Egregious Blunders, et cetera.

Ramblings.

2012-02-12T20:39:00.000-06:00

I've had a Pandora account for probably 2.5 years. I've used it for maybe 10 minutes in all that time. I've just never seen the point of using it on my Mac when my iTunes collection was right there waiting to be enjoyed. Things changed this week. DirecTV added Pandora access through their receivers. Now I can enjoy it in my living room through my surround sound receiver. Yes, I could already stream my iTunes through AppleTV, but the sound for that only goes through my boring TV speakers and not the the good sound system. Sadly, that receiver is a few years old now and only has one digital sound input. That input is reserved for the satellite sound. I need a new surround sound system with lots of digital inputs these days, as the AppleTV and the Wii both could utilize one, and if I ever decide to bother with BluRay (an increasingly remote possibility here in the era of streaming and not wasting money on physical media), it would also require one. But, it's not a priority, and may not become one until the old one dies. But I'm really enjoying the Pandora service. I've already discovered a couple of new artists! Now I understand why so many people love it.

I signed up for Pinterest today. It may take a while before I have much stuff on there, but since it seems to be the new 'it' thing of the moment, I thought I would try it out. I don't fall for all of the new 'it' things. I have no interest in Twitter, haven't used Google+ at all, don't see the need for Foursquare, haven't found a need for Instagram on my phone, never bothered with Hulu, and don't even have an active Netflix account because Redbox is about 100 yards from my door. I could go on and on. But I'm intrigued by the use of visuals to create a story. I saw this week that email use is declining here in the age of texting, FB, and Twitter, but I still love it and have no need to abandon it. I can't find a reason to leave Facebook, even though I seem to see less and less information from actual people on it. And, against all odds, here I am still using a blog, which seems almost archaic now. It's not that I'm averse to new things. I just need a good reason to use them. If something works, I stay with it. Anyway, stay tuned and we'll see what happens with Pinterest.

Last night, when the news was breaking that Whitney Houston was dead, I watched a few minutes of coverage on my go-to sources of news, CNN & MSNBC. Then a thought occurred to me..... would MTV even be bothering to pretend that it has any relationship to the music world anymore? I flipped over, and of course, there was no live coverage, just another repeat of one of their awful reality shows. It's truly a sad state of affairs that the channel that defined the 80s is dead. Someone should bury it. It certainly needs to be rebranded, because the "M" has no relationship to its founding anymore. I remember watching the breaking news of the death of Kurt Cobain on that channel, with anchor Kurt Loder in a true state of shock. Now, they don't even have the capability of going live for a breaking event. It's a pathetic ghost of itself. And as a child of the 80s, I'm embarrassed by it.

Mardi Gras is in full swing in our part of the world. Last night was the first parade here in town. But winter decided to show up just in time to make it a miserable experience. It was in the 30s here at parade time. That's way too cold to sit out in for three hours, regardless of how warmly dressed one is or how many blankets they pile on. I am not amused. January was much more like April here, so why did it have to get cold when we actually NEEDED the warm temperatures in order to be outside. So, I stayed at home in protest. I also was busily preparing a huge batch of chili and a topping bar for everyone to come warm up with afterward. It worked out well, but I'm still pissed off about the timing. However, by Tuesday it is back in the 70s, and next weekend, when there are at least three major parades to attend, the weather looks pretty close to perfect. So, I'm forgiving Mother Nature this time. But I'm still holding a grudge for last years frigid temperatures that pretty much destroyed the entire season.

This week's articles of interest:

This was in last month's Vanity Fair. I have developed a real addiction to that magazine over the past year. It produces articles on such a wide array of topics that every month the new issue is a gift and a surprise with each turned page. This particular article is on how the U.S. has become a national-security state, and is fascinating. The older I get, the more horrified I become by how this country has been steered down some truly destructive paths, mostly by Republicans.

I just found this one interesting, as I had no idea that the field of architecture has collapsed in such a way.

Finally, this response to the birth control coverage issue by a Catholic woman was excellent. I am SO DAMNED TIRED of hearing the fucking Catholic bishops whine about things and trying to impose their beliefs onto the entire United States population. They continue to diverge into a world of their own, and have no contact with reality whatsoever. They become more and more irrelevant every day, and alienate more and more of the people in the pews. It's a self-imposed march toward extinction, and all we can do is watch.

Having lived my entire life here in the deepest of the Deep South, I really thought that I had seen it all when it comes to the silly & excessive traditions of southern culture. But I was wrong. This came home with Benjamin from school on Friday. Yes, it's a "pre-cotillion" training class for kids who are still in the single-digit age category! It went directly into the recycling bin.

And to close out this week's entry, here are two excellent commentaries from people who make sense, a category that seems to be shrinking. Have you actually heard some of the things that have come out of the mouths of the candidates for the Republican presidential nomination? Horrifying doesn't even begin to describe them.

Worst Buy.

2012-02-05T14:59:00.000-06:00

I'm done with Best Buy. I never have a good experience there. Never. My beloved DVD burner (yes, I still use DVDs as backup for our iPhoto libraries) died in mid multi-disk backup, and I had to replace it ASAP. I was stunned to see how few options exist now (yet another technology that has come and gone in a decade or less), and I refused to settle for one of the "slim USB-bus powered" models aimed toward laptop users on the go. No, I want something that actually has some oomph and might last for a while. I decided on an LG model at Best Buy and drove the 20 miles to get it. When I got it home, I found (to my horror & dismay) that the power plug was designed for outlets somewhere in Asia. Not the United States, where I bought the damned thing. I pulled up the reviews on BestBuy.com, and found that someone else alerted Best Buy to this same issue 7 months ago. If they can't get the issue fixed in seven months, they obviously don't give a damn. So, that was the final straw. I'm tired of trying to find anything in those overgrown stores that have no sensible flow, and then as soon as you get used to a layout, they change the whole thing. I'm tired of dealing with salespeople who are convinced that they are technological gurus, but actually know nothing because they just started working that department 15 minutes ago after working at Burger King yesterday. No, if I can't get what I need at my local Target, Staples, Office Depot, or God-forbid, Walmart, then I'll order it from Amazon. Best Buy is maybe three years from going the way of Blockbuster anyway. They can't compete with the lower prices of the internet if they can't provide amazing customer service & interaction. And the for damned sure are unable to do that, based on my multiple encounters over the past 10+ years.

Today is the Super Bowl, and as usual, I couldn't care less. Professional football is absolutely devoid of interest for me. I don't support paying athletes anywhere near the salaries that they get. I don't understand why we celebrate grown men playing a game as a religion. I just don't get anything about it. But, since a Manning is playing, I hope the Giants win. I like those Manning boys a lot. They are true Southern gentlemen. But I surely won't waste my time watching. And why is someone so culturally irrelevant as Madonna doing the half-time show? Seriously, she's over. She must have secretly paid some big money for that gig. And, as I understand things, that's not the way it usually works. GaGa must have her absolutely terrified of the reality of obscurity.

I have three movie reviews to offer up. "The Maiden Heist" is truly awful, despite a cast that would otherwise suggest greatness. "Country Strong" is shockingly good, if you can stomach the country music. And "Contagion" is really good, but not quite as good as I expected. Still, it will make you appreciate social distancing.

Here are my current must-have iPhone apps: (1.) Scramble With Friends - much more addictive than Words With Friends. I can't stop playing it! (2.) Zite - a news & commentary aggregator that puts together some really interesting stuff that I don't see in my standard news apps, which are USA Today & MSNBC. (3.) IMDB Trivia - fun for those who watch too much TV and too many movies.

This commentary on "traditional" marriage using Biblical examples is priceless! I love it when the parts of the Bible that are routinely ignored are brought into the light. People LOVE to use the Bible to back up their position, but they forget that the Bible is simply overflowing with contradictions.

As stated previously, I love Bill Maher. He's the only thing that I miss when I don't have HBO. He is fearless and says things that need to be said. This final piece from Friday's episode is truly inspired.

Winter's Absence.

2012-01-29T14:36:00.000-06:00

The Japanese magnolias have already bloomed here. And the early azaleas have started this week. The magnolias are at least five weeks early, based on my own blog entries from the past couple of years. The azaleas are even earlier. Winter has completely forgotten us here in the southeast this year. My grass is starting to grow, and the typical spring weeds came up last week as well. It's really strange. I don't love winter, but it's bizarre to not have it at all. Since mid-March is usually the beginning of summer here in Fairhope, there's very little opportunity remaining for winter to show itself.

It's less than two weeks now until the first Mardi Gras parade here in town. They have already started in other parts of the area. And only six weeks until Arts Festival. And, most importantly, seven weeks from today, we will sail out of New Orleans on our cruise! There's a new visitor's web site that just launched for our little part of the world. Come see us!

I'm tempted to enter into a brief political discussion, but it would only get my blood pressure up. I'll just say that I am greatly amused that the Republican choice comes down to a robot or a clown. I really think that the dichotomy between the winner of that game of Russian roulette and the President will be striking. Team Obama!

Interesting articles from the last week or so:

I just saw this one moments before starting this post. It's a fascinating reflection on what people talk about just before they die and what that says about our human experience.

This is the best illustration of the current divide in American society that I've found.

While I don't agree with every single point in this essay, it does make some powerful points about American health care.

We all need storage ideas. That's why the Container Store exists. This article has some ingenious ideas, and I plan to use the silverware trays as wall-mounted jewelry storage in the very near future.

I Don't Buy It.

2012-01-20T21:45:00.000-06:00

I know that y'all don't expect me to take strong stands on issues, so prepare yourselves to be shocked.

Here it is.....

Ready.....?

I fucking detest Tim Tebow.

I understand that in this country, football is pretty much the biggest religion. It certainly gets the most people to show up on Sunday. It sweeps people up into charismatic fits of speaking in tongues regularly. And it pulls in more money than any pass-the-plate collection could dream of doing. And then along comes Tim, who brilliantly marries the two biggest cultural icons, football & Jesus. But what folks seem to miss is that he is riding the subsequent wave of attention for an ass-load of personal gain. He can pretend to be the great missionary to the sports fans as long as he wants, but he can't continue to pretend to be doing it all for Jesus. It's truly marketing genius. He gets to be the topic of countless conversations, he gets to eclipse the rest of his team, and he gets to up his asking price for endorsement deals exponentially. There is a reason that the method of proper prayer was given:

“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. --Matthew 6:5-6

Public piety is almost never authentic. A person's public persona is designed carefully to present an image that is palatable and attractive. That is especially true for public figures. And Tim's is particularly well-crafted. But that doesn't mean that he isn't just another hypocrite standing on a street-corner, using Jesus for shameless self-promotion. Just like politicians. And televangelists. And folks who suddenly remember to thank God when they win an award.

Sadly, we live in a world where people will automatically believe a person who uses the right words & phrases from time to time. That's how the Republicans have managed to secure the vote of the religious right for so long. These folks don't actually believe the words that come out of their mouths, and they don't have to. They just have to say them. Now, I'm confident that Tim actually possesses some degree of the piety that he expresses every time there is a camera around. But using that knowledge of how to influence people has rocketed him into the spotlight in a way that being a mere sports celebrity never could. This post is evidence of that, as I don't give a rat's ass about professional football. In any other time, I wouldn't have the slightest idea who the Denver quarterback is. Yet, here I am devoting time to talking about him.

Tim is free to be just as religious as he likes. He can go to church every day, he can talk about his love of Jesus in every interview that he can line up, he can form charities, he can go back to his missionary roots, he can even form his own denomination and preach for all I care. But when he makes a spectacle out of himself when the cameras are rolling, he is doing nothing but drawing attention to himself and upping his own public relations value. Pretending to be doing something for Jesus in those moments is just a lie.

Here are some other interesting takes on Tim.

What if Tim were a Muslim? Well, I think that we all know that his religious fervor would be ridiculed and quickly driven out of the sport.

A further look into why he is cultural phenomenon.

This one was better in the video format on CBS Sunday Morning, but the video isn't available. It's quick read, though.

The SNL sendup.

And the most brilliant mashup I've ever seen. Tebow & Bowie!

BCS Champions!

2012-01-10T00:09:00.001-06:00

I need to archive the many reasons that tonight's national championship victory was epic while they are still fresh in my mind.

1. BLOWOUT! First time in BCS era.
2. Beat LSU in Louisiana.
3. Nick Saban won a national championship for LSU in 2003, and took this one away from them. I want a shirt that says "Nick giveth, and Nick taketh away!"
4. Auburn's fluke championship is now bookended with Alabama championships.
5. Three in a row for the state of Alabama.
6. LSU made it into Alabama territory ONCE, and had ZERO scoring attempts.
7. Six in a row for the SEC.

8. Alabama had no turnovers and only 1 silly 5-yard penalty very late in the game.

9. Alabama now holds the record for most national championships.

10. Nick is the first coach to win 3 BCS championships.

The First Stuff of 2012.

2012-01-02T15:31:00.003-06:00

We aren't going to the Osiris Ball this year. We need a break. Maybe in a year or two we'll do it again. Or maybe even check out the newest order, Phoenix. But in the spirit of the Mardi Gras season, which begins today, the featured music here will be my Limo Mix. Not that I can actually ride in a limo, due to violent motion sickness issues. Still, it's a fun playlist, and would be great in a limo. Speaking of which, I saw on the local news yesterday that ALL of the limos in the Mobile area are fully booked for the trip to the national championship game on Monday night in New Orleans. I can't even begin to imagine how much that would cost. Of course, with tickets starting at $1,000, and going much higher, I suppose that another ridiculous expense isn't a big deal. Every room in New Orleans is booked, and I saw today that Baton Rouge and the Mississippi coast is filling quickly now as well. Crazy. I'll be watching the game, to be sure, but right here in the comfort of my living room. Roll Tide!

Benjamin got the Cars 2 DVD for Christmas. He & his mother saw it in the theater this summer and really enjoyed it. I was perplexed when it got bad reviews and didn't do terribly well at the box office. And I was saddened that it was labeled as Pixar's first dud. Well, I finally got to watch it last weekend, and I am even more confused. I found it to be a delightful followup. The Michael Caine character was truly inspired. And the scene with the ultra-high-tech Japanese toilet was hysterical. If you missed it, I give it two thumbs up.

I have two book recommendations: A Discovery of Witches and Blood Oath. Both are vampire stories, set in the present. Both are excellent. ADoW is the first of a trilogy. It is easily the best of the two, as it is written so magnificently. The second one comes out in July. I caution you that everyone I personally know who has read it (that's 3 other people) has had a violent & visceral reaction to the fact that waiting for the second one is mandatory. It's that good. Blood Oath is much less dense and in-depth, and makes for a quick & fun read. The second book is already out, and the third arrives in April. It has an excellent premise. Both of these series make the idea of real vampires seem plausible, which I enjoy very much. And there is none of the ridiculous sparkling that is found in that other current vampire phenomenon. That's just an abomination.

Here are two truly great performances from recent Saturday Night Live episodes. I love both of these women and hope to see both live in the not too distant future.

Stoned.

2011-12-29T14:39:00.000-06:00

*Funny story.... today, I was driving Isabelle and one of her friends, Hunter, across town. They were talking about the end of Christmas break, new classes, and how they felt about various teachers. At one point, I heard Hunter say about a teacher that he doesn't particularly care for - "And one night I got stoned and texted her at 4am." Now, being a cool dad, and one who finds the classification of marijuana as a serious drug a sad statement on how ludicrous our society remains, I let it go. However, since these kids are 14 & 15 and have no business smoking pot just yet, I made a mental note to address it later in the day with Isabelle. When I did, she burst into laughter and corrected me. What he actually said was "And one night I got Stone to text her at 4am." Big difference. I was relieved and amused.

*I have classified very few CDs as 'miraculous' upon just one listening. The Indigo Girls' "Rites of Passage." R.E.M.'s "Automatic for the People." Tori Amos' "Boys for Pele." Alanis Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill." Brandi Carlile's self-titled debut. And now I'm adding Florence + the Machine's sophomore release, "Ceremonials." Stunning, sweeping, transformative music the likes of which I've rarely encountered. I recommend treating yourself to it immediately.

*Did anyone else go out looking for after-Christmas sales and find virtually nothing left? I've never seen anything quite like it. Granted, we didn't get to go out on Monday because we were in Waynesboro visiting my family. But when we went out on Tuesday for the annual clearance smorgasbord, we found almost nothing left in the stores. At Kohl's there was almost no evidence that Christmas had just happened. It was like they had jumped straight to February. I suppose that stores were very careful to manage inventory this year, after having so much left over the last couple of years in this economy. But it was very disappointing.

*Now, for some interesting articles from the last week or two:
1.) This one makes me even more happy to be in the post-Catholic phase of my life.

2.) This one give me hope that modern religion will either get a grip or slip rapidly into irrelevance. It is amazing at how quickly this shift has come about, but it's not surprising. For centuries, religion was a requirement of participating in society. There wasn't any way to get out of it without being ostracized, and even murdered as a heretic. And for decades in this country, especially here in the South, regular church attendance was carefully observed & noted about neighbors, forcing the same sort of social pressures upon folks. But, suddenly over the last decade or two, it's like the bubble popped. People have abandoned organized religion in droves. And in in so doing, they have destroyed the social convention requiring participation and the circle continues to grow. I find it delightfully refreshing. Forced attendance isn't exactly the goal, now is it? It's always seemed to me that the church-goers lived in a sort of terror of the self-doubt that might occur if other folks made the choice to not participate. And so they created a system where everyone would be forced, one way or another, to validate the religious mindset. Those days have come to an end.

3.) If I were starting over with children today, I really believe that I would abandon the Santa myth. I enjoyed this story of people who have done just that. I know that there are plenty who believe that giving that sense of magic is good for kids. But I find that the end of that magic, and the knowledge that it was all a willful lie, is just too traumatizing. The ends most certainly do not justify the means.

4.) Finally, it's easy to find stories of people who give up meat. It's not so common to run across one where vegetarians rediscover meat. This one entertained me.

*Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T00:01:00.000-06:00

I decided that it was a good year to finally do a University of Alabama theme card, with the national championship within reach once again. And, in the spirit of full disclosure, at least two of the children have spent significant time on the naughty list this year. It was really a toss up as to which list they should be on, but the Christmas spirit won out and they avoided the coal elves once again.

Isabelle made these gingerbread cookies for a Christmas gathering with her boyfriend's family. I don't recall her ever doing anything so intricate for her own family.

Santa's helper, carrying gifts from the wrapping area to the display area. The display area is basically a random patch of space on the floor, since I never got around to a tree this year. Again. But next year, it's definitely going to happen. I've already made a note on the 2012 to-do list.

Downtown Fairhope, 10:30pm, Christmas Eve

Christmas in Alabama.

2011-12-18T22:51:00.000-06:00

J.D. Crowe, the local newspaper cartoonist, nails it again. This is what Christmas in Alabama looks like with the new immigration law in place.

The glorious Meryl Streep! The 60 Minutes interview....

We transitioned to CFL bulbs without any difficulty. I'm excited about transitioning again in the near future to LED. I don't understand why the Republican morons are making this an issue again. I mean, honestly, it was the moron-in-chief who signed the phase-out legislation in 2007. I guess that they realized that they had done something that made sense, so now they have to take it back. I so despise Republicans. I just needed to say that, because it's been a while since I gave voice to it. Anyway, it's a fascinating look at the changing world of light bulbs from CBS Sunday Morning.

Finally, our Christmas cards went to the post office TONIGHT! It's a little later than I like, but it took two weeks to get them from Mixbook, which I had not counted on. I've already made a note in next year's Christmas file (yes, I already have a file detailing gift ideas and specific instructions to myself for NEXT Christmas) to order them no later than Thanksgiving.

It's the Little Things.

2011-12-13T23:10:00.000-06:00

Don't look now, but this entry sets a pattern of weekly blog posts. Maybe my blogging juices are starting to flow again. For now, here are a few of the little things that have captured my attention.

I want to share my Toms shoes experience. I didn't know which way it was going to go until the last week, but it has a happy ending. Back in October, Alexandrea expressed a strong desire for a particular pair. So, I ordered them for her birthday. Everything seemed fine, until three weeks after she got them. One was literally coming apart at the seams. Those shoes cost too much to fall apart in a matter of days, or even months for that matter. I emailed customer service, and they directed me to their warranty department. I sent in photos, and about 10 days later, I got a response. A replacement pair was en route! They arrived today, and I sincerely hope that we simply got a lemon pair and that there was some manufacturing defect that caused the rapid destruction of the first ones. I'll update this story in a few weeks if the problem recurs. But, my first experience with the company has been a good one.

I have a real conundrum on my hands. My favorite fast food place, hands down & by far, is Chick-fil-a. It has been at the top of the list since my very first experience, when I was probably six. But their donations to anti-gay marriage causes, coupled with the incessant fucking religious music played in the restaurants, have really soured me on the place. I just want to eat, not be converted to Christianity over a sandwich & fries, and I don't think that I'm alone. I read another take on it by a gay blogger, and I just don't know what the best answer is. Donate to gay causes as an offset each time that I eat there? Ignore it all and eat the food that I love? Eat there less? Boycott the company in protest, just as I am doing with the Catholic church? I am not at all sure which path to take.

However, I am not having any difficulty suspending my habit of dropping money into the Salvation Army kettles during the holiday season. They have also drawn the ire of the GLBT community. I'm over giving money to charities that have position statements that I don't support. I would much rather give my charitable donations to places such as St. Jude, Water.org, Kiva.org, The Trevor Project, my local food bank, my local homeless shelter, and any number of organizations that don't worry about religious nonsense as part of their existence.

I haven't yet recovered from the shock of discovering that Alexandrea has aged out of the child tax credit. I may never recover. I'll sorely miss that $1,000. Whoever decided that someone was no longer a "child" because they turned 17 has surely never raised any. She's costing more now than she did a decade ago! Surely kids should remain eligible as long as they are in college. How in hell can anyone justify reducing their tax benefits while they are dependent and requiring college costs? I just don't understand.....

We are late-comers to the perfectly wonderful series, The Big Bang Theory. But everyone in the house is now in love with it. And with it recently going into syndication, we have the opportunity to see several episodes per day if we so desire. If you don't watch it, you are missing out. Especially if you have spent some portion of your life as the geek/nerd of your class/social circle.

And speaking of TV shows, I am so utterly & completely addicted to American Horror Story! The premise, the writing, the actors.......all amazing. Especially Jessica Lange! Her character is nothing short of brilliant, and if she doesn't get an Emmy, there is no justice in the universe.

