racist run in

Every now and again you are forced to have polite conversation with someone in the office that you wouldn't normally converse with socially. Whenever I find myself in that position I usually try to give that person some kind of compliment. It takes the focus off me (so I don't have to share any details of my personal life) and it also gives you a place to cut the conversation short and get out of there. Usually it's an excellent strategy. Unless the person you're talking to is a total racist.
I needed to make a break for it today, so I complemented a girl in my office on her long nails. She commented that the paint was chipping (I was aware) and said that they never grew until she had kids. I made a little comment about how I was going to have short nails for quite a while when she dropped the bomb. "That's ok, that's what little Chinese people are for." Whoa! What did she mean anyway? She thought she was being funny so I made a nervous chuckle and a quick exit. How could I even attempt to respond to that, by saying 'Yeah, that and steaming rice'? Never mind that she used such a disparaging qualifier, but in my experience most nail salons (around here anyway) are owned by Vietnamese or Korean proprietors. She wasn't even being hateful towards the correct nationality. I guess her comment falls under the 'they all look the same' way of thinking. Yes - I was offended.
I've made a decision though. The next time I find myself in an uncomfortable position like that I am going to make it very clear I'm offended. Well, maybe - if I have the balls to do it. It's gotta beat the nervous giggle line of defense and if nothing else will defend against future racist run-ins. This isn't the first time I've been in this type of situation with this particular individual. She has also told me a story about how down the black guy in her neighborhood thinks she is (after all she's big enough to let her kids play with his) - it reeked of supremacist undertones.

And yes in case you were wondering, the offender is none other than the famous CM.


I leave for Austin tomorrow morning at 7:00am. I will not be getting to the airport two hours early. It's going to be awesome and I would blog while I'm gone but I don't own a laptop (I know I suck, but hopefully I will soon!) Maybe the hotel (that we got a sweet deal on) will have a public machine I can use, if not I promise to take really good notes.

Don't ask, don't tell?

Went to see Burn After Reading yesterday and wasn't sweating that I was running late. After all, I really didn't care if I missed the commercials. (Rant on paying to see commercials is another blog) I made it to the theater to catch one full commercial, and oh what a masterpiece of cinematic persuasion it was. It was for the National Guard and very different from the simple 'the few, the proud, The Marines' commercials we're used to. This one was more of a propoganda video for the red neck set featuring uber americans Kid Rock and Dale Earnhart Jr.

PC Disclaimer: Before I get too far into this I feel the need to explain myself a little bit, becuase frankly I never get political here. I don't really intend to now, think of this more as social commentary. While I do not support the war in Iraq, I do totally support our troops. Anyone who is wiling to defend this country on their own accord is a hero in my eyes and I thank you all.

That said, I was completely thunderstruck by what I saw last night. The featured song is Kid's Warrior which was no doubt commisioned by the Guard. He sings of being an "American Warrior, a civilian in peace" while images of helicopters and hummvee's swoop by on screen. There are two stories being told here, one of good looking loyal americans going off to battle in the middle east. The other features Earnhart struggling to break through the pack in a Nascar race. I know, balanced right? They never really show the soldiers in the video actually doing anything violent, you know, becuase war isn't really violent. They do however show the troops busting into a cave and throwing the clever burlap 'disguise' off of a crate of guns they 'discover' - mission complete! The whole thing is very intense and at one point a hummvee even stops on a dime to keep from running over a cute little middle eastern boy as he chases his soccer ball into the dirt road, it was endearing really.

Now call me cynical, but my mind immediately skyrocketed back in time to a talk I saw some fifteen years ago in college about the film Triump of the Will. Yes, this National Guard commercial smacked of the same cinematic quality and production values, with a huge emphasis on a powerful muscial background. The themes were generally the same too, the grandiose nature in which they display their parties power, hardening themselves for the sacrifice that lies ahead. The only thing missing was George W., but we all know even Kid Rock can't sell that guy to the American public anymore. The Guard didn't steal every idea from WWII propoganda flics though, the whole time they had the National Guard logo translucent in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. We all know that they stole that little subliminal trick form the networks. (N-B-C!)

