The Slander is Over

Inkfrog fixed the problem and the images are back. Phew!

In other news, a friend has offered to watch A. this afternoon for us, so G. and I can spend some time together. We have a private hot tub at Watercourse Way this evening, but we have no idea what we'll do until then. Probably talk about A.

Pleasant Surprise
Both G. and I were raised in the Catholic Church, and although that's not really where we find our spiritual connection to the divine anymore, we did have A. baptized by a fairly liberal priest whom we liked. I had been scarred by the teachings of 12 years of Catholic school and even though I've been told they closed Limbo down years back, I didn't want to take any chances.

When we first started thinking about baptism, we ended up involuntarily signing up for a local parish (we thought we were going to an information meeting about baptism, but we weren't). This is all by way of explaining why we receive the archdiocese's Catholic newspaper. We certainly don't subscribe. But I do glance over it when it comes in (the cover story this month is the makeover of the local cemeteries! Woo hoo!) and the most interesting part is the "letters to the editor" section. Most, as you would imagine, are very conservative in nature, except for the rare "the Pope needs to get with the times". But this one caught me off guard. I'm really pretty freakin' impressed.

Responsibility of free will
I am appalled that Bishop Michael Sheridan, the bishop of Colorado Springs, would deny the Eucharist to the faithful. Pro-choice politicians have not had an abortion, have not performed abortions and have not even advocated that any person have an abortion. What they have done is state that it is a choice women must make in consultation with their doctor and have declined to pass a law outlawing abortion.

Affirming free will, a gift of God, is not a sin. The right of choice, the right to make decisions in one's life was a gift of God when he granted free will to humanity. We have choices in life and each individual must make choices based on an informed conscience. Each individual must also accept the responsibility for their choices in life when they face Christ in the afterlife.

There is no disagreement that life is a precious gift of God and that abortion is murder. But abortion will continue with or without a law outlawing it. Because a secular politician does not enact a law outlawing abortion or any other act doesn't mean that an action is right and not sinful.

The Vatican and Church teaching have been very clear that the death penalty is wrong in contemporary society, yet I don't see a refusal of Communion to those who support the death penalty. What about supporting politicians who lead their country into an unjustified war based on knowingly false allegations and causing the just as damning deaths of thousands of innocent men, women and children? Or politicians who affirm greed in society and cause the loss of livelihood for millions of their citizens?

The role of a legislator in our nation is to pass laws for a diverse multicultural secular society, not to push Catholic teaching on to others of different faiths.

The hierarchy should be assuring that Catholic doctors, nurses and medical personnel understand the teachings of the Church, that those who counsel women would offer alternatives to women so that abortion is not carried out. Love, compassionate care and alternatives for women considering abortion are the answer and not threats.

Wayne Mortensen
via e-mail

It can be difficult to belong to a church where many of the members say you're not really a member if you believe something different, and at the same time, it can be difficult to leave if you were raised in it and consider it part of your culture and heritage. It's a relief to know there are others who don't want to abandon the church, but also don't agree with the direction it's taking. Now, I'm not entirely on the same page as old Wayne here. I don't think I have the right to tell women that abortion is sinful, and I also don't have the right to make that decision for anyone else. I wish the pro-lifers would take their energy and focus it on reforming services for the millions of children whose parents had them but can't take care of them. But I think I could have a discussion with Wayne, unlike all the rabid "you're not really Catholic" conservatives out there. I don't believe that Jesus would have denied anyone a place at his table.

What the....

Do you see those words up there that say "Image placeholder?" I've never hotlinked a thing in my life and frankly, wouldn't know how to do it even if I wanted to. I host my images at inkfrog and I even paid my bill this month. On time, too. The link in my template is correct - it's to the image at inkfrog.

Edited to add: Aha. It appears that others are having the same problem. Inkfrog is usually pretty good about responding, so hopefully it'll be fixed soon. And remember: I DON'T HOTLINK. Hotlinking is evil and I don't even know how to do it. So there.

MIA

Yeah, I was MIA this week - Big Sister and Big Niece came and visited and a good time was had by all (especially them the second night when we fixed the hard-as-rock-futon problem).

