cookie_nut

Oh my God, I just...I just don't even.


:|


Have you ever been in a class with someone and actually wonder why in the fuck they were THERE? Like, what possessed them to be in a course they obviously DID NOT freaking belong in?

I am in a class about ethnic groups and minorities. So you know there will be a lot of history concerning various discriminatory practices, historically shameful acts, and the lot. Happy fun time, yes?


Well, I'm in class with a girl who is clearly

A.) White
B.) Privileged
C.) Does not realize that the combination of A and B are blocking her from being able to comprehend any aspect of this course.

Especially B. That bitch is DROWNING in white privilege and she says the most stupid, rude, and insensitive shit and I am ready to choke her ass. The only problem is that it's an online course and we don't yet have the technology that would allow you to wrap your fingers around someone else's throat via the internet. Because if they did...I don't think she'd be here.

This is a person who honestly believes that all racial tension that exists to day is the fault of the victims of racial discrimination, because they won't let the past go and try to be more positive. Oh, and because people don't teach their kids "good manners". Someone who implies over and over again, that everything will be better when various ethnic minorities "get over it", and continually blames them for their feelings of anger, implying at one point that they were angry just for the sake of being angry.

I'm not even going to get into the ignorant shit she said regarding Holocaust victims and Native Americans. :|

I have decided that I'm just not going to look at her posts. Because each time I do, I rage and want to kick kittens.


*goes and takes an aspirin*

Yeah, so some yahoo attempted to rob my brother yesterday. He was taking a short cut to work (a dark alley in an urban area. Sometimes, that guy has no sense...) when this person popped up with a gun, pointed it at him and told him to give him his money.

Rashad, my brother, actually talked the guy out of robbing him. Somehow I'm not surprised. If there was ever anyone who could talk you into or out of anything, it's him. He's what you call "a born salesman". While sometimes this door-to-door mentality has driven me up walls, I'm actually grateful he used his persuasive ability to avoid what could have turned out a lot worse.

In the future though, my entire family and self agree that he should throw the money at the person ASAP and pray that's the end of it. Some people are crazy and will hurt/kill you even IF you give them your money. We also suggested he go to the police to report it and look at mugshots to see if he recognizes the person. Odds are, he'll likely try again, and it would be better if he's apprehended before he does.



In less scary and horrific news, I had discovered that away from my folks place or other places with free wifi, my laptop has a hard time picking up a signal. Of course it COULD be because I reside in the middle of nowhere. So it looked like I wouldn't be getting any internet from where I was. While contemplating a membership to McDonald's Wifi service, it was suggested to me by my dad that I invest in a Belkin and hook it up to my modem.

. . . .

This honestly never occurred to me. :B

So I bought the router, attached it to my modem and voila! A new network. :D I didn't even have to use the installation CD. I'm still going to hold onto it, and get myself another Ethernet wire, just in case things don't run as smoothly when I leave the house tomorrow. Hopefully that won't be necessary.

What's really great is I don't need to go to the library almost every day. I don't need to run into the community center ever so often and deal with the creepy maintenance guy making passes at me. Yippee!

My Mac came! I ordered it like two days ago, and I'm typing on it already. The express shipping was so worth it. :D

I am so happy right now.

It's so...shiny. O_O


I still have to get used to it since there are features that are a bit different from the traditional PC, but I know it was worth the extra money to get it versus a PC laptop. I intend to take good care of this baby. <3

I've got my printer too, but I'm not hooking that up until later.


Hopefully my tablet will be here later today (or tomorrow morning).


In any case I'm am a happy camper right now. :DDD


EDIT: YAY THE TABLET CAME! :)))) *Happy dancing around*

Well, in a surprise twist I got my refund money early (like a few hours ago) and I went on a mini shopping spree. I bought my Mac and a Wacom tablet online, and a new mp3 player. :)

I brought a few other little items and have promised my brothers that yes, I am going to totally buy them a PS3. And just like the Wii I bought them...I will probably NOT be getting to play it. :| Such is life.

My mom is a little freaked that I (gasp) made online purchases (from the Apple and Wacom sites but still) and I dread hearing a speech over the phone from my dad who will suspend reality, where I am a twenty-something with actual experience making online purchases, in favor of proclaiming the evils of technology where money matters are related, where the internet is filled with shady characters just waiting to rip you off.

... Of course that's true in some instances but still, I'd appreciate it if I could do nice things for myself and not be made to feel guilty about how I spend and what I spend it on. Damn it's my money. Via loan refunds.

*cough*

Anyway, I'm calculating and recalculating and already have a designated amount to be put aside for savings should I need a little extra cash in the future. No one thinks I'm thinking about these things. <.<

I will not feel guilty that I burned through nearly fifteen hundred dollars in  five minutes! I AM SPENDING WOMAN! HEAR ME ROAAAAR!


.... :B

They finally cleared up my billing account (thank God) so all my classes and books are marked as paid for and I have a nice sized refund coming within a week.

^_________________________________^


*does a happy happy dance*



In the meantime I've decided that I'm DEFINITELY getting a Mac. PC has burned me for the last time.

So, as of yesterday, my loan payments have been deferred another year, all because I'm an undergraduate student working on a second degree. I didn't even have to file, it was done automatically, thank God, so that's one less thing for me to worry about.

^______________________________________^


What a relief.


Now, I just have to worry about WTF my college is doing with the loan money granted to me for my classes and books. I log on today and my account is still saying that my balance hasn't been paid. Even though yes, I have the loan money to cover it (and then some) and even though the not-very-helpful information lady I called insisted that accounts were all going to be settled....last freaking week.

