It's football season. Now the heart of football season. I am a Buffalo Bills fan. I was raised on football, so all other sports are relegated to second fiddle. If the Bills played the Mets, I would expose my inner frat boy and cheer my heart out for the Bills against the Betsy Wetsy baseball players. I will not apologize for this. Nor will I apologize for caring so much about something that world peace depends nothing on. (But the NFL does do a lot for the United Way. Beeyotches.)
In order to be a Bills fan you must possess an inborn optimism that defies all logic, even if you spend most of the game yelling at the television and your beloved team. For example, I'm still super pissed off that we - yes we - lost to Miami on Sunday. I wrote my team off early in the third quarter and could not be swayed. Bills fans learn to expect the worse, because sometimes expecting the worst helps the worst hurt less. But we still hope for the best, because on those occasions the Bills do well we yell twice as loud for them as we did AT them. Word of warning: under no circumstances agree with me when I say the Bills suck, unless you are a member of my family or a card-carrying Bills fan. (You earn the card by opening beer cans with your teeth and knowing how you should feel about Rob Johnson.)
So, for myself and for all you Bills fans out there who are disheartened after Sunday, here are some videos to help remind you why we, insanely and/or inexplicibly, love the Bills.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Locks of Love
My hair has grown past my shoulders. In a few more months it should be long enough to donate to Locks of Love. However, I'm going to need your help.
I have fine hair. I think fate gave me fine hair to balance out my big head; I would look like a bobblehead if I had thick hair. This still doesn't mean I like having fine hair, especially when it reaches a certain length. I'm appealing to you to help me not cut my hair. I already know how I want it cut, so all it would take is a sneaky trip to the salon. If I show any warning signs, please intervene. Thanks.
I have fine hair. I think fate gave me fine hair to balance out my big head; I would look like a bobblehead if I had thick hair. This still doesn't mean I like having fine hair, especially when it reaches a certain length. I'm appealing to you to help me not cut my hair. I already know how I want it cut, so all it would take is a sneaky trip to the salon. If I show any warning signs, please intervene. Thanks.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Some humor (not mine)
Here's a quote from Binghamton-born author David Sedaris, from his recent article in the New Yorker, regarding undecided voters.
"I look at these people and can’t quite believe that they exist. Are they professional actors? I wonder. Or are they simply laymen who want a lot of attention? To put them in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat. 'Can I interest you in the chicken?' she asks. 'Or would you prefer the platter of shit with bits of broken glass in it?' To be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and then ask how the chicken is cooked."
I haven't expressed it here in the blog, but I dare you to ask me how I feel about undecided voters.
"I look at these people and can’t quite believe that they exist. Are they professional actors? I wonder. Or are they simply laymen who want a lot of attention? To put them in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat. 'Can I interest you in the chicken?' she asks. 'Or would you prefer the platter of shit with bits of broken glass in it?' To be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and then ask how the chicken is cooked."
I haven't expressed it here in the blog, but I dare you to ask me how I feel about undecided voters.
Something you CAN rage against:
Voter purging and voter suppression.
I feel with my last post I took away a great American opportunity to be angry about obstruction of democracy. Now I offer you an alternative.
Voter purging is when state and county boards of elections go through lists and removed voters who have died, moved, or have committed a felony. However, there are no national standards for this nor any oversight, and many voters are mistakenly removed. Citizens are supposed to be contacted when this happens, but, of course, many are not. If you get to the voting booth on November 4 and are wrongly told you cannot vote, CAST A PROVISIONAL BALLOT AND CALL A VOTER HOTLINE.
National Voter Assistance Hotline: 1-866-Our-Vote
Democratic National Committee: 1-888-DEM-VOTE
(The GOP doesn't offer a hotline, otherwise I would put it here. I did find some help for Republicans voting abroad here.)
UPDATE ON 10/31: The GOP has offered a hotline. 866-976-VOTE. They want you to call and report voter fraud. WTF? It is also available for you to complain about electioneering, intimidation, and violence. Just don't make it up or you'll get caught and look stupid.
Voter suppression, purging being a part of it, involves making it harder for people to vote. Most often you'll hear of such suppression against minorities and lower income voters, who often vote Democrat. For example, a Republican fund-raiser in Ohio sued Ohio's secretary of state to make her verify all of the new registered voters - all 700,000 of them. The U.S. Supreme Court quickly and unanimously stopped this suit. A new law in Florida requires that new voters provide a driver's license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number on a registration form, which is cross-checked against government databases. Not a bad law per se, but one in which human error (aka typos) play a huge part. Who suffers? African-American and Latino voters, whose names are often hyphenated and with nontraditional (aka non-WASP) spellings. From the St. Petersburg Times: "Of the rejected registrations, 2,403, or 27 percent, said they were Hispanic; 2,382, or 27 percent, identified themselves as African-American; and 1,727 listed their race as white. A total of 1,902 did not disclose their race. Nearly half, 4,383, were Democrats, while 1,136 were Republicans. Most of the rest identified with no party." Whether it was the law's intent or not, it clearly prevents many Democrats from voting.
