Seven.Caged.Tigers

The last Carnivale of the season aired Sunday night. I finally got around to watching it last night. My reaction? Oh. My. God. I love this show. I love everything about it from the cinematography to the acting to the script to the sets. It’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever witnessed on television. To top it all off, it’s also the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen and in the same vein as Twin Peaks (which is certainly a compliment).

I must admit that up until a week ago I was concerned that the show was done. Then I saw an ad for the “Season Finale” and not the “Series Finale.” Based on what I saw last night there is OBVIOUSLY much more that is going to happen on the show and it mostly has to do with Sophie who seems to have a great deal of power inside her confused head.

If you haven’t seen Carnivale, may I suggest watching it? The first season is available on DVD and I suspect the second will be shortly. I love my Carnivale.

You know that one girl that was always a thorn in your side growing up? Yeah. Her. The one who wasn’t as cute as she thought she was, wasn’t really all that smart, whose close weren’t any more special than anybody else, and whose parents were teachers just like your own. Oh wait. This is becoming a story about the girl who was a thorn in MY side growing up…

In my small town, teacher’s kids are all kind of raised on the same wavelength. We knew one another since birth and were in generally the same pre-school programs. We shopped at the same store (there was only ONE store to shop at) and were basically little cookie cutters of one another. However SHE always thought she was better. I never quite understood how somebody so purposefully mean was so popular. Turns out these years later that her “friends” didn’t even like her. I remember thinking it funny that she never had a boyfriend in high school while all the other girls had gaggles. I guess kindness pays off occasionally.

I any case, I recall in fifth grade really making the decision to hate HER. She had already professed she was fat (I’m serious here, folks, and cried to me of all people about the problem). I guess her momentary lapse of reason made her hate me entirely. Our teacher sat the classroom in groups of four desks. Hers was directly across from mine. She kicked me day in and day out. Me being shy and mild and not willing to stir up shit, I never did anything back. She told me that my clothes were ugly despite the fact that we had literally the same outfits because there was only one store in town–The Tot Shop.

…yes, that was really the store’s name.

SHE grew up just as nasty as she was as a kid. I remember her going up to this one girl who didn’t have much money and a propensity to wear gold lame shirts. I saw it happen. She walked up to her and said “I love that shirt.” It seemed very sincere to an outsider–but to me and to that girl it was clearly a jab. She was just simply one of the nastiest human beings to walk the earth.

A few months back her father bragged to my father about what SHE did for a living and how many people SHE managed. Since I know she worked at Wal-Mart in college (the apparel section, mind you, where she wouldn’t wait on people who weren’t cute) I joked that she probably worked at a mall as a store manager. I said The Gap. Hmph. That’s almost offensive to me now that I think about how much I shop at The Gap. Well…turns out I was wrong. Nasty girl manages an Express. You read that right, folks. Her daddy was bragging about her working in a damn mall. Not that I have anything against that but with a college degree, parents who are teacher-types, and all the self-confidence (loathing?) in the world she can’t do anything more in her life. Plus, I can’t believe he was bragging about it.

Oh. And she’s completely single. Go figure. Nasty girl STILL can’t get a date. The thought of her makes me shudder. There’s only been two other people that I’ve ever met that have been that hateful. Fortunately I never had to live with the one from my childhood. In any case, I look forward to seeing HER at the 10-year reunion because I know for a fact that I’m more successful. Oh yes…and I managed to get married to a good-looking, successful, and most of all genuinely sweet man. I love how the world works.

I am convinced I am witnessing the beginning of the coming apocalypse.

