Had a really nice conversation today with Ben at Sam Ash, about music. I've said it many times in the last few years, but I REALLY miss having someone to speak to about music. Not just someone that likes music, enjoys hearing music, but someone that - like me - doesn't consider music as something that they really like or love, but rather as just a part of themselves. And important part.

For me, gone are the days of getting in the car with someone and just rocking out to music we both like and singing along like idiots. There are exceptions, to be sure, but when I look to 8-10 years ago the exception was NOT having that happen. I can't remember the last time I was in the car with someone and they actually got excited about me handing them the ipod to pick something to listen to. Now I just get the "oh you can put on whatever, I don't care" reply.

Passivity aside, this underscores a decline in musicblood (the phrase I am using for the rest of this blog entry to describe what I am talking about) that has permeated every facet of my life. When I first started working at Sam Ash I had lots of employees around me that liked similar music to me. Musicians, of course, and sometimes that helps, but sometimes it doesn't at all...point in case, the last few years of working there. Too many diverging musical tastes, all of which ended up being very close minded and unaccommodating. It's one thing to "not mind" listening to new music. It's another to actively seek the new music and embrace it.

Sure, there are many different musical styles and concurrent tastes in those. I'm not even talking about that, I'm talking about musicblood...the energy and spirit BEHIND the love of music, behind the appreciation and excitement of music.

Part of it is moving away from a lot of those people that were like that. Almost all of the newer friends I've made in the last 5-6 years have not really shared the musicblood. Sure, some of them are music fans, and some of them even really love listening to music but...it's just not there.

I miss being able to hang out with people and talk about music. About bands. Share them. Critique them. Go through an album and discuss the finer details. Jump in my car with someone and share a high spirited, belting out lyrics at the top of our voices, rocking out session.

*sigh*

Poop in the mouths of the inconsiderate.

I've had one of the worst, most miserable allergy-ridden days of my life today.

It started with the car rental this morning. He offered me a Jeep but wasn't sure if it had an AUX in (which is a necessity for my long drives and anxiety) so I ended up with the only other car that was ready, a car which had just been returned. Unfortunately, the assholes who had the car before me had dogs in the car, and didn't bother to clean up. I noticed a few pet hairs on the carpet but a quick glance didn't show more (it was dark hair) so I just took it. BIIIIIG mistake.

The car is FULL of pet hair. It's dark. And I didn't notice this until I had a full blown allergy attack halfway across alligator alley. It's not the rental agency's fault because I took the car before he could clean it. But those people...I hope those dogs poop in their mouths while they sleep tonight. INCONSIDERATE ASSHOLES.

Anyway, I tried my best to drive with the windows down, but that wasn't always feasible due to phone calls and meetings. 3+ hours in that car though, did me in. I spent the rest of the day with on and off allergy attacks. When I finally reached my last store visit of the day, I had been recovering from the last attack. Unfortunately though, I guess that store had a really high dust level, because after an hour I started having an attack. It didn't stop for the next 3 hours. My right eye was almost completed closed. My nose would not stop dripping and my eyes would not stop crying. It was terrible. I kept running to the bathroom to wash my face, and it did not help.

This ended up giving me a migraine. When I finally got to the hotel, I took an hour long bath. It didn't entirely help, but it helped a bit. After I decided to take a cold shower....for 20 minutes. That did the most good. The migraine started going away.

I feel MUCH better now...although the allergies are still killing me. I have tissues stuffed in my nose, that's the only way it's somewhat manageable. I've taken allergy pills but they don't seem to be doing much....baaaaaaaah.

ATTN Chick Fil A bandwagon protesters:

A few things for you to note...
1) First off, Chick-Fil-A's gay-unfriendliness is nothing new. They have contributed to their Winshape organization (which has then in turn contributed to some other gay-unfriendly organizations) for many years now. This is nothing new, so cool your angry jets.
2) If you want to take a stand, that is more than fine. Just make sure you do your research before jumping on angry "we are being repressed" bandwagons. By recent interactions, I know a lot of you that are calling for CFA "boycotts" are working under the bare minimum of information on the matter. You are just mad at recent events. READ UP ON THINGS BEFORE YOU START YELLING AT PEOPLE.
3) This "if you like Chick-Fil-A" we can't be friends business, is really dumb, and a poor showing of where your priorities lie...basically, you value over-emotional attachments to causes over rationale, and what real friendships consist of.
4) Most of these protesters lie on the more liberal side of things, so you can understand this: You don't like when a Christian claims you are a bad person for not believing in Christianity, correct? It's ignorant of them, and how dare they try to push their values on us, right? Well, same thing applies to this "if you eat at Chick fil a you are a bad person/not my friend" mentality: you are now forcing someone to accept your views wholeheartedly, or face being rejected by you. Obviously there are more complications in this case, but the core principle remains the same.


Long story short...if you have a problem with Chick fil A and you have thoroughly researched the cause of that and want to boycott them...that's great. You are even entitled to attempt to share your cause.

You are NOT, however, entitled to
shove it down my throat. You are NOT entitled to cast aspersions on my character and imply I am not a good person due to my refusal to boycott said company. You are also not entitled to put my friendship with you into question due to this matter. (i speak not in terms of "free speech" here, but rather in terms of "being a good, rational person" and "being a good REAL friend")

Have some sense. I've said this before, and I will say this again, I am friends with all of you because you are all generally NOT idiots. Don't start now, please. =]


And for the record, I think Dan Cathy is a goddamned (see what I did there?) idiot. Aside from his comments themselves being something I disagree with, he had no business speaking of his family and company's viewpoint on this matter. Not th
at he shouldn't be allowed to speak his mind just because I disagree with it, but rather that I think a fast food restaurant is a business. Any religious/family/etc ideals should be kept internally because at the end of the day, serving someone chicken as a christian is not inherantly different than serving them as an atheist, agnostic, jew, etc.

It should not be "would you like a side of jesus with that sandwich."

That being said, I enjoy their food. I will continue to eat it. Maybe not as much as I used to. Maybe my position will change, and I will feel a stronger need to not support them. For now though, I don't see and issue with it, and you really shouldn't give me shit about it, and imply I'm not a good person or friend because of it.