We had a bunch of kids. A nice night. And a little chicken.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Sunday, October 29, 2006
baby's breath.
smells like perfection.
sweetness and the perfect amount of sour .
warmth filled with love and a bit of sage.
breathing in her breath fills me with joy
especially when she sucks on my nose just a little.
Are you Cereal?
Well, she has moved up to solid (semi-solid) foods. On Friday night Dad gave Autumn her first cereal. Now, as a first time mom when I was told about cereal I was expecting- you know flakes, kernels or nuggets or something that resembled what we find in the most colorful aisle in the supermarket... that ain't the type of cereal we are talking about. Autumn is eating rice-cereal.. well, to be more exact she is slurping rice cereal. It looks like cream colored talcum powder that you mix with breastmilk. It is very very exciting that she is coming into contact with a spoon... fun, messy, filling. Another milestone.
But, man oh man those diapers are getting stinky. oh i shutter to think.
Friday, October 27, 2006
My odd sock bag is overflowing
I have an odd-sock bag in my closet that honestly contains over 75 socks. 75. You might think this is me, exaggerating. One would have to live in a huge house, with dozens of rooms to experience that kind of loss, you muse. They must be around.
I can’t argue with that logic. I am sure that somewhere in the house there’s an identical odd sock bag waiting to be reunited with its long-lost twin. In fact, that reunion was the thing that kept me going.
But this morning, I decided I was done. I’ll tell you why. I have now lived in the US a little over 4 years. And while I think I may have imported some socks, I doubt it was many. It seems though, each year, I have lost almost two socks a month. That’s close to 20 socks a year. My odd sock bad is overflowing.
Now, I can understand losing Autumn’s socks. They are tiny, you could drop one of them in the corner and never even notice it. They can sneak into little places that you don’t look into for years, under washing machines, under dressers, etc.
But my socks? No way that 75+ socks are laying our house. Only thing is, I can’t think of a logical explanation for the sheer magnitude of the sock loss. Maybe this is the answer?
Anyway, this morning I came to a conclusion. This is nuts. I’m starting over. I plan to buy only one kind of sock from here on in. I’m tossing all of my socks and starting over. Odd socks suck. Now, I’ll pick a sock. One sock. And buy 40 of them. Presto, no more odd socks. I’ll let you know how it goes.
I can’t argue with that logic. I am sure that somewhere in the house there’s an identical odd sock bag waiting to be reunited with its long-lost twin. In fact, that reunion was the thing that kept me going.
But this morning, I decided I was done. I’ll tell you why. I have now lived in the US a little over 4 years. And while I think I may have imported some socks, I doubt it was many. It seems though, each year, I have lost almost two socks a month. That’s close to 20 socks a year. My odd sock bad is overflowing.
Now, I can understand losing Autumn’s socks. They are tiny, you could drop one of them in the corner and never even notice it. They can sneak into little places that you don’t look into for years, under washing machines, under dressers, etc.
But my socks? No way that 75+ socks are laying our house. Only thing is, I can’t think of a logical explanation for the sheer magnitude of the sock loss. Maybe this is the answer?
Anyway, this morning I came to a conclusion. This is nuts. I’m starting over. I plan to buy only one kind of sock from here on in. I’m tossing all of my socks and starting over. Odd socks suck. Now, I’ll pick a sock. One sock. And buy 40 of them. Presto, no more odd socks. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Autumn is cute and very mobile
All this political talk on Autumn's blog. It's really about Autumn and how overwhelmingly cute she is. She's cute. Honest. Take a look.
We, the writers of Autumn Created, would like to thank all the people who post here. We encourage posts. We look forward to them. In fact, we have a question: Mom and Autumn are booked to spend a week away from dad, lucy and romeo. They'll be jetting off to Florida. What can Mom expect from the flight? What should she take? What shouldn't she take? (The house she will be staying in has a crib and various baby stuff).
Your input is appreciated. Just click post a comment.
We, the writers of Autumn Created, would like to thank all the people who post here. We encourage posts. We look forward to them. In fact, we have a question: Mom and Autumn are booked to spend a week away from dad, lucy and romeo. They'll be jetting off to Florida. What can Mom expect from the flight? What should she take? What shouldn't she take? (The house she will be staying in has a crib and various baby stuff).
Your input is appreciated. Just click post a comment.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
suspension.
what a big girl... this 'exersaucer' is still a bit big.. but soon her little legs and feet will touch the ground.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
My famous girls
Autumn was around ten minutes or so, and already she was cute enough for Artvoice. The local alternative magazine.
And, rumor has it, mom has another shot in Still Life.
Congrats to both of my gorgeous girls.
And, rumor has it, mom has another shot in Still Life.
Congrats to both of my gorgeous girls.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Autumn and Romeo
We already posted about Lucy and Autumn. So the question is, how is Romeo and Autumn? For those keeping score at home, Romeo was Rhona's first man. Then I came along. Then Lucy. And now Autumn. He's been a trooper, just so you know. Take a look.
Lucky to be home
Well, now that I have talked about the rough parts of staying at home... i thought i would take a second to relish some of the many POSITIVE things associated at with staying at home.
I can start by telling you that I am wearing pj bottoms, a stained t-shirt and a bandana in my hair. This is a wonderful thing and something that really is the start of my list of pluses. Now, I have heard from other mothers that this can eventually be viewed as a negative... " It is one o'clock and I still haven't changed out of my pajamas@!#!@!!"... but for me- ... I may change later, but for now I couldn't be happier.
