Me v. Taylor Swift v. The World

Those of you who know me a bit have experienced my waves of anti-Taylor Swift posts and pictures. And I'm asked many times, "why do you hate her?"


The answer is simple: I don't! Really! But I do hate on her, which I think is a profoundly different thing. Since it's her birthday and she is once again older than me, I feel like it's my duty to clear the air.

Lemme 'splain to you. 

When T. Swift first burst onto the scene, I liked her stuff. Her first album, Taylor Swift, came out in 2006. I think the first song I heard was "Tim McGraw," and I watched the video on Great American County that summer, between World Cup soccer games. 

That was the summer before my junior year of high school, and coincidentally I began teaching myself guitar that year. In my search for simple songs to play, I found many Taylor Swift songs that were in my skill set and vocal range -- "Tim McGraw," "Teardrops on My Guitar," "Our Song," etc. 

When I found out that she is a mere eight months older than me, I felt a little miffed. Here I was, dragging my awkward self through high school, and this girl with her simple lyrics and chords was a hell of a lot richer than me. Taylor, of course, rose to fame before Bieber and Gomez and Lovato and 1D/The Wanted, so I think it's safe to say she was one of the first artists around my age that I really listened to. Thus, this was one of the first times I realized that people my age and my skill level are richer than me. 

Back in those days, I was a better singer. And I've gotten lazy in my guitar skills, so there's no real excuse. BUT I couldn't help be a little jealous.

Also, as a kid I listened to some great 90s country. Reba. Faith. Shania. Dixie Chicks. In high school, I loved Gretchen Wilson and Miranda Lambert and Garth Brooks. So as much as I liked Taylor's first album...well...it didn't really feel country to me.

It especially didn't feel country when "Love Story," her first single off of her sophomore album Fearless, was remixed for pop radio. Gross, Taylor. Really? And what was with the Romeo and Juliet metaphors? EVERYONE KNOWS THEY DIED AT THE END.

I began getting annoyed with Taylor around the second album. The sappy lyrics. The pop remixes. The advertisement deals. The famous boyfriends. People said she was a great role model for little girls. I thought, why? All her songs are about relationships and needing men and being lost in fairy tales. Women don't need to hear sappy love songs or sad breakup songs. They don't need Romeo and Juliet to compare themselves to. They definitely don't need any queerphobic lyrics (they're in the first verse). 

They need to hear that they're powerful. They need to hear that they're beautiful. They need to be independent.

When Kanye West stole that microphone from her in 2009, her career really took off. She won country awards at the Grammys and at the CMAs, I think, because people felt sorry for her. People defended her, and Kanye still hasn't lived down the moment where he insulted America's pop princess. It was rude, absolutely. But everyone rushed to Taylor's defense and it landed her a ton of awards. My personal favorite, Miranda Lambert, got snubbed in favor of someone who was crossing over into the pop realm.
So, I wrote a column for my college newspaper (it's on page 6). Here's an excerpt:

"...it is my firm belief that if girls 10 years younger than you come and scream at your concerts and request that your music be played at their grade school dances, you become dangerously close to losing your place in any real genre. Add in the fact that your music videos are played constantly on MTV and VH1 and that your songs have been remixed for Top 40 stations, and you have lost your country crown. You have now been shoveled into the cliché, synthesized, bubble gum, and dangerously addictive brand of music we like to call "pop."Other poppish country artists are come to mind, but none of them are as widely worshiped as Taylor. It's like she's Miley Cyrus, only better and more prolific.Taylor cleverly tried to prove that she was a country artist by writing a song reminiscing about her life as a younger girl at the age of "Fifteen." Country artists live in the past. They thrive on their breakups and the innocence of their childhoods. Plenty of other country artists have written the proverbial adolescence song: Brad Paisley with "Letter to Me," Carrie Underwood with "Don't Forget to Remember Me," Jason Aldean with "Laughed Until We Cried," Miranda Lambert with "The House That Built Me." All respectable country artists.Taylor, I hate to break it to you, but writing a song about when you're 15 is only cool when you actually are 15 or when you're 35 and reminiscing about it. Not when you're 20."

AND OH, THE HATE I GOT. I went from upset to amused in the span of several minutes as people ripped apart my post. Called me dumb, called me wrong, told me I sucked, defended Taylor, etc.  I thought it was fun! I put the same blog on The Huffington Post, and got plenty of other comments on how bad my writing style was, etc. And again, I was a bit upset at first and then I realized how fun it was to criticize someone whom everyone else adores.

 And oh, how they adored her. Boyfriends and fans and awards committees. Speak Now, her third album, featured songs that were very clearly about several of her exes. People thought it was cute and clever that she would be so bold to call out John Mayer.

 I just thought it was bitchy.

 But she kept on winning awards. Billboard Woman of the Year in 2012. A Grammy for Best Country Performance (really?!) and Best Country Song (...REALLY?!) in 2012. She was Entertainer of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards this year (......). On and on, more awards, more honors, and she still acts like she's so damn surprised every time. 

Now, though, I think people are getting a little sick of her serial dating behavior and her kitschy little melodies. Two of her most recent, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and "I Knew You Were Trouble" are just awful, horrifically repetitive and whiny songs. People are starting to make fun of her for dating everything that moves. And you know what? That's good. Because every public figure deserves some criticism. It makes them humble. Keeps them on their toes. As for Taylor, I will continue to let the critical words flow. For one, it's fun. For another, I don't think her songs are very "country" or, frankly, very good. For another, I'm kind of jealous. And for the last, there are so many good artists out there. Like, SO many. And they don't just rely on bad breakups to make their money. They write lyrics that empower women, and lyrics that are certainly a lot smarter than the ones you find on a Taylor Swift album.

