Time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping, into the future...

Time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping into the future (Fly Like An Eagle, by Steve Miller Band)

Time to look back at 2013 and look forward to 2014

I would say 2013 is the year I was shell-shocked. 

Personally, I’ve been confronted with some (not all) truths about myself. 

While I appreciate the clarity, it hasn’t helped me figure out how best to live my life. 

I still don’t get it. 

I had a breakup in 2012, but it was in 2013 that it took a toll on me.

I feel sad for myself on several levels, but at the same time I know how blessed I am and I’m grateful for this journey.

I like exactly where I’m at.

How can I be sad and happy at the same time for the exact same life circumstance?

Beyond my own life, there’s a lot of craziness in the world.

Strange weather, tornados, typhoons. 

Violence all over the world; Syria, Egypt, Sudan.

NSA spying, race relations.

Government shutdowns, gerrymandered districts, Tea Party conservatives holding us all hostage.

Bombings and mass shootings in schools, malls, and marathons.

The great cultural divide in the US makes for mean and nasty discourse that solves nothing.

Pope Francis has brought a new attitude to the Catholic church that feels like home.

The Royal Family of William, Kate, and George is cute as can be.

Gay marriage is legal in 18 states including my own state of Washington.

There are a lot of smart, good people making the world a wonderful place.

How can I be sad and happy at the same time for the exact same circumstances?

So, that’s the state of my world at the end of 2013. 

For 2014, my watchword is Restraint.

I’ve been self-indulgent in the last year which has led to general laziness and not enough money saved.

I speak too freely to people.  I share too much.  I don’t think people care, and I end up feeling like an idiot when it’s all done. 

So, I want to be restrained this year.

In general, I should think twice before I say or do anything.

Tonight I went to the Garden d’Lights at Bellevue BotanicalGardens.

I had been wishy-washy about going the last couple nights.  I wondered if I’d be the only one in the park  since it’s New Year’s Eve and we had rain earlier in the day.   But, those are the kind of excuses I make that keep me at home.  I decided I don’t have to wait until tomorrow to start being a better person, so off I went.  I was definitely not the only one.  It was beautiful.  It really was a garden.  There were lights in shapes of all kinds of flowers and critters.  They even made a river and waterfall of light.  Really glorious.   The pictures on their website are much better than mine, but I'm not too disappointed in what I was able to capture.  I used the night/landscape setting on my Nikon Coolpix.

Now here is my wish for all of us in the new year:
For 2014 I wish all of us courage, a forgiving heart, joy-filled days, a safe home, plenty of food, curiosity, peace, and the comfort of knowing you are loved.  

A Life

"People ask: 'Why do children or young people die, when they have lived so little?' How do you know that they have lived little? This crude measure of yours is time, but life is not measured in time. This is just the same as to say: 'Why is this saying, this poem, this picture, this piece of music so short, why was it broken off and not drawn out to the size of the longest speech or piece of music, the largest picture?' As the measure of length is inapplicable to the meaning (or greatness) of productions of wisdom or poetry, so—even more evidently—is it inapplicable to life. How do you know what inner growth this soul accomplished in its short span, and what influence it had upon others? Spiritual life cannot be measured by a physical measure." - Leo Tolstoy

Television I Watch - The Sing-Off

I enjoyed The Sing Off this year.
The show only lasted a few episodes and took a couple weeks.  Good choice.  I don't know why, but it doesn't work as well when it lasts too long.  I watched Season 1 in its entirety, I only partially watched Season 2, and didn't watch Season 3 at all.   This season I watched it all again.
Jewel was the new judge this year and I thought she added a lot.  She has musical know-how in her critiques.  Last night she performed what I thought was a stunning version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".



This year, I was rooting for Vocal Rush - a group of high school aged kids from the Oakland School of the Performing Arts.  Two of their performances stand out for me...

This is the first song of the first episode - and its why I became a fan.  The song is by a group called Delta Rae, so I'll for sure be purchasing their album based on this song.


And the second was their 'battle' round with another group called "Elements"...

Lots of fun and perfect for the holiday season.  Thanks NBC!

Watching Television

I've always enjoyed watching television.  I can't be snobby about that. 

In the last year I've been spending a lot of time alone, so I watch even more.  

