This comment, written in response to an editorial written by Charles Blow in The New York Times, sums up completely how I feel about the Trayvon Martin case:
"The thing that's different about Trayvon's murder--that shows me a different America than the one I grew up in--is that EVERY parent sees in Trayvon their own child. That Zimmerman saw a black face as a weapon turns the stomachs of millions as a hallmark of a more repugnant time in our history--yet one that lingers in the shadows with nauseating effect when it now surfaces."
No matter what the outcome...
If Trayvon is proven to have "started" the fight that left him dead because George Zimmerman followed him, thinking he didn't belong.
If Trayvon had a record as a "troubled" teen, one who had been suspended several times for wrong-doing.
If he was wearing a hoodie, which made him a criminal in some people's minds.
He was a child, a human being. He didn't desrve to be killed, no matter the circumstances.
In high school, I stole a stop sign, smoked pot every once in awhile, sneaked off campus for lunch, and skipped class ocasionally. I'm also pretty sure I owned a hooded sweatshirt. Did I have it coming? Would it make a difference if I said I'm white?
This is my issue with the Trayvon Martin case. He didn't deserve to be shot--from everything I've heard, he was hunted down and killed by someone who thought he was "other" because of the color of his skin. Prove me wrong. And God help us all if we truly haven't evolved past that.
3.31.2012
3.30.2012
More Money than God
Just as I'm sure around 200 million other people have done tonight, my husband and I have figured out how to spend the $640 Mega Millions jackpot.* The problem is, even after paying $300 million in taxes, using $200 million to start a foundation that pays for scholarships, healthcare costs, and finding homes for stray animals, giving $75 million to friends and family, buying a couple of houses, several cars, and a boat, and Saints season tickets for life, AND renting out the Cedar Point amusement park once a month for the foreseeable future so I that can ride some really cool roller coasters, we still have about $70 million left over, give or take a few mil. Problems, problems.
*We will not be checking to confirm that we didn't win until tomorrow, in order to prolong the fantasy a little bit longer.
*We will not be checking to confirm that we didn't win until tomorrow, in order to prolong the fantasy a little bit longer.
3.24.2012
Ways in Which I Rebel
Ever since we bought our dishwasher back in 2007, the drying function hasn't worked. Clean dishes have to sit in there for about three solid days before all of the water evaporates off of them. It's a real pain, as far as household pains go, especially since there are always at least about 30 plastic cups from Mardi Gras in there, which, for some reason, seem to take three times as long as the average dish to dry.
My husband (you know, the one who never notices that green light on the dishwasher that means the dishes are clean and can be unloaded) constantly gets on my case about the fact that I don't hand dry every Mardi Gras cup as I take it out of the dishwasher. To me, this is unnecessary labor--they'll dry eventually, right? Even if they are stacked up in the cupboard and therefore it takes some of them at least a week to dry.
Kenny seems to think this will cause a mildew problem. And perhaps it will, but we have about 876 Mardi Gras cups, so if we lose a few to mildew, no big deal, right? Wrong. That man loves his Mardi Gras cups like they're gold-plated or something. Also, I have way more pressing things to do than lovingly hand dry each Mardi Gras cup--like vacuum up the approximately five pounds of dog hair that accumulate in our house on a daily basis.
So, after several years of getting scolded for not putting the cups away properly, I've finally figured out a fool-proof method. I stack the cups without drying them, then shove them way in the back of the kitchen cabinet and move a couple of stacks that have dried to the front. Problem solved. And most importantly, I haven't been discovered yet.
I also like to furtively throw away Mardi Gras cups every chance I get. Sometimes, Kenny finds them buried way down in the trash and brings them back into the house again. But it's always fun when I'm able to successfully throw away a cup. It's the little things that keep a 17-year relationship fun, you know?
Yes, I know, I need to get out more. Welcome to an exciting Saturday night at my house.
