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« October 2004 | Main | December 2004 »
Comic book pricing guide
November 30, 2004
i've been sorting through boxes and boxes of old zines and whatnot, and I have a couple of comic book series that I know are pretty valuable, but i can't find ANY information about them online.
For one thing, I have the original Crow comics, issues 1-4 (I think there were 4...maybe there were just three) along with some Caliber Press anthologies in which the Crow appeared. I know these are fairly valuable and it seems like they are very rare, as the books that republished the originals are now valued higher than the cover price.
I also have Gaiman's Sandman comics...starting from issue 1 and going through...I don't even know. But I'm sure the first 10 issues or so are fairly valuable.
All of those books are in Good to Near Mint condition.
Other things I have that might or might not be valuable or are in worse condition - including Dan Clowes' eightball, starting either at issue 1 or very nearly issue one, The Mechanics series by Los Bros. Hernandez, Hate, Neat Stuff, and other independents...
If anyone can help me value these, I'd appreciate it. I'm not sure I'm ready to part with them, as they represent a pretty important period of my life, but I'd just like to know what I'm sitting on right now in case I NEED to part with them.
My Wish List
November 30, 2004
There's this wish list meme on LiveJournal...The meme goes - I make a list of things I'm wishing for and if you have something on that list that you don't need, you can send it to me. You make a list, and put it in a comment or trackback to me, and if I have it and don't need it, I can send it to you...
and I just got done telling Monk that I'd rather he didn't view the upcoming holiday as an occasion to get things, rather an occasion to be thankful for what we have. However, I do feel like I need to list the things that I need in the upcoming year, to prioritize and to just send the message out the the universe. I'm including my e-mail address in case there is someone out there who has a used version of what I need, because I always prefer to get things used, particularly if I know the person I'm getting it from.
1) Air purifiers for the living room and my bedrooms...and perhaps for the "office" as well.
2) Ceramic tiles for the back room, so we can do a mosaic floor
3) Various funky shades of housepaint
4) Ceiling fans for the living room and perhaps for the kitchen.
5) A Couch for the living room, and perhaps a comfy chair
6) A couple of small end tables for the living room
7) A new bed
8) A full-sized futon mattress for the kids' bedroom
9) Winter coats for Monk and Cole (size 8 and 4 respectively) Also, long pants in those sizes - the size 8's have to have elastic waistbands because Monk won't wear anything else.
10) More blankets!!! King and Full size. I have exactly one per bed, and for some reason my bedroom is the coldest room in the house. I've been turning on the heat already, not realizing that if I just slept in the living room, I wouldn't need to.
11) A new pair of boots for me. Vegetarian, size 8.5, black, punkish-looking, comfy. My old ones are ripped to shreds, and I still wear them anyway. I could probably also use a pair of dress shoes in the same size, also black, FLAT (I have a few pairs I freecycled with super platform heels that I'd be happy to trade) generic enough to go with any outfit.
12) A copy of Movable Type with a multi-user license.
13) A decend blender
14) non-plastic kitchen measuring equipment (measuring cups and spoons)
Of course, books, mix cd's, and zines that anyone wants to get rid of are always welcome in this house.
e-mail me if you have any of the above that you would like to get rid of in the coming year. I am willing to pay for some of these things, but it may take me a little while to get the money together.
Since I'm here, Monk's birthday is this Thursday, and he has a couple of wishes, too...I'll prioritize Monk's wishes as 1 on my amazon wish list (just sort by priority, and Monk's will be on top)(don't be intimidated by the size of my wish list...I put stuff there so I can remember to look for it when I go to used book stores and whatnot) so if you are feeling wealthy, you can reward him for his smart-assedness which has no doubt entertained you through the years. It's ok if it gets here late. If you happen to have something on my wish list that you'd like to get rid of, e-mail me...I prefer used!
Oh, and if anyone has any old magic the gathering cards laying around, Monk's been playing...and I'm finding most of the kids are getting boxes and boxes of these cards from older folks who used to play and now have boxes of these buggers sitting around gathering dust. E-mail me!
Pay attention, progressive homeschoolers.
November 29, 2004
MSNBC - Alabama vote opens old racial wounds
Black students in Alabama have struggled on some national tests, with 73 percent of black eighth-graders rated below basic competency in math, compared with 32 percent of white eighth-graders. Killings also frets about Alabama schools -- just as schools in many other parts of the country -- steadfastly resegregating. This phenomenon, which is getting increased attention among national education experts, is attributed to a kaleidoscope of factors, including the suburban migration of white families, private school expansion and the rising popularity of home schooling among white conservatives.
Remember that the privilege that allows you to homeschool comes at a cost to others.
Also, what the FUCK? Nice "moral values," Alabama.
Coupla quick links from the pba blogroll
November 29, 2004
Even though I'm not technically a democrat, this list of companies who have donated to the democratic party might be useful for several reasons.
[link via John P. Hoke's Asylum]
Several personality tests available from the BBC. I took the what am I like? test. I'm a nurturer.
[link via simply appalling]
pharmaceuticals and the health care "industry"
November 29, 2004
Eric from Total Information Awareness has an awesome post about The Conflict On Drugs:
I do not mean to demonize the pharmaceutical industry. They are merely seeking to maximize their influence, profits and power. In the process, they have spearheaded many important scientific breakthroughs that have saved lives, and greatly benefited society as a whole. But at times, the industry will be seduced by the same siren's song that big business inevitably falls prey to: profits over public welfare. Since this is an inextricable conflict of interest, it is necessary to rein in such unchecked power. Greater regulation of the industry is needed in order to insure that its beneficial qualities are maximized, and any conflicts of interest are minimized and taken out of the decision making process - whether it be legislation mandating that all test results of drugs are released to doctors and consumers, or reinvigorating the FDA with a sense of purpose for performing its oversight duties.
