The Lone Democrat

so i wasn't planning on necessarily blogging right when i got home about the debate, but i just can't help myself. first let me say, i'm glad that i went. besides the fact of if i didn't go, i would have been donating all that money to the repubs without getting anything for it...so i went. i got there very early, to be sure i could find a great seat near the aisle for quick get-a-way, if necessary.

so of my favorite moments from the debate:

1) there were a couple of good ol' boys behind me discussing the candidates and other political issues. apparently they got the tickets for free, which made me feel like an asshole in the first place. regardless...one of the first things they said was about ron paul (who brings the same type of disgust that clinton does among SC voters)...they remarked while reading his bio in the nifty book that was provided..."that ron paul, what could he offer us...i mean, he's a gynecologist." And this last word they drew out to indicate their disdain for that type of work. it made me realize that apparently anything that has to do with women is weak and disgusting. they then proceeded to discuss the demographics of the audience, which surprisingly (heavy on the sarcasm) was white. they remarked that there weren't many black folks in the audience, then the other friend (just as brilliant) remarked, "well, just wait until the one in a couple of weeks." (note: he was referring to the democratic debate. i swear i almost fell out of my chair.)

2) the emcee for the evening was brian wilson. no, not that one. the fox news one. apparently, we have differing opinions on what an emcee does, as i spent a couple of hours bored, without entertainment. regardless, the few entertaining remarks he made were completely asinine to me. but what i really hated was how he talked about the south. the things that he said to provide a "connection" with the audience was to discuss southern accents, sweet tea, and grits. fuck me. seriously. is that all the south means to anyone?

3) there were all sorts of things that happened technical wise. the rain, like only a myrtle beach rain can do, came pouring down and drowned out the sound. also causing a bit of mass confusion among attendees.

4) there were a few moments where the words "liberal" and "democrat" were used with such contempt that i was sure i would be "outed". and then thrown out, accordingly.

5) it was interesting to watch the interactions when ron paul spoke. i was NOT in the ron paul section, though i started to believe i should have been. i like many of paul's opinions, on the side of what is referred to as "conservativism"...i would have to say that he has some good ideas. regardless, any time paul spoke, the folks around me rolled their eyes...and even the candidates would denigrate him with their raised eyebrows and confused looks. if this didn't communicate to the world that they were not ALIGNED with paul, they also made comments about how weird and wrong his opinions are. there was even once that romney commented about how he didn't even know paul's views on immigration (at which time i said aloud, "read the paper")- mostly because i believe if you are running for president you should be aware of all other candidates positions. i mean, you expect us to educate ourselves on the issues, then i would assume you'd do me the honor of doing the same. of course, i think that romney knows...he was just taking another cheap shot at paul. it was then i realized why all of paul's supporters sat together (and loudly clapped often), it is because safety comes in numbers...and the regard the folks around me gave to paul, i realized this might not be a safe place to respond to his comments.

6)there were many kids at the debate. not kids like college kids, but kids kids...like under 18 kids. now, this is a great way to inspire your children to be part of the political process, but most kids were decked out in shirts and stickers to support a particular candidate. adolescence can be pretty confusing as it is, i'm not sure politics is necessarily a good idea- nor do i think a ticket costing me $150 would be well spent on a kid.

7)i also like huckabee out of the bunch. i mean, i have some issues (obviously) with many of his opinions, but he is a likeable guy. he has those dimples, he jogs (even in myrtle beach) every day, he has a sense of humor (as exercised tonight), he is a self-earned type of person, and he is generally respectful of people's beliefs...note, i said generally. i get the impression at times that he would be fine with a little nihilistic, atheist like me. he would most certainly disagree with my beliefs, but he seems to lean on the side of how religion shouldn't necessarily be part of the presidential job. of course, this does run contrary to the evolution discussion. and perhaps, abortion, gay marriage, war, military.

