What's Done is Done

The Wisconsin recall elections are over.  Finally.  

And now, I have some things to say.

First - I didn't vote yesterday.  Nope.  Not the first time, probably not the last time.  

My reasons were different this time around.  Rather than feeling under informed, I felt like I'd been beaten to death with information: facts stated as opinions, opinions stated as facts, and mud-slinging to boot.  From both sides.  It was sickening.

Don't get me wrong.  I tried.  I really, honestly tried to take a side.  It felt like as soon as I was close to making a decision, something new came to light that made me back off and rethink the whole damn thing.  In the end, I couldn't justify voting when I couldn't decide who to vote for.

I managed to remain fairly silent about the whole ordeal.  Many of my friends were dead-set on recalling Walker.  Others stood behind him the whole way.  I kept my mouth shut and stayed out of things.  Why?  Because I was scared.

These days, I'm normally not too afraid to share my opinions, especially on here.  But I took the coward's way out and am writing this post the day after the recall elections.  First, so no one could try to goad me into voting one way or the other.  It's over.  I didn't vote.  Let's move on.  Second, because I saw people lose friends over this insanity.  I saw debates that turned personal and cruel.  I felt like saying the "wrong" thing was going to turn my life into Hell, that I would lose the respect of people that I like or even love.

Quite honestly, I'm still scared.  As soon as I post this, it's out there.  It's beyond my control.  Once I've said it, I can't un-say it.  But I have to believe that my friends will respect and love me enough that they will see beyond this and just keep loving me for who I am.      

That being said...

To Walker supporters: You prevailed.  Congratulations.  Please, though, remember to be kind.  People in this state felt strongly enough to initiate a recall of the man you support.  Winning doesn't give you the right to gloat.  It doesn't mean you should talk down to anyone or feel superior in any way.  Be gracious.  It could have gone the other way; think about how you would like to be treated in that case.  Most of all, if you stand behind Walker, don't be surprised when certain people are shocked or even disgusted by your opinion, but do be respectful and be willing to defend what you believe in.   

To recall supporters:  I'm so sorry.  I'm sorry that this happened, that you felt so strongly about something and it didn't work out.  I'm sorry that you're feeling hurt, let down, and angry.  But remember to be proud that you stood up for what you felt was right and stood against what you felt was wrong.  And like the Walker supporters, I ask you to remember that it could have gone the other way.  When your side loses, it's pretty easy to say that you would've been kinder about things (any good sports fan knows how this goes).  I'm not saying you have to take any bullying or that you should let anyone look down on you; no one should have to endure that.  Just remember that the tides will turn, and remember how this feels. 

To everyone: What's done is done.  I know damn near everyone has something to say about the results, and I truly believe you are all entitled to your opinions.  That's part of being human.  But don't shove it down someone's throat.  Don't rub anyone's face in your victory, and don't place blame on someone just because they think differently.  And please, don't throw away friends because they didn't vote the way you did or because they voice a different opinion.  If they're acting like a dick, then fine, only you can make that call.  But think twice before you do anything hasty.

There you have it.  It wasn't eloquent or spectacularly original, but it's me. <3             

Christmastime is Here

Well, I have my Christmas cards sent out, about half of our presents wrapped, and I've been listening to Christmas music (on my own) for about a week now.  Christmas must be a-coming.  

The concept of Christmas itself is sort of conflicting for me.  As we know, I'm completely a-religious, so I don't go to church or get into the whole nativity thing.  In fact, our neighbors across the street have a fairly gaudy plastic nativity decoration out front that drives me crazy.  Not because of the churchiness, but because you could probably land a plane on our street when it's lit up.  Aye yi yi.

I don't have a problem with using the abbreviation X-mas.  I understand the "Keep Christ in Christmas" thing, but personally, I don't think the two are related.  Are people upset when others abbreviate TGIF because they don't actually write out "God"?  Somehow, I think not.  And that's all X-mas is.  It's an abbreviation, not blasphemy.

I think people should wish whatever the hell they want during the holiday season.  I don't care if they wish me a happy holiday, a merry Christmas or just a nice day; I just appreciate the sentiment.  If you're offended because someone mentioned a holiday that you don't celebrate, I can't imagine what else offends you...

That being said, I love Christmas.  Not as much as Halloween, but it's a close second in my book.  I love the smell of a pine tree in my house and I love buying presents for people I love.  The past few years, I've taken to making Christmas crafts, and though I tend to end up with more glue on me than I could've sworn I even had available, I enjoy it.  I love being with my family and eating all the cookies I can shove in my mouth before my stomach registers that it's too much.  Getting Christmas cards in the mail makes me downright giddy, and I look forward to my mom's Christmas Eve prime rib the other 364 days a year.  T'is a wonderful holiday, indeed.

