Today in my teenage angst, I reflect upon the human experience of loss.
About a week ago, this girl that I sort of knew, though I'm not sure we ever actually met, was in a car accident and died. When I got the news, I didn't react. I thought about her family and I was sad. But I didn't cry. I was never overwhelmed with emotion. Though, as I was re-watching How I Met Your Mother, I cried a little harder than necessary at the death of Marshall's father.
As I said goodbye to people before they travelled home for Christmas, I had an overwhelming sense of doom. You know, that realization that at any moment, anyone could be taken from my life. I pride myself on the ability to achieve a level of empathy that allows me to see people in their contexts.
This generally gives me a sense of the "big picture". This is a great thing, and a really awful thing. In the immediate of a horrific moment, I can see the goodness of what can and will arise from that moment. This, I suppose, would be my gearing toward optimism. On the negative end, this removes me from the importance of the moment and I end up trivializing it. I don't like, trivialize it out loud, but in my mind, it becomes small. I don't like to talk about it, I try not to think about it, I watch more TV.
Having (sort of) experienced this measure of loss, I am forced to realize that I'm kind of lost when it comes to loss. All I want to say is that we don't have to be sad now because some sort of goodness will come out of this! So let's not be sad but instead talk about fun things and be normal. But it's not normal. It's loss.
It's like when you have a bunch of marbles in a box. They all line up pretty well and they look good. Then you take one out. There's a hole. It looks incomplete. But then the marbles move and roll and adjust to the absence of that missing marble. This seems like a stupid example because the presence of the hole and the marble adjustment is almost instantaneous. But it's relative right? Everything is relative. I just like to think about that inevitable adjustment. And after the adjustment, sometimes the marbles line up even better than before. This doesn't make the missing marble unnecessary, by any means. If that marble hadn't been present, the marbles wouldn't have realigned themselves the way they did when it was taken away. I'm coming to realize that maybe there is a lot to be said for the time leading up to the adjustment, however short it may be.
And now I wonder if this is something you have to experience to really understand. But I'd really rather not.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Books.
Books books books books books. Today in my teenage angst, I looovvveee literature. Mostly because I love language. I love the power that language has to work for good; to provoke thought, and widen worldview; to understand other's experiences and the way we see the world.
Last year I set out to read 12 books. I read 32. Granted two of those were graphic novels and the majority of the list was juvenile fiction, but I have a craazzyy amazing list of books to recommend should you be looking an amazing (and probably simple, but awesome) read.
Read in 2012
Last year I set out to read 12 books. I read 32. Granted two of those were graphic novels and the majority of the list was juvenile fiction, but I have a craazzyy amazing list of books to recommend should you be looking an amazing (and probably simple, but awesome) read.
Read in 2012
Casual Vacancy - J.K. Rowling (I'm still reading this, but I'm pretty sure I'll be done by the new year)
I've linked them all to their Goodreads page. Most of them I've rated 5/5 because they were largely amazing. If you have a question about any of them, let me know. I really love talking about why I think books are amazing. I think about it a lot, so you can imagine the relief it is for me to talk about it. Ha.
This year, I've lengthened my list a little because, once again, almost all my books are YA or JF. Though I have some exciting picks from the adult side of things. And here they are.
And Nothing But the Truth - Kit Pearson (JF) (also one of my favorite authors of all time)
Name of the Star - Maureen Johnson (YA)
The Uglies - Scott Westerfeld (YA)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky (YA)
Divergent - Veronica Roth (YA)
The Uglies - Scott Westerfeld (YA)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky (YA)
Divergent - Veronica Roth (YA)
Bridges of Madison County - Robert James Waller (AF)
Alright. So I'll let you know how these go. I'm realllly excited. Also this semester, I'm taking entirely psych, so I'll have a lot of light reading needs. Yay!!! I hope you're seeking quality reads for the coming year as well. It's worth it, I promise.
Monday, December 24, 2012
Top Ten.
Today in my teenage angst, I noticed I've had a pretty good year. I've gotten two promotions at work, did a crazy amount of stuff, became more attached to the internet than I knew was possible, and basically ruled the world. That's a joke. Not a very funny one, I know. Here are my top ten favorite things of the year.
