I took my husband to see Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer today. For anyone who saw the first movie, this second offering is an improvement. It's still not a great movie, but it's an improvement. I'm of the opinion that comic book movies should be fun first and anything else after that. This movie scores on the fun part of the equation and it made improvements over the first film as far as the cheese factor goes.
The big problem I had with this film was the lack of character development. The Fantastic Four are still a little cardboard for my tastes and the Surfer doesn't get a lot of air time. They spend more time focusing on trivial stuff...like a wedding and media hype. The time would have been better spent focusing on the Surfer and how the Fantastic 4 come to form a relationship with him.
The second problem with this film is a pretty big plot flaw. SPOILER ALERT: Johnny Storm has a run in with the Surfer early in the movie. It leaves him with a virus that causes him to swap powers with whoever he touches. At the end of the movie Doom steals the Surfer's board and it makes him all powerful. In order to get it away from him and stop the planets impending doom the 4 all touch hands and transfer all their powers to Storm......Okay....wait a minute. Stop the movie.
Here's the problem with that:
(1) When he touches someone he changes powers with the person he touches. He gets their power and they get his. So, if he touched all three of the other Fantastic 4 he would get their powers, but they should all have gotten his, he shouldn't have his fire anylonger, right?
or....it should have swapped powers among the four with unknown results, but in the movie it simply automatically transferred all four powers into Storm.
Now, he takes off and flies after Doom where he starts fighting with the SuperVillian and we encounter plot hole two.
(2) Because of the virus the first time he touches Doom the powers that he has should transfer to Doom and the powers Doom has should transfer to him. But they don't why not?
I hate when they just have things work because they need it to in a movie. They need to give me a reason. Any reason, but damn it, give me a reason.
All in all, it wasn't a bad way to spend an afternoon with my husband and my son.
6.17.2007
6.13.2007
Thirteen Days and Coutning.....
There are two sides to every argument.
Just because you can do a thing it doesn't follow that you should do a thing. Simply because we can kill and eat lower species, does it necessarily follow that we should? When civilization was young that may have been the case, meat was required for survival. Now that simply isn't true, not in non-third world nations anyway. Science has created several alternative nutrient sources that provide for our dietary needs and several of the plants found in nature can provide the things our bodies need just as well as meat can.
So why has the habit of eating other living creatures persisted throughout history. Many point to the Bible and the Book of Genesis. God putting the animals on Earth for Adams use and all that. That argument only works if the person your arguing too is a Christian, and even then it can be argued that "use" does not have to imply consumption, so it's a flawed argument.
I have pointed out the fact that even if everyone stopped eating meat based on the "cruelty" factor we would be left with an overpopulation of domesticated stock. This would cause several problems like where to house them and who would care for and pay for the animals. The answer to those questions is actually not as complicated as it might seem. Rather than try to force meat out of the public consumptive pattern all at once, it would be better to shoot for a gradual end to meat consumption. While doing so, you gradually begin thinning the herds being kept by commercial farmers and begin preparing animal preserve space for the herds that will be left. This process would take several years, but would result in a manageable population.
Health concerns can be raised regarding the proteins found in meat and the calcium and other minerals found in dairy products. Again, a slow phasing out of the products now in place and implementation of replacement with substitutes already found in nature could be managed. The products are available and while they do not taste the same many of them do provide the same nutritional content with out the fat content or cholesterol found in traditional foods. Over time, these new sources would become the "norm" and future generations would look on meat consumption as odd, even unhealthy.
Do I think that our society is ready for such a change? Not right now. Our palates and our cultural senses are attuned to a certain way of doing things. Right now, being a vegetarian is outside the cultural norm. Do I think such a change could happen? Yes, actually I do. I believe that as a society progresses it will inevitably shift away from killing for any purpose. "Just because you can do a thing, it does not follow that you should do a thing." I think that within the next decade or so we will begin to see a slow melding of these two points, more vegetarian options will begin to appear...and more people will start to choose them.
Just because you can do a thing it doesn't follow that you should do a thing. Simply because we can kill and eat lower species, does it necessarily follow that we should? When civilization was young that may have been the case, meat was required for survival. Now that simply isn't true, not in non-third world nations anyway. Science has created several alternative nutrient sources that provide for our dietary needs and several of the plants found in nature can provide the things our bodies need just as well as meat can.
So why has the habit of eating other living creatures persisted throughout history. Many point to the Bible and the Book of Genesis. God putting the animals on Earth for Adams use and all that. That argument only works if the person your arguing too is a Christian, and even then it can be argued that "use" does not have to imply consumption, so it's a flawed argument.
I have pointed out the fact that even if everyone stopped eating meat based on the "cruelty" factor we would be left with an overpopulation of domesticated stock. This would cause several problems like where to house them and who would care for and pay for the animals. The answer to those questions is actually not as complicated as it might seem. Rather than try to force meat out of the public consumptive pattern all at once, it would be better to shoot for a gradual end to meat consumption. While doing so, you gradually begin thinning the herds being kept by commercial farmers and begin preparing animal preserve space for the herds that will be left. This process would take several years, but would result in a manageable population.
Health concerns can be raised regarding the proteins found in meat and the calcium and other minerals found in dairy products. Again, a slow phasing out of the products now in place and implementation of replacement with substitutes already found in nature could be managed. The products are available and while they do not taste the same many of them do provide the same nutritional content with out the fat content or cholesterol found in traditional foods. Over time, these new sources would become the "norm" and future generations would look on meat consumption as odd, even unhealthy.
Do I think that our society is ready for such a change? Not right now. Our palates and our cultural senses are attuned to a certain way of doing things. Right now, being a vegetarian is outside the cultural norm. Do I think such a change could happen? Yes, actually I do. I believe that as a society progresses it will inevitably shift away from killing for any purpose. "Just because you can do a thing, it does not follow that you should do a thing." I think that within the next decade or so we will begin to see a slow melding of these two points, more vegetarian options will begin to appear...and more people will start to choose them.
6.11.2007
Here's One For All the Geeks Out There...
If you listened to Dr. Demento as a kid. If you played D&D as a kid. Better yet, if you did both...then this is for you.
The Dead Alewives
Enjoy!
The Dead Alewives
Enjoy!
6.09.2007
I'm a Goddess, who knew??
As I was looking for clothes tonight I was surprised to learn that I'm a Goddess. I know, shocking isn't it? Don't believe me? Well I can prove it.
Goddess Serena
Not what you were expecting, huh? Imagine how surprised I was to find out that a corset has been named after me. Apparently not only am I deity, I provide comfort and support. I'm a full service Goddess.
Goddess Serena
Not what you were expecting, huh? Imagine how surprised I was to find out that a corset has been named after me. Apparently not only am I deity, I provide comfort and support. I'm a full service Goddess.
Nine Days and Counting
I'm nine days into my no meat experiment and I have to say I never realized how much meat I actually ate. I find myself reaching for something and then stopping because it involves a meat component. It's one of those experiments that makes you stop and take stock of your habits. Technically you would call me a Pescatarian, a person who eats a mainly vegetarian diet but still eats fish for health reasons or to ease into the vegetarian lifestyle. In my case, it's health reasons. My doctor advised that doing away with all major sources of protein would be a bad idea as my body is still recovering from two pregnancies...so fish stays in the diet.
