Needed AND Loved

Recently I've been working a lot on decluttering and downsizing my possessions. If you need information on how to do this, I would recommend going to unclutterer.com. Anywho, long story short, I got rid of an orange coat that I didn't really need, but that I did love. When I wore it in tandem with a green sweatshirt I had it made me look like a pumpkin, which may sound unflattering, but which I actually had fun with.

Since I loved it, but didn't need it, I decided to get rid of it. Bad decision. It turns out that things that you love can bother you when you get rid of them just as much as things that you need can bother you when you get rid of them. I liked looking like a pumpkin. I liked having the option of wearing a bright orange coat, even though I had the much more conservative option of wearing a black pea coat or khaki trench coat. I didn't need it, but I loved that orange coat.

This may be bad for other people who are trying to downsize their possessions, but giving a second (or third) thought about things you love might be worth it later on, but only if it's something you love. I'm actually kind of glad I got rid of that fish model I made in second grade. At least I have pictures of both things, so I know what wasted resources look like, but also what regret looks like; because that's something that stays with you.

Okay, apparently I don't have pictures of both things, I only have pictures of the fish, the best picture of the coat I have looks like this:



So really, I don't have a picture of the things I love, but I have memories, and a winning e-bay bid to replace it, and aren't those worth a thousand pictures?

Nolan lives

Im sorry for not posting more films from the awesome camera you guys gave me. however I dont regret bringing it underway with me. Sublife is extremely stressful, the rules are really strict. and there are many a theif aboard my sub. So far I have been relieved of an overseas phone, a yellow t-shirt, and some of my blue t-shirts. Things I thought would be worthless to another person are now gone... imgine what would he happened if i brought the camera with me... yeah... suckass stupendous. I'm still gonna try to find a way to contct you guys in norway but if I can't I'll see you in a month anyway.

I have some crazy stories to share too. but at the moment my mind draws a blank on any of those stories. being cramped in a sub has a way of making one stupider. and tired and sleepy and grouchy and lippy and gay (cept for me)

I Don't Have Anything to Write About, So...

...here are some fun links from Kimber.

http://www.jimspancakes.com

http://current.com/groups/sarah-haskins

http://supercrazymonsters.blogspot.com

http://twitter.com/shitmydadsays

Weezer: Sexist but Fun

Kimber feels conflict, but is easily distracted from it.

Weezer's latest album, Ratitude, can be a little grating on my feminist ears because the lyrics are fairly sexist. Weezer has had sexist overtones since their first album ("I want a girl who will laugh for no one else", how much more controlling can you get?), but Ratitude has especially prominent problems with tracks like "The Girl Got Hot", "I'm Your Daddy", and "Can't Stop Partying", among other tracks.

"The Girl Got Hot" is annoying simply because the subject of the song finds value through her blossoming physical attractiveness. The singer finds her interesting only after she "got hot", and remarks that the "other girls in town" find things lacking in comparison simply because "she got hot and they did not". Descriptions of what makes the girl interesting are limited to her physical appearance, yet the singer claims to be falling in love with her. This cheapens the value of women by suggesting that any allure, interest, or value they may hold lies solely in their physical appearance, rather than in their mental, emotional, or other capability.

In the song "I'm your daddy", the title lyric "you are my baby tonight/and I'm your daddy" reinforces the infantilization of women and lends support to the general idea that women need to be taken care of, while men gain superiority through their financial favors. The lyrics are a representation of the most predictable form of love/affection/what-have-you, in that the subject couple's love is unique, unpredictable, and fleeting, but depends on the girl being willing to follow the guy's lead.

"Can't Stop Partying" states that the singer needs "a lot of pretty girls around me", along with "the beat", "Patron", and "the jewels". Women are simply a status symbol, as well as another element of addiction in the partying lifestyle ("all the girls in the corner getting loose"). The song is about the shallow party lifestyle, but women are reduced to parts in the machine of that lifestyle, rather than being people who also may choose that lifestyle.

However, as troubling as the lyrics of the album are, the songs are something I can hum along to, break out in a little dance to, and generally just allow me to rock out. I feel as though I'm selling out on my values, but Rivers Cuomo has compiled an album that is musically fun, thus allowing me to occasionally ignore the sexist lyrics and give in to the music.

