Sep 28, 2004

Oh, I just love it when the average joe,... uh, jane... uh, Patti wins. (Who is anything but average...)

You go, girl!

Sep 26, 2004

The Enigma has just cleaned her room. And I mean cleaned. There's actually a rug in there. That one can see.

And she did her laundry. And she put her dishes in the dishwasher. And she picked up after herself.

I suspect this new school has made this improvement.

Either that, or they sent home the clone by mistake.

Sep 18, 2004

"Bradford was given a gift, and he threw it back. If a company gets an advantage, Trump seemed to be saying, that company is smart enough to run with it. No big executive takes a gift given to his company and says 'Yeah, that's great, but I'm such hot stuff I don't need it.' You take every advantage you can and are grateful for them. You may not get another."

And this is why I love The Apprentice. Where else can you get such an education in business for free?

You killed my son."

"Sapir Niederer was charged with defiant trespassing, even though she had a ticket to the rally."

This is free speech? A lone woman with an incriminating t-shirt and a voice. How much do you think you can hide, G? Are you so used to the life of privilege that daddy provided for you that you think you're entitled to it everywhere you go? That all the unpleasantness can be swept under the rug?

People want answers. "Wazz'n me" ain't it.

Sep 16, 2004

From that Crazy Neighbor Lady, via the Linkmeister , who wants to know if anyone else remembers numbers from their past.

2-12-30 the combo to my high school locker (late 60's) I was terrified of not being able to open my locker, being late for class, getting into trouble. Still haunts me.

EL-7-7100 My mother's number at work. I was a latchkey kid, way back on the days when few women worked outside of the home. She did get the summer's off, though, when I was out of school, to keep me out of trouble. Yeah, right.

As for everything else - total blanks. Even the current stuff. Thank the Goddess for pda's.

Sep 12, 2004

Cider Press Hill has broken out the crockpot now that there's a bit of a chill in the air.

One of my favorite cold weather dishes is Cincinatti Chili. Easy to make, with the sweet/spicy/Christmasy tang of cinnamon and cloves and a cocoa surprise. Served over thin spaghetti, it's filling and good for the blood. I recently found a crockpot recipe for it and am eager to give it a try.

Cincinnatti Chili
2 lbs. ground beef
2 c. water
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 large onion, chopped
2 T. chili powder
2 lg. cloves garlic (minced)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 red pepper, cracked
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
5 whole allspice *
5 whole cloves *
1 bay leaf * (Put * items in a cheesecloth bag)
Kidney beans (drained and heated slightly)
Chopped onions
Grated Cheddar cheese

Brown the ground beef, then put in crock pot with water, tomato paste, chopped onion, chili powder, garlic, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, red pepper, cocoa, Worchestershire sauce, and the cheesecloth bag of spices. Cook 8 hours on low. Add beans and cook on high for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve over thin spaghetti and layer with chopped onions and cheese. 6 cups.

Can also be used for chili dogs. Yum!

Sep 11, 2004

"IF — IF these end up being forgeries, one of the interesting subplots will be the timing and method by which they were exposed. We always favor looking at the content and substance over WHO is offering up the information, but in the war that will ensue about WHO gave CBS the potentially phony documents, it is interesting to Note that the right (Drudge, Fox, right-leaning blogs, others) led the way in pointing out the questions we have all been asking — and they were onto the questions, with remarkable detail, relatively soon after the documents were made public. "

Sep 10, 2004

"This nation's future is not about capturing or not-capturing any one mad-dog terrorist. It's not even entirely about any one Texan in the White House. Instead, it's about what is really in our hearts. Are we a nation ready to cede our power completely, with neither check nor balance, to misleading zealots?"

Read the issues. Discuss the issues. Debate the issues. Damn the issues, even. Just Vote.

I am indebted to several bloggers for the reminder that Gen. Tommy Franks, according to Bob Woodward, once called Doug Feith "the dumbest f—-ing guy on the planet."

"The fact that the Republicans chose not only to render the increasing pain of increasing millions invisible but to use it as a punchline tells you all you need to know about the current mindset of the Grand Old Party. And, even more importantly, it offers an unparalleled opportunity for the Kerry campaign to stop defending itself against the flip-flopping caricature of Kerry that Rove has created and start defining who George Bush really is -- a callous leader whose regressive policies have made America a crueler and more dangerous place. "

Some applaud, others cringe as schools get tough on unruly pupils : "The charges were ultimately dismissed, but 'to push a child of that age into the criminal justice system seemed ludicrous,' Levick said. 'Nobody wants their kids to go to a school with dangerous students ... But we don't seem to have figured out yet how to do the sorting of which kids are dangerous, and which aren't.'"

Then work on that, not just on booting them out the door.

It's far too easy for the schools to turn their backs on kids who don't fit the "stay in your seat, fold your hands, stare straight ahead" form of education. Most parents are unaware of their child's right to an individualized educational placement - which means if the school doesn't have a class that fits your child's needs, they have to find it or create it. Few parents realize the options they have. It isn't just Door Number 1 or Door Number 2. It's that if your child needs it, they better be giving you Door Numer 3.

I'm so tired of school programs that focus on building the physical so they can create a sports hero while neglecting the mental that could find a cure for cancer, or AIDS, or world hunger, or corrupt government - something that extends beyond the rah-rah glory of the field and then we could care less what happens to you, you're not our golden boy any more.

