Monthly Archives: March 2004
My selective high functioning blah, blah, blah self…
One might not know it by observing my outward social behavior…
Examples:
1. Dart Playing and massive apartment hunting on Saturday that turned into wine bottle at new Cafe and making new gay boyfriends while commiserating over the lack of spectacular apartments…
2. Penguin Days on Sunday with Bren, Steph, Erin and my baby girl Jessica…(ADORE THIS CHILD, she was the first baby, wee little baby I liked…God how I love her!)
3. SCOTS playing on Monday night at Nieztches. I especially loved the song about the dirt track racing car…and the trailer park, and damn I missed the Little Debbie reference because I was too enthralled by the KFC Fried Chicken launching by the girls on stage!!! The band was a down home grassroots chicken eating, beer drinking B-52 wig wearing, bald headed looking, sometimes Squirrel Nut Zipper sounding, eclectic group of white trashiness. Fun times.
…that All Things Jen has been in a serious, black funk lately. Since? Since? Last Wednesday I presume? Blah…blah blah blah. Irritable and extremely moody. Quiet and lethargic, ready to explode.
And although I know what I could do to get out of this mood, example, take a walk, blog, read, sing…I choose to wallow in it instead. Oh the joy of being me. Sorry folks. Sometimes I just think there is too much to release just a tad bit, and I would never (Scroll down a wee bit to the second entry.) Erin tells me, she knows how to handle these moods. She just doesn’t take it personally. Good advice. Good advice.
I’m just getting back from a paid study on young adults (hey, just scraped in at the big 30!) and their lifestyles and drinking behaviors. Yikes. After this month? I am reconsidering some of my behaviors. I did the questionnaires in about an hour, which was super fast, but asked thought-provoking questions about some of the answers I was asked about…My girl was impressed. Yeah, yeah…I know my moody bitchy self. I had no idea that I had little to no fear and avoidance behavior regarding social situations though. I was surprised at my answers. Not at all, not at all, not at all…if I am avoiding something it is because I am being a piss pot, not because I am socially anxious. Oh well. I got $30 for participating. (That pays for the drinks from Monday night…oops!)
Yeah, I am slowly getting back in the swing. Stay tuned.
Oral Argument sound bites…Pledge, of course!
From the Washington Post
When Newdow, a physician who also has a law degree but has no appellate court experience, said “under God” is “divisive,” Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist saw an opportunity to trip up a novice.
“Do we know what the vote was in Congress . . . to adopt the ‘under God’ phrase?” Rehnquist asked, feigning ignorance of the fact that it passed unopposed in 1954.
When Newdow acknowledged as much, the chief justice pounced: “Well, that doesn’t sound divisive.”
But Newdow would not be ambushed. “That’s only because no atheist can get elected to public office,” he countered, evoking spontaneous laughter and a sound rarely, if ever, heard at oral argument in Rehnquist’s tightly run courtroom — applause.
Although only one member of the court, Justice John Paul Stevens, seemed sympathetic to Newdow’s position, the others appeared anything but certain about how to rule against him, if indeed they want to.
Newdow began his argument by turning slightly to face the flag in the corner of the Court chamber and mimicking what students do when they recite the Pledge in school. Every day, he said, his daughter is coerced to place her hand over her heart and declare, in effect, that “her father is wrong” in his atheist views.
“She does have a right not to participate,” Justice Sandra Day O’Connor said.
Newdow quickly replied that in the 1992 graduation prayer case Lee v. Weisman, the Court had found the atmosphere in schools “coercive” for students who might otherwise not participate.
Justice O’Connor said, “But that was a prayer,” to which Newdow replied, “I’m not sure this [the Pledge] isn’t a prayer.”
Said Rehnquist, “It doesn’t sound anything like a prayer.”
The words “under God” are “as purely religious as you can get,” said Newdow, not retreating. Later, Newdow said he had also calculated that the two words “under God” amount to a bigger percentage of the text of the Pledge than the two-minute graduation prayer in Lee v. Weisman was in that school’s graduation ceremony.