The SWAN: What the hell was that? I realize I'm late on the bandwagon here, but with so many reality TV shows, sometimes I just watch the final episode. I'm a busy woman, people! So, these women have found new lives and new self-esteem through plastic surgery? They've overcome massive odds to succeed in their makeovers and they feel like new women? As Squeaky Weasel noted, they look like a bunch of drag queens. You know what I think? These women need to go work on a burn unit for a while. Then come back and cry about how awful you had it. I'm all about shallow TV, but this bugged me.

Cuteness: Our little neighbor boy (about 7) plays football with his parents in front of our house after dinner most nights. A. adores him so we go out with our soccer ball and kick it around next to them while I try to keep A. from running into the middle of their game. So A. and I are out there alone one afternoon, and all of a sudden A. grabs the ball, squats to the ground, and says, "Too! Fiiiv! Sik!", drops the ball and runs wildly in a big circle. It took me a couple rounds of this to figure out he was imitating the neighbors playing football. Oh, man, it was funny.

More cuteness: A. resisted baby sign language in the worst way possible. He clearly never got the memo that says babies are supposed to take to this stuff like ducks to water, and would only do the signs for "airplane" and "hot" for months. He absolutely refused to do the sign for nursing, and refused to say anything like "nurse." He preferred to pull on my shirt, and he'd sit up when he was done with one side and I'd say, "Other side?" and he'd say "Yep!" Fine, it got the point across, whatever. But now he's had a leap of little brain development and now says, "Shiiiide!" and "Udder shiide!" for nursing.

I hate being sick

Blegh. I've got a cold. And not that it's ever a good time for a cold, but this is a particularly bad time. My oldest sister and my niece are coming to stay with us tomorrow for three days, and I'm thrilled to see them, but I also just want to crawl into bed and stay there. Blegh. "You guys can get your own towels and groceries, right?"

A.is getting 8 teeth at the same time. I thought it was 6, but it's definitely 8. I know there are 8 because while he's screaming he holds his mouth open nice and wide and I can count them. Poor little guy. No wonder he only wants to eat yogurt.

On the Six Flags commercial, is that really an old guy dancing or is it a young dancer dressed up/made up to look old? Speaking of disguises, who watched Alias last night and didn't think of Scooby Doo what with all the pulling off of faces to reveal someone else? Psssh. That annoyed me.

It's a Brand New Day...

So whaddya think of the new topper? The idea is summertime, if it's not obvious. And yes, that is A. on the far right. There's another cute photo of him with a mohawk (what else do you do when you have to slather sunscreen all over a baby's scalp but create cute hairstyles?), but I liked this one. He's mad there because he was chomping on a lemon and I took it away. Don't worry, everyone, I gave it back.

Here in sunny California, it's gray and the sun is AWOL. About 6-8 times a year, G teaches a couple's communication workshop and has to take our big TV and VCR to the office for a few days. We substitute my tiny early-90's-era TV in our family room, don't have a second VCR, and the DVD doesn't work with this TV. This access to only 35 channels and no recorded video creates a bit of a crisis for A., as both Playhouse Disney and his beloved Teletubbie/Thomas videos are inaccessible. He rarely throws tantrums but he was really pissed off this morning. It's times like these I think, "Hmmm. Maybe we let him watch too much TV."

More Random Stuff

1. Saw 11 clients today. For you non-therapists, that's a lot. Exchange of the day:

Me: So you disagreed with your mother?
Client: It's not that, I just thought she was wrong.

2. G. took care of A. for 12 hours AND had dinner ready for me when I got home. My hubby - I think I'll keep him. (Anyone remember the old Geritol commercial? Which reminds me, see #5)

3. A. finally figured out the whole "Bye" thing. He'd say it if we prompted him, but I don't think he totally understood what it was about until now. Last night we were walking to bed, and he suddenly turned and said, "Bye, cahs!" and waved to the toy cars. I guess you'd have to be his mother, but it was really cute.

4. Haven't watched American Idol yet. Had to tape it because it was on at the same time as the West Wing finale. But I forgot to give my public service announcement: "STATE OF HAWAII, STEP AWAY FROM THE PHONES!"

