Occasionally Snarky and Meta

1. Assume everyone is Them

We all know that conversation. The one that has to happen.

"I'm so sick of Insert Religious Group Here blathering all the time. All they do is ring doorbells and speak tongues at you."

"...I'm a Religious Group."

"... hey, I didn't mean you! You don't even know how to ring a doorbell! I mean... can I get you some wine?"

Be awkward no more! Instead, skirt around the issue and make sure they're not the group you don't like because you assume (correctly, of course) that they must all be the same way.

"Hey, so, what do you think about being part of Religious Group? You seem like an okay person, so I'm guessing they're not all crazy? Wait, you ARE one of Them, right? Or am I thinking of someone else?"

That is guaranteed to go over much better.

2. Literally Shove Things Down People's Throats

People are sick of you, metaphorically speaking, shoving politics and religion down their throats. Let's face it - no matter how much you post "if 'Under God' were still in the Pledge of Allegiance, misinformation wouldn't happen", people aren't going to convert.

Solution? Get literal - with candy and chocolate!

There's tons of candy and and chocolate out there that subtly sends out the message you're trying to relay. Religious texts, Jesus (you can get His face on grilled cheese sandwiches, too), flags from your country, you name it! Deliver it to them with a coy smile. You'll have successfully shoved your beliefs down their throats without them immediately realizing what you've done. It'll all sink in eventually.

3.  Be Always!Right

Never fact check anything. This will only ensure that sometimes, you may have to admit you could wrong, or that someone else might have a point. That would be just awful! It's best to assume you're right - about everything. Don't check anything. If you don't immediately notice that you have a message on your phone, don't check it. If you're leaving the house, don't make sure the door's locked properly. If you're driving, don't check the gas. There's definitely a tow company nearby. What could possibly go wrong with being always!right?

charades:
For the uninformed, charades is a game where you act out something - a movie, book, song title, etc. There's such little appreciation for the game. I actually prefer all interactive games to games like Trouble; I like to be forced to think, as well as being able to use my own strategies and my own talents. I guess there's some thought in games like Trouble, just not the sort I like.

fanfiction:
I've never not known fanfiction; I only had to find the name for it. As a small child, I'd play games - by myself, with my Mom and with others - based on stories I'd read or movies I'd seen. Heck, I remember telling my Mom she was out of character! I also wrote fanfics for things other than Harry Potter - sometimes as school assignments, sometimes because I wanted to practice my writing on something I was familiar with. When I realized there was a name, and that others were as weird as I was/am, I was like, "oh!"

itunes:
I didn't get it for the longest time, and now I love it. I don't really buy a lot on it, but I do use it as a personal playlist, and I have found some songs I doubt I could've otherwise.

livejournal:

Livejournal rocks. Yeah, it's the base for most of the wankier fandomers, and yeah, I hate when it deletes what I just typed, but there's so much to love. It's helped me keep in touch with people, it's been a place to let loose, and I've met a lot of friends from LJ I probably would never have really met otherwise.

pennpaper:

Pen N Paper is a site my friend Julie (julibeth) started, and I'm pleased to say it's going well. It's a writing site, for submitting stories and the like.

reincarnation:

Yes, I believe in it. Or think I do. The reason is because I don't know that anything can just end, so there has to be an afterlife of some sort. The way I see it, there are three afterlifes: you can die and go to Heaven (I'm not sure I believe in Hell as a physical place), become a ghost, either to watch over loved ones (so more like an angel), or because you're not ready to go beyond (maybe you did too many evil things, or maybe you just can't face death yet), and finally, you can be reborn. As for Hell, if anyone cares - I sometimes think it's physical, but sometimes I think it's more a state. If you're a truly evil person, going to Heaven is hard, because Heaven is paradise, and you have to take extra steps to be forgiven. However, eventually you are, unless you're pure evil, and I don't think anyone is. Or maybe there is a real hell. I don't know.

shrek:
I love Shrek. It's a spoof of fantasy, and the movies for it are fantastic. I mean, it's all so true.

subs:
Two kinds: the bread, and the sq87 sub.

The bread: I love a good sub, though I can't stand the really crispy kind that are taller than I am if they stand. I like soft - like the Classic Italian.

The sq87: Supposedly, it's a group in which we find the meaning of 87. However, it's become much more than that - I think by now, the meaning of 87 is pretty much not really what we're about, especially given what it is. It's about friends who are obsessed with all things Quill, who have been there together throughout all, and who know no age, nationality, or even ship!

the marauders:

I think the Marauders get a lot of underappreciation. At best, they're a bunch of living stereotypes. At worst, they're imbeciles that tortured innocent Snape. I like the rare fic or essay that explores what are, to me, the real Marauders. They were royally messed up, could be vicious, yet there's so much to admire. They stuck together the worst of times, and didn't let themselves be daunted by prejudice.

As a side, there's definitely a lack of apprecation for the Sirius-James dynamic. Their friendship is either ignored, or they have to be lovers. Why? If there's any Marauder romance that should be shown, it's Lily/James. I think there's so much to explore with James and Sirius: Two brothers, if not by blood, who were together through thick and thin. The tragedy of Sirius accidentally killing James is really horrifying if you take that into account.

I'd also like to see more - and better - Lily/James. Another relationship that has to much to it. What finally made them love one another - and please, nothing stupid and sitcom like. What was their marriage like? I want exploration!

wicked the musical:

Wicked the musical is just amazing. Juvenile, maybe, but I think there are deeper ways to look at it. Plus, the songs and characters are wonderful.