Jingles. As annoying as they are, they are genius. For example, who doesn't know the Mr. Plow jingle? It's not even a real commercial!
The reason I find them genius is the reason I find pop songs genius. There is a certain genius to be able to write a song that half the population hates, but everyone knows the words to. Jingles are the same thing. For example, there are various websites that occasionally post commercials from the 80s or 90s, and it AMAZES me how i still know the lyrics. Like why do I know the Big Red song? Or Crispy Critters? Why is that still in my head!? See? Genius.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Fuckin' Football
I'm not going pretend that I like football. I don't like it. I find it boring, and I've lived near Ohio State long enough to really dislike what it does to people. I don't particularly like jocks, and this stems from going to a football game when I was in the 8th grade and seeing a group of steakheads try to stomp the life out of a small bunny rabbit who was just unlucky enough to find himself on a football field. As if the bunny did something to them. And I'm sick of being told that it's okay in this culture to obsess over football and nothing else. Someday when I feel like looking for it, I will repost the letter to the editor I wrote bitching about how the paper made fun of Star Wars fans, but says nothing about the tailgaters who wait outside longer before the game than the Star Wars fans waited for the movie to start.
And I don't like how football makes me miss The Simpsons.
Not that there is anything wrong with people who do enjoy football. I'm always on the side of obsessive fandom, whatever it is. Just don't tell me I'm an idiot for liking what I like, because when you think about it, you are just like me. Explain to me how putting on a jersey that looks like an official jersey and playing football in the yard at halftime is NOT cosplay.
And I don't like how football makes me miss The Simpsons.
Not that there is anything wrong with people who do enjoy football. I'm always on the side of obsessive fandom, whatever it is. Just don't tell me I'm an idiot for liking what I like, because when you think about it, you are just like me. Explain to me how putting on a jersey that looks like an official jersey and playing football in the yard at halftime is NOT cosplay.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
01.10.10 Revisited
This one will be short, not because I'm trying to cheat on my whole 2 blogs a day for the next 10 days thing, but because I'm doing this without my glasses. And the longer I can't see, the more pissed off I get at everything/everyone. I was telling Juice last night that not being able to pee when you have to is just second to not knowing where my glasses are and thus, not being able to see to find them on my list of top annoyances. I've tried the whole put them in the same place every time you take them off thing, but I can't make that strong of a commitment.
Also, Chris and I are going to go to Half Price Books today. We went through our books and found some stuff that we can get rid of, basically to make more room for stuff we'd rather have. I've always thought that it is the duty of the intelligent person to have a house full of books, and that the bookless home is a sure sign of someone who has uttered the phrase "Why are you reading that? What, was it assigned to you?" Granted this is judgmental, but I've been proven right a few times. A friend of mine said someone was in his house once, looked around at the shelving and said "Wow, y'all sure do got a lot of books."
Yet today has changed my mind. First of all, with the internet, a million reference books are so not necessary. And also, there is this thing called the library which honestly, people do not use enough, so even if you don't have books, as long as you have a library card, you've proven that you find reading to be important, which is really the key point here. But after going through my books, I'm starting to think that it's not intelligent people who have lots of books, but also people who enjoy dusting and the company of silverfish.
Also, Chris and I are going to go to Half Price Books today. We went through our books and found some stuff that we can get rid of, basically to make more room for stuff we'd rather have. I've always thought that it is the duty of the intelligent person to have a house full of books, and that the bookless home is a sure sign of someone who has uttered the phrase "Why are you reading that? What, was it assigned to you?" Granted this is judgmental, but I've been proven right a few times. A friend of mine said someone was in his house once, looked around at the shelving and said "Wow, y'all sure do got a lot of books."
Yet today has changed my mind. First of all, with the internet, a million reference books are so not necessary. And also, there is this thing called the library which honestly, people do not use enough, so even if you don't have books, as long as you have a library card, you've proven that you find reading to be important, which is really the key point here. But after going through my books, I'm starting to think that it's not intelligent people who have lots of books, but also people who enjoy dusting and the company of silverfish.
Already late 1.10.10
So i'm 10, count 'em, 10 days behind on this daily blog thing. Today is January 10, so already i suck. I figured a good way to remedy this is to do 2 blogs a day for the next 10 days, that should do it.
I don't think I did a blog on New Year's Day because I worked 15 hours on New Year's Eve. Not strenuous, just long. And how did I spend my New Year's Day? Flipping between the Doctor Who and Twilight Zone marathons, while Chris was asleep on the sofa, sick. And thanks to this work schedule and Chris being sick, we missed a party.
