Memoirs of the Angst-Bitch

Dude, no seriously dude, when I come downstairs to see it totally trashed and beer bottles EVERYWHERE on a weeknight while I'm being constantly reminded that I need to give a rent check (every single day after I replied the first time that I would have it Friday), yes I'm going to be preachy. Especially when I have to holler downstairs at 3 a.m. that people are being too loud since I have to work the next day and when I wake up to find guys I don't even know having spent the night in my house. All this after having heard my roomie is out of a job. Yes, I'm going to vocally question her financial choices. I am footing half the bill here and I don't want to know that a large portion of her money is going toward partying when she doesn't have a job. It concerns me. As does having my house thrashed. I don't want to preach and be all MOM about it but COME ON. It's just irresponsible and disrespectful. And seriously, the decision to ask me for the rent check while I'm asking why there's so much alcohol around and why random people are in my house at 9 a.m., not smart.

Also, I worry about what all these dying animals mean. I really do.

Oh yeah, I forgot to add in my last post that I gave one last attempt to try to read 07 Ghosts, but gave up again due to the inability to ever tell what is actually going on in an action scene. Half of the time, I can't tell whether people are fighting or just jumping around. This is particularly disappointing because Frau and the other bishops are really interesting characters, but I am not going to strain my eyes trying to interpret whether someone hit someone, used magic or just extended their hand every single time. I'm sorry, Frau. :( Our affair is just not meant to be.

In contrast, PH has sometimes confusing fights, but I can mostly sort out what's going on or when people explain a few pages later, I can follow along without having to flip back and forth like a crazy person. Dear shoujo/jousei manga, if you really want to do a fight, save the plot-talkings for before or after, especially when your fights involve battles with word magic.

It is not fun to wake up at 4 a.m. and realize people are in your house and talking loudly and that you have clearly lost control of your life. MOVING ALONG.

I'd glad to hear the government has apologized for what it did to Sherrod. The media should apologize as well, particularly a certain columnist who was more than ready to refer to Sherrod as a racist during his chat hour, even before he had time to fully view the edited footage, but also neglected to mention this faux pas in a column he wrote two days later, criticizing the Obama Administration for giving into racists taunts. Pot meet kettle, Mr. Columnist.

I learned Massachusetts has outlawed debarking, a medical procedure to alter your dog's vocal chords. Before today, I had never even heard of debarking and now I'm a bit horrified. At the same time, I get neighbors who slowly going insane because someone cannot keep their dog under control. Still, I see debarking as about as destructive as declawing. True, debarking is only lowering a dog's bark and not so much removing it, but it's still hideous to think that you're taking away not only your dog's method of defense but also his method of communication. Fixing an animals I can understand, as it prevents homeless strays from being euthanized. But there has to be some better method to controlling your dog's barking than altering its vocal chords. Ugh. I live with a dog that barks constantly and I have lived next to a Pomeranian yapper, but I would never wish this on either of them.

In other news, I'm possibly going to sucker-punch my coworker the next time he tells me he's glad he doesn't have my job because I work with "tools" and deal in "useless anecdotal information without any real facts." Yeah.

( And back to the writing meme again. Yipee! )

So it's let's be angry on the Internet day. That's cool because I sure have something to be angry about. Like I said, I'm not going to comment on the McChrystal affair because what's done is done but what I am going to comment on is the utter ignorance people have toward basic journalism. I really believe there should be a journalistic literacy course in school the same way they are trying to institute financial literacy so that people know what to expect from a journalist. People who are blaming Rolling Stone for what happened to McChrystal don't understand journalism in the least. They also didn't read the article.

Anyone who did could see the reason Hastings wrote it was to present the Afganistan situation to a country that has largely forgotten about it. This is why he said he wasn't expecting a major blowup. Because he didn't think anyone would notice something written about the Afganistan war. Accusing Hastings of being responsible for McChrystal losing his job is insane. It is a journalist's job to report, and yes, Rolling Stone for all its Lady Gaga coverage does count as a journalistic publication. If people don't like the message, TOUGH SHIT. People saying that Hastings took remarks off record are also being ridiculous. I will accept that not everyone knows the concept of off-the-record and when to request something be taken off record and whether that request will even be honored or whether it has to be. But someone in that position knows. McChrystal has not made any comment expressing that statements were taken off the record.