8) tim asked me a few weeks ago which republican i would be the most scared of...and i wasn't too sure at the time...but i do believe i figured it out tonight. i think john mccain scares the hell out of me. besides his likeness to cotton on king of the hill, i think the support of the folks around me and his stances on issues makes me feel a little nervous and jittery.

i think i better stop here. there were all sorts of interesting things that happened...their discussion of immigration and war, but hopefully you watched the debate- so no observation is necessary here. i do have to say that it felt very awkward to me to sit in this audience. i was surrounded. i started feeling claustrophobic at times, primarily when they were denigrating liberals and democrats...but i survived. i don't know if i was just confused about where i had been for the previous 4 hours, but when i left the building- i was so disoriented that i had trouble finding my car. and no, i wasn't drinking. i couldn't find the beer line. but i was thinking that it would have been a helluva lot more entertaining with a little alcohol at the event. but then again, some folks would say that everything might be a little more entertaining if alcohol was offered, like church for example. is that right?

Klosterman and The Republicans

You can reference my other blog (www.musicismemory.com) to find out what I've spent my last 24 hours doing...I'll let you know, I was reading Chuck Klosterman's Killing Yourself To Live: 85% Of A True Story. Why would I blog about it twice? Well, for one, I try to reserve my book blog for more professional postings about music and memory...but on this one, I can be a bit more true to form.

Here is a quote from the book that demonstrates part of what I absolutely adored about it...the subtlety.

"I'm still half wasted when I awake, which is better than being hung over (but just barely)." -Chuck Klosterman

There are many other things I also enjoyed...the usage of the band KISS to organize and explore his romantic relationships.

I'd tell you more about it, but you should just find out for yourself, if you haven't. I also love the feeling of discovering a new author for the first time. I can remember when I discovered Milan Kundera, Nick Hornby, Jeanette Winterson...and it always feels amazing. You prepare yourself for a personal relationship with them, as you plan a trip to the bookstore to pick up EVERYTHING they've written. It's a lovely feeling.

But yes, I'd tell you more about the last 24 hours, except...I am attending the Republican Debate tonight. Yes, in person. I'm nervous and freaked out about the whole event, though I know when I'm sitting in my chair, looking around while people smile and commend the candidates broad sweeping attempts at votes...I'll be happy (and a bit disenchanted). I'll let you know what happens.

theatre for old men...and women

so...i finally took the plunge. i saw no country for old men today. as much as i've heard about the movie, i was starting to believe that it had been built up too much- but surprisingly it wasn't. it has been a very long time since i've gone to a 1:00 matinee by myself...and i think it might become a regular occurrence for me. regardless, the movie was excellent. i haven't read the book yet, but i loved the movie so much that i considered driving home, grabbing tim's copy of the book, and spending the entire night reading the book. hell, i still might.

i don't want to say too much about the movie, because i don't want to ruin anything for those who haven't seen it. overall, i very much enjoyed the movie. funny thing is that seeing a matinee on a week day in myrtle beach- means, well, it is you and every other senior citizen in the neighborhood. as they filed in, i thought, this is cool- i mean, given the trailer of the movie, i was surprised to see people of this age wanting to watch this type of movie. well, they do love suspense, don't they?

but as i watched the previews, commercials, and 30 minutes of other weird shit that plays before the movie officially starts- which by the way, why is this happening? are they postponing the beginning of the movie because people are typically late? they didn't use to do that. you could always count on 3 previews before a movie, but i swear- this is getting fucking ridiculous. back on point, so i was watching these commercials thinking how awkward it must be to be elderly. everything that was shown was totally generated toward young people. i even overheard a conversation about "that lindsey lohan" and her drug problems. ha.

another priceless moment was at the end of the movie. one good thing about the elderly is that they are respectful movie-goers, generally. they sat very quietly watching, with the exception of that one old couple in the back who kept saying, "uh oh, here he comes again...." they may be generally quiet during the movie, but they are not afraid to very loudly exclaim their opinions after the movie. the flippin' moment the movie ended, they were all exclaiming how they didn't like the ending. and then "that was a very very weird movie". i'm still trying to figure out what they thought they were going to get. and i'm sure the coen brothers would love to hear their thoughts on the ending.