For the sake of eventually looking back at myself during these days, following is a list of what I've been watching this fall television season:

Shows I look forward to watching:  Sunday Night (Amazing Race, The Good Wife, The Mentalist), How I Met Your Mother, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Survivor, Modern Family, Thursday Night (Parks and Recreation, Big Bang Theory, Project Runway, Elementary, Grey's Anatomy, Covert Affairs)

Shows that weren't on this fall, but I'm looking forward to their return:

Doctor Who, Community, The Americans, Orphan Black.  

Shows I like to watch:  Mom, 2 Broke Girls, Major Crimes, New Girl, The Mindy Project, Raising Hope, The Middle, Almost Human, American Ninja Warrior, Hollywood Game Night

Shows I've seen at least once:  Hostages, We Are Men, Castle, The Voice, Marvel's Agents of Shield, Welcome to the Family, Sean Saves the World, The Michael J Fox Show, Back in the Game, The Crazy Ones, The Millers, The Goldbergs, Trophy Wife, Super Fun Night, Ironside, Person of Interest

Shows I meant to try:  Sleepy Hollow, Reign

That's a lot of TV.  And, it's not even all inclusive...I watch the news (KIRO, CBS Morning News, CBS Evening News, and Sunday Morning), I watch repeats of Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother, Frasier, and Grey's Anatomy.  I watch The Daily Show and The Colbert Report (when I stay up late), I watch House Hunters International.  

In the next few days I'll consider how I can make best use of my television viewing time.  I don't mind that I watch a lot of television.  I would like to watch less news (repetitive) and make sure I'm really enjoying the shows I do watch.  

It occurs to me...

What I'm really good at is helping people define what they don't want.

It's a gift.


Update 12/24/2013:  I had something specific in mind when I wrote that, but when I read it back the intended sarcasm and self-deprecation is not apparent.  Oh well.

Movies I've Seen - Prometheus

I watched this movie (Netflix DVD) late this afternoon when I should have been doing laundry, picking up the house, packing items up for Goodwill - any number of productive activities.
And yet - I'm not disappointed.
I enjoyed it.

Ridley Scott, director of Alien and Blade Runner, returns to the genre he helped define. With Prometheus, he creates a groundbreaking mythology, in which a team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a thrilling journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race. -- (C) Official Site

There were a few cliche characters (why would you hire a malcontent for your two year voyage?) but they weren't on screen long enough to ruin the show.
On the other hand, the characters I liked weren't on screen long enough either.

The reason this movie appealed to me was because it asked the same questions I like to ask - where did we come from and why were we made?

Expect an 'Aliens' type experience. It all comes full circle, which I appreciated as well...:)

I'm not mentioning any details in case you're home on a gray Sunday afternoon, you feel like immersing yourself in a good story, and you don't want to do your chores...:)  You may decide to watch the movie.

"Who are you going to believe? Me or your lying eyes?

I've always thought that was a funny line from JR Ewing when his wife Sue Ellen walked in on him in bed with another woman on the television show Dallas.  

But, it's more true that not.

In this Slate article we learn that our brain will use context to 'tell us' what we're seeing.  Interesting.

These two squares are the same color!  Put your finger over the area where they meet and you'll see.

That should make all of us pause when we try to say what is true.  

A few more words about Nelson Mandela

Bill Clinton did an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC in which he talked about Mandela...

He once told me that he lived on hatred when he went into prison because he was young and he was being abused and he was out there cracking those hard rocks all day and he said after about 11 years he realized that they'd already taken about everything they could take from him except his mind and his heart.  He said I realized that those are things you have to give away and I decided not to give them away.

I thought that was profound on many levels.

• Bringing the hatred with him as he journeyed day to day became a heavy burden for Mandela.  For each of us, we should let the hatred go.
• For many people it seems time in prison allows for a personal reflection on the meaning of life which often leads to spiritual growth, change, and maturity.  That's the best outcome for a prison sentence and I wonder why it happens for some and not others.
• For most of our great spiritual leaders (Jesus, Ghandi, Buddha, et al), they are removed (by choice or not) from the lives they understand and are forced to confront life in its most basic form - which often leads to great spiritual and personal awakening.  And gives them the strength and wisdom to lead.

And...here's an article about the day Mandela was released from 27 years of prison.  

Nelson Mandela 1918 - 2013

An extraordinary life. An extraordinary man.

In my previous post about Nelson Mandela I mentioned a song. I found the song. I don't know if this is the original version, but this is definitely the chorus I remember. "Free Nelson Mandela".  It really sticks in your head - which I remember thinking even back then was a very good way to get people to remember his name.