I happened to notice So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk in the dairy case at the local Winn Dixie this week, and just had to try it out of curiosity. It's delicious! It must be a new offering there, as the So Delicious web site doesn't even list it as being available at that store. And I checked today at Publix, and they don't have it yet. But it is really, really good, and inexpensive. As well as organic and low-calory. And for me, who isn't a fan of regular milk, it's a nice new beverage option.

I was pleasantly surprised to find this cartoon in the Mobile Press Register on Sunday. I am a big fan of their cartoonist, J.D. Crowe. He isn't afraid to take on anyone, and that is refreshing here in the Republican south. I am sure that you have all seen or heard about the amazingly stupid video ad that Rick Perry released last week that was virulently anti-gay. It now has the distinction of being the most DISLIKED video EVER on YouTube. But the really great part was that we was wearing the exact jacket that Heath Ledger wore in Brokeback Mountain in the ad! Many people realized that and pointed it out. But I really enjoyed J.D.'s take on that fact in the cartoon.

One other product endorsement - Southern Comfort Vanilla Spice eggnog! It has become my favorite of the seasonal selections. There's no liquor in it, but it's flavor and consistency is perfect! I used to be able to get it at Wal-Mart, but they haven't carried it for the past year or two. Fortunately, the other local groceries still do. If you are a fellow lover of the nog, go get some today!

Finally, Michael C. Hall, who plays the title role in Dexter, had a great interview on NPR's Fresh Air this week. I know that most of you are fans, so be sure to listen to it!

Dexter:

Racing Toward Christmas.

2011-12-06T16:41:00.001-06:00

* By my calculations, we are about 98% done with the Christmas shopping! Now, if only the Christmas cards would arrive from the printer......

* Alexandrea AND Isabelle take the ACT this coming Saturday. How did I get to this place in my life?

* Amazon is doing their 25 days of free holiday music again this year. Be sure to take advantage!

* I have ignored my Southern Signposts blog for four months (!), and I sincerely apologize. I hope to get some new content added this month.

* Alexandrea had Winter Formal this past weekend. She took a few of her Fairhope buddies along this year. They have already requested invitations for next year!

* We have our outside tree, which was our inside tree two years ago, decorated. I don't know if we will have an inside this one year or not. I'm torn. We didn't have one last year, and I hate to go two years in row without one inside. But they take up space, and we have very little of it to spare. I'm still thinking about it. I will make a final decision this weekend.

* Has anyone seen Arthur Christmas yet? From the preview, it seems a likely candidate to unseat The Santa Clause as the best Christmas movie of the modern era.

* This was the lead story on CBS Sunday Morning. I enjoy seeing stories in the mainstream media about the divide in the U.S. Catholic Church. Some people have chosen to stay and fight. Lots of others, including myself, have abandoned the church, knowing that a top-down power structure with 2,000 years of experience doesn't have the least bit of interest in listening to the people at the bottom. But perhaps when they are faced with empty churches, their attention will become more focused on the displeasure of the laity. I doubt that even that will happen, but I feel strongly that my absence speaks louder than my presence would.

* I linked this on FB yesterday, but I want to share it again here as well. It was originally posted on YouTube back in early August, and suddenly went viral this past week. When I first saw it three days ago, it had 800,000 views. As of today, it has crossed 5,000,000! The only thing more sad than the effect that bullying has had on this poor kid is the stupidity of some of the commentators, who are either perpetuating the bullying, or whining because they are so certain that the video is nothing more than a way to attract attention. Only people fortunate enough to have escaped childhood bullying would be so utterly stupid. I have pretty much abandoned religion, and I neither expect nor require very much from God. I don't need some sort of gold-paved Heaven full of harps, or even an eternal existence. But I do require justice. Divine, perfect justice that ensures that people get what they deserve, and are forced to truly see themselves for who they are and take responsibility for both their actions and inactions. And the first people in line for the meting out of justice need to be the folks who bully kids. And if there is a hell, I can only hope that justice will insist that they be assigned to shoveling coal in the boiler room there. This individual story fortunately has a good ending. Jonah has come out at school, and things have gotten better for him. But not all kids who face bullying come out the other side. They end their own lives, rather than continue on in misery. And the most ridiculous part of the bullying of gay teens is the fact that most of the hatred is bred by religious nonsense. If you are a modern day religious adherent of the Judeo-Christian tradition, and you want to perpetuate the laws of Leviticus, then you had better get busy applying ALL OF THEM, and not just the one or two that don’t personally apply to you. That’s going to require some severe dietary changes and a lot of mandated killing, and for some of you, you will be the required victim of the mandated killing. So, I’m not so sure that you are all up to living by ALL OF THEM. But the truth is that Jesus left behind one commandment - love one another. It’s a lot harder than it sounds. And, yes, it is a lot easier to tear down other people in order to feel better about one’s own self. But that sort of behavior is exactly the opposite of holiness, and bears no resemblance to the biblical Jesus. No part of the foundation of Christianity has to do with hatred. And if you are personally guilty of perpetuating hate in the name of God, you are guilty of perverting the message of Jesus. And when the light of divine justice shines down upon you, I don’t imagine that it is going to feel good. Because you will be required to answer for the pain that you have inflicted, willingly, and often joyfully.

Want Uplifting? Don't Look Here.

2011-11-28T08:15:00.001-06:00

The first story on last night's 60 Minutes was one of the saddest things that I've seen. And it's happening all around us. In the United States. While our Congress fails to do anything. We are dangerously close to losing the status of the greatest country in the world. Because if we can't take care of our own children, if there isn't a safety net in place to protect kids, then we have utterly failed.

Want another example of the exploding poverty in this country? Just watch this story on how Wal-Mart has actually shifted its business to facilitate the rush of grocery shoppers at midnight on the first of each month when the food stamp money becomes available.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Another story illustrating the stupidity of the Alabama anti-immigrant law.

Watch Alabama: The immigration battle on PBS. See more from NEED TO KNOW.

And what is the Catholic church busy doing? Oh, very important work such as spending a decade making nuanced changes to the translation of the English mass. These changes went into effect yesterday, so if you are a lapsed Catholic like myself, and one day wander back into church for a service, you will be pretty confused. It's good that the Church is so focused on the real problems that it faces, both in the world as a whole, and within its own structure.

The Embarrassment.

2011-11-16T18:16:00.001-06:00

No, I'm not resuming my old multi-post per day routine. Far from it. But I forgot to include this one in today's earlier post. This was an excellent story on the great embarrassment that the state of Alabama has brought upon itself. Or least the Republicans have brought it upon the state. Because just as soon as they took control of the state legislature for the first time since the Civil War, they jumped straight into passing the hateful bullshit that they have become famous for. I have great sympathy for the intended victims of this pathetic law. But I have to admit that I am not currently able to work up much concern for the people who gleefully voted in the Republicans and are now suffering the dire consequences of that short-sighted decision. The mess here in Alabama, and the outrage in places like Ohio & Wisconsin that resulted from Republican nonsense regarding union rights, should be obvious lessons for everyone else around the country. The Republicans have no sense of the future, or consequences. They are only concerned with making the rich richer, and finding groups of people to hate. Giving them power will always result in the spread of discord and the consolidation of money to the already wealthy. This is not theory. It is proven over and over. And I am grateful every day to understand those facts, and because of that, I have no blood on my hands here in my home state. The vast majority, though, are dripping with it.

I desperately wish that I could also link to a story from this week's Dan Rather show on HDNet about a town in Kansas that has rebuilt itself after a devastating tornado utilizing green technology, and the great benefits that have resulted from that decision. In the story, the mayor acknowledges "bristling" at the idea when first approached with it, since it was a "east & west coast","liberal", "tree-hugger" concept. I just love when the conservatives have the blinding flash of the obvious that the "liberal" ideas are actually forward-thinking, while the conservative ideas are typically anchored solidly in the past, with no concept of the future. But, I can't, as the show is made available on iTunes for a small fee. But if you have HDNet on your cable or satellite provider, watch it. It's the last story of this week's episode. Or watch it on iTunes if you don't mind paying a couple of bucks.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Eye Candy.

2011-11-16T08:41:00.001-06:00

Autumn has indeed come to Fairhope, despite the fact that we haven't dipped below freezing yet. We've come close a couple of times, hitting the mid-30s for a couple of hours, but still no freeze. Its's one of the many benefits of sitting on the coastline. Mobile, which is only about 10-15 miles away, has dipped to 31, but when they get northwest wind bringing cold air, it doesn't pass over the water first. Here, it does, and the water is still warm enough to temper that cold air a bit. And, looking at the forecast, there isn't any freezing temps in the next 10 days. This may be the latest arrival of the first freeze since we've lived here! Still, there is a whole lot of color this year, much more than I remember from any other autumn in our almost-ten years here. I theorize that it has to do with the summer drought, and the fact that we are unusually dry once again.

We have a few gorgeous ginkgo trees around town, and this one is just a couple of blocks from our house. I love that the vast majority of their leaves drop over the course of just a day or two. It makes for a stunning display, especially if you happen to catch them in the process of raining down. Of course, my favorite ginkgo will always be the one near the bakery on the MSU campus. I wonder if any of the students still know about the old legend linking the trees at MSU & MUW.....?

The pyracantha bushes are covered in their trademark red berries. I've really got to plant one of my own. We had them in our yard when I was a kid, and I've never had one of my own as an adult.

My sasanqua camellia is in full bloom. There aren't nearly as many of these early-blooming varieties around town, but the honey bees are excited to have something to visit right now. The japonicas, which are everywhere around here, will start blooming in January and continue on through March.

Event they cypress trees are putting on a colorful show this year! Most are completely red & brown right now. I don't recall ever seeing them do this to such an extent before. This is another reason that I think it has to do with the drought, since these trees are such prodigious water consumers.

Finally, I don't typically watch the CBS Evening News. I'm a devotee to NBC for that half-hour. But I did switch over toward the end of the broadcast on Monday, and encountered a story from Steve Hartman, who I LOVE. However, in order to appreciate it more fully, you have to watch the one that he did almost three years ago first. (WARNING to Shannon & Jennifer..... these may be too much for you. Get tissues if you choose to proceed.)

Lots to Talk About.

2011-11-04T11:43:00.000-05:00

Halloween was a bit of bust here this year. Only a grand total of 11 trick or treaters. The decline & fall of Halloween is a cultural disaster.

Isabelle (Ladybug) and her BF, Greyson (Lovebug)

Benjamin

I mentioned the Southern Living Christmas cookbook at Dillard's recently on Facebook. But I want to remind the five of you about it again. It's a fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House, and is worth every penny of the $10 cost. It will make a great stocking stuffer, gift for the office party, and Dirty Santa option.

I have recently become aware of something that you may also enjoy - Biscoff spread. It's like peanut butter, but made from Biscoff cookies, which are very similar in flavor to graham crackers in my opinion. It was a big hit here. Some Wal-marts apparently have it, but not all. I get it at Winn Dixie or World Market, where it is $4.99. The web site will direct you to a retailer in your area.

As you know, I'm a big fan of the PBS series, Frontline. It is hard-hitting investigative reporting that covers topics that most folks rarely think about, much less come face to face with. The most recent episode looks at the government system of handling deportations, and I learned of an agency (ICE) and a program (Secure Communities) that I had never heard of before. If you need another example of just how broken our country has become, watch this episode. I dare you not to be mortified. Because it's all being done in your name, as a U.S. citizen and taxpayer. Honest to God, living abroad seems like a better option just about every day. Our government continues to fail us, and there certainly doesn't seem to be any hope of that changing in the future. It's only going to get worse. Just look at the cast of fools on the Republican side running for president and try to imagine any one of them actually in office. Does anything look better with them in charge? Hell, no!

We sailed right through our ninth anniversary in this house last week without even realizing the date. We owned our previous houses for only four years & two years respectively, so nine years here is really beginning to feel like a LONG TIME. I think that we are going to do a massive repainting inside over the next few months. I hope that we survive it. I detest doing work in a house while simultaneously living in it.

November's arrival has really kicked off my time to panic over the impending 40th birthday in April. My circle starts turning 40 this month. One has already crossed it, and two more will in the next week. I really may need to get the Xanax refilled soon, as the anxiety is building, slowly but surely.

I'm sure that you all know about utilizing cosmetology schools occasionally for greatly discounted services. Well, this past Tuesday evening, we finally took advantage of the culinary program at the local community college. The students are required to operate a restaurant on campus several times each semester. I've had it on my to-do list for about two years now. Well, it did not disappoint! We had an amazing five-course meal for the bargain price of $25 person. We now plan to go once each semester. So, you might want to check around and see what sort of culinary programs are around you and take advantage of them.

I have greatly enjoyed the recent flight of customers from banks to credit unions. I don't understand why everyone isn't in a local credit union. We joined one in 1996, and have never looked back! They cost NOTHING, and provide great service. When I need a hospital, I will always seek out non-profits over corporate ones. Corporations are specifically interested in making money and answering to stockholders. Non-profits don't operate in the same way. Credit unions are non-profit, and roll any money that they do make back into customer benefits. We've just recently left the credit union that we joined when we first moved to Fairhope, and joined a larger one that has a more presence in the state of Alabama. But they also have more benefits, including the mythical debit card rewards program that I have only heard about before. Members get points just for using their debit cards, and the fees that the credit union collect for those swipes goes back into the reward program. Big banks are cutting such programs, and charging new fees all the times. What are you waiting for? Switch to a credit union and keep YOUR money instead of paying a bank for the privilege of bestowing you an account.

I saw this story earlier this week, and all I could think about was how the political whorehouse that is Fox "News" would either ignore it completely or begin a spin process to discredit it. But, facts are facts, and no matter how much the Republicans try, they can't actually create their own. I'm just so thrilled that the Koch brothers helped bankroll the study and the results were far from what they had intended.

The New Orleans Christmas holiday guide has finally been posted. I'm really, really going to try to go over there for some of the holiday activities this year. Be sure to click that "view the Christmas guidebook" link at the top of the page for the full publication. Spending a little time in New Orleans around the holidays has been on my to-do list for too many years now. With 40 approaching, it's time to get serious about that bucket list....

And here's something that you don't see everyday......

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Finally, our first-born will turn 17 tomorrow. That sounds ludicrous, but it's true.

At two.

Six.

And five days ago.

Well, that was the last straw. Off to find the Xanax now......

Malaise.

2011-10-16T21:12:00.000-05:00

{Pardon me while I work through some blog malaise. I'm failing mightily, and can't promise rapid improvement. I feel especially badly about Southern Signposts. I don't think that I've touched the camera since getting back from Denver four weeks ago!}

I'm a sucker for Disney World ads, but this new one is one of the best in quite a while.

I watched an episode of National Geographic's series Taboo tonight on people who develop real emotional relationships, even real love & sexual intimacy, with objects. I'm not quite at that level yet with my new iPhone 4S, but I can see it from here. I researched about eight different cases for it, and ended up going with the Switcheasy Capsule Rebel, which is the updated version of the case that has been on my iPhone 3G since day one. That phone has survived for over two years without a scratch, so I'm going to stick with their cases until one fails me.

As any sane person would have predicted, the new hateful law here in Alabama aimed primarily at hispanics has had some unforeseen consequences. Crops are rotting in the field because there is no one else who will do the manual labor to harvest them. Restaurants are suddenly having dramatic issues in finding kitchen help. Hispanic owned businesses are closing because their customer base is fleeing to other states. It is truly heinous what the Republicans here have done, and then they have the arrogance to show up at church on Sundays and pretend to have any connection to Christianity. I hope for hell within hell that is reserved specifically for hypocrites.

After going for a couple of years without a Southern Living subscription, last week we received our first issue after renewing. My new dream house was the featured house plan. I NEED it. Maybe one day.....

For some reason, I have failed to get Showtime turned on for the new season of Dexter. Maybe I'll just wait and watch it all at one time later.

The local community college has three branches in the county. At the Gulf Shores location, they have a well-regarded culinary program. That program operates a restaurant for training purposes for several weeks in the spring & autumn semesters. I've wanted to go for a long time, and tomorrow I plan to finally make the reservation to go on Nov. 1. Check out the menus at the bottom of the page. It's pretty impressive for a 2-year school, in my opinion.

Those of you that know me well understand that in the past I've kept a pretty clean house. At some points in my life, it's bordered on the OCD. Maybe even crossed the border once or twice. I can say with all honesty that that phase has passed into oblivion. I have barely gotten the bare basics of keeping the dishes & laundry done for several weeks now. I don't remember when I last ran the vacuum, and it's pretty obvious. But I sense that the tide is finally about to turn. I washed & vacuumed the van today for the first time since mid-summer, and that is usually my tell that cleanliness is about to bubble up to the top of the priority list for a couple of weeks.

That's all I've got to say about things right now.

Goodbye, Steve.....

2011-10-05T19:05:00.000-05:00

Visionary. Genius. Icon.
I don't have heroes. Except for Steve. He always did it better, and on his own terms. He turned occasional defeat into incomprehensible success. And everything he touched turned to gold. While the world will focus on Apple, no one should forget that he created Pixar as well. And selling it to Disney breathed new life into a company that was beginning to stagnate creatively in animation. He has played a major role at the two companies that are the most important to me, and made them into the undisputed world leaders of their craft. He changed the world for the better in countless ways, and I for one will find the world a sadder place without him in it.

Observations.

2011-10-01T14:25:00.000-05:00

Hi, October! How'd you get here so quickly?! I purposefully didn't mention the onset of the '-ber' months when September arrived, because my four-ish readers should be well aware of them by now. But September is always the one that drags on forever, with summer heat, no significant holiday (I don't count Labor Day as significant, as there are no gifts, elaborate meals, or costumes involved), and the monotony of the school routine. Not this year! If this is representative of the next three, then I'd better get my Christmas cards ordered today.

I was embarrassed to be an American when the Arizona immigration law was implemented. Now, I am horrified to be a resident of Alabama because of our new immigration law that some have referred to as "Arizona on speed." This is the kind of bullshit that happens when Republicans have power. The Alabama legislature finally came under total Republican control last year, and this is the sort of crap that they are concerned about. The state has a population of over 4,000,000, and of that, only about 120,000 are illegal immigrants. You do the math and then try to convince me that this is a real problem. Republicans have one overwhelming primary concern.....discriminate & persecute anyone who isn't a white, heterosexual Christian. This is just another in a long line of instances where they show the country exactly who they are. And as Maya Angelou says, "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."

I posted on Facebook this week about Banned Books Week. If you would like to see what books are being challenged by conservative religious crazies, check out the PDFs at the bottom of this page. And just to be clear, I don't believe in "protecting" children from ideas and the realities of the world. They have to learn about all the facets of the world, both good and bad, and pretending otherwise serves only to cause them damage later on when they are forced to face those things as adults. I'd much rather that they learn through reading than through experience.

Did y'all see this? Maybe the vampires really are preparing to come out of the casket. Their growing presence in pop culture, especially since Anne Rice started writing her amazing books about them in 1973, could certainly be seen as a way to soften up the culture for their arrival. You never can tell, and reality is always stranger than fiction.......

I had high hopes for the new shows "New Girl" & "Up All Night." Unfortunately, I find them to be utterly terrible. Especially "New Girl." My God, it's simply awful. But there are at least a couple of really good new dramas. Our favorite is "Person of Interest." Great original concept, and one that isn't far from reality. "Unforgettable" is really good as well.

Today is the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World! It was only 20 years old when Lorraine & I worked there. I feel so damned old.....

And tomorrow will be the last scheduled essay by Andy Rooney on 60 Minutes. I've known that this was coming, as he is 92 years old, but it certainly feels like a personal loss after enjoying him for my entire lifetime.

We have missed out on two staples of early autumn here in Fairhope. I can only guess that both are due to the drought. While we are in much better shape than we were a month ago, it's still not exactly wet around here. And the long, dry summer must have caused some significant issues for both - spider lilies & banana spiders. I had 3 of roughly 100 spider lilies come up in my yard, and never noticed any in other yards. This is really unusual, and really irritating since I have a long-running love affair with them. And I haven't encountered a single banana spider, and they should have been here several weeks ago. It's really bizarre to have neither.

One of our local radio stations switched format in September from Pop/Top 40 to 80s & 90s. And since the day the format changed, all the other stations are playing MUCH more 80s music as well. It's really delightful for children of the 80s like myself.

For those of you with access to Publix grocery, the White Christmas ice cream has returned! I discovered it last night, and got TWO! Best of all, it's on sale this week! Just to remind you, it's Barnie's White Christmas coffee ice cream with chocolate espresso flakes throughout. It's simply unbelievable. For those of you without access to it, you have my greatest sympathy.

Yesterday, as I was taking Lorraine to work at just after 6:30pm (yes, I drive her the three blocks to the hospital, but she walks home), I realized that the sun wasn't shining in my eyes when I turned west. It had already set. I had a small panic attack. The days really are getting shorter, and the long darkness of winter is close at hand. Time to start treating my mild seasonal affective disorder again......

It's The End of the World As We Know It, and I Feel.....

2011-09-21T21:30:00.000-05:00

I nearly wrecked the car when I heard the news on NPR that R.E.M. had announced earlier today that the band is over. OVER! I came to R.E.M. much later than I would have liked. I didn't come to appreciate, then love, them until MSMS. This probably won't come as a shock to anyone, but R.E.M. wasn't something that filled the airwaves in the backwoods of Waynesboro. So, they were all the way to Green before I really found them. And I remember borrowing Clay Kittrell's CD when we were suite-mates, so that means that it was the first part of senior year when I finally made this discovery, even though Michael Dudley had tried valiantly the previous year to show me the light. I missed the earlier masterpieces, Murmur, Reckoning, Fables of the Reconstruction, Document, & Lifes Rich Pagent. I had missed Dead Letter Office, and the Eponymous compilation. But I made up for it! I quickly acquired them all, and loved them dearly. They are the soundtrack of my MSMS time, our senior trip, and my years at Mississippi State. I stood outside Crossroads music store at midnight for the release of Out of Time and Automatic for the People. I own every one of their CDs, except for the most recent one that came out earlier this year, but it has been sitting in my Amazon cart since it was first available for pre-purchase. It will be ordered immediately. Some of the albums weren't exactly masterpieces, but each one produced at least one jewel. It will be one of my life's regrets that I didn't see them perform live. I can hope that they will perhaps give us one final tour, or maybe a reunion in a few years. But I won't hold my breath. I now face the reality of turning 40, and doing so into a world where there is no longer a band called R.E.M. to link me back to my youth. So, for all of us fans, it is definitely the end of the world as we know it. And I can't imagine that any of us feel fine about it.

