tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113352512024-03-13T12:25:17.085-07:00Intelligence, A Swiss Army Knife, And CharmKerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.comBlogger1081125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-59612567444336294202015-07-11T14:29:00.000-07:002015-07-12T20:13:53.519-07:00Murder on Bamboo Avenue and Grave on Grand Avenue by Naomi HiraharaEver since I went to LA last August to see Lil Bub, I have been thinking about a trip to explore the city LA has a long noir and crime lit tradition, but I'm not familiar with recent stories set in the city. I was thrilled to find this new series with a young protagonist and a lot of issues any young woman can recognize. Plus, bikes! <br />
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Ellie Rush is a LA native, a new cop on bike patrol, and an expert at code switching. She's half Japanese American but looks more white than Asian, and speaks Spanish fluently. She has a college degree, and a native's understanding of LA and its cultures (including an ability to use public transit) along with deep roots in the city, but realizes she's in a job where as a minority and a woman she's battling the LAPD boys' network and dealing with issues of racism and sexism. She's ambitious and hardworking, but wants to get ahead on her own merits and avoid being seen as helped too much by her aunt Cheryl Toma, second in command in the LAPD ("more like fourth according to the org chart," Ellie's mom sniffs.)<br />
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<b>Murder on Bamboo Avenue</b> starts with Ellie being first on the scene at a woman's murder, and surprised when it's someone she knows. Jenny Nguyen's death is shocking but the mysteries of her life--Where was she living? Why do some swear she was interested in a job at LA City Hall, but others say she knew nothing about politics? Where is Jenny's notebook?--intrigue Ellie. <b>Grave on Grand Avenue</b> finds Ellie dealing with the theft of her car, and the death of a Mexican gardener. Supposedly the gardener was trying to steal the cello of a Chinese superstar classical musician leaving Disney Hall, but why was he answering Ellie's questions five minutes earlier if that was his plan? Ellie's best friend Nay quickly gets involved working the journalism angle (her new major) and adding to the havoc, and we meet additional allies and friends of Ellie. <br />
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<a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129134508">Hirahara is best known for her other series with elderly gardener Mas Arai, modeled on her dad. </a> I'm hoping for more Ellie Rush books in the near future. They are a solid mysteries with a great detective who is sensible and smart, and have a new and unusual look into police work.Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-80873702817894403872015-07-10T20:32:00.005-07:002015-07-10T20:32:57.817-07:00For People Who Are Too Afraid To Go To ComicCon (Like Me)<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/nZuvOzN1yOQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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This is hands down my favorite song of 2014. I love how Neko Case is positively unhinged when she sings about how girls will rule and and compares Shackleford's journey to the search for a man who knows about clitoral stimulation. <br />
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<a href=http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-80781854/>Kelly Hogan told the <i>Chicago Tribune</i> about the process of contributing to the lyrics.</a> I did not care for the album <i>2776</i> (a CD copy is up for grabs). I thought the concept was too broad, the plot was rambling, and it was crude. Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-47831159729956848772015-07-06T14:27:00.001-07:002015-07-06T14:27:26.043-07:00Lumberjanes, Vol 1 "Beware The Kitten Holy"--Noelle Stevenson & Grace EllisDid you go to summer camp? Did you read books about summer camp? Did you wish you could go? <br />
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<i>Lumberjanes</i> is a happy little comic about 5 friends at a Girl Scouts style summer camp. The central tenet of the Lumberjane code is friendship. April, Jo, Molly, Mal, and Ripley are residents of Roanoke cabin, headed by by-the-books counselor Jen. The girls are busy earning their badges (The Robyn Hood Badge, The Up All Night Badge, Naval Gauging Badge) and bonding though adventure and ritual. <br />
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However, the Miss Quinella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's Camp For <strike>Girls</strike> Hardcore Lady-Types is a little different. Let's just say that it's kind of got a very "Welcome To Night Vale" feel to it. The local fauna tend to have three eyes or belong to myth, and the camp director is awfully unfazed by reports of a bear woman. What is "The Kitten Holy?" And why are there these glowing gems in odd places? <br />
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I'm a little over the Night Vale weirdness (it's starting to look like "Lost" to me, which I thought was just random and grasping for ideas and pretending to be going for a greater big, important reveal--ha ha ha). But while I am not totally into Lumberjanes, I still like the emphasis on female friendship, bravery and problem solving. The use of famous female role model names as an interjection gets a little old, and in some ways it's just aggressively twee. But you know what? Who cares? This comic is fantastic for teens and hardcore lady types. I just wish Peaches were about 5 years older to share this with her. <br />
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I first heard about <i>Lumberjanes</i> last summer when it was published. I'm not into comics anymore, so I put the collection on my list of titles to add to my ever-growing library list. I pulled the trigger and ordered it when I heard it had been optioned for a movie. Issues with it aside, I am looking forward to reading and seeing more about the adventures of April, Jo, Mel, Molly and Ripley in the future. Additionally, with the new fiscal year on July 1st, Phoenix Public Library's subscription to Hoopla includes comics and all issues of <i>Lumberjanes</i> are included.<br />
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Want my used copy? Let me know. Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-35908453246696256812015-06-19T15:51:00.000-07:002015-06-19T15:51:00.050-07:00Please: Fiction Inspired By The Smiths--Edited By Peter WildIt turns out that if you've never sat down and listened to The Smiths until you are 33 or 34, you have no deep background with or emotional attachment to the band. And therefore, short fiction by writers you've never heard of about the band are about 5 degrees too far removed from your interests. <br />