10. Upbeat Patrons: I work at a library, as most people know. The two years I've been at the library have been an experiential upheaval. People are weird, and people need a lot of love. I've learned, most of all, to give people the emotions they need, rather than the ones I feel. This can go a long way. It doesn't however, take much to make my day. Flirty/super-adorable old men, bonding over a great movie, precious old ladies who can't hear, jokey couples, are really all it takes. And for every mean/angry person who has accrued six hundred dollars in fines, there are seven awesome people looking to make your day. Everyone remember that.
9. The closing of Blockbuster: Okay, I know, this seems weird. But it has a lot to do with #10; kind of. My sister loved Blockbuster. And I mean loved, we'd go and wander around forever before deciding on a movie, and while I did get a lot of awesome previously viewed movies (including The Royal Tenenbaums in an amazing collector's case with an amazing insert. See below.), the closing of Blockbuster, undid some strange agreement between the library and the big movie rental places. This agreement prevented us from ordering new releases, lest we divert business from them with our free loan periods. NOW!, though, if it's out on DVD, we've got it! And if we don't have it, we'll get it! It's legit the best.
8. Netflix: Some obscure old stuff, that Netflix Canada has weirdly secured the rights to (aka, Manhattan Murder Mystery), the Library doesn't have, can be seen here! Also, Netflix availed me to Buffy. Which was the greatest three months of my life. Minus season six. Which we should all admit was the worst.
7. Top Knots: As my hair has been getting longer, longer than it's been since I was six, it's been getting more high maintenance. I just cannot wash it every day/every other day/I really need to stretch it out as long as possible - aka use cans and cans of dry shampoo. Top knots have been the ultimate solution. Also, because I have sensory processing issues, it gets it off my neck.
6. Tumblr: Ahh Tumblr. How grateful for you am I??? The #1 most grateful. During the Election season, I was kept so up to date, I could hardly handle it. My anxiety disorder my have been aided and abetted by this constant onslaught of information, but I was none the less grateful for it. Newsweek and Brooklynmutt were/are pretty awesome on this front. Also, endless memes of Hillary Clinton "saying" awesome stuff? Priceless. Here's my tumblr, if you're interested.
5. Hello Giggles: Speaking of Tumblr. I find the actual Hello Giggles website to be a little daunting. But the information guys, the information! They have about a billion writers, some of which are seriously amped in the way of challenging my worldview and making my aware of issues and the impact that thinking thoroughly about them, can have. Their tumblr channels links to these articles, always with an eye-catching picture, and almost always gets me to read them. Good work, HG, good work.
4. Fandoms: Furthering the blessed nature of tumblr, my media obsessions (Buffy, Television in general, Harry Potter (still), John and Hank Green, etc.) are allowed to fully flourish as they are shared with the thousands of others that love Awesome as much as I do.
3. Smart Phones: I got my first Smart Phone at the beginning of August. I love this thing so dang much. I have never been in better contact with my best friends. Through the wonder of Instagram, Tumblr (my first and immediate app download), and Twitter, I've made friends across provinces, that I would never have met otherwise. The first twitter conversation I had with Nova, of Glitter and Doom, Erin, of Charlie Foxtrot, and Suzy, of Suzy Krause and the Skyscrapers, was admittedly weird for me, but just so fun.
2. Exercise: I committed early on in the year to running a half-marathon. In september, that goal was smashed into the ground when I crossed the finish line. Nine minutes behind my goal time, but whatever you know? You can't always get what you want. I'm just kidding. I love putting stress on my body. I'm often stupid with this, in that I'm often very sore, but it's fun. I love exercise for how hard it is, and how great I feel after, and how I get to read Runner's World with purpose. I really want everyone to love exercise as much as I do, but it's hard, and I get that. We all just really need to commit to finding the kind of exercise that we can enjoy and look forward to doing. Also, joining a gym is a solid way to get on this, because when you're paying for it, you go. Mostly.
1. Paisley: Does everyone remember this best face ever???
She is truly the best thing to every happen to me. She has also stilled any maternal itch I had going into this year. Which, I feel is opposite of the way it usually works, but I'll take it. Also, her mom, my bff Karlie, is doing such an amazing job. I feel like it's easy to assume someone awesome is going to be an amazing mom, but until you watch her in the middle of it and realize how huge motherhood is, you can't really know how amazing that person is going to be. And she really is killing this. It's like she's providing for Paisley's needs, keeping her from sticking gross things in her mouth, and anticipating her future needs simultaneously. And she never loses it. Or at least I've never seen that. So I'm going to continue believing she never loses it. I just feel so lucky that my Best Friend had a baby that is the best baby and seems to love me, and continues to welcome me into her life. What the deal, right?
