Hump Day News August 11, 2010

I’ve been slacking with the writing this week.  I think the extreme heat in the area has melted the creative part of my brain.  It’s quite sad.  I just sit around and try not to fall asleep.  The room the I run in at work is so freaking hot.  75 degrees yesterday and humid.  That might not sound so bad for a nice walk outside, but running inside, it is brutal.  So when I get home, I just want to nap on the couch.

I did my volunteer work over the weekend.  The charity gave out over 600 pounds of pet food to those in need.  I’m very proud to be a part of this.  Of course, after the initial rush of people, the girls in charge started going through their papers (anyone who comes in for food has to fill out this form), and found that a lady had gone to the last two distribution events and named different pets and number of pets on each form.  So, either her pets have changed completely in two weeks, or the girls have experienced their first instance of ‘You Try to Do Nice Things, But the General Public Sucks and Will Take Advantage.’  I hope it is the first, but I suspect it is the second.

Today we had an ‘Ice Cream Social’ at work.  This is kind of a fun thing they do for us a couple of times in the summer.  A creepy ice cream man pulls up in the parking lot and we get our pick of treat.  I had a nice chocolate malt.  Since it is 100 degrees outside, we came back in to play local trivia.  I have lived here my entire life and got 7 out of 20 questions.  Sometimes I think either I just don’t pay attention, or I have been kept very much out of the loop when it comes to this city.  I learn new things all the time, about local legends or things that were invented here, or famous restaurants that I have never heard before.

My Sims have been suffering from my laziness.  Sim Smarty has been promoted in his career to Professional Blogger, but I inadvertantly tried to ruin his career last week by having him write a negative review of a movie, resulting in a lifetime ban from the movie theater.  I mean really.  Those creative types are so touchy.  If they wanted a good review, they should have made a better movie.    Sim Daisy is a Division Manager in the business career track.  She needs a new job.  I’m not sure it is fun at all for Sim life to be so close to real life.  I’d rather Sim Daisy be something fun like a painter or a farmer.  She is getting quite good at gardening so I’m thinking that might be the way to go.

On Sunday, I started watching season one of ‘Weeds’ via Netflix instant streaming.  Netflix instantly streaming to my television is a dream come true.  And ‘Weeds’ is so good.  Once I am through the seasons available, I’m going to watch the first seasons of ’Dexter’ and go from there.  It’s a hard decision as a full season of a TV show is quite a commitment.

Love the Way You Lie August 6, 2010

I saw Eminem‘s new video today for “Love the Way You Lie” with Rihanna. 

I think Eminem is amazing.  And I think if this song and video doesn’t prove that he is probably the most brilliant artist of our time, I don’t know what will. 

When I first heard “The Marshall Mathers LP” in 2000, I was drawn to him because he was a 20-something incredible smartass.  Like me.  And I really liked that.  (And yes, I know that was his second CD, I was behind the times, okay?)  I liked that he points out hypocrisy.  I liked that he was willing to say things we are all thinking but won’t say.  I loved that he was funny.  I loved that as angry as he was, you always knew how much he loved his kid. I liked that he made people think and talk about topics that no one was talking about.  I really think he is incredibly smart.  I wonder if he had been born into different circumstances, if he would have become a great fiction writer or poet or something like that.  Then I think, that kind of creativity usually comes out of struggle.  He wouldn’t be who he is without the dad that left, the crazy mom and wacky Kim.

My respect for him comes from how open he is.  I think it is incredibly brave to let millions of strangers into your head.  To just say whatever is on your mind.  To tell people the stories of what you have experienced, no matter how bad.  To share thoughts that are angry, violent, confused.  To admit to things you’ve done or thought about doing, no matter how dark.  How many of us can say we could?  Obviously not many.  I’m not even sure if I could admit these kinds of thoughts to myself.  But if you really think about it, the great artists throughout history, are those who can and are willing to tell us all.

Well fast forward ten years.  I am a more mature, 30-something.  And Eminem is sober and much more of a grown up.  Divorced.  Single dad to not only his daughter, but also Kim’s daughter from another relationship, AND his niece (Kim’s sister’s kid).  He took all of them in.  Plus his little brother.  And he’s clean.  And sharper than ever. 

