Thursday, January 29, 2009

..and suddenly...

I am cold...and tired. I ate like crap today and I need to fast - except it's winter - and completely clear my body of all the toxins I've dumped in there lately...and I need several days of spa/rejuvination/yoga/quiet (but who has the time or the money?)...and I owe a couple of people a phone call and a letter in response (like Mac)...and I owe myself somethings too...but...right now...all I want to do is crawl under the covers...stave off this cold...and sleep....

Bonne nuit mes amis Fais de beaux rêves et pas de cauchmeres.

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States do poorly at keeping good teachers or removing bad ones .

States do poorly at keeping good teachers or removing bad ones from the classroom

Ya think?!?!?!?!?

I could have told you thins without a teaching degree.

Teachers seem to suck these days. What we have here is a very a complex yet vital issue.

I blame parents mostly for #1 expecting schools to babysit your kids (that is while the internet, TV, and their gameboys/DSs aren't) while simultaneously, #2 not truly giving them the authority or ability to do so.

Let's get honest here, shall we?

I don't know how you were raised but back in my school days you didn't talk back to a teacher. You didn't refuse to do your school work, you didn't stare off into space and act like a zombie and if you did, the school dealt with you, right then, right there, serious insubordination was answered with a paddling. Furthermore, if you got in trouble for it at school, God fucking help you once you got home. Mr. and Mrs. 'Whitebread America' didn't sue the fucking school and didn't ask for the teachers head on a platter because it 'couldn't possibly be their little Suzie or Johnnie' or 'garsh we can't hurt their little senses of self now can we'? WTF? Right cause when you go to work little Johnnie and Suzy your boss is really going to give a flying fuck about your poor bruised little ego when you don't land that big account, right?????

Now - we pass every kid no matter what. Teachers have no control over their own classrooms. Kids are lazy fucks whose parents are doing everything for them short of wiping their asses and noses and hell I think some parents are doing that.

It is time to stop all of this. We need to not just demand that the teachers step up to the plate and teach, AND give proven results, we need to ALLOW them to do so - otherwise keep your snot-faced, snotty-attitudinal brats at home and teach them your-fucking-selves.

(There I didn't leave anything to your imagination did I? Good.)

Road signs warn of zombies | KXAN.com

Road signs warn of zombies | KXAN.com



Now...you just KNOW everyone blogged/tweeted/faced about this today...

I think it was brilliant and hysterical...yeah sure it broke a law (or 2) so fucking what - seems to me that the people we've put in charge of things in this country/our money etc do that every single day.

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Obama signs equal-pay bill - Yahoo! News

Obama signs equal-pay bill - Yahoo! News

YAY! Amen brother(s) and especially sisters.

Thank you President Obama.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

...and the Oscar goes to....




...um...well....I don't think it deserves the Oscar.

We did have a lovely weekend - the kids decided they each wanted to sleep over at a friend's house so we got to have a 'surprise' date night. We went to dinner and saw a movie: 'Slumdog Millionare' now - don't get me wrong, this movie was brilliant. Very well done. Hard to watch at times...but I just don't know...the Oscar?

Anyhow I have the *other* movies I want to see that are Oscar contenders...so I really need to give them a fair shake I suppose before passing judgment on this one.

At any rate...normalcy rears it's ugly head. Back to the grind - of course we are having the fun of a wonderful blizzard too - but all that does for me is make me want to take a snow day.

For those who grew up with it - remember snow days, how much fun they were...now all we seem to do is bitch about the snow. I LOVE this time of year. I LOVE snow - I really need to learn how to ski or snowboard or simply become a professional iglooist. LOL

Build a snow man - talk your boss into it at work - tell him/her it's a 'team building exercise'. I dare you...

^-^

Write me back and let me know how that goes...

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Saturday, January 24, 2009

YouTube - Shakira - Underneath Your Clothes [VIDEO OFICIAL]

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Going With The Flow: Melted Cheese : NPR

Going With The Flow: Melted Cheese : NPR

Just say CHEESE!

