A Year in Review

Ganked this from my friend, Ember.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
I drove through Utah, Idaho, and Oregon.

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
My new year's resolution was to read 20 new books and I managed to read 25, plus reread Deathly Hallows and listen to an audiobook. Next year I'm shooting for 25, and I'm also going to try to blog at least 10 times/month.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Kelley and John had this cute lil' bundle. She's the only kid that I insist on holding every time I see her.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Fortunately, no.

5. What countries did you visit?
Ach, I was stuck here! I am definitely leaving in 2009, though.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Sleep. I would like to cure my insomnia.

7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
March 22 and May 10. Jen&Doug's and Will&Shan's weddings.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting into my interior design program, I suppose.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not cleaning my carpets.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I am almost constantly suffering illness or injury. Right now, I actually have a vicious cut on my thumb from the Brita pitcher. No lie.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
It was a gift, but I love love love my Flip camera.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I thought that McCain's concession of the presidency was quite humble and dignified. Good on him.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Anyone who is publicly hateful about same-sex marriage.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Wizard rock and happy hour.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Wizard rock, LeakyCon, writing for the Wizrocklopedia, getting into LaRoche, Jen&Doug's and Will&Shan's weddings.

16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2008?
Any Whomping Willows or JFF songs.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier, definitely.
ii. thinner or fatter? I was at my lowest adult weight about a year ago, so at least I'm back to reasonable.
iii. richer or poorer? Richer, I guess. We have less credit card debt, at least.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Watching movies

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Obsessing over Seth Rogen, daydreaming, sitting on my ass.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Christmas Eve with the extended immediate family, Christmas morning at my parents' and Christmas dinner at the Fridy's.

22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
I'm constantly falling in love with one thing or another. And also constantly in love with my kittens and JP.

23. How many one-night stands?
Being married has really hindered this.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
I don't think I discovered anything new. Probably Top Chef and Project Runway - they're always good fun.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Sarah Palin, perhaps?

26. What was the best book you read?
Paper Towns by John Green

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Wizard rock, of course!

28. What did you want and get?
A much happier existence.

29. What did you want and not get?
Um, an HD TV, I guess. Not terribly disappointed, though.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Dark Knight, Sweeney Todd, Burn After Reading, and Enchanted were all awesome.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
On the actual day, I went to happy hour at Joe Mama's and dinner at Fuel&Fuddle with bunches of friends. I turned 27.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If any of my far-away friends had moved here.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Cold weather: Jeans, long sleeve tee, boots. Warm weather: Jeans, tank top, flip flops.

34. What kept you sane?
JP and Tim, though they do also drive me crazy at times.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Seth Rogen.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Anything that involves limiting science, whether in school (evolution vs. creationism, abstinence-only sex ed) or research (stem cell research, medical professionals not having to provide services they don't agree with, medical marijuana).

37. Who did you miss?
Steph (especially when she was in Iraq), Tim Scott, Kathleen, Laura, Jen&Doug, Jess&Goat.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Rose, Caity, and the other PAW-ters and the Germans.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
I can do absolutely anything that I decide to do.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
This is never gonna end/It really can't end/Cuz we've made too damn many friends.

Merry Wishes!

In whatever you may do today, I hope it's lovely and just what you want.

I outed myself on YouTube

I made this for the Project for Awesome, a day where we took over YouTube with videos just like this, promoting good causes and trying to decrease world suck. You can read more about it here.

The last 2 minutes are just the logo.



I know Jed Bartlett is fictional, but the information about MS on the West Wing was not.
Here are the links in case you watch it here and not on YouTube:

The Accelerated Cure Project

Accelerated Cure Project's Charity Navigator page

Information on MS

Drama-riffic Internets

I know I haven't updated about the gazillion things I have done since the last vlog entry, and I apologize. I've had a lot both on my mind and my plate recently, and I am epically failing at balancing it all. I am currently working on some sort of system to file my life into the important categories and devote the requisite amount of time to each. But I've kinda failed at that, too. You see, I have a problem. I can't stop dealing with drama on the internet.

I feel like the word "drama" definitely gets a bad rap. I don't mean to say that I am wasting my time or that any argument/disagreement is petty and/or not worthwhile. No one is forcing me to read and write these things. It's just so easy to read about it and think about it and write about it and then read the responses and think about them and then write some more. Sometimes I just wish the internet was like one giant Skype call and I could quick say what I wanted and move on. Since I also refuse to be ripped apart on anything factually related to opinions of mine, I do extensive research to try and justify what I have to say. Today, I reached the breaking point when I read this:

"The Freedom from Religion Foundation wanted in on the action, so there will be a billboard posted that reads 'Religion is but a myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.'"

Actually, what the sign says is this: (from Pharyngula)

"At this season of the Winter Solstice may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

First of all, it's not a billboard. It's a sign. It's also next to a nativity scene and what they are calling a "Holiday Tree". Apparently, no one has yet requested to have a menorah there, so there isn't one.
I'm sure you can imagine what happened in the comment thread, but just in case, I'll clue you in. Here was the majority opinion:

"i have a big problem with those who try and take away my being able to celebrate [Christmas], i/e Christmas trees in stores and such, just because they dont believe in it. Dont take away what i believe in just because your views are different from mine!!"

Are you joking? That sign is in the capital building. Freedom of religion means that the government cannot favor any particular religion. Since it is a government building, all religions must be allowed to express themselves.
On a further note, I was unaware that Christians spent Christmas at the capital building. How is it even possible that this sign or calling the tree there a "holiday tree" is taking away anything that you believe in? Especially since I'm fairly certain that the tradition of decorating an evergreen was not commonplace during the time of Christ.

Perhaps I have a unique view since I have always celebrated Christmas but have never had any religious association with it. I really could care less if someone says "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" or "Happy Hanukkah" or "Happy Kwanzaa" or "Happy Festivus" or just "Have a good fucking day". That person took the time to be polite and give you a greeting of some sort. In a week where I am spending most of my free time reading people's shitty-ass comments berating each other, I appreciate the fact that someone in real life might be friendly to me and others. So, please, however you are greeted in Walmart or Whole Foods or some sort of center for secular humanists, just smile back and say thanks. I know it may have stemmed from Christianity, but the whole "goodwill towards men" should be on everyone's mind. And not just in December, either.

15 days in 7 minutes

Where I sum up my life lately. Recorded on Thursday.



Nerdfighter: a term used to describe fans of John and Hank Green's Brotherhood 2.0 project.
My Nerdfighter videos can be found here and here.
Buy Paper Towns and Stargirl on Amazon or at your local bookstore.

Various marijuana proposition information can be found here.

And finally, a small, spoiler-free review of Twlight.
I kinda thought the movie was better than the book.

Up until the Port Angeles scene, the movie was awkward and uncomfortable. I laughed hysterically when Carlisle came onto screen for the first time (and got dirty looks from the woman next to me) because he looked like a freaking circus clown. His makeup was just so overdone. After Port Angeles, the movie was very true to the book. I thought they captured the mood incredibly well, and the Cullens were everything I was hoping for. The few changes that were made actually helped with the flow of things rather than detracting from my enjoyment. That being said...
If you haven't read the book and teeny-bopper vampires are not your thing, you're not going to enjoy the movie. Just a warning. Personally, I thought it was great, and I plan on seeing it again in the theatres.

