Happy New Year!

This should be my resolutions post, but my only real resolution is to stop making resolutions and go out and just do things. So...yeah. I hope anyone reading this is off to do the same!

GirlCrush: Kate Winslet

Kate Winslet's recent Vanity Fair shoot

When I was 11, sitting in the three-hour raw-emotions-omgz-drama!!!1!!-fest that was TITANIC, cemented four things for me.

1.) My bladder was not equipped to retain a movie-sized large Dr. Pepper for three hours. (i.e., the DVR pause button would later become my best friend)
2.) Extremely old ladies should not be left alone with expensive things. (particularly those they can lift then conceal on their person, like a ridiculously gaudy but ridiculously expensive necklace, for instance)
3.) Leonardo DiCaprio and I were totally gonna get married. (hey, as far as I know, neither of us is married yet)
4.) Kate Winslet would be my biggest girl crush ever. (well, besides Aaliyah)

11 years later, my bladder's a little bigger, I don't leave jewelry around my aunts and uncles, Leo hasn't met me yet, and Kate is still absolutely fantastic to me, in every way.

For me, "Corset" Kate is what I imagined Bridget Jones as, before the squinting/lip-pursing-session known as the movie, and with a little more attitude. She's stunning, witty, and adorable, and possesses this British charm I hear so much about but can't even begin to see in people like Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley. She's so endearingly imperfect that she could very well redefine your idea of perfect. She's like a throwback movie star from the 50s in terms of glamour and poise, yet is very much ahead of the curve with her honesty about her weight and aging. A few celebrities have followed her lead with Jenny Craig adverts and pushing wrinkle creams and hair dye, although I've never heard of Kate using hers to make a buck.

I've seen pictures of her rough days (honestly, who doesn't have rough days, though?), but they do nothing to sway my admiration of her beauty. It took me a while to realize that this was the same girl from Heavenly Creatures, another movie I'd seen when I was younger, which skeeved me out. She was great in it. I personally feel like she should be one of the highest grossing actresses, since to me she is a better actress and more believable than Cameron Diaz, Renee Zellweger, Jennifer Aniston, Angelina Jolie, and even Reese Witherspoon. She certainly made The Holiday fun to watch. Meanwhile, I often fast-forward through every cringe-inducing scene Cameron Diaz would stumble through. I don't know how it is elsewhere, but here in my community she doesn't have the instant name recognition the others do. I'd love to mention her and have people name at least two movies they'd loved her in.

Kate in Heavenly Creatures

Also, she and Leonardo were my very first OTP (one true pair), and I still think they'd make a cute couple, truthfully.

Kate & Leo in TITANIC

The only thing I wish she'd change is how "American" she looks now with the tan and the blond hair. Thank goodness she hasn't lost any curves. Also, I'd kill for that Balmain dress (at least, I'm pretty sure it's Balmain, lol)!

Kate & Leo at Revolutionary Road Premiere

But, anyramble, check out Revolutionary Road, which came out yesterday. She and Leo reunite, in what some TITANIC fans wistfully call "a vague representation of what might've been, had Jack not died." Hahaha, it wasn't me who said it, I swear.



Some pics from Faded Youth Blog, via ONTD.

Look-y, Look-y, at what I Took-y!

Pictures! Yay! No, I didn't travel back in time and find a memory card for my obsolete camera. I just commandeered my parents' camera. Anyway, just as I was getting going with the pics, the battery died. Niiiicccce. So, I only have one measly outfit to show you as of now. Anyway, check 'em out.

I haven't learned how to get rid of the time stamp yet. I found my new picture area, too. If I wouldn't get yelled at, I'd totally pose on the piano, but it's damn expensive, so it won't happen. I tried a bunch of angles (variations of this) when I realized I could rig up a bootleg camera tripod that would get closer and show colors and more folds.


So then I took this one to show the awesome pockets on this bad ass dress, and realized I still had on my glasses.

Hat: eBay find; dress, necklace: Express; earrings: ?; bracelet: Icing (necklace, actually); tights: Hue; ankle boots: BCBGirls

I thought this one, sans glasses, was better. No makeup, as usual. I should really look into that, I think. I think I needed more light, but I couldn't get the lighting just right.


I got so many compliments on my tights, all day long, when I wore them that I am considering not wearing them as often as I'd initially planned. I really must get more Hue tights, they are ridiculously soft, warm, and comfy! I actually saw some on Beyonce on some internet scan of Seventeen magazine (had to say that, since I wouldn't be caught dead reading one, despite the habits of my 14-year old self) and began a search for some dope patterned ones and found these beauties! The suede ankle boots are my personal love. Most people hate them for making legs look stumpy. I agree that they shorten legs; I mean, look at mine in the above pictures (usually they are long, lean, and glorious! Hahaha). But, I love love love them. I think it stems from clomping around in my mother's vintage 80's lace-up ankle boots in 8th grade, when they weren't cool at all. I loved them so much she's let me have them now, but they could use a good buff/polish.

Anyone want an antique camera?

Well, it's from like the first series of digital cameras, with the little screen and snail-paced shutter speed, so in its own way it's a dinosaur. I am so pissed! I've been wearing genius outfits (super inspired, even) all damn week, and I can't take any bloody pictures! I let my cousin borrow my camera, so I took out my memory card. Well I got it back, and because my short-term memory is fucking worse than Guy Pearce's in Memento, I can't find my memory card! I went out to buy another one, and not even Office Depot sold the kind of memory card I needed. I'm pretty sure they are bordering on obsolete now. I got one from The Vortex of Consumerism, better known as Wal-Mart, and it doesn't work. So, we had a snow day (!) today and I had all this time to post, and no camera. Blast! Damn it all! I had a post on velvet, but now that it's already cold, even here, it seems damn near irrelevant. But I haven't done a fashion post in sooooo loooooonnnnng! :(

All my tiny camera screen will show is "Card Error" in evil red letters, with ominous music and what I imagine is Satan's laughter booming in the background. All my technology hates me, I think. Even my computer has been flipping me "the bird" lately. Ah, well.

I Love This Quote

"True love is friendship caught on fire."

--French Proverb


Since when did the French do proverbs?

I wrote this on facebook like almost 2 years ago....

I can't believe it's relevant still. Dating's all well and good, can really be fun, but I just get bored. So. Damn. Easily. Same sh*t, different face, really.

Ok so...now what?
Saturday, February 24, 2007 at 2:04am | Edit Note | Delete
I have just, literally, just finished a book entitled "He's Just Not That Into You", a #1 New York Times best-seller, most likely because of the name dropping the authors do (one is a writer and the other a consultant, both for the cult hit show Sex and the City, which I adore). And I feel like the people in those nowwhat.com commercials (which I still kinda don't get) where some crazy shit happens to them and all they can do is stare. That's all I can really ask: now what?

I wouldn't really say I had a revelation so much as was finally actually able to put what I knew all along into words after reading the book. I would love to say that I felt as carefree and relieved as Sex and the City character Miranda Hobbs did when she discovered the mantra-cum-title. There are no mixed messages...men sometimes don't say what they mean, but they sure as hell do what they mean. They don't wanna say it to our faces because, well most men are total pussies when it comes to dealing with women's (or anyone's for that matter) emotions. I should take pride in the idea that I am emotionally stronger or whatever...it's empowering.

But, it wasn't really empowering...in fact it was downright depressing. Despite the fact that more than half of the book was written by a man, every page shouted at me just how much men are assholes and how desperate women can be pining away after them. This book tells me not to settle, but in the same breath admits that I won't have much luck finding my dream man because all guys are fucked up in some way or another about relationships. So now what?

All of these fucked up guys exist simply because women do settle, and accept the bare minimum in a relationship. I won't say I haven't been guilty of it (even in non-romantic relationships). I am sweet to a fault...I see some good in people and then I think if I am kind enough to them and love them enough, the good will overpower the bad, love will prevail, they will change their ways, and there'll be rainbows and butterflies and sun rays and music and buck-toothed bunnies and all that other happy-go-lucky bullshit. And no matter how often I get the cold splash of reality on my face that life doesn't work that way, I keep trying. My dad once said that was arrogant of me, and I guess I agree. What do I possibly think there is about MY love that will melt cold hearts? Open minds? Create peace? Get me loved in return? You can't force anyone into loving you, but you can't love anyone into loving you either. People rarely change, but your expectations often do. (cliche enough?)

So what do I do now? I am single and young. These should be the best years of my life. I have often been accused of being way too analytical and worried about things that are irrelevant at the time or out of my control. However, I am not sure I can categorize myself as a normal 20-year old. While outwardly I may seem to have lived a sheltered/protected life, still the things I have seen and experienced have affected me somehow...it's hard to explain, and the heart wants what it wants I suppose. Pursuits of some of my peers don't seem to interest me like I worry they should. I feel like an anomaly of my generation in some ways...like a 40-year old in a 20-year old's body or something...totally misunderstood. I am rarely attracted to nor do I attract guys my own age; not that it matters because what they are usually interested in I am not willing to give.

Well whatever, I have digressed so much that I don't even remember what my point was in the first place. I have all these thoughts in my head all the time, it's incredible that I can fit anything else into it. I have yet to meet a guy who is the Trifecta: stimulating Intellectually, Physically, and Emotionally...a man to infiltrate the mind, body, and spirit. Are there any? Maybe not...not according to this book anyway: search for Mr. Right, but remember he doesn't really exist, except in rarity? Come on... But you know what? Maybe I asked for this; maybe we all did. I have always wanted a man to be truthful...maybe the truth is "the good ones" are out there, but few and far between and getting snatched up by the second, by those both deserving and undeserving. I find myself in a paradox: I don't miss my current ex-boyfriend, but I miss the idea of him. He was a good man in theory, just not in practice. He fit a checklist, but it came together in a pretty undesirable way off-paper. I don't want a boyfriend, but I do want to be wanted. Does any of this even make sense? Well, it makes sense early in the morning...maybe not later.

This Is Not One of Those Times...

Where the inside counts more than the outside. I know I'm supposed to be more "Grace"-ful, but tell me how could I pass up on commenting on Chanel that looks like ass?

No, really. It looks like an ass.

Or breasts, depending on your P.O.V. (P = perversion, in this case).

The messed up thing is that the inside is incredibly adorable and kind of hi-tech looking.

Although I can't be sure of what I was expecting instead, at an $1800 price tag (regular price $2250): an anus or lactating glands, perhaps?





Hmmm...if I wasn't interested in medicine, that last comment might have sickened me.

I Try to be Like Grace Kelly...

Not only am I fortunate enough to share a birthday with the likes of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Rodin, Tamala Jones, Anne Hathaway, and Ryan Gosling, I also share it with the lovely Princess Grace of Monaco. I have always thought she was beautiful, witty, and classy, characteristics she seemed to exude in every movie she was in.

I'm sure everyone knows her life story and whatnot, so I'll spare you that. I will just say I once read a quote about how she didn't want to be a brand or an example, and as admirable as it was, she ironically became just that. Not only has the public's adoration of her found its way into the performance of some actresses, notably Gwyneth Paltrow and Mad Men's January Jones (goodness knows she aims for the poised blonde wife with a hint of iciness), even singers find themselves influenced by her (although none compare to me).



Her friendship and muse status for some of the world's best designers and photographers has made her fashion timeless.


She is also the inspiration for one of the most iconic handbags of all time, the Hermes Kelly bag.

At 22 years of age, I will make it my goal/informal birthday wish to incorporate even a modicum of "Grace" into my personality, because I admire her greatly.

Tagged: Proust Questionnaire

Ok, so I tagged myself. I decided to do a Proust questionnaire after I read about this. I want to reiterate I just really don't like or respect him, and that's all I will say. Anyway the questionnaire was really fun, and made me think a lot about myself.

On Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:44:20 UTC E.Jay (21) answered the Proust Questionnaire:

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
To have no purpose, as if your life isn't your own

Where would you like to live?
Anywhere I can experience all of the seasons, good weather and bad

What is your idea of earthly happiness?
To give and experience unconditional love, or hot chocolate and a good book, which is close

To what faults do you feel most indulgent?
Spending money, my internet addiction, my lack of action

Who are your favorite heroes of fiction?
Any man written with a soul, one I would wish to meet, and the heroes of Greek mythology

Who are your favorite characters in history?
The Egyptians, Martin Luther King, Jr., Frederick Douglas, Richard Wright, any Harlem Renaissance author or poet

Who are your favorite heroines in real life?
My mother, Josephine Baker, Grace Kelly, Mae Jemison, Barbara Jordan, Marian Anderson; basically any woman who defied odds with exceptional talent and a modicum of poise and grace

Who are your favorite heroines of fiction?
Celie and Shug Avery in The Color Purple, Tambu and Nyasha in Nervous Conditions; women who express the duality of my own nature and a strength I hope I possess

Your favorite painter?
My little sister

Your favorite musician?
There are too many amazing people that come to mind

The quality you most admire in a man?
Compassion, although intelligence and humility are close seconds

The quality you most admire in a woman?
Compassion as well, without pity; envy is rampant lately

Your favorite virtue?
Aside from compassion, I prefer fortitude, but the other five are important as well

Your favorite occupation?
Dreaming

Who would you have liked to be?
My very best self, with no regrets

Your most marked characteristic?
My kindness, I've been told

What do you most value in your friends?
Loyalty and honesty, as well as support

What is your principle defect?
My sometimes utter disregard of moderation

What to your mind would be the greatest of misfortunes?
To remain stagnant, mentally or emotionally

What would you like to be?
Happy

What is your favorite color?
Whatever blue it is where sky matches the water and they look like infinity.

What is your favorite flower?
Every single one

What is your favorite bird?
The wren because it looks unassuming but has a beautiful voice

Who are your favorite prose writers?
Maybe Toni Morrison; I have read a lot of her books but I love so many authors

Who are your favorite poets?
Langston Hughes, Rudyard Kipling, Nikki Giovanni, Maya Angelou, likely more

Who are your heroes in real life?
Aside from my favorite historically relevent men, my father

Who are your favorite heroines of history?
Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, all of the typicals, more or less

What are your favorite names?
The ones said in a loving way

What is it you most dislike?
Phoniness

What historical figures do you most despise?
Any who would kill or destroy a whole race of people without remorse or regard

What event in military history do you most admire?
Any end to a war is my most preferred part of a war

What natural gift would you most like to possess?
Irresistible charm, incredible drive, and innate talent at whatever I choose

How would you like to die?
Both loved and fulfilled

What is your present state of mind?
Triumphant and seemingly invincible, pleased for my new President

What is your motto?
I'm not sure, it changes as often as I discover a new one

If you want, you can fill out your own Proust questionnaire here. They even have Marcel Proust's original answers, some of which I agreed with.

BRB...

Taking part in history. :)

Werewolf Bar Mitzvah, Spooky, Scary!

Halloween just passed, in case you either live under a rock, are so overworked you didn't know, or just don't live in North America or the couple of other countries it's celebrated in. I was African-American Daria, which essentially means I didn't put any effort into a costume at all. Oh, sure, I dress better than her, but we're both facetious, sort of cynical, and smarter than about 90% of our peers. Plus, the glasses. Can't forget those.

My sister was to be Foxxy Cleopatra *finger snap*. You have to snap with the name, or my little sis will pester you deaf. Let the Beyonce worship continue. My brother was a teenager who doesn't give a crap about Halloween, but will totally take candy from strangers. So, he, like me, was himself.

On a totally unrelated note, here's my list of crap that frightens me/sickens me. Not surprisingly, it's, like my life, in no particular order.

1) Snakes
2) Spiders
3) Clowns, especially Tim Curry's horrifying "It" clown. Bluuuurrrrrggggh!
4) Sarah Palin's political intellect and discretion
5) John McCain's face
6) Driving over long bridges
7) HIV
8) The popularity of combining couple's names: Brangelina, Bennifer, Nariah, Bey-Z
9) The use of text speak in regular conversation
10) Cancer
11) Other people's feet
12) Joe Biden's hair
13) Tara Reid's body
14) The accumulated success of Soulja Boy, T-Pain, Rihanna, Cassie, etc.

This is my half-assed post (well, quarter-assed, my other posts are half-assed) b/c I am recovering from an ear infection in each ear and a majorly awful sinus infection. Two antibiotic shots in my arms? Yeesh.

Reason #832473804738 Why I'm Still A Linkin Park Fan...

Mike Shinoda "Baracks" my socks...that and I'm pretty much a sucker for anything with puppets.

Birthday List - Revisited

I have been a not-so-busy-but-very-lazy girl! I've been trying to work up the nerve to do another fashion post. This is far from a fashion blog of late, but until I get my hair done (Friday, thank heavens) I refuse to take pictures of myself. I am elusive, perhaps even mythical. Just call me the Fashionable Snowgirl...or Hot Dress Monster. I also look like I've been testing the merits of inserting steel knives in electrical outlets. Anygarbage, I decided to pass the time catching all (one) of you up on my Bucket List - if turning 22 is like dying, that is.

• Take a fun trip outside of the state, and spend no more than 8 hours each day in wherever I am sleeping. --I am actually going to Atlanta this weekend, so I hope that it'll be fun! I've been to ATL more times than I can count, but never of drinking/clubbing age, so I have my fingers crossed.
  

• Find 5 new things to do in my city. --I did a photoshoot at this poetry club/art house. That's one. But, I swear to God, there is nothing to do here! I might just count buying Rock Band 2.
  

• Take care not to neglect my friends. --Ha ha ha, I am trying not to, but I am a bit of a loner. Luckily my friends seem to understand.
  

• Finish an article of clothing from scratch. --I have one in the works, a metallic high-waist skirt, but I might scrap it in favor of a dress.
  

• Finish writing a chapter-sectioned story. --Yeah. I am no further than I was last month. But I started 2 more stories...damn you, ADHD!
  

• Meet 5 new people. --I met one who is new in town at the photoshoot. The neglecting person that I am, I have yet to hang out with her. LOL

• Get to 100 posts on my blog. --Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Yeah, that's not gonna happen.
  

• Act on impulse rather than second guess myself. --Oh, this is definitely happening. No sarcasm this time.
  

• Smile even when I am all alone. --Just last night, I held an impromptu fashion show in my room. Music: Sam Sparro, Madonna, N*E*R*D. Audience: my stuffed animals and the webcam on my laptop that I always assume is on, watching me. *shudder* Damn technology.
  

• Reconnect with at least 5 old friends. --I reconnected with three, at a fashion show. No, not the stuffed animals in my room, but a geniune fashion show with "celebrity" entertainment and all. Celebrity meaning they were locals who were on 106 & Park one time, which I don't even watch.

• Be in Las Vegas on or near my birthday. --Ok, so that shit won't happen, but I just might be paying for a trip to Paris in the spring on or near my birthday. I've never been, but Paris kicks Vegas ass all day long!
  

• Try out for something I normally wouldn't. --The photoshoot was something, but I'm looking for more opportunities.
  

• Finish my medical school secondary applications. --Given my rejections...I may have to change this to "Study for the MCAT again".
  

• Vote. --Duh, duh duh!
  

• Save at least $1000 dollars between now and then. --This one I did accomplish, so scratch it off and score one for me!
  

• Make two more stock investments. --I am going to wait until the last possible minute on this one, maybe wait on some birthday money I won't miss.
  

• Read a classic book. --I have been reading A Confederacy of Dunces, which is essentially how I feel about most of the public anyway.
  

Sarah Palin is like the Rihanna of Politics

Don't frown at the title. I am already ashamed of myself that I thought it in the first place, but there it is. It came to me, while watching the vice Presidential debate the other night. I sat there, wondering why the focus group's positivity towards Sarah Palin would increase with every cutesy thing she did. I kept thinking, "Do they even hear the words coming from her mouth? She's downright annoying!" (Not to say Joe Biden can't cause a nose-scrunch too, but if you want Barack Obama as your Prez, what can you do?) I swore to myself to stop being so hard on Rihanna, but I genuinely dislike her, which is confusing since I don't know her. I guess the same could be said about Sarah Palin. Whatever. I won't apologize, but at least let me try to explain.

1. Both view themselves as "outsiders" and beat that idea like a dead horse, using a specific word.
Seriously. Try not to play any drinking games where you take a shot per usage of the word "maverick" (Sarah Palin) or "edgy" (Rihanna). It's likely you would die of alcohol poisoning. Rihanna couldn't "edge" her way out of a paper bag. Being a "tomboy" doesn't make you different. Tons of hot girls play that role because guys like it, I'm told. Having grown up as a tomboy myself, I was always awkward around boys (b/c I was attracted to them) and girls (b/c I wasn't like them) and always defending myself against being a lesbian (which I have never been). Mixing prints or black and brown or metallics or wearing white after Labor Day isn't edgy either. Some of us have been doing that for ages. Edgy is not just style/fashion, it's an attitude that she just lacks. Unlike Rihanna, Sarah Palin is actually what she claims in some ways. To be a maverick is to do what you think is right, despite being alone in that idea. I don't deny that she thinks she is right in all of her views, but that doesn't make some of them any less stupid. Ok, not stupid: inane? Idiotic? Imbecilic? Global warming must be a figment of our imagination. Damn the wildlife of Alaska, right? Let's take away a woman's right to choose, even if the baby would be a product of rape or incest, or the birthing process could kill her. Ridiculous.

2. Both were initially endorsed as credible by some old guy with dollar signs in his eyes, who had known them for all of a week.
Of course, McCain's dollar signs are accompanied with visions of himself swearing in as President. Jay-Z was already President at Def Jam, if I remember correctly. Details are fuzzy. Both of these men are incredibly business minded and have been "in the game" for years. I'm sure for both that it has gotten to the point where they can spot a cash-cow/gimmick right away. McCain knew that having a woman in the White House is as much strived for by the minorities as have a Black man. Plus, the other gender seems much more encompassing than a minority race. Jay-Z knew that his girlfriend (now wife) was getting pretty old in pop star years (they are like Playboy Bunny years, actually) and he wanted to have a hand in her replacement. Plus, how many women can match up to Beyonce? Not very many. Rihanna, with her boyish body and short hair, seems less threatening than Beyonce, I imagine, even with her green eyes and cringe-inducing speaking voice. Sarah Palin has a cringe-inducing speaking voice as well. Yet, here we are. Well played, gentlemen. Well played.

3. Both are arguably hot.
I must admit, both can be ridiculously attractive at some moments, and just average at others. Some call Sarah Palin a "milf"/photoshop her head onto bikini photos and some call Rihanna "the current hottest chick in the game"/photoshop her nude, while others think Sarah Palin looks like the bitchy mom at the PTA or their own mother (shudder) and that Rihanna looks like a man or a Klingon. Regardless, part of each woman's appeal/trademark is her looks.

4. While carving a niche out of practically nothing, both dodge naysayers by crying foul.
Any disdain shown towards Sarah Palin is met with the cry of "sexism". Any shown towards Rihanna is met with the phrase "jealous hater" or the term "Beyonce stan". We live in a world where people (myself included) have blogs, YouTube channels, and/or Facebook and MySpace pages and say snarky, bitchy things so much that very little is even taken as genuine criticism anymore. Since anyone can say anything (that pesky freedom of speech), there are those people whose criticism does fall under the category of envy, but there are many more of us who feel we have legitimate reasons for our dislike. But, their avid supporters can't hear anything through the white noise of their assumptions of our insecurities.

4. Both began more or less under the radar before suddenly rocketing into such success that it leaves all of us who don't see their appeal scratching our heads.
I don't really have to clarify that further. Suddenly they are all over the place, being shoved down our throats from all sides.

5. Both have (currently) beaten out their main and obviously more talented "competitor" (so to speak) in their specific fields.
I think it's pretty clear that I am referring to Beyonce and Hillary Clinton. Both women are quite adept at their professions, at least in comparison to the current popular choice. All four women have their faults to a point; you might consider Palin and Rihanna to be Pepsi, and Beyonce and Clinton to be Coca-Cola. One type may have been around longer, but the other type has more flash and public appeal. Some prefer one over the other in taste tests and some just hate both drinks. Coca-Cola is sticking with their tried-and-true image while Pepsi has enlisted the help of celebrities to sell their wares (am I still talking about sodas?).* Whatever the case, Palin and Rihanna are preferred 3 out of 5 over Clinton and Beyonce. I mean, duh, Palin's currently closer to the White House than Clinton, and Rihanna's reigning chart queen over Beyonce.

6. Both are popular/famous for nearly anything but what their career title directly insinuates.
Palin is immediately recognized by her Tina Fey glasses, Hockey Mom bangs, and mandarin-collared, brightly colored suits. Rihanna is immediately recognized by her Prince, Kelis, or Posh Spice-inspired hairdo, Fefe Dobson wardrobe, and her misguided, eventually regrettable tattoos. Palin has yet to be complimented by the press for her political prowess, experience, or insight. Rihanna has yet to be praised for her singing or performing skills. This is the case even with fans of either, who admit that Palin has questionable political knowledge/Rihanna has questionable singing talent. Why is that so? My theory is that the public, so sick of having images in mind of women that were unappealing or unattainable, decided to support women so ridiculously flawed at their chosen careers that they would be instantly likeable and/or relatable.

Well, I neither like nor relate to either. I am at present so disillusioned with the buying and voting public - in many ways besides this - that were it not for my desire to be updated on the current events of my universe, I would limit myself from contact with all this bullshit posthaste. I can only hope that trying to create change in my own life will create some sort of trickle-down/out/around effect that will affect change all around me. I have gone on long enough, so I will leave you with a few videos to illustrate my points and these suggestions:

Vote for Barack Obama November 4th, and buy the albums of someone with actual talent. One way or another, it's time for change, people.



Hero Gone Bad


Please Don't Pon De Replay


Disturb-ya at the VMAs


From Queerty.com

Bush Doctrine? What's That?


What's the difference between a funny joke and an insult? Sarah Palin


Palin v. Biden Parody
http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/vp-debate-open-palin-biden/727421/


Palin with Katie Couric Parody
http://www.hulu.com/watch/36863/saturday-night-live-couric--palin-open



Palin and Clinton Announcement
http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/palin-hillary-open/656281/

*For the record, Coke kicks Pepsi's ass all over the playground, unless it's Wild Cherry Pepsi.

Relenting

Ok, ok, although I don't think he's asked for "less vocoder" on a song since his first platinum single, I dislike T-Pain a little less with this video.



Well, like 1.5% less, he's still an embarrassment. (Disregard the free promotion)

I Don't Have The Strength...

I've been doing my workout thing for the past two weeks in addition to my job, so I can barely lift my arms over my head much less focus my mind to the point it needs to fathom why this really is in existence. (seen @ Crunk & Disorderly)

So, apparently Eb the Celeb thought I was just joshing about Chris Brown's new underwear line, Big Headed. To be honest, I actually thought the whole thing was just conceptual, hypothetical, theoretical, debatable even (much like his singing ability). I was not prepared for the full-on website, complete with models, shopping carts, and MUZAK. To his credit, Breezy's face, body, and music are nowhere to be found on the site (thank God), so despite its vainglorious and (rumored) appropriate name, it appears to be no homage to his person.

My need to bitch and critique plus my desire to observe all things fashion apparently outweigh my (dearly missed) lack of interest in Chris Brown and his activities. I have to say something; my very nature wills it to be so. :-/ I will just say these things, and then no more, maybe.

1. Why are the girl's boxers constantly referred to as "Boxahs"? It makes my face hurt, for some reason.
2. These male models seem to surpass my douche tolerance level.
   
3. Imagine my horror/delight (?) in the (men's) "Breakaway Boxers" section when the models in the videos actually BROKE AWAY THEIR BOXERS. Oh, how I gasped/laughed. I was willing it to be so ("break 'em away, break 'em away, do it!"), and...there it was.
   
4. If you decide to take a look-see, keep an eye out (in the men's section) for gems like the "Condom Pocket Boxer" (convenient), "Danger - Fire Hose" (O_o), "Speed Limit: 69" (WUT), and my personal favorite: "Safety First - Clean Up Spills".
5. The girls modeling the bottoms are not wearing any tops. Just hands and tan lines. Why?
6. The "Peek A Boo Sports Bra" (there are so many jokes there) looks completely useless at doing anything but being removed by your guy...single/sexless girls need not buy.
7. I get the heebie-jeebies at the idea of thinking about Chris Brown when I put on my thong, or that Chris Brown had anything to do with the thong I would be wearing. That may be the grossest sentence I've typed on this blog. Trey Songz on the other hand...

Yeah, on that note...I am done. There is so much there, but I think I'll leave that to the hardcore Chris Brown fans/anti-fans to decipher.

Down the Rabbit Hole...

I started this post over a month ago, but abandoned it midway through. I rethought it, because it seemed kind of mean...

Eh, whatever. I'll be vague.

8/8/08
Instead of ending up in the tangible manifestation of an acid trip called Wonderland, though, I ended up in the land of the Vain & Vapid, girls who appear to be uniform in personality although they look nothing alike.

Seriously. My day was filled with the type of shallowness that can't be taught in pageant/modeling classes, imitated from movies like Mean Girls, or gleaned from hanging around (some?) celebrities. This has to be congenital. I mean, there's no way anyone can act like what I've seen here today without having honed such a singular dimension to a gleaming sharpness. And, this is from a female who has Vogues scattered across her floor, owns Sex and the City DVDs, and gabs about fashion with the passion of a political pundit covering the 2008 election. I'm not exactly (insert deep musician here), reading (insert famous Russian author) and quoting (insert famous philosopher) while donating my time to actively (stop female genital mutilation/fight genocide in Darfur/build homes in war-torn countries/etc).* As a matter of fact, just last week I said Toni Morrison wrote The Color Purple (BLASPHEMY!) when it was Alice Walker (DUH).

We all have our "blond moments" (no offense to blondes, since every hair color/race has its assclowns). However, I have never met anyone I would want to call a bubble-head before now. I can't let this happen again. My very life (and the bloodlessness of any nearby blunt objects) depends on it. Granted, the shallow never actually recognize themselves as such - perhaps this means that the fact that I question my superficiality nullifies it (in that way where crazy people never think they are crazy, because they are too busy being crazy, so if you wonder if you are crazy you couldn't possibly be crazy - ok shutting up now...)? Here are some things I have to share for anyone not questioning their possible lack of depth after observing the Vain & Vapid:

1. Oil build-up on your make-up during the day should not be discussed with the same graveness and sobriety as the events of 9/11, the "war on terror", or the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
2. Hair weave does not deserve the same careful planning, funding, and deliberation as plans for universal healthcare.
3. No, I don't think wearing a size 4 now instead of a 2 means it is time for you to hit the gym. If 5 pounds were all it took to get you to the size 4, you weren't really a 2 to begin with. And, that's okay.
   
4. It's not all right to hang out with "ugly girls" because they make you feel more secure.
5. No, I have never skipped class because my hair was "busted".
6. Facebook/Myspace are not as reputable as/equivalent to CNN.com, or even yahoo.com.
7. Facebook/Myspace are not really meant for you to become the Tyra Banks of your own Next Top Model competition.
8. Twenty-five is not fucking old.
   
9. Thirty is not fucking old.
10. No, I do not agree that McDonald's employees would be more pleasant if they had cuter outfits.
11. It's not the 50's. You aren't "too late" if you get married at 28. People live relatively longer, now that we (most of us) know smoking really is bad for us. And, you seem like the type to one day embrace a syringe full o' Botox.
    

*Note: I took a Russian short stories class and found it to be slightly lower on my boredom list than watching my siblings do their homework, and I do like classic novels, and participate in walks, awareness rallies, and protests, but like most middle-class "do-gooders", I have only been out of the country on vacation, not to lie down in front of tanks or bring well water to people fighting malaria. I have great respect for those who can do such serious and risky things. I am just honest about my (lack of) experience.

Remember Mondos?

I just got the earwig song from the commercial trapped in my head. How, you ask? Oh, you didn't. Well, that's all right, I'll tell you anyway.

I was looking at this post on ONTD, my favored among my guilty pleasures (they are just so deliciously ee-vull! It's like Gossip Girl, manifested in a LiveJournal, about celebs and pseudo-celebs rather than upper East-siders). I am pretty sure if you could be arsed to click the link, you clicked away immediately. I understand, it's incredibly difficult to give a shit that Chris Brown is making drawz, whoop-te-do. But please note that it's 1 am here, and my facsimile of a sham of a life has a self-enforced curfew of about 10 pm (again, I live in Mississippi, yeesh, stop having me explain that) which leaves me with about 3 or four hours of fat-ass'ed (3 syllables, like Shakespeare...classy, no? Classy, yes.) laziness. That is, if I haven't collapsed into unconsciousness from the weight of my full life (sarcasm, for the new).

So, I took the time to read about Chris Brown's panty line for dudes. It's gonna be called Big-Headed. No, really.

Yeah. (Insert obligatory Rihanna forehead joke here...I'm lazy. You understand).

Anyway, after wasting 4 minutes of my life (thank God I wasn't using those to save the world), including reading comments, I laughed, and said, "Well, Chris, it's your world."

That's all it took. I uttered those three words, and launched into the Mondo jingle, full blast. I can't even believe I remember the damned thing. Be warned, this commercial sucks big hairy ones even by 90's standards, but it would come on during every episode of Power Rangers, Ninja Turtles, Rugrats, All That, and any other kids show I was watching.



Oh, you'll see Jennifer Morrison (Cameron) from House in the commercial (weird!).


Mondos used to be the main drink in my lunch box, especially in summer and on field trips. The Kool-Aid juices were ten times better, but these were cheaper (why? Kool-Aid where I'm from conjured up images of you growing up poor in the hood), so these would be the ones in my mom's shopping cart on grocery days. These were the times of Ramen noodles, Vienna sausages, and fried baloney (sure, there was bologna, but we had baloney), so I didn't know to be embarrassed by them until middle school, when everyone was drinking Hi-C's (remember the Ghostbusters flavor?) and Capri Suns in the trendy silver pouches, or just buying sodas. Yeah, so I was ashamed of my Mondos, and my mom eventually stopped buying them in favor of the Capri Suns. Since I rarely look at individually packaged juices in the store, I have no idea if they are still around. Dumb as this post is, I just got a touch of nostalgia (sounds like a disease), when my cousins and I would drink 2 or 3 of one flavor each in a sitting just to get our tongues to turn purple or blue or whatever.

By the way, I always wondered if Mondo meant "world" in any language. If not, the damn catch phrase/jingle makes no sense.

Happy birthday, Ari B.! :-D

Humble Me

I joke a lot, but there is nothing more sobering to me than a reversal of roles between parent and child. That happened to me today, when my dad had some (minor) surgery. My mom had to work, and I had time free, so I volunteered to be his "nurse" for the day. He was heavily sedated, so I had to help get him to awaken. The sedative the anesthesiologist administered had a lingering effect of forgetfulness, too. It was as if I were seeing my dad with a degenerative disease, like Alzheimer's. He asked me the same questions repeatedly, but I didn't mind in the least. Where my dad would often agitate me, particularly in conversation, I had the utmost patience and concern for him. I just felt this overwhelming sense of sadness for those people who experience that with their parents, their providers/caretakers, everyday. It's really weird, but when I had to help him put on his shoes, I noticed that his toenails were in serious need of grooming, and I could see blue spider veins winding up the pallid, translucent skin of his feet. That's when it dawned on me that my father is getting old. I nearly broke down in tears right there. I have seen my father as strong, aggressive, ageless, almost omnipotent, practically omniscient, from the moment I knew to appreciate him. A father of two from our church died from a heart attack about a month ago, and he wasn't even 45. My father is nearing 70. When I see him sleeping, I fight the urge to check his breathing. I am certainly grateful for every moment we have had together, but I still can't imagine life without him. I hope I won't have to anytime soon. I love him, and selfishly want him to be around for my wedding - which is so far from prospective right now - and to at least see my first (only?) child. I can only pray that the future is not too far off in another direction.

Things to Do...Before Age 22

I will be 22 in less than three months. I concede that I have idealistic, romantic notions about birthdays, cities, relationships, and well, life in general, but aside from graduating college and spending time with my fabulous family, my 21st year on Earth sucked some hairy donkey balls. It amazes me how much time I have frittered away lamenting, regretting, pining, whining, vegging, and just basically being a 5'10, 140-pound waste of displaced air. One of my best friends said that if you want things to happen to you that have never happened before, your best bet is to do things you have never done. So, I will try to take on a new attitude this fall and get the fuck up and out of my rut. I've noticed I respond really well to making lists because of the giddy pride I get out of scratching tasks off as I complete them, so here goes.

I really want to:

• Take a fun trip outside of the state, and spend no more than 8 hours each day in wherever I am sleeping.

• Find 5 new things to do in my city.

• Take care not to neglect my friends.
  

• Finish an article of clothing from scratch.

• Finish writing a chapter-sectioned story.

• Meet 5 new people.

• Get to 100 posts on my blog.

• Act on impulse rather than second guess myself. (Kind of like George Costanza doing the opposite of what he normally did on Seinfeld)

• Smile even when I am all alone.

• Reconnect with at least 5 old friends.

