Quotes

Once again, Facebook has informed me that the Quotes section on my profile is too long. Thus, here's some transfer.

"...the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century." -- MLK

"...early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society." -- MLK

"Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will." -- MLK

"We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was 'legal' and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was 'illegal'." -- MLK

"Cardigans ARE the embodiment of moodiness." -- Me

"Hannah's boobs make magical things happen!" -- Genni

"...perhaps God exists, perhaps there is an explanation for everything, but there's nothing that allows us to be sure of it." -- Jacques Rivette

"If there's a prize for rotten judgment, I guess I've already won that." -- Meg (Disney's Hercules)

"I'm trying to be the best I can be but I'm a work in progress." -- Sean Combs

"For my own part, I am not in the habit of socking my enemies in the jaw. I snipe at them in print instead, and feel singularly unheroic in the process." -- Andrew Sarris

"Perhaps the only true dignity of man is his capacity to despise himself." -- George Santayana

"Antonioni's aspiration is to pin the viewer to the wall and slug him with wet towels of artiness and significance." -- Manny Farber

X-TREME WHININ'

In order to focus, I'm whining to myself - and you, Dear Internet - in order to get some stuff off my chest.

I'm supposed to have something read for Criticism tomorrow. It won't happen. Online, it says she gave us a handout. I never got said handout.

The first 25 pages of my screenplay need to be edited by Thursday, in the early evening. Somehow, I'm also supposed to write between 15 and 35 new pages. By Thursday. This was assigned last Thursday, apparently ignoring that I have other things to do and some heads-up would have been nice.

Thursday night, I have a paper due. Fortunately, my teacher said I could turn it in next week. Phew. That is happening.

I still have to do reading from last Friday, and for this Friday.

My allergies are eating me. I have a huge sinus headache.

Next week I have to give a presentation, read what will probably be upwards of 100 pages, have more edits done... and then there are papers.

I'm praying for finals.

Since the Daily Iowan brought it up...

...abortion.

I am a person with many ideas on how things should be done. What I think sets me apart, though, is that I am constantly trying to find new information on particularly touchy subjects. Recently, I've been pretty vocal about same-sex marriage, which is something I care passionately about.

I come into the abortion debate from a strange background. I was baptized Irish Catholic, went to Catholic church and Catholic school, had and still have Catholic friends. Then around the age of five I realized that I disagreed with the Catholic church, as an institution, about pretty much everything. (Yes, five. The issue was "dressing up on Sundays". It was for, I was vehemently against.)

Fast forward. I grow up. Suddenly I'm a woman, and I have to deal with all the crap that comes with that. Objectification, commodification, unfair representation. With that, in a big way, comes the issue of abortion. So instead of five, I'm sixteen. I write a research paper on the medical risks and benefits of an abortion, from both physical and psychological aspects. I'm not dumb. I do my research, taking into account the "agenda" of every source I cite. I spent a week laboriously studying for a three-page paper (I'm a nerd). The conclusion of my paper: "From a psychological perspective, abortion can have both positive and negative effects. It's true that some women feel remorse after their operations, but it is more common to feel relief - either the woman was raped, or could not afford a pregnancy, let alone a child. Abortions can be performed well or poorly. In a majority of cases, a woman walks away from an abortion operation with no lasting physical damage; in certain instances, however, an abortion can be botched. In extreme situations, an abortion may be performed in order to save the life of the mother. Statistics show that women who do not need abortions, do not have abortions, and the practice is most commonly used as an absolute last resort. Because the physical and psychological effects of abortion must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, but can clearly benefit some women and harm others, no general determination can be made as to whether abortion is 'bad'."

This, I believe to be the truth. Because no one can know what a pregnant woman has gone through, is going through, and what personal beliefs she brings to the table, she must DECIDE FOR HERSELF. This means that we as a society have to work to inform all women of all their choices. It shouldn't require a week of intensive research. As a woman, I should be able to easily access unbiased information about all my options.

Skip ahead a little more in my life. I go off to college. I experience sexual assault. My kid sister enters middle school.

1. I have never been more terrified in my life than when I went in to get STD- and pregnancy tested after I was raped. I remember sitting in the waiting room, waiting for my urine sample to be analyzed, and thinking to myself that the monster who attacked me wouldn't get the chance to mess up my life more than he already had. And here I'm not talking about the baby - which, fortunately, never existed - but about myself. I would rather have killed MYSELF than give birth to that rapist's child. So I can personally attest to the psychological trauma aspect.

