Like most americans, my childhood was filled with thoughts about this magical day wherein I could open all my presents and the wondering what they were would finally be over. There was such a buildup, such an incredible excitement, then days of glow while messing with all the new junk I acquired.

As I got older and grew to loath consumerism, the magic of Christmas wore off for me. Consumerism is like a kind of modern Robin Hood tale where retailers steal from the poor and give to the rich.

(more…)

Ok, I realize this is my third or fourth, uh, maybe fifth, political blog in a row, but can you really blame me? Seems like everywhere I turn is more about politics, I really can’t wait until this election is over. If you’re sick of politics, then you might as well skip this blog. I promise to have a non-political blog next time for my 5 readers.

Today I had an interesting conversation. I believe this guy could be a nice person if he wasn’t a partisan jerk. People who get completely wrapped up in being either democrat or republican are a little scary to me; it seems like they would need an uncanny ability to completely deny reality in order to be all on board for one party or the other. Both parties are so full of douchebaggery that, in my eyes, even the “we’re not as bad as those guys” routine doesn’t really work. Don’t get me wrong; there’s nothing bad about having a little pride in your beliefs and, consequently, your political party. But at the expense of being a reasonable person?

(more…)

My all-time favorite TV show ever is the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I consume that show like a crack addict. (Those of you who know I don’t have TV will find that interesting, to you I say welcome to the world of hulu.) However, I sometimes run out of daily show to watch, and it is in these cases that I resort to the Colbert Report.

It was while watching the Oct. 23 episode of the Colbert Report that I saw an interesting sketch about the National Hummer Club (beware, this site is ugly . . . almost as ugly as a hummer). The sketch was shot in the style of a serious film about conservation, with such notable quotes as “if we can save the hummer, we can save America.” But what really caught my attention was this gem, implying that driving a hummer is the epitome of American patriotism: “If that’s not patriotic, I don’t know what is.”

(more…)

When I was two years old, my mom started attending AA meetings to help her deal with my father’s alcoholism. He was very depressed and abusive, so when she met someone at AA who was supportive and kind she fell in love. They’ve had their ups and downs, but they’ve pulled through it all and now they are happily awaiting retirement together. The only difference with this relationship is that the person my mom fell in love with was another woman.

Until this moment I’ve never spoken publicly about my mom being gay because she’s not “out.” But I realized today that I have some very, very important things to say about being raised by a lesbian couple.

(more…)

I may be writing a few blogs in the coming months with this theme, but right now I need to express specifically what is happening in my fireplace. I took a gigantic pile of junk mail and chucked it into the fire. Advertisements, catalogs, coupons, credit card applications and every other type of solicitation I can imagine is now heating my living room and, therefore, being of some use to me. Watching the faces of grotesquely unnatural and/or photoshopped models go up in smoke is a much needed cleansing of the soul. My heart, mind and soul have been polluted for too long by this idea that I’m not smart enough, pretty enough, woman enough, cool enough or adventurous enough. Modern media exists to deliver audiences to advertisers, and advertisers exist to make me feel I suck as a human being (but for a limited time only here’s a product that can make you suck less.)

I’m staging a full-on revolt against the shady money-changers who have taken up shop in the temple of my self-esteem. I may not be the smartest person in the world, or the most beautiful, or the most anything else, but I am who I am and I can either love myself or not. As a human being, I am too wonderful to let my perception of myself and my worth be controlled by a corporation whose idea of worth is completely different from my own.