Went over to Ann Taylor Loft to sniff around for clothes - nothing either in the ballpark look wise or size wise. I think the gift card is gonna need to be spent online where I can get the bigger sizes.
But Lord & Taylor had a ton of stuff in my size and glimmery. And after looking (mostly) for sparkley tops to go with my silk wrap pants, I actually found a dress that fits, looks and feels good, and is downright appropriate.
Which means the weekend will be spent defoliating, accessorizing, and probably get my nails done. Down the slippery slope to femminess......whee!
Zippy sat in the husband chair very patiently.
February 23, 2007
February 22, 2007
Favorite Asanas
I've started to look forward to yoga asanas (postures). I thought I might write a little bit about that, since this kind of crept up on me. Somewhere in the last few practices it hit me that I was anticipating postures (oh good! we seem to be heading towards Ardha Chandrasana!) or feeling let down when a particular posture was not in the offing.
I am sure its something I need / want to be aware of - another level of letting go in my practice - but I also want to give it voice and honor it.
So let's start out with Ardha Chandrasana - Half Moon Pose. I love the feeling of flying. I love the balance. I love the way my elevated arm is reaching for the sky. I love the challenge of balance, and the challenge of getting in and out of the posture with grace. I love the visual of trying to make the pose align as if I were pressed up against a wall - one of my teachers did that with us once with a partner to push us open and it was wonderfully instructive.
Bakasana - Crow Pose. I'm not a petite thing. So to support the weight of my body on my hands is a BIG DEAL for me. Many of the arm balances are out of reach right now. And Crow is one of the first postures that I ran into that was completely inaccessible, but which has become accessible - I can almost always get up into it, its mostly a matter of how precise my posture is, and how long I can hold it. And I am consciously working to get my knees up under my arms (I started with them pressed into the side of my arms). Crow is posture where today I can measure my progress, see my growth.
Triangle Pose - Utthita Trikonasana - is always fun. Being long of bone, I love to feel my body pulled in different directions. I love the open your heart feeling. I love "spreading my wings", an image some instructors have implanted. Similarly, Vasisthasana (Side Plank Pose) makes me feel strong and long and yearning. I love the moments, waiting in high plank, for the words "move your right hand to the center of the mat and roll open". The anticipation of the opening, the unfolding, is delicious.
Pigeon Pose and Downward Facing Frog are both challenging poses for me - because my hips are not easily or comfortably open. But when we move into them in a hot practice, when I am all opened and limber, these poses take me deeply into myself. I always look forward to them, but especially when they come late in a practice, a surrender of sorts.
Finally, Urdhva Dhanurasana - Wheel Pose. It's my edge right now, related to body weight and arm strength. I've gotten up into it, unassisted, perhaps twice so far - when a combination of energy, strength, and practice have come together. I had popped up into it a few times with some assistance from a teacher who lent her ankles. And I get partially up into it most of the time - yearning, pushing, practicing.
And as I write this, I see 4 or 5 other postures I really like, really want to write about. I guess the fact that so many of these postures work for me, are filled with joy, is why I am a yogi. As they say, there are worse things to be addicted to!
I am sure its something I need / want to be aware of - another level of letting go in my practice - but I also want to give it voice and honor it.
So let's start out with Ardha Chandrasana - Half Moon Pose. I love the feeling of flying. I love the balance. I love the way my elevated arm is reaching for the sky. I love the challenge of balance, and the challenge of getting in and out of the posture with grace. I love the visual of trying to make the pose align as if I were pressed up against a wall - one of my teachers did that with us once with a partner to push us open and it was wonderfully instructive.
Bakasana - Crow Pose. I'm not a petite thing. So to support the weight of my body on my hands is a BIG DEAL for me. Many of the arm balances are out of reach right now. And Crow is one of the first postures that I ran into that was completely inaccessible, but which has become accessible - I can almost always get up into it, its mostly a matter of how precise my posture is, and how long I can hold it. And I am consciously working to get my knees up under my arms (I started with them pressed into the side of my arms). Crow is posture where today I can measure my progress, see my growth.
Triangle Pose - Utthita Trikonasana - is always fun. Being long of bone, I love to feel my body pulled in different directions. I love the open your heart feeling. I love "spreading my wings", an image some instructors have implanted. Similarly, Vasisthasana (Side Plank Pose) makes me feel strong and long and yearning. I love the moments, waiting in high plank, for the words "move your right hand to the center of the mat and roll open". The anticipation of the opening, the unfolding, is delicious.
Pigeon Pose and Downward Facing Frog are both challenging poses for me - because my hips are not easily or comfortably open. But when we move into them in a hot practice, when I am all opened and limber, these poses take me deeply into myself. I always look forward to them, but especially when they come late in a practice, a surrender of sorts.
Finally, Urdhva Dhanurasana - Wheel Pose. It's my edge right now, related to body weight and arm strength. I've gotten up into it, unassisted, perhaps twice so far - when a combination of energy, strength, and practice have come together. I had popped up into it a few times with some assistance from a teacher who lent her ankles. And I get partially up into it most of the time - yearning, pushing, practicing.
And as I write this, I see 4 or 5 other postures I really like, really want to write about. I guess the fact that so many of these postures work for me, are filled with joy, is why I am a yogi. As they say, there are worse things to be addicted to!
DMV, Dr. Keith Ablow, and Ricki Lee Jones
MYA and I spent most of the day doing DMVish things. Picked her up in Bristol at 1 p.m. Off to Wethersfield. Discover that she forgot all her ID. Back to Bristol. Off to Plainville DMV. Wait in line. Get to the counter, to find she needs a postmarked letter with her name and address. Back to Bristol for all the mail she can find. Back to Plainville. More waiting in line. Get to the counter, hand over the ID and the money.
Then a long long wait. We worry about the reason for the wait, perceiving some panic among the civil servants. Eventually, she gets called up to sign things, smile for the camera. A few minutes later, she gets her ID.
It's a good photo, flattering and captures a little mischief in her eyes. It also has the wrong gender marker on it. We'll work on that next - was hoping we might get lucky with passing privilege, a tired clerk, all that.
But, for the first time in her life, she has a piece of legal identification. It was a long journey - trips to the DMV, social security, town hall. I was not gonna let today pass without her getting ID. She was happy. We celebrated at the Imperial Buffet.
In other news, friends were on the Dr. Keith Ablow show today. I taped it, and watched it at lunch, and Zippy and I watched it again tonight. Now we are watching a treat - Ricki Lee Jones on Soundstage on PBS. Heh. She has a song on her new Sermon on Exposition Boulevard. Tried to be a Man. With ya, Ricki....
Oh, and universe. It's me, Jude. You know, with the fish and all. My friend / lover / partner / boi / parent to my dogs Zipster is struggling - zie needs to find work that feeds her body and her soul. I don't ask often, but I am asking now. Thanks!
Then a long long wait. We worry about the reason for the wait, perceiving some panic among the civil servants. Eventually, she gets called up to sign things, smile for the camera. A few minutes later, she gets her ID.
It's a good photo, flattering and captures a little mischief in her eyes. It also has the wrong gender marker on it. We'll work on that next - was hoping we might get lucky with passing privilege, a tired clerk, all that.
But, for the first time in her life, she has a piece of legal identification. It was a long journey - trips to the DMV, social security, town hall. I was not gonna let today pass without her getting ID. She was happy. We celebrated at the Imperial Buffet.
In other news, friends were on the Dr. Keith Ablow show today. I taped it, and watched it at lunch, and Zippy and I watched it again tonight. Now we are watching a treat - Ricki Lee Jones on Soundstage on PBS. Heh. She has a song on her new Sermon on Exposition Boulevard. Tried to be a Man. With ya, Ricki....
Oh, and universe. It's me, Jude. You know, with the fish and all. My friend / lover / partner / boi / parent to my dogs Zipster is struggling - zie needs to find work that feeds her body and her soul. I don't ask often, but I am asking now. Thanks!
February 21, 2007
Civil Disobedience
Yoga guru Ramdev to disobey any law against yoga
How about "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's urdhva-dhanurasana?"
On a slightly related note, I am starting to understand and remember the sanskrit names for yoga poses, if not actually think of the poses primarily in Sanskrit. I was in the middle of an Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle) today and my monkey mind is thinking "Arm position preparing for Vasisthasana" (Side Plank) which is what some of my instructors say from time to time and I suspect if someone said Side Plank it would take me a few seconds extra to figure out they meant Vasisthasana.
There is a good translation page (with links to what the asanas look like) here.
How about "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's urdhva-dhanurasana?"
On a slightly related note, I am starting to understand and remember the sanskrit names for yoga poses, if not actually think of the poses primarily in Sanskrit. I was in the middle of an Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle) today and my monkey mind is thinking "Arm position preparing for Vasisthasana" (Side Plank) which is what some of my instructors say from time to time and I suspect if someone said Side Plank it would take me a few seconds extra to figure out they meant Vasisthasana.
There is a good translation page (with links to what the asanas look like) here.
Girls of Tender Age
My travel companion on the trip to Goshen, IN was a wonderful memoir, Girls of Tender Age, by Mary-Ann Tirone Smith, whic was released this December in paperback.
What a sneaky and wonderful work. I say sneaky because it is really three works in one - reporting on a heinous crime that jarred her childhood, a nostalgic look back at the city I call home (but did not grow up in), and a family history involving a seriously autistic brother. As I read the first few chapters, I was struck by how fragmented the writing was - snippets of memories, observations, stories - not unlike a child's understanding of the world, as passed along by the adults in her life. But slowly, as the chapters unfurled, I was drawn in. At the end, as she writes of her brother's decline, her father's descent into Alzheimers, her mother's funeral, I quietly wiped away the tears.
The book rose to my notice when the author appeared on Colin's show - the author grew up in Hartford not too far from where we live today. As such, there were many familiar touchstones - her father worked at Abbott-Ball (our next door neighbor retired from there, and I imagine he knew her father), her stomping grounds were the streets between here and Trinity College, and I imagine the murderer who figures prominantly in the book walked down Newington Road that I travel every day between home and my office.
I loved reading of a different Hartford - when the Elm Theater was vibrant, when G. Fox was open, when the Hog (Park) River was not buried. I plan to drive through her neighborhood sometime soon to look it over. I am sure in her world, my neighborhood was where the up and comers ended up.
Even though the memoir was of many things - her brother, her murdered friend, the city of Hartford itself, I was left with strong connections to her parents. Her absent and distant mother, who worked the housewife shift at CG and immersed herself in the burgeoning Hartford society life (mostly golf). And her blue collar father, who seemed to be a friend to all, and so dedicated to his autistic son in the days before autism was commonly diagnosed or understood, to the end.
So glad to have come across this book. It helps me to understand the Hartford that was, and to appreciate the Hartford that is, a little more. It engaged on multiple levels. And it pulled away a few layers of hardness from my eyes and my heart - to come to love my world a little more.
I'm not sure if Zippy will read it, but I suspect if not, that MYA will eat it up.....
What a sneaky and wonderful work. I say sneaky because it is really three works in one - reporting on a heinous crime that jarred her childhood, a nostalgic look back at the city I call home (but did not grow up in), and a family history involving a seriously autistic brother. As I read the first few chapters, I was struck by how fragmented the writing was - snippets of memories, observations, stories - not unlike a child's understanding of the world, as passed along by the adults in her life. But slowly, as the chapters unfurled, I was drawn in. At the end, as she writes of her brother's decline, her father's descent into Alzheimers, her mother's funeral, I quietly wiped away the tears.
The book rose to my notice when the author appeared on Colin's show - the author grew up in Hartford not too far from where we live today. As such, there were many familiar touchstones - her father worked at Abbott-Ball (our next door neighbor retired from there, and I imagine he knew her father), her stomping grounds were the streets between here and Trinity College, and I imagine the murderer who figures prominantly in the book walked down Newington Road that I travel every day between home and my office.
I loved reading of a different Hartford - when the Elm Theater was vibrant, when G. Fox was open, when the Hog (Park) River was not buried. I plan to drive through her neighborhood sometime soon to look it over. I am sure in her world, my neighborhood was where the up and comers ended up.
Even though the memoir was of many things - her brother, her murdered friend, the city of Hartford itself, I was left with strong connections to her parents. Her absent and distant mother, who worked the housewife shift at CG and immersed herself in the burgeoning Hartford society life (mostly golf). And her blue collar father, who seemed to be a friend to all, and so dedicated to his autistic son in the days before autism was commonly diagnosed or understood, to the end.
So glad to have come across this book. It helps me to understand the Hartford that was, and to appreciate the Hartford that is, a little more. It engaged on multiple levels. And it pulled away a few layers of hardness from my eyes and my heart - to come to love my world a little more.
I'm not sure if Zippy will read it, but I suspect if not, that MYA will eat it up.....
February 20, 2007
More Airport Bloggishness
From CVG. Because I can. I have a long layover. An hour of WiFi lets me grab my email, deal with anything urgent, and have time for some mexican lunch (Qdoba, conveniently located in Terminal C) and then off the a conencting flight to Hartford.
I was scheduled to fly home tomorrow but the good folks from Delta had room for me on some flights today. Yay!
I was scheduled to fly home tomorrow but the good folks from Delta had room for me on some flights today. Yay!
February 19, 2007
Musings from the Airport
En route to Goshen, Indiana, via Cincinnati and South Bend. Bradley is remarkably quiet today considering its vacation week (I think) - with only a slight uptick in families with rugrats. And the weather looks good for travel. Huzzah!
Blogging from the airport always makes me feel connected and trendy. Let me live with this small delusion, s'il vous plait!
I have not been an instant message person for a long, long time. But I do have an AOL account - I used to use it to connect while on the road, until broadband in hotels became ubiquitous, and then AOL discontinued subscriber fees for broadband customers so I stayed a member. I ought to just load up AIM and quit logging in to AOL at all. But anyway, I also have Yahoo Messenger loaded - for an occasional group chat. I also rarely if ever use that. But once in a while someone gets a bug to talk to me. I've been stalked by an individual for a good week or so.
The funny thing is, he never says anything other than BUZZ and Hello. And I've patiently ignored him for a good week. One would think he would (a) get tired and give up or (b) try something else. Like tell me who he is or something about him or why he is trying to talk to me. I dunno. Amusing. Sad.
Per usual, I brought along a yoga mat. I do not practice every trip, but I like having it along just in case, even if I just do some simple stretches and postures its positive. I've been folding them up into the suitcase up til now, but the last few times, I ended up rolling the mat up*, as several of my teachers demand for abdominal work. It makes me happy to roll it up that way - I feel as if I am getting ready to practice even at home or whatever. Just like it makes me happy to have a few yoga blankets, and a yoga strap at home. It feels as if I am bringing my practice into my life via these little touchstones and tendrils.
* Lay the mat out lengthwise, and fold it lengthwise into thirds so it's full length, and about 8" wide. Then roll up lengthwise like a jelly roll, adjusting it as you roll to keep it straight and tight. It ends up being a small tight cylinder, about 6" in diameter. It gets placed between one's knees for bridge, or between one's thighs for ab work or standing work. Squeeze the mat!
Blogging from the airport always makes me feel connected and trendy. Let me live with this small delusion, s'il vous plait!
I have not been an instant message person for a long, long time. But I do have an AOL account - I used to use it to connect while on the road, until broadband in hotels became ubiquitous, and then AOL discontinued subscriber fees for broadband customers so I stayed a member. I ought to just load up AIM and quit logging in to AOL at all. But anyway, I also have Yahoo Messenger loaded - for an occasional group chat. I also rarely if ever use that. But once in a while someone gets a bug to talk to me. I've been stalked by an individual for a good week or so.
