:: Venting Insanity ::

:: Saturday, November 29, 2003 ::

typical clinton rhetoric
Sen. Clinton: More Time Needed for Iraq Power Transfer

And in a typically hypocritical move, Hillary announces she thinks we're transferring power too fast. One of the typical Democratic hippies, she argued and fought, condemned and rediculed, rallied and grumbled against the Bush administration for what's going on. Now she says we shouldn't pull out.

Oh, sure, she said "International force", but who makes up that international force from the UN or NATO? The U.S. Duh. Even her 'husband', the former President, could have told her that. Not that he'd openly admit anything that might support the Republicans either...

And not that her own little trip over to the Middle East was a nice surprise to follow Bush's own journey. {{cough}}

japan, too
Japanese Diplomats Killed in Iraq

Along with the seven Spaniards, two Japanese diplomats have also been killed. It seems terrorism is worldwide after all, huh?

turkey's in on the action
Turkey Holds Man Over Synagogue Suicide Bombing

And apparently, they have quite a few more. The article stated they had something like 20 people they were investigating or have charged that might linked not only to these bombings but to Al Quaeda.

movie review
Well, the other day, Estelle and I watched The Devine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood with Sandra Bullock (28 Days, Miss Congeniality). Also starring are Maggie Smith (Harry Potter, The First Wives Club), Ellen Burstyn (When a Man Loves a Woman), Fionnula Flanagan (Tears of the Sun, Waking Ned Devine), Shirley Knight (If These Walls Could Talk), James Garner (The Rockford Files), and Ashley Judd (Double Jeopardy, Kiss the Girls).

When a NYC playwright, Siddalee Walker (Bullock) does an interview with Time Magazine, her words come out slightly twisted. Naturally, her mother, Vivianne (Burstyn), reads the article. A rift suddenly opens between the two, who were already strained in the relationship as it was. So, Vivianne's childhood friends, the three other sisters in the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (Smith, Flanagan, and Knight) take it upon themselves to mend the relationship between mother and daughter.

The acting and editting was superb in what could have been a very dry and possibly disasterous script. Flashbacks are well handled and interspersed with the rest of the storyline to create a complete backstory and explain the reasons behind why the two main characters feel the way they do about each other.

The movie offers quite a few laughs, but also shows how the American south went through so many social changes... from racism and family rearing, to not talking about things considered 'taboo'. I found quite a few parallels to things my mother's told me about when she grew up. We weren't in the south, but we still had a lot of the same social issues they had down there.

I liked the movie for it's simple storyline and excellent acting.

movie news
Last of 'Lord of the Rings' Trilogy Set to Cast Spell

New Zealand capitalizes on the trilogy in an attempt to bring up their tourism. Unexpected? Not in the least. I would do the same thing.

this week in sports
Chris Carter's Week 13 NFL Preview

Things aren't looking good for my Broncos. Come on, boys!!

politics in everything
Vision vs. Symbols and Politics at Ground Zero

You know, it's taking so damn long to finish this, they might as well just go with the stupid memorial garden idea. All the businesses have long since settled in at their 'temporary' offices in New Jersey. They're really screwing themselves over with all this debating over the design.

europe helps out
3 Arrested in Europe Are Tied to Recruitment of Iraq Fighters

And they see the light! Finally, we're starting to see some momentum from Europe in the War on Terror.

are we that obvious?
U.S. Is Worried Foe Is Tracking Targets in Iraq

It seems we are. Of course, some things could be chalked up to coincidence, but they still have to investigate the possibility.

morale officer
Bush Tries Morale Boost as More Troops Die in Iraq

It's hard when you're wondering from day to day if you're going to hear about someone dying. But, when someone makes the choice to enter the military, they have to understand the risks of that decision. It's not just go in, come out, and get a free education. When you're in the military, you run the risk of being called to war. That's the reality of it. People just don't seem to understand that anymore. They get all indignant that they were called to war because, "I just joined to get an education... not to fight."