I remember walking around downtown Austin with George during SXSW 2 years ago, and I said something about "healthcare consumers" and the thought of that, and the fact that it so easily rolled out of my mouth as if it was a concept that had no inherent conflict, made me laugh out loud, even though it wasn't actually funny.
In fact, if one wanted to argue that capitalism is based on flawed and cruel logic, one only needs to consider the idea that healthcare is a commodity...
But that's not really what Eric talks about in the article - so go read it.
Last call for the autumn mix...
November 29, 2004
If anyone would like a copy of the autumn mix or the kid mix, e-mail me with your address. I'm finishing up the burns so I can mail them out this weekend.
Fucking damn!
November 29, 2004
I'm pulling laundry out of the washing machine, and Monk yells out "Mom! Cole just said 'fucking damn'!"
Intrigued, I poke my head into the other room, "What did you say, Coley?"
"Fuckin' DAMN!"
Trying to be nonchalant, I say "Coley, those are grown-up words. I don't mind if you say them here, but if you say them around other people, they might get angry or upset."
I go back and resume doing laundry, and I hear coley say it again, hesitantly, as if he's struggling for different words "...fuck...damn..." Monk, ever the helpful sibling, says "Say RATS Coley." Proving, in spite of how much I get on his case about it, that sometimes it's helpful for Monk do act like a parent.
My Head is pouring out of my heart.
November 29, 2004
That's what coley is singing right now:
"My head is pouring out of my heart
And there are big shapes
like triangles, and circles
also! also! ALSO!"
My children are so strange. Are all children this strange?
Last night, I busted out the play-doh. First, let me tell you - last weekend was HEAVENLY. I hate to say it because it sounds like I don't like R and her kids, but NOT having them here felt like a vacation. I was talking to kate last night, and I finally admitted to myself that it's probably not a good idea for me to consider housing another family here. A single person, yes...maybe a childless couple...but I just have too many neuroses to deal with another family (note to self: write a post about all of my various neuroses I've been discovering of late.) It's been HARD to have R and her kids here. Of course, they are totally welcome to return whenever they wish and for as long as they wish because I love them and my home is their home...but I'm not going to seek out strangers with children to share my home.
So, anyway, last weekend was nice, quiet, relaxing. There was very little conflict between the children, and I managed to get quite a bit of cleaning done. I even mowed my lawn! And last night, I busted out the play-doh and coley and monk have been inventing an alternate reality ever since.
"This is Joey...I sometimes call him Captain Shaggy." -Cole
There's something about listening to a child play. Particularly when they are inventing stories and scenarios. He's using blobs of play-doh as the bad guys, and the playmobile pirates are the good guys. There's also "Dark Man" - who is a bad guy...and "light man" - who is the most powerful good guy. I'm not sure how critical it might be to interrupt and point out the implications of that. It's probably too abstract for him right now. It's so pervasive that dark=bad and light=good. I'm having a really hard time with Fellowship of the Ring for that reason (and that's not the only reason)...
...the other day, Monk pointed out to me that he noticed that the only girls in the Fellowship of the rings were dead or somehow disembodied. I asked him how that made him feel, and he said "I feel like big mamas like you might feel excluded."
It's a step. He gets the injustice, even if he's not personalizing it. It's frustrating because they learn faster than they unlearn, and the learning seems to stick in their heads, no matter what I do. And it gets enacted in their play and is perpetuated with other kids.
Blah.
But listening to them, absorbed in play. Sometimes I want to just let go and let them play, and not worry. That's going to be my theme. That's what I'm going to let go in the New Year. I'm going to try to let go of some of my worry. The mortgage is almost completely caught up, thanks to kind support from a number of people. Money is tight this month, but I have prospects for extra money next year. I'm organizing, scaling down, and redistributing. I need to scale back the worrying, and focus my energy on creating an environment that is peaceful for all of us.
That certainly was a long, meandering post that went, essentially, everywhere and nowhere at all. Thanks for listening.
Not my son. Not ever. Not yours, either.
November 28, 2004
Mother's view of the war / Battle fatigue on the home front
Every death, every injury burns like a knife in my gut, for these are all America's sons and daughters. And I know I'm not immune to that knock on my door either.Yes, my son is alive and, as far as I know, well. I wish I could say the same for some of his friends.
One young man who was involved in heavy fighting during the invasion is now so debilitated by post-traumatic stress disorder that he routinely has flashbacks in which he smells burning flesh. He can't close his eyes without seeing people's heads squashed like frogs in the middle of the road, or dead and dying women and children, burned, bleeding and dismembered.
Sometimes he hears the sounds of battle raging around him, and he has been hospitalized twice for suicidal tendencies. When he was home on leave, this 27- year-old man would crawl into his mother's room at night and sob in her lap for hours.
Instead of getting treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, he has just received a "less than honorable" discharge from the Army. The rest of his unit redeploys to Iraq in February.
This article made me cry and cry.
[via p6]
Woke up, coughing...
November 28, 2004
...and still wondering if I'm the only one who thinks the movie "The Warriors" might possibly be loosely based on the book The Fellowship of the Ring.
But I have a really good view of the moon out of the kitchen window at this time of day, so I think I'll stay awake, and I think I'll add the moon phases module to the middle column, so I can keep track of such things a bit better.
While cleaning my office, I stumbled upon a TOME of typewritten journal entries. Word-processed, actually. In which I discussed the minute details of life with young Monk. I was instantly siezed with grief and regret over the fact that I just don't have that kind of record of Cole's life and times.
I wondered why that was, as I was working many, many more hours when Monk was younger, and would think I wouldn't have time for such record-keeping. But, that's the thing...I was away from him at work enough to actually write stuff down. Here with both of them, I am sort of hurled into unceasing life. And when they are gone, I need to clean up! It's all part of the adventure.
