Okay. I saw some seriously funny stuff today.
For starters, I was in Philly for a spell earlier today. We protested Charles Schwab for their monetary involvement in the Bush Privatization proposal for Social Security. Nothing like a protest with lots of different unions, students, and random citizens off the street singing with signs and whistles. Ah! This is why I do this work. Love it.
This morning, I was in Wilmington for a breakfast. As we were leaving, we noticed a woman walking down the street with a bright green dress on. I tried so hard to get a picture with my camera, but I was too late. The thing is that she looked exactly like Mimi from the Drew Carrey Show. I am not lying. She had the makeup and everything - every detail. It was seriously funny shit.
Then, on the way to Philly, we were behind a truck with a bumper sticker that read: "A man and his truck. It's a beautiful thing." That could be classified under two headings in the file drawer: funny and sad. Both at the same time.
That's what you see when you get out of the office. Comedy.
The journey, trials and tribulations, rants and faves of a humble and proud trade unionist.
3.31.2005
3.25.2005
Are you freakin' serious? I need to hurl...
MSNBC.com
Search continues for owner of missing digit
Wendy's fast-food restaurant patron found finger in bowl of chili
The Associated Press
Updated: 8:30 p.m. ET March 24, 2005
A woman bit into a partial finger served in a bowl of chili at a Wendy’s restaurant, leading authorities to a fingerprint database Thursday to determine who lost the digit.
The incident occurred Tuesday night at a San Jose Wendy’s restaurant and left the customer ill and distraught, said Joy Alexiou, a spokeswoman for the Santa Clara County Health Department.
“She was so emotionally upset once she found out what it was,” Alexiou said. “She was vomiting.”
Employees at the Wendy’s store were asked to show investigators their fingers after the Tuesday night incident. All employees’ digits were accounted for, officials said, adding that the well-cooked finger may have come from a food processing plant that supplies the company.
“All of our employees have ten digits,” said Denny Lynch, a spokesman for Wendy’s International Inc., based in Dublin, Ohio. He said there have been no reports to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of injuries at any supplier of chili ingredients to Wendy’s.
“By law, you can’t hide that sort of stuff,” Lynch said. “All of our chili suppliers report no accidents.”
Investigators seized the remaining chili and closed the restaurant for a few hours late Tuesday.
Health officials said the fingertip was approximately 1½ inches long. They believe it belongs to a woman because of the long, manicured nail.
Alexiou said the woman, who asked officials not to identify her, is at minimal risk of contracting illnesses from the finger.
“It’s an extremely low chance because the chili was cooked at a very high temperature that would have killed anything in the finger,” Alexiou said. Still, she said health officials would ask the woman’s doctor to test her blood “to make sure nothing got passed to her.”
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7285110/
MSNBC.com
Search continues for owner of missing digit
Wendy's fast-food restaurant patron found finger in bowl of chili
The Associated Press
Updated: 8:30 p.m. ET March 24, 2005
A woman bit into a partial finger served in a bowl of chili at a Wendy’s restaurant, leading authorities to a fingerprint database Thursday to determine who lost the digit.
The incident occurred Tuesday night at a San Jose Wendy’s restaurant and left the customer ill and distraught, said Joy Alexiou, a spokeswoman for the Santa Clara County Health Department.
“She was so emotionally upset once she found out what it was,” Alexiou said. “She was vomiting.”
Employees at the Wendy’s store were asked to show investigators their fingers after the Tuesday night incident. All employees’ digits were accounted for, officials said, adding that the well-cooked finger may have come from a food processing plant that supplies the company.
“All of our employees have ten digits,” said Denny Lynch, a spokesman for Wendy’s International Inc., based in Dublin, Ohio. He said there have been no reports to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of injuries at any supplier of chili ingredients to Wendy’s.
“By law, you can’t hide that sort of stuff,” Lynch said. “All of our chili suppliers report no accidents.”
Investigators seized the remaining chili and closed the restaurant for a few hours late Tuesday.
Health officials said the fingertip was approximately 1½ inches long. They believe it belongs to a woman because of the long, manicured nail.
Alexiou said the woman, who asked officials not to identify her, is at minimal risk of contracting illnesses from the finger.
“It’s an extremely low chance because the chili was cooked at a very high temperature that would have killed anything in the finger,” Alexiou said. Still, she said health officials would ask the woman’s doctor to test her blood “to make sure nothing got passed to her.”
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7285110/
3.24.2005
Okay.
I wanted to rant on and on about this, but I decided that I don't really need to since it has been everywhere. But you know what? I can't leave it alone because this is so crazy.
But for the Christ, can we just let Terri Schiavo alone? Can we? This whole issue didn't need to be as public as it is. It happens ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. The poor woman has become a pawn in a discussion that really comes down to one thing:
The sanctity of marraige.
Funny I say that, isn't it? You know what, I'm gonna rant. There's politics and emotions and religion involved. And it's time to take them out of the discussion. I mean, I'm not a lawyer, but apparently, people think I am. And maybe it's because I think like one, but let's look at the legal argument, shall we?
In a case where there is no living will, decisions of life and death lie with the person closest to the person in question. The order usually runs: spouse, child, and then parent.
So legally, her husband has the right to make this decision. The parents are claiming that Terri has had her due process rights and violation of religious freedoms trampled on. I understand this, but I fail to understand how this would hold up in a court of law if she cannot even be aware of possibility of her rights being trampled on.
More than twenty courts have sided with her husband. The Bush brothers have intervened twice before. Congress, er, the Republicans, passed emergency legislation a few days ago to push the issue to the Federal Courts.
The courts, to their credit, have upheld the law. The Supreme Court did something smart and didn't take the case, despite the enormous pressure for them to do so. I'm happy they stuck to Marbury v. Madison and exerted their understanding of the law. After all, it's not like the Court would have decided to pick up the case if the U.S. Court of Appeals wouldn't. It's just not done. Besides, the argument that she has been denied proper due process and religious freedom is very difficult to uphold considering the state that Terri Schiavo is in.
Now I'm going to talk politics because this is the part that fascinates me.
Did you know that if the Republicans in Congress had actually screwed up the legislation? The legislation says that the district court has to determine whether the case has merit first and then provide relief if the court decided that the case had merit. Because if Congress had ordered the feeding tube to be connected before deciding if the case had merit would render the whole legislation unconstitutional because it would be the Legislative branch exerting their power over the Judicial.
But you're not hearing that from the Republicans, are you?
No, you're hearing them lament "out of control courts" and that the "courts ignored their intent". Um. Not really. The courts did what the legislation said. First, they determined whether the case had merit. And they decided that the case did not have merit, thereby nulling the second provision of the legislation. Had the Republicans been smart, they would have figured out a way to reinsert the feeding tube while the courts worked it out. They could have done it. But they are too connected to the Churches and the religious right to see clearly enough.
You know, I actually read yesterday that Dic...er, Rick Santorum (R - Sen. Douchbag Nozzle from PA) said, "In this case, saving Terri Schiavo's life is more important than the sanctity of marraige."
I'm serious. He said that.
I'm not going to say that the Democrats are not anywhere in here. In my opinion, they have smartly avoided this issue. But part of me longs for one of them to step in and say, "We are all saddened by this situation, but we firmly believe that this issue is between the family and politics should be far removed from the situation."
But no one wants to even stick their neck out and say it because some Republican will attack them for politicizing the situation. Though the Bush Tag Team has been all over this issue, intervening and doing whatever they can to get the issue in the open.
And for the gajillionth time in a month, I have wondered why the Republicans are getting away with all of this. Because they would prefer skewing the argument to whatever benefits them best. Talk about flip-flopping. It's not okay for two men or two women to marry for the sanctity of marraige, but when a husband has the legal right to decide that the time has come for his ailing and barely cognizant wife, the sanctity of marraige is no longer valid. It's okay for us to save someone in a state like Terri Schiavo, but not okay for us to continue funding programs that provide relief for millions of low-income Americans, children, and families (I'm talking Medicaid amongst other things). I could go on forever here, but I'll stop there.
Who do they think they are kidding? You cannot have it both ways. You cannot even define when life begins and life ends. I mean, they want to preserve life and describe life beginning the minute you meet someone and may or may not decide to copulate with them. They say that if a machine can sustain your life, you should stay on it forever. Yet, they'll do everything they can to screw with you between those times - from the moment you're born to sustained living in a nursing home or hospice.
You know, I'm not going to lie. I'm not going to say that I think Terri Schiavo should live or die. Because that's not my decision to make. I feel incredible sadness at her situation. Not many people are aware, but my cousin in the Philippines suffered from a anuerism of the brain when he was just thirteen and he is still alive. The difference between my cousin and Terri Schiavo is the simple fact that he doesn't need a machine to determine his life and death. He may not be able to feed himself, but he doesn't have to rely on technology to keep him alive. He cannot really speak, either. But he communicates. He listens. He watches you. He plays with you. And while Terri can do that - according the the news - once again, he is not hooked up to a machine. I don't pray very often, but I pray for him. And he has shown improvement over the years. So I have a very good understanding of what her family and friends are going through. But god help me if I ever had to face anything like that with my spouse.
At some point, one has to say enough is enough. One has to know when it's time to go. I was reading earlier that her husband wants to have her cremated and buried near Philly in their hometown. Her family will probably fight that because they are going to argue that as a Roman Catholic, Terri wouldn't have wanted to be cremated.
I want them to cremate her and spread her ashes over the sea so that she can finally be free and no longer belong to anyone anymore.
No matter what, I hope that she may find peace. And that we will stop making politics out of it and point fingers. Because in the end, this is about Terri Schiavo. And she is being forgotten in the midst of all of this. And that is the saddest part of all.
I wanted to rant on and on about this, but I decided that I don't really need to since it has been everywhere. But you know what? I can't leave it alone because this is so crazy.
But for the Christ, can we just let Terri Schiavo alone? Can we? This whole issue didn't need to be as public as it is. It happens ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. The poor woman has become a pawn in a discussion that really comes down to one thing:
The sanctity of marraige.
Funny I say that, isn't it? You know what, I'm gonna rant. There's politics and emotions and religion involved. And it's time to take them out of the discussion. I mean, I'm not a lawyer, but apparently, people think I am. And maybe it's because I think like one, but let's look at the legal argument, shall we?
In a case where there is no living will, decisions of life and death lie with the person closest to the person in question. The order usually runs: spouse, child, and then parent.
