meh

*EDIT/Preamble*
I just watched this video and now I feel like an even bigger jerkface. Gosh, I don't know what to say except... mrrrrrghgksljsfkakalf I don't understand how the world can be so incredibly good and so incredibly bad at the same time. Also, I no longer believe that I have any right to complain about anything today. I'm sorry, I don't know how to articulate what I'm feeling, partially because I'm not sure what that emotion is, but... yeah. Perhaps you understand.

Today's blog post comes to you in the first five letters of the alphabet:

a) The fourth of July was really fun, as it always is. I hung out with some friends and a quasi-stranger (but nice) guy from Texas and then walked over to the nearby college and watched the fireworks. We sat around playing cards for an hour and a half or something and it was so nice to just be. To just be there and enjoy our time together and celebrate our country.

I've never understood people who are content with watching the fireworks on TV. Nothing can replace that amazing feeling of being in close proximity to hundreds of other people who are all there for the same reason. Besides, TVs can't transmit that ground-shakin' (hand-clappin'!) firework-blastin' boom. I mean, who wants to miss those precious seconds during which you genuinely fear the loss of your hearing?

b) Have you ever gotten irrationally overprotective when a friend started liking something you like? It would have been fine if we both liked this thing to begin with and then happened to find out that we both liked that something later on, but because I've always liked this and a friend just started liking it, it kind of pisses me off. Normally, I don't mind; in fact, it's kind of cool, because it's one more person to join the party, you know? Right now, though, I sincerely wish they had never heard of it. I think it's because it's something that I love a lot (no, not Harry Potter) and it has a really special meaning to me, and from my previous experiences with this person, I guess I just feel like this person doesn't appreciate that. I'm sure I sound like an asshole right now and I'm sorry, but I guess I just don't want them to trivialize it because it's so important to me and I really don't think they understand that. I think they just think it makes them "cool" and "unique" and "indie" for liking it, when in reality, a) it truthfully doesn't and b) even if it did, that's not at all what it's about.

(I'm sorry for being vague; I don't want to get into specifics and then be an even bigger jerk for talking about them on the internet...)

c) With the obvious exception of wizard rock, I rarely listen to "indie rock." It's too difficult to keep up with, and more importantly, it is often too crappy to endure. However, I have somewhat recently discovered this band known as The Indelicates and I sort of love them a lot? If you're interested, I recommend listening to this and this and this. (And another one called "Our Daughters Will Never Be Free," but I can't find a good version of it on Youtube.)

d) I'm really trying not to be mad at the organizers of Roflcoptour, because I understand that they can only play where they have a venue and they can't stop in every state and they don't have tons of money or time... but I am certainly mad at the circumstances, at least. Originally, their 7/22 show was going to be MD, VA, or DC. And then they changed it to MD, VA, DC, PA, or NJ. And now it's confirmed to be in NJ. And I am starting to realize why people hate New Jersey so much... it takes your dreams and EATS them. Screw you, New Jersey.

...Perhaps I am being harsh. I don't hate New Jersey, even if I am incredibly jealous of it right now. Still, this sucks. Like, nobody I love comes to DC and I don't understand WHY. It's the frigging capital of the country; surely there is a law about this?

ALSO ALSO ALSO, they are playing TWO shows in North Carolina! TWO! I mapquested them because I was pissed off and they are either half an hour or four and a half hours away from each other, depending on the location of the second town... so I will give them the benefit of the doubt and say they are four hours away from each other... but STILL, the fact that there are two shows in one state and yet there are none near me makes me want to cry. And yes, I am only about two and a half hours away from NJ, but a) my parents are definitely not going to drive me that far to see some show that they don't care about and b) even if they were willing, I have driving school that day and while I could make the show IF it were close-ish to me, I can't freaking skip driving school to see Roflcoptour, much as I wish I could! UGH.

e) Currently, I'm reading Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, Les Justes by Albert Camus, and I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak. The first two are for my English and French classes respectively. I should clarify that when I say "I am reading," I mean that I read thirteen pages of Song of Solomon about a week ago and haven't picked it up since and that I intend to read Les Justes in the near future. I'm sure they're both very good; it's just that the first is difficult to get into at first and the second is, er, in French.