There are a couple of things I need to start doing more regularly with the boys, though. Looking at the moon, for instance. Taking long nature walks (we did this the other day - observed butterflies sipping nectar, collected rocks and leaves. I walked ahead with Coley while Monk walked behind with R and her kids. We also probably should go to the Austin botanical gardens and plan hikes at least once a month. Summer is such a huge drain here that it always takes me a few months before I realize I can leave the house without instantly melting.
Next month...I need to plan the solstice celebration. I liked the ritual we set up last year. We went to look at lights on 35th street (? or wherever it is here that has the block of houses that put up outrageously conspicuous Solstice light displays (hey, if everyone can assume I celebrate holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, why can't I assume they are Solstice lights?)) - Since Solstice is a celebration of light and all. And then we came back here and made snacks and created links for a wish chain that we never ended up putting together. This year, I'm going to put together last year's and this year's, and hang it somewhere in the house. We stayed up all night, too. It was lovely. Monk didn't stay up all night, but I woke him up at dawn so he could watch the sun rise with me. I really liked it. Plus, it was the first time I had spent hours and hours of uninterrupted time with J. We weren't actually dating at that point. Well, we were sort of dating, but we weren't calling it that, and we hadn't smooched yet. He was about to go out of town with his family and I had internally generated all of this drama about whether or not he was ever going to kiss me...so there was all of this delightful tension that night, and I think that's what kept me awake, wondering what would come next. The memory is actually better served by the fact that he DIDN'T kiss me than it would be if he HAD, if that makes sense.
But the dilemma this year is that I'm not sure when to celebrate. I could take time off from work and celebrate on the 21st, but that would mean my friends who have jobs would not be able to stay up late with me. So I might need to move the celebration to the 18th, but I don't have the kids that weekend...which pushes the celebration to the 24th or 25th, which presents its own set of difficulties. Sigh. I guess I'll just have to ask the people with whom I intend to spend the day and see what they have to say about it.
Well, the sun has pretty much fully risen now. Monk is awake, and I need to go check the fence perimeter to find out where the dogs got out last night. Yay me! Then, I'm going to make pancakes, get everyone dressed, and go grocery shopping. Then it's another day of cooking and cleaning for me - hoping that R comes back later in the day rather than earlier so I don't have to navigate around countless children while doing so.
December, 1999
November 27, 2004
The things you find when cleaning a room. I'm sure there are many more gems like this one, which is a letter never sent, tucked into an envelope from a friend postmarked December 30, 1999. Although I'm certain the events in this letter occurred in late summer rather than early winter...
K -
Yes, I remember just wanting to leave but worrying on the things that just might hold me back. I mean it seems we're always faced with decisions in life and but no matter which way you choose you snuggle in and make it your home.
Hi. I just got back here from the wake. Oh that Michael Dosselman. It shocked me to see how very few Friends he had. P was fretting on not having brough anything to give to him. How silly. Even though they had somewhat fallen out of touch Pam gave him all that he lived! Although he would have found another life somewhere else somehow else I think his life here was just a very good life and we helped to find that for him. We were there, really, when he needed us most. I feel so bad that you never met him. He was really a very beautiful person. Hell, I feel bad that I couldn't have spent more time with him - but I think I would probably feel that way even if I would have seen him every day. That's the way death is to the living, I guess. It seems so silly to sign that little book. And his dad there. P said she wanted to go up to him and introduce me. "This is Drucilla - the one who took your son in after you kicked him out the third or fourth time." He was a good kid. God Damn.
Yes, K, the world is most definitely "full of it." I gave R (one of the mourners) my yo-yo. Seemed to make him happy to play with it & I didn't want to let another gift giving moment go by.
Yes - I used to think I wanted to leave here and go away into a new town and start all over but i've learned you can start all over without going away. I had a very nice conversation with my raven. He always manages to cheer me up when I'm not in the best of spirits. I do so want to be near him someday. I told him about my dream about the hats and how he had hats for all of those other girls and they all had Sesame Street characters on their hats & mine was just green. He said he asked for a lime green hat because he thought I would like it. "But," I said "This hat wasn't lime green it was Forest Green." & he said they ran out of the lime green ones.
All this death stuff has me all worn out. My mind keeps turning over new thoughts (between stanzas of that dumb song "Shannon" of course) and it's driving me up a wall. I'd really like to write something momentous about Michael. I feel so...weird about the whole thing. Was going to dedicate "twist" to the memories of Jim Henson & Michael instead wrote "I was going to dedicate this issue to the memories of Jim Henson and Michael Dosselman. Instead, I'd like to dedicate it to the people in whose souls these memories live..." Because after all it IS life and we need al the good memories we can get, right? No more gritting my teeth through life. That's the thing & what makes me so angry with all the rapists (and we're not talking sexual rape here) of the world. I learned early that you can and should always help people who need your help - not by sending money to some charity but by focusing on those around you. Then later in life I learn that there are people who will suck you dry of all charitable feelings and spit you right out. The thing is you have to go on believing that some people still need help and are appreciative of the help. I hate Pete not because of the money he took from me or even the faith because I didn't let him take that, but of what he robbed from others - what humane feelings he may have left in permanent disrepair. And it is people like Pete who make the world Hell. BUT ONLY IF YOU LET THEM TAKE YOUR FAITH. And the difference between the people I love and the people I cherish is the difference between the people with a raw deal and a cold heart and the people with a raw deal and a soft, mushy heart. There is always so much hope and it hurts to see people hide behind jadedness, as if naivette is a dirty word.
Whoah - sorry about that tirade. I've been thinking just a little too much these past 24 hours or so.
K, I love you - CHERISH you. Don't let the turkeys get you down...or hold you back!
live life
love
Drucilla.
Dude.
November 27, 2004
THE ZOOMQUILT | a collaborative art project
Ha!