But enough about me. The same people who push the anti-choice (they say "pro-life". Whatever) agenda ALSO insist on abstinence-only sex education. And this is where my baby sister comes in. Because she's been taught that abstinence is the only way to prevent unwanted pregnancy, but she still wants to have sex (actually there's a ton of societal and peer pressure for her to, but that's another rant for another day), she draws on the contraceptive knowledge of her friends - you know, young girls who have also just gone through abstinence-only sex ed. They know nothing.

A girl I was good friends with in elementary school got pregnant last year. She was astounded, because they always "did it" with her on top. PEOPLE ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT. You can't expect anyone to know any better who IS NOT TAUGHT. I've taken steps to ensure that doesn't happen with my sister, but I can't do the same to her friends, or any other girls her age.

If you haven't already, by now you're DEFINITELY thinking, "Oh hurmf, baby-killing liberals are always pro-choice." Fun Fact: I believe in individual liberties, which is in fact the definition of "conservative". But my political leanings aside, I can't bloody stand hypocrites, and I loathe people who try to pass off their opinions as "fact". Which brings me to my main point.

This morning, I opened my copy of the Daily Iowan and a big, glossy insert - labeled, in tiny print, "Advertising Supplement" - entitled "We know BETTER NOW" (their caps) fell into my lap. My thought: "Better? Huh. Okay, so you're morally superior to me. I beg for enlightenment." I opened it up, and inside it presented me with "facts" - from the same group who thinks evolution is a lie - and testimonials. But the testimonials, which mean more to me than anything since I feel abortion is an issue on which numerical data is completely irrelevant, were entirely biased to one side. A woman talked about how her abortion made her rape even worse. That was not the case for me. I closed up the advertising supplement and tossed it in the bin, where it sits now, peeking out at me, informing me that it is BETTER. Christians in America are amazingly good at defending their own religious freedom at the expense of everyone else's.

I don't read the newspaper to be preached at, outside of the opinion page. I immediately tweeted the Daily Iowan: http://twitter.com/sebhar/status/1518228717 They of course responded very well, that it was an ad, they needed to make money somehow. It's rough for print media these days, and I respect the DI for also permitting organizations like Planned Parenthood to advertise in their paper. However, let's look at it like this: the advertising supplement delivered to my door tried to push its agenda on me. You know who else does that? The Ku Klux Klan. Just saying. Also, Planned Parenthood has actual COMMODITIES - contraceptives, STD testing. I scoured the "Advertising Supplement" for products it might be pushing, and all I could find was a calculator under the slogan "Some things... don't add up." What doesn't add up for me is why the Daily Iowan would allow itself to become a propaganda dump, for either side of the political spectrum.

(I refrained from commenting on the MEN in the anti-choice propaganda. Men, because they possess no female reproductive organs and never have to face shoving a baby out of their nether regions, need to stop acting like they have clout in the abortion discussion. It's not up to you what a woman does with her body.)

The Lesbians In My Life

The following is an email I sent to my state representatives a moment ago.

"When I was a kid, my parents both worked full-time. While I had a mother and father, I was primarily raised - at least early on - by people other than my parents: teachers, daycare providers, and babysitters. The woman who took care of me during the days, and who once drove me to the hospital in her own car when I needed three stitches in my knee, lived with another woman. As for babysitting, I was watched by two women who had a son my age. It wasn't until years later that I realized these were both gay couples. I never heard anything about sexual intercourse. None of these ladies ever kissed one another in front of me. In fact, I can only think of two lasting effects these childhood contacts have had on me: that women deserve respect, and that people are people and should all be treated the same.

Every single time I hear anything from the anti-equality side of the issue, they insist that same-sex marriage will harm the children. Every time I hear that, it irks me. I'm currently 18 years of age and a sophomore at the University of Iowa; I skipped a year of high school and have consistently made the dean's list. I am active on campus and in the community. Who, then, did all the strong, independent, kind, gay women in my past harm?

On April 3rd, 2009, I celebrated with my friends and peers who now - under the law at least - are not judged by the sex of their significant other but by the content of their character. I implore you to uphold the liberties of all Iowans, and to ignore those who, with scathing lies, lash out in fear. They understand not what they do.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments."

In which: I amuse the dickens out of myself.

