Since when do we all think like our pastors?

I am fed up with all the attention on Barack Obama's old pastor. The guy has his opinions, he has his agenda, and he is really loving all the attention to the point of self-parody. He's becoming the media's new Britney Spears/Paris Hilton! Forget focusing attention on the real problems facing black America, it's all about him. I expect next he's going to adopt a miniature dog and dress it in a matching dashiki! That's hot!

The media is trying so hard to make him an issue, or a strike against Obama, but it doesn't work. Why? Because WE have pastors, and we don't think in lockstep with them all the time either. Even if we have men in our lives who have sometimes functioned as father figures, most of the public is sensible enough to understand that none of us think exactly like our parental figures either. In fact, parents and parental figures can be completely and embarrassingly different in ethics, beliefs and ideals. It doesn't change who we are and what we believe just because we love them.

So, media, please, leave off reporting on this flamboyant and embarrassing man, and stick to the real issues for once that are facing this country. I flip away from your channels when stupidity and non-news is being reported, and my channel changing button is getting worn out.

More Lights OUT hours!

A few weeks ago, as a world we did a voluntary "turn off the lights" hour. Enormous amounts of power were saved, all over the world, and that was voluntary for one simple hour.

Unless you are living under a rock or in the Bush Administration, the word is getting out loud and clear that we need to drastically change what we do as a human race to slow or stop global warming. What if, as part of our effort, we started to do voluntary "power out" hours not only once a year, but weekly? Or even daily??? Even if some people would not or could not participate, it could be a step in the right direction for stopping our energy usage from killing us faster than it already is.

Think of it--each energy user in the world pledging to turn off non-essential lighting and energy usage for ONE HOUR seriously once a day. This is only the start of a new awareness of how we could be doing so much more.

We are going to have to start thinking of "sacrificing" our greed for easy energy and entertainment. As a beginning, let's start with something easy, yet something mindful. Something we may not mind adding more of, once we see how easy it is.

Decide on your hour. Encourage your towns and cities to decide on an hour--every week. It doesn't even all need to be the same hour all over the world. See how easy it could be.

Millions of tons of green house gases. It could become a festival, an event to look forward to, a time to be thinking of something larger than one's self, once a week, once a day or more.

Another thing we can all be doing now is signing up for Com Ed's Nature First program, which gives permission during high power usage times in the summer to shut down your air conditioner for 1-3 hours during the day. I did this in California when we lived there, and even on days that got over 100 degrees F I barely noticed my comfort level changing in the house at all, even if I was working from home all day.

It's these are easy steps, and we should be making them...now.

April Fools

Before he went to work this morning, my husband went searching for the boys' Pokemon card decks. He wanted to play a joke on them by switching their energy cards so neither of them could play anything in their decks. You would think this was pretty obscure practical joke, and it is. He also knows that they are gearing up for a regional tournament and are working feverishly on improving their decks and playing scrimmages. Both kids are tournament champions. Their decks are always being worked on.

As Dan left for work he said, "I want to see what they do to get back at me."

April Fools Day is embraced by the male members of this family. Some of my favorite things I have found on April Fools Day have been:

Legos in my pillow
Salt on my toothbrush
My jacket sleeves turned inside out
Shoes filled with Legos
My comb replaced with the cat brush

My all time favorite was when the boys were very young. Both of them were hinting very broadly that I really needed to go play on the computer after I tucked them in. I left their room with them snickering under their blankets. On the office chair was a whoopie cushion. It was undisguised, just sitting there in yellow fullness. So, I sat on it as hard as I could to make a nice loud farting noise, and their laughter burst into the hallway. They gave each other high fives! "We got her!" the younger one shouted! It was the greatest trick ever!

I haven't found anything yet from the kids this morning, but I look forward to this afternoon.

*Later*

No practical jokes at all! Wah! The problem is that they had too much homework, so they had to get to that. Stupid school...but April is a long month.

Totally not an April Fools joke, my young friends at Rubbish had their short film, "Eyelids" make it into the Short Film Corner of the 2008 Cannes Film Festival! This short is starring my youngest son, Alex (and I am in there for about 3 seconds too) so we are very excited! It reminds me that we need to look into getting our passports updated...

