disney movies

isn't it pretty to think . . that after growing up, getting politicized, and getting a job in the progressive movement . . that you can just take off your "political conscious hat" and enjoy a disney movie?

I have to admit that growing up, I did really love disney movies. My favorite was Aladdin . .

Maybe it was because Jasmine was a lot tanner than the other princesses.
Maybe it was because Jasmine was a little rebellious.
Maybe it was because Aladdin was this witty, goofy, but sincere guy.
Maybe it was because of the soundtrack.

Nah, it's gotta be because she had a pet tiger. Who wouldn't want a pet tiiiigerrrr?? My affinity for Aladdin as a child was not necessarily normal. My favorite set of sheets growing up were my Jasmine flannel sheets. Last winter when I went home, I saw them in my dad's bed. He says he uses the flat sheet sometimes because they're warm . . or maybe he uses them sometimes when he misses his youngest daughter who decided to move across the country to help other Southeast Asian families instead of moving back home to help her own. Okay, okay. So that's a different topic.

Anyway, I just got back from watching The Princess and the Frog. I was pretty excited. Not just because this was going to be the first disney movie with a strong african american "princess" . . or because of the buzz around the interracial couple . . or because the movie was going to be taking place in New Orleans . . but really, it was because, I miss being 10 years old living what I thought was the American dream and watching disney's princess movies in my mom's room . . and dreaming just a little bit while doing it.

There were many funny parts in the movie. Like when the firefly gets upset because he thinks the prince was proposing to his love interest . . the star. Or the blind voodoo lady. Or like when the crocodile (or alligator) falls into the bush and the firefly had to pluck out every single weed one by one. Or like when the two frogs get tangled up in each others' tongues. Or like when the spoiled girl calls her father "big daddy" . .

But I couldn't help but wince with a bit of pain at a few parts as well. Like every time Tiana spoke of all her hard work in a pretty bootstraps kinda way. Or like when her mom tells her to throw her dreams away to find a man so she could have grandchildren. Or the fact that the the evil guy was this light skinned black man. Or the machismo prince that still managed to get the girl . .

Maybe Disney movies are just becoming more complicated? I didn't automatically fall in love with the prince because of his chauvinistic attitude . . and I didn't completely love the princess with her almost haughty bootstraps pride. I didn't automatically think everything was funny and politically correct . . and I didn't completely love the romance between the two because I didn't think he really deserved her and she shouldn't give up her dreams for some man. I didn't automatically love the way folks for New Orleans were depicted, especially the emphasis on black and white and not much in between . . and I didn't completely like all the songs because of the lyrics and context . .

Or maybe, I've just become more complicated? Maybe I'm just starting to think too much about things? Maybe I'm just starting to think too deeply into things?

I guess sometimes life is way too serious to not be able to laugh a little bit . . especially during a Disney movie. If we don't learn to throw some politics out the window once in a while and just enjoy things for what they are . . we'll never survive.





But then I had another, "damn, you've been in dc too long" moment when I couldn't help but think that the little rich girl in the movie kind depicted how I imagine the real life of Louisiana's Democratic Senator Landrieu to be.

(un)happiest states in the united states

isn't it pretty to think . . you could just move somewhere and automatically be happy?

I thought this article on the Happiest U.S. States Pinned Down was really interesting. While this isn't exactly the first time folks have tried to do something like this, is the first time I've been a bit surprised by the results.

Number 1: Louisiana is #1? This must have have been pre-Katrina . . and even then, I'm sure the folks they surveyed probably weren't really the communities of color from places like New Orleans East or the Vietnamese community in Versailles . . but maybe resembled a certain type of Louisiana-er (or whatever they call themselves down there).

Top 3: Looks like the top states are just there because of the weather. For Florida, I mean, if you like muggy super humid weather, I guess that could work for you. Or maybe the folks that were surveyed in Florida were all those retired folks . . which isn't a surprise that they're happy. They're just chillin' at the beach all day. For Hawaii, they don't really have to deal with the rest of the country, so maybe that's a plus. But then again, I hear discrimination is relatively rampant there . . so again, who exactly did they survey?

States in the Middle: These states just look like the sparsely populated states with one or two big cities that they can claim.