10. Upbeat Patrons: I work at a library, as most people know. The two years I've been at the library have been an experiential upheaval. People are weird, and people need a lot of love. I've learned, most of all, to give people the emotions they need, rather than the ones I feel. This can go a long way. It doesn't however, take much to make my day. Flirty/super-adorable old men, bonding over a great movie, precious old ladies who can't hear, jokey couples, are really all it takes. And for every mean/angry person who has accrued six hundred dollars in fines, there are seven awesome people looking to make your day. Everyone remember that.
9. The closing of Blockbuster: Okay, I know, this seems weird. But it has a lot to do with #10; kind of. My sister loved Blockbuster. And I mean loved, we'd go and wander around forever before deciding on a movie, and while I did get a lot of awesome previously viewed movies (including The Royal Tenenbaums in an amazing collector's case with an amazing insert. See below.), the closing of Blockbuster, undid some strange agreement between the library and the big movie rental places. This agreement prevented us from ordering new releases, lest we divert business from them with our free loan periods. NOW!, though, if it's out on DVD, we've got it! And if we don't have it, we'll get it! It's legit the best.
8. Netflix: Some obscure old stuff, that Netflix Canada has weirdly secured the rights to (aka, Manhattan Murder Mystery), the Library doesn't have, can be seen here! Also, Netflix availed me to Buffy. Which was the greatest three months of my life. Minus season six. Which we should all admit was the worst.
7. Top Knots: As my hair has been getting longer, longer than it's been since I was six, it's been getting more high maintenance. I just cannot wash it every day/every other day/I really need to stretch it out as long as possible - aka use cans and cans of dry shampoo. Top knots have been the ultimate solution. Also, because I have sensory processing issues, it gets it off my neck.
6. Tumblr: Ahh Tumblr. How grateful for you am I??? The #1 most grateful. During the Election season, I was kept so up to date, I could hardly handle it. My anxiety disorder my have been aided and abetted by this constant onslaught of information, but I was none the less grateful for it. Newsweek and Brooklynmutt were/are pretty awesome on this front. Also, endless memes of Hillary Clinton "saying" awesome stuff? Priceless. Here's my tumblr, if you're interested.
5. Hello Giggles: Speaking of Tumblr. I find the actual Hello Giggles website to be a little daunting. But the information guys, the information! They have about a billion writers, some of which are seriously amped in the way of challenging my worldview and making my aware of issues and the impact that thinking thoroughly about them, can have. Their tumblr channels links to these articles, always with an eye-catching picture, and almost always gets me to read them. Good work, HG, good work.
4. Fandoms: Furthering the blessed nature of tumblr, my media obsessions (Buffy, Television in general, Harry Potter (still), John and Hank Green, etc.) are allowed to fully flourish as they are shared with the thousands of others that love Awesome as much as I do.
3. Smart Phones: I got my first Smart Phone at the beginning of August. I love this thing so dang much. I have never been in better contact with my best friends. Through the wonder of Instagram, Tumblr (my first and immediate app download), and Twitter, I've made friends across provinces, that I would never have met otherwise. The first twitter conversation I had with Nova, of Glitter and Doom, Erin, of Charlie Foxtrot, and Suzy, of Suzy Krause and the Skyscrapers, was admittedly weird for me, but just so fun.
2. Exercise: I committed early on in the year to running a half-marathon. In september, that goal was smashed into the ground when I crossed the finish line. Nine minutes behind my goal time, but whatever you know? You can't always get what you want. I'm just kidding. I love putting stress on my body. I'm often stupid with this, in that I'm often very sore, but it's fun. I love exercise for how hard it is, and how great I feel after, and how I get to read Runner's World with purpose. I really want everyone to love exercise as much as I do, but it's hard, and I get that. We all just really need to commit to finding the kind of exercise that we can enjoy and look forward to doing. Also, joining a gym is a solid way to get on this, because when you're paying for it, you go. Mostly.
1. Paisley: Does everyone remember this best face ever???
Monday, December 17, 2012
Exam.
Today in my teenage angst, exam week(s) have been an acca-bitch. PS. I'm watching Pitch Perfect on the side, right now, and it is hilarious. Thank goodness for Mean Girls type movies. Oh man. And I'm jealous of Anna Kendrick.