Optimism, Obama, Socialism, and Disappointment, part 1

To anyone who is truly upset about what happened on Tuesday, I'm sorry you feel that way. Believe me, I've been there. And I did have the opportunity to move to somewhere more liberal - Canada, western Europe, etc.. I don't know where to recommend you go if you would like to leave. To those of you that think moving to Canada is the option - learn what socialism means and read about Canadian government before you go. But I would really love it if you just waited for a moment before you decide what you think is going to happen in the next four years.

There have been a lot of catch phrases bandied about during this past campaigning period, but none more infuriating to me than 'socialist'. JP wrote a lovely response to what has been an overload of comments about how America will now be going by the wayside as Obama and his "socialist" ways take over:

"Nationalizing banks is a canonical socialist policy, yet Bush, Paulson and countless republican legislators support doing this. Even our current tax regime fulfills numerous redistributive functions that you likely have no problem with. If progressive tax structures are how you define socialism, then we've been a socialist nation for a very long time.
If you begin to look at socialism for what it is, a broad collection of economic theories, instead of some value-laden epithet, you may realize it is not a concept that should inspire fear in any rational person. America gave up on unfettered capitalism a long time ago, once confronted with the dehumanizing exploitation it wrought on the industrial workforce. To categorically refuse to consider the merits of any economic theory unnecessarily and dangerously limits us in our search for solutions to very complex and pressing problems."

Rather than leave it so vaguely defined as "a broad collection of economic theories", let's list some socialist programs that exist here in the U.S. already.

• Social Security
• Medicare/Medicaid
• CHIP program
• Cash Assistance
• Food Stamps
• LIHEAP
• Progressive income tax
  

If you are against all of these, ok. Then yes, you hate socialism. I happen to disagree (especially about a flat income tax!), but we can leave it at that.
If you are all right with these programs (or at least some of them), then I am incredibly curious to hear about why you are "terrified of this country's future".

Take a look at this table of Obama and McCain's tax plans from CNN:


Now let's take a look at the income breakdown in the U.S.:


According to Obama's tax plan, 1.85% of Americans will have higher taxes. Are you part of that 1.85%?

So, let's move on to where the money will be spent. The biggest cry of socialism comes from Obama's health care plan. Some of these extra taxes will go towards helping people who don't have health care get some. If you have been fortunate enough to always have health care, bully for you. You're very lucky. If not, you understand what it's like to be sick or hurt and faced with the decision of whether or not to go to the doctor or emergency room. Here's the thing - if you go to the emergency room, they have to treat you. They will bill you later, but if you can't afford the $500 (or $5,000), there's not much they can do about it. If you go to a doctor's office, they will expect payment at the time of service. Uninsured people cost the health care system. If you have insurance, you are paying for those people already. What is the problem with your taxes not going up (most likely) and some government funding for these uninsured people (which may make your insurance cheaper)?

Stay tuned for part 2, where we can talk more about the various propositions passed and not passed and what that might mean for America.

I wrocked the vote!

Wizard Rock Road Trip

Throughout my wizard rock adventures last week, I took a TON of video. I spent this entire weekend compiling the clips of the shows for the Wizrocklopedia's YouTube channel (check out the Whomp the House, Part Deux entries) and making a video of my vlogging adventures. Below is my account.



When I got home from Columbus, JP noticed that I had a huge rip in the ass of my jeans. I had been wearing them for two days and never noticed when it happened, so now I'm convinced that I was walking around like that for awhile. Whoops.

Post Wizard Rock Stress Disorder

A very serious condition that may include the following symptoms:

1) A feeling of disappointment when realizing the show is over alternating with periods of shit-eating grins when remembering how great it was
2) Scouring the internet to find more wizard rock shows to go to and justifying spending large amounts of money/backing out of plans made months ago to do so
3) Humming the song that's stuck in your head and realizing with a jolt that the person who sings it is sitting next to you in your living room
4) An urge to abandon your life and start driving toward the next Wizard rock show

I know that I tend to self-diagnose, but I really think I have this.

Seriously, this week in wizard rock was amazing. We had the Pittsburgh show on Tuesday, followed by a fairly impressive amount of partying at our place. After sleeping for about 4 or 5 hours, we woke up and hung out for a bit. The boys left to get to Columbus early, and I took off a few hours later.
When I got to the venue, I found the three of them outside the venue in the cold with a locked door behind them. No one had arrived to open the bar, and we had to wait about an hour and a half. Fans and the other band were all just standing around outside, definitely attracting some attention with the number of striped scarves in the crowd. The local Harry Potter group, a part of HP Ohio, bought us all pizza which I used to warm my hands up a bit. As soon as it was no longer warm, I ate it.

But of course it was worth the wait! Tom Riddle and Friends played, as well as Justin Finch-Fletchley and the Sugar Quills and The Whomping Willows. When I first arrived, I had told Matt how I needed to exchange the live CD of his from Wrockstock that I bought the night before because one track wouldn't play, and it was my favorite. Before his set, I tried to peek over his shoulder to see his set list, which he hid from sight while reassuring me that he would play my favorite song. With two songs left to go, he dedicated the song to me in thanks for giving them the best night of tour so far. Later on, the HP Ohio people gave me shit about how we had worn them out the night before, so they didn't want to go out partying again. Whoops.

Yay wizard rock!

Taking the Good Along with the Bad

It's Sunday morning, and this weekend has been an emotional roller coaster so far.
Wow, that's a bit melodramatic. Essentially, yesterday was full of both happy and angry, alternating throughout the day.

It started with my 2pm appointment being canceled via a voicemail. I called back to reschedule and was told they were "too busy" to deal with it then, and they would have to call me back. When the scheduler finally called me back three hours later, she was snotty and annoyed that I asked if I could be squeezed in on Monday and then further annoyed when I told her I wasn't available on Thursday. Like it was my responsibility to keep the entire week-long period after my appointment open in case they canceled my original one. Grr.

Then I found out that I got into La Roche for my design program! Ahhhhhhh!!!! Life goals being achieved!

Then I went to drop JP off at the liquor store while I ran to Giant Eagle for flowers and some woman just backed her car out of a parking spot into my car. There is barely even a dent, so I wanted to let the whole thing go. In retrospect, I should've taken her info and fucked with her as much as possible because after she hit me:
1) She told me that if I had honked, she wouldn't have hit me. (I was laying on the horn for a good 5-10 seconds when I realized she was about to hit me)
2) She told me that I probably didn't want to have to pay my deductible for such a small dent. (Even though she would be responsible for it because SHE FUCKING BACKED INTO ME!!!)
3) She never ONCE apologized.
But we were late, and I somehow felt bad for her even though she was a raging bitch, so I just left.

Then we went to the 25th anniversary party of some family friends. We met this awful woman who bonded with JP because she's a lawyer. As the three of us were interacting, I noticed any time I tried to insert something into the conversation, she would look at me, pause, and then continue as if I had said nothing. After the third time this happened, I simply got up and left to find more enjoyable conversation partners.

Then we drove home, put on costumes, and headed over to Brian, LeeAnn, and Rob's party. Everyone was adorable, of course. I have some amazingly creative friends when it comes to costumes.


And then I woke up this morning to find a new Half-Blood Prince trailer!



I suppose the good outweighed the bad in the overall scheme of things, and I have full confidence that karma will work its magic to punish those that deserve it.

This backwards "B" really hurts

An amazing story came to my attention this morning. Here in Pittsburgh, a woman was mugged at an ATM (interestingly enough, the same ATM where a man was shot 2 years ago) and claimed that after the attacker saw a bumper sticker on her car for McCain/Palin, he carved a "B" on her cheek and told her she would be an Obama supporter.

