Since our lucky friends are off having a fantastic time in Chicago, and since kath25 asked me to fill in tonight, I think we should have a little fun here ourselves. We talk an awful lot about serious stuff here at Under-35, so while the parents are away, let's have a little par-tay.
Okay, maybe it's not a party like the Yearly Kos parties, what with us all sitting alone on our computers in our pajamas drinking our beverages of choice, but we can still share some entertainment thanks to technology, cyber pajama party-style.
Kossacks Under 35 is a weekly diary series designed to create a community within DailyKos that focuses on young people. Our overall goals are to work on increasing young voters' Democratic majority, and to raise awareness about issues that particularly affect young people, with a potential eye to policy solutions. Kossacks of all ages are welcome to participate (and do!), but the overall framework of each diary will likely be on or from a younger person's perspective. If you would like more information or want to contribute a diary, please email kath25 at kossacksunder35 (at) gmail dot com.
First, there's my new addiction, Real Lives, because I'm just a big (humanitarian) nerd at heart. I've lived all over the world in this game. I've been a dumb Brit, an ailing Ethiopian, a political prisoner, the mother or father of countless children, and even moved from India to the Netherlands to marry my gay lover. In the process, I've not only had a lot of fun, I've learned a lot as well. Chances are, you'll be born in India or China if you try it out, but you should try it out anyway.
Another thing that entertains me (and shows my humanitarian nerdiness too) is regender, which will translate any page on the internet by gender or race. I recommend sending "translated" pages to anyone you know who is a Republican, sexist, or racist; you should get some delightfully outraged emails in response.
You can also type random phrases into Babelfish, translate them into another language, and then back into English again. Or pick a foreign word and translate it into English through a completely different language. Did you know "madeira" is German for "larva Irish Republican Army"?
Stupid quizzes are one of my long-time favorites. You can find out:
*what country you are (You're Chile: You're really skinny, and kind of bumpy in frame, but you're not as rough a person as you used to be. You like long, long, long walks on the beach and avoiding having your rights violated, just like anybody else does. You're even willing to stand up to those with more power and influence than you, trying to bring them to justice. Fight the man!).
*what your Brazilian soccer name is (Tryptildo!)
*what animal you are (You're a Chimpanzee! With a reputation for intelligence, you seem to always be smiling wherever you go. Whether you think this silly little planet is simply laughable or you're just happy most of the time is more difficult to discern. You're a little short, but you can pick up almost anything with your feet, using them almost as well as your hands. You love postcards and dressing up.)
Or you can figure out how to insult your boss without her/him knowing what you're saying.
If you're a little too far into the bottle and not in the mood to go traipsing around the Internet, News of the Weird and The Onion are always good for a laugh. If you've got a peculiar sense of humor, Cyanide and Happiness might inspire some giggles as well. Kittenwars could be won or lost depending on your ability to choose between the dewiest eyes.
YouTube is always fun. There are tons of hilarious (and strange) (and talented) pooties (I could watch them all night). But my YouTubing lately has been dominated by Flight of the Conchords (especially "Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros" or "Think About It, Think, Think About It").
Which brings me to music, something that no party is complete without! You could stick around on YouTube and watch the videos of bands that MTV wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole (some of which should be watched simply because they are awe-inspiring). But you'd do better to head on over to MySpace - another revolution of our sprawling generation - the heaven, purgatory, and hell of modern music. A few of my favorites: James Blackshaw, a freaking genius on guitar; Sun City Girls, who also run a label with some really amazing ethnic pop albums; Xela, electronic music that you can't dance to; and kuupuu, the weirdest of all. There are about a thousand more bands that could act as my soundtrack tonight, but I wanted to give you guys a chance to throw in some of your own as well.
If you're still not in the mood to have a little fun, you can spend some alone-time with some Cats in Sinks until you're cheered up enough to come back. Sorry, dog-lovers, you're on your own.