The Wordy Shipmates

I saw this author on the John Stewart not too long ago and enjoyed her brand of humor and the fact that her book involves real history. I think any one of my siblings would enjoy this also. She has this ironic, dry humor - glad I discovered her. I got "The Wordy Shipmates" today on audiobook and put her other 2 books offered on audible.com in my wish list. I look forward to listening to this - you should check it out!

Here is a summary of the book:

The Wordy Shipmates is New York Times best-selling author Sarah Vowell's exploration of the Puritans and their journey to America to become the people of John Winthrop's "city upon a hill" - a shining example, a "city that cannot be hid."

To this day, America views itself as a Puritan nation, but Vowell investigates what that means - and what it should mean. What was this great political enterprise all about? Who were these people who are considered the philosophical, spiritual, and moral ancestors of our nation? What Vowell discovers is something far different from what their uptight shoe-buckles-and-corn reputation might suggest. The people she finds are highly literate, deeply principled, and surprisingly feisty. Their story is filled with pamphlet feuds, witty courtroom dramas, and bloody vengeance. Along the way she asks:

• Was Massachusetts Bay Colony governor John Winthrop a communitarian, a Christlike Christian, or conformity's tyrannical enforcer? Answer: Yes!
• Was Rhode Island's architect, Roger Williams, America's founding freak or the father of the First Amendment? Same difference.
• What does it take to get that jezebel Anne Hutchinson to shut up? A hatchet.
• What was the Puritans' pet name for the Pope? The Great Whore of Babylon.

Sarah Vowell's special brand of armchair history makes the bizarre and esoteric fascinatingly relevant and fun. She takes us from the modern-day reenactment of an Indian massacre to the Mohegan Sun casino, from old-timey Puritan poetry, where "righteousness" is rhymed with "wilderness," to a Mayflower-themed waterslide. Throughout, The Wordy Shipmates is rich in historical fact, humorous insight, and social commentary by one of America's most celebrated voices. Thou shalt enjoy it.
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Yup - I've Got Pineo Blood Running Through My Veins

I have the compulsion to buy one of every color when I find a piece of clothing I like. Without fail - I always have that impulse. But my wallet can not support that impulse - which is probably a good thing. When you have a bunch of the same style clothing it makes the wardrobe a little boring.

Anyone remember how Mom used to do that - buy one of every color in clothing, shoes and jewelry? Mom was nothing if not color coordinated. :) And I believe my aunts have this same disposition so that's why I attribute it to Mom's side of the family in general.
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Holy Halloween Batman!

This weekend I have to bring Jazzmin to 3 different Halloween parties in 3 days, starting tonight. Sigh. So much for a restful weekend. But... she doesn't get to go trick or treating so this is the extent of her Halloween celebration. The only other thing we're doing is going to a haunted house on Halloween. So I feel obligated to try and make sure her Halloween is fun by going to all the parties.

The reason she doesn't trick or treat here is because all the kids do are go from store to store and collect candy. Stores leave out a bowl and they dive in. Doesn't exactly capture the spirit of Halloween. I refuse to participate in such a tacky, unfestive revised tradition of Halloween.

Of course, I could bring her door to door trick or treating in apartment buildnigs but I'm not going door to door wondering which one is going to be be the weirdo or serial killer. There are plenty of good people in my area but the element of surprise where there is potential for dealing with the crazies doesn't sound appealing to me.

Incidentally, Jazzmin is going to be Queen Amidala from one of the Star Wars movies - the character Natalie Portman played. It's a girl costume yet it's sporty - just how Jazzmin likes it. She's not really into the girly costumes like barbie, cheer leaders or the like.

I'm in an Obama video!

I'm in a YouTube video about Obama - check it out!

My Nephew

Yeah so I stole photos from my sister's blog - what ya gonna do 'bout it?!?

"The Argyle Sweater" Comic

Theatrics of Gumdo

Last night we did a little training for the tournament I'm participating in Nov. 7th.... my first tournament ever. I am competing in the weapons category, I could've also signed up to compete in Taekwondo but wanted to just do one thing for now - until I get used to competing.

According to my teacher, my form is fine and I just have to work on the "threatrics" of it. Look intense and as if I'm kicking somebody's butt - if not slicing them to pieces. Uma Thurman is to be my example of making an intense face. Or maybe I should just do Ben Stiller's "blue steel" model face to show intensity. lol I don't know how well I'll do in trying to act like a fierce fighter. I'm told I have a look of worry on my face when I'm doing my forms - not exactly intimidating. But usually by the time we get around to doing forms - I'm tired. So maybe that tiredness looks like worry. We shall see how I do.