The police became suspicious of her story for a number of reasons, most notably because THE "B" IS FUCKING BACKWARDS. Like, what might happen if you did it to yourself in a mirror?


It was also a very superficial, clean cut. If someone was holding me down and trying to carve my face, I believe a bit of resistance would mar their artwork. But hey, she could just have been scared, right? Or, as proclaimed by this gem of a blog, it isn't backwards, but upside down, because she was held by the attacker's knees around her head? Republicans lashed out, calling this a hate crime and stating it was proof of Obama's crazy supporters.
But, even Republican blogger Michelle Malkin cited her suspicions.

And sadly for the McCain/Palin ticket, she was neither scared nor held with her head between her attacker's knees. She just made the whole thing up.

I hope it scars.

Agnostics, Secular Humanists, and Tolerance FTW!

I make no secret of my politics on this blog, unapologetically, for a few reasons.
1) It's my personal blog. If you want fair and balanced, spend all day poring over news blogs/listening to the radio/watching tv/reading the newspaper. That's what I do to form these opinions.
2) A lot of you agree with me. Those of you who don't, I know you can take a well-reasoned argument and either let it go or have at me in a way that we will still be speaking to each other at the end of the discussion.
3) Politics are hugely important to me and occupy a large part of my thinking.

That being said, I hope no one is offended by the following.
While I never have a problem with anyone having faith, I do have a major problem with the attitude of many members of particular religions. This includes any religious person that has stopped me on the street, knocked on my door, or otherwise tried to convince me that their way is the one. Proselytizing, in other words.
As far as I am concerned, my faith and spirituality is solely my business. You are entirely uninvolved. I don't really care what you think (but in a friendly, non-offensive way). I don't go about screaming what I believe, so I expect you to do the same. I have never publicly proclaimed my particular brand of spirituality. I'm going to do so for the first time here.
I'm not an atheist.

I know, right? The Godless, educated liberal believes in God? No WAY!

Well, it's a little more complicated than that. I consider myself agnostic, meaning that I have no freakin' idea if there is a God or not, but I am unwilling to categorically say so either way. I usually add "hopeful" to the beginning of it. Hopeful meaning that I sure wish there is, especially the benevolent I-just-want-you-all-to-be-happy-God. Wouldn't that be nice?
For all of you that just answered "yes" to the above question, do you believe in gay marriage?
For all of you that just answered "no" to the second question, can you explain that to me?

That's right. You managed to find someone to love amidst all of this sadness, this insecurity, this world filled with war and starving children and various other hopelessly unfair things? Congratulations, dude! That's amazing. And I couldn't be happier for you.
But, sorry. Genetic limitations prevent you from receiving any of the governmental benefits that I just gave to that hilarious girl wearing hot pink vinyl that just drove through the chapel drive-thru here in Vegas. Man, was she drunk! (Yet still preserving the sanctity of marriage, mind you!)

I know what you'll say. It's just "unnatural" or "the Bible says it isn't right". Well, for all of you who fall into the first category, I'm guessing no logical argument will convince you, so we'll just leave you with your elitism and move along.
As for the second group, I can see your point. The Bible does make reference to homosexuality being against God's wishes and plans. Leviticus 18:22 specifically states that: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination." But hey, as long as we're following the Bible, where is the mob that is supposed to stone Bristol Palin to death? Deuteronomy 22:20-21 says, "But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel: Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you." And while we're on the subject of killing people, Deuteronomy 13:13-15 states "Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known; Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you; Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword." There goes Squirrel Hill, huh?

If your issue is that "marriage" is a religious construct and that should be reserved for the religious, ok. I could see that. So, I'm definitely not married. Neither are Shannon and Will, nor Brett and Andrea. And I'm a bastard child, along with my little brother. I could live with all of those things as long as you let me keep JP on my health care plan. You want to define marriage? Let's do it. Tell me I'm not married. Tell every other heterosexual couple that got married by a civil servant that they aren't married. Let's see how well that works out.

If you want to live your life as the Bible instructs, go for it. I find the hypocrisy of choosing which parts to follow to be angering beyond anything, though. If any of you live in California, Arizona, or Florida, please consider propositions 8, 102, and 2 long and hard. Who are we to judge? Ecclesiastes 3:17: "God shall judge the righteous and the wicked". Not you.

20 Pop-Culture Hits You Say We Couldn't PAY You To See

EW recently published a list of "20 Pop-Culture Hits You Say We Couldn't PAY You To See". I was unsurprised by some - High School Musical, Da Vinci code, Godfathers, James Bond, dancing movies (defined as any of the "Step it Up"s or "Bring it On"s), reality TV. Some seemed a little arbitrary, like the movies 300 or ET. What's the problem with ET?

The user comments that justified the answers were the best part. One person won't see any of the Lord of the Rings because "somehow watching them would feel like cheating on my beloved Harry Potter."
Another won't read Oprah books just because she endorses them, though I don't think he realizes that Oprah has chosen Anna Karenina and 100 Years of Solitude in the past. If a "housewife" (his description of who reads Oprah's recommendations) reads Anna Karenina and hadn't before, bully for her! What's wrong with people reading for whatever reason?
One person just doesn't do vampires. At all. "I'm against vampires. Which means, Buffy and Twilight — yeah, I'm not watching! Sorry! But I have seen every episode of Gossip Girl, so I've got that going for me. Which is good." I've seen every episode of Gossip Girl, too, but it's not something I think "I've got going for me".
"Sarah" won't watch Jaws, but has a rational reason that seems out of place in this list. "For some reason, people being eaten by a large fish scares the crap out of me." Uh, yeah. I think most of us would agree.
This girl is obviously crazy and leads a sad, sad life: "When I was a kid, I wasn't allowed to watch the show [The Simpsons], and as a teenager, I stopped wanting to watch it. I'm an adult now, and people are always shocked that I've managed to live my entire life without seeing a single second of The Simpsons, except for those old Butterfingers commercials."

And finally? This person wouldn't see Harry Potter if you paid her because...drum roll..."I have read none of the books or seen any of the movies. I don't really plan on starting any time soon." Really? That's the least interesting answer ever. I was hoping she'd be some religious nut.

This really might be our demise

I was supposed to take today off of politics for my birthday, but then this was sent to me. I can't decide if it's funny or the scariest thing ever. I guess on November 5th, I can make that assessment.

Kinda fail?

Yesterday and today was the 24 hour readathon at Joseph Beth's Booksellers. It started at 5pm, and the point was to read until you 1) couldn't anymore and decided to leave or 2) fell asleep. Every 2 hours, we had a 15 minute break and every 6 hours, there was a 45 minute break. There were only 7 of us that started the night, curled up in comfy chairs with pillows and blankets.

Warning: The next paragraph contains some mild spoilers to the Twilight saga. If you know nothing about it and would like to keep it that way, just skip it.

I started by finishing the book I was reading, Neil Gaiman's book of short stories, Smoke and Mirrors (which is highly recommended, by the way). Then, it was on to Twilight. I have been sitting on the Twilight saga for months now, saving it for the readathon. No matter the complaints I've heard, everyone says it is at least captivating. This is true, I suppose. I certainly didn't find it more captivating than Harry Potter, but it did keep me awake the whole night through. I only got to halfway through Eclipse (the third of four, no spoilers, please!), and please don't flame me for this, but I think I desperately hate Edward Cullen. I feel he embodies everything about young love that deserves criticism, and that there is a clear distinction between protecting people you love and being an overwielding, control-freak maniac. Plus, does no one else find it creepy that a 104 year old wants to date a 17 year old? I know Bella is supposed to be an "old soul", and that he *looks* 17, but c'mon.