So legally, her husband has the right to make this decision. The parents are claiming that Terri has had her due process rights and violation of religious freedoms trampled on. I understand this, but I fail to understand how this would hold up in a court of law if she cannot even be aware of possibility of her rights being trampled on.
More than twenty courts have sided with her husband. The Bush brothers have intervened twice before. Congress, er, the Republicans, passed emergency legislation a few days ago to push the issue to the Federal Courts.
The courts, to their credit, have upheld the law. The Supreme Court did something smart and didn't take the case, despite the enormous pressure for them to do so. I'm happy they stuck to Marbury v. Madison and exerted their understanding of the law. After all, it's not like the Court would have decided to pick up the case if the U.S. Court of Appeals wouldn't. It's just not done. Besides, the argument that she has been denied proper due process and religious freedom is very difficult to uphold considering the state that Terri Schiavo is in.
Now I'm going to talk politics because this is the part that fascinates me.
Did you know that if the Republicans in Congress had actually screwed up the legislation? The legislation says that the district court has to determine whether the case has merit first and then provide relief if the court decided that the case had merit. Because if Congress had ordered the feeding tube to be connected before deciding if the case had merit would render the whole legislation unconstitutional because it would be the Legislative branch exerting their power over the Judicial.
But you're not hearing that from the Republicans, are you?
No, you're hearing them lament "out of control courts" and that the "courts ignored their intent". Um. Not really. The courts did what the legislation said. First, they determined whether the case had merit. And they decided that the case did not have merit, thereby nulling the second provision of the legislation. Had the Republicans been smart, they would have figured out a way to reinsert the feeding tube while the courts worked it out. They could have done it. But they are too connected to the Churches and the religious right to see clearly enough.
You know, I actually read yesterday that Dic...er, Rick Santorum (R - Sen. Douchbag Nozzle from PA) said, "In this case, saving Terri Schiavo's life is more important than the sanctity of marraige."
I'm serious. He said that.
I'm not going to say that the Democrats are not anywhere in here. In my opinion, they have smartly avoided this issue. But part of me longs for one of them to step in and say, "We are all saddened by this situation, but we firmly believe that this issue is between the family and politics should be far removed from the situation."
But no one wants to even stick their neck out and say it because some Republican will attack them for politicizing the situation. Though the Bush Tag Team has been all over this issue, intervening and doing whatever they can to get the issue in the open.
And for the gajillionth time in a month, I have wondered why the Republicans are getting away with all of this. Because they would prefer skewing the argument to whatever benefits them best. Talk about flip-flopping. It's not okay for two men or two women to marry for the sanctity of marraige, but when a husband has the legal right to decide that the time has come for his ailing and barely cognizant wife, the sanctity of marraige is no longer valid. It's okay for us to save someone in a state like Terri Schiavo, but not okay for us to continue funding programs that provide relief for millions of low-income Americans, children, and families (I'm talking Medicaid amongst other things). I could go on forever here, but I'll stop there.
Who do they think they are kidding? You cannot have it both ways. You cannot even define when life begins and life ends. I mean, they want to preserve life and describe life beginning the minute you meet someone and may or may not decide to copulate with them. They say that if a machine can sustain your life, you should stay on it forever. Yet, they'll do everything they can to screw with you between those times - from the moment you're born to sustained living in a nursing home or hospice.
You know, I'm not going to lie. I'm not going to say that I think Terri Schiavo should live or die. Because that's not my decision to make. I feel incredible sadness at her situation. Not many people are aware, but my cousin in the Philippines suffered from a anuerism of the brain when he was just thirteen and he is still alive. The difference between my cousin and Terri Schiavo is the simple fact that he doesn't need a machine to determine his life and death. He may not be able to feed himself, but he doesn't have to rely on technology to keep him alive. He cannot really speak, either. But he communicates. He listens. He watches you. He plays with you. And while Terri can do that - according the the news - once again, he is not hooked up to a machine. I don't pray very often, but I pray for him. And he has shown improvement over the years. So I have a very good understanding of what her family and friends are going through. But god help me if I ever had to face anything like that with my spouse.
At some point, one has to say enough is enough. One has to know when it's time to go. I was reading earlier that her husband wants to have her cremated and buried near Philly in their hometown. Her family will probably fight that because they are going to argue that as a Roman Catholic, Terri wouldn't have wanted to be cremated.
I want them to cremate her and spread her ashes over the sea so that she can finally be free and no longer belong to anyone anymore.
No matter what, I hope that she may find peace. And that we will stop making politics out of it and point fingers. Because in the end, this is about Terri Schiavo. And she is being forgotten in the midst of all of this. And that is the saddest part of all.
3.22.2005
Boy, we were loopy.
This is the quote of the week:
The quote of last week:
And the quote of the week before:
This is the quote of the week:
"I saw they had computers with that new biometric stuff, you know, where you have fingerprint identification? Well, I was thinking, what happens if something awful happens and you lose a finger? You wouldn't be able to sign into your computer - on top of not having a finger. That would be a really shitty day!"
-Lindsay "Drama Mama" Krieg
The quote of last week:
"I find it so funny that you are my reflection."
-Phil, who happens to be very tall and white to me, who happens to be very short and brown
And the quote of the week before:
"I say that you go kick some midget ass!"
-Liz "NBS" DelloRusso after I told her that I was legally allowed to participate in the Midget Olympics because the cut-off is 5', which I happen to be. Exactly. Hmm.
3.18.2005
Only in New York.
So yesterday, I was in the city for Selection Day for the Coros when I was driving a carload of us back to Manhattan before heading back home.
When we stopped at Gramercy Park where Sarah (the Heezy) lived to wait for her boyfriend, I was watching the door of her apartment building.
Suddenly, some older gentleman wearing sweatpants and a light jacket comes out the front door, looks up and down the street, and then proceeds to unscrew the lightbulb from one of those "porch light" things used to light the doorway for the building inhabitants.
He didn't touch the other light, but just as quickly as he came out of the building, he went back in.
Incredulously, I turned to Heezy and asked, "Did you see that?"
She saw the last three seconds of it.
We must have laughed for at least three minutes before the guy was suddenly at the door again, but this time to close the door and look suspiciously out the glass door.
Um, yes. Someone saw you snag that lightbulb. If a lightbulb in your apartment goes out, you could have walked the twenty extra yards to the deli down the street where they sell them for that very reason!
The Heez and I got at least another five minutes of giggling amusement.
Sigh. Only in New York.
I miss it so much.
So yesterday, I was in the city for Selection Day for the Coros when I was driving a carload of us back to Manhattan before heading back home.
When we stopped at Gramercy Park where Sarah (the Heezy) lived to wait for her boyfriend, I was watching the door of her apartment building.
Suddenly, some older gentleman wearing sweatpants and a light jacket comes out the front door, looks up and down the street, and then proceeds to unscrew the lightbulb from one of those "porch light" things used to light the doorway for the building inhabitants.
He didn't touch the other light, but just as quickly as he came out of the building, he went back in.
Incredulously, I turned to Heezy and asked, "Did you see that?"
She saw the last three seconds of it.
We must have laughed for at least three minutes before the guy was suddenly at the door again, but this time to close the door and look suspiciously out the glass door.
Um, yes. Someone saw you snag that lightbulb. If a lightbulb in your apartment goes out, you could have walked the twenty extra yards to the deli down the street where they sell them for that very reason!
The Heez and I got at least another five minutes of giggling amusement.
Sigh. Only in New York.
I miss it so much.
3.13.2005
3.07.2005
Being sick blows.
I somehow managed to get pretty sick this weekend. I mean, I had been feeling like I was getting sick and I knew it, but I didn't think it would hit me all at once.
I was in DC for training - and that was exhausting enough.
But on Friday at around 4, right when I finally got off the phone making work calls now that I've been hit with the work bat, I suddenly felt like a big piece of crap.
And I'm posting because something happened to me Friday night that has never happened to me before when I am sick.
So I did what only someone who thinks they have a head cold/flu/throat ache/ear infection does.
I slept.
A lot.
Drank lots of fluids, pumped myself with tylenol, grabbed the echinachea drops, hopped on the couch with a comforter, and passed out.
When I woke up, I was really sick. Fever. Chills. Sore throat. Starting to get the congestion.
So I then decided to take a shower. Get the germs off of me. It seemed to work.
When I was done, I headed back downstairs on the couch, presumably to sleep some more.
And then, for no apparent reason, I started crying.
Wha???
I was so freakin' sick that I started crying. Maybe it was out of frustration. But my head was so hot, my body was racked with chills, I started CRYING.
I think it was my head trying to release the heat from my body. It had to be. Because I wasn't emotional. But I was sitting there, tears streaming down my face, laughing at myself, and wondering what the hell was happening to me.
Anyone else have that happen before? Jesu-flips.
I somehow managed to get pretty sick this weekend. I mean, I had been feeling like I was getting sick and I knew it, but I didn't think it would hit me all at once.
I was in DC for training - and that was exhausting enough.
But on Friday at around 4, right when I finally got off the phone making work calls now that I've been hit with the work bat, I suddenly felt like a big piece of crap.
And I'm posting because something happened to me Friday night that has never happened to me before when I am sick.
So I did what only someone who thinks they have a head cold/flu/throat ache/ear infection does.
I slept.
A lot.
Drank lots of fluids, pumped myself with tylenol, grabbed the echinachea drops, hopped on the couch with a comforter, and passed out.
When I woke up, I was really sick. Fever. Chills. Sore throat. Starting to get the congestion.
So I then decided to take a shower. Get the germs off of me. It seemed to work.
When I was done, I headed back downstairs on the couch, presumably to sleep some more.
And then, for no apparent reason, I started crying.
Wha???
I was so freakin' sick that I started crying. Maybe it was out of frustration. But my head was so hot, my body was racked with chills, I started CRYING.
I think it was my head trying to release the heat from my body. It had to be. Because I wasn't emotional. But I was sitting there, tears streaming down my face, laughing at myself, and wondering what the hell was happening to me.
Anyone else have that happen before? Jesu-flips.
3.01.2005
Been a while. Well, since I used to blog almost daily, it seems it.
I'm sure that the few folks I know that read this are probably annoyed. So, it seems time for me to post something new.
I will not regale you with the fantastically boring inner workings of my mind this week. Indeed, besides research and wringing my hands together over the status of my life so far, I think others would find it boring. And we're talking ho-hum boring.
So today, I wish to pass along a few thoughts that have been plaguing me whenever I turn on the news this week.
