urban earth mother

Rox Populi has a nice post asking What's So Great About America? The comments give some wonderful answers, from the things we don't like to admit (yes, we do like our junk food) to the things that make you smile (beautiful and varied landscapes), but the most important ones, and I think much of what keeps me here, is that it's our country too, and we're not giving it up.

Even political Norwegian rap. Or maybe it's just the dancing newscasters. This is the video from the Norwegian communist rap group Gatas Parlament that was banned last fall for lyrics that called for killing The Shrub. Personally, I have more of a problem with it being RAP in NORGEGIAN . But maybe that's because I kind of like the sentiment of the song ;) Anyhow, the video has subtitles so you don't have to actually understand Norwegian.

In my next life, I want to be a writer for Weekly World News. Now, there is certainly nothing wrong with being an artist's model, I was one myself for a few years, but just the thought... Most Americans are very familiar with Vice President Dick Cheney's distinguished career as a businessman and public servant -- but much less familiar with his work as a nude artist's model! shudder And the former "careers" of the other politicos are even better.

On Saturday April 9, 2005, The Ominous Collective presents their third in a series of the Kabarett 16 Bit, this time a very special occasion as Collective founders, electro-rock band Robotzen celebrate the release of their second CD "The Violence Factors In". Special guest for the evening will be poet Catherine Sasanov, reading from her latest work about La Santa Muerte (St. Death) in Mexico City. Sasanov is the author of the poetry collections Traditions of Bread and Violence (Four Way Books) and All the Blood Tethers (Northeastern University Press). She is the librettist for the theater piece Las Horas de Belén: A Book of Hours commissioned by Mabou Mines. Over the past few years, Sasanov has received fellowships from the Rockefeller Foundation, the NEA, and Mexico's National Fund for Culture and the Arts, all of which have helped her track down the relatives of a long dead Italian saint, bring to light the histories of women locked away in the religious sanctuary-t...

So Katell is on spring break and stopped by the office today. It was good to see her, but she berated me (okay, in a nice way) about not updating. So, what's been new with me? (like you care) Got an upgrade and raise at work. Now I can work long hours without over-time pay! Oh Boy! The Doc is coming to visit in April. With luck, I'll get most of that week off from work too. The Om Coll's Kabaretts at the Zeitgeist are going well. The third one of this year will be April 9 and should be a fabulous show. I'll post the press release and poster when it's finished. My Om Coll persona now has her own web presence too. It kind sucks right now, but I've not been working to hard on it lately. And I've been doing most of it in a text editor.

Okay, so I haven't writen a damned thing in over a month. But I swear it's just because I've been too busy reading other people's blogs (and working and school and listening to BBC 7 ). My life has changed since Salon started their blog roundup The Daou Report and I'm wasting my life reading the right wing diatribes. Actually, it's quite fun and they all have the same way of writing too: short, punchy sentences, "folksy" false self-deprication.

My friend who often sends me chain letter type things (although not nearly as much as my dad!) sent me this link to The Animal Rescue Site . Basically click the button in there and food gets donated. No effort on your part other than a click from my site and a click on theirs. And you get a warm, fuzzy feeling afterward.

Happy Birthday to me Happy Birthday to me Happy Biiiiirthday to meeeeee Happy Birthday to me. Hey, I gotta do something besides get drunk to keep my spirits up on inauguration day.

And what the hell is wrong with Bush? Gee, I'm sorry Sri Lanka isn't a swing state, but cough up some friggin' dough. And how DARE you claim that bullshit of the US leading the world on giving when you knew full well that European nations were pledging more to begin with. You should not have to be shamed into this. If you hadn't been leaching BILLIONS out of my taxes for MURDER then maybe you wouldn't be trying to raise funds by asking us to do it for you. -- And here are some figures to consider .

I don't make New Year's resolutions, but I have resolved to give money to the Red Cross International Response Fund . Please do as well.

The Doc has an interview tomorrow (quick work!) for a job in London. I'm a bit miffed though that they said his CV sucked since I wrote it. I based it on the 100 or so resumes I looked at this year when we were hiring, plus looking at sample ones from the UK as well as keeping scanability in mind. What more did they want?

The Doc got laid off yesterday. This is yet another of those times when he should be bowing down and tongue-kissing the English soil he lives on. While he may be out of a job, and London has kicked his arse so much that he's become a walking example of Murphy's Law (forced to move five times in a year, jacket containing keys, mobile phone and passport stolen, hit by a fucking VAN and breaking both wrists, and now a lay-off), he still doesn't have to worry about COBRA or it's alternative (being completely uninsured and having to risk getting sick and going into debit from medical bills), and their unemployment rate is really low now, and the unemployment benefits are still there in the interim. He's going to move back north, which I think will be good for him. I'm trying to talk him into city living up there once he gets back on his feet too. And he's looking into going to school too, which I think would be fantastic. It would give him something to do...

You know, I may totally slack on blogging, but at least I've written something since June, unlike some people . Of course writing while at work might not be the best thing >

He was vomitting on Thanksgiving but has been FAMISHED since then. Tonight I was having some Annie's with veggies and Quorn after I'd fed him and he was still trying to mooch food. But was he trying to mooch the cheesey pasta? No. He was going after the carrots.

How to they manage to walk and breathe at the same time? How can someone have blinders to focused that they can say abortion is wrong so kill to stop it? How can they be "pro-life" and support war? Why do they want their children coming home in body bags while they loose their jobs and face millions in personal debt because when they were admitted to the hospital they had no insurance? Were these people eating paint chips as children? No, we don't need to "reach out" to the red states. They are a different country and we should treat them with cool distance. We are not a "United" States any more. It's time to face that. Oh, and I'm really pissed off that Moby blogged a split of the country before I did. But he's to pious to climb into a bottle and hide under the blankets like I did instead of blogging. (I'm better now. But still binging on candy)

Eighty-six fucking years!!!! But we did it !!! I could weep with joy.

...and we are so fucking close

They did it ! They fucking did it! And my man Johnny ROCKS! Johnny Damon, Johnny Damon Johnny Damon, Johnny Damon You're an angel to me Johnny Damon How I love him How I tingle When he hits that ball Everytime the Yankees fall My heart begins to fly Johnny Damon How I want him He's got something That fans can't resist And he makes Derek Jeter Really damned pissed I'm in heaven I get carried away I dream of him and Sox And how he really rocks Other fellows They may hit a homerun But when they all are done My Johnny is more fun My Johnny Damon How we love him And I pray That someday he will see Sox win World Serie' How lovely Heaven will be Sox win World Serie' How lovely Heaven will be Stretching for the rhyme there at the end, but it's late, and you get the point.

I'm exhausted and I need to go to bed but I checked the fucking scores anyway. It's the top of the nineth and we're up 2, but I know I can't go to bed until after the inning. If it goes into extrea innings I'll go to bed and hear it in the morning, but I can't just leave it during regular play. And I'm not even a sports fan, dammit! But This Could Be THE YEAR!

My landlord called me at work from my apartment to tell me he sat down on the couch (he's there while the windows are being finished) and the cat came over to curl up next to him. While he called, the cat dozed off and he just thought it was a very cute scene. Just thgought I'd share.