My book choices aside, I started the evening with a sinus headache. JP was supposed to visit during my first 45 minute break at 11:30 and bring me meds, but it turned out they locked us in while the store was closed. We could only leave for cigarette breaks out the back. I was annoyed because I had been told that people could visit for breaks. I made it until 7 am before I asked someone for something for the pain, and as soon as my headache went away (around 8:15), I passed out. BOOO! I really wish that I had tried to deal with it long before then because I feel that without the headache, I could have pushed through.

I did make it for 15.5 hours, though. This means I raised $145.87 for my charity, Beginning with Books. And I read 1,456 pages. I don't remember the last time I read for more than an hour straight, let alone read a book cover to cover. That part was really amazing. The other amazing part was sitting with 6 other people who were content to do the same. I've been thinking that maybe I will sponsor my own readathon, just for fun. We can put down air mattresses and all hang out and read for an evening. Even after this binge, right now, I think I'm going to go pick Eclipse up again.

I also appreciate the fact that this has helped me with the second ever New Year's resolution that I will have completed. I wanted to read 20 new books this year (no rereads can be counted in this). This also doesn't include any fanfiction, no matter how well-written or epic it is (if it did, I'm sure I'm well beyond my goal). I'm at 16 right now, so I should easily hit 20 by the end of 2008. Yay!

Fruition

So, today marks the two year anniversary of my blog! Two years ago today, I posted for the very first time. Sure, there have been some gaps without entries for awhile (like recently, sorry!), but I have stuck with it. And I have to say that being able to rant, rave, and just generally speak my mind to an audience is pretty awesome.

In addition to this anniversary, today also marks the beginning of lots of plans I have had for a few months now. Tonight is the Readathon at Joseph Beth's Booksellers. At 5pm, I will start reading. Hopefully, I will make the full 24 hours. If I do, I will have raised almost $200 for Beginning with Books, my charity of choice. So, I will definitely be out of any communication loop from tonight until Sunday morning (I plan to pass out shortly after coming home on Saturday and sleep until morning). 24 hours with no internet! Is that harder than the lack of sleep? We'll see.

I've also managed to write three articles for the Wizrocklopedia so far, and a fourth should be posted in the next few days. I've totally loved writing for them and getting to talk about wizard rock to an audience who cares. It's very cool to have people react positively to something you've written; especially enough to comment or email me about it.

In less than three weeks, we have the first wizard rock show I have been helping to plan. This has been going on since the middle of August, so again, I've been waiting awhile for it. The day after the Pittsburgh show, my friend Rose and I are going to jump in the car and follow the bands to Columbus, where they will be joined with yet another band. The day after that, we'll drive to outside Cleveland and see them again. Wizard rock road trip! I know some of you think I'm crazy and ridiculous and should be devoting my time to more worthwhile things, but at the moment, this is what makes me happy. After that, it's less than a month until the show that I set up at Your Inner Vagabond, followed quickly by Thanksgiving and Christmas. Yikes! Am I really thinking about 2009 already?

And finally, Monday is my birthday. I am usually so super excited and planning craziness and jumping up and down, but I have really been far too busy lately to anticipate it. Plus, 27 may be a bit old to make a huge deal out of it. There will still be parent celebration and drinks and dinner with friends on Monday, and that's all I really need.

If you've been reading this for two years, thank you so much for following my life, step by step. If you've jumped in somewhere in the middle, I appreciate the time you've spent here. Thanks to everyone for letting me sound off - it means a lot.

Work is for people with jobs, take 2

After my last article for Wizrocklopedia, I decided to make it a series. First, I wrote about wrockers in college, which gave me a chance to interview and talk with several bands. My latest article (here) is in regards to working, and I talked to yet more bands. My final installment is going to be about people who manage to do wizard rock full-time, and yes, that's even more interviews. I've really been having so much fun with this, and the comments have all been positive (from the bands, random readers, my editor, friends/family).

Blogging for a living. How much fun would that be?

Brett and Andrea's wedding

In which I manage to make a video that is only 3 minutes and some change. Yay!

Art, anyone?

My oh-so-talented sister-in-law is moving from Kansas City to the Bay Area, and is selling some of her art pieces. She has them up on her etsy.

Aside from loving her dearly, I also adore her work. If you do too, please help her out!

My favorite president

After reading this New Yorker piece today, I was left with the troubling thought of "why wouldn't you want the president to be smarter than you?" Really? You want the guy next door in charge of things? The one that thought he should build a shed in his yard that looks like a small barn? The one that has managed to raise 2 children and a little yappy dog to be the most annoying beings on the planet? You would rather have him than someone who was educated at an Ivy League college and can speak eloquently?

Then I found this op-ed written by Aaron Sorkin. I have always said that I would be the happiest girl ever if Jed Bartlet were elected president, and I am so happy to hear his advice to Obama. I'm behind him 100%. My favorite part?

"Call them liars, because that’s what they are. Sarah Palin didn’t say “thanks but no thanks” to the Bridge to Nowhere. She just said “Thanks.” You were raised by a single mother on food stamps — where does a guy with eight houses who was legacied into Annapolis get off calling you an elitist? And by the way, if you do nothing else, take that word back. Elite is a good word, it means well above average. I’d ask them what their problem is with excellence. While you’re at it, I want the word “patriot” back. McCain can say that the transcendent issue of our time is the spread of Islamic fanaticism or he can choose a running mate who doesn’t know the Bush doctrine from the Monroe Doctrine, but he can’t do both at the same time and call it patriotic. They have to lie — the truth isn’t their friend right now. Get angry. Mock them mercilessly; they’ve earned it. McCain decried agents of intolerance, then chose a running mate who had to ask if she was allowed to ban books from a public library. It’s not bad enough she thinks the planet Earth was created in six days 6,000 years ago complete with a man, a woman and a talking snake, she wants schools to teach the rest of our kids to deny geology, anthropology, archaeology and common sense too? It’s not bad enough she’s forcing her own daughter into a loveless marriage to a teenage hood, she wants the rest of us to guide our daughters in that direction too? It’s not enough that a woman shouldn’t have the right to choose, it should be the law of the land that she has to carry and deliver her rapist’s baby too? I don’t know whether or not Governor Palin has the tenacity of a pit bull, but I know for sure she’s got the qualifications of one. And you’re worried about seeming angry? You could eat their lunch, make them cry and tell their mamas about it and God himself would call it restrained. There are times when you are simply required to be impolite. There are times when condescension is called for!"

That's the Jed Bartlet I know and love.

Work is for people with jobs

I haven't written anything these past weeks for a couple reasons.

1) Life has been super crazy, with 2 weddings, lots of PAW (Pittsburgh Area Wizards) stuff that I've been doing, and I've been really tired and, therefore, lazy.
2) I've been writing something else. Namely, my first article for the Wizrocklopedia!

It was just posted today, and you can find it here. My editor was really positive about it, and I thought it turned out well, too. There are already 3 really complimentary comments up there from people who have no idea who I am. That makes me super happy.

Thanks to all of y'all for always listening, even if you are entirely uninterested. It really does mean a lot to me.

Jim and Bethany's Wedding

Freya editing, take 2.
I tried another compression technique, and it still looks like shit! Dammit.

This is probably incredibly boring if you weren't there or don't know these people, and only mildly interesting if you were.

