Honora World Musings & Mutterings

I Love Everything - Boom De Yada

2008-06-28T08:28:00.000-07:00

Friday's XKCD is pretty accurate for me, too. Except cryptography and engineering . . . ehhh, nothing against 'em - in fact, mighty grateful for their contributions to the planet. But can't claim a great passion for them personally. [grin] What's your love of the moment? Mine is . . . [dramatic pause] the dance. And chicken salad. And Graham Norton and water (not necessarily together, mind you - they each have legs on their own).

Enjoy the great weather (finally!) - rehearsal today, Indigo Girls at Zoo Tunes tomorrow. Made a rocking good chicken salad (bell peppers, celery, apples, onions and cilantro with a dressing of mayo, stone ground mustard, rice vinegar, and a little fig jam for sweetness to balance, plus the usual seasonings) for sandwiches for Zoo Tunes, as well as a cauliflower salad with the same veggies plus carrots in a dressing of balsamic vinegar and olive oil that have been marinating sun dried tomatoes. Yuuuummm. Yesterday was a cooking orgy - also made gingerbread and tuna noodle casserole (with fresh white sauce, thank you very much, and veggies including edamame).

Food for the next few days is more than in the bag. :) Sent some casserole and cauliflower salad home with the lovely Maeve who came to work on my garden. Have cauliflower salad and gingerbread (officially, Joel's offering) for today's potluck at rehearsal. And will prepare sandwiches and the last of the cauliflower salad for Beth and Brynna for concert dinner on Sunday. Lovely . . .

my, what a busy bee I am

2008-06-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

busy & creative - got cast in a show - Godspell in Ballard in August. After angsting myself silly the first couple of weeks, wrapped my head around the whole "you're an actress - act!" vis-a-vis the content of the show (basically, the Gospel of St. Mathew). Nothing against it, per se - just not a religious type. Moreover, got over my innate aversion to the song assigned as my solo: Day by Day. Insipid repetition, anyone? [wry smile]

Which reminds me - the one film I was able to catch at SIFF this year was Julia Sweeney's world premiere of Letting Go of God. And I'm pleased to see that, post-festival and with all the votes counted, it was named one of the Top 10 audience favorites of the festival (not bad out of a field of 191 narrative features, 57 documentary features, and 170 short films from 69 countries) - go, Julia! She was there for the screening and did Q&A afterwards - what a thoughtful, funny, charming and smart woman. Anyhow, what an interesting film to see just as I launched Godspell rehearsals. The SIFF summary: "When two Mormon missionaries knock on Julia Sweeney’s door one day, they have no idea what they’re getting into. With one seemingly simple question about God, they unwittingly precipitate a soul search of cosmic proportions. The result is a friendly, funny, intelligent chronicle of one lifelong Catholic’s conversion to atheism."

Rehearsals are (for the most part) fun. And it's challenging physically and harmonically (as in, I've lost what little sight-reading ability I had and learning all my parts by ear is quite the come-back-up-to-speed-FAST challenge). I've downloaded Finale NotePad (free - my favorite price) so I can input the notes of my sections and listen to them repeatedly. As an ensemble piece, every person sings and dances in every number so it's a lot of harmonies to nail. And with only 10 people in the cast, you really do have to nail 'em. [wry grin]

Working on two books: a novel and a non-fiction computer book. While the thank-you from Beth was lovely in the Acknowledgements section of her book on Outlook, I think it's time I declare my own small territory of computer geekiness (well, beyond articles & white papers) for literary posterity. It would be lovely to think of people I don't even know becoming more facile and productive with computers thanks to my scribbles. However, that's all I can say until the two books are more fully formed and legally protected. Why, yes - I have worked in the legal industry for over 20 years. What made you ask? :)

busy & corporate - drafted a survey on User Support issues which will be the centerpiece of an ILTA white paper I'm authoring in November. Since we don't intend to make this an annual survey, I'm aiming to make this a resource people can use for some years to come. I've included survey questions about the types of software firms are using (eLearning; Learning Management Systems; skills assessment; etc.) as well as the qualifications/skills of both Training and Help Desk staff and their range of responsibilities. We've also got a nice section on training rooms and resources. Hopefully, this type of quantified and statistically validated information will help trainers across the industry when working with management (i.e., a long way of saying "show me the training money!"). Survey went out to the 3000 subscribers to the User Support listserve last Friday - I'll post a link to it on the General Membership listserve on Monday in order to catch management level people who may not subscribe to the more tactically oriented (read: real-time problem-solving) User Support list. Send lots of good energy for people to complete the survey.

Also, I'm working on a speech for our annual conference in August entitled "The Impact of XML on Legal Documents" - a think piece to help people start wrapping their brains around all the aspects they probably haven't begun considering (ODF vs. Open XML - the battle rages on; legal eDiscovery issues; eFiling with courts and agencies; the future of templates/document assemby programs in an XML world; etc.). Building a wiki around our findings - looks to be very cool and "have legs" for some time to come (will update with link once we make the wiki public). Have put together a really fine panel which includes my So. African friend Sean Power, IT director with a firm in FL; a great gal who did a webinar on personal attorney coaching for me earlier this year, Maria Leslie: one of my Steering Comm members, Corby Guenther, who also founded the Bay Area Legal Trainers group; and longtime ILTA listserv contributor Anita Evans out of Dallas.

tired - doing a lot and not a lot of downtime. Very good for me (lots of exercise) in some ways; but sensory overload in other ways. The last two weeks, in addition to Mon/Tues/Thurs evening and all day Sat rehearsals, I had commitments each Wed and Fri evening. Plus last Sunday, cooking for Tent City *and* St. Martin de Porres shelter at the waterfront. Unfortunately, I caught a cold the first week of rehearsal and have been trying to do all the above while recovering. Went to the doctor Friday and was able to confirm that I don't have a sinus infection (yay!), but was told they're seeing tons of people with this "cold that will not die" (booo!). So continued NetiPot use and lots of rest is the recommended treatment [sigh]. Thus, I've decided to skip my trip to Cannon Beach this year - I'll miss getting together with Sarah and the kids, but really need to take the time to rest instead. And they'll be heading into Seattle after their two weeks in Oregon, so Sarah and I have booked a Wednesday evening for just us in second week of July.

On the plus side, my houseguest of five months moved out last Saturday so more psychic space to myself. And I've cleared my calendar decks for Wed/Fri/Sun for the next week so that's a little more time to rest and recoup. As you can see from this post, I'm being terribly lazy this lovely Sunday so good on me. [grin] Ooops, there goes the dryer buzzer - off to hang clothes or I'll end up having to iron (the horrors!).

Unread Book Meme (with a nod to Hosie)

2008-06-08T21:32:00.000-07:00

Jumping on the bandwagon of friends 31504 and fshusband:

Here are the top 106 books most often marked as "unread" by LibraryThing’s users. As in, they sit on the shelf to make you look smart or well-rounded. Bold the ones you've read.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Anna Karenina
Crime and Punishment
Catch-22
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Wuthering Heights
The Silmarillion
Life of Pi : a novel
The Name of the Rose
Don Quixote
Moby Dick
Ulysses
Madame Bovary
The Odyssey
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Eyre
The Tale of Two Cities
The Brothers Karamazov
Guns, Germs, and Steel: the fates of human societies
War and Peace
Vanity Fair
The Time Traveler’s Wife
The Iliad
Emma
The Blind Assassin
The Kite Runner
Mrs. Dalloway
Great Expectations
American Gods
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Atlas Shrugged
Reading Lolita in Tehran : a memoir in books
Memoirs of a Geisha
Middlesex
Quicksilver
Wicked : the life and times of the wicked witch of the West
The Canterbury Tales
The Historian : a novel
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Love in the Time of Cholera
Brave New World
The Fountainhead
Foucault’s Pendulum
Middlemarch
Frankenstein
The Count of Monte Cristo
Dracula
A Clockwork Orange
Anansi Boys
The Once and Future King
The Grapes of Wrath
The Poisonwood Bible : a novel
1984
Angels & Demons
The Inferno
The Satanic Verses
Sense and Sensibility
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Mansfield Park
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
To the Lighthouse
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
Oliver Twist
Gulliver’s Travels
Les Misérables
The Corrections
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Dune
The Prince
The Sound and the Fury
Angela’s Ashes : a memoir
The God of Small Things
A People’s History of the United States : 1492-present
Cryptonomicon
Neverwhere
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Dubliners
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Beloved
Slaughterhouse-five
The Scarlet Letter
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
The Mists of Avalon
Oryx and Crake : a novel
Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed
Cloud Atlas
The Confusion
Lolita
Persuasion
Northanger Abbey
The Catcher in the Rye
On the Road
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Freakonomics : a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : an inquiry into values
The Aeneid
Watership Down
Gravity’s Rainbow
The Hobbit
In Cold Blood : a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences
White Teeth
Treasure Island
David Copperfield
The Three Musketeers

Reminds me of some I'm kinda sure I read (David Copperfield); others I've bought but not read (Guns, Germs and Steel); and others I tried and just never finished (The Hobbit; The Unbearable Lightness of Being). I've seen movie versions of more of this list than I've actually read . . . [wry grin].

How about you?

Dia de los Muertos and Fremont First Friday Artwalk

2007-10-24T18:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's been forever (again). Life has been way too busy (again). But fun . . . albeit a bit frantic. Job change (within the same company) - business analyst certification classes - volunteer work . . . busy busy busy. I almost went a whole year without blogging - what the hell kinda geek am I, anyways?.

So time to party for a good cause, my friends. Come and join a very worthy group, Bad Fruit, as we present the art of Almendra Sandoval at the Fremont First Friday Art Walk in November. We are presenting Day of the Dead art on Day of the Dead - wow! What a concept! Almendra is from Mexico and her pictures beautifully document the real deal - Dia de los Muertos where it began. We'll do all the usual gallery opening stuff (food and drinks) plus great free giveaway bags with an emphasis on health-related items.

Afterwards, we'll be having a musical evening at ToST across the street. Three bands . . . great drinks . . . good people - who could ask for more?

And all for what? To help Bad Fruit in its continuing mission to advocate for artists who are medically under- or uninsured. Really, pretty much all of 'em, right?. Not too far from the truth. [wry grin] I hope to see you there!

The Planet without Man

2006-12-27T21:47:00.000-08:00

How long would it take for Planet Earth to recover from . . . well, us (mankind)? Find out. Makes you think, doesn't it? What can each of us do to leave a lighter footprint?

Party Pics

2006-12-11T18:26:00.000-08:00

Pictures from the great Housewarming (for me)/Homecoming (for Brian & Anne)/Holiday "Ugly Ornament" Contest party of December 2006. More pics can be seen at my friend Lorelle's website. If anyone has more pics, send 'em my way and I'll add them.

Honora & Mark (former neighbor)

Jesse & Marcy, our former neighbor. Kamal's Katie in blue dress at table.

Bottom left: Natalie, Isaac, Carter & Gregory - my former neighbors (Mark & Marcy's kids) and (I think) Jennifer's Cedar in blue sweatshirt. Upper left: Friend of Anne's (seated - don't remember name); Sabra (white sweater) and her friend Lois, Alice peering out from behind. Center: Tara in purple. Upper Right: Anna (blonde); Rachel holding camera up; Geni (red hair) with Hosie's V just behind; Jennifer (in black) and Kirsten next to her. Amy F. sitting with my daughter between her and Kirsten. Foreground: Delores (in bronze).

Background: Tara holding camera, Anna, Hosie's V (near door), Geni (red hair) Kirsten, Amy F. with my daughter peeking out from behind her, Maeve (neighbor May's daughter) and Rory (her husband), and Geni's John (in chair). Foreground: Delores (in bronze blouse) and Susan (camelama).

