My dog chewed up my glasses the other day, so my vision is very fucked up until my new ones come in sometime this week. I can see well enough to type this stuff, but trying to read that itty-bitty shit that some people use on their sites and blogs is torture. I have to go get a root canal tomorrow (remember the toothache post?) and maybe if I'm lucky my new glasses will be in tomorrow and I can just swing by there and pick them up while I'm at the dentist. (Two trips to Elkins in one week would be sort of stupid, but it will be necessary if my new glasses aren't in tomorrow.) At the very least, I think I look horrible without glasses on.
I'm currently cleaning my room and in the process, trying to find an old pair of glasses from a couple of years ago. My prescription hasn't changed much so they would do until the new ones come in. So far, no luck though. :(
I thought about doing another list, but I'd rather wait until I have my specs on to do it - that way, I'll be able to see the screen more clearly. Right now, I'm squinting and I have to hold my head at a certain angle so I can see the screen - not fun, people!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Ouch.
I have one Hell of a toothache. I'm sitting here doped up on painkillers, and I can't wait till later today when I can run to the drugstore and see if they have anything stronger than Orajel. (That shit does NOT work, at least not on this toothache.) After closely inspecting the culprit tooth, I think there may be a crack in it - therefore, I'm also going to see if the drugstore has any of that stuff you can use to temporarily cover a tooth until you can go to the dentist. (I have an appointment on the 26th of this month, so I'm going to try to tough it out until then.) The only thing that seems to help the toothache are painkillers.
It doesn't hurt at all right now, but when I'm not on any pills, it hurts so bad it makes me cry. (It takes a lot to make me cry.)
OK, so that's it....I figured I'd write about my toothache. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. Let's put it this way - if I had any military secrets, I'd talk!
It doesn't hurt at all right now, but when I'm not on any pills, it hurts so bad it makes me cry. (It takes a lot to make me cry.)
OK, so that's it....I figured I'd write about my toothache. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. Let's put it this way - if I had any military secrets, I'd talk!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
I always said I was gonna change the world....
Yesterday, I DID.
Voting doesn't seem to be a very big thing to some people, but to me, finally getting to make my voice heard after eighteen long years of being exposed to the news and politics 24/7 and wanting so badly to be able to vote, and FINALLY being able to - it's huge to me. Along with millions of other people, me, my tiny little self, with my tiny little voice - millions of tiny little voices, together - WE HAVE CHANGED THE WORLD.
I was speaking with my best friend in IM, Ritz (damn I love that girl!), and I heard a huge burst of cheers, looked up at the TV, and on CNN, saw, "Barack Obama Elected President,"....I could never have been prouder of the fact that the first name I ever checked on a voting machine was his, than I was at that moment.
And I have no hate for McCain, I respect him, I really do, and I have no hate for his supporters. (Except for the ones that booed during his speech in Phoenix....but that's another story, LOL.) The man ran a long, tough campaign and he's taken his loss like a man. I was glad to hear him say that he would work with our soon to be president to help reform this country and get us back on track.
And so now I end this message with these words:
"A government OF the people, BY the people, and FOR the people has not perished from the Earth."
-President-Elect Barack Obama
Voting doesn't seem to be a very big thing to some people, but to me, finally getting to make my voice heard after eighteen long years of being exposed to the news and politics 24/7 and wanting so badly to be able to vote, and FINALLY being able to - it's huge to me. Along with millions of other people, me, my tiny little self, with my tiny little voice - millions of tiny little voices, together - WE HAVE CHANGED THE WORLD.
I was speaking with my best friend in IM, Ritz (damn I love that girl!), and I heard a huge burst of cheers, looked up at the TV, and on CNN, saw, "Barack Obama Elected President,"....I could never have been prouder of the fact that the first name I ever checked on a voting machine was his, than I was at that moment.
And I have no hate for McCain, I respect him, I really do, and I have no hate for his supporters. (Except for the ones that booed during his speech in Phoenix....but that's another story, LOL.) The man ran a long, tough campaign and he's taken his loss like a man. I was glad to hear him say that he would work with our soon to be president to help reform this country and get us back on track.
