Actually, no, but I do like his! I have no idea who he is, but that picture alone makes me think he must be rad. I have another friend who got it similar, she did one bar black and one bar white to illustrate a more racially based equality, which I thought was cool, but I feel my passion lies more broadly/ with the lgbtq fight. It’s mostly inspired by the Human Right’s Campaign symbol, but I don’t necessarily agree with all of their policies, especially since they sacrifice transfolk rights in their fight. So, I would definitely not attach their trademark blue/yellow colors to it.

I’m not saying its the most original, but it is the most simplistic way to sum up passion and to constantly remind myself that I should always use my voice and not be silenced.

Everything is going to be different. Mostly, I’m getting the hell away from this rotten ass job and finding anything but. Ideally, other junk will change too, but most importantly! NEW JOB!

January, a new job!

Just an update during my, “I-hate-my-job” work shift of today.

Love.Britt.

Got a job for me? Eh?

fuckyeahdepressingfacts:

First off, this post should be automatically reblogged by followers. I don’t care if you read it before you reblog it or after you do so, just start off by reblogging it. I also encourage you to suggest to your followers to reblog this post also.

Let me ask you a simple question, why aren’t you angry? Why aren’t you at your windows screaming along with the LGBT community, “I’M AS MAD AS HELL AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!”? Was it because you were to busy pointing your fingers at Miley Cyrus, even though she was smoking salvia, which is legal?Was it because you supposed that posting about how you supported Tumblr when it went purple let you off the hook? If you’re confused, let me tell you what you should be mad about.

The UN vote to take sexual orientation off of the list of discriminatory grounds for execution has passed. You want a translation? Countries within the UN, which for the past 10 years couldn’t, now can execute someone just because of their sexual orientation. 

(edit: Source: http://news.pinkpaper.com/NewsStory/4319/18/11/2010/countries-vote-to-accept-execution-of-gays.aspx

http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2010/gashc3997.doc.htm

Just google the following term “Remove sexual orientation, UN”)

The funny thing is, 62 years ago, the UN passed a declaration known as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Here are some articles within the Declaration of human rights

Article 2:

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3:

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person

Article 7:

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Yet, it seems that the LGBT community is no longer part of the human race and that that human rights don’t apply to them. If the vote itself has not already made you angry, the glaring hypocrisy of the Declaration of Human Rights should. 

Remember that day? Remember when tumblr turned purple and everybody gave themselves a pat on the back for standing together for a group of socially discriminated people? What happened to that sympathy in which you felt, in which you reblogged that post about how you were on tumblr the day it turned purple and you were proud? That one post does not give you a free pass to be empathetic to the LGBT communities cause for the rest of your days, nor does it justify your apathy on this issue so you can bitch about Miley Cyrus smoking a bong.

So what can you do?

http://www.un.org/en/contactus/

You can email your concerns about the future of the LGBT community while also pointing out how this decision violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

(edit: Cunthorse pointed out that :The full text of this post contains a contact link for the UN. The contact form is a really bad piece of web design: if you click outside any of the fields you’re filling in, the content you’ve so far entered will disappear. Also, the message can’t be longer than 200 characters! (and they don’t say this anywhere on the form itself; it just gives you an alert box if you try.) I recommend typing your response into Notepad ++ or something, so that you can keep track of the character count, and then pasting it into the message box.

http://www.un.org/en/members/

You can also mail or call the embassies (find your country in the list above, click on the hyperlinked name of the country and contact information should be shown) in which the UN representatives reside and express your opinions on this vote and how it should be vetoed or should be undone.

You could also:

• Organize protests, peaceful, or rallies in which people rally for equal rights for the LGBT community.
• Reblog and educate your followers.
• Start petitions to show to local and federal government members.
• Donate and get in contact with groups such as Amnesty International (http://www.amnestyusa.org/). Express how you stand with them and how you feel about this (edit: iragray pointed out that the HRC was not the best group of choice. However, this doesn’t mean just donate to Amnesty International, you can support local organizations or other organizations of your choice.)

This vote infringes on the rights of the LGBT community to be considered humans. The other time in history when humans were not considered humans was during World War 2, in which the Nazi Party considered people of African descent and of Jewish descent less than human beings. I’m sure you all know how that ended.

This is a call to arms, a call which should reverberate around tumblr as it did when tumblr went purple or when 4chan initiated project overlord. Reblog and show your support for LGBT rights.