5. I'm reading "Bitch in the House." Good collection of essays about marriage, motherhood and women's roles that is way overdue at the library because by the time I get to bed I'm exhausted and can only read 3 pages at a time. OK, so anyway, it's got me thinking that the first feminist I knew was my mother. She didn't work outside the house and as far as I know never had any ambition except being a wife and mother. But I know she was a feminist by the way she'd yell at the commercials on TV. Remember the old Wisk commercials where someone would notice the grimy collar on some dude and he'd glare at his wife and she'd look embarrassed by his "Ring Around the Collar?" My mom, while folding laundry, would yell at the TV: "Tell him to wash his goddamned neck!" She hated the Geritol commercial too, where the dude would say condescendingly, "My wife - I think I'll keep her!" (later immortalized in that great Mary Chapin Carpenter song). And she said once that she admired my sister's husband for pitching in and helping around the house (he still keeps a lovely house, I must say). The more I think abot it, the more I realize how trapped she felt and how unsatisfied she was with her role, and frankly, it explains a lot. Can't ask her about it because she died when I was 21, but I'm grateful for the message she sent about not just buying into the fantasy that women were supposed to be happy that they had a husband and children, and really couldn't expect anything more in life. Don't get me wrong, I love my husband and little leprechaun, but I'm glad I have more options. And because I have more options, I don't resent the role of wife and mother, because I really feel I've chosen them. I don't think my mother thought she had a choice.

Teee Veee.....

Tuesday!

Week 10 - Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip...
Jay Leno once quipped when he was alone in an elevator his mind always reverted to the lowest song he could think of: "Come and listen to a story 'bout a man named Jed..."

Love them or hate them, TV theme songs stick with us for years! If you're stuck on some lyrics, click here for a comprehensive page with words I never even knew existed. (Who knew I Dream of Jeannie had lyrics???)

On that musical note:

1. What is your favorite TV theme song? I always liked Family Ties "What would we do, baby, without us?" Also Cheers was good. And currently, Rolie Polie Olie is pretty catchy.


2. Which song drives you crazy enough to hit mute on the remote? Alice. It sticks in my head until I want to shoot myself. Let me refresh your memory: "Used to be sad, I used to be shy, and in between I cooked and cleaned and I never knew why...going through life with blinders on it's tough to see, I had to get out from under and look for me...There's a new girl in town and she's looking GOOD! There's a fresh freckled face in the neighborhood! There's a new girl in town and she's feeling fine! She was just passing through, but if things work out she's gonna stay awhiiile."
That was just written completely from memory. Glad to share the joy.

3. Which song are your proud to say you remember (most of) the lyrics to??? See Above. No, actually, I know all the lyrics to Beverly Hillbillies, which comes in handy every once in a while.

Come and listen to a story 'bout a man named Jed
A poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed
And then one day he was shooting at some food
And up from the ground come a bubblin' crude.
Oil, that is, black gold. Texas Tea.

So the next thing you know old Jed's a millionaire
Kinfolk said, "Jed move away from there!"
Said "California is the place you oughta be"
So they loaded up the truck and they moved to Beverly.
Hills, that is. Swimming pools, movie stars.

~Bonus~ Put the lyrics on your page (from memory), and I'll list you next week in the TV Tuesday Theme Song Hall of Fame. Don't forget to leave a comment so I'll know you posted! Do I get bonus points for two? Wanna hear the theme song from Rolie Polie Olie?

Thanks for playing, and remember:

"Got kind of tired packing and unpacking,
Town to town and up and down the dial
Maybe you and me were never meant to be,
But baby think of me once in awhile.

I'm at WKRP in Cincinnati..."

This blog has...

been observing a weekend of silence in honor of Lily Saedis. Her funeral was yesterday, and the burial is today. Our friends are attending the burial and cleaning Ani's house afterwards. My hearts go out to them and the family. A fund has been set up for Lily's family - we hope to buy a leaf on the Tree of Hope for little Lily, as well as help her family with other expenses. A PayPal donation button has been added to the left sidebar.

In other news....

A. is obsessed with cars. It used to be that cars were "cahs" and trucks were "CAHS!" Now he can say "truck," which is good because it lets him give me the status of what type of vehicle is outside our car window as we're driving. Which he does, constantly. When we're outside walking, he has to touch the license plate of each and every car and identify it as a "cah." This means it can take upwards of 15 minutes to walk from our car to the entrance of Target. He woke us up this morning saying, "Cah!Cah!" from his crib because last night he received a generous donation from an 11-year-old friend of all his old Hot Wheels, and he knew they were waiting in the family room. Definitely a boy.

