...so I will post.
After putting it off for a decade, I just read Michael Cunningham's The Hours. Wow - what an amazing book.
"Here, then, is age. Here are the little consolations, the lamp and the book. Here is the world, increasingly managed by people who are not you; who will do either well or badly; who do not look at you when they pass you in the street."
I challenge you to close in on 50 and not feel the truth of that in your bones.
And this, at the end of the day:
"We live our lives, do whatever we do, and then we sleep - it's as simple and as ordinary as that. A few jump out of windows or drown themselves or take pills; more die by accident; and most of us, the vast majority, are slowly devoured by some disease or, if we're very fortunate, by time itself. There's just this for consolation: an hour here or there when our lives seem, against all odds and expectations, to burst open and give us everything we've ever imagined[...]still we cherish the city, the morning; we hope, more than anything, for more."
If I sound morose, then it's because you haven't read the book. It's stunning. It reminded me of the theme of Wilder's Our Town.
And Obama is president - yay! And a doctor who provided abortions despite the threats to his life was murdered, which rates so much more than a 'boo' that I can't really express my feelings. Time to re-up with NARAL and Planned Parenthood.
June 13, 2009
October 15, 2008
miscellaneous
Gotta give credit: these were posted by a pup at Carnegie Mellon
Granted, I'm a bit punchy - a wounded mom has left me tired and stressed this week - but Mr. Giggles made me smile. By the time I got to the guy and his bird and his dog (and his live-in ex-wife), I was beside myself with laughter.
The third photo was a great reminder of the ignorance of bigotry.
October 13, 2008
mostly Palin
The above photo was taken in Harris County, PA. I hope it represents a very small fragment of the population. I also hope the sign's owner and his Klan buddies isn't registered.
McCain's really bringing out the best in his followers. I briefly thought he was going to take the high road, but he immediately backslid.
It flummoxes me that Todd Palin (Alaska's "First Gentleman") behaves as though he is Alaska's co-governor. In a somber editorial discussing Sarah Palins' abuse of power (with of course the focus on "Troopergate"), the Washington Post states "within a few weeks of Ms. Palin's inauguration, her newly installed public safety commissioner, Walter Monegan, was summoned to a meeting with the governor's husband, Todd Palin, at which the "First Gentleman" pressed Mr. Monegan to reexamine the already concluded disciplinary case against Mr. Wooten." Under what authority is the "First Gentleman" allowed to "summon" public servants to meetings?
Palin documented his own meddling the day before Branchflower's findings were made public, even though his statement directly contradicted his own assertion that he had not been involved in "Troopergate."
If Michelle Obama "summoned" anyone to discuss any sort of official business, let alone "pressing" that person to take action, she would have her ears pinned back by the conservative talking heads. Actually, the liberal pundits would also rightly take her to task. Remember when Bill Clinton was excoriated by having the temerity to state that Americans got a 'two-fer' when they voted for him? Even Hillary caught flak, as though his statement demonstrated her overarching ambition.
I'm surprised Todd Palin is such a non-issue. It's been an issue to me since I first learned Governor Palin refused to release thousands of pieces of government email, citing executive privilege. She copied her husband on much of the 'official' email. (Her use of executive privilege was eerily Cheneyesque.)
As a GS-13, I have a much better grasp of ethics than Alaska's governor. That bothers me. A lot.
And yikes, I can't believe Palin used her daughter as a shield in a failed attempt to prevent being booed when she dropped the puck at the Philly game. "It's OK, honey - just keep smiling. Yes, you're getting booed." How cynical. How un-maternal. What a sterling example of Republican family values.
In other disturbing news, someone else is using 'brain detritus' as a blog name. I've used the term for years, but this person was there first. And s/he posted this: Reasons to be a nun: If you marry god, you get all his property when he dies. I like this person.
McCain's really bringing out the best in his followers. I briefly thought he was going to take the high road, but he immediately backslid.
It flummoxes me that Todd Palin (Alaska's "First Gentleman") behaves as though he is Alaska's co-governor. In a somber editorial discussing Sarah Palins' abuse of power (with of course the focus on "Troopergate"), the Washington Post states "within a few weeks of Ms. Palin's inauguration, her newly installed public safety commissioner, Walter Monegan, was summoned to a meeting with the governor's husband, Todd Palin, at which the "First Gentleman" pressed Mr. Monegan to reexamine the already concluded disciplinary case against Mr. Wooten." Under what authority is the "First Gentleman" allowed to "summon" public servants to meetings?
Palin documented his own meddling the day before Branchflower's findings were made public, even though his statement directly contradicted his own assertion that he had not been involved in "Troopergate."
If Michelle Obama "summoned" anyone to discuss any sort of official business, let alone "pressing" that person to take action, she would have her ears pinned back by the conservative talking heads. Actually, the liberal pundits would also rightly take her to task. Remember when Bill Clinton was excoriated by having the temerity to state that Americans got a 'two-fer' when they voted for him? Even Hillary caught flak, as though his statement demonstrated her overarching ambition.