As far as the competition goes - the good thing is the break down the categories by rank, gender and age. So perhaps I will be the only female of my rank/age to be competing in the weapons category and will automatically get first place! :) Or 1 of 3 wouldn't be so bad - at the very least I'd get 3rd place then. :)

I hope I don't get too nervous when I'm competing - I just want to get through it and do a decent job of it.
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Last Night's Debate

"Senator McCain, how do you think you did in the debate?"

Nova's Truce

Dawn sent me a photo of Bridget (dog) with Nova (cat) - after dark they have a truce going. Once daylight comes and humans are awake - all bets are off.

Look at my cute Nova - best kitty cat ever!

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Phone Svc. From Cable Company

I just signed up to have phone service from my cable provider. I am a little nervous about doing it because I have this feeling somethings going to go wrong and I'm going to regret it. Or perhaps it won't be all it's cracked up to be. But I am supposedly going to save about $60 a month on phone service and will get unlimited local and long distance. Now I just have to make more friends out of state so I can take advantage of the unlimited long distance.

I also think about the black out NYC had several years ago. Will I still have phone service during a black out? But then again, how likely is it that we're going to have such a massive black out in NYC again.

I am getting the service installed the first week of Nov. - hopefully it's all it's cracked up to be and I won't regret the change....
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Hockey moms in glass houses shouldn't throw stones

A biting commentary on Palin, interesting and worth watching or reading transcript below.



Last Wednesday, Sheriff's deputies arrived at the home of a woman in Akron, Ohio named Addie Polk, in order to evict her. After 38 years in that house, Ms. Polk had fallen behind on paying the mortgage. It was so bad that the company that held that mortgage, Fannie Mae, had foreclosed.
In fact, it was far worse than anybody knew. Addie Polk couldn't bear it any more. So, rather than be evicted, she shot herself in the chest.

Evidently she will survive. And, after Congressman Dennis Kucinich brought her plight to the floor of the House, Fannie Mae, the mortgage giant you and I and all the rest of us pretty much own now, agreed it would forgive Addie Polk's debt and, when she gets out of the hospital, let her go back and live in her home again.

That this is already a gothic horror story, you'll agree. But I left out one detail. Addie Polk is 90 years old.

In the self-pronounced area of expertise of the Governor of Alaska—energy—the real experts of both parties are at a loss to figure out any way, even'drill, baby, drill', that might lower gas prices before 2018. We are at war in two countries and a lame duck President with no reason to check his own imbalance still has dreams of one more.

And a 90-year-old woman, trapped in the middle of a financial meltdown, shoots herself and she's still in better shape than the economy. Yet, the Governor of Alaska wants to talk about somebody Barack Obama doesn't know very well, and what this somebody Barack Obama doesn't know very well, did, during the year Obama was eight and the Governor of Alaska was in pre-Kindergarten.
And she wants to talk about Reverend Jeremiah Wright. And she doesn't object to being introduced with a reference to Barack Obama's middle name. Well, this is my suggestion. In much the same way we, America, in the corporate persona of Fannie Mae, have forgiven poor Addie Polk of Akron, Ohio.

We, America, also need to forgive poor Sarah Palin of Wasilla, Alaska. They are both in situations that are beyond their ability to cope. They are both stuck in a crucible caused by forces they cannot comprehend. They are both unable to understand what they are doing.

After stumbling through a clumsier version of it at Englewood, Colorado, the Governor of Alaska said Saturday at Carson, California:

"Our opponent is someone who sees America as imperfect enough to pal around with terrorists who targeted their own country.”

She later defended the remark by adding this was an "association that has been known but hasn't been talked about.”

Governor, Conservative groups have thus far spent ten million dollars this year trying to make something, anything, out of the brief interaction on a charity board between Sen. Obama, and a rehabilitated former domestic radical from the '60s and not even Conservatives have been stupid enough to buy the snake oil, that this was either a close relationship or a nefarious one.

But of course, you know better, Governor. You're smarter than the rest of us. A reporter asks you a horrible gotcha question like'which newspapers do you read' and it takes you four days to come up with an answer, and somehow it's the reporter's fault.

The reporter asks you to name one Supreme Court ruling with which you disagree other than Roe vs. Wade and even though you'd commented on just such a case from Alaska no less not three months ago your eyes turn into a big neon sign reading "Vacancy” and you insist it's because that evil media asked the wrong question.

So you're the genius Governor, and it's your supporters and the undecided voters who are the dopes who are now going to believe the same mickey-mouse crap that Sen. Clinton couldn't get to stick, and Sean Hannity couldn't get to stick, just because it's you adding that word "terrorist” and that phrase "palling around” and dropping the "g” in pal-ling.

