So Much for Plan B....

Ok, so my job search has officially begun. My graduation ceremony was on Monday and now my full-time job on top of my part-time job is to, you guessed it, FIND a job. The current economic state is definitely going to make this process an interesting one but, for as long as I can remember, I have always had a back-up plan in the case that I couldn't find a job right away and that is being ... a flight attendant.

Ok,ok,ok. I know it is not glamorous, fun, or would not even pay very well, BUT I am ALL about the ultimate perk: Free Travel! I would scoop dog poop for a living if it meant free trips around the world! Ok, well, I decided to go ahead and see if any airlines were hiring new flight attendants and well, they are... they are just not hiring ME!

I was reading about about flight attendant unions, uniforms, salaries, and job requirements when I came to the bulleted point:

"Must be a minimum of five feet two inches in height"


In case you didn't know, and you might not considering all of my shoes add an easy 3 to 4 inches, I stand at a staggering 5'1''. I am freakishly tiny and I always forget until I see a picture of myself with my friends or walk past a reflective window while walking with other people, but I am still in shock that my height is actually preventing me from a JOB! It's crazy! They also administer a test to see if you can reach a point on a wall that is six feet and ten inches above the ground. I tried. I can only reach six feet and EIGHT inches above the ground!

Well, I am terrified flying in planes anyways- haha! But it's nothing I can't endure if it means reaching some fantastic destination. In fact, the average person would have no idea that I am scared to death every time the plane hits the slightest bit of turbulence unless they notice how tight I am gripping the arm rests or hear me squeak as I try to constrict a small scream, but mostly I am just screaming inside... haha.

So, I guess there goes "Plan B". I guess I should get to work to find out what "Plan A" is.

But, I have to say, I am STILL beaming from graduation on Monday. I might not know what I am going to do, but I am still very happy with what I have DONE : )

We've been ELFED!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Filing Boards = Arch Nemesis

I have to admit that I have a rather long list of neuroses but not being able to stand nail filing is by far the most intense. I have no idea why I am this way, but nail filing actually triggers my gag reflex and sends chills down my entire body. I can't even stand for other people to file their nails around me and, actually, I feel tense even talking about nail filing. By the way, I am completely aware that I sound like a crazy person right now... Well, despite my issues, I went to get my nails done yesterday for the third time in my life (the first for my 15th birthday and the second for my junior prom) for graduation tomorrow.

When I sat down, the "nail lady" whipped out the nail file and I hung my head as if I was being punished. I told my mom about my issue and told her to just keep talking to me so I wouldn't have to think about it. We talked about everything in US magazine from Miley Cyrus' annoyingness to Hugh Jackman's abs, but NOTHING could distract me from the torturous nail filing! I looked away the entire time but still felt completely nauseous and had to whisper an occasional "oh my gosh...oh my gosh" and giggle nervously to get through the process. The experience was only about 3 minutes, but it felt like DAYS! The lady getting her nails done next to me was laughing at me but she already knew I didn't do this often after I was asked what color I wanted for my manicure and I just said, "regular" -hahah! Apparently, FRENCH manicures are different than just a manicure, wow, I am such a nail novice...

Anyways, my nails look awesome now, so I guess it was worth it, but it will be a loooooooong time before I let anyone touch my toes! I really have no idea what happened in my life/childhood that causes me freak out any time there is any pressure or scraping on my nails, but I wish I did so I might be able to just get over it! It was really was fun being girly yesterday and even as I am typing this now I am thinking, "Damn, girl! You're nails look fiiiinnneee". So maybe I will learn to tolerate nail filing in the future, but, for now, I will remain an often unmanicured freak : )

Blankets are SO 2004!

Have you guys seen the informercial for "The Snuggie"? This shit cracks me up! They talk about blankets like they are useless pieces of crap! All a "Snuggie" is, is a freaking robe worn backwards! WOW! HOW AMAZING! Here is an actual quote from the informercial:

"Blankets are OK, but they can slip and slide! And when you try to reach for something, your hands are trapped inside!"

HAHAHA! Wow.

Milk

I saw Milk last night and it was FANTASTIC. It was so inspiring. It annoys me that Sean Penn is SUCH a great actor. He is such a know-it-all in real life... well, maybe he does know it all, who knows? James Franco is adorable despite his short curly afro and the story is just amazing.

We live is such an amazing time. Within the past hundred years or so this country has experienced the Civil Rights Movement, women gained the right to vote and went from being forced to stay at home as maids slash baby making machines to CEO's. It wasn't long ago that young men were drafted into unjust wars without a choice. And it still very recent that gay people can "come out" and still have the same opportunities in their personal and professional lives as straight people (sometimes). But no matter how much progress has been made or will be made, we will still never eliminate bigotry or hate. That is why I love seeing movies like this. It reminds us to keep fighting for what so many incredible people worked so hard for. Because my friends and I live in our social bubble where all are accepted and discrimination is something we hear about in the news, it's easy to forget that if we step outside our relationships or even our neighborhoods, discrimination is everywhere and we should not get too comfortable with the state of acceptance in this country.

That is my PSA for the day, but I would also like to mention that about 3 million amazing movies are about to come out and I cannot WAIT! I am excited to see: Slumdog Millionaire, Doubt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and, most of all, Revolutionary Road. After all of the crappy action and scary movies that always come out in the summer and fall, I am excited to finally see good acting again! And, PS. my inner 13 year old is longing to see "Jack" and "Rose" together again in a movie : )

Dialogue in the Dark

Today Darius and I went to "Dialogue in the Dark" at the Exhibition Center in Atlantic Station. It was such an cool experience. But before I write anything else, if you plan on visiting "Dialogue" and if you do not want to know what to expect during the tour, you might not want to read the rest of this post.

So the way it works is you walk into a room were the lights slowly get darker and darker until it's pitch black. You are given a stick to use to prevent you from walking into things which, in my case, did not help a lot, but, still, you get the point. You are lead through a series of settings by a blind guide that include a city, a grocery store, a park, a cafe, and you even board a boat! The entire tour is about an hour long and I never truly got used to following my tour guide's voice or finding my way by tapping my cane.

At times, the process of making my way through the tour was very frustrating and I felt a bit helpless and kind of dumb to tell you the truth. I mean, I could hear my guide say, "Follow my voice" and I kept thinking, "Where the H is your voice!?!". It definitely takes more than an hour for your others senses to compensate.

I was surprised by some of my behavior during the experience. For one, I could not bring myself to just close my eyes. Even though I could not see a thing and I could feel my eyes straining as I tried to look around, I felt even MORE blind when I closed them! I was also surprised to find how small everything felt. I guess to think of anything as being bigger than me was overwhelming and I kept trying to duck into hallways even though after feeling the wall, I could not even come close to touching the top even on my tippy toes.

Another thing that was cool about the experience was how everyone in the group let go of a lot of their social boundaries. We were all standing so close to each other and I felt people besides Darius touching me to try to follow me. Everyone felt comfortable relying on each other for help. I thought that was really cool. But, above everything else, I think the coolest thing about "Dialogue in the Dark" is that the blind guides have the opportunity to orientate others into something unfamiliar instead of the opposite. I am sure it is very empowering for them to not only have this leadership opportunity, but to have the chance to share their "view" of the world for once.

At the end of the tour, we sat down in the cafe and had a Q&A session with our guide. I got to ask him a few questions I have always wondered about blind people: Do they value travel as much as the sighted world does? Are there "blind-friendly" cities? And, the million dollar question, If you could, would you undergo a procedure they could give you sight? Through his answers, he reminded me that there is more to travel than just what you can see. You can taste, hear, and feel culture just as much as you can see it. He told me Atlanta was fairly "blind friendly" and, lastly, he remains undecided as to whether or not he would want gain the ability to see. At first I was surprised, but then I realized that to gain sight for the first time in your life at 25 years old would be just as jarring as losing your sight at that same point in your life. It would entail re-learning everything you do. You would have to re-meet everyone you know. You would have to learn your way around just as a sighted person who became blind would. But what his undecided answer says to me more than anything else, is people become comfortable in their lives, abilities, and states of being. And whether or not a change in a person's life would be considered socially "positive", the unfamiliar will inevitably remain intimidating, scary, and even unappealing.

I really valued my experience today and remain astounded that such small changes in our bodies have the ability to create such immeasurable obstacles in our lives.

TLC

TLC only has shows about 3 things:

1.) Little People
2.) Obese people
3.) People with obscene amounts of children

Seriously. WTH?

I wonder why they are doing this. I mean, are a bunch of TLC executives sitting around a big table and one of them jumps out of their chair and says, "I know! Let's have a show about people who have a ton of children!" and the others say, "But don't we already have that with John and Kate Plus Eight?" and the excited exec replies, "Yeah, but these people can have, like, more than eight kids! Like, we can have a show about people who have 12 kids and another show about people who have 17 kids and maybe even a show about people loving shows about people that have tons of kids! This multiple kid business is a gold mine!" and everyone high fives each other???

And don't get me started on the incessant specials about primordial dwarfs and obese people.

I. am. over. it.

But, yet, I cannot change the channel...

"A" is for Activism

So, this past Tuesday I volunteered to advocate for Oxfam International at the Coldplay concert. I would LOVE to say it was done 100% in an effort to eradicate hunger and poverty but, as a HUGE Coldplay fan, I have to admit, it was extremely easy to sign up for this gig.

First off, let me tell you how proud I am that I get to take part in helping Oxfam achieve its goals of coming up with solutions to end global poverty and hunger as well as respond to natural disasters, improve international trade conditions, and fight global warming (just to name a few). This is an organization that believes in people and their ability to work towards a better future for, not only themselves, but for the rest of the world. So many non-profit organizations just throw money at problems and hope for them to go away in time, but Oxfam truly does its research to find the root of each issue and systematically improve the human condition.

Well, let me tell you, sometimes while working for humanitarian efforts, you will run into quite a few humans that let you down and make a mockery of what you're trying to do. Our job at this event was to talk to Coldplay fans (the guys in the band are HUGE Oxfam supporters) about joining the Oxfam monthly e-mail list in a effort to have Coldplay fans take their first step in advocacy by simply just reading and talking about the issues. Now, I knew going into this that it would be a tough job. An e-mail list is not the most exciting or rewarding thing in the world, but I figured that most Coldplay fans would be open to helping the world get back onto its feet, and that maybe some of them would have even heard Chris Martin speaking about the organization. Well, I was in for a bit of a shock...

Before I say this, PLEASE don't get me wrong; I met hundreds of wonderful people who did or did not sign up for the e-mail list. I even had several fantastic and passionate conversations with people who could not wait to be part of Oxfam's poverty and hunger solutions, but the few instances where I came across some of the angriest and least philanthropic individuals I had ever met, it hit me hard... and sometimes it even felt like I had the wind knocked out of me.