Usually, considering the fact that I have social anxiety disorder, missing a party usually makes me feel relieved. But this year, I was really looking forward to this party. It was held by our friends Chris and Molly, who I frankly don't spend enough time with. And last night, I had a dream that proved this to me. I dreamt that all of my friends who I love but never see were all together at this theater/bar/apartment building. We all mingled around, watched a play, and drank amaretto sours. I've never had an amaretto sour, but the point still remains, I need to see more of the other geeks in my life.
I don't think I did a blog on New Year's Day because I worked 15 hours on New Year's Eve. Not strenuous, just long. And how did I spend my New Year's Day? Flipping between the Doctor Who and Twilight Zone marathons, while Chris was asleep on the sofa, sick. And thanks to this work schedule and Chris being sick, we missed a party.
Usually, considering the fact that I have social anxiety disorder, missing a party usually makes me feel relieved. But this year, I was really looking forward to this party. It was held by our friends Chris and Molly, who I frankly don't spend enough time with. And last night, I had a dream that proved this to me. I dreamt that all of my friends who I love but never see were all together at this theater/bar/apartment building. We all mingled around, watched a play, and drank amaretto sours. I've never had an amaretto sour, but the point still remains, I need to see more of the other geeks in my life.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Thunder and Players
I've decided that my New Year's resolution for 2010 will be to write something on this blog daily. I'm not all that into the idea of resolutions, and I tend to not stick with them, i.e. I'm still fat having never finished my degree. However, I am OCD enough that starting something in the middle of the week/month/year drives me crazy, and that is why I am picking the new year to start.
Now, I know myself well enough that I know just how long it takes me to develop a habit, and it's a good month or two before I start making sure something happens every day. Therefore, I'm going to start trying to write something as often as possible, so when January 1st hits I won't be so distracted by the Twilight Zone marathon that I forget all about it. So enough of the boring exposition, and on to the boring dream.
I often wake from dreams upset that they are over. I have lots of dreams where I am buying armloads of Pez dispensers, and when I wake up with nothing, it's sad. Last night's dream was just odd, but not bad. I wouldn't have minded if I stayed asleep, but waking up wasn't a buzz kill.
A lot of the time the locations in my dreams stay the same, even though they are locations I've made up during the dream. For example, I've been to the same upstairs record store in my mind a few times. This dream amalgamated several different previous locations into one town, including a restaurant/deli that has been the setting a few times. In this place is where I wound up meeting Peter Weller.
My dream version of Peter Weller was a strange guy. He was taller and thinner than he is in the movies, and that's a feat considering his role as RoboCop was given to him partially due to the fact that he is slender enough to wear the RoboSuit. (That's IMDB found info, I'm not just making up geek stories) He jumped into a conversation I was having with my dad, and from the things he said it was obvious that he was trying to promote Buckaroo Banzai, as he spoke as though Buckaroo was a real guy. In fact, he told stories about his "brother", Buckaroo. Very much in an Andy Kaufman/Tony Clifton kind of way. We're not yet to the weird part.
Weller decides to round up some of the people who played Hong Kong Cavaliers and sing in this restaurant. Oddly, I was one of them. I never got around in the dream to giving myself a Blue Blaze code name. Perhaps I didn't mention it as I don't think telling them I go by Hanoi Xan is a good idea. So we sang. Well, I wound up being the primary singer, as I was the only one who remembered all of the words to the song featured in this impromptu performance. The song was "Earth Angel", and I wasn't particularly good. I was off key in places, and didn't have much volume. But I sang it and people liked it, and before Peter Weller had anything to say about it, my dream shifted to featuring Crispin Glover.
Now, the song "Earth Angel" makes me think of Crispin Glover. Even though I'd heard that song before, I'd never really paid attention to it until it's appearance in the movie "Back To The Future". And, I've always had kind of this nerd crush on Crispin Glover. He's very cute and has great hands. If you don't believe me, pay special attention to them in "Back To The Future" where he gently holds Lorraine's face to kiss her at the end of the song, and when he holds Socrates in the movie "Willard". Anyway, interestingly enough, I met Crispin Glover last week.
