A bad lead-in

I just came in from repotting a plant on my front porch. While I was outside a cute, clean-cut teenage girl approached my house.

The first thing she said was, "I'm not trying to sell you candy."

She went on to explain how she was trying to raise money for college tuition, and pulled a laminated card from her back pocket that had a paragraph on the front I didn't bother to read and a Colorado State University logo at the bottom.

I turned the card over. On the back were pictures of our local daily newspapers.

She would have been better off trying to sell me candy. Even if it wasn't a scam (which it most likely was), printed news is dead in our household. We prefer to cherry-pick what we read online, and I have no interest in bundling old papers for the recycling bin. We've even let subscriptions to Time and National Geographic lapse. The spousal unit still picks up The Economist on occasion, but the rest of our news is all virtual.

But I still felt bad when she walked away. She looked awfully sweet and was quite polite when I turned her down.

Whine not

It's amazing how much negativity gets batted about on the intertubes. At least half of the articles and blogs I read nowadays could assume an alternate title of "XYZ Sucks!!!!" What good does it serve? Live your life. Try to feel peace. Remember that the venom that you spew, even if in support of a noble cause, propagates more of the same. Venting is only productive up to a point, and then it just turns into whining.

I want to hear about the good things that happen in your lives. I can't resist a creative story. I can't keep reading, however, that my car isn't hybrid enough or that the other side are idiots because they are too liberal/conservative/gay/Christian/what-the-fuck-ever or that America's corporate evildom is dooming the entire world to futility. Yes, the world is full of injustice. It is no worse than it has ever been. We are dealing with our own unique set of problems just as those in the past have done and the unborn will also have to do.

Now if only the media would take this to heart.

JACC, I love hearing about how you enjoy something as simple as Pappys.

Chelene, nakedness and Spike Lee make me smile.

Beckeye, I adore your obsession with Michael Johns.

Tanya, I'll keep reading Alexander's blog in your absence because he is the most clever and fun baby ever.

Metro, your creative posts help me aspire to be a better writer.

Mur, you come up with the most random and clever posts that make me chuckle.

Pugs, I miss your more personal posts.

Amanda, I look forward to reading about Mexico!!!

Kevin, it's good to read about you and Jody and the new stage in your life.

And now I'll contribute a bit of my own.

Here's a flowerbed we built in the back yard a few years ago. The dark orange daylily is coming back full-force.

There's some cleanup to do, and notice the hole where Ripley can't resist an occasional dig. But this is the view from my office window and it is quite tranquil when things are in bloom. It gives me something to look forward to. I think we can all use a little more of that.

Pity me please

I'm working out on my deck this afternoon. My screen is sort of hard to see and I keep having to move my chaise lounge to follow the shade.

Don't you feel awful for me?

Consolation

Today at lunch I consoled myself about not going to China with some nummy Indian leftovers. The spousal unit and I combined them in one container, and they got all mixed together. I dubbed the resulting dish "Lamb-Chicken Sagaloo". It was quite delicious.

Nothing too fabulous over the weekend. Sasha escaped the yard once again. Usually I can go after her with the car and she'll hop right in, but she discovered that if she keeps running the chase is even faster than when I'm on foot. Ripley also decided that following Sasha on her wanderings is a good time. Bad bad dogs.

I puttered in the yard, pulling up dead things and making room on the deck for our outdoor sofa, chairs, and firepit/coffee table that are currently on order. I think we'll add in a raised pond (no room for a pool like some other lucky bloggers) to complete our mini backyard oasis.

Caught the Merry Wives of Windsor on Sat. night. Live theater is the best. Here's a preshow shot of the convention center and a fun sculpture from the performing arts center balcony. Doesn't that piece of roof look like you could just break it off?

Send me your mojo

I'm trying to get sent to China for work. I'd leave a week from Saturday and would be there for 2 weeks. Destinations are Shanghai and 2 other destinations TBD.

Cross all your appendages and send me all your good mojo please! I'll find out tomorrow.

UPDATE: No China for me this time. But it could be in the cards for the future.

Bugs Husky

Sasha looooooooooooves carrots. She's learned to recognize the sound of the crisper drawer where we keep the carrots being opened. She'll come running in from the nether regions of the house, wagging her tail and wearing an expectant expression.

