Ooooh that waskally wabbit

Ugh, I really don't know what can be done anymore, I feel as though we must have been drugged, and are doomed to carry on in a state of utter apathy and drool, it's the only explanation I can think of for the current State of the Union. Did he slip us a roofie, put a Mickey in our cocktail, was it a tryptophan overdose??? How do we continue to let things slide? It is truly mind boggling to know just how little we actually care about this Democracy, our Government, and not mind being the biggest schmucks in the history of the world. But I still am a patriotic girl who longs for the days when our flag proudly stated "Don't tread on me", who soulfully misses my government, the separation of powers, checks and balances, the fact that the only true presidential power is the power to persuade, and rockin' the vote! Some nights I fall asleep listening to the Nightly Business Report on PBS, and lately I have been having the most horrible nightmares, I wake up, panicked, sweating that our economy has collapsed and all student loans have been eliminated! It's all too hard on a girl! As sharing, and specifically sharing information, is the most amazing thing, it really makes me happy, I would like to share with you, this fantastic article from Slate.com, which I hope is fuel for those apathy blues, perhaps it could be the springboard some revolutionary ideologies...oh silly tormenting pipedreams.

Word to Rodney King

It ain't easy being an atheist; seeking logic and truth over fear and judgement; wanting to know what is real and tangible, disowning faith and interpretation. My parent's struggle with my ideologies, what neat little box to put me in, stumps them time and again, and the conversation inevitably arrises on what a hypocrite I am for being atheist and wanting to celebrate Christmas. In ethics we learn that doing the greater good is paramount, religion promises a reward at the end of our human struggle for doing good deeds; be it soul salvation, or enlightened reincarnation. Is being good for fear of landing in hell really being good at all, does that count? Being an atheist means that I have to try and be a good person, just for me, I have to try to treat people right, the first time. There is no soul salvation, no confessional for me to relieve my sins. If I fail in my efforts to be good I have to rely on the forgiveness or forgetfulness of actual human beings, and they can hold some grudges! I do love the core of several religions. I think that many eastern theologies are beautiful in their doctrines, I admire the virtues they posses. We all need rules to live by, guidlines to define who we are, the kind of person we strive to be, the way we should treat others whom share this tiny, insignificant planet with us. How to derive those rules is a personal choice, but is it important to remember that all religions, philosophies, theologies are man-made ideas, so they are inherently flawed, imperfect creations that we should know better than to put all of our faith in. Having beliefs which are too strong leaves little room for questions, for provocative thought, some fresh air. You lose the abilty to change your mind if you believe in anything to strongly. Not believing in God leaves more room for me to have faith in love, family, friends, the goodness of human nature, the infallible comedy of Monty Python, the perfection of a fish taco and a beer, and the joy in making snowmen in your pajamas while your neighboors think you have gone looney. As for Christmas, I just think it is nice to set aside a day to show your appreciation for your friends and family, giving little gifts of gratitude to the people whom you need the most in life is just nice. And the retail community tends to agree.

No, you go, I insist...

I recently went ice skating with a friend. His Mom is a former professional figure skater, so naturaly he is a good skater. He came equiped with his own fancy schmancy skates with nice little blade covers and waited in line with me as I rented my worn and stinky hockey skates. He was irritated by the condition of the ice, which looked as if the zamboni hadn't glazed over it for at least a decade, but this didn't bother me in the least; he seemed irritated by how crowded the rink was, the kids falling with out warning right in front of you. I thought it made the ice skating a bit more like dodge ball, it added an extra element of danger on the ice. I really like to go ice skating, but I am complete crap at it. My friend was under the misconception that I actually had a bit of talent on the ice, though I never alluded to this! I had so much fun, and I didn't fall once. I felt as if I was holding my skating partner back though, and I could tell he was thinking the same. He seemed surprised that I could have fun at something that I so blatently suck at, and I do, all the time, is that so odd? I don't seem to have a competitive bone in my body, and I for sure don't mind publicly humiliating myself in the name of fun. Have I no shame? I like to do loads of things that I am total rubbish at, why should the fact that I have no skills at something stop me from having a good time? Apparently, some of my friends actually like to only do things they are good at, with people who are good at these things. I can't imagine anything more dull, but then again, they have decided to keep me on the sidelines to fetch water and cheer them on. I seem to be quite good at that. I love to go karting, ride dirt bikes, go climbing, play football, tennis, ice skating, swimming, play croquet, kickball; these things are loads of fun and they make me happy; and yet I totaly suck at all of them. I just don't see the importance of taking such simple pleasures so seriously, of being a competitive person while doing something for fun, things stop being fun when people play too competitively; there seems to be enough in life to actually take seriously. For the record, my friend said that I was exceptionally mediocre at skating, and that's okay, I don't mind being an exceptionally mediocre ice skater. Being mediocre at the things in life that are really important, the things that really matter, well, that would be unbearable.

Waxing Poetic

Winter always makes me a bit nostalgic, and Al Green always makes me feel like home. A life lived without a broken heart is one not lived at all really, living breaks your heart, if you love the human race enough. Al Green makes my soul ache and feel glorious all at the same time, I just feel like posting one of my favorite songs today, not that I am particularly glum, just missing summer, sand in my toes and the warm sun beating on my shoulders. The deadness of winter makes me long for the lushness of spring, and Al Green seems to encapsulate the way winter makes my silly innards feel, the longing I have for a trip to the beach right now. Old man winter, please be on your way, you are making this Aquarius life total drudgery, and this cold wind is breaking my heart!

