Rambling Morsel

Blame Isn't Going To Fix This One

2011-06-17T19:28:00.000-07:00

Today we had a customer service nightmare with Sears. It's too long and boring to get into here, but they failed in multiple ways to get us what we wanted, when we wanted it, and in what should have been an easy to complete transaction. Later today, after getting candy applied to only one side of my TCBY yogurt, I thought, something isn't adding up.

The economy is in a slump. I guess I had always idealistically imagined that at times like this, we Americans get innovative. What can I do to save costs? What can I do to bring in more revenue? What new products can I produce? How can I help my neighbor and my community and myself get out of a hole.

I'm not tapped into the entire country, but in my experience, I'm not seeing that kind of spirit. Instead it's those bankers or those politicians or those terrorists. They did this. I take no responsibility for this slump at all, so it's business as usual for my part.

Well, there are certainly people more at fault than others, but we all played a part, didn't we? I mean, we made investments we didn't understand. We took out loans we couldn't afford. We voted for politicians we didn't truly research. We punish politicians who think outside the box of their party or ideology. We buy oil that creates an economic, political, and military climate that involves us with and has us giving aid to those in a part of the world where many believe we are the devil.

Fine. Be angry with the bankers who are to blame and got bailed out with bonus money. Hate the politicians who sent us to war or didn't see the economic collapse coming. Call the oil companies greedy bastards. But at some point we have to move on and take on the real work of recovery, and that takes all of us.

So, put candy on both sides of my yogurt. If you do that, maybe I'll get a large next time.

Martin Luther King "I have a dream" - Accept No Imitations

2010-08-28T08:51:00.000-07:00

Who Needs Terrorists When We Have Ourselves?

2010-08-24T20:55:00.001-07:00

I'll admit it. I have a lot of prejudices against Muslims. Much of it is my perception of how they feel about and treat women and gays. Their perception of Israel's lack of right to exist doesn't give me warm fuzzies either. However, I know that doesn't describe all Muslims, and I've read many stories of Muslims engaging with other religious groups in the name of tolerance and understanding. There's a lot to be said for America's melting pot. Quite frankly, we all have a lot to learn about peace and understanding each other.

However, marginalizing a population does the opposite. If we treat Muslims like "other" then improvement in relations only deteriorates and yes, it can be worse than it is. The protest against the cultural center near Ground Zero are once again giving our enemies "I told you so" moments.

I could get into the stupid things that have been said in the name of "protecting America", but that's all been said before. But I would think we would all agree that protecting America and protecting what we stand for, such as religious freedom, would be the best way to "win" any war on terror. Lowering ourselves to their level of hate, misinformation, xenophobia, and lack of freedom would give them our destruction on a plate without any need for violence on their part.

Tea partiers proved that I was right

2010-03-24T21:15:00.000-07:00

Leonard Pitts, saying it better than I ever could:

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/03/24/1544302/tea-partiers-proved-that-i-was.html

Let's all agree!

2010-03-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

Democracy would be so much easier if we all just agreed with each other. And disagreeing is too difficult - it's much easier if I just vilify you. You are evil which means I must be right!

This is the new discourse isn't it?

I truly believe that if you do not like the new health care bill, you should be more angry with the Republicans than with the Democrats. The Republicans overreached with their name calling and ended up being so hateful that on the last day they resorted to racial and anti-gay slurs. If I wasn't in favor of the health care bill before this I wouldn't have wanted it to pass just because of it. Maybe that would make me a bad legislator, but it's tough to not want more closely associated with the nice guys and not the hate crowd.

Despite being generally supportive of the health care reform bill, now law, I've actually agreed with some very well rationed reasons why this health care reform bill (even if you only look at its basic principals) may be a bad idea. Too bad that too few of those reasons didn't follow or proceed name calling and accusations. Maybe our diplomats should spend less time overseas and start hanging out in the halls of Congress.

One of the theories (and it is just a theory) of democracy is that different opinions can come together and reach a better solution, and not just a bloated, contradictory one. I believe that doesn't happen very often because of lack of trust. I believe this lack of discourse and trust is truly hurting our country.

Can't we at least agree on that?

Almost One Year of Obama

2009-12-27T15:28:00.001-08:00

Let me start off by saying I haven't been more pleased with the presidency in a long time. I say this despite being disappointed that Obama had to start his presidency with weights tied around his neck due to our being already mired in two wars and a horrendous recession.

