Do What's Write

It's so cheesy and so simple...

 

If you're in Minnesota, here's the contact info to get in touch with Klobuchar and Franken. Find other states here. Apparently there is actual real danger of the rather weak climate bill being passed at all in the Senate. So, here we go folks: write to your representation. They represent us, and if we don't tell them, "Yes please, more green jobs and less pollution!" they obviously won't know we want such things. 

 

 

--
Stay Safe. Check for raptor entry points. http://xkcd.com/87/. Or this might happen. http://drmcninja.com/page.php?pageNum=3&issue=3

Healthy Debate

This is part of a response I sent regarding our responsibilities in the Health Care debate. It may not make complete sense without the half which prompted said response, but I don't want to take the liberty of posting someone else's writing. this still gives a good idea of what drives my consideration of the ideas in this debate. More to come.

Thanks for your thoughtful response. I don't feel society insists we NOT recognize an Almighty God, but that it insists not everyone MUST recognize such a thing. I wish things like prayer in school were not prohibited, but likewise I don't believe in leaving an implied universal acknowledgement hang over a pluralistic society. It's strange to me that "In God We Trust" made it onto our government documents/currency when, previous to that, we had guaranteed freedom of religion, which includes the freedom not to choose one. Pretty sure that's a freedom that God guarantees as well.

I believe that socialistic democracies operate with the best sense of incorporated charity and societal reliability. I don't care for the competition and greed which is engendered in our capitalistic society, while I do, conversely, enjoy its spoils as a consumer/patient most of the time. It's a dilemma. When it comes to medicine, I think the challenge is in the fact that there's such a wide disparity between what is available in general and what is available to those who can afford it. I don't think that Medicaid is very good now, but I also don't think the system at large is very good now, either. I mean no disrespect to your profession, but it was unsettling when our friend was considering specialties as he finished medical school and said that many of the best and brightest go into dermatology and cosmetic surgery because of the profit margin, rather than because they're needed there most. (He ultimately chose to be an internist.)

Not being in the medical field, I can only rely on what I read and learn from the people who work in it, just as I've learned from people who are teachers that the No Child Left Behind program is less than great (more proof that government programs aren't always good ideas). I appreciate your insight into your experience with both insurance companies and Medicaid. However, I'm glad national health care is being addressed. From what I've read, the changes are not going to be dramatically sweeping, and they will offer a bit more choice to people with fewer opportunities. With Obama still doing deals with the pharmaceutical lobby to fix prices, it's going to be moderate change, but I trust that it will be a less broken system.

I agree with the idea that if Congress is going to pass laws which affect us, they should affect them. However, this proposal from the LA Congressman would be creating an exception to a law which states that mandates issued by Congress cannot affect sitting members (so that if they vote for a raise, they don't get it, and so on). To the best of my knowledge, it's not a clause written into this specific bill.

And yes, while "government" as a concept is a behemoth "thing," as you say, that thing is made up of humans. Since people created the government, if we are a real democracy and believe in democracy, then a government of people (by people, for people, etc) can be charitable and democratizing in distribution of services. I think that means that society has chosen collectively to be charitable. The individuals who rely on charity make their own choices about their level of dependence, but I don't think you can say charity is the answer without creating the same challenge of reliance in that situation as well. I choose to depend on my society, the same way I've chosen to rely on my husband and on God. Reliance does not negate freedom - it reflects a different aspect of it. How can I trust God but not trust anyone else? How does loving my brother not extend to loving the brothers who run the government, and trusting some of their decisions?

I, as you know, don't believe blindly, which is why I seek out more information and welcome those who provide it. Since this is America, after all, no matter what they decide in Washington, people with enough money will still get better medical care than people with less. But even by bringing this issue up makes people think about it. Would we have had this conversation if Obama wasn't so driven to tackle the topic? I don't know. But I'm glad we're having it now. I hope this makes people pay attention to what they get and on whom they rely, rather than degenerating into a place where people scream "I don't want to pay for your medical costs" (as happened at one of those town meetings last month). I don't mind helping pay for others' medical costs. In many ways, we already do, just in a totally backwards way.

Blood, pouring from my ears, I say.