It all began last week while on my way to lunch. Sitting in the middle of the hallway on the mauve-colored tile was a sandwich. Not just any sandwich, mind you. It was clearly of a Jimmy John’s variety. Now, there were a few things wrong with the scene. First off, nobody even attempted to clean it up. The bread, pickle, and the tiny package of mayo were sitting amongst the pile. Do we no longer tidy up after ourselves? The second “issue” I have with the scene was that somebody so rudely threw out a Jimmy John’s sandwich. For those of you who don’t know, they taste brilliant. You don’t just toss such things to the ground. I let that experience pass–

–until yesterday. I was walking through the hallway again when I came upon a “vote for me” sign for student government. It’s an incredibly huge thing at this University so I’m used to seeing the publicity materials. This one was different. It featured a rather happy fellow riding atop Napoleon Dynamite’s fabled liger. Indeed, it was clearly THAT liger. I though to myself, “well, self, that was rather interesting.”

This morning as I sauntered into my building at the unnecessarily early hour of 6:30am I saw another poster taped next to the liger image. It was for some sort of strange Idol competition. Not sure of the details as I didn’t feel like reading them. However, I couldn’t help but see the words that were printed in the largest, boldest font. The blue-tinged poster proclaimed “See the William Hung impersonator!” That stopped me dead in my tracks. A crappy, joke of a ridiculous kid is now being impersonated? Will wonders (or is it the apocalypse) never cease.

Finally, this afternoon as I was entering the potty room a girl was exiting having not done up her pants. Now, if you know you’re alone and locked in a bathroom by yourself that’s one thing. In a public restroom with other people in stalls and at the sink? Well, that’s the tackiest and nastiest thing I can imagine. I really didn’t care to see her undies. It was entirely unnecessary.

After experiencing those four oddities, I am led to but one conclusion. The apocalypse must be coming–and soon. Ligers, undies, William Hungs, and sandwiches OH MY!

Last night I was picking up a little bit around the house. Just before bed, I closed the drawers on my dresser in part so that the cats wouldn’t sleep on my clothes all night long. Of course, I neglected to actually peer inside said drawer. I read a little of my current book, White Plague by Frank Herbert and entered the land o’ sleep.

This morning, I woke up as always at 5:15am. I was greeted as always by a 20lb cat and a mewing 9lb grey cat. Nothing was out of the ordinary. The princess (aka snarly bitch Sara) doesn’t usually awaken from her beauty sleep until a few minutes later. Just in time, of course, to gulp her gourmet shower water post-human cleansing. After jumping out of the shower, I noticed she wasn’t around. She’s usually anxious to jump in the tub and waiting just outside of the curtain. Sometimes she even jumps in with me for a moment (stupid kitty).

Not this morning. Kitty was nowhere to be found. So I paced around the house calling for her. Not as if she’d actually answer, but I figured enough yelping would lead to a location. No luck. I walked into the bedroom and noticed that stupid grey kitty and fat orange and white kitty were pawing at the dresser. Yes. THAT dresser I shut the drawer on the night before. I opened up the top drawer and princess looked up and me. She stood up, stretched, and lazily jumped out from her jail. I sniffed around expecting the worst while feeling incredibly guilty. Sara did not punish her captors. I went to dig her up and she seemed just like her old self.

Needless to say, I still feel guilty for closing her in such a dark cramped space for eight hours. But she didn’t cry or paw or ANYTHING. Apparently she’s on the same sleep schedule as JT and I. Go figure. Hmph.

One of the students where I work was asking about protest songs. He was curious if they all sounded angry. Of course, they do not and I provided Louis Armstrong’s classic What a Wonderful World as an example. In fact, most folks don’t realize that the beautiful 1968 classic is actually an anti-war song. It is–trust me. It was when my husband and I settled on that song as our first dance at our reception that I discovered the fact. Not that it was a big deal. We are both liberal anti-war folk.

Because of that kid’s interesting inquiry I located a whole bunch of other actual GOOD protest songs. All of them you should know. The catch is you may not realize that they are protest songs. That’s the true fun of this little exercise. Make a mix tape–so long as you don’t get depressed by such things.

Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen (Born in the USA, 1984)
Despite the lyrics, this anthem has been sought after by politicians (Ronald Regan for one) despite the lyrics. It’s bleak and dark and not at all the gung-ho USA song some people think it to be.

Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2 (War, 1983)
Written specifically about Irish strife, the song was certainly more than that for the band. It was about war, injustice, hate, death, and bloodshed. A great anti-war song.

Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival (Willy and the Poor Boys, 1969)
Featured in Forrest Gump, this troubling yet touching song speaks to the way in which wealthy people were able to get their songs out of the Vietnam draft while middle-class and poor boys were going over there every day and dying.

Heroes - David Bowie (Heroes, 1977)
Apparently recorded in the shadow of the Berlin Wall smack in the middle of the Cold War, Heroes is a subtly rousing story of an individual rising to greatness despite the pressures of a dark and ank world.

Imagine - John Lennon (Imagine, 1971)
There is no simpler or more beautiful protest song than Imagine. The message is simple–imagine a world without strife, war, hate, pain. The intent is radical and pushes a socialistic and atheistic message despite the lovely sheen of the overcoat.

My Generation - The Who (The Who Sings My Generation, 1965)
While not an anti-war song, My Generation speaks to the frustration of youth. Youth are often seen as radical and crazy, but still must be listened to. It seems rather apparent that this still is the case today.

Us and Them - Pink Floyd (Dark Side of the Moon, 1973)
Despite being sandwiched in a concept album, Us and Them clearly addresses the themes of war and poverty. It’s a stark and sometimes shocking song well worth the effort of checking out.

Turn Turn Turn - The Byrds (Turn Turn Turn, 1965)
With the message of peace and a promise that it’s not to late, this timely song is both gentle and folky. It’s obviously anti-war and remains one of the most appealing of its kind. Simple and lovely.

It’s the End of the World as We Know It - R.E.M. (Document, 1987)
Clearly a protest against nuclear proliferation, this song is truly terrifying. Stipe spits out references to the times from pop culture to politics. It’s dark and frightening not to mention kicky and cool.

99 Luftballoons - Nena (Nena, 1983)
Nuclear annhilation is sexy? Well…yeah, at least when spoken about by German singer Nena. It’s a simple and surprisingly effective pop track.

Blowin’ in the Wind - Bob Dylan (The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, 1963)
While there was apparently no specific thing that this song was protesting, it applied equally to all ills in modern society. I like to think it has to do with war. That’s just me, though. In any case, the answer is certainly blowing in the wind.

That’s just a start…anti-war songs are everywhere. Some might call this “suberversive” but I tend to think of it as necessary. It is indeed a Wonderful World. Yeah. Right.

My dear sis will be visiting from London beginning on Friday. She’ll spend a few nights at my house, but most of the time up in G-Town. Not that there’s anything to do in G-Town, but at least she’ll get to see Annasmell and experience the loveliness that is our native hometown. It will be most wonderful to have her around–believe me, you’d say the same thing if you only got to see your sibling once every year on average.

Speaking of cool things, I stumbled upon a nifty little t-shirt store. 80’s Tees stocks good, bad, humorous, and insanely cool shirts from that era long gone. I’ve had to physically restrain myself from buying up some of the cooler ones that remind me of childhood. Check out some of these keen examples:

There are seriously hundreds of cool shirts, pins, wristbands, hats, bags, etc… for all your 1980’s needs. I can’t help myself. Must. Buy something.

I was so right about Lindsey going home from AI4 yesterday. She sucked and since little girls identify more with Mikalah, the choice was pretty cut and dry. Consider me not at all suprised. Still reeling over the loss of Mario (not really reeling, but it sounded right), I was shocked (again, not really) to read that he was kicked to the curb by producers who were angry he was hitting on all the female contestants. He was a bit too old to be ogling the little girls he was up against. I don’t have any firm proof of this, but lacking a better explanation I’ll just go with that one right now.

Today is St. Patty’s day. I’m not Irish. My husband’s not Irish. We don’t celebrate the day in the least. In an effort to not get pinched though, I’m wearing a pair of St. Patty’s day socks gifted to me by my mother-in-law. I used to always be the victim of those attacks as a kid because I honestly didn’t own anything green until the color “hunter green” became popular when I was in High School. I’m much, much smarter now. At least I will pretend to be until I get tricked approximately twenty times on April Fool’s Day.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Tonight is massive for reality television. There is of course the results show for American Idol (Lindsay will be sent packing–mark my words) airing this evening. Also, Survivor was moved to Wednesday for this week for some unknown reason (I’m sure there is a GREAT reason, I’m just not willing to seek it out).

