Gender: Female
Status: In a Relationship
Age: 37
Sign: Sagittarius
City: SCOTTSDALE
State: Arizona
Country: US
Signup Date:
11/09/06
|
Blog Archive
[ Older
Newer ]
|
|
 |
|
September 14, 2008 - Sunday
|
CORRECTION: Banned Book List -- not Sara Pallin's -- but an important list nonetheless
Current mood:  adventurous
Category: News and Politics
Thank Goodness that my friendly readers are kind enough to save me from walking around with the blog-equivalent of parsley in my teeth!
The list below is not Sara Palin's banned books list (though she likely hasn't read many of them, not to mention studied the Bush Doctrine that authorizes premptive strikes on other countries. . . )
Nonetheless, this list of books that have been banned is worth reviewing -- and makes for a great book club reading list.
Read it and weep -- and comment. Which book troubles you most to see on the list?
The Palin nomination has motivated me to start blogging again. Stay tuned!
Joy
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Blubber by Judy Blume
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
Carrie by Stephen King
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Christine by Stephen King
Confessions by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Cujo by Stephen King
Curses, Hexes, and Spells by Daniel Cohen
Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite
Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Peck
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
Decameron by Boccaccio
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Fallen Angels by Walter Myers
Fanny Hill (Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure) by John Cleland
Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Forever by Judy Blume
Grendel by John Champlin Gardner
Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Have to Go by Robert Munsch
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Impressions edited by Jack Booth
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
It's Okay if You Don't Love Me by Norma Klein
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence
Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
Little Red Riding Hood by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Love is One of the Choices by Norma Klein
Lysistrata by Aristophanes
More Scary Stories in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
My House by Nikki Giovanni
My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara
Night Chills by Dean Koontz
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
One Day in The Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Ordinary People by Judith Guest
Our Bodies, Ourselves by Boston Women's Health Collective
Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl
Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones by Alvin Schwartz
Scary Stories in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
Separate Peace by John Knowles
Silas Marner by George Eliot
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
The Bastard by John Jakes
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
The Devil's Alternative by Frederick Forsyth
The Figure in the Shadows by John Bellairs
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Snyder
The Learning Tree by Gordon Parks
The Living Bible by William C. Bower
The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
The New Teenage Body Book by Kathy McCoy and Charles Wibbelsman
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
The Seduction of Peter S. by Lawrence Sanders
The Shining by Stephen King
The Witches by Roald Dahl
The Witches of Worm by Zilpha Snyder
Then Again, Maybe I Won't by Judy Blume
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary by the Merriam-Webster Editorial
Staff
Witches, Pumpkins, and Grinning Ghosts: The Story of the Halloween
Symbols by Edna Barth
 |
Currently
listening
:
Fear of a Black Planet
By
Public Enemy
Release date: 1994-07-26
|
6:09 PM
-
14 Comments - 12 Kudos
- Add Comment
|
|
|
|
May 25, 2008 - Sunday
|
Awesome!
Current mood: reflective
Several months ago, I posted a blog about "biddies" -- women who believe the pinnacle of their lives is bitching about Victoria's Secret advertising,
hauling the kids to the mall and attending a food allergy support group.
Most of the responses to the blog were funny and postive. Some were so disturbing, however, I stopped blogging for a while. I could not distill what bothered me at a spiritual level about "biddies" and the virulent response that blog garnered from some readers.
The latest addition of my college's alumnae magazine is out and the Class of 1990's note clarified for me my discomfort with the biddie-mall-chauffeuer phenomenon. In an apparent rebuke of the insane, what heretofore will be called the "allegerator" note, the Class of 1990 started its Note with:
This College was started by a nun who stepped off a wagon over 167 years ago. Saint Mother Theodore Guerin has given birth to thousands of amazing women as a result of her life and gifts. We, as the Class of 1990, are just a small, but mighty group of these women. . .
Of the 20 responses they received from their survey (my college in the 90's had really small classes), this class reported:
"As a group we have eight advanced degrees. We have birthed 37 and adopted seven children, and buried 44 loved ones. We also have 21 grandchildren. We have 269 yers of marriage under our belt. We have volunteered for 110 organizations, served on 40 boards, been elected to 10 offices and raised $23,777,000 for charity. We have started 22 companies, worked for 85 different organizations and have a total of 387 years of work experience. . . We have climbed eight mountains, captained seven ships/airplanes, and run 19 marthons/triathlons. . .Sixteen of us are signed up as organ donors and 11 of us are blood dornors. This past year we spent 112 ays in hospital caring for others. We exercise 80 hours a week and pray 71 hours a week. We have mentored 102 people."
Julie Cavangh, who wrote this Note, then reflected, "I wonder if Saint Mother Theodore knew all those years ago that she would be changing the world, not just be her direct actions, but through the legacy that she created in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College . . . We are grateful to her for her gift and we have taken the opportunity to use our gifts and talents to change the world."
This is the woman referenced by Julie - Saint Mother Theodore Guerin.
..  This picture of Saint Mother Theodore hangs prominently in my home. She reminds me to get up and make something of myself every day -- no excuses. She calls me to use my talents in the service of others and to not take myself too seriously.
