Beauty Queens

     Almost completed the book Beauty Queens, by Libba Bray, but I seriously need to get this off my chest. What started out as a goofy ridiculous read, with great comedic voice and a poke-fun-at-self attitude turned into a giant soap box for every issue ever whined about by anyone. At first, the Corporation seemed similarly ridiculous and hilarious, I'm surprised she didn't just come out and call it, "The Man." Of course it's an evil corporation, with lots of clandestine activity, none of it good. And then there's the contestants.
   
     Each contestant dealt with a different issue. One was "not a nymphomaniac" she simply felt sexy more often than others, and of course we have the Abstinence issue. Then there's a lesbian, and a bi-sexual deaf girl who hates "pretending to be happy" when she's not really that happy because she can't hear. (Seriously? I'm going to respectfully ask the author to leave that topic alone. Unless she's dealing with handicaps herself, which I doubt considering her "insights"). Then of course there's damaging the ecosystem of the lone island, which of course was once inhabited by a brave race of proud people who have been relocated by The Man - ahem, I mean The Corporation.

     There's also a transgender named Petra who used to be a singer for a well-known pop boy band until she quit and started the transition from adorable boy-bander to sexy female. And my favorite character, the crazy, off-the-wall Texan. She's strong, she's opinionated, and she holds a card to the club Femmes and Firearms. Of course, we're supposed to hate her. She's crazy and stupid, right?! If I knew I was buying a soapbox, I would have asked it to kindly plead the fifth. 

Bitter:Sweet

I've been listening to Pandora radio on my phone a lot lately, due to the quiet my job creates (seriously, it's almost zen-like). Of course, since Pandora can read minds, it has selected for my aural pleasure the awesome retro, bubbly sweet Bitter:Sweet. And I've enjoyed every song that has played for me. A quick selection, if I may - -

1. The Mating Game: This song plays in a champagne commercial, which I immediately recalled upon hearing it.
"Dance with me across the ocean floor/
Sail away to heaven's open door/
Step right up/ you're the next contestant
In this sweet charade/
Take a number/ wait while I twist your fate."

2. Dirty Laundry: Another pop-sizzle song. The lead singers voice is practically angelic in quality.

"I've got a bad boy/ and that's alright with me/
His dirty laundry/ is nothing that I can't keep clean/
And when he needs/ an alibi
He can use me all night."

3. The Bomb: The theme song for the show "Lipstick Jungle." J'adore! 

"Read my lips/

Be/ all that you can be/Make a difference/ give your dreams/ to me
Just/ like the television says/ join the army/ get ahead/ oh please."

Check out their official website and enjoy their list of songs to sample. :)

What's New

     Currently, I am sitting through a boring class that allows me to keep my job as a student worker. I'm keeping my job as a student worker for only a month and some change. In December, after my birthday and my sister's birthday, but before Christmas, Hubs and I plan on moving to a new city, where he will work at his new job, and I will stay home to work on a master's degree in Library Science. In the middle of all of this, I'm hoping we can start a little family. Faith isn't about believing your plans will go through, it's knowing that even if they don't, God will take care of you, and everything will turn out just fine.