In such a short time, I've heard so much negativity about this president, that it sinks my heart. It's not that people disagree with him, but the way their disagreements are characterized makes me want to throw my hands in the air and say is there anyone realistically that can actually make everyone not want to run for the borders? Probably not. But here are some of what I've heard and why I disagree:

He's making this a socialist country or worse, a third world country: I do appreciate that the deficit is horrible and getting worse but where was that anger when it was happening over the past eight years. I find it disingenuous to suddenly be upset about it now. Socialist or not, I'd rather see us spend our money on health care of than foreign nation building. Most of our closest allies have some form of health care reform. Is it socialist? Socialist is a name that is inflammatory. Instead why not argue on the merits of doing this versus not doing this. By saying it's socialism and vilifying the democrats trying to pass this, you remove yourself from any meaningful dialog. Health care in this country needs help. Is this bill the answer? Probably not entirely, but by vilifying those working on it Republicans probably allowed the bill to be worse than it could have been if they had been a constructive part of the process.

He's not doing enough to help main street or stopping those fat cats from getting bonuses: I find it funny that the same president can be called a socialist while not doing the socialistic thing to help individuals or telling businesses how to run their businesses. Quite frankly, the fact that the right says he's doing too much and the left says he's not doing enough says that he's striking some sort of balance both in regard to what is right and what is politically feasible.

He's supposed to be the peace president, what's with the Afghanistan resurgence: He said in his campaign that he would focus more on Afghanistan. I do not understand why this is a surprise. I'm not thrilled with the escalation, but he did change the mission (which was needed) and I hope it will work out OK.

He hasn't done enough for gay rights: I too wish he'd do more, but I voted for Clinton in the primary because I felt she was better on gay issues. I never thought he'd make gay rights a top priority, but he has signed the hate crimes bill, told off Uganda about their nasty anti-gay legislature (although this may be more to do with Clinton), and has started some research into removing don't ask, don't tell. While I do accept that there is a lot else going on, I would prefer he do more for gay rights, but I still feel that with this president we are playing on the offense rather than defending against a marriage amendment!

He's the same as Bush: I really don't get this one. First of all, presidents cannot change everything in five minutes. He has a legislative process to face and a huge bureaucracy to deal with. Less than a year and we don't have rainbows flying out of our asses yet, so, he's at fault. I just don't get it. How he has re-engaged the world and his adament stand against torture alone puts him a world apart in my opinion.

Obama is a man. Those who expected him to be a deity are surely disappointed. Those who thought he'd be Stalin are making up crap to make their arguments seem true. I do not think Obama is a corrupt politician as some have claimed. I think the partisanship is tougher to overcome than he had thought. I think he's been asked to do more under worse conditions than most anyone should have to face. With that he's surpassed my expectations. Again, I don't expect everyone to agree with me, but I don't understand the vilification at all. At the very least, let me enjoy "my" president for a few minutes. I haven't gotten to appreciate our president in far too long. Disagree with his policies, actions, decisions, etc. If you think he's a Socialist, in bed with corporations, racist, lying Hitler-esque devil, then a little more evidence would be appreciated.

Obama Speaks to Wilmington, Delaware

2009-01-20T20:57:00.000-08:00

My home town!

Wassup 2008

2008-11-08T09:05:00.000-08:00

If you haven't seen this update to the old Wassup ad, it's worth checking out.

Wassup 2008

By the way, a happy return to sanity (except for Prop 8 in CA, but I'm hoping the courts will stop it from going through - you should not get to vote to take rights away from people).

This Isn't Right

2008-10-12T21:23:00.001-07:00

I felt like Guinan (Goldberg) after the 2000 election. Hopefully, things will soon be turned around (although much work will need to be done to fix the most disastrous presidency in history).

This isn't right

This is Your Nation on White Privilege

2008-09-21T20:19:00.001-07:00

Had to share this one:

This is Your Nation on White Privilege

Too funny - and too true!

2008-09-14T13:25:00.001-07:00

On Palin from Daily Show

2008-09-04T18:54:00.000-07:00

Jesse Helms Finally Crokes

2008-07-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

The 80's gay axis of evil is now all gone: Helms, Thurmond, and Falwell. Too bad they didn't leave us before they could commit so much damage. Helms was the best argument for allowing abortion up through the 270th trimester!