I want my refund already! :(

GIMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

And pay for my shit!



Stupid colleges hoarding aid money until the last possible minute...

I'm going to go ahead and write this as a new journal, because it warrants one for a couple of reasons:

1.) I now know who I'm dealing with, and letting you know requires an explanation, and it didn't seem appropriate to just make it a short edit.

2.) It involves  stupid_freedirectly, and omonatheydidntto a lesser degree, and in truth, this actually goes back (wait for it), more than a month. And yet, I'm just now hearing from this person.

3.) Lulz.



Okay, to begin, about mid way through last month, I made what was to my knowledge, my first and only post over at stupid_free in regards to a wanky and head-achy post at omonatheydidnt that was overflowing with race wank and a bit of stupidity. The entirety of the situation, from the controversy, to the OMNTD post, to the stupid_free (and her) response is there, and available to all.

In it, I refer to the words and actions of a particular member by the name of livvyxo, who was making comments and comparisons that were for lack of a better term...stupid.

This is a person who:

+ Honestly thinks that making fun of a British accent is the total equivalent of discrimination against Native Americans.

+ All racial controversy begins with and is largely the fault of the United States...because God knows there's no history of ethnic or cultural tension anywhere else on earth, especially not in East Asia. :/

+ The best way to win an argument in regards to stereotyping and the promotion of racial discrimination is post pictures of people modeling Native American Halloween costumes.


In other words, this person is stupid. Too stupid to form a valid argument in regards to Korea and certain failures in regards to grasping and respecting other cultures (and every country on Earth has been guilty of this at some point), or to realize that attempting to make said invalid argument over a MONTH AFTER THE FACT only makes the failure that much more complete. She did not bother to read dates, she did not bother to consider the fact that enough time had past that I had forgotten her specific role in what was posted, which is why I didn't remember her name, even though I do admit remembering the post.

And so, the great irony is rather than make me feel bad in any way, I'm very confident in my decision to feature her in the community. I also am laughing myself silly.

And, this idiot, just makes herself look that much worse. Because not only do I now know she's an idiot, but she's a RACIST idiot. And as such, every negative thing she's said about me, is instantly not worth a hill of beans.

Which is why this final update on the matter has been posted publicly, and not privately.


So if she wishes to rant, she can go ahead. But I'm pretty much not going to take her seriously, or delete her comments. And seeing as she's paranoid as hell about her "privacy", she probably won't say anything anyway.

But what's important is that the mystery is solved.


EDIT: I just got a reply to my comment about how I now know who she is and how maybe she should let this go with a comment that is basically "I didn't read this you stupid mean bitch go away! LA LA LA LA!"

So I'm just going to consider the matter closed. :/

Some people do not think reading is fundamental...which is possibly how they get silly ideas in their head about how racial persecution and non-existant shows making fun of British accents (really?) are the same thing.

I did get a couple good things out of this though: A good laugh, and if this psycho moron yells at me in the future and I forget her (which I probably will), I at least have something to refer back to.

Yay!

So I've started my online geography class right, and it's week two. Our assignment is to post a discussion thread about an article relating to a current event in Central or South America.

Someone decided to do one on Chavez and the souring coffee industry in Venezuala, where we are now moving away from geographic discussion, you know, the point of the whole class, and into a soapbox at a town hall meeting where people blindly try to connect Chavez and his asshattery to the current administration and how "big  government is totally turning our country into a commuinist AND socialist (lets ignore the fact that the systems aren't mutually exclusive) country, and our capitalist system totally works just fine without the big government interfering!"

Except, you know when things like depressions or recessions happen.

The annoying part is even though I responded that the problem with our economy was not "big government" and that the problem in Venezuela isn't a system of  government or economy but persons in power abusing it and the system to make unnecessary and harmful changes, I just KNOW there is going to be a bullshit argument.

WHY, must there be so many stupid idiots in Delaware?

Remember that birther woman that stood up and interrupted Rep. Mike Castle?




I always thought my state was more Democratic, but then I remember that my state is racist as hell and really backwards at times, something I didn't consider until after I hit the reply button and realized you could not delete or edit comments. I would rather not engage this sort of paranoid idiocy,  as I'm exposed to enough ridiculousness as it is.


It's going to be a loooooong week.

The IWF (Independent Women's Forum) is running commercials decrying the move for health reform as a tactic by the government to take over our health care system and run it into the ground.

Have breast cancer? Well apparently a public option means that you will die.

That is pretty much what they implied.

They brought up bullshit "research" where women in England (where they have a public option) where 300,000 women died of the disease. The implication was the women were killed by the SYSTEM and not the DISEASE ITSELF.

...


You know, I have a grandmother who is adjusting to life after being operated on and hospitalized for throat cancer. Even though we decided to forgo the chemo, she's still rehabilitating two years later. A lot has changed in regards to her health and her mental welfare.

And then, there are the medical bills. Even though Medicaid and Medicare took care of the lion share of the bills, she still has to pay out of pocket for what wasn't covered. Thousands of dollars that at this rate, she'll be paying the rest of her life, as she's 76 at the moment.

And then there's the dental work that has to be done that's not even covered by her insurance, and she really can't afford to buy additional insurance.

I just saw another commercial as I was typing this about all the things that are aimed to be included in the reform package and it really really is what she needs.

So it makes me so sick that organizations like the IWF is spreading fear and misinformation, for something that is as important as this reform.

I almost signed up for their site so I could scream at them on their forum. I opted to yell at them via Twitter instead. Ah, internet.


Anyway, the government is the reason why my grandmother only pays $14 a month for rent (it went up from  $2, actually). These people can shove it.

Okay, so today is my birthday! :D

YAY!

