'Carnivale'

This show proves to me once again that the people at HBO are onto something with their original line of programming. Being a former 'Carny' myself, I was extremely intrigued by this show. I've not been dissapointed at all. It has all the elements of a 'true to life' carnival (and all the incredible characters as well) It has the 'feel' of a carnival world/lifestyle - with the age old battle between good and evil thrown in for good measure. I highly recommend this show - it's creepy, sexy and well written.

 

So long and thanks for all the fish

Had a chance to go see this today...it was really funny and probably as faithful as it was going to get - Douglas had a hand in the making of this and it was dedicated to him; the casting was brilliant. All in all a good experience ...with the exception of the three rude IDIOTS sitting behind us in the theatre.

Can someone please explain to me why people feel the need to narate a film? I mean I DON'T want to hear you talk while *I* am trying to watch a movie that *I PAID* to see. PERIOD!!!

I told them to ssshhhh 3 times. Not only did they feel the need to chatter, they were kicking our seats! And these people were old enough to know better. Seriously - it's not that they were out of control children (I've got a postings worth of that too - some other time perhaps). They finally shut up,*AFTER* my friend went to get a manager. On my way out, I saw two of them standing by the restroom, they looked rather sheepish - I looked right at one of them and told her to her face she was an incosiderate, rude idiot. And for those of you out there who think that's rude of me, too friggin' bad. I've completely run out of patience with assholes and I do not ever intend to show kindness to anyone who acts the way these people do - not ever. I DO NOT feel sorry for them or compassion towards them; they need to be taught that this is rude and unacceptable behaviour.

I really want someone to explain to me what the fuck has happened to common courtesy in our country. We have become so totally incosiderate of each other. It makes me furious.

Right after the movie, I went to the grocery store (another place where incredibly rude behaviour takes place on a daily basis). While I was trying to manuever my cart down an isle, two women who seemed to somehow be shopping together had their carts blocking THE ENTIRE ISLE! Three times I asked the lady on the left to move. I kept saying 'Excuse me'. Finally, I moved her cart for her.

I mean COME ON PEOPLE! WAKE UP! SNAP OUT OF IT! GET SOME MANNERS! PAY ATTENTION. Better yet, just stay at home and let those us who *ARE* civilised enjoy our lives.

Go see the movie - it's well worth paying full price. Just be careful who you sit near.


 

Runaway bride: Wedding 'postponed,' not off

You know, I wasn't going to say anything when I thought this bitch was missing and/or possibly dead. But now...take a good look at her eyes in this picture - is it me or does she actually look insane?

SHE LOOKS INSANE! (It's something about her eyes).

Now, word of advice to the idiot meeting her at the altar:

It's time for you to run away, bubba. This chick is unbalanced and in need of some heavy duty therapy. She just put her family and those who love her through hell and you are STILL going to marry her?

And we all wonder why the divorce rate is so high????

Idiots.

 

Senate Bill 51

I urge all of you - to get in touch with your representative about this bill.

Let's put a stop to this insanity!

********

A big thanks goes out to Jeff, and Terry

****This has been your weekly public service announcement from Dancing on Coeltte's Grave, we now return you to your normal programming****

To my brother as he turns 40

Happy birthday to my 'baby' brother.

I remember the day mom and dad brought you home from the hospital. You were the most beautiful, living, breathing, doll I had ever seen. I thought you were my own personal baby to watch and hold. With your jet black hair and your dark eyes and your complexion just like mom's - you were gorgeous. (I hope I am embarrassing you.) You were adorable.

And when I would come home from school at lunch time and sit with you and you'd be watching Sesame Street - and something would strike you as funny and you'd laugh. It was so infectious. How I loved to hear and help make you laugh. I still do...

And the time you decided to try to 'figure out' the workings of the toaster, and you accidentally set the drapes in the kitchen on fire, and then cut yourself on the jagged edge of a can trying to put the fire out, and all hell broke loose (and the whole incident got me in so much trouble - LOL - but that's OK I forgive you ^_^) - you were so very precocious. Always so smart, so inquisitive. You still are...

You will always be my 'baby' brother. You will always be the closest tie to our mother - for she loved you as all women love their youngest, with a passion that can't be explained or categorized; you have always reminded me of her with your looks, and of dad with your personality. You are the best of both of them. Thank you for coming into my life.

I love you.

Happy Birthday my dear.

What a girl wants....

Yes, that question keeps coming up in my head (actually it's my heart asking my head to think about it).

And it's all I seem to do. Think, think, think. As meditation will teach you - thinking is well...bad. The Vrittis of the mind (fluctuations) - always get in the way of self-realisation.

Romance, seems to be a distant drum beat that I can barely hear anymore. Oh how I long for some in my life. However, I want it to be REAL. I don't know how to even explain what I mean by that, let alone commit it to an empty computer screen and upload it to this blog-diary-thingy...

I want a man that is going to send me poetry (LOL or write me poetry - or write to me period) - but then I had that in the last guy and look where it landed me.

The love poems of Pablo Neruda ring through me like a bell. I mean I actually FEEL his poetry like no other poet when it comes to matters of the heart. His writing about such sentiment is so achingly beautiful. To be loved like that...to be consumed by that fire. I think I had that once. I remember it being the greatest feeling in my life. I remember thinking I was dreaming, 'this can't be happening to me'. Sort of the way I imagine people feeling over tragedy/horrors as well...

Now isn't THAT an odd thought. Likening the feeling that someone is obsessed with you to a tragedy. Perhaps I feel that way now because I am older and because I *know* it will end eventually. That euphoric feeling goes away and who knows where it goes or what replaces it, other than mediocrity.

How do we keep a fire burning? And, is that really a good idea in the first place?

In conversations with one of the girls I work with (way back when we were talking about dating) - I mentioned this to her and she gave me some advice. She told me that perhaps the idea now isn't to be swept off my feet, but to find a nice, quiet, stable love.

Is that like bringing home a nice Jewish doctor? (sorry that slipped out like that)

Am I totally off-base in wanting passion, fire, great sex? Or am I just too old now to look forward to or even have those things. Are they only to be had by the young? Further, am I wrong for wanting the 'whole enchilada' as it were? I mean not just the heavy-breathing, sweating, screaming passion that lasts for hours - BUT ALSO - the quiet, intelligent, 'stable' kind of love that lasts forever - the one where I end up being in my 70s and with the same person? Is this simply another cruel joke thought up by some ad-men in Manhattan? I have to believe somewhere that love like this exists - even if it's only to help me to get through tonight, tomorrow and the days to come.

How can this life mean anything, truly, without love? I can't fathom a better reason for our existence than to love each other, fully, as whole human beings - not 1/2 people coming together to make a whole person...(yep that's another one of my criteria - you've got to at least be on the road to being a whole person BY YOURSELF - BEFORE COLETTE).

All I know is that while I want to be swept away with passion; while I can not in a million years even imagine love as anything else. I keep telling myself I also need to keep my feet planted on terra firma. But I have to wonder...is my insistence on certain 'standards' keeping me from something even more wonderful...that mystery that we call love?

Take your kids to work day...

Someone explain to me why this is a good idea...

LOL

*shakes head* I KNOW it CAN BE a good idea. I mean it does give kids a chance to see what their parents do. To have an experience of the 'work place'...but in a place like where I work, it can really wreak havoc. First of all it's not always a good idea, in a place where there are so many sick people around. Especially for those sick people. And though we did try to do a good job of keeping the kids occupied it can prove to be a difficult to nearly impossible task at times...

The older kids got to have some really interesting experiences...like watching surgery. I mean that is incredibly cool. But the younger kids got bored pretty easily. Who could blame them - work can be grinding and dull. But perhaps that's the lesson we are trying to teach? Perhaps bring your kids to work day should only apply when your parents do things like skydive, or work in a circus.

I do have an idea. How about a national 'Take your parents to school day'? NOw THERE'S a suggestion. Make those teachers sweat a little eh?

Raising a sheep or a man?

My son. I love him. With all my heart. I’ve said this before.

When he was little I remember the first day I had to send him off to school...

He was standing with all the other kids ready to enter kindergarten and it struck me – he was just like a sheep...I just felt at the time, that he was going to lose all of his creative powers and become a sheep and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it...he looked so forlorn standing in that line.

I cried all the way home.

Not long after that his dad and I broke up…this was hard on him – as it is hard on any child. But I knew all we had to do was love him and guide him and somehow he’d be ok.

I also vowed to keep his wonder alive, to keep his creative juices flowing. To that end – every time he asked us (his parents) – if he could do something. Go somewhere, play baseball, play hockey, get a drum set. Whenever we could – we obliged him – I wanted as much of the world open to him as possible. It paid off. Today he is an articulate, graceful, intelligent, funny and creative young man. He speaks his mind. Sometimes we fight. More often than not, I give him a chance to present his side of things and sometimes I acquiesce to his wisdom. Sometimes he loses.