2-0-0-8

i know, i was suppose to blog much earlier than this after the new year. to try to catch up with my happenings, there was a trip to atlanta for the band of horses show. the entire evening was fantastic. besides the show and dinner, i had a grand realization. we had some drinks at the hotel bar before dinner and got along famously with the bartender. now, i know that bartenders exist primarily to get along with their clientele...but within the first sips of my drink, i realized that we had a better conversation with our bartender than we have with most people that we have met in myrtle beach. yes, i know. i enjoy the beach. well, actually, the beach proper, not necessarily the town, but the ocean, the sand...yes, it is all very beautiful- but i've realized quite suddenly, actually that the area here does not offer many opportunities for new friends, interesting experiences, etc. so, this trip at the end of the year opened my eyes to the fact that it is time in fact for a move.

i do understand that this goes completely contrary to my new years 2007 resolutions...which after reviewing i have realized that i'm a planner. i like looking ahead to my next step. i like thinking of what is next. so i will continue to do this in 2008. part of this plan is to move within the next 5-8 months. i've applied to phd programs, so we'll see how this plays out. if it doesn't, i most certainly will be moving SOMEWHERE. ANYWHERE.

beyond that, i had a great time with my mother. i watched her during the show. i watched her sing, throw her arms in the air. i realized that sometimes it is difficult for children to realize their parents have their own happiness. i've been fortunate enough to grow up very close to my mother, so we've always been best friends, but i do hope that my brothers can realize that my mom isn't always "mom", but rather a very wonderful woman. that is her above, enjoying some breakfast at the majestic in atlanta.

so what did i do for new years? well, tim, patrick (our neighbor), and i went out to a bar up the street from the house. the whole scene was hilarious. there was a dj with people dancing to songs from C & C Music Factory. after a few beverages, we came back to the house for champagne. later, we went out on the beach for the magic moment, to watch fireworks and toast one another with plastic cups. the picture below is all three of us at the bar.



since the new year, i've been attempting to get everything in place for the beginning of classes. that is right- my extended vacation is almost over. i've been watching tons of movies, including the show, arrested development. jennie ann also came to visit for the last couple of days. i'll have a picture up soon enough. we had a great time, talking, drinking, and listening to music.

starting today, i'm on my own here at the beach, while tim spends his finally week of residency at school. he graduates on saturday. having the next few days alone is interesting. i start out with a list of items to be accomplished. the unfortunate thing is that i obnoxiously completed most of my activities in the first couple of hours...yes, i should learn to pace myself. i'm sure that could be said about a number of my favorite activities.

what am i looking forward to in the new year? the yo la tengo show, the wilco show, another band of horses show...working on my book and short stories. i also think that instead of listing out resolutions for the next year, i'm just going to take it as it comes. things seem to change so quickly every day for me, so i don't necessarily want to make a list now. i'll keeep you updated.

Post Traumatic Holiday Disorder

now that the dust has settled on the christmas holiday...i finally feel as if i'm starting to make sense of the dizzying experience of travel, presents, and family. i almost wish that we could divide the holiday up over the course of the year. maybe january i could celebrate with my mom's family. maybe in february we could celebrate with my dad's family. maybe in march we could celebrate with tim's family. april could be, well, that is my birthday, so we'll reserve it. but may could be reserved for jennie ann...and onward. you get the point. i suppose i always get a bit inundated with the gift exchange and social interaction.

upon return home, i walked in the house (where the cats had been left to fend for themselves for two days) to find chaos. they decided to "roll" the bathroom with toilet paper, like three teenagers left home alone. they tore down the stockings, i suppose looking for more presents than the one i bought them.

