Next week is recess. Thank god. I still have to come to work (of course) but I doubt I'll have to stay past 5:30 any of the days and it will be slow. I plan on doing a lot more GRE studying, an action that has quickly approached zero in the past month.
This week it got gorgeous. It's not muggy yet, its sunny (I miss my sunglasses) and its hovering around the 60s. Woooooo. Here is a list of things I'd rather be doing than sitting in my office:
1) Running
2) Playing tennis
3) Going on a picnic
4) Drinking margaritas outside
5) Playing on swings
6) Having sex
I'm hoping to be able to do all of these things this weekend. While racking up a credit card bill because I realized today I have $50 to get me until April 5th and no food in my house. Oh well.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Monday, March 19, 2007
Pornography
As part of my brief journalism training, I was required to take a class in mass media ethics. We spent a week discussing pornography and the different interpretations of the word. I was reading the NYTimes today and saw this
..which immediately brought to mind my professor's accusation that pornography really isn't about nudity or sex, its about something that is unslightly and exploitative. It's about crossing the line between telling a story that needs to be told and sensationalizing a catastrophic event to emphasize the theatrics and entertainment value. It is, sadly, a line which is more often crossed in journalism than in porn.
I understand the need to tell this story, in fact, I find it an incredibly important story to tell. However, the photograph of someone shooting up in a ruined building on the front page of World section of the New York Times is shocking and sickening. Opening the article with a man crying over the 'youngest Afghan known to have H.I.V.' is disgusting. I won't even go on about the tragedy of the 'normal' person with H.I.V., the woman who was raped but can't go to a clinic for help because she will be killed for being 'promiscuous', or the hundreds of young men who just didn't know any better. All are equally as tragic--perhaps even more so--than this young boy. But they aren't as sensational, or sickening. This isn't news--its a ridiculous Hallmarkian piece of shit. It's not telling the real story; it's selling the newspaper.
..which immediately brought to mind my professor's accusation that pornography really isn't about nudity or sex, its about something that is unslightly and exploitative. It's about crossing the line between telling a story that needs to be told and sensationalizing a catastrophic event to emphasize the theatrics and entertainment value. It is, sadly, a line which is more often crossed in journalism than in porn.
I understand the need to tell this story, in fact, I find it an incredibly important story to tell. However, the photograph of someone shooting up in a ruined building on the front page of World section of the New York Times is shocking and sickening. Opening the article with a man crying over the 'youngest Afghan known to have H.I.V.' is disgusting. I won't even go on about the tragedy of the 'normal' person with H.I.V., the woman who was raped but can't go to a clinic for help because she will be killed for being 'promiscuous', or the hundreds of young men who just didn't know any better. All are equally as tragic--perhaps even more so--than this young boy. But they aren't as sensational, or sickening. This isn't news--its a ridiculous Hallmarkian piece of shit. It's not telling the real story; it's selling the newspaper.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
New underwear=personality changes?
Soooo back by demand, I'm posting. It's been insanely busy in the KatWorld so the moments where I get free time I'm spending it shopping or hanging out with flavor-of-the-month (who--wait a second--has actually been around for a while month as of yesterday!).
The shopping is getting out of control. This happens when I'm bored and don't have the motivation to do something constructive. Note to those who knew me in England: this didn't happen nearly the ENTIRE TIME I was there. However, 6 months back in the U.S., I'm back into this nasty habit. In the past three weeks I've bought:
1) 3 rugs
2) a coffee table
3) a chair
4) a new button-down
5) 7 new pairs of underwear
6) 1 bra
7) 2 new pilates DVDs
8) a new cookbook
In my defense, the chair and coffee table were presents for my birthday, the rug I'd been eying up for months and it FINALLY went on sale, my pilates DVD got scratched, and I only have those shitty Country Cookbooks my mom gave me when I moved. The underwear--while on the surface looks excessive--is in the face of:
1) new boy
2) new anti-thong/G-string resolution
3) anything I have that isn't a thong/G-string is over a year old
Why buy the non-sexy underwear when I have a new boy, you ask? It's part of my new resolution. As I reported a few weeks ago, I've decided not to speak to my ex anymore. It was a painful conversation, but I did make the break and I'm very proud of myself. Underwear enters this equation because anything I bought for myself over the past two years was with him in mind--I've never been much of a practical lingerie type of gal. So now I've decided to buy only underwear I like that hugs my butt ever-so-nicely. Because I like butt-hugging. I'm over the butt-cracking phase. While I don't really care if the new boy likes this change or not, it was encouraging to hear him say while he doesn't DISLIKE fancy lingerie, he's more of a girl-in-my-old-T-shirt-is-sexy kinda guy.