I also choose to keep dairy in my diet. This is also for health reasons. I need the calcium and the vitamin D. Selfish reasons abound as well. I enjoy cream cheese, yogurt, pudding, cheese and many other things of the dairy persuasion. I also do not relish the idea of becoming a hunchbacked old woman with brittle bones. Osteoporosis sounds painful and is not something I wish to experience.
There are the basic arguments to be made to in counterpoint here. Multivitamins are available as well as supplements that have the other compounds like protein and calcium. While this is true, those chemical supplements are not closely regulated and so do not contain a reliable amount of the necessary vitamin or mineral. Also, it is a medical fact that while multivitamins can be a good addition to a diet, they are not absorbed by the body as well as the vitamins and minerals found in food and so your body does not get as much of the health benefit from them. Hence my decision to keep fish and dairy in the diet.
Okay, now I'm going to address the whole "you shouldn't eat animal products because it's cruel" issue. This is a touchy issue with a lot of people and I tend to avoid it whenever possible because honestly I think many of the people who make the arguments have never actually been to a real farm.
Don't get me wrong. I understand the argument against the large scale "farms". Thousands of dirty, sickly looking chickens crammed into a holding pen is not a pretty thing and it is, well, cruel. Calves locked in pens and not allowed to move so that veal will be soft. Cruel. Animals killed solely for their skins. Cruel. Rodeos....Cruel, no explanation...just cruel. There are many things I could list that I agree with that are cruel. We can work to change those things.
Here are the flaws I find with the whole "Don't use animal products, it's cruel." argument.
The main argument against dairy seems to be that the cows are "kept" pregnant. In many peoples minds this seems to illicit a vision of cattle popping out calves all the time. A heifer will produce milk for twelve to fourteen months after having been calved. The farmer will breed the heifer once every twelve to fourteen months in order to keep her producing milk. The machine used to collect the milk is attached to the udder and uses a force that is akin to someone sucking on your finger. Having grown up around dairy cattle I've actually seen the machines and have, in fact, stuck my finger in one...so I know what I'm talking about.
When I was on the PETA website recently I noticed a side link where you can "Meet the animals". Curious, I started clicking and reading. I have to say, the animals they are describing are not the ones I grew up with. Cows can indeed be very gentle and curious, but the ones we had were not the uber geniuses PETA is painting. They didn't have cliques in the farmyard or pout when their calves were taken from them. My grandfather did have one that was a complete bitch, but that's a whole other story. I don't doubt that cows are more intelligent than a many people give them credit for, but people they are not. That's gonna piss people off, but I'll get to that argument in a minute. Now, on to the chickens.
Chickens are mean. I have the scars to prove it. Chickens are not loving or curious or fun to have around. Chickens are angry and mean and will peck the shit out of you given the chance. The only thing meaner is a goose. Chickens will actually stop chasing you, geese will not. Eggs are not a form of torture. Chickens lay them everyday. I know because I used to have to go and gather them everyday, thus incurring even more wrath from said chickens. I will concede the point that the color of the egg doesn't mean a damn thing. The color of the egg is a matter of what breed the chicken is and what the chicken eats. The white eggs most people buy have been bleached. But eggs are not something evil being done to chickens. The biggest difference is that between a family farm and a commercial farm...and that is something that can be changed.
Now, let's deal with the main argument. The actual killing of animals for food. The first point people make is that the way in which animals are killed is inhumane. This in and of itself makes my head hurt. I mean, is there a humane way to kill something? There isn't....death is death and it's ugly. So we aren't even going to discuss that one.
My main problem is this: Let's say you get everyone to stop eating meat. Now what? The farmers and ranchers with herds aren't going to pay for the upkeep of the animals once it stops being profitable, so what do we do then? We have hundreds of thousands of head of cattle and then what? How do we keep them in check? Who pays to keep them healthy? Where do we house them? Who pays to feed them? And that's only the cattle. Then you have to factor in the chickens, pigs, goats and other livestock.
In nature, when a herd becomes to large for the environment to support disease takes over and decimates a portion of the population until it is once again sustainable by the ecosystem. If the livestock population were allowed to run out of control, the same thing would happen....unless a "livestock" hunting season were instituted in order to keep the herds thinned enough to prevent disease. (which is what is done with deer, moose and other wild herds....) and then we're right back where we started.
I don't believe in killing an animal only for it's fur. I won't take my children to zoos, rodeos or circuses. I wear leather. I generally eat meat and even if I choose to stop, I'm not going to expect others to because my choice will be health based and not because I think meat is murder. Fact is, we're the top of the food chain, simple as that.
People make this decision for a great many reasons, but the next time you start to give the speech to someone about how eating meat is cruel, go spend sometime on a real farm. Get to know a farmer or two. Sit down and think about what would happen once all of those animals were "free".
There are always two sides to every argument. This is my side.
I also choose to keep dairy in my diet. This is also for health reasons. I need the calcium and the vitamin D. Selfish reasons abound as well. I enjoy cream cheese, yogurt, pudding, cheese and many other things of the dairy persuasion. I also do not relish the idea of becoming a hunchbacked old woman with brittle bones. Osteoporosis sounds painful and is not something I wish to experience.
There are the basic arguments to be made to in counterpoint here. Multivitamins are available as well as supplements that have the other compounds like protein and calcium. While this is true, those chemical supplements are not closely regulated and so do not contain a reliable amount of the necessary vitamin or mineral. Also, it is a medical fact that while multivitamins can be a good addition to a diet, they are not absorbed by the body as well as the vitamins and minerals found in food and so your body does not get as much of the health benefit from them. Hence my decision to keep fish and dairy in the diet.
Okay, now I'm going to address the whole "you shouldn't eat animal products because it's cruel" issue. This is a touchy issue with a lot of people and I tend to avoid it whenever possible because honestly I think many of the people who make the arguments have never actually been to a real farm.
Don't get me wrong. I understand the argument against the large scale "farms". Thousands of dirty, sickly looking chickens crammed into a holding pen is not a pretty thing and it is, well, cruel. Calves locked in pens and not allowed to move so that veal will be soft. Cruel. Animals killed solely for their skins. Cruel. Rodeos....Cruel, no explanation...just cruel. There are many things I could list that I agree with that are cruel. We can work to change those things.
Here are the flaws I find with the whole "Don't use animal products, it's cruel." argument.
The main argument against dairy seems to be that the cows are "kept" pregnant. In many peoples minds this seems to illicit a vision of cattle popping out calves all the time. A heifer will produce milk for twelve to fourteen months after having been calved. The farmer will breed the heifer once every twelve to fourteen months in order to keep her producing milk. The machine used to collect the milk is attached to the udder and uses a force that is akin to someone sucking on your finger. Having grown up around dairy cattle I've actually seen the machines and have, in fact, stuck my finger in one...so I know what I'm talking about.
When I was on the PETA website recently I noticed a side link where you can "Meet the animals". Curious, I started clicking and reading. I have to say, the animals they are describing are not the ones I grew up with. Cows can indeed be very gentle and curious, but the ones we had were not the uber geniuses PETA is painting. They didn't have cliques in the farmyard or pout when their calves were taken from them. My grandfather did have one that was a complete bitch, but that's a whole other story. I don't doubt that cows are more intelligent than a many people give them credit for, but people they are not. That's gonna piss people off, but I'll get to that argument in a minute. Now, on to the chickens.
