Packing...

Since I'm moving SOMEWHERE in the South, and because I have to be out of THIS place by October 15, I've been packing for the past few days. You'd think with all the moves I've had, I might have a system by now. Nope. I'm already at the point where I'm just throwing stuff in boxes with no real regard for any system of organization. C'est la vie.

Kate and I are leaving to go to Charlotte on Sunday to go check out some places. I'm struck by how CHEAP it is back down South - it's going to cost LESS than half of what it was costing me here for rent. Granted, I've got to have a car again, but given the fact that I don't really like driving and I walk/bike wherever possible already, I'm not too terribly sad about it. I'm debating whether I'm going to sell my current gas guzzler and get something different or just keep using that one. It's good to have a big car when you need it, so who knows. We're excited about at least going down to check it out, though, regardless of what city we move to. Hopefully we'll be able to get up with Meghan and my friends Courtney and Martha from high school.

It's kind of sad to leave this place but BOY am I ready to get out of Philly. I didn't realize til recently that I was kind of staying in Philly just because I didn't want to go to Lynchburg. Not that Lynchburg's awful, mind you, far from it - but I really want to live in some sort of excitement, and for all that it's tried, Lynchburg doesn't exactly have excitement to spare.

Back to packing!

70 things to do before having children

I found this list on a website and thought I'd share it. There's a few on here I've done, a few I've got to do before I pop some kids out, and a few that I'm not gonna tell you whether I have or not.

1. Live in a high rise condo with an amazing view.
2. Take a month long vacation on the opposite side of the world in a city with a completely different culture.
3. Attend the Super Bowl live.
4. Jump out of a perfectly good airplane.
5. Make love in places you aren’t supposed to.
6. Swim with the sharks.
7. Scuba-dive to a large ship wreck.
8. Audition to be on TV or in a movie… even if you’re just an extra.
9. Throw the house party of all house parties. Supply all the booze and invite everyone you know.
10. Take sexy photos of yourself (keep them somewhere safe).
11. Learn to fly a plane.
12. Become skilled with a musical instrument.
13. Live in southern California for at least a year.
14. Live in the heart of New York City, Chicago, Boston or another major city for at least a year.
15. Spend a few weeks vacationing on the beaches of Kauai with your partner.
16. Surf a Hawaiian wave.
17. Learn to speak a foreign language.
18. Visit the North Pole.
19. Attend The Tonight Show or The Late Show as an audience member.
20. Read at least 30 books.
21. Jump off a cliff into a natural body of water in an exotic location.
22. Go mountain climbing.
23. Go deep sea fishing and learn to filet and cook your own fish.
24. Go horseback riding on the beach with your partner.
25. Drink warm beer out of a barrel in a real Irish pub.
26. Spend a night pub-hopping in London.
27. Stage dive and crowd surf at a rock concert.
28. Take a set amount of money and hit the Blackjack and Craps tables in Las Vegas.
29. Visit a high-end Las Vegas strip club.
30. Embark on a month-long road trip across the country with 3 of your best friends.
31. Ride a camel across a sandy desert.
32. Go white water rafting.
33. Go snowboarding in the Rockies.
34. Get in great shape and enter some kind of fitness competition.
35. Attain a solid understanding of how the government works in your country.
36. Master one particular style of dance.
37. Fall in love.
38. Write a book… even if it’s short and never gets published.
39. Drive through a (somewhat safe) portion of a third world country like Mexico or Costa Rica to gain perspective on what true poverty looks like.
40. Go skinny dipping in a large body of water at midnight.
41. Take a shower under a waterfall.
42. Decide on your current life goals and write them down.
43. Spend New Years Eve in Times Square.
44. Go on a blind date (or a couple’s dinner date with new friends you hardly know).
45. Sleep on the beach under the stars in Key West.
46. Hit up Oktoberfest in Munich.
47. Hit up Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
48. Hit up Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.
49. Experience Spring Break in all its glory in Cancun, Mexico or Panama City Beach, Florida.
50. Catch a ride in a hot air balloon.
51. Rent a fast sports car and speed down the Autobahn.
52. Switch jobs until you find one you truly enjoy.
53. Buy your first house.
54. Own a convertible sports car.
55. Hike the Grand Canyon.
56. Attend a Red Sox vs. Yankees game in Fenway Park.
57. Spend a whole day making love without every leaving the house.
58. Learn to make one mixed cocktail like a pro bartender.
59. Run a marathon.
60. Stand up in front of a large audience and tell a great joke.
61. Shoot a gun.
62. Swim across the English Channel.
63. Bicycle ride down a mountain road.
64. Learn to sail a sailboat.
65. Learn the basics of a martial art.
66. Visit the Amazon Rainforest.
67. Bare all on a nude beach.
68. Master one really cool magic trick.
69. Master a few fancy dinner recipes.
70. Finish up your formal education (but continue learning).

