>I just picked and ate my first yellow cherry tomato that I’m growing in my Aerogarden. It was good, too. Another one is almost ready. I’m growing red ones, too, but they are not ripe yet. Excitement. On the other hand, it’s freezing lately. Time to turn on the heat, I guess.
>Double-speak lives. A quote from here:
http://www.uexpress.com/supermarketsampler/
“Incidentally, the Corn Refiners Association, representing the makers of HFCS, has petitioned the FDA to change the HFCS name to “corn sugar” to help improve HFCS’s perceived unhealthy image”
And the way things are going these days, people will not catch on that they are one and the same thing. When ignorance rules, changing the name equals changing the product.
>
I have been invited to have my blog syndicated here:
Now, I know my blog says it is about life with fibro, but in reality it’s more about religion and politics and just ranting in general. Of course, if I hadn’t developed fibro and CFS, I seriously doubt I would have started blogging in the first place. So if this works out, I will make an effort to post a bit more about the illness part of life, (and not just to whinge about it, either) and we’ll see how it goes.
I realize I don’t really like talking about it too much, or focusing on it, because I am NOT my illness, and I don’t want that to be the definition of who I am. I am a person who has an illness. It is not MY fibro, MY CFS, it’s not how I identify myself to myself.
I’m not one of those people who go from doctor to doctor, or medication to medication, hoping for a miraculous cure. Everything I’ve read says there isn’t one yet, and I am not going to waste my life in a futile quest. I accept that I am ill, I accept that I have limits that I did not have before, but I don’t focus on that. I focus on…truthfully, this is the focus of my life…..having fun every single day. Laughing every day.
I firmly believe that NOW is all there is, and if I spend NOW wishing things were other than they are, trying to make them be other than they are with no real hope of success…if I do those things, I will MISS now. Not going to let that happen. I study zen Buddhism, in a completely non-religious way, and focusing on the now is a primary idea.
Oh, dear. Did not sleep at all last night so have been up 36 hours or so. Can you tell? I do tend to go on a bit when I’m over-tired. LOL Later, dear readers.
>
Don’t skip the comments. I love reading comments, myself.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/11/11/919572/-Abbreviated-Pundit-Round-up
Edited to add:
I normally don’t worry about things over which I have no control, but the whole Tea Party winning thing has got me feeling slightly anxious. I haven’t gotten a raise in Social Security for two years. Rent has gone up, costs of heating, food, electricity, and just about everything else in life HAVE gone up. If I hadn’t developed two chronic, debilitating illnesses (fibro and CFS) I would still be working at the job I loved, and was actually pretty darn good at. It’s not my fault I’m in the situation I’m in. But the new ‘Ins’ want to blame me, and make my life even harder, and the lives of themselves and their uber-rich friends even better than they already are. I love America, where money rules, and the national slogan is “I’ve got mine, so screw you.”
>
and raining, and the wind is blowing quite hard. It looked like winter today, and now we are getting a taste of it. It’s okay. I like snow.
>
Stick a fork in me, I’m guilty. I know, I know. That makes no sense. That’s me. I’m not sleeping much, or well, again. Very shaky when I got up this morning. Not going to make it to vote, even though I really, really want to. I messed up and wasn’t able to get the absentee ballot, and I don’t have the means or the energy to get to the voting place, so crap. I do try to be a responsible citizen. I felt guilty for a very long time after I moved here, because I have no way to recycle, which I was always big on before. But things are the way they are.
So then I got into a huge discussion with my homemaker. We started talking about being gay. She thinks the world is evil and that’s why there are gay people and lions eat meat, and a lot of really odd (to me) things. So we went from gays to religion and what the bible says, and then on to children and how you go about teaching them to make good choices. It got kind of heated, but not angry. It was fun to have a really good go-round with someone. Don’t get to do that very often. No one to argue with in a friendly way. Or any way, for that matter.
The thing is, we touched on the Asperger’s issue, too, and now I’m wondering if maybe me thinking it was a friendly and fun discussion/argument thing, maybe she doesn’t see it that way. Like this has never happened to me before. I never really get why people don’t take things the way I mean them, and seem to put completely ‘out there’ (to me)interpretations on them. Once I mentioned to a friend that I found a recipe for hollandaise you make in the blender. “It has mayo, doesn’t it.” she said. No, no mayo. We discussed it a bit and later she mentioned the argument we’d had about the hollandaise. What argument? See. How do I not see things others see?