Chickens are mean. I have the scars to prove it. Chickens are not loving or curious or fun to have around. Chickens are angry and mean and will peck the shit out of you given the chance. The only thing meaner is a goose. Chickens will actually stop chasing you, geese will not. Eggs are not a form of torture. Chickens lay them everyday. I know because I used to have to go and gather them everyday, thus incurring even more wrath from said chickens. I will concede the point that the color of the egg doesn't mean a damn thing. The color of the egg is a matter of what breed the chicken is and what the chicken eats. The white eggs most people buy have been bleached. But eggs are not something evil being done to chickens. The biggest difference is that between a family farm and a commercial farm...and that is something that can be changed.
Now, let's deal with the main argument. The actual killing of animals for food. The first point people make is that the way in which animals are killed is inhumane. This in and of itself makes my head hurt. I mean, is there a humane way to kill something? There isn't....death is death and it's ugly. So we aren't even going to discuss that one.
My main problem is this: Let's say you get everyone to stop eating meat. Now what? The farmers and ranchers with herds aren't going to pay for the upkeep of the animals once it stops being profitable, so what do we do then? We have hundreds of thousands of head of cattle and then what? How do we keep them in check? Who pays to keep them healthy? Where do we house them? Who pays to feed them? And that's only the cattle. Then you have to factor in the chickens, pigs, goats and other livestock.
In nature, when a herd becomes to large for the environment to support disease takes over and decimates a portion of the population until it is once again sustainable by the ecosystem. If the livestock population were allowed to run out of control, the same thing would happen....unless a "livestock" hunting season were instituted in order to keep the herds thinned enough to prevent disease. (which is what is done with deer, moose and other wild herds....) and then we're right back where we started.
I don't believe in killing an animal only for it's fur. I won't take my children to zoos, rodeos or circuses. I wear leather. I generally eat meat and even if I choose to stop, I'm not going to expect others to because my choice will be health based and not because I think meat is murder. Fact is, we're the top of the food chain, simple as that.
People make this decision for a great many reasons, but the next time you start to give the speech to someone about how eating meat is cruel, go spend sometime on a real farm. Get to know a farmer or two. Sit down and think about what would happen once all of those animals were "free".
There are always two sides to every argument. This is my side.
6.08.2007
HA!
They sent Paris kicking and screaming back to jail and all I have to say about it is:
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
Today I will not be writing emails in outrage and frustration. Today I will be writing emails in congratulations and incredulity. I can't believe that the judicial system actually sent the snivelling little brat back to jail. Hooray for Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer!!!!
Can I tell you that I actually barked with laughter when I read the headline? Seriously. It just jumped out of my chest. Then I rubbed my hands together like some deranged mad person. Is it wrong that I'm getting a LOT of enjoyment out of the picture of her in tears in the back of a squad car? Does this make me a bad person who will burn in hell? Should I feel guilty because I don't care if it does?
Anyone else experiencing an overwhelming euphoria knowing Paris is sleeping on a hard prison cot tonight and dining on institutional food? Cause chances are, you're going to hell too and all I can say is: HA!
Poor Little Paris
It appears that Paris Hilton isn't immune to the long arm of the law after all. Apparently the judge that sentenced the fluffy headed heiress to serve her sentence in the L.A County jail was not amused when the Sheriff allowed her to return home with an ankle bracelet due to an "Undisclosed Medical Condition" and has ordered her to appear before him in court today.
She was picked up by the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, placed in handcuffs and driven to the courthouse where the prosecutor is expected to demand her return to jail and is also expected to ask that the Sheriff be held in contempt for allowing Ms. Hilton to leave the jail at all.
I have to admit that I am pleasantly surprised by the prompt response to this outrage by both the judge in this case and the L.A County District Attorney's office. They appear to be doing the right thing....making Paris Hilton take responsibility for her actions. It's about damned time, that's all I can say.
I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when Glamour Girl got the call telling her she was going to have to account for herself like a grown up and that batting her eyes and crying just wasn't going to cut it. And how pissed do you suppose Mommy is? Is it wrong that I'm gleeful about this? Is it sick that I did a little happy dance upon finding out that they actually handcuffed her underfed, over manicured ass? I hope the judge reads her the riot act!
If they actually follow through with this, there will be a second round of emails on my part, congratulating them for doing the right thing.
She was picked up by the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, placed in handcuffs and driven to the courthouse where the prosecutor is expected to demand her return to jail and is also expected to ask that the Sheriff be held in contempt for allowing Ms. Hilton to leave the jail at all.
I have to admit that I am pleasantly surprised by the prompt response to this outrage by both the judge in this case and the L.A County District Attorney's office. They appear to be doing the right thing....making Paris Hilton take responsibility for her actions. It's about damned time, that's all I can say.
I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when Glamour Girl got the call telling her she was going to have to account for herself like a grown up and that batting her eyes and crying just wasn't going to cut it. And how pissed do you suppose Mommy is? Is it wrong that I'm gleeful about this? Is it sick that I did a little happy dance upon finding out that they actually handcuffed her underfed, over manicured ass? I hope the judge reads her the riot act!
If they actually follow through with this, there will be a second round of emails on my part, congratulating them for doing the right thing.
6.07.2007
I usually don't talk about celebrities or their lives but today I'm making an exception. It seems that Paris Hilton was sent home from jail after serving only five days of her already reduced jail sentence because of an undisclosed "medical situation". They fitted her with an electronic bracelet and she'll do her remaining forty days at home. Basically, she's been grounded to her room and I'm sure we all remember how effective that was as a punishment.
I'm so angry about this it's hard to put it into words. This is a perfect illustration of how unjust our justice system really is. I'm sure there are any number of men and women sitting in jails all over our country right now serving time for the same crime Ms. Hilton was convicted of that have medical conditions and none of them are being sent home. I'm betting every single one of them wishes that a tummy ache would get them the magical "get out of jail free" card.
Hilton is receiving special treatment because of who her family is. She's rich and white and that makes all the difference. I mean who cares if she's a negligent little bitch that drove drunk? Who cares that she then drove on a suspended license? The law apparently only applies to those of us who aren't rich enough to buy ourselves a little justice. The rest of us have to "do the time". Our jails are overflowing with first time offenders, many of them incarcerated for non-violent offenses. Public defenders don't have resources and many of them don't really give "due diligence" to the cases.
Something like this is a slap in the face to the rest of society. Personally I will not stay at another Hilton Hotel. My money won't be missed I'm sure, but perhaps those of you reading this will think about the principle involved and follow me and encourage your friends and family to do the same. I will be writing a letter to the Hilton Corporation telling them why I will never use their services again. Paris Hilton's family deserves as much blame as the system that allowed this to happen. Her parents are responsible for raising a selfish, self absorbed child that has grown into a adult with a sense of entitlement, one that our country feeds.
I encourage you to do two things after reading this:
(1) Write a letter or send an email to the LA County District Attorney's office telling them that you think it is a miscarriage of justice that Ms. Hilton was sent home when no other inmate gets such preferential treatment, not even inmates with life-threatening diseases.
210 W Temple St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 974-3512
Fax: (213) 974-1484
Email: lada@co.la.ca.us
Web Page: http://da.co.la.ca.us/
(2) Write a letter or send an email to Hilton Hotels telling them that you and your family will not stay at the Hilton chains because of the apparent lack of respect the Hilton family has for the American justice system and their apparent belief that their family is above the law.