A tribute to Nelson Mandela by Desmond Tutu

Well what do you know about that?

1. vickster

A woman full of charm and wit, she makes a great friend and a wonderful partner, and she thinks personalised shoes are chavvy!!

She totally rocks shes a prime example of vickster

mark as favorite buy vickster mugs & shirts

amazing trustworthy funny beautiful gaffers 
by gaffers February 16, 2012 add a video

7 up, 2 down  

  

From The Urban Dictionary

Chavvy - also from the Urban Dictionary - has something to do with branding.  It's considered negative.  Also, I don't have a shoe fetish so I'll ascribe only the first part of the definition to this Vickster!  Yay! :)

If I can do it, you can do it too

Maria Kang posted this picture of herself on Facebook.
She received a number of negative responses as described in this Yahoo article

“I wanted to inspire people,” she explains, adding that the “What’s your excuse?” part was simply a borrowed, popular phrase that’s been used in various “fitspiration” campaigns. “I wanted to say, ‘I know you think you don’t have time if you have kids. But if I can do it, you can do it, too.’” 

***

"If I can do it, you can do it too."
In other words, you and I are exactly alike in body, mind, and spirit.  We value the same things and have the same physical abilities.  Since I did it - you're a lock to be able to do it.

"If I can do it, you can do it too."
In other words I've awarded myself the award for laziest (or, fill in your own bad habit here) person in the world, so if the laziest person in the world can do it, it will be easy for you.

"If I can do it, you can do it too."
In other words, I've got all these obstacles and I managed to do it.  Your obstacles can't be worse than mine, so you can do what I've done.

Is there any scenario in which "If I can do it, you can do it too" is an okay way to encourage someone.

How about just saying "I support you"

Foie Gras

photo credit

This American Life story about how foie gras is created.

Foie gras is the fattened liver of a duck or goose.  The controversy comes from how the liver is fattened. The bird is force fed a mash of corn and fat for for 21 days (I believe) until the liver is fattened and then the bird is slaughtered.  

Why?  Because a fattened duck or goose liver tastes 'better' than a regular duck or goose liver.  It's a delicacy.

The story on This American Life is about a man in Spain who has developed a natural way to fatten the liver. He takes advantage of the genetic impulse of migratory birds to store a lot of fat in their bodies before their long flight south.

The birds fatten themselves!

...and then they're slaughtered.

Foie gras isn't even a necessity - humans don't NEED foie gras.  There is no justification for torturing animals for the sake of satisfying a selfish palette.

It's easier to see how wrong this is when you don't eat foie gras.

Along those same lines, it's easier to see how wrong it is to eat animals when you've stopped eating animals.

WalMart

It's the holiday season at WalMart.

This is a link to videos of some WalMart shoppers on Black Friday.  
I think the people here think this is fun - many of them are smiling and laughing.

Notice in the video called "WalMart Black Friday fight for TV 2013" the police are trying to bust things up. The girl continues to fight the police as if they're still battling for the television.  
Also, notice the person to the right who will not budge an inch while the police are trying to subdue the television girl.

I imagine this must be what it's like after the apocalypse when we're all fighting for food.
I can see I'll lose.

I hate WalMart for helping to create these conditions.  WalMart exploits people coming and going (workers and vendors and consumers).  It makes me mad that the Walton family profits from it while remaining largely invisible.

Here's the link to another story about WalMart - they're supporting a food drive for their own employees.

I can't see how anyone doesn't see that WalMart is the beginning of the end for us - not just the poor shopping behavior, but the way they do business in general.
Anyone who shops at WalMart is agreeing that this is how we should go.
I know that's a strong indictment against a small act (shopping at WalMart) - but it's the way I see things.

It's a new day...

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world."
                                                                                                         Anne Frank

All the Doctors

Still thinking about Doctor Who...marathon of fan favorite episodes today.
Here's that picture I was looking for yesterday...

Youthful Activism

Madison Kimrey - poised, intelligent, active.  Excellent.
I wish I knew how to multiply and encourage this in other young people...and adults...and myself

She spoke at a rally in North Carolina about voter suppression laws in NC.

Update: Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special

I can't seem to get a picture of all the Doctors at the end of the episode.  I'll have to use this one...

The episode was confusing in its regular way (how did they get there?  why are they doing that?) but very satisfying in its heart and soul.  I was worried about how they'd use Billie Piper and David Tennant as Rose and the Tenth Doctor.  But, I loved it.  'Rose' was the conscience of the machine that destroyed Gallifrey and Billie Piper did a fantastic job.  The Tenth and Eleventh Doctors were a fun team, while John Hurt as the War Doctor was a wonderful balance.  I always enjoy Matt Smith.

Definitely glad I watched the two prequels, and I also watched a special that was funny..
The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot

I also forgot to mention earlier that the Google Doodle today was about Doctor Who

Yay, Doctor Who! :)

Doctor Who, JFK, Bob Dylan, Gettysburg Address, tornadoes, healthcare, filibusters and a sunny day

Bob Dylan's new "Like a Rolling Stone" video is an interactive channel surf.  Use the up and down arrow keys to move through each channel where people are lip synching to the song.  Is this revolutionary?  It seems like a reasonable next step technology-wise, and I wonder why more people don't do it?  Does it make the file too big, or does it cost too much to create?  Anyway - it's interesting.  I was most impressed with all the people lip-synching because they stayed true to the theme of their channel.  They must have loved being part of the video.

Yesterday (November 22) was the 50th anniversary of the assassination of John F Kennedy. Commemorating the day has been the catalyst for a lot of television/radio/newspaper/magazine/internet talk about JFK, Jackie, the Kennedy's, the 60's, the baby boomers, the politics, and the what ifs.  My thoughts go out to Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg.  I can't imagine how she's managed to be herself when the world wants her to represent everything about her family.  I suppose she doesn't know anything different.  Given that, I'm curious to know how she learned to be so normal at the same time.  I'd be too self-conscious to know how to walk like myself - or know who myself is.
Slate's Political Gabfest had a conversation about JFK that was interesting without over sentimentalizing.
NPR Weekend Saturday/Scott Simon had a couple interesting stories; JFK had the wit to lampoon himself and After Kennedy's Death, Wife Jacqueline Embodied Grace

November 18 was the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.  It was 272 words spoken during the commemoration of the battlefield at Gettysburg Pennsylvania.  Lincoln's short speech followed the 2 hour keynote speech.  Folks in the old days were much sturdier than I - I can't imagine standing around that long (though come to think of it, in November 2007 I stood around for a couple hours waiting to hear Obama speak at the Oregon Convention Center).
The last line of the Gettysburg Address:  "...that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
Two points:
First, in our current days some people believe that if we don't continue fighting, then their soldier relative who died will have died in vain.  I read somewhere that that idea was born from this speech - or at least reinforced.  But the truth is two dead people doesn't make the first person less dead.
Second, it's a rallying cry for the union, which is powerful...'shall not perish from the earth'.  Shivers.
Watch politicians (4 Presidents) and celebrities (Stephen Colbert!) read the Gettysburg Address on Ken Burns' website.

Another anniversary - 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who.  Special episode simulcast live all over the world today.  In my time zone, it's shown on BBCA at 11:50 am.  Although David Tennant's Doctor and Rose Tyler are in the episode, there will be no Christopher Eccleston, which breaks my heart. Even still - a new episode that has a ton of hype around it.  I didn't enjoy the last season's episodes after Amy and Rory left.  I like Matt Smith as the Doctor, and I like Jenna-Louise Coleman as Clara Oswald, but the stories didn't hold together for me.  Oh well - they can't all be winners.  Anyway - to prepare for the viewing in less than a couple hours:
Mini-episode prequel, The Night of the Doctor
Mini-episode prequel, The Last Day
A primer from The Daily Beast   


Last Sunday, tornadoes flew threw the Midwest.  This video by Mark Wells has given me more understanding of the terror and grief people experience as the result of tornadoes than anything I've ever seen. It brought tears to my eyes for the raw emotion we hear.  So, thank you to Mark Wells for helping me understand.
I don't think I could go on living there, but I get that people don't want to leave the area they feel attached to. I wouldn't leave the Pacific Northwest.

I'm tired of broadcast media (even my beloved CBSNews This Morning) distorting this story.  They've lost perspective and they're not being informative.  
The New Yorker podcast called The Political Scene told the story I think makes sense.  Yes, I have lots of questions and would appreciate if things had gone better and that the plan was closer to single payer, but the website problems are not a reason to throw out the whole plan.

