Synova

A couple blog people linked to this article by Naomi Wolf. Other than the really funny mix up of the 2nd and 4th Amendments, it's still an interesting read. So much she gets so right, so much is so very wrong. It's almost like she knows the truth but simply *must* intersperse it with the proper Anti-Bush and liberal sentiments. I almost thought it was on purpose... a way to slip truth past to her target audience. As the Founders knew, if citizens are ignorant of or complacent about the proper workings of a republic "of laws not of men," then any leader of any party -- or any tyrannical Congress or even a tyrannical majority -- can abuse the power they hold. But at this moment of threat to the system the Framers set in place, a third of young Americans don't really understand what they were up to. Bravo! She realizes that this is a Republic and the most important thing is the rule of Law, the Constitution. She even got the tyranny of the majority in there! Mid...

"Every year, we also take a nice holiday - we've just come back from South Africa. "We feel we can have one long-haul flight a year, as we are vegan and childless, thereby greatly reducing our carbon footprint and combating over-population. What an ass. "Having children is selfish. It's all about maintaining your genetic line at the expense of the planet," says Toni, 35. But what we can expect from eco-religionists and Warmers. Yes? Proof that they don't REALLY think the world is in danger because they don't live as though the world is in danger. If Toni really thought what she did mattered she'd be a childless vegan who *didn't* fly on airplanes because every little bit helps. One is tempted to think that she didn't want children *anyway* and that being a vegetarian isn't much of a sacrifice either. But missing out on conspicuous consumerism! Gasp! Just like Gore jetting about or any of the others who chose to lecture the rest o...

Thanksgiving was nice. My way of trying to make something special is to light a fire, candles, something. So I *finally* found a couple candle holders for tapers (pillars are such the thing that it's actually hard to do) and took out some candles that I bought about three years ago at a country antique shop near my parent's place in Minnesota. Hand dipped tapers rolled in cloves. Very arty. Now, I don't believe in candles that aren't to be burned and I *asked* what would happen to the cloves. I believe the answer was "melt and fall off". The actual result of burning tapers rolled in cloves? The wax melts, the cloves start on fire, and fall off in little smoldering fire-balls to roll across the table cloth. Combining this with the various fireplace episodes (not that many, but significant) what my kids are probably going to associate with holidays is their mom trying to burn the house down. And actually, those are good memories. The sort that aren...

I hope everyone has a great day today. I tend not to be philosophical about holidays, trying to imbue them with solemn meaning. Maybe that's a mistake. Holidays were always about having to go to grandma's house or both grandma's houses and seeing cousins and eating on the stairs with my plate on my knees because the house itself was beyond legal fire-safety capacity and all possible chairs in the kitchen, dining room and the sofa and chairs in the living room were all taken up by adults. Yet for my adult life I've been a bit far away from that, So. Cal or the Philippines or Florida. Now my siblings and myself live in four different states... New Mexico, California, Michigan and North Dakota. (Michigan and North Dakota made it home for today.) I value incredibly the times any of them of managed to visit me for holidays. I've got a turkey in the oven and will make stuffing and a sweet potato. I'll put a table cloth on the table and make everyone c...

Contributors at Blackfive are discussing PTSD and related re-integration/adjustment issues. (Do do DO read the post by Grim) The discussion is about those who have a distinct need for help, but also the normal adjustment that many people have to make. A commentor, Jordan, made this remark: We can't medicalize and therapize this "gravitas" or sudden horrible insight into the basest instincts of man. I made this comment: A thought... is the problem of adjusting back again related to a cultural denial of the basest instincts of man? Lest I go and get religious on us all, the concept of a corrupt human nature is something that doesn't get much play in our culture. People aren't *bad* naturally, they're good, and if they are bad it's because something made them that way. Probably society. I think this is back-*ssward, though. But it's necessary if people are going to go with "do what you feel" to teach and preach that "what you ...

I logged into my computer just now and my little Yahoo Insider pop-up featured the above headline. No doubt we'll be hearing all about the dire warnings over the next few days. Until then... the UN is a political organization. Think about that.

I got a job for the season. I'm in charge of a little mountain boutique that sells SW gifts and food, some of it kitchy and cheap, some very fine and expensive, (I believe I have at least one piece of NA clay art that is $600.) The whole store is about 20x20 feet with 1/4 of that taken up by the bathroom. Common wisdom is that people really do prefer to shop in these sorts of cozy little stores that sell unique handmade items. Common wisdom is wrong. Or at least common wisdom is not complete. People really do *like* the stuff I sell. They don't always need it and, really, my biggest sales will be over Christmas when people buy a "New Mexico" item to ship to a family member or friend elsewhere, but they do *like* the stuff. And it's affordable, and much of it can only be found in our store (made by my boss, or now, me) and some of it is very nice classy expensive stuff, and since a good part of this area is "high rent" that should be a plus, not...

I've only been patching this is EIGHT FRICKING AM!

I'm not watching this pot boil. Honest. Update: Though do notice how that last 20 minutes took an hour.

Or so it says.

I'm patching Rise of Kunark.

Wow, Chris Muir left a comment on my blog. :-) Thanks for stopping by! I'm pretty sure that my only other visitor, Ymar, has a link to Day by Day somewhere handy, but if anyone else should happen by be sure to check out the best semi-political comic strip ever. It's in my side bar, too, but here it is again: Day by Day.

The best commentary. Ace has the best headline... Make Entertainment, Not Bombs The best comment goes to lauraw at #14. (language warning) Dear Hollywood, This may come as somewhat of a shock, but the vast majority of our corn-fed American men and women who choose to wear the various uniforms of the United States Armed Forces are better people than you. In every way. Your poses to the contrary are nothing but empty fashion and gaseous bullshit. We ain't buying it and we certainly won't pay for it. Fuck you very thankly. Sincerely, Your Fellow Americans (who are also better than you)

There's something about the oldest residential parts of town with their Victorian and Queen Anne homes that lends itself to "No War" lawn signs. I was walking in one of those beautiful neighborhoods on Monday and the "War is Not the Answer" sign caught my attention. The other signs were more specific, such as the one that had been altered from "No War in Iraq" to "No War in Iran." The general "Truism" (and I will put that in scare quotes) of "War is Not the Answer" is something we see a lot but Monday it just struck me like a mallet to the head, So what IS the Answer? What does this person who lives in this pretty house think is the Answer? What does this person who lives in this pretty house think is the Question? I really do wonder. Someone who thinks that war in Iran would not be the answer to the situation in Iran probably needs to suggest what should be done *instead* and the answer really could be "nothi...