While I was home a few weeks ago, I recieved a letter from NYU. Apparently, they would like me to contribute to the Alumni Fund.
What's that you say? Didn't I just graduate THREE MONTHS AGO? Didn't I just finish paying them more money than I'll ever actually have at one time in my entire life, most of it financed through loans so I haven't even actually paid anyone yet? The answer to those questions is yes.
My response, with relevant spaces left blank so I can use it for the next twenty or thirty years.
Dear President ______________,
Thank you for your letter requesting $________. Unfortunately, I will not be able to donate at this time. It has been ____ years since I graduated. I currently make $_____ a year, and I still owe $___________ on my student loans. When I pay off my loans in ____ years, including the $__________________ of interest that will have accumulated, I probably won't give you any money, but I'll certainly put some thought into it.
Sincerely,
marina
I just ate a gargantuan lunch at a vegetarian place near campus, and now I really want to take a nap.
30 August 2006
29 August 2006
Everything is not as it seems.
[marina opens 40 of olde english, takes a drink]
marina: Oh, that's good.
marina: ...what did I just say?
kira: Yeah... I don't know.
marina: Oh, that's good.
marina: ...what did I just say?
kira: Yeah... I don't know.
i love my lip ring
First, for those of you who read this via livejournal, if you comment through livejournal, it doesn't show up here, as I learned when Jeb commented last week. You could comment here if you want, but I'll try to check the livejournal page so you won't have to go to all that trouble. (Jeb.)
Second, I don't actually have anything else to say. Uh... I got a temp employee ID card today, and I think with this final proof that I'm no longer a student, I died a little inside. On the plus side, my hair in my student ID card is super short and in this new card it's super long, so I'll have visual aids next time I need to decide whether I should cut my hair.
Third... I'm going to a Halloween party in Montreal, so does anyone have any good costume suggestions? If I'm going to ride a bus for, like, a million hours just for a party, I better have a damn good costume.
Second, I don't actually have anything else to say. Uh... I got a temp employee ID card today, and I think with this final proof that I'm no longer a student, I died a little inside. On the plus side, my hair in my student ID card is super short and in this new card it's super long, so I'll have visual aids next time I need to decide whether I should cut my hair.
Third... I'm going to a Halloween party in Montreal, so does anyone have any good costume suggestions? If I'm going to ride a bus for, like, a million hours just for a party, I better have a damn good costume.
28 August 2006
i still miss the saturn cafe
Maybe because I'm sick of New York. Boo hoo, poor me, I know. I'll try to contain myself.
Today is the first day of orientation at NYU, which fills me with feelings of... hate for NYU freshman, mostly.
[overheard in the LC level of Tisch Hall]
"Where do you live?!"
"Weinstein!!"
"Omg I live in Weinstein!!!"
"I live in the South Tower!!!!"
"I live in the North Tower!!!!"
"Omg is that room LC-5?!?!"
Whatever. I want to go to grad school somewhere that doesn't have undergrads, or keeps them segregated in basements or cramped dorms or anywhere that I'm not.
Today is the first day of orientation at NYU, which fills me with feelings of... hate for NYU freshman, mostly.
[overheard in the LC level of Tisch Hall]
"Where do you live?!"
"Weinstein!!"
"Omg I live in Weinstein!!!"
"I live in the South Tower!!!!"
"I live in the North Tower!!!!"
"Omg is that room LC-5?!?!"
Whatever. I want to go to grad school somewhere that doesn't have undergrads, or keeps them segregated in basements or cramped dorms or anywhere that I'm not.
good story?
So as I was saying yesterday, I went out drinking with Dear Astronaut on Thursday. And Friday, but that's a story for another day. At one point, I was sitting on the bench on the patio. Dear Astronaut's drummer was sitting on one side of me; some dude was sitting on the other side. The Dude kept talking to me, which I apparently found highly offensive, as I was mean to him, or so I hear. The bar was across the street from an adult video store, and I definitely told him to go over there and shove a VHS tape up his ass. At the time I thought I was being funny, and I'm pretty sure he mentioned the porn store first, but after he finally left the bench, Scott started laughing and told me I had been really mean.
