Ok, one quick post about some boobies

Have you seen this?

Critics a-Twitter over Meghan McCain's racy pic


Ok, so I guess Wednesday night Meghan McCain decided to curl up in a tank top and some sweat pants and get in some reading time. Who cares? Well in order to tell all of her friends she took a picture of herself and put it on Twitter. Again. Who cares? Well apparently a lot of people.

"You don't have to pull cheap gags like this to get attention. Leave this to the Paris Hiltons of the world," one of the milder rebukes went. "You knew you were posting a nearly NSFW photo, so don't pretend like you're surprised at people's reaction."

Which makes no sense to me. Who cares if she puts up a picture of herself on Twitter? I mean she isn't naked (I wouldnt even necessarily call it NSFW) and she isn't important. But what gets me is her response to the outcry.

"So I took a fun picture not thinking anything about what I was wearing but apparently anything other than a pantsuit [and] I am a slut," she wrote. ... "Seriously I was just trying to be funny with the book and that I'm a dork staying in," she wrote, later adding, "when I am alone in my apartment, I wear tank tops and sweat pants, I had no idea this makes me a 'slut,' I can't even tell you how hurt I am."

Now there is where I mark the line. I don't think people are calling her a slut because she wears a tank top around her apartment. I think people are calling her a slut because of the ginormosity of her boobs in this picture and the come-hither look accompanying them. Do I think people should give a shit about what she wears or posts on her Twitter account? No. But do I think it is fair for her to throw up the white flag of chastity and innocence? Mmmm no.

Southwest Airlines - pissing me off!

Now I love Southwest Airlines. I have flown Southwest exclusively since moving to Philly. I used to be able to get flights from PHI to PVD for $29 each way. I can still get them for $49 each way. I use their credit card and fly so often that I rack up free flights way faster than I can use them. You can even give the free flights to other people for free! Which I have done. All flights are done in one-way portions so I can fly Philly to Providence but then Manchester to Philly without paying extra for one-ways. They fly into PVD so I can visit my parents, MHT to see my family/go skiing, PIT to see alma mater and FLL to see my godson. They are courteous, fun and haven't lost one of my bags yet. And honestly we have had a hard time even paying for a drink on a plane because they keep giving them to us for free (if only they had another vodka since I am not a huge Finlandia fan). You can check 2 bags for FREE! I really really like them. I really do. But then . . .

My first issue with them (that I knew about) started last week when I ordered a gift card from them to give to my parents this weekend. I ordered it on Wednesday around noon. And everything was fine. I got the little confirmation screen telling me to print it out for my records etc etc. I didnt. I never do. My bad. But I always get confirmation emails with the same information! So by the end of the day I hadnt gotten either the confirmation email (supposed to be immediate) or the actual gift card email (can be delayed up to 12 hours) but I wasn't worried. I was worried Thursday evening when I hadn't gotten either the confirmation email or the actual gift card. Yes I checked my spam folder. No charge had gone through on my credit card so I wasn't panicking. But I was planning on giving it to my parents on Friday so I wanted to print it out at work before going to the airport (to fly with them no less). So I called them up and told them the problem. Just asking for general information since I didnt have the confirmation number (I know, my bad) but they were really nice about it. They canceled the previous order, put in a new order, gave me my confirmation number, told me the confirmation email would arrive shortly and the gift card email within 12 hours. Plenty of time before I had to leave. Well it is now Wednesday. It has been a week since my original order. I have gotten no confirmation emails. I have gotten no gift card emails. And my credit card has been charged. Luckily it wasn't super important that I actually give my parents the card, I could just tell them about it. But some sort of information would be nice here. Apparently, according to someone's post on Southwest's Facebook page, I am not the only one with an issue. Which is fine, I understand that there is some sort of problem, but send me an email or give me a phone call and tell me about it and apologize or something. I just don't expect this sort of lack of attention and consideration from this company. Or I didn't. Which brings me to my next problem with Southwest Airlines that was brought to my attention this week . . .

EarlyBird Check-in. So in case you have never flown with Southwest, let me explain how the boarding process works. And has worked. They do not have assigned seating. It is open seating. Which means you get on a plane and as long as you are over 15 you can pick any seat that is open. If you are 15 or under you can pick any seat other than the emergency exit rows. So in order to get that perfect seat it all depends on when you get on the plane. When I started flying Southwest in 2004 the way it worked was this. Starting at midnight the day that you are flying you can check in for your flight (one of the first online check-ins and so great not to have to go to the counter or even a kiosk if you arent checking bags). And depending on when you checked in you got an A, B or C boarding pass. You printed this out and went to the airport. When you got there you went to the gate and there were 3 lines (A, B, C) set up. You got in line and sat there and waited. So depending on when you checked in determined your line. And when you got to the airport determined your place in that line. This worked fine for me because 1) I dont mind checking in at midnight. 2) I dont mind sitting on the floor. 3) I dont mind getting to the airport early, in fact I prefer it. But I could see how it was annoying. And there were fights about saving places in line and if putting your bag in line counted, etc etc. And it meant you had to be at a computer at midnight the morning before flying. So it made sense when they changed it. First they changed the midnight thing. Instead of midnight the day you were flying, they changed it to 24 hours before your flight. Which was nice. No more sitting at the copmuter waiting to go to bed. But you still had to camp out in line. So next they changed it to the current system. Starting 24 hours before your flight you can check in online and get a boarding number. So you get A 1-60, B 1-60 or C 1-60 depending on when you check in. So as long as you have access to a computer (or mobile device) 24 hours before your flight you have a good chance of getting your A boarding pass and then you could show up to the airport whenever and sit in the chairs or the bar until your number group was called. Now this is all important because, especially now (even though it is free to check bags) NO ONE seems to check bags. And so if you are boarding as a late B or C, most likely 1) you are going to get a dreaded middle seat and 2) you might have to check your carry-on because the overhead bins will be full. But at least you know it will get on the plane since you are gate checking it. But it is annoying. So that was fine with me. It is crazy how many people check in at 24 hours before on the dot. If you are a minute late, you are getting a high A or a B even. But as long as you have an A, you will get a window seat if you want it. So that is all well and good. Cheap flights without all the extra fees and fair seating (assuming you have ready internet access; which is obviously not true for everyone). But it is what it is. Then they instituted the Business Select seating. So now you pay more (like $80 more) but you are guaranteed an A, no matter when you check in. So now you can pay for an A 1-16. Which seemed a little against Southwest's whole thing. You also get a free drink and more credits towards free flights. But there are only 16 Business Select seats per flight. So it isnt like everyone can buy an A etc. Then they instituted the A-list. If you fly 32 one-way flights in a 12 month period you automatically got an A boarding pass whenever you flew within a 12 month period after that. That is a whole lot of flights and that didnt bother me. There aren't that many A-listers. But then, this started within the last week or so, they instituted the EarlyBird Check-In. The way (I think) this works is this. You buy your ticket (not Business Select). And then between that time and 36 hours before your flight you can buy into the EarlyBird program for $10 each way on your flight. And then 36 hours before your flight, the Business Select passengers are automatically assigned their numbers. Then the A-listers are automatically assigned their numbers. And then the EarlyBird-ers are automatically assigned their numbers (I assume in order of purchase? but I am not sure). Between 36 hours and 25 hours prior to your flight you can also buy in. At 25 hours before the flight all of those people (who bought in between 36 and 25 hours prior) are automatically assigned their numbers. And then at 24 hours prior to the flight everyone else can manually check in. Which means that if most people on your flight use EarlyBird, then 1) they arent even guaranteed an A because now everyone is in the same pot and 2) you are stuck with whatever is left. So they are forcing you to pay an extra $10 just for the CHANCE to get an A. And (I think) it is all dependent on when you buy into the EarlyBird pot. So if I buy my ticket for Christmas now I can probably get an A. But if say I have to fly tomorrow or this weekend, for an emergency, I am screwed out of an A. Maybe. This seems antithetical to previous Southwest policy. If they need to make more money, raise the fares. If they want to streamline the way the seating works, then assign seats. But this just seems wrong to me. And the general tone of commenters on the Southwest blog (Nuts About Southwest) and on their Facebook page looks like I am not alone.