Yesterday, in school, he was involved in a 'situation' where there was a misunderstanding between one of his friends, himself and a teacher at his school. My son saw the situation was escalating and the teacher was getting extremely upset with the both he and his friend; (she has a habit of being one of the stricter teachers and mean), in an effort to try and defuse the situation, he told the teacher to calm down and ‘chill out’. He and his friend were immediately taken to the principal’s office. Today he is serving an in-school suspension. I did write a note telling the principal that I felt the punishment was a bit overboard – however my son was unable to escape the punishment.

I am torn here. While I don’t think it was appropriate for him to ‘mouth off’ to a teacher. Part of me also feels these are not ‘boys’ anymore – they are men. An apology, I believe would have been more appropriate and even possibly more embarrassing for him; but then I can understand the need for the school to keep the kids ‘in line’. My son’s choice of verbiage was probably not the best and I really wish he would try to remember that not all adults are ‘cool’ with him being that way – in fact most adults aren’t. However my question becomes when do we begin to teach them to be men and not boys? When IS it appropriate for them to stand up to authority? And when should adults try to understand them trying to ‘find themselves’ and back down? Hard questions. I’ve taught my children (as I was taught) – to stand up for what they believe in. To not just blindly follow authority. To NOT BE SHEEP. Now I wonder if I’ve done my son a disservice. Only time will tell. But I know in my heart, I don’t want him to follow – I want him to lead. He may not end up being a lawyer or a doctor, and that’s OK. Just so long as he remains true to himself. To quote a Lynyrd Skynyrd song: ‘Baby be a simple man, be something you love and understand’. May he always himself.

NPR : 'Just Surviving Another Day': A Teen's Struggle

NPR : 'Just Surviving Another Day': A Teen's Struggle

This is some really incredible and powerful writing.

I've got to go see if my local library has this one...

Enjoy the excerpt.

Hold music from the very depths of hell.....

Todya, at work, while on hold - I was forced to listen to hold music that sounded exactly like an ice cream truck and the tunes were: 'The Yellow Rose of Texas' and 'Dixie'

Goddess help me....I thought I was going to go nuts. Thank goodness someone answered before they started playing 'The Battle Hymm of the Republic'...

Lately...

I just haven’t been able to put my finger on it...

I’ve had so much going on – I am so busy and hectic. I am ignoring myself – for instance I really should be working out more (falling and twisting my ankle and banging up both of my knees kind of put the kabash on that for a bit...) – just hectic...

Yet underneath it all lies something I guess I am not accustomed to. JOY. Yes, I said Joy. It’s something I wasn’t quite recognizing – but I can feel it humming underneath everything. Sometimes I can’t even begin to describe it – because it actually brings tears to my eyes. Nonetheless it is there. And it is SANS guy/romance in my life – please some of you don’t take this the wrong way. First of all my happiness should never be dependent on another human being (none of us should find our happiness OUTSIDE of ourselves). I found myself just very happy.

Of course this recent turn of events with my one friend – makes me feel like I’ve had the wind knocked out of my sails (just a smidgen)...and I don’t know why.

I’ve been having ongoing talks with a good friend of mine - (when he as going through the breakup of his marriage I was there for him – he also happened to be my boss at the time). He’s been trying to ‘advise’ me on things (love-life wise) – he’s since moved to sunny California and is happily remarried. I often complain about how dating sucks. He tells me not to date people locally – of course I don’t like the idea of doing what he did – but then he was able to afford to fly to Chicago all the time. He tells me to ‘marry’ my Yoga/Work/Education and sleep with everything else. He often tells me to find a ‘fuck’ buddy – he does not say it like this (he’s edumacated, LOL) – he’s a guy! He means well; we care a lot about each other – it’s like a little brother, big sister kind of thing.
But something in me can’t be like one of the girls from ‘Sex and the City’ I just can’t. I am not 20 anymore, AIDs is a big deal (whether you people want to believe it or not – I am beginning to believe its’ a silent/secret epidemic). The other thing is that I NEED to feel a connection. I am not just going to go out and blithely have sex with someone – as good as it sounds – as badly as my body might ‘think’ it needs the pleasure...

*Laughs* not really living up to my namesake am I? Some Colette we’ve got here *giggle*

So all in all I am trying to live my life in such as way as to cultivate peace. I have moments of sheer panic about my lot of life sometimes – followed by a swift kick in the ass from my mind – reminding me that above all. I am ME/MY TRUE SELF and that is impermanent and this too will pass...

Or to quote a friend (not sure where HE got this quote from: “100 years from now, all new people” - kind of gives one some hope doesn’t it?

^_^

Timing is everything

...and mine seems to suck.

You know I don't meet (as I have said) - a lot of people I really like - or even admire all that often. Oh sure I like most people - unless they give me a reason to feel differently - like acting like idiots (which unfortunately refers to a majority of the population - read where it says in my profile I don't suffer fools gladly - you get the picture...)

One of the guys I have been 'hangin' out with' has really turned into one hell of a find. He's cool. He's funny. We get along splendidly and he 'gets me'. I can't say this about a lot of people. In fact I can't say that about just about anyone in my life at this juncture. We haven't known each other long - and of course - as there is between all men and women to some extent - there existed some sexual tension between us. He had issues that concerned me though, and in my heart I was concerned because I found myself beginning to really like him. I was lamenting to a girlfriend that I didn't know what to do because I found myself having feelings for him but I was afraid (not just of those feelings) - but because of some of the stuff he has going on in his life.

Recently, he went away to China for a visit and I am sure it was quite an experience for him. Before he left, he had told me he had the opportunity to go see a 'friend' - he got back from China and we went for coffee and of course talked (like we always do) for a couple of hours. We also talk on the phone like that. So I finally decided to write to him and in my e-mail letter to him I said that I was fearful of what I was feeling (we are nothing if not really honest with each other) - I told him I really liked him but for obvious reasons I was worried about 'falling' for him. I told him I did not mean to dump on him but I wanted this out on the table - in the open - not necessarily that it required action, I just wanted him to know where my head was. His e-mail back to me was very gentle and kind - and since we both agreed at the onset of meeting to have 'no expectations' - I did not think much of it.

Now I have found out that his 'friend' in China is a much more than just a friend. He plans on having her come here to the States and be with him. He is in love with her. He said he needed to tell me because he felt that he 'owed' me that much. That our relationship was based on honesty and he did not wish to lose me as a friend...

He will never lose me as a friend. I have to hand it to him. He could have kept his mouth shut, been a total penis, and taken advantage of me being vulnerable and me beginning to have some feelings for him - but he didn't - he did the decent thing...the UNUSUAL thing. He told the truth. He didn't think with his penis.

I am now in awe of this man. I am also sad, because somehow I think I missed something here....something wonderful.

I will be forever grateful that he calls me a friend. And the cosmic joke of it all isn't lost on me either...

I wear a Claddaugh ring with the heart facing outwards to show that I am not taken. I guess over the years I've been trying to 'give' my heart away - not realising what a precious commodity it is..nor do I seem to understand that perhaps it's not a good idea to give it away to begin with...the better, wiser thing to do is to keep your heart in a safe place, so it can't be broken...

Some out there might think I am saying "don't fall in love" no, that's not it...what *I* am saying (I think) - is that you shouldn't give away what you can't afford to lose.

An evening with friends, crazy weekend with freak snowstorm

Well the ‘Cheesy Movie’ party at Liam’s was wonderful. All of his friends are just such great, funny people. And, I managed to make it there without falling or twisting my ankle.

It’s sometimes weird going to these parties since a lot of Liam’s guy friends are gay, because they are usually very cute, intelligent and someone I wouldn’t mind dating. So me showing up to such a thing ‘dateless’ as it were only points up the fact that I am alone – I mean heck if a ‘gay’ guy can get a date...(Liam knows I don’t mean anything bad by making this statement).

Once we all started exchanging movies I think some of us were a bit surprised by what other’s had brought to give up. For instance, I got a DVD of the original ‘Planet of the Apes’ – while it jives with the ‘cheese’ factor – it’s definitely a good move – when I questioned the person that gave it up – he told me he had doubles of it…. Someone ended up with a copy of the movie ‘Scream’ too – which is also a good movie.

Don’t get me wrong, there were ‘bad’ movies there. There was of course the obligatory ‘gay porn’ movie – we were really laughing about this because it was so ‘cheesy’ and seemed to be so unlike those of a hetero nature. The movie that ‘won’ the award of being the ‘cheesiest’ and thus the one we watched, was one that was from Liam’s boss (not sure if he put it together, filmed it etc.); it seemed to be a pro-George Bush propaganda-esque film. But there were some really funny bits on this DVD – I mean we were all howling at times. I don’t think the girl who got this 'pick' was very happy with it...

