A Charming Twist (Goodwill & Trivial Pursuit)

The twist of events today was exactly what I needed.

I woke up thinking that I was to be at work by 2pm at my other location about 40 minutes away. I went about my usual routine as if that were the case; cereal/bagel action, hung around with my counterpart, took a quick stroll, and got ready. I had stopped at a bank close to my house to take deposits in for my work where I decided to pull up my schedule on e-mail to see who I was working with. I found that I wasn't on for today for that particular store. In fact, I wasn't scheduled at all. It was a blip on the one printed at work, but the one e-mailed was accurate. PERFECT. I was thankful that I had to make the stop to notice that I hadn't been expected to arrive. I made the deposits and headed straight to Goodwill. It was pay day and the one in my area is a gem. I had been wanting to poke around in there for a couple months now, especially because my birthday coupon for 25% off was burning a major hole in my wallet. Imagine that--a coupon for Goodwill, and trust me, it worked wonders when my 13 items amounted to $35. I didn't really have a mission for this particular visit-as in I was just going there to wander aimlessly, but had fully intended on walking out with a heap of things. Rest assured, I did just that.

7 shirts, 1 jacket, a pair of brown boots, a plaid purse, Trivial Pursuit: Totally 80's & 20th Anniversary, and a pair of funky earring pictured in the middle there.

JACKPOT.

I've been wanting to load up on some board games in the house. I want to find something that we both really enjoy and Trivial Pursuit will suffice for now. It was funny to test our 80's knowledge (yes, we already dove into playing), seeing that we are both in our early 20's. It's hard because we know it secondhand, but we can still keep up to a certain extent. Snagging both of those games for under $3 was exquisite.

Needless to say, the day ended up to be rather charming. Instead of heading to work, I got some quality time spent thrifting, cleaning, and scarfing down Portillo's. Speaking of cleaning, I feel like this little devil needs to be thrown into the post;

I got this at Target the other day. I'm a fan of natural cleaners-especially ones that will be used in the kitchen and I had heard good things about this brand so I got it. It is perfect for scrubbing down tubs, sinks, and gnarly countertops. It smells really unique and does a really great job so I just felt like I should give it a public pat on the back.

You may have noticed the lack of writing. You may have not. I've been in a funk. I just feel that it's not fair to take it out on my writing. I feel like I don't have a lot of positive to write about right now and I can't force it. I just feel so extremely teenage. I feel like I should have gone through this phase 10 years ago-& I'm sure I did.  I just want to curl up, listen to Lithium, & browse the Dr. Martins online site. Working long 9 hour shifts with my brain left alone to claw at itself is rough, it's too much time to contemplate anything. It's problematic because about 95% of my work is mindless, I can think about a number of things while carrying out nearly all the tasks expected of me- ::sigh:: I'm just glad that I got a freebie today. Not one bit of me was in the mood for a shift to be carried out. What a fantastic occurrence!

Have you gotten any freebies lately??

'So I turn myself to face me...but I never caught a glimpse'

Ah, a glorious Monday off. This will only result in me thinking we are a day behind each day this week. Hm. How bittersweet.

I heard this song the other day and have been pretty amped on it since. It's from their new release 'No Color', which came out on March 24th, two days after my birthday to be precise. This band is from San Fransisco and has been making music together for awhile now, so check 'em out.

Today is already unusual because the amount of words I've spoken have been few. It's one of those rare days that I'd like to encounter more often (I'm sure the people around me would agree). The mood of this Memorial Day is just peculiar. Instead of finding myself surrounded by a group of close friends or family, I find myself inside wishing the weather was more somber. Does anyone else feel that the sunshine holds an obligation that you're not always jumping to fulfill? I've woken up the past few days to grey skies and moisture dominating the atmosphere where you feel like it can go one of two ways; you can become a recluse for the day or you can get out and accomplish something and feel better about it because you did it all while it was raining...heh.

I did get out and take a walk with my counterpart this afternoon, where we got a little preview of the Chicago summer temperatures that are about to settle in for the next three months. I feel like it is a tad early to be complaining about the summer heat after we just spent a solid 6 months rejecting that wretched cold we are lucky enough to encounter all the way through April. Oh Chicago, I have no hope of you getting it together.

I had to drag myself away off the couch after watching a few Daria episodes because watching a show where the theme is sarcasm and a lack of motivation will not anything for my own motivation, but it might do something for my wit. I've been having Daria moods lately.

I feel like I'm back in that 'lack of motivation' phase, along with a 'I want to dye my hair' phase. I hate my how my drive is so overwhelming when I'm smack dab in the middle of it and then how it has the potential to become lost oh so easily. You know that feeling where you know you need to start making things happen, but at the same time you're just expecting it all to get handed to you? That expectation is never realistic, but I feel that I will encounter what I need to encounter when the time is right. I'm in the vicinity of other opportunities, but I just have to wait for the right one to really present itself. Listening to me trying to figure out what I want to really do with my life is like listening to a 6 year old ramble off their dreams and desires- it changes week to week and generally is a profession that quite difficult to attain. Even if I don't know what I will be doing in the years to come, the most I can hope for is that I will at least be doing something. I feel like we all know what we really want to be doing, but we don't know how to make that happen, or we are afraid that if we do make it happen, we will find out it's nothing like we'd thought it would be. If it's my case, I just get discouraged about the onslaught of competition that I encounter when trying to figure out a career. I feel there are already a million people doing what I want to be doing. There can be a million and one...right?