Anyway, I decided to celebrate by carrying my frantic, paranoid, hyperventilating self up to the college campus to find out WHY HAVEN'T I GOT FINANCIAL AID YET?!, only to find out that (1) I'm a day early anyway, since book purchases for classes doesn't start until tomorrow (2) The deadline for book-purchasing isn't until near the end of next freaking month, not the end of this one, like I thought and (3) they actually did award me the aid, and if I had been anywhere near the internet this morning (which I can't be, since my computer is broke), I would have known this, and saved myself the five bucks it cost to hop buses to get here.

. . .


AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGH!

>.>


Anyway, the good news is I've got my financial aid, I've got plenty of time to get my books, and that I will have plenty of shopping money on my brand new debit card when they give us back our refunds, which will be instant, since I have a card now. :)

So, it's not a total waste. Nope.


Anyway, I'm going to computer surf since I'm up here, then I'm going to go home and enjoy the rest of my birthday.

I haven't written anything in ages, mostly because there isn't anything exciting going on. ^^' I'm waiting for my fin aid to go through, which is taking a bit long than I'd like. Hopefully I'll be able to get my books and supplies by the end of August.

Speaking of the end of August...my b-day is coming up. I'll be 25. O_O

Wow, time really does fly. I swear I was 17 like yesterday.


+ + + + 

I had a bit of bad luck with my bro's computer. It works fine but for some reason no longer recognizes my cable modem. It's like ten years old and there's no way to get it to re-recognize the modem because it's too old to know anything but dial-up, which we don't have. <.<

Ugh.

But I can log on to the internet via the Library, and I'm back checking out books. :D My bookworm self is happy. <3


+ + + + 

I'm still boggled by the so-called healthcare debate, as it continues to be unnecessarily ugly. And how about that nutjob that was allowed to bring a GUN to a townhall where the president was attending. 2nd amendment my ass, there is no reason for anyone at a presidential townhall to be armed, other than the secret service.

I don't know. I feel that this is building towards something ugly and people are going to be hurt and or killed.

I hope not, but it sure feels that way. :(

Okay, I've had internet for about a day now on my brother's computer (he loaned it to me) and I am feeling loads better. I was seriously going through withdrawal and I HATED having to go over to that community center with the creepy maintenance guy.

So no more of that, yay! ^.^

I know it's been forever since I've updated this thing. XD So, here are a few tidbits about what's going on with me. ^^

I've registered for fall classes (online so I don't have to be on campus) and am already plotting about what I intend to do with my refund money. I'm thinking I'm definitely getting a new computer. This time a Mac. I have absolutely had it with PCs and freaking Vista. I do not care about Microsoft 7. Vista killed the PC for me. Literally.

My freaking computer crashed after trying to update. As in an update from Microsoft ruined my computer. Not a virus, not anything I did myself, just my computer tried to update with files and as a result, is no longer starting up. I cannot even get it into safe mode or command prompt mode to try and fix it. :(

I have no idea how to go about fixing it or getting it fixed, so it's going to be on ice for at least a couple of weeks. In the meantime, the only internet access I have comes via a community center whose internet connection (yay, dial up!) is so damn slow, it's practically illegal. Forget accessing video or movies or music, no way that's happening. :/ Hopefully I'll get access to quicker internet soon, because this is just depressing.

And it's all because of fucking Microsoft and their shitty updates, and this stupid Vista. I have seriously had it. This is the absolute last straw. I do not give a crap about so-called Mac compatibility issues; absolutely NOTHING they do could give me more of a headache at this point.

+ + + +

Also, as I was updating this, the super creepy maintenance guy I wrote about before came in the room and hit on me. T____T He scares me so much and he just looks like a sex offender. I am sure there is a flyer somewhere with his face on it. This place is my only access to internet and I hate that he's always around (and will definitely stick around if he knows I come to the community center) and I'm mildly aggravated. And grossed out. He actually patted me on the shoulder and I don't know if that qualifies as sexual harassment or anything, but I just don't want him to touch me. Or speak to me. I don't want to sound snobby or rude and I guess that's the only reason I haven't said anything. But I just don't like him being anywhere near me, ESPECIALLY when I'm by myself. :(

I don't know what to do. I don't know if I should say anything to his boss, because I need this computer and don't want him creeping around angry at me while I'm in here by myself.

I'd mention it to my family, but...well that might not end well. My dad is the type of person that would hop in his truck, ride all the way over here, track him down, grab him in the collar and threaten to bury him in an unmarked grave if he so much as glances in my direction again.

I don't like trouble or a lot of fuss so that outcome just feels mortifying. :(

I think when I get the money to pay off some library debts (I owe a bit for lost books), I'll just go ahead and get internet there. It's much faster anyway. And hopefully it would significantly reduce any contact I have with the creeper.

TRY IT YOURSELVES!

Trial Version
Full Download




Image: The "default" start screen. Note: The woman blinks and I'm sharing this with you so you won't nearly crap your pants like I did when I got caught unaware.

So about a month ago, I happened across the trial version of Governor of Poker over at Miniclip Games and I have been hooked ever freaking since. I even got my family hooked on the game. It is so much fun.

Take Monopoly, Texas Hold'em-style poker and turn-of-the-century Texas itself (as envisioned by the game makers at least), and you've got "GOP" (and no, I don't mean Republican Texans...har har....).


Image: Poker game in action. You can't see anyone's face but you can "read" their gestures. Also don't panic; only you can see your cards unless you choose to reveal them at the end of a hand.