Ooops, I'm gonna do it again (woof, woof)

2006-11-09T21:36:00.000-08:00

I think I'm going to adopt. [gulp] Ever since the move in May, Pretty Damn Bold (cockapoo extraordinaire) has been deprived of the socialization that had been part-and-parcel of her existence since the beginning. After all, we left a neighborhood with 20 kids on our block, and 6-7 dogs. Her best dog friend, Gretchen, died of old age just before the move. And Pretty misses the younger kids knocking on our door (okay, I miss it, too). Hearing a six-year-old say, "Honowa, can I take Pwetty for a walk?" - I mean, c'mon.

Now she has no-one to play with. And with the short, dark, cold, wet days (have I laid the groundwork of rationalization yet?), May and I are no longer walking three times a week. We're joining a gym nearby instead. So Pretty doesn't get her walks and I suspect she's not welcome at Meiko's Gym. [wry grin].

So . . . what do you think of Dudley? He was rescued from Oregon and is currently quarantined at the vet for 15 days. Then two weeks of foster care by the Small Paws regional person, my co-worker Sue (yes, that's how I found Dudley). Dudley is half-Cocker Spaniel/half-Bichon Frise. He's about 10-12 months old and was "fixed" yesterday. Good health except for ear mites (being resolved during his vet/foster care time).

Pretty is about seven so elder enough to hopefully be a bit motherly to this teenager? Whereas Dudley outweighs Pretty by a couple pounds (Pretty's about 15; Dudley is 17) - he'll probably top out at about 25 so that keeps them pretty even.

Yup, I think I'm gonna do it. Of course, I have to pass Small Paws adoption assessment - wish me luck. If all goes well, Dudley will be with me about the second week of December. And as Pretty is black-and-white, she and Dudley should complement each other nicely. After all, black does go with everything.

Oh, and Dudley will definitely need a name enhancement. I'm thinking Dudley DoRight - obvious, I know. But it feels right.

Where, oh, where has Honora been?

2006-01-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

True - I've been largely cyber-absent since September. Well, at least blogwise. My cyber-presence looms large within the confines of the work network (i.e., in an intranet sorta way). Work is a rollout monster . . . gaining momentum, leading to the big bang in May 2006. Fourth quarter 2005 was spent on infrastructure - this is a more complicated rollout than usual.

Pretend you're a factory and you've signed a contract to deliver . . . I don't know, a plane or a car or a case of soda. Now pretend you need to re-tool the entire factory (design and install all new equipment) and re-train all your workers on the back-end about maintaining that new infrastructure. Only then can you make the product you've promised to deliver. So that's my reality for a while. Oh, and add a whole new eLearning system to accomplish the product delivery (the product here is both the new software and the successful training of employees in the use of it). "Late June 2006" is a mantra I repeat often - envisioning it as the deep satisfied sigh that follows a (hopefully) job well done.

Oh, yeah - and I have to buy a house in the next two-three months (long story - the procrastination factor has been removed which is not a bad thing).

And my daughter is a teenager - 'nuff said. Here's to moving thru that gracefully (both she and I).

So I'll post as I can . . . Cheers to a productive, life-changing (in a good, not overly dramatic way) and very happy 2006. Hope yours is the same.

Take the (Seattle) Recycling IQ Game

2006-01-02T10:52:00.000-08:00

So I missed 2 of 12 on the Advanced test- not too bad. Gotta remember - stuff that's too dirty shouldn't be recycled (hint - prepacked food). What's your Recycling IQ?

Vegas is not for me

2005-09-15T18:48:00.000-07:00

So I've been in Vegas a total of 8 hours (and the first hour was spent checking into Bally's and wending my way thru the Taxi Line maze - really, I've been in shorter lines for the Matterhorn). Then I had lunch with some colleagues - that's another hour down. Then I wandered the casino and went over to the French casino next door [eyes rolling]

I was hiding in my room by 2:30 pm. Took a nap and ventured back out again about 5:00 pm - was back in my room by 5:45. I thought I was being wise in staying only 18 hours for this speaking gig - I'd fly in Thursday and have a single afternoon/evening of Vegas stuff. Then I'd speak Friday morning and run like hell for the airport. Clearly, I overestimated my staying power.

Setting the sensory overload aside (lights! bells! buzzes!!), people just don't look happy here. They all seem so intensely focused on their machines or cards or roulette wheel . . . and slightly desperate and cranky. And the workers all look rather depressed.

My overpriced entertainment options (if I want to avoid the casino vibe) include We Will Rock You! (some kinda musical based entirely on the music of Queen), scary commercials for Celine Dion's show at Ceasar's, some kind of hypno/commedian dude whose signs downstairs (let alone the commercials on TV) frighten me. . . and it goes downhill from there.

And did I mention that there are 40 TV stations in the room . .. and over half of them are pure advertisements for Vegas shows and/or painfully bad "tips" on how to gamble (all done with celebrity impersonators - I've flipped past Judge Judy on Baccarat lite; Joan Rivers doing blackjack; and Cher doing . . . gawd, who know -I frantically started clicking the remote at that point).

I spent 20 bucks on slots - was up for a while, then all gone. Spent another 20 in my second foray and . . . I'm done. How do people piss away money that way? Yes, I gave myself a small budget to piss away . . . and I still can't do it. What's fun about this? I enjoy blackjack or texas hold 'em . . . but really, I only enjoy playing these games when there's no money on the table. Putting money on the table just stresses me and makes me feel wasteful and like a sucker (which I believe is the entire concept of Vegas, right?).

I just don't get Vegas. Off to the ALA evening reception (wooo-hoo! time to hang with large group of legal administrators . . . and I'm not being sarcastic - this genuinely is my best option). Pray for me . . . I can't wait to get home tomorrow.

PS - can you believe Bally's gouged me six freaking dollars to do online check-in for tomorrow's flight and print out my boarding pass? The resort in Phoenix did it as a courtesy for all guests. I cannot believe the "gotta getcher money" vibe of this place. [official end of whine]

Painted Potties - beyond kitsch

2005-08-16T18:49:00.000-07:00

Just what the world doesn't need . . . at Painted Potties, it's like Hallmark mated with Hello Kitty and one of them had morning sickness in your bathroom. It actually improves the memory of your last hangover or bout of the flu - really! Because at least that wasn't as bad as this . . .

I can think of 101 ways uses:

Snazz up the comodes at work while freaking out your co-workers
Put 'em in your rental apartment toilet to get back at the pissy landlord
Get yourself invited to your ex-whatever's house and use the bathroom. Decorate and make a quick escape
Have speciality ones created of snakes, scorpians . . . hey, use your imagination! During your next visit to those obnoxious in-laws, set your alarm for 1:00 am and do a little interior decorating in the main bathroom. Guaranteed to wake 'em up - WAY up - when they stumble across this on their sleepy, middle-of-the-night visit to the can

Okay, I'll stop now. . . interesting how many of these they've sold out of, though. Just goes to show, there not enough kitsch in the world for some folks.

The Gigapxl Project . . . beyond cool

2005-08-16T18:18:00.000-07:00

Check out the gallery at the Gigapxl Project. For those of us who felt smug and self-satisfied a few years back because we wouldn't be caught dead with a digital camera of less than 3 megapixel, this site will make you plotz. [rolls eyes at self] Now we crave 7 or 8 or even 9 megapixels. But a gigapixel? Fabulous!

The Balboa Park Reflecting Pool is one of my favorite examples. Scroll down to see a zoom of the original picture . . . and then a further zoom in . . . and then even further and so on - every zoom as crisp as can be. Note the zoom crop of the couple at the bottom of the page - then scroll to the original picture at top and squint to find them. It's freaking amazing! So exciting for where the technology is going . . .

Stress Stress Stress Stress (with apologies to Monty Python)

2005-08-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

Why, yes - things have been a bit stressful. Why do you ask?

Because I haven't blogged in the better part of two months? Because you can tell my stomach is doing flip-flops just by the tightness of my smile? Or perhaps the little snap in my voice when I say, "Nevermind . . . I'm fine?" [jeeez, now I'm getting stressed due to concern that I'm stressing *you* (my gentle reader) by sharing this . . . arrrggh!]

Work has been . . . yeah, challenging - we'll go with that. Suffice to say, lots and lots and lots of change. Change can be good - heck, my career as a technology trainer & development team member is based on that premise. But after a certain non-stop volume and quantity for many months, I'm finally succumbing to the inevitable human desire for things to just settle down and find a groove.

The ILTA Conference is coming up next week - a very full week with legal geeks of all stripes from all over the continent (and a few other countries, too). Lots of learning, lots of networking, lots of catching up on office email in stolen minutes in between events.

The DigitalEve Seattle election process is underway . . . frankly, I cut it close, but got it launched by the skin of my teeth. Can my years of service finally be coming to an end? A bittersweet sensation mixed a heaping dose of relief. I'll probably still serve as a Member at Large on the steering committee, but Chapter Leader no more. [whew]

So . . . letting go of the "small stuff" - hired a friend to do some major household chores, yard work, maintenance and all the other stuff that has been suffering. Even having trouble meeting my deadlines prepping for that but I'm not going to let it get me freaked. He'll do what he can and I'll face the rest as time allows. How healthy is that? [wry grin]

Working out (dragon boat for 20, please) - eating healthy - being kind to myself . . . these are my focus for the next month. We'll see where things are after a month of good habits.

Honora's Excellent Fremont Adventure

2005-06-25T20:06:00.001-07:00

Dateline June 18, 2005: I have had the nicest weekend, much of which took place in the Center of the Universe (aka Fremont, to Seattlites).

It began with drinks in Fremont on Friday evening . . . a lovely group of gals (yeah, you know who you are) at Nectar on 36th. Setting aside the hassle of parking in Fremont the night before the Solstice parade, there was a certain "pre-show" buzz in the air. The staff at Nectar putting up signs for the next day's festivities, vendors arriving, booths going up - it had that vibe of anticipation . . .

Winding up around 8:30 or so, it only made sense to continue on to karaoke beginning at 9:00 (well, okay -others don't seem to perceive this as inescapable logic like Karol and I do). But Ann came along anyhow (and was a good sport audience member).

The next day, the fun dialed up quite a few notches. Ann, Sabra and I met at 10:00 am to meander thru the Fremont Fair booths before the thundering hordes arrived - good plan, as it turned out. At the last minute, Jesse decided to join us. We all found parking with relative ease and, armed with water bottles, joined forces at the old Redhook Brewery and began shopping. Ann said she'd suck me into her vortex of shopping and . . . well, we all know how determined she is. :) But first she and Sabra bought great shirts with a chick saying "I am not a nugget!" Funny - different colors. I suppose it's anticlimactic to mention they are both vegetarians.

After much meandering, we stopped by Ann's office for a bathroom break. Then we explored the Art Cars - my personal favorite was the Sashimi Tabernacle Choir car. For the record, it took over 200 Billy Basses to set that sucker up (later in the day, I discovered one of my co-workers helped build it). And after doing the Hallelujah Chorus followed by Rawhide, those little crustaceans and fishes grabbed my heart forever by doing the theme to Mighty Mouse (y'know, the one AndyKaufman did all those years ago on Saturday Night Live?). The goth exterior car (including working fountain) had a live clown in traditional makeup in the front seat - the incongruity was disturbing. The High-Heel Shoe car was pretty cool, too.

I purchased some lovely green wool (next knitting group, anyone? Ann said she'd do it for me, but also offered to mentor me thru if I want to do it myself .. . 'course, I still haven't finished my hat . . . ) and a very lovely ear cuff (whose design nicely complements my existing Star of David stud in that ear). We headed up toward the main drag as parade time was growing near. My friends Ruth and Brian live in the new apt bldg. that everyone hates (the one with the funky metal sculptures on it). They were throwing a Solstice party so we stopped there for a drink and another bathroom break, then headed back up the stairs next to Blue C Sushi (Brian's place is a live/work loft midway down the stairs) to watch the parade.

