1. What was the last song you heard?
Parallel or Together - Ted Leo and the Pharmacists

2. What were the last two movies you saw?
Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman (at home) and in the theaters - Chicago and The Hours

3. What were the last three things you purchased?
a tray for my watercolors, graphite tracing paper, and illustration board

4. What four things do you need to do this weekend?
go to gaymart, go to spin, see three musketeers with my sister, and take her back to the airport

5. Who are the last five people you talked to?
my sister, my mom, jessie, dan, and bob.

i had figured i would leave these last posts as the most recent for a few days, to see who had what to say. i find that i just can't not blog anymore though, since i'm so excited at the impending arrival of my sister, who flies into o'hare tomorrow. my sister rocks, for those of you who don't know. she has twin baby girls, and publishes a zine about being a riot mama. it's the esperanza link in the sidebar here, that goes to her blog about different zine related stuff. if you want to read a copy, let me know.. jessie's got a copy of the first edition down in normal, and i have the second here, and would be glad to share. while my sister is in town we hope to go to a bookstore in chicago called quimby's as they carry her zine for sale and we think it'd be cool to see her stuff in a town far away from where she lives (which is baltimore).

in other news, there is none.

let me clarify something here:

the issue of whether or not we, as a country, should go to war with iraq is not really what i wanted to discuss. i really have no interest in debating that particular topic - only to say that i wondered about the morale of our miltary troops because i think that sometimes people have a tendency to think of the military as a single war machine, not as moms and dads, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, and lovers who don't want to die just as much as you or i. my lukewarm interest in these war goings-on is really on a human interest level, not a political one. i haven't paid enough attention to consider myself "well informed" about the facts and circumstances to really debate the ethics of this war.

what i really was asking is this: how do you feel about the inalienable right to free speech - is there a line where we cross into the land of "too far"? you should know that i do support this kid's right to protest in any way she wants, short of causing harm to others, which she clearly is not doing. i raised this question on my blog today because the morning radio show i listen to had people call in to opine about this girl's silent protest. one guy said she should do 20-30 yrs. jail time for disrespecting our national symbol. another caller determined that she must not actually be an american citizen. everyone that i heard on this show essentially said that the right to free speech is secondary to patriotism and good citizenship. nobody called in to say that they unequivocally supported this girl's right to protest in her individual, non-disruptive way. so i wondered, just out of curiosity, if there is some invisible line, that nobody talks about, we're not supposed to cross if we choose to disagree with the mainstream social conscience. to me, that idea seems at odds with the fundamental principles our nation was founded upon, and so i thought i would see what other people thought about that. thank you to all y'all that have already commented on my last post, i just felt like maybe i didn't make my question or my position clear.

here's a condensed version of the first blog (it's in it's entirety below this one); with some of the pieces that contain the question that i'm actually asking:
"in other news, i'm curious - what do you think about the college basketball player who turns her back on the american flag during the national anthem before her game?" it seems to have caused quite a hot debate on the issue of patriotism and citizenship vs. free speech. "isn't freedom of speech one of the principles we hold most dear as americans? isn't that one of the primary tenents on which our society/country was founded?"

so, now i feel like i've cleared up some murky waters, and am curious as to what you all think. so shout out!

you know how sometimes people say just random things that happen to piss you off, even though it's not really a bad thing they said, it just rubs you the wrong way for no real reason that you can identify? and then you get all defensive over nothing and want to scream fuckfuckfuckfucketyfuck really loud, but you don't because you know it's secretly stupid???

my daddy gives me shit for not updating my yahoo page enough, so i started the family safe blog, and he leaves this shout out: Well, this is different - but I would just as soon get an email - whihc has to be as easy or more so. DAD there is no fucking pleasing this man!! and why am i over-reacting like this? i feel like i tried to do something fun, and he crapped all over it.
fuck!

in other news, i'm curious - what do you think about the college basketball player who turns her back on the american flag during the national anthem before her game? she's protesting the war i think. on the one hand, i think we should be united as a country if we do go to war, for the sake of our overseas troops' morale, if nothing else. on the other hand, isn't freedom of speech one of the principles we hold most dear as americans? isn't that one of the primary tenents on which our society/country was founded?
i don't know, what do you think?

the weekend is over, and i haven't done nearly as much work as i had hoped. when did i become such a lazy fuck?


jessie came up on thursday, which is always good. friday night we both went to the cobb's party, and she got all kinds of tips for the ny trip (of which i am insanely jealous). saturday i sat around on my increasingly fatter ass, instead of drafting like i was supposed to. today, i sat around some more, but eventually did get to the drafting.... i still have one more plate i should do, and kinda feel like i might start on, even though it's 12:20, which is way past my bed time. damn responsibility!!!!

my sister comes into o'hare on thursday night, and i cannot wait to pick her up! we will rock out all weekend, especially since she told me that our mom is not only sending new baby pics, but also $100 spending money... yay mom!!!!!!!!!!!
jackie, my sister, wants to see all the gay parts of chicago... i told her that wouldn't be a problem.

i'm listening to massive attack right now... so smooth...

i've started a family - safe weblog, it's not exciting, but i felt obligated to say something about it.... there's no cussing, or silly quizzes, or talking about hottie starlets, so go if you want, but don't expect to be as dazzeled as you are by this page......