Yayayay. So that's the personal end. I'll post the professional later. Stupid work.
The shopping is getting out of control. This happens when I'm bored and don't have the motivation to do something constructive. Note to those who knew me in England: this didn't happen nearly the ENTIRE TIME I was there. However, 6 months back in the U.S., I'm back into this nasty habit. In the past three weeks I've bought:
1) 3 rugs
2) a coffee table
3) a chair
4) a new button-down
5) 7 new pairs of underwear
6) 1 bra
7) 2 new pilates DVDs
8) a new cookbook
In my defense, the chair and coffee table were presents for my birthday, the rug I'd been eying up for months and it FINALLY went on sale, my pilates DVD got scratched, and I only have those shitty Country Cookbooks my mom gave me when I moved. The underwear--while on the surface looks excessive--is in the face of:
1) new boy
2) new anti-thong/G-string resolution
3) anything I have that isn't a thong/G-string is over a year old
Why buy the non-sexy underwear when I have a new boy, you ask? It's part of my new resolution. As I reported a few weeks ago, I've decided not to speak to my ex anymore. It was a painful conversation, but I did make the break and I'm very proud of myself. Underwear enters this equation because anything I bought for myself over the past two years was with him in mind--I've never been much of a practical lingerie type of gal. So now I've decided to buy only underwear I like that hugs my butt ever-so-nicely. Because I like butt-hugging. I'm over the butt-cracking phase. While I don't really care if the new boy likes this change or not, it was encouraging to hear him say while he doesn't DISLIKE fancy lingerie, he's more of a girl-in-my-old-T-shirt-is-sexy kinda guy.
Yayayay. So that's the personal end. I'll post the professional later. Stupid work.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Ickity ick week..but with some nice icing
I can't decide what I think of this week; it's been so full of ups and downs.
At work I become more convinced of the ridiculous wretchness which is my job. I've even stopped being entertained by it. This feeling was furthered by the fact that I DIDN'T GET OFF FOR THE SNOW. I was so ticked. I thought it was going to be like an extra vacation. But no. Back to admin bullshit. On the entertaining side, I had a Crazy in my office that I got to pawn off on the office across the hall (hahaha...suckers) and there appears to be a power war going on between some of the high-ups around here...enough of a war that some people have come to me and asked me to do slightly suspicious things. Ha. I am more adept at manipulation that you fools and therefore can recognize it miles away. Go bother the interns. They're more susceptible.
On the upside there's a silly boy who I think I finally (subtly) convinced that I'm not interested in him as more than a friend...which I think has made him more relaxed and open around me. And it means I have a friend. I'm also becoming better friends with one of the girls I work with. She likes to tell me funny stories about ridiculous politicians. It lends more hilarity to my life.
But the big upside--surprisingly--is that a boy called me. A nice boy. A smart, funny, cute, weird, dorky adorable boy. We did fun things like look at cartoons and play in mazes. And I feel like I've actually been through this initial crush-smitten phase enough in my life that I'm not diving in too quickly. He's nice. And funny. And I like the way he kisses me. Yay. So we'll see.
At work I become more convinced of the ridiculous wretchness which is my job. I've even stopped being entertained by it. This feeling was furthered by the fact that I DIDN'T GET OFF FOR THE SNOW. I was so ticked. I thought it was going to be like an extra vacation. But no. Back to admin bullshit. On the entertaining side, I had a Crazy in my office that I got to pawn off on the office across the hall (hahaha...suckers) and there appears to be a power war going on between some of the high-ups around here...enough of a war that some people have come to me and asked me to do slightly suspicious things. Ha. I am more adept at manipulation that you fools and therefore can recognize it miles away. Go bother the interns. They're more susceptible.