By my count, I have at least 40 things to do before I get myself knocked up. Oh goodness, I better get going before my biological clock stops ticking.

They don't make movie stars like Paul Newman anymore...

When I was about 11, my mom rented The Sting from the public library for my sister and brother and I to watch when we were staying inside the day of a big swim meet one summer. I don't remember actually enjoying the movie, but man...I enjoyed that Paul Newman. I think it's where my "Molly loves herself some blonde boys" streak began. I mean seriously, just LOOK at him:
But all good things must come to an end...so sad to hear of Newman passing away. Remember how people always said that A River Runs Through It was Robert Redford sort of passing the torch of that kind of actor onto Brad Pitt? I had heard that The Sting and Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid was the same for Paul Newman to Robert Redford. I'm sorry, Brad, even without the whole Angelina mess, you will NEVER fill these shoes.

a Twitter success story and BIG changes.

I had heard of people saying that companies are on the lookout on Twitter - that they cruise it looking for disgruntled customers, etc. I hadn't really been disgruntled, but I was recently having problems getting my website to work from my domain name. I use iWeb to design my site, MobileMe to host my site, and I have my site registered at goDaddy. Sound confusing? It is. MobileMe gives me space, and from what I understood, I was supposed to just get GoDaddy to point visitors at www.mollyharrington.com to my MobileMe site, http://web.me.com/mollyharrington/Site_2/Home.html. I tried a few different options, mainly the one that MobileMe told me to use, and was told each time "give it 48 hours". Never worked. I got frustrated one day and just put out a tweet: "Can SOMEONE help me point to my iWeb site from goDaddy?" Lo and behold...I got a call from godaddy, or more specifically, one of their tech support guys. Yes, CUSTOMER SERVICE CALLED ME. No waiting on hold, no third-world incomprehensible accent - he called me and walked me through it (I'd have NEVER figured it out on my own) and even pulled out his own iPhone to test it to make sure that the domain was pointing to the correct site. I'm fairly certain this man is good-looking to boot, because in that moment, I had a bit of a crush on him.

So anyway, it works now! PLEASE send anyone you know to www.mollyharrington.com to see it.

Also...though things have been back and forth for quite a while, I have a decision on post-October 15! My cousin Kate and I are moving to...Carolina. Where? What state? Don't know. Maybe Charlotte, maybe Charleston, maybe Raleigh...we're scoping things out. I'm leaning toward the north (more thriving art community, a bit cheaper and closer to home) and Kate's down there right now seeing what she sees. She went to Charleston today and will be in Charlotte tomorrow and Raleigh after that. Very excited to be living in the South again!

So sad...

Well, just in case Philly was missing its bad PR as a violent city, it's back. A police officer who was only 29 years old was shot and killed yesterday, and another was wounded in a gunfight that I can only compare to a shootout at the OK Corral. In the past two years, that's FIVE police officers killed in the line of duty, which is now a record for the City of Brotherly Love. Mayor Nutter said it best - that it's incomprehensible how we've gotten to the point where people think it's just okay to engage in gunfights with the people who are there to protect them. The shooter (who had been pulled over for a simple traffic offense) was killed in the shootout by the officer who had been wounded, but what amazed me is the fact that this guy was on the street in the first place. He had gotten out of prison on parole recently, having served 10 years of a 12-year sentence on ANOTHER violent crime. While in prison, he had been transferred TWICE because he was so violent within their walls. He got out, found a gun, then went off and shot a police officer who was pulling him over for speeding.