I should also tell you that right now Autumn is sleeping in her swing which she adores. Binky is in place, teething ring in her hand and she is comfortable during this morning nap... this is another wonderful time of the day. I just finished emailing with college friends about planning a 15year reunion weekend, spoke with my mother and refilled my coffee... I couldn't do this stuff at work (all right- maybe I could do all this at work but now without at least a tinge of guilt for not neglecting on my projects for 'the man').
Did I mention that Autumn is sitting in her swing? What i might have neglected to mention is how much joy I get just looking at her regardless of what she may be doing. Right now (aside from the small scratch on her face- damn! those fast-growing nails- got to get better about that).. .she is lovely and I get the chance to take a moment and revel in the fact that we have such a beautiful baby. Throughout the day I appreciate all these small moments we have together. Whether she is 'standing' on my lap with a big smile on her face, laughing from her belly at the many ridiculous and crazy noises I make at her, nursing peacefully, watching the dog intently, avidly chewing on anything she can get her hands on, watching her reflection in the mirror or carrying on dialog with me... I appreciate the fact that i am HERE. I am not at work dealing with emails, calling international partners, talking with concerned parents... I am at home, in my pajamas watching our baby grow and develop.
Walking. This is a lovely treat that those in the working work don't have access to like I do these days. We have a dog who likes and needs to be walked, we now have a baby who needs stimulation... and i have all the time in the world. Being able to go for a walk (in my pjs no less) is a huge bonus. Granted it takes some prep time- dressing the baby appropriately, strapping her in or on (baby carriers are the best!), finding the dog's leash, grabbing an adequate supply of poop bags (for the dog) and actually getting out the door before the rain or snow starts to fall can be a challenge... but walking with the baby and dog is good fun and something I know I will miss.
Nursing. So there are those people for it and those people who find it a bit nasty what with the nipple and such... I never really formulated an opinion on it before Autumn came into our life... but we decided we would give it a go and although it was no picnic at the start- it is now something I truly enjoy. Being able to feed Autumn is a great joy and one that I will likely miss when I go back to work (although I will visit her daycare during my lunch hours to feed her) ... sometimes she can't latch on properly because she spends too much time looking up at me smiling... other times she is all business and gets right down to it... still other times she prefers snacking and rolls her head around checking out the scenery before getting right back to task... At this point I am truly enjoying nursing Autumn. I have spend a good deal of time wondering why the hell I had these boobs and now as I look down at her eating I am reassured. Now granted, there is going to be a time where I will probably want my body back, a time where I don't necessarily want to whip them out in public, a time when I get tired of dressing for it (do I have the right bra on? does this shirt provide easy access?, do I have a supply of breast pads?)- but for now- nursing is a big plus for both of us.
4pm tv. Let's be honest, for those of us who work an 8-5pm job- by about 4pm you are exhausted- you have been talking, meeting, emailing, conferencing, presenting, preparing, calculating, teaching, managing ALL day long. By about 4pm (if not 3pm) you are ready to call it a day. Well, thankfully Autumn's schedule seems to such that by about 4pm she is ready for a snack and maybe a little nappy. Her timing is already perfect- because as much as I hate to admit this... I like Oprah. I do, I like her show and if I don't like her show on a particular day- I probably will be somewhat interested in the Ellen show. So, after a day of baby stimulating, walking, cleaning, changing, nursing, driving, making funny faces and sounds- by 4pm I am ready to chill a bit- sit on the couch, feed the baby and wind down.
Even though throughout the days there is a lot of time when I ask myself "Is she being adequately stimulated?, Am I doing enough for her? What else does she need?" when I finally have to go back to work I know I will miss her desperately.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Tonight on 60 Minutes
The interviewer was Leslie Stahl. She was interviewing Nancy Pelosi, and the title of the piece was "Two Heartbeats Away." The point being that after the mid-term elections Nancy Pelosi will be House Majority Leader, and only two heartbeats away from being President. You see, after the Vice President, she's would be next in line to the Presidency.
Of course, this makes the massive assumption that the Democrats will win the House back. I guess in the minds of 60 Minutes, it's a done deal. The US will have the first woman in charge of the House.
And if the notion of a liberal woman from California being two heartbeats away from the Presidency didn't scare, enrage, engross the red staters in the US, then Leslie's framing of the stance on abortion most-likely did.
Framing is the manner in which an argument is presented. For instance, in the case of Abortion, some people frame it as the killing of innocent lives. In their framing, Abortion is murder. And under no circumstances should murder be tolerated. These people are called pro-life.
On the other side, it's framed as a woman's right to choose. This side advocates that abortion is a medical procedure, and thus private. It's a woman's right to choose to have this medical procedure. These people are called pro-choice.
However, in the interview, Leslie Stahl refers to Pelosi's views as pro-abortion.
Now, this may be semantics, but I can't imagine that anyone is pro-abortion. Being pro-abortion implies that you're out there advocating for abortions. That's likely not the case. People who are 'for' abortions, are actually for the right for a woman to have one. I would call myself pro-choice, but I am not pro-abortion. Women shouldn't have them unless absolutely necessary, but if they need to have them, they should have the right to them.
Using the pro-abortion frame would mean that if a Republican pro-lifer is on the show, they should be labelled anti-choice. There is no suitable argument to be made to suggest they aren't anti-choice. The problem is both the pro-abortion and anti-choice labels are the extreme ways to label the issue. They leave no room for sensible debate. They offer no place for the middle ground in what is clearly a complicated issue.
