Am really just here to blog about nothing, honestly. In a better mood than I was this morning (couldn't have been in a worse one) thanks to deep breathing and a snickers bar!
I've got Bonnie Raitt's "I can't make you love me" running through my head for an unknown reason.
I went and purchased $10 of mega millions tickets. Why not? In a reverse way, it defrays my college education via HOPE, so...why not?
I've assembled all my tax documentation for my annual screwing...er...I mean, filing.
I'm feeling so lonely, baby...I could cry.
Elvis - better than Bonnie!
20080131
Meredith's Parents - Victim's Impact
Dave Emerson:
"You Honor, we stand before you as broken hearted parents having lost our beloved daughter to the vicious murder committed by Mr. Hilton.
Our days are filled with tears and blank stares and we constantly struggle each day. Meredith was a shining light in our lives and now we are left with a hole in our hearts which will not heal.
In life Meredith was an inspiration who stood for all things good and she treated all people with respect and dignity.
The outpouring of love and support from friends and loved ones and countless numbers of strangers is a testimony to how Meredith touched so many people in a positive way both in life and in death.
As a father having lost his daughter at such a young age, I will forever feel the grief and sadness. No longer will I be able to look forward to walking my daughter down a wedding aisle or holding a grandchild from Meredith.
My gleeful anticipation of seeing Meredith on trips home to Colorado or on trips to Georgia is forever gone. Therefore, I feel that no punishment for Mr. Hilton is too great.
In our civilized society we protect and nourish such heinous criminals as Mr. Hilton by providing three hot meals a day and a warm place to sleep under the protective eye of penal officials.
This practice has of course displaced the handing over such criminals to the family members of his victims to administer punishment commensurable with his murderous act. Therefore, I feel that no punishment is too severe for Mr. Hilton.
I only pray that he suffers immensely for his heinous acts and that even his fellow inmates recognize his evil and malevolence for mankind and treat him with appropriate measures.”
Susan Emerson:
“Before I read my statement, I want to mention that Mark, our son, found it too difficult to write his own statement at this time. He has read the statements that Dave and I have prepared and he wanted to go on record as being 100 percent behind both of our statements.
Your Honor, as far as I am concerned, there is no such thing as justice in this case.
Nothing can bring our daughter back to us.
I am not sorry that the death penalty was taken off the table. That would have been an easy out for this menace. Let him stay alive and slowly rot.
I believe he is nothing more than a bully and a weak-minded coward who preys on others.
He fancies himself a survivalist while anyone can see he's a scared little man on the run.
He’s the fool who goes through life too ignorant to realize he is a fool.
Meredith has exposed him.
Meredith was probably one of the few people in this world who would have spoken to him again the next time she saw him and would have accepted him without judgment.
I have no doubt that her goodness and light intimidated the hell out of him. So, he struck out in fear.
I am sure he thinks he's snuffed out her light, but the truth is she is stronger and brighter than ever while he is diminished.
I believe that on a soul level she may have decided to take him out so he could never harm innocent person.
I was shown a vision of him as a mass of darkness with one tiny pinpoint of light. Had he the courage to nurture that pinpoint of light he could have been someone worth counting in this world. Instead he made one conscious choice after another to become the pathetic shell of a man that he is. In the deepest part of his soul I believe he knows this.
God may choose to forgive him. However, he is not worth the time and energy it would take me to do so.
My focus will remain on all the good Meredith stood for, and still does.
She lives on. Her energy is strong and expansive.
Thank you for your time.”
"You Honor, we stand before you as broken hearted parents having lost our beloved daughter to the vicious murder committed by Mr. Hilton.
Our days are filled with tears and blank stares and we constantly struggle each day. Meredith was a shining light in our lives and now we are left with a hole in our hearts which will not heal.
In life Meredith was an inspiration who stood for all things good and she treated all people with respect and dignity.
The outpouring of love and support from friends and loved ones and countless numbers of strangers is a testimony to how Meredith touched so many people in a positive way both in life and in death.
As a father having lost his daughter at such a young age, I will forever feel the grief and sadness. No longer will I be able to look forward to walking my daughter down a wedding aisle or holding a grandchild from Meredith.
My gleeful anticipation of seeing Meredith on trips home to Colorado or on trips to Georgia is forever gone. Therefore, I feel that no punishment for Mr. Hilton is too great.
In our civilized society we protect and nourish such heinous criminals as Mr. Hilton by providing three hot meals a day and a warm place to sleep under the protective eye of penal officials.
This practice has of course displaced the handing over such criminals to the family members of his victims to administer punishment commensurable with his murderous act. Therefore, I feel that no punishment is too severe for Mr. Hilton.
I only pray that he suffers immensely for his heinous acts and that even his fellow inmates recognize his evil and malevolence for mankind and treat him with appropriate measures.”
Susan Emerson:
“Before I read my statement, I want to mention that Mark, our son, found it too difficult to write his own statement at this time. He has read the statements that Dave and I have prepared and he wanted to go on record as being 100 percent behind both of our statements.
Your Honor, as far as I am concerned, there is no such thing as justice in this case.
Nothing can bring our daughter back to us.
I am not sorry that the death penalty was taken off the table. That would have been an easy out for this menace. Let him stay alive and slowly rot.
I believe he is nothing more than a bully and a weak-minded coward who preys on others.
He fancies himself a survivalist while anyone can see he's a scared little man on the run.
He’s the fool who goes through life too ignorant to realize he is a fool.
Meredith has exposed him.
Meredith was probably one of the few people in this world who would have spoken to him again the next time she saw him and would have accepted him without judgment.
I have no doubt that her goodness and light intimidated the hell out of him. So, he struck out in fear.
I am sure he thinks he's snuffed out her light, but the truth is she is stronger and brighter than ever while he is diminished.
I believe that on a soul level she may have decided to take him out so he could never harm innocent person.
I was shown a vision of him as a mass of darkness with one tiny pinpoint of light. Had he the courage to nurture that pinpoint of light he could have been someone worth counting in this world. Instead he made one conscious choice after another to become the pathetic shell of a man that he is. In the deepest part of his soul I believe he knows this.
God may choose to forgive him. However, he is not worth the time and energy it would take me to do so.
My focus will remain on all the good Meredith stood for, and still does.
She lives on. Her energy is strong and expansive.
Thank you for your time.”
To follow on to LG's post....
The real reason I went on the once a quarter pill was to help with my PMS symptoms. I have really nasty emotional dumps with PMS, and I hate it. However, the three month pill never really worked for me - I took it for a year and then went off it. Anti depressants helped a great deal, but I'm not taking those anymore either.
Right now I want to die. Seriously. I want to sob, tear out my hair, and fall on the floor and have a fit like a two year old denied M&M's at Publix.
The real reason I went on the once a quarter pill was to help with my PMS symptoms. I have really nasty emotional dumps with PMS, and I hate it. However, the three month pill never really worked for me - I took it for a year and then went off it. Anti depressants helped a great deal, but I'm not taking those anymore either.
Right now I want to die. Seriously. I want to sob, tear out my hair, and fall on the floor and have a fit like a two year old denied M&M's at Publix.
StupidBowl
Now, normally I rather like the Patriots...I root for them every year, because they can at least play football (unlike the Falcons whom are set to lose Warrick Dunn, great player and a wonderful member of the local community).
Tom Brady has pissed me off.
Tom Brady is a sleaze bucket.
So....
Go Eli!!!!
Tom Brady has pissed me off.
Tom Brady is a sleaze bucket.
So....
Go Eli!!!!
Meg is a blooming genius:
"We women can be pretty sensitive and most of us don't like competition. Especially air-brushed, fake perfection that we could never aspire to. When a man feels the need to look at naked women who aren't us, we think that we aren't good enough ourselves."
And I think it's doubly true when men look at porn that has nothing to do with their own personal sexual style. Women always think they aren't good enough - you know, if they looked like a porn queen, maybe their man would want to do X or Y....
"We women can be pretty sensitive and most of us don't like competition. Especially air-brushed, fake perfection that we could never aspire to. When a man feels the need to look at naked women who aren't us, we think that we aren't good enough ourselves."
And I think it's doubly true when men look at porn that has nothing to do with their own personal sexual style. Women always think they aren't good enough - you know, if they looked like a porn queen, maybe their man would want to do X or Y....
I hate being hampered by my own kindness.
There is a woman who works for me. She is a single mother, and has a child.
Last week, mommy was sick so she worked remote all week.
Monday, I get a ping: "Hello. My sister had to go pick my child up from school. She has what I had last week. I may need to finish up from home".
Being sympathetic, I said "of course".
It is now Thursday. Mommy is still at home looking after her sick child.
How old, you might ask, is this child?
FIFTEEN!
When I was fifteen, my parents would leave the house for an overnight trip and leave me in charge.
So...my personal theory is that half the time people with children use them as an excuse to get out of work, or anything they don't want to do.
My ovaries are atrophying as we speak.
There is a woman who works for me. She is a single mother, and has a child.
Last week, mommy was sick so she worked remote all week.
Monday, I get a ping: "Hello. My sister had to go pick my child up from school. She has what I had last week. I may need to finish up from home".
Being sympathetic, I said "of course".
It is now Thursday. Mommy is still at home looking after her sick child.
How old, you might ask, is this child?
FIFTEEN!
When I was fifteen, my parents would leave the house for an overnight trip and leave me in charge.
So...my personal theory is that half the time people with children use them as an excuse to get out of work, or anything they don't want to do.
My ovaries are atrophying as we speak.
20080130
Why do people in the South refer to all hispanics as Mexican? My neighbors are hispanic...they are not Mexican. They are from South America.
Also, why do people (regardless of geography) yell at people who aren't white or black to "go home?"
The female shopowner in Roswell who was murdered was hispanic, yes, but by way of Chicago, and not an illegal border crossing. She is just as much of an American as you or I.
I don't understand the rabid anti immigrant sentiment I hear these days. Well, face it, it's not anti immigrant - if you are from Europe, or China, or India, we want you to move right in and become a tax paying citizen. It's anti Hispanic. Why? Do Hispanics commit more crime? Are they Catholics pretending to be Muslim? (explain to me again why we let people from Arabic states who are not escaping death move here?) Does their traditional society that promotes family first somehow threaten all that is America?
I understand the argument that folks have about illegal citizens taking up all our social services. First, why do we have social services? Second - I want to see a breakdown of where the money goes, by country of origin, and by race. And lastly - who cares? Someone will spend it, and isn't it better to be someone who works hard and sends money to his family, than someone who sits on their ass in their trailer trying to cook up some meth?
Here's my opinion. A border fence is anti American, and stupid. If you are here now, you have 90 days to file for amnesty. A felony criminal conviction means you are deported immediately. You cannot separate a parent from their child. We need sweeping change to the way we process immigrants to this country - I know a vast number of people who immigrated here legally, and the process they went through to do so was amazing and really stupid.
Case in point: my friend A is German. She married an American soldier stationed in Germany, and two years later they married movied back here. She applied for a green card. SEVEN YEARS LATER the INS was telling her that they did not believe her marriage was legitimate, even though she was the one working, paying taxes, etc. they questioned the legitimacy of her marriage. They told her they didn't believe they had sex, because she didn't have children. She ended up having to retain an immigration lawyer, and to obtain 35 letters of testimonial from friends, family and bosses to attest to the state of her marriage.
Who hires these people?
Of course, after the dust was settled, her non working, illegitimate child having husband told her he wanted a divorce because "she was a disgrace to his black community"...because she was white.
So I don't get it. I don't understand. Hispanics aren't stealing our jobs. Said it before, will say it again: Americans of any race don't want blue collar or laboring jobs. We can't sustain our lifestyle (I should say, the lifestyle we desire to emulate) on that kind of wage, so we don't do the work. That doesn't mean the demand goes away, it just means that employers have to find other ways to source that labor.
Also, why do people (regardless of geography) yell at people who aren't white or black to "go home?"
The female shopowner in Roswell who was murdered was hispanic, yes, but by way of Chicago, and not an illegal border crossing. She is just as much of an American as you or I.
I don't understand the rabid anti immigrant sentiment I hear these days. Well, face it, it's not anti immigrant - if you are from Europe, or China, or India, we want you to move right in and become a tax paying citizen. It's anti Hispanic. Why? Do Hispanics commit more crime? Are they Catholics pretending to be Muslim? (explain to me again why we let people from Arabic states who are not escaping death move here?) Does their traditional society that promotes family first somehow threaten all that is America?
I understand the argument that folks have about illegal citizens taking up all our social services. First, why do we have social services? Second - I want to see a breakdown of where the money goes, by country of origin, and by race. And lastly - who cares? Someone will spend it, and isn't it better to be someone who works hard and sends money to his family, than someone who sits on their ass in their trailer trying to cook up some meth?
Here's my opinion. A border fence is anti American, and stupid. If you are here now, you have 90 days to file for amnesty. A felony criminal conviction means you are deported immediately. You cannot separate a parent from their child. We need sweeping change to the way we process immigrants to this country - I know a vast number of people who immigrated here legally, and the process they went through to do so was amazing and really stupid.
Case in point: my friend A is German. She married an American soldier stationed in Germany, and two years later they married movied back here. She applied for a green card. SEVEN YEARS LATER the INS was telling her that they did not believe her marriage was legitimate, even though she was the one working, paying taxes, etc. they questioned the legitimacy of her marriage. They told her they didn't believe they had sex, because she didn't have children. She ended up having to retain an immigration lawyer, and to obtain 35 letters of testimonial from friends, family and bosses to attest to the state of her marriage.
