There's one other thing that's been bothering me as of late. Katy Perry's "California Gurls." Now, I know that Daisy Dukes fits in so well with the song...I'm surprised they're still even using the term, usually we call them what they really are. Short shorts. But, uh...does it really fit in with the whole California thing?
I mean, last time I remember, Daisy Dukes were short on the legs but almost looked like they were a bit high on the waist....not exactly the low-rise shorts and jeans these days. But maybe I've been watching The Dukes of Hazzard wrong all these years? Bahaha...
And, of course, just look at who the clothing's named after. The awesome Daisy Duke from The Dukes of Hazzard. Played by the awesome Catherine Bach. This may come as a surprise to Katy and most of the world, but Bach is from South Dakota (and where most of her family is still located, last I heard). So does this mean we scream California Gurls? Then again, Dukes of Hazzard was a show set in Georgia, so is it California trying to claim a Southern inspiration? Hmmmm...
Sorry, but California shan't take credit for everyone else's trends...come on!
Oh, and just for some entertainment (it's becoming a little catchy... :x ) :
Friday, July 16, 2010
Rambling. It's Fun. :P
I have a horrible love affair for Matt Bomer. But that's not really a secret, now is it? But anyway, with this love affair comes a love for most anything that USA Network will put out. I grew up watching Monk reruns for years, and now cannot get enough of White Collar and Psych. So of course, I'm a little giddy when I see an article that agrees with my perspective of USA awesomeness.
http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/revealed-how-to-make-a-hit-usa-network-series--1385
Well, at least I'll agree with most of it. So, what do they say makes a worthy USA show?
Cast Beautiful People as Your Stars
Ok, not gonna lie, this one's actually pretty true...right up until I look into the face of that guy on Burn Notice. Speaking of which, his female counterpart isn't much to look at, either, in my opinion. Royal Pains? Not much for that dude, either. Mostly I'm partial to my Matt Bomer...ahhh...but anyhow. I guess this is appropriate for the more recent shows, but if they threw Monk into the mix? Honestly, I don't think many would look at Tony Shaloub and scream SEX APPEAL....so there has to be more than smexy Matt Bomers in every show. :P
Make Them the Best at What They Do
I have no objections to that. The way I see it, if this is a fictional show, then why can't there be a little bit of perfection to their line of work? We want to see how they get out of sticky situations! And if it happens to be being the best at being amateur detectives, then...sweet!
...Then Have Them Pretend to Be Other People
Con man in White Collar? Yes. Witness protection in In Plain Sight? Yes. Whatever the hell is going on in Burn Notice? Yes. Uh.....Psych? I don't really think they apply, but OK. I think the fake names are meant to add awesome hilarity to the situations. I mean really, does anyone think that John Jacob Jingleheimerschmidt is going to be a suitable pretend person? :P
Give Them a Sexy Partner of the Opposite Sex
Mehhh. The opposite sex is almost always a woman. And when they aren't women, they aren't much to look at. And besides, how many of these does it actually apply to? In Psych, O'Hara isn't exactly the obvious sexy opposite partner....does White Collar even have an opposite sex partner? Maybe it'd be Peter's wife, but I don't think so...anyone on the whole FBI team thing just doesn't seem to stand out enough as an obvious partner...Kate? Who we so very rarely see but hear about all the time? The Kate who looks like she could be Peter's wife's sister/daughter? Yeah, the similarities are just that close...but in a good way. Makes me like Kate a little more, lol. Monk would easily fall under this one with Natalie, but otherwise, meh.
Fill Out the Cast With Familiar Faces
Of course! Let's put Sharon Gless on Burn Notice! Sigh.....it's a technique they put on so many shows, I don't think this one makes it stick out much. Just look at Mark Harmon and all of the shows he's done (although he doesn't really pertain to this whole deal. I just like mentioning him). Then there's the real old veterans, like Kevin Tighe on a few episodes of LOST. In all honesty, the people that are watching these shows probably have no idea what all the other actors/actresses were even on before that show. But they are a nice touch.