And of course, Governor, those same dopes, and we media morons, we are not smart enough to ask about that pesky Alaskan Independence Party, and why you recorded a speech for its convention last March, and why your husband remained a registered member of it until 2002, even though it was founded by a man named Joe Vogler who wanted Alaska to secede from the United States. The way the South seceded, precipitating the Civil War.

The same Joe Vogler who once said:

"The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government, and I won't be buried under their damn flag.”

And who also said:

"I'm an Alaskan, not an American. I've got no use for America or her damned institutions.”
Shoot, Governor, them's strong words, hah? Did he wink as he said 'em? You betcha! So, where does Joe Vogler rank on the scales of "terrorists who would target their own country?" Your opponent's guy Ayers wound up on a volunteer anti-poverty committee in Chicago.

But your guy Vogler wound up founding a group that wanted to rip one of the stars off the American flag! Well, ok, Governor, Vogler's more your husband's guy. So it's your husband who's been "palling around with terrorists who would target their own country.”

But I'm assuming you've been "palling around” with your husband. But, gee willikers, Governor, you know what's best. You're not one of these Washington insiders who would notice that though that's a straight line connecting you, your husband, and this Alaskan secessionist, you're*standing under a banner with the campaign slogan "Country First” and if somebody out there puts two and two together they might just ask, "which Country dja mean? The Country of Alaska?”

"The heels are on,” you said with another smile. "The gloves are off.”

Well, if you're telling William Kristol you want to talk about Jeremiah Wright fer sure! So, Governor you don't mind addressing whether this Pastor Muthee is a terrorist? Do you? We've told you before about Pastor Thomas Muthee.

He's the preacher who visited the Wasilla Assembly of God church a couple of times while the Governor was there, ironically enough, just about as many times as Bill Ayres has met Barack Obama and, see, there was this one time where Pastor Muthee actually laid hands on the Governor.

And I'm sure that sounds like just some crazy anecdote, except there's videotape. And of course the Governor talked about this moment, the laying on of hands, just last summer.

It was in October, 2005, as the video indicates, when Muthee put his hands on Sarah Palin's back and said, "make a way for Sarah, even in the political arena. Make a way, my God. Bring finances her way, even if for the campaign in the name of Jesus.

"Every form of witchcraft, it will be rebuked in the name of Jesus. Father, make her way now. "
And the Governor said that "bold” approach of Pastor Muthee was one of the reasons she became Governor and she gives him just oodles of credit for puttin' her on the path.

The problem for the governor is that in 1999 The Christian Science Monitor reported that Pastor Muthee had gotten his start a decade earlier in Kenya, in the Nairobi suburb of Kiambu.

Kimabu was crime-ridden. So this character Muthee showed up, and announced it was the fault of this woman in town who he had decided was a witch. And Muthee gave the witch a choice: either be saved, or get out of town.

And the woman initially chose none of the above, but this became less than a viable option when Muthee got 200 of the townspeople together and they decided, heck, you know, Muthee's right, she probably is a witch, and the next thing you know the police are raiding her house and reportedly shooting her snake because if she was a witch, the snake had to be a demon, and then the woman left town and everybody said crime went down and most of the bars closed and this is not only how Pastor Muthee got started but he's proud of it and he tells the story in his testimonial videotapes and people in that church in Wasilla where he laid hands on the Governor knew all about it.

And they think it was just a Joe-Six-Pack, Hockey Mom kinda thing to do, to let a guy who branded some woman in Kenya a witch, demand that God make some different woman the Governor of Alaska!

Governor, what would you call someone who arrives in a suburb, blames a resident for the local crime, organizes a mob to threaten the woman, convinces the authorities to go and raid her home, and then chases her out of the suburb?

C'mon Governor, just give us one answer that has something to do with the question you were just asked. That's right you'd call him a terrorist. And since it was in his own country, that would make himmmm? Yes, very good, a domestic terrorist.

So, you, Governor, you've been "palling around with terrorists who would target their own country.” Say it ain't so, Gov! Say it ain't so! Of course it is.

The Governor of Alaska ignores Addie Polk and the American tragedy that is a 90-year old woman shooting herself out of shame and panic and who knows what else. Over the mortgage!

Instead the Governor of Alaska wants to start calling people terrorists and insisting of Sen. Obama that quote "this is not a man who sees America like you and I see America” and whose rhetoric like that, and the "pallin' around with terrorists” line were rightly described by the Associated Press yesterday as a wolf-in-sheep's-clothing kind of way of slipping racism into the equation, because it's a nifty trick to remind the white folk that (psst) Obama is black.

