It's that time of year again, staying up late past my bedtime, watching people around me imbibe a little too much of the bubbly, reviewing the year, thinking about the good and the bad, planning for goals for the new year. *sigh*
What are your plans for New Year's Eve? M and I are going to a 1960s New Year's Eve Party. We've both finally settled on our costumes. M is going all in black, complete with beret, and little glasses going for that Beatnik look. I'm going for that casual 60s look just beginning to merge into Beatnik. I'll take pictures and post about the party tomorrow. Have a great night! Don't drink too much and don't drive if you've been drinking, and if you have to drive, drive very carefully and watch out for drunks on the road. Happy New Year!
So Christmas was very hectic for all of us this year. I was sick with a cold for the 3 weeks leading up to Christmas, plus had tons of end of the semester grading and exams to keep up with. So decorating wasn't my prime focus this year. I got up what little I could, M did all the lighting and we just had to call it good enough. This year I got the giant wreath up on the house that I picked up at the after Christmas clearance sale last year. It actually wasn't too difficult, tied a rope to it, raised it up to the roof from the ground, then put a heavy-duty hook in the side of the house to hang it on.
Also this year I decided to forego the tinsle and shimmery "boa" type garland and go for something a little more stylish. So we did beaded garland and bows on the tree out front. This little tree survived unbelievable winds and downpouring rains for a few days and not one bow fell off. Okay, so this decorating style is a keeper. I need to add more bulbs, garland and lights next year. The tree seems to get bigger, faster than I can stock up on additional decorations for it.
Inside I added two candle sconces on the mantle and this year we did a candelabra in the fireplace instead of a fire because we kept forgetting to call the chimney sweep. We'll get to it eventually.
Another room where I was somewhat inspired was the dining room. We were scheduled for another progressive dinner on the 19th (while I was sick) and knowing I wasn't going to be participating and getting everyone sick while they were in the house, I thought I'd decorate the room festively and then fade into the background.
I saw on HGTV the idea to attach a wreath to the bottom of a light fixture and then tie garland and ribbons to the rest of the fixture to make it look like a candelabra of sorts. M liked it, but I'm not so sure I do. I think it would have looked better if the light fixture hung longer down from the ceiling. It seemed too bunched up to me.
Last was this lovely little artificial tree. It was really the inspiration for the decorating this year. I tried to decorate the tree with a Victorian theme for a decorating contest at the university. I'll post those pictures later. So we did a Charles Dickens' _Scrooge_ theme for our door. When the competition was over, I brought the tree home and thought I might as well use it since I'd already gone to the trouble of decorating it. So here it is. I like the streaming ribbons best, and if you look closely, I put cinnamon scented pine cones throughout the branches in the tree. The cinnamon scent, combined with fresh pine boughs and wassail brewing (at the office) I thought for sure would win us the competition. The results to be posted later. Hope you liked my decorations. Any suggestions for next year?
To my sister, Pat's house, we go. We'll leaving butt early for New York tomorrow morning. I should have time when I get back to post photos of the trip, all the Christmas decorating we've been doing but haven't had time to post because of all the grading I've been doing. That's all done now - woo-hoo!! They just had a big snow yesterday and another one coming tomorrow. Wish us luck driving in the snow. Oh, and count on me hitting Lupo's for spiedies the minute I hit Endwell. :-)
So I'm sitting at my computer screen, eating lunch, taking a break from grading and reading CNN when I happen upon this story.
Apparently, this picture was on the recent issue of the Mexico Playboy magazine. It offended a number of people for portraying the Virgin Mary in a seductive manner. So Playboy issues an apology: "the cover was not meant to portray the Virgin Mary, despite being printed just days before the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe -- both Catholic holidays centering on the Virgin Mary." I think they should have also added, "the virginal looking woman, drapped in a cloth reminicent of the Virgin Mary, holding a classical pose of Mary, in front of a stained-glass window, with the caption in front of her: Te Adoramos Maria (We adore you, Mary)" is just a coincidence.
Gosh, we never thought anyone would mistake our Playboy model for the Virgin Mary. "The image is not and never was intended to portray the Virgin of Guadalupe," -- which is the Virgin Mary -- "The intent was to portray a renaissance-like mood on the cover." Okay, I believe you. Do you have a bridge in Brooklyn you want to sell me too?
This is an example of one of my students worrying about final exams.
This is me grading hundreds of papers and exams while my students are off celebrating the end of final exams.
This is me trying to juggle my lawyering gig, my teaching gig, and get ready for Christmas. Wish me luck!
