The Progress Apartment

Jon and I moved my futon into the living room to make room for the furniture that is coming tomorrow. This was no easy task considering the size of the futon and the angles of our new space. But it is done. So what if we scraped some paint from the bedroom door frame. The paint shouldn't come off that easily anyway.

Tomorrow, we pick up our truck and the super move begins. We will be moving fastly and furious to make sure we meet our tight schedule. But tomorrow it will be done and we will be together in the same place. I feel so lucky that I met him and now that we are living together. . . I am very happy. I have off on Monday. A three day weekend. Wahoo!

By the end of it, a new chapter will have begun.

I will retire the Misanthrope and start a blog for the Rantings of a Shiny Happy Gen X'er.

Soul Food

If your eyes are the windows to your soul

and your mouth is the door,

then your nostrils are the ventilation.

This Just In

Carrot Top is still hot.

Kerry is so Very . . . Earnest

I wrote the following at 5 this morning so please forgive the typos.
 
(I have to admit, I didn't watch this speech.  Generally I find that the delivery of a speech can interfere with how you hear it, which is generally why I prefer to read them.  Also, I watched Kerry for about a minute and immediately disliked him because of how he was delivering the speech.  He came off as fake and icky. But now that I'm looking at excerpts of the speech, I have to admit, it's pretty good.  There isn't much to criticize. Actually, after reading through the speech, it's clear to me that Senator Kerry should be writing speeches for his wife.) 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From the website of the Democratic National Convention

Senator John Kerry
Excerpts of Senator John Kerry's Convention Speech(As Prepared for Delivery)

(Can't argue with this. . . pretty good opening) My fellow Americans, this is the most important election of our lifetime. The stakes are high. We are a nation at war -- a global war on terror against an enemy unlike any we have ever known before. And here at home, wages are falling, health care costs are rising, and our great middle class is shrinking. People are working weekends; they're working two jobs, three jobs, and they're still not getting ahead.

(Can't argue with this either.  It's pretty optimistic.  The word optimist is right in the excerpt.)  We can do better and we will.  We're the optimists. For us, this is a country of the future. We're the can do people.  And let's not forget what we did in the 1990s. We balanced the budget. We paid down the debt.  We created 23 million new jobs. We lifted millions out of poverty and we lifted the standard of living for the middle class. We just need to believe in ourselves -- and we can do it again.

(I got nothin') So tonight, in the city where America's freedom began, only a few blocks from where the sons and daughters of liberty gave birth to our nation -- here tonight, on behalf of a new birth of freedom -- on behalf of the middle class who deserve a champion, and those struggling to join it who deserve a fair shot --- for the brave men and women in uniform who risk their lives every day and the families who pray for their return - for all those who believe our best days are ahead of us - for all of you -- with great faith in the American people, I accept your nomination for President of the United States.

(This is kind of tricky.  Again, I don't support the war but I don't think George W. wanted to go to war.  I believe he genuinely think we needed to.  Criticizing the current President is like insulting your former boss in a job interview.  It's just bad form.  Also, I'm sure that if a Dem had been President, they would most likely have received the same misinformation, although I don't know if Gore would have jumped to go to war.  Also, W. isn't the sharpest crayon in the box and his decision making process is incumbered by a possibly low IQ and strident belief that God is his friend.)  As president, I will ask hard questions and demand hard evidence.  I will immediately reform the intelligence system - so policy is guided by facts, and facts are never distorted by politics.  And as president, I will bring back this nation's time-honored tradition: the United States of America never goes to war because we want to, we only go to war because we have to.

(Oh.  That old chestnut.  WE GET IT!!! W. used his "get out of jail free card" during Vietnam and Kerry didn't.  Even if W. had fought in the trenches with the generation that was almost killed off, he still would have made the decision to go to war, just like his daddy!  With that said, you can't fault Kerry for fighting the good fight regardless of the legitimacy of that police action turned askew.)  I defended this country as a young man and I will defend it as President.  Let there be no mistake:  I will never hesitate to use force when it is required.  Any attack will be met with a swift and certain response. I will never give any nation or international institution a veto over our national security.  And I will build a stronger American military.

(Okay.  Here he is saying that the Democrats are no pussies and that we shouldn't be scared that our military is going to fall to shit when and if he becomes Prez.  Not much to make fun of here either.) In these dangerous days there is a right way and a wrong way to be strong. Strength is more than tough words. After decades of experience in national security, I know the reach of our power and I know the power of our ideals. We need to make America once again a beacon in the world. We need to be looked up to and not just feared.  We need to lead a global effort against nuclear proliferation - to keep the most dangerous weapons in the world out of the most dangerous hands in the world.  We need a strong military and we need to lead strong alliances.  And then, with confidence and determination, we will be able to tell the terrorists: You will lose and we will win.  The future doesn't belong to fear; it belongs to freedom. 

(I wonder if 95% of our container ships are really coming into our ports without ever being physically inspected. That seems like a high number.  HEY!!! SOMEONE SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT!!!   He supports Homeland Security, interesting.  So, I guess George W. and his people weren't completely full of shit.  I don't really get that Firehouse remark but I'm sure the Dems at the convention ROARED when he said it.) And the front lines of this battle are not just far away - they're right here on our shores, at our airports, and potentially in any town or city. Today, our national security begins with homeland security. The 9-11 Commission has given us a path to follow, endorsed by Democrats, Republicans, and the 9-11 families.  As president, I will not evade or equivocate; I will immediately implement the recommendations of that commission.  We shouldn't be letting ninety-five percent of container ships come into our ports without ever being physically inspected.  We shouldn't be leaving our nuclear and chemical plants without enough protection.  And we shouldn't be opening firehouses in Baghdad and closing them down in the United States of America.

(Overall, based on the excerpts, I'd say this was a good speech.  The part I turned off was Kerry talking about pomp and circumstance and knew that not all of the speech would be terribly interesting.  It's much better this way!!)
My fellow citizens, elections are about choices. And choices are about values.  In the end, it's not just policies and programs that matter; the president who sits at that desk must be guided by principle.  For four years, we've heard a lot of talk about values. But values spoken without actions taken are just slogans.  Values are not just words.  They're what we live by. They're about the causes we champion and the people we fight for. And it is time for those who talk about family values to start valuing families.

(I don't believe there is much that Kerry can do to lift the quality of our lives.  It'll probably take a couple of administration's before the economy evens out and repeats it's performance of the 90's.  But hey, what harm can he do by believing he or any President has any control over the economy at all.  I'm still voting for him, simply because he is not BUSH.  I'm just glad his wife isn't running.  I hope she doesn't have that much influence over him.)
We value jobs that pay you more not less than you earned before.  We value jobs where, when you put in a week's work, you can actually pay your bills, provide for your children, and lift up the quality of your life.  We value an America where the middle class is not being squeezed, but doing better.