It's scary to think of how much things change in such a short period of time. I spend a lot of time thinking about the journey on the way to those changes. There are times where you know that change is your intent, and you can feel it happening. You can analyze every little bit and know that you're headed somewhere different, somewhere bigger and maybe a little better than the original start point. Sometimes things change and you haven't even taken time to embrace the journey or let alone even realized you were on one, you just remember a time where things were different and you don't know how you arrived here. Like how those friends of ours can often become strangers to us. I often wonder if the changes we encounter are the ones we want to be making or if they are the ones we feel we have to make in order to fulfill something else. We all know that resisting change is completely useless and rather difficult, it just has the ability to be anything but a positive experience. My uncertainty scares me. Ugh, what a drag. To sum it up best;

Have you ever had the day or that feeling where you actually feel like you're getting younger? Like the decisions you become faced with seem to be the ones you should have had before you years ago? No..?

I have to remember this:

Ah, Foster The People. I really dig this band and this version isn't heard too much. I've been hearing it on satellite radio (Alt nation) and have really eased into it, although I generally stray from acoustic versions of anything. This band comes out of L.A. and claims that they sort of started playing together by accident. Hopefully you like it, it reminded me of that easy, mellow tune you want to be listening to on a sunny day. You can here the other version here-both are great.

In case you're jonesin' for some more Daria, here are some more clips;

-Tessa

"...and in that moment I swear, we were INFINITE"

I love this song for all it makes me think about while listening to it.

It makes me think of;

glamorous women blowing out cigarette smoke between their red painted lips,

naive school children in the 50's that are curious and excited about the future,

thoughts of tyranny, French women swaying carefully to music on balconies, and lastly, those ritzy parties that you see going on in old movies where pearls, fur shawls, and endless amounts of booze always seem to make an appearance. One of my favourite lines of all time is within this song;

"I have the key in my hand, all I have to find is the lock..."

that is exactly how I feel about things right now.

I'm currently watching a gnarly storm roll in. I love the energy that big storms bring. You know, that moment just before it starts to rain where the air becomes saturated and you can feel the air surrounding you get colder. Here is what it looked like on radar from KLOT view. We live just NW of this huge squall line that is going on. We basically got the ripple effect of this storm, not the most severe, just the small repercussions of on the outskirts. No hail, just good winds and quick downpours. I didn't see too much lightning, but that doesn't mean it's not producing a ton of it.

This morning started off so beautifully too. I knew I shouldn't have spent my morning sleeping (regrettably until 11:15 A.M.), but it was just too glorious of a sleep to try and dash out early. I'm just glad I got my walk in before the huge raindrops were unleashed, you know, the kind that pound you as they fall? Always a sign greatness is rolling in when it goes dark at 4 P.M.

As this month continues to fly by, I can only hope for a good week to unfold ahead of me. The past week was full of ups and downs. I have a real tendency to let the little things get me down, but on the contrary I get lifted up and motivated by the smallest occurrences (like when Terri Hemmert played 'Call Me Al' the other day for her closing song as I was about to implode. Magically, it changed the scheme of things) It gets hard to strike a balance, but it is vital. The disappointment is heaviest in the subject of communication; when something you're trying to stress is being completely missed. Have you ever told someone a problem you were having and then just after you finish they try to convince you that it isn't so? Anything that proceeds this is useless, you just have to outsource your problem, send it away. Or bottle it up. Never shake this bottle.

Enjoy! (seriously, do a little dance)

Can I please express my disappointment that I did not get the chance to see Paul Simon grace the stage of the Vic theater last week?! Just...ugh

::slapping self::

Whenever I hear this song, I think of this scene in 'The Office' when...

That is the magic of it all. Music can change everything. It's kind of like when I go to a party and someone puts on the tunes and I'm up doing the shopping cart (the dance move, not the object) within 10 seconds or whenever I'm about to flip out and XRT plays 'There, There' to allow me to hold on to my sanity just a little while longer(XRT is a serious fixture in my workplace). Here, take a listen for yourself. One of my favourite Radiohead* songs;

Music just has an amazing ability to really take us on a journey. It can evoke endless emotions or make us stay content or amplify the ones we have. Have you ever been in the mood to listen to music that you know will make you cry, but it's the thing only you can handle? Or one that makes you feel like you should be in a certain setting? I live for that one moment in a song that I just cling to. There's always a part in a song that hits me hard, even if it is just a small addition to a note or a vocal fluctuation. My favourite is when music makes you feel infinite; when you feel that power being thrown in your direction and the feeling of ability is slapping you hard across the face-like you can truly do anything. When that energy surges through you, it's remarkable. Or when realizations become unfolded in someone else's lyrics...it's beautiful. When it comes down to it, these moments are too fleeting, but I assume that if they were there all the time, we'd just be overly cocky.

You can find this page in one of my favourite books, "The Perks of Being A Wallflower".