Set It in a Scenic Locale
Dude. Manhattan isn't exactly scenic, nor all that gorgeous to look at. Even from the sky. Miami, sure. But I don't exactly watch White Collar for the pretty scenery. If you want pretty scenery, set it in the Black Hills sometime. Kthxbai. ;)
Gunplay, Gunplay, Gunplay
All right, that one's fine. We must have MAYHEM! Solving murders is fun and all, but there's got to be just a little more adventure in it. Just sayin'. :3
Find Your Season-Long Story Arc
YES. This one is critical. It's all part of the writing; what's the point of watching a show that doesn't wrap itself up before its season hiatus? It's one thing to have a story that is left in a cliffhanger for months and months like LOST, but they had to do a crazy amount of wrapping up in their final episodes. And people have to admit, it didn't turn out wrapped up in a cutesy clean finished bow. But with USA, they know how to create a story that has an ending, and a satisfying ending at that. With Monk, they couldn't have ended the entire show in a better fashion, and that is largely because they didn't have many holes to fill from previous seasons.
Keep It Light and Humorous
YES. YES. FUCK YES. This one is even more critical than the previous point! And this one ties in again with the writers--in order to make these shows worthwhile, they can't be heavy on the drama or attitude. Lighten up! Psych has so many hilarious moments, and White Collar has some awesome moments of dialogue that just make me have to giggle. Even Monk, with its poignant story lines and sad situations, they really knew how to incorporate the humorous parts. Humor mixed with drama, it can't get much better than that. And makes it much more worth my time. :P
Well, now it makes a ton more sense as to why I love Psych & White Collar! I think....mmmm, Matt Bomer... :3
http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/revealed-how-to-make-a-hit-usa-network-series--1385
Well, at least I'll agree with most of it. So, what do they say makes a worthy USA show?
Cast Beautiful People as Your Stars
Ok, not gonna lie, this one's actually pretty true...right up until I look into the face of that guy on Burn Notice. Speaking of which, his female counterpart isn't much to look at, either, in my opinion. Royal Pains? Not much for that dude, either. Mostly I'm partial to my Matt Bomer...ahhh...but anyhow. I guess this is appropriate for the more recent shows, but if they threw Monk into the mix? Honestly, I don't think many would look at Tony Shaloub and scream SEX APPEAL....so there has to be more than smexy Matt Bomers in every show. :P
Make Them the Best at What They Do
I have no objections to that. The way I see it, if this is a fictional show, then why can't there be a little bit of perfection to their line of work? We want to see how they get out of sticky situations! And if it happens to be being the best at being amateur detectives, then...sweet!
...Then Have Them Pretend to Be Other People
Con man in White Collar? Yes. Witness protection in In Plain Sight? Yes. Whatever the hell is going on in Burn Notice? Yes. Uh.....Psych? I don't really think they apply, but OK. I think the fake names are meant to add awesome hilarity to the situations. I mean really, does anyone think that John Jacob Jingleheimerschmidt is going to be a suitable pretend person? :P
Give Them a Sexy Partner of the Opposite Sex
Mehhh. The opposite sex is almost always a woman. And when they aren't women, they aren't much to look at. And besides, how many of these does it actually apply to? In Psych, O'Hara isn't exactly the obvious sexy opposite partner....does White Collar even have an opposite sex partner? Maybe it'd be Peter's wife, but I don't think so...anyone on the whole FBI team thing just doesn't seem to stand out enough as an obvious partner...Kate? Who we so very rarely see but hear about all the time? The Kate who looks like she could be Peter's wife's sister/daughter? Yeah, the similarities are just that close...but in a good way. Makes me like Kate a little more, lol. Monk would easily fall under this one with Natalie, but otherwise, meh.
Fill Out the Cast With Familiar Faces
Of course! Let's put Sharon Gless on Burn Notice! Sigh.....it's a technique they put on so many shows, I don't think this one makes it stick out much. Just look at Mark Harmon and all of the shows he's done (although he doesn't really pertain to this whole deal. I just like mentioning him). Then there's the real old veterans, like Kevin Tighe on a few episodes of LOST. In all honesty, the people that are watching these shows probably have no idea what all the other actors/actresses were even on before that show. But they are a nice touch.
Set It in a Scenic Locale
Dude. Manhattan isn't exactly scenic, nor all that gorgeous to look at. Even from the sky. Miami, sure. But I don't exactly watch White Collar for the pretty scenery. If you want pretty scenery, set it in the Black Hills sometime. Kthxbai. ;)
Gunplay, Gunplay, Gunplay
All right, that one's fine. We must have MAYHEM! Solving murders is fun and all, but there's got to be just a little more adventure in it. Just sayin'. :3
Find Your Season-Long Story Arc
YES. This one is critical. It's all part of the writing; what's the point of watching a show that doesn't wrap itself up before its season hiatus? It's one thing to have a story that is left in a cliffhanger for months and months like LOST, but they had to do a crazy amount of wrapping up in their final episodes. And people have to admit, it didn't turn out wrapped up in a cutesy clean finished bow. But with USA, they know how to create a story that has an ending, and a satisfying ending at that. With Monk, they couldn't have ended the entire show in a better fashion, and that is largely because they didn't have many holes to fill from previous seasons.