Hey, just wanted to let you know Maeves Madness is a new blog and up and running. She's a friend of my sister, Pat, and lives and works with her in NY. She loves photography, genealogy, all things Irish, and tombstones, if I remember correctly. Check out her spot and give her a shout out of encouragement.
Okay, thank Debambam for getting me to post something lighthearted after my angry rant of yesterday. Also thanks to Tweetie who has some great humor on her page today.
Here are some things to make you happy today:
This got my foot tapping.
I'm currently jealous of Vice-President elect Joe Biden. He just got a new German Shepherd puppy before the Obama girls got their puppy. Now take a deep breath and everyone squeal with me "PUPPIES!!!"
Okay, here's the video posted again if you needed a little help:
A local United Way office realized that the organization had never received a donation from the town's most successful lawyer. The person in charge of contributions called him to persuade him to contribute.
"Our research shows that out of a yearly income of at least $500,000, you give not a penny to charity. Wouldn't you like to give back to the community in some way?"
The lawyer mulled this over for a moment and replied, "First, did your research also show that my mother is dying after a long illness, and has medical bills that are several times her annual income?"
Embarrassed, the United Way rep mumbled, "Um ... no."
The lawyer interrupts, "or that my brother, a disabled veteran, is blind and confined to a wheelchair?"
The stricken United Way rep began to stammer out an apology, but was interrupted again.
"or that my sister's husband died in a traffic accident," the lawyer's voice rising in indignation, "leaving her penniless with three children?!"
The humiliated United Way rep, completely beaten, said simply, "I had no idea..."
On a roll, the lawyer cut him off once again, "So if I don't give any money to them, why should I give any to you?"
I am stunned, appalled, and shocked. Here's a quote from Mr. Pat Boone equating me and other people (opposed to the church funded Proposition 8 in California that was hateful and took away the right to marry for gay people) to murderous jihadists.
"...there is a real, unbroken line between the jihadist savagery in Mumbai and the hedonistic, irresponsible, blindly selfish goals and tactics of our homegrown sexual jihadists." - Pat Boone, December 6, 2008
I take serious offense to this ignorance. Here are the points I dispute from Mr. Boone's article:
1. First, I'm not a Jihadist because I'm not a Muslim and don't subscribe to Jihads.
2. I don't feel directed by my religion to subjugate or exterminate those who don't agree with me or live how I do.
3. I'm not trying to enforce my beliefs on all mankind. I'm not the one cornering the market on marriage and telling people who can and cannot have those government benefits attached to it, that would be you Mr. Boone and all the churches who flooded the State of California with millions of dollars to spread hateful,distorted messages to convince voters to vote how you wanted in accordance with your religion.
4. I am not advocating violence to get my way. I am advocating exposure of the people who funneled money into a state not their own and influenced an election not their own. If the light of truth is frightening to you and seems violent, you should ask yourself why exposure of your covert actions is so frightening to you. Did you do something underhanded that you don't want other people to know about?
5. You are upset at the money the people are putting forth to uncover what you and the churches did. Well, at least our people are public about their contributions. We're only asking the same of you. Why is it okay for you and your minions to act in secret spending millions of dollars, yet it's wrong of us to spend a lesser amount of money finding out who you are? Sounds like a double-standard to me.
6. You are inciting fear and unecessary violence by telling your followers, "[h]ave you not seen the awful similarity between what happened in Mumbai and what's happening right now in our cities?" Mr. Boone, I'm not sure if you really understand what happened in Mumbai. People were brutally tortured and murdered in Mumbai (even children) by religious extremists who gathered followers and resources in secret until they were strong enough to attack the people who were not of their religion and didn't agree with them. Gee Mr. Boone, isn't that what you and your churches are doing, spreading hate, gathering followers in secret, secretly funding legislation that discriminates against people who don't follow your religious beliefs? I would say we have more reason to fear violence from you and the churches.
7. You are correct on one thing Mr. Boone, "hate is hate no matter where it erupts." When people spend millions of dollars spreading hateful messages full of lies and distortions to convince people to vote a certain way, that's still hate. It doesn't matter if it's coming from a supposedly Christian church. There has been plenty of evil, violence and hatred at the hands of churches and people who call themselves Christians. Please tell me about all the mob violence incited and carried out by gay people against your church. Civil marches, protests, carrying banners exposing your actions and calling for boycotts to hurt you in your wallets is not hate, it's not violence. It's a civil action taken in response to a covert, hostile action on the parts of you and people like you.