Yogurette

I discovered a fun new snack from Germany. I bought it at the European Mart around the corner from my house.

It used to be Le Club Billiards, a popular pool hall/coffee house.

Check out their very cool non-English website!!

And then go buy some!!!

What's the Dealy - O?

Non-superficial Deal Closers

Here is a list of my own in no particular order - getting on board with the discussion started by The Anonymous Bloggette, then continued by Candy Blue Kite (s0rry to read about your boyfriend), et al.

Love and Appreciation of Cartoons
I need someone who grew up watching cartoons and still loves them.  I need that someone to understand why cartoons are great for obvious and not so obvious reasons, who can appreciate the subtle or overt social commentary on both a serious and ironic level.

Love of Animals
I'm with the Bloggette on this one.  Someone who loves animals, wouldn't harm them, gets emotional when they hear a sad story about one.  If someone could be mean to animals, they could be mean to you.

Familial Relations
Unless someone's parents/family are absolute monsters, there should be at least a working relationship in place.  This communicates an understanding of relationships and the efforts required to be involved in long term and intricate emotional bonds.

A Kind Disposition      
Nice guys don't always finish last.  I need someone who is empathetic to those around him, someone who is moved by the struggles and/or misfortunes of others or who gets joy from good news.

A Sense of Self
Someone who is confident; who is not afraid to be himself; someone who can say no to me; someone who has interests that are similar to mine so we have common ground, yet enough that are different that I can be turned on to new things.

Brains
This may seem superficial but it's not really if you think about it.  If a guy were too smart for me, I would never feel like I was good enough for that person.  So it makes sense that I would want someone who wouldn't feel that way with me.  Not that I'm some kind of genius, but I'm no dope needah.  I need someone who gets my jokes, understands my cultural references and does not look at me like I have four heads when I use words with four or more syllables.  I need someone who doesn't feel threatened by me.

Similar Background
After years of dating men with vastly different backgrounds I've decided that someone with a similar upbringing in the areas of both religion and education is best for me. 

Well Groomed
Adequate to neurotic personal hygiene must be in place if I am to be your friend, let alone your intimate relation.

Mid Week - blahs

Today is Thursday, Thursday, Thursday
It will be a fun day, fun day, all day long.

I've got over the hump and I'm in the home stretch.

This weekend Jon and I will be focusing on finalizing his move.  He's been moving his things in piece by piece but now we have to move the big pieces.  He's made a lot of progress in that he has already moved most of his books, only two small boxes of books remain. 

The move will be difficult but not for the typical reasons.  We are going to be a tight schedule.  We have procured a vehicle which we have to return by a certain hour.  In the time that we have it, we have to load up Jon's stuff, go to Long Beach to pick up some furniture from my parents, drive back to Queens, unload everything and then return the van.

So, if anyone is feeling particularly altruistic this weekend and would like to give us a hand, you can contact me at genxmisanthrope@aol.com.

I have spoken.

 

Tuesday Night Trivia - Recap

Last night, we came in second place (wahoo!).  Our team was named, Britney Spears is Changing her Name to Madonna.  When the hostess with the mostess, Caren Lissner, announced our team name, the crowd responded with silence.  I named our team for Britney Spears's upcoming Kaballah style wedding.  Nobody laughed.  I don't like to be in charge of naming the team, because often my jokes fall flat or they just suck.

On my team were a chemistry teacher, Sarah and Eric(k).

The co-host Michael "Prince Valiant" Lynch, brought a good game.  I found his audio round very challenging - identifying Rolling Stones songs covered by different artists and then identifying those artists.    I recognized Linda Ronstandt's voice on Tumbling Dice but for some reason went with Melissa Etheridge as a guess.  I recognized Tumbling Dice because it was a dance number from a Summer Show I planned to put on with the upstairs neighbor when I was 8 or 9 or 10 years old.  The dance routine we "choreographed" involved a lot of rolling around on the floor to coincide with the words "tumbling dice".  

The visual round - we had to identify the Joneses.  We got every one except Brian Jones, whose very old photo looked eerily similar to our co-host Michael Lynch. 

Funniest team name award went to I'd Give My Left Nut For Six Yellow T-Shirts.   They won Reese's Peanutbutter Cups.  Yummy.

But we did win $15 off our bar tab.  So, in your face, I'd Give my Left Nut!!!

The Manchurian Wife

Teresa Heinz Kerry to the DNC, July 28, 2004

Thank you, Christopher. Your father would be proud of you and your brothers. I love you and all our family. My name is Teresa Heinz Kerry. And by now I hope it will come as no surprise to anyone that I have something to say.

(Here is where Mrs. Heinz Kerry explains to the crowd that she is a citizen of the world who must really know what she is talking about because she can speak several different languages.)
And tonight, as I have done throughout this campaign I would like to speak to you from my heart. Y a todos los Hispanos, los Latinos; a tous les Americains, Francais et Canadiens; a tutti Italiani; a toda a familia Portugesa e Brazileria; to all my continental African family living in this country, and to all new Americans: I invite you to join our conversation, and together with us work towards the noblest purpose of all: a free, good, and democratic society.   I am grateful for the opportunity to stand before you and say a few words about my husband, John Kerry, and why I firmly believe he should be the next president of the United States.  This is such a powerful moment for me. Like many other Americans, like many of you, and like even more of your parents and grandparents, I was not born in this country. As you have seen, I grew up in East Africa, in Mozambique, in a land that was then under a dictatorship. My father- a wonderful, caring man who practiced medicine for 43 years, and taught me how to understand disease and wellness - only got the right to vote for the first time when he was 71 years old. That's what happens in dictatorships.

(Here is where Mrs. Heinz Kerry qualifies herself as an expert on the fight for human rights and civil liberties by describing her personal experiences with apartheid.)
As a young woman, I attended Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, South Africa, which was then not segregated. But I witnessed the weight of apartheid everywhere around me. And so, with my fellow students we marched against its extension into higher education. This was the late 50's, the dawn of the civil rights marches in America. As history records, our efforts in South Africa failed and the Higher Education Apartheid Act was passed. Apartheid tightened its ugly grip, the Sharpsville riots followed, and a short while later Nelson Mandela was arrested and sent to Robin Island.  I learned something then, and I believe it still. There is a value in taking a stand whether or not anyone may be noticing and whether or not it is a risky thing to do. And if even those who are in danger can raise their lonely voices, isn't more required of all of us, in this land where liberty had her birth?