It was an hour and one-half of wackiness but here are the two highlight moments of the day:

Parade Heckler guy - This tall, fashionably dressed man stood behind me at the curb (I was sitting on the street) and kept yelling at the parade participants ("hey! hey! What number are you?!?" while waving the parade guide; or worse, "stop!! stop!!" for no reason) but most of all, he kept yelling at any NON-participant just walking by on the street ('cause they couldn't walk down sidewalks), "Hey, you! Are you in the parade? Then you should be NEKKID!" or "Are you in the parade? Take your clothes off!" He was so obnoxious but with a wonderful deep, rich voice and I found it slightly fascinating - like Improv by Beckett . . . repetitious with lots of people waiting and murmuring crankily. Eventually, the crowd was revolting (ba-dum-bah!). No, seriously - the bride&groom contingent marched by and pulled a woman out of the crowd. Then a couple of them stood in front of us and everyone in the vicinity started yelling and pointing, "Him! Him! Take him!! And don't bring him back!!!" And THAT message had to happen twice (later with the Q-13 cameraman) before he settled down even slightly. Interestingly, when given a microphrone by the Q-13 dude, he totally wussed out and hid.
Purple Naked Tall Bike guy - There were many penises flapping in the breeze (note to non-Seattlites - the Fremont parade is famous for the naked bicyclists) but one took honors for the day. The guy was riding an old-fashioned tall bike and . . . my. My, my, my. Anyhoo, amused and impressed looks had been traded each time the guy went by (the naked bicyclists make a LOT of laps of the route). Later, Parade Heckler yelled "Stop" yet again and Purple Naked Tall Bike guy came over, jumped off his tall bike, cocked his hip (so to speak) and said, "What, already!?!" It was very amusing. He has been designated Phallusaurus by the partygoers at Brian's.

Down we went to Brian's for another drink. Then it was time to wander again and find lunch. Ann was tuckered out and said her farewells. Sabra, Jesse and I headed down the street. We saw Phallasaurus walking about wearing a skirt - not one of the many Utilikilts present - just a skirt . . . a looonng skirt.

We got henna tattoos. We listened to some music (mmmm, the blues and a shirtless handsome keyboardist. . . ). We saw some teenage kids we think were doing a minor drug deal. Note to kid - when wearing a huge, bright green cardboard marijuana leaf hanging from your neck, avoid standing in the shadows of buildings surreptiously digging in your pockets (although I AM happy you made friends at the NORML booth).

At 4:00, we wandered back to Brian's to say a quick goodbye. About two hours later, Sabra said her farewells. By then, four young'uns (early 20's) had joined us . . . nobody knew them, but that was okay. They certainly added to the joviality . . . and Jesse's interest level. So for the next hour, I nudged but she really didn't want to leave until the cute guys did. So . . . we finally said farewell around 7:30.

Sunday afternoon, my women's writing group suffered from summer weekend / Father's Day malaise. So May and I met and did a writing exercise about taking memories and making them into characters. We each thought about people we'd known between six and twelve, and wrote about that one person who could push your buttons - who had some kinda power over you. It was a really good exercise.

I went down to St. Martin's shelter on the waterfront Sunday night and served with the Friends of Francoise monthly 3rd Sunday dinner. I've served on holidays in city parks and I've *cooked* for 3rd Sundays at St.Mark's, but this was the first time I served *at* the shelter. Seeing the rows and rows of narrow mattresses on the floor (they paint rectangles on the floor so it's easy to lay out everything) and the signs with all the rules associated with group sleeping arrangements . . . it's quite a leveler.

Makes me all the more grateful for nice weekends. I have a mild sunburn and a pretty overt henna tattoo running across the back of my entire left hand and slightly up my arm, my daughter has thanked me something like six times for such a great weekend, and I feel pleasantly refreshed despite being so busy.

I know - it's been forever . . .

2005-06-25T20:06:00.000-07:00

. . . but life has been so busy that there's been little time to document it. New job, new department structure . . . many more obligations. I think I may have finally reached email breaking point - I'm now averaging 300+ per day . . . and that's just at work. Add DigitalEve Seattle, NWR, my three other email accounts and it easily tops 500+. [sigh] And to think I once liked the phrase "you've got mail."

So buckle your seatbelts - I'm about to slam a whole bunch of posts in before heading of on a brief roadtrip to Los Angeles and Phoenix (my gawd, for a gal who'd only been to Arizona once when I was four for a brief foray to the Grand Canyon, this will make my fifth trip to Phoenix in fifteen months). I hope you enjoy . . .

The Dominionists are Coming! The Dominionists are Coming!

2005-04-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

In fact, they're here . . . they're determined . . . and they're freaking scary. Imagine the founder of the Moral Majority, drunk on power and taking his rhetoric to the 10th power. [shudder] Rolling Stone examines this group in some depth in their April 2005 online edition. A snip from that article:

Meet the Dominionists -- biblical literalists who believe God has called them to take over the U.S. government. As the far-right wing of the evangelical movement, Dominionists are pressing an agenda that makes Newt Gingrich's Contract With America look like the Communist Manifesto. They want to rewrite schoolbooks to reflect a Christian version of American history, pack the nation's courts with judges who follow Old Testament law, post the Ten Commandments in every courthouse and make it a felony for gay men to have sex and women to have abortions. In Florida, when the courts ordered Terri Schiavo's feeding tube removed, it was the Dominionists who organized round-the-clock protests and issued a fiery call for Gov. Jeb Bush to defy the law and take Schiavo into state custody. Their ultimate goal is to plant the seeds of a "faith-based" government that will endure far longer than Bush's presidency -- all the way until Jesus comes back.
"Most people hear them talk about a 'Christian nation' and think, 'Well, that sounds like a good, moral thing,' says the Rev. Mel White, who ghostwrote Jerry Falwell's autobiography before breaking with the evangelical movement. "What they don't know -- what even most conservative Christians who voted for Bush don't know -- is that 'Christian nation' means something else entirely to these Dominionist leaders. This movement is no more about following the example of Christ than Bush's Clean Water Act is about clean water."
The godfather of the Dominionists is D. James Kennedy, the most influential evangelical you've never heard of. A former Arthur Murray dance instructor, he launched his Florida ministry in 1959, when most evangelicals still followed Billy Graham's gospel of nonpartisan soul-saving. Kennedy built Coral Ridge Ministries into a $37-million-a-year empire, with a TV-and-radio audience of 3 million, by preaching that it was time to save America -- not soul by soul but election by election. After helping found the Moral Majority in 1979, Kennedy became a five-star general in the Christian army. Bush sought his blessing before running for president -- and continues to consult top Dominionists on matters of federal policy.

The article goes on to discuss the systematic approach they are taking to stacking school boards and other community organizations that set the tone and rules by which our society lives, let alone their impact on the larger government and judicial entities which so profoundly shape our destinies as Americans. Ponder what you've done to ensure all people are represented at the community level so that a small group of dedicated fanatics are not allowed to overwhelm the Silent (Tolerant) Majority.

Footprint of Life

2005-04-10T18:19:00.000-07:00

[wistful memories] Ahhh, such beauty.

And the answer is . . . Nothing at all

2005-04-10T17:56:00.000-07:00

The question? What do they really wear under their kilts? The answer? Mmmmm . . . okay, I'll stop here.

Finally! A Religion I Can Get Down With (or, How I Became Known As "Sister Cattle Prod of Desirable Mindfulness")

2005-04-09T03:53:00.000-07:00

Jon Carroll, columnist with SF Gate, recently shared the following manifesto (sent to him via a spam remailer):

Greetings to the Imprisoned Citizens of the United States. We are Unitarian Jihad. There is only God, unless there is more than one God. (The vote of our God subcommittee is 10-8 in favor of one God, with two abstentions. ) Brother Flaming Sword of Moderation noted the possibility of there being no God at all, and his objection was noted with love by the secretary.

Greetings to the Imprisoned Citizens of the United States! Too long has your attention been waylaid by the bright baubles of extremist thought. Too long have fundamentalist yahoos of all religions (except Buddhism -- 14-5 vote, no abstentions, fundamentalism subcommittee) made your head hurt. Too long have you been buffeted by angry people who think that God talks to them. You have a right to your moderation! You have the power to be calm! We will use the IED of truth to explode the SUV of dogmatic expression!

People of the United States, why is everyone yelling at you??? Whatever happened to . . . you know, everything? Why is the news dominated by nutballs saying that the Ten Commandments have to be tattooed inside the eyelids of every American, or that Allah has told them to kill Americans in order to rid the world of Satan, or that Yahweh has instructed them to go live wherever they feel like, or that Shiva thinks bombing mosques is a great idea? Sister Immaculate Dagger of Peace notes for the record that we mean no disrespect to Jews, Muslims, Christians or Hindus. (Referred back to the committee of the whole for further discussion.)

We are Unitarian Jihad. We are everywhere. We have not been born again, nor have we sworn a blood oath. We do not think that God cares what we read, what we eat or whom we sleep with. Brother Neutron Bomb of Serenity notes for the record that he does not have a moral code but is nevertheless a good person, and Unexalted Leader Garrote of Forgiveness stipulates that Brother Neutron Bomb of Serenity is a good person, and this is to be reflected in the minutes.
Beware! Unless you people shut up and begin acting like grown-ups with brains enough to understand the difference between political belief and personal faith, the Unitarian Jihad will begin a series of terrorist-like actions. We will take over television studios, kidnap so-called commentators and broadcast calm, well-reasoned discussions of the issues of the day. We will not try for "balance" by hiring fruitcakes; we will try for balance by hiring non-ideologues who have carefully thought through the issues.

We are Unitarian Jihad. We will appear in public places and require people to shake hands with each other. (Sister Hand Grenade of Love suggested that we institute a terror regime of mandatory hugging, but her motion was not formally introduced because of lack of a quorum.) We will require all lobbyists, spokesmen and campaign managers to dress like trout in public. Televangelists will be forced to take jobs as Xerox repair specialists. Demagogues of all stripes will be required to read Proust out loud in prisons.

We are Unitarian Jihad, and our motto is: "Sincerity is not enough." We have heard from enough sincere people to last a lifetime already. Just because you believe it's true doesn't make it true. Just because your motives are pure doesn't mean you are not doing harm. Get a dog, or comfort someone in a nursing home, or just feed the birds in the park. Play basketball. Lighten up. The world is not out to get you, except in the sense that the world is out to get everyone.

Brother Gatling Gun of Patience notes that he's pretty sure the world is out to get him because everyone laughs when he says he is a Unitarian. There were murmurs of assent around the room, and someone suggested that we buy some Congress members and really stick it to the Baptists. But this was deemed against evolutionary Principles, and Brother Gatling Gun of Patience was remanded to the Sunday Flowers and Banners committee.

People of the United States! We are Unitarian Jihad! We can strike without warning. Pockets of reasonableness and harmony will appear as if from nowhere! Nice people will run the government again! There will be coffee and cookies in the Gandhi Room after the revolution.

Let us pray . . .

When Good Patriotism Goes Bad

2005-04-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

It is videos like this that buttress the argument that patriotism is nothing but jingoistic, over-emotional diviseness that prevents the world from living together as one people.

And I quote my friend Mike:

If they drive us to make videos like this one, then the terrorists have already won.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Excuse me while I go wash my mind and spirit out with soap after that one. [shudder]

Bwwa-haa-haa-haaah! Beat the Man! (or How to Navigate Famous Companies' Phone Trees to (gasp!) Actually Speak To Humans!)