Hilton Family of Hotels
Kendra Walker, Vice President - Brand Communications
Phone: 310 205-4017
Fax: 310 205-7880
kendra_walker@hilton.com
While a few letters may not change the world, standing up for a principle can have a larger effect than you may believe.
EDIT:
These are the emails I sent out today. The first is to Kendra Walker and the second is to LA District Attorney Steve Cooley.
Dear Ms. Walker,
I am writing in response to the recent news that Ms. Paris Hilton was released from jail after serving only five days of her already reduced sentence. I would like your company to know that my family and I will no longer use any of the Hilton chains when we travel and I will recommend to my friends and extended family members that they do the same.
While the Hilton Corporation itself may not be responsible for Ms. Hilton's behavior, she and her family receive revenue from the company. I will no longer contribute to that pool. Ms. Hilton and her family apparently believe that they are above the law. I will not allow my children to see me supporting anything or anyone that is connected with that attitude. Money should not give a person a "get out of jail free" card. There are many men and women serving time in our nations correctional facilities with medical conditions, many of them convicted of non-violent offenses and yet none of them are sent home to serve their time in relative comfort. The only difference is the lack of money and the last name.
Ms. Hilton should be ashamed of herself and her parents should be ashamed as well. I have asked my readers to join me in boycotting your hotels. It's time someone stood up and said enough is enough. Having wealth should never be a way to escape taking responsibility for your own actions and as long as your company supports that image, I will actively speak out against it.
Sincerely,
Serena Woodward
Dear Mr. Cooley,
I am writing today because of recent news that Ms. Paris Hilton was released from a L.A County jail after serving only five days of an already reduced sentence. The article said that Ms. Hilton had been sent home due to an "undisclosed medical condition" and that she had been "fitted with an electronic bracelet". Mr. Cooley, is it a new policy in Los Angeles to ground people to their rooms? I'm sure that this must come as a relief to the many other non-violent offenders currently serving time in your jails. Will you begin sending them home as well? I'm sure that many of them have any number of medical conditions ranging from tummy aches to AIDS.
I find it appalling sir, that you allowed this to happen. There is not an intelligent adult in this country that doesn't understand what happened. Ms. Hilton was found guilty of a crime but because she is rich and her family is powerful she was given what basically amounts to a slap on the wrist. Had this been any other individual they would have been taken to the jail's infirmary, treated there and then returned to their cell.
I am hoping to read a press release from your office soon that states you have developed a plan to use electronic bracelets on non-violent offenders as a way to relieve over crowding in prisons and that Ms. Hilton was a test case. Sadly, I do not think any such press release will be forthcoming.
When things like this occur it does not matter to me how much good you say you are doing, it is tainted. I am a parent and I will hold this, and you, up to my children as an example of how not to conduct yourself. You should be ashamed. Justice should not be for sale to the highest bidder. The next time you find yourself in a discussion about what is wrong with the justice system in our country, look in the mirror, the answer will be staring you in the face. Have you ever stopped to question why so many young people don't have any respect for the law? People like you. They understand that without money there is no justice and you prove them right every time you allow someone like Paris Hilton to skate by. Wrong is wrong, it shouldn't matter who you are or how wealthy your family is. Ms. Hilton broke the law and should have been held responsible for it. Shame on you sir. Shame on you for spitting in the face of everything your office is supposed to stand for.
Sincerely,
Serena Woodward
I'm so angry about this it's hard to put it into words. This is a perfect illustration of how unjust our justice system really is. I'm sure there are any number of men and women sitting in jails all over our country right now serving time for the same crime Ms. Hilton was convicted of that have medical conditions and none of them are being sent home. I'm betting every single one of them wishes that a tummy ache would get them the magical "get out of jail free" card.
Hilton is receiving special treatment because of who her family is. She's rich and white and that makes all the difference. I mean who cares if she's a negligent little bitch that drove drunk? Who cares that she then drove on a suspended license? The law apparently only applies to those of us who aren't rich enough to buy ourselves a little justice. The rest of us have to "do the time". Our jails are overflowing with first time offenders, many of them incarcerated for non-violent offenses. Public defenders don't have resources and many of them don't really give "due diligence" to the cases.
Something like this is a slap in the face to the rest of society. Personally I will not stay at another Hilton Hotel. My money won't be missed I'm sure, but perhaps those of you reading this will think about the principle involved and follow me and encourage your friends and family to do the same. I will be writing a letter to the Hilton Corporation telling them why I will never use their services again. Paris Hilton's family deserves as much blame as the system that allowed this to happen. Her parents are responsible for raising a selfish, self absorbed child that has grown into a adult with a sense of entitlement, one that our country feeds.
I encourage you to do two things after reading this:
(1) Write a letter or send an email to the LA County District Attorney's office telling them that you think it is a miscarriage of justice that Ms. Hilton was sent home when no other inmate gets such preferential treatment, not even inmates with life-threatening diseases.
210 W Temple St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 974-3512
Fax: (213) 974-1484
Email: lada@co.la.ca.us
Web Page: http://da.co.la.ca.us/
(2) Write a letter or send an email to Hilton Hotels telling them that you and your family will not stay at the Hilton chains because of the apparent lack of respect the Hilton family has for the American justice system and their apparent belief that their family is above the law.
Hilton Family of Hotels
Kendra Walker, Vice President - Brand Communications
Phone: 310 205-4017
Fax: 310 205-7880
kendra_walker@hilton.com
While a few letters may not change the world, standing up for a principle can have a larger effect than you may believe.
EDIT:
These are the emails I sent out today. The first is to Kendra Walker and the second is to LA District Attorney Steve Cooley.
Dear Ms. Walker,
I am writing in response to the recent news that Ms. Paris Hilton was released from jail after serving only five days of her already reduced sentence. I would like your company to know that my family and I will no longer use any of the Hilton chains when we travel and I will recommend to my friends and extended family members that they do the same.
While the Hilton Corporation itself may not be responsible for Ms. Hilton's behavior, she and her family receive revenue from the company. I will no longer contribute to that pool. Ms. Hilton and her family apparently believe that they are above the law. I will not allow my children to see me supporting anything or anyone that is connected with that attitude. Money should not give a person a "get out of jail free" card. There are many men and women serving time in our nations correctional facilities with medical conditions, many of them convicted of non-violent offenses and yet none of them are sent home to serve their time in relative comfort. The only difference is the lack of money and the last name.
Ms. Hilton should be ashamed of herself and her parents should be ashamed as well. I have asked my readers to join me in boycotting your hotels. It's time someone stood up and said enough is enough. Having wealth should never be a way to escape taking responsibility for your own actions and as long as your company supports that image, I will actively speak out against it.
Sincerely,
Serena Woodward
Dear Mr. Cooley,
I am writing today because of recent news that Ms. Paris Hilton was released from a L.A County jail after serving only five days of an already reduced sentence. The article said that Ms. Hilton had been sent home due to an "undisclosed medical condition" and that she had been "fitted with an electronic bracelet". Mr. Cooley, is it a new policy in Los Angeles to ground people to their rooms? I'm sure that this must come as a relief to the many other non-violent offenders currently serving time in your jails. Will you begin sending them home as well? I'm sure that many of them have any number of medical conditions ranging from tummy aches to AIDS.
I find it appalling sir, that you allowed this to happen. There is not an intelligent adult in this country that doesn't understand what happened. Ms. Hilton was found guilty of a crime but because she is rich and her family is powerful she was given what basically amounts to a slap on the wrist. Had this been any other individual they would have been taken to the jail's infirmary, treated there and then returned to their cell.
I am hoping to read a press release from your office soon that states you have developed a plan to use electronic bracelets on non-violent offenders as a way to relieve over crowding in prisons and that Ms. Hilton was a test case. Sadly, I do not think any such press release will be forthcoming.
When things like this occur it does not matter to me how much good you say you are doing, it is tainted. I am a parent and I will hold this, and you, up to my children as an example of how not to conduct yourself. You should be ashamed. Justice should not be for sale to the highest bidder. The next time you find yourself in a discussion about what is wrong with the justice system in our country, look in the mirror, the answer will be staring you in the face. Have you ever stopped to question why so many young people don't have any respect for the law? People like you. They understand that without money there is no justice and you prove them right every time you allow someone like Paris Hilton to skate by. Wrong is wrong, it shouldn't matter who you are or how wealthy your family is. Ms. Hilton broke the law and should have been held responsible for it. Shame on you sir. Shame on you for spitting in the face of everything your office is supposed to stand for.
Sincerely,
Serena Woodward
6.06.2007
Now that the child is feeling better....
Don't watch this one at work:
And just in case you can't get to church this Sunday:
And because you're going to go to hell for laughing at that one:
This last one is a joke that only Gunfighter will get, or at least I hope he'll get why I posted it. Still funny though...and look, it's Hugh Laurie pre-House!
And just in case you can't get to church this Sunday:
And because you're going to go to hell for laughing at that one:
This last one is a joke that only Gunfighter will get, or at least I hope he'll get why I posted it. Still funny though...and look, it's Hugh Laurie pre-House!
6.04.2007
Exotic Illnesses
Just letting everyone know I may not be around for a while. My son has contracted Herpangina. I know! It sounds like a mutated STD doesn't it? I almost fell off my chair when the doctor told me what he had. Turns out it's just a fancy way of saying my three year old has a really high fever and a mouth full of puss filled blisters.
It supposed to last for a week. It can't be treated with antibiotics. Needless to say, this will most likely be my last post for a while. (Unless the husband is sitting with the sick child....)
It supposed to last for a week. It can't be treated with antibiotics. Needless to say, this will most likely be my last post for a while. (Unless the husband is sitting with the sick child....)
6.03.2007
6.01.2007
In keeping with the spirit...
So far this summer I have:
(1) Gone back to college after a thirteen year hiatus
(2) Taken my writing out of mothballs and begun work on it in earnest
(3) Signed up for a script writing .... umm??? Activity? Contest? I'm not sure what to call it exactly, but it's exciting.
and my newest new thing, in keeping with the spirit of adventure I seem to have embarked upon is:
Beginning on June 4th I will remove meat from my diet for one month. I'm not going to go Vegan for a month, THAT would kill me. I am going to try vegetarian. I know a lot of people that are vegetarian or vegan and I've often wondered how you eat that way and stay healthy and what prompts a person to stick with the lifestyle.
I have all these questions like: Don't you just crave a hamburger sometimes? and How long does it take for you to get used to not eating meat? So I'm going to give it a shot. I'm going to take the weekend and do some research and starting Monday, no more meat for a month.
I wonder what else I'll discover this month?
(1) Gone back to college after a thirteen year hiatus
(2) Taken my writing out of mothballs and begun work on it in earnest
(3) Signed up for a script writing .... umm??? Activity? Contest? I'm not sure what to call it exactly, but it's exciting.
and my newest new thing, in keeping with the spirit of adventure I seem to have embarked upon is:
Beginning on June 4th I will remove meat from my diet for one month. I'm not going to go Vegan for a month, THAT would kill me. I am going to try vegetarian. I know a lot of people that are vegetarian or vegan and I've often wondered how you eat that way and stay healthy and what prompts a person to stick with the lifestyle.
I have all these questions like: Don't you just crave a hamburger sometimes? and How long does it take for you to get used to not eating meat? So I'm going to give it a shot. I'm going to take the weekend and do some research and starting Monday, no more meat for a month.
I wonder what else I'll discover this month?
5.31.2007
Writing Meme
In keeping with the writing theme I have pilfered the following meme from E-Dawg. Okay, he kind of suggested that I should do the meme, but saying I plifered it makes me sound like some kind of meme bandit. Woo hoo! I'm such a rebel.
1. Do you outline?
I don't know if you could call it an outline, but I usually sketch out the idea I want to work on. I do this because a lot of times I am working on multiple projects and I don't want to lose any of the ideas I get.
2. Do you write straight through a book, or do you sometimes tackle the scenes out of order?
I do both. I have written stories where I start at the beginning and go to the end. For others I skip around, writing scenes as they come to me and tying them together as I go along.
3. Do you prefer writing with a pen or using a computer?
When I first start working on a new project I'm a pen and paper girl. I own almost a hundred different journals...and that's just the blank ones. Once I get the bare bones down, I switch to the computer. I just like the feel of pen on paper.
4. Do you prefer writing in first person or third?
I prefer writing in the third person although I will challenge myself sometimes and write a story in first person. First person is MUCH harder. It's hard to stay in that voice.
5. Do you listen to music while you write?
I actually have set playlists for the type of writing (drama, sci-fi, stage) that I'm doing. There are three specific types of playlists so that they match my mood. How anal does that make me sound?
6. How do you come up with the perfect names for your characters?
When I'm writing, the characters usually name themselves. For those times when I really need to find that perfect name I own several baby name books and other name reference books and I have links to some name generators.
7. When you're writing, do you ever imagine your book as a television show or movie?
There are some stories that I start writing as a short or with the idea of doing a novel and I'll stop about half way through and set it aside because I realize that it would be better as a movie or a mini-series.
8.Have you ever had a character insist on doing something you really didn't want him/her to do?
All the time. Characters will start out as just characters and by the time I'm done they are living and breathing. It makes me sad sometimes to come to the end of a project because it means I have to put those characters aside. But there are always new characters around the corner.
9. Do you know how a book is going to end when you start it?
I like to think I do, but things don't always go as planned. Writing is kind of like life that way....you don't always know what to expect.
10. Where do you write?
Where ever I am when the mood strikes. Right now I don't have a "writing schedule", although I'm going to have to set one soon.
11. What do you do when you get writer's block?
I read or I write fan fiction. I know writing fan fiction sounds like an odd thing to do when you have writer's block, but it doesn't require as much as creating something brand new. You get to start with a set of cannon characters, a background and a place to go from there, all you have to do is run with it. Reading or re-reading a really good book does the same thing, it frees up my mind so I'm not concentrating so hard on what I think the problem is.
12. What size increments do you write in (either in terms of word count, or as a percentage of the book as a whole)?
I write until I'm done. Sometimes thats four or five pages, once it was one hundred pages. When I've tapped myself out, I can feel it and I stop.
13. How many different drafts did you write for your last project?
At least four....with some of my poetry there have been as many as fifteen rewrites.