I used to think I was scatter-brained, or just plain dense, or that something was wrong with me, but I was just too stupid to know what it was. I guess it’s good to have a possible explanation for it. Like everything in my life, too little, too late.
I’m tired, and out-of-sorts, and just needed to whine, dear readers. Hmmm. Do I actually have any dear readers? Ah, well.
>It’s mostly cloudy today, and cool. If it rained, I missed it, but…..a while ago I was on the phone when I glanced out the window and saw a rainbow. Against a cloud. It was only the center arc, but it had broad bands of color and was beautiful. It faded in just a few seconds, but I saw a rainbow. Yes, I’ve seen rainbows before, even double and once a triple one, but I still got excited. Woo Hoo.
The second thing from here:
Four questions for Republicans…and four answers for undecided voters
by Jed Lewison
Fri Oct 29, 2010 at 10:40:03 AM PDT
Questions:
1. What was the average monthly private sector job growth in 2008, the final year of the Bush presidency, and what has it been so far in 2010?
2. What was the Federal deficit for the last fiscal year of the Bush presidency, and what was it for the first full fiscal year of the Obama presidency?
3. What was the stock market at on the last day of the Bush presidency? What is it at today?
4. Which party’s candidate for speaker will campaign this weekend with a Nazi reenactor who dressed up in a SS uniform?
Answers:
1. In 2008, we lost an average of 317,250 private sector jobs per month. In 2010, we have gained an average of 95,888 private sector jobs per month. (Source) That’s a difference of nearly five million jobs between Bush’s last year in office and President Obama’s second year.
2. In FY2009, which began on September 1, 2008 and represents the Bush Administration’s final budget, the budget deficit was $1.416 trillion. In FY2010, the first budget of the Obama Administration, the budget deficit was $1.291 trillion, a decline of $125 billion. (Source) Yes, that means President Obama has cut the deficit — there’s a long way to go, but we’re in better shape now than we were under Bush and the GOP.
3. On Bush’s final day in office, the Dow, NASDAQ, and S&P 500 closed at 7,949, 1,440, and 805, respectively. Today, as of 10:15AM Pacific, they are at 11,108, 2,512, and 1,183. That means since President Obama took office, the Dow, NASDAQ, and S&P 500 have increased 40%, 74%, and 47%, respectively.
4. The Republican Party, whose candidate for speaker, John Boehner, will campaign with Nazi re-enactor Rich Iott this weekend. If you need an explanation why this is offensive, you are a lost cause.
The moral of the story is this: if you vote Republican, I hope you enjoy Election Day — because you’re not going to like what comes next.
>
Got out of bed today…chilly
Got out of shower…..freezing
Closed windows.
That nice summery weather is gone again. Nice while it lasted, though.
Here’s a little something I came across today:
Fictive Rest: The inability of many people to fall asleep until after reading even the tiniest amount of fiction.
I have that. Found it here:
Here’s a quote I like:
“Most people assume the fights are going to be the left versus the right, but it always is the reasonable versus the jerks.” Jimmy Wales
I so hope I’m among the reasonable, rather than the jerks.
Took an Asperger’s test I found on a friend’s blog. The result:
Your Aspie score: 140 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 65 of 200
You are very likely an Aspie
Not sure what it means. Going to retake the test and see what I get today. I’ll let you all know, dear readers.
>love it more. Yesterday morning I turned on my fake fireplace to take off the chill. By last night, I had opened the windows. Tonight, it is around 75 degrees in here, and it was in the high 70’s outside today. We could be frozen solid by Halloween. It’s happened before. What’s not to love about here?
I’ve had a good day, in spite of not sleeping well, and being in a complete daze when I got up at 10am. Made coffee and instant oatmeal, ate and drank, sat on couch in the same daze til 11:30 when I decided I really should get dressed before my homemaker came at noon. Did so, sat in daze til she got here, and slowly, slowly, brain kicked in. Turned out to be fun while she was here, and then I did some paperwork and messed about on the still not connected pc. I downloaded all my vids onto it and am playing them while I sit here messing about on the laptop. Yes, a good day.