*The other day I told someone that I would love to be Thom Yorke. I'm sure that wasn't received as well as I would have hoped, but what can you do? To me, he is just brilliant; how he leaves me enamored by the sounds that come out of his mouth or the way he puts you in a trance when you watch him move. He is just an odd fellow and I always admire the oddities that surround us. I can also respect the environmentally conscience things that he does, like paperless tickets. Although, some of us would like to have a little memento from your concerts, Thom.

At the end of the day, skating is my favourite way to move to music, although there isn't any in this clip;

Hopefully you can see it.

It's a layback, backscratch, into forward scratch :)

Tin Man & The Wizard of "Ahh's"

Today, Oak Forest had plenty of spirit buzzing through the air.
People had gathered, Public Access television was rolling their camera, and cheers were sent out as the Tin Man made his way back to the top of his loyal home, the roof of a heating & air conditioning facility.

A lot of people gathered together this week all over the country and the world for various reasons. (Beirut, Washington DC & New York, Illinois) All of them being more serious than what I witnessed today outside of King Heating/Air, but all of them having their own significance to the people that come out to support these matters. All of them have a different tone to them. This one, being the most frivolous, was one that I was glad to be a part of.

The crowd gathered outside for the spectacle that was set to take place just after noon. The sign had been placed outside weeks ago displaying;

"The tin man is going back on the roof!

May 7'th at Noon!

ALL ARE WELCOME!"

I couldn't contain myself!

I was so excited, anxious, and genuinely worried when we weren't sure if this whole event had been insured (operating a crane around a large group of people...). Eric had told me the story of the Tin Man a long time ago, when I first was becoming familiarized with this town (I live just down the road from the establishment). The 6 foot 6" Tin Man was perched on the roof of King Heating & Air Conditioning for 30+ years, until he met his fate four years ago to the date. They took him down to repaint/repair him and when they approached the time to put him back up, an ordinance had been passed that restricted his return. The town, was apparently outraged at the then-mayor, JoAnn Kelly. It was their "landmark", as I heard one long time resident claim today. You can tell this is the most excitement this town has seen in a long time. There was so much adoration for this man constructed of scrap tin. I even fell hard for the tin man. I requested off work so I could attend this whole event. After all he was charming.

When I say this was the most excitement this town has seen in a long time, that wasn't a snide remark. It was just so funny to witness it all. The crane hoisted this tin man from the ground up, all to the tune of 'The Star Spangled Banner' & 'Proud To Be An American'. HILARIOUS. I was trying not to crack up as those songs blared through the speakers as this tin man was suspended in the air for all the crowd to see. (The best song they played while I was in attendance was definitely 'Pump Up The Jam')

At the end of the day, this made people so happy. Even if it all was for a short period of time. It would be nice if local government would make decisions that are more effective and less useless-and enact more things that could benefit everyone as a whole. I find a cute aspect in the fact that the current mayor used the tin man as a sweet spot in his campaign speech in 2009, saying that the tin man "would find his way home". Less about local Government and on with the pictures!

Does this remind you of anything?

It reminded Eric and I right way of past images of the raising of the flag.

He remarked, "This tin man is this town's Iwo Jima."

Does that put the adoration into perspective?

At the end of the day now, Oak Forest residents walk away with an assurance that the Tin Man will now resume his watchful eye over the town.

Documented. The week in photos & songs.

Let's start this entry off right;

Every time I hear this song, my mood changes. Normally, it makes me more contemplative.

I generally hold a song in high regard if it has the ability to change my mood, it's a huge reason why I hold Radiohead near and dear to my heart. I kind of get sad when I hear this song.

I feel that's the emotion it is trying to convey. It's remembering a time when things were just different.

Sometimes change is for the general good. Some things change that you accept and adapt to them without even realizing it, and then when you take the time to reflect on those changes you've inadvertently picked up and adapted to, it makes you sad, because things just move in a whole new way now.

It is because you cannot get that way of life back.

A little bit of the past week or so is documented here in photos;

This is a cutter I saw and had immediately had the urge to decorate it.

So I baked it, popped some frosting on it, put it on a stick and sold it.

I loved this cookie, as did my counterpart.

The worst part? The customer was not even enthused upon purchase. 

I decorate a lot of cookies on a stick that sell very well.

I love it when people pick it out--especially kids, and they are genuinely excited about it.

The same feeling I had while decorated was definitely not the same one the buyer had.

No Tolstoy action here. Therefore, not efficient or effective "art". Bummer.

Don't dare forget your teachers or nurses! It's appreciation week celebrating both.

I've decorated tons of apples and schoolhouses this week, along with nurse bears & 'Thank You' messages.

 .    .    .

Let's not forget Frank

Our favourite custom orderer.

Not only are this man's request crazy, but they've become quite fun for me to conquer.

He's come up with yet another crazy design, and he is fond of celebrating only half birthdays.

I've done some really crazy things, this is almost normal compared to some of the others.

BRING IT ON, FRANK!

I can always dig a challenge;

The request was:

An upside down pterodactyl flying over two stick people holding signs.

One to say 7 and the other to say 1/2. Write Hannah upside down.

M&M cookie cake. Use red & green colors.

This is essentially what I do.

I never thought that I would be able to lay down frosting on these cookies like I can now.

I remember going in to apply and thinking "yeah...I don't think I can do this."

I've really developed myself in this line of work. My eye for things is different now.