Here is my ultimate R.E.M. playlist, which includes at least one entry from each of their albums:

Radio Free Europe (Murmur)
Perfect Circle (Murmur)
Don't Go Back to Rockville (Reckoning)
Driver 8 (Fables of the Reconstruction)
Feeling Gravity's Pull (Fables of the Reconstruction)
Begin the Begin (Lifes Rich Pageant)
I Believe.... (Lifes Rich Pageant)
Superman (Lifes Rich Pageant)
Disturbance at the Heron House (Document)
It's the End of the World... (Document)
King of Birds (Document)
Crazy (Dead Letter Office)
Gardening at Night (Dead Letter Office)
World Leader Pretend (Green)
Orange Crush (Green)
Losing my Religion (Out of Time)
Drive (Automatic for the People)
Everybody Hurts (Automatic for the People)
Try Not to Breathe (Automatic for the People)
Nightswimming (Automatic for the People)
Find the River (Automatic for the People)
What's the Frequency, Kenneth? (Monster)
Electrolite (New Adventures in Hi-Fi)
Daysleeper (Up)
Imitation of Life (Reveal)
Electron Blue (Around the Sun)
Supernatural Superserious (Accelerate)
Mine Smell Like Honey (Collapse Into Now)
Bad Day (In Time: Best of R.E.M.)
#9 Dream (Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur)

As a side note, I would be happy to NEVER hear "The One I Love", "Stand", or "Shiny, Happy People" ever again, thankyouverymuch.

Jennie & Lori Got Married!

2011-09-21T18:00:00.000-05:00

So, having not flown in 20 years, and hearing multiple horror stories about the experience all the time, not to mention having spent the previous weekend watching 9/11 anniversary coverage, I was dreading the actual travel to & from Denver for Jennie's & Lori's nuptial celebration. As it turned out, I couldn't have had a better flying adventure! I was on Continental (but all the planes were painted for United, as the merger is still in progress), and everything was perfectly on time, no delays, no cancellations, no bullshit in the security line, no getting lost while switching concourses in both Houston & Denver, and no overly-social person sitting in the seat beside me. I don't think that it could have gone better. Now, there was a bit of turbulence ascending out of Houston on the way out there, but it didn't last long and didn't bother me. And, we had to fly through some more impressive turbulence over the Mississippi coast on the way back because of storms in the area. But I really loved flying at night and seeing the towns below us. I don't think that there was ever time that I couldn't see lights on the ground between Houston & Mobile. Except for the few minutes when we were in the clouds/turbulence. My only issues were: (1.) the temperature got a little warm on both of the 737 flights between Houston & Denver. I need it to be cool, bordering on cold; and (2.) I was getting a little claustrophobic by the end of the second hour, which worked out fine since it was only slightly more than that between Denver & Houston. But I'm not sure how I would manage anything longer than 3 hours, which makes my trans-Atlantic dreams a bit more complicated. However, I suppose that the solution is to just get on at bedtime and sleep my way to Europe. Anyway, I've already been checking ticket prices for a return trip to Denver next summer!

Denver was gorgeous, and it took me a while to stop looking toward the Rockies without my mouth hanging open. I didn't get to go up into the mountains this time, but there is a long list of sites already planned for the next trip, including the wildly haunted Stanley Hotel, which was the basis of The Shining!

The thing that I always begrudge the large metropolitan areas are the restaurant choices. There are so many places that I want to visit, including big chains that we don't have here in this part of the world, at least not outside Atlanta. Just a few of the ones that I encountered on this trip that I would very much enjoy having close by are Chipotle (LOVE it!), Qdoba, Which Wich? (Supposedly, there is one of these on the MS coast!), Smashburger (OMG!), Jack in the Box, and Einstein Bro. Bagels. And then there was Snooze, a Colorado-only option, which is breakfast nirvana. As you probably already know, I am a fan of food!

Now, on to the big event.

So, the night before the wedding, there was a large cookout at their house. It was a true meat extravaganza (and vegetarian nightmare!), with 45 pounds of brisket and 3 smoked turkeys, all cooked by Jennie's wonderfully generous brother, as well as a large quantity of pulled pork BBQ, prepared by Jennie. And lots of sides. And two coconut cakes, made entirely from scratch by Jennie over the course of several days. These filled the role of the groom's cake. And lots of beer! It was delightful!

So, is that a beautiful bride or what? Unfortunately, the weather wasn't terribly cooperative on Saturday, which was problematic since all the festivities were planned for outside in the gardens. It was raining as the brides arrived at the Denver Botanic Gardens (which are gorgeous, and I must return on the next trip to see the whole place), but quickly stopped and it seemed that all would be well for the rest of the day. The sun even came out for the ceremony!

Here's Lori getting her first look at the bride and the dress! And Jennie coming down the aisle, trying desperately to remember not to RUN to her beloved!

Sealing the deal!

The reception was supposed to be here, beside the stunning Monet garden. And we had a few minutes there for hors d'ouevre & drinks. But long before dinner could be served, we were driven indoors by driving rain & lightning. It was disappointing for the brides who had put so much planning into the event, but it was an adventure as we all fled through the gardens for cover, and weaved our way through the facilities (including a huge indoor tropical garden) and eventually arrived at a banquet room. The caterers did an amazing job of getting all the food moved safely and quickly inside out of the storm, and dinner was delicious!

I don't know where this umbrella came from, but I LOVE the fact that it is flower themed to match the garden surroundings!

Aren't' they precious?

Oh, l'amour.......

On Sunday, Jennie took me on a little sight-seeing, and the highlight was the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater. I simply must see someone that I love perform there before I die! And, then it was time to come home on Monday. We took off from Houston just after the sun set, which made for a lovely photographic opportunity.

I had an excellent trip, and I am so glad that I went. Traveling alone for a few days certainly makes it hard to come back to real life, but here I am anyway. If I disappear without warning, there's an excellent chance that I can be found in Jennie & Lori's basement oasis, hiding from the struggles of family.

Ten Years On.

2011-09-11T07:00:00.002-05:00

I arrived late to 9/11. I was asleep, and it must have been one hell of a sleep because Lorraine swears that she tried several times to arouse me, but I have no memory of it. She finally got me conscious just as the second tower collapsed. This is a bit unusual for me, as I am a news junkie. But 10 years ago, I was near my peak as a not-a-morning-person, and since I had gotten to sleep in that day instead of being on school duty for Alexandrea, apparently nothing was going to get me up.

What makes this even more unusual in my memory is the fact that I was awake on the morning of the Oklahoma City bombing and was watching the Today show. Alexandrea was six months old, and she awakened very early that morning as Lorraine was leaving for a long day at nursing school. Her early rising was unusual, and I remember looking out the window at the school bus picking up kids just before 7am and thinking how damned early it was to already be on the way to school. I watched the whole story unfold from the first reports of an explosion to the realization of just how enormous the story really was. I was still watching when they caught Timothy McVeigh that afternoon on a traffic violation.

And I have a vivid memory of the death of Princess Diana, from the moment that the story broke all the way through to the funeral. Lorraine was at work that night, and Isabelle was almost three months old. I was sitting in my living room, rocking Isabelle to sleep, and had one of the major cable news channels on. I called Lorraine when the news first came across around 8pm that there had been a car crash, and called several other times with updates until we found out around 10pm that she was dead.

And then came Columbine. Again, I watched with horror from beginning to end, as kids were evacuated and swat teams stormed the building. And a few years later, after living through the local impact of Katrina, I watched New Orleans sink below the waves like a modern day Atlantis, and then slowly resurface over the course of a month. I watched all of those modern day calamities unfold live on TV.

But, I came late into the story of 9/11. Of course, these days it is hard to believe since I've seen over & over all the footage of those two hours that I slept through. In my mind, all the images are there. But I didn't see it happen in real time. And I sometimes wonder if I am less scarred by the event because I had that luxury.

We all know where we were. But I'm intrigued by how people reacted, and what they did. I went into self-preservation mode. I assumed that there was a decent chance that we were entering a prolonged period of chaos, and things needed to be done. First, Lorraine went to the elementary school to check out Alexandrea, who was in first grade. Surprisingly, very few parents seemed to take this course. But I felt strongly that we didn't know what would come next, and we needed to gather all of us up in one place so that we could react more quickly to whatever that might be. A little later, after becoming a bit more secure that the attack was over, at least for a while, I headed to the grocery. And, I was once again surprised to find the store virtually empty of people. But I was on a mission for staples. I didn't want to be caught in a food-chain disruption without some stockpiles. I have forgotten how much I spent, but I want to say that it was around $200, which was a LOT for us at that time. There were several bags of flour, and bags of sugar, lots of canned food. Several loaves of bread. A few gallons of milk. And, because I had read the classic Cold War novel of survival after nuclear war, Alas Babylon, (a fantastic book, still in print, and laying on Lorraine's bedside table right now because I have begged her to read it for almost 20 years and she has finally agreed to do it) I bought a whole bunch of salt. The book had pointed out that the human body requires salt to function, and that unless you happen to live near a salt mine or salt deposit, not having it is a major problem. Even a bigger problem than going without chocolate, which is a nightmare too horrible for me to imagine. So, I probably bought 12 boxes of salt. We STILL have a few boxes of that stockpile remaining to this day. After that, I settled into 24-hour TV coverage for what must have been a week, and the details get fuzzy.

I heard today that roughly 20% of the American population knew someone killed or injured in the 9/11 attacks. Fortunately, we are in the other 80%. But 9/11 did have direct effects on our lives. Just a few days before, we had been vacationing on the Alabama coast over Labor Day, and Lorraine had interviewed for a job at the hospital in Fairhope. And we had toured the school that the girls would attend first. And only a day or two before that Tuesday morning, she had been offered the job and we were busily making lists for moving. But on 9/12, she called the hospital to say that the world was too unsettled for us to consider a move and that she regretfully had to decline the offer. It was 10 more months before we finally relocated to Fairhope. And during that time, we suffered through a rough few months of conflict with Lorraine's family after certain members made a poor choice, and we refused to be part of it. Had we been able to move in September or October, distance would have made the conflict much less dramatic and painful.

Everyone has a story about that day, large or small. Here at the 10-year anniversary, in addition to reflecting on the events of that day, spend a few minutes thinking about how that day directly impacted you in the days, weeks, and years afterward. I can't imagine that anyone made it through completely unscathed.

After the Rain.

2011-09-09T20:48:00.000-05:00

* There's a spot down the block from our house that grows a lovely patch of mushrooms after a good rain. Last weekend, we finally got our long-awaited drouth relief via Tropical Storm Lee. We got somewhere between 8-10 inches, and it was glorious. It fell slowly over four days, and was gulped up by the earth. Afterward, the ground wasn't even muddy as it all absorbed deep down. Tonight, I noticed the mushrooms in full bloom and thought that y'all might enjoy them as well.

* There are a couple of new Southern Journal articles penned by Rick Bragg. If you don't read them, you have cheated yourself of a few minutes of perfection. So, click on over to Stepfather's Day and Trade Day.

* I must apologize for neglecting Southern Signposts for the past month-ish. I promise to do better.

* Anniversaries keep arriving that remind me of how damned old I am. I just passed the 23rd anniversary of moving into MSMS. And Walt Disney World turns FORTY (!!) in a few weeks, which also means that Epcot turns THIRTY (!!). This is particularly painful because when I arrived there to spend a semester in their college program (twenty years ago this coming January), WDW was having a huge 20th birthday celebration, and Epcot, even though well-established, was still somewhat new. It had only been eclipsed as the newest park two years earlier when the Studios opened. Now, Animal Kingdom is the baby park, and it is already THIRTEEN years old. These sorts of realities make me feel ancient. My peers will begin crossing the 40 threshold any day now. I really need to keep the Xanax close by over the next few months. Panic attacks are imminent.

* I'm trying to decide what new shows to give a chance this year. So far, I've only committed to "New Girl", "Up All Night", "Person of Interest", and "Grimm." And maybe "Unforgettable." Nothing else really has really captured my attention.

* It really won't be two weeks between posts this time, as I have already started working on a special 9/11 reflection that will post that morning. After that though, I make no promises. The blogging thing just isn't percolating in my mind right now.

The Week In Review.

2011-08-27T20:16:00.000-05:00

* We did indeed go to the beach last Saturday. Yes, it has taken me a week to even post a photo. No, I don't know why.

* I am aware that I am coming very late to the party, but I've finally gotten around to reading David Sedaris. I've had several of his books on my shelf for two or three years, and actually read the very small volume "Holidays on Ice", which is Christmas-centric. His wit & humor combined with my love of memoir has combined to make his stories truly fantastic reading for me. If you haven't read any of his stuff yet, I recommend starting with the volume Naked and skipping straight to the title story. It's a recounting of his week spent at a nudist resort. And it's good stuff.

* Tuesday was an unusual day for me, centered around relationships from the distant past. One of my childhood friends, who now lives in New York City, was nearby visiting her mom. I really haven't seen her since 1990 or 1991, except for a brief visit at her older sister's wedding in 1994. We've recently come to realize that her mom now only lives about 45 minutes away from me, and that we needed to make an effort to get together when she was in town next. It was really delightful to see her again and share our experiences over the last two decades. We even got together again the next day with her mom, who I also enjoyed very much as a kid. But later that day I found out that my high school counselor, who I really loved, is dying from breast cancer. It was tremendously saddening, but I was able to write her a rather long note detailing her influence on my life, and I hope that it brought her some joy & solace. All too often, we fail to tell the people who impact us along the way what their influence meant. I'm glad that I got the chance to do it this time.

* We did manage to get our refinance locked in at 3.875%! The appraisal is set for Tuesday, and barring any unforeseen issues, we'll close on the new loan in a couple of weeks. I may have a shirt printed saying "My mortgage is at 3%! Suck it!"

* About an hour ago, I was behind someone in the grocery who seemed to be a disciple of the "extreme coupon-ing" religion. Now, while Lorraine has recently gotten good at saving sizable money with coupons, she is in no way one of those stockpiling extremers. And she isn't going to lay down a stack of coupons that takes minutes to be scanned either. But this woman had a large pile, and required several manager overrides/approvals. I was less than impressed being behind her with 12 items. But the part that really irritates me is that the vast majority of the stuff that these extremers are filling their buggies with is crap food. This woman had 9 or more boxes of Lucky Charms. Now, a bowl of this sort of cereal is fine once in a while. But needing nine boxes at a time is just another indicator of why obesity is such a problem in this country. And this woman was on the rotund side herself. I just want these people who save a ton of money on the crap food to take their savings and go buy some of the real, nutritious food that isn't easily gotten at a bargain price and work it into their diet as well, and stretch that crap food out in the process.

* Lorraine has occasional migraines, usually not more than once a month. But she recently got some samples of the newer migraine specific drugs from her neurologist to try. She's tried the older versions such as Imetrex & Maxalt, but they don't work for her and actually have some scary side effects for her. However, yesterday she woke up with a migraine, and took a Relpax for the first time. And the migraine disappeared within a couple of hours, and greatly accelerated the recovery from it. It's a minor miracle! The neurologist phoned in a prescription for it late yesterday, and we knew that it was going to be one of the drugs that requires the highest copay on our insurance. It is a crazy-expensive pill, retailing for around $30/each, but if it works, it's certainly worth the price! However, Lorraine stumbled onto an offer on the drug's website that offered a discount card from the manufacturer that would cover up to $100/month of the copay just for signing up and taking the card (which you print at home) to the pharmacy. It dropped our cost from $107 to $10. That's TEN DOLLARS! So, if you have migraine issues, try Relpax and if it works, there is financial assistance available if you know where to look. She also has a sample of Frova, and if she has the courage to try it sometime rather than go straight to the Relpax, I'll let you know the results.

* Finally, the east coast got insanely lucky with Irene. For some reason(s) that I don't fully understand, she lost some strength when she could have easily been intensifying. North Carolina could have easily suffered a Cat 4 strike, and even New York could have seen a Cat 2 if conditions had been just a little different. While it is a great thing that this didn't happen, it will eventually. And now, after scaring the hell out of everybody and then not materializing as promised, it will cause some folks to react slowly or not at all next time. And that may cause an enormous death toll.

Getting Back in the Swing.

2011-08-17T12:48:00.001-05:00

Well, the Civic finally came home last Friday. After being at the last mechanic for SIX WEEKS, they replaced the transmission solenoids. On Monday morning, it was doing the same thing again. So, we've now sunk almost $1,000 into supposed fixes that have accomplished nothing. So, the fixes stop here. The issue seems to appear mostly when the engine is cold, but the car is still drivable when it happens, and if four different mechanics haven't been able to find a real problem, then we will drive it until it stops. It certainly won't be making any long trips, but it will serve just fine as our local workhorse. In addition, the van is in the body shop for bumper repair. By the end of the week, things should be looking up here. I was starting to have a full-scale come-apart there for a few days when the house renovation work was happening, the Civic was trapped in automotive repair limbo, and then my beloved van was injured. But, after a fruitless effort with the insurance of the idiot who ran into me, my insurance has been nothing but helpful. I know that most folks have never heard of Amica, but they are consistently rated at the top of customer satisfaction rankings of insurance providers by places such as J. D. Powers. I don't even remember now how I stumbled across them, but we have been with them for nine years, and I can't recommend them strongly enough. Give them a call and see if they can save you money AND give you much better service.

After backing down the drought monitor from level 5 to level 3, things are getting dry here again. It's been two or three weeks again with only an occasional sprinkle. I mowed on Saturday, and it is hard to tell that the grass is growing now.

I just have to say that my expectations for Rick Perry were exceedingly low, but he has already managed to squeeze in to the tiny little space below those expectations. His swagger, his hubris, his lack of an appropriate filter, and his extraordinary lack of knowledge is so reminiscent of W as to cause a large segment of the country to have palpitations every time he shows up on the television screen. If the best that the Republican field can offer up is him, that delusional nut Michelle Bachmann, and the boring flip-flopper Mitt Romney, it is a truly sad state of affairs over in that camp. I mean, seriously, between the Tea Party whack jobs, the birthers, the racists, and the religious sheep who will follow along blindly behind anyone who speaks their language, it is truly a party composed primarily of the mentally ill these days.

As one who suffers from a smidgen of seasonal affective disorder, I notice some tiny changes that indicate seasonal shift that most folks probably don't. Case in point..... yesterday, the late afternoon light suddenly took on a much more autumnal feel. It has something to do with the shadows, and the changing from a long, slow dusk to a more rapid transition from daylight to dark. But it was very much there. Did anyone else notice it? Or should I go check into a mental treatment facility and declare myself to be a Republican?
I have found the bottom rung of humanity, at least on television. They are not on the "Housewives of ....." shows. They are not on "Hoarders." They are not on "Intervention." They are not "Parking Wars." They ARE on "Hard Core Pawn" on TruTV. I don't know how I've missed this show for more than a year, but I ran across it in the program guide last night and was intrigued by the title. I ended up watching 5 straight episodes. You honestly can't turn away.

Now, I want to admit something. I overly romanticized the whole back to school idea. I had forgotten that it takes some time to get into the routine. And there are real chores involved, such as breakfast fights, making lunches, long drop-off & pick-up lines, homework requirements, and especially the early mornings which require early evenings. I've been doing very good, but I really hate getting into the bed before 10pm. I don't actually turn off the reading light until around 10:30, but still, it is just so EARLY. However, the peace and quiet of having them all in school is delicious. This morning, I sat out in the yard for almost an hour, just reading email, checking the news of the morning, listening to the world come alive, and enjoying the outside world. It has been so hot and miserable for most of the summer, that I've almost forgotten what the outside looks & feels like. We have had a few days of low humidity (almost unheard of this time of year!) this week, so it was particularly delightful this morning. And, I am taking advantage of the peace & quiet at this very moment to blog. Perhaps the constant needs of the children during the summer took more out of me than I realized. Now, if I can just find the motivation to do a deep, intensive house cleaning, all will be right with the world again. But that's a BIG if! However, I have found myself making to-do lists for some major cleaning & re-organization projects for the autumn when temperatures cool down. There is hope yet......

I am embarrassed to admit that we haven't even been to the beach this summer. We live 30 minutes from one of the most beautiful stretches of the Gulf of Mexico, and haven't been there once. I don't know what is wrong with us. I think it's because it's been so hot & dry. And there have been record crowds on our local beaches this year, which is a great thing after last year's oil spill debacle. But now that the crowds have returned home for school, we have to make up for some lost time. So, we are going on Saturday.

And, just in case you might also need to know this, our local mortgage broker has a truly unbelievable rate of 3.875% this morning for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage. A 15-year fixed rate is 3.25%! I've already called to lock in the rate for a refinance. I really can't even believe it. I was stunned almost three years ago when we refinanced at 4.75%. I couldn't believe that we were seeing a mortgage rate under 5%, especially since our first mortgage back in 1996 was at 8.5%, which was the going rate at the time. Just to illustrate the savings, a $200,000 30-year loan at 5.25% would see a monthly savings of $163.94 refinancing down to 3.875%. It's about as close to 'free money' as mortgage loans can get!

Finally, did anyone else see this yesterday? I have much to say, but I think that I'll just let you form your own opinions....

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Alexandrea and her new roommate on move-in day.

Benjamin at meet-the-teacher night.

First day of first grade!

First day of high school, complete with newly-dyed pink hair!

Home Improvement.

2011-08-10T21:31:00.006-05:00

Hi! It's been less than two weeks since my last post, so things may be looking up here for regular blogging.

I know that I will be hearing angels singing about 7:30 AM on Monday when the youngest two kids are back in school. Historically, I have HATED the early mornings, but I have reached the point in my life where it is SO WORTH IT to get them out of the house for a few hours. The summer hasn't been as problematic as I feared, but I have reached the end of my patience now. It's time for school!

Now, Lorraine & I will be the first to admit that there is nothing attractive about our house. As a matter of fact, it's pretty damned ugly. It's a basic 70's ranch, with a poorly planned addition on the back where a porch was made into a room sometime in the 80's. We bought it for it's location (Two blocks from the hospital, on the west side of Hwy. 98 which works better for property value increases, walking distance to every part of town, huge lot, lots of trees, etc.), NOT for the looks or even the size of the house. It was barely big enough to accommodate us when there were just four of us, and I don't know how we've really managed to fit Benjamin into it. If we won the lottery tomorrow, bulldozers would arrive in short order to demolish it and we would build the house that we really want in the exact same spot. But, until that time, we are forced to maintain & upkeep the thing, and do the best we can for improvements. And we've just surprised ourselves at how much better the place can be made to look with some minor changes. Here are some 'before' photos.