November 27, 2004
Right ON.
November 27, 2004
[link courtesy of Tish]
Friday Random Ten - on a Saturday morning.
November 27, 2004
Rox Populi : Friday Random Ten - Black Friday Edition
- Complete Control - The Clash
- Crew - A Tribe Called Quest
- Californie - Air
- Don't be Light (Neptunes remix) - Air
- Check the Rhyme - A Tribe Called Quest
- I Miss you - Bjork
- Shred A - Le Tigre
- Clampdown - The Clash
- Fuck Yourself - Yeastie Girlz
- Bulldog Front - Fugazi
Weekly to-do list
November 27, 2004
Stuff I do every week
Menu Plan
Grocery Shopping
Plan Weekly Activities
Stuff left over from previous weeks
- take care of car registration
Plan Solar Tour Field trip
mow the lawn
- pay someone to do the rest of the yard work for me
- Make appointment at the vet for Twyla's annual check-up
- Get patches for clothes, and sew up skirt and pants.
- Write up chili recipe for M.
Look into health curriculum/co-operative
Work on Geocaching curriculum
- Call locksmith to get them to fix the fuck-up they made with my car (will have to do this on a weekday)(I keep calling...they keep NOT fixing.)
- taxes
clean out fullbleed inbox
- Finish cleaning out office
- Sort toys and games and curriculum in office
Stuff I've added for this week
Clean out the Fridge
Complete Diary for UT study
Plan Monk's birthday party
- Mail out Autumn mix and kid mix (burned - need track listing and sending)
- Answer homeschool survey
December Calendar
Call M
List dishwasher for sale
My Homeschooling History
November 27, 2004
A few posts ago, someone asked how long I have been homeschooling the kiddos and how the kids deal with friendships and whatnot. I thought writing a bit about my history with homeschooling might be a nice way to spend the last part of my Saturday evening. Yes...I am a loser. Shut up.
I first heard about homeschooling, ironically enough, when I was considering going to school to become a teacher. One of my many penpals (I used to publish a zine and had about a gazillion pen pals) was desperately trying to convince me that being a teacher was a horrible idea. He was homeschooling his high-school aged daughter, and he recommended that I not waste my time in college...that it would be cheaper to pay someone to hack into a college computer and fabricate a degree than it would to actually go to school. Well, I never paid a hacker, but I never went to school, either.
What I did was read, on his recommendation, Summerhill by A.S. Neil. That book changed my life in a way. I had never considered having children of my own, but I started to look at children in general in a different light. I became frustrated with the restrictions placed on my young nephew, and I gradually grew interested in studying alternatives to our standard educational system. In fact, I was writing a paper about alternative education when I found out I was pregnant, totally unexpectedly, with Monk.
But I still hadn't considered homeschooling. Not until Monk was 2 years old, and a friend of L's came to stay with us with his wife and 2 children. JB and I got along really well. She was my first radical mama friend, and the timing of her presence in my life couldn't have been better. I was slipping into corporatethink due to my fancy-pants corporate training job, and I needed a kick in the ass to remind me that life existed outside the walls of a corporate training room.
JB mentioned that she was going to be homeschooling her children. What is odd is that in spite of the fact that I had read a good deal about alternative education, I still was under the impression that only religious fundamentalists actually homeschooled thier children. So I said to her "I thought only religious freaks homeschooled" or something equally tactful. And she looked at me and said "I AM a religious freak!"
Which, when you think about it, is pretty true of almost all of my freak friends, even (especially!) the most hardened athiests. We all have a fairly well-defined morality that is not well-served by the public school system. I frequently tell people that it is so much easier to homeschool, simply because I don't have to spend so much time discerning what I need to UNteach my children...I can just watch them learn, and prompt them when there is further critical analysis required.
At any rate...at that point I began to seriously consider the prospect of homeschooling Monk. I was interested in Waldorf for a very long time...and I was very intrigued by unschooling. For a time, I thought I could unschool with a Waldorf influence. But Monk is simply not a Waldorf kid. He hates to draw...has NEVER liked crayons...and he's just not into fairy tales to any great extent. I tried, but it didn't work. And, while I do love the premises of unschooling and find a lot of truth in the philosophy, I don't think I can really call myself a true unschooler - primarily because it really seemed like the issue of education was going to be pressed in the divorce, and I wanted to make sure I had documented proof that Monk was engaged in learning activities several times a week.
So, at this point, Monk is almost 8 and coley is 4. Monk has never been enrolled in a school, although he did come with me to a middle school one day to talk to a teacher/client of mine. We experienced a class change, too - with a whole lot of hustle and bustle in the hallways. I think it freaked both of my boys out.
Monk and I have cobbled together a rhythm which consists of A TON of reading aloud (with me doing most of the reading, although Monk does read to Cole several times a week) as well as writing and math practice. We focus on a different subject every day, and I read a little bit on that subject in each of our 3 daily circle times. We also read picture books, and whatever chapter book Monk and I have been reading together during that time. I use Oak Meadow for a curriculum outline and for literature, and I use Singapore Math for math. We have been doing the puzzles in Which Way USA for geography, although it's mostly just more writing practice...and we play lots of games on the computer and together.
Monk also gets out of the house for several activities a week. There's playground game day one afternoon a week, and he has a gears science class once a week, after which he hangs out and plays Magic The Gathering. There's a new group that meets once a week to play Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh, and other card games. He had an art co-op, but that's been suspended. I'm probably going to try to get a geocaching group together on Fridays. I've been meaning for ust to go by ourselves for some time now, but I got sick, and now I keep forgetting.