Keep It Light and Humorous
YES. YES. FUCK YES. This one is even more critical than the previous point! And this one ties in again with the writers--in order to make these shows worthwhile, they can't be heavy on the drama or attitude. Lighten up! Psych has so many hilarious moments, and White Collar has some awesome moments of dialogue that just make me have to giggle. Even Monk, with its poignant story lines and sad situations, they really knew how to incorporate the humorous parts. Humor mixed with drama, it can't get much better than that. And makes it much more worth my time. :P
Well, now it makes a ton more sense as to why I love Psych & White Collar! I think....mmmm, Matt Bomer... :3
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Once In a Blue Moon
Well first of all, say hello to the new banner up above! Since Blogger widened their blog sizes, it was beginning to bother me that my banner wasn't stretching all the way across....so I made a new one. Which of course led to more feelings of "OMG I HATE GIMP!!one!1!", but I think I did pretty damn well for such a simple program. I still wish it was able to do all of the things that Paint Shop Pro 7 was able to do, but whatever...
I think it should also be mentioned that the photo itself is one that I've taken. It's of Sylvan Lake in the Black Hills, originally a panoramic shot that I shortened up a little bit. I was also experimenting with lighting and exposure on this particular trip, which is why the sky is white instead of blue. :/ But it's why I love South Dakota. Like my old banner, it was a lame picture taken out of the windshield of our car. We were in the Badlands, though, and with that little bit of curvy road in there, with the song lyrics so directed towards cars, it ended up being perfect. This is a very photographic state that I'm lucky to live in.
Don't be surprised if the banner changes again, though. I'm looking for a suitable quote to put in the lower right hand corner. For some reason, something from the Sleep Talking Man is calling out to me...even though the quotes would probably be entirely opposite of anything that ends up here. Egotistical quote up there? Not really reflective of what this whole thing is...but it would match my sense of humor perfectly. Hmmm.....just had a thought. "Learning to live like the hamster, with hamster virtues." Now THAT would be perfect. Much different from the cheesy song lyrics that I had up there before. Granted that's the entire inspiration of the blog title, but hey, sometimes change is for the better. :3
And now for the reason of this post. It's spotty at most for me to remember any of my dreams, and most of the dreams I do remember aren't really worth remembering because of some very uneasy feelings afterwards. Whether or not they're nightmares or not is yet to be decided....like a short while ago I had a strange dream. I had purchased my first house. It was a small house, but it was cute and clean, even though the neighborhood was really strange and was apparently the area to drag race. Ironically, the street I live next to currently? Very much loved by the drag race kids. Yeah. :/ Long story short, I had this moment in my dream where I sort of realized "What the hell? I'm too young to be buying my own house! This isn't the time for me to be buying my own house! What about my parents?!" In hindsight, it wasn't that bad, but I think the fact that I had no roommates either seemed to only extrapolate those feelings of loneliness....So when I woke up, I did have that sort of nightmarish tug.
I remember another dream I had a month or so ago, also. It was weird, because it was set on campus, and there was snow everywhere. Snow? I think it was snow....I think it was a blizzard. Sadly it's been a while now since I last thought about it, but all I remember was people everywhere indoors and really shitty weather outside. Sort of like a blizzard/tornado warnings. It was one or the other. But that one really sucked, really. I hate winter...mostly because I have to walk in it to get to classes. Grawr.
The dream I had last night, however, was a lot different. It was actually pretty awesome, and I don't remember my awesome dreams. If I do, it only happens once in a blue moon or so. Anyhow, I was going on a plane trip to someplace in California with some small group of kids. I'd say about five of us total. We had some older guy that was leading us around and stuff. Now the dream was set in what I would describe as an airport/college campus. The campus part was mostly because towards the end, I ran into a guy I know from college at this same and/or similar location. That was only a small snippet, though, so I think it was mostly an airport. A very pretty airport, with lots of windows. It also had multiple floors on one side, sort of like there were three stories or more. Definitely not any airport I've ever been in. It was a very pretty building though, almost business-like. I think it was the windows and openness of the building that didn't give me any uneasy feelings. And it was sunny! :D
Now for the fun part. This little group of five of us were on this special secret trip. Super secret! We were on a manhunt. I don't know why, but we had to go find this particular dude amongst a crapton of other people. There was even a fun chase, where we had to jump from floor to floor to try and catch the dude. It was pretty intense, but we did get them. The whole thing just felt very FBI-ish? I don't know, maybe White Collar's premiere got to me the other night, even though I wasn't paying nearly enough attention to it, lol!
