Tea Party

I'm a huge advocate for the Tea Party movement. I've not participated in any events but I know several people who have and I can attest to the fact that they are normal Americans like me who are unhappy about the direction of this country and unsupported by any political group. As far as I'm concerned, it's just one more example of the bias of the mainstream media that so much has been made of nutcake fringe people in this group as if the same kind of people aren't evident within every other protest group as well. The basic good nature of the Tea Party protesters is very evident just by comparing the capitol landscape after a protest. I know this is really old news but check out the trash after the Obama inauguration compared to the trash found after the 9-12 Protest.

Just like with any group, other supporters may say or believe things I don't agree with but I do agree with the need for smaller government and letting people keep their own money. It makes me sick to see how as unemployment has skyrocketed, government employment has done the same along with government salaries. I've found a cool logo designed by a local design company (which I find very cool) so I've added it to my sidebar. I'm proud to claim the Tea Party movement as something I support.

The Making of a Marchioness

This week I read "The Making of a Marchioness" by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Best known for "A Little Princess" and "The Secret Garden", I learned through the blog 'Random Jottings of a Book and Opera Lover' that Burnett had written many adult fiction books as well. It was a very interesting book, quite a contrast to the many regency romances I've read written by today's authors. Today's romances often use the flavorings of historical periods but modernize the attitudes of the hero/heroine so that the unpleasant or un-admiral qualities of the time period are frankly whitewashed away. Since this book was written in 1901 in the Edwardian age, that whitewashing has not occurred so what you get is an unvarnished look at marriage attitudes and what it was like for women in that time period. To consider what it must have been like for women when marriage was the only way out of a life of hardwork and semi-poverty with no social system to fall back on in the case of illness was very sobering. It really made me think about what a luxury it is today that women can marry or not but if they choose to marry, they can definitely wait til they fall in love. That being said, I do think that many women marry for financial considerations or because they don't want to be alone even today, they just don't admit it. It doesn't seem to me to be a bad reason except when the woman isn't sufficiently appreciative of the man and disdains him. Emily, the heroine in this book, I assure you, appreciates her husband to the point of worship and is perfectly willing to die for him in gratitude of the fate he has saved her from. Next, I'm on to a biography of Lucy Maud Montgomery, the author of the Anne of Green Gables series which I've never read but I did see the terrific mini series on TV a few years ago. It's a little backwards, I admit. :0)

Inappropriate Dress in Public Places

I spent yesterday with my sisters and neice in Washington D.C. We went to the Ford's Theater where of course, Lincoln was shot and across the street to the Petersen House where he died. My biggest impression was surprise at how small both places were. The Theater was quite tiny and very intimate feeling. Booth had originally planned to kidnap Lincoln from Ford's Theater and having seen it, I can't imagine how he thought he could get the President, big man at 6'4" out of his box without anyone noticing. For one thing the President's box opened onto the balcony where people were sitting. The entrance was very public. BUT I digress. We also walked about 6 blocks to the White House and back (as we had parked next to the Theater in a very nice parking garage) and I spent quite a bit of time people watching. Mostly when I was in line for the theater since whenever I walk in D.C. I spend most of my time wishing I was riding the metro. Man am I lazy and out of shape. But AGAIN, I digress. While I was in line at the theater I started noticing how inappropriately people dress these days. I don't think I'm getting old, I still feel plenty immature but whoa! Short, short, SHORT pants, skimpy tops, I saw hiney cracks, belly cleavage, lady bits, you name it.
So my first category of inappropriate I'll call: Put Some Clothes On People! The rest of us don't want to see your belly, it ain't that pretty! Nor do we want to see your hiney or your ladies.
My second category is: Where Did You Think You Were Going in That?
Women wearing tank tops and capri shorts with a) high heels b) super flat sandals with no support c) three strand pearl necklaces with sparkly enhancers and d) maxi dresses
I believe in personal expression but its SIGHTSEEING. Lots of walking in hot weather and a casual setting. You shouldn't dress up like it's a wedding or dress down like you're at home.
I need a Fashion Police badge.

Popular Science

I often and I do mean often, yammer at Robin that science has been ruined by surveys and opinion has now become fact. People believe things because 'it sounds like it ought to be true'.
Take for instance, global warming. Listen to the mainstream media (MSM) and the case has been made. Man's selfish use of the planet's resources is leading to a global catastrophe. The fact that we only have around 100 years of recorded weather information to analyze means nothing to these believers. All the scientists that matter say global warming is real. The rest are kooks. Most of the MSM flatout lie when discussing this issue. Because now it's not about fact, it's about peer pressure. Stop driving your big SUV you gas hog, why do you deserve to use so much of the planet's resources? Liberals believe in diversity only when it's to their benefit.
I can go on. Think about Evolution. Yes, evolution which is still called a THEORY because it has not been proved. However, find me somebody in the MSM that doesn't consider it a fact. You can't. The sitcom "Friends" came right out and said it with the character of Ross. An early episode in the series had Phoebe (of course!) telling Ross she didn't believe in evolution (for a dippy reason) and Ross replied, "Evolution is a FACT!" Say something often enough and these days it becomes true. Isn't that the ultimate oxymoron? "The theory of evolution is a fact".