(Here is where she explains to Americans what a great country this is, as if we need this explained to us like children.)
I have a very personal feeling about how special America is, and I know how precious freedom is. It is a sacred gift, sanctified by those who have lived it and those who have died defending it. My right to speak my mind, to have a voice, to be what some have called "opinionated", is a right I deeply and profoundly cherish. My only hope is that, one day soon, women - who have all earned the right to their opinions - instead of being labeled opinionated, will be called smart or well-informed, just as men are.

(Now she's just blathering on . . .)
Tonight I want to remember my mother's warmth, generosity, wisdom, and hopefulness, and thank her for all the sacrifices she made on our behalf, like so many other mothers. This evening, I want to acknowledge and honor the women of this world, whose wise voices for much too long have been excluded and discounted. It is time for the world to hear women?s voices, in full and at last.   In the past year, I have been privileged to meet with Americans all across this land. They voiced many different concerns, but one they all seemed to share was about America's role in the world - what we want this great country of ours to stand for.

(Wow.  How great that this citizen of the world admires Americans so.)
To me, one of the best faces America has ever projected is the face of a Peace Corps volunteer. That face symbolizes this country: young, curious, brimming with idealism and hope?and a real honest compassion. Those young people convey an idea of America that is all about heart and creativity, generosity and confidence?a practical, can-do sense and a big, big smile. For many generations of people around the globe, that is what America has represented. A symbol of hope, a beacon brightly lit by the optimism of its people?people coming from all over the world.  Americans believed they could know all there is to know, build all there is to build, break down any barrier, tear down any wall. We sent men to the moon, and when that was not far enough, we sent Galileo to Jupiter, we sent Cassini to Saturn, and Hubble to touch the very edges of the universe at the very dawn of time. Americans showed the world what can happen when people believe in amazing possibilities.

And, that, for me, is the spirit of America - the America you and I are working for in this election. It is the America that people all across this nation want to restore - from Iowa to California, from Florida to Michigan, from Washington State to my home state of Pennsylvania. It is the America the world wants to see, shining, hopeful, and bright once again. And that is the America that my husband John Kerry wants to lead.

(And finally, she talks about John Kerry.)
John believes in a bright future. He believes we can, and we will, invent the technologies, new materials, and conservation methods of the future. He believes that alternative fuels will guarantee that not only will no American boy or girl go to war because of our dependence on foreign oil, but also that our economy will forever become independent of this need. We can, and we will, create good, competitive, and sustainable jobs while still protecting the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the health of our children, because good environmental policy is good economics.

John believes that we can, and we will, give every family and every child access to affordable health care, a good education, and the tools to become self-reliant. John Kerry believes we must, and we should, recognize the immense value of the caregivers in our country?those women and men who nurture and care for children, for elderly parents, for family members in need. These are the people who build and support our most valuable assets?our families. Isn?t it time we began working to give parents more opportunity to be with their children, and to afford to have a family life?

With John Kerry as president, we can, and we will, protect our nation's security without sacrificing our civil liberties. In short, John believes we can, and we must, lead in the world - as America, unique among nations, always should - by showing the face, not of our fears, but of our hopes.

(Did you know that he fought in Vietnam?  I had no idea.)
John is a fighter. He earned his medals the old-fashioned way, by putting his life on the line for his country. No one will defend this nation more vigorously than he will - and he will always be first in the line of fire. But he also knows the importance of getting it right. For him, the names of too many friends inscribed in the cold stone of the Vietnam Memorial testify to the awful toll exacted by leaders who mistake stubbornness for strength. That is why, as president, my husband will not fear disagreement or dissent. He believes that our voices?yours and mine?must be the voices of freedom. And if we do not speak, neither does she.

(More condescension)
In America, the true patriots are those who dare speak truth to power. The truth we must speak now is that America has responsibilities that it is time for us to accept again.

With John Kerry as president, global climate change and other threats to the health of our planet will begin to be reversed. With John Kerry as president, the alliances that bind the community of nations and that truly make our country and the world a safer place, will be strengthened once more.

(Again, she explains to us the greatness of America.)
The Americans John and I have met in the course of this campaign all want America to provide hopeful leadership again. They want America to return to its moral bearings. It is not a moralistic America they seek, but a moral nation that understands and willingly shoulders its obligations; a moral nation that rejects thoughtless and greedy choices in favor of thoughtful and generous actions; a moral nation that leads through the power of its ideas and the power of its example. We can and we should join together to make the most of this great gift we have been given, this gift of freedom, this gift of America.

(Is she likening her husband to Lincoln?  Possibly.)
In his first inaugural, speaking to a nation on the eve of war, Abraham Lincoln said, "We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearth-stone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature".  Today, the better angels of our nature are just waiting to be summoned. We only require a leader who is willing to call on them, a leader willing to draw again on the mystic chords of our national memory and remind us of all that we, as a people, everyday leaders, can do; of all that we as a nation stand for and of all the immense possibility that still lies ahead.

I think I've found just the guy. I'm married to him.
(Awwwwwwwe.  How sweet!!)

John Kerry will give us back our faith in America. He will restore our faith in ourselves and in the sense of limitless opportunity that has always been America's gift to the world.  Together we will lift everyone up. We have to. It's possible. And you know what? It's the American thing to do. Goodnight and God bless.

It's All About the Baby

Not to offend anyone, but my nephew is the cutest baby ever born, EVER. 

To memorialize his cuteness, I just ordered two mugs with his 6 month old likeness from an online company that transfers images to things. 

This is my first aunt mania folley.

I look forward to more.

I Heart Jimmy Carter

CARTER'S REMARKS TO THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, BOSTON
Mon Jul 26 2004 19:45:57 ET

My name is Jimmy Carter, and I'm not running for president. But here's what I will be doing: everything I can to put John Kerry in the White House with John Edwards right there beside him.

Twenty-eight years ago I was running for president, and I said then, "I want a government as good and as honest and as decent and as competent and as compassionate as are the American people." I say this again tonight, and that is exactly what we will have next January with John Kerry as president of the United States.

As many of you know, my first chosen career was in the United States Navy, where I served as a submarine officer. At that time, my shipmates and I were ready for combat and prepared to give our lives to defend our nation and its principles.

At the same time, we always prayed that our readiness would preserve the peace. I served under two presidents, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower, men who represented different political parties. Both of whom had faced their active military responsibilities with honor.

They knew the horrors of war, and later, as commanders-in-chief, they exercised restraint and judgment and had a clear sense of mission. We had confidence that our leaders, military and civilian, would not put our soldiers and sailors in harm's way by initiating "wars of choice" unless America's vital interests were endangered.

