Nightmare Before Christmas, Part III: the Our Holiday Descent into Hell. AGAIN. Tour.

Glioma. (glee-O-ma) Noun. A cancer of the brain that begins in glial cells (cells that surround and support nerve cells).

Worse? More specifically, high grade glioma.

We are reminded once again (at high cost) how very precious life is.

 

'Tis the Season...

...enjoy it while it lasts.

Ponder this: you think your Christmas is hectic, what kind of picnic do you think Joseph and Mary had for their first Christmas???

(Heard on today's broadcast of The World on NPR.)

 

A New Generation of Activism

Generation WE: The Movement Begins... from Generation We on Vimeo.

I don't quite fit the demographic, agewise. I'm "Generation X", part of the "over-educated, underemployed, undermotivated" generation allegedly coddled by the parental Boomer Generation. (I think this video is incorrect about the parents of so-called "Generation We" being the Baby Boom Generation. The Boomers were born at the tail end of WWII, and would therefore be grandparents, even great-grands of the people covered by the labels "Millennial" or "Generation We".)

I do appreciate the motivation and the ideas expressed in this video. I'd like to see how much of this actually happens, now that the longest and most contentious presidential campaign in U.S. history has ended.

 

November NaBloPoMo Badge

If you've been following my blog at all, you know that I participate in a strange phenomenon called "NaBloPoMo".

Na = National, Blo = Blog, Po = Posting, and Mo = Month. National Blog Posting Month. Up until 2008, November was the only month of NaBloPoMo, but after last year's NaBlo, people wanted more, so the woman who moderates it opened it up to every month with a theme for each month except November.

The only big rule is that you have to post to your blog once a day. Minor rules have developed since the beginning include NOT restricting your posts to just being on the same blog every day (helpful if you post to multiple blogs; there are 3 I post to at times!), you can't spam people or solicit (I got hit with eye-rolling sales pitches last year), and there are a few other minor things that I can't think of. Mostly because either they don't apply to me or I haven't encountered them yet.

Some use NaBlo as a way to meet others and bump up readership. I use NaBlo as a way to keep myself on task with actually posting to this thing. Now that I'm hooked, it's become a monster; I often post several times in a day. Initially, I really did need something to prod myself a bit with this project!! I got teased about having a blog but never updating it. Well, now I make sure there's something to read. I like to think there's something interesting and worthwhile in these pixels.

So here's the badge for this month. It'll take you to the NaBloPoMo site on Ning (which is a social network akin to, but different from, Facebook. (Funny thing? NaBloPoMo has a group ON Facebook!!! AND there's a Facebook group participating in NaBloPoMo! It's kinda like Lily Tomlin's bit on the Cream of Wheat box as an illustration of infinity...)

Enjoy! And enjoy the month!

 

Thirty (more or less...) Days of Thanks!!

Every day this month, I am going to try to be mindful about expressing thankfulness about something. I usually have many, many things for which I am thankful, so really, the only challenge ought to be the exercize in mindfulness.

I'm thankful right now for several things, so I'll make a list:

1.) for this opportunity to take the time to slow down and consider my blessings;
2.) for moments of self-editing and grammar-mindfulness (because I almost used a period instead of a semi-colon in that first line);
3.) for how joyful the whole world is, and universally embracing of our President-Elect;
4.) that yesterday's election resulted in a decisive victory, as opposed to a close battle requiring recounts and lawsuits and raw, bitter emotions;
5.) that I am free to write whatever I please in this forum, with no fear of repercussions.

I will save some thanks for another day.

Hmm. Perhaps I ought to add that I am grateful also for this challenge in mindfulness!!

 

Federal Red Tape

Federal Red Tape
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

It *is* in a national park...

I'm sitting on the porch of the Boston Store now, knitting socks as I cheer for the runners. Rick should be finishing anytime now...

 

Captain America Isn't Dead.

Captain America Isn't Dead.
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

Wow. There's that guy with that unstoppable patriotic spirit! I really admire him. Well done, and way to support the ultimate "support staff", our Armed Forces.

I wish I could have gotten as good a picture of my husband... perhaps Rick needs to run with a huge get-up on his back, so I have advanced warning when he's coming, too!

 

Marathon Man

Marathon Man
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

Yeah! There he is!! That's my Speed Racer! I'm so proud of him.

He's the one in the burgundy shirt with the helpful fluorescent orange "arrow" pointing up at him.

The jersey he's wearing is for RunMS, the next marathon he'll be running. It's in Columbus, and it's to raise money and awareness for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Marathon Upd8

Marathon Upd8
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

Rick just sent me this picture from the race route. It's the 8 mile mark, where they turn around and start running back north. What a gorgeous day, and how distractingly beautiful a race course! I think he's having fun, after a fashion... (I sincerely hope so!)

 

Waiting for the Towpath Marathoners

Waiting for the Towpath Marathoners
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

Obligatory pretty picture while I wait for runners to appear on the course. It IS a national park, after all. There's scenery and there's scenery, and it's all over the place.

This is the Cuyahoga River, as it runs along the old Canal Towpath in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Taking this picture, I'm right by the M.D. Garage and the Boston Store, and I stayed across the road from those landmarks for the most of duration of the race.

 

Patriotism & Dedication at the Race

Patriotism & Dedication at the Race
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

This man is a true hard core (corps!) runner. What a heart of gold. I hope he has a terrific PT!

 

Funny thing seen at Boston Mills ...

Funny thing seen at Boston Mills ...
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

...while picking up Rick's race packet.

Did I mention how proud I am of my husband for running the Towpath Marathon tomorrow?