2005-04-06T19:28:00.000-07:00

No, really! I wouldn't yank your chain on this one. Find-A-Human will get you out of voicemail hell quickly and efficiently. Gawd, I LOVE the internet! And you can help with the handy-dandy ADD A NEW COMPANY button. Yup, all you sinners (you know who you are) can stoke your karmic bank account (yes, I know I'm mixing my religious metaphors - get over it). So be a mensch - next time you find steam coming out of your ears as you tediously pick your way thru voicemail menus of your now least-favorite large corporate entity, keep good notes and then make your pain someone else's gain.

Dental Work Brings Out The Cranky In Me

2005-04-04T22:39:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time (like, 20 freaking years ago), a lovely young lass had her wisdom teeth removed. The dentist in question had some real problems removing one of the four teeth - in fact, they had to "section" (or quarter) the bottom left wisdom tooth in order to remove it. And having such problems, our dentist was none too happy to have our heroine insist on staying awake during the procedure - much easier to dig in and yank when folks are unconscious. However, finally the procedure was complete and off our heroine went to smoke copious amounts of pot (hey, it was Hollywood 20 years ago) and generally loll around until she no longer resembled a chipmunk.

However, it was a typically hot day in Southern California and, being young and thus lacking foresight, our heroine didn't have her pain prescriptions filled prior to attempting to navigate the Hollywood Freeway from the Valley back to her Hollywood home . . . through the inevitable traffic jam that allowed for a maximum average speed of -5 miles per hour. Fortunately for our heroine and the population of Greater Los Angeles, she brought a driver with her so when she passed out, the only panic attack it occasioned was that of her driver, the infamous Now-Ex (not a person known for handling emergency situations with panache). In fairness, our heroine's deathly pale pallor, seeming heat-stroke symptoms (I mean, it was REALLY hot) and quickly ballooning cheeks would have freaked the most stoic person out - especially when stuck in the middle of the Hollywood Freeway with no seeming alternatives to rescue her from the certain death that appeared around the corner. Nonetheless, finally they wound their way back to Hollywood, to a pharmacy, and finally to the homestead where a combination of codeine, Tylenol and marijuana brought life and liveliness back to our heroine.

Why recap that episode of dental horror now? Because our heroine (hey! that's me!) just had her wisdom tooth out. [beat] I'm waiting - you'll get it. [beat] Yup, it was recently discovered that said dentist (here on out, referred to as "the bastard") did NOT, in fact, remove all four wisdom teeth. It appears when the going got tough, the bastard got out . . . leaving behind most of the allegedly "sectioned" (or quartered) wisdom tooth behind. Yeah, "quartered it"- if, by which, you mean, "took only the top quarter of the tooth" (my current dentist referred to it as a "crownectomy" - WTF?), then sure - thanks for "quartering it." [end bitter sarcasm]

So here I sit, with chipmunk cheek finally subsiding to near normal proportions (but not before scaring the neighborhood kids) albeit a bruised shade of yellow-green that is normally not found outside a diaper (and a lovely abstract pattern of red veining centered therein). I'm out of Percocet but my oh-so-generous dental surgeon [oops, I already said I was done with bitter sarcasm, didn't I? Well, I lied - get over it] gracefully offered me another prescription of 600 mg Ibuprofen. Really? Wow! You mean, you're offering me the same thing I could accomplish by taking three of what's in my damn kitchen?!? Y'know, the stuff that doesn't cut it?!? Wow, thanks. [eyes rolling] I'm so irritated at doctors' over-the-top parsimonious attitude. This overreaction to the 60s/70s over-prescription years is so . . . 90's, y'know? Get over it. Finally, a medical board in Oregon has disciplined a doctor for undertreating a patient's pain. Perhaps the pendulum will finally find the rational center. In the meantime, my freaking jaw hurts and I'm damn cranky -and that's after taking two of the prescription Ibuprofen - 1200 mg total - and four Anacin - another 1200 mg. For someone with my tolerance for pain, that's not good. Oy. [end whine]

Where Have All The Good Dives Gone?

2005-03-31T20:50:00.000-08:00

One comic strip artist traces the "evolution" (or devolution) of dive bars in historic Ballard, specifically Hattie's Hat. Even if you're unfamiliar with the Seattle area, I suspect the following excerpt speaks to most of us, bringing waves of nostalgia for bar days gone by:

These Bukowski clones could barely even squeeze INTO Hattie's anymore, let alone punch people in it, what with all the sudden throngs of black-clad 20-somethings and their dot com dollars hogging up the joint. Soon many of them were taking their business elsewhere, only to have their other homes-away-from-home pulled out from under them time and time again
*** flash forward a couple of panels ***
The windbreaker clad 50-somethings sitting at the Smokeroom's bar hate what's happened to Hattie's and the rest of the Row. They'll gladly rag on all these johnny-come-lately yuppies and hipsters at the drop of a hat. "These young kids spend money like it grows on trees! They never ask what a beer costs. They just order it and drink it! So of course all the bars want to cater to them." Good point! In fact, I'm surprised the Smokeroom's management hasn't 86'd all these cheapskates as well by now, and put a sign in the window saying "Yuppies and Hipsters Welcome!"

No? Then, clearly, you haven't lived. Plus, you just have to love any website called suck.com.

Bush's Hotmail - I swear, Mr. Homeland Security, it wasn't me who hacked in . . .

2005-03-30T19:13:00.000-08:00

What do you bet his password was "1234?" Anyhow, enjoy a view of Bush's Hotmail Inbox - most revealing. (Okay, okay - we all know it's a joke - a real Hotmail account would have hella spam, too.)

Ya Snooze, Ya Lose: eBay auction - Buy Social Security

2005-03-22T20:46:00.000-08:00

Well, it finally happened. Billionaires for Bush have decided to take care of things once and for all. In their own words:

Due to the surprising failure of carefully staged "conversations" across America to convince the American Public that Privatizing Social Security is a good thing, we have decided to take matters into our own hands.
What You Get: $ Winning bidder (to repeat, you must be a Wall St. Firm (see note below) may immediately begin charging ordinary Americans: Brokerage fees! Deposit fees! Management fees! Service fees! Early withdrawal fees! Fees to process fees! New owners will be allowed to invent any new fees we haven’t thought of yet!

It's only the best eBay auction EVER! No - really. Ya gotta admire folks who invest so much time, energy and creativity just to make us little folk happy. Check out the Lottery Scratch Cards low on the page. And don't miss the invite to the April Fool's Day Billionaires Ball ("dress to oppress!") near the bottom.

And, yes, you need to view it at the link I've thoughfully provided because eBay pulled the ad quicker than you can say, "capitalist." Once again, we thank the witty folks at whitehouse.org for providing a free laugh to lighten our overtaxed Democratic souls. [wince - sorry, I couldn't resist] Think we're giving Bush too hard a time? Check Factcheck.org for an enlightening article on the statistics used to convince us of the Social Security "crisis" [/finger quotes and eye-rolling] and then make up your own mind.

More Homage for Lilek . . . this time, Regrettable European Interiors of the 70's

2005-03-21T19:28:00.000-08:00

Horrifying doesn't begin to describe 'em . . . and for an added bonus, check out the fashions on the models lounging around oh, so naturally in their hip and happening living spaces. I now bring you . . . Eurobad '74!

Avocado green, burnt orange, faux brick and (buckle your saddle for this one) a combo kitchen/stable! Beats hell out of the subsequent kitchen/garage in neon green - what's with the kitchen/transportation theme? The early days of fast food as a design inspiration?

I must admit, though - the most disturbing image is the high school age girl in the bathroom (with knee high socks, no less) swatting her much younger brother's hand away as he tries to flip up her jean mini-skirt for a peek. Ewwwww . . . and if it's not her brother, what the hell is the neighbor doing in the bathroom while she's getting ready for school? Never mind - I don't want to know.

Wow . . . I mean, wow! An homage to "Regrettable Food"

2005-03-14T20:14:00.000-08:00

I was told that James Lilek had retired his inspired site Gallery of Regrettable Food (oh, the horror!). However, it appears rumors of his demise are greatly exaggerated (and we all breathe a collective sigh of relief).

Not only is he still going strong, but his influence is spreading. We now present Candyboot's Weight Watcher Recipe Cards from 1974. Be afraid . . . be very afraid.

You're Richer Than You Think

2005-03-13T20:22:00.001-08:00

And if you don't believe me, visit Global Rich List. Enter your annual salary and find out where you rank on the list of worldwide wealth. I guarantee you're doing better than you think you are. Kudos to Poke, a creative agency based in London that specializes in interactive media (and recent winners of a BAFTA award for their work on Alexander McQueen's fashion website).

As they note, three billion people live on less than $2 per day while 1.3 billion get by on less than $1 per day. Seventy percent of those living on less than $1 per day are women. So in their own words:

WHY ARE WE DOING IT? We are obsessed with wealth. But we gauge how rich we are by looking upwards at those who have more than us. This makes us feel poor. We wanted to do something which would help people understand, in real terms, where they stand globally. And make us realise that in fact most of us (who are able to view this web page) are in the privileged minority. We want people to feel rich. And give some of their ‘extra’ money to a worthwhile charity.

You can't beat that with a stick. Bravo - now go spread some of your own wealth (if not cash, then time and energy - we all have some of that to offer).

Evite - Social Crack . . . but with colorful templates

2005-03-06T20:44:00.000-08:00

Evite has me hooked something fierce. At any given time these days, I have 6-8 invites on my list. And half of 'em are ones I've sent. It's gotten so that my social engagements don't feel quite real if they aren't on my Evite list. [sigh]

But I'm using my Evite powers for good - I've just helped Linda, the volunteer coordinator for Friends of Francoise, set up the volunteers on Evite. Now we can keep track of who is volunteering for the four big holiday meals for the homeless (New Years, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas) as well as the monthly meals. Plus, Evite provides a sign-up/survey feature that will let us parse the volunteers across transport, cooking, serving and clean-up. The transport part is because, while we cook at St. Mark's kitchen, we often serve downtown or in other areas where homeless folks congregate. It's too hard for them to come to us, so we bring the food to them.

So, yes, somehow I've been shanghai'd into cooking the Easter Dinner at St. Mark's - don't have all the details yet, but something to do with the usual chef needing to leave early and trouble getting the kitchen. I think it's partially due to St. Mark's hosting Tent City during March and April. So the only way we could have the kitchen was if we agreed to cook for two other events - oh, Lawd, what have I gotten into this time?

Anyhow, here's my Evite list for first quarter 2005 (so far):

Mike & Shari's First Annual Dance Party - 1/22 (they didn't Evite, but told everyone to invite friends . . . so, of course, that meant via Evite for me - live band and lots of fun)
NWR Knit-In - 1/23 (almost finished my first hat)
DigitalEve Seattle Potluck - 1/28 - (co-host/Chapter Leader)
Girl's Movie Night - 80's Guilty Pleasures & Vegan Mexican - Yum! - 1/29
Super Bowl at Casa de Carne - 2/6
Chinese New Year Bonfire - 2/12 (had to pass at the last minute - it was raining and I was struggling with a cold)
Third Annual Casa de Carne (Debi's) Housewarming & Game Night - 2/19 (damn, that was some good jumbalaya, red beans and rice)
Movie Madness: Ray & brunch at Portage Bay Cafe - 2/20 (hosting)
Movie Madness: Million Dollar Baby & Dinner at Lotus Thai - 2/21 (hosting with May Leong)
Movie Madness: Finding Neverland & dinner at The District Lounge - 2/23 (hosting with May Leong)
NWR Knitfest (aka Toasty Noggins - a cancer charity for which we knit hats) - 2/27 (had to decline due to . . . )
Ladies Slumber Party - 2/23-24- my contribution was dinner for 8 (roasted vegetables, grilled chicken seasoned with Adobo, and crudites for days). Remember - what happens in Bellingham, stays in Bellingham. 'Nuff said.
Animation Festival 2005 & Dinner at Chipolte's - 3/2 (Hosting)
Women's Writers Group - 3/6 (Hosting)
Spring Happy Hour/Sabra's Birthday - 3/10
May's Birthday Bonfire - 3/26
"Surviving the Big One" Earthquake Preparedness & Shake Yer Booty Party - 4/3 (Hosting with Jennifer Johnson)
Coming Soon: Wylie & the Wild West at the Tractor Tavern - 4/15 - my chosen birthday gathering. Separate Evite for a smaller group for dinner first - maybe at Carmelita? TBD
Coming Soon: Women's Writer Group - 4/29

Some Kind of Wonderful

2005-03-06T19:48:00.000-08:00

Heard a slow jam today - "Some Kind of Wonderful." Love a fresh take on stuff . . . and, mmmm, that was a good one. Slow it down . . . make it tease . . . it rocked. All girl band - Pam Grier (aka Foxy Brown) and Betty (the hot band from The L Word). Definitely fresh - download it from iTunes - for that matter, get one of their CDs (available on their website, not iTunes). More than worth the investment.

Why Women Live Longer Than Men . . .

2005-02-11T18:19:00.000-08:00

A photo contest . . . boy, it's amazing all the thrills and chills I've missed out on in life.

Writing and Singing the Blues - A Primer

2005-02-05T08:31:00.000-08:00

From my friend Jody - I don't know where she found it, but it gets it all just about right:

Most Blues begin, "Woke up this morning."
"I got a good woman" is a bad way to begin the Blues, 'less you stick something nasty in the next line, like "I got a good woman, with the meanest face in town."
The Blues is simple. After you get the first line right, repeat it. Then find something that rhymes . . . sort of: "Got a good woman - with the meanest face in town. Got teeth like Margaret Thatcher - and she weigh 500 pound."
The Blues are not about choice. You stuck in a ditch, you stuck in a ditch - ain't no way out.
Blues cars: Chevys and Cadillacs and broken-down trucks. Blues don't travel in Volvos, BMWs, or Sport Utility Vehicles. Most Blues transportation is a Greyhound bus or a southbound train. Jet aircraft an' state-sponsored motor pools ain't even in the running. Walkin' plays a major part in the blues lifestyle. So does fixin' to die.
Teenagers can't sing the Blues. They ain't fixin' to die yet. Adults sing the Blues. In Blues, "adulthood" means being old enough to get the electric chair if you shoot a man in Memphis.
Blues can take place in New York City but not in Hawaii or any place in Canada. Hard times in St. Paul or Tucson is just depression. Chicago, St.Louis, and Kansas City still the best places to have the Blues. You cannot have the blues in any place that don't get rain.
A man with male pattern baldness ain't the blues. A woman with male pattern baldness is. Breaking your leg cuz you skiing is not the blues. Breaking your leg 'cuz an alligator be chomping on it is.
You can't have no Blues in an office or a shopping mall. The lighting is wrong. Go outside to the parking lot or sit by the dumpster.
Good places for the Blues:
a. highway
b. jailhouse
c. empty bed
d. bottom of a whiskey glass
Bad places:
a. Ashrams
b. gallery openings
c. Ivy League institutions
d. golf courses

No one will believe it's the Blues if you wear a suit, 'less you happen to be an old ethnic person, and you slept in it.
Do you have the right to sing the Blues? Yes, if:
a. you're older than dirt.
b. you're blind.
c. you shot a man in Memphis.
d. you can't be satisfied.
No, if:
a. you have all your teeth.
b. you were once blind but now can see.
c. the man in Memphis lived.
d. you have a retirement plan or trust fund.
Blues is not a matter of color. It's a matter of bad luck. Tiger Woods cannot sing the blues. Gary Coleman could. Ugly white people also got a leg up on the blues.
If you ask for water and Baby give you gasoline, it's the Blues. Other acceptable Blues beverages are:
a. wine
b. whiskey or bourbon
c. muddy water
d. black coffee
The following are NOT Blues beverages:
a. mixed drinks
b. kosher wine
c. Snapple
d. sparkling water
If it occurs in a cheap motel or a shotgun shack, it's a Blues death. Stabbed in the back by a jealous lover is another Blues way to die. So is the electric chair, substance abuse, and dying lonely on a broken down cot. You can't have a Blues death if you die during a tennis match or while getting liposuction.
Some Blues names for women:
a. Sadie
b. Big Mama
c. Bessie
d. Fat River Dumpling
Some Blues names for men:
a. Joe
b. Willie
c. Little Willie
d. Big Willie
Persons with names like Sierra, Sequoia, Auburn, and Rainbow can't sing the Blues no matter how many men they shoot in Memphis.
Make your own Blues name (starter kit):
a. name of physical infirmity (Blind, Cripple, Lame, etc.)
b. first name (see above) plus name of fruit (Lemon, Lime, Kiwi, etc.)
c. last name of President (Jefferson, Johnson, Fillmore, etc.)
For example, Blind Lime Jefferson, or Cripple Kiwi Fillmore, etc. (Well, maybe not "Kiwi.")
I don't care how tragic your life: you own a computer, you cannot sing the blues. You best destroy it. Fire, a spilled bottle of Mad Dog, or get out a shotgun. Maybe your big woman just done sat on it. I don't care.

So following these rules (and eliminating "Perimenopausal ChokeCherry Carter" as it just doesn't roll trippingly off the tongue), my Blues Name will be Scarbelly Lime Lincoln. You may address all future correspondence accordingly.

Meaningless rituals

2005-02-02T18:32:00.000-08:00

From my friend, Dianne:

Today is Groundhog Day and the State of the Union Address. As Air America Radio pointed out, "it is an ironic juxtaposition: one involves a meaningless ritual in which we look to a creature of little intelligence for prognostication -- and the other involves a groundhog."

Waiter! Drink, please . . .

A Summary of Recent Googling . . .

2005-01-17T15:33:00.000-08:00

So here are a few of today's stops on Miz Honora's Wild Research Ride:

Breast Lift: Errrr, well, this is an awkward start. But it was all about breasts on THE List this weekend - whose rack is worthy of note; bra sites; breast lifts; to underwire or not to underwire; and on and on and ON . . . with more than a few side trips onto whose do is more noteworthy in the championships of big hair. Guess who came out well on the latter? [grin] It was all very quippy and amusing for the most part.

Thus, the need to Google "breast lift" in order to discover what other folks were truly talking about . . . and, jeeeez, I don't get it. My logic is this: If your clothes are on, so's your bra - thus, no need for lift. It's with your clothes off that you want that perky performance from your teens . . . and with the scarring involved in mastopexy, I'd never want to take my clothes off in front of man or mirror again. Thanks - I'll stick with the girls as currently configured.

Davening which led to the etymology of Omein which led to the etymology of Amen: All of which begin with re-watching the latter half of Trembling before G-d, a truly fascinating exploration of the gay experience in the Orthodox Jewish community. I'd asked questions on THE List a couple of years ago to try and better understand certain aspects of Jewish prayer but had not really gotten much response. So today's rebroadcast on Sundance Channel provided a good opportunity to follow up further. Praying and Davening - I'm still not exactly sure if the terms are interchangeable. It's time to sit down with a rabbi or two.

Death of Mussolini: Fact-checking a remark made by Mishka on THE List in response to an article posted about Seymour Hirsh's thoughts about the U.S. possibly bombing Iran. In fact, I believe she is wrong about [squick alert] Mussolini genital's being cut off and stuffed in his mouth. Not that his death wasn't violent enough, mind you. However, given Mishka's family history of escaping Nazis and the focus of her post (which centered around moral responsibility to humankind, self-interest and becoming alert to upcoming national tragedy), it would have been off-topic and small to respond on that element. But I wanted to know for myself.

Marcia Davenport: Gawd, I just love this woman. She's been a quiet, small obsession for the better part of 25 years. Her mother was a famous opera singer (Alma Gluck), her step-father a famous violinist and conductor (Efrem Zimbalist), her younger half-brother a famous actor (yes, THAT Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.) and her half-niece also a famous actor (Stephanie Zimbalist). Oh, and her second husband was pretty famous, too (Russell Davenport, founder of Fortune magazine) and her editor was the great Maxwell Perkins. Ever since I stumbled upon her autobiography Too Strong for Fantasy (literally, an unexpected treasure - sitting in a box of hard-cover books in my mother's garage), I have adored and admired this woman's talent both (1) as an author and (2) as a fascinating link to amazing events and people. Y'know, some folks just live interesting lives . . . she truly did.

Harper's Ferry and John Brown: A little refresher to round out an episode of one of my favorite PBS shows of recent times, History Detectives (although the site load time is for crap). Just how did this woman's family end up with the family letters of John Brown? Great ride tracing it back . . . and anything that lands at an early suffragette, you know I'm there!

Okay, I'll stop here - there's still Seattle Driving Schools (research request from a friend), Gulf Islands (somewhat tongue-in-cheek suggestion from Mike that we all cut and run before Bush starts bombing runs on Iran as suggested by Seymour Hersh - but the real estate looks pricier than a hippie commune could go); Internet Movie Database for a wide range of things (from who took over for Richard Harris in Harry Potter 3 to Efrem Zimbalist's appearance in Wait Until Dark); Blogger.com for various friends blogs; and more.

[sigh] I know, scary, isn't it? My parents were alcoholics (mom just celebrated her 50th A.A. Birthday!) . . . I'm a Google-holic. Admitting it is the first step . . .

The Christmas Lights That Ate The Planet

2005-01-13T23:01:00.000-08:00

Well, the site's navigation frankly sucks, but the content? Amazing(ly tacky) . . . and fabulous. The 2004 pics are up on UglyChristmasLights.com.

Southern Poverty Law Center's Map of Active U.S. Hate Groups in 2003

2005-01-13T19:17:00.000-08:00

[sigh] Know thy enemies. Sure makes Vermont and South Dakota attractive.

The Southern Poverty Law Center's well-produced map allows you to review the known hate groups in your neck of the woods. Not fun to contemplate, but important to know. BTW, Jesse's elementary school (oh, how many years ago was that?!) was one of two schools featured in the Law Center's book Starting Small.

[side note] Happy Medium's site was the first website I ever built . . . gawd, so many years ago - didn't hand code it (used [shhh] FrontPage [hangs head shamefacedly]). Go ahead and chuckle - there is much I would do, programatically and aesthetically, differently if I did it again. But we all started somewhere. And what does it say that they're still using it almost identically to its original architecture and design appearance? [wry grin]

Snow after all . . .

2005-01-09T10:38:00.000-08:00

Well, my women writers group was supposed to meet at 1:00 today at Barnes & Noble in U-Village. While I can walk down there, I'm doubtful any of the others will make it . . .

In the meantime, we've got 2-3 inches here behind U-Village. The dog and I just came back in from an hour-long spontaneous Block Snow Party. Imagine about 8-10 kids under age 10, five dogs (a golden lab, 2 golden retrievers, a pug and my cockapoo), 8 adults (me with a leash in one hand and a cuppa coffee in the other) . . . all wandering up and down the block (a stretch of about five houses on each side) - everyone's yard gets some "hang time."

Five-year-old Madeline is busily rolling snowman balls in each of our yards (trying to stay ahead of the dogs who scuff up the pristine snow blankets on our lawns). She's using her Radio Flyer wagon to then haul the beach ball-sized snowballs back to her house.

The dogs are competing to see who can mark more territory, giving us the chance to teach all the kids an important life lesson: Don't eat yellow snow.

