Short Like Yoda

I've been a bad, bad girl...

2009-11-05T18:17:00.002-05:00

It's been how long since I've blogged?

Really?

Shew.

As the well worn cliche goes, time has certainly flown. I have good intentions, trust me. I was going to blog every Sunday morning but that didn't happen did it?

But I feel inspired again...maybe it's the insanity of the healthcare debate or maybe it's just my creative juices needing another outlet besides the writing of comic strips and other stories. Or maybe it's that I miss blogging...terribly so I have to admit.

And so...here we go...the first blog in a long time. It's short and sweet like me but I promise dear friends, or "frenemies" depending upon who you are, there will be more soon.

For now though, time to watch a football game...

I have my priorities!

Yes We Did!

2009-01-20T18:34:00.002-05:00

I didn't get to watch the innaguration live today because, thankfully, I have a job. I wanted to watch it and I did get to see most of his speech on my lunch break.

Today we got to see that what my Ivan's Dad said to him as a child is true; anyone can be president! If you grew up a person of color, or a woman, you never thought you could be elected president. But the election of Barack Obama has shown us that, indeed, that Ivan's Dad (like many other Dad's) was right...do well in school, do the right things, study hard, work hard, and be good to people and you will achieve great things.

I am excited for the future of our country. For the first time in years, I felt like we didn't just settle on a candidate. We have a good man leading us.

Hooray for us!

And hooray for our new president!

Goodbye Dope, Hello Hope!

2009-01-19T15:11:00.002-05:00

After my doctors appointment today, Ivan and I went out to Steele's Creek Park and enjoyed a beautiful walk in the snow. We watched the ducks flap their wings in the water and the cardinals and blue jays fight over berries in the bushes. It is, as U2 sings it, a beautiful day. And it is a hopeful day.

The past couple of years I've been down because our world has been a mess, our president an embarrassment, and my own health, and the one I love, precarious. But today, we left the doctors office hopeful in so many ways. I am doing better this winter than I have in the past few years. And Ivan has seemed to adjusted to the early morning dialysis schedule down here.

As we walked, we talked of our upcoming plans for the rest of the winter. And we couldn't have helped discussing how this spring, we would love to meet up with some of his family in DC and see the Cherry Blossoms in bloom and enjoy out nations capital with a new leader in place.

We are hopeful; more hopeful than we have been in years. It's not that Obama is suddenly going to eliminate racism, economic inequality, two wars, and health issues with a wave of his hands. But unlike the last two presidents, he comes to office with a majority of Americans excited and willing to give him capital. Bush said he had capital after his second win and yet he failed to build coalitions. Obama is very well aware of his capital and has for months, tried to build coalitions.

As we celebrate MLK day, I can't help but smile when I think of how racism is dying in this country. When you look at the crowds in DC, you see millions of people of all races, celebrating the inauguration. I live in a part of the country where some people still have George Wallace stickers in their house (or barbaque places). Times are a changing...Thank God!

And so this is Christmas...

2008-12-25T08:50:00.004-05:00

Like for many of you, this year for us has been a roller coaster. We gained new friends but lost an old one. We faced illness in ourselves and others. We watched a presidential race that really forced out the worst in some people. We saw job loss but job creation.

So this Christmas has been different from Christmases in the past. This Christmas we are not spending money on frivilous things or just buying to put presents under the tree. This year, more thought has been put into gifts and I am happy to see, more thought has been put into Christmas itself...the reason why we celebrate it.

Last night we went to Christmas mass and heard Father Tim speak about allowing Jesus into our lives. I am sure that many of you who went to a church service last night heard something similar. And really, that is what Christmas is about. It's not about the gifts we put under the tree, although they are nice. It's about how one was created and the meaning behind that One.

Christmas is also the time of year where we should reflect about what we have given others; how have we, in a positive way, touched the lives of others? We that in mine, I give you my favorite Christmas song, John Lennon's "Happy Christmas"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb2YSAVHmIE

Speak Little, Listen Much

2008-11-12T19:38:00.002-05:00

Saint Ignatius of Loyola said speak little, listen much. Maybe the followers of the GOP need to take that advice if they want their party to survive the twenty first century.

Over a week after the elections and still many Republicans fail to see why they not only lost the election, but lost it on a bigger scale than first recognized. The GOP showed on many levels that it is out of touch with the one part of the electorate that Ronald Reagan knew better than anyone else: the Middle Class.

The GOP just doesn't get it. Late last year and earlier this year, when gas prices continued to rise and people started losing their homes, they kept denying that our country was in a recession. They kept insisting that yes, the economy has slowed down however, it's just people who shouldn't have taken out house loans that are losing their homes. And as we have learned, they were wrong.

The Middle Class saw their home values dropping and their salaries not keeping up with rising fuel and healthcare costs. During the GOP Primary debates, McCain was asked how he would fix the economy and more than once he commented how he was not an economist and he would have the smart guys look at how to fix things. The problem is, those smart guys are the ones that got us into this mess in the first place!

This election cycle, much like in 1992, 1980, and 1932, the middle class was listening and they were not falling for the lies. Make no mistake, our economy is facing an even bigger crisis than it did in 1980 and 1992; this is a global mess much like 1932. And what President Elect Obama and his economic team have to figure out is how do we make the economy grow without a great manufacturing base (we lost a lot of that thanks to NAFTA).

The Middle Class is scared and that is why they voted in big numbers for Obama. Besides the fact that McCain failed to even utter the phrase "middle class," many people were bothered by how the GOP seemed more concerned with throwing mud than offering solutions to our economic woes.

And a week after the election, that is still happening. Instead of trying to figure out what wrong in this campaign, many conservative leaders are still throwing insults at Obama. One Congressman, Paul Braun of Georgia, claimed that "We can't be lulled into complacency. You have to remember that Adolf Hitler was elected in a democratic Germany. I'm not comparing him to Adolf Hitler. What I'm saying is there is the potential of going down that road." Rush Limbaugh is even claiming we are in an "Obama recession." Then Rush went on to complain that Obama is being partisan by hiring Rahm Emmanuel.

Seriously Rush? Really? Was he the President the past eight years? Am I missing something or are you again on another one of those highs you get when you mix your prescriptions?

And here is the funny thing, Lindsay Graham, McCain's buddy and former middle of the road guy himself, even agreed that the hiring of Emmanuel was a good thing. Hmmm...maybe Graham has awoken from that eight year conservative coma that he and McCain fell into after they let Bush steal the nomination in 2000.

What the GOP needs to do is shut up and listen. Instead of yelling from the pulpit words of hate they need to listen to the screams of the middle class that put them in power in the first place that times are tough and we need help; we need our government to quit protecting the rich and help the middle class grow instead of shrink.

Reagan always realized that if you kept the middle class base happy, you won elections. He learned that lesson the hard way in 1982 when the GOP lost several Congressional seats during a scary recession. But Reagan wasn't always a genius; he believed in the misleading theory of "trickle down economics." Well any one that has worked in middle management can tell you that the only thing that ever trickles down from above is shit; at the bottom of the troft, you get nothing but morsels.

What is even scarier for the GOP is that they lost the middle class and the rather evasive youth vote. The under twenties actually showed up this last election and voted by some estimates over seventy percent for Obama. And usually how you voted as a twenty something determines how you vote the next decade.

To counteract this, the GOP needs to listen...but not listen to the voices of hate and division within their party. They need to step away from the religious and conservative nuts that got them in this place and realize that first of all, the middle class needs help. Great countries only survive if their middle class is vital and healthy. The GOP needs to quit trying to win on "small" isolated issues like abortion, the death penalty, and gay rights. Instead it needs to focus on how to create jobs. Sorry, I can't feel sorry for people that have to pay capital gains taxes when I am trying to figure out how to meet my copayments on medical bills. And with my health insurance going up eight percent, I know that if I do get a raise next year, there is no way it's going to be high enough to pay for that difference. Where is the extra income going to come from?

Until the GOP can answer those questions with sensible solutions that actually make sense and can work (without throwing around crazy trickle down theories), they have lost me as a voter. I have little respect for a party or it's followers that continue to throw out words of hatred and malice.

The Celebration!

2008-11-05T17:54:00.004-05:00

Short Like Yoda would like to remind all her friends who were/are enemies of the empire to remember the past twenty four hours. Lets never forget how positive all of us felt this morning as we downed our coffee to the realization that we are coming out of the thaw; like walking into Spring after eight years on the ice planet Hoth.

Barack Obama is the President Elect!

Lets enjoy this week...celebrate...party like some crazy Ewoks and remember how we achieved this by working together. And only by working together can we make things better.

THis is how I feel (click on the link!):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEniXyEwmzo

Yoda Happy!

Go Vote!!!

2008-11-04T18:11:00.004-05:00

Sorry it's been a few days since I have blogged however, I brought down my Ivan from New York. On the way home, we saw a group of young Obama supporters in New Jersey who were on their way back from a rally in Pennsylvania. They were excited, like most Obama supporters, and believed that change is a coming.

And hopefully those young folks are right.

So, if you haven't voted yet, get your tukus to the polls because they close soon in Tennessee and Virginia. And if you have voted, good! Isn't awesome to live in a democracy, as flawed as it can be?

If you are a political junkie, tonight is going to be a lot of fun. Enjoy it!

Seven Days Left

2008-10-28T20:52:00.003-04:00

Only seven days left and like many others, I wish the time would fly by. Not that I enjoy wishing moments of my life away however, this election cycle is wearing everyone thin. I can only imagine how it is on the candidates.

Before you believe that this race is over though, let me give you an education: it's not over until we get the raw data in...as in the votes. As we get closer to Tuesday, I am becoming more convinced that Tuesday night may be a long night despite what the Huffington Post and MSNBC believe.

1. Polling has a margin of error and with each polling company having a bias, you should be weary of any poll you read that can not back up it's data. Basically what I am telling you is that you can find the same amount of info quizzing your co-workers or a bunch of morons on the street. There's no reason that anyone can promise and deliver that they will make it to the polls. People find more excuses not to vote than to vote.