the pictures are of my brothers. the top one is of taylor. the bottom one is of john. as a friend of mine once said about her 20 year old daughter, "the aliens that had her captive for the last 10 years have finally brought her home." i feel somewhat the same about my brothers. i felt like this last visit home brought us closer together again...as they are growing up and becoming humans i can communicate with outside of the fact they are my brothers.





regardless, i received many wonderful and thoughtful gifts. i think that with the overwhelming consumption, i have continued to purchase. for example, today i got a new cellphone...and only about 3 years behind the trend, i finally have a camera phone. so i can only warn you that i might be sending cell phone photos for the next few weeks...forgive me in advance. i'm sure for the coming weeks, i'll personalize every person in my new cell phone with a picture, ringtone. aah, yes, the power of organization.

after all the holiday excitement, i've been catching up on my reading, writing, movie watching, and beer drinking. as you can tell, it has been a rough few days, but i'm surviving.

i'm heading to atlanta tomorrow for the band of horses show at the earl. i'm stoked to see the horses, as i haven't seen them perform. i'm also really excited to see my old friends that keep themselves busy in atlanta. not to mention, i get to see my mom again...so i promise to get a picture (cellphone one or otherwise) of her swooning and crooning to the horses.

i'm already starting to compile a list in my head about new years...it is vague, but coming together.

i am person obsessed with making lists. i mostly use lists to help organize my day. though, i also use lists to plan larger projects. say, my holiday lists. there was one for christmas cards. one for the christmas mix. one for gifts.i even make lists on days that i have very little to do. at times, it may simply be comprised of:

-wake up
-check e-email
-exercise
-shower
-watch movies
-internet shopping

of course, my lists are more helpful (as you can see from above) when i have more to do. so during the semester when i'm teaching about 300 students, these lists help me keep everything organized. during the busy part of the semester, i make several lists a day. they become very detailed including exact times, even scheduled meals. throughout the day, i go through and cross off the items i've completed. it gives me a sense of accomplishment.

so here is the dilemma. my life has drastically been altered in the last week. i have gone from having a very busy, full schedule to having absolutely no structure to my day. now i just have vague suggestions for how to fill my day. now, you might be thinking- but what about all the holiday lists? yes, i'm done. i've even already wrapped my presents.

so, now i'll fill my days with watching movies, reading books, and working on my book project. i know, i know- what am i complaining about? i'm not. it is just difficult to go from being extremely busy to being extremely not busy. don't worry- i'm adjusting.

what is on the agenda today?
-watching flight of the conchords (again)
-rent some movies
-read some of Klosterman's IV
-work on writing up my musical history for the book
-go to the book store to buy a couple of Woody Allen books (Mere Anarchy and The Insanity Defense)

now i just have to figure out how to sleep past 7:00am.

oh yes, the new website is up and going....check it out

www.musicismemory.com

Why I Teach...

hi ms. everhart,
yes will you please email me my grades. i just wanted to tell you that
i really enjoyed your class you made issues of the world interesting. i
never thought i'd be interested in politics but now i am, and i will be
voting in the upcoming election for the first time. so thank you for be
such a good teacher and making things that could be boring interesting.
thank you


Sometimes it is nice to be reminded of why it is you do what you do...

An Inverse Correlation

I'll be honest...I haven't thought about whether or not a correlation is direct, positive, indirect, inverse, negative in almost a year. Today as I went for my walk, I discovered...I'm experiencing an inverse correlation.

As the number of exams left for the semester decrease, my life satisfaction, creativity, and happiness all increase.