My husband (you know, the one who never notices that green light on the dishwasher that means the dishes are clean and can be unloaded) constantly gets on my case about the fact that I don't hand dry every Mardi Gras cup as I take it out of the dishwasher. To me, this is unnecessary labor--they'll dry eventually, right? Even if they are stacked up in the cupboard and therefore it takes some of them at least a week to dry.
Kenny seems to think this will cause a mildew problem. And perhaps it will, but we have about 876 Mardi Gras cups, so if we lose a few to mildew, no big deal, right? Wrong. That man loves his Mardi Gras cups like they're gold-plated or something. Also, I have way more pressing things to do than lovingly hand dry each Mardi Gras cup--like vacuum up the approximately five pounds of dog hair that accumulate in our house on a daily basis.
So, after several years of getting scolded for not putting the cups away properly, I've finally figured out a fool-proof method. I stack the cups without drying them, then shove them way in the back of the kitchen cabinet and move a couple of stacks that have dried to the front. Problem solved. And most importantly, I haven't been discovered yet.
I also like to furtively throw away Mardi Gras cups every chance I get. Sometimes, Kenny finds them buried way down in the trash and brings them back into the house again. But it's always fun when I'm able to successfully throw away a cup. It's the little things that keep a 17-year relationship fun, you know?
Yes, I know, I need to get out more. Welcome to an exciting Saturday night at my house.
3.22.2012
F*ck Roger Goodell
Did the Saints have a bounty program when they shouldn’t have? Yes. Were there lots of other teams with similar systems in place? Yes. Does that excuse the Saints’ behavior? No. Are the penalties being handed down by Roger Goodell outrageously excessive? Absolutely.
It feels as if Goodell has just told the entire city of New Orleans to go fuck itself. An entire year of suspension for Payton? Give me a break. I know that “everybody else does it, too” is not a defense. But I honestly don’t feel that the Saints were intentionally trying to seriously injure other players, regardless of what’s being said in the media.
It feels as if Goodell has just told the entire city of New Orleans to go fuck itself. An entire year of suspension for Payton? Give me a break. I know that “everybody else does it, too” is not a defense. But I honestly don’t feel that the Saints were intentionally trying to seriously injure other players, regardless of what’s being said in the media.
3.18.2012
3.04.2012
2.25.2012
A Letter to My Daughter, 03/12
Dear Emmeline:
Seven years old. How is that even possible? Everyone says that time passes more quickly as you get older, which is most definitely true. But nothing makes time speed by at such a ridiculous rate as having a child and watching her grow up. Sometimes, my heart aches for the little-bitty girl that you used to be, just as I know that, several years from now, I'll long to have the seven-year-old back.
This has been a big year for you. The tooth fairy has now visited our house six times, and you're quite the snaggle-puss. You recently discovered that the tooth fairy had left one of your teeth behind, secreted in a box I fill with mementos of your childhood, and you were quite confused until I told you that I'd explained to her that I thought it would be nice to keep one of your teeth for you. You accepted this grudgingly but wanted to know if the tooth fairy wanted her money back, seeing as how she didn't get to keep the tooth.
Seven years old. How is that even possible? Everyone says that time passes more quickly as you get older, which is most definitely true. But nothing makes time speed by at such a ridiculous rate as having a child and watching her grow up. Sometimes, my heart aches for the little-bitty girl that you used to be, just as I know that, several years from now, I'll long to have the seven-year-old back.
This has been a big year for you. The tooth fairy has now visited our house six times, and you're quite the snaggle-puss. You recently discovered that the tooth fairy had left one of your teeth behind, secreted in a box I fill with mementos of your childhood, and you were quite confused until I told you that I'd explained to her that I thought it would be nice to keep one of your teeth for you. You accepted this grudgingly but wanted to know if the tooth fairy wanted her money back, seeing as how she didn't get to keep the tooth.
2.22.2012
Mardi Gras 2012
I'm officially exhausted, after going to 24 out of the 26 parades. God, do I love Mardi Gras. And I know there's lots of discussion out there about people being too territorial on the parade route, but I have to confess, I'm a parade junkie and love getting as close as possible.