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If you'd like to read this, speak up and I'll send it. I have no opinions on quality or enjoyability of this collection, but maybe you are excited by it. Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-14881155456858544932015-06-14T16:34:00.001-07:002015-06-14T16:34:06.209-07:00Summer 2015: I'll Send You A BookAs someone who raised herself reading anything she could get her hands on and became a librarian of all things, I have a lot of books. Of course. And now I have to get rid of them. <br />
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I do tell people bluntly that books are just piles of rotting paper attracting bugs to your house, but I'm not an absolutist about their continued existence. Actually, I am quite pro the book as a physical object as I find they are still the best way to share. I work in a medical library, and we maintain a book exchange for patients, family and staff to donate books and magazines and swap them back and forth. This is widely used--oh, you think everyone has a Kindle or likes watching "Ellen?" YOU ARE WRONG. Plus hospitals are places where you get stuck somewhere with nothing to keep yourself busy, lots of other stressed out folks, and a variety of weird. Hospitals, prisons and the city bus are where you will find readers--all places where you have time on your hands, little control over the situation, and where the ability to mentally disappear is so, so helpful. <br />
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So for my summer project, I am working on reading through some/most/all of my books and recycling by getting them into other people's hands. This past year or so I have started dropping them off at our book carts, sometimes with little messages about what (positive) things I thought about them. But I would also like to send them to anyone still reading here, friends, hams, and strangers alike. Just leave a message in the comments or drop me a line at atomiclibrarian @ yahoo. Anything I can't send I'll note in my comments about it. Anything I write a review or commentary on after this date is up for grabs. Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-50484279764542951602015-02-16T08:30:00.000-08:002015-02-16T21:17:43.462-08:00Because Paulie Walnuts Wanted To Know About My Valentine's Day Bus SuitorSo last spring I was sitting on the bus reading a book (A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews--highly recommended, starts out hysterical but spirals into despair. Mennonites, man. Not quite the charming, loving, Old-World simple folk that Rhonda Janzen tried to pass her kin off as being). Anyway, this fellow strikes up a conversation and it really piques his interest that I'm a librarian. "Oh I have some old illustrated Bible pages, how can I display them? I love old books." And I tell him a bit about the dangers of direct sunlight and why you prop up books so not to bend the spine, show off my 1 credit hour of archives knowledge.<br />
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And then he asks me if I want to meet sometime and go to a movie and I say no. I mean whatever, but I am not attracted, his breath smells, and he seems a bit weird. Also, I reject the idea that just because I dare to be a woman in public doing things I should be macked on by men, especially men who interrupt my reading time. I mean I'll give him points for trying, but I have learned my lesson and I know I cannot be going places with someone after a 10 minute conversation. After 10 minutes my conversational skills are exhausted and I don't need to talk to anyone for at least 6 hours unless we are really on the same page. Like same references, listen to all the same podcasts, have extensive overlap in our reading materials. And I don't "go to the movies" anyway. Have you seen modern movies? I go to the movies with my mom and I don't even like to watch sex scenes with her, and she thankfully has barely acknowledged either of us has ever had sex since she did car sex ed when I was 6. And then of course, I must not want to go out with him because I'm married or have a guy or something and no, I just don't want to go out with you, dude. <br />
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So anyway, because my commute is LONG and the bus starts off crowded but thins out (I am usually one of the last 2-3 on the bus after an hour) I would occasionally see him but could avoid him for the next couple months. And then one day he sits next to me and I don't remember how exactly the this conversation gets started, but he makes the assertion that the United States is a ridiculously pro-abortion country. OH, REALLY? EXPLAIN TEXAS. And we are off to the races as I start calling him on his bullshit.<br />
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He is not an A+ arguer/discusser. Like maybe a B-. His argument is basically "abortion is bad because GOD" but he won't actually come out and say that. Instead he tries a lot of assertions based along the line that human beings are special, because they bury their dead (this is a big point with him), and you can't explain our evolution fully, and I poke holes in the argument all the way up Scottsdale Road. Which no, because animals mourn their dead. And humans are human because of a series of lucky environmental coincidences and anything could have evolved into humans based on enough time and luck. Maybe we could have been The Cat from <i>Red Dwarf</i>. Oh well there must be something other than evolution because of gaps in the fossil record. Oh you stupid intelligent designist. He tries the old "you must be pro-choice because you've had an abortion" angle. I say if or not, it's not relevant because I am a person with a brain and voting rights, you know. Because as a woman I can't have any opinions that don't stem from personal experience, apparently. <br />
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And his final summation, which he delivers with his supposed triumph clear in his voice is, "Well, if women don't want to get pregnant then they should be abstinent." And then I laugh because this fucker has no chance ever with me. <br />
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I don't even know what this guy's name is. <br />
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Then we abandon the Peak for the summer and then the bus schedule changes and I get on before 7am and I never see him again and that's fine with me. <br />