On the upside there's a silly boy who I think I finally (subtly) convinced that I'm not interested in him as more than a friend...which I think has made him more relaxed and open around me. And it means I have a friend. I'm also becoming better friends with one of the girls I work with. She likes to tell me funny stories about ridiculous politicians. It lends more hilarity to my life.
But the big upside--surprisingly--is that a boy called me. A nice boy. A smart, funny, cute, weird, dorky adorable boy. We did fun things like look at cartoons and play in mazes. And I feel like I've actually been through this initial crush-smitten phase enough in my life that I'm not diving in too quickly. He's nice. And funny. And I like the way he kisses me. Yay. So we'll see.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Don't I Work for the Government?
How is it that the Federal Government has shut down, yet no one (including me!!!) that I know who works for it gets to go home?!?!
It's a sham, I tell you, and absolute farce.
It's a sham, I tell you, and absolute farce.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Sufjan Stevens
That's right. I got tickets. My roommate and I woke up at 5:15am, hopped on the second bus of the morning and waited in line until 9:30 only to be told that we weren't getting tickets. We were roughly 100 people away from getting tickets. Close, but yet so far.
But wait, Meo, didn't you say you got tickets?
YES. That night my roommate went out with one of her friends. While out, she met a guy. As a course of their conversation she mentioned our earlier ticket-fiasco. The guy mentions he might be able to get a hold of extras. My lovely roommate gives him her number, figuring this is never going to work out. Way too random--he would never call.
BUT HE DOES. And we get tickets. 10 rows away from the stage. The concert was amazing and might be my best memory of a concert yet. In addition to the fabulous music, there were chocolate fountains, candy and free champagne because Target was sponsoring the event (I know, I know I shouldn't love it as much as I did...but free cake and Swedish fish? Come on).
As a good sidenote, the guy and his friends seemed cool. So I might have some new friends out of the whole deal :-). Although I feel like that could be taking a good thing a little too far.
But wait, Meo, didn't you say you got tickets?
YES. That night my roommate went out with one of her friends. While out, she met a guy. As a course of their conversation she mentioned our earlier ticket-fiasco. The guy mentions he might be able to get a hold of extras. My lovely roommate gives him her number, figuring this is never going to work out. Way too random--he would never call.
BUT HE DOES. And we get tickets. 10 rows away from the stage. The concert was amazing and might be my best memory of a concert yet. In addition to the fabulous music, there were chocolate fountains, candy and free champagne because Target was sponsoring the event (I know, I know I shouldn't love it as much as I did...but free cake and Swedish fish? Come on).
As a good sidenote, the guy and his friends seemed cool. So I might have some new friends out of the whole deal :-). Although I feel like that could be taking a good thing a little too far.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Doesn't this feel good??
Hello blog! It's been a while!! And frankly, I've been a little depressed without you. Work has been difficult. Not for me, really, but everyone else in my office has been running around like maniacs and being stressed out so me, the lowest peon in the room, gets snipped at a lot. Not to mention there was a brief spurt of my favorite coworker going on a job interview so he might be leaving me :-(. I know our relationship has to end, being that we're both in a boring job doing admin crap we don't like but it had only just begun. Thankfully, it looks like he's sticking around for a little bit.
I've come to the 100%-total conclusion that I cannot cannot cannot cannot be friends with my ex. We talked last week (on AIM wooo) and it still wasn't a fun experience. It left me feeling overall hollow and wondering why were we ever together, what was wrong with me that I would be with such a shallow person who seems to have so little to offer me in terms of interesting conversation. Of course, its because we're not close anymore, we don't have intimacy anymore, we don't talk about anything. It's all a ridiculous CNN tickertape THE WORLD TODAY. In light of that, after now being broken up for over 8 months, I'm going to get the balls up to do the unthinkable: ask him to take the pictures of us off his website.