The Republican "uproar" over alleged voter fraud and subsequent investigations into registered voters in order to "protect democracy" is, in my opinion, a clever guise to do the exact opposite. In their defense, I don't think Republicans target minorities because they don't want non-whites to vote - they aren't being racist - they just don't want Democrats to vote, and many minorities just happen to be Democrat.
As much as I would like to mail a card to every registered Republican telling them that election day has been changed to Wednesday November 5, I would much rather have everyone who can vote and win fair and square - or not win fair and square.
For more info on voting rights, visit the People for the American Way Web site.
And for ACORN's response to allegations that they are a radical left-wing organization trying to commit voter fraud, watch this video:
I feel with my last post I took away a great American opportunity to be angry about obstruction of democracy. Now I offer you an alternative.
Voter purging is when state and county boards of elections go through lists and removed voters who have died, moved, or have committed a felony. However, there are no national standards for this nor any oversight, and many voters are mistakenly removed. Citizens are supposed to be contacted when this happens, but, of course, many are not. If you get to the voting booth on November 4 and are wrongly told you cannot vote, CAST A PROVISIONAL BALLOT AND CALL A VOTER HOTLINE.
National Voter Assistance Hotline: 1-866-Our-Vote
Democratic National Committee: 1-888-DEM-VOTE
(The GOP doesn't offer a hotline, otherwise I would put it here. I did find some help for Republicans voting abroad here.)
UPDATE ON 10/31: The GOP has offered a hotline. 866-976-VOTE. They want you to call and report voter fraud. WTF? It is also available for you to complain about electioneering, intimidation, and violence. Just don't make it up or you'll get caught and look stupid.
Voter suppression, purging being a part of it, involves making it harder for people to vote. Most often you'll hear of such suppression against minorities and lower income voters, who often vote Democrat. For example, a Republican fund-raiser in Ohio sued Ohio's secretary of state to make her verify all of the new registered voters - all 700,000 of them. The U.S. Supreme Court quickly and unanimously stopped this suit. A new law in Florida requires that new voters provide a driver's license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number on a registration form, which is cross-checked against government databases. Not a bad law per se, but one in which human error (aka typos) play a huge part. Who suffers? African-American and Latino voters, whose names are often hyphenated and with nontraditional (aka non-WASP) spellings. From the St. Petersburg Times: "Of the rejected registrations, 2,403, or 27 percent, said they were Hispanic; 2,382, or 27 percent, identified themselves as African-American; and 1,727 listed their race as white. A total of 1,902 did not disclose their race. Nearly half, 4,383, were Democrats, while 1,136 were Republicans. Most of the rest identified with no party." Whether it was the law's intent or not, it clearly prevents many Democrats from voting.
The Republican "uproar" over alleged voter fraud and subsequent investigations into registered voters in order to "protect democracy" is, in my opinion, a clever guise to do the exact opposite. In their defense, I don't think Republicans target minorities because they don't want non-whites to vote - they aren't being racist - they just don't want Democrats to vote, and many minorities just happen to be Democrat.
As much as I would like to mail a card to every registered Republican telling them that election day has been changed to Wednesday November 5, I would much rather have everyone who can vote and win fair and square - or not win fair and square.
For more info on voting rights, visit the People for the American Way Web site.
And for ACORN's response to allegations that they are a radical left-wing organization trying to commit voter fraud, watch this video:
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
It's kind of sad, really
Even though the "voter fraud" hysteria has been continually debunked by legitimate news and information outlets, the McCain campaign continues to harp on it (just as they do the "Obama is going to take all of your money" argument, also wholly debunked, but I digress).
If you take just a moment to think about it, you'll realize how off base and, frankly, bananas the argument is. If any fraud has actually occurred, it would be called voter REGISTRATION fraud, meaning it would be caught before any voting occurred. Do you really think the men and women overseeing the voting at the polling place would really let Mickey Mouse vote? There are checks in place to make sure neither I nor Amanda Huginkiss vote more than once (or at all if I don't exist). You know this. Take a deep breath; it's okay.
Still a little worried? FackCheck.org is a good place to visit. It's nonpartisan, btw. The McCain campaign has been peddling that ACORN is out to destroy democracy. (I'm not exaggerating the terminology - Sarah and John say "destroy democracy.") Quoting FactCheck, "There's no evidence of any such democracy-destroying fraud." ACORN employees have been investigated for voter registration fraud and some have even been convicted of it, but prosecutors explain that the employees did so in an attempt to get paid for work they didn't do, not to encourage illegal voting. They are trying to cheat their employer, not democracy. A comparison being thrown around is that the McCain campaign's accusations toward ACORN is like calling Macy's a criminal organization because a Macy's employee has been caught shoplifting. Only slightly hysterical. No ACORN employee has been convicted of election fraud. You can take another deep breath.
So why is it sad? John, Sarah, and all of their peeps know that what they are saying isn't true, but they've got nothing else. Obama exaggerates too, but he doesn't flat out lie in order to scare people. (Okay, so palinaspresident.com is super scary, but Obama didn't create it or endorse it, nor is he arguing that oil drilling would actually occur in the White House front lawn if Republicans win, which is kind of doomsday exaggeration the Republicans are using against him.) That, my friends, is why it's sad.