The funny thing is, he never says anything other than BUZZ and Hello. And I've patiently ignored him for a good week. One would think he would (a) get tired and give up or (b) try something else. Like tell me who he is or something about him or why he is trying to talk to me. I dunno. Amusing. Sad.
Per usual, I brought along a yoga mat. I do not practice every trip, but I like having it along just in case, even if I just do some simple stretches and postures its positive. I've been folding them up into the suitcase up til now, but the last few times, I ended up rolling the mat up*, as several of my teachers demand for abdominal work. It makes me happy to roll it up that way - I feel as if I am getting ready to practice even at home or whatever. Just like it makes me happy to have a few yoga blankets, and a yoga strap at home. It feels as if I am bringing my practice into my life via these little touchstones and tendrils.
* Lay the mat out lengthwise, and fold it lengthwise into thirds so it's full length, and about 8" wide. Then roll up lengthwise like a jelly roll, adjusting it as you roll to keep it straight and tight. It ends up being a small tight cylinder, about 6" in diameter. It gets placed between one's knees for bridge, or between one's thighs for ab work or standing work. Squeeze the mat!
February 18, 2007
Goshen, Indiana
Is where I am heading tomorrow. Flying in to South Bend. Wikipedia article here.
It's a heck of a lot further North than I expected - right up against the Michigan line. Looks the like the weather is similar to here - not quite so cold right now and Monday, but a little colder Tuesday and Wednesday.
It's a heck of a lot further North than I expected - right up against the Michigan line. Looks the like the weather is similar to here - not quite so cold right now and Monday, but a little colder Tuesday and Wednesday.
Best animated short film
“The Danish Poet” (National Film Board of Canada)
A Mikrofilm and National Film Board of Canada Production
Torill Kove
"Lifted” (Buena Vista)
A Pixar Animation Studios Production
Gary Rydstrom
“The Little Matchgirl” (Buena Vista)
A Walt Disney Pictures Production
Roger Allers and Don Hahn
“Maestro” (SzimplaFilm)
A Kedd Production
Géza M. Tóth
“No Time for Nuts” (20th Century Fox)
A Blue Sky Studios Production
Chris Renaud and Michael Thurmeier
A Mikrofilm and National Film Board of Canada Production
Torill Kove
Jude sez: Completely charmed by this one. Not spectacular animation, but adorable, wonderful story. Lots of dry humor. Lots of amusing sight gags. I'd call it tied for first.
"Lifted” (Buena Vista)
A Pixar Animation Studios Production
Gary Rydstrom
Jude sez: Close Encounters of the Third Kind, told from the perspective of the aliens, one of which might be a child being shown the ropes by an elder. A good overall joke (making light of Speilbergian majestic film-making), some good site gags, but not my favorite.
“The Little Matchgirl” (Buena Vista)
A Walt Disney Pictures Production
Roger Allers and Don Hahn
Jude sez: Just completely predictable, from the Hans Christian Anderson tale (which I read as a child) to the Wizard of Oz-like bringing color into the animation during key parts. It was beautiful in its way, but and simple, but it seemed like a throw-away from Mulan or another Disney feature, and was about as subtle. (the source material has its limits, of course) The snow was pretty impressive.
“Maestro” (SzimplaFilm)
A Kedd Production
Géza M. Tóth
Jude sez: I was totally charmed by this one. A complete belly laugh punchline. Some creative (and foreshadowing) animation where in the camera perspective steps around the characters 360 degrees. Creative and just a littl alien props and characters. I'd call this one a tie for first.
“No Time for Nuts” (20th Century Fox)
A Blue Sky Studios Production
Chris Renaud and Michael Thurmeier
Jude sez: Very funny. Some belly laughs. A little too frenetic a la Ice Age - too fast, too furious, too in your face.
Red Beets
It's been ages since I've eaten beets. An occasional slice or two from a salad bar. A red beet egg at a picnic. A few pieces from a jar at a meal.
Zippy and I picked up abunch of fresh beets at Appletree a few weeks back. But I forgot (or never knew) the impact of red beets on ones.....er.....effluvia. So I spent a day or so pretty sure I was dying of colon cancer or some other digestive tract disease that creates bloody red stools.
Silly me. We made a batch of beets again last night, and this time I am ready.
Zippy and I picked up abunch of fresh beets at Appletree a few weeks back. But I forgot (or never knew) the impact of red beets on ones.....er.....effluvia. So I spent a day or so pretty sure I was dying of colon cancer or some other digestive tract disease that creates bloody red stools.
Silly me. We made a batch of beets again last night, and this time I am ready.
February 17, 2007
Wicked
I finally finished Wicked, probably the last person on the planet to actually read this. I liked it, mostly. I guess I had some preconceptions, having gotten to know the soundtrack first, but it satisfied.
My only quibble - its seems like in the later chapters, there was a bit of a scramble to try to assemble the pieces to tie in with the Baum works - I confess to never having read the Oz books and only basing my connection on the movie, so I am limited. But it seemed to me as if the transformation from this sort of angry but romantic young woman to the proto witch was forced, and that I wanted Elphie to be a bit more aware of and challenged by her power - it seemed to me that she was more of a spectator in her own life.
I do think I need to read the Oz books.
My only quibble - its seems like in the later chapters, there was a bit of a scramble to try to assemble the pieces to tie in with the Baum works - I confess to never having read the Oz books and only basing my connection on the movie, so I am limited. But it seemed to me as if the transformation from this sort of angry but romantic young woman to the proto witch was forced, and that I wanted Elphie to be a bit more aware of and challenged by her power - it seemed to me that she was more of a spectator in her own life.
I do think I need to read the Oz books.
Dreaming Again
A weird one, this time.
It starts with me driving west, with my former sister-in-law Kathy, ostensibly out Rte. 6 west from Terryville. We are watching the sky, the sunset / clouds are very colorful and striking. As we drive, we hear a buzzing, it turns out to be an ultralight plane, escorting some geese. (I know there have been a few movies of people who use ultralights to train migratory birds, although I have not seen any). The plane was tracking our car, and as we watched, the pilot (male) we notice a young girl (daughter) in a kind of side car, almost like a tricycle attached to the outside of the the plane, and she seems rather precarious - as if she were holding on to the plane with one hand. I worry about her falling.
We track the plane and the geese along a long lake or reservoir - at the end, there is a large dam, and I go inside the dam, with my old springer spaniel Nipsy. There is a small auditorium at the top of the damn, I am permitted to bring Nipsy in with me and we sit down - little kids come over to pet her and I reassure them and her parents that she is fine with kids. We are watching some kind of documentary about the dam, and while we are up there, I overheard the person running things say that there has been a 6.2 magnitude earthquake, and that a stronger one is coming. I decide to leave. I recognize the dam, which seems to be in the lower CT river valley, and has a six letter name with a Y in it - like Yamaha or Mygast or something.
As I descend from the auditorium, the next floor down is a large reception / gift shop area, so I decide to go to the bathroom. Emerging, I see a woman walking out the door with Nipsy, she has an orange leash loosely looped around her neck. I give chase - but she gets away in a car. In her rush to escape, she leaves two children behind. I find the kids, and frantically pump them for information (last name, where they live) so I can get Nipsy back.
Somehow, I realize that the women who took Nipsy is not unknown to me, she has been in a therapy group I was in - so I try to call the woman running the group (Char) to get her contact info - I am worried that she will not give me the information (confidentiality / privacy). Char is not picking up the phone, and I realize she is probably in session, and then I realize that she is seeing this woman. And there is Nipsy - she has brought my dog with her into the therapists office and left her in the waiting room. So I take Nipsy with me and start to leave the office.
End of dream. Weird, huh?
It starts with me driving west, with my former sister-in-law Kathy, ostensibly out Rte. 6 west from Terryville. We are watching the sky, the sunset / clouds are very colorful and striking. As we drive, we hear a buzzing, it turns out to be an ultralight plane, escorting some geese. (I know there have been a few movies of people who use ultralights to train migratory birds, although I have not seen any). The plane was tracking our car, and as we watched, the pilot (male) we notice a young girl (daughter) in a kind of side car, almost like a tricycle attached to the outside of the the plane, and she seems rather precarious - as if she were holding on to the plane with one hand. I worry about her falling.
We track the plane and the geese along a long lake or reservoir - at the end, there is a large dam, and I go inside the dam, with my old springer spaniel Nipsy. There is a small auditorium at the top of the damn, I am permitted to bring Nipsy in with me and we sit down - little kids come over to pet her and I reassure them and her parents that she is fine with kids. We are watching some kind of documentary about the dam, and while we are up there, I overheard the person running things say that there has been a 6.2 magnitude earthquake, and that a stronger one is coming. I decide to leave. I recognize the dam, which seems to be in the lower CT river valley, and has a six letter name with a Y in it - like Yamaha or Mygast or something.
As I descend from the auditorium, the next floor down is a large reception / gift shop area, so I decide to go to the bathroom. Emerging, I see a woman walking out the door with Nipsy, she has an orange leash loosely looped around her neck. I give chase - but she gets away in a car. In her rush to escape, she leaves two children behind. I find the kids, and frantically pump them for information (last name, where they live) so I can get Nipsy back.
Somehow, I realize that the women who took Nipsy is not unknown to me, she has been in a therapy group I was in - so I try to call the woman running the group (Char) to get her contact info - I am worried that she will not give me the information (confidentiality / privacy). Char is not picking up the phone, and I realize she is probably in session, and then I realize that she is seeing this woman. And there is Nipsy - she has brought my dog with her into the therapists office and left her in the waiting room. So I take Nipsy with me and start to leave the office.
End of dream. Weird, huh?
February 16, 2007
Grey's Anatomy
So Kyle Chandler, the Coach from Friday Night Lights, is a bomb squad guy on Grey's Anatomy. I'm already looking around for Riggins or Smash every time he delivers a forceful and charismatic line. He and Ellen Pompeo are way too much cute for one night of television.
Boots and Civil Service
Quick updates. Today was a mish-mosh. Worked in the morning. Had a noonish appointment. Went to fetch MYA afterwards. We were supposed to go to the DMV today to get her ID. Unfortunately, the DMV closed at 12:30 today for the Monday Holiday. Of course, I was at the DMV yesterday and there was no notice or sign up about an early closing today.
OK, so Monday is NOT a holiday for me, but I do not begrudge the day off for others. But come on, you need to take a 1/2 day Friday to prepare for President's Day? Stuff like this makes me resent the heck out of civil servants. Grumble.
MYA and I hung out mostly, went to the True Colors office, had dinner, and I went to get some yoga / jazzercise friendly boots at Famous Footwear.
Bout it. Last night, Creative Cocktail Hour at Real Art Ways. Tomorrow, Jazzercise. Lunch with friends from a mindfulness group. And then maybe Oscar nominated shorts at Real Art Ways.
OK, so Monday is NOT a holiday for me, but I do not begrudge the day off for others. But come on, you need to take a 1/2 day Friday to prepare for President's Day? Stuff like this makes me resent the heck out of civil servants. Grumble.
MYA and I hung out mostly, went to the True Colors office, had dinner, and I went to get some yoga / jazzercise friendly boots at Famous Footwear.
Bout it. Last night, Creative Cocktail Hour at Real Art Ways. Tomorrow, Jazzercise. Lunch with friends from a mindfulness group. And then maybe Oscar nominated shorts at Real Art Ways.
February 14, 2007
Springer Spaniel
A quick round of applause for James, an English Springer Spaniel who won best of show at the 131st annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
I love Springer Spaniels. My companion for many years was Nipsy, a field springer, born in Provincetown. I loved that dog. And though I love all the dogs in my life, some dogs are special, yanno?
Snow and Hearts
Just a low key day. I took a friend to the airport this morning. I tried to go to yoga (canceled). I worked a little bit. I came home at lunch.
Zippy and I watched "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?". We hung around all afternoon, shoveling a little (we got perhaps 4-5"), reading (I finished "Wicked"), snuck out to dinner at Yanni's. Came home and hung out.
Watched Friday Night Lights. Did some work. Blogging. Then off to bed.....
Zippy and I watched "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?". We hung around all afternoon, shoveling a little (we got perhaps 4-5"), reading (I finished "Wicked"), snuck out to dinner at Yanni's. Came home and hung out.
Watched Friday Night Lights. Did some work. Blogging. Then off to bed.....
February 12, 2007
Still Alive
Just Busy. Down in Philly - we worked today from 8 am to 7 pm. Now I am enxconced in my hotel watching 24, snarfing down a Thai Chicken Salad I got from a little deli down the street (saving $25 or thereabouts that room service would have cost for the same thing - more per diem for me!) and trying to crank out some URGENT / ASAP reports for a client.
Nice to be busy, I guess. But I could use an hour on the mat and some downtime tonight.
Nice to be busy, I guess. But I could use an hour on the mat and some downtime tonight.
Philadelphia
No biggie. Down here for a two-day production gig, today is a set up day, tomorrow is the broadcast / meeting. I am not even mission critical - I'm setting up and running the screen switcher; someone else gets to play powerpoint princess.
Staying at the Loew's Hotel which is pretty swanky. And has (as do all swanky hotels) good but expensive hi speed internets.
Staying at the Loew's Hotel which is pretty swanky. And has (as do all swanky hotels) good but expensive hi speed internets.
February 10, 2007
Oh-oh the Wells Fargo wagon is a coming....
Excitement today via US Priorty Mail. What brought that Music Man song to mind, I dunno.
I ordered three pair of wrap pants from Mystic Clothing - and three days later, here they are. Under $10 a pair (plus shipping and handling, still a bargain) - I got a purplish tie-dye pair, a black and yellow batik, and a black silk pair.
Very excited to have new, colorful, flowy garb. These are not my clothes, remember? The price was right. And they showed up fast!
Now just wait for warm weather and some opportunities to wear 'em. Next kirtan, for sure!
I ordered three pair of wrap pants from Mystic Clothing - and three days later, here they are. Under $10 a pair (plus shipping and handling, still a bargain) - I got a purplish tie-dye pair, a black and yellow batik, and a black silk pair.
Very excited to have new, colorful, flowy garb. These are not my clothes, remember? The price was right. And they showed up fast!
Now just wait for warm weather and some opportunities to wear 'em. Next kirtan, for sure!
Hartford to Blackface Drag Queen: Go Home
Shirley Q. Liquor, a "...white man performing as an alcoholic, Ebonics-speaking, Southern black welfare mother with 19 kids...." has been canceled from a Feb 23rd performance at Chez Est. Story here.
Front page article in the Courant. Not too shabby. And I am honored to count Regina Dyton and Kamora Harrington (quoted in the article and leading the opposition to this act) as friends and mentors.
Front page article in the Courant. Not too shabby. And I am honored to count Regina Dyton and Kamora Harrington (quoted in the article and leading the opposition to this act) as friends and mentors.
Saturday
Survived Kirtan - it was a smallish crowd (time of year, I suspect, the cold weather, and the fact that I think a lot of us were somewhat distracted and did not actively market the evening) but it went well. Sometimes the more intimate crowd is a good thing. Several moments of transcendence. Sote fingers though - I need to drag my guitar out more than once a month to practice and keep my callouses!
I dragged my sorry butt back home a little before midnight. Slept in today - Zippy took care of the dogs. And no Jazzercise today - just a wee bit achey and sore, and for whatever reason Jazzercise has been hard on my joints and connective tissues - elbows, shoulders, hamstrings, quads - in a way that yoga has not been. Not sure why. Age? Weight? Some weird juxtaposition of low impact yoga and higher impact jazzercise? In any case - I find myself about 1/2 the time doing something that I will be working around for a few days. Perhaps once the spring comes I might drop Jazzercise in favor of biking, hiking, blading, and walking.....