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So on Valentine's Day evening, I'm on the bus again on my side of town and holy hell he gets on. And he sits next to me and he's clearly feeling like "oh, I see that dumb liberal pro-choice girl and maybe I can win her over on Valentine's Day." And I say hello and he starts to talk and 15 seconds later I excuse myself as it's my stop anyway. <br />
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And I get off the bus.<br />
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Sheesh. My mom is right; I need a car.Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-88764379711356901932014-12-01T06:00:00.000-08:002014-12-01T06:00:09.532-08:00Your House Is On Fire, Your Children All Gone--Stefan KiesbyeIf there's one thing I've learned as a librarian, it's that if you can display an item, someone will get interested in it. <br />
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This is how I wound up with this book, an impulse borrow as I was checking myself at the library*<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Your-House-Fire-Children-Gone/dp/0143121464/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417384396&sr=1-1&keywords=your+house+is+on+fire+your+children+all+gone">It has a fantastic cover design, featuring a girl modeled after the original "Village of the Damned" look with some rustic dead animals hanging in the background.</a> There's an additional nice touch if you turn the book about 30 degrees to the side--the message "IF YOU TELL ON ME YOU'RE DEAD" appears on the cover. Super scary. It promises a tale about a small, isolated town and four friends who grew up there and compares it to both the Brothers Grimm and Stephen King. <br />
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The problem with this book is that Kiesbye had one great vignette that exposes the depravity of the town, a village cooking contest that puts various people on edge and ends with the murder of one contestant and her family by the whole town once the social order of who wins the contest is disrupted. Plus they have possibly just eaten human flesh and the murdered were newcomers anyway. After that, it's just going through the motions of murder, witchcraft, incest, rape and maiming until he caps it off with a mention that, hey, there was a concentration camp down the road. When the Nazis show up, they are not even <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Snow">frozen Nazi zombies</a> And like in all horror films, the characters are thinly drawn and second to the shock factor. <br />
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There's a reason "The Lottery" is a classic. It's a short story, the horror builds, and once revealed it ends. <br />
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At just under 200 pages, this book was great for commute reading--I finished it on one day. But overall, it was just an irritating waste of time. <br />
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*Yes, in Arizona you check out your own books at a machine. We did not have that back in Ohio--has it finally become a thing there? Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-63002386445573390852014-07-27T14:50:00.000-07:002014-07-27T14:50:01.650-07:00So Cleveland. So Very Cleveland. <br />
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<a href="http://www.cleveland.com/interact/2014/07/tell_us_why_youre_so_cleveland.html">Apparently, Clevelanders are into boasting about how hardcore Cleveland they are because the Republicans are coming in 2016 and LeBron is rejoining the Cavs. </a><br />
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I'm so Cleveland, I still have the exact same job I got when I got out of college 20 years ago.* <br />
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I'm so Cleveland, I once punched an Oberlin student in the face at the airport for being annoying. No, they didn't arrest me. <i>It was an Oberlin student. </i><br />
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I'm so Cleveland, I go to Lakewood and I name every bar that was there 25 years ago and who drank there. <br />
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I'm so Cleveland, you name a closed parish I can tell you where it is and what ethnicity the original congregation was. <br />
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I'm so Cleveland, I can tell you what Central European country your baba came from based on the curve of your nose and your last name.<br />
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I'm so Cleveland, I actual have ethnic stereotypes about the difference between Slovaks and Czechs. <br />
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I'm so Cleveland, I know how to get to Shaker Square. And when I'm there, I'm mourning the businesses that were there before they got evicted and they put in the Gap that closed 2 years later. (That was in '99-2000.)<br />
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I'm so Cleveland, I'm always surprised when an art museum want to charge me money to see the collection. <br />
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I'm so Cleveland, Case Western was my reach school. <br />
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I'm so Cleveland, I'm indignent when it's suggested I should change or evolve in any way. <br />
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*Seriously, my ex. <br />
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Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-55989325360541663392014-07-12T19:37:00.000-07:002014-07-12T19:37:42.974-07:00Watch The Bridge With Me This Summer. Please. <br />
Season 2 of <i>The Bridge</i> started on Wednesday. I watched Season 1 last summer, and it was a delight. Well, okay not a delight--it is a dark and unforgiving show, just like the desert it's set in. Numerous people get killed in gruesome ways furthering the plot, but those deaths aren't titillating. Real events and news form the backbone of this story, and well if there's a weirdo serial killer hanging around, at least he's got a serious socio-political message. <br />
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And Lyle Lovett appears in several episodes, at one point carrying a three bean salad that's not a three bean salad, if you know what I mean. So while the first episode maybe didn't hook me, my 25 year crush on Lyle Lovett* kept me watching that second episode and after that I was devoted. I'm devoted because I like character driven dramas with incredibly twisty plots, sly touches of humor and excellent acting, and dialogue that dips in and out of English and Spanish appropriately. <br />