 

Role Playing during MS Activism seminar

Role Playing during MS Activism seminar
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

During the course of this exercise, I learned startling things connecting MS and military service. Which is why NMSS pursues research and services funding from the DOD. Eye-opening stuff.

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Watcha watching right now?

If you're like me, you're watching the "town hall"-style presidential election debate.

If you're A LOT like me, then you can barely contain yourself each time John McCain opens his mouth, to yell, "LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE!!!!"

But Tom Brokaw is definitely the most entertaining of the 3. It is clear why he went into broadcast journalism rather than teaching (NO classroom management!) or goatherding or playground ball organization. He canNOT keep these guys within their time limits! And it's visibly frazzling Poor Tom.

Poor ME. I just want to hear answers to the questions, but it's not often these two men are able to harness their attention spans to actually address the issue during the allotted time.

Does anyone else want these guys to SIT THE HECK *DOWN*?!??

 

"We are not afraid to get mavericky in there..."

I love Tina Fey.

She is God's gift to sorting out this year's election headaches.

The guy who played Joe Biden on SNL was pretty funny, too; there's no perfection on either side of the aisle, let's face it. NO ONE is a great answer to the disgusting mess we have on our hands! But it would definitely be a tragic mistake to continue with more of the same stuff we've had for the last 8 years.

I admire how Fey wraps herself in Palin's sugar coat to expose the untrustworthy interior of this Veritable Unknown.

If you missed it, here's your chance!!




I hope you enjoyed it.

I think my favorite quote is, "I believe that marriage is meant to be a sacred institution between two unwilling teenagers," but there were just so many good ones, it really is hard to choose.

 

SNL DOES IT AGAIN!

NAILED the characters. Again.

Up for spoofage? Joe Biden, Gwen Ifill, and of course, Caribou Barbie Sarah Palin. I was not disappointed. I'll be searching for video footage to post!

I know that SNL has more liberal leanings, and as such can't really hope for a McCain-Palin White House... but I'm sure it's been a long time since their Nielsen ratings have been this high!!

 

It really must be rally time!

Political rally time? Gametime rally? Hard to tell.

I just got both a text message in my phone and email message in Yahoo telling me about a rally to be held downtown in Willard Park. That's the place with Claes Oldenburg's Free Stamp sculpture.

Featured guests? Sen. Barack Obama, so there's your political part of the rally.

Get this though, and this might be real cause to rally, depending on your leanings: Cleveland Cavalier and Olympic Bronze and Gold medalist LeBron James AND Cleveland Browns Pro-Bowl outside linebacker Willie McGinest. There's also a hip-hop artist, but his name was not ringing any bells for me. Still, that's going to add to the festive texture of the rally. Can't go to a basketball game without much hip-hop, and there's usually some at a football game, too! (Though Obama's more of a Sinatra man, from all accounts!)

The Free Stamp is where the Komen Race began. It's a GREAT backdrop for social justice events. It's walkable, there's plenty of parking, and it's wide open. If you're available, GO.

The event is free, but they want preregistration for advanced headcounts. (As always, everything that's underlined is a hyperlink!)

Sounds like a winner to me!

 

Words You Are No Longer Allowed to Say to Me

1. Maverick. Unless you're James Garner. (No, I won't accept it from that nutbag Aussie who thinks Jesus spoke Latin. He was wrong: Aramaic, Hebrew, and probably a smattering of Koine. Latin? Pff. Greek was the lingua franca of the day. Most of the Roman army didn't even speak Latin. What a donkey.)

2. Wall Street.

3. Main Street.

4. I 'respectfully' agree, BUT...

5. Say NO to __________________

6. Drill, Baby, Drill! (Only one exception, but that's *very* private, isn't it?)

7. Any gerund whose final 'g' has been dropped, so "ya sound like a hick who hasn't had proper schoolin', ya know???" The word "schoolin'" is an example of an offending candidate.

8. "Ya" in place of "You".





Any guesses who crawled right up my left nostril tonight??? Just call her Caribou Barbie.

I hope I never feel so moved to make such a vindictive post again. Brrrr!!! She just rubs me the wrong way, with the lies and the smarminess and the "I just want ya all to know I'm just like ya!!"-ness.

On the issue of the issues, no, I don't think she was a slam-dunk. There were many instances where she exhibited those same characteristics she showed during the Katie Couric interview. There were some disgustingly manipulative times when she redirected her answers to something that blatantly suited her strengths. My favorite example was when the question was about home mortgages and the sub-prime loan debacle. Sen. Biden answered first, and his answer was interesting; it really needed the opposing side to balance it out, to contrast. Gov. Palin simply went right into energy policy and the need to develop alternative forms of energy to decrease our dependency on foreign oil.

WHAT??? Wrong answer.

 

Funny thing seen at Boston Mills ...

Funny thing seen at Boston Mills ...
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

...while picking up Rick's race packet.

Did I mention how proud I am of my husband for running the Towpath Marathon tomorrow?

This month's NaBloPoMo topic...

...is VOTE.

Interestingly, TODAY is the first day official day you can vote in the State of Ohio. True!

How??

If you haven't been registered before, you can register and vote all in one fell swoop. Another option is to go to your local Board of Elections office and fill out an absentee ballot, as there is no longer a long list of conditions to be met before one is eligible to be an absentee voter.

It's all in the hopes that no one will have to wait 4 or 6 hours in rain-soaked lines on Election Day to fulfill their civic and Constitutional right/obligation.

Particularly now that we no longer have Councilwoman Fannie Lewis to come around and raise a holy stink about abyssmal voting conditions, God bless her soul.