But overriding this sleaziness and dog-gone it, the Governor of Alaska has got to be the sleaziest politician working the stage at the moment, there is the sheer blessed stupidity of letting herself become the bomb-thrower when her own life is full of domestic terrorists.

Governor? Bill Ayres? Your hubby was in this secessionist hate group for which you recorded a video.

Governor? Jeremiah Wright? That pastor you credit with helping you become Governor, is either a con man or a psycho who believes he can tell which woman in the village is the witch, and which woman is the governor.

And Governor, there's also "The U.S. Council On World Freedom.” You should ask Sen. McCain about that outfit and why he had to scat away from it 22 years ago.

Or, ask him why yesterday his own brother Joe referred to Northern Virginia as quote "communist country.” Or you could ask him about Pastors John Hagee and Rod Parsley. Or about why Sen. McCain said about introducing Jeremiah Wright into this campaign, "there's no place for that kind of campaigning, the American people don't want it, period.”

Or don't ask. You know best. You're the one selling the patent medicine. Those of us out here, we're just the suckers pulling out our greenbacks. Go on talking about this man Ayers and trying to link Obama to that word "terrorist.”

But be prepared for others to ask you about your pastor and terrorism. And for still others to ask you about the First Dude and terrorism. But not me, Governor.

I forgive you. You are about as guilty here as poor Ms. Addie Polk in Akron. And I hope that after what you've done to yourself, you recover as well as she seems to be doing, and that you too get to go back and live in your own home again.

Because if you think the terrorism con, and the racism sting are going to do anything but bury you and Sen, McCain, you need to pick up one of those how-many-ever newspapers you reed and check the headlines to find out what people are really worried about right now.

Otherwise, when you said "the heels are on, the gloves are off,” you got as close to telling the truth as you've ever gotten, and without really knowing it.

Because, for you and Sen. McCain, Governor, it's not the gloves that just came off.

Obviously—it's the wheels.
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Jazzmin on the Basketball Team

Jazzmin tried out for her school's basketball team. She missed the initial announcement of who made it on the team as she was absent that day (due to her tooth getting fixed). But on Friday we spoke with the gym teacher and she MADE THE TEAM!!

Jazzmin is super excited to be on the team. All weekend she talked about how she couldn't believe that she made it. I'm glad, now, that I didn't sign her up for band. Band is more expensive then basketball and she's happy doing only 1 of the 2 activities. But she definitely wanted to do something extra after school. Band is $45 a month plus rental (or purchase) in instrument. Basketball is cost of uniform plus a 1 time $30 ($40?) fee. They end up playing 20 games - 10 home and 10 away games. I plan to take half days for the away games during the week. I don't know any of the parents well enough to entrust them with my daughter's safety.

The good thing is, now that she's on the team, it's almost assured she'll get on the team next year. Then in the 7th grade she has to try out for the varsity team in her school. And that's pretty much a guarantee also. I know Jazzmin is really going to enjoy competing against other schools and seeing if she can beat them. She loves the challenge.

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Dude looks like a lady

There has been a new teenage student in the adult class. 'She' has shoulder length hair, feminine facial features and a quiet/polite dispisition. I thought it was great to have another female, even if younger, in the class. I was partnered up with this young student in class and noticed her 'lady parts' were showing when she extended her arm to punch. After class I told the teacher that he might want to suggest to her parents that she wear a t-shirt under her uniform.

Turns out - the person was a boy! I've seen this kid in class for over a month and there was no question in my mind that the person was a girl. Even Jazzmin swore he/she/it was a girl. I was so shocked. Later, when I got home, I started thinking that the teacher was joking with me and the student was indeed a girl. But then the next morning when we were headed for taekwondo class we saw the student on the street, in boy clothing.

Oopsy - my bad!
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Jazzmin's Chipped Tooth

I don't know how many of you remember Jazzmin chipping her 2 front teeth in 3rd grade (see photo). But she re-chipped 1 of them today in schoool - only the part the dentist had put on previously came off. Or so I'm told.

Jazzmin's grandmother is going to pick her up from school - I have a dentist appt. for tomorrow. This is the absolute wrong time for her to chip he tooth because I am ultra broke. I called Dawn and asked to borrow money to cover the cost of fixing her tooth. I'm fairly certain that it costed me about $125 to get both teeth fixed, so I'm guessing fixing one tooth will be about $60. And this dentist doesn't bill - it has to be paid up front. I hope everything turns out OK and the fixing of the tooth costs the same as it did last time.... or cheaper?

I called my insurance and at least Jazz's dentist is still in-network. I couldn't remember the name of wha they did to fix her teeth last time so I don't know how much it's going to be covered. It's either going to be covered 50% or 80%.

This whole incident stresses me out.
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