And so now I end this message with these words:
"A government OF the people, BY the people, and FOR the people has not perished from the Earth."
-President-Elect Barack Obama
Friday, October 24, 2008
The "Shadow" Complex (And Why I Feel Sorry For Ashlee Simpson When I Hear This Song)
This may be a self-serving rant, but I promise it does serve some sort of (musical) purpose. Besides, it's my blog and I'll bitch if I want to.
Ah, middle child syndrome. Any middle kid can understand this. One thing I hate to hear is "I understand" from someone who is NOT a middle child. If you're the oldest, don't tell us you understand. You most likely don't. If you're the baby, DEFINITELY don't tell us that you understand. You don't. I've suffered from a classic case of it for the past twelve years.
May 24, 1996, my little sister is born. I'm six years old. I say adios to my status as the baby of the house and say hello to constantly being ignored in favor of the older child's achievements and the baby's cuteness.
I hate to admit that I like the song "Shadow" by Ashlee Simpson, because to tell you the truth, I really don't think the girl can sing that well. All in all though, the song does sum up what middle child syndrome tends to feel like, even though the song wasn't written about middle child syndrome, but it basically describes it pretty well.
My older sister was the one that everyone knew would succeed one way or another. Four years older than me, she was an over-achiever, made great grades, multi-talented in both sports and music, and she was well-liked by most everyone.
My little sister has always been cute, and even at twelve, she will exploit her cuteness to get anything and everything she wants.
Then there's me. There was only one thing that made me special, and it was only because it made my family feel too shitty to ignore me too much. (Another story.) But for the most part, I was the "artsy" one, the "unique" one in a family full of people all too eager to conform. I didn't make great grades. In fact, my grades from 3rd grade to about 7th grade were downright shitty and I honestly do not know how I managed to scrape by. I'd rather sit in my room and write or sing or listen to music than do my homework, as slackerish as that may have been. I'd rather be creative than logical about things. And after about age eight, I didn't have much of a cute factor - nothing to write home about anyway.
And I spent so many years of my life living in the shadow of an over-achieving saxophonist and basketball player, in the shadow of a cute little blond who has everyone wrapped around her finger. I tried so hard to compete with them. I tried to be cute. I even went to the length of playing the saxophone in the school band so I could try to be just as good as my older sister, in at least one aspect.
Now, when I hear "Shadow" I feel sorry for Ashlee Simpson, and not only because this song depicts that maybe she suffered because of the attention given to her sister. I feel sorry for her because this song is too powerful for her voice, and you can hear her struggle to sing it. Maybe the vocal imperfections, though, add character to the song that otherwise might not be there....
When I first heard "Shadow," I was drawn to it because of the lyrics. It seemed to fit me so well. I definitely wouldn't say "everything's cool now" or that "my life is good, I've got more than anyone should," but I have finally, after so many years, become a little comfortable in my own skin. My mental one at least. I am a unique person. I am a liberal in a family full of conservatives. I have a creative mind, not a logical one. I am Sara. I am not Ashley, my older sister. I am not Elizabeth, my younger sister. I am Sara, the middle kid. The writer/singer/photographer/graphic designer. Maybe I can live with that.
(PS: It's kinda ironic....Ashlee Simpson ended up marrying Pete Wentz. I'm not an Ashlee Simpson fan, because of her vocal shortcomings, but I do like this song. But I say something is ironic because, I don't really like Ashlee Simpson, save for this song, and she married someone with whom I share a last name.)
Ah, middle child syndrome. Any middle kid can understand this. One thing I hate to hear is "I understand" from someone who is NOT a middle child. If you're the oldest, don't tell us you understand. You most likely don't. If you're the baby, DEFINITELY don't tell us that you understand. You don't. I've suffered from a classic case of it for the past twelve years.
May 24, 1996, my little sister is born. I'm six years old. I say adios to my status as the baby of the house and say hello to constantly being ignored in favor of the older child's achievements and the baby's cuteness.