Yes, a journalist is going to get in close with their subject. That's how a journalist gets the real story instead of a polished front someone puts on when they're being briefly interviewed. This is the idea behind long form journalism, which usually takes weeks and weeks of research. There is nothing wrong with this. If people don't want to be reported, don't agree to let a journalist into your war room after he/she has informed you that he/she is a journalist. It's that simple. You talk to a journalist, it's on the record unless you say otherwise. All journalists can do is ask people to tell them things; they have no way to extract it otherwise. Just an unspoken agreement that the person will tell their story and the journalist will report it. This is what separates them from fake journalists like the paparazzi. Be pissed at what happened, but don't you dare blame a journalist for doing his job!

I'm also unsure of what to think about the "Lavender" reporter who infiltrated a group for men struggling with same sex attraction under a guise so it could publicly out the priest attending it. Said priest has been a frequent attacker of homosexuality. While I understand Lavender's intentions of showing the priest's hypocrisy, I must question lying to get into a private support group where people are discussing personal issues. I have this belief that stooping to the level of the other side never results in a solution. It just makes us look worse in the eyes of those we are trying to convince. Yes, I know hard-core bigots are never going to be changed, but there are always the undecided. They are the ones who have the most pull, and they are the people who are often critical of stunts like this.

In other news, Celebritology tells me Robert Pattinson is distantly related to Vlad the Impaler. Who knew?

That monstrosity known as "Zero" is finally done. I have to be fair, the novel really should have never tried to cover any of the Psycho!Orange stuff since it was just fan-pandering in the series and makes no sense regardless of what medium it is presented in. And the Kallen allusions between Zero and Naoto were nice. But what was the purpose of even bothering with the V.V./Nunnally scenes if the author wasn't even going to speculate on their importance? The final confrontation was decent Suzaku perspective, I suppose, but it all felt too rushed. Maybe the author was trying to convey the intensity of the moment through prose. I think this novel's greatest sin, aside from its mind-boggling interpretations, was trying to play straight with the ridiculous mystery (C.C., V.V., Geass, Marianne) and randomness of S1's finale.

I failed at getting "Hundred Thousand Kingdoms" at the library. They also didn't have "Rampant." I was so annoyed at my failure that I didn't even think to try to find The Thief series Dana recommended. Instead, I ended up with some werewolf fiction called "Sharp Teeth." I picked it up because it's a novel written in free verse, and it sounds like a trip.

I want to see the new Bravo series about the artists, "Work of Art." It's probably cheesy, but it's not like I have anything else to watch anymore.

Also, SPN Anime? As long as it fast-forwards to the angels. But ugh, I can already see the woman fanservice. Sob.

I also forgot to mention in my last few posts that I recently discovered that someone I hung out with frequently in high school has since become an award-winning drag queen. Who knew?

Upon recommendation of crowphoenix, I have been watching Giant Bomb's endurance run of "Deadly Premonition." I feel this game would be so much scarier if the graphics weren't loltastic, but I'm amusing myself. Who doesn't love a guy who gets secret messages from his coffee?

So new info about new Geass canon is out. The whole Akito jazz. Can I saw yawn? I mean, from a EU perspective, it's all right, but it's not especially high on my give-a-shit radar. I'm sorry but I don't do spin-offs or OCs. You won't be getting my money this time, Sunrise. I miss Lelouch. :(

( I has opinions on Project Runway. Beware for finale spoilers. )

Now for your political links of the day:

I wanted to post something from the WaPo about the Appleseed group, where people believe you need to know how to shoot a gun to understand how to be a Real American. This was actually a well-written unbiased look at the group that still managed to show how messed-up some of these people are. Unfortunately, it's one of the articles you have to sign up for. :(

Instead let's do quotes!

- "Open Carry Rallys: It was neat that the Tea Partiers rallied to support Obama and his signing of the bill allowing them to openly carry firearms in federal parklands. It was a cool way to support the President.

Dana Milbank : Yes, but I think a more convincing sign of gratitude would have been for them to fire their weapons in the air. Then again, the bullets may have landed in Eric Cantor's office and we'd have another problem on our hand."

- "SEC Porn: How can I get a job at the SEC?

Dana Milbank writes: The recommended first step is a donation to the RNC's Young Eagles, c/o: Club Voyeur, 7969 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90046-5111"

- "Under the Volcano: Dana, I loved this quote in your column from Tom Murray of the U.S. Geological Survey: "We cannot depend that the volcano will be good to us."

