After a long stretch of work I am back! This time I am going to have some fun with my family. Namely my brother, Chris. Now, before you accuse me of being mean to my brother, realize he has told many embarassing stories about me. Knowing him, he may start his own blog just to tell a doozy about me.
The year was 1989. We were in between houses and not the richest family out there by far. So a lot of our hair care was done at home. I always wanted curly hair so a perm was the easiest solution. My Mom would go out and buy the perm in a box from the drugstore and had a stash of plastic rods and tissue paper to make my wishes a reality. Well, apparently my brother was a little jealous of the attention I was getting and decided he wanted a perm of his own. Or who knows, this was the same year David Hasselhoff appeared at the Berlin Wall in that light up jacket so maybe he just wanted to look like the Hoff. Scary thought.
So Mom decided to give my brother his wish. Chris was sitting in the chair and his head was soon covered in plastic curling rods. What Chris did not realize was just how long those rods stay in your hair. After the super smelly chemical formula is put on the hair, it has to stay there for 40 minutes and can't drip everywhere. The solution for this is a see through shower cap. So here is Chris, walking around the place feeling slightly humiliated in perm rods and a shower cap. Next thing I know, I hear a loud, "NOOOO!!!" and a bright flash. Apperently, Mom had sneaked off and found Chris's camera, which conveniently only had one picture left on it (Ahh, the good old film days). I'm not sure which Chris was more upset about. Having the humiliating moment caught on camera or his last picture being used up. He would never ask for a perm again.
That picture has probably been the best blackmail photo we have. It gives a perfect shot of the rods and his mouth and eyes wide open as he's yelling "No!" There was a time when Chris was making me mad. So while he had some friends over, I casually walked by and dropped the picture in their laps. Within seconds, the friends were laughing so hard they had tears in their eyes. Chris has threatened in the past to destroy the photo, but my Mom has it strategically hidden. I think now he has just accepted the picture exists and just acts cool when it comes out. But alas, my dear brother, look at the bright side. You no longer have your curly locks. The Hoff still does.
Live life to the fullest,
Culture Girl
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
The etiquette of Trash Talk
We all have allegiances to our favorite teams. Whether it is where we were born, what our parents dressed us in as a kid or whatever team captured our interest at a young age, these allegiances run deep. How else could some cheesy college fight song written in the 1920s make a grown man cry? Unfortunately, other people out there love to cheer against our beloved teams. It's those darn other teams that keep our team from hoisting the trophy year after year, much to the delight of our adversaries. Hence comes the phenomenon known as trash talk.
I am always amazed how people think they can go up to somebody they barely know and diss their team. I can't think of another way to get somebody to dislike you! I also find it odd that people will trash talk somebody who has never dissed their team before. And I am not talking just a "Go team!" but downright mean, go for the jugular type of trashtalk. I think there should be some guidelines to trash talk so here it is, Culture Girl's guide to Trash Talk Etiquette.
1-Only trash talk with people you have trash talked with before and you know have the personality to take it. As much as I hate to admit it, I take trash talk personally and that is why I keep my mouth shut 90% of the time my team is playing. Heck, most people don't even know who my favorite teams are. So please, unless I just totallly dissed your team please leave me alone.
2-Phone calls to the other fan when it is certain their team is going to lose is cold. This is why 90% of the time the phone will go unanswered and messages will be deleted immediately. Losing hurts and that should be respected. There was a guy who had a crush on me back in the day. One of his ways he would flirt with me was to call me and laugh at me when my team was about to lose. Seriously. Needless to say, nothing materialized between me and that guy.
3-If it is somebody you care about, butter them up. I love this technique. This is how my sister in law trash talks. She will say something, and then end it with a "Love you!" Of course, she has to do this because I think every team we cheer for has a rivalry and we would constantly be at each other's throats if she didn't. This is what happens when a midwesterner like me marries into a family from the south. Which brings me to my next point.
4-Remember that different regions cheer differently. Southerners are the most rabid fans you will ever meet and they will fight you to the death if you try to trash talk with them. West coast people are rather laid back and probably don't even care if they win or lose. Even when they have the best team in the country! The rest of us fall somewhere in between. So pick your battles wisely.
5-Completely ignore drunk people. They probably won't even remember what they said the next day so don't even bother with them.
6-Keep in mind that in the heat of the game, people do say things that they would not normally say in the real world. In real life, I am a very laid back person. But in a serious game, I have said things that have made my husband look at me and say, "Who are you?" So be forgiving in these instances. Also, playoffs bring the intensity to a whole new level. Suddenly, you hate a team you never hated before simply because they are in the way of you and the title. Of course, those of us who cheer for college football have no idea what that is like because we have never had a playoff before.
So there you have. Now go out and have fun the next time you watch a game and don't let those other people bother you. And last but not least, GO THUNDER!
Live life to the fullest,
Culture Girl
I am always amazed how people think they can go up to somebody they barely know and diss their team. I can't think of another way to get somebody to dislike you! I also find it odd that people will trash talk somebody who has never dissed their team before. And I am not talking just a "Go team!" but downright mean, go for the jugular type of trashtalk. I think there should be some guidelines to trash talk so here it is, Culture Girl's guide to Trash Talk Etiquette.
1-Only trash talk with people you have trash talked with before and you know have the personality to take it. As much as I hate to admit it, I take trash talk personally and that is why I keep my mouth shut 90% of the time my team is playing. Heck, most people don't even know who my favorite teams are. So please, unless I just totallly dissed your team please leave me alone.
2-Phone calls to the other fan when it is certain their team is going to lose is cold. This is why 90% of the time the phone will go unanswered and messages will be deleted immediately. Losing hurts and that should be respected. There was a guy who had a crush on me back in the day. One of his ways he would flirt with me was to call me and laugh at me when my team was about to lose. Seriously. Needless to say, nothing materialized between me and that guy.
3-If it is somebody you care about, butter them up. I love this technique. This is how my sister in law trash talks. She will say something, and then end it with a "Love you!" Of course, she has to do this because I think every team we cheer for has a rivalry and we would constantly be at each other's throats if she didn't. This is what happens when a midwesterner like me marries into a family from the south. Which brings me to my next point.
4-Remember that different regions cheer differently. Southerners are the most rabid fans you will ever meet and they will fight you to the death if you try to trash talk with them. West coast people are rather laid back and probably don't even care if they win or lose. Even when they have the best team in the country! The rest of us fall somewhere in between. So pick your battles wisely.
5-Completely ignore drunk people. They probably won't even remember what they said the next day so don't even bother with them.
6-Keep in mind that in the heat of the game, people do say things that they would not normally say in the real world. In real life, I am a very laid back person. But in a serious game, I have said things that have made my husband look at me and say, "Who are you?" So be forgiving in these instances. Also, playoffs bring the intensity to a whole new level. Suddenly, you hate a team you never hated before simply because they are in the way of you and the title. Of course, those of us who cheer for college football have no idea what that is like because we have never had a playoff before.
So there you have. Now go out and have fun the next time you watch a game and don't let those other people bother you. And last but not least, GO THUNDER!
Live life to the fullest,
Culture Girl
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Welcome to my blog!
Okay, so after much thought, I have decided to join the blogosphere. Topics will cover just about anything, but my main reason for starting this is to create understanding. I am convinced I am the most misunderstood person in the world. I think everytime I say something I am taken out of context. I guess I am just not a soundbite type of girl. My thinking tends to go deeper than a Facebook post or a casual comment. I also think I have some pretty funny stories throughout my life. So I hope you enjoy my blog! More to come soon.
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