This morning on my way to work the normally awesome radio station The Current decided to play a shitty song. Now, DJs Steve and Jill admitted that it would be shitty. Jill suggested they talk over the song; Steve opined that maybe they should stop it early. They did neither. So, after one minute of listening to Billy Bob Thornton whisper-croon his way into something about the Golden State, I changed the station. His voice sounds like Edwin McCain (whose music I hate) trying to impersonate Tom Waits (who's voice makes me feel sympathetic pains and reach for a Halls) putting a poem written by a fifteen-year-old girl (who thinks that all poetry has to rhyme to mean anything) to some Learn to Play Guitar beginner book music. I couldn't believe they would ruin my morning like that.

Thankfully, the day has improved since then.

My Opinion on Charity in Hard Times

This is an opinion article I wrote to my company when I learned that one of the VPs was insisting that her department not participate in our Earth Month fundraising in April:

We can’t get away from news about the economy these days – the stock market plummeting, house prices bottoming out, unemployment rising to its highest level in 30 years. There are bailout packages and stimulus plans being pushed out from Congress, and we even had to put the kibosh a holiday party to cut back on expenditures. And people, we know how vital it is to party, so obviously things are serious.

Still, with all the belt-tightening going on, it’s tempting to cut out our seemingly non-necessary charitable donations, too. The local MPR station, The Current, recently had to extend its quarterly member drive by half a day in order to meet their quota. My unsolicited solicitation calls and bulk mail piles have been multiplying, with environmental lobbyist groups and public libraries, animal rights and cancer research groups all now scrambling for the shrinking pool of people who feel they have extra money to give.

However, it seems to me that the give-away pile of money we amass is one of the most important parts of our budget. Aveda sets a great example by pushing Earth Month to the forefront of all our charitable drives, and increasing our donation goal in a year when all logic seems to say revenues will decrease. It’s important for us to remember that when we make room in shrinking budgets to still include our tithe to the needy causes, we’re making a stronger statement about what’s really important to us.

Everyone is aware that our economy isn’t the best right now. But the world’s water situation isn’t the best either, and it’s certainly not going to improve by putting those activities on hold while we wait for economic stability. The main reason that so many people have limited, if any, access to clean water is that poor economic conditions exist in those areas. At the risk of being blunt, the United States is hardly a third-world nation. Rather than use our economy as an excuse not to contribute or participate in the Aveda Earth Month efforts, I think it should serve as a reminder of how lucky we are. It’s a reminder of how fortunate we are to still have hot showers and new pads of paper. Even if we are not able to give as much as we may have in the past, it is still important to give.

End note: last week we got the results of our Earth Month campaign. Our goal was $3 million in one month. We raised $3.1 million. We are awesome.

Woo! Input! Learner! Ideation! Intellection!

Well, StrengthFinder test reiterates many of the things I (and most people) already know about me:
- I like to use big words
- I like to learn things about people and find the good in people around which I spend time. "You might overlook some negative traits to discover praiseworthy ones." Bingo.
- I like to learn things in general (the process is more exciting than the outcome)
- People feel comfortable asking me what things mean
- I read a lot
- I have an need to know why. "Sometimes you are frustrated until you figure out why things happened the way they did." True.
- I get bored when I'm not learning sometimes. "You attempt to avoid people and situations that prevent you from expanding your mind." True.
- "Chances are good that you periodically engage others in conversation about the meaning of
life." Okay, that's a bit of a stretch, but I do tend to favor substantial dialogue over superficial chit-chat.

For three of these five strengths, it is suggested that I should be involved in teaching, journalism/literature, and something in which I get new information often, preferably from contact with other people. Apparently the "woo" talent means that I'm great at making small talk, but the "intellection" talent means I secretly think it's a waste of time, which is pretty funny, because both are true. I generally like talking to people, because I like learning about people, but it's annoying to always have to start with basics, when I more and more often just want to say things more directly (and therefore rudely).

For instance, at work I may be on the phone with someone who is describing their challenge, and while I'm trying to understand their specific problem, at the same time I'm often trying to contextualize this problem to find out if this is a direct result or indirect result. What I (or my company) may do for them will probably be the same, but I may also be able to make a comment about the way they talk to X would prevent this from happening again, or when they failed to do Y, it created the same challenge they saw last time. This patterning thing comes from the "ideation" talent, and the "input" talent ties directly to the "learner" talent which both crave information, new information, on a regular basis. It points out that I probably learn best by teaching, which is also mostly true, and often the best way for me to put my knowledge to use. A combination of a small amount of reflection coupled with being able to teach it to others is the best for me, as a rule. I remember writing essays or such for teachers, and imagining that I was having to explain to them that I knew this and they didn't, which often made it far easier to write the paper.