Spring Break, Midwest Style

When I was growing up, we didn't have a lot of money, so going anywhere for spring break was out of the question. However, Ohio always had a lot to offer--it could easily snow early in the break and be 70 degrees by the end of the week. With the iffy weather, some breaks made us start to crave time structured by school rather than the daytime TV schedule in a remarkably short period of time. Some breaks made us anxious to start summer break immediately.

We have been fortunate enough to have spring breaks with travel for our kids, but this year we are staying home. Sure enough, it is only Tuesday, and we have already had 8 inches of heavy snow, followed by three 50+ degree days. It is the midwest, and it is spring break. We couldn't get more variety if we were driving somewhere...

Regional Cultures I have Known and Loved

So far I lived in 3 distinct areas around the country. I have lived in Ohio, California, and Illinois. Each has its distinct micro-culture that which gives the places and the people a unique feel and a unique set of endearing quirks to note and appreciate.

Ohio is where I was raised, and Central Ohio will always feel like home. However, moving away from it made me realize what a strange little place it is. People always say "Excuse me" when they bump into you. They are extremely friendly and easy to get to know. And yet, there are are more conservative to the point of ridiculous church people per square mile than anywhere else in the midwest except Indiana. Scarlett and Gray clothing is everywhere, along with dumpy fashion standards, and rabid Buckeye football mania is the region's other uptight religion. Still, I love it.

Northern California was huge culture shock from Ohio, but within the first year, I adjusted. People get to know each other through activity and work, and there isn't a lot of sitting around and hanging out and talking. Californians play hard and work hard. Native Californians, as a rule, made flaky employees--they had learned before the rest of the nation that no employer is loyal to them, so they had no loyalty to the employer. No one says excuse me when they bump into you unless they did it really hard--there are just too many people there, the courtesy was not observed. Northern Californians dress better, and have a definitely cooler style.

When we moved to the Chicago area, and there was a new culture to explore. Less friendly at first than Ohioans, but able to have deeper relationships than a Northern Californian. If invited to a group of women that I did not know, depending on the social status, this is what would happen:

With my softball team, when I first joined we went out for drinks after a game, and no one asked me about myself. I was acknowledged, yet not invited directly into any conversation. At first I was feeling like this was rather cliquey and unfriendly, but eye contact was made and pauses were made in the conversation, as if allowing me to interject something. No one was going to ask anything directly, but I was welcome to chime in if I had something to add. This was a more blue collar group, and once I understood the dynamic, I was able to join in and start making some friends.

My white collar friends also had some part of this in their dynamic, but usually some of the give and take rules of conversation were observed as well.

Another thing that I found socially a little confounding was how much complaining is a part of the way people converse around here. A lot of the people that we met first had me very worried about how negative they seemed all the time, but later I realized that complaining was not personally directed at me, but instead a way of thinking out out loud what is happening, big or little, and how it affects them. Complaining is pragmatic for a Chicagoan, it is a way of organizing thoughts and sharing experiences. Complaining was also used as a conversation starter, a way to find common ground. Coming from Northern CA, where things are a lot more superficially "just fine", this took some getting used to.

I have loved each of these places dearly, and love each one for what they are. If anyone is reading this, what have you noticed as strange when you moved to a new city?

War Crimes and Criminal Negligence Charges for Bush

I am not happy about Nader getting back in the presidential race, but damn, I do respect him. Here is an excellent blog from Nader.org Read here.

I agree. The hypocrisy is amazing. Spitzer--loses his job. Bush, whose crimes are much worse and farther reaching, gets the same morally "indignant" democrats just waiting until he goes away? Like I said before, why go for impeachment when conviction is more in order? Democrats in Congress, take a real stand. Go after Bush and his administration. America is fed up. We won't get in your way.
Nader is voicing the thoughts of the thousands of hearts who are sickened by this illegitimate president. Dems, there are lots of reasons you should listen.

Resolution Check Up

I started this blog as an exercise and as part of a resolution to write more this year. My goal was to have at least one essay a week, preferably one that required some thought and something more than just blatherings about my day.

I am behind on the number, and I also find that I do not always have the time to do the sort of essay I really want to produce all the time--one that at least inspires thought in others. I have had mixed success with this. I have decided that this is okay. It has to be, or else I will start to intimidate myself into not writing, because it is not important enough. I don't live a life that is outstandingly important to anyone but my friends and family, but with development (aka actually writing) I think I can do better than I have been.