Because I used to work for Red Bull, I have had plenty of experience walking up to complete strangers and starting a conversation, but when I worked for Red Bull, I had the opportunity to hand over a free drink at the end of the conversation which was warmly accepted in most cases, but while working for Oxfam, all I had was an opportunity to receive a monthly newsletter and a free button if they signed up... NOT an easy sell. I was received well most of the time with only the occasional person ignoring me or saying they were in a "big hurry", which was easy to handle, but every once in a while, I came across someone who just couldn't wait to make me feel small and my aspirations unimportant.

One guy told me, "Those people just need to stop being lazy and get a job!" I told him that he might be surprised to know that there is a lack of jobs in war-torn Darfur and that the people we are trying to help are the furthest thing from lazy. But what I wanted to tell him was that HE was the lazy one. I am sure that he has never had to walk miles and miles to collect clean water. I sincerely doubt he has had to support an entire family of children after losing his parents to disease or civil war. And I seriously doubt he has ever had to go to sleep hungry. But I didn't say that. Instead I thanked him for his time and told him to enjoy the show.

But, by far the WORST comment of the night was from a woman, about 55 years old that, after talking to her for a moment, got in my face and said through her teeth, "Why don't you give me YOUR e-mail address so I can bother YOU." All I said was that she obviously had NO idea what we were trying to do and she should just enjoy her night and not worry about it. What I SHOULD have said was, "Hey, if you are planning to send me an educational, monthly e-mail about ending poverty and hunger, I would be more than happy to read it." But, no. I just smiled and let her be rude to me.

These are the kinds of moments that stop humanitarians dead in their tracks and make them question what they are fighting for. Will people always be this ignorant, angry, and selfish? CAN things get better? Is this world beyond repair? But that's when I remember that I am not fighting for THOSE people. I am fighting for people who believe in the same future for this planet and the people on it as I do: A future free of poverty, hunger, and social injustice. I am fighting for people who believe that humans are inherently good and capable of treating others with respect and gaining knowledge as long as they are open to it. And, most of all, I am fighting for people who NEED me to not give up. So, I won't.

But what is so important for me to remember about this night was all of the great people who did listen and did care. The people who did not want to sign up, but respected me as a good person trying to do a good thing. That is why it is so rewarding to take part in events like this, and I would do it a million more times if it meant that just one more person started to care about these issues.

If just to make one more person care about someone else.






“If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one.”- Mother Teresa

"Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need."- Kahlil Gibran

"It is better to light one candle than curse the darkness"- Confucius

"Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centres of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."- Robert F. Kennedy

Musica!

All I want you to do is download Vampire Weekend's "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" and "M79".

Let me know if you like it!!

It's been a long time coming...

I love to collect quotes and I wanted to share one with you that means a lot to me, especially right now...

"I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word."

- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

YES WE DID

I could not hold back my tears tonight...I just couldn't believe it. My voice was finally heard.

Now there will finally be a chance for America to regain its respect around the world. A chance for ill people to afford medication, doctors visits, and surgeries. A chance for us to really support the troops and bring them home from a senseless war. A chance for a President who embraces dialogue and understanding to improve our country's foreign relations. For once I can look at my fellow Americans and be proud and for once, I actually feel patriotic.

I have always felt lucky to live in this country, but tonight, I feel especially lucky. I got to take part in making history. Less than a lifetime ago, people who looked like Barack Obama were drinking from separate drinking fountains and now, he is The President of the United States and even for that alone, I could not be any more proud.

THIS IS WHAT WE CALL PROGRESS.

So to everyone that voted for change this election, my sincerest thanks. Now let's get to work.

Election Eve

So here we are, only hours away from knowing who will be the next President of the United States. I have to admit, although I am excited for so many things to change in this country, the one thing I am looking forward to the most about this election coming to an end is, well, this election coming to an end. I am so exhausted from debating and the polarizing atmosphere that is created during an election. But, before this election is over, there is one thing I really want to get off of my chest when it comes to stereotyping Obama supporters.

The McCain/Palinites (yes, I just invented that term-lol) are constantly referring to Obama as a "celebrity" and just some "rock n' roll" candidate whose only political strategy is to play with the emotions of his supporters. I am so offended by statements like these. Although I am a HUGE Obama supporter and I am often in awe of his verbal eloquence, I am by no means a GROUPIE. I think what has so many of us swept up in Barack Obama is the fact that it is so unbelievably powerful, exciting, and refreshing to have a presidential candidate that is passionate about more than just WINNING the election. There are so few politicians that seem to have as much passion about "doing the job" as winning the position.

THAT is what impresses me so much about Barack Obama. Not that he got Common and Kanye West to perform at the Democratic National Convention, or that he is young or good-looking. It is the fact that I think he does not only want to be President, he wants to do a good job.

I am so excited about the idea of having an INTELLECTUAL president. A president that can move people by his words. Presidents that can do that are not going to be like the polarizing president we've had the past eight years... "You are either with us or against us"...Remember that? What kind of leader speaks that way? We are (hopefully) about to have a president that sat on the board of the Harvard Law Revue... not a C student who got into Yale through his daddy's connections.

His ability to draw a crowd is not what attracts me to him; WHO HE IS and WHAT HE HAS ACCOMPLISHED attracts me to him. So, to all of the conservatives that are desperately making fun of Barack for being POPULAR, think about what you're saying.