So, basically, we keep pretty busy around here. Coley hasn't yet started doing any "school" work. Really, Monk only started this year, because it's the first year he's been able to sustain any interest in sitting still to work on problems or writing. But I think Coley will start next year with the Oak Meadow Kindergarten curriculum & I'm pretty sure he'll enjoy it. He's way more Waldorfy than Monk...I'll get him some beeswax crayons and see if I can convince him to draw pictures.
I believe very strongly in keeping children out of public institutions as much as possible. It's a great privilege for me to be able to homeschool, but it's also been a priority that I have sacrificed for. It's not necessarily convenient for me all the time, but I can't imagine sending them away for 6-8 hours a day. I would miss them too much, and I would worry that they weren't getting enough time to play.
The other thing that I find extremely advantageous about homeschooling is the fact that I am close to the parents of Monk and Cole's friends. At least for now. Almost all of the kids they play with regularly are the children of my close friends, and we talk regularly about where the kids are at, what their problems are, what we need to do with them, and how to go about addressing issues that arise. I can't tell you how rewarding it is to raise my children in the folds of a warm and caring community - each of us are vested in the well-being of each others' children. It's just such a wonderful group of kids and mamas, and I'm hoping that all of the kids stay friends through their formative years - I'm looking forward to seeing them all grow and develop together.
UPDATE:
[snakehaired girl responds here]
Teaching Young Children about Native Americans
November 23, 2004
ED394744 1996-05-00 Teaching Young Children about Native Americans. ERIC Digest.
Young children's conceptions of Native Americans often develop out of media portrayals and classroom role playing of the events of the First Thanksgiving. The conception of Native Americans gained from such early exposure is both inaccurate and potentially damaging to others. For example, a visitor to a child care center heard a four-year-old saying, "Indians aren't people. They're all dead." This child had already acquired an inaccurate view of Native Americans, even though her classmates were children of many cultures, including a Native American child. Derman-Sparks (1989) asserts that by failing to challenge existing biases we allow children to adopt attitudes based on inaccuracies. Her book is a guide for developing curriculum materials that reflect cultural diversity. This digest seeks to build on this effort by focusing on teaching children in early childhood classrooms about Native Americans. Note that this digest, though it uses the term "Native American," recognizes and respects the common use of the term "American Indian" to describe the indigenous people of North America. While it is most accurate to use the tribal name when speaking of a specific tribe, there is no definitive preference for the use of "Native American" or "American Indian" among tribes or in the general literature.
[courtesy of redheaddread]
Worst. Girlfriend. Ever.
November 21, 2004
So, for the 2nd or 3rd time in the past month, I fell asleep during a date with J. Trust me, it says a lot more about me than him. He is not boring or unfun in any way, shape, or form...I am simply the worst girlfriend ever.
It didn't help that Monk woke me up at 5 AM with his roach phobia preventing him from getting him some toilet paper to blow his nose with so he might possibly stop coughing. We haven't had roaches around here since I threw in the towel and hired an exterminator a year ago (yes, I realize what a hypocrite I am, but you try sleeping while inch-long cockroaches are having visible and audible orgies all over your bookshelves, after having just eaten through your only valuable family heirloom (first edition Laura Ingalls Wilder books.)) but that hasn't stopped Monk from suddenly developing such an intense fear of the possibility of SEEING a cockroach that he will send Coley as his emissary if I am in another room.
Anyway, I woke up at 5 AM, and the yard sale was to start at 7, so I just stayed up. Then I went to work, and we had a blackout. I managed to take a short nap when I came home, and was planning to have a fun night hanging out with John and heading to Susan and Steve's house for birthday fun, but J and I rented a movie that was somewhat slow-moving, after having eaten some yummy pasta, and I was DONE FOR. I told J to wake me in an hour, and believe me he tried. But the next thing I knew it was morning.
*Sigh*
I had fun anyway, but I feel bad for falling asleep on J AND for missing the party, especially since Susan and Steve are mainstays at all of my party-like events.
The Children (mine and K8's) are currently ensconsed in the WORLD'S LONGEST roly poly oly video. It seems like they have been watching it for 5 hours. Now k8 is here...so I have to go.
bahahahahahahahaha
November 18, 2004
Perfect!
Just storing this here...
November 18, 2004
Great Source Education Group K-12 Supplemental Publisher
These materials seem interesting - has anyone out there used them?
Note to Fullbleed bloggers, and fans of Fullbleed blogs
November 18, 2004
I'd like to upgrade fullbleed.net to Movable type 3.12, which will cost about 100 bux. If anyone who currently blogs on fullbleed would like to donate money to that cause, please feel free to use the paypal button located in the middle column...right over there. Those who don't blog on fullbleed, but who enjoy blogs like redheaddread, ex-lion tamer, scratchmittens, authentic replica, the recipe blog, the occasionally inspiring artery, and the ailing radical homeschool blog...as well as anyone looking forward to the re-establishment of Clothespins for the Revolution and any other blogs that might be established in the coming months, are encouraged to donate, as well.
I will let you know when I reach the fundraising goal. Thanks!
The more I think about it...
November 18, 2004
The more I resent this comment on the aforementioned post on Daily Kos:
First, there's even less of an organized Left today than there was in the 1920s and 1930s. By "organized Left" I mean Communists, Socialists, anyone who openly critiques the underlying assumptions of capitalism. It is virtually non-existent now, so when the collapse comes very, very few people will be prepared to understand the disaster from a radical point of view.
Hello? Yes, we ARE here. We're the ones the so-called left who call themselves "The Democratic Party" denigrated and disenfranchised in order to convince the rest of the world they had a decent chance at the presidency. We're the ones who were silenced. We're the ones who are an embarrassment to the party. We're the ones who are shrill and harsh.
Perhaps if the Left-wing of the republican party (e.g. the kerry fucking democrats) would spend less time trying to bash the real left, there WOULD be a socialist/anti-capitalist left to speak of.
Damnit!
Which side are you on?