I think I will change my resolution, because it may be that volume is more likely to do something more to spark creativity than sitting around and thinking. From now on, I will try to write every day, and if it is essay material and good, great! If it isn't, oh well. Don't feel like you have to read it.

The unholy boredom of men's clothing

This afternoon I told my husband that I would go clothes shopping for him, since he liked a couple of the things I picked out for him last year on a whim. They were well made and looked ready for work casual or an evening out at a restaurant or show. His clothes are getting kind of old, and some of his shirts have been getting use for at least a decade.

I went to Woodfield Mall, and searched store after store. I even waded through the motley crowd of people waiting for autographs in the center of the mall from members of the World Wrestling Federation. I looked and looked and looked.

JC Pennys had shirts for men who had given up all hope. Not one pattern that was more interesting than thick vertical stripes. Low thread count polyester dominated. They might as well be pre-stained with the clammy sweat of fashion failure. This actually surprised me, because lately JCPenny has improved their womens clothing lines. I didn't even try Sears. Kohls is also a no go for anything but socks and underwear and the utter basics.

Limited Express Men's section was for some reason either dress shirts or t-shirts and nothing in between. I usually really like their stuff. Today though, they were living up to the "Limited" name.

One store that had some really cool shirts was going out of business and only had 2xxls left. I could fit 3 of Dan into one of them.

I was already discouraged. I still could have looked at Macys and Nordstrom or even H&M, but all the "shop" had dropped out of me. Too much of the same, same, same. I will have to finish my quest another day...when I am really, really desperate with nothing to do.

The cultural expectation for American men is that they hate to shop for clothes. Clothing retailers make sure that it stays that way with monotony and poor quality in their mens clothing lines.

Environmentally, this is probably a good thing. Economically, interesting men's clothing with high quality fabric and construction is one of the those curiously untapped areas of retail potential.

Dan will just have to keep his decades old threadbare shirts in his closet until one of us can stomach shopping again.

IMPEACH BUSH NOW!

I promised myself I would write this, since today is IMPEACH BUSH NOW! Day.

C'mon folks. It is time to really take more action. Let's give the guy who lied us into a costly and futile war, whose administration has ruined nearly all good will toward our nation by our allies, whose administration seems intent on raping the constitution of all meaning, and seems intent on destroying the environment for corporate gain, more than just a piddling 19 percent national approval rating (or 79% disapproval rating). If impeaching seems like too much effort for too little return--since he will be gone in less than a year anyway--let's move towards criminal prosecution instead. If we condone this administrations egregious actions, we condone future administrations the same. Laws have been broken, and even a president should not consider himself above the law.

PROSECUTE THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION NOW! WHY LET IT END WITH THE INCUMBENCY?

Here are more specific points for prosecution, outlined by democrats.com:

1) The Offense of Lying and Inducing America to Support a War

President Bush and Vice President Cheney intentionally misled the Congress and the American people regarding the threat from Iraq in order to justify a war against Iraq, and intentionally conspired with others to defraud the United States in connection with the war against Iraq in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 371.

2) The Offense of Reckless Indifference to the Lives and Welfare of American Troops

President Bush and Vice President Cheney failed to provide US soldiers with bulletproof vests or appropriately-armored vehicles and had no serious plan for the aftermath of the war, thus demonstrating a complete disregard for the welfare of the troops and the need for proper governance of a country after occupation. The result has been a never-ending war that will cost U.S. taxpayers over $1 trillion with over 3,000 U.S. soldiers killed and over 21,000 wounded.

3) The Offense of Torture in Violation of U.S. Laws and Treaties

President Bush and Vice President Cheney conspired to commit the torture of prisoners in violation of the "Federal Torture Act," Title 18 United States Code, Section 113C, the UN Torture Convention and the Geneva Convention.

4) The Offense of Wiretapping Surveillance in Defiance of the Law

President Bush and Vice President Cheney admitted to ordering the National Security Agency to conduct electronic surveillance of American civilians without seeking warrants from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, duly constituted by Congress in 1978, in violation of Title 50 United States Code, Section 1805.

These provisions are detailed in "The Impeachment of George W. Bush: A Practical Guide for Concerned Citizens," by former Rep. Elizabeth Holtzman.