I think the best part of the dream, though, came at the end. We were heading back to the plane and stuff, and that older dude who took us on the trip? He said something about having another whole mission thing back in that same city or something like that. And I was totally thinking HELL YEAH SIGN ME UP! So that is pretty much how my dream ended. Very optimistic that I was going on this awesome adventure soon, and had just completed an awesome adventure. It was so very strange....but damn, was it fun.
I think it should also be mentioned that the photo itself is one that I've taken. It's of Sylvan Lake in the Black Hills, originally a panoramic shot that I shortened up a little bit. I was also experimenting with lighting and exposure on this particular trip, which is why the sky is white instead of blue. :/ But it's why I love South Dakota. Like my old banner, it was a lame picture taken out of the windshield of our car. We were in the Badlands, though, and with that little bit of curvy road in there, with the song lyrics so directed towards cars, it ended up being perfect. This is a very photographic state that I'm lucky to live in.
Don't be surprised if the banner changes again, though. I'm looking for a suitable quote to put in the lower right hand corner. For some reason, something from the Sleep Talking Man is calling out to me...even though the quotes would probably be entirely opposite of anything that ends up here. Egotistical quote up there? Not really reflective of what this whole thing is...but it would match my sense of humor perfectly. Hmmm.....just had a thought. "Learning to live like the hamster, with hamster virtues." Now THAT would be perfect. Much different from the cheesy song lyrics that I had up there before. Granted that's the entire inspiration of the blog title, but hey, sometimes change is for the better. :3
And now for the reason of this post. It's spotty at most for me to remember any of my dreams, and most of the dreams I do remember aren't really worth remembering because of some very uneasy feelings afterwards. Whether or not they're nightmares or not is yet to be decided....like a short while ago I had a strange dream. I had purchased my first house. It was a small house, but it was cute and clean, even though the neighborhood was really strange and was apparently the area to drag race. Ironically, the street I live next to currently? Very much loved by the drag race kids. Yeah. :/ Long story short, I had this moment in my dream where I sort of realized "What the hell? I'm too young to be buying my own house! This isn't the time for me to be buying my own house! What about my parents?!" In hindsight, it wasn't that bad, but I think the fact that I had no roommates either seemed to only extrapolate those feelings of loneliness....So when I woke up, I did have that sort of nightmarish tug.
I remember another dream I had a month or so ago, also. It was weird, because it was set on campus, and there was snow everywhere. Snow? I think it was snow....I think it was a blizzard. Sadly it's been a while now since I last thought about it, but all I remember was people everywhere indoors and really shitty weather outside. Sort of like a blizzard/tornado warnings. It was one or the other. But that one really sucked, really. I hate winter...mostly because I have to walk in it to get to classes. Grawr.
The dream I had last night, however, was a lot different. It was actually pretty awesome, and I don't remember my awesome dreams. If I do, it only happens once in a blue moon or so. Anyhow, I was going on a plane trip to someplace in California with some small group of kids. I'd say about five of us total. We had some older guy that was leading us around and stuff. Now the dream was set in what I would describe as an airport/college campus. The campus part was mostly because towards the end, I ran into a guy I know from college at this same and/or similar location. That was only a small snippet, though, so I think it was mostly an airport. A very pretty airport, with lots of windows. It also had multiple floors on one side, sort of like there were three stories or more. Definitely not any airport I've ever been in. It was a very pretty building though, almost business-like. I think it was the windows and openness of the building that didn't give me any uneasy feelings. And it was sunny! :D
Now for the fun part. This little group of five of us were on this special secret trip. Super secret! We were on a manhunt. I don't know why, but we had to go find this particular dude amongst a crapton of other people. There was even a fun chase, where we had to jump from floor to floor to try and catch the dude. It was pretty intense, but we did get them. The whole thing just felt very FBI-ish? I don't know, maybe White Collar's premiere got to me the other night, even though I wasn't paying nearly enough attention to it, lol!
I think the best part of the dream, though, came at the end. We were heading back to the plane and stuff, and that older dude who took us on the trip? He said something about having another whole mission thing back in that same city or something like that. And I was totally thinking HELL YEAH SIGN ME UP! So that is pretty much how my dream ended. Very optimistic that I was going on this awesome adventure soon, and had just completed an awesome adventure. It was so very strange....but damn, was it fun.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Catching Up With, Well Me
Note to self: I really must blog here more often.