I bought him a Thomas the Tank Engine DVD because judging from the little boys I know, I figured it's just a matter of time before we're Thomas-obsessed too. What a mistake. Why didn't someone warn me about Thomas and his crowd? A bunch of moody train cars that don't even move their mouths when they speak! Sometimes their expression changes - that's it. The people in the story don't move either - they're those plastic fake people you see in train sets. This is the world of Thomas? At least the Teletubbies have arms and legs and actually DO something. Oh - and there are no voices. George Carlin tells the story and it seems, does all the voices, too. I have to switch back to Teletubbies or Playhouse Disney before I lapse into a coma. A's already got an intimate relationship with Thomas - he calls him "Tom" - so it's not going to be easy.

An Angel Too Soon

As I wrote below, as my heart rejoices for one (Drama Queen, who has her husband home safe and sound), it breaks for another. A good friend has lost her 2-month-old baby to SIDS. It's every parent's nightmare - to go wake your baby only to find her lifeless. She was a twin, and although the twins had a few complications after the birth, they had been stable for a while and were gaining weight like champs. Everyone thought they were past the worst. Please pray for my friend and her family - they will need much comfort as they continue the journey without their little Lily. Sleep well, tiny angel, and "flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."

Whoa, that was weird.

My blog went AWOL. I hope it comes back.

Sleep Well, Little Angel

As my heart rejoices for one, it breaks for another.

Meet the latest victim of the California Budget Crisis....

Me. Was informed that my position at the local state university counseling center was probably not going to exist next year and we should all operate under the assumption that I'm not coming back in the fall. It is abstruse to me how a 7-hour position could break the university, but whatever. Obviously, the budget crisis has militated against many support services in education. I think I'm just too urbane for them, and my "urbane-ness" only increases as my embonpoint reduces. I'm disappointed but it's probably for the best - the pay there was really not commensurate with my experience. (Wordsmart from Bryn, story courtesy of California State University Budget Reductions).


In much better news, Drama Queen's husband is finally coming home to her and their daughters tomorrow. Yeah!

I Watch Too Much....

TV TUESDAY!

How do you feel about reunion shows?

1. What show would you like to see brought back for an hour or two episode, to see how the characters are doing now? (This should be a show that it might be possible to do a reunion on.) Seinfeld

2. Pick a show that could not realistically be brought back for a reunion, because some or all of the cast members are gone. What if they could have done a reunion before it was too late? Name the show you'd most like to see. The old Mickey Mouse Club! I'd love to see them sitting around smoking cigarettes and drinking.

3. Which reunion show have you watched and thought "Wow, they should have left that one alone!" Brady Bunch - ick. Actually, Gilligan's Island was pretty bad, too. Usually reunion shows seem like a good idea but then they just make me feel sorry for the cast.

~Bonus~ Which do you prefer- a "reunion" episode of the series, or a "cast reunion" where the actors sit around and talk about the making of the show? I was going to say I prefer episode types because I want my fantasies intact, but actually I think I like the cast reunions better - with lots of old clips. I don't think I've seen a reunion show (episode-type) that didn't make me cringe.

I Love You Too, Tree

Tried to teach A to say "I love you" this weekend.

Me: I...
A (yelling): You!
Me: Looovvve...
A (yelling): You!
Me: I love you too!
A: Two!! Tree! (Throws his arms around me)
He's probably not sure why we're counting, but I do know he loves me.

He also made me laugh this morning by bringing me a handful of TV/VCR/DVD remotes and saying, "wu-MOTE! wu-MOTE!" This kid knows what's important.

So how was your...

Mother's Day? Mine was great. G made me this bracelet. How lucky am I to have a husband who makes jewelry? There's a tourmaline for me, a pearl for him, and a sapphire for A in the middle. Not a real sapphire - G learned all about how finding sapphires with holes drilled through is pretty tough, so it's actually a blue crystal. I also got a gift certificate for a pedicure and some money for scrapping supplies or clothes, which I really need. I'm sure my clients are tired of seeing me in one of my two black dresses. I only see clients two days a week, so I just switch them back and forth. Pretty tricky, eh? (Pretty pathetic).