First, the whole damned house was one color, except for the boring brown shutters and the front door which we had repainted a dark red shortly after buying the house. It's probably been that way since was built, back in 1974. The vent in the gable over the garage was basically destroyed a couple of years ago when the children were using that side of the house to bounce some sort of large ball. It collapsed the vents together, and eventually knocked a section out. And the office exterior was truly just a disaster. It was sided with some nasty masonite, which is basically cardboard pressed a little more densely. It was just about to rot completely off due to the high moisture content in this part of the world. Also, the storm door on the office was broken at one hinge (in addition to having been hung backward in the first place), and there was a wall A/C unit that we never once used. It was demoralizing to look at. Then, help arrived.

Now, the large gable areas are a light mossy green color, and the new shutters are a delightful, slightly-darker shade of the same color. The shutters are also paneled instead of louvered, which gives a much more updated and non-boring appearance. Oh, and the door matches the shutters now as well.

The gable vent is replaced, and ball-bouncing on this wall will result in ass-beating.

Begone, useless A/C unit. Hello, new storm door! Hi there, new concrete-board siding and all new door & window frames. And I love the new light green color. The color isn't reflected well in these photos, but I think it was because of the time of day that I took them. I'll try again later. The concrete board is narrower than that nasty old masonite crap, and gives a much better visual look to the exterior. In addition, it provides much greater insulation value, and has the same fire resistant rating as brick.

Such a drastic improvement to the office that we find ourselves overcome with joy now. I mean, yes, it's still ugly, but it's not horrific anymore. And please ignore those shrubs. They came with the house, and one of these days they are all going to be cut down, dug up, and replaced with something decent.

Our neighborhood is an old one, with some houses having been here since the 40's. Our house is actually relatively new, except for the three or four new ones that have been built in the last decade where old ones were bulldozed or someone sold one of the empty lots that had served as a yard for many years. But now, it's not in the top-10 ugliest anymore!

Now, a few quick notes:

* It's a given that Texas governor Rick Perry is going to enter the Republican Presidential race. He is the epitome of what is wrong with Texas. He thinks that he can pray a problem solved instead of actually doing the work required, and he is totally opposed to true education. He has been behind some of the egregious changes in Texas school textbooks. And, most telling of all, was a very poor excuse of a student himself. This is just another who can pander to the growing number of people in the country who honestly believe that education is somehow elitist. If you personally believe that you can pray away a problem, I urge you to get busy praying away him. I know that I won't survive another President who swaggers & drawls in the Texas style, while being simultaneously dumb as a sack full of rocks.

* Alexandrea has begun her junior year, and things are going well so far. She's taking physics & differential calculus this term, which amazes me since I wasn't brave enough to tackle such things until my senior year. She is determined to participate in an exchange program for her first term next year, which would mean three months in Spain. I'm not sold on it yet, but she (and everyone else apparently) think that it's a great idea.

* Did y'all see the new food stamp usage statistics? About 15% of the country as a whole is on food stamps, and a shocking 36% of Alabama is currently on them. Now, much of that is due to the tornado disaster from this spring, but still. Our state & federal governmental representation is almost exclusively Republican at this point, and this is the best that they can do? Of course, because for every job that goes unfilled and the more folks that enter poverty, somewhere there is more money to flow upward to the wealthy, which is the only constituency that matters to a republican. The rate of poverty in the U.S. is scary as hell, and SOMEBODY with some power is going to have to figure out a way to get some jobs going or we are going to stop circling the drain and go right into the sewer. (And even as I was typing this post, I saw this story on CNN.com!

* We did something yesterday that was totally new to us, and is something that I've already put on the calendar for two years from now. We changed the cabin air filter in the van. She will turn four years old later this month, and lately the A/C had a slightly stale smell sometime. A quick Google search revealed the likely source, and showed us exactly how to do it without taking the van to the dealer for a ridiculously over-priced service. I bought a new filter at the local parts store for $16, as opposed to having the dealer charge anywhere from $65-$120. It took a few minutes to take the glove compartment apart to get to the filter behind it, but it was certainly not difficult. I was SHOCKED to see the old filter. It was filthy with dirt & pollen, and there were even small insects & plant parts in it. I had no idea that such large things could get into the climate control air system. So, now the filter is changed, the air coming out smells fresh, and it cools better because air is flowing more freely. So, if your vehicle has a cabin air filter, I urge you to change that sucker just as soon as you can.

The Rumors of my Demise are Exaggerated.

2011-07-31T23:45:00.003-05:00

The thought keeps creeping up to the front of the line. Not everyday. But often. It whispers. It says, "The blog has run it's course. Sharing time is over. You don't have to come up with another single topic to talk about. Just let it go." I haven't decided to listen just yet, but if the length between posts continues to increase, it won't matter if I've made a conscious decision or not. It will just die an easy & quiet death.

● I don't know how many of you have the Smithsonian Channel, but I love it. Especially Aerial America. It's about 45 minutes of the best of each state filmed in stunning HD from a helicopter. It's visually arresting, and exceptionally informing. I watched Vermont today, and am ready to go see it for myself. They have done around 20 states so far, and will continue through them all over the next few years. Watch it if at all possible.

● We have been in the process of some exterior home improvement for the last two weeks. It should have only been three or four days of work for a full crew, but due to several days of rain (yay!) and some other extenuating circumstances, it has gotten stretched. Hopefully, it will finally end in the next couple of days. When complete, I'll post some photos of the changes.

● I ran across a great place to try out some new music for free: NoiseTrade. I'm particularly fond of Josh Rouse & Graham Colton, both discovered there. NPR has a cool sampler right now as well.

● If you are a Mac user and haven't upgraded to Lion yet, you are cheating yourself. It's an excellent progression from Snow Leopard. Since it incorporates many of the gestures from iOS, I also got the Magic Trackpad and now have fully switched over from using a mouse with my desktop. I really enjoy it.

● I saw tonight that at least one of the new Ford models will be arriving without a standard CD player. It has several USB inputs, an SD card input, and RCA inputs. We really are nearing the end of the CD, and I feel old, old, OLD.

● My beloved van was grievously injured in a parking lot collision last week. I had parked, when the person beside me attempted to leave his space by crossing forward instead of backing out like any normal person. Unfortunately, he didn't see me pull in beside him, and took out the corner. Now, we are in insurance hell. I'm not happy. And, the Civic is STILL at the shop. It's now been at the current one for just over four weeks. They seem to actually know what is wrong (transmission solenoids), but seem to be in no hurry to actually perform the work. I have never had any sort of experience like this before. This is the third shop to keep it for weeks before making some sort of action. The state of customer service is that there is no longer anything resembling customer service.

● As previously mentioned, it finally started raining here about 10 days ago. And while we aren't caught up for the year, we are now sufficiently wet. The damned grass is desperately trying to work an entire growing season into a few weeks, and it is almost possible to actually see it growing. But I am not complaining. The rain is great, and it kept us nice and cool for several days underneath all the clouds. Today, the heat index was somewhere around 110 for the first time in quite a while, and it was horrific. This next week looks to be quite warm. But still nothing like Texas. It takes a whole lot for me to feel sorry for Texas, but the drought & the heat out there is really scary. I blame the Republicans there for it.

I am including a photo from the radar recently. Often, it seems that storms purposefully miss us here in Fairhope. It will rain all around, and then suddenly dissipate as it arrives here. This photo actually shows the storm doing everything it can to NOT continue southward and give us some water. Eventually, it couldn't hold back and it did rain, but nothing like it did 5 miles to our north.

● I ordered this year's required Christmas ornaments this week. I normally don't get around to it until November, but the catalog arrived and I decided not to take any chances with the seemingly continuous escalation in the prices of precious metals. As a kid, I didn't have annual ornaments. We were pretty simple. We had standard colored glass balls, and anything that we made at school. Lorraine's mom was a Hallmark freak, so they had mountains of those things. In fact, we still get the annual "Mary's Angels" and "Nostalgic Shops" ornaments from her because they just refuse to kill those damned series! But when we had our own children, I happened to see the sterling silver ornaments in a catalog and fell in love with the idea. So, Alexandrea has always gotten the Reed & Barton cross. Isabelle gets the Lunt snowflake, and Benjamin gets the Lunt star. Last year, the price went up significantly. This year, it seems to have gone up yet again. But they are important, and the kids really love them. So, another step toward Christmas, and it is still just July. Barely.

● Did everyone else know that the new Project Runway season was upon us? I had NO IDEA until I happened to pull up my DVR queue and found it in the process of recording. What a fantastic surprise! We love that show, and I am need of some happy right now. With both vehicles having issues, the house repairs dragging on, and working through the back to school lists, I'm about done.

● Moments after I post this, the calendar will flip to August, and the day when all the kids are back in school and out of my hair will almost be upon me. This summer has simultaneously flown by and drug along endlessly. It has been challenging having them all back under one roof for days at a time. We move Alexandrea back into ASMS next Sunday, and the other two will start school a week later on the 15th. And Lorraine & I will come home and pop a bottle of champagne for 7:30AM mimosas.

Happy August!

Mining the Minutia of Mediocrity.

2011-07-15T16:37:00.158-05:00

Hi! I'm a bit astounded that it's been two WEEKS since my last post. I'm having one of my dry spells again. But, I have been making notes along the way of things to talk about. So......

Last week, I uncharacteristically checked my DVR to-do queue (normally, I don't know what is scheduled to record, I only see it once it has actually recorded) and was overjoyed to find that Flipping Out was premiering the new season that very night. It had been nine long months since the last season, and for some reason, I have become quite attached to Jeff Lewis and associates.

It is that time of year here when optometrist visits show up on the schedule. Fortunately, my vision is still so damned good that the optometrist is genuinely shocked every time that he tests me. But the females in the household require glasses. However, this year, we have an alternative to the financial horror that has historically been the experience of buying new glasses. Warby Parker! Real, professional, no-strings-attached, fantastic glasses for $95! I became aware of them a few weeks back when I saw a segment on my beloved CBS Sunday Morning. Since then, Isabelle has gotten her first pair from there and loves them. And Lorraine & Alexandrea have utilized the free try-them-first-at-home frames offer and are ready to order next week when they get their new prescriptions. And, the best part is that if you don't like them, just send them back for a full refund. No questions asked. It simply can't get any better! Oh, wait! Yes, it can! They also donate a pair for every pair sold to those around the world without the availability of glasses. If you require glasses, I can't urge you strongly enough to give this company a shot. I think that they very well may change the world.

One of my favorite writers, Rick Bragg, is a part-time Fairhope resident. He has started writing the occasional essay for the "Southern Journal" section of Southern Living. I particularly liked the one about the rose garden at the Fairhope pier.

Speaking of Fairhope residency, we passed our nine-year anniversary last week. And while we are bored to tears with our house, and would like to move to a different one, we love our location too much to do it. Lorraine walks two blocks to work, we walk next door to Walgreens for various needs, and we can walk to downtown for big events like Arts Festival & Mardi Gras. As a kid whose parents have never moved in my lifetime, I would have thought that I would feel the same way about putting down secure roots in a house. But I find that just the opposite is true. I love moving to a new house and getting a change of scenery. Except for that whole 'moving' nightmare. But, we won't be going anywhere anytime soon. We put months into picking the right house when we moved to Fairhope, even spending a few months in an apartment when "it" never presented itself in the first few months of looking before we actually left Mississippi. So, we are having the outside painted a new color this week, and changing the shutters to something less dull, and pretending for a while that we made a big change when it's really a very small one.

And while we sometimes seriously think about moving to Celebration, FL, it's not in the cards for a few more years. We were reminded last week that we really do live in an amazing place when Family Circle named Fairhope to their top-10 towns for families.

Now, moving on. I am someone who has always suffered from canker sores. Nobody really seems to know why some people get them and some people don't. And they don't really know what actually causes them in the first place. And they for damned sure don't know how to cure them. But, a few months back, I saw that some people were having success at reducing the frequency of them by switching to a SLS-free toothpaste. So, I eagerly made the switch. And I can report that my rate of incidence has dropped significantly. There are SLS-free options available pretty much everywhere. Burt's Bees came out with toothpaste last year that is SLS-free, and I get it at Wal-mart. My current one is by Nature's Gate, which I picked up at the wonderful store, Earth Fare. Any "health food" store will have a wide variety to choose from, and if you have access to a Whole Foods, there will be a plethora of options there. So, if you are a fellow sufferer from the horrible curse of canker sores, try it out for yourself. I think that you will be pleasantly surprised.

My summer guilty pleasure is CBS's Big Brother. But I just need to say that, only being one week in, this season is awful. I hate the returning players, the newbies are completely boring, and I am supremely disappointed.

If you are into obscure, quirky movies, I have one for you to add to your Netflix queue......The Vicious Kind. It sat on my DVR for seven months, but I finally watched it this week and it was really quite good. I see more than enough movies that are crappy, so when I run across one that I enjoy, I must share it with the world.

We are still in monumental drought here. Although there has been decent rain around the lower half of the state for the last few days, we've gotten very little of it here in Fairhope. But just up the road in other areas of the county, it's rained quite a bit for several days in a row. But it's nowhere near enough to break the drought. No, I believe that will require a slow-moving tropical system. And with the heart of hurricane season approaching with the coming of August, there is a really good chance of that happening. And this year, anything under a Cat 3 hurricane will be welcome here.

There were several movies that I had firmly intended to see at the theater this summer. X-Men: First Class. Green Lantern. Bridesmaids. The latest Pirates of the Caribbean. I've made it to exactly none of them. But Harry Potter will finally get me inside the place. Alexandrea went for the midnight premiere, and reported that it was fantastic. I have very high expectations for it. Even though my beloved Bellatrix must die.

And that concludes this update. I'll try to return in less than two weeks this time.

Another Boring Account of my Week.

2011-07-01T16:42:00.001-05:00

It's too damned hot to do anything, and that includes blogging. Here's a quick recap of the last week:

We bought a new dryer last weekend. For most folks, that would be a simple replacement. But we use natural gas because it dries so much faster and is typically a good bit cheaper than electricity. Of course, the fitting on the new dryer was a different size than the one on the old dryer, so there were some extra steps involved in affixing an adapter to the gas line. But all worked out fine, just a few extra profanities thrown in than originally planned. In the process of moving things around, one of the old water supply lines to the washer sprung a leak, so we replaced both of them with a far superior quality hose. So, hopefully our laundry requirements are secure for a long time to come. In the process of all this, we realized that this is the first laundry appliance that we have ever bought. With Lorraine's dad having a lot of rental property, he was always acquiring new washers & dryers and we were able to utilize his excess. But with him gone now, it's too hard to transport such things from Starkville. And there aren't many gas dryers there to begin with. He was somewhat shocked to come across the gas one that we have had for the last five or so years. Still, three houses and almost nineteen years of marriage is a long way to travel before buying a dryer.

Our Civic is at the fourth mechanic now, and we hope to finally get a diagnosis. This is our first encounter with this garage, but a friend recommended it. It is a multi-generation business, and the father is supposedly a Honda specialist. We'll see. It's been three months since we were able to drive it, and I've had enough. It costs way too much to put gas in the van when we could be using the Civic around town much more cheaply.

If you haven't heard about Go the Fuck to Sleep, please check it out. It is brilliant, and perfectly captures the sentiment that every parent has felt at one time or another. Or a thousand times. And Samuel L. Jackson reads the audio version! Lorraine cackles every time she listens to it!

I watched The Big Chill this past week for the first time in ages. Probably 10 years. I've always loved it, even though I was eleven in 1983 when it was in theaters. It is different now to watch it, being roughly the same age as the characters. I have much more empathy for their mid-life angst and the challenges of finding happiness. And the sense of failure. And the mistakes. Anyway, if you haven't watched it in a while, or God-forbid you've never seen it, please get to your Netflix queue immediately. In addition to great story, the music was a major component of the movie, and reminded those who were rapidly approaching forty of the amazing musical offerings of their coming of age in the 60's. After the horror of disco in the 70's and the bizarre music of the very early 80's, it must have been like running into a favorite old friend to encounter such musical perfection again.

I can NOT BELIEVE that it has been 20 years since Thelma & Louise. I loved that movie, and still watch it every time that I run across it. We recently subscribed to Vanity Fair, but it didn't begin until the April issue. Lorraine lucked into the March issue at work this past week, and it had a wonderful long article (not available online, sadly) on how the movie came to be. If you can find it, it is a great read. And if you haven't seen it in a while, add it to your queue as well.

I drove to Quitman, MS, last weekend to pick up Isabelle from camp. Along the way, I encountered a show on Mississippi public radio (of all places!) that I was unaware of called Splendid Table. Our local public radio station hasn't carried it, but today, it was taken over by the much larger Alabama Public Radio, which DOES play Splendid Table! If you are a foodie, you will love it! And it is fully accessible online.

Back in March, Hallmark Channel acquired The Waltons. I LOVED that show as a kid. I didn't quite realize that it actually began airing the year that I was born until I noticed the original air date in the program info when I started watching it in April. Now, Lorraine & Alexandrea are addicted to the damned show. They were utterly unaware of the cultural significance or references due it until now. That has all been rectified. But with THREE episodes airing each weekday, it has been Waltons overload around here. But next Tuesday, we will have worked through the entire nine seasons, so we can back off and only watch the occasional episode as it re-airs in a continuous loop. However, there were SEVEN Waltons movies between 1981 and 1993, and Alexandrea is desperate to know how we are going to see them. I'm confident that Hallmark will eventually air them, probably in a holiday marathon.

Goodnight, John-Boy! And happy Fourth!

Things I Like.

2011-06-23T23:21:00.000-05:00

* I love Through the Wormhole, Morgan Freeman's latest venture. It's in season two already, and if you enjoy the latest research on large-scale scientific theories, this is the show for you.

* I can't urge you strongly enough to read Matt Taibbi's skewering of that complete idiot, Michelle Bauchmann, in the new issue of Rolling Stone. It will provide great comic relief, which is Michelle's best quality, at least for proud liberals like myself. Seriously, the illustration for the article is worth the price of the magazine alone. And you don't even have to pay to enjoy it online!

* I'm currently reading Stephen Prothero's excellent book, Religious Literacy. He is a professor of religion at Boston University, and has some excellent insights into the state of religious knowledge & understanding in the U.S. I have long believed that Americans know next to nothing about their own religious beliefs because they never bother to ask themselves the hard questions like "Why do I do believe this?" and "How did I come to be on this particular path?" and "Have I ever investigated even one of the countless other paths of spirituality available on this planet?" Stephen has the date to prove my belief completely. And he has some ideas about how to fix the problem, because religion, like it or not, plays a major role in interactions all over the planet from the smallest inter-personal relationship between two people all the way up to the interaction of countries. The book was lauded by numerous organizations when it was published back in 1997. I found the quiz that he gives his students on the first day of class particularly fascinating. I'm confident that you will enjoy taking it for yourselves.

* We are about to enter an intensive period of television here at Chez Moseley. True Blood begins season four on Sunday evening. But in addition to having one of our most favorite shows back, Directv added HBO's on-demand service a few months ago. So, we will also be watching the final season of Big Love and the second season of Treme. But an even bigger show-palooza will take place this fall when Dexter returns on Showtime. We will then have to catch up on the entire seasons of Nurse Jackie, United States of Tara (which has been cancelled, and I am PISSED. OFF. ABOUT.), Weeds, & The Big C. It is killing me to wait for Weeds & The Big C, which start their new season on Monday night, but I just refuse to pay for two premium movie channels at once, especially now that we live in the era of on-demand. We may have a little bit of a problem with loving the HBO & Showtime shows too much, but they are just BETTER than just about anything else on television.

Since Last We Talked...

2011-06-19T21:20:00.002-05:00

I was down at the bay this afternoon, and found that the bottlebrush trees there are still in bloom, and the honey bees & bumble bees are thoroughly enjoying them.

While here at my house, my bottlebrush tree is, to use a phrase that I once heard, dead as a popcorn fart. After planting it on my birthday, I hauled water to it for weeks, but the drought here has taken a severe toll. We are about 17 inches below normal. Fortunately, it has rained a couple of times in the past two weeks. Only one of those rains was substantial, but it at least brought the grass back from the brown, dust-bowl like appearance that it had become. Still, we are nowhere near as desperate for water as Texas. It's going to take several tropical systems to move in and each linger for a few days to break that one. If I were one to relate events to God's wrath, I'd blame the drought in Texas on (1.) George Bush's return to Dallas and (2.) Rick Perry's threat to run for president. Seriously, the rest of the country is done with Texas-style Republican governors. And God is too. Allegedly.

Sunset at the pier this afternoon. We've fallen out of the habit again of going down to enjoy the glorious beauty that the bay front provides, so we are trying to make time to go down there at least a few times a week.

It's been a quiet week here. The noteworthy events are:

1.) Seventy-two hours after buying four new tires for the van, one of them was raped by a large screw. How is it that new tires seem to be victimized so often? I am not amused.

2.) After being at a mechanic for four weeks, we got the Civic back un-repaired and un-diagnosed. This is the third car repair business that has failed to figure it out. It's electric. It should be fixable. But the cause has to be determined. I am not amused.

3.) Isabelle is away at Camp Glenmary near Tupelo, MS, for the last time. She ages out before next summer. I am not amused.

However, the upcoming week holds promise:

1.) Rick Bragg, whose books I dearly love, is giving a reading & conversation here on Tuesday night. He lives here in Fairhope part-time, and I had the privilege of seeing him in this sort of event here a couple of years ago.

2.) Keith Olbermann returns to nightly cable commentary on Monday evening on Current. As a proud liberal, I love Keith!

3.) In one short week, True Blood will kick off season 4!

{UPDATE: Never mind. Monday came and blew all my hopes to hell. The day began with a long-planned class that Lorraine was going to take on Saturday being cancelled. Then, I went to buy tickets for Rick Bragg, and it was already sold out. And then we went to lunch and I had mediocre food at ridiculously high prices. And, to top it all off, after we made an out of the way drive to take some photos for Southern Signposts, we found the camera battery to be dead as a doornail. FML. I am not amused.}

Weinerlogues.

2011-06-12T16:48:00.000-05:00

This is totally inappropriate for children. It's inappropriate for plenty of adults. I was lucky enough to watch it happen live on Friday night because of a free preview weekend on DirecTV. It's hysterically funny for many reasons. But Jane Lynch is brilliant! You have been warned....