14. Have you ever changed a character's name midway through a draft?
In my rough draft if I'm having trouble with a secondary or background character I'll just drop a name in, like Bob or something equally generic, when I do rewrites I change the name to fit the character.
15. Do you let anyone read your book while you're working on it, or do you wait until you've completed a draft before letting someone else see it?
If the person is reading for me to help me catch possible problems, then yes. Otherwise I don't let anyone read what I'm working on until I'm finished.
16. What do you do to celebrate when you finish a draft?
Like Ian said, I usually feel a little sad when I finish something. A lot of writers actually say they feel that. You spend so much time working on these characters, getting invested in them and their lives...they become like family. Then one day...you're finished and you have to let the project go to someone you know is going to "edit" it. It's kind of a sad moment.
17. One project at a time, or multiple projects at once?
I'm actually laughing as I type this. I wish I could do one project at a time. I pray daily for the ability to keep my mind squarely focused on one writing project. I usually have three at any one time.
18. Do your books grow or shrink in revision?
That all depends on what the point of the revision is. I can't edit my own writing, something I'm working on. When I look at things every word is important, every syllable a must keep, so if it's cutting that needs doing, I'm not the one doing it. Additions I can handle. I get someone to read for me and point out where they felt the story lagged or needed more, then I go in and revise the story accordingly.
19. Do you have any writing or critique partners?
I live in a small town where I don't have many friends, so at the moment I have two people I can turn to for help critiquing. One lives in Salt Lake and the other I know from on-line. I'd like to have a group I can go to, but there's no one in my community that is interested in it...well no one that I've met anyway.
20. Do you prefer drafting or revising?
Let me put it to you this way. I would rather spend an entire weekend locked in a room with a televison stuck on C-Span than have to revise something.
Writing is MUCH more fun. The editing and revision process is a special kind of hell.
There you have it friends. I'm not tagging anyone with this, but for any of my fellow writers out there, I encourage you to pilfer this from me. Come one, you know you want to......
1. Do you outline?
I don't know if you could call it an outline, but I usually sketch out the idea I want to work on. I do this because a lot of times I am working on multiple projects and I don't want to lose any of the ideas I get.
2. Do you write straight through a book, or do you sometimes tackle the scenes out of order?
I do both. I have written stories where I start at the beginning and go to the end. For others I skip around, writing scenes as they come to me and tying them together as I go along.
3. Do you prefer writing with a pen or using a computer?
When I first start working on a new project I'm a pen and paper girl. I own almost a hundred different journals...and that's just the blank ones. Once I get the bare bones down, I switch to the computer. I just like the feel of pen on paper.
4. Do you prefer writing in first person or third?
I prefer writing in the third person although I will challenge myself sometimes and write a story in first person. First person is MUCH harder. It's hard to stay in that voice.
5. Do you listen to music while you write?
I actually have set playlists for the type of writing (drama, sci-fi, stage) that I'm doing. There are three specific types of playlists so that they match my mood. How anal does that make me sound?
6. How do you come up with the perfect names for your characters?
When I'm writing, the characters usually name themselves. For those times when I really need to find that perfect name I own several baby name books and other name reference books and I have links to some name generators.
7. When you're writing, do you ever imagine your book as a television show or movie?
There are some stories that I start writing as a short or with the idea of doing a novel and I'll stop about half way through and set it aside because I realize that it would be better as a movie or a mini-series.
8.Have you ever had a character insist on doing something you really didn't want him/her to do?
All the time. Characters will start out as just characters and by the time I'm done they are living and breathing. It makes me sad sometimes to come to the end of a project because it means I have to put those characters aside. But there are always new characters around the corner.
9. Do you know how a book is going to end when you start it?
I like to think I do, but things don't always go as planned. Writing is kind of like life that way....you don't always know what to expect.
10. Where do you write?
Where ever I am when the mood strikes. Right now I don't have a "writing schedule", although I'm going to have to set one soon.
11. What do you do when you get writer's block?
I read or I write fan fiction. I know writing fan fiction sounds like an odd thing to do when you have writer's block, but it doesn't require as much as creating something brand new. You get to start with a set of cannon characters, a background and a place to go from there, all you have to do is run with it. Reading or re-reading a really good book does the same thing, it frees up my mind so I'm not concentrating so hard on what I think the problem is.
12. What size increments do you write in (either in terms of word count, or as a percentage of the book as a whole)?
I write until I'm done. Sometimes thats four or five pages, once it was one hundred pages. When I've tapped myself out, I can feel it and I stop.
13. How many different drafts did you write for your last project?
At least four....with some of my poetry there have been as many as fifteen rewrites.
14. Have you ever changed a character's name midway through a draft?
In my rough draft if I'm having trouble with a secondary or background character I'll just drop a name in, like Bob or something equally generic, when I do rewrites I change the name to fit the character.
15. Do you let anyone read your book while you're working on it, or do you wait until you've completed a draft before letting someone else see it?
If the person is reading for me to help me catch possible problems, then yes. Otherwise I don't let anyone read what I'm working on until I'm finished.
16. What do you do to celebrate when you finish a draft?
Like Ian said, I usually feel a little sad when I finish something. A lot of writers actually say they feel that. You spend so much time working on these characters, getting invested in them and their lives...they become like family. Then one day...you're finished and you have to let the project go to someone you know is going to "edit" it. It's kind of a sad moment.
17. One project at a time, or multiple projects at once?
I'm actually laughing as I type this. I wish I could do one project at a time. I pray daily for the ability to keep my mind squarely focused on one writing project. I usually have three at any one time.
18. Do your books grow or shrink in revision?
That all depends on what the point of the revision is. I can't edit my own writing, something I'm working on. When I look at things every word is important, every syllable a must keep, so if it's cutting that needs doing, I'm not the one doing it. Additions I can handle. I get someone to read for me and point out where they felt the story lagged or needed more, then I go in and revise the story accordingly.
19. Do you have any writing or critique partners?
I live in a small town where I don't have many friends, so at the moment I have two people I can turn to for help critiquing. One lives in Salt Lake and the other I know from on-line. I'd like to have a group I can go to, but there's no one in my community that is interested in it...well no one that I've met anyway.
20. Do you prefer drafting or revising?
Let me put it to you this way. I would rather spend an entire weekend locked in a room with a televison stuck on C-Span than have to revise something.
Writing is MUCH more fun. The editing and revision process is a special kind of hell.
There you have it friends. I'm not tagging anyone with this, but for any of my fellow writers out there, I encourage you to pilfer this from me. Come one, you know you want to......
Well, I'm in for it now.
I did it. I signed myself up for Script Frenzy. I have never written a script before in my life. I'm not sure what kind of insanity came over me, but this next month should be interesting. I have a couple of ideas already, one based on a short story I wrote when I was younger and one based on a story idea I had a couple of years ago.
I'm actually really excited about this. The script I end up with might turn out to be complete junk, but it will be an interesting creative endeavor.
I also have two writing projects in the works. Anyone that answered my call for bodies can expect to get a follow up email later this weekend to give you more information and ask you to answer a few questions.
I'm all a twitter with excitement over the many projects I have in front of me. We shall see how long that excitement lasts.
I'm actually really excited about this. The script I end up with might turn out to be complete junk, but it will be an interesting creative endeavor.
I also have two writing projects in the works. Anyone that answered my call for bodies can expect to get a follow up email later this weekend to give you more information and ask you to answer a few questions.