We also were sure that these presidents would not mislead us when it came to issues involving our nation's security. Today, our Democratic party is led by another former naval officer -- one who volunteered for military service. He showed up when assigned to duty, and he served with honor and distinction.

He also knows the horrors of war and the responsibilities of leadership, and I am confident that next January he will restore the judgment and maturity to our government that is sorely lacking today. I am proud to call Lieutenant John Kerry my shipmate, and I am ready to follow him to victory in November.

As you know, our country faces many challenges at home involving energy, taxation, the environment, education, and health. To meet these challenges, we need new leaders in Washington whose policies are shaped by working American families instead of the super-rich and their armies of lobbyists. But the biggest reason to make John Kerry president is even more important. It is to safeguard the security of our nation.

Today, our dominant international challenge is to restore the greatness of America -- based on telling the truth, a commitment to peace, and respect for civil liberties at home and basic human rights around the world. Truth is the foundation of our global leadership, but our credibility has been shattered and we are left increasingly isolated and vulnerable in a hostile world. Without truth -- without trust -- America cannot flourish. Trust is at the very heart of our democracy, the sacred covenant between the president and the people.

When that trust is violated, the bonds that hold our republic together begin to weaken. After 9/11, America stood proud, wounded but determined and united. A cowardly attack on innocent civilians brought us an unprecedented level of cooperation and understanding around the world.

But in just 34 months, we have watched with deep concern as all this goodwill has been squandered by a virtually unbroken series of mistakes and miscalculations. Unilateral acts and demands have isolated the United States from the very nations we need to join us in combating terrorism.

Let us not forget that the Soviets lost the Cold War because the American people combined the exercise of power with adherence to basic principles, based on sustained bipartisan support. We understood the positive link between the defense of our own freedom and the promotion of human rights. Recent policies have cost our nation its reputation as the world's most admired champion of freedom and justice. What a difference these few months of extremism have made!

The United States has alienated its allies, dismayed its friends, and inadvertently gratified its enemies by proclaiming a confused and disturbing strategy of "preemptive" war. With our allies disunited, the world resenting us, and the Middle East ablaze, we need John Kerry to restore life to the global war against terrorism.

In the meantime, the Middle East peace process has come to a screeching halt for the first time since Israel became a nation. All former presidents, Democratic and Republican, have attempted to secure a comprehensive peace for Israel with hope and justice for the Palestinians. The achievements of Camp David a quarter century ago and the more recent progress made by President Bill Clinton are now in peril.

Instead, violence has gripped the Holy Land, with the region increasingly swept by anti-American passions. Elsewhere, North Korea's nuclear menace -- a threat far more real and immediate than any posed by Saddam Hussein -- has been allowed to advance unheeded, with potentially ominous consequences for peace and stability in Northeast Asia. These are some of the prices of our government's radical departure from the basic American principles and values espoused by John Kerry!

In repudiating extremism we need to recommit ourselves to a few common- sense principles that should transcend partisan differences. First, we cannot enhance our own security if we place in jeopardy what is most precious to us, namely, the centrality of human rights in our daily lives and in global affairs. Second, we cannot maintain our historic self-confidence as a people if we generate public panic. Third, we cannot do our duty as citizens and patriots if we pursue an agenda that polarizes and divides our country. Next, we cannot be true to ourselves if we mistreat others. And finally, in the world at large we cannot lead if our leaders mislead.

You can't be a war president one day and claim to be a peace president the next, depending on the latest political polls. When our national security requires military action, John Kerry has already proven in Vietnam that he will not hesitate to act. And as a proven defender of our national security, John Kerry will strengthen the global alliance against terrorism while avoiding unnecessary wars.

Ultimately, the issue is whether America will provide global leadership that springs from the unity and integrity of the American people or whether extremist doctrines and the manipulation of truth will define America's role in the world.

At stake is nothing less than our nation's soul. In a few months, I will, God willing, enter my 81st year of my life, and in many ways the last few months have been some of the most disturbing of all. But I am not discouraged. I do not despair for our country. I believe tonight, as I always have, that the essential decency, compassion and common sense of the American people will prevail.

And so I say to you and to others around the world, whether they wish us well or ill: do not underestimate us Americans. We lack neither strength nor wisdom. There is a road that leads to a bright and hopeful future. What America needs is leadership. Our job, my fellow Americans, is to ensure that the leaders of this great country will be John Kerry and John Edwards. Thank you and God bless America!

Nonsense

The rug felt little walked on.

The Seran Wrap felt invisible.

The tuna felt like chopped liver.

The shelf felt put upon.

The wall felt exposed.

The light was turned off. 

Monday

Has there ever been a more Monday Monday than today?

I seem to remember rain in the forecast, yet it is amazingly cool and sunny and just generally beautiful outside. 

The weathermen called it wrong all weekend.

Home made cake

It might not be every woman's dream to take cook for someone special but it is mine.  Let me start by telling you all that Jon and I live together now as of very recently.  We now a have  an apartment bigger than both of our old ones put together.   I now have a kitchen big enough to really do some cooking, which is what I've started doing this week.

Thursday night, I baked my first cake in my new oven.  I cleaned it and then baked in it.  It still needs a good proper, lye cleaning but the brillo pad-sponge cleaning will do for now.  The oven gets hot real fast and runs hotter than the gauge reads, so my cake batter cooked in 10 minutes instead of the recommended 30. No harm done;  it was still perfect.  You can't do much to mess up a Duncan Hines mix.  (Yeah.  I cheated, I know, but it was easy and delicious). I've been feeding that cake to Jon and various guests for several days. 

Yes. Guests.  That's another new development.  We now have room to entertain. Yesterday my brother and his family came over and hung out.  My nephew has now been in my new apartment. He is so CUTE!!!.  His cuteness is so severe it should be illegal.  And he's such a happy baby. Giggling and cooing and spitting and drooling and blowing raspberries, which I found out is a normal and important stage of development for a six-month-old.  Does anyone know why blowing raspberries is an important milestone in baby's development?  He did it for at least half an hour and was completely entertained by it -- much to our amusement.

Anyway, last night I fried chicken, which I haven't done in ages, for a very appreciative Jon.  I made corn on the cob, salad and fried chicken.  I fried it, then I baked it.  It never cooks enough when it's fried in oil for some reason.  If you cook it all the way through, the outside burns. I know that fried chicken is supposed to be a little pink, but I just don't like that.  Either way it was a great meal finished off by the remains of the cake.

Does anyone else enjoy cooking for someone else as much as I do? 
If so, please write in.

The Progress Apartment

I was told this post referenced sweat too much, so the censors have bleeped out any mention of sweat.

