Friday, October 31, 2008

Labels

Republican. crazy. ham. scrapbooker. reader. boss.

Just free flowing ya'll. And sometimes the label doesn't fit, is unnecessary or whatever. like dude. But really?

I'm reading (way too much lately, clearly) and came across a lis tof potential staffers for an Obama White House. Course I didn't go anywhere near a list for potential McCain White House, but that would be interesting reading after this:

"Dems in the know" are seriously letting leak that Obama is considering Republicans for Education and Environment posts? Now. I know. Labels. But really. Commerce...defense...commerce...and did I mention defense? Would not have batted an eye. But I've just been conditioned to believe - despite the fact that I live in WA where labels are RARELY what they seem - that if you like the environment/public lands and you want to do something meaningful about education (and health care and...) that you don't put Republicans in charge of that kind of stuff. They like (and are good at) things like commerce and defense. Oh and commerce. Comfy with Republican staffers there. But education and environmental issues? I have not dropped my ballot yet. Maybe that is a good thing.

But what is truly a good thing is how small this world is. I went to the state Dem convention this year and got to meet lots of "everyday, ordinary people". Some of them I even saw on said list of potential White House staffers. Maybe I'm the only geek that thinks that is cool. Probably.

Walking tomorrow. Flying on Tuesday. Fired up and ready to go.

back to scrapbooking while my own homemade HAM watches Saw Bazillionandseven. Right after War, Inc which, by the way, was the stupidest movie I have ever watched. Even worse than dude wandering through the woods to the big white house. whatever the heck that was.

Crazy is out in full force lately though. Rebecca--did you take all the candy off my porch??

I'll stop.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Damon Weaver, 390, Subprime stick people

So I was over at PostBourgie and they had the cutest little journalist linked up from You Tube:





I particularly busted out laughing (with you Damon, with you) when Biden launched into a pretty long "What does the VP do" answer. Only because you see Damon's elbow slowly but surely drop from "oh, a few more words" to "seriously, this is not a 30 second soundbite" to "Dear sweet Jesus Joe...you're my homie but dang!"

lol. Loved. That

They also hipped me to 270towin.com. Where of course I had to dream a little dream.





DO NOT email me about what I'm smoking. At least I left Texas red.

And just to reload this powerpoint that Robert sent me a while back (fixed the linky since I don't have Windows Live to upload the ppt direct to blog anymore):



CDO Powerpoint SubPrime Primer



In case you need a peek before you enter Power Point presentations like the one above: If you can't read the tiny font, click on the title CDO Subprime Primer and it will take you to the site where you can blow it up big as day. It's worth it.


That was funny.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Obama Hate Crimes Part II

...or maybe a crime against the not as obvious target as suggested by THIS effigy story out of my neighboring state of Oregon.

Sigh.

I think I'm going to be a flier on November 4. Gotta drop my ballot off tomorrow after I get a picture of it of course.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Obama Hate Crimes: A History Lesson?

Quote of all quotes at a ridiculous hour of the night reading what has all of a sudden become very scant election coverage:

"Had this stupid act been done to Senator (Barack) Obama, there would appropriately have been a national outcry," he said in a statement."

This from this Newsweek Article of a Palin effigy left swinging from a porch.

Now. I'll be the first to admit that while I rocked straight As in school, History would probably be in my bottom 3 subjects. And yeah. I probably have a bit more "understanding" of mine one over say, Mr. Antonovich's.

But surely you jest right? Is political affiliation really a protected class for a hate crime? I know race/ethnicity sure is. And to that, I kinda see why if it were Obama, it might be considered a hate crime (or at least, perhaps, premeditation of some such since it was a crime against an effigy, not against the actual person).

In any event, the police are scanning the field with their search lights in my backyard and it is only a matter of time before the helicopters show up so I should probably head for the bunker.

But not before I link you to a couple of good NPR pieces.

Yesterday's interview with Toni Morrison about her new book A Mercy.

Today, Hate Groups go gaga for Obama well, sort of.

Night.

If I would have been a journalist...