All in all it was a nice evening. Went home to crash in order to get up and drive my son to work the next morning. He had one of his friends over when I got home – they stayed up late (like 2 AM) – but my son managed to get up at 7 AM – brew us a pot of coffee and went to work...I am very proud of him.

Saturday was spent running around looking for Yoga equipment and items to decorate the studio. Then it was the freak blizzard of April – Cleveland-style. THIS IS NUTS!!!! SERIOUSLY NUTS!!!! I have decided I need to get the heck out of the Northeast. I mean it’s SPRING – isn’t it????? The weather is seriously nasty. It’s suppose to get back to normal here today/tomorrow – I am not holding my breath.

While I really like snow and am good about the seasons – I guess I just feel that when it says spring on my calendar it needs to BE SPRING. I realize Mother Nature could care less about how I feel but let’s just say this kind of shit doesn’t happen in the South when it’s suppose to be nice out...

Time to decide where I want to go in the next couple of years – suggestions for nicer places, better economically, etc. are much appreicated.

From Mr. Hess....

From my friend Jeff Hess over at Have Coffee Will Write comes the subversive bumper sticker of the day...not to mention some really thought-provoking writing...

Go pay him a visit, you'll be glad you did.

 

These are great 

For Daiv's loss

"I died from minerality and became vegetable;
And from vegatativeness I died and became animal,
I died from animality and became man.
Why, then, fear disappearance through death?
Next time I shall die
Bringing forth wings and feathers like angels;
After that, soaring higher than angels --
What you cannot imagine,
I shall be that."

- Mevlana Jelalu'ddin Rumi

'Simple, humble worker'

I know I am late in posting this one...

This is the article the Cleveland Plain Dealer ran (for the record - I can't stand the Cleveland Plain Dealer - nor it's feeble on-line attempt at a newspaper - which reminds me - watch out for the gazillion pop-ups when you click on the link to their story)....

At any rate the title above the picture somehow reminded me of something...hmmmm....OH YEAH - now I remember!

Charlotte's Web - when Charlotte would spin words about Wilbur into her web...yep that's it....I keep waiting for the words 'Some Pope' to appear above his head. 'Tis a shame I don't know enough about graphic art to create a spider-web picture thingy for my blog with those words...

^_^

 

Scenes that go to make up a life...

It’s been a weird week emotionally, for me...

First of all learning about ‘Daiv’s’ dad and my emotions about Daiv and his connection to myself and my ex...just have me out of sorts, sad, I don’t know – can’t put my finger on it...

Then a blast from my past...

When I was a Junior in high-school – I was in the advanced French class. Because at the previous school I had taken French before the high school put me ahead of my other classmates. So I was put in a French class with a bunch of seniors ALL OF THEM GUYS – I was the ONLY girl in the class. There was one young man in the class in particular who was to become our schools very own ‘Doogie Howser’ – he ended up leaving school early and going straight into Medical School at CWRU. He had a really big crush on me. He was a really nice boy. He grew up to be a really great doctor apparently. The other day from classmates.com I happened to see that he had recently signed up or been added to our schools listings. I decided to try to hunt him down to say ‘hi’ - well I got a call back from a somewhat irritated sounding doctor on Tuesday…turns out it was him and when he found out who I was, his whole demeanor on the phone changed. We did a little catching up and really had a nice chat. I gave him my contact info and hopefully I will hear from him again….

Then, yesterday, I heard from my other dear friend. She just found out her daughter has been hiding the fact that she had been diagnosed 4 years ago with diffuse scleroderma (this is a really serious condition) – it’s devastating. My friend is devastated and so am I. I’ve known her and her kids for years now. I felt like I had been punched in the stomach and I can’t even begin to imagine how she must feel...to have such a vibrant young woman stricken with such a disease it just puts me completely off center...it is life, I know...but, these people are family to me and my heart just aches – I feel so helpless – so wanting to do something and not being able to...

Then there’s the Yoga ‘thing’ - it seems to be really a bright spot in my life right now. I have energy and excitement associated with it. I want to put all my ‘positive’ eggs in this basket and yet….doing the ‘Catholic’ thing here – I feel guilty for the way my life seems to be going when those around me are suffering. It’s not that I feel I should be doing poorly or that I don’t ‘deserve’ this – it’s not a deserving thing – I’ve worked hard for this to come to fruition. It’s just that I feel bad and that I don’t want to share this joy with those friends. I remember when my daughter became pregnant and I didn’t want to share it with this same dear friend because her *other* daughter has been unable to conceive...I finally did tell her but I felt bad and I didn’t act as joyful and as happy as I felt – I told her in a very subdued, hushed way – just trying to have some respect for the fact that *I* was a grandmother and *SHE* wasn’t – *SHE* really wanted to be and *I* was kind of lukewarm about it (me being what I felt was too young *chuckle*, I still feel that way at times.)

So on it goes, the sorrow and pain mingling with happiness and joy and good fortune smiling down on me and me not sure if I am deserving or not because there is still so much suffering. I need to remain humble in the face of grace and willing to give back to those in need and those I love. To be as unselfish as I can, and to try to be there, no matter what – as they’ve been there for me.

A tribute....

My ex called me last night and left me a msg that one of our friends ‘Daiv’ had called him….it seems ‘Daiv’s’ dad is about to lose his fight with Alzheimer’s…

My heart goes out to this wonderful man and his suffering father and the rest of his family. It’s hard to lose a parent…but I think it’s even harder to lose a parent in this way…they just seem to slip into a nether world and you can’t get through to them and they don’t remember you, they just aren’t ‘there’ anymore; they just aren’t ‘them’ anymore either – it’s got to be gut-wrenching.

Years ago – when I was first seeing my ex – he used to tell ‘stories’ about Daiv. Funny, wonderful stories. Daiv seemed to be something that legends were made of….
I heard about his incredible sense of humour, his intelligence, his unassuming nature and mainly that ‘Daiv wasn’t drawn to scale’ – I had no idea what this meant until I met ‘Daiv’…

We went to pick him up at the airport for his visit to Cleveland. Daiv had to be about 6’ 9” tall and indeed, the only way to fully describe Daiv, was to say he did not seem to be drawn to scale. He just didn’t seem to fit into his body. But he moved with grace and he animated every bit of his frame. He was sharp and witty and had quite a few of what I will fondly call ‘Daiv-isms’.

Because of Daiv’s visit we of course threw a party. We had a bunch of friends over and they too were very taken with Daiv. Over the years that my ex and I were together, Daiv would come out from time to time for visits. It was always a cause for celebration.

I remember once when we were all sitting around drinking, one of my cats (Penelope), walked into the room. In a voice that sounded just like Billy Bob Thorton from ‘Slingblade’, Daiv said: “Mmmmm… some folks calls it a cat, I calls it a slingblade.” We were all in hysterics – to this day we laugh about this to the point of tears.

Another time Daiv and my ex’s other buddy from his college days were visiting and we had all gone down to the ‘Flats’ (a popular night club area around the Cuyahoga river) - to party. We took a cab home and as we got out of the cab and began to walk home I looked up into the sky – it was a beautiful summer night and the moon was round and full and so bright. I said: ‘Hey guys, look at the moon’ – to which Daiv responded ‘Why? Is it doing tricks?’

We all love you Daiv – you have brought a lot of joy to my life and others’ as well, just by our knowing you. It is a tribute to your father that you’ve grown into (well not quite apparently, since you are not drawn to scale *wink*) the man you are today. I hope you know we are all thinking of you and here for you as you go through this with your family.

If you need anything….all you have to do is call.

For those of you out there who want to help others with this devastating, debilitating disease (and their families); and maybe help find a cure – for the generations to come (including ourselves) – who might be facing this one day;

Go to: The Alzheimer's Foundation of America

While *I* am WAITING

For the other book to arrive, (based on my dear friend's recommendation), I am currently reading another book he told me about.

The haunting beauty of these novels is that in so many ways they are so unlike our culture here - yet in so many ways they manage to 'point up' the human condition. I suppose somethings are just universal.

And like this friend the book's message becomes all the more dear - as in his simply knowing that saying 'Xie, Xie' to me in Mandarin (it means Thank You) - means more to me than all the 'thank yous' he could ever say in plain English...

 

Wendy's Trying to Solve Mystery of Finger

Yahoo! News - Wendy's Trying to Solve Mystery of Finger

OK folks it would seem we go from the sublime to the ridiculous...