• Be in Las Vegas (if affordable :-/) on or near my birthday. (This could count as my trip!)

• Try out for something I normally wouldn't.

• Finish my medical school secondary applications.

• Vote.

• Save at least $1000 dollars between now and then. (It sort of conflicts with Vegas, hahaha, I know.)

• Make two more stock investments (under advisement...the market's been kind of rough).

• Read a classic book. (I suck them up like water in dry sponges.)

That's all I can think of at the moment, but I think these goals are lofty enough. In light of my new attitude, I will say (type) with confidence that I can make all of these happen.

...Huh?

My guess is, I should stop being some perfection-striving basket case, and just write whatever I want. That might keep me motivated to post.

Anywhatsit, I have questions. They don't need answers or anything, in fact, knowing me, I may just answer them myself...just putting it out there in the universe.

1. Why did Christina Aguilera fashion herself into Lady Gaga/Britney Spears-the-remix at the VMAs? I thought that we Christina fans admired her for her pipes/shrieking and her need to sing live pretty much no matter what. "Keeps Getting Better" sounds like the opposite of what I saw last night...more like "Keeps Selling Out".

2. Why did anyone ever call Christina "X-tina"? I get the play on Christmas/X-mas. But if you were gonna be accurate, wouldn't it be X-ina? If it's X-Tina, we could also call Chris Brown "X Brown". And that's dumb.

3. Why am I such a huge fan of ellipses? ...I blame my Chrisboyfriend.

4. Who decided "moonmen" are a comeback for Britney Spears? Moonmen are irrelevant. That's like Kraft Foods sponsoring an alcohol intervention for Shia LaBeouf. Yeah, that didn't make much sense to me either.

5. Why on EARTH am I not at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week?

6. Why can't I be INVOLVED in Mercedes Benz Fashion Week?

7. Has no one ever shown Rihanna a YouTube video of herself performing?

8. Why is any place allowed to call itself a city and not have activities for the 18-25 age set other than bowling or gambling?

9. Doesn't it seem slightly off-putting how practically everyone in Hollywood (music, tv, film) has "done it" with each other? It's like that Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game...but with STDs and pregnancies involved.

10. What would it be like to meet my mirror opposite?

11. How did my half brother get. So. Damn. Fat?

12. What is Josh Peck doing...right this second?

13. Why is it so hard for me to finish almost everything? I swear I am so half-ass - only because I work so hard at first that I just lose momentum and concentration after a while.

14. Is it possible I have adult onset ADHD?

15. Where's the damn remote to my camera?

16. Is Keri Hilson's album going to come out? And if it ever does, will anyone care?

17. See question #16, insert "Teedra Moses".

18. Where have all the cowboys gone?

19. Why are you still reading this?

This is Ridiculous...

BEIJING — A 7-year-old Chinese girl was not good-looking enough for the Olympics opening ceremony, so another little girl with a pixie smile lip-synched "Ode to the Motherland," a ceremony official said _ the latest example of the lengths Beijing took for a perfect start to the Summer Games... more @ huffingtonpost.com

I am actually surprised this hasn't happened in America yet, as we are so insanely appearance conscious. I don't mean Milli Vanilli or that chick from C&C Factory or whatever - that's dumb enough, but I mean kids. It's funny, I actually thought some countries were above this sort of garbage. Political ideologies aside (it's a touchy subject), I have always assumed that China was overall a country of somewhat intelligent people who do not have face and body image at the top of their lists, focusing on more fulfilling things like academic pursuits, technological advances, etc. I realize that even the most vague generalizations can surprise you. And in a 7-year old? My goodness! I certainly hope they didn't tell the poor girl she wasn't "pretty enough" to sing the anthem, although she was a good enough singer to apparently warrant lip-synching. Sad.

Goodnight, Goodnight

It's a very sad thing to have to go through the grieving process of death, be it a family member, friend, significant other, or even just someone you admire. Almost to the day, it has been a whole year since my mother's family lost my cousin in a sudden, dramatic fashion, only within days of the anniversary of my grandmother's (mother's side) death. Prior to that, it had been 4 years since I had to wear black and brace myself for the always incredibly difficult open casket funeral. Most people are not as...i don't know...by it as I am. But seeing a person I once knew as animated replaced with a cold, waxy shell is a very hollowing experience. Eventually I find my way back to center, but for days, weeks, or months, I find myself questioning my own time here, pondering eternity and if there is an "end" to life after all. I try to dwell on it as little as possible because as they say, "life is for the living."

But, I said all this to say I was really shocked about Bernie Mac's death this morning. Although as a child I was never allowed to watch his stand-up (or George Carlin's, for that matter), I did anyway, relishing in the curse words and sexual innuendos I didn't totally understand. As he slowly became more accessible to the younger crowd, I grew up with him on my screens, both movie and TV. Every death is both important and sad for someone, but these celebrity deaths resonate with me because I experienced such personal emotions with them: crushes, emulation, admiration, and so on, as most Americans tend to with our informal form of royalty.

Every year seems to take with it the lives of legends or those in the making, leaving us with these sad, deformed clones of the originals, like Dane Cook, the Disney stars, just about anyone who can be referred to as a "tween," Paris of course, Lindsay, these pathetic gimmick bands, and so on. 2008 was filled with icons, and those that could have been.

Bernie Mac
George Carlin
Sydney Pollack
Bo Diddley
Bobby Fischer
Jim McKay
Heath Ledger
Yves Saint Laurent
Charlton Heston
Anthony Minghella
Brad Renfro
Estelle Getty
Dick Martin
Harvey Korman
Ola Brunkert (ABBA)
Roy Scheider
Tim Russert
Suzanne Pleshette
Allan Melvin

There were more I am sure, as well as plenty of non-celebrity people, and they will all be missed.

Black & Gold

The New Orleans Saints are hosting their training camp here in my hometown, something done at least since Hurricane Katrina. So what does that mean? It means that Kim Kardashian was here for a hot second, it reminded me of Sam Sparro, and I have an excuse to post!



(This was the only version I could find that would embed from youTube, so ignore the talking at the beginning and end). Sam Sparro is an amazing singer (who got the stamp of approval from a legend, Chaka Khan) from Australia. "Black & Gold" is likely not his first single, but it was the first song I ever heard from him, and I was HOOKED! His album is filled with varied sounds but he always seems to come back to this electronic, club music that he blends with his smooth, sexy voice. I love the entire album and how open he is about his sexuality, and I am certain that with the right promotion he could reach gay icon status one day. How many openly homosexual male singers are there, after all? I think that will either be one more thing in his favor or ultimately his downfall though I am hoping for the former.