On a separate note, I am so sad that Obama's grandmother passed away today and will have to miss the most significant moment in her grandson's life. I feel so sad for him that he will not have the time to stop for a moment and grieve for her- these last few hours are too crucial. But, hopefully, tomorrow will be a day he can dedicate to her and all she did to raise such an amazing person.

Well, here we go- No matter what your bumper sticker says, we will have a new president tomorrow and, no matter who it is, we are all in this together. Let's just cross our fingers that America gets it right this time.


Below I have some statistics from FiveThirtyEight.com and, well, it looks damn good.

I miss Tanzania

As my final semester in college comes to an end, I am trying to decide what is next for me. I want to do PR for non-profits, I want to join the Peace Corps, I want to continue to personal train, I want to travel, I want to teach English in Korea, I want to do A MILLION THINGS!! The issue here is: I don't know what to do first.

I am trying to be as open as possible because, not only is the job market scary right now, but any work experience will be valuable to me at this point in time. Whether I end up in sales, actually getting to do something in PR, or even just working as a receptionist, I would be gaining and improving upon skills that will help me in the future and it would also be nice just to have ONE schedule for once in my life! I have had a job since I was 13! I'm not kidding. I worked every weekend at a cheerleading gym from ages 13-15 and then worked at Loco's Deli and Pub, Mellow Mushroom, Real Estate International, Red Bull, and now, Ladies Workout Express. Balancing a job and school and even, for a while, an internship on top of that, has been exhausting and I would love to go to work, come home and be done! No homework or leaving from one job to the next!

But all of this planning for the future makes me wonder when I am going to get to go back to Africa. I miss Tanzania so much! I miss the friendships I made there, I miss the culture, and the beautiful untouched scenery. If I could have it my way, I would be teaching AIDS education in Tanzania right now, but I do not feel ready to sign up for the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps is a 2 year and 3 month commitment and I just can't leave my friends and family for that long right now.

Hmm. SO much to think about, but I know I will find my way. I always have : )

But, I have to point out that the little girl right next to me in that picture above, Aleluna, is brilliant. When I met her last summer, she was reading and writing and tried to learn as much English as she could but she could not afford to go to school. That is just not right, and, all I know, is ultimately, I want to make it my life's work to make sure more girls like her, are never denied the opportunity to learn. And I will make it happen, I just hope I can start on that journey sooner rather than later!

HalloVEEN! Muah ahahahahahah!

I LOVE Halloween. I love dressing up, scary movies, haunted houses, and eating obscene amounts of candy, and nothing is better than getting into holidays like we did when you we were kids. Last night Darius, Diana, Brian, Kari, and I went to Creepers Haunted House and it was AWESOME! It was SO scary!! We had to go through swamps, graveyards, cross over rickety bridges, and walk through pitch black hallways while people came behind us and whispered or growled into our ears! And, one thing is for sure, those people can smell fear, because I was picked on the entire time!!!

I love being scared, which is great, because it is an incredibly easy emotion for me to achieve. I could barely sit through "I am Legend"!! I had a coat over my head almost the entire time and watched most of the movie from in between the buttons of my coat... and it wasn't even THAT scary! I think I embarrassed Darius with how easily I jumped up and gasped throughout the movie- haha! Well, last night was no exception. I walked through the entire haunted house with my head tucked in like a turtle, shuffling my feet at a grandma's pace, and keeping my arms pulled in tightly ready to tuck and roll at any given moment. The staff kept telling us not to run, but it was impossible not to! When people are chasing you with chainsaws and sniffing your neck in a dark room, it is hard to walk slowly and keep calm!

Admission was $20 but it was totally worth it! It got all of us into the Halloween spirit and we are all DEFINITELY scared! Actually, before we went, Darius and I were talking about how awkward it would be if we weren't scared. Would we fake it because we didn't want the employees to feel bad? I had no idea, but, luckily, our screams were 100% authentic. So, if you are looking to get into a Halloweeny mood, check out Creepers! http://www.creepershauntedhouse.com/

But let me tell you what I do not like about Halloween: Pointless "sexy" costumes. Like, costumes that should NOT be sexy... like these.

A sexy... bee? Um, ok...





This looks nothing like an actual ladybug...





At least this one gets points for creativity.





But there is just no excuse for THIS- What the hell IS this??






So basically, that's how I feel about "sexy" costumes for Halloween. 99% of them are dumb. The end.

Happy Almost Halloween!

Procrastination at its Finest

Last night I had to make a study guide, read three chapters, clean my room, and do laundry... Instead, Diana and I spent 3 hours watching John and Kate Plus Eight and taking ridiculous pictures in our Halloween wigs. Wow. What is wrong with us? Ha ha! Well, I'll take any opportunity to avoid homework... obiviously!

It's a Dawg Eat Dawg World...

Well, I just arrived back home from Athens a few minutes ago and, I don't care what anyone says, Downtown Athens at night is MUCH scarier than Downtown Atlanta! I've never been around so many drunk, angry people! Luckily it was just about as much hilarious as it was scary! At one point, I heard two people, only seconds apart in completely separate groups say "I heard your were talking shit!" in their drunken voices. I also saw a girl wearing the remains of what was once a very cute dress, run into a wall while saying, "Oh my God! This is the best night ever!".