Is there causality you propose? Perhaps.

december 13th. my holiday break officially begins. i'm at the tail end of the semester and i couldn't be happier. one last week of lecturing and one week of exams and i'll finally be able to spend my time as i see fit.

this last weekend was completely indicative of the end of the semester. completely chaotic and frustrating. it all began with a crazy dream of spiders. it was sort of kathy in wonderland type of dream. the one thing that stayed with me the longest was the image of a white spider. the first morning, i didn't think too much about it, but when i had the dream for a second night- i thought there might be something to it.

there were a couple of very large white spiders. they were noisy. they were trying to wrap their spinning thread around me. it was scary, but i thought i was able to avoid getting completely captured by the spiders. so what does this spider dream mean?

it can mean any variety of things...such is the case with symbols in dreams. perhaps i'm anxious, perhaps i'm worried about being stuck, perhaps it is a sign of creativity, or i could use the Jungian archetypal analysis...which believes that spiders call for greater self-understanding and encourage us to derive meaning and satisfaction from the intricate framework and interplay of life...

certainly.

so, things would have been fine until saturday when i had an interaction with a different type of insect. a gnat. not in a dream, but unfortunately in real life. early in the morning, tim and i discovered quite a few gnats in our house. upon further inspection, we started to notice there were more and more of them. i quickly surveyed the house for a piece of fruit gone bad. nope. starting to use my powers of investigative research...i began to deduce that perhaps that gnats were finding their way into our house from the air conditioning unit...

tim and i quickly dealt with this infestation by removing the air conditioning unit, which as tim adeptly carried this huge monstrosity around the house...i ran through the house to the back door, where we planned to store the unit. i tried to open the back door to help tim, which gave some resistance. so i pulled it again- at which time a huge cast iron pan that we store above the door came cascading down, only stopping to hit my hand and then my shin.

the day did get better. and i haven't had another dream of spiders.

what else is new?

i'm working on a new blog for my book on music, so i'll be sure to update you on the status, as soon as it gets up and running.

i've applied (formally) to graduate school. yes, more school and more debt.

and i'm thinking of quitting one of my many teaching jobs, so i can spend more time working on my book and yes, you know, spend more time enjoying myself.

the vegetarian on display

yes, i've missed all of you too. i haven't had the time to respond the emails, return phone calls, much less write on my blog. regardless, this also means that my life has mostly been filled with teaching, as opposed to what i'd prefer to do with my free time...which involves writing my book and engaging in functional alcoholism.

some fun times have been had in the last month...we went to the bright eyes show in charleston at the beginning of november. as always a good time (from what i remember)...i do know there was a late night party that involved a mechanical bull. also, tim long came to visit, which was good times as usual, with late night beach walks and inexpensive brunches.

i have decided after much deliberation that i am in fact applying to a doctoral program for next fall. this wasn't my first choice, but seems to be a good idea for me now. of course, i change my mind just about every day and one of the lasting dreams is to be a tour manager a la murray from the flight of the conchords.

moving on...this is my first thanksgiving as a vegetarian. i made the fatal flaw of mentioning this to one of my classes...and then spent the next 15 minutes trying to explain to my curious class what a vegetarian eats. "uh, duh, vegetables?" regardless, it reminded me of the scene in everything is illuminated (see below)...as someone actually asked me "do you eat turkey?"




something else you should check out...tim has a new food blog, you can check it out here: www.biscuitblog.com

I heart tomatoes.

now i know it seems silly. but honestly, growing up i was a meat and potatoes girl. like, literally. i would eat a hamburger, steak, chicken, pork, etc....with potatoes. okay, i'm being dramatic, but i remember my friend meredith's mom use to laugh about my meat and 2 sides...only 2 sides, never more.

i didn't eat alot of vegetables when i was younger. i actually hated them. which was funny because i was friends with many vegetarians. but that was me, chain-smoking, coffee drinking, beer guzzling, meat eating kathy.

man, things have changed...well not all of them, i retain my beer guzzling and my coffee drinking for sanity.

i made a conscious effort almost 3 months ago to stop eating meat. i had a difficult time to begin with...faculty meetings with only meat sandwiches, restaurants with only fish options, but starting on august 22nd...i haven't had even the slightest amount of meat. now this isn't a blog about how pretentious i've become with my non-meat eating ethos, but rather my wonderful discovery of food.