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To slightly recap season 1 (no spoilers, just the basics)--one night the lights go out on the bridge that separates El Paso, TX and Juarez, Mexico. When the lights come back on, there's a woman's body left in the middle of the bridge, half in each country. It turns out there's two half bodies switched, which brings police detectives Sonya Cross** and Marco Ruiz together to work the case. Also on that bridge was the car of local journalist Daniel Frye, local socialite Charlotte Millwright with her husband in an ambulance, and local weirdo/social worker Steven Linder, who has a woman in his trunk. <br />
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And from them it picks up strands of the drug trade, the prostitution trade, the missing women of Juarez, corruption in the Mexican police, smuggled migrants, and tells the story of what's going on with these characters and the symbiotic American relationship between America and Mexico. It's streaming on Hulu and Netflix at the moment, and the DVDs were released last month. <br />
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I was disappointed Matthew Lilliard (formerly best know as Shaggy from the <i>Scooby-Do</i> remake 10+ years ago)as reporter Daniel Frye didn't get an Emmy nod as he is fantastic in the role of a hardcore, functional addict whose journalistic brilliance is just managing to save everyone from giving up on him, kicking him in the ribs and leaving him in the gutter beside the taco stand. You understand why Adriana Mendez (another good performance by Emily Rios) sticks with him, and their actual friendship is refreshing. <br />
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Let me tell you, I would watch the spinoff where Daniel Frye and Adriana Mendez hangout and investigate and report on anything, a la <i>State of Play</i> (aka the fantastic British series that is the best thing about smart people thinking, writing and modern journalism that I have ever seen). Considering season 1 ends with them involved in the most local heartwarming story of a local 100 year old woman's birthday gone bad, I think we can look forward to this. Or maybe if we get Season 3, Adriana will do something on <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/06/the-rise-of-the-diy-abortion-in-texas/373240/">Mexican DIY abortion pill usage in Texas</a>, considering what's gone on there in the last year. <br />
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So in case you also live in a place where it's too damn hot to leave the house (110 today!)give <i>The Bridge</i> a shot and come leave comments and let's talk and dissect. <br />
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*My other 25 year crush is on Henry Rollins. Make of this what you will. <br />
**I promise, before season 2 is over I will deliver my epic Sonya Cross/Asperger's/superpower rant. Maybe multiple times. <br />
Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-68913620901958140602014-07-06T22:01:00.000-07:002014-07-06T22:01:16.770-07:00There's Always A Cost To SomeoneI sneered a little when I heard about Starbucks' new educations benefits. In general, I am a big believer that a benefit that doesn't fit the individual isn't really a benefit. I can't manage online courses, that's not how I learn. I also don't learn well in 5 week cram sessions. What if you just want an Associate's degree in accounting form the local community college, and not a degree from Arizona State University? ASU is no Harvard. Others came up with other <a href=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/17/us/critics-point-to-drawbacks-in-starbucks-tuition-program.html?hpw&rref=education&_r=1>drawbacks</a> of this new program. <br />
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Then I thought about it a little more--I live near ASU. They've cut staff and faculty positions at a ferocious rate since 2008 when the economy crashed and the state had its budget crunch (remember how Arizona sold their state office buildings for quick cash and then rented back the office space? Fun times!)during which they cut funding to the three state universities. So...who is going to be teaching all these new online students? <br />
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<a href="http://chronicle.com/article/Adjunct-Project-Shows-Wide/136439/">Adjunct professors, working on contract without benefits</a>. <br />
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So Starbucks, which prides itself on being good for workers by paying higher-than minimum wages and offering benefits to part-time workers, is actually exploiting another pool of workers. <a href="http://www.starbucks.com/blog/help-u-s-jobs-get-an-indivisible-wristband">Kind of makes those $5 Create Jobs wristbands seem ironic. </a><br />
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I wonder how Howard Schulz explains all this? Because it seems like fairness for all workers is what we should be striving for, not exploiting one batch to help another. Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-7048173686309675782014-05-31T13:00:00.000-07:002014-05-31T13:00:20.914-07:00Best Thing I Bought Recently: Cat EditionCain is a big fatty. And as the owner of a pudge pudge, it's been hard to find a good carrier to take him to the vet and other places. He's too big for the Made In America plastic carriers with the side clips--the last one I bought came apart as I was carrying him downstairs. A wire cage is awkward to take on the bus. I had a padded mesh shoulder carrier that was intended for small dogs, but after several years he had torn holes in the mesh and it was only a matter of time before he escaped. <br />
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With a semi-annual trip to the vet coming up, I needed a solution. A browse around the internet lead me to dog carriers, and the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Snoozer-Around-Carrier-Black-Medium/dp/B0054U47GY">Snoozer 4 in 1 Roll Around</a>. The large size holds a 30lb dog, so I can put both Cain and Willa in it if needed. I intend to use it as a rolling suitcase carrier, but it also can be worn as a backpack, fastened into the back seat of a car, and folds out into a bed. The small and medium sizes can be taken on a plane and stowed under the seat. <br />
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The mesh is a thick rubber, but Cain hasn't even tried to claw at it. It's padded inside, and an easy to clean vinyl-ish material. The attachable pad for the bottom is harder to keep attached--it fell off twice--but I seem to have the trick of attaching it now. <br />