That's right. They're still there. They haven't been updated in over a year, and the vast majority of them include me-him-dating. They're a bit of a documentary of our romantic career, in fact. I haven't had the courage to bring this up thinking he would just respond with just-stop-looking or that the girl he dumped me for would get ticked enough about them to make him take them down. But no. It hasn't happened yet. So I'm going to say something. And then I'm going to tell him we're not friends. We're not going to be. It's impossible. As a friend counseled me this weekend: I need to stop beating myself over the fact I can't forgive him for hurting me. Sometimes its just not worth the effort to work at trusting someone again. There are better things to do with your time.
And that, my dear blog, will be how I will wash the remnants of this man out of my hair.
I've come to the 100%-total conclusion that I cannot cannot cannot cannot be friends with my ex. We talked last week (on AIM wooo) and it still wasn't a fun experience. It left me feeling overall hollow and wondering why were we ever together, what was wrong with me that I would be with such a shallow person who seems to have so little to offer me in terms of interesting conversation. Of course, its because we're not close anymore, we don't have intimacy anymore, we don't talk about anything. It's all a ridiculous CNN tickertape THE WORLD TODAY. In light of that, after now being broken up for over 8 months, I'm going to get the balls up to do the unthinkable: ask him to take the pictures of us off his website.
That's right. They're still there. They haven't been updated in over a year, and the vast majority of them include me-him-dating. They're a bit of a documentary of our romantic career, in fact. I haven't had the courage to bring this up thinking he would just respond with just-stop-looking or that the girl he dumped me for would get ticked enough about them to make him take them down. But no. It hasn't happened yet. So I'm going to say something. And then I'm going to tell him we're not friends. We're not going to be. It's impossible. As a friend counseled me this weekend: I need to stop beating myself over the fact I can't forgive him for hurting me. Sometimes its just not worth the effort to work at trusting someone again. There are better things to do with your time.
And that, my dear blog, will be how I will wash the remnants of this man out of my hair.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Friday, January 26, 2007
National Security referred to as Alice in Wonderland
The New York Times has a hilarious yet frightening article about the case involving government wiretaps. It's really nice to see these judges call the Justice Department out on the carpet.
More Strange Happenings on H Street
As mentioned previously, I live just off H Street. H Street isn't a BAD neighborhood, per se, but it isn't a GREAT neighborhood either. There are a lot of bums and smelly people that hang out on street corners and general harassment for little white girls such as my roommate and myself is pretty common. On the plus side, I am constantly reading about things the long-time residents are doing to promote the area and make it safer. Go H Street!
The most recent push is to ban 'singles'. For the uninitiated, such as myself, this is confusing: only couples can live on H Street? What is someone gets divorced? If there's a nasty break-up, who gets to stay--the one who finds a new mate the fastest? But no, no, these singles refer to ALCOHOL. Single beers and 40s and banning the sale of them at grocery/convenience stores. Here's the link. While I am a general fan of reducing the number of smelly bums on the street, and have never been a fan of buying 'singles', I'm not entirely convinced that this is a productive way to combat the problem.
But the BEST PART of that article is at the end--the Red and Black is trying to offer haircuts+a shot for $12!!!! Wooohooo!!! I'm all over it.
The most recent push is to ban 'singles'. For the uninitiated, such as myself, this is confusing: only couples can live on H Street? What is someone gets divorced? If there's a nasty break-up, who gets to stay--the one who finds a new mate the fastest? But no, no, these singles refer to ALCOHOL. Single beers and 40s and banning the sale of them at grocery/convenience stores. Here's the link. While I am a general fan of reducing the number of smelly bums on the street, and have never been a fan of buying 'singles', I'm not entirely convinced that this is a productive way to combat the problem.
But the BEST PART of that article is at the end--the Red and Black is trying to offer haircuts+a shot for $12!!!! Wooohooo!!! I'm all over it.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Birthday dilemna
My parents are coming to visit for my birthday which is in a little less than a month. They are going to take me shopping for a day as my birthday present. They figured out a few years ago that this is preferable for all parties involved over buying me presents on my own. However, for the past few years I haven't had the opportunity to really go shopping, so I would figure out one of two things for them to get me. But this year they're coming, and I'm working on narrowing down my list.
