I got my period today. Could you tell it was coming by my last two posts?

(Not that I'm backing down. Those are completely legitimate points. I was just more...vocal.)

So, you know, I get put through some very trying situations at work. It's really a quite stressful place to run. Social service agencies are known for being 24 hour crisis tornados. But this is not the point of this entry. The point of this entry is that, despite the hell I already get put through, I was persecuted today because of my personal beliefs. By four separate people while trapped in a 8 foot by 5 foot cubicle. Let me explain.

I'm easily the coolest person in my department. I have a clique - all the indie underachievers...we're all the same age, we all have credit problems, we all have cardigans, we spend most of the time chatting music rather than doing paperwork. Anyway, so today I brought up what I thought was a viable conversation topic - Weird Al.

There was a lot of silence. Then the slings and arrows of that high school type of "cooler than thou" stuff started. And it was seriously mean-spirited. I was essentially told that I was insane. "Partially schitzophrenic" was the actual term, I believe.

And I just wanted to know if they'd heard his new song, which you shouldn't download at all.

And it kept going on all day.

Here's my opinion on people who "don't get" Weird Al. I think, frankly, Weird Al is pretty much a genius. I mean - how high does your IQ have to be to pair the Beverly Hillbillies theme with a Dire Straights song? And have you ever listened to "Bob"? That's incredible. It's a little more than novelty. And it's fun. But I guess we shouldn't ruin our cynical cool kid attitude with something frivolous. If it's not hopelessly obscure, or bitter and addiction soaked, it's too far to stoop.

Screw that.

Song of the day: "Angry White Boy Polka" - Weird Al.

I had a sugary breakfast today, and with my blood glucose level soaring, I fired off this rant in an email. I feel it should be shared with my adoring public.

"Bukowski once explained how his childhood impacted his
writing: "When you get the shit kicked out of you
long enough and long enough, you learn to say exactly
what you mean. You get all the pretension kicked out
of you." Isaac Brock once said regarding Hank "Who'd
want to be such an asshole?". I say there's nothing
more all-American than getting a hard on for an
emotionally impotent, inflated myth creating, shitty
ONS (probably shot booze), live-pedestrian-die-slowly,
woman beater. People love to chalk it all up the Beat
Generation brilliance. Anti-establishment, my foot.
God. I don't see anyone drooling to make a fifteenth
film about James Baldwin. There's a serious lack of
standards in contemporary understanding of literature.
Shock fucking sells. Bukowski's no different than
any other drivel that comes out of American
television. And the man playing him in the film does
voice-overs for Pontiac! Jesus fucking Christ. Makes
me want to open my window and start screaming a la
"Network"."

My dear little sisters, Ginny and Kitty, leave tomorrow for their freshman year of college at Drake University. They grow up so quickly...and I'm so proud of them!

Remember when music didn't suck?

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Although I hated highschool, the soundtrack was awesome.

Friend of a friend (and amazing photographer of Kansas City) Chris Riebschlager has written a strangely relatable biography (minus the hardworking Nebraskan angle).

Song of the day (and you know you've missed this band lately): "A Life of Responsibilities" - Dismemberment Plan

Stephen Colbert's "Better Know a District" visits California's sixth district - Sonoma/Marin counties...the counties I begrudgingly call home.

Yeah, what he said.

(courtesy of Michael "Men's Group" Harper)

I suddenly remembered tonight that I am in love with Claudio Sanchez. He does indeed bring the rock. And if you don't love this song with every fiber of your being, I feel sorry for you.

Yes, even you, Ed.

You know, there's nothing worse than being attacked at work by a Christian. Oh, they think they're being subtle and PC and not breaking company policy...but they're blatantly transparent. It's always leading questions, casual comments in the break room, and WWJD ribbons posted on an office wall directly across from your desk that you have to stare at for eight hours a day, five days a week. And I'm really sick of their perpetual perkiness - mainlining Jesus makes you into a sugar-coated sheep.

I tried to revolt a little by posting an I.W.W. wall calendar this year in hopes, quite honestly, of starting some sh*t, but by about February I realized no one here has enough education to understand what it is.