Actually, it is just really fun, in any city, to only catch small parts of people's conversations. On Friday night, Diana and I went to go rent a movie from Videodrome and I overheard this guy say, "I mean, I went to Montreal, and it's not THAT French." Haha. So, just in case you enjoy eavesdropping into random conversations as much as I do, you can check out www.overheardinathens.com. No matter how crazy the quote is, it is still probably real!

But, let me tell you, it is so good to be home in the safe, comfort that is the EAV!

Relaxation

I love rainy days. It always seems like the world slows down and you can feel good about sleeping late and spending the day watching TV, listening to music, and just doing a lot of nothing. I never feel pressured to do anything on rainy days. I really needed a day like this today. So far I have spent the day sleeping, running errands, catching up on the news, and spending time with my dog... and I do not anticipate doing much more than that until tomorrow.

As graduation approaches, my life is flashing before my eyes, and I am becoming more and more conscious of how fast life can pass us by. Any moment I can have were I can stop, breathe, and relax is appreciated : )

"There is more to life than increasing its speed."
Gandhi

Hmmm...

OK, so the world is really F'd up. No, this is not the first time I've noticed, but it wasn't until Darius and I had a random conversation relating the government to the TV show "Survivor" that I realized that the world is not only F'd up, it annoyingly shitty and selfish. Haha- great description, I know.

As we were talking about relationships between countries and the concept of "Allies", I started to think how similarly cut-throat "Survivor" and the political relationships of the world are. They are similar in that, no countries really care about the success of other counties for unselfish reasons. It is all in an effort not to "lose". I also thought it was weird that, just like in the show, groups of allies aim to destroy or conquer other groups of allies. And while they primarily hope to defeat their enemies, they also hope to achieve superiority over their own allies in time and eventually "win" or increase their power.

Just a silly observation, but I did find it interesting and depressing that the world's politics are not all that different from a crappy reality TV show.

In other news, I am not currently a fan of school right now either. Not that I am ever really crazy about school, but I am one of those "front-row" people who participates and actually really enjoys learning. What separates this semester from the rest is, not only is it my last and I am generally feeling burnt out, but because I am a Journalism major, I have a required minor that adds an extra semester to my degree. It is killing me to know I could be done right now if I belonged to almost any other major! I am spending hours upon hours writing papers and doing projects about hotel management, hospitality quality, and hospitality law... none of which have anything to do with my future aspirations... Well, I guess it is better than facing the depressing job market right now...

On an exciting note, I have to promote the idea and practice of the "relationship vacation" that Darius and I invented! As two fiercely independent people in a three and a half year relationship, we were both beginning to miss our days of abundant "alone time" and decided to take a week apart without phone calls. We just wanted to spend that time with our friends and just doing whatever we wanted. Ever since we took that small time apart, everything feels like it did the first few months we were together! We realized that we were putting too much emphasis on togetherness for our young ages, and needed to take a step back and enjoy each other as something special and separate from ourselves and our individual lives.

This discovery of separate togetherness has completely changed the way I look at relationships... they no longer seem scary or unrealistic, they just become a positive addition to my life. Not something that defines me, just something that makes me happy and inspires me to be better. It is so cool to be with someone who thinks "out-of-the-box" when it comes to relationships. I feel really lucky. Talking through this and coming up with a plan that actually worked had made us both smarter and appreciate each other so much more. I hope that any of you in relationships reading this will remember that, no matter how much you love someone, you should never lose all of yourself in your significant other. In fact, the more of you you keep, the stronger the relationship will probably be : )

M.I.A. is Preggers!

Do they make neon baby clothes?




Check out this video if you wanna see her performing with her belly! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4867x08MNbY

WHO CARES?

I cannot tell you how much I hate posting a picture of this woman... hell, it just makes me upset that I even know she exists... but, I just want to share my thoughts about all of the controversy surrounding this picture.

I was watching Fox News tonight -I know what you're thinking... and you're right, but it is part of my "keep your enemies closer" political technique. ANYWAYS, there was a woman claiming that this "unedited" picture is a "slap in the face to the McCain/Palin campaign". I find this to be HILARIOUS! By saying that, she was basically saying that the only thing Palin has going for her is her appearance... and I couldn't agree more!

I find myself thinking all the time about how different this campaign would be if Sarah Palin wasn't attractive. But what I really wanted to say about the cover of this magazine is that Newsweek almost always has detailed close ups of political figures on its cover. And, no, they are not always "flattering" (think of the covers featuring McCain and Hillary Clinton). A news magazine is not a fashion magazine. We don't need any male political figures to look like models, so why should anyone expect that from a female political figure? This woman is running for vice president of the United States! Who care about her PORES!? A vice presidential candidate should be running for his/her mind, not his/her face. But, I guess the face becomes the important when the mind is empty.

Hey, Kareem!

Ok, so before I went to teach my belly dance class tonight, I went to Kroger to deposit a check and, as I was walking in, a man (about 7 feet tall) and I had one of those "After you..." "No, after you!" door moments. I was thinking the whole time that this guy looks JUST like Kareem Abdul Jabbar but because I know only slightly more than NOTHING about basketball, I decided not to say anything. Everyone in the store seemed to be looking at him but I thought that might just be because he is 7 feet tall and I would assume that most people around that height are constantly catching every one's attention. Well, when I got home I googled Kareem and... OMG- that HAD to be him! I am about 99.97% sure!