In my opinion, 60 Minutes did a disservice to the debate. And it seems these days, we have less and less debate, and more extreme framing.
Of course, this makes the massive assumption that the Democrats will win the House back. I guess in the minds of 60 Minutes, it's a done deal. The US will have the first woman in charge of the House.
And if the notion of a liberal woman from California being two heartbeats away from the Presidency didn't scare, enrage, engross the red staters in the US, then Leslie's framing of the stance on abortion most-likely did.
Framing is the manner in which an argument is presented. For instance, in the case of Abortion, some people frame it as the killing of innocent lives. In their framing, Abortion is murder. And under no circumstances should murder be tolerated. These people are called pro-life.
On the other side, it's framed as a woman's right to choose. This side advocates that abortion is a medical procedure, and thus private. It's a woman's right to choose to have this medical procedure. These people are called pro-choice.
However, in the interview, Leslie Stahl refers to Pelosi's views as pro-abortion.
Now, this may be semantics, but I can't imagine that anyone is pro-abortion. Being pro-abortion implies that you're out there advocating for abortions. That's likely not the case. People who are 'for' abortions, are actually for the right for a woman to have one. I would call myself pro-choice, but I am not pro-abortion. Women shouldn't have them unless absolutely necessary, but if they need to have them, they should have the right to them.
Using the pro-abortion frame would mean that if a Republican pro-lifer is on the show, they should be labelled anti-choice. There is no suitable argument to be made to suggest they aren't anti-choice. The problem is both the pro-abortion and anti-choice labels are the extreme ways to label the issue. They leave no room for sensible debate. They offer no place for the middle ground in what is clearly a complicated issue.
In my opinion, 60 Minutes did a disservice to the debate. And it seems these days, we have less and less debate, and more extreme framing.
Trees litter the streets
Have you ever noticed that the trash that adorns Buffalo’s city streets often comes from fast-food places? Now, I am not blaming them, because Burger King and McDonalds don’t encourage people to drop their containers. But I think it comes more from the idea that fast-food is a disposable, quick meal. People get it to go, and eat it on the streets and toss it. It’s like a disposable meal.
But I wonder: if there was no such thing as take-out fast food, would there be less litter?
Which brings me to one more quick issue. And that is this: what goes through someone’s mind when they litter? Do they think, “I pay taxes, someone should pick this up.” If they do, then perhaps no one told them that Buffalo and Erie County are broke.
Maybe they don;t think about that. Maybe when they toss garbage on the floor they do so without thinking. In some ways, I respect the person who does it willfully over the person who does it without thinking. At least the first person is engaged in some way.
As the tree limbs litter the streets of Buffalo, I wonder if people will add their ‘garbage’ to the piles.
Hope not.
But I wonder: if there was no such thing as take-out fast food, would there be less litter?
Which brings me to one more quick issue. And that is this: what goes through someone’s mind when they litter? Do they think, “I pay taxes, someone should pick this up.” If they do, then perhaps no one told them that Buffalo and Erie County are broke.
Maybe they don;t think about that. Maybe when they toss garbage on the floor they do so without thinking. In some ways, I respect the person who does it willfully over the person who does it without thinking. At least the first person is engaged in some way.
As the tree limbs litter the streets of Buffalo, I wonder if people will add their ‘garbage’ to the piles.
Hope not.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Stay at home mom
So, I have a minute to post (i think)... i am staying at home these days and am relishing every moment of it. I love making noises and smiling at Autumn and watching her smile, laugh, stick her whole fist in her mouth, you name it and i am enjoying it. But, truth be told staying home is not easy. There are many things difficult and before I list a few of the top ten- keep in mind I am loving my time with Autumn... but in no particular order here are a few issues. In the next couple of weeks (the next time I may feel i have the time) i will try to blog about the GREAT things associated with staying at home- I owe at least that much to my optimistic husband :)
- tons of time to look at your home with a critical lens yet no time or money to attack the problems. Example, Our front room is like base camp for us and it is my least favorite room in the house- although we just painted it i haven't had time to hang anything on the walls, replace track lighting, remove the tacky ceiling fans or replace the furtniture that i am tired of.... so, while it is nice to see Oprah on occasion to do so in a room where you are accutely aware of it's design flaws is tough.
-lonely. Yep- even though i have this gorgeous hunk of love I get to spend time with- staying at home can be lonely. I go out and talk more with cashiers, storeclerks, people on the street ... but as far as somewhat fulltime companionship it is tough. I am trying to branch out- but let's be honest- after 30 it gets harder and harder to make friends (alright- after 25).
- jealous of my husband. Well, I have seen this happen with other women when they have babies- their husband will walk in the house at the end of the day and after they wipe the spit up off their chin and brush their unwashed hair out of their eyes they say "So, what was your day like... tell me.... tell me... don't forget anything... really... fascinating, interesting- a ham sandwich for lunch you say... wow! that is something". Matt has started curling again once a week and although i should just be happy for him to begin doing something that defines him and makes him feel whole, happy and talented- i feel myself being envious and counting the extra hours when I will be alone in the house. It is stupid and petty - but it is fact. The crazy thing is that when he is home and encourages me to get out and go do something I am at a loss for what to do.. what did i used to do? I imagine this temporary paralyzed feeling will fade... but it is going to take some work. This is an area that I am trying to focus on right now.