1. BTK. Freakin' creepy. Serial killers tend to have that affect. It's always the quiet ones. Church-going, family-man, seems to live by the rules guy. But crazy as a shit house rat. Every time I get a feeling of security, they find someone like this. The Christ.
2. Weather. Again, the snow issue is huge here. As a girl who loves snow, I would like to officially announce an amendment to my love of snow - I love snow in places where they know what to do with it. Out here, they have no idea. So I do not heart snow here.
3. The Oscars. It's about time they started to represent the diversity of the country. Chris Rock might be one of the few comedians who can get away with some of the things he says because we expect him to do it. Kudos to the Academy for putting him right up front. Jamie Foxx absolutely deserved the golden guy because he is mindblowingly fantastic as Ray Charles. Morgan Freeman finally got the award he deserved, and I can't believe that Annette Benning and Martin Scorsese got screwed again. Now that I know what an ass Leonardo is, er, Leonard as Adam likes to call him - I can't stand watching him. Cate Blanchett is awesome and I'm just pissed that "Finding Neverland" got nothing. They and "Sideways" (so I'm told - I still need to see it) got robbed. ROBBED.
4. I still don't get republicans. At all.
5. Social security is NOT in a crisis. Yet. But for chrissake, will some news source please do an independant report on social security so that people aren't swayed by words like, "Individual/Personal Accounts"? I'd like to think that you can only dupe the country once, but it looks like Bush is banking his place in history on it. All I think about when I see him on the news is that whole bit of banter between Michael Douglas and Michael J. Fox in "The American President" -"Lewis, we've had Presidents who were beloved, who couldn't find a coherent sentence with two hands and a flashlight. People don't drink the sand because they're thirsty, Lewis. They drink it because they don't know the difference." Is that what we've become? I fear it every day.
6. I actually feel for Paris Hilton over this hacked cellphone thing. Because honestly, can anyone really be mad at her for having all of that information in her cellphone? Honestly? Take out your cellphone, folks. Check that address book 'o yours. Do you have it written somewhere else? Do you have the numbers committed to memory? Yeah. Thought so. I mean, I purposely got a palm pilot that wasn't a cellphone because if i lost it, I would be screwed. I figure that if something happens where I lose one, I still have the other. So should celebrities be surprised that she had all of that information on her sidekick? I think not. The lesson here is that he/she who lives in glass houses shouldn't give their personal email or number to Paris Hilton. Or something like that. Ridiculous.
7. I DON'T CARE ABOUT JEN AND BRAD. Much. Leave them alone, for crying out loud. It's hard enough to deal with a divorce.
AND FINALLY...
8. Jacko. You know, I think the real tragedy of the Michael Jackson case is that no member of the current generation will remember him for his music. They'll never know how cool it was growing up, imitating the moonwalk, wearing the red leather jacket with the glove, hiding every time "Thriller" came on MTV - when MTV used to play videos, and hope and pray that they would show "Smooth Criminal" again. Remember when "Black or White" came out and everyone was talking about the end of the video when the people morphed into each other? I mean, he had some real musical genius there. "Don't Stop 'Till You Get Enough", "Man in the Mirror", "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" - these were songs our generation grew up with. Until the weirder Jacko emerged and he decided to continue with his plastic surgery, become whiter by the years, marry Lisa Marie, insist that the white-skinned children with blonde hair were his, call his child "Blanket", dangle a baby from a balcony, and turn into the freak he probably was afraid of. Someday they will make a film about Michael Jackson around the lines of "The Aviator" and we will revel in this man's downfall. But in the meantime, I plan on just taking out HIStory and listening.
Yeah. Does anyone else feel like they're in the twilight zone? I sure as hell do. Though I can't really tell if that's because of the news or Delaware. But whatever.
I'm sure that the few folks I know that read this are probably annoyed. So, it seems time for me to post something new.
I will not regale you with the fantastically boring inner workings of my mind this week. Indeed, besides research and wringing my hands together over the status of my life so far, I think others would find it boring. And we're talking ho-hum boring.
So today, I wish to pass along a few thoughts that have been plaguing me whenever I turn on the news this week.
1. BTK. Freakin' creepy. Serial killers tend to have that affect. It's always the quiet ones. Church-going, family-man, seems to live by the rules guy. But crazy as a shit house rat. Every time I get a feeling of security, they find someone like this. The Christ.
2. Weather. Again, the snow issue is huge here. As a girl who loves snow, I would like to officially announce an amendment to my love of snow - I love snow in places where they know what to do with it. Out here, they have no idea. So I do not heart snow here.
3. The Oscars. It's about time they started to represent the diversity of the country. Chris Rock might be one of the few comedians who can get away with some of the things he says because we expect him to do it. Kudos to the Academy for putting him right up front. Jamie Foxx absolutely deserved the golden guy because he is mindblowingly fantastic as Ray Charles. Morgan Freeman finally got the award he deserved, and I can't believe that Annette Benning and Martin Scorsese got screwed again. Now that I know what an ass Leonardo is, er, Leonard as Adam likes to call him - I can't stand watching him. Cate Blanchett is awesome and I'm just pissed that "Finding Neverland" got nothing. They and "Sideways" (so I'm told - I still need to see it) got robbed. ROBBED.
4. I still don't get republicans. At all.
5. Social security is NOT in a crisis. Yet. But for chrissake, will some news source please do an independant report on social security so that people aren't swayed by words like, "Individual/Personal Accounts"? I'd like to think that you can only dupe the country once, but it looks like Bush is banking his place in history on it. All I think about when I see him on the news is that whole bit of banter between Michael Douglas and Michael J. Fox in "The American President" -"Lewis, we've had Presidents who were beloved, who couldn't find a coherent sentence with two hands and a flashlight. People don't drink the sand because they're thirsty, Lewis. They drink it because they don't know the difference." Is that what we've become? I fear it every day.
6. I actually feel for Paris Hilton over this hacked cellphone thing. Because honestly, can anyone really be mad at her for having all of that information in her cellphone? Honestly? Take out your cellphone, folks. Check that address book 'o yours. Do you have it written somewhere else? Do you have the numbers committed to memory? Yeah. Thought so. I mean, I purposely got a palm pilot that wasn't a cellphone because if i lost it, I would be screwed. I figure that if something happens where I lose one, I still have the other. So should celebrities be surprised that she had all of that information on her sidekick? I think not. The lesson here is that he/she who lives in glass houses shouldn't give their personal email or number to Paris Hilton. Or something like that. Ridiculous.
7. I DON'T CARE ABOUT JEN AND BRAD. Much. Leave them alone, for crying out loud. It's hard enough to deal with a divorce.
AND FINALLY...
8. Jacko. You know, I think the real tragedy of the Michael Jackson case is that no member of the current generation will remember him for his music. They'll never know how cool it was growing up, imitating the moonwalk, wearing the red leather jacket with the glove, hiding every time "Thriller" came on MTV - when MTV used to play videos, and hope and pray that they would show "Smooth Criminal" again. Remember when "Black or White" came out and everyone was talking about the end of the video when the people morphed into each other? I mean, he had some real musical genius there. "Don't Stop 'Till You Get Enough", "Man in the Mirror", "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" - these were songs our generation grew up with. Until the weirder Jacko emerged and he decided to continue with his plastic surgery, become whiter by the years, marry Lisa Marie, insist that the white-skinned children with blonde hair were his, call his child "Blanket", dangle a baby from a balcony, and turn into the freak he probably was afraid of. Someday they will make a film about Michael Jackson around the lines of "The Aviator" and we will revel in this man's downfall. But in the meantime, I plan on just taking out HIStory and listening.
Yeah. Does anyone else feel like they're in the twilight zone? I sure as hell do. Though I can't really tell if that's because of the news or Delaware. But whatever.
2.24.2005
Okay.
I come from the land of snow. Anyone who is from Upstate New York will concur: four inches of snow is practically light rain. Anyone from FMHS will probably nod and tell you that a WALL of snow, ice, and hail would probably still mean that we had to go to school - and no hope of a snow day except to pray for an hour or two delay.
Now I understand that parts of this country just aren't equipped to handle snow. And I'm sure folks who actually voted for George W. Bush will say that snow in Alabama is a freak coincidence and that global warming just doesn't exist.
But for people in the northeast in the mid-Atlantic region, we should at least have some sort of game plan, right?
RIGHT?!!
All of us well versed in what winter actually means would laugh when they would put sand on the snow at my college. Try salt. It works better. But we understood that in places that are older and sporting the ever-popular federalist architecture of brick, brick, and more brick, that sand was essential to upkeep on the bricks.
But explain to me how sand would be more effective on pavement than on brick.
The whole state is covered in sand. Then again, Delaware uses cement primarily for roads, but that's a whole other can of worms.
What's even more laughable is how they move the snow around. When that foot or so fell on Delaware, it looked like they strapped shovels to trucks going 15 down my street. Even in New York City, they got the trash trucks to get the industrial shovels and clear that shit. You'd think that in a place where there are more trucks than people that they might have figured that out.
I was one of two people in the office today, presumably because of the snow. I could have left early. I didn't. I actually got a good amount done today. It wasn't so annoying. Until I left the office to go to the mall to return my guitar cable for my ibook, peruse the new mac minis, and take a moment to wish that I had more money to buy the kind of equipment that I need to write the music for the CBC's upcoming show.
That's another story.
Needless to say, I've come home slightly pissed. But let me tell you why.
1. Most people used to snow will tell you - when you scrape the snow off of your car, it isn't just about the windows. Hit the lights, hit the tires, and for godssake, hit the roof of your car! I can't tell you how annoying it is to dodge chunks of wet snow from the car in front of me or not to be able to tell that the car in front is going to make a right hand or left hand turn.
2. If you are in a smaller car and you have problems with sliding, throw the car in a lower gear. The tire rotation slows down and you can get a better grip on the road. Sure, it takes up a little more gas, but you'll get wherever you're going in one piece. I promise.
3. If you are afraid of snow, don't stay in the left lane and go 25. It's freakin' annoying as shit.
4. If you aren't afraid of snow and the guy in front of me is going 25, don't tailgate me half an inch away from my car and flash the high beams. You can tell that there's a car in front of me because I've moved slightly to the right so that you can see them. And you know I can't get into the right hand lane to let you through because there's people going 20 there.
5. Shoveling your walkway is fine. Putting the excess snow into my freshly shoveled driveway isn't. Screw you.
As you can tell, I'm slightly peeved. I understand people's concerns, but c'mon. If you can't handle the snow, don't go out.
