My Lonely City

(But then, it’s only 6:40 … a.m. …)

Several studies suggest that light drinking, compared to teetotaling, protects against weight gain around the waistline in women, according to a cheesy diet article written, coincidentally, by a fellow OU grad. Must be true, then, eh? But still, I’m loving it. In a non-McDonald’s kind of way. (Though if McD’s started serving alcohol, I might go there. Well, if they stopped putting dead cows in their french fries, that is… I should get ready, eh? I’m doing no good here.)

So … drink up, me hearties, yo ho!

One out of Four Homeless are Veterans. One in four.

“The only training I have is infantry training and there’s not really a need for that in the civilian world.” – Jason Kelley.

We have a problem, folks. It’s not a new problem, but it’s definitely a problem. And I don’t think the answer is “a program that helps bridge the gap between income and rent.”

Happy Guy Fawkes Day!

And for your disquieting song of the day, the un-condensed version of the rhyme opening V for Vendetta, taken from Wikipedia:

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t’was his intent
To blow up King and Parliament.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England’s overthrow;
By God’s providence he was catch’d
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

A penny loaf to feed the Pope
A farthing o’ cheese to choke him.
A pint of beer to rinse it down.
A faggot of sticks to burn him.
Burn him in a tub of tar.
Burn him like a blazing star.
Burn his body from his head.
Then we’ll say ol’ Pope is dead.
Hip hip hoorah!
Hip hip hoorah hoorah!

The men in the text are all leaders – revolutionary, established, and religious – and are played off against one another. As the rhyme suggests God’s “providence” extends only to the King, it serves to entrench even more firmly in the popular imagination the legitimacy of the federal authority and the futility of either rebellion or dissent. I have more to say regarding the second verse, but I really ought to get to work. I’ll return later – I hope.

“Successful change requires a combination of technocratic knowledge, bold political leadership, and broad social participation.” – Jeffrey Sachs, in The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time.

“She doesn’t want to make any mistakes where this is concerned.”

–from a prayer request for wisdom regarding a relationship.

I hate living in fear of making mistakes. It makes me make more, but prevents me from making the kind of mistakes I can learn from.

Speaking of things that I like that I don’t even like, I’ve discovered banana bread. I made some because the bananas I bought were ripening far too quickly, and there are only so many bananas you can eat in one day. So I hunted up a recipe and whipped up a loaf. (That sounds vaguely obscene, doesn’t it?) Oh. My. Goodness. It’s delicious! The key, for me, is toasted mixed nuts. I never liked banana bread growing up, but this … this might convert me. I’m going to have to start baking more often. ^_^

P.S. – ShiroiHikari: you were right; the jambalaya was fantastic after sitting a day or two. Mmmmm…

Quote of the day:

“It may sound like something rather technical and anoraky but is fundamentally about what kind of relationship people have with each other, in terms of the rights and responsibilities they have towards each other.”

Um, what? No, really, what? Anoraky?

Interesting article, though; I’m back on a follow-the-news kick, at least for tonight.

I’m not sure, though, that giving sixteen-year-olds the right to vote is that great of an idea, at least if British sixteen-year-olds are anything like American ones.

On to America, here’s another interesting – and more follow-able – quote:

“On Capitol Hill, it is a sign of just how important religion is to US politics that only one member of Congress has ever admitted to being an atheist - and that admission came just a few months ago.”

I had no idea. About the only one person “admitt[ing]” to being an atheist – like admitting to being an alcoholic or something*. Are we afraid that the devil will possess non-religious legislators (or justices, or what-have-you) and suddenly start eating our children, or what?

Speaking of vampires, Dennis Kucinich has a MySpace page. Who knew? And it’s readable – super-primary-colors-y, but readable. I’ve gotta give him points for that, though perhaps not enough to counteract the deficit created by having a MySpace page in the first place.

(I’m such a snob. But I’m okay with that.)

*Being an atheist is not a disease; I’m being ironic, you know?

So my Best Friend (at least since 8th grade, which seems like forever ago, so the term actually almost applies, scary as that is) has had a spot of trouble with snoopy out-laws lately. No need to go into the details (nor would I be at liberty to do so even if there was a need), but I got to thinking. I might as well be considerate and save any similar nosies some trouble, if they take a notion to snoop in my direction.

I drink, but I don’t smoke. I curse like a sailor, depending on the company. I don’t do any drugs that have not been specifically prescribed to me by a doctor, and I never have. Except for occasional speeding and an illegal u-turn or two, I have never broken the law. Unless you count jaywalking. I didn’t drink alcohol until I was twenty-one, even when I was in countries (Mexico and New Zealand) whose drinking-age laws would have permitted me to do so. The worst thing I have ever done was made out with a boy who was engaged – engaged! to someone else! what was I thinking?! – on the way back from my senior trip.

