...so what the hell is Wisconsin's problem?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061221/ap_on_re_us/gay_marriage
21 December 2006
20 December 2006
I came home to all my roommates and 4 people I don't know sitting in my living room watching a Christmas movie. I thought it was pretty cool, except for the fact that I couldn't join them because I had some major studying to do.
What WASN'T cool was that there were 4 empty boxes (count 'em. 4) of pizza sitting on the counter. So I decided to have beans and weenies for dinner (for the second night in a row) only to find after I'd heated the beans that someone had eaten all the weenies. So I just had beans. Two nights ago I had crackers and grits for dinner.
Can't wait to get home to some food...
What WASN'T cool was that there were 4 empty boxes (count 'em. 4) of pizza sitting on the counter. So I decided to have beans and weenies for dinner (for the second night in a row) only to find after I'd heated the beans that someone had eaten all the weenies. So I just had beans. Two nights ago I had crackers and grits for dinner.
Can't wait to get home to some food...
17 December 2006
It's Christmas....So?
Most wonderful time of the year. Yeah, OR...
I never used to have a problem with Christmas. Like millions of other people, I filed it under "favorite seasons". However, since the Christmas of 2001, I just haven't been able to give a shit.
My parents divorce became final in the earlier months of 2002, so needless to say, we were not all together for the Christmas of 2001. It had to be one of the most awkward things I have ever witnessed. At that time, we were still "working" on the kinks of joint custody and everyone was basically out of their minds with confusion combined with strong emotions that lack names.
I had wondered to myself before the Christmas season exactly what it would be like that year and what would happen, and it didn't take me too long to figure out that it was going to be absolutely zero fun in any respect. It started with list-making. I have a REALLY difficult time asking for things. I've never been a "wanty" kid and as I grew up I would really have to struggle to even get a list of 5 things put together for my parents. That year, I had to make not one, but two lists. And I couldn't ask for the same stuff from each parent because that would get me two of everything that I didn't really want all that badly in the first place.
Putting up Christmas trees was another one for the records. Putting up Mom's tree wasn't a big deal because apparently she'd won the tree, the lights, and all the ornaments in the divorce (for those who are unfamiliar with divorce, EVERY last thing in your house gets battled over. dinnerware, books, office supplies, tupperware, EVERYTHING) so that went pretty smoothly. It was all familiar and it had always been my mother, my sister, and myself who'd done the tree anyway. Setting up Dad's tree was weird though. It was a different tree than I was used to, and it had completely new (and all the same) ornaments. That and it didn't have enough lights so it was really rather ugly and too big for the living room.
Ok, so moving on to the actual holiday. It had been decided that Christmas Eve would be spent with my dad and Christmas Day would be spent with my mom, so that we could all go to her family's house like "normal." Christmas Eve was weird for a couple of reasons. First, we had never done anything traditional on Christmas Eve. So it felt like we were celebrating a fake holiday. In some peoples' houses, they do celebrate on the eve, but not in my house, so it felt wrong. Second, there were only three people there.
Christmas Day with Mom was awkward because Dad wasn't there. He didn't usually do much on Christmas morning anyway, would just sit there on the couch and watch my sister and I open our presents and not say anything, but still, it was obvious that something was missing. Then when we went to see our extended family, everyone noticed that he wasn't there even though they didn't really like him that much.
The whole thing was really forced and I felt like we were just going through the motions. Put on a happy face and pretend that everything is normal. I haven't been able to shake that feeling since then, and now that I'm in college, all I can think about in December is final exams. I don't have time to do my shopping (I hate shopping) until the day before because I've got school work. Christmas is something for people with whole families and time. I've got neither.
I never used to have a problem with Christmas. Like millions of other people, I filed it under "favorite seasons". However, since the Christmas of 2001, I just haven't been able to give a shit.
My parents divorce became final in the earlier months of 2002, so needless to say, we were not all together for the Christmas of 2001. It had to be one of the most awkward things I have ever witnessed. At that time, we were still "working" on the kinks of joint custody and everyone was basically out of their minds with confusion combined with strong emotions that lack names.
I had wondered to myself before the Christmas season exactly what it would be like that year and what would happen, and it didn't take me too long to figure out that it was going to be absolutely zero fun in any respect. It started with list-making. I have a REALLY difficult time asking for things. I've never been a "wanty" kid and as I grew up I would really have to struggle to even get a list of 5 things put together for my parents. That year, I had to make not one, but two lists. And I couldn't ask for the same stuff from each parent because that would get me two of everything that I didn't really want all that badly in the first place.
Putting up Christmas trees was another one for the records. Putting up Mom's tree wasn't a big deal because apparently she'd won the tree, the lights, and all the ornaments in the divorce (for those who are unfamiliar with divorce, EVERY last thing in your house gets battled over. dinnerware, books, office supplies, tupperware, EVERYTHING) so that went pretty smoothly. It was all familiar and it had always been my mother, my sister, and myself who'd done the tree anyway. Setting up Dad's tree was weird though. It was a different tree than I was used to, and it had completely new (and all the same) ornaments. That and it didn't have enough lights so it was really rather ugly and too big for the living room.