The super razes wood from the turgid bathroom door so it will close.  The manly *bleep* of *bleep* quickly fills the slowly cooling air of the slightly too warm apartment while the Beatles bleat out Revolver from the CD player in bombastic rhythms. 

I sit at this computer *bleep* while the super pulls out a power tool and starts making noises increasing in volume.  I wonder at this point, how much extra door is there.  The bathroom is a mess because the man, in all the years I've known him has never once brought a drop cloth with him to do work in either of my apartments. 

When he is done, I will be able to close my bathroom door.  I will have the privacy necessary to piss in my pot.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I discovered that if I pull down the bedroom window from the top and then all the other windows in my apartment  I can make a cross breeze.  The apartment has been quite warm the last week or so.  This rain today is a blessing, bringing much relief.  This morning the air felt heavy, like it was retaining water, like it was squeezing me out for more room.  It felt like the air was trying to get some air (from me) because I was having so much trouble breathing.  But the rain is fixing all that. 

The Japanese Clone

There is a joke in here somewhere but I can't seem to find it.  Maybe you can help me flesh it out.

 

Smoking vs. Obesity

According to this article, by quitting smoking, I have increased my chances of dying from obesity.

Who is conducting these studies anyway?  R.J. Reynolds?

Hamilton the Hunk

From the title of this post you may think I'm referring to George Hamilton.  Well, I'm not. 

To read more about this distinction, be sure to read Candy Blue Kite's essay  about efforts to put Ronald Reagan on the $10 bill.

It's a good one.

Triple H

It's hot, hazy and humid.  It is so hazy and humid outside that I hurt myself breathing on the walk to my office from the subway.  25 minutes later I am just starting to feel better.  There was a shart pain in my chest and now I'm completely congested.

I HATE this weather, just really, really hate it.

I'm hoping that the weather Amanda had yesterday will be repeated here.  I haven't seen a rainbow in quite some time.

Friday

It's Friday.

The day we have all been waiting for.

It's here!!

Someone alert the media!!

Call my mother!!!

IT'S FRIDAY!!!   WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

Black Hole Redux

It turns out that Stephen Hawking was wrong about black holes eating matter and making it disapear.  Now, he believes, that once the black hole disengtegrates, the matter it was holding reappears but in a mangled form.

He could tell me that black holes are where leprachauns store their pots of gold after sliding down the rainbow or that the tooth fairy returns to her black hole every night after collecting children's teeth all I know about physics.

It's a good thing he's been working on the black hole problem too, with all the problems going on in the world, it's truly important that one of our greatest minds be working on solving problems that don't really exist but in theory somewhere, far, far away in the cosmos.

He's creating his own black hole right here on earth. 

The Day Before Friday

Lordy Loo.  It's the day before Friday.  I made it over the mountain and I can see homestretch.  My week has been a lot like this last leg of the Tour de France where Lance took the lead.  He kills in the mountains.

I'm tired but in a good way.  Made more progress last night on the apt.  I've been throwing away a lot of stuff.....last night I threw out an almost love letter from a man I knew in college.  When he left school, he graduated one semester before me, he wrote me a note expressing how he was sorry he was mean to me and regretted not having gotten involved with me because we could have had something special.  Well. . .I guess he was right, we could have had something special for about two minutes and then much to our surprise it would have been over JUST LIKE THAT!!!!   LOSER!!!!!!!  I was happy to toss out his note considering I hadn't looked at it since I put it in my filing cabinet 11 years ago.    I also threw out the picture of him I made for one of my photo classes; a playbill of a student production in which he starred;  and a postcard where he referred to me as Hazel Nut.

Yes.  I threw out little bits and pieces of my past and we know how hard that is.  I threw away the pay stubs from the jobs I've had over the last 8 - 10 years.  Goodness only knows why I was holding on to those bitter reminders of past crappy jobs.  Those weren't as tough to throw out as one would think.

What else did I throw away?  Bank statements from accounts that no longer exist; photocopies and printouts of articles that I was interested in 10 years ago about male rape (don't ask); letters I've written to people over the years but never sent (thank goodness, you know those letters); notepads with random scribbles and shopping lists that mean nothing now.

When J came over last night, he commented that I look like I lost weight.  I did in a way.  I lost or threw out a lot of baggage to make room for someone new and it feels great!!!!

And I am actually losing weight, which is weird considering you're supposed to gain weight when you quit smoking.  It must be an oxygen thing.

 

Hump Day

Today is hump day, hump day, hump day.
It will be a hump day, hump day
All day long.

It's 7:25 am and I just woke up for the fourth morning in a row in my new apartment.  I woke up 15 minutes before the alarm clock and 10 minutes before my mother called me to try out my new phone number.  Yes it is early, but I don't mind.  We have an understanding.  She always seems to know when I'm awake and therefore never wakes me with her calls.

I haven't spoken about smoking in a while. That's because most days, although the desire to smoke is still there, the cravings have been minimal.  Sometimes, if the day is particularly busy or full of stress, cravings pop up left and right.  Saturday and Sunday for instance, the day of my move, were stressful and for most of both of those days, I really wanted a cigarette.  I snapped several times and the loved ones who were helping me.  Thankfully, they are understanding and supportive and forgave me quickly.   Saying sorry isn't always enough.  People never like it when you snap at them, so hopefully the sting of my snappiness has worn off by now.

The setup is going swimmingly.  I find myself needing more furniture to fill up all this space.  I'm having trouble getting used to length of time it takes to walk from one room to the other, but I'm sure I will soon enough.

 

Mount Zion Cemetary

Today, for about a minute I smelled something that reminded me of my grandparents.  They passed away awhile ago.   They lived long, happy lives but they are still missed.   At the same time I was thinking of them, I was looking looking over my links and realized that I hadn't been to Forgotten New York  in quite a while. 

So I go to the site and one of his main features this month is on Mount Zion Cemetary in Maspeth.

I know the place well.  My granparents and several members of my family are buried there.

The article about Mount Zion focuses on the very cool technique used to put the deads' faces on their tombstones.

It's cool.  You should check it out. 

PMC?

Does anyone else get incredibly clumsy before getting their periods or is just me?   It turns out that clumsiness is one of the listed symptoms of PMS on every website I checked.  The only reason I thought of it tonight is because last week, I ran into my neighbor Pia from upstairs who told me that she noticed how clumsy she'd become the last couple of days and observed that it always happens before her period. 

Tonight I opened the box for my new desk lamp and as I was taking it out of the styrofoam it slipped right out of my hands and broke into 8 or 9 unsalvagable pieces.  It was one of those cool lamps where you adjust the setting by touching it's base.  $20.00 in the trash can.  Oh well.  At least I didn't step on the glass.
 