I hate to admit that I like the song "Shadow" by Ashlee Simpson, because to tell you the truth, I really don't think the girl can sing that well. All in all though, the song does sum up what middle child syndrome tends to feel like, even though the song wasn't written about middle child syndrome, but it basically describes it pretty well.
My older sister was the one that everyone knew would succeed one way or another. Four years older than me, she was an over-achiever, made great grades, multi-talented in both sports and music, and she was well-liked by most everyone.
My little sister has always been cute, and even at twelve, she will exploit her cuteness to get anything and everything she wants.
Then there's me. There was only one thing that made me special, and it was only because it made my family feel too shitty to ignore me too much. (Another story.) But for the most part, I was the "artsy" one, the "unique" one in a family full of people all too eager to conform. I didn't make great grades. In fact, my grades from 3rd grade to about 7th grade were downright shitty and I honestly do not know how I managed to scrape by. I'd rather sit in my room and write or sing or listen to music than do my homework, as slackerish as that may have been. I'd rather be creative than logical about things. And after about age eight, I didn't have much of a cute factor - nothing to write home about anyway.
And I spent so many years of my life living in the shadow of an over-achieving saxophonist and basketball player, in the shadow of a cute little blond who has everyone wrapped around her finger. I tried so hard to compete with them. I tried to be cute. I even went to the length of playing the saxophone in the school band so I could try to be just as good as my older sister, in at least one aspect.
Now, when I hear "Shadow" I feel sorry for Ashlee Simpson, and not only because this song depicts that maybe she suffered because of the attention given to her sister. I feel sorry for her because this song is too powerful for her voice, and you can hear her struggle to sing it. Maybe the vocal imperfections, though, add character to the song that otherwise might not be there....
When I first heard "Shadow," I was drawn to it because of the lyrics. It seemed to fit me so well. I definitely wouldn't say "everything's cool now" or that "my life is good, I've got more than anyone should," but I have finally, after so many years, become a little comfortable in my own skin. My mental one at least. I am a unique person. I am a liberal in a family full of conservatives. I have a creative mind, not a logical one. I am Sara. I am not Ashley, my older sister. I am not Elizabeth, my younger sister. I am Sara, the middle kid. The writer/singer/photographer/graphic designer. Maybe I can live with that.
(PS: It's kinda ironic....Ashlee Simpson ended up marrying Pete Wentz. I'm not an Ashlee Simpson fan, because of her vocal shortcomings, but I do like this song. But I say something is ironic because, I don't really like Ashlee Simpson, save for this song, and she married someone with whom I share a last name.)
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
You know you're from West Virginia when....
1) You've never met any celebrities.
2) Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor on the highway.
3) “Vacation" means driving through Wyatt on the way to Morgantown.
4) You've seen all the biggest bands ten years after they were popular.
5) You measure distance in minutes.
6) Down south to you means Kentucky.
7) You know several people who have hit a deer.
8) Your school classes were canceled because of cold.
9) You've ridden the school bus for an hour each way.
10) You know what's knee-high by the Fourth of July.
11) Stores don't have bags; they have pokes.
12) They don't have shoppingcarts; they have buggies.
13) You've seen people wear bib overalls at funerals.
14) You've seen a car running in the parking lot at the store with no one in it no matter what time of the year.
15) You end your sentences with an unnecessary preposition. Example: "Where's my coat at?" or "Where are you going to?"
16) All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit,vegetable,or grain.
17) You think of the major four food groups as beef, pork, beer, and Jell-O salad with marshmallows.
18) You know what "cow! tipping" or "Possum Kicking" is.
19) You only own 3 spices: salt, pepper, and ketchup.
20) Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with ice & snow.
21) You think everyone from a bigger city has an accent.
22) You cook green beans for hours.
23) You think sexy lingerie is tube socks and a flannel nightie.
24) You don't ever park your car without setting the emergency brake.
25) The local paper covers national and international headlines on one page, but requires 6 pages for sports.
26) You think that deer season is a national holiday. (You mean it isn't?!?!)