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I used it on today's trip to the vet. It got a lot of attention, because hey, crazy cat lady on the bus with a handsome cat in a super posh carrier. Cain still cried on the way up to the bus stop and meowed on the bus, but he seemed to like the rolling after a while and how he could see more of the world but still feel safe. No clawing, and since it has plenty of room it was easy to put him in and hold him while I zipped it up. I hope this is something that I can use to give the cats adventure in the fall. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nLVsVn4a35g/U4o0igLSbnI/AAAAAAAAAc4/pzdZlZ5halc/s1600/IMG_0314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nLVsVn4a35g/U4o0igLSbnI/AAAAAAAAAc4/pzdZlZ5halc/s320/IMG_0314.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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By the way, I bought this with my own money and that link isn't an affiliate link. Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-43493590539229647162014-05-17T21:00:00.002-07:002014-05-17T21:00:44.072-07:002 Toddlers, 2 Cats, 1 Adult And A 600 Square Foot ApartmentTomorrow Peaches and the Plum are coming over for the whole day to hang out. It will be 103 degrees, so our outside time will be limited. I made a list of things for us to do. <br />
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Let's brush Cain<br />
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Let's give Cain a waterless bath<br />
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Let's be very quiet and hope Willa comes out from under the bed<br />
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Help Aunt Scar do her laundry<br />
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Aunt Scar's bed is a boat. Where are we sailing?<br />
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Hiding Monsters--Yes, it's an app, but the Plum likes to play his own version of hide and seek where he is the monster and someone has to find him. <br />
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Make a fort out of all Scar's books--I have a lot of books. I don't mind if the kids stack them like blocks. <br />
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Make a blanket cave<br />
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Watch the <a href="http://new.livestream.com/tinykittens/dancing">newborn kitten cam</a><br />
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Dance party<br />
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Take a bath<br />
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Take the bus somewhere--Maybe Essence Bakery? The kids like to take the bus. <br />
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Pit and eat all the cherries--It's May, therefore the start of the time when I spend half my takehome pay on cherries. I bought Raniers and regular sweet cherries today. So many cherries. <br />
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Go to the library--However, the library doesn't open until 1pm. Will we have enough to keep us busy until then?Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-18129051214933456672014-05-04T19:07:00.002-07:002014-05-04T19:07:52.165-07:00Chihuly at the Desert Botanical Garden<br />
Oh Saturday I took three buses to get to the Desert Botanical Garden to check out the blooming saguaro and the Chihuly exhibit in daylight. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s25HTdeYE70/U2bnN3iu9tI/AAAAAAAAAco/8LxGYAOzrxw/s1600/IMG_0369.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s25HTdeYE70/U2bnN3iu9tI/AAAAAAAAAco/8LxGYAOzrxw/s320/IMG_0369.jpg" /></a><br />
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I previously attended with my mom right before New Year, because I thought "Well, who else wants to see luminaria <i>after </i>Christmas?" Ha ha ha. Everyone wanted to see them. We were constantly dodging people who stopped in the middle of the path not to look at the sculpture but to take pictures. I find crowds uncomfortable, and then the added aggravation of people not even looking at the sculpture, and just mindlessly taking pictures to prove they were there and had consumed CULTURE, added to the general rage. So I put going back during daylight before the exhibit ends later this month on my to-do list. It was worth the sunburn.<br />
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<br />
Some of my experience this time around was colored by the fact I read Charles Stross's first two Laundry Files novels this week, and that makes the sculptures with their writhing feel particularly Chthulu-like.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PtwiQQIjwAo/U2bmo725lvI/AAAAAAAAAcE/Q5mU9m0sAiI/s1600/IMG_0370.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PtwiQQIjwAo/U2bmo725lvI/AAAAAAAAAcE/Q5mU9m0sAiI/s320/IMG_0370.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
See those snake heads? <br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gUuaTG3kLOs/U2bmpH--BiI/AAAAAAAAAcI/TYM729X2Z_4/s1600/IMG_0372.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gUuaTG3kLOs/U2bmpH--BiI/AAAAAAAAAcI/TYM729X2Z_4/s320/IMG_0372.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
Lilac polka dots do not decrease the feel of awe and energy. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--63aw9j3nDQ/U2bmqEz6KSI/AAAAAAAAAcc/Og9oy2o9rfQ/s1600/IMG_0373.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--63aw9j3nDQ/U2bmqEz6KSI/AAAAAAAAAcc/Og9oy2o9rfQ/s320/IMG_0373.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
And this gigantic thistle looks like an alien pod. <br />
<br />
There were some lovely bird-like ones arranged around the pond that I saw at Christmas, but I believe that was closed due to the butterfly gardens. There are also more up the hill that are only visible at night. <br />
<br />
You've got until the 18th to see them, and it was already 99-100 degrees yesterday (102 today) so get a move on! There's a reason they open the Zoo at 7am and the DBG at 8am here in Phoenix.Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-18725480758284442922014-02-01T20:59:00.000-08:002014-02-01T20:59:43.352-08:00Times Like This, I Wish I Had A BoyfriendRemember Uber's National Cat Day promotion? <a href="http://blog.uber.com/ICanHasUberKITTENS">How in certain cities you got 15 minutes of kitten snuggle time and a cupcake for $20? </a> Which face it, at certain times of my life I would have been a weekly user of such a service just for the stress relief. (And yes, even though I have 2 cats at home. Because <i>kittens</i>.)<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.azhumane.org/wp-content/uploads/AHS107_ValentinesFlyer_r02.pdf">Arizona Humane Society has learned from their marketing stunt</a>. For Valentine's Day, you can have a Kitty-Gram delivered to your sweetheart. For $150, you get a kitten (for keeps!), a starter care kit, and some candy <br />