Finally, of course, is the catty but wonderful America’s Next Top Model. Laugh all you want, but I’ve really been giving the show some thought. It’s definitely one of the most engaging “reality” shows on television. It doesn’t try to make like any of it is real–it’s about models, people! Little girls who have been told their entire lives that they are perfect and gorgeous and wonderful and talented. It’s no wonder why the show always turns into a bitch-fest. I love it anyway….

Last week, ANTM was entertaining. Brita got kicked to the curb despite her good looks. They thought she was too fat. Hmph. Go figure. In the real scope of things she’s a stick, but in the world of modelling she was a slab of meat. There were tons of interesting pictures taken–the girls posed for both “Aliens in New York” and post-makeover pictures (aka “publicity” shots). Some of the girls looks fabulous while others looked ridiculous. Here are my choices for best and worst of both settings not including poor ill-fated Brita.

Aliens in New York:

Brittany - Best

Lluvy - Worst

Post-Makeover Publicity Shots

Rebecca - Best

Michelle - Worst

We’ll see who goes tonight. I don’t know what to expect, but if Brandy’s bad attitude continues she’ll most certainly find herself gone. Other than that, I’m curious as to who may go. Noelle? Lluvy? Keenyah? I guess I have to wait and see like the rest of the world.

I’m feeling nerdy today. I got my computer back a few weeks ago with a new hard drive and motherboard (I honestly don’t know what happened). The fact that Best Buy has fixed my laptops two or three times and has replaced it once is reason enough to continue getting the extended service plan. It is rather convenient for those of us who are accident prone.

So the nerd part of it all…well…I just got Photoshop CS and Illustrator CS installed on my laptop. I’ve been playing around with them and as always I enjoy making things look pretty. I’m beginning to get the itch to redesign something. I could start with attempting to do something with this site, but even better I’m certain that RockReviews.net could use a major overhaul. When I started with that design I had like 200 reviews. I’m up to 600 or so now. I want to make it database driven (PHP/MySQL) and would prefer it to be from scratch, but I’m exploring my options with geeklog and CMS systems. God knows I could use it.

Speaking of nerdy things, I’m excited about the American Idol finals really getting underway. I was surprised at the abrupt departure of Mario Vazquez but since he wasn’t going to win I wasn’t particularly hurt by it all. Despite what his statement said, it seems that his reason had to do with not wanting to sign the contract. I expect that ALL AI finalists are required to sign some sort of exclusivity contract and he really didn’t want to. Little does he know that a few more episodes of exposure could have been incredibly helpful to his career. It’s not like he’s 19. The dude is almost as old as me so as far as that goes he’s getting a bit long in the tooth. By the way, I still don’t have any AI favorites.

I have also decided to get a new hunk of exercise machinery. I’ve already got a good stationary bike from NordicTrak. However, there’s only so much riding I can do without going stir crazy. In fact, I’ve already gone stir crazy. I’m going to take my Epinions money since the start of the year and buy a treadmill. I think that could inject a little variety into my routine. I like that idea plus it will work out my WHOLE body instead of just my legs. Speaking of running, JT went yesterday. He said his back has never hurt that bad. I told him he can’t blame it on his shoes–he got really good Asics (his preference). He said he knew that….go figure.

ANTM last night was unsurprising. Like I said in my previous entry, Brita was apparently (at least in the model world) overweight. I think she was 137lbs at her last weigh in. The judges referred to her as either a side of beef or a slab of meat–I can’t exactly remember. The fact that she went before Brandy mystifies me. Brandy is trouble, full of herself, and not at all a “blank canvas.”