Oh and a woman named Amanda, who was there at Court to hear the arguments herself…jealous much Jen? Alas…
The Supreme Court is one of the better places in DC for meeting people, for most tend to be friendly, gregarious, and bored in line.
Friendster
He he. You can add William Rehnquist to your friendster network. Oh what a silly site. Anyone out there in All Things Jen world wanna join my friendster network?
My brother the SMARTASS.
“Hey you, don’t be a smartass…”
My Lil Brother has found this blog thing quite addictive. I HIGHLY recommend bookmarking this one. It is tres witty. In fact, much wittier than mine…hey! No fair. I AM THE OLDEST AND THE COOLEST!
This is my persona on the “My Two Cents” Blog Family. I am Lucy Republican.
Rubber Duckie…
Oh yeah. How great is this present! ; )
Rubber Duckie? or something much, much more…
Spring has sprung!
So much to do…so much to see!
Ok, so this weekend is PENGUIN DAYS I will be heading out with Bren, Steph and Jessie! Can not wait to see how excited I, I mean Jessie ; ) will be! Love penguin days!
Also think I might sneak in for the Sneak Preview of the Prince and Me. Cheeze yes. But I can’t help it!
And is anyone out there interested in Square Dancing this Saturday? I thought this might be fun…
AN EVENING OF SQUARE DANCING. 7 p.m. Saturday. Music by Fiddlesticks. Unity Church of Practical Christianity, 1243 Delaware Ave. 882-0391. $6.
Monday is Southern Culture on the Skids…playing at Nietzche’s. A new band for me…Dayna and Trisha love this band. I do think they danced on stage with this band while random pieces of BBQed meat was tossed on stage. Oh those silly Blue Heron Festival Goers…
Oh, and Wed night for anyone interested is the Annual Bob Dylan Imitator Contest…cmon lil brother, you know you want to enter!
Thursday is Les Miserables at Shea’s with Auntie Carroll!
Friday is Great Big Sea with Erin at the Sphere…sold out show. Sorry Folks!
Yikes I need to stop blogging so I can get some work done before next week!
Fun with Artvoice
I was reading Artvoice. Our local weekly paper. Browsing the apartment ads. I found a few interesting items I thought I would share. Enjoy.
1. “Well appointed two bedroom…”
What exactly is a well appointed bedroom? Spacious, large, huge? All words that make the ad cost a lot less…interesting.
2. “Spectacular, spacious 1 bedroom with den. Clean, beautiful view.”
CLEAN? After opening up with spectacular…does one really need to mention CLEAN? (Cant help sing spectacular, spectacular…from Moulin Rouge when I hear this word!)
3. “Perfect 2 bedroom upper for perfect tenants.”
Yeah bet they will get a lot of calls…Hi, um I’m perfect?
4. Elmwood/Bidwell area newly updated one bedroom, mini-luxury, walker friendly neighborhood.” So what if I use a cane? Har har har…and what is mini-luxury? Interesting…
5. “Franklin St 1-2 bedroom lower. Architecturally significant…”
I bet this means they are anti-pet…
6. “Bidwell parkway area- fabulous 2 bedroom modern bath and kitchen with breakfast bar, double living room, fireplace, sunporch, den, private porch, fresh paint, hardwood floors, new furnace and central air conditioning. Includes security system monitoring and washer and dryer. $850 plus gas and electric.”
And THIS is why I love Buffalo! Wow. Anyone wanna subsidize the rent for us gals? Our top, top limit is $700 without utilities. Grrr…only $75 more a month over budget for each of us…add laundry which is about $25 per week at the laundrymat…and now it is only $50 over budget each month….alas. Should not even look at it, because when we fall in love with it and justify the extra $75 more each month than what we are both paying now…well…well…(someone talk me out of this one, please!)
7. See what we are looking for is more of this…
“Richmond Ave 2 bedroom, huge, beautiful, all utilities and laundry included, patio. $750 per month. Add $150 for cable, high speed internet and phone…and we are at $900 total. Always. Even when gas bill is high…(We both pay $475 including all utilities for our individual one bedrooms…plus phone $500)
And other funnies in the classfieds…
8. “Herschel Carrousel Factory Museum seeks volunteers of all ages 18+ for Carrousel operator…” Now there is a way to give back to your community!