If you take just a moment to think about it, you'll realize how off base and, frankly, bananas the argument is. If any fraud has actually occurred, it would be called voter REGISTRATION fraud, meaning it would be caught before any voting occurred. Do you really think the men and women overseeing the voting at the polling place would really let Mickey Mouse vote? There are checks in place to make sure neither I nor Amanda Huginkiss vote more than once (or at all if I don't exist). You know this. Take a deep breath; it's okay.
Still a little worried? FackCheck.org is a good place to visit. It's nonpartisan, btw. The McCain campaign has been peddling that ACORN is out to destroy democracy. (I'm not exaggerating the terminology - Sarah and John say "destroy democracy.") Quoting FactCheck, "There's no evidence of any such democracy-destroying fraud." ACORN employees have been investigated for voter registration fraud and some have even been convicted of it, but prosecutors explain that the employees did so in an attempt to get paid for work they didn't do, not to encourage illegal voting. They are trying to cheat their employer, not democracy. A comparison being thrown around is that the McCain campaign's accusations toward ACORN is like calling Macy's a criminal organization because a Macy's employee has been caught shoplifting. Only slightly hysterical. No ACORN employee has been convicted of election fraud. You can take another deep breath.
So why is it sad? John, Sarah, and all of their peeps know that what they are saying isn't true, but they've got nothing else. Obama exaggerates too, but he doesn't flat out lie in order to scare people. (Okay, so palinaspresident.com is super scary, but Obama didn't create it or endorse it, nor is he arguing that oil drilling would actually occur in the White House front lawn if Republicans win, which is kind of doomsday exaggeration the Republicans are using against him.) That, my friends, is why it's sad.
Defend our Title!
So I totally dropped the ball on this this year. Binghamton is up once again to be voted the Capital of the Pierogy Pocket of America. You can vote once a day, and voting ends October 24. Yes, this Friday. Go here: http://www.pierogypocket.com/. Vote every day. On as many computers as you can.
We're up againsts Buffalo, NY; Whiting, IN; Forest City, PA; and Elmira Heights, NY. We have to win. The prize is $10,000, which will go to CHOW (Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse).
We're up againsts Buffalo, NY; Whiting, IN; Forest City, PA; and Elmira Heights, NY. We have to win. The prize is $10,000, which will go to CHOW (Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse).
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Debate Drinking Game Results
The drink:
Magic Hat "Participation" variety pack, brewed in Vermont, in the lovely, according to Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin, great northwest United States.
Magic Hat "Participation" variety pack, brewed in Vermont, in the lovely, according to Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin, great northwest United States.
The shot glasses:
The glasses my younger sister brought us back from Paris, where we are moving if McCain wins.
The television station:
Uh, PBS of course.
The final talley:
Obama = 28 drinks
McCain = 25 drinks
My hypothesis was wrong! Obama said more things on his list than McCain, so Tim drank more than me - three beers to my two and a half. I'm certain we missed some, but close enough. I thought we'd be drinking more as well. I could have chosen more domestic-policy-related words since domestic policy was the debate's topic, but how often do debates really stay on topic? Last night they were pretty good.
Tim drank many times because of the stipulation that he drink every time Obama looked at McCain when he attacked him. I almost as many times for McCain NOT looking at Obama when he attacked him. McCain did look at Obama more in this debate than previous debates. Tim drank more for "middle class" than for anything else. I thought "look" would be the big one. I drank only once for "my friends," which occurred during the closing statements. When Bob gave them the opportunity for closing statements I thought I was a goner. McCain's closing statement was what brought me closer to Tim's talley; Obama was significantly ahead for most of the debate. My most anxious moment of the night was when Bob asked about the VPs - I held my breath waiting for McCain to say "hockey mom," which would have meant I had to chug two beers. He didn't say it.
Some debates about the debate:
"Reagan" was on the list for McCain. One of the first statements of the night was about Nancy Reagan. I put "Reagan" on the list thinking of Ron, and his being John's hero, and the crazy Republican idea that Reagan policies are to be emulated, but we decided that I should drink for Nancy, determing that "Reagan" said by McCain in any context was for the same intent.
McCain did bring up Bill Ayers, so Tim and I discussed whether it meant I needed to chug a whole beer. We decided no, because "Weather Underground" was on the list, not Bill Ayers, and McCain never actually said "Weather Underground."
Some thoughts:
- Bob Schieffer was by far the best moderator.
- Joe Six-Pack must feel totally dissed since Joe Plumber got all of the attention.
- OH MY GOD DID MCCAIN SAY PEOPLE WHO SERVED IN THE MILITARY SHOULD NOT HAVE TO TAKE CERTIFICATION TESTS TO BECOME TEACHERS? They don't have to be educated or qualified to teach children? They can just become teachers because they went to boot camp? They can become teachers by just signing up? This is an even stupider idea than trickle-down economics. This may be an even dumber thing to say than saying New Hampshire is in the great northwest.
- I'm pretty sure McCain thinks Palin's youngest child has autism; he's confusing Down syndrome with autism.
- Thank you, Barack, for pointing out that nobody is pro-abortion. Pro-choice is not pro-abortion. And it was totally awesome when John, after repeatedly interrupting you, told you not "to raise anyone's taxes," you said, "Well, I don't mind paying a little more." Awesome.
- On that note, though, Barack, you could be a little more aggressive. Holy crap you are chill.
- Speaking as an adopted child: F*** you John for presenting adoption a simple solution to abortion. Obviously I'm a huge advocate for adoption; I would encourage any woman to choose adoption over abortion, but it is ridiculously, positively, absolutely up to her to decide. Giving a baby up for adoption means carrying the baby for nine months, which changes everything about your life. As does having a baby and then giving it up. So, as a woman: F*** you John for belittling what this means. I would never tell a 15-year-old who had been raped that she could not rid herself of the tiny clump of cells that if allowed to grow will mean she can't have any caffeine, she can't have all sorts of food, she'll gain a whole bunch of weight, she'll have permanent stretch marks and belly fat, she'll have to give up any sports or physical activities she engaged in, and, oh yeah, that she'll be a pregnant 15-year-old who will be judged constantly and who will after nine months have to push a large baby out of her small vagina. And then after all that, give him or her up. I mean, I know being a pregnant teenager is all the rage now, but still. So, this was just a thought.
- Michelle Obama wore blue and Cindy McCain wore red. Why does Cindy McCain smile at audiences like we're a kindergarten class? Is it because we're poor?
So that, my friends - or folks, if you prefer - is my story of the last presidential debate of 2008. To end this post, I'll share with you the sayings on our Magic Hat beer caps: "Do not Quibble with Iskabibble, "the Biggest Gaffe is the Failure to Laugh," "Don't smirk at quirks," "The universe Always has Other plans," "In Magic We Trust," and "Have 3, Gotta pee." Interpret any deep meaning from these that you will.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Presidential Debate Drinking Game
I admittedly am not the first person to come up with this. I would venture that I'm about the 2, 376, 988th person to come up with it. But blog about it I will.
Tomorrow night is the third and final debate (*sniff*), which will be held at Hofstra University and mediated by Bob Schieffer. Tim and I, as we've done for every debate so far this election season, will watch it. Except this time, we're playing a drinking game. I drink for McCain, and Tim will drink for Obama, and we'll both keep a tally of how many times we drink. (I realize we could just keep a tally, but that's not as much fun.)
I don't really have a hypothesis to share other than I think I'll be drinking more than Tim. Maybe at the end of the debate I can come up with some conclusions. The following are the words or phrases that when said we'll have to drink. As you can see, the amount of words is even and the likelihood of them being said is in my opinion even (even though I still think McCain will say his more).
OBAMA
Folks
Look (two drinks for "uh, uh look")
Bush
Four more years
Last eight years
Middle class
Failed Republican policies
As I've said before
Affordable health care
Afghanistan
Pakistan
Al Qaeda
Every time he looks at McCain when he attacks him
Chug a whole beer if he mentions the Keating Five or "Bomb bomb bomb Iran"
Chug two beers if he mentions McCain's first wife, how many jets McCain's crashed, or how many houses McCain owns
MCCAIN
Maverick
My friends (two drinks for "But look my friends")
Reach across the aisle
Experience
Warshington
Tax small businesses
Surge
Victory
Fannie and Freddie
My record
Earmarks
Reagan
Every time he turns his back to Obama when he attacks him
Chug a whole beer if he mentions the Weather Underground or says Obama's middle name
Chug two beers if he winks or says "you betcha," "doggone it," or "hockey mom"
BOTH
Bipartisan
Wall Street/Main Street
Change
Bail out
Clean coal technology
Mortgage
Golden parachute
Crisis
Fundamental difference
Chug a whole beer if they hug at the end (and try not to throw up)
If you have any phrases you think I should add, by all means leave me a comment. I love beer, and politics, so it's about time I combined them. In addition, I recommend highly reading Oliver Burkeman's liveblog for The Guardian during the debate, especially the comments. Yes, he's a Brit, but that makes it even better. You can read the last debate here.
Tomorrow night is the third and final debate (*sniff*), which will be held at Hofstra University and mediated by Bob Schieffer. Tim and I, as we've done for every debate so far this election season, will watch it. Except this time, we're playing a drinking game. I drink for McCain, and Tim will drink for Obama, and we'll both keep a tally of how many times we drink. (I realize we could just keep a tally, but that's not as much fun.)
I don't really have a hypothesis to share other than I think I'll be drinking more than Tim. Maybe at the end of the debate I can come up with some conclusions. The following are the words or phrases that when said we'll have to drink. As you can see, the amount of words is even and the likelihood of them being said is in my opinion even (even though I still think McCain will say his more).
OBAMA
Folks
Look (two drinks for "uh, uh look")
Bush
Four more years
Last eight years
Middle class
Failed Republican policies
As I've said before
Affordable health care
Afghanistan
Pakistan
Al Qaeda
Every time he looks at McCain when he attacks him
Chug a whole beer if he mentions the Keating Five or "Bomb bomb bomb Iran"
Chug two beers if he mentions McCain's first wife, how many jets McCain's crashed, or how many houses McCain owns
MCCAIN
Maverick
My friends (two drinks for "But look my friends")
Reach across the aisle
Experience
Warshington
Tax small businesses
Surge
Victory
Fannie and Freddie
My record
Earmarks
Reagan
Every time he turns his back to Obama when he attacks him
Chug a whole beer if he mentions the Weather Underground or says Obama's middle name
Chug two beers if he winks or says "you betcha," "doggone it," or "hockey mom"
BOTH
Bipartisan
Wall Street/Main Street
Change
Bail out
Clean coal technology
Mortgage
Golden parachute
Crisis
Fundamental difference
Chug a whole beer if they hug at the end (and try not to throw up)
If you have any phrases you think I should add, by all means leave me a comment. I love beer, and politics, so it's about time I combined them. In addition, I recommend highly reading Oliver Burkeman's liveblog for The Guardian during the debate, especially the comments. Yes, he's a Brit, but that makes it even better. You can read the last debate here.
Monday, October 13, 2008
It's October of an election year, and I've been quiet.
I know; I'm a little surprised too. Besides some of the videos I posted last month, I haven't really said anything about the upcoming election because there are plenty, plenty of other places for you to get information. (I recommend factcheck.org the most.) But, as you know, the fact that you can get info elsewhere has never really stopped me from yacking before.
I guess I haven't really felt like blogging about it. This is not because I don't care, because I do, a lot - I'm slightly obsessed with the election actually. I love election years. Now that I've had plenty of time to digest the current situation, I will, as succinctly as possible, share my feelings about who you I think you should vote for.
McCain and Palin realize that Republican policies aren't the most popular right now (because they are bad). They've been trying really hard to show how they are different from their fellow Republicans (which they aren't). They've gone so far as to steal the slogan of "change" from the Democrats (because they have nothing original to offer). They spend a lot of time talking about how un-Republican they are (except about gays, guns, zygotes, and dinosaurs). So, we should vote for the un-Republican Republican instead of the Democrat. We should vote for the Democrat-like Republican instead of the straight Democrat. Dumb. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck . . . And I can't believe anyone (who is not rich and out of touch as well) believes John McCain actually cares about them.
According to a recent ABC News/Washington Post poll, Bush's approval rating is now at 26 percent. His disapproval rating? 70 percent. His approval rating specific to the economy is only 22 percent. To put this in perspective, only Harry Truman and Richard Nixon got lower approval ratings. No president has had a lower disapproval rating. With this the case, I can't remotely fathom why anyone is thinking of voting Republican (besides the people who vote only to make sure that gays can't get married and women can't make choices about their own bodies).
Besides failed and embarassing Republican foreign policies, the economy is clearly the most important issue in the election. Bush's economic policies are not just Bush's, they are Republican policies. Seven of the last eight recessions have occurred under Republican leadership (sorry Jimmy). In January I'm sure this will change to eight of the last nine.
Republican policy is to cut taxes for big business with the idea that what is good for business and the rich is good for the country. The big businesses are then supposed to create jobs with their extra cash, make a bunch of new investments, and thus stimulate the economy. The magic formula is cut taxes = new jobs. McCain and Palin have been saying this over and over, as if all that needs to happen is for taxes to be cut and new jobs will magically appear. Uh, taxes were cut under the last administration and look what happened. Yes, I know there is a little more to it than that, but this is a huge part of it. You can't force rich people to invest in the country. Well, unless you tax them.
I'm not even going to go into "values" voting, except to say that I too vote the way I do because of my faith, and my soul screams against McCain. I'm not only voting against McCain, I'm voting for Obama.
I guess I haven't really felt like blogging about it. This is not because I don't care, because I do, a lot - I'm slightly obsessed with the election actually. I love election years. Now that I've had plenty of time to digest the current situation, I will, as succinctly as possible, share my feelings about who you I think you should vote for.
McCain and Palin realize that Republican policies aren't the most popular right now (because they are bad). They've been trying really hard to show how they are different from their fellow Republicans (which they aren't). They've gone so far as to steal the slogan of "change" from the Democrats (because they have nothing original to offer). They spend a lot of time talking about how un-Republican they are (except about gays, guns, zygotes, and dinosaurs). So, we should vote for the un-Republican Republican instead of the Democrat. We should vote for the Democrat-like Republican instead of the straight Democrat. Dumb. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck . . . And I can't believe anyone (who is not rich and out of touch as well) believes John McCain actually cares about them.
According to a recent ABC News/Washington Post poll, Bush's approval rating is now at 26 percent. His disapproval rating? 70 percent. His approval rating specific to the economy is only 22 percent. To put this in perspective, only Harry Truman and Richard Nixon got lower approval ratings. No president has had a lower disapproval rating. With this the case, I can't remotely fathom why anyone is thinking of voting Republican (besides the people who vote only to make sure that gays can't get married and women can't make choices about their own bodies).
Besides failed and embarassing Republican foreign policies, the economy is clearly the most important issue in the election. Bush's economic policies are not just Bush's, they are Republican policies. Seven of the last eight recessions have occurred under Republican leadership (sorry Jimmy). In January I'm sure this will change to eight of the last nine.