Julie's Note, on behalf of the fine women one year ahead of me, emphasized why the biddy-allergator thing bothers me. By stating that the highlight of your life -- what you choose to share about yourself in your alumnae magazine -- is carting your kids to the mall or focussing on yourself at your food allergy support group (and I know no one with as many food allergies as I have. . .), by stewing about pictures of women in their f-ing underwear and "bad ass" as the name for coffee, you are demonstrating that a myopic, selfish world view, parodied by our friend, Stuart Smalley.
All of us are biddies at one time or another; all of us have moments of selfishness and self-consumption. These moments should not define us. Julie's post, for example talked about all of the children this class has borne, but in the context of their overall service and love for others, as opposed to the vapidness of reporting your kids' trips to the mall and identifying yourself by your reproductive capacities.
Caroline Myss, who graduated from my college in 1974, wrote in Invisible Acts of Power: Personal Cohoices thst Create Miracles, "Being of service is not an option, it is a biological necessity. Every kind action we do for someone is a reanimation of our own life force -- and of the other person's."
So, thank you, Julie for the great class note. I hope each of you use it as a jump-start to shake off the biddy that tempts each of us and make your own awesome news of selflessness and service.
 |
Currently
listening
:
The Dream Weaver
By
Gary Wright
Release date: 1990-10-25
|
8:22 PM
-
8 Comments - 8 Kudos
- Add Comment
|
|
|
|
November 8, 2007 - Thursday
|
Worst Yoga Fears Realized
Category: Life
This blog is about God smacking down your pride... brutally...
Yoga is one of my greatest loves. Up until two years ago, I was teaching four classes a week and regularly studying Bikram and ashtanga -- two of the more demanding practices. I thought I was a yoga goddess.
The development of my law practice came at the expense of my health. Without daily practice, the postures I smugly demonstrated for my students
 
now are excrutiating.
When my court suits started getting snug and my insomina unmanageable, I took back control. I've been running three times a week, yoga 2-3 times a week, and deeply restricting calories and eating an, ahem, high fiber diet.
So, today I showed up at an ashtanga class. Because it's "just yoga," I had thrown my hair in a ponytail, pulled on an athletic top and slipped into my "tramp stamp" pants, as Jameson calls them,
The room was packed -- 20 people in a 10x15 foot room. Our mats were touching.
As I walked in and asked one of the students to scooch her mat over a little bit, the student looked up, "Hey Joy!"
In my low-blood-sugar-induced state, I knew this girl's name (hereinafter "T" to protect the innocent), but could not remember how I knew her...running club? yoga? No... the courthouse...
Mind you, she was in yoga wear, as well -- not the suit that would have flagged her to me as, yes, one of the federal prosecutors against whom I regularly practice.
To compound matters, "T" looks fantastic and clearly has the upper body strength to run two miles carrying a cinder block over her head.
So, class starts. Midway through the jump-throughs and hop-backs, my colon wakes up and the party is on...I tried to fake rubbing my foot on the mat to cover the horror of the colonic Katrina developing. I fooled no one.
Then, to make matters worse, as we sat in a seated twist, looking back at the mirror, I realized my sexy little tramp stamp pants had ridden down too low. Serious calendar material...
and not in a Sports Illustrated way.
Lest any of us have any doubt about the effect of her colleauge dropping ass (2 ways), whom until now she had only seen in Ellen Tracey suits, once class was over, I have never seen someone pack up a yoga mat and get the f- out so quickly in my life. We'll see if she ever comes back to that class.
Rather than exuding my usual Jackie O confidence, I have given "T" every basis to liken me more to Mary Katherine Gallagher.
The lesson here is, don't ever think you're a badass. Even if you currently are, that could change and God will wait for the right moment to smack you back into humble shape.
8:00 PM
-
36 Comments - 24 Kudos
- Add Comment
|
|
|
|
November 3, 2007 - Saturday
|
Ladies, get a life
Current mood:  annoyed
Category: News and Politics
This blog has percolated for some time. In the interest of full disclosure, I do not have my own human children. I do have two dogs and a cat in my house. The man in my life needs regular feeding and watering. Several times in my career -- as a preschool teacher, substitute elementary teacher, law student, and lawyer -- I have worked directly with children and enjoyed it. I love my baby cousins with all that I have.
Before I receive dozens of comments telling me how evil and anti-child, and anti-family I am -- save it. You're wrong. I am, however, anti-biddy. This blog discusses the developing problem of the biddy and my counter-biddy response.
Several months ago, in my alma mater's alumnae association magazine, the notes of one of my neighboring classes stunned me. Several of the women who attended the same respected women's college and spent the same amount of their parents' hard-earned money on a very, very expensive education consumed almost their entire "Class Notes" section bragging to the rest of the world that their days were filled with -- I kid you not -- "taking my kids to the mall and the movies"
and (God help us all) "attending my food allergy support group."
That's it? That's all you do with your life? You've been out of college over 15 years!