Seriously, I vote we start sending these jerks to Fallujah instead of making the taxpayers pay for their imprisonment. They want a gunbattle? Okay fine. We pull out all the honorable troops out of there, put the schmucks in, then lock the gates. Go battle it out with Al-Qaida.

Small Work #5: Transition 9/26/08

From Small Works

Sorry again for the crappy quality, I'm still looking for my camera.
This is a 9"x12", I couldn't locate an 8"x10" when I sat down today. Still just $100.

After a couple of rough days in a row, I liked this one a little better.

Small Work #5: Transition 9/26/08

From Small Works

Sorry again for the crappy quality, I'm still looking for my camera.
This is a 9"x12", I couldn't locate an 8"x10" when I sat down today. Still just $100.

After a couple of rough days in a row, I liked this one a little better.

Small Work #4: Two Peaches

From Small Works

I've said this before - a big reason I'm doing this in the first place is that I'm working on getting some things done FASTER. Like still lifes. They're not my favorite, and I usually have a hard time getting things how I like them. This I just plain don't like. I might come back to it later, but I did stick to the one-hour limit. I was a little preoccupied with some other things I'm working on, and I think I need to come back to it and give it my full attention.

Sorry for the crappy picture, I can't find my camera and had to use my phone.

Still Gesso-ing, my boob hurts, and free music.

I'm still priming canvas. Ugh. And I have this awful pain that can only be described as really really bad indigestion...in my left boob. No, not heartburn, it's actually in the boob. I dunno.

Since I'd like to give you a cheerful post, I'll point you to something free and fabulous. Check out the free single of the week on iTunes, a button smack in the middle of the home screen on iTunes. It's by a Latina group called Ha-Ash, but it features Brandi Carlile, who is my absolute favorite girl singer for going on 3 or 4 years now. While you're there, check out Brandi's other stuff. Remember how Drena talked about her top 5 and gave us a list of 5 women as well? If I had to, I'd go with B.C. here, she is cuter than a fat country baby eatin' peaches off a hardwood floor.

Anyway, the song is really good, and it's free til Monday.

This sucks!

I have a recurring dream where I get an iPhone.

And then I wake up and I still have my CrapBerry.

The one thing I hate about my job...

I'm waiting on a couple of canvases to dry their umpteenth coat of gesso right now. Ever notice how there's one part of every job that its worker hates doing, even if they love love love love their job? My current "if I weren't an artist..." profession is whatever job it is that Rachel Zoe does. The personal stylist who has every designer, celebrity, department store buyer and vintage store manager wrapped around her finger. I'm sure there's one part of her job that she hates. I'm guessing it's the constant feeling of starving for her, but for me, it's a task that even I don't understand why I loathe it so much.

Priming. Gesso. Acrylic white blobbing. I hate it.

Let me explain: Raw canvas is basically a cotton or linen weave. It's generally unbleached and comes in a weight that indicates how tightly the fibers are woven - think thread count. When you buy it in bulk, it's about $3 for a square yard. The bars that make the frame are $2-$4 each, and the gesso that goes on it is about $2. So that's about $15 for a canvas that I stretch myself. Sound expensive? Well, the pre-stretched, pre-primed canvases are about $35 for the same size, and the frame and canvas are generally inferior and STILL require another coat of gesso or so. For a $20 savings, yeah, I stretch my own. But when it's stretched, you have to prime it with a bajillion coats of gesso so that oil paints rest on, rather than soaking into, the surface of the canvas. Before you can even START painting, you're painting a proverbial polar bear in a snowstorm. Three or four times. Sanding in between. Dog hair is impossible to remove without a whole other coat of gesso. Since you need to gesso all the way to the back of the stretcher bars, you're inevitably going to get it all over yourself. It's entirely the reason I don't prime in oil - I'd never be clean, EVER. It SUUUUUUUCCCCCCCKS.

If I ever get an intern or an assistant, they're gessoing ALL DAY.

Hatch Shell - 8"x10"

From Small Works

I knew there'd come a day, but I didn't think it would happen so fast into my little small works experiment here - a day when nothing works no matter what you do to it. So I'm breaking a TINY rule. I'm going to call this "not quite done". Of course, if someone wants to buy it, shee-it...I won't touch a thing. But I'm gonna break out some oil pastels as soon as this thing starts drying.

I was thinking about Boston today and ran across a photo my sister had taken of the skyline when I lived there (I believe it's from the Bunker Hill Bridge), so I decided to do a rough skyline painting. The sketch went in well, and then...the paint just piled. And piled. And piled. I had to take a rag and wipe some of it off, actually, and then about five minutes before my hour was up, I worked feverishly to get to SOME sort of point of "closure". I finished, and wasn't HORRIBLY upset with it, and went downstairs to get the camera. When I returned, I picked the canvas up...and it fell. Face down. It was already a bit "painterly", but it looked WORSE. So I got out an old tortillon (a rolled piece of paper that forms a point, sort of looks like a pencil but with no lead, just paper) and carved some lines in the paint. I decided to stop and then come back in later and use the oil pastels. I hate doing this, because I really want to make my brushwork stronger. I'm more classically and technically trained in drawing, so I feel like I'm taking the easy way out if I bust out the more drawing oriented tools, but at this point, whatever. I considered just trashing the whole thing, but I decided that I need to post this for my own good. When it dries and I do the oil pastel work, I'll post the final.

I guess it just proves - everyone has a bad day at work occasionally.

Hope y'all can help...

Well, at least the DG's can help, possibly. Does anyone have any pictures of the sorority house since the outside's been redone? I am taking a house portrait class and need a subject. Whatever you've got.

Thanks!

Small Work #2: Explosions in the Sky, 9/21/08

From Small Works

Another of the Small 8"x10" works. I like doing it, I like limiting myself to an hour, and it makes me do what I need to in a faster manner. I have to admit, about five minutes from the end, I was ready to chuck the whole thing in the trash. I pulled out an old trick - flipping the whole thing upside down - and things made better sense. I'm not crazy about it, but someone told me to think about it like a dog - there's a great home for it somewhere, and the trash isn't it.

The title seems pretty obvious given the colors, but I was listening to the album "All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone" by Explosions in the Sky. You might recognize some of their music from the show Friday Night Lights, I don't think they've ever done a bad tune. When I finished I kinda just went "huh. How coincidental."

There you go. Again, I'm not wild about it, but the only way to get better is to put a few miles of paint down.

Orchard, 8"x10" - Small Works #1

From Small Works

That's Painting #1, "Orchard". I'm taking on a challenge to do these in under an hour, so I had to force myself to stop when the hour was up. I don't know why, but lately this composition has been ringing in my head. Haven't been able to get it out, so I didn't really even sketch this before I just dove into it. I had fun, hopefully I'll get some more of these going. And oh yeah - this is for sale. $100 and you can have the first in the series. If it takes off you'll be the owner of the first!

Question for the masses...

I swear, I've started maybe 1,000 posts on here and never finished them! I know, I'm slacking.
First, I did go to my high school reunion, and yes, it was a shitshow. I highly recommend going to yours, because really - the mean people did turn out to be a hot mess. I was rather surprised to find a few people turned out to be absolute knockouts and success stories as well. I'll post some pictures later.

I have an idea and hope maybe I could get some feedback from my readers here...