Here let me give you all a clue,(*laughs* perhaps it will help to solve this mystery)...if you don't want to take the chance of finding a finger in your bowl of chili - then take Bill Maher's advice:

" Don't eat anything that's served to you out a window unless you're a seagull. People are acting all shocked that a human finger was found in a bowl of Wendy's chili. Hey, it cost less than a dollar. What did you expect it to contain? Trout? Luckily, it was only a finger! If it was a whole hand, Congress would have voted to keep it alive.

Or how about the advice given by the film tha I believe should be required watching for every man, woman and child (old enough to understand), on the planet. "Supersize Me"
STOP EATING FAST FOOD!!!!!! I mean is this crap rocket science????

I think not.

"On Faith and Religion"

I don't often talk about these terms - unless I am pissed off at the Christian right - and their continual fight to keep us all from having certain personal freedoms....

However Tish over at "Love and Hope and Sex and Dreams" posted such a very eleoquent discourse on the matter that I thought I would direct readers there. Go to the link above and enjoy. She's a really incredible writer.

Colette

Just for laughs

I am posting this via Broom Hilda - however my friend had sent this same list out a year or so back - it must change from time to time - I've always found this really funny.

Children's Books That Never Made It:
1. You Are Different and That's Bad

2. The Boy Who Died From Eating All His Vegetables

3. Dad's New Wife Bruce

4. Fun Four-letter Words to Know and Share

5. Hammers, Screwdrivers and Scissors: An I-Can-Do-It Book

6. The Kids' Guide to Hitchhiking

7. Kathy Was So Bad Her Mom Stopped Loving Her

8. Curious George and the Rotweilers

9. All Cats Go to Hell

10. The Little Sissy Who Snitched

11. Some Kittens Can Fly.

12. That's it, I'm Putting You Up for Adoption

13. Grandpa Gets a Casket

14. The Magic World Inside the Abandoned Refrigerator

15. Garfield Gets Feline Leukemia

16. The Pop-Up Book of Human Anatomy

17. Strangers Have the Best Candy

18. Whining, Kicking and Crying to Get Your Way

19. You Were an Accident

20. Things Rich Kids Have, But You Never Will

21. Pop! Goes The Hamster...And Other Great Microwave Games

22. The Man in the Moon Is Actually Satan

23. Where Would You Like to Be Buried?

24. Used Toilet Paper and Your Babysitter

24. Why Can't Mr. Fork and Ms. Electrical Outlet Be Friends?

25. Daddy Drinks Because You Cry

Now for something NOT completely different

Bill Maher is my hero (well one of them) - he is one of the funniest, wittiest, smartest people on the planet and he has his very own Cable TV show to boot (which yes, I do watch every chance I get).

DO check out the link above - especially his 'new rule' when it comes to 'Abstinence Pledges' for teens considering having sexual relaitons with each other. My son was asked to sign one of these 'pledges' - he tore it up and handed it back to his health teacher (that's my boy!) and might I also add..

Right on Bill!

I really have to do something about this

You know - I really have to take down those personal ads I have on the various 'match-up' websites.

They used to be fun to use every once in a while as fodder for this blog - but now it's just down right annoying.

I've complained about the 'issues' with this several times as you all know. You've read my rants on this subject.

Seriously though....I have to wonder (at myself for using these services) - but mainly at the 'men' using them as well.

I get my fair share of people writing to me. When they seem to be 'not my cup of tea' I usually tell htem 'Thanks but no thanks'. Sometimes one or two (every couple of months), intrigues me enough to begin a 'conversation'. Usually through e-mail because I am not giving my cell number to just anyone.

The 'ones' that intrigue me are always (or always seem to be)intelligent and successful (or at least they claim to be accomplished in their lives). However, I find that once we begin writing back and forth - they get really 'busy'. Now mind you, there is nothing in the letters we've passed back and forth by that time to indicate irritation or dis-interest on either parties' part - or at least not from what *I* am being told by them. Further, I UNDERSTAND being busy - I really do....but, why the fuck would you write to someone and want to get to know them if all of a sudden you find yourself too busy to keep up with the process. (And we wonder why we remain single?)

Not too long ago, Oprah (whom I really don't watch) - had a show on about a gentleman (Greg Behrendt - who is a former writer from 'Sex and the City'), who wrote a book telling women to stop dealing with men like this.
It's called: "He's Just Not That Into You" - it's really got a lot of insight into this shit.

But what I don't get is that - I mean I have not even gotten to the dating part with these people yet...(OK some of them I have). I just don't get it...I try to keep my e-mails, fun, interesting and light - at the same time though - I want to get to know these men because that's what it's about, right? Perhaps I am barking up the wrong tree here. I am not the type to throw caution to the wind by just meeting ANYONE, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME. But perhaps I need to stop the banter back and forth too and just bite the bullet? I don't know...

The latest e-mail I sent to a too-busy 'attorney' who claimed that the website told him we were 100% compatible; and then he expected me to 'pass' his picture test (without bothering to send me a picture of his 51-year-old stuffed-shirt self) - was basically stating(paraphrasing here): "I don't care what a web-site says about us being compatible...I don't appreciate you expecting me to be subjected to some arbitrary 'test' - nor do I appreciate you writing to me and then 'brushing me off' due to your 'really busy' life and then what? I am suppose to wait around until you get less busy? Um no. My life is just as hectic as yours and my time is just as valuable as yours. I am still interested, I would have gladly given you a way to call me (once of course you sent me YOUR picture - so I YOU oculd pass MY test), but now I guess I am just not sure...I mean if you are too busy to even jot a quick note, why then are you even bothering to 'pursue' dating someone? Just curious..."

I know this seems harsh, makes me out as some kind of bitch etc. Not that I care.

Seriously. If you want to make it work with someone, you will. If you are THAT interested in dating YOU WILL MAKE THE TIME. Won't you??? Or am I missing something here? Is there something wrong with honesty? How about down right excuses (i.e. 'I've met someone else', 'You just aren't my type', 'Thanks but no thanks' etc) - I mean say something....

Again - perhaps it's time to meet men the 'old-fashioned' way - bars, going to parties (unless you turn your ankle *laughs*), functions, being introduced. But some of the 'old fashioned' ways are all that much better either. Must be me...

How pathetic is all of this?

On a somewhat similar note...

My recommendation fo soft-core *ahem* type movie would be... KAMA SUTRA. This movie is visually stunning; rich and quite beautiful on top of being a really wonderful love story. The actresses/actors are great eye-candy as well - it's a classic story of love-lost, betrayal and of great sacrifice for 'true' love...rent it and watch it with someone you love (or want to have great sex with).

^_^

 

No Fun for you/or/What a klutzy Tart you are

Sunday morning...waiting for coffee to brew, listening to Paul Oakenfold's 'Requiem for a Dream' off of Great Wall ....

I am such a friggin' klutz!!!!

So I go out to the party. It was just getting dark by the time I left (didn't want to scare the neighbors) *laughs* hell I wanted to bring something to the party but I didn't dare walk into my local market looking like I did....

By the time I arrived, it was pretty dark outside. Parked, got out of my car, started walking to the house. Didn't notice there was a huge pot-hole-like hole in the sidewalk and my heel got caught in it and boom, I went down, twisting my ankle and really banging up my knees - those fishnets really weren't much protection against the concrete....

There I was bleeding and with what was becoming rapidly, a sprained ankle. I knew I could not walk into to the party like that let alone be on that foot all evening (I could feel it swelling up) - so back to my car I hobbled - (thank Goddess none of my friends spotted me) - and home I went.

Apologies all around will be forthcoming. Dambit!!! I really wanted to go to that party!!!! I suppose if I could have been carried up to the party by strong Vicars, bearing yours truly on a stretcher and fed grapes, etc., that would have been cool.

^_^

For the more curious of you - what I was wearing:

A cream coloured, long sleeved, low-cut,laced-up top (you could see the curve of my breasts through the parting in the lacing - push up cream coloured bra underneath this top), a dark fuschia coloured, suede-looking skirt with slits up the sides, black fishnet hosiery, black high-heeled boots and a denim long duster coat over the whole ensemble. Make up was gothic-esque, hair was wild and curly, jewelry: a black choker and a ruby-rhinestone encrusted gothic cross necklace and dangly earrings. I looked good - even if I do say so myself...

Perhaps I should write the girls over at blogs like Postmodern Courtesan or Belle de Jour - how to deal with such situations (*laughs*) (I HIGHLY doubt they go out actually DRESSED like Tarts) - in fact I really have to laugh too at the idea of a bunch of women dressed in hooker-like costumes and men as vicars/bishops descending on my friends house - if the party was a success, it must have been quite a site.

Ah well..better luck next time....

Fun, Fun, Fun

Usually my life does not consist of a lot of this – at least not lately. I am sure it is my own fault – lack of trying….

My friends are wonderful (have I said that before?) let me re-iterate: MY FRIENDS ARE WONDERFUL!