My birthday is coming up. My parents (and, indeed, most people, myself included) usually have no idea what to get me as presents*. Of late, I've begun to prepare for just such occasions by bookmarking links to pictures of/information about things I want. I recently sent the following email to my parents, entitled "The average age of an American combatant in the Vietnam War" (which is, according to the title of a Paul Hardcastle song, how old I'm about to be)‏:

Dearest parents:

Mother has graciously offered to escort myself and a dashing young man of my choosing (Fernando) to Trivia, and I was wondering about shirts. Possible?

Also, I have stumbled upon several interesting things lately, in order of how much I desire them.
This is a shirt:
http://www.topatoco.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=TO&Product_Code=WIGU-EDWARD&Category_Code=WIGU
The same shirt is available in "asphalt", which was an accident and therefore cheaper:
http://www.topatoco.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=TO&Product_Code=WIGU-EDWARD-ASPHALT&Category_Code=WIGU
This is a book:
http://www.yourscreenplaysucks.com/
This is a CD:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hazards_of_Love

I am dangerously low on food.

[...]

I hope you're both well. Extend my love to my siblings, our friends and our neighbours. Also, let's hope we don't all get nuked to death by North Korea (or at the very least pelted with debris).

Love.


[Insert chuckling here.] I crack me up.

*They did really well this past Christmas, though. Jess got me computer speakers. Mommy and Daddy managed several excellent things, including some hoodies, socks, undies, and most importantly a fabulous digital camera (which I now overuse the uhnf out of). I also got some great jewelry and excellent books.

#iagaymarriage

Earlier today, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the state's ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional. A full PDF of the ruling is available here: http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/10218/the-iowa-supreme-court-decision ...and I must say that it's full of win.

Never in my life have I been more proud to say that I am from Iowa. If you have Twitter, I recommend doing a search at search.twitter.com for #iagaymarriage, which is the hash tag associated with the news. There are tons of interesting links - a few bigots, it's true, but mostly people just celebrating their status as human beings.

Thank you, Iowa. God bless.

Interesting Things for April Fools

These first two came up during discussion in my Introduction to African-American Religions course:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelman_College

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosewood_massacre

Mr. Eco has come up in both my private study of the Decameron, AND in my collegiate study of film theory. An interesting dude:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umberto_Eco

These are things related to sexual assault. They're not pleasant, which is perhaps why most people I know are ignorant of them:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marital_rape

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denim_Day_in_L.A. (This one's a facepalmer)

And there you have it. Most of these are downers. It's a rough world. out there.

Here's to Brigette

I first met Brigette when I was at band camp in high school. My friend Molly and I climbed in a minivan with her two sisters, her mom, and her aunt. We six ladies each packed a week’s worth of luggage. Nutty stuff. Molly’s mom dropped us off at the International Music Camp at Peace Gardens (North Dakota/Manitoba), and there we were, Molly with her trumpet and me with my trombone, for a week of extensive band-geekiness and culture shock (weirdly; Canadians are SO AWESOME).

Brigette had traveled to IMC with her French horn from a little town in North Dakota. While I met lots of people at band camp, Brigette has always stayed in touch with me, and been there for me when I needed her. She’s a few years older than me, but we’ve always been on the same page; there are things I’m comfortable discussing with Brigette, who I knew for a few days and have only really met once in my life, that I don’t really feel right talking about with anyone else. She is so clever, creative and unique. She reminds me of me in many ways – I get the vibe from her that she, like me, is comfortable being herself, she’s just not entirely sure who she is yet.

So that’s the backstory. The frontstory is that today I checked my mail and found a package slip. When I picked my package up from the front desk, I saw that it was from Brigette. I opened it up, and it smelled GOOOOOD. Packed in among some plastic shopping bags used as padding, I found a cozy blanket, a composition notebook with a handmade collage cover, a package of ramen, and a Dig Dug musical greeting card. In with the card was a letter.

This package embodies Brigette, for me. It smells like her. It came with a hug in the form of a blanket. She’s nourishing me with food, expressing her creativity with the collage. It’s incredibly generous – a care package from one college student to another is costly in terms of content, time investment, and shipping. The card made me laugh; the letter is so full of beautiful things, both happy and sad, that it brings tears to my eyes.

I find myself wishing there were more people in the world like Brigette; however, if there were, it would be more difficult to appreciate her for what she is: a sweet, gorgeous, enchanting person who makes my life sweeter.