Two of the kids are only six months old - bundled in their little snowsuits and hanging from their mamas' front-facing baby carriers, they have slightly perplexed wide-eyed expressions. They seem to be thinking very hard, "Okay, I recognize the people . .. I recognize the dogs . . . but what's up with that background? Why is everything so white?"

Then the teens hit the streets . . . suffice to say, "Duck!" is the operative word from here on out. Jay across the street has assumed the mantle that Jesse's father abdicated upon moving back to CA, i.e., block target for the kids. Better him than me. I realize this makes two generations of elementary age kids I've gotten to watch in snow play mode. Jesse and the Flennikens who used to live across the street . . . now she's sixteen and the block baby boom of the past decade give me a chance to see a whole new crop.

I do give eight-year-old Natalie some strategic insights . . . "Okay, wait until Jay is really occupied with the teens by the white car. Then move to the front of my car, snag some snow from the hood and get him from behind while he's not looking." I then retire to the safety of my front porch to enjoy the show.

Jesse is the lone holdout among the kids . . . she's being all California Girl "no, it's too cold out there." But Genni and Emma have finally coaxed her out and now all the kids are settling into front porch conversations while the dogs romp.

I'm cold enough that I'm back inside having leftover meatloaf and mashed potatoes for breakfast (mmmmm -that'll stick to your ribs). Winter is when we typically don't see each other as much (except for delivering holidays treats to each other). Snow is a nice opportunity for a winter version of the summer "just hanging out in the front yard" social scene.

It's been a nice morning. :) Happy snow day, everyone.

Looks aren't everything . . .

2005-01-06T21:19:00.000-08:00

Not happy with the President as currently configured? Build a better Bush . . .

Psuedo-Science for the New Millenium (animitronics and Biblical prophesy, all in one!)

2005-01-02T18:54:00.000-08:00

My friend Beth asks: Did you know that Adam and Eve were chased from the garden of Eden by a T. Rex? You probably believe in evolution too . . . *snicker*

Her mirth is inspired by this Telegraph article . It tells of the new multi-million-dollar Museum of Creation (museum? amusement park?) under construction in Kentucky which will evidently open in Spring 2005. [sigh]

I suppose on the humorous side:

[snip] Mr Ham is particularly proud of a planned reconstruction of the interior of Noah's Ark. "You will hear the water lapping, feel the Ark rocking and perhaps even hear people outside screaming," he said. [/snip]

Thank gawd, because without the screaming, what's the point? "Cue infidels! . . . and you're writhing . . . you're writhing . . . you're screaming . . . that's it! Faaaaabulous!" After all, they had it coming to 'em.

But more seriously, when I read something like this:

[snip] Followers of creationism have been pushing for their theories to be reintegrated into American schoolroom teaching ever since the celebrated 1925 "Scopes MonkeyTrial", when US courts upheld the right of a teacher to use textbooks that included evolutionary theory. In 1987, the US Supreme Court reinforced that position by banning the teaching of creationism in public schools on the grounds of laws that separate state and Church. Since then, however, many schools – particularly in America's religious Deep South – have got around the ban by teaching the theory of "intelligent design", which claims that evolutionary ideas alone still leave large gaps in understanding. [/snip]

. . . I find myself wishing "my side" would stand up and . . . I don't know - adopt the tactics of some of these horrible "God Hates Fags" creeps and ring the damn place with protesters on Opening Day. And could we find ourselves a nice obsessive-compulsive liberal (or scientist - whatever) who's willing to stand outside the museum every day with signs that read "Psuedo-science For Dummies" and "In the Beginning . . . there was Evolution - Don't Be Fooled!"

I know [deep breath] - there's a good argument that it would just give fundamentalists the publicity they want. But I just hate to see something like this go up without challenge. Oy- the numbers of kids for whom "the musuem" [sarcastic finger quotes] will define their scientific reality. [shakes head]

Maybe the collective liberal and/or scientific "we" could buy the hill across the road from "the museum" and erect huge billboards challenging their creationism crap? [mumbling] I'd contribute . . .

Holiday Gatherings - full of warmth and laughter

2005-01-02T09:02:00.000-08:00

Dec. 14 - Systems Dept. party at Marco's Supper Club - Marco's shut the place down for our annual lunch (far more outsiders wandering in, looking for a table - guess business is up at Marco's - good for them) . We had mussels, spring rolls and (staff fave) fried sage leaves as appetizers. Then a range of choices for main course - I went with corn & cheese stuffed poblanos. And a range of desserts (tiramisu, chocolate cake, flan, etc.) - we just had 'em bring one of each and everyone passed 'em around the table. We also did our annual White Elephant exchange - being the "Ethel Merman voice" of the group, I acted as fearless leader to keep the exchange moving along. Many of the annual horrors (the dancing flowers; the scary lamp) along with new crap . . . er, choices. I ended up with an Alex Rodriguez doll that brought many boos and hisses - gave it to one of my staff to give her son. Problem solved - much laughter and silliness by all.

Dec. 17 - Firm party - Benaroya Hall and after-party at Kell's Pub - My day actually started much earlier with the firm's Choir - 9:00 am, to be precise. It's a firm tradition to carol on each floor as Santa and his elves (three newer attorneys enduring a type of hazing ritual) pass out pins to commemorate this year's charitable giving project. We started on the 49th floor and worked our way down (about 4 songs per floor) to 36 . . . then across the street to the group in the Galland Building. Finally finished around 11:30 am - by the last three floor, we'd told the choral director "no quiet-type songs, e.g., Silent Night" - our voices were already too far gone. But for only a single run-through (well, at least on my part - people keep scheduling meetings right over choir rehearsal), the harmonies sounded damn fine. Thank gawd I decided to sing tenor for the day - if I'd gone with alto, my voice woulda given out even sooner.

The main party at Benaroya beginning at noon with great catering, two bars and the firm's House Band playing Christmas tunes in a rocking sort of way. Never really got to eat as I spent so much time introducing newer employees to longtime firm folks (it's a dauntingly large group of folks when you're new, and everyone knows me - they spend their first day with my training staff). Still managed a few dances, including the annual spin with the Exec Director - gives people a chance to mock both of us (grin). The new lawyers did their annual "oooooh, I have to humiliate myself in front of you?" hazing ritual - not the most memorable firm skit ever, but certainly not the most embarrassing. Party wrapped up around 3:00 pm with a final glass of wine back in the lobby.

I had chance discussion with Elva (our previous party organizer having left the firm to move to another state) who was wondering where she could get some mix CDs for the after-party. I offered to let her look at the playlists I put together for Kate's wedding reception and suddenly found myself in the role of firm D.J. Thus, I spent most of the previous evening (Thurs. night) uploading a gig or so of CD tunes (and purchasing a few via iTunes). Although Elva loved the playlists, I wasn't so sure the Sinatra, Judy Garland and Fred Astaire would go over big with a holiday after-party crowd (although I remain quite proud of the Prince-to-Four Tops-to-Astaire transition on the original playlist). (grin) So I uploaded, deleted and remixed - eventually coming up with four playlists for her (each CD about 18 songs - what will comfortably burn to a single CD). So there was music a'plenty.

A new venue this year - instead of Noc Noc Club again, Elva made the executive decision to try a new place. So Kell's Irish Pub in Pike Place Market (down Post Alley) it was - their back room is large, has its own bar area (so they could focus on our folks) and is walking distance from the building. The owner was hesitant to let us play our own CDs (quote "I don't want any rap in here" unquote, said with an Irish accent). Elva convinced him to just start Disc 1 . . . and at the end, he hunted her down, complaining that he needed the next one and wanting to know if he could keep a copy of 'em. (preening) Why, yes - I do appreciate the affirmation. And the legal messengers now greet me in the hall with a shoutout, "Hey, D.J. H!" (grin) I cut out early-ish (around 7:30) in utter exhaustion and with drink starting to catch up (that's what happens when you don't eat enough throughout the day - next year, regardless of the caroling commitment, I'm eating breakfast - if I don't sing as well on a full stomach, well, too bad). Thus, I had to bow out of meeting friends at 9:00 pm at Highway 99 Blues Club to celebrate Crystal's birthday - sorry, it was just too much full-day partying for this gal!

Dec. 23 - Parade of Boats - Jesse and I attended a party at our friends Hosie and V's house on Lake Union. Their home has a wide balcony that overlooks the lake, providing a wonderful venue to watch the annual Parade of Boats. It is truly something to see 70 or more boats stream onto Lake Union through the Montlake Cut, all brightly lit up with Christmas lights. You can hear the choir from the large Argosy Tour Boat, their voices floating across the water to those of us on land. It was beautiful and peaceful and full of good friends, food and laughter. See post below (Holiday Baking) for food Jesse and I brought - highlights from others included Deviled Eggs, my friend Ann's gingerbread, and tons of other cookies and baked goods.

December 24 - annual "Christmas Eve for Jews and Orphans" at Debi and Mike's. Debi, Ann and I cooked blissfully together for three hours (no small feat for three control freaks) - prime rib, two kinds of roast vegetables, rice pilaf, and more. Apple pie, pumpkin pie, chocolate mousse tart (vegan - made with silken tofu) and more . . . . Then the dozen or so guests settled in to watch Porky's and Napolean Dynamite - quite irreverent and warm and lovely.

Christmas Day was Jesse and I at home with the annual "Wandering To and From the Neighbors" - we had delivered the loaves of cranberry-orange bread we bake each year over the previous couple of days, so those who still had some left were able to enjoy that for Christmas Breakfast. Jesse and I had planned a frittata, but got lazy. So plain scrambled eggs with onions and corn (her favorite) along with Yukon Gold potatoes. Yummm . . .

We opened gifts with her dad Albert on speaker phone from California and the "Blue Yule" and "Women sing Holiday Tunes" CDs on in the background - it was good family time. We then had Grandma on speaker phone to discuss said gifts and hear about Christmas Eve in CA at George and LeeAnn's. I'm glad to hear everyone liked the gifts we sent. Then Jesse was off to visit neighbors and hear what everyone else got.

We watched more movies and made a huge Christmas feast (far more than two can eat, but that's okay - we "ate from the pot" for the next 3-4 from the leftovers).

More posts to follow about my week off leading up to New Year's, plus summary and reviews of all the movies watched this holiday season. Hope everyone had many loving friends and family with whom to share their holidays.

A very white Christmas for some . . . but snowless in Seattle

2004-12-24T13:25:00.000-08:00

My friend Nick went home for Christmas to Liberty, Indianna . . . and has ended up in the eye of the storm - 32 inches total (four feet high in some places because of the drifts). It started snowing Tuesday night and ended late Wednesday night . . . 24 hours!

His dad is on the roof right now pushing 4 plus feet off the roof to prevent cave-in. Temperature this a.m. was minus 9. It's crystal clear, blue and beautiful today.

He says, "We've been stuck inside for two days - thank gawd my parents know how to stock a liquer cabinet and a refrigerator." From his reports, the menu appears to be "all beef, all the time" in the heartland.

Just checked the weather forecast for us in Seattle . . . I'm thinking I'll have to live vicariously thru Nick's White Christmas. High in the mid-40s for the next few days - while it might get to a low of 31 on Sunday night, probably not enough moisture to give us even a dusting. Ahhh, well . . .

Holiday Menus and Baking

2004-12-21T22:05:00.000-08:00

Baking - My cutting board will is now permanently stained red with cranberries - I've made 8 loaves of cranberry-orange bread so far and have that many more to go.

Hosie's party - one appetizer & one dessert. (1) asparagus spears & prosciutto wrapped in buttered filo- great finger food; and (2) cheesecake lollipops dipped in chocolate and nuts (but I couldn't find lollipop sticks, so am using popsicle sticks - get over it). (grin) This is inspired by one of those "almost homemade" shows - so I bought the cheesecake and my melon baller will get a workout.