I think for awhile he was flirting with me, and actually, maybe that's why I was being mean. I don't really know how to react to flirting. Anyway, so I was sitting there, probably making fun of him or something, and suddenly he's like "Eeew! Your arm hair is touching me!" to which I responded by asking him what the fuck was wrong with him. Then he started trying to demonstrate how gross it was by touching my arm with his, which, (a) I didn't notice I was touching his fucking arm hair in the first place so why would I suddenly notice or care and (b) the whole thing seemed like a really weird excuse to touch my arm and (c) that guy was dumb.
Oh! I remember why I didn't like him. Earlier, he started a conversation with Scott about some obscure Rolling Stone article about Bob Dylan that everyone but him had misunderstood. Apparently he's such a huge Dylan fan that people at work are constantly challenging him about Dylan and this article (something about vinyl vs. digital) and the whole thing was so stupid and pretentious that it made me want to vomit all over his face. So that's probably why I was so mean to him the second time we ended up sitting next to him. That actually makes me feel better, because the whole "walk across the street and shove things up your ass" conversation makes sense. To me, at least.
I was telling my mom this story, because I like to tell my mom innappropriate stories about getting drunk and being mean to boys who hit on me. When I got to part where I wanted to vomit all over his face because he was "such a huge dylan fan omg and he's totally being persecuted," I told her that I was thinking "you fucking douchebag, my parents are huge Dylan fans, you are a prematurely balding 26 year old loser who's only seen Dylan in concert ONCE so fuck off ASS," and she was shocked and upset that I was so mean (not so much by the swearing because I think she's given up hope that I'll stop cursing). When I told her that I didn't actually tell him that, I only thought it, she was totally okay with it and actually laughed. And that is one more reason my mom is awesome.
So anyway, the moral of the story is, I think this could be a good story, but it isn't quite there yet. Maybe it needs more swears.
I think for awhile he was flirting with me, and actually, maybe that's why I was being mean. I don't really know how to react to flirting. Anyway, so I was sitting there, probably making fun of him or something, and suddenly he's like "Eeew! Your arm hair is touching me!" to which I responded by asking him what the fuck was wrong with him. Then he started trying to demonstrate how gross it was by touching my arm with his, which, (a) I didn't notice I was touching his fucking arm hair in the first place so why would I suddenly notice or care and (b) the whole thing seemed like a really weird excuse to touch my arm and (c) that guy was dumb.
Oh! I remember why I didn't like him. Earlier, he started a conversation with Scott about some obscure Rolling Stone article about Bob Dylan that everyone but him had misunderstood. Apparently he's such a huge Dylan fan that people at work are constantly challenging him about Dylan and this article (something about vinyl vs. digital) and the whole thing was so stupid and pretentious that it made me want to vomit all over his face. So that's probably why I was so mean to him the second time we ended up sitting next to him. That actually makes me feel better, because the whole "walk across the street and shove things up your ass" conversation makes sense. To me, at least.
I was telling my mom this story, because I like to tell my mom innappropriate stories about getting drunk and being mean to boys who hit on me. When I got to part where I wanted to vomit all over his face because he was "such a huge dylan fan omg and he's totally being persecuted," I told her that I was thinking "you fucking douchebag, my parents are huge Dylan fans, you are a prematurely balding 26 year old loser who's only seen Dylan in concert ONCE so fuck off ASS," and she was shocked and upset that I was so mean (not so much by the swearing because I think she's given up hope that I'll stop cursing). When I told her that I didn't actually tell him that, I only thought it, she was totally okay with it and actually laughed. And that is one more reason my mom is awesome.
So anyway, the moral of the story is, I think this could be a good story, but it isn't quite there yet. Maybe it needs more swears.
