Ginger+Wasabi=Happiness

Blogger needs more colored fonts.

2010-04-30T14:04:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I wish that I could just wear a doctor's note all the time. Yes, I know I just said "sometimes" and "all the time" in one sentence. I'm complicated like that.

The note would say something like:

To whom it may concern:

Angela Desmond has a chronic joint condition that often impedes normal daily tasks. This condition is highly variable. Some days she will have to push herself slowly on her wheeled and be-seated walker to get from bed to toilet. And Angela has the bladder of a chipmunk. Some days Angela will contemplate finding a way to set up a cot directly in the bathroom to prevent the necessity of travel. Sadly, the conclusion is always that the bathroom is too small.

Some days she will be able to do an almost normal amount of things. Please be advised that these are abnormally good days. The days that you are even seeing Angela face-to-face are abnormally good.

Please never say rude things or give those obnoxious eye-rolling looks when Angela informs you of her disability or her inability to do something in particular. It is not fun to have a disability. It is not laziness, or a desire to get out of anything. Stop being a dick [yes, I want a doctor note that tells people to stop being dicks].

Sincerely,
Doctor

It would really simplify things. And it could come with a color code. Like national security. Except less lame (Get it, less lame? Wow, that was not funny at all. I'm terribly sorry).

(Dammit, I have been thwarted in my attempt to be less lame by the lack of color choices)

Today Angela feels:

As she imagines the average person feels.

Crappy, but not distractingly so.

Like this is a lot of pain.

Even the joints in her toes hurt.

Unable to walk more than a few feet.

Unable to walk.

Contrary to what you might be thinking, this is not an attempt to garner sympathy. And certainly not a desire for pity. Pity is icky. If you have a difficult time remembering or understanding that, think "pity" sounds like "potty" and potties are icky.

I'm just lamenting the lack of understanding in the world. And how much easier things would be if I could just have a warning label. Yes, I want to actually wear a label. Ok, "want" is not really accurate. "Prefer to dealing with other people's unfair and obnoxious responses" is more accurate. But it is a lot more words. "Prefer actually wearing a label to dealing with other people's unfair and obnoxious responses" is just so much more unwieldy.

Crap! I forgot to eat today.

I like to steal things from funny people.

2010-04-27T19:09:00.003-04:00

Wow, I haven't posted in almost a year. But I have been inspired. Inspired by Hyperbole and a Half. And now that I am trying to write, I find that I am unable to say anything even remotely interesting. But, hey, I can now say that I have posted. That's something, right? Like breaking the seal. Or losing my cherry. Hmmm. I don't think that one actually works. Unless it really can grow back. Ick. That's a scary thought.

So, I guess I'm stealing. From Allie from Hyperbole. Well, not really. I'm just letting myself rant and babble in a sort of stream of consciousness kind of way. But the difference is that I am not funny. So, I guess I'm not really stealing.

Anyway, love to the internet. Not that anyone, at all, reads this. But that is fine. Because then, you see, I can say whatever I want. And no one will care. No one will ever know what I say. Banana.

I love this video!

2009-06-26T16:47:00.001-04:00

Hilarious and the accents!

2009-06-24T16:30:00.000-04:00

Tears Of A Cloud from Green Thing on Vimeo.

News Opera

2009-06-17T14:20:00.001-04:00

This is hilarious. And educational.

Been gone a long time.

2009-06-17T14:16:00.002-04:00

And I'm only stopping back in to post something I saw on grist. Enjoy.

This is so wonderful!

2009-04-30T16:49:00.000-04:00

I adore this.

Whoa!

2009-04-23T18:55:00.000-04:00

Amazing and Disgusting!

2009-04-17T15:52:00.001-04:00

I love Paul Rudd.

2009-04-17T13:28:00.000-04:00

Who likes Peeps?

2009-04-14T12:43:00.004-04:00

This is a really funny blog in which scenes from the Book of Mormon are enacted by Peeps.

Pope Issues

2009-04-11T12:20:00.000-04:00

Two Guys a Girl and a Pizza Place

2009-04-08T21:38:00.002-04:00

Now, I may be the only one (although I doubt that deeply) but I freaking loved that show.
Anywho, Ryan Reynolds is once more catching my attention with this:
from The Huffington Post

The Canadian Club Scene

This month marks the beginning of the annual Canadian Seal Hunt. The seals are hunted for their pelts which can fetch up to 33 dollars each. The mammals are also used to make beauty products and essential oils.

If you ever want to explore the outer edges of terror, go to Northern Canada. It's a vast, frozen world of jeopardy and instability--pitting man against nature in a desperate, hammerlock struggle for survival. This is exactly why Northern Canada is home to the world's most elite hunters. The average Northern Canadian Male is born with an innate connection to nature and a catalog of keen, natural born, hunting techniques. Although not scientifically proven, he also possesses the strength of at least one ordinary man.

Besides a handful of brave men and women, the North is home to a multitude of lethal, and decidedly carnivorous polar bears, grizzlies, wolves and big cats. All of which are formidable, but absolutely nothing... NOTHING on this great, green, spinning shit-nugget is more malevolent and deeply underestimated than one particular creature in the region: Yes, the blood thirsty, baby seal.

Confronting these menacing assassins of the ice is no small feat. In the "kill or be killed" world of Seal Clubbing, there are but only a few ways to overpower such wicked beasts. The best and most preferable way is of course, napalm. Currently, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police force refuses to sanction this activity based on scientific research that suggests it's "insane." So for now methods must remain traditional. And the Royal Canadian Mounted Police must remain, funless.

The second best way to club a baby seal is to, well, use a club or "baton." This technique is seemingly simple to the dis-educated, but there are in fact subtleties involved. A kind of inexplicable nuance handed down from generation to generation. Not everybody can do it. Here's how it works: approach the creature from the front, maintaining plenty of eye contact. Raise the baton about shoulder height and strike the mammal hard across the face or head (or as hard as you and your son or daughter are able). Now watch closely, to ensure all the innocence has exited the carcass. (And watch your children grow up before your very eyes!) Although it's not recommended for beginners, you may also lure the creature to your baton by whistling, smiling or juggling fresh fish. An alternative - and markedly slower method - includes snuggling with the offending seal until it dies of old age.

Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, I think we can all agree that unspeakable suffering has occurred at the hands (flippers) of these sinister white snow devils. Most recently - in fact just now - they've been coined, "the white-fanged dispensers of death." Little is known of their feeding habits, although it's widely speculated among seal clubbing spokespeople that human toddler brains are the preferred source of nutrition. And cod. As a counter measure, once a year Canadian hunters will selflessly enter an arena of unbridled peril. Broader dangers of the seal hunt include: accidentally clubbing one's own shin, chapped lips, having to get up early, thirstiness, and the all too common: red snowball fight.

It's important to note that an enormous amount of the nation's troops are stationed overseas. So what's to stop a caravan of mercenary infant seals from slogging upon Washington to systematically disable the Capitol's infrastructure? And who'll stop this mincing, white cloud of bloodlust from moving West, to snack upon the ankles and toes of innocent Californians as they socklessly wander their gardens in fluorescent Crocs? That's right, I'm talkin' to me.
In the elite world of professional seal clubbing it's easy to rush to judgment without considering the facts. Animal rights activists and a vast army of unwashed liberal hippies feel compelled to voice their single-sided disapproval. But have they ever risked "it all" for something they believe in? Have they ever heard the call to defend decency and civility? Most important, I'm willing to bet these sanctimonious finger waggers have never experienced the sublime rapture of a mouth watering popsicle, made from frozen seal tears. So before you start tossing around weighty words like, "cruel" and "pointless" and "unthinkable," you may want to try one of those popsicles made from frozen seal tears because they're really really delicious. More delicious than the ones made from panda tears or dolphin tears or other things that cry all the time.

Love this!

2009-04-08T20:37:00.003-04:00

Stolen from The GirlieGirl Army

Lady Parts: A single girl takes on breastfeeding
All three of my cousins and two of my friends, just had babies. Now, a lot of my friends have had children, but never have I been more confronted by breastfeeding than over the last six months. Before I go any further let me say in big bold letters…I HAVE ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY NO PROBLEM WITH BREASTFEEDING. I think women should do it whenever and wherever they please…without a doubt. I feel so strongly about it, in fact, that I have a tendency to “over display” my comfort level with the fact that my friend or relative is breastfeeding in front of me. I turn into a crazy person, twitching and staring so they know I approve, or more importantly, that I don’t disapprove. I’m fully aware that they couldn’t care less about how I’m feeling about their breastfeeding, but no matter, I turn on the “I’m-Totally-Ok-With-Seeing-Your-Boob Show” without fail…Every. Single. Time. I just did it again, this week at a baby shower. The gift circle “Oohs and Ahs” had died down, and I was sitting and chatting with one of my Young Mom friends. She was glowing in that way that new Mom’s glow, and I was desperately trying to hide the fact that I had a hangover from post-show drinks the night before. That’s the thing about being a single, raunchy, comedian at a Springtime baby shower…you walk into a room full of women wearing pastel colors and perfect ponytails, and you smell like red wine and cuss words, with fake eyelash glue still clinging to your eyelids, like you’ve been clinging to your youth…but I digress.
We were finishing up our conversation about whether or not I was dating anybody (another inevitable part of being “the single girl” at a baby shower), when I saw the tell-tale “shifting of the baby and reach into the blouse” move. “Uh oh,” I thought, you’re about to make more of a fool of yourself than you did last night.” And, sure enough, the rest of it went something like this…

“OK, Daiva, be cool. Be cool. I’m sure she knows that you think this is perfectly natural…toootally normal. Don’t freak out and do something weird to prove it to her. OK? What are you doing!? Don’t avert your eyes! She’s going to think you’re embarrassed! Nothing to be ashamed of. You can look at her…go ahead…ya…look right at her. There you go…maybe…um…give her a little wave …Hey, how are you…just sitting here while you’re breastfeeding your baby…I’m totally comfortable with this, FYI…totally looking right at you even though I can totally see your boob…yep, there it is. Doesn’t bother me. A naked boob. No problem. Piece of cake. Absolutely, I can sit right next to you while your baby is sucking on your boob…I mean, breastfeeding… Breastfeeding. I know all the lingo. Like, um…”latch on”, I know that one…at first I thought that was a joke, but it’s not, and I know that now. I can see your nipple. Daiva, relax! Just because you can’t stand naked in the locker room at the gym, doesn’t mean she cares if you can see her nipple! I think you’re looking at her too much. Maybe eat something so she knows you can even eat while she’s breastfeeding…Nice, well done. OK, good…this is a beautiful thing. I am watching my friend feed her baby with her own boob. How beautiful is that?! My friend made milk inside her own body, and then her body sent it to her boob, and now her baby is sucking that milk right out of her boob through her nipple!…That is almost as beautiful as the fact that she made this baby inside her own body and then pushed it out…right out of her jazz…woops, just got a little woozy, maybe don’t think about that part. You know what, maybe let’s stand up and get you a mimosa. But, make sure you don’t look like you’re leaving because you’re uncomfortable. Smile or something…UM, DID YOU JUST GIVE HER A THUMBS UP!?! You’re an idiot.”

I tripped over to the drink area and began the “Just-So-Everybody-Knows-This-Is-My-First-Mimosa-At-This-Babyshower Show,” which involves me first getting a non-achoholic drink and gesturing wildly with it so everyone sees it, and inevitably making myself look very drunk.

I wish I could still afford my therapist.

Love Always,

Daiva

That is so how it is! Although, I think maybe I sound a little less crazy in my head...
Oh, and when you are married replace the inevitable conversation "about whether or not I was dating anybody" with the one about "when I'm going to have one of my own." But that's the only difference. Thank god for drinks at baby showers.

"Judgemental Jonah"

2009-04-08T19:44:00.003-04:00

Let me preface this by saying: I feel like when you publicly ridicule someone (on the record no less) for their choices it opens up your own choices for debate/criticism/etc. Sound fair? Don't make fun of someone publicly on a given topic if you don't want to be discussed in regards to that topic. If you disagree with that let me know, I'm truly curious.

From ecorazzi:

Dennis Kucinich vs. Jimmy Dimora: The Battle Of The Vegan Diet

Vegan rockstar and Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich got a little 1-2 last week when Ohio County Commissioner and party chairman Jimmy Dimora decided to poke fun at his plant-based diet.

According to blog.cleveland.com: ”U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich’s diet is one of Dimora’s frequent targets, and Dimora didn’t miss an opportunity Sunday.”

When Dennis’ vegan meal was served, Dimora requested that Kucinich take his food home with him, saying:

“I don’t want anyone getting sick from that.”

Hey listen, I’m all for joking a guy every now and then, but you’re really gonna suggest that vegan food makes you sick? Yikes! Not to be a Judgmental Jonah, but Dennis looks a hell of a lot healthier then Jimmy if you ask me.

All I’m saying is maybe next time Dimora should skip the ribeye and ask Dennis for a bite of his vegetable wonderfulness…or get a better joke.

I would say that you shouldn't publicly mock anyone's eating habits. But I mean, seriously, the guy is literally morbidly obese, where does he get off judging (especially publicly)? Plus a big WTF, what does he think is going to make people sick exactly?

"No Disrespect"

2009-04-08T17:56:00.000-04:00

Headline: BYU newspapers recalled over spelling mix-up
Ace Stryker - Daily Herald

PROVO -- At Brigham Young University, accidentally labeling Mormon leaders "apostates" is no laughing matter.

All 18,500 issues of the Daily Universe were pulled Monday from shelves around campus after it was realized that's exactly what happened. A photo caption on the front page inadvertently described a group of men pictured as members of the "Quorum of the Twelve Apostates," rather than "Apostles," the correct name of a governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

PS: Apostate= "deserter: a disloyal person who betrays or deserts his cause or religion or political party or friend etc."

Dr. Dreadful

2009-04-07T15:41:00.001-04:00

This is great! For all my fellow Buffy fans...

2009-04-07T14:43:00.000-04:00

Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (Abridged)

I love Al

2009-03-23T12:55:00.002-04:00

“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us the ‘Universe’, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.”

- Albert Einstein

-Snagged from VegDaily
A big thanks to them for uplifting my spirits a bit!

Earth Hour 2009!

2009-03-19T13:22:00.000-04:00

Bunny!

2009-02-28T14:17:00.000-05:00

Captain Planet anyone?

2009-02-27T13:39:00.001-05:00

No surprise but I loved Captain Planet! And now they are showing old episodes! And some never before seen features!
Can you tell I'm excited?
http://www.mnn.com/captainplanet

For all you parents!

2009-02-27T13:34:00.002-05:00

From ecorazzi:

As a new father, I’ve got all sorts of free time — which makes the launch of a new site like Ecorattle seem like a project of insanity with my day-to-day work here at Ecorazzi. However, I need some kind of outlet for all the cool things I’m learning about in the green baby scene, so here she is.

As you can tell by the site’s theme, we’ll be covering almost everything related to green parenting. As a guy leading this effort, I hope I can offer some perspective from that angle and get more dads to chat about their experiences. Obviously, this is a site for parents, so for those of you that have not yet crossed to that side, I understand if you pay a visit once and then move on to Perez Hilton. But eventually, I hope you’ll be able to relate to all the joys, confusion, and wonder that comes with being a mom or dad.

So, when you have a moment, come say hello to Ecorattle. We’re a bit naked still — and just learning how to walk — but hope to up and running more smoothly in another month or so. Oh — and we have a great contest running right now for the complete line of the Kiss My Face Kids line. See you there!

Must Watch!

2009-02-23T17:58:00.000-05:00

No one reads this blog.

2009-02-22T13:37:00.002-05:00

But, I have decided that I am ok with that. Although, it does mean that no one told me that I had a bunch of broken links posted. (All of which I think are now fixed)
Anyway, I just thought I would mention it.
To all you people who aren't reading...
Hehehe.
Aaaalllll by myyyyyseeeeelf.
Ahahahahaha

Found at VeganDad's blog.

2009-02-22T13:07:00.002-05:00

Great blog by the way. Tons of yummy recipes from a parent who understands how hard it can be to get healthy meals out for your kids every day. (I may not know what that is like first hand, but I have tons of second hand experience.)
Anyway, thanks to him for posting about the new kids book That's Why We Don't Eat Animals.
Here is the author's site.
Here is a video about it:

So, what do you think?

2009-02-12T13:10:00.001-05:00

"How to maintain a green, healthy diet on a budget"

2009-02-07T11:45:00.000-05:00

From grist.com

Checkout Line: Lean, green eating machine

How to maintain a green, healthy diet on a budget

Posted by Lou Bendrick (Guest Contributor) at 5:54 AM on 30 Jan 2009

In Checkout Line, Lou Bendrick cooks up answers to reader questions about how to green their food choices and other diet-related quandaries. Lettuce know what food worries keep you up at night.

-----

Dear Lou,

With the economic crunch, how is it going to be possible to afford healthy foods for my family, especially organics? It's not like I can go foraging in the medians of the major roadways.

Karl from Southern California

Take the fast lane to organic.

Dear Karl,

I'm not going to lie to you: Sticking to your budget while eating organically is going to take some work. But I can already tell that you are up for the task. You not only have the good sense to want high-quality food for your family, but you also know enough to stay out of the rubble and shell casings of Southern California's freeway medians.

I have a good feeling about you, Karl. Together, we can circumnavigate the perverse food system that is making many good Americans fall prey to the so-called recession diet, which amounts to buying off-brand marshmallow cereal. (Sigh.)

So, let's roll up our sleeves (not that you need them where you live) and get to work.

• Have a plan before you get to the store. If you don't have a household budget, start one now. If you need help, track your finances on Wesabe where you'll also get tips and support from its virtual community.

Once you know how much discretionary income you have, make "food" a budget item to defend. "There are a lot of other things you can look at to get rid of before you are cutting your food budget," says Jen Rogers, a family finance expert, news anchor for Reuters, and (following the president's lead, I'm all for transparency here) my sister-in-law.

"The absolute last thing that you are going to cut is food. You are going to cut all of your discretionary spending first," she says. "You are going to cut your cable bill, you are going to cut your magazines, before you actually cut what you eat."
Okay! Now that you've killed TiVo, it's time to:

• Perform organic triage. Do the pesticides bother you? Hormones in conventional meat? The treatment of animals? J.D. Roth, founder of the blog Get Rich Slowly advises: "Prioritize based on your own values and focus on those areas where organics make the most sense to you." Roth says many of his readers put organic milk at the top of their lists. Me? I'll sometimes buy conventional produce (and scrub it) if isn't on the Environmental Working Group's "dirty dozen" list.

Hold on Karl, we're not going to the store yet. No matter what you think of PETA, it's time to have a heart-to-heart with the mirror and:

• Rethink meat. If you eat meat, you probably know that conventionally raised meat is inhumane, hard on the environment, and expensive. When pediatrician and author Alan Greene ate only organic foods for three years he chose to cut back on meat to save money. You can, too, by adding meatless meals to your diet using cheap, easy staples such as beans and rice. If you do buy meat, buy cheaper cuts of organic meat, such as a rump roast (!), or consider enlisting your friends to "cowpool" -- buy a large, discounted quantity of organic or local, pasture-raised meat.

Not enough room in your kitchen freezer? "I've seen freezers for a hundred bucks on eBay -- somebody can't wait to get rid of it," says way-honed fitness expert Mark Sisson, who often blogs about thrifty ways to get high-quality protein, his budgetary priority. "So even if you add in the cost of your eBay freezer and the cost of a quarter cow, you're still ahead of having purchased it at the butcher, and you've got a better cut of beef." If you don't want red meat but you're not vegan, look for organic or local eggs. "Eggs are a great source of protein," says Sisson. "And they are not expensive on a gram-for-gram of protein basis."

Next, grab the kids, some scissors and ...

• Clip coupons. You heard it here first: Couponing will replace incentivizing as the new, hot, made-up gerund. Clip (or print) only those coupons you need -- not for new stuff that looks cool (remember, coupons are marketing tools). Finding coupons for organics isn't as easy as sifting through the newspaper circulars, so look for in-store fliers at natural food and grocery stores and in healthy lifestyle magazines (share a subscription with a buddy). If there's an organic brand you really like, check the company's web site for special offers.

Okay, Karl, game on! Grab your canvas bags and let's:
• Shop strategically. Take your list to the store and stick to it. Never shop when you're hungry. (Last time I went to the grocery store on an empty stomach I returned with three different flavors of soy pudding-- and I don't like soy pudding.) Ignore the in-store brownie samples -- you're better than that. Shop as much as you can in the outer aisles, where fresh food usually is located, and less in the center aisles, where processed stuff lurks. Ignoring the impulse items near the cash register will make your kids sulk, so perk them up by vowing to:

• Shop outside the conventional grocery store. Seek kid-friendly farmers markets, farm stands, and U-pick farms. Or join a CSA to find organic or sustainable and local food in season when it's at peak flavor and most affordable. If you find something you love at the right price, buy more than you need and store it by freezing, canning, or drying (cutting cable TV out of your budget will free up time to do this).

Don't think you have to avoid natural-food grocery stores. Of the more than 1,700 "365 Everyday Value" products that Whole Foods offers, about 1,200 are organic. Despite its nickname as "Whole Paycheck," the natural foods giant is now wooing tightwads like me with "value tours" and Whole Deal value guides that include coupons, budget recipes and tips.

And don't assume that conventional store prices are lower. In this product-to-product comparison, Whole Foods products are thriftier. Who knew!

While you're at a natural foods store, don't forget to:

• Bulk up. "A lot of times I think buying in bulk has a stigma," says Roth. "People just don't want to do it. And yet if they would buy bulk goods they could keep their grocery spending lower." According to Barry Hirsch, a natural value guru (really) for Whole Foods, buying from bulk bins is about 20 percent cheaper than buying packaged goods. Of course, there are other benefits. "With our bulk bins you buy as much or as little as you want, and there's less packaging, which is better for the environment."

I am an awkwardly titled "Bulk Bin Queen," and I buy my grains, cereals, nuts, beans, tea, and spices from bulk bins.

Now, you must:

• Cook more. Are you literally eating your 401(k) funds by dining out too much? In general, cooking at home is cheaper and healthier than eating out, and cooking from scratch is healthier than opening a box. The trade-off is that home-cooked meals take more time. Try doubling your recipes and freezing half for an easy later meal.
Get a slow cooker (the name crock pot, like "prune," has been banished) and start meals before going to work. Or cook a bunch of meals once a month and freeze them. If you're not much of a cook, pick easy, familiar recipes and involve the whole family. Need an un-intimidating cookbook? Go to the library (thrifty is the new sexy!) and borrow any cookbook by Mark Bittman.

Now untie your apron, because it's time to:

• Grow something. If you're lucky enough to have a little land, imagine it as an edible landscape that might save you a bundle. Roger Doiron, founder of Kitchen Gardeners International, grows several kitchen gardens on his modest one-third-acre lot in Maine. By weighing all of his organic harvest and doing careful price comparisons, Doiron and his wife estimated that last season's harvest was worth $2,400!

He admits that this estimate doesn't include the cost of labor, but says, "I'm also not factoring in the gym membership that I didn't have to buy or the country club membership that I didn't have to buy." Are you getting the implications of this Karl, ye of hardiness zone 9?

If you have a yard, I implore you to abandon this column and grab a trowel. If you don't have a yard, consider a container garden for tomatoes or herbs, or find a nearby community garden.

I am hereby muzzled by my word count. I'll count on the Gristmill bloggers to carry on with more resourceful tips.

Best of luck,
Lou Bendrick
Former Southern California resident

So... just everything not good.

2009-02-07T00:03:00.001-05:00

Click me.

PS: I love fug!

what if you aren't an ex?

2009-02-06T23:31:00.002-05:00

Click here.

also perhaps PG-13
(Although, let's be honest, when am I not at least PG-13?)

Vegetarians have better sex.

2009-02-06T23:29:00.001-05:00

I'd rate it PG-13.

'Veggie Love': PETA's Banned Super Bowl Ad

Interesting.

2009-01-31T12:08:00.002-05:00

I stole this from my sister-in-law, Felicity. It is more fun that these things usually are because it is hard to convey what you really mean with only one word answers. Tell me what you think:

TYPE ONLY 1 WORD... IT'S HARDER THAN YOU THINK!

1. Where is your cell phone? hip
2. Your significant other? overtime
3.. Your job? gimpy
4. Shoes you're wearing? callouses?

5. Your father? middletown
6. Your favorite thing? inappropriate
7. Your dream last night? forgettable
8. Your favorite drink? Apple
9. Your dream/goal? contentment

10.The room you're in? living
11. Your fear? global
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? financial
13. Where were you last night? Bed
14. What you're not? physical
15. Muffins? bran
16. One of your wish list items? composter
17. Where did you grow up? MD
18. The last thing you did? read
19. What are you wearing? lounge
20. Your TV? beautiful
21. Your pet? plentiful
22. Your computer? Mac
23. Your life? Good
24. Your mood? satisfied
25. Missing someone? Family
26. Your car? resurrected
27. Something you're not wearing? bra
28. Favorite Store? Health
29. Your summer? sweaty
30. Your favorite color? Merlot
31. Last time you laughed? recently
32. Last time you cried? happy
33. Who will/would re-post this? maybe

34. FOUR PLACES I GO OVER AND OVER: AGAIN TYPE ONLY ONE WORD:
A) bathroom
B) kitchen
C) bed
D) library

35. FOUR PEOPLE WHO E-MAIL ME:
A) Audre
B) Alison
C) Meredith
D) Ben

36.FOUR OF MY FAVORITE FOODS:
A) Indian
B) Mashed
C) cheese
D) reeses

37. FOUR PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW?
A) warm
B) exciting
C) outside
D) bedding

38. FOUR PEOPLE I THINK WILL RESPOND:
A) Nobody
B) Audre?
C) Grace?
D) Beth?

So cute.

2009-01-30T12:12:00.000-05:00

I just want to take a

2009-01-08T21:02:00.000-05:00

I just want to take a minute to mention how fantastic my husband is.

Our adorable nieces and nephews:

2008-12-29T15:53:00.000-05:00

Click here

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-26T13:58:00.001-05:00

Now I can has cheezburger too.

2008-12-23T15:19:00.000-05:00

My first lolcat image and it is dogs...

moar funny pictures

Reality.

2008-12-23T15:03:00.001-05:00

Somehow I didn't post this one yet...

2008-12-10T18:48:00.002-05:00

This is perhaps my favorite Broad's video. Although the innuendos are a little disturbing since it is my brother...

Fantastic!

My fantastic sister-in-law!

2008-12-10T18:43:00.001-05:00

You should know

2008-12-10T14:59:00.002-05:00

Not that anyone reads this...
To anyone who thinks that drilling for oil can be clean, and therefor should be permitted in say the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge, do not forget that among other things, pipes break. From Grist.org:

The Spillage, People
Over 1,000 gallons of oil spilled off California coast

Over 1,100 gallons of oil spilled off the coast of Santa Barbara, Calif., Sunday when a pump line on an offshore oil rig sprung a leak, causing a mile-and-a-half-long oil slick that state regulators said was mostly cleaned up by Monday morning. In 1969, the same rig was the site of a massive, 200,000 gallon oil spill that coated 35 miles of California coastline, killed a mess of wildlife, and jumpstarted the environmental movement.

And here is the Associated Press story (***just want to point out that while "as of monday...there were no reports of injury to wildlife" there are still 248 gallons of oil, which is almost 6 barrels that have not been cleaned up***):
1,100-gallon oil spill off Santa Barbara mopped up

Cleanup crews worked Monday to mop up the last remnants of a small oil spill that erupted off the coast of Santa Barbara County over the weekend in the same area where a 1969 spill caused an ecological disaster.
More than 1,130 gallons of oil — or 27 barrels — spilled from a drilling platform six miles off the coast, said Carol Singleton of the State Department of Fish and Game.

As of Monday, crews using skimmers had mopped up about 882 gallons, and the oil was not expected to reach the scenic area's coastline. There were no reports of injury to wildlife.

The spill came from Platform A, which is operated by Dcor LLC. It was reported about 8 a.m. Sunday after platform workers discovered oil had leaked from a finger-sized hole in a pump line.

Operators initially reported the spill as a 33-gallon accidental discharge. After the Federal Minerals Management Service conducted an aerial survey the spill estimate increased.

The cause of the rupture was under investigation.

"This spill is another reminder that the calls for increased drilling in our coastal waters are short-sighted and unnecessary," said Pedro Nava, a state assemblyman whose district includes the cities and towns on the Santa Barbara coast. "There is no need for more coastal drilling. We must do everything necessary to prevent a larger catastrophe in the future." [emphasis mine]

Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif., said the spill was a reminder that authorities must be vigilant in protecting the coastline.

"Yesterday — at the same location as the infamous 1969 oil spill nearly 40 years ago — we had yet another painful reminder that drilling for oil is a dirty and dangerous business," said Capps, who represents the area.

The 1969 spill unleashed 200,000 gallons of oil across 800 square miles, blackening some 35 miles of coastline and killing thousands of birds and fish.

Local Pet Food Bank

2008-12-08T17:33:00.001-05:00

From Frederick MD Online

One of the sad side effects of a bad economy is that many people feel they have to make the choice to take their family pets to the Humane Society. Whether it’s from a foreclosure or the lack of money to buy pet food or other reasons, many pets are now available for adoption at the Frederick County Humane Society. What many people may not know is that the FCHS has an emergency pet food bank for people who can not afford to feed their animals.

I found a link on the FCHS website to this story from over the summer on Fox 5 out of DC. It basically says that people are encouraged to take advantage of the pet food bank before resorting to dropping their pets off at the shelter. But like any human food bank, the FCHS needs donations to keep up supplies for the increased demand. From the FCHS website:

Thanks to the generosity of area businesses, scout troops, civic organizations and individuals, The Frederick County Humane Society offers a year-round Emergency Pet Food Bank, fully stocked with dog and cat food, and cat litter, to help people who cannot afford to feed their pets due to a financial hardship.

There are no eligibility requirements.

Food Bank clients are asked to come to the back door of our office and ring the bell for assistance with obtaining needed pet food.

Accepted donations include unopened bags and cans of food; cat litter; toys, towels and cages and crates of all sizes.

And if you are looking to add a pet to your family, consider adopting from the shelter.

Audre+Angie=FaglessHags

2008-12-05T11:39:00.002-05:00

Audre and I have started a new blog together. Gaygerstown Hags. Check us out.

2008-12-05T11:31:00.000-05:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

"Gay Penguins Steal Eggs From Straight Couples"

2008-12-03T11:34:00.001-05:00

From Huffingtonpost.com

The two penguins have started placing stones at the feet of parents before waddling away with their eggs, in a bid to hide their theft.

But the deception has been noticed by other penguins at the zoo, who have ostracised the gay couple from their group. Now keepers have decided to segregate the pair of three-year-old male birds to avoid disrupting the rest of the community during the hatching season.

A keeper at Polar Land in Harbin, north east China explained that the gay couple had the natural urge to become fathers, despite their sexuality.

The First Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T12:24:00.002-05:00

(why it is not traditional to eat meat on Thanksgiving)

The First Vegetarian Thanksgiving
By Rynn Berry

The story of the Pilgrim's First Thanksgiving-and turkey's place in it-has been shown to be largely a myth. It was only in 1863 that Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving to be a national holiday-mainly as a public relations ploy to whip up a sense of patriotism and national unity during the Civil War. Pilgrims themselves didn't become a part of the national celebration until the 1890s.

The legend that one hundred odd English men and women who landed at Plymouth Harbor feasted on turkey and all the trimmings is a myth. When they first arrived, on November 11 1620, the settlers had so little food that they raised the houses of the Native American inhabitants and made off with stores of beans and corn. There was simply no animal flesh to be had. It is likely that the first Thanksgiving would have had to have been a vegan one, consisting of corn and beans served on pottery that the so-called Pilgrim Fathers stole from the so-called Indians. If, instead of the Plymouth Pilgrims, we go back a decade or so and look to the Jamestown colonists to provide us with role models for Thanksgiving, we will be even more scandalized. In her book Settling with the Indians, Karen Kupperman tells us that the Jamestown colonists were so lacking in farming skills (they spent most of the time digging random holes in the hope of finding gold) that they sank so low as to feed on corpses that they dug up from Native American gravesites. By rights we should be commemorating Thanksgiving by eating corpses. On second thoughts, isn't that exactly what we're doing?

Equal Exchange?

To be sure, the Plymouth Pilgrims were given a friendly reception by the Native Americans: Massassoit, chief of the Wapanoags, Samoset, chief of the Pemaquids, and the ever faithful Squanto. Indeed, the peoples of the region overlooked the Pilgrims' depredations and taught them how to farm, fish, and eventually how to set up trading posts. The reason why the Indians were so receptive to the newcomers is that most of New England had been depopulated by epidemics from prior contacts with European traders and settlers. Europeans had introduced such diseases as diphtheria, TB, streptococcus, scurvy, cholera, typhus measles and chicken pox and smallpox. It's estimated that, before the invasion of Europeans and their diseases, northern America was home to as many as 20 million inhabitants from coast to coast. The diseases ravaged the native populations from south to north America, reducing them by as much as 90 percent.

Europeans were not very unhygienic. While Squanto tried to get the settlers to bathe, he met with little success because the settlers considered it un-Christian to bathe. In cities such as London and Paris, raw sewage ran in the streets. By contrast, most Native Americans were highly skilled agriculturists. When Europeans arrived they found a country that was already cleared and farmed. The settlers simply walked into the indigenous communities that had been depopulated by plague and took over. This is why so many of the early New England towns have the name attached to them-Deerfield, Richfield, and so on. The colonists started their communities in the middle of fields that had been cleared by the indigenous peoples

The Real First Thanksgiving?

The folklore taught in schools has it that the Pilgrims originated the Thanksgiving festival and that they provided the Native Americans with a feast they had never seen. In fact, the opposite is true. In November 1621, one year after the Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth, the Pilgrims celebrated harvest festival jointly with the Native Americans-a harvest festival that the native inhabitants had been celebrating for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years. Most of the food at this festival was supplied by Native Americans. It was a meal that the Pilgrims had never witnessed, consisting of native American foodstuffs. The main meal was a sort of corn meal mush along with nuts and fruits such as gooseberries, strawberries, plums, cherries, cranberries and a groundnut known as the bogg bean. Popcorn and popcorn balls made by the Indians with maple syrup were served as a sweet. There was a variety of breadstuffs such as cornpone, ashcakes, and hoe cakes, made by Native Americans from their own recipes. It is also possible that other native foods such as pumpkin and squash were served. In his Food Encyclopedia, James Trager tells us that there is a live possibility that turkey wasn't even served. It's true that the Indians provided some deer meat, and game birds, but they were side dishes and not the focus of the meal. So the 1620 Thanksgiving dinner proper in 1620 was probably a totally vegetarian one, because the Pilgrims were unable to find animal flesh. The second Thanksgiving in 1621 was also catered by the Native Americans. Not only was it probably turkeyless, but it was mainly vegetarian. Doesn't it make more sense, therefore, that instead of celebrating Thanksgiving as an orgy of Turkey slaughter, Americans should celebrate a vegetarian harvest festival?

Rynn Berry is the historical advisor to the North American Vegetarian Society. He is the author of Famous Vegetarians and Their Favorite Recipes ($15.95) and Food for the Gods: Vegetarianism and the World's Religions ($19.95). Copies may be ordered from the author at 159 Eastern Parkway, Suite 2H, Brooklyn, NY 11238.

From All Creatures

Why a Vegetarian Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T11:53:00.001-05:00

From the Vegetarian Resource Group Journal Sept. 1994

Native Americans and Vegetarianism
By Rita Laws, Ph.D.
How well we know the stereotype of the rugged Plains Indian: killer of buffalo, dressed in quill-decorated buckskin, elaborately feathered headdress, and leather moccasins, living in an animal skin teepee, master of the dog and horse, and stranger to vegetables. But this lifestyle, once limited almost exclusively to the Apaches, flourished no more than a couple hundred years. It is not representative of most Native Americans of today or yesterday. Indeed, the "buffalo-as-lifestyle" phenomenon is a direct result of European influence, as we shall see.
Among my own people, the Choctaw Indians of Mississippi and Oklahoma, vegetables are the traditional diet mainstay. A French manuscript of the eighteenth century describes the Choctaws' vegetarian leanings in shelter and food. The homes were constructed not of skins, but of wood, mud, bark and cane. The principal food, eaten daily from earthen pots, was a vegetarian stew containing corn, pumpkin and beans. The bread was made from corn and acorns. Other common favorites were roasted corn and corn porridge. (Meat in the form of small game was an infrequent repast.) The ancient Choctaws were, first and foremost, farmers. Even the clothing was plant based, artistically embroidered dresses for the women and cotton breeches for the men. Choctaws have never adorned their hair with feathers.
The rich lands of the Choctaws in present-day Mississippi were so greatly coveted by nineteenth century Americans that most of the tribe was forcibly removed to what is now called Oklahoma. Oklahoma was chosen both because it was largely uninhabited and because several explorations of the territory had deemed the land barren and useless for any purpose. The truth, however, was that Oklahoma was so fertile a land that it was an Indian breadbasket. That is, it was used by Indians on all sides as an agricultural resource. Although many Choctaws suffered and died during removal on the infamous "Trail of Tears", those that survived built anew and successfully in Oklahoma, their agricultural genius intact.
George Catlin, the famous nineteenth century Indian historian, described the Choctaw lands of southern Oklahoma in the 1840's this way: "...the ground was almost literally covered with vines, producing the greatest profusion of delicious grapes,...and hanging in such endless clusters... our progress was oftentimes completely arrested by hundreds of acres of small plum trees...every bush that was in sight was so loaded with the weight of its...fruit, that they were in many instances literally without leaves on their branches, and quite bent to the ground... and beds of wild currants, gooseberries, and (edible) prickly pear." (Many of the "wild" foods Anglo explorers encountered on their journeys were actually carefully cultivated by Indians.)
Many of the Choctaw foods cooked at celebrations even today are vegetarian. Corn is so important to us it is considered divine. Our corn legend says that is was a gift from Hashtali, the Great Spirit. Corn was given in gratitude because Choctaws had fed the daughter of the Great Spirit when she was hungry. (Hashtali is literally "Noon Day Sun". Choctaws believe the Great Spirit resides within the sun, for it is the sun that allows the corn to grow!)
Another Choctaw story describes the afterlife as a giant playground where all but murderers are allowed. What do Choctaws eat in "heaven"? Their sweetest treat, of course: melons, a never-ending supply.
More than one tribe has creation legends which describe people as vegetarian, living in a kind of Garden of Eden. A Cherokee legend describes humans, plants, and animals as having lived in the beginning in "equality and mutual helpfulness". The needs of all were met without killing one another. When man became aggressive and ate some of the animals, the animals invented diseases to keep human population in check. The plants remained friendly, however, and offered themselves not only as food to man, but also as medicine, to combat the new diseases.
More tribes were like the Choctaws than were different. Aztec, Mayan, and Zapotec children in olden times ate 100% vegetarian diets until at least the age of ten years old. The primary food was cereal, especially varieties of corn. Such a diet was believed to make the child strong and disease resistant. (The Spaniards were amazed to discover that these Indians had twice the life-span they did.) A totally vegetarian diet also insured that the children would retain a life-long love of grains, and thus, live a healthier life. Even today, the Indian healers of those tribes are likely to advise the sick to "return to the arms of Mother Corn" in order to get well. Such a return might include eating a lot of atole. (The easiest way to make atole is to simmer commercially produced masa harina corn flour with water. Then flavor it with chocolate or cinnamon, and sweeten to taste.) Atole is considered a sacred food.
It is ironic that Indians are strongly associated with hunting and fishing when, in fact, "nearly half of all the plant foods grown in the world today were first cultivated by the American Indians, and were unknown elsewhere until the discovery of the Americas." Can you imagine Italian food without tomato paste, Ireland without white potatoes, or Hungarian goulash without paprika? All these foods have Indian origins.
An incomplete list of other Indian foods given to the world includes bell peppers, red peppers, peanuts, cashews, sweet potatoes, avocados, passion fruit, zucchini, green beans, kidney beans, maple syrup, lima beans, cranberries, pecans, okra, chocolate, vanilla, sunflower seeds, pumpkin, cassava, walnuts, forty-seven varieties of berries, pineapple, and, of course, corn and popcorn.
Many history textbooks tell the story of Squanto, a Pawtuxent Indian who lived in the early 1600's. Squanto is famous for having saved the Pilgrims from starvation. He showed them how to gather wilderness foods and how to plant corn.
There have been thousands of Squantos since, even though their names are not so well-known. In fact modern day agriculture owes its heart and soul to Indian-taught methods of seed development, hybridization, planting, growing, irrigating, storing, utilizing and cooking. And the spirit of Squanto survives to this day. One example is a Peruvian government research station tucked away in a remote Amazon Indian village called Genaro Herrera. University trained botanists, agronomists and foresters work there, scientifically studying all the ways the local Indians grow and prepare food. They are also learning how to utilize forests without destroying them, and how to combat pests without chemicals.
The trend that moved some North American Indian tribes away from plant food-based diets can be traced to Coronado, a sixteenth century Spanish explorer. Prior to his time, hunting was a hobby among most Indians, not a vocation. The Apaches were one of the few tribes who relied heavily on animal killing for survival.
But all that changed as Coronado and his army traversed the West and Midwest from Mexico. Some of his horses got away and quickly multiplied on the grassy plains. Indians re-tamed this new denizen, and the Age of Buffalo began.
Horses replaced dogs as beasts of burden and offered excellent transportation. This was as important an innovation to the Plains Indians as the automobile would be to Anglos later on. Life on the Plains became much easier very quickly.
>From the east came another powerful influence: guns. The first American settlers brought their firearms with them. Because of the Indian "threat", they were soon immersed in weapons development and succeeded in making more accurate and powerful weapons. But they also supplied weapons to Indians who allied themselves with colonial causes. Because it was so much easier to kill an animal with a rifle than with a bow and arrow, guns spread quickly among the Indians. Between the horse and the rifle, buffalo killing was now much simpler.
The Apaches were joined by other tribes, such as the Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapahos, Comanches, and Kiowas. These tribes "lost the corn", gave up agriculture, and started living nomadic existences for the first time. It wasn't long before their food, clothing, and shelter were entirely dependent on one animal, the buffalo.
George Catlin lamented this fact as early as 1830. He predicted the extinction of the buffalo (which very nearly happened) and the danger of not being diversified. Catlin pointed out that, were the Plains Indians only killing a buffalo for their own use, the situation might not be so grave. But because the great beasts were being slaughtered for profit, they were destined to be wiped out.
It was the white man who profited. There was an insatiable Eastern market for buffalo tongue and buffalo robes. In 1832, Catlin described a wholesale buffalo slaughter carried out by six hundred Sioux on horseback. These men killed fourteen hundred animals, and then took only their tongues. These were traded to whites for a few gallons of whiskey. The whiskey, no doubt, helped to dull the Indian talent to make maximum use of an animal. Among the tribes who did not trade with whites, each animal was completely used, down to the hooves. No part went to waste. And buffalo were not killed in the winter, for the Indians lived on autumn dried meat during that time.
But now buffalo were killed in the winter most of all. It was in cold weather that their magnificent coats grew long and luxuriant. Catlin estimated that 200,000 buffalo were killed each year to make coats for people back East. The average hide netted the Indian hunter one pint of whiskey.
Had the Indians understood the concept of animal extinction, they may have ceased the slaughter. But to the Indians, the buffalo was a gift from the Great Spirit, a gift which would always keep coming. Decades after the disappearance of huge herds, Plains Indians still believed their return was imminent. They danced the Ghost Dance, designed to bring back the buffalo, and prayed for this miracle as late as 1890.
In spite of the ease and financial incentives of killing buffalo, there were tribes that did not abandon the old ways of the Plains. In addition to the farming tribes of the Southeast, tribes in the Midwest, Southwest, and Northwest stuck to agriculture. For example, the Osage, Pawnee, Arikaras, Mandans, Wichitas, and Caddoans remained in permanent farming settlements. Even surrounded by buffalo, they built their homes of timber and earth. And among some of the Indians of the Southwest, cotton, basketry, and pottery were preferred over animal-based substitutes like leather pouches.
Catlin was eerily accurate when he predicted dire consequences for the buffalo-dependent tribes. To this day, it is these Indians who have fared the worst from assimilation with other races. The Sioux of South Dakota, for one, have the worst poverty and one of the highest alcoholism rates in the country. Conversely, the tribes who depended little or not at all on animal exploitation for their survival, like the Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, and Chickasaw, are thriving and growing, having assimilated without surrendering their culture.
In the past, and in more than a few tribes, meat-eating was a rare activity, certainly not a daily event. Since the introduction of European meat-eating customs, the introduction of the horse and the gun, and the proliferation of alcoholic beverages and white traders, a lot has changed. Relatively few Indians can claim to be vegetarians today.
But it was not always so. For most Native Americans of old, meat was not only not the food of choice, its consumption was not revered (as in modern times when Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving as if it were a religious duty). There was nothing ceremonial about meat. It was a plant, tobacco, that was used most extensively during ceremonies and rites, and then only in moderation. Big celebrations such as Fall Festivals centered around the harvest, especially the gathering of the corn. The Choctaws are not the only ones who continue to dance the Corn Dance.
What would this country be like today if the ancient ways were still observed? I believe it is fair to say that the Indian respect for non-human life forms would have had a greater impact on American society. Corn, not turkey meat, might be the celebrated Thanksgiving Day dish. Fewer species would have become extinct, the environment would be healthier, and Indian and non-Indian Americans alike would be living longer and healthier lives. There might also be less sexism and racism, for many people believe that, as you treat your animals (the most defenseless), so you will treat your children, your women, and your minorities.
Without realizing it, the Indian warriors and hunters of ages past played right into the hands of the white men who coveted their lands and their buffalo. When the lands were taken from them, and the buffalo herds decimated, there was nothing to fall back on. But the Indians who chose the peaceful path and relied on diversity and the abundance of plants for their survival were able to save their lifestyles. Even after being moved to new lands they could hang on, re-plant, and go forward.
Now we, their descendants, must recapture the spirit of the ancient traditions for the benefit of all people. We must move away from the European influences that did away with a healthier style of living. We must again embrace our brothers and sisters, the animals, and "return to the corn" once and for all.
(Rita Laws is Choctaw and Cherokee. She lives and writes in Oklahoma. Her Choctaw name, Hina Hanta, means Bright Path of Peace, which is what she considers vegetariansim to be. She has been vegetarian for over 14 years.)

Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T11:03:00.003-05:00

So, it is time once again for everyone to write about how much they are thankful for. Not to jump on the bandwagon, but I cannot resist. I love Thanksgiving. I think it is one of the best holidays we have in this country. The focus is (or at least was, and should be) appreciating all we have- not matter how much or how little that is. We get to spend time with extended family and eat delicious food. Although, I do think the focus should not be quite so much on the food, but this is America.
I do hate when people call it Turkey Day. It is not Turkey Day! It is not about killing an animal and eating it. If you choose to make that a part of the day- that is your prerogative, but that is not what the day is about. I like to send Thanksgiving cards to my friends and family that have kids. I remember how cool it was to get cards at the holidays. And also my parents and Ben's parents. And of course Soda, Ben's grandmother. I'm honestly not too sure that she even likes me but what can I say, I like older people and my grandparents are all gone. So I'm stealing his, whether she likes it or not. (I hope she likes it though.)
This Thanksgiving, even more than most years, I'm reminded of the terrible equalities that the gay community faces. After prop 8 passed in California I felt some what defeated. Of course, Obama winning helps me feel a little better, but still. Here are a few tidbits you may not be aware of (courtesy of the HRC):
"Marriage confers 1,100 federal rights, but loving same-sex couples are denied those rights, even if they're married in their home state." Here are some of those federal rights:

visiting a partner or child in the hospital
passing on property without taxes
taking family leave to care for a sick child
tax equality

I know that I have said it before, but I think that regardless of how you may personally feel about homosexuality, it is criminal to put into place laws that punish the children of gay people. A child should have it's parents (whoever they may be) as a support system in bad times. Another one they don't mention up there is that if a couple has a child that is legally belongs to only one parent- if that parent dies the child can end up in foster care. Even though there is a surviving parent. That is tragic.
And as to the argument that federally acknowledging gay marriage would pose a threat to religious marriage or to the "sanctity of marriage" I will say again, that is absurd. The one does not threaten the other. That is like saying that my marriage- that was conducted by a minister (but of Unity) in the woods and without any "religious" affiliations or associations- threatens the marriage of my Mormon relatives that was sealed in the church. I suppose they may feel that way, but to me it doesn't make sense. Every adult should be allowed to marry any other adult that they want.
So, this thanksgiving, I am thankful that I live in a country that I can hope to change for the better. I am thankful that things may be changing for the better. I hope that anyone who reads this thinks for a moment what it is like not to have the legal benefits and protections available to them of marriage. And I hope you decide to be a true American and work to change this equality.
Visit the HRC.

still lost.... (and again, click on the pic to see the whole image)

2008-11-25T23:52:00.003-05:00

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

more animals

got lost in lolcats

2008-11-25T23:44:00.001-05:00

more animals

For real. No idea why the picture is getting cut off- click on it to see the whole thing.

2008-11-25T23:40:00.002-05:00

more animals

Slinky Cat.

2008-11-25T18:25:00.000-05:00

NYT Travel loves Fredneck

2008-11-24T14:37:00.000-05:00

An Hour From Baltimore

Echoes of Yesteryear Not Far From Baltimore

Susana Raab for The New York Times

Church Street, off Market Street, in Frederick, Md., shows the array of architecture the city is known for.

By JOSHUA KURLANTZICK

Published: November 23, 2008

DRIVING out of Baltimore, my home, I felt like the urban sprawl of shopping centers and rows of blighted homes would never end. But less than an hour west of the city, outside Frederick, Md., strip malls gave way to strips of giant trees turning autumn crimson, and the vista opened into broad plains, rolling hills and the occasional barn. By the time I crossed Frederick’s outskirts, where I saw brick colonial-looking homes and signs for local farms, I felt I’d arrived in a place far from the megacities of the Eastern Seaboard — like the frontier, but just off Interstate 70.

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Frederick, M.D.

For many years, in fact, Frederick was the frontier. The town grew up as a trading post along America’s first trade arteries, and in the early days of the roads Frederick was as far west as you could go without worrying about highwaymen and battles between colonials and Native Americans.

Today, the town maintains a yesteryear atmosphere. In its 50-block downtown, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it has preserved hundreds of Federal, Greek Revival, Georgian and Romanesque buildings and homes. Carroll Creek, a narrow waterway bisecting downtown and lined with open-air cafes and a pedestrian park, adds a European flair: as the night air grows chilly, young couples snuggle along the creek over cups of coffee.

When I was there in late October, I strolled the downtown, passing red-brick cottages flying American flags out front and angular white churches with stark, narrow steeples. In the center of Frederick, homes gave way to ornate, larger, multi-story structures whose towering pillars and high ceilings reminded me of the Supreme Court Building.

Inside some of the old storefronts, artists have opened galleries like the Potters’ Guild of Frederick, and local chefs have opened swank new bistros, many featuring Maryland produce and recipes. Right in the center of the historic downtown, the local boy Bryan Voltaggio, who has cooked at landmarks like Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington, opened Volt this year. The restaurant, already drawing critical acclaim, captures Frederick’s small-town charm, offering down-home dishes with flourishes, like pulled pork with fennel — though its boast that it serves “unlimited” filtered water to diners for a small fee hardly seems hospitable.

In recent years, Maryland’s farms have undergone a rebirth, refocusing on organic produce to supply local restaurants and farmers’ markets, and drawing many local fans. At Frederick’s crowded Firestone Market on Market, I sampled artisanal cheeses and Maryland-made salsa, flavored with — what else? — crab. The previous weekend, my wife and I had taken our son apple picking at Larriland Farm near Frederick, thinking the chilly weather would leave us virtually alone. Instead, we found Larriland crowded with apple hunters, though we still carried home a bag of just-ripened Mutsu apples, their creamy, sweet white flesh like natural candy.

Off Market, the main street, I turned down Patrick Street, a side alley so eclectic it wouldn’t have been out of place in New York, or San Francisco. Next to an Ethiopian restaurant promising authentic coffee ceremonies, antiques hunters with serious bargaining faces had descended on Patrick’s shops. I watched one woman trying to bargain for an antique table, and getting nowhere; the owner seemed to be in no hurry. An hour later, when I walked back up Patrick, she appeared to be still haggling.

Along Patrick Street, I stopped by Café Nola, an über-hip coffee shop that seems slightly out of place in old-fashioned Frederick. In front of its gleaming backlit bar showing off rows of liquor bottles, young couples in long black coats sipped thimble-sized cups of espresso and compared clothes. “I spent my whole paycheck on my Marc Jacobs,” one woman next to me squawked into her cellphone. “But it was worth it.”

Besides its architecture, Frederick also takes pride in its Civil War history, with markers and signs of major events dotting the town and outskirts. The Confederacy invaded the area repeatedly, and the town’s hospitals cared for wounded from the bloody stalemate at Antietam and other battles.

Just a short drive outside town, I discovered one of the least-known important battle sites of the Civil War. At Monocacy Junction near Frederick, a tiny band of Union soldiers held off a Confederate force long enough to prevent them from quickly marching to — and possibly taking — Washington.

Though Frederick clearly takes its war history seriously, the main Civil War museum in town, the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, proves a blend of the serious and the macabre. In the Civil War, medicine remained an art, not a science, and while doctors certainly did not mean to cause pain, a sizable percentage of the war dead perished from illness after the battle. Through displays that leave no entrails unturned, much of the museum reveals how much pain the wartime doctors, hacking and cutting before modern anesthesia, caused their patients. (If the normal exhibits aren’t enough for you, the museum has been running a special exhibition on embalming.)

Beyond the medicine museum, away from the center of the historic area, Frederick turns funkier, more eclectic. I passed tattoo parlors, vintage clothing and jewelry stores, and Cinegraphic Studios, a modern-day novelty shop specializing in bizarre items like Zombie Gelatin Mold (don’t ask), with its storefront advertising “Silly Things for Silly People.”

After dinner, walking off a roasted seafood orgy from the Tasting Room, another of Frederick’s upscale bistros and wine bars, I found myself near the end of the downtown shopping district. Sitting down on the stoop of yet another brick storefront, I peered across the street. Then, I saw it — the perfect symbol of Frederick’s charm: an old-fashioned general store, advertising fresh milk.

But again, Frederick doesn’t just stay stuck in the past. The general store was right next to Bradley’s Books, Adult Video and Gift Outlet.

IF YOU GO

Driving is the best way to get to Frederick. From Baltimore, drive about 40 miles west on Interstate 70 and take the Market Street exit. From the Washington Beltway, it’s about 30 miles away on I-270.

WHAT TO DO

Potters’ Guild of Frederick (227 North Market Street; pottersguildoffrederick.com). Hours through December: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Sunday; to 9 Friday and Saturday.

Cinegraphic Studios (43A South Market Street; 301-228-3620; www.cinegraphicstudios.com).

Firestone’s Market on Market (109 North Market Street; 301-696-8586; www.firestonesrestaurant.com/marketonmarket.html).

Frederick Antiques Row on East Patrick Street.

Larriland Farm (2415 Woodbine Road, Woodbine, Md.; 410-442-2605; www.pickyourown.com). Now closed but will reopen in the spring for strawberry season.

Monocacy National Battlefield (Visitor Center at 5201 Urbana Pike; 301-662-3515; www.nps.gov/mono).

National Museum of Civil War Medicine (48 East Patrick Street; 301-695-1864; www.civilwarmed.org). Adults $6.50; open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except 11 to 5 on Sunday).

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK

Café Nola (4 East Patrick Street; 301-694-6652; www.cafe-nola.com). Lunch for two is about $20.

The Tasting Room (101 North Market Street; 240-379-7772; www.tastetr.com). Dinner for two, $80.

Volt (228 North Market Street; 301-696-8658; www.voltrestaurant.com). Dinner for two, $100.

TOURIST INFORMATION

www.fredericktourism.org

Did you know November 19th was World Toilet Day?

2008-11-21T15:42:00.000-05:00

Check this out.

Obama Babies.

2008-11-21T13:49:00.002-05:00

Obama may be starting a baby boom. Or so says Newsweek, and they are never wrong.

Let them make cake!

2008-11-21T13:38:00.002-05:00

Cakes for Cause
Frederick, MD

Stolen from their site:

Because everyone deserves dessert...

Cakes for Cause operates a social enterprise bakery/café (with retail space slated to open in the Spring of 2009) that provides job training and support to vulnerable youth in Frederick, Maryland. Our primary purpose is to give youth options for their future through vocational services.

Our apprentices go through an intensive 6-month curriculum that teaches basic bakery skills alongside restaurant service skills in an energetic and fast-paced café that serves the community at large. More importantly, the role of Cakes for Cause is to help vulnerable youth internalize change—in their surroundings, through their employment opportunities, and within themselves.

How great is that!

2008-11-21T13:29:00.002-05:00

I love gofugyourself.com
And I love this entry:

When I was about nine, I saw Sarah Brightman in Phantom of the Opera, and because I was really into musical theater, I wanted to be her. This lasted about six months, until I decided I wanted to be Eponine from Les Miserables (the tragic romantic in me liked the idea of sticking it to my unrequited love by dying in his arms because I had done him a huge, dangeous favor; what can I say? I was a moronic kid sometimes). So I never gave Sarah Brightman much thought ever again.

Until now. Aside from the obvious fact that I do not live in Washington D.C., I need to know why, God, WHY was I not at this concert?

[Photo: WENN]

My brain is short-circuiting right now. In about ten minutes I will be unable to do anything but roll around my living room speaking in a robotic monotone and saying things like, "NO DISASSEMBLE" before I spy a truck outside, scream, "Oh no. NOVA," and hide underneath the couch. This is insane on the most spectacular level. Lace-up leggings? Platform heels? A corset that erupts in ruffles? A crown? This is so much no, yet it all adds up to YES. It's like Moulin Rouge meets '80s hair metal. They should make a sequel starring Sarah and Bret Michaels.

You might wonder why Sarah needs quite so much skirt. The answer is obvious:

It's for maximum swing effect, of course! It's a good thing this didn't exist when I was nine, or I'd probably have suggested to my mother that she make this for me so I could go as Sarah for Halloween, and impress all the fourth-grade boys on the playground with my wicked skirtitude. (My mother, bless her, would've laughed and laughed and laughed and then reminded me that I should just go as Madonna, like always).

I am in awe. Sarah Brightman is NUTS. And yet how can you not love this sheer volume of shiny crazy? I can't say for sure, but I THINK this outfit might someday lead to world peace.

Posted By Heather at 10:18 AM |

Hope that I have cited sufficiently. I don't want it to be copy-wronged. Pun intended.
I love Sex and the City!

Four years and counting.

2008-11-21T13:06:00.002-05:00

Four years ago today at this time (roughly 1pm) Audre, Grace, and I were decorating the chalet and putting together the best little wedding ever. And Ben was at Jake and Kelly's wedding with Larry. Haha. He made it make in plenty of time, although it did add a new level of stress for me.
It was beautiful. It was magical. It was all I could ever have wanted. Except I wasn't getting along very well with any of the family. Other than my little brother who took the photos. And I really appreciated that Soren fly out last minute. Although, I would have rather he and Katie and Logan had come to the reception.
But it worked out. And it was great. And I was so happy.
And today I am still so happy. No offense to anyone else, but I really think (at least for me) that marrying someone I had been friends with for years was the best. Plus, you know, he is hot. And good in bed.
So now, four years later, not too much has changed. Ben has made some serious headway toward becoming a pharmacist. I have had declining joint health. Willow is still with us. We adopted, loved and lost Jack Daniels. We have Stevens and Bitty and the Runny Babbit. Still child-free! Yay!
Moved twice.
I graduated.
Have a lot more nieces and nephews- by blood, marriage, and honorary.
Live in a wonderful house.

From "Wayne"

2008-11-19T14:29:00.000-05:00

As requested...

2008-11-18T11:57:00.000-05:00

Texting Elephants.

2008-11-16T17:15:00.000-05:00

This is really cool.

Kenya's elephants send text messages to rangers

The text message from the elephant flashed across Richard Lesowapir's screen: Kimani was heading for neighboring farms.

The huge bull elephant had a long history of raiding villagers' crops during the harvest, sometimes wiping out six months of income at a time. But this time a mobile phone card inserted in his collar sent rangers a text message. Lesowapir, an armed guard and a driver arrived in a jeep bristling with spotlights to frighten Kimani back into the Ol Pejeta conservancy.

Kenya is the first country to try elephant texting as a way to protect both a growing human population and the wild animals that now have less room to roam. Elephants are ranked as "near threatened" in the Red List, an index of vulnerable species published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The race to save Kimani began two years ago. The Kenya Wildlife Service had already reluctantly shot five elephants from the conservancy who refused to stop crop-raiding, and Kimani was the last of the regular raiders. The Save the Elephants group wanted to see if he could break the habit.

So they placed a mobile phone SIM card in Kimani's collar, then set up a virtual "geofence" using a global positioning system that mirrored the conservatory's boundaries. Whenever Kimani approaches the virtual fence, his collar texts rangers.

They have intercepted Kimani 15 times since the project began. Once almost a nightly raider, he last went near a farmer's field four months ago.

It's a huge relief to the small farmers who rely on their crops for food and cash for school fees. Basila Mwasu, a 31-year-old mother of two, lives a stone's throw from the conservancy fence. She and her neighbors used to drum through the night on pots and pans in front of flaming bonfires to try to frighten the elephants away.

Once an elephant stuck its trunk through a window into a room where her baby daughter was sleeping and the family had stored some corn. She beat it back with a burning stick. Another time, an elephant killed a neighbor who was defending his crop.

"We had to go into town to tell the game (wardens) to chase the elephants away or we're going to kill them all," Mwasu remembered.

But the elephants kept coming back.

Batian Craig, the conservation and security manager at the 90,000 acre Ol Pejeta conservancy, says community development programs are of little use if farmers don't have crops. He recalled the time when 15 families had their harvests wiped out.

"As soon as a farmer has lost his livelihood for six months, he doesn't give a damn whether he has a school or a road or water or whatever," he said.

Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder of Save the Elephants, said the project is still in its infancy — so far only two geofences have been set up in Kenya — and it has its problems.

Collar batteries wear out every few years. Sometimes communities think placing a collar on an elephant implies ownership and responsibility for the havoc it causes. And it's expensive work — Ol Pejeta has five full-time staff and a standby vehicle to respond when a message flashes across a ranger's screen.

But the experiment with Kimani has been a success, and last month another geofence was set up in another part of the country for an elephant known as Mountain Bull. Moses Litoroh, the coordinator of Kenya Wildlife Service's elephant program, hopes the project might help resolve some of the 1,300 complaints the Service receives every year over crop raiding.

The elephants can be tracked through Google Earth software, helping to map and conserve the corridors they use to move from one protected area to another. The tracking also helps prevent poaching, as rangers know where to deploy resources to guard valuable animals.

But the biggest bonus so far has been the drop in crop raiding. Douglas-Hamilton says elephants, like teenagers, learn from each other, so tracking and controlling one habitual crop raider can make a whole group change its habits.

Mwasu's two young daughters play under the banana trees these sultry evenings without their mother worrying about elephants.

"We can live together," she said. "Elephants have the right to live, and we have the right to live too."

___

On the Net:

www.olpejetaconservancy.org
www.savetheelephants.org

Super Nanny

2008-11-16T16:06:00.002-05:00

I'm binge-ing on Super Nanny on abc.com. I love this show. It is so refreshing. Jo has the approach to child care that I do, more or less. She is down to earth and no nonsense. And she doesn't let these parents get away with excuses.
I'm so sick of these artificial sanctity of parenthood. This idea that parents can do no wrong. It's crap. And it allows parents to do a bad job with their kids and not take any responsibility. Kids are not just badly behaved. Little children are a product of biology and sociology. That's it.
If a child is behaving badly habitually, the parent needs to make sure that there is no physical problem. Things like moderate allergies can have life altering affects on children when they are not diagnosed early. The child is treated like a problem when in actuality the child has a problem that the parents should fix.
If there isn't a physical problem, then it is all environmental. The parents, the siblings, the family, the teachers, anyone and everyone that interacts with the child. Including the physical environment that those individuals allow the child to be in.
Our society needs to stop letting parents off the hook. And stop blaming the kids. This is one of the big reasons that I don't think anyone should be a parent unless what they want to do is raise a child.
Sorry for that rant. I'm lucky that most of my family and friends are really great parents, so don't take this personally!

From Grist.com

2008-11-16T14:29:00.000-05:00

Surreal Estate
Island nation of Maldives to buy land elsewhere, fearing effects of climate change
Posted at 6:47 AM on 10 Nov 2008
The new president of the Maldives, a tiny nation comprised of low-lying islands and atolls in the Indian Ocean, has said the country will begin using a portion of its tourism money to buy a new homeland for its citizens given that sea-level rise from climate change may eventually make many of the islands uninhabitable. "We can do nothing to stop climate change on our own and so we have to buy land elsewhere. It's an insurance policy for the worst possible outcome," said President Mohamed Nasheed.

Batman Begins: Spiderman!

2008-11-11T14:22:00.001-05:00

more the engrish!

Pictures now have captions.

2008-11-10T16:02:00.003-05:00

I don't know why there are no pictures of Ben.
Here is one of me that Ben took with his phone.
All in all it was an awesome night! There are no shots of Amanda on here either. Or Wayne. For he has fallen into disgrace. Thanks to those of you who came, and I wish all the rest of you could have been there too!

More Halloween!

2008-11-10T12:44:00.001-05:00

Bat Stevens.
Me with the biggest double chin in the world. I was trying to hold face as far back from the camera (which I was also holding). And I was tipsy.
My dad and David. My dad has moved his pirate earing to his nose by this point in the night.

Charlie, David and my dad.

Halloween 2008!

2008-11-10T12:29:00.005-05:00

Audre as a saucy (and maybe scared in this shot?) Beer Wench
Me as a Vampire with Charlie White. He was a Hedge Ninja (from The Tick).
Sean as a Butterfly. I think he looks like the butterfly in The Last Unicorn.
Those are my wings by the way, way cooler than the ones he came in.

The Two Pirates. My Dad and Dave Wahl.
Audre and DaveMy brother was also a Hedge Ninja. He got really drunk drinking Oozo with my dad. Although, Audre is so hot can you blame him for trying to lick her?

Matt Schultz was a Palestinian (?) Jedi. Here is Sean with his original wings.

My dad as a Pirate and my mom as a Gypsy.

Yes, her skirt is a carosel.

2008-11-07T19:19:00.003-05:00

I hope that using this picture without express permission is not breaking any laws... It is just too freaking insane.
You know, I agree with the Fug Girls (from whom I first came across this picture), if this were on, say, Bjork I think I would love it. Katy Perry annoys me too much.
You should really check out the rest of their posting, and the rest of their site. I love Fug!

Parents Digest (Free!)

2008-11-06T15:04:00.001-05:00

This is awesome for busy parents!

They say, "We read the books so you don't have to

Get the parenting skills you need, quickly and easily
Keep up with the latest trends and ideas
Find the advice and support you need in just moments"

To all you moms! From Maryland PIRG

2008-11-06T14:47:00.000-05:00

Protecting Consumers

New Report: Toxic Baby Furniture

POISONING OUR FUTURE—Six of the 21 cribs, changing tables and dressers we tested produced high levels of formaldehyde.

Cribs, changing tables and dressers can emit formaldehyde at levels linked with increased risk of childhood allergies and asthma, according to a new report released in June by Maryland PIRG.

“The more we look, the more we find chemicals in our children’s products at levels known to contribute to significant health problems ranging from asthma to cancer,” said Johanna Neumann, state director of Maryland PIRG.

Formaldehyde is widely used in the manufacturing of building materials and a variety of household products. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies formaldehyde as a known human carcinogen.

Maryland PIRG recommends requiring chemical manufacturers to prove their chemicals are safe before allowing them to be used in consumer products, empowering state regulators to restrict or ban the manufacture and use of chemicals that pose potential dangers to human health or the environment, and ensuring the public has access to information about chemicals used in consumer products and the potential health impacts they pose.

“Parents cannot be expected to deal with these issues on their own,” said Joan Plisko, a Catonsville resident and mother of two. “It’s time to strengthen the product safety net in our state to protect our children from exposure to toxic chemicals.”

Did you know that The Onion is part of why Ben and I became friends?

2008-11-05T14:30:00.002-05:00

For the original article.

Nation Finally Shitty Enough To Make Social Progress

WASHINGTON—After emerging victorious from one of the most pivotal elections in history, president-elect Barack Obama will assume the role of commander in chief on Jan. 20, shattering a racial barrier the United States is, at long last, shitty enough to overcome.