Song during the photos at the end is 'None Shall Pass' by Aesop Rock. If you don't know him, go buy any of his CDs immediately. You won't be disappointed.

You don't have to listen to me anymore.

Well, at least about Wizard rock.
Two of my loves have come together: blogging and Wizard rock. Yesterday, I applied for and got a columnist/reporter position for the Wizard rock website, Wizrocklopedia. Hopefully, this will assuage my need to write about it here. I may post links to my entries there, but you don't have to follow them if you don't want to.

It's a volunteer position, but I do get some perks. Even without the perks, I would be happy to do it. I'm sure you've realized by now that this Harry Potter thing is not going to go away for me, and I love the idea of being more involved. Plus, having more people read things that I write? Very exciting. I can't tell you how pleased I am to have all of y'all as an audience, and every comment I get makes me happy. Knowing that I will be writing about something that the fandom community will care about is so gratifying.

And yet I'm surprised that Bush was re-elected?

Vlog, take 1

On Friday night, I decided to escape from my stressful week by driving out to Kathleen and Zack's new house, which happens to be in the middle of nowhere. I spent much of the trip video blogging in my car. This is my first shot at using video at all, really, so it's not that great. It also might be hard to see some of the text in this window, so you might want to actually go to youtube to watch it. Plus then you can read the creepy comment someone left on there.

I need to learn to edit my thoughts for sure, because this is 8 minutes long. Sorry. Kudos if you make it the whole way through.

The ups and downs of life.

Something that makes me angry (the Republicans, not Jon Stewart):





Something that makes me happy:

Book meme

I actually collected this from two shorter ones. I would love to hear your answers as well. Do it.
And thank you all for your sympathy and suggestions about my lost photos. It has made me feel much better.

Total number of books owned:
I'm going to say somewhere between 300-500. I may be inspired to count now.

Philosophy on reading:
Reading books is a purely escapist pastime for me. I don't want to read about politics or wars. I read to forget those things. I have enjoyed classic literature in the past, but nowadays I tend to read whatever I feel like, and screw anyone for thinking less of me. Considering 25% of the U.S. population didn't read a book last year, I'm ok with just reading what I like and not forcing anything down my own throat. Sorry, Dostoyevsky.
I made the first ever New Year's resolution that I am trying to stick to. I need to read 20 books this year, not counting re-reading any Harry Potter's or any fics (novel-length or not!). I'm a little short of being on track, but I will do it. Currently reading new book #12.

Last book bought:
Today I was at Borders and finally bought 'Twilight'. I also bought 'The Host' because I was told it was better. =)

Last book read:
I reread 'Deathly Hallows' again, but before that was the ninth Harry Dresden. Currently reading the tenth and wondering how I will cope when it's over.

One book you’d want on a desert island:
For some reason, I could read Michael Crichton's 'Andromeda Strain' over and over again.
Though, I should probably say 'Ulysses' because the only way I will ever willingly read Joyce again is when it is the only reading material available to me.

One book that made you laugh:
Every single Dresden Files has made me laugh out loud while in public.

One book that made you cry:
One?!? I cry at the drop of a (book) hat. The worst was 'The Notebook' - all I did was sob through the whole thing. It's like the Grey's Anatomy of pulp fiction. 'The Amber Spyglass' is probably the saddest thing ever, though.

One book that you wish had been written:
'Lyra and Will - Together Again'.
Seriously though, I wouldn't mind a 'Remus Lupin, the Lost Years'. Good thing there's fanfic. Lol.

One book that you wish had never been written:
The entire Dark Tower series. I found it to be an egregious waste of time (sorry to every other person on the planet that loved them).
Also, 'Wicked'. Egads, that was tedious.

One book you’re currently reading:
'Small Favor', Jim Butcher.

One book you’ve been meaning to read:
'The Host', Stephenie Meyer.

Five books that mean a lot to you:
(I am going to cheat and say that series count here)

The Dragonlance Chronicles, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman: Trilogy. The very first fantasy that I ever read. My father read 'The Hobbit' to us on a practically yearly basis, but this was the first that I picked up on my own, and I was blown away. Fantasy continues to be my favorite genre.

His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman: Trilogy. I have never heard of so many grown men crying as I have about the end of 'The Amber Spyglass'. I can't even really talk about it without tearing up. There is so much in those books to take in, and I hope to someday meet my dæmon.

Harry Potter, JK Rowling: 7 part series. I don't know what it is about the Potterverse that continues to fascinate me, but I can't stop. I want to talk about it. I want to muse aloud about the adults' personal lives and bad habits and coping mechanisms. I want to wonder how it was possible that we were all saved by a 17 year old. Yet, it's so believable. And they are still my favorite re-reads of all times. Every time I finish a book, I have to fight not to pick up one of them, yet again.

'Stargirl', Jerry Spinelli: Everyone should read this book somewhere around age 14. She gives me faith in humanity by being honest and hopeful and not too cheesy or schmaltzy. I <3 Stargirl.

'Neverwhere', Neil Gaiman: My copy was borrowed a few days before my birthday, taken to a signing without my knowledge, and signed 'Happy birthday, Freya. Mind the gap. Neil Gaiman." (I was also gifted 'The Golden Compass' by the same person (Tim) that year). I've always loved the book for its pure escapism without being insulting to my intelligence.

I drink your pictures. I drink them up!

I worry about a lot of things. It's very cliched, but as I'm trying to fall asleep, random what-ifs jump into my mind. What if the apartment burns down? What if I get fired? What if I don't wake up tomorrow? Very rational, I know. But I also have valid concerns. What if the hard drive on the Mac fries itself and we lose all our pictures and music?
It terrifies me. And no, we don't have a backup system, which is ridiculous and irresponsible, I know. So when I was gifted a Pro Flickr account, I started uploading like crazy. I'm having issues with 2006, so I haven't done that yet, and I haven't started 2008 yet. (Note to self: Upload 2008 immediately!)

For the past month, I've been awful at uploading. I've only grabbed a few select pictures off of my memory card. Tonight, I decided I was going to devote hours to it. Make all the photostrips. Edit all my photos. Upload more things. I plug the camera into the Mac and it pops up "2 items to upload: 1 picture, 1 video".

2!?!??

All I can guess is that somewhere along the line, someone (possibly me) accidentally hit 'delete all' instead of 'delete frame'. It wouldn't be that hard to do. So, this is my fear to a lesser degree. Not all my pictures are gone, but I have lost pictures of people that no longer live in this country. And every single shot from the photobooth party. That kinda really hurts. I'm so sorry to everyone who wanted to see those pictures. Believe me, I feel your pain.

Bottle Shock - the value leader in movies! 5 movies for the price of one!

Disclaimer: Despite what you might read below, I did enjoy this movie. It was one of things where you could feel the great movie underneath what sort of fell flat.

Bottle Shock finally opened in Pittsburgh and I convinced JP, my in-laws, and Will and Shan to all go see it tonight. It's an all-star cast filled with people I love - Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman, Eliza Dushku (who ended up the deus ex machina despite having only a few lines), Bradley Whitford (who was wasted with 3 lines), and some scrungy looking guy with long hair (Chris Pine). And the movie is about WINE! What's not to like? It's even got some come-uppance for the French, if that's your cup of tea (not mine).
So where did they go wrong? The trailer looked promising!