Ok, so moving on to the actual holiday. It had been decided that Christmas Eve would be spent with my dad and Christmas Day would be spent with my mom, so that we could all go to her family's house like "normal." Christmas Eve was weird for a couple of reasons. First, we had never done anything traditional on Christmas Eve. So it felt like we were celebrating a fake holiday. In some peoples' houses, they do celebrate on the eve, but not in my house, so it felt wrong. Second, there were only three people there.
Christmas Day with Mom was awkward because Dad wasn't there. He didn't usually do much on Christmas morning anyway, would just sit there on the couch and watch my sister and I open our presents and not say anything, but still, it was obvious that something was missing. Then when we went to see our extended family, everyone noticed that he wasn't there even though they didn't really like him that much.
The whole thing was really forced and I felt like we were just going through the motions. Put on a happy face and pretend that everything is normal. I haven't been able to shake that feeling since then, and now that I'm in college, all I can think about in December is final exams. I don't have time to do my shopping (I hate shopping) until the day before because I've got school work. Christmas is something for people with whole families and time. I've got neither.
09 December 2006
My First Ever Beer Review
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
http://www.sierranevada.com/beers/celebrationale.html
Seasonal brew in a pretty, chubby bottle. This stuff has a GREAT sweet smell. I didn't like it on my first taste, but then again I have noticed that my first swallow of any new beer doesn't usually impress me. Second swallow is always better.
Very bitter (but I like that) with a nice fruity flavor when you let it slosh around on your palate for a couple seconds. Sending it down the hatch brings out the bitterness. Not sure if I like how it finishes, the initial bitterness is nice but has a harsh bite to it afterwards. I like how the taste varies so vastly from the time it hits your tongue to the time it goes down your throat.
Not the kind of beer you'd get wasted off of, but good if you're looking for a leisurely drink. Not for everyone, that's for sure. One of my roommates described it as "Just bad beer. It's bitter shit, and doesn't have any flavor. It's just blah." She took one drink from it and then put the bottle back in the fridge. I'm pretty sure she didn't take the time to really taste it, though, and she's not a fan of bitter ales anyway.
Not sure I'd pick up another pack of it, so I'll give it a B/B-.
http://www.sierranevada.com/beers/celebrationale.html
Seasonal brew in a pretty, chubby bottle. This stuff has a GREAT sweet smell. I didn't like it on my first taste, but then again I have noticed that my first swallow of any new beer doesn't usually impress me. Second swallow is always better.
Very bitter (but I like that) with a nice fruity flavor when you let it slosh around on your palate for a couple seconds. Sending it down the hatch brings out the bitterness. Not sure if I like how it finishes, the initial bitterness is nice but has a harsh bite to it afterwards. I like how the taste varies so vastly from the time it hits your tongue to the time it goes down your throat.
Not the kind of beer you'd get wasted off of, but good if you're looking for a leisurely drink. Not for everyone, that's for sure. One of my roommates described it as "Just bad beer. It's bitter shit, and doesn't have any flavor. It's just blah." She took one drink from it and then put the bottle back in the fridge. I'm pretty sure she didn't take the time to really taste it, though, and she's not a fan of bitter ales anyway.
Not sure I'd pick up another pack of it, so I'll give it a B/B-.
Don't Ever Tell Me...
Me: We need more food.
Roommate: What do you need? We HAVE cereal.
Me: Um, something for the other two meals of the day?
(duh...)
Me: We're out of milk.
Roommate: What do you need milk for? We HAVE yogurt.
Me: *speechless*
Me: We need more things to drink. Like juice or something.
Roommate: Why? All I drink is water.
(you're not the only one that lives here...)
Roommate: What do you need? We HAVE cereal.
Me: Um, something for the other two meals of the day?
(duh...)
Me: We're out of milk.
Roommate: What do you need milk for? We HAVE yogurt.
Me: *speechless*
Me: We need more things to drink. Like juice or something.
Roommate: Why? All I drink is water.
(you're not the only one that lives here...)
Irritating Blogging Habits
I've been skimming through some random and some not-so-random blogs and have decided there are a few things that irritate me about how some people blog.
1. Never post important information that you should be actually telling people.
If you're going to post about a personal crisis/major event that your family and friends should know about, you should also be telling them yourself. I know someone who did this not too long ago and it seemed like taking the easy way out. Just letting people find out about a major problem you're having by reading a blog may take some of the pressure off of getting the word out, but it's so emo. I almost felt disrespected. Wait, did I just do the same thing?
2. The fewer casual names you mention, the better.
Talking about a weekend with Kaitlyn, Sandy, Dave, Matt, and Ryan is fine but hard to read when I have no idea who those people are. And when I read random blogs I like to know what people are thinking, but I don't care so much to spend the time to learn who all those stupid people actually are. Refer to them as "a bunch of us" or "some of my friends" or "my best friend" etc. Besides, the little things people post about Kaitlyn, Sandy, Dave, Matt, and Ryan is usually trivial. Which leads me to my next point.