Who hires these people?
Of course, after the dust was settled, her non working, illegitimate child having husband told her he wanted a divorce because "she was a disgrace to his black community"...because she was white.
So I don't get it. I don't understand. Hispanics aren't stealing our jobs. Said it before, will say it again: Americans of any race don't want blue collar or laboring jobs. We can't sustain our lifestyle (I should say, the lifestyle we desire to emulate) on that kind of wage, so we don't do the work. That doesn't mean the demand goes away, it just means that employers have to find other ways to source that labor.
20080129
You know, I made an indiscreet comment earlier that I took down. It wasn't very nice, and potentially racist.
However, the comment left by someone else (I chose not to publish) about a fellow blogger was, I felt, extremely rude.
However much I may dislike someone, or think I'm being funny, at least I consider things before opening my mouth. I may be guilty of many things, but poor taste, or allowing a friend to be insulted, are not on that list.
However, the comment left by someone else (I chose not to publish) about a fellow blogger was, I felt, extremely rude.
However much I may dislike someone, or think I'm being funny, at least I consider things before opening my mouth. I may be guilty of many things, but poor taste, or allowing a friend to be insulted, are not on that list.
Dreaming Continued
You know, popular literature will tell you that most people have one recurring dream that sticks in their memory. Like...showing up for the SAT naked. Or being back in High School and being naked. Or becoming suddently obese the day of the reunion. Or running into your highschool boy/girl friend and seeing them happy as a lark.
My dream is this: I'm in high school, alright, but I'm not naked. I'm thirty four, back in high school, and all my bottom teeth are sideways.
And y'all think I'm nuts for wanting veneers!
My dream is this: I'm in high school, alright, but I'm not naked. I'm thirty four, back in high school, and all my bottom teeth are sideways.
And y'all think I'm nuts for wanting veneers!
I'm sitting here at work, annoyed at my team, and thinking of all the work I have to do at home. Do you know I bagged up five bags of leaves last night, and I anticipate bagging up 20 more for the front yard alone. Not to mention the pool. Still not sure what to do about the pool...don't think our Gub'nor is going to let me use it...not that I swim in it often. LG has been in it more than I have!
So last night's dream was a bit weird. I was back in my first house, and somehow there was a vampire coven living there (and the backyard had a pool, and a bigger deck - how that's possible, I don't know). I had two children and had just given birth to a second boy when the vampires decided I was a force that had to be neutralized and tried to kill the baby first, and me second. Magically, I snatched the baby (and he was UGLY) and myself up and flew through the air, away away away.
And landed in some city that looked like what one would expect Old London or REALLY Old Paris to look like. Dirty and smelly. I landed in a mews, and stepped up to go to a pub that was larger on the inside than it could have logically been. I still had the baby (who had grown some, rather rapidly, and was no longer ugly) with me.
It gets foggy, as dreams do, but somehow I was running around looking for my other two children in this warren of oldness.
And I haven't read a vampire book in MONTHS
And landed in some city that looked like what one would expect Old London or REALLY Old Paris to look like. Dirty and smelly. I landed in a mews, and stepped up to go to a pub that was larger on the inside than it could have logically been. I still had the baby (who had grown some, rather rapidly, and was no longer ugly) with me.
It gets foggy, as dreams do, but somehow I was running around looking for my other two children in this warren of oldness.
And I haven't read a vampire book in MONTHS
20080128
So you are driving along, minding your own business, listening to some tune-age on the radio and otherwise jamming to what looks to be an awesome, groovy road trip.
You've got the cooler packed with tasty beverages, a bag of tortilla chips, a bag of cheese cubes, and some strawberry newtons (the only cookie I will eat. I trick myself into thinking they are healthy because the are strawberry and newton. And I think I compared them to fig newtons - which I also eat for breakfast - and they had less calories and fat per serving).
Since it's a car trip, you are loaded to the gills with laptops, receivers, portable speakers, and two bags - one for your toiletries and one for your clothes. And every cd you own, in lieu of a car stereo that accepts a flash drive.
The wind is in your hair, you've your peddle to the metal, and you're jamming.
Suddenly you are struck with a pain so wicked, so intense, you know the rest of your trip will suck.
Your right foot has an itch. Not just any itch - no, not a toe itch or a top of the foot itch.
A bottom of the foot itch.
Indeed.
You've got the cooler packed with tasty beverages, a bag of tortilla chips, a bag of cheese cubes, and some strawberry newtons (the only cookie I will eat. I trick myself into thinking they are healthy because the are strawberry and newton. And I think I compared them to fig newtons - which I also eat for breakfast - and they had less calories and fat per serving).
Since it's a car trip, you are loaded to the gills with laptops, receivers, portable speakers, and two bags - one for your toiletries and one for your clothes. And every cd you own, in lieu of a car stereo that accepts a flash drive.
The wind is in your hair, you've your peddle to the metal, and you're jamming.
Suddenly you are struck with a pain so wicked, so intense, you know the rest of your trip will suck.
Your right foot has an itch. Not just any itch - no, not a toe itch or a top of the foot itch.
A bottom of the foot itch.
Indeed.
In reading BWOL today, it appears that India is suffering a wage crisis.
Yes, that's right. India and wage crisis in the same sentence.
Apparently, Indian developers have (gasp!) started demanding higher salaries, better benefits, and more robust packages.
This, in turn, is forcing the big consultantcies to raise their rates - being billed primarily to U.S. companies.
How, I wonder, will big business react to this? Will they pay the increased costs and pass them onto the lowly consumer? Will they start shopping for other, cheaper countries to outsource their labor to?
What do I think?
I think this: Indians in certain jobs now make more than their ten years ago laid off predecessors.
Any country that receives a contract for American outsourced labor will eventually want the same thing.
It's easier to control wage inflation if you keep the jobs at home; now many U.S. companies will be over the proverbial barrel, and I'm going to enjoy it a great deal.
Yes, that's right. India and wage crisis in the same sentence.
Apparently, Indian developers have (gasp!) started demanding higher salaries, better benefits, and more robust packages.
This, in turn, is forcing the big consultantcies to raise their rates - being billed primarily to U.S. companies.
How, I wonder, will big business react to this? Will they pay the increased costs and pass them onto the lowly consumer? Will they start shopping for other, cheaper countries to outsource their labor to?
What do I think?
I think this: Indians in certain jobs now make more than their ten years ago laid off predecessors.
Any country that receives a contract for American outsourced labor will eventually want the same thing.
It's easier to control wage inflation if you keep the jobs at home; now many U.S. companies will be over the proverbial barrel, and I'm going to enjoy it a great deal.
20080126
Like a complete asshole, last night as Mr. Manners and I were on our way to Longhorn, I backed into my recycling bin.
Now, around Christmas, I got into the habit of just leaving a bin at the curb to handle the ridiculous amount of catalogs I would receive. And the recycling dudes who come every Tuesday know this.
For some reason, it moved from it's normal spot on one side of the mailbox to another.
I backed into it twice last night. First, thinking I had hit my flower bed that is around the mailbox, I pulled forward, straightened out, and backed into the fucking thing again.
This time, however, I saw it.
Mr. Manners was slightly alarmed when I threw the car in park, jumped out, and proceeded to, in a complete fit of pique, kick the shit out of the recycling bin.
It is now broken.
My leg hurts.
Now, around Christmas, I got into the habit of just leaving a bin at the curb to handle the ridiculous amount of catalogs I would receive. And the recycling dudes who come every Tuesday know this.
For some reason, it moved from it's normal spot on one side of the mailbox to another.
I backed into it twice last night. First, thinking I had hit my flower bed that is around the mailbox, I pulled forward, straightened out, and backed into the fucking thing again.
This time, however, I saw it.
Mr. Manners was slightly alarmed when I threw the car in park, jumped out, and proceeded to, in a complete fit of pique, kick the shit out of the recycling bin.
It is now broken.
My leg hurts.
20080125
Ah, Mississipi. State of peckerwoods and inbred cretins. How incredibly intelligent your leaders are! What a brilliant idea to petition Housing and Urban Development to ask permission to use the $600 million in grant money (to rebuild communities devastated by the hurricane) to instead use the money to build a port, to be wholly owned and run by the state. Whatever will your FEMA trailer dwelling constituents think?
Oh yeah.
I forgot the poor don't vote!
Oh yeah.
I forgot the poor don't vote!
In speaking with a friend....
What do you do when you realize your last relationship has "done your head in"? When a simple thing like someone not calling becomes an enormous big deal? Or when someone says "I can't do something tonight, I have to work"? Do you find yourself doubting them because your prior s/o would use that excuse so much you started calling him the Artful Dodger?
It's very hard to divest yourself of that emotional relationship baggage you carry around - especially if you were with someone long enough to create a pattern. Woe to the next person to step up to the plate - you'll be applying the same patterns of behavior you had before to the new one, and how unfair is that?
Unfortunately, everyone does it. Our expectations of relationships are based upon our knowledge, and what we are allowed to see of other people's lives. It ain't all clover!
The thing to constantly remind yourself is that the new person is not the Artful Dodger! It's a whole new world, and you are an explorer. Would you go on a Carribean cruise wearing an anorak because you wore one on your last vacation? Why make a relationship any different?
What do you do when you realize your last relationship has "done your head in"? When a simple thing like someone not calling becomes an enormous big deal? Or when someone says "I can't do something tonight, I have to work"? Do you find yourself doubting them because your prior s/o would use that excuse so much you started calling him the Artful Dodger?
It's very hard to divest yourself of that emotional relationship baggage you carry around - especially if you were with someone long enough to create a pattern. Woe to the next person to step up to the plate - you'll be applying the same patterns of behavior you had before to the new one, and how unfair is that?
Unfortunately, everyone does it. Our expectations of relationships are based upon our knowledge, and what we are allowed to see of other people's lives. It ain't all clover!
The thing to constantly remind yourself is that the new person is not the Artful Dodger! It's a whole new world, and you are an explorer. Would you go on a Carribean cruise wearing an anorak because you wore one on your last vacation? Why make a relationship any different?
Still digging my Stilleto....
So 99x here in ATL radio is no more. *Sniff* It hasn't been the same since the heyday of Barnes, Jimmy and Leslie.
I now listen to, almost exclusively, Sat Radio. In fact, I love POOB on Friday night's with Fred Schneider. He is SO GAY, but he picks out some great tuneage - channel 22. Also spend lots of time listening to Boombox 34, and Radio Margaritaville, and scanning up and down the trillions of channels looking for a song I like. Oh, and the Greatful Dead Channel....and Frank! And Jazz! And Classical!
And best of all - no Shane Company Commericals.
Your friend in the diamond industry - The Shane Company. Go West at Windy Hill. Open Monday through Friday till eight, Saturday and Sunday till five.
You know what I'm talking about!
So 99x here in ATL radio is no more. *Sniff* It hasn't been the same since the heyday of Barnes, Jimmy and Leslie.
I now listen to, almost exclusively, Sat Radio. In fact, I love POOB on Friday night's with Fred Schneider. He is SO GAY, but he picks out some great tuneage - channel 22. Also spend lots of time listening to Boombox 34, and Radio Margaritaville, and scanning up and down the trillions of channels looking for a song I like. Oh, and the Greatful Dead Channel....and Frank! And Jazz! And Classical!
And best of all - no Shane Company Commericals.
Your friend in the diamond industry - The Shane Company. Go West at Windy Hill. Open Monday through Friday till eight, Saturday and Sunday till five.
You know what I'm talking about!
20080124
What Would Jesus Do?
Mr. Gibson of Fox News, this is for you:
Are you so without sin that you dare to cast the first stone? You are certainly without taste, class and judgement.
A wise man recognizes the sin of hubris; a wiser man knows when to apologize.
Sincerely,
Eliza (who remains quite disgusted at people who are more than willing to profit from the agony of others)
Are you so without sin that you dare to cast the first stone? You are certainly without taste, class and judgement.
A wise man recognizes the sin of hubris; a wiser man knows when to apologize.
Sincerely,
Eliza (who remains quite disgusted at people who are more than willing to profit from the agony of others)
Borrowing from Reginald to Pay Bubba
Dear Congress:
I note with interest your plan to temporarily dump some cash into the economy.
I note this has been done before.
I am not particularly impressed.
So a family will get a return between $300 and $1200, but only if you single making less than $75,000 a year or a family with children making less than $150,000. You are also planning on delivering tax rebate checks to people who make too little to file taxes.
I take offense at this tactic. Not only is it EXTREMELY short sighted, but I don't believe I qualify for a check. In fact, I believe that my check will probably go to someone who makes too little to file. Why am I exempt? Why does my money go to someone else? Is this a socialist country, and I was just lied to in all my years of civics and American history classes?
You get back an amount proportional to what you put in. If you don't pay taxes, you don't get a rebate.
Now. You are assuming that by in essence granting rebates to people who are "poor" or "poorer" or "lower middle class", people are going to run out and buy things thus stimulating the economy. That is certainly true, and for about a month or however long it takes you to mail out checks, the economy will have some teeny tiny bounce in it's step. A Thumbelina type bounce. Since most of the products we consume are made outside this country, the only real boost we will get comes from the actual exchange of money for a good. The profits, if you will, wind up in China or India. I am pretty certain no one is going to invest their money; and some folks will save it. Most people will use it to pay outstanding bills - and unless someone is in bankruptcy, their outstanding bill is gathered into a companies receivables, and rolled up into their asset list...so...unless someone really spends on silly consumer items (purses, cars, etc)....this is not a boost to the economy.