when you eat meat as your main and most important centerpiece of your meals...you forget there are wonderful, exciting items out there.

did you know that zucchini is EXCELLENT?

what about tofu? its awesome if cooked up crunchy in a stirfry...and then, its awesome not too.

i discovered a myriad of foods, including: bok choy, avocado, green beans, squash...and it continues.

last night, tim and i had dinner and we ordered bruschetta...and before i knew it, i scarfed down two pieces. this from a gal who has NEVER liked tomatoes. yes, i like ketchup, tomato soup, marinara sauce, but i have never liked tomatoes on sandwiches, tacos. after one bite, i said, "now, wait, this is a tomato right?" i simply couldn't believe it. it was fucking delicious. see, i save it for the right moment.

i even called my mom to tell her my good news.

so, i guess my point is that without eating meat i've been able to explore a whole new world of food. those that had been relegated to merely my side items.

The First Hoodie Of The Fall

last night was the first night it felt like fall to me. and before tim and i went out for dinner, i went sifting through my closet looking for it. looking for the first hoodie of the fall.

yeah, i know. it is completely a cliche...the indie rock hoodie. it is a subcultural must. but see, i just don't care. there is just something to me about slipping it on, zipping it up, and putting my hands in the pockets...something that feels like fall is officially here.

A Mysterious Band of Horses Microchip

i'm absolutely sure of it now. when tim and i spent the night with the horses folks, while we were passed out- they must have implanted a microchip that plays their music in our brains, fucking constantly. it is sort of like a birthday card that plays music when you open it. as soon as i step out of bed in the morning for the last week or so, i've heard any combination of songs from the horses. at first i thought it was just me, but i asked tim...and it was happening to him too. so the only logical conclusion i can make at this point in time is that there was some late night surgery taking place in that house.

that being said, most of what i'm hearing is off the new album, which comes out tomorrow. i urge you to get this album. if for some chance there isn't a microchip in my head, then this is one of the catchiest fucking albums i have ever heard.

apparently they also imprinted on the microchip the need to say the f-word over and over again too. but seriously, buy the album.

other than that....i want to say "WELCOME HANK!"

"at the end of the night, we'd all seen better days"

as promised, i took a trip at the beginning of this week down to the charleston area to interview ben bridwell of band of horses for the book. this was not the original intent of the trip, as we also had tickets to see the watson twins and magnolia electric company.

the show itself was fantastic. i got the opportunity to meet jason molina. as some would say, "it came full circle"...at least the idea for the book, music, memories.

overall, i found it awfully refreshing to spend time in the company of some really fucking cool people. and i'm not sure what i had expected otherwise, but there is something i love about meeting folks from a band you admire...and finding out that they really are as down to earth and nice as you had always hoped.

it was a long evening, but yes, as the lyric reads, "at the end of the night, we'd all seen better days..."

i'll save my abstracted, foggy memories...but there is one line from the evening i'll never forget. stamped on my memory of the trip, of the music, of the adventure.

"1, 2, 3, 4...5 pussies"

The rationalists...

A clip from the latest Bill Maher...


And finally, New Rule: Just because the Constitution doesn't have a religious test for office, doesn't mean I can't. This past Monday was Constitution Day in the U.S. And while I was going over the Constitution with my two adopted kids—[laughter]—Zack Ono and Mogadishu—[laughter]—I'm home schooling them—[laughter]—I was struck again by Article 6, Section 3. It says, "No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office." And I agree. No one should ever be disqualified for their religion. Even the funny ones. [laughter] Like all of them. [applause] [cheers]

But, the problem is that there is a religious test in this country. According to a recent poll, seven in ten say it's important to have a president with strong religious beliefs. The other three couldn't take the poll because it was Friday night and Yahweh wouldn't let them answer the phone. [laughter]