3. Don't post drama.
I hate the word "drama." Anyway, no one cares about what a back-stabbing bitch Cassie was or what Tiffany said about Tyler's new coat, and whether or not he really does look gay in it. You (the author) won't remember about this "issue" a week from now, so don't even bother posting it. And it tends to lead into the first annoying habit I mentioned.
4. Don't post about how, like, totally awesome that concert was.
I have yet to read a concert review that said anything worth reading. It's kind of like studying abroad and coming home to tell everyone you know about what it was like, only to find that no one cares nearly as much as you do.
5. Commercial blogging needs to stop.
I recently ran into a blog that was basically a commercial you choose to watch for a prescription drug. I've also seen them about small clinics (plastic surgeons and the like). Blogs are for thoughts, websites are for everything else, including advertising. Besides, I can't imagine how it must feel to tell a client "If you need more information, you should check out our blog..." I think not.
6. Travel blogging.
Keeping a blog of your months-long stay in a foreign country is an awesome idea, but not many travel blogs are very interesting. Captions for pictures are a must, and if you mention the pub you visited or the ancient town you stopped in, talk about them. Cultural differences, local history, interesting characters you've met. Give thoughtful reviews of the places you ate at. And don't mention how little time you have left to spend there or how badly you're going to miss it.
7. Posting poetry and novels.
Ehn, in general, these are boring. By all means, write till you're blue in the face, but I don't search through random blogs looking for something that's going to take me 4 hours to read. I have run across some really great stuff, but the vast majority of it just doesn't spark my interest. Also, there are special websites set up for posting just poetry and creative writing (for example, poemhunter.com). Put your work there so that people more interested in it can find and appreciate it.
8. Movie reviews.
My only problem with these blogs is that there are so many of them. Everyone's a critic....wow that was bad...
My favorite kinds of blogs are not about day-to-day life, they're about what's going on in peoples' heads or they're about something the author is passionate about. They're better becaues they've actually got thought behind them, and that's what makes a blog worth writing and reading.
1. Never post important information that you should be actually telling people.
If you're going to post about a personal crisis/major event that your family and friends should know about, you should also be telling them yourself. I know someone who did this not too long ago and it seemed like taking the easy way out. Just letting people find out about a major problem you're having by reading a blog may take some of the pressure off of getting the word out, but it's so emo. I almost felt disrespected. Wait, did I just do the same thing?
2. The fewer casual names you mention, the better.
Talking about a weekend with Kaitlyn, Sandy, Dave, Matt, and Ryan is fine but hard to read when I have no idea who those people are. And when I read random blogs I like to know what people are thinking, but I don't care so much to spend the time to learn who all those stupid people actually are. Refer to them as "a bunch of us" or "some of my friends" or "my best friend" etc. Besides, the little things people post about Kaitlyn, Sandy, Dave, Matt, and Ryan is usually trivial. Which leads me to my next point.
3. Don't post drama.
I hate the word "drama." Anyway, no one cares about what a back-stabbing bitch Cassie was or what Tiffany said about Tyler's new coat, and whether or not he really does look gay in it. You (the author) won't remember about this "issue" a week from now, so don't even bother posting it. And it tends to lead into the first annoying habit I mentioned.
4. Don't post about how, like, totally awesome that concert was.
I have yet to read a concert review that said anything worth reading. It's kind of like studying abroad and coming home to tell everyone you know about what it was like, only to find that no one cares nearly as much as you do.
5. Commercial blogging needs to stop.
I recently ran into a blog that was basically a commercial you choose to watch for a prescription drug. I've also seen them about small clinics (plastic surgeons and the like). Blogs are for thoughts, websites are for everything else, including advertising. Besides, I can't imagine how it must feel to tell a client "If you need more information, you should check out our blog..." I think not.
6. Travel blogging.
Keeping a blog of your months-long stay in a foreign country is an awesome idea, but not many travel blogs are very interesting. Captions for pictures are a must, and if you mention the pub you visited or the ancient town you stopped in, talk about them. Cultural differences, local history, interesting characters you've met. Give thoughtful reviews of the places you ate at. And don't mention how little time you have left to spend there or how badly you're going to miss it.
7. Posting poetry and novels.
Ehn, in general, these are boring. By all means, write till you're blue in the face, but I don't search through random blogs looking for something that's going to take me 4 hours to read. I have run across some really great stuff, but the vast majority of it just doesn't spark my interest. Also, there are special websites set up for posting just poetry and creative writing (for example, poemhunter.com). Put your work there so that people more interested in it can find and appreciate it.
8. Movie reviews.
My only problem with these blogs is that there are so many of them. Everyone's a critic....wow that was bad...
My favorite kinds of blogs are not about day-to-day life, they're about what's going on in peoples' heads or they're about something the author is passionate about. They're better becaues they've actually got thought behind them, and that's what makes a blog worth writing and reading.
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