I am disappointed in Southwest right now. And I hope that it changes soon. Because in general as a company I really do like them. I think they make excellent use of Twitter, Facebook and the internet at large. They have the nicest, friendliest (and it seems happiest) airline employees I have dealt with. And I feel like I fly pretty often considering I am not rich and I dont fly for work. I have flown with them 18 times in the last 12 months. I hope they fix their gift card glitches soon and more importantly I hope they look again at who they are trying to serve and dont start becoming a big fee airline.

Not Dealing Well

So I have spent the good portion of the last hour almost crying at work. One of my favorite passtimes. Oh wait. That's right. I actually hate crying at work. I just do it a lot. And the reason that I have been close to crying is that I was just dressed down via twitter by a friend for being offended by commenters on a blog. I guess I should at least be grateful that it was mostly via DM. Now obviously this is not something that should actually in anyway upset me. I mean he is right of course. I should just let everything roll off my back. I should ignore the fact that there are people out there who honestly feel that it is perfectly acceptable to publicly compare breastfeeding in public to jacking off in public. And to a bowel movement. And I should be completely accepting of people calling a woman a Nazi for wanting to feed her child in a completely legal way. Obviously. They are probably just kidding anyway right? And I dont actually know these people. So why the fuck should I give a shit. Right? But I am not totally ok with those things. And so since it upset me to read these things I posted it on Twitter. Thinking that that was a place to vent about being upset by people's comments on the internet. Which was obviously a stupid thing to do since of course Twitter is only for unemotional, completely rational discussion right? Stupid me.

I am mostly blaming my inability to being called ridiculous and stupid and all "lathered up" and a pawn of an attention whore by a "friend" on PMS. It is an easy thing to blame. More correct would probably be my general inability to deal with any sort of emotional trouble recently. From dealing with an impending trip from my future in-laws. To dealing with the impending death of my Nana (metastatic breast cancer has spread to her lungs; I found out last night that we are essentially just waiting for her to die at this point). To dealing with insistent memories and thoughts of Joey. Just not dealing well with ANY of it well recently. I know I should go see someone. But I am not dealing with that idea well either.

So I am venting here. And I do actually feel better. So I guess this works for now.

In other news, we got a big new TV and a tiny new laptop. Matty's parents are coming. We finished Seasons 1 & 2 of Always Sunny in Philadelphia. We watched Last Chance Harry and Robocop. Our eggplants are getting big. We have tried a bunch of new restaurants and made cream puffs! And tried 2 new places for Sips. I will get to all that. I hope! Soon!

Some other stuff

Ok, so I am kinda dying with this headache and cant concentrate on actual work but feel like I should at least be here until 4. Sooooo . . . a couple of things that have come up recently. I am just gonna throw some stuff out there and maybe I will actually get some discussion in the comments? Ha! Yeah, I know, but I am gonna throw it out there anyway.

1) Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina should step down from office. No no. Not step down. He should be kicked out of his office. Kay? I said it. I don't care that he cheated on his wife. I mean, I care for other reasons which I will get to. Give me a minute. Ok, so he cheated on his wife, this probably says something about his character blah blah blah. He is a politician through and through, I think that says a lot more about his character. But 1) he left the state, without telling ANYONE (supposedly) where he was going. Now I do not know what governor's do day-to-day but I am guessing he isnt acutally needed in his office every moment. But! It seems like in case of an emergency, SOMEONE should know where he is. Or at least when he will be back? 2) He hired a bunch of misfits to run his office that cant come up with a decent alibi for their two-timing boss and are too stupid to know when to keep their mouths shut. 3) Spent tax payer money to visit his mistress in Argentina. It isnt like the state paid the bill on a trip to Applebee's here. I am guessing that philadering in Argentina ain't cheap. But he isnt going to be asked to step down officially. He is going to be censured. Why is he only being censured? Because

"some said if Sanford were to step down, the move would splinter the GOP by helping his replacement, Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer, in the 2010 campaign for governor."

What?!?!!? Excuse me? I mean honestly? This is what state politics are aren't they? And let me get back to the other thing. The whole cheating thing. Jenny Sanford has every right to be embarrassed and upset. I felt for her, I did. It must suck for your marriage to go down in flames in the national media. But then she says things like this little piece of bullshit:

“Of course I’m not saying that Mark is gay,” Sanford said, “but he may as well be. The moral decay in this country has claimed another victim and this time it was my family. Our marriage was perfect until these laws started passing around the country. Clearly the slow dissolution of the sanctity of marriage in America seeped into Mark’s psyche until he no longer felt compelled to abide by our vows.”

I am sorry. Say what no? You are actually saying. Out loud. That your asshole of a husband cheated on you because gay marriage bills were being discussed in other parts of the country. Honestly? What The Fuck. That is just about the stupidest thing you could have said . . . oh wait . . .

2) Sarah Palin should not be allowed in a public office ever again. Not that she shouldnt be allowed to hold one, she shouldnt be allowed in one. She shouldnt be allowed to run her family never mind anything of actual significance to the rest of us. Supposedly she has no job lined up to take after abandoning the one she already had. The one she was elected to. The one she swore an oath to uphold and complete to the best of her ability? The one she ran on for VICE PRESIDENT that made her an expert on foreign policy? That one. What was it again? Oh that is right. Governor of Alaska. Supposedly she

"is resigning because of her combative relationship with the state legislature and because of the distractions and costs of fighting off numerous ethics complaints"

Now it sounds to me that if she can't get along with her legislature and she has been accused of unethical actions to the point that it is damaging the state, maybe instead of being allowed to run away she should be kicked out of her office. But honestly, I dont see that happening. I don't see the "pit bull in lipstick" running away because she is hurting her state. I see her deciding that her job was hard and that she couldnt just have her way and thinking that it would be better to walk away "gracefully" instead of finishing a lackluster-at best term as governor. Because now she has all this time to campaign for all of her GOP friends. Right? And of course there is her book deal. Those things are so much more important for a bid for the presidency right? You know, as opposed to actually running a state or anything. She is a disgrace. But, i guess luckily for us, she is another GOP one.

Ok, enough rants for today.