9. “Research participants needed for a study on interpersonal behavior. Males and females 21-35 with English as a first language and normal or corrected to normal vision. Participants paid for participation.” I really wonder what this one is about…
10. “Ukulele players wanted for ukulele band. All styles, beginners welcome.” Alright I gotta get me a ukulele! I could not stop laughing when I read this one…not just a player needed, but for a Ukulele BAND! Where do you think they play?
11. “Rub attendant in Gentleman’s Day Spa, able to work well with female-co workers.”
Gee, do rub attendants tend to not get along with their female co-workers? Catty profession, eh?
12. “Don’t tell…my husband! Wanna play? Wild times available.” Yeah, right.
13. “Lunch Special! Call….Heaven-Lee” I think I just threw up my lunch. Uck. Can’t we rid the world of these types of people? Or at least make sure they don’t reproduce?
“Though our lives are very humble, what we have, we have to share”
One of the coolest moments in my life occurred when I was just a wee little college student. I was on my way, one random day to the post office to check box 1415. Everyone checked their mail at least 5 times a day on campus. NOT that you would get mail…but the post office was centered right smack in the middle of campus. It was the social hub of our little Meadville world. I remember clearly, it was right before Women’s Ensemble, I stopped to check my box, and YAY! I had a package slip! Yee hah! I went over to the window and got a package from my little brother. And when I opened the package…it was the “Complete Cast Recording of Les Miserables”the 3 CD set! Woooooo hooo! I opened the package in chorus, an appropriate place for others to realize what an awesome gift this was! He told me it was a late birthday gift. And I am pretty sure he went over to Canadia to purchase it…not sure if it was available in the States yet at the time…Soooo exciting! Coolest present ever. Thank you little brother, 10 years later!
Where does this come from you ask? Well, I am seeing Les Mis, once again, in a week. I never had the chance to hear Colm sing Jean Val Jean, (but I did hear him sing Bring Him Home!) but I still think it is one of my most favorite musicals. And I’m listening to the 3 CD soundtrack as I type…Don’t forget the tissues Auntie Carroll this one is a tear jerker!
STRATEGO!
I love this!
As many of you know, I am a loyal reader of National Review. Lots of information…and I always balance the issues by making sure I pick up magazines from the left side of the rack at Barnes and Nobles or Borders.
I have been subscribing for sometime now…and although I am sometimes annoyed, I have never been quite this annoyed.
The March 8th issue had an article titled “The Bells are Ringing” I could not, COULD NOT get past the ignorance within this article. I had to put the magazine down, only to pick it up later in disgust. I read parts of it out loud to Erin…and said I needed to blog about it…but could not bring myself back around to finishing the article. Asshole opinion. So I never finished reading that issue of NR because I could not get past the audacity of this particular author.
So I never saw the fun opinion article in the back pages of the March 8th edition “War Games.” After I came home from visiting John in D.C. (where we played Stratego…) I read this and smiled…and thought about how, how very much this “dad” sounded like what I imagine John to be someday…it also reminded me very much of Lil Brother and myself, playing the game as children. : )
Check the beginning out below. (and then I will get to my outrage of the aforementioned article!)
Sunday afternoon, the eight-year-old knocking around the house. No-one to play with: his pals have relatives over, or are themselves away on family visits. Sister has a play date in the next town, Mom is out shopping. The weather is nice and cold, but the snow is tired, dirty and icy. He is not in the mood for reading, has exceeded his ration of TV for the week, and is bored with the limited supply of computer games we permit him. Dad, will you play Stratego with me?
Dad pulls himself reluctantly away from some on-line exchanges about the Presidents morning TV appearance on Meet the Press. The Stratego board comes out; a screen is erected across the middle; much careful placement of pieces goes on the concentration is intense here then we are ready. The screen is discarded, battle commences.
Tee hee hee. How very ironic, eh?
And on to the Out-rage… (full text of idiot article here!)
