So, I was reading through news stories on AOL (no, not my sole--or even predominant--news source, but I like to flip through on my way to my email) and came across an "Athletes who've let themselves go," story. Normally, I'd skip that, but the photo was, I was pretty sure, Tonya Harding. Curious to see if I was right, I opened the page.
To a pile of puke.
You know, what IS it about us that makes holding people up to public ridicule, especially about their weight and appearance, seem like a fine, fun idea? Why is that okay? Cool, even? This was particularly mean, because it had a "ha, ha, ha, see how the mighty have fallen" quality, with snide little zingers accompanying each photo. I'm not glad that Shaq has gained weight, I don't gloat because Tonya Harding is heavier than she was when she was a YOUNG PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE. If you are glad, if you do gloat?
Well, you're maybe not very nice. In fact, you seem to kinda suck.
We were going to head to Ketchup again tonight, see the fireworks from a better vantage and give the fries and shakes a whirl, but it may be too cold and miserable. We've got rain, and, worse, we've got high wind warnings out--60 mph gusts, they're saying. My money's on no fireworks with winds like that, and even if there are fireworks, I can't have the camera out in the rain (and I'm not going to try to rubber-band-and-ziploc the camera) and I'm not about to get soaking wet in a frigid windstorm.
So tonight's probaby off.
Just got done watching the NRA's ridiculous, sickening response to Sandy Hook. More guns. Oh, gosh, didn't see that coming. They suggest armed guards in schools. Okay, let's do that--never mind that there were armed guards at Columbine and it didn't help a bit. Let's run with it anyway. Now, remember, that's not just paycheck. That's rigorous, ongoing training--ask any cop or soldier if you can train for a few hours and then be "trained" and ready to roll indefinitely. Of course not, it takes ongoing training. That's wowser-pricy. Thankfully, I have NO doubt that the NRA will step up and pay for every one of these guards at every public school in the nation. They can foot the bill with membership dues! That said, an armed guard in every school won't stop this. The shooter in Newtown had done his damage in minutes. Barring the spectacularly unlikely luck of the shooter and guard being in the same part of the school AND the guard just happening to have his weapon at the ready when it starts, that guard isn't going to prevent a thing. He's either going to get shot before he clears holster or the murder's going to be done before he can even reach that part of the school. Look at Ft. Hood, for goodness' sake! Even the Army Police who finally took that shooter down (after he'd shot 45 people, 13 fatally)? One of them was shot and disarmed before the partner was able to get the shot and put a stop to things. And those are active duty American soldiers.
Enough of that garbage. It's disappointing, but not at all surprising. It's who we are, apparently--20 children shot down, and not only did we rush the shops to buy MORE guns and MORE ammo, we didn't even pause in our killing of each other. Think about that--we didn't even pause for one day in our murdering each other. I weep for my country.
Hit the liquor store tonight, grabbed a bottle of "Shambord." That's an American-made imitation Chambord. Less than half the price, and since we're just using it for cooking anyway, it seems stupid to blow that much cash. Tastes very similar, same alcohol content, so we'll see. Hubby grabbed a bottle of Basil Hayden's. If it's good enough for Francis Wolcott, it's good enough for him, right?
Dropped way too much cash shopping these past two days. I'm feeling myself nearing the panic-attack stage. Hubby got an award from work, and he says we're fine, but it's in my nature to worry.
All my crying about my Mom in the past few days, and I chewed her out on the phone today. She called, let it ring five times, then hung up. No message. Called back, let it ring five time, then hung up. Again, no message. Then called back AGAIN. This is something she has been doing for decades, and the only way to slow her down for a while is to yell. Anything less and she just ramps up until she's doing it two or three times a day. So I yelled at her.
It's okay, I told her I'd call her back after I woke up (she was doing this as I was trying to nap). I did that, and it was a good call.
Grabbed a bunch of cheeses for crackers--Butterkase, Muenster, smoked gouda, and cave-aged gruyere. We really like cheese.
Our Christmas tree is STILL devouring water like there's no tomorrow. Never had a tree that kept drinking for weeks.
Oh, and hey, the world didn't end, so have some paneling!
To a pile of puke.
You know, what IS it about us that makes holding people up to public ridicule, especially about their weight and appearance, seem like a fine, fun idea? Why is that okay? Cool, even? This was particularly mean, because it had a "ha, ha, ha, see how the mighty have fallen" quality, with snide little zingers accompanying each photo. I'm not glad that Shaq has gained weight, I don't gloat because Tonya Harding is heavier than she was when she was a YOUNG PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE. If you are glad, if you do gloat?
Well, you're maybe not very nice. In fact, you seem to kinda suck.