Anyway, I realized that I am PMS'ing and that I've been a little clumsy lately.  I recall that it seems to happen every month around this time and now I too have made the connection.
 
So. . . ladies. . .does this happen to you too?

A Reader Emails - Finally

This reader was upset by my criticizing Ozzy for comparing George Bush to Hitler and wrote me an extremely lengthy response, one that was too big to fit into the comment section.
 
Let me know what you think!!!  He or she is hard to argue with but I'm sure you will find a way.
 
==================================
 
The Hitler references are based upon the definition of fascism, which is essentially an extreme form of nationalism that rejects individual freedom, individual liberalism, democracy, and the limitations on the state. 
 
It developed as a product of economic and political crisis of the years following WW I.  Units called fasci di combatti-mento (combat groups) were established to oppose communism.  Fascism protected the existing social order by forcible-suppression of working class movements, and provided scapegoats for popular anger against immigrants - Jews, foreigners and Blacks.  It was also a way to prepare the citizenry for the economic and psychological mobilization of war. 
 
(Replace Jew with Arab and you have the definition of the present state of US affairs.)
 
"The Fascist conception of life," Mussolini wrote, "stresses the importance of the State and accepts the individual only in so far as his interests coincide with the State. It is opposed to classical liberalism [which] denied the State in the name of the individual; Fascism reasserts the rights of the State as expressing the real essence of the individual."Mussolini thought it was unnatural for a government to protect individual rights: "The maxim that society exists only for the well-being and freedom of the individuals composing it does not seem to be in conformity with nature's plans." "If classical liberalism spells individualism," Mussolini continued, "Fascism spells government."
 
The essence of fascism is that government is the master and the citizen is the slave.  It is exactly what has happened in the United States.  The people who say, ?It can?t happen here, this is America,? have deliberately blinded themselves to reality.  There is no freedom of the press, no right to assembly, no right to a public trial with appropriate legal representation, no freedom from religion, no right to privacy, no right to elect your own President (the Electoral College is non-democratic).  You do not have the right to free thought as evidenced by hate crime laws.  (A crime is a crime, regardless of the reasons it was commissioned.)  You are forced under threat of jail and seizure of assets to hand the government a huge portion of your sweat to pay for wars and debts that you and your children did not authorize.   You are not allowed to step foot of federal or national lands (which serve as secured collateral for our foreign ? only foreign - debt) without permission from the government.  You may not start a business, paint your house, or raise your children without government permission of some type.  Worst of all, you are not allowed to say no to war.  Well, you can, but most people have already been brainwashed into thinking they have no choice, living in fear that their plasma TVs and SUVs will be taken away if they exercise their conscience. 
 
Should Bush be compared to Hitler?  Well, Hitler would probably be offended by the statement because he was far smarter than Bush.  Hitler rebuilt an economy after the Weimer hyperinflation, liked animals (Bush used to put firecrackers in living frogs and watch them explode), and he was well-read.  But there are too many parallels to the rise of the Nazi Party and what has happened here, namely with the 9-11 Reichstag fire. 
 
?When Germany awoke, a man's home was no longer his castle. He could be seized by private individuals, could claim no protection from the police, could be indefinitely detained without preferment of charges; his property could be seized, his verbal and written communications overheard and perused; he no longer had the right to foregather with his fellow countrymen, and his newspapers might no longer freely express their opinions.? ? Douglas Reed, writing about the Reichstag fire.
 
It was reported by Jane?s (March 2001), India Reacts (May 2001) and the BBC (June 2001) that the United States would attack Afghanistan in mid-October 2001, ostensibly on behalf of Enron, which needed to run a large natural gas pipeline through Afghanistan for their Indian operations.  The first troops in Afghanistan received their orders at the end of June, 2001.   So just how is it that Bush, who was left untouched by the Secret Service after the second plane hit the tower (while Cheney was literally carried to the bunker by the SS in Washington), knew that Osama bin Laden was involved?  Have you seen the proof?  FBI Director Mueller stated on two occasions that there was no physical evidence linking the alleged hijackers to the attacks.  None.  Nada.  So what about those wills, passports, and flight manuals from the set of a bad B-movie?  Military fighter pilots have stated that only an experienced pilot to hold up to the G forces of a 270-degree turn made by the plane that hit the Pentagon.  Cell phones do not work at 28,000 feet, especially over rural farm areas without cell towers.  A man in a cave did not make NORAD stand down.  The laws of physics were not suspended when the towers collapsed.  Numerous eyewitnesses, including firemen, said bombs went off prior to the collapse, which is also indicated when looking at the seismatic history just before the towers collapsed.  There is no way a person can look at all the evidence and not come to the obvious realization that 9-11 was a present day Reichstag, a lie that has killed tens of thousands (and we have only just begun).  Check out http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/ if you want to know who benefited from the attacks.  It was not Muslims, Afghanistan, or the Middle East.   Furthermore, disruption of the American economy has a significant negative effect on the economies of oil-producing nations, most of which have no way to feed their populations without the sale of this commodity.  
 
Interestingly enough, Bush benefited directly from the Nazis.  His grandfather, Prescott, was cited for Trading with the Enemy Act (designed specifically to stop Bush, Harriman and Thyssen), as Prescott was a business partner of the architect of the Nazi war machine, supplying goods and raw materials to Germany.  There is evidence that Prescott Bush benefited from the slave labor of the work camps holding not only Jews, but as many or more individuals Hitler deemed inferior for race, physical or mental disabilities, or religion.  The money earned from the aid to the Nazis was used to put George H.W. into politics and has provided the family fortunes that George W. has come to depend on for his existence, aside from the money he stole from taxpayers and investors through his insider trades.  There is an interesting outline of the family history at http://www.geocities.com/bushfamilynazis/, but a Google search will reveal hundreds of sites that have documented the Bush family Nazi past.  If there was a free press in America, you wouldn?t have to search the Internet for bombshells like this.
 
It?s interesting to note the hypocrisy of those who condemn Ozzie for speaking his mind.  Why is okay for you to criticize Ozzy in a public forum, and yet you are criticizing Ozzy for speaking out in a public forum?  You can?t have it both ways.
 
I am especially bristled by people who say that Bush-Hitler comparisons are extreme, especially when many people saying this have admitted that they are virtually clueless when it comes to history and current events.  I had to read Mein Kampf as part of my graduate work.  Most people have never read it, assuming it is a blueprint for the concentration camps, when in reality Jews are barely mentioned in the book.  He doesn?t mention their extermination, but he does address their control over the media, arts, banking, and business, and that in itself was merely relation of fact.  The Jews owned most of Germany, despite their relatively small population.  But this is not a defense of ?Mein Kampf?; I mention it because the book outlines how he was able to seize control of German society, and most of his power struggle has been mirrored verbatim by Bush and company.  Mein Kampf is a primer on how to become a dictator.  The most important reason for reading it is to prevent fascism from rearing its ugly head.  But as the cliché goes, if we don?t study history, we are doomed to repeat it.  
 