Not pleased

So my phone (10 month old Palm Centro) has mysteriously and suddenly to stop functioning as a "phone." I can still go on the internet, text, get my email, play solitaire, all that crap. But I cant make a phone call. Well that is not entirely true. I can make a phone call. And the person I call can hear me. And if I put it on speakerphone I can hear them. But I cant hear them on the actual phone. And apparently the only way to overcome this problem is for me to either mail my phone to Palm and have them either try to repair it or send me a refurbished one, so I wont have a phone for over a week. Or I can pay $25 and they will send me a refurbished phone and then I have to send this one back to them. I am not pleased. This is not the first time I have had a problem with this phone. But I love the Palm software. I love the Palm Desktop. All my stuff is in there. I dont want to be a Blackberry person or an iPhone person. I was perfectly happy being a Palm person. And I was so excited about the Pre. But I dont know if I can deal with Palm anymore. Sigh.

In other news, last night Matty and I went to the First Person Story Slam: Odd Jobs at L'Etage. We went to cheer Tre on. We hadnt been to one before, though we were supposed to go to the one on the 18th. But something got in the way . . . what was it? . . . oh yeah. Funeral. I guess it was an above average show last night, but Matty is totally hooked. He couldnt stop talking about it. Of course he was pretty drunk by the time we got home (after 1 on a Tuesday! I know! Scandal right?) so he was quite the talked. Right up until he passed out on the floor doing his situps. It was very cool and anyone in Philly should totally check them out in the future.

Let's see. Oh, I guess I can share some recipes. Last weekend we through the Triple Birthday Barbecue Party and had a whopping 39 people show up (not all at the same time, thank god!). And pretty much everyone brought food, which was awesome. But you know me, I cant not cook for my own party. What is the point of throwing the party? So I made a Mexican-y quinoa salad with black olives, black beans, tomatoes, peppers, hot peppers, herbs, lime. It was ok, Needed more salt and more hot pepper I think. And I made buffalo chicken dip. And Matty made me vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting. My faves! And then I made a variety of dips and spreads to go with the grill items and some dippers. I made Roasted Tomato Relish with Thyme, a vegan version of Wild Mushroom Spread, Roasted Red Pepper and Cannellini Bean Dip, a vegan version of Remoulade sauce and a modified chimichurri. I think they were all good. I have been putting leftover tomato relish on EVERYTHING! I made double batches of everything except the chimichurri and the remoulade (half batch).

Oh and for my birthday Matty bought me the tea kettle! The big Le Creuset one that he wanted (in Flame [my color]). It is pretty neat. I tried it out on Monday, just to hear it whistle since it has been too gaddman hot to drink hot anything.

Ok, now for the recipes.

Roasted Tomato Relish with Thyme



12 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise and seeded (about 2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large shallots, peeled
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place the tomatoes, cut sides down, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush with 1 tablespoon oil (I used olive oil cooking spray); sprinkle with pepper. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes. Wrap shallots in foil; add to baking sheet. Bake an additional 40 minutes or until tomatoes are lightly charred and shallots are soft (about 35 minutes). Cool 10 minutes.

Chop tomatoes and shallots; place in a medium bowl. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, vinegar, and remaining ingredients to bowl; toss well. (I threw everything in the food processor).

Yield: About 1 cup (serving size: about 2 tablespoons)CALORIES 61 (55% from fat); FAT 3.7g (sat 0.5g,mono 2.7g,poly 0.4g); IRON 0.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 11mg; CARBOHYDRATE 6.9g; SODIUM 78mg; PROTEIN 1.4g; FIBER 1.2g Cooking Light, JUNE 2007

Wild Mushroom Spread



2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots (about 2 large) (I chopped in food processor)
3 1/2 cups finely chopped wild or cultivated mushrooms (about 12 ounces) (I just used cremini, I chopped in food processor)
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened (I used Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese)
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
16 (1/2-ounce) slices diagonally cut French bread baguette (about 1/2 inch thick) (I just served it in a bowl with dippers on the side)

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots to pan; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms; cook 7 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Place mushroom mixture in a medium bowl. Place half of mushroom mixture, cream cheese, and sherry in a food processor; process until smooth. Add pureed mixture to remaining mushroom mixture. Add parsley, salt, and pepper; stir until combined. Serve with baguette slices.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 2 baguette slices and 2 tablespoons spread) CALORIES 140 (28% from fat); FAT 4.4g (sat 2.1g,mono 0.7g,poly 0.4g); IRON 1.3mg; CHOLESTEROL 10mg; CALCIUM 17mg; CARBOHYDRATE 20.6g; SODIUM 399mg; PROTEIN 5.6g; FIBER 1g Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2007

Roasted Red Pepper and Cannellini Bean Dip



1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 (7-ounce) bottle roasted red bell peppers, rinsed and drained
1 large garlic clove
2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place first 5 ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth. With processor on, slowly add oil through food chute. Stir in salt and black pepper. (I just threw everything in all at once)

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1/4 cup), CALORIES 62 (51% from fat); FAT 3.5g (sat 0.5g,mono 2.5g,poly 0.5g); IRON 0.6mg; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 16mg; CARBOHYDRATE 5.9g; SODIUM 272mg; PROTEIN 1.5g; FIBER 1.5g Cooking Light, JANUARY 2007

Remoulade Sauce (from the Gumbo Shop, this is the full recipe, I did half)
1/2 c plus 2 Tbsp Creole mustard
1/2 c mayonnaise (I used Vegenaise)
1/3 c canola oil
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp minced celery
3 Tbsp minced green onion
1 tsp minced garlic (I used 1 clove)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (I used tamari)
1 tsp Tabasco sauce (I used Frank's red hot)
2 Tbsp paprika (I used smoked)
1 tsp white pepper (I used black)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a stainless steel, glass or crockery bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. This recipe makes about 2 cups. (I just threw everything in the food processor)

I will have to get back to you with the chimichurri recipe as it is at home at the moment.

April is the cruelest month

This is something I have heard over and over in the last week and a half. And I have thus far simply ignored it. I am not as such as poetry fan. However my favorite, or at least the poem I quote the most (mostly in my own head as a bit of a mantra) is Eliot's The Hollow Man.

This is the way the world ends

This is the way the world ends

This is the way the world ends

Not with a bang but a whimper.

So I guess it is appropriate that yet another T.S. Eliot poem with as dark a feeling should keep coming back now.

I have always like April. My mom hates March. It is the month of her birthday but also the month in which both her parents died. And tends to have awful weather in New England. The need for sunlight and spring gets strong but the actual sun stays away. I always vowed that I would not hate a month, it seemed so silly. Especially a month with my birthday in it! And many times Easter is in April. And I love Easter. And the weather starts to get better. And April vacation (when I was younger) and the end of the school year (when I was at Pitt). Lots of birthday. Matty's dad and sister in law, college friends and roomates, Dan, Tara. Though there have been some bad Aprils. My appendix burst on my birthday in 5th grade and that combined with a subsequent post-op infection left me hospitalized for an extended period of time. And my best friend in high school's mother died on Palm Sunday which may have been in April that year, but may have been March. There was the year I put off celebrating my birthday until after I passed my prelim in the first weeks of May, and then failing, completely ruining that birthday. But this year has really pushed my limits a bit. The weather has been awful. Either cold or rainy and cold. With little teasers of nice weather followed by even worse weather. My Scienteering Science Fair was yesterday so I have had to deal with these kids, who are tough to deal with int he best of times. I started the month with a stomach flu that left me home sick for several days. Then we took a trip to Annapolis to help my parents with their new boat which was lovely. Then in the second week I discovered a rat in my backyard and then the next morning I sprained my ankle looking for it which has left me in an ankle brace and hobbling as I am an awful patient and refuse to use crutches. Easter was good. I met my new cousin for the first time. He is adorable. And then shit just totally hit the fan. Philadelphia mourns the death of Harry Kalas. Everyone in Philly who matters to me personally mourns the death of Joey. My boss's close friend from college dies last week. The owner of a loved local bar dies early this week. The little brother of a coworker dies last weekend. My other coworker's (who lost his father last fall) grandfather has a heart attack and is in the ICU last night. Seriously. What. The. Fuck. Could people just calm the hell down and stop dying, or getting sick. Just for the rest of the month. I know it is silly. But I think if we could just postpone some of this shit for another week we would deal with all this better. K thnx.

I. THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD APRIL is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
Winter kept us warm, covering	5
Earth in forgetful snow, feeding
A little life with dried tubers.
Summer surprised us, coming over the Starnbergersee
With a shower of rain; we stopped in the colonnade,
And went on in sunlight, into the Hofgarten,	10
And drank coffee, and talked for an hour.
Bin gar keine Russin, stamm' aus Litauen, echt deutsch.
And when we were children, staying at the archduke's,
My cousin's, he took me out on a sled,
And I was frightened. He said, Marie,	15
Marie, hold on tight. And down we went.
In the mountains, there you feel free.
I read, much of the night, and go south in the winter.
What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow
Out of this stony rubbish? Son of man,	20
You cannot say, or guess, for you know only
A heap of broken images, where the sun beats,
And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief,
And the dry stone no sound of water. Only
There is shadow under this red rock,	25
(Come in under the shadow of this red rock),
And I will show you something different from either
Your shadow at morning striding behind you
Or your shadow at evening rising to meet you;
I will show you fear in a handful of dust.	30
Frisch weht der Wind
Der Heimat zu.
Mein Irisch Kind,
Wo weilest du?
'You gave me hyacinths first a year ago;	35
'They called me the hyacinth girl.'
—Yet when we came back, late, from the Hyacinth garden,
Your arms full, and your hair wet, I could not
Speak, and my eyes failed, I was neither
Living nor dead, and I knew nothing,	40
Looking into the heart of light, the silence.
Od' und leer das Meer.
Madame Sosostris, famous clairvoyante,
Had a bad cold, nevertheless
Is known to be the wisest woman in Europe,	45
With a wicked pack of cards. Here, said she,
Is your card, the drowned Phoenician Sailor,
(Those are pearls that were his eyes. Look!)
Here is Belladonna, the Lady of the Rocks,
The lady of situations.	50
Here is the man with three staves, and here the Wheel,
And here is the one-eyed merchant, and this card,
Which is blank, is something he carries on his back,
Which I am forbidden to see. I do not find
The Hanged Man. Fear death by water.	55
I see crowds of people, walking round in a ring.
Thank you. If you see dear Mrs. Equitone,
Tell her I bring the horoscope myself:
One must be so careful these days.
Unreal City,	60
Under the brown fog of a winter dawn,
A crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many,
I had not thought death had undone so many.
Sighs, short and infrequent, were exhaled,
And each man fixed his eyes before his feet.	65
Flowed up the hill and down King William Street,
To where Saint Mary Woolnoth kept the hours
With a dead sound on the final stroke of nine.
There I saw one I knew, and stopped him, crying 'Stetson!
'You who were with me in the ships at Mylae!	70
'That corpse you planted last year in your garden,
'Has it begun to sprout? Will it bloom this year?
'Or has the sudden frost disturbed its bed?
'Oh keep the Dog far hence, that's friend to men,
'Or with his nails he'll dig it up again!	75
'You! hypocrite lecteur!—mon semblable,—mon frère!'

Milk

Not the dairy product. The movie. We saw it last night. It was fantastic. See it. NOW! Sigh, you didnt go did you? Well you should. Because it was great. Sean Penn was great. Now, I have never seen any actual footage of Harvey Milk. So I cant say that he did a great job at being him. But there are a lot of people who were there who were either in the film, or helped with the film. (Cleve Jones, Anne Kronenberg, Carol Ruth Silver, Danny Nicoletta) And watching the extra features, they seem to love Penn's portrayal, so that is good. Right? Ok, so as a quick summary, Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man elected to office in the country. And this is the story of his (too short) political career. Emile Hirsch was great as Cleve Jones, Josh Brolin was a pretty creepy Dan White, James Franco was absolutely fantastic as Scott Smith, Alison Pill was great as Anne Kronenberg. Gus Van Sant did a fabulous job mixing the archival footage in with the film and I really liked they way that it was filmed as a whole. I think it is a very important and perhaps prescient comment on many aspect of humanity and American culture in the San Francisco of the 1970s and of America today.

Once you have seen it, or if you know Harvey Milk's feelings on being closeted, you will see how offensive this is. I am not enbedding it here because if you dont know the full story of Harvey Milk, it kinda gives away the ending. But basically Harvey's whole idea for the gay movement was that if everyone came out and everyone was truthful about their sexual orientation, it would move the cause forward. Because it is a lot harder to hate people you know than people you dont know. So people realized that they actually knew gay people (your doctor, your lawyer, your aunt) maybe it would be harder for people to hate them so much. But when Fox News reviewed the movie they describe it as the story of "1970s politician," played by Sean Penn who "smiles a lot," but will probably have a small limited audience. A 1970s politician. Ugh! So yeah. See it.

Between Patrick and Joseph

Last night we met after work at Greek Lady for dinner which was great as always. Then we went up to Distrito for a drink before the movie. This is Jose Garces's (Amada, Tinto) new "modern Mexican" restaurant in The Hub in University City. The space itself is gorgeous. They did a fantastic job. We sat at the bar and both had the house margarita (figured we should start witht he basics). It was very good. But I am not sure that I would be able to have more than one. The $10 price tag is part of it, but it was very sour and so I am not sure that I would be able to go there for "drinks." It old Matty I thought it was a good dinner margarita. If you are just going to have one while eating it was very good. The menu looks interesting. A mix of small plates and entrees with a wide range of prices ($6-$32) and complexity (chicken enchiladas - pork belly mole). I would like to go back and try the food, but it is definitely a "special occasion" place.

Then we went to the movie, Watchmen. So I have not read the book (or books) so I can't comment on how well it matches. I hear it is pretty good. I would like to read it to compare. First off I will say that it was very good. Excellent even. The acting is superb. The movie is beautiful. And the effects are perfect. It was 162 minutes but didnt drag at all. So those are all the pluses. On the minus category, it was very gory. One of the bloddiest movies I have seen in awhile. And not just the stylized bloodiness like Sin City, but actual gory bloodiness that I looked away fromt he screen for. Which isnt necessarily a bad thing, but it is a thing to mention. If you are not a blood and guts person, beware. The only actual problem I had with it was that, since I havent read it, I was awfully confused at times. I felt like there were some background points that I really wanted explained. I wanted to know a bit more about the Minutemen and why their were Watchmen to begin with. I wanted a clearer explanation of the changes in history/current events as they differ from what really happened. However, the movie is close to 3 hours, so I understand the need to forego some of the background. But I think a little more info-dump narrative even would have placated some of my questions maybe. And some of the background I am just interested in but wasnt really integral to the plot, like Rorschach's mask. But while watching the movie I didnt know if it was integral or not, like the cat, and so I kept thinking about it. But I dont want to give anything away. So there you go. I really really liked it. I like the story, I like that they are (mostly) like Batman ("real people") as opposed to Superman (not "real people"). I thought the movie itself and the acting was spectacular. I highly recommend it to anyone who isnt afraid of a bit of blood and guts and who is willing to suspend reality for awhile. It is a superhero movie, but with depth and plot.

