Some Plain Speaking

First, the video’s title is a misnomer.  There is no cure.  But, it is time for some plain speaking.  He’s right. It’s not about liking a particular politician, party affiliation, or who gives the better press conference. It’s about science. And, quite honestly, it’s about life and death. The numbers tell us that the West Coast has handled the pandemic and flattened the curve much better than the Northeast.  Science also tells us that the outbreaks spreading throughout the rest of the country spread from New York. And, despite the blame China rhetoric, the virus in New York came from Europe. The novel coronavirus was in Europe as early as December, when the world was still focused on that market in Wuhan.

He’s also correct that we need to watch and learn. Because this virus is not just going to go away. It will return. Probably in waves. It may even become endemic, like the flu or the common cold (which, technically, is another coronavirus).

My tax dollars at work

NC GOP leaders file motion to block gay marriages – WCTI 12
October 9, 2014

I don’t agree with them, but that is their right.  What isn’t their right is to use my tax dollars to pay a lawyer from California $400 an hour for this.   The motion asks that they be given until October 17th to assemble data in support of their arguments.  You do the math.  Not that much, you may be thinking, for a lawyer.  I’d agree with you if they were using their own money.  But they aren’t.  They’re using ours.

Speaker Tillis, this is not the way to get my vote.  Express you opinion all you want.  I don’t care.  But don’t use my money to do it.

And, by the way, the motion was denied.

Judge in NC gay marriage case denies delay – WCTI 12
October 9, 2014

They have until noon today.

Amendment One

Today, I’m sorry to say that I am ashamed to be a North Carolinian.  I know I don’t usually post on controversial subjects, but this one has got me so steamed that I need to vent.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinions.  The freedom to think as we please is part of what makes our country so great, but, unfortunately, our narrow-minded Puritan roots are showing.

The results are in and Amendment One has passed.  Apparently most of my fellow Tarheels agree that “marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state”.  Not only do I feel this sentiment to be unfair, but think it asinine that such bigotry and discrimination should be written into our state’s constitution.

Then again, this is a state where it is still, technically, illegal for a woman to move in with her boyfriend before they are married.  This state, and the rest of the South, need to wake up.  It is the twenty-first century, people, not the Middle Ages.

October Reads, 2010, and a Halloween Rant

Happy Halloween, Everyone!

This is definitely one of my favorite holidays, though I can’t help being annoyed that it’s on a Sunday.  People always make a big deal about Halloween being on a Sunday.  I even heard someone say that they didn’t like “evil” associated with Sunday.  Evil?  Sure, it’s a barely disguised remnant of our pagan past, but evil?.  Halloween is not evil.  It was a harvest festival, and a day, and night, for the dead.  The Celts believed that on Samhain, the barriers between our world and the Other World, Annwn, were weakened so that the spirits of the dead could more easily pass through.  It was also the ritualized end of summer and beginning of winter, where the deities of one were put to sleep and the deities of the other awakened.  I don’t see any of this as evil.  And the kids don’t either.  They just want to dress up in awesome costumes, knock on doors, and get lots of free candy.

And, for all of you who go on and on about celebrating a pagan holiday on a Sunday, take a look at Easter.  Sure, you go to Sunrise Service to celebrate the resurrection, but, then you have egg hunts, and your kids have candy filled baskets and stuffed bunnies.  Eggs and rabbits are the pagan side of Easter.  An obvious festival for a fertility goddess that most of the world has forgotten.

I know these comments will get me into trouble, and probably offend some of you.  For that, I am sorry, I honestly meant no offense.  And, anyway, it’s time to get down from my soapbox and get to the original purpose of this post:  my October reads, most of which were surprisingly good.

• Bone Mountain by Eliot Pattison –  For me, the most fascinating aspect of this book was that it showcased just how much of Bod, the traditional Tibetan faith, has been integrated into Tibetan Buddhism.  And just how similar Buddhist philosophy and principles are to Taoism.  The mystery wasn’t all that mysterious to me.  I figured out who Tenzin was fairly early in the book, and the whole Serenity Campaign was rather transparent.  The only real surprises were Colonel Lin, and just how Yapchi was “liberated.”  While I didn’t enjoy Bone Mountain as much a s I did Water Touching Stone, I love this series, and will definitely continue reading it.  Rating:  4
• Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter – This book was a two for one deal.  I liked Cole’s offering, mostly because of the whole Ice Fey thing.  The imagery I got in my head in some of those scenes was really cool, if you’ll forgive the pun!  Showalter’s tale was okay, I mean, it didn’t put me to sleep or anything, but it didn’t really stand out.  Although I did kind of enjoy the part where Aleaha turned into a particular man at an, uh, interesting moment.  It was weird, yeah, but it struck me as funny.  Rating:  3.5
• The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall –  After I got used to Udall’s writing style, I really enjoyed this book.  I almost cried a few times.  In the end, it all boils down to this:  families all over are complex, no matter how many fathers, mothers, or children there are.  Everyone struggles for recognition as an individual.  My one true disappointment was Tracy’s ultimate decision.  I was really hoping she would take Rose’s advice.  Rating:  4.5
• The Vine of Desire by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni – I liked this book very much, but I would like to have seen more developement of the character of Anju.  On the one hand, the ending was satisfying, but, on the other, left a feeling of emptiness.  Rating:  4.25
• Cracking India by Bapsi Sidhwa –  This novel wonderfully describes the horror and tumult of the split that formed India and Pakistan through the innocent eyes of a child.  The character of Ice-candy-man was subtly creepy.  He was a stalker with a passionate obsession and a fluid, chameleon brain.  Cracking India is a poignant, harrowing, thought-provoking read.  Rating:  4.5
• Call Me Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber – I was pleasantly surprised.  I pretty much expected this book to be as cardboard as the last few Cedar Cove books have been, but it wasn’t.  It was sweet, yes, but not saccharine.  And, of course, the surprise really wasn’t a surprise.  Parts of this book were really funny.  The exchanges between Emily and J. R. come to mind.  Another thing that surprised me about the book, and mildly amused me, was that the blatant reference to the movie wasn’t really blatant.  When they were watching Everybody Loves Raymond, no one remarked on how much Mrs. Miracle looked like Ray’s Mom.  Call Me Mrs. Miracle is a light, funny read, just sweet enough to cleanse your palette.  Rating:  4