8. Mr. Boone, I agree with you that marriage should not be a governmental institution. So I would like you and all married people to give up the 1,400+ state, federal and employment benefits you enjoy from being married. Also, you might want to check what the Bible says about marriage. I wouldn't want you to miss out on having multiple wives, being able to beat them, sell them into slavery, or sleep with your wives servants and get them pregnant if you'd like. Oh, and no picking and choosing which Bible verses you're going to believe in and follow. If that book is holy and the word of God, I would think you would listen to God and follow _everything_ the Bible says. Also, if you're going to follow what "people" not God have said and done down through the ages, I think you might want to check out what they've done before you subscribe to it. Oh, and one last thing, it's kinda touchy, but, Um, before you do any of those things, please give your black friends forewarning that they'll soon be your slaves. (Oops, my bad, you might not have any black friends if stories about you are to be believed. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.)
9. As for these marital benefits originating with the people and given by our duly elected officials. If you truly believe the people should decide this, why are you spending millions of dollars to make sure the people don't decide in any way that you don't like. Don't you trust the people to make a fair decision for all people, not just you?
10. Mr. Boone, you state: "There never were any "rights" granted or designated to those who dissented with the will of the majority." I'm not sure if you're aware of this but, there have been anti-slavery movements, suffrage movements, civil rights movements, etc. Living in a democracy that follows the will of the majority, you should know that there have been many times in our nation's history where the impartial government had to step in and protect the rights of the minority because the majority thought it was fair and right to own the minority, beat the minority, not let the minority vote, not let the minority go to school, and the list goes on. So yes, I do believe, there have been times in our nation's history where "rights" were granted to those who dissented against the will of the majority. (May I add, "You friggin' moron!" for good measure, or would that be too crass?)
So I've been too busy to blog again. The two jobs are keeping me busy, especially the teaching job. I currently have 190 research papers to grade, with a final in 2 weeks and those grades to get in as well. Everything is essay, no multiple-choice so it takes a lot longer to read through everything. The other job is going along as well. I just finished a very long and detailed breach of contract complaint. I'm in the midst of a complicated divorce and another amended complaint. So I'm busy and that's good for business, but I will be thankful for Christmas break on the teaching job. I've got my books to get in order before tax time and it's going to be good to be in the same office 5 days a week for a little bit to get caught up on everything.
I did manage to get some Christmas shopping done last weekend. I got up a little early for the Black Friday sales. It's going to be a very modest Christmas. The Christmas shopping did get me more in the mood for the holiday and I also made time to put up a few outside decorations with M's and B's able assistance. I'll get pictures of those up soon. I managed to snag a giant outdoor wreath for the outside of our house at an end of the season sale last year so I am very proud we got that up on the roof and mounted to the front of our house. Gotta get back to work. Christmas pictures coming soon.
Once again this year we will be hosting Thanksgiving for the "orphans" in town, those people we know and work with who have no family nearby and who won't be venturing home for the holiday. Last year it got a little crazy with about 24 people. This year we were thankful that it appeared our numbers would be around 10, then others began hearing about our gathering and it started to look like it would get out of control again. So M nipped it in the bud by issuing the following proclamation: Hors d'hoeuvres would be served around 4 for anyone who would like to stop in on their way to other parties, dinner at 6 for those who had already confirmed they would be dinner guests, and 8 for anyone who wanted to come for dessert. Whew!
This year will also be a little bit easier because we won't have to line up 3 tables end-to-end just to seat everyone together. This year I found an amazing table at Salvation Army for $75. It was some sort of hotel remodel or overstock deal where they got about a dozen of these really large tables and sold them all really cheap. The table in its small position seats 6 _very_ comfortably, and when we add the two leaves that came with the table, we can seat 10 _very_ comfortably. It's going to be weird not having to figure out who has to straddle the table legs on all the tables shoved together. ;-)
So last summer I purchased a laptop and Desktop (HP Pavillions) for my new office. They came pre-loaded with Microsoft Vista. I asked for XP but was told I could no longer get it. I could have gotten the older XP software from Dell if I wanted to pay $1000 more for my computers. Ummmm, no! Now I'm thinking $1,000 would have been worth it.
See, right from the beginning I was having trouble. Internet Explorer would suddenly close on me for no apparent reason, right while I was in the middle of something. No problem, I don't like IE anyway. So I downloaded Mozilla Firefox for my browser. It works better that IE, doesn't shut down as frequently, but it still does on occasion. That's okay, I can live with that.
The other problem I had was the error windows that would constantly pop up after every automatic Microsoft update that would load from the Internet during the evening hours. I would ignore the error windows until they eventually made my computer difficult to operate. Then it would require restoring my computer back to its factory install state.