So in other news, actual news. Things that caught my attention this morning and therefore I am bringing to yours. Firstly, in an effort to thaw "chilly relations" between Russia and the US, Hillary met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva earlier this month and presented him with a token of our willingness to "reset" our relationship - a small red button with the word "reset" written on it, in Russian. A cute little thing, maybe a little low on the dignified scale, but a gift to warm things up. Except the the button had "peregruzka" written on it, which means "overcharged." As opposed to "perezagruzka" which actually means "reset". Now the Foreign Minister and the Secretary took this all in stride and apparently the mistake was fixed and while the Russian media has poked a bit of fun at Clinton, and the US, its not like she accidentally declared war. But seriously. We dont have anyone in the state department who speaks Russian? Really?! Or no one with a decent English-Russian dictionary?! C'mon people! This coming just one day after the President and First Lady completely screwed up a gift giving session with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The Brown's presented the Obamas with

a pen holder fashioned from the oak timber of HMS Gannet, a Navy vessel that served on anti-slavery missions off Africa.

AND

a framed commissioning paper for the HMS Resolute, a Royal Navy ship that came to symbolize British-American goodwill when it was rescued by the U.S. from icebergs and given to Queen Victoria. It is the sister ship of the HMS Gannet.

AND

a first edition of Martin Gilbert's seven-volume biography of Winston Churchill, whose World War II partnership with President Franklin Roosevelt symbolized the U.S.-Anglo alliance.

AND

for Sasha and Malia, Sarah Brown, the Prime Minister's wife, gave each an outfit from Topshop, a British chain of clothing stores, and selected six children's books by British authors which have yet to be published in the U.S.

And what did we give them? A "special collector's box" of DVDs of 25 Classic American movies. AND "toy helicopters modeled after Marine One" for their 2 boys. Now Gordon Brown is not like a particular movie buff or anything. And Marine One toys can be found in the White House gift shop. So what exactly were they thinking giving these to the Prime Minister of a country who has stodd by us through some of our stupidest recent blunders and who was the first guests the President has had? I have no idea, but someone needs a better shopper apparently. It isnt like there isnt anyone in Washington who knows how to give state gifts right?! And while this was barely reported in the US, a few other people took notice, and are not pleased at all.

And fianlly for my rant of the day: Pope visits Africa, reaffirms ban on condoms. Ugh.

More than 22 million people in sub-Saharan Africa are infected with HIV, according to a 2008 UNAIDS/WHO report. Nine out of 10 children with HIV in the world live in the region, which has 11.4 million orphans because of AIDS, the report said, and 1.5 million people there died of the disease in 2007.

So yeah, the best idea is to go there and reaffirm that they are going to hell if they use artificial contraception. GRRR!!!!!!!!!!! But, on a positive note,

He has, however, assembled a panel of scientists and theologians to consider the narrow question of whether to allow condoms for married couples, one of whom has HIV

Though "it is still not clear how the pope will rule on the matter." So glad I am only a recovering Catholic.

Grrrr!

Ok. So I used to use this blog to rant about personal things so that I would be a calmer, less angry person, with whom Matty could more easily deal. So I might as well use it for that again.

So every year since I was a baby my parents and I have gone up to my godparents' for Easter. For the last 8 years or so Matty has been invited. And for the last few years he has been coming. We fly into Manchester Saturday morning and then fly back home Sunday night after dinner. Well this year Good Friday happens to fall on Matty's father's birthday. His 60th birthday. Which of course I didnt know, because Matty didnt know. And so since birthday's must be celebrated on actual birthday's in some families. Not mine, maybe that makes us bad people? Well anyway, since it is his 60th Matty's mom called tonight to ask if he could fly into RI Friday to have some sort of something for him. Which is fine. Whatever. I mean we had plans for the night, we have tickets to go see Bela Fleck which Matty wanted. But they were cheap. And I am sure I could find someone to go with me. Because that is the thing. She called to see if He would fly home Friday. Oh of course, I am invited if I want to go. But We werent asked to go home. And Matty would never say no to his mother. So he wasnt asked either. She said she wanted him to come home. So of course he would go home. Which is great. I mean I am very happy that he is that close to his family. But what I wonder and part of what really upsets me this fine frigid evening is if his sister-in-law is also invited if she wants to come. Or if she is expected to be there, while I am not. Because I am just the Girlfriend. It has only been 10 and a half years. I am Just the Girlfriend. That's the thing that gets me. I am just the girlfriend. I will stay just the girlfriend because we will never (I hope I am overreacting) get married. Because that is apparently beyond us. But fine. So I ask Matty, well, do you want me to be there? I mean they were cheap tickets. And it is only like $20-30 to change my flight. And I am sure my parents will understand and we will just drive up with them for Easter anyway. So does he want me to go? And all he can say is what he always says. I want you to do whatever you want to do. Whatever will make you most happy. Yeah. I know that. Obviously I know that you want me to be happy. That is why I am still here. I just want him for once to say "I would really like you to come and be part of my family." And that is stupid. I know that is stupid. I know that he probably would want me to be there. But I dont understand why he cant just for once say "I want you to be there." "I want you to be part of my family." "I want it to be a foregone conclusion by everyone that of course you would be there, because you are not Just the Girlfriend." Even if he has to add "But only if you really want to be there." Just say you want me there. Just want me there. And maybe in my wildest dreams at some point it would just be assumed that I would be there. Just like it is assumed that Marisa is going to be there. Because I am not invited to things by my mother. We are invited to things. It is just assumed that we come as a unit. Of course if he cant be there, or he doesnt want to be there, then that is fine. But of course he is invited. It was such a shock when I was there for his uncle's funeral. Why? Why is that such a shock? It is family. It is important family. Why wouldnt I be there if it was in my power to be there? And of course when they all went out to lunch after the service, where was I? I was at home, with my parents. Because I wasnt invited. I mean as they walked to their car Matty said "Oh, we are going to Twin Oaks, if you wanted to come, I am sure it would be ok, but I figured you would want to be with your folks." That is not an invitation. That is not what you say to family. That is not saying you want me to be there, to be part of your family. And so when later I was asked while I wasnt there, at the family lunch, what do I say? Do I say, oh, I wasnt invited, I am not really family, I am Just the Girlfriend? How can I say that? How can I admit that that is the truth? So I say that I wanted to be with my parents. I decide that I would rather be the selfish jerk instead of Just the Girlfriend.

Ok. I am done. I know it is stupid and overreactionary and very girlish. Maybe I am just pissed about the tickets. Whatever.

Get off the Fucking Sidewalk!