27 August 2006
and the hits just keep on coming
In no particular order, stories from this past weekend.
So. Highlight of the weekend by far--my cousin Jeb and his band played a show in Brooklyn on Thursday. I haven't seen Jeb in two years, aside from a random one hour layover when I drove to Wisconsin with Sonia last year, so I was selfishly excited that he decided to tour and set up a show in New York. We never talk as much as we should, but he's one of my favorite people. He's also a damn fine musician. I hung out with Jeb and his band outside the venue for awhile before the show. Pink Reason played first, then Dear Astronaut, and both bands were awesome. Also awesome were the two girls who were dry humping on the floor in front of me. Wait, that wasn't awesome at all.
After the show, I went out drinking with him and his band and some people they know in New York. I was determined to go home right after the show because the L stopped at midnight and I had to work at 8am the next morning. That didn't last long, but I decided that I would definitely leave after one drink, which turned into leaving by 11pm, which turned into 11:15 when we moved to the second bar, which turned into me sleeping on the kitchen floor of Jeb's friend's apartment in Bushwick. I really believed I would make it home that night, but I don't think anyone else did.
Barcade was disappointing (more bar than arcade) but the second bar we went too had skeeball and cheap beer and free beer if you scored over 300 at skeeball. I was really, really terrible at playing but very good at coaching . The bar (I wish I could remember the name) had an awesome patio area where you could drink and smoke (although obviously I did not smoke cigarettes as I quit, I swear). I seem to recall spending a lot of time on the patio, but I had a lot of beer and no dinner, so the whole night is kind of blurry.
(Before I forget, everyone check out gregnog.com. I told Greg I'd read his comics if he gave me a cigarette (Mom, I'm totally kidding, I didn't start smoking again), which was mean of me because I was going to check it out anyway. Luckily, it's really good. "I Am A Host at The Olive Garden" is my favorite.)
Dear Astronaut left Saturday afternoon to drive to their next show in Maine. I fell asleep almost immediately as I got about four hours of sleep between Thursday and Saturday. I managed to wake up at 10pm so I could meet up with my Canadian friends. I was basically half asleep the entire time, but I had fun like I always do. It took two hours to get home because the L wasn't running and apparently the shuttle bus wasn't running either. I made it to work on time, so I guess that's all that matters.
In other news, I'm in a shit mood and can't escape the feeling that this is all boring and poorly-written drivel. I feel like a mess lately and like a bad friend. I missed my friend's housewarming party and didn't contact her to explain, and I totally forgot to get in touch with another friend I was supposed to see this weekend. I'm sick of living in New York, but I don't see a way out for awhile. I really need to be accepted into Teach for America so I'll have an easy way to move to Chicago. I need to get more sleep, I think, because I have to believe that my bad mood is based on sleep deprivation and not a return to other, stupider times. I don't like the way things are right now, and I want to pretend that a good night's sleep will make them better. God, I'm so fucking emo sometimes. Someone please punch me in the face.
So. Highlight of the weekend by far--my cousin Jeb and his band played a show in Brooklyn on Thursday. I haven't seen Jeb in two years, aside from a random one hour layover when I drove to Wisconsin with Sonia last year, so I was selfishly excited that he decided to tour and set up a show in New York. We never talk as much as we should, but he's one of my favorite people. He's also a damn fine musician. I hung out with Jeb and his band outside the venue for awhile before the show. Pink Reason played first, then Dear Astronaut, and both bands were awesome. Also awesome were the two girls who were dry humping on the floor in front of me. Wait, that wasn't awesome at all.
After the show, I went out drinking with him and his band and some people they know in New York. I was determined to go home right after the show because the L stopped at midnight and I had to work at 8am the next morning. That didn't last long, but I decided that I would definitely leave after one drink, which turned into leaving by 11pm, which turned into 11:15 when we moved to the second bar, which turned into me sleeping on the kitchen floor of Jeb's friend's apartment in Bushwick. I really believed I would make it home that night, but I don't think anyone else did.