Republican policy is to cut taxes for big business with the idea that what is good for business and the rich is good for the country. The big businesses are then supposed to create jobs with their extra cash, make a bunch of new investments, and thus stimulate the economy. The magic formula is cut taxes = new jobs. McCain and Palin have been saying this over and over, as if all that needs to happen is for taxes to be cut and new jobs will magically appear. Uh, taxes were cut under the last administration and look what happened. Yes, I know there is a little more to it than that, but this is a huge part of it. You can't force rich people to invest in the country. Well, unless you tax them.
I'm not even going to go into "values" voting, except to say that I too vote the way I do because of my faith, and my soul screams against McCain. I'm not only voting against McCain, I'm voting for Obama.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Top Five Things I Equally Love and Hate
Deadlines
Bad writing
Birth control pills
Wasting time
Diplomacy
Bad writing
Birth control pills
Wasting time
Diplomacy
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Top Five Traits I'd Turn Up if I Found a Personality Trait Volume Control
Patience
Spirituality
Courage
Tact
Perceptiveness
Spirituality
Courage
Tact
Perceptiveness
Monday, September 22, 2008
Top Five Traits I'd Turn Down if I Found a Personality Trait Volume Control
Negativity
Pride
Mouth
Judgment
Self-consciousness (which may actually stem from self-centeredness)
Pride
Mouth
Judgment
Self-consciousness (which may actually stem from self-centeredness)
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Top Five Guilty Indulgences
Celebrity gossip
Writing myself as a character into books
Putting too much mix in my hot cocoa
Stalking online photo sites and Facebook for old pictures of my husband
Searching for my name under Google books to see if I'm in the acknowledgments
Writing myself as a character into books
Putting too much mix in my hot cocoa
Stalking online photo sites and Facebook for old pictures of my husband
Searching for my name under Google books to see if I'm in the acknowledgments
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Top Five Ways to Spend a Sunday Afternoon
Watching football
At a baseball game
Napping
With the youth group
Lunch with friends and family (potluck or other)
At a baseball game
Napping
With the youth group
Lunch with friends and family (potluck or other)
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Top Five Ways to Spend a Saturday
Wine tour
Visiting a museum or historical site
At a park
At a festival
At a beach
Visiting a museum or historical site
At a park
At a festival
At a beach
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Top Five
Since theme months are so much fun and spawn the most comments, September *drum roll* will be a theme month. I’m stealing my theme from Rob Gordon in High Fidelity (or Rob Fleming if you prefer the book character's name) and making top five lists for whatever category I feel like making a top five list for for that day. I promise not to cop out on my answers to the "If you could do/be" lists by answering anything like "Exactly where I am." I hate when people do that. It's boring. It’s OBVIOUSLY a hypothetical exercise, so play the frick along! This may make my list of top five pet peeves . . .
The beauty of top-whatever number lists is that they reflect who you are at a moment in time. Five years ago my lists would have been different, and who knows if the next day I will want to change the previous day’s list. I also promise not to lie on these lists. It’s so embarrassingly clear when someone is lying about his or her favorite things. In other words, I won't be attempting to make you think I'm cool. You should know better by now. These will be my lists of favorites (or equivalent when speaking of the negative), not a lists of best/worst evers based on artistry or expert opinion. I will not be objective.
So, to start it off:
TOP FIVE FOODS I'LL EAT EVEN IF I'M FULL
Pizza
Cheese and crackers
Deviled eggs
Butterscotch chip cookies
Bacon
Get it? Sweet.
The beauty of top-whatever number lists is that they reflect who you are at a moment in time. Five years ago my lists would have been different, and who knows if the next day I will want to change the previous day’s list. I also promise not to lie on these lists. It’s so embarrassingly clear when someone is lying about his or her favorite things. In other words, I won't be attempting to make you think I'm cool. You should know better by now. These will be my lists of favorites (or equivalent when speaking of the negative), not a lists of best/worst evers based on artistry or expert opinion. I will not be objective.
So, to start it off:
TOP FIVE FOODS I'LL EAT EVEN IF I'M FULL
Pizza
Cheese and crackers
Deviled eggs
Butterscotch chip cookies
Bacon
Get it? Sweet.
Return from the road trip
Some highlights from our road trip:
* My car getting 42 miles per gallon
* Passing the Shamokin/Pottsville sign on I-81
* West Virginia's policy of construction zone speed applying only when lights are flashing
* Witnessing a man karate kick the diesel pump
* My "Peace is Patriotic" magnet remaining on my car below the Mason-Dixon and back
* Drinking Guiness outside . . . legally
* Bodo's Bagels being a short walk from our cheap (but nice) hotel
* Getting to Monticello early enough to see the fog on the mountains
* Love lies bleeding being still fully in bloom
* Ignoring the GPS's directions
* The larger-than-life size Jesus cutout behind a trailor in Fishersville, VA (exit 91 off I-64)
* Five hours of talk radio
* Getting home in time to watch some of the Scrubs marathon on TV Land--which we get.