27) You know which leaves make good toilet paper -- and which ones don't -- poison ivy, anyone??
28) You find 5 degrees F "a little chilly".
29) You know all 4 seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Road Construction.
30) You know what a real tomato is, and have a recipe for candy ones.
31) You know if another Hillbilly is from southern, central, or northern WVas soon as they open their mouth.
32) Your parents have threatened to have you sent to Pruntytown.
33) You can watch someone order a hotdog and know in what part of the state they live. - Chili AND slaw, anyone?
34) You can spell words like Allegheny, Monongalia, Monongahela, Kanawha and Hawks Nest.
35) You know how to pronounce Canaan and Gilmer.
36) You know that Serpent Mound was not made by snakes.
37) You know at least one couple who went to Virginia or Maryland to get married.
2) Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor on the highway.
3) “Vacation" means driving through Wyatt on the way to Morgantown.
4) You've seen all the biggest bands ten years after they were popular.
5) You measure distance in minutes.
6) Down south to you means Kentucky.
7) You know several people who have hit a deer.
8) Your school classes were canceled because of cold.
9) You've ridden the school bus for an hour each way.
10) You know what's knee-high by the Fourth of July.
11) Stores don't have bags; they have pokes.
12) They don't have shoppingcarts; they have buggies.
13) You've seen people wear bib overalls at funerals.
14) You've seen a car running in the parking lot at the store with no one in it no matter what time of the year.
15) You end your sentences with an unnecessary preposition. Example: "Where's my coat at?" or "Where are you going to?"
16) All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit,vegetable,or grain.
17) You think of the major four food groups as beef, pork, beer, and Jell-O salad with marshmallows.
18) You know what "cow! tipping" or "Possum Kicking" is.
19) You only own 3 spices: salt, pepper, and ketchup.
20) Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with ice & snow.
21) You think everyone from a bigger city has an accent.
22) You cook green beans for hours.
23) You think sexy lingerie is tube socks and a flannel nightie.
24) You don't ever park your car without setting the emergency brake.
25) The local paper covers national and international headlines on one page, but requires 6 pages for sports.
26) You think that deer season is a national holiday. (You mean it isn't?!?!)
27) You know which leaves make good toilet paper -- and which ones don't -- poison ivy, anyone??
28) You find 5 degrees F "a little chilly".
29) You know all 4 seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Road Construction.
30) You know what a real tomato is, and have a recipe for candy ones.
31) You know if another Hillbilly is from southern, central, or northern WVas soon as they open their mouth.
32) Your parents have threatened to have you sent to Pruntytown.
33) You can watch someone order a hotdog and know in what part of the state they live. - Chili AND slaw, anyone?
34) You can spell words like Allegheny, Monongalia, Monongahela, Kanawha and Hawks Nest.
35) You know how to pronounce Canaan and Gilmer.
36) You know that Serpent Mound was not made by snakes.
37) You know at least one couple who went to Virginia or Maryland to get married.
Friday, October 17, 2008
The Problems With MySpace And Facebook....
OK, pretty much EVERYBODY I know has a MySpace AND a Facebook. But here are the things that annoy me about both sites...
1) When someone puts up a picture of themselves, and in the caption, they're like, "I'M UGLY!!!" OK, here's the deal. If you REALLY thought you were THAT ugly, you wouldn't post it on MYSPACE or FACEBOOK, now WOULD YOU??? Nice bait there, you know, fishing for compliments...but I ain't bitin'.
2) Sending out bulletins when you have new pictures. I understood doing this a while back, before MySpace installed Friend Updates on the site, and I did it every once in a while too. Now though, it's pretty much pointless because when you put new photos up, I SEE THAT YOU HAVE THEM UP ANYWAY. And if I want to take a look at them, I WILL. And if I want to go to the extent to comment on them, I WILL. I do not need a bulletin to tell me that you, in all your vanity, have new pictures up.
