Apr 6

Apr 6 Oh Twitter: Land of the Foolish, Home of the Stupid

I’ve got the formula for Twitter fame. After two years of close and careful observation, I’ve come to the conclusion that to attain Twitter fame, one must follow one or all of the following steps very carefully. Either be exceptionally pretty (gorgeous ladies and gents, I can’t knock you for this), or be a completely disrespectful ignoramus. I ought to be more specific about how to be a disrespectful ignoramus. Go on and make entirely tasteless race or gender jokes, explain what a man or woman is based entirely on arbitrary rules, or leak peoples nudes for fun. Yeah, that sounds about right.

That’s not to say that there aren’t people who have enormous Twitter followings because they are in some way intelligent or talented, but there is a massive section of Twitter that is glorifying absolute idiots, retweeting their stupidness and validating their ignorance. Those with the audacity to challenge the stupid get laughed off with more illogical arguments and unfounded insults. I’ve reached the point where I just don’t argue with stupid people because I realize they’re only being intentionally ignorant and offensive, but when did we stop laughing at idiots and start laughing with them.

Mar 28

Mar 28 Ain't Nothing Wrong with Taking a Break: The Importance of Mental Health Days

SweetTee

Life Notes

You tossed and turned all night long. You’ve got three papers due this week. You burned your toast, stubbed your toe, it’s colder than a mutha and your hair just won’t cooperate. You’re probably going to lose your cool on the first person who looks at you too hard. I think you’d better take a mental health day.

My first two years of university, I lived at home and didn’t have a job. So, I managed to truck through the terms, attend nearly every class and maintain my sanity. Third year came and I was working 24 hours a week, plus keeping house and balancing a few extra-curricular activities. All my nights were long and all my days were moody and I was nearly always on the verge of exploding. And then one day I got up and said, “Nope, not today!” I pulled the covers over my head and slept in til noon. I painted my toe nails purple, ate too many chips and watched some movies. And I didn’t feel bad for it. I felt great, actually.

Mar 24

Mar 24 The Phoenix and the Monster: The Little Lady on Overcoming Jealousy and Rising from the Ashes

SweetTee

Life Notes

There’s a monster in my closet and it’s got some green-ass eyes. Sometimes jealousy climbs up my back like a scaly beast, digs its claws into my shoulders and wiggles in to get comfy. “Look at her hair,” it says, “Way prettier than yours.” Or he’ll tickle my ear with this little tidbit: “Check out her body! Bet you wish you looked like that.” But because writing is my passion, that green-eyed monster’s favourite nagging point is the successful writing of others.

A friend of mine, whose writing I respect immensely, recently launched a blog. Her writing is quality, her topics, interesting, and her perspectives, profound. For International Women’s Week, she wrote a post a day, while juggling work and school. The response she got to her blog overwhelmed and encouraged her. It overwhelmed me too, but I was not encouraged. I thought, damn, look at her out here succeeding, and my blog is as dead as three-week-old road kill.