I guess. <br />
<br />
So instead of an engagement ring, give your loved one a kitten! It's just as much of a commitment! Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-30490767722490552982013-12-25T11:06:00.000-08:002013-12-25T11:06:37.501-08:00Merry Christmas From Kerry, The Cats, and The Roaches In My SinkCurrent time: 10:54AM<br />
Time I woke up: 4:50AM<br />
Reason for waking: Sister Dusie was awake<br />
Time Plum woke up: 6:30AM<br />
Time Mom and Aces arrived for present opening: 6:55AM<br />
Time Peaches woke up: 7:31AM<br />
<br />
Number of cups of coffee I have had: 2<br />
Number of pieces of bacon I ate: 1<br />
Number of carrots eaten: 2<br />
Probable time of lunch: 1pm<br />
<br />
Number of books about trains I have read this morning: 3<br />
Number of times I have read each of those books: At least 3<br />
Maximum number of times I have read "Two Little Trains" by Margaret Wise Brown back to back: 4<br />
Number of times I would read that book again at the behest of the Plum: Infinite<br />
<br />
Items I brought realizing my sister would probably forget them: 4<br />
Items: 4 boxes of fresh herbs for roast, can of biscuits, large sour cream, garlic<br />
Item I should have located and brought: a meat thermometer<br />
Chance we will have to put the roast back in the oven at least once: 75%<br />
Time I left the house yesterday: 3:03pm<br />
Items I left for the cats: wet food, dry food, water, freeze-dried turkey, a Catmas tree decorated with cat toys<br />
Amount of hunger and pique I will experience upon my return: Considerable<br />
<br />
Amount of times I was assured by Peaches that she really wanted me to sleep over on Christmas Eve: 2<br />
And that I could share her bed: 2<br />
Amount of time she allowed me to share her bed before having a meltdown and banishing me <br />
to the couch: 1 hour<br />
Time I will sneak off and take a nap in her bed: noon<br />
<br />
Oddest item Santa brought: A Malibu Barbie Dream House<br />
Amount of time it takes to put together a Barbie Dream House: 90 minutes<br />
Most frugal item Santa brought: Aunt Aces' old sewing machine<br />
Person who received both gifts: Peaches <br />
Best joke posted to Facebook: Peaches holding a giant Hello Kitty alarm clock titled "Now I won't be late to my shift at Aunt Aces' sweatshop!"<br />
<br />
Merry Christmas, everyone.<br />
Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-81896485483123701532013-05-15T20:17:00.002-07:002013-05-15T20:17:28.771-07:00Things That Would Happen On This Week's Grey's Anatomy If I Were Writing ItSadly, <i>Grey's Anatomy</i> is not even the worst show I watch. That would be <i>Criminal Minds</i>, with its paper thin characters, outlandish plots, and pungent blend of misogyny and martyrdom. Yes, I am ashamed and I wish I knew others who hate watched it so we could rant together. However, Grey's a special case because it has some very good and interesting actors, something of a feminist concept, tries to have interesting stories and concepts, and consistently misses the mark and is often a mess. So here's what I wish would happen tomorrow night on the season finale. <br />
<br />
<br />
1) Dr. Arizona Robbins cheating on her wife with a visiting cranio-facial surgeon: Arizona finds out immediately that the surgeon Lauren has an amputee fetish as post-orgasm she develops diarrhea of the mouth and confesses that she never thought she'd meet a gorgeous lesbian amputee to have sex with and it's like the best experience of her life. Arizona is crushed, guilty and skulks around trying to avoid her wife. Callie knows something is off but doesn't find out what happened until next season, and for the sake of their daughter they try an open relationship. It does not work. <br />
<br />
2) Dr. Alex Karev, his crush Intern Jo, and the tree that crashed through his house: So Intern Jo has previously been involved in a mutual assault with her boyfriend Chest Peckwell, in which she wound up with a black eye and he wound up with a subdural hematoma and brain surgery. Alex and Jo attempt to secure the house, and during this Jo gets trapped in the basement and drowns like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QRv9xy0aUg">poor Kate Fleming</a>. <br />
<br />
OR, with his house in ruins around him Alex realizes that getting together with a woman who has uncontrolled PTSD/anger/intimacy issues is a bad idea, and backs off from a relationship, forcing Jo into therapy. They eventually get together though, but she starts assaulting him. After months of this, Alex gets the help he needs, breaks up with her and leaves Seattle.<br />
<br />
Alex gets a spin off in which he goes back to Iowa to help care for his mother and brother who have serious mental illnesses, force his sister to abandon her music career to go to college, and take up a new job at a hospital in Des Moines or Cedar Rapids or wherever. Oh, and finds a therapist. <br />
<br />
3) Owen Hunt, Cristina Yang, and the plot moppet he wants to adopt: Cristina realizes Owen is an asshole, and calls off their post-divorce relationship in which they have sex and ignore the fact he's an abusive asshole who wants kids, and she does not want them. The moppet's dad dies during the storm and Owen adopts the kid and moves out to wherever the kid's grandmother lives to form a family and torture new people. Probably by finding another strong woman (but one who wants kids this time) and constantly undermining her and ignoring words coming out of her mouth. <br />
<br />
4) April and her new fiance Matthew: Since doctors can only date other doctors in the Seattle Grace world, and especially since surgeons can only date other surgeons (Shonda Rhimes does not believe in class mixing), Matthew dies during the storm helping people. April blames herself and the fact she's not a virgin. She becomes an atheist and actually becomes tolerable, passes her boards and starts internet dating like an adult.<br />
<br />
5) Bailey's loss of confidence and guilt that her staph infection killed several patients: Bailey develops OCD and has a nervous breakdown in the middle of the hospital. She ends the season in a straitjacket. <br />
<br />
6) Meredith Grey and Derek Shepard's miracle baby is born during a horrible storm. Eh, everything goes smoothly until there's an emergency C-section, but everything is fine and it's all touching and whatnot.<br />
<br />