Finally!  The Senate has changed the filibuster rules!  YAY!  To be clear, I realize this may be a problem when the Republicans have a majority of Senate seats.  But, for all these years of Obama's presidency he's had to claw and fight to get his nominations through because the Republicans have 'filibustered' everything.  And it's not even a REAL filibuster like Mr Smith Goes to Washington - it's the threat of one where they don't even have to keep talking.  Anyway - how can a president be expected to run a government when he can't even put his people in place?  It's ridiculous.  One of the privileges of winning the election is that you get to put people in your government that you want.  The Republicans haven't let Obama have that, and then they rail and scream because he doesn't do anything.  Aargh.
Anyway - here's a series of articles from the Washington Post Wonkblog that talk about the filibuster
The DC Court is the court at the Center of the Filibuster fight.  Here's why it matters
One huge effect of filibuster reform:  Obama can actually fire people
The world's leading filibuster expert on what happened today and what to expect next
Everything you need to know about Thursday's filibuster change
Harry Reid's bid to save the Senate
The filibuster move is great news for Obama's financial reform agenda
Nine reasons the filibuster change is a huge deal
White House, allies weigh nomination strategy under new Senate rules

And finally, we've been very lucky to have crisp, sunny, fall days.  This is a picture of Lake Washington from Medina Beach looking toward Mercer Island and Mt Rainier toward the left.  I took it on Friday 11/22/13.


And that's what's been on my mind this week.  If I had better focus and discipline I might have made these individual posts throughout the week.  Writing this up has taken long enough that it's now time for the Doctor Who episode "The Day of the Doctor".  Enjoy Saturday!

9:10 on 11/12/13

Anything Goes at the 5th Avenue

I enjoyed the Cole Porter musical "Anything Goes" at the 5th Avenue Theater today.

The two numbers I enjoyed the most (and received the most applause) were the last song of the first act, "Anything Goes" and the second act song "Blow, Gabriel, Blow".  Those were the two songs that had the most dancing.  Both can be found on YouTube.

The singing was fantastic - everyone had a wonderful voice.

I love live theater.  I appreciate the effort the cast and crew put into creating a nice experience for me.  

I was sitting in the back.  Sadly for the 5th Avenue it was not sold out.  But, for me it was wonderful to spread out.  No one was sitting around me.

I have a hard time sitting still for plays.  99% of other people are still and quiet during the play.  Me?  I fidget and shift around, I cross and uncross my leg, I sit up on the chair, I sit back.  I feel a lot of pressure if someone is behind me.  Today - no one was behind me so I could change my position all I wanted to.

My HP Deskjet 5650

I can count on my printer.  I've had it for nearly 10 years and it still works beautifully.
Isn't it nice when you can rely on something?

I have an HP laptop I bought in 2009 that's still going strong as well. 

Thank you HP. 

Oops

I feel terrible for this Metro bus driver.  He entered the express lanes going southbound soon after it had been closed to southbound traffic and one minute after it was open to northbound traffic.  

Good article from KOMO News, with WSDOT twitter commentary, and a photo gallery.  

I want this

Link directly to article with the video

3D images of you, you and your dog, you and your spouse, you and your baby.

Hot.  I like it.

Here's a link to another video about 3D images of ourselves.  I'm sad to say the store featured on this link is owned by another major retail store that I don't like and will never visit.

Government Shutdown - Rachel Maddow

The Shutdown:  A Summary by Rachel Maddow

Participating in the Battle of Ideas

I don't have an image for today's post so this is a scanned picture of my Grandmother while on a trip to Asia (South Korea and China?) in the 1970's.

CBS This Morning  - This is a story about how police in London are approaching the problem of young people becoming radicalized.

I was particularly struck by Charlie Rose's ending comment that we need to be participants in the Battle of Ideas.

***

To change the world, we must be participants in the Battle of Ideas.

Silence leaves room for negative energy.

Active participation is exhausting, but necessary.

Closer to resolution

John Boehner put out a statement at 3:30 ET today.

