All Too Familiar

Check out this article on MSN.com today: http://cityguides.msn.com/citylife/cityarticle.aspx?cp-documentid=11292324 .

So, I noticed some place rather familiar on their list of extremely Red cities (no, not Provo). And, note the state where three out of four of their reddest cities are found. *sigh* No wonder all my friends want to move to Portland....

Flip-Flopping

So, during the last presidential election (2004), I was woefully politically unaware. I didn't even bother to vote, though in my younger self's defense, I was not in the country during the election. However, things have changed around here (in my brain, I mean). Now I have opinions, and goshdarnit I mean to share them!

Here's the deal. Last election, John Kerry (who, sadly, seemed to stand for nothing), was tarred blacker than black with the "Flip-flopper" brush. Buying into the hype, I jeered at him along with the rest as someone who just couldn't make up his political mind. Unlike Bush, you know, who ALWAYS knows what he wants.

Moving right along to 2008, this idea of "flip-flopping" has been slung gleefully at both McCain and Obama. I mean, they both (gasp!) changed their positions on Iraq, right?

So, someone explain to me please what's so bad about changing your mind! Doesn't it make a lot more sense to change your position on something when you are confronted with new and illuminating information? Isn't it bordering on insane not to change your position when new information comes to light?

I don't know about anyone else, but I'd rather have a president who is willing to change his mind now and then if he discovers the facts are different than he previously believed. That sounds a lot more sane than hunkering down on your platform and doggedly clinging to it, no matter the consequences, no matter the reality (War in Iraq, anyone?).

Of course, it would be a problem if politicians went around changing their minds only when it was advantageous to their advancement. Promoting a position you disagree with is not only dirty politics. It's downright nutty. Prove to me that Obama and/or McCain only change their minds when it's convenient, and then I'll ridicule them with you. Other than that, I'll call "flip-flopping" what it is: thinking.

Shocking But True!

Technology is, admittedly, a fickle friend. I myself am often quite mystified by it. And yet, there come those times when technology just comes through for you. You make an idiotic mistake, something even a third grader knows better than to do, but hey! It's OK... Technology's got your back.

So, here's how it went down:

Tonight I did laundry, as I often do in the middle of the night when I realize I literally have nothing (not smelly) to wear tomorrow. I went to take the wet clothes out of the washer and all of a sudden, there it was: that ominous oh crap clinking sound. I cringed. I looked. And yes, sitting innocently on the slick metal bottom of the washer lay my flash drive. Oh, dear flash drive! How I have loved thee! How I have used thee and abused thee! And I thought, at that moment, "This is goodbye."

But, no! Some friendly techno-angel (Wireless Wizard? USB dongle goblin?) was watching over me. Lo and behold, when I sadly plugged old flashy into the USB port, just to make sure, you know, just to confirm the worst, it's happy little green light started blinking as usual. What! Surely....surely not. No, I cannot allow myself to hope... But, wait! Look! Yes, it's really true. The icon for the flash drive is now, unmistakably, available on my desktop. Oh happy day! (With joyous glee we will away and merry be...) (A trophy to anyone who can name THAT reference! Michelle, that excludes you...)

Of course, I did what any sane technology user would do. I immediately backed up all the files I have on my flash drive... on my computer... whose files I have backed up on the flash drive... Something here's not quite right....

Career Prospects

Today in class, one of my two fellow classmates asked our professor, a certain Dr. D, if he had graded a recent writing assignment. He responded that, no, he had not yet had a chance to grade them but he had had a chance to enjoy them all. And, he added, on the basis of our work on that assignment, he was proud to announce that he believed all three of us had bright futures ahead of us as...yes, you guessed it...writers of trashy historical romance novels. No, no, we were not affronted. It was a compliment, you see. And now I am so relieved. I have put my mind at rest because, at last, my career path has been decided. Thank heavens!

Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

Recently, I tried to go see a movie with a couple of friends. The movie was Persepolis. It seemed like a simple enough proposition: Go to the movie theater. Buy tickets. Take our seats. Wait for the movie to start. Incidentally, that's the point at which the whole process stalled out.

We should have known something was up when we realized we were the only three people in the theater. We waited for the movie to start. And we waited. And waited. The screen was blank and it continued in that state.

At last, one of our number decided to seek out the establishment's employees and get to the bottom of things. He returned with an amused smile on his face.

"They were taking a cigarette break. They said they'd get to it soon."

We all had a good laugh at their rather indifferent approach to their work. And then we waited. And waited some more. And the screen was still blank.

At last the same member of the group decided he would track down the nicotine-addicted employees and figure out what was going on. This time we could hear him conversing with a woman just outside the theater.

He finally came back in, this time with a more puzzled expression on his face.

"Apparently, they can't show that movie because it's 35mm and not digital."

Huh? Um, weren't we in a movie theater? Where they show movies?

Fortunately at that moment the woman, a supervisor of some sort, appeared to clarify the situation.

"See, that movie only had about ten people the first day we showed it and then the projector broke and there ain't been nobody here to see it again."

Oh....So.... Is the projector going to be repaired?

"Well....lemme call the manager."

She called the manager.

"The tech guy should be coming tomorrow to look at it," she tells us.

Then, can we expect to be able to see the movie the day after?

"Sure. I can refund your money. Or, you know, I've got Fool's Gold, Definitely,Maybe, U23D, Hannah Montana...."

No, no. A refund will be fine.

"OK, I'll just need your ticket stubs." We started digging in our pockets and purses. "What's that movie Persepolis about anyway?"

Well, it's based on the life of a girl growing up in Iran during the revolution....

"Oh, I wouldn't want to see that. My brother just got sent over there, you know. He's protecting the Colonel, cuz he was the best marksman in his class. Yeah, I couldn't watch any movie like that."

Oh. OK. We gave her our ticket stubs, and she gave us back our money. We leave.

Two days later, we're making plans to go to the movie theater and actually see Persepolis this time. We call the theater to make sure the projector is now functioning. It is. However, they are now no longer showing that movie. If we'd like, though, they have Fool's Gold, Hannah Montana, U23D....

Alas.

Ha Ha Ha.

Hey, look, I'm writing a blog post this year. Woo hoo! I feel a little rusty, having stayed away so long. Anyway, here's a break down of this extremely eventful week:

Tuesday, February 12 - I have been dating my boyfriend for exactly one month today. Yay!

Wednesday, February 13 - This would have been my grandmother's 80th birthday. Man, she almost made it!

Thursday, February 14 - Valentine's Day! And I did buy valentines to share with 32 of my closest loved ones. They're Nickelodeon cartoon character themed.

Friday, February 15 - I'm going to see The Crucible starring my wonderful and talented friend A.S. in her last role of her college career.

So, probably nobody else really cares about any of this stuff, but darnit that's what's on my mind right now. Hopefully I'll be back with something more interesting to say later this week. Until then!