entertain ideas of great communion

I am Erin. I like politics and music and history and baking and sport and the internet. I also like to read, often about politics and music and history and baking and sport and the internet. My longform blog is here. I tweet here. var sc_project=4601671; var sc_invisible=1; var sc_security="b1dd5320";

[naysayersspeak]

It really bugs me that people hold Taylor Swift to these ridiculous standards because she embodies a kind of femininity that people find alienating. I get that it isn’t what women SHOULD be, but women should absolutely be allowed to express themselves in heteronomative ways if they want to. And she’s got such a great point about how women telling stories about their emotions and their lived experiences are maginalized and mocked.

[naysayersspeak]

Hey look, it was me, 5 years ahead of the crowd. 

[naysayersspeak]

You guys, I am going to see Taaaaylor tomorrow. I’m pretty excited.

The little girl I babysit is also going. It’s her first concert. When I saw her on Saturday, we watched a bunch of Taylor videos. She couldn’t believe I could sing ALL the songs. She kept testing me. I passed.

[naysayersspeak]

Hey @vivlovestaylor, that’s you!!!

[naysayersspeak]

So here is a story about friendship and Taylor Swift (but mostly about friendship)

Like all good stories, this one starts with a breakup.

There was this boy I kinda loved - maybe the first boy I kinda loved - but it ended terribly. I spent weeks crying. And here’s the worst thing: he ended it just before the 2008 Presidential election.  This was a problem because, over the previous year or so, in a deeply unsatisfying job, I’d gotten very into US Politics. I’d supported Obama for years. When I first googled him, I searched “Barack Obama antichrist” got less than 20 hits (I spent time in conservative US churches, so I when I heard about Obama, my first impulse was to think “OMG, conservatives will freak about him”. But they hadn’t. Yet.). So I was excited on election day, and then I spent the day Obama was elected in tears. At work.

A couple of weeks later, I was tired of crying. The United States Studies Centre had planned an event at a pub in Balmain, about what would happen post-election. I really didn’t want to go, but after weeks of sitting at home, crying, I needed to get out of the house. I put on this really lovely floral cotton dress. I walked down to the bus stop. As I left, it started raining. Hard. Three busses didn’t come. I thought about heading home, but I didn’t. I often think about how close I came to leaving that day. 

So I wound up at this pub, and half way through the talk I realised I wanted to study this. I spoke to the presenter, who wound up being my favourite lecturer, and he directed me to someone at the back of the room, who turned out to be the professor looking after the Masters in US Studies program and, later, a friend. She encouraged me to apply for the program, telling me about their scholarships. One was the Eleanor Roosevelt scholarship, and when she told me that, I pulled an Eleanor Roosevelt biography I was reading from my bag. I knew signing up for this program was right.

I had missed the deadline for applications, but I applied anyway. And I was accepted. Then I went to stay with my parents in Shanghai. While I was there, I got into the TV show Chuck and the band Frightened Rabbit and I saw the Great Wall. And while I was away, my friend Heidy got REALLY into this country singer from the US that I had never heard of, named Taylor Swift. Heidy had really loved her performance of Should’ve Said No at the ACM awards, and was now obsessed. 

When I got back, Heidy was upset because Taylor was playing at a pretty tiny venue in Newtown (I think it was the Factory theatre), and it had sold out. I was sure that tickets HAD to be available, because who would know some teenager from Nashville, so I posted on my Facebook that I was after tickets for the Taylor Swift show.

Then I was invited to a drinks night for the Masters program, and there I met a bunch of people. I had to leave early because I was going to see Death Cab for Cutie with Heidy that night. I cried because of the end of the relationship on the way home, since DCFC reminded me of him, and I listened to Frightened Rabbit songs, because Midnight Organ Flight is the best breakup album ever, and all was ok.

Then, when I actually started the program, I sat in the intro class, and early, this guy turned to me and said “Hey, so I saw on Facebook that you are looking for a Taylor Swift ticket”, and I had to explain that no, I didn’t, I was just looking for a ticket for a friend. But it turned out he liked her heaps and had also missed out on tickets.

And that was the origin of my friendship with Jonathan, five years ago this week. Tomorrow is five years since the day of that concert, the first time I actually met JB, though he doesn’t remember meeting me. Our first actual conversation, which was less than a week later, was about Taylor.

We missed the Fearless tour, because we were in DC interning in Congress together. By that point, we were already closer that I thought I could be with a friend, even if we fought a lot. We figured that shit out, though, and everything was better for it.

In March 2012, we finally got to see Taylor together. It was magical. And we’ve seen her three times now, and every time had been awesome. And that doesn’t begin to touch all the times we’ve sung Taylor Swift karaoke or spent hours dissecting various Taylor lyrics, or discussed my angst about the Taylor v. Harry breakup.