Things have been going smoothly over here. Currently I'm spending my summer doing what I like to call "As little as possible while accomplishing as much as possible." How do I do this? By spending my days playing Sims 3. When I'm not playing Sims, I'm busy reading or sewing. I've finished about five books and almost one quilt since college let out.
Speaking of books, this week absolutely killed me. Yesterday I went out and bought five more books to read:
Hard and Fast - Erin McCarthy
In Other Worlds - Sherrilyn Kenyon
Cupid Cats - Katie MacAlister & Vicki Lewis Thompson, et al
An Unforgettable Lady - JR Ward
The Know-It-All - AJ Jacobs
(Guess which one is not like the others....)
So I have a bit of reading ahead of me for the next month or so. Then when I'm not reading, I'm busy sewing. I like to think of my quilts as coming together in three parts: the Quilt Top phase, the Quilting phase, and the Binding phase. So far this summer, I've got one quilt top finished and is off at the Pin Cushion to have the amazing ladies there quilt it for me! Which is actually about the farthest I've gotten on my own...now I have a second quilt, which I actually had nearly completed last summer, that I want to finish. It's at the final stages of the quilt top, and then I can give it to my grandmother for quilting. She knows some ladies that do hand quilting three days a week at the senior center, and I think this quilt will be perfect for that. Once that one past the quilt top stage, THEN I want to start on a Rhythm & Blues quilt with this awesome frosted fabric I got....yeah, I have plans. But so little time for them all, lol.
Lately, though, I haven't had the motivation to do either, really. I seem to spend the most time playing Sims 3, which really is a bad habit to get into. I did get a break with the latest Nancy Drew game, but I really need to go through it a second time because I missed so much the first time around. Gahhh...
On the upside, both White Collar and Psych are having their season premieres this week. Yes! And both of of those shows have their season DVDs releasing on Tuesday. Double YES!
But anyhow. I guess the biggest hurdles to cross will come the 16th on. Sam is going to be spending the night at our house for her birthday, so we're talking probably the night of the 17th & 18th busy. Then on the 20th we're driving to the Amana Colonies. It wasn't my original plans for spending my birthday, but it's better than nothing really. And it's not like I'm turning 21 or anything major....I'm easily pleased. I remember for a few years straight my birthday plans were to curl up on the couch and watch Dale Jr's DVD. I can't even remember what it was called, but I was young and appreciated the sight of his shirtless, all-too-skinny ass...gawd.
I don't want my summer to disappear so fast. But I sort of miss my Verm friends, too. :/
Things have been going smoothly over here. Currently I'm spending my summer doing what I like to call "As little as possible while accomplishing as much as possible." How do I do this? By spending my days playing Sims 3. When I'm not playing Sims, I'm busy reading or sewing. I've finished about five books and almost one quilt since college let out.
Speaking of books, this week absolutely killed me. Yesterday I went out and bought five more books to read:
Hard and Fast - Erin McCarthy
In Other Worlds - Sherrilyn Kenyon
Cupid Cats - Katie MacAlister & Vicki Lewis Thompson, et al
An Unforgettable Lady - JR Ward
The Know-It-All - AJ Jacobs
(Guess which one is not like the others....)
So I have a bit of reading ahead of me for the next month or so. Then when I'm not reading, I'm busy sewing. I like to think of my quilts as coming together in three parts: the Quilt Top phase, the Quilting phase, and the Binding phase. So far this summer, I've got one quilt top finished and is off at the Pin Cushion to have the amazing ladies there quilt it for me! Which is actually about the farthest I've gotten on my own...now I have a second quilt, which I actually had nearly completed last summer, that I want to finish. It's at the final stages of the quilt top, and then I can give it to my grandmother for quilting. She knows some ladies that do hand quilting three days a week at the senior center, and I think this quilt will be perfect for that. Once that one past the quilt top stage, THEN I want to start on a Rhythm & Blues quilt with this awesome frosted fabric I got....yeah, I have plans. But so little time for them all, lol.
Lately, though, I haven't had the motivation to do either, really. I seem to spend the most time playing Sims 3, which really is a bad habit to get into. I did get a break with the latest Nancy Drew game, but I really need to go through it a second time because I missed so much the first time around. Gahhh...
On the upside, both White Collar and Psych are having their season premieres this week. Yes! And both of of those shows have their season DVDs releasing on Tuesday. Double YES!