POC and LGBT in shows I watch (or lack thereof)

I'm having an interesting conversation on FB about how few black or gay people there are in the video games and shows I watch. I think I've said this before...but for real, Hollywood? UNDER-REPRESENTED. There are hardly any other ethnicities, either. These are the things I do.

• The Walking Dead - zero gay, multiple of like two or three black people alive at all times.
• The Vampire Diaries - one dead evil gay dad, light-skinned black people who usually die because they are all witches.
• Glee - don't get me started, there are hardly any black people and they all have terrible story lines. The writers only pay attention to one group of gay people.
• Rizzoli & Isles - one of the main protagonists is black, and they have one minor black character (who is pretty much a stereotype). Aside from the subtext, not too much gayness. 
• Buffy - a groundbreaking lesbian couple, BUT ALSO a ton of white folks. Except for Principal Wood, who is a badass.
• Sherlock - everyone is white, no gayness except when they mention ALL THE TIME that people think Watson and Holmes are a couple.
• Resident Evil series - no gay people, the only main black protagonist in RE5 is basically a sex symbol...
• Assassin's Creed series- Leonardo Da Vinci is the only gay person I know of. I can cut this series some slack because many events take place hundreds of years ago. But, on the other hand, the main group of present-day protagonists are all white folk.
• Dead Island - two of the main protags are black, but there isn't really much of a back story to 'em. No gay people that I know of.

Artsy fartsy awesome things

Check out Let's Go Lesco Photos!

We all love small businesses, eh? A friend of mine who lives in South Wales has been developing a collection of paintings and photos, and she's having a special deal for the holidays! A portion of all her sales go to charity this month.

She has photos of nature (and also of beautiful humans) from around the world, and has also designed a few cute cards. Her shop is on Etsy, so you know it's good. :) Find Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/whatever cards at a great price.

Plus, she is 100 percent LGBT friendly. Gotta love it!

For the lesbians. :)

For the gay dudes. :)

Britney Spears IS America: The Femme Fatale and the land of the free

Original published 7 April 2011

Updated 2 December 2012

With the release of her seventh album, “Femme Fatale,” in 2011 and her successful stint as an “X Factor” judge, Britney Spears has once again proven her worth to any dissenters. Many wrote the pop princess off as another failed teen star, as her personal struggles from 2004-2007 made her the subject of tabloid news. But Britney’s journey -- no matter how many children, shaved heads and marriages it has taken – has picked back up again (for the record, I think that count is 2-1-2, with a third marriage planned).

She celebrated her 31^st birthday today, and I honestly think she’s just going to keep getting stronger and stronger. And Britney’s triumphs and failures parallel that of another young superstar -- the United States. Yes, the land of the free itself: once a young upstart, now the most powerful country in the world. The past 13 years have been instrumental for Spears and for the US, and it’s a bit strange how closely the two stories are connected.

The 90s were when Brit-Brit burst into the scene. “...Baby One More Time” was released in 1999. It was a sexual album, something unique. And the American people love getting sexual...after all, it was in 1998 when Bill Clinton was charged with the Lewinsky scandal. 2000 brought some more controversy. Bush v. Gore, of course, and the question of how the Florida voting system got so badly screwed up. But also that sneaky Britney wearing lewd clothing, grinding around and corrupting the minds of our young children. For shame!

Of course, 2004 was when all the shit hit the fan. The American people started to think the war in Iraq was an unnecessary campaign started by a war-hungry president. Popular sentiment about the war and the government began to take a turn for the worse. And in Britney’s world, things weren’t going well. 2004 was the year she married her childhood friend Jason Alexander in Las Vegas, annulled the marriage 55 hours later and got engaged to Kevin Federline three months after that. Yikes.

Those following years weren’t very good, either.  Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005. The economy went into a decline as the housing bubble collapsed, and the Great Recession began in 2007. Britney had kids, checked into rehab and shaved her head. In this time of tumult, economic uncertainty and attacks on the paparazzi, how would America and its pop princess pull themselves out of a deep rut? Change was needed.

And change came.

Barack Obama won the 2008 election on a campaign of hope and, yes, change. He seemed like just the right person to steer America out of the recession and get troops home

.

Also in 2008, Britney Spears released “Circus,” one of the fastest-selling albums that year, to much critical acclaim. It seemed as if everything on both sides of the spectrum would be all right. The next few years were indeed a circus for all parties involved. A media circus took place around the Obama family and everything they did, from Barack’s controversial healthcare bill to what school Sasha and Malia picked to Michelle’s clothes and right down to what they would name that cute little dog.

Britney’s circus was on her 2009 “Circus Starring Britney Spears” tour. With a gross of U.S. $131.8 million, it became the fifth highest-grossing tour of the year. She was also a part of the hit television show “Glee.” An entire episode was focused on her music and her influences in the American pop scene (they attributed another one to her in 2012).

Through 2010 and 2011, the circus was still in full swing, but it shifted a bit. Obama wasn’t the most popular guy on campus anymore, and new Republican senators and congressmen began to make some changes of their own. The media is still as aggressive as ever.

And Britney? She released “Femme Fatale,” an album with a different sound than her past projects. “Hold it Against Me” gave Spears her fourth number-one single on the chart, and made her only the second artist in history to have two consecutive singles debut at number one (Mariah Carey was the first).

 

There were also plenty of changes this year. Brit has been in the spotlight most recently for her work on “X Factor” with Simon Cowell, Demi Lovato and LA Reid. And she is very happily engaged to her former manager, Jason Trawick, whom she seems to have a very happy and healthy relationship with.