:-Þ

...DUDE. It is the perfect pffting emoticon.

I can die in peace.

Hey look guys! Music!

Think of 25 albums that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life or the way you looked at it. They sucked you in and took you over for days, weeks, months, years. These are the albums that you can use to identify time, places, people, emotions. These are the albums that no matter what they were thought of musically shaped your world. When you finish, tag 25 others, including me. Make sure you copy and paste this part so they know the drill. Get the idea now? Good.

1. Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd (1975)
2. Maybe You Should Drive - Barenaked Ladies (1994)
3. Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? - Of Montreal (2007)
4. Automatic for the People - REM (1992)
5. Pop - U2 (1997)
6. Nimrod - Green Day (1997)
7. The World Won't Listen - the Smiths (1987)
8. Yourself or Someone Like You - Matchbox Twenty (1996)
9. The Beatles (The White Album) - the Beatles (1968)
10. Hopes and Fears - Keane (2004)
11. Quadrophenia - the Who (1973)
12. The Times They Are A-Changin' - Bob Dylan (1964)
13. Bringing Down the Horse - the Wallflowers (1996)
14. Guero - Beck (2005)
15. Secret World Live - Peter Gabriel (1994)
16. The Moon and Antarctica - Modest Mouse (2000)
17. Used Songs 1973-1980 - Tom Waits (2001)
18. Bleed Like Me - Garbage (2005)
19. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen (1975)
20. Rum Sodomy and the Lash - the Pogues (1985)
21. Greatest Hits - Boston (compiled in 1997)
22. Kettle Whistle - Jane's Addiction (1997)
23. Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters (2004)
24. Villains - the Verve Pipe (1996)
25. The Wall - Pink Floyd (1979)

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Who's Next - the Who
Tommy - the Who
The Sunlandic Twins - Of Montreal
Sea Change - Beck
Abbey Road - the Beatles
Ready to Die - the Notorious B.I.G.
In Search of the Lost Chord - the Moody Blues
Mellow Gold - Beck
Are You Experienced? - Jimi Hendrix
Good News for People Who Love Bad News - Modest Mouse
Zooropa - U2
Give Up - the Postal Service
A Momentary Lapse of Reason - Pink Floyd
Raising Sand - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
King of Rock - Run D.M.C.
Who Are You - the Who
Achtung Baby - U2
Feeling Strangely Fine - Semisonic
the Pixies - Surfer Rosa
Veruca Salt - American Thighs
the Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
Imogen Heap - i Megaphone
the Decemberists - Her Majesty
the Decemberists - the Tain
[And Plenty More]

NOTES:
1. The albums are not ranked, by any means.
2. Honorable mentions were mostly thought of after I'd filled out the 25. Those that leaped to mind first, I considered the most influential.
3. If more than one album by an artist came up in my musings, I tried to limit it to my favourite album of said artist's, at least on the top 25 list.
3.1 Pink Floyd, as they do, were excepted.
3.2 The Who tried hard, and it pains me greatly not to have "Who's Next" on my top 25.
4. I need to stop writing this notes section because more albums keep occurring to me.

"Though my heart can't take no more...

...I keep on running back to you." Gotta love that Ashanti.

Anyway, I was here:
I love the Internet. I do. Every single day it makes me go OH DEAR GOD WHY IS HUMANITY SO STUPID (YouTube comment threads are like a party van full of drunken frat boys driving off a cliff, diving through a hoop of fire and then shouting "WOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!" into the lamest metaphor ending ever, except everybody is four times more intolerant/racist and 1337 times more pretentious). But at the end of the day, I live for teh intarwubs. It has its moments frequently enough - you know, when it's curled up beside me wearing nothing but a sheet, breathing softly and promising to never leave - that I always come back to it.

Today, I had several of those nice moments, courtesy of Jeffrey Rowland:
http://twitter.com/wigu/status/1271747304
http://twitter.com/topatoco/status/1270771215

The reason I follow @wigu AND @topatoco on Twitter is for tweets like these. The valiant Sir Rowland and his faithful sidekicks (never far behind and always equipped with coconuts) never fail to deliver. Maybe nobody around me right now would get it if I dropped a Contact reference. Maybe noone nearby would laugh at the phrase "pooped in Death's punch bowl". But I would, and so would someone else I'll probably never meet.