I've been noticing a lot of people who genuinely WANT to own original art but are a little dismayed by the cost. I'm all for putting prices where I can get stuff in the hands of people who really want to own it, but after a while, yes, the cost of making work gets in the way. It's not just the actual cost of the materials and support, it's also sales tax, broker's fees, commissions, etc. It adds up. I wish I could just give it away, but yes, Molly's gotta make a living.

SO - here's my idea. I'm tossing around doing one 8"x10" painting a day, almost a painting sketch, on hardboard that doesn't need a frame (but can be framed if one would like, at cost plus 5% tax) and setting the price at $100 each. Prints can be purchased for around $35, matted, and greeting cards can be purchased for $15 for a set of 10. Prints and greeting cards will be signed and numbered by the artist. All paintings, regardless of their state of being sold or not, will be displayed in an online gallery, so if a painting is sold, a client can always order prints or greeting cards.

I'm figuring this might make original art a little more accessible. Here's my theory: you get your photograph taken by a photographer, order prints and after framing, that 8"x10" space on your wall is about $100 to fill, regardless of oil vs photograph. Original art tends to go up in value as the artist ages (and God Forbid, kicks the bucket), so it's even an investment!

Would you go for something like this? What do you think?

Random updates...

Couple of randoms:
1. I'm in Lynchburg.
2. I'm going to my class reunion in about 2 hours. This will be interesting.
3. My cousin Kate is going with me because she came with me to Lynchburg. My classmates are probably going to think I am a lesbian. For the record, I am straight.
4. I will be very drunk tonight. If you get a call from me, I apologize.
5. So that it doesn't look like we're just bringing whoever wants to go to a party, Kate is going to have to be my ex-boyfriend's "date". This is funny.
6. There's a bet right now for $100 that I will WIN. I will let you know if I follow through.
7. Lynchburg is effing crazy.

HOLLA.

Quote of the day

Quote of the day:

"I got drunk and emailed the lady at dress-a-day and told her I love pockets"

-Cousin Kate

SWF ISO 1BR - CHEAP!

I've been working like mad to get things lined up to move by October 15, which is even closer than I thought now that my current landlord has found new tenants for this place. I'm a little frazzled, but I have at least made a few decisions. Since things are insanely stupid with Lynchburg, I'm going to stay in Philly for a little while longer, save some hard-core money, then decide where the heck I'm going to go. Maybe California, maybe DC, maybe...who knows. This is great, since now I actually have an idea of what lies ahead, but in the meantime, finding an actual place and getting myself moved is turning out to be difficult. Moving is going to be tough even if I move across the street since I don't have a car, and since I weigh all of 95-100 lbs, I have to draft help to move my stuff. As I don't have a boyfriend or a husband or a football team at my disposal, and as my dad thinks it's absolutely stupid that I should ever need an ounce of help in moving things (you should have seen the fit over Boston to Lynchburg, which is the only move he's ever helped on), I'm on my own. I'm pretty worried about how the HELL a sleeper couch is going to go down two flights of stairs, especially since the jewelry armoire itself almost killed me on the last move.

That's the least of my concerns right now though.

I'm still trying to find a place to live. I think.

I know, weird, right? Well, I found someone a week or so ago who was looking for 2 roommates for their 6 bedroom house, which I responded to pretty quickly and wanted to get over to go take a look at. It seems like a really good setup, really reminds me of where I lived in my last semester at college, the people that I met seem nice and are actually open to the Colonel coming as well, much to the chagrin of my mom, who has fallen in love with him in the meantime. The rent's cheap, it's close to the subway, and there's just about always someone home. Sounds great, right?

Yeah, apparently others thought so too. I went to see the house yesterday afternoon and found out that they're deciding between me and one other girl. So of course I get all quiet and proper and aloof and say the wrong thing probably every other sentence. They said they would give me a shout last night as to whether or not they'd let me move in, but I never heard from anyone. It could take a longer amount of time than they thought, talking to the other roommates, all that, I know...