I went into exam week wishing it wasn't spread over two. But I had my three hardest exams in the first week so whatever right? You just do what you have to do. The worst part was that amid studying for exams, and doing my regular job hours, I was training for my new job. Which, by the way, is totally going to kill. Awesome kill, that is.
Throughout the week, I got three coldsores, a ridiculous cold that took me out of commission for two days, and wanting to die. I cancelled a bunch of stuff and added an attempt at more sleep and failed. I want just so badly to be only cognitively tired, and not battling the break down of my body at the same time.
Luckily, How I Met Your Mother is now on Netflix and I'm taking full advantage. Tomorrow, I have my second last exam, Critical Thinking. It's been a pretty bad semester due simply to that class. Logic, even in its basest form, is hard. Critical Thinking, is not hard. Unless you have a linguistically simple human, marking your assignments, instead of your professor, who reads your midterm and deems the low grade due to your nuanced and sophisticated language. I'm sorry, what? I will feel so free, once it's over. As Suzy would say, Good Graish.
Hey guys! Didja know, I have an Instagram page? The pictures featured in this blog are Instapics! That's my name for Instagrammed pictures. Hahahaha. I'm just so cool guys. You can find me at instagram.com/todayinmyteenageangst. And just the last part for your phones.
The parents I was babysitting for on Friday, offered me this beer. It was so tasty; partially because it's legitimately tasty beer, but mostly because it was free.
I went into exam week wishing it wasn't spread over two. But I had my three hardest exams in the first week so whatever right? You just do what you have to do. The worst part was that amid studying for exams, and doing my regular job hours, I was training for my new job. Which, by the way, is totally going to kill. Awesome kill, that is.
Throughout the week, I got three coldsores, a ridiculous cold that took me out of commission for two days, and wanting to die. I cancelled a bunch of stuff and added an attempt at more sleep and failed. I want just so badly to be only cognitively tired, and not battling the break down of my body at the same time.
Luckily, How I Met Your Mother is now on Netflix and I'm taking full advantage. Tomorrow, I have my second last exam, Critical Thinking. It's been a pretty bad semester due simply to that class. Logic, even in its basest form, is hard. Critical Thinking, is not hard. Unless you have a linguistically simple human, marking your assignments, instead of your professor, who reads your midterm and deems the low grade due to your nuanced and sophisticated language. I'm sorry, what? I will feel so free, once it's over. As Suzy would say, Good Graish.
Hey guys! Didja know, I have an Instagram page? The pictures featured in this blog are Instapics! That's my name for Instagrammed pictures. Hahahaha. I'm just so cool guys. You can find me at instagram.com/todayinmyteenageangst. And just the last part for your phones.
The parents I was babysitting for on Friday, offered me this beer. It was so tasty; partially because it's legitimately tasty beer, but mostly because it was free.
Also, I introduced Secret Santa to the Library this year and totally killed it on my gift. The limit was ten bucks. I bought an eight dollar monogrammed mug from chapters and spent a dollar on those little baggies from the dollar store. My person really loves loose leaf tea. I happen to have an endless measure of loose leaf tea. Now, understand about me, that I am not a crafty person. My conceptualizations almost never materialize. This time, however, I totally rocked it. From my frontal lobe straight out to my finger tips, it turned out beautifully. I'm awesome.
Happy Christmas, guys. I'll probably talk to you before then.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
My Five Second Relationship.
Last week, in my teenage angst, I was invited to a meeting with this super-elite writing group. Okay I perceive it as super-elite, because the group is comprised of people I perceive to be super cool. As per this perception, the invitation made me feel super cool. So I wrote this up this piece for the meeting, thinking I was pretty witty. But then the weather turned. Literally, there was a blizzard. That's not a metaphor for my self-esteem. Anyway, I didn't go to the meeting - also because I was tired, and the first thing to go when I'm tired is sociability - and I didn't present my piece. So I've been sitting on it for a week. So here it is. It's not my favorite, but it actually happened and, you know, that makes it kind of awesome.
My Five Second Relationship
As a child of the nineties, my life has been largely ruled by Romantic Comedies. Staples of our family viewing were While You Were Sleeping, Father of the Bride, You’ve Got Mail, and Sleepless in Seattle. Men like Hugh Grant, Tom Hanks, and Steve Martin – the father though he was – have bled my romantic expectations to the point of death. I have though, seen these movies so many times that if a real life experience mirrors a scene from one of those movies, even slightly, I will carry it out to completion, leaving anyone in my sight line confused, but admittedly entertained.