My parents will tell you that I'm a tradition nazi.  Actually, most people who know me would tell you that.  I just happen to think traditions are a integral part of the holiday experience, though, I may take things a bit too far sometimes.  My mom once made little tenderloin medallions instead of prime rib for Christmas Eve and I sort of threw a fit (even though it was actually in my best interest, since I always had an issue with eating too much prime rib and getting horrendous tummy aches).  Another year, Mom decided that she wanted their tree upstairs in the window instead of downstairs where it has ALWAYS been, and I tried really, really hard to talk her out of it, even though it was something she had always wanted to try.  Thankfully, I've gotten past most of those issues, but I still have to have my mug of hot chocolate in order to open presents on Christmas Eve and I have to put certain ornaments on the tree myself or else things don't feel quite right.  

The one thing I'm missing right now is snow.  We've only had one snowfall that stuck, and it was only around for an afternoon.  No one dreams of a grey, rainy Christmas.  No one sings, "Let it sleet, let it sleet, let it sleet."  There's a reason for this.  It sucks.  In my opinion, snow is the only acceptable precipitation this time of year and, as my family's motto goes, it's Christmas, dammit!  

Anywhoozles, here's hoping that you all have a wonderful season, however you plan to enjoy it!  :) 

Is It Rapture Time Already? (aka, "Beam Me Up, Jebus!")

Boy, time flies!  It seems like just yesterday we were saying goodbye to certain loved ones, preparing for them to be beamed up by the G-man himself because the world was clearly going to end in 2000.  

Actually, there have been a LOT of predicted Rapture experiences.  Check out this list on Wikipedia for all the previous supposed dates of Rapture.  Personally, I'm gonna go with Sir Isaac Newton on this one.  I'm thinking we've got a good 50 years at minimum before Jesus decides he wants to be saddled with the responsibilities sure to accompany (and follow) the Rapture.

In case you weren't aware, I'm not particularly religious.  Wait, that's an understatement.  I am NOT religious.  I'm what most people would probably categorize as 'agnostic.'  I'm pretty sure there's some kind of higher power out there, but I don't believe in any specific God-like figure.

Being a-religious was sort of hard on me growing up.  I remember being in 1st grade or so and a friend asked me if I prayed at night.  With sort of a sideways glance I told him that no, I didn't, to which he promptly replied, "Oh, well you're going to Hell then."  Lovely.  

6-year-old Erika kind of took this to heart (in other words, I was f*cking terrified) and tried this "praying" thing a few times.  Turns out it really just wasn't my thing.  I also completely missed the whole point of prayer, so it would go something like this:

"Dear God, I really want to get a good grade in Math.  And I REALLY wish I could fly.  I think I could, but I need some help, you know?  OK.  Amen."

In the following years, I started coming up with snarky responses to religion-based questions. 

"What church do you go to?"  "I attend the Church of Erika.  We meet Sunday mornings in my room and sleep."

"How come you celebrate Christmas?"  "Because my parents celebrate it."

"Why don't you believe in God?"  "Why don't you believe in dragons?"

Now, I've attended services at a few churches.  When I was a kid, I went to a Lutheran service with a friend and her family.  It was close to Christmastime, and I remember the music was beautiful, but the rest was so-so.  Later in life I sat outside of SEVERAL Catholic services between Girl Scout cookie booth sales.  Not my thing.  And when I was in high school, I went to a Presbyterian service with one of my best friends (the best of my church-going experiences).  It was pretty cool (they were a VERY accepting church, which was a new concept to me), but still just not my thing.

My parents once told me that they wish they would've raised me in a religion so I could choose what I wanted to do about it when I became an adult.  (I'm not sure how they would've accomplished this; Mom also grew up a-religious since my Grandpa is an atheist and Dad went to a Methodist church when he was quite young but also grew up mostly sans religion.)  

I'm actually thankful that they brought me up the way they did.  Sure, I miss out on some religious references now and then.  And for me, Christmas is about a fat guy with magic reindeer and Easter is about bunnies and chocolate.  But I'm not sorry for these things.  I take great joy in giving gifts every December and to this day I hunt Easter eggs at my parents' house!  And I don't need an antiquated book to tell me what's right or wrong; my parents' did that for me, and they did a wonderful job all on their own. 

So, all that being said, I wish all of you believers well in your journey to Heaven, however you may get there.  As for me?  I guess time will tell.  It'll be an adventure, that's for sure.     

Cover to Cover

As we've already established, I'm a bit of a Gleek.  I have no issues admitting this, since it's part of who I am, and I can't really control what I like or don't like.

So while watching last night's episode, I couldn't help that I was practically drooling when Jesse showed up for a duet of Adele's "Rolling In The Deep" with Rachel.  Seriously.  My husband kept laughing at me because I couldn't take my eyes off the screen, and I was in my own little happy world of Glee-ness (which sounds dirtier than it is, I assure you).  

Of course I had to find the song on youtube this morning to indulge myself again, and found TONS of nasty comments on it.  "You have murdered this song, so let's murder Glee," one says.  Another says, "Ohh god..They Burned tortured and killed that song."  

Now hold on a minute, kids.  First, I have to tell you that I LOVE Adele and her original version of this song.  Her voice is amazing, and she rocks anything she sings in a big way.  But does that mean I'm not allowed to gush over the Glee version?