2. The exit data numbers, especially in the early voting states, will be skewed. Remember, a ton of people in key battleground states like North Carolina, Ohio, and Florida have already voted in unprecedented numbers. And a lot of people will just not tell you the truth when you ask them who they voted for in exit polls. It happens. So unless you see raw numbers showing you that a candidate has won a battleground state with the big voting areas in, calm yourself down.

3. Don't be surprised to hear that many voters voted split tickets, as in Virginia. There are a lot of voters in Virginia who love Mark Warner and believe he was one of the best governors Virginia ever had. However, because they are a firm believer in checks and balances, they may be voting for McCain for President and Warner, the Democrat for Senate, because they are firmly aware of what can happen if you have an all Democratic House and Senate: a possibility that they will run amuck as much as ever before. After all, politicians are about as trust worthy as used car salesmen in many people's eyes thus, you need to support a system of checks and balances.

4. The machines may not work! In several key states, Ohio and Florida notably, there are already issues with electronic voting. Diebold, the maker of many of these machines, is aware that there are issues but it seems that there are still problems. How can you be sure that your vote counts? And that fear may keep some voters from the polls.

As I have preached to the hills before, research claims made by both candidates and when you go into the voting booth, be informed. It's worth waiting in line, trust me. I want to get a good nights sleep, don't you? So go vote and maybe, just maybe the votes will be counted right and we won't have to see those damn lawyers the day after the election.

What's Up?

2008-10-25T18:00:00.001-04:00

Remember those Bud ads from a few years back? Here's the new version for your viewing enjoyment...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq8Uc5BFogE

I've voted...have you?

2008-10-25T17:48:00.002-04:00

I have worked in phone banks before, for the other side. Never did the candidate show up and fire us up like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGraCrU_mR8

Well if Opie says so...

2008-10-23T19:01:00.003-04:00

...you should too!

Watch Ron Howard, Andy Griffith, and Henry Winkler in a video that recalls some of my favorite shows...

This is just fantastic!

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/cc65ed650d

Because you need a laugh today...

2008-10-21T20:34:00.002-04:00

Remember the movie Buckaroo Bonzai from the 80's? Well, if you do, you will enjoy this! Zaius Nation - Some apes are more equal than others

Profile Pic

2008-10-19T20:40:00.002-04:00

A note about my profile picture...

The animation was created by Ivan. It is my alter ego, "Chibi Clap Joyce." It's a long story as to how I came up with the character but it has turn into a funny joke among my friends...and it's a funny way to get people to laugh.

In case you do not know what chibi is, well it's basically a Japanese anime art form. The characters are drawn with very round, almost child like faces.

So Ivan, how nice to have my own artist, always imagines when I do the chibi clap thing that I am floating like an angel. So he gave me wings (true more ways than one).

And yes, in case you are wondering, Ivan is an artist for hire.

Check out Atomic Beaver on Myspace and his web page www.theatomicbeaver.com

Weakly Update...

2008-10-19T20:24:00.001-04:00

I wrote "weakly" because I seem to be pretty "weak" about posting on my blog lately but with Ivan visiting New York over the next few weeks (more on that later), I will have a little more computer time on my hands.

To update: on Wednesday I took off a few hours early and voted. The state of Tennessee does few things right and one of them is early voting. I was so happy to get my vote in for Obama. Now I can just enjoy election evening by watching the madness. Well, I hope I enjoy it. I pray it's not a huge Clusterfuck like 2000.

As I write this, Ivan is on his way back to New York. Over the next few weeks he will be meeting with friends and family and packing. He's moving down here. Finally we will be one place, for better or worse. It just seems the right thing to do. The economy is tanking up there and I just don't have the money or resources to compete for a job up in New York right now.

Considering we have had seperations of months and we continue to fight kidney disease and anemia, for me to be verklempt over twelve days apart sounds a little silly I know. But I guess because of the things we are fighting for (health and each other) it's difficult to seperate.

I never thought I would be this connected with one person. I always figured that I would be that crazy old lady with a bunch of dogs watching CNN all day long and yelling at the television like someone can hear me. Then I met him and my world changed.

For the first time in my life I feel a part of a large family. His parents, siblings, and cousins have embraced me. It's been a wonderful experience. But I feel guilt knowing he will be down here with me while they are up there. I hope that sooner, rather than later, we will be able to save up money to be in a position to help them as much as they have helped us.

On a political note, if you are surprised by General Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama than you really understand little about politics. Just about everyone knows that Powell and the GOP have not seen eye to eye since Powell couldn't wait to leave Bush's Cabinet in 2004. But Powell makes a point that should not fall silent on anyone's ears...this is a time of transition and a country, any country, can not be run with the same closed minded and antagonistic political mindsent that has beset our nation the past 8 years.

Lets face it, the Clinton era was marked by insanity and a boom stock market that reached false hieghts. To make things worse, we had a president who managed his personal life in such a shoddy and shameful manner that even the so called left leaning press reported his dangerous liasons.

This decade, we have seen a president that has decided to push his morality not only on our nation but other nations. The direction Bush took our country, with our own approval in 2004, has been damning. Because banks and investors were left unregulated, and greed took over common sense, we are faced with an economic crises that unfortunately parallels that of the Great Depression.

If a great white general went on Meet the Press this morning and said he was supporting Obama, no one would accuse him of supporting Obama because he is black man running for president. But idiots being idiots, earlier today, Rush Limbaugh yapped away (like we asked for his opinion?) that Powell is supporting Obama because of race. Of course, those are the same yayhoos that think I should vote for McCain-Palin because she is a woman.

Our country, our world, is at a turning point. Lets face it, the Adam Smith model of running free markets does not work when greed overtakes common sense. And so, people, along with their governments, have got to find a way to make sure that when a crises happens, those who are working hard do not lose their retirement savings because a bunch of idiot investment bankers.

I know I sound very Pollyanna but I do believe we can make this world a better place if we get over the greed and really try to fix things. Maybe I hope for that so much because, well, I need it to happen. The one I love suffers from kidney failure and lives on dialysis. Wouldn't it be nice if we invested in medical research to find a cure for kidney disease instead of investing in pills for erectile dyfunction and in countries who really do not need our intervention?

Times Like These

2008-10-08T21:15:00.001-04:00

I like those Fighters of Foo...and here is one of my favorite songs...

Here's "Times Like These"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG294M_kYWM

You know...that one!

2008-10-08T20:53:00.004-04:00

My mom is seventy eight years old and she has lived through the Great Depression, World War 2, Korea, Vietnam, the killings of Jack and Bobby Kennedy and put up with kids and a Navy husband.

Basically I am saying she's suffered through some serious shit.

But when my mom, who's body may be broken but her spirit far from it, says that McCain looked so old last night that she felt sorry for him, well that says something.

My seventy eight year old mother thinks McCain is too old to be president and yet, she may well still vote for him because he served in the Navy and, well, she says "you know those Navy men."

I've reminded her all to well considering our father, her late husband, was in the Navy for over 30 years. And during that time, we had great healthcare benefits. When my father was dying, we didn't have to worry about paying medical bills; his benefits paid for it all. So when McCain acts as if he knows something about going without healthcare (as he claimed a few weeks ago), I know he is full of shit.

The man, when he left the Navy, had the same retirement benefits that my father did...except he had a bigger benefit check. And as a son of a Navy man, he always had good coverage. And as a senator, he has even better benefits.

So help me understand something...how does McCain empathize with the middle class that is struggling with higher copays or just "no pay" as it applies to some people's benefits?

Sigh....

He's out of touch; we're out of his mind. If I were Obama's campaign manager, I would create an ad of a dottering McCain at the debate, wondering around in a circle with the old Hall and Oats song playing, while pointing over to Obama saying "that one."

Unless Obama does something stupid, or the polls are lying, we may have seen one of the last bitter gasps of the McCain campaign last night. The polling numbers clearly show that people thought McCain looked bitter and mean. And although Obama didn't give a knock out performance last night, he was sure and steady...and that usually wins the race.

I think I would rather have "that one" be my president than the one who seems frustrated and angry and has no clue that we are going through out here in the wilderness.

It's Debate-able

2008-10-07T19:12:00.002-04:00

Don't forget....

Debate number 2 at 9pm eastern time.

It takes place in Nashville, Tennessee...the state I currently live in. The same state that McCan will carry in less than 4 weeks and the same electorate that elected Bob Corker over Harold Ford.

Bah Humbug.

At least our grits and bar-b-que taste good.

My Better Half

2008-09-30T20:23:00.000-04:00

Ivan now has a blog...read it!

AS I SEE IT, ...

We're mad as hell...

2008-09-29T20:08:00.003-04:00

The Bailout Bill failed to pass Congress today 228-205 and the stock market dropped 777 points.

And speaking of being in the basement baby...while they have been in the sky for several years... it is cracking me up how analysts, those Wall Street geniuses, newscasters, and people with money are shocked! Just damn shocked how Main Street believes this is a shit burger with a side of crap!

Why should we...we who have suffered for the past several years carry your rich butts? Many people down here in the basement have had to sell their jewlery, valuables, rob Peter to pay Paul and Mary, while those so called "experts" up in the sky have done mighty fine on our backs.

Enough is enough. CEO's, do what we have been doing to make ends meet and sell your valuables to help your company stay afloat. Really...do you need to maintain that yacht or one of your seven homes? Sell it! So many Americans have had to downsize and sell their homes for smaller condos or apartments, well, why can't you?

Why do these companies expect us, the American taxpayers to fix their problems in a so called free market economy? Why should we? Oh that's right? If we don't people could lose their jobs or the homes, right McBush? Well guess what McBush...this has been going on for the past few years and you have just noticed it because...you're in the sky...

Well, we're in the basement baby, come on by...

I'm in the basement baby...

2008-09-28T14:41:00.001-04:00

Drop on by...

YouTube - Placebo - English Summer Rain (animated)

Fare the well Reggie Dunlop...

2008-09-27T16:33:00.003-04:00

One of my family's favorite movies is "Slapshot." Hard to believe because with the language, it's not a family friendly movie. But because of the language, and the silliness in which it is used, if you mention just one line to any member of the Dent family, we start laughing.

