Belabor: v. to elaborate in excessive detail
On imaginary showbiz "feuds", canine distemper, the k-drama 'Love To Hate You', and lobbying for small talk
In Tell all the truth but tell it slant, Emily Dickinson urges us to tell the truth in full but indirectly, as it can be overwhelming when delivered raw. In the digital age, I’ve learned to resort to obscurity in writing while trying to keep the essence of my stories intact as much as I can. In the name of privacy, security, and/or compliance. This does not come naturally to me, and so I keep Dickinson on subheadings as a reminder.
An internet belaborer, this is where I will try my best not to overshare and most probably fail yet again.
Telling It Slant
The internet has been a-buzzin about the alleged “feud”, a term I use very loosely in this context, between Selena and Hailey for weeks now. I have searched high and low for any legitimate source or story since its recent inception. But to no avail. I swear it’s all mere speculation, reaches. And with Selena speaking out against the hate Hailey is getting, this just goes to show this whole issue is disgustingly fan-borne. From JB and Jelena fans who revert to their middleschooler selves and lose all sense of objectivity trying to overanalyze any and all movements of these celebrities. And then there’s the issue among Nadine-James-Issa. (The only legitimate drama that came out of it was Ericka V’s shady ass IG story. I can’t say I wasn’t waiting for it, lol)
Yo, I’m no saint myself. I love chismis, too! But unless Selena or Nadine legitimizes it the way Bea Alonzo did before, these are all baseless and malicious. People on social media are so shameless about embarrassing themselves with unverified facts.
Beauty & Company
Beauty and Company tested positive for Distemper in February. They racked up around Php 35-40k in medical bills and medicine. This does not even include the medical bills from the last 2 accidents they had a little before that. Maybe we could do with less if we waited until the eleventh hour to confine Company or to administer medicines to Beauty. But distemper is known to be extremely fatal and could cause paralysis, and just thinking of the effects it may have especially to Company who already has a deformation in her hind legs, we couldn’t bear to risk it. Vets will be able to medically clear them of the disease after a month, which would be on April 1, so we’re avoiding getting in contact with other dogs ‘til then since it’s also highly contagious. Thankfully, they both came out unscathed with no lingering symptoms.
I cannot contain the love I have for my dogs that at one point, I used to always say, “Get a dog! It will change your life!” But since being confronted of the reality that so many dogs end up neglected, I no longer say that without a disclaimer. That you should only do if you’re prepared for a lifetime commitment emotionally, physically and financially to allow them to live their best lives. With good healthcare, a conducive environment, and ample love & attention.
I know I say this in a position of privilege. Others may want to give more to their pets but are unable to. Which is why when others contemplate getting one, I’m not always particularly encouraging. It has taken and continue to take a lot from me in a lot of ways, which is saying something when I am more capable than average. Which is why I don’t believe a dog is for everyone, be it by choice or circumstance.
Casual Consumption
I’m currently watching Daisy Jones & The Six on Amazon Prime and Blacklist on Netflix. But what has recently made an impact on me is the K-drama, Love To Hate You, which I love for the following reasons:
Not at any point did the story have a damsel in distress trope
The main leads are two consenting adults who, even though they bargained admitting it to each other, did not struggle to acknowledge their growing romantic feelings to themselves. I get so frustrated that in a lot of K-dramas, full-blown adults start out in denial about having very human emotions. “What is this irregular beating I feel in my chest?!,” like a recluse who’s never experienced any attraction towards another person. So everyone’s either emotionally unavailable or incapacitated at first… uhm, maybe get that fixed with a therapist first?
The female lead has been clear on her stance against marriage since the beginning and, at least in the drama, ending up with the male lead was not used to change her mind.
Thought You Should Know
Bindi Irwin: Doctors dismissed endometriosis as pain women ‘deal with’ — a relevant read with former Sen. Panfilo Lacson out there trivializing the menstrual leave bill
Mindy Kaling doesn’t owe it to anyone to be a body positivity icon, experts say — and yes, I have been reading up on the Ozempic issue in Hollywood. But why people are so quick to single her out and assume she’s had it is my question.
In Praise of Small Chats with Strangers — I love small talk and I’ve always found it absolutely pretentious for people to hate on it, saying they prefer to talk about “deep” subjects only. As if it’s mutually exclusive. According to the Social Penetration Communication Theory, “It is natural for people who are meeting new people to start on the outermost layer before they start sharing their innermost vulnerable secrets.” If a stranger goes up to you talking about profound stuff out of the blue, you’re lying if you say you wouldn’t be spooked, too. And as the article points out, saying we surely can only be pretending to be friendly in small talks misses out on “how much, and how deeply our hearts may go out to people whose lives we merely brush against.”