I ****ing Hate Dillard's.

2011-06-11T23:59:00.002-05:00

What follows is a guest post from my wife, Lorraine. We both share the same disdain for Dillard's, but since she had the awful experience tonight, she gets to write the story. This will be the one & only story about Dillard's, as we have pinkie-sworn to never enter another Dillard's. Ever. If they are the only place to obtain an item, then we won't actually need it. We can live without it. Guaranteed. Now, I hand my blog over to someone else for the very first time.....

Now y'all. Let me start by explaining that our oldest daughter is not a picky, frilly, girly-girl - at least not most of the time. She is generally a girl after my own heart who loves a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She is casual to the bone. But even those of us who don't gravitate naturally towards satin and heels are drawn in to the fray occasionally. For Alexandrea, it happened while her friends were shopping for prom dresses. In the first egregious blunder of this saga, she accompanied her friends into Dillard's. And there, in the juniors dress department, she fell in love (or, more accurately, LURV). With a dress. Not just any dress, mind you, but one described on the Dillard's site as,

Breathtakingly beautiful in light blue satin, this strapless dress features a sequin bust with bow detail atop a banded empire waist over a long pickup skirt with bubble hem.

The die was cast when she tried it on. This is the dress, THE ONE, the dress she wants to wear to her Senior Prom. (Nevermind that she was only a lowly sophomore.) Unfortunately, the dress came with a beautiful price tag: $219. She left the store, and went back to school with her friends. The next weekend, she came home and could not stop telling us about this amazing dress.

Fast forward a month. We are out of town, but I get a text, "My dress is on sale...it's only $91!" By the time I respond a few hours later, the dress has been ordered by her grandmother. Great. Done.

Or so we thought. But really, it could never BE that simple.

The dress arrived, and...it didn't fit. Though she put on a very brave face, Alexandrea was clearly disappointed. We took the dress to our local Dillard's hoping to exchange it for the correct size. But no, they didn't have the size she needed. They were very nice, and helpful in accepting the dress for return and issuing a Dillard's gift card. (Blunder alert: Oh, how I wish I had just had the amount credited back to my mother's credit card at that moment and washed my hands of this!) Then, they called the nearby stores in a vain attempt to locate the dress we needed. No luck. Then, they offered to put in a "store-to-store reservation" for the dress. This would pull the dress from a store in the system and send it to us. Oh, and it will be an additional $60, thank-you-very-much. Because the dress is "on sale", but no longer at the price which had been originally paid. Now, this is where it gets even more convoluted, because the dress was actually selling for $75 in the very store in which we were standing, but NOT online, and not throughout the Dillard's chain. So, we were going to have to pay the standard price, not an individual store's price.

I was weak. Looking at the face of my child, I did not have the heart to refuse. I pressed the plastic and signed. This was not a guarantee, but a chance that the dress would magically appear. It was at this point in the process that we also learned from a Dillard's associate (who told us he could never admit having told us this...) that if we received the dress, and then returned it to this store, we would be able to repurchase it 24 hours later at the current sales price. And since the dress is on "permanent" markdown at their store, it would be no more than the current price of $75.

The dress arrived. It fit beautifully. And, more importantly, Alexandrea is gorgeous in it. But we blundered again, and decided to roll the dice and try the shell game proposed by the well-meaning Dillard's associate. Which brings us to tonight. I walked into the Dillard's store with the dress fully encased in its plastic bag, as it has been except for the one time it was tried on. The return was simple enough, though the only option was for the entire amount to go onto a Dillard's gift card (since the majority of the previous purchase price had been on one - just one more way Dillard's traps you). Fine. Whatever.

Then, the salesclerk asked why I was returning it. And I told her. I explained the whole sordid saga and how we had paid $90, then $150 for this dress which is currently for sale in her store for $75, and which we do not need urgently and has not been worn. And that I plan to re-purchase it at the sale price as soon as it goes back out onto the floor.

It was at this point that she informed me that this dress wouldn't be back out on the floor in a day, because it would have to go to the manager since it was "damaged". My jaw actually dropped. What? Damaged? Don't you mean returned? No, she pointed to a mark that I would quite honestly NEVER have noticed and said, I see a smudge on it, and now that I have seen it, I will have to turn it in to be marked as damaged.

Well, of course you will. At this point, I wasn't even surprised, and I said as much to her. This, I explained is exactly the reason that I do not shop at Dillard's. The only reason any of this happened is because my child wandered into this trap of a store with her friends. I do not come here. I avoid the store because of craziness like this. I shop at Kohl's. If you don't like it, if it doesn't fit, if you don't have time to try it on, or just don't want to right now - you can bring it back. Anytime, anywhere. No questions, no hassles, no bullshit. Just service. By this time, other shoppers were circling for a better view. It was a Marcus-style scene. I am not prone to them, I don't often enjoy it when he makes them, but I am fully capable of causing one when needed. And this situation MOST DEFINITELY called for one. This should have been simple: it is a dress. A dress my child wants, has even owned twice, but that you won't just sell me at the price I already paid for it. You want more, and I drew the line, Dillard's. Drew it right there in the dress section of your Spanish Fort store. Mind you, I left the store with a gift card loaded with dress money, but when this gift card is spent, we are done. I'm not kidding. My husband and I crossed pinkies in the parking lot and made a vow never to give you any more money again.

And we don't take vows lightly.

The moral of the story: FUCK Dillard's. Shop at Kohl's, where customer service and sanity still prevail.

The Week that Was.

2011-06-10T20:56:00.001-05:00

* Isabelle turned 14 earlier this week. Now, if she would just act like she knew that she was 14 instead of 27. She wanted a strawberry trifle, as she doesn't care for cake, or more specifically, icing. I can't begin to understand how someone doesn't like icing, but whatever. It's been a couple of years at least since I made one, and now I realize what an egregious blunder that has been. It is ridiculously delicious, and extremely simple to make.

* On the way to Auburn last Thursday, which was Benjamin's birthday, we stopped at a Mexican restaurant in Greenville, AL, for dinner. The servers surprised him with the sombrero & fried ice cream at the end. He loved it!

* While in Auburn, lots of time was spent in Matt's & Lady's pool. Benjamin made swift progress with swimming, especially underwater. He also learned that forgetting his floatation device when jumping off the diving board can have some frightening consequences. Isabelle learned to flip off the diving board, after seeing me do it (for the first time in at least 20 years) and realizing that anything is indeed possible. And Alexandrea made some very minor progress toward learning to dive.

* I recently subscribed to Vanity Fair after reading a few articles online. Lorraine & I are loving it! The writing is excellent, and the topics varied. And speaking of great articles, I greatly enjoyed this one from the new issue of Oxford American. Haley Barbour compared to Foghorn Leghorn is genius!

* I don't think that any of my regular readers have access to a BGR The Burger Joint, but if you find yourself in front of one, GO INSIDE AND EAT. Yesterday, Lorraine & I tried out the one in Mobile that just opened last month and I can say with certitude that she would fight a circle saw to get another of their Wellingtons. She said, and I quote, that it made Five Guys look like McDonald's. I was perfectly happy with my basic burger, but would not go nearly so far as to say that it had the obvious advantage over Five Guys. But perhaps the truffles & fois gras pushes the Wellington to that level.

* Have I mentioned lately how pathetic it is for politicians to be constantly attacking teachers, police, firefighters, and other civil servants who are already so horrifically underpaid? These folks are not the bad guys. They are supposed to be the heroes. And while there are certainly some poor performers everywhere, as a whole, these folks deserve more, not less. And the good ones are now leaving because of the attacks and the loss of benefits. It is surely a catastrophe in the making.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

This web extra for the story above is really heart-breaking...

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

*Oh, and I just have to make note of the continuing erosion of the concept of "facts." When Sarah Palin, that pathetic, attention-whoring ego-maniac made a fool of herself once again last week regarding the history of Paul Revere, her acolytes actually went on Wikipedia and tried to change the facts to fit her version. Of course, no one should be surprised, since the facts about global warming are also ignored by these same fools. I simply can't fathom the escalating resistance to fact & truth that has been building for the past decade. But it's scary as hell.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

* Finally, my latest blog gets very little attention, and for a while, I was very lazy about making the effort to update it. But things seem to be changing, and I currently have posts already created & scheduled for every other day for the next two weeks.

Six!

2011-06-02T11:07:00.005-05:00

* Today is Benjamin's 6th birthday! We are going to Auburn this afternoon for the weekend where he will spend many hours celebrating in the swimming pool.

* Yesterday, June 1, the official temperature in Mobile hit 101 degrees, a new record. Such heat usually doesn't arrive here until July & August. Coupled with our ongoing drought, currently about 15 inches of rain below normal for the year, things are brown & shriveled here. However, hurricane season has begun, so the rain may come soon. All of the indicators are for an intense season. The "la nina / el nino" effect is neutral this year, and the last time it was neutral was during 2005, the year of Katrina. And I saw another weather person saying that the last time we had such huge numbers of spring tornados was 2004, which was another horrendous year for the Gulf Coast with Ivan making landfall over my house. There hasn't been a major hurricane make landfall in the U.S. since 2005, so we are way overdue. We may be making up that debt soon.....

* While the republicans have made jackasses out of themselves lately attacking labor unions, medicare, women's reproductive freedom, and plenty of other important issues, I want to point out of some other lunacies that may be missed by most folks. Currently, they are attacking recent regulations to make school lunches healthier. They and their big-business backers are terrified of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and especially of Elizabeth Warren, who makes far too much sense for their liking, and are doing everything they can to destroy both the Bureau and Ms. Warren. They seem utterly hell-bent on eliminating any doubt that they are interested only in the richest people and the companies that create these uber-rich. The thing that I can't understand is why. If they continue to make their true interests known, even the most stupid and blind-by-choice republican supporters in the middle class will be forced to eventually wake up and realize the truth. And it is only through votes that republicans have power, because votes still actually matter. If these poor fools that have been strung along and made to believe that republicans have an interest in them and their well-being suddenly realize the enormity of the lie, the republicans become irrelevant. And if big business no longer has customers because no one outside the top five percent of the population has any money anymore, then the gravy train for them and their republican puppets comes to an end. Perhaps it's been far too long since the world has witnessed what actually happens when the income disparity of a population reaches such disparate extremes. Perhaps greed has truly blinded too many people to reality. But the republicans have lost all credibility that they have any understanding of reality when they suggest with a straight face that the private health insurance industry has any interest in insuring senior citizens, and that senior citizens can pay for that insurance. Republican politics created the financial disaster of the last three years through such ideas as extreme deregulation and unfettered free-market economics, and it is steadily working on creating a much bigger one due to a continued & intensified denial of the financial realities of the bottom 95% of folks in the country who have endured three decades of stagnant and declining wages, while costs for everything have skyrocketed. Maybe it's time for some French Revolution style reminding of those in power of just what it looks like when the people rise up in disgust.

* I read this article on academic cheating in college yesterday. It had been reprinted from the Chronicle of Higher Education in the May edition of Reader's Digest. I am certain that everyone who has spent some time in college will find it disturbing, especially if you bothered to do something so quaint as write your own papers. The person who wrote the article (under a pseudonym) also writes a blog. He/she has some interesting observations & perspectives. Personally, I realized very quickly into my own college experience that it was far too easy to get through the process having learned nothing. Perhaps there are a few colleges where some actual interaction of ideas takes place and some real learning occurs, but in most it seems that if you pay the tuition and put in the most basic of effort, you'll come out with a degree. I think that that is why I have had such a mental block about one day going back and completing my own degree. I see all of these people who supposedly earn one, and I know that they are incapable of even basic conversation on most topics. Many can't even have an erudite conversation on their own major. I just don't have the respect for the process and the status of the degree that I did when I was young & naive. When folks can basically buy the degree, they render the degree meaningless, and devalue everyone who actually earns it for themselves. And as the job market has shown us in recent years, having one doesn't necessarily mean a thing for ensuring gainful employment.

Things I Learned from the TV.

2011-05-31T23:55:00.002-05:00

* I saw a study today that confirms what I already knew..... WAY TOO MANY drivers have no idea what they are doing! If you want to check your own skills, Tennessee has an excellent practice test section for new drivers if you would like to see how you perform these days.

* NBC Nightly News did their annual montage of commencement address highlights tonight. I always enjoy it.....

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* 60 Minutes did a very good special episode this past weekend for Memorial Day. They updated their interview with Sal Giunta, who won the Medal of Honor last year. I'm not one who really has heroes, except maybe Steve Jobs, but Sal is an honest-to-God hero. And not only in his actions which earned the medal. He has continued to demonstrate what a true hero should look like in the way that he has handled himself since the incident, since being awarded the medal, and in the way that he has reacted to his new-found fame. If we were all so fortunate to have such a well-defined sense of self, and selflessness, the world would indeed be a very different place. (The episode link is here, because the embed function doesn't seem to be working at CBS for this story.)

* I got one of those really great phone calls on Sunday afternoon. It was the fraud prevention unit for one of our credit cards. As it turns out, some folks had been having a grand time in several states with some version of it for about three days. Since we physically have the cards, it was obviously skimmed & cloned. There has GOT TO BE A WAY to make these things more secure. While we aren't responsible for it, the bank will be, and all of us pay more in interest & charges to pay for those losses. I really abhor thieves. They are truly a special breed of criminal, who feel utterly entitled to other people's stuff, as opposed to getting a job and paying for their own stuff. In addition to the general disdain & frustration of having to cancel an account and get new cards, it was our default card for automatic payments to quite a few places. Sixteen, to be exact. It's taken me quite some time to get them all changed to the new account.

These Stories Caught my Attention.

2011-05-23T21:26:00.002-05:00

I understand the sentiment that the suburbs can become mind-numbingly boring after a while. I would love to spend some time enjoying urban living after the kids are gone. However, Olive Branch isn't in my top 10,000 "cities", regardless of how fast it may be growing. I'll be happy to provide a list of reasons upon request.

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

While for most folks the term "global warming" may bring to mind flooded coastal cities, and maybe some vague idea about weather changes, there are many more frightening ramifications to come. Things like food shortages due to drastic changes in the currently-farmable land around the world. And diseases migrating into new areas. This story is about disease arriving in an unexpected area decades ahead of the model predictions.

Apparently, Minnesota has been working on an anti-gay marriage amendment for their constitution. Sadly, the ballot actually made it through the legislasture, and will be voted on in 2012. But these two brave souls gave some extraordinary sanity to the fight, and they are worth watching.

This one keeps getting taken down, and NBC won't put up the actual clip on their site, apparently because there is a bit of nipple-shot on the part of GaGa near the end. I don't think that she minds, and the skit is some seriously funny shit!

Round and Round We Go.

2011-05-22T10:36:00.000-05:00

I was supposed to post this story from last week's episode of CBS Sunday Morning days ago, and forgot all about it. I was surprised to see them do a story on reincarnation, mainly because the U.S. is so Christian-centric and close-minded to the possibility that there are truths in other spiritual paths. Personally, I am a believer in it because it just makes sense. And I can find no valid contradiction which prevents incorporating it into the standard model of Christian theology. Whatever your religious leaning may be, I think that it's worth the five minutes to watch this segment.

The Graduate.

2011-05-21T12:05:00.000-05:00

Benjamin had his kindergarten graduation on Thursday. He and Isabelle have one more full week of school, but Alexandrea will be done with exams on Wednesday and we will move her out that afternoon. I know that every year seems shorter, but this school year has passed so quickly that it is really just a blur. And I can not reconcile that Alexandrea has already completed a full year at ASMS. When I think about my first year at MSMS in comparison, there is an obvious time dilation effect because it seemed so long and intense. As I get older, I really envy the rest of the living creatures on the planet who have no sense of the past or future, but only recognize the present. They live in the moment, free from regrets, what-ifs, planning for an hour or fifty years from now, and oblivious of the fact that they will die. I want one day, just one day, where I can do that and not be encumbered by all the rest of the human condition.

Typically, I have not been one of the parents who live with a serious dread of the end of school. I have been just as relieved as the kids that it was over, and that the daily routine of early rising and rigorous schedule was mercifully escaped for a few weeks. Not this time. This year, it is a monumental undertaking to face the summer. Alexandrea is moving back home. She is our easy kid, yet adding another person back into the house for weeks on end isn't going to be simple. And having Benjamin out of the house for seven hours a day has been liberating, and has allowed me to escape the depression that had set in for a couple of years. Yes, he is a substantially different kid now than he was before the experience of kindergarten. His behavioral delays have been dramatically improved. But he still has some emotional development delay, especially when secure in his home environment, that causes me some serious frustration some days, and the prospect of having almost 12 weeks of it without a break is truly distressing. The bright spot is that Isabelle will turn 14 in a couple of weeks, and she is earning more and more freedom, and requiring less of our focus. Now, if she will just learn to perform her required duties around the house without being constantly reminded....

Now, I'm pretty sure that all of my readers are sane enough to know that today will not, in fact, end in some sort of "rapture." It is simply beyond my understanding how people are led down these paths of hysteria. I suppose that some people are so desperate for something to believe in that they will accept anything. It's really sad, but simultaneously funny as hell. I mean, honestly, just look at these fools standing on street corners holding their signs. What the need to be doing is admitting themselves to a psychiatric hospital for some quality time with a bottle of thorazine.

I have greatly enjoyed this past week watching more republicans show their true colors. What Arnold did to Maria by hiding the truth of his affair & love child for 13 years is truly heinous. He used her for political gain, and plainly showed her, his children, and the world what is most important to him, which is own damned self. That is, like it or not, the over-riding philosophy of republicans. I was also amused to see Huckabee admit that he would much rather have a TV show and get lots & lots of money than to try to run for President. Once again, personal gain over personal conviction. That ass-clown, Donald Trump, did exactly what every person with an IQ over 80 (which automatically excludes the vast majority of republicans) knew would happen, and did nothing other than milk free publicity. The Paul Ryan attack on medicare is steadily eroding republican credibility. And when Newt actually stood up and gave voice to that, his own party cannibalized him and made him once again just as irrelevant as he has been for the last decade. It's been a great week to be a democrat!

Finally, speaking of ass-clowns, I hope that you all heard about the new study out this past week investigating the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic church. Guess what caused it..... the 60's! That's right, they want to blame the hippies & the counter-culture movement for priests who "lost their way in the social cataclysm of the sexual revolution." I shit you not. Scapegoat after scapegoat, and still no owning responsibility. I saw an interview recently with someone who was raised catholic and is now a bitter critic of the church, largely because of the sexual abuse scandal and the way that it has been so woefully handled. When asked it she was anti-catholic, she responded with something similar to "No, but the people in charge of the church certainly seem to be." I couldn't agree more.

Tidbits.

2011-05-14T23:38:00.004-05:00

* Did anyone else notice that the Vatican is fully supportive of the pressing need to combat global warming? I think that it says a lot that the Vatican give science a tremendous amount of faith. Not long ago, they accepted the 'big bang' theory, seeing it as just a clarification of the moment of creation. It is truly frightening that so many evangelical protestants are in such complete denial about the role that science must play in humanity's struggle to understand the universe and to survive our own attempts at destroying our own planet. Did you know that plenty of them are so convinced that we are living in some sort of 'end times' and that the 'rapture' is so near that they see no need to worry about the future because we won't be here anyway? And plenty of the conservatives in Congress hold that exact view. It simply boggles the mind.

* I bought my first Christmas gifts last week. That makes up for the late start that I've had for the past year or two. I really like to be done by September, and starting in May really makes that possible.

* I've seen two stories in the past two days that really make me embarrassed for the country. One is this story on investigating torture that our military performed on Iraqi detainees.

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

The other you will have to pay for, because there isn't a free way to see it online. It's a two-hour documentary by Dan Rather on the state of public education in Detroit. It is truly jaw-dropping. Neither will make you proud to say that your are an American.

* I bought Sixteen Candles on DVD last week to show my girls. They had never seen it, much to my horror. They only know Molly Ringwald as the mom on the spectacularly awful series The Secret Life of the American Teenager. They now appreciate her in what is surely a top-3 iconic 80s movie. As an added bonus, I downloaded the song "Love of the Common People" by Paul Young, which is playing in the background in the opening scene. I didn't know it at all in the 80's, but I'm in love with it now.

* Only eight episodes of Oprah to go. I'm starting to quiver at the beginning of each episode when they show the remaining number now that it is in single digits.

* As much as I dislike Ryan Reynolds, I'm looking forward to the Green Lantern movie. I can think of any number of actors who I would have rather gotten the roll, but I loved the comic book as a kid and have no choice but to give it a chance.

* But the highlight of the summer is, of course, the Harry Potter finale. OMFG, that's going to be quite a ride......

Delta Safari.

2011-05-13T17:00:00.002-05:00

I know that right now, "delta" only means the Mississippi Delta which is facing monumental flooding. But yesterday, Lorraine & I took a boat tour of a tiny portion of the enormous Mobile-Tensaw delta, which empties into Mobile Bay. It's the second largest river delta in the country, and it is literally bursting with wildlife. If any of you want an adventure that doesn't require actually touching & interacting with nature, stop by the Five Rivers Delta Resource Center on the Mobile Bay causeway and explore the exhibits there and take the daily boat trip. This was our first time to go, and even though it's only been there for maybe two years, we feel badly about ignoring such a cool local resource. We will be regular visitors now.

A new perspective on the twin spans of the I-10 Bayway that we've crossed innumerable times.

There is a great blue heron, on its nest, in this tree. The bird is standing up, so you can only see the bottom portion. For some reason, I never before thought about the fact that the giant birds might nest in a tree. I guess that I assumed that they were ground nesters. It was amazing!

And speaking of amazing, here is a pair of ospreys. The female is sitting on her nest of eggs at the very top, and the male had just joined her with a fish as a snack. There is also a bald eagle nest about a mile away, but not accessible from the water.

I forget what sort of little bird lives here, but they make these nests out of mud on the support pilings for the interstate. And anywhere else that they can get underneath. There is one peeking out of the left one, but is hard to see, because they are nearly the same color as the mud.

Our captain & guide. They did a really great job of pointing out all of the plant & animal life.

We also saw at least 10 alligators. Five or so of them were really large, at least 10-12 feet. This one was defying our guide, who had just said that they almost never show up out in the middle of large expanses of water, but like to stay right near the shore.

I know that there are thousands and thousands of them in the whole of the delta, but even I was a little surprised at how many were in the immediate area of the interstate and surrounding major traffic areas. The water there is where the delta meets the bay, so the water is salty. But there were plenty of them.