Have you ever read a story/fic/etc. that constantly changes POV? To the extent where you have no idea who is thinking and feeling anything? Bottle Shock was kind of like that. In fact, it was just like the trailer. Did you follow everything that happened in the trailer? That's sort of how the movie felt, too.
It starts out with you thinking, "cool, Spurrier (Alan Rickman), wine snob, will be proven wrong by hippie, his dad, and their people". Then he disappears for about 1/3 of the movie. Where did he go? What is he doing? Why are we now involved in this different subplot? Wait, here's another one. And another? Who's that guy in the suit and what is Bill Pullman doing with a sword?

Subplot #1: Son is a fuck up. This causes drama. Bo's POV.
Subplot #2: Gustavo's dad was a fieldhand, but Gustavo can make wine that instantly makes girls want to have sex with him. Gustavo's POV.
Subplot #3: Bo and Gustavo both like the same girl. Bo and Gustavo's POV.
Subplot #4: Jim (Bill Pullman) doesn't want to fail, but does everything he can to make sure he does. He also makes perfect wine. Too perfect, in fact. Jim's POV.

The awesome part was that with all the crazy life-interaction going on, you kind of forgot what was supposed to be the point of the movie - the Paris tasting. I read a review (that I can no longer find, grrr) where the reviewer said something like "The 1976 Paris tasting is a fascinating story. I wish this movie was about that."

Another reviewer summed it up nicely for me: "While they [Gustavo, Sam, Bo, and Jim] run around an Anthropology catalogue, delivering dramatic monologues about feeling wine in your blood, Alan's tasting Kentucky Friend Chicken for the first time and it's hysterical."
Yeah, it was kind of exactly like that.

Image search meme

Google image search meme. Search for your answer for each one, and pick your favorite from the first 3 pages.
I got naked chicks for several of my answers, but neglected to include them.


Your first name:

Your middle name:


Your last name:

Your age:

A place you would like to visit:


Your favorite place to be:


The name of a past love:


Your college degree or concentration:


Your grandmother's first name:


Where you grew up:


Your childhood pet's name:


Your best friend's nickname:

Your first job:


Your favorite food:


Your favorite color:


What you are doing right now:


One of your bad habits:

I'm not the only crazy one.

See? Look at all the Wizard rock fans.
Wrock, fans, wrock.

• MTV
• Music Videos
• MTV Shows
• Entertainment News

They actually broke the chandelier in the ballroom below, and had to stop jumping up and down at one point.

Ouch.

Remember how when you were a kid and you fell down, you got right back up and continued with whatever you were doing? I am now infinitely jealous of my 8 year old body.
I have discovered that in the evenings and weekends, the park and ride near our house is usually deserted. So I have been blading the 1/2 mile or so there, doing laps around the lot for awhile, and blading home. Some of the sidewalks around here are awful, but I can survive. I do have kneepads and wrist guards that I wear, but after Saturday, I'm considering a giant bubble. I know that would make JP feel better.
After many circuits around the lot (with Olympic-style commentary in my head about my movements), I was bored with simply going forward and occasionally spinning around. Backwards! There's a direction I haven't tried yet.
Surprisingly, it wasn't that difficult. I was going along just fine when i decided to go forward again. Since I can spin while going forward, why not while backwards? I set my foot and spun and suddenly, I've got this amazing gymnast spin through the air. Needless to say, I did not stick my landing. While in the air, I realized what was going to happen a split second before I hit the ground. I landed first on my shoulder, followed by my hip, and then slid a few feet. Ow. And I was still a 1/2 mile from my house, without my cell phone. Good thinking on my part.
Now, I do have to say that I heard my kneepad crash against the concrete, and my wrist guard is horribly scratched up now. I was afforded some protection from them, for which I'm grateful. PSA: No matter how dorky you look, wear pads!

So, I am now the proud owner of my first road rash of my adult life, a large collection of bruises, and a horribly pulled/torn muscle in my arm that makes just about everything painful. I spent most of Saturday and Sunday in a sling, but today I need to work, so I have to use the arm. Luckily, I have helpful friends with leftover pain meds from various dental work that have been donated to me. I would normally happily spend the next few days in a haze of drug-induced comfort, but I have a big phone meeting with my boss tonight. I really hope that I'm coherent enough to deal with this.

Stupid clumsiness. I should not be allowed on wheels.

I love the Potterverse, or how I don't really hate JKR

I am putting together a guide to the HP fandom for some friends of mine, and of course, I had to touch upon The-Case-Which-Shall-Not-Be-Named. In my search to find good info on both sides (I don't presume anyone should take my POV simply because), I stumbled upon the Leaky Forums and have gotten myself all worked up again. It reminds me a bit of this entry that dealt with real-life politics, and not the ones of the fandom.
I found these 3 questions posed by rotfang07 on part 14 of the WB/JKR vs. RDR forum that I would like to respond to.

1. How can you believe you are a fan and simultaneously go against Jo Rowling's wishes?

Because I am not necessarily a fan of her, but of the world she created. I don't know JK Rowling. I know her work. Just because I love what she has made doesn't mean that this should transfer to the person. I think many people have forgotten this in the entire lawsuit hubbub. Yes, it was her decision to challenge the printed Lexicon. She has the right to do that. But (and I am guilty of this as well), why must we be on "her" side or "his" side? It isn't personal! It's a lawsuit. The only people who this should personally affect are people who personally know the plantiffs/defendants/people affected. (And let's not forget that Steve was not actually a defendant.)
I am not "anti-Jo", as so many have accused. I am of the opinion that the law should allow something like this to exist. This is based on research and my personal feelings about copyright and IP. If my husband decided to pursue this same type of lawsuit, I would disagree with him, too. It's not about how I feel about a woman that I've never met; it's about how I feel about the legality of the issue. The people who have contributed to splitting the fandom are the ones that don't see this as a legal issue, but rather, a personal one. It's become "fanning fans", by choosing which "superfan" you want to side with.

Here's the thing. I love the books, of course. But I also love fanfic, fanart, and Wizard rock. These are not things created by her, but rather, inspired by her. All of these things could be called into question as well. Now, I'm sure we could argue about whether wrockers/ficcers/artists make (or could make) the same amount of money as the Lexicon has the potential to do, but I thought this was not about the money. From her testimony, I was under the impression that she wants to have control over her world (again, something she has the right to defend). I also understand that she can pick and choose what to pursue as a violation of her control, and that since she hasn't done so yet for these things, she probably won't. I'm still a little concerned.

2. How can you maintain loyalty to two apparently contradictory goals? i.e. publishing the LM and placating Rowling and/or fandom.

By doing exactly as I explained above - not making it personal. People disagree all the time and still manage to be friends, lovers, coworkers, etc. Why can't we as a fandom say, "this is not about me, but I have an opinion"? And then constructively discuss from there? At its root, this is politics, pure and simple. People get angry about politics. People take sides. People avoid discussing it because it can turn the best of friends into enemies. Why hasn't anyone stood up to point this out?

Of course, I'm sure this is just like saying that Democrats and Republicans should just get along as well. What can I say? I'm a Libra, through and through.

3. How can you apparently believe one thing at one time and apparently believe the opposite the next?

How can you ask the same question three times, making all 3 sound accusatory and causing me to become defensive?

I have a new interest, and it's called Awesome!

I know I emailed this to some of you already, but thought I'd put it out here as a blog entry as well.

I'm sure many of you can remember how excited I was when I met Seth Rogen in January. If you haven't heard the story, "met" in this case means rolling down my window to talk to him and then driving away. It was then that I really accepted my fangirl leanings. They had always been lurking, but getting to do that really just brought it out into the open. And like anything, if you nurture it, it will grow.