He was in Columbus to show one of the movies in his trilogy (due to technical issues he was unable to show the originally scheduled film, but instead showed another one) and for a book reading. Evidently, he does mash mixes of old books. He rearranges or adds text to turn an existing book into something completely different, and they are very neat if you ask me. I was more enthralled with the book reading than I was the film, but still, all in all a great night. Everyone has asked me "Is he as crazy as he seemed on Letterman?" The answer is no. The worst you can say about him is that he goes off on tangents, and who doesn't? He was very nice and very sweet to listen to my ramblings, and honestly, i think HE thought I was a little crazy. I asked him if he'd been to Columbus since he was here in 1983, and he gave me a very strange look and said "No, actually." in a very surprised way. I think he wondered if I was a little weird for knowing that. But come on, when you live in Columbus Ohio, it's not every day movie stars come to your town to shoot a movie, especially movie stars your mother adores.
Crispin Glover was in "Teachers", which was filmed at the old Central High School. Where COSI is now. He plays a troubled freaky kid, and at the end he's shot like so much Sal Mineo.
Now, I know myself well enough that I know just how long it takes me to develop a habit, and it's a good month or two before I start making sure something happens every day. Therefore, I'm going to start trying to write something as often as possible, so when January 1st hits I won't be so distracted by the Twilight Zone marathon that I forget all about it. So enough of the boring exposition, and on to the boring dream.
I often wake from dreams upset that they are over. I have lots of dreams where I am buying armloads of Pez dispensers, and when I wake up with nothing, it's sad. Last night's dream was just odd, but not bad. I wouldn't have minded if I stayed asleep, but waking up wasn't a buzz kill.
A lot of the time the locations in my dreams stay the same, even though they are locations I've made up during the dream. For example, I've been to the same upstairs record store in my mind a few times. This dream amalgamated several different previous locations into one town, including a restaurant/deli that has been the setting a few times. In this place is where I wound up meeting Peter Weller.
My dream version of Peter Weller was a strange guy. He was taller and thinner than he is in the movies, and that's a feat considering his role as RoboCop was given to him partially due to the fact that he is slender enough to wear the RoboSuit. (That's IMDB found info, I'm not just making up geek stories) He jumped into a conversation I was having with my dad, and from the things he said it was obvious that he was trying to promote Buckaroo Banzai, as he spoke as though Buckaroo was a real guy. In fact, he told stories about his "brother", Buckaroo. Very much in an Andy Kaufman/Tony Clifton kind of way. We're not yet to the weird part.
Weller decides to round up some of the people who played Hong Kong Cavaliers and sing in this restaurant. Oddly, I was one of them. I never got around in the dream to giving myself a Blue Blaze code name. Perhaps I didn't mention it as I don't think telling them I go by Hanoi Xan is a good idea. So we sang. Well, I wound up being the primary singer, as I was the only one who remembered all of the words to the song featured in this impromptu performance. The song was "Earth Angel", and I wasn't particularly good. I was off key in places, and didn't have much volume. But I sang it and people liked it, and before Peter Weller had anything to say about it, my dream shifted to featuring Crispin Glover.
Now, the song "Earth Angel" makes me think of Crispin Glover. Even though I'd heard that song before, I'd never really paid attention to it until it's appearance in the movie "Back To The Future". And, I've always had kind of this nerd crush on Crispin Glover. He's very cute and has great hands. If you don't believe me, pay special attention to them in "Back To The Future" where he gently holds Lorraine's face to kiss her at the end of the song, and when he holds Socrates in the movie "Willard". Anyway, interestingly enough, I met Crispin Glover last week.
He was in Columbus to show one of the movies in his trilogy (due to technical issues he was unable to show the originally scheduled film, but instead showed another one) and for a book reading. Evidently, he does mash mixes of old books. He rearranges or adds text to turn an existing book into something completely different, and they are very neat if you ask me. I was more enthralled with the book reading than I was the film, but still, all in all a great night. Everyone has asked me "Is he as crazy as he seemed on Letterman?" The answer is no. The worst you can say about him is that he goes off on tangents, and who doesn't? He was very nice and very sweet to listen to my ramblings, and honestly, i think HE thought I was a little crazy. I asked him if he'd been to Columbus since he was here in 1983, and he gave me a very strange look and said "No, actually." in a very surprised way. I think he wondered if I was a little weird for knowing that. But come on, when you live in Columbus Ohio, it's not every day movie stars come to your town to shoot a movie, especially movie stars your mother adores.
Crispin Glover was in "Teachers", which was filmed at the old Central High School. Where COSI is now. He plays a troubled freaky kid, and at the end he's shot like so much Sal Mineo.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Fatty Fatty Fat Fat
I went to a wedding last night. It was 2 lovely friends and a lovely affair, but goddamnit do I hate weddings. I'm almost always the fattest girl there, so I always feel conspicuous at the buffet. I also hate dressing up because I can never really find pretty or comfortable clothes. And my friends are all pretty girls who look good in their dresses with their hair done, and I'm like Violet Beauregard who can barely see to put on her makeup so who the hell knows how she looks.