But, fair is fair. So, for myself and the other 15-20% of American who the majority call "non-believers," but who I call "rationalists," [applause] here is our religious test for office: if you believe in Judgment Day, I have to seriously question your judgment. [laughter]

If you believe you're in a long-term relationship with an all-powerful space-daddy—[laughter]—who will, after you die, party with your ghost forever—[laughter]—you can't have my vote, even for Miss Hawaiian Tropic. [laughter] [applause]

I can't trust you at the levers of government because there's an electrical fire going on in your head. [laughter]

Maybe a president who didn't believe our soldiers were going to Heaven might be a little less willing to get them killed. [applause] [cheers]

Candidate Mitt Romney, a Mormon, believes in spiritually-blessed underwear that can protect him. [laughter] He seemed like a nice man, and so do his sons, Wally and the Beav. [laughter] But, I'm sorry, their religion is bat-shit. [laughter] It's like Scientology without the celebrities. [laughter] [applause] And he has every right to run for president while believing in magic underwear, and believing that Jesus survived his own death and will return during an Osmonds' concert in Branson. [laughter] And I have every right to take that into consideration in the voting booth.

And at the end of the day, is magic underwear really that much crazier than giant arks or virgin births or talking bushes? You're either a rationalist or you're not. And the good news is, a recent poll found 20% of adults under 30 say they are rationalists and have figured out that Santa Claus and Jesus are really the same guy. [laughter] [applause]

Now, 20% is hardly a majority, but it's a bigger minority than blacks, Jews, homosexuals, NRA members, teachers or seniors. And it's certainly enough to stop being shy about expressing the opinion that WE'RE NOT THE CRAZY ONES! [applause] [cheers]

Just because the vote is 4-to-1, it doesn't mean the minority is wrong. People who were against this war from the start were a minority. The majority used to believe the world was flat. But if you believe that today, you'd either be packed off to Bellevue or asked to co-host "The View." [laughter] [applause] [cheers]

Hipster Olympics

awwww. thanks to glover for this video. i just had to share it with the rest of the world (those four of you- wait, three, exempt of glover)...

My suggestions for legislation on clothing...

i'm sure you've all heard by now about the latest "baggy pants" ban...where they are passing legislation (i think it has only passed in a small town in Louisiana) to ban pants that are too baggy and sag down. what the fuck? not only do i personally think this is crossing some boundaries in who is being targeted here, but this just doesn't seem to be the most pressing issue in our society, does it?

but i figured i should jump on the band wagon, if we are going to start legislating the clothes that people can wear...then good goddamn, let's make some changes. we all know there are lots of clothing and styles that should be outlawed. and i believe this presents the perfect opportunity to start over in fashion.

1) CROCS...please. let's just do away with this. its awful. and no, i don't care how comfortable they are.

2) TINY MINI-SKIRTS. see...now, if the baggy pants are an issue of indecent exposure, then we need to start making some women cover it up. one of my students came to class last week wearing the shortest skirt i've ever seen. why?

3) OVER-DONE CLEAVAGE. while i'm bagging on women...cover it up. seriously. if you've seen the commercials for the new tim gunn show...he says it best when he says, "no, not sexy. not at all..." (i'm paraphrasing)...but you really don't have to put it out on the table to be sexy...and if you are, you are probably not getting the right type of attention for it either.

4) SANDALS/FLIP FLOPS WITH SOCKS. wrong. always wrong. i think i broke up with a guy for doing this once. that's right. once. and i never got the image out of my head.

5) WHITE, OLD ATHLETIC SHOES. you know the ones. they are crusty. they bow up at the toes. from the passage of time, and the washing machine. please...don't wear these unless you are running, mowing the grass, or otherwise out of the public eye.