This weekend, I have been invited to attend a ‘Vicars and Tarts’ party being hosted by one of my friends who hails from the UK. He is from Scotland. He is adorable and has to most wonderful accent. He has lost a lot of it I am sure from being here in the States…

This is a party for us to dress up as either a Vicar or a Tart. Since I don’t have a ‘Vicar’, Bishop, or Pope costume – Tart it shall be. I think it would be a fitting tribute to John Paul II for us to all dress up as Popes and you know what – he’d probably appreciate it too….

Now for what to wear. What does the average girl do when she has to dress as a ‘street walker?? (Gee wonder if I should call up my ex’s slut and ask her…..hmmmm…)
I know I own a really short skirt and boots and a see through blouse and lots of gaudy jewelry – all I would really need is fish net hosiery and a wig perhaps – or just curl the living daylights out of my hair ….sluty make up – I should be all set.

If I can I will post pictures…

Next weekend – dearest Liam and his partner are throwing a ‘Cheesefest’ party. We are all expected to bring a really bad/cheesy DVD to the party (wrapped in gift paper) – then we throw them in a pile a we each pick a movie to take home with us. Whatever ends up being the ‘worst’ movie out of the pile is the one we will watch – or perhaps we will be watching several awful flicks. It’s an excuse to get together and have some drinks and laugh our asses off.

Did I say my friends were wonderful?

^_^

Voices of Reason

There are few people I admire. Very few. I like a lot of people. But I don’t like them to the point where I will take their recommendations seriously.

Lately, Providence has seen fit to change that. Thank goodness.

A friend, that I am getting closer to with each consecutive conversation passed along a recommendation of a book to me: It’s called ‘The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices’ (kudos should also go to the translator of this book because translating a work so intense from the Chinese language takes an a lot of skill and insight.)

So sure was I of his thoughts/feelings about this book that I ordered myself a copy. When I went to amazon.com to find it there was a blurb about it from one of my favourite authors, Amy Tan – who wrote that after reading this book she felt ‘her soul had been altered’ – how much more powerful does it get than that? I found one of their bargain copies for $.86 (yes that’s 86 cents!). Of course I had to pay $3 something in shipping but I know I will cherish this book.

For years now I have collected and read Asian literature. Especially enchanting to me are the voices of the women form these countries – where often times the women are treated as second class citizens (of course while I feel that in America we as women DO live better lives – please reference how I really feel by reading the lyrics of the Laurie Anderson lyrics to 'Beautiful Red Dress' - let’s just say I think we could be doing better closing that gap of inequality.

So where was I? (damn tangents) – oh yeah – so it really inspires me and intrigues me to read about people in these cultures. And when those women’s voices somehow manage to make it outside the ‘Iron Curtain’ so to speak – it’s a revelation….

So do yourself a favour – go find this book or others of this nature and walk a mile in someone else’s shoes….

On a softer note

I don't know what prompted this...

He's back in my life again. My long-distance friend. We are at least still writing to each other - and I haven't lost him.

It makes me so happy to know we can still talk. I value his friendship, his advice, his intelligence so much. I hope he stays in my life for a long time.

Rudolph pleads guilty�to�1998 women's clinic bombing

CNN.com - Rudolph pleads guilty�to�1998 women's clinic bombing - Apr 13, 2005


Yep - like I said below - it's all about the timing. Guess what Mr. Rudolph did when it comes to that women's clinic boming wasn't a sin - or murder, right?
Nope it was his God-given-christian-fucking-right to do this....glad he's so proud of his actions...may his 'God' show him the mercy he didn't show his victims.

Someone needs to explain to me the concept of God when it comes to this shit.

A woman's perogative....

WARNING: Those of you who are spineless might want to skip this posting...

************

I know I have ranted about this before. I know it’s not popular in this shiny, bright, brand-new ‘culture of life’ we have going on to hold such sentiments. You know what, I don’t care.

A friend and I were having a talk last night. He made mention that the ‘real’ thing the Christian ‘right’ – only he called it the Christian ‘wrong’ (great name I think it will stick with me),wanted was to take away women’s reproductive rights.

Now, since most ‘Christians’ are against abortion – I know that they are not big on a woman’s right to choose; but to take away our right to be able to use contraception?!?! SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!? Does anyone else see this as a huge threat?????

Friends, I am frightened. In ways you can’t even imagine….

Every single day I see the same people who espouse these virtues being utter and total hypocrites…and yet they are going to tell me *I* can’t chose the time when I want to be pregnant???? Um no. If you go around polluting the planet, killing animals for meat, fur, leather, sentencing people (who might be totally innocent) to death, refusing to pay for social programs that allow poor kids to stay poor and be at risk and potentially die….then my dear so-called ‘Christian’, you don’t get to decide when I get pregnant. Why? Because everything else you are doing is a sin. Blowing up innocent people in the name of oil, or ‘made up’, ‘trumped up’, totally false charges is a sin; sending young men to fight for that same cause is a sin. Again I am going to say it here. Those people who seem to want to restrict our rights and freedoms don’t seem to understand something pretty simple, it’s called timing. It’s murder when it’s pre-conception, or an abortion but it’s not murder when it’s the death penalty, or war????? Really???? Is THAT what Jesus would do?

Required reading for all young women should be the ‘Lysistrata’ (look it up ladies) – hey here’s something else we can all do. GO ON STRIKE. That’s right – you heard me. You want to bring Washington/our government to it’s knees? Let’s see every woman out there who is against the government stripping us of our freedoms (including those of you who think Gay marriage is OK) – (hell why limit it to women?) – refuse to go to work for just one day – THE SAME DAY! You bet it would send a message. So would not buying gas but do you soccer-moms give a damn? Apparently not. Friggin’ cowards. And don’t hand me that same old bullshit line about not being able to do this stuff. If it matters to you DO IT! I am also not suggesting that poor people take off work or get fired but there are other ways to help the cause. Speak up – become a pain in your representatives’ ass. You’re a pain in everyone else’s ass – put it to good use.

You know it’s funny, my son, who seems to be really enamored with the “60” keeps asking me: “Mom what the hell happened to you guys?”...”you all used to be so anti-war, etc.” Sometimes I laugh and tell him it was the drugs muddling our brains. But I am frankly embarrassed by our lack of spines. What the fuck DID happen to us?

Fight people. Fight for your rights. Don’t let some uptight, supposedly ‘moral’ group dictate your life to you. Stand up for what you believe in and fight. Stop backing down. Put your money where your mouth and brains are and fight.

LISTEN to your children…remember our parents not listening to us? Remember what that felt like? Listen to your kids. They know things you can’t even begin to imagine. Things you NEVER knew growing up.

You want to hand your kids that same shitty culture that you hate – hey who the hell am I to tell you what you morals should be – but if you give them an inch they will take a mile, you know it and I know it. And the day they start making laws about men’s penises is the day you are going to see men put down their remotes and do something besides belch beer while watching the final four.

So ladies….what? You too busy to care? You better put down that dishcloth and do something now. Before they begin to put us back in corsets. Those coat hangers aren’t looking real good to me; neither is raising a passel of kids when no one, including my own government, cares to help me with it. A quiet revolution is still a revolution. Every day I see young girls on the verge of being completely overpowered by things beyond their control – and to whom are they going to turn? Are you strong enough to help? Why are there no women heroes anymore?

Look I don’t want to turn this into a feminist rant (too late I’m sure) - I am sure there are men out there who feel the way we do – so everyone needs to pitch in. Gentlemen, do you think about your daughters having unwanted pregnancies? You’d better start. How about her being raped? How about her not getting the reproductive health care she needs? What about your sisters? Look, I know what I am saying isn’t very popular anymore (or is it and we are just too afraid?) – it doesn’t take much to turn a tide people, really it doesn’t. You are more powerful than you know.

Fight. Don’t just sit there – if you’re outraged do something – if you are not outraged, stay where you are, because we really don’t need you involved. Fight. Not violently. Fight with your pens, your mouths, your damned cell phones, and your wallet. Just fight. You want a better planet? So do I. You want your rights? So do I. Speak up; let your voices be heard. One person can make a huge difference. Don’t you let those idiots in Washington make you think anything different. You think they don’t squirrel their daughter’s away when they get knocked up? Think again. You think those fat cats aren’t having affairs? Think again. Do you REALLY think they are the pillars of morality??? Think again people. Use your brains and do something.

There & Back Again Redux

I shouldn't even be doing this....writing that is.

I am at home today sick. My head and body feel like crap. My stomach is a mess. I am just bleh all over the place.