I am thankful for many things I've learned and experienced here.

But let's be real. After 10 hours with minimal food, I go a little crazy.

I was so amped when I changed our dinner menu from porkchops/rice/salad/rolls to PORTILLO'S!

It was a simple text headed for my counterpart that entailed the sole question: "Portillo's?"

The response? "oooooo Portillo's"

Done & Done.

"I'll take a beef, dipped, hot peppers, two large fries, two plain hot dogs, and a medium root beer!"

I place my order like it's a military order.

I don't think I could have said Portillo's anymore in that sum up. NICE.

Oh tiffany shoes, I love you so.

I love this sock/shoe combo, one of my particular favourites.

I actually scored a pair in a similar style but they are plaid.

Obvious choice.

What an exciting day for Toby!

I scooped up some birdseed at the store the other day and got a window feeder.

I also laid down some seed in a pile by the window on the other side.

I love watching birds/animals and I love watching my cat get all sly while doing the same.

This little guy was at our window while his squirrel counterpart was at the other window.

Nothing could scare these guys away. They stuffed themselves for sure.

.    .    .

Here we have some Brett Dennen

This song has been making me move all week long.

When I say "move" I mean that it's making me full on rock out.

In my car, in the shoppe (don't think I didn't run out in the lobby & dance when customers were there),

in my kitchen this morning, etc, etc, etc.

This song takes me off guard, I don't usually like music like this, not often anyways.

Way to go, Mr. Dennen!

Hopefully it makes you get out of your chair!

Reflections of College & Correspondents.

160'th post.

Saucy, saucy!

Let's kick it off with some PJ Harvey-

"Hanging In The Wire"

I listened to this my walk today and it seemed to suit the mood just right.

So the other day I dropped by my parents house. My mom, as usual, was more than thrilled to give me any mail that had arrived for me during the course of time between visitations. I got that pesky survey from the community college I had attended and got my associates from, College of DuPage. Each time it comes, she urges me to fill it out and send it back. My response is always "Yeah, Yeah, I know, I will." ::cue to me throwing it out:: IN THE RECYCLING BIN -(that counts for something). This time there was a different course of action as I actually took it home, I put it on the counter, and I eyed it for two days before doing anything. This morning, I started to make check marks and circle numbers corresponding with the various questions about performance and accessibility. All of this allows me to face my college career in the face, or at least analyze it for what it was worth.

I'm not ashamed of my college experience in any regard. I actually start my own written review off by saying; 

"I really valued my time spent at C.O.D. I met some wonderful people, I took some great classes, and I had the honour of being taught by some really intelligent and phenomenal professors"...

That is only a glimpse into how I feel. I went to community college because that made the most sense for me. I felt like, and still do feel, that University is one of those things people do because they feel like they have to. For some people, I feel like University is vital to their well being; they can thrive from it and continue to explore more about their points of interest and expand their horizons in terms of opportunity. There are others who find themselves within classrooms who would be better suited working at a hands-on job, learning the tools of the trade as they go, from people who have worked it and are proven to be a more desired source of information versus textbook teachings. I find a lot of people venture to different schools only to find that what they really needed was embedded within some other path. The people that lingered in some of these classrooms were some of the best. I feel that a community college offers something different, or it caters to a more well-rounded group of people, the people of which, are awesome. You get your; extremely smart kids who are there to save a dime and transfer to a four year "ASAP", the mellowed out stoners clad in Dead shirts sitting along the wall, the moms who are making up for lost time, the kids who are totally with it but just don't have their career path down, and the kids who just don't give a damn. This mix is P-R-I-M-E and it always leads to making a few friends or at least having a few solid debates in class. Don't get me wrong, I worked hard, but it WAS college, and there was ALWAYS time for Tom-foolery. 

Like for instance in this math class which I found absolutely deplorable-

I was not a fan of the teacher, but had a class with a buddy. I brought wine glasses &

a bottle of Perrier and we used to drink in class with class.

I dropped this class as soon as I realized I had the ability to.

My College experience was very good, but no doubt, it could have been much better and much more commendable. I left high school completely unsure and that is probably because I went through high school being completely oblivious to everything, I feel. I had Ivy League dreams when it was far too late and knowing you already blew it while you're STILL IN high school is infuriating and extremely disappointing. I know I made up for high school with my time spent in college, but that doesn't change anything. I can hardly tell you what I was doing when my friends were cooped up doing homework and feverishly making flashcards for their Spanish exams, but it wasn't necessarily making mischief. I had fun in high school, minus the 2+ years of hell that ensued when an eating disorder consumed my life. I was concerned about socializing and other things that revolved around socializing; I should have gone into Public Relations or Journalism right off the bat, but I didn't. With my social skills and ability to get information from a mute you'd think I'd pursue one of these routes. "EYES & EARS, EYES & EARS!" I decided to be broad-based and snag a degree in....General Studies. How does one get more well-rounded than that? (answer: MULTIPLE DEGREES & PIE EATING CONTESTS)

Although my survey is not completed, I know it will contain a lot of "I could have done better/taken away more/asked better questions/etc...." With these feelings I have over the course of my reflections on my college experience, I can only be glad they are not making me physically write out my opinions of my high school happenings, for it makes me want to go back to do it all over again. I got fairly good grades in college, but I worked for them. In high school, my grades were sub-par, if you could even throw that title on it (and trust me, you couldn't). I was just consumed with other things, and maybe those things led me to where I am today. At the end of the day, I cannot regret them and feel bad about not doing better, I can only laugh about the times I thought it would be a brilliant idea to run down the halls in my full Gumby suit-and don't you worry, it was.