>I stole this from jooles34, who stole it from huskyfriends.
1. What bill do you hate paying the most?
Comcast. They just keep on screwing around with me.
2. Do you miss being a child?
Not in the least.
3. Chore you hate the most?
Anything involving housework and/or cooking.
4. Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner?
Romantic dinner? What is this ‘romantic dinner’ you ask about?
5. If you could go back and change one thing what would it be?
I so would not have married that jerk.
6. Name of your first grade teacher?
Fourth grade Mrs. Alt. D.K.Smith was my fav high school teacher. That’s all I got, folks.
7. What do you really want to be doing right now?
I’d like to be outside, maybe putting my garden to bed for the winter, except I don’t have an outside or a garden anymore. I live in an apartment building surrounded by downtown.
8. What did you want to be when you grew up?
Jet pilot or cowboy. Seriously. I’m from Colorado. We have cowboys and the Air Force Academy. I live in Mass now, though.
9. How many colleges did you attend?
None at all.
10. Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now?
“Purple and white stripped chosen for Spirit Day.” That’s Jooles34’s answer, but it’s mine as well. I’ve added a purple cardigan, since it’s chilly in here.
11. What are your thoughts on gas prices?
Don’t have a car, so don’t really worry about that.
12. First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
Not yet, please. I don’t actually have to be up at any time in particular, but I have been trying my entire life to get on a ‘normal’ person’s sleep schedule. No luck so far. I sleep best between 4am and noon.
13. Last thought before going to sleep last night?
Am I going to scare Gertrude off the bed if I pull up the covers some more. (Gertrude is a cat)
14. What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
I honestly don’t know.
15. Have you ever crashed your vehicle?
No, but as a child, I was in three accidents in one day, and was knocked unconscious in the third one.
16. If you didn’t have to work, would you volunteer?
I don’t work, since I am ill, but when I did I worked in a group home and I would do that again in a shot, pay or not.
17. Get up early or sleep in?
Sleep in. I do not do mornings. Not even a little bit.
18. What is your favourite cartoon character?
Underdog. ‘There’s no need to fear. Underdog is here.’ I love that.
19. Favourite thing to do at night?
“Everything. Everything is just better done at night, talking, drinking, writing, reading, everything. Night is just better.” That’s also jooles34, but it suits me, too.
20. When did you first start feeling old?
I haven’t yet.
21. Favourite lunch meat?
I’m mostly vegetarian.
22. What do you get every time you go into Wal-Mart?
I do not go to Walmart. I HATE Walmart.
23. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?
Possibly. Since people live a lot longer than they did when marriage came into being, and since there are many more support systems for women and children besides just a husband, marriage may be unnecessary. But people still want that commitment, to feel that they belong to someone and that someone belongs to them, so I’m all for letting people who want to get married, get married. Whoever they are.
24. Favourite movie?
American Dreamer comes to mind, but that could change any second. I have a lot of favorite movies. Oh, Benny and Joon. I love that movie.
25. What’s your favourite drink?
Water, wine, coffee.
26. Who from high school would you like to run in to?
D.K.Smith, I’d like to tell him what an effect he had on my life. My love of learning and reading are down to him. He was the best teacher I ever had anywhere.
27. What radio station is your car radio tuned to right now?
No car and seldom listen to the radio, but when I lived further north, my station was WXRV The River. They said it was a Boston station, but it was actually in Haverhill, about five miles from my house in NH. Great music, and they had all sorts of groups play live in the station. Bare Naked Ladies was one I particularly remember. I like Bare Naked Ladies.
28. Sopranos or Desperate Housewives?
Never watch Sopranos, and hated Housewives after maybe the second season, so quit watching.
29. Worst relationship mistake that you wish you could take back?
“I refer back to the (emotionally) abusive fuck-wit of question 5.” The ’emotionally’ is me. Am I really jooles34 in disguise? We seem to have a lot in common.
30. Do you like the person that sits directly across from you at work?
Never had a job where someone sat across from me. I would truly have died from boredom in that kind of job.