Anyway, A has been so sweet lately - he'll just stop what he's doing and run over with a big smile on his face to give me a hug. He'll want a little cuddle-break in the middle of his playing and then go on his way. I'm loving it.

Oh, hey, SURVIVOR!
I'm still annoyed at Rupert, Big Tom and Jenna for not voting Rob off. Duh. And I also think all the players who complain about being bamboozled should take a cue from Richard Hatch - that's the way you win the game. Everytime you enter into an alliance with someone, you're taking a chance. Isn't that what they all talk about during the game? "I don't know if I can trust so-and-so...." NEWSFLASH: you can't. You're taking a calculated (hopefully) risk. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The reason Rob was in the final two is that he knew that, and he tried to cover himself in case some alliances didn't work. Lex and Kathy took a huge risk by keeping Amber, and they should've known that. Obviously, some thought the friendships would make alliances stronger, but it doesn't.

And, this is going to sound terribly catty, but does anyone else think that being with Rob has turned Amber into a hoochie mama? She looked way better on that island than she did last night. But that's just my opinion - I've never been into the big-hair-Jersey look. She's gonna staht tahking like dis preddy soon.

More....

OK - I found the sites I was looking for. In Psych 101, you've gotta learn about social psychology and the particular kind of weirdness that goes on in group situations. One infamous experiment separated a group of students into guards and prisoners, stuck them in a makeshift jail and then observed what happened. It was supposed to go on for 2 weeks, and they pulled the plug after 6 days because it got so dangerous. On the links page is a collection of parallels between this study and the abuse in the Iraqi prisons.

The other one, Stanley Milgram's 1963 study, was made into a grainy, disturbing B/W film that we all watched. People were told to shock someone in another room, and turn up the voltage on command. These people heard the (phony) screams coming from the other room, but turned the voltage up anyway because they were told to. I imagine each of us in that lecture hall, myself included, told ourselves that we wouldn't have participated. Keep in mind, these people weren't army officers, sworn to obey. These were people who had been told they could leave the study at any time, and they STILL did it.

Keep in mind, I'm not condoning this behavior AT ALL. It disgusts me. But my point is that those perpetrating the abuse are not doing this in a vacuum. There's a culture in the prisons that supports this behavior and dehumanizes the prisoners. We've got a lot of information about tendencies towards sadism in prisons (not to mention war), and we're supposed to be one of the most advanced nations in the world - let's use that information to prevent this from happening ever again. I think there are a whole lot more people responsible for this than those two taking and posing in the pictures.

Krispy Kremes is a Stupid Name for a Good Doughnut

So, hold on a sec. You mean to tell me they were OK on the low-fat diets? WHY DIDN'T SOMEONE TELL ME???

Hit Me Baby One More Time...

My counter's at 999....I know I don't get as many hits as some people (hello, DQ and Martini), but hey, roll me over, will ya?

So am I the only person not shocked by the abuse of Iraqi prisoners in the military prisons? While of course the abuse and torture of POWs is horrible, it's not exactly surprising. We've been trained as a country to see the Iraqi face (particularly the male face) as the face of 911, the "Axis of Evil," the face of everything un-American. They hate us, they want us to die, they think nothing of killing innocents in their jihad. I would imagine that if you're working in a military prison, it's even worse. Those people are sub-human - why else would we have them locked up like this? To do that work, to bomb and shoot and send missles, you've got to classify the enemy as categorically evil. Nothing else - just evil. Certainly not human and deserving of human rights. Not to mention the fact that you might think they have special information that would prevent another 911, if you could just get it out of them. It's very important in prisons to establish who as the power and who doesn't (the prisoners). So no, I'm not surprised. Saddened, but not surprised.

Adios, Amigos!

I think it's been 5 or more years since I watched Friends regularly. Survivor trumps Friends in this house. Last night, watching the Katie and Matt special, G was saying he never liked Friends much. Turns out he's never seen an episode the whole way through and never thought what he did see was funny. But during the scenes they played of Phoebe's songs, he was laughing, and I said, "See?"