I know it's fattening but baby, we need to look at these recipes.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Obama Inaugural Celebration Concert

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Maternity Dept.: Baby Food: Reporting & Essays: The New Yorker

Maternity Dept.: Baby Food: Reporting & Essays: The New Yorker



This article was brilliant and made me squirm...it takes a lot for an article to make me squirm. In general, the articles from 'The New Yorker' are thought-provoking, and dead on - which is why I have a subscription to begin with.

My own first experience with breast feeding (or rather my decision about breast feeding) was somewhat of a nightmare. I was very young, and, I had just been through 48 hours of labour with the birth of my daughter. I was approached by people at the hospital and made to feel like some kind of moron for choosing to bottle feed. I did not have a mom to talk to, no one in my immediate circle of friends talked about breast-feeding and in fact, everyone I knew, including my own siblings had ALL been bottle fed. So to me it was only natural to breast feed. Looking back on this I wish I had decided differently for many reasons.

With the birth of my son, 6 years later, not only did I know more, but I STILL decided to bottle feed. To my consternation and horror, I was treated even worse.

This is a touchy subject - aren't they all? Like most things what is best for the child should prevail - and again I probably should have chosen differently...but I also believe in the right of individuals to decide what works best for them. Attaching a political agenda to the very personal decision to breast feed may seem OK in a Dr. Spock sort of Utopian dream...but in the end it does not add value to us. As the article so rightly points up, what is more important to a baby? Breast milk or time with mom? Further, if we are going to end up putting our kid in kennels for children (day care) then what good does breast feeding ever do when said children are going to be exposed to not just germ-filled, mass baby-sitting centers - but places where children seldom get any one-on-one attention and the average kids manners are worse than a typical baboon...because who truly cares about really taking care of kids in a kennel?

Just curious. Not that anyone ever weighs in on my ponderings...however, I have to say that any benefit from suckling our children surely disappears once they are loosed into society in general.

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Who would Jesus Bomb??? WTF?

To my post condemning the Israelis for bombing a UN (that's the UNITED NATIONS BTW my dear)office, thus causing a warehouse of food that was to be used for HUMANITARIAN purposes, to burst into flames, my daughter answered:

"i agree.. the ppl in Gaza are idiots, and this should end, i think the terrorists should get on their hands and knees and wash the rulers of Iserial's feet .. :)

lol.. i know i know thtas not what you meant, i think we have very diffrent oppions on this subject ;) but thats why i love you :P
"

First off my daughter, I love you too. Secondly, (and this is mainly to my friends who are Jewish) - I am not trying to open a can of worms, politically or religiously, I don't agree with Hamas' bombing of Israel, nor do I support terrorism)

BUT...

...really my dear - are the innocent children in Gaza idiots? How would you feel if someone didn't like YOUR Jesus/God and decided to BOMB YOUR CHILDREN? Or keep you from getting medicine for your baby who's sick, or keep you in refugee camps?

So my question my darling daughter - is found in the title of this post....

WHO THE FUCK WOULD JESUS BOMB???

I am afraid I have your answer....

No one.

Does it sound like a very compassionate or CHRISTIAN thing to do - bombing children? Starving them? Keeping them from medicine? *I* certainly don't think so...but hey maybe your Jesus is just that kind guy.

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Thursday, January 15, 2009

Israeli forces shell UN office in Gaza - Yahoo! News

Israeli forces shell UN office in Gaza - Yahoo! News

...idiots...

Isn't it time to stop this?

Obama tells daughters he ran for president for them, all children - Yahoo! News

Space Spotlight: Amateur astronomers show off - CNN.com

Chocolate: A Food Without Borders : NPR

Chocolate: A Food Without Borders : NPR

That's it - it's decided - I am moving to Spain - to Erin - pack your bags...

Or I need to at least make this at home...chocolate for breakfast? I am in heaven....maybe God/dess is a big bowl of dark chocolate...

A Moment Frozen (literally) in Time

Mornings like todays make me realize how beautiful life is…how fragile and fleeting our existence is…

The moon still bright in the blue, early morning sky….icy cold hangs on the air, snow is everywhere, covering the earth, the trees and the sight, the feeling just takes my breath away. I want to wake up the universe – which is exactly the way it should be despite my intentions, and share (not to be trite but some of you may remember the old Coca-Cola commercial ‘I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony…’ yeah something like that. kind of sentiment).