Every time I watch the movie I am reminded of how I miss watching hockey...and to sound like the film "old time hockey." You remember good hockey, right? When there were not a zillion teams in the NHL, the talent wasn't watered down, and the games were actually competitive and enjoyable to watch. The last game I saw was in 2000 in Chicago, the Blackhawks played Colorado. Unlike Blackhawk games of the past, the place was only half full. It was nothing like hockey in Chicago used to be. It was depressing. I haven't tried to go to a game since.

Like my mother, I enjoyed watching Paul Newman. That's right...we liked his acting...forget those beautiful blue eyes or the sexy confidence, right? Right! Even if the movie tanked, he was still awesome. I suppose most people will write about his performance in Cool Hand Luke or in Butch and Sundance however, for me, Reggie Dunlop is still one of the funniest anti-heroes Newman ever protrayed.

In our family, whenever we go grocery shopping, my brother and I will say "want some of that Reggie Dunlop sauce?" Or if we speak of Florida, my brother will say "here's to all that gorgeous...."(you can complete the sentence if you have seen the movie). If someone gets a penalty, both of my brothers break into a Strother Martin imitation concerning the guy who would purposefully get penalities so he could sit in the aptly name penalty box.

Throughout his life, Newman kept his private life private. Unlike many aging celebrities, he didn't spend time confessing his "sins' of the past or reminded us who he was; instead, he was able to point back to his work and just walk away, nothing needed to be said. Even in the end, when people were trying to push him to talk about his illness, he refused. More celebs could emulate his behavior instead of parading their personal lives in front of all of us.

Newman will be missed but I hope he left our realm of being realizing that he touched the loves in a positive manner of so many others he never met.

My eyes hurt!

2008-09-26T19:47:00.003-04:00

I've seen so many clips of Sarah Palin's awful interview with Katie "softball" Couric that my eyes hurt and my head is spinning.

Seriously. I thought my computer monitor was blowing up or my glasses were busted.

But Jack Cafferty says it best:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8__aXxXPVc

Really, to quote one of my favorite southern sayings, she's dumber than a coal bucket!

Still not convinced?

2008-09-17T21:22:00.003-04:00

So, are you sitting there...shaking your head...wondering why McCain keeps getting slammed on the news and wh, oh why is he falling behind in the polls after his brilliant Palin pick? Could it be you are the last ignorant, arrogant, jerkweed out there who hasn't figured out yet that the "fundamentals" of our economy is, well, fundamentally weak?

Do you live in such a secluded bubble that you do not know one person that is suffering from the eight year clusterf**k? Seriously? What is holding you back from supporting Obama? Why the hell are you supporting McCain who claims to be able to stand up to those "bigwigs" on Wall Street?

Go ahead...do the research yourself...and see what companies are McCain's biggest doners and guess who you will find near the top? That's right! Those same "bigwigs!" So we are supposed to believe that he is going to stand up for us? We are supposed to believe that he is the "original" Maverick? Sorry, to me the original Maverick is James Garner.

The funniest thing is, for a man who always believed in a free market economy, suddenly (as in today) he sees nothing wrong with the government bailing out AIG. Wow. And yet when people lose their jobs because of their companies stupidity (think Enron), the government refuses to help.

Unless you are just completely idiotic, I am assuming the only reason you are supporting McCain is because you will make huge money from a McCain administration or you are just flat out racist. Seriously...give me a reason...a real reason that you will not support Obama. I hear some of you say you do not trust him and yet you do not give me a reason. I can give you, and have given you, several reasons I do not trust McCain.

If you think the same old solutions will resolve what is going on in our economy right now, then you deserve to live through another eight years of this mess. I, for one, am tired of the same old Republican b.s.

You want 4 more years of this?

2008-09-12T21:00:00.001-04:00

Sorry if this blog sounds angry however, what I've seen over the past few days has really pissed me off.

I keep hearing people everywhere...work, the grocery store, the gas line...saying how they want to see change. They want our country to change. When are things going to change? And yet, when I ask them who they are voting for or what do they think about Obama, I get similar answers "I don't trust him" or "I don't know if I will vote."

Well, here's what I think...if you do not vote for Obama, you will not be getting the change you want. If you vote for McCain, then you are just validating the last 8 years of bullshit. If you vote for McCain, you are basically saying, "Ok, I want the status quo."

Have all of you forgotten what it felt like in the days after 9-11 when we felt unified? We were scared yes, but supportive of each other. And then what happened? Two bullshit wars: the invasion in Iraq and the crazy culture war brought to you by the same white wing wackjobs that are trying to get you to focus more on lipstick on a pig than inflation, foreclosures, and the fact after 7 years, we still have yet to catch or kill Bin Ladin!

Do yourself a favor...think back...are you better off now than you were 8 years ago? And ask yourself, if you knew that Bush was lying to get into Iraq, would you have agreed to the war, especially knowing that it was going to stretch our troops thin and thus, disable our search for Bin Ladin?

Tonight, I saw an ad on MSNBC from the McCain camp that said that Obama was disrespectful to Palin. Wait...where do they get that from? Now they are just making shit up, trying to get you to avoid paying attention to what you are paying at the pump or the fact you haven't gotten a decent raise in 5 years and can't pay those medical bills or pay off those credit cards (that you paid some of those medical bills on if you were like me).

If you vote for McCain, you get what you deserve...you deserve 4 more years of bullshit.

It's A Trap!

2008-09-07T13:30:00.001-04:00

If you think that John McCain picked Sarah Palin just to get the white, middle class vote or the Hillary vote, think again. In the words of the great Admiral Ackbar at the Battle of Endor, “It’s a trap!”

Here is what the McCain campaign is trying so desperately to do: they want you to forget the last eight years. It’s sort of like in “Wayne’s World” when Wayne and Garth do their flashback sequences. Imagine Republican hands waving in front of you and they do “dad a doo, da da a doo” (translation questionable!) and suddenly…voila! The past eight years of foreclosures, high gas prices, inflation, and unemployment never happened, the GOP elephant roars! Well except for 9-11. By God! Don’t you forget 9-11!

Do yourself a favor: avoid the crazy hype from the last few weeks of conventions and look at what has been going on in our economy over the past eight years and ask yourself “is the country better off than it was eight years ago?” Only someone in the upper income bracket will answer yes. The past eight years were a disappointment. And I have every right to be angry about the last eight years because I was idiotic enough to vote for Bush twice!

That’s right, I voted for the man twice. In 2000, I voted for Bush because like most people that live in Tennessee, I disliked Al Gore and his Senator Palpatine twin, Joe Liberman. In 2004, I voted for Bush again because I actually believed that we were doing the right thing in Iraq; there had to be WMD’s in Iraq! Of course, just a mere few weeks after the election, I found out how wrong I really was. The damn war was just a way for Cheney and his friends to make more money while thousands of young Americans die. The whole hocus pocus of “the terrorists are coming through Iraq” was brought to you by Bush, Inc.

I wish I could take my votes back but unlike Wayne and Garth, I can’t force a flashback. And unlike the Republicans and the people that are following them, I have learned my lesson. Unfortunately for the Republicans, I can not forget how Bush and crew betrayed my trust. My vote showed my trust in them to make things right. They never made things right; instead, they just followed the “right” ideology.

If you believe that McCain is a “maverick” think again! This is a guy that over 80% of the time has agreed with President Bush on the issues! When he spoke Thursday night, what did he say that he would do to help the American economy? Can you even remember? How is he going to help curb the over 7,000 foreclosures that are going on each day in this country? How is he going to help those families keep their homes? And pray tell, what did he say he was going to do to help the Veterans of this current war? Did he, a former Navy man and POW, even mention the Veterans? And were any of you McCain supporters smart enough to catch that it wasn’t Walter Reed hospital in the background but another building (it turns out it was a school).

What the Republicans have tried to do is get the Middle Class and Independent voters forget that we have had eight straight months of job losses and rising prices at the grocery store. Salaries are not keeping up with inflation and many Americans, while employed full time, have Healthcare plans that are expensive or lacking in coverage. With companies planning to increase the deductibles their employees have to pay and the possibility that the economy will continue to slow down through 2009 (no matter who gets elected), why would we even want four more years of the same old solutions?

Don’t fool yourself: drilling in Alaska and offshore is not going to help ease the oil crisis. The only way that will be solved is if we change our way about energy consumption. And despite what the Republican vice presidential nominee says, there is no way to cleanly burn coal.

The same old thinking has not worked in Washington and Republicans have another thing coming if they believe they are not in trouble. Republican congressmen know this; they hear it from their constituents. Just recently, in my district, first term Republican Congressman David Davis failed to get his party’s nomination after stories of his pandering to big business and standing by President Bush, right or wrong.

For years Republicans have been preaching “trickle down economics” and “thousand points of light” helping the middle and lower classes. And yet Palin slapped so many people in the face with her snarky remark concerning community leaders. What cracked me up was that many in the audience were laughing at her comment. Hmmm…and so many of them are community organizers themselves!

Both parties need to quit pointing fingers at each other and need to focus on how they are going to fix this economy and the mess we face overseas. Right now though, I get the feeling that Republicans are in the same bubble they were in during the reelection runs of Bush, Sr. in 1992 and Hoover in 1932. In both times, the middle class was in crises. And both times, their struggle was ignored.

Finally, ask yourself this…what kind of world do we live in where a bunch of rich white people like to refer to Barak Obama as elitist? Wait a second…a black man raised by a single mother is elitist? Just because he made something of his life and attending the same schools many of these same people attended? Honestly, I don’t get it.

But I do get it when Admiral Ackbar yells “It’s a trap!"

Trap indeed.

Brett is a Jet!

2008-08-07T20:50:00.003-04:00

My significant other, Ivan, is as happy as a pig in sunshine...or me with chocolate...Brett Favre is now a Jet.

Now the dose of reality...Brett said that he does not really know what he is getting into. And that's an understatement. Jet fans are, to put it kindly, unusual. I mean, we are talking about a bunch of fans that have no trouble stripping, drinking, and cussing...and that's just in the parking lot before the games.

Thing I wonder is, can the guy still do it? Can he still win? For Ivan's sake, I hope so...unless they play against the Chargers and then for a few hours, I have no man except for LT!

But I do feel bad for Packers fans. One friend just couldn't say anything to me today; not sure if it was the pain of knowing Brett is gone or was it anger? Another Packer friend proclaimed tonight "I'm a Jets fan now."