Kids are "unruly" for a reason. There may be no supervision at home, too little to eat, no affection or attention. Ridicule in the hallways, or from teachers themselves. Don't just push these kids out to a virtual wasteland. Work on fixing the problem, not building a better band-aid.

Expel them and they won't be disrupting your class any more.

They'll be in the parking lot stealing your car.

Sep 6, 2004

Monday Madness

1. Please tell us a little bit about your job (or your classes).

Helping Luddites integrate technology into their offices.

2. Do you enjoy your job?

Sometimes. Sometimes I wonder "what was I thinking?"

3. What would make your job more satisfying for you?

Steady work at a decent compensation with a lot of flexibility.

4. Name one thing you don't like about your job.

When the people that hire me aren't ready to take a realistic look at what they need and what they must do to get there.

5. Do you feel you are compensated adequately for what you do?

Are you kidding?

6. Any thoughts on social security and health benefits?

Both are joke. One big joke. They must benefit somebody, but it ain't me.

7. What are your thoughts on the current minimum wage?

The biggest joke of all. Who can live on that?

8. What kind of advice do you (or would you) give your children regarding their future and their career choices?

Never stop educating yourself, do something you love, and always be the boss.

9. What is your 'dream job?'

I just can't put my finger on it. It involves teaching, it involves writing, it involves streamlining small/home business processes at little cost.

10. At what age will you be (or were you) able to retire?

Dead.

Caution.

Never leave an open laptop and an unattended rabbit in the same room.


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"... crime itself should be taken as evidence of brain abnormality, even if no abnormality can be found, and criminals treated as incapable of having acted otherwise."

Is free will an illsion? Is all we need do is claim "I didn't do it, it's my brain's fault?" How do you determine those truly clueless about their behaviour and those who are cunningly aware?

Sep 4, 2004

Weekend Wonderings

1. If given a choice, which century would you live in?

This one. Although there are fascinating things about previous centuries, there have never been so many opportunites that affect the world as in this one. The internet and the simple act of blogging has done so much to make the world a smaller place, to show us our "differences" aren't often all that different.

2. If you could make time stand still for everyone else in the world except you, what would you do?

Stop every crime against humanity in process. And tie Georgy-boy's shoelaces together.

3. If you were given magical powers for one hour how would you change the world?

Give everyone a good meal and a safe place to sleep.

Sep 3, 2004

Watched Big Brother last night and there was a portion of the episode I found disturbing. Marvin embarked on a campaign to break up the kissy-kissy alliance between Drew and Diane. A smart move on his part, and Marvin's all about the game. His method is to create jealousy. A simple kiss, in full view of Cowboy, was the weapon of choice. Cowboy, of course, took the bait (little suck-up that he is) and went running to Drew, embellishing all the way. All predictable, with predictable results.

Almost.

Drew confronts Diane. He choses to fully believe Cowboy, who cloaks his insinuations with a good ol boy shrug, instead of the person for whom he professes to care .

And I saw, in that confrontation between Diane and Drew, a sign that too many women ignore. The mark of an abuser.

Drew, with total seriousness, told Diane he wanted to end it. She was incredulous. As her eyes start to tear he just sits there, his face a mask of finality, staring at her misery. And then, when he feels the power of the upper hand, he adds the final blow. As he pushes her down on the bed, he tells her.

He's only kidding. But if it happens again, he'll do it.

Diane, honey, that man has issues. It's only a matter of time before he's thumpin' more than his bible.

So when the final vote is cast and you leave that house, tell him he's an ass.

Then run.

"Four years ago a couple of thousand votes in a single state would have made all the difference."

This statement had a powerful effect on me. If people in this country don't understand anything else about politics, they need to understand this. What we do (or chose not to do) can matter. Not just to us. To the entire world. It's not an ego-boost. It's a responsibility.

Sep 1, 2004

Ah, the month of September. Schools supplies and backpacks. Bus schedules and lunch money. More time for Mom to be someone other than Mom.

But I have always maintained my identity as someone other than just a birthing caregiver. Probably because I grew up in an environment where women worked, sometimes alongside their men, sometimes on their own. Strong women. Educated women. Opinionated women. I was at more of a disadvantage during Women's Lib because I didn't at first understand what all the fuss was about. Liberation from what? My mom worked, drove her own car, had her own money, made decisions. That June Cleever/Donna Reed person was completely foreign to me.

As I got older and knew more of the world, I realized my mother was not quite as independent as I thought. She still had more than a lot of other moms I encountered, but my father definitely ruled the roost. He had to have things his way. Not because women were second-class citizens, just because, well, he had to have things his way. Period.

Still does.

He's hard of hearing now. So he's having a difficult time maintaining control, especially over his granddaughter who is walking the line between being respectful and not taking shit from anybody. Irks him.

Amuses the sh*t outta me.

As unkymoods shows, I'm feeling very happy right now. Some comments from newly-admired blogs (like I don't have enough to read?) and as a bonus something nice is on its way from another favorite blogger.

So when I start bitchin' that I can't get anything done, somebody slap me.

"Shortly after the attack Monday, Gov. Bill Richardson released a statement saying he would propose legislation next year aimed at holding owners of dangerous dogs accountable for their pets."


Hardly necessary. I think when this gets out pit bulls won't be quite so popular anymore...

I mean, um, how much more accountable can you be?

Wow. This is amazing. Ingenuity at its best. Again, wow.