A few weeks ago, my mother and I were dropping off the recycling. The reality of living in a city without curb side recycling is that you have to gather your cardboard and your tin cans and physically take it to the drop off. I’m certain we all carry through on this mandate because of our “killing-the-earth” guilt complexes. This guilt however enables a sort of superiority among those at the drop off. It’s a weird measure of connection and community knowing that you have all done your part to ensure the renewal of these resources. You are all awesome.
In emptying a box of cardboard into the bin, a beautifully bearded, plaid-shirted hipster caught my eye. He gave me a knowing smile and in that moment, I did know. I knew our lives would be beautiful. We would shop locally, buy organic or grow it ourselves when the weather was nice. Our house would be filled with beautiful things, old or new; we wouldn’t care, as long as they were filled with memories of love and togetherness. And we would tell the story of how we met, saving the planet, to our children, and their children, and our friends and their parents. Everyone would know the power of working toward a better world. That power is love.
And in that moment, as our boxes emptied of paper and I continued to imagine the beauty awaiting our togetherness, he turned and walked away. My eyes followed as he headed back to his car – a hybrid, I’m certain. There waiting for him, was an equally perfect, beautifully dreaded, plaid shirted hipster-ess, and then I knew; the fantasy was over.
Dammit.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Generalization, Judgement and a Lack of Understanding.
Today in my teenage angst, I address an issue I was presented with a couple months ago. This issue is really important to me. So important that, as I write this, I feel a little nauseous and I'll probably cry before it's done. I present to you the following graphic.
I have a problem with this for a number of reasons. But first I need to explain where this graphic stems from. It first appeared on my Facebook feed shared from a page called "Goodbye Obama 2012". That says a lot. I'm willing to assume that the creator of such a Facebook page is largely opposed to the social change that Barack Obama is desperately working toward. Opposition to social change is something that I've never understood, barring being a Supremacist, but I like to think I don't know any supremacists. Graphics like this, however, really make me think that I do.
The problem here is that the message discounts the social implications of growing up in a low socioeconomic environment. Young people who grow up in low socioeconomic environments aren't taught decision making skills, budgeting, or proper spending. They are however availed to opportunities for underage drinking, cigarettes, drugs, etc. By the time they are no longer wards of their parents or the state, no skills have been gained to warrant the ability to live off of food-stamps or welfare. While there is a lot to be said for self-investment, working your own way forward, etc, blah, blah, blah, we need to be willing to accept that this is the exception, not the norm.
Beyond this, I'd like to address the inclusion of tattoos in this graphic. I kind of love that this was identified as an issue because it too is less of an issues than an opportunity for understanding. The reality for a lot of kids in the lowest socioeconomic brackets is that permanence is a nice but fleeting idea. They deal regularly with continual change in authority figures, places of residence, places of employment, friends, significant others, family members, etc. Tattoos represent a point of permanence that could not otherwise be achieved. By getting a tattoo young people are able to express their body's permanence in a world that offers little else with staying power.
People who are agree with statements like these have never had this kind of experience. People who agree with statements like this were taught the value of a dollar, the importance of putting your needs before your wants, the danger of impulsivity and so many more valuable but rare lessons. What I want us to admit here is that we understand very little of what goes on for people who require the use of social assistance. We don't understand it because we haven't been there. When it looks like people are abusing the system, it's evidence of a social experience that has not provided the opportunities to act otherwise.
When I responded with this sentiment on that Facebook post, I encouraged a more verbal discussion and dialogue about these kind of issues, rather than passive aggressively stating this kind of opinion on Facebook. I was met with a harsh statement that Facebook should be a place where we share our opinions, thoughts and feelings. The problem with this is that it promotes misunderstanding. Tone cannot be carried virally. Ground breaking, right? But when we promote misunderstanding, we promote division and we are already swimming in a sea of divide and drowning. Do you hear me folks? We are fucking drowning in division of our own creation. It's detrimental. And it's killing us.
Please, please, please think about the people you are including in statements like these and acknowledge that they are worth so much more than the blatant label you are placing on them. In this case, "system abusing bastards." I realize those are my words, not yours.
So I'm closing down my newsfeed. I don't think I fully understand how much work this is going to be but it hurts me too much to know that people I respect think this way.
