Can't Stop Laughing

My job at NextStudent is great because I get to listen to stuff like this blasted from computers all day.

***Warning: You might want to turn down your volume. This is David Lee Roth's overdub track on "Running With the Devil"... just the overdub track.

Mmmm Mmmm Good

My birthday gifts all together. Flowers and vase from Jimmy and candlesticks and candles from my mom.

Disuasion

I was met by opposition Sunday to my Obama endorsement from none other than my family... and from members of my family, none the less, that I truly respect and admire.

Their choice is Edwards, which was not the problem.

One particular member, who is not for Edwards but none other than a Bush supporter, had the audacity to try to persuade me against my electoral decision by using Obama's tax policies as the only deterrent; "When you make more money, you'll change your mind."

There are so many things about this sentence that bother me.

First of all, if you're going to try to convince me that my candidate is the wrong choice, than you might want to consider choosing more than one topic to stand on. Plus, haven't we learned that political bashing doesn't get very far?

Second of all, taxes are the least of my concern for this election and of minimal concern in my personal life considering they're not going to change anytime soon, nor is there that much room for them to change in my current and most likely long-lasting financial situation.

Third of all "when you make more money" is such a condescending phrase. What I heard was "oh you're just naive, but don't worry you'll become enlightened like me and have this huge epiphany... it's inevitable.

In any case, this short exchange just further cemented my support for Obama who is now, by the way, a Mii character on my Wii and is coming to town tomorrow for an event I was personally invited to.

Silly kids

It almost goes against my moral code to share this story because I don't like kids, but this one is just too damn funny.

Jimmy was hanging on Port-Au-Prince, the only place to be in Moon Valley, trying once again to master his neighbor's kid's Ripstick skateboard. Even though Jimmy has been skateboarding for years, he still can't get the hang of it, so he made a comment that maybe he's getting to old.

The little boy then asked:

Chase: "How old are you?"
Jimmy: "24"
Chase: "On the Wii?"

You gotta love how this game is changing the world.

Infertility for the Petless

As I was driving home from work today I realized that I now know what it must feel like to be infertile in my own way.

The last stretch of my drive passes by Moon Valley Park where, invariably, I will see someone with their dog, either enjoying a nice stroll or playing a game of fetch. I find myself staring out the window longing to see that human/canine companionship only to harbor feelings of delight, then resentment, then depression when I do.

My pet owning hopes have been dashed, at least for the next seven months, as my landlord reaffirmed his no-pet policy after I finally asked him if he would reconsider so I could get a kitty. I was proud of myself for finally abandoning the dog idea and had conceding and enthusiastically accepted the idea of getting a kitty instead.

Oh well it's probably for the best.

But I'm reading a wonderful book right now called "Animals in Translation" by Temple Grandin, an autistic animal scientist, who connects the way animals and those with autism similarly process information and behave. This passage explains why I'm so obsessed with animals, why I think babies are overrated compared to animals and why it's so painful and difficult for me to be without them.

"Animals aren't ambivalent; they don't have love-hate relationships with each other or with people. That's one of the reasons humans love animals so much; animals are loyal. If an animal loves you he loves you no matter what. He doesn't care what you look like or how much money you make."

Repeating Beats & Thumping Bass

So I went to a rave this weekend. Not by choice. Not by my own will. Not by being dragged in, but yes I can officially say I've been to a rave and it was truly everything I ever imagined it would be.

To sum up my experience quickly:

$20 + sweaty sauna-like air + abandoned office building + techno beats = Tucson rave

Now let me back up.

I was in Tucson visiting my beloved Austin-dwelling Adriana. Her friends were going to a rave that one of their friends was playing at... spinning at...showing at? I don't even know the right terminology.

For anyone who has ever been to Tucson, you know that most parts of the god forsaken city are shitty and rundown, especially south Tucson. But how more appropriate could a location for a rave be?

We park on a street corner, completely devoid of life and await a phone call for directions on how to get to the actual building. They are as follows:

Walk west down the street.
Cross the construction zone.
Take a left at the large tractor trailer.
Walk down the ally until you see the two story building.
Walk up the staircase.
Through the hole in the wall.
Shimmy down the slide.

Okay so those last two steps on the list are false, but you get the picture of how ridiculous this sounded.