I'm surprised Todd Palin is such a non-issue. It's been an issue to me since I first learned Governor Palin refused to release thousands of pieces of government email, citing executive privilege. She copied her husband on much of the 'official' email. (Her use of executive privilege was eerily Cheneyesque.)
As a GS-13, I have a much better grasp of ethics than Alaska's governor. That bothers me. A lot.
And yikes, I can't believe Palin used her daughter as a shield in a failed attempt to prevent being booed when she dropped the puck at the Philly game. "It's OK, honey - just keep smiling. Yes, you're getting booed." How cynical. How un-maternal. What a sterling example of Republican family values.
In other disturbing news, someone else is using 'brain detritus' as a blog name. I've used the term for years, but this person was there first. And s/he posted this: Reasons to be a nun: If you marry god, you get all his property when he dies. I like this person.
VOTE! Take folks to the polls! Staff phone banks!
September 27, 2008
The mind boggles
It's hard to get laughs out of watching the economy free-fall. I did find a way to amuse myself and friends - a buddy sent me the Sarah Palin baby name generator. My neocon former boss is, aptly, Cheney Wolfowitz.
Humor aside, I was naive enough to be caught off guard by McCain's cynical, pandering choice of Palin. She scares me. A lot. And the more I read, the more frightened I become. My only comfort is that the polls show Obama with a lead. Maybe we will vote intelligently. Dare I hope? I suffer from congnitive dissonance to a degree that it's hard to gauge the mood of the public. (I've felt that way since the Reagan years (as I watch the economy crumble, I can track it to Reagan's popular deregulation policies), so it's nothing new.) I can barely watch Palin interviews, which works out since she has consented to so few. A writer from the Washington Post said listening to Palin's tortured syntax as she tries to articulate her beliefs reminds her of watching a clip of a polar bear moving from one small ice cap to the next - "Will he make it? Yes, he made that one. Oh no, here's another...will he make it? Barely." (How can Palin not support polar bears, for god's sake?)
This articulates my rage quite nicely, thank you.
I also found this enlightening. It was originally a letter Kilkenny wrote to 40 friends and family members because she believed they should make an informed decision about Palin, and she asked that it not be posted to the internet (so much for that).
Last night's debate floored me. I was (figuratively) peeking between my fingers as I witnessed McCain channel Nixon. He grimaced, winked, twitched, chortled humorlessly, worked his jaw as though he was physically holding back a verbal assault, and studiously avoided making eye contact with Obama to the degree that he was completely disrespectful of his fellow candidate. I found his utter lack of respect surprising - it certainly wasn't statesmanlike, much less presidential.
McCain's barely disguised ill temper spotlighted his scariest aspect - fundamental anger that so clearly lurks below his vain attempts to be folksy and friendly. Maybe it's just me, but anger is not an an attibute I look for in a president. Clearly I'm no McCain supporter, but I think there was a better, more decent politician buried in McCain before this campaign. I believe this run for the White House has brought out the absolute worst in him - he's given up any shred of decency in his final desperate bid.
That said, I was still surprised at how poorly he performed. The stakes were high - he finally won the primaries (always a bridesmaid...) - but he simply could not mask his...anger. He's a bitter, scary man. Temperament is the issue, and to put it kindly, McCain has shown that at best he lacks serenity.
Humor aside, I was naive enough to be caught off guard by McCain's cynical, pandering choice of Palin. She scares me. A lot. And the more I read, the more frightened I become. My only comfort is that the polls show Obama with a lead. Maybe we will vote intelligently. Dare I hope? I suffer from congnitive dissonance to a degree that it's hard to gauge the mood of the public. (I've felt that way since the Reagan years (as I watch the economy crumble, I can track it to Reagan's popular deregulation policies), so it's nothing new.) I can barely watch Palin interviews, which works out since she has consented to so few. A writer from the Washington Post said listening to Palin's tortured syntax as she tries to articulate her beliefs reminds her of watching a clip of a polar bear moving from one small ice cap to the next - "Will he make it? Yes, he made that one. Oh no, here's another...will he make it? Barely." (How can Palin not support polar bears, for god's sake?)
This articulates my rage quite nicely, thank you.
I also found this enlightening. It was originally a letter Kilkenny wrote to 40 friends and family members because she believed they should make an informed decision about Palin, and she asked that it not be posted to the internet (so much for that).
Last night's debate floored me. I was (figuratively) peeking between my fingers as I witnessed McCain channel Nixon. He grimaced, winked, twitched, chortled humorlessly, worked his jaw as though he was physically holding back a verbal assault, and studiously avoided making eye contact with Obama to the degree that he was completely disrespectful of his fellow candidate. I found his utter lack of respect surprising - it certainly wasn't statesmanlike, much less presidential.
McCain's barely disguised ill temper spotlighted his scariest aspect - fundamental anger that so clearly lurks below his vain attempts to be folksy and friendly. Maybe it's just me, but anger is not an an attibute I look for in a president. Clearly I'm no McCain supporter, but I think there was a better, more decent politician buried in McCain before this campaign. I believe this run for the White House has brought out the absolute worst in him - he's given up any shred of decency in his final desperate bid.