Helms was personally responsible for many evils, but what I most blame him for is allowing AIDS to blossom into a huge epidemic by preventing the government from giving information to those who needed it most because he so hated them.

His death is reason to celebrate. For those who are uncomfortable speaking badly of the dead, as Kate Clinton is surely saying: He's dead - good!

The people of hell are surely saying: there goes the neighborhood.

Don't Be Crazy

2008-06-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

There aren't too many bigger Clinton fans than I; however, when I hear some Hillary supporters talk about voting for McCain in the fall, I simply cannot believe my ears. Were you not listening to what she's been pushing for or is it simply sour grapes?

I have been unhappy with many of the things said about Clinton during the campaign, not so much by Obama, but by some of his supporters. However, I'm not going to cast my vote as some sort of revenge for dissing her!

Obama is a good guy, a great speaker, and wants to move America in the right direction. McCain is perfectly happy with the direction Bush has been taking us. That's a direction in which we've already headed too far. We have to change course even if it means taking a different course than we had hoped.

Eat the Press

2008-05-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

I have a new reality show idea: Eat the Press

Each week a member of the press is put in a cage with a wild animal. We all watch while they are torn apart and eaten.

We'll start with the Fox "News" Team.

Ralph "Thank you for Bush" Nader is at it Again

2008-02-24T09:30:00.000-08:00

I remember liking Ralph Nader back when he stood for consumer rights.

I no longer like him.

Obama said it best: "My sense is that Mr. Nader is somebody who, if you don't listen and adopt all of his policies, thinks you're not substantive".

Nader believes that he and his position are worth risking having another Republican in the White House again. I believe he must be either a huge megalomaniac or a stealth Republican.

I Love Hillary Clinton

2008-02-24T09:21:00.000-08:00

Now that it appears, she may not win the primary, let me say that I love Hillary Clinton. So many people attribute passion only to the Obama camp, but as a 43 year old, I don't display my passion in the same way a 20 year old supporter might, and I believe the press mistakes that for lack of passion.

I love her sense of compassion, I love her ability, I love that I've gotten to see her age and improve over the years and grow from her experiences. I love that she's managed to do all these things as a woman in America, which is still an uphill battle. I believe she "gets" most Americans. I believe she'd make a great president.

I will vote for Obama. What I feel I know well about Clinton, I do not know about him. I believe he's more of a wild card. I believe that things are so messed up right now that it requires someone with more experience, but some great leaders started the same way he did. I do believe his heart is in the right place and that he's highly intelligent. I hope he'll surprise me - in a good way!

Democrats/Liberals MUST Unite!

2008-02-10T08:32:00.000-08:00

Without getting too much into the details as to why, I'm in favor of Hillary Clinton getting the Democratic nomination. If Obama gets the nomination, I will vote for him. I like him. I agree with much of what he says. I just like Clinton better.

What concerns me is the anti-Clinton comments from the Obama supporters. Would they support Clinton if she were the nominee? I'm not as sure.

I've heard everything from her being too much like Bush (crazy talk - wake up to reality), not wanting only two families to have the White House in 20 years (why should the Bushes be her fault?), to we need a change and to not go back. To that last point, change is wonderful if you know where you are going. I think Clinton knows. I seem to remember the pre-Bush years as pretty good regarding world peace and the economy. If that is going backwards, then why is that a bad change? I also think Clinton has some ideas that go beyond her husband - some of which is simply a natural growth over 8 years. Anyone worth anything grows from their experiences and learns from mistakes. I think that describes her.

Hillary seems to be vilified by so many people and undeservedly so. Some of it is due to her being a strong woman. Liberals will not admit it, but I think this affects some of them, too. I think they are also affected by Fox News and the Republicans who have done nothing but vilify the Clintons since 1992. If you filter out their rhetoric, what you are left with is competency and results. Neither are bad traits - and are traits we need right now.

Our problems are very deep right now. We need experience. I believe we were on the right track 8 years ago. Were things perfect? Of course not! As liberals/progressives we also need to realize that the president must be elected by and represent the entire country (or as much as is possible) which is pretty conservative in some places. Is Clinton more conservative than Obama? Yes, she is. That may rankle some liberals, but it may make her more electable despite her so-called "divisiveness". I honestly don't know which candidate will do better against McCain, but neither candidate will be more electable if we don't all stand behind which ever one should win the nomination.