Sincerely, 

Fuckyeahdepressingfacts, DK Lee.

Let’s take some action and write an email. Let’s get pissed and spread the word. Let’s not be silent, let’s be loud and in their face. Let’s stand up for equality today.

Love.Britt.

Dear Tumblr-listeners,

There is nothing better than curling up on your couch or driving with the heat on blast during a gloomy day and listening to the music that both emphasizes the sorrow while also lets you sway gently between each riff. We all know what days Graham and I are talking about, and we all know the band we flip to for just those moments.

Here are mine in no particular order (I can’t prioritize ANYTHING):

1. Brand New
2. The Snake, The Cross, The Crown
3. Two Cow Garage
4. The Good Life
5. Explosions in the Sky

I feel like Brand New is self-explanitory and probably expected. Really, this list isn’t so surprising if you’ve heard any of these bands. Maybe I’ll try to upload some tunes for y’all to check out and get into now that we’re rockin’ the gloomy months.

However, if you haven’t checked out The Snake, The Cross, The Crown, you need to get on it. The album “Mander Salis” didn’t leave my CD player (Yeah, its old enough that I wasn’t fortunate enough to have an iPod yet) for months during that winter. I think that was 03/04? Anyway, its still one of my go-to albums.

Sure, this list changes as my music taste evolves (which it has a lot), but every band except Two Cow have been go-to’s for effing years. Two Cow is a relatively recent discovery which I imagine will hang there for another hunk of years to come.

These bands are what’s up.

Love.Britt.

When discussing the best bands to listen to on a gloomy day a few groups come to mind, like Bright Eyes or Dashboard Confessional, but I don’t want to include those bands. I honestly don’t turn to them on those sad, dreary days that we all experience (especially during times like right now in the midst of winter and the approaching X-mas). I want to highlight some of those bands that really actually do give me something when I’m down.  They may not be what you expected, but these are those bands that I can hide away with.

It’s like in the movie, Reign Over Me, the character Charlie Fineman has severe trauma when his entire family is wiped out in a plane crash. However, he has a safe place that he can go to to make the world seem alright: Inside his headphones. In one of the closing scenes, he places his headphones over his ears and turns the volume way up and starts screaming the lyrics of the classic The Who song, Reign Over Me. It’s a beautiful and sad scene all in the same moment. And these bands are like that to me: A safe place. A comforting hug.

But everyone is different. If I were you, I’d listen to: Taking Back Sunday, Eliot Smith, Ella Fitzgerald, Love is a Story, and Bon Iver. But I’m not you, so here’s my list (in no particular order):

1. Bayside
2. Bring Me the Horizon
3. Career Soldiers
4. Rancid
5. A Day to Remember

1. Bayside - No shocker with this one. Bayside is one of my all time favorite bands and Anthony Ranieri’s lyrical content is just undeniable. If you are jealous, heartbroken, or just down, please listen to them. Their lyrics seriously complete me with their complexity. I can relate to every single word in almost every single song. It’s the perfect music to self-loathing and depression.

2. Bring Me the Horizon - Only listen to their first album. It’s the only one worth even considering. But if you need some lyrics that are about hating some unknown “Bitch” that lead singer, Oli Sykes continuously bashes, then please, give this a listen. Also, the guitar riffs are so br00tal that some little children and some Republicans somewhere will die while listening.

3. Career Soldiers - I’m sorry, but when I’m down, I just can’t listen to whiny emo (with the exception of Bayside because that band is just genius). I need something energetic and angry. Career Soldier’s album Loss of Words is that album for me. Anytime I need the strength to do something, I put them on and I’m ready to conquer the world.

4. Rancid - Not going into this because I could write a novel about what this band has done for me. But let’s just say that Rancid has been with me my entire life and is always there when I need it, like a best friend.

5. ADTR - Like I’ve said, when I’m upset, I need it powerful, lyrics with a point, and music that just hits the spot. And for some reason, ADTR always does that for me. I mean, they may be a little emo, but they’ve also got sick hardcore breakdowns and the combination between screams and emo-vox is just flawless. Plus, who doesn’t need a little emo when you’re down?  Listen to the last song on their album Homesick. You’ll understand.

—Graham

Dear Tumblr-survivors,

I’m pleased to see you have all survived the “Hipster Apocalypse” as MSNBC called it. Somehow, this massive black out didn’t effect me, which must be a first that I actually had stuff to occupy my time so that I didn’t notice that Tumblr wasn’t occupying said time.