Enlarge Image
Faced with losing everything, Americans took a long overdue step forward and elected Barack Obama.

Although polls going into the final weeks of October showed Sen. Obama in the lead, it remained unclear whether the failing economy, dilapidated housing market, crumbling national infrastructure, health care crisis, energy crisis, and five-year-long disastrous war in Iraq had made the nation crappy enough to rise above 300 years of racial prejudice and make lasting change.

"Today the American people have made their voices heard, and they have said, 'Things are finally as terrible as we're willing to tolerate," said Obama, addressing a crowd of unemployed, uninsured, and debt-ridden supporters. "To elect a black man, in this country, and at this time—these last eight years must have really broken you."

Added Obama, "It's a great day for our nation."

Carrying a majority of the popular vote, Obama did especially well among women and young voters, who polls showed were particularly sensitive to the current climate of everything being fucked. Another contributing factor to Obama's victory, political experts said, may have been the growing number of Americans who, faced with the complete collapse of their country, were at last able to abandon their preconceptions and cast their vote for a progressive African-American.

Enlarge Image
After enduring eight years of near constant trauma, the United States is, at long last, ready for equality.

Citizens with eyes, ears, and the ability to wake up and realize what truly matters in the end are also believed to have played a crucial role in Tuesday's election.

According to a CNN exit poll, 42 percent of voters said that the nation's financial woes had finally become frightening enough to eclipse such concerns as gay marriage, while 30 percent said that the relentless body count in Iraq was at last harrowing enough to outweigh long ideological debates over abortion. In addition, 28 percent of voters were reportedly too busy paying off medial bills, desperately trying not to lose their homes, or watching their futures disappear to dismiss Obama any longer.

"The election of our first African-American president truly shows how far we've come as a nation," said NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams. "Just eight years ago, this moment would have been unthinkable. But finally we, as a country, have joined together, realized we've reached rock bottom, and for the first time voted for a candidate based on his policies rather than the color of his skin."

"Today Americans have grudgingly taken a giant leap forward," Williams continued. "And all it took was severe economic downturn, a bloody and unjust war in Iraq, terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan, nearly 2,000 deaths in New Orleans, and more than three centuries of frequently violent racial turmoil."

Said Williams, "The American people should be commended for their long-overdue courage."

Obama's victory is being called the most significant change in politics since the 1992 election, when a full-scale economic recession led voters to momentarily ignore the fact that candidate Bill Clinton had once smoked marijuana. While many believed things had once again reached an all-time low in 2004, the successful reelection of President George W. Bush—despite historically low approval ratings nationwide—proved that things were not quite shitty enough to challenge the already pretty shitty status quo.

"If Obama learned one thing from his predecessors, it's that timing means everything," said Dr. James Pung, a professor of political science at Princeton University. "Less than a decade ago, Al Gore made the crucial mistake of suggesting we should care about preserving the environment before it became unavoidably clear that global warming would kill us all, and in 2004, John Kerry cost himself the presidency by criticizing Bush's disastrous Iraq policy before everyone realized our invasion had become a complete and total quagmire."

"Obama had the foresight to run for president at a time when being an African-American was not as important to Americans as, say, the ability to clothe and feed their children," Pung continued. "An election like this only comes once, maybe twice, in a lifetime."
As we enter a new era of equality for all people, the election of Barack Obama will decidedly be a milestone in U.S. history, undeniable proof that Americans, when pushed to the very brink, are willing to look past outward appearances and judge a person by the quality of his character and strength of his record. So as long as that person is not a woman.

Election results.

2008-11-05T13:41:00.002-05:00

First: Obama is our president! This is so great. I am really psyched by the margin by which he won, and by how well he did in many states that went for McCain. I think that he may actually be able to get great things done in this country. Although, after Bush winning in both elections that I have been old enough to vote in- I have really low standards. The fact that Obama can piece together a full english sentence beats Bush out of the water. You know I liked Clinton, I did- again especially when compared to Bush. In my lifetime the presidents have been Reagan, Big Bush, Clinton, and Little Bush. Obama marks the first president that I genuinely respect and love. I don't see him as the lesser of two evils (like Kerry), I see him as a wonderful candidate with a great record who may actually get this amazing country back on track. I am so ecstatic about his election but I am still worried I will wake up to find it all a lovely dream.
And then I see some of the other results.
Stupid Roscoe Bartlett is my congressman again.
My state decided to allow video slot machines. I have a problem with this for a lot of reasons. One of the biggest is that they plan to put a casino on state land that is now a wildlife park. But also because of the psychological and sociological affects of casinos. I'm disappointed by my statesmen blindly only hearing the positive arguments. The fact that it can be a source of revenue for the state is sadly countered by the disproportionate amount of money brought in by gambling from the poor. You know, the ones that then need to be supported by state revenue. I believe in getting to the root of problems not enabling a vicious cycle.
Speaking of being disappointed. California, shame on you. Prop 8 is all about taking away rights, splitting up families, and making hate into law. If you happen to be someone who does not "approve" of gay marriage, that is your business. Do not make that personal opinion into state law. Gay marriage does not threaten anything. If your religion does not "approve" of gay marriage, again your (and their) business. And this bull about threatening traditional marriage: You need to be more specific. As the Daily Show pointed out on the 3rd, traditional marriage has meant a lot of different things- like the lord's right to prima nocta. Or how bout arranged marriages- those took place in this country for a long time. Or how about plural marriages (especially the kind that only allows one man and however many women). So the argument of "tradition" is a little slippery. Although, as of right now, the HRC has not admitted defeat because it is so close.
On a lighter note- California did approve prop 2 which calls for more humane treatment of farm animals. I think this is a wonderful step.
Also, a lot of more environmentally aware candidates won as representatives across the country. This is really heartening on its own but even more so in combination with Obama's win. Things may actually get done.
I'm sure I will have more to say later. Right now, I'm feeling hopeful.

Undecided Voters

2008-11-04T13:09:00.001-05:00

Ever one needs to seethe breakdown of types of stupid undecided voters. I like Tiger Petters.

From Grist.org

2008-11-04T13:02:00.001-05:00

For all those people who still argue that humans are not responsible for climate change:

Hey, Look, We're Uppin' the Poles

Polar warming directly attributed to humans, study says

Posted at 7:00 AM on 31 Oct 2008
Warming at both the Earth's poles has, for the first time, been directly attributed to humans, according to a new study in the journal Nature Geoscience. "[Y]ou see a clear human fingerprint in the observed data," said researcher Peter Stott. "We really can't claim anymore that it's natural variations that are driving these very large changes that we are seeing in the climate system."

sources: BBC News, Reuters

My Cat likes to fly.

2008-11-03T14:40:00.001-05:00

Bat Stevens getting a spaceship ride from Mr. Hamilton. His spaceship has no lasers, so he has to shoot death straight from his eyes.

Who involves politics in halloween candy?

2008-11-03T11:57:00.005-05:00

From Huffington Post

McCain Supporter Denies Candy To Children Of Obama Supporters On Halloween (VIDEO)
Kids in this suburban Detroit neighborhood cried foul after a McCain supporter refused to give them candy because they were the children of Obama supporters. Whatever your politics, I think we can all agree it's beyond the pale to deny children candy on Halloween.

[WATCH]

This is so absurd. Children (you know the little people who can't vote) are being penalized for their parent's politics. Did you catch her response to the comment about kids crying. "Oh well. Everybody has a choice." You know, except kids who aren't old enough to even know what the hell is going on.

2008-11-03T11:57:00.001-05:00

Sorry to have disappeared for almost a month there...

Yikes!

2008-10-08T13:39:00.002-04:00

"John McCain's Rage is a National Security Concern"

Did you catch that he hit someone?
From http://bravenewpac.org/rage

I love video clips.

2008-10-07T17:36:00.001-04:00

Obama is Right: McCain was Wrong
Huffington Post

Fact Check

2008-10-03T16:26:00.002-04:00

The Washington Post has a transcript up of the debate from last night with an incorporated fact check. Check it out here.

"It's like herpes but in a good way."

2008-10-02T23:10:00.000-04:00

Get your War On: Sarah Palin and the Rape Kits

2008-10-02T22:57:00.000-04:00

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

A People-Sized Roomba

2008-09-29T14:05:00.002-04:00

For cleaning up oil spills!
Check it out here.

Re-Creating the Great Barrier Reef with Yarn!

2008-09-29T13:54:00.004-04:00

"The Institute For Figuring is crocheting a coral reef: a woolly celebration of the intersection of higher geometry and feminine handicraft, and a testimony to the disappearing wonders of the marine world."

Go here to see the original post.

Pledge!

2008-09-29T13:13:00.000-04:00

Special Olympics finally get something (indirectly) from Palin

2008-09-26T13:26:00.002-04:00

This is so great! It's nice to see someone making good from all the bullshit lies.

McCain on gay issues

2008-09-18T13:33:00.001-04:00

From the HRC:

A Record of Opposing the Interests of GLBT Americans

OPPOSED Ending Discrimination Against GLBT Americans in the Workplace. Senator McCain cast a deciding vote against the federal Employment Non Discrimination Act.

OPPOSED Protecting GLBT Americans from Hate Crimes. Senator McCain voted three times against expanding the federal hate crimes law to include sexual orientation.

PROPONENT of Discriminatory Military Policy. Senator McCain supports Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and does not believe that gays should serve in the military.

OPPONENT of Equal Benefits for Same-Sex Couples. Senator McCain voted for the Defense of Marriage Act which prohibits same-sex couples from receiving federal rights and benefits in any state.

ACTIVELY SUPPORTED State Ban on Domestic Partnerships. Senator McCain campaigned for a ban on same-sex relationship recognition in his home state of Arizona – even appearing in a campaign television ad.

SUPPORTED the Confirmation of Anti-GLBT Equality Judges. Senator McCain voted to confirm President Bush’s judicial nominees who had taken anti-GLBT positions. He has pointed to Justice Samuel Alito as a role model for future Supreme Court appointments.

SUPPORTED a Discriminatory HIV/AIDS Policy. Senator McCain supported a Jesse Helms strategy to cut off funding for prevention efforts aimed at the gay community and voted to prohibit foreign nationals with HIV from immigrating to the United States.

HRC report card on McCain and Obama.

Will the hypocracy never end?

2008-09-18T13:14:00.002-04:00

Palin Spent $50,000 In City Funds To Redecorate Mayor's Office, Ex-Colleague Says

Sarah Palin has been touting herself as fiscal watchdog throughout her political career. But Palin's tenure as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, was characterized by waste, cronyism and incompetence, according to government officials in the Matanuska Valley, where she began her fairy-tale political rise.

Huffington Post

Wild Vs. Wall

2008-09-17T16:48:00.001-04:00

No matter what you think about immigration the wall is not the answer!

Dude.

2008-09-17T16:22:00.003-04:00

Man, when Carl Rove (you know the devil's right hand) says you have gone to far in a campaign, you know it must be terrible.
Rove: McCain went "too far" in ads
From CNN

I love Isis Tsunami!

2008-09-12T17:32:00.002-04:00

Wiki

Get your pets micro-chipped!

2008-09-12T13:42:00.000-04:00

Lost cat returned home after nine years

LONDON (Reuters) - A couple have been reunited with their missing cat after nine years, the RSPCA said Wednesday.

Dixie, a 15-year-old ginger cat, disappeared in 1999 and her owners thought she had been killed by a car.

She was found less than half a mile from her home in Birmingham after a concerned resident rang the animal charity to report a thin and disheveled cat who had been in the area for a couple of months.

RSPCA Animal Collection Officer Alan Pittaway checked her microchip and confirmed it was Dixie. She was returned to her owners, Alan and Gilly Delaney, within half an hour.

