Wherein, I expose myself...

Congratulations to the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers and Coach Schiano on their victory in the Texas Bowl last night! Well done, gentlemen. Well done. You've made this alumna squeeeeeeeeeal like a fangirl.

It's been a while since I've stopped by. I've found this year that excessive blogging can be an addiction like any other, and I try to avoid getting caught up in it. Cold turkey is the key to quitting. (TM Buffy)

Of course the downside is that there are also my friends online in RL who I've missed.

Anyway, I've been chugging along dealing with life in all its fullness and got smacked in the face by a whopping dose of seasonal melancholy and the inertia that it causes. In part, it's always this time of year that I miss my mother the most but I find myself wallowing in pessimism about the world around us and cynicism about our officials and the media that report on them. It's supposed to be the season of Glad Tidings, Peace and Goodwill, isn't it?

That said, once in a great while I read a story that reminds me that people have a lot more in common than the divisive and acrimonious picture painted in the media. Here's one.

A Muslim Sings Christmas Carols.

The families will be converging on our house this weekend. I'm behind schedule - as usual. I'm going off today to do the mad Christmas dash, picking up the last few presents and wrapping.

Best wishes this holiday season and a happy and healthy New Year to all.

What a week! First, Tuesday's elections gave me a sense of hope as a life-long lefty who has felt the rightward march in policies and dialog, and the wholesale consumption of Republican talking points by politicians and the talking heads in the Media alike. Thank goodness for the blogosphere to keep me sane. My fellow Americans are now waking up, tired of being lied to about the war, and tired of the rhetoric of fear. Good. There's more we need to do as a nation, but at least for now let us all revel in the restoration of "checks and balances" and hope for some honest give and take between Congress and the White House.

But if that wasn't cool enough, for the first time in well, EVER, my College football team and my favorite Pro team are both having winning seasons. Go big Blue! Go SCARLET KNIGHTS! I just... je ne sais quoi. I can't describe how good this feels. It's amazing to see those young men on the Rutgers football team reap the fruits of their determination and hard work. Props to all of them for the dream come true and especially Coach Shiano for having the dream.

Okay, realistically speaking, as a Rutgers Alum, I haven't always been happy with the Dollars spent of the football program at Rutgers in lieu of budgets cuts elsewhere. But I can't help feeling exhilarated right now! I just can't. I'm told the winning team has been good for business in New Brunswick and that's a positive. So, for now I put my crankiness aside and celebrate the come-back kids!

Whee!

Have a great weekend y'all.

Howard Dean just kicked the shit out of Karl Rove. Democracy ain't pretty but it sure is beautiful.

Which Dead Rock Star Are You?
Jeff Buckley You are Jeff Buckley! You're influential to many young and old, and very talented. You have charisma and grace that sets you a part from many. You are beautiful! Oh, he died in 1997 from a drug-induced drowning in the Mississippi River.
Take The Quiz Now!	Quizzes by myYearbook.com

Cheery, huh?

Happy Birthday Inaravar! I hope you have a wonderful day.

The more I read about what's going on around us and our actions around the world, I am reminded of this quote, attributed to Sinclair Lewis: "When fascism comes to this country, it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross."

After WW2 ended, the United States characterized Japanese wartime use of "water boarding" as torture. But apparently it's only torture when our enemies do it. When we do it, it's called an "alternative interrogation method".

How do we EVER justify torture? I just don't understand it. According to experts, it doesn't work a means of gathering useful intelligence, we lose our moral authority and it leaves our our soldiers and civilians subject to the same in retaliation.

One would think at least the Democrats in or running for Congress would stand up for what is right, and not cave in and go along with legitimizing torture, but it's an election year and as usual, the Democrats are letting the fear-mongering Republicans frame the debate as if anyone who is morally (and rightly, in my opinion) opposed to torture is somehow "soft on terror".

Aren't we as a Nation supposed to be more "civilized"? Aren't we supposed to be just? Aren't we supposed to govern and conduct our affairs by reason rather than inflamed passions?

I'm astounded when I hear a neighbor of mine, a Church-going man who professes to be a Christian, say things like "we ought to kill 'em all [Iraqis]" along with other vitriol that sounds like it came straight out of a FoxNews script. I'm wondering where in the New Testament Jesus called for the genocide of entire countries, because I sure don't remember that scripture in the Gospels. Of course, it didn't matter to the Nazis, who cynically used Christianity to justify their criminal reign.

And the Gulf coast communities devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita are still in ruins in many places, while we spend $2 Billion each week in Iraq. The Iraq war is formenting more terrorism and a majority of Iraqis don't want us there. So why don't we start the redeployment now? Yes, there is a civil war going on in Iraq because we have not been able to keep the peace, but there would be a civil war in Iraq whether we stay for a year or 10 years. For how long do we "stay the course" when doing so only seems to make matters worse by drawing foreign jehadists into Iraq to add to the terror already faced during the civil war between Iraqis? The United States troops are a focal point of resentment and anger and with all the money spent and wasted on big government contractors who shelter themselves within the fortified Green Zone, we can't seem to provide the basic necessities for our troops in the line of fire.

Meanwhile, back in Afghanistan, the Taliban are rebuilding, the Opium trade is florishing and keeping terror networks flush with cash. Al Qaeda is there, on the fringes on the border while the Government of Pakistan, our supposed ally in the "war on terror", turns a blind eye to their presence and may actively be harboring them. And yet, our President and his Administration and his lackeys in Congress are fixated on Iraq - with sights on Iran. And some of our troops are stop-lossed and serving their second, third or forth tours of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan, after they were told they were done there.

What happened to our priorities?

Hola!

Hubby, L. and I are here in sunny Miami having a last getaway before the Fall Everything-season gets underway in earnest. And I haven't posted anything really silly for a least a couple weeks, so I figured I'd post some observations.

What a pleasant experience to walk along the streets of South Beach, watching the beautiful people and noticing that so many of the women have healthy, luscious CURVES! I always imagined I'd feel out of place in these places - with my Bootay that will not yield to exercise (well, it helps to actually *do* exercise. Ahem) and judging by what I see from the TeeVee or magazine spreads, but I guess they must hire fitness models or maybe they really film "Miami" in LA, where the norm for actresses seems to be something closer to anorexic than luscious.

Or maybe it's a Latina thing, but these beautiful women wear their curves with pride, and can I just say how nice it is to be a part of this? Miami Beach - where the bootay is queen!

By the way, according to the Urban dictionary, "Bootay" is defined accordingly: "Not just a butt, but a big, juicy one" - capitalize it for emphasis... Bootay!, Bootay!, Bootay! My new favorite word. Hee!

Now, I have the opportunity to take a nap. Naps are kind of like rare and precious things in my current life so I intend to savor every blessed supine moment of it. TTFN.

The important: Happy Birthday Gia!

The silly:

Your Quirk Factor: 60%

You're a pretty quirky person, but you're just normal enough to hide it. Congratulations - you've fooled other people into thinking you're just like them!

Only 60%? I guess I've gotten less quirky in my old age.

I direct your attention once again to Operation Eden, Photographer Clayton James Cubitt's stunning photojournal about survivors of Hurricane Katrina, especially his Mother and little Brother. The link is in my profile as well.

I suggest starting with the August 2005 page - right from the start - and scroll from bottom to top to get the full affect. I think it's well worth it.

Oh, and Hi to my flist!