...I wonder.  Would I gloss over the following clip out of "respect" that an aged man might slip up from time to time and I might be seen as making fun of/taking advantage of those slips by noting them:

And I tried to find cleaner video before realizing life is so much more than YouTube surfing of what I watched from bed on Sunday and physically WINCED at:

As a journalist, would I be more inclined to include some of the annoying verbal space saving uhms and ers and pregnant pauses in Obama's transcripts? Annoying because I got to TA Oral Comm at Cornell and yes, verbal space savers annoy the HECK out of me ever since I got dinged out of an A+ because of them.  And yes, I also TA'd Human Sexuality and have a few pet peeves in that realm too.  Another story for another time.

I don't know.  I just know I'm going to be in a world of hurt once the election is over.  whatever will I do with my time?

Monday, October 27, 2008

Quick. i90 or 520?

No brainer right? Unless you overthink it. And sometimes, I overthink it. Like this afternoon. Probably would have been faster to get over the 520 to where I was going but hot dang it if 520 didn't prove me right AGAIN this afternoon.

No matter though.

Guess what I got today? Well, besides cookies to give out as gifts. And yeah, besides a new great staff person to complete my team. Okay...besides the giggles looking at R's shopping receipt for groceries last night. Yeah, besides a crazy Jones for great Thai food around the corner.

Okay. Give up already. Seriously.

Remember this? In my hot little hands are the best pictures I will ever in my life scrap. Just in time too (smile).

Happy sunny crisp fall day!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

A Red Bull Morning

And that's about all I have to say about last night.  H.A.M.

Nichole, we totally have to scope out the Thai place in Bothell.  I owe you at least that.  Really now.

So three quarters of agonizingly tedious college football.  Now.  I didn't go to any kind of football school.  That is a given.  My better half did.  Well, for grad school.

So we donned our white and headed to Sport to join the Penn State crowd to watch the most boring football game I have ever witnessed.  That is until the boys got up for a smoke break and all hell (literally!) broke loose.  He was right though--the team with the mistake was going to be the loser.  Who just knew it would take until the end of the game for that to play out.

All in all, we didn't leave any nice girls in the hood, it's a beautiful blue sky afternoon and I'll just have to atone for it all next week.

Tomorrow he starts a new gig right up the street from where I work.  I actually am looking forward to working pretty close to each other and maybe (more definitely if we're smart about it...and I can drag myself out of bed that early) carpooling together.

More to come.  In the midst of some great pages, need to grocery shop and should maybe find some time (it is almost 2 after all) to wash my hair this weekend.  Uhg.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Skiing Metalhead

So last night I'm out for the last hurrah and I have to school Rob on a little something something:

"Rob.  You've known me for three years.  Does it LOOK like I'm the type of person who will strap on some skis?"

To which, (one of the things I love about the dude) he asks if I've ever in my life skied before.  No.  But that isn't the point.

Later in the same night, Robert and his wife (three Roberts in one night is quite an evening, let me tell you) shock my never observant but no where near "colorblind" arse with a pronouncement of Robert's wife's mad Bones skills (aka Dominos).  Really?  Really?  Not the bones part...I get that.  But how in the heckfire have I seen this woman at least a handful of times and talked to her at least as many times and NEVER picked up on the fact that she's Puerto Rican?  My sistah.  Oh my word.

And if that didn't cap it all off.  We get home, I go my way, he goes his.  Except when I meet back up with him, he's watching MtV2 Icon...Metallica. 

Now.

I am no metalhead.  I had come downstairs to cry on hubby's shoulder because I'd read Ben Smith's BLOG POST at Politico and couldn't help but to think how I so wish my grandmother could be here right now.

Sure, she would probably take issue with my choice of mate.  But only (and I seriously mean ONLY) for the fact that my music choices all went downhill once I hooked up with that other lighter shade of vanilla dude for the starter marriage. 

Couldn't help thinking of that last night because just when I had finally come back to the dark side with my music choices, here I was staying up to all unGodly hours of the night saying things like "hey, that song isn't that bad."

Now to only move out to Snoqualamie so we can hit the casino and ski all night.

Right. 

Go Penn State!  Got my white on, ready to roll. 

Right after I remember to download The Rest of Everest.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

What the? Oh no. Slow. it. down.