It's not the stay-at-home-mom thing. The world needs wonderful, nurturing mothers. It's the self-absorbed vapidness of these comments. How about "I'm raising two beautiful children to be moral, thoughtful people who reach their full potential." How about "I volunteer at my children's school." How about, "when my kids are at school, I help out at the local homeless shelter, fixing meals, visiting with the people..."
Until the past week, I thought that these entries were an annomoly and the result of poor editorial oversight. No. Apparently, a whole movement of mothers with nothing to do but be annoying has developed. These women, my friends, are biddies: self-absorbed women wasting their time, talent, and treasure on vapid undertakings.
Here are two cases in point from the Phoenix area.
First, some mother was shocked and amazed that a shopping mall had Victoria's Secret posters depicting scantily-clad women in underwear, ala
UNDERWEAR! WHO CARES! These pictures are not Larry Flint material. What makes it worse is that Victoria's Secret agreed to take down the pictures!
This story was exacerbated by a story a couple days later by the Mommie Code Enforcement Auxillary, who is now bitching about the naming of a coffee house "Bad Ass Coffee". The lead whining voice cannot construct her own grammar properly, stating her children are "influential" (as opposed to "easily influenced", or perhaps this is a Freudian slip and she really is delusionally self-important) so "we don't want to swear around them."
Give me a fucking break. If your children are so easily influenced by a woman in her underwear and the word "ass," you have completely failed as a parent.
Tucked into the the Bad Ass Coffee story is another facet of this unsubstantiated self-importance that stunned me. Throughout the valley there are "moms clubs." Then, I noticed on the front page of AZCentral the "Arizona Moms" section of the paper. On that site, you can discuss your kid's class project and post pictures of your baby (who, by the way, only you, possibly the father, and your parents think is cute).
Since when did reproducing -- something that all carbon-based life does in one way or another -- require a club and a newspaper section? Racoons don't have clubs. They spawn lots of offspring.
I'm going to start my own club: Swearing Women Working Six-Day Weeks Serving Others Who are too Busy to Worry about Seeing People in their Underwear.
Meetings/cocktails are Fridays at 4 in front of Victoria's Secret. Agenda items include: yellow "support our troops" ribbons on the backs of gas-guzzling mommy-movers and what we did this week to better the lives of the people around us.
Do you think we'll get our own special section of the newspaper?
 |
Currently
listening
:
Tidal
By
Fiona Apple
Release date: 23 July, 1996
|
10:47 AM
-
36 Comments - 32 Kudos
- Add Comment
|
|
|
|
October 23, 2007 - Tuesday
|
California fires and animals
Current mood:  distressed
Category: News and Politics
Those of you who live east of the Mississippi may not realize how serious the fires have become in Southern California.
Over 500,000 people have been evacuated. Many of them will not have homes left when the fires are put out.
Animal humane organizations are actively assisting in the rescue of animals in danger because of these fires. As we learned in Hurricane Katrina, human catastrophes are animal catastrophes, as well.
Domesticated animals are bred and trained to depend on us. They have limited survival skills in the face of disasters. My dogs wouldn't last more than 20 minutes in the wild. Their survival skills are limited to pulling chicken bones from the kitchen garbage. They would have no way to take care of themselves, to give themselves their medicine, to stay away from dangers...
 
Likely your pets would be in a similar predicament.
Several of these areas of California are ranching communities with numerous horses and other livestock that are going to be lost if not helped by people. That's all before we consider the household pets affected by these fires... So, this situation presents two issues:
First, if you have been told to evacuate, GET THE F-OUT! TAKE YOUR F-ING PET WITH YOU!
If it's not safe for you, it's not safe for your pets! According to 91x, the Red Cross is accepting people with their pets at at least one location. Two facilities are accepting horses, click here
Seond, animal rescue organizations are going INTO THE FIRES to rescue animals. They need your donations and prayers.
The San Diego Humane Society has an actively updated web site about the animal rescues here. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has mobilized a fire rescue team, also. Their web site is here.
Noah's Wish is also assisting, though I don't know if they are doing actual fire rescues. Their web site is here.
Consider giving money or sending in extra blankets, leashes, etc. Especially needed are horse halters and leads.
Additionally, these fires are burning in counties with some of the most overcrowded animal shelter facilities in the country. In the upcoming days, many, many animals will need foster homes. If you have room and an extra food bowl,
you may save an animal's life.
![]() |
Currently
listening
:
World Destruction
By
Time Zone
Release date: 01 July, 1993
|
2:08 PM
-
12 Comments - 14 Kudos
- Add Comment
|
|
|
|
October 19, 2007 - Friday
|
Holy First Amendment Batman!
Current mood:  enraged
Category: News and Politics
This evening, the Phoenix New Times announced that its founders have been arrested. You can view the story here. These arrests follow a story, published earlier in the day, regarding grand jury subpoenae served on the newspaper by Maricopa County's infamous agent of death,
County Attorney Andrew Thomas
<
Apparently, when he's not seeking the death penalty for any offense above littering, Mr. Thomas is now assisting another bastion of constitutional rights, Sherrif Joe Arpaