Thomas and the girls and I went on a little road trip this summer up into Canada. A few other things got in the way, so I haven't posted the photos yet, but I keep going back to this very short video of a stream on the Athabasca Glacier, part of the Columbia Icefield. It just makes all of the messiness of life seem so very far away.
Don't watch if running water makes you have to pee!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 20, 2008
New Favorite Name for The Palin
From a column by Charles M. Blow of the New York Times:
The rest of the column is good too, but I'll let you check it out on your own.
A big thanks to GoBecky, or I would have missed it!
Mr. McCain, on Monday you repeated your delusional notion that the fundamentals of the economy are strong. Now, the federal government is working on a deal to save that economy from collapsing. You have admitted that the economy is not your forte, so you could have used a running mate with some financial chops. (Remember Mitt Romney?)
But no. Who did you pick? SnowJob SquareGlasses whose financial credentials include running Wasilla into debt, listing (but not selling) a plane on EBay and flip-flopping on a bridge to wherever. In fact, when it comes to real issues in general, she may prove to be a liability.
The rest of the column is good too, but I'll let you check it out on your own.
A big thanks to GoBecky, or I would have missed it!
Friday, September 19, 2008
The Dammit
Dammit #1:
In addition to her other sins, The Palin has decided to skip California, thus robbing me of my very first protest rally.
Dammit #2:
I used to like John McCain. Not enough to vote for him, but he at least seemed a decent, honorable man. I think he's going to need a food-taster, though (see #3).
Dammit #3:
I am spending way too much time following this campaign, but the thought of a McCain/Palin administration (or what, in recent days, she has repeatedly referred to as a "Palin/McCain administration") literally turns my stomach.
Dammit #4:
I'm a little hypomanic (is that like being a little pregnant?) but without focus. Hyperactive, not much work product to show for it.
In addition to her other sins, The Palin has decided to skip California, thus robbing me of my very first protest rally.
Dammit #2:
I used to like John McCain. Not enough to vote for him, but he at least seemed a decent, honorable man. I think he's going to need a food-taster, though (see #3).
Dammit #3:
I am spending way too much time following this campaign, but the thought of a McCain/Palin administration (or what, in recent days, she has repeatedly referred to as a "Palin/McCain administration") literally turns my stomach.
Dammit #4:
I'm a little hypomanic (is that like being a little pregnant?) but without focus. Hyperactive, not much work product to show for it.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
What's in a Name? Ask the Sarah Palin Baby Name Generator!
Over the past two weeks, I've wondered about the origins of the names of Sarah Palin's children. And why, exactly, Sarah and Todd Palin named their children after an oil company, a small airplane, the place where one might have conceived one of the little darlings and an abbreviation of a math discipline.
Not to worry: It truly was idle, mind-wandering stuff and not something I'd spend a lot of time on. But someone did! And now you can discover your very own Palin name--well the one you might have had, had you been born in Alaska to a Vice Presidential wannabe. Polit Tsk Tsk Tsk has created the Sarah Palin Baby Name Generator: Enter your real name and the Baby Name Genrator will spit out the Palinized version.
Mean spirited? Perhaps. But I think we can all use a little humor. A small distraction. A little light through the cloud of lies.
Enjoy, and let me know what your Palinized name is!
Mine? Grill Igloo Palin. Oh, dear.
Not to worry: It truly was idle, mind-wandering stuff and not something I'd spend a lot of time on. But someone did! And now you can discover your very own Palin name--well the one you might have had, had you been born in Alaska to a Vice Presidential wannabe. Polit Tsk Tsk Tsk has created the Sarah Palin Baby Name Generator: Enter your real name and the Baby Name Genrator will spit out the Palinized version.
Mean spirited? Perhaps. But I think we can all use a little humor. A small distraction. A little light through the cloud of lies.
Enjoy, and let me know what your Palinized name is!
Mine? Grill Igloo Palin. Oh, dear.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Operation Wake Up Call
I don't want to say I'm panicking about the election--yet--but I will say that the thought of another four years of the Bush nightmare scares the proverbial pants off. And I am seriously unnerved by the thought of another election "won" by the Republican Party because a sizable portion of the US population decides to stay home on election day and then spends the next four years bitching about the results.