I am gonna rant here for a bit. About something I have mentioned previously and am going to mention again. Bikes on sidewalks. It is pretty much my number 1 pet peeve. It drives me to the point of wanting to actually stop them and yell at them. And frequently I do say, out loud, as they ride past me and give me that "could you please get out of my way, I am so much more important than you" look, "Get off the goddamn fucking sidewalk!" It is a sideWALK. There are bike lanes. In the road. Where bikes belong. In the ROAD. I know they aren't on all streets. I know that it is dangerous to ride you bike in this city. I know that there are many one way streets in this city. I DONT CARE - GET OFF THE FUCKING SIDEWALK! If you need a bike lane, find a street with one. I know it is dangerous in this city, buses trying to run you down, people opening doors without looking first. I DONT CARE - GET OFF THE FUCKING SIDEWALK! That is why I dont ride a bike. It isnt just because I am just lazy. It is because I am afraid of getting hit by a car. Or a bus. So I walk my ass where I need to go. And yeah, it takes longer. But that is the price I pay for not riding my bike. And yeah, one way streets. Ok, well if you go up, or down, one street, you are going to find a street going the other way. And since you are saving so much ever-loving time on your bike, I think you can take the extra minute to go on a street that is going your way. Or go against traffic. I dont fucking care. Just get off the goddamn sideWALK. ESPECIALLY those of you 1) going the same direction as traffic on a street with bike lanes (I am talking to all of your who pass me going west on Walnut). 2) Those of you with fucking saddlebags. There is not enough room for your big ass bags and me on the sidewalk and since you are bigger, that means I either have to stop and move out of your way, or step into traffic that you think is too dangerous to ride your fucking bike in. You want to walk your bike on the sideWALK? Whatever, but just like I get out of people's way when I am carrying 30 lbs of groceries and my bags might hit them, get out of my way with you bike so that it does not inconvenience me that you are WALKING a faster more efficient mode of transportation. As far as the new controversy in PHilly about whether it should be legal for you to run red lights in the city when there is no traffic coming - I DONT GIVE A SHIT. GET OFF THE FUCKING SIDEWALK. Seriously. One of these days I am going to push one of you into traffic and I will feel bad, but also a little vidicated. And if I see someone else do it first, I am going to clap. Fair warning. It is a sideWALK. It is for pedestrians. For people WALKing. I would get just as angry if I was a biker or a driver and there was someone walking down the street instead of the sidewalk. Vehicles (including bikes) stay on the road and walkers (and babies [babies, not 4 year olds - dont even get me started about strollers] in strollers or people in wheelchairs) stay on the sidewalk. K? The sidewalks in this city aren't kept up, are frequently closed due to construction and arent big enough for all of us. But they dont have to be, because they are only supposed to be for pedestrians. So stop giving me that look because you have to slow down because I am WALKing on the sideWALK and get off it!

Hey! Ya wanna cry a little?

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.
Or a lot maybe?

Happy National Kazoo Day!

I have never been able to play a kazoo. Is it just me?

Ok, so let me see. This weekend . . . Friday we finally got to see Rob and Jennie's place in Bella Vista. It is adorable. They have done a really nice job with it. And best of all, it is around the corner from Royal Tavern. Ok, maybe not the BEST part. But definitely a plus. We went there for dinner. Mmmmm . . . Royal Tavern . . . we split nachos and then I got the BBQ puled pork sandwich special and Matty for the meatloaf sandwich. Both of which are just so yummy.

Saturday we were a little slow to start. We did some shopping around the city. We are in the market for a new coffee grinder. Any suggestions? Matty really liked this Cuisinart one (see pic). But the amazon reviews suck! We are replacing a Black and Decker one that was a hand-me-down from one of our parents. Saturday night we went to Dan's for Rock Band and Marshmallows. Meaning that we played Rock Band and roasted marshmallows in his fireplace. Now I have gone to great lengths to compare how I feel about Guitar Hero World Tour vs Legends of Rock. So now Guitar Hero vs Rock Band. I like Guitar Hero better. I feel like they map songs better and the songs are more guitar-centric (obviously) which is good for me since I play mostly guitar and a little bass. I should never sing and I am not that good at drums. Also, I like the Guitar Hero guitar better than the Rock Band one. And I am more used to the timing of Guitar Hero. While I feel like Guitar Hero is a lit bit harder, I think it is a little more forgiving on individual strums. But maybe it is because I am more used to the Guitar Hero timing. I also like the breakdown of performance for Guitar Hero. That being said, I think that Rock Band is a far superior party game. First of all, there are WAY more songs. And WAY more variety of songs so that there is much more likely that someone will be able to find a song that they are willing to sing. And each song comes with a little rating of how hard the guitar is, how hard the bass is, etc. Which is good for beginners. Or people that are between difficulties. Like Matty is getting close to expert on bass, but some songs he needs to play on hard. Though I am not sure how much I necessarily trust the ratings all the time. And most importantly and really a huge deal killer (IMHO) for Guitar Hero as a true party game - The No-Fail Mode. Because you are not going to be able to get someone who has never played to keep playing and have a good time at it (which is neccessary to get any good at it) if they keep failing out of songs. Because in Guitar Hero, when one person fails, the whole song stops and that is awful for a first time player. So while guitar hero has beginner mode to help first timers, I think that No-Fail is key. We stayeda t Dan's til after 3. So apparently I dont dislike Rock Band that much. But I like Guitar Hero better. Oh and we brought soft pretzels (Matty had a craving) and buffalo chicken dip (I had a craving). It was the first time I had made the dip and I was pretty happy with it. It is a recipe I got from my cousin who made it for one of my parent's Christmas parties.

Buffalo Chicken Dip
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 12-oz bottle Frank's Red Hot
1 12-oz jar Marie's Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3-4 breasts cooked chicken, cut into small pieces or shredded (we poached and shredded it)

Spread cream cheese on bottom of large glass baking dish. Mix chicken with hot sauce. Spread chicken over cream cheese. Pour dressing over chicken. Spread cheese over dressing. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until melty and delicious. Serve with tortilla chips and celery sticks.

It was a little wet when it first came out of the oven (probably from the poaching liquid) but it was better after a little while.

Sunday we went to Cantina for brunch. I was having a bad day. I could not for the life of me make a decision. I was starving and could NOT decide what to get. It was awful. But brunch was excellent. We did halvsies on chillaquiles with eggs and a breakfast burrito. After brunch we went shopping again. I desparately needed pants. I HATE pants shopping. I think it is awful for all girls, but for us fat girls, it is downright depressing. Because nothing fits to begin with. And all of the popular styles - skinny jeans, flares, wide leg, trouser cut, low rise - should never, ever be worn by fat girls, and yet, there are few other options. Luckily I had a pair of jeans that I liked so I could just go and buy another pair of the same. Then we went back on our coffee grinder and tea kettle search.I finally talked Matty into getting a tea kettle. My mom always had one on the stove, with water, so if you need hot water you can just heat it up real fast. But we dont drink a lot of tea, so Matty always refused. Well, then he went to Ireland and fell in love with hot whiskey. And so now he is heating a lot more tea. Also, Rob and Jennie had one. So apparently that made it ok.

I want this one (on the left). Matty wants this one (on the right). We will see.

