calvin & hobbes

Calvin & Hobbes is the best comic strip I've ever read.

It came out when I was 9, so I read it from the time I read newspaper comic strips until college. Because it was my favorite, I would read every other strip in the paper first (except Judge Parker - do people read that?) and save up Calvin & Hobbes' antics for last.

I grew to appreciate the philosophy, the craziness, the imagination. I've always viewed Hobbes as Calvin does, and when I see him drawn in his stuffed tiger form it's a small shock to be reminded that he is a toy.

I had a few of the books when I was in high school, and deliberately left them in my old bedroom at mom's house. When I'm home over holidays it gives me something interesting to read. After Thanksgiving I decided to bring one of the books home. (And I regret not bringing the rest... they're coming with me at Christmas).

Calvin and Hobbes was around for 10 years: 1985-1995. December 31, 2005 will mark 10 years since Bill Watterson retired his creation.

A new Complete Calvin & Hobbes Collection is now available.

To honor the goodness that is Calvin & Hobbes, and the artist that has shown integrity since day 1, I also added a daily Calvin & Hobbes link to the SilverTurtle.Goodies (over there --->) so we can all get a daily dose of philosophy, gross bugs, and stuffed tigers.

I miss reading new Calvin & Hobbes. But I'll never cease to enjoy reading the old ones.

groceries

Last night I picked Silver Turtle Boyfriend up at the gym and we hit the grocery store so we don't starve this week. Shopping was uneventful.

As we were standing in line, idling reading headlines about celebreties we don't really care too much about, I noticed the selection of groceries in front of us on the conveyer belt.

10 boxes of mac&cheese

10 1/2 gallon jugs o' milk

1 giant tub of butter

and nothing else

I assumed when I glanced at the person in front of us it would be a college student. It was actually a normal looking 40-something year old man.

Who must love his mac&cheese

a letter to...

... the owner of that little red mini-cooper a few blocks from my apartment.

Tonight I was driving home and saw your car, with the vanity license plate that read:
TEH MINI

I laughed my ass off the rest of the drive home. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Silver Turtle

tipping

I read two posts today (from d and ACW) regarding crappy service and tipping.

Bartenders or waiters or whomever shouldn't be mean or rude to you. But as a former (thank God) waitress I feel an obligation to remind everyone that they *should* be tipping regularly. (20% people... at least in America, where your waitstaff makes between $2.14 - $5 per hour... usually less than half of minimum wage).

If I ran the world, everyone would just get paid for doing their job and tips would mostly go away, except in rare instances where someone is so amazed with their service they just have to throw in a couple extra bucks.

Sadly, I don't run the world.

No, your waitress shouldn't take out her bad day on you. You shouldn't treat her like a servant, either - just because someone works in customer service doesn't mean you can treat them like crap.

I'll bet that when you are having a bad day, you're not always so pleasant at work. What if your customers/clients/coworkers got to decide how much you got paid today based solely on their perception of how you're doing your job? You didn't get your reports to your colleague on time because the IT guy was fixing your computer? Too bad, still your fault, let's dock $10 from today's pay. You weren't cheerful enough when you answered the phone, because you just found out a loved one is ill? Too bad, that's another $5 off.

Oh, and how would you like to split your pay with everyone in your workgroup? Even though we docked $10 from you, everyone else you work with expects their cut. That's what happens to servers - they have to tip out their bartenders, food runners, and bussers.

Tipping is a crappy system, but those people still deserve to get paid. If you can't or don't want to tip an acceptable amount - don't patronize those establishments.

If you don't already, read Bitter Girl Bartender's blog. You can also peruse Bitter Waitress for some inside info on the business of serving people.

if you build it...

winter ride
Originally uploaded by SilverTurtle.

This holiday season, to encourage citizens to come downtown and spend their money, we have erected a little ferris wheel and also a skating rink. The city closed off State Street to accomodate the attractions.

I was hoping to get a couple photographs of Saturday morning skaters, but I should have guessed the only thing people in Columbus are doing today is tailgating before the Big Game (OSU vs. Michingan).

I'm pretty absolutely sure that I don't want to sit atop a ferris wheel in 12 degree weather. I'm not sure if this is a good idea that will work, or a bad way to spend city funds.

good music / bad music

I decided to download a new ringtone or two for my phone, and am currently perusing the 6,000+ songs available for download. There are quick links to "favorite selections" and "top downloads" - and the songs most people download all suck. There's no other way to say it. The most popular downloads are over-produced pop and pop-hip-hop-rap. Despite the fact there are perfectly good songs available, from Ben Harper to Cream (I'm only up to the C's so far.. I'm sure there's more).