As interested in my spritual growth as I'm sure you all are, I do have another point. I've always had a thing for Harry Potter, even moreso than anyone else I know personally. My latest foray into the fandom has been exploring the world of Wizard rock, which I've posted about before.

I don't even know how to really explain the Wizard rock community to you, but I can tell you that these guys are very into promoting literacy and raising money for various social awareness movements, most notably the HP Alliance. Their goal is not so much to make money, but to tour around and get to play. They all eschew big media and record labels, and are proving that you can be a musician without that. They do this with the unerring support of their fans, like me (us?).
One of my favorite Wizard rock bands is launching a fall tour specifically to make money for the HP Alliance and asked their fans to help them book shows. I spent a day contacting various venues and organizations to see if anyone was willing to have them play and have booked a show for them at Your Inner Vagabond in Lawrenceville on November 25th, at 7pm. Cover is $3.

As silly as you might think this sounds, it would be really awesome if as many of you could come as possible.

Pros:

• $2 of your cover goes to the HP Alliance.
• You support me.
• You support a fan movement that has managed to bring people together from all over the country.
• You will avoid my great disappointment by not attending.
• You will prove to Your Inner Vagabond and the bands that Pittsburgh is a place that is willing to make itself available to Wizard rockers.
• If you're lucky, you can meet Matt of the Whomping Willows. If you just read some of his lyrics, I think you'll agree that he is definitely someone that most of us will get along with.
• You can watch me all dressed up in my HP finery, bouncing around and singing all night long.

Cons:

• For 2 hours you're going to have to listen to 2 guys playing music that might not be your cup of tea.
• You'll have to be in the same room as some teenagers.

See, when you break it down like that, isn't it obvious that you should come?
I also have to ask a big favor of someone(s). I need someone(s) to work the door and collect the cover. Normally, jobs like this would fall to my go-to guys (JP and Tim), but they both already have assignments for this (JP is allowing random people to sleep in our apartment, and Tim is doing photography). It would be nice if someone would volunteer for the door, but if you desperately need to be paid, I can pay you in goods and/or services.
I know it's awhile away, but think about it a little.

Wishing much love and Wizard rock your way!

Pittsburgh Pride

You know the rule where you're allowed to make fun of your little brother, but no one else is? Because you know that deep down you love him, so it's ok?
I have much the same affliction with Pittsburgh.

Todd recently posted this on Flickr, linking to a report on how Sienna Miller complained about Pittsburgh.
So, I get it, I really do. You live the swank life in NY and LA, and it's hard for Pittsburgh to compete.

What really bothers me are the comments on the story from regular ol' folk.

"I think it's a nice place but it's not Boston, Chicago or San Francisco and it never will be."
Well, no shit, honey. We have a small fraction of that population. Of course we are not going to have the same amenities.
Population Greater Pittsburgh: 1.3 million
Population Greater San Francisco: 7.2 million
Population Greater Boston: 4.4 million (not including Worcester or Providence, which are within 45 miles)
Population Greater Chicago: 9.5 million

"Slacked jaws, nascar, hunting, and the loss of a football game can make the entire city heartbroken and cease all activity...Not to mention the awful semi-southern white trash accent that is so abundant."
Oh, yikes. It's like the people that meet the one asshole in a city and decide the whole place is full of them. And I have to say, there are people who speak Pittsburghese, sure, but there are plenty that do not. You could hardly say the same in a large Southern city, where people look at "Yankees" funny.

"...the transportation system sucks (ONE metro, to and from South Hills?? Oh, I am sorry, I forgot about the Pat Bus, how fun to ride)."
This person moved from Pittsburgh to DC. I bet if she ever went to Buffalo or KC (comparably sized cities), she'd be begging for the PAT system.

"Doesn’t your Mayor have better things to do than comment on what a two bit actress thinks?"
Um, don't you think someone asked him about it? I somehow doubt he called a press conference to talk about Sienna Miller.

Regardless of how great other cities are, I am in Pittsburgh of my own volition. There is plenty to do if you care to look, and lots of good people here. I was a little surprised to read all of this, because most people I talk to that have been here think it's a fun town. And guess what? I pay much less for my adorable apartment than anyone living in Boston, DC, NY, or San Francisco, which makes my quality of life better. So there.

Are you more important than me?

The more time I spend researching and joining in the Harry Potter fandom, the more I like the idea of belonging to a community with similar interests. It's pretty great to be able to automatically have a conversation with someone you don't know about something you are passionate about. It seems, however, that with any large group of people, drama has ensued.
Matt Maggiacomo from the Whomping Willows recently posted a blog on his MySpace about how someone has created a tiered rating system for how much of a fan you are, "based on how important and influential [you] are within the fandom". No, seriously?

I can't find the original post, and I have no idea who actually did this (Matt never says), but he goes on to berate this person, saying to sum up - "there are only two tiers in this community: J.K. Rowling, and everybody else". He also points out that "there's a weird dynamic within this fandom, where fans of Harry Potter have become fans of other fans". I guess everyone wants some sort of celebrity, and if meeting influential Harry Potter fans is the closest you can get, you'll take it.
The point that the original blogger is missing is a huge one. Where would all these podcasters and Wizard Rock bands be without these people who support them and get excited about these things (the "low-level fans", if you will)? Why would you want to alienate your fanbase by telling them "you're just not as important as I am in this fandom"? It seems so petty.

Of course, I don't want to belittle what many people have done for the fandom. It can be a full-time job to run a website like The Leaky Cauldron or Mugglenet, or tour around the country with your Wizard rock band. Yet it seems that these people are the ones that are humble and grateful for this experience, rather than walking around with your own brand of narcissism because of something that, let's face it, much of the world would classify as "nerdy". Matt says, "One unifying characteristic of these people is that they are hard workers who have made personal sacrifices to pursue their work. Another is that they truly love what they do, and it is their passion for their own creative process that keeps them from susceptibility to the pitfalls of fame." I am sure there are exceptions in this group as well, but I don't think it's necessarily the norm.

I found an interesting editorial by Victoria Loe Hicks about the fandom. "A bunch of adolescent kids suddenly find themselves wielding hitherto undreamed-of powers, faced with a sometimes repressive adult establishment and, in ways few grownups even grasp, engaged in shaping the future of the world." Sound familiar?
And she has a good point. She goes on to say that:

"...the most potent cultural narrative of recent years coincided with an explosion of interactive, Web-based technologies that have become the scaffolding for today's youth culture. Those new platforms have morphed the "fan clubs" of yesteryear, which communicated sporadically via photocopied newsletters delivered by snail mail, into dynamic real-time communities that span the globe."

The editorial then mentions the influence that this fandom has, being millions strong. Dr. Henry Jenkins, director of MIT's Comparative Media Studies program says, "One could argue that this vision of fandom as a political movement might reflect the ideological construction of the books themselves, which encourage us to stand up for what we believe in, to question authority, and to take strength in our own communities". It's easy to see how this has influenced fans. Take the entire Harry Potter Alliance, for example, or look at the Wizard Rock album, "Rock Against Voldemedia". Andrew Slack, the founder of the Harry Potter Alliance had this to say:

"Once Voldemort took over every form of media in the Wizarding World, Dumbledore’s Army and the Order of the Phoenix formed an independent media movement called “Potterwatch.”
Now the HP Alliance and Wizard Rock have come together to fight for a Potterwatch movement in the real world to fight back against Big VoldeMedia from further pushing out local and foreign news, minority representation, and the right to a Free Press."

