12.30.03
I had a disturbing cynical moment this morning while watching the news. Tom Ridge was speaking about raising the national threat level, and it all of a sudden hit me...this man's sole qualification for being the first secretary of Homeland Security is the fact that on September 11, 2001, one of the airplanes most likely intended for Pennsylvania Avenue instead crashed in Pennsylvania while he was governor. Seriously. Check out his biography on the DHS Web site. It talks about how he cut taxes and brought education and healthcare to low-income children. He did get drafted for Vietnam and he earned a Bronze Star for Valor...I'll give him that. But what else makes him more qualified for this position than a career officer? Am I being way too sacrilegious right now? Should I move out of the way of the ensuing lightning bolt?
return to 11.30.04 contemplation.
12.28.03
The hourglass is nearly in need of turning once more.
I finally read what was probably the best selling fiction novel of this past summer, The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown. As a one-tme prisoner now surely exile from the religious realm, I have mixed feelings over this book. However, I do believe that anyone who wishes to pry open their minds a little in regard to different paths and different truths should seriously consider reading this novel.
And there is my final literary plug for 2003.
12.25.03
No diatribes this morning. May we all have peace in the coming year.
12.20.03
Countdown to Christmas begins...5 days left! And guess who's going out to fight the crowds? Yeah, I'm a masochist at heart.
So my latest news obsession has absolutely nothing to do with politics. There's a shock right there, no? It actually has to do with the Hampton Court Palace ghost whose image was supposedly captured on one of the palace's closed circuit security cameras. The skeptical side of me is whispering that this is just a holiday hoax to bump up the crowds. But that part of me that is still addicted to the Shadowlands Web site and that still loves a good scare is really hoping that this isn't a hoax. Guess I need to go back to London ASAP to check this out for myself...
12.17.03
Opening night for the movie "my people" are going crazy over. Seeing all those people standing in line for tickets to The Return of the King made me reminiscent. I haven't seen that many pointy ears since the last time I went to a Star Trek convention (and, yes, I gladly admit that I have actually been to several Star Trek conventions).
Better be nice...Santa is loading up his sled even as we type...
12.08.03
I just read an article in which Rush Limbaugh accuses the Democratic party of attacking him because of his pill "problem." His lawyer is quoted in the article as saying, "They [Democrats] are looking to publicly embarrass him and affect his radio program. Why is Rush Limbaugh the only person treated like this in America?"
Hmm...if I remember correctly, hasn't Limbaugh previously called for the immediate incarceration of drug users? Yet, funny, he's back at his job, raking in lots of cash to cry foul on his talk show and to push the blame off onto others, even after he's admitted to his "problem." Call it a problem and I guess you shouldn't have to serve time? And why is Limbaugh the "only person treated like this" in a society where someone of lesser financial worth would have been thrown into jail without a second thought? I think that's a great question. Why is Limbaugh being treated with such obvious favoritism?
12.05.03
I struck upon a disturbing realization this morning. I awoke, opened my eyes, and realized that the bedroom was bright as day from light reflecting off a fresh layer of fluffy snow. The first thought I had? "I'm going to have to drive to work in this crap with every other mucking foron who has to hit the streets this morning!" With that first thought on the first snow of the season I realized, it has begun. I'm starting to think like a work-weary adult. A little piece of me died this morning...
Amusing little tidbit for the day: Thanks to some devilishly ingenious Democrat doing a little "Google-bombing," as of this moment (and, I hope, for quite some time to come), you can go to www.google.com, type in "miserable failure" (without the quotation marks), and click on the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button for quite an amusing surprise...amusing, at least, to Democrats and Republicans with a healthy sense of humor ;-)
12.03.03
Post, post, post-Turkey Day contemplations. I've been so bogged down lately with frustration and anger about things over which I have no or limited control and it's taken a physical toll on me. Unhappiness is very draining. Then I found myself sitting at the dinner table on Thanksgiving, surrounded by family I absolutely love, enjoying a phenomenal dinner prepared by my 17-year-old cousin who has future culinary aspirations. Something clicked inside me and I realized that, yes, things are a bit unpleasant right now in certain realms of my life. But overall things are great. Odd trigger for a new outlook? Maybe not. I'm now a little less surly (I hope) and a little more thankful for the important things in life that I wasn't seeing for a while. Oh, and I can't wait to bring my friends to my cousin's restaurant one day.