I will gladly support Obama if he gets the nod. He's great in so many ways. If Clinton wins, will my more liberal brethren provide the same faith of support? If we can't all agree that another Republican would be worse, all is lost. McCain, while, I think, is a decent guy, is VERY conservative. He appears moderate compared to other Republicans because he does not breathe fire and brimstone like so many, but he's pro-Iraq war, anti-choice, etc. etc. Regardless of the results, now is the time for liberals and progressives to unite so we can start to fix the considerable damage of these past eight years.

Domestic Partnerships on Hold

2007-12-28T21:32:00.000-08:00

So, domestic partnerships in Oregon are on hold pending a hearing as to whether the state appropriately counted the signatures trying to overturn the new measure. I wish I could say I'm surprised. I hope the families who signed the petition to overturn the law experience divorce in the new year. I hope the leaders of the Alliance Defense fund, the anti gay rights group, are turned down when they try to solicit sex in public rest rooms in the new year.

iPod Danger

2007-08-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

Danger: Don't bring your iPod into a pubic restroom. You may inadvertently tap your foot.

Quote of the Week

2007-07-18T19:47:00.000-07:00

Leonard Pitts, Miami Herald:

Richard Nixon was a crook. He was also a liar and anti-Semite who sought to subvert the Constitution.

I wish he were president again.

Turn Signals and Portland

2007-07-18T19:30:00.001-07:00

What is it with folks not using their turn signals in the Portland area?! It's something people forget everywhere, but here I'd say it's used only about 50% of the time. It can be really dangerous!

Oh, and yes, if you are in a turning lane, you do need to use your turn signal!

Domestic Partnership...for now anyway...

2007-05-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

So, Domestic Partnerships have passed the Oregon legislature and will most certainly be signed into law by the Governor.

I'd be more excited about receiving this step up to separate but unequal status, except I can almost certainly count on the so-called purveyors of values (opportunists posing as pious) to come up with some sort of ballot initiative that may remove or diminish what was gained. I do appreciate the political work of those of have pushed this forward, but having had the rug pulled under us before, please excuse me for not being more optimistic.

Enough Said!

2007-04-26T16:54:00.000-07:00

Bye Bye Rene

2007-03-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

Rene Portland is gone from Penn State Women's Basketball!!!

Despite being a violation of University policy, it was pretty well known that she continued to discriminate. It took a heterosexual woman who Rene perceived to be lesbian to bring her down.

Long overdue. She should have been fired over 15 years ago, but she's gone. This is good news for the players and the community.

http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2007/03/03-23-07tdc/03-23-07dnews-12.asp

Gay rights activist Barbara Gittings dies

2007-02-20T12:42:00.000-08:00

Very sad news today. This won't get tons of press, but I credit her with many of the rights that LGBT folks have made in the past generation. From the AP:

Barbara Gittings, a gay rights activist since the late 1950s, died Sunday. She was 75. Gittings died after a lengthy fight with breast cancer, said Mark Segal, a friend and the publisher of the Philadelphia Gay News.

Gittings helped organize the New York City chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis, an early lesbian rights organization, in the 1950s. During her work with that group, she met her life partner, Kay Lahusen. Gittings edited the group's publication, The Ladder, from 1963 to 1966, and worked with Lahusen on her 1973 book, The Gay Crusaders.

She first became well known to the public in 1965, when she helped organize gay rights demonstrations at the White House and Independence Hall. In 2005, Gittings and Lahusen attended the unveiling of a state historic marker noting those demonstrations across the street from Independence Hall.

Gittings had served as head of the American Library Association's Gay Task Force; in 2003, the association presented her its highest honor, a lifetime membership.

Gittings was also active in the campaign that led to the American Psychiatric Association's 1973 decision to drop homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. (AP)

The President's Day Fuzzy Assassin

2007-02-19T21:46:00.000-08:00

She killed again.

Daphne.

Our sweet, country calico kitten. She murdered a poor innocent squirrel who tried to make his way into our living room through the screen door. Dead in less than five seconds.

The last time she killed was a rat, also on President's Day, oddly enough, in 2004.

Very strange, and kind of disturbing.

I want an iPhone

2007-01-11T12:21:00.000-08:00

Quote from David Pogue of the NY Times:

Remember the fairy godmother in “Cinderella”? She’d wave her wand and turn some homely and utilitarian object, like a pumpkin or a mouse, into something glamorous and amazing, like a carriage or fully accessorized coachman.