31. Have you ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purposes?
No
32. Last book you finished reading?
I think it was the one about the woman with Asperger’s who worked for the Agriculture Department. Forget the name. I read online now, mostly fan fiction. I used to read a book or two a week or more. I love books, but don’t get to the library much since I got sick. (I have fibro and chronic fatigue syndrome).
33. Do you have a teddy bear?
No. I have a stuffed version of “The Snowman” from the movie. Oh, wait. Yes I do. He sits on the pass-through between the kitchen and the main room. I also have an ostrich, I think it is, that someone gave me. With floppy legs. Neat.
34. Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?
???? No clue.
35. Do you go to church?
No. I am an atheist and unofficial zen Buddhist.
36. How old are you?
Does the phrase ‘older than dirt’ mean anything to you? Actually, I’m 66.
>I tried everything, called Verizon, did what they said, re reinstalled things, ran tests. No go. Now it says upon booting that BIOS isn’t installed? Where do I get BIOS and why isn’t it on one of the installation discs? So…still can’t connect to internet with PC. Glad I have a laptop.
Here’s another reason to love Google, which I do, unashamedly.
>When I fired up the ole pc this morning, it said I had no internet connection. It was acting wonky Saturday, so I unplugged it. My friend had called me with the same problem that day. I went through the rigamarol thought I had it sorted, but then it wouldn’t boot up, just hung on the Windows is Loading part. Tried everything. Nothing worked. Finally decided to do a format and reinstall. I love messing about with stuff like that. Did that. Loaded all the discs. Everything works, except not I cannot find the modem. I set it up and nothing. I will figure this out. Yes. Yes, I will.
So I went to check On Demand when my homemaker was telling me about something on it, and no On Demand. Tried again later. Still no On Demand. Called. Unplug it, they said. Did, for about an hour. Plugged it back in but haven’t checked it yet.
Is it bad vibes day in New England, or what? Anyway, I love a challenge, so it’s a good/bad thing, I guess. LOL
>I actually went out. First time since the Saturday I went to friends’ new house. I really need to get out more. Anyway, walked to post office, sat on a bench for awhile watching the winter-looking clouds go racing by overhead, wind blowing, leaves turning. Glorious, glorious kind of day. I love autumn. Also winter and spring. Summer I would love if it didn’t have those sticky icky days so often. A good day.
I’ve been turning on my full-spectrum overhead lights when I get up, and eating more protein. What a difference. My mood is better, I have energy, I’m just better. Hooray. Should have started with the lights around the middle of September, I think. I’m putting it on my calendar for next year. Enjoy the day, dear readers.
>Got this from DD’s blog:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39637073/ns/us_news-life
Some of us actually do have brains, it seems. Thank you, Judge Phillips.
>
Again. I do love the rain. I decided to add my ‘buck up, sir’ song to the sidebar. It reminds me that I am not a quitter, even though I start circling the black hole now and then.
My friend’s back surgery seemed to go well, and she will be home today. Her hubby has to do the housework for a few weeks. He is not well-trained in housework, but I say, so long as it gets done, it doesn’t have to be perfect. Or maybe it’s Flylady who says that.
I have been getting annoying calls several times a day for the past several days. Unknown name and number. If I let it go to machine, it cuts off as soon as machine picks up. If I brave it and answer, same thing happens. It starts around 8:45 am, which is practically the middle of my night, so my only alternative is to turn off the ringer and let the machine pick up all the time. Or just get up at 8:45 am. Nooooooooooooo!!!! I am NOT a morning person, nor have I ever been. It’s only gotten worse since I got fibro/cfs.
I seem to have lost my three whole followers on here. Whether it’s because they disagree with my take on things, or a glitch with Blogger, I guess time will tell. Such is the way of things, right?
My friend being out of commission for so long has made me face up to how dependent I have become. I knew it, of course, but kept it in the place I put things I don’t want to think about. So I have determined to at least attempt some independence. After the bad experiences I had before I gave up going out alone, it is a somewhat scary prospect, especially if I don’t have a back-up person I can call if I get into trouble. Fortunately I know someone who has offered to be that person for now, so I just have to get my courage up and take a lot of pain pills on the day. I’ll let you know how it goes, IF it goes.
