"Don't Let Anyone Bring You Down."
-- Minnie Riperton
Over the past four days, I viewed the Democratic National Convention on CNN and C-Span. (I like C-Span better because I can listen to the musical artists and feel as if I'm there instead of having intrusive pundit chatter.) And Sen. Barack Obama, whom I called "President-to-Be Brotherman," delivered.
His 42-minute speech at Mile-High Stadium in Denver hit on the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I've Got a Dream" speech, the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and the seventh anniversary of the terrorist attack on the United States on September 11. His speech wasn't full of lofty platitudes. He gave it to the people straight, no chaser. This was one of my favorite excerpts:
"But the record's clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush ninety percent of the time. Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a ten percent chance on change."
Ow! That's gotta hurt!
Obama outlined what he would do as president and how certain programs would be paid for. I'm not sure how it's going to work, but I'd rather take my chances on Brotherman than on McCain, who thrives on the politics of fear and division.
I pretty much everything I saw during the week of the convention. Michelle Obama gave an emotional, moving speech about her husband. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton showed herself to be a class act by asking for a unanimous voice vote for her former rival. And former President Bill Clinton, who will always be considered the "first 'black' president," gave Obama his blessing and passed the Democratic torch.
But I liked one guy, Barney Smith, a Republican from Indiana who worked at an RCA plant until the plant closed in 2004. After 31 years working there, he received 90 days severance pay, and his job was shipped overseas. He now works at a distribution center.
"America can't afford more of the same. We need a president who puts the Barney Smiths before the Smith Barneys," he said.
Rock on, Mr. Smith!
As I write this, I learn that Sen. McCain has chosen Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska to be his running mate. I think McCain is trying to snag the female vote. He's such a Cheney!
But even when I had to go to work today, I'm smiling. Barack kicked ass and took names last night. And I think there will be more of that in the next two months.
I've got to sign up people to vote!
Writing Diva
Friday, August 29, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Dumped (Though I Deserved It)
The eHarmony suitor who only two weeks ago wrote to me "I want you, only you" is gone.
The gent closed his profile to me yesterday. And I don't blame him.
I think it was the last e-mail I wrote to him. I said that I had attended a luau hosted by a local singles group and had a good time. Then I asked him where he went to school. (I added that I was a UC Davis graduate.)
I asked him that because the e-mails I received from him were so poorly written that at times I couldn't understand what he was saying. One of my must-haves is someone who is as smart, if not smarter than, I am. I know it's elitist. But physical attraction is a small part of a relationship. If I can't discuss things on an intellectual level, that's half the relationship down the tubes.
I was also irritated by his emotional neediness. I realize that some people may call it affection or devotion. But to write every other day when I haven't written anything just to find out if I'm OK was starting to cramp my style.
To be honest, when I saw his closed message and his reason stated "other," I felt a bit stung. It was mostly my pride that was hurt. But later I realized that I deserved it because, at least in my mind, I treated him shabbily.
He deserves better, after having lost his wife and being alone for five years. I'm sure there's a wonderful woman out there for the gent. I know I'm just not that woman.
Be happy, K.
Writing Diva
The gent closed his profile to me yesterday. And I don't blame him.
I think it was the last e-mail I wrote to him. I said that I had attended a luau hosted by a local singles group and had a good time. Then I asked him where he went to school. (I added that I was a UC Davis graduate.)
I asked him that because the e-mails I received from him were so poorly written that at times I couldn't understand what he was saying. One of my must-haves is someone who is as smart, if not smarter than, I am. I know it's elitist. But physical attraction is a small part of a relationship. If I can't discuss things on an intellectual level, that's half the relationship down the tubes.
I was also irritated by his emotional neediness. I realize that some people may call it affection or devotion. But to write every other day when I haven't written anything just to find out if I'm OK was starting to cramp my style.
To be honest, when I saw his closed message and his reason stated "other," I felt a bit stung. It was mostly my pride that was hurt. But later I realized that I deserved it because, at least in my mind, I treated him shabbily.
He deserves better, after having lost his wife and being alone for five years. I'm sure there's a wonderful woman out there for the gent. I know I'm just not that woman.
Be happy, K.
Writing Diva
Friday, August 15, 2008
You're Putting a Rush on Me
In the space of two weeks, my social life has become a bit complicated.
On July 19, I subscribed to a three-month membership in eHarmony, the Web site that features the song "This Will Be" in its television commercials. Well, I have 34 matches, with one who is so interested in me that, as he put it in an e-mail, "I want you, only you."
Which elicited from me the following response: "WTF?"
He's a 57-year-old Caucasian widower from San Francisco who has a 12-year-old son. He sells German car parts and computers. From his e-mails, he can't write to save his own life. I sometimes have problems deciphering his e-missives. He is a Christian (perhaps Catholic, from his mention of consulting his priest) who is serious about finding his soul mate.
Eventually, I'd like to find a soul mate. But I'd like to meet some of my matches first before making any decisions.
Therein lies the problem. We're not in the same place. He seems to think I'm what he's looking for. But at this time my feelings aren't reciprocal. I asked the gent to slow down, to which he agreed.
Also, there is the situation with my "work flirt." A recent newspaper horoscope for Virgo read: "You have undeniable chemistry with someone -- a magnetic attraction that you forget about until you return to the vicinity of this person." Indeed, that's what I have with this colleague. When I showed his photo to a friend, she said, "He's pretty darn hot." Every time I see him, I feel as if I look like Elwood the Chinest crested dog, who once won the Ugliest Dog in the World Contest. He's almost completely hairless except with a tuft of white hair, and his tongue hangs out.
I will meet the e-Harmony gent and give him a chance. At this moment, however, his chances are still slim.
Writing Diva
On July 19, I subscribed to a three-month membership in eHarmony, the Web site that features the song "This Will Be" in its television commercials. Well, I have 34 matches, with one who is so interested in me that, as he put it in an e-mail, "I want you, only you."
Which elicited from me the following response: "WTF?"
He's a 57-year-old Caucasian widower from San Francisco who has a 12-year-old son. He sells German car parts and computers. From his e-mails, he can't write to save his own life. I sometimes have problems deciphering his e-missives. He is a Christian (perhaps Catholic, from his mention of consulting his priest) who is serious about finding his soul mate.
Eventually, I'd like to find a soul mate. But I'd like to meet some of my matches first before making any decisions.
Therein lies the problem. We're not in the same place. He seems to think I'm what he's looking for. But at this time my feelings aren't reciprocal. I asked the gent to slow down, to which he agreed.
Also, there is the situation with my "work flirt." A recent newspaper horoscope for Virgo read: "You have undeniable chemistry with someone -- a magnetic attraction that you forget about until you return to the vicinity of this person." Indeed, that's what I have with this colleague. When I showed his photo to a friend, she said, "He's pretty darn hot." Every time I see him, I feel as if I look like Elwood the Chinest crested dog, who once won the Ugliest Dog in the World Contest. He's almost completely hairless except with a tuft of white hair, and his tongue hangs out.
I will meet the e-Harmony gent and give him a chance. At this moment, however, his chances are still slim.
Writing Diva
Friday, August 1, 2008
Bad governor! No steroids!
"Money's too tight to mention"
-- Simply Red
Yesterday morning, between 11:30 a.m. and noon, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an executive order laying off more than 10,000 part-time and temporary state employees and consultants and cutting the pay of more than 200,000 California civil servants to $6.55 an hour. I can tell you that $6.55 isn't enough to buy 7 pounds of Purina Cat Chow at WinCo Foods.
All this happened because the state Legislature has not agreed upon a budget. The Democrats say they've already cut enough and want to raise "revenues." The Republicans have vowed not to raise "taxes." Therefore, both sides are involved in a spitting match, with state workers being spat upon.
In all this budget darkness came a shining light -- Controller John Chiang said that he would not carry out the executive order because there's enough money to keep the state solvent through September. "Ah-nult" said he would take Chiang to court if he had to. So, there may be another legal spitting match. But if Chiang ever decided to run for governor, I'd support him.
I'll be OK, I think. I have long-standing direct-deposit account with the Golden 1 Credit Union, which has offered state workers with accounts opened before June 30 a zero percent loan to cover their paychecks until the budget mess is settled. Other banks may offer their own deals.
I contacted my mortgage company this morning explaining my financial situation. The customer service supervisor I spoke to advised that I call later in the month if the budget situation is still in flux so I could make a payment arrangement until the budget is signed.
But I admit I'm better off than a lot of people who lost their jobs. A single mother who works part-time as an office assistant making $15.98 an hour had just closed on a new house. Now that she's just lost her job, she has to tell her mortgage company that she can't make the first payment on September 1. Now, that's just awful!
I've read posts on newspaper Web sites that portray state workers as lazy whiners. Having worked for the private sector as well as the public one, I've found both sides pretty much the same. Most people work hard for their money. So, I wish the critics would leave us alone and let us provide the services they ask for.
If the Republicans want to cut services, I'd love to know which services they'd like to cut. Would they like to cut my job as an editor? Would they like to cut my older brother's job at DMV? What about my older sister's job at the Board of Equalization? Let the Republicans come up with their own version of the budget so we can get this thing settled.
As for "Ah-nult" and his pathetic apology, "sorry" doesn't pay the mortgage!
Writing Diva
-- Simply Red
Yesterday morning, between 11:30 a.m. and noon, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an executive order laying off more than 10,000 part-time and temporary state employees and consultants and cutting the pay of more than 200,000 California civil servants to $6.55 an hour. I can tell you that $6.55 isn't enough to buy 7 pounds of Purina Cat Chow at WinCo Foods.
All this happened because the state Legislature has not agreed upon a budget. The Democrats say they've already cut enough and want to raise "revenues." The Republicans have vowed not to raise "taxes." Therefore, both sides are involved in a spitting match, with state workers being spat upon.
In all this budget darkness came a shining light -- Controller John Chiang said that he would not carry out the executive order because there's enough money to keep the state solvent through September. "Ah-nult" said he would take Chiang to court if he had to. So, there may be another legal spitting match. But if Chiang ever decided to run for governor, I'd support him.
I'll be OK, I think. I have long-standing direct-deposit account with the Golden 1 Credit Union, which has offered state workers with accounts opened before June 30 a zero percent loan to cover their paychecks until the budget mess is settled. Other banks may offer their own deals.
I contacted my mortgage company this morning explaining my financial situation. The customer service supervisor I spoke to advised that I call later in the month if the budget situation is still in flux so I could make a payment arrangement until the budget is signed.
But I admit I'm better off than a lot of people who lost their jobs. A single mother who works part-time as an office assistant making $15.98 an hour had just closed on a new house. Now that she's just lost her job, she has to tell her mortgage company that she can't make the first payment on September 1. Now, that's just awful!
I've read posts on newspaper Web sites that portray state workers as lazy whiners. Having worked for the private sector as well as the public one, I've found both sides pretty much the same. Most people work hard for their money. So, I wish the critics would leave us alone and let us provide the services they ask for.
If the Republicans want to cut services, I'd love to know which services they'd like to cut. Would they like to cut my job as an editor? Would they like to cut my older brother's job at DMV? What about my older sister's job at the Board of Equalization? Let the Republicans come up with their own version of the budget so we can get this thing settled.
As for "Ah-nult" and his pathetic apology, "sorry" doesn't pay the mortgage!
Writing Diva
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