Who knew that freshly baked biscuits and kick-ass apple crumble pie were epiphany foods?
11.21.03
I'm still confused and frustrated by the fact that the D.C. United just signed a 14-year-old to a 6-year contract. Yeah, the kid is super smart and is graduating high school a year early...but how much focus will the media place on that? His family might think education is important, but those marketing him will only focus on his athleticism. Intelligence just doesn't sell tickets and merchandise...
Do we really need to place even less importance on education in this country?
11.18.03
Mickey Mouse turns 75 today. How is his empire celebrating? With the launch of an 18-month marketing bonanza. I can understand that. The mouse is only worth a paltry $47 billion right now. Not good enough, dammit! Not good enough!
In another fiduciary news, Hollywood studios are whining about how stores are selling new DVD releases at unacceptably low prices. Might I make a friendly suggestion? Why don't you learn a lesson from the music industry, and shut the hell up? After all, DVD-RW drives are starting to be sold at "unacceptably low prices" as well...capite?
11.16.03
I just finished an article on how American companies are trying to accomodate our ever-expanding derrieres. Companies are actually making their money supplying larger seats for our already-too-large cars and in theatres, stadiums, and other public venues where we waddle our excess baggage to sit for long periods of time. And since those of the obese set will need special ammenities for the afterlife, there's Goliath Caskets, built for the husky dead. There's even talk of lawsuits against "Big Food" (as though it's of the same evil level as Big Tobacco). Of course, it wouldn't be America if there weren't litigious activities galore, right?
God forbid we should invest time into exercising and taking responsibility for what we shovel into our mouths. Isn't it great to live in a country where nothing is ever our fault?
11.09.03
Back on American soil am I. It seems almost like a lifetime ago that I was here...yet it also seems like I paused but a moment in jolly old England. I'm certain that I'm going to suffer from Anglophile malaise for quite some time...
Among the many awakenings I experienced, I've realized that the United States is so transient. While in London, I felt the weight of history all around me. The importance of every little detail. That's something that I've never felt while here, even with living on the fringe of D.C. With very rare exceptions, nothing here is permanent. We build only to destroy the construct and build something new. How can one feel security when the familiar is demolished without thought?
On a lighter (and stranger) note, I typically ended my days by blowing soot out of my nose. Made me feel strangely Dickensian. I also rediscovered old friends from my childhood (Paddington, Peter, and Penfold...just to name a few). Danger Mouse really is a power house, Camden Town rocks, Doc Martens are just another shoe, and with kids like Charles, God really does need to save the Queen.
Once again it's time for bed...oh, and, Penfold? Shush.
11.06.03
Day number 3 in loverly London, and I have to say that I am greatly regretting that my time here is almost over. This is most definitely an experience that I'm going to have to repeat as soon as humanly (read: monetarily) possible.
I've seen and done lots since I last contemplated...but I have to say that tonight was a blissfully placid piece of heaven. I've always been the introverted people watcher...but tonight, I became an international observer. I sat on Trafalgar Square, drinking a latte and just taking in everything...the sounds of German, English, Irish, Scottish, Asian...a symphony of accents and dialects all around...and I felt so at ease. So comfortable. I hope that this is a skin that I can slip into many more times in my future...
Off to sleep...pip, pip, cheerio, and all that...oh, and my bit of advice? Mind the gap.
11.04.03
More than 3,000 miles and a complete world away from the Americana experience I call home and I'm still able to make updates to the lair...god, I love interconnectivity...
My jaded American side wants to look around me and sneer, "Big deal...another dirty city." But today I stood inside a church that was built when my homeland was still, in human comparative terms, a stumbling infant in diapers. Quite a humbling experience.
Everything is so backward to me. You would think, being left-handed, that I would be able to adapt better...I'm still having a difficult time figuring out which way to look before I cross the street. Guess that's the real reason we were taught to look both ways, hmm?
Off for more new experiences...Cheers!
11.01.03
I spent Halloween night in my veal pen, typing so much that my fingers are actually stiff this morning. I'm mildly annoyed...however, I'm hopping the pond for some face time with the Queen's loyal subjects. Perhaps I'll blend so well in my motherland that I won't ever want to come home. No worries though. Web sites are global.
London, baby!
10.21.03
Perhaps it's just me...I distinctly remember hearing little "w" say repeatedly when he ran for president that he would bring dignity and integrity back to the White House. Did anyone else hear him say that? So is that what he's doing...he's bringing integrity with his double-digit IQ comments like "Bring it on" when it's not his ass out there, being bombed and shot at by those who are supposedly grateful for our presence in their country...he's being dignified when he refuses to search out the dangerous imbecile(s) in his White House who leaked the identity of an undercover CIA operative because her husband dared to disagree with his regime...or when he staffs his propoganda machine with those who create letters of support "written from the trenches by the troops fighting for freedom," even though the letters all read the same and some troops outright state that they never agreed to sign their names to them...
Yes, I feel the integrity flowing from the White House. In fact, I feel almost knee-deep in integrity.
10.17.03
Hmm...it seems that I'm making this a weekly blog, rather than a daily or semi-daily occurrence. I know that I said early in my entries that I wouldn't do this every day...but this is getting ridiculous...
I haven't had my usual time to peruse the papers and become annoyed over what I'm reading. Perhaps that's for the best. I'm too young to have high blood pressure. Besides, life seems to be upsetting enough without the addition of infuriating news. On to happier topics for now...
I'm going to see Brett Butler when she comes back into town this November. Yeah, she's had problems. Yeah, she's had a rough life. She's also a comedic goddess and one of the best writers I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I've made a promise to myself to never miss her when she's in the D.C. area. I encourage others to make the same promise. You wouldn't be sorry if you did.
10.12.03
The Fates have been kickboxing my life a little more excessively than I would prefer as of late. Believe me, I've got lots to say on the matter...but I don't want to seem ungrateful for the small silver lining that still glimmers around the edge of my steadily darkening cloud. So I opted to whisper my woes into Jose Cuervo's ear on Friday. It's only a bad thing if I did this alone...which, believe me, I haven't done yet. The Fates are kickboxing my friends around, too...
Never mind that though...so the Terminator is now California's governor. I don't know which fact bothers me more: that California actually voted him into office, or the fact that I didn't even blink at the announcement. My desensitization is nearly complete.
BB is now 28. If you're reading this from wherever you are, I hope you didn't think I'd forgotten. I'm sure you're wearing your age well. I'm still doing the annual birthday ritual for you, and I hope you're still growing happier each day.
9.25.03
"Four legs good, two legs bad!"
9.23.03
Seeing a photo of John Ashcroft standing at a podium decorated with the text "lifeandliberty.gov," issuing his stricter prosecutorial guidelines evokes thoughts of the ministry of love in my mind.
Sometimes ignorance truly must be bliss, because knowledge of this kind makes me very unhappy.
9.22.03
The Brookings Institution released a report at the beginning of September discussing how the size of the federal government has actually increased by 1 million workers since little "w" came into office. Increased, you ask? But we all thought that little "w" was against big government!
In truth, the number of civilian service jobs has declined, according to the Brookings report. Want to know the secret source of this sudden growth? Contract workers, baby! Government agencies are taking contracts away from one business that can take care of all of the contract's needs, unbundling the contract's facets, and farming each piece out to several small businesses that meet the government's 8(a) criteria.
All part of the little "w" administration's small business agenda. The agenda that little "w" claims will "[s]ave taxpayers dollars by ensuring full and open competition to government contracts."
Right...and it's about as successful an idea as the little "w" steel tariffs.
9.19.03
I'm not much for organized sports in this country. I find it vulgar how we have created athletic Frankensteins of avarice and arrogance, lavishing their useless tricks with millions of dollars while our teachers need to take second jobs and our streets still witness the indignity of homelessness. But this is a rant for another entry...
As I was saying, I'm not much for organized sports in this country. However, I've been left in silent awe of Neil Parry. I envy the fact that he has found such strength and resolve within himself. I can only hope to find such focus for something in my own life.
9.19.03 :: Aftermath?
Again the federal government is closed. Doesn't it make the workers wonder, are they at all necessary?
