The baby shower turned out to be a lot of fun. It was one of those crowded, noisy, exuberant gatherings that are often more enjoyable than the perfectly planned, staid kind. Took little T out for a walk and ran into some former neighbors with whom I chatted. The food was great--not a diet dish in sight--and I made good use of the sausage, meatballs, pasta, potato and macaroni salad, and so on--not to mention the cold beer.
Had to leave a little early to get home in time to give Pat dinner. Took him a platter and he ate every morsel, including a big slab of luscious, sugary cake. Angelic former fatty that I am, I didn't indulge in that, but distracted myself by jumping in the shower. Had my popcorn and wine and slept like a log. Nice day.
Wider Note: If it isn't already, this will make your hair turn grey:
Critical Facts Reporters Won't Report, Serious Issues which put our Lives at Risk
This illustrates one of the reasons I no longer reject conspiracy theories about 9/11, the wars, or any other direction-changing events in the U.S. and the world. That doesn't mean I'm completely convinced we've been set up in every instance, but I'm taking the possibility seriously. You can't trust the ruling class!
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Shopping day: went to Staples, Acme, and Woodhaven Lumber. Talked to sister Betty and filled her in on the L.'s terrific party. Other than that, just putzed around at home. Got a web cam call from birthday boy, Mike. Saw adorable Violet and her Mommy; Vivian was downstairs playing with a neighbor friend.
Will get weighed at WW this morning to see what the damage is, then to the afternoon shower for Jen's sister back in Ewing.
Wider Note: This is from the "Fred On Everything" blog. I always feel I have to make the disclaimer that I don't agree with Fred on--well, everything, but he happens to be the kind of irreverent and entertaining writer I enjoy and this, especially the last paragraph, rings so true.
"Hillary. I don’t hate Hillary. She’s smart, tough, sane, been around, corrupt, and personally repellent as a fanged garden slug. By today’s standards, that’s a bargain.
But why the hell is she Secretary of State? How many years has she spent abroad? What languages does she speak? What does she know about the street in Karachi, Cairo, Guadalajara? She probably thinks Mumbai is what you eat with a RC Cola.
See, what’s happened is that we are ruled by an incestuous bridge club clucking to itself in what amounts to a thermos bottle. Hillary is SecState because Precedent O’Bama wants to heal rifts within the Democratic Party. It would make more sense to poison the lot, but never mind. Everything is about domestic politics. And these dismal retreads promote each other in circles. Hillary goes from governor’s wife to First Basilisk to senator to SecState. Oh help."
Later: Lost a big 0.2 for a total of 72.4 and a current weight of 127.2. I'm okay with that, considering this week's partying: dinner out, the luncheon, and the L.'s gathering. However, I do want to get back to my lightest of 125. To keep me on the straight and narrow, will weigh in next Saturday, also.
Will get weighed at WW this morning to see what the damage is, then to the afternoon shower for Jen's sister back in Ewing.
Wider Note: This is from the "Fred On Everything" blog. I always feel I have to make the disclaimer that I don't agree with Fred on--well, everything, but he happens to be the kind of irreverent and entertaining writer I enjoy and this, especially the last paragraph, rings so true.
"Hillary. I don’t hate Hillary. She’s smart, tough, sane, been around, corrupt, and personally repellent as a fanged garden slug. By today’s standards, that’s a bargain.
But why the hell is she Secretary of State? How many years has she spent abroad? What languages does she speak? What does she know about the street in Karachi, Cairo, Guadalajara? She probably thinks Mumbai is what you eat with a RC Cola.
See, what’s happened is that we are ruled by an incestuous bridge club clucking to itself in what amounts to a thermos bottle. Hillary is SecState because Precedent O’Bama wants to heal rifts within the Democratic Party. It would make more sense to poison the lot, but never mind. Everything is about domestic politics. And these dismal retreads promote each other in circles. Hillary goes from governor’s wife to First Basilisk to senator to SecState. Oh help."
Later: Lost a big 0.2 for a total of 72.4 and a current weight of 127.2. I'm okay with that, considering this week's partying: dinner out, the luncheon, and the L.'s gathering. However, I do want to get back to my lightest of 125. To keep me on the straight and narrow, will weigh in next Saturday, also.
Friday, December 05, 2008
Had a terrific time at the L.'s party. Stopped first at Boscov's to get something on-sale for Joely, but he may have it already. Will check with his Mom tomorrow.
