How can you not love these

Some images of our new president and family on Inauguration Day:

A new day

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." - President Barack Obama



Buy the poster here and give it to your favorite Bush supporter.

My new favorite thing of the week

Seriously - I'm a little too much a sap for this today. It's hard to pretend you're concentrating on work when either a)you've got a ridiculous grin spread across your face, or b)you're fighting back tears and your whole face looks like it might just combust upon itself at any moment.


Bloc Party, 'This Modern Love' - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

For the entire collection of impromptu acoustic sessions that will blow your mind if you have any taste in music whatsoever, go here.

Thank you to Alex for this.xo

On the topic of change

I think it’s human nature to want to hope for the best.

We want to believe things will get better on their own. That’s why we stay in that job we don’t particularly like, or hang on to that dysfunctional relationship that is draining us of our life source. If only we hold out long enough, eventually things have got to get better. Right?

Change scares some people. In fact, I suspect it scares most people. Sometimes even if every fiber of your being is screaming for you to get out of your current situation, the alternative – the unknown – is disconcerting enough for you to justify doing nothing differently. Disturbing the status quo means you could be setting yourself up for a potentially worse situation than the one you’re already in.

Change doesn’t happen overnight. Once you’ve made that first step towards change, you might think you made a mistake and doubt your decision. You might have to make a few missteps before you make the right one that’s going to truly make you happier. But at least you’re making an attempt to better your situation, and eventually you’ll see your efforts pay off.

Life has a way of strolling right in and having its way with you if you let it. I’ve been Life’s bitch on more than one occasion, but I’ve never taken it lying down. I‘m going to take moment to pat my own back for all the changes I’ve made in my own life, despite how incredibly painful and difficult they’ve been. I tend to beat myself up more than I congratulate myself, so this is one of those rare instances when I’m doing the latter. Way to go, Mands.

On that same note, I’m incredibly proud of our country and the direction we’re taking to improve our situation. It took us a long time to get to this point where we decided we’re ready for a change in direction, but we’ve arrived at that place now and we’re finally saying, “We deserve better.”

There are a lot of people who aren’t pleased with the changes we’re facing, to put it mildly. They would rather stick with the abusive husband who’s been bloodying their face for years. Who is this guy with the funny name who’s shaking things up with all of his crazy ideals? We’re more comfortable with the good old boys who have been robbing us blind and fucking things up for years, thank you very much.

We’re going to be just fine – you, me, all of us are going to be just fine. We’re doing exactly what we should be doing to improve our situation, which is to not settle for the way things are. The world is watching us; let’s show them how it’s done.

All hail President Barack Obama!

Happy Almost-Inauguration Day!

On Inauguration Eve, I thought this would be appropriate to post:


SNAP!

If that's a bit too much of a downer, here's a reminder of what we're getting in place of that guy:



And how did I never see this during the election? The fact that The National are featured on this video makes me love President Obama just that much more more - not that he likely had anything to do with it, but it's his people. Clearly, his people are also MY people if they can appreciate The National. (You all should know my theory on The National and how there really are only two types of people in this world: those who love The National, and those who don't. I tend to avoid the latter whenever possible.)

I just shed a tear on the inside

God, this gets me. If this doesn't get you, then I'm sorry - but you have no soul.

Behold! The National - "About Today"

Weight of the World

This Editors' song actually manages to penetrate that dense layer of crusty jadedness on my old, embittered heart. I had this on my "Bonnie & Clyde" mix on Mixwit (R.I.P.), and now I assimilate it with the recklessly romantic affair those two had while they were trying to stick it to the rest of the world. I'm oddly fascinated by them and the whole tragedy of their love for each other. Every time I hear "Weight of the World" now, I can't help but get all whimsical and romantic with mental images of tommy guns, car chases, and their bloodied bodies collapsed on top of each other inside their bullet-riddled Ford V-8. *Sigh*

Happy Not-Fucking-2008!