We lost power in our apartment complex at around 1:00 a.m. Even half asleep, I realized the surreal beauty of complete darkness.
Power is back though, and life continues...for some. Most, I think, have chosen to remain indoors for the moment. That's fine with me...I like the quiet.
9.18.03 :: Hurricane Isabel edition--9:30 p.m. with artistic reflection as I walk my dog
Smoke wisp clouds--violet in the glare of city lights still burning; silver over the dark of powerless streets--mottle and streak indigo sky.
The rain has stopped--Mother Nature's respite of water and wind near the midnight hour. Trees glow iridescent with waxy leaves shining wet and bright.
Isabel rests.
9.18.03 :: Hurricane Isabel edition--3:30 p.m. and it finally begins
I think this is going to be the final update for the day (I've hit a record for entries today, no?). It's finally starting to look properly foreboding, and I believe I may be freed from my pen early today (either by company choice or by...personal furtive movements).
Time to go watch Mother Nature at her canvas...it's a thrilling sight to see...
9.18.03 :: Hurricane Isabel edition--1:30 p.m. and there's rain
The most powerful government of the most powerful nation in the world is now officially closed. Because of rain. And a little wind. It's at a moment like this when I wouldn't live anywhere else on earth.
So, I don't even know that much about Wesley Clark yet, and already the daily rag has moved on to speculate about Hillary Clinton's potential entrance into the Democratic fray. Someone needs to take the controls of this ever-growing train. Anyone? Hello?
9.18.03 :: Hurricane Isabel edition--11:30 a.m. and still waiting...
Oh, but she is beautiful...
Thank you, NASA, for this breathtaking photo.
9.18.03 :: Hurricane Isabel edition--8:30 a.m.
I'm sitting in my little veal pen (read: work cubicle), staring out the windows, waiting for the portentous arrival of Isabel. Only those who live in or have ever lived in the D.C. area could understand the hype that we inject into a mere meteorological event. Even one of this magnitude can be embellished to god-like status. At this point, I'm almost certain that Isabel has risen to the right hand of Zeus in her powers. Thank the gods that we never saw the likes of Hugo in this area. I don't know what we would have done...
On a more politically minded jag, I still believe that we can make a difference if we just make the effort to make our thoughts known. I also believe that politicians are only as powerful as we allow them to become. Finally (for now), I truly believe in the quote, "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely." It's time to start raising our voices a little louder. It's time to stop the power-hungry from believing that they have absolute power. Maybe Isabel will take some of the trash in D.C. with her when she sweeps through...we just need to help her out a little bit.
9.17.03 :: midday edition
John Ashcroft is defending the USA PATRIOT Act's provision that the Department of Justice can subpoena library records to see what we're reading. Oh no. Now they'll see that I recently read The Stepford Wives and my plot to replace little "w" with his Disney audio-animatronic peer will be thwarted.
If I were Ashcroft, I think I would be more worried about the American people actually reading this piece of Orwellian drivel.
By the way, USA PATRIOT is actually an acronym. It stands for "Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism." Doesn't it warm your heart and chap your ass to know that your tax dollars helped pay for word jockeys to come up with this absolutely useless manipulation of emotion-inducing verbiage?
9.17.03
So, I forgot another Isabel-inspired funny moment from yesterday. The Today Show interviewed Tom Ridge for his words of guidance pertaining to the hurricane. The Secretary of Homeland Security? Interviewed because of a hurricane? "We must rise up against Mother Nature's terrorist attacks!"
Next step: little "w" will wage war on the environment.
Oh wait...
9.16.03
Irritations abound anymore. I'm stressing about things that really shouldn't stay on my mind 24/7; however, I'm glad to see that I can still revel in my gallows humor. Case in point: My apartment complex's leasing office, in their infinite wisdom and caring, has provided us all with a handy hurricane survival guide in light of Isabel's imminent arrival. They also provided a tornado survival guide, just to be extra safe.
The hurricane guide tells us all to fill our bathtubs with water, which we could drink or fill our toilets with in case we lose our water service. Rather clever, right?
The tornado guide tells us that, in the event of a "twistah," we should lie on our sides in our bathtubs and cover ourselves with pillows and blankets.
