Winter Wonderland by shatterabstracts,com.ru This is what was great about POSTING and READING on Vox. (Sigh...) I. The Politically Wise “I wear (Captain Walter R. Schmidt Jr.’s) MIA bracelet all day, everyday. He was a Marine pilot who went down 09Jun68 in South Vietnam. I wear this bracelet until the day he or his remains come home. Happy Veteran's Day Capt. Schmidt.” http://jennifer0214.vox.com “…the U.S. - politicians and people - would do well to remember Jefferson's "wall of separation…” - http://paikea066.vox.com “…If you legislate morality, moral choices lose their value…” http://shushnow.vox.com II. The Politically Witty “Reality TV Idea Number … [Read more...]
Look Harder
First day of school foversouls on flickr[1] “Look harder.” Gee…did I just hear you say that again? You’re an English teacher. Surely you must know that one can’t look “harder” at written words on a page. One can look “longer,” delve more deeply into the meaning of those words, if one can read them, that is, but one can’t look “harder.” Yet, at least once a week, with distaste and fury layered through your voice, you say it to one of your first-year (seventh grade) pupils. A girl today, I see. A twelve-year old girl, whose life is already a misery. On the edge of puberty, her breasts feel sore all the time and, much to her constant mortification, one is growing faster than … [Read more...]
Mashed Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes I'm a first-generation Italian-American. That slash says it all. It means that though I was born in the United States, walk American and, for the most part, talk American, my blood corpuscles are suffused with foreign tendencies for which science has yet to find an antidote. One of these predilections is this: if I invite guests to my home and discover that I didn’t make sufficient quantities of every food to feed them all, I’ll drop down dead of mortification, right then. I mean that. Since I don’t want to die yet, I’m always on my guard against this happening, wanting to make very sure I have “enough.” The problem is my view and my husband’s view of “enough” are … [Read more...]
Some of the Little Things
Thalia-Muse of Comedy Even I can’t think about George Bush’s plan to take over the world all the time. Every once in a while, “Aiz got-sta have a leee-tle fun.” And for those of us stateside (United States-states that is,) ‘Turkey Day’ is coming up. Now, ordinarily I don’t like even Turkey Day. In fact, I could scare up a whole other political blog on the propaganda surrounding Turkey Day. Not to mention the excess calories. But not this year. ‘Cause this year, three out of our four surviving sons are coming to our place for Turkey Day and that in itself is enough to be thankful for. So, to hell with diets and politics both. For anyone who’s interested, here are some of the … [Read more...]
Senators, Thank You for Your Support
Our Civil Liberties Beng Waterboarded Michael Bernard Mukasey is an impressive man. His alma mater is Columbia University and Yale Law School. In 1987, Mukasey was nominated as a federal district judge for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan by President Ronald Reagan. He served in this position for 18 years, including tenure as Chief Judge from March 2000 through July 2006. Mr. Mukasey is also is a teacher. He began teaching at Columbia Law School in the Spring of 1993 and has taught there every Spring semester since. In addition, he is well-connected politically. Mukasey and his son are justice advisers to … [Read more...]
Uh, oh. It’s That Time of Year Coming ‘Round Again
Jack and Dale Davis Christmas 2002 Ahhh, the holidays, when anyone with any neurosis, addiction or quirk at all, has the excuse to really go hog wild with it. Let’s see…what have we got? 1) The Control Freaks What they say: “I want my relatives to come to my house for this holiday but, I’m going to do things my way and let’s just hope everyone enjoys it.” What it means: “Through familial obligation and their spirit of generosity, I’ve managed to trap my family into spending the holiday with me at my house. Now I’m in charge and I’ll finally be able to teach them the difference between the right way(mine) and the wrong … [Read more...]