Christmas Eve - I bring the paper goods. whew!

Christmas morn - Sausage, potato and corn frittata (making it up as I go along - it's inspired by Jesse's favorite breakfast of scrambled eggs with corn). Probably sourdough toast to go with . . . and fresh coffee.

Christmas Dinner - Salmon, roasted veggies (brussel sprouts, onions, carrots and fennel, tossed with dill-flavored olive oil, balsamic vinegar, kosher salt and pepper) . . . still pondering the other elements.

Spend your dollars via Choose the Blue (okay, it works the other way, too)

2004-12-19T20:09:00.000-08:00

If you want to point your spending towards companies based on their political contributions, this site provides the stats (both Red/Republican and Blue/Democrat): http://www.choosetheblue.com/main.php

Interesting to see how certain industries skew in a particular direction . . . who knew grocery stores were so solidly Red in their contributions? Except for Costco and Whole Foods (and the latter opens a whole different debate given the owner's strict anti-union stance), it's tough to be blue. (wry smile)

Shood we chanje English spelling?

2004-12-19T19:58:00.000-08:00

As I was researching the pronunciation rules of the Irish language (which still utterly stymies me) , I stumbled across a site which makes a certain amount of sense (even as I blanch at their word re-spelling proposals because they seem "wrong" . . . we are, indeed, prisoners of our upbringing).

The Simplified Spelling Society includes these interesting stats:

Even after 11 years at school barely half of all English speakers become confident spellers.
Italian children can spell accurately after just 2 years at school.
Italy has only half as many identified dyslexics as England.

. . . . . . . . .

The EE-sound, for example, can be spelt as in: seem, team, convene; sardine, protein, fiend; people,he, key, ski; debris, quay

. . . . . . . . .

English spells many identical sounds differently when they occur in different positions in a word.
For example, the Sh-sound is spelt as in shop, station, vicious and session; the long A-sound as in plate and play; the long I-sound as in mine and dry.
For this reason English has 90 basic, dominant spelling patterns for its 43 speech sounds.
84 of the 90 basic English spelling patterns have exceptions.

. . . . and much more in a well-written argument at the site. If you suck at spelling, here's a site you'll want to bookmark 'cause IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT! (grin) Now challenge yourself - take a look at one of their pages done with the re-spelling proposals - can you read it?

Haunting song on "Huff" last night

2004-12-14T23:09:00.000-08:00

. . . and once again, Google is my friend. No listing in the closing credits, but I was quick to the computer with a snippet and found it:

Damien Rice - the album is called "O" and the song . . . spare and haunting: Delicate

(snip from end of song)

We might make love
In some sacred place
The look on your face
Is delicate

So why'd you feel my sorrow
With the words you borrowed
From the only place that you've known

And why d'you sing Hallelujah
If it means nothing to you
Why'd you sing with me at all?

(/snip)

So lovely . . . and so mine - I love iTunes. I listened to snips of his other stuff and it was worth buying the whole album. Just in case someone's looking for new tunes . . .

The Magdalen Laundries and interesting art installation

2004-12-13T01:17:00.000-08:00

Well, I finally saw "The Magdalene Sisters" today with Jesse and it was really powerful. If you're not familiar with this shameful chapter in world/Irish history vis-a-vis women, here's a brief snip of a well-considered review (and the answer to each of the questions posed in the snip is "yes"):

(snip)

Did the Magdalene asylums, originally established inthe nineteenth century by the Sisters of Mercy as spiritual refuges for prostitutes and other women penitents, go on to hold girls and even grown women against their will, for disgraces ranging from extramarital pregnancy to mere flirting or even having been raped?
Did some women grow old and die working in the infamous Magdalene laundries, not necessarily out of personal conviction or desire for a vocation to lifelong penance, but more or less because the doors were locked?
Were girls brutally beaten for inadvertent or minor offenses, stripped naked and mocked by sadistic nuns over the sizes of their various body parts, abused in other ways?

(end snip - read the whole article here - granted, the site has an agenda but the article makes valid points, nonetheless: )

In the course of re-reading up on the topic, I stumbled across a touching site in memory of the women- created by a Magdalen daughter who herself had a daughter while in her senior year and gave her up for adoption. The page includes a song Joni Mitchell wrote to memorialize the Magdalenes - interesting in that she gave up a daughter at the start of her career that she only reunited with in recent years.

The woman's specific acccount of finding first her daughter and then her mother is here. Those who know my family background with 2 full siblings, 2 half-siblings I've met, one "lost"half-sibling, and 8 step-siblings understand some of what engages me in these types of stories . . . but I'm always captured by folks' family histories.

A link on that site took me to artist Diane Fenster's recent installation in San Francisco. Quite interesting - images on sheets that trail into washtubs (the accompanying music for the installation is available in other links on the website).

Anyhow, that's how I've spent a good part of my evening . . . that, and knitting (yes! I've finally learned how to knit - a different post to come - and thanks, Sarah!) and holiday decorating. I suppose I should go to sleep now . . . work in the morning.

eeeewww ewwwww eeewwww!

2004-11-16T19:18:00.000-08:00

Cheney - pocket or package?

[And did I mention . . . EEEEWWWWWW!?!?!]

What have you done today . . . that you really wanted to?

2004-11-16T15:28:00.000-08:00

This whole period of surgery and recovery has been a time to reflect on all those things I swear I'm gonna do . . . but don't quite get around to. In my case, they include:

Writing for my own pleasure (not business) regularly - CHECK (umm, you do know you're at my recently launched blog, right?)
Playing guitar - CHECK - although my classical guitar's fret remains just a bit too wide for my short fingers to pull off bar chords easily [wry grin]. But that's okay, been strolling around GuitareTab (no, that's not a typo) - the site has a huge number of songs interpreted by Joe and Jane Average folks. It's not the official sheet music, but an incredible (and free) simulation. When I hit songs I really like, I can download the actual sheet music then.
Quitting smoking - CHECK - four weeks and counting. My hair smells purty.
Paying more attention to my daughter and friends - CHECK - it's been amazing to (1) be shown how many loving people are in my life that will go out of their way for me [I mean, wow - really?!?] and (2) have enough time to show them how much I love them, too.

More stuff to follow - but those have been some of the highlights.

My name is Honora and I'm a compulsive etymologist . . .booyah!

2004-11-11T09:34:00.001-08:00

It started innocently enough in those book-filled days of my youth . . . a fascination with words (my friends, my comfort, my reliable bastion against boredom). It took an unusual word or phrase, though, to spark the chase in those days.

That was because you had to work at it . . . dredge up long-forgotten dronings of ancient nuns on root words; plumb the depths of respected elders' knowledgebases (by which I mean their brains, not a database); and dig through resource books. And one never had the truly good research books in one's home – no, travel to a local library was required. Thus, the phrase or word had to make the cut. Not every randomly pondered word could inspire that level of commitment and dedication.

Inexorably, though, the compulsion grew. So I upgraded my resource books at home (the Complete Oxford Dictionary including built-in drawer for magnifying glass, anyone?). Alas, it was as frequently fruitless as fulfilling.

But then - the internet . . . . and all was lost. In the 10 or so years I've been cybersurfing, the compulsion has grown. I now cannot get through a conversation (business, social or otherwise) without the insidious distraction of that seductive voice saying, "Where does that word / phrase / concept come from?" [shakes head] Perhaps the vernacular (yee-haw! or "okay"). Perhaps word connections (see "muse" below). Perhaps language roots (well, duh – I knew "nudge" was Yiddish . . . but who woulda thought "mish mash," "cockamamie" and "magila" were, too? Oh, koshernosh, lomir geyn! [let me go!]).

At last week's Women's Writers Group, it happened again. But it wasn't ME – it was our kindly knitter-slash-"audience ear" who mused about variations of "muse." [shamefacedly sighs] Okay, but it was me who came home, researched the question across three of my favorite language websites, wrote up said research, and assembled the update email to 20 folks (only a quarter of whom were actually in attendance at said gathering). In my defense, I received two thank-you emails from people who had not attended but just found it interesting stuff (why, yes, it IS a communicable disease).

[from email] Following up from today's writers' meeting, here's some background on the definition and etymology of the word "muse" and the subsequent words we mused about that suggested some form of "muse" related thereto:

[note: most information taken from Online Etymology - one of my favorite sites]

MUSE - verb
"to be absorbed in thought," 1340, from O.Fr. muser (12c.) "to ponder, loiter, waste time," lit. "to stand with one's nose in the air" (or, possibly, "to sniff about" like a dog who has lost the scent), from muse "muzzle," from Gallo-Romance *musa "snout," of unknown origin. Probably influenced in sense by Muse.

MUSE - noun
c.1374, protectors of the arts, from L. Musa, from Gk. Mousa, lit. "muse, music, song," from PIE root *mon-/*men-/*mn- "to think, remember" (see mind (n.)). The names of the nine Muses, daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (q.v.), and their specialties are traditionally: Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Erato (love poetry, lyric art), Euterpe (music, especially flute), Melpomene (tragedy), Polymnia (hymns), Terpsichore (dance), Thalia (comedy), Urania (astronomy).

MUSEUM - 1615, "the university building in Alexandria," from L. museum "library, study," from Gk. mouseion "place of study, library or museum," originally "a seat or shrine of the Muses," from Mousa "Muse." Earliest use in ref. to Eng. institutions was of libraries (e.g. the British Museum); sense of "building to display objects" first recorded 1683.

AMUSE - 1480, from M.Fr. amuser "divert, cause to muse," from à "at, to" (but here probably a causal prefix) + muser "ponder, stare fixedly." Sense of "divert from serious business, tickle the fancy of" is recorded from 1631, but through 18c. the primary meaning was "deceive, cheat" by first occupying the attention. Bemuse retains more of the original meaning. Amusement "a pastime, play, game, etc." is first recorded 1673, originally depreciative. Amusement park is first recorded 1909. Amusing is noted late 1920s as a vogue word.

MUSIC - c.1250, from O.Fr. musique (12c.), from L. musica, from Gk. mousike techne "art of the Muses," from fem. of mousikos "pertaining to the Muses," from Mousa "Muse." In classical Greece, any art in which the Muses presided, but especially music. Meaning "film or theater piece of which song is an essential element" is from 1938. The use of letters to denote music notes is probably at least from ancient Greece, as their numbering system was ill-suited to the job. Natural scales begin at C (not A) because in ancient times the minor mode was more often used than the major one. The natural minor scale begins at A. To face the music "accept the consequences" is from 1850; the exact image is uncertain, one theory ties it to stage performers, another to cavalry horses having to be taught to stay calm while the regimental band plays. To make (beautiful) music with someone "have sexual intercourse" is from 1967. Children's game musical chairs is attested from 1877, hence use of musical as a modifier meaning "changing rapidly from one to another possessor" (1924). Musicology "the study of the science of music" is from 1909.

And one we didn't think of:

BEMUSE - 1735, "to make utterly confused," from be- + muse (cf. amuse). Used humorously by Pope (1705) in the sense "devoted utterly to the Muses."

So . . . aren't you sorry you discussed anything related to etymology in my presence? [grin]

Indeed.

But it became officially out of control today as I attempted to quip to THE list about Saturday Night Live, Generalissimo Francisco Franco, young 'uns lack of pop culture knowledge . . . .well, never mind – suffice to say, Arafat is dead. Back to my main point . . . . the tipping point was "booyah." A chance use of "booyah" and the siren's call is heard . . . another 15 minutes of my life gone forever.

Yet, while there are those who would argue this was time wasted, to me, it is time invested in roads elsewise [I don't give a shit, Microsoft Word, I *like* the word "elsewise" so stick your suggestion of "otherwise" as a replacement in your cyberass . . . but I digress] not traveled. Hell, elsewise not even found. How else would I have stumbled across this delightful and useful epicurean site with the following two-year old entry about "booyah" (and I quote from miseblog.com) ?