-domesticity. This could be viewed as a positive, but really it seems a bit much. I try and keep the house somewhat neat, which is something I never used to care about. now, I find myself frustrated if I can't take care of the girl, amuse her, care for her AND vacccum, do dishes, and keep the toilets on the good side of discusting... who needs this kind of pressure. When I was working- we got a cleaning lady for awhile and it was glorious- now on one income i feel it is my responsibility and it sucks....
as i said...staying at home is a great luxury and one I am super pleased to have.. but it doesn't come without a price. Stay tuned for the plus side of staying at home.
- tons of time to look at your home with a critical lens yet no time or money to attack the problems. Example, Our front room is like base camp for us and it is my least favorite room in the house- although we just painted it i haven't had time to hang anything on the walls, replace track lighting, remove the tacky ceiling fans or replace the furtniture that i am tired of.... so, while it is nice to see Oprah on occasion to do so in a room where you are accutely aware of it's design flaws is tough.
-lonely. Yep- even though i have this gorgeous hunk of love I get to spend time with- staying at home can be lonely. I go out and talk more with cashiers, storeclerks, people on the street ... but as far as somewhat fulltime companionship it is tough. I am trying to branch out- but let's be honest- after 30 it gets harder and harder to make friends (alright- after 25).
- jealous of my husband. Well, I have seen this happen with other women when they have babies- their husband will walk in the house at the end of the day and after they wipe the spit up off their chin and brush their unwashed hair out of their eyes they say "So, what was your day like... tell me.... tell me... don't forget anything... really... fascinating, interesting- a ham sandwich for lunch you say... wow! that is something". Matt has started curling again once a week and although i should just be happy for him to begin doing something that defines him and makes him feel whole, happy and talented- i feel myself being envious and counting the extra hours when I will be alone in the house. It is stupid and petty - but it is fact. The crazy thing is that when he is home and encourages me to get out and go do something I am at a loss for what to do.. what did i used to do? I imagine this temporary paralyzed feeling will fade... but it is going to take some work. This is an area that I am trying to focus on right now.
-domesticity. This could be viewed as a positive, but really it seems a bit much. I try and keep the house somewhat neat, which is something I never used to care about. now, I find myself frustrated if I can't take care of the girl, amuse her, care for her AND vacccum, do dishes, and keep the toilets on the good side of discusting... who needs this kind of pressure. When I was working- we got a cleaning lady for awhile and it was glorious- now on one income i feel it is my responsibility and it sucks....
as i said...staying at home is a great luxury and one I am super pleased to have.. but it doesn't come without a price. Stay tuned for the plus side of staying at home.
Watch this everyone
I think everyone should watch a video from MSNBC. It's just my opinion, but I feel like we're at a strange, though familiar place in American History. It's now perfectly legal to detain people for no reason. This has happened in the US in the past. The US deterred Japanese Americans for simply being Japanese. The difference, I suppose, is that we all have blogs, bandwith, and video, so we can sort of follow what's up. So if you didn't catch this last night on MSNBC, you can see it now.
Habeas Corpus has been around for almost all of Autumn's life. Interestingly, we'll be able to mark a date, where that will change. It will come on Feb 7th. Barring some sort of strange shift (like the Dems taking the House and Senate) , on that date, it will be true that for over half of Autumn's life, she did not have the right to hear any charges levelled on her. Hopefully she isn't charged with looking cute.
Seriously, think about that: It's been a right since the year 1305. Early next year, our daughter will be in the weird position of not having it for most of her life. Strange days indeed.
Habeas Corpus has been around for almost all of Autumn's life. Interestingly, we'll be able to mark a date, where that will change. It will come on Feb 7th. Barring some sort of strange shift (like the Dems taking the House and Senate) , on that date, it will be true that for over half of Autumn's life, she did not have the right to hear any charges levelled on her. Hopefully she isn't charged with looking cute.
Seriously, think about that: It's been a right since the year 1305. Early next year, our daughter will be in the weird position of not having it for most of her life. Strange days indeed.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Autumn rolled over!
Last night, while dad was at the hockey game, Autumn rolled over on her own. Then, to prove it wasn't a fluke, she did it again this morning. That's an official first. She'll be crawling in no time.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
It's official, the US tortures
If you care, The President just signed into law the bill that allows him to detain and torture anyone without giving them the right to hear the charge.
It's getting downright medieval around here.
This was the post about the bill. It's now law. Brian Higgins should be pleased.
It's getting downright medieval around here.
This was the post about the bill. It's now law. Brian Higgins should be pleased.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Buffalo Trees
The sad part about the storm is the tree damage. There are no real estimates of the damage. Who knows how the trees will bounce back? For now, they are an eerie reminder of the storm.
A moment in time
Officially, the great October Suprise, the Blizzard of '06, the holy-friggin-crap-it's-October snow storm is now a moment in time in the Yahoo Time Capsule.
I guess for Autumn, she'll always have the stories. Like finding a place for the breastmilk (thanks Bob and Dina) and drinking wine, and clearing snow, and simply being awed by magnitude of the thing. Pictures tell a story, but our descriptions will be the real stories.
I guess for Autumn, she'll always have the stories. Like finding a place for the breastmilk (thanks Bob and Dina) and drinking wine, and clearing snow, and simply being awed by magnitude of the thing. Pictures tell a story, but our descriptions will be the real stories.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
So, it's fall again
Check this out. Craziness.
This is the corner near our house, in Buffalo, NY, on Friday October 13th.
And below, is the same corner, two days later on Sunday, October 15th.
I guess it's fall again.
