Mail From the White House!

Today I got mail from the white house. I was not expecting! In April I participated in the mail art for Mumia campaign. I sent Pres Obama an open faced diorama that looks like this:
In return I got a very charming form letter adressed, "Dear Students;". Oh noooooooo! Obama thinks I'm ten!

The form letter included a great speech about participation and becoming leaders. I also got an illustrated map of the white house, with a reverse side interview of the president himself. It featured all kinds of regular kid questions like: "Do you play sports?, Do you get a day off?, and Who is your best friend?" (the first lady of course!) The kid pack also includes a photograph of Obama and a family photograph with signatures printed on. So regal like! I might hang it on my wall!

At first I was amused that my project was perceived as kid stuff. And then I was thinking how, if I was ten, this white house kid pack response would be awesome! If I was ten, I might think of the president as this distant television character, and getting mail from him with all this cool info and photos, wow! But then I remembered reality through my own lens, and how as much promise as it seems, it's really a propaganda punch. Cause I don't see how United States leaders can continue to go on and on about how great America is when there is so much trauma and people hurting everyday. I believe that the suffering has come to outweigh any sense of greatness, because people, including me, are beginning to understand the consequences(e.g. oil spill, war on Irag, war on drugs, mass incarceration, JLWOP, destruction, destruction, violence, disconnected, mental health crisis) of what America stands for. And that that idea of greatness is at so much expense. And that only some people get to play anyway, cause the deck is stacked sooooooo high. So yeah. Thanks for nothing Obama, except this nudge towards blog posting.

Mom's day 2010

I just had a mom's day. It involved talking with many moms on the phone. I talked with an old old wiry mom who connected with a young young scared person. I talked with a strong mom who walked the dog with me and lulled me into her house and bedroom, descibing her husband turning over and waving to her in bed. I got a text message from my own mom, in what seemed like a small reaching out. A small asking for support. A small progression. I read about Rhonshawn's mom and how his relationship with her is the foundation of our differences. I talked with O'Ryan and T about moms who are controlling in the kitchen. Don't do this, don't touch that, shut up, shut up, shut up. About the kids in the food stamp office and the library who are yelled at for everything that isn't anything. The victims and the kids of the victims. So yeah. Hooray for moms.

While cleaning out my folders at work I found this writing

Instructions for the unpractical acquisition of toilet paper

Go to a Pittsburgh Pirates Game. At the end of the game, go to the bathroom and steal a roll. If you are a woman, put it under your shirt and hope that the surrounding people and potential security guards think you are pregnant. Remove the roll at the bus stop to the polite jeers of passing men saying, “ha, you stole that.” Reply accordingly. When they say “you don’t have to be ashamed,” say “I’m not ashamed.” Feel uncomfortable as they proceed to try and hit on you, using the TP theft as an opening. Get on the bus and go home. Tell your roommate about your acquiring. Listen to him say, “oh, I have been meaning to get some from my work.” Reply in a fake mean tone, “Oh. You mean that place you go everyday that doesn’t cost 16 dollars?” Walk away abruptly. But then. Feel pure delight that the roll is still around three weeks!/ four weeks! later. Fantasize about going to another game.

My last day of work was last Saturday and I felt sad cleaning out my folders and drawer. But get this! Somehow, in some way, Regina Spektor was playing outloud on the first floor for like 10 songs! Regina Spektor is my favorite singer of all now! How could this be? It was magic! I am considering it a celebration.

Priorities

Today at lunch I was writing a very serious email to a state police officer. Then from the vague distance I heard a slight buzzing sound. It's January 30th! I completely forgot! Kazoo Fest 2010!

Terry gave me a kazoo at the FedUp! benefit and I really enjoy playing it. I then saw a flyer that said kazoo fest was happening in the children's library during my lunch break. But I had forgotten about it until I heard the buzz. When I heard the buzzing, I jumped up, ran past Cynthia to the puffy vest, got my kazoo out, and speed walked over to the children's room. I then did the hokey pokey, kazooed Happy Birthday to beethoven, and did an Ode to Joy. My kazoo stopped buzzing well after that. I think it needs some new wax paper.

Extraverted, iNtuitive, Feeling, Judging

Virginia asked me my Meyers Briggs personality and then Katey asked me, so I decided to take the test today. I found out I am an ENFJ which links me to being a teacher and an idealist. The best excerpt thing I read about ENFJs was, "They have tremendous charisma by which many are drawn into their nurturant tutelage and/ or grand schemes. HA! Life size chess! Every fundraiser ever!

http://typelogic.com/enfj.html

Featuring Dave's Misshaped Collection

Pretty soon I will not be a monster. Pretty soon I will have short hair.

2 kinds

I heard somewhere that there are two kinds of families. Those who can make it through dinner without the dictionary, and those who can't. I heard somewhere that there are two kinds of people. Those who do one something very well, and those who do a lot of things mediocre-ly. I understand that there are so many other kinds and kinds. But of these choices I am leaning towards looking up romantic while eating kale and then writing a song, zine, and four letters about the definition.