I can only hope I will find myself seated in an Academic setting again soon. I need to be able to put my thoughts and desires into action. I feel like I've got the momentum and I'm really moving towards something here. I can only hope to pursuit something that entails a good future--something that is realistic and stable. I have a few ideas of what I'd like to go after. I'm anxious to see where they'll go. When I find papers like this, it makes me muster up the motivation to do it all over again;

And yes, I made my college professor a CD.

Making CD's for people is without a doubt within my blood.

I love creating soundtracks for peoples lives.

See-sharing MUSIC and opinions is vital!

As journalism finds itself to be a real potential candidate for something I'd like to study further, it was really nice to hear President Obama thank and commend all the journalists for their hard work and dedication to the craft last night at the White House Correspondent's Dinner. I think that would be such an honour. There are certain moments in your career that I can imagine you are proud of, but I feel that there are other times when it hits you even harder, like when the President is thanking you for your time and practice. It might have been even better to hear Seth Meyers do a sound off on Fox News, Trump, and C-Span. I loved that he was invited to speak here and I think he did a fine job of bringing the right people into the spotlight and his remarks were nice and sharp!

Okay, Okay. I guess now we can understand why there has been no new Saturday Night Live's on for two weeks now. I won't be holding any grudges, only applause. Of course, Seth Meyers was not the only one to rip into Trump, as Obama took part in the fun too. I enjoyed what he had to say. Apparently wise cracks aimed at you are always funnier when coming from the president because Seth couldn't seem to drag that smile out of him. Check it out;

Of course, Trump fires back by calling Seth Meyers a "Stutterer" (what?!) and claiming he was all anybody could talk about. Don't be too modest, Mr. Trump, I promise, you weren't the focus, only the clown.

I'll leave you with;

"Donald Trump often talks about running as a Republican, which is surprising, I just assumed he was running as a joke." - Seth Meyers

-Tessa

IT'S MADDOW TIME, BABY!

There is one question that is asked each week night in my house, usually by me;
"When are we going to watch Rachel Maddow?"

You know, the smartest/wittiest/cutest openly gay political commentator and host on MSNBC?

You know, the woman that takes her gin & tonic with four limes just like myself?

(so excited when I found THAT out!)

PLEASE TELL ME YOU KNOW.

This started just over a few weeks ago. My counterpart stated something about how he was a fan of Rachel Maddow, but I had never seen the show air in our house. I believe the first time I had my eyes glued on Ms. Maddow was during the coverage of the earthquake that had taken place in Japan in March. This was probably the most exhilarating coverage that I saw of the quake and perhaps the least sad while being the most informative. I was hooked from the start when she showed us pictures of the most adorable little uranium pellets and shiny fuel rods. Finally! An inside look at what every news reporter had been talking about, but not showing to us. Before this aired, I kept stating to Eric how I wanted to go in one of these plants ASAP to look around, I'm a visual learner, gotta give me the visuals! I was quite fond of how I actually took notes on nuclear energy while watching her show. I loved it. I loved her (seriously messing with my straight vibes, Maddow). She reminded me of the new 2011 Tessa or I remind myself of her is probably best put. It's like how I've been putting it to everyone, I've acquired this thirst that I cannot seem to quench when it comes to learning. I feel so many people have become complacent in being ignorant and that does not necessarily pertain to a specific age bracket. I feel the only way to truly keep yourself alive is to keep filling yourself with new insight and knowledge. I feel that we are truly vessels, we need to be continuously filled because we're constantly (if you're doing it right) releasing information, and as more gets dispersed, more needs to be absorbed. I think the two best things you can share are music and opinions. Without them, I'd be destitute. I feel she has same spark to her. Actually, I KNOW she's got that same spark to her. She is a whip. There is no other way to put it. You can watch the video of her presenting the process of a nuclear reactor and you can see the visuals! Put on your thinking cap, yo!

I have no idea what it is about her. It's driving me crazy in the best way ever. As my friend Brooke said it (so glad I know another avid Maddow fan) "I don't know if she's brainwashing me or if she's the smartest person ever because I seriously agree with EVERYTHING she says." Oh hey, Liberal Brooke! That's exactly how I feel when I watch her show. I love that I go over the range of emotions during the course of the program. Lately, watching more of Michigan's industrial towns collapse & crumble while simultaneous school closings loom on the horizon in other parts of the state as they try to push them off to private charter companies just makes me angry. Is this the beginning of the end for public education in America? Watching this particular segment got me all fired up. I felt like marching-no, no RUNNING to Michigan to help those girls protest to KEEP THEIR SCHOOL OPEN. When did that become an arrest-able offense?

I was talking to a girl about this at work the other day and found myself shouting by the end of it. It's kind of how I end up reporting all my news to people. So less about what I see on the air, and more about the real focus of this entry (...?)

So it gets me thinking; (wait, do you smell a girl power story coming?)