November 18, 2004
Madame Insane points out this diary entry at Kos, in which it all comes down to class war. I'm unable to comment at Kos for some unknown reason (perhaps because I've never truly logged in before today?) but I need to say something about this thread of comments that starts here, and leads to this disturbing comment:
Except the Poor Are Armed to the TeethWith high powered assault weapons. I doubt they'll be starving peacefully.
Which makes me wonder if the so-called "left" in this country desires the poor to starve peacefully...or at least quietly enough that they don't need to be bothered by them. After all, the commenters on this thread, for the most part, are more concerned with figuring out how to sock away their savings so they will be safe if there is a crash than they are with organizing to ensure those of us who have no savings don't fall through the cracks. Sure, they'll give empty advice about "saving every penny" and "forgoing unneccesary expenses"...but are they truly interested in fighting? And, if so, which side are they on? Comments like this one leave me wondering:
As a Gunless Liberal, Maybe It's TimeI've been eyeing several automatic weapons, thinking I may soon need to kill gangs of hungry thugs infringing on my property. I want something adequate to the task of surprising them with my firepower. My liberal freinds are no help, they either think I'm joking or going nuts. What to do?
Hey MORON, who do you think those "gangs of hungry thugs" might be? Let me give you a hint - the angry thug republicans will be getting plenty of aid from the churches who are funded through faith-based initiatives.
And democrats wonder why they can't get the vote out. Let me explain it this way...50% of the population doesn't vote - most likely because many of them know they are viewed as "thugs" by those in power.
Can someone explain to me the difference between a republican and a democrat again?
Wednesday Blog Roundup
November 17, 2004
Brenda Stardom reports from Portugal - Brenda Stardom [ A Case of Mistaken XENOPHOBIA ]
I never thought I'd see times like this. Never in my wildest dreams or imagination, and believe me, they know no bounds. There's no way I could have come up with the Now, Today, The Present. If it continues at this rate, we're doomed as a species.
***
Professor Kim links up a press release about a journalist who is jailed for attempting to give equal time:
At about 8 a.m. Sunday, Raleigh police arrived at Lee's Raleigh home. He was frisked, handcuffed, placed in the back seat of the police cruiser and driven to the Wake County jail in downtown Raleigh. While in custody, Lee's belt, shoelaces and other items were temporarily confiscated. He was fingerprinted and later released on his own recognizance.
***
Sarah from Roman Candles urges us to donate to Safeplace.
***
Ampersand illustrates what America truly values, if values are judged by payscale.
***
***
Steve Krodman talks about Science, Religion, and our public school system at the Progressive Blog Alliance blog:
Take those stupid stickers off, folks. And while you’re at it, that thing midway between your shoulder and hand? That’s your elbow, and that thing you’re sitting on is your ass.
***
Goose3five, in an attempt to provide a diversion, links to a fun game.
***
Tas from Loaded Mouth THINKS he wants to know the most offensive song titles ever.
***
Red Harvest links up this article by Barbara Ehrenreich:
Of course, Bush's faith-based social welfare strategy only accelerates the downward spiral toward theocracy. Not only do the right-leaning evangelical churches offer their own, shamelessly proselytizing social services; not only do they attack candidates who favor expanded public services--but they stand to gain public money by doing so. It is this dangerous positive feedback loop, and not any new spiritual or moral dimension of American life, that the Democrats have failed to comprehend: The evangelical church-based welfare system is being fed by the deliberate destruction of the secular welfare state.
And here's some commentary from International Rock City.
***
I loved this older entry from Obstreperous Girl:
The cracks found in this system we call democracy grow wider and wider, (of course, those cracks were always there, it is just a matter of opening your eyes to find them) yet our faith in the political process grows (or had grown) even stronger.
***
holy shit! Number eleventy gazillion and TWO!
November 17, 2004
The New York Times > Technology > In Texas, 28,000 Students Test an Electronic Eye
Hoping to prevent the loss of a child through kidnapping or more innocent circumstances, a few schools have begun monitoring student arrivals and departures using technology similar to that used to track livestock and pallets of retail shipments.
Now, I understand that this technology means well...but don't you think your children are smart enough to understand that they are, in fact, being tracked like animals or merchandise? And how do you suppose that might make them feel.
[another hat tip to my sweetie]
My sentiments, exactly.
November 17, 2004
Oh, good grief. I had no idea there were so many ignorant people in Austin. It's just a breast. I really don't see what the big deal is.
The 620 Cafe and Bakery will never have my business. Instead, they will get e-mails and phone calls from me.
Here is a resource for breastfeeding media watch from the Texas Department of Health. I'd like to point this out to the proprieters of the 620 Cafe and Bakery in Austin:
SUBCHAPTER A. BREAST-FEEDING RIGHTS AND POLICIES
Sec. 165.001. LEGISLATIVE FINDING. The legislature finds that breast-feeding a baby is an important and basic act of nurture that must be encouraged in the interests of maternal and child health and family values. In compliance with the breast-feeding promotion program established under the federal Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. Section 1771 et seq.), the legislature recognizes breast-feeding as the best method of infant nutrition.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th leg., ch.600, SS1, eff.Aug . 28, 1995Sec. 165.002. RIGHT TO BREAST-FEED. A mother is entitled to breast-feed her baby in any location in which the mother is authorized to be.
Protest Attack on Fallujah
November 17, 2004
Friday, Nov. 12, 4:30-6:30 PM
Gather in front of the Capitol (11th and Congress)
A full-scale US attack on the resistance stronghold of Fallujah - an attack which is being hailed as the largest single military offensive since the Vietnam War - came just hours after US-appointed Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi declared a 60 day state of emergency throughout most of Iraq. During a similar assault last spring, over 600 Iraqi men, women, and children were killed before a cease-fire was brokered. This time, US military forces have pledged to "whack" resistance fighters in an unrelenting assault.