I so very much want this feeling, this vision to last with me all day long…all life long. I arrive at work, a whirlwind of ‘do this, plan this, cancel that, work on this project etc..and, it’s hard to remember the moon, the sky, the feeling, (not the fragility though), and perhaps that is why I wrote this down – to freeze that moment in time – that moment where I feel so connected to everyone around me – and while I’d like to share with my loved one(s), with others…I guess in the end that doesn’t matter – it’s my own personal communion with the universe…

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Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Posthuman Blues: Cliff Pickover

Posthuman Blues

Stealing from Mac - who quoted Clifford A.Pickover

Spreadsheet Abuse - By Lagged2Death

Spreadsheet Abuse - By Lagged2Death

I have a friend....he is brilliant...he is actually married to one of my other friends (she is brilliant too)...they are brilliant people (yeah so shiny we may need sunglasses to view them) - anyhow - I always loved this post and now I have finally found it again - Eureka!

Nine-year-old carried friend to safety after hit-and-run accident - 1/14/09 - Houston News - abc13.com

Coed Virginity Auction for Over $3.7 Million: Natalie Dylan eBay Vagina - Tittle-Tattle Too™: The Post Chronicle

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Rudy’s Blog � Blog Archive � Writing SF UFO Novels

Rudy’s Blog � Blog Archive � Writing SF UFO Novels

Not only did I find Mr. Rudy Rucker's blog (which shame on me for not finding this sooner...), but now I find out that Mr. Mac Tonnies (Posthuman Blues) got mentioned by him...

Neato!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

New Year (same shit - Kinda) - 3:30 AM and here I am

(EDIT: My life actually IS different - I am not dealing with the EXACT same shit - but there are still things I'd rather not deal with - read on....)


Actually our New Year celebration was very nice. We went to an open bar, decent dinner, DJ & dancing, champagne toast and continental breakfast at our local parish social hall and met another nice couple - hopefully we will get to see them again. We then went to a nice hotel (which has a lovely Victorian feel to it), where we rang in the New Year intimately. I was so surprised, Erin had gone there earlier in the day to check us in and he had set the room up...there were tulips in a vase, more champagne, fresh coffee for in the morning and a note from my wonderful hubby waiting for me...

I love you Erin.

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

Just got back from being out with my siblings and with my love seeing a great local blues Band ( Colin Dussault's Blues Project ). I have been going to see Colin off and on since the early 90s...his act has changed quite a bit and evolved over the years (for instance, I never thought I'd hear him play Led Zeppelin or Reggae) - but he still smokes it on his harmonica and his band is tight - We Love You Colin!

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

Ready to kill some people - and figure out a way to hide the bodies...but seriously...the people who thought 'No child left behind' was a good idea...mothers who can't seem to figure out how to discipline themselves let alone their children...and the institution of divorce...yes that's right I said institution of divorce. I have never in my entire life felt more like 'Molly in the Middle' than I have of late...

Yeah. Remember (if you are old enough) that stupid musical thingy called 'Up with People' - well I think it's time for 'Down with People' - hell let's go to the extreme here and simply bring back the Coliseum and instead of 'Christians' we'll just throw idiots to the lions...



I had the day from hell (just during the day) - the job took a weird turn and after this morning's rough start I just didn't feel like dealing with the shit....still don't but we'll see - the idea of just leaving it all behind to live in the wilderness is sounding so good...

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

WHAT.THE.FUCK. is up with bimbo-bleach-blond-botox-injecting-nip-tuck-queens who think that because they are all that, while cavorting around with a man who looks old enough to be their grandfather, simply because he obviously paid for such accoutrements, drives a corvette or some such shit, but is still bald and his penis is still small - why do they think it is OK to be so rude - does 'fake' beauty now buy you a get out of jail free card on the rudeness front? I am somehow getting too old and too impatient for people

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

Anyhow...

Meanwhile my cat 'Spud' sits here contemplating the existentialism of meat....