Anyway, I’m here tonight to reflect and mostly work some things out for myself through writing. Sometimes writing to a perceived audience is helpful because it requires you to craft what you’re saying and to give it further thought than just whiney emotions. That’s what this is, a look at why I’m a semester into the real world and how I am where I am stuck.

Remember Graham and I bragging about our best friend’s band, Elway, and them being signed and junk? Red Scare Records just announced a “Red Scare Presents” show featuring The Menzingers and Elway as support. I freaking love the Menzingers and I know how much Joe and Tim must be shitting themselves that they’re getting to play with these dudes. I also know that I am so jealous it hurts. Mostly because this is happening in Chicago and there is just no way I can see it.

Anyway, remember how my awesome co-blogger Graham is in Spain teaching English? Doing what he has talked about doing for the last three years of our friendship? Times may be rough here and there, but he is in another country, emerging himself in another language and culture, living a life he dreamed of.

And then there is my best friend who is finishing up her undergraduate degree and aiming all future work towards getting into Yale’s art program. Because she is so enthralled by the main dude (excuse my lack of art-anything in this post) in the department, and because she desires an Ivy League education, she is putting all her effort to get into this and leave Denver far behind.

I’m also pleased to say that Eamonn is making plans with his new band to do things. Anchor Point is booking shows, talking about recording and trying to get on the line up to play with No Use For a Name when they’re in Denver in January. It’s exciting because at least every Tuesday he is with his friends working for a common goal.

I’m surrounded by beautifully successful young adults. People who are taking their lives by the reigns and making change happen. So many of their decisions can be inspirational and a nice reminder that there really is hope in the gloomy, mundane life of the real world.

Some people are naturally happier than others. There is no way you can deny this. And since I tend to lean towards the melodramatic side of, “I’m doomed, nothing will ever work out” mentality, I have to work real hard and make conscious decisions to channel a more positive mindset.

Which means that tonight is particularly rough because rather than being ecstatic for those I love, I am nothing but envious.

As I look back in the last four months, since about August, I see nothing. I see a chance opportunity to go to FEST and leap out of my comfort zone, and then long silences of mundane happenings that do nothing to highlight a successful life. And sure, success is relative and if you want to look at my life in terms of privilege, I’m rolling in success. But, if I want to look at it in terms of my expectations for myself, there is nothing but a dismal conclusion leading to more self-loathsome thoughts and feelings.

I’ve spent the last five years emerging myself in busy accomplishments. Always saying yes to something I don’t have time for nor the mental stability for, but always coming out on top (well, mostly). My college career is littered with accomplished goals, satisfied decisions, and jobs well-done. Of course there was a lot of adversity and obstacles, but so much more success.

Without the guidance of college expectations or, mostly, without my wonderful SLiCE Office (Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement Office) to help challenge and direct me, I have mostly fallen into the middle of some never-ending field of no direction.

So, here I sit fully aware of my situation but at a loss for how to change it. I mean, I’ve reflected on all those feel-good movies where the protagonist hits some obstacle or gets a dose of inspiration and radically changes their life to become exactly what they want and suddenly the movie ends in rainbows and gold. But, I feel trapped in this position. Trapped by the needs of a 9-5 paycheck, of legal obligations like a rental agreement, of needing to consider other’s feelings and decisions. I’m sure these are all excuses, as any positive, optimistic person would say.

But damnit, how do you move from an excuse to action?

I need to drown myself in accomplished stress, I need to fill my time with something that feels like meaning. I need to volunteer or find a job I feel passionately about. Or, maybe I just need to go back to school and bask in that comforting understanding and allow myself to reside there from here on out.

I also need to learn how to be self-guided. To some extent I’m good at getting what I want and really working towards what I want. But, looking back, I’m not sure whether I’ve chosen what I’ve want or whether its been placed in front of me for me to achieve, outside my own conscious decision making. 

Here is where it would almost be nice to feel apart of a religion. Least when you have that you can tell yourself someone else has a plan for you and you no longer have to take the responsibility to do it yourself.

Now, I need to just chin up, step up and to quit whining and take responsibility for the fact that my life hasn’t lived up to my own expectations.

Anyway, it is a true honor to have such inspiring and motivated people in my life. I am so proud of the accomplishments they’re working on. Now, I just need to shake myself from this rut, figure out some kind of self-guidance, and own this thing called life.

Yeah, I have absolutely no idea what’s up.

Love.Britt.