The Gist:

After picking a name for yourself and the level of difficulty (I strongly recommend "easy" when starting out, even if you play Texas Hold em' regularly), your objective is to escape your dusty little hometown of San Saba by winning the local poker tournament, buying all the houses in town, and then challenging the town's best poker player to a one-on-one match where the prize is a horse and from there your journey really begins.

After leaving San Saba, you go from town to town, city to city, tournament to tournament, making computerized players with bad-ass hats (probably to make up for their ridiculous-ass names. "Slim Pickens"? Really?) your bitches. And collecting a lot of cash and commemorative reward coins along the way.

IT WILL NOT BE EASY.

You will get pwned at least a dozen times along the way, so when they play the fail horn as you take the "walk of shame" away from the table after being busted (some characters trash talk to add to the burn), keep your chin up, and try again.


Image: Fort Stockton or as I like to call it, "GODDAMN IT, WHY CAN'T I WIN?!" Note: Blue houses = houses you own. You can buy/sell them for cash or win/lose them in a cash game.

But do note that you can really only lose so many times (unless you know a certain cheat, but more on that later), because you only start off with so much cash to play with. On easy it's 600 bucks. Once that runs out and you have no houses to sell, you lose.

You know this because a picture will pop up of your character wearing nothing but a barrel that someone was good enough to write "Loser" on.

Fabulous.

But if you persevere and take the advice everyone is good enough to give you (you can talk to folks RPG-style), it will get you to your ultimate destination: El Paso. Here you must face the best poker player in aaaaaaall of Texas: the freaking governor.

That's right, folks: THE GOVERNOR OF TEXAS IS "THE GOVERNOR OF POKER". As obvious as it should have been, I didn't see it coming.

And if you beat him...you get his job. They will make you the Governor of Texas.

I guess in "GOP" Texas, the only qualification necessary for governing a populous is knowing when to hold them and when to fold them. And of course knowing when to walk away. And definitely when to run...


The Game:

Okay, the premise and the names may be a little silly, but one thing that is srs bsns is the game itself: poker.

If you are fuzzy with rules of Texas Hold em', here's a quick run down. Oh, and if you hover above the top of your screen during an actual poker game, a menu is visible. Click "instructions" and they explain a bit.

This game is played three different ways in GOP:

Tournaments: Each town has a poker tournament everyday. In order to win cash, you must beat out so many other players in order to take one of the top finishing positions. In San Saba, there are 8 players including yourself and you must place at least 3rd to win cash. After leaving town, it goes up to 16 and then to 24, and you have to place at least 5th in both instances.

Cash Games: In GOP, after your reputation goes up enough in town (there's a bar at the bottom of your screen that measures it), you will be eligible to play "cash games", which is basically an invitation-only game with the better poker players in town. The thing about these games is that unlike tournaments, there are no prizes for 2nd and 3rd place: To win the cash you've got to bust everyone. Even if you don't win, you do have the chance of winning a house should you best a player or players that bet them during a hand. You can also bet a house if you own one, but only do that if you're absolutely SURE you won't lose it.


Image: Those keys the player has represents his owning all the houses in town. Because he rolls like that.

One-on-One Challenges: The third and final type of game played are the one-on-one poker matches between yourself and the best player in town. In order to get out of town and then in order to get beyond each trio of towns and cities, you must face one person. You play for a better mode of transportation to get around Texas:

Walking >>> Horse >>> Wagon >>> Carriage >>> Car

The only difference in this type of game comes with the final one-on-one match where you don't play for transportation, but instead for title of "Governor of Texas" (and the ability to keep all your houses in El Paso).


The Players:

This game is RPGish, but you do not play against real-life people; you play against computer characters. Their attitudes and playing styles are varied, and the further away from little San Saba you get, the more ruthless your opponents become. Some players are cautious and tight and others loose and aggressive. Some of them bluff you for the sake of getting on your nerves. But do not worry, you can sure as hell return the favor (and even earn a special "bluff" coin). They are not emotionless creatures. If they get screwed over in a hand, they can go on "Tilt". What this means is they become psychologically imbalanced and can possibly be busted because they're still in shock from unexpected pwnage. They can also become "steamy" which means they are ready to cut a bitch. When either happens, the character has smoke pour out of their ears.


Image: What the map of Texas will look like after you beat through every town. Also note the "wheels".

There are only so many hats that were made for these characters so don't worry if you see a character busted only to seemingly return again. Apparently the game makers had a tight budget or a lack of imagination when it came to giving everyone their own hats.

Another thing: you will only ever see their hats and hands; there are no faces aside from the featured characters (and even those are hidden during game play).  In any case, characters have body language so this may help you "read" them when bet or check.

If you play against these characters long enough, you may start to read their playing style and this is crucial for beating them, especially when you end up matched against the best player in town for a one-on-one.

Oh yes, and a quick word about the "Governor": He's an ass and a bully and I suspect no one likes him.



Why I love this game so much?

I love the game-play and I find it both exciting (most of the times, some times it can get a little exasperating). And finding out about a certain cheat that allows me to start with an almost infinite amount of money sure helps. :D Now before you get the wrong idea, I actually DID manage to beat the game before finding out about this cheat. But then, I was playing as "Dag Nabbit" and with a name like that, failure is not an option.

I also feel like my skills at the game have improved a bit since playing.

Even though there isn't any real money up for grabs, it's hard not to feel smug after busting three different players in one hand. ;)

Also, there is no pre-determined anything in terms of how hands will go. It's really the luck of the draw and your own skills and instincts, so no matter how many times you play, you never know how things will turn out, and that keeps things interesting.


+ + + +

So that's all for this review/tutorial. :) Have fun and if you have any questions, just comment away!