And just to give you a visual... I am wearing nice trouser jeans, a stark white long-sleeve v-neck shirt from J Crew and my knee-length black pea coat. A far cry from the light-up shirts, pleated skirts, fishnets, boots and mini backpacks or the occasional just bra and underwear I saw inside.

Room number one... filled with sweaty gyrating preteens with florescently lit pacifiers in their mouths flashing glowsticks around to the beats of an eight-year-old DJ (believe me, I couldn't make this up if I tried... my background is journalism, not creative writing).

"Rave" was painted on the walls in metallic letters (in case the previously described scene didn't give you enough clues) and the room was a stifling 87 degrees with 100 percent humidity, I'm guessing.

Rooms two, three and four are pretty much the same scenario except the others are smaller and one also has a table to sell alcohol. Oh and at the end of the hall a man was selling all the glow-in-the-dark merchandise you could ever want or dream of.

We were asked if we wanted pills by a wandering man in the hallway, some guy made fun of the fact that I had a huge coat draped over my big leather bag and the cops apparently showed up and left (my guess is they couldn't sufficiently substantiate that the binky toting, platform boot wearing, sweaty teens filing out of a bass-thumping abandoned building were coming actually coming from a rave).

I was ready to leave before we got there, but after an hour and a half or so of my lungs and my pores screaming at me for relief, we finally left and all I had to show for myself was the pathetic red "x" marked on my left hand.

Birthday Wish List (not in order of wantingness)

For anyone who knows me, I’m kinda obsessed with my birthday. I really really don’t need anything, but there are plenty of things I want this year… most of which I will probably end up buying for myself.

New iPod: I’ve had one for about four years, but it’s half broken, meaning that I can no longer put songs on it. Although I’m going to end up losing all my music, because it decided to break during one of the times I had to completely redo my computer, I think it’s time. Black 80 GB please.

Banana Republic’s Alabaster perfume: Every girl needs a scent variety.

Banana Republic’s trouser jeans: I’m obsessed with trouser pants and I’d like another pair for work, since I’m pretty much the only person in the office that doesn’t wear jeans every day.

A puppy: By puppy I mean dog and it doesn’t really matter what kind as long as it’s not a Chihuahua or a Pekingese. My latest puppy obsession is this, a minature Australian Shepherd. This is a photo of my favorite blogger's new dog.

A green vase: Lime green is my decorating theme and I’d like one for my side table. This one from Ikea would work quite nicely.

A skateboard: I’ve always wanted to be a badass chick skater and now that I am a badass chick snowboarder, I think that I can handle it.

A new black purse: I could just buy myself one, but I’ve gotten much better at restraining myself. Although this Cole Haan purse on sale at Dillards isn't bad.

A birthday cake from Nadine’s Bakery in Tucson

Little surprises make me happy

After a wonderful weekend of snowboarding filled fun with the fam, I came home to an even more wonderful sight (if that’s possible). I discovered that I have an invisible or very very tiny cleaning, organizing and decorating elf that lives in my townhome. It waters my plants, hangs up my jackets, cleans my kitchen, scrubs and vacuums my floors and even organizes my shoes and hangs hooks to hang my new apron.

I don’t know what one does to deserve such a luxury, but I will continue to ponder and overanalyze my actions (something I’m already very good at) to solve the mystery.

Obama is it

I'm going with Sen. Obama. It has nothing to do with the results of last night's caucus, because frankly I can't put much faith in the outcome of a process that makes absolutely no sense to me not matter how hard I try to understand it. It has relatively little to do with my knowledge of his campaign or his background, because I have tried to steer clear of learning about both of those points. And it has nothing to do with my best friend's recent endorsement, even though it was written immaculately. It has everything to do with his voice.

Perhaps this reason isn't the best to choose a presidential candidate; it has no logical basis, isn't derived from a detailed pro and con list or extensive research (the ways in which I usually make my important decisions). But I don't really care, because the only person I have to justify my decision to is myself.

I have been listening to a lot of NPR lately and tend to have the TV news on in the background when I'm at home and I want to know that the president that I choose will have a pleasant, competent and inspiring voice. Because I can't take another four or even eight years of a voice that makes me giggle and twitch at the same time.

Obama's voice has passion and compassion, vigor and life, assertiveness and assurance. There's no insincere push in the way he talks, unlike some of the other candidates. I want to feel safe in the voice of my president and that's what Obama does for me.

So there you have it. My choice is Obama's voice.