“The House has fought with everything it has to convince the president of the United States to engage in bipartisan negotiations aimed at addressing our country's debt and providing fairness for the American people under ObamaCare. That fight will continue. But blocking the bipartisan agreement reached today by the members of the Senate will not be a tactic for us.  In addition to the risk of default, doing so would open the door for the Democratic majority in Washington to raise taxes again on the American people and undo the spending caps in the 2011 Budget Control Act without replacing them with better spending cuts. With our nation's economy still struggling under years of the president's policies, raising taxes is not a viable option. Our drive to stop the train wreck that is the president's health care law will continue.  We will rely on aggressive oversight that highlights the law's massive flaws and smart, targeted strikes that split the legislative coalition the president has relied upon to force his health care law on the American people.”

I have some quibbles with Boehner's view on things:
1. Obamacare was already debated and voted on by the congress.  During the course of developing the plan, Obama did engage in bipartisan negotiations.  If it had been Obama's choice, we would have a single payer health system.  The fact that Obamacare isn't perfect is a testament to his efforts to bring Republicans into the process.
2. Our nation is still struggling under the years of conservative policies of President George Bush and company - not Obama.  Obama's been digging us out of this mess as best he can with a Congress who doesn't care about anything except getting re-elected and destroying the federal government.    
3. Nobody even knows if Obamacare is a train wreck yet.  According to the Tea Party types implementation of Obamacare is worse for our country than defaulting on our debt.  I just don't see that.  And most economists would disagree with the Tea Partiers.  Yes, the website hasn't been perfect - but that's not a condemnation of the policy.  

And, based on his last sentence we can look forward to more of the same from them in the future - ugh.
Next step - the votes. 

Congress

I am so angry at John Boehner and the 'Tea Party' Republicans in Congress.
If John Boehner had allowed the House to vote (to open the government and increase the debt limit), this would be worked out already.  There are enough Democrats and Republicans who would vote yes to move the bill to the Senate who would have voted for it, and the President would have signed it.  The story would be that the Tea Party Republicans tried a strategy to defund Obamacare and it didn't work.

Instead, John Boehner is catering to the Tea Party Republicans by putting changes to Obamacare into the bill so they will be happy.  Which will never be acceptable to the Senate or the President.

On Monday, the Senate Majority and Minority leader had almost reached an agreement.  John Boehner decided he needed to get an acceptable House bill to the Senate before he lost control and the Senate came up with a plan.  The Senate stopped their negotiations (I don't know why - out of respect?  Crazy.)  Boehner created a bill that had at least one small change to Obamacare.  He couldn't get the Tea Party Republicans behind it because it didn't go far enough to defund Obamacare!  He had to drop it.

Now, it's the final day and the Senate is back to creating their deal.  A wasted day brought to you by John Boehner.

The final day before what, you ask?  The United States will not have enough money to fund the current programs and the debts..  The Treasury Department will have to choose what doesn't get paid.  Of course, the debt has to be paid first, so programs will get cut.

We don't know what will happen next.  The financial people are using words like armageddon, and global economic meltdown.  The stock market hasn't tanked yet because the people in charge of Wall Street believe cooler heads will prevail in the end.

I'm not so sure.  I mean, it seems unthinkable, but so did so much of the other stuff that has happened.  Personally, I'm afraid my company will shrink and my job is on the line.  I worry about my savings and what will become of me.

The Tea Party Republicans want this to happen.  They want a smaller government.  They want the government to stop spending so much.  They win no matter what.
And they were voted into office by people - Americans who don't care about anyone else; they want us all to live and believe just like they do.  They're a minority and they're holding the rest of us hostage.

Do I wish Obama had taken control of them a long time ago?  Yes.  But, I don't fault him for believing the Congress should do their job and act like adults.

Whatever happens in the next few hours or days, or weeks, I wonder what will happen in the next election.  Will Tea Party people get more power?  Will conservative Republicans get more power?  Will people remember this?  What will people value when they go to the polls?

Okay - I'm done.  Sorry this isn't written well - I'm very frustrated by the subject matter.

Slate

Slate redesigned their website in the last couple weeks.
David Plotz explains how, why, and what.

Four reasons I'm disappointed with the update:
1. I'd love to give them feedback, but I can't because you have to register to make a comment.  I didn't register with them before and I don't want to encourage their changes by registering now; they might think it's because I love the changes.
2. Did they fire the proofreader?  Lots of mistakes - missing words, bad punctuation, typos.  I thought a serious news site would care about how words and sentences work together to communicate ideas.  I guess not.
3. It's hard to tell which home page 'tile' is from Slate, a content partner, or an advertisement.
4. No search field.

I don't dislike the Slate content, but I don't enjoy the content presentation.

Here are some articles about the redesign:
Digitopoly
Washington Post
Mashable - this article makes clear to me why I don't like the homepage...the new version has 13 'boxes' of information while the old version had only 7.  I don't understand why they think it's a cleaner design.

It's a testament to my disappointment that I'm compelled to write about the redesign two weeks later.  It still bothers me.
I guess I'll get used to it.
Will I also get used to the lousy proofreading?  (Will I get used to lower standards?)

The Tea Party gets what they want

The Tea Party wants a smaller federal government.
They're getting it.

There's no sense in what they're doing because the thing they really want is already happening.

The Tea Party Republicans won't approve a continuing resolution to fund the government unless the Affordable Care Act is delayed for a year (originally they wanted ACA to be completely dismantled).  The ACA is funded separately and doesn't rely on the continuing resolution to continue.  In fact, the ACA website opened yesterday.  Taking an idealogical stand at this time doesn't make sense.

I think they're shaking shiny keys in front of our face while behind our back they're pleased with themselves for 'shrinking' the federal government.

The sequestor was a shrinking of the government and we're getting along.  They're hoping that after a while we'll all get used to the current federal shutdown and realize how unnecessary a large federal government is.

We're in a no win situation. unless someone comes up with a creative way to get out of this.
(By 'we' I mean people who appreciate a federal government)
This tactic is similar to what perpetrators of domestic violence do.
(I know that's a provocative statement.  It's not intended to minimize the horror of domestic violence or equate the brutality of domestic abuse to the  government shutdown.  It's a comment about the tactic.)

Two other factors that are contributing to the current stand-off
1.  The debt ceiling needs to be raised by October 17th and the Tea Party people don't like that either.  Economists think this will have the greatest impact on our economy.
2.  The Tea Party Republicans come from districts that have been gerry-mandered so much that the representatives don't worry about getting re-elected (usually, the only leverage people have to send a message to their representative).  They're representing districts that support this ridiculous plan.

Grrrrr...this makes me angry!

It's InSANity!

Today's (10/01/2013) Google Doodle honors the 123rd anniversary of Yosemite National Park on the very day the federal government has shutdown because Republican House members are trying to repeal the lawful (voted into law by congress in 2009), and constitutional (per the US Supreme Court) Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare).

Celebrate Hump Day with Caleb the Camel

I'm not the only who loves Caleb the Camel

CBS This Morning celebrates Hump Day and Caleb the Camel

My previous post about Hump Day

Fox News

Jon Stewart speaking about Fox News on The Daily Show 9/10/2013...
"...Fox opposes the Syria peace plan because it's modus operandi is to forment dissent in the form of a relentless and irrational contrarianism to Barack Obama and all things democratic, to advance its ultimate objective of creating deliberately misinformed body politic whose fear, anger, mistrust, and discontent is the
manna upon which it sustains it's parasitic succubus-like existence."

Booya!  Bam!  Bazinga!

He later called out all the mainstream media who seem 'disappointed' not to be going to war.  They don't care about news, they care about the momentum that leads to ...anything.

Comedy Central hasn't posted the video of  tonight's show yet.  Here's the show's website...

Benjamin Franklin

Heavy rain, thunder, and lightening this morning.  

It made me think how amazing it is that Benjamin Franklin used lightening to make discoveries about electricity.  How did he even know where it would strike?  He must have been very smart.

Electricity scares me.  

Big Brother 15

Nobody cares what I think about Big Brother and it's driving me crazy!

I have insightful thoughts (you bet they are!) about the houseguests, the strategy, and the socio-political aspects of the game and no one to share it with.

And then I remember that I don't care about Big Brother either.

Grrrrr

Diana Nyad

Diana Nyad, at age 64, completes a 103 mile swim from Cuba to Key West Florida without a shark cage.

Brava!

Several years ago, MFJ and I went to a book fair in Portland.  She was there with Bonnie Stoll to promote an exercise dvd called BravaBody.  Her name has flitted in and out of the news since I was a teenager so I was interested to see her.
The room wasn't full so before the presentation she went to each one of us, shook our hand and said hello. She was friendly and full of energy.  I remember being impressed with her attitude and how she was living her life.
I purchased the DVD, but wasn't comfortable getting it signed.

At the end of the swim, these are her words...