I didn’t have sex until after I got married. (Yes, really.) I have never cheated on my husband. I love him very much, and love sharing my life with him. Most of the time it’s easy to love him; sometimes I love him because I promised him I would. Marriage is harder than I thought it would be, but it’s also more rewarding.

I sometimes hate spending time with my family – immediate-ish and extended – because I feel we have very little in common. I spend time with them anyway, because it’s the right thing to do.

I love God but Christians piss me off. I’m a vegan, feminist social critic with dozens of radical, half-formed ideas and almost no-one to bounce them off of. I complain a lot about being lonely and having no-one to talk to, but I don’t seek out any new relationships because I’m a lazy fraidy-cat a lot of the time.

I volunteer. I tithe. I pray. I read the Bible semi-regularly, though not as often as I ought to. I try to understand how God wants me to apply what I read to the way I behave. What I keep coming back to is this: Treat others the way you want to be treated.

I tip. I sing loudly in the car by myself. I sometimes preach sermons to people who are not, physically, present with me. I pick up paper towels that bastards in public restrooms throw on the floor. (Sometimes.) I wear underwear when trying on swimming suits.

I have a concealed-carry permit (somewhere). I enjoy shooting bottles and targets, and I’m pretty good at it. I doubt I could shoot a person, though, because I don’t want to be shot. Even in self-defense.

Sometimes I carry insects and spiders outside when they get in; sometimes I kill them. I don’t feel guilty. My cats are both declawed – though I wouldn’t make that decision again.

I lost my first child this year – a missed miscarriage six weeks after conception, discovered around four weeks later. It tore my world apart. I’m getting used to the pieces floating around, and I’m not trying to fit them together yet.

I think too much. But I’m okay with it.

Satisfied?

Sorry for the delay; I’ve been on vacation in Galveston for the past week. More on that later.

I just wanted to give a quick note to let you know I’m not dead (or otherwise inconvenienced) and will be returning soon.

And as a temporary nugget: we went with Jared’s family to Chili’s yesterday for lunch. And our waitress, after taking my brother-in-law’s order, recommended a particular dish for him to try – at BJs. (A competing restaurant.) It was funnier in person.

I’m in the office, and over the speaker the receptionist lets us know, “Mork the Plumber is on park 71 returning a call.” For some reason, I found this quite hilarious. I think he would make a great charachter. That’s nugget one.

Nugget two: Yesterday at church Pastor Ken said, “Without commitment, there is no meaning.” Chew, chew.

… but they still made me smile, so I’ll let you read them, too.

Actual Headlines:
(well, possible headlines, anyway)

Include Your Children in Baking Cookies
British Left Waffles on Falkland Islands
Plane too Close to Ground, Crash Probe Told
Stolen Painting Found by Tree
War Dims Hope for Peace
Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
Man Struck by Lightning Faces Battery Charge
Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
Kids Make Nutritious Snacks (cracks me up every time)
Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
New Vaccine May Contain Rabies
Hospitals Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
Iraqi Head Seeks Arms
Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
Enraged Cow Injures Farmer with Ax (way to go, Bessie!)
Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim
Two Soviet Ships Collide; One Died

And that’s that.

So I was listening to the radio on my way to work on Friday. I know, I know; I should know better. It only puts me in a bad mood. But anyway, BobFM’s dumbass morning DJ #1 was being ripped to shreds by dumbass DJs #2 & 3, as well as various callers, because – wait for it – he took his daughter out of school for an afternoon to buy her a bicycle and spend some time with her.

“We don’t always get to do what we want,” a caller said. “There are things we have to do every day. We have to go to school every day; we have to go to work every day. And you’re telling her she doesn’t have to.” “The next thing you know,” said dumbass DJ #2, “she’ll be in middle school, shootin’ heroin and getting tattoos.”

So parents justify their decision to foist their children off to the seven-hour-per-day governmental babysitting and indoctrination service that is the public school system by telling themselves, repeatedly and with loud voices, that the schools have more of a right to their children’s time than they do. That, essentially, parents spending time – during the school day – with their children is actually doing them a disservice. As Austen says, how quick come the reasons for approving what we like.

In high school, I was captain of the academic team, I took all the advanced math courses that were offered, made straight As, attended college concurrently to get a head start, and was generally unslackerish. I graduated valedictorian , after I broke the school’s ACT score record when I was a junior. I went on to graduate from university magna cum laude. I’m not saying that school isn’t important.

Oh, wait. Yes I am. Drat. I’m miserable anyway. Oh, well.

IXOYE
It may be greek to you, but it means everything to me.

Does this not just piss you off? More later.

Oh, and I saw a man riding a motorcycle with his dog – a dog on the seat in front of him.

“Each year in the United States, there are an estimated 74,000 cases of turtle-associated salmonellosis in humans…”

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

“Oh, wait, shit, I live in the real world. Damn it.”

– by Lenni on this article at VeganPorn. I’m not sure I agree with their point, but wholeheartedly with the sentiment.