A boost to the economy would entail a silly idea like a 2% reduction in Federal Income Tax, across the board. More money in EVERY paycheck, not just a one time check. A boost to the economy would be incenting U.S. companies to stay here, and to not offshore their work (tax companies that offshore). A boost to the economy would be a NATIONAL no sales tax WEEK (the states would have to agree, of course). A boost to the economy would be adjusting the poverty level, or increasing the per child deduction, or increasing the FSA or Childcare caps.
These things make sense.
Handing out money that belongs to someone else does not.
I note with interest your plan to temporarily dump some cash into the economy.
I note this has been done before.
I am not particularly impressed.
So a family will get a return between $300 and $1200, but only if you single making less than $75,000 a year or a family with children making less than $150,000. You are also planning on delivering tax rebate checks to people who make too little to file taxes.
I take offense at this tactic. Not only is it EXTREMELY short sighted, but I don't believe I qualify for a check. In fact, I believe that my check will probably go to someone who makes too little to file. Why am I exempt? Why does my money go to someone else? Is this a socialist country, and I was just lied to in all my years of civics and American history classes?
You get back an amount proportional to what you put in. If you don't pay taxes, you don't get a rebate.
Now. You are assuming that by in essence granting rebates to people who are "poor" or "poorer" or "lower middle class", people are going to run out and buy things thus stimulating the economy. That is certainly true, and for about a month or however long it takes you to mail out checks, the economy will have some teeny tiny bounce in it's step. A Thumbelina type bounce. Since most of the products we consume are made outside this country, the only real boost we will get comes from the actual exchange of money for a good. The profits, if you will, wind up in China or India. I am pretty certain no one is going to invest their money; and some folks will save it. Most people will use it to pay outstanding bills - and unless someone is in bankruptcy, their outstanding bill is gathered into a companies receivables, and rolled up into their asset list...so...unless someone really spends on silly consumer items (purses, cars, etc)....this is not a boost to the economy.
A boost to the economy would entail a silly idea like a 2% reduction in Federal Income Tax, across the board. More money in EVERY paycheck, not just a one time check. A boost to the economy would be incenting U.S. companies to stay here, and to not offshore their work (tax companies that offshore). A boost to the economy would be a NATIONAL no sales tax WEEK (the states would have to agree, of course). A boost to the economy would be adjusting the poverty level, or increasing the per child deduction, or increasing the FSA or Childcare caps.
These things make sense.
Handing out money that belongs to someone else does not.
Oh! I know....
You had a last minute deadline at work and were so busy and under pressure that you forgot to call!
You were walking to lunch on a beautiful sunny winter's day when an anvil fell from the sky and gave you amnesia so you forgot to call!
You were kidnapped from your bed in the middle of the night by hooded strangers, taken to a remote location, tortured, and then released naked and with no phone into the cold mountains and so you forgot to call!
A deadly man eating snake escaped from the zoo and curled up on your doorstep, and you spent all day trying to figure out how to leave your apartment, and so you forgot to call.
You were hit by a car on the way home from work, and you are lying bleeding and broken in a ditch somewhere and you can't call because you are dying!
Why do men do this? If you aren't going to show up for an engagement, can you at least call so we know we don't have to break out the shaving cream and the perfume?
You had a last minute deadline at work and were so busy and under pressure that you forgot to call!
You were walking to lunch on a beautiful sunny winter's day when an anvil fell from the sky and gave you amnesia so you forgot to call!
You were kidnapped from your bed in the middle of the night by hooded strangers, taken to a remote location, tortured, and then released naked and with no phone into the cold mountains and so you forgot to call!
A deadly man eating snake escaped from the zoo and curled up on your doorstep, and you spent all day trying to figure out how to leave your apartment, and so you forgot to call.
You were hit by a car on the way home from work, and you are lying bleeding and broken in a ditch somewhere and you can't call because you are dying!
Why do men do this? If you aren't going to show up for an engagement, can you at least call so we know we don't have to break out the shaving cream and the perfume?
20080123
I've decided there are two classes of people in the South:
People who are embarassed and horrified at the fact that any relative or friend has appeared on Cops. Or who say to their kids, in utter horror upon their teenagers arrest, "You're gonna be on Cops!!!?!?!?" in tones of stunned disbelief are one type of person.
The other type goes "Hey, Carl Jr. is gonna be on Cops!!!"
And his friends say "cool".
People who are embarassed and horrified at the fact that any relative or friend has appeared on Cops. Or who say to their kids, in utter horror upon their teenagers arrest, "You're gonna be on Cops!!!?!?!?" in tones of stunned disbelief are one type of person.
The other type goes "Hey, Carl Jr. is gonna be on Cops!!!"
And his friends say "cool".
Taxes
So....dear readers:
Tax time is upon us.
What type of filer are you?
Last minute?
As soon as possible (me)?
When I get around to it?
Extension filer?
I go through this exercise every year:
This year I paid approximately 38K in social services and taxes. That doesn't include property tax - which adds on another $3K. Or sales tax...I couldn't even begin to calcuate that, although it might be an interesting exercise to figure out how much I spend annually and how much tax I pay.
The sad thing is: what did my $38K do? Well, it paid for medications for the elderly and disabled. It paid for the war in Iraq. It paid for....uh....well...hm. I'm not sure it paid for anything else. Oh wait, it paid for the courts to rule in the favor of government and business in terms of eminent domain. In terms of property tax: I pay to have my streets cleaned once a month. I pay for police service (Roswell's finest). I pay for city services with my taxes, although not trash pickup, and pay Fulton for my water. In fact, Roswell is rather inexpensive - I pay city taxes of $370, which funds firemen, police, and other municipal functions.
In theory, a percentage of my approximate tax bill goes to my "retirement" ala social security. I don't count on it. I have a 401K and a pension plan (what good that does if we are sold I don't know).
Taxes suck!
No taxation without representation!
Tax time is upon us.
What type of filer are you?
Last minute?
As soon as possible (me)?
When I get around to it?
Extension filer?
I go through this exercise every year:
This year I paid approximately 38K in social services and taxes. That doesn't include property tax - which adds on another $3K. Or sales tax...I couldn't even begin to calcuate that, although it might be an interesting exercise to figure out how much I spend annually and how much tax I pay.
The sad thing is: what did my $38K do? Well, it paid for medications for the elderly and disabled. It paid for the war in Iraq. It paid for....uh....well...hm. I'm not sure it paid for anything else. Oh wait, it paid for the courts to rule in the favor of government and business in terms of eminent domain. In terms of property tax: I pay to have my streets cleaned once a month. I pay for police service (Roswell's finest). I pay for city services with my taxes, although not trash pickup, and pay Fulton for my water. In fact, Roswell is rather inexpensive - I pay city taxes of $370, which funds firemen, police, and other municipal functions.
In theory, a percentage of my approximate tax bill goes to my "retirement" ala social security. I don't count on it. I have a 401K and a pension plan (what good that does if we are sold I don't know).
Taxes suck!
No taxation without representation!
I'm simply shocked at the sneaky cam footage of Rose West in her prison "suite". Didn't she participate in the sexual abuse and murder of some of her own children? Her oldest daughter? Didn't she and her husband kill at least 13 people that authorities know of? Didn't she allow her husband to have sex with all her children, regardless of age or gender? She has a dvd player, is allowed to walk about unescorted, can have hair and nail treatments.
Might I point out that none of her poor victims will ever have the luxury of a normal life...or indeed, any life at all.
Horrid.
Might I point out that none of her poor victims will ever have the luxury of a normal life...or indeed, any life at all.
Horrid.
20080122
All my life I've struggled with who I am.
As a small child, I was cute and (I think) a little precocious. Then I started to grow, and I lost that baby cuteness, developed severe astigmatism, my teeth turned sideways, and I became exposed to the torments of children on the playground. I learned how to be pissed off. I learned how to silently seethe; I was raised to think that violence was wrong...but how much better would I have felt as a child if I'd just once been able to wallop someone.
My mother told me once (I'd have been about nine) that I was a pretty child. I told her she only thought that way because she was my mother, because everyone else thought I was ugly. The neighbor's kid threw my homework in the creek, and laughed at me and called me four eyes.
I'm not whining, really. Who the hell remembers how the felt at eight, nine, ten?
Somewhere along the way I realized that there were some people who were smart, some people who were really smart, and a whole bunch of people who were dumb. I fell into the smart category - I could have fallen into the really smart category, but I was lazy. So that's who I became - the smart girl. Occasionally, I'd meet people who were really smart, and they would blow my mind. One went on to become my best friend. The smart girl with bad hair, bad skin, bad clothes, braces, acne and pink glasses glued together at the corner. I certainly wasn't girly; I had a Barbie but she was thrown over for Lego's. I didn't do ribbons in my hair, and never wore anything floral. I didn't squeal and run away when that stupid kid that lived behind us in Simpsonville threw a bucket of bait worms at me. They were just worms, after all. And I was smarter than that piece of trash anyway, and brains always triumph over brawn. I was raised to be strong, and to be independent, and so I became.
So I'm not girly now, and unfortunately that seems to mean that I lack some kind of emotional capacity. Oh, I'm capable of suffering great hurt, pain, of having my self esteem knocked about like anyone else. But somehow, I don't feel very feminine. I get over it. I have a higher tolerance for life's bullshit (unless it's my job) than a lot of people. I really don't sit around (even though you might think otherwise if you read these page) moaning "o woe is me".
You think you reach a point of equilibrium in adulthood, where such things cease to matter. Where you aren't the ugly kid on the playground with glasses. Where it isn't all a popularity contest. Where it isn't about where you came from, or who your family was or wasn't. Or how much money you had. All my life experiences have just left me feeling more and more adrift, like I don't belong anywhere. Yeah, I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished in my life with little or no help from anyone. If I suffer in comparison, I can truly say that I built what I had on my own. I didn’t go to school (remedying that now). My parents didn’t help me once I sprouted wings (once in a while, though, thanks mom, dad and grandmom). My job, my house (as much as I hate it…:-)), my car….I earned those things. I must be doing something right.
I'll let you know if I get there.
You know what I learned about myself when I was married? Because I feel I have this deficiency, I'm willing to put up with a lot of bullshit. Worse, I turn it on myself, that I brought this on myself because I lack something that a man looks for in a partner. In turn, this led to really allowing things to happen that no self respecting person would have stood for. Don’t get me wrong, I beat myself up over it enough. A lot of people hate my ex husband…except me: I hate myself for making such a bad decision. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. All because I stood there and let him do what he wanted to make himself happy, at the expense of my own happiness. Is that inherent in women – that we want to make people happy, and so will stay “for the children” or “because we don’t want to split up”?
How sucky is that?
I've turned into Emo Eyore!!!!!! LOL!
Seriously, I was just doing some thinking based on a comment passed this weekend. You know, I’ll never be pretty. There will always be someone smarter, someone sexier, someone better. The only thing I can do is strive to be the best person I can be.
As a small child, I was cute and (I think) a little precocious. Then I started to grow, and I lost that baby cuteness, developed severe astigmatism, my teeth turned sideways, and I became exposed to the torments of children on the playground. I learned how to be pissed off. I learned how to silently seethe; I was raised to think that violence was wrong...but how much better would I have felt as a child if I'd just once been able to wallop someone.
My mother told me once (I'd have been about nine) that I was a pretty child. I told her she only thought that way because she was my mother, because everyone else thought I was ugly. The neighbor's kid threw my homework in the creek, and laughed at me and called me four eyes.
I'm not whining, really. Who the hell remembers how the felt at eight, nine, ten?
Somewhere along the way I realized that there were some people who were smart, some people who were really smart, and a whole bunch of people who were dumb. I fell into the smart category - I could have fallen into the really smart category, but I was lazy. So that's who I became - the smart girl. Occasionally, I'd meet people who were really smart, and they would blow my mind. One went on to become my best friend. The smart girl with bad hair, bad skin, bad clothes, braces, acne and pink glasses glued together at the corner. I certainly wasn't girly; I had a Barbie but she was thrown over for Lego's. I didn't do ribbons in my hair, and never wore anything floral. I didn't squeal and run away when that stupid kid that lived behind us in Simpsonville threw a bucket of bait worms at me. They were just worms, after all. And I was smarter than that piece of trash anyway, and brains always triumph over brawn. I was raised to be strong, and to be independent, and so I became.
So I'm not girly now, and unfortunately that seems to mean that I lack some kind of emotional capacity. Oh, I'm capable of suffering great hurt, pain, of having my self esteem knocked about like anyone else. But somehow, I don't feel very feminine. I get over it. I have a higher tolerance for life's bullshit (unless it's my job) than a lot of people. I really don't sit around (even though you might think otherwise if you read these page) moaning "o woe is me".
