Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Appealing Things.

Things that People Seem to Enjoy that I Do Not Understand the Appeal of

Video Games
Sports
Burning Man
Camping
Family Guy
Cormac McCarthy
Tempeh
Paul Thomas Anderson
Grizzly Bear
Channing Tatum

Things That I Used To Not Understand the Appeal of and Then I Came Around Later in Life

Dogs and Cats
Yoga
Poetry
Vegetarianism 
Clogs
New York City

What M Was Doing Instead Of Working

M works for a fancy-ass branding firm and her boss just quit, so you think she'd have more actual work to do. Nope. This is what she's been doing. I don't know what she does on a day-to-day basis (other than talk to me on G-Chat about cute European boys), but I think this is a good use of her time.




Thursday, September 8, 2011

Famous Guys Playing Pop Songs With Guitars

John Darnielle Playing Ace of Base



Because he is singing this song with the same style and vigor as, like, this one, you might mistake lyrics like, "Life is demanding without understanding" as deep and meaningful. You might feel the urge to put it on your record player and wallow, staring at the ceiling, teenager style and writing the words over and over on the outside of your pre-calculus notebook.

Jeff Tweedy Playing the Black-eyed Peas



I love this video for many reasons, one being that he looks like he is going to crack up at any point. He is unpacking the ridiculousness of the song by just stating what the lyrics are.  מזל טוב

Ted Leo Playing Kelly Clarkson 



This is an oldie and I don't know if people care about Ted Leo anymore. You just need at least three things to make a list.

Monday, September 5, 2011

Why Texas Is the Best!

It often surprises new friends and acquaintances to learn that I grew up in Texas. I don't have an accent because I intentionally lost it when I was twelve and my Seattle-based aunt made fun of me for saying "y'all." Despite growing up in Houston the most car heavy place in the entire galaxy, I never got my driver's license because I don't trust myself not to crash into shit and kill myself, or worse, someone else. Now that none of my immediate family lives in Texas anymore, I go down very rarely. I doubt I'll ever live there again and I am okay with that.



But you know what? I still think that Texas is the best fucking state in all of the United States and Canada. I don't care that Alaska and Ontario are bigger or that California has more people or that Oregon is actually the the most lovely and pleasant place I've ever lived, in my deepest lizard brain I believe Texas is the best.

Here are my reasons:
  • Best BBQ
  • Armadillos
  • The shape is the best in the US.
  • Every single person in the world has heard of Texas.
  • It has lots of money and a fantastic economy and an entrepreneurial spirit without being cut throat.
  • It used to be its own country and has so many flags.
  • It has the best flag currently! So good, that Chile copied it poorly.
  • It is very populous and diverse (and obese, so if you do not agree Texas is the best, we will sit on you until you suffocate).
  • When you are in space, you literally address Houston, TX. When you have a problem, you don't say "Pittsburg, we have a problem."
  • It has fire ants, which are the most bad-ass ants and water moccasins and alligators who will eat you because they are Texan and bad-ass.
  • Tex-Mex is a thing. Have you heard of an American regional cuisine that is this famous? No, you have not.
  • You can be deep in the heart of Texas, you can't be deep in the heart of like, Ohio. That would be lame.
  • You could wear cowboy boots there everyday and not look crazy. That is the sort of thing I value.
Yes, I know that nothing in my crazy list makes any sense or provides proof that Texas is the best. But why you love things and people has nothing to do with logic. Your mom is the best mom in the world because she is your mom, your friends are the best friends ever because they belong to you. You can use circular logic when you are talking about things and people you love. It's totally within your rights.

Bonus! Something Embarrassing!

Up until a few months ago, I believed that Texas was the size of the moon. When I mentioned this in a conversation about how Texas is the best state in the United States, my friends pointed out that this made no sense and asked where I got this information. I had and still have no idea. It was just something I believed to be true. Eric tried to find something pertaining to this on the internet and this was the closest thing he could find. He also made this animated gif.



If you are curious, the moon, in terms of surface area, is about the size of Africa. I asked someone who had recently completed her PhD in Geology from Oxford because this is the sort of shit I bring up when I am talking about smart people.