The L.s throw great gatherings and we've (I've) gone to theirs for six years running now. This is the second time I've had to go alone and it's a melancholy feeling, but I want to be there, anyway.
All the regulars were there: a small, very convivial group of four couples and, now that Pat's unable to go, three single women, including me. Last night, they had live music, too. This keyboard player--wouldn't you know--went to Holy Spirit H. S., as all but two of the party-goers did. "Joe" grew up in Atlantic City and was in school with my brother, Frank, but moved to Miami in his sophomore year.
Wider Note: Raimondo does it again on Anti-War.Com. Here's a teaser for the piece, but read it all:
"A Loud Silence: That's the response from the "antiwar" wing of the Democratic party to Obama's Iraq sellout"
Or maybe I should say, "Read it and weep."
See http://antiwar.com/
The L.s throw great gatherings and we've (I've) gone to theirs for six years running now. This is the second time I've had to go alone and it's a melancholy feeling, but I want to be there, anyway.
All the regulars were there: a small, very convivial group of four couples and, now that Pat's unable to go, three single women, including me. Last night, they had live music, too. This keyboard player--wouldn't you know--went to Holy Spirit H. S., as all but two of the party-goers did. "Joe" grew up in Atlantic City and was in school with my brother, Frank, but moved to Miami in his sophomore year.
Wider Note: Raimondo does it again on Anti-War.Com. Here's a teaser for the piece, but read it all:
"A Loud Silence: That's the response from the "antiwar" wing of the Democratic party to Obama's Iraq sellout"
Or maybe I should say, "Read it and weep."
See http://antiwar.com/
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Great fun at the Women's Club luncheon. Went with Barb H. and Pat H. and I won one of the raffle prizes--a pocketbook I like a lot. Got home by 3:00 and Pat was fine. Looking forward to the L.'s party today (starts at 4:00)--oh, the social whirl!
Wider Note: Yesterday's The Press of Atlantic City ran a picture on the front page of Obama and several of his cabinet. He had a blue tie on and so did at least two of the others. Now, I've noticed very often that Bush and his cohorts wear red ties. It's just incredible to me that whoever decides these things (the valets? Hah! More likely the costume and set designers) must consciously pick out the colors to correspond to the political camp in which the person falls. I guess the tie thing is fairly minor, but it seems to point up the degree of manipulation to which the American public is subjected. In ways subtle and blatant, large and small, we're maneuvered to where the ruling class wants us.
Along that line: In light of the confusion and unanswered questions surrounding the Mumbai tragedy, am I entertaining the notion that the whole thing was stage-managed, maybe with the connivance of the U.S.? Oh, yes, I surely am. And--something I never thought I'd consider--I'm beginning to take seriously the claims of the fringe that 9/11 was a put-up job, too. Then there's the Kennedy assassination...
It's a bad old world out there.
Wider Note: Yesterday's The Press of Atlantic City ran a picture on the front page of Obama and several of his cabinet. He had a blue tie on and so did at least two of the others. Now, I've noticed very often that Bush and his cohorts wear red ties. It's just incredible to me that whoever decides these things (the valets? Hah! More likely the costume and set designers) must consciously pick out the colors to correspond to the political camp in which the person falls. I guess the tie thing is fairly minor, but it seems to point up the degree of manipulation to which the American public is subjected. In ways subtle and blatant, large and small, we're maneuvered to where the ruling class wants us.
Along that line: In light of the confusion and unanswered questions surrounding the Mumbai tragedy, am I entertaining the notion that the whole thing was stage-managed, maybe with the connivance of the U.S.? Oh, yes, I surely am. And--something I never thought I'd consider--I'm beginning to take seriously the claims of the fringe that 9/11 was a put-up job, too. Then there's the Kennedy assassination...
It's a bad old world out there.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Went down to Ventnor to pick up Pat's records from the endocrinologist's office. Stopped at 15 South to say hello to Dee. She and her SIL have moved into the main part of the house, which she was decorating for Christmas. (Think every square inch covered with red, green, and Santa's elves.) Had a nice chat.
Went to Betty's house after, to see if everything was okay, but the key wouldn't work. Will call her today and let her know.
Later, cousin Dorothy called me to find out if our address was the same. Was sorry to hear George had a heart attack, then stroke last month. Nice talking to her, though.