But anyhow. I guess the biggest hurdles to cross will come the 16th on. Sam is going to be spending the night at our house for her birthday, so we're talking probably the night of the 17th & 18th busy. Then on the 20th we're driving to the Amana Colonies. It wasn't my original plans for spending my birthday, but it's better than nothing really. And it's not like I'm turning 21 or anything major....I'm easily pleased. I remember for a few years straight my birthday plans were to curl up on the couch and watch Dale Jr's DVD. I can't even remember what it was called, but I was young and appreciated the sight of his shirtless, all-too-skinny ass...gawd.
I don't want my summer to disappear so fast. But I sort of miss my Verm friends, too. :/
Saturday, June 19, 2010
A Quickie.
Whenever I'm reminded of stereotypes, it gets me thinking.
No, South Dakota does not have a Norwegian accent. I know we have some sort of accent, but it's definitely not Norwegian. That's farther north/east. And in my family, I know we don't have Norwegian blood, so we can't have the accent logically. In fact, my family is German-Russian to be specific. Plus, my grandparents, great aunts/uncles, and farther back all continued to speak German even after settling in the US. Essentially, my family didn't settle here until after the Civil War. Short time in retrospect, huh?
Plus, just look at how many journalists come from South Dakota, let alone the Midwest. We have the least distinct accent, so it's most appealing for a neutral newsy voice. :)
It's funny, though. People still believe that we have to defend our homes from the Indians. Really? Really? Many of the Native Americans won't even leave the reservations because they don't have the motivation to, and when most of the aren't even sober...yeah. It takes a very special Native American to break from the hold of their history and make a name for themselves. It's happened, but when most would rather just live off of free money, then spend it on alcohol purchased in the gas stations juuuust on the other side of the reservation's border in Nebraska? It's a harsh reality. I'm just glad to have met those who have learned to make something of themselves.
I guess my problem is that while the alcoholic, no-good stereotypes aren't indicative of all Native Americans, it's hard to believe anything else when that's all you've had contact with. I've met plenty of them that are really nice and know how to make a living. Now in the case of my uncle, he was a cop in Pierre. Pierre is just a hop and a skip away from many of the reservations in SD. And as a cop, the job does not really allow for much contact with decent people. Therefore, my uncle has only had contact with the no-good Native Americans. So I really don't blame him for becoming disillusioned that there are good people out there. But there are, and I'm not a fan of generalizations.
And no, we don't live in teepees. Amg, they don't have air conditioning! :/
No, South Dakota does not have a Norwegian accent. I know we have some sort of accent, but it's definitely not Norwegian. That's farther north/east. And in my family, I know we don't have Norwegian blood, so we can't have the accent logically. In fact, my family is German-Russian to be specific. Plus, my grandparents, great aunts/uncles, and farther back all continued to speak German even after settling in the US. Essentially, my family didn't settle here until after the Civil War. Short time in retrospect, huh?
Plus, just look at how many journalists come from South Dakota, let alone the Midwest. We have the least distinct accent, so it's most appealing for a neutral newsy voice. :)
It's funny, though. People still believe that we have to defend our homes from the Indians. Really? Really? Many of the Native Americans won't even leave the reservations because they don't have the motivation to, and when most of the aren't even sober...yeah. It takes a very special Native American to break from the hold of their history and make a name for themselves. It's happened, but when most would rather just live off of free money, then spend it on alcohol purchased in the gas stations juuuust on the other side of the reservation's border in Nebraska? It's a harsh reality. I'm just glad to have met those who have learned to make something of themselves.
I guess my problem is that while the alcoholic, no-good stereotypes aren't indicative of all Native Americans, it's hard to believe anything else when that's all you've had contact with. I've met plenty of them that are really nice and know how to make a living. Now in the case of my uncle, he was a cop in Pierre. Pierre is just a hop and a skip away from many of the reservations in SD. And as a cop, the job does not really allow for much contact with decent people. Therefore, my uncle has only had contact with the no-good Native Americans. So I really don't blame him for becoming disillusioned that there are good people out there. But there are, and I'm not a fan of generalizations.
And no, we don't live in teepees. Amg, they don't have air conditioning! :/
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Let's Hope There Isn't a Third Person...
Something's in the water this summer. Yeah, that must be it... In short, I've lost two people in the past couple of weeks. One I didn't know all that well, the other one of my heroes. Both of them had shown me kindness to me, though, just in different ways.
My grandfather passed away on Memorial Day. It was almost too fitting, my grandpa the WWII vet passing away on the day that our nation remembers our soldiers and veterans. He sacrificed so much for our country, and the military book he put together of his papers and photos is a fantastic compilation of that. And I'm proud that he passed it on to me, because I really love looking through the book.