The problem here is that the message discounts the social implications of growing up in a low socioeconomic environment. Young people who grow up in low socioeconomic environments aren't taught decision making skills, budgeting, or proper spending. They are however availed to opportunities for underage drinking, cigarettes, drugs, etc. By the time they are no longer wards of their parents or the state, no skills have been gained to warrant the ability to live off of food-stamps or welfare. While there is a lot to be said for self-investment, working your own way forward, etc, blah, blah, blah, we need to be willing to accept that this is the exception, not the norm.
Beyond this, I'd like to address the inclusion of tattoos in this graphic. I kind of love that this was identified as an issue because it too is less of an issues than an opportunity for understanding. The reality for a lot of kids in the lowest socioeconomic brackets is that permanence is a nice but fleeting idea. They deal regularly with continual change in authority figures, places of residence, places of employment, friends, significant others, family members, etc. Tattoos represent a point of permanence that could not otherwise be achieved. By getting a tattoo young people are able to express their body's permanence in a world that offers little else with staying power.
People who are agree with statements like these have never had this kind of experience. People who agree with statements like this were taught the value of a dollar, the importance of putting your needs before your wants, the danger of impulsivity and so many more valuable but rare lessons. What I want us to admit here is that we understand very little of what goes on for people who require the use of social assistance. We don't understand it because we haven't been there. When it looks like people are abusing the system, it's evidence of a social experience that has not provided the opportunities to act otherwise.
When I responded with this sentiment on that Facebook post, I encouraged a more verbal discussion and dialogue about these kind of issues, rather than passive aggressively stating this kind of opinion on Facebook. I was met with a harsh statement that Facebook should be a place where we share our opinions, thoughts and feelings. The problem with this is that it promotes misunderstanding. Tone cannot be carried virally. Ground breaking, right? But when we promote misunderstanding, we promote division and we are already swimming in a sea of divide and drowning. Do you hear me folks? We are fucking drowning in division of our own creation. It's detrimental. And it's killing us.
Please, please, please think about the people you are including in statements like these and acknowledge that they are worth so much more than the blatant label you are placing on them. In this case, "system abusing bastards." I realize those are my words, not yours.
So I'm closing down my newsfeed. I don't think I fully understand how much work this is going to be but it hurts me too much to know that people I respect think this way.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Linksters.
Today in my teenage angst, I'm too lazy for anything else. I have so much to write about. So much to tell. But I can't. Because I'm tired, and taxed. And when I'm tired and taxed all I want is to sleep and watch Modern Family. Which I have been doing. So. Here we go.
Oh, I should preface that I care a lot about American politics, even as a Canadian. I hold duel citizenship which gives me a vested interest in their process of government. I have though, discovered, through this ever important election, that I have a lot of Canadian friends who care a lot about American politics, and they would say, especially as Canadians. Because of our proximity to America, we cannot distance ourselves as much as we'd like to. I find it frustrating when I meet Canadians who "don't like Americans." I always try and draw out the actual meaning of this absurd statement, and I've never gotten a legitimate defense. What has generally been successfully communicated is that the age and power of America is intimidating and thus their influence seems threatening. So too their ethnocentrism seems arrogant, but I would argue that the fraction of sincerely ethnocentric Americans is so small it hardly matters. I just want us to think harder about this. And if we want to assert that we "don't like Americans," I want us to have a solid reason why, and consider those reasons in relation to how we view members of other countries.
Anyway, the links I'm presenting include a lot of solid (and some humorous) info about the Election. I'm a Democrat so it includes a lot of Probama stuff. I just made that up. Legit. I am so awesome. Patented. PrObama. I'm the best. Anyway, I think that now that the decision has been made and our anxiety levels have gone down, we need to be making a concerted effort to continue in the passion we had during the election.
Alrightyo. Here we go.
HTML Tips for beginners.
21 Pictures Of Adorable Disney Animals In Real Life.
This doesn't have a title but I will call it Tina Fey being awesome.
You guys. Lisa Frank is back.
Tom Hanks performs Slam Poem about Full-House on Jimmy Fallon.
Megan McArdle: Keys to the Economy
Boom, Roasted: Here's why you don't ask a Feminist to hawk your sexist product.
IKEA Playin' with my friends music video.
9-year-old Jimmy Mizone, playing the banjo. As if. These three are far too much.
The Human Jukebox.