Today will be pretty low key. We're doing a dyke dinner and movies this evening with friends. The "circle" has been growing of late - with friends of friends being added - and perhaps a woman I met in another venue might be there tonight. We're making veggie chili, and to that end, we're going to Stop n' Shop today. Somehow, despite the fact that I am self employed and Zippy works part time, we inevitably end up at the grocery store on Saturday - the busy shopping day.
Not much else to report. Tomorrow, MYA and I are going to a potluck at a local UU church - they adopted the mentee's as a cause and want to give them a gift card to get clothes for the upcoming conference. Should be nice. Then off to Philadelphia with a client for a two day work gig - I get back Tuesday night late.
I dragged my sorry butt back home a little before midnight. Slept in today - Zippy took care of the dogs. And no Jazzercise today - just a wee bit achey and sore, and for whatever reason Jazzercise has been hard on my joints and connective tissues - elbows, shoulders, hamstrings, quads - in a way that yoga has not been. Not sure why. Age? Weight? Some weird juxtaposition of low impact yoga and higher impact jazzercise? In any case - I find myself about 1/2 the time doing something that I will be working around for a few days. Perhaps once the spring comes I might drop Jazzercise in favor of biking, hiking, blading, and walking.....
Today will be pretty low key. We're doing a dyke dinner and movies this evening with friends. The "circle" has been growing of late - with friends of friends being added - and perhaps a woman I met in another venue might be there tonight. We're making veggie chili, and to that end, we're going to Stop n' Shop today. Somehow, despite the fact that I am self employed and Zippy works part time, we inevitably end up at the grocery store on Saturday - the busy shopping day.
Not much else to report. Tomorrow, MYA and I are going to a potluck at a local UU church - they adopted the mentee's as a cause and want to give them a gift card to get clothes for the upcoming conference. Should be nice. Then off to Philadelphia with a client for a two day work gig - I get back Tuesday night late.
February 09, 2007
Gov. Rell's Budget and Tax Plan
Slipping under the radar is Gov. Rell's proposed budget, with a surprise plan to raise state income taxes from 5% to 5.5%. Amusingly, this is drawing fire from the Democratic side of the aisle.
My thoughts. Governor Rell is one sharp woman. Her proposal is like a cunning martial arts move - she knows if she proposed tax cuts or stay the course, the Dems would be running at her on a lot of fronts. So she watched them charging up the hill at her, deftly stepped aside as they plowed past her, and turned 180 degrees. Suddenly, the Dems find themselves having to charge up the other side - accusing the Gov of overtaxing, of not being fiscally responsible, of spending TOO MUCH on education and other social services. She could (theoretically) give in to the Dems, back down on the tax thing, get what she wants, and look like a hero instead of a meanie.
I love having women in politics. Men are just not this subtle.
My thoughts. Governor Rell is one sharp woman. Her proposal is like a cunning martial arts move - she knows if she proposed tax cuts or stay the course, the Dems would be running at her on a lot of fronts. So she watched them charging up the hill at her, deftly stepped aside as they plowed past her, and turned 180 degrees. Suddenly, the Dems find themselves having to charge up the other side - accusing the Gov of overtaxing, of not being fiscally responsible, of spending TOO MUCH on education and other social services. She could (theoretically) give in to the Dems, back down on the tax thing, get what she wants, and look like a hero instead of a meanie.
I love having women in politics. Men are just not this subtle.
February 08, 2007
Anna Nicole Smith
Why is it that the photo that the media has been running with the news of her death is the only one I have ever seen of her that looks remotely like a regular person? I tried to google an image that looks like this - and nothing. In death, she becomes what she never seemed to achieve in life - humanity. Sad.
Positive Trends
Jacks on car stereos for MP3 players. I almost always bring my MP3 player along - and its nice to be able to play my tunes on rental car systems....
Kirtan - Friday 2/9 @ 8:00 p.m.
Once again, I join Shankara for Kirtan at West Hartford Yoga.
Come if the spirit moves you! We had 140 folks join us in December, and while I suspect February will be a smaller crowd, I am sure it will be a joyous and prayerful assembly.
Whoever sings, prays twice!
Come if the spirit moves you! We had 140 folks join us in December, and while I suspect February will be a smaller crowd, I am sure it will be a joyous and prayerful assembly.
Whoever sings, prays twice!
A Death in the ER
I was in an emergency room yesterday. Not important where. I was making some measurements related to an electrical / environmental problem, and I was walking around with meters, standing in hallways, sneaking into rooms in between patients.
Now this was a busy emergency room, and most of the patient rooms and trauma rooms were tied up - I had to work around patients, work around staff. As it was, I was unable to do my usual thorough documentation, and had to rely on spot measurements. Some of the subject rooms just never opened up.
At one point, I was told "Trauma 2 is free" so we went in there. Looking over, I noticed a body bag in the adjacent Trauma 1, separated by a divider. Somebody had passed away in the ER, while we were there.
Over the next few hours, I came across the family of this man; what I assumed to be a wife, and perhaps a daughter or neighbor. Often uncomfortably; standing in a hall, hugging or talking quietly. Occasionally, loud crying. Near the end of the stay, we ended up in the elevator with the family.
My heart filled with grief for this woman, this family. A death in the ER most likely is sudden, unexpected. This is not the oncology department, not hospice, not a convalescent home. Here, death comes like an assassin - swift, sharp and unexpected.
I did not say anything. I was nobody - a techie with a handful of meters, getting in the way, doing inscrutable and meaningless things while their world collapsed around them. I hope my presence in the ER did not cause additional grief, that my witnessing of this small quiet drama, one of many played out in this ER, and many like it each day, was not intrusive. Perhaps my work will make it safe for another patient, down the road, perhaps one or two might be saved for having this problem fixed.
But damn, to live that close to death each day. I am not sure I could do it. The folks in the ER - the paramedics and EMTs, the doctors and nurses and staff - get my highest level of admiration.
Now this was a busy emergency room, and most of the patient rooms and trauma rooms were tied up - I had to work around patients, work around staff. As it was, I was unable to do my usual thorough documentation, and had to rely on spot measurements. Some of the subject rooms just never opened up.
At one point, I was told "Trauma 2 is free" so we went in there. Looking over, I noticed a body bag in the adjacent Trauma 1, separated by a divider. Somebody had passed away in the ER, while we were there.
Over the next few hours, I came across the family of this man; what I assumed to be a wife, and perhaps a daughter or neighbor. Often uncomfortably; standing in a hall, hugging or talking quietly. Occasionally, loud crying. Near the end of the stay, we ended up in the elevator with the family.
My heart filled with grief for this woman, this family. A death in the ER most likely is sudden, unexpected. This is not the oncology department, not hospice, not a convalescent home. Here, death comes like an assassin - swift, sharp and unexpected.
I did not say anything. I was nobody - a techie with a handful of meters, getting in the way, doing inscrutable and meaningless things while their world collapsed around them. I hope my presence in the ER did not cause additional grief, that my witnessing of this small quiet drama, one of many played out in this ER, and many like it each day, was not intrusive. Perhaps my work will make it safe for another patient, down the road, perhaps one or two might be saved for having this problem fixed.
But damn, to live that close to death each day. I am not sure I could do it. The folks in the ER - the paramedics and EMTs, the doctors and nurses and staff - get my highest level of admiration.
February 07, 2007
Up and At 'Em
Getting ready to vacate the hotel room here for the bitter cold. The hospital is right across the street but I probably ought to drive.....just to get the car out of the hotel lot and into someplace where I can roll my toolcase into the building.
The room was fine - cozy as I mentioned, and warm. The shower was a tight squeeze - but warm and good water pressure. Next time I come here it will be with a partner so I can enjoy the romance of it.....
The room was fine - cozy as I mentioned, and warm. The shower was a tight squeeze - but warm and good water pressure. Next time I come here it will be with a partner so I can enjoy the romance of it.....
February 06, 2007
Portland ME
I'm pretty ditzy, I guess. I made both my rental car reservation and my hotel reservation for Tuesday, Feb 13th. Of course, I was traveling today, Feb 6th. Duh!
Kudos to Thrifty Car Rental and Hotels.com for not dinging me with cancellation or change fees.
Kudos also to the Inn At St. John in Portland - the room is small, but cozy and lovely - the only serious issue is temperature (warm, old fashioned steam radiator) but I can cope. If I were coming back to town (I am working at Maine Medical Center, across the street) I would stay here, no problem. Wish I were here longer.....
Bout it from here. I am gonna try to get some sleep tonight; should be an early morning and a longish day - working, hopefully getting out of town mid-afternoon, then driving back to CT for kirtan practice, and maybe meditation beforehand....
Kudos to Thrifty Car Rental and Hotels.com for not dinging me with cancellation or change fees.
Kudos also to the Inn At St. John in Portland - the room is small, but cozy and lovely - the only serious issue is temperature (warm, old fashioned steam radiator) but I can cope. If I were coming back to town (I am working at Maine Medical Center, across the street) I would stay here, no problem. Wish I were here longer.....
Bout it from here. I am gonna try to get some sleep tonight; should be an early morning and a longish day - working, hopefully getting out of town mid-afternoon, then driving back to CT for kirtan practice, and maybe meditation beforehand....
Astronauts Behaving Badly
Astronaut charged with kidnap attempt. Story here.
When she found out that Shipman was flying to Orlando from Houston, Nowak decided to confront her, according to the arrest affidavit. Nowak raced from Houston to Orlando wearing diapers so she wouldn't have to stop to urinate, authorities said.
Busy Days Ahead
Saturday's three hour yoga practice drained me - I was in a sort of stunned trance on Saturday night, and Sunday was kind of dreamy and lethargic. I slept late, I had a cranky back, I did not do much. Finally, yesterday I dragged myself to a hot class which was a balm - the heat melted away my back crankiness and lethargy, and a more energetic practice revived my spirit. Back to normal (sort of).
Today is going to be a busyish one. Work this morning (although I am considering more yoga). I need to go pick up a rental car at noon, go fetch MYA, then we are slated for lunch, for some legal errands (going to get a certified copy of her birth certificate), and an interview for a support space for her. Then take her home, perhaps drop by the house here to pick up my bags, and off to Portland Maine. I have a work gig up there on Wednesday bright and early.
I've uncharacteristically made reservations at the old world Inn at St. John
in Portland - no special reason. I usually stay in lower end chains (that cost more!), but this place is near to the hospital, and has WiFi - so whatever. It feels a little adventurous! I'm keeping an eye peeled for magic....
Today is going to be a busyish one. Work this morning (although I am considering more yoga). I need to go pick up a rental car at noon, go fetch MYA, then we are slated for lunch, for some legal errands (going to get a certified copy of her birth certificate), and an interview for a support space for her. Then take her home, perhaps drop by the house here to pick up my bags, and off to Portland Maine. I have a work gig up there on Wednesday bright and early.
I've uncharacteristically made reservations at the old world Inn at St. John
in Portland - no special reason. I usually stay in lower end chains (that cost more!), but this place is near to the hospital, and has WiFi - so whatever. It feels a little adventurous! I'm keeping an eye peeled for magic....
February 04, 2007
Super Sunday
And no significant plans for the super bowl. Aside from having bought a bag of tortilla chips just in case. And hankering for fresh guacamole; I might end up running out for avocados.....
Yesterday was an atypical Saturday. Normal morning jazzercise was replaced with an afternoon yoga marathon that left me kind of shell-shocked going into the evening. My niece was in a play up in MA but we were both a bit tired for the 4 hours of driving that would involve. So we cooked up a veggie supper (rice and broccoli and cauliflour and tofu, with some Indian quick mixes to season and spice) and went out to see The Queen (Helen Mirren was wonderful). Zippy tends to be suspicious of any movie playing in a mainstream theater, so walking into the local cineplex is a the end product of a careful marketing campaign and gentle seduction. We both loved the movie.
Not sure whats on tap today. I have three morning options (Jazzercise, yoga, or neither) and then we are probably going to run down to Essex to drop off a car for a friend to look at. Lunch down there, hopefully. Then, I dunno. MYA needs some attention; maybe we can go see a movie or just hang out - Netflix has sent us Beautiful Boxer which I think she wants to see......
I've been up since 5 - emails, message boards, web surfing. I might climb back into the warm bed for a few - Zipster is still snoozing.....
Yesterday was an atypical Saturday. Normal morning jazzercise was replaced with an afternoon yoga marathon that left me kind of shell-shocked going into the evening. My niece was in a play up in MA but we were both a bit tired for the 4 hours of driving that would involve. So we cooked up a veggie supper (rice and broccoli and cauliflour and tofu, with some Indian quick mixes to season and spice) and went out to see The Queen (Helen Mirren was wonderful). Zippy tends to be suspicious of any movie playing in a mainstream theater, so walking into the local cineplex is a the end product of a careful marketing campaign and gentle seduction. We both loved the movie.
Not sure whats on tap today. I have three morning options (Jazzercise, yoga, or neither) and then we are probably going to run down to Essex to drop off a car for a friend to look at. Lunch down there, hopefully. Then, I dunno. MYA needs some attention; maybe we can go see a movie or just hang out - Netflix has sent us Beautiful Boxer which I think she wants to see......
I've been up since 5 - emails, message boards, web surfing. I might climb back into the warm bed for a few - Zipster is still snoozing.....
February 02, 2007
Search Engine Self-Reference
Another round of search engine self reference, wherein I document the words or phrases that people have searched for and as a result stumbled onto the blog.
1) Bruce Stevens WTIC and/or WDRC - 6 searches (remarkable staying power for Mr. Stevens)
2) Susan Forbes Hanson / Valley Folk / WFCR - 4 searches (another displaced radio personality)
3) Hot Basil Thai West Hartford - 3 searches (an ongoing theme)
4) Scenic Root - 3 searches (am I becoming a destination?)
5) Cherry Jones - 2 searches
And, with one search each: PowerPoint Princess, WB Mason Office Depot, Krishna Das MP3, Mediza Rest CT, Susan Campbell Courant, Shankara Enlightenment Intensive, Cliff Furnald, Madison, UConn Law School, Mary Oliver October
1) Bruce Stevens WTIC and/or WDRC - 6 searches (remarkable staying power for Mr. Stevens)
2) Susan Forbes Hanson / Valley Folk / WFCR - 4 searches (another displaced radio personality)
3) Hot Basil Thai West Hartford - 3 searches (an ongoing theme)
4) Scenic Root - 3 searches (am I becoming a destination?)
5) Cherry Jones - 2 searches
And, with one search each: PowerPoint Princess, WB Mason Office Depot, Krishna Das MP3, Mediza Rest CT, Susan Campbell Courant, Shankara Enlightenment Intensive, Cliff Furnald, Madison, UConn Law School, Mary Oliver October
Punxsutawney Phil predicts early spring
Story here.
I'm waiting for "Punxsutawney Phil predicts rising sea levels, melting ice caps, and disruptions in weather patterns resulting in massive global disruption and displacement"
I'm waiting for "Punxsutawney Phil predicts rising sea levels, melting ice caps, and disruptions in weather patterns resulting in massive global disruption and displacement"
Ad Hominem
Zipster has been stomping around the house since yesterday, enraged about a pseudo-relation forwarding one of those offensive joke / humor emails. Apparently aimed at illegal immigrants, mostly spelled M-E-X-I-C-A-N - although this person has forwarded on other email humor aimed at terrorists (spelled A-R-A-B) which is being recalled in light of the present issue.
Now, I find such email attempts at humor unfunny and offensive. And a simple "I do not consider this to be funny or acceptable, please do not forward these on to me in the future" is sufficient. Perhaps a little "why do you send these around?" inquiry to give the person a jumping off point towards mindfulness. Confront with the open hand, not with the fist.....and all that.