I come from the land of snow. Anyone who is from Upstate New York will concur: four inches of snow is practically light rain. Anyone from FMHS will probably nod and tell you that a WALL of snow, ice, and hail would probably still mean that we had to go to school - and no hope of a snow day except to pray for an hour or two delay.
Now I understand that parts of this country just aren't equipped to handle snow. And I'm sure folks who actually voted for George W. Bush will say that snow in Alabama is a freak coincidence and that global warming just doesn't exist.
But for people in the northeast in the mid-Atlantic region, we should at least have some sort of game plan, right?
RIGHT?!!
All of us well versed in what winter actually means would laugh when they would put sand on the snow at my college. Try salt. It works better. But we understood that in places that are older and sporting the ever-popular federalist architecture of brick, brick, and more brick, that sand was essential to upkeep on the bricks.
But explain to me how sand would be more effective on pavement than on brick.
The whole state is covered in sand. Then again, Delaware uses cement primarily for roads, but that's a whole other can of worms.
What's even more laughable is how they move the snow around. When that foot or so fell on Delaware, it looked like they strapped shovels to trucks going 15 down my street. Even in New York City, they got the trash trucks to get the industrial shovels and clear that shit. You'd think that in a place where there are more trucks than people that they might have figured that out.
I was one of two people in the office today, presumably because of the snow. I could have left early. I didn't. I actually got a good amount done today. It wasn't so annoying. Until I left the office to go to the mall to return my guitar cable for my ibook, peruse the new mac minis, and take a moment to wish that I had more money to buy the kind of equipment that I need to write the music for the CBC's upcoming show.
That's another story.
Needless to say, I've come home slightly pissed. But let me tell you why.
1. Most people used to snow will tell you - when you scrape the snow off of your car, it isn't just about the windows. Hit the lights, hit the tires, and for godssake, hit the roof of your car! I can't tell you how annoying it is to dodge chunks of wet snow from the car in front of me or not to be able to tell that the car in front is going to make a right hand or left hand turn.
2. If you are in a smaller car and you have problems with sliding, throw the car in a lower gear. The tire rotation slows down and you can get a better grip on the road. Sure, it takes up a little more gas, but you'll get wherever you're going in one piece. I promise.
3. If you are afraid of snow, don't stay in the left lane and go 25. It's freakin' annoying as shit.
4. If you aren't afraid of snow and the guy in front of me is going 25, don't tailgate me half an inch away from my car and flash the high beams. You can tell that there's a car in front of me because I've moved slightly to the right so that you can see them. And you know I can't get into the right hand lane to let you through because there's people going 20 there.
5. Shoveling your walkway is fine. Putting the excess snow into my freshly shoveled driveway isn't. Screw you.
As you can tell, I'm slightly peeved. I understand people's concerns, but c'mon. If you can't handle the snow, don't go out.
2.18.2005
Finding myself back from the sunny land of Philadelphia this morning, I wish to talk about...
Public Restrooms.
This isn't because I came from Philly today after spending an evening assisting the Cardboard Box Collaborative in their newest show, Now Serving - which anyone in the Philly area really must go and see. It's actually held over from my weekend in NYC this past weekend.
Well, what I really wish to talk about is something more specific about public restrooms.
For starters, if you are lucky enough to go to a nice, decent restroom, chances are that you will encounter those toilet seat covers.
As the daughter of an infection control nurse, I can tell you scientifically and without a doubt that these are a very important and good invention.
Now I've found that if you are loitering around reststops on the highway or turnpike, these come very much in handy. At the same time, however, the thing holding them to the wall is cheap as hell. So you go ahead and pull on one to use it and the thing rips halfway in your hand. A little annoying, you go ahead and pull on another one...which rips in your hand. After about four tries, you're pretty damn near frustrated, and depending on your situation, perhaps edgy as hell because you need to use the toilet. Finally, you slowly pull out one and the other halves that have ripped off in your hand stream out at you like candy out of a pinata.
This isn't the only frustrating thing.
Then you go to put it on the seat. You carefully rip the center out of the rest of the cover, like you do - and so that you don't have the uncomfortable situation where you pee on yourself - and place it gently on the seat. By the time you undo your pants and go to sit down, the weight of the center dropping to the toilet water has pulled the back of the seat cover into the toilet and is slowly beginning to drag the rest of the cover into the toilet with it.
So you grab another one - which proceeds to rip in your hand. So you go through the whole process again...
...and again.
By the time you finally get it to stay on the toilet, you've got seven toilet covers on the seat, twelve ripped up in the toilet so that you can't see the water in the bowl anymore, and you've lost the urge to use the toilet.
Is anyone else slightly frustrated or at least mildly amused by this situation? I find it annoying as hell, but really funny now that I think about it. I mean, if you're afraid of germs (thanks, mom) like I am, toilet covers serve a very important function. If they could figure out a way to design it so that you only have to use one...
Public Restrooms.
This isn't because I came from Philly today after spending an evening assisting the Cardboard Box Collaborative in their newest show, Now Serving - which anyone in the Philly area really must go and see. It's actually held over from my weekend in NYC this past weekend.
Well, what I really wish to talk about is something more specific about public restrooms.
For starters, if you are lucky enough to go to a nice, decent restroom, chances are that you will encounter those toilet seat covers.
As the daughter of an infection control nurse, I can tell you scientifically and without a doubt that these are a very important and good invention.
Now I've found that if you are loitering around reststops on the highway or turnpike, these come very much in handy. At the same time, however, the thing holding them to the wall is cheap as hell. So you go ahead and pull on one to use it and the thing rips halfway in your hand. A little annoying, you go ahead and pull on another one...which rips in your hand. After about four tries, you're pretty damn near frustrated, and depending on your situation, perhaps edgy as hell because you need to use the toilet. Finally, you slowly pull out one and the other halves that have ripped off in your hand stream out at you like candy out of a pinata.
This isn't the only frustrating thing.
Then you go to put it on the seat. You carefully rip the center out of the rest of the cover, like you do - and so that you don't have the uncomfortable situation where you pee on yourself - and place it gently on the seat. By the time you undo your pants and go to sit down, the weight of the center dropping to the toilet water has pulled the back of the seat cover into the toilet and is slowly beginning to drag the rest of the cover into the toilet with it.
So you grab another one - which proceeds to rip in your hand. So you go through the whole process again...
...and again.
By the time you finally get it to stay on the toilet, you've got seven toilet covers on the seat, twelve ripped up in the toilet so that you can't see the water in the bowl anymore, and you've lost the urge to use the toilet.
Is anyone else slightly frustrated or at least mildly amused by this situation? I find it annoying as hell, but really funny now that I think about it. I mean, if you're afraid of germs (thanks, mom) like I am, toilet covers serve a very important function. If they could figure out a way to design it so that you only have to use one...
2.14.2005
I think that I have figured out a possible way for Mike Bloomberg to win re-election in 2005. And we should be cheering this issue on.
Bear with me here.
Let's look at some facts about NYC, shall we?
1. NYC is overwhelmingly Democrat. 5-1 Democrat to Republican ratio in the state. That's ridiculous. Well, not for me, 'cause I'm a Democrat. But still, that's pretty decent odds, right? Don't ask me why we have a Republican Governor, I'll explain why we have a Republican Mayor shortly.
2. These Democrats aren't typically moderate. No, we're the in-your-face liberals. C'mon. You don't live on an 24 square mile island or adjoining boroughs with more than 8 million people from all over the world, 7 million rats, and 10 million pigeons without being slightly liberal.
3. Mike Bloomberg isn't really a Republican. For those not joining in from the Apple, Hizzoner (the mayor) switched parties to avoid running in the crowded Democratic field in 2001. He was one of the major donors to Gore/Lieberman in 2000 and many Republicans and conservatives speak of him with a bit of snide.
4. For those of you living under a rock, Bloomie is a BILLIONAIRE. The man spent $78 million on his mayoral campaign - out of his own pocket. For a liberal responsible donkey like me, I appreciated the fact that he didn't run with anyone in his pocket. In fact, that was one of his campaign "things" - he wasn't a normal politician, he didn't have special interests, only the city mattered to him. For a city facing some serious problems in 2001, including a spiraling budget gap, the businessman was a good choice - especially if you weren't particularly fond of Mark Green (the Democratic Mayoral candidate in 2001).
These are just the facts I wish to highlight in this argument.
Many of you may not be aware that New York City is on the verge of being the next "battleground", if you will, in the fight for gay marriage. Click on that link. Check it out. Basically, a Manhattan judge ruled that it was unconstitutional for the state to forbid gays from marrying - that the state constitution did not specify marriage, therefore, no one could bar anyone from marrying anyone.
Side note: does that mean I could marry my pinkie? I'm just curious.
Back at the ranch...
Now Mr. Mayor, as he has been apt to do - much to the chagrin of his campaign staff (trust me, I was there), has made a contradiction of himself. He told reporters that he personally believed that gays should be given the same freedoms as heterosexuals and that government should not create laws to forbid people to marry, no matter who was marrying whom. Yet, he also said later that he would appeal the judges' decision to the Court of Appeals, the highest court in the State.
Um. I don't get it.
Well, I sort of do. His argument, which starts to make a little bit of sense, is that he wants to force the state to make a decision "so that people will have a right once and for all to know where they stand." He does not want the situation they had in San Fransisco where the mayor married all of those gay couples only to have it overturned months later.
Sure, he's worried about his re-election. And he's probably feeling some heat from his Republican friends.
But I wish to call attention to those facts I listed above.
1. New Yorkers may be mostly democrats, but if given the right reasons to re-elect a Republican, they will do it. Case in point: Giulani. If he wants to win re-election, he has a better chance of siding with the 5-1 Democrats.
2. The chances of his favorable rating going up if he stands up for civil rights will most likely go upwards fast. Remember the liberal factor here.
3. He's not really a Republican. Sure, he's raised a lot of money for them, but he has always said that it isn't about party or politics, it's about doing what's morally right. Dante said it best: "The hottest places in hell are reserved for those, who in times of great moral crisis, retain their neutrality." If it wasn't for people standing up for morals, we would still have slavery, segregation, male-only voting, and awful events like the Holocaust. I'm not taking this too far - when some people have rights and other don't share the same rights, then there will always be oppression.