Barcade was disappointing (more bar than arcade) but the second bar we went too had skeeball and cheap beer and free beer if you scored over 300 at skeeball. I was really, really terrible at playing but very good at coaching . The bar (I wish I could remember the name) had an awesome patio area where you could drink and smoke (although obviously I did not smoke cigarettes as I quit, I swear). I seem to recall spending a lot of time on the patio, but I had a lot of beer and no dinner, so the whole night is kind of blurry.
(Before I forget, everyone check out gregnog.com. I told Greg I'd read his comics if he gave me a cigarette (Mom, I'm totally kidding, I didn't start smoking again), which was mean of me because I was going to check it out anyway. Luckily, it's really good. "I Am A Host at The Olive Garden" is my favorite.)
Dear Astronaut left Saturday afternoon to drive to their next show in Maine. I fell asleep almost immediately as I got about four hours of sleep between Thursday and Saturday. I managed to wake up at 10pm so I could meet up with my Canadian friends. I was basically half asleep the entire time, but I had fun like I always do. It took two hours to get home because the L wasn't running and apparently the shuttle bus wasn't running either. I made it to work on time, so I guess that's all that matters.
In other news, I'm in a shit mood and can't escape the feeling that this is all boring and poorly-written drivel. I feel like a mess lately and like a bad friend. I missed my friend's housewarming party and didn't contact her to explain, and I totally forgot to get in touch with another friend I was supposed to see this weekend. I'm sick of living in New York, but I don't see a way out for awhile. I really need to be accepted into Teach for America so I'll have an easy way to move to Chicago. I need to get more sleep, I think, because I have to believe that my bad mood is based on sleep deprivation and not a return to other, stupider times. I don't like the way things are right now, and I want to pretend that a good night's sleep will make them better. God, I'm so fucking emo sometimes. Someone please punch me in the face.
22 August 2006
stop hassling me!
Short List of Things That Happened Since My Last Post
(1) Partied with rock stars.
(2) Went shopping with my mom and got two (2) pairs of shoes, bringing my shoe total to two (2).
(3) Went to an awesome party at Jason's house.
(4) Spent time with my grandma and saw my aunt and my cousin and his friend for the first time in years.
(5) Stopped getting paid check by Internet.
(6) Decided to apply for Teach for America and move to Chicago.
(7) So many other overwhelming things that I can't even remember them.
Now that I'm down to one job, I will have the time and energy to write something besides lists or transcribed conversations. I obviously don't have the energy to do so tonight, but Jason's been hassling me to post about the rock stars, as the partying happened at his house. That's right, rock stars partied at Jason's house last week.
Seriously though, Ankla is the best new band out there, and you should all listen to their music and go to their show with me this Sunday if you're in New York.
(1) Partied with rock stars.
(2) Went shopping with my mom and got two (2) pairs of shoes, bringing my shoe total to two (2).
(3) Went to an awesome party at Jason's house.
(4) Spent time with my grandma and saw my aunt and my cousin and his friend for the first time in years.
(5) Stopped getting paid check by Internet.
(6) Decided to apply for Teach for America and move to Chicago.
(7) So many other overwhelming things that I can't even remember them.
Now that I'm down to one job, I will have the time and energy to write something besides lists or transcribed conversations. I obviously don't have the energy to do so tonight, but Jason's been hassling me to post about the rock stars, as the partying happened at his house. That's right, rock stars partied at Jason's house last week.
Seriously though, Ankla is the best new band out there, and you should all listen to their music and go to their show with me this Sunday if you're in New York.
