A place for me to work stuff out and to post things that interest me.
Most of us can, if we choose,
make this world either a palace or a prison.
~Lord Avebury
I choose a palace.
~TKF
Do not let your fire go out,
spark by irreplaceable spark,
in the hopeless swamps of the approximate,
the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all.
Do not let the hero in your soul perish,
in lonely frustration for the life you deserved,
but have never been able to reach.
Check your road and the nature of your battle.
The world you desired can be won.
It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours.
~Ayn Rand
The democratic society's mythology of equality with its
attendant erasure of difference is an impossibility
in an actual, lived sense.
Therefore, according to this view, this
imaginary erasure cannot achieve an
actual democracy, because a sense of
community can only come with the recognition of difference.
~Slavoj Zizek, as paraphrased by Catherine M. Soussloff
Links!
A brand new link! Check it out!
deviantART
I thought the place was very cool. Oh, and all you Alias fans, you can find a very nice wallpaper there--
or rather, here--and a gorgeous Evanescence one, too!
Watcher's Diary
Slayage; The Online International Journal of Buffy Studies
Convert just about anything
Comes in really handy when you want to convert fahrenheit to celcius and vice versa!
Links to 100s of free calculators online
Everything from your due date to how much a house payment would be to a regular calculator
Reference Guide to Chicago Manual of Style
Dictionary, Encyclopedia, Atlas & Almanac
Quotation Search Engine
Complete HTML True Color Chart
Epicurious Recipes
Inn Recipes; Recipes for all Occasions
JobStar-Resumes & Cover Letters Advice
Overstock.com: Up to 80% off most items
Ediblenature.com
Things My Girlfriend & I Have Argued About
(Trust me--you'll be laughing outloud!)
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Beyond the Invisible
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The tale of the world is like a tree.
...
Sturdily rooted in the past, the tale's branches spread out through the days that come. The many stories that make up its substance
unfold from bud to leaf to dry memory and back again, event connecting event like the threadwork of a spider's web, so that each creature of the world plays its part, understanding only aspects of the overall narrative, and perceiving, each with its particular talents, only glimpses
of the Great Mystery that underlies it all.
~Charles de Lint, Moonheart
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Thursday, December 22, 2005
Not exactly Rockwellian
It'll be a nice Christmas. I'm spending it with a man I love dearly who loves me and shows/tells how much with gratifying frequency. His boys will probably be able to join us and having them for both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year--that in itself is a wonderful gift! Finally, I'm working this year and no matter how much I might not be thrilled with my job, I'm very glad that I can get Jerry and the kids something.
However...
I bought flowers and a card for my grandmother and Daniel and I drove over to see her today. As I was waiting for the elevator, I saw her name on the board that lists residents that are at the hospital. Turned out that my grandmother was in the hospital for over a week and now she's in a nursing home somewhere. The woman in the office didn't know where. Obviously, my "family" (and I use that term very loosely) didn't feel I needed to know. I've known for a while that as far as they are concerned, my sister and I don't exist, but every time it's thrust into my face like this, it hurts all over again.
SIGH
Screw them, right? I'll have a good Christmas, anyway, with people who love me. I just need to shake off the blahs. I'm worried about my grandmother, but she's supposed to be home tomorrow, so I hope to see her sometime in the next couple of days. As for my "family" (henceforth known as "Some People Who Happen To Share My DNA"), every one of them can go to hell.
3:14 PM
(1) comments
Sunday, December 18, 2005
In the Navy...
Thursday afternoon, the phone rings. I think that it might be Allen since he usually comes over on Thursdays. It's my day off and he knows it. Sure enough, it's him.
Allen: I'm at the Navy recruiters' office. I'm going to Louisville to take the ASVAB and to get my physical.
Me: Wha..??
Allen: I'll explain more tomorrow. I'll get back sometime in the afternoon.
Me: Okay
Friday afternoon, there's a knock at the door. It's Allen.
Allen: Hey Mom, do you know where my school transcripts and SSN card are?
Me: I gave you your SSN card, so I don't know where it is. What's going on with the Navy?
Allen: I did really good on the ASVAB and I'm going in the Reserves. Now the recruiter is waiting and I have to go.
Me: Okay. Will I see you before Christmas?
Allen: I don't know. I have a lot of stuff I need to do before I go to Dad's (in Illinois). I'll try to come by on Saturday. Love you Mom!
Saturday afternoon, the phone rings again and, again, it's Allen.
Allen: Mom, it looks like I'm going active sooner than I thought. I have to go back to Louisville on Sunday. I'll be back on Monday in time to go to Dad's.
Me: You're going active sooner?
Allen: That's the only way I can get out of this place, Mom. I can't get a decent job and I've got to start taking care of myself. I'll call on Monday.
So, in the space of 4 days, Allen has joined the Navy and is leaving as soon as possible.
11:13 PM
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Thursday, December 15, 2005
Where Is The Center of the Universe?