You think you reach a point of equilibrium in adulthood, where such things cease to matter. Where you aren't the ugly kid on the playground with glasses. Where it isn't all a popularity contest. Where it isn't about where you came from, or who your family was or wasn't. Or how much money you had. All my life experiences have just left me feeling more and more adrift, like I don't belong anywhere. Yeah, I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished in my life with little or no help from anyone. If I suffer in comparison, I can truly say that I built what I had on my own. I didn’t go to school (remedying that now). My parents didn’t help me once I sprouted wings (once in a while, though, thanks mom, dad and grandmom). My job, my house (as much as I hate it…:-)), my car….I earned those things. I must be doing something right.
I'll let you know if I get there.
You know what I learned about myself when I was married? Because I feel I have this deficiency, I'm willing to put up with a lot of bullshit. Worse, I turn it on myself, that I brought this on myself because I lack something that a man looks for in a partner. In turn, this led to really allowing things to happen that no self respecting person would have stood for. Don’t get me wrong, I beat myself up over it enough. A lot of people hate my ex husband…except me: I hate myself for making such a bad decision. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. All because I stood there and let him do what he wanted to make himself happy, at the expense of my own happiness. Is that inherent in women – that we want to make people happy, and so will stay “for the children” or “because we don’t want to split up”?
How sucky is that?
I've turned into Emo Eyore!!!!!! LOL!
Seriously, I was just doing some thinking based on a comment passed this weekend. You know, I’ll never be pretty. There will always be someone smarter, someone sexier, someone better. The only thing I can do is strive to be the best person I can be.
There are days when I just have this ridiculous ache that won't go away. I just stood in the kitchen and warbled my way through "Leader of the Band" crying the whole time. I've been like this since yesterday. I associate this with the "too much fun" syndrome...you know, like the nights where you have a good bit to drink, have a blast, and then feel like a dead dog's ass for two days?
And not that I'm commenting much on the recent spate of Hollywood/celebrity deaths, but it just shows you that no amount of fortune or fame can buy happiness.
And not that I'm commenting much on the recent spate of Hollywood/celebrity deaths, but it just shows you that no amount of fortune or fame can buy happiness.
20080121
Ah, nothing like a hot shower to knock the wind out of you, literally. It's so cold that a shower post dinner was rather required.
Dinner was Deannie's, recommended by a coworker of Mr. Manners. Bigger shrimp I've never eaten. And of course my last dinner in the city musn't be seafood, no....it's gotta be a big fat steak.
I've got a great Mardi Gras poster - three in the series, will hopefully find the other two tomorrow. Also picked up a Cheongsang (spell?) dress at the market (blue) that is rather deadly, and makes me happy. And a summer top at another little shop. I've been looking for a present for Limerick Gal, but I can't find it anywhere.
I'm fat and happy.
Signing out from the Crescent City!
Dinner was Deannie's, recommended by a coworker of Mr. Manners. Bigger shrimp I've never eaten. And of course my last dinner in the city musn't be seafood, no....it's gotta be a big fat steak.
I've got a great Mardi Gras poster - three in the series, will hopefully find the other two tomorrow. Also picked up a Cheongsang (spell?) dress at the market (blue) that is rather deadly, and makes me happy. And a summer top at another little shop. I've been looking for a present for Limerick Gal, but I can't find it anywhere.
I'm fat and happy.
Signing out from the Crescent City!
20080120
Just dropping you a quick note from sunny New Orleans! Well, it's sunny, but it sure as shit isn't warm! It's very, very cold. So cold, in fact, that I had to buy a handknit Alpaca sweater with a matching hat and gloves! You know how it is :-)
I have had shrimp, I've had crawfish, I had french toast and finished all four pieces, I've had a pecan praline, I've had a crappy mimosa, I've had some shitty beer, and paid $11 for a small jack and coke. It's been so windy that my face is actually peeling and chapped.
We got to see one of the first parades come through the Quarter. The people were a blast, and everyone was friendly and social, and in a great mood. This is the week before, or something, Mardi Gras. So it's populated but not that populated. It stinks, but it doesn't.
The hotel is one of the old houses, really a block of them, that has been converted to hotels. We're on the top floor, facing the courtyard - Mr. Manners has taken some lovely photos, which will be posted sometime next week. We have real plantation shutters outside.
You don't see any damage to the city here from the storm. We do see that a lot of cleanup has been done.
I don't really even notice the mold smell in our room anymore!
Oh yes, the funniest thing I heard yesterday, in the Hustler store, out of the mouth of a young teenage girl "Oh My Gosh, they have kneepads!"
I have had shrimp, I've had crawfish, I had french toast and finished all four pieces, I've had a pecan praline, I've had a crappy mimosa, I've had some shitty beer, and paid $11 for a small jack and coke. It's been so windy that my face is actually peeling and chapped.
We got to see one of the first parades come through the Quarter. The people were a blast, and everyone was friendly and social, and in a great mood. This is the week before, or something, Mardi Gras. So it's populated but not that populated. It stinks, but it doesn't.
The hotel is one of the old houses, really a block of them, that has been converted to hotels. We're on the top floor, facing the courtyard - Mr. Manners has taken some lovely photos, which will be posted sometime next week. We have real plantation shutters outside.
You don't see any damage to the city here from the storm. We do see that a lot of cleanup has been done.
I don't really even notice the mold smell in our room anymore!
Oh yes, the funniest thing I heard yesterday, in the Hustler store, out of the mouth of a young teenage girl "Oh My Gosh, they have kneepads!"
20080118
Pondering again last night on the reason why I find all this upsetting, and I've realized it's because I perceive this as a definite threat to my way of life.
It sounds greedy, certainly, and probably is...but...I always grew up wanting things that would have been classified as luxury items (when I was a kid). Trips abroad. New car. My own house. Quality furniture. Nice jewelry. Coach purses. Money to waste on hair and nails and clothes. Now these items are solidly middle class - but they weren't, and the availablity of said items to the middle class is a relatively new thing.
Simply: I wanted to be (and still want to be) more than I was. I've always used my job as a way to elevate myself, and when I find that threatened, I'm at a bit of a loss.
It sounds greedy, certainly, and probably is...but...I always grew up wanting things that would have been classified as luxury items (when I was a kid). Trips abroad. New car. My own house. Quality furniture. Nice jewelry. Coach purses. Money to waste on hair and nails and clothes. Now these items are solidly middle class - but they weren't, and the availablity of said items to the middle class is a relatively new thing.
Simply: I wanted to be (and still want to be) more than I was. I've always used my job as a way to elevate myself, and when I find that threatened, I'm at a bit of a loss.
20080117
20080116
Clothes Maketh the Woman
So I received the new Victoria's Secret Swimsuit Catalog on Monday.
I have now officially become old.
Mr. Manners and I were thumbing through it, and most (if not all) of the bathing suits displayed so proudly on their pages reminded me of underwear. There were certainly very few things that I would wear. In fact, unless your name is Giselle or Helena or Eva....you shouldn't wear them either. Leopard print, hip string bikini bottoms that had black lace for the string and around the edges. That's right. I want to go to the beach, a public place, and go swimming with my crotch edged in lace. That says "stare at me and make me uncomfortable" to a normal person, and to a madman says "stare at me, make me uncomfortable, and then attack me in the parking lot".
I'd be so horrified if I had a daughter who thought that was appropriate.
My mailbox is regularly inundated with catalogs, in fact. I know I've gotten old when I can't find a damn thing at the mall, ever....so I catalog shop. Territory Ahead, J Peterman, Spiegel, LL Bean, etc. A trip to the mall? Bah. Never anything at Ann Taylor (their sizing is wrong for me anyway), never anything at Gap (I did buy a men's small shirt there last year that I love), or Limited, or Express, and I don't buy underwear from Victoria's Secret because most of it cannot go in the washer, and I do NOT handwash anything. Bebe...mostly too slutty but I do own two dresses from there. Macy's....ah, my Macy's...you were so much better when you were a Rich's. Now you are trying to upscale yourself to compete with Nordstrom's and Bloomies, and your clothing selection really stinks. I might live in an urban area, but urban clothes do not appeal to me. Essentially, the shops for women at the mall all have clothing that looks way too old, and anything else looks way too young. Thank goodness for Banana!
Just a note: normally, I quite like Spiegel. This spring's line, however, contains some of the most ugly, hideous clothing I've ever seen. Seriously. High waisted palazzo pants, just to give you an example. A leopard print business suit with a plunging v neck red sweater.
The only thing missing was a pair of four inch acrylic fuck me heels.
Honestly.
I'm old.
I have now officially become old.
Mr. Manners and I were thumbing through it, and most (if not all) of the bathing suits displayed so proudly on their pages reminded me of underwear. There were certainly very few things that I would wear. In fact, unless your name is Giselle or Helena or Eva....you shouldn't wear them either. Leopard print, hip string bikini bottoms that had black lace for the string and around the edges. That's right. I want to go to the beach, a public place, and go swimming with my crotch edged in lace. That says "stare at me and make me uncomfortable" to a normal person, and to a madman says "stare at me, make me uncomfortable, and then attack me in the parking lot".
I'd be so horrified if I had a daughter who thought that was appropriate.
My mailbox is regularly inundated with catalogs, in fact. I know I've gotten old when I can't find a damn thing at the mall, ever....so I catalog shop. Territory Ahead, J Peterman, Spiegel, LL Bean, etc. A trip to the mall? Bah. Never anything at Ann Taylor (their sizing is wrong for me anyway), never anything at Gap (I did buy a men's small shirt there last year that I love), or Limited, or Express, and I don't buy underwear from Victoria's Secret because most of it cannot go in the washer, and I do NOT handwash anything. Bebe...mostly too slutty but I do own two dresses from there. Macy's....ah, my Macy's...you were so much better when you were a Rich's. Now you are trying to upscale yourself to compete with Nordstrom's and Bloomies, and your clothing selection really stinks. I might live in an urban area, but urban clothes do not appeal to me. Essentially, the shops for women at the mall all have clothing that looks way too old, and anything else looks way too young. Thank goodness for Banana!
Just a note: normally, I quite like Spiegel. This spring's line, however, contains some of the most ugly, hideous clothing I've ever seen. Seriously. High waisted palazzo pants, just to give you an example. A leopard print business suit with a plunging v neck red sweater.
The only thing missing was a pair of four inch acrylic fuck me heels.
Honestly.
I'm old.
So...Lil Mis Anti Schloky Tradition has been somehow magically elected to throw and/or host a baby shower for one of the women at work.
I have never so much as been in the same physical location as a baby shower. I should have been to two: Ira's...I believe I had prior out of town plans, and compensated with a certificate for a Mommy Massage at a local spa. Karen's...as the wife of her husband's best friend, and as someone who paid for her mopey ass to go on a beach weekend even though she was broke....well, I should have been invited, and it was a deliberate slur to not invite me.
I hope her tits fall. In fact, I'm sure that happened; they were already pretty big.
Anyway, so...a baby shower? What's the etiquette for a baby shower in the office? Do people really do silly things like making a diaper cake? When did a baby shower morph from family only to everyone you can invite? It seems like trolling for a gift to me, which is why I’ve never gone to one. Like bridal showers….why?
And on the heels of pondering this dilemma ALL DAY, I'm standing in line at the drug store in front of a youngish (everyone is starting to look young to me) woman who was buying three different types of pregnancy tests. I thought "sweetie, if one says your pregnant, two means it's not an error, and three means you were hoping for a different answer".
I have never so much as been in the same physical location as a baby shower. I should have been to two: Ira's...I believe I had prior out of town plans, and compensated with a certificate for a Mommy Massage at a local spa. Karen's...as the wife of her husband's best friend, and as someone who paid for her mopey ass to go on a beach weekend even though she was broke....well, I should have been invited, and it was a deliberate slur to not invite me.
I hope her tits fall. In fact, I'm sure that happened; they were already pretty big.
Anyway, so...a baby shower? What's the etiquette for a baby shower in the office? Do people really do silly things like making a diaper cake? When did a baby shower morph from family only to everyone you can invite? It seems like trolling for a gift to me, which is why I’ve never gone to one. Like bridal showers….why?
And on the heels of pondering this dilemma ALL DAY, I'm standing in line at the drug store in front of a youngish (everyone is starting to look young to me) woman who was buying three different types of pregnancy tests. I thought "sweetie, if one says your pregnant, two means it's not an error, and three means you were hoping for a different answer".
20080115
Self, Imagined
According to Google, I (specifically) do not exist (in the IRL format).
How disappointing!!
And yet how secretly thrilling to remain under the radar. Hooray for me!
How disappointing!!
And yet how secretly thrilling to remain under the radar. Hooray for me!
Ah, another fun filled day at the Georgia Legislature.
A hearing today at the Capital (the dome is leafed with real Georgia gold, for those of you who don't know) on one topic became another, more controversial topic with a group of activists and politicians met to criticize the plan's that developer Linger Longer Communities has set forth.
The Rep Representative for Brunswick County (Jeff Chapman) is working on a bill that would significantly limit development of the island (it would have to be retroactive to cancel the contract with Linger Longer).
Environmental activists protested that the proposed development would cut into the dunes, which are protected under state law.
Other persons testified to the fact that the average nightly rate was outside the range available to we average Joe's.
Why not stick a Ritz down there while you're at it?
This is just another case of ridiculous corporate and governmental greed, about to perpetuate one of the worst environmental disasters known to man on an island that remains pristine and natural while being inhabited by we destructive humans.
C'mon Georgia, let's rip it all down and build another Panama City!