But Zipster is flaming, the individual in question (an otherwise caring and apparently liberal thinker, who has devoted much of her life to pet rescue) is getting tarred and feathered - hypocrite, racist. I think a lot of Zippy's angst is related to being Jewish - having grown up in a culture and era when ethnic humor and anti-semitism was acceptable or winked at, Zipster is sensitive to this stuff, and the fact that this person is also Jewish and apparently a progressive thinker makes it a more personal affront. "She should know better than this"
I tried to analyze one of the jokes (in case it was supposed to be ironic or something) and I got called "shallow" for my trouble.
Zipster is calming down, but boy did this wind her up.
Now, I find such email attempts at humor unfunny and offensive. And a simple "I do not consider this to be funny or acceptable, please do not forward these on to me in the future" is sufficient. Perhaps a little "why do you send these around?" inquiry to give the person a jumping off point towards mindfulness. Confront with the open hand, not with the fist.....and all that.
But Zipster is flaming, the individual in question (an otherwise caring and apparently liberal thinker, who has devoted much of her life to pet rescue) is getting tarred and feathered - hypocrite, racist. I think a lot of Zippy's angst is related to being Jewish - having grown up in a culture and era when ethnic humor and anti-semitism was acceptable or winked at, Zipster is sensitive to this stuff, and the fact that this person is also Jewish and apparently a progressive thinker makes it a more personal affront. "She should know better than this"
I tried to analyze one of the jokes (in case it was supposed to be ironic or something) and I got called "shallow" for my trouble.
Zipster is calming down, but boy did this wind her up.
Spell-checking
OK, confession time. I never spell check my blog. Mostly, its the hassle factor - I blog, I post, I do not take the extra step that spell checking requires.
However, I just spell checked a few entries, was somewhat aghast at the number of dumb typos (mostly) and misspellings (occasionally), and I was also pleasantly surprised at the user friendliness of the blogger spell check function.
So....I am going to try to spell check entries in the future, for my readers' increased blogging satisfaction.
However, I just spell checked a few entries, was somewhat aghast at the number of dumb typos (mostly) and misspellings (occasionally), and I was also pleasantly surprised at the user friendliness of the blogger spell check function.
So....I am going to try to spell check entries in the future, for my readers' increased blogging satisfaction.
Compact Fluorescent (CF) Lamps or Light Bulbs or Whatever
Colin McEnroe was vamping about these on his show yesterday. (He was also talking with Cherry Jones and raving about "Doubt" at the Bushnell, I almost got tickets but I thought that the work was too intimate for the balcony seats I really could afford, and then the damn Bushnell online ordering wanted about $7 extra per seat for a handling charge. Grrrr.......) Think I will stick to more intimate theatre - Hartford Stage and Theatreworks.
Anyway, back to Compact Fluorescents (hereafter, CFs). I've picked up a few multi-paks of these. They are in most of the main overhead fixtures in the house - kitchen, bedrooms, halls, basement. The exceptions are mostly related to form, environment, or aesthetics - an artful dining room fixture with small bulbs . A 3-way incandescent in a floor fixture in the living room. A lower watt bedside lamp. Bathroom vanity fixtures (globes). Outdoor lamps. I am sure if I set my mind to it (and I will) I could come up with another 5 or 6 bulbs worthy of replacement.
I kind of like the way the CFs come on quickly with a sort of yellowish, dimmer glow, and then brighten as they heat up. Some see this as a negative, but I've come to like it - it feels analogish (vs. the ON / OFF binary, instant gratification of an incandescent bulb). It feels like I am lighting a campsite lantern or something whenever I turn on one of these bulbs.
I am also somewhat concerned about the externalized costs of CFs, specifically the environmental costs incurred during manufacture and the environmental costs of the mercury contained inside these puppies. Energy hogs though they may be, incandescent lamps are pretty darn simple from a manufacturing and disposal perspective.
I am also somewhat concerned about the failure mode of CF's - we all know how an incandescent bulb fails. But, being an electrical engineer, I could envision a less benign failure mode for CFs - a slow burndown resulting in fire, a smokey failure (mercury release?), an explosion with resulting glass shards.
Along the way, I stumbled across Don Klipstein's Web Site - including a most thorough consumer guide Some Better Compact Fluorescent Lamps - And some you might want to avoid. I kind of love the fact that there is a person like Don, apparently for no reason other than he is interested, buying, testing, measuring the energy consumption and light output of CFs. Reading his site, for example, I come across the availability of three-way bulbs, globes (for bathrooms), and miniature CF's (for decorative fixtures).
Oh, and about the post title "Compact Fluorescent (CF) Lamps or Light Bulbs or Whatever". CFs have dragged us into the same linguistic territory as record albums and CD's. We continue to refer to an artist as releasing an "album" even if the "album" is just released on CD. So to, we refer to a CF "bulb" even through perhaps the word bulb is anachronistic.
Anyway, back to Compact Fluorescents (hereafter, CFs). I've picked up a few multi-paks of these. They are in most of the main overhead fixtures in the house - kitchen, bedrooms, halls, basement. The exceptions are mostly related to form, environment, or aesthetics - an artful dining room fixture with small bulbs . A 3-way incandescent in a floor fixture in the living room. A lower watt bedside lamp. Bathroom vanity fixtures (globes). Outdoor lamps. I am sure if I set my mind to it (and I will) I could come up with another 5 or 6 bulbs worthy of replacement.
I kind of like the way the CFs come on quickly with a sort of yellowish, dimmer glow, and then brighten as they heat up. Some see this as a negative, but I've come to like it - it feels analogish (vs. the ON / OFF binary, instant gratification of an incandescent bulb). It feels like I am lighting a campsite lantern or something whenever I turn on one of these bulbs.
I am also somewhat concerned about the externalized costs of CFs, specifically the environmental costs incurred during manufacture and the environmental costs of the mercury contained inside these puppies. Energy hogs though they may be, incandescent lamps are pretty darn simple from a manufacturing and disposal perspective.
I am also somewhat concerned about the failure mode of CF's - we all know how an incandescent bulb fails. But, being an electrical engineer, I could envision a less benign failure mode for CFs - a slow burndown resulting in fire, a smokey failure (mercury release?), an explosion with resulting glass shards.
Along the way, I stumbled across Don Klipstein's Web Site - including a most thorough consumer guide Some Better Compact Fluorescent Lamps - And some you might want to avoid. I kind of love the fact that there is a person like Don, apparently for no reason other than he is interested, buying, testing, measuring the energy consumption and light output of CFs. Reading his site, for example, I come across the availability of three-way bulbs, globes (for bathrooms), and miniature CF's (for decorative fixtures).
Oh, and about the post title "Compact Fluorescent (CF) Lamps or Light Bulbs or Whatever". CFs have dragged us into the same linguistic territory as record albums and CD's. We continue to refer to an artist as releasing an "album" even if the "album" is just released on CD. So to, we refer to a CF "bulb" even through perhaps the word bulb is anachronistic.
February 01, 2007
Jude, Meet Your Shoulders
Shoulders, this is Jude. A reintroduction of sorts, courtesy of this morning's practice.
January 31, 2007
Random Stuff
Callie is lying on the dog pillow, all curled up. Elo is lying alongside her, with his chin on her back. Cutest thing ever!
Life has gotten busy. I'm slotted in for a two-day production gig in Philly in mid-February, and a weekend gig in Scottsdale in mid-March. I billed more hours with my biggest client in January than I have in a year. I had good trips to Wisconsin and Little Rock, with a few slotted in for the coming weeks. And there is new energy percolating - writing, self-publishing a techie book I have had on the back burner for a while.
Sympbolic of the new energy - I bought a couple of new office plants and replaced some that I had let die.
On the darker side, I feel like I've been eating poorly of late - wrong foods, too much, too mindlessly. And today for some reason - a headache. I rarely have headaches - never take pain meds. But for some reason, I've had a low simmering headache all afternoon.
Tomorrow - work. An urgent report. A quick template for a client. And end of the month billing. And hopefully yoga in there somewhere.....
Life has gotten busy. I'm slotted in for a two-day production gig in Philly in mid-February, and a weekend gig in Scottsdale in mid-March. I billed more hours with my biggest client in January than I have in a year. I had good trips to Wisconsin and Little Rock, with a few slotted in for the coming weeks. And there is new energy percolating - writing, self-publishing a techie book I have had on the back burner for a while.
Sympbolic of the new energy - I bought a couple of new office plants and replaced some that I had let die.
On the darker side, I feel like I've been eating poorly of late - wrong foods, too much, too mindlessly. And today for some reason - a headache. I rarely have headaches - never take pain meds. But for some reason, I've had a low simmering headache all afternoon.
Tomorrow - work. An urgent report. A quick template for a client. And end of the month billing. And hopefully yoga in there somewhere.....
January 30, 2007
Railroad Fonts
Sticking to the theme of font geekery, I came across this site: www.railfonts.com/. Great railroad clipart and text fonts. I do a website for a local tourist railroad, so I am grabbing a few fonts for online ephemera*, and am directing them to the site to see what they might like. I also think some of the clipart and silhouette fonts could be nice, used judiciously online or in print.
* online ephemera = oxymoron, right?
* online ephemera = oxymoron, right?
January 29, 2007
Helvitica: A Documentary Film by Gary Hustwit
Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which is celebrating its 50th birthday this year) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. Helvetica will begin screening at film festivals worldwide starting in March, followed by cinema screenings across the US and Europe, and the DVD release.
Website here. They even have a blog!
Website here. They even have a blog!
Feels Like a Monday
Not 100% sure why.
On the credit side of the equation, it felt like a real weekend. Jazzercise on Saturday, Yoga on Sunday. A balloon banquet on Saturday. Meals out - Friday we went to Hot Basil, Saturday we went to the Corner Pug. A Netflix movie (Donnie Darko), a trip the New Britain Museum of American Art. Some laundry, some cleaning.
On the debit side, I arrive at work to a backlog - several reports pending, an involved email response to work on, a planning and installation guide to review, and a website to update for 2007.
Also pending this week - a nosh and drink thing tonight for one of the local arts publications. A mentoring meeting tomorrow night. A long overdue hair appointment tomorrow. And maybe (just maybe) a trip to Houston on Thursday or Friday.
On the credit side of the equation, it felt like a real weekend. Jazzercise on Saturday, Yoga on Sunday. A balloon banquet on Saturday. Meals out - Friday we went to Hot Basil, Saturday we went to the Corner Pug. A Netflix movie (Donnie Darko), a trip the New Britain Museum of American Art. Some laundry, some cleaning.
On the debit side, I arrive at work to a backlog - several reports pending, an involved email response to work on, a planning and installation guide to review, and a website to update for 2007.
Also pending this week - a nosh and drink thing tonight for one of the local arts publications. A mentoring meeting tomorrow night. A long overdue hair appointment tomorrow. And maybe (just maybe) a trip to Houston on Thursday or Friday.
January 28, 2007
An active social life
In a story today in the Hartford Courant about a fire in Southington:
and
Personally, I want to know about the other dog, that had been away. Had s/he been visiting a sick friend? Running to Petco for treats? At the spa?
Even dogs have a better social life than I do!
Neighbors told arriving firefighters that two dogs and three cats were inside the house, and that the owners were out.
and
Fire crews carried two cats and a dog outside. The animals had inhaled smoke, but appeared to be all right, Donnelly said....The other dog had been away, and the third cat escaped during the fire.
Personally, I want to know about the other dog, that had been away. Had s/he been visiting a sick friend? Running to Petco for treats? At the spa?
Even dogs have a better social life than I do!
January 27, 2007
Another Ending
After 32 years, Timothy's Restaurant in Hartford, on Zion Street near Trinity College, is closing. Timothy's is one of those legendary places - I am sure I ate there back in the mid/late 80's when I was a young suburbanite dating a Hartfordite. Now I live in Hartford, and Timothy's has been in the rotation of regular haunts when we eat out.
It's sad to see places like this close. The logic is irrefutable - its hard to run a restaurant, and in neighborhood that has seen better days, with not a lot of other nearby draws, and without parking - its not really a saleable property. But still, sad.
Timothy's will join other places in my personal mythology. Reader's Feast. The Comet. The old Hot Tomato, 2 or 3 locations ago, with maybe 10 tables and 2 hour waits for the food of the god's - Shrimp and Broccoli. And the closed for now O'Rourke's in Middletown. I'm sure I'll think of others.
It also makes me think of places like that, still open. The Quaker Diner (Zippy had breakfast there this morning). Mo's Midtown. East-West Grille. Tapa's, always elbow to elbow on the weekends. Coyote Flaco. So many others. Little delights in the city, making it work, making the city unique in a world full of franchises and sprawl.
It's sad to see places like this close. The logic is irrefutable - its hard to run a restaurant, and in neighborhood that has seen better days, with not a lot of other nearby draws, and without parking - its not really a saleable property. But still, sad.
Timothy's will join other places in my personal mythology. Reader's Feast. The Comet. The old Hot Tomato, 2 or 3 locations ago, with maybe 10 tables and 2 hour waits for the food of the god's - Shrimp and Broccoli. And the closed for now O'Rourke's in Middletown. I'm sure I'll think of others.
It also makes me think of places like that, still open. The Quaker Diner (Zippy had breakfast there this morning). Mo's Midtown. East-West Grille. Tapa's, always elbow to elbow on the weekends. Coyote Flaco. So many others. Little delights in the city, making it work, making the city unique in a world full of franchises and sprawl.
Busy
Not blogging much - apologies.
Yesterday, yoga, much work, dinner at Hot Basil, and then I finally saw Donnie Darko courtesy of Netflix.
Today, Jazzercise, chores, shopping, a support meeting for a bit, now home and on my way out to the CLAS holiday dinner (typical balloonatics - we're a month late).
Tomorrow, yoga. And whatever else happens. Probably chores, maybe work, maybe dinner with Zipster's dad.
Yesterday, yoga, much work, dinner at Hot Basil, and then I finally saw Donnie Darko courtesy of Netflix.
Today, Jazzercise, chores, shopping, a support meeting for a bit, now home and on my way out to the CLAS holiday dinner (typical balloonatics - we're a month late).
Tomorrow, yoga. And whatever else happens. Probably chores, maybe work, maybe dinner with Zipster's dad.
January 24, 2007
Surreal
I'm sitting here writing a trip report. Zippy and I are watching the Magic Flute on PBS (from the Met, I think, and strangely in English, but with subtitles) - the costumes are pretty amazing.
Life is truly strange.
Life is truly strange.
La Morte de Valley Folk
I've blogged before, somewhat irrevererently, of Susan Forbes Hansen. Her 22 year old Valley Folk show on WFCR has recently been canceled. Susan Campbell writes of it in today's Hartford Courant.
I'll mourn Valley Folk - we listened so many nights, driving home from visiting friends or family, or playing at home as we nested, cleaned, relaxed. But I also take a longer view. From crisis, opportunity. Perhaps the area needs a full time folk music station - and the time has come for that to happen. Perhaps Ms. Hansen can develop a nationally syndicated show, podcast, or website. Perhaps she has other passions and life projects. Perhaps some of us (myself included) who took her and her music for granted might value those who continue to create spaces and places for the music we enjoy.
Edit: Susan Forbes Hansen will be live in the studio today on Colin McEnroe's show. I am guessing Colin picked up on the story via the same place I did today - Susan Campbell's column; he's a bit of a folkie himself, having had a lot of the local folkies (Nields, Hugh Blumenfeld, Kate Callahan, etc.) visit the studio over the years.