"I can think of younger days when living for my life
Was everything a man could want to do.
I could never see tomorrow, but I was never told about the sorrow.
And how can you mend a broken heart?
How can you stop the rain from falling down?
How can you stop the sun from shining?
What makes the world go round?
How can you mend a this broken man?
How can a loser ever win?
Please help me mend my broken heart and let me live again.
I can still feel the breeze that rustles through the trees
And misty memories of days gone by
We could never see tomorrow, noone said a word about the sorrow.
And how can you mend a broken heart?
How can you stop the rain from falling down?
How can you stop the sun from shining?
What makes the world go round?
How can you mend this broken man?
How can a loser ever win?
Please help me mend my broken heart and let me live again."

Follow that Peanut

I love Jimmy Carter. I thought it was just a crush, then there he was, on Hardball, and his convictions and ideologies were so inspiring, I found myself cheering out loud for the quite, little man. I knew it was love. He has been on a book tour, doing the regular circuit, and I never want to miss his apperance. I wish that he was 20 years younger, and we could elect him President again, I would be so proud, I would get tee-shirts made with his big grin plastered across and wear them every day! I think that term limitations are fantastic, it is so relieving to know that George has to be gone in 3 years, and can never, ever come back. But I also think we should have an option, in case we get a really good one, to let him stay on a bit longer. I would have liked to let Bill have another four or eight years, he was doing a better than decent job, he did after all balance the budget, his fiscal policy was brilliant, and maybe given a little longer things could have been made even better. I think it would be grand to let Jimmy have another go, and give him as long as he wants, he will end that trite silly trade embargo, and we can all enjoy Cuban Rum, Sugar & Coffee, he will keep us in Peace and work on all of those Human Rights Abuses in the World. It would be nice to at least have the option of re-electing an incumbent if we want, or bring back a former President to clean things up. Maybe the next one won't be so bad, I think we have learned our lesson, at least I hope, I am pulling for Evan Bayh for the next election, I have just a small crush on him, but it could be love if he could turn out to be a little more like Jimmy.

The Daily Grind

I really don't mind public cell usage, to say that I did would make me a hypocrite on a fairly large scale. There are times when it is quite rude, say for instance, in line getting coffee or in a job interview, but in general I find people to at least try to be discreet. Now occasionly there are moments when one needs to take or make a call on the CTA, to arrange a meeting place, or change your estimated time of arrival, these things are expected and swell if you try to hold the conversation on the DL, but what really gets my goat is That Chick. The one who's on the cell at the platform, gets in the train, sits down, and continues with out missing a beat "oh my god, get out, no way! Holly crap, he did, wtf! That is so not cool, oh my god, no way, so anyway, we were at High Tops, and he was totally hitting on this total whore, and I was all like wtf man, and I just started dancing and messing around with this other guy, and he was all like wtf? Anyway, blah, blah, blah...." For the entire commute fellow passengers are subjected to this crap conversation, and That Chick carries on as if we should somehow feel privileged to be a part of her social drama. In my head, I have this vision of my normal tolerant non-violent self wacking her repeatedly in the shoulder with her cell, yelling shut-up, shut-up, shut-up, in reality, I try my best to ignore the sound reminiscent of nails scraping on the chalk board. If I have to listen to your conversation, for once I wish it would be something really cool, I want to to hear about some great upcoming show that hasn't been announced yet, or some fantastic book you just read, some amazing movie, or some other event that is going to make me glad you disrupted the Sarah Vowell book I was reading! If you must carry on a conversation while riding public transportation, let the CTA be your platform to share some useful information with your fellow riders, have a conversation we actually want to evesdrop in on, and thank you for riding the CTA.

Buckingham Fountain

As a civics geek, I love elections, I love voting, and lately I have been thinking loads about the next election. I have this wacky idea. I would love it if everyone who could register to vote, did, in mass. Come election day, after all the usual mud-slinging, the debates, the tours, and we are still stuck choosing between the lesser of two evils, we boycott the election! We refuse to vote for anyone until the system changes, until we can truley create a democracy, one we want to stand up for. I am tired of being made a schmuck out of by the corruption in our leadership. I am tired of the apathy, and I have a hankering for a good old fashioned American Revolution! I realize the wackiness of my fantasy, polictical apathy is a harder habit to kick than high-fructose corn syrup addiction. But can't you just imagine it, just for a minute, if we stood up for ourselves? We wouldn't be in the pickle we are in now if we had learned to do it 5 years ago, if we had the balls to say we demand a recount, we demand that our democracy be fair, and that it not come with a for sale sign. How I long to not be an American right now, not the way the rest of the world sees us, it's humiliating, and we have a say, instead of standing up for ourselves we resort to reinforcing the typical stupid, fat, lazy stereotype pinned on us, and quite righteously I think. So I am left to wonder, how do you fire up a nation, how do you share information with a country full of people with their fingers in their ears singing na na na na na, I can't hear you? I am going to find out how, and maybe someday, after we clean up our messes, improve our infastructure, health care, education, economy, humanity, and become a progressive tolerant nation it will be quite a nice place to live.