For more: http://jekyllislandnews.blogspot.com/
A hearing today at the Capital (the dome is leafed with real Georgia gold, for those of you who don't know) on one topic became another, more controversial topic with a group of activists and politicians met to criticize the plan's that developer Linger Longer Communities has set forth.
The Rep Representative for Brunswick County (Jeff Chapman) is working on a bill that would significantly limit development of the island (it would have to be retroactive to cancel the contract with Linger Longer).
Environmental activists protested that the proposed development would cut into the dunes, which are protected under state law.
Other persons testified to the fact that the average nightly rate was outside the range available to we average Joe's.
Why not stick a Ritz down there while you're at it?
This is just another case of ridiculous corporate and governmental greed, about to perpetuate one of the worst environmental disasters known to man on an island that remains pristine and natural while being inhabited by we destructive humans.
C'mon Georgia, let's rip it all down and build another Panama City!
For more: http://jekyllislandnews.blogspot.com/
Ah, I see our local politicans and our legislature are at it again.
A bill has been proposed to make abortion totally illegal in Georgia. You know...I have a HUGE issue with this and my stance can be summed up quite easily: the government should stay out of my personal business.
Here's the direct quote for you:
"State Rep. Martin Scott (R-Rossville) urged fellow House members to sign onto a resolution outlawing abortion in Georgia.
"All babies deserve and have a right to a birthday," Scott said."
Who elected this twerp? Where the heck is Rossville?
Another bill has been proposed, post Meredith, to allow residents to carry their handguns in state parks (with the proper permits, of course). This is common sense to me...I mean, I've never heard of a shoot out between the Crips and the Bloods over a lakeside picnic, have you? Of course I support the right to protect yourself. Some of our laws are incredibly silly (no booze on Sundays) and this falls into that category.
As the Legislative Lunacy continues, I'm sure I'll have more!
A bill has been proposed to make abortion totally illegal in Georgia. You know...I have a HUGE issue with this and my stance can be summed up quite easily: the government should stay out of my personal business.
Here's the direct quote for you:
"State Rep. Martin Scott (R-Rossville) urged fellow House members to sign onto a resolution outlawing abortion in Georgia.
"All babies deserve and have a right to a birthday," Scott said."
Who elected this twerp? Where the heck is Rossville?
Another bill has been proposed, post Meredith, to allow residents to carry their handguns in state parks (with the proper permits, of course). This is common sense to me...I mean, I've never heard of a shoot out between the Crips and the Bloods over a lakeside picnic, have you? Of course I support the right to protect yourself. Some of our laws are incredibly silly (no booze on Sundays) and this falls into that category.
As the Legislative Lunacy continues, I'm sure I'll have more!
20080114
Ah, Monday craziness. Is it time to crawl back into my nice, warm bed yet? Eschewing sense over fashion, I wore open toed shoes today. My feet are, pardon the french, fucking freezing.
Today I'm getting my nails done, and a wax. November and December - being both grumpy and busy months - I'd given up on my efforts to keep myself pretty-fied. Now I'm back into that mode full swing. Amazing what a fresh coat of nail polish does to make one feel better!
Everywhere I turn, it seems to be the year of the baby. I've a friend who's planning on starting her family this year, another who is planning on trying for baby #2...and celebrity babies and pregnancies (I'm happy that Nicole is pregnant! I love her) seem to be popping up everywhere. Playing with Mr. Manner's niece and nephew...ah...the smell of fresh baby. Gotta love it!
Today I'm getting my nails done, and a wax. November and December - being both grumpy and busy months - I'd given up on my efforts to keep myself pretty-fied. Now I'm back into that mode full swing. Amazing what a fresh coat of nail polish does to make one feel better!
Everywhere I turn, it seems to be the year of the baby. I've a friend who's planning on starting her family this year, another who is planning on trying for baby #2...and celebrity babies and pregnancies (I'm happy that Nicole is pregnant! I love her) seem to be popping up everywhere. Playing with Mr. Manner's niece and nephew...ah...the smell of fresh baby. Gotta love it!
We spent a wonderful weekend in the woods. Ironically, the only deer we saw were off the property! Heard lots of activity, saw plenty of track - I found about a three inch raccoon track in the creek bank. Tromped around the woods...I tell you, really, nothing makes your stomach lurch more than thinking you hear two hogs, with you in the middle. I've been told that any of the small trees would have held my weight, but who wants to chance that?
We have some sunset pictures from both weekends that I'll post sometimes this week. Saturday's was memorable - brilliant, even, and something you couldn't ever hope to recreate with pixel, pencil or paint.
I finally spotted, with my own eyeballs and without the assistance of a star map, Pegasus. The air is so clear down there, I could spend ages looking up at the sky and getting lost in the stars. They now make a hand held telescope that is programmed to identify constellations after you point at it - how cool is that? I can only find Cassiopeia, Orion, the two Dippers, the Pleiades, Mars, Venus, and now Pegasus. I need a new star guide! I don't think I want to spend $250 on a super cool telescope!
It's not exactly relaxing to be so far out in the woods, but it does give one a certain clarity of mind, a strengthening of resolve, and a lightness of heart. Nature is so much simpler than our ornate and overdone everyday human existence.
We have some sunset pictures from both weekends that I'll post sometimes this week. Saturday's was memorable - brilliant, even, and something you couldn't ever hope to recreate with pixel, pencil or paint.
I finally spotted, with my own eyeballs and without the assistance of a star map, Pegasus. The air is so clear down there, I could spend ages looking up at the sky and getting lost in the stars. They now make a hand held telescope that is programmed to identify constellations after you point at it - how cool is that? I can only find Cassiopeia, Orion, the two Dippers, the Pleiades, Mars, Venus, and now Pegasus. I need a new star guide! I don't think I want to spend $250 on a super cool telescope!
It's not exactly relaxing to be so far out in the woods, but it does give one a certain clarity of mind, a strengthening of resolve, and a lightness of heart. Nature is so much simpler than our ornate and overdone everyday human existence.
I promise this is the absolute LAST TIME I'm going to mention this.
Copied from today's NYTimes.
By BRENDA GOODMAN
Published: January 14, 2008
ATLANTA — In the days after a young woman was killed after being abducted on a popular North Georgia hiking trail, instructors offering a crash course in personal safety found classes filling up as fast as they were scheduled, and that they had to turn some women away.
“To be honest with you, I asked my wife and some of my friends to come to the one we held yesterday because I wasn’t sure anyone was going to show up,” Jim Stratton, an instructor at Atlanta Budokan, a martial arts studio in Smyrna, said Saturday as he watched a line of women waiting for the next class snake around the building.
Mr. Stratton need not have worried.
The classes, hastily arranged throughout the region by the studio and the local radio station WWWQ, known as Q100, clearly met a need in a community struggling to come to grips with the apparently random attack on the hiker, Meredith Emerson, 24, of Buford, who disappeared near Blood Mountain on New Year’s Day with her dog, a black Labrador retriever mix named Ella. Her body was found Jan. 7.
“It hit close to home because I’m an avid runner and hiker, and I do those things by myself,” said Amanda Lancaster, 25, of Post Ridge, who estimated that she ventured outdoors alone four or five times a week.
Nearly 300 people, mostly women in their 20s and 30s, showed up Friday to the first personal-safety class offered this month in the Midtown area of Atlanta. An estimated 250 women quickly filled the studio at the Smyrna location on Saturday morning, and another overflow crowd packed an afternoon session the same day.
Jenny Hass, 39, an elementary-school teacher and personal trainer from Kennesaw who attended the morning class on Saturday, said that she used to go on walks with her young son every day, but that after Ms. Emerson’s death, her husband asked her to stop. The couple even discussed buying a gun.
“It’s definitely put a deterrent on my outdoor exercise activity,” Ms. Hass said.
The search for Ms. Emerson and the subsequent discovery of her body riveted North Georgia.
Search-and-rescue crews combing the area where she was last seen, a popular path that leads to the Appalachian Trail, found a water bottle and a dog’s leash. Fellow hikers told the police that she had been talking to an older man in a yellow jacket who was also walking a dog.
Ms. Emerson’s parents flew from Longmont, Colo., to Georgia while they waited for word of their daughter’s whereabouts. They described her as a feisty and gregarious person who knew how to handle herself outdoors and said that if anyone could survive the chilly overnight temperatures, she could.
But hopes dimmed after the police identified the man last seen with her as Gary M. Hilton, 61, a drifter with a criminal history who had intimidated hikers on other local trails.
Mr. Hilton was apprehended in the parking lot of a convenience store (Eliza's Note: factual inaccuracy, unless one considers a distance of 50 miles NEAR. Eliza would also note that the 911 tape of the call in tipster was released to the media today, and the male caller offered to take Hilton out if he tried to leave before the police arrived. Hooray!) near Cummings a he was cleaning out his van. The police recovered three blood-soaked fleece shirts, Ms. Emerson’s wallet and her University of Georgia identification card, and they found a bloody seat belt in a nearby trash bin. Ms. Emerson’s dog was found wandering the parking lot of a grocery store across the street. The police also said that Mr. Hilton had tried to use Ms. Emerson’s A.T.M. card.
After making a deal with prosecutors that spared him the death penalty, Mr. Hilton led investigators to Ms. Emerson’s body on Jan. 7. It was near Dawsonville, and the authorities said her head had been severed. An autopsy revealed that Ms. Emerson was probably killed on Jan. 4, a fact that haunted many of the police officers and volunteers who had been searching tirelessly for her since Jan. 1.
Mr. Hilton was charged with murder. He is being held without bail in the Dawson County Jail.
Since his arrest, the authorities in Leon County, Fla., have named Mr. Hilton a prime suspect in the death of Cheryl H. Dunlap, 46, a Sunday school teacher from Crawfordville, Fla.
Ms. Dunlap was found dead and dismembered on Dec. 15 in the Apalachicola National Forest near Tallahassee. Cameras caught a masked man trying to use her A.T.M. card after her disappearance on Dec. 1, and an agent for the state forestry service encountered Mr. Hilton near where Ms. Dunlap’s body was found. The agent ran a check on Mr. Hilton’s license plate number but did not detain him.
Investigators in North Carolina said Mr. Hilton may also have been involved in the disappearances of an elderly couple, John and Irene Bryant, 79 and 84, who were last seen alive in the Pisgah National Forest on Oct. 20. The body of Mrs. Bryant, which had been beaten, was found three weeks later. Mr. Bryant remains missing and is believed to be dead.
But it is the attack on Ms. Emerson that has continued to rattle North Georgia residents, many of whom endure 90-minute commutes into Atlanta so that they can live near the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian Trail.
“We’ve had a lot of people yesterday and today call and ask what the law says about taking firearms into national parks,” said Randy Gambrell, assistant manager of Vogel State Park. “It has darkened the mood on the trails, for sure.”
Trail-maintenance volunteers have planned a memorial walk and a smudge ceremony, which is an American Indian cleansing ritual that involves burning sage to rid a place of evil spirits, on Sunday to honor Ms. Emerson and to try to calm their own nerves.
“The lasting effect something like this has on an area is terrible,” said Jennifer R. Morse, a clerk at Mountain Crossings, a backpacking supply store toward the southern end of the Appalachian Trail.
Ms. Morse said she used to relish her ability to hit the trail with nothing more than her dog and a water bottle, but that she had not been hiking by herself since Ms. Emerson’s body was found.
“I think all of us saw ourselves out there,” Ms. Morse said. “It’s hard to say why it was her.”
End
The last sentence sums up my feelings precisely.
Copied from today's NYTimes.
By BRENDA GOODMAN
Published: January 14, 2008
ATLANTA — In the days after a young woman was killed after being abducted on a popular North Georgia hiking trail, instructors offering a crash course in personal safety found classes filling up as fast as they were scheduled, and that they had to turn some women away.
“To be honest with you, I asked my wife and some of my friends to come to the one we held yesterday because I wasn’t sure anyone was going to show up,” Jim Stratton, an instructor at Atlanta Budokan, a martial arts studio in Smyrna, said Saturday as he watched a line of women waiting for the next class snake around the building.
Mr. Stratton need not have worried.
The classes, hastily arranged throughout the region by the studio and the local radio station WWWQ, known as Q100, clearly met a need in a community struggling to come to grips with the apparently random attack on the hiker, Meredith Emerson, 24, of Buford, who disappeared near Blood Mountain on New Year’s Day with her dog, a black Labrador retriever mix named Ella. Her body was found Jan. 7.
“It hit close to home because I’m an avid runner and hiker, and I do those things by myself,” said Amanda Lancaster, 25, of Post Ridge, who estimated that she ventured outdoors alone four or five times a week.
Nearly 300 people, mostly women in their 20s and 30s, showed up Friday to the first personal-safety class offered this month in the Midtown area of Atlanta. An estimated 250 women quickly filled the studio at the Smyrna location on Saturday morning, and another overflow crowd packed an afternoon session the same day.
Jenny Hass, 39, an elementary-school teacher and personal trainer from Kennesaw who attended the morning class on Saturday, said that she used to go on walks with her young son every day, but that after Ms. Emerson’s death, her husband asked her to stop. The couple even discussed buying a gun.
“It’s definitely put a deterrent on my outdoor exercise activity,” Ms. Hass said.
The search for Ms. Emerson and the subsequent discovery of her body riveted North Georgia.
Search-and-rescue crews combing the area where she was last seen, a popular path that leads to the Appalachian Trail, found a water bottle and a dog’s leash. Fellow hikers told the police that she had been talking to an older man in a yellow jacket who was also walking a dog.
Ms. Emerson’s parents flew from Longmont, Colo., to Georgia while they waited for word of their daughter’s whereabouts. They described her as a feisty and gregarious person who knew how to handle herself outdoors and said that if anyone could survive the chilly overnight temperatures, she could.
But hopes dimmed after the police identified the man last seen with her as Gary M. Hilton, 61, a drifter with a criminal history who had intimidated hikers on other local trails.
Mr. Hilton was apprehended in the parking lot of a convenience store (Eliza's Note: factual inaccuracy, unless one considers a distance of 50 miles NEAR. Eliza would also note that the 911 tape of the call in tipster was released to the media today, and the male caller offered to take Hilton out if he tried to leave before the police arrived. Hooray!) near Cummings a he was cleaning out his van. The police recovered three blood-soaked fleece shirts, Ms. Emerson’s wallet and her University of Georgia identification card, and they found a bloody seat belt in a nearby trash bin. Ms. Emerson’s dog was found wandering the parking lot of a grocery store across the street. The police also said that Mr. Hilton had tried to use Ms. Emerson’s A.T.M. card.
After making a deal with prosecutors that spared him the death penalty, Mr. Hilton led investigators to Ms. Emerson’s body on Jan. 7. It was near Dawsonville, and the authorities said her head had been severed. An autopsy revealed that Ms. Emerson was probably killed on Jan. 4, a fact that haunted many of the police officers and volunteers who had been searching tirelessly for her since Jan. 1.
Mr. Hilton was charged with murder. He is being held without bail in the Dawson County Jail.
Since his arrest, the authorities in Leon County, Fla., have named Mr. Hilton a prime suspect in the death of Cheryl H. Dunlap, 46, a Sunday school teacher from Crawfordville, Fla.
Ms. Dunlap was found dead and dismembered on Dec. 15 in the Apalachicola National Forest near Tallahassee. Cameras caught a masked man trying to use her A.T.M. card after her disappearance on Dec. 1, and an agent for the state forestry service encountered Mr. Hilton near where Ms. Dunlap’s body was found. The agent ran a check on Mr. Hilton’s license plate number but did not detain him.
Investigators in North Carolina said Mr. Hilton may also have been involved in the disappearances of an elderly couple, John and Irene Bryant, 79 and 84, who were last seen alive in the Pisgah National Forest on Oct. 20. The body of Mrs. Bryant, which had been beaten, was found three weeks later. Mr. Bryant remains missing and is believed to be dead.
But it is the attack on Ms. Emerson that has continued to rattle North Georgia residents, many of whom endure 90-minute commutes into Atlanta so that they can live near the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian Trail.
“We’ve had a lot of people yesterday and today call and ask what the law says about taking firearms into national parks,” said Randy Gambrell, assistant manager of Vogel State Park. “It has darkened the mood on the trails, for sure.”
Trail-maintenance volunteers have planned a memorial walk and a smudge ceremony, which is an American Indian cleansing ritual that involves burning sage to rid a place of evil spirits, on Sunday to honor Ms. Emerson and to try to calm their own nerves.
“The lasting effect something like this has on an area is terrible,” said Jennifer R. Morse, a clerk at Mountain Crossings, a backpacking supply store toward the southern end of the Appalachian Trail.
Ms. Morse said she used to relish her ability to hit the trail with nothing more than her dog and a water bottle, but that she had not been hiking by herself since Ms. Emerson’s body was found.
“I think all of us saw ourselves out there,” Ms. Morse said. “It’s hard to say why it was her.”
End
The last sentence sums up my feelings precisely.
20080111
So I had another thought, about the case you wish I'd leave alone.
Meredith was alive last Friday morning. That morning, Hilton stopped at a Waffle House and asked to use the phone to call his boss about a job - the boss was working with the GBI. Was there a wiretap authorized? Were they tracing the call? If the boss told him there was a job waiting for him, did that make him want to wrap up loose ends and kill her? She was probably dead within an hour of that phone call - the clothing and her dog were found mid afternoon.
I can't stop thinking about it.
On a related note, Hilton's dog Dandy is being kept in Dawson County's pound as "evidence" in a crime scene.
Meredith was alive last Friday morning. That morning, Hilton stopped at a Waffle House and asked to use the phone to call his boss about a job - the boss was working with the GBI. Was there a wiretap authorized? Were they tracing the call? If the boss told him there was a job waiting for him, did that make him want to wrap up loose ends and kill her? She was probably dead within an hour of that phone call - the clothing and her dog were found mid afternoon.
I can't stop thinking about it.
On a related note, Hilton's dog Dandy is being kept in Dawson County's pound as "evidence" in a crime scene.
Meredith Hope Emerson's memorial service is today.
Please donate to the Humane Society (https://www.donate.net/donationSelector371/basket.asp?dept_id=371&shopper_id=1047176), they are building a puppy kennel in her name.
Please donate to the Humane Society (https://www.donate.net/donationSelector371/basket.asp?dept_id=371&shopper_id=1047176), they are building a puppy kennel in her name.
20080109
Dogs, Again
Dogs find a clean floor abhorrent.
They must, of course, thoroughly investigate the freshly vacuumed doggie "den" (aka the bedroom) and proceed to sniff each and every corner. They also must, of course, remove all doggie toys lest they become hostages to the sheer evil of the vacuum cleaner.
And as soon as one's back is turned, the dog's begin their carnage! Fluff from the pheasant, a nose from the fox, the intestines of a bear are once again flung freely on one's clean white carpet.
Dogs, not just nature, abhor a vacuum.
They must, of course, thoroughly investigate the freshly vacuumed doggie "den" (aka the bedroom) and proceed to sniff each and every corner. They also must, of course, remove all doggie toys lest they become hostages to the sheer evil of the vacuum cleaner.
And as soon as one's back is turned, the dog's begin their carnage! Fluff from the pheasant, a nose from the fox, the intestines of a bear are once again flung freely on one's clean white carpet.
Dogs, not just nature, abhor a vacuum.
Now let's talk about another fun topic!
Body image.
Here's another truth for you - no one human being is capable of looking into a mirror and seeing what they really look like. For giggles, try and visualize the details of your own face, or a loved one's face. It's very hard, isn't it? No matter what you do, you can't get the little bits and pieces of your own image to quite line up, right? I don't mean the far away pose your brain memorized after seeing it in a photo...I mean how you really look. Freckles, zits, stray hairs, wrinkles, gray and all.
Yeah, I thought so.
Psychology Today (in conjunction with someone getting their PHD) did a study a few years ago that said that most people see themselves as 20% heavier than they actually are. I certainly remind myself this every time I look in the mirror - I'm at a good weight, I'd like to be thinner, but I know the health complications that occur when I drop below a certain weight, and I'm not going there. But honestly, when I look at myself I really don't see that.
Just like many of us, I have the Words From the Past echoing in my head: your hips are too big, if you had bigger boobs no one would mention your stomach fat, your legs are too scrawny, your nose is too big. We all have this litany, and we use it to beat ourselves up with whenever we feel low or happen to catch an unflattering glimpse of ourselves in the mirror.
We go through phases, I think, depending on what’s happening in our lives. If things are going great, we feel good, and by extension feel good about our bodies, and are inclined to be more accepting. When times are bad, and especially if we feel like things are out of our immediate control – we turn to the one thing that IS in our control – our bodies. Some of us eat for comfort, some of us look at food like it’s Number 1 on the FBI’s Most Wanted List. I started out exercising like a mad woman because I was unhappy; now it’s become a part of me, and has become something that I do because I enjoy the way it makes me feel. Some people run out and try new haircuts, or new clothing styles, or new cars, or take up new hobbies….and none of this matters, and doesn’t do a thing to address how you feel about yourself.
It used to really hurt my feelings when people, either out of ill will or out of a sincerely good intention, would make comments about my body. I’ve been hearing this kind of crap since I the only little girl wearing glasses on the playground. You reach a point where you are sick of it, and you say “I’m not ever going to be a supermodel, but I’ll do the best with what I’ve got”.
So: yeah, my hips are big. They have some padding – I had them bony once, and having that little body fat is bad for my health. But you know, short of getting out a bone sander and filing them down, there ain’t anything I can do about it.
So: yeah, I don’t have a waist. So what? Mr. Manners pointed out a bathing suit model that was built quite a bit like me (although she had smaller, less long hips). Shortwaisted is IN! Go!
And yes, my nose is (I think) a bit big, my chin not prominent enough, my boobs too small…but to this I say so what? What good does it do to chase the unattainable? Isn’t that bowing to some standard set for beauty that is really, completely, absolutely immaterial to the rest of your life?
So embrace who you are, and what you look like! If you are happy, who gives a fiddlers what anyone else thinks?
Body image.
Here's another truth for you - no one human being is capable of looking into a mirror and seeing what they really look like. For giggles, try and visualize the details of your own face, or a loved one's face. It's very hard, isn't it? No matter what you do, you can't get the little bits and pieces of your own image to quite line up, right? I don't mean the far away pose your brain memorized after seeing it in a photo...I mean how you really look. Freckles, zits, stray hairs, wrinkles, gray and all.
Yeah, I thought so.
Psychology Today (in conjunction with someone getting their PHD) did a study a few years ago that said that most people see themselves as 20% heavier than they actually are. I certainly remind myself this every time I look in the mirror - I'm at a good weight, I'd like to be thinner, but I know the health complications that occur when I drop below a certain weight, and I'm not going there. But honestly, when I look at myself I really don't see that.
Just like many of us, I have the Words From the Past echoing in my head: your hips are too big, if you had bigger boobs no one would mention your stomach fat, your legs are too scrawny, your nose is too big. We all have this litany, and we use it to beat ourselves up with whenever we feel low or happen to catch an unflattering glimpse of ourselves in the mirror.
We go through phases, I think, depending on what’s happening in our lives. If things are going great, we feel good, and by extension feel good about our bodies, and are inclined to be more accepting. When times are bad, and especially if we feel like things are out of our immediate control – we turn to the one thing that IS in our control – our bodies. Some of us eat for comfort, some of us look at food like it’s Number 1 on the FBI’s Most Wanted List. I started out exercising like a mad woman because I was unhappy; now it’s become a part of me, and has become something that I do because I enjoy the way it makes me feel. Some people run out and try new haircuts, or new clothing styles, or new cars, or take up new hobbies….and none of this matters, and doesn’t do a thing to address how you feel about yourself.
It used to really hurt my feelings when people, either out of ill will or out of a sincerely good intention, would make comments about my body. I’ve been hearing this kind of crap since I the only little girl wearing glasses on the playground. You reach a point where you are sick of it, and you say “I’m not ever going to be a supermodel, but I’ll do the best with what I’ve got”.
So: yeah, my hips are big. They have some padding – I had them bony once, and having that little body fat is bad for my health. But you know, short of getting out a bone sander and filing them down, there ain’t anything I can do about it.
So: yeah, I don’t have a waist. So what? Mr. Manners pointed out a bathing suit model that was built quite a bit like me (although she had smaller, less long hips). Shortwaisted is IN! Go!
And yes, my nose is (I think) a bit big, my chin not prominent enough, my boobs too small…but to this I say so what? What good does it do to chase the unattainable? Isn’t that bowing to some standard set for beauty that is really, completely, absolutely immaterial to the rest of your life?
So embrace who you are, and what you look like! If you are happy, who gives a fiddlers what anyone else thinks?
I don't normally dole out relationship advice, but Princess Fred and I were chatting and it put me in mind of a few "home truths" if you will.
So for people who have recently left, been booted out of, etc a relationship, here are my two cents:
1. You will never understand why the other person left you (unless there was a real, material cause...met someone else, moving to new city, etc). If someone looks at you across the dinner table and says "I'm not happy"...it's over. You will never be able to understand why...so it's time to accept things with grace and move on. Otherwise you end up spiraling down a black hole of self doubt and neglect.
2. It's never a good idea to ask one's ex "what went wrong". First, I doubt anyone will like the answer. Second, if your idea of what went wrong and the other person's idea are vastly different - you two will continue to fight about it until something else comes up to distract you.
3. You will never meet anyone sitting at home alone. Get your ass out of the house.
4. And don't try to bolster up your self esteem by asking the other person if they still want you. That invites a ginormous bitch slap...and you won't feel good either way.
5. Remember that you are an adult; you do not throw temper tantrums (or shoes). Respect the other person's decision; remember, it's cold comfort to always be right.
6. Everyone is entitled to one post breakup meltdown. Trash your bedroom. Go on a cleaning frenzy. Chop wood. Run. Do something physical to let that extra energy out (or bonkerdom will soon follow).
Right...that's the one monthly post from the person least qualified to dispense relationship advice. LimGal - I hand that particular baton back to you!
So for people who have recently left, been booted out of, etc a relationship, here are my two cents:
1. You will never understand why the other person left you (unless there was a real, material cause...met someone else, moving to new city, etc). If someone looks at you across the dinner table and says "I'm not happy"...it's over. You will never be able to understand why...so it's time to accept things with grace and move on. Otherwise you end up spiraling down a black hole of self doubt and neglect.
2. It's never a good idea to ask one's ex "what went wrong". First, I doubt anyone will like the answer. Second, if your idea of what went wrong and the other person's idea are vastly different - you two will continue to fight about it until something else comes up to distract you.