Baby Steps.

2011-05-10T21:34:00.000-05:00

We've had the new DSLR camera for a couple of weeks now, and have been greatly pleased with it. However, we have been using the various automated modes mostly as we've gotten comfortable with it. Tonight, I ventured out into the land of customizable settings! Personally, I really enjoy seeing photography done at night.

It was 8pm when I took this, and substantially darker out than the photo suggests. I took it with a shutter speed of 1/3 of a second to collect more light.

There wasn't much traffic around the pier tonight, which was disappointing because I wanted to try out very long shutter speed exposures to get the cool effect from vehicle lights. There is a bit of that from brake lights on the right side.

I really like the effect of shooting this with a shutter speed of 1/4 second so that the water takes on a flowing appearance.

On the way back home through downtown, I decided to stop at the main intersection and try out the long exposure stuff with the traffic there. This one was a 30 second exposure. Notice that all three of the lights on the stop light are illuminated during that time.

I'm going to have a lot of fun experimenting with this stuff. I'm especially hopeful for a double flyover of the space station & space shuttle during one of the two remaining shuttle missions so that I can take a long exposure of that as well.

Counting Down.

2011-05-09T10:50:00.000-05:00

* Since this is my place of honesty, I have to admit that I am beginning to freak out at the reality that Oprah is coming to an end. In a matter of days. Only 14 episodes remaining. I've been a fan of the show for many years, but for most of that time I only watched when I happened across it. But since obtaining the magic that is DVR a couple of years ago, Oprah has been a recorded series. There is nothing else like the Oprah show, and I'm going to miss it. She has tackled some enormously important issues through the years, and has made a real difference on a lot of issues by educating people. She is a teacher and a preacher, and I think that her version of spirituality is as good as any of the rest out there.

* It is somewhat bizarre that such tremendous flooding is occurring along the Mississippi, and that at least half of the state has no drought issues at all, but here along the coast we are at level 4 on the five-level drought scale. It just will not rain here. Spring is supposed to be wet here, not to mention the fact that Mobile typically comes in as the top U.S. city for annual rainfall. The girls mowed the yard this weekend, and that was the first time in at least five weeks. The grass isn't growing, and is turning brown in some spots.

* My concern about surviving the summer with all three children at home is reaching a new high. This weekend was exasperating, to say the least. Teenage moodiness times 2 plus five year old need for attention & over-reaction to the lack thereof is not an equation that is conducive to peace & harmony. Example: after giving advance notice for days, when it came time for a photo shoot for Mother's day, there was drama, drama, and more drama. Out of 424 photos taken, 12 were acceptable. None were fantastic. I am SOOOO over it.

* Speaking of being SOOO over it, I am done with Osama. The bastard's dead, now we can all move on. The news folks don't seem to feel the same way, though. It's now day eight since the news broke, and it doesn't seem to be receding at all. The worst part is that four days before the news broke, the South experienced the worst natural disaster since Katrina with the tornado outbreak, and that news disappeared completely from the national media. That should be the priority at the moment, and not one dead asshole half way around the world.

* Sarah Palin was five miles away from my house last week, and I didn't break out in a rash. Best of all, the event didn't even sell very well. Granted, tickets for the thing were $600, and only about 200 folks paid that. But there are plenty of stupid Republicans with more money than sense around these parts, so I am greatly amused that they didn't seem to pay her much attention. Maybe she is finally fading back into the oblivion from which she came.

The Storm.

2011-05-04T20:51:00.002-05:00

There are two videos that I have seen of the Tuscaloosa tornado that are particularly horrifying. Probably because I know EXACTLY where each was taken from.

This one was taken on the side of I-59 at the McFarland (Hwy. 82) exit. I've eaten at the O'Charley's in the background late into the video.

This one is from the parking lot of University Mall, where I've been many times. It's been several years since I was in T-Town, and the shopping center across McFarland in the opening shot wasn't even there when I last was. This guy did absolutely the wrong thing. He should have been inside the mall in a bathroom. But his footage is truly incredible. There is (was) a Krispy Kreme about two blocks north of this parking lot that I used to get doughnuts at. It disappeared from the face of the earth. During taping, he drives from the northern end of the mall to the southern end to avoid the tornado itself. Then, he returns to the north side after it passes to find devastation. It just amazes me how close he was to the thing.

Half-Empty. Definitely.

2011-05-03T21:42:00.002-05:00

* I really think that I may be losing my ability to blog effectively. I contemplate doing it just about every day. And then I don't.

* I have also come to realize that while I love my children, I despise parenting. It never stops, there is never a break, there is always someone needing or wanting something, and there is someone to keep up with and worry about every second of every day. And the job description changes daily, and often hourly. With any other job, there are set hours of work, vacations, and lots of other opportunities to be done with the responsibility for a while. Not so with parenting. And it wears on the nerves. And each child is an exponential increase in the work load. And every day gets harder, not easier, or at least that is the way that it is here. I really feel that people should be honest about the job of parenting and not sugar coat it, or outright lie about it. People need to know what they are getting into. It is not roses and Norman Rockwell paintings. Not even close. But most people have some romantic idea of children "completing" them or some similar bullshit. I say this to my childless friends.... I often envy you. And when I say "often", I mean at some point in every day.

* I'm sure that you've all seen some of the amazing videos taken of last week's tornadoes in the north part of Alabama. I ran across this page, though, and it needs to be shared. Drag the little slider thing across each image to see the 'before' become the 'after'.

* I have not joined in with any of the "Osama is dead!" excitement. It's nice that the man is no longer on this earth, but I'm not sure that death equals justice. I would have enjoyed him suffering for a while, maybe even in of those secret prisons that we all know exist but don't like to think about. A quick death just seems a little too easy. Almost all of those folks who died on 9/11 suffered great terror before they died. And he is just one man. He hasn't exactly been relevant for years now. And someone else will always take his place. The 'war on terror' is about as winnable as the 'war on drugs.' The two can never be alleviated, and can really only be mildly affected by our 'wars.' Three thousand died on 9/11, and another 6,000 soldiers have died in our combat since. More will die, because those in charge are too stubborn or too stupid to realize that our 'missions' in Iraq & Afghanistan are pointless and unachievable, and they would rather have us do something rather than nothing. The death of one man doesn't make up for that, or substantially change the equation. What might is the wave of change racing through the Middle East, and we didn't have anything to do with that. People are tired of being oppressed, and they are rising up. That is the only way that any real change can ever come to a country. We sure as hell can't force it, no matter how much we might like to believe otherwise.

* I have suffered my THIRD hard drive failure in as many years. The other two were internal ones, and I sorta understood those failures. This one is a nice external one, made by a reputable company, and is only about two years old. I am perplexed, and pissed off. I lost a lot of data, assuming that I can't rescue any of it with some data recovery software. It wasn't my primary drive, but I had a lot of video files that I had imported from old VHS tapes that were waiting to be edited & burned to CD. I think that it's all gone, and the tapes are as well. {UPDATE: While I was writing this post, my entire system was backing up onto a brand new hard drive. After it was complete, I plugged in the troubled drive, and miraculously it worked well enough for me to copy all of the data on it to the new drive. It's still a failed drive, as it is damaged and the repair software can't fix it or even erase & reformat it. But I have my data!}

* The Civic is in the shop again. It's been there for over a week, and they haven't exactly reached a conclusion on what is wrong with it. I am unimpressed, to say the least.

* I am thrilled that the 'royal wedding' is over. I just didn't care. Yet, every time I turned on news, there it was. I feel like my mind was raped a little, because I have knowledge about the event that I don't want.

* I know that I tend toward the "cup is half empty" side of realism, and that Lorraine is convinced that I am a hopeless cynic. But I am definitely in a dark place at the moment, so let me apologize for the complete lack of joy in this post. Honesty sometimes isn't pretty.

Spring Break.

2011-04-23T23:42:00.002-05:00

Hi. I suddenly remembered that I have a blog. If this week of spring break is any indication, you may not hear from me this summer. However, in my defense, it has been extremely busy here lately. Lorraine's mom arrived last Friday, and then we spent Sunday in New Orleans taking she & Isabelle to the airport for the Vegas trip and then going to the zoo. On Monday, Jennifer & her kids arrived for a visit, and we went to the beach on Tuesday where I forgot all about things like sunscreen. In about an hour of beach play, Benjamin got a really nasty case of sunburn on the top half, especially his back, and that resulted in two miserable days for him and all of those around him. On Wednesday, the new camera arrived, and that set off a furious need to learn all about it. On Friday, I escaped and went to the beach with a friend, where I spent a couple of hours floating in delightful peace. And today, it was back to New Orleans to pick up the travelers from the airport. Tomorrow, Jan (and Trooper, her full-size poodle that we have been pet-sitting this week as well) goes home and the Easter Bunny will have made his visit, and we can get back to normal for a few weeks.

I often end up parking in front of this gorgeous mansion on Prytania Street, which is now a B&B, when I visit the Garden District Book Shop. I love the round porch, which is off-centered. And I love that that they have the ceiling of the porch painted sky blue in the old southern tradition. And the garden is lush & tropical. And there is a wonderful live oak growing out front.

I've seen the cornstalk fence in the Quarter on Royal Street many times, but this one is in the Garden District, on Prytania, right across from the Sully Mansion above.

This is a piece of Greenwood Cemetery, as seen from I-10. I haven't been inside it yet, but hope to on the next trip to New Orleans. I had intended to visit Metairie Cemetery again today with the new camera, but time did not permit. Metairie is much grander than Greenwood, but they are directly across I-10 from each other. (Blogger shrunk this down quite a bit after I had already cropped it down, so here is the full-size image if you are interested.) (Oh, and here is a terrific photo album from this cemetery.)

Today I managed to mark off something from my bucket list. I FINALLY made it across the Lake Pontchartain Causeway. It didn't seem like 24 miles.....

On the way home, we drove down the Mississippi coastline. We stopped for dinner at the White Cap, which I had heard good things about. It was amazingly good, and we will return. The catfish was perfection!

The water is warming rapidly. It is already fine to be in, if a little on the cool side. Of course, I like it to be almost as warm as bath water, which happens in August & September.

Birthday Report.

2011-04-13T10:05:00.002-05:00

My birthday this year was definitely the best one in recent memory. Lunch at McGuire's, excellent gifts, and a new bottlebrush tree planted in the front yard. Lorraine FINALLY accepted the fact that the best place to shop for me is in my own Amazon cart, which always has at least 100 things sitting in it that I have felt strongly enough about to drop into it. Here are the things that she decided on:

She got me the camera case in the hope that it would spur on the impending purchase of a long-planned-for DSLR. I have been postponing for a few weeks after I missed out on a crazy-good deal at Newegg.com by a matter of minutes. I have been pissed off about that, and obsessively combing the internet trying to luck into another deal like it, but alas, no luck yet. I think that I'll just have to settle and make peace with the decision. I'm planning on getting a Canon T2i, as it is the same camera as the brand-new T3i, just without a few new features that I don't have any need for in the first place. If any of you have had experience with Canon, please let me know your thoughts. I hope to order it by the end of the week.

This is my new bottlebrush tree. They grow really well here, and I am going to fertilize the hell out of it with Miracle Grow to coax it on up to tree size just as quickly as possible.

My amaryllis have been blooming for a couple of weeks, and are now just about at the end. I should have taken a photo last week when they were all at their peak. With around 50 bulbs lining the sidewalk, there were at least 100 blooms open at any given moment, and it was quite a sight. They are always blooming at my birthday, and since they are from my grandmother's yard, they have many fond memories of birthdays & Easters attached to them.

I saw this story on Today this morning, and I just have to say.......SERIOUSLY??? There are actually people who are so bored, who have so much time on their hands, that they spend it searching out things to criticize and judge through their own lens of uneducated stupidity?? I'm sure that it started with some moron on the "Christian" right, as usual. It is this sort of bullshit that has driven me away from organized religion. Again. I no longer self-identify as Christian. I'm over it. And, by the way, Benjamin LOVES to have his toenails painted.

Oh, Alexandrea has entered the blogosphere. She can be found at A Spoonful of Sugar over there in the sidebar. And I had absolutely nothing to do with it, and didn't even know about it until I saw her announce it on her Facebook page.

Another One Bites the Dust.

2011-04-10T18:30:00.004-05:00

Well, here I am contemplating the end of 38. Thirty-nine will arrive in a few short hours. Things have taken a general upswing in recent days. The Civic is repaired, and without too much cost. The refrigerator isn't making that noise as much, which I 'm taking to be a good sign. The new vent fan motor is working great. And we even got a very good estimate for some long-overdue house repairs & improvements that we are ready to undertake.

Tomorrow, we are going to McGuire's for birthday lunch. Everyone should be so lucky as to go there at least once before they die. And then I'm going to find a bottlebrush tree at one of the local nurseries as a birthday gift to myself.

Next weekend begins our spring break, and Isabelle will be taking her first plane ride, going to Las Vegas with her grandmother for a week. They are flying out of New Orleans, so we plan to drop them at the airport and go to the zoo. We bought a membership last year, and it expires at the end of this month, so we really need to get some more use out of it, because we plan to skip a year or two before getting another one.

I feel more like this commentator every day.....

This made me laugh. Hard.

Quick Recommendations.

2011-04-05T16:45:00.000-05:00

If you didn't watch (or DVR) the two-episode premiere of The Killing on AMC this past weekend, you have made a truly egregious blunder. The 13 episode series promises to be an exquisite murder mystery. You can set your DVRs now to catch a repeat of the premiere, or you can watch it online for free. But only the premiere will be online! The reviews leading up to the premiere were extraordinarily good, and I whole-heartedly concur. I haven't seen any of Mad Men yet, but plan to. But The Walking Dead is as good as anything I've ever seen made for TV. AMC is obviously becoming the place to go for extraordinary modern television series.

And Love & Other Drugs is exceptional as well. It has erased the horrific memory of The Tourist. As an added benefit, you will despise drug companies & drug reps even more than you probably already do!

Consternation.

2011-04-04T10:36:00.004-05:00

* I should have listened to all of the horrible reviews about The Tourist. What a spectacularly awful movie! It is truly a steaming pile of crap. Please, if you haven't already, do not waste your money on it. It's not even worth a Redbox $1. Now, I've rented Love & Other Drugs. I have high hopes for it, which I am certain is setting me up for great disappointment.

* We had seriously contemplated going down for the space shuttle launch on 4/19. It's during our Spring Break and everything. And, it would be a full-circle moment for Lorraine & me since we saw Endeavor launch on her maiden voyage while we were working at Walt Disney World in 1992. But, with the massive crowds showing up for these final launches, everything in the area was booked already, so we would have been staying in Orlando and driving over. And I've seen that the drive back can take 8 hours because of the crushing traffic and the fact that there is really only one major road connecting the two areas. As I am not a patient person, especially with traffic, coupled with the fact that the launch would be right at sunset, putting our arrival back in Orlando (a trip that takes less than an hour normally) in the wee hours of morning, I've been on the fence about making a final decision. However, NASA made it for me this morning. The launch has been moved back 10 days. This is the other major problem that I have with making any sort of plan to go down specifically for a launch. It almost never happens when it is supposed to happen. And it costs way too much to drive 1,000+ miles for nothing. So, now I have to start thinking seriously about what to do regarding the final shuttle launch coming up this summer. I know that the crowds will be truly monumental, surpassing the Apollo moon mission crowds. And the summer is the absolute last part of the year that I want to spend any time in the heat of central Florida. And the summer weather is probably the worst for causing last-minute launch delays. But I really want the kids to experience such an important piece of history. I have no idea what to do.

* I really need for someone to develop a proof of the obvious mathematical law that dictates that shit comes in storms. In the last month, the fan motor in our bathroom vent fan finally died, the alternator in the Civic gave up the ghost, and the refrigerator motor has suddenly started making a subtle high-pitched whine when running. The replacement fan is ordered {UPDATE: it arrived today, fit, & worked! It's a miracle!}, but of course it had been discontinued and had to be purchased through an obsolete parts dealer. The Civic is at the shop, but of course the part didn't come in on Friday as planned so it spent the weekend there waiting, and today the part did come in but has an issue so a second one has been ordered. And I just have no idea what to do about the refrigerator. It is 15 years old, and has not had a single moment of trouble in its entire life until now. And it is still working fine right now, but that could change at any time I suppose. Do I try to just replace the motor and move on? Or buy a whole new refrigerator? Do I take action before it actually dies, or should I leave it alone until then? I grow more tired of the hassles of adulthood every single day.

* Oh, and the iPhone 5 that I've been looking forward to for months now seems delayed until the autumn instead of the regular summer refreshment cycle. So, my poor old 3G has to limp along for a few more months.

* I apologize for the dark, brooding bitchiness here of late. I am aware that it sounds like I am a miserable old fuck who likes to complain all the time. Really, I'm not. Maybe things will change once I get past the birthday next week. It just seems to be looming larger than usual this year. I know that most of you have already rolled over the big 39 and seem to have done it easily and without any psychological dry-heaves, but that just doesn't work for me. This whole aging thing has always gotten under my skin more than it does for most. And with 40 now quite visible on the horizon, I really should start making reservations at the state mental hospital. But seriously, folks.... don't little observations such as the fact that the babies born on the day that we graduated from MSMS will be able to legally drink in a couple of months cause you to have palpitations? They damned sure have that effect on me.....

NOT April Fools'.

2011-04-03T21:45:00.001-05:00

I was watching 60 Minutes, as usual, tonight while Lorraine was getting ready for work. At one point, she ducked out of the bathroom and asked, quite seriously, if this story was an April Fool's joke. Sadly, it's not. It's just another example of how corporate America is driving the country down the drain due to a single-focus on profit and how to get even more money to the top while the average worker is relegated to poverty.

Recently.....

2011-04-02T22:30:00.001-05:00

At the Arts Festival two weeks ago.

Being surprised by the new iPad last weekend.

Isabelle's new hair style, as of yesterday. The color is new as of last weekend. She was referred to a salon by a friend's mom (thanks, Angela!), and I feel that she has now found her spiritual hair home. Isabelle is our child who has a lot self-expression to get out. The more piercings/tattoos/hair-colors-not-found-in-nature, the better.

Today, we took advantage of the 80+degree gorgeous day and drove down to Orange Beach. But instead of getting on the beach, where Benjamin is assured of finding a way into the the water that is still quite a bit chilly for my taste, we went on a portion of the Backcountry Trail. I was pretty certain that we would encounter a snake or two on such a fine spring day in the wilderness of Gulf State Park. It is huge, and a true heaven for snakes. We found two! This was the first one, which I originally thought was a copperhead, but upon further study online tonight, I am sure it is a adolescent cottonmouth. I should have known that by the fact that it never bothered to move, which is a characteristic of them. They hold their ground and fight. We didn't get close enough to fight, though. The second one was definitely a young copperhead, but he moved away into the brush very quickly before I could even get a photo. Both of these snakes were found within a quarter mile of the main beach highway. We didn't make it all the way to the area where gators are often found. Maybe next time. Oh, Lorraine was the only one who was significantly disturbed by our close proximity to the serpents, but even she didn't run away screaming. Now, had Alexandrea been with us, there would have been a LOT of screaming....

Going Off.

2011-03-31T09:54:00.005-05:00

{UPDATE: This post has been updated at the bottom}

Two nights ago, Isabelle posted this on her FB page:

Maybe I shouldn't post this to Facebook, maybe I should.. but... I would very much like to see a day where seeing a gay couple is no different then seeing a straight couple. Not just some people seeing it that way, like myself, but where NO ONE saw a difference.

I was very proud of her. She had supportive comments, and then the teenage boys began showing their stupidity. And, of course, we are here in Republican Hell AND the Bible belt.

Idiot#1:

Ok well I have to say I respectfully disagree. It's my opinion. Im a Christian. It's not a human right to be gay. It's a decision. In the past, you'd have been murdered. Gay people should be excited they have what they do.

A Friend's Mom:

Where in the bible or where did God or Jesus make reference to it being anti-christian to be homosexual? Also, it's not a choice. You genuinely are born this way. No, really. There is a gay gene and everything...but whatever. I just have one question for you, if sexuality is a choice, when did you choose to be straight? Think about that and get back to me. I'm not trying to challenge your faith here, but pause and think about what you're suggesting. Again, when did you decide to be straight?

Idiot #1:

I decided to be straight when I first saw boobs and a vagina. Homosexuality is classified as a mental disorder in several human personality books I've read; a dysfunction; a mental error. So yeah, maybe it's genetic, but in the Bible it says that a man is made for a woman and vice-versa. Therefore the opposite either way is a sin. Not all Republican Christians are idiots, "ma'am."

Then when accused of hating gays, Idiot #1:

No, when did I say I hated gays? I never even said I'm entirely against it. I simply said that I am against a gay couple being looked at as "normal." it's not normal. And gay Christians are in trouble. Sorry to be blunt or candid, but people who believe in God entirely, wouldn't directly defy Genesis. This is my opinion. You have yours. Mine happens to be, mine. Yours is well, yours. And I personally dot believe that homosexuality is genetic or that they are "born that way," so I don't believe God "made them gay," and that further justifies what is again, my opinion. And homosexuality is classified as a mental disorder in the same way anorexia or bulimia is: self-induced. It's not classified as a retardation. In other words, if you want o believe something is the way it isn't, and you try with all your might, you may end up believing it.

This is when I became aware of the discussion. Me:

You know why people would "have been murdered"? Religious bigotry run amuck. The very same reason that millions have died needlessly throughout history. I don't know what sort of human personality books you've been reading, but the only one that actually matters is the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the "bible" of the American Psychological Association. Homosexuality was removed from it as being some sort of disorder in 1973, after the evidence piled up showing that such an idea was nonsense. And you need to do some serious self-evaluation if you honestly believe that you chose your own sexuality. It is hard-wired into you from the beginning, and purporting otherwise is nonsense. The Bible says lots of things, and if you choose to abide by them all, you are going to have a hard time in today's world, and be forced to kill a lot of people if you follow Leviticus to the letter. Be sure not to plant more than one crop per field or wear an item of clothing made out of more than one fabric (Lev. 19:19) Be really careful about how you cut your hair or shave (Lev. 19:27) However, Christians are not required to become Jewish first, and Leviticus was written for them and especially for their Levite priests. But, whether or not you choose to participate in a particular religion has no bearing on anyone else. You don't get to decide another single person's moral or ethical code. And other people's choices have no impact on you. You believe what you want to, and behave how you choose, but you better be sure to give everyone else around you the same freedom. We don't live in a theocracy, we have freedom of religion, so Christian morality applies only to those who choose to live them. It is SOOO easy to point out other people's shortcoming, while pretending that one's own are negligible. But here's the most important point: Jesus boiled his own mission down to a very simple edict: "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35. It's a lot harder to do than it sounds, as is evidenced every day by so many who call themselves "Christian."