So, in conclusion, oh iNtArNeTz: Thanks for the solidarity.
Also I think you gave me herpes of the mind.

Pink Floyd Poem... aah, nostalgia

In my cleaning up and streamlining of my Internet persona, I found this poem, published in a hi5 blog on 21 July 2005:

I like Pink Floyd,
I like them a lot
This crappy poem
Is just about shot
But I really think
That Floyd likes machines
Peek at a songlist
You'll see what I mean.

About Me

I am addicted to Diet Coke. Well, actually I'm addicted to caffeine. Diet Coke just tastes good.

I would totally bone Boba Fett, as long as he kept his helmet on.

In public restrooms, I have to walk to the bathroom stall farthest from the door to make sure nobody is standing on a toilet.

I enjoy seeing bicyclists wearing suits.

I hate touching other people's dryer lint.

I have a tough front, but a thin skin.

My favourite music section changes constantly. There are some artists that I always love, like the Who and Pink Floyd and Midnight Oil and the indelible Beatles.

I fit in Tyler Berry's pants.

I ate a lime in Psychology class.

I am Cassica Lyn's Brain.

I want my tragus pierced. And the tattoo I designed in art, junior year of high school.

I love rain.

I'm usually uncertain about most things. Hence, I rarely say anything definite.

I enjoy simplicity. Little things like safety pins make me smile.

I'm greatly amused by doors with kickstands.

I like taking four minutes to brush my teeth.

Kurt Vonnegut is the basis for many of my religious views.

If something spilled or got knocked over, I probably did it. I don't trip very often though.

I text responsibly. As in not while I'm driving or crossing the street. (Unless I have already looked to see the street is empty.)

The cake is a lie.

Favourite Quotes

Facebook decided that my list of favourite quotations reached its limit; thus, I turn to you, o faithful Blog, for storage of this list.

"There's no sacrifice too great for a chance at immortality." -- Dixon Steele

To an attractive blonde: "You annoy me." -- Dixon Steele

"I didn't say I was a gentleman; I said I was tired." -- Dixon Steele

"I wish you'd love me in the way some other person I've never met might potentially love me." -- SMBC

"The quest for a fulfilled life is, I think, paradoxically, solitary." -- Nicholas Ray

"Solitude is important for man, so long as it does not harm him." -- Nicholas Ray

"Take a close look at the world, keep on doing so, and in the end it will lay bare for you all its cruelty and its ugliness." -- Andre Bazin

"I'm Spermy the Friendly Sperm!" -- Emily

"The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they're going to have some pretty annoying virtues." -- Elizabeth Taylor

"Just because I have my standards they think I'm a bitch." -- Diana Ross

"It's so hard to convince stupid people they're stupid." -- Jeffrey Rowland

"I can make it come through my pants." -- Tyler

"...I can't get it out!" -- Tyler

"Waking up this morning was a pointless act of masochism." -- Cat and Girl

"Feminism's supposed victory in mainstream society has allowed men to abandon their role as 'champion' while continuing to tell women they can attract attention by playing the role of 'victim.'" -- Cat and Girl

"If money creates possibility, then wealth is the volume of possibilities squandered." -- Cat and Girl

"I have big plans for this foam finger." -- Jess

"Don't fry the eggs if you can't handle the oatmeal!" -- Dan imitating Dr. Phil

"That penis just perks me up every time!" -- Emily

"Machete and machine gun just sound so much the same!"
"I don't like Obama because it sounds like Osama!" -- both the ditzy blonde west-side girl Jess and I followed to EPB once.

"I just ate myself out!" -- Shawn

"The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently." -- Nietzche
(Yes, Nietzche is after Shawn.)

"All this weather is quite the shitshow. Boo national disasters." -- anonymous

"Life goes on. It always does... until it doesn't." -- Eyes Wide Shut

"BOOBIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" -- Shawn

"Do you wanna dip that in my leftover mustard?" -- Sarah

"Oh no, a BIRKENSTOCK!" -- Fernando

"Yugoslavia's ruler Prince Paul signs allegiance to the Axis, but is overthrown two days later in a coop..." "...you mean coup?" -- Neil, Me

"So I was high?" "Yes you were." "...oh. I thought I was just tired." -- Me, Justin, Me.

"Hannah, I'm taking your underwear off." -- Shawn

"I can be a 'ho for free!" -- Jess

"I think showering is kind of a waste of time." -- Jess

"If I'm like a frog and I pee, it's your fault." -- Genevieve

"He just keeps sliding lower and lower on my totem pole." -- Genevieve

"Cheeko smootho!" -- Kathe

"I drank one of Marc's balls!" -- Dan

"I'm an ecosystem!" -- Shawn

"I'm a beard!" -- Kathe

And there you have them. Please stay tuned for more, as Facebook will almost certainly decide I have too many again.

A Brief Survey of my Musical Inclinations

Cassi's dad came up with this little survey. I did it instead of homework.

1. What is your favorite genre of Music? It's a tough choice. If I had to pick, I would base my decision on the name of the genre; thus, ragga-metal-punk-hiphop is the best genre. Way to not limit yourselves, Skindred.

2. What is your favorite duo, group or band? Pink Floyd - no hesitation, no uncertainty.

3. Who is your favorite singer? I have a many-way tie: Sinead O'Connor, Antony Hegarty, Imogen Heap, Colin Meloy, Roisin Murphy, John Fogerty, Kate Bush...

4. Who is your favorite guitarist? Pete Townshend.

5. Who is your favorite bassist? John Entwistle, without question.

6. Who is your favorite drummer? Keith Moon. Wow. Nice sweep there, the Who.

7. Who is your favorite keyboardist? Garth Hudson, Regina Spektor, Alan Price.

8. Favorite banjo player? Syd Barrett, Béla Fleck.

9. What is your all time favorite song and why? "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd. Once again, no hesitation or uncertainty.

10. What song's lyrics just don't make sense to you? Anything by Vampire Weekend. http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/v/vampire_weekend/oxford_comma.html

11. If you had to have only one CD in your collection, what would it be? "Wish You Were Here" or "Born to Run".

12. What is one CD that you don't have that you wish you did? Antony and the Johnsons...

13. What is your favorite "guilty pleasure" song, you know, one that everyone else hates, but you secretly like? "Big Poppa"... Love that Biggie.

14. What is one CD you have that you wish you had never spent money on? My taste has stayed pretty consistent, and I still like everything.

15. What was the first album/tape/CD that you ever bought? "Nimrod" by Green Day, closely followed by "Maybe You Should Drive" by the Barenaked Ladies.

16. What was the last album/tape/CD that you bought? "American Thighs" - Veruca Salt

17. Have you ever seen a concert? WOOO YEAH

18. If so, what was your favorite one you've been to? Green Day was entertaining, and it was cool to see Bob Dylan with Amos Lee and Elvis Costello, but ultimately, Chuck Berry takes the cake. He's the MAN.

19. What is the craziest thing you ever saw at a concert? An old lady licked Chuck Berry's ear. :/

20. Who, to you, is the sexiest person in music, past or present? DAVID BOWIE.

21. Who has the best hair in music, past or present? DAVID BOWIE.

22. Do you sing in the car when no one else is around? I always sing. People or no people. Car or no car.

23. What song do you think you sing well enough to try it in public? I sing all the time, no matter how good anyone else thinks my rendition is. And I always know the words.

24. Do you currently or have you ever played a musical instrument? If so, what is/was it? Tenor trombone, bass guitar, upright bass, recorder somewhat.

25. Have you ever written a song? Yup.

26. What song reminds you of your first love? "Foreplay/Longtime" by Boston. Not for the obvious reasons.

27. What song reminds you of your first heartbreak? I am fortunate enough to have arrived at 18 with my heart intact.

28. Do you and your significant other/spouse have "a song"? What is it? We don't have an official one, but in my head he is equated with "Thunder Road" by Springsteen.

29. If you are married, what song(s) were played during your wedding ceremony? N/A.

30. What is your favorite song to dance to? "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mixalot.

31. What is your least favorite song to dance to? Umm... a song with a lame beat.

32. What is your favorite song from a movie? The Moulin Rouge! soundtrack, the Labyrinth soundtrack, the Velvet Goldmine soundtrack, the Rocky Horror soundtrack. I can't narrow that list down any further.

33. What song still reminds you of your childhood? "#9 Dream" by John Lennon.

34. What is your favorite song from the 70's? "Wish You Were Here". Ha.

35. From the 80's? "Don't Give Up" or "Mercy Street" by Peter Gabriel.

36. From the 90's? "Nightswimming" by REM.

37. From the 2000's? Thus far: "The Tain" by the Decemberists.

38. Are you listening to music right now? But of course.

39. If so, what is it? I just put on "Star Me Kitten" because I was reading about Automatic for the People, to make sure it counted as nineties.

