Friday, November 05, 2004

Morally Sound

Alright, time to wipe the dirt off my knees and rinse my mouth and kiss away those last tears with a good giggle.
Apparently voters voiced concerns about morals, well how about NOT VOTING for the guy with very dubious business connections then? Hi! Remember a little company called Enron? No? The man who inexplicably wears a square box mounted on his back and makes most 5-year olds seem like word wizards, has a record history of off morals.
But then of course I am a freak who thinks that all children (at least) should have free health care.
The one thing that has really peaked during this presidency is the oddity of Talk Radio. For those readers not familiar with this American phenomenon it is basically your typical rantings of a right-wing-middle-aged-hysterical-male-who-fears-for-his-position-in-society and therefore dismisses any change as LIBERAL.*
You can pretty much count on them opposing anything from research funding (esp. If it has anything to do with sexual behavior or women), gay rights, women's rights, animal rights, foreigner's rights, foreigner's rights even when the foreigner is minding his own dog gone foreign business in his own foreign country and of course - the one that always makes people listen extra carefully- taxes.
In a country where people spend tremendous amounts of time going to and from places in their cars, talk radio is nothing short of a wickedly efficient propaganda machine. These radio hosts are capable of drawing parallels between murdering bogey men and liberals with more ease than most of us breathe.
Usually goes something like this: "Liberal Politicians today okeyed using tax payers' money to research the behavior of violent rapists. What is there to research? Lock them up for life and throw away the key."
They manage to use the words "liberal", "taxpayers money" and "violent rapists" in one sentence, usually omitting the fact that the part funded by tax money is only a small % of the total cost or perhaps even just the cost of conducting the research in a jail, which is publicly funded anyway. Or omitting that by doing this research one might find a way to define behavioral patterns that eventually might lead to fewer rapes.
One of their most efficient tools is accusing the media of being liberally biased or slanted thereby effectively null and voiding any other media coverage of the same issues.
This is why being liberal is a BAD thing. It is not morally right.

PS. Anyone who can explain the origins of the phrase "to hell in a handbasket" will get honorable mention. Perhaps even be named Helmet Head of the Week. Perhaps.

*Liberal here is not to be confused with liberitarians, as in the individualist/socio-economic movement.

Thursday, November 04, 2004

November 3rd 1987

The paper.
The paper had to have a margin and numbered pages. It had to be researched, we were allowed to bring the data with us, but like later, when we were all grown up and at university, we would have to provide a list of sources.
It was absolutely thrilling. So grown up. So much responsibility. The ruler and pencils, the eraser for words that didn't look right.
The exhilarating responsibility of unlimited time. We could stay in school all day, hours and hours, into the evening.
We wrote.
I wrote from 11.45 on until about 3 PM when most people started leaving. I continued, occasionally erasing long passages only to rewrite them with nothing but minor changes. At 4 PM the teacher left, the remaining ambitious clique feeling like genius writers.
I stared for a good hour or so. And wrote some more.
The few who were left, my friend, myself and a couple of the boys started relaxing, some even reading each other's papers. However, competitive as we were, there was no cheating. Only appreciating nods and false praise.
I was very old that day, much older I than I have ever been since. I was a star that day. I was the queen of the classroom, I was dating the richest boy in town and had been for all of three weeks. My shoulders had shoulder pads and my hair, ah the hair, bigger than most pets allowed in apartment buildings.
And I loved every second of it. I loved that my friend and I were the last ones to leave. I loved that it was dark out when we left. I loved that the bus was nearly empty because it was past rush hour. I loved that the family had long eaten dinner when I got home. I loved any and every excuse not to be at home and this was what I thought my life would always be. A great excuse not to be at home, doing something very important.
I loved that my boyfriend, the richest boy in town called me.
I did not love that he, like so many after him, dumped my ass.
Then I called my friend that I had just left at the school. I was not in love half as much as I was enraged that he had dumped me and that I would have to face ridicule the next day.

Yesterday.
November 3rd 2004.
I could not write yesterday. There was nothing to say. Nothing fit for print at least.
I was beat, exhausted. Luckily Agent Language Genius (hereafter ALG for short) had brought a fantastic chocolate cake to the communal watching of what can only be described as highly disturbing election coverage. The cake, and the thought of the cake, carried me through the day and into the evening.
And I felt a strong urge to nest, to build my lair in defense of a world that makes very little sense to me.
Luckily, I now love my home. I do just about everything I can to stay at home.
And my husband, a man I love for himself and not for his status or standing in society, has not dumped me.
Perhaps because I have stopped the use of shoulder pads and hairspray?



Wednesday, November 03, 2004

No title as Writer is Incredibly Angry and Disappointed

Too pissed off to comment.
Plus the frigging the light inside microwave oven broke.

Sunday, October 31, 2004

Status Report, Halloween

Agent: Freezer Burn
Location: The Northernmost Capital in the World
Date: Halloween 2004, or locally known as Sunday-October-31st-nothing-special.
Time: Uncertain, perhaps GMT? Very confusing as rugged island does not make daylight savings changes either way.
Updated Items:
  1. Microwave/Grill/Convection Oven
  2. Flooring
  3. Bathtub
  4. Cable Box
  5. Yoga Mat
  6. Mood
  7. Halloween

1. Microwave/Grill/Convection Oven. Phone call made to store Saturday ensured the swift exchange of item. Frantic Instant Message to only person with car, namely Agent Language Genius, for pick-up of myself and item, drive to store and back. Propose Agent Language Genius be awarded a Medal for courage when faced with Whiny Store Clerk and Register Failure, not to mention impeccable Car Service and Friendship.

2. Flooring. Agent Husband hard at work, having almost finished the last room. Deserves Medal, was awarded with delicious food from new oven and Agent Freezer Burn's Vocal Admiration.

3. Bath Tub. In working order after a second round of potion being poured down the drain. Resulted in Agent Freezer Burn scrubbing entire bathroom. Bathroom finally more hospitable although not recommended for future use without serious reconstruction.

4. Cable Box. Still not up to par although now, at least, the reason is known. BBC should be tuned in any day now and S1 will never be tuned in as they refuse to be part of the package. The effect of this will be unforeseeable problems with VCR and plugging and unplugging of cables.

5. Yoga Mat. Used for the first time in New Location. Works perfectly.

6. Mood. Much much better. May be thwarted by Elections.

7. Halloween. Non-existent. Although, Agent Husband and Agent Freezer Burn were kindly invited to Halloween Party last night. Being very very lazy, both Agents declined the invitation and stayed at home watching movies on cable.

Over and Out.