We found a corpse under the hall table. I was damned if I'd touch it, so Pat did. He put it in a bag and I hurried it out to the trash. Was dismayed to hear somebody else we know has caught three of them--ugh! Pat re-set the thing and put it back.
Received the flickering "candles" from QVC (am I insane? Why would I order four of them when I need to get rid of so much Christmas stuff? However, they look lovely flickering in the windows.
Wider Note: But what's flickering in the wide world? Justin Raimondo at AntiWar.com believes the Mumbai tragedy was a put-up job. He reminds us that the Iraq war (now occupation) was launched under the pretext of a connection to 9/11 and the existence of WMDs, then goes on:
"The neat little narratives pumped out by war propagandists to rationalize acts of mass murder are an important part of any campaign to spark a conflict, so they have to be minimally convincing, or at least credible. Yet the story coming out of the Indian government is frankly incredible. The terrorists left a satellite phone conveniently placed next to the body of their ship's captain, whose throat they had slit, with the numbers of their handlers stored in memory. Very convenient...." (And here he mentions that the killers continued to get messages from cohorts!) "That little embellishment, I believe, gives the show away. Add to this the oddly unprepared – indeed, criminally negligent – role of the Indian security apparatus, and the whole thing reeks to high heaven. "Fishy" is putting it mildly."
I asked the Oracle when we could turn out the child killers and have peace in the world and he told me, "Never."
Went to Betty's house after, to see if everything was okay, but the key wouldn't work. Will call her today and let her know.
Later, cousin Dorothy called me to find out if our address was the same. Was sorry to hear George had a heart attack, then stroke last month. Nice talking to her, though.
We found a corpse under the hall table. I was damned if I'd touch it, so Pat did. He put it in a bag and I hurried it out to the trash. Was dismayed to hear somebody else we know has caught three of them--ugh! Pat re-set the thing and put it back.
Received the flickering "candles" from QVC (am I insane? Why would I order four of them when I need to get rid of so much Christmas stuff? However, they look lovely flickering in the windows.
Wider Note: But what's flickering in the wide world? Justin Raimondo at AntiWar.com believes the Mumbai tragedy was a put-up job. He reminds us that the Iraq war (now occupation) was launched under the pretext of a connection to 9/11 and the existence of WMDs, then goes on:
"The neat little narratives pumped out by war propagandists to rationalize acts of mass murder are an important part of any campaign to spark a conflict, so they have to be minimally convincing, or at least credible. Yet the story coming out of the Indian government is frankly incredible. The terrorists left a satellite phone conveniently placed next to the body of their ship's captain, whose throat they had slit, with the numbers of their handlers stored in memory. Very convenient...." (And here he mentions that the killers continued to get messages from cohorts!) "That little embellishment, I believe, gives the show away. Add to this the oddly unprepared – indeed, criminally negligent – role of the Indian security apparatus, and the whole thing reeks to high heaven. "Fishy" is putting it mildly."
I asked the Oracle when we could turn out the child killers and have peace in the world and he told me, "Never."
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Pleasant day. Got our first Christmas card from my friend, Karen C.--she always gets hers out early. The PT came to assess Pat; she's very nice and will come in twice a week. Got a call from the OT and she'll come next week. Old George stopped in to say hello about 3:30. I left to meet Vivian at 5:00, stopping first to pick up my BP prescription and get a new battery for my small clock.
Great time with Vivian, as ever. It's oh, such a relief to talk openly about our sometimes shitty lives as caregivers and not have to deal with uncomprehending people who spout cliches, especially "I hope he's better soon." (Do they think he's a chameleon? You don't regenerate lungs.) "You're so strong." (Sez who?) "But are you taking care of yourself?" (Everybody seems to think they're being weightily original with that one--little do they know that nine out of ten ask this inane question.) And here's the kicker that makes me want to punch the well-meaning person right in her well-meaning face (it's invariably a woman): "You must be very special to have been given such a burden" or even worse, "God only gives you what you can handle" and variations thereof.
Okay, enough of that. Here's a wider note to ponder with alarm:
"The Real News" has a piece the secret posse comitatus the government has approved. This means combat troops can be used to, among other things, put down "civil unrest," which the president can define anyway he chooses. And that suggests the first steps toward a true police state. Our peaceful little anti-war vigils in Absecon could be dispersed at gunpoint, I guess.
