my weblog

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

This has been a rough winter here so far. It seems almost every day we've been getting just enuf snow to keep the streets and surfaces from clearing, and the temps have been significantly below normal for much of the season so far that little melting of ice and snow has occurred... and it has just felt cold! Between the temps and the wind- BRRRR! My running has taken a hit this month; I've gotten out- what?- six, maybe seven times? I don't mind if it's just cold, and running in a fresh snow is kinda nice, but when its really cold, and with a stiff wind, and/or icy, rutted pavements, it makes it difficult... it's months like these that moving to Vegas or somewhere in the warm and sunny Southwest sounds especially appealing...

I've felt a lil off the past few days; light-headedness, unusual muscle soreness/cramping, sorta jittery. I first felt it come on the other day at the gym; I felt OK during my strength/lifting session, didn't feel weak or fatigued, but during my cardio session I felt light-headed, just off. And later I felt really jittery, my pulse rate was up... And it's been odd because on balance I'm very healthy, with no health issues, I strive to take good care of myself, maintain a healthy diet and weight, exercise, don't smoke or drug, drink in moderation. When I do have some issue it's almost always been something whose cause I can identify. But this has been a lil different... could be an electrolyte imbalance, possibly potassium or sodium related... I'll keep an eye on it... hopefully it'll pass.

President Obama's inaugural address wasn't bad; admittedly much of it could have been uttered (tho' a bit less eloquently!) by Bush eight years ago, or Clinton, or Ronald Reagan. Obama's rhetoric put ample focus on individuals and the private sector being the primary vehicles for renewal, his words weren't a call for government being that vehicle; hopefully his subsequent policies and such will follow that path. And he did put on notice those abroad who would seek to cause us harm or attempt to take advantage of the change in administrations that he is committed to keeping our nation safe from harm; again, may his policies reflect his words... As for Michelle Obama? I dunno... I thought her fashion choices yesterday weren't the best; she has looked better at previous events...

"She's a lot like you/The dangerous type..."

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

The Trees- Rush
There is unrest in the forest
There is trouble with the trees
For the maples want more sunlight
And the oaks ignore their pleas.

The trouble with the maples
(and they're quite convinced they're right)
They say the oaks are just too lofty
And they grab up all the light.
But the oaks can't help their feelings
If they like the way they're made
And they wonder why the maples
Can't be happy in their shade.

There is trouble in the forest
And the creatures all have fled
As the maples scream "oppression!"
And the oaks just shake their heads.

So the maples formed a union
And demanded equal rights
"The oaks are just too greedy
We will make them give us light."
Now there's no more oak oppression
For they passed a noble law
And the trees are all kept equal
By hatchet,
Axe,
And saw...

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Baby, it's cold outside! Yuck! Between the cold... and the wind... and the ice... and the snow... My running has taken a big hit so far this year; I've only been able to get out maybe 1/3 as often as I normally do. I don't mind running if it's kinda cold, and running in the snow actually is kinda nice. But when the air temps are in the low/mid teens at best, and the wind chill pushes 'em down to low single digits, or if there's rutted ice, or simply black ice, underneath the snow... ugh. And more than anything else, running helps me maintain/lose weight; damn. This weather had better moderate soon, or I'm crackin' skulls!


I don't know why but lately I've had a thing for 70's-style bombastic, plodding live arena rock, stuff like this, this, this, this, and this (with Steven Tyler forgetting half the lyrics! I remember seeing 'em at the Providence Civic Center sometime in the mid 80's- before they got clean- and Steven Tyler passed out before the end of the show.) If nothing else it powers me thru a workout!


It's been tough watching the NFL playoffs this season without the Patriots in 'em. It's not even so much being spoiled (tho' there is some of that!) but disappointed that an 11-5 team, one that had been playing so well after suffering so much key injuries, was left on the outside looking in. Ah well... And I hadda note this one: UMass 75-62 Dayton (sorry, Cathy! ;)