... See my Tabblo>
Snow storm
When I last left you, it was thursday, and I was talking about how cute it was to be snowing on October 12th. We lost power on October 12th at 7:30PM. Still, we thought: it's October, how bad can it be?Then came Friday the 13th. When this picture was taken.
It looked like a tornado. Trees, full of leaves couldn't handle the lake effect snow. Huge, old trees came down on the roads, on cars, in some cases on houses. Driving bans were in effect, and a state of emergency was called.
But overall, things were fine. We heard some friends had power and got on the horn and asked them to store our breastmilk. We happily said bye to our meat pies, but we weren't losing the breastmilk. We went to their house for dinner, which was awesome.
Friday really was spent trekking around taking it all in. We went to one of the only stores open and bought some batteries, and beer.
We had heat, which is more than some people. We had a gas fireplace and our gas stove, which we did use to make soup, coffee, oats and the like.
Saturday we spent at Grandma and Grampa's, shovelling the driveway, cleaning up trees. They had heat but no power and no stove (it's electric). So we brought them coffee, some hot soup and some company.
Last night we went to Pam's and watched the hockey game. And when we got home we had POWER.
So, it wasn't that bad.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
It's snowing
Thursday, October 12, 2006. 1:26 PM. Autumn's first snow. It won't stay around. And before anyone says "welcome to Buffalo", keep in mind that it snowed in Chicago today.
And while we're at it. She has some new measurements. She's 12 pounds 5 oz. And 23 inches long. Apparently in the 25th percentile. She's almost 2 feet. Which is not, incidentally, how much snow will fall today.
And while we're at it. She has some new measurements. She's 12 pounds 5 oz. And 23 inches long. Apparently in the 25th percentile. She's almost 2 feet. Which is not, incidentally, how much snow will fall today.
The Grandad list
I'm not that handy. I have hands, don't get me wrong, but I make my living writing words, thinking different, and talking human. And while if push came to shove, I think I could be shoved into a situation whereby I fixed something. Take our bedroom window. For reasons too detailed to get into, it wouldn't close. Since winter is knocking on our collective doors, an open window isn't high on the list of things you'd want. I thought about a couple of solutions, but I wasn't sure.
Enter Grandad. There isn't a thing he can't fix. The window didn't stand a chance. And afterwards, he got to play with Autumn and say "well", and occasionally call her "little fella", both things with are monumentally cute.
Thanks Grandad, for all the above.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
The other option seems tortured
A few days ago, I wrote about how people in the US, citizens and aliens like me, can now be arrested and held, without charge, for anything that is considered (by the President) to be aiding the terrorists. A vague charge indeed.
Thankfully, it seems the tide is shifting. It appears clear that the Republican Majority in the house and the Senate are precarious at best. Amazingly, it wasn't George's shift into the land of a dictator, it was the way the Republicans handled the Mark Foley thing. Tom Reynolds, a hand-picked protege of Tom Delay and the Congressman for Clarence, New York, is caught smack-dab in the middle of this affiar. Tom's former Chief of Staff (who is apparently gay) was the former chief of staff for Mark Foley (who is a gay alcoholic). But that isn't the problem: the problem appears to be his attempt to cover-up what he knew.
We'll see how that all ends up. But here's the thing: the local congressman here, in Buffalo, who represents us, voted yay to the bill that could put us all in jail at the whim of the President.
So who are we putting in power?
Thankfully, it seems the tide is shifting. It appears clear that the Republican Majority in the house and the Senate are precarious at best. Amazingly, it wasn't George's shift into the land of a dictator, it was the way the Republicans handled the Mark Foley thing. Tom Reynolds, a hand-picked protege of Tom Delay and the Congressman for Clarence, New York, is caught smack-dab in the middle of this affiar. Tom's former Chief of Staff (who is apparently gay) was the former chief of staff for Mark Foley (who is a gay alcoholic). But that isn't the problem: the problem appears to be his attempt to cover-up what he knew.
We'll see how that all ends up. But here's the thing: the local congressman here, in Buffalo, who represents us, voted yay to the bill that could put us all in jail at the whim of the President.
So who are we putting in power?
Monday, October 09, 2006
Thanksgiving, Columbus Day
Today is Columbus Day (US) and Thanksgiving (CAN). Some thoughts:
There's actually a day celebrating a guy who got lost and never really achknowledged it. Indians, also know as Native Americans, are called Indians because Columbus thought he was in India. For the record, India is 7144 miles from Plymouth, MA.
Thanksgiving in Canada is a celebration of the Harvest. If you've been to a farmer's market lately, you know that the harvest is now. It's easy in Canada though, since the climate is basically the same across the country.
Not so in these United States. According to Wikipedia, in 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared that Thanksgiving would be the next to last Thursday of November rather than the last. With the country still in the midst of The Great Depression, Roosevelt thought this would give merchants a longer period to sell goods before Christmas. Thanksgiving is about celebrating the Pilgrims, and the bounty of the new world.
None of this really matters. The point of it all is this: We get two Thanksgivings. And I have left over Turkey today for lunch.
There's actually a day celebrating a guy who got lost and never really achknowledged it. Indians, also know as Native Americans, are called Indians because Columbus thought he was in India. For the record, India is 7144 miles from Plymouth, MA.
Thanksgiving in Canada is a celebration of the Harvest. If you've been to a farmer's market lately, you know that the harvest is now. It's easy in Canada though, since the climate is basically the same across the country.
Not so in these United States. According to Wikipedia, in 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared that Thanksgiving would be the next to last Thursday of November rather than the last. With the country still in the midst of The Great Depression, Roosevelt thought this would give merchants a longer period to sell goods before Christmas. Thanksgiving is about celebrating the Pilgrims, and the bounty of the new world.
None of this really matters. The point of it all is this: We get two Thanksgivings. And I have left over Turkey today for lunch.
Friday, October 06, 2006
Lighter side of the bed
We live in strange times where everyone has an opinion. Someone once said that opinions are like assholes, everyone has one. I'm no different.
But here's the thing: this morning I left my daughter and her mom, my wife, sleeping in bed together. They were snuggled up together, sound asleep. Both of them cooing a little.
It was so damn cute I almost cried. It's at points like that where I think, politics aside, life is great.
But here's the thing: this morning I left my daughter and her mom, my wife, sleeping in bed together. They were snuggled up together, sound asleep. Both of them cooing a little.
It was so damn cute I almost cried. It's at points like that where I think, politics aside, life is great.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
A dictaroship?
"If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator."
- George W. Bush.
Here we are, it's 2006. Autumn turned 14 weeks this week. And it appears, this is the week the US entered the murky territory of being a dictatorship. And guess who the dictator is? Crazy talk from a sleep-deprived dad?
Consider:
The US Government currently tortures. Under new law passed last week, Murder and Rape are outlawed, but other means of interrogation are up to the President.
The US Government has eliminated Habeas Corpus. The President is now allowed to declare someone an Enemy Combatant and hold them indefinitely. That person doesn't get to hear the charges, or dispute them.
The US Government is allowed to spy on anyone, without getting a warrant. In fact, the Government has been spying on anyone, without oversight for a few years now. This is the NSA Wiretapping story. The President calls it the Terrorist Surveillance Program.
The US Government has waged a pre-emptive war in Iraq. They waged war on Iraq not because of something they did, but because of what they might have done. Note the future tense: this is important, because the theme comes up again.
Now, the money-quote:
"In the 1920s, a failed Austrian painter published a book in which he explained his intention to build an Aryan super-state in Germany and take revenge on Europe and eradicate the Jews. The world ignored Hitler’s words, and paid a terrible price."
- George W. Bush.
His point is this: had the world stood up and taken notice earlier, the atrocities of the Nazis could have been avoided.
True. Only, he's talking with the perspective of history. He knows what Hitler did. When Hitler wrote the words that became Mein Kampf, he hadn't yet done anything wrong. Sure it would have been great to have arrested Hitler before he took over Germany and waged World War II. But doing so would have not have been right in a free society.
And that is the point. By envoking Hitler, the administration forces anyone who disagrees with even the premise of the argument to say Adolph Hitler shouldn't have been arrested for writing a book. Which is hard because we all know what it led to. So it seems insane to suggest that Hitler shouldn't have been taken care of when he wrote Mein Kampf.
But think about it, of course he shouldn't have. Because the people at the time would have had to arrest him for his ideas.
And ideas are different than actions in a free society. People should not be arrested and held without charge, and even tortured for their ideas.
And yet, the Government has the power to detain and the power to torture. And, in this particular speech, Bush is suggesting there is a historical precedent by which the world should have used dictator-like powers to stop Hitler by jailing him for his thoughts.
He seems to be arguing that if someone else has ideas that he deems harmful, he would presumably detain them without charge.
And isn't that the very definition of a dictator?
- George W. Bush.
Here we are, it's 2006. Autumn turned 14 weeks this week. And it appears, this is the week the US entered the murky territory of being a dictatorship. And guess who the dictator is? Crazy talk from a sleep-deprived dad?
Consider:
The US Government currently tortures. Under new law passed last week, Murder and Rape are outlawed, but other means of interrogation are up to the President.
The US Government has eliminated Habeas Corpus. The President is now allowed to declare someone an Enemy Combatant and hold them indefinitely. That person doesn't get to hear the charges, or dispute them.
The US Government is allowed to spy on anyone, without getting a warrant. In fact, the Government has been spying on anyone, without oversight for a few years now. This is the NSA Wiretapping story. The President calls it the Terrorist Surveillance Program.
The US Government has waged a pre-emptive war in Iraq. They waged war on Iraq not because of something they did, but because of what they might have done. Note the future tense: this is important, because the theme comes up again.
Now, the money-quote:
"In the 1920s, a failed Austrian painter published a book in which he explained his intention to build an Aryan super-state in Germany and take revenge on Europe and eradicate the Jews. The world ignored Hitler’s words, and paid a terrible price."
- George W. Bush.
His point is this: had the world stood up and taken notice earlier, the atrocities of the Nazis could have been avoided.
True. Only, he's talking with the perspective of history. He knows what Hitler did. When Hitler wrote the words that became Mein Kampf, he hadn't yet done anything wrong. Sure it would have been great to have arrested Hitler before he took over Germany and waged World War II. But doing so would have not have been right in a free society.
And that is the point. By envoking Hitler, the administration forces anyone who disagrees with even the premise of the argument to say Adolph Hitler shouldn't have been arrested for writing a book. Which is hard because we all know what it led to. So it seems insane to suggest that Hitler shouldn't have been taken care of when he wrote Mein Kampf.
But think about it, of course he shouldn't have. Because the people at the time would have had to arrest him for his ideas.
And ideas are different than actions in a free society. People should not be arrested and held without charge, and even tortured for their ideas.
And yet, the Government has the power to detain and the power to torture. And, in this particular speech, Bush is suggesting there is a historical precedent by which the world should have used dictator-like powers to stop Hitler by jailing him for his thoughts.