4. Because he will self-finance his campaign again, what difference does it make if he pisses some people off? Sure, there will be plenty of Catholics and religious folks calling for his head, but those ladies in the Upper East Side will, at best, stay home on election day, leaving the same situation as 2001 where he was elected because Mark Green lost. That's probably important to remember. He won because Mark Green and the Dems made a mistake that upset a lot of party members (present company included) that they stayed at home on November 2nd. This could work in his favor if he has a strong challenger, which is likely. But the democratic challengers are also supporting gay marriage.
Does this make sense? Isn't it kind of obvious? I think so.
If he wants to avoid the political mess that will begin to ensue over his contradiction of word and deed, the other, less controversial method might also work to gain favor - and yes, I'm talking about Civil Unions.
Sure, it's not marriage, but at least it's better. With civil unions, gay couples can at least be acknowledged. NYC would never have that horrible consequence where gay 9/11 survivors who could not collect the benefits of their lost loved ones because they were gay. While a lot of people might be against gay marriage, they aren't against gays having rights - I'm talking about New York here, people. I'm fully aware of those folks who don't want gays to have any rights at all.
I mean, come on. Go with your conscience, Mayor. Go with your morals. Go with your instinct. People may never believe what you say, but they'll always believe what you do. You can't be for people having rights and then fight against them having those rights. Shit or get off the pot.
And not only will you be making a huge statement for civil rights, mark a place for yourself in the history books, you just might keep your job.
"Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead
Bear with me here.
Let's look at some facts about NYC, shall we?
1. NYC is overwhelmingly Democrat. 5-1 Democrat to Republican ratio in the state. That's ridiculous. Well, not for me, 'cause I'm a Democrat. But still, that's pretty decent odds, right? Don't ask me why we have a Republican Governor, I'll explain why we have a Republican Mayor shortly.
2. These Democrats aren't typically moderate. No, we're the in-your-face liberals. C'mon. You don't live on an 24 square mile island or adjoining boroughs with more than 8 million people from all over the world, 7 million rats, and 10 million pigeons without being slightly liberal.
3. Mike Bloomberg isn't really a Republican. For those not joining in from the Apple, Hizzoner (the mayor) switched parties to avoid running in the crowded Democratic field in 2001. He was one of the major donors to Gore/Lieberman in 2000 and many Republicans and conservatives speak of him with a bit of snide.
4. For those of you living under a rock, Bloomie is a BILLIONAIRE. The man spent $78 million on his mayoral campaign - out of his own pocket. For a liberal responsible donkey like me, I appreciated the fact that he didn't run with anyone in his pocket. In fact, that was one of his campaign "things" - he wasn't a normal politician, he didn't have special interests, only the city mattered to him. For a city facing some serious problems in 2001, including a spiraling budget gap, the businessman was a good choice - especially if you weren't particularly fond of Mark Green (the Democratic Mayoral candidate in 2001).
These are just the facts I wish to highlight in this argument.
Many of you may not be aware that New York City is on the verge of being the next "battleground", if you will, in the fight for gay marriage. Click on that link. Check it out. Basically, a Manhattan judge ruled that it was unconstitutional for the state to forbid gays from marrying - that the state constitution did not specify marriage, therefore, no one could bar anyone from marrying anyone.
Side note: does that mean I could marry my pinkie? I'm just curious.
Back at the ranch...
Now Mr. Mayor, as he has been apt to do - much to the chagrin of his campaign staff (trust me, I was there), has made a contradiction of himself. He told reporters that he personally believed that gays should be given the same freedoms as heterosexuals and that government should not create laws to forbid people to marry, no matter who was marrying whom. Yet, he also said later that he would appeal the judges' decision to the Court of Appeals, the highest court in the State.
Um. I don't get it.
Well, I sort of do. His argument, which starts to make a little bit of sense, is that he wants to force the state to make a decision "so that people will have a right once and for all to know where they stand." He does not want the situation they had in San Fransisco where the mayor married all of those gay couples only to have it overturned months later.
Sure, he's worried about his re-election. And he's probably feeling some heat from his Republican friends.
But I wish to call attention to those facts I listed above.
1. New Yorkers may be mostly democrats, but if given the right reasons to re-elect a Republican, they will do it. Case in point: Giulani. If he wants to win re-election, he has a better chance of siding with the 5-1 Democrats.
2. The chances of his favorable rating going up if he stands up for civil rights will most likely go upwards fast. Remember the liberal factor here.
3. He's not really a Republican. Sure, he's raised a lot of money for them, but he has always said that it isn't about party or politics, it's about doing what's morally right. Dante said it best: "The hottest places in hell are reserved for those, who in times of great moral crisis, retain their neutrality." If it wasn't for people standing up for morals, we would still have slavery, segregation, male-only voting, and awful events like the Holocaust. I'm not taking this too far - when some people have rights and other don't share the same rights, then there will always be oppression.
4. Because he will self-finance his campaign again, what difference does it make if he pisses some people off? Sure, there will be plenty of Catholics and religious folks calling for his head, but those ladies in the Upper East Side will, at best, stay home on election day, leaving the same situation as 2001 where he was elected because Mark Green lost. That's probably important to remember. He won because Mark Green and the Dems made a mistake that upset a lot of party members (present company included) that they stayed at home on November 2nd. This could work in his favor if he has a strong challenger, which is likely. But the democratic challengers are also supporting gay marriage.
Does this make sense? Isn't it kind of obvious? I think so.
If he wants to avoid the political mess that will begin to ensue over his contradiction of word and deed, the other, less controversial method might also work to gain favor - and yes, I'm talking about Civil Unions.
Sure, it's not marriage, but at least it's better. With civil unions, gay couples can at least be acknowledged. NYC would never have that horrible consequence where gay 9/11 survivors who could not collect the benefits of their lost loved ones because they were gay. While a lot of people might be against gay marriage, they aren't against gays having rights - I'm talking about New York here, people. I'm fully aware of those folks who don't want gays to have any rights at all.
I mean, come on. Go with your conscience, Mayor. Go with your morals. Go with your instinct. People may never believe what you say, but they'll always believe what you do. You can't be for people having rights and then fight against them having those rights. Shit or get off the pot.
And not only will you be making a huge statement for civil rights, mark a place for yourself in the history books, you just might keep your job.
"Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead
2.10.2005
It's official. I'm staying in Delaware.
I'll be working on the Social Security issue here in the good 'ol First State. I went to the Council Office today to get acquainted. It's interesting. And less than 5 minutes away from my house.
Looks like I'll be a Delaware-ian until around June when I'll be shipped off to the Garden State to work on the governor's race.
I finally feel like I have a sense of purpose. I start on Monday. Jeez, I am just that bored.
In the meantime, I'll be busy getting the house ready. Digital cable, high-speed internet, and regular trash pick up - here I come! I'm excited.
At the same time, I'm bummed. Not only will Megan be in Oklahoma City, I don't get an OK adventure. But it's okay. At least I know what I'll be doing. It'll be a new challenge, so I'll enjoy it.
But I gotta run and figure out all the details - and unpack my clothes - and continue cleaning so I can finally stop working on the house.
In other news, did anyone see that Prince Charles will be marrying Camilla Parker-Bowles in April? Any thoughts? I'm not sure what I think yet.
Coming soon - a blog that I've been meaning to post on how Mike Bloomberg could win re-election in NYC. And it comes down to the rainbow pages. Go figure. That'll come soon, I promise.
I'll be working on the Social Security issue here in the good 'ol First State. I went to the Council Office today to get acquainted. It's interesting. And less than 5 minutes away from my house.
Looks like I'll be a Delaware-ian until around June when I'll be shipped off to the Garden State to work on the governor's race.
I finally feel like I have a sense of purpose. I start on Monday. Jeez, I am just that bored.
In the meantime, I'll be busy getting the house ready. Digital cable, high-speed internet, and regular trash pick up - here I come! I'm excited.
At the same time, I'm bummed. Not only will Megan be in Oklahoma City, I don't get an OK adventure. But it's okay. At least I know what I'll be doing. It'll be a new challenge, so I'll enjoy it.
But I gotta run and figure out all the details - and unpack my clothes - and continue cleaning so I can finally stop working on the house.
In other news, did anyone see that Prince Charles will be marrying Camilla Parker-Bowles in April? Any thoughts? I'm not sure what I think yet.
Coming soon - a blog that I've been meaning to post on how Mike Bloomberg could win re-election in NYC. And it comes down to the rainbow pages. Go figure. That'll come soon, I promise.
2.09.2005
2.04.2005
Mulling.
Karma exists, people. This is karma for making light of Jessica, both recently and in Seattle. Gotta be.
And in the meantime, I don't know why my comments aren't working. I hope they fix it soon so I can see what Jill hast written.
Back to unpacking now that I have a decision to make quickly. Er, SOON-er, if you will.
Hahahahaha. I'm so funny.
I'm intentially being vague. But because I'm sorting it out. But if you look above under the blog title, you'll get the drift...
Karma exists, people. This is karma for making light of Jessica, both recently and in Seattle. Gotta be.
And in the meantime, I don't know why my comments aren't working. I hope they fix it soon so I can see what Jill hast written.
Back to unpacking now that I have a decision to make quickly. Er, SOON-er, if you will.
Hahahahaha. I'm so funny.
I'm intentially being vague. But because I'm sorting it out. But if you look above under the blog title, you'll get the drift...
2.02.2005
Lordy, I was on quite an unwieldy rant last evening. That's okay. I still feel very strongly about the issue. But that's not the point of today's post.
Unemployment is very becoming for my blogger. As you can tell.
So here's a funny story I wanted to share. Because it's just that good.
Lemme preface this. Many of you are aware of my friends, but this story involves me, Fabs, and our other friend, Vicki.
There's an awesome story from the Fabs and Vicki NYU years that involves Vicki getting ridiculously wasted on the last day of class with some of her film classmates. Fabs was basically called in to assist in the drunkenness that was Vicks. After trying to feed her Ramen and ultimately eating it herself, Fabs was having a conversation with the other folks in the room as Vicki, wrapped to her neck in a blanket, was starting to fall over - again - and Fabs caught Vicki trying to keep herself upright by biting, since it was the only thing not under a blanket, and more likely - that she could control.
Maybe you have to hear that story in person. Either way, brilliant.
So Fabs and I go to see "National Treasure", which is so good, I've seen it thrice. Yes. Thrice. I don't care what you think. I am a big American history geek, so I've seen it with friends who want to see it and since I can hardly say no to a movie I like, I've seen it thrice.
Anyhoo, the guy playing Riley in the movie is the guy who got Vicki wasted on that last day of classes.