Surprise! When you join the military, you join for real, people. It's one of the reasons I didn't take them up on their education offer. I could have, but I knew what else was entailed and I wasn't ready to take that chance.

spain feels the pressure
Madrid Says 7 Spaniards Killed in Attack in Iraq

It makes you wonder how much of it is actual want for an oppressive dictatorship and how much of it is wanting to go back to something familiar.

you are C. C. Babcock, or as Niles put it C. C.
Boobcock or Ca Ca You have been a long time
associate of Maxwell and hopes to become a
partner to create Sheffield-Babcock
productions, You still have trouble
remembering Maxwell's kids names


Which The Nanny character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

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You are How the Other Half Lives! You do exactly
that. You spend a lot of time thinking about
people on the other side of the tracks.
Sometimes you think you're not good enough for
these types of people, even though that's not
true!


Which Thoroughly Modern Millie Song Are You?!
brought to you by Quizilla

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Which Final Fantasy villain are you?


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Which Final Fantasy Girl are you?

new amsterdam
The Un-Pilgrims

New York wasn't always New York, as a lot of who live here know. Originally a Dutch colony, New Amsterdam was always a place of multiculturalism and tolerance... such as it has developed into today. After all, where else can you get lo mein and then walk two blocks to get a cannoli?

donations please
Give Thanks and Life

I wrote previously about the kidney donations for Alonzo Mourning. It seems things are stemming from his tragedy to help many other people who are on the waiting lists. Thankfully, what at first seemed like an illustration of 'star power' has now turned into an exercise of awareness.

the new ebonics
Scholars of Twang Track All the 'Y'alls' in Texas

And, now, for the latest dialect in American culture to be recognized... The Texas Twang. Why can't anyone just speak properly?

war against terrorism
Anti-Terror Raids Target Islamists Across Europe

Europe finally understands what we're doing, and why, apparently.

an editorial
Letter From Tikrit

It's rare that I highlight editorials, but I just needed to put this up here. Another Martin Sheen? Does he want to go join Saddam in that little hidden bunker somewhere?

I say, "Go right ahead."

relations become tense
Attacks on G.I.'s in Mosul Rise as Good will Fades

What started out as an easy job in Mosul is slowly becoming harder and harder.

power shift
Meeting of Iraqi Leaders Gives Lift to U.S. Plan on Power Shift

This can be a good sign... Especially when, just yesterday, the headline was:

U.S. Plan in Iraq to Shift Control Hits Major Snag

praise the critics
Democrats Temper Praise for Bush Visit With Criticism

They can't just leave well enough alone. Not a single one of them can say something nice about what he did without finding something negative to append to it. Figures...

can't have good news without bad news
U.S. Soldier Killed in Iraq Hours After Bush Visit

And the attacks continue...

travel plans
Aides Prodded Reluctant Bush on Iraq Trip

On Secret Iraq Trip, Bush Pays Holiday Visit to G.I.'s

Looks like my parents aren't the only ones traveling this Thanksgiving. Of course, there's conflicting opinions on this one. Some are saying it was Bush's idea, some are saying it was his aides... some are saying he didn't want to go, some are saying he did.

I guess we'll never know...

happy turkey day
Yesterday was rather uneventful, if a bit frustrating. I wish I could spend at least an hour with my grandmother without finding myself either horribly bored or completely annoyed by something she says.

I love my grandmother, which is why I'd like to spend time with her, but it inevitably gets me annoyed or bored in some way or another. I try, I really do. I'm just tired of being asked almost every time if I remember being five years old and throwing "wocks in the water" (which I never said it that way) in the driveway.

Yes... Okay? I remember. And, if I didn't, I sincerely doubt you'd let me forget. Because, anything that I say I don't remember, she proceeds to describe in full detail. I don't want to hear about my childhood. I was there. I remember most of it. That's it, thanks, goodbye!

Sometimes, I wish Auntie Lyn had been able to have kids. Or at least that Nana had more kids so I'd have cousins for her to pick on, too. I hate being the only one. I really do.

speculations
I guess it stems from being a loner. I prefer to be on my own most of the time. When I have a choice, I usually pick to stay home. I enjoy spending time by myself on the computer, or drawing, or reading, or just watching TV. I don't mind it.