Now take Stem cell research. For years proponents of Embryonic stem cell research had complained because George Bush refused to allow government funding to be used to open up new lines of embryonic stem cells for research. Mind you he didn't BAN embryonic stem cell research. He didn't even refuse to use government money for embryonic stem cell research. All he did was say: You can only use government money for research on the existing embryonic stem cell lines. You can't make any new ones because I believe in the sanctity of life.
And the liberals like Michael J. Fox and Oprah have been mad ever since. (Not to mention the dingbats on The View). You'd think from their reaction that Bush had shut off the faucet to all research grants everywhere when in fact private money could have been used anytime someone felt like putting it up. So what was the problem? Well, private money comes with a condition. You have to be able to show positive results that will lead to profitability. The silly government doesn't have that foolish requirement, it pours good money after bad all the time.
So why weren't any of the private investment firms putting money into embryonic stem cell research? Because the sucessful research has all been with Adult Stem Cells. All. the. research. In fact, some of the testing with embryonic research has actually caused patients to get WORSE in clinical trials.
Check out this clip from Youtube:

The Dish

Every Saturday Robin and I watch "The Dish" on the Style network. "The Dish" is hosted by Danielle Fishel. Danielle grew up on TV playing the girlfriend on "Boy Meets World". It was a typical 90's sitcom and really didn't give any indication of the Danielle we discovered on "The Dish" "The Dish" is a kindof a knockoff of "Talk Soup" but it takes on fashion, lifestyle news and reality tv and it is a hoot! The writing is snappy and intelligent and fast paced. We enjoy watching it on a very basic level because it is taking on all the funny issues from shows we watch like "Real Housewives, Anywhere" but we also are just amazed at how funny Danielle is. She has an incredibly smooth delivery and it seems absolutely effortless as she moves from segment to segment. Plus she has a huge range of accents that she can do at the drop of a hat. Kindof like that chick on youtube that introduces herself in a bunch of different accents with no pauses. I drive Robin nuts by constantly pausing to say how funny stuff was and then I make her watch it again with me. I haven't quite become so obsessed that I watch it over and over and memorize the bits but hey, who knows what I'll have time for when I retire?

J.D. Robb's In Death Series

Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since my last post. If I keep this up, I'm never going to get a steady readership! Part of the reason for my lack of posts is that however opinionated I believe myself to be, apparently I have to be inspired. I have been working so many long hours that I've not had much opportunity for activities which lead to inspiration. My news blackout (working like a charm!) probably doesn't help. But the number one culprit right now is my obsession with re-reading the 'In Death' series of books by J.D. Robb aka Nora Roberts. I began my quest on January 6th and between work and the need for sleep I've managed to get to Book 26 "Creation in Death". I have 2 more books to read to finish the series but serendipitously there is a new book coming out this Tuesday, February 24th. This new book release date has put me under some pressure to finish so I can start it right away but if you read Robin's blog you'll know she's been doing the same thing and then blogging a book review. Of course that means that one of us gets to read the new book first as we only buy two copies of a hardcover if it's a Laurel K. Hamilton or Harry Potter book. So I'm asking myself why I feel so much pressure when Robin is going to insist on reading the new first? (She says it's because she reads faster than me). I have an ace in hole, though because I can take Tuesday afternoon off and get a headstart on her. I haven't decided for sure if I'm going to do it, I'll probably make up my mind on Tuesday based on the work load. As much as I've enjoyed re-reading this series I'm not sorry it's coming to an end. I feel like I've been living with Eve Dallas the lead character a really long time (which looking at when I started reading is true!). In addition since these are MURDER mysteries, I've started to notice I look over my shoulder alot. And while being caution and safety minded isn't a bad thing, being paranoid does lower the quality of life a little.

Five Guys at a Location near Me!

Five Guys Burgers & Fries is a restaurant chain here on the east coast (I think just the east coast) that makes what have to be the best. burgers. ever.

Robin and I love them. They are like home-made burgers only good. They are the burger you want to be able to cook but can't seem to accomplish. I first discovered Five Guys on my way to visit Mount Vernon, Washington's home. We didn't stop there to eat, mind you, but I noticed the restaurant on the way and then I discovered one a couple of miles away from Solo on Reisterstown Road. When I mentioned it to my co-workers they all raved about the burgers and how good they are so I convinced Robin to visit. Since it was in a strip mall (no drive-thru) Robin was a tough sell. But once we tried the burgers we agreed they were awesome. The fries are good too. They are the handcut old-fashioned kind. Still Robin and I aren't really eat-in types and it was a good 20 minutes from our house so we haven't ever gotten in the habit of going regularly. In a seemingly unlrelated to this story action, my boss gave me a gift card to The Outback restaurant for Christmas. Robin and I decided to use it on the day before New Year's eve and when we did we noticed that a new Five Guy's was being put in the strip mall right next door. It wasn't open yet, though. Being a busy person I promptly forgot it. I forgot it so thoroughly (which is odd because we were really excited when we saw it because its so much closer to our place than the one on Reisterstown Road) that when last week, Mike (my co-worker at Solo) and I were discussing how long it had been since either of us had eaten 5 Guys that although I could remember one was opening up in a really great location that was close, but I couldn't remember where or how I knew it. Isn't memory funny? So fast forward to Friday night. I've worked late and don't want to cook so I suggest getting Outback on my way home (big mistake, 1/2 hour wait for curbside delivery, couldn't back out of my parking space for 10 minutes because other cars were blocking me in and they forgot our salads) and what do I see? The 5 Guys! Yay! I was as thrilled to discover it the second time as the first and even better it was now open. So today after our bi-monthly visit to Wal-Mart, Robin and I went to 5 Guys for linner (linner =late lunch+dinner). We were going to get it to go but Robin started eating the peanuts they have sitting around in boxes so I said "Hey, get a drink and let's eat in" I KNOW, shocking, huh? Not like us AT ALL. Still, she did get a drink (I already had one) and we did eat in and it was great. Next time I go, I'll take a picture of my burger and post it so all my faithful readers can drool.