Fabs turns to me and says excitedly (we were the only two in the theatre at that moment in time), "That's the dude that got Vicki wasted! He was the retarded kid in "Gigli" and everytime I see him, I say to myself, 'That's the dude that got Vicki wasted!'"
We laughed. Watched the movie. Had a great time.
It wasn't until we were driving to D.C. the next day that I made a realization.
I turned to Fabs somewhere on 95 between Baltimore and DC and interrupted her incredulously.
"Wait! You've actually seen 'Gigli'?!!?"
After she peed her pants, I asked her if it was as bad as they said. She said a quick, "Yeah" and continued with the rest of the story she was telling before I so rudely interrupted her.
I would actually see "Eight Legged Freaks" or "Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest" before I saw "Gigli".
But the dood who got our friend drunk is in it.
And that is my story. No, you will not receive your ten cents back.
Unemployment is very becoming for my blogger. As you can tell.
So here's a funny story I wanted to share. Because it's just that good.
Lemme preface this. Many of you are aware of my friends, but this story involves me, Fabs, and our other friend, Vicki.
There's an awesome story from the Fabs and Vicki NYU years that involves Vicki getting ridiculously wasted on the last day of class with some of her film classmates. Fabs was basically called in to assist in the drunkenness that was Vicks. After trying to feed her Ramen and ultimately eating it herself, Fabs was having a conversation with the other folks in the room as Vicki, wrapped to her neck in a blanket, was starting to fall over - again - and Fabs caught Vicki trying to keep herself upright by biting, since it was the only thing not under a blanket, and more likely - that she could control.
Maybe you have to hear that story in person. Either way, brilliant.
So Fabs and I go to see "National Treasure", which is so good, I've seen it thrice. Yes. Thrice. I don't care what you think. I am a big American history geek, so I've seen it with friends who want to see it and since I can hardly say no to a movie I like, I've seen it thrice.
Anyhoo, the guy playing Riley in the movie is the guy who got Vicki wasted on that last day of classes.
Fabs turns to me and says excitedly (we were the only two in the theatre at that moment in time), "That's the dude that got Vicki wasted! He was the retarded kid in "Gigli" and everytime I see him, I say to myself, 'That's the dude that got Vicki wasted!'"
We laughed. Watched the movie. Had a great time.
It wasn't until we were driving to D.C. the next day that I made a realization.
I turned to Fabs somewhere on 95 between Baltimore and DC and interrupted her incredulously.
"Wait! You've actually seen 'Gigli'?!!?"
After she peed her pants, I asked her if it was as bad as they said. She said a quick, "Yeah" and continued with the rest of the story she was telling before I so rudely interrupted her.
I would actually see "Eight Legged Freaks" or "Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest" before I saw "Gigli".
But the dood who got our friend drunk is in it.
And that is my story. No, you will not receive your ten cents back.
Ladies and Gentleman, Boys and Girls, step right up for your favorite time of the week and mine:
SOAPBOX TIME!
Okay. I can't help it. I saw it on CNN today when I was doing my daily news digest and I have to say something about it.
"Medicare to cover Viagra".
It's just too good for me to pass up. I mean, according to the President and the Republicans in office, health care is fine, but we just have to shift the burden away from the employers and back onto the employees and give citizens a "real choice" about how to handle their health care....
...by making them pay for everything. But that is another issue for another time.
Okay.
I should mention that the sub heading of the article read: "In medically needed cases."
Yeah. Could they maybe define that a little more? I mean, how do you decide who is a medical need and who isn't? Arent' these just men with Erectile Dysfunction as caused by old age? So is it really weeding it out to say "in medically needed cases"?
I'm just warming up.
In all honesty, is it really necessary for an older gentleman to have an erection? I mean, compared to things such as, I don't know, a cure for cancer? Stem cell research? Remedy for AIDS? Yes, that seems right. Let's just put those things aside so that men can have sex after they lose the ability to "hold an erection on the high holy days" (Kudos to J. Larson).
Bob Dole himself was on TV a few years back telling us how important a thing it was for them to have discovered and produced Viagra.
I just threw up a little bit thinking about that commercial. I really didn't want to know anything at all about Bob Dole's sex life. Eww. I'm thinking about it again. Shit. I did it again.
Okay. Here's why I'm pissed: I'm not a man. I don't have a penis.
And because of it, I can't get birth control on Medicaid. None of us women can. Because in today's world, insurance and Medicaid only covers the ability of men to have an erection no matter what age they are. But for us ladies, who are given the ability to give life, who already make less money than a man in the workplace, who are forced to make a decision between career and child-raising - cannot get birth control covered.
And why? Freedom of Religion. Not a bad thing, at all. Yet, because of religious fundamentalists (yes, I'm using that term when talking about Evangelicals, Christians, and Catholics - of which I was raised**), women cannot get birth control covered by insurance because basically, churches have effectively lobbied against it from happening. I have been told that legislators are too afraid to push it for fear that they'll get bitchslapped by a church. Or because they believe they are a part of the holy trinity, I don't know.
Look, I was raised Catholic. I was baptized. I am well aware of the bible and other religions. But if churches are going to play this game, if they are going to hand out anti-choice, anti-gay literature, if priests and reverends are going to continue (or begin) endorsing candidates from the pulpit because of their view on choice and/or marriage, if churches are going to raise money for anti-choice legislation and Constitutional amendments, then the churches, no matter what their denomonation, must be forced to register as lobbyists and pay taxes. I'm sorry. Well, no I'm not. Anyone or entity that choses to play politics, must abide by the rules. If women cannot have their birth control covered by insurance because of religious issues, then isn't it only fair that everyone be forced to play by the rules?
Of course, only the Democratic Women's Caucus is even discussing this up there. No one else wants to touch this. I don't even know if anyone is talking about it anymore at all, except Hillary Clinton. Whom I know is a favorite of the GOP.
Ladies, if you aren't pissed by now, here's a few other things that'll be sure to get a bee in your bonnet:
There was word around Capitol Hill with all of this Social Security talk (which is really another soapbox for another day) that Republicans and the Bush Administration have toyed with an idea for adjusted benefits based on gender - since women tend to outlive men. Translation: Women will have less Social Security benefits because they are alive for a longer period of time? I swear to god, this was just floated a few weeks ago.
And then there's the Supreme Court issue. We should all be worried. If President God-talks-only-to-me gets to put up to four Justices on the bench, we're screwed to holy hell. It's bad enough we are teetering on Roe v. Wade, we're still dealing with Bush's Global Gag Rule* (see below), the Partial Birth Abortion Legislation that has no provisions for the health of women, and now Ralph Reed practically has his own office in the West Wing.
I thought we had come so far. The conservative right becomes the mainstream and now it's not just gays and Middle Easterners hiding from the the angry mob. All of us. Women, minorities, immigrants. It's feels like open season. What's the quote? "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." Of course, President Cowboy is too busy jamming freedom down other throats. Too bad he isn't spreading it on the homefront. I also blame John "I lost my last election to a dead guy" Ashcroft.
Every part of me wishes badly that the Democrats get their shit together soon. Part of me very badly wishes the Republicans were of the Teddy Roosevelt kind so that I can feel somewhat safe. But no, instead we've got bible-thumping, homophobic, misogynistic, good 'ol boys in the majority again. Way too "pale and male" up there.
Hmmm. I wonder why Medicaid, a federal program in the hands of those older white men in Washington, would cover Viagra...
Clearly a rhetorical question.
And quite clearly, I'm agitated by it. I've had all day to stew and think about it. Argh.
*From the Center for Reproductive Rights: "The global gag rule undermines the right to freedom of speech—a universal human right, highly valued and protected in the United States. This policy violates freedom of expression by preventing overseas reproductive health and advocacy organizations from speaking out and lobbying their own governments on their own countries’ abortion laws or policies. The global gag rule censors health-care professionals in overseas family planning clinics, depriving them of the ability to provide full and accurate information to their patients. It prohibits foreign NGOs involved in advocacy and/or health service provision from communicating with their governments in order to decriminalize or improve the safety of and access to abortion, and prohibits public education campaigns about abortion. The global gag rule is the epitome of viewpoint-based discrimination, because it does not constrain organizations working to oppose legal, safe and accessible abortion. The global gag rule also undermines the free speech rights of human rights advocates."
**These comments are not meant in anger. They are meant as a point for discussion and reference. And they are meant in frustration of what is happening to society. Anyone wishing to send concerns and hate-mail to the author are urged to do so at: Kiss my Naturally Brown Ass Productions, Washington Square Arch, TOTCHLAND, New York 10012.
SOAPBOX TIME!
Okay. I can't help it. I saw it on CNN today when I was doing my daily news digest and I have to say something about it.
"Medicare to cover Viagra".
It's just too good for me to pass up. I mean, according to the President and the Republicans in office, health care is fine, but we just have to shift the burden away from the employers and back onto the employees and give citizens a "real choice" about how to handle their health care....
...by making them pay for everything. But that is another issue for another time.
Okay.
I should mention that the sub heading of the article read: "In medically needed cases."
Yeah. Could they maybe define that a little more? I mean, how do you decide who is a medical need and who isn't? Arent' these just men with Erectile Dysfunction as caused by old age? So is it really weeding it out to say "in medically needed cases"?
I'm just warming up.
In all honesty, is it really necessary for an older gentleman to have an erection? I mean, compared to things such as, I don't know, a cure for cancer? Stem cell research? Remedy for AIDS? Yes, that seems right. Let's just put those things aside so that men can have sex after they lose the ability to "hold an erection on the high holy days" (Kudos to J. Larson).
Bob Dole himself was on TV a few years back telling us how important a thing it was for them to have discovered and produced Viagra.
I just threw up a little bit thinking about that commercial. I really didn't want to know anything at all about Bob Dole's sex life. Eww. I'm thinking about it again. Shit. I did it again.
Okay. Here's why I'm pissed: I'm not a man. I don't have a penis.
And because of it, I can't get birth control on Medicaid. None of us women can. Because in today's world, insurance and Medicaid only covers the ability of men to have an erection no matter what age they are. But for us ladies, who are given the ability to give life, who already make less money than a man in the workplace, who are forced to make a decision between career and child-raising - cannot get birth control covered.
And why? Freedom of Religion. Not a bad thing, at all. Yet, because of religious fundamentalists (yes, I'm using that term when talking about Evangelicals, Christians, and Catholics - of which I was raised**), women cannot get birth control covered by insurance because basically, churches have effectively lobbied against it from happening. I have been told that legislators are too afraid to push it for fear that they'll get bitchslapped by a church. Or because they believe they are a part of the holy trinity, I don't know.