I think I've always written as if I'm talking to someone, even in my journaling. I often think that way as well... to the outside observer, it probably seems as though I'm talking to myself. Strictly speaking, sure, I am. But in my head, there is another person there. I'm not explaining something to me, I'm explaining it to him, or her, or you... though, I'm sure in a way that's also my brain's way of explaining it to me. Anytime I've ever really thought/acted as though I was talking to myself, though, I felt silly. Didn't I, Self? I sure did, Self.

At the end of each section describing the abovementioned talents, it asks questions like "As you read your personalized strengths insights, what words, phrases, or lines stand out to you?" Many of those I've listed above. It also asks, though, What will you do differently tomorrow as a result of knowing these things? Honestly, tomorrow, probably nothing different, since it's Grand Old Day and I'm going to go ahead and have mimosas and breakfast burritos with my friends and walk down the avenue like it ain't no thang. However, in general, I feel like I should make more concrete changes. I'm still looking to find new opportunities at work, even though mobility in our corporation is at a standstill and my ambition level is moderate to low, as per usual. But those are excuses, and I should really be doing something more constructive with my time.

So Monday. I should be back on here, reflecting on the talents more, and to what use I should be putting them. Huzzah. Here I go.

Thoughts for today: music, trivia, and old writing

Beginning a new mix CD era today. It shall include the "Percussion Gun" song by White Rabbits which is the new crack-in-my-brain song of the week. Also "Polite Dance Song" by The Bird and The Bee. I should start writing trivia questions for Thursday, but I feel like tomorrow is soon enough for that. If anyone has ideas on theme rounds, please let me know. I seem to always forget the ones that people suggest at trivia. Maybe I should start writing those suckers down. Ah well.

Also, just stumbled across a draft of another fictionalized version of my life. Not very long, but I like it. The only problem with continuing it, and in that tone, is that it's moderately depressing, and catapults me back into the period in which I was morosing upon such things for long periods of time. This is the dilemma when you feel something that happened to you is worth writing about: it has to also be worth re-living, because that's what happens when you write well. At least, I think so. Hence the reason why The Marble piece is still a little haphazard. I'm just tired of re-living it.

But anyway, here's the thing I found today. Let me know if you think it should continue. I'll probably post my other version soon too; there's more there to chew on. On which to chew, I mean. Damn prepositions.

"Chapter the first: Alter egos.

Bianca doesn’t know where to begin. She thinks about a former lover, a man who made her think, this time I am really in love. It’s been a year and a half since they broke up, and almost a year since she last spoke to him, the briefest of polite greetings at a poetry reading. Still, he occupies more of her thoughts more often than she’d like, and she thinks she should put the burden of these thoughts, or at least share the burden, with the one who causes them. But when things end so badly and drift off so vaguely, where does one begin?
“Dear George,” she begins. “It’s been awhile. Hope you are well. I’m not sure what to say. I miss you. I hate you. I still love you. I don’t want you back. I hope you are happy. I sort of mean that. I wonder if you think of me.”


Twice a week, Bianca goes to writing rooms that are reserved at the Loft. She isn’t actually a writer, though. She’s an advisor, an Ayla Advisor, advising people day by day which shampoo would be best for them, as certain products contain more protein while others are created to volumize and still others will add shine to coarse hair. She knows far more about ingredients and sourcing and packaging than is strictly useful for an average interaction with a customer of the store; still, it makes her feel like she’s still been learning after school, rather than just wasting away in a retail Waste Land. April is the saddest month.