So that brings us to ‘Love the Way You Lie’.  I think what struck me when I heard it the first time is that is so clear that Em has lived this song.  The lyrics are just brutally honest:

She fucking hates me and I love it, wait
Where you going, I’m leaving you
No you ain’t, come back
We’re running right back
Here we go again, it’s so insane
Cause when it’s going good it’s going great
I’m superman with the wind at his back, she’s Lois Lane
But when it’s bad it’s awful I feel so ashamed, I snapped
Who’s that dude I don’t even know his name
I laid hands on her, I’ll never stoop so low again
I guess I don’t know my own strength

Just gonna stand there and watch me burn
Well that’s alright because I like the way it hurts
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry
Well that’s alright because I love the way you lie
I love the way you lie, I love the way you lie

You ever love somebody so much
You can barely breathe when you’re with ‘em
You meet and neither one of you even know what hit ‘em
Got that warm fuzzy feeling
Yeah them chills used to get ‘em
Now you’re getting fucking sick at lookin at ‘em
You swore you’d never hit ‘em
Never do nothing to hurt ‘em
Now you’re in each others face
Spewing venom in your words when you spit ‘em
You push, pull each other’s hair, scratch, claw
Bit ‘em, throw ‘em down, pin ‘em
So lost in the moments when you’re in them
It’s the craze that the corporate controls you both
So they say it’s best to go your seperate ways
Guess they don’t know you
Cause today, that was yesterday
Yesterday is over, it’s a different day
Silent broken records playing over
But you promised her next time you’ll show restrain

And all that talk about how could Rihanna sing a song about domestic violence?  Well, she’s lived it too, that’s how.  I think it’s really easy for those of us who have been lucky to never be in a relationship like that to understand why people stay.  It’s just not that simple.  I think you always want to believe the best about the person you love, about yourself.  You want to believe everything will get better.  Or maybe you think that you are both so messed up, you deserve each other.  I don’t know.  But that’s what I love about the song.  There’s no ‘message’.  There’s no happy ending.  No resolution really.  There’s no easy answer.  It’s just real.   Both of these people are pretty screwed up.  You want the best for this girl, but deep down you know it ends in flames.  I don’t know of many songs from the perspective of the guy in this situation.  The guy in this song wants to love her, wants to be good.  There’s something in him that can’t stop.  I don’t know if he will.  But I keep listening and watching this video and wondering.

The Do-Gooder in Me Extends Only to Pets August 4, 2010

I’ve decided to start doing something useful.  I saw a story on the local news a couple of weeks ago about a new charity in town.  Their goal is to keep people and their pets together by distributing dog or cat food to those in need.  Basically a food pantry for pets.  I immediately perked up when I heard this.  It’s just the kind of thing I wish I had thought of.  A really great idea and one that helps everyone – the people who truly love their pets, their pets who truly love their people, shelters who need the room, rescues who need the room so they can save more from ‘death row’ in kill shelters.  So, as of this weekend, I will be officially a volunteer helping to distribute food to pets in need.  I can’t wait.  I am so excited to help this cause!

It breaks my heart to think of people having no choice but to turn their beloved pets over to a shelter.  The rescue that I adopted Alice from had a story in their newsletter recently about a dog they had adopted out to a great family a couple of years ago.  Then last year, they lost their jobs in the recession and are now living in their truck.  They had to give their dog back.  Imagine that.  (The government bailout helped who, exactly?)  I mean obviously these people have bigger problems than just the dog, but having to give up the dog on top of everything else, must have been awful.  I think it is hard for non-animal people to understand, that if you love a pet, they are truly your family.  I can’t imagine how hard it would be to have to call Sadie’s rescue and tell them that I just can’t care for her anymore.  It brings a lump to my throat just thinking of it.

So I hope everyone will remember their local rescues and shelters and charities like this.  I know times are hard for everyone and there are many people who need help getting food also.  Of course that is the most important thing.  But pets are important too. 

Not to mention, adopting a pet is cheaper than Obamacare, and all of the studies done have confirmed that people with pets are healthier and live longer.