I don't wanna spend a lot of time on this but I'd be remiss if I didn't offer a brief assessment of our soon-to-be ex-President's tenure in office. In two words: unfulfilled potential. In one word: disappointment. I won't bother attempting to refute those who, for 8 years, have never given the guy the slightest benefit of the doubt, on anything. Nothing will sway those ideologues. Having said that, some Democratic/liberal/Left criticism of President Bush had/has some merit. But as one who voted for President Bush- twice- I nevertheless have to say that I'm not sad to see him go, even as I believe history will judge him less harshly than contemporary opinion. There was so much promise back in '00, promise that, at last, we would have a President and a Congress committed to limited government. Promise that we would and could pursue a more humble foreign policy (events changed that assumption, but still...) Promise that, tho' we have political divisions, we would have a President who, as a Governor, was a uniter, was, as a Republican, able to work well and easily with legislative Democrats in Texas, and would be able to do so in Washington (of course, it takes two to tango; Congressional Dems were no more willing to meet him than he them.) But his Presidency... too often too overwhelmed by events, too often too driven by ideologues rather than pragmatists, too often too ready-fire-aim, too often too willing to take the most expedient rather than the most, if not thoughtful at least Constitutional means to seek to achieve- admittedly noble- ends. Too often too willing to abandon truly conservative principles for short-term gain. Beyond his tax cuts, the only places I'm truly willing to give him credit, or at least benefit of doubt, are the decisions to go to war in Afghanistan and, yes, Iraq (Afghanistan was a must, and re. Iraq; he did act on the intel available at the time, as well as Saddam's history. Neither we, nor our allies, nor the UN, knew that Saddam possessed no WMD program. And one has to remember the tenor of those times, with a state-supported terrorist attack upon the US still recent. Having said that, the prosecution of the Iraq conflict was poorly managed until '07 or so, and for that he and his Admin are culpable.) And most recently, there is no reason for Bush- or Congress- to be faulted much for the recent economic downturn. Economies far more regulated than ours have suffered as greatly, if not moreso; the downturn being much more a reflection of years of idiotic decisions on the part of too many financial and manufacturing concerns. But again, any credit I give is tempered by my disagreement with the serial bailouts, um, excuse me, "rescues" Bush and Congress have been eager to extend. Would I have voted for Bush again? Given his opponents (Gore, Kerry) yes. But that's not saying much. As a limited government kinda gal, a member of the Leave Us Alone Coalition, I have no more affection for Conservative Big Government than I do Liberal Big Government. I'm not saddened to see Lyndon Baines Bush go.

"She's so cold/She's so cold, cold, cold..."

Monday, January 12, 2009

I came across a curious journal entry on one of the larger transgender websites. The gal was bemoaning the fact that, too often, she receives less-than-satisfactory pick-up attempts from men, how she is looking for more than simply email invitations from strangers to buy her a drink sans little/any interest in or getting-to-know-you type conversation first. Fair enuf. It's a dilemma too many T-Gals (and GGs, too) deal with, particularly from online-type interactions. So I can relate to her 'plaint. But on further review (reading her self-description!) I found myself thinking "what does she expect?" Her online ID begins with "naughty..." and the very first line, the description of, her journal states how she can't live without steamy sexual encounters. And that is certainly her prerogative. Now maybe it's just me, but to me that opening does not necessarily seem to lend itself to getting to know one's thoughts on literature, music, cuisine, current events, sports, whatever. To make that (naughty... steamy sexual encounters) the first impression one chooses to make and then to be dismayed that potential mates see her as little more than a sexual plaything... why would they think that you are a woman of many layers? Like it or not, fairly or not, first impressions mean a lot. I'm not being critical of her sexual appetites nor attempting to impose any morality upon her; while I'm not promiscuous, I'm hardly sexually repressed or inhibited. And while too often transgender folks are- wrongly- defined by the proverbial nuts and sluts amongst us, it's not my interest to suggest or impose any code of conduct upon other individuals. What I am suggesting is simply that, when one depicts themselves in a particular manner, when one makes that their primary, initial description, don't be dismayed or surprised if/when others treat you as such.

"All the world's indeed a stage/And we are merely players/Performers and portrayers/Each another's audience/Outside the gilded cage..."

Friday, January 09, 2009

Distant Dreamer- Duffy

Although you think I cope
My head is filled with hope
Of some place other than here

Although you think I smile
Inside and all the while
I'm wondering about my destiny

I'm thinking about all the things
I'd like to do in my life

I'm a dreamer
A distant dreamer
Dreaming far away
From today

Even when you see me frown
My heart won't let me down
Because I know there's better things to come, oh yeah

And when life gets tough
And I feel like .. enough
I hold on to a distant star

I'm thinking about all the things
I'd like to do in my life

I'm a dreamer
A distant dreamer
Dreaming far away
From today

Yeah, I'm a dreamer
Ooh...