In solidarity with the people of Fallujah, protests around the world are taking place this week. This Friday, join with local opponents of the war in Iraq to send a message that US bombs won't bring liberation.
Demonstration called by Austin Against War.
Why I homeschool, reason number eleventy gazillion and one
November 17, 2004
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: AP - U.S. Headlines
A homecoming tradition in which boys dress like girls and vice versa in a tiny Texas school district won't be held Wednesday after a parent complained about what she regarded as the event's homosexual overtones.As a substitute for "TWIRP Day," the schools ranging from elementary to senior high decided to hold "Camo Day" - with black boots and Army camouflage to be worn by everyone who wants to participate.
[hat tip to my sweetie for the link.]
Right on, Sister.
November 17, 2004
Living on Less: To Hell with the Government
Sure, as long as the government exists, it should be called to task for not providing for people's basic needs, which is its most elemental function. So, yeah, it's worthwhile to demand that the government provide universal access to health care, for instance, but, strangely enough, no one is actually doing that. So, whatever, keep writing letters to your government representatives and then hold your breath. Hope you don't choke to death while you're waiting....In the meantime, the only route to social change is grassroots action. What the guvmet is not doing, we have to do: build alternative institutions like progressive schools, community centers where people can find each other and share ideas, free food pantries and kitchens, skill exchanges, whatever. It's not happening, though, because people are focusing on other things; pointless things like trying to petition the gubmint to do the right thing, which it will never ever do.
Which America-Hating Minority are YOU?
November 16, 2004
Which America Hating Minority Are You?
Take More Robert & Tim Quizzes
Watch Robert & Tim Cartoons
Most of them.
November 16, 2004
Yahoo! News - General Praises Speed of Fallujah Assault
As quick as the assault was, perhaps thousands were killed and maimed, most of them Iraqi defenders.
And SOME were innocent bystanders, including children. Where are those motherfucking values voters now?
Fuck.
[link courtesy of Zagg, who has lots of links on the subject...MOST of which are from overseas news sources.]
Doing some clean up
November 15, 2004
I'm moving some of my Daily Reads down to the huge blogroll due to the fact that updates just aren't happening, and I'm on dial-up, so my clicks come at a premium. Any of you who were moved (and I do mean ANY of you) can just let me know when you start posting regularly again, and I will move you right back up. Or, when I discover there are more regular posts, I'll move you. But it's taking too long to click to an un-updated blog as I sit here and have my morning coffee and get my blogjones on.
I also have two new crushes. Go read 'em!
Speaking of updates. I'm going to try to write about my fabulous weekend and all of my thoughts, but it'll have to be later.
I hope everyone is well...
OH, good freaking maude
November 14, 2004
The pro-death, pro-war right sure does a great job of parodying itself.
Ramadan
November 12, 2004
The Morning News - Letters from Egypt: Ramadan and Firecrackers
Imagine if 90 percent of New Yorkers agreed to give up eating, drinking, smoking, and sex during daylight hours for an entire month. I can see the city flooded with an impenetrable cloud of frustration and exasperation, people racing to destinations faster than usual, no coffee carts in the morning, no groups of smokers at the doorways of office buildings. But in Cairo—Egypt’s teeming capital, a quilt of disparate neighborhoods, with the largest Muslim population of any city in the world—approximately seven million citizens are currently observing a daytime fast, because until Nov. 14 it is Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar, which is devoted to contemplation and putting aside the concerns of daily life.
Ramadan fascinates me. The idea of not eating during daylight hours seems almost achievable to me, but not being able to drink anything, not even water, seems nearly impossible.
For an entire month.
I like this article because it answers a lot of the questions I've been tempted to ask my boss, who is muslim. I haven't asked him, because it seems cruel to talk about how hungry someone must be when they are in the middle of a fast, you know?
Doing His Job
November 12, 2004
Yahoo! News - Nader calls for US election recounts
[link courtesy of mquest]
Wow.
November 11, 2004
I'd like to hear all of these Voting Irregularities explained. On NPR today (or maybe it was yesterday) one of the reporters was very curtly dismissing all surmising about voter fraud as being "conspiracy theory" and utterly unfounded...but I'm not sure how they would dismiss this. In fact, they were talking about the number of voters EXCEEDING the number of votes cast for president - saying that frequently happens because not everyone votes for president. But they didn't have an explanation for the number of votes for president exceeding the number of ballots cast. I can't think of a valid explanation for that.
And, honestly, Kerry's silence on the issue proves to me that he wasn't a good candidate. But that's not much of a surprise to me.
[link via susannity, via that colored fella]
Yet another set of red/blue maps
November 11, 2004
What is a moral issue
November 11, 2004
Post-election news reports cited exit polls claiming "we" voted the economy while "they" voted moral issues. But most Kerry voters and Nader voters define themselves as voting on moral issues. Let's learn from those on the Right. We must be vocal and visible about what moral issues matter to us, now more than ever.
Something simple that you can do...since so many are looking for things that they can do.
[Link courtesy of Jackie]
Irons in the Fire
November 11, 2004
I had to "quit" my 2nd (contract) job for awhile in order to recover from my illness, and that put me out about 500-600 dollars, but I would have had to spend a significant amount of time preparing for training, and I still am really needing to rest and take it easy. My priorities right now are:
- Making sure the kids get full-on attention from me about 2-3 hours a day (reading, "school", talking, playing, etc.) unless they have an outside the house activity.
- Making sure I get enough rest (which I didn't last night, but that's because I was...)
- Making sure I'm taking care of myself emotionally, which means making sure that I'm taking care of those who I love and who love me, and allowing them to take care of me.
- Keeping the house sanitary (it's not exactly neat here, but it's no longer FILTHY.)
Of course, work is in there, too...but I have a set amount of hours every day to focus on work. The rest is just free-form, and I need to prioritize.
