Life Lessons of the Day

1) You know how belly dancing looks like it would be really hard? Actually, it's way, way harder than that.

2) If you aren't already listening to Interpol, you should be. Yes, they're derivative of the 80s, but all these young whipper snappers are copying the post-punk, new wave era. Which, really, is fine by me--it's a lot better than when they were all trying to be Tupac. See, rap and hip-hop are like cheese: the stuff that's good is so freakin' good that you can't even stand it. However, it's really hard to make the good stuff, and the bad stuff is completely awful. 80s music, however, is (to be perfectly cliche) like sex: when it's bad, it's still fun, or at least good to make fun of. When it's good, OMG, IT'S THE BEST THING EVER! And Tom Waits is like my baby daddy. I know I'm still his boo, but he won't never call.

Peeking out

Hi, friends. I missed communicating via written word with the people I know best, so PFHP is open for a couple of people. Namely you. This step still scares me quite a bit, but after talking with MS about it a lot, I realized how much he and I like reading each other's blogs. So here it is again, a little.

Hiatus

For a lot of reasons, I don't want to do this anymore, for a while, anyway. I'll probably be back some day.

Confusion

This has been such a taxing week. Part of it is standard holiday stress, work stress, etc. However, it has been given a new dimension by all of the philosophical questions I've found myself confronting over the last few days.

For one, what sort of rights to privacy do we all have? And how situational is it? A book store clerk would never be asked to give his phone number to all of his customers--but a school teacher may be asked to do so for her students. A doctor can be gay, but a minister can't. You wouldn't demand that Target open in the middle of the night when there's a perfectly good Wal-Mart out there, but patients constantly demand one specific doctor at hospitals, no matter how qualified the physician on duty is. There are reasonable demands on time--after all, all the nurses can't pack up and go home because it's Christmas, and all the teachers can't just grade during the hours they're paid for...things would fall apart. But where is the line? We need some kind of social code of conduct about privacy and what you can and cannot demand of others. We need to all be assured of a space where we are safe from judgement in the real world and not just in our own heads--this applies to everyone. The old rules of manners are outmoded with e-mail, cell phones, etc. I think it's time to think past technology and into the real morality of what people expect from one another. After all, why are we so concerned about the interior lives of people if they aren't hurting anyone? I like to think the human race isn't that insecure.

Homemade Survey

They're dumb fun, but usually pretty weak. I tried to make my own dumb but slightly less weak one. Do add questions.

What irrational thing makes you SO angry?	Old people.
What irrational thing makes you SO sad?	Old people.
What irrational thing makes you SO happy?	Watching MS play video games.
Name a song you played so much you hate it now.	"Name" by the Goo-Goo Dolls
Why did you play it so much?	High school drama
Name a song you're embarassed to like.	I <3 bad 80s love songs. A lot.
Name a show you're embarassed to watch.	Divorce court
Favorite curse word:	Fuck, of course
Favorite article of clothing:	My Iowa sweatshirt
Name someone you think is a complete idiot.	MS's friend's ex-boyfriend
Red or white?	red
A weird food that sounds gross that you like anyway:	Mac and cheese with peas and tuna
What are your dream socks like?	Thick hiking socks with elastic in the arch that are soft and have chics or sock monkeys or pirates on them.
If your life were a TV show, what would the theme song say?	Hey look at her/ She's a teacher! / She's scandelously hot / call a preacher! / Call her on her cell / you can reach her! / There's lots of her to love / it's her best feature! / She's Mary Flanneryyyyyy
What movie character are you most like?	Red-haired chic from "Dazed and Confused"
TV character?	Probably a muppet of some sort
Comic book character?	Enid from "Ghost World"
Book character?	Narrator of "A Prayer for Owen Meany"
Name a really crappy book.	The Grapes of Wrath
Name a really awesome book.	A Prayer for Owen Meany
Name a book that actually changed your life in some way.	Waiting for Godot
CREATE YOUR OWN! - or - GET PAID TO TAKE SURVEYS!

Buckleberry Fairy

SNOW!

Dude, being snowed in rocks! From not having to wear real clothes, to excuses to drink, to not having to work--nay, not even being obligated to leave the house--to putting on huge boots and stomping over to people's houses because, for some reason, being snowed in means you are obligated to hang out with all your friends in walking distance, to killing six hours at a time swaddled in blankets watching your husband play video games and sleeping, to making snow ice cream, to laughing your ass off at your eight inch dog trying to poop in ten inch snow....this is AWESOME! Also, our house looks like Norman Rockwell barfed all over it. And then he exploded on the barf.

UPDATE: Can't. Stop. Watching. YouTube. please help me...