Look, scientists, the volcano will be good to us if we make the right ritual sacrifices--ancient cultures knew that. As Washington DC has so few political virgins, I suggest offering Mitch McConnell or John Boehner. But then, I'm a Democrat. I am sure Republicans have a list of their own. Let's work together in a bipartisan way .

Dana Milbank: The Republicans do have a list. As the Sunday column (out today) notes, they have already offered up Charlie Crist for human sacrifice. Will be a rather crisp Crist after the volcano gets done with him.

I noted in Homo Politicus that human sacrifice is fairly common in Washington already, as illustrated by Scooter Libby."

I visited my mother's grave after work. Somebody has been stealing both our flower planters and our flowers. They steal our flower planters to put their own flowers in at the grave next to ours. They steal our flowers to spread on the other grave next to ours. Oh, did I mention that the ones who stole our planters just threw my mother's flowers on the empty graveless patch of ground to the side? What is wrong with people? Next time I go home, we're going to pick her up some spring flowers and I'm going to buy a CEMENT PLANTER. Let's see those bitches try and move that.

I've also been unusually tired this weekend and wonder if it's due to me stressing myself out. On the positive front, I did call my grandmother and we talked for a good hour. She sounds healthy and was happy to hear from me so I guess I won't be getting disowned for another few months.

On the negative front, our pitbull has some sort of testicular tumor and might have to be castrated. This is especially bad since his idiot owners (aka my sister and her beau) planned on studding him, which is probably the only reason they've kept him this long. I don't know what will happen if we have to castrate him, but it might not be good. He's a dumb dog, but he's very loving and tries to be good. I'm also worried that my old cat Louis is not doing very well since she almost never comes out of the basement anymore and my father says she hasn't slept on is bed for several days. Thankfully, she did sleep there last night. She's not as old as Dana's cat, and that one seems to be doing much better. I hope she perks up. It's probably the dog's fault.

I wish I didn't hate the new VK art so I could actually use it in icons, but I really truly think it looks off, especially the latest cover pic. That could have been really sexy too.

I am so restless this week. I was looking forward to going to see the lights tonight but apparently my roomie has forgotten about that venture. I still don't have the belt for my father and I'm planning to leave work early tomorrow to drive home and get it. And I still haven't sent out my family Christmas cards, but I've pretty much decided those are going to go out the day after Christmas. I just want to do something and I don't know what. Though Elisa's tasty cookies did help some. Mmm cookies.

I'm also really irked that asshole Michael Vick is receiving a Courage Award from the Philadelphia Eagles for "turning his life around" and "getting out and playing when everyone is bashing him." FOR MONEY. This is not an altruistic action. The man wants to get paid. Who gives a shit if people hate you if you get paid. That's not courage. Fine, second chances and whatever but don't give him a fucking reward. Ugh, I hate the Eagles and everything they represent.

ETA: My neighbors have just gifted me with ENDLESS COOKIES. ZOMG IT'S A COOKIE-PALOOZA UP IN HERE.

I lack amusing quotes today since I was busy doing my job. Novel idea, I know. Though, oddly enough, I did get three people from three different companies to comment that my name was pretty. Nobody has ever told me this before so it was a surreal moment.

I miss my female coworker. She always humored my random political musings. The male one, it's always tough to judge whether he's in the mood to talk. Like sometimes he'll be pleasant and joke around and others he will snap at me for asking him a question. I don't blame him; his job is very stress-inducing and fast-paced, but it still sucks that I can't gauge him.

Despite what I've heard about Wolves of Calla, I'm looking forward to it. Probably because it has "wolves" in the title, and everyone knows I'm a furry in denial or something. Lol.

( RP whinery. )

I don't believe in honesty memes because if you're not straight with me, I don't want to know about it, k?

Tom and I went mini-golfing yesterday. It was so much fun. I even got a hole in one. So much better than our usual plan of lounging around like bored kitties and watching movies while praying my roomie doesn't come home and interrupt with inane conversation. I actually beat him too, but only because his club was dented and he was shooting into the water/bushes/next hole. It was pretty funny all in all. Then there was sushi. I must have the white seaweed roll again because that was the best thing ever. They even had koi.

I think I will just veg the rest of the weekend.