"I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator," said Adolf Hitler.
 
"God told me to strike at Al Qa'ida and I struck them. And then he instructed me to strike at Saddam, which I did. With the might of God on our side we will triumph," said George Bush. 
  
 

A Little Too "Pumped Up"

Ahnold seems to be resorting to childish reverse psychology tactics, daring Democrats to pass his budget by accusing them of being "girlie men". 
 
Not only is he offending just about everybody and blatantly plagiarizing that ridiculous SNL skit where Dana Carvey and the other guy played too "dumbbells",  he's proving that he is incapable of bringing people to his point of view through the good old fashioned use of debate.
 
I think that's a little scary.
 
Here is a little bit  from an article I found on VOANews.com:

But a Schwarzenegger spokesman says the comment was the governor's way of saying that legislators are "wimps" (weaklings) by giving into special interest groups. 

Thinking Outside the Coffin

Did anyone watch last night?s heart pounding episode of SIX FEET UNDER? It begs the question, what is going on with Alan Ball and his writing staff?  
  
If you have been watching SIX FEET UNDER from the beginning, like me you?ve probably come to expect a certain amount of sex and death.  As my friend and neighbor pointed out to me, that is what the show is about - sex and death as experienced through the eyes of the fictitious Fisher family around who the show is based.  Every week the show basically follows the same format: a random person dies creating the backdrop for the unveiling of the show/s various serial dramas.  The 10 or 15 minute vignettes bounce between the characters, slowly revealing Alan Ball's master story telling, full of wit, sarcasm, social commentary, strong character development, symbolism and just plain old weirdness.  Each vignette ends with a fade to white instead of a fade to black. 
  
Imagine my surprise, last night, when the show broke with it's own format and focused 40 minutes on the perilous adventure of one of the more beloved characters on the show.  The character was put in danger and viewers like me were treated to the most suspenseful 40 minutes in the history of HBO's serial dramas.
 
Definitely tune in if you can, when it is on next and definitely refrain from commenting on any plot points until next week to not ruin it for anyone else.

Weekend Highlights

I moved into the apartment across the hall.  Instead of a studio, I now live in a one bedroom apartment.  Instead of viewing a wall every time I look out the window, I now look out on the street.  Instead of darkness, there is light.  Instead of cave dwelling, I am living on an open plain.  Instead of having to eat sitting Indian style on my bed, I can now enjoy meals prepared by me in my new eat in kitchen.
 
I have gone from college style dorm living to living like a legitimate grown up.
 
I am in the best mood today.
 

The Waffle Shop

As I told you Saturday, July 3, was a miserably hot day in Washington DC and somehow, in spite of my near heat exhaustion, I managed to keep pace with Jon as we visited the beautiful memorials and statutary tributes all over the mall. I have collected some photographic information that I'm going to use in a future posting about the FDR memorial. But for right now, I want to tell you about the Waffle Shop. We started our Sunday eager for more of DC's sites so we headed over to the Ford Theater. Neither of us had been to this neighborhood before so we did not know where to go for breakfast. We were walking down 10th street, looking at our guide book when out of nowhere popped this guy named George with SAM. I'm not sure what SAM stands for but he works for the city giving tourists advice on how to get where. He told us that the Waffle Shop was just up ahead. So we were looking and looking for a diner. As silly as it sounds I was surprised to find that the restaurant was actually called the WAFFLE SHOP.
 
To make a short story long, we had a cool waitress and we enjoyed the food a whole lot.  There was  a greater story in there that I wanted to relate, but too much time has passed.  I've lost the immediacy of the feeling to write about our great waitress, the colorful patrons and the funny newspaper review hanging on the wall which describes the place as too modern for Mary Todd Lincoln who probably would have not liked the 1940's style counters.
 
Or to write about the record breaking torrential rain that fell that day, our experience at Ford Theater including my joke about the John Wilkes PHONE Booths, so named by me because they were designed to seem authentic to the rebuilt theater with wooden keys; including how our Park Ranger kept referring to the Civil War as WWII during her prepared statement about the Lincoln Assassination; and how we thoroughly enjoyed our trip to the National gallery where we saw the famous painting of A Woman Holding a Balance by Vermeer and an true to life DaVinci painting.

The temptation to blog all day has been greatly heightened by BLOGGER's new formatting keys.

Kids Today.

A few years ago, Caren Lissner took four weeks off from her regular job to observe teenagers as they are today as of three years ago.  She learned that they are not much different than when she was a teenager.

Martha Stewart

This just in:
 
Martha Stewart was sentenced to 5 months of prison time and 5 months of house arrest. 
 

Does anybody care?

Another Good Reason to Quit Smoking

This man exploded a porto potty while trying to light his cigarette.

Bush Bashing

Thank you Matthew Drudge for some more good reporting. (no sarcasm intended, hopefully none understood).

On today's Drudge Report, MD has started an article discussing Ozzy Osbourne's stage show at Jones Beach where as part of the show, Ozzy plays a film montage comparing George W. to Adolf Hitler.

Of course, I support Ozzy's right to free speech. He is certainly entitled to criticize President Bush as is Michael Moore.

So naturally, I hope others support my right to criticize the President's critics.

Again, I am not a fan of President Bush. I don't like the fact that that his strong religious beliefs seem to influence every decision he makes and that doesn't sound very objective to me or like he's separating church and state, especially in the area of reproduction rights. I don't like the fact that people are able to come up with conspiracy theories about him because where there is smoke there is fire. I don't like that many of his decisions seem to favor big business or lobbies that I don't necessarily agree with. With that said, I don't know enough about any of the above to really, publicly come out against the President so I'm not. I can say though that based on the above that I don't trust him and I don't like him and that I'm not voting for him.

However, I also would not compare him to HITLER. To do so is irresponsible and disrespectful of Hitler's actual victims. George Bush is not killing his own people to make a pure and superior race of his choosing. He is not murdering political dissidents or exterminating physically and mentally disabled individuals. Nor is he imprisoning gays or conducting medical experiments on twins.

Shame on you Ozzy. You grew up in post WWII England. You know about fucking Nazis and you know Bush isn't one.

I WON!!!

I am a winner.

I have licked smoking.

I had no cravings yesterday.

It's done.

I am no longer a smoker.