40. Do you know your spouse's/significant other's favorite song? Nope.

41. If so, what is it? N/A

42. In your opinion, what is the most overplayed song on the radio, ever? "I Kissed A Girl". Fucking Katy Perry. I hope she meets a slow and painful end by rancor.

43. In your opinion, who is the most over hyped artist/group ever? Maybe Nirvana, maybe Sublime. I willingly listen to both, but... meh.

44. Who will you tell your grandchildren was the most influential person in music ever? John Lennon.

45. What song, that is current today, do you think people will be listening to on a regular basis 25 years from now? I hope to the depths of my soul that people will still listen to Modest Mouse. I haven't plugged them enough in this post yet, but I really love them.

46. What type of music do you just not get/think is a waste of time? Top 40 country.

47. Have you ever been to a Broadway/Off Broadway Musical? YES!

48. Would you admit it to other people? I brag. :D

49. What is one activity you just could not do without music? Exist.

50. Is there a song that makes you cry every time you hear it? "Mercy Street" by Peter Gabriel. "Nightswimming" by REM. Often "Asleep" by the Smiths, who I have also not plugged enough here, and who also said, "Remember the songs that made you cry and the songs that saved your life."

Lyrically speaking...

"I can't believe you talk to me/pinch me I'm dreaming/I fell asleep, I fell asleep..."
"I don't stand out in a crowd/sometimes I barely feel I'm here at all..."
-- Kyle Andrews, "Your Tester Bunny"

"A dreaded sunny day/So let's go where we're happy/And I meet you at the cemetery gates..."
"Keats and Yeats are on your side/But you lose because Wilde is on mine."
-- the Smiths, "Cemetry Gates"

HRC

This letter went to my local representatives. I usually just send the default letter if, say, we're talking about an issue that I consider important, but not as close to my heart.

"Moments ago, this was a default letter written by somebody else. Now I'm sitting here, before my first class of the week, spending time writing something I doubt anyone will ever read.

The default letter - you've probably gotten some - was eloquent and informative of the situation of the GLBT community, a community of which I am a small, monetarily-challenged part. Because I can't help financially, I'm writing in hopes of garnering your support.

I'm sure you're well aware of the situation facing the GLBT community. I find it appalling that this country, this great symbol of freedom and hope, sees fit to treat any human being in this manner. What we have is an institution similar to the segregation of people by the color of their skin, but with one important difference: a person cannot determine whether another person is GLBT by outward appearance. This leads to McCarthyan treatment of supposed outsiders, to homosexual witch-hunts and complete unfairness. So I ask you, sir, as my representative, to please help my people. "

Owls.

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/38537012.html

They say a culprit is one guilty, to blame, for an offense or crime. I feel really bad for this owl, guys. It was just doin' its owl thing, landing on a power pole, and ZAP. The article doesn't say directly, but presumably the owl died. And now it's a culprit.

Maybe I'm being too emo here.

DOMA

I found a website advocating DOMA, which asks readers to send letters to their federal senators, their federal representatives, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Barack Obama, telling them what's what. Here is their argument: http://www.domadefensefund.com/site/c.loJQIPOtErH/b.4865419/ And here is mine:

"My name is Hannah. I'm 18, bisexual, and live in the Midwest. Change doesn't often start somewhere like Iowa, but what happened in the last presidential election gave me heart. I want to advocate for myself and my fellow members of the GLBT community, but any money I have goes to food or textbooks, and most of my time goes to homework, classes, and my job. Thus I am drafting this message quickly, before class starts and my whole day is taken up with the business of basic survival as a college student.

What I am saying is this: DOMA has a negative effect on me as a human being. I know that nobody probably reads the emails from this site, but I suggest that once you've read the lot, consider their argument. From what I read, these people, these advocates of DOMA, would have you stop "imposing" same-sex marriages on the good straight people of these United States. This suggests that the reason they are so up-in-arms about the status of DOMA is that they feel, once DOMA is repealed and everyone is granted equal rights, that the government will swoop down upon them and force them into unions with members of their own sex.

I have no personal issue with supporters of DOMA. Right and wrong are so subjective that I firmly believe they think they are doing what's right. To them, the GLBT community is dehumanized. Forgive them, for they know not what they do.