That said, I was still surprised at how poorly he performed. The stakes were high - he finally won the primaries (always a bridesmaid...) - but he simply could not mask his...anger. He's a bitter, scary man. Temperament is the issue, and to put it kindly, McCain has shown that at best he lacks serenity.
July 18, 2008
Oh, and send Rove to jail!
Check this out: http://sendkarlrovetojail.com/
Please sign the petition. This administration is so lawless...
Please sign the petition. This administration is so lawless...
government waste
OK, I work for the DOD. Where *I* work, people generally try to do the right thing, and not waste (not to sound trite, but it's so true) your taxpayer dollars. (My naivete' is being tested lately, and I am all too frequently reminded that greed is a basic aspect of human nature that is celebrated and rewarded by many, much as it was in the eighties and as it has been through history.) Still, this shit just frosts me.
Bush, McCain and company pander to voters' fear so we'll continue to vote for the big daddy who will best see us through crises both current (the Iraq war that the Bush administration bamboozled us into) and future (watch out for Iran!). I'm so much more afraid of the morally bankrupt climate in Washington that allows the Air Force top leadership to be addle-pated enough to spend counter-terrorism funds on '"comfort capsules" to be installed on military planes that ferry senior officers and civilian leaders around the world, with at least four top generals involved in design details such as the color of the capsules' carpet and leather chairs.' Here's the clincher: 'Changing the seat color and pockets alone was estimated in a March 12 internal document to cost at least $68,240.'
Were I religious, I'd pray this mess is a career ender for all who are involved with this shameful waste of money.
I won't get started on the war profiteers who should be jailed...
Bush, McCain and company pander to voters' fear so we'll continue to vote for the big daddy who will best see us through crises both current (the Iraq war that the Bush administration bamboozled us into) and future (watch out for Iran!). I'm so much more afraid of the morally bankrupt climate in Washington that allows the Air Force top leadership to be addle-pated enough to spend counter-terrorism funds on '"comfort capsules" to be installed on military planes that ferry senior officers and civilian leaders around the world, with at least four top generals involved in design details such as the color of the capsules' carpet and leather chairs.' Here's the clincher: 'Changing the seat color and pockets alone was estimated in a March 12 internal document to cost at least $68,240.'
Were I religious, I'd pray this mess is a career ender for all who are involved with this shameful waste of money.
I won't get started on the war profiteers who should be jailed...
July 10, 2008
My new hero!
His name is L.F. Eason. He was the director of North Carolina's Standards Laboratory until this week, when he opted to retire rather than fly the flag at half staff in honor of Jesse Helms. What a grand gesture!
Eason followed his heart. He thought Helms' first election was a fluke, but asserts that Helms was able to establish a core of supporters who based their votes on fear, and so he continued to win reelection. I remember the Helms years. I absolutely could not believe that a state that produced so many fine writers also elected a senator of his ilk.
And speaking of terrific North Carolina authors, I heard Jill McCorkle read from her new book in 1989, when Helms was in the midst of a tough reelection campaign against Harvey Gantt. When I had the opportunity to speak with her, I told her how much I admired so many authors who hail from North Carolina, and expressed my loathing for Jesse Helms. She drawled, "Oh, Jesse - we're so embahhrrassed." She was so charming. When Helms won (after his last minute racist ad barrage), I received a postcard from McCorkle that ended, "P.S. Boo, Jesse!" This represents the only fond thought that comes to mind when I think of Helms. I think it's pretty cruel to call someone a waste of skin, but Helms and Strom Thurmond (or Sperm, as my brother calls him) come pretty close. Frickin' racists.
Anyone who's curious about Jesse Helms' history can read about him here. I will take a holiday from reality and pretend he never existed for a while, until I feel the need to remember the evil that can happen when sheeple vote from fear, as I fear many will in the upcoming presidential election. (Hint: McCain is already working on making you afraid, very afraid.)
Eason followed his heart. He thought Helms' first election was a fluke, but asserts that Helms was able to establish a core of supporters who based their votes on fear, and so he continued to win reelection. I remember the Helms years. I absolutely could not believe that a state that produced so many fine writers also elected a senator of his ilk.
And speaking of terrific North Carolina authors, I heard Jill McCorkle read from her new book in 1989, when Helms was in the midst of a tough reelection campaign against Harvey Gantt. When I had the opportunity to speak with her, I told her how much I admired so many authors who hail from North Carolina, and expressed my loathing for Jesse Helms. She drawled, "Oh, Jesse - we're so embahhrrassed." She was so charming. When Helms won (after his last minute racist ad barrage), I received a postcard from McCorkle that ended, "P.S. Boo, Jesse!" This represents the only fond thought that comes to mind when I think of Helms. I think it's pretty cruel to call someone a waste of skin, but Helms and Strom Thurmond (or Sperm, as my brother calls him) come pretty close. Frickin' racists.
Anyone who's curious about Jesse Helms' history can read about him here. I will take a holiday from reality and pretend he never existed for a while, until I feel the need to remember the evil that can happen when sheeple vote from fear, as I fear many will in the upcoming presidential election. (Hint: McCain is already working on making you afraid, very afraid.)
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