Just as the commercial was about to end I leaned over to husband and said, "Nothing about this appeals to me". I wasn't surprised, I don't think it was supposed to, but we were there to see a Coen brothers movie for fucks sake. I couldn't imagine it appealing to anyone there. I mean the very next thing we were to see was a trailer for the movie MILK (which looks excellent by the way). Wasn't that more this crowds speed? In preparing for this I read this quote by the director of Triumph of the Will on line. She was discussing how she tried to feign ignorance of the Nazi party to get out of shooting the movie but that it didn't work becuase "He wanted a film which would move, appeal to, impress an audience which was not necessarily interested in politics." -- Leni Riefenstahl Her disinterest made her the perfect candidate becuase she was his target audience.

Ah, check mate! I suppose if similar lures worked on you and you are regretting your decision you can always claim the twinkie defense. Natch.

Note: Kudos, brothers Coen, Burn After Reading is magnificent!

Summer of Festivals

August 8, 2008 was the first annual New American Music Union festival in Pittsburgh thrown by American Eagle Outfitters. It's aim was to give aspiring college bands a chance to play alongside some of their idols (sort of). I say sort of because the college bands were shunned to the stages outside of the actual concert grounds during the daylight hours. I hope some of them got to go backstage with the headliners, because otherwise the trip might not have been worth it for them. There may have been 100-150 people outside the two tiny college stages at any time, not a whole lot of exposure considering. The web site for the event was put together really well giving patrons the ability to road test the performers before the show. This enabled us to see the bands we were interested in and get drunk on the cheap at local bars in the down time. It was nice. Especially when one of those bartenders filled our complimentary NAMU water bottles with free beer for the walk back to the venue - that rocked!


I have to admit that I was skeptical about an American Eagle hosted event, but they did a fantastic job! Not only did we get free T-shirts, and the afore mentioned water bottles, but free water! I almost felt bad for the water carts inside the venue, because there was no need. There were thousands of gallons of free water available - very noble of you AE! Pittsburgh isn't even that hot of a city. I go to Austin City Limits festival in a mere 10 days (yee!) and I doubt that they'll be that hospitable with the life sustaining fluids, despite that fact that it's going to be hot as balls. I have a feeling my Irish ass is going to melt, if it doesn't spontaneously combust first.




Now that I know that Austin was spared Ike's wrath I am starting to get super excited, which is why I am posting this although it's over a month past due. I will see The Raconteurs again there as well as The Fratelli's and Mates of State. Both of whom I've seen earlier this year. If I get plan coverage in Austin I'll be twittering updates, if not, you'll just have to wait until I get home. Luckily Bob Dylan won't be at ACL. If The Raconteurs get cut off early again I may start a riot.



Side note for Tree Brains fans:I wore my Tree Brains t-shirt to NAMU, and my sister had a t-shirt on that read "leave Brittney alone!" Her shirt got a lot of comments through out the day, but mine earned the best quote of the day: " boy 1: Dude, did you see that girls shirt? boy 2: Yeah man, doesn't Josh listen to The Tree Brains?" It was fucking priceless.

ill gotten tarts..... not what you think

Alright Pervert, get your mind out of the gutter.... I mean really? I'm talking about the ill gotten Pop-Tarts I stole from the company kitchen. They've been on top of the fridge for weeks, taunting me. I know that they show up in the vending machine from time to time, but who wants to pay for something so unhealthy? Not me.

I was a little nervous while I was toasting them. Someone came into the kitchen, but I kept my cool and I don't think they expected any foul play. I savored them right here at my desk, and the risk totally paid off, because those strawberry Pop Tarts were oh-so-delicious!

A beautiful day in the neighborhood

My Neighbors........

....Amen.

Welcome back old friend, I've missed you!