Around winter break time, I will start thinking a bit more seriously about my financial situation. I will set about trying to find a good roommate who will either stay out of my business or with whom I will comingle my business to a mutually beneficial extent. Ideally, I'd like to find either a single parent who is gone all day (staying out of my business) OR a single parent who would like to homeschool but is struggling to do so (comingling). Barring that, I'd like to find another cool grad student or workaholic like my last roommate, who was virtually never home, and when he was he stayed in his room and kept to himeself.
I would also consider a couple who doesn't have kids but who are friendly with children. I have a couple in mind, but I'm having a hell of a time trying to sell them on the idea. HA! I still have a month or so to convince them, and then I'm really going to give up.
I worry mostly about myself. I have a strange ethic when it comes to relationships. Maybe it's not so strange. I'm fairly forgiving, and I give people a lot of chances, but I also am very DEMANDING. I just expect people to do what's right. Which is to say, I expect people to do what they can and no less. Financially and otherwise. For instance, I think it's crap for anyone to expect someone to ask for money. If I have extra, I spring for the person who doesn't. I expect the same. One thing that sustains me, in fact, through these financial hard times, is that I did spring for people when I had the means...and I know I will again. I give what I can.
But one of my biggest flaws is that I notice and I get resentful when people don't do their best. I mean, I notice it in myself, too...and I'm totally open to being called out if I DON'T notice. I'm the kind of person who will stew over a conversation in which I said something that might have been construed as insensitive until I can find a way to apologize without sounding terribly neurotic.
I think what I'm trying to say is that I'm potentially difficult to get along with. I have high expectations, and my friends all seem to meet those expectations for the most part (and if they don't...I mean, they are human, and what they might not live up to in one area, they more than make up for in others)...but I dunno if I'm good roommate material.
So, we'll see. Maybe it's best that I live with someone I DON'T know, as I'll be less likely to have high expectations. But then...parenting with a stranger is hard work. R is coming back today or tomorrow, and even though we are at least on the same CHAPTER (although definitely not the same page) on most parenting issues, it's really fucking difficult to live with her and 3 kids. Not because I don't love them to death, but because they all have unique little personalities that are used to being nurtured one way, and my kids and myself are used to nurturing/being nurtured a completely different way.
So, yeah. Like I told Monk when he asked "mom, what's on your mind?" - I have a lot of decisions to make. Everything from how to tile that back room (and my lovely friend Pansy is going to help me do the floor in the back room in a crazy mismatched mosaic 2nd hand tile funkariffic style) to what sort of final custody arrangement do I want to who to share my life with.
I need to relax, breathe, and let the decisions happen when the situations arise. The tile has to wait until R is gone. The roommate decision can wait until next month. I have a week off from work between xmas eve and new year's, and I can spend that time writing the curricula that will bring in some extra money and hopefully keep me caught up on the mortgage. There is time for this. I need to take things one at a time. I need to separate it all out, sort through it, and keep myself sane in the meantime.
Once all of this is settled, at the beginning of next year, I can start thinking more outside of myself. I can start thinking about what I'm going to do to save the world.
Coley's Story
November 11, 2004
Once upon a time, there was a brain without a mouth. He wanted a mouth, but he had no mouth. He wished for a mouth, but it didn't work. He only had hands, and nose, and legs, and feet. And then, at last, a mouth appeared on his mouth zone!
The End
WTF?
November 11, 2004
jeblog » Tanks Deployed at LA Protest
LOS ANGELES, November 9, 2004 - At 7:50 PM two armored tanks showed up at an anti-war protest in front of the federal building in Westwood. The tanks circled the block twice, the second time parking themselves in the street and directly in front of the area where most of the protesters were gathered. Enraged, some of the people attempted to block the tanks, but police quickly cleared the street. The people continued to protest the presence of the tanks, but about ten minutes the tanks drove off. It is unclear as to why the tanks were deployed to this location.
[also courtesy of Mark Dilley]
Morality
November 10, 2004
Health insurance is a moral issue. Suing retirees to cut health insurance to save money is immoral:
The companies taking such steps remain a minority. Most big employers continue to provide the retiree health coverage spelled out in labor contracts. But the number of employers using the courts to attempt to reduce benefits for union retirees is rising, and some have been successful. "There's absolutely no doubt that there's been an increasing number of cases over the past three years," says Richard Brean, associate general counsel of the United Steelworkers of America.They have little to lose by trying. Typically, as such legal cases drag on, the employers save money as some of the retirees, who have to pay growing portions of their health-care costs, forgo costly care, drop out of the plans or die. If companies lose in court, the worst that happens is they have to resume paying benefits. They don't face punitive damages or penalties. And they may not have to resume benefits for those retirees who dropped out of the health plans.
[...]
Three unions filed a counterclaim on retirees' behalf against Asarco: the Steelworkers, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the International Chemical Workers. The retirees' suit says that the duration clauses weren't meant to limit the retirement benefits of people who had already retired, "as such retirement benefits were meant to last during retirement independent of the expiration of agreements applicable to active employees."
It added that the "alleged 'severe financial distress' has not prevented the Company from paying its top management quite handsomely." And it said that " 'unforeseen circumstances' do not justify a breach of contractual obligations ... to persons living on fixed income who can ill-afford to pay the costs the company has shifted upon them."
Since Asarco imposed the changes, Mr. Yarter's share of premiums, deductibles and co-payments has grown to consume half of his $1,005 monthly pension. He says he is staying in the plan anyway, because his wife, Frances, has diabetes.
[link courtesy of Mark Dilley]
Coley's Proclamation
November 10, 2004
Driving in the car with Coley in the carseat. He says something, and I turn down the newsradio station so I can hear him better.
"What did you say, Coley?" I ask.
"Love always wins. Right, mama?"