16 August 2006
shortly
In lieu of a long update which seems impossible at the moment, most likely because I've been doing nothing but sleeping and TiVo-ing for the past two days, two quick quotes--
Scene 1:
Dick's Bar, Hudson, WI, with Cousin and Cousin's Friends. Spent most of night observing fratty assholes, desperate/ugly girls, at least six different bridal showers full of desperate/ugly girls, and a lot of old people. Got bored towards the end of the night, decided to talk to random guy standing near me, who was not obviously ugly in the mercifully dim lighting of Dick's, but did I mention I was bored? And also I think I might have been talking to one of my cousin's friends about how it wasn't that hard to hit on people, you just had to do it? Anyway. I start talking to this guy who seems normal, I guess, or at least not clearly insane and also not clearly in a frat. Blah blah blah, drunk conversation, which at some point involved me laughing at one of the drunk girls there, probably because she flashed her thong or something. (Seriously, I saw like six thongs that night.) That led to this exchange:
marinatina: Wow, these girls are crazy desperate.
Random Guy: Yeah.
marinatina: Seriously, what the fuck? [I am a judgemental drunk, and also a judgemental... sober?]
Random Creepy Guy: Yeah, but I mean, come on, you'd hook up with me. [gives me what he thinks is his Sexy Look but is really his Induce Vomiting Look]
marinatina: I...what? [this guy can't be serious, right?
Random Asshole: What? You would.
marinatina: [laughs hysterically] Yeah, right. I'm going to go now.
Seriously, who the fuck does that? What is wrong with people from Hudson? I talk to this guy for five minutes and spend like half of that making fun of the sad desperate wounded gazelles that are Hudson girls, and he thinks I'm going to sleep with him?
Scene 152:
Family kitchen. Unidentified Family Member opens fridge, looks around for something to eat for breakfast. Grabs yogurt.
Unidentified Family Member #1: [looks for date on yogurt] August 12... that's in the past isn't it?
Unidentified Family Member #2: [laughs hysterically] Man, our fridge is sad.
Scene 158:
marinatina is sitting at Caribou Coffee, using free WiFi from the Bruegger's next door. marinatina will be here until she meets her mom at 11am to have lunch with her dad and his work friends. Lunch is at a Chinese place that isn't going to have many vegetarian options. So far marinatina has gotten by eating fish & chips, but her arteries are starting to hurt from all that fried food. marinatina wishes science would advance already because she really wants her damn food in damn pill form, a là The Jetsons.
And to end this very disjointed post, one last exchange, this time from the car on the way to Roseville, MN, which is where I am right now, omg yay:
marinatina: [says something funny, because, obviously it is, I said it, and then proceeds to laugh hysterically]
marinatina's mom: You are so weird.
Scene 1:
Dick's Bar, Hudson, WI, with Cousin and Cousin's Friends. Spent most of night observing fratty assholes, desperate/ugly girls, at least six different bridal showers full of desperate/ugly girls, and a lot of old people. Got bored towards the end of the night, decided to talk to random guy standing near me, who was not obviously ugly in the mercifully dim lighting of Dick's, but did I mention I was bored? And also I think I might have been talking to one of my cousin's friends about how it wasn't that hard to hit on people, you just had to do it? Anyway. I start talking to this guy who seems normal, I guess, or at least not clearly insane and also not clearly in a frat. Blah blah blah, drunk conversation, which at some point involved me laughing at one of the drunk girls there, probably because she flashed her thong or something. (Seriously, I saw like six thongs that night.) That led to this exchange:
marinatina: Wow, these girls are crazy desperate.
Random Guy: Yeah.
marinatina: Seriously, what the fuck? [I am a judgemental drunk, and also a judgemental... sober?]
Random Creepy Guy: Yeah, but I mean, come on, you'd hook up with me. [gives me what he thinks is his Sexy Look but is really his Induce Vomiting Look]
marinatina: I...what? [this guy can't be serious, right?
Random Asshole: What? You would.
marinatina: [laughs hysterically] Yeah, right. I'm going to go now.
Seriously, who the fuck does that? What is wrong with people from Hudson? I talk to this guy for five minutes and spend like half of that making fun of the sad desperate wounded gazelles that are Hudson girls, and he thinks I'm going to sleep with him?
