milla

I am here. Where are you:

This is too funny ... From The Onion, circa March 04:


New Nietzschean Diet Lets You Eat Whatever You Fear Most

Swiss Steak Zarathustra!! Tee hee!

New Nietzschean Diet Lets You Eat Whatever You Fear Most

Christy Bush is an amazing photographer. She has collaborated with a lot of great folks, including Swervedriver, people from Mercury Rev, and Michael Stipe. I think that it is the same photographer who took these photos of Kirsten Dunst.


Kirsten!


KD#2

Heather Kenney wrote a nice wrap up of Liz Armstrong's farewell party in her blog
Fashion Survivor (see December 1, 2006 entry)


I read Liz's stuff for years: she was always a sharp rock reviewer, in a time where there were very few gals writing capsules on bands for the Reader. Someone commented that her writing was always meant to entertain, not to inform. That sounds about right.

People were so negative toward the AntiSocial column. In a 2005 podcast interview with the web zine Gaper's Block (The AntiSocialite), she made the point that the AntiSocial column was meant in part as a parody of the Tribune's coverage of $175 per night charity balls, expensive city functions, and fluffy debutante pieces.

People complained that her piece was indicative of an overall decline in the Reader's reputation as a "quality" news source. The thing is, I don't think the Reader kills more hard-hitting submissions. They accept stories from free-lancers that end up being cover pieces, but they have to be well-researched. She paid her dues at the Reader before ever getting the chance to cover the more hipster types of events.

It should be noted that other free papers have run a similar type of column. At Columbus Alive, since about 2002, Miss Bella and her writing partner penned a piece called "Meltdown." It's a little more "see and be seen": Miss Bella goes to the "gelled hair guy" types of clubs, but she has also covered queer events and community types of stuff. Still, they have a similar basis: to make local people feel like celebrities for one night. And why not? In Miss Bella's column, people get their names in the paper, and she chats up everyone and asks about their night.

Here's an even better, more in-depth interview from Bad at Sports: it's long, but some it is hilarious. Bad at Sports Episode 22: Liz Armstrong, Social

Liz is moving to Las Vegas to write for Las Vegas Weekly. Good luck, lady!

For my friends who like good sounds, watch this performance of Tortoise all the way through. It moves. Magnet Pulls Through & Eden

I have so many things to say. I think that there should be a record of what I do, of what happens to me. It's very hard for me to write because I get blocked ... I have second thoughts, I feel foolish. But I think it's important.

I went out this weekend: this is progress for me. I rarely go out. A few weekends ago, I went to see a movie, Ladies and Gentlemen. It was interesting. It is the diary of three transwomen, some of whom lobbied for H.B. 512, which made discrimination against gender identity illegal. I met the filmmaker, who is really cool. I also saw Steve, who I went to school with and who plays in Plastic Crimewave. It was weird. It's hard for me to see people I knew from before. It's still hard. (Ouch!)

I also saw, "Be Real: Stories from Queer America." One thing that inspired me was seeing Tara Tremmel and Jessica Halem, her partner, together. Jessica is beautiful, and she loves Tara, who is butch and a drag king. The way that Jessica related to Tara's mom was so cute. I also liked Oraia Reid and her partner, Consuelo Ruybal. Oraia started a group called Right Rides, which gives rides to women in NYC to make sure that they make it home safe.

Something awesome happened. I want to talk about it, but I'll save it for next post.

+ Something else. I saw a couple: two women, two lovely women, with adorable kids. Two mommies. I was at Noodle Whoopie (not its real name, but close)... I love that place (Tequilla Lime Chicken pasta!). I couldn't help staring. I know, it's awful, but I stared. You have to understand. This was in Gurnee. Signs of life. I am like, this never happens in Gurnee. I don't think they have ever heard of the word lesbian in Gurnee. I am gushing? It made me happy. :-)

Hey,

I went to Walgreens to see this keekee, but keekee wasn't there. Instead it was full of red-faced dudes. Too bad.

Anyways, I'm kind of tech-oriented now. That's good. Don't have much to say. Good luck to my friends in LJland.

Milla

Well, here is a recap:

On Monday, I found out that I got a job! I am going to be working in Chicago, which is nice. This job pays well, and I am happy about that. The people who I will be working for seem really nice. My transition has not come up at all. I guess that's basically a good thing. One thing is that I really want to develop my job skills, keep studying on my own like I've been doing. I hope that I have the energy to do so.

On Sunday, I went to the Chicago Humanities Festival! It ruled ... my mom and I saw Margaret Atwood give her talk. Atwood received an award from the Chicago Tribune. She was so witty and funny and subtle. Just really sharp. Then, we went to lunch. Then I went to another talk for the Heartland Prize: this with Marilynne Robinson, who wrote THE best book I think I've ever read: _Gilead_. Also, historian Kevin Boyle won for his book _Arc of Justice_. I talked with both after the presentation, and I got Marilynne's autograph.

While in line, I met this awesome girl named Leigh. I think she's really attractive, so I was nervous, but it was cool. We almost went to a movie together. She wrote me today, and she sounds like she'd like to keep in touch.

So life is purty good. Knock on wood!

I can't get that lyric out of my head. It just keeps repeating. Oyy!

I just petted a ladybug. This ladybug hung out on my sweater for a while ... I petted it. Then it flew away.

Yesterday, I had a lovely dinner at Madison Avenue, which is a restaurant in Waukegan that overlooks the lake. I had fresh fruit, a small salad, and bread. These kids across the street were clowning around with a basketball, showing off their dribbling skills, trying to dribble past one another. Seeing it made me realize that everyone has a unique style of dribbling. No two dribbles are the same. I really believe that.

The lake was amazing ... I watched the sunset and took it all in. It was the first breather in a while. My eating habits have been really poor since moving into this group living arrangement. If I have not made it clear, I currently live in housing provided by Lake County. I am THAT poor. But I am not complaining. In a lot of ways, life has been great these last six months ... I have learned so much.

Today I talked with my case worker. It looks like they are going to help me secure housing sooner than later, which is good.

Just a quick aside: this girl on the bus had a strawberry backpack. Not strawberry color, but little strawberries on the pack straps.