Guess we shouldn't forget our snorkles?
9.09.03
I had a wonderful weekend. I went to a lovely wedding, learned that I liked Czechoslovakian beer, had lots of mind-stretching, sometimes philosophically tinged conversations with old and new friends, and rejoiced at the liberal stirrings of registered voters who all said the same thing: The regime must end. Warms my bleeding heart to hear such speak.
Another joyful moment that warrants documenting: Opus is returning!
I'm in such a lovely, upbeat mood that it would almost be a shame to bring up how disgusted I am over little "w" now demanding $87 billion to finish his crusade. Or how vulgar I find the RIAA.
Instead, I will happily reflect on the fact that my alma mater hosted Howard Dean last evening. I wonder if he rubbed Testudo's nose for good luck...?
9.05.03 :: p.m. edition
Lest I leave on such an angry note, I just wanted to breathe a sigh of relief...it's 5:15 and I may now amble home for 2 days of non-work-related endeavors.
Everybody's workin' for the weekend...
9.05.03
Last night our president...our little "w"...the leader of the most powerful nation in the world...asked a most contemptible question of his constituents: "Are you ready for some football?"
No, I'm not ready for a mind-numbing, violent bacchanalia of American avarice and vulgarity. I am, however, quite ready to oust little "w" for a president who won't insult my intelligence or my integrity by trying to feed me the unpalatable statement that football "celebrates the values that make our country so strong." Note to little "w": Celebrating the antics of overpaid men wearing spandex while our soldiers continue to be killed under your regime does not make our country strong.
I can only hope that, come November 2004, we will teach little "w" what truly makes our country so strong: the right to choose a leader who isn't one rung away from Cream of Wheat on the evolutionary intelligence ladder.
9.04.03
I'm officially another year older, although I won't share what day this age advancement occurred. I'm also officially a virus carrier, which I'm sure makes my coworkers ever so happy to see me back in the office. My head is swimming with antibiotics, vitamins, and the insanity of American politics, which I just can't stop reading about even though it's probably proving detrimental to my health. I'll have more coherent thoughts later, I'm sure. For now, though, my favorite line from a great song...
I was born with my hand in a fist and my eyes shut tight. Any wonder that I cannot resist punching blindly in a fight...
8.28.03
I've been away from my written contemplations for a while. Life continues without my commentary...
The Cornflake Girl came home last night. The skies wept at the beauty of her voice and the gods threw down their thunderbolts to celebrate her return. Even Mars drew nearer to listen as she took us all to Venus and back. I endeavor to bask in her glory whenever she returns...and if you don't understand what I have written, then it is most definitely your loss.
Give me life, give me pain, give me myself again...
8.15.03
Riddle me this: What do you call a barrage of continuous-loop imagery accompanied by the drone of "experts" who fill the silence left by no relevant updates with the empty echo of speculation? I don't know what you call it in your hedonistic lands, but we call it news in this here Couric-fearing country! Who needs substance when we've got snazzy graphics and crescendoed music to announce nonstop coverage of Blackout 2003! In a related news story, the rest of the world finds great humor in "the superpower with the Third World grid" (a description from a former U.S. energy secretary, ha!)
Personal non sequitur: My idea of accessorizing today for Casual Friday included a non-white-collar-regulation leather wrist cuff and black Doc Martens. I still get carded in bars and liquor stores, but a weird thought this morning about my 10-year high school reunion and my impending annual date with Cronos (I'm still a Virgo) has for some reason caused a disturbance in my still, yet colorfully deep waters. I think tonight I'll play video games while blasting music that I still consider cool and pretend for a night that my biggest worry is making it to the next level (do with that what you will).
Viva la payday...
8.13.03
Surely I must be remiss in my categorization of important news stories. Here I am, reading articles on Kenyan children who have been orphaned by the AIDS epidemic in Africa and I'm completely oblivious to the fact that Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez might no longer be on their joint quest for marital bliss, even though the article is right there on my local newspaper's front page. Where are my priorities?