I think the appeal was that at any one time, you could always identify with someone. For me, it was usually Chandler or Ross. I've never been anal like Monica and I'm not as materialistic as Rachel. How they got 6 characters that were likable is a mystery - usually in an ensemble cast there's one that bugs me. But no one was the underdog, no one was the "popular" one, they were all so different yet equal. So, I'll be watching tonight and I'll be a little bummed to see it end. G's prediction (odd that he never watches yet has made a prediction) is that Ross will join Rachel in Paris. The set designer's said last night that it ends with a gorgeous view out of a hotel room seems to suggest that G is right. But where's Emma? (And how many times have I said that this season? Parenthood is one thing they didn't get right).

Speaking of goodbyes, America, ARE YOU DEAF? You sent home George??? I admit it, I sent him home too by not voting. I loved George. He always looked like he was afraid someone was going to hit him, but I thought he was cool. And this week was my favorite theme so far. Every week should be Big Band Week. Diana continues to grow on me, although if she yells "C'mon y'all! Put your hands up!" one more time I'm reaching through the TV and smacking her. Fantasia and Latoya are always good. The thing about Fantasia is that she almost makes it look too easy - sort of like Ruben did. I get the impression that someone hands her a mic right before she walks on and says, "Here. Sing this song on that stage." and she just does it without thinking. Latoya's like, "I have a good voice. Listen to me hit all the keys." And I don't know what Jasmine's doing there. I guess she lost her flower up there on stage and is still looking for it.

TV Tuesday

It's TV Tuesday!


1. Who is/was your favorite TV mom? This is obscure, but I really liked Anne Archer on a short-lived long-ago series called "Family Tree," also featuring a young James Spader as the sullen teenage rebel with a heart of gold.

2. Was she a realistic mother, or more of a TV fantasy type? I think they tried to make her realistic (it was a blended family), but in retrospect, I don't think she did much but try to win over her stepchildren.

3. Which TV mom did you find the most unrealistic? Or if you’d rather: creepy – sappy – mean – you choose the adjective, and you name the mom. Surprisingly, I didn't like Mrs. Brady much. What did she DO all day? Mrs. Partridge was cool, and I liked Abby on 8 is Enough, too.

~Bonus~ No disrespect to your dear old mum, but which TV mom did you think it might be neat to have as your own? The Anne Archer one - but I can't remember her name.

Thanks for playing! Happy Mother’s Day, and always remember the loving words of TV mom Roseanne Conner: “If those kids are alive by the time he comes home at the end of the day, then hey, I’ve done my job!”


AND....From Magic 8 Ball:

The answers for this week:

Yes definitely: Will Lunasea be required to watch Teletubbies ("Tuh-yees!" in A-ese) again today by her 20-month-old dictator?

Signs point to yes: Will Lunasea require more caffeine today in order to function and/or operate the VCR?

It is decidedly so: Will Lunasea make fun once again of the silly fake lamb in precious Tuh-yees Land?

Most likely: Will Lunasea succumb to the lure of the weirdly gooey sugar-free toffee bars on top of the refrigerator, pushed way in the back?

Something Else That Annoyed Me Today...

On the side of my lo-carb cardboard/energy bars, there are little "Thought Starters." Today mine suggested, "If you want something, give it away." How the h*ll am I supposed to GIVE it away if I don't HAVE it? If I HAD it to give away, I wouldn't WANT it anymore, would I? I guess it did start my thoughts. But I don't need much help with the cranky thoughts, thankyouverymuch.

If Baby is Accident Prone and Mama is Busy Making Margaritas...

If A. had been wearing this, he wouldn't have gotten that nasty cut on his forehead when he fell against the dining room chair leg, which we hadn't realized was as sharp as a butcher's knife.

What I really want to know is what they drugged that kid with so he'd keep it on his head. Do any of you know a kid who would willingly keep that thing on?

Be Proud! Eliminate Flesh!

It's official: Martini over at Not So Dirty Laundry gets the best Blogger ads. I moseyed over there to read her writings on healing wounds of the broken-heart variety, and saw this ad at the top of the page:

Horse First Aid - Equaide
The Proud Flesh Eliminator. Rapidly heals all types of cuts and wounds.

I'm working on being a Proud Flesh Eliminator, too. Heck, 5 lbs. down, I'm already proud. And, I turned down not only Teddy Grahams but also Double Stuff Oreos at my sister's house tonight!

Yet the question remains: Why do you need to eliminate flesh in order to heal a horse's wound? I fully admit to being quite non-horsey after the unfortunate incident at the Ponderosa when I was 9.