Scene 152:
Family kitchen. Unidentified Family Member opens fridge, looks around for something to eat for breakfast. Grabs yogurt.
Unidentified Family Member #1: [looks for date on yogurt] August 12... that's in the past isn't it?
Unidentified Family Member #2: [laughs hysterically] Man, our fridge is sad.
Scene 158:
marinatina is sitting at Caribou Coffee, using free WiFi from the Bruegger's next door. marinatina will be here until she meets her mom at 11am to have lunch with her dad and his work friends. Lunch is at a Chinese place that isn't going to have many vegetarian options. So far marinatina has gotten by eating fish & chips, but her arteries are starting to hurt from all that fried food. marinatina wishes science would advance already because she really wants her damn food in damn pill form, a là The Jetsons.
And to end this very disjointed post, one last exchange, this time from the car on the way to Roseville, MN, which is where I am right now, omg yay:
marinatina: [says something funny, because, obviously it is, I said it, and then proceeds to laugh hysterically]
marinatina's mom: You are so weird.
11 August 2006
undecided
In the end, I got what I wanted and the decision was made for me. More on this when I've decided how I feel about it.
I wanted a week off, a week where I wouldn't have to worry about anything, well anything beyond the usual crap I worry about, and now I have it.
In closing, a transcription of an interaction with a librarian at the Jefferson Market branch of the New York Public Library:
[marinatina arrives at library, notices library is closed and gated, looks for book drop in which to deposit her six-weeks-overdue library books.]
marinatina: Where the fuck is the book drop?
Random Old Guy: I don't think there is one?
marinatina: I... what?
[marinatina decides Random Old Guy is probably senile or something, proceeds to walk around to side entrance with handicap access in hopes that there's also book return access, ultimately fails and stands around looking confused for at least a minute]
[side door opens!]
marinatina: Do you work here? [Because hey, maybe she didn't work there and was just inside before the library opened because... there's no reason that she would be inside. I am dumb.]
Librarian: Yeah...
marinatina: Is there a book drop?
Condescending Librarian: Oh, nooo. [I mean, why the fuck would a LIBRARY have a BOOKDROP, I mean, how stupid was I to even think there would be a bookdrop?]
marinatina: Okay... but my books are overdue...
Uncaring Librarian: We open at noon.
marinatina: But I have to be at work at noon. Can't I just give them to you?
Heinous Librarian: Oh, we don't take books through this door.
marinatina: But... they're six weeks overdue...
Evil, Bitchfaced Librarian: We open at noon.
marinatina: But... I work at... they're overdue... whatever. [gives librarian dirty look, gives up and walks away to call mother and whine]
What the fuck kind of library doesn't have a bookdrop? Especially when they do have fancy automated email software that threatens their patrons with a collection agency when their books are a mere six weeks late. This is why you should just buy books and support poor, starving writers so they can afford to buy their books instead of relying on stupid evil heinous shrews who are a shame to the noble profession of librarians.
I wanted a week off, a week where I wouldn't have to worry about anything, well anything beyond the usual crap I worry about, and now I have it.
In closing, a transcription of an interaction with a librarian at the Jefferson Market branch of the New York Public Library:
[marinatina arrives at library, notices library is closed and gated, looks for book drop in which to deposit her six-weeks-overdue library books.]
marinatina: Where the fuck is the book drop?
Random Old Guy: I don't think there is one?
marinatina: I... what?
[marinatina decides Random Old Guy is probably senile or something, proceeds to walk around to side entrance with handicap access in hopes that there's also book return access, ultimately fails and stands around looking confused for at least a minute]
[side door opens!]
marinatina: Do you work here? [Because hey, maybe she didn't work there and was just inside before the library opened because... there's no reason that she would be inside. I am dumb.]
Librarian: Yeah...
marinatina: Is there a book drop?
Condescending Librarian: Oh, nooo. [I mean, why the fuck would a LIBRARY have a BOOKDROP, I mean, how stupid was I to even think there would be a bookdrop?]
marinatina: Okay... but my books are overdue...
