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Catching up/random thoughts – part 1: autumn, Ebola, emoticons, and griping

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complaining

Where have you been?! I suppose you could ask the same of me. I took a part-time job. The girls needed new shoes. In addition to my other seven part-time jobs, it’s been busy. You? A lot has happened and been observed. Can we talk? - My basil plant outside died because when summer ends here I stop watering, which is nonsensical because it hasn’t rained here in sixteen years. I stop watering because after school starts, I no longer think about my basil plant. When school starts, it’s … [Read more...]

Friday fodder: social media, activism, and relativity

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#bringbackourgirls

By now, most of you have heard or should know about the 276 Nigerian schoolgirls abducted by the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram in April.  Ramaa Mosley, a Los Angeles mother, used social media in the last few weeks to get the word out by starting with a hashtag - #bringbackourgirls.  Today, not only can Michelle Obama be seen holding up a sign with the hashtag written upon it, but her husband, our president, has sent American troops to Africa to help the Nigerians find their missing … [Read more...]

Tuesday’s ten things, because I’ve been away so long…

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jack the dog

…and none of these deserve their own post. Separation of church and state – fine! – but most Americans celebrate Easter or Passover and they fall within the same time frame this year, April 14-22, so what the hell are all these school districts thinking scheduling spring break in March?  Goldie goes to Catholic school and so is off late next week and the week after.  Bun Bun and Miss T attend a secular, libertine, hedonistic institution that has turned their back on God and family, so were … [Read more...]

Weekly words on gun control: anticipation

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SONY DSC

For the sake of nothing really, let’s call the school that Miss T and Bun Bun attend Hogwarts.  The other morning, Miss T told me about a site on Instagram or Snapchat or Facebook – some social media site – called “Hogwarts’ Confessions." On it, students can anonymously tell other students that they’re pretty or smart or reveal that they ‘totally’ love someone on campus, or even that Mr. So-and-So is the best teacher ever.  Knowing the full freedom of the world-wide-web, it sounded to me like an … [Read more...]

Friday’s five things: Crimea, Malaysian Airlines, the time change, my name, and winter 2014

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crimea copy

1. Many Americans had never heard of Crimea before, much less knew how to pronounce it.  Cry-ME-yah, cry me a river. Ukraine, sure, and protesters and police killed in Kiev got our attention.  Bush probably would have called the demonstrators ‘Freedom Fighters,' though the name would have been somewhat inaccurate.  Ukrainian opposition was unhappy with Viktor Yanukovych, their democratically elected president, when it seemed he was leaning more towards Russia than the winds that tilt at Europe.  … [Read more...]

Sunday cafe: Sochi

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Curling

It’s about time that I check in with common thoughts on the Winter Games in Sochi.  And when I say ‘common’, I don’t mean dull.  It’s just that when I’m among a group of adults these days, we’re inevitably laughing at our similar reactions to all things Olympic – good, bad, ugly. First, the good: They’re the Olympics.  When I was a kid, we had to wait every four years for both the winter and summer games but now it’s only two as they take turns and we’re treated to massive inspiration on a … [Read more...]