Speaking of chicks, my sister sent me this link. Apparently a pet chihuahua in China has adopted a chick. The weird little dog guards it, carries it around, and generally loves it. My bet? Some day it will go CHOMP and the chick will be no more, but for now it is simply adorable. Check out this picture also from Ananova of little Huahua and her/his pet.

So the vapid America’s Next Top Model is back on television. Considering my addiction to rounds two and three of the show, it should be pretty obvious that I will be tuning in to UPN on Wednesday nights to find out who the bitch is, who is getting kicked out, and who looks like a dumbass on film. It’s all fun and games on ANTM. I’m not the intended demographic, and as such I feel it necessary to speak briefly about the top 14 girls before this evenings schlock-fest. My opinions are based on the info available online and the info presented in the first episode where the finalists were chosen.

Brandy is listed as being a cosmetology student, yet she sports this awful fake fro. I wouldn’t call it fake except for the fact that she admitted it on national television last week. She’s decently cute, but her face reminds me of another Brandy–the singer/actress. She’s a bit short also at 5′8″ and thus far a bit boring for ANTM standards.

Brita looks like a Scandanavian goddess with her blond hair and blue eyes. However, I read somewhere that she is also one of the “heftiest” (yeah right) models and that the judges don’t like that. In any case, I think she was chosen becuase of her traditional good looks and not for being really unique or really fabulous. Plus, any girl that works as a waitress, loves “Pretty Woman,” and admits her favorite magazine is Fitness needs to be done away with. But she is very pretty.

Plenty of sites are picking this gal as early front runner. I’m not sure I agree. I mean she is good looking, but I think her attitude will weigh heavily on decisions. In the first episode was was loud, annoying, and generally just a nuisance as far as I’m concerned. She’s plenty tall, but I think my too-thin little sister is still 10lbs lighter than her at the same height (at least according to the weight that was originally posted at UPN but for some reason pulled). Eh. Whatever. She’s not going to win.

Christina annoys me. Her nose is weirdly shaped (much too thin) and her face pretty much matches. She’s not cute, not unique, just ooky. She looks a bit like a sickly china doll. The winner will combine “unique” and “gorgeous” and since neither applies to her based on pics and the first episode she will not win. Yawn.

Oklahoma native Kahlen interests me. She’s not as gorgeous as Brita (for example) but she has something that is different. Plus, she walks like a horse as evidenced by the first episode. And by “horse” I mean girl with a lot of power and attitude that’s willing to do anything to win. Girl likes the O.C., Rolling Stone, and pizza. Gotta love that. She is small (5′8″ and 117lbs) but that doesn’t seem to hurt her confidence.

Looking weird is a benefit sometimes and a detriment at others. Keenyah’s face is disproportionate. Her jaw is just simply bizarre. Outside of that, everything is bordering on perfect but like some of the other girls she just strikes me as boring looking. I’m ambivalent about Keenyah in the end.

I completely understand why Lluvy was chosen to be on ANTM 4. It’s her face. She is gawky and strange and strangely fascinating to look at. However, I was shocked to see how weirdly built she was in the first episode. To be pear-shaped at 5′9″ and 130lbs seems impossible. It is not. I have an idea that despite her face she’ll be gone in the first few rounds because of her body.

How anybody can call themselves a wrestler at 5′10″ and 130lbs, I don’t know. Michelle is apparently such a person hailing from Terra Haute, Indiana. Her face is good–strong eyes and jaw. However, without a neck (or is it with awful posture?) it’s unclear how her pictures will turn out and what the judges will think of her in person. In fact, I can’t wait to see what blunt Janice Dickinson has to say.

I understand completely why Naima was chosen for ANTM. Of course, the first thing is that she’s from Michigan (”Detroit” to be precise but as all Michigan folks know “Detroit” could mean any one of dozens of cities). Michigan girls rock. Second of all, she is delicate and pixie like but with a definite edge as evidenced by her mohawk. Yes, I did say mohawk. She is easily one of the most immediately pretty of the girls (if not THE). Early front-runner in my book.

Noelle’s photo at UPN does her great justice. In the first episode, she looked uncomfortable and unattractive. She is definitely not up to par with the best girls. She’s not that tall, not particularly well built, and generally just blends into the walls. I can’t say that I expect her to last more than a week or three.

Former flight attendant Rebecca has a crystalline, girlish look about her. I think she’s more interesting in fellow tow-head Brita but at the same time I agree that her “actress” looks might get in the way of her “model” looks. At UPN her pics make her look much too thin–no boobs, no butt, not even the slightest shape to her legs. Then again, this might me precisely what Tyra wants this year. Since, of course, we all know that what the DIVA says, the DIVA gets.

Like Noelle, Sarah’s pictures do her great justice. In person, she looked stubby and boring. Her pictures make her look alluring and smoky and even a bit rebellious–get a load of that tacky arm tattoo! In any case, I don’t have high hopes for Sarah based on what I’ve seen thus far. She is, well, unremarkable.

Tatiana confuses me. At one moment she is gorgeous with her ice-blue eyes and lovely face. At the next moment, she looks squinched and strange to me. I think her face is exactly what Tyra is looking for in a model so long as that confidence and unique quality translate well to the challenges and photos. I think she could outlast most of the other young models.

I’m mystified by the fact that they brought Tiffany back. If you recall, she was the fiery girl who proclaimed “bitch poured beer on my weave!” during the first show of last season before she was kicked to the curb as a mere semi finalist. We never got a great look at her, but the line was priceless. Well, this time around she’s here for good. I don’t think she is cute in the least–she looks a bit like a frog. I also think that her many tattoos will hurt her chances. In addition, her body leaves a good deal to be desired. She’s overly thin and her top half so much so that it’s as if she disappears. I think they must have brought her back for comic relief. Hmph.

Yeah, I know. I’m weird. But this is one of the nastiest reality shows on television. Put together 14 girls who have been told their whole life that they are the best thing ever and shake. It’s explosive, nasty, catty, and entirely entertaining. The only thing that really bothers me is Tyra Banks. First off, her hair. It’s horrific. It’s a mix between orange and pink — when your hair clashes with your skin it’s a big no-no. Even more annoying however is the fact that she’s not open for discussion. Please note–if she says somebody is the best thing ever and the other judges are like “no way in hell” her opinion will win out in the end. It’s a dictatorship on ANTM methinks.

So enjoy. Tonight. Be there or be square at 8pm tonight.

Michigan weather is schizophrenic. For any of you people out there who think you can handle one day being nearly 50 degrees and the next being 10 degrees, I dare you to try. One day we’ll have rain and thunder and the next, the god of snow will lay down literally inches. It’s just insane. Fortunately, things should begin to perk up shortly.

My yard is almost entirely devoid of snow and out my work window I only see the occasional pile (yahoo for sunshine!). Along my front walk the crocuses JT and I planted are beginning to poke through the hard winter ground. I can’t wait to see them bloom. Myfour rhododendrons are densly budded and it should only be a few weeks before we see the iris and lily in their respective beds. Yes, I like flowers. I’m not much of a girl, but I adore having lovely flowerbeds. Plus, I cannot wait until spring/summer so JT and I can get moving on our new patio and doorwall installation (which will also necessitate paintain the back family room–can’t wait for that either).

Speaking of new growth, I just began to take the clomid for my blood work this month. I hate being a woman. Hopefully this time around it works well enough for the docs to proceed with the first IUI. The wait and uncertaintly and stalling has been more emotionally draining that I could have possibly imagined. I watch as people have had two pregnancies and babies in the time we’ve been infertile. Other people have married and had babies in that time. We’ve been together nearly 8 (yes EIGHT) years and married going on four and still–we are without children. The neighbors (two of which have had two babies in the last three years) must all be wondering what’s up with the childless couple across the street. I can only imagine the whispers.

In any case, cross your fingers. JT and I are hopefully about to embark on an even more emotionally bumpy ride.