Uncaring Librarian: We open at noon.
marinatina: But I have to be at work at noon. Can't I just give them to you?
Heinous Librarian: Oh, we don't take books through this door.
marinatina: But... they're six weeks overdue...
Evil, Bitchfaced Librarian: We open at noon.
marinatina: But... I work at... they're overdue... whatever. [gives librarian dirty look, gives up and walks away to call mother and whine]
What the fuck kind of library doesn't have a bookdrop? Especially when they do have fancy automated email software that threatens their patrons with a collection agency when their books are a mere six weeks late. This is why you should just buy books and support poor, starving writers so they can afford to buy their books instead of relying on stupid evil heinous shrews who are a shame to the noble profession of librarians.
10 August 2006
please everyone vote for this man
If you know me at all, you know that I'm mildly obsessed with Senator Russ Feingold, Democrat from Wisconsin. Here's one reason why--
Lawrence Neste, a veteran and town chairman of Springbrook asked, "What happened to our flag amendment?" He said, "We lost by one vote."
"You lost because you did not get enough votes, and one of the reasons is that I did not vote for it," said Feingold.
"That's right," said Neste.
"With respect, I respect the flag and I respect your service to our country. I believe the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, as it is, never been changed, the Bill of Rights. I don't think we should amend the Bill of Rights, the first time in the history of our country, for a few jerks that burn a flag. It harms the majesty of the Bill of Rights.
"Still, I understand why people want it. It seems to me the flag stands for our freedom and one of our freedoms is to do dumb things, but I don't think people who burn the flag should be accorded any respect or as people who are credible."
"Sometime we need change," said Neste.
"That's fair," responded Feingold. "That's why we have elections."
(from an article in The Spooner Advocate about Russ's most recent listening session in Spooner.)
In the words of my mom who sent me the article in the first place, "No pandering or equivocating or mealy mouthing. Wow."
He didn't make excuses or try to get around the question, he just told this Mr. Neste that he didn't agree with his position and told him that if he didn't like that, he should vote for someone else. I can't get over how impressive that is.
I went to one of Russ's listening sessions in Hudson, WI, at least four years ago; I think it was during winter break of my freshman year. I had heard of Russ, but my hopeless crush on him began that day. First of all, the man has done listening sessions in all seventy-two countie in Wisconsin every year for the past fourteen years. That's impressive enough, but I refuse to believe anyone could go to a listening session and not come away with an enormous amount of respect for the man, whether or not you agree with his politics. He actually, seriously, genuinely listens to people. At the listening session I was at, a high school student asked him about his position on something, and Russ told him he honestly didn't know that much about it. He had one of his staffers get information from the kid, and they were talking for at least twenty minutes. He listened to every single person who asked a question, took copious notes, made sure his staffers talked to anyone who wanted to give or get more information, and generally acted like someone who cared about what his constituents had to say.
However, sexy as his listening skills were, that is not the reason I developed my awesomely geeky crush on the junior Senator from Wisconsin. About midway through the session, this curmudgeonly retiree stood up and proceeded to go off on a tirade about all of the things Senator Feingold had voted for or against proved that Russ "hated the military, was trying to help the terrorists, and loved killing babies." That kind of statement really got everyone's attention. The meeting room at the old Hudson Municipal Building was quiet for thirty seconds while Russ looked over the notes he'd written while the cranky old man was going on and on about how Russ loved abortion, etc, and then he started talking. Russ went through each of the bills the angry grandpa had mentioned, pointed out where he had gotten Russ's vote wrong, explained why he voted the way he did, and then, at the end, the moment that made me fall in love--"So that's how I voted. And if you don't agree with the way I voted, you probably shouldn't vote for me."
Seriously. He seriously sad that. It was mean or vindictive, Russ just explained how he had voted and why, and then he told the crazy old man that if he didn't agree with Russ's votes, he should vote for the other guy next time.
