| Thursday, June 11th, 2009 |
| 12:20 pm |
Thoughts on Political Matters
I wish that everyone who calls Judge Sonia Sotomayor a racist on the basis of this quotation: " I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life." http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/s/soniasotom410703.html
would take a course (or refresher course) in the proper analysis of a American English sentence .
"I would hope" does not mean same thing as "I absolutely believe". "More often than not" does not mean the same thing as "always".
"A wise Latina woman" does not mean the same thing as "any Latina woman". She didn't compare a wise Latina woman with a wise white male.
Honestly, this is similar to claiming that these two statements were very similar and wondering why Senator McCain's was ridiculed and President Obama's was not:
"Our economy, I think, is still -- the fundamentals of our economy are strong." --Jacksonville, Fla., Sept. 15, 2008
Senator John McCain
http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/johnmccain/a/mccainisms.htm
But, Mr. Obama said, "if we are keeping focused on all the fundamentally sound aspects of our economy, all the outstanding companies, workers, all the innovation and dynamism in this economy, then we're going to get through this. And I'm very confident about that." http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/03/key-obama-econo.html "...the fundamentals of our economy are strong" uses "fundamental" in its noun form. That quotation implies that ALL of the fundamentals of our economy are strong and none of them are weak. That was obviously incorrect and the comment deserved the ridicule it received.
"...all the fundamentally sound aspects of our economy..." uses the adjective form of the word. That quotation implies that some aspects of our economy are fundamentally sound, but NOT ALL OF THOSE ASPECTS. The comments are quite different in intent.
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Regarding Mr. Rush Limbaugh's 400 million dollar contract: Mr. Limbaugh's loyal listeners have made him rich. Why doesn't he use some of those riches to help out any of his loyal listeners who are in danger of losing their homes or need medical care but have no insurance?
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I'm Catholic, but no one told me that homosexuality was evil when I was growing up so that it's hard for me to understand why some people are so homophobic. There was a time, if I remember correctly, that persons who were left-handed were seen in a negative light. Now we know it's just a natural variation and left-handers are no more evil than right-handers. I truly believe that there will be a day when people will know that homosexuality is just a natural variation and the public will shake its collective head in horror and disbelief over the homophobic beliefs of the past.
In the meantime:
If homosexuality is proven to be genetically caused, how would the kind of person who would consider it a good thing to kill a doctor because he or she commits abortion feel about aborting a homosexual baby? Current Mood:  aggravated |
| Thursday, October 9th, 2008 |
| 12:40 pm |
Bad News
Earlier this year I learned that a long-time friend had cancer. I'd sent her my e-mail about losing at-home internet access and to use my hotmail address. Her work in Japan kept her insanely busy, so she didn't e-mail often anyway, but I was growing pretty concerned because I hadn't heard from her. I feared she might have died when my e-mail birthday greeting to her was returned as undeliverable. I've had an APA issue edited by a mutual friend for some weeks, but hadn't read her trib because I had a bad feeling about it. This morning I "bit the bullet" and read the mutual friend's contribution. I was correct. Vaunda died of her cancer in August -- and I didn't know until today! I wonder what happened to her beautiful and beloved dogs... I sent a sympathy card to the mutual friend. I don't know any of Vaunda's family, or I'd write to them. Current Mood:  sad |
| Friday, August 29th, 2008 |
| 3:17 pm |
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| Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008 |
| 8:24 pm |
Didn't get to attend the interview today -- rescheduled for 11:30 tomorrow. This morning I accidentally sliced my right middle finger open at the top joint. I have 3 stitches in it. I was in the hospital from 10:15 am to 06:50pm. Thank God I'd snatched up a 373-page library book because I didn't finish it until a little after 6pm. At least I was given some cranberry juice, fruit cup, 3 graham crackers, and a sandwich around 11 or so because I hadn't eaten breakfast before the accident. Current Mood:  tired |
| Wednesday, February 13th, 2008 |
| 9:54 pm |
AAFES
My mother still gets the weekly ads for sales at the PX [post exchange] although she's been dead since 1999. I thought it was high time someone took care of that, so I called the 1-800 # on this week's ad. Got tired of listening to the choices on their voice mail, so I tried the AAFES website. If I hadn't experienced this sort of thing with government websites when Mom died, I would have been shocked that they'd made no provision for relatives who are not entitled to use a PX or BX [base exchange] to have the dead relative who did have that right removed from the AAFES mailing list. How the heck would I know what her password was??? (I did finally find an place where I didn't have to give them loads o' info, such as my Social Security Number, in order to type in what was on Mom's mailing label and asked to have her removed from their list.) Honestly, do the persons who set up these sites even think? Current Mood: annoyed |
| Tuesday, February 5th, 2008 |
| 10:41 pm |
What was my county thinking???
It took over an hour to vote in the Presidential Primary tonight because, for some reason yet unknown, some of the polling places were closed and their voters directed to our place. People were double lined waiting to vote inside the fire station and we had a line all the way to the end of the back parking lot. It was coooold. Heck, it was over 15 minutes before I was next to a truck that proved some kind of shelter. Thank God it wasn't snowing and raining as it was yesterday! Current Mood: angry |
| Tuesday, January 29th, 2008 |
| 10:32 pm |
A brief bedtime story for kitties: Once upon a time there was a plump and tender mouse. It was pounced upon and eaten by the kitten of the house. The end. Go to bed. Stop trying to eat my toes. Current Mood:  silly |
| Sunday, January 13th, 2008 |
| 9:18 am |
Lector
I was very nervous, but apparently I didn't show it, or so I was told. The text I read was Isaiah 42: 1-4, 6-7. After Mass, an old woman who hadn't worn her hearing aids told me she could hear me and I should read more often. Hallelujah! (Of the four crosses in the box, I wore the one with the turquoises set in it.) Current Mood:  accomplished |
| Saturday, January 12th, 2008 |
| 6:09 pm |
Mom's 1999 Christmas present to me
My mother and I attended a local gem and mineral show in October of 1999. I took a fancy to a blue carving of an Asian girl with a book and asked Mom if she'd get it for me for Christmas. She did, but she died that November 30th and we never found where she hid it. Tomorrow will be my first time as one of the lectors at Our Lady of the Mountains and I thought it would be nice to wear one of the crosses my mother used to wear when she lectored. Yes, my 1999 Christmas present was hidden in the same drawer where I found her box of cross pendants. I've got tears in my eyes. Thank you, Mom! (Thank you, God!) Current Mood:  happy |
| Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008 |
| 9:16 pm |
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| Wednesday, December 12th, 2007 |
| 2:23 am |
Midwestern Ice Storm
I read about the big ice storm in the midwest and decided to check the map at Weather.com because my older sister and nephew live in Kansas. After I determined that, yes, their little bit of Kansas was affected, I called (daytime rates, too!). They're safe at home with the cats and dogs. Yay! Current Mood: relieved |
| Thursday, December 6th, 2007 |
| 8:53 am |
Mary, my younger sister, and I use what used to be Mom's bathroom. It has a sliding glass door to the backyard. Petey, the bichon frise, was in the backyard and saw me through that door as I peeped through the curtain. I thought about what Mary once told me about Petey hating to be shut out of Mom's room (which Mary has). It was Mom who adopted Petey from the shelter -- her last dog. Petey's still here but she's gone. I felt such a wave of grief and it wasn't long before I was crying. 8 years! 8 years since she died on November 30th and we buried her in Dad's grave on what was her & Dad's wedding anniversary, December 3rd. It can still hurt so much! Current Mood: sad |
| Wednesday, October 31st, 2007 |
| 12:49 am |
Before I forget, Sunday I saw an orange butterfly apparently feeding from the humingbird feeder (which is still serving up sugar water to its intended diners). Used some birthday money to buy a little iron accent lamp to replace the lamp the cat killed. I'm hoping she'll find it too heavy to pull over. I've already brought my Halloween lights out of the hall closet. I'm looking forward to putting them up along the rose garden wall. I bought only one small bag of Halloween candy -- the kids on our street have pretty much grown up already. They're "fun-size"* bars, too, so as long as I stick to only one candy bar per day of the leftovers, it won't be that bad. *What a euphemistic name to call 1/3rd-the-size-of-our-regular bars (now THOSE are fun size, but so fattening!) I see that Turner Classic Movies is finally showing horror movies (besides the usual Friday night shock-and-schlock fest). I've also seen a commercial (I forget the product) for Christmas stuff. Sheesh! Let Halloween be over with first, okay? Current Mood: tired |