Evidently, she lives in some back room at Apple.

Customer Service

2006-12-27T20:09:00.000-08:00

We are a service economy, so shouldn't customer service be generally great?

We just bought a new car, and they treated us like we came in and bought a single stamp. Shouldn't they treat customers well to bring us back again or so that we'll tell our friends about them or just because???

Apparently, we should have bought our car at Starbucks. At least they would have been nice to us and they would have put extra foam on the car without snarling or charging us extra...

Apartment Signs

2006-11-19T14:50:00.000-08:00

Our apartment complex just put in some new signs regarding parking. Does this mean we can only park there for 7.5 minutes?

Spears vs. Federline

2006-11-12T18:37:00.000-08:00

In their fight for custody of their children, I hope they go to Madonna!

I Can't Believe It!

2006-11-11T20:36:00.000-08:00

I'm so relieved. It's like our democracy has returned. Everyone complains about our two-party system, but I think a one-party system is much worse. Hopefully, some really crazy things can be undone. I'd like to say that some of the crazy people going home from DC will never be seen or heard from again, but you know they'll show up again. Just the fact that Rumsfeld was fired the next day was a sign that the Dems taking over Congress was a good thing! Despite the rain, it's like there's clear skies ahead.

This helped my mood when I saw what I got in the mail the other day. I often get calendars from charitable organizations hoping for a buck or two. Usually I get one from the Audubon Society or some other such organization that can really make a lovely calendar. Who sent me one this year? The Holocaust Museum! Now, I think the Holocaust Museum is great and an important place to visit and do research, but I don't want their calendar on my wall for 365 days! I like having a little more optimism than that (believe it or not). Luckily, I received this AFTER the election - otherwise, I might have thought it was a sign of where we were heading.

It's amazing how voting can offset fascism! YAY, Democrats!!

Vote

2006-10-29T09:44:00.000-08:00

Do the right thing! And not just for the kittens...

Found 'Em

2006-10-08T20:53:00.000-07:00

North Korea just performed a nuclear test.

Looks like we found the weapons of mass destruction.

Good job...

Politics over Kids

2006-10-07T21:02:00.000-07:00

Nancy Pelosi has said it best: Republicans just don't get it; every mother in America is asking how Republicans could choose partisan politics over protecting kids, and the Republicans are still asking who could have blown their cover-up.

Yes, the cover up, the blaming, the scapegoating...all more important than the issue at hand. The Vatican was no different in response to the sexual abuse cases in the Catholic Church. Blame the victim, blame the gays, but don't blame us.

And once again, the actually perpetrator himself was slightly less heinous than the members of the power structure who worked to cover the tracks. This is bad enough, but they didn't do this to protect the country somehow during a difficult time (not that this would even be a reasonable excuse), but to protect the Party (the GOP, in particular). Once again, party loyalty trumps what is good for the US and the world.

And the gall of what some pundits have said: They didn't want to expose him for fear of coming across as homophobic. Oh, not the Republican House who wanted to write discrimination into the Constitution....yes, how they have suffered at the hands of those damn PC police. Didn't stop them from making half of American think that same-sex marriage was more frightening than terrorists.

Jon Bon Benet Jovi Ramsey

2006-08-21T21:26:00.000-07:00

Do you think the press has covered this enough?

Goodnight and Good Riddance

2006-06-17T07:52:00.000-07:00

Sounds like Dan Rather is now being pushed the rest of the way out of CBS News. I believe this is a tragedy. Rather may not have been the most exciting news anchor there ever was, but he has an integrity and capability that is rare today. The news is more about entertainment and feeding pabulum than actually presenting hard-hitting information anymore. I have nothing against Katie Couric, per se, but I do believe her being hired is furthering the dumbing down of the news. A lot is blamed on Rather's story about Bush's military duty and his unreliable source, but I think it's more about how he dared say anything terrible about our shit of a president. His sources did end up being weak, but the story was still most likely true! If the story had been about anyone else, it would not have ended a 50-year career so unceremoniously. Don't ever forget, the major news organizations are owned by large corporations and catering to them is more important than catering to the public. These corporations need government cooperation on countless projects, so it's in their best interest to not piss off the government. To close the loop on actual news possibility continuing, the Republicans are trying to get rid of NPR and control the internet.

We are so busy giving the gift of democracy in Iraq that we've forgotten about it at home!