Idiot #1:

To Mr. Marcus: I'm not picking on anyone's shortcomings, as homosexuality isn't classified as one of those, now is it? If I called it that a gay would jump all over me. I'm simply stating that I am a Christian, I have personally experienced God, and I therefore believe in the Bible and what it stands for. The Bible has many things in it that were only relevant at the time, much like laws that are still in effect, though they no longer make sense. Obviously, no one is going to Hell for wearing clothes of more than one fabric, but at the time of the Bible's writing, maybe. Maybe that was a big deal back then. Is it still illegal to smoke marijuana, to a certain extent? No. Not in California anyway. But it was. That law you conjured from the Bible follows a similar principle. But in essence, all I'm trying to say is that in general, and not all, Agnostics and Atheists, and some gays, tend to believe that Christians are behind and that they themselves know something more than we do and are therefore more intelligent. Being tolerant of homosexuality isn't intelligent. It's an opinionated action. I'm doing the opposite. And that's great, whatever, don't believe in the Bible. I'll pray for you. And I do love everyone, even homosexuals. I pray for them. Really.

Me:

{Idiot #1}, you need to be very careful before wading into debates (that are far over your head) with adults who have no obligation to play nicely. But I will try one more time to be nice & insightful. This issue has nothing to do with agnostic/atheist/religious/whatever and attempting to make it into one with blanket statements is a poorly conceived argument. There are plenty of Christian denominations that have come to realize & accept that gay people are no different than you or anyone else. Sadly, other so-called Christian sects do little more than practice a policy of telling their congregation who to hate next. Jesus was very clear about his expectations for his followers: "Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,' while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, 3 remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye." Matthew 7:1-5. He was aware of the deep-rooted need in the human psyche to somehow feel better about oneself by judging others to be somehow less than. And he strictly forbade it. And just to be sure, he then said: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?' Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never knew you. 11 Depart from me, you evildoers.' Matthew 7:21-23.

The arrival of Idiot #2:

{Idiot #1} never was judging, he was stating what his belief is. Honestly if being homosexual was right don't you think that it would be possible for two of the same sex to mate, and if someone felt the need to do that they shouldn't pursue it. It isn't healthy.

Me:

Here's the important thing to remember... Some Christian sects choose to believe that the Bible is without error, and must be taken literally, every word, without any discussion. That is the part that is problematic, because here in the 21st century, we know many things about the Bible now. In order to properly read it, one must take into account a lot of relevant information, which is known as exegesis: who is the writer of this particular book? who is their target audience for writing it? what is the time period in which it was written? is the language meant to be literal or figurative? Etc. Etc. Etc. There is a whole lot to know in order to read in context something from many centuries ago. For example, each of the four Gospels were written many years after the Crucifixion, with Mark actually being the first one put down somewhere around 68 AD. No one was walking around with Jesus with a stenographer's pad taking dictation. The entire foundation of Christianity was oral tradition for years. And Matthew's Gospel was written specifically to the Jewish people, in order to convince them of the fulfillment of their prophecies. This is why it begins with a lineage of Jesus, because that was important to them specifically. There is a ridiculous amount of information about the Bible that is never taught in a whole lot of churches. And an equally ridiculous amount of information is given out to congregations as facts, when in fact they are not. In much the same way, verses are taken out of context and used to condemn, control, and judge other people all the time. So, before anyone stands up on their moral high horse and makes proclamations about other people, they need to do some serious personal investigation before simply saying "because it's in the Bible." It is easy to parrot something that you hear, either from parents or in church, but just because you heard it doesn't make it true. But, once again, you are free to believe whatever you like. Just don't expect everyone else to also believe it, or choose to live by those beliefs.

Idiot #2:

but honestly do you think it is healthy for two of the same sex to pursue a physical relationship

Me:

It is my contention that being homosexual isn't a condition that requires anyone to determine whether it is "right" or "wrong". It simply is. So is heterosexuality. It is the condition in which you find yourself. And healthy? Seriously? You honestly think that it is UNHEALTHY? You obviously don't know anyone who is gay, or you would never say such ridiculous things in public.

And, finally, the grand entrance of Idiot #3:

AIDS

Me:

Really? The vast majority of HIV infections are in heterosexuals, and has been for years. Honestly, I have lived with such hope that the current generation coming of age would be enlightened, but this little conversation makes me weep for the future. And the worst part about it? We live in a time where information literally is accessible every moment from virtually every place, and so many choose to do nothing for themselves when it comes to curiosity or self-inquiry, instead choosing to have their beliefs spoon-fed to them by others. And the very fact that someone in 2011 still thinks that HIV is somehow a "gay" disease needs to seriously question their education.

Idiot #3:

I never said that HIV/AIDS is a "gay" disease, but it is more commonly found among homosexuals, though it may be more prominent in heterosexuals, it is more easily obtained through homosexual sex.

Me:

HIV is NOT more easily obtained through homosexual sex. Lesbians have the lowest infection rate of any population. HIV is transmitted most easily through penetrative and the person being penetrated is at highest risk. Period. This is exactly why the lack of real sex education in our schools has failed yet another generation, and put them at risk for STDs and death. You have no idea of the facts when it comes to these diseases, and that is because religious conservatives don't think that you should know the ins & outs of what sex actually means. And that short-sighted decision is a travesty, and for some, a death sentence. Those folks may desire abstinence and all that sort of thing, but really.... should the lack of knowledge about the truth be a reason for kids to die? Of course not.

Idiot #3:

Sir, first of all, you are wrong to assume that I am a "religious conservative." Second, you are correct in saying that HIV is most easily transmitted in penetrative sex, but this is ESPECIALLY true in homosexual MALES. I understand there is always a chance of getting an STD from any sort of penetrative sex. But the point I am trying to make is that HIV is more likely to be obtained from homosexual penetrative sex than it is through heterosexual penetrative sex. Good luck proving me wrong.

Me:

{Idiot #3}, I never suggested anything about your religious or political leanings. I said that proper sex education has been thwarted by religious conservatives. Pay attention. Now, I direct you to the CDC (Centers for Diseases Control) for your HIV transmission education. And from the CDC re: vaginal HIV transmission: "Yes, it is possible for either partner to become infected with HIV through vaginal sex* (intercourse). In fact, it is the most common way the virus is transmitted in much of the world. HIV can be found in the blood, semen (cum), pre-seminal fluid (pre-cum) or vaginal fluid of a person infected with the virus." I am aware of no source that says that HIV is "especially" or "more likley" to be transmitted anally rather than vaginally. However, the risk is dropped down to near-zero for all involved by simply using condoms for protected sex. And then the issue is removed from the debate.

Me:

Now back to {Idiot #1's} last statement.... I am thrilled to see that you understand that there are parts of the Bible that are no longer relevant today. Most conservative Christians do not share that understanding. My confusion lies in how you determine which ones to ignore. How can you take one verse out of Leviticus, primarily 18:22, and use it to attack a group of people on a regular basis, but ignore the other rules, condemnations, and punishments that are contained in the verses & chapters all around that one. It seems to me that if someone is going to preach one verse of the book, they have to preach them all. If they are going to adhere to one, they must adhere to them all. But, as is typical in today's world, people use the verses that go after other people regularly, but conveniently ignore the ones that they don't like or that may cause themselves difficulty. But that is not an acceptable use of the Bible. We don't get to decide for ourselves which parts we like and which parts we don't. That is especially true for conservative literalists who believe that it is the unerring word of God. However, the fact remains that Christians are not obligated to observe Jewish law, a decision that was made very early after the Crucifixion. The most obvious example of this is that Christians do not follow the dietary laws (Leviticus 11), and tend to eat a lot of pig. Another is the fact that circumcision is not a requirement of Christianity (Leviticus 12). And the simple & obvious fact about Leviticus is that it is a collection of Jewish laws & punishments, especially for the Jewish priesthood. A quick review of the Wiki page on Leviticus provides an excellent historical context. The Old Testament provides a fascinating look into the history of the Jewish people, and the journey that led them to the time of Jesus, when everything changed. But Jesus, as the culmination of the Law and the new eternal High Priest, brings that period to fruition and passes it into the annals of history. Jesus says to love. Over and over and without ambiguity, the message is love. He doesn't give a list of restrictions, or tell anyone who not to love. Just to love. If modern day Christians could just wrap their minds around that commandment (John 13:34) and live it, the world would indeed be a better place every day

Idiot #3:

Sir, this website also implied that HIV is more easily obtained through anal sex....The fact that it is more common among vaginal sex is only because there are MORE HETEROSEXUAL PEOPLE on this planet, considering that is the NATURAL order of things. The website also called anal sex "risky behavior", never saying the same about vaginal sex.

Me:

{Idiot #3}, I sincerely hope that one day you hear the giant popping noise that will be the indication to yourself and all of those around you that you have finally pulled your head out of your ass.

Idiot #3:

Mr. Moseley, your high level of ignorance and low level of maturity shocks me. The fact that you would argue this far with a teenager who has an opinion as insignificant as yours is amazing. And the fact that a grown man would cuss at a teenager over a simple meaningless argument amazes me even more. And since you weren't PAYING ATTENTION, I'll say it one more time. Anyone participating in penetrative sex can get HIV. But IT IS ABSOLUTELY more easily obtained through anal sex. That other guy even came on here and said it, and anal sex is not very common among heterosexuals, though it is the ONLY manner of penetrative sex among homosexual males, not including oral sex. I'm done with this anyway!!! I feel weird arguing with adults I don't know so sorry if you took anything disrespectfully.

Me:

{Idiot #3}, if you honestly look at my posts and believe that they exhibit ignorance and low maturity, then you are obviously much more stupid than I had given you credit for previously. Do you know why you feel weird arguing with adults? It's because you have lost so badly as to cause embarrassment. That's the weird feeling. But you chose to take your stand, and I chose to put you in your place. That's what happens in the adult world. If you have hopes of operating in that world one day, you need to learn that lesson now. I really don't care what you choose to believe in. Believe in polka dot unicorns that belch glitter and fart rainbows if it makes you happy. But if you want to argue their existence, then you will be required to actually present facts, not suppositions. And when those suppositions are refuted, then you will have to accept that you are wrong. People much older, wiser, and more educated than you learn that they are wrong about something every day. It's how they respond to that revelation that makes functional adults or delusional citizens of la-la land. Now, as you pointed out, we don't know you, and as far as I can tell, you don't even know my daughter. So there is no need whatsoever to be Facebook friends and that link will now be severed. I do hope that you learn from this little discussion that just because you believe something doesn't necessarily make it true. It's a valuable lesson. Goodbye, {Idiot #3}.

Within five minutes of that last comment from me, Idiot #3 had tucked his tail and actually blocked me on FB. It was delicious! Now, here's the lesson. We may live in a time of growing tolerance, and the generations behind mine are light years ahead of my own and those before me in tolerance, but even today, kids are being polluted with religious bullshit and they don't know that it's bullshit. And that's primarily because they have no knowledge of the Bible other than what they are fed at church. They haven't read it, they have no understanding of context, and have no idea that it wasn't hand-delivered by angels still smoking from being written down by God himself with a flaming pen. Now, one other lesson. None of these three guys were real friends of Isabelle's. They were just FB acquaintances. They have all been de-friended. I have tried to explain to Isabelle that having a large number of "friends" isn't the wisest thing to do, even though it seems to be the popular thing to do.

Oh, and today I remembered to drop in the Leviticus commentaries that I've shared here before:

The open letter to Dr. Laura from a few years ago:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's law. I have learned a great deal from you, and I try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend homosexuality, for example, I will simply remind him or her that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the other laws in Leviticus and Exodus and how to best follow them. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Leviticus 1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. How should I deal with this? I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as stated in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her? I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Leviticus 15:19-24). The problem is, how can I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may buy slaves from the nations that are around us. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself? A friend of mine says that even though eating shellfish is an abomination (Leviticus 10:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Leviticus 20:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

And from The West Wing:

"I wanted to ask you a couple of questions while I had you here. I'm interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She's a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be? While thinking about that, can I ask another? My Chief of Staff Leo McGarry insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or is it okay to call the police? Here's one that's really important 'cause we've got a lot of sports fans in this town: Touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean. Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? Think about those questions, would you?"

UPDATE:

Jennie added this comment to the FB discussion, and I love it and it must be included here, if for no other reason than to have close at hand for future reference.

"The thing that is important to remember is that the issue is not what you personally think about same sex couples but that in a society like the one we have (or are supposed to have), it is important to afford equal rights to all of our citizens. I don't personally agree with some religions, but I recognize the rights of others to believe and participate in them. There are still some people who are opposed to interracial couples but as a society years ago we recognized the rights of those individuals to marry and live how they choose to live. If you do not want to be in a same sex couple, by all means don't. We as a people should be intelligent enough to realize that what is right for some may not be right for all and that's ok. The issue is that what is right for me should be my own decision. We don't have a single nationwide religion. We shouldn't have a single nationwide set of rules for who should be allowed to marry or love each other.

And regarding the person who mentioned the inability to have children, I would hardly think that you'd be similarly in favor of laws requiring that a couple be able to and be required to reproduce to get married. Should women who are infertile be banned? Should women past menopause who can no longer have children? Should couples who simply wish not to have children be forbidden? Should those who earlier in life had procedure to prevent pregnancy (tubes tied or vasectomy) be forced to be single? Of course not. Same sex couples may not be able to easily have children (although I assure you that there are ways) but there are many studies demonstrating that children from those families are stable, happy, successful people and have the same successes and issues as any child from a loving home. Children don't need to have a male and a female parent to succeed in life. Ask any child from a single parent home. And if they choose to adopt, those children are just as happy and successful as any adopted child raised by a family who loves and wants them.

And for those who believe that HIV is somehow a disease of homosexuals, it is just that kind of foolish thinking that causes the incidence of that disease to be rising especially in the heterosexual population. Anyone who engages in risky sexual practices (unprotected penetration with a partner whose past sexual encounters are not known) is at risk for a whole host of STDs including HIV. ANYONE. There is nothing special about homosexuals that causes the disease to prefer them. Or any of the STDs. If you are careless about who you have sex with and under what circumstances, you are risk. Period. Believe me, I work in an ER and I see teenagers all the time who have contracted STDs through careless unprotected and usually heterosexual sex.

And I couldn't agree more with what Marcus says about Leviticus. There is a whole set of laws and rules that we would now find ridiculous to uphold. We do change laws all the time. And those laws were written by people and translated a thousand times by people. And there is nothing special about the one verse that religious zealots love to throw out in support of the suppression and condemnation of a group of people they find scary because they don't understand them. If you take one at absolute face value, you have to take them all. But if you recognize that some are no longer valid, you have to consider that might be the case with all of them.

It is easy to spew forth the things you have heard from your friends, parents, church leaders, etc and avoid thinking for yourself about a group of people you find scary or different. But if you take the time to think and learn for yourself you will find that most homosexuals are no different from anyone else. They are doctors, lawyers, teachers, politicians, Christians, Muslims, parents, etc. All they want is to have a home and a family, to love and be loved, to have a career and friends and a life and to live that life in peace and comfort.

I may not agree with the choices you make for yourself, but I would not only recognize the right for you to live your life as you choose, I would battle anyone on your behalf that would attempt to keep you from realizing your rights as a human being. I expect the same.

And for those of you who would seek to condemn based on your religious beliefs, I would ask this : who do you think you are to make that determination? If you happen to be right and homosexuals are against what God wants, it should be between that person and God when the time comes. It is for God to decide and judge, not you. You are not so special and wonderful as to be able to read the mind of God. I can't imagine that any god of any value would be pleased with mere people using his (or her) name to hate, judge, or condemn any other people.

Who I love and marry has no bearing whatsoever on who you choose to spend your life with. Who any of us love and marry has no bearing on any of the rest of us. The value of your marriage and family is entirely based on your love for your spouse and children and the way you treat each other. If your marriage has value, there should be nothing that I can personally do to affect that. If your marriage is so shaky and delicate that you derive value from what others do or don't do, then it is meaningless in any case.
And as far as being healthy or unhealthy, that is a bunch of nonsense. It is the way that people in a relationship treat each other that determines if it is healthy. There are unhealthy homosexual relationships. There are unhealthy heterosexual relationships. But there are healthy relationships of all types - when there is real love, respect, unconditional support, honesty, trust and loyalty. Where being together is so much better than being alone. That's what we should all seek to find and nurture, no matter who that other half should be."

Pro-Nuclear.

2011-03-30T12:17:00.000-05:00

I heard this yesterday on NPR, and I agree with it completely. Whatever the safety & environmental issues that nuclear energy may entail, they pale when compared with coal.

Is the Crazy Intensifying?

2011-03-28T21:04:00.000-05:00

I know that it's been a week between posts. Again. Blog blahs continue.

Does anyone else ever feel like we are all inside some sort of hurricane of crazy that is locked in a cycle of rapid intensification? Here are examples from current events:

1.) Jesus is coming! Everyone look busy! Seriously, yet another group has determined the date of their "rapture." Now, before you start spending all your money and packing for the trip to the celestial realm, you might want to check out this well-written response to the idea. And while you are at it, here's an excellent article about authorship & error in the Bible. It's a shame that too many prefer denial to honesty, and will never comprehend the fact that there is indeed error and misrepresentation inside it.

2.) Are the Republicans actually banking on insanity to win the Presidency in 2012? It sure seems that way from here. Michelle Bachman makes Sarah Palin look erudite & articulate (which I really didn't know was possible until the last few months), yet she seems to be getting in front of a lot of microphones & cameras lately. And the list of other possible candidates......Haley Barbour?! Newt Gingrich?! Mike Huckabee?! Donald Trump, for the love of God???!!! Not one of these idiots can do anything other than chase Independent voters to whoever their opponent is. The Republicans not only SEEM to be rudderless and drifting among outdated social issues in order to stir up any attention, they must actually BE without any speck of leadership. It's a situation that certainly give me a whole lot of entertainment value. Oh, and just for good measure..... this fool here in Alabama, who never came close to getting the Republican gubernatorial nomination, much less winning the office, now thinks that he should also run for President. It just gets better and better!

3.) People in general seem to have lost their minds. Stop lights seem to be becoming suggestions instead of absolutes. Many have no interest in doing their job, but seem to believe that they deserve to keep them anyway. The service & hospitality industries are providing less and less of either.

I am finding it more and more difficult to be joyful. This weeks' saving grace...... iPad 2. We finally got Alexandrea's after being on a list for two+ weeks. And it is a thing of beauty, grace, and performance. Surely a world that can produce such a piece of art that is also productive can't be all bad.

I'm Not Buying This Time.

2011-03-22T19:01:00.000-05:00

As mentioned recently, I have left the topic of religion alone for an extended period of time. But the American Catholic church has apparently begun a new public relations campaign in an attempt to sell the idea that they are relevant still. I bought that idea 15 years ago. I'm not buying it today.

Here's the story from 60 Minutes on Archbishop Dolan of New York, the new president of the American bishops. He may be the most dangerous Catholic in the country. He seems jovial, convivial, magnanimous, and a lot of other good adjectives. In fact, he is unwavering in his belief in & support for the most conservative take on current divisive issues for the church. He is lock-step with the Vatican, and always will be. He just won his new office of president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in an upset over the bishop who was the current VP, and traditionally the next to hold the office. There was a good bit of discussion in Catholic circles that Dolan won because he is significantly more conservative than the other guy. This does not bode well for the American Catholic church. People are leaving in droves, and a new poll just out today shows that the Catholic laity are rapidly changing their views toward gay marriage and even gay sex. The bishops are completely out of touch, and so is the Church. It is stuck in medieval times, and seems to have no hope of coming forward. Of course, why would a system of power, composed entirely of men, want to change things? They have absolute control, and love to oppress women (no women priests, anti-abortion, etc. etc.), homosexuals, married couples (no birth control), pretty much everyone who isn't a Catholic priest. And if you are a priest, you can commit atrocities and have it swept under the rug by multiple bishops. It is a power structure that no longer works in the modern world. The Catholic church needs a top to bottom revamp, and the laity is going to have to demand it because there is no motivation for those in charge to do anything other than hold on to power. We talk about dictators and religious zealots all over the world in a negative and condemning tone, but in many ways, ways that matter to lots of people, the Catholic church is just as guilty of abusing power and inflicting harm on their people. And so are plenty of other denominations and religions.

This is an 8-minute followup to the interview. It's also very good.

I'm tired of hearing Catholic bishops talk about the necessity of continuing to do things the same way because they have always been done that way. Times change and lessons are learned. And many of the things that are up for debate, such as the issue of priestly celibacy, have only been around for centuries, not 2,000 years as many bishops would have people believe. Being unwilling to adjust to new realities and clinging to tradition that has little meaning in modern society is what is making the Catholic church irrelevant in the U.S., and around the world. And the bishops are too drunk on power, or too frightened of losing some, to do anything other than drive it off the cliff. It is truly a sad situation, and one that angers me beyond words. So, I'll stop trying to fully express it now.

Blog Blahs.

2011-03-20T10:20:00.006-05:00

{UPDATE: Here's the link to the New Orleans artist who made the ring below. It took a while to find her card. I added other favorite finds of the festival at the bottom of this post.}

I've thought about blogging several times a day for the last week, but nothing has seemed worth the effort. I don't know what's wrong with me. The weather is glorious, The town is literally bursting with blooms as the dogwood, azaleas, wisteria, and lots of other things are reaching their peak. I should be taking photos and posting them, if nothing else.

It didn't help that Benjamin was sick for most of the past week, which kept him home from school for three days. It's hard to get anything done when he's home. I am already dreading summer vacation, as I have gotten quite accustomed to having all the children gone during the school day. I fear a very long summer this year.

I'm so over the Republican idiots that I can't even rant about them. There seems to be so much of their stupidity to talk about that I don't know where to start. I simply can't wrap my mind around the idea that someone voted for some of these fools.

However, there has been one blog-worthy occurrence..... Arts Festival! It started on Friday, and we went at opening so that we could see everything before it was picked over. It is an unusually strong show this year, as the focus is squarely on art as opposed to craft. It's been drifting toward craft over the last couple of years, but that egregious blunder has seemingly been corrected. The weather has been perfect this weekend, unlike the past two years, when there was a day of rain one year and a day of nasty cold the other. It's been sunny and in the low 80s all weekend, and crowds have been at least as large as expected, which was around 250,000. Not bad for a town of just under 20,000.