My son and I got a late start to drive up to Michigan - as I knew we would. I really don't like driving at night like that. We did not make it in util 10:30 or 11 PM. Everyone in thh house seemed a bit subdued as well - even for a Saturday night - it was bed time for most of the family. Not of course for my son and the younger set of the family. They stayed up until 4 AM (this seems to be a pattern with my son these days). I slept like crap. I did wake up though so that I could spend some quality time with my grandson & granddaughter - as well as my daughter.

I got a much later start than I wanted to coming home and I tried to drive with little or no stops but I must have been coming down with this bug then because I was just so beat - and not wanting to drive.

Musically my son took over on the drive up there. He was the 'musical navigator' and we listened to:

Sgt. Pepper's - The Beatles
The Moon & Antartica - Modest Mouse
Let it Be - The Beatles
Good News for People who Like Bad News - Modest Mouse


After that it was him flipping through various rtock stations out of Toledo and Detroit. We had some coversations about today's rock-n-roll and why it sucks and the criteria that makes an album worth listening too - or at least puts it on the charts. He's pretty smart about this stuff and while I don't agree with all of his musical choices - he's got pretty good taste in music.

Right near Toledo we stopped for Arby's (big mistake and probably why I am sick today)...but at 9PM at night what choices does one really have....

On the way home, my musical listening was limited to mixed CDs I had in the car and then while heading into Detroit, I stumbled upon 'Doug FM' 91.3 out of Detroit. This is a new format in radio apparently; these stations are popping up in some markets - they call themselves thinkgs like 'Jack FM', 'Ben FM', 'Fred FM' and they claim they play 'EVERYTHING'. And that is what this radio staiton seemed to do.
I hit it just as they were playing Sting's 'Fields of Gold' then Kiss' song 'I was made for loving you', there was U2, Madonna, Doobie Brothers, a real mix of stuff - the only problem I had was that after EVERY song they were telling you they had a gazillion songs and they were going to play 'EVERYTHING'. (Meanwhile I am thinking 'OK shut up and play it already') The format seems to be DJ-less and if it catches on it might just be a good thing. Only time will tell and I am sure Cleveland won't be jumping on this bandwagon anytime soon.

******

OK well still feeling blah (this is bad because wiritng usually makes me feel better) - so off to bed with myself.

A bientot kids.

^_^

Switching gears as we glide downhill...

Saturday morning...sitting here with coffee...barely awake....listening to underground radio (3WK Internet radio - great station)...

So tired...don't know why. Last night I had to get my son from work. He and his friend stayed up half the night. I was asleep this morning when, at 8:30 AM, he knocked on my door to ask for a ride to work....should have made him walk - to teach him a good lesson - since he had stayed up until 4 AM - because he did not know he was on the schedule to work...but no, I am a NICE MOM....

So now our plans have changed (yet again) - and I have to run around like a madwoman today, get some things done to the car so I can drive him to Michigan later today, crash there and drive home tomorrow - because I hate making the drive all in one day (cause it's 8 hours long there and back) and he wants to spend spring break with his sister....

***********

So in yesterday's e-mail (not the e-mail associated with THIS blog), I had two men (and I use the term loosely - and besides again the point that the book 'Lisa33' drove home was gee, they might not be men....) - wrote to me to try to woo me somehow, or get me to write to them, or date them, or who knows what the fuck they were trying to do.

The first one went by the incredibly intelligent on-line name of (are you ready?):

dickupinyou

Um yeah...ok...brilliant there....

He claimed the name was his idea of a joke...that he saw my on-line profile and thought I was 'hot' - he admitted to not getting out too much - I wrote him back that this was no big surprise and that if he really wanted to get a 'real' response, let alone a 'date' from someone NOT named 'debbiedoesdallas' he might want to think of changing his name....

Guy #2 was a bit nicer but also wrote me telling me he read my Yahoo profile and thought I was 'hot'....I wrote him back a bit nicer than guy #1....

But you know I have to wonder, how, by reading a person's profile, can you determine if they are hot? I mean is that a projection of their own 'fantasies' upon you? Can you really glean that information just from reading about someone who is NOT in the pages of Playboy, Penthouse or Hustler:

"My turns ons are hot-rods, muscles, and being covered with whipped cream" (LOL)

Just curious

^_^

Where my heart lies...

I had a really amazing experience tonight at a book store - again while perusing the 'Yoga' section - I ran into a young woman and we were both looking at books on the same shelf - she asked if she was in my way and I laughed and said I thought we were both going to be vying for the same books. She said she was looking for books on Kundalini Yoga and I said I was interested in that as well. It was like a flood gate opened and we had an amazing connection - she then found out I was a Yoga teacher and she just blossomed. I felt her heart open up to me and we began a conversation about 'real Yoga vs. 'fast food' Yoga; and people and their perceptions of spirituality and how difficult it is to teach and connect when so many people are trying to just get the 'Yoga body'. She was a gift and at the end of talking we actually hugged each other. What a great experience - to hug a total stranger in a book store over Yoga! I am looking forward to the information she will send me about local Kundalini classes. It never ceases to amaze me the moments of grace that come into our lives every day in such ordinary ways. 

I don't usually get these things from my sister - NOTE EDIT BELOW

...and I certainly don't want to post a picture of crotchety old Andy Rooney but something about this particular commentary connected - and I don't necessarily agree with all of it but he brings up some excellent points....


Andy Rooney said on "60 Minutes" a few weeks back:



I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything except numbers. The only things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black Entertainment Television, and Miss Black America. Try to have things like the United Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or Miss White America; and see what happens...Jesse Jackson will be knocking down your door. Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a killer. You can kill someone with a baseball bat or a car, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ball game.



I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason, that is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts! ARE YOU LISTENING MARTHA BURKE?



I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia, it is an opinion.



I have the right "NOT" to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off.



When 70% of the people who get arrested are black, in cities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling, it is the Law of Probability.



I believe that if you are selling me a milkshake, a pack of cigarettes, a newspaper or a hotel room, you must do it in English! As a matter of fact, if you want to be an American citizen, you should have to speak English!



My father and grandfather didn't die in vain so you can leave the countries you were born in to come over and disrespect ours. I think the police should have every right to shoot your sorry ass if you threaten them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the word "freeze" or "stop" in English, see the above lines.



I don't think just because you were not born in this country, you are qualified for any special loan programs, government sponsored bank loans or tax breaks, etc., so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, trinket store, or any other business.



We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives in wars to defend their freedoms, so that decades later they could come over here and tell us our constitution is a living document; and open to their interpretations.



I don't hate the rich. I don't pity the poor.



I know pro wrestling is fake, but so are movies and television. That doesn't stop you from watching them.



I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more. If it ticks you off, go and invent the next operating system that's better, and put your name on the building.



It doesn't take a whole village to raise a child right, but it does take a parent to stand up to the kid; and smack their little behinds when necessary, and say "NO!"



I think tattoos and piercing are fine if you want them, but please don't pretend they are a political statement. And, please, stay home until that new lip ring heals. I don't want to look at your ugly infected mouth as you serve me French fries!



I am sick of "Political Correctness." I know a lot of black people, and not a single one of them was born in Africa; so how can they be "African-Americans"? Besides, Africa is a continent. I don't go around saying I am a European-American because my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was from Europe. I am proud to be from America and nowhere else



And if you don't like my point of view, tough...

DON'T PASS IT ON!!  

**********************

EDIT:

Hey everyone....

Well apparently my sister never checked out this blurb BEFORE passing it on to me; (see Jeff's comments) - so I apologize for posting this.
ANDY ROONEY NEVER SAID THIS!!!!

However it would have been cool had he....whomever wrote it did a good job of writing the way Andy would talk...

NPR : Comic Book Science in the Classroom

NPR : Comic Book Science in the Classroom

And speaking of using comics to teach....

Cartoonist Dale Messick Dies; Creator of 'Brenda Starr' Strip (washingtonpost.com)

Cartoonist Dale Messick Dies; Creator of 'Brenda Starr' Strip (washingtonpost.com)

This was a real loss. I really loved 'Brenda Starr' as a kid. I am not a rabid comic fan - like my ex is but I feel that if it's ging to get kids to read and be interested in reading, then it's a wonderful vehicle.

We just seem to be losing some really important icons these days. God willing, there will be more mentors to step up to the plate - so to speak - to inspire a new generation.

Secret Service protects expectant duck - Apr 8, 2005

CNN.com - Secret Service protects expectant duck - Apr 8, 2005

Once again...

Your tax dollars hard at work. (Translation = 'Screw you taxpayer').

Yoga goes hip-hop as marketing takes hold

Yoga goes hip-hop as marketing takes hold

Well...at least it's good to know the brothas/sistas in the hood are backing us Yogi people up!

^_^

Sensory enlightenment

I walked outside this evening - it's seems like a late spring evening - even though it's barely the beginning of the season...a chill on the air but the warmth of the day is still lingering.