 

So I'm listening to the radio in my aunt's car (we're out buying bread for my grandmother), and I catch the tail end of a discussion about a previous caller who confessed to being currently and very actively unfaithful to her "crazy" boyfriend and how she was screwing around with some guy in her home office while he was at work.

Hey, none of my business (all though it's a bit skeezy to be advertising on the radio, ESPECIALLY when you don't know who might be listening and how recognizable your voice might be, just saying....) but I couldn't help but disagree with the radio host's take on the whole thing.

She's all "So what, they're not married! Hot sex, yay!"

I don't know.

"Crimes of passion" are not limited to married couples.

And I don't know how well she has the whole thing on lock-down, but listening to it gave me a creepy feeling. Not an "I hope that annoying bitch gets busted feeling" (not that it wouldn't be a bad thing. XD) but a cold chill.


I do not think things are going to end well, at all. Hopefully it only goes as far as a broken nose for the other man...



+ + + + + + 

I have to re-mail my paperwork for financial aid. My postage is no good. T_________T

Oh well, it should be there in a day or two.


My brother started his new job. I'm so happy for him. He sells really fancy knives. Like $200 knives. O_o I am such a noob when it comes to cooking, I had no idea people paid that much, except maybe top chefs.

Anyone that can get a job in this economy has my hat off to them. Though, we're suppose to be starting to ease out of the recession. Hopefully sooner rather than later.


+ + + + + + +

When I mentioned my grandma in passing, I was reminded that I wanted to talk about someone: The creepy matainence guy where she lives. OMG, he is SUCH a creepy bastard. He just looks like he's a sexual predator. He's always lurking around leering at women rather than doing any kind of work. And he's absolutely fug. >.< 

I go out of my way to avoid him or be alone with him (he hangs around their laundromat sometimes).

Soooooo creepy! :(

I want to report him or something but I don't know. You can't report someone for being creepy, right?

Okay, so there's still a big tiff over the comment made by that moron that California had the misfortune of being represented by. Even as she (falsely) insists that she was robbed of HER crown, far-right groups are applauding her for standing up for her beliefs and insisting it was unfair bias that caused her to lose. Unfair bias and not the ridiculously poor way her response was phrased. "Opposite couples"? I'm sorry, but no one outside of first grade talks like that.


On a final note, I got a message via Youtube saying that (get this) my comment about having an opinion not prevent that opinion from being wrong, and that her opinion was bigoted in spirit "was totally wrong, and people like me were causing the country to take two steps back" by voicing our disagreement with what Miss California said.



. . . O_o

Okay, let me see if I get this: Even if an opinion is wrong, hurtful, and harmful, we should NOT disagree openly with such opinions...because doing so would move our country back two steps. Attempting to confront discriminatory beliefs directly is regression and NOT progress.



My response was as follows:

Oh yes. Nothing says lack of social progress like denouncing bigotry. Political correctness. You're doing it wrong.


Again, for the record, NO ONE IS SAYING THIS MORON DOESN'T HAVE A RIGHT TO AN OPINION. People are saying that the opinion was discriminatory, offensive, and WRONG. She can certainly voice her opinion, as she did. She can also be slammed for it, as she currently is.


+ + + + + +


Okay, so tonight on American Idol was the Top 7...again. Matt was saved last week, and as a result, TWO people are going home this week. Oh joy.


Running down the performances:

1.) Lil: Oh. My. God. In. Heaven. Lil, have you LOST your damn mind? How the hell can you ruin one of the fiercest songs EVER sung in the history of histories by a woman, and then stand there and act like you gave such a great performance?

Bitch, you SUCKED.

Want to know what a good cover sounds like?



^
^
^

That.

That is what you did NOT do.

I swear she is getting worse every single week, and I think voting for her at this point is proving more harmful than helpful. Send her ass home, please.


EDIT: Yes, I'm actually editing this as I put this entry together. Heh. I was just informed via my twitter that apparently she has already been signed by someone. O_o I don't know how true this is, but it could explain her attitude and not giving a damn what the judges say.

EDIT II: This is a post submission edit! I was suspicious of what I saw on twitter and likespring has just informed me that AI has first dibs no matter what. So it's probably not true.



2.) Kris: In my opinion, the best of the night. Original interpretation and very bold decision. I hope he sticks around and isn't screwed in a surprise elimination. Because he really doesn't deserve to go home.


3.) Danny: Taylor Hicks 2.0 actually gave his worst performance so far. I don't know WHAT that opening screech was but I damn near choked to death on my root beer. O_o I happen to love "September", and that was an awful cover of the song. Not even worthy of being called karaoke in nature. It was shouty, screechy, and painful.

4.) Allison: Honestly, I considered tonight her worst performance ever. Having said that, Lil failed so hard,  Allison's performance was brilliant by comparison. I sincerely hope she sticks around, because she's definitely one of the few truly talented individuals left.

5.) Adam: Actually not my favorite performance by him, but I liked it. I can't wait to hear the studio version of this song, cause it will probably be beautiful. As of now, he's actually the Idol to beat.

6.) Matt: Poor, poor Matt. Not only did he just get saved from elimination, but he had the misfortune of having to follow Adam, who no one should ever have to follow. I am not a fan of his, because he strikes me as this year's "Timberfake". Every other year, we have an incarnation of Justin Timberlake make it into this competition, and ALL of them fail to come off as anything but a lackluster copycat. Matt is no exception, and it was painfully obvious as he sang for his life tonight.

He was so desperate, it was practically embarrassing. And the choice to sing  "Stayin' Alive"? So much for subtlety.

Ironically, his chances died on that stage with that performance. He's almost a shoe-in for the bottom three, and I'm fairly sure he'll be going home this week.