I decided a while ago that blind self-centeredness is the common thread to a lot of the things that drive me crazy. There are the people that damn-near kill you by cutting you off in traffic because they want to be there and too bad if anyone else happens to be occupying that spot at the time. Sometimes they're talking on their cell phones at the same time or applying makeup or messing with their radio. Honestly, though, I don't think they are deliberately unfeeling of the havoc they cause. I think many people have no awareness of other people who might be occupying the space. In other words, it's not that they don't care--it simply never occurs to them that someone else might already be where they want to be. Blind self-centeredness.
At work, I deal all day with customers who feel that they are entitled to get credit for no reason other than they want it, to not pay their bill but still have service, to not have to have a deposit despite years of determinedly messing up their own credit, and to screw over the people that were stupid enough to trust them and put them on their acct. On the other hand, I have coworkers who think they can act like they're in kindergarten while they're at work and get furious if anyone even asks politely to turn it down. Blind self-centeredness.
Like I said, this is a long-held theory of mine but yesterday made me consider it all over again. I found myself amazed, yet again, at the willful disregard of others. I spent a total of 40 minutes or so helping a woman who had been trying to cancel her deceased father's acct since July. She'd called back after another agent left her a message that was unforgiveably callous and rude--and then actually documented her rudeness in the memos on the acct. "We tried to call you four times about canceling this and you didn't bother to call us, so you're not getting any money. Deal with it." (And for the record, we hadn't called her once about this according to our own records and that was the biggest part of the problem.) Mind you, customer service sucks, but this wasn't a case of forcing yourself to remain courteous in the face of nasty, cursing idiot who wants to take all of life's problems out on you (which granted, happens all the time). This was a nice person who never once raised her voice to me even after hearing that. (Frankly, she was much nicer to me than I might have been under the circumstances!) I mean, here was a woman who'd just lost her father and someone I work with spoke to her that way for no reason. The agent wasn't provoked or verbally-attacked--she was leaving the message on the woman's voicemail. Again, I don't think that if she'd actually stopped to think about it, she would have been nasty to someone that just lost a loved one and is now in a morass of red tape over the most mundane things. I think it never even occurred to my coworker that this wasn't some person that was trying to inconvenience her, in particular, with a genuine problem that might take a few minutes more than usual to straighten out. Not deliberately cruel, just blindly self-centered.
It just seems so pervasive sometimes. So many people walking through life completely and utterly convinced that they are the center of the universe and no one else matters nearly as much as what they want. They shout out in classrooms and work meetings, talking loudly to no one in particular. They announce often about how life isn't fair if they don't get exactly the same, in not just a little more than anyone else (even if they don't deserve whatever it is or, in some cases, even want it). They talk through movies at the theater. In crowds, on the street, in the mall, in restaurants, and at work--either on the cell or with their friends--they're so loud that they drown everyone around them in the details of their lives that you never cared to know. I could go (rant) on but you get the picture.
Of course, since I'm posting this in a public blog that I hope others will read, I must be fairly self-centered myself. But if I ever get to the point of ignoring everyone else's opinions, feelings, and physical space, I hope someone just thump me.
9:00 AM
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Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Your results:
You are Catwoman | Catwoman |
| 75% | | Wonder Woman |
| 70% | | The Flash |
| 70% | | Hulk |
| 65% | | Spider-Man |
| 60% | | Robin |
| 60% | | Green Lantern |
| 55% | | Superman |
| 50% | | Batman |
| 50% | | Supergirl |
| 40% | | Iron Man |
| 30% |
| You have had a tough childhood
but you stand up for society's cast-offs.
 |
Click here here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...
1:04 AM
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Friday, December 09, 2005
Lagging Behind the Times with This One
Pick ONE word from each pair that you think describes me the best & leave it in the comments.
- *dominant or submissive
- * logical or intuitive
- * social or loner
- * kinky or vanilla
- * cute or sophisticated
- * kitten or puppy
- * warm flannel sheets or sleek satin
- * leader or follower
- * quiet or talkative
- * spontaneous or planned
- * teddy bear or porcelain doll
- * hiking or window shopping
- * tequila or vodka
- * top or bottom
- * bare foot or shoes
- * jeans or dress pants
- * tender or rough
- * aware or dreamy
- * nerd or jock
4:00 PM
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Since It's Getting Close To New Year's
I find since I've been back online that I've missed a lot of the lives of my friends and acquaintances. Babies coming. People engaged. So, I was thinking I'd make a little questionaire to try to catch up (though I plan on trying to read up on some blogs and blurties that I've been away from for so long tomorrow, if my internet doesn't go out again)
- Name at least big thing that you've done or experienced this year.
- Is there something you should do in the coming year?
- Honestly, are you going to do it?
- No, really.
- Is there something you know you're going to do in the coming year? If so, what?
- I just saw a commercial about "making a difference". What would make a difference for you, for people you care about, and/or the world in general?
I'm off to bed now for some lovely snugglin'! G'Nite All!
3:17 AM
(1) comments
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Definitions
Warning! I've been a liberal since before it became a dirty word and I'm still one. I don't approve of Bush. I don't trust his advisors. I am angered by the fact that "Support Our Troops" is a phrase that has been usurped by those who think that dropping them in a desert, in a pointless war that we were misled into with outright lies and prevarications, without enough body armor, support troops, and other equipment is the best way to "support" them. In other words, if you don't feel the same way, you're liable to be offended.
I received this in an email:
- BI-PARTISANSHIP, n. When conservative Republicans work together with moderate Republicans to pass legislation Democrats hate.
- CLARIFY, v. Repeating the same lie over and over again.
- CLEAN, adj. The word used to modify any aspect of the environment Republican legislation allows corporations to pollute, poison, or destroy.
- FAIRER, adj. Regressive.
- FAITH, n. The stubborn belief that God approves of Republican moral values despite the preponderance of textual evidence to the contrary.
- FAITH COMMUNITY, n. Evangelicals, because they are saved, and hawkish conservative Jews, because they are useful. Israel is the bait-on-the-hook just waiting for God to take that Rapturous bite.
- FISCAL CONSERVATIVE, n. A Republican who is in the minority.
- FREEDOM, n. What Arabs want but can't achieve on their own without Western military intervention. It bears a striking resemblance to chaos.
- GROWTH, n. The justification for tax cuts for the rich. What happens to the deficits when Republicans cut taxes on the rich.
- HONESTY, n. Lies told in simple declarative sentences: "Freedom is on the march."
- HUMBLE FOREIGN POLICY, n. The invasion of any sovereign nation whose leadership Republicans don't like.
- HUMBLED adj. What a Republican says right after a close election and right before he governs in an arrogant manner.
- MORAL VALUES, n. Hatred of homosexuals dressed up in Biblical language.
- MANDATE, n. What a Republican claims to possess when only 49 percent of the voting public loathes him instead of 51 percent.
- THE MEDIA, n. Immoral elitist liberally-biased traitors who should leave Republicans alone so they can complete God's work on Earth in peace and quiet, behind closed doors.
- PHILOSOPHY, n. Religion.
And bonus definitions:
- Abstinence-Only Sex Education n. Ignorance-only sex education [Wayne Martorelli, Lawrenceville, NJ].
- Alternative energy sources n. New locations to drill for gas and oil [Peter Scholz, Fort Collins, Colo.].
- Bankruptcy n. A punishable crime when committed by poor people but not corporations [Beth Thielen, Studio City, Calif.].
- Cheney, Dick n. The greater of two evils [Jacob McCullar, Austin, Tex.].
- Class warfare n. Any attempt to raise the minimum wage [Don Zweir, Grayslake, Ill.].
- Climate Change n. The blessed day when the blue states are swallowed by the oceans [Ann Klopp, Princeton, NJ].
- Compassionate Conservatism n. Poignant concern for the very wealthy [Lawrence Sandek, Twin Peaks, Calif.].
- Creationism n. Pseudoscience that claims George W. Bush's resemblance to a chimpanzee is totally coincidental [Brian Sweeney, Providence, RI].
- Democracy n. A product so extensively exported that the domestic supply is depleted [Michael Schwartz, unknown].
- Energy Independence n. The caribou witness relocation program [Justin Rezzonico, Keene, Ohio].
- Healthy Forest n. No tree left behind [Dan McWilliams, Santa Barbara, Calif.].
- Laziness n. When the poor are not working [Justin Rezzonico, Keene, Ohio].
- Leisure Time n. When the wealthy are not working [Justin Rezzonico, Keene, Ohio].
- Patriot Act n. 1. The pre-emptive strike on American freedoms to prevent the terrorists from destroying them first. 2. The elimination of one of the reasons why they hate us [Michael Thomas, Socorro, NM].
- "Staying The Course" interj. Slang. Saying and doing the same stupid thing over and over, regardless of the result [Suzanne Smith, Ann Arbor, Mich.]. stuff happens interj.
- Voter Fraud n. A significant minority turnout [Sue Bazy, Philadelphia, Pa.].
- Woman n. 1. Person who can be trusted to bear a child but can't be trusted to decide whether or not she wishes to have the child. 2. Person who must have all decisions regarding her reproductive functions made by men with whom she wouldn't want to have sex in the first place [Denise Clay, Philadelphia, Pa.].
1:42 AM
(0) comments
Just a short note because I can. I'm back online and I wanted to post something even though I plan on playing "catch up" tomorrow. I haven't done this forever, so I'm going to do the Free Association game (you'll find the button to the site in the upper lefthand corner) - Stuffed:: turkey
- Armstrong:: Neil
- Bruise:: purple
- Content:: Me
- Musical:: Chicago
- Assistance:: welfare
- Scrambling:: eggs
- Battle:: melee
- Extended:: edition
- Discount:: Walmart
12:58 AM
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