The other girl, her name was Jennifer. Jennifer, Bianca would spit. What a stupid name. There’s no distinction between Jennifers, there’s too many. You don’t remember Jennifer, there’s nothing special or unique about a Jennifer. It’s like Jessica or Stephanie; bland. At least her name wasn’t Brittany. Still, Jennifer? From Bianca? Bianca belongs in a poem; Jenny belongs on a Hallmark card.
Not like they hadn’t met, the petite brunette nodding to the petite blonde, since they had mutual friends, though the blonde was younger by a year. They were both from Montana, though different parts, and had ended up at the same small Minnesota liberal arts college, a school known for its piety and heavenly music. They both were writers, known for dry wits, had been told separately that together, they’d get along, be great friends. The friendship was elusive. The rivalry unavoidable.
Sometimes Bianca imagined Jenny becoming paranoid by the shadow she’d left behind. She was comforted by the idea of her ghost terrorizing their relationship, but only in short bursts. Then she felt guilty. Was it really Jennifer’s fault? Was she blaming Jennifer so she could still think well of George? Obviously, Jenny was a bitchy little whore, but didn’t she deserve happiness, too? Probably not. They should both die in a fire, thought Bianca."

Muchos Felicitaciones

Congratulations to Kitty and Shep on their recent engagement!! I am very excited for their marriage, which I suspect will bring primarily glorious happiness into my best cousin's life. Shep is one lucky guy, I tell you what. Lucky he's getting an awesome cousin AT NO EXTRA CHARGE. That's right, I don't charge an awesome fee to my cousins. At least, not to the ones I like. Other people, well, for them I have no compunction in arranging transactions of my awesome for some sort of compensation. Often food. But good cousins get off easy. Just sayin'.

Book Report: Chesterton's Orthodoxy, chapter the first

I recently began reading G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy with my aunt, and we have a small email book club going on. What follows is mostly my half of the conversation:

 

 

She began with a quote:

It is one thing to describe an interview with a gorgon or a griffin, a creature that does not exist.  It is another thing to discover that the rhinoceros does exist and then take pleasure in the fact that he looks as if he didn't.

 

In an Illustrated London News article he wrote something similar about a giraffe:

 

When first the giraffe was described by travelers it was treated as a lie. Now it is in the Zoological Gardens; but it still looks like a lie.
[ILN Oct 21 1911 CW29:176]
(Courtesy of Dr. Thursday)

 

 

I noted that same passage, which I found hilarious. How funny that he re-used his own idea later on. Is he implying that Christianity may sometimes look like a lie, even though it's true? 
 

I like his analogy of "discovering England," making the comparison that discovering God or Christianity is finding something that was there all along. The "pursuit of the obvious" is how he puts it on p. 12 (in my book, the 1959 Image Books paperback). This follows pretty closely what was brought up in my RCIA class a couple weeks ago, which is the idea that most everything in Christianity (i.e. the 10 commandments) are things that could reasonably be arrived at using common sense or logic. 
 

I found it interesting that he defines "orthodoxy" in this book as synonymous with the Apostles' Creed. In the biography at the beginning of my book, he wrote this in 1908, around the time that he was becoming Anglican, but about 14 years before becoming Catholic. I'm guessing, therefore, that the Apostles' Creed is used by the Anglican church as well. Not that it probably matters too much, as he seems to be focusing simply on Christianity and not one denomination. It also refers to an earlier work called "Heretics," which reminded me of one of my aunt's comments saying that every book of his makes you feel that there's another one you should have read first.  
 

That's all I have for chapter one. I'm expecting chapter two to be slightly more intense. ;) Until next week.

Recipe for success

So today it is the third of February, nearly a year since my last entry. Sort of ridiculous. But I've recently been inspired by the Twilight Guy, not simply because he is reading books I've read, but because he has two websites and has written a book and is still in college. So I should stay on my ass and write some freakin' words already.

Last night we watched Groundhog Day and ate some of the amazing dip I invented (recipe below). I think that I'm going to make a theme round based on the movie for this week's trivia. I am getting more impressed by those guys like Chuck and Sean who continue to write so many questions every week. I sort of go in fits and starts, building up a back stock of questions and topics for a few weeks, and now I don't have much of anything to fall on. Plus I left Josh two questions short yesterday, so I should probably ensure that doesn't happen again. He offered to do the sound round this week, which means I should be sending him ideas for the image round. Meh. Maybe a marmot round? Or a holiday mascot round? I don't think there are many, other than the turkey and Santa Claus. Hmm. Conundrum. If anyone has suggestions for questions or topics at trivia, do share.

Shout-out to Miles for reminding me I have a blog and telling me I should start writing one (again). MILES! I AM SHOUTING OUT AT YOU!