I would usually ignore completely any band that had even this marginal amount of misogyny in their lyrics, but Weezer redeems themselves through other songs like "Put Me Back Together", "Love is the Answer", and "I Don't Want to Let You Go" that speak of real human connection and a need for each other. These songs aren't the best material that Weezer has produced, but they are representative of the better qualities of the band, and enable the album Ratitude to be something I don't completely object to. In short, I think Rivers Cuomo is sensitive in many ways, but his portrayal of women could use some work. Still, he has a knack for crafting songs that are just plain fun, so I won't be boycotting his music anytime soon.

Facebook is Being Difficult

Kimber is experiencing technical difficulties.

I know this blog isn't very focused, and that makes it hard to attract readers, but I still want lots of people to read it so that I can make lots of money from advertising and then be able to quit my job and never look back. That's not too much to hope for, is it? So, in an effort to make more people aware of this blog, and the frequency with which it is updated, I was trying to link it to my notes on my Facebook account. Sadly though, that does not look as if it is to be, simply because Facebook keeps having problems, so I haven't been able to complete the process.

Similarly, I've been having trouble making my Amazon payments account link to my bank account, so I can't spend the pittance I make working on Amazon Mechanical Turk when I'm watching TV and bored. This is beside my main point, but also frustrating and a road block on my way to making money off the internet while sitting on my butt at home.

I do plan to go to a real job today, so maybe I'll use their internet to link my Facebook notes and this blog. I have very crappy internet at home, so maybe that's the problem, though probably not. What's likely really going on is that Mark Zuckerberg is jealous of how awesome I am and so is doing everything he can to keep other people from finding out about it so his fragile ego isn't destroyed. Wish me luck in overcoming the conspiracy against my coolness.

Colder Weather is Great, Until Your Apartment Floods

Kimber has problems.

A few mornings ago I noticed that walking around in the carpeted section of my apartment didn't smell so good, and it was making my feet wet. At first I felt like blaming one of the dogs (really blaming Spartacus, since he is the bad one), but after a few exploratory sniffs, I realized it wasn't urine.

This happens every year, but I always manage to forget about it. When it rains or snows very hard, the water seeps in underneath the carpet, causing my apartment to smell like mildew, and my floor to be unpleasantly damp. There's really nothing I can do about it that wouldn't involve a back hoe, so every year I'm stuck pulling things up off the floor, doing my best to keep things dry, and wondering if I'm doing any damage to my respiratory system by constantly breathing in mold or mildew.

There really is no point or lesson to this blog, other than to say that sometimes crappy things happen, and there's really nothing you can do about them. However, those crappy things usually aren't so bad, and may even give you the chance to wear your rain boots with your pajamas, thus giving you the opportunity to play Florida Glades with your dogs (the schnauzers are gators, watch out!)

I Love the Farmers Market

BYU has been hosting a test farmers market over the past few weeks to see if they should hold one full-time next year. It's being held on Thursdays from two till seven until October 14th. Try to go, as higher turn-out means it's more likely they will hold it again next year.

I care so much about the continuation of any farmers market because they are so awesome. I feel healthier just shopping at a farmers market, and the produce is usually organic or heirloom variety (which just means it will probably look uglier, but taste better and contain more nutrients). I also think it's really important to support the local economy by truly shopping locally, and what could be more local than a farmers market?

When I first started going to the farmers market, I was extremely nervous, because one of the things a lot of people tend to like about farmers markets is being able to talk to the farmers. This is good if you want to know where and how your produce was raised, and the best ways to store and prepare it. This is bad if you have extreme social anxiety like I do. Still, after a few shaky tries, I found that most farmers are happy, open people who are enthusiastic about what they are selling and delighted to share information about their produce. I actually learned a lot of really interesting stuff just from a few short conversations, and I now can wander around an open market with much less anxiety than I normally have.

There are two drawbacks to a farmers market. The produce tends to be more expensive, and the times and places the market is hosted are not always convenient. I can't go to a farmers market at two in the morning for a doughnut run, and I find I have to be much more mindful of how I'm spending my money at a farmers market. However, I like that I have to make time for the farmers market. It means that I am more conscious of what I am eating, and the effort it took to produce it. Spending a little more is kind of frustrating, especially as a poor student, but it does feel good to know that my money is staying in the local economy, that I'm supporting people I am getting to know, rather than throwing money at a faceless corporation, and I do get a little bit of a superiority kick out of living my ideals. In short, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.

So, in conclusion, I highly encourage everyone that is able to carve out a little extra time, save up a few extra dollars, and head down to their local farmers market, if anything, for their own happiness.