Anyways, I am sitting here watching this show on TLC about a family that has 17 kids and it is a a special about the oldest son getting married. They are 20 years old and they are "staying pure" for their marriage. I've always known "staying pure" to be waiting until marriage for sex, but these kids are going the extra mile and waiting until marriage for their first kiss!! WOW! All I can think about is how many bad kissers I have encountered and how glad I am to have experienced enough kisses to know an OK kiss from a great one and to have gotten so many lackluster kisses out of they way! Also, I keep wondering what it would be like to go through that much waiting and the kisses/sex sucked?!? I can't imagine! I mean, I guess they wouldn't know the difference but... maybe they would??
All I can say is, I would want to know what I'm "getting into" when I marry someone! FOR REAL! At least kissing-wise! Well, to each their own!

East Atlanta Adventures

On Friday night Diana and I went to see Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. It was cute and everything but for some reason, we were in the most annoying audience ever! For some reason they all kept applauding throughout the movie... it was so weird! I have never experienced that! I mean, I've been to a movie where the audience clapped at the end, but never multiple points throughout the movie! Strange. But it was in Atlantic Station so I should have guessed the experience would be annoying. I love Atlantic Station but the process of going there always kind of sucks and everything is so crowded and I ALWAYS forget where I parked! Oh, and Diana and I were almost hit by a taxi. It was eventful to say the least.
Ok, so the movie was pretty good... I don't really need to ever see it again, but the soundtrack was really great and Michael Cera is the most adorable creature to ever walk the planet, so it was totally worth it. Afterwards, Diana and I went to The Earl to meet up with Jacqueline and it ended up being one of the most fun nights ever! After a few PBRS and some fabulous conversation, we wanted to go dancing so we walked over to Mary's, a gay bar in the EAV. It was pretty great except their bathrooms have windows on the doors and, if any of you guys know me at all, you know I have a multitude of bathroom phobias that definitely includes people being able to see you through a little window! After Mary's we headed the The Graveyard Tavern. It was great! No cover and a free Colt 45! Good combo! We danced like crazy and then decided to hit up My Sister's Room, a lesbian club in EAV. Let me tell you, when they play Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl", it takes on a whole new meaning! I was not prepared!
It was so funny being there. For some reason I was afraid I would be found out to be a straight person and kicked out- haha! Diana noticed we were the only people carrying purses, so maybe that was a give-away but let me tell you- that place is fun! I mean, there were a few dudes there but it looked like almost any other dance floor with 99% women dancing on it! Men hardly ever dance anyways. So I will DEF. be returning to My Sister's Room!
Last night was Melissa's birthday at Sabroso in Little Five Points and they had a drag show. Wow... now, I have only been to one other drag show at Wet Bar back in the day, but I am pretty sure there is no amount of preparation that could prepare someone for an experience like that. It was crazy, but so much fun!
In conclusion, I am pretty damn lucky to have such fun, crazy, open-minded, and brilliant friends... never a dull moment.


Ps. I cannot stop listening to Band of Horses right now. Download: Our Swords, The General Specific, Is there a Ghost, and No Ones Gonna Love you.... so great : )

And while you're at it, you should probably dance around your room to Devendra Banhart's Carmensita and Lover.

Let me know how those work out for you : )

VP Debate

Highlight from Joe Biden: (this transcript does not do him justice! His delivery was amazing!) Now, with regard to the -- to the health care plan, you know, it's with one hand you giveth, the other you take it. You know how Barack Obama -- excuse me, do you know how John McCain pays for his $5,000 tax credit you're going to get, a family will get?
He taxes as income every one of you out there, every one of you listening who has a health care plan through your employer. That's how he raises $3.6 trillion, on your -- taxing your health care benefit to give you a $5,000 plan, which his Web site points out will go straight to the insurance company.
And then you're going to have to replace a $12,000 -- that's the average cost of the plan you get through your employer -- it costs $12,000. You're going to have to pay -- replace a $12,000 plan, because 20 million of you are going to be dropped. Twenty million of you will be dropped.
So you're going to have to place -- replace a $12,000 plan with a $5,000 check you just give to the insurance company. I call that the "Ultimate Bridge to Nowhere."


"Highlight" from Sarah Palin: And I may not answer the questions that either the moderator or you want to hear, but I'm going to talk straight to the American people and let them know my track record also. (aka. I will not be answering the questions in this debate. I am going to used my rehearsed answers)

This debate was an EASY win for Biden... anyone else who thinks this debate was anything even close to even was NOT listening.

Bill Maher

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95210724

I know he may be extreme, but he really does have many valid points when it comes to religion.

I have always felt that religion's orignal and ultimate purpose was to control people and I can see that Bill and I can agree on that. Don't get me wrong- I am not against religion like Bill is... maybe I can just say that I am against the way many people choose to use their religion. By that I mean, imposing it on others. I do think there are some positive aspects to religion, but they are nothing we cannot find within ourselves. I don't think it takes a messenger to teach mankind to be kind or to try to consider others before ourselves... I have found that we mostly learn that through relationships. But without getting too into this topic, I just thought this interview was entertaining especially in the midst of an election where religion continues to play an important role.

Never thought I'd have a bird funeral today...

Yes, you read it right... I just buried a bird in my backyard. Diana and I were just hanging out in my room when we heard a loud bump on my window. At first I thought there was someone trying to break in my window (a side effect of living in East Atlanta) but I pulled back the curtains to find a little bird with a broken leg sitting on the roof outside my window! It was so sad! He was breathing really fast and his leg was practically twisted backwards. I did not know what to do... and what does one do when they don't know what to do? I called my mom. My mom brought up the proverbial tree question... if I could not see it, would I care? It is pretty sad to say that I don't think I would become emotional at the mere mention of a dying bird, but I still didn't feel right leaving him to die slowly on my roof.

