[interview with jtt!]

Question: Did I, with vague wording, entice you to click on the title of this post, thinking that I, lowly SVB, interviewed the one and only Jonathan Taylor Thomas?

Answer: Yes. Yes, I did. I make no apologies. Because while I myself did not interview the late 90s teen heartthrob, Entertainment Weekly did. To be honest, the interview was actually pretty boring. The kid (well, he’s–gasp!–30, so I guess he’s no longer a kid) hasn’t done much of anything besides a few stints on Smallville andVeronica Mars and generally LIVING LIKE A BOSS:

“I’ve been going to school, and traveling quite a bit, getting to read a lot of books I’ve wanted to for quite some time.”

But no matter. Just the mere mention of the letters “JTT” transports me back to a time when piles of Bop Magazines took up way too much space under my bed, posters of JTT were plastered on my walls, and Home Improvement and Man of the House were considered regular viewing.They also bring back the memory of when Meagan and I co-wrote a fan letter and decorated the envelope with sayings such as, “I <3 JTT” and “Home Improvement RULES!” in colorful magic marker, because BOP said that decorated envelopes were more likely to get read by the celebrity. Here’s what we got in return:

A mass-generated auto-response.

Don’t worry, we weren’t disappointed. Receiving a picture of JTT, even one as impersonal as an auto-response, was still thrilling. He could just do no wrong. We understood that he was very busy filming Pinocchio and Tom and Huck.We didn’t hold it against him.
Entertainment Weekly also organized a Home Improvement cast reunion, which made me curse the fact that I do not read entertainment magazines. Sometimes the loss of a few brain cells is worth it to see Al Borland still working that flannel LIKE A BOSS in 2012. But you know who I was most surprised by? Patricia Richardson and Heidi. They are looking phenomenal. And as for JTT? Aside from being a little pale with messy hair, he’s still adorable. In other words, I’d still hit it.
I’m going to wrap up this nonsensical post with the wedding scene from Man of the House because it’s awesome and features that bad-ass Enigma song that I will forever associate with the movie.

[so i could have handled it a little better]

For the past few days, I’ve been engaging in dialogue in the comments section of a magazine article and a Calvinist pastor’s blog post, respectively. In both conversations, the topic of Catholicism was brought up, and in both conversations, there were those few Protestants who presented common misconceptions of the Catholic Church as gospel, some going as far as saying that Catholic doctrine wasn’t of the Lord. Of course, I responded with what we REALLY believe, and linked to several articles that backed up what I said, naively thinking that while they may not agree with me, maybe they could see where I was coming from. Or at least admit they were wrong (concerning what they thought they understood about Catholic beliefs). When that was not the response I received and more dialogue was exchanged, I lost my patience, and it became less about gently correcting misunderstandings that these Protestant brothers and sisters had and more about, “OMG YOU ARE SO WRONG AND I WILL KEEP DEBATING THIS TOPIC UNTIL YOU STOP COMMENTING BECAUSE I AM RIGHT AND DESERVE TO HAVE THE LAST SAY AND YOU ARE WRONG IN YOUR WRONGNESS!!!” The tone in my comments on the magazine article did start to reflect these feelings; they were not reflected in the comments on the blog post, but the mindset was still there. In both instances, Catholicism idid/inbsp;have the last say, but that sweet victory wasn’t without a little guilt. Guilt that I had let an online discussion get to me (which I have always thought was dumb) and guilt that my reasoning for continuing to engage in those dialogues was more about pride than about education.

It’s always humbling when God so clearly shows you an area in which you need work, but I’m glad He showed it to me. And bonus: all that debate allowed me to learn a little more about my own faith! Bring it on, Protestants! (Joke. Totally working on the pride, needing-to-be-right-all-the-time thing.)

[i'm afraid i might be a hipster]

Last week, I shared an elevator with a woman who was raving to her friend about theStarbucks Gold Card. I asked if she was a member, and she enthusiastically responded in the affirmative. The thought that immediately popped into my mind was, Ugh. That’s so corporate, even though I have had more than my fair share of Starbucks.

I’m not proud. It’s thoughts like this that make me scared I might be turning into a hipster. That and the fact that although I *technically* don’t own any ironic tees  (verdict is still out on the hot pink “Pink Ladies” shirt I bought at Old Navy), I do tend to gravitate toward them and have the desire to purchase one that has the Camp Anawanna logo.

Help!

[why i'd never use elimination communication with my future children]

While I was screwing around online the other day, I ran across the “latest technique” in parenting: elimination communication (EC). Basically, EC is a method that doesn’t utilize diapers. Parents watch for cues from their child that indicate the child needs to use the bathroom, then haul ass to get that kid over a toilet, sink, garbage can, bush, paint can, dog’s water bowl, you name it, so the kid can do his or her business then go along his or her merry little way and resume playing blocks or writing on the walls with crayon or whatever it is kids do. No muss, no fuss. The parents save a shit-load of money on diapers and feel like they’re doing something positive for the environment, and the kid gets a head-start on potty training. Everyone wins.

If I ever have kids, chances are I will not use this method. Aside from offending my fashion sense (for someone to wear only half an outfit, even if that someone is two, is just plain wrong), I wouldn’t use EC for the simple fact that it’s not fair. To me.

Kids have the maddening advantage of being able to get away with stuff adults can’t on the premises that they’re cute and young enough to get away with it. Thus, a kid gets away with being able to run around without pants or undergarments because nobody is offended by his or her lower torso nudity. DO YOU REALIZE HOW COMFORTABLE THAT KID MUST BE?! He or she can just play with his or her Barbies or He-Man action figures without a frigging care in the world, unhindered by clothes. If he or she has dimples on his or her butt, it’s adorable and not, “OHMYGOD, has that person ever heard of lunges? What a nasty-ass cottage cheese backside!” The only judgement would be directed at the parents (for letting their kid run around pantsless) and not at the kid. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me. But switch out the adorable toddler for a 45 year-old woman named Greta, and people are all, “What is wrong with that woman? Why doesn’t she have any pants and underwear on? Is she mentally handicapable?” Poor Greta. All she wanted was to walk the high school track in comfort.

So, no, EC is not in the cards for my future children. They’ll be able to get away with enough things based on their cuteness, and I’m not consciously adding a sweet, pants-free life to the list.

[confessions of a catholic christian]

My friend Arleen recently had her very first article published on Relevant Magazine’s website, called “Confessions of a Catholic Christian.” It details her experiences being one of the few Catholics in the Protestant school she attended growing up, and is worth checking out. You can read the article here.

Congrats, Arleen!

[social]