We were going to head to Ketchup again tonight, see the fireworks from a better vantage and give the fries and shakes a whirl, but it may be too cold and miserable. We've got rain, and, worse, we've got high wind warnings out--60 mph gusts, they're saying. My money's on no fireworks with winds like that, and even if there are fireworks, I can't have the camera out in the rain (and I'm not going to try to rubber-band-and-ziploc the camera) and I'm not about to get soaking wet in a frigid windstorm.
So tonight's probaby off.
Just got done watching the NRA's ridiculous, sickening response to Sandy Hook. More guns. Oh, gosh, didn't see that coming. They suggest armed guards in schools. Okay, let's do that--never mind that there were armed guards at Columbine and it didn't help a bit. Let's run with it anyway. Now, remember, that's not just paycheck. That's rigorous, ongoing training--ask any cop or soldier if you can train for a few hours and then be "trained" and ready to roll indefinitely. Of course not, it takes ongoing training. That's wowser-pricy. Thankfully, I have NO doubt that the NRA will step up and pay for every one of these guards at every public school in the nation. They can foot the bill with membership dues! That said, an armed guard in every school won't stop this. The shooter in Newtown had done his damage in minutes. Barring the spectacularly unlikely luck of the shooter and guard being in the same part of the school AND the guard just happening to have his weapon at the ready when it starts, that guard isn't going to prevent a thing. He's either going to get shot before he clears holster or the murder's going to be done before he can even reach that part of the school. Look at Ft. Hood, for goodness' sake! Even the Army Police who finally took that shooter down (after he'd shot 45 people, 13 fatally)? One of them was shot and disarmed before the partner was able to get the shot and put a stop to things. And those are active duty American soldiers.
Enough of that garbage. It's disappointing, but not at all surprising. It's who we are, apparently--20 children shot down, and not only did we rush the shops to buy MORE guns and MORE ammo, we didn't even pause in our killing of each other. Think about that--we didn't even pause for one day in our murdering each other. I weep for my country.
Hit the liquor store tonight, grabbed a bottle of "Shambord." That's an American-made imitation Chambord. Less than half the price, and since we're just using it for cooking anyway, it seems stupid to blow that much cash. Tastes very similar, same alcohol content, so we'll see. Hubby grabbed a bottle of Basil Hayden's. If it's good enough for Francis Wolcott, it's good enough for him, right?
Dropped way too much cash shopping these past two days. I'm feeling myself nearing the panic-attack stage. Hubby got an award from work, and he says we're fine, but it's in my nature to worry.
All my crying about my Mom in the past few days, and I chewed her out on the phone today. She called, let it ring five times, then hung up. No message. Called back, let it ring five time, then hung up. Again, no message. Then called back AGAIN. This is something she has been doing for decades, and the only way to slow her down for a while is to yell. Anything less and she just ramps up until she's doing it two or three times a day. So I yelled at her.
It's okay, I told her I'd call her back after I woke up (she was doing this as I was trying to nap). I did that, and it was a good call.
Grabbed a bunch of cheeses for crackers--Butterkase, Muenster, smoked gouda, and cave-aged gruyere. We really like cheese.
Our Christmas tree is STILL devouring water like there's no tomorrow. Never had a tree that kept drinking for weeks.
Oh, and hey, the world didn't end, so have some paneling!
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| Nowhere near the worst paneling out there, but a pretty intense pattern, no? |
I don't like those body-shaming articles either. I guess I just don't have that schadenfreude gene, although I can laugh at people when I think something funny has happened to them. My ex, during his abuse sessions, would yell at me for "letting myself go", and recently I was asked by a younger woman, "what happened to you, you USED to be cute" over an over again. No, she wasn't just clueless, she wanted to make me cry. I wouldn't take the bait. I started to explain that nothing "happened" I'm just older than I was, and aging is natural. But I stopped myself, I knew she'd just try another tack, use other ways to try to hurt me, and I'd end up with more stuff to feel bad about as well as being frustrated that I wasn't getting through to her. She'll see, she will get older, and it's not something I think I should feel bad about anyway.
ReplyDeleteGuns. Don't want to fight with any more gun nuts, but I do think about the issue. It seems like everybody is thinking about it right now, and none of us seems to really know WHAT to do about them, we just know what we don't want to do. We don't want to ban guns, and we don't want to arm everybody and just hope the good guys are the ones that win in the endless shootouts that would occur. It is definitely time for more sensible discussion and implementation of some measures to stop the violence. I mean, we are constantly butting in to other cultures to tell them that there is a better way to live, because they are killing each other... am I the only one that sees the irony?
Francis Wolcott was the creepiest Deadwood character ever! When I see Garrett Dillahunt I always flash back to Wolcott.
Mmmmm, cheese.
We had some fake burl walnut paneling in our basement, it was simultaneously awful and wonderful.