Taylor Swift Finally Pulled Me In

Taylor Swift and her eyebrowsFor a few years now, I’ve groaned when I heard a Taylor Swift song. I have a 14 year old, and she and her friends like Taylor and have played her a lot. Since she isn’t my usual taste, I didn’t give her a fair shake. I had also read the Rolling Stone treatment of her a few years ago, and came away impressed with her business acumen but not inclined to listen to someone’s music who lived such a “white bread” existence.

But one of her latest hits became an anthem among teens and maybe some not so teen, and I started listening. Yep, it’s true teen angst has been her stock and trade, but not just to whine. She tries to encourage, and I’m learning to appreciate that about her. I tend to be a critic, but I would like to think I’m changing. I hope you watch this to the end. Love the end:

I’ve also thought about the fact she writes most of her songs and has been doing this for years, and with this change away from her country roots and given her youth, she will continue to experiment way beyond Shake It Off. The song seems like an announcement of just that. And I look forward to that, because eventually it’s going to be something like a fine wine.

This one features a favorite of many in this fandom:

A Good Problem

So I started my new blog, but I have a problem. Actually, until this evening I’ve been looking at the issue I’m about to reveal as a problem. It seems that I can’t shift out of snark mode. That’s supposed to be a serious blog, but I’ve been at snark for so long, I keep straying into it. This evening I decided that a little snark over there is not going to be a bad thing. It is possible to be passionate and a smart ass? Or am I wrong that’s it’s possible to be taken seriously as a smart ass? Wait. Let me rephrase. Can you be a smart ass and be taken seriously?

How is this a good problem? I used to be so serious, I bored myself. Now I just want to write, and if that means a little bit smart ass, so be it.

A picture for your trouble:

Oh yeah, Ricky was a smart ass — especially in this scene.

Screencap courtesy of RichardArmitageNet.Com

Twitter Adventures

I’m so glad Kathryn shared her experience with us. Check it out:

Convent Capers

March 1, 2012 by kathrynruthd

So where is the best place to stay in York for five friends on a mission to have a weekend of laughing, drinking, and ghost hunting? Apparently it’s a convent. Yes, that’s right, a convent…and a working one too!

So where is the best place to stay in York for five friends on a mission to have a weekend of laughing, drinking, and ghost hunting? Apparently it’s a convent. Yes, that’s right, a convent…and a working one too!

The weekend was planned long in advance but trying to find a cheap place to stay for only one night is not very easy in York, so we opted to stay in the rather charming Bar Convent. It is, in fact, England’s oldest convent but in recent years they’ve started offering bed and breakfast accommodation and also run a cafe. My single room was very small, as you might imagine a nun’s cell to be, but it had everything you expect to find in a hotel room and was warm and comfortable. I would not hesitate to stay there again or recommend it and I don’t believe I have ever stayed anywhere so spotlessly clean. Before we arrived, there had been talk of packing wimples but actually, we didn’t knowingly see a single nun the whole time we were there!

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For those who don’t know Kathryn, she’s definitely a Richard Armitage fan, and she writes fan fiction too!

And yes, I’ve seen Sir Peter’s video. Commentary coming soon. : D