Roscoe and Ripley like carrots too but not like this cartoon character does.

Weekly oddity

I'm going to attempt to make this a feature on my blog. Here's this week's "huh?" moment.

Book Snob

For a number of months now I've been a member of a book club that a friend runs. So far there have been 2 books I could have done without (not worth mentioning), 2 I liked (A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and A Long Way Gone), and 2 that I loved (The Glass Castle, Water for Elephants (my choice)).

Said friend also lent me a book from her self-expressed favorite series - Confessions of a Shopaholic. I'd seen these books while browsing the chick-lit shelves in search of a beach read and they looked harmless enough, so I opted to give it a try. Being a female who really likes to shop, I figured we'd be compatible.

I can't say that I've ever been more disgusted with the "heroine" of a novel. This chick is shallow, stupid, dishonest, and a golddigger. Even the shopping was a letdown - I couldn't suspend my disbelief long enough to buy that a marginally employed 25-year-old can have a wardrobe sprinkled with Jimmy Choo and Dolce & Gabbana. The only redeeming quaility that I could find in the book was that the predicaments this idiot managed to get herself in were pretty funny.

So this friend is hosting next month and has selected another book by the same author. This book is sitting in my house because she left it here last month, and yet I still refuse to read it. I think I'm going to tell her that I'll be out of town for work. I realize I'm being obstinate and not entirely reasonable, but I just can't bring myself to pick the thing up.

So am I a total snoot?

Blood is still red last time I checked

Metro has a couple of current posts about how to help the environment. You can see I voiced my dissent regarding some of his views but it is a common cause. He reminded me of a post I've had in the back of my mind for weeks now.

As you can surmise, I've spent much more time than normal at the doctor's office lately. And it's struck me as a place that's in no way green. Every time I hop up on the table I sit on a disposable paper cover. I drape myself with a single-use paper "cloth". And then there's all the biohazardous waste that's incinerated. When I dropped off all my used syringes to be disposed of, I couldn't even keep the container for reuse.

Now, I realize this is probably a smidgen of a problem, if that, compared to emissions and factory livestock farming. But it still seems as if it could be improved upon. Or is there too much of a health risk involved? You tell me.

It seems as if syringes could be effectively sterilized and reused. Or maybe cloth drapes would be an option (except those too would need to be washed after every use). What else?

Human Garbage

Please read this story about a poor dog that was cruelly starved in the name of art.

A Costa Rican artist did an exhibition in Managua, Nicaragua. He paid some kids to catch an emaciated street dog. He tied up the dog underneath the words "You are what you read" pasted on the wall in dog food. He did not allow anyone to give the dog food or water. The dog died as a result of this exhibition.

Look at the third picture down. I'm really not sure who is worse - the artist or all these jackasses standing around munching wine and cheese while this poor creature suffered. It would have taken force to keep me from helping this animal had I been in attendance.

It gets worse. This creep actually won a prize for this "exhibit" and has been asked to show at a national event in Honduras. There's a petition to keep this from happening. Please sign it if you're willing.

Waterboarding? Too kind for this bastard.

Raktadana

Sanskrit for blood donation.

My friend Pugs over at Tittybits posted a disturbing story about forced raktadana in India.

India is such a conundrum to me. The standard of living varies so widely. I've worked with my share of Indians here on H1B visas. It's odd to realize that those people typically come from the higher Indian castes. And they still want to work here to do better.

That does seem to be changing somewhat. I think this is great. Maybe it's because my own job was never in jeopardy, but I'm happy with the effects that outsourcing has had worldwide. Despite the initial impact, it seems that the offshore movement hasn't really hurt the US IT field. There will always be a need for face to face operations as well as cultural familiarity in business operations that offshoring won't affect. And just because people live in India and not America doesn't mean they have any less right to a better life.

The spousal unit had a great time working with a bunch of Indian fellows last year. He had the unique experience of being the only caucasian software developer in the whole company. Extremely smart guys. Wonderful sense of humor. They passed on this entertaining piece of Indian wisdom:

Heaven on Earth
Chinese food
English house
American salary
Indian wife

Hell on Earth
English food
Chinese house
Indian salary
American wife

More dog yoga

Awhile back I linked to an article about dogs doing yoga. Well, apparently my crazy husky has jumped on the bandwagon.

They call this pose "Flasher".