So it's almost 4AM (Do you know where your children are? Sorry wrong conversation...)- and back in the day I used to be up like this writing - more like lamenting my lot in life - what's really changed? Well most evenings I have an incredible husband to snuggle with, and really even though there is crap going on in my life that I wish were not happening I am still blessed, madly in love, and hopeful for the future and I could not say that way back when...I knew there was always light at the end of the tunnel - but the darkness seems so pervasive....

Did I say I love you Erin?

I am off to bed soon...and it's been snowing wOOt and I can not wait to go play in the snow.

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Friday, January 02, 2009

The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center's Great American Think-Off.

The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center's Great American Think-Off.

The Great American 'think-off'...wow now THERE'S a concept...Americans actually thinking - will wonders never cease.

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Media takes...

(Yeah...this STILL isn't a post about New Year....)

So over the past couple of day's it's been movie time at our place. For Christmas, Erin bought his daughter some anime films (good dad, cool kid)....at any rate one of them was 'Howl's Moving Castle' - I had missed this when it was out in theatres previously (I am feeling rather guilty about all the anime I missed...)

I would highly recommend this movie - it is 'Steam Punk' at it's finest and beautifully done - I find though, like most Japanese films it is a little heavy on the 'moral of the story crap'....but still it is worth checking out...do so.



Last night, after having a couple of our friends over for brunch which then turned into watching 'Howl's' with them, Erin and I had an 'interlude' and then sat down to watch another movie (thanks to Hulu)....

There are very few movies I have seen that linger the way a bad dream does with me - this movie was one of them - not in terms of how 'awful' it was but in terms of how intense, profound and in this case tragic the story is...

Again it seems a case of 'day late dollar short' syndrome with me as I had certainly meant to see this film in the theatres when it came out because I am a huge fan of independent and foreign films and one of my 'I gotta get back to doing this' 'resolutions' is to start going to see independent and foreign films again....

'21 Grams' is an incredible film - just watch it and yes if you have the 'soul' it refers to (or at least that is whet *I* think Sean Penn is referring to at the end of the film) you will definitely feel the weight and burden of having a conscience with this one. I feel this film is a must see.

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A day in the life....

Happy New Year everyone! (More on that later)

I am off work today and actually sitting in a coffee shop blogging...something I rarely do...

I am fortunate enough to be downtown today and hanging out with my love. We went to mass together in the Cathedral (which was decorated still from Christmas and utterly breath-takingly beautiful, and afterwards, we got to have lunch together. I then went shopping and now I am sitting here enjoying a strong cup of coffee and writing about sitting here having a strong cup of coffee (like an infinity mirror only different *smirks*)....sitting here amongst the bike messengers and people who seem to have time on their hands as it is late afternoon and all the corporate-whore types are actually at work (at least I am guessing...).

I found a couple of neat things shopping - a pair of warm boots (that look like Uggs for really cheap), a burgundy coloured scarf/wrap to put on my head and shoulders for a great price and the store where I made the purchase, all of their proceeds go toward philanthropic causes (I could not find a floppy hat-like thingy to keep my head warm but I plan to still find one somewhere...), and, I also bought a very sexy bra and panty set for really cheap (because I am cleaning out my old stuff and replacing things) - I love to shop and it's been a while sinc I shopped downtown here in Cleveburg so it was kind of nice...

There is a different feel to downtown right now - I worked here for over 1/2 a year recently and it always felt rushed, cold, indifferent - but, perhaps because I am more relaxed and it is the day after a holiday there's a different feel. I dream of having the kind of life where I can live leisurely and go to coffee shops and hang out and have philosophical discussions, drink coffee and write about life....not sure if that is ever going to happen - I file it away with the dream about living in a seedy little apartment in Paris where I give in to all of my vices and write a novel extolling the virtues of being an ex-pat in Paris....not sure if it qualifies as a dream or a fantasy at this point...

Anyway it's nice to be here like this writing (even if it is mundane dribble about my life), enjoying the atmosphere and drinking coffee and contemplating getting a chocolate croissant.

I hope the year brings many moments to you that you enjoy and remember to relish and savour.

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