States in the Bottom: The bigger, more densely populated, urban, and hussle and bussle states.

This makes me wonder, are people happier when they can feel like they're not connected to a lot of people? Are people happier when they can feel like they've successfully physically or mentally escaped? Are people happier in smaller, less populated, and less "busy" places?

Are people happier alone?

Looks like Americans are subscribing to the ignorance is bliss model. If you don't live in it, hear about it, or have to deal with it . . it doesn't exist . . and you can just be happy in your little state . . little city . . or little town.

It's kind of funny though. Almost all the states I've ever lived in or would consider living in are at the bottom of the list. Maybe this is because I enjoy big, densely populated, urban, hussle and bussle places.

Maybe this is because I like to live in a state of constant crisis.

Maybe this is because I'm a masochist and enjoy making my life complicated . . so I can say that at least, I can control this madness.

But who knows, maybe I'll just move to Hawaii and call it a day.

Careers and Marriage

"So, guys, if you're game for an exciting life, go ahead and marry a professional gal."

My co-worker steered me to the article above about about careers and marriage. she struggles. she struggles with loving this work, but barely making enough money to support herself and barely having time for a personal life.

In some ways, I suppose the struggle with that too. Scratch that. I don't struggle with it. I've come to terms with it. I admit, I enjoy working a lot, being tired, getting frustrated, being angry, getting really excited, etc.

But then again, I'm young. Let's see how many years of these 12 hour work days and weekends in the office I could handle.

However, sidebar: I think the quote above could be changed in a variety of different ways:

Careers v. Marriage: for the unbalanced types

Careers v. Relationships: for the non-marrying types

Community v. Relationships: for the progressive social activists types

I think the Careers and Marriage thing already lays the foundation that it could exist together. Maybe I'm a pessimist, but I feel like the real question is, Careers versus Marriage?

Also, for the domestic partner types like myself, I'm not sure how I feel about the marriage part. I think trying to have a relationship (much less marriage) along side a demanding, fast paced, and jet setting "career" is already something of an art I have yet to master (please see Monica's dating history).

And also, for the non-career driven but community driven types, I'm not sure how I feel about the career part. I think it's easy to have a job, especially those 9-5 types where you don't have to take anything home, where deadlines and actions translate into real people, where deadlines and actions translate into real people like you, your family, your friends . . people you love and love you.

A good friend of mine just wrote a blog about love vs. independence. Does career v relationships also mean independence v love? Maybe if you consider your career part of independence.

I guess independence encompasses many other aspects, but careers, job, community -- whatever you want to call it -- has always been a big part of it for me and I definitely don't see that changing anytime soon.

Maybe I've been approaching this all wrong. Maybe the game plan should be to look for someone else who is also a community v. relationships type of person so we can both deprioritize one another be really busy but still have a great time when we are together.

district sleeps alone tonight . .

. . almost every night.

one of the albums that we listened to a lot while driving on our little road trip was the postal service. ironically, i've been living in DC for over a year and haven't reacquainted myself with the first track of the album.

while in berkeley, i thought the song "so described my situation" . . but now it's not even funny anymore.



from falling asleep with full make up on (smeared black ink) . .
to barely listening to statements (i'm staring at the asphalt) . .
to the scenes of all those silhouettes of people sleeping in the bed with her (romantic and not) . .
to the random house parties (i thought the house party phase was over after i turned 21?) . .
to the chanting of "i was the one worth leaving" and "DC sleeps alone tonight" . .

dc really is this funky place where 20 something year olds come to do "serious" work during the day and realize they also need to do some serious NON work during the night and weekends.

. . it also is this funky place where you're not sure if people are really listening to you or if they're already devising a witty comeback or strategically thinking who else to talk to next.

. . it also is place where it seems normal to share beds with people who you might not be romantically involved in, especially if they're the 92034803 friends visiting from "back home." Sometimes your home feels like a hotel and you keep spare beds lying around like normal people keep spare towels in their cupboards.

. . it also is a place where 20 and 30 something year olds have house parties . . kegs and all.

lastly, it also is a place where people come because something before was worth leaving (or not worth staying for) to realize that when you get here, you'll just meet a lot of other lonely people who actually like being alone.

some folks love it . . some folks hate it . . but most folks just hate to admit that they love it.