I missed reading Time magazine. There was a really great piece by:

Ta-Nehisi Coates who wrote The Beautiful Struggle and has an amazing blog that somehow managed to stay off my bloglines list for way too long. He writes for the Atlantic and if I was a good blog linker, I'd have my brothers and sisters all linked up and I wouldn't have to tell you nothing about Mr. Coates.  But that is not the point.

Here's the Time Viewpoint that I ripped out and posted on my wall.

On an absolutely unrelated note:

And are you kidding me?  Have you SEEN THIS? Oh that is just disgusting.  Showy, pitiful and disgusting.  I remember watching Omarosa on Celebrity Apprentice (and. what.) and wondering if she ever looks back on those episodes and winces with embarrassment and what she sees.  Surely.  She does.  Right?  These women, that's a whole new kind of H.A.M.  And this is coming from a girl with admittedly almost skewed ideas of what going to a certain school and working in a certain part of town would be like.  This is a girl who won't never role with a baller (too smart for that, not knocking, just givin' the real on why that didn't work out) but who knows her fair share of girls who give to get.

I've never thought I'd marry rich.  I didn't go to Cornell to get my W. Ed on and I didn't date the guys I dated because they were the big fish in the pond.  Honestly, (smile) most of the guys I dated were just sheer dumb naivete.  Oh that ain't fair.  I know.  Whatever. It is what it is.  All that is to say when I got to a point where I thought all that was left in a relationship was the paycheck, I bounced.  I got my own.  Not a lot of it, but I get by.  I can buy my own car, get my own place, buy my own clothes and do my thing.  I get by. Now I'm married so I don't have to get my own, but that is also not the point.

That hot mess I linked to up there?  Some of those folks need serious help. Seriously.

I think for a week, I'm going to pretend like I'm all that matters in the world.  Okay.  I couldn't do that. I think my better half's comment was "Imagine all the good you could do in the world with that kind of money."

Okay.  Moving on.

Rachel--don't make me talk about you.  And if you tell Crystal my middle name, I will cut you.  Or tell Liisa all my business first.  Your pick.  And watch me.

I've gotta knock out some pages.  I stay up all night and I have maybe 4 pages done (hybrid will be the death of me).  He stays home one day and not only knocks out a lightbox for me (get to play with that tomorrow) but ALSO customizes my friggin' closet.  That boy is such a keeper.  And he don't even know it. But he does know my name (smile).  Liisa...stop it.  You too Rachel.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

I interrupt the madness

Because it is just too funny NOT to post:

And because I'm all about equal time (well, not really), I was going to link McCain.  But really...it's just not that funny.  Or I just don't get it.  Probably because I didn't listen to much of it.  So You Tube that joint if you want it.

Enjoy Obama being funny at Alfred Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

March? How about November...and May

Gotcha on the calendar for March T. I should look up NASPA, but shoot me some dates...I should be golden.

November child (you, Ms. NYC) it is what it is. Alas. 30 though eh? Are we REALLY that old? Come on now...

I should totally blog more often. Whatever. Yes. I'm on the whatever kick because Alex is back in my life. For the fleeting glimpse of a moment. I think the ball is back in my court and I was supposed to email him back about my life or something. It is great enough that he's on facebook. Dare I require him to catch up via these ramblings? I'm totally not that self-important. Not. at. all.

So, where were we? Since I don't give you much by way of photos anymore. Or words for that. So I think you deserve some blog clips eh? I get in the habit of clipping lots of other blogs so let me give ya a few categories of stuff I loved of late and have. at. it.

Quick life update:
Liisa is going to be breaking up terrorist cells (smile)
I love watching him network and be a caregiver.
We are okay. Better than okay. Staying in Seattle. Sorry mom.
Sorry mom x2. Cause your sister's baby daddy is a h.a.m.
h.a.m.
My prayers and thoughts are with you - especially after watching the Office and thinking of you.
I love the folks I work with. Pure and simple. It feels so good.
Of course I need a Benz. Uh huh.
I like stacks of paper that are organized
I LOVE scrapbooking. Still. Unconditionally.