For those of you who don't know, I am a HUGE fan of science fiction. I've been watching a bunch of TNG reruns that I tivo'd but it hasn't really been tiding me over. After the lull resulting from the writers strike and the blow of the X-Files movie I was starting to feel a little jaded.That was until last night when I watched Fringe on FOX. The opening sequence was awesome, and they hadn't even hit the first commercial break before "that's fucking cool" came pouring out of my mouth.

I thought some of the acting seemed a little forced especially during Paisey (from Dawson's Creek) introduction, but it picked up and the characters really had a connection by the end of the show. I thought it was interesting, witty, and nicely gory. There's a great balance of government scandal, science experiments on humans, and comic relief. My favorite line of the night delivered very matter of factly, "alright, let's make some LSD".

I'm not going to get all review-ey on you guys but check your local listing. I bet they'll rerun the pilot if you missed it, I mean it is on FOX (so let's hope it doesn't go the way of Arrested Development). I'm not holding my breath though, it was followed by The Hole? where contestants fit the shapes in the wall coming at them. Not the worse show on television (Nanny 911) but I still have a hard time believing the commercial when it boasted 10 million viewers. Are Americans really that stupid? Wait, don't answer that.

UPDATE: Being the full service type of girl I am, I did some digging and the pilot will air again on Sunday August 14th @ 8:00 pm est. How's that for investigative journalism?

Plausible Marketing Strategy?

Ask any kid what the quintessential flavor for their favorite high fructose corn syrup laden treat is and first thing they'll do is ask you what quintessential means. Once that's cleared up though they'll undoubtedly tell you it's cherry. Red Kool Aid mustaches are a permanent fixture on most kids during the summertime, and right now in households all across America kids are fighting over the last red popsicle while a pile of their orange flavored bastard cousins go untouched. The cherry red flavoring is so popular that even Lifesavers marketed a roll devoted just to it.


No longer a child myself, I still indulge in sugary snacks and am more than happy to have a pile of Swedish Fish for lunch. Being the connoisseur I am I will say that while grape is a close second I have to admit that when it comes to candy cherry is still my favorite flavor. Nostalgia? Maybe, but I just think it tastes so much better than other artificial flavorings.


I bought a movie theatre style box of Runts at the store the other day. I love Runts, especially the cherry and lime because they're more tangy than the other flavors. I like to eat a cherry and lime together, it's like a fruit flavored party in my mouth. I hate the banana ones (does anyone eat those because I just throw them away) and could take or leave the orange and strawberry. Are you getting the point of why I bought the box of Runts? Now I'm hoping you can use your excellent deduction skills to figure out which two flavors had been replaced.


Yep, that's right, cherry and lime were gone, removed by none other than Mr. Willy Wonka himself. I felt betrayed until I tasted the two flavors that replaced my beloved cherry and lime, then I was just offended. The two new flavors are mango and pineapple. Why would they remove the most popular candy flavor known to man to replace it with these miniature replica's of exotic fruit? I have to admit the pineapple tasted like a pineapple - that had been doused in preservatives and sucrose. The mango, well that tasted like sweat socks. For the first time ever a box of candy has been sitting around my house for weeks uneaten.




When I was taking the pictures to go along with this story I took a closer look at the box. The new flavors are announced in Spanish and kind of hidden in English. They don't say they took away cherry and lime (false advertising) but then again I don't see a cherry rollerblading on there either. I guess it's just another marketing effort aimed at America's ever growing population of Spanish consumers. I totally feel like I got the shaft.

Meet The Record Keeper!

Sometimes good ideas come to mind at the strangest times. We were sitting around a while back discussing something nerdy I'm sure (not unlike Friday nights hour and a half long conversation about Star Trek) when I decided there's no reason there shouldn't be a super hero modeled after yours truly.

Not the 'bit by a radioactive something, sent from another planet' type, but more the 'I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more' variety. You know, the kind of cool cat that hones in on their strengths and uses them to thwart evil. Thus my superhero was born. She's a tough yet sultry no nonsense kind of chic who along with her office drones kicks evils ass (in an orderly fashion of course). Her tag-line? "Let's file this one away, boys." Say Hello to...... The Record Keeper.

Special thanks to husband for the awesome artwork!