He seems to be arguing that if someone else has ideas that he deems harmful, he would presumably detain them without charge.
And isn't that the very definition of a dictator?
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Thanks to Tabblo
This is a new site I am playing with. I like it. If you have images you want to upload, this is a great options. Like Flickr, it's free. Like Flickr, you don't have to register. Unlike Flickr, it doesn't have a limit. And, it seems, you can play a little more, as the below spread shows. So I will. Also, there's a free attachment that allows me to upload pictures right from iPhoto. And that's cool as well. So even though Flickr is owned by Yahoo, and we love Yahoo, I'll test drive this a little more.
This is Autumn learning a couple of things:
1. She has fingers.
2. When she sticks them too far in her mouth, she gags. ... See my Tabblo>
Democrats v Republicans
US politics are a true "duopoly" . There are two options to vote for. Here, in my opinion, are the differences. If you look at the red state/blue state map, which is a map of who voted for whom in the US, what you actually see is that people in cities vote Democrat and everyone else votes Republican. This makes sense, when you think about it.
To me, Republicans are the go-it-alone party. They believe in little or no government, home-schooling, no health care, a free market, no taxes, no unions. They believe that you're on your own, and you should fend for yourself. In the Republican worldview, the only real job of the government is to protect the homeland.
Let me have my gun, my freedom, and stay off my back. And while on social issues, they get a little 'big government' on people, that's because there's an alliance between Republicans and the Religion. It creates a tension in the ideas of non-religious Republicans who don't want the government involved in things like marriage, online gambling, and the drug wars. However, the go-it-alone motif is the perfect metaphor for living in the country. In the country, you're literally on your own.
And that's not so in a city. Democrats, on the whole, are for education, equality, health care for everyone and a social safety net. To put a name to it would be the "we're all in it together" theory of government. It's a feeling people feel in cities. People band together to form an identity in cities: we're New Yorkers, we're Chicagoans, we're Buffalonians. People in cities can see that if the young people are educated, then they won't end up on the streets together. People in cities can see that if there's a safety net, then that person doesn't have to sleep on the street. People can see that a healthy environmental policy would be better for all of us. (Contrast that with the family whose nearest neighbor is a mile away, and you can see why Republicans don't see a problem with the current environmental policies).
The tension between these two demographic experiences are clear, there's a different mentality between a city and 'the country'. And while I clearly understand that there are Republicans that live in cities and Democrats that live in rural areas, the purple map shows that, generally, this dichotomy exists. People who live in cities vote Democrat, and generally, they feel part of a collective group all working together for the betterment of the city. People who live in the country, are predominantly interested in the betterment of themselves. I don't mean that in a selfish way: I mean, they are interested in schooling their own kids, healing their own kids and providing for their own kids. They don't want the government to help.
To recap: Democrats are more likely to be 'we are in it together'.
Republicans are more likely to be 'go it alone'.
In terms of Foreign Policy, the Democrats would be more apt to involve the world community in their foreign policy. This was mocked by Republicans who admit that their foreign policy on anything (Kyoto, Nuclear Proliferation, trade) is based on what is good for the US and only what is good for the US.
But, even at the macro level of the planet, the fact is, we're all in it together.
To me, Republicans are the go-it-alone party. They believe in little or no government, home-schooling, no health care, a free market, no taxes, no unions. They believe that you're on your own, and you should fend for yourself. In the Republican worldview, the only real job of the government is to protect the homeland.
Let me have my gun, my freedom, and stay off my back. And while on social issues, they get a little 'big government' on people, that's because there's an alliance between Republicans and the Religion. It creates a tension in the ideas of non-religious Republicans who don't want the government involved in things like marriage, online gambling, and the drug wars. However, the go-it-alone motif is the perfect metaphor for living in the country. In the country, you're literally on your own.
And that's not so in a city. Democrats, on the whole, are for education, equality, health care for everyone and a social safety net. To put a name to it would be the "we're all in it together" theory of government. It's a feeling people feel in cities. People band together to form an identity in cities: we're New Yorkers, we're Chicagoans, we're Buffalonians. People in cities can see that if the young people are educated, then they won't end up on the streets together. People in cities can see that if there's a safety net, then that person doesn't have to sleep on the street. People can see that a healthy environmental policy would be better for all of us. (Contrast that with the family whose nearest neighbor is a mile away, and you can see why Republicans don't see a problem with the current environmental policies).
The tension between these two demographic experiences are clear, there's a different mentality between a city and 'the country'. And while I clearly understand that there are Republicans that live in cities and Democrats that live in rural areas, the purple map shows that, generally, this dichotomy exists. People who live in cities vote Democrat, and generally, they feel part of a collective group all working together for the betterment of the city. People who live in the country, are predominantly interested in the betterment of themselves. I don't mean that in a selfish way: I mean, they are interested in schooling their own kids, healing their own kids and providing for their own kids. They don't want the government to help.
To recap: Democrats are more likely to be 'we are in it together'.
Republicans are more likely to be 'go it alone'.
In terms of Foreign Policy, the Democrats would be more apt to involve the world community in their foreign policy. This was mocked by Republicans who admit that their foreign policy on anything (Kyoto, Nuclear Proliferation, trade) is based on what is good for the US and only what is good for the US.
But, even at the macro level of the planet, the fact is, we're all in it together.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
About Mom.