"In 29 years of working for the RSPCA I have never seen anyone so excited and happy as Mrs Delaney," Pittaway said. "It made my day to return Dixie to her owners."

The couple were "overjoyed" to be reunited with their missing cat after so many years.

"Dixie's personality, behavior and little mannerisms have not changed at all," said Gilly Delaney. "We don't think she has stopped purring since she came back through the door."

The RSPCA hope the story will encourage owners to have their pets microchipped.

(Reporting by Anna Legge; Editing by Steve Addison)

Rape Victims Charged for Exams While Palin Was Mayor!!!!

2008-09-11T16:19:00.002-04:00

Ok, I thought I was outraged in last email. Now I have a whole new level of outrage. As far as I can tell (and I did look into it) this is true.
Former Alaskan Governor Tony Knowles has even come out in support of the claims. It turns out they had to pass state wide legislature to outlaw the practice- but it was only Wasilla that was doing it.
It is disgusting. This is clearly in place to discourage people from reporting rape. It abuses the victim. There is a higher rate of rape (among other crimes) in the lower socio-economic classes and then to ask the victim to literally pay for the crime. What if they cannot afford the forensic tests? Should they be denied justice? This goes against everything our justice system is supposed to be about.
Of course the rich and powerful will always have some advantage but to charge the victim for forensic exams (that means a very physically uncomfortable and emotionally draining rape kit among other things) is horrible.
Palin's spokeswoman "Maria Comella said in an e-mail that the governor 'does not believe, nor has she ever believed, that rape victims should have to pay for an evidence-gathering test... Gov. Palin's position could not be more clear," she said. "To suggest otherwise is a deliberate misrepresentation of her commitment to supporting victims and bringing violent criminals to justice."' (from The Huffington Post)
However, she does not seem to have any evidence to the contrary. So once again, they are making claims that are refuted by the facts, and not bothering to even try to support their claims with evidence. It makes me especially sick when it is about this sort of topic.
Even if it was not Palin's idea, she is responsible for what the town's policies are while she is mayor.
Plus this (also from The Huffington Post):

Comella would not answer other questions, including when Palin learned of Wasilla's policy or whether she tried to change it. The campaign cited the governor's record on domestic violence, including increasing funding for shelters.

Oh, and don't forget that she does not support a choice of abortion for rape victims. I cannot find anything either way on her stance on the morning after pill in general or specifically in regards to rape victims.

And to be fair, here is a rebuttal in USA Today.

Stop letting Smear Tactics Work!

2008-09-11T16:07:00.003-04:00

If most people had the sense given to little green apples, they would fact check what the political machines of this country tell them. It is absurd the crap that people are just eating up with out verifying the validity. Even things that do not sound true. Do you really think that Obama just wants to talk to kindergarteners about sex?
He supports giving children age- appropriate information about sexual abuse. You know, no touching under the bathing suit sort of stuff. How is that perverse? The whole point is to help kids know what they do not have to accept. Kids are told so often to do what grown-us tell them that they may not know what they can and should say no to and report. Please teach kids what sexual abuse is. Please help stop sexual predators. Please do not believe anything McCain or Palin say with out checking the facts (and for that matter check what the Dems say too)!!!
Here is an article from the New York Times. There are plenty of other good articles too.
Be adults. Find out for yourself what the facts are. Do not let mud slinging smear tactics continue to raise the polls in McCain's favor! If you support him, fine, but have real reasons!
(and a few more !s for good measure, !!!!!)

Why are people buying the lies

2008-09-11T15:51:00.003-04:00

I'm so sick of people just swallowing the lies from the republican party. This is from Defenders of Wildlife:

We have energy solutions today that can help our economy, our wildlife and our planet, but we need your voice to make sure that’s the path Congress takes. But Republican leaders in Congress and Big Oil’s lobbyists have held America’s energy future hostage for months. Democrats want to pass:
Consumer rebates and other common-sense strategies that would help American families save money at the pump and on home energy costs.
The extension of tax credits to help spur business innovations in clean, affordable and sustainable American energy sources;
Federal investment in clean, renewable energy to reduce dependence on foreign oil.
Legislation to fix out-of-control speculation in the oil markets that has caused energy prices to skyrocket.
The elimination of billions of dollars in tax breaks for Big Oil, even as oil companies post obscene profits.
Renewal of utilities standards for clean energy to help wean America off of foreign oil.

Instead, the Republican leadership has screamed “Drill, baby, drill!” to whoever will listen while Big Oil has poured tens of millions of dollars into a public relations campaign designed to bamboozle Americans into industrializing our coasts and sacrificing our wild places.
...
Here are the facts, according to the Bush/Cheney Administration’s own analysts at the Department of Energy:
According to the federal Energy Information Administration, offshore drilling would not have a significant impact oil prices before 2030.
At peak production -- 20 years from now -- drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would reduce the price of a gallon of gas by less than 4 pennies.

You can call or email your elected officials to let them know how you feel.
Here is contact info for MD:

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett - (202) 225-2721 - http://www.bartlett.house.gov/Email_Roscoe/

Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski - (202) 224-4654 - http://mikulski.senate.gov/mailform.html
Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin - (202) 224-4524 - http://cardin.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm

From Grist.org

2008-09-10T13:40:00.001-04:00

Flak and Tan

Most sunscreens ineffective or pose a health risk, says group

Posted at 1:12 PM on 22 Jul 2008

Some 85 percent of 952 sunscreens tested are ineffective or contain potentially harmful chemicals, says this year's annual sunscreen review by the Environmental Working Group. Of 144 sunscreen products distributed by the top three leading brands -- Coppertone, Banana Boat, and Neutrogena -- only one meets EWG's criteria for safety and efficacy. The group raises especial alarm about common ingredient oxybenzone, which a handful of animal studies have linked to endocrine disruption. Some dermatologists accuse EWG's sun-protection rating system of lacking scientific rigor, but the group says it extensively reviewed medical literature on sunscreens and stands behind its data. If you're rushing out to buy one of the 28 sunscreens that fall under both the Effective and Low Hazard rubric, buy a hat too -- dermatologists stress that sunscreen without other sun-avoidance precautions may not have much of an effect on skin cancer.

sources: Abilene Reporter News, The New York Times
straight to the database: Sunscreen Summary
see also, in Grist: Sunscreen-slathered swimmers contributing to coral bleaching, says study

A personal one

2008-09-09T09:50:00.005-04:00

I need support from my friends, I think that most people do. In return, I try to be as supportive of my friends as I can. I know there are times in the past that I have been a bad friend. I accept there may be times that I am unaware of hurting a friend. I would argue that if the friend communicates to me that I have hurt them, I try to remedy the behavior and let them know how truly sorry I am. Even if I don't think I did anything wrong, if it was just a misunderstanding, or whatever, if I have hurt someone, I am always sorry. That is never something I am ok with. There is tough love but that does not mean you should not still feel remorse for causing someone pain.
I really try to be open-minded. I learned a long time ago that I do not know everything, I do not even know a tiny sliver of everything. I do know myself, and I know my heart. Beyond that, I am willing to reconsider any opinion or position I hold. I think it is the right attitude to have in life. But hey, I will reconsider that as well if I ever find information to the contrary. :)
I think though, because of this perspective on constantly trying to improve myself and be open to other perspectives, I sometimes have a hard time standing up to people I am close to when I feel under attack. I really try to see their points and think about what they are saying. I still think this is the way to go. However, when it comes time to respond, I have a hard time. This is in part due to the fact that others do not necessarily share my tactics of open-mindedness, self-reflection, and a willingness to re-evaluate my opinions. When I let someone know that I was hurt by something they did, or an attitude they hold, and their response is to dig in and argue they were and are right, I do not know how to respond. If someone is harsh, or condescending, or hurtful in their manner of telling someone their opinions but they call it "straight talking" or not "sugar-coating the truth," how should one respond? If the other individual seems unwilling to re-evaluate their stance or to incorporate new information into their preconceived notions, what can I do? (I just mean literally previously conceived- not necessarily any negative connotation of lack of education in the opinion.)
If the topic at hand were not me and my struggles with disability and other things, I would just let it go. I would just hope that in time the other person would be willing to open their mind. As it stands, I feel under attack. I didn't feel that way at the outset, I thought that there were perhaps misunderstandings, that we had different opinions but through dialogue we could reach an understanding- hopefully both learning and growing because of the process. But when I tried to clarify my feelings, my needs, and my realities, I feel like I have hit a condescending wall.
My question to anyone who reads this is, what should I do?
How can I stand up for myself? How can I be honest, and true to myself without getting defensive or fighting back? What do you do when a friend seems to refuse to be understanding, or rethink preconceived ideas in the face of new information or expert opinion? I am not saying that my friend needs to just adopt my opinion, I only ask for respect and understanding.
True respect, not just lip service.
I need some guidance, and advice, help me out

Equality

2008-09-07T14:47:00.002-04:00

I think it would be amazing to have a president who respected all the citizens of this country. Obama worked has with the poor, and the uneducated. The people who have been disenfranchised by the leadership of this country time and again. He seems to understand racial issues, he seems to be a feminist, and he certainly cares more for the environment than any other presidential nominee I can think of. And he isn't scared of gay people!

Nikko's

2008-09-06T14:26:00.002-04:00

This is a great sushi spot in hagerstown. They have a decent selection of vegetarian sushi as well as a few other menu items. They have a bar are, a sushi bar are and a room full of Teppans (these are what we usually call hibachi tables but teppan is apparently the correct term). Ben and I have gone twice. Both times we sat in the sushi area. Both times we have had the same very good waitress. It was delicious! We had agidashi tofu and a selection of maki rolls. The meal comes with a very good miso soup. The whole place is a little pricey, but so worth it. The atmosphere is great, the food is well presented and prepared, the staff very talented and polite. I had a zombie to drink on both occasions. It was $6.95 but had enough kick to be worth the price! And delicious!
They don't have a website, but here is the contact info:

Nikko Japanese Steak & Seafood
1580 Wesel Blvd
Hagerstown, MD 21740
(301) 714-0005

Anyhow, I'm not big on writing reviews but I felt the need to share.
I was particularly impressed that when I asked for extra ginger, they gave me a whole handful!

Another word for decision.

2008-09-06T13:34:00.004-04:00

I really do think that in general a politicians family should be left out of things as much as possible. However, sometimes I think the politician invites people in. For instance Sarah Palin. She supports abstinence only sex ed, anyone who has looked into the studies on this knows that it has proven ineffective time and again. The rates of teen pregnancy and even more so the rates of STD's (often not diagnosed until the person is much older) are way higher.
If you take a politician who is pushing for abstinence only curriculum and it turns out she got pregnant out of wedlock as a teen. Add to that her daughter getting pregnant out of wedlock. Sprinkle in some really awful principles on rape and incest survivors not allowed a choice in keeping a baby that is a product of the assault. And top it off with comments like this (quoted from Slate magazine, I don't agree with this whole piece but I think it is interesting.):

Watch the video of Palin answering abortion questions during a 2006 gubernatorial debate. "If your daughter were pregnant … what would be your reaction and advice?" asks a reporter. "I would choose life," she answers, smiling. The reporter persists: What if your daughter had been raped? "Again, I would choose life," she replies. Not she would choose. I would choose.

And you get a recipe for an invitation into her family life. If she wants to make choices for other individuals and families, and seems so inept at keeping even her own children to the standards she expects of everyone... I think she needs to be called out.

To clarify, I still don't think that the press should be in her kids faces. They did not ask her to run, no more than they asked to have her as a mother.

Here is a brilliant bit from the Daily Show:

I honestly do not know what I would do without The Daily Show.