BUT REALLY. I feel like I'm about to get dumped, and I haven't had a date in a bajillion years. Just kind of makes me a little frazzled, I've got to go back to square one now and find myself a place if they have in fact found another roommate. I know, I should have jumped on it, but with my insane schedule over the past week, I haven't been able to do so. Add that to the fact that I was all READY to go do it over Labor Day until they weren't going to be there, and now I just like want to sit down and cry. My roommate now is in the process of buying a house and lost out on an offer last week when it went to another buyer, and when she found out she literally burst into tears...now I'm about to do the same over a West Philly room for rent. Go figure.

:(

My website!

YAY!
I've accomplished at least one more goal...getting my website going. My domain name (www.mollyharrington.com) is currently awaiting approval by my temporary host (Apple), so I'm just operating off my host site right now.

You can check out my (temporary, at least) site here... a few tweaks here and there have to be done but I can't look at it one more second tonight!

Let me know what you think.

MARKY THIS IS FOR YOU.

I love you Marky.

'Specially when you're drunk.

How's Veronica?
And Ms McSkankerson?

THE most fun thing I've done all year.

I loved this. Go to www.yearbookyourself.com to do it yourself. I wonder if I'd have worn these hairstyles? Who am I kidding, I got really pissed at my mom back in the day because she wouldn't let me rat my hair. Thank GOD.

The Business of Being Born

I know I've said things before about what I'll do when I have kids, and I always said that I'd be the first lining up for that epidural. Before ANY of you read this, please know that I'm speaking exclusively from my own opinion for myself, if and when I have children - I tip my hat at anyone who gives birth, and all of your children are beautiful and happy and I know that all of you did and will be doing what is best for you - I think you're all smart people and are better judges of your situation than I, or anyone else is. And yes, I know I'm not gonna be a happy camper regardless and that I'll probably be like "yeah, I was wrong" when I'm in the situation...but I think I changed my mind.

Last night I saw a documentary called "The Business of Being Born", which was produced by Hairspray's own Ricki Lake. When someone told me "every woman should watch this movie", I was a little skeptical. But they were right. I was shocked at how different childbirth is in the United States vs anywhere else in the world, as well as certain statistics.

Some shocking statistics:
-Midwives attend to the majority of all births in Japan and Europe.
-Midwives attend to less than 1% of those in the US.
-The US has the highest levels of infant trauma, newborn death and death of mothers in childbirth in any developed nation.
-The traditional "on the back" childbirth position is proven to be the most painful position in which to deliver a child and tearing and/or episiotomies were virtually unheard of before this position became the norm.
-Until the 1950's and 1960's, twilight birth was common, in which mothers would simply not remember the pain as they were under twilight sedation. In twilight births, mothers were literally strapped to tables and stirrups for days. Maternity wards more often looked like insane asylums, with patients in straightjackets and blindfolded, left to lay in their own waste. Despite misgivings about the side effects of such drugs, Pitocin and epidural drugs were introduced almost solely because patients were demanding any alternative to twilight birth.
-Births by Caesarean are ten times more likely determined to be "necessary" at two times of day: 4 pm and 10 pm - right before the ends of the doctors' shifts.
-99% of doctors will never see a natural childbirth.
-The rise of Pitocin used to induce labor has risen at exactly the same rates as that of Autism and ADD in children.
-Vaccuum Assistance in childbirth can easily suppress the hormone in the baby that makes the baby search for and feel safe with its mother immediately after childbirth.
-Oxytocin (the hormone that surges immediately after childbirth that forms maternal bonds) can be greatly suppressed by the drugs that are administered to "assist" in labor.

Seriously, though, I was amazed at the whole thing and can't believe it changed even MY mind. Watch the video. If you want a link, give me a shout.

Bristolgate! Oh the HUMANITY!

I've been watching this Bristolgate situation on TV for quite a while (we all know that news outlets haven't covered the same story for 24 hours straight since 9/11) and to be honest, I'm tired of it. What's Bristolgate? My own personal term for the "scandal" that is Sarah Palin's daughter, Bristol. More specifically, the fact that she got knocked up. Five months ago.