I'm all a twitter with excitement over the many projects I have in front of me. We shall see how long that excitement lasts.
Wendy's Weirds Me Out...Again
Has anyone seen the latest Wendy's commercial? It just weirds me out.
If you haven't seen the ad I'm talking about you really should go check it out.
http://www.wendys.com/ads/
It's the one with the guy in the red Pippi Longstocking wig. What the hell does a bunch of people standing around kicking trees have to do with Wendy's? And why is that man wearing a Pippi Longstocking wig?
Maybe it's a spoof on the whole, "I'm thinking Arby's thing." I don't know. What I do know is that it creeps me out even more than the idea of them using "Blister in the Sun" to try and hock fast food.
I think the ad department at Wendy's is being run by stoners.
If you haven't seen the ad I'm talking about you really should go check it out.
http://www.wendys.com/ads/
It's the one with the guy in the red Pippi Longstocking wig. What the hell does a bunch of people standing around kicking trees have to do with Wendy's? And why is that man wearing a Pippi Longstocking wig?
Maybe it's a spoof on the whole, "I'm thinking Arby's thing." I don't know. What I do know is that it creeps me out even more than the idea of them using "Blister in the Sun" to try and hock fast food.
I think the ad department at Wendy's is being run by stoners.
5.30.2007
I need a body count.....
As many of you know, I fancy myself a writer. I have a great idea for a new story and I need bodies for the body count. If I've intrigued you and you're a fellow blogger, let me know. I'll email you with details.
5.25.2007
Tag! Dammit...
I have been tagged with this meme by Brillig. This means that not only do I have to answer the question, I have to think of people to tag in return. This reminds me an awful lot of those Slam Books we used to get in trouble for when we were in Junior High.
Okay, so on with the meme:
Where did you get your kids' names from?
Let's see, are we talking nick names or real names? Let's do both shall we?
May daughter's name is Alexandria Nichelle. I picked Alexandria because I wanted her to have a strong name she could grow into, but something she could shorten and have fun with when she was younger. Nichelle I chose because I think it's beautiful. I'm a Star Trek fan and the actress that plays Lt. Uhura is Nichell Nichols. The name always sounded great to me and the actress is accomplished, well-spoken and was one of the first strong female role models in entertainment.
My daughter actually has two nick names: Bubba for when we're feeling playful or silly and Baby Angel. I started calling her Baby Angel the day she was born. I looked into her eyes and she looked like a tiny little angel staring back at me. When she turned twelve she said to me,"I'm not a baby anymore you know." I smiled and told her that no matter what age she was she would always be my baby.
My son is three. His name is Jareth Malachai. My husband and I picked Jareth because of our fondness for the movie Labryinth. And no, I'm not joking. It's a unique name and it's one he can grow into. Russ and I both love the movie and have fond memories of watching it when we were younger. We chose his middle name basically because it sounded good with Jareth...I wish there was more to it, but there's not.
Jareth's nick name is Buddah. I honestly have no idea where it came from. We've been calling him that since he was about six months old. I don't know which one of us started it, or why, but it's what we call him. Sometimes I call him Booger, usually when he's being a pain in the ass. He will usually laugh and say,"I'm a Booger." This makes me laugh...it's a good time.
Now, who do I tag? I'm going to tag:
Paula
Ian (mostly because I want to listen to him rant about being tagged with yet ANOTHER meme..Love ya Ian!)
and
Gunfighter
Have fun ya'll!
Okay, so on with the meme:
Where did you get your kids' names from?
Let's see, are we talking nick names or real names? Let's do both shall we?
May daughter's name is Alexandria Nichelle. I picked Alexandria because I wanted her to have a strong name she could grow into, but something she could shorten and have fun with when she was younger. Nichelle I chose because I think it's beautiful. I'm a Star Trek fan and the actress that plays Lt. Uhura is Nichell Nichols. The name always sounded great to me and the actress is accomplished, well-spoken and was one of the first strong female role models in entertainment.
My daughter actually has two nick names: Bubba for when we're feeling playful or silly and Baby Angel. I started calling her Baby Angel the day she was born. I looked into her eyes and she looked like a tiny little angel staring back at me. When she turned twelve she said to me,"I'm not a baby anymore you know." I smiled and told her that no matter what age she was she would always be my baby.
My son is three. His name is Jareth Malachai. My husband and I picked Jareth because of our fondness for the movie Labryinth. And no, I'm not joking. It's a unique name and it's one he can grow into. Russ and I both love the movie and have fond memories of watching it when we were younger. We chose his middle name basically because it sounded good with Jareth...I wish there was more to it, but there's not.
Jareth's nick name is Buddah. I honestly have no idea where it came from. We've been calling him that since he was about six months old. I don't know which one of us started it, or why, but it's what we call him. Sometimes I call him Booger, usually when he's being a pain in the ass. He will usually laugh and say,"I'm a Booger." This makes me laugh...it's a good time.
Now, who do I tag? I'm going to tag:
Paula
Ian (mostly because I want to listen to him rant about being tagged with yet ANOTHER meme..Love ya Ian!)
and
Gunfighter
Have fun ya'll!
The other day I was over at Never what you think it should be.... and the utterly fabulous WhiskeyMarie was lamenting her misbehaving hair. Now folks, I have to tell you this woman has got to have the single most impressive collection of hair care products I have EVER seen in my life. I bow to her hair care devotion. She is my new hair care GODDESS! (For those of you who don't know me well, I'm a "wash and go" girl. This means I spend five minutes TOPS on my hair. I wash, spray with leave in conditioner, comb, clip up or shake out depending on the day and we're off.) For someone to have the sheer amount of dedication it takes to know how to use those products, let alone shop for them...I am in awe!!!
That alone would deserve a post, but it's not why we're here. No. We're here because while I was admiring her seriously industrious hair care collection I started thinking about my own obsession with something. I, dear readers, am obsessed with skin care.
If I owned a digital camera this would be the point in my confession where I posted pictures similar to those found on WhiskeyMarie's blog. I don't own a digital camera though as I am frighteningly behind the times, so you will just have to imagine the sheer size of my skin care collection.
I counted and I have twenty seven different kinds of lotion, fifteen different facial products, and about fifty different kinds of skin cleansers, buffers and deep conditioners. I could start my own spa. I have special socks for deep conditioning my feet. Special callous removers for both my hands and my feet. I have specific face creams for day and night. I know how to make my own facials from all natural products like oatmeal and strawberries. I know how to use mayonnaise and stale beer to make my hair soft and shiny. I know that olive oil, avocado and honey is a GREAT moisturizer.
I lay in the sun like I'm still a teenager and this pisses my friends off because I still look like I'm 25. I moisturize, soak, scrub, sooth....I'm obsessed with my skin. But dammit, I'm going to look GOOD when I'm 70!!!!!
That alone would deserve a post, but it's not why we're here. No. We're here because while I was admiring her seriously industrious hair care collection I started thinking about my own obsession with something. I, dear readers, am obsessed with skin care.
If I owned a digital camera this would be the point in my confession where I posted pictures similar to those found on WhiskeyMarie's blog. I don't own a digital camera though as I am frighteningly behind the times, so you will just have to imagine the sheer size of my skin care collection.