One thing we know for certain, Brett must love green.

And so does Short Like Yoda. However, doubt he looks as fetching as I do! ;-)

The Dark Knight...

2008-07-20T10:46:00.001-04:00

He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster.
And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.
- Friedrich Nietzsche

I have no idea if the creators behind the latest movie “Batman – The Dark Knight” even looked at the above quote before making the movie however, the quote seems to fit the character of Batman and the circumstances we currently face.

A friend of mine called me after we went to the midnight showing and asked “What did you think?” I couldn’t find the words but he spat out “I think it replaces the Godfather as my favorite movie.” And believe it or not, for me, it might replace the Lord of the Rings series as, in my little world, the best movie.

Purposefully, I waited a few days to write my review. I didn’t want the afterglow of such a wonderful movie going experience to taint what should be written. However, the further I get away from Thursday night, the more I love the movie.

On line and in print, you will read glowing reviews of Christian Bale and Heath Ledger’s performances. Indeed, it is sad that Ledger will never hear the praise of his performance. I am sure that on set, he knew he was redefining the character of the Joker. Recall that the Joker we saw as children was a silly clown (Cesar Romero in the television series) or an annoying aged villain (Jack Nicholson).

But Ledgers Joker is different. He’s insanity and anarchy. He’s sublime and intelligent. He’s scary but so damn interesting. He forces leaders, heroes, and real people to make the difficult choices they avoid making on a daily basis. He is what we want to avoid being but yet we can not help but wonder what it would be like to be so reckless.

Batman quickly realizes that he is dealing with a different kind of evil…an insane evil that understands no boundaries nor cares for boundaries; everyone is fair game. Slowly you see Batman staring at the abyss; he understands to defeat the Joker he must visit a place in his soul he tries desperately to avoid.

The more you dwell upon the decisions Batman makes, you quickly see the decisions we, as a people, have been avoiding. Should we allow our country to wire tap our cell phone conversations? Should we use evil to defeat evil? It seems our government has made those decisions. How sad is it that our country has defended the use of water boarding against terrorist suspects? We are becoming what we have stated so loudly that we want to defeat! This is America! We should be held to a higher standard. We are the shining light that the rest of the world looks to in the darkest of times and yet, here we are, staring at the abyss…becoming the monster that is trying so hard to destroy us.

I know, the last paragraph sounds preachy in a movie review however it is not that hard to see the similarities after you walk out of the movie. I have no clue if the creators of this latest movie had those intentions (I have avoided all the other reviews and hype) however, you really have to be a total dunce to not get the significance of Gary Oldman’s Commissioner Gordon’s comment about the hero we deserve.

We got ourselves into this mess; only we can get out of it. But do we need to walk down the dark paths of hell to show how better we are than the bad guys?

It's Restaurant Review Time!

2008-07-14T21:02:00.001-04:00

Machiavelli's

The ends did not justify the meal!

While on a nice walk down State Street (Bristol Va/Tn) a couple of months ago, we came upon a sign that advertised an Italian restaurant coming soon.
A sign on their window advertised a Brick Oven.

We waited with anticipation, and finally, the restaurant opened 2 weeks ago. Excited, we decided to eat there last Friday.

The first impression was that it’s not a regular corner 'pizza place' that sells by the slice. We were seated in a dark dining room. At first it seemed classy and romantic but soon we found it too dark.

There were a lot of things we found wrong with the establishment (but maybe we can excuse some because it's a new restaurant).
For one thing, we were unable to order mixed drinks because they have yet to obtain their liquor license. Like I said, it just opened and so maybe that’s why they haven't received their license yet? So, we ordered Heineken bottles. We drank them with dinner and when we ordered a second bottle, we were informed they were out. This exposes an oversight in supply. Early on a Friday evening, they should not be running out of popular brands of beer!

The menu is small but that is often the case with new restaurants. We expect the menu to expand as the restaurant clientele grows.
We started with a Bruschetta as our appetizer. A Bruschetta (pronounced Bru-Skeh-Tah) is basically, toasted slices of Italian bread topped with diced tomato, and often cheese.
The Bruschetta were good. They were warm and toasty as should be. We were served about 9 slices on a plate which is an ample amount to have as an appetizer or even a small meal itself.

Next, our Caesar Salad arrived. Crisp lettuce, seasoned croutons and creamy Caesar dressing made up our salad. It was nothing fancy but I was very fond of the dressing. However, most real Italian restaurants will offer anchovies on their Caesar salads; this restaurant did not give us that option. Additionally, it was topped with breadsticks that tasted as if they came out of a package (think Stella D’Oro)

Brick Oven pizza is delicious and I have indulged in it before. Needless to say, we ordered a pizza, a Margherite Pizza to be exact. In case you have never tried one, a Margherite pizza is a simple pizza topped with fresh mozzarella cheese and instead of sauce, is topped with slices of fresh tomato. While it sounds plain, a Margherite pizza should have flavor.

The pizza arrived and the first thing I noticed though was the absence of blisters. A good brick oven pizza should have nice blackened blisters where the cheese bubbled and the dough baked. It looked all right but taste is the real test. Once we bit into the pizza, we noticed that the dough overwhelmed the taste of the pizza. We expected a thin crispy crust; however we found it "bready." The tomatoes that topped the pizza were bland.

One of the positive things about this restaurant was the pricing. The prices were fair, however, I would be willing to pay more for better tasting pizza.

Finally, the atmosphere was to put it bluntly, dull. For a Friday evening, it was quiet. The music that was playing was the elevator imitation of Maroon 5. The restaurant seemed to be pretentious. If it wants to survive in Bristol, it will need to tone down the uppity attitude and lighten up the atmosphere.

For me, the best place in Bristol to get a fresh pizza is Bella’s. The service there may be slow however, it still produces the best pizza in town.

Green Screen Challenge

2008-07-06T13:12:00.003-04:00

Wow! I failed to realize how long it has been since I've blogged. So much has happened within the past few weeks and I have had little time to write down my thoughts.

My move to NY has been delayed due to my brother's recent dismissal from the newspaper. The whole mess is just a huge farce but it goes to show people how the joke of office politics can play into your career. I am confident that he will find something in the next few months but until then, thanks to his former company, my relocation plans are on hold.

Fortunately, Ivan is down here for a few weeks. If everything works out ok, I should be heading back up to New York my birthday week for some job fairs and interviews.

In the mean time, I am grateful for what I do have...a good career and wonderful friends. Oh, and a supportive partner!

Here's something to make everyone laugh...well maybe except John McCain. Unfortunately for McCain, he does not look fetching in green, or in front of it. Our hero, Stephen Colbert has issued the Green Screen Challenge to help McCain look more, uhm, interesting. What people have created has been down right hilarious. Here is my favorite:

Strike A Pose!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G9jA-FGGd8&feature=related

The Passing of a Giant

2008-06-14T22:14:00.002-04:00

As I write this I am still in shock over the fact that tomorrow morning, Sunday, when I get up, Tim Russert will not be hosting Meet The Press. I wake up Sunday mornings, slowly, with coffee brewing and Tim on tv, verbally goosing some gas bag politico into giving an answer that was not full of double speak.

Yesterday afternoon, my brother left a voicemail on my cell telling me of Russert's sudden death. He of all people knows what a news nerd I am. Seriously, I watch more news in a week than most people watch in ten years.

All of my life I have been a political junkie. And because of that, I sometimes detested politics because I knew personally how hypocritical politicians could be. Years before I pimped office products, during my college years I worked in politics (I know, a surprise to many of you who just know me for the paying gig). So more than once I got an up front seat to politicians, or their handelers, changing their minds on issues mid stream. Or I saw how political campaigns thrived or died on gossip or innuendo. It was a freaky thing.

Although I am no longer active in working any campaigns, I watch politics now from a different standpoint. I've enjoyed watching this years Democratic primary process. And to hear Russert explain it, well, it made it even more enjoyable. Politics is serious but Russert showed us we could still enjoy it.

What makes this even sadder, and not just because he leaves a wife and a son, is that our press, who is responsible for pushing politicians into answering the tough questions, has lost one of the few real unbiased members of the MSM. A majority of news show hosts, quite frankly, are gas bags. But Russert, in his inexpensive suites and somewhat disheveled look, could care less about appearence. What he cared about was finding out the answers for the everyday person who was working hard to make ends meet. Like most of us, he came from a working class background and thankfully he never forgot his roots; he never forgot his Catholic background.

My heart goes out to his family (no man should have to bury his son) and his coworkers. And I hope all journalists take a look at how he always demanded answers and kept pressing politicians until he got them.

An Apology From Andrea

2008-06-10T15:10:00.002-04:00

Remember the bulletin I posted last week concerning MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell and her comments on Southwest Virginia? Well, Andrea has apologized.

We now have an end to the crisis!!!

Thus, fair being fair, I wanted to make sure that everyone knew. By the way, how awesome was it that so many people wrote, emailed, called NBC from the "Fighting 9th?" Below is the story from Media Matters:

"On the June 9 edition of MSNBC Live, anchor Andrea Mitchell apologized for comments she made on June 5 regarding Sen. Barack Obama's appearance that day in Bristol, Virginia. As Media Matters for America and the Huffington Post noted, on June 5, Mitchell described the area as "real redneck, sort of, bordering on Appalachia country." From the 1 p.m.ET hour of the June 9 edition of MSNBC Live:MITCHELL: And now, a point of personal privilege. I owe an apology to the good people of Bristol, Virginia, for something stupid that I said last week. I was trying to explain, based on reporting from Democratic strategists, why Barack Obama was campaigning in southwest Virginia, but without attribution or explanation, I used a term strategists often use to demean an entire community. No excuses, I'm really sorry. As they say, when I make a mistake, it's a beaut."