I've been watching this show avidly for the past few weeks and it got me thinking; what makes THIS show different? She definitely holds an allure. Today kind of put it all in perspective as I saw this article pop up on the tweet deck. It goes on to say how she feels that people that are gay and closeted have a responsibility to come out, especially as an anchor and especially to strengthen the community. Seeing how much respectable intelligence she has oozing from her (sorry, bad imagery?) it makes me wonder, could someone else pull this off? Say a bleach blonde? I wonder if the appeal is in the fact that a). She's gay and b). she has a bit of masculine appearance (although, she's adorable)- but does this make facts ring more true? It just kind of gets me down on women again. HA HA HA HA. No but for real, it just makes me sad. Think of all the adorable little news anchors out there;

Seriously. You're not going to go into work talking about what any of these women were newsing about.

It's sad and it's true.

I feel that Maddow is where she is because she goes about it in a whole different way. I feel that blonde/attractive/straight laced anchors typically reduce themselves to entertainment reporting or views that are so in-your-face to the right or left that it just becomes hilarious. It's not because they are not smart, it's probably more the case of no one is letting them run with it. You lose the focus when the news is there, because the style of reporting is exceptionally "air-y". There are some amazing women journalists and opinion contributors, but will the bleach blonde ever be explaining fission and nuclear meltdowns on her own show?The only answer here is, hopefully. Perhaps, I'm being too harsh, or not really informed on the spectrum of reporting that blondes do, but I feel like based on what I see, it holds a bit of truth. I feel like does not occur commonly because because they don't allow themselves to be put in that position. It's kind of like when I was in a meteorology class and my teacher said "You should definitely look into broadcast, you know enough about weather and you've definitely got the look for it." Totally flattering, but I'll take the painstaking science over the bubbly anchor position.It wasn't that I was rejecting being on a news program and giving the weather report, it was irritating because that is what I was being reduced to. I don't want to just know about the basics and report on dew points and strong winds, I want to know the embedded purpose for it happening. I want to be out there chasing the storm, learning more about the new emerges that come from it all.

 For some news anchors, hardcore journalism doesn't come with the job, simply reporting it, does. This kind of goes back to my last post about dying your hair from blonde to brunette in order to be taken more seriously. I get it, I really do. I feel like if I did have a show I would have to wear my glasses in order to get a point across but at the end of the day I thought Legally Blonde would have done more for us. I remember hearing a tid-bit somewhere about how women news anchors struggle immensely with trying to fit in the "serious" bubble, while also maintaining attractiveness to rope in viewers. Women anchors will be taken more seriously if less attractive or if they have hair of a darker colour, however, if they are not as attractive as their competitors, they may lose viewers...? This sounds ass backwards, but it's the fire that female broadcasters have to juggle. I kind of feel like Rachel Maddow was given all allocations to skip over all of this. Like perhaps this time being gay worked out big on the advantages here, while I'm sure it may have hindered her in other ways.

If you haven't seen, Rachel Maddow has a male twin. I am so glad others are buzzing about this on the interwebs, because it's a good spectacle. Chris Hayes or Brother Maddow?

First glance you're like..."wait...what?!"

I remember last Friday she was out and he covered for her and I was in the kitchen bopping around and I hear the same Maddow inflections, but it's a male. Definitely a male. It was hilarious because I almost cannot watch it. I know- you would THINK them being the same would make it easy for me to watch, but I just find it too odd. I feel like when he covers for her show Rachel is at home watching going "Uh huh, thatttt's right, very good."

You can watch him cover for her

At the end of the day, she completely inspires me. It is SO great to have smart females have such strong voices in the media. I love trying to sway republican males in their 50's to get hooked on the show. It's always a hoot. I can only hope for more females to hold these hard hitting journalistic positions. I wonder if she needs any interns?? (I will write in artichoke juice) PICK ME! PICK ME!

Tune into MSNBC weeknights @ 8/9pm

looks like I fell in the "no inspiration" tunnel.

i n s p i r a t i o n   sslllummmppp.

I have a little (a very little) desire to write up a few words. My mind has been going over a particular tidbit for the past week or so I thought I'd finally put it out there. Awhile back, my friend Laura and I were talking about Tron/Olivia Wilde. I know very little about both, but she went on to tell me more about the star and she said that she is actually a natural blonde but dyes her hair lighter so that people will think she is smarter. For the more direct quote;

"... I'm a natural blonde, but I feel like a brunette. I feel like people treat me now how I should be treated. People used to be shocked, when I was blond, that I wasn't stupid. I used to get these comments that I swear people thought were compliments. Like, 'Oh! You're smart!' - like they couldn't believe it."

Here are my thoughts on this. Did you ask? No. Do you care? Maybe.

Okay, Olivia so you're a natural blonde. You're in the low percentile when it comes to being born with what others vie over. Here you are dying it because you're concerned that people will treat you like you're stupid or think you are less intelligent upon meeting them? GOOD. LET THEM. The advantage is all yours here. I get it, I understand you need the darker hair to feel like you come off in a more intelligent light and I get that having dark hair maybe makes you feel more "sultry" and "jaded", but learn how to play the cards.