BOO-YAH! Soup

While searching for the etymology of the taunt "Boo-Yah" (as in "I just dunked on your sorry ass! Boo-Yah!"), I stumbled across references to Booyah soup. Apparently, this is a stew from Belgium with chicken, beef, and pork that's generally made in huge vats. It seems to be popular in Wisconsin, where there are a lot of Belgian immigrants. I'm going to have to make up a batch of this just for the fun of saying the name.

Now if I can just find the recipe for Who's-Your-Daddy Gumbo...

Clearly, there are fellow travelers on this road of compulsion . . . I will take comfort (and support for my obsessive Googling) in their blogged admissions, even if we're all on the road to rack and ruin . . . [rack . . . hmmm, as in "torture rack" or something else? . . . . ummm, yeah, I'll see ya later . . . . www.google.com . . . ]

UPDATE: 11/14/04: Ahhhh, not "rack" - but rather "wrack" as follows: wrack c.1390, "wrecked ship," probably from M.Du. wrak "wreck," cognate with O.E. wræc "misery, punishment," and wrecan "to punish, drive out" (see wreak). The meaning "damage, disaster, destruction" (in wrack and ruin) is from c.1408.

Rage against the dying of the blog form . . .

2004-11-11T08:38:00.000-08:00

And another valuable lesson learned . . . (why, always the hard way? Why?)

From now on, I will draft all entries in Word, saving compulsively as I write. I've just lost four paragraphs of work - and they were blog-o-riffic! - because I pasted something into the Blogger blog form from my Yahoo account and (oh, the pain!) was rewarded with a PAGE CANNOT DISPLAY. All my frantic, disbelieving stabs at the BACK button were to no avail. Gone . . . gone forever (sigh). And despite having used Ctrl-D during the writing process, no Draft exists. Those instructions in small type at the bottom of the form lie.

Okay - by "forever" I mean until I painfully re-create said entry (isn't it always harder to write it the second time around?).

Is that pharmacy gonna pay child support?

2004-11-09T11:37:00.000-08:00

Druggists Refusing to fill Birth Control Prescriptions On "Moral Grounds"

As my friend Kamal said in sending it on, "Four more years of this?"

http://www.emailthis.clickability.com/et/emailThis?clickMap=viewThis&etMailToID=30798642&pt=Y

USA Today's article "Druggists refuse to give out pill" recounts a frightening number of instances where women have been denied access to birth control. Note, not even the more controversial "morning after" pill - no, this is standard legal-since-the-late-60's birth control.

You don't need a Supreme Court Justice to determine your reproductive rights . . . there are plenty of Average Joes who will attempt to do it for them (and you).

The answer? Organize - protest - make your voice heard! Call and email pharmacy boards. Call and write your Congressperson, Senator, Governor and every other possible governmental person or entity who can legislate access for all. (Note - screw email petitions - no one in WA pays attention to them, per my friends who served as Senate aides.)

Visit http://thomas.loc.gov/ and click the House Directory and Senate Directory to obtain contact info for your state representatives. Then Google "government [your state's name]" - an early hit will likely be the similar site at the state level. Good luck - vigilence is the keyword for the next four years. Respect the efforts of our ancestors (e.g., Margaret Sanger and the people she inspired) - protect the rights of the future generations - SPEAK UP to preserve hard-won rights!

Wind me up and hear me rant . . .

2004-11-09T07:33:00.001-08:00

It's not my fault. In these days immediately post-election, I've tried to stay level-headed and objective. The post-election analysis is rampant - what went wrong? What to do differently? Where will this lead us to - rack and ruin? (note - just what is the "rack" of rack and ruin? Shit, one more thing to google . . . )

And I was doing pretty well . . . until last night. On THE List (my favorite online mailing list comprised of truly intelligent and diverse folks - primarily somewhat liberal, but not all - who discuss any and every topic under the sun), this post-election analysis is occurring as well.

Now, throughout this election cycle, we've had many threads about the overriding liberal bent of THE List . . . and the discomfort those of a conservative viewpoint feel when sweeping remarks are made (especially when said remarks appear to assume everyone agrees with the viewpoint expressed). I'll own it - it ain't easy being Red on this list (sidenote: who EVER thought that "being red" would one day indicate being Republican?!? Am I getting old, or what?)

But one week after your group won is simply not an appropriate time to get to huffy about post-election analysis and angst. Pick your battles . . . and when to fight 'em.

So that's where the rant comes in . . . one person posts a link to a NY Times article analyzing the liberal defeat and suddenly a vocal member winds up, taking all the liberals to task for their intolerance and inappropriate tone and . . . well, read on for my response thereto. Just remember, I really did try . . .

Give me a freaking break.

I've stayed out of many political arguments on list. I've been disturbed about sweeping remarks that feel disrespectful to me from "liberals" regarding "Bush supporters." Discussion of those elements have caused me to try very hard to reconcile my feelings of admiration and affection in other respects for some folks on this list with the knowledge that they support Bush . . . because a vote for Bush is a profoundly disturbing thing for me . . . and that reconciliation is hard to find.

But you're attempting to ride a high horse I just can't let ride by without comment. So here's the deal. . .

Don't you DARE talk to me about being reminded of "racial stereotyping of the 60's" when Gay Marriage is put forth as the hot button topic that helped swing this election - that's my brother's life . . . damnit, his very right to exist in this increasingly intolerant country on the line - as well as a HUGE amount of my social circle. And, oh yeah, good people not personally known to me who deserve to exist without my (or anyone else's) damn dispensation -simply because the Constitution grants us ALL the same rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Don't you DARE lecture me about open-mindedness when eleven states not only pass laws defining marriage asexisting solely between man & woman, but take that to absurd (unconstitutional, unenforceable, e.g., Georgia) extremes of attempting to revoke even existing rights to legally assign medical DPOA rights to their partner in their rabid attempt to make everyone think like them . . . see the world like them. . . define how to live like them.

Don't you DARE lecture me about stereotypes and prejudice when an entire political party has done everything they possibly can for the better part of 20 years to dirty and make vile the very definitions by which I view myself (and . . . oh, yeah, those things that make me different from them): Liberal. Feminist. ProChoice. TOLERANT OF DIFFERENCES

Just don't. 'Cause ain't nothing anybody has ever said on this list about Republicans and/or Bush that's threatened the rights of Republicans on 1/10th the level that the Republican Platform threatens the rights of patriotic Americans who dare to think differently, live differently, or love differently.

Mayhaps people onlist wouldn't give a crap if they didn't feel so threatened by a party determined to eliminate any thinking that isn't exactly the same as theirs.

Recall Bush's first press conference of this administration? "I'll reach out to everyone who shares our goals." How about reaching out to all Americans? When I hear that message, I'll begin to believe that balance is on the table for discussion.

Whew! I know I feel better. (donning my teflon Underoos in anticipation of list response) I'll keep you posted on THE List feedback (sure, let's call it "feedback"). (grin)

UPDATE: 11/11/04 - well, after many more rounds on this thread (including a number of private "thank you!" emails from List members and an equal number of public posts from those on both sides of the fence), my common-sense friend Roxie diplomatically stated the original poster and I weren't in disagreement. And picking up that cue, I replied and agreed. Because she was right . . . in different ways and tones, we both are for balanced discourse. My rant was inspired by what I felt was a one-sided scolding tone towards liberals (and, again, issues with the timing thereof). The original poster graciously acknowledged same and peace (at least vis-a-vis this topic . . . for the moment) reigned again. Strong opinions and vigorous debate? Gotta love it. Beats hell out of polite comments that resolutely avoid religion, politics or anything else of substance OR preeningly preaching to the choir solely to hear one's own voice.

I Heart Procrastination

2004-11-07T23:53:00.000-08:00

Following is today's writing exercise with the Women's Writers Group . . . A conversation with your inner muse, inspiration, writer's block . . . you make the call - write for 15 minutes without planning or overthinking.

Honora: Hi . . .

Inner Procrastinator: Hi . . .

Honora: You know, I'm already thinking of ways to stall on this.

Inner Procrastinator: Who would know better?

Honora: (sigh) Yeah, I guess so.

Inner Procrastinator: I just want to know . . . why?

Honora: I don't know. Well, I know some. One, I'm kinda lazy.

Inner Procrastinator: That's bullshit - everyone who knows you won't shut up about how many more hours you put in than most people . . .

Honora: (interrupting) More efficient, not just more. There's a difference.

Inner Procrastinator: Fine, but it's not about lazy.

Honora: In a way, yes, it is. I'm situationally lazy; just like I'm a site-specific extrovert. I have fifty things I want to do - I do five of them balls-to-the-wall, over-the-top perfection . . . and completely procrastinate on the others.

Hey, it keeps you employed.

Inner Procrastinator: Uh-huh . . . move on. What else?

Honora: Two, I'm a woman.

Inner Procrastinator: Okay, I'll accept that . . . to a point.

Honora: Yeah, it's partial bullshit. But it's just as much true as not. It's like I said to Mini-She at dinner yesterday - "Have you noticed how you're always helping others? So who helps you? Besides me, I mean? Are you spending ANY time on you?"

And I know that I'm so helpful to others, at least some of that, to avoid starting on my own priorities . . . goals . . . hell, I'll say it - dreams. Scary shit.

Inner Procrastinator: (eyebrows raised) A-hem!

Honora: Aww, shut up.

Inner Procrastinator: Well, don't you think that's the point?

Honora: (impatiently) What?

Inner Procrastinator: Gawd, I hate it when you're purposely obtuse. F E A R . . . ringing any bells?

Honora: Fine - ding ding.

Inner Procrastinator: So deal with it.

Honora: Easier said than done. It's fine to kick my ass and call me out, but these other points are not invalid. Hell, on some levels, they keep me sane! They get me out of my head. To outside folks, these other commitments are what I'm supposed to do - chapter leader of DigitalEve, vice president of legal geek org, and on and on . . . whatever.

Yeah, they take up time - but they keep my world from shrinking. (pause) It's called networking, y'know?

Inner Procrastinator: You don't have to be sarcastic. I am listening.

Honora: Sorry . . . (deep breath) So okay, I'm maybe a little defensive.

Inner Procrastinator: Ya think?

Honora: (wryly) Now who's being sarcastic?

Inner Procrastinator: (grin) Just take a deep breath.

Honora: Sorry . . .

Y'know, it is fear. But not the way you think.

Inner Procrastinator: Go on . . .

Honora: Oh, cut the therapist crap, will ya? (shaking head) It's kinda standard "fear of success" but not only that. All those other things I mentioned? Well, I have control . . . at least to the level I give a crap. They aren't my heart - they're just my mind. And I'm rational and have good business judgment and detachment on that stuff. I do what I can . . . I know when to compromise . . . I know when to walk.

But the 45 other things . . . if I start . . . if I fail . . . damn, it's not even that . . .

How do I let those things . . . just be? How do I not control? Because those thing are so much more than just my mind - they are my soul. They cut to the bone . . . to start those is to look into the abyss. It's all about not knowing - not controlling . . . just being & working & feeling & shaping. It's all so . . . messy . . . and scary.

Inner Procrastinator: And . . . ?

Honora: My courage isn't what it once was. I mean, my friends would argue that . . . and maybe they're right. But I'm sure more tired than I once was . . .

And then there's all that "fear of success" stuff, too. (grin) But not fear of being successful . . . fear of dealing with other people's reaction to my success. Fear? Burn-out? Potato-potahtoe . . . (deep sigh)

Inner Procrastinator: Of course.

Honora: Of course.

(looking at each other)

Inner Procrastinator: Don't stop. Start.

Honora: (pause) I won't. I will.