Look, I was raised Catholic. I was baptized. I am well aware of the bible and other religions. But if churches are going to play this game, if they are going to hand out anti-choice, anti-gay literature, if priests and reverends are going to continue (or begin) endorsing candidates from the pulpit because of their view on choice and/or marriage, if churches are going to raise money for anti-choice legislation and Constitutional amendments, then the churches, no matter what their denomonation, must be forced to register as lobbyists and pay taxes. I'm sorry. Well, no I'm not. Anyone or entity that choses to play politics, must abide by the rules. If women cannot have their birth control covered by insurance because of religious issues, then isn't it only fair that everyone be forced to play by the rules?
Of course, only the Democratic Women's Caucus is even discussing this up there. No one else wants to touch this. I don't even know if anyone is talking about it anymore at all, except Hillary Clinton. Whom I know is a favorite of the GOP.
Ladies, if you aren't pissed by now, here's a few other things that'll be sure to get a bee in your bonnet:
There was word around Capitol Hill with all of this Social Security talk (which is really another soapbox for another day) that Republicans and the Bush Administration have toyed with an idea for adjusted benefits based on gender - since women tend to outlive men. Translation: Women will have less Social Security benefits because they are alive for a longer period of time? I swear to god, this was just floated a few weeks ago.
And then there's the Supreme Court issue. We should all be worried. If President God-talks-only-to-me gets to put up to four Justices on the bench, we're screwed to holy hell. It's bad enough we are teetering on Roe v. Wade, we're still dealing with Bush's Global Gag Rule* (see below), the Partial Birth Abortion Legislation that has no provisions for the health of women, and now Ralph Reed practically has his own office in the West Wing.
I thought we had come so far. The conservative right becomes the mainstream and now it's not just gays and Middle Easterners hiding from the the angry mob. All of us. Women, minorities, immigrants. It's feels like open season. What's the quote? "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." Of course, President Cowboy is too busy jamming freedom down other throats. Too bad he isn't spreading it on the homefront. I also blame John "I lost my last election to a dead guy" Ashcroft.
Every part of me wishes badly that the Democrats get their shit together soon. Part of me very badly wishes the Republicans were of the Teddy Roosevelt kind so that I can feel somewhat safe. But no, instead we've got bible-thumping, homophobic, misogynistic, good 'ol boys in the majority again. Way too "pale and male" up there.
Hmmm. I wonder why Medicaid, a federal program in the hands of those older white men in Washington, would cover Viagra...
Clearly a rhetorical question.
And quite clearly, I'm agitated by it. I've had all day to stew and think about it. Argh.
*From the Center for Reproductive Rights: "The global gag rule undermines the right to freedom of speech—a universal human right, highly valued and protected in the United States. This policy violates freedom of expression by preventing overseas reproductive health and advocacy organizations from speaking out and lobbying their own governments on their own countries’ abortion laws or policies. The global gag rule censors health-care professionals in overseas family planning clinics, depriving them of the ability to provide full and accurate information to their patients. It prohibits foreign NGOs involved in advocacy and/or health service provision from communicating with their governments in order to decriminalize or improve the safety of and access to abortion, and prohibits public education campaigns about abortion. The global gag rule is the epitome of viewpoint-based discrimination, because it does not constrain organizations working to oppose legal, safe and accessible abortion. The global gag rule also undermines the free speech rights of human rights advocates."
**These comments are not meant in anger. They are meant as a point for discussion and reference. And they are meant in frustration of what is happening to society. Anyone wishing to send concerns and hate-mail to the author are urged to do so at: Kiss my Naturally Brown Ass Productions, Washington Square Arch, TOTCHLAND, New York 10012.
1.31.2005
1.30.2005
I feel like I'm slowly going insane.
I have yet to know when or where I'll be assigned, and this fact is slowly driving me insane.
Don't get me crazy. I love vacation time. And it's really not that bad, at least I know I have a job.
But the uncertainty of knowing is driving me insane. And only because I have become totally complacent by not knowing when or where I will be going.
Translation: I have a lot of shit to do and I have no idea how long I've got to do it.
I'm still unpacking and cleaning. Plus, I'm packing bags for the eventual "You're going here on this day" call. This house has so much crap in it and now I find out that the Salvation Army doesn't pick up, so I have to drop off all of the shit at their warehouse, which will most likely take me an entire afternoon if not a majority of my day. Not neat.
And really, it's just that I can't make plans. I don't know if I can go back to Syracuse to visit my home. Don't know if I can go to Philly to visit friends. Don't know if I can go to NYC to feel saddened by my departure. I did steal away to DC with Fabs, and while it was awesome seeing Michael and Foyelicious, I felt like the back of my mind was nagging the front of it to remind me how much work I have to do.
So after I drop Fabs off at the train tonight, I have decided to put my ass in major hauling mode. I want to finish off the boxes and cleaing by Wednesday. Then, I can realy relax until I leave.
I just want my mind back. Or something that makes me feel like I'm being, I dunno, a more productive part of society.
All of this to really just say that unemployment sucks.
I have yet to know when or where I'll be assigned, and this fact is slowly driving me insane.
Don't get me crazy. I love vacation time. And it's really not that bad, at least I know I have a job.
But the uncertainty of knowing is driving me insane. And only because I have become totally complacent by not knowing when or where I will be going.
Translation: I have a lot of shit to do and I have no idea how long I've got to do it.
I'm still unpacking and cleaning. Plus, I'm packing bags for the eventual "You're going here on this day" call. This house has so much crap in it and now I find out that the Salvation Army doesn't pick up, so I have to drop off all of the shit at their warehouse, which will most likely take me an entire afternoon if not a majority of my day. Not neat.
And really, it's just that I can't make plans. I don't know if I can go back to Syracuse to visit my home. Don't know if I can go to Philly to visit friends. Don't know if I can go to NYC to feel saddened by my departure. I did steal away to DC with Fabs, and while it was awesome seeing Michael and Foyelicious, I felt like the back of my mind was nagging the front of it to remind me how much work I have to do.
So after I drop Fabs off at the train tonight, I have decided to put my ass in major hauling mode. I want to finish off the boxes and cleaing by Wednesday. Then, I can realy relax until I leave.
I just want my mind back. Or something that makes me feel like I'm being, I dunno, a more productive part of society.
All of this to really just say that unemployment sucks.
1.27.2005
I've been listening to a lot of classical music lately.
For a month, So Young and I turned on the radio when we were remodeling the house. P.S. when I say remodeling, I mean taking down old tacky wallpaper and painting the drywall as well as some much-needed weeding, cleaning, and tidying up.
Anyhoo.
In the month I turned on the radio, while I enjoy the small satisfaction some of the music brings in my being able to sing along to a jangle or two, I remembered why I turned it off for so long in the first place. For starters, I think I heard the same Top 40 songs over and over again at least 5 times in a three hour period. And Jesus, after a while, it all starts to sound the same.
What happened to music?
It's crap now. There are a few musicians who play on the radio (constantly) that do stand out, but seriously, I wonder where it's all going.
Heather made me think of this. She listed her favorite cds on her blog recently (check out the link on the right) and she has some fabulous taste in music. And so I started thinking what I tend to turn to a lot lately.
Sure, I go through phases. There's the Ani DiFranco phase where I just have her on a loop for about a month or so. Dar is intermixed in there with the Indigo Girls. Perhaps those are my "chick" moments, though I hate categorizing it like that.
Of course, there's the Dave phase where I have to listen to every DMB cd I own at least once or thrice - maybe six times a year.
There's the oldies stretch where I listen to Elvis and the Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel like my life depended on it.
There's the hippie stretch where I put on Phish and the Dead and even twirl around to some Doors, though I wouldn't normally put them there.
There's the ocassional Shake Yo Ass phase where I want dance music and rap. Those are few and far between - though I find I need them on long car drives to break it up.
And there's the Garth and Dixie Chicks "gettin back to my college days" on those moments I feel sentimental or need a good holler.
But when I need to ponder, when I need something to refresh my palatte, musically, if you will, I turn to the great wisemen of all time: Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi, and Brahms.
I can't explain it. Well, I know that my the first thing I ever loved in this world that wasn't my family was music. It's hard for me to place my first memory but the first one that stands out is being introduced to my violin at the tender age of 3. The world of music was, and still is, a haven to me. So I suppose it makes sense that I go back to it peridically.
I miss playing in a band. I miss playing in an orchestra even more. I was so excited when I started playing with the Lawyer's Orchestra. It was as if I had found my very first friend all over again. Discovered it, actually.
So my respite from the crap coming out of the radio has been to dust off the old tapes and cds and give 'em a spin. I find it so good for my soul.
I've had to explain to many before that it is very difficult for me to work while I listen to classical music. Unlike others who prefer to have it on while they work, if I have played it, I get caught up in it. I find myself pausing to listen more than I would if something else were on. I have this incessant need to break it all apart, hear each note and instrument individually and then listen to it as a whole. And since I need time to do that, since my life seems to be incessant with motion, it's a good thing that I am listening to my old friends again. Because it means that I have slowed down, albeit temporarily. I can wax brilliant about the music, but I think I'll just let it speak for myself.
Music, I have found, is a wonderful gift to give and share. Many who know me and my musical history ask me what is good classical music to listen to - especially if they are just turning their ears to it for the first time.
So for those of you out there that are curious about classical but never got into it and even for those of you who are seasoned enough to know who Paganini and Albinoni are, here is a list for you to peruse. That is, if anyone besides four people I know read this.
Here goes. I've made this an abbreviated list, we could go on for days here otherwise. So it's a starting list, starting with the greatest.
Keeza's Top Ten Classical Picks for the Discerning Ear (and some composers have two , deal with it):
1. BEETHOVEN - SEVENTH SYMPHONY, SECOND MOVEMENT. He is my favorite and I wouldn't be offsides if I told you I thought he was God. Sure, everyone knows the famous notes of the 5th Symphony and the 9th. But how many actually have taken the time to listen to this particular movement of his symphonies? I swear to you, this is a masterpiece. Absolutely haunting and beautiful. Actually, ANYTHING by Beethoven is alright and genius to me - but if I had to pick a favorite, this is it. PIANO CONCERTO #1 is brilliant, too.
2. BACH - CELLO SUITE #1 IN G MAJOR & AIR ON A G STRING. You've heard them before. I'm actually not a big Bach fan since I find him repetitive and boring, though I appreciate what he did for music. But these two are genius. Brilliant.