Oh, and by the way, "next time" was the 2004 elections, where Russ got 44,000 more votes than Kerry did in Wisconsin, which added up to the most votes any politician has ever recieved in Wisconsin. Ever.
I'll leave you with this, which is the best news I've heard today and also references the best news I heard this week. Yay for Ned Lamont. Let's just hope fucking Lieberman doesn't run as an independant.
And yes, I am choosing to ignore any other news that may have come out of Lebanon or Israel or London today. I can only handle so much reality.
Lawrence Neste, a veteran and town chairman of Springbrook asked, "What happened to our flag amendment?" He said, "We lost by one vote."
"You lost because you did not get enough votes, and one of the reasons is that I did not vote for it," said Feingold.
"That's right," said Neste.
"With respect, I respect the flag and I respect your service to our country. I believe the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, as it is, never been changed, the Bill of Rights. I don't think we should amend the Bill of Rights, the first time in the history of our country, for a few jerks that burn a flag. It harms the majesty of the Bill of Rights.
"Still, I understand why people want it. It seems to me the flag stands for our freedom and one of our freedoms is to do dumb things, but I don't think people who burn the flag should be accorded any respect or as people who are credible."
"Sometime we need change," said Neste.
"That's fair," responded Feingold. "That's why we have elections."
(from an article in The Spooner Advocate about Russ's most recent listening session in Spooner.)
In the words of my mom who sent me the article in the first place, "No pandering or equivocating or mealy mouthing. Wow."
He didn't make excuses or try to get around the question, he just told this Mr. Neste that he didn't agree with his position and told him that if he didn't like that, he should vote for someone else. I can't get over how impressive that is.
I went to one of Russ's listening sessions in Hudson, WI, at least four years ago; I think it was during winter break of my freshman year. I had heard of Russ, but my hopeless crush on him began that day. First of all, the man has done listening sessions in all seventy-two countie in Wisconsin every year for the past fourteen years. That's impressive enough, but I refuse to believe anyone could go to a listening session and not come away with an enormous amount of respect for the man, whether or not you agree with his politics. He actually, seriously, genuinely listens to people. At the listening session I was at, a high school student asked him about his position on something, and Russ told him he honestly didn't know that much about it. He had one of his staffers get information from the kid, and they were talking for at least twenty minutes. He listened to every single person who asked a question, took copious notes, made sure his staffers talked to anyone who wanted to give or get more information, and generally acted like someone who cared about what his constituents had to say.
However, sexy as his listening skills were, that is not the reason I developed my awesomely geeky crush on the junior Senator from Wisconsin. About midway through the session, this curmudgeonly retiree stood up and proceeded to go off on a tirade about all of the things Senator Feingold had voted for or against proved that Russ "hated the military, was trying to help the terrorists, and loved killing babies." That kind of statement really got everyone's attention. The meeting room at the old Hudson Municipal Building was quiet for thirty seconds while Russ looked over the notes he'd written while the cranky old man was going on and on about how Russ loved abortion, etc, and then he started talking. Russ went through each of the bills the angry grandpa had mentioned, pointed out where he had gotten Russ's vote wrong, explained why he voted the way he did, and then, at the end, the moment that made me fall in love--"So that's how I voted. And if you don't agree with the way I voted, you probably shouldn't vote for me."
Seriously. He seriously sad that. It was mean or vindictive, Russ just explained how he had voted and why, and then he told the crazy old man that if he didn't agree with Russ's votes, he should vote for the other guy next time.
Oh, and by the way, "next time" was the 2004 elections, where Russ got 44,000 more votes than Kerry did in Wisconsin, which added up to the most votes any politician has ever recieved in Wisconsin. Ever.
I'll leave you with this, which is the best news I've heard today and also references the best news I heard this week. Yay for Ned Lamont. Let's just hope fucking Lieberman doesn't run as an independant.
And yes, I am choosing to ignore any other news that may have come out of Lebanon or Israel or London today. I can only handle so much reality.
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