EDIT: My followers are back. Must have been a glitch. I’m glad they’re back.
>Except I haven’t heard anything from my friend who had the back surgery, or her hubby. Hope all is well.
I made a new friend today. Sort of, anyway. The guy who came to do the a/c maintenance and I started talking and we found out we both love Mythbusters and horse/tractor pulling. LOL We were throwing back episodes of Mythbusters to each other: Did you see the one where…? Did you see….? He is not a geek, in spite of being young enough to still live at home with his parents. I thought everyone in that age group was a geek. He also isn’t into sci-fi. What? No Battlestar Galactica, the new version? We had a really good chat with laughing, and he showed me a picture on his cell phone of a lawnmower from a lawnmower race at a fair he went to with his parents the other day. It was a good day.
Here’s something I just came across. I would have just posted the vid, but the comments are quite interesting reading, too. I have never listened to Glenn Beck, but if this is representative of what he’s saying, OMG. OMG OMG that there are people out there who believe what he says and agree with him. I think I ‘ll immigrate to some deserted island somewhere. Here’s the link:
http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/pages-for-twitter/donald-duck-meets-glenn-beck.html
>One of them, anyway, but redone for SCIENCE. I love science.
It is another gray and cool day. Actually had to close the windows around 6pm yesterday cause it was in the fifties in here, and I was cold. Opened one slightly later because I need fresh air. I fired up my fake fire last night briefly, too. Nice.
One of my friends is having back surgery today for a herniated disc that has been causing severe pain. Hoping it goes well. I am having a good day myself. Rearrange the kitchen a bit. I had to empty the closet in the bedroom for the a/c guys to update the central-heating filter and whatever, so I am in the reorganizing frame of mind. Since I can’t do the bedroom til they come and go, I did the kitchen instead. Yay, me.
Is anyone watching Rubicon on AMC? I really like it. It’s fascinating to watch the team figure things out, putting this bit of info together with those bits of info and coming up with something completely new and different. And scary. Then there’s Will. Oh, clever and brilliant guy. Really good actor playing him, James Badge Dale, who I had not been aware of before. If you like brainy shows, this is the one for you.
Here’s the song:
>Recovered from my day out, then bit by the CFS bug again, sleeping, being awake for a couple of hours, more sleeping, awake a couple of hours, for almost two days. Not sure if it’s done. Last time this happened, it lasted for six weeks. Not a good thing.
The other Thing: If you at all remember the Fells Acres case, this will be relevant. Even if you don’t, this is very interesting and disturbing. It touches on something I’ve addressed here before: the lack of critical thinking and how people can so easily believe things that are clearly not true. The writer addresses this briefly, and helps with understanding self-delusion in a way. I think it gives me more hope for this country to understand that people can convince themselves of anything, rather than that they are just plain idiots. Not sure about that, though. Do you have to be an idiot to be able to convince yourselves of things that are clearly not true? Have I convinced myself of things that are clearly not true, and just don’t realize it? God, I hope not. Like most people, I like to think that “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and dog-gone it, people like me.” (Al Franken) How can I be sure. How can anyone be sure of anything?
I find this very confusing, and somewhat frightening. I have to fall back on this saying of the Buddha: Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.
Here’s the article:
http://www.salon.com/life/excerpt/2010/09/20/my_lie_maran
And another:
>Yesterday was a very good day. Went with my friends to see their new house, went to the local winery, the local brewery, the beach, to dinner, and home. Lovely day. The water was calm and peaceful, the weather perfect, not hot or cold, big clouds in the sky but lots of blue as well. Today is a recovery day, since I am relatively immobile after yesterday, but it was so worth it. I have the best friends ever, and not just the two from yesterday.
The second special day:
Today be ‘Talk Like A Pirate Day’. Who Knew? They even wrote a song about it.
http://www.tomsmithonline.com/freestuff/oddio/TLAPD-Streaming064.mp3
Here be th’ lyrics:
http://www.tomsmithonline.com/lyrics/tlapd.htm
Me pirate name is a couple of posts down.
>Bill Maher:
As long as you write something on the internet and do not add LOL, it is true.
Referring to people who will apparently believe anything.
strangely peculiar 