3. BORODIN - POLOVITSIAN DANCES. You - or your parents - might recall "Stranger in Paradise". The theme is from here.
4. RIMSKY KORSAKOV - CAPRICCIO ESPAGNOL. Fierce.
5. DVORAK - NEW WORLD SYMPHONY & "THE AMERICAN" QUARTET. Dvorak came from Czechoslovakia to the United States in the 1800's and is the first of the European greats to bring "American" music to the old world. But this is fantastic music, nonetheless.
6. BERNSTEIN - OVERTURE TO CANDIDE. Bernstein was the man. This is awesome.
7. HOLST - ST. PAUL'S SUITE. Chamber music at it's finest.
8. COPLAND - RODEO. Beef, it's what's for dinner. Or fabulous music.
9. STRAVINSKY - THE FIREBIRD SUITE. Bercuse and Finale. That's all I have to say. It will blow you away.
10. TCHAIKOVSKY - ROMEO AND JULIET. Tchaikovsky was a mad genius and we are all the better for it. You will recognize the "love"theme. This is brilliance at it's best.
Perhaps soon I will scribe my favorite violin solos of all time, but for now, let's deal with this. I realize that Vivialdi was left out, but I'll get him next round.
When I need comfort music, I reach for this. Explore this world if you can. It's the music that has lasted generations. It is the base of music today. You might not be fully aware of how, but this was the heartbeat of music. I hope you will at least listen to one thing on this list. Trust me, you'll enjoy it. Hell, go for all 10. I've got copies of 'em all, if you wanna hear. You'll be happy you did.
AND, you'd get some serious culture. Who can go wrong with that?
For a month, So Young and I turned on the radio when we were remodeling the house. P.S. when I say remodeling, I mean taking down old tacky wallpaper and painting the drywall as well as some much-needed weeding, cleaning, and tidying up.
Anyhoo.
In the month I turned on the radio, while I enjoy the small satisfaction some of the music brings in my being able to sing along to a jangle or two, I remembered why I turned it off for so long in the first place. For starters, I think I heard the same Top 40 songs over and over again at least 5 times in a three hour period. And Jesus, after a while, it all starts to sound the same.
What happened to music?
It's crap now. There are a few musicians who play on the radio (constantly) that do stand out, but seriously, I wonder where it's all going.
Heather made me think of this. She listed her favorite cds on her blog recently (check out the link on the right) and she has some fabulous taste in music. And so I started thinking what I tend to turn to a lot lately.
Sure, I go through phases. There's the Ani DiFranco phase where I just have her on a loop for about a month or so. Dar is intermixed in there with the Indigo Girls. Perhaps those are my "chick" moments, though I hate categorizing it like that.
Of course, there's the Dave phase where I have to listen to every DMB cd I own at least once or thrice - maybe six times a year.
There's the oldies stretch where I listen to Elvis and the Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel like my life depended on it.
There's the hippie stretch where I put on Phish and the Dead and even twirl around to some Doors, though I wouldn't normally put them there.
There's the ocassional Shake Yo Ass phase where I want dance music and rap. Those are few and far between - though I find I need them on long car drives to break it up.
And there's the Garth and Dixie Chicks "gettin back to my college days" on those moments I feel sentimental or need a good holler.
But when I need to ponder, when I need something to refresh my palatte, musically, if you will, I turn to the great wisemen of all time: Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi, and Brahms.
I can't explain it. Well, I know that my the first thing I ever loved in this world that wasn't my family was music. It's hard for me to place my first memory but the first one that stands out is being introduced to my violin at the tender age of 3. The world of music was, and still is, a haven to me. So I suppose it makes sense that I go back to it peridically.
I miss playing in a band. I miss playing in an orchestra even more. I was so excited when I started playing with the Lawyer's Orchestra. It was as if I had found my very first friend all over again. Discovered it, actually.
So my respite from the crap coming out of the radio has been to dust off the old tapes and cds and give 'em a spin. I find it so good for my soul.
I've had to explain to many before that it is very difficult for me to work while I listen to classical music. Unlike others who prefer to have it on while they work, if I have played it, I get caught up in it. I find myself pausing to listen more than I would if something else were on. I have this incessant need to break it all apart, hear each note and instrument individually and then listen to it as a whole. And since I need time to do that, since my life seems to be incessant with motion, it's a good thing that I am listening to my old friends again. Because it means that I have slowed down, albeit temporarily. I can wax brilliant about the music, but I think I'll just let it speak for myself.
Music, I have found, is a wonderful gift to give and share. Many who know me and my musical history ask me what is good classical music to listen to - especially if they are just turning their ears to it for the first time.
So for those of you out there that are curious about classical but never got into it and even for those of you who are seasoned enough to know who Paganini and Albinoni are, here is a list for you to peruse. That is, if anyone besides four people I know read this.
Here goes. I've made this an abbreviated list, we could go on for days here otherwise. So it's a starting list, starting with the greatest.
Keeza's Top Ten Classical Picks for the Discerning Ear (and some composers have two , deal with it):
1. BEETHOVEN - SEVENTH SYMPHONY, SECOND MOVEMENT. He is my favorite and I wouldn't be offsides if I told you I thought he was God. Sure, everyone knows the famous notes of the 5th Symphony and the 9th. But how many actually have taken the time to listen to this particular movement of his symphonies? I swear to you, this is a masterpiece. Absolutely haunting and beautiful. Actually, ANYTHING by Beethoven is alright and genius to me - but if I had to pick a favorite, this is it. PIANO CONCERTO #1 is brilliant, too.
2. BACH - CELLO SUITE #1 IN G MAJOR & AIR ON A G STRING. You've heard them before. I'm actually not a big Bach fan since I find him repetitive and boring, though I appreciate what he did for music. But these two are genius. Brilliant.
3. BORODIN - POLOVITSIAN DANCES. You - or your parents - might recall "Stranger in Paradise". The theme is from here.
4. RIMSKY KORSAKOV - CAPRICCIO ESPAGNOL. Fierce.
5. DVORAK - NEW WORLD SYMPHONY & "THE AMERICAN" QUARTET. Dvorak came from Czechoslovakia to the United States in the 1800's and is the first of the European greats to bring "American" music to the old world. But this is fantastic music, nonetheless.
6. BERNSTEIN - OVERTURE TO CANDIDE. Bernstein was the man. This is awesome.
7. HOLST - ST. PAUL'S SUITE. Chamber music at it's finest.
8. COPLAND - RODEO. Beef, it's what's for dinner. Or fabulous music.
9. STRAVINSKY - THE FIREBIRD SUITE. Bercuse and Finale. That's all I have to say. It will blow you away.
10. TCHAIKOVSKY - ROMEO AND JULIET. Tchaikovsky was a mad genius and we are all the better for it. You will recognize the "love"theme. This is brilliance at it's best.
Perhaps soon I will scribe my favorite violin solos of all time, but for now, let's deal with this. I realize that Vivialdi was left out, but I'll get him next round.
When I need comfort music, I reach for this. Explore this world if you can. It's the music that has lasted generations. It is the base of music today. You might not be fully aware of how, but this was the heartbeat of music. I hope you will at least listen to one thing on this list. Trust me, you'll enjoy it. Hell, go for all 10. I've got copies of 'em all, if you wanna hear. You'll be happy you did.
AND, you'd get some serious culture. Who can go wrong with that?
1.24.2005
Jesus, what a weekend. The Christ, what a week.
All in all, it wasn't that bad. But as I sit here, pontificating, I'm starting to wonder if it could get any worse.
No idea yet about the job. NOT neat.
No idea yet about where I'll be assigned to until November. ANNOYINGLY Not neat.
Dumbass was reelected, meaning that he was inaugurated - for the second time - last week. FREAKISHLY not neat.
Dumbass says that the only way to ensure American freedom is to ensure freedumb around the globe. With whom, I ask? Aren't we already tapped? And which countries sovreignty are we going to trample on now? Ah, the return of conservative theory in international politics. ABSOLUTELY not neat.
Mother nature douched us with an amazing amount of snow and wind. Would be neat if I was anywhere where they knew how to take care of snow, but since I was in Delaware, it sucked chunks. Would have loved very much to go skiing this weekend. BUTT ASS COLD not neat.
Johnny Carson died. TOTALLY not neat.
The Washington Post just found out that there was a clandestine organization started after 9/11 at the Pentagon under Donald Rumsfeld's order. Congerss just found out about it. Too much power in the hands of one man sounds suspiciously like Washington College all over again. Oh wait, that was run by Republicans that had no prior experience in that given field, too. And who is paying the bills for an organization with that much power? Yeah. SO VERY not neat.
It's very dry here. ASHY SKIN not neat.
I'm still cleaning and fixing up the house. Alone. SCARY BIG HOUSE not neat.
I think I'm going crazy. Perhaps this is the neatest thing of all.
But seriously. It wasn't a bad week. Honest. Just a bunch of things that I can't control. Nothing new.
All in all, it wasn't that bad. But as I sit here, pontificating, I'm starting to wonder if it could get any worse.
No idea yet about the job. NOT neat.
No idea yet about where I'll be assigned to until November. ANNOYINGLY Not neat.
Dumbass was reelected, meaning that he was inaugurated - for the second time - last week. FREAKISHLY not neat.
Dumbass says that the only way to ensure American freedom is to ensure freedumb around the globe. With whom, I ask? Aren't we already tapped? And which countries sovreignty are we going to trample on now? Ah, the return of conservative theory in international politics. ABSOLUTELY not neat.
Mother nature douched us with an amazing amount of snow and wind. Would be neat if I was anywhere where they knew how to take care of snow, but since I was in Delaware, it sucked chunks. Would have loved very much to go skiing this weekend. BUTT ASS COLD not neat.
Johnny Carson died. TOTALLY not neat.
The Washington Post just found out that there was a clandestine organization started after 9/11 at the Pentagon under Donald Rumsfeld's order. Congerss just found out about it. Too much power in the hands of one man sounds suspiciously like Washington College all over again. Oh wait, that was run by Republicans that had no prior experience in that given field, too. And who is paying the bills for an organization with that much power? Yeah. SO VERY not neat.
It's very dry here. ASHY SKIN not neat.
I'm still cleaning and fixing up the house. Alone. SCARY BIG HOUSE not neat.
I think I'm going crazy. Perhaps this is the neatest thing of all.
But seriously. It wasn't a bad week. Honest. Just a bunch of things that I can't control. Nothing new.
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