Here is the link: http://mediamatters. org/items/200806090004?lid=354855&rid=9279711

Unfortunate Comments About Southwest Virginia

2008-06-05T20:21:00.003-04:00

Normally I believe Andrea Mitchell's (of NBC/MSNBC) reporting is spot on, even if she is slightly elitist. Well...she let her elitism get in the way of reporting on Democratic Presidential Nominee Barak Obama's visit to Bristol, Virginia today. Below is a reprint of what Mitchell said live today on MSNBC during MSNBC live:

MSNBC's Mitchell: Southwest Virginia "is real redneck, sort of, bordering on Appalachia country"http://mediamatters.org/items/200806050005?f=h_latest
On the June 5 edition of MSNBC Live, anchor Andrea Mitchell noted Sen. Barack Obama's appearance that day in Bristol, Virginia, with former Virginia governor and Democratic Senate candidate Mark Warner and asserted, "Interesting images today. Barak Obama, Mark Warner in southwest Virginia. This is real redneck, sort of, bordering on Appalachia country. This is not the Northern Virginia, you know, sort of high-tech corridor. And these are voters that he would not logically be, you know, gravitating to. This is the beginning of a pivot."

The link is above so you can view it yourself. You will notice the big time "red neck" Rick Boucher behind Senator Obama. For those of you not from our beautiful neck of the woods (pun intended), Rick is far from a redneck.

We have two Starbucks in Bristol now! How can we be rednecks? :-)

Hillary's Foot In Mouth Disease

2008-05-25T15:13:00.001-04:00

Personally I have enjoyed the political drama over the past several months between Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama. If anything, it has forced young people who normally are more concerned with keggers to actually focus on the country’s future.

Admittedly, I am still in the dark on what Obama actually plans to do to help this country rebound. With Warren Buffett saying that the recession may be deeper and longer than he once thought and the war in Iraq in a never ending, the mood in this country is anxious and weary. But Obama does have hope for our future. Although he saying “yes we can” reminds me of a mantra we had in elementary school, at least his attitude is positive. He honestly believes we can make this country strong and vibrant again.

Earlier this year, I was excited about Hillary’s run for the presidency. A woman, running for president, with a more than legitimate chance of winning, in my life time? Hooray! But as Obama kept scoring unexpected wins, Hillary’s true colors began to shine. She turned negative. To make things worse, lately she has tried riling up women to believe that Barak Obama’s campaign is misogynist. Why would any women believe this load of crap? Barak Obama was raised by a strong woman and is married to a woman who obviously does not need a man to validate her existence (which by the way gals is how we should all feel). Working within the top levels of his campaign are many women who have supported Obama in politics for years.

The other day, Hillary Clinton made her biggest faux pas of the campaign. By now you have already heard or at least read how Hillary tried to relate to an editorial board as to why she is staying in this campaign. She was correct in stating that it is not unusual for a Democratic primary to go into the summer. But where she royally screwed the pooch was mentioning the Robert Kennedy assassination almost as justification for staying in the race.

Hillary, that was just damn stupid. Really. If you wanted to compare this campaign to one that went into the summer months, you could have went with the 1980 Democratic race in which another Kennedy, Ted, took his fight against weakened President Jimmy Carter all the way to the convention floor. Indeed, the recent history of nominees being decided months in advance is a rarity in this history of any political party. Instead Hillary offends everyone’s common sense and she makes a hurtful remark to the Democratic Party’s most powerful family already reeling from the recent diagnosis of their patriarch’s illness.

Today, the New York Daily News published a letter from Hillary to the paper in which she basically states that her comments were taken out of context.

No Hillary, they were not taken out of context; it was hateful or stupid. Admit to one but it really does not matter because both answers show a shameful record of poor decision making that has engrossed your campaign.

Hillary, from one strong woman to another, let it go. Just let it go. We need an end to another Clintonian quest for the holy grail of the presidency. We need an end to all the negativity. We need someone that is hopeful and positive and you have just shown you are hardly a picture of positive attitude.

BlowHard Bill-O...

2008-05-19T19:31:00.002-04:00

Like most people with a brain and some small amount of common sense, I have a strong dislike of Bill O'Reilly. So, of course, I have to share this great video with everyone...

Enjoy!

YouTube - Bill O'Reilly's Producer (Unseen Footage)

WTF???

2008-05-12T21:46:00.002-04:00

I promise you will be saying "WTF" after seeing this! A warning, you might want to potty before watching this because you might poop yourself!

YouTube - Indian Superman-Govinda

The Empire Strikes Barack

2008-05-05T08:21:00.002-04:00

Mondays suck but this should help pick up your morning a bit. It's five minutes long so if you are running late, you might want to wait until tonight to watch it.

YouTube - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BARACK

Lets focus on the issues...

2008-05-02T15:25:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite blogs from a rather cynical but witty guy writes what I have been preaching all along...lets focus on the issues!

But let me add this before I input the link... Please do not tell me that the Rev. Wright issue is worth you holding back a vote for Obama. If that's the case, then you should avoid voting for McCain for the same exact reason. Remember, this guy is being endorsed by a bozo who claims that the Catholic Church is the "great whore."

And now...here's a good dose of Chez.

Deus Ex Malcontent: Bullies and Pulpits

Thank you Mrs. Edwards!

2008-04-27T11:02:00.002-04:00

Elizabeth Edwards basically repeating, in a few areas, what I've been complaining about...the MSM not doing their job in covering this presidential campaign. This is a great read! Bowling 1, Health Care 0 - New York Times

Before you blog...

2008-04-27T10:01:00.002-04:00

...proof your work!!!

In high school, would you turn in a paper before proofing it? In college, would you even think about being that stupid?

Point is, why are people dumb enough to exhibit their laziness on the Internet? Remember what you are posting is a mirror into who you are!

Lately I've come across a few blogs that have some good ideas but the point the blogger is trying to make gets lost in some mumbo jumbo of horrid punctuation or seventh grade grammar. So let me recommend the following:

Type your Internet masterpiece in MS Word; that wonderful software will check for spelling and grammar.
Proof the flow. What you are writing, well, does the shit make sense? Oooh! Is that a run on sentence? Or is that a double negative? Does a+b=c?
If it makes sense to you, it may not make sense to others so until you feel comfortable with your blogging, have someone else (that's smarter than you) proof read it.

Point of all this is: no one is going to take what you write seriously if you write like crap. So instead of shooting from the hip and blogging whatever flows out of your ADD head, slow down and try to make sense. The blogger world will take what you say more seriously...and you will not shame your family with your horrible writing skills that may set back human communication two thousand years.

Primary Day

2008-04-22T12:53:00.003-04:00

Today is primary day in Pennsylvania and here's a scary thought: white men are going to decide the outcome. And as Nora Epron states in her blog "white men cannot be relied on, as all of us know who have spent a lifetime dating them."

I thought that was funny...and it rings pretty true for most of us...

Check out her blog here: Nora Ephron: White Men - Politics on The Huffington Post

Democratic Primary

2008-04-21T21:26:00.001-04:00

YouTube - BARACKY: THE MOVIE

Cooking for one...

2008-04-21T14:28:00.002-04:00

I love to cook.

But I would rather cook for two than for one.

Ivan is on his way back to New York. Hopefully this will be our last seperation as I plan to start interviewing in the next month or so for positions up there.

In the meantime, I cook for only myself.

And that's ok...sort of...I mean, I am notorious for being able to eat enough for two! I didn't get fat by using a treadmill.

A Year Later...

2008-04-16T08:14:00.002-04:00

Many people will blog about the shootings at Virginia Tech. And for them, it's just an event; just a story in the news.

But for me, it's personal.

I am a Hokie. I graduated from Virginia Tech in 1991 after years of tears and hard work. Sure, I got frustrated with my professors and a few of my fellow students but I always loved the school and how we were pushed to do better for others...to serve others.

Last year, two days after the shooting, Ivan and drove back from New York and visited the campus. As an alumnus, I felt it was important to go home and help, even if it was to put my arms around someone or just give a handshake. I was concerned though...would our students leave in massive amounts or would they stay?

I was so pleased to see that many of the students stayed. Their parents were there, supporting their childrens' decision to stay at Tech while the national media swarmed our home with questions and accusations. Through it all, the family of Virginia Tech held it together.

I have never been so proud in my life as that moment, standing on the Drill Field and seeing other alumni and even other students help each other discuss their fears, aspirations, and concerns.

If I have learned anything in life it is that we can not dwell on the bad moments. We need to use those moments as well, momentum, to force us to acheive great things. And so, in the words of SGA President Adeel Khan:

Take time to remember the legacies, remember the dreams and remember the talent that our community has lost. I hope you are inspired to work harder to honor the 32. Share you talents with the world for the 32. Achieve your dreams for the 32. Be more compassionate, friendly and thoughtful for the 32. Be better, for the 32.

Happy Anniversary?

2008-03-19T20:14:00.003-04:00

It's been five years since the war in Iraq started.

Think back...where were you in your life five years ago? Were you comfortable in that new home (with that mortage you thought would never go up), in a decent job, thinking, like I was, hey, this war is only going to last a short while! Besides, Saddam has WMD's! He aided Osama! Our President has the evidence! Screw that U.N. and the French for not beleiving us!

Five years ago, a majority of us supported the war with the firm belief that we were doing the right thing. And then guess what happened on the way to celebrating shock and awe? The truth won out, like it always does.

We may not like the truth (can we even handle it?). It can be ugly. It can be uncomfortable. It can force us to admit we were/are wrong.

And we were wrong. Horribly wrong.

In our hope that justice would be served, one way or another on Bin Laden, our bravest of citizens, and their families, have paid the highest cost. In return, we give the injured or the families that are left behind, little help. It's a sad sign of our times when we allow former Congressmen that serve just a few years better benefits than those that serve in the military or have seen action.

To make things worse, there is no end in sight. And our press, while touching on the issue today, still seemed more concerned with the release of Hillary Clinton's minutes from her husband's presidency (where was she the night Monica's dress got stained?).

Shame on us for letting Bush have his way without we, the people, actually taking time to think "Is this the right thing to do?"

Shame on us for letting the press focus more on the former Govenor Spitzer's hooker than on the millions in Iraq who are homeless or not maintaining the pressure on the V.A. to ensure they treat our vets and their dependents with the respect they deserve.

Shame on us for falling for the Bush argument a second time in 2004...and falling for it again when we hear "the Surge is working."

It's working? Of course, the massacre isn't as bad as it was last year but we are only about ten people away from having four thousand dead. And no, those numbers are not as hideous as Vietnam, World War 1 or 2, but it's unnecessary. Four thousand for us and thousands of Iraqis. And yet, our President finds the cause of war "romantic?"

I guess it wasn't romantic enough for him to fight in Vietnam.

On a personal note....

Sorry it's been three weeks since I've written a blog but I've returned back to work now that my health has stabilized. It's good to be among friends again however, I am not letting this latest health setback get in the way of Ivan and I starting our future together. Last year, I was shocked and awed in my own way by what happened to me. This time, I am just pissed off that it happened again; and determined to ensure I am going to spend the rest of my years with my family.

No recession?

2008-02-28T11:32:00.002-05:00

The President, obviously unaware of the rising gas, food, and other prices, today declared that we are not heading towards a recession. Just like Daddy; totally oblivious to what is really going on out in the wilderness.

WTF? Didn't you learn the lesson of 1992? It's the economy stupid!

Maybe if you make over $200,000 and don't feel a recession, well it doesn't mean there is not a recession. The middle class is feeling the pinch and that $600.00 that China is sending me, care of GW, is not going to fix things. When we have to borrow money from a second world Communist country, well you know we are in trouble.

Sigh.

Are all Republicans this oblivious?

I see your true colors shining through...

2008-02-27T13:35:00.002-05:00

If the Democratic debate showed us anything last night, it is very apparent that Hillary Clinton knows her campaign is on the losing end of things. Since losing momentum to Obama, in the last 3 debates she has shown her true colors...and they are negative. Last night was not the first time audiences have hissed at her negative comments.

There's red for fury. It's obvious she is more than angry about falling behind.

There's green for envy. As a politician, she has to be jealous of Obama's following.

Finally there's tan for waffles. She keeps waffling on NAFTA. She thought it was a wonderful thing; now she doesn't. She says she will tell the Mexicans that she wants to renegotiate NAFTA. Right. I am sure they will be happy to meet with us regarding that issue along with listening to our complaints about fixing their economical mess and border security.

While Obama has been able to express a positive message (Yes we can!), Hillary has shown so much negativity over the past few weeks that it's almost Coultergiest in it's venom.

I keep hoping that the press will quit fueling this negativity but in a sad way, Clinton (or the Clintons) keep pushing it forward. By her overreaction to the "pimping" comment (deplorable but the Bush twins have been treated far worse) and Bill's attack dog stance, it seems as if the Clintons are just begging to be shunned by voters.

What a difference a month makes. Hillary had my vote on Super Tuesday but it was only by an inch. I wanted to vote for a woman (flawed logic that might be) because think about it...in my lifetime there may never be another woman running for president. But Hillary keeps coming out so negative during debates that I just shrink away and think "I voted for that?"

Clinton could take a clue from John Edwards. Although frustrated by the lack of press coverage of his campaign and the primary results, at least he never went negative...in personality or in the press (to any substantial degree).

Ewwww

2008-02-21T21:56:00.003-05:00

So the blogasphere is full of everyone commenting on Senator McCain (in his 70's, as old as my mom who can not drive!) and a way younger than him, around my age (40) lobbyist, possibly doing, the "nasty" in exchange for favors for her clients.

My first thought is "Ewww." I don't like to think of old men popping Viagra and having a good time.

My second thought is several months from now, this will be a minor blip on the campaign screen.

I stick by what I've been preaching...lets force the press and the candidates to stick to the issues. There is too much at stake right now. Between the unending war in Iraq and our recession (yes, Virginia, there is a recession), what McCain may or may not have done is not my concern.

But back to my first thought...

Ewwww!

Time for a bitter pill...

2008-02-19T18:24:00.004-05:00

Normally I am a pretty chipper, jovial person. I try to look on the brighter side of things, even when the chips (or hemoglobin numbers) are down. Basically I am that typical fat Irish person that likes to eat soda bread, drink beer, and laugh my ass off (that's a joke; it's still there, trust me).

Maybe it's the steroids I am on or the boredom of watching horrible network news (will someone please shut up that facist Lou Dobbs!) but frankly I've had enough. I am really pissed and tired of being nice...

Tired of being nice to the doctors office receptionist who had to carry on a personal conversation while there were 3 of us waiting in line, 2 poor old women who are way sicker than me.

Tired of being nice to the old fat guy who kept staring at me because I was walking around dizzy in the doctors office looking for something to read while I wait. Yes, I am dizzy you moron but I am also sick. Have you never seen a sick person before you bozo?

Tired of being nice to people who ask me if my relapse could have been avoided. What kind of a stupid f***ing question is that? So lets get this straight...chances are you probably have no idea what hemolytic anemia is. And that's all well and good. I didn't know what it was until after I was diagnosed with it. If you ask, I will tell. Now, after I've told you, don't ask me why I got sick. How the hell should I know? Don't you think if I could prevent it I would? Wait, let me pull that magic wand out of my ass! It's here somewhere....sheesh!

Tired of being nice to friends who said last time I was sick "if it happens again, let me know! I will be there for you." Actually what should have been said was "well you didn't go in this hospital so it wasn't as serious." Dumb (space included for emphasis) Ass! I didn't go in the hospital because it's much less expensive for me (and for the insurance company to pay for) to get 3 units of blood at in infusion center than it is in the hospital. And I get to sleep at home without being awoken every two hours for blood pressure and blood checks! I am always amazed at how people can take time off to walk in a freaking relay around a track but to help someone you actually know in need, well that's just hitting a little too close to home. Hell knows I am not perfect but trust me, if you ever have a friend that is sick, don't just give them mouth work...just show up and help. When you are sick, it takes a hell of a lot to effort to fix a meal or even to get out of bed. And one person can't do it all. How Ivan has done it for over 10 years, I have no idea. Phone calls to check up on that person and visits mean a lot (so basically what I am saying is the first spastic idiot that says to me that they will miss me when I leave for New York will get a mouthfull).

Funny thing is, on this subject, I am far more resentful about the people Ivan know than the people I know down here. I just don't understand how someone who has been his friend for over 20 years can call him on a Saturday night knowing that for over 10 years on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings he has been in dialysis. He can't answer the phone!!!

Now where was I? Oh yeah...

Tired of being nice to the morons outside of the FoodCity smoking cigs. I don't want to breathe it, ok? I can't. It's bad for you. It's bad for me. Be considerate and do it in the privacy in your own home (if you must be that stupid to commit slow suicide) but please, avoid doing it in a public place!

Tired of being nice to the moron who thinks I "look great" because I lost weight. Granted, I am a fattie. I always will be, but I never believed I looked bad. I always liked my curves (and if you don't screw you). But losing 30 pounds very quickly and without reason AND on steroids is freaking me out to the nth degree. So shut up.

Tired of medical bills, insurance coverage issues, short term disability...blah blah blah. If anything, that whole mess, combined with just a few of my buddies keeping in touch, has taught me two lessons: I am my biggest advocate and how much I can't wait to marry Ivan. No one else can fight for me. That's how life works. However, when you are married, not only do have that someone who is always on your side, you also have help (no cynical emails from unhappily marrieds or bitter divorced people please just be happy for me). If it wasn't for Ivan, and his experience in medical trauma, drama, and nightmares, I would have had a breakdown months ago.

I am tired.

But I am pissed.

And maybe the pissed off part is a good thing. It's a motivator for forcing me to change. I don't want to be a bitter, twisted, uglier version of me. I will get over the slights and recover financially, one way or another, from this medical mess. But I also know I need to be where people care; where I have family. My brother and best friend have been wonderful. Bucky drives me like I am Miss Daisy and Amy listens oh so patiently to my woes and steroid induced rants. But I need to be El Norte...Nueva York...with the man I love and build a future with him. I've let this damn thing get in the way but not anymore.

And there's another thing I am tired of (but I've never been nice about)...the networks coverage on the war in Iraq. First, they pandered to the administration (didn't we all?). Then they tried to go the opposite route when criticism of their coverage grew...by their own press! But now, as war still rages on hopelessly, and as our bravest and best sacrifice their futures in the same our bravest and best did in Vietnam, the mainstream media focuses almost every night on Obama versus Hillary and the he said/she said/Bill said/Mrs. Obama said.

I would love to see our mainstream media actually focus on the issues (Iraq, the economy, healthcare). You see, this time it's not just about the candidates avoiding the issues; the press is doing a darn good job of it as well.

So, be a little like me...don't be so nice to the mainstream media. Read and join the blogasphere. Take time to find out other opinions. It's the only way you will learn and can make an informed opinion.

Clemens on the Hill; War still continues

2008-02-13T18:40:00.004-05:00

What a joke.

According to Congressman Henry Waxman, the steroid hearings on Capital Hill were held today because Roger Clemens asked for them.

Good. I hope Clemens is footing the taxpayers bill. And I hope the multi millionare has the time to explain why he thinks it's more important for Congress to focus on his possible perjury than our endless war in Iraq or our faltering economy.

I am always amazed at the audacity of rich people. They feel as if money buys them anything, including a bigger voice...anywhere. And granted, as the path of history tells us, it does. But in a Democracy, we should all be equal. And the needs of everyone else should be equal. However, it doesn't always work out that way in an election year when Waxman, Davis, et al get free airtime.

The hearings left me down hearted today. In a day or so, pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training. Spring Training has always been a sign of promise for me; warmer weather ahead! Instead, it's going to be every baseball player having to answer the same questions: "Did you watch Clemens and do you take steroids."

Oh where have you gone Joltin Joe Dimaggio?

And now the other side of the coin

2008-02-11T20:07:00.001-05:00

I am always one to share and here's the opposite view on McCain, not from a friend but from Arianna Huffington. I'm a big fan of the website because of all the different viewpoints. No "maverick" as I always believed him to be. I admit, the Rove thing scares me...

Arianna Huffington: End of a Romance: Why the Media and Independent Voters Need to Break Up with John McCain - Politics on Th...

And it's only February folks! Between Hillary shaking up her campaign, Obama being the media darling, and McCain's attacks from the right, this year shakes up to be more exciting than 1992. All we now is a Libertarian or Independent to shake this margarita mix up even more!

A voice in the wilderness for McCain...

2008-02-11T10:49:00.000-05:00

No, not me but my dear friend Badrose. I just had to link her blog to my page because to me, it shows the best of Badrose more ways than one.

badrose

Once

2008-02-09T20:17:00.001-05:00

This is not a review (although you might see a few on this page every now and then)...