This is much harder than it seems. I just moved and just started a new job. This means I'm in need of suits (since the job requires suits and I only own 2) but also in need of furniture. I'm also in need of quality shoes because I spend large parts of my day walking around. The best shoes I've ever found are Campers...and they're really expensive. My last pair died about a year ago and I've been itching to get a new pair ever since...and this birthday seems like the perfect time to do it. But they're really expensive. And I could really use a rug...and a coffee table...and a new suit. All of which I could get for much less than two pairs of shoes.
What to do what to do?!?!?!?!
This is much harder than it seems. I just moved and just started a new job. This means I'm in need of suits (since the job requires suits and I only own 2) but also in need of furniture. I'm also in need of quality shoes because I spend large parts of my day walking around. The best shoes I've ever found are Campers...and they're really expensive. My last pair died about a year ago and I've been itching to get a new pair ever since...and this birthday seems like the perfect time to do it. But they're really expensive. And I could really use a rug...and a coffee table...and a new suit. All of which I could get for much less than two pairs of shoes.
What to do what to do?!?!?!?!
Confessions of a Bonifide Politico
I get a thrill out of working in the Senate every day. It doesn't matter what's going on, it doesn't matter that the reality of my job is exceedingly dull and unexciting, I still get a kick out of walking down the hallway of the Russell building with its high ceilings, dark woodwork and lush carpeting. I gawk out the door every time John Kerry and Ted Kennedy walk down the hallway, sit in on any hearing I can get to, and giggle when I hear Trent Lott whistling. I've developed crushes on Joe Biden, Chuck Hagel and Amy Klobuchar. It's not that I see anyone as important, really, the entire Congress is a shame, but I still love it. A lot.
So last night I did something I've always wanted--I hosted a State of the Union party. And it was great. Many snickers from all parties involved, very little talking OVER Bush (which is REALLY annoying and has always happened at other SOTU parties I've been too). I was really excited. I feel as though I've fully embraced my politico self and its wonderful. When I was in York I loved being surrounded by others who got excited by the political process and by political research. I didn't think I would be able to find it once I left. And while I have yet to really feel as thought I have, I know I'm making progress. And it's pretty awesome.
So last night I did something I've always wanted--I hosted a State of the Union party. And it was great. Many snickers from all parties involved, very little talking OVER Bush (which is REALLY annoying and has always happened at other SOTU parties I've been too). I was really excited. I feel as though I've fully embraced my politico self and its wonderful. When I was in York I loved being surrounded by others who got excited by the political process and by political research. I didn't think I would be able to find it once I left. And while I have yet to really feel as thought I have, I know I'm making progress. And it's pretty awesome.
Monday, January 22, 2007
March for Lifers
ARE EVERYWHERE. They hang out in the hallway, they come into my office, they ask me if they can go on our balcony (NO!!!) , they march past yelling Hey hey ho ho Roe v Wade has got to go!!!
The worst part is I REMEMBER PARTICIPATING in this march in high school. I went to Catholic school until I was 18 and the sophomore class trip was going to the March for Life. Why not? Get a day off school, walk around for a bit, go to the museums. The issue was presented simply as thus: there's a law that allows for women to kill babies they don't want. It was morally wrong to kill anything, therefore allowing abortion to be legal is morally wrong. I won't break into my common rant against religious schooling, but suffice to say that this is one of many issues I had with going to a religious school. The inability to tell the whole story combined with the convincing ability to twist the story to fit into the organized tenants of the religion is, frankly, terrifying.
Or else my soul has been taken over by the devil and I'm damned to hell. Depends on how you look at it.
The worst part is I REMEMBER PARTICIPATING in this march in high school. I went to Catholic school until I was 18 and the sophomore class trip was going to the March for Life. Why not? Get a day off school, walk around for a bit, go to the museums. The issue was presented simply as thus: there's a law that allows for women to kill babies they don't want. It was morally wrong to kill anything, therefore allowing abortion to be legal is morally wrong. I won't break into my common rant against religious schooling, but suffice to say that this is one of many issues I had with going to a religious school. The inability to tell the whole story combined with the convincing ability to twist the story to fit into the organized tenants of the religion is, frankly, terrifying.