How close? Close enough to almost get hit in the face with a tuba by St. Aug, close enough to catch beads from Bret Michaels, and close enough to interact with the flambeaux. I would like to add, however, that no tarps, caution tape, roped-together ladders, parade chairs, or any other barriers were used to make sure I had a good spot. If you want to be up front for all of the action, then you actually need to get there early and be up front. Nothing makes me crazier than the people who lay 12 ladders down next to each other on the parade route hours ahead of time and then don't actually stand in "their" spot until the parades start rolling.
How close? Close enough to almost get hit in the face with a tuba by St. Aug, close enough to catch beads from Bret Michaels, and close enough to interact with the flambeaux. I would like to add, however, that no tarps, caution tape, roped-together ladders, parade chairs, or any other barriers were used to make sure I had a good spot. If you want to be up front for all of the action, then you actually need to get there early and be up front. Nothing makes me crazier than the people who lay 12 ladders down next to each other on the parade route hours ahead of time and then don't actually stand in "their" spot until the parades start rolling.
2.21.2012
2.20.2012
How to Piss People Off During Mardi Gras
Decide that not only do you need to clearly mark your own space on the parade route on Bacchus Sunday, when most of the Saturday parades are also having to roll, but that you need to do so with a tarp that is clearly a lot larger than the six people in your group need. These people hogged that much space all day long so that their kid could play football during parade breaks.
2.09.2012
The Tide is Turning
Divided Court Rejects Proposition 8
A federal appeals court has declared California's 2008 voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, concluding that the prohibition served no purpose other than to "lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians."
A federal appeals court has declared California's 2008 voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, concluding that the prohibition served no purpose other than to "lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians."
2.08.2012
Another Time and Place - Dave Von Ronk
When first I met you years ago
In another time and place
The thought came to my mind
I'd never seen a kinder face
Dear 2012
You know what? So far, you really suck and have me on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Is this what you had in mind? Is this payback for not (really) believing in that whole Mayan calendar thing:?
Let's recount what's happened so far this year, shall we? On day what, 39 or something? Of 365?
Let's recount what's happened so far this year, shall we? On day what, 39 or something? Of 365?
1.25.2012
I Heart James Carville
Carville to GOP: You have a disaster on your hands.
"It's been a terrible time to be a Republican. There have been many moments during this process that have caused me great joy. Certainly the events of Thursday, ending with the CNN debate, and even the Fox debate Monday night, have helped ease the pain of my beloved Tigers' and Saints' recent defeats.
I mean, most people thought it was kind of a watermark when your Tea Party gang booed the golden rule. You know, I've spent some time in Philly and they have always thought they were pretty radical because they actually booed Santa Claus and Willie Mays. Philly, I've got news for you -- you ain't got nothing on South Carolina Republicans. They just aren't buying any of that do-unto-others garbage."
"It's been a terrible time to be a Republican. There have been many moments during this process that have caused me great joy. Certainly the events of Thursday, ending with the CNN debate, and even the Fox debate Monday night, have helped ease the pain of my beloved Tigers' and Saints' recent defeats.
I mean, most people thought it was kind of a watermark when your Tea Party gang booed the golden rule. You know, I've spent some time in Philly and they have always thought they were pretty radical because they actually booed Santa Claus and Willie Mays. Philly, I've got news for you -- you ain't got nothing on South Carolina Republicans. They just aren't buying any of that do-unto-others garbage."
1.24.2012
For A Friend
Gone From My Sight
--Henry Van Dyke
I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side,
spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts
for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck
of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.
Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone"
Gone where?
Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast,
hull and spar as she was when she left my side.
And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me -- not in her.
And, just at the moment when someone says, "There, she is gone,"
there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices
ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"
And that is dying...
--Henry Van Dyke
I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side,
spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts
for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck
of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.
Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone"
Gone where?
Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast,
hull and spar as she was when she left my side.
And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me -- not in her.
And, just at the moment when someone says, "There, she is gone,"
there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices
ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"
And that is dying...
1.23.2012
I Love Having Parented
Don't Carpe Diem
"I think parenting young children (and old ones, I've heard) is a little like climbing Mount Everest. Brave, adventurous souls try it because they've heard there's magic in the climb. They try because they believe that finishing, or even attempting the climb, are impressive accomplishments. They try because during the climb, if they allow themselves to pause and lift their eyes and minds from the pain and drudgery, the views are breathtaking. They try because even though it hurts and it's hard, there are moments that make it worth the hard. These moments are so intense and unique that many people who reach the top start planning, almost immediately, to climb again. Even though any climber will tell you that most of the climb is treacherous, exhausting, killer. That they literally cried most of the way up."
"I think parenting young children (and old ones, I've heard) is a little like climbing Mount Everest. Brave, adventurous souls try it because they've heard there's magic in the climb. They try because they believe that finishing, or even attempting the climb, are impressive accomplishments. They try because during the climb, if they allow themselves to pause and lift their eyes and minds from the pain and drudgery, the views are breathtaking. They try because even though it hurts and it's hard, there are moments that make it worth the hard. These moments are so intense and unique that many people who reach the top start planning, almost immediately, to climb again. Even though any climber will tell you that most of the climb is treacherous, exhausting, killer. That they literally cried most of the way up."
1.18.2012
Love Is...
The sheer amount of bodily fluids (and solids) that you will willingly allow another person to smear on you because said person is your child.
And How Was Your Weekend?
Mine pretty much sucked, thanks to that game. It started out ugly and stayed that way for quite some time, in between Pierre Thomas getting knocked out cold and Drew Brees throwing an interception that resulted in a second 49ers touchdown, both within the first quarter. At least the friends I watched the game with were entertaining. And I made a couple of excellent hors d'oeuvres. (If you haven't yet been to the Pioneer Woman's blog to get recipes that involve meat, and cheese, and bacon, and butter, you should go now.)
1.08.2012
Just Stuff
So far, 2012 hasn't started off that well. Everyone I know was ecstatic to put 2011 behind us. I really don't know what it was about 2011, but it just kinda sucked. It felt like we were in the doldrums or something. So, 2012 was supposed to be the year that things start getting better (depending, of course, on that whole Mayan calendar thing).
But so far this year, which has barely just started, I've gotten to discover that our house was broken into and that the only thing stolen was my jewelry. Not the funnest way to start the new year. Especially since there I was, telling everyone how Katrina had made me realize that stuff is just stuff, that it was not something to get emotionally invested in, and then somebody had to go and steal my stuff.
1.03.2012
Auld Lang Syne
I officially gave up making resolutions, or at least big, supposed-to-change-your-life resolutions, when 2011 rolled around. I tried (unsuccessfully) to quit smoking during 2010 (and 2001; and 2005). Failed. I've made the this-is-the-year-I'm-finally-going-to-lose-some-weight resolution more years than I can count. Big resolutions like that seem to set me up for nothing other than failure. (And 2011, by the way, the first year I resolved not to resolve anything, is the year I finally got with the program and lost 25 pounds--go figure.)
So as 2011 left and 2012 arrived, I resolved again to stay away from resolutions. But then I realized, after looking at the pictures I took on New Year's Eve, that I have one resolution that has been a part of my life for 10+ years and that I plan to keep for good. It's an excellent way to start the new year off , and I swear, if nothing else, it makes you feel happy for years to come.
So as 2011 left and 2012 arrived, I resolved again to stay away from resolutions. But then I realized, after looking at the pictures I took on New Year's Eve, that I have one resolution that has been a part of my life for 10+ years and that I plan to keep for good. It's an excellent way to start the new year off , and I swear, if nothing else, it makes you feel happy for years to come.
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