The US, of course, wrapped up a presidential election – no matter who wins the presidency, there are always some big changes nationwide. But we decided to continue our own relationship with Barack Obama – that, or he is our own personal “X Factor” winner. You can pick how you want the extended metaphor to go for that one.

There are a lot of things in the works for B. Spears. She still has some trouble shaking off her past, of course. Critics won’t let her forget those marriages or her paparazzi attack, and there are a few lingering court cases or custody battles that we seem to hear about every now and then. But she seems to be on the up-and-up lately and getting her career back in the swing of things.

A lot is in store for the US, too, as we head into Obama’s second term. The economy is still struggling a bit, and the government has a lot on its big ol’ plate. But jobs are returning, slowly but surely, and I think there is still some hope for this country to get back on its feet.

It sure has been a wild time for Britney, and for the country she calls home. And to be honest, who really knows what the next few years will bring? A new president? A new marriage? Some more racy clothes? We can only wonder. And, of course, we can only hope...hope that two of the biggest young celebrities in the world will keep entertaining us for years to come.

When people all over the country read your story about a famous cat, it is both humbling and terrifying.
I am lucky that I only got one angry person so far telling me that he doesn't want to pay for cat coverage in his newspaper...
But news can't be bad things and sad things all the time. It's not all about money and politics. Somewhere, a man is bringing joy to people through the funny face of a cat. And that's important, too.

Today is the best day of the year!!

I'm wearing pink, of course, in tribute to the fact that "on Wednesdays, we wear pink."

"Mean Girls" is my favorite movie. I don't really find too many inspiring things about it, it doesn't make me cry or feel better about life or ponder deep things.

It just makes me laugh.

I wrote a letter to the editor of the local paper.

It's that time of year again when I can look out my window and see a row of cars along my street and on every spare foot of pavement around Woodward Elementary.

Sometimes, those spare feet of pavement that people think they can park on stretch over my driveway -- or, in some cases, actually into the driveway. I've come home around 3 p.m. or tried to leave my home around the same time and found it impossible. Someone has parallel parked themselves right in front of me, and I can't get out. Or, someone is parked right in my driveway and I can't squeeze back in.

We all expect courtesy when it comes to parking and the roads. If someone parks over the line at the grocery store, we grumble as we wedge ourselves out the driver's side door. If someone's bumper encroaches upon our driveway, we almost try to hit them as we're backing out. If someone cuts over a few lanes suddenly to get to an exit, we call them stupid.

But somehow, we don't always think these courtesy rules apply to us. I'm just running in to Kroger for some apples; people can live with this crappy park job. I'm just running in to my dorm to get my wallet; it's unfair that I get a ticket for parking in the reserved spot. I'm going to be late; I need to claim this intersection and almost run that red light. I'm just getting my kid from school; why can't I park here in front of this driveway?

We forgo these common courtesy rules so that our lives can be just a little easier, for just a few minutes. We tell ourselves that our neighbors can live with it for a bit so we can go about our business without walking a few extra steps or waiting a few extra minutes. And then we turn around and get mad when other folks do the same thing.

Me, I know I'm not perfect. My Corolla has gotten several tickets at Ohio Wesleyan because, as a student, I just didn't want to buy that parking pass -- but I still tried to park in the school lots because I was inevitably late and didn't have time to hoof it from a further distance.

Parents at Woodward, your kids can wait. If there is anything our young people have learned from their parents, it's how to be impatient. They can take a few extra steps to find your car.

And don't be too surprised if I start charging for parking when I need to get somewhere.

The end of my best year ever

The age of 21 is often met with excitement in the U.S. because it's the first year people can legally drink. True, it's been quite enjoyable being able to buy my own beers, but there are many other factors that made my 21st year the best year I've ever had. Thanks to all those who made it possible, and I'm looking forward to starting another year tomorrow, on Aug. 18. :)

• Graduated with a double major in journalism and religion in three and a half years of college. Served as managing editor of the paper for my last semester, and had almost too much fun writing my religion senior thesis on the Borgia family.
• Got engaged to the love of my life at my fall sorority formal, and had overwhelming support from our friends and family. Though we cannot get married in Ohio, we are enjoying the engaged life and will hopefully be making plans soon!
• Joined a Sweet Adelines barbershop chorus, the Capitol Showcase Chorus, as a bass. Won first place in our division in April!
• Saw two of my favorite artists, Britney Spears and Miranda Lambert, live in concert.
• Served my Delta Zeta chapter as president, and got to swear in my amazing successor in January of this year after a successful formal recruitment.
• Recently took the position of area Delta Zeta alumnae president, and will be able to keep in touch with the wonderful women in my chapter as I coordinate events with local alums.
• Took a part-time position doing sports agate at the Columbus Dispatch, and broke into the professional journalism field.
• Am now reporting full-time at the Marion Star and am having a wonderful time putting my natural nosy curiosity at work for money and helping serve a community new to my life.
• Filled my house and life with all sorts of wonderful cats.

No stranger danger, just a long-lost cat

One of the few times she posed for a picture.

In spite of everything that's happened in the last week -- or month, or year, or however you define when bad things fall -- there are still ways people can make you believe in the simple goodness that we all have in our hearts.


A background: My fiancée, Leah, and I live in Delaware OH. We rent a little apartment about two blocks from Ohio Wesleyan, where I went to school. Two days after we moved in in August of 2010, a friend at school called me and asked if we wanted a cat. We reluctantly took the little guy in, thinking we would foster him. Well, that turned into not wanting to let him go, and we kept Scoops to this day.