Menopause and Melanin
Menopause and Melanin A Scientific Exposition/Rebuttal by Dr. James Dewey Watson, Nobel Prize Winner 1962, Physiology or Medicine Ladies and Gentlemen, Esteemed Colleagues, Students of Genetics and Medicine: As many of you already know, I received the Nobel Prize for my co-discovery of the structure of DNA. I’ve been the chancellor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in the United States, where I created a research environment unparalleled in the world of science. There, we prided ourselves for our non-profit research dedicated to exploring biology and genetics, advancing our ability to diagnose and treat cancers, neurological diseases and other causes of human suffering. But … [Read more...]
Maria Shriver’s California Women’s Conference
I have been away from the computer, volunteering at an extraordinarly empowering and non-partisan women's conference, called the California Women's Conference. Despite it's title, women and men, leaders and activists from all over the world, participated. I loved it, found it to be simply 'life-affirming.' There's nothing we can't do if we really want to do it! You can read all about it, if you're interested, on the link. Read and post comments | Send to a friend … [Read more...]
On Organised Religion (to SNOWY)
I’ve been having some very interesting philosophical, social and religious discussions with some of my new “netpals” from Australia. Their perspectives got me thinking about something I wrote in my memoir, Harlot’s Sauce, which has just been completed and which is being shopped around to publishers as we speak. So for this week’s blog I’m taking an excerpt on religion from that memoir and dedicated it to my new Aussie friends, most especially to one very deep thinker, Snowy. I expect an extra drink from that still of yours for this one, Snowy. ; ) On Organised Religion I was raised Catholic, as were many people I knew growing up. But, I had a few friends who … [Read more...]
Oops, I Have a Conspiracy Theory (A Political Satire)
The Bush Administration has a Secret Weapon against free thought of the masses and towards eventual world domination. It’s Britney Spears. Britney Spears-Secret Weapon Think I’m a madwoman? Let’s just look at the facts, shall we? In 1998, a group called Project for the New American Century (http://www.newamericancentury.org ) sent a letter to President Clinton which I’ve excerpted here: “Dear Mr. President: We are writing you because we are convinced that current American policy toward Iraq is not succeeding, and that we may soon face a threat in the Middle East more serious than any since the end of the Cold War. We urge you to seize that opportunity, and to enunciate a … [Read more...]
September 30, 1987
Nick 1989 I used to be one who hated the change from summer to fall. The cool in the air always reminding me of how’d I felt as a child. Summer fun over; no more playing in the garden or climbing trees. September meant back to getting up too early, in what would quickly become too cold weather, to eat a too-hurried breakfast, just to sit in a stifling classroom for too many hours out of too many days. That changed forever twenty years ago. Now every year when the last days of August roll around, I get a zing! of anticipation, because autumn brings back to me that momentous September when my first child, my son, was born. … [Read more...]
How to Flirt with Your Wife
Patricia Pondering Last week, we flirted with our husbands. With luck, they’ll return the favour this week. I don’t know if I’m speaking for every woman with the ideas I list here, but I did gather them from a hefty sample of females in long-term relationships. I welcome comments or suggestions and mention that I’ve already heard two important ones: Bob Godley said, “I wouldn’t want to be in love with a woman who wasn’t in love with me.” That’s so true. Unrequited love is only ‘romantic’ in novels, not in real-life partnerships. If the person you’re married to, or in a long-term relationship with, doesn’t appreciate you and/or is with you for some self-seeking reason of his or … [Read more...]
Seven Ways to Flirt With Your Husband
After the fires in Greece, lost young girls, devastating storms and several other tragedies that have taken place in the world in the last week, not the least of which seems to be, if we can judge by the tremendous newspaper coverage it's been getting here in the States, the demise of Britney Spears pop career, I thought I should lighten things up a little with this week’s blog. Hence I present to you, my neighbours and friends, “Seven Ways to Flirt with Your Husband.” This might be of interest only to female readers, but I hope men will review this, too. In case I’ve got any of it wrong, I welcome being set straight by the male population. Any insight into … [Read more...]