The Great Cookie Debate

The other night, my nephew and I got into a debate:  What are the top 5 best cookies of all time?

My nephew’s picks were:

1. Girl Scout Chocolate Mint
2. Oreo
3. Homemade Chocolate Chip
4. Keebler Fudge Stripes
5. Ginger Snaps

Versus my own choices:

1. Homemade Chocolate Chip (warm from the oven)
2. Oreo
3. Girl Scout Chocolate Mint
4. Keebler Fudge Stripes
5. Ginger Snaps

Then my niece had to put her two cents worth in:

1. Keebler Fudge Stripes
2. Homemade Sugar Cookies
3. Girl Scout Chocolate Mint
4. (Don’t remember what her fourth was)
5. Oreo

A heated debate over which cookie was better, and much disbelief on his part that I thought chocolate chip better than chocolate mint.  We were both shocked that anyone could choose sugar over chocolate chip.  Incredulous, even!  And how could anyone put the amazing Oreo at the bottom?

So, what’s your favorite cookie?

Swine Flu and the Media

Okay, quit with the drama.  It’s the flu.  Not much different from regular flu, from everything I’ve heard.  This is not Avian Flu or Spanish Flu (the strain that caused the horrific 1918 pandemic), but Swine Flu, which, by the way, has almost nothing to do with actual pigs.  Therefore, going out and slaughtering all the pigs isn’t going to make any difference.

Out of a global population of 6 or 7 billion, only about a thousand have, or are suspected to have, Swine Flu.  Around 35,000 thousand people die of ordinary strains of influenza every year in the United States alone.  Swine Flu hasn’t killed that many people globally. 

Sure, it could mutate into something that actually merits the media frenzy and melodrama, but so can any of the strains of influenza that pop up every year.  This is why the elderly, the ill, and children are encouraged to get flu shots every year.

Instead of indulging in hysterics and succumbing to media sensationalism, we should focus on the all too deadly pandemic of HIV/AIDS, and the true tragedy and horror occurring in Darfur and the rest of Sudan.

Dole Crosses the Line

Senator Elizabeth Dole has crossed the line. Watch this latest campaign ad:

That voice at the end?  It isn’t even Kay Hagan’s.

Religion has no place in an election.  You run on the issues.  You tell us what you think is wrong with this country, with the current government, and you tell us your solutions.  The what, how, and whys of your proposed policies and programs.  You do not attack your opponent’s religion.  Or lack of religion.  This is below the belt.

I don’t care if Ms. Hagan is a Christian or an Atheist.  A Jew or a Muslim.  A Hindu, a Buddhist, a Shinto, or a Witch.  I DON’T CARE!!!!  As long as her religion does not involve her telling me to commit suicide on Friday the Thirteenth because the Most Holy Prophet Reverend Bubba said so, or some such nonsense, her religion makes no difference to me.  Or anyone else’s either.

Senator Dole, I was actually leaning toward you in this election.  Now, though?  Not on your life.  You just lost me, and you will not be getting me back.

My Top Ten Best Reads and Hanna

Hi, y’all.  It’s starting to look like Hanna will be paying me a visit this weekend.  My nephew will be bummed.  No excuse to stay home from school.  Well, no good excuse, anyway.  🙂

I’m sorry I haven’t posted anything scrappy in the last few days.  I have a few ideas, playing around with some stuff, but nothing complete.  Maybe next week, if Ike lets me.  That’s right, not only do we have Hanna, we have Ike, and Josephine.  Well, hurricane season peaks next week, so, all we can do is get our hurricane kits ready, gas up the car, and cross our fingers.