We began noticing that he wasn't the only stray we had around. A cat and her kittens hung around the area, so we named them and fed them and gave them some love. Burger, a fluffy grey cat, and her daughter, Cali the calico, were present most often and got the most of our attention. We let Cali inside to visit and to warm up in the winter, because her excitability and raspy meow were too damn cute to leave in the cold. She was lovable, yes, but sometimes she was too busy headbutting your chin and hands or biting you to be too much of a lap cat. She was a bit dim, and not a good bug chaser. But she was funny, and always there when I wanted to pet a cat.


In the spring, both Burger and Cali had kittens -- Burger in March and Cali in April. Our house was home to Scoops, and two mother cats with three kittens each. We became quite popular. One of Burger's is in Minneapolis, and the other two went to separate homes in the Columbus area.

Cali and babies, April 2011

Cali's kittens stayed closer. Nugget, an orange male, stayed with us. Kipper, a female grey tabby, went to one of my littles in my sorority. Pooter, a calico who looks and acts very similar to her mother, went to a friend from work. Several months later, Cali joined her -- we had added another stray to the house and just didn't know if we could keep four kitties. We never planned on keeping Cali, she just stayed inside after she had kittens. So, she joined her daughter in Fredericktown, almost an hour away, with Pooter. Our friend from work had two other cats, two young kids and a fiancé

From top: Kipper, Pooter, Nugget.

When we went to visit this April, we learned Cali was hiding in our friend's garage. I went in there and called around, and immediately heard her raspy chirp. She carefully got down from the rafters and ran to me, standing on her hind feet so she could reach my outstretched hands. She didn't really like the kids, it turns out, and would sometimes try to escape. We brought her back in and I cuddled with her. I definitely had missed her, but she stayed there. I figured she would get used to it.


Well. Things went bad with our friend and her fiancé in May. He moved out, she and the kids went somewhere else. We took Pooter in, but our friend couldn't find Cali. She was outside again, nowhere to be found. Maybe she was happier there, I thought. From the sounds of it, Cali enjoyed being out -- she was an outdoor cat when we found her, after all. She loved escaping from our friend's house. Maybe she just wanted to be an outdoor kitty.

Then, my little went to Colorado for an internship and I agreed to babysit. The siblings were reunited. Kipper and Pooter reminded me so much of Cali with their mannerisms. Nugget got her klutziness. Kipper got her neurotic, skittish nature and her rattly purr. Pooter got her small body and her love for standing on hind legs to rub against you. All got her funny triangle face, long tail and high meow.

Nugget with his toy mousie a few months or so ago.

Pooter and Kipper take a July snooze.

Cali was all of a sudden in my mind. Was she okay? Had someone fed her? Was she trying to find her way back to Delaware, almost 40 miles away?

Yesterday, her little calico self was just running around my brain. We had to go get her.

Fast-forward to today (July 23): Leah told me not to be too optimistic, that maybe Cali wasn't there. Maybe someone took her in, and she was happy in her new life. I didn't care where she was, as long as I knew she was safe and happy. But I secretly hoped she would be just somewhere waiting, and I would hop out of the car and she would be right there so I could take her home.

So we made the drive to our friend's old neighborhood, up I-71 and down a country road or two. We parked up the street from her old apartment and walked to the door. I had printed out flyers with a blurry picture of Cali to hand out/hang up. The lady at our friend's old house had just moved in with her family a week ago and hadn't seen Cali. She wished me luck and I handed her a flyer. I checked under the porch, but no calico. So, we went around the building to the two side doors. A grey kitten came when we called, so that was a start. These were cat people, it seemed.

A blonde young woman named Jen and her daughter answered the first door. The kitten wasn't theirs, Jen said, but she had seen a calico hanging around next door. The picture on the flyer wasn't too clear, so Leah showed Jen a picture from her phone. She seemed genuinely interested and was puzzling over if she had really seen our friend Cali next door.

"She's orange and black," I said.

"Orange and white," Leah insisted.


Jen ducked back inside. I walked next door to call for Cali and knocked. No answer. 

Jen came back out and asked us who the cat really belonged to. So we talked for a bit about Cali -- how she found her way here, her mannerisms, her cute little white feet. Jen was determined to ask her neighbor if she had seen Cali, so she stood and called in to the apartment while I looked around the yard. No Cali.

We thanked Jen and walked on, stopping to ask a man if he had seen Cali -- and he had! Just an hour ago, sitting on his truck trailer. She was skittish, but he threw her some bologna and she took off. We handed him and his wife a flyer -- I never got their names -- and turned down a side street, still calling for the cat.

As I crouched by an abandoned house and called Cali, my phone rang. It was Jen. She said she saw a calico cat trying to get in her neighbor's house. I half-ran the other direction.


'Is she mostly grey?" Jen was asking.


Cali had some tabby striping down her side. "Uh, like half. Is there orange on the cat?"


"Yeah, like a peach. ...let me see if I can get her." Cali was a darker orange and not quite "peach," but there was hope. Jen called the cat as I cut through someone's lawn and raced to their building, Leah on my heels. A woman and a man stood on the side porch where I had been knocking earlier. 


"Are you the ones looking for a cat?" they asked. We nodded. Jen's head poked around the corner, and a little calico cat pranced over to the young couple. It was a small calico, but it wasn't our Cali. It was light grey and peach, not the sharper black, orange and white we were looking for.


The woman -- I think her name was Heidi -- said she had just seen Cali a few days ago under a nearby tree. She said she got Cali confused with her lighter calico sometimes. She even let us poke around in her garage. No Cali. I gave her a flyer and Leah told her how to possibly catch her so we could pick her up.


So at least Cali was around. But now I was determined to find that cat.


Jen and Heidi wished us luck again. They stood on the porch talking as we walked away. A middle-aged man was sitting on a swing at the building next door, drinking a soda.


"What color is your cat?"