Update on Court Date for Mr. Hit and Run

We just got a subpoena to testify against Mr. Hit and Run in May. We will bring it on...

Hit and Run Drivers should be subjected to Hammurabi-esque Law!

I believe that if you leave the scene of an accident, you should then have to suffer the same injuries that you inflicted with your cowardly/callous disregard of others. I think a law such as this would encourage even the most drunken reprobate to stop and own up to what they did, because if they do not, the punishment will be swift and just.

Last summer, my husband and I were broadsided by a white SUV that was going over 100 mph on the highway. This sent us spinning against the highway barrier, completely totaling our car. Fortunately, our seat belts held us in and our airbags deployed, so our kids were not orphaned that evening. Dan was only bruised, but I had been in the passenger seat, and the impact had been such that I sustained most of the severe contusions, a broken rib and a traumatized spleen.

The "driver" in the white SUV did not stop, but just drove on home, because by law, he would be in more trouble if he stopped, since he was either a) coming back from partying hard and totally DUI or b) such a bad driver he really shouldn't be on the road. I suspect the former, since his Illinois license plate is "NITECAP."

We were very fortunate some witnesses caught the license plate and reported it, for when the officer went to his residence, he was there and admitted to the officer that it was indeed him and he was aware he had hit us.

I found out his court date for traffic court and attended. The interesting thing that I did not know before this happened is that in traffic court, if you do not show up to complain against the offender in traffic court, all charges are dismissed.

Then Mr. Hit and Run's lawyer proposed to the state's lawyer that they would only plead guilty to the bad lane change, if I dropped the leaving the scene charge--AS IF! That was completely insulting. An accident is an accident, but leaving the scene, especially when we were as banged up as we were, that is a CRIME. Punishable with JAIL TIME. Which people who are most likely under the influence of something and driving at over 100mph deserve LOTS of. So we were bumped up to misdemeanor court, which is where we should have been in the first place.

On the way up to the misdemeanor court, Mr. Hit and Run turned to me and said in a a casual, frat boy insincere kind of way, "Hey, sorry I hit your car."

I couldn't help it, I exploded. "YOU ALMOST KILLED ME! DO YOU UNDERSTAND YOU COULD HAVE KILLED ME!?! YOU COULD HAVE ORPHANED MY CHILDREN RIGHT THEN AND THERE! AND YOU JUST LEFT!!!"

Mr. Hit and Run looked surprised, like he didn't realize that there might have been people in the car he hit and sent spinning against the highway barrier. His lawyer called him over and started talking to his client intensely. I considered spewing some much more clever and withering invective at the top of my voice, but realized this would not help me at all. I went up to misdemeanor court, made sure that all the pictures of the car got to the state's attorney and made sure I didn't have to be there for that segment of his journey through the court system. My youngest was sick, and I wanted to get home.

I moved on from this first session in court which was back in September. I wondered how things were going to go for him, but figured that as worked up as I got, it was best I just let it go. What I really want to happen to this guy will never happen.

As it was, Mr. Hit and Run's lawyer called this morning to see if we had settled satisfactorily with the insurance companies. He had called Dan, and Dan said that I was handling it. I called the lawyer back and told him I had not decided. He said the court date had been moved out to May, and they were going to plead guilty to the improper lane change. What about leaving the scene of the accident? He would not say...now I am steamed again.

I am surprised that I so wish for vengeance. I will have to settle for 21st century legal vengeance, and I have decided to make sure this guy doesn't get away with less than it allows.

What are they thinking?

What the heck is Chevrolet thinking when they make those commercials with an audio combination of the Presidential March underscored with "Terminator" horns? I don't want to buy a Chevy, I want to vote for John Connor!

Car manufacturers have been known for using subliminals in advertising before--could it be that they are really trying to let us know that cars are indeed bringing apocalyptic doom to us all? Since few models of Chevrolet are remotely sexy, are they somehow trying to access our Freudian wish for death in order to sell cars?

Personally, I want a death built with better quality and a decent gas mileage. Y'know, to get me to the other side more economically...

They used this ominous audio combo with the last two election cycles. The paranoid side of me wonders if it is also like the "bat signal" for to the other corporate entities that their special interest groups are poised to screw with the next election? Wow....now that is clunky. Never mind.

Alien Illusion Scarf!