* My husand getting why I like Monticello
Thursday, August 28, 2008
A road trip
This Sunday my husband and I are hopping in the car and heading down to Charlottesville, Virginia, to visit Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. It’s one of my favorite places, if not, so far, my favorite place I’ve ever been. I’m really looking forward to showing my husband Monticello. I’m not expecting him to feel the same as I feel about it, but, as a history major, I’m sure he’ll enjoy being a tourist.
Best part: the gardens. At this time of year the flower garden looks like an organized attack of wildflowers. I’m hoping especially to see love-lies-bleeding, bloodflower, and flowering tobacco, whose flower smells sweet and a little like jasmine, but comes out only in the evening or if it’s a cool part of the day. I was lucky one mid-September afternoon—and probably won’t be this trip since it’s going to be hot and we’ll be there in the morning.
If it were allowed, the winding walk flower garden is where I would have gotten married. However, the place is open every day except Christmas, and the Jefferson Foundation doesn’t place weddings on their top ten list of preservation strategies (I asked during one tour; they said no). Perhaps if I could prove myself a direct descendant of Jefferson the idea may have been considered? I thought about a secret elopement in the corner of the garden, but if I were going to get married at Monticello there were going to be guests and pictures. I’ll ask again this trip, and if they’ve changed their minds I’ll get a divorce and remarry my husband, just for the wedding. About this I think I’m only 30 percent kidding. In other words, I really like Monticello. I considered working there after college in some capacity, but magic is lost once you go behind the curtain.
It must have something to do with Jefferson himself. Granted, Monticello is genuinely appealing to many people--it's not an ugly place--but I like knowing that Jefferson was there. I share none of his intellect, eloquence, foresight, or taste, so I can't view Monticello or the world as he did, but I like being close to it anyway. What I can relate to is his struggle between ideals and reality, and how he could never really get the two to meet. The hardest person to fight is yourself.
It's peaceful up on the mountain, even with all of the tourists around. I'd love to have it to myself for a morning, but it wouldn't be authentic. Since Monticello was a plantation, in its "glory days" there would have been many, many people moving about the grounds all day as well, just with more purpose. Ideally, had I been able to visit during the "glory days" (the quotes remain due to slavery), James and Dolly Madison would have been there, and the cook would be serving the French dish of noodles with melted cheese that Jefferson liked. Mmm.
Update: I didn't ask about weddings. It's better that way.
Best part: the gardens. At this time of year the flower garden looks like an organized attack of wildflowers. I’m hoping especially to see love-lies-bleeding, bloodflower, and flowering tobacco, whose flower smells sweet and a little like jasmine, but comes out only in the evening or if it’s a cool part of the day. I was lucky one mid-September afternoon—and probably won’t be this trip since it’s going to be hot and we’ll be there in the morning.
If it were allowed, the winding walk flower garden is where I would have gotten married. However, the place is open every day except Christmas, and the Jefferson Foundation doesn’t place weddings on their top ten list of preservation strategies (I asked during one tour; they said no). Perhaps if I could prove myself a direct descendant of Jefferson the idea may have been considered? I thought about a secret elopement in the corner of the garden, but if I were going to get married at Monticello there were going to be guests and pictures. I’ll ask again this trip, and if they’ve changed their minds I’ll get a divorce and remarry my husband, just for the wedding. About this I think I’m only 30 percent kidding. In other words, I really like Monticello. I considered working there after college in some capacity, but magic is lost once you go behind the curtain.
It must have something to do with Jefferson himself. Granted, Monticello is genuinely appealing to many people--it's not an ugly place--but I like knowing that Jefferson was there. I share none of his intellect, eloquence, foresight, or taste, so I can't view Monticello or the world as he did, but I like being close to it anyway. What I can relate to is his struggle between ideals and reality, and how he could never really get the two to meet. The hardest person to fight is yourself.
It's peaceful up on the mountain, even with all of the tourists around. I'd love to have it to myself for a morning, but it wouldn't be authentic. Since Monticello was a plantation, in its "glory days" there would have been many, many people moving about the grounds all day as well, just with more purpose. Ideally, had I been able to visit during the "glory days" (the quotes remain due to slavery), James and Dolly Madison would have been there, and the cook would be serving the French dish of noodles with melted cheese that Jefferson liked. Mmm.
Update: I didn't ask about weddings. It's better that way.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Playing psychologist
I've edited many psychology books and journal articles, so many that I sometimes feel certified to open my own practice. I'd probably be more qualified to tell you what words are misspelled most often in the psychology field than the presenting symptoms for a cognitive disorder, but close enough. I also lived for two years with two psychology students diagnosing me for various disorders (some of which I may indeed have), I own the DSM-IV, and I watch Frasier. These are my criteria for my following blog entry.
I can't remember if I've talked about this before, but I would like to introduce a new disorder into the field. You've likely heard of the Peter Pan syndrome. It's not in the DSM; it's a pop psychology term, but awesome nonetheless. It was introduced by psychologist Dan Kiley, who wrote The Peter Pan Syndrome and The Wendy Dilemma. Quick overview: Peter Pan = men who refuse to grow up, and Wendy = inappropriately self-sacrifing woman (does all the work, complains all the time but does nothing to remedy it, "admits" to being wrong when not, full of self-pity, and generally an annoying and unnecessary martyr). Staying on the J. M. Barrie theme, I'd like to introduce to the wonderful world of pop psychology the Tinker Bell Disorder.