My opinion on it? Yes, you're going to get it, because it's my blog.

I feel bad for the kids. All of Palin's kids, and her due-in-four-months grandchild. They didn't ask for any of this attention, and they're under significant scrutiny that none of us have ever had to experience. Bristol may have made some decisions that aren't in her own best interest, but she's decided to address the issue and make the best of it. Her mother, who didn't ask that her daughter get knocked up, is doing the same. Now the media is indirectly and directly criticizing Sarah Palin, Bristol Palin, and even John McCain for a litany of reasons. Frankly, it's not anything NEW in this world. It's not new to this generation, it's not new to this country, and it's not new to the news media.

Here's what I have a problem with. First of all, John McCain shouldn't even be brought into this conversation. Some are saying that he didn't investigate Palin enough, that he was unaware of the situation when he nominated Palin.

Seriously, listen to yourselves - you're telling me the REPUBLICAN PARTY - who basically invented political spying - didn't dig deep enough into a candidate's personal life? Please. They knew. They probably know what brand of underwear was tossed on the floor on the prom night in which Bristol got into this situation. Why didn't McCain release this information when he nominated Palin? Well, I'd imagine it's because the last menstrual period of Bristol Palin was simply not germane to the conversation when he announced her mother as his running mate. I would frankly be more upset if McCain decided that he should disclose this situation to the media instead of Palin.

Second, I have a problem with the raising eyebrows that imply that Palin's home situation has anything to do with the performance she may give as the Vice President of the United States. I know it sounds a little - gasp...Feminist - of me to note, but I dare say that if Sarah Palin's husband were the VP, this would not have been such a big story. When John Edwards - a PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE - acknowledged he had an extramarital affair, it was barely a flash in the pan on the national radar. I think US Weekly covered it more than the Today show. When Al Gore's son was caught drunk-driving, we laughed about it. I dare say that if Gore's son were to get a girl pregnant, it wouldn't have even crossed the news media's minds to harp on the story for 24 straight hours. Yet Sarah Palin's daughter does what lots of kids do every Friday and Saturday night, and people question her ability to parent and lead a country. Tell me, do you even know Cheney's or Gore's daughters names? I don't either. That's my point. Palin's kids shouldn't even be of our concern, and to suggest otherwise is both sexist and insulting.

Yes, it is interesting to note that Sarah Palin is an advocate of abstinence-only sex education in schools. But Bristol looks like a smart cookie, and something tells me that even if she didn't get that education in school, she got it somewhere. She knew that 75 cents of latex is a fantastic investment. Did she choose to heed this advice? I don't know. I wasn't there. The reality is that kids - of all political persuasions - are interested in the opposite sex. A lot of us were having sex at the age of 17, and all of us, no matter what our age or marital status, engage in such activities knowing full well that there is a chance that we can get pregnant. Condoms fail, pills might be ineffective, and even sterilization isn't completely 100%. Unplanned pregnancy happens at all ages and in all types of situations. Even when married, it's tough to deal with, and for us to judge is unfair. I shudder to think what would have happened if she had chosen to end the pregnancy, as Bristol might have been subject to even harsher scrutiny. I'm vehemently pro-choice and while I can't imagine what would have happened if I were in that situation at 17, I think that everyone involved made the decision that was best for themselves.

So really, back off this kid. Even Obama said so.

Apple, please fix my computer...

I'm going to post soon, I'm just having computer problems. I have an appointment with the Genius Bar at Apple tomorrow. Everything's covered under warranty and backed up to the Time Capsule - God, those were the best investments ever - Apple Care and Time Capsule - but I'm just getting really frustrated because this computer is like my CHILD. I don't let liquids within ten feet of it, it's covered in every protective plastic they sell, and I've installed every maintenance program anyone has ever recommended. I can't force quit applications, I can't have more than one application open at the same time, I can't do a reinstall of the software, and I get a supposedly fatal error when I run the hardware test.

Here's to hoping that it turns out okay - that or they want to give me a free iPod or something. Yeah right.