When I was a kid, I remember my dad telling me that if an artist or band did a cover of a song, they had better put their own twist on it, or else it wasn't worth doing.  Indeed, if all covers were done exactly like the original versions, there would be no point at all.  Booooooring.

And though the original version is better 99.9% of the time, remakes can be amazing, too (UB40's "Red, Red Wine" anyone?)!  The whole point of the cover is to take an already established song and breathe new life into it, or pay homage to it in some other way.  To compare an original and a remake is like comparing apples to oranges.  Sure, they're both tasty, nutritious fruits, but I love them both.  And there's nothing wrong with that.   

Are some covers crappy?  Abso-fucking-lutely.  Madonna's "American Pie" makes me want to gouge my eardrums out.  And while many have tried, there is no version of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" that holds a candle to Judy's (though, I do love the version by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole').  It happens.

So when someone says that Glee has "ruined" a song, I just have to wonder how they figure it has been ruined.  It's their own take on the song, and while you don't have to like it, it's just not right to say that it's terrible because it's different from the original version.

  

A Loss For Words

As y'all know, I'm a Sconnie girl.  And as many of you also probably know, there is some insanity going down in my state right now.  (If you're unaware, check out CNN.com.  Or even your local news.  I heard we were featured on the local news in Vegas, so...)

For the most part, I have refused to take sides in this situation.  I try to remain fairly a-political in most situations these days, as it helps me keep what little bit of sanity I may have.  Plus, my hubby is political-minded enough for the both of us (and potentially a small country... Love you, hubby!).  

This situation is ripping us apart.  I have friends who are essentially disowning other friends because of their views or opinions on this.  I have other friends who will let you say whatever you want as long as it supports their cause, but aren't willing to listen at all to the other side.  In fact, everyone just seems to be attacking those who oppose them without even a second thought. 

In my opinion, if you want to be taken seriously and be respected, you need to do the same to others.  Just because someone doesn't agree with you doesn't make them a bad person or doesn't mean you can't respect one another, does it?  

At this point, I am at a loss for words.  Sometimes, though, words aren't needed.  So, here are a few wonderful "wordless" songs for this Friday.

1) Mason Williams - "Classical Gas"  This is probably my favorite instrumental song of all time.  Also, it's rather fitting for this post.  Simpsons fans out there might remember an episode where the the plant employees go on strike ("Dental plan. Lisa needs braces!  Dental plan.  Lisa needs braces!").  While they're picketing, Lisa is there playing guitar and singing a song for the protesters.  When she has finished, Lenny (I believe) says, "Now do 'Classical Gas'!" at which point Lisa starts in on this epic song.  Awesome.

2) Booker T & the MGs - "Green Onions" Another wonderful gem from the '60s.  Many people probably recognize this song, but had no idea who performed it OR what it's called.  (It happens.  I mean, do you know how long it took me to realize that "stop children what's that sound" was actually called "For What It's Worth"?)  Anywhoozles, this is a pretty awesome song, especially for an instrumental.

3) The Surfaris - "Wipe Out"  Okay, so technically this isn't completely wordless, since they cackle and say, "Wiiiiiipe Ouuuuut" at the beginning and all, but this is still considered an instrumental and is still totally awesome.  Also, The Muppets did their own video for it, so how can you not love it?

4) Champs - "Tequila"  Again, there's one word in this song, but who cares?  Don't you just love being somewhere when this song is playing and everyone stops what they're saying or doing to yell, "Tequila!" at the same time?  Pretty sweet if you ask me.  Bringing people together a few syllables at a time.

5) David Rose - "The Stripper"  If nothing else, this song just makes me smile and want to dance around pretending (PRETENDING) to strip.  It also makes me want to watch "The Full Monty" but that's beside the point.  The point is that this is a highly recognizable song with no lyrics.  Excellent.

Here's hoping everyone has a great Friday and a wonderful weekend!  :-)  Cheers!

Hump Day - Post Elections

I'll admit it: I didn't vote.

Nope.  Did not vote.  Why didn't I vote?  Well, I didn't feel informed enough to vote.  I have so much else I'd rather pay attention to, that politics just goes right over my head.  So when it comes to Election Day, I'm usually pretty clueless.  

Sure, I could have voted anyway.  I could have voted all Dem because I tend to align myself that way more often than not.  I could have voted all Rep because I'm angry or bitter.  I could have voted by whose name sounds silliest.  Or created a pretty pattern with my selections.  Or voted for Mickey Mouse or Kodos (which, I am proud to say, I have done in the past).  Or left the whole thing blank!

Would any of these have been better?  Maybe so.  I'm sure there's an argument out there for them.  But in my heart, if I don't know who I believe is best suited for the job, then I don't feel qualified to vote.  And that's my decision.

On a lighter note, it's Hump Day!  And as such, I have a special post-election hump day link to share!

For those who feel like they've been f*cked by the president, now they can f*ck him back!  Yes, friends, there's an Obama sex doll available in China.  Check it out.

Note: The Obama sex doll can be used for non-angry sex, too.  Just sayin'.  ;-)