So what if the cravings have been replaced by free floating anxiety.

That's okay.

That's why God made heroine.

CANDY BLUE KITE

I extend a special thanks to Candy Blue Kite.

First, for pointing me in the direction of a great site that lets you draw yourself as an anime character. You can find that link on her site or back a few space.

Secondly, for providing me with the Southpark version of Val which was on my site earlier this week.

Candy IS fun!!!!

Michael Moore, Ugly American?

Here is a link to MICHAEL MOORE, UGLY AMERICAN by Jeffrey Morley for the Washington Post.

In this article, Morley discusses Pete Townshend's reaction to what Townshend perceives as Moore's bullying him into using his "Won't Get Fooled Again" in the Farenheit 9/11 soundtrack.

Here is a bit from the article:

"I greatly resent being bullied and slurred by him just because he didn't get what we wanted from me," Townshend told Ireland Online. Moore wanted Townshend's rock anthem "Won't Get Fooled Again" for use on the soundtrack of his anti-Bush documentary film, "Fahrenheit 9/11." Townshend refused, saying he thought Moore's previous movies amounted to "bullying." In response, Townshend said that Moore accused him of being a war supporter. Townshend says Moore's attitude was evocative of President Bush's war on terrorism credo: if you're not with me, you're against me.

It's an interesting article which I of course am posting, because parts of Morley's discussion support my stance that Moore is being anti-American. I also post it because for every article that supports Moore's movie there seems to be one against it.

VIVA LA DEBATE!!!!!

Another Day, Another Demon

Today is Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday . . .ARGH!!!!!

I woke up feeling like I needed a cigarette. The feeling has been waxing and waning all morning. Right now, it's a soft craving. I'm trying to put it out of my head. It's not like I'm not busy, or like I don't have activities to distract me. The activities just aren't engrossing enough. I'm working on the second of my three installments about my trip to DC. It's almost done. The last intallment will be my critique of the FDR memorial on the mall. It will have pictures so look forward to that.

Someone is smoking on my building's fire escape and I can smell it from my desk. It smells both disgusting and delicious. What is wrong with me?

I continue to receive support from my friends and family for quitting smoking. It's really the only time people will encourage you to be a quitter if you think about it. My family didn't rally behind me when I quit piano lessons, nor did I receive a lot of support when I tried to drop my History of the Civil War class in my third year of college.

Anyway, that's all I have to say for right now.

Even Demons Need a Day of Rest

My inner demon took a break yesterday. I didn't experience any cravings. While I was bothered by the heat during my frisbee match in Central Park with Jon, I still wasn't bothered by an urge to smoke. Last night, while watching Shakespeare in the Park, I was a non-smoker, as if I had never smoked before, as if I never became addicted, as if I never started smoking, really smoking in college.

Where were the challenges this weekend? Well, the big challenge was on Saturday facing the day alone. To combat my strong craving, which seemed to pick up around 1:30 pm where it had left off from my incredible craving of the day before, I employed myself in the most inane activity. I surrounded myself with the other shoppers on Steinway Street and spent three hours walking up and down two blocks of stores, looking at things and stretching $20.00 as far as one can possibly stretch it.

The distraction worked. I was tired enough by the time I got home that I could nap, then get ready to go out and then face my next big challenge which was going to a party at a bar. Luckily for me, none of the attendees were smokers so there was no one to follow outside, there was no one to tempt me with their deliciously smoky smells and there was no way I was going to walk up a flight of stairs just to buy cigarettes.

Anyway, I made it through another weekend without smoking.

I rock!!!

Living with my Inner Demon

Yesterday, was the hardest of the days I have spent not smoking. From 11 a.m. up until I fell asleep last night, I experienced the worst craving of the non-smoking experience.
I woke up this morning feeling free yet again of my addiction and I hope this feeling lasts.

I am resolved not to smoke, which means I am resolved to endure all cravings to come no matter how painful.

I know the pain will not kill me.

It just really sucks, is all.

A Memorable Trip - Part 1

(The unofficial story about the below is that the intensified heat sucked all the joy out of the experience for me, all the solemnity, all the awe. . .it was just too f-ing hot and I couldn't get out of that plaza fast enough.)

Officially . . .

Over the Fourth of July weekend, Jon and I visited Washington DC. The first memorial we saw (aside from the towering Washington Monument which can be seen from practically everywhere) was the WWII Memorial. Here is a picture of Memorial Plaza. As you can see, it is made of solid white stone.

It's beautiful and moving. Memorial Plaza is divided in two parts, each representing a different theater of the war. Along the walls at eye level are bas reliefs depicting various scenes from various battles, all very sad, all honoring the great efforts of those who lived and died in what many consider to be the last great war.

The taller posts, that resemble either columns or headstones are simply decorated with one wreath, under which is printed the name of each state or country (depending on whether it was in Atlantic or Pacific section).

We arrived on Saturday, which was a hot and hazy day. At the WWII Memorial, strolling with the other tourist amidst all that sunshine and white stone was like crawling inside of an oven. You can see the water in the photograph. Picture mobs of people cooling themselves off in that water. I thought about going in myself but remembered that germs often do well in water and was worried about getting some kind of skin eating bacteria in addition to a few more freckles.

Still Not Smoking

For those of you who have been following my life's dramas, you may recall that I stopped smoking last week on Tueday.

Aside from a few slips, I am still not smoking.

More about Moore

That's what I'd like to see. A movie that doesn't pander to the NPR totebag crowds shuttling edamame home to their mud-compact homes in V-4 Saabs. One that has an answer every time the SUV-driving, fried-children-eating, baby-seal-beating Republicans say "But what about..." In stead we get a movie meant to make liberals feel good about themselves.

The above is a snippet taken from THE FILTHY CRITIC's review of Michael Moore's Farenheit 9/11 now playing in theaters.

This critique strengthens my resolve not to see Farenheit 9/11.

So. What brings YOU here?

Unusual searches that have lead people here:

bar "long island" spoonerism
swedish message
eyeball jewelry
spoonbending

Marlon Brando died.

I'll never forget his timeless performance in Porgy & Bess, or the time he saved a small village from near starvation by not eating at any of their homes.

Do You Remember Owl Jolson?

I love to sing-a
About the moon-a and the June-a and the spring-a,
I love to sing-a,
About a sky of blue-a, or a tea for two-a,
Anything-a with a swing-a to an "I love you-a,"
I love to, I love to sing!

Fanning the Flames

Not surprisingly, Michael Moore's movie is likely to become the first imported documentary in China.

So, I ask you. . . if this documentary comes out strongly and convincingly against our Government, should this film be seen in countries that are looking for any excuse to annihilate us?