I thank you for your attention.

AIM's top 100 hottest brunettes (that I agree with)

So for some reason I saw the AIM homepage and felt the need to click on this. I fully support my brunette ladies and think them hotter than blonde ladies in at least 9 in 10 matchups. Here's the thingamajig: http://dashboard.aim.com/aim/galleries/100-hottest-brunettes?icid=aimDBDL5_link1

Listed below are the ladies from the previous list who would also make my hot list. There are 22 of them and they are listed with the number they are ranked in AIM's listarooney.

97. Lauren Graham
93. Liv Tyler (Like so many of these women, should be ranked above Vanessa effing Hudgens)
92. Emily Blunt
89. Natalie Portman
88. Penelope Cruz
77. Teri Hatcher
75. Winona Ryder
74. Julia Roberts
73. Kate Beckinsale
67. Mischa Barton (iffy)
66. Emmanuelle Chriqui
59. Eva Longoria Parker
53. Tyra Banks (Ty-ty will ALWAYS make my list and YOU CAN'T TAKE HER AWAY FROM ME.)
50. Jennifer Connelly (another of my personal favorites)
47. Olivia Wilde
43. Eva Mendes (I secretly love her.)
39. Gemma Arterton
31. Catherine Zeta Zones
20. Dita Von Teese
9. Gabrielle Union
6. Adriana Lima
3. Salma Hayek

Everyone else does not make my personal list. Sorry.

Favourite Wikipedia Aritcles of Late

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitsunegari

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Shearer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasha_Krivtsov

Sweet Relief

Lately I've been a little worried that I'm a hipster; when people say the word, they rarely define it, but it is often used to describe a person or group which I have something in common with [read: cinema major]. So, just to be sure, I consulted the Most Accurate Source Evar, urbandictionary.com . Here's what they had to say: [my notes in brackets]

Listens to bands that you have never heard of. [Yes.]
Has hairstyle that can only be described as "complicated." (Most likely achieved by a minimum of one week not washing it.) [Ew, no. My boyfriend has a more complicated hair style than I do, and if you've seen my boyfriend, you know his hair style is not complicated AT ALL.]
Probably tattooed. [Not.]
Maybe gay. [Not.]
Definitely cooler than you. [Clearly.]
Reads Black Book, Nylon, and the Styles section of the New York Times. [Not even sure what those are.]
Drinks Pabst Blue Ribbon. Often. [...ew. If anyone ever sees me drinking Pabst, sedate me and get me into a mental hospital.]
Complains. [Hellz yeah.]
Always denies being a hipster. Hates the word. [Yes to both.]
Probably living off parents money - and spends a great deal of it to look like they don't have any. [Partly. It's about even actually, my money and theirs. And I really don't spend much at all; what I do spend is mine.]
Has friends and/or self cut hair. [No.]
Dyes it frequently (black, white-blonde, etc. and until scalp bleeds). [Ouch no.]
Has a closet full of clothing but usually wears same three things OVER AND OVER (most likely very tight black pants, scarf, and ironic tee-shirt). [Yes, but not the very tight black pants. Occasionally the scarf, and my t-shirts are only occasionally ironic.]
Chips off nail polish artfully after $50 manicure. [Do chip nail polish. Do not pay to have them painted.]
Sleeps with everyone and talks about it at great volume in crowded coffee shops. [Too poor for coffee shops. Am not slut.]
Addicted to coffee, cigarettes (Parliaments, Kamel Reds, Lucky Strikes, etc.), and possibly cocaine. [No, sweetie. No coffee, no cigarettes, no coke. ...unless you count Diet.]
Claims to be in a band. [Not currently.]
Rehearsals consist of choosing outfits for next show and drinking PBR. [Ew PBR.]
Always on the list. [Uncertain what this means.]
Majors or majored in art, writing, or queer studies. [...cinema.]
Name-drops. [Not guilty.]
May go by "Penny Lane," "Eleanor Rigby," etc. when drunk. On PBR. Which is usually. [Ew ew. No.]

Final score:
Pro-hipster: 7
Non-hipster: 14

So I'm 1/3 hipster, but I think most people do at least ONE of these things, and probably more.
Official conclusion: I am not a hipster.

I'm just sayin'

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33436530@N07/sets/72157611292638593/show/

...hellz yeah.