I can't think of a better way to kick off the new year than to have these hot bitches demonstrate for us how to walk it out:

Best of '08

In no particular order:

1) Sarah Palin Barack Obama
2) Tina Fey as Sarah Palin
3) Glasvegas

4) Dlisted.com
5) This kid:

6) “Return to London” trip
7) Amsterdam
8) AMA Reunion in San Fran
9) California Supreme Court repeal of ban on gay marriage (only to be overturned a few months later by Prop H8, but hey - baby steps)
10) Rielly Blair Sorenson

Au revoir 2008

First and foremost: In the wake of Mixwit's untimely demise, this is the latest discovery on my quest to enjoy free music:

Fresh Start

So, moving on - I'm back from a trip to Salt Lake, having enjoyed four days of gazing out a window from the security of my parents' home as the Valley was blasted by snow. It's been years since I had a white Christmas, and I certainly appreciated it to the fullest, just as I also appreciated getting off the plane at SFO and immediately ditching my heavy down jacket. The sentiment I have toward snow and proper winter weather is much like that which I have toward children: I'm able to enjoy both on a short-term basis, and then when I'm done - I'm done, thank you very much.

That being said, if I could have fit my youngest niece into my luggage and smuggled her home with me without the concern of smothering her or inciting kidnapping charges, I would have. Bold statement coming from someone like me, but it is the truth. I wonder how many people are born as naturally addictive and lovable as she was.

I'm looking forward to the coming year. More specifically, I'm looking forward to telling 2008 to GET THE FUCK OUT. I do believe Jasmine and I declared early on that this year's motto would be "I HATE 2008," and as the year is coming to a close, this is still very much the case. It was certainly THE most challenging and difficult year of my life. With all its challenges, though, my life is still very blessed, and spending the holidays with my incredible family was yet another reminder.

So - here's to gratitude, personal velocity, love and loss and all the many beautiful tragedies that make up our lives! Happy New Year!

First Day of My Life

Remind Me

Cheers!

Happy 75th Anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition!

The Secret of Happiness is....

With the recent pub crawl and Thanksgiving madness (and yes, 'madness' is the most appropriate word), Madame Booze has been rather busy with reinstating her title. Today she finds herself in an all-too-familiar place of once again nursing her delicate head in the midst of a rather hideous hangover. (Btw - I think we might rename this blog: "The Story of Madame Booze and Me", and the header quote will be: "I am schizophrenic and so am I.")

Company holiday party tonight, which means no rest for the wicked. Apparently, if history is destined to repeat itself, at least one person will throw up all over himself, and another will be found passed out on the restroom floor. Perhaps Mr. Booze (no relation) will even break a glass or two by 'cheersing' a bit aggressively, and maybe a top exec will make a few sleazy remarks regarding the size of a certain employee's breasts. Oh, the joy of getting trashed with people you actually have to face every day! Hopefully we will come nowhere near a microphone so Madame Booze won't be given the chance to sing 80's new wave songs much too loudly and in a British accent....

Madame Booze makes a comeback

"And she was doing so well for a while there..."

Well, I am back. The black hole I fell into has spit me out again.

First and foremost, there is a pub crawl tomorrow evening hosted by none other than my alter-ego, Madame Booze. Madame has been sporadically off the bottle as of late, and amidst threats by the alcohol gods to revoke her title on these grounds, she has stepped forth to be the first woman in the running for a position on the Non TOK-sponsored Pub Crawl Committee. I heard a rumor that the committee members eat babies, or at least the Chairman (Master Bates) does (lightly toasted, with ketchup even), but I choose to find these things out for myself.

The pub crawl should most certainly be messy for some, debaucherous for others. I swore some time ago that I would never drink with my co-workers again (for the record, I think this pledge lasted all of a week). If I can show my face in the office Monday morning without having to do any damage control (an all-too-common practice for me following work events), then we'll consider it a good night.