Then yesterday, June 9, Tim Waterman died. And really, the feelings that I have on the matter go something like this.....Goddamnit, Tim! Why did you have to go and take the coward's way out? You were one of the strongest kids I knew. You made life your bitch, not the other way around. You had friends that loved you, a girlfriend that loved you (even though you seemed to have plenty of those around), and a whole crew of cage fighters who would skin their own hides before letting anyone talk shit about you. I know that many felt intimidated by you (myself included), but it only took a few conversations with you that I learned you had a soft spot. You showed me respect and kindness and weren't an arrogant asshole, unlike some people I know....and you earned every ounce of respect that you received. Tim, if you were going to end up anywhere, I expected it to be in jail laughing at the world, not six feet under....you're sorely missed. I'm glad that I was able to share a handful of classes with you, four years of high school with you, and even more glad that I got to witness two of your years on the wrestling team. For placing third at State, you won't be forgotten.
It's pretty typical, actually. Even in death, Tim knows how to piss people off. Good thing we respect the hell out of him too much to think much of anything else.
I think I'll go into my grandpa later on. In the meantime, I've been using The Sims 3 as a coping/procrastination tool. I have a scholarship letter that I need to get done this week, but I don't have the motivation to do it. :P
My grandfather passed away on Memorial Day. It was almost too fitting, my grandpa the WWII vet passing away on the day that our nation remembers our soldiers and veterans. He sacrificed so much for our country, and the military book he put together of his papers and photos is a fantastic compilation of that. And I'm proud that he passed it on to me, because I really love looking through the book.
Then yesterday, June 9, Tim Waterman died. And really, the feelings that I have on the matter go something like this.....Goddamnit, Tim! Why did you have to go and take the coward's way out? You were one of the strongest kids I knew. You made life your bitch, not the other way around. You had friends that loved you, a girlfriend that loved you (even though you seemed to have plenty of those around), and a whole crew of cage fighters who would skin their own hides before letting anyone talk shit about you. I know that many felt intimidated by you (myself included), but it only took a few conversations with you that I learned you had a soft spot. You showed me respect and kindness and weren't an arrogant asshole, unlike some people I know....and you earned every ounce of respect that you received. Tim, if you were going to end up anywhere, I expected it to be in jail laughing at the world, not six feet under....you're sorely missed. I'm glad that I was able to share a handful of classes with you, four years of high school with you, and even more glad that I got to witness two of your years on the wrestling team. For placing third at State, you won't be forgotten.
I think I'll go into my grandpa later on. In the meantime, I've been using The Sims 3 as a coping/procrastination tool. I have a scholarship letter that I need to get done this week, but I don't have the motivation to do it. :P
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Post #101: Procrastinating, Puppies and Lover Mine
Why yes, this is my 101st post! And what a wonderful day to use it!
1) There are puppies and kittens out by the dorms today. AMG, greatest way to shamelessly plug the Humane Society! :3 Annnnnd I got to hold a baby kitten!!! It was so adorable, teeny little blackish one with a hint of gray! We think it was afraid of heights, it would start mewing a bunch, so I ended up making a little nest for it to snuggle in with my arms--where it promptly fell asleep. It was so soft and light and fuzzy! :D
2) Today we had two of our classmates for Ideas in History play their cellos for us, it was quite impressive. Followed by a trip to the Music Museum and wandered around there for the rest of class. Yay for something enjoyable for once!
3) I really should be working on my 12-15 page major paper for Ideas in History, but I don't really want to. Even though the topic really isn't that much of a mood killer. It's taking a bunch of stuff we read and relating them to Maslow's hierarchy of needs. At least that's what I chose to do it off of. But gah, that's too much writing....So instead of working on this paper, I'm obsessing over this:
Ohhhh yes......by far one of the most anticipated books to come out in a long time. Bigger than Sherrilyn Kenyon's books in my opinion. Just for recording sake, it's about John Matthew and Xhex. Messed up little relationship (but by far not the most messed up), and they finally got their own book! Plus JM has been in most all of the books by now....and he's mute. But that makes his character just a little more cool.
I must admit, JR Ward has a way of messing with someone's head. She's not one of my favorite authors. Frankly the writing is left to be desired, or maybe I just don't appreciate gangsta speak and shameless product plugs that are unnecessary as hell. Also, it's pretty fucked up when Ward says she has no control over the characters. Uhm, YES, yes you do. It just depends on what your imagination comes up with as the best solution. My god....anyhow.
