Monday, November 29, 2004

LEARNING TO TAKE IT SLOWLY

I've always been a Type A kind of girl. I tend to focus in on a goal, and run myself into the ground in the process of getting it accomplished. That's how I finished my bachelor's degree with 3 kids, the youngest in kindergarten when I finished.

I've been pushing to go to work every day, regardless of how I felt, since I was working as a long-term sub, and I was due to get more money once I had 40 working days. It was tough. The second week, I sprained my ankle, and I hobbled to work for 2 weeks on crutches. A week later, I developed bronchitis. Although I improved, I never really got back to feeling GOOD.

Day by day, I found it harder to move. I showed up every day, but then nearly fell asleep at lunch. Sometimes, I had to stay an extra half hour after I finished at the end of the day, just to get up the energy to move. I dragged myself home, then fell asleep early, only to wake up in the middle of the night coughing uncontrollably and gasping for breath.

Finally, I lost my voice entirely. I drove to school, asked another teacher to call me in (I couldn't even squeak), and went home to try to heal. By 4 pm, it was clear that I wasn't going to be able to do that at home. I gave in, called my husband to pick me up, and went to the emergency room. I have HMO coverage, and when they insisted that I stay, I knew I was sick.

I spent 5 days, getting many tests, all of them negative. I was finally weaned off the oxygen after four days and a few nosebleeds. After that, I sucked it up and started walking around the perimeter of the hallway. I'd walk about 50 feet, then rest, then walk again. Finally, the doctor released me, having decided that I was not suffering heart trouble or from an autoimmune disease, but from competing infections that had left me drained, weak, and in asthmatic distress, and I tottered home at last.

What did I finally realize? I can no longer push to the point of exhaustion. If I don't take care of myself, and attempt to get more balance to my life, I will become dangerously ill. My illness was a symptom of the imbalance I had allowed to develop.

So, I am learning to pace myself. I work for a while, then take the time for other things:
  • time to write
  • time for family and friends
  • time to play
  • time to exercise


I'd like to be more productive with the blogging, but I won't kill myself to do so. And, anyway, I had a wonderful surprise when I returned from the hospital. I found that I had email about the blog. Sometimes, I feel as though I am shouting into a deep well. It's nice to know that's not true.

Sunday, November 28, 2004

THE TIMES, THEY ARE A-CHANGING

The Dylan standard came to mind while I was catching up on my web reading. There is a massive re-alignment of political allies and thinkers, at national, regional, and local levels. There is also a sweeping change in the movers and shakers in this new day.

The crazy antics of Rather and others will cause new blood to rise in the traditional media. And, that's how is should be - a system should evolve. Other media long-plays, from the Liberal Elite in Hollywood to the entrenched writers, producers, agents and packagers, and studio executives, will eventually see their influence diminish and their empires fade away.

There are many parts of the current media up-and-comers style I don't particularly like. For example, Team America, while absolutely hysterical, relied too heavily on the vomit-type stuff. But, as a first thrust, it was indeed brilliant. I'm still humming the theme song.

I really can't get into the beat of rap, although I am starting to listen to it, and parts of it are OK. In time, I may incorporate the rythyms into my personal sound track.

I am too often bored by the popular TV picks (Fear Factor, teen soaps, "news"). I'm trying NOT to creep into the habit of hitting the oldies channels and Law & Order re-runs. But, as a result, I am fairly disconnected from the popular culture on a daily basis.

I seldom read the daily papers. Most of the news I get is from the web, with occasional updates for local news. Really, the only paper I still read is the Sunday edition.

I'm reminded of the Tale of Two Cities intro (courtesy of Litrix):
IT WAS the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way- in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.


Hope Thanksgiving was filled with those you love.

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

THE 60'S ARE LIKE, SO-O-O OVER, DUDE!

The major news organizations have begun moving on from the election, and are finding new stories to focus on:

  • OMG! We forgot to obsess about Scott Peterson for a single hour! Well, even though the-it-who-would-have-become-Connor didn't get that chance, and although it would have been perfectly legal (and completely HER CHOICE) for Mrs. Peterson to have made the decision to terminate his existence, we are going to make this into a huge issue because his father made that choice. And, BTW, also killed his mother.
  • Warning! Bush is actually going to use his executive power to appoint some new members of his cabinet and administrative team.
  • And we, the media (The Real Annointed Rulers of This Pathetic Collection of Bumpkins) weren't even consulted!
  • Schools Suck, and they aren't getting enough money. Which, when they did get more money, still sucked. So, give them even more. And, BTW, don't expect smarter children, since we don't offer any guarantees or money back. And, if you decide to try to home-school, we're also going to make your live a living hell, since, even though many parents do a perfectly good job of teaching their own children, by doing so after the age of 5, you are clearly infringing on our union's sacred obligation to keep our job safe educate the future generations.
  • Many celebrities actually have lives just like real people. And we know that you can't resist hearing about every, single detail - 24/7
  • Professional atheletes are uncouth, crude, overly physical in a confrontation, and often use poor judgement. (I know this last part will come as an incredible shock - I personally always told my kids to act, speak, and live exactly like them, not me)