John McCain

2006-05-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

So, John McCain spoke at Liberty University despite calling Falwell a source of intolerance during the last election. Both men aren't stupid. Falwell knows McCain could be very well be a serious candidate in 2008. What is most scary is that McCain knows that Falwell is a major power broker in the Republican party and wants to be sure that even if they disagree on some issues that Falwell doesn't pull all his forces out to fight him.

This is why I cannot ever vote for a Republican. They have much scarier bed fellows!

By the way, McCain is too conservative for me anyway. His greatest distinction is being somewhat independent, which is almost unheard of recently (see previous blog). This speech makes me think he's letting go of some of that independence for the purpose of viability, which is sad.

God Bless Our Party

2006-05-03T12:43:00.000-07:00

There is a periodic push for a third party. Despite the fact that our election process makes a strong third party a very dangerous concept (this is how Hitler got elected), liberals especially are only eating their own when they endorse this concept.

The best and worst thing about the Democratic Party is their inability to truly unite. This is bad because it makes them look disorganized and makes fighting Republicans nearly impossible. This is good because it means they accept independent and diverse thinking. This "party of ideas" mentality is very effective for a majority party, but as the minority part, it has been unfortunate. This is especially true in attempting to counter Republicans, who unite almost without fail. Supposedly moderate Republicans usually vote the party line because to not do so means the loss of life and limb, at least in regard to power in Washington. Democrats, while not totally innocent of this practice, are much less likely to engage in it. As liberals, we can applaud this acceptance of independence, but it also keeps us weaker.

There has been a push to unite Democrats more strongly. Recently, Democratic leaders have backed off financially from candidates who don't fit the mold, they fear, for example. This ends up turning everyone off to the entire process and makes it more difficult for the "party of ideas" from having any news ones. Perhaps, it will result in delivering candidates with a higher likelihood of winning. I'm not particularly encouraged. I guess we'll see.

I have recently heard a number of campaigning and retiring Republicans talk about their love of their party. Not love of their country, not love of helping Americans, but love of the Republican Party. It's frightening that love of the Republican Party has taken on such a nationalistic fervor. How can relatively freethinking liberals ever hope to defeat such a force? At least as long as much of the American public responds mostly to sound bites. Putting forth ideas and debating their merits doesn't fit well into a sound bite. Dumbing down politics even more doesn't fit into keeping this country a leader in freedom and democracy.

Hooters Air Going Bust!

2006-03-29T20:58:00.000-08:00

Apparently, Hooters Air is going out of business. The only airline where you can use your stewardess as a flotation device. The best wings in the air, apparently, but no more. I guess they milked all they could out of the enterprise.

Free Information: Walmart Sucks

2006-03-11T17:26:00.000-08:00

Apparently, Walmart is paying people to say nice things about them in blogs. I wonder if they are paying these bloggers a living wage, unlike their employees?

Is it really worth paying 50 cents less for toothpaste when that results in a drain on the local economy due to the combination of Walmart employees continuing to need public assistance while their stores puts other stores who do pay a living wage out of business?

There is chatter about their putting a Walmart down the street from us. I hope not. I don't want the traffic. And I won't be shopping there.

Sarah Vowell Quote

2006-03-01T22:20:00.000-08:00

Quote from Sarah Vowell:

I attended the president's inauguration in 2001. When he took the presidential oath, I cried. What was I so afraid of? I was weeping because I was terrified that the new president would wreck the economy and muck up my drinking water. Isn't that adorable? I lacked the pessimistic imagination to dread that tens of thousands of human beings would be spied on or maimed or tortured or killed or stranded or drowned, thanks to his incompetence.

I feel like a fool. All those years of Sunday school, and still the apocalypse catches me off guard.

Valerie

2006-02-01T12:47:00.000-08:00

Valerie was my friend.
Valerie was a sociology professor.
Valerie was kind to everyone.
Valerie cared about social justice.
Valerie had a loving partner.
Valerie had loving friends and family.
Valerie had cancer.
Valerie died today.
Even though I haven't seen her for a while, I'm going to miss Valerie.

Sad Day

2006-01-31T09:57:00.000-08:00

Today Coretta Scott King died. Feels like the end of an era somehow.

A few hours later, Alito was confirmed with barely any resistance.

What will become of us?

Why was I such a Bastard?