Halloween Commercials from the 80s and 90s.
Understanding the Nation Debt and Budget Deficit. Thank the Lord for John Green.
Anakin the two-legged cat vs. the paper bag. Proof of evolution. Watch her adaptation. Legit.
Are you there, God? It's me, Azita.
Ellen is Sofia Vergara!
The 21 most awkward situations in history. I laughed forever. You have to let the GIFs load for it to really have its full effect.
Literally the best thing ever: Shows within shows.
Kate Nash does Buffy: Once More With Feeling on Halloween. I so wish.
The World's thinnest home has been built in a Polish Alleyway.
The Importance of Grieving Openly.
Hey Jimmy Kimmel, I told my kids I ate all their halloween candy, again. Best kid ever award. Right here.
How to start a blog.
The Options of an Unplanned Pregnancy.
Wrapped Paper: AKA Ready-Made Art.
Alright. Well that's all. Nova always thanks people for leading her to the places and the things, but I don't pay enough attention to know where I got these. So I will go ahead and guess.
And so I will leave you with this photo. Which speaks of my heart right now. Love and goodness and hope for our political and governmental future. Which because we live in a democracy embodies every aspect of our existence. Mostly.
Oh, I should preface that I care a lot about American politics, even as a Canadian. I hold duel citizenship which gives me a vested interest in their process of government. I have though, discovered, through this ever important election, that I have a lot of Canadian friends who care a lot about American politics, and they would say, especially as Canadians. Because of our proximity to America, we cannot distance ourselves as much as we'd like to. I find it frustrating when I meet Canadians who "don't like Americans." I always try and draw out the actual meaning of this absurd statement, and I've never gotten a legitimate defense. What has generally been successfully communicated is that the age and power of America is intimidating and thus their influence seems threatening. So too their ethnocentrism seems arrogant, but I would argue that the fraction of sincerely ethnocentric Americans is so small it hardly matters. I just want us to think harder about this. And if we want to assert that we "don't like Americans," I want us to have a solid reason why, and consider those reasons in relation to how we view members of other countries.
Anyway, the links I'm presenting include a lot of solid (and some humorous) info about the Election. I'm a Democrat so it includes a lot of Probama stuff. I just made that up. Legit. I am so awesome. Patented. PrObama. I'm the best. Anyway, I think that now that the decision has been made and our anxiety levels have gone down, we need to be making a concerted effort to continue in the passion we had during the election.
Alrightyo. Here we go.
HTML Tips for beginners.
21 Pictures Of Adorable Disney Animals In Real Life.
This doesn't have a title but I will call it Tina Fey being awesome.
You guys. Lisa Frank is back.
Tom Hanks performs Slam Poem about Full-House on Jimmy Fallon.
Megan McArdle: Keys to the Economy
Boom, Roasted: Here's why you don't ask a Feminist to hawk your sexist product.
IKEA Playin' with my friends music video.
9-year-old Jimmy Mizone, playing the banjo. As if. These three are far too much.
The Human Jukebox.
Halloween Commercials from the 80s and 90s.
Understanding the Nation Debt and Budget Deficit. Thank the Lord for John Green.
Anakin the two-legged cat vs. the paper bag. Proof of evolution. Watch her adaptation. Legit.
Are you there, God? It's me, Azita.
Ellen is Sofia Vergara!
The 21 most awkward situations in history. I laughed forever. You have to let the GIFs load for it to really have its full effect.
Literally the best thing ever: Shows within shows.
Kate Nash does Buffy: Once More With Feeling on Halloween. I so wish.
The World's thinnest home has been built in a Polish Alleyway.
The Importance of Grieving Openly.
Hey Jimmy Kimmel, I told my kids I ate all their halloween candy, again. Best kid ever award. Right here.
How to start a blog.
The Options of an Unplanned Pregnancy.
Wrapped Paper: AKA Ready-Made Art.
Alright. Well that's all. Nova always thanks people for leading her to the places and the things, but I don't pay enough attention to know where I got these. So I will go ahead and guess.
Thanks to!, Nova, Hello Giggles, the Rookie Writers . . . OH! and Tumblr in general. I'm so happy to have gotten involved in the Tumblr world. They are good.
And so I will leave you with this photo. Which speaks of my heart right now. Love and goodness and hope for our political and governmental future. Which because we live in a democracy embodies every aspect of our existence. Mostly.
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