"She's a calico," said Leah, and explained the whole orange-black-white thing. Mike, as I found out his name was, had seen Cali a few weeks ago lying in the road with her paws up. He said he thought she had been hit, but she was just playing.


Sounded like Cali to me.


Mike asked if we had asked the couple across the street anything. 


"They're really nice people," he said.


He put on his ball cap and walked over with us. Jenny, an elderly woman, opened the door. She hadn't seen Cali too much, but said she sometimes saw her laying in the sun just over the fence.


Mike's brother lived over the fence, so Mike led us back through his yard. We both called for Cali. I had my eyes focused on a bush ahead when Leah stopped.


"I hear something."


We called again.


There was no mistaking that meow.


In between the fence appeared a triangular little face. Cali was at once terrified and ecstatic, and darted behind the fence a few times just to come back out and nudge Leah. I tried to pick the little cat up, but she freaked out and clawed at me to get down.


We needed to get her in the car. So I ran to Leah's car, adjusted the seats for my tall frame and rolled down the street. Cali came running to me when I walked across the grass, and we got her in with no problem.


We thanked Mike profusely for showing us around. He smiled.


"Come back and see us sometime!" he said.


We pulled in to Jen's driveway to share the good news. She peeked at Cali in the back seat and smiled. Heidi waved at us from her window.


I drove out of the neighborhood, watching occasionally as Cali settled in to Leah's lap and purred away. We both had tears in our eyes to see her so happy and safe. But I was also focused on the kindness of complete strangers, people who let us walk through their yards and talk to them about the cat, people who offered tips and helped us look. And, of course, the people who fed Cali while she roamed freely outside for three months.


Now, she's back in the neighborhood she was born in. She'll probably be indoor/outdoor, as she always has been. She is currently locked in our guest room, because she hissed at her children the whole time she was in the living room with us.


But she purred the whole way home.

WELCOME HOME, CALI!!!!

Just in case you were curious about my favorite films

In no particular order, but I'm pretty sure this is top five. If we went any deeper, we might have to include one or more 'LOTR' and maybe High School Musical 2 or 3.

Just saying.



The Birdcage, 1996. Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Hank Azaria, Gene Hackman, Christine Baranski, Dianne West.

Mean Girls, 2004. Tina Fey, Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, Jonathan Bennett, Lizzy Caplan.

V for Vendetta, 2006. Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, John Hurt, Stephen Fry.

Becket, 1964. Peter O'Toole, Richard Burton.

Stardust, 2007. Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert DeNiro, Ricky Gervais, Sienna Miller, Ben Barnes, Ian McKellen (as narrator)

Notes from the field

A few things I have learned while on the job as a professional journalist...

Know what questions you'll ask before an interview. More will always come up.

Ask questions of your editor and/or fellow journos, especially if you're on a new part of town. Better to be informed than to take a chance that you may do something wrong.

Be nice to secretaries and your message will be passed on. ...well, be nice to everyone, but you know what I mean.

Always be thinking of art for your story, and coordinate with your photographers early!

Make sure there's an extra pen and notebook in your car, and a bit of money, in case you leave your things at home or in the office.

Make sure you know where you're going...... :)

Take breaks to get your circulation going!

Don't be afraid to fact-check again. It prevents you from having to run a correction later.

...always correct your mistakes!

Men with cats

Brian over at Thought Catalog recently came out as a single male cat owner. Right on, brother! It's true, the traditional stereotype seems to be that single women own a lot of cats, and in-shape people who like the outdoors own dogs, the "man's best friend." But to help Brian, I have compiled a list of dudes with cats -- so he doesn't feel weird.

"There’s something inherently dashing about a man and his dog. Playing in the mud, flirting with women at the park, hunting for geese. It’s all very masculine. Get a man and his dog, remove t-shirt from man and add bandana to dog, and all of a sudden you’ve got the cover of Life Magazine. Or an Abercrombie and Fitch catalog, depending on how many crunches the guy can do. In comparison, there’s something inherently creepy about a man and his cat. Knitting together, lounging about in the air conditioning, laughing drolly at something on NPR. It’s not masculine at all, and the only magazine cover it’s getting anywhere close to is Out. I mean, there’s a reason there’s never been a romantic comedy about a woman looking for the perfect guy called, “Must Love Cats.” Because there’s something considered a little off about a guy and his kitty. In fact, typing the word “kitty” just now gave me a little bit of seizure. But I am here to speak out on our behalf. I will endure the shame no longer. I am a male cat owner, and I want sdfsgar3ea! Sorry. My cat walked across the keyboard. What I meant was “respect.” I want respect."

Bill Clinton with First Cat Socks. I have a postcard from Socks!

Nathan Williams, of Wavves, with Snacks (who belongs to Williams's girlfriend Bethany Cosentino, of Best Coast).

Marlon Brando with a kitty. Can't tell what color it is because it's such an old pic, though.

Ian Somerhalder with a tasty-looking tabby.

Morgan Freeman entrancing a young kitten with his presence.

Is this helping?

Bub Bridavsky of Bloomington, Ind. and her dude, an artist named Mike. I'm still waiting on my email back from her. :(

Real world

I'm a week and a half into my new job as a professional reporter, and I must say I love every minute of it. I am so confident that this is where I am meant to be, in a little paper with great journalists, serving a community full of people with wonderful stories to tell. I have wanted to tell stories ever since I was a little girl. I'm finally able to do it as a professional and I am so happy! I came home today so energized from the interviews I had with people. This is such an awesome job.

What could be worse than pink slime?

Some of the lunches they serve to kids in Scotland, apparently. And a tad pinch of censorship.

The Huffington Post alerted me to "NeverSeconds," a blog written by nine-year-old Martha Payne, who has been chronicling the rather yucky-looking lunches she is served at Lochgilphead Primary School . 