I would much rather have people constantly underestimating me while I turn around and refute what they have to say or strike up a more riveting conversation. I would love for people to think that I was inept while really I'm in a state of perpetual competence. This can only work to your benefit. I would love it to constantly blow people out of the water while they were teaching me how to swim along the shore. I'm not trying to say that my capacity for knowledge is "blowing you out of the water" worthy, I'm just trying to make a point. Blondes don't have to be desirable because of reasons that might dumb them down a bit, but hopefully they will become more desirable for the "secret wisdom" they've obtained and concealed.

So today, I met with Laura and had lunch. I have been wearing my thick rimmed glasses lately, sporting a change, and adding some character. Which to me, is just that; adding character. I have always loved wearing fake glasses and everyone has always thought they are real (obviously, who doubts poor vision?) I told her about what I was writing about and I said, can I refute this? She said, "Yes." So I did. Glasses have always given off that smart, nerdy vibe. I can dig that, but wearing them doesn't make me smarter. Neither does dying your hair. Although, sure I guess it's fun to pretend.

So on the topic of hair colour. I was watching something that was aired on CBS and during the commercial break, a commercial for the 10pm news came on. The words that came from his mouth were something along the lines of  "How more women are going grey and can you do it right?" WHAT? Oh, looks like the women of the suburbs have had a radical change in their view towards grey hair. Why does this have to be a trend? Why couldn't we embrace this like...forever ago? And who inspired this all of a sudden? Glenn Close? Helen Mirren? The Queen? Seriously. So I didn't have to watch the news story to muster up an opinion about this. So normally, when one dyes their hair, they do it to accomplish what nature could never and will never be able to give them. Like me for instance, I can dye my hair black (Oh, I'm never doing that again) because I know that a single black hair will never sprout from my little head. It make sense. However, I know that if I put in a good 25 more years of living (or find a career where I stress myself out immensely), I will sprout Grey hairs atop my cabeza (head in espanol, yo!). So why would you go about dying it instead of just letting the natural phenomenon streak on in naturally? I am so amped on the idea of grey hair. Although, this may view may change when I'm that age, but I can't see further damaging my hair for something that will come in due time. Wait it out ladies, let those silver fox strands grow in on their own.

The Rock Island girl that rocked the house.

I'm still wearing my cloak of excitement from last night and it look it looks fabulous!

I cannot believe it happened. Did it? Yeah. There are pictures. No pinching necessary here.

My girl, Brooke, told me about a FREE Lissie show going down at Reggie's. Um...FREE? Hell, I paid for tickets to see her at Lincoln Hall back in January and didn't end up making it. I didn't really mind that I lost money on this one, I don't mind contributing to Lissie's music one bit. So I scooped up the offer for this gem, made the trek to her casa, and hopped in the car to go nice and early. We arrived to meet her friend, Dana, around 4:30 or so. The place was still pretty empty, so we were able to snag a huge booth right off the side of the stage. Appetizers are half off on Wednesdays and my Margarita was $5. I felt like the money-saving gods where whispering my name and pouring my drinks.

So I go out to snag a cigarette and of course Lissie was out front being her cool rock star self chatting nicely (ABOUT XRT! duh HUGE ear perk) with people. I genuinely wanted to smoke, but I genuinely wanted to tell her that I'd been waiting for her to be played on XRT since I've heard music escape her mouth sometime early last year. So I puff, puff, put that shit out, and made my way over. I stood behind friends she knew when she diverted the attention to me. Opps. So I said "Hey, I'm a huge fan, you'd be perfect on XRT, I tweet both of you guys all the time, so I hope you get played soon!" I'm telling you, this girl is so freaking adorable and genuine and totally tubular.

So back inside, the crowd and excitement were growing and my sobriety was somewhere in the mix when these three older women sat down at the table in front of us. My first thought was "Hell yeah! I knew I should have told my mom about this artist...teehee hipsters".

Sound check came and went. Why do they never say "Check Check Czechoslovakia"? or "Check Check Checkmate"? I've been wondering that for too many years now. This was an XRT show. I'm sure you know what that means to me. I knew there would be a DJ in the house somewhere. AH HA! I saw Marty Lennartz from a mile away. I wanted to go up to him so badly, ask him about what it was like to work there, ask him to get me a job and then just stick with that topic for 30 minutes, but I didn't. Why? I don't know at all ::kicking myself:: I am so revved that Lissie is trying to get her stuff out on such an amazing station. Lissie reminds me of a really early Melissa Etheridge (no...not that kind, Brooke). I love that. Some of her pictures even confirm that...

 

So Marty Lennartz announced her on stage and a wonderful hour and a half ensued. She played an 11 song show I believe; Wedding Bells, Worried About, When I'm Alone, Bully, Little Lovin', Record Collector, In Sleep, Cuckoo, Everywhere I Go, Oh Mississippi, and Kid Cudi's Pursuit Of Happiness. This was an amazing set. I love all of her songs, especially her Lady Gaga cover of Bad Romance.  I had never heard Kid Cudi's song or heard Lissie's cover of it somehow. I ABSOLUTELY fell in love with it and upon hearing it last night. You better believe I got it today. I've decided a skating routine needs to get choreographed to this song immediately. I just love the way she sings this. It's a perfect cover, especially because I feel like she would heavily relate to this song. I want to tell the world about this song. The way she went into it below is very similar to the clip below and that was thanks to Brooke. I want to tell the world about how awesome Lissie is. She gives off this exuberance.You can tell she loves what she does and that she worked her ass off to get where she is. She is so real and you can definitely tell she's from the Midwest. Poor girl's bus driver took off in Finland with her equipment, they had to rent her gear. She rocked it and there were no need for apologies, but I loved the guitar tuning session where she went into the end of "part of "Little Lovin" and I belted out the "WOAH OH OH OH OH OHHHH!" to go along with it. Sorry crowd, couldn't resist! And yeah, I'll consider that a duet!

