Valentine's Day

I've been hearing a high amount of griping these past few weeks, all of it about Valentine's Day. Most of it was from dudes on radio shows who were groaning about how they had to buy their significant others a card once a year because of some "made up" holiday.

That's laughable on two counts:

1) All holidays are essentially made up. A group of people decides that a day is important for whatever reason and then observes that day yearly in some form.

2) These guys really make the effort to buy a card?

I've always loved Valentine's. Maybe it's my innate love for decorating because, if given the time, I will deck the halls with heart shaped holly...and heart covered garland...and maybe some tinsel if any of the stores have some for cheap [February's still post-Christmas, maybe they haven't packed it all away just yet].

It astounds me how there was this vast gender divide among the paired off late 20s and up crowd that was giving input for these radio shows. Almost all the men said they were sick of having to do something for their lady just because of a holiday. Almost all the women said that if their man didn't think that doing something for Valentine's Day was important -- no matter how small the deed -- then it was time to get a new man.

It had me in stitches, the complaints that is. All these dudes complaining about being "forced" to be romantic on a certain day, never mind that it would probably make their significant other happy. This holiday is just something a lot of couples in our society observe. If they didn't like that, why did they get into a relationship? Or why didn't they sort this out before now instead of begrudgingly going to the convenience store last minute for someone they supposedly care about? This is the equivalent of complaining about Christmas shopping even though you've always celebrated Christmas, except it also makes the complainer seem like a total jerk.

Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe it should be a big deal to be forced to do something small like buying flowers or a card because of social expectations. But, at the same time, even if there if I can't help but think of the many ways in which their misdirected anger could actually become productive. But I love giving Valentines. People always seem really happy to get them, so shouldn't that be enough?

At least the people with whom I come into contact aren't downers like those talk radio dudes. I spent the better part of yesterday selling Valentine's Day cards as part of this fundraiser and almost everyone who came by was delighted. The only naysayers? One guy who suggested we start a matchmaking service for those without a valentine and one young woman who generally did not like cards.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Vices & Virtues

Panic! At The Disco's new album came out today, the title being Vices & Virtues. It's AMAZING. Like, I can't say what I like about it so much because I'm still just in awe and just like...gosh. I am in love with this music.

Vernal Equinox

It's only been a few days into spring and it already feels like summer here. I went outside yesterday and after about ten minutes I was sweating so profusely that I had to come inside, shower, and change. The bright side of all this is that, hey, it's not so cold anymore that I feel my limbs and extremities are about to fall off.

The thing that I don't really like about hot weather is that I like to wear jeans and slacks all year around, despite my owning about five pairs of short [two of which are shamefully short and do not get worn in public]. I like wearing flip flops year round, so footwear isn't a problem for me in the warmer months. But pants? In spring? When it's currently 70 degrees and the sun hasn't even risen yet? Pants are a problem.

Denim that feels threadbare and breezy in the dead of winter suddenly becomes as heavy as a bolt of cloth and twice as hot as a kiln in the not-so-dry heat. Shirts, too, are a bit problematic as it seems that I cannot find that magical fabric that is light enough to not induce sweat when out in the heat, but not see through or ugly. Such is life.

Before I go, WRITING UPDATE: I mentioned a couple posts ago about this story I'm working. That story has since been finished. Or, rather, that version. It had and still has alternating points of view and while I'm not one of this people who "hears" my characters' voices or dreams about them, having to keep them all straight was a pain, so I'm doing a rewrite.

I know that the previous statement makes it appear as though doing a rewrite is some sort of pleasure comparatively speaking, but it will give me a chance to re-experience the story in a different and hopefully correct manner. And, maybe, I will finish it before I get too sick of it.

Dish Network

I've never had Dish Network so I can't comment on their service, but they really annoy me. See, I don't look to ever have Dish and I'm super tired of all their stupid little commercials about how they're "so much better than any other network out there" because it's inaccurate and subjective.

The last commercial that I saw really annoys me. "Tired of paying for channels you don't use? Like children's channels but you don't have any kids? Or shopping channels and you're a guy?"

Um, excuse me? When did being a guy make it impossible for someone to shop through an 800 number put on their television? And what about being a woman made it automatic that you would want a shopping channel even if you never used it? So sexist.

It'd be a better angle if they went on that whole, "kid's channels when you don't have kids" thing and did other things. Like:

-Satellite radio channels when you hate music
-Home/Gardening Channels when you hate designing/gardening
-Fox News Channel when you're not a right wing conservative

Marketing campaigns need to go to lowest common denominator, I understand that. That's how they make their money. However, aiming for the lowest rung in such a way is still not an excuse to just state blatantly stupid and bigoted things.

Continuing About Commercials

I love the Fruit Of The Loom commercials, they're doing the whole "back to school shopping" song right. And the "Flawless" commercial is cool too.

I love those crazy fruits.

Remember that Payless Commercial?

From last post? Well, Macy's and K-mart have their own batches of kids singing songs while all decked out in their new school clothes.

And they're both terrible.

There's...

A rather crummy kids pop style cover of "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" by Tears For Fears on a Payless commercial. I have no real problems with covers and nothing wrong with kids covering songs. I do however have a problem when they're average or terrible and this one was definitely the latter, no offense to the little girl singing.

Anyway. Working on another project. One third of the way done.