The hysteria about marriage seems to have died down. The trendy types rushed to make it semi-legal while the going was good, and thereby earned the "right" to call their significant other "husband" "wife" or "whatever" for the remainder of the "marriage" "union" "whatever's" existence.

The real issue is that in no state did the marriage extension pass the voters. And that firm response may stem the tide of lawsuits that seem sure to follow:

  • Employers - for medical and other benefits to be extended to the putative spouses and kids.
  • Government - for tax deductions
  • Insurance - life and car (they can already insure both, but I'm guessing that the real push will be reduction of car insurance for guys, since married men often get a lower rate)
  • Frivolous - family discounts at restaurants, gym memberships, etc.


Actually, the move to extend marriage's reach might have had a chance if it hadn't been put to the civil disobedience test. It gathered little resistance until MA and CA started having the marriage license rebellion, and married without sanction, and, in many cases, open opposition in defiance of the official government. Only after this did the issue start to get political action that permanently closed off this option.

I think this is an example of how the more showy, theatrical protests cut their own throat. Ever since the MLK days of the 60's, liberals have been enamoured of the glamour of The Struggle. They yearned for martyrdom, wishing they had been fortunate enough in their youth to have had their Brave Struggle immortalized via dramatic black & white pictures of their Oppression By Violent and Barely Even Human Fascist Pig Brave 9/11 Rescue Heros Unwitting Tool of the Overlord, Who, Neverless, We Must Resist.

I'm not impressed by Street Theatrics. If you have an issue, go through channels to get it resolved. It's simply not that difficult. The conservatives have done it, primarily working through established means:
  • Making arguments in various media. One of the most important media today is the Internet, which conservatives have found to be a good way of reaching people with similar values who are distant in geography. The Left is simply not taking full advantage of this, instead setting up sites for the in-group, who meet to kvetch and insult the opposition. They fail to make use of the opportunity to set up sites to inform and persuade, as well as use them to assist local organizations in their growth.
  • Organizing like-minded people to divvy up the work involved in working for change. Some of that organization involved finding churches and community organizations to assist them in their efforts.
  • Hiring lawyers to pursue REVELANT lawsuits.
  • Lobbying legislators.
  • When lobbying fails, working to elect more amenable lawmakers
  • And, last, not giving up in a huff. They hung in there for the long haul, working without necessarily expecting that they would succeed. In general, the most successful were single-minded in the focus, and willing to take longer rather than make compromises that would diminish the effect of their efforts.


What was shocking in the 60's is ridiculous today. Put away that patchouli and paisley, and use the means that are available to you today.

Monday, November 22, 2004

THE MONEY QUOTE

I found this on the always incomparable Little Green Footballs. LGF was quoting David Warren, on the meaning of Arafat's life:
It is not as if the world lacks heroes. There is no need to elevate a skunk.



I'm adding to this link - Cold Fury is on a tear, with some VERY blunt rebuttals to the prevailing liberal wisdom. He expresses himself in sarcastic hyperbole, with some straightforward thoughts for liberal consideration.


On a more serious note, I confess that I was more than a little out of the loop of news while hospitalized. My first reaction the the Chilean security incident was to smilingly imagine the teasing the agent would take, having been rescued by Bush from the police.

But Power Line rightly points out the more serious aspects, which I have not seen addressed by the media yet. Come on, people - we have lived through some crazy times in post-election years. Despite the number of home-grown loonies that try to take out a president, we can't forget the number of foreign nuts who have attempted the job, more notably the Puerto Rican gang that nearly succeeded with President Truman.

Chile owes us a BIG apology. Pronto.

SIGN THIS PETITION

There is a petition defending the actions of the marine who shot an insurgent who was previously wounded.

The facts of this incident are being used as an excuse to smear US soldiers and marines as war criminals. I cannot believe that Americans would believe this, given the MANY incidents of Western non-combatants who have been savagely tortured, on camera, regardless of gender or lack of military status by the insurgents, or, I should say, terrorists of the region.