I also thought it was vital to shout at the crowd for being stiff as boards. This was a dancing show, my friends. Start acting like it.

Listen to how rad this chick is live:

"Pursuit of Happiness"

Kid Cudi Cover

So back to those three older women that were seated in front of us. Well, before Lissie played Bully, I believe that is when she announced her mom was in the audience. Two of the women pointed at one of them and I was so stoked! I couldn't believe it. I (like a huge creep) put my hand on her back and said "You must be so proud!" and she was like "We are!" One of her two best girlfriends was dancing around with us and was so excited we were such big fans. Before Lissie performed Pursuit of Happiness, Brooke bought her a shot of tequila because that her thang.

I got a few pictures, but since I have a temp phone, they aren't really worth posting in the slightest. However, I did snag this-

Okay. So let it be noted that when I get excited, it tends to show in my gums.

She looks adorable here! I look frightening, but what are ya gonna do?

please please please go buy "Catching A Tiger" and then go on a long drive on a country road with your best girlfriend. You will not regret it!

I cannot even believe that all happened. Then after the concert they hosted karaoke. The cool part was that it featured a live band, the unfortunate part was that you had to read the lyrics off a sheet, but it's worth it to have the band behind you. I had never done karaoke before and their selection was really limited, but I ended up doing "Me and Bobby McGee". I really, really enjoyed myself! I love performing, but have never sang in front of people before. Hopefully there were no bleeding ears! Ew, that grosses me out. I don't know why I wrote that.

Gosh. What a fantastic night! Now Common XRT! Play her!

-Tessa

Thank god! The seduction is back!

The other day, a miraculous little tweet left my fingers and jet-setted its way through the webs. I had shared that my first subscribed issue of POP magazine came. As I pulled the twice a year mag from the mailbox in all my glory, I stared longingly at the cover, and then wished I had gotten the Elton John cover shot.

I kind of view magazines as an experience. I like to flip through the whole thing in one setting. I hate skipping ahead to articles, although skipping ahead to spreads is always so alluring, but I rarely let it happen. I made a rare exception when I received the Vogue with Natalie Portman on the cover and I had to see what she was saying about her experiences with Black Swan. Oh and I also skipped ahead to see the Lady Gaga spread (although I still haven't read that article yet...) in the March power issue. Whoops!

So when I got this magazine, I set it aside and whispered sweet nothings to the paper publication about how I would soon flip through the pages to reveal all of its glory. So it eventually happened and about 10 pages in (precisely) you find yourself staring at Tom Ford's brilliance. I'm so glad these ads are back. If you're not familiar, Tom Ford immerses his ads in sexuality and power. His newest ones happens to be one of my favorites, where you can see my latest inspiration;

I love this ad. It oozes with sexuality and seduction. It also makes me super stoked that I snagged a pair of huge thick rimmed glasses in Japan in November and I just knew I was doing the right thing. I can't even believe that women allow themselves to bitch about these ads. Tom Ford is a genius. He also typically portrays women with curves and the woman always appears confident as hell. The problem here is...? Sure these ads are racy, but that's good. We need that in fashion. Something to push the envelope and make people remember that women with bodies are doing way better than those without. I'd rather have full figured women, portrayed sexually but still exuding extreme confidence than an ad that inspires nothing.

Is anyone familiar with the show "Arrested Development"? Well, if you're not, you're crazy, and if you are well let's delve in; So you know how Lindsay is always whining about how she's being objectified? But then the moment that she's not she makes sure she goes out of her way to become objectified? Well I feel a lot of women are like that. I feel that women go out of their way to complain about ads like these;

don't worry, ladies. Men get to take it all off too!

okay, okay. I'll stop.

I'll leave you with this last one;

So what's the problem here? It's all properly being modeled. No falsies here, it's just...if these ads don't make you excited to be a woman...then...I don't know--THAT'S CRAZY! heh. You can just feel the power of seduction here and I can dig it. If these women are being objectified, SO WHAT. That's what they're getting paid for. These ads are hot and I'm so glad they are back. I remember reading about Tom Ford's comeback, I can't remember if it was in Vogue or not, but some woman commented about how she was disappointed and said something along the lines of "Tom Ford is back? What's the problem, he didn't make enough money off of women the first time around?" WHAT!? He is a fashion designer for both parties. So yeah, somewhere along the line he's going to be making money off of women, his ads just provoke people to do it. Clearly, it worked. Women feel sexy in Tom Fords clothing mostly likely because the women in his ads are sexy. It makes sense. I feel that owning a piece by Tom Ford would be very much like owning a pair of jet black Louboutin's. Right?

So again, thank you, Tom.

I feel like he is saying..."Why thank you."

You can pick up that vibe here, can't you?