Should I become a showrunner? Would you watch this? Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-22696744852288382462013-02-28T20:23:00.000-08:002013-02-28T20:23:24.655-08:00A New ChallengeBefore my therapy group dissolved, we talked about our past year and what we wanted for the future. I actually goals written around the theme of resources, financial, emotional, temporal, and physical. One of my ongoing issues is waste, and my own patterns around spending my energy, (mis)spending my money, and the fact that I know intellectually I have limitations, but not doing my best to maximize my resources. You know, by doing some clearheaded thinking, planning ahead, practicing patience and not giving into my emotions. One of the things I decided to do this year was a 1 week spending fast each quarter. The first one starts tomorrow. <br />
<br />
The rules are simple: no shopping, no food buying, no restaurant meals, no impulse purchases because "I need" an item. In preparation, I made a list of what I do need before entering this week: a jug of cat litter, a 6 pack of Coke, a gallon of milk, and some chocolate. Seriously, I can scare up 21 meals out of the contents of my pantry and fridge. If I need entertainment, I can scour the tub or groom a cat. Or meditate. Listen to the radio. Paint my nails. Sleep. Cain and Willa have food and medicine, and even treats (okay, only Willa considers brussels sprouts a treat.)<br />
<br />
I just got back from Target, where the shopping trip for my short list of supplies spiked my anxiety and a can of soup, a box of mac & cheese, and some rice pilaf also made their way into the bag. Yes, I should have put them back once I realized they were anxiety-quellers. But let's start small. Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-75290667571319143152013-02-19T11:06:00.001-08:002013-02-19T11:06:12.053-08:00So Kerry, What Happened To You?I know, you've wondered. <br />
<br />
Have I:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Fallen down a well?</li>
<li>Had a nervous breakdown and been hanging out with Governor Jan Brewer's son at the Arizona State Hospital?</li>
<li>Gotten a boyfriend? </li>
<li>Even better than having me an ordinary, age-appropriate, fellow of similar interests who likes hanging out of me, have I enchanted a billionaire of kinky habits and a controlling nature who has been psychologically abusing me while making my way smooth and destroying my sense of self?</li>
<li>Been writing fan fiction?</li>
</ul><br />
Sadly, none of the above. The truth is that after a year of not working, I know have 2 jobs, one of which is full-time and pays benefits and lets me be peppy and interact with people positively and be myself, and another on my days off which lets me be myself and peppy, but uses a different set of intellectual skills. I have two great managers, and overall I feel good about where I am professionally, although some (including my little niggling "you're not right" voice that pops up occasionally) might say I'm not doing well at all. Screw that. <br />
<br />
But between work, and seeing my sister's kids any chance I get, and those general life organization tasks that I am continually overwhelmed by, I am very, very busy and about to get busier as I cover part of a maternity leave for 12 weeks. I'm planning on buying all the cat food and litter I could possibly need and stacking it in the living room. Oh, and did I mention that I really should move to be closer to the store? Like, before March 19th? <br />
<br />
Ay yi yi. Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-45439450020591581892012-12-01T09:24:00.001-08:002012-12-01T09:24:50.780-08:00Sign Up For World Book Night!Folks, it's time to sign up to be a giver for <a href=http://www.us.worldbooknight.org/> World Book Night</a> on April 23, 2013. I was a 2012 giver and it was tons of fun. <br />
<br />
My first choice is Margaret Atwood's <b>The Handmaid's Tale</b>, which I think I will hand out around the State Capitol area. I will maybe also put together and include an handout about the recent legislation passed by nutjobs in the Arizona State Legislature that limit women's access to abortion, birth control and create the circumstances that lead to the experiences of Offred and the other women being stripped of their rights and forced into sexual slavery and servitude. <br />
<br />
I also find the book <a href="http://www.us.worldbooknight.org/books/2013">Glaciers</a> intriguing. My third choice is <b>Devil In A Blue Dress</b>. Other books on the list that I have on my ever-growing TBR list are <b>The Tender Bar</b>, <b>Population: 485</b>, <b>Salvage The Bones</b>, <b>City of Thieves</b>, <b>Fahrenheit 451</b>, and <b>My Antonia</b>. Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-16725567362876443152012-11-30T20:31:00.000-08:002012-11-30T20:31:00.114-08:00Note To Self: Excellent Advice EditionThe first time someone shows you who they are, believe them--Maya AngelouKerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-76862486608647080182012-11-30T10:31:00.001-08:002012-11-30T10:31:11.058-08:00A Public Service Announcement From Cain And Kerry: You Should Be Brushing Your Cat's Teeth. No, Really. Cat ladies and lovers, Cain and I recently had an upsetting experience involving his oral hygiene. A bit of background: Cain seems to be the cat who got a shitty genetic hand. Thank god he's neutered. Otherwise, he'd have sired huge fat diabetic gray kittens in 3 states. So yes, he developed diabetes at a young age, and he also seems to be ace at having tooth issues. A while back, the vet said that Cain had some buildup and that he thought Cain would lose one of his upper fangs/canines soon. He didn't, but when I took him for an exam in mid-September the teeth issues had become more pronounced and I decided to book him for a dental. <br />
<br />
Now, a cat's dental treatment involves putting them under general anesthesia. Because really, is your cat going to realize that you want to open his mouth and scrap off plaque and tartar and cooperate? Hell no. And they don't make straightjackets in cat size. And Cain needed pre-work medical testing to ensure he didn't die on the table because he is 8. And Dr. Bishop only does these things on Wednesdays. And the vet's office messed up the first appointment and I had to reschedule. And then one of his bottom fangs fell out, which I didn't worry about because Dr. Bishop had said that usually happens with cats when the roots dissolve, and besides, what am I going to do?Put it in a glass of milk and rush it and him to the vet for re-implantation? <br />
<br />
It turned out Cain's tooth roots do not dissolve and he must have been in great pain. Which because he is Cain, I couldn't tell. He needed gum surgery and to get his other bottom fang extracted. <br />
<br />
