FUN WITH CENSORSHIP

For those of you who haven't seen it yet, David Byrne's "Toe Jam" -- Enjoy!


"Toe Jam" by The BPA and David Byrne
Am I the only one who's tired of rap cameos (or really just any dischordant cameo (cf. No Doubt's Rocksteady album for several examples) in music? I'm not sure what I dislike more, this or outright stolen music being passed off as your own (e.g. Gym Class Heroes "Cupid's Chokehold" which uses Supertramp's "Breakfast in America" throughout). Eh...whatever...enjoy the song! :-p

(originally posted to That Other Journal on February 23, 2009)

DRAWING ANALOGUES...

I'm starting to wonder if you have to prepare for the barber like you have to prepare for the dentist.

Just like you're supposed to brush your teeth before seeing the dentist, I wonder if you're supposed to shave before going to the barber?

I usually only shave once a week as I have no one in my life to make me want to shave on a more regular basis. I went to the barber on Monday very close to the end of my cycle. After cutting my hair, he proceeded to fashion my teenager beard and mustache into a goatee (something I had tried doing a few months ago only to abandon it because my facial hair, after sixteen years, has yet to fill out. On the basis of the growth patterns I have noticed, I could probably do effectively those Civil War mutton chops, but that's about it). Maybe the barber was bored or he didn't quite hear me, but he finished the job even though I fully intend to shave it off today.

Oh well...

:-p

(originally posted to That Other Journal on February 11, 2009)

STABILITY...HOW I LOVE THEE

I found out yesterday that I won't have to be moving after all. Hooray!

My Best Friend, as I think most of you have heard by now, was itching to move out with her new friend Tank Girl whom she had formed a fast bond with via Tank Girl's social connections and steady availability to go out. I have no hard feelings about this at all and am genuinely happy that she has found someone with whom not only can she go out, but who also has the kinds of social connections that I could only dream of. I was very annoyed at her announcement, feeling vaguely betrayed. She was slated to move out this April. I had petitioned Roommate to move in with me, but circumstances on his end put a stop to that. This Monday, I had planned to go looking around for an apartment in the area that hopefully I could swing with my current part-time job plus a second even more part-time job.

Then, last night, my Best Friend told me of her reservations. Tank Girl, from what I gather from Best Friend, is rather needy and demanding on top of a sense of entitlement. Best Friend doesn't like how pushy Tank Girl's been becoming with her. She's also feeling like she's being set up to be used by her (That's my job, damn it!!!) for all sorts of trivialities (very recent examples: Tank Girl inviting Best Friend to a movie but having Best Friend purchase the tickets [I'm working with the assumption that Tank Girl would pay her back], but for some reason [I honestly forget why at the moment], Tank Girl  needed Best Friend's credit card info to purchase them. Best Friend wisely refused it to her and told her to wait for her there at the theater until she got there [Don't ask about it, cuz I don't know the details really. I'll consider addenda if I learn more]. She's also "inviting" Best Friend to come help her do her laundry. Tank Girl doesn't have a car by the way (but she can drive). Also, Best Friend doesn't like how she's being pressured into moving in with her so quickly (Tank Girl originally wanted March...April was a reluctant concession on her part)

Anyhow, Best Friend told me that she doesn't want to lose her as a (socializing) friend. She's glad to have the excuses she has and hopes that they'll fly with her (My finances make it nearly impossible to afford an apartment in this area and the second of three people I would ever consider living with being unable to join me [i.e. I have trust issues]). I wish her luck with that. Best Friend really does need to go out more and she won't if she loses this connection. She needs girlfriends, even if their personalities suck, to go out with and have fun. And yes, there is a selfishness to all this as well. A happy Best Friend tends to help out more. A happy Best Friend isn't a drag on my good and neutral moods. A happy Best Friend is generally pleasant to be around.

Anyways, I'm thrilled to not have to be moving. It's been such a relief stress-wise. It sucks that I still have to walk 2½ miles to get to work, but that's definitely a small price to pay. Plus, I've learned that rents are going down nationwide due to this lovely downturn brought upon us. I would think rents would go up as the competition would increase with more people seeking rentals considering they can no longer afford houses, but as it turns out, bad economic times cause people to seek roommates instead to save on costs leaving more vacancies. I'll have to keep this in mind as we may now have some negotiating power with our landlord. Hell, if it stays flat, I'll be happy. Inflation was 5% last year, so zero increase is basically 5% off the new lease. :-)

(originally

THAT "25 THINGS" THING...

Write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING SORT OF DIFFERENT (at least for me)

For those of you who have not been keeping track, I am fast approaching my eighth anniversary at my current place of employment. In all that time, I've met quite a few people and a number of them have become workplace buddies. Some have given me rides home and a few have taken to trusting me with their personal issues which is nice and all, but in all this time, I had yet to take that next step with anybody where I got invited out with them. Y'know...to be real friends and not just the workplace kind. Don't get me wrong, I've received the casual invite of "Oh, we should (definitely) hang out some time", but no one has ever followed through on it.

The Security Guard has taken a liking to me over the past half year or so. He's given me rides home and he'll speak with me frequently at work. So far, everything's typical. He's suggested that I go out with him and his friends, but nothing ever came of that except for one that got cancelled last minute (which is also, unfortunately, all too typical as well). But he did come through with this past Sunday's Super Bowl (am I "allowed" to use that here, NBC? or must I say "Big Game"? Ugh...). I had to get up several hours early, but Security Guard and his wife took me to meet his family and dogs. I had a good time overall. The dogs liked me (small dogs, don't know the breeds). I even rode a quad with his brother on a frozen lake. I'm not gonna get into details, cuz like my times at college, so much of it was contextual and you-had-to-be-there type stuff. His family is a lot of fun and very welcoming. My favorite was his mother, who comes across as quiet and demure, but will throw a line in (delivered calmly too) that does the mental equivalent of the needle sliding across the record (dated reference ehv-rih-BAAAH-day!).

The food was good and the game was actually engaging for a non-football watcher (I know the basic rules and scoring system, but that's about it). He's definitely interested in having me come to additional gatherings. My skepticism is still up...it has to be, but I look forward to its weakening.

p.s. The reason Shortii doesn't count is because of a technicality. While, yes, we have hung out...we never did so until after she quit.