Just like mum makes...? (Courtesy of NeverSeconds)

Certainly, no one can last the day on three slices of cucumber, a small bare cheeseburger, two croquettes (like fat French fries) and a damn Popsicle. Payne is supported by her parents and has gotten permission from her school to photograph the meals, which she pays two pounds for every day. She rates the dinners based on how healthy and filling they are on the blog, and has received over 300,000 hits (and a tweet to her dad from Jamie Oliver).

After Martha's interview on BBC ran (it begins around 29:00 on the link), the council in charge of school meals blocked her blog from the public sector it runs across Arglye and Butte in Scotland. I don't think they understand how well-read this young girl's blog is. One of the councilors also accused her and her parents of lying, and claimed Martha chose to put only certain foods on her plate and complain. I don't know why this young girl would want to deliberately falsify info. Seems like something her school may want to do, though! At any rate, some members of the council are going to visit the school tomorrow and try the lunch there. I'm eager to see what they are given to eat. Will it be better than standard fare? Most definitely. I need to brush up on my UK censorship laws, because this seems to be quite unfair.

Here there be nastiness!

Food moment: Wendy's new macaroni and cheese (and other things).

Mmmmm...you know when it's real(ly unhealthy)! (Courtesy of the Huffington Post/Wendy's).

Wendy's has been heavily advertising its new "signature sides" -- chili cheese fries (they ripped off of Skyline!), baked sweet potatoes (no me gustan) and macaroni and cheese, a food which I enjoy but can only get at KFC these days. Some Burger King and Arby's locations have Kraft mac, but it's like those small microwavable bowls that are low on taste and high on convenience -- I don't ever ask for them.

I was thinking about it all day and decided to give it a try. I think I got a slightly outdated version of the mac and cheese -- the manager didn't have enough of the stock up front to serve me, so he put some fresher stuff on top, and topped it with cheddar cheese.

Still, I rate it higher than KFC's rather bland version, as well as whatever microwaved Kraft specials you get at Arby's or BK. So I suppose it's my number one fast food MNC choice. For something in a paper bowl served to me out of a small trough, it was tasty.

Many fast food restaurants seem to be making a change this summer -- Burger King rolled out new salads, chicken strips and wraps, and cold smoothies and frappes. To make your new choices even worse for you, they added two new dipping sauces (King Kung Pao and Roasted Jalapeno BBQ) and new dressings (Apple Cider Vinaigrette, Avocado Ranch, Citrus Caesar Vinaigrette and Lite Honey Balsamic -- made by Ken's). Having worked for BK, I have sampled most of these items. They're good, yeah, but not really different from what you would find across the way.

Some of these items and ideas look like they belong under golden arches! (Courtesy of BK)

This summer, I hear tell BK will be trying two new types of barbecue toppings (to put on Whoppers or the Tendercrisp and Tendergrill chicken sandwiches), sweet potato fries, regular and berry lemonade and the BACON SUNDAE. I am looking forward to the bacon sundae, obviously, and maybe the lemonade...but really, is there anything there that's out of the ordinary? Even Denny's has done the bacon sundae.


Arby's is also advertising a new Pecan Chicken Salad and a new Orange Cream Shake -- their Market Fresh sandwiches are expensive, but a little different from your regular fast food options. They always have a different twist on fast food.


As for McDonald's...well, I heard they are trying some banana blueberry oatmeal (bleargh), and have rolled out a fancy new drink...

What's that green thing? (Courtesy of CouponGeek)

That's right...it's an Icee!


Oh, what? It's made with real fruit juice? And...more than just berries and cherries?


Hm.


Of course, McDonald's doesn't really need to shake things up this summer. They've got enough money to last them a loooong time.

Pretty sure Barack Obama broke the Internet today when he announced that he supported gay marriages -- as a personal statement, mind, so no one go crying about how he is trying to force you to accept the homos.

I have my doubts that if he had said it a day earlier, it would have changed much in North Carolina...but I kind of wish he had.

Thoughts? Enjoy this interesting demographic on gay rights in the US from the UK's The Guardian. The writers were probably all shaking their heads as they compiled this....

Kony 2012?

If you've been on social media sites since Tuesday, you have no doubt seen the Invisible Children campaign to stop Joseph Kony, an indicted war criminal who has brainwashed thousands of Ugandan children. The girls become sex slaves. The boys become armed militia, and they are forced to kill their families and mutilate their neighbors.

The aim of KONY 2012 (and its accompanying movie) is to make this man "famous," not in a Natalie Portman way but in a Saddam Hussein way. In a way that makes you want to stand up and do something to get rid of him. That's the goal.

But, of course, people are claiming there is is a darker side to this organization. On Jezebel, on Tumblr, and on other sites, they a\
-7e questioning IC's motive in advocating for more violence -- and supporting an army which uses rape and looting as tactics. Foreign Affairs questioned them last November, even before this Kony campaign blew up. And also, of course, IC posted answers to the questions.

But the overall theme of this makes me wonder. Of course, Kony is a bad guy. And I think he should be stopped. I need to do my research on the IC and their tactics, but I do support this movement. Just like I support the removal of Omar al-Bashir from Darfur and cheered when Than Shwe was voted out in Burma. I have been a supporter of a free Tibet and a more peaceful Congo since earlier in my college career. And I know that movements like KONY2012 take a long time. We may not remove Kony from power in 2012. We may never get him out.

As powerful as social networking movements are, true change in these faraway countries depends on their people, their armies, their government. There's only so much we can do. Movements that begin over here...they're important, but they fade. Look at Darfur, at the Congo. But by the same token, look at Libya, Egypt and Syria. These countries are changing because their people chose to change them, not because people from first-world countries stepped in.