1. First name? Rhona
2. Were you named after anyone? No, I don’t think so.
3. Last cry?
4. Do you like your handwriting? Yes
5. What is your favorite lunchmeat? Salami
6. Kids? One, girl.
7. If you were another person, would you be friends with you? If I was lucky ☺.
8. Do you have a journal? Nope, can’t stick with it.
9. Do you use sarcasm a lot? NEVER!!! (kidding, I use it all the time)
10. Do you still have your tonsils? Yes.
11. Would you bungee jump? Yes.
12. What is your favorite cereal? Gorilla Munch
13. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? No.
14. Do you think you are strong? YES
15. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Sweet Cream or Coffee (tie).
16. Shoe size? 7.5 (when I was pregnant I was like a 9)
17. What is the least favorite thing about yourself? I can be a bit shy at times.
18. What do you miss the most? Running. No time these days.
19. What color pants and shoes are you wearing? Pajama bottoms (teal, blue, white) and barefeet
20.What are you listening to right now? Autumn sleeping and kettle heating up.
21. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? orange
22. Favorite smell? Chocolate chip cookies baking
23. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? My old boss, Sandy
24. The first thing you notice in a person you're attracted to. Ummm.. eyes or shoes.
26. Favorite drink? Pyramid Apricot Ale.
27. Favorite sport? Gymnastics
28. Eye color? Brown
29. Hat size? No idea
30. Do you wear contacts? Yep, since seventh grade.
31. Favorite food? French Fries
32. Scary movies or happy endings? Happy endings. (no scary movies for me)
33. Last movie you watched at the theater? Hollywoodland.
34. What color shirt are you wearing? Navy.
35. Summer or winter? Summer (but not too hot)
36. Hugs or kisses? Would rather not have to choose.
37. Favorite dessert? Fruit Cup from Hutch’s
38. What books are you reading? Still working on Confederacy of Dunces.
39. What's on your mouse pad? No pad
40. What did you watch last night on TV? Heroes.
41. What are your favorite sounds? James Taylor, Autumn laughing, silence.
42. Rolling Stones or Beatles? Stones.
43. The furthest you've been from home? Japan.
44. Where were you born? Buffalo, NY.
2. Were you named after anyone? No, I don’t think so.
3. Last cry?
4. Do you like your handwriting? Yes
5. What is your favorite lunchmeat? Salami
6. Kids? One, girl.
7. If you were another person, would you be friends with you? If I was lucky ☺.
8. Do you have a journal? Nope, can’t stick with it.
9. Do you use sarcasm a lot? NEVER!!! (kidding, I use it all the time)
10. Do you still have your tonsils? Yes.
11. Would you bungee jump? Yes.
12. What is your favorite cereal? Gorilla Munch
13. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? No.
14. Do you think you are strong? YES
15. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Sweet Cream or Coffee (tie).
16. Shoe size? 7.5 (when I was pregnant I was like a 9)
17. What is the least favorite thing about yourself? I can be a bit shy at times.
18. What do you miss the most? Running. No time these days.
19. What color pants and shoes are you wearing? Pajama bottoms (teal, blue, white) and barefeet
20.What are you listening to right now? Autumn sleeping and kettle heating up.
21. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? orange
22. Favorite smell? Chocolate chip cookies baking
23. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? My old boss, Sandy
24. The first thing you notice in a person you're attracted to. Ummm.. eyes or shoes.
26. Favorite drink? Pyramid Apricot Ale.
27. Favorite sport? Gymnastics
28. Eye color? Brown
29. Hat size? No idea
30. Do you wear contacts? Yep, since seventh grade.
31. Favorite food? French Fries
32. Scary movies or happy endings? Happy endings. (no scary movies for me)
33. Last movie you watched at the theater? Hollywoodland.
34. What color shirt are you wearing? Navy.
35. Summer or winter? Summer (but not too hot)
36. Hugs or kisses? Would rather not have to choose.
37. Favorite dessert? Fruit Cup from Hutch’s
38. What books are you reading? Still working on Confederacy of Dunces.
39. What's on your mouse pad? No pad
40. What did you watch last night on TV? Heroes.
41. What are your favorite sounds? James Taylor, Autumn laughing, silence.
42. Rolling Stones or Beatles? Stones.
43. The furthest you've been from home? Japan.
44. Where were you born? Buffalo, NY.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Miss 3:00AM Fussy Pants
Dear Autumn,
You seem to have an internal clock set to 3:00AM. Sometimes you hit snooze and don't wake us until 3:30AM. But, generally, your wake-up occurs in the 3:00AM hour. Which means our wake-up occurs at that time. It could be a little based on your slight cold. It could just be that until now, you were the perfect little baby. A sleeper through the nighter. You spoiled us.
Still, how can I complain? When you're awake, you're incredibly cute. You smile all the time -- unless you want food -- and you interact so well. In your awake times, we had a wonderful weekend. It's just the 3:00AM thing. That's it. Please work on that.
Love,
Dad.
You seem to have an internal clock set to 3:00AM. Sometimes you hit snooze and don't wake us until 3:30AM. But, generally, your wake-up occurs in the 3:00AM hour. Which means our wake-up occurs at that time. It could be a little based on your slight cold. It could just be that until now, you were the perfect little baby. A sleeper through the nighter. You spoiled us.
Still, how can I complain? When you're awake, you're incredibly cute. You smile all the time -- unless you want food -- and you interact so well. In your awake times, we had a wonderful weekend. It's just the 3:00AM thing. That's it. Please work on that.
Love,
Dad.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)