"I've got three messages.  One is, we should never, ever give up.  Two is, you're never too old to chase your dreams.  From here it looks like a solitary sport, but it's a team"

She looks pretty weak and out of it right now.  It'll be good to hear from her later.

Congratulations, Diana!

Syria - A letter to President Obama

I plan to send President Obama a handmade card.  I'm hoping that will get me an autographed photo or some other souvenir.  I've had no luck when I use the 'contact us' link on whitehouse.gov.
If you know me, you know it will take me a LONG time to get a card out.

And in the meantime, trouble's a brewin' and I have to get a message to the President before it's too late!
I sent him this message using the 'contact us' link on whitehouse.gov.

Dear Mr. President,
I'll keep this short and to the point.
I do not support intervening in Syria.
Using violence to get what we want is never going to help.  It doesn't make things better on a personal level, and it won't make things better on a global level.
No good can come of it.
Why are the deaths we cause using bombs less despicable than the deaths caused by chemical weapons?
There is no acceptable war, so don't convince yourself that some line has been crossed now that chemical weapons were used...the line was crossed when the first bullet was shot, and we did nothing (which I agree with).
It's horrible that people are dying.  We shouldn't add to it.
I wish you the best President Obama...I know these will be hard days for you.
Thank you for everything.
Vicky

Fingers crossed this note will make the difference!!!

And now I know...Whodunnit

The killer was revealed in Sunday night's fnale.  Three contestants remained, a final quiz that involved a lot of running...it was an exciting finale.
Except the part where the killer is revealed.  That part still confuses me.  The killer was a castmate who was playing the game all the way through with the rest of the contestants?  The killer didn't know how the murders were done, but only knew that he or she was the killer?  Was the killer an employee then?  Or a contestant they selected randomly?

I felt bad for Lindsey who was suspected to be the killer most often, and the one who knew it was Chris the whole time.  She came in second - the last victim.  But, Cam played a good game so it's fine he won.

Oh well.  It was a fun enough show. I'll leave the final word to Andy Dehnart at Reality Blurred, who writes better than I do, and I agree with what he says.

P.S.  I'm sorry I thought you were the killer Melina!

Orange is the New Black

I spent 13 hours this weekend watching all episodes of "Orange is the New Black" on Netflix.
Why?
'Cause it was good, that's why!
(I managed to take a couple walks as well, so it wasn't all couch potato time)

Love all the characters, the acting is fantastic, interesting setting, nice blend of comedy and drama.  Great show.  I'd like to tell you about the character/cast standouts, but they're all really great.
I like every character...except the male guards/counselors - and I'm not supposed to like them!

I'll note Kate Mulgrew because I've been watching her from Mary Ryan on "Ryan's Hope" to Mrs. Columbo, to Star Trek Voyager.

I also like Uzo Aduba as Crazy Eyes

Her character's real name is Suzanne, but everyone calls her Crazy Eyes. She's very intense and straight forward so she seems childlike sometimes.  But, she can be threatening, sexually provocative, and aggressive as well..  "You don't want to see me when I'm angry", she says.

And now that I've named two I feel guilty for not naming all of them.
But wait, there's more!
The characters in Piper's home life are good too (Piper's the main character).  I want to dislike her best friend because she's too sassy and hip and rich.  But, the writing (and acting, of course) are keeping her balanced; I DO like her!

On the more dramatic side, there's a lot of story to tell, about the personal lives of the women, and the prison system in our country today.
I recently heard the US imprisons more people than any other country in the world.  I don't think they limited it to the 'western' world, but ALL the world - even our nation's enemies don't have as many prisoners as we do.

I hope the success and praise the show is receiving won't cause too much stress for the creator.  I've seen it happen many times to shows I love - they get a lot of buzz and suddenly the show turns into cardboard mush; generic story, plot without motivation.  Ugh.

Bah I'm getting all negative about the future when I've only just finished watching and loving the show!
It's worth checking out on Netflix.  Do it!

I am grateful for...

a soft place to rest my head...I know for many, this is a luxury.  I didn't do anything to earn it except keep my head above water.  

In a 60 Minutes profile of Zhang Xin (billionaire real estate developer changing the face of Beijing), she talked about months as a child when she slept on a desk with a dictionary for a pillow.  

I wonder, was she born with the courage to rise up from her difficult circumstances?  Did she learn the skills she needed from her parents?  Or, did the hardships of her childhood awaken something in her?  

It's a fascinating question to me.