7.) Anoop: Aka Mr. Bottom Three. Anoop is a great singer and one of my favorites. He simply lacks star power. If he had it, he wouldn't be in the bottom three every week. Even though he's a great singer, it's not enough. Added to the fact that America has not forgiven him for snapping at the judges (while ignoring oodles of 'tude given by Diva Rounds, strangely enough), it's not looking good for him.

I actually liked this week's performance, and consider him one of the best of the night. He was also given the pimp spot, which he'd been denied, even though previous performances said that he more than deserved it.

Will it be enough? I hope so. I feel he should not go home this week, because he certainly doesn't deserve to.



Who do I think SHOULD go home?

Lil and Matt.

Lil: Has peaked and continues to get worse and worse. She's also an obnoxious diva who needs to GTFO.

Matt: Desperation is not a winning quality. Rather than practically beg to stay on the show, he should have showcased his genuine talent and showed America why he deserved to be there. He was saved, and it was an obvious waste. One that COULD cost someone else big time.


Who IS going home?

....I have no idea. o.o

I just know this week is going to see a MAJOR upset. Someone is going home that should not go home, and I bet it will be because of Lil votes. Count on it.

Yep, it's a political opinion piece, folks! Enjoy!




The above is the video of the response given by Miss USA pageant contestant Miss California, in response to Perez Hilton's question concerning when gay marriage would be legalized in all fifty states.


After re-watching it, I'm fairly sure what she wanted to say was this:

"I'm glad we live in a country where you have the choice, you can marry whoever you want. Personally, though, I feel that gays should not be married. At least not in the same sense and as a man and a woman. I feel that marriage is something that can only exist between a man and a woman, and should continue to be defined as such. It's a matter of my upbringing, and no offense, but I cannot support it."


That is basically what I came away with.

To be honest, she didn't quite answer the question. She didn't say, "Yes I feel all states should follow suit" and she didn't say, "No, I think same sex marriage is bad, so I'd rather it not be legalized in an state at all" She pretty much yammered away a lackluster version of the translation bolded above.

She could have just said, "No."

The problem with that, of course, is that she would have looked like (gasp) a bigot! So she decided to add on words about how great her country was and mention her (no doubt religious) upbringing to gloss over the fact that she believes that discrimination based on sexual orientation is perfectly fine. Problem solved, right?

...Except not.

I say this to the concern trolling, overly-PC idiots that are defending this moron: Just because someone has a right to an opinion, does not make that opinion right.

First, the opinion as stated is wrong: Not all homosexual couples have a choice. Remember, marriage of same-sex couples is only legal in four states. Four states...out of FIFTY. That means if you're a gay couple,  you only have the option to be married in about 8% of the country.

Then there is the idea that one's own upbringing is enough of an excuse to hold an opinion that is prejudicial.

WRONG.

You are your own person. No matter where you were raised, no matter what the opinions are of whoever your parents are, you are a human being capable of making up your own mind and drawing your own conclusions.

I'm an independent moderate, and my views have been shaped throughout my life based on how I myself felt about what I've encountered, read, and researched. I do not fall back on "what I was raised to believe". That is a dated philosophy. Learn, know, and think things for yourself.

I omitted her "my country" aspect of the remark from the "translation", because I didn't want to put more words in her mouth than I already had,. Still, it's not something that should be overlooked. What was she implying?

Was she saying in HER America, there's no room for happily married gay couples? It sounded like it.

Again, WRONG. We're all Americans. This is OUR America, and there should be no law recognizing second-class citizenship of any group of people.

In this regard, I'm actually more disgusted with people looking to defend this person's opinion than the opinion itself. There is simply nothing there worth defending.

I don't stand up for bigots, but I do stand up to them. And in my opinion,  that's the only stand really worth taking in these situations.

...Well, not quite, it's less than twenty minutes until noon. ^^' Anyway, I'm not up to much. Found out about a couple of things that I recommend you try out:


Cooliris: It's a really cool Foxfire plug in, that lets you browse images in 3D along an infinite wall. It works best with image results. The images look amazing in HD. ^^

For more, go here: http://www.cooliris.com/

JustHearIt!: A search engine that lets you find and listen to any song you want. :D You can even make a playlist. In some instances, if you have the right plugins, you can download the songs and or videos. Really cool and worth a look.

Link: http://www.justhearit.com/


Oh, and this is where I go for my flash game fix: http://miniclip.com


+ + + + + + + + +

Finally took the initiative and completely left and unwatched "Oh No They Didn't".

It took that recent post concerning the answer Miss California gave during the question round in Miss USA for me to see what a cesspool that place REALLY is. I mean, they make Perez Hilton look classy. Perez Hilton. Is classier than ONTD. And in truth, he has been classier than them for awhile now.

I really don't know what happened. Once upon a time, I really liked the blog: it was fun, snarky, but never tasteless. WTF happened? O_o

In any case, yeah, I do not want to be associated with that level of absolute fail. I'll stick to my spin-off comms, thanks. I frequent ONTD_Political (great for political news and talk), OMONATHEYDIDNT (opened a couple of months ago, but already 1000+ strong. Yay!), and occasionally pop in over at ONTD_Discussion, but after AI ends, I probably won't.


I've been neglecting a good portion of communities I joined awhile back. Going to have to sort out my f-list. O_o

A story about epic win....


I'm so happy for OMNTD (Omona they didn't!), I can barely think of what to type. :D

I was there for the entire journey, and I cannot state enough how proud I am of this community and how proud I am of its mods and members.