So, when it comes to a situation where I suddenly become the center of unwanted attention and over-affection, I feel extremely uncomfortable. In a lot of ways, I'm like a cat. I like to spend time on my own, and I will seek out attention and companionship when there's a need. I don't like having it pushed upon me when I want to be alone.

My parents figured this out long before I did. They let me do my own thing more and more, watching when I was younger to make sure I didn't get hurt and whatnot... but they realize that I will come to them when I need to. I don't like to burden others with my problems, so I don't talk about a lot of stuff. They used to get upset that I wouldn't talk to them, but they know it's not in my personality to do that. I prefer to figure things out on my own than dump all my troubles on another person.

Mainly, I hate sounding like a whiner, or being the person in the group that's always complaining.

terms of affection
And it's sort of funny how I can't tolerate the level of affection I get from being the only grandchild on my mother's side, but the lack of affection on my dad's side thanks to being the oldest of ten grandchildren (and the only non-Catholic grandchild, which seems to irk my Catholic grandmother to no end) grates on my nerves... probably because I see the other kids getting attention when I never really got any at their age.

I went over to my dad's parents' house to play with the other kids in their neighborhood more than I went to visit them. And they seemed perfectly happy to let me go and play with the other kids than have to worry about entertaining a young child. I never had toys or games to play with when I was there... now there's toys and games everywhere for the kids. I was always left to my own devices, while my cousins were taken to the park downtown or out to the store or to a movie.

Maybe it's because my grandmother was still too busy trying to be a mother to my dad's youngest two siblings and wasn't ready to be considered a grandmother. Who knows? Either way, I never really felt like I was part of my own family.

Well, enough about my wandering feelings of insecurity and unsurity...

back to the turkey!
Well, not much to say about it anyway. It was filling. We didn't have any baked potatoes this year. We mashed them. That was the main difference. I made a huge salad, and we had three kinds of cider to drink. Then, we had stuffing and this weird concoction my aunt makes every year that I don't like... ^^;; It's a cream sauce over boiled onions. My mom likes it. And, of course, the cranberry sauce.

Afterwards, we watched The Two Towers with all the added footage. It was like an extra 48 minutes or something like that. It didn't change my general feelings on the movie, anyway. I still liked it.

delayed vacation
This year, my parents aren't leaving until Sunday. They usually leave Friday and come back Monday, but it's cheaper to go during the week. They're coming back on Wednesday. Nana actually asked Mom if she and Auntie Lyn should spend the week out here with me.

I was like, 'I'm how old again? I've been on my own for Mom and Dad's Thanksgiving trip for how long now?'

Yeah... Anyway, Mom said I'd be fine... which I will be. I've been fine every year since I started staying home on my own, and there's no reason I shouldn't be this year. Besides, I have classes and homework and stuff to take up my time. The last thing I want to worry about is basically playing hostess to Nana to Auntie Lyn. They'd want me to spend time with them when this is parentless time I could be using to do other things...

Like laundry without fighting with Mom on who gets to use the machines first.

There will be plenty of things to keep me busy without having to worry about taking Nana and Auntie Lyn somewhere or staying home because they're over the house. I don't need to play hostess. And I'm old enough where I would feel obligated to do so instead of letting them play babysitter... which I don't need at my age, thank you very much. It's bad enough I'm still the only one to get carded when I go out with a group of friends.

snapple "real fact" #171
The most sensitive parts of the body are the mouth and fingertips.

That explains why I've hated needles since the day my pediatric nurse pricked the tip of my finger to take blood for a test instead of the side or my arm.

:: Wednesday, November 26, 2003 ::

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You're the Sorceress!


What woman out of fantasy literature are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

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I got 7/10... Pretty good; it seems I know my Java Beans from my fava beans, my slashers from my slashdotters.
How will you do?
Programming Language Inventor or Serial Killer?