6) SHIRTS THAT ARE TOO SMALL FOR YOU or TOO BIG FOR YOU. i know. i'm getting picky here. but i am simply tired of walking outside to check the mail to find a slew of construction workers with tight white t-shirts on (i know, you'd think they were in the band hot hot heat or something)...well, wait, i suppose they are in hot, hot heat weather-wise...oh damn. regardless, i do not need to play peek-a-boo with your belly. so cover it up.

7)OVERSIZED SUNGLASSES. okay, i know...very few of you can get away with this. my mom is one of them...she looks like a movie-star in them. the rest of you look like bugs.

8) GAUCHO PANTS. always wrong. particularly when the attempt is made to dress these up to wear out to the club. bad idea.



hmm. what else...do you have any suggestions? i'm sure i'm missing tons of them.

Guitar Girl?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD_wjAZfC8o

Are you kidding me? I remember dubbing this gal "guitar girl"...I also remember her asking if she could play the open mike at Cafe Bisous that I use to help organize. Oh yeah...and dragging her guitar around with her everywhere. Perhaps that would have made an interesting American Express commercial...or at least Mastercard.

Does anyone find it somewhat odd that these commercials show these people jet-setting around the world? Like Shaun White and such. I understand people have to travel...but its almost as if they are boasting about taking a plane to one continent and then to another in the same day, just to play a show or snowboard or whatever.

Is it just me or isn't there an environmental crisis going on? Maybe American Express should make one showing someone using their card to switch their diesel to running on vegetable oil...just a thought.

i know. i'm a fucking hippie now.

Falling in Love

Indeed, I've fallen back in love with the beach. The tourists have all gone home after Labor Day. I walked out on the beach (twice) on Wednesday to celebrate my impending pensive daily walks...

There is tons more to say. I've started classes. Perhaps the most challenging, but invigorating semester and students so far. More on this later.

Onward to good news about my book project...I'm in the process of securing interviews with folks from Elf Power and Band of Horses. That makes me almost as happy as the empty beach.

Yes, I'm busy as can be right now. I promise to save some time this weekend to share my wit and anecdotes with you.

Dear Senator Obama,

I am writing to tell you how much I enjoyed your latest visit to Horry County. A couple of comments for you...

1) I suppose I must be an idiot to not realize that politics is the world of "putting on a show"...but I think I'm consistently baffled and somewhat sickened to watch how the people surrounding politicans go to great lengths to "create" a visual. I shouldn't have been surprised when your people started circulating the room passing out "handmade" signs. This came as more of a face slap when everyone was informed to leave their handmade signs outside, only to be handed campaign made ones on the inside. Very odd to me. But yes, I must be delusional to think everything about an event like this would be authentic.

2) I would be careful using the substitute of Carolina for either North Carolina or South Carolina. I have found people to be very sensitive to this overstatement. Of course, you could have been confused by the Coastal Carolina signs too.

3) One of my favorite "slogans" you espoused was in regards to building from the ground up. I'm always trying to express to my students the importance of grass roots social action...and I feel like you might be someone who understands this. I think I even got chills when you went through different examples of this building from the ground up...women's right to vote, civil rights movement. good job of building it into something great.

4) I think you may have won over a majority of the crowd when you spoke about having a glass of wine. sometimes, we just want to know that you are human...and I think you did a great job of admitting that with the wine comment. I go to great lengths to do this with my students...as I think the distinction made between roles puts us at great lengths from one another.

5) I'd chill it out with the Warren Buffet story...apparently Edwards is telling the same type of story.

6) The story you finished with was spellbinding. I looked around the crowd and you had everyone captivated...again, human qualities with the tiredness and grumpiness...which was excellent to hear. You are a great storyteller. "Fire it up!" and "Ready to go?" will always be stuck with me...and ending with a question and answer of these two...excellent. I'd give a raise to whoever came up with this idea, whether it was you or one of the suits behind you.

Anyways, thanks for your visit. I was completely star struck getting to see you. Come visit us again, Barackstar.
Katherine