3) Now here's something that annoys me about Facebook, but not MySpace: FRIEND UPDATES. Friend updates on MySpace are pretty good and non-intrusive. They simply tell you when someone has a new song on their profile, or has added new pictures, or has in some way, shape, or form updated their profile. That's OK. But, on Facebook, it seems that I CAN'T EVEN TAKE A SHIT without ALL of my friends KNOWING about it. If you comment on another person's pictures, or write on someone's wall, or post on a group wall/discussion, Facebook somehow takes it all upon themselves to broadcast to the world that you have done so. WONDERFUL. Now all they need to do is put hidden cameras in my home to record my every move OFF the Facebook site, and they're ALL SET.
4) "We're sorry, an error as occurred." Facebook and MySpace BOTH have LOTS of computer techies working for them for insane amounts of money. You'd think that at least ONE of these people would know how to go in and FIX all these "errors." Oh, and on that note - I really don't think these errors get automatically reported to MySpace or Facebook's "technical groups"...I think they just go in a folder of their inboxes labeled "SHIT WE DON'T REALLY GIVE A FUCK ABOUT."
5) Another one specifically for Facebook - and a Facebook application known as iLike. Okie dokie, I search for a song I want to put on my list. Right? I find it. BUT IT HAS NO AUDIO CLIP. What's the point of having the song on there if there is no AUDIO CLIP? I want the song on my Facebook page so I can hear it (or a part of it) anytime I want to, and so other people can hear the kind of music that I...well...iLike. HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO THAT IF THERE'S NO AUDIO CLIP? HMMM???
6) APPLICATION OVERLOAD. OK, I am admittedly guilty of this on Facebook. I have way too many apps, but I AM working on removing the ones I don't use. (I removed about five yesterday, I believe.) It's not even the fact that someone has too many applications. IT'S THE FACT THAT MANY OF THEM ARE, FOR THE MOST POINT, USELESS. OK, maybe I DO want to know what song from the '90s should be my theme, BUT MAKING AN ENTIRE APP OUT OF IT? THAT'S STUPID.
7) On the topic of apps, WHY DO ALL THE GOOD ONES GET SHUT DOWN? Facebook had an application called "PostSecret," where, yep, you guessed it, you could anonymously post secrets about yourself. I loved it, and it had a "hug" option where you could virtually "hug" people whom you felt needed one. I go to it one day so I can read some secrets (and maybe post one or two of my own) and it says it's been SHUT DOWN. Great. Just fucking great. Why was it shut down? Server costs. Well, maybe the makers of that application should stop spending money on the server costs for their OTHER, USELESS APPLICATION and apply that money to the server costs of the the application that people OBVIOUSLY USED. How's THAT for an idea, brainiacs???
8) My last pet peeve with MySpace and Facebook - for now. Yep, you guessed it. ADDICTIVENESS. Oh MySpace, oh Facebook, why must you be so FUCKING ADDICTIVE?!?! When I first got on these sites, I logged on maybe, two or three times a week - sometimes even less. Now I find myself on them both several times a day - and for what? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Seriously, in five minutes' time, are any of my friends going to do something SO WONDERFUL that I need to know about it? Most likely not. So why do you have me hooked??? Why must you pain me when I don't have new comments, messages, wall-writings, picture comments, or anything of the like? I know why. Because you, Tom Anderson, founder of MySpace, and you, Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, are SADISTS! You LIKE our pain, don't you? You love to see us tweaking for our MySpace and Facebook fix. Admit it. You know you do.
OK, I'M DONE!
[/rant]
1) When someone puts up a picture of themselves, and in the caption, they're like, "I'M UGLY!!!" OK, here's the deal. If you REALLY thought you were THAT ugly, you wouldn't post it on MYSPACE or FACEBOOK, now WOULD YOU??? Nice bait there, you know, fishing for compliments...but I ain't bitin'.
2) Sending out bulletins when you have new pictures. I understood doing this a while back, before MySpace installed Friend Updates on the site, and I did it every once in a while too. Now though, it's pretty much pointless because when you put new photos up, I SEE THAT YOU HAVE THEM UP ANYWAY. And if I want to take a look at them, I WILL. And if I want to go to the extent to comment on them, I WILL. I do not need a bulletin to tell me that you, in all your vanity, have new pictures up.
