First World Problems

(MC Lars is more punk than you)
Go! Books about Evanescence (Are not punk rock!)
Guns ‘n Roses watches (Are not punk rock!)
Hello Kitty iPod cases (Are not punk rock!)
Rob Zombie lunch boxes (Are not punk rock!)
Slipknot binder paper (Is not punk rock!)

T inkerbell pillow cases (Are not punk rock!)
Led Zeppelin air fresheners (Are not punk rock!)
Tupac incense burners (Are not punk rock!)
Hot Topic is not punk rock! (Hot Topic!)Hot Topic is not punk rock! (Hot Topic!)
Hot Topic is not punk rock! (Hot Topic!)Hot Topic is not punk rock! (Hot Topic!)
Misfits candle tins (Are not punk rock!)
ICP throw blankets (Are not punk rock!)
Beaded Elvis curtains (Are not punk rock!)
Talking Lambchop plush dolls (Are not punk rock!)AC/DC hair clips (Are not punk rock!)Spongebob wristbands (Are not punk rock!)
Sex Pistols boxer shorts (Are not punk rock!)
Dischord back catalog (Okay. Maybe that’s punk rock.)
Hot Topic is not punk rock! (Hot Topic!)Hot Topic is not punk rock! (Hot Topic!)Hot Topic is not punk rock! (Hot Topic!)Hot Topic is not punk rock! (Hot Topic!)
Hot Topic is a contrived identification with youth subcultures to manufacture an anti-authoritarian identity and make millions.
The $8 you paid for the Mudvayne poster would be better spent used to see your brother’s friend’s band.
DIY ethics are punk rock
Starting your own label is punk rock
G.G. Allin was punk rock.
But when a crass corporate vulture feeds on mass-consumer culture, this spending mommy’s money is not punk rock!
"Hopt Topic is not Punk Rock"--MC Lars
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjmmZEq5b-8

Poor little Emo kids. Rebelling against the upper middle class by wearing heavy eyeliner. Fighting the power with pale skin and black hair. Committing acts of subversion by scaring families at the mall. Taking down the man, one Chemical Romance song at a time.

I love the Emo culture. The angry cry of angst-ridden teenagers can be oh-so-poignant.

“I had a conversation with Barack Obama. I’m waiting to hear from Hillary Clinton.” --Hayden Panettiere (indestructible cheerleader)

As Americans, it is our civic duty to vote. The commander-in-chief is considered "the leader of the free world." In deciding who can best run this great nation, one has to consider many things, such as each candidate's position on the economy, taxes, the environment, health care, reproductive rights, the war in Iraq, foreign relations, government spending, education, welfare reform, and immigration (just to name a few pressing issues.) Being an informed voter is crucial.

So I'm going to flip through Us Weekly and find out whom Scarlett Johansson is voting for.

Wait...what?

Barack Obama has been sweeping the Democratic primaries. He represents "change," and if elected, he would be the first black person to have "Hail to the Chief" announce his entrance. He is a force to be reckoned with, but I cannot help but wonder how many women over the age of 30 were led by the hand to Obama's camp by none other than Oprah Winfrey.

I question the place of celebrity in politics. There are some entertainers who have entered the political arena like wrestler Jesse Ventura, "Ahnold," and Ronald Reagan. However, it is different when stars decide to endorse a particular candidate. The smattering of celebrity endorsements only trivializes the political process. It is great when Sean Penn rolls up his sleeves and helps out in a Katrina-devastated New Orleans, but why does it matter if Sean Penn supports Dennis Kucinich?

Dear God:

Please let me never throw a "black and white party," where my guests faithfully show up in black and white attire, and I make a grand entrance in bright red.

It is almost as bad as purposely choosing ugly bridesmaid dresses for your wedding party so that you shine all the brighter. But it is not as bad as having a lavish sweet 16 where there are pictures of yourself displayed everywhere, you make a dramatic entrance, perform some sort of song and dance, and have a presentation of receiving the Mercedes your parents had to get you. Nothing tops that on the scale of absurdity.

Thank you.

-me

"Project Runway" makes me want to learn how to sew, and Tim Gunn inspires me to be a better person (ok, a more fashionable one.) Not everyone can be "fierce," as the flamboyant wunderkind on the show, Christian, is so fond of saying. However, I believe in a world where everyone, regardless of size, shape, or financial status, should be able to put together outfits that are not cringeworthy.

Some of my cardinal sins of fashion are:

• visible bra straps Bras are supposed to be worn under clothing and should not be seen. Big-chested women are exempt from this rule.
• cut-off shirt sleeves You work out. Good for you. Now wear some sleeves over the gun show.
• Crocs Spending some time in your garden? Sounds peaceful. Walking around in these rubber abominations because "they're just so comfortable?" Just say no.
• beach/club clothing at work/class Anything that is shiny or shows too much skin is probably wildly inappropriate, unless, of course, you are a Playboy Bunny or Hawaiian Tropic Girl.
• stripper shoes There is a reason why clear, strappy shoes are only sold in shops that also offer sensual massage oils and flavored prophylactics.
• "dresses" that began life as blouses and tunics There's a difference between short and, "Whoa, I feel dirty just looking at you."
• head to toe black seperates Only exceptions--it's your work uniform, or you're Cat Woman.

Obviously offensive:

• fanny packs
• mom jeans

Just annoying:

• loud jewelry like bangles and earrings, worn in quiet settings such as work, class, or the movies

small talk: these conversations often begin with or consist entirely of comments on the weather

Small talk is inappropriate and/or awkward:

• when you're in the dentist's chair
• when you've just exited a stall in a restroom and have to chat with the bathroom attendant
• when you're waiting in line at a drugstore and happen to be buying something embarrassing
• before I've had my coffee in the morning

"Awkward silence, begone" --->Entertaining small talk topics http://media.www.bgnews.com/media/storage/paper883/news/2008/01/17/Forum/Awkward.Silence.Begone.5.Tips.For.Small.Talk-3155358.shtml

Cell phones are great and everything, but I really can't stand being forced to listen to strangers' conversations. I find it creepy when I'm in a public restroom and hear a girl talking on her cell phone inside a stall. Is there anything so important, it can't wait five minutes for her to do her business, wash her hands, and exit? I doubt it.

The worst is when you're sharing an elevator with someone and he or she is yakking away as if there's not someone two feet away in an enclosed space. Sometimes being in an elevator can be awkward enough as you listen to muzak, wait to get to your floor, and try to not look at the other people in there with you. When I become an audience for a tirade on clueless boyfriends or unreasonable bosses, rundowns on a person's day and his or her to-do list (so that I'm just as bored as the person on the other line) or even wildly inappropriate stories that make me wonder if I'm in an elevator or a confessional, I start to yearn for the days when private conversations remained private. At least those Nextel walkie-talkie type phones are becoming passe' and texting is taking over.