I am actually going up to the store to get ice cream (I shouldn't but what the hell); and again - I have had another wonderful conversation with a friend.

The night air feels so good and I can smell incense...it actually smells like the incense from church (frankincense floating on the air) - I am amazed. Suddenly my senses are just so very hightened - I feel so aware, so charged.

I don't know why - I can't pin *this* down - I don't know if it's the 'buzz' from the conversation I just had or the actual night and the majesty of the spring time just beginning here, near the lake. Lately there's just been such a pull on me - I just 'feel' so much - I can't even put it into words. It's power but it isn't, it feels 'natural' but I am not sure if it's not somehow 'artificial' - just a lot going on in my mind, in my heart, in my spirit. Sometimes I want it to stop - to let go - as these tendrils seems to be infiltrating my very being - but then I think I would not feel so alive....yet still, I fight it - I don't know why.

The song going through my mind right now is from the soundtrack of 'Last Supper' "When I Fall" by Sam Phillips...

we don't want lives of steel
we don't want hearts that feel
we want to live above it all

i feel you closing in
a target on my skin
i think you'll be there when i fall

we might get out of time
we might connect our minds
we might land beyond the wall when i fall

i might give love to you
i might step right on through
fear might keep me from it all

climb so high to see
but the ground just teases me
i think you'll be there when i fall

i'm burning
when i fall
i fall
when i fall
i'm amazed by it all

control is letting go
and i'm the last to know
we might land beyond the wall
i might give love to you
i might step right on through
i think you'll be there when i fall

Artist: Sam Phillips
Album: Martinis & Bikinis
Title: When I Fall

...and it just completely captures my mood, my feeling, the prickling on my skin, the knowing, the sexual tension and subsequent release...the vie for power, the hunger and desire...

*sigh*

bon nuit, mes amis

Colette

A little cybersex (or - I'll have what she's having)

Just finished reading this...

Still trying to form some opinions because it's still fresh in my head. But it was really funny right off the bat. Then I began to find it cliche; but now I realise it was brilliant and Mr. Allen seemed to really nail the 'feeling' of what this sort of journey involves. The darker side of relationship, desperation, looking for some 'fun' but not having to pay the price - and yet ultimately the characters do pay.

I want to read things like this not just for the insight provided but to perhaps help in research (because one of these days, by golly, I AM going to write the Great American Novella *wink*)- so in some ways books like this are reseach. A microscope on the 'dating game' when it comes to things like on-line sex/chat rooms and on-line flirtation. I'd like to say that we've come a lot farther than the people depicted in this story - but first of all what the HELL does THAT mean? I mean what? Farther down the slippery slope of degredation? Frankly though (and pathetically I might add), I think little has changed in the world of cyber/psuedo-sexual encounters.

A lot of the dialogue was pretty funny and sharp - but the feeling that I was left with was again that overwhelming sorrow for what's become of our society and the needs that seem to revolve around such a cold frontier. The huge losses to our own interpersonal abilities; and, I have to wonder - would this shit be happening without that great 'Super Highway' we call the Internet? Or did the Internet cause a lot of this to happen...

Any thoughts?? You know they are always appreciated. Anyone out there want to share their own personal insight into the dark, circuit/intel processor-filled, in-space-no-one-can-hear-you-scream world of cyber-dating and sex?

Just a little gauntlet to keep you thinking

^_^ 

Satirical Living Will

This came from one of my favourite bloggers (Susan) Easybake Coven


************

I, _________________________, do not wish to be kept alive by artificial means. Under no circumstances should my fate be put in the hands of a pesticide applier/congressman who couldn't pass ninth-grade biology, or a doctor/ congressman/ chain hospital owner who thinks that AIDS can be transmitted by tears.

If a reasonable amount of time passes and I fail to sit up and ask for a cold beer, it should be presumed that I won't ever get better. At such time, I instruct my spouse and attending physician to pull the plug and call it a day.

Under no circumstances shall the members of a Legislature enact a special law to keep me on life-support machinery. It is my wish that these boneheads mind their own damn business, and pay attention instead to the health, education and future of the millions of Americans who aren't in a permanent coma.

I don't care how many fundamentalist votes politicians are trying to scrounge for their run for the presidency in 2008, it is my wish that they play politics with someone else's life and leave me alone to die in peace.

I couldn't care less if religious zealots send e-mails to legislators in which they pretend to care about me. I don't know these people, and I certainly haven't authorized them to preach and crusade on my behalf. If any of my family goes against my wishes and turns my case into a political cause, I hereby promise to haunt them with a set of chains to make sure they never sleep well again.

_______________________________________
Signature

____________________________________
Witness

clevescene.com - Kill Bill

clevescene.com Kill Bill

This guy has become one of my new heros. Bravo!

The ties that bind....

Early morning, dawn….

The moon hangs low, a thin sliver brightened by the rising sun, the eastern sky lighting up a pale blue a contrast to the rest of the still-dark night sky…

I am leaving to go to work; this is my meditation each morning as I pause to take in the beauty and hear the birds singing again. Slowly the spring is taking over after winter’s cold watch.

The echoes of the past evening’s conversation (as it were), ringing still in my head – it lulled me to sleep…

I am frightened by having a conversation like that – because I don’t want to…
I DO have too much on my plate and I DON’T need another distraction – the only thing is that they aren’t distractions. They are parts of my life or pieces of shrapnel from my broken heart. The shrapnel seems to be lodged in my mind too – this ever-constant reminder of what happened and how I was hurt, and how it’s not going away, and how I can’t turn it off – no matter how hard I try.

I really do want to heal and be released I don’t know what stops me. Something stops me though and I can’t seem to break free of it – like the proverbial chains around my heart. I feel like some damned damsel in distress – like I need someone to rescue me and I hate this feeling. I hate feeling like I can’t pull myself out of this. I know a lot of it stems from the anger and mistrust. I know I don’t *have* to do anything – I know I can wait – but how long do I have to wait to be free of this? It worries me that I may never be free of this – it will be like a dragon guarding some kind of treasure – only it’s not a treasure…

I want to (at least somewhere in me wants to) – be consumed again – have the fire burn me again, be taken up again. The temptation is just so great to fall - again – but I back away from the cliff of those feelings because I don’ t know whats or who is going to catch me and I am just not strong enough right now. If I could just pause to catch my breath perhaps it will all be OK.

Still the magnet pull from the ex and all the emotional baggage that comes with it and I just don’t want to bring that to the table with me anymore – I am full of it….I want to find a bell-hop to cart it all away for me – permanently.

People talk about these things….how long it takes to be yourself again; someone told me one year, another person said 2 years the other day…2 years!!!! I want to scream. In the scheme of things, in the big picture, I guess 2 years isn’t that long – so why does it feel like eternity?

It's just crazy enough

So I thought I would post this.

My son hangs out with a very talented and unusual group of kids. They all possess a great sense of humour and most of them are pretty damned smart.

One of the young men in particular is a budding cartoonist and satirist and he had to write a letter as a project for one of his teachers to prove he knew how to use MS Word.

The letter does not make any sense - in fact it's utter nonsense, but it's very funny to read. So I thought I would post it - for more of this young man's work you can go to his website.

*************


9/1/04

Dear Mr. Fundak

Eat fifteen donuts, capture a giraffe, and tie a rope to your tongue. Such is the only true path of virtue. Oh, and don’t drink cyanide. It may seem tempting, but just because you have a bunion on your left ear lobe doesn’t mean you’re immune to deadly poison. Every couple days I like to sit on my porch and throw apples at people passing by my house. One day I beamed an old lady in the face with an apple, so she broke into my house that night and converted my entire family to Islam. My pancreas has never been the same since that day.

Lemmings go well on rye with a slice of tomato and some Mrs. Dash. I don’t know if you knew this or not, but I also don’t know where my bed is. This explains why I can be found in Baghdad every night playing the clarinet with Joseph Stalin’s zombie and a shoe named Larry. I was once accused of eating three biscuits in one sitting, but I was found innocent when it was discovered that one of the jury members was, in fact, Chewbacca. But anyway, I COMMAND YOU TO STARE INTO THE EYES OF THE INFINITE!

Tuesday is pizza day, which means my mom steals all my pants and makes a big bonfire with them. The neighborhood children all gather around the flaming pile of my trousers and dance, while I sit in my room and cry because I have no pants. One day when I was sitting on my roof I saw Donkey Kong driving a school bus down my street, so I immediately went downstairs and fed my cat. I was told in kindergarten that cows go “moo”, but I know that’s a dirty lie. All and sundry know that cows are just a myth. A MYTH I SAY!

In conclusion, there is no pleasure in the world greater than that of eating spaghetti out of your neighbor’s shoes.

Sincerely yours

Cancer Ward Dreams

Sounds yucky doesn't it - it was...

I've got to stop staying up so late and watching emotionally charged movies (or at least ones that fit my emotional landscape) - right before bed!!!

I had a dream last night that I was in a cancer ward (comnplete with people who were in various states of decay) - and though the dream smacked of the turn of the century, somehow part of the dream consisted of making love to Bono (of U2 fame, and yes I thnk he's gorgeous - *sigh* - again with those Irish lads)...

So I am thinking either this was tied somehwo to the movie I watched last night, or, it's a premonition of things to com (i.e. - I finally get to have incredible sex with a gorgeous Irish lad but I end up with cancer), or my subconcious is telling me to stop being afraid of having relationships because they might end badly or hurt me...

Not sure...

Ugh - I hope the residue of this dream doesn't end up staying with me all day.

An aching heart - that knows little peace

Just finished watching 'Wings of the Dove' (again)...

I am not sure why I was compelled to watch this instead of going to sleep and, since it's now past 3 AM, I really should be asleep. But there is something about this movie (and about Henry James' stories in general) - that beckons to me. For it tells the story of heart-wrenching romances against lush back drops; and of deprivation and obsession with no end in sight. Part of me simply identifies so well with this theme of love lost, betrayal and redemption that it's like watching my own dark romance unfold before me - all too familiar and painful.

The city of Venice (that I long to see) - a city that seems to be (and is in fact) - eternally drowning - home to The Bridge of Sighs - echoing the sadness, the loss, the grief, the desperation - which in turn is played out so well in this movie pitting tragically flawed characters against each other as they try to make sense of their hearts' passions and desires.

The very fitting quote that is used in the movie at the funeral scene from the Bible: "Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest"

Although somehow I think, at least in this lifetime, that rest will continue to elude me.  

1920~2005 Pope John Paul II

CNN.com - After 26-year reign, pontiff dies at 84 - Apr 2, 2005

I am inexplicably saddened by this loss. Perhaps it's because I was born and raised Catholic, perhaps it's because I am always saddened when the passing of someone like this marks my place in my own life's mortality so poignantly (a historical marker of great portent), perhaps (mainly - I think) because this is the passing of a very holy man and the world at times seems so lacking in holy men and women.

Since I was a young child I was drawn to spirituality - as I believe a lot of us are but we end up being confused, or disappointed by what is offered in our local church, or perhaps like most young people, we feel the need to rebel against that which our parents tell us to do - we need to blaze our own trails. I was no different than most. However, always I had a fascination with the mysticism of Catholicism. I was forever reading about the lives of the saints. I would scour the tiny library in our parish (St. Joseph's Church in Verona, PA) - for books about saints.

I have a memory from the time when I was just about to be 'confirmed' in the Catholic church (in other words for those non-Catholic readers, to become an 'adult' in the eyes of the church). It was springtime (May to be exact) and there was a priest at our church, his name was Father Ritzert - and he and I would talk. He would put up with my endless questions about church doctrine, he never chastised me for asking questions. He was always patient with me and kind. One day I was watching him wash his car and talking to him, and he was teasing me about the name I would take at my confirmation (when you get confirmed you get to choose a name) - he wanted me to pick the name 'Cunnegunda' which in German translates to 'good girl' - she was obviously a saint, however, since I had not heard of her or known whether or not she suffered a particularly gruesome, self-inflicted pennance (like whipping herself with a cat-o-nine-tails, or swooning because it was suddenly discovered she had the 'stigmata') - I refused to take her name. Instead I was going to use my Italian grandmother's name Anne (Anna) after St. Anne the mother of Mary.

At some point in our conversation in order to vex him, I asked him the wonderful question: "What if God were to make a rock so big even HE couldn't lift it?" Father Ritzert smiled down at me and said: "God is not bound by man's words or laws, my dear."

This Pope was the living, breathing, representation of that sentiment. While I no longer consider myself Catholic (or even a Christian on most days), I greatly did admire this man. For he stuck to his guns, to his convictions. He did not make the religious path 'easy' for following God IS never easy. Being holy is never a popular way of living. Nor is speaking out against a leader of a nation, or fighting an entire regime. While I feel that the Catholic church does need to listen to the needs of their flock, consider the fact that we do live in the 21st century, allow women more of a leading role in the Church (including allowing them to become Priestesses), allowing their priests to marry if they wish...I have to admire John Paul II and his refusal to water down God and the doctrines he so strongly believed in.

May he rest in peace.

A Yoga Tour of NE Ohio

As a Yoga teacher, I am always trying to keep abreast of other places in the area locally that offer classes. I try to stay in tune with the Yoga community. As often as possible I want to promote Yoga and it's healing benefits and help people to get to classes that are convenient for them.

I thought I would provide a listing of the centers that offer Yoga classes in the NE Ohio area. If you live in the greater Cleveland area, and you know of locations that I can add to this list, please let me know.



1. ATMA CENTER
(location: Lee Road in Cleveland Hts)

2. Cleveland Yoga
(location: Cedar Road, Beachwood, OH)

3. Evolution Yoga
(location: Park East Dr., Beachwood, OH)

4. Bhumi's Yoga
(location: Various West Side)

5. Yoga Room at Eight Limbs
(location: Little Italy)

6. Spiritual Life Society & Yoga Center
(location: Old Church on the Green - Hudson, OH)
(Special Note: This was where *I* was trained as a Yoga teacher)

7. Prana Yoga & Dance
(location: Broadview Hts., OH)

8. Try 4 Life
(location: Various - program run through Urseline's Sophia Center)

9. Green Tara Yoga
(location: Cleveland Hts.)

10. Inner Bliss Yoga Studio
(location: Rocy River, OH)

11. Karma Yoga
(location: Downtown, Cleveland)

12. Sun Summit Yoga
(location: Lakewood, OH)

CNN.com - Pat Buchanan doused with salad dressing - Apr 1, 2005

CNN.com - Pat Buchanan doused with salad dressing - Apr 1, 2005

Um so OK - do you college students out there think you can do something a little bit more - gee I don't know - intelligent than throwing food at people? How about attending a protest march or how about really voting for that matter; or how about writing your congressmen/women???? How about any myriad of things you can do to be active without making yourselves look like the spoiled brats your parents raised??? Yeah that salad dressing and pie bit is really making a statement. What idiots. What? Have you simply watched the 'food fight' scene in 'Animal House' one too many times????

Oh and don't write me and tell me I must be a Buchanan supporter because I am not but you know what, he obviously has more class than any of those people who are throwing food at him.

Arranging a Romance

I just read a very interesting article I found at a SITE that was touted by Adam over at Organic Mechanic...


I have always been fascinated by this custom. For a long time I simply could not fathom anyone with a free will and a brain doing this. Lately though, in my ‘brush with dating life’ something about having things ‘arranged’ is strangely appealing. I mean I guess there are no Yentels for those of the non-Jewish faith but a matchmaker would be cool I suppose.

Add to the mix the fact that my friend (I blogged about her a while back and her trying to ‘force’ her boyfriend to marry her - you can find the post HERE) – has finally worn him down and is now planning her wedding. Somehow I never thought my marriage would fail and, I never thought she would end up walking down the isle with someone she had to railroad into the marriage (just goes to show what I know). I don’t mean to sound cruel or snippy (you’d have to know her and the situation) – I mean it seems he really wants to marry her now and of course I wish them every happiness – I am wondering how she is going to take me not going to her wedding – ‘cause I simply can’t do it – I am tired of going to weddings and have decided to not attend them anymore unless they are immediate family. I will send gifts – but I just can’t sit through this shit anymore.

So back to being arranged….I mean how bad could it be? Especially if you get your pick of men/women (as it seems that’s what happens in today’s modern atmosphere) – you can get married, you can not have to ‘deal’ with him if you don’t want to – hey what’s a little conjugal visit here and there? So you have some children… (they can be the loves of your life) – and you are pretty much left alone. Sounds like a marriage to me…

If you begin to really think about the way this works, a lot of thought goes into these arrangements – at least in the Indian/Eastern cultures – I mean there has to be a compatibility of Zodiac signs and of course you have to come from pretty much the same ‘class’ of people and while I abhor the caste system – let’s face it – there are a lot of problems when you marry someone who is richer than you or seems to have better breeding as it were (I am not suggesting this is right or wrong but it’s out there) – so perhaps in a way this isn’t such a bad deal – and you don’t have to pay for some ineffectual dating service, or to have 30-dates in one night, or have to sift through a bunch of losers on the personal ads.

*sigh*

I am really sick of the trappings of love and romance (can you tell?). That monastery life is looking better and better.

Strange Horizons Fiction: On our street

Strange Horizons Fiction: On our street..., by Donald Barthelme

More great writing from Strange Horizons