It was a few months ago, ironically after the whole "Miley hates Asians" thing had just blown over, that a war was fought. On one side was ONTD proper (mainly its mods*), and on the other, a collection of members who are very much into Korean entertainment. You see, ONTD claims to be a community that's all about entertainment and gossip, however, it seems that it only extends to people from the "right" part of the world. We were told to go to "ONTD_Asia". Yep, ONTD members (and mods) were calling for segregation. I still guffaw at their rules about "racism" and "trolling".

Well, to make a long, bitter, and painful story short, Korean entertainment posts were for the most part banned, and these members were left with no place to discuss their fave Korean entertainment news (or pic-spam each other into submission). Where could they go? Asian Fanatics? Nope, too crazy. Soompi? Crazy (and bringing the wank here lately). Allkpop? I'd rather walk on a bed of hot coals with gasoline on my feet.


Then one day, a couple of them took it upon themselves to form a spin-of community called "Omona, They Didnt": http://omonatheydidnt.livejournal.com

No one was sure how the community would do. ONTD_Asia was (and remains) pretty much dead. Was ONTD right? Did no one care about Korean entertainment? Were we doomed to fail?




HELL NO.


And I'll tell you why:

1.) Omonatheydidnt is made of 100% win. It was a seed planted in the hopes that everyone, no matter who they were, where they were from, or who their favorite Kpop idol was, could come together to have fun and support one another as we spazzed ourselves silly. And when something is made of 100% win, it simply cannot fail.

2.) Its mods are fierce bitches. Anyone else would have been CRUSHED by the cruel, hurtful, bigoted things they experienced. Some would have simply given up and accepted that such posts wouldn't catch on over at ONTD and have believed that there was nothing to be done. Not these HBICs. They went out, made a kick-ass layout, got the word out, and people began pouring in DAILY. The community has not been open two months yet, and I'm confident that today we'll welcome our thousandth member. :)

3.) The community IS a community. No, we don't all fangirl the same groups, same music, or same shows, but we support one another, and are quick to make friends. Much quicker to laugh than to bitch. There is no pettiness, there is no wank, there is no drama, and we WILL fight to keep it that way. So trolls, attention whores, and drama queens should look elsewhere.

4.) It's addictive and fun. I must confess that 90% of the fun at OMNTD isn't even what's posted; it's talking about what's posted with everyone else.


So then, even if you know next to nothing about the wacky, dramatic, lulzy, and sometimes downright bizarre world of Korean Entertainment (music, movies, shows, and celebrities), feel free to stop by. WE WILL EDUMACATE YOU!

Join today!

Be there for our craaaazy celebration (and it will be crazy) as we hit the 1,000 member mark, and be there for the laughs, love, and fun. ^.^




OMONA THEY DIDN''T....good luck, godspeed and saranghaeyo. T.T


*I suspect that one mod is a closet Kpop fanatic. Fess up!

...Well not entirely. ^^' First I will talk about relevant stuff: I am still without a job. Am I wrong for trying to look for something that actually pays and not going into retail? I hated retail when I was working my way through college, and having graduated I was under the naive assumption that I might try looking for jobs that I actually qualify for. Entry level stuff. In an office. Where I don't have to deal with stupid ass would-be shoplifters asking me if the security cameras work because they intend to steal, even though I'm clearly an employee (you cannot make this shit up).

If I'm going to endure drama, I want to be PAID.

I know too many people going back to those jobs from college and I have yet to hear one person say they're truly happy and that the money is worth the bullshit.

Anyway, I do intend to go back to school next semester (summer) and if I can get paperwork in next week, things should go smoothly.

+ + + + + +

Now about American Idol! For those who don't care about AI or what I think about AI, consider the above the end of the post and feel free to comment. XD


Okay, so right now is Top 7 and for the most part, the cream of the crop has emerged. I think this year we may see a number of people come away with contracts. About the remaining contestants:

7.) Matt: Talented, but unoriginal. It seems every other season someone wants to be an incarnate of Justin Timberlake and this year it's him. I wonder what sound-a-likes are going to do when JT goes out of vogue? Any way, I give him two to three more weeks.

6.) Anoop: Very talented singer, a favorite of mine clear back from his audition. The boy can sing. Unfortunately the boy cannot keep his mouth shut and his douchebaggish behavior is still haunting him as even though he apologized and gave a good enough performance, he still ended up in the bottom three and nearly went home. Whether or not fans who abandoned him will return is uncertain and, as fan favorites solidify, possibly unlikely. I like him, but in all honesty, I think he can go as early as next week.

5.) Kris: Initially, I assumed that he was the male equivalent of Megan: There because of his looks and mediocre talent, and nothing else. However the other week I got the chance to see him really shine and I admit he's better than I originally thought. Even so, I do not think his adoring female fans will be able to carry him any higher than the top five. If he makes it to the top four, it will probably be as the result of an absolutely STUNNING elimination.*

4.) Lil: Talented, but is fading fast. Lil was once a front runner, but week after week of not listening to the judges and attempting to take on songs too big for her (bitch you can strut like her, but there is only ONE Tina Turner, and as America showed you, if you cannot bring it, don't...do it!) or taking to shouting through a damn song as if that's all you got to do. There is no variety, no subtleness. It seems she's determined to squawk and honestly, I don't know what to think. The girl can sing, but she needs to think, really think, about her song choices, and then sing her heart out and hope for the best. The highest I see for her is a Top Four spot. The only way she can make it to Top Three is if she can really bring it these next few weeks and weasel votes away from Danny Gokey and push him out.