That's Lorraine in the hat, searching the pottery artists for the perfect tea cup. So far, it hasn't been found, but we are trying again this afternoon.

We bought a new small-ish piece from our favorite, Su Abbott. It was delightful to see her again! We look forward to the Festival now just so that we can visit with her and see her latest work.

No Southern festival is complete without food, and this one typically offers excellent variety. From the ubiquitous to the unusual, it's there. Fried alligator, shark-on-a-stick, kettle corn, homemade ice cream, etc. etc. Sadly, the stand that does the fried candy bars and Twinkies isn't there this year. The girls were looking forward to that annual treat.

The other favorite find of this year is a ring from a New Orleans artist. She makes jewelry from antique items, and she had some made from an old New Orleans streetcar token. I've never seen a token for the streetcars, as it has always been a cash system since I have been visiting New Orleans. The artist said that she often has New Orleanians who are unaware that there were tokens, but apparently there were several different versions over the years. Anyway, Lorraine is in love with it.

We are headed back down there today for a final exploration before it closes at 5. If any other treasures are obtained, I'll let you know. With 400+ artists displaying, there is so much to see that we almost always find something that was overlooked on our first look.

{UPDATE: Here are some other artists that we really liked at this show this year:

The Art of Letters

Moonvine Designs

KingFisher Designs - this one is so amazing that Lorraine is already planning a custom bracelet order.

The Alchemist's Garden

Blue Piranha

Rich Traditions - these are some of the best college collage prints that I've seen.

My Friday.

2011-03-11T21:18:00.001-06:00

* Alexandrea got braces. She is less than impressed with them so far. I never had them, so I can't empathize. It doesn't seem like much fun, though.

* We stood in line with a few other people at Target for two hours waiting on UPS to deliver the new iPads tonight, and they never showed up. Imagine my displeasure.....

* I requested tonight that Lorraine do one simple thing for me when I keel over dead. I want her to take a Sharpie and write on my forehead "Off Duty" just like on taxi cabs. I am tired of ferrying people around all day long.

* I am excited about the time change tomorrow night, but the hour earlier school process is going to hurt like hell for a few days.

* Goodnight.

Pray the Gay Away? Seriously?

2011-03-10T19:23:00.001-06:00

I haven't talked about theological issues on here in a long time. Mainly because I have drifted so far away from all of that so quickly that I really just don't care. But I am enjoying the new Lisa Ling show on Oprah's network, Our America. Lisa takes on some serious topics, frequently things that very few other people would consider. This week, she tackled the idea that some groups seem to believe in..... the idea that they can pray away the gay and become straight. I find the idea silly, revolting, and insane. But, once again, religion, especially poorly interpreted religion, has caused a lot of people to face a whole lot of unnecessary terror & suffering. Sometimes, it seems that those are the primary goals of too many religions. You watch it for yourself and make up your own mind. But here's some things that I know to be true...... Pretending to be something that your are not can only cause harm, both to yourself and those around you. The God that I would want to worship doesn't make mistakes, and doesn't inflict needless suffering. And Jesus, who these folks are supposed to be following, gave the only necessary instruction......"I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." It's hard to do, but it's really not that complicated. No where in there does it say "Oh, and be something that you are not." What religion has done to innumerable gay children & adults is unforgivable. Simply unforgivable.

The Last Hoorah of Mardi Gras.

2011-03-10T15:39:00.000-06:00

On Monday evening, the ladies of the Order of Mystic Magnolias closed Fairhope's parade season. I always love it when I catch throws in mid-air in the photos. It's a lot harder than you might think, and often comes down to pure luck.

Today has pretty much sucked. I have been locked in battle with a bank, and have ripped three people in two cities a new asshole. I have received profuse apologies, but had to settle for a draw on one of the issues. Regardless, it was a great way to unleash some of my frustration at the state of modern 'customer service.' Then, this afternoon, word come that Carnival Cruise Line is abandoning their service here in Mobile. I am disappointed and pissed off about that choice. It is not a good day for my blood pressure. I think that I'll just skip checking it today.

Tomorrow will be a memorable day for Alexandrea. She gets braces in the morning and in iPad2 in the afternoon. Assuming that we find one at the appointed time of 5pm when it goes on sale. Surely between two Wal-marts, a Target, and Best Buy, we will.

The Stark Reality.

2011-03-08T10:14:00.003-06:00

It has become quite clear in recent months that a frighteningly high percentage of Republicans, including those in Congress, state governors, and state legislatures, seem to be perfectly happy returning to the days of the robber barons, and probably even feudal times. They seem to love the fact that the top one percent of income earners in the U.S. eat up about 25 percent of the total income of the country, more than the entire bottom 50 percent combined. Republican governors are attacking labor rights. The Republican House of Representatives is doing nothing about job creation, and is instead waging a new culture war, primarily directed toward women. State & federal budget cuts continue to give away tax cuts & subsidies to people & industry that don't need them, while cutting education, child nutrition, and healthcare for the poor. In short, the Republicans are hell-bent that the rich will continue to get richer, and the poor will get poorer. Now, the middle class is steadily getting poorer as well. At some point, even the most rabid Republican fans in the middle class are going to have to wake up and realize that they have been duped, and have voted themselves into the poor house.

Lorraine & I watched this week's 60 Minutes last night, and the lead story was sickening, physically painful to watch. I know that I expect a lot from the four or five people who stop in here regularly, but this time I am not simply urging you to watch this piece on homeless children in central Florida. I am requiring it. It is a moral imperative. Don't come back later to do it. Watch it right now. And then tell me that I'm wrong to hate the modern-day version of the Republican party with the burning passion that I feel. If you can watch a child talk about what if feels like to be hungry right here in our country, within walking distance of Walt Disney World, and not feel a rage toward those that caused the economic clusterfuck of the past two years, then you may want to go have your soul examined.

The Merry Widows of Joe Cain.

2011-03-06T19:44:00.003-06:00

One of the unique features of Mardi Gras in Mobile is Joe Cain day. And the best part of Joe Cain day is Cain's Merry Widows.

Joe Cain is credited with reviving Mardi Gras in Mobile following the Civil War. And while he has been dead for more than a century, thanks to some Mardi Gras magic his widows are with us still. On the Sunday before Mardi Gras, they arrive at Joe's grave, which lies beside the parade route, to mourn, lament, and wail while expressing their grief. And they remind each other and those gathered around why each was Joe's favorite. It is sight that I have wanted to witness since moving here, and today I finally get to mark it off my bucket list.

Cindy & Pam, two of my favorite people, talked me into braving the crowds and spending the day in the middle of the action.

At 11:30, the widows arrive by charter bus. It is a secret society of course, and the ladies are well-disguised behind many layers of black lace.

After sobbing their way through the crowd, and being comforted by them along the way to the graveyard gates, they gather around Joe's grave.

After a few minutes of loud sobbing and lamentations, they spread out along the graveyard wall and throw beads & black silk roses to the crowd.

One of the widows on her way back to the bus with her escort.

Later in the day, the widows lead the very long & raucous Joe Cain parade.

It is a marvelous tradition and quite a sight to behold.!

MOJ '11.

2011-03-04T22:52:00.000-06:00

The Kindergarten parade was this afternoon. It's a full-fledged event, with several of the main streets closed off for about an hour. Benjamin was throwing peanut butter Moon Pies, the treasured Mardi Gras throw in this part of the world.

Then tonight, the Maids of Jubilee presented their parade with the theme "We're Here for the Party."

See those beads in midair? They landed on me an instant later. They were good beads, too.

Tomorrow is supposed to be the Mullet Mates parade out in the country along the bay, and is one of our favorites because we tailgate all day. However, it will be raining all day, and we won't be going. It is a huge disappointment, especially since we didn't go last year because it was a bit too cold for our liking. Next up......Order of Mystic Magnolias on Monday night. And I am considering going over to Mobile on Sunday with some friends for Joe Cain day, a huge day of multiple parades over there. To all of you who live in the vast majority of the country where Mardi Gras is all but unknown, you have my deep & sincere sympathy.

Reasons Why I Despise Republicans THIS Week.

2011-03-02T21:28:00.002-06:00

1.) Where are the promised jobs? Here's 700,000 more going down the tubes, thanks to the good old GOP.

2.) Fuck the planet. That's got to be one of the Republican mantras.....

3.) They have repeatedly shown the middle class that they have no interest in anything having to do with them, other than their vote. Perhaps the middle class will begin to listen now that the republicans have removed all ambiguity from the fact. This whole attack on union rights hasn't exactly gone like the GOP thought that it would. That's because they are clueless.

4.) The top five oil companies have raked in over ONE TRILLION dollars in PROFITS (NOT revenue) in the past decade. But we still give them huge taxpayer subsidies. When a motion was made on the House floor this week to stop those subsidies, republicans voted UNANIMOUSLY against it. Do you really need any more evidence about whose side they are on and how serious they are about common sense areas to stop spending?

5.) Sarah Palin, that awful, heinous, horrible bitch from hell, is now scheduled to be within walking distance of my house. The thought nauseates me.

I can't stand hypocrisy and propaganda. And those are the two pillars upon which the Republican party stand. It is sickening.

Weekend Road Trip.

2011-02-28T14:15:00.002-06:00

We spent this past weekend at Auburn in order to celebrate Lorraine's mom's 60th birthday, which will occur this week.

On Saturday, we picnicked at the Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve, which despite being a part of Auburn University, was delightful. This outdoor classroom is accessed by a significant hike through the woods. It would be a lovely place to learn.

This amphitheater is truly beautiful. It's space is defined using minimalistic architecture, and I was quite impressed by it. The concrete structure is the bathroom facility, but it also serves to define the entrance. I forgot to take a photo of how the support columns are designed, but they are suspended a few inches above the concrete anchors by a steel bracing device. I suppose that it is designed to prevent the wooden bases from rotting, and it should work brilliantly since the wood isn't in direct contact with with the floor. It seems very well thought out. I assume that the Auburn school of architecture created it.

Finally, the cake that we made was decadent beyond measure, and may be my new favorite. It's not the least bit difficult, and will surely impress any recipient!

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

I'm a big fan of the PBS show, Need to Know. This is story on global warming from the latest episode. Do y'all remember when the Republicans were so adamant that they would immediately get to work on job creation and economic improvement? They have done nothing of the sort, instead focusing on the age-old ideological divide of abortion, and now going after the EPA so that it can't enforce climate regulations. Climate-change deniers need to be publicly scourged for the damage that they have inflicted with their propaganda financed by big corporations who care about nothing other than profit. Science is truth, whether or not an individual has the sense to comprehend it, much less believe it. It continually astounds & baffles me that here in the most advanced society on the planet that money trumps truth & logic at every turn. The Republicans perpetrate so many absolute frauds on their followers that the only conclusion can be that those people are unwilling or incapable of thought.

Spring Has Sprung.

2011-02-23T13:15:00.001-06:00

Today is the eighth day in a row of temperatures in the 70s here, and there is no end in sight forecasted. After a vicious winter, it just kind of came to a sudden & abrupt end. It is wonderful beyond words!

Some of the daffodils in downtown are already bloomed out, but these are on a more shady street and have just now hit their peak.

The redbuds & Japanese magnolias are blooming. The azaleas will kick off in a week or two, and the dogwoods won't be far behind.

Lots of people were picnicking in the bayside parks today, kids were in their swimsuits enjoying the beaches (not the water, of course.... it IS still February!), adults are sunbathing, and kayakers are in the water.

The city recently produced a new brochure describing all of the public parks. There was one on the bay front that I was unfamiliar with. After locating it over the weekend, I ventured into it today. It is small, only about the size of an average lot in the neighborhood, but it is lovely. There are many stairs to negotiate down the bluffs, then about 100 feet of wetlands, and then a secluded beach (the sunbather above is on this beach) that few folks ever venture into. The only problem is that I have some fairly serious concerns about snakes & alligators in the wetlands portion. It's too early for them now, but they will be around soon with temperatures steadily warming.

Private boathouses beside the newly discovered public beach.

How I See It.

2011-02-20T21:46:00.000-06:00

Here's where I stand on the deficit and budget cuts and all that sort of thing....

The FIRST spending cut should be in the defense department. We spend ONE TRILLION dollars a year on the military, and that is simply ludicrous. We spend more on so-called defense than the rest of the world combined. Start closing all the ridiculous bases around the world. Park an aircraft carrier or two. Stop being the world's police force.

Next, raise the retirement & Medicare age. I have no problem with 69. And the ages would only affect folks younger than, say, 50 or 55. So there would be plenty of time to make the necessary adjustments. I simply don't understand the folks who rely soley on Social Security anyway. People should be utilizing 401(k)s, IRAs, etc. There is some personal responsibility that is required for retirement, despite the poor planning displayed by a whole lot of folks.

In addition, there needs to be a dramatic rethinking and realignment of the social safety net systems. Welfare reform worked out pretty well back in the 90s when President Clinton tackled that issue. The same sort of reforms must be applied to Medicaid. There are far too many folks riding that system, and bankrupting it in the process.

Another financial waste that needs to be eliminated is all of the freebies that we give away. Incentives, credits, & subsidies are sucking billions out of the treasury coffers. I'm tired of paying farmers NOT to plant crops. I'm tired of the corn subsidies that have created the abysmal food chain that we are all victimized by these days.

Finally, the tax code must be scrapped and a new, simplified one put in place. One without all sorts of loopholes and giveaways. I like the flat tax. I like the national sales tax. I like anything that levels the playing field and makes everyone play by the same rules.

Here's what I'm NOT willing to sacrifice:

Food safety inspectors at the FDA
Centers for Disease Control scientists & research
Pell grants
Teachers
Air traffic controllers
National parks & park rangers
FDA oversight of medicines & treatments
National Weather Service regional offices
The National Hurricane Center
Labor laws enforcers
Environmental Protection Agency oversight
FBI agents
Prison guards
Federal judges
NASA exploration
Road construction & maintenance
FEMA response teams
Customs & Border Protection agents
FCC regulation providing all forms of transmissions over the airwaves

And at least a thousand other things that we are all touched by on a daily basis. The government is not some big, scary entity that is out to get us. It is US - of the people, by the people, for the people - just trying to do the best it can to insure a safe & civilized environment for us all to utilize for the fullest enjoyment of our myriad freedoms & liberties. And all of those jobs are held by citizens just like you & me. So, yes, there is some fat to trim and some reforms to be applied. But let's remember that on the other end of a lot of that money is a job that will be going away and another person unemployed.

And I would just like to remind you that George W. Bush inherited a budget surplus and a booming economy.

GaGa.

2011-02-15T11:00:00.004-06:00

I'm already a GaGa fan, but no matter what you think of her, you have to admit that the girl knows how to use fame to her advantage.....

And speaking of things that fit the "fabulous" label, here is the review of this year's Osiris ball from the Mobile Register's anonymous Mardi Gras commentator, The Masked Observer.

Jennie & Lori's Visit.

2011-02-14T18:04:00.001-06:00

Leaving for Osiris.

2:00AM Waffle House post-Osiris

Visiting Church Street Graveyard in Mobile on Saturday.

New Orleans on Sunday.

At McGuire's in Pensacola today for Lori's Birthday. Irish Wake #1.

Irish Wake #2! You should know that there is a strict limit of 3.

Post-Irish Wake.

Homework.

2011-02-07T22:20:00.000-06:00

As you all know, I sometimes require a bit of homework here on my blog. It's been a while, and I have seen some things lately that really are required watching. So, at your leisure......

There are many reasons that I detest pretty much all professional sports. I will admit that I do enjoy the four major tennis tournaments, and women's 9-ball billiards. But after seeing this, I have a whole new reason to revel in my disdain.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Next, do you remember those Republicans and Tea Party fools who promised such focus on job creation and shrinking government and all that stuff a couple of months ago? Have you noticed what they are doing since being sworn in. Not a GD thing, other than the same old social-issue bullshit that they always pursue. I wonder if any of the folks who actually voted for them are intelligent enough to realize yet that they fell for the lies once again....

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

And these two I posted to Facebook previously, but just in case you missed them there, here they are again. And I can only hope that every idiotic Republican who ever uses the term "death panel" for political advantage is deprived of their own and suffers for a long time.

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

And, finally, if you want to read a new expose on that ridiculous cult, scientology, check out this article in the New Yorker. But, be warned. It is nearly the length of a Bible.....

Odds & Ends.

2011-02-05T21:56:00.001-06:00

Well, that was a quick week!

I read about a new blog on NPR today, and it is now featured prominently over there to the left in the 'favorite blogs' sidebar. I think that it's utterly brilliant.

There is another new blog in the sidebar as well, and it is some of the funniest stuff that I've read this side of David Sedaris. It is written by a cousin of my dearest friend in the whole wide world. Eddie is a hair stylist in Jackson, and while he doesn't write a new post but a couple of times a month, they are worth the wait. Be sure to go back and start with the first post. If it doesn't hook you, then there is something desperately wrong with you, and you should get intensive psychiatric evaluation immediately.

I had no intention of watching American Idol this season, as I really thought that Jennifer Lopez would be her typical diva self, and I despise that person. And I also expected Steven Tyler to be akin to Ozzy Ozbourne's incoherent self. But, I have flipped by a few of the audition shows, and have been pleasantly surprised by how kind & competent the new judges have been. I'm not committing to watching the actual competition part of the show yet, but the parts that I have seen have been entertaining.

We made the consultation orthodontic appointment for Alexandrea this week. We have delayed it for as long as we can, but braces are in the near future. I'm not exactly sure how we are supposed to pay for it, but at least our dental insurance covers part of it. Still, it is truly staggering just how much kids cost. There seems to be no end to the red ink.

The Order of Osiris ball is coming up next Friday evening! This year, the theme is "30 and Dirty" for their 30th anniversary extravaganza. I can only imagine some of the vignettes that will be presented under that banner. Jennie & Lori arrive on Thursday! It is ludicrous that we haven't seen them since April! My friend & hair stylist, Mitch, is the Queen of the Ball this year! All hail, Queen Michelle!

I am OVER winter. Done with it. And I haven't seen a single snow flake or iced road. I can't even begin to imagine how the folks who have had to deal with blizzard after blizzard are surviving psychologically. I typically enjoy our coastal winters, but this one has been brutally cold, and almost completely without the usual rebounds into the 70s. I function best when it is 73 degrees outside, and 93 is a lot closer to that than 33, so bring on the summer!

FYI, here are the local Mardi Gras parade schedules. Mobile has a tremendous lineup, and everyone should eventually come spend some time here for the parade season. They are every bit as entertaining as New Orleans, without the difficulties that New Orleans entails. Having done some of the Mobile parades, though, I'll stick to the ones here in Baldwin County. They are truly amazing, and I can walk to them from my house. For the three parades here in Fairhope, there are typically 50,000-75,000 spectators at each one. Not bad for a town of around 20,000. Praise be unto the Lord that we are having a wildly late MG this year, as the weather so far would have made parades absolutely miserable. I am holding out hope that the weather pattern will shift significantly before the end of the month when the festivities begin, and we will have some warm weather. And I just realized today that Arts Festival is only a month away, coming just 9 days after Mardi Gras day!

Finally, tomorrow is that magical day where a huge portion of the country is all in a lather about a sporting event, and here at Chez Moseley, we couldn't care less. For others like us, it's a great time to go to Target or the grocery store and get some serious shopping done without so many damned people in the way. For the rest of you, happy Super Bowl.

Maybe I'm not Supposed to Have Tropical Foliage.

2011-01-30T15:18:00.000-06:00

Winter remembered, and came back for my beloved elephant ear philodendron. It's not quite as bad as last year, when the teens rendered every spot of green into a dead, gelatinous mess. But repeated offenses with the low 20s has taken a severe toll. After taking this photo, I removed many branches. I am greatly displeased. In addition, the pindo palm that I planted the week that we moved into this house 8 years ago is officially dead. It developed what I believe to be a fungal disease, and it stopped producing new growth about two years ago. Since then, existing foliage has slowly died away. This week, I removed the final three branches, and am left with an ugly stump. And I can't seem to get my banana tree to thrive, which is supposed to be involve only planting and walking away. It hasn't worked quite so easily for me. My desire for tropical plants may have to be sidelined. I can't handle the loss.

Our very dear friends, the Flye's, visited on Saturday. We were very close when we lived in Starkville, but have only seen them a few times in recent years. But, they are moving down here this summer! We are quite thrilled!

Overall, Saturday was a banner day here at Chez Moseley. I craved sausage for breakfast, and on the journey to the grocery, a whole two blocks, I got to admire a gorgeous black Lamborghini in the turn lane beside me AND encountered a group fundraising by selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts at the main intersection. Both are deeply ingrained in my nostalgic triggers. I desperately wanted a Lamborghini as a teenager. Today, I still find them utterly gorgeous. But apparently I have a new indicator of just how damned old I am. I found myself immediately wondering why anyone would pay such a price for a car, and how they could ever work up the courage to actually drive it on a public road where any idiot could destroy it. And while I now live less than 30 minutes from a 24-hour Krispy Kreme store, they were a difficult-to-obtain luxury for most of my life. But, occasionally we would have a local group who would make the 4-hour round trip to Mobile in the middle of the night to get several hundred dozen and sell them in town on a Saturday morning as a fundraiser. Those were magical moments, and I rarely pass up the opportunity to buy a box from similar groups today.

The rest of the day was spent getting things done outside as the temperature finally hit 70 for the first time in a ridiculously long time. I got both vehicles washed & thoroughly vacuumed, the girls mowed the front yard in order to grind up all the damned leaves, and Lorraine washed the dog.

An old friend gave me a tremendous gift this week. She turned me on to the music of Amos Lee and gifted me with all of his CDs. I was only familiar with a couple of his songs, but I already know that he will quickly enter my pantheon of music gods, right up there with the Indigo Girls, Brandi Carlile, and Tori Amos. Thanks, Sherri!

One other musical item..... I downloaded the NPR Music app, which also gave me access to their free music sampler. I am addicted to this song.... One Day by Sharon Van Etten.

A Quarter of a Century Ago.

2011-01-28T10:38:00.001-06:00

There was a time, not so long ago, when a quarter-century seemed like an almost infinite amount of time. Today, it seems impossibly short. If the details of what happened that morning are a little cloudy in your memory, read the Wikipedia article. It is an extraordinary summary.