Another problem I had was that I couldn't load my Vista compatible WordPerfect or my Vista compatible Quickbooks. Each time I had to go back to the factory settings, I would have to re-load my software. I would have to pay $15 each time to the makers of these software programs as they walked me through lowering Vista's numerous security devices so I could get the software loaded. I did this a couple of times.
Just recently, again, the computer got so bogged down with error messages from the automatic updates and the internet browsers kept shutting down frequently, that I knew I would have to go back to the factory settings once again. This time, however, I had no intention of paying money to have someone help me load software that was already supposed to be Vista compatible.
So this next step was my fatal error. I contacted Microsoft to fix their crappy Vista software so I would stop getting error messages with every automatic update and also be able to load Vista compatible software. Well nothing the tech from India tried would work, not even a check disk utility. He next took over control of my laptop by remote. So for the next 7 1/2 hours, yes, 7 1/2 hours, he worked on my computer, deleting over 700 files, moving others, running a check disk after much effort to get that to work and finally fixed the error message problems and enabled me to load Vista compatible software. Unfortunately, I now have a new problem, I can't access the Internet from that computer. He deleted or moved a file for a network adapter, a modem or some sort of driver that allows my computer to communicate and access the Internet. So for the last 8 days, I've been "working with" Microsoft to figure out exactly what he did and why the Internet no longer works. Microsoft tried to convince me it wasn't anything they did, that first it must be a problem with Comcast (nope, checked it all out), then it must be a hardware problem for the computer's manufacturer, nope. It's all just a big coincidence after their guy deleted over 700 files and moved others that the message I get when I try to access the Internet is that a file it needs is missing, having either been deleted or moved. *sigh*
Okay, I'm making this official declaration, the Spring of 2008 through the Spring of 2009 is my official Year of Politics. Between getting involved in the national election for the Obama campaign, and getting involved in the 1st District race for Congress in Maryland for Frank Kratovil, and now today, we've just helped launch the Mayoral race for a friend of ours, Jim Ireton, we will be devoting our spare time and money to elections. We were very successful in the first two and have high hopes of success in the final one. We have fund raisers to plan, door-to-door campaigning to do, brochures to design, and the work will not end. Another friend is running for re-election to the City Council and we'll likely be working on yet another friend's campaign for a seat on the City Council from a different district.
On the one hand, this is all very exhausting, on the other, it's very exciting and I don't feel so helpless in the direction my country, my state, and my community are heading. I'm doing everything I can to change the direction we've all been going in for far too long. At the launch of our friend's Mayoral campaign, a friend came up to us and said, did you hear about the Prop 8 Protests? I hadn't and she told me there would be protests all over the country starting at 1:30. She wanted to know where the protest would be in our town. I hadn't a clue, but on the way home from the mayoral event, there in front of the hospital were a group of 20-30 young people with signs and flags and I laid on my car horn, waving and hollering for them as I drove by. I am so glad so many people are finally getting out there and standing up for what they believe in.
I remember putting this up in the past, but I was reminded of it again when another blogger posted it and it's appropriate for today. Today is Veteran's Day. Take a moment to remember those who have served, those who are currently serving, and if you live near your family's cemetery, go lay some flowers and clean off the graves of your relatives. It's a great time to reflect, be thankful and honor.
Okay, so I'm an anxious person. I got to the polls this morning before 6 a.m. The polls were scheduled to open at 7 a.m. I was third in line of about 50 people by the time the polls opened.
I get up to the table, give them my name and they can't find it. That's okay, people misspell it all the time. Still nothing. The lady looks for my name in the City, County, and the State and says, "I'm sorry, but we're not showing you as a registered voter." I say, "Oh no you don't. Do I look familiar?" The lady says, "why yes you do, oh I know you, you worked the elections with us before." I say, "correct. I worked this polling place for the last Presidential election and the following municipal election as an Election Judge. I've also supervised the counting of absentee ballots numerous times for the Board of Elections as County Attorney. I've voted in EVERY election for the last 5 years I've lived in this state. There's no way I'm not in your system, and if I'm not, somebody's got a lot of explaining to do." So the lady persists looking for the next 15 minutes. She finally calls a supervisor over. He can't find me either. "Are you sure you're registered to vote?" He asks me. By then, other election workers come over to say hi to me and vouch that I am a registered voter and I should be in the system.
Well, eventually since nothing they do is bringing up my name, they then look up my address. There I am, a registered voter, including the other registered voters in the house. For some reason, my name was dropped from the names list and the address list wasn't cross referencing the names. So, they get that figured out and then discover, I'm in the wrong polling place.