While I'd like to say I don't have a bias, left or right, that would make me as big a liar as . . . well, never mind that for now. But wherever you fall on the spectrum, there is no excuse for not voting. If you can't physically make it to the polls, you can vote absentee. Don't want to miss work? Go early; go late. Have kids? Take them; it's a great lesson. Can't be bothered to wait for 20 minutes, or even an hour? Eff that. People have waited for years. It's your right; it is a privilege; it is your duty. And now it has become an imperative.
Announcing Operation Wake Up Call.
On November 4, 2008, I'm asking you to get up early. Call your family members. Call your friends and neighbors. Call your co-workers, your teachers, your students, your dry cleaner. Tweet them. Email them. Whoever you think might need a little nudge to get to the polls. A gentle reminder will do: No preaching. No pushing last minute arguments for a particular candidate. Just remind them to make the time to vote.
According to the US Census Bureau, in 2004 64% of the US population eligible to vote did so. This was up from 60% in 2000. Good, but we can do better.
While I'd like to say I don't have a bias, left or right, that would make me as big a liar as . . . well, never mind that for now. But wherever you fall on the spectrum, there is no excuse for not voting. If you can't physically make it to the polls, you can vote absentee. Don't want to miss work? Go early; go late. Have kids? Take them; it's a great lesson. Can't be bothered to wait for 20 minutes, or even an hour? Eff that. People have waited for years. It's your right; it is a privilege; it is your duty. And now it has become an imperative.
Announcing Operation Wake Up Call.
On November 4, 2008, I'm asking you to get up early. Call your family members. Call your friends and neighbors. Call your co-workers, your teachers, your students, your dry cleaner. Tweet them. Email them. Whoever you think might need a little nudge to get to the polls. A gentle reminder will do: No preaching. No pushing last minute arguments for a particular candidate. Just remind them to make the time to vote.
According to the US Census Bureau, in 2004 64% of the US population eligible to vote did so. This was up from 60% in 2000. Good, but we can do better.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
I Think I'm Going to Be Sick
John McCain, who promised to run a clean campaign, has apparently approved a new TV ad that says Barack Obama's one accomplishment on education is authoring "'Legislation to teach 'comprehensive sex education' to kindergartners. Learning about sex before learning to read? Barack Obama. Wrong on education. Wrong for your family."'
According to Margaret Talev of McClatchy newspapers:
In "Post Partisan" blog on washingtonpost.com, E.J Dionne rightly asks "Does the truth matter anymore?"
According to Margaret Talev of McClatchy newspapers:
"This is a deliberately misleading accusation. It came hours after the Obama campaign released a TV ad critical of McCain's votes on public education. As a state senator in Illinois, Obama did vote for but was not a sponsor of legislation dealing with sex ed for grades K-12.Ms. Talev also quotes Obama's spokesman, Bill Burton: "It is shameful and downright perverse for the McCain campaign to use a bill that was written to protect young children from sexual predators as a recycled and discredited political attack against a father of two young girls."But the legislation allowed local school boards to teach "age-appropriate" sex education, not comprehensive lessons to kindergartners, and it gave schools the ability to warn young children about inappropriate touching and sexual predators."
In "Post Partisan" blog on washingtonpost.com, E.J Dionne rightly asks "Does the truth matter anymore?"
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Monday, September 08, 2008
Left Coast Mom Goes Retail
After watching the Palin's speech last week, I thought of something funny. And then I thought "That would make a great t-shirt!" So I opened a CafePress store and now you can show me some love and buy my t-shirt. Don't worry, I'm not actually going to make much money on them. Maybe a couple of extra trips to Peet's. Unless of course you buy a couple and then tell your friends, and then they buy a couple . . . Which would be perfect because I really just want to see this t-shirt on every woman in the Bay area. Of course, "on every woman in the country" would be even better!