I'd like to revisit the pre-established Tips for Surviving a Pub Crawl, just as a refresher.

And I'm curious as to why I always schedule a hair appointment the morning following a pub crawl. My stylist knows me in no other condition than when I'm sleep-deprived and reeking of alcohol. Oh, what he must think....

Save the Date - April 11, 2009

Costume Shopping

Wasn't Halloween once meant to be scary? Ghosts and ghouls and blood-sucking vampires, right?

Apparently Playboy has bought out the Halloween costume industry. Or so I was lead to believe as I was perusing the racks at the giant Halloween superstore on Market Street tonight, and feeling rather...prudish....

So let's see; I can be a Slutty Devil, Slutty French Maid, Slutty Nurse, Slutty Schoolgirl or....a nun. I guess this is what I get for waiting to the last minute.

"Excuse me, does this outfit come with the implants? No? Damn."

I could go as something hideous and bloody, but who wants to be THAT girl at the party, surrounded by pretty little half-naked bunny rabbits and kitty cats, and blatantly disregarded by every man in the room?

In the fitting rooms, the woman in the next stall over was wailing about how she wouldn't be able to eat the night she wears her pirate costume, which was really just the eye patch and not much else.

I found a fabulous Cleopatra wig, but the outfit to go with it was more or less a tiny strip of fabric that would just barely cover my girl parts, with slits down the sides of the pants for my ass cheeks to peek out and say hello to the world. The sales girl handed this get-up to me with a straight face, even after I'd told her I would want something I could wear to work. Maybe I should have specified what I meant by "work."

Finally I managed to find the least slutty, and yet still at least vaguely feminine, costume possible - save the nun's robe. I paid a small fortune for it then fled the store, leaving behind a gaggle of girls who were moaning over the impossibility of losing ten pounds from their thighs and having it injected into their breasts by Friday.

We, the People, of New California

Oldie but goodie....

Best of Craigslist:

Dear Red States...

We've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States with us.

In case you aren't aware, that includes Hawaii,Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all the Northeast. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of the new country of New California.

To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states. We get stem cell research and the best beaches. We get Elliot Spitzer. You get Ken Lay.

We get the Statue of Liberty. You get Dollywood. We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom. We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss. We get 85 percent of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama. We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the red states pay their fair share.

Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of single moms.

Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq, and hope that the WMDs turn up, but we're not willing to spend our resources in Bush's Quagmire.

With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80 percent of the country's fresh water, more than 90 percent of the pineapple and lettuce, 92 percent of the nation's fresh fruit, 95 percent of America's quality wines (you can serve French wines at state dinners) 90 percent of all cheese, 90 percent of the high tech industry, most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools, plus Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT.

With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88 percent of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92 percent of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100 percent of the tornadoes, 90 percent of the hurricanes, 99 percent of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100 percent of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia.

We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you.

Additionally, 38 percent of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62 percent believe life is sacred unless we're discussing the death penalty or gun laws, 44 percent say that evolution is only a theory, 53 percent that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61 percent of you crazy b*****ds believe you are people with higher morals then we lefties.

By the way, we're taking the good pot, too. You can have that dirt weed they grow in Mexico.

Peace out,
Blue States

keeping tabs

Well, good ole Wyoming and Utah are predictable as ever. It's looking promising overall, though....

Election Update

Stay tuned....

work in progress

The new design of this here blog of mine is still a work in progress. I'm aware that the links along the top are all buggered - that's because I ripped this layout off of somebody else - except the heading, that's MINE MINE MINE - and I'm not design-savvy enough to know how to fix it yet. That, and I simply can't be arsed right now.

I realize I have been somewhat MIA recently on account of being here, there and everywhere, not to mention very wasted busy for most of the last three weeks. I'll post about London and Amsterdam and other such mayhem soon (censored version, of course).

In the meantime, enjoy this amusing distraction from the presidential election insanity and dream of happier days gone by (more specifically, the 80's):