I'll mourn Valley Folk - we listened so many nights, driving home from visiting friends or family, or playing at home as we nested, cleaned, relaxed. But I also take a longer view. From crisis, opportunity. Perhaps the area needs a full time folk music station - and the time has come for that to happen. Perhaps Ms. Hansen can develop a nationally syndicated show, podcast, or website. Perhaps she has other passions and life projects. Perhaps some of us (myself included) who took her and her music for granted might value those who continue to create spaces and places for the music we enjoy.
Edit: Susan Forbes Hansen will be live in the studio today on Colin McEnroe's show. I am guessing Colin picked up on the story via the same place I did today - Susan Campbell's column; he's a bit of a folkie himself, having had a lot of the local folkies (Nields, Hugh Blumenfeld, Kate Callahan, etc.) visit the studio over the years.
January 23, 2007
Recovery
The past few weeks have been chaotic. Trips to Little Rock and Madison WI. Two trips up to Boston. A sudden bevy of reports for one of my clients (probably pent up volume from the holidays and new year). I still have a bit of work to do - a trip report, an invoice, and a review of some installation material. But I'm slowly digging out.
I got to power yoga this morning - a good practice, although my legs have been weaker than usual. I have been a bit sick, I think - not anything specific, just low energy, light headache, tired. That seems to be abating. I also feel heavier - have been eating poorly, I think, between the cold, travel, the holidays.....
Thursday, back to Boston with MYA. That's my one main project this week. Next week - lots going on. A dinner on Monday. A meeting on Tuesday. And then, the end of the month, with billing and paperwork.....
I got to power yoga this morning - a good practice, although my legs have been weaker than usual. I have been a bit sick, I think - not anything specific, just low energy, light headache, tired. That seems to be abating. I also feel heavier - have been eating poorly, I think, between the cold, travel, the holidays.....
Thursday, back to Boston with MYA. That's my one main project this week. Next week - lots going on. A dinner on Monday. A meeting on Tuesday. And then, the end of the month, with billing and paperwork.....
January 22, 2007
Jury Duty - Or Not
I was slated for Jury Duty tomorrow. But I called the recording this evening and my name is on the list of those who do not need to show up.
I do not mind jury duty, usually, although in all the times I have been called, I have never had to serve on a jury. The one time I did get pulled in for a trial, I was excused since it was a potentially long trial and I had a business trip scheduled for the following week. Being self employed, they tend to let you off of long trials....
Kind of relieved to be excused. I have not been feeling all that great, and I am way behind on work. An extra day in the office is a good thing.....and perhaps I can get back to yoga tomorrow. I took today off, and Sunday's practice was an exercise in humility.
I do not mind jury duty, usually, although in all the times I have been called, I have never had to serve on a jury. The one time I did get pulled in for a trial, I was excused since it was a potentially long trial and I had a business trip scheduled for the following week. Being self employed, they tend to let you off of long trials....
Kind of relieved to be excused. I have not been feeling all that great, and I am way behind on work. An extra day in the office is a good thing.....and perhaps I can get back to yoga tomorrow. I took today off, and Sunday's practice was an exercise in humility.
Blogging for Choice
Today is Blog for Choice Day. The charming and wonderful Helen Boyd (who I actually got to talk to in person this weekend, so I could fall in love with her and her husband all over) reminds me thus.
I was born and raised a Roman Catholic - and not just in name. 12 years of catholic education. Alter server. Folk musician. I have a younger brother who is an adoptee. My father was involved in the Knights of Columbus, my mother in Birthright. I had anti-abortion stickers on my guitar case in grade school. Had some things fallen differently in my life I might be speaking to you from inside a rectory somewhere.
Helen is spot-on when she talks about the economic issue - if abortion were restricted, it would only mean that the well-to-do would get their abortions quietly, by crossing state lines or country lines or visit pricey but discrete clinics. It's the poor who would be forced into the back alleys and into life threatening situations.
Personally, I am aware of a number of friends who have had abortions. Most of these are / were Roman Catholics - and I have no doubt that the church's repression along the lines of birth control and sex education contributed to these abortions.
Do I think abortion is a good thing? No way. All life is precious. But until we can be pro-contraception, pro-education, pro-equal access to care, until we can support pregnant women economically, until we as a society can ensure that children are loved, supported, and not sentenced to a life of hardship, pain, and struggle, then get the hell out of my face about abortion.
I was born and raised a Roman Catholic - and not just in name. 12 years of catholic education. Alter server. Folk musician. I have a younger brother who is an adoptee. My father was involved in the Knights of Columbus, my mother in Birthright. I had anti-abortion stickers on my guitar case in grade school. Had some things fallen differently in my life I might be speaking to you from inside a rectory somewhere.
Helen is spot-on when she talks about the economic issue - if abortion were restricted, it would only mean that the well-to-do would get their abortions quietly, by crossing state lines or country lines or visit pricey but discrete clinics. It's the poor who would be forced into the back alleys and into life threatening situations.
Personally, I am aware of a number of friends who have had abortions. Most of these are / were Roman Catholics - and I have no doubt that the church's repression along the lines of birth control and sex education contributed to these abortions.
Do I think abortion is a good thing? No way. All life is precious. But until we can be pro-contraception, pro-education, pro-equal access to care, until we can support pregnant women economically, until we as a society can ensure that children are loved, supported, and not sentenced to a life of hardship, pain, and struggle, then get the hell out of my face about abortion.
January 21, 2007
A New Toothbrush
Between mindlessness, inertia (resistance to change), frugality, and various other personal and social maladjustments, I tend to hang on to toothbrushes way past any sane American Dental Association recommendation for replacement. If it's still got bristles, I'm still using it.
So it is an act of loving kindness and generates a feeling of being taken care of when I find a new toothbrush in the holder, unsought after, unasked for. Zippy is conscious, Zippy is caring, Zippy is loving.
And I have a new toothbrush.
So it is an act of loving kindness and generates a feeling of being taken care of when I find a new toothbrush in the holder, unsought after, unasked for. Zippy is conscious, Zippy is caring, Zippy is loving.
And I have a new toothbrush.
Across the Finish Line
A long day yesterday, culminating a long and busy week. Zippy, MYA, and I drove up to MA for a conference.
I was pretty much in schmooze mode. I attended three workshops; I grabbed lunch with friends, a beer with friends after, a lot of saying hello and quick chats in the hall. I was surprised at how many people I knew - from lists I was on, communities I am or have been a part of, etc. Even ran into a couple of old friends, long lost friends, and unexpected to see you here friends. My highlight was a meditation workshop, led by Peter Welch, an artist and Wellness Educator / Counselor from Univserity of New Hampshire, and was gifted with a copy of the UNH Meditation CD. A delightful bubble of calm in the midst of the conference hub-bub and energy.
MYA had a not so great day - some teen drama with a good friend and said friends mom, some being stuck in between "youth" and "adult" angst, some just plain "being in a tough space in life right now" stuff as well. She had some pretty fierce "eyes cried out" make-up going for a while, which she effaced eventually. She also met some of my peeps and friends who maybe will be connections or allies for her in the future.
Zippy also had a good time, starting out a little less positive (hedging bets in terms of going until the last minute) - but zie met a bunch of tribe members adn did some networking. I kind of went off on my own after lunch and left the Zipster to connect to people solo, which did happen.
En route home, we stopped for Chinese in Framingham MA (my old hometown) and that was yummy (huge portions, good food, not so expensive) and then back home by around 8:00. Then I had to drive MYA back to Bristol.
Today - Rest and Recover. I woke up with a scratchy throat and aches - was on the fence about my weekly pilgrimage to Hot Yoga, but I will probablly go.
I was pretty much in schmooze mode. I attended three workshops; I grabbed lunch with friends, a beer with friends after, a lot of saying hello and quick chats in the hall. I was surprised at how many people I knew - from lists I was on, communities I am or have been a part of, etc. Even ran into a couple of old friends, long lost friends, and unexpected to see you here friends. My highlight was a meditation workshop, led by Peter Welch, an artist and Wellness Educator / Counselor from Univserity of New Hampshire, and was gifted with a copy of the UNH Meditation CD. A delightful bubble of calm in the midst of the conference hub-bub and energy.
MYA had a not so great day - some teen drama with a good friend and said friends mom, some being stuck in between "youth" and "adult" angst, some just plain "being in a tough space in life right now" stuff as well. She had some pretty fierce "eyes cried out" make-up going for a while, which she effaced eventually. She also met some of my peeps and friends who maybe will be connections or allies for her in the future.
Zippy also had a good time, starting out a little less positive (hedging bets in terms of going until the last minute) - but zie met a bunch of tribe members adn did some networking. I kind of went off on my own after lunch and left the Zipster to connect to people solo, which did happen.
En route home, we stopped for Chinese in Framingham MA (my old hometown) and that was yummy (huge portions, good food, not so expensive) and then back home by around 8:00. Then I had to drive MYA back to Bristol.
Today - Rest and Recover. I woke up with a scratchy throat and aches - was on the fence about my weekly pilgrimage to Hot Yoga, but I will probablly go.
January 19, 2007
Love Medicine - Louise Erdrich
My airplane fodder. One passage struck with me particularly:
Powerful. Oh, I'm back. Off to Hot Yoga....then on to pick up MYA for a sleepover.
"Your life feels different on you, once you greet death and understand your heart's position. You wear your life like a garment from the mission bundle sale every after - lightly because you realize you never paid nothing for it, cherishing because you won't ever come by such a bargain again. Also you have the feeling someone wore it before you and someone will after." - Lipsha Morrissey
Powerful. Oh, I'm back. Off to Hot Yoga....then on to pick up MYA for a sleepover.
Wrapping a Cable
Finishing up at the site in Little Rock, the on site engineer is watching me put away my gear. "How did you learn how to do that?" he asks. I pause for a moment. Use an impedance meter? Be a power quality engineer? No, he is watching me wrap a test lead, and notices I am wrapping it "over and under"
I learned this skill / art working in the video production field. I always assumed it had naval origins (seems to be the best way to wrap a line for quick and twist-free deployment, and I come to find out its known as faking a line in those circles) But you can learn it as well. Video here. Text here.
If you want to get away from the coiled cable look (even after you've unwrapped your cable!), and you want to be able to unwrap your cables fast, and want your cables to store without added tension (just say NO to the carpenter's elbow wrap!), then try the following method. It's a little difficult to explain, and may take some practice, but once you have it down you can wrap cables faster AND better than ever before - by the way, this is the method most professional roadies use.
I learned this skill / art working in the video production field. I always assumed it had naval origins (seems to be the best way to wrap a line for quick and twist-free deployment, and I come to find out its known as faking a line in those circles) But you can learn it as well. Video here. Text here.
January 18, 2007
Little Rock
Quick site visit, with some good findings. With any luck, I'll be on an early flight out of town tomorrow morning.
Cincinnatti
Because I grabbed some rogue WIFI and I can.
Downloaded mail, but can not upload mail. Grump. Pity, cause one of my client has some URGENT emails that need to go out.
Downloaded mail, but can not upload mail. Grump. Pity, cause one of my client has some URGENT emails that need to go out.
On All Cylinders
A busy kind of week. I'm off to Little Rock AR for a quickie - fly down mid morning today, get into town mid afternoon, and work after 5 p.m. at a customer site. Stay overnight, and head home tomorrow. I have mid afternoon flights booked but from the sounds of it I will be able to catch an earlier one if there are seats available; my client who is accompanying me to the site has a 7 am flight booked so he's planning to vamoose!
Tuesday's lightning trip up to Boston went well, Wednesday I spent a lot of the day entwined in the government - court, DMV, Social Security. MYA and I are drilling down on identity documents - she has hit the age of consent with almost zero official footprint (related to transient living through foster care) so we are laboring to get her a replacement social security card, a certified copy of her birth certificate, and a state identity card (no driver's license yet, that's on the list)
Saturday - we head back up to Boston for a conference. If I get back tomorrow at a reasonable hour I am going to fetch MYA and have her sleep over - so we can get an early start on Saturday. She's excited for the conference, to see my friend and her idol MB, and to connect with others. I have a list of people who want to meet me, catch up with me, etc so I suspect it will be a good day of conencting / reconnecting.
Tuesday's lightning trip up to Boston went well, Wednesday I spent a lot of the day entwined in the government - court, DMV, Social Security. MYA and I are drilling down on identity documents - she has hit the age of consent with almost zero official footprint (related to transient living through foster care) so we are laboring to get her a replacement social security card, a certified copy of her birth certificate, and a state identity card (no driver's license yet, that's on the list)
Saturday - we head back up to Boston for a conference. If I get back tomorrow at a reasonable hour I am going to fetch MYA and have her sleep over - so we can get an early start on Saturday. She's excited for the conference, to see my friend and her idol MB, and to connect with others. I have a list of people who want to meet me, catch up with me, etc so I suspect it will be a good day of conencting / reconnecting.
January 17, 2007
Privilege is Sweet
Standing in line at the Hartford SSA office this afternoon with MYA, getting her a replacement card. The line - maybe 15 persons, each holding a "place in line" ticket dispensed from a small printer. We're all pretty grumpy - the SSA office is civil service at its apex, the line is moving slowly. A fairly diverse crowd - perhaps 3/4 POC.
In walks a white woman, well dressed, expensive cell phone - and steps to the front of the line. She sweet-talks another white woman - she was in yesterday, she says, and had to get a letter or something, it will just be a minute. The older black man who was in line behind me (but sat down to give his back a rest) notices her, and starts to protest. I smile at him and say "She does not have a ticket, she will get sent to the back of the line"
A minute or so later, that's what happens. She steps to the window, is told she needs a ticket. Smiles from those in line. I look over at the seated guy, smile and wink. But the story was not finished. After a minute or two of argument, she gets in line, but less than a minute later, she stomps out.
She apparently goes out in the hall, calls the SSA office with her phone hoping to bypass the line, and seconds later she is back in the room, standing by the door, talking on the phone. A security guard comes out, talks with her, commiserates, but she cannot get in. The woman at the window looks out "I told her to take a ticket and get in line and she'll get her turn". Meanwhile, those of us in line continue to watch the soap opera, and she is not popular - I overhear "Barbie doll is too good to wait in line"
She finally gets in line. About a minute later she makes a very loud exit.
One good thing about bureaucracies - they tend to frustrate across boundaries of race, class, privilege. Everybody is treated like crap, equally.
For what its worth, MYA is getting her replacement SS card with a minimimum of hassle - she has never had legal ID, we had a photocopy birth certificate, a school ID, and the right answers to a few questions (middle name, mom's maiden name) - and they were happy to put an order in. Relief on our part - she has gotten to this point in her life with a minimum of legal footprint, and trying to get her a photo ID, replacement SSA card, and certified birth certificate is like putting together a puzzle where the order of the pieces is critical. I think we are on our way.
In walks a white woman, well dressed, expensive cell phone - and steps to the front of the line. She sweet-talks another white woman - she was in yesterday, she says, and had to get a letter or something, it will just be a minute. The older black man who was in line behind me (but sat down to give his back a rest) notices her, and starts to protest. I smile at him and say "She does not have a ticket, she will get sent to the back of the line"
A minute or so later, that's what happens. She steps to the window, is told she needs a ticket. Smiles from those in line. I look over at the seated guy, smile and wink. But the story was not finished. After a minute or two of argument, she gets in line, but less than a minute later, she stomps out.
She apparently goes out in the hall, calls the SSA office with her phone hoping to bypass the line, and seconds later she is back in the room, standing by the door, talking on the phone. A security guard comes out, talks with her, commiserates, but she cannot get in. The woman at the window looks out "I told her to take a ticket and get in line and she'll get her turn". Meanwhile, those of us in line continue to watch the soap opera, and she is not popular - I overhear "Barbie doll is too good to wait in line"
She finally gets in line. About a minute later she makes a very loud exit.
One good thing about bureaucracies - they tend to frustrate across boundaries of race, class, privilege. Everybody is treated like crap, equally.
For what its worth, MYA is getting her replacement SS card with a minimimum of hassle - she has never had legal ID, we had a photocopy birth certificate, a school ID, and the right answers to a few questions (middle name, mom's maiden name) - and they were happy to put an order in. Relief on our part - she has gotten to this point in her life with a minimum of legal footprint, and trying to get her a photo ID, replacement SSA card, and certified birth certificate is like putting together a puzzle where the order of the pieces is critical. I think we are on our way.
BDL to BOS and Back
Quick trip up to Beantown - first Logan to pick up Dr. B, then into the city where we manga'd at Maggiano's Little Italy. (Yummers, and I got the doggie bag!) Nice to sit and chat, catch up, get some face time, all that. Saturday will be way to hectic for us to really spend any quality time. Dropped her off at her hotel and hightailed it back here by midnight.
Tomorrow, some morning errands with MYA and family. Then to the office to get some work done. Then pack for a trip to Little Rock on Thursday and Friday. The good news - my Little Rock contact / client has booked a 7:00 a.m. flight out on Friday morning, so I guess i am free to try to push my flights up earlier. (I had an early afternoon departure booked)
Tomorrow, some morning errands with MYA and family. Then to the office to get some work done. Then pack for a trip to Little Rock on Thursday and Friday. The good news - my Little Rock contact / client has booked a 7:00 a.m. flight out on Friday morning, so I guess i am free to try to push my flights up earlier. (I had an early afternoon departure booked)
January 16, 2007
Pseudo Something
In M. Scott Peck's book "The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace" (strangely missing from my shelf, I wonder if I lent it to someone?) - he speaks of four stages of community, the first of which is Pseudo-community. I was thinking of that this morning.
I am planning to participate in another Enlightenment Intensive in March, and I was thinking about Pseudo-Enlightenment - how after I had a significant experience, I began to doubt that experience, to feel that surely I must be faking it, since I am so adept at playing games, building facades, hiding behind masks. I felt fully capable of orchestrating an enlightenment experience for the benefit of myself, for peers, for the workshop leaders. In fact, I left the Intensive mostly convinced that I had indeed been faking it.
It was only in hindsight, after the Intensive, when I began to integrate my weekend and others began to react to the post-experience me, that I understood that my experience had been authentic, that I had indeed gone through something real and emerged changed.
No particular point, just something I have been thinking about.
I am planning to participate in another Enlightenment Intensive in March, and I was thinking about Pseudo-Enlightenment - how after I had a significant experience, I began to doubt that experience, to feel that surely I must be faking it, since I am so adept at playing games, building facades, hiding behind masks. I felt fully capable of orchestrating an enlightenment experience for the benefit of myself, for peers, for the workshop leaders. In fact, I left the Intensive mostly convinced that I had indeed been faking it.
It was only in hindsight, after the Intensive, when I began to integrate my weekend and others began to react to the post-experience me, that I understood that my experience had been authentic, that I had indeed gone through something real and emerged changed.
No particular point, just something I have been thinking about.
January 15, 2007
Cold snap destroys most Calif. citrus
Story here.
So, is it time to start investing in companies that have figured out what the new weather patterns will mean in terms of agriculture, floods, heating & cooling, tourism, etc?
Is it time to strt taking global climate change seriously?
The latest freeze will likely surpass the damage done by a three-day cold snap in December 1998 that destroyed 85 percent of California's citrus crop, a loss valued at $700 million, Kawamura said.
So, is it time to start investing in companies that have figured out what the new weather patterns will mean in terms of agriculture, floods, heating & cooling, tourism, etc?
Is it time to strt taking global climate change seriously?
Shiny Bright Pen
Took MYA out for her birthday - Barnes & Noble to spend down a xmas gift card, and our favorite chinese buffet. About midway through the meal I happened to look into my purse and a promo light pen that I got from a client was lighted. (Thought it might have been a cell call coming in) So I pulled the pen out to turn it off, and within about 15 seconds two of the waitrons from the buffet were at our table, oogling.
MYA was much amused. She is enamored with all things asian (and this extends to people) so she was tickled to have them looking at the pen. I think one of them was trying to orchestrate a trade (pen for food). And for the rest of the meal, MYA kept saying "Gimme that pen" as if she might be able to lure the wait staff over at her command.
We laughed about it. A little laughter on her birthday is not a bad thing.....
January 14, 2007
Chimp Haven
Watching PBS Nature this evening, in a "Best of" show, we came across a piece on chimpanzee rescue, and the work of Linda Koebner who spent four years working with chimps rescued from medical testing. A scene where Linda visited rescued chimps, 18 years later, and the chimps seemed to recognize and greet her brought tears to my eyes. Soft sobbing really.
They are our kin, sharing 98% of our DNA, and although I believe that all life is connected and precious, the plight of these sentient beings moved me incredibly. Subsequent to the filming, Linda founded a chimpanzee sanctuary Chimp Haven. Next time I find a few extra bucks, I am going to make sure to send some that way.
Damn, and now there is a story on two elephants (Shirley and Jenny), who knew each other 25 years ago in a circus, reunited after all these years, and remembering each other. Fucking nature. So beautiful, so powerful, so righteous. We humans have no freaking idea.
They are our kin, sharing 98% of our DNA, and although I believe that all life is connected and precious, the plight of these sentient beings moved me incredibly. Subsequent to the filming, Linda founded a chimpanzee sanctuary Chimp Haven. Next time I find a few extra bucks, I am going to make sure to send some that way.
Damn, and now there is a story on two elephants (Shirley and Jenny), who knew each other 25 years ago in a circus, reunited after all these years, and remembering each other. Fucking nature. So beautiful, so powerful, so righteous. We humans have no freaking idea.
Indulgent and Blessed
A body reborn - the morning's aches and creaks have been tempered, lubed, massaged by an hour and a half of hot yoga. My reward - a bowl of oatmeal. With a sprinkling of chopped walnuts. And a handful of golden raisins. Who is more fortunate and blessed than I?
Vivid Dreams
Two connected dreams last night.
In the first part, I was back to school, in Worcester, MA. Going back for my masters, I think, I recall commenting that this time I was going to take advantage of the school and professors who specialized in my present area of expertise. I was setting up my "dorm space" which seemed more like office cubicals - very small. My old roommate Don was also there. What was particularly interesting was that the dream became semi-conscious, I remember (in the dream) thinking or commenting that dreaming about going back to college was interesting and a recurring theme, that I dreams about going back to school before, and I always take it as a sign that I need to learn something, go back to school, make life changes, etc.
Part two, I was considering driving back from school to my yoga studio (in the dream, it was maybe 30 minutes drive, vs. a few hours in real life) and decided to check out local options. I ended up at an old rambling worcester three-decker which was inhabited by a commune or new age community of sorts- they had yoga in a large roundish room. I was there, chatted and hung out with some of the residents, set up my mat, we were kind of talking and stretching and shared some bread before practice. The dream ended before I got to practice, but it was neat. I recall watching people in postures and wondering if I could keep up - I was trying to describe the practice I do now, not exactly sure how to qualify it in yogic terms (Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Hatha, etc.)
I think its interesting that yoga has infused my unconscious. I awoke wondering if my yoga practice would be changing.....if I would be finding another outlet or place to practice.
In the first part, I was back to school, in Worcester, MA. Going back for my masters, I think, I recall commenting that this time I was going to take advantage of the school and professors who specialized in my present area of expertise. I was setting up my "dorm space" which seemed more like office cubicals - very small. My old roommate Don was also there. What was particularly interesting was that the dream became semi-conscious, I remember (in the dream) thinking or commenting that dreaming about going back to college was interesting and a recurring theme, that I dreams about going back to school before, and I always take it as a sign that I need to learn something, go back to school, make life changes, etc.
Part two, I was considering driving back from school to my yoga studio (in the dream, it was maybe 30 minutes drive, vs. a few hours in real life) and decided to check out local options. I ended up at an old rambling worcester three-decker which was inhabited by a commune or new age community of sorts- they had yoga in a large roundish room. I was there, chatted and hung out with some of the residents, set up my mat, we were kind of talking and stretching and shared some bread before practice. The dream ended before I got to practice, but it was neat. I recall watching people in postures and wondering if I could keep up - I was trying to describe the practice I do now, not exactly sure how to qualify it in yogic terms (Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Hatha, etc.)
I think its interesting that yoga has infused my unconscious. I awoke wondering if my yoga practice would be changing.....if I would be finding another outlet or place to practice.
January 13, 2007
World According to Shorts
We caught the 5:30 pm show at RAW tonight. Interesting piece. The official site is here. Of special note:
* The Antichrist (Poland) was fierce and dark and powerful - downright scary.
* We Have Not Decided to Die (Australia) resonated with my own inner journey.
* The Antichrist (Poland) was fierce and dark and powerful - downright scary.
* We Have Not Decided to Die (Australia) resonated with my own inner journey.
India Oven - Park Road
Apres movie this evening, Zippy, AC, and I went to the fairly new India Oven on Park Road (right next to I LOVE SUSHI). It's small, it's BYOB. But the food is delightful. We loved everything we had (the Raita was particularly fresh and delicious - a perfect balm for the medium hot dishes we ordered). I had an eggplant dish (Baingan Bartha). AC and Zippy had Lamb Jalfraze and Chicken Jalfrazi respectively, both loved their choices. The Garlic Naan was also wonderful. And the staff (perhaps the owner) was extremely helpful and eager to please.
About the only complaint - the door opening let in a bit of the cold on this January night. But other than that - yum! Steve and Lisa Alcazari concur....
Not a lot of tables, so plan accordingly - and from what I hear, the lunch prices and meals are superb. And if you want some beer (a cold Kingfisher which would have been nice) or wine, plan ahead.
India Oven - a great addition to the local restaurant scene, and hopefully they will succeed and grow into more spacious (and more climate controlled) quarters!)
About the only complaint - the door opening let in a bit of the cold on this January night. But other than that - yum! Steve and Lisa Alcazari concur....
Not a lot of tables, so plan accordingly - and from what I hear, the lunch prices and meals are superb. And if you want some beer (a cold Kingfisher which would have been nice) or wine, plan ahead.
India Oven - a great addition to the local restaurant scene, and hopefully they will succeed and grow into more spacious (and more climate controlled) quarters!)
Assembling for War
I think the crows and the squirrels are up to no good. Driving down Hollywood, crows were spread out, maybe 1 or 2 on every lawn. Squirrels were suspiciously close to 'em, equally spaced.
Be afraid.
Be afraid.
A Weekend
Hm. A real honest to goodness weekend is upon us. No serious commitments, no conferences, no meetings or commitments, no huge work projects to try to crank out by Monday. Not sure what to make of it.
Minor commitments, of course. Jazzercise this morning, probably yoga tomorrow morning. Zippy has a meeting up in NoHo tomorrow afternoon that I usually end up driving to when I am around. MYA is overdue for a visit - probably today. And AC has been talking up The World According To Shorts at Real Art Ways this evening, although the film times (5:30 and 9:30) seem to be less than ideal.
But it's a weekend. Right now, I'm listening to NPR on my headset, drinking decaf, waiting for my oatmeal to cook, and blogging a little. Relaxing, yanno? Even though its 6:15 a.m.
Minor commitments, of course. Jazzercise this morning, probably yoga tomorrow morning. Zippy has a meeting up in NoHo tomorrow afternoon that I usually end up driving to when I am around. MYA is overdue for a visit - probably today. And AC has been talking up The World According To Shorts at Real Art Ways this evening, although the film times (5:30 and 9:30) seem to be less than ideal.
But it's a weekend. Right now, I'm listening to NPR on my headset, drinking decaf, waiting for my oatmeal to cook, and blogging a little. Relaxing, yanno? Even though its 6:15 a.m.
January 12, 2007
Will You Please Dance?
On the wall of my office. A piece by mary anne radmacher, circa 1996. I do not see this piece on her site anymore, but she has many other similar pieces.
No particular reason, I have had this sitting in a file for a while, I finally hung it up today.
No particular reason, I have had this sitting in a file for a while, I finally hung it up today.
Get Carter
Former president Carter is getting edgier and more opinionated as he ages. His recent book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid - is causing a ruckus - with charges of bias, being too pre-Palestinian, anti-Israel, etc. People who have gotten used to the softer and saintly version, the wimpy one that Ronald Reagan beat up on in 1980, are not happy.
I dunno, I do not have huge personal stake on either side of the Israeli-Arab conflict. Like George W. Bush, Israel has been a bully in the middle east, working from a premise of Might=Right. Unlike W and the present US policy, Israel is a small geographic country, surrounded on all sides by enemies often sworn to work towards its destruction. So a bit of bully and bluster is expected.But the expansion, the kibbutz building, the honeycombing of Palestinian territory with Israeli settlements, is extremely aggressive and problematic.
I dunno how I feel about it all. If I hadda choose, I'd probably come down ever so slightly on the Palestinian side. But only ever so slightly.
I dunno, I do not have huge personal stake on either side of the Israeli-Arab conflict. Like George W. Bush, Israel has been a bully in the middle east, working from a premise of Might=Right. Unlike W and the present US policy, Israel is a small geographic country, surrounded on all sides by enemies often sworn to work towards its destruction. So a bit of bully and bluster is expected.But the expansion, the kibbutz building, the honeycombing of Palestinian territory with Israeli settlements, is extremely aggressive and problematic.
I dunno how I feel about it all. If I hadda choose, I'd probably come down ever so slightly on the Palestinian side. But only ever so slightly.
Yankee Ukes
A fascinating story in the Hartford Courant this morning about Ukeleles in Connecticut - specifically the Magic Fluke Company (New Hartford) and Flea Market Music Inc. (Clinton)
Who knew?
Who knew?
January 11, 2007
Energy, Changes, Vitality
As befits a new year, LOTS of new energy and opportunities.
My trip to Wisconsin was both a good two day training gig, and a lot of connections, contacts, and ideas with a client I have been working with peripherally for a while. Lots of good energy. A follow-up trip to Little Rock (cancelled from December) is planned for next week.
An old friend, Ari Kane, called up - looking to do lunch at an upcoming conference. Another friend also mentioned lunch via IM. And of course MB will prolly want to nosh....I'll be zonked, will be traveling back from Little Rock and not getting back until late on Friday.
And a potential freelance writing opportunity seems to be simmering.
My trip to Wisconsin was both a good two day training gig, and a lot of connections, contacts, and ideas with a client I have been working with peripherally for a while. Lots of good energy. A follow-up trip to Little Rock (cancelled from December) is planned for next week.
An old friend, Ari Kane, called up - looking to do lunch at an upcoming conference. Another friend also mentioned lunch via IM. And of course MB will prolly want to nosh....I'll be zonked, will be traveling back from Little Rock and not getting back until late on Friday.
And a potential freelance writing opportunity seems to be simmering.
And now Detroit.....
Because I can, I guess. Bored, a bit of a layover, and knowing that if I wander areound I'll find something to eat and aggravate my sore knee. Booking tickets to Little Rock for next week. Catching up on emails. Stuff like that. The NW terminal here ate DTW is pretty slick, all in all. I am looking at a huge LCD display that is wonderfully visible from across the gate area, listening to the Roches, and blogging.
Could be worse, is all I'm saying.
Could be worse, is all I'm saying.
$ 6.95
Which is about what this post is costing me from the Madison WI airport, en route home via DTW (on NWA)
Actually, I logged in to grab all my accrued emails and see if there was anything urgent to deal with en route home; the hotel WiFi was erratic, slow, and unreliable. Nothing urgent, so some bloggishness.