Oh, but don't worry. Go back to your iPod and boob tube and pay no attention to what's behind the curtain...
Great time with Vivian, as ever. It's oh, such a relief to talk openly about our sometimes shitty lives as caregivers and not have to deal with uncomprehending people who spout cliches, especially "I hope he's better soon." (Do they think he's a chameleon? You don't regenerate lungs.) "You're so strong." (Sez who?) "But are you taking care of yourself?" (Everybody seems to think they're being weightily original with that one--little do they know that nine out of ten ask this inane question.) And here's the kicker that makes me want to punch the well-meaning person right in her well-meaning face (it's invariably a woman): "You must be very special to have been given such a burden" or even worse, "God only gives you what you can handle" and variations thereof.
Okay, enough of that. Here's a wider note to ponder with alarm:
"The Real News" has a piece the secret posse comitatus the government has approved. This means combat troops can be used to, among other things, put down "civil unrest," which the president can define anyway he chooses. And that suggests the first steps toward a true police state. Our peaceful little anti-war vigils in Absecon could be dispersed at gunpoint, I guess.
Oh, but don't worry. Go back to your iPod and boob tube and pay no attention to what's behind the curtain...
Monday, December 01, 2008
Braved icy rain and strong winds to go to Target yesterday and get two tops for the luncheon on Wednesday, then ran a few other errands. Aside from that, stayed in. Looking forward to dinner with Vivian tonight.
Wider Note: For those Obama hopefuls still clinging to their dreams, this from Justin Raimondo at Anti-War.com:
"The War Party's decisive influence in the Obama administration is going to be rolled out on Monday, so that even the most craven Obama-bots on the Left will be left wondering who and what they voted for. Hillary the hawk at State, Bush's warlord Robert Gates at Defense, and Gen. Jim Jones – who wants to station U.S. troops in the occupied territories under the rubric of NATO! – as national security adviser to the president. Yes, antiwar voters took a chance on Obama, reasoning that anything would be better than four more years of Bushian belligerence, yet now they discover to their chagrin that the dice are loaded."
But there's much more and the piece, entitled "The End of the Affair"* should be read in full. Here's the address:
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=13838
And there's this, from Chris Hedges, one of my favorite writers on war (in "Truthdig.com"):
"Barack Obama’s decision to increase troop levels in Afghanistan and leave behind tens of thousands of soldiers and Marines in Iraq—he promises only to withdraw combat brigades—is a failure to rescue us from the status of a rogue nation. It codifies Bush’s “war on terror.” And the continuation of these wars will corrupt and degrade our nation just as the long and brutal occupation of Gaza and the West Bank has corrupted and degraded Israel. George W. Bush has handed Barack Obama a poisoned apple. Obama has bitten it."
Those last two sentences almost took my breath away.
*Wonder how many besides me recognize the allusion to Graham Greene's book of the same name?
Wider Note: For those Obama hopefuls still clinging to their dreams, this from Justin Raimondo at Anti-War.com:
"The War Party's decisive influence in the Obama administration is going to be rolled out on Monday, so that even the most craven Obama-bots on the Left will be left wondering who and what they voted for. Hillary the hawk at State, Bush's warlord Robert Gates at Defense, and Gen. Jim Jones – who wants to station U.S. troops in the occupied territories under the rubric of NATO! – as national security adviser to the president. Yes, antiwar voters took a chance on Obama, reasoning that anything would be better than four more years of Bushian belligerence, yet now they discover to their chagrin that the dice are loaded."
But there's much more and the piece, entitled "The End of the Affair"* should be read in full. Here's the address:
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=13838
And there's this, from Chris Hedges, one of my favorite writers on war (in "Truthdig.com"):
"Barack Obama’s decision to increase troop levels in Afghanistan and leave behind tens of thousands of soldiers and Marines in Iraq—he promises only to withdraw combat brigades—is a failure to rescue us from the status of a rogue nation. It codifies Bush’s “war on terror.” And the continuation of these wars will corrupt and degrade our nation just as the long and brutal occupation of Gaza and the West Bank has corrupted and degraded Israel. George W. Bush has handed Barack Obama a poisoned apple. Obama has bitten it."
Those last two sentences almost took my breath away.
*Wonder how many besides me recognize the allusion to Graham Greene's book of the same name?
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