On a different, to me happier, note, there’s been a discussion going on at BookCrazy (you have to join to read the boards, sorry) about your ten best reads.  It started out as books, but I don’t see why they all had to be books.  Hence, my top two are short stories:

1. “Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka- I have a vicious hatred of  cockroaches, but Kafka made me cry when this one was killed.  This is  definitely the best thing I have ever read, though I have no intention of reading it again.  I had nightmares for about a week afterward involving sofa sized  bugs!   Ewwwwwwwwww.
2. “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Alan Poe – Without doubt, this is the  creepiest read I’ve ever had.  King can be our right scary, but no one does skin-crawling creepy like Poe.
3. White Fang by Jack London – Especially the first part of the  books, where the two men are trying to escape the starving wolf pack.  Even  when you are warm and toasty, with a cup of chocolate and cat on your lap, you can’t help but shiver.  I know that Call of the Wild is technically a better book, but White Fang has always been the one that calls to me.
4. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas – I’ve always loved this book.  It is especially good when you are frustrated and angry.  Just reading about how the bad guys got theirs is a great stress reliever.  But, just the story is wonderful.  Even my eighteen-year-old niece and my sixteen-year-old nephew love this book.
5. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini – This book blew me away when I read it last year.  I cried in at least three places that I can remember, probably more.  I was so sad, yet so happy, when Mariam was killed.  If that makes no sense to you, then you probably haven’t read the book, and you should.
6. The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton – The first time I read this, I was in the eighth grade.  It was an assignment, but I read it within a day, it was so good.  Because Hinton was a teenager herself when she wrote most of  her books, they can’t help but speak to that age group.
7. The Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter – Another school assignment, this time in my senior year of high school.  This book was wonderfully funny, and beautifully touching.  I found it very difficult to believe that the guy who wrote this wonderful story was the same guy who wrote Josey Wales (always hated that movie, too), and speeches for George Wallace.
8. Elizabeth the Great by Elizabeth Jenkins – This book started me on my love affair with Tudor, even English, history.  The first time I read this was when I was ten or eleven, stealing my sister’s copy.  After reading about Elizabeth, I had to find something about her mother, then  everybody else, going further and further back in time.
9. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley – Like Elizabeth the  Great, The Mists of Avalon started me on a love of history, this time Arthurian, what’s called the sub-Roman period.  I’ve read this book about five or six times since I was thirteen, I think.  Since reading this for the first time, I’ve read all of the sequels and the prequels, plus several other Arthurian series like those by Cornwell, Lawhead, and Whyte.
10. Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard – No, I am not a  Scientologist.  No where near it, but I still love this book.  I’m not big on sci-fi (with a few exceptions), but I read this book at about once a year.  There are some parts, like all that crap about Psychlo math, that I don’t particularly like (or understand the purpose of other than as a meaningless vehicle to tell us more of Psychlo “culture”, for lack of a better term).  Anyway, I love the complex story, though why anyone thought they could compress this book to make even a descent movie is beyond me.

If it were a top 12 list, I would probably add Pride and Prejudice and The Great Gatsby, both of which I love.

Gymnastics, Reading, and Fay

What was with the scoring during women’s gymnastics last night (yesterday morning, depending on how you look at it)?  Nastia Liukin’s vault deserved a better score, as did Shawn Johnson’s uneven bars routine.  And how about the balance beam?  With all of those wobbles, bobbles, and balance checks, how did Yilin Yang get a score that high?

And, in the men’s competition (team and individual all around), there have been so many falls, I’ve started to wonder if it’s the equipment.

On a different note, we now have Tropical Storm Fay making her way through the Caribbean.  This one has be particularly concerned because Faye is my mother’s name!  🙂   We do need the rain, though.

I just finished Life and Society in the Hittite World, and though it was educational and informative, it wasn’t nearly as much so as I had hoped it would be.  I’ll probably finish The Painter of Signs within the next day or two.  After that I have Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran and Darwin’s Origin of Species and his Descent of Man in one volume (out of curiosity).

Smoke and Politics

Today was rather smokey.  The front cooled the temperatures at bit, though I’ve yet to see a thunderstorm, but the winds switched in such a way as to blow the smoke our way.  The fire has burned in Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington Counties for about a week, now:  Hyde County Fire Update – WNCT.  I’ve been told that people as far inland as Greensboro and Winston-Salem could smell it today.  For those of you unfamiliar with the geography of North Carolina, the counties in which the fire burns are on the sounds, whereas Greensboro and Winston-Salem are in the western Piedmont.

On an entirely different front, what is with the articles of impeachment?  Is the United States Congress suddenly finding itself with nothing else to do?  With wars on at least two fronts, higher gas and food prices, a week dollar, immigration, Social Security, etc, you’d think they would have enough to keep themselves busy for decades.  But, no.  They waste their valuable time, not to mention our money and our time, attempting to impeach a president who won’t be president, anyway, in less than a year.  

I don’t like George W. Bush, and I think many of his actions are against International Law, though I’m sure you could argue whether or not they are, technically, unconstitutional since many of them took place outside our borders, but come on.  We’ll be rid of him in January.  Why waste money and time when he’ll be gone in January?  Instead, try working on alternative fuels, fixing Social Security, strengthening the economy, healing foreign relations, financing the wars and our troops, finding ways to improve agricultural policy so that our farmers can actually choose to grow something other than corn and soybeans and have a place to sell it.  I’m sure there’s a long list of other problems on the Congressional To Do List that would be a better use of our money than George W. Bush.