I took this past Friday off sick–I wasn’t feeling well. Of course by midday I was doing much better so I spent the better part of the afternoon cleaning up rather than nursing whatever passing illness I had. ‘Tis the way it always seems to work out. Not that I want the puking flu, but still–something more than feeling slightly under the weather would be good on occasion. I don’t want to jinx myself though and end up with pneumonia or something…

Friday night, JT and I went out for a friend’s 30th birthday. He’s the first of our extended social group to turn the big 3-0. We ended up eating at PF Chang (yummy!) and going to a bar that I vaguely remember (cough-cough) the next town over for drinks (cough-cough). I had a good time apparently. Jeremy had to take my watch off of my wrist so I could go to bed. I also couldn’t find a pair of my own sleepy pants, so I awoke in the morning with a much-too-large pair of JT’s. Very cute. I almost feel like I’m in college again.

On Saturday, we had to visit JT’s grandfather in the hospital. He’s 93 (I think) and his heart is failing him. He keeps on having small heart attacks and landing in the hospital. I was shocked to see how small he looked laying in that bed. But it was the same old grandpa–he chattered about chess (which neither JT nor I know how to play) among other topics. He came home yesterday. Later in the day, we accepted delivery on our new fancy Whirlpool dishwasher. It’s beautiful and shiny and makes our dishes look equally beautiful and shiny. I feel like such a housewife saying that, but it’s true! I can’t wait to REALLY test it out.

We seriously got no time to rest this weekend. On Sunday, we went to this 64-song Disney show at the Wharton Center at Michigan State. The tickets were free and we figured we’d give it a shot. We say Jekyll and Hyde there a few years ago and it was very good. As far as this plot-less thing though, well, I’m just not that big a fan of Disney I guess. Oh well. It was better than sitting in my underwear on the couch I guess.

I get made fun of for my adoration of Scott Weiland. Deal with it damn it! I don’t “love” him really, but I think he’s one of the best rock voices in the last fifteen years. It’s been a while since JT and I have been to any concert so today I just up and bought tickets to Velvet Revolver at the Palace. I’m not too excited about the venue (it’s made for basketball, not music) but I didn’t end up in the top deck. I’ve been there before (INXS in 1993 or 1994) and wouldn’t recommend it to anybody.

In any case, the show is on April 30 (Saturday) at 8pm. I’m really, really excited. To combine Weiland with the remaining “real” members of Guns n’ Roses is obviously brilliant. Contraband is a rockin’ album and I can’t wait to see those songs plus any added covers from GNR or STP or whoever they decide to perform. Velvet Revolver rocks my socks. There aren’t many band out there today that can manage that…

I’m not the kind of girl who really needs to be reminded of her humanity. I’ve been sick enough to know that death can happen to any of us and that it happens at the most unlikely of times.

My mother called to tell me that a guy that graduated a few years ahead of me from the same high school had died. I grew up with his younger brother and his father was my computer teacher for all four years of high school. I never really felt connected to any of them, but at the same time I wouldn’t wish this kind of fate on anybody. They are thin, blonde folks and look like the pinnacle of health. Of course, that wasn’t exactly the case. The mother and both sons suffered from pretty extreme diabetes.

I know the ramifications of diabetes. I’ve watched so much of my family suffer because of it–losing sight, hearing, circulation, heart function…you get the picture. But those most horrible things don’t happen until they are somewhat advanced in years. This guy was 30 and living with diabetes. 30 seems so young. He caught the flu–regular, old fashioned influenza. He couldn’t keep anything down and disintegrated to the point he was put on life support within just a short period of time. His family had to make the choice to take him off life support because his brain no longer functioned and he could not have any quality of life.

Like I said, I don’t need to be reminded that death waits at all of our doors. You expect to hear about people dying in car wrecks and from cancer, but you don’t expect to hear about people dying from the flu complicated by diabetes. It’s these unlikeliest of occurrances that should make us all think and realize that life is precious and to appreciate it every moment of every day. None of us knows how or when we will die.

Do I sound morbid? Probably so, but there is nothing dark or sick about death. Death is life and without death we would not live.