So then, because I over-analyze stupid things way too much, I wondered why people choose to listen to crappy music? A couple years ago I discovered the wonderful world of music trading. Add in the internet, and you have access to so many great bands and musicians. Half an hour ago I downloaded most of the music that's been used in Season 2 of House M.D. (even though I admit to complaining that it's not nearly as good as the music they used in the first season over all - it's still varied and good, and not in the annoyingly hip way of The O.C.).

Even when I was a kid, I tended to listen to way better music than just your standard pop. (Actually, I listened to classical and tons of jazz and classic rock and punk and....) I don't know anyone who listens to bad music for enjoyment, and I don't recall ever having friends that did*.

So who are these people and why don't they get it?


*I did and do know people who liked both good and bad music, like my friend Heather who loves *NSync, but also people like Tony Lucca. Or Silver Turtle Boyfriend, who listens to anything from Clay Aiken to ICP to Aerosmith to people you'll never, ever hear of. But they don't listen to bad music excessively or exclusively.

**When I say "bad" music, I'm referring to songs like Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl (Bananas!). I don't think that just because something is a pop style (or any particular style) it is instantly sucky.

paradox

I've been really into photography lately. I see "shots" everywhere, even while I'm driving, now. I rarely leave my house without my camera stashed in my pocket or bag... just in case I see something I have to shoot.

So in my never-ending quest for a career I'd love (and not a job I tolerate) I considered, for about 15 seconds, photography. Of course, no one is going to pay me to wander around and take photographs just because I see something interesting. They're going to want me to take pictures of snot-nosed kids that smell like almost-spoiled milk.

My first and truest love is music. I even went to school for music. Since about the age of 14 I really couldn't imagine doing anything else as a career. Once I was in music school, though, I was annoyed by the lack of opportunities to get out and play, and the politics, and all the little things.

The reality is that a career in any kind of creative field is almost impossible. I've known that since about age 14, too. It takes an incredible amount of drive and talent and luck. I like the fact that I know I'm getting a paycheck every 2 weeks. I like having a (small-but-growing) 401(k). I like having health benefits (as expensive as they are).

The problem is balancing the need and drive to create (music or photos or whatever) with the real world. Sometimes I get so focused on something, I let everything else go. (Ok, so maybe that's a little ADD, too).

I've come to the conclusion that what I need is a benefactor, like in that stupid book Great Expectations I had to read in high school. Some stranger who just decides I need a small fortune to support myself while I pursue art for the greater good or something. So I'm now accepting applications for the position of Silver Turtle's Benefactor.

children's book club

The other day one of my friends was talking about how he wanted to approach the 'drug' talk with his child when the kids gets old enough. (Which is, like, 7 or something these days I think). His wife wants them to maintain that all drugs are bad, wrong, etc. etc. He doesn't think drugs are bad, and only quit smoking pot at his wife's request. He wants to tell his kid that he doesn't think it's wrong and bad.

For the record, I think everyone should be honest with their kids about drugs (and sex and alchohol) and present an open mind.

Really I just wanted to post to show you all this children's book. It's designed to help parents addresses marijuana use. There's a book for everyone and everything.

if it's mindless blogging you want...

I told you I'd get the politics out of my system. I don't think I've mentioned this before, but I'm a Harry Potter fan. I was sort of intrigued by all the hubub around the books when they first came out, but I was in college (or just out of college?) and never liked much fantasy-type stuff. Then the movie was coming out, and I decided I should read the book before seeing the movie. So of course I read it in about 2 days, and picked up the second book that same week. I drug copy_princess with me to the film, and she became a fan, too. Luckily, both my sisters are fans, so we can discuss books and plots and subplots and characters with each other, while my mom looks at us like we're crazy.

I'm also a Power Puff Girls fan. I own a few DVDs, and some toys that friends have given me over the years.

So imagine my GLEE when I found: The PotterPuffs

I don't think they could be any cuter.

I'm amazed at how talented some people are, and how much fanart, fanfiction, etc. exists.

arctic preservation and voting

A couple more political things... I promise I'll be back to mindless blogging soon enough.

First - tell your congressperson not to support drilling for oil in Alaska's arctic refuge. This country needs to start using alternative energy methods.

Second - if you have an election coming up in your state and need some guidance on what the issues or who the people are, check out the league of pissed of voters' voter guides. Your local elections affect you just as much, if not more than, the big presidential one every 4 years. Go Vote.

pro-life, pro-choice, and the supreme court

Look Ma - 2 political posts within the hour. Neither of which I created any content for, but totally worth posting.

One of the best observations on pro-life/pro-choice I've ever read

ohio circus

I received this from a coworker today. Unfortunately, he doesn't know who the original artist(s) was. If you know anything about the state of politics in Ohio right now, you should appreciate this. Please feel free to download and distribute as you wish.