Friday, August 29, 2008

Friday Five

1. I am utterly, totally sleep-deprived. Between the Olympics and the DNC, I have spent entirely too much time glued to the TV lately.

But - I loved the convention. I am heartbroken I couldn't be there (Denver is only 2.5 hours away. So close! Yet, so far away.). I loved that "women's issues" were presented (rightly so) as more than just the conversation around abortion, but the right to better and equal pay, safety from violence, reliable access to effective health care and better schools. A tad more encompassing, seeing as how women are a bit more complicated than simply having uteruses. Nice.

And though I really wish someone would make a more concrete stand for gay rights, I like that, at the very least, equal access to "heteronormative" rights for gays and lesbians was brought up and brought up often. Smacks a bit too much of "separate but equal" but at least the battle is moving forward and is in the public, and out of the closet. 
Oh, and check this out! Biden not only uses public transportation every day, he loves and fights for it! *crush*

I am going to watch a bit of the RNC, but will have to meditate beforehand and remind myself over and over to listen and to try and control my legendary disbelief and anger whenever I hear something from the Official Repbulican Machine. NPR did a story yesterday about what RNC delegates adopted as the official RNC platform and holy shit - I was frothing at the mouth. Really?! I doubt McCain will campaign on some of the issues because as much as I dislike him, I don't think he is actually that crazy. He is not actually Cheney. I know and love many Republicans and can respect
some of the party's positions, but The Machine just about kills me. I mean, really????!!!!

(I love to follow politics, so be warned, there will be rants and exclamations popping up here for the next couple of months. I will be respectful -- and feel free to respectfully point out to me if I forget that promise -- but I won't kowtow to anyone. Feel free to comment if you like, but I'll delete any comments that are cruel, rude, or attack me or anyone else commenting on this site. Just saying.)

2. A. and I now have seven healthy, happy nieces and nephews! A.'s little sister, B., delivered C. a week ago Wednesday. As B., puts it, it "was a very comfortable labor," Wha...? She is a better woman than I, clearly. And - Little C. is the second of only two nieces and I am rather antsy to start spoiling her rotten.

3. A snippet of an exchange between A. and I one morning lst week:

[A., was watching this awesome, awesome show on the History channel called Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed while I puttered around the kitchen, getting ready for work.]


A.: Man, these commentors on the show are really getting into a lot of philosophical conversations about Star Wars. This is so cool.

Me: This is the kind of thing you do in American Studies. I swear, you should go into American Studies. You'd be so good at it.

A.: Oh, you missed it. The folks on the show were talking about how weird it was to [interview? do a panel with, I don't remember because I am old] with Stephen Colbert becasue it is weird to see him as him self, not as Stephen Colbert of the Colbert Report.

Me: Oh! I bet it would be strange. In a weird way, I expect him to be in character all the time. I think of it as a character, and that he would be in character but I, oddly, think he would be in it all the time.

A.: Yeah, I know. Right after they talked about this I flipped to the Comedy Channel during a commercial and the Colbert Report was on. It was weird.

Me: Who says postmodernism is dead?

A.: Exactly.

I am with the perfect man. A casual chit chat about Colbert and postmodernism and Star Wars, all before breakfast? AWESOME.

4. I've had the same coffee travel mug for 14 years. It may be time for a new one. The adorable local kitchen store has a cute stainless steel one with a yogi in the Tree Pose on it. It has occupied my mind for, oh, the last three months. I think I really want it.

5. A. and I are meeting another couple in the mountains tonight. We are going to go fly-fishing (woo hoo!!!) for the first day, and then will spend the second day harvesting wood, mostly dead aspens. It should be a great weekend! The dogs are going to have a blast.

Happy Friday to you!

5 comments:

  1. Congratulations on the new niece! Let me know if you want some baby knitting patterns.

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  2. OK, it's time for that mug. Seriously, I insist that you get it.

    Congrats on the niece! Hopefully all these children in the family mean that nobody is bugging you two with prying questions.

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  3. i too get positively FROTHY about the republican machine. and how if, say, BIDEN had a 17 yr old daughter who got knocked up out of wedlock, they would TEAR HIM APART, but since it's someone on their side, it's "personal" and "family is off limits."

    i agree. mug = necessary. i hope the woods were fantastic!

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  4. "harvesting wood"??? not "cuttin wood"?
    Comeon, Girl! You're a Western Woman! ;)

    Congrats on the small, wiggly addition to the fam!!

    Big Ole Hug,

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  5. Both sides are equally machine-like. The Dems and the GOPs share the guilt in that regard. Have you ever heard of factcheck.org? You should totally check it out! You can sign up for their usually daily updates. It smacks both sides equally and I HEART it!! I think you would like it too!

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