I see via the blogosphere that things have been hopping in CT - between the Gov Rell / Ken Krayeske mess and W's speech. Sorry to miss it all. I'm going to keep missing it all - next week I am heading back out to Little Rock. Eek!
Actually, I logged in to grab all my accrued emails and see if there was anything urgent to deal with en route home; the hotel WiFi was erratic, slow, and unreliable. Nothing urgent, so some bloggishness.
I see via the blogosphere that things have been hopping in CT - between the Gov Rell / Ken Krayeske mess and W's speech. Sorry to miss it all. I'm going to keep missing it all - next week I am heading back out to Little Rock. Eek!
January 09, 2007
Not Very Bloggish
Apologies. I am out it Madison, WI doing some training. And the free WiFi in this hotel has been spotty / flaky - not letting me D/L email reliably, making web surfing a bit frustrating, etc. Nothing fatal, just annoying.
The trip out went very well - all my bad travel karma paid in December is hopefully going to protect me in 2007. Mostly fullish flight on MD-80's (Northwest) from BDL to DTW to Madison, but not horrible. Luggage here. Decent rental car. Hotel is reasonable.
I was able to get all my conference material printed out at a local Office Max and stuff the 20 binders and burn the presentations onto CD yesterday - so last night I had some down time - got a report out, messed with the computer, had a nice dinner at Applebee's (off the weight watcher's menu, although I treated myself to a margarita). Tried to do some yoga before dinner but between a long travel day, a not so optimum place to put my mat, and a sore knee (something new, maybe I strained it on Sunday, and exacerbated it through airport walking and airplane sitting), well, it just did not happen.
Off to the client site in a few for a long day of training - catch up tonight!
The trip out went very well - all my bad travel karma paid in December is hopefully going to protect me in 2007. Mostly fullish flight on MD-80's (Northwest) from BDL to DTW to Madison, but not horrible. Luggage here. Decent rental car. Hotel is reasonable.
I was able to get all my conference material printed out at a local Office Max and stuff the 20 binders and burn the presentations onto CD yesterday - so last night I had some down time - got a report out, messed with the computer, had a nice dinner at Applebee's (off the weight watcher's menu, although I treated myself to a margarita). Tried to do some yoga before dinner but between a long travel day, a not so optimum place to put my mat, and a sore knee (something new, maybe I strained it on Sunday, and exacerbated it through airport walking and airplane sitting), well, it just did not happen.
Off to the client site in a few for a long day of training - catch up tonight!
January 08, 2007
Back into the Breech
Off to Madison, WI this morning, heading to lead two days of training for a client. I am already wishing I had packed a different outfit for Day #2. (Day #1 is all set with a houndstooth slack suit, but I packed a funky skirt, kind of casual, for Day #2 and wish I had opted for a more professional black suit and slacks. Maybe I can go shopping....)
So far so good at the airport (parking, security, check-in) but one never knows - my two aborted trips in December loom large in my memory. I get into Madison right after lunch - way early, but lots of time for travel delays. I also have to assemble my training manuals once I get out there - just never got time here. I have a Kinko's and an OfficeMax mapped out near my hotel.
A little airport blogging. Sorry to be not so present over the weekend; I was rushing around doing stuff with MYA, getting ready for the training and travel, and the like. Not a lot of blog time.
I did grab a hot yoga class on Sunday, intended to hit Jazzercise on Saturday but I was not feeling well. And I brought my mat and yoga duds so I can practice in the hotel.
So far so good at the airport (parking, security, check-in) but one never knows - my two aborted trips in December loom large in my memory. I get into Madison right after lunch - way early, but lots of time for travel delays. I also have to assemble my training manuals once I get out there - just never got time here. I have a Kinko's and an OfficeMax mapped out near my hotel.
A little airport blogging. Sorry to be not so present over the weekend; I was rushing around doing stuff with MYA, getting ready for the training and travel, and the like. Not a lot of blog time.
I did grab a hot yoga class on Sunday, intended to hit Jazzercise on Saturday but I was not feeling well. And I brought my mat and yoga duds so I can practice in the hotel.
January 06, 2007
Ken Krayeske's Syrian Connection
Tracking back on some blog links here, I came across an interesting tidbit, heretofore unblogged or commented on with regard to the recent arrest. Ken spent some time in Syria in 2005 - here and here. Wonder if this got him noticed by the feds (Homeland Security), on some sort of federal watchlist, and that filtered down to CTIC.
I have to believe this is more than a simple state feud and abuse of power over politics, heckling, activism. I suspect that CTIC, focused on national security and terrorism threats, got Ken's name and face from above....
I have to believe this is more than a simple state feud and abuse of power over politics, heckling, activism. I suspect that CTIC, focused on national security and terrorism threats, got Ken's name and face from above....
January 05, 2007
Police on my Back
Reporter Arrested for Political Activism
by Christine Stuart, over at CT News Junkie
Apparently Ken Krayeske was arrested taking pictures of Gov Rell's Inaugural parade. His crime - being on a list of potential troublemakers, perhaps put out by the Connecticut Intelligence Center (CTIC). Apparently, being a liberal, politically active, and a reporter, makes one a potential trouble maker.
I know Ken, he was active in the Lamont campaign and I volunteered a little bit for them. Nice guy. Earnest, cleancut, passionate. Not a troublemaker.
Hey CTIC, yanno where you can get lots of pictures of potential troublemakers? Try here.
Uhm, this would be me on the right, schmoozing and sucking down a martini of some sort.
by Christine Stuart, over at CT News Junkie
Apparently Ken Krayeske was arrested taking pictures of Gov Rell's Inaugural parade. His crime - being on a list of potential troublemakers, perhaps put out by the Connecticut Intelligence Center (CTIC). Apparently, being a liberal, politically active, and a reporter, makes one a potential trouble maker.
I know Ken, he was active in the Lamont campaign and I volunteered a little bit for them. Nice guy. Earnest, cleancut, passionate. Not a troublemaker.
Hey CTIC, yanno where you can get lots of pictures of potential troublemakers? Try here.
Uhm, this would be me on the right, schmoozing and sucking down a martini of some sort.
Behind the Eight Ball
Gonna be a chaotic few days.
Socially, I have a special Kirtan with David Newman this evening, and I may be on tap to help him set up this afternoon. I am going to try to get some yoga in this morning; I have not been since Monday. Saturday morning is the Frozen Buns balloon rally (despite the warmth) in Southington (weather permitting), and the Kennedys in concert at the Sounding Board in the evening. Sunday is the True Colors mentoring party. Busy.
Work wise, I come home to a laundry list of tasks:
a) Invoice for the production gig
b) 4-5 reports for one client
c) 1 report for another client
d) Need to reformat, reorganize, and reassemble 4 training modules for Monday
e) Need to print out and assemble 15-20 training manuals for Monday
And one of my clients, historically a reliable payor, has gotten flaky - the Nov 1 2006 invoice got paid 50% (clerical error claimed, the balance is still outstanding) and the Dec 1 invoice has still not been paid (typically it comes in at the end of the month). Not sure if this is holiday lethargy or a dictate from the top to push out payments (which happens at the end of the calendar year now and then) or just an annoying coincidence. But between that, a slowish few months, and a bunch of airfares for cancelled flights that have still not bene reimbursed, finances are tight. Grumble.
Socially, I have a special Kirtan with David Newman this evening, and I may be on tap to help him set up this afternoon. I am going to try to get some yoga in this morning; I have not been since Monday. Saturday morning is the Frozen Buns balloon rally (despite the warmth) in Southington (weather permitting), and the Kennedys in concert at the Sounding Board in the evening. Sunday is the True Colors mentoring party. Busy.
Work wise, I come home to a laundry list of tasks:
a) Invoice for the production gig
b) 4-5 reports for one client
c) 1 report for another client
d) Need to reformat, reorganize, and reassemble 4 training modules for Monday
e) Need to print out and assemble 15-20 training manuals for Monday
And one of my clients, historically a reliable payor, has gotten flaky - the Nov 1 2006 invoice got paid 50% (clerical error claimed, the balance is still outstanding) and the Dec 1 invoice has still not been paid (typically it comes in at the end of the month). Not sure if this is holiday lethargy or a dictate from the top to push out payments (which happens at the end of the calendar year now and then) or just an annoying coincidence. But between that, a slowish few months, and a bunch of airfares for cancelled flights that have still not bene reimbursed, finances are tight. Grumble.
Corporate Giggishness Completed
Not a bad couple of days. Just boring as all heck. Lots of financial numbers and lots of acronyms. Sitting in a frigid back hallway babysitting two laptops, a beta deck, a DVD player and a graphics switcher, with a small speaker and a video monitor to remind me who is at the podium. And 20-some powerpoint presentations to load and attend to. And no internets to keep me company.
Two days of bad food - fast food en route down (breakfast) and back (dinner) - banquet food lunches and breakfasts, and a dinner culled from a local high end grocery store. Ick, should have just gotten room service.
The company in question is doing pretty well, they are nicely positioned to take advantage of the growing energy crisis, and are wall street darlings in terms of growth, execution, and margins. Every year I come back thinking "I ought to buy some stock for my IRA". And, per usual, out of 20 some speakers - no women. One POC. The crowd looked to be about 10% women, which still left for a bit of a line in the ladies room during the breaks.
It was good to be back in my own bed, with the zipster at my side and elo the dog at my feet. It's good to drink my own decaf this morning and eat a bowl of oatmeal.
Two days of bad food - fast food en route down (breakfast) and back (dinner) - banquet food lunches and breakfasts, and a dinner culled from a local high end grocery store. Ick, should have just gotten room service.
The company in question is doing pretty well, they are nicely positioned to take advantage of the growing energy crisis, and are wall street darlings in terms of growth, execution, and margins. Every year I come back thinking "I ought to buy some stock for my IRA". And, per usual, out of 20 some speakers - no women. One POC. The crowd looked to be about 10% women, which still left for a bit of a line in the ladies room during the breaks.
It was good to be back in my own bed, with the zipster at my side and elo the dog at my feet. It's good to drink my own decaf this morning and eat a bowl of oatmeal.
January 03, 2007
Hotel Room Blues
On the plus side: I am getting a couple of reports done. I got to watch Friday Night Lights. I am watching a wonderful PBS documentary on Annie Liebowitz on Thirteen. The bathroom is large enough to put down a yoga mat, if I were of a mind.
On the negative side: hotel room heat (dry). No zipster. I had a crappy dinner I picked up at D'agostino's (salad and grocery store sushi). I am probbaly not going to hit the mat tonight. And I have a 6:30 am call time.
On the negative side: hotel room heat (dry). No zipster. I had a crappy dinner I picked up at D'agostino's (salad and grocery store sushi). I am probbaly not going to hit the mat tonight. And I have a 6:30 am call time.
Grabbing WiFi
At the Ryetown Hilton, in Rye Brook, NY. Although I have to wander with my laptop away from my workstation and into the hall to get it reliably. Pout.
January 02, 2007
Ho Boy
Pat Robertson predicts 'mass killing'. Story here.
Of course not. The Lord would say NUCULAR. Like our dear president. Yanno, its stuff like this that makes me start to believe those who insist that the hole in the side of the pentagon was made by a cruise missile, and that the 9-11 attacks were orchestrated by our government. (Neither of which I believe, for the record)
Dylan said it best:
"I'm not necessarily saying it's going to be nuclear," he said during his news-and-talk television show "The 700 Club" on the Christian Broadcasting Network. "The Lord didn't say nuclear."
Of course not. The Lord would say NUCULAR. Like our dear president. Yanno, its stuff like this that makes me start to believe those who insist that the hole in the side of the pentagon was made by a cruise missile, and that the 9-11 attacks were orchestrated by our government. (Neither of which I believe, for the record)
Dylan said it best:
He got a sweet gift of gab, he got a harmonious tongue,
He knows every song of love that ever has been sung.
Good intentions can be evil,
Both hands can be full of grease.
You know that sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace.
From a walk to a run
The holiday downturn - of leisurely work days, daily yoga, household projects, movies and walks, is officially over. I spent most of the day down in Milford updating laptops (on one of them, there were 63 updates BEFORE getting around to the 75M Service Pack 2) - doing updates, renewing and upgrading virus scans, updating flash and PDF readers and the like. Lot of click and wait.
I did not get back home until 6:30 - after stops at Loew's, Office Depot, the ATM, and the office. And I need to sneak back to the office tomorrow morning to do a couple of quick things, as well as get gas en route to Rye Brook tomorrow.
So - no formal yoga practice until maybe Friday - I am taking a mat so I'll probably get something done in the hotel, but it's going to be a couple of long days.
I did not get back home until 6:30 - after stops at Loew's, Office Depot, the ATM, and the office. And I need to sneak back to the office tomorrow morning to do a couple of quick things, as well as get gas en route to Rye Brook tomorrow.
So - no formal yoga practice until maybe Friday - I am taking a mat so I'll probably get something done in the hotel, but it's going to be a couple of long days.
A Day Off
I had penciled in a 6 a.m. "Hour of Power" yoga class with an instructor I have not worked with. I have a work appoitnment down in Milford around 10 a.m. so will miss my semi-regular Tuesday morning power class.
Alas, the dogs got me up for a while around 3:00 a.m. - so when they (and I) regained consciousness, it was 5:55 a.m. - too late.
Truthfully, my body needs a day off - I did hot/power practices on Friday, Sunday, and Monday, snuck Jazzercise in there on Saturday, and went for two reasonably long hikes in there, Friday and Sunday. A well deserved day off. I just know that I will be off the grid, yoga wise, until Friday due to an out of town work gig (work? she blogs AND does yoga AND works?).
Next week, I am off to Wisconsin - heading out Monday and returning on Thursday. And the weekend in between looks full - with a special Kirtan on Friday night, Kirtan set-up Friday afternoon, a concert on Saturday night, and a True Colors holiday party on the 7th. If the weather cooperates, Saturday might also be the Frozen Buns rally (an annual new years tradition in the balloon world). And I have to prepare course material for the training next week in Wisconsin.
Nothing like being busy....
Alas, the dogs got me up for a while around 3:00 a.m. - so when they (and I) regained consciousness, it was 5:55 a.m. - too late.
Truthfully, my body needs a day off - I did hot/power practices on Friday, Sunday, and Monday, snuck Jazzercise in there on Saturday, and went for two reasonably long hikes in there, Friday and Sunday. A well deserved day off. I just know that I will be off the grid, yoga wise, until Friday due to an out of town work gig (work? she blogs AND does yoga AND works?).
Next week, I am off to Wisconsin - heading out Monday and returning on Thursday. And the weekend in between looks full - with a special Kirtan on Friday night, Kirtan set-up Friday afternoon, a concert on Saturday night, and a True Colors holiday party on the 7th. If the weather cooperates, Saturday might also be the Frozen Buns rally (an annual new years tradition in the balloon world). And I have to prepare course material for the training next week in Wisconsin.
Nothing like being busy....
Banned Words for 2007
Every year we get this list of overused, overwrought, and just plain tired words and phrases. This year I realized for the first time that the list is the product of a specific entity: Lake Superior State University.
I love that this small school has adopted this cause, has owned this concept. Yeah for them.
The words / phrases for 2006 (see the website for explanations): GITMO, COMBINED CELEBRITY NAMES (think Bragelina), AWESOME, GONE/WENT MISSING, PWN or PWNED, NOW PLAYING IN THEATERS, WE'RE PREGNANT, UNDOCUMENTED ALIEN, ARMED ROBBERY/DRUG DEAL GONE BAD, TRUTHINESS, ASK YOUR DOCTOR, CHIPOTLE, i-ANYTHING (e-Anything made the list in 2000), SEARCH ("Might as well banish it. The word has been replaced by 'google.'"), HEALTHY FOOD, BOASTS.