Amazing Delicioux Dip Recipe I Invented

approximate measurements

1 small yellow onion

1/2 green pepper

1 jalepeno (abt. 2-3 inches long)

3 cloves garlic

1 avacado

1 large tomato

1/2 cup sour cream

1 small lime (or some lime juice)

1 can refried beans

bunch of cilantro

shredded cheese

olive oil

garlic salt

garlic powder

onion powder

large frying pan

small mixing bowl

big serving bowl/dish/platter/thing

Heat some olive oil in a large frying or sautee pan at medium heat (level 3 or 4). Chop up that onion and put it in the pan. Chop up the green pepper and put it in the pan. Chop up one clove of garlic and put it in the pan. Chop up that jalepeno, take out most of the seeds, DON'T TOUCH YOUR EYES, and put it in the pan. Repeat: Do not touch your eyes after chopping that jap. Chop up half your cilantro and toss it in the pan. Sautee all these veggies together on medium heat for about 8-12 minutes. They should brown just slightly and start to smell very tasty. Sprinkle some garlic salt, powder and onion powder on there to taste. Leave on med to low heat (level 2-3) while you do the other part. Poke it occasionally with a spatula or wooden spoon.

Cut the avacado open and scoop into a small mixing bowl. Smash it with a spoon. Add the sour cream. Chop the rest of the cilantro and mix that in with the sour cream and avacado. Chop up your tomato, putting half in the pan, half in the mixing bowl, and leave about a handful aside for garnish (yes, my math is that good). Using garlic press, demolish the other two garlic cloves and add to the mixing bowl. Squeeze the lime into the bowl. Add a little garlic salt. Stir together 'til creamy and relatively un-lumpy.

Add refried beans to frying pan. Slowly mix into veggies (it will mix easier as it warms and softens). Let sit at medium heat for about four or five minutes. Once it seems to have congealed and the beans have turned an appealing shade of brown (but before it gets dry and crusty on the edges), turn off the heat and then scoop the beans into your serving apparatus. I use a big low serving bowl. Beans should cover about half to 2/3rds of the bowl (you may have extra). Sprinkle some shredded cheese on there. Pour the green mix over that and smooth out with spatula or the back of a spoon. Garnish with tomato bits and any remaining cilantro, maybe some more cheese. Serve with tortilla chips. Serves about four, or one hungry husband.

The Hoarse Ms. B

Ensconced in my own sickness, exaggerated perhaps by a tich, I sit at home, having spent the last two days mostly abed, sleeping and reading romance novels, with a few extracurriculars thrown in (the phenom Irish dinner Sarah hosted, some Flight of the Conchords watching). I didn't finish either of my writing assignments, however, nor did I clean my room or put away the dishes downstairs. Maybe I'll do that now, before Kitty gets home, before I'm slated to make us sammiches and mac'n'cheese, before I decide that I've already proven myself to be pretty worthless so why not continue the trend?

At any rate, that means I'm off to do other things, but with a slightly guilty conscience about not doing my assignments for Kwissofow and Le Roche - which are even on similar topics and thus part of one could be used toward the other - and instead just writing a bit off the cuff for myself. I suppose there are worse reasons to write. Or not write, as the case may be.

Back in the saddle again.

In case the dates aren't showing up fully, today is in 2008, the 18th of February in that year, in fact. It's been awhile. But Sarahbearah has encouraged me to go back to the blog block, and so I shall. Between she and Kwissofow and Le Roche, I may get back int he habit of just writing again. Which shall be good, I feel. I have a couple assignments on my plate right now so I can use those for initial fodder to get me back on the horse. Que bueno.

We are home on a Monday because some presidents were born on or around this day a couple hundred years ago. Thanks Mr. Washington! Outside all is still and quiet and dusted with snow, the sky brightening to almost blue (if you really want it) through the white-grey. My new CD from Kwissofow, The Fratellis, is blaring from the stereo. Sarahbearah and I have our computers set up on the round table by the window in the main room of the house and when I'm not noticing that our landlord hasn't shoveled the walk still for the last week and a half, I'm quite content. I am off to a matinee in a bit with Le Roche and so before then I think I will shake a tower and rally up some lunch. Mom and Kerry and Bo all came to town this weekend and we said goodbye after breakfast. Mom cried, of course, which makes me even sadder when she leaves.