8.07.03
So Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to run for governor of California. Why not? He's pretended to serve in combat situations, he's got political prowess through familial connections, he's adored by the masses for his visceral rather than intellectual attraction (how popular would Conan the Librarian have really been?), he depends on glib sound bites that don't carry any weight but sound so damn cool (kind of like "weapons of mass destruction")...sounds like he's just one step away from being the perfect Commander in Chief. Damn that nasty rule that you can't run for U.S. President if you weren't born an American citizen...
8.06.03 :: p.m. edition
An article on the invasion of Hummers as recreational vehicles in this country contained the following quote from a Hummer owner: "The most fun thing I do with it is climb over rocks. I drive to spectacular views which would normally take me all day to hike to." God forbid one should put physical effort into reaching a desired place when they can disrupt nature and those trying to enjoy it.
8.06.03
This morning there was a special report on NBC's Today Show about how distractions while driving (for example, applying make-up, eating food, fidgeting with electronic gizmos) can cause deadly accidents. When did we become a nation that needed to be spoon-fed the obvious as "scientific study" pabulum?
8.01.03
It seems that one of the major remaining differences between Republicans and Democrats has to do with the basic mathematical elements of minus versus plus. Republicans believe in tax cuts. Tax cuts subtract money from government funds. Less funding means cutbacks, usually to those "nonessential" institutions like public and higher education. Funding cutbacks lead to the subtraction of jobs. Sort of has a "trickle down" effect, doesn't it? However, it's not all about subtraction: 1) cutting jobs adds to the unemployment rate, and 2) cutting funding to state university systems leads to an increase in tuition. Of course, this latter "positive" effect does lead to another subtraction: Higher tuition means fewer students from working class families will be able to afford college educations, especially since there's less money going into scholarships and grants.
On the other hand, Democrats believe in funding surpluses. This then helps them in their crusade to throw large amounts of money at even the most miniscule problem. It also allows for a greater degree of waste (or have you not seen the articles on personal purchases to government employee credit cards?), which sounds like a big negative to me.
Isn't there a happy medium somewhere?
7.28.03
Have you seen those new "mini cards" that credit card companies and banks are sending with your regular credit and check cards? They're supposed to fit on your key chain along with your other plastic "bonus cards" (Petco, CVS, Food Lion...you get the picture). Pessimistic thought for those who are about to add that mini credit card to the mix: Do you know how much you can purchase on a credit card without having to sign a damn thing? Gas and online purchases could bankrupt you before you even realized you'd lost your keys. My suggestion? Shred the mini card. Oh, and Happy Monday...
7.27.03
I forgot to mention, I'm not a daily blogger. Off to another topic: At some point, I hope to add a section on favorite books under the "sundry.selections" portion of my site. Until then, here's the latest book that makes me happy: The Wolf: Ghost Hunter by Daniel Leboeuf, with photographs by Thomas Kitchin and Victoria Hurst. I've yet to read any of it. For now, I'm mesmerized by the beauty of those lupine stares.
7.22.03
Beach-inspired thought from my mini-vacation: Why is it anti-American for Larry Flynt to wear an American flag as a diaper, but it's patriotic to cover your bits and pieces with an American flag Speedo? Tangential second thought: Corpulence and Old Glory is truly a combo of American proportions (super-sized, no doubt).
7.18.03
No poignancy today. I'm feeling a little summer sadness setting in. Methinks it's time to find solace in some sun, sand, and swirly blue drinks kissed by Captain Morgan (please forgive my alliterative sentiments...).
7.16.03
Quick Thought: Marilyn Manson and The Matrix are creations of the entertainment industry. Blaming them for the surge in teen violence is akin to suing McDonald's because you're overweight. When parents provide their children with a strong foundation by spending time talking and doing things with them, the movies, music, and video games remain in the realm of entertainment where they belong.
7.15.03
I suppose this part of my site now makes me a blogger. I'll try to be pithy and poignant in my ramblings. Sometimes I hope I'll even be funny or provocative. This entry, however, is for something that's been driving me crazy all summer: The Dixie Chicks. I have three things to say about this "issue," and then I'll let it rest: 1) The First Amendment to the very American Constitution reads in part, "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech..."; 2) Theodore Roosevelt stated in 1918, "To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public"; and 3) French philosopher and writer Voltaire stated, "I may not agree with what you have to say, but I shall defend to the death your right to say it."
So, rage more, Natalie...