I termed this disorder a few years ago during a discussion with a friend. It reoccurred to me this morning due a dream I had last night of an ex (who may have appeared as Sonny Corinthos from General Hospital). In the dream a group of friends and I were staying at a beach house. A hurricane was coming, and my ex had decided to go stand by the ocean. He likely, as in real life, was doing this because he decided I would be better off without him. He loved me, or at least thought he did, and so because he loved me he'd stay away--think Edward Cullen in Twilight and you'll get the picture, minus the vampire part, although sometimes I felt like il suo cantante. Not that this ex ever in real life threatened suicide, by hurricane or any other means--he was never horrible and manipulative--but he did remove himself from my life on multiple occasions under the same premise. (This drama may explain why he appeared in the dream as a soap opera star). Anyway. In the dream I decided that I too would stand out in the hurricane for as long as he did. I woke up before the battle of stubborness could be won.
Ironically, when my ex was trying to be most like an adult--making decisions for me based on what would be best for me--he was behaving his most childish. He didn't really have Peter Pan Syndrome, mostly because of circumstances beyond his control, but it was this childish behavior, and subsequent non-grown-ups I was attracted to/I attracted, that led me to diagnose myself with Tinker Bell Disorder: Women who like men with Peter Pan Syndrome. Different from Wendy. Tinker Bell loves Peter even though (or because) Peter can't love her back. Tinker Bell exists only because someone wills her to be there, and, in fact, she has a very short life in Barrie's novel, because that's the way it's supposed to be. Fairies live (commit) only a short time because to fairies it seems like a long time. By the end of the novel Tinker Bell has died and Peter has forgotten all about her. Disney leaves this out.
Those diagnosed with Tinker Bell Disorder aren't really ready to be adults either. Aren't ready to be adults and aren't ready to love adults. Once Peter decides to leave Neverland Tinker Bell will stay back, or will actually cease existing because Neverland is the only place she can exist. In the movie Hook, where Tinker Bell actually talks, she tells Peter, "Peter, you know that place between asleep and awake? That place you still can remember your dreams? That's were I'll always love you, Peter Pan." Not the real world.
However, it's okay to visit Neverland now and then. (Just not Michael Jackson's.)
I can't remember if I've talked about this before, but I would like to introduce a new disorder into the field. You've likely heard of the Peter Pan syndrome. It's not in the DSM; it's a pop psychology term, but awesome nonetheless. It was introduced by psychologist Dan Kiley, who wrote The Peter Pan Syndrome and The Wendy Dilemma. Quick overview: Peter Pan = men who refuse to grow up, and Wendy = inappropriately self-sacrifing woman (does all the work, complains all the time but does nothing to remedy it, "admits" to being wrong when not, full of self-pity, and generally an annoying and unnecessary martyr). Staying on the J. M. Barrie theme, I'd like to introduce to the wonderful world of pop psychology the Tinker Bell Disorder.
I termed this disorder a few years ago during a discussion with a friend. It reoccurred to me this morning due a dream I had last night of an ex (who may have appeared as Sonny Corinthos from General Hospital). In the dream a group of friends and I were staying at a beach house. A hurricane was coming, and my ex had decided to go stand by the ocean. He likely, as in real life, was doing this because he decided I would be better off without him. He loved me, or at least thought he did, and so because he loved me he'd stay away--think Edward Cullen in Twilight and you'll get the picture, minus the vampire part, although sometimes I felt like il suo cantante. Not that this ex ever in real life threatened suicide, by hurricane or any other means--he was never horrible and manipulative--but he did remove himself from my life on multiple occasions under the same premise. (This drama may explain why he appeared in the dream as a soap opera star). Anyway. In the dream I decided that I too would stand out in the hurricane for as long as he did. I woke up before the battle of stubborness could be won.
Ironically, when my ex was trying to be most like an adult--making decisions for me based on what would be best for me--he was behaving his most childish. He didn't really have Peter Pan Syndrome, mostly because of circumstances beyond his control, but it was this childish behavior, and subsequent non-grown-ups I was attracted to/I attracted, that led me to diagnose myself with Tinker Bell Disorder: Women who like men with Peter Pan Syndrome. Different from Wendy. Tinker Bell loves Peter even though (or because) Peter can't love her back. Tinker Bell exists only because someone wills her to be there, and, in fact, she has a very short life in Barrie's novel, because that's the way it's supposed to be. Fairies live (commit) only a short time because to fairies it seems like a long time. By the end of the novel Tinker Bell has died and Peter has forgotten all about her. Disney leaves this out.
Those diagnosed with Tinker Bell Disorder aren't really ready to be adults either. Aren't ready to be adults and aren't ready to love adults. Once Peter decides to leave Neverland Tinker Bell will stay back, or will actually cease existing because Neverland is the only place she can exist. In the movie Hook, where Tinker Bell actually talks, she tells Peter, "Peter, you know that place between asleep and awake? That place you still can remember your dreams? That's were I'll always love you, Peter Pan." Not the real world.
However, it's okay to visit Neverland now and then. (Just not Michael Jackson's.)
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