Categorically speaking:

Great, timely, quote
Techy stuff (not an iPhone, promise)
Scrap love
more scrap loving
and even more scrap loving
blackwhite 10,000 men of Harvard (smile)
fun time waster
another quote that really got me through
I totally get to be part of this...wow!
why I still want a sewing machine
fun with others' photos
just in case you thought black folks didn't get married (LOOK! It is gorgeous!)
camera + games = fun!
why politics doesn't have me cycnical anymoreyet
one of the best movies I saw this year
why life is so easy as a supervisor (embrace it)
one day...I will make them (the cupcakes...the cupcakes...cute kid though)
coolest wedding theme ever!
I love you mom...I miss you granny
I love my finance geek for ensuring that I understood every word of this

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Way too much information

Hanging out on Chris J's blog again (well, if 42 seconds can be "hanging out" anywhere...speed reading is probably contributing to my splitting headaches as of late). Check out her answers here and get to know way too much about me here:

1. What time did you get up this morning? actually out of bed? 8:17
2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds from him
3. Last movie you saw at a cinema? Beverly Hills Chihuahua
4. What is your favorite TV show? Amazing Race
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Breakfast? What is that?
6. What is your middle name? Super top secret. I don't even think my hubby really knows
7. What food do you dislike? Most meat. Texture issues.
8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? CDs...not the $$$ kind?
9. What kind of car do you drive? Don't hate on me playas...I get around.
10. Favorite sandwich? Fried bologna with lots of mayo. Psyche! I grew up on those joints though...it's been a while. Really though...BLTs...I know I know.
11. What characteristic do you despise? Despise is kinda harsh. I don't cotton much to victims who bring it on themselves. And psychopaths. But they can't really help that they're crazy so that's not really fair.
12. Favorite item of clothing? his Penn State sweatpants
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Africa
14. Are you an organized person? I've got a lot of you fooled that's for sure.
15. Where would you retire to? with him? Jamaica of course (smile)
16. What was your most recent memorable birthday? I don't remember (smile).
17. What are you going to do when you finish this? scrap and keep reading
18. Farthest place you are sending this? You tell me. Folks from all over check in here.
19. Person you expect to send it back first? not a soul. I don't do that chain mail gig
20. When is your birthday? December 4
21 . Morning person or a night person? neither. just struggling to be an awake person lately.
22. What is your shoe size? 10 (9 if they are REALLY cute and worth it)
23. Pets? I should check the garage...Robert's been home alone lately.
24. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? ***GRIN*** I plead the fifth.
25. What did you want to be when you were little? an astronaught. Then Challenger blew up. A geneticist. Then I went to Cornell. a Public Health Officer then I got tired of school. a crusader for higher education access then I got a clue. I'm still little and still trying to be big. I'll let you know when I grow up how it all turned out.
26. How are you today? exhausted but so much better in this moment
27. What is your favorite flower? anything he brings me home. He knows me so much better than I know myself there
28. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? May 13, 2009
29. What are you listening to right now? the hum of my computer
30. What was the last thing you ate? chips and salsa (I needed salt like no one's business)
32. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? figuratively or literally? Orange
33. How is the weather right now? Perfect fall day
34. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Publishers' Clearing House
35. Favorite soft drink? Sprite
36. Favorite restaurant? Sushiland
37. Hair color? Almost black again (winter time and all)
38. What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbies
39. Summer or Winter? Both - love Seattle Summers, but am a winter baby at heart
41. Chocolate or Vanilla? Duh (smile) Vanilla
42. Coffee or tea? Chai lattes
43. Do you want your friends to email you back? Uh. Yeah. Alex!
44. When was the last time you cried? almost yesterday afternoon. headache and all
45. What is under your bed? uhmmm...mom...turn away (smile)
46. What did you do last night? Fall asleep on the pre-married make out couch
47. What are you afraid of? him being unhappy
48. Salty or sweet? both, but not at the same time. It cycles like everything in my life
49. How many keys on your key ring? SIX I think. And two keyless fobs. And a Texas charm. Of course.
50. How many years at your current job? none. 82 days and counting. Wow. Almost 100 days. Wow.
51. Favorite day of the week? Sushi Friday of course.
52. Do you make friends easily? Nope
53. How many people will you send this to? I like the friends I have so no one.
54. How many people will reply? A few blog readers will keep it alive *RIGHT**?
55. Do you like finding out all this stuff about your friends? Not really since we all share the same brain and don't need a bazillion questions to know that hood Liisa probably loves fried bologna sandwiches just as much as I do. And. What.