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Congratulations, Jess!
Your IQ score is 135



This number is the result of a formula based on how many questions you answered correctly on Emode's Ultimate IQ test. Your IQ score is scientifically accurate; to read more about the science behind our IQ test, click here.

During the test, you answered four different types of questions — mathematical, visual-spatial, linguistic and logical. We analyzed how you did on each of those questions which reveals how your brain uniquely works.

We also compared your answers with others who have taken the test, and according to the sorts of questions you got correct, we can tell your Intellectual Type is Visual Mathematician.

This means you are gifted at spotting patterns — both in pictures and in numbers. These talents combined with your overall high intelligence make you good at understanding the big picture, which is why people trust your instincts and turn to you for direction — especially in the workplace.

mustang jessi
Well, I got to drive Mom's new Mustang today. Yes, she got a Mustang. It's a 2004 LX, 40^th Anniversary Edition, with a V6. She got it in deep burgandy with a tan interior and top (yes, she got a convertible), and it has dark gold racing strips on the hood, trunk lid, and along the bottom of the doors with matching gold insets on the wheel rims.

It's a really pretty car.

And I had a lot of fun driving it. I only drove it up to the store, but it rides really nice.

snapple "real fact" #173
Chinese is the most spoken language in the world.

Well, considering they have the biggest population...

illegal licenses?
Licenses for Illegal Immigrants

I was debating touching this one. As you all know, I can sometimes be a rather ranting Republican when it comes to issues like this.

Pros:

• passing of driver's test required means somewhat safer drivers
• insurance required or license will be suspended means better protection in accidents for victims
• illegal immigrants will be easier to find

Cons:

• licenses are forms of ID and therefore can be used for boarding airplanes or getting into possibly secure areas
• licenses can be used for voting purposes

So, as you can see, it's a fairly balanced and hard to decide matter. I can see the benefits, but I can also see the bad things.

star treatment
Dozens Offer a Kidney to Mourning

Alonzo Mourning, a center for the Nets, announced Monday that he will need a kidney transplant. Quite a few calls suddenly came in from around the country with people wanting to donate. It's nice people want to donate, but why not help someone else on the list? Why does it have to be a celebrity? Luckily, when asked, many of the donors said they'd be willing to donate to anyone.

How nice of them...

Also, they have to screen the donors to make sure they're truly doing this for reasons other than possibly grubbing money off the guy. And, they'll probably take from his friends and family first if they find a match.

The average person often has trouble finding donors; Elaine Berg, the president and chief executive of the New York Organ Donor Network, said that about 12,000 people donate organs annually, including 6,000 upon death, for a pool of 83,000 people who need an organ transplant.

An average of 17 people die per day waiting to receive one, she said.

not just spam?
Nigerian Says He May Return Liberia's Ex-Leader for Trial if Liberia Asks

And here I thought political troubles in that region were an spam e-mail hoax... Go figure. With all the Nigerian e-mails I've received, I'm getting a little tired of hearing their "former leader's" woes and sob stories. ^^;; At least I know this is somewhat real... though, considering the source (The New York Times), it makes me wonder...

republican ranting
Liberals Stink

And people thought my ranting was bad...

when in rome...
Iraqi Attacks on Americans Start to Ease, Bremer Says

But, attacks on Iraqis have increased. The terrorist groups have discovered that their attempts to intimidate the coalition forces weren't working, so they've resorted to attacking the civilians. Nice people, huh?

a bad penny?
G.O.P. Worries Face From Past Will Haunt Florida Senate Race

Do we really need to be reminded of the election debocle that stole the news for quite a long time while Florida attempted to figure out what voters' intentions were with hanging chads? I think not. However, I can understand Florida's resentment of the White House possibly stepping in to try and get someone else to run instead of Harris. Micromanage? Maybe.

i got sunshine...
The Winners! Top 10 Sun Images from SOHO

There's some really cool looking pictures on here. I love the ones with the different colors to show temperatures and molecular levels.

energy bill
Republicans Aim to Revive Energy Bill

This would be a good thing. It would certainly help us to start cutting ties with Middle East oil and make us less dependant on imports.

health insurance is a good thing to have
So, I went over to HIP today to apply for the Family Health Plus plan. After filling out all the appropriate paperwork, she said she would send it up to Social Services for evaluation. I will be hearing back in about 90 to 120 days.