Or else my soul has been taken over by the devil and I'm damned to hell. Depends on how you look at it.
Friday, January 19, 2007
My Pop Culture for the Week
Stephen Colbert meets Bill O'Reilly!! I'd been looking forward to it allll week!!
And it was much less hilarious than anticipated. I remember when I REALLY LOVED watching John Stewart doing interviews on the Daily Show, and then sometime last year he STOPPED doing interviews and instead TALKED during the whole thing. Don't get me wrong--love John Stewart, want to have 10 million of his babies etc, but I enjoyed watching him set people up to dig their own graves. When the Colbert Report began I laughed hilariously when Michael Brown slaughtered himself, and Ariana Huffington proved her idiocy...but the Bill O' Reilly 'interview' last night? Colbert's comments on O'Reilly are funny, and when O'Reilly got a word in edgewise he lived up to the assholeness we love. But frankly, Stephen, I left this encounter with you feeling a little dissatisfied.
Saving the evening were the first 10 minutes of the Daily Show. Fucking brilliant.
And it was much less hilarious than anticipated. I remember when I REALLY LOVED watching John Stewart doing interviews on the Daily Show, and then sometime last year he STOPPED doing interviews and instead TALKED during the whole thing. Don't get me wrong--love John Stewart, want to have 10 million of his babies etc, but I enjoyed watching him set people up to dig their own graves. When the Colbert Report began I laughed hilariously when Michael Brown slaughtered himself, and Ariana Huffington proved her idiocy...but the Bill O' Reilly 'interview' last night? Colbert's comments on O'Reilly are funny, and when O'Reilly got a word in edgewise he lived up to the assholeness we love. But frankly, Stephen, I left this encounter with you feeling a little dissatisfied.
Saving the evening were the first 10 minutes of the Daily Show. Fucking brilliant.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Strange happenings on H Street
Last weekend I was walking down H street and noticed a red jeep with flames stickers on it parked on the side of the road. I glaced inside, as one does and saw.....
A black penis. With a man attached. Jerking off.
The terrifying part is that this isn't the first time I've seen it. It also happened to me once in Madrid.
AAAAHHHHH
A black penis. With a man attached. Jerking off.
The terrifying part is that this isn't the first time I've seen it. It also happened to me once in Madrid.
AAAAHHHHH
Friday, January 12, 2007
WWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOO
SENATE ORGANIZING RESOLUTION HAS PASSED YAYAYAYAYAYAYAY
Now I can finally stop explaining to people why the chair of my committee hadn't switched to the Democrats and dealing with their disbelief. ROCK.
Now I can finally stop explaining to people why the chair of my committee hadn't switched to the Democrats and dealing with their disbelief. ROCK.
A TaxiCab Confession
Yesterday, after partaking in a stomach-bursting feast at the Melting Pot, I went to get on the metro only to find that I had just missed the last one. Awwwwwww SHIT.
I looked at the busses--it was going to be a pain, so I decided to grab a cab. Being that I'm fairly new to DC, this would only be my third cab experience...and my first two were enough to make me dread it. I'm also a horrible cab-rider; I've mainly used cabs in Europe, and as a result I never know how much to tip. This has colored my few cab rides in the U.S. and turns them into pressure-filled events where I'm terrified the cabbie will throw me out or beat me on my doorstep because I tip so poorly.
SO I grab a cab and ask him how much the fare will be. I'm about a dollar short, I tell him, and ask him if he could take me however far for the amount I have. He says, don't worry about it, I'll take you anyway!!! Gasp!! Amazement!!! A NICE DC CABBIE (in my other experiences they were TERRORS)!!! He NOT ONLY takes me a $8.80 trip for $7 (I had $7.50, he declined to take the change) but also INSISTS on waiting for me to unlock the door and wave so he's sure I'm safely inside at 'this late hour' in 'that rough neighborhood'. 'I think a young lady such as yourself should not walk around her at night,' he said to me. 'I wait for you to get inside.'
I love DC. I'll probably change my mind again in a week, but this week? Love it.
I looked at the busses--it was going to be a pain, so I decided to grab a cab. Being that I'm fairly new to DC, this would only be my third cab experience...and my first two were enough to make me dread it. I'm also a horrible cab-rider; I've mainly used cabs in Europe, and as a result I never know how much to tip. This has colored my few cab rides in the U.S. and turns them into pressure-filled events where I'm terrified the cabbie will throw me out or beat me on my doorstep because I tip so poorly.
SO I grab a cab and ask him how much the fare will be. I'm about a dollar short, I tell him, and ask him if he could take me however far for the amount I have. He says, don't worry about it, I'll take you anyway!!! Gasp!! Amazement!!! A NICE DC CABBIE (in my other experiences they were TERRORS)!!! He NOT ONLY takes me a $8.80 trip for $7 (I had $7.50, he declined to take the change) but also INSISTS on waiting for me to unlock the door and wave so he's sure I'm safely inside at 'this late hour' in 'that rough neighborhood'. 'I think a young lady such as yourself should not walk around her at night,' he said to me. 'I wait for you to get inside.'
I love DC. I'll probably change my mind again in a week, but this week? Love it.
A quickie gloat
Why my job rocks:
I've spent the past two days watching hearings about Iraq. That's it. And it's considered legitimate work.
Woooohooo!!!!
I've spent the past two days watching hearings about Iraq. That's it. And it's considered legitimate work.
Woooohooo!!!!
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
On smoking
With the smoking ban in place for 8 days now, I, as someone who once enjoyed smoking a great deal and now still does on occassion (although less and less frequently now), I am a fan of the smoking ban. Waking up the morning after a rough night out and having my room reek of cigarettes ON TOP of the nasty stale beer smell that most bars have was never fun--now if I stink like smoke its because I was smoking. And I'm fine with that. I understand all the bitching about secondhand smoke and the like, the complaints about this affecting small businesses (don't raise the revenue loss to 15% that's fucking ridiculous--and can mean the difference between paying your workers and not for a small business). The only arguments I wholeheartedly agree with are those against the paternal state as I generally think this is an area where the state is overstepping its bounds.
HOWEVER I really really really REALLY mind the self-congratulating holier-than-thou bullshit I keep reading from non-smokers about ever damn 'victory' they win over the horrible people who smoke--obviously just to piss off and inflict harm on the non-smokers. Get off your high horse for christssake. Anyone who smokes knows it--non-smokers don't like to be around smokers 99.999999%, if not all, of the time. Smoking is bad for your health. Smoking smells bad/makes kissing gross/harms those around you. We know; everyone know. No one is denying it.
But just like I don't rub in to the fat girl I went to high school with that I've lost weight since I last saw her, the kid who dropped out of high school that I recently finished my MA, or the friends who are still living with their parents in bumblefuck no-where that I moved out and now live in a metropolitian area, would you please stop posting about how great the smoking ban is and how wonderfully healthy everyone who doesn't smoke will now be? Seriously. It's really annoying.
HOWEVER I really really really REALLY mind the self-congratulating holier-than-thou bullshit I keep reading from non-smokers about ever damn 'victory' they win over the horrible people who smoke--obviously just to piss off and inflict harm on the non-smokers. Get off your high horse for christssake. Anyone who smokes knows it--non-smokers don't like to be around smokers 99.999999%, if not all, of the time. Smoking is bad for your health. Smoking smells bad/makes kissing gross/harms those around you. We know; everyone know. No one is denying it.
But just like I don't rub in to the fat girl I went to high school with that I've lost weight since I last saw her, the kid who dropped out of high school that I recently finished my MA, or the friends who are still living with their parents in bumblefuck no-where that I moved out and now live in a metropolitian area, would you please stop posting about how great the smoking ban is and how wonderfully healthy everyone who doesn't smoke will now be? Seriously. It's really annoying.
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