Nope, not possible. Here's my voter registration card that says for Primaries I vote at location "A" and for general elections I vote at location "B." "Yep, that's what it says alright, but the computer says otherwise." So I go to the other location and wait in line all over again to vote. I did eventually get to vote, but I wonder, if so many election workers hadn't known me, would they have tried as hard to get to the bottom of the discrepancy, and also, how many other people's names have been dropped from the computer's list or aren't cross-referenced?
Okay, this probably would have been a good post for Halloween, but I just didn't think of it in time. I'm posting this now because I saw an article about my favorite ghost hunters on the CNN website. When Ghosts Attack
I am glued to the tube every Wednesday night watching back-to-back episodes of my guys on the SciFi Channel. Go here to watch full episodes: Ghost Hunters
I'd always wondered if any of the ghosts they found ever followed them home. Another ghost hunter in the CNN story said they have. Creepy. Do you watch Ghost Hunters? I think I like this show because Grant and Jason go into the hunt armed with all sorts of technology and common sense. They disprove quite a number of cases where people think there's a haunting, but when they catch an image on video or a voice on tape, Man! Creep me out! Here's a short clip of them catching an image.
Okay, I saw this, this morning and laughed my butt off. Listen to the words, I think I agree with most of her platform. ;-) My favorite lines are the "nu-cu-lar" one and "America should put me in charge, look at Bush it can't be that hard." Enjoy!
A friend sent me the following in an e-mail. I don't know if any of the statistics in this are accurate, it just made me laugh, so I thought I'd share it. Enjoy!
Dear Red States:
We’ve decided we’re leaving.
We intend to form our own country, and we’re taking the other Blue States with us. In case you aren’t aware, that includes California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all the Northeast. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of the new country of New California. To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states. We get stem cell research and the best beaches. We get the Statue of Liberty. You get Dollywood. We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom. We get Harvard. You get Ole’ Miss. We get 85 percent of America’s venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama. We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the red states pay their fair share.
Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the Christian Coalition’s, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of single moms. Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we’re going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they’re apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don’t care if you don’t show pictures of their children’s caskets coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq , and hope that the WMDs turn up, but we’re not willing to spend our resources in Bush’s Quagmire.
With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80 percent of the country’s fresh water, more than 90 percent of the pineapple and lettuce, 92 percent of the nation’s fresh fruit, 95 percent of America’s quality wines, 90 percent of all cheese, 90 percent of the high tech industry, most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools plus Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT. With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88 percent of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92 percent of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100 percent of the tornadoes, 90 percent of the hurricanes, 99 percent of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100 percent of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia. We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you.
Additionally, 38 percent of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62 percent believe life is sacred unless we’re discussing the war, the death penalty or gun laws, 44 percent say that evolution is only a theory, 53 percent that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61 percent of you crazy bastards believe you are people with higher morals then we lefties.
Finally, we’re taking the good pot, too. You can have that dirt weed they grow in Mexico.
We went to a produce stand a couple weeks back to get pumpkins for Halloween. For some reason, I had my camera with me, and boy was I glad. Everything there was so vibrant with color it was amazing. Follow me on my walk through the produce stand. Happy Fall!
A big shout out to Marilyn in New York! Thanks for the hysterical laughter first thing on a Monday morning. I think "I've splashed my tights." frrrrpppptttt
We're getting ready for Halloween at our house. This weekend I began building a 7 foot tall Samurai ghost. We tried standing him up on our roof without success. I think he's going to have to go on the ground where I can run lines into the ground to hold him still. I'll do a post soon with pictures. Also, we attended the 4th Annual Baconfest this past Saturday. I'll be doing a post on that soon as well.
In the mean time, a friend sent me an e-mail with all sorts of dog Halloween costume pictures. I've picked the top three for your amusement.
Coming in at a respectable 3rd place, this little dog in his fireman's costume.
Coming in 2nd, I couldn't help laughing at this dog/cow.
The hands down winner of 1st place is this costume. When I first saw it, I didn't even see the dog. I just thought it was a good headless horseman costume with a stuffed horse or something, then I looked closer and realized it was a costume on a dog. Some people are so creative!
It's that time of year again, staying up late past my bedtime, watching people around me imbibe a little too much of the bubbly, reviewing the year, thinking about the good and the bad, planning for goals for the new year. *sigh*
What are your plans for New Year's Eve? M and I are going to a 1960s New Year's Eve Party. We've both finally settled on our costumes. M is going all in black, complete with beret, and little glasses going for that Beatnik look. I'm going for that casual 60s look just beginning to merge into Beatnik. I'll take pictures and post about the party tomorrow. Have a great night! Don't drink too much and don't drive if you've been drinking, and if you have to drive, drive very carefully and watch out for drunks on the road. Happy New Year!