Here he is singing a cute cover of Estelle's "American Boy". I love his sweater, but then I love his style, in general! I think I will do another post on him in the coming days.



I was going to post a bunch of black and gold clothes too, but I just decided that Sam Sparro is a touch act to follow, inanimate or no. If I find any worthwhile and I am sure I will, I will post it under Black & Gold part 2.

PS. I think it's funny how I went from (briefly) mentioning football, a "man's man" activity, to an openly gay singer! :-D The things we do for a posting topic.

Update...

I am working on a couple of dresses right now that I hope to have finished in the next 2 weeks (can you tell I am a novice seamstress?) and I really wanted to show off my geeky new glasses, but I cannot find my camera anywhere. I was so stressed trying to prepare for my ANTM audition that I have no idea where I put it and haven't seen it since then. As soon as I find it, I will post! Or if I find something else to post, then erm, I will post that :-)

August is Here...(Ramble, Ramble)

And I can't be more disappointed. August means the start of another school year and the countdown to my Nov. birthday. I gotta admit, I really expected something kind of amazing to happen to me this summer. Granted, I moved back home, but that was a really big deal. I know I probably read far too much fiction, but I feel like there is some magical, chemical reaction that occurs when you combine a really hopeful girl with a big change.

But really, playing devil's advocate, what did I really expect? I do, after all, live in West Bumblef*ck City, MS (the whole state's a bumblef*ck to be honest, and I say that in the most lovingly loyal way). I am living with my parents, working a job that is well, kinda boring, to be honest (though it is for a really good cause), and making my own clothes, constantly pining for glamour, love, excitement, travel - all things hardly associated with being an aspiring doctor in MS.

But what other choice do I have? I have just enough money in the bank to live somewhere rent-free, i.e. my childhood home. Even though I am saving money with the intent of venturing out on my own, I have no idea how long that will take. I may not get into any med school in the coming year, but right now my best bet is the one down the street from my parents' house...which will trap me here a minimum of another four years.

Le sigh.

I tried out for America's Next Top Model this summer too, with this idealistic hope that if I at least went in there and was confident, was myself, they might see in me that "thing" I have always hoped was there but was never quite certain of. You know, the "thing" that would make everything worthwhile, that would put me up there with Tyra and Heidi and Iman and Giselle, saying "I used to be teased about my height/thinness/breasts/legs, but look at me now!" And, perhaps that is incredibly shallow.

Maybe it is really sad to want that kind of validation, especially in a business that tears people down so frequently. For some strange reason, I feel I can handle it. For my entire life I have dealt with people who would be so cruel they would try (and often succeed) at reducing me to tears, so why not get paid major bucks for it, be in and around the fashion I love so much, and let other little girls see: "She's not conventionally pretty, but she is unique and beautiful...maybe I am too." I am a product of my environment in some ways. For as much as I enjoy being different and like to think of myself as deep or introspective or whatever (haha, just like that), part of me wants to be admired, emulated, enjoyed, and celebrated by people who have no need to, who have no reason to or connection to me outside of being human just like me. Beauty is fleeting, and fame is even more difficult to keep, but something in me keeps drawing me there.

This fork in the road I stand before...how can two paths be so different? To be honest I almost feel kind of ashamed for wanting to model. My parents are such distinguished intellectuals and I have been such the academic achiever it feels like a slap in the face to want to do anything outside of the cookie cutter realm of doctor-lawyer-teacher-scientist. Whenever any adult (defined as: older than me) asks me what I am going to do, I never say, "Well I feel equally pulled towards being a doctor and a model." I always say, "I am trying to get into medical school." Not that I am not actively trying to go, but I find it ironic since I usually say that for appearance's sake, rather than the truth, which is that I am trying to move forward in both to see which one will tip the scales in or out of its favor. The thing is, both require a lot of time and effort, and I worry that if I dedicate myself solely to one, I might be miserable, realize I made the wrong decision, and too much time may have passed for me to go back and try the other.

It's funny (not really). I used to be quite smug about 20-something rich brats trying to "find themselves" since I planned out my life at about age 10. Now I am just like them (minus the rich part) and in fact, at a disadvantage since they were never sure about their career paths in the first place. Being the perfectionist I (often) am - not counting my grammar skills now since I am rambling - my biggest fear is to make a mistake in something so crucial, and I know that's not the best way to approach the situation.

As you can see, I am not exactly at a loss for words, but to sum it up: I know exactly where I am yet I have never felt so lost in my whole life.

Hi, Haters!

I'm back off hiatus :-).

Or call it my impromptu sabbatical. No apologies this time, anyone still bored enough to check here should know I may disappoint(?) again.

While I come up with more reee-diculous things to entertain(?) you with, here's what a real video should look like. No club scenes/beach scenes/dance breaks (unless that's your thing), and some great people in music. Faith restorers, even.

Six...Well, Five Days Left!

But, in honor of 6 days left, watch Six and the City! And yes, I know I spelled it "six".


This is so adorable, even if slightly risque (to me) for six-year olds! Age 6 Charlotte is just how I would've imagined her!

Everyone Go See Indiana Jones!

I am terrified Shia might ruin it. As much as I adore him, I love Indy more. We shall see.

Image jacked from somewhere in cyberspace.

Pump and Circumstance (The Graduation Post)

I had 2 dresses. The reason is because my university is relatively large, so there is a recognition ceremony for the individual schools, and then a big ceremony with orators and such with all of the schools combined.

On the day of the recognition ceremony it rained with utter disdain for the happy occasion, complete with cold winds and chilly temperatures. So, I was incredibly out of place in this number:




Thank goodness we had to wear our robes. But I really like the bold colors of this dress. I wore it with my new favorite foot-murdering Bakers silver peep-toes. I really weighed my options between the two dresses I had regarding the above dress and the dress I am about to show. I felt much more comfortable spending graduation day (with the greeting people and dinner and all of that) under my coat in this dress. To my pleasant surprise, particularly since both were purchased for less than $20 the night before, I got lots of compliments on both.




PS, I realize this post has nothing to do with pumps, I just thought the title was really cute. :-)