So, Diana looked up number for the Atlanta Wildlife Rescue and when I called, I was told to retrieve the bird, wrap him up in paper towels, put him in a box, and wait to see if his condition improved after he came out of shock. The women informed me that about 60% of the time birds hurt themselves running into windows, they recover on their own as long as they are in a safe and dark place. I was so happy to hear that they little guy could recover! So, I went to open my window and crawl out onto the roof only to see that the bird was no longer there! At first I thought "Oh my gosh! What a fast recovery!" but then I noticed the extreme slant on the roof that lead Diana and I to our next conclusion...

We ran downstairs and out into the backyard to find that our little friend had fallen to his death : ( Poor guy. We dug a grave and buried him under a tree in the backyard. This all sounds very silly to me as I am writing this, but I really did not feel right leaving him on the side of the drive way especially because a bee had already started eating his face or something. Well, today is a sad day for the animal kingdom... our neighbor, Frank, we'll call him, has passed away... now I just hope Josh doesn't dig him up and eat him.

The Debate ...

What an interesting day for a debate...

After spending 30 minutes waiting at the only functioning gas station near my house, I went to the grocery store to pick up some food for my friends and I to eat during the debate tonight only to find that my bank account had been frozen. My parents mentioned to me the night before that they were planning to withdraw a large sum of money from the bank after hearing that the banks were planning on doing something like this. My parents are now relieved they did but this is now a perfect example of a "catch-22". Bank of America is doing what they have to do to prevent people from doing exactly what my parents did, withdrawing all their money. If everyone chose to withdraw all of their money from the bank, the bank would inevitable crumble but, at the same time, we all cannot be expected to live without access to our money. I wish that Bank of America would have instructed people on ways they can help themselves in the short term while also helping to keep the bank functioning in the long term.

I wish Bank of America would have told its customers that despite the economic crisis we are currently facing, the worst thing they can do is withdraw all of their money. They should have recommended that people withdraw a certain percentage of their money and leave enough to keep the bank from going under. It is actions like this (freezing people's accounts without explanation) that causes people to freak out and lose their control under pressure. Bank of America is losing trust from its customers and now, the first thing people will do when they can access their account again is withdraw all of their money.

ANYWAYS, The debate tonight did not go exactly how I had pictured it. In the weeks leading up to the debates, I had pictured Obama OWNING McCain and although I think Obama definitely came out on top, I was surprised that McCain didn't completely buckle under pressure or have, as many political journalists are jokingly referring to as, "a senior moment". Now, do not get me wrong, much of what McCain talked about tonight was completely fabricated and contradictory, but he played his "experience" card strategically enough to fool the same ignorant people Bush fooled in 2000 and 2004 into thinking he has their best interests in mind.

If there is anything that hurts me the most about the Bush administration, McCain, Palin, and all of the others in favor for the war in Iraq, it is the fact that they continue to act as if "Iraqi freedom" is one of their leading motivators. It is because of "us" that thousands of Iraqi civilians are being killed needlessly. It is because of "us" that the citizens of Baghdad are operating with sometimes only one hour of electricity a day and are forced to adhere to a curfew. Since when is an occupied country living in freedom???

I realized a few weeks ago that out of the 8 years I have been politically conscience (I started paying attention around 16), I have felt completely misrepresented and cheated by my president. I am not sure how I would handle another 4... or, God help me, potentially 8 years more of the same. But I digress...

There is so much riding on this election. From decreasing our reliance on foreign oil to repairing our nation's reputation around the world. From ending a pointless war to spending more time making sure people can afford to stay in their homes and have access to healthcare. If McCain wins this election, I will be looking at 1/2 of my current lifetime spent feeling embarrassed of and truely resentful towards my country's government, and worst of all, its people.

Let's just cross our fingers that the American people will realize that "politics-as-usual" is NOT working and it is time for a change.


YES WE CAN.

During times like these...

all you can do is.... "yes"


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyqUj3PGHv4

Thank you, You Tube.

I have recently developed an obsession with watching Japanese game shows on You Tube and here is one of my absolute favorites... "Binoculars Soccer"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwvVh0_ZelI



Seriously, if you are ever bored, I highly suggest watching some of these game shows! I mean, where else can you see people sprinting on a treadmill while eating cookies or having to rearrange furniture on a greased floor...?

What??

Today some guy came up to me while I was walking in between classes and said, "Mmm! I want to take you out for some M&M's and Sprite!"

What the hell does that mean?

I wish I had had a medal to give this dude for the oddest pick up line in the history of man kind.

Strange Luck

First of all, I knew this would happen. It has already been a month since my last post. Keeping a blog can be fun and I always think I'll be thankful for keeping one when I read through them a year later, but it always kind of feels like homework except for the occasional day like today when I actually feel like writing one.

Well, the reason I am writing today is because I have been having the strangest luck lately. What I mean is that all of the major things in my life have been amazing lately but all of the tiny things have been little disasters. I kind of feel like I'm paying for the good parts of my life with constant inconveiniences, awkward moments, and even physical pain! What I mean by the "major" things in my life are my relationships, work, and future plans. I have had the greatest times with my friends and family lately. I love my new house, my new roommates, I couldn't be having anymore fun with Darius, and I have never felt closer to my family. Just yesterday, Darius and I spent the entire day on the lake with my parents waterskiing, swimming, talking, and laughing... I mean, life doesn't really get better than that. The past week has been spent going out to a million different places with friends dancing and hanging out and just enjoying the last few, carefree moments of summer... but what I am finding out is that all of these things come with a price...