I am so thankful for the best friendship I have ever had, and for the fact it is five years old this week. And I am thankful to taylorswift for being Taylor. She was a big part of it. 

[naysayersspeak]

Guess what? We’ve now been friends for over a decade. Thanks @taylorswift

[vivlovestaylor]

Adding it all up, I probably spent over 7 hours on this butterfly mural. Maybe this is because I am not the most talented artist, or maybe it’s because chalk is very hard to control. But I was so inspired by @kelseymontagueart (instagram) and thought the butterfly mural was the absolute most beautiful thing, so I tried to recreate it on the blackboard in my kitchen. One of the first places on my bucket list is Nashville, but living in Australia makes it seem extremely far away🤧 At least this butterfly mural made it seem a little closer to home :). From the bottom of my heart, I am honestly so excited for this new era, and I think the mural sums up the colours and emotions we’ll experience perfectly. I can’t count how many times I listened to ME! while making this, but I had it on repeat and listened to it nearly the whole time… you can do the maths🤪. Thank you @taylorswift for making this masterpiece and blessing our eyes and ears. Please, if you have an extra 5 seconds in your day, it would mean the word to me if you reblogged and tagged t & tn 💞🦋💋🌿💘✨❤️ @taylorswift @taylornation

[naysayersspeak]

Haven’t been on Tumblr in like 5 years but returning just so I can reblog this. PS will tell an awesome story about Viv soon... @taylorswift

[playgrounds-and-rooftops]

“And in my best behavior, I am really just like him.” -Sufjan

this is one of the best Vines I’ve ever seen

[naysayersspeak]

This is amazing

[zainyk]

So uh I’m going to go to Australia in February. 

I can not afford any of this. Oh wait. Life is short and i’m alone. Fuck it.

[naysayersspeak]

I am sooooooooooo excited for this!!!!!!

[naysayersspeak]

Oops, I fucked up part 2. Hopefully this is some of them.

[naysayersspeak]

Part 2

[naysayersspeak]

Big footy comments about me, part 1

[redheadswift]

[swiftie-haim18]

What am I doing with my life?

[georgialovestswift-deactivated2]

Guys this potato won’t determine whether you’ll meet Taylor or not

[redheadswift]

Yeah it will

[airplanesswift-blog]

feeling like it’s too risky even though it’s just a potato 

[lindslovesswift-deactivated2015]

I have to reblog this potato. It may have powers.

[bringonall-thepretenders]

Potato

[naysayersspeak]

Potatoes for Taylor

[screwrocknroll]

Definitive list of whales, ranked.

Right Whale: It has an upside-down head — a bold move that pays off.

Sperm Whale: Has a silly name but really excels in all areas of being a whale: staying underwater, fighting squid, spraying sonar around the sea, looking like an ocean bus. Having teeth rather than baleen means not having to eat krill.

Narwhal: Sea unicorn that has ocean sword fights. Slightly less cool when you realize its horn is actually a big tooth, making it the whale version of this.

Orca: Doesn’t look anything like the other whales and hangs out around the Pacific Northwest, so it’s basically the hipster whale. Eats real food like seals rather than krill. Was in Free Willy, but, then again, was in Free Willy. Kind of an asshole, but you can’t argue with success. Secret shame: actually a dolphin.

Humpback Whale: Basic canonical whale. Has good press. Bit too mainstream, really.

Beluga Whale: Ongoing experiment in whether white privilege applies to cetaceans.

Blue Whale: Coasting on its size; must try harder.

Gray Whale: Blue whale that’s smaller and more boring.

Minke Whale: Kinda puny for a whale.

Fin Whale: Second biggest animal in the world, i.e. the first loser. Described by Roy Chapman Andrews as the “greyhound of the sea,” and we all know what Captain Hank Murphy of Sealab said about greyhounds. (”Too pointy.”)

Beaked whale: You are not a bird, please reconsider your choices.

Pilot Whale: Dolphin with ideas above its station.

[naysayersspeak]

Hahaha, screwrocknroll's biggest post ever is about whales.

[babustyles]

[heislergoldale]

oh fuckin CHRIST

[naysayersspeak]

LOOK AT THIS PERFECT MAN

[stylesin]

[naysayersspeak]

My beautiful angels

[sorry-no-more-no-less]

Charlize Theron at the Cannes Film Festival for Mad Max: Fury Road

[hansmoleskine-deactivated201810]

found in a men’s washroom at Western University in London, Ontario

[lacigreen]

OOP

[georgetakei]

[georgetakei]

The Notorious RBG lets them have it by swiftly and efficiently cutting down arguments against marriage equality. Ruth Bader Ginsburg Shuts Down Gay Marriage Opponents With Perfect Rebuttals

[commentisweird]