I'll stop here and say yes, I know this was a wedding and no one is looking at or giving a rat's ass about me. I may be big enough to have my own gravitational pull, but I'm not THAT self involved.
It's just that this wedding was just another event where I feel out of place in the world. Honestly, I don't want to wear tons of makeup with my hair elegantly piled on my head. I've never been a pretty girl and as such, haven't had much patience for what goes in to trying to be a pretty girl. I'm the glasses and ponytail girl from all those Disney movies, the nerd. And I like being the nerd. I'm more comfortable in jeans at the movies watching sci-fi. Maybe I'd be more interested in fashion if I hadn't pizza rolled my way out of that scene, but thin doesn't automatically mean pretty, so maybe i'd still have the why bother attitude. Who knows.
Mainly, when I go places where the pretty people are dressed up, I feel like an ogre who isn't good enough for her amazing man. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that people think I went all Anne Francis on him and cast a spell to make him like me. He's amazingly handsome, and I'm.....not. Perhaps I should try harder to look nice, for him. When we're in a room with a bunch of girls who know how to dress and wear makeup and how not to be fat, I feel bad for him that he has to come home with me. Poor guy deserves better, I swear.
So often I feel like a fish out of water in this world. I don't think the social anxiety disorder helps, but I often don't feel comfortable. I wonder sometimes if anyone can see through my layer of blubber to the person who I truly believe is worth knowing, even if she isn't worth photographing.
I'll stop here and say yes, I know this was a wedding and no one is looking at or giving a rat's ass about me. I may be big enough to have my own gravitational pull, but I'm not THAT self involved.
It's just that this wedding was just another event where I feel out of place in the world. Honestly, I don't want to wear tons of makeup with my hair elegantly piled on my head. I've never been a pretty girl and as such, haven't had much patience for what goes in to trying to be a pretty girl. I'm the glasses and ponytail girl from all those Disney movies, the nerd. And I like being the nerd. I'm more comfortable in jeans at the movies watching sci-fi. Maybe I'd be more interested in fashion if I hadn't pizza rolled my way out of that scene, but thin doesn't automatically mean pretty, so maybe i'd still have the why bother attitude. Who knows.
Mainly, when I go places where the pretty people are dressed up, I feel like an ogre who isn't good enough for her amazing man. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that people think I went all Anne Francis on him and cast a spell to make him like me. He's amazingly handsome, and I'm.....not. Perhaps I should try harder to look nice, for him. When we're in a room with a bunch of girls who know how to dress and wear makeup and how not to be fat, I feel bad for him that he has to come home with me. Poor guy deserves better, I swear.
So often I feel like a fish out of water in this world. I don't think the social anxiety disorder helps, but I often don't feel comfortable. I wonder sometimes if anyone can see through my layer of blubber to the person who I truly believe is worth knowing, even if she isn't worth photographing.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
My Ugly American Tendencies
As a foreign traveler, I'm pretty good. I don't simply speak louder English to someone who doesn't speak it, I don't complain that this food is different than the stuff we get back home, I don't say things like "this looks like Monopoly money!", and I don't spend all of my time looking for a McDonalds. But, I have some dark shameful ugly American traits. Well, mainly one.
Here in Aviles, Asturias, Spain, things are pretty green. The lights in most public places have motion sensors so when you go to the bathroom in a restaurant, the lights are off until you get in there. Also, there is very little water in the toilet, so not much is used during flushing. And I'm quite impressed with this. But, after a week of coming back to the hotel to a steamy, stagnant room that fills up with mosquitos if you open the window, I can't help but think that I would kill someone in front of their own mama for a window unit air conditioner. Seriously. I'm going to sit in front of one of the vents for a few hours when I get back home.
So there it is. Admitting it is the first step towards being healthy. I'm an Ugly American in that I really, REALLY love air conditioning.
Here in Aviles, Asturias, Spain, things are pretty green. The lights in most public places have motion sensors so when you go to the bathroom in a restaurant, the lights are off until you get in there. Also, there is very little water in the toilet, so not much is used during flushing. And I'm quite impressed with this. But, after a week of coming back to the hotel to a steamy, stagnant room that fills up with mosquitos if you open the window, I can't help but think that I would kill someone in front of their own mama for a window unit air conditioner. Seriously. I'm going to sit in front of one of the vents for a few hours when I get back home.
So there it is. Admitting it is the first step towards being healthy. I'm an Ugly American in that I really, REALLY love air conditioning.
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