This will be celebrated with a post, even though this is primarily where I do essays. I made this scarf for my 7 year old nephew, because he likes cool stuff like this, and I needed a challenge.

The aliens can only be seen if viewed from the side. Otherwise, it looks like a striped scarf. This is not a fun pattern to knit, and it took me about 2 months of free evenings, but I really like the result. The pattern can be found in the book, "Stitch and Bitch."

I am not good at finishing craft projects. This gives me hope that some day I may even finish a sweater.

Good Neighbors

Yesterday, I shoveled at intervals throughout the day, removing 11 inches or so of perfect snowman/snowball packing snow from my driveway and sidewalk. It was hard work, and I made sure to lift with the legs. I feel no need today to go do an upper body workout at the Y like I normally would. Every muscle has been well used. A lot of my neighbors were out with their shovels too, and our kids were alternately helping and making forts and snowmen.

A few of my neighbors were buzzing away with their gassy smelly snow blowers. I don't begrudge this of my neighbors who I know have health issues, back problems, etc. However, I do get irritated with the able bodied neighbors who use theirs just because they can. I really start to dislike them when they only use it enough to clear the driveway for their SUV and don't use it on their sidewalks. Then they swerve out, cell phone to ear, ignoring oncoming traffic, sipping their coffee, and they drive away. It's a tired cliche that SUV drivers are the most selfish scum on the planet. I won't belabor that. It's still a tragedy to watch them in action.

What really touched me in a life affirming way was my next door neighbors. They are in their 60s, and between them the have had 4 hip replacements and 2 knee replacements. My husband and I regularly try to shovel for them whenever we can. That is the good neighbor thing to do, and I think we are also trying to store up some good karma.

Yesterday, though, my husband had the flu, and just for extra kicks, the water heater sprang a leak and flooded the basement, so I was a little overwhelmed. (Oh karma, wadIdotayou?) I didn't get over to their place much more than to help move the heavy slush that gets plowed up at the end of the driveway from the plows.

My next door neighbors were out about 7 times yesterday, moving snow as a team so it wouldn't get too heavy for them. I did not get out more than three times, and it was heavy work each time.

They must have been exhausted, but they knew I was a little frazzled, and on the third time I was out, they insisted on helping me with the shoveling of our sidewalk and the end of the driveway. I was struck by how sweet and selfless and neighborly that was. I also felt guilty. I felt guilty for being helped by two people who could barely stand, but I was also grateful.

I am lucky to have neighbors who look out for each other. Being a good neighbor begets getting good neighbors, more often than not. I feel blessed to be surrounded with this sort of goodness that feeds back to us. I feel sorry for Mr./Mrs. SUV who will never understand this, living in their little selfish bubble, maybe not even bothering to learn their neighbor's names.

935 Times to say "Liar"

Someone stopped reporting on starlets long enough to actually count up the number of times the president and his administration lied to the American people about going to war in Iraq.
Look here.

This was big news this week. Not new news, but big news. Unfortunately, a major Hollywood star died under mysterious circumstances, so that is eating up a lot of the reporting space. Convenient, that. He was sexy, but having our noses rubbed in the fact that Bush and his cronies lied almost a thousand times is not. The lowest denominator thinks with its gonads. Unfortunately, most of them seem to be journalists. And now, we get back to the important news about Lindsay Lohan wearing huge socks with her thigh hi boots...

Back in the Nazi heyday, Goebbels came up with a tactic that has served the Bush Administration well: If you tell your lies often enough and loud enough, even people who know better will despair and concede the point.

It may seem to the American public that it is not worth getting re-upset at the Bush Administration's transgressions against the American people, the environment, the Constitution, and our standing in the world. Impeachments are expensive. and take a lot of time. By the time we get through it all, George W's time will be through anyway. Let history judge the bastard, and leave our names out of it.

However, history WILL judge all of us culpable---journalists, citizens and corporations alike. My feeling is that later generations will think of us as the most selfish, stupid, and shortsighted people in the human epoch. So much for the American way.

I think we be used as a warning, not as an example to others in future generations.

For right now, if you don't have the wherewithall to make a stand, realize that our current president and his cabinet are still lying to us every day, and their legacy becomes ours, even if we just wait it out. If we do not go for impeachment, perhaps we should start a movement towards criminal prosecution after the fact. It is a crime to allow this administration to be the precident for future presidencies.