Hugh Laurie as Shakespeare:

(Because you're obsessed like that? :p)

Because, frankly, the upper level of my Church is becoming increasingly ****ed up, excuse my French. Oh, the local churches have been very nice to me. I like them. Father Bucki has earned hugs. But some what I like about the Church I've been raised with and grown into, namely liberation theology, the way Mom and my catachism teachers encouraged me to think about doubts rather than yelling at me for them, et cetera, are actively frowned upon by the Vatican. The problem is that I think the Catholicism I was raised into is not the Catholicism of the world church.  I was raised to believe I was as spiritually qualified to interpret the bible as a priest (within reason, of course. I don't have a degree in theology), and certainly was not raised to believe the vast majority of God's creation is damned. My God is a loving one; my father wouldn't lock me in the basement for years and years if I talked back, why would He? Would God give us free will if he wanted us to be slaves to dogma? Are we going to deny the documented fact that the Bible has changed through the centuries? That sometimes Constantine just decided to Make Crap Up? And--and--and--

And then the Vatican comes out with this sort of statement. Every time I think I'm okay with the way things are going Benny and Friends say something else to make me angry.
 
I think I'm at an age when Mom won't be entirely pissed at me for leaving the Church, or at least spending a bit of time sitting at a different table during this party. I mean, my sister's been confirmed and will be able to be my little brother's sponsor. Maybe I'll be yelled at for hypocracy, but what the hell was I supposed to say when Mom asked me to help get Sammi get confirmed? "Gee, I really do like the church, but transubstantiation is kinda... eh." Not that transubstantiation bugs me at all, and you'll never see me in an argument over it or not going to church with my parents because of it. I can't say it's not true, but I'm just not exactly sure about it. Fundamentally I was my sister's sponsor for my family's odd form of catholicism, not Benedict's. I'm far, far, far from an atheist.

But staying in a church that I fundamentally disagree with on certain issues because I don't want to bug Mom is nuts. THEY ONLY NOW STOPPED SAYING UNBAPTISED BABIES GO TO LIMBO, GOSHDARNIT.

And they won't let me be a priest. Not that I'd want to, but being automatically barred bugs the hell out of me. Am I not as good? I've been thinking of going to the local Unitarian Universalist church, of all things. But they call a baptism a "dedication ceremony," which while okay, sounds like they're naming a new municipal skating rink rather than a baby. From the outside it seems like a sect built around not being built around something, but I think I might fit best someplace like it. Or the Quakers, but I'm not a pacifist.

Arg. Frankly I don't think there's anywhere I fit in, and I'm not exactly a religious radical. Maybe I'll go be a Shaker, Mom. I'll make some new stools for the kitchen to make up for it.

It's called "Experiment IV" by Kate Bush, best female pop singer ever.

That's a capital T that rhymes with D and that stands for Drama. But it's more disturbing than damaging, and by disturbing I mean it makes me think; I'm just trying to figure something out. It's also completely self-contained (Look! I'm an emotional terrarium!). So if I look unusually pensive or frowny don't worry too much about me, I'm just kinda wrestling with something. And if you were in my boxing class you'd have seen how awful I am at fighting, so naturally this has taken awhile. I won't trouble my friends list with anything more than that for now.

God, I hate drama. But at least drama with other people leads to gossip, which I love (but don't pass on; it's like my selfish aversion to seeding torrents). But at least I'm not talking to myself yet. XD

As part of my absolute refusal to be Emo (I WILL NOT BE DRUM MAJOR OF THE BLACK PARADE DAMMIT) I will share  a wonderful thing with you.

It is called Eurovision. Take American Idol. Inflate it. Every European country (and Israel?!) has a nationwide contest for best song. Then, they all compete against each other in an international competition, voted for by viewers.

This is Ireland's entry. Don't ask me why they decided on what appears to be a children's song celebrating the EU; bodhrans and pennywhistles just make me happy, dammit


This is Denmark's entry. I officially want to move to Denmark; any nation who will vote for THIS above all others is the funnest place on earth.

This, though, is my absolute favorite. It's called L'amour A La Française by Les Fatals Picards. It's a bunch of guys singing in pidgeon French with a fake English accent. The French are mean. This makes them fun.

Et je cours, je cours, je cours
I've lost l'amour, l'amour, l'amour
Je suis perdu, here without you
And I'm crazy, seul à Paris
Je, tu le manque, sans toi I can't
Et sous la pluie, I feel sorry
Champs-Élysées, alone, la nuit
Le Moulin Rouge, I feel guilty

:D

I was on a Duke archive site looking for temperance-themed sheet music. Yeah, I know. It's for my history honors paper on the temperance movement. And don't worry, I did my work. I found the lovely scanned sheet music for  I Never Knew I Had A Wonderful Wife (Until The Town Went Dry). I bet it's catchy.

I also found Down in the Everglade, a delightful romantic tune by someone who has obviously never been to Florida (the Everglades are not known for ambiance so much as alligator attacks).
 
.
Anyway, what do I find as the splash image on the first page of the website, before I've even searched for anything, but this song.

I sang that at my preschool graduation (shut up, the cowboy hat was cute). I've always thought that it was made up for a children's CD, but apparently it was published in 1909 and performed by Anna Held in "Miss Innocence."

And the actual lyrics are odder than I'd thought they would be. We only did the chorus, after all.

In retrospect I shouldn't be weirded out; it SOUNDS like a song from that era when I think about it now. But something about seeing the cover with some turn of the century woman obviously wearing a corset under her frontier outfit is just strange. Not that I won't print it out somehow and put it on my desk.

It's odd enough that the one lullaby-ish song I can still remember from when I was little was covered by Creedence Clearwater Revival.


I'm beginning to think my family is a little odd.

Yes, even you, Tiny #3, can enjoy the magic that is Pants
Seriously, what the hell kind of graphic design is that? "We're out of room. I know! A TINY PERSON POSING NONCHALANTLY NEXT TO SUSAN'S FOOT."




In Chubby Girls' Sizes? Oh, thank you! I bet those pants would look wonderful on me!



"..."

Don't worry, there's no sports content.

"Go boldly forth and beat the Buckeyes!"

I present:


The Starfleet Academy hockey jersey.

A logline is a  "'25 words or less' description of a screenplay," according to playwriting101.com

From the Random Logline Generator:


The Hindu god Vishnu command(s) a fleet of starships against a horde of insectoid aliens set to an all-star 80s soundtrack featuring Air Supply, Journey, and Survivor.

A cop who doesn't play by the rules tries (try) to lose their virginity while juggling work, parenthood, and finding personal fulfillment.

A macho NFL quarterback travel(s) through time in order to pay off a gambling debt.

Three naughty nurses become(s) immersed in hip-hop culture in the feel-good comedy of the year.

A single mom fight(s) crime in the inspiring story loosely adapted from the Bible.

A bumbling nerd befriend(s) the creatures of the forest shown in spectacular 3-D IMAX.

The Muppets raise(s) a baby in this heartwarming animated adventure.  (I would pay to see this one)

A group of orthodox rabbis take(s) on an army of evil ninjas deep in the Compton ghetto.  (For this I would pay more).

America's founding fathers struggle(s) to get off heroin in this heartwarming animated adventure.

Adolf Hitler travel(s) through time with a mischievous orangutan.  (My weight in gold for this. And I am heavy.)

A grumpy midget help(s) children learn to read in a rousing adaptation of the Broadway musical.

A flamboyantly gay hairdresser rise(s) from the grave to save the local synagogue.

Share what you get!

THIS is the greatest music video ever made.

Phtew--I SPIT upon the Stooges.