2006-01-29T21:58:00.000-08:00

We went to a bank branch to open a new savings account. The guy who worked with us was really young and slick in that fake sort of way. I hate that. Plus, he kept trying to get us to get a credit card with them. I hate being marketed at, especially when I'm just there to complete a task.

I don't know if it was what I mentioned above, the fact that I didn't really want to be in his office on a Saturday, or because he was young enough to be my son and I wouldn't have even been a teenager when I had him! But I was really bitchy! According to my husband, I kept glaring at him and that the guy was probably a bit scared of me by the end. I really didn't intend to be quite that mean. I should have just told him to cut the crap and be quick about it, but instead I tried (badly) to be nice while giving him the hairy eyeball. I felt kind of bad about it.

Conservative Christians Apparently Place Torture Over Love

2006-01-09T20:03:00.000-08:00

So, a theatre in Utah opted to not show Brokeback Mountain (I know, shocking). What I found most interesting though is that this same theatre, the Megaplex Theatres, in the Salt Lake City area, is showing Hostel. I haven't seen Hostel, but from what I've read, it's about some American tourists traveling in Europe who get trapped by a group who pay to torture and kill victims, which the movie apparently displays in vivid detail. Now, I'm not saying to censor either film, but why not a peep from the self-proclaimed holy purveyors of what is and is not decent to watch? I'm not shocked that they are hypocrites, but I am shocked that they can be so blatant about it, and yet, continue their reign of influence on the "Land of the Free".

Take the bus if you really need to use your phone!

2006-01-02T20:44:00.000-08:00

Is it just me, or are people on the road getting more obnoxious? Maybe it's just around here? Between almost no one using their turn signal, people cutting me off who are paying more attention to their phone than the road, and people parking illegally such that it makes it downright dangerous to get to my apartment, I'm almost afraid to leave the house!

Happy Holidays! - HA!

2005-12-26T11:12:00.000-08:00

I love Leonard Pitts. Check out his column about the holiday war! He says it better than I ever could:

Christmas War Belittles Reason for the Season

Brokeback Molehill

2005-12-22T21:33:00.000-08:00

One of the most acclaimed films in ages, and it's only in 60 some theatres. WTF? A twelfth sequel to a piece of crap gets a wider release. Are they afraid of theatre riots or are the studios just that homophobic?

I'm also tired of reading articles about heterosexual men going to see this movie, and whether they can stomach it? Heads being blown off, sure. Rape, murder, all great! Two butch guys going at it, it's like puting a mouse in an elephant cage. I've sat through plenty of hetero sex on the big screen and I can still manage to get through it to the story. Get a grip!

Phoenix

2005-12-06T20:51:00.000-08:00

So, I'm in Phoenix right now for a work trip. Is it weird that I want to tell people to "kiss my grits"? It probably has the least appealing character of any major metro city I've ever been to! It's just flat, sandy, and with lots of strip malls. There are attempts to put in some nice areas, but it just seems like an environmental violation somehow...no one was ever meant to live in the desert like this! Whose idea was it when they came here and saw all the sand that lots of people should move here?

Little Things Come in Large Packages

2005-11-18T21:11:00.000-08:00

I ordered a protective case for my iPod Nano that I just got (really, nice, by the way). The case is smaller than a cell phone. It came in a box that could hold a good sized telephone book. That box was put in another box (along with a large amount of packing paper) for delivery which was about the size of a printer. The poor thing was almost lost in there! What a waste!!

The Birds

2005-11-13T22:07:00.000-08:00

Today we went to get gas for the car. I'm still not used to their pumping for you in Oregon. Anyway, the guy was actually nice enough to clean our windshield (which really needed it). I was really pleased. However, after going to the market, we came back out and the car was covered in bird poop, especially the windshield! WTF! It was quite a lot, too! I'm not sure what kind of street vendor that bird went to, but geez! How does that happen anyway, does a bird fly around, see my car, and go, oh thank god, and let loose? Groan...

Kate Bush

2005-11-13T15:59:00.000-08:00

The most exciting thing for me to comment on right now is that Kate Bush has a new CD (double CD actually) called Aerial. It's actually really good, too! Wasn't sure what to expect since it's been 12 years and her last two albums had been so-so!

At least there's one Bush worth listening to...

Rambling

2005-11-13T15:52:00.000-08:00

I never wanted to have a blog before. With that said, I'll probably have a comment or two to put here. There's certainly enough to comment on. Right now I just want to get this page put together.