already fairly crazy. Item added to my Life List: | |
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| "Walls has joined the company of writers such as Mary Karr and Frank McCourt who have been able to transform their sad memories into fine art." -- PeopleI've just finished one of the best (if not the best) memoirs I've ever read: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. I'm not the best at describing books or why I like them, so instead I give you some obersvations from people who are paid to review books: Book Description: The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette's brilliant and charismatic father captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticity and didn't want the responsibility of raising a family.
The Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered.
The Glass Castle is truly astonishing -- a memoir permeated by the intense love of a peculiar, but loyal, family. Jeannette Walls has a story to tell, and tells it brilliantly, without an ounce of self-pity. Amazon.com Jeannette Walls's father always called her "Mountain Goat" and there's perhaps no more apt nickname for a girl who navigated a sheer and towering cliff of childhood both daily and stoically. In The Glass Castle, Walls chronicles her upbringing at the hands of eccentric, nomadic parents--Rose Mary, her frustrated-artist mother, and Rex, her brilliant, alcoholic father. To call the elder Walls's childrearing style laissez faire would be putting it mildly. As Rose Mary and Rex, motivated by whims and paranoia, uprooted their kids time and again, the youngsters (Walls, her brother and two sisters) were left largely to their own devices. But while Rex and Rose Mary firmly believed children learned best from their own mistakes, they themselves never seemed to do so, repeating the same disastrous patterns that eventually landed them on the streets. Walls describes in fascinating detail what it was to be a child in this family, from the embarrassing (wearing shoes held together with safety pins; using markers to color her skin in an effort to camouflage holes in her pants) to the horrific (being told, after a creepy uncle pleasured himself in close proximity, that sexual assault is a crime of perception; and being pimped by her father at a bar). Though Walls has well earned the right to complain, at no point does she play the victim. In fact, Walls' removed, nonjudgmental stance is initially startling, since many of the circumstances she describes could be categorized as abusive (and unquestioningly neglectful). But on the contrary, Walls respects her parents' knack for making hardships feel like adventures, and her love for them--despite their overwhelming self-absorption--resonates from cover to cover. --Brangien Davis From Publishers Weekly Starred Review. Freelance writer Walls doesn't pull her punches. She opens her memoir by describing looking out the window of her taxi, wondering if she's "overdressed for the evening" and spotting her mother on the sidewalk, "rooting through a Dumpster." Walls's parents—just two of the unforgettable characters in this excellent, unusual book—were a matched pair of eccentrics, and raising four children didn't conventionalize either of them. Her father was a self-taught man, a would-be inventor who could stay longer at a poker table than at most jobs and had "a little bit of a drinking situation," as her mother put it. With a fantastic storytelling knack, Walls describes her artist mom's great gift for rationalizing. Apartment walls so thin they heard all their neighbors? What a bonus—they'd "pick up a little Spanish without even studying." Why feed their pets? They'd be helping them "by not allowing them to become dependent." While Walls's father's version of Christmas presents—walking each child into the Arizona desert at night and letting each one claim a star—was delightful, he wasn't so dear when he stole the kids' hard-earned savings to go on a bender. The Walls children learned to support themselves, eating out of trashcans at school or painting their skin so the holes in their pants didn't show. Buck-toothed Jeannette even tried making her own braces when she heard what orthodontia cost. One by one, each child escaped to New York City. Still, it wasn't long before their parents appeared on their doorsteps. "Why not?" Mom said. "Being homeless is an adventure." --Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. | |
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| 1. Love myself
2. Don't worry so much
3. Keep in contact with my friends/resist being a hermit
4. Learn how to knit or crochet (even if it's something small!)
5. Read at least one book a month
6. Don't let people get away with being bad friends
7. Dance (badly if necessary)
8. Don't take my anger/frustration out on other people
9. Finish a novel (publication would be lovely, but not necessary)
10. See panda bears in person
11. Visit the ocean
12. Don't feel guilty for saying "no"
13. Volunteer for a political campaign
14. Write letters to editors/politicians/newscastors
15. Keep improving
16. Eat at a sushi bar
17. Visit an art gallery displaying local artists - iTune:Sigur Rós--"Starálfur"
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| I haven't watched any of the memorials or human interest stories or "how the U.S. has changed" or etc. (the polite term for it) segments on the television this week. I just...don't want to. Too many emotions would come from them, bad or good. I don't think I'll ever be able to watch any of those movies dealing with September 11th. It just feels surreal still. I can't believe what happened. I can't believe what terrorists and OUR OWN government have done to us. I can't even read lj entries about it because I never know if they will make me want to cry or throw something--either at the media or the government or the poster. Wow. I think I just realized George W. Bush makes me angrier than terrorists. Maybe because they are abstract and so far away and Bush is supposed to be HELPING us, not making everything so much, much worse. But I did watch Ellen today, and she had a segment about a woman, Ann Nelson, who died in one of the World Trade Center Towers. A while after she died, her parents found her Life List on her computer. ( Ellen has been all about life lists this season: those lists where you write down everything you want to do/be in life.) Ann's story has been in The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, etc., and she has inspired people to keep their own life list (one such woman was also on Ellen, with Ann's parents). Her list was all about bettering herself and the people around her, not superficial things like "own a car" (which might actually be a big thing for some people). I don't know what is was about her and her story. It was her picture, her parents, her love of life, the woman she inspired and what she told Ann's parents, the shots of her actual list...But my mom and I looked at each other, and my mom was crying, and I said, "I know! I feel like crying!" and then I started crying and...even if I had spent all day watching stories about 9/11, no other story would have touched me as much. I tried to find something online about her with no luck. I should make a Life List...but I'm almost afraid to. Like I'm afraid I'll never accomplish anything on it. I don't even know what I'd put on it. ETA: I found The New York Times's article! Read it under the cut. ( 'Hope, Saved on a Laptop' by Dan Barry )- iTune:Bob Dylan--"Make You Feel My Love"
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| Yoyoyo. Work is going well. For the four days I've been there. Except for one thing that was def. not in my job description. After the first day, when I came home, mom had that song "She works hard for her money..." playing on the radio. Haha. I do hate to leave my baby in the morning. : ( It's hard to be without him during the day. We don't get to cuddle and take naps together like we used to. I am, of course, talking about the Brat cat. This Internet sucks so much. I'm so sick of it taking 20 min. or more--sometimes I give up after an HOUR--to connect. Items received from listings on freestuff this week: Biore Samples
Teeny packets of three things, but two can be used several times: .25 oz of pore minimizing foaming face wash, .1 fl. oz of pore minimizing lightweight moisturizer with SPF 15, 1 deep cleansing pore strip
Address Labels from St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital
I didn't request these. Nor would I have if I had the option, because a) I have enough address labels to last longer than I plan on living in this house and b) it cost them money to send them to me and I have no intention of sending back a donation.