This is just a suggestion...

If you are a music fan I highly recommend the movie "Once." The music is sweet and heart touching. There are a few moments of "yeah right" but for the most part, it's a story that most of us with dreams of the artistic kind can understand.

Of course, I realize that the buzz about this movie has been out for awhile but hey, at least I am catching up! :-)

Warning...watching it may make you crave beer or a trip to Ireland.

Vick's Dogs In Safe Haven

2008-02-07T22:59:00.000-05:00

Recently I've been watching the show "Dogtown "on the National Geographic Channel. So I was thrilled to find out that the dogs that were abused by former Virginia Tech (my alma mater) and Atlanta Falcon starting quarterback Michael Vick were rescued by the no kill shelter. Here is a link to the story on CNN. And please, whenever possible, adopt a dog (or financially support) your local no kill shelter. Dogs made the choice to be our best friends. Please help the human race live up to that humbling responsibility.

Vick's fighting dogs get second chance at life - CNN.com

Go Vote!

2008-02-05T15:33:00.000-05:00

Today is Super Tuesday.

For some reason, I want to yell like Big Gay Al (Southpark folks) and say "It's Thuper Tuethday!"

But I am too tired...I've been hit with another round of hemolytic anemia crap. I told my boyfriend that I am writing a new book "Love in the time of hemolytic anemia and dialysis: a story of the healthcare crisis in America."

He suggests the title might be too long.

I have taken three units of blood, am on steroids, and thus have moments of insanity so I suggest he should shut his mouth.

He just laughs at me. That's a good thing. We all need someone that helps us laugh. It's almost a salve for the pain.

But back to the election thing...

If you live in a Super Tuesday state, go vote. I feel like absolute crap and can not even drive. Fortunately I have a big brother willing to play the role of Morgan Freeman and drive me around.

"You want your USA Today while we are out Miss Daisy?"
"No that's ok. I need to watch Super Tuesday coverage."

I am such a nerd.

Anyway, we went out to the polling station. It's at the high school down the road.

I got my pin number and voted.

And I voted for...

It certainly was not a Republican.

Healthcare was/is an overriding issue for me. I have insurance and yet being out for a month may almost bankrupt me. I will only get 60% of my pay and my insurance will cover a hundred percent of the first thousand but after that, I pay 20%. Imagine paying 20% from 60% of your salary...and you still have rent, car payment, credit card...ugh.

And some of you have the nerve to wonder what's wrong with the economy?

New Orleans and the Delta region are still suffering from Katrina.
Up to a third of high school graduates are leaving high school without any type of competency (trust me, after interviewing and supervising people, I have learned that most can barely spell).
Our industry sector is almost gone thanks to that big sucking sound called NAFTA.
How can any of this be justified?

The only candidate that actually addressed all the above issues was John Edwards but the press refused to cover him because they focused on Obama versus Hillary. They would rather give in to our low brow reality tv universe then actually focus on the issues.

"White woman versus black man! More coverage at 11:00!"

And maybe that's what we deserve? I mean, they are covering what people demand, right?

Why are we not demanding better?

So my choice is out but I still voted. I voted for Hillary. Not because I agree with her a hundred percent. I think Obama is an exciting candidate but I am not quite sure what his stand is on Healthcare and for me, that is the number one issue. However, she still makes me nervous. I can't quite figure her out when it comes to Iraq but lets face it, can anyone develop a plan that eliminates a cancerous situation?

Get out there and vote people!

Except if you are planning to vote for Mitt Romney. That man scares the crap out of me. Does he even know what he stands for? Which one is running? Mass Mitt or Focus on the Family Mitt?

I wonder though if we will know tonight who has the electoral votes. Certainly the press is enthused by the Obama campaign. And Rush Limbaugh for some reason hates John McCain. Why? I admit the man is slightly loopy but hey, wouldn't you be if you served time in Hanoi Hilton? At least McCain fought for his country Rush, unlike you! Ugh.

Ok, I am getting dizzy and sick from thinking about Rush.

So tonight I will curl up on my sofa, with my fleece blanket and puppy dawg pj's, and float between MSNBC and CNN. I might shuffle over to the computer and surf the net and see some poll results. Like many others, I will enjoy watching history being made tonight even if it's not the candidate I really want.

It's the economy you morons!

2008-01-15T18:31:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's been awhile since I've blogged. Between enjoying the holidays with my very significant other and work, well, I've had little time to blog.

Well, here's the truth...yes, I enjoyed the holidays with Ivan but I picked up an old Nintendo 64 and played Paper Mario for days. There you go. Now you all understand I have an addictive personality.

So, pray tell, would make me climb out of my cave and compose another blog? Usually the only thing that gets me out of my cave, besides work, is food. However, this presidential season has really annoyed me. Or maybe it's the so called experts that annoy me. As my brother likes to say, six of one, half a dozen of the other.

Lets get this straight: Hillary and Obama want us to vote for them because they will defend us, the slowly shrinking middle class, and help with the health care crises. Yeah, right.

But this is just as funny! Fred Thompson believes there is no recession (remember the Republican debate in Michigan a few months ago?) and John McCain has no problem with our troops possibly staying another hundred years in Iraq.

My goodness, to quote my brother again, the quality of their stupidity is rising.

Ahhh...but here's the thing!

The American people are actually falling for this kind of rhetoric! They actually believe that these politicians are out to help the ever shrinking middle class or we are not really in a recession, it's just a minor fuel crises...

Now, it gets funnier...

Political commentators are "shocked" that many voters want change.

Have politicians and the press kept their blinders and rose colored glasses on so long that they do not really see what we, the masses, are going through? Have they gotten too close to the story? My thought is that many members of the press can't see the forest for the trees...they cover the subject (the politician) but not the real story (the economy or the war).

A majority of us in the wonderful world of the middle class live paycheck to paycheck. So if you have one catastrophic health crisis, well guess what? You just may be screwed out of house, food, and health. Sure, insurance will help but most policies only cover eighty percent of the problem. You may think twenty percent is not much but imagine going without twenty percent of your income next paycheck. Or your well meaning doctor prescribes a medication that either your insurance does not pay or you have a huge copay. Trust me, from my own experience, I have taken prescriptions that have cost more than a paycheck. Fortunately, I had already met my deductible when it was prescribed.

Point is this...how can we entrust any leader with fixing the current system? The plain truth is we can't. Only two politicians are actually discussing the ever vanishing middle class issue (Edwards and Paul); the rest are taking nicely sized donations from special interests in the insurance and pharmacy fields.

And how can we entrust our own press to really pay attention to what is going on in this scary wilderness? This is the same press that seems to only want to cover Clinton and Obama or refuse to ask the tough questions during debates. Today the news is focused on the steroid scandal being investigated on Capital Hill. Lets see...we have still yet to help the Delta region from Katrina, gas prices continue to rise, and there is that war thing. But for some reason, our leaders are wasting time on the steroid "crisis" in baseball. Hmmm...isn't that Bud Selig's job?

So tonight I might watch some of the debate; depends upon if I want to raise my blood pressure or not. And I will take an interest in the numbers from Michigan. My hope is that Edwards will continue to rise in the polls and that will force Clinton and Obama to answer why they are taking money from the special interests. And I hope the Republican faithful actually force their candidates to see what is really going on out here...the middle class is shrinking and we need some answers. We need a debate not quotes; we need the press to cover the issues, not just the candidates.

Thanksgiving memories...

2007-11-22T09:07:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. And think about this: Thanksgiving may be the only holiday that is shielded from political correctness. We still give Thanks to a greater being for this past years plentiful bounty we have brought to the table.

My personal history with Thanksgiving has always been a positive experience, even if marked with some sadness. When I was growing up, my parents set a wonderful example of always inviting coworkers (or military personnel since my father was in the Navy) far from home to celebrate with us. Our family had little but it seemed at Thanksgiving, my parents would find a way to have a meal befitting any royal family.

Dad was an incredible cook. Indeed, he did most of the cooking. He teased my mother and called her his "prep chef." During the week of Thanksgiving, I would come home from school to the smell of fresh pumpkin, mincemeat, and apple pies my parents would give away as gifts to our friends and neighbors. On Thursday, you never knew who would show up at our front door. When we lived in San Diego, it was usually Navy men originally from the South that my father would invite over. In Richlands it was my mothers co-workers, many of whom were visiting doctors, nurses, or other medical professionals also far from home. More than once we would actually take meals to the hospital. Neither one of my parents could withstand the thought of a friend (or even foe) going without a Thanksgiving meal.

And maybe this stems from the era they were born. Both of my parents are part of that greatest generation that grew up during the Depression and knew what it was like to go without a meal more than once.

But my fondest Thanksgiving memory is probably my saddest; the last one I had with my father. Parts of that Thanksgiving week of 1982 were a blur. My father, already knowing he was dying, was feeling weak on that day. By the time Saturday rolled around, he was in the ICU. His lungs had quit functioning and his blood gasses were horrible. His hemoglobin was barely above 4.0. He was dying. At that time, I didn't know he had already been told it was just a matter of time before his heart and lungs would give out. I found that fact out a week later when he told me he was going to make it through one more Christmas to spend with me but that was it.

By the end of March of 1983, my father had passed away. But not his tradition of inviting those far from home to celebrate the holidays. My mother insisted on inviting people over. And to me that was just fine; it got my mind off what I missed.

Things are different now. My family is spread apart in a lot of ways. And although my sister lives near my mother, they will spend Thanksgiving apart. Bucky, Ivan, and I are down South enjoying a day together. It doesn't make the day less enjoyable to have fewer people over but I do feel guilty of not keeping up the tradition, especially this year when I do have so much to be thankful for! Financially I have so little but in other ways, I am rich.

So, whomever you worship...either it be God or Mother Earth or even Dr. Seuss...give Thanks for all that you have. For our moments together are fleeting and sweet.

And these are our allies...

2007-11-22T08:48:00.000-05:00

I apologize for my poor blogging efforts. The last few weeks have been rather busy. Between work and all other irritants, I find myself with little free time. However, Ivan is visiting and he is a wonderful help.

Today I have two posts. No, not because I am trying to make up for my efforts. But the subject of this first post so angers me I just could not place it with my second more sentimental post.

Read this story from the AP:

Saudis Defend Punishment for Rape Victim

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - The Saudi judiciary on Tuesday defended a court verdict that sentenced a 19-year-old victim of a gang rape to six months in jail and 200 lashes because she was with an unrelated male when they were attacked.
The Shiite Muslim woman had initially been sentenced to 90 lashes after being convicted of violating Saudi Arabia's rigid Islamic law requiring segregation of the sexes.
But in considering her appeal of the verdict, the Saudi General Court increased the punishment. It also roughly doubled prison sentences for the seven men convicted of raping the woman, Saudi news media said last week.

The reports triggered an international outcry over the Saudis punishing the victim of a terrible crime.
But the Ministry of Justice stood by the verdict Tuesday, saying that "charges were proven" against the woman for having been in a car with a man who was not her relative.
The ministry implied the victim's sentence was increased because she spoke out to the press. "For whoever has an objection on verdicts issued, the system allows an appeal without resorting to the media," said the statement, which was carried on the official Saudi Press Agency.
The attack occurred in 2006. The victim says she was in a car with a male student she used to know trying to retrieve a picture of her. She says two men got into the car and drove them to a secluded area where she was raped by seven men. Her friend also was assaulted.
Justice in Saudi Arabia is administered by a system of religious courts according to the kingdom's strict interpretation of Islamic law.
Judges have wide discretion in punishing criminals, rules of evidence are vague and sometimes no defense lawyer is present. The result, critics say, are sentences left to the whim of judges. A rapist, for instance, could receive anywhere from a light sentence to death.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack avoided directly criticizing the Saudi judiciary over the case, but said the verdict "causes a fair degree of surprise and astonishment."
"It is within the power of the Saudi government to take a look at the verdict and change it," McCormack said.
Canada's minister for women's issues, Jose Verger, has called the sentence "barbaric."
The New York-based Human Rights Watch said the verdict "not only sends victims of sexual violence the message that they should not press charges, but in effect offers protection and impunity to the perpetrators."

So let me get this straight: she gets punished for being raped? This is the 21st century, right? Oh, I am sorry! I guess I just expected that all societies treated women equally and not as pieces of property! That must only be a western philosophy. Count your blessings ladies that we live in western civilization.

Is This Thing On?

2007-11-10T18:16:00.000-05:00

My friend Badrose has been persuading me (dare I say nagging?) to compose a blog. Well, here it is. Well, maybe "here it begins" is a better statement.

For the past couple of years, I have been using MySpace to blog and connect with friends. But I find the site too, ugh, and I hate to write this, "young" for my taste. And as for my blogs on myspace, a few people read them and even fewer comment.

One person on this site already knows me, the already mentioned Badrose. Thus I decided to make myself the subject of my first blog. And I have no problem with that since I am my favorite person discuss...well, most of the time.

Hey, I am 40 and never married. Of course I can be selfish. Please don't let it surprise you! And now that I got that out of the way, instead of me composing boring paragraphs about my life, I am going to do the speed dating version of my biography. Bio by numbers. Why numbers? Well I discovered years ago when I was a supervisor that the associates that reported to me seemed to retain matters a lot quicker if I wrote something in either bullet points or numbers; instructions easily get lost in paragraphs (you know, trees/forest concept?). See, I already lost you!

So...all about moi...

I have a phobia to those big cement road block things...especially if they are on both sides of the road.
I love Virginia Tech. I graduated from VT in 1991. And although I was far from a scholar (school was always a struggle for me because of dyslexia) I am happy and proud to say that I am a Hokie.
I love football. My boyfriend thinks I have an indecent obsession with the pigskin. Whatever. I proved him wrong by missing my first opening VT game in years to see his nephew Brian turn 4. However, I did break up with one guy after he said to me (he actually spoke to me during a VT football game) "You yell too loud. You shouldn't like football so much." I told him he looked like Jabba the Hutt and kicked him out of my house.
Pasta is soul food.
Ditto with potatoes
I am a coffee snob.
The pizza debate ends now. I have had deep dish Chicago pizza and real New York pizza. New York pizza wins...however...
The best dogs are in Chicago. I wish Portillos was closer by!
If words are not floating around in my head then music is. Thank you Apple for the IPod. Now I can download whatever, whenever and listen to it without buying a cd that has only 3 good songs.
That being said...remember when bands put out great albums? Entire albums you would listen to nonstop? What happened with that?
I am short.
I am fat...fluffy...or "sturdy" as Paula Dean says. People love to either act as if that is not true or say "hush" but hush you! I love myself the way I am! And my fat saved my life...seriously...
I almost died in February of this year. I survived a 4.4 hemoglobin. Going through it, I knew it was bad but when medical professionals look at you and say "You survived? Most people can't survive below a 5?" Well, I blush. My weight kept me alive. For once I couldn't and didn't want to eat. But my wonderful doctors and the love of a good man kept me alive.
The older I get the more I realized I had to quit blaming my parents for everything. They tried, they were not perfect, but we all lived and never went to jail...yet!
My mother might be a little crazy now but she is an amazing role model. She was a career woman before it was a popular thing. She raised 4 kids, went to night school to become a nurse, and put up with my MIA father.
I want ice cream.
I love to write.
But I hate being forced to write or come up with something funny on the spot.
I believe the two party system is bringing down this country and we need a serious change. There is really no difference in who is running congress. Big money still runs everything.
My brother is a sports genius. He knows it too.
I hate winter.
Summer is too hot.
I am knicknamed Yoda by some because apparently I am wise...an I am short...and I look fetching in green.
Forgiveness is not an option; it is something you have to do to free yourself of pain. No one (or no one moment owns you) unless you let them.
I love New York. It energizes me.
But when I am away from the South I miss good tea, southern cooking, and good football.
I wish BBC America would show BlackAdder reruns again.
Harry Potter, The Golden Compass, and anything with wizards, witches, and elves are called fantasy books...not the truth! You don't have to purchase the book or see the movie.
The worst thing is a closed mind.
I miss my Patty dog. She got me through some of the worst moments of my life. I would like to get another dog one day but please, don't tell me they are replaceable. Would you just replace your child?
I believe Global Warming exists...
But laugh my ass off at those morons that drive gas guzzeling SUV's with WWF stickers on them. WTF?
WTF means "Where's the Fries."
I get along with guys better than gals...probably because I love football so much and detest wearing makeup.
But I do like to shop every now and then.
Did I mention I want ice cream? From Carvel. Vanilla in a waffle cone bowl and chocolate on top.
I think I need a room to just think about what I just wrote!
Fall is my favorite season.
I hate washing dishes.
But I love to cook
Food is love. You cook for your loved ones with love. If you are not cooking with love, at least serve take out with love!
There is nothing more disturbing then going to a football game where there are South Carolina fans and hearing a 5 year old yelling "Go Cocks!" For those who are not football savy, South Carolina is called The Gamecocks.
Office Space (the movie) is closer to reality then fiction.
I never, ever want to be in middle management again.
I live in the South and I HATE NASCAR. What is so exciting about watching a bunch of guys going around and around and around in a circle...really fast?
I also love the San Diego Chargers. The ownership of the Chargers are the only cheapos that would actually hire a head football coach who has a record of losing more games than winning...by around a 20 game margin.
I miss the days when Volvo's looked like Volvo's and Saab's looked like Saab's. Now every sedan looks like another version of the Honda Accord.
The average American can not afford a house and has to live pay check to pay check. Unfortunately our politicians believe that we are not in a recession. Granted, we have high employment. But people are working at jobs that pay less than the jobs they once had. Or they are working two jobs to make ends meet.
Something has to change when a majority of college students are graduating with tons of debt and have to start in jobs that do not even come close to paying off loans.
I have a lot of friends, a few good friends, and even fewer best friends. There are 3 people on this earth that know me very well.
It's important to treat people the way you want to be treated...
And never...ever...in a million years become friends with someone who mistreats waiters, waitresses, or anyone that makes less than they do. It speaks volumes of what they actually value...and it's not you as a person or your friendship.
I was once a Republican and now I am Independent. I prefer not to be labeled politically. Besides, both parties are corrupt.
My Lord of the Rings name is Laughing Baggins. I love LOTR more than Star Wars actually. I named my car "Shadowfax." Ironically my boyfriend named his CRV "Yoda." Hmmm...might be because it's green?
I am an uber nerd. I love movies, books, comics, history, the list is forever...like this list!
So Pullman doesn't like Lord of the Rings. Bad for him. Tolkien opened the door for fantasy writers. The movie trilogy opened the door for Pullman's movie to be made. Pullman might be an atheist but I like his books...but not as much as I love Tolkien...
Or J.K. Rowling! My hero! And hooray...she admits Dumbledore is gay!
You know those big sweaters some women wear during the holidays with trees, ornaments, and stuff on them? They scare me.
I am Thuper Ceral people! ManBearPig lives!
Hopefully New Line and Peter Jackson will finally make up, make love, and agree to make The Hobbit. And if they so decide, then let me play one of the dwarves or a Hobbit. Look, I am the perfect height so you would not have to used forced perspective on me!
I have little time for people that are judgemental. Most of my life I have been judged by my size, appearence, or my family's lack of money. I promise not to judge you for going to Hooters Sunday with your husband that you cheat on after church. God Bless.
I read a report that said many Americans do not take all of their vacation time. What are you people, idiots? No life is worth losing your health. Take a break. Besides, no company is worth giving your life for. Chances are they will merge with another company in five years and that project you are working on will never matter.
For most of my life I disliked children...then I met Ivan...then I met Britney and Brian. I still do not want to hatch kids but those two are just awesome. They bring out the best in me.
Brian is Hokie.
Britney is quite possibly going to be our president in 40 years.
I have the biggest crush in the world on my boyfriend, partner, significant other, whatever you want to call him...but lets just call him Ivan. How I lucked up and met him, I have no clue. He tolerates my independence and knows what to say to reign me in. He's been through hell and survived. He's on dialysis and he's the bravest person I know. Ivan is also a hell of an artist. And if I brag on him too much, well take a get over it pill.
The year I was born. A fitting number to end this list upon...