 As a journalist, I am supposed to be a voice to the voiceless. Since high school, I have worked with campaigns to bring peace to Darfur and relief to its people. I believe we need to stop Joseph Kony. But I don't know the best way to do it. Is it force? Is it a rebellion? The other part of being is a journalist is questioning. Always wondering, always inquiring. Especially when big organizations use their fancy videos and tearful African children to try and sway my debit card and my mind.

Will I be out with posters and chanting on April 20th for Cover the Night? You bet. And I hope you are too. But please remember to question. Question this post. Question your government. Question the media. Right now, question Invisible Children. And don't let your inquisitive spirit die. Keep it alive, along with your desire to make a difference.

I made a mashup!

Since Chris Brown and Miranda Lambert have been fighting...well, I thought it would be fun to mash Miranda's revenge anthem "Gunpowder and Lead" with the new CB/Rihanna song "Birthday Cake."

Presenting...GUNPOWDER AND BIRTHDAY CAKE

cake cake cake cake cake

Just heard Rihanna's song "Birthday Cake" with Chris Brown.


Oh.


Okay.


Let's pause for a moment and remember when he beat her face in.

Either she's an idiot or she is capable of forgiveness and belief in the goodness of humanity in quantities I am not capable of.

Also, the song...wow. I'm never going to be able to eat birthday cake again.

"Brown was driving a vehicle with Robyn F. as the front passenger on an unknown street in Los Angeles. Robyn F. picked up Brown's cellular phone and observed a three-page text message from a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with.

"A verbal argument ensued and Brown pulled the vehicle over on an unknown street, reached over Robyn F. with his right hand, opened the car door and attempted to force her out. Brown was unable to force Robyn F. out of the vehicle because she was wearing a seat belt. When he could not force her to exit, he took his right hand and shoved her head against he passenger window of the vehicle, causing an approximate one-inch raised circular contusion.

"Robyn F. turned to face Brown and he punched her in the left eye with his right hand. He then drove away in the vehicle and continued to punch her in the face with his right hand while steering the vehicle with his left hand. The assault caused Robyn F.'s mouth to fill with blood and blood to splatter all over her clothing and the interior of the vehicle.

"Brown looked at Robyn F. and stated, 'I'm going to beat the sh-- out of you when we get home! You wait and see!' "

The detective said "Robyn F." then used her cell phone to call her personal assistant Jennifer Rosales, who did not answer.

"Robyn F. pretended to talk to her and stated, 'I'm on my way home. Make sure the police are there when I get there.'

"After Robyn F. faked the call, Brown looked at her and stated, 'You just did the stupidest thing ever! Now I'm really going to kill you!'

"Brown resumed punching Robyn F. and she interlocked her fingers behind her head and brought her elbows forward to protect her face. She then bent over at the waist, placing her elbows and face near her lap in [an] attempt to protect her face and head from the barrage of punches being levied upon her by Brown.

"Brown continued to punch Robyn F. on her left arm and hand, causing her to suffer a contusion on her left triceps (sic) that was approximately two inches in diameter and numerous contusions on her left hand.

"Robyn F. then attempted to send a text message to her other personal assistant, Melissa Ford. Brown snatched the cellular telephone out of her hand and threw it out of the window onto an unknown street.

"Brown continued driving and Robyn F. observed his cellular telephone sitting in his lap. She picked up the cellular telephone with her left hand and before she could make a call he placed her in a head lock with his right hand and continued to drive the vehicle with his left hand.

"Brown pulled Robyn F. close to him and bit her on her left ear. She was able to feel the vehicle swerving from right to left as Brown sped away. He stopped the vehicle in front of 333 North June Street and Robyn F. turned off the car, removed the key from the ignition and sat on it.

"Brown did not know what she did with the key and began punching her in the face and arms. He then placed her in a head lock positioning the front of her throat between his bicep and forearm. Brown began applying pressure to Robyn F.'s left and right carotid arteries, causing her to be unable to breathe and she began to lose consciousness.

"She reached up with her left hand and began attempting to gouge his eyes in an attempt to free herself. Brown bit her left ring and middle fingers and then released her. While Brown continued to punch her, she turned around and placed her back against the passenger door. She brought her knees to her chest, placed her feet against Brown's body and began pushing him away. Brown continued to punch her on the legs and feet, causing several contusions.

"Robyn F. began screaming for help and Brown exited the vehicle and walked away. A resident in the neighborhood heard Robyn F.'s plea for help and called 911, causing a police response. An investigation was conducted and Robyn F. was issued a Domestic Violence Emergency Protective Order."

'Discrimination,' through the eyes of a gay country music fan

Well, I'm pretty sure my opinions about the Grammys were rather clear from my tweets last Sunday. :) But one thing still has me thinking -- and that is an interesting seat placement.

My celebrity idol (putting it mildly), Miranda Lambert, and her husband Blake Shelton were seated next to none other than Lady Gaga for last Sunday's event (photo from Daily Mail website). Naturally, since Ran and Blake are from the South, I assume they are more conservative than our NYC-born and raised Lady Gaga. Plus, many of Miranda's songs seem to have to do with guns, revenge and drinking, and she loves going hunting. Her logo (which I have a tattoo of) has guns on it. And Blake certainly touts his Hillbilly Bone and hunting license with pride. Ran doesn't like to talk politics, but I think I know where she stands. Gaga, on the other hand, seems to me to be on the left-wing side of things (and she'd rather wear animals than eat them).

 

Now, as a member of the LGBTIQA community, I treat every new person I meet with a little bit of caution. Being an open advocate for gay rights can get you funny looks at best and beaten to death at worst. And traditionally in my life, I have encountered the most opposition from Christian conservatives -- yeah, people like my favorite singer and her husband.