Pinecone Survey--$5
Checks are always nice. - iTune:Tegan and Sara--"Fix You Up"
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| "Let's be honest. Sometimes there's nothing harder in life than being happy for somebody else." --Carrie Bradshaw
Oh, Sex and the City. I had forgotten how much I loved you. - iTune:Joshua Radin--"The Fear You Won't Fall"
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| Aw, 'lil Tom Cruise is trying to do damage control now that no one wants to watch his movies. Tom Apologizes to Brooke. "'[Cruise] came over to my house, and he gave me a heartfelt apology,' the actress told Tonight host Jay Leno. 'And through it all, I was so impressed with how heartfelt it was.' Won over, Shields accepted the apology, she said." Um. Isn't he, you know, an actor? I still think he's bat-shit crazy. Of course, I never liked him even before the whole brainwashed Scientology-thing. Ugh. I hate people who think they're doctors. You don't understand the effing history of psychiatry, either, asshat. I actually rather like this article. "Cruise, who has never given birth, accused Shields, who has, of spreading 'misinformation.'" Ha! | |
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| "I actually was not intending to be here tonight, but then MTV explained that Justin Timberlake was bringing sexy back, [so here I am]." --Al Gore, at the MTV Video Music Awards [which I did not watch, snooze and (mostly) mediocore music, but did see a clip of this OBVIOUS highlight of the night]
Hahaha.
Oh, Al Gore. I wish you were our president. - iTune:Michael Stipe and Chris Martin--"In the Sun"
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| If you haven't realized from my journal entries so far, I love to keep lists. ; ) Here's my list of freebies I've ordered off of the internet (mostly discovered through freestuff), complete with dates ordered and dates received. I think it's mostly accurate. ( I Heart Freebies! ) | |
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| Items received in the mail today that I discovered through freestuff: | |
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| Meme: "Comment if you want a letter to list songs on your iPod, MP3 player, music library! You don't have to." ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) sympathetic_ink gave me the letter "M." My computer recently crashed, but I did manage to back-up most of my downloaded music. But I still have to re-upload all of my CDs (commercial and burned), so this list is lacking a lot of music. But I still have a lot of songs that start with "M" for some reason! And some v. diverse songs! Mack The Knife - Frank Sinatra Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf Make Over - Christina Aguilera Make You Feel My Love - Bob Dylan Makes Me Wanna Pray - Christina Aguilera Making Memories Of Us - Keith Urban Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This - Van Morrison Man In The Box - Alice In Chains Manic Monday - Bangles Maps - Yeah Yeah Yeahs Maybe - Alison Krauss Maybe That's What it Takes - Alex Parks Me And Bobby McGee - Janis Joplin Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard - Paul Simon Me Plus One - Annie Meant to Live - Switchfoot Mele Kalikimaka (Hawaiian Christmas) - Bing Crosby Memphis - PJ Harvey Mercy on Me - Christina Aguilera Merry Christmas Baby - Bruce Springsteen Milk (feat. Garbage) - Massive Attack Milkshake - Kelis Mine's Not a High Horse - The Shins Miserable - Lit Missing - Everything but the Girl Mission Responsible - Michael Tolcher Mississippi Girl - Faith Hill Monster Hospital - Metric Moondance - Van Morrison More than Words - Extremes More than Words - Frankie J Motion Sickness - Bright Eyes Move Along - All-American Rejects Mud on the Tires - Brad Paisley Must Be Doing Something Right - Billy Currington My Baby Just Cares For Me - Nina Simone My City Of Ruins (live) - Bruce Springsteen My Doorbell - The White Stripes My Father - Nina Simone My Love Has Gone - Josh Rouse My Love Will Not Let You Down - Bruce Springsteen My Way - Frank Sinatra Mysterious Ways - U2 - iTune:Goldfrapp--"Beautiful"
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