3) Now here's something that annoys me about Facebook, but not MySpace: FRIEND UPDATES. Friend updates on MySpace are pretty good and non-intrusive. They simply tell you when someone has a new song on their profile, or has added new pictures, or has in some way, shape, or form updated their profile. That's OK. But, on Facebook, it seems that I CAN'T EVEN TAKE A SHIT without ALL of my friends KNOWING about it. If you comment on another person's pictures, or write on someone's wall, or post on a group wall/discussion, Facebook somehow takes it all upon themselves to broadcast to the world that you have done so. WONDERFUL. Now all they need to do is put hidden cameras in my home to record my every move OFF the Facebook site, and they're ALL SET.
4) "We're sorry, an error as occurred." Facebook and MySpace BOTH have LOTS of computer techies working for them for insane amounts of money. You'd think that at least ONE of these people would know how to go in and FIX all these "errors." Oh, and on that note - I really don't think these errors get automatically reported to MySpace or Facebook's "technical groups"...I think they just go in a folder of their inboxes labeled "SHIT WE DON'T REALLY GIVE A FUCK ABOUT."
5) Another one specifically for Facebook - and a Facebook application known as iLike. Okie dokie, I search for a song I want to put on my list. Right? I find it. BUT IT HAS NO AUDIO CLIP. What's the point of having the song on there if there is no AUDIO CLIP? I want the song on my Facebook page so I can hear it (or a part of it) anytime I want to, and so other people can hear the kind of music that I...well...iLike. HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO THAT IF THERE'S NO AUDIO CLIP? HMMM???
6) APPLICATION OVERLOAD. OK, I am admittedly guilty of this on Facebook. I have way too many apps, but I AM working on removing the ones I don't use. (I removed about five yesterday, I believe.) It's not even the fact that someone has too many applications. IT'S THE FACT THAT MANY OF THEM ARE, FOR THE MOST POINT, USELESS. OK, maybe I DO want to know what song from the '90s should be my theme, BUT MAKING AN ENTIRE APP OUT OF IT? THAT'S STUPID.
7) On the topic of apps, WHY DO ALL THE GOOD ONES GET SHUT DOWN? Facebook had an application called "PostSecret," where, yep, you guessed it, you could anonymously post secrets about yourself. I loved it, and it had a "hug" option where you could virtually "hug" people whom you felt needed one. I go to it one day so I can read some secrets (and maybe post one or two of my own) and it says it's been SHUT DOWN. Great. Just fucking great. Why was it shut down? Server costs. Well, maybe the makers of that application should stop spending money on the server costs for their OTHER, USELESS APPLICATION and apply that money to the server costs of the the application that people OBVIOUSLY USED. How's THAT for an idea, brainiacs???
8) My last pet peeve with MySpace and Facebook - for now. Yep, you guessed it. ADDICTIVENESS. Oh MySpace, oh Facebook, why must you be so FUCKING ADDICTIVE?!?! When I first got on these sites, I logged on maybe, two or three times a week - sometimes even less. Now I find myself on them both several times a day - and for what? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Seriously, in five minutes' time, are any of my friends going to do something SO WONDERFUL that I need to know about it? Most likely not. So why do you have me hooked??? Why must you pain me when I don't have new comments, messages, wall-writings, picture comments, or anything of the like? I know why. Because you, Tom Anderson, founder of MySpace, and you, Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, are SADISTS! You LIKE our pain, don't you? You love to see us tweaking for our MySpace and Facebook fix. Admit it. You know you do.
OK, I'M DONE!
[/rant]
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Disturbia
The only thing that disturbs me is that Rihanna got a record deal in the first place.
But I've hashed and rehashed my hatred for the talentlessness that graces today's airwaves time and time again.
Hmmmm....
But I've hashed and rehashed my hatred for the talentlessness that graces today's airwaves time and time again.
Hmmmm....
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