Let me tell you this: Gum surgery for your cat is expensive. It's not as expensive as it would be for a human, but the techniques are similar. <br />
<br />
So poor Cain was all traumatized and hated me for 12 hours after he got home. We're now back to normal. And he still has a nice smile. <br />
<br />
The upshot is that you should brush your cats' teeth. Now that we've discussed what happens when you don't do that, I need to dip my finger in butter and massage my cats' gums, step one on the path to getting to the point where I can brush their teeth with a little brush and some liver flavored toothpaste. <br />
<br />
This pet ownership thing is absurd. Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-34193491057193200482012-10-28T22:37:00.000-07:002012-10-28T22:37:00.575-07:00Music To Wrap Up The Weekend: Sallie Ford And The Sound Outside<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6xC2dS_RZiM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-76479671940920348922012-10-26T22:13:00.000-07:002012-10-26T22:24:57.735-07:00Political Animals And Other Topics Of InterestI actually had something related to politics happen at work this week, but I'll save that story for later this week. However, a lot of political stuff has tickled me this week. <br />
<br />
1. <a href="http://dangerousminds.net/comments/you_dont_own_me_lesley_gore_lena_dunham_miranda_july_and_others
">Courtesy of Dangerous Minds. I was completely tickled by this video. </a><br />
<br />
<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/51920265?autoplay=1" width="398" height="299" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe><br />
<br />
Sing along, won't you?<br />
<br />
2. So earlier this month I got a mailer from Brian Kaufman, who calls himself "The Independent Voice for Phoenix and Scottsdale." Which is bullshit--he's a Republican candidate for State Senate. But what caught my eye was the fact that unlike other candidates, who seem to be required to show themselves with evidence of their loving heterosexual marriage and 2.5 children (such as<a href="http://gawker.com/5604849/is-dan-quayles-son-pretending-to-have-kids"> when Ben Quayle sent out a mailer in 2010 featuring himself and his nieces</a>,) Kaufman's candidate photo shows him with his two dogs. POODLES. You can see it <a href=http://kaufman2012.com/about>here</a>. <br />
<br />
Cute dogs. <br />
<br />
3. One of my ongoing issues with politics in this country is that there is so much mealy mouthed politeness amongst its politicians. That's why this video of Australia's Prime Minister attacking the leader of the opposition for his history of of misogynistic and sexist comments and behavior is so great. <br />
<br />
A little background: The Prime Minister is Julia Gillard. The fellow from her party, Peter Slipper, sent gross text messages to someone. David Abbott is the leader of the opposite party, and he wants Slipper out and for his party to have the advantage. So he made a motion to censor Slipper and also some sort of feel-good "Sexism is WRONG!" motion. And then Gillard hits him with the evidence.<br />
<br />
It's 15 minutes long, but it is SO GOOD and worth a watch. Seriously, would this ever happen in the US? Oh, and I love an australian accent.<br />
<br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ihd7ofrwQX0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
<a href=http://www.upworthy.com/man-says-something-sexist-gets-put-in-time-out?c=upw1>This piece provides an outline of all the high points. </a> Even if the PM was mostly making the speech to defend the person from her own party and keep her razor-thin margin of <br />
<br />
<a href=http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2012/10/julia-gillards-misogyny-speech.html?mbid=social_retweet> The New Yorker even weighs in on what Obama could learn from the Speech. </a> Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-75820359597706277342012-10-01T20:20:00.001-07:002012-10-01T20:20:29.656-07:00I Made New RecipesOne of my ongoing issues with being a single worker and homemaker is preparing meals and managing to take food to work. After 15 years in the workforce, I still suck at this. <br />
<br />
However, I recently made an excellent lunch that traveled well and sustained me throughout my afternoon. It was a takeoff of this recipe for <a href=http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/black_bean_smothered_sweet_potatoes.html> Black Bean Smothered Sweet Potatoes</a>. What I did was bake 2 sweet potatoes, then take a bag of Target Mexican mix frozen vegetables, and cook them with the cumin and coriander in the linked recipe. The vegetable mix has black beans, corn, onion, and green peppers. I added that to the sweet potatoes, topped it with some Trade Joe's roasted tomato salsa and sour cream. So good! <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bountifulBaskets.org/">Bountiful Baskets</a> is back at my neighborhood pickup location, and 3 weeks ago they had leeks. Which was great, because I refused to purchase them at Sprouts due to cost-effectiveness. And I even got EXTRA leeks because I volunteered. I made this <a href=http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/chicken_braised_leeks.html>Chicken with creamy Braised Leeks</a>. Unfortunately, it was not a keeper. But <a href="http://leadpaintcookbook.blogspot.com/2012/09/im-no-fun-anymore.html">Cookbook</a>, there's very little dairy in it and it could be Paleo? <br />
<br />
This week I will be super busy with the opening, so I cooked or cut up up everything that was still edible in my fridge. I'll be eating a ton of <a href=http://www.fortheloveoffoodblog.com/2011/11/spicy-roasted-golden-beets.html>Spicy Roasted Golden Beets</a>. My sister is big on just roasting beets, which is good and all, but after a while their beetness drains. Yes, they are delicious, but after about half a cup the texture and taste bugs. I liked the idea of doing more to them, especially since I did not have tender young beets but larger ones and <i>(confessional tone)</i> they'd spent at least 2 weeks in my fridge. I will pair them with a Costco chicken and some rice pilaf for at least 3 meals. Then I might make chicken salad with my celery from BB, and figure out some more things to do with leftovers. I always save the chicken carcass for soup too. <br />
<br />
What have you eaten lately that's good? Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11335251.post-60198050771297340232012-09-23T21:12:00.002-07:002012-09-23T21:12:51.827-07:00I Love Pop Music<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZzrhWif_Y6Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Kerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07382434220023284946noreply@blogger.com0