Please consider clicking on the link and adding your signature to the petition.

I'M BA-A-A-A-C-K!!!

I was finally sprung from the hospital this afternoon, after 5 days of very good medical and nursing treatment. But, no matter how good the treatment, a hospital is never a good place to be.

I had my innards poked and prodded, in an worthwhile effort to find the source of my breathing difficulties. They x-rayed, bled, monitored bodily fluids and gases entrance and exit, and had me wearing a heart-monitoring harness for 4 days. All of the tests were negative.

In the end, they cautiously diagnosed a very resistant respiratory infection, or two. The most likely cause - two or more competing infections, that fought for supremacy.

Nice to be able to assert authority over the germs, and emerge triumphant. I'm still weak and shaky, but definitely on the mend.

The doctor said not to do too much. After seeing the condition of the house, I felt it wiser to go to work Monday and Tuesday. It should be much more restful.

It's kind of sad that I have to go to work to rest.

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

I'M REALLY SICK

Thank God for laptops. Without it, I would be channel-surfing through 500 channels of nothing.

Instead, I get to stop in at all the blogs I've been too busy to keep up with.




This has led me to some humble conclusions:
  • Damn, these guys are good! I mean it. Day in and day out, many of the most popular bloggers post accurate, interesting, and worthwhile blogs with a decided point of view.
  • Although I like blogging, I'm not dedicated enough at this time to play in their league. I do have a life off the net (although my most recent job as a substitute technology teacher has given me more time to blerk). So, for now, if someone wants to visit, welcome, but I'm giving up, for now, the effort to raise my readership.
  • I should have gotten the flu shot.


That's all for now. Smoke 'em if you've got 'em - just not at MY house.

Sunday, November 07, 2004

Want to promote your site?

Try BlogExplosion for a quick ability to promote more traffic to your blog.



Once you sign up for a FREE account, you get access to their tools (banners, buttons, ability to get feedback through a ratings system)

It looks good, so I'm going to try it for now. I'm also going to see whether I can view my own blog at work (at lunchtime, folks, I'm not wasting time at work). The current filtering system blocks free sites like Blogspot.

Thursday, November 04, 2004

THE UNION IS SAFE!

This has been a tumultuous week for emotions. I was too busy living the excitement to write it down.

Election Day

My polling location was in Cleveland, OH, the heart of all the nail-biting excitement. It was in a church community center, in a solidly middle-class area of town. The neighbors are cops, firemen, city workers, and union members. The plethora of Kerry/Edwards signs is a strong signal of affliation.

My first indication that this wouldn't be an ordinary voting year was the full parking lot. Normally, at that hour, the voters are outnumbered by the poll workers (a sweet, elderly bunch of folks). I had to park on the street and down the block, then dash through the rain about 400 yards to the center.

Inside, about 150 people stood in 7 lines (Wards A-F, and an information line). They were patient, and appropriately somber. I watched the newbies get instructions on using the punch-card ballot. Each time, the poll worker ended with a demonstration of checking the card for fully punched holes. There'd be no hanging chads here!

Everyone was deliberate, purposeful, and focused. They WERE going to vote, they WERE going to have their say.

I floated to work on a cloud; surely with citizens like these, the country is in good hands.



Watching the election returns was not as suspenseful as it usually is. I tried to keep my glee surpressed - my husband is a Kerry supporter.

But, no matter what the stations were saying, no matter what ponderous blatherings emerged, I felt that, somehow, we (Americans) were going to come out of this all right.

So I drifted off to sleep, Ohio's results still in doubt, without a care.

And woke up to wonderful news.



Wednesday, November 03, 2004

THESE WOMEN EMBARASS THE NON-VOTERS OF THE U.S.

I was reading this afternoon, after watching the Kerry concession, and found this in an article by George Will:

Tuesday’s winner will not start from scratch but from where we are now, standing with the women of Bamiyan, Afghanistan. Back in Washington recently, Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, said those women were warned that Taliban remnants would attack polling places during the Oct. 9 elections. So the women performed the ritual bathing and said the prayers of those facing death. Then, rising at 3 a.m., they trekked an hour to wait in line for the polls to open at 7 a.m. In the province of Kunar an explosion 100 meters from a long line of waiting voters did not cause anyone to leave the line."


I know I'm not that brave. And, reading about these women, I wonder again just why Americans don't vote. They don't face the barriers of distance or fear of death.

Lies of the Left

This COULD be a lengthy post. But, I'll try to winnow it down to a reasonable length. The CA Parent Bribery 'Scandal' - the 1...