Hello Again

I took a huge break from my little web journal and I think during that time I found the end of the internet, rediscovered my love of politics and world news, and still managed to not finish school yet.  I quit watching the news for a while because I have a five year old and I didn't want to scare him, however, it turns out that after him, politics just may be my next big love in life.

By keeping up with politics it got me thinking that in order to make change and help society the best way to make an impact is by getting up and making things happen.  There is so much going on in the world right now.  Some people are suffering through terrible times and others are trying to do great things with their lives.  I guess I have realized that I am somewhere in the middle.  I haven't been doing bad things but I haven't been doing much good either.

After going to my great-aunt's funeral this past weekend and hearing wonderful things being said about how special she was it has given me some motivation to do some good.  I am a single parent in school with no job so I can't just jump on a plane to Haiti and pull people out of rubble.  This makes me think it could be a good idea to start here at home.

People donate a lot of money and that's a noble thing to do for other people who need it but with so many lonely people out there I think I'd just like to give some of myself.  I'm not perfect and I usually say the wrong thing at some point in any given conversation but I have one small ability to be fun and happy around people when they don't feel the same way.  I am looking into some ideas for volunteering locally and so far I have come up with going to the Children's Hospital or joining the Red Cross.  I am open to more ideas so if anyone has some good ones for me for an organization that you feel is doing great things for some equally great people, then please let me know.

Exhibits and Events

If you are looking for something fun to do this weekend with your kids and are in the Pittsburgh area, Howard Hanna is hosting a miniature golf outing and donating the proceeds to their favorite charity, the Children's Miracle Network.  It's being held at Cool Springs mini golf course and tickets are $10 a person.  It's a great way to spend the day, weather permitting, before it gets too cold and wet to leave the house.  There is a rain date in case the weather turns on us but I haven't looked into when that is.

I'm sure if you were interested in going you could call any of the Howard Hanna offices in the area and they could fill you in with further details.  I know I should have done more research but I just wanted to put it out there while I thought about it since it's only four days away.

Exhibits and Events

So this is the time of year when life gets a little more exciting.  There are events and exhibits to see all over town and the holidays are approaching.  Everyone seems to get out an enjoy life a little more in the fall...well, no, I seem to get out and enjoy life a little more in the fall.  My friend and I went to Phipps Conservatory last year for a night club event they hosted.  Every year, they turn the gardens into a night club equipped with a DJ and food from restaurants all over Pittsburgh.  It's a great night out where you get to walk around and mingle and take in the exhibit.  It's not a bar and you're not stuck at a table in a restaurant if you have energy you need to burn.

This October 22, a Thursday, it will be Club Casa.  The admission is $40 and they give you three drink tickets for the event.  Ishtar, a local band, will be playing their "belly-rock" for people to groove to as they take in the vibe of Phipps on a cool autumn evening.  Nice...  The art on display this year will be the sculptures of Hans Godo Frabel.  Garden glass art is the perfect backdrop for an urban night out in the gardens of Pittsburgh.

Sorry if that all came out as a little cheesy but I LOVE this event and I love Phipps Conservatory.  Actually, I love anything that gets me out of the suburbs.  The web address is down below if you want to check it out.  I obviously highly recommend it.

http://phipps.conservatory.org/exhibits-and-events/featured-event.aspx?eventid=254

And the Winner is...

There isn't much argument that Quentin Tarantino is an excellent writer/director.  However, most people agree that he is pretty much the worst actor alive.  I also agree, but recently while watching Little Nicky, I came to realize that Tarantino's cameo is Oscar worthy.  Okay, that statement was a bit extreme.  If you were to judge Dancing with the Stars by lack of experience going in and then the greatest improvement coming out, then Quentin Tarantino is to acting what Kelly Monaco was to "Dancing."

Self Help

My mom told me that I seem to be grouchy lately.  She's right.  I have been in a bad mood for the past 33 years and it's been punctuated with a few moments of fleeting happiness.  I am sick of tolerating people and I also have realized that maybe I just don't really care for others.  I basically enjoy my family, and the friends who I like the most are the ones that I know the least.  There's less room for disappointment and irritation that way.  The more I get to know most people the more I wish I didn't.

I like my son.  He's funny and sweet and generally well-behaved.  After I had him and he got old enough I also realized that I stopped liking other people's kids.  I have trained mine to be the kind of human being I like and can tolerate for extended periods of time.  There is yelling involved but not as much as when I am around other people's kids and all of the yelling I do inside my head.  Their kids haven't been trained by me, therefore, I usually don't like them.

I have spent several years trying to be nice and be in good moods for the benefit of other people.  When you do that they treat you worse.  I will still pretend to be nice, but just know that internally I am making fun of everyone, equally, and probably also working on a strong dislike for most of the public I have to associate with.  I think what I really want to do is stop discriminating against my friends and family and just start getting angry at them all whenever I feel like it now.  That way, when I decide to go ape shit on some unsuspecting stranger they can rest assured knowing I treated them like they were a part of my own beloved family.  That's special.

Gimme My Money

The latest trend in Hollywood gossip seems to be the subject of tipping.  Apparently, this Jane Adams person ran on a bill and then when her manager called in to pay the check they excluded a tip.  Oh, wait, no, no, she left a $3 tip.  It may as well have been nothing.  Although, in her defense, if I was a 40 year old actress and no one knew who I was, well, it might be a good idea to piss some people off.  It's less embarrassing than a sex tape.

Miley Cyrus is also making headlines for stiffing on a $70 takeout bill.  I mean, I would love to bash Miley, but I don't think takeout is the way to go.  She'll put some slutty pics up on the internet and we can all laugh at her again when that happens.  I'm sure her dad will be counseling her to do something inappropriate soon enough.

Anyway, I'm really not looking to spend time writing about more bad decisions made by the women of Hollywood as much as I just want to pay tribute to one great tipper.  He is famous, tipped incredibly, and treated his waitress, me, well.  Here's to you, Mr. Denis Leary.  He hung out at the nightclub I cocktailed at when I was 20 years old and gave me $150 on a $300 bill.  My uniform consisted of jeans, a t-shirt, and Dr. Marten boots.

Denis Leary will always remain one of my faves and it's pretty much for not being an asshole and giving a great tip.  That's all it takes, people.

Andy Dick

I had so much fun finding the Oz Witch clip that I decided to look for more funny stuff.  Andy Dick was one of my faves when I was younger and I looked and looked for this video a few years ago without finding it.  Today I did.  Andy needs to get a job soon because I am going through Dick withdrawal.