Hicks also points out that "Ms. Rowling owns the legal rights to Harry Potter, but the fandom owns his zeitgeist". We have been given the canon, and we have created the rest. Every 8 year old Potter fan has contributed to that just as much as George Lippert has. Didn't Harry Potter teach us that the "little people" are just as important? After all, the Wizarding world was saved by 3 teenagers, not the Ministry of Magic.

Post 200

Since I started this blog in October of 2006, I have posted 291 entries. Since I am an editor first, and a writer second, I agonize over many of these. I actually write most of my posts in Gmail, and then send them to myself to have a separate archive. I guess in case the whole internet except for Gmail disappears? Regardless, I only use this method for things that aren't just links or surveys. So, out of these 291 entries, 92 so far have been links or surveys. This is post 200 of the "real" posts.

I knew it was coming up, so I was trying to figure out what I wanted to write about. And in fact, there are two things we can talk about.

1) Yesterday, I received a text from one Stephanie Pierce. A text from her brand new phone in Georgia! For those of you who don't know Steph, she spent from May 2007 until July 2008 deployed in Iraq. And now she's back and coming here in mere weeks to visit.

2) Today would be Harry Potter's 28th birthday. What has he been up to since we last saw him? He married Ginny, of course. They have 2 or 3 children at the moment - James is about 3, Albus is about 2, and Lily is born sometime in 2008 (we just don't know when). Last year, he was appointed Head of the Auror Department at the Ministry of Magic. Seems like he's doing pretty well for himself so far! Good to know that he keeps that up for another 9 years, at least.

So, Happy Homecoming to Steph, and Happy Birthday to Harry.

Oblivion, or why Alex Carpenter might be important

Being completely oblivious and ignorant can have certain advantages, I suppose. Since going to the Wizard rock show on Friday, I have spent much time listening to and finding Wizard rock. I can't get over how adorable it is to listen to songs and sing along about Harry Potter. Seriously, so much fun. Why did I never pay attention to this before?

But it turns out, uneducated in wrock as I was, that meeting Alex Carpenter is a Wizard rock fangirls' dream come true. I also introduced myself to Matt Maggiacomo of The Whomping Willows since he was sitting right there. Since I had missed most of their set, I really had no idea who he was, and have only found out by seeing pictures of him online while finding more wrock.
I wonder if they are so used to squeeing from their fans that they were amused by the fact that I was not? Did they realize I had no idea? If so, was that refreshing or disappointing?

I am definitely glad that I didn't ask for hugs or pictures or such (at least at this first meeting, lol). We'll see if I can contain myself next time, or if the squee will overflow. I figure if I'm surrounded by 15 year olds, I can't possibly be the most excited fan there.

Wizard Rock!

Tonight, I managed to convince LeeAnn and two of the Germans (Marc and Fred) to come to the free outdoor Wizard rock show with me. They sat on the grass at Schenley Plaza while I stood at the back of a very excited group of kids, aged 10-15.

So, the headliners was The Remus Lupins. Head over to his MySpace and listen to 'Seven Potters'. It was my favorite song of the night. The entire experience was absolutely adorable. All these girls (and the two boys) jumping around and singing every word to the songs. It was infectiously awesome. And not unlike the Tom Petty show, except that we could legally drink.

After the show, I wandered over to talk to Alex Carpenter (possibly the only official member of the band?), and also met The Whomping Willows' Matt Maggiacomo. Since this was my first live Wizard rock experience, and the rest of it is from the one night I spent trolling on MySpace to listen to various bands, I had no squeeing fangirl in me. I went to the show because I am a part of the fandom and you do these things to support it. Of course, there hasn't been anything about the fandom that I've rejected yet, so I guess I am now Wizard rock's newest fan.

What do you say to someone you don't know about at all? Naturally, I asked the most controversial question I could think of - where did he stand on the whole JKR vs. RDR thing?

You know how you're not supposed to talk about politics or religion? Yeah, I'm terrible at that rule.

He told me what he thought and we had a good discussion about it. They are playing here again next Sunday, but I'll be out of town. Bummer! This was really tons of fun, as you can see from the 5 second video below:



And here's the artistic interpretation of the really blurry pic I took while jumping up and down (hey, it was also infectious):

Heat seeking missiles, bloodhounds, foxes, barracudas...

It's almost that time. 'Pineapple Express' comes out in 12 days. *squeal!*

I feel like I am far too old to get this excited about:
1) A celebrity
2) Stoner movies
but I am anyways. Based on this review, I have a feeling I may like James Franco's character better than Seth Rogen's. He "immediately wins over the audience with his affable, perpetually stoned demeanor and often hilarious non sequiturs." There's nothing I like more than hilarious non sequiturs.

Though, I never understand why critics review movies like this as if they are expecting something more than stupid high people doing stupid high things. Justin Chang isn't entirely dismissive or critical of it, but he does seem disappointed. Since I'm not expecting it to be nominated for any Academy Awards, I think I'll like it just fine. Plus, it's theme song is the amazing 'Paper Planes' by MIA that I have the EP of. Yup, I bought 5 different versions of this song.

Here's the trailer, in case you haven't seen it yet:
(possibly NSFW...there is drug use and cursing)

Speechless

Yeah, I really have no words for this. Pretty amazingly sums things up.

9 things I hate about everyone

Usually I don't mind getting cheesy forwards. The political ones that my uncle sends just to piss me off? Ok, I mind. But the "Funny things kids say" and "What your cat really thinks of you" usually put a (short-lived) smile on my face.
This one was just ridiculous, though. It's even worse than the "why do we park in a driveway and drive on a parkway?" one.

1. People who point at their wrist while asking for the time.... I know where my watch is pal, where the hell is yours? Do I point at my crotch when I ask where the toilet is?
I actually like this because I am never prepared for random person to talk to me, and if they are pointing at their wrist, I actuallly know what they are saying to me without having to ask "What?"

2. People who are willing to get off their ass to search the entire room for the T.V.. remote because they refuse to walk to the T.V. and change the channel manually.
Yes, because when I watch TV, I put on one channel and would never ever change it or the volume level.

3 When people say 'Oh you just want to have your cake and eat it too'. Damn right! What good is cake if you can't eat it?
What good are idioms if they don't make literal sense?

4. When people say 'it's always the last place you look'. Of course it is. Why the hell would you keep looking after you've found it? Do people do this? Who and where are they? Gonna Kick their asses!
This is just plain stupid. If you looked in many other places first, this makes perfect sense.

5. When people say while watching a film 'did you see that?'. No Loser, I paid $12 to come to the cinema and stare at the damn floor.
I guess they've never sneezed/fallen asleep/wanted to talk about a movie before.

6. People who ask 'Can I ask you a question?'.... Didn't really give me a choice there, did ya sunshine?
"Can I ask you a question?" doesn't actually mean "Am I physically capable of asking a question of you?", SUNSHINE. It means, "Do you have a moment to listen to and talk with me?"

7. When something is 'new and improved!'. Which is it? If it's new, then there has never been anything before it. If it's an improvement, then there must have been something before it, couldn't be new.
By being improved, it is different. "New", you might say.

8. When people say 'life is short'. What the hell?? Life is the longest damn thing anyone ever does!! What can you do that's longer?
I don't know, nonexistence or the afterlife might be, you know, FOREVER.

9. When you are waiting for the bus and someone asks 'Has the bus come yet?'. If the bus came would I be standing here, dumb ass?
These people obviously don't wait at bus stops where more than one bus comes.

Seriously, who writes these things? Taking everything everyone said literally never works. And it's not funny to boot.