Blogit > The crazy lady strikes again for Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Separation from worldly things

I don't know if I've reposted this information in this blog or not, but I remember writing some of this entry in Potpourri a while ago. (I just haven't been able to find that entry in there.) Not that long ago, I wrote about separatism in some Protestant denominations, as it applied to the media. I noted in there that much children's programming was mere mediocre twaddle, designed for children far younger than the audience the producers claim to be aiming toward, and that this ultimately hurt... Sign in to see full entry.

The human side of a Monster

Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie''s plot. (The movie review is being posted here if you want to rent Monster at your local video-rental place, or from a service such as Netflix.) Aileen Wuornos was lesbian and a prostitute who went on to achieve notoriety as that rare bird called a female serial killer. (Serial killers are stereotypically men.) Charlize Theron took on the thankless task of bringing Wuornos' actions to the big screen. Monster starts out by showing... Sign in to see full entry.

Nice to meet you, Oscar

In February of 2004, I got a chance to see that favored statuette of the public, the Academy Award (alias Oscar). The actual Oscars being awarded that year were in Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, along with a miniature display telling fans how the Oscars are actually made. What you may not realize is that Oscar is made right here in the Chicago area. I doubt that Oscar's manufacturer had any idea of who would be getting which statuette; the ceremony was held February 29,2004, and the... Sign in to see full entry.

A blogger actually kick-started my thinking process

A former Blogit blogger (who shall remain anonymous because she let her membership lapse) made a very good case (in a blog she deleted) in favor of the thesis that our country simply doesn't value life enough to take murder seriously. The precise catalyst for her post was the link made by pro-lifers between abortion and murder. Pro-lifers feel that abortion really is murder, that there is no ethical difference between the murder of a day-old infant and the abortion of a freshly-fertilized human... Sign in to see full entry.

Atkins was overweight?

In this article on Snopes.com, the webmasters have found that there is some debate as to just what precipitated the fall which led to his death in 2003. It is well-known that Atkins weighed 258 pounds at the time of his death; however, there seems to be some feeling (at least on the part of the Snopes.com author) that much of that excess poundage was caused by fluid retention rather than fat. He was in a coma for a week, and they were apparently pumping him full of fluid despite the... Sign in to see full entry.

What would you do with a million dollars?

If I were to get US$1 million, on the condition I donate $250K of that (or 25% of US$1 million), which charity would be the lucky beneficiary of my $250K donation? This is simple - I'd take half that donation and give it to Habitat for Humanity, then I'd buy $125K worth of canned goods and paper products (paper napkins, paper towels, etc.) and donate those gifts in kind to my parish food pantry. They're always begging for things like diapers, pasta, beans, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter and... Sign in to see full entry.

Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships

The Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships is a book coauthored by Temple Grandin, PhD, and Sean Barron, both of whom are autistic. Grandin is a famed animal behaviorist (I don't know any better way to put it) who works with the meat-packing industry. (I won't go into detail about her job because she works with some fairly intense things that would upset the average reader of this blog.) Barron is a journalist. The title of the book summarizes its content well. Autistic people have a great deal... Sign in to see full entry.

Medigarble

Have you ever noticed that doctors speak a language unto themselves? I have had a passport to this unique foreign country - one you are likely to visit yourself in the future if you get sick - for the past 29 years. I would like to introduce you to a few aspects of its culture. First of all, there is a citizen named Gomer. No, this is not Gomer Pyle, but someone undesired by even the worst physician. His name is derived from the old saying "Get outta my ER," meaning that he is so ill that few... Sign in to see full entry.

Just who are you really in love with - him or her?

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, the rabbi who wrote Kosher Adultery, has written this article on Beliefnet about why the straight American public is so fascinated with homosexuals (or gays). Frankly, he made many of the points I have made in my series of posts about male-bashing without realizing the connection between the two topics. In fact, he noticed something that I didn't even think about until I read his article. Those of you who watch Sex and the City with any regularity know how close the four... Sign in to see full entry.

I'm playing with my writer's blocks - NOT

Those of you who have been around Blogit for a while know that I am normally a prolific writer, when I write on this site at all. There have been times when I've been laid low by infection or some other cause - like all those hospitalizations earlier this year - but that's generally the only time I don't post like crazy around here. Well, guess what? I've got a massive case of writer's block. Specifically, I'm having trouble coming up with topics. I will be keeping an eye on this in order to see... Sign in to see full entry.

