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: