shadesofmauve | Entries tagged with i know a song about that

I am so fucking Pacific Northwest today. I rode my bicycle to work in the pouring rain, stopped for a latte at The Ubiquitous Roadside Coffee Shack, and carried it the rest of the way in my water-bottle holder.

Note to bikers: 16 oz beverage; 20 oz cup, use the bottle cage on the seat-tube, not the down-tube. No spillage of the precious fluid of life, even on bumps!

In totally unrelated news, I just realized that I know not one, but three songs about cosmetic surgery. It's slightly disturbing.

( Many of you will be aware of the Seasonal Apocalypse happening at the Washington state capitol, a mere five-minute saunter from my house. )

Wait! I feel a song coming on!

On the first day of December, the governor gave to me
A menorah and a nativity

On the second day of December, the governor gave to me
An atheist manifesto
A menorah and nativity!

On the third day of December, the governor gave to me
Somebody stealing
the atheist manifesto
A menorah and nativity!

On the fourth day of December, the governor gave to me
National attention for
Somebody stealng
the atheist manifesto,
A menorah and a nativity!

On the fifth day of December, the governor gave to me
A fest-i-vus pole!
National attention
for somebody stealing
the atheist manifesto,
A menorah and nativity!

On the sixth day of December, the governor gave to me
A moron from Kansas
A fest-i-vus pole!
National attention
for somebody stealing
the atheist manifesto,
A menorah and nativity!

On the seventh day of December, the governor gave to me
Threats of damnation from
Th moron in Kansas
A fest-i-vus pole!
National attention
Somebody stealing
An atheist manifesto,
A menorah and nativity!

On the eighth day of December, to the governor I plea;
Free the public buildings from
Threats of damnation from
The moron in Kansas
the fest-i-vus pole!
National attention
Somebody stealing
the atheist manifesto,
Restore our Secularity!

NB: this song addressed to the governor only because it was her well-meaning by foolish behavior that started the whole chain of events.

Current Mood: silly

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by asking you 5 questions.
3. Update your LJ with the answers to the questions.
4. Include this offer to interview someone else in the post.
5. When others comment, asking to be interviewed, ask them 5 questions.

Questions from

padparadscha

1. Who is your favorite comedian?
I like a lot pretty much equally, but I give bonus love to anyone who, er, comedifies to music (Tom Lehrer, Flanders & Swan, Roy Zimmerman, Mark Graham (No YouTube vids of him performing, but here's someone doing I Can See Your Aura with random giggling from the person taping), and of course my dear friends Zeke Hoskin and Rob Lopresti.

Keen observers* will note that my love of comedy/commentary songs heavily plays into my goal of knowing a song about everything. If anyone is interested in an even longer list of musicians and groups, I'd be happy to supply it (as well as take suggestions!).

2. What goes on top of your pizza?
In the ultimate admission of un-American-ity, I don't much like pizza. But when I do eat it, my absolute favorite is from a place in Oly called Vic's, where each slice includes a ton of veggies and several whole roasted garlic cloves. Mmmmmm, garlic!

3. Can you remember appointments, or do you have to remind yourself? If so, how DO you remind yourself?
I'd usually say that I remember appointments without difficulty, but Wednesday I totally forgo about a meeting until my boss showed up to tell me we were five minutes late for a meeting in a different building. So I suppose I should say that I normally remember appointments, and when I don't I require a personal reminder from the guy who signs my timesheets.

4. What got you interested in World-building?
That's tough, because it's in the oh-so-distant past. I started with reading a ton of fantasy and wanting to write my own stories, especially stories that weren't quite so heavy on symbolism and prophecy, because black-and-white morality and doing things Because They Are Written always bugged the hell out of me. Then I ran into

bluwyngz, who did the same kind of thing and was working on fashion design for various cultures in her world, and it sort of solidified into World Building: World History Class Avoidance Edition. Since then it's kept up partly because it adds direction to anything I'm currently interested in - when I studied linguistics, I thought of how to apply it to my world. Geography, ditto. Random bits about pre-longitude navigation? Also useful! World building allows you to take *any* study into the "synthesis" stage of learning, which helps keep me involved in potentially dry subjects.

Downside: I refused to take a geology class in college because I was terrified of being trapped by the impossible plate tectonics of Calenthe and never being able to think about conculture again.

5. Tell me about the coolest project you're working on right now.
I'm actually in an odd lull, since I just got back from a big trip. I finished the Ursula Le Guin illo that was the Coolest Work Project Ever, and Sheep in Space have slowed down a bit. I have felt a sudden urge to work on world-building, specifically architectural sketches and maps, so that's what I'm most excited about now.

*Anyone who hangs around me more than an hour or two

I know, I know - it's my week for melodrama. It's like a pledge-drive on PBS -- it comes around once or twice a year, seems to last for ever, and there's too much talking.

( If you pledge $50, you'll receive a complimentary pair of earplugs and one of my dirty dishes as a thank-you for your support )

Last year, in december, I posted in my LJ that I'd found my purpose in life. I didn't write down what the hell it was!

Could it have been sustainable architecture for the poor? Possibly. Hmm...that's still not a bad idea.

I'm 21, I'm 24, pretty soon I'm 32
Punching in and zoning out, this ain't what i'd hoped to do
I'm 21, I'm 24, feeling like I'm 32
Laughter isn't easy
After the first time that you lose

Oh, and I have a cold.

Current Mood: pensive
Current Location: home
Current Music: After the First Time - The Paperboys

For the last few weeks I've been able to feel the nagging, insiduous depression-monster every-other day or so. I've been fending it off, and it's pretty obvious - dude, that's chemistry thinking - and if it's obvious, it's not bad.

But it's grey, I gave the car a flat because I'm stupid, there are no cuddles, I was offered the schedule I wan't and can't afford to take it, and Marik and Vaer are having a fight in my head. About his (multiple?) bastard children. How come the love story in my head usually skips the snoogling and goes right to drama? (without going right to plot, which makes actually writing it more difficult).

Actually, observing the whole mars/venus* thing is really pretty entertaining, mostly because I totally know where both sides are coming from, and it's like watching ships pass in the fog. At high speed. Repeatedly. And one of them is a zippy zodiac raft crewed by a drunk monkey.

I stayed awake for hours again last night
searching for a reason to keep up the fight
I've made choices that I don't regret but
I've got problems I don't get

Let's wait one more day for the conversation
One more day to make it right
Let's get away from the confrontation
One more day just buying time

*Not just sexist stereotypes - there's a really big class discrepency and some culture shock going on too (see, I'd never abandon my belief that both genders are capable of being perfectly reasonable**).

**This doesn't mean that any given individual of either gender is capable of being reasonable, though.

Current Mood: morose
Current Music: Buying Time - GBS

*to the tune of 'Mister Sandman'*

Oh UPS man, when will it be?
I've heard of patience, but it's not for me
The auto-tracker has me anticipatin'
I'm not sure that I'll survive the waitin'

Oh UPS man, I just paid for ground...
if you walk it from China you'll surely drown
Breathing water's is such a pain!
The UPS man has a brown
(play play play play play play play play play play play play plane!)

Oh Mr. Ups man, bring my laptop to me
Please bring it safely from over the sea
This continent's first stop was in Alaska
(I don't know why you went to California)

Oh UPS man, I am at home
And I'm ready at the door or the phone
Please put on a turn of speed!
the UPS man's got what
(nee nee nee nee nee nee nee nee nee nee nee nee need!)

Oh UPS man, your shorts are brown
Bring it from Shanghai to my little town
You've got your truck and electronic sign-pad
(I hope it isn't reposessed by my dad!)

Thankyou.

btw, I'd be happy to hear any better replacements for the breathing water bit, and I need a better rhyme for California. But the great thing is they DID land in Anchorage, then fly to Cali, then to Seattle. All today.

The other song stuck in my head is 'Something to do while you're waiting', but I can't remember it, so it keeps coming out "Just think of something to do while you're waiting, quit vegitating, find something new to do!", and somehow I don't think that's right.

Current Mood: chipper
Current Music: "Something to do while you're waiting" - Mr. Rogers

Okay, here goes - I'm tearing the lid off of the can of worms. Specifically one particular societal idea that seems to be entrenched in the collective imagination, one of those niggling little battles of the supposed 'war between the sexes' where you can't figure out quite what caused the damn thing. If you read on, please also follow the link the Questionable Content comic, it hits the nail on the head.

( Warning: If you are not interested in the nature of love, lots of Uncle Bonsai lyrics, or the chemical makeup of blue jello, do not enter here )

Very well, there might be later installments, and I realise I'm at least in part preaching to the choir and going over old ground, but I'm going to go back to the little home I built in my soapbox now.

Current Mood: contemplative
Current Music: "Myn ynd Wymyn" - Uncle Bonsai

I've been thinking a lot recently about the differences between liberals and conservatives. The differences that go beyond stated aims, values, and priorities, and into the way we act - specifically, the way we speak about our beliefs, and the different ways we function (or fail to) as groups. Of course I make some generalisations here. I am aware that there are always exceptions to every rule.

I was tense during the election. No, let me rephrase that - I was a nervous wreck. Tuesday and the days following several people who I respect preached patience, coolness, intellect over emotionality, philosophical fatalism. These were called the 'reasonable voices', the words of maturity. The counsel? Live your life - remember, the election doesn't affect you in particular right now. Don't get worked up - it will change again in four years. There's nothing we can do now - sit back and wait. Don't be childish. Don't be overly emotional. It's bad, but nothing to get depressed over.

I disagree.

It's time we admit to our intellectual selves that this is more than a matter of theory and logic. It is important, so important that it is not an over reaction to weep with grief or sing with joy. People live or die based on what this nation does. Whether my life is directly affected or not is not the point, or I would be no better than the rich who cut welfare, the safe who deny protection to others. I want to see the passion and depth of feeling that we decry as immature. If I'm not going to get worked up over this, what is worth getting worked up over? Grades? Broken dishes? When I walked through Western's campus on wednesday, the aura of depression was almost visible. At my mother's state office employees were sobbing on wednesday. That gives me hope, because it means people care. We have to care to make a change, care at a deep visceral level, care with a strength and intensity that matches the fear and religious fervor we are faced with.

Most of my friends and family, myself included, belong to what NPR termed the 'educated secular sophisticates' - a group which tends to be liberal, middle class, and a-religious. In our educated way, we attempt to consider arguments from all angles, to be guided by reason rather than gut feeling, and be stoic when things don't go our way. But human beings are above all emotional creatures. Our counterparts in the conservative camp use that emotion, especially the most manipulable of all - fear.

Liberals are at an idealogical disadvantage. We try to see all sides of an argument, but the people on the other side of the argument are NOT going to extend the same courtesy to us. We value dissent - rebellious voices need to be heard, are nessecary to true dialog. We are a fractured group, while the right rallies around solidarity. We will ALWAYS be at a disadvantage, because of our strengths - because we support the rebelious voices, because we consider the other side, BECAUSE we consider it deeply wrong to manipulate the emotions of the less informed. These are some of our values. I don't suggest we change them - but we have to face them. We could learn to stop stifling each other, to let ourselves show how much we care.

Being passionate doesn't have to mean leaping to conclusions or ignoring new information. You don't have to turn your brain off when you turn your heart on (except in matters of romanc - please don't confuse THAT with politics!). By all means, spend time in logical thought. Push away the emotion, examen the facts, and reach a decision. But once you've reached that decision, stand up for it. Re-evaluate it when new information comes around, but if you really think you're right - well, go ahead and act like it.

Before the accusations' made
Before the charges have been laid
Before your best friend is betrayed
Before your last card has been played
Be right.

And if you think that you've really got the answer
You've got to move with all your heart
And if it feels like it's taken you a lifetime
It's just the start - It's just the start.

So, whats it mean? I'm going to sob, I'm going to weep for the plight of our country and the world. And then I'm damn well going to get up and do something about it. I'm going to talk about issues I avoid, to people who disagree with me, people who awe me with the strength of their unshakable faith, their religious convictions. And I'm going to show them some faith and convictions of my own.

Current Mood: determined
Current Music: Be Right - Spirit of the West