Husband's bigamy discovered

I read a story on AOL a few years ago about a man who was able to fool friends for decades by managing to maintain two families in long-term relationship to himself. He did this by using pseudonyms and creating the appearance of a philanthropic workaholic gone for hours most weekdays, taking what appeared to both families to be frequent business trips. He was only discovered when his original wife - whom he apparently married using his real name - passed away of apparent cardiac arrest in her... Sign in to see full entry.

The Day After Tomorrow

(This movie is being posted in here because this film might be available on DVD or in other formats. It originally appeared on Epinions.com.) Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid) wants the government to know that based on prior climatic patterns, we're due for global warming then refreezing. When? Maybe in 100 years, maybe in 1,000 years. It's difficult to tell. Well, the warmup/refreeze happens NOW. The government ignores what's happening until most of America is destroyed by what look for all the world... Sign in to see full entry.

In one of her blogs, Editormum talked about needing to earn a certain amount of money off her blogs. I can relate to that, because I'm in very similar straits right now. I've earned enough to cash out this month, but that's about it, and I'd like to see if I can earn $25 this month. (If not, I'd like to try to reach that goal in October 2006.) I wonder how people like Ariala and Chris2303 manage to do it every month? I'm not into spamming others to get them to join up so I can get the referral... Sign in to see full entry.

The Antichrist first came in 2004

(This entry was first posted in Potpourri on February 18, 2004. I'm putting it in here because I had earnings of $6.66 one day last month, and it turns out that this wasn't the first time this happened to me.) I noticed on my Member Profile this morning (2/18/2004) that I have made (as of 2/17/2004) exactly $66.66 in the thirteen months I had been a Blogit member. Had I made an effort to reach this figure, I would not have gotten there. (At the time, I was lucky to be making 30¢ per day.) For... Sign in to see full entry.

Martha Stewart

I'd originally written a modified version of this entry when Stewart was first declared guilty, for essentially doing insider trading; she had sold her stocks as soon as she found out from Imclone officials that a new drug they'd just submitted for FDA approval would not be approved by that agency for sale by prescription. I am in the camp that seems to believe that Stewart got what she deserved when she was declared guilty. People like her tend to believe that they are above the law, even when... Sign in to see full entry.

Independence Day musings (as of 7/5/2004)

Since July 5 was the official federal holiday in 2004, I decided on that date to take the time to write some of my thoughts out. Normally, Independence Day is my favorite holiday. I love true freedom - the ability to associate with whomever I wish, the ability to worship as I choose to (or not, if you're atheist), and so forth. But the Abu Ghraib prison scandal (a news story breaking at the time) made me rethink my own attitudes as an American. You see, I thought we were immune from the kind of... Sign in to see full entry.

Some further thoughts

(It might help readers to know that I wrote this post while in the grip of a depressive episode. I will leave it basically "as is," with only minor copyediting and other corrections.) Editormum's recent comment on one of my posts to this blog has been more beneficial than she realizes. (I link to her Member Profile in my blogs; just take a look on the side of this blog.) I asked myself recently who I would be without the problems I still have trouble talking about. It's simple. I'd be entering... Sign in to see full entry.

Bad news on the doorstep

I just found out today that someone I'd considered a friend has suddenly had the rug pulled out from under her. She's been arrested for writing bad checks, and her animals had to either be euthanized or seized by animal-welfare groups. This isn't the first time she's had trouble, but I feel things are finally looking up for her. The theory is that she is what is known as an animal collector - someone who adopts tons of animals he or she is unable to care for for one reason or another. Kudos go... Sign in to see full entry.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade

I was reading a two-year-old post by Ariala in her blog Random Acts of Kindness just a few minutes ago, and in that post, she talks (without realizing she is doing so) about an important phrase in the Serenity Prayer. This prayer is recited routinely at 12-step meetings; one prays for "the courage to change the things I can," acceptance of things one cannot change, and "the wisdom to know the difference." Ariala's emphasis was on "the wisdom to know the difference." She was basically saying that... Sign in to see full entry.

Security on cargo jets? What's that?

Editormum wrote in her blog Editor's Oddments yesterday about her memories of 9/11/2001. At the time, she worked for a company that shipped goods by air, which meant that she knew a lot of pilots personally. One thing really stood out for me in her posts. All the focus, then as well as now, was (and is) on passenger planes. In fact, I wrote the following post not too long after I joined Blogit/The Blogging Network: If you've been paying attention to the news of late, you know that someone... Sign in to see full entry.

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The crazy lady strikes again for Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Tuesday, September 12, 2006