3.) Gokey: Has Gokey been in the bottom three yet? I don't recall. He certainly doesn't as he's getting smugger by the week. It was apparent during the previous elimination that he wasn't remotely worried. Well, he may not feel yet, but he will, at least by the Top 6. I see him being in the bottom three as early as next week, and to be honest, I think it would be good for him. It might be bad later*, but at least it would wipe the smugness off and make him a bit more hungry. He does have a strong soulful voice, but he has no soul. IDNC how many people scream "blue-eyed soul", You don't hear soul, you feel it. Bitch has no soul. And it seems right now, bitch has no hunger. He's performing well, but I feel like he's not performing as well as he could be if his ass were on the line. In any case, I see him making it to the Top Three barring a push by Lil Round's fans. He may make it to the Top Two, but at this point, I'd view it as a major upset as he's less marketable than the top two in my book.

2.) Allison: Or as I like to call her: "Kelly Clarkson II" (Or as my brothers like to call her, "That girl that looks like a troll doll" XD). The girl has what you call "raw, natural-born, God-given talent". As the judges have said, it is not something you can teach or learn, it is something that you have or you don't, and she has it in spades. Every time she opens her mouth, you have to remind yourself that she's a teenager and not a veteran that has been singing for decades, because she has the swagger and stage presence of a tested front woman. I think, in all honesty, she is better now than Kelly Clarkson was when she performed on this show. I think that Kelly is definitely one of the most talented persons to come out of the show, and I don't take her vocal gift away from her, but I think that Allison's potential now may carry her farther than it did Kelly in the right hands. Which given Kelly's success, says a lot. I think Allison could win this show for a couple of reasons:

- Definitely marketable: She's young, she's talented, she can sing, she can perform, and she's mainstream.
- Only person coming close enough to upset an almost certain Adam Lambert victory. Everyone else just there, I have to say. It's going to become more and more about Adam and Allison each week, barring a surprise elimination*

1.) Adam: Okay, where do I begin? Adam Lambert is not only extremely talented, he's clearly on a different level than the other competitors. I understand that his falsetto may not be for everyone (that is the beauty of music: different strokes for different folks), however his performances are just so much far ahead of everyone. The performances seem to range from pageantish, to karaoke, to, as Simon would say, "indulgent". While I think all the people remaining at this point are talented in that they can sing, I am not moved, nor do I see anything special. I saw something different about him early on, but I didn't really pay much attention to him. I pegged Danny as likely to win it since the combination of his sad back story and the judge's endless (and often unwarranted) gushing made him a likely finalist. The first time I really noticed him was the week he did "Ring of Fire".

To this day, I have never seen anything like that in my life on that show. I still don't know how I feel about it, but I get the feeling that awhile from now, I'll put it in the "great shit" column.

What made my mind up for me was his performance of "Tracks of My Tears". Some people complained because he took the make-up off and channeled Elvis, but that performance sort of cemented in my mind that there was something unique about him. It was cemented by listening not merely to the live version of "Mad World" that he did, but to the studio version. It is possibly one of the most beautiful covers of a song I've ever heard in my life. Certainly one of the best covers by an American Idol contestant. I sincerely hope it goes on his album. Make no mistake, win or lose, he's getting a record deal. I peg him as the mostly likely winner, but I also peg him as most likely to be the victim of an upset*.

I wouldn't be too upset to be honest. I just hope whoever gets him is smart enough not to send him to the watered down Disney pop market that's eroding the soul of modern music.


Okay that was my "talent" order. These are my likely elimation rankings:

7.) Anoop
6.) Matt
5.) Kris
4.) Lil
3.) Danny
2.) Allison
1.) Adam

Most likely to be eliminated early in an upset:

1.) Adam
2.) Allison
3.) Lil


Most likely to CAUSE an upset elimination:

1.) Kris
2.) Lil
3.) Matt


That's all for AI talk....mostly. XD

*As in it comes after the "Judges Save" is used. The producers may have outsmarted themselves with this. They might save one super talent from an off week, but I still think that we are due for a shocking elimination. It has to happen. Nothing is ever 100% fool-proof.


+ + + + + +

I'm going to speak just a bit more on Adam, because I think his fan base is a rather interesting one. Early on, I admit I dismissed him, mainly because his fan base seemed to be clogged with mindless Jonas Brothers fangirls, I admit to calling him a missing Jobro. I sincerely apologize. XD

However, as my mom gushed (she's a fan), I wondered what was up. All over the net, I'm finding that a good portion of his fans right now are not teenagers, but people in their forties and fifties. I haven't seen this since Taylor Hicks, to be honest, but the reasoning is a bit different.

From what I gather, these people see Adam as reminiscent of good music from their era. Queen. Led Zeppelin. 70s and 80s glam rock. He is a stark contrast to modern pop radio that doesn't seem to be for anyone who's not a pre-teen. He's very different, and I hope he's marketed as such because he has generated more interest than any other idol in recent memory. I'm not talking about "fad" idols like Sanjaya. I'm talking about people from different ages groups, around the world, talking about how much they want to buy his music. If his music was recorded at the caliber of his "Mad World" single, I think he'd top charts.

And I sincerely hope so.

I hear something in him, and see something in him that is sincerely lacking in modern mainstream music. It's to the point where everyone is so used to mediocre crap, no one knows what "unique" is. Or "talent". Or having someone be able to sing beautifully without being tweaked to hell (and sound like shit live).

And since people are still talking about it: Yeah, he's probably gay. At the very least, bisexual leaning towards likes guys. But straight? I'm doubtful. Not that the fan girls will care. With all the yaoi being pushed on the internet by women and girls, it will hardly matter to them. I don't really care either to be perfectly honest. I don't vote based on bed mates, anyhoo.

In any case, I'm extremely curious to see how things unfold with him.