3. You will never meet anyone sitting at home alone. Get your ass out of the house.
4. And don't try to bolster up your self esteem by asking the other person if they still want you. That invites a ginormous bitch slap...and you won't feel good either way.
5. Remember that you are an adult; you do not throw temper tantrums (or shoes). Respect the other person's decision; remember, it's cold comfort to always be right.
6. Everyone is entitled to one post breakup meltdown. Trash your bedroom. Go on a cleaning frenzy. Chop wood. Run. Do something physical to let that extra energy out (or bonkerdom will soon follow).
Right...that's the one monthly post from the person least qualified to dispense relationship advice. LimGal - I hand that particular baton back to you!
20080108
I am going to vomit
According to the AJC:
"Buford hiker Meredith Emerson was bludgeoned to death and then decapitated, an autopsy released Tuesday revealed.
Dr. Kris Sperry, chief medical examiner for the state of Georgia, said Emerson died from "blunt force trauma to the head," after which she was decapitated, according to a statement released by the GBI."
Poor, poor baby.
"Buford hiker Meredith Emerson was bludgeoned to death and then decapitated, an autopsy released Tuesday revealed.
Dr. Kris Sperry, chief medical examiner for the state of Georgia, said Emerson died from "blunt force trauma to the head," after which she was decapitated, according to a statement released by the GBI."
Poor, poor baby.
20080107
Any readers from the Athens area - another missing woman, also walking her dog in a park, no leads....
http://findcayle.blogspot.com/
I'm sorry, maybe I should turn this into a crime blog.
In Cayle's situation, they have very little information to go on. If you know anyone who lives in the Athens area and who was in the area of Memorial Park on December 29, 2007, please contact the Athens-Clarke County Police immediately.
http://findcayle.blogspot.com/
I'm sorry, maybe I should turn this into a crime blog.
In Cayle's situation, they have very little information to go on. If you know anyone who lives in the Athens area and who was in the area of Memorial Park on December 29, 2007, please contact the Athens-Clarke County Police immediately.
God bless you, Meredith.
I imagine you are wishing I'd cut out my coverage of this issue, aren't you? You are wondering what on earth has gotten me so upset about this case?
What bothers me?
I was thinking about this on Saturday as we drove to the camp, and I was wondering about Ella. Why did he let Ella go? Why did he let Ella go in a public area, where she would be found? He has a dog of his own; did he feel sorry for the dog? I had hopes that perhaps Meredith was alive but being held captive - those hopes were dashed with the discovery of her bloody clothing and id cards. Did he not think that Meredith would have had a chip implanted in Ella, allowing her to be identified and identified quickly?
What runs through a man’s mind when he decides to kill? What was his motive? If he did indeed kill the couple in North Carolina, his motive wasn't sexual - there were no reports of sexual activity at the scene. Did he murder then posthumously rob them? Does he hear voices (if you could see the face I'm making; I don't care if he hears voices - remove him from the gene pool permanently)?
My conjecture is that they met on the trail, and he started talking to her about her dog. Maybe she figured he was a harmless old man, and she walked back down the trail with him to the car. She was getting ready to put Ella in the car...at some point he'd gone to his van and loaded his dog - maybe he had seen her earlier, and maybe he'd parked his van nearby. At any rate, he got lucky - maybe no one was in the parking lot to see him. So he walked up behind her as she was unleashing Ella and struck her in the head with the police baton found at the scene (let's see if there is transfer tissue present, and let's see who it belongs to. Bet there is tissue there from Meredith and the N.C. woman). He's now knocked her out, and puts her in the back seat of his van - pieces of a seatbelt containing transfer bloodstain were found in the trash at the QuickTrip in Cumming. What did he do then? He obviously took her somewhere, and I don't think she was dead...so...what? Did he take her somewhere and dump her, leaving her to slowly die as she was exposed to the elements, unconscious and suffering a brain injury? Did he take her somewhere and finish the job he started? Did he just dump her, or did he try and bury her?
To the tipster who spotted Hilton cleaning his van and called it in – anonymous as you are, you are my hero. You were aware, you saw the man, you called the police – he could have been underground forever if not for your keen eyes and sense of justice. Thank you.
I'm just livid. I can honestly say I hate this man, and I don't actually hate anyone. I hope this man dies, and I hope he dies slowly and in great pain.
Maybe some people think Meredith was at fault here, maybe she took a risk.
I’ll tell you Meredith thought: it’s the middle of the day, I have my dog, this is a busy trail with lots of people, there’s nothing to worry about. I really hope that she never regained consciousness – I hope that she had no idea that her faith and idealism in her fellow man was going to be destroyed by some lunatic. And she should have been right - she had a right to expect that she would be safe. This case talks to me because I too enjoy my walking and hiking time, especially when I can get out by myself. I find it soothing, and therapeutic, and have since I was a small child and would walk the beach for miles. In fact, I walked three miles in my neighborhood today. I didn’t give it a second thought, and I take precautions when I walk and am always aware of my surroundings. I’m a woman – we make natural victims, so I am always alert and aware. Meredith was so young, so vibrant, so pretty and was just starting her life. She had a right to freedom just like everyone else. She had a right to exist, and some brain lacking faking demented homeless freak took it away from her. She should have been looking forward to going to work, dating, and dreaming about the future.
Instead, she’s dead.
Her parents have lost a daughter.
Her friends have lost a bright smile.
Ella has lost her mommy.
For what?
What bothers me?
I was thinking about this on Saturday as we drove to the camp, and I was wondering about Ella. Why did he let Ella go? Why did he let Ella go in a public area, where she would be found? He has a dog of his own; did he feel sorry for the dog? I had hopes that perhaps Meredith was alive but being held captive - those hopes were dashed with the discovery of her bloody clothing and id cards. Did he not think that Meredith would have had a chip implanted in Ella, allowing her to be identified and identified quickly?
What runs through a man’s mind when he decides to kill? What was his motive? If he did indeed kill the couple in North Carolina, his motive wasn't sexual - there were no reports of sexual activity at the scene. Did he murder then posthumously rob them? Does he hear voices (if you could see the face I'm making; I don't care if he hears voices - remove him from the gene pool permanently)?
My conjecture is that they met on the trail, and he started talking to her about her dog. Maybe she figured he was a harmless old man, and she walked back down the trail with him to the car. She was getting ready to put Ella in the car...at some point he'd gone to his van and loaded his dog - maybe he had seen her earlier, and maybe he'd parked his van nearby. At any rate, he got lucky - maybe no one was in the parking lot to see him. So he walked up behind her as she was unleashing Ella and struck her in the head with the police baton found at the scene (let's see if there is transfer tissue present, and let's see who it belongs to. Bet there is tissue there from Meredith and the N.C. woman). He's now knocked her out, and puts her in the back seat of his van - pieces of a seatbelt containing transfer bloodstain were found in the trash at the QuickTrip in Cumming. What did he do then? He obviously took her somewhere, and I don't think she was dead...so...what? Did he take her somewhere and dump her, leaving her to slowly die as she was exposed to the elements, unconscious and suffering a brain injury? Did he take her somewhere and finish the job he started? Did he just dump her, or did he try and bury her?
To the tipster who spotted Hilton cleaning his van and called it in – anonymous as you are, you are my hero. You were aware, you saw the man, you called the police – he could have been underground forever if not for your keen eyes and sense of justice. Thank you.
I'm just livid. I can honestly say I hate this man, and I don't actually hate anyone. I hope this man dies, and I hope he dies slowly and in great pain.
Maybe some people think Meredith was at fault here, maybe she took a risk.
I’ll tell you Meredith thought: it’s the middle of the day, I have my dog, this is a busy trail with lots of people, there’s nothing to worry about. I really hope that she never regained consciousness – I hope that she had no idea that her faith and idealism in her fellow man was going to be destroyed by some lunatic. And she should have been right - she had a right to expect that she would be safe. This case talks to me because I too enjoy my walking and hiking time, especially when I can get out by myself. I find it soothing, and therapeutic, and have since I was a small child and would walk the beach for miles. In fact, I walked three miles in my neighborhood today. I didn’t give it a second thought, and I take precautions when I walk and am always aware of my surroundings. I’m a woman – we make natural victims, so I am always alert and aware. Meredith was so young, so vibrant, so pretty and was just starting her life. She had a right to freedom just like everyone else. She had a right to exist, and some brain lacking faking demented homeless freak took it away from her. She should have been looking forward to going to work, dating, and dreaming about the future.
Instead, she’s dead.
Her parents have lost a daughter.
Her friends have lost a bright smile.
Ella has lost her mommy.
For what?
It isn't looking so good for Meredith. Friday, police found Hilton vaccuming and washing out the back of his van.
Previously, they had found Meredith's ID, driver's license, and some bloody fleece clothing as well as a bloody piece of seatbelt in a dumpster near the Kroger where her dog was recovered (thank goodness for microchips!).
What area of the van was Mr. Hilton attempting to clean when they found him?
You got it.
He also, in another striking similarity to the NC crimes, was spotted trying to use her ATM card.
He's not talking but authorities have now said they are doing a "remains recovery" search.
Previously, they had found Meredith's ID, driver's license, and some bloody fleece clothing as well as a bloody piece of seatbelt in a dumpster near the Kroger where her dog was recovered (thank goodness for microchips!).
What area of the van was Mr. Hilton attempting to clean when they found him?
You got it.
He also, in another striking similarity to the NC crimes, was spotted trying to use her ATM card.
He's not talking but authorities have now said they are doing a "remains recovery" search.
20080104
Two things:
They found the creep, er sorry, "person" of interest on Ashford Dunwoody Road, at a convienance store (there aren't too many on AD Road...so only about three probable pick up locations).
Meredith's dog Ella was found at a Kroger in Cumming.
I thought Vogel and Cumming were a bit far, so I checked a state parks map, and I'm right. While it's possible that the dog could have covered that much terrain in three days, it's not likely. How did Ella get to that Kroger?
They found the creep, er sorry, "person" of interest on Ashford Dunwoody Road, at a convienance store (there aren't too many on AD Road...so only about three probable pick up locations).
Meredith's dog Ella was found at a Kroger in Cumming.
I thought Vogel and Cumming were a bit far, so I checked a state parks map, and I'm right. While it's possible that the dog could have covered that much terrain in three days, it's not likely. How did Ella get to that Kroger?
Another day, another Titney Spears story.
Y'all saw those photos of her strapped to the gurney and grinning like a fool?
Someone was high last night, alright.
The judge in the custody case needs to get serious and quit fucking around. Any other Family and Child Services Court would have long ago taken the boys away - she is getting the special treatment because of her fame and money. One of her sons went to the hospital too!
Britney deserves to lose custody of her children on a permanent basis. She needs treatment...in fact, the best thing that could happen to her is that she never have a career again, that she stop making music, and that she retire from the limelight and live a private life. She needs people in her life to tell her no....but losing the children has to be a step in the right direction. You just can't be a wasted bitch all the time, be disrespectful to everyone in your life, and piss on the court system because you are rich.
On that note, if she keeps spending like she does (what was it....$640,000 A MONTH), she'll be broke soon enough.
She can say hello to MC Hammer.
Hammertime!
Y'all saw those photos of her strapped to the gurney and grinning like a fool?
Someone was high last night, alright.
The judge in the custody case needs to get serious and quit fucking around. Any other Family and Child Services Court would have long ago taken the boys away - she is getting the special treatment because of her fame and money. One of her sons went to the hospital too!
Britney deserves to lose custody of her children on a permanent basis. She needs treatment...in fact, the best thing that could happen to her is that she never have a career again, that she stop making music, and that she retire from the limelight and live a private life. She needs people in her life to tell her no....but losing the children has to be a step in the right direction. You just can't be a wasted bitch all the time, be disrespectful to everyone in your life, and piss on the court system because you are rich.
On that note, if she keeps spending like she does (what was it....$640,000 A MONTH), she'll be broke soon enough.
She can say hello to MC Hammer.
Hammertime!
Facts:
Meredith Hope Emerson, 24, of Buford, GA and her dog Ella as missing after a New Years hike in the North Georgia Mountains.
Ella's leash has been found, and a water bottle belonging to Meredith has been found.
Meredith has been missing since Tuesday.
The trail she was hiking is six miles long.
The park is 20,000 acres.
Over 100 people from N. GA have shown up to volunteer for the search, as well as the GBI and various law enforcement officials.
Other hikers reported seeing her speaking to an older man on the trail.
Supposition:
Gary Michael Hilton is wanted as a "person of interest", having been the last person to see Meredith. Where is he? If he is innocent, why hasn't he turned himself in?
Video footage has been obtained showing a man wearing a jacket identical to the one Hilton wore hiking withdrawing money from a dead couple's ATM machine weeks prior.
Other facts:
The elderly couple also liked to hike: the wife was found beaten to death after the couple was reported missing. The husband has not been found.
It pleases me that people who were just in the arena, tourists and residents and hunters and hikers alike all showed up at the park to search for Meredith. That gives me hope for humanity.
Gary Michael Hilton does not.
Meredith Hope Emerson, 24, of Buford, GA and her dog Ella as missing after a New Years hike in the North Georgia Mountains.
Ella's leash has been found, and a water bottle belonging to Meredith has been found.
Meredith has been missing since Tuesday.
The trail she was hiking is six miles long.
The park is 20,000 acres.
