Wednesday, March 24, 2010

The Joys of Being In The Middle

**Not my usual snarky attitude, but actually a somewhat thoughtful post.**


I am a middle-of-the-road type of girl. I love the word compromise. While I admit there is no way to keep everyone happy, I believe there is almost always a way for everyone to not be as unhappy as they would be otherwise.

I am reminded of my middle ways with the signing of Health Care Reform, and my friends’ posts on Facebook. I have friend on the far-right, the far-left, and everywhere in between. I’ve already seen a comments argument over health care. Today, I am thankful that my far-left friends and far-right friends are (usually) not friends with each other. And I am thankful to be friends with them all.

I often describe myself as a fence-sitter when it comes to hot issues. I can see both sides, and that makes it hard for me to choose just one side. Plus, most of the hot issues are ones that I just am not passionate about. (Bring up bras and finding your true size, then you’ll see me get passionate!) I have never been, and will never be, a political person. While I try to follow what is going on around me, I just can’t get worked up over it.

It’s not that I was raised a certain way, since my father is getting more and more conservative as he ages, and yet it is that I was raised a certain way. Let me explain. My parents taught me to survive, no matter what. Whatever life throws at me, I will find my way through to the other side. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger (yes, cliché, but I believe it).

So let’s look at Health Care Reform (HCR). In my opinion, I cannot control this. Sure, I can have my say, but I cannot control it myself. I can control my own personal circle, my personal life, so I will focus the majority of my energy there. It has taken me 29 years to understand that. If HCR is here to stay, I will make sure that I know how to get myself and my family through it. If it changes, I will still get through it.

Now, I’m not saying anyone should stop being passionate about politics or HCR. If you are passionate about it, follow your passion. But as long as my passion lays more along the lines of bras, books, and music, I will stay happily in the middle of the road, and keep my friends on either side of me.

Monday, March 15, 2010

They're Playing What on Animal Planet??

Today's rant: TV channels that can't stick to their niche.

It started with MTV. You remember Music Television, don't you? The channel that played music videos? Well, at first. Now I scan right past MTV since it's usually playing a movie or stupid series that really has little to nothing to do with music.

Other channels are doing the same thing. Look at ScyFy (previously SciFi). They had to change the way they spelled their name when fewer and fewer shoes were actually considered science fiction. I will admit that I still watch the new ScyFy.

And now, my beloved Animal Planet is going to have "I Shouldn't Be Alive." Um, wasn't that from Discovery Channel? I know their owned by the same company and closely related, but what does a survival story show have to do with animals? Put it back on Discovery Channel, where it fits in with the programming.

And please, Animal Planet, give me more dog shows. I'm tired of seeing the same one every Saturday morning. They aren't as much fun when you know who's going to win.

Monday, March 1, 2010

You Call That Art?

Look! Two posts in one afternoon!

To all of you out there, Photoshop does NOT make you an artist!

I was looking at a photography website. This girl is trying to be a professional photographer. I say trying because 1.) she needs to remove the stupid music from every page on her site, and 2.) she needs to back off the Photoshop!

It's like some people think that with Photoshop, they can take crappy pictures and still make money. Now, this girl actually had some good pictures, but the majority of them had at least 1 Photoshop filter applied to them, and half of them made absolutely no sense! Using PS (Photoshop is too much to type each time) filters is a cheat, not a fix. Sure, you can fix some red eye or focus in PS, but it should not be relied on to make a good photo. And knowing how to apply a filter to a photo does not make it art or you an artist.

Look, photography takes skill and talent. I am quite lacking in those skills and talents, but at least I don't try to PS my pics into something "artsy." I believe that if your photos can't stand on their own, without being "touched up," then maybe you shouldn't be taking so many pictures.

When your POA is a POS...

Slightly more personal rant today.

I mentioned that I'm an Army wife. We are trying to get a house on the Fort. The housing office, however, seems to not care.

See, they have this list. When you fill out an application for housing, they put you on the list, because there isn't enough housing for everyone (and they say there's not enough demand to build more?!?). Well, I have not met a single person that made it past number 30 on that list. Not a one.

It seems that, no matter what that biatch in the housing office says, they do not follow the list. Instead, when you call or stop by, if they have a house available, they offer it to you.

Now, what is the point of having a system, and a list, and a whole Plan of Action laid out, when you do not then follow that plan?

For now I am following the same course of action as everyone else and we are going to call or stop by every day until they have a house for us. But I seriously want to see them properly use the system they have in place. grrr!