| Thursday, October 25th, 2007 |
| 2:14 am |
Deer mouse
The brown mouse I've seen three times has been caught. My sister, who got rid of the body, looked it up and said it was a deer mouse. Great -- I do the house-cleaning because I work the fewest hours, and I've been the one vacuuming up the mouse turds. It just better not have been infected with the Hanta Virus! (I checked the CDC website and I didn't find any mention of any cases in my corner of Arizona, so here's hoping! Current Mood:  nervous |
| Monday, October 15th, 2007 |
| 7:14 pm |
Hummingbirds
I hadn't filled the hummingbird feeder Friday and Saturday because I assumed that the birds had left at the same time as the bats. Sunday I looked through the dining room window and saw a disappointed hummingbird, so I brought in the feeder, washed it, and refilled it. I heard a very loud buzzing behind me as I carried the feeder to its holder. A hummingbird was drinking before I'd gotten more than 2-3 feet away. I'd always thought that our hummingbirds were a boring tan or grey, but this time I saw one in bright sunlight and it was an iridescent green -- very pretty. Today I saw a hummingbird with with a rose-colored throat as well as a green back. It flew up to the feeder and dipped in a couple of times. I guess it liked the taste, because it settled on the perch and drank deeply. It fills me with joy to watch them drinking. We still have some late wild morining-glories, although it's chilly enough at night that they're more blue-violet than blue (I've noticed that the blossoms are violet if the nights are too cold). Today I am 53. Thanks to gift certificates from a couple of friends who know who they are (bless them!), I've ordered two Pratchett books and the upcoming Sue Grafton mystery. If I could dance around in glee, I would. I'll have to dance in my imagination. As for the younger sibs, a book from sister (I did what Mom used to have us do and gave her a list to choose from), and money from brother (one size fits all!) My brother couldn't join us at my free-for-me-&-my-family meal at the McDonald's where I work, but my sister and I enjoyed ourselves. I had a medium light lemonade and a grilled chicken sandwich without the mayo, but I indulged and had medium French fries instead of a side salad. Current Mood: happy |
| Thursday, October 4th, 2007 |
| 1:09 am |
The food pantry was stinking again and for the same reason it was last year: mouse turds. No, I did NOT have fun taking everything off the floor and cleaning/disinfecting it. I did remember to wear a little dust mask, though. Current Mood: crappy |
| Sunday, September 2nd, 2007 |
| 10:19 pm |
We have double - paned windows in our house and that spider that's taken up residence in the non-moving section is a Black Widow! I thought that the gnats who were coming in through the little bent part of the screen frame were bad enough! (Yes, both the inner and outer window panes are closed. My cat is unhappy because she likes to sit on the window sill, but she wouldn't enjoy a spider bite. I wish the heavy furniture under the window didn't make it so awkward to try to kill the spider.) Current Mood: scaredCurrent Music: the fan is going |
| 2:21 pm |
Today I finished reading my Bible from cover to cover (at the rate of 4 pages per day), for the 33rd time. Current Mood: accomplished |
| Wednesday, July 4th, 2007 |
| 10:06 pm |
The Woman in the Farmhouse
The Sci-Fi Channel's "Twilight Zone" marathon has just shown one of my favorite episodes -- Agnes Moorehead as the old woman in the farmhouse who is attacked by tiny spacemen. Even though I know the twist now, my sympathy is still with the poor woman. Current Mood: sympathetic |
| Wednesday, June 20th, 2007 |
| 1:17 pm |
Mind game
One of my friends sent me an internet mind game. Supposedly 98% of the people who take it wind up with a kangaroo eating an orange in Denmark. He did. I wound up with an aardvark eating a kumquat in Ethiopia. Current Mood: amused |
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