Lake Superior State University is Michigan's smallest public university with an enrollment of 3,000 students. It is known for its academic programs such as fisheries and wildlife management, engineering, teacher education, nursing, criminal justice, fire science and business management.
For admissions information, go to LSSU's web site, www.lssu.edu.
LSSU accepts nominations for the banished-words list throughout the year. To submit your nomination for the 2008 list, go to www.lssu.edu/banished.
I love that this small school has adopted this cause, has owned this concept. Yeah for them.
The words / phrases for 2006 (see the website for explanations): GITMO, COMBINED CELEBRITY NAMES (think Bragelina), AWESOME, GONE/WENT MISSING, PWN or PWNED, NOW PLAYING IN THEATERS, WE'RE PREGNANT, UNDOCUMENTED ALIEN, ARMED ROBBERY/DRUG DEAL GONE BAD, TRUTHINESS, ASK YOUR DOCTOR, CHIPOTLE, i-ANYTHING (e-Anything made the list in 2000), SEARCH ("Might as well banish it. The word has been replaced by 'google.'"), HEALTHY FOOD, BOASTS.
January 01, 2007
UFO Over ORD
Story here.
Or rather, a UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) which is the preferred term. Seems logical that it might have been some weather phenomenon, but hope springs eternal. I mean, gods or aliens, somebody or something better get down here and set us stupid humans straight in terms of pollution, global warning, renewable energy, etc.
Or rather, a UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) which is the preferred term. Seems logical that it might have been some weather phenomenon, but hope springs eternal. I mean, gods or aliens, somebody or something better get down here and set us stupid humans straight in terms of pollution, global warning, renewable energy, etc.
New Year's Magic
Again, at the hands of a powerful one. In the past, my deep moments have come face down, deep in my hips, body racked in grief. Today, something different - my heart.
During savasana, a poem. "When I Am Among the Trees" by Mary Oliver from her newest collection, Thirst. At the closing stanza:
My heart filled with light, and I felt myself pulled up off the mat as if a celestial string were reeling in my heart. I stayed there for some moments in wonder and delight, feeling the glow and the warmth and the yearning. And then, aware of my back arching, my chest reaching, I slowly settled back onto the mat.
For 2007, one single and simple resolution: to shine.
During savasana, a poem. "When I Am Among the Trees" by Mary Oliver from her newest collection, Thirst. At the closing stanza:
And they call again, "It's simple," they say,
"and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine.
My heart filled with light, and I felt myself pulled up off the mat as if a celestial string were reeling in my heart. I stayed there for some moments in wonder and delight, feeling the glow and the warmth and the yearning. And then, aware of my back arching, my chest reaching, I slowly settled back onto the mat.
For 2007, one single and simple resolution: to shine.
Oh, and Happy New Year
By the way. 2007 and all. We were in bed - our friend AC stopped by around 9:00 pm - she called earlier hoping to cajole us into socializing but I was about an hour into my basement cleaning and had no desire to get out. So she stopped by, witnessed our new years eve lethargy, and headed out to a Shag Frenzt new years eve.
We headed in around 11:00 pm. I was up eary this morning, and did the dishes. The plan du jour. Some work at the office. Some late morning yoga of the sublime and sacred variety. Some shopping. Pretty much a regular day.....
We headed in around 11:00 pm. I was up eary this morning, and did the dishes. The plan du jour. Some work at the office. Some late morning yoga of the sublime and sacred variety. Some shopping. Pretty much a regular day.....
The Kennedys at the Sounding Board
Next Saturday, January 6th, at 6:00 p.m. Sounding Board information here. The Kennedys information here. I forget how gleeful, how joyous, how happy these two songsters make me feel. How open my heart is when I stand and listen to them, drinking in their music of optimism and faith.
WWUH is playing two songs right this moment to help me remember. I intend to be at the Sounding Board next Saturday evening....
WWUH is playing two songs right this moment to help me remember. I intend to be at the Sounding Board next Saturday evening....
December 31, 2006
Nothing Doing New Year
Just to report that we are officially "in" for the new years eve celebration. BORING.
Hot yoga this morning. We took a walk around the WH reservoir this afternoon. Some beefish thing in the crockpot for dinner. And I spent a few hours down cellar cleaning up - not finished, not even close, but I made a serious dent in the tool area and nobody is going to get killed tripping over things anymore.
Nothing else to report. Going to have a quiet night, and tomorrow I think some work (get my end of month invoices out, mostly - along with some reports and get my training program organized for next week) and a 10:00 am yoga class.
Hot yoga this morning. We took a walk around the WH reservoir this afternoon. Some beefish thing in the crockpot for dinner. And I spent a few hours down cellar cleaning up - not finished, not even close, but I made a serious dent in the tool area and nobody is going to get killed tripping over things anymore.
Nothing else to report. Going to have a quiet night, and tomorrow I think some work (get my end of month invoices out, mostly - along with some reports and get my training program organized for next week) and a 10:00 am yoga class.
Yoga Dream
I have not consciously dreamed of yoga, until last evening.
I was in a practice, which I perceived to be tomorrow's special new years day practice. We were doing a partner exercise, with one yogi in the posture and the partner assisting, doing an unfamiliar posture which I perceived to be a hip opener. The yogi was in table, doing something with a leg and arm on each side, and the partner was behind the yogi, pressing the leg or arm into the back.
In my case, there was an odd person in the room, and my partner (initially male) abandoned me to work with the odd person (another woman). It did not feel a conscious and deliberate rejection, but rather "I am going to try to work with you both" but in reality, I got short-changed. So I objected, and told my (male partner) I could not work with him and went to work with the odd person (woman)
Except that she also had another person to work with, and again, I was left out. In the course of it all, I realize that my yoga mats (which are in reality fairly new and in good condition) were ripping and shredding under me. Also I recall pushing back into pidgeon (a hip opener I can do alone, without a partner). Finally, I kind of left the studio in frustration, and was driving around. Ostensibly, I had left temporarily (just during this posture) but it seemed like I might not go back.
Wow. Lot's to chew on.
First off, in the studio, doing partner work, this sort of thing never happens. If one is the odd person (and that has happened to me on occasion) one ends up working with the teacher or an assistant - and tends to get a bit of extra attention, a bit more work (no need to reciprocate or trade places). So I do not think I can take the dream literally.
On the surface, it might simply be that I had such a magical new years day practice last year and I am afraid it will be less magical tomorrow.
There is a sexual / relationship aspect of it (first working with a man, then with a woman, being rejected by both) which might be meaningful, in terms of Zippy and myself and our physical relationship. (hip openers = genitals = sexuality)
There might be a "feeling like an outsider at the studio" perspective. And perhaps there is a looming crisis in my practice, an opportunity for misunderstanding, for rejection, for the possibility of me walking away.
Hm....stuff to ponder. Stuff to be conscious of.
Addendum: Ninty minutes of hot yoga later, a new spin on the dream. Perhaps the male partner who was not paying attention to me at first, and the subsequent female partner who was similarly outwardly focused are both me. Both of my life identities so far have spent a lot of time working with others, and perhaps not so much time working with myself. I mean. Duh.
Now who do I make the check for the co-pay out to?
I was in a practice, which I perceived to be tomorrow's special new years day practice. We were doing a partner exercise, with one yogi in the posture and the partner assisting, doing an unfamiliar posture which I perceived to be a hip opener. The yogi was in table, doing something with a leg and arm on each side, and the partner was behind the yogi, pressing the leg or arm into the back.
In my case, there was an odd person in the room, and my partner (initially male) abandoned me to work with the odd person (another woman). It did not feel a conscious and deliberate rejection, but rather "I am going to try to work with you both" but in reality, I got short-changed. So I objected, and told my (male partner) I could not work with him and went to work with the odd person (woman)
Except that she also had another person to work with, and again, I was left out. In the course of it all, I realize that my yoga mats (which are in reality fairly new and in good condition) were ripping and shredding under me. Also I recall pushing back into pidgeon (a hip opener I can do alone, without a partner). Finally, I kind of left the studio in frustration, and was driving around. Ostensibly, I had left temporarily (just during this posture) but it seemed like I might not go back.
Wow. Lot's to chew on.
First off, in the studio, doing partner work, this sort of thing never happens. If one is the odd person (and that has happened to me on occasion) one ends up working with the teacher or an assistant - and tends to get a bit of extra attention, a bit more work (no need to reciprocate or trade places). So I do not think I can take the dream literally.
On the surface, it might simply be that I had such a magical new years day practice last year and I am afraid it will be less magical tomorrow.
There is a sexual / relationship aspect of it (first working with a man, then with a woman, being rejected by both) which might be meaningful, in terms of Zippy and myself and our physical relationship. (hip openers = genitals = sexuality)
There might be a "feeling like an outsider at the studio" perspective. And perhaps there is a looming crisis in my practice, an opportunity for misunderstanding, for rejection, for the possibility of me walking away.
Hm....stuff to ponder. Stuff to be conscious of.
Addendum: Ninty minutes of hot yoga later, a new spin on the dream. Perhaps the male partner who was not paying attention to me at first, and the subsequent female partner who was similarly outwardly focused are both me. Both of my life identities so far have spent a lot of time working with others, and perhaps not so much time working with myself. I mean. Duh.
Now who do I make the check for the co-pay out to?
December 30, 2006
Year End Wrap-up
A day early - am I daring the universe to shatter my reality tomorrow by summing up tonight? So be it. The universe and I are dancing, and one cannot be too predictable a partner, eh?
2006 was a year of Spirit and Music for me.
I went to see more music than in recent years (two folk fests, lots of concerts), and I played more music than I had in a decade. I bought two new instruments. And I expect more growth and music to come in 2007.
I did more yoga in 2006, finding my practice grow into more challenging formal practices, and more personal exploration. I took a 10 week course on mindful eating (lots of meditation), and attended a life changing Enlightenment Intensive. I came to a couple of incredible awarenesses about myself and life. I chose to live this specific life. I am a small piece of the divine. Remarkable. Wonderful. Awesome.
I described my birthday in 2006 as the "best birthday ever". Until this year, perhaps. I had a marvelous and magical dinner. I made new friends. I kept one very special old one despite my stubbornness and misunderstanding. I healed some old wounds.
I spent a lot of time with a sweet, wounded, beautiful young woman who I hope to keep a part of my life throughout 2007. My adopted daughter perhaps. I can not save all, but I can damn sure try to save one.
I blogged all year.
I moved back into an office outside our home this year. I found new clients, kept old ones, and kept busy enough to remain challenged and solvent. I laid some foundation to begin to explore writing. My professional life feels reinvigorated (even with way too much morning yoga eating up working hours!)
2006 - thanks. You have been gentle with me and most generous. 2007, welcome. I eagerly await your sunrises and surprises.
2006 was a year of Spirit and Music for me.
I went to see more music than in recent years (two folk fests, lots of concerts), and I played more music than I had in a decade. I bought two new instruments. And I expect more growth and music to come in 2007.
I did more yoga in 2006, finding my practice grow into more challenging formal practices, and more personal exploration. I took a 10 week course on mindful eating (lots of meditation), and attended a life changing Enlightenment Intensive. I came to a couple of incredible awarenesses about myself and life. I chose to live this specific life. I am a small piece of the divine. Remarkable. Wonderful. Awesome.
I described my birthday in 2006 as the "best birthday ever". Until this year, perhaps. I had a marvelous and magical dinner. I made new friends. I kept one very special old one despite my stubbornness and misunderstanding. I healed some old wounds.
I spent a lot of time with a sweet, wounded, beautiful young woman who I hope to keep a part of my life throughout 2007. My adopted daughter perhaps. I can not save all, but I can damn sure try to save one.
I blogged all year.
I moved back into an office outside our home this year. I found new clients, kept old ones, and kept busy enough to remain challenged and solvent. I laid some foundation to begin to explore writing. My professional life feels reinvigorated (even with way too much morning yoga eating up working hours!)
2006 - thanks. You have been gentle with me and most generous. 2007, welcome. I eagerly await your sunrises and surprises.
Buying Books
It's been ages since I wandered into a bookstore to purchase books. I have been buying online for a while. But Zippy had a gift card from B&N and wanted to browse, so I tagged along. And bought:
* A collection of Mary Oliver poetry "New and Selected Poems, Volume 1". Seems like Mary Oliver has been haunting me for the past year - with certain poems (The Summer Day & Wild Geese) popping up repeatedly at meaningful moments. I owe myself the pleasure of exploring her work more deeply and deliberately.
* A little collection called Zen Inspirations, by Miriam Levering. Just looked like a beautiful little "greatest hits" collection - nice size, wonderfully packaged and illustrated.
* A geek book on PHP and MySQL; I bought one last year and it dod not get me over the hump in terms of developing a database for a client's ticketing system, so let's try this year.....
One last investment in me, to close the book (so to speak) on 2006.
* A collection of Mary Oliver poetry "New and Selected Poems, Volume 1". Seems like Mary Oliver has been haunting me for the past year - with certain poems (The Summer Day & Wild Geese) popping up repeatedly at meaningful moments. I owe myself the pleasure of exploring her work more deeply and deliberately.
* A little collection called Zen Inspirations, by Miriam Levering. Just looked like a beautiful little "greatest hits" collection - nice size, wonderfully packaged and illustrated.
* A geek book on PHP and MySQL; I bought one last year and it dod not get me over the hump in terms of developing a database for a client's ticketing system, so let's try this year.....
One last investment in me, to close the book (so to speak) on 2006.
David Newman / Durga Das
Is coming to West Harford Yoga for a special Kirtan this coming Friday (January 5th). I am looking forward to it. Shankara says "....David is a whole different kind of kirtan leader with a more cool and laid back, "folky" approach with guitar and Mira on drums. He is very devotional and takes you right into the heart. Hopefully he will be the first of many more to come....." - and as the guitar player for the WHY kirtan group, I hope to get some ideas and energy from his version of kirtan. Also, will be most fun to be part of the crowd and not up front - so as to be a bit more able to absorb energy.
Information about David Newman / Durga Das here
Information about Kirtan on January 5th here
Please do come! It should be a special evening....
Information about David Newman / Durga Das here
Information about Kirtan on January 5th here
Please do come! It should be a special evening....
Saddam Hussein
Apparently, Mr. Hussein has been hanged. In Pontius Pilate fashion, he was tried and found guilty and then turned over to the Iraqi's to do the deed - we wash our hands of the matter. Nice of them to take care of this matter near the end of the year, when we have holiday distractions and can start the new year fresh. Ick.
Not sure how I feel about this. Will it inflame the violence in Iraq or has it been an open wound that now can begin to heal?
Certainly, his trial was a sham, a kangaroo court. But surely too, he was a ruthless and evil tyrant who did some horrible things. I am not a huge fan of capital punishment under any circumstances. And I am distinctly ashamed of my country over this matter, but my level of disgust extends so far and deeply these days that I am not sure this one additional boulder added to the pile makes that much difference. What is the death of one man atop the 100's of thousand of Iraqi's killed in the last few years?
On the other hand, the hanging of former heads of state guilty of war crimes does set a nice precedent going into the future. So we got that going for us.
Not sure how I feel about this. Will it inflame the violence in Iraq or has it been an open wound that now can begin to heal?
Certainly, his trial was a sham, a kangaroo court. But surely too, he was a ruthless and evil tyrant who did some horrible things. I am not a huge fan of capital punishment under any circumstances. And I am distinctly ashamed of my country over this matter, but my level of disgust extends so far and deeply these days that I am not sure this one additional boulder added to the pile makes that much difference. What is the death of one man atop the 100's of thousand of Iraqi's killed in the last few years?
On the other hand, the hanging of former heads of state guilty of war crimes does set a nice precedent going into the future. So we got that going for us.
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