Over 100 people from N. GA have shown up to volunteer for the search, as well as the GBI and various law enforcement officials.
Other hikers reported seeing her speaking to an older man on the trail.
Supposition:
Gary Michael Hilton is wanted as a "person of interest", having been the last person to see Meredith. Where is he? If he is innocent, why hasn't he turned himself in?
Video footage has been obtained showing a man wearing a jacket identical to the one Hilton wore hiking withdrawing money from a dead couple's ATM machine weeks prior.
Other facts:
The elderly couple also liked to hike: the wife was found beaten to death after the couple was reported missing. The husband has not been found.
It pleases me that people who were just in the arena, tourists and residents and hunters and hikers alike all showed up at the park to search for Meredith. That gives me hope for humanity.
Gary Michael Hilton does not.
20080103
Reading a wee article this morning in the NY Times about the first (evidently) builder to file bankruptcy post collapse of the sub prime market.
Levitt and Sons, currently operating out of Florida, was essentially building luxury retirement properties in South and North Carolina, and Florida.
What is shameful to me is that the company took people's money - $60,000, $59,000 - as deposits on houses that will NEVER be built. Wachovia has agreed to loan Levitt the millions of dollars it will take them to complete 80 houses in one development. Good for Wachovia. Levitt won't be building all the amenities it promised these homeowners, which the potential homeowners claim was part and parcel of the sales price of the house. Levitt won't reneogtiate contracts, and has no "due date" on the completion of these properties.
Broken record here, but: don't spend what you don't have. What on EARTH was Levitt doing, selling property to people that it had NO WAY to pay for?
Apologies if anyone is offended, but if you can't afford to pay your mortgage, you don't need to own a house. If you can't afford to pay your regular revolving debt, you can't afford a house. If you don't have a job, you can't afford a house. If you can't demonstrate your income, you shouldn't be ABLE to get a loan for a house. If you can't demonstrate the source of any of your money, you shouldn't be able to get a loan for a house.
It's really simple.
Everyone, from politicos to little ole newshounds, continues to bemoan the sub prime crisis and it's ties to our shitty economy. We talk about bail out plans, government agencies step in to negotiate freeze in interest hikes, and everyone pats themselves on the back in a spirit of "well done" itiveness.
I got news for you - this is all bullshit.
The market overreached itself, and it will correct. Those that should have bought houses legitimately will be ok; those that bought houses beyond their means or were uneducated about the programs they were sold - I'm sorry, but you guys are shit out of luck. I'm not bailing you out - why should Joe have to pay for Jane's ignorance?
So: leave the market's alone. Let them correct themselves. The housing market will bottom, will stay at the bottom, and then will slowly right itself over a span of the next three years.
In the meantime, save your money. Pay off all debt that is not fixed interest. Pay off those credit cards, because just as sure as the sun rises, the credit card industry will continue looking for ways to screw you (no grace, advanced delinquency pricing). Remember that we are currently in a buyers market for cars and houses. I don't personally recommend putting your money into the stock market; but if you do please diversify and consider international markets as well, as at the moment they seem more stable, more liquid, and have more room for growth.
We have power as consumers. Isn't it time we exercised it?
Levitt and Sons, currently operating out of Florida, was essentially building luxury retirement properties in South and North Carolina, and Florida.
What is shameful to me is that the company took people's money - $60,000, $59,000 - as deposits on houses that will NEVER be built. Wachovia has agreed to loan Levitt the millions of dollars it will take them to complete 80 houses in one development. Good for Wachovia. Levitt won't be building all the amenities it promised these homeowners, which the potential homeowners claim was part and parcel of the sales price of the house. Levitt won't reneogtiate contracts, and has no "due date" on the completion of these properties.
Broken record here, but: don't spend what you don't have. What on EARTH was Levitt doing, selling property to people that it had NO WAY to pay for?
Apologies if anyone is offended, but if you can't afford to pay your mortgage, you don't need to own a house. If you can't afford to pay your regular revolving debt, you can't afford a house. If you don't have a job, you can't afford a house. If you can't demonstrate your income, you shouldn't be ABLE to get a loan for a house. If you can't demonstrate the source of any of your money, you shouldn't be able to get a loan for a house.
It's really simple.
Everyone, from politicos to little ole newshounds, continues to bemoan the sub prime crisis and it's ties to our shitty economy. We talk about bail out plans, government agencies step in to negotiate freeze in interest hikes, and everyone pats themselves on the back in a spirit of "well done" itiveness.
I got news for you - this is all bullshit.
The market overreached itself, and it will correct. Those that should have bought houses legitimately will be ok; those that bought houses beyond their means or were uneducated about the programs they were sold - I'm sorry, but you guys are shit out of luck. I'm not bailing you out - why should Joe have to pay for Jane's ignorance?
So: leave the market's alone. Let them correct themselves. The housing market will bottom, will stay at the bottom, and then will slowly right itself over a span of the next three years.
In the meantime, save your money. Pay off all debt that is not fixed interest. Pay off those credit cards, because just as sure as the sun rises, the credit card industry will continue looking for ways to screw you (no grace, advanced delinquency pricing). Remember that we are currently in a buyers market for cars and houses. I don't personally recommend putting your money into the stock market; but if you do please diversify and consider international markets as well, as at the moment they seem more stable, more liquid, and have more room for growth.
We have power as consumers. Isn't it time we exercised it?
20080102
Eminent Domain
Eminent Domain (or compulsory purchase, for those other folk of you on the English Common Law system).
Surely you are familiar with the concept – this legal concept allows a government (or government agency) to seize one’s personal property without the owner’s consent. Not personal property as in your clothes, etc. Personal property such as your land, your home, your business.
The last, oh, five decades worth of court hearings have held that the government may NOT cease your land unless they can demonstrate that the seizure will benefit the public at large – roads, utilities, military bases. This legal concept has been used in the past to rid cities of public housing – economic redevelopment at it’s finest (ridding yourself of folks who don’t pay taxes or who pay very little for people or companies who can generate tax revenue).
There’s been a case kicking around the Georgia legal system for a few years where a city attempted to condemn an active business so that they could offer them a low ball price for their land in order to build a new city hall. The couple who owned the business would have sold their land to the government, had the government offered a fair market value. Was this done? Nooooo. That particular government agency offered a price that was less than half the fair market; when the owner’s declined to accept the offer, the agency went to court to have this property condemned.
I don’t mean condemned like one condemns a slum lord’s apartment property for having rats and no running water. I mean condemn as into transfer a title from an individual to a government entity.
Now, these folks had an active business in the downtown area of a small city. They paid taxes, they employed staff, they contributed to the economy.
The local government decided that none of this mattered – they wanted that land for a new city hall, by golly, and they were going to get it.
Two years later, finally listening to the rumblings of the public and paying attention to the rulings of other states (and the Supreme Court’s own admission that states had the right to pass their own laws; in light of Kelo v. City of New London that’s a pretty good idea to a bad freaking law), the city settled, paid the legal fees plus interest of the couple, and plans to build their city hall down the street.
I understand the legal necessity of eminent domain. Governments need to be able to buy out or move people in the way – dams would never be built, new roads would never be built, etc. That’s fine. I can see the good for the general public. I take issue with Kelo v. City of New London because the city chose to condemn the homes of private citizens in an area it planned to raze and sell to a developer – the homes were small, old, but largely owned by their occupants. Their occupants were offered a price, they refused, and sued. And they lost – the Supreme Court upheld the right of governments to use eminent domain to seize land that could be repurposed to generate higher tax revenue.
While this ruling may have been in the meaning of the law, it certainly isn’t in the spirit. This says that the state of Georgia can come in, offer me $50,000 for my house, if I refuse, condemn it, and then sell my entire neighborhood to…hm…Wal-Mart. More tax revenue, right? Employs people? For the greater good.
Kiss my ass.
Surely you are familiar with the concept – this legal concept allows a government (or government agency) to seize one’s personal property without the owner’s consent. Not personal property as in your clothes, etc. Personal property such as your land, your home, your business.
The last, oh, five decades worth of court hearings have held that the government may NOT cease your land unless they can demonstrate that the seizure will benefit the public at large – roads, utilities, military bases. This legal concept has been used in the past to rid cities of public housing – economic redevelopment at it’s finest (ridding yourself of folks who don’t pay taxes or who pay very little for people or companies who can generate tax revenue).
There’s been a case kicking around the Georgia legal system for a few years where a city attempted to condemn an active business so that they could offer them a low ball price for their land in order to build a new city hall. The couple who owned the business would have sold their land to the government, had the government offered a fair market value. Was this done? Nooooo. That particular government agency offered a price that was less than half the fair market; when the owner’s declined to accept the offer, the agency went to court to have this property condemned.
I don’t mean condemned like one condemns a slum lord’s apartment property for having rats and no running water. I mean condemn as into transfer a title from an individual to a government entity.
Now, these folks had an active business in the downtown area of a small city. They paid taxes, they employed staff, they contributed to the economy.
The local government decided that none of this mattered – they wanted that land for a new city hall, by golly, and they were going to get it.
Two years later, finally listening to the rumblings of the public and paying attention to the rulings of other states (and the Supreme Court’s own admission that states had the right to pass their own laws; in light of Kelo v. City of New London that’s a pretty good idea to a bad freaking law), the city settled, paid the legal fees plus interest of the couple, and plans to build their city hall down the street.
I understand the legal necessity of eminent domain. Governments need to be able to buy out or move people in the way – dams would never be built, new roads would never be built, etc. That’s fine. I can see the good for the general public. I take issue with Kelo v. City of New London because the city chose to condemn the homes of private citizens in an area it planned to raze and sell to a developer – the homes were small, old, but largely owned by their occupants. Their occupants were offered a price, they refused, and sued. And they lost – the Supreme Court upheld the right of governments to use eminent domain to seize land that could be repurposed to generate higher tax revenue.
While this ruling may have been in the meaning of the law, it certainly isn’t in the spirit. This says that the state of Georgia can come in, offer me $50,000 for my house, if I refuse, condemn it, and then sell my entire neighborhood to…hm…Wal-Mart. More tax revenue, right? Employs people? For the greater good.
Kiss my ass.
Food
In spite of the earlier post about my breakfast sandwich, I really am not a food person. There are some people who really just adore food, who can't wait to taste the newest trend, or who just like what they like but like it a great deal.
I'm not one of those people.
I eat food to make myself feel better, literally. I mean, when my energy level is low, it's usually because I haven't eaten. If I'm cranky, it's because I haven't eaten. If I'm whiny, it's because I haven't eaten.
Yes, I'm one of those stand in the kitchen and whine "there's nothing to EAT" kind of people.
I like what I like, sure...and there are some things I'll eat till I puke (not literally)...shrimp, pepperoni pizza, turkey, steak, rice. Oh yes - noodles with marinara sauce and cheese!!!! Other things...not so much.
And eating too much makes me feel bad! When my clothes don't fit, or I get on the scale and see I've cracked my weight threshold, I don't want to eat. It's that simple. I like to be skinny, I have worked hard to be skinny, and damnit, I'm going to stay that way.
So a bacon, egg and cheese once every two months isn't the worst thing, is it? It's not like I'm eating a whole gallon of ice cream, or a whole bag of potato chips..if I snack I'm eating newtons, or carrots, or dry Cheerios.
Don't know why I'm writing this, to be honest. Just one of those food blogs that had to come out.
I'm not one of those people.
I eat food to make myself feel better, literally. I mean, when my energy level is low, it's usually because I haven't eaten. If I'm cranky, it's because I haven't eaten. If I'm whiny, it's because I haven't eaten.
Yes, I'm one of those stand in the kitchen and whine "there's nothing to EAT" kind of people.
I like what I like, sure...and there are some things I'll eat till I puke (not literally)...shrimp, pepperoni pizza, turkey, steak, rice. Oh yes - noodles with marinara sauce and cheese!!!! Other things...not so much.
And eating too much makes me feel bad! When my clothes don't fit, or I get on the scale and see I've cracked my weight threshold, I don't want to eat. It's that simple. I like to be skinny, I have worked hard to be skinny, and damnit, I'm going to stay that way.
So a bacon, egg and cheese once every two months isn't the worst thing, is it? It's not like I'm eating a whole gallon of ice cream, or a whole bag of potato chips..if I snack I'm eating newtons, or carrots, or dry Cheerios.
Don't know why I'm writing this, to be honest. Just one of those food blogs that had to come out.
Here are my list of questions for the day:
1. Why don't people listen?
2. Why don't people let you finish your sentence before interrupting?
3. Why does everyone take every serious discussion as a personal attack?
4. Why don't people learn that silence is quite often the most golden thing you can have?
5. Why didn't I just take this whole week off?
6. Why do my employees feel the need to phone stalk me, when I don't answer their call? Just leave a message!!! I got it!!
But...on the bright side...I haven't had a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich in months, and I did this morning.
And it was good.
So sayeth my arteries.
Happy New Year!
1. Why don't people listen?
2. Why don't people let you finish your sentence before interrupting?
3. Why does everyone take every serious discussion as a personal attack?
4. Why don't people learn that silence is quite often the most golden thing you can have?
5. Why didn't I just take this whole week off?
6. Why do my employees feel the need to phone stalk me, when I don't answer their call? Just leave a message!!! I got it!!
But...on the bright side...I haven't had a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich in months, and I did this morning.
And it was good.
So sayeth my arteries.
Happy New Year!
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