Now the thing with Ward is that she has disappointed us in the past. In V's book, she killed off Jane. Fuckin' A, you don't kill off the heroine unless you have a good reason!! Granted, there wasn't much else of a choice, but oh well. However, that's just it...I was sort of afraid that she would disappoint the same way. Not so much with John & Xhex, but after doing some skimming....
Well, to start. I was skimming through reading little parts, and when I was looking at the beginning I realized that I was reading a totally new point of view: Blaylock's. So YAY! Did some more searching, and whadya know, there's Qhuinn's point of view. To put long story short:
Ahh, so glad to see you two again. Aren't they smexy? Hells yes....
Anyhow, to explain these two. Say hello to Blay and Qhuinn. They've been BFFs since forever, and BFFs of John Matthew. But here's the deal! Blay's gay. Qhuinn's got one blue eye and one green eye. Blay loves Qhuinn. Qhuinn loves Blay, but that would mean just one more reason to be an outcast besides the different eye colors. Qhuinn's confused as it is because he's bi, but now that he knows how Blay feels, he can't get his bestie out of his head.
Now, for Lover Mine. Primarily, Qhuinn's so bull-headed that he thinks that special woman will help him remedy his outcast-ness. It's not going to work, so why suffer the way they are? Pfft....To put it simply, Ward's too damn good at creating dynamic characters. Which is why I love these two too much to want them with anyone else.
The good news that I got today is that they WILL in fact be together. But not in Lover Mine, not quite yet. Hopefully the next one will, though. Grawr!
And just to bask in the full awesomeness that was in the above picture:
Hmmm...interesting.
1) There are puppies and kittens out by the dorms today. AMG, greatest way to shamelessly plug the Humane Society! :3 Annnnnd I got to hold a baby kitten!!! It was so adorable, teeny little blackish one with a hint of gray! We think it was afraid of heights, it would start mewing a bunch, so I ended up making a little nest for it to snuggle in with my arms--where it promptly fell asleep. It was so soft and light and fuzzy! :D
2) Today we had two of our classmates for Ideas in History play their cellos for us, it was quite impressive. Followed by a trip to the Music Museum and wandered around there for the rest of class. Yay for something enjoyable for once!
3) I really should be working on my 12-15 page major paper for Ideas in History, but I don't really want to. Even though the topic really isn't that much of a mood killer. It's taking a bunch of stuff we read and relating them to Maslow's hierarchy of needs. At least that's what I chose to do it off of. But gah, that's too much writing....So instead of working on this paper, I'm obsessing over this:
I must admit, JR Ward has a way of messing with someone's head. She's not one of my favorite authors. Frankly the writing is left to be desired, or maybe I just don't appreciate gangsta speak and shameless product plugs that are unnecessary as hell. Also, it's pretty fucked up when Ward says she has no control over the characters. Uhm, YES, yes you do. It just depends on what your imagination comes up with as the best solution. My god....anyhow.
Now the thing with Ward is that she has disappointed us in the past. In V's book, she killed off Jane. Fuckin' A, you don't kill off the heroine unless you have a good reason!! Granted, there wasn't much else of a choice, but oh well. However, that's just it...I was sort of afraid that she would disappoint the same way. Not so much with John & Xhex, but after doing some skimming....
Well, to start. I was skimming through reading little parts, and when I was looking at the beginning I realized that I was reading a totally new point of view: Blaylock's. So YAY! Did some more searching, and whadya know, there's Qhuinn's point of view. To put long story short:
Ahh, so glad to see you two again. Aren't they smexy? Hells yes....
Anyhow, to explain these two. Say hello to Blay and Qhuinn. They've been BFFs since forever, and BFFs of John Matthew. But here's the deal! Blay's gay. Qhuinn's got one blue eye and one green eye. Blay loves Qhuinn. Qhuinn loves Blay, but that would mean just one more reason to be an outcast besides the different eye colors. Qhuinn's confused as it is because he's bi, but now that he knows how Blay feels, he can't get his bestie out of his head.
Now, for Lover Mine. Primarily, Qhuinn's so bull-headed that he thinks that special woman will help him remedy his outcast-ness. It's not going to work, so why suffer the way they are? Pfft....To put it simply, Ward's too damn good at creating dynamic characters. Which is why I love these two too much to want them with anyone else.
The good news that I got today is that they WILL in fact be together. But not in Lover Mine, not quite yet. Hopefully the next one will, though. Grawr!
And just to bask in the full awesomeness that was in the above picture:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)