It all started when I found out that I had to re-paint my old apartment or Jacqueline and I would be charged a heafty painting fee. We had originally planned to just forget about the deposit and leave our apartment "as is" because we heard that our complex rarely refunded deposits anyway. Well, I ended up spending almost $80 of money I just do not have to be spending on painting supplies and spent 3 days cleaning and plainting my ass off in order to get back at least enough money to pay me back for the things I had just purchased. The situation was already bad enough with running from work to old apartment to Lowe's to my new house and back about three million times a day, but my real bad luck started on my last day of painting...


After seeing some scuffs on the wall in the un-painted kitchen, I decided to paint over it with some of the left over paint I had from painting back the living room... it was only after I painted a quarter of the wall that I realized they were two different colors. After mopping the floor for the 2nd time, I collected the last of my things from the apartment and walked out onto the front stoop of my building only to be covered with a TON of saw dust left from the top of the door that some construction workers left from their work earlier that day. It felt like like a random practical joke! After clearing the dust from my eyes and mouth, I loaded my stuff into the car. When I got to my new house the piece of furniture I was holding randomly broke into 4 pieces scattering all of the things it was holding all over the front yard. After going upstairs, I was cleaning up my room and I emptied my trash into a cardboard box which then leaked some myterious ooze all over my house as I drug it outside to toss it in the garbage. And this ooze wasn't your typical ooze... we are talking foul smelling, how-could-this-possibly-have-existed-in-my-room(???) ooze. So I spent the night scrubbing the floors and carpet.

Over the next few days I was attacked by mosquitos, sat down on an upside down high heel (one of the worst pains I have felt ever and I have a bruise to prove it), found out my house has a serious ant problem, and, the weirdest backwards karma of all, while at a restaurant with friends, I noticed that a 20 dollar bill fell out of a woman's purse and as I reached for the money and yelled to her to get her attention, my favorite bracelet got caught on the booth and it broke, scattering beads everywhere. What the hell is that??

But despite all of these weird occurances (plus others but I just don't have the time), everything else has been so wonderful. So at least I have had some funny stories to tell my friends and family over drinks and hang out sessions... I mean, it builds character, right??

Only Lifetime...

Only Lifetime would have a day dedicated to movies that involve doctors raping their patients while under anesthesia. I mean... not only do they have an entire genre of movies like this, but they had to choose the "best ones" to show in this marathon. Ha ha!! I love this network. I love the permed hair, the terrible acting, and most of all, the dramatic dialog. I would love to write for these movies.

So basically, Jacqueline and I spent all morning in my bed eating and giving Lifetime hours upon hours of our lives that we can never get back and I don't regret any of it!

This is my third blog... and probably not my last.

Ok, so I am going to try this again. And I am serious this time. I am going to be someone who blogs. It will most likely cover topics that are not very important but I am OK with that. This is not going to be one of those "I am just writing to complain" blogs either. Don't get me wrong. There will be complaining but only because I love to complain about things that don't really matter that much because they normally become funny after I give them too much attention.

Basically, I will be writing about my love/hate relationship with humanity and all of the dumb, amazing, annoying, beautiful, pointless and inspiring things that happen to and affect my small part/being in this huge universe. I am hoping that by starting this blog I will better understand all of the choices I make, not matter how small. For example, every single time I go to CVS (which is a lot), they ask me if I have a CVS card and I always say "no", so the cashier always puts a CVS card in my bag but I always throw it away. I have no idea why. I just keep wasting the cards. And speaking of wasting things, I bought three of those environmentally-friendly grocery shopping bags from Publix about 4 months ago. I keep forgetting to put them in my car so I have yet to stop using plastic bags. Why do I do this? In the majority of the areas of my life, I am the furthest thing from lazy but when it comes to dumb things like this, I couldn't be anymore lethargic.

Tonight Diana, Nick and I went from grocery store to grocery store looking for cardboard boxes because we are moving this weekend. Who knew these things would be so hard to come across? The people in the stores all said the same thing, to come back around between 2 and 6 a.m... um, that sounds like the shittiest thing I could possibly do tonight, so let me know if you are holding on to or can loan me some boxes. I mean, I can't BUY them. That is one of the most depressing things to buy ever. That, and cleaning supplies. I feel like the government should just provide us with those or maybe Oprah.

Moving always reminds me how little I value the majority of my stuff. Because I will be moving bit by bit this entire week, I had to pull out some clothes to last me the week. Even though I change clothes about 3 times a day, I still ended up choosing only a handful of things to get me through any sort of occasion I might come across in the next seven days. I actually heard about this theory once that, out of all of our belongings, particularly clothing, we choose only 20% of our clothing about 80% of the time. I have totally found this to be true but I still always have a hard time giving away clothes because I always think there is going to be a perfect occasion for everything I have. The worst things are my old Halloween costumes... I mean, I have a huge silver plane that attaches at my waist from when I was a flight attendant three years ago. It takes up so much space but I just know I am going to need it again someday.

Ok, this post is ridiculous. I think it has to do with the fact that it is almost 2 am and I have already seen the episode of Golden Girls that is on Lifetime right now.

Good night and I will be writing again soon because this is a blog and that it what I am supposed to do. The end!