Lolli Lolli Oh Lollipop

Taken from braisinhussy cuz it felt like it could be an interesting comparison or at least retrospect.

September 11, 2001:
I was a senior in high school. I'd taken to watching the morning news while having breakfast. The TV was already on by the time I walked out into the living room and I didn't really take much heed to it other than a mere glance. I think I sat down and started to eat and the audio from the TV just kind of suddenly caught my attention. I turn around, look at the screen, rushed closer and just stared. I remember thinking that it had to be a joke of some sort.

When I got to school -- physics -- everyone was buzzing about what had happened. The TV in the room was on and when the first building crumpled, everyone just stopped. An eerie silence took over the room. Obviously, the topic was incessantly talked about throughout the day, but we didn't get the day off from school. To be honest, I can't remember what I did after school. It was almost like it was any other day, except that was at the forefront of our thoughts. I know I was in shock and sad that such an event happened. It just all seemed so surreal, like it was a scene straight from a movie.

May 1, 2011:
The beginning of the day was spent with my father being all bothersome and impatient with me going over to his place to teach him how to use his new diabetes blood glucose level tester. I swear, he only runs on his time. He'll call every ten minutes to check up on where I am, but if I need him to be somewhere, he takes his sweet time. Whatever. This took way longer than I thought because he just...is slow on the uptake or something not that the new tester is vastly different than his old one...idek.

Anyway, the rest of the day was spent at sakurae's place for a sewing party. random_karen came by a bit later and all three of us were working on our Fanime stuff. I believe it was after dinner when Annie's parents were in the living room watching TV, we heard cheering and mentions of the White House, but didn't go investigate. We just kind of thought they were still talking about Obama's speech and jokes during the White House Correspondents' Dinner. I get up to go use the bathroom, which meant I had to walk by the TV. I glance over, read the headliner on the bottom of the screen and said out loud, "Oh my god! Osama Bin Laden's dead!" Or something to that extent. And well...that was that, LOL. We just went back to work.

mikari_chan made a good point yesterday that I didn't realize. A lot of the people cheering outside the White House were people around my age -- in their 20s. We've spent most of our adulthood with this so-called War on Terrorism as an almost soundtrack to our lives. It was always in the background. Either affecting us directly or indirectly, but it was (is?) always there.

I've been avoiding reading or listening to any comments regarding how Osama was brought to justice, if you will. I really don't understand and somewhat despise how internet culture has evolved into everyone wanting to throw in their opinion -- whether constructive or not, but mostly destructive -- just for the sake of it. It always serves to piss me off. I don't know if they think they can say such things due to the fact that they're essentially anonymous, hiding behind the protection of an online moniker. It definitely doesn't make me have high regard on American society as a whole.

If you're curious as to my opinion on it, I'd have to agree with what unlock said. ETA: To elaborate, I guess I'm more neutral. Like I can see how his death can be a cause for celebration, especially for those who lost a loved one and feel the need to avenge. But it's also kind of odd to be celebrating the death of a person even though they could very well be labeled as evil. I don't have sympathy for him, but I also cannot relate to other opinions especially the ones about how love can cure all. I also cannot help but precariously cling to the thought that there's one less "bad" person in the world and that hopefully also means a step toward a better world, which can be a bit fantastical to even think about. I don't know. XD; *stops rambling*

Oh great. :\ There's a crime wave in my neighborhood.

Now if you know of Silverlake, you know it's not a bad area. It's a neighborhood where people will actually smile and say hi to strangers or at least smile politely and be on their way. Echo Park, on the other hand I don't know too much about so I can't vouch for it though it does look like it's been going through the process of gentrification.

So oi, wtf? There have been almost a dozen robberies starting at the end of December and throughout all of January. All of the targets seem to be men, but that doesn't comfort me at all. Thankfully, I usually drive to places in these two neighborhoods because they're too far to walk anyway, but it doesn't mean I won't be more careful.

Let's hope the cops can put an end to this. I would hate to see my neighborhood turn shitty again. I remember growing up to gunshots echoing at night, reports of car bombs and coming home to the cops blocking off access to my street because some idiot was evading arrest and hiding in buildings. Yeah...no repeat of history, kthx. Though it does kind of make sense...bad economy = potential rise in crime.

Another more in-depth article over here.

In other, more lighter news: Hey, evalime do you want this for your birthday? --> Sticks of Shame shirt. Haha. 8D