I counted and I have twenty seven different kinds of lotion, fifteen different facial products, and about fifty different kinds of skin cleansers, buffers and deep conditioners. I could start my own spa. I have special socks for deep conditioning my feet. Special callous removers for both my hands and my feet. I have specific face creams for day and night. I know how to make my own facials from all natural products like oatmeal and strawberries. I know how to use mayonnaise and stale beer to make my hair soft and shiny. I know that olive oil, avocado and honey is a GREAT moisturizer.
I lay in the sun like I'm still a teenager and this pisses my friends off because I still look like I'm 25. I moisturize, soak, scrub, sooth....I'm obsessed with my skin. But dammit, I'm going to look GOOD when I'm 70!!!!!
5.24.2007
What a difference a generation makes
I have a dear friend that is in her seventies. She is like a mother to me. My closest confidant and my shoulder to cry on when times are hard. I love her. I have always known that she and I do not see eye to eye on many subjects and, in fact, it is one of the things that makes our friendship fun and vital.
The other day as we were talking about rising gas prices, global warming and rapidly rising populations it was driven home for me just how different we were in our thinking. Comments she made started me thinking about the generational differences that still exist and how they often contribute to problems like social policy change, eradication of race issues and progress in political stability and the tendency towards religious fervor that can show up in times of crisis.
My friend and I were talking and I made the comment about the human race not being able to self moderate when it came to population. That animals will stop breeding if the herd becomes to large for the environment in which it lives to sustain it, but humans will not follow this same pattern. She responded by saying, "But if we don't keep having babies the colored people will start to outnumber us and then where will we be?" I sat and looked at her for a moment, not sure how to respond. She hadn't said it with any malice in her voice, it was very matter of fact and yet it had struck me as a very racist thing to say. I know this woman and she isn't mean spirited and would never think to judge a person based on color if they needed help or assistance of any kind. And yet, here was something so ugly coming from her. How did I reconcile this? It took me back, it shocked me. I did the only thing I could think of, I changed the subject.
Others of my generation would most likely condemn this person out of hand. Angry denouncement of "Racist" and "Bigot" would be hurled. I have to admit, one of the first thoughts through my mind was, "I didn't know she was so racist." And then I stopped and thought about it. I gave thought to where the comment might have come from and if she even understood, really understood how it would have been perceived by someone else. Would she have heard the racism in the comment, or would it have been just a normal thing to say for her?
My friend lived through the Great Depression, World War II and the social upheaval of the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam Era. She also witnessed the turmoil surrounding the Women's Rights movement and the entrance onto the social forefront of the Gay and Lesbian Rights activists. Environmental activists, human rights activists, criminal rights activists all of these groups came into being during her lifetime. The concept of "childhood" as we know it was developed and placed into society during her lifetime. When you stop going to school, when you start working to support a family, when you get married....all of these ideas have changed. Who you associate with, what's appropriate behavior in society, what's appropriate to talk about and even how you say it...all of these ideas have changed as well.
My generation takes these things for granted. We expect that everyone will accept and understand these ideas. That they are part of the societal norm is a given for us. We have forgotten that there is an entire generation that did not grow up with these ideals. They had them thrust upon them. Are still having them thrust upon them.
Imagine being seventy-five years old and having a twenty-five year old woman, covered in tattoos with purple hair, her breast barely covered walk up to you and start speaking to you about the right to have an abortion. She is mixing profanity in with her speech and waving a crudely painted sign in your face. How would you react? Or imagine turning on your television and being bombarded with images of a world that looks nothing like the one you were familiar with...hearing ideas that do not match the morals you were taught all your life. How easy would it be for you to change an entire moral code?
How do we combat that? Fighting against groups like KKK is hard enough. They perpetuate hatred based on ethnicity out of sheer fear and ignorance, born of a time when it was a right and nurtured for centuries. This kind of racism is much quieter and hides in people that really mean no harm. My friend's children grew up hearing such quiet statements and probably make them themselves, carrying the cycle forward. These are not monstrous people. These are men and women who give to charity, help their neighbors in times of crisis, bake cookies for the school bake sale and make friends with people of all colors and ethnic groups...all the while, lurking just under the surface....How do you diffuse that? What is the way to break a cycle that you can't see?
The other day as we were talking about rising gas prices, global warming and rapidly rising populations it was driven home for me just how different we were in our thinking. Comments she made started me thinking about the generational differences that still exist and how they often contribute to problems like social policy change, eradication of race issues and progress in political stability and the tendency towards religious fervor that can show up in times of crisis.
My friend and I were talking and I made the comment about the human race not being able to self moderate when it came to population. That animals will stop breeding if the herd becomes to large for the environment in which it lives to sustain it, but humans will not follow this same pattern. She responded by saying, "But if we don't keep having babies the colored people will start to outnumber us and then where will we be?" I sat and looked at her for a moment, not sure how to respond. She hadn't said it with any malice in her voice, it was very matter of fact and yet it had struck me as a very racist thing to say. I know this woman and she isn't mean spirited and would never think to judge a person based on color if they needed help or assistance of any kind. And yet, here was something so ugly coming from her. How did I reconcile this? It took me back, it shocked me. I did the only thing I could think of, I changed the subject.
Others of my generation would most likely condemn this person out of hand. Angry denouncement of "Racist" and "Bigot" would be hurled. I have to admit, one of the first thoughts through my mind was, "I didn't know she was so racist." And then I stopped and thought about it. I gave thought to where the comment might have come from and if she even understood, really understood how it would have been perceived by someone else. Would she have heard the racism in the comment, or would it have been just a normal thing to say for her?
My friend lived through the Great Depression, World War II and the social upheaval of the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam Era. She also witnessed the turmoil surrounding the Women's Rights movement and the entrance onto the social forefront of the Gay and Lesbian Rights activists. Environmental activists, human rights activists, criminal rights activists all of these groups came into being during her lifetime. The concept of "childhood" as we know it was developed and placed into society during her lifetime. When you stop going to school, when you start working to support a family, when you get married....all of these ideas have changed. Who you associate with, what's appropriate behavior in society, what's appropriate to talk about and even how you say it...all of these ideas have changed as well.
My generation takes these things for granted. We expect that everyone will accept and understand these ideas. That they are part of the societal norm is a given for us. We have forgotten that there is an entire generation that did not grow up with these ideals. They had them thrust upon them. Are still having them thrust upon them.
Imagine being seventy-five years old and having a twenty-five year old woman, covered in tattoos with purple hair, her breast barely covered walk up to you and start speaking to you about the right to have an abortion. She is mixing profanity in with her speech and waving a crudely painted sign in your face. How would you react? Or imagine turning on your television and being bombarded with images of a world that looks nothing like the one you were familiar with...hearing ideas that do not match the morals you were taught all your life. How easy would it be for you to change an entire moral code?
How do we combat that? Fighting against groups like KKK is hard enough. They perpetuate hatred based on ethnicity out of sheer fear and ignorance, born of a time when it was a right and nurtured for centuries. This kind of racism is much quieter and hides in people that really mean no harm. My friend's children grew up hearing such quiet statements and probably make them themselves, carrying the cycle forward. These are not monstrous people. These are men and women who give to charity, help their neighbors in times of crisis, bake cookies for the school bake sale and make friends with people of all colors and ethnic groups...all the while, lurking just under the surface....How do you diffuse that? What is the way to break a cycle that you can't see?
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