Admittedly, Ran has opened up a few doors when it comes to lyrics. The first track off of her newest album Four the Record is called "All Kinds of Kinds." It doesn't quite endorse gay marriage, but when you're singing about a cross-dressing senator and two circus performers getting married, it looks like you're asking the world not to be so judgmental. And the tag line is "ever since the beginning / to keep the world spinning, it takes all kinds of kinds." She's discussed how her views on people have changed since the album came out, and considering that one of her close friends is a pretty big lesbo...well. I'm proud to say we may have an ally in this country girl.

I don't know enough about Blake to make judgments. But it just seemed to be that this may be an awkward evening for two very different parties... but I was pretty wrong, as is evident from the photo and some of Miranda's Tweets. Looks like I was the one discriminating here, thinking that a conservative couple would have nothing in common with a liberal lady, that the air would even be a bit sour. Nope, there I go again, thinking all conservatives hate gay people, or Lady Gaga, or vegan cooking, or whatever else they talked about. They probably didn't discuss politics, but it sure looks like everything was fine and dandy and not awkward.

Brandy McDonnell has summed up Ran's opinions about Gaga and about Chris Brown nicely, (and over here on CBS  you can see her spat with Breezey in full glory, that's for another day). But my overall theme here is that this past week, I've been thinking about some habits that I've developed since the whole Coming Out of the Closet Scandal of 2005.

I think a lot of us in the minority community expect judgment -- we expect it because we're used to it, and because we want to be prepared to defend ourselves. When a guy with a southern accent and an I Love Jesus hat walks into my restaurant, you bet your ass that all my red flags are going up. Because my life has taught me that "those people" don't like me or the rest of "my people."

But the world is changing. Slowly, but it's getting better. And if myself or anyone in a minority community is expecting discrimination from someone based on their own looks, sexual preference or religion...isn't that reverse discrimination? Isn't that just as bad, to turn ourselves off from people and assume they won't get along with us? To prepare the victim card in case a stranger gives us a funny look? I'm not talking about people who have blatantly stated their views, like politicians. I'm talking about everyday people, or even celebrities, that we don't know enough about to pass judgment on.

I think it's something we need to think about. Because I, for one, don't think all black people are on drugs or going to steal from me. I know people from the Middle East aren't going to blow me up. I know people here illegally who I will not sell out to the government. But how many people have looked at me, a white Christian woman, and thought that I was passing judgment on them because of my (mostly) majority status?

It's a vicious cycle, borne no doubt out of fear and ignorance. But maybe we can find a little peace in our own hearts by thinking differently about our neighbors, no matter who they may be. Or about people we see on the news, on the stage, in the paper.

For me, I think I'll start with my favorite singer.

I'M SEXY AND...

While I do appreciate the Spanish tinge in LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It" from this week's episode of Glee, I was definitely put off by Ricky's translation of the lyrics in the title.
So, for all of you put off by the translation, let me say. "Soy sexy y lo sabes," as Ricky sang, is actually "I'm sexy and YOU know it." "Soy sexy y lo se" would be "I'm sexy and I know it."
An interesting twist, since Martin's character was supposed to be so much better at Spanish than Morrison's.
CHEW ON THAT, CABRONES.

I'm learning today how hard it is to be a journalist when someone you know is accused of a crime. One of my high school religion teachers was arrested a week ago for domestic violence. A friend texted me this morning to let me know there was a link on Facebook. So, of course I went online and checked out the link. This man's mug shot, address, etc. are up online for everyone to see.

If I was a journalist working on this story, I would be overjoyed to have all of this information. But as his former student, I felt slightly betrayed and lied to. Nevertheless, I shared the link -- public record, public information. Definitely a case of a role model acting against what he taught young men and women.

One of my good friends questioned my actions when I posted the link, and this was my response:

"I posted this because I thought people should know that someone who teaches young men and women how to live morally upright lives was accused of a crime. I think all of us have a right to know, and those who still know people in the school definitely have some thinking to do. It hurts us because we're personally involved, but any teacher who commits a crime, I think, is a public figure to those he or she has taught. We're all shocked, I know, but this serves as a warning to others who may abuse their rights as a role model."

With that being said, I know some may disagree with my decision. It's sensitive to my friends and classmates, and also to me. But I think it's in the public's right to know -- a role model, a teacher of young people, and a disciplinary figure was arrested for domestic violence. I hope his wife and kids are okay, personally.

Offered a job as sports clerk at the Columbus Dispatch.

To me, it felt like someone was again on one knee, offering me something shiny and beautiful and like what I've always dreamed of. Only instead of my girlfriend and an engagement ring and a sorority formal, it was an HR lady and my cell phone and a job offer. Both instances, I know, are going to change my life for the better.

Looks like, in a little bit, I'll be spending a few evenings a week at the '$patch, typing in box scores and watching the real journalists putter about as I clutch my leather notebook and click my heels and dream big dreams. I'm kind of stunned how quickly I wormed my way into that building, but once I am in I am determined to meet everyone and see all the journalists do their things and do my job so well. I feel like this is the path to my dream!

Thanks to everyone who has supported me or read my articles. <3 I'm climbing, a little bit at a time, and I know you're all here to catch me if I fall.

I still can't believe all the amazing things that have happened in the last few months and I can't wait to keep discovering what the future has for all of us.

Taylor Swift as Eponine in Les Miz?!

You heard it here first. Well, here and here.

I bet you can't even guess how I feel.

College journalism scholarship!

Check it out!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/16/the-joe-jr-awards-win-a-paid-huffpost-internship_n_992484.html