Friday, September 05, 2008
The Dammit
I can't really call it "The Weekly Dammit" anymore, now can I?
You might be surprised to find that none of the Dammits this week are about The Palin. I need to take a leeetle break from it because I'm too young for a heart attack. I'll get to it later (as well as sharing the t-shirt I created at Cafe Press); in the meantime, there are a few other Dammits to be had.
Dammit #1:
I can't listen to NPR in the car right now because I don't want Charlotte's next phrase to be "effing liar!"
Dammit #2:
Bras. I will freely admit that I am not what you would call well endowed. At all. But why can't I find a nice bra that doesn't come with all of the padding? I want a bra, not a chin rest.
Dammit #3:
My cup runneth over with work right now. This might seem like a good thing--and it is! it is!--but it all seems to be due at once. Well, all but my own manuscript, which I'm starting to feel a bit desperate about. I have an estimate and time line due for a website I've been hired to (re)write--as well as actually starting on the content; an Advanced Reading copy of a book that I promised to read and review; and the promise of two other jobs in the next 2-4 weeks. Wah, right? But add to this swim lessons, ballet, school, speech therapy and play dates for the girls and I'm starting to run out of hours in the day.
Dammit #4:
I'm supposed to schedule another mammogram, which will be my fourth (I think). My mother had breast cancer twice (and two different types) and a couple of aunts had it as well. So I had my first a couple of years ago, and then two more over the next year because there was some abnormal tissue they wanted to keep an eye on. It turned out to be nothing, but the experience was not something I'm looking forward to repeating. So I'm procrastinating. I do have all of that work, after all (see above).
Dammit #5:
There are two dog poops left in a unused part of the yard. I have yet to remove them because it's all I have left of Argus. But at least telling Hannah that yesterday was enough to make her stop crying because her "best friend" is gone and she'll never see him again.
You might be surprised to find that none of the Dammits this week are about The Palin. I need to take a leeetle break from it because I'm too young for a heart attack. I'll get to it later (as well as sharing the t-shirt I created at Cafe Press); in the meantime, there are a few other Dammits to be had.
Dammit #1:
I can't listen to NPR in the car right now because I don't want Charlotte's next phrase to be "effing liar!"
Dammit #2:
Bras. I will freely admit that I am not what you would call well endowed. At all. But why can't I find a nice bra that doesn't come with all of the padding? I want a bra, not a chin rest.
Dammit #3:
My cup runneth over with work right now. This might seem like a good thing--and it is! it is!--but it all seems to be due at once. Well, all but my own manuscript, which I'm starting to feel a bit desperate about. I have an estimate and time line due for a website I've been hired to (re)write--as well as actually starting on the content; an Advanced Reading copy of a book that I promised to read and review; and the promise of two other jobs in the next 2-4 weeks. Wah, right? But add to this swim lessons, ballet, school, speech therapy and play dates for the girls and I'm starting to run out of hours in the day.
Dammit #4:
I'm supposed to schedule another mammogram, which will be my fourth (I think). My mother had breast cancer twice (and two different types) and a couple of aunts had it as well. So I had my first a couple of years ago, and then two more over the next year because there was some abnormal tissue they wanted to keep an eye on. It turned out to be nothing, but the experience was not something I'm looking forward to repeating. So I'm procrastinating. I do have all of that work, after all (see above).
Dammit #5:
There are two dog poops left in a unused part of the yard. I have yet to remove them because it's all I have left of Argus. But at least telling Hannah that yesterday was enough to make her stop crying because her "best friend" is gone and she'll never see him again.
Hannah-ism
Sunday mornings are "pancake day" at our house. Thomas gets up early(ish) and makes a huge stack of pancakes while the girls supervise and nibble on the test pancakes. But this past Sunday Thomas was out for a long run (training for his first half marathon!), so I said:
"I guess it's my turn to make the pancakes this week!"
To which Hannah replied, with what sounded like complete sincerity:
"Oh Mom! You make the best black pancakes EVER!"
"I guess it's my turn to make the pancakes this week!"
To which Hannah replied, with what sounded like complete sincerity:
"Oh Mom! You make the best black pancakes EVER!"
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Live Mic, Republican Style!
Republican strategist Mike Murphy and Peggy Noonan on The Palin*:
Thomas sent to this me from ClusterFlock, who got it via TalkingPointsMemo. TPM thoughtfully included the transcript:
* Like all other hurricanes, the Palin only needs one name.
Thomas sent to this me from ClusterFlock, who got it via TalkingPointsMemo. TPM thoughtfully included the transcript:
Chuck Todd: Mike Murphy, lots of free advice, we'll see if Steve Schmidt and the boys were watching. We'll find out on your blackberry. Tonight voters will get their chance to hear from Sarah Palin and she will get the chance to show voters she's the right woman for the jobUp next, one man who's already convinced and he'll us why Gov. Jon Huntsman. (cut away)
Peggy Noonan: Yeah.
Mike Murphy: You know, because I come out of the blue swing state governor world: Engler, Whitman, Tommy Thompson, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush. I mean, these guys -- this is how you win a Texas race, just run it up. And it's not gonna work. And --
PN: It's over.
MM: Still McCain can give a version of the Lieberman speech to do himself some good.
CT: I also think the Palin pick is insulting to Kay Bailey Hutchinson, too.
PN: Saw Kay this morning.
CT: Yeah, she's never looked comfortable about this --
MM: They're all bummed out.
CT: Yeah, I mean is she really the most qualified woman they could have turned to?
PN: The most qualified? No! I think they went for this -- excuse me-- political bullshit about narratives --
CT: Yeah they went to a narrative.
MM: I totally agree.
PN: Every time the Republicans do that, because that's not where they live and it's not what they're good at, they blow it.
MM: You know what's really the worst thing about it? The greatness of McCain is no cynicism, and this is cynical.
CT: This is cynical, and as you called it, gimmicky.
MM: Yeah.
* Like all other hurricanes, the Palin only needs one name.
Fun With Political Signage
I just saw a McCain/Palin banner and, the way it was stacked (and because I'm getting old and my eyes play tricks on me), I initially read it as "McCain/Pain."
And hey! it rhymes, too!
And hey! it rhymes, too!
Random Question for the Week
I know I'm gonna hear it for this one, but:
Why is that that, whenever anything ill befalls the nation, certain people on the right are prone to say that it's because God is mad at us? Mad for pushing him out of the public square (e.g.: school and government); annoyed at the advancement of gay rights; pissed off at feminists; still ticked that someone somewhen thought that "puce" was a great name for a color; or some other random act of mad-ness directed at the lefties.
Why is it never that God is displeased with the red team? Hurricane Gustav was predicted to come aground almost three years to the day, in pretty nearly the same location as Katrina--guaranteeing that it would interrupt the opening of the Republican Convention. So why wasn't that interpreted as a hint that the Almighty wasn't happy with the way the red team was managing things (including the shameful way in which the Bush administration left New Orleans to its fate three years ago)?
Because that would be stupid. And because you only play the God card when it serves your own purpose or if you're actually dumb enough to think God cares about your football/baseball/hockey/racing team. Oh, wait . . .
Why is that that, whenever anything ill befalls the nation, certain people on the right are prone to say that it's because God is mad at us? Mad for pushing him out of the public square (e.g.: school and government); annoyed at the advancement of gay rights; pissed off at feminists; still ticked that someone somewhen thought that "puce" was a great name for a color; or some other random act of mad-ness directed at the lefties.
Why is it never that God is displeased with the red team? Hurricane Gustav was predicted to come aground almost three years to the day, in pretty nearly the same location as Katrina--guaranteeing that it would interrupt the opening of the Republican Convention. So why wasn't that interpreted as a hint that the Almighty wasn't happy with the way the red team was managing things (including the shameful way in which the Bush administration left New Orleans to its fate three years ago)?
Because that would be stupid. And because you only play the God card when it serves your own purpose or if you're actually dumb enough to think God cares about your football/baseball/hockey/racing team. Oh, wait . . .