7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 111) Brexit edition

1. The British are leaving! The British are leaving! I've been fascinated by the Brexit vote. I honestly didn't expect leave to win (I don't think most did). Honestly, I don't think it's as terrible as people are making it. Yes, the economy will suffer, but it will with any change. I think those that voted to leave had some reasonable arguments. They don't want a foreign, un-elected body making laws for them. They want localized control. However, leaving the EU has big ramifications. In my view, the biggest would be the potential breaking up of the UK, as Northern Ireland and Scotland both want to split and join the EU (as part of the Republic of Ireland and an independent state, respectively). At this point, it's too soon to actually know how it will all play out, but it's a major event that is worth investigating, even as an American.

2. Some Americans are less informed:

3. The Remain side:

4. The Leave side:

5. The result of closing the borders:

6. Potential result across Europe:

7. With the Fourth of July coming up:

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 110)

I haven't done this in a long time, but since I'm hoping to get back into some sort of blog routine, this might be a good place to start. Today's Quick Takes are just funny things I've come across lately.

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7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 109) X Files edition

I had lots of plans crammed into the long Presidents’ Day weekend a while back. But snow and ice storms, amongst other things, canceled my plans, leaving me with three days of Netflix binging. I got sucked into X Files. I have a friend who tried to get me into a year ago, and I had been going slowly, an episode here or there. But I really synced with it that weekend and have since blown through several seasons. There are forthcoming blog posts relating my current sci-fi obsession to my faith, so brace yourselves for my latest geekout. 

1. I’m 20 years late to the party, but I’m totally on board the Mulder/Scully ship. Totally. They might simultaneously be my favorite platonic and romantic couple. Never has side-eye and hand-on-shoulder been so sexy. 

2. Scully needs to wear her latex gloves and surgical masks more often. Papers left behind by a killer? Gloves. Gooey body of unidentified humanoid? Bare-handed and uncovered mouth open. This is how all those alien diseases spread! 

3. I’m really glad the government had stopped smallpox vaccinations before I was born. And I can see where anti-vaccers are coming from. In fact, my binges are making me pretty paranoid about several things. I need to get some good detox literature lined up.

4. Family members of FBI agents must have terrible insurance rates. Same for any woman that crosses Skinner’s path.

5. I kind of don’t want to see the new episodes, because I can just go on the internet and see what post-9/11 Mulders are like in real life. That’s depressing. I need the distance. 

6. The show premiered in September 1993. That month is beginning of Eternal September, which refers to when AOL began offering Internet access for many people. Before then, the internet was mainly geeks and college students (with waves of newbies joining each September at the beginning of school, settling into the ways of the net within a few weeks). In Sept. 1993, the waves of new AOL users didn’t stop, forever changing the culture. I think this show is the perfect Eternal September show, in that it perfectly encapsulates 1990s tech. As agents, Mulder and Scully have cellphones and the internet, and both play incredibly large roles in plots. As the seasons progress, more and more common people have the technology too. The show seems to perfectly balance how technology was used in the 90s.

7. This scene. Just, everything about it. #blackandwhite #cher #walkinginmemphis #mutant #jerryspringer #mulderandscullydance #postmodernprometheus

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 108)

1. The new Star Wars movie is out. While I'm not the biggest Star Wars fan, the franchise does contain one of the best movie spoilers of all time, so I'm trying to avoid spoilers until I see the film later this weekend. It's like a Harry Potter book release all over again.

2. I'm not alone in my fears.

3. Star Wars mania is really getting out of control.

4. Now, everyone has their favorite character: Hans, R2D2, Chewy. But I'm a dork who always liked Luke best. This has caused some worrying since he is suspiciously absent from the promos. So let me just say this: there has been growing fan theories that the Empire was right, that they were a stable force trying to stop religiously-trained terrorists. While it's a far-stretched theory, if Luke turns out to be evil, I'll be all aboard the Empire train.

5. There is also the theory that Jar Jar is actually a mastermind with jedi powers that uses a facade of ignorance to worm his way into Senate power. It's a pretty far-stretched, yet awesome theory as well.

6. But as I said, I'm not that big of a Star Wars fan, much more a Trek girl. So I'm having mixed emotions about the next Star Trek movie. Simon Pegg is my only hope. 




7. VII!

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 106)

1. Yes, yes, I’ve been terrible at posting lately. Ugh. Looking back, my posting peak was definitely during my transition to Catholicism. Now I’m going weeks without learning new things. Shame on me.

2. I’ve started my new job and am trying to get into the swing of things. Right now I still feel like more of a nuisance than an asset.

3. I’m commuting 3 hours a day. That partly explains why I’m not writing much and also explains how I’m quickly tiring of all my favorite songs.

4. But I get to look at the mountains a lot while I drive. Yay! I fall more in love them each year.

5. On a light note: A bishop arrives late for a confirmation service in a Southern town. He stumbles hurriedly out of the car, vestments on but disheveled. He sees a man standing on the sidewalk and asks, "Is Mass out?" The man looks around at the bishop's backside and says, "No, but your hat's on crooked." 

6. And another: A priest processes to the altar for Mass and realizes his microphone is faulty. He says loudly, "There's something wrong with this microphone!" The congregation replies, "And also with you."

7. Did you know 9/11 has been called Patriot Day since 2002? Because I’m pretty sure I had never heard of it until 2013. And it’s a day of service? Didn’t know that until today.

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol. 105)

1. Jon Stewart’s last Daily Show was last night. It was really fun seeing all the correspondents that had worked with him over the past 17 years. And Colbert even worked in some Tolkien.

2. And how pointing that Jon’s last night was the same night as a GOP date. Even though it was a comedy show, Jon did a lot to explain media and politics to my generation. What a state of affairs that it still takes the court jester to speak the truth.

3. Speaking of the debate, a combination of drinking games and Twitter feeds got me through it. It’s a long time until November 2016. #feelthebern

4. To add to the depressing news, Kermit and Piggy announced their break-up. Which would be quite sad but it really indicates that the new Muppet show is on its way.

5. I don’t know if this applies to a particular situation this week, but it does encapsulate my life.

6. My job search is having some stop-starts; my stress has been out of control this week. It’s difficult for me to write when I’m doubting so much about myself.

7. I have little things like mini zen gardens to occupy my time.