Three to four months... Oi. That's a really long time. But, I've been without health insurance for just over two years now, what's another couple months, right? {{sigh}}

I just have this weird feeling that, if and when I get approved, something's going to happen to me that's going to put my new coverage to the test. I don't know why, but... I've just been too lucky for not having it so far.

fax working
Well, I've almost got my fax software working through WinXP. It's kinda neat. I sent one successfully. Have yet to receive one. Dad and I are playing back and forth with it. I sent to him, and he tried sending back, but it didn't work. I think it may have had something to do with the printer. The printer wasn't shared out on the other computer and I was having trouble printing... but I fixed that and can print again, so Dad's going to call me when he has some time and we'll try again.

snapple "real fact" # 144
Texas is the only state that permits residents to cast absentee ballots from space.

Does that happen often?

midterms
Well, I took my Java midterm tonight. I think I did pretty well. My Accounting midterm is tomorrow night. I'm not overly worried about it. My professor said we could check the book if we wanted to, but, if we didn't, we'd get an extra five points for being brave. ^^;; She also said that if more than 60% of the class gets 'A's' on the test, she'll buy us pizza.

transfer coolness
I might be able to transfer my Physics class from Suffolk instead of having to take it again. I was hoping to transfer one of my C or C++ classes, but I didn't get high enough grades. I wasn't really into going to school when I was over there, so my grades suffered big time from it.

I just have to wait for my official transcript to arrive in the mail and submit it along with the reevaluation request form to the registrar next semester.

new car fun
Mom got a car... she brought it home today. No more Explorer. Now, she's got a 2004 Mustang LX... the 40th Anniversary edition with all the special paint stripes and emblems and logos and all that stuff. It's a convertible, deep red with a tan interior and top, and it has special dark gold racing stripes and matching painted panels on the wheel rims. We took it out, cranked the heat, and put the top down tonight. With such a clear sky, it was actually a really nice ride... if a bit cold. ^^;;

health insurance is a good thing
Tomorrow is my application/interview/whatever it is they do over there at HIP for the state health insurance. I'm hoping I get it. I could really use it. Between the severity of my allergies and eczema lately and the fact that I've been in chronic pain again from my knee condition, I need the coverage in order to be able to afford the maintenance appointments and prescriptions for that stuff. $200 a session for physical therapy is a lot of money to dish out.

snapple "real fact" # 121
The only bird that can swim but not fly is the penguin.

don't mess with the wood
A friend of mine sent this to me... I nearly died when I saw it.

blackout schmackout
US Blackout Cut Off Many Internet Users

No kidding... I know I couldn't use the internet... considering I had no power to turn on my computer with! Some people, man. I bet those guys got paid a lot of money to find this out, too.

off season meetings
Steinbrenner Meets with Yankees Officials

Some discussions on next year's roster, including resigning Pettitte and David Wells... who's MRI's on his back are currently being waited on for results.

batman 5... thousand
Michael Caine may serve Caped Crusader

Yup, another one. Yet, they can't seem to find anyone to take on the 'cursed' role of Superman for the movie they have sitting on the side.

:: Sunday, November 23, 2003 ::

it's the end of the world as we know it... and i feel fine...
End of the World

As weird as this is, it was actually quite amusing for me. Just take a look and you'll see what I mean.

governator hits first bumps
Superhero Schwarzenegger Turns Mortal in Sacramento

"Ahnold" has discovered that being Governor of "Cahleefornia" isn't as easy as it looks. Not that Davis helped any by passing as many things as he could before he stepped down. But, anyway, looks like the Governator has his work cut out for him. California's in a worse state than New York when it comes to the Legislature.

"John, have you ever been to a meeting of the New York Legislature? There's a lot of shouting and talking, but nothing seems to ever get done." I love the show 1776.