Monday night we went to Mercato for Restaurant Week. It was fantastic! Highly recommended. A word of caution - highly meat-centric. Also cash only. But the food was excellent, the service was great, the portions were perfect. And it is BYO! The make old fashioned Italian sodas by the glass or pitcher and recommend bringing your favorite rum or vodka which I think sounds lovely. For appetizers we had a roasted portabella and arugula in puff pastry with peccorino, pine nuts and thyme citronette. And a trio of bruschetta - fresh mozzarella with tomato, basil and truffle oil; wild mushrooms and cheese; white beans and pesto (fantastic pesto!). For entrees we had a short rib ragu with ricotta gnocchi, broccoli rabe and shaved locatelli. And orecchiette with meatballs, sweet sausage and broccoli rabe in a red gravy. Both were excellent. The short ribs were the best. Cooked to perfection. For dessert we had tiramisu and a warm bittersweet chocolate molten cake. We brought a bottle of Apollonio Elfo Salento Negroamaro with us. One of our RI 3 for $9.99 bottles. A very serviceable red Italian table wine. I would buy it again if I saw it. Overall, I would highly highly recommend Mercato. Normal prices dont look bad either. And as a BYO you can have a nice meal without paying a fortune.

Movies:
Finally saw WALL-E. It was of adorable. I loved the story. He was soooo cute! the animation is amazing and was great all around. I do wonder how much darker original plans were for the plot. But maybe that is just me.
Charlie Bartlett - This was on the previews for a bunch of movies we have gotten recently but I totally dont remember it coming out. I am not sure why. Fairly good cast. Anton Yelchin (I know him from Huff) plays Charlie. I like him. (I am interested to see that he is playing Chekov in the new Star Trek, I am concerned to see that JJ Abrams is directing it.) Because I am a geek. Hope Davis plays his mother, just like she did in Hearts in Atlantis (A little bit of trivia for ya). Kat Dennings plays the girl. And Robert Downey Jr. plays her dad. It was good. Nothing awesome, but worth seeing I would say.
We watched the Dark Knight last night at Dan's. You know the only thing better than the Dark Knight? The Dark Knight in HD baby!

TV:
Still loving The Wire Season 2.
And Lost has started. Yay!!!!!!! I was very happy with the premier. They answered questions! Yay!!!!! 3rd episode tonight. Exciting.

Yeah. I should get back to work now. Oh, we are going to RI this weekend. Matty's great-uncle passed away on Monday so we are going back for the funeral.

Happy Prohibition Repeal Day!

Today in 1933 the amendment to repeal prohibition was ratified. Yay! Perhaps we should celebrate with a Sacher Torte since it is also National Sacher Torte Day. What is a Sacher Torte you ask?

In the early 1800's, the Congress of Vienna ruled that a Sacher Torte was made of two chocolate cake layers separated by apricot jam with a chocolate glaze on the top and sides.

I think celebrating with booze would probably be easier. So go to it.

Some things that have come to mind today:

On wearing pants:
If you have to keep pulling up your pants, not because you recently (overnight) lost 200 lbs (and didnt have time to buy new ones), but because you intentionally bought pants designed to fit someone 200 lbs heavier - YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG! Buy some pants that fit jackass.
If you have to keep pulling up your pants because you belted your pants halfway down your thighs and are now forced to waddle with 6 inches of underwear showing - YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG! Pull up your goddamn pants asshole.
If you are a woman and you are bigger than say a size 6 (and I feel I being very generous here) and you are not living in 1980 and you needed either a hanger or friend to zip your jeans and you cant sit down due to extreme risk of severe internal injuries or actually splitting your pants - YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG! Buy some pants that fit bitch. Rip out the tag if you cant handle the number, or find a company that will lie about their product sizes. Because just because you were technically capable of zipping them, that doesnt mean they fit!

On talking to me:
Generally, I am not a people person. I do not particularly like to talk to strangers. Or even acquaintances really. But I will if I have to. But if the first time we met, at a happy hour for a grad school position you were applying for and I already had, 15 minutes into the conversation you decided to tell me that you made money during college performing phone sex for an old guy who randomly called your dorm room, do not expect me to ever be able to hold on a normal conversation with you. Ever again. K?

Ok. That is all for that.

Matty is in Ireland. I am pretty pathetic without him. It is so sad. I do not like sleeping alone. I do not like cooking alone or for one. I do not like having no one to talk to when I get home. I have been watching a bunch of movies. Mists of Avalon (ehh, ok I guess, not well done). 27 Dresses (worth seeing as a chick flick). Sex and the City (actually cried. Pretty happy with it). And I have been listening to christmas music and lighting scented candles and have started decorating for the holiday fete. And I started cooking on Tuesday. He comes home Monday. I am very exicted but have so much I want to get done before he gets home. He called last night and we talked for about 4 minutes. He is having a good time. I still want him to come home. I know, I am awful.

Monday, the South St. bridge closes as of 9:30 am. It needs to be done. It is going to collapse or fall apart and people will get hurt. Matty and I have actively, seriously planned what to do in case it begins to collapse depending on where we are on the bridge. You know, besides pray. But it means that my 30 minute straight walk down South from apartment to work and back is now going to be a 45 minute-1 hour trek up to Walnut. Mostly because I am WAY too cheap to pay $14/week for some sort of public transit because my destination is RIGHT there. Plus, the Walnut bridge is icier and colder and they really had to start in December? Really? I took some pics on my walk over this morning.










Sigh. Sad. I will let you know how the new walk goes. Ok, go celebrate prohibition repellation now! (If someone know the real noun for repeal please let me know)!

Happy Veterans Day

Have I mentioned I love Keith Olbermann? Because I really do.


I have been meaning to do a post about Prop 8 and simply have not had time. And so this will have to suffice for now. I found out a friend of ours voted for Prop 8 and I just don't get it. Apparently he voted for it because his wife told him to. But that isnt the worst part. The worst part is that she told him to vote for it because she had heard that some schools were allowing children with gender identity disorder to use the bathroom of the gender with which they identify as opposed to that with which they were born. That is what he said to another friend who called us in disbelief. They did not vote because of the "sanctity of marriage." They did not do it for religious or political reasons. They voted flat out anti-gay. Because they are afraid that their one year old son might one day be in the same bathroom as another child with a vagina? (It seems to me if they are so afraid of gays that would be preferable to having two children with penises in there. No?) So in order to stop that from happening they must make sure that people who love one another do not have the same civil rights as they do? I do not get it. I just don't get it.

So on this day that we honor those who have risked their lives so that we may be free, I write this post about how some are less free than others. Because today while thinking of all those people who thought this country was worth giving their lives for, we must think about all the reasons and ways it should be more worthy of that sacrifice.

A quick update

So Tuesday was fabulous.

A President who represents hope and not fear. Change and not stagnation. Dreams and not nightmares. And he has already gone to work. He has a lot of work to do.

A majority in both Houses.

Philly wasn't destroyed or even seriously damaged in the impromptu celebrations on Broad (as opposed to the celebrations for the Phillies).

It wasnt perfect.

We didnt get the magic 60 in the Senate, but what are the odds that all Dems would vote the same way anyway.

Prop 8 was passed.

Wednesday was my thesis committee meeting. Fabulous and perfect are pretty much opposites of how that went.

I will not be graduating in May. I might be able to graduate in August. Partly this means that the next few months will be hellish, but not as hellish as they could have been. It also means that if I need to be looking for a teaching job in the spring for the fall, I might not know by then that I could graduate in the fall. So I cant really look for a job in the spring. Which means I cant get a job for the fall. It also means that my hope for a June 2010 wedding is pretty much out the window. Which shouldnt even upset me since until September I wasnt planning on graduating until early 2010 anyway. But since September I have had this idea in my mind that I could be out of here in May. And I could have a summer "off" before starting the new part of my life. And I would be done with this. And I want to get married. I want to plan a wedding. Because I can honestly say that I dont want to be here anymore. Case in point to why I dont want to be here anymore. My meeting, this most important of meetings was Wednesday at 3. Last Thursday Nina informed me that the earliest she could meet with me to discuss it was Friday. At noon. After what we thought was a root canal but turned out to be a simple dental appointment. The problem being that the Phillies World Series parade was Friday. At noon. So I went to the parade and then walked back to work to meet with her. She came in and told me that due to Septa ridiculousness, she was going to leave and try to get a train. So instead of being able to work over the weekend on my presentation (the way that she wanted it) I made a presentation the way I wanted it. Knowing it would be changed. But at least it was a groundwork. Monday she came in and told me that she was too busy to meet with me but would meet with me Tuesday to discuss my slides and what we were going to say to the committee. Tuesday her door was closed when I arrived and the whole day until she left. At noon. Without telling anyone. Without coming to find me. Without even emailing me. I finally heard from her by email at 3:30 telling me she would meet me at 10 on Wednesday. Wednesday we met from 10:15-11:30. She changed every single one of my slides except the title slide. Which gave me 3 hours to completely change my entire fucking presentation. Not that a better presentation would have made then decide I could graduate. But I would have at least known what to say for each slide. I would have had time to relax and eat lunch before giving my talk. I would have in better control and I would have been able to answer questions better. And at least if it didnt go well I could say I did my best. I dont want to deal with this anymore. It is one thing that my experiments dont work and I dont know why. It is one thing that am alone and isolated in the lab and some days do not say a single word to anyone until I get home and see Matty. It is one thing that I have no help from anyone, no one to discuss problems or experiments or data with except my boss who is too busy to meet with me, or anyone else. We havent had a meeting the two of us to discuss my work in over a month and a half. We havent had an actual planned lab meeting since . . . . . . . . . May? Maybe March? But if at least my boss was supportive. If at least when it cames to things like that if she could not wait to change EVERYTHING until 5 hours before a meeting. At least it would be something.

Ok. Back to work.

My mom is coming this weekend. I can look forward to that at least.

Palin quotes Anti-Semite

Yup. Another partisan blog post from me.

Associations are everything, or would be is the McCain campaign had their way. ACORN, William Ayers, Reverend Wright.

ACORN did bad things. And they also supported Obama. And Obama paid them to help with voter registration. However, Obama did not pay ACORN to do bad things. And there havent been any reports that Obama knew that ACORN did bad things.

William Ayers worked with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley reforming the city school program, and for his work was awarded an Annenberg grant. (By the way, the Annenbergs are conservative Republicans.) He also won the Chicago Citizen of the Year award for his work. He has served on the board of directors of an anti-poverty, philanthropic foundation. Ayers is currently a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Education teaching for social justice, urban educational reform, narrative and interpretive research, children in trouble with the law, and related issues. Oh and when Barack Obama was 6, he was a terrorist. And later, when he became a well-known educational reformer, Barack Obama was on the boards (with other people, including Ayers, Democrats and Republicans) of the Annenberg grant and the Wood Fund (the anti-poverty, philanthropic foundation.) Ayers has contributed to Obama's Congressional campaigns.

I am so not going into the Reverend Wright thing.

But the worse you can say, honestly, is that he has associated himself with people who have done bad things. But he is not alone. He has not put terrorists on his staff. He has not bombed any buildings. He was not alone during those sermons. And not many people stand up to their reverends or their elders or other respected people. Which is not to say that I agree with that. I would love to have the balls and for my elected officials to have the balls to stand up to everyone who does wrong.

But here is an interesting tidbit that is missing in most news sources nowadays. During Sarah Palin's speech at the GOP Convention she quoted this: "We grow good people in our small towns, with honesty and sincerity and dignity." That was written by Westbrook Pegler, a Hearst era fascist, pro-Nazi, and antisemitic journalist. He has said some other interesting tidbits, about some interesting things, other than his love of small town America (from the NY Times):

After an assassin tried to kill F.D.R. at a Florida rally and murdered Chicago's mayor instead in 1933, Pegler wrote that it was "regrettable that Giuseppe Zangara shot the wrong man." In the '60s, Pegler had a wish for Bobby Kennedy: "Some white patriot of the Southern tier will spatter his spoonful of brains in public premises before the snow falls."

Nice guy. And Sarah Palin (or more likely her handler) CHOSE this quote. I think there is a difference there. What would be said if Obama quoted Hitler? Or Louis Farrakhan? Or William Ayers?

Oh and since the debate is on and Matty wont talk to me:
- Palin's son has Down syndrome, not autism. He may develop autism. But he doesnt have autism yet. Stop throwing around autism and Sarah Palin. He is a special needs child. But not necessarily autistic.
- And her expertise with special needs kids is 6 months old.
- Canadian oil is NOT ok! Oil is NOT OK!
- And Bill Ayers did not say he should have bombed more, he said he should have done more. There is a difference.
- I swear I heard McCain snicker when Obama said tit-for-tat.

Ok, I need to stop before I start yelling.

Palin pro-rape?

So I feel like perhaps some anti-Palin fervor has been dwindling after generally ridiculous antic-less debate with Biden and we just can't have that now can we? So here we go with another story about why this mindless moose-eating robot should not have the second highest office in the land. (Though not as she believes the most important).

Apparently, while Sarah-dearest was mayor of Wasilla, the town, under the direction of her police chief began charging rape victims or their insurance companies for rape-kits and post-assault examinations. Now this was not something that she was directly in charge of (at least on paper) or that some could argue that she might even have known about. Except that because this practice was occuring in rural Alaska, in 2000 the state legislature tried to pass a bill preventing sexual assault victims from being charged for forensic tests. Which led to an outcry from the police chief who said in print:

Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman (May 23, 2000): "In the past we've charged the cost of exams to the victim's insurance company when possible. I just don't want to see any more burden put on the taxpayer," Fannon said.

According to Fannon, the new law will cost the Wasilla Police Department approximately $5,000 to $14,000 a year to collect evidence for sexual assault cases.

Now if I was the mayor of a small town and I found out, in a newspaper (which of course she read all of) that my police chief was promoting the practice of charging rape victims to collect evidence of a criminal act, I would be pretty pissed. And that he was leading a fight against state legislation preventing this for 6 months?! But is there any record that Palin did anything about it? Nope. When it was first brought to national attention (of which there has been very little but some) did she rush forth with an explanation of what she did about it? Nope. And keep in mind that the Alaska rape rate (as of 2005) is 2.5 times the national average. And that is the number of reported rapes. It is believed that the rate of actually reporting rape is only 16% (as of 1992, in Utah [highest rape rates in the country] this year it was reported that only 12% of rape victims report their crimes to police). And as late as 2005 30% of victims in Alaska who tried to reach victim support services couldnt because there were none available. So in that sort of atmosphere, is it really a good idea to decrease the likelihood of reporting sexual assault because their insurance company (if they are insured and it is covered) or they will get charged for it?

So let's say for the benefit of the doubt, best case scenario, that Sarah Palin had absoutely no idea that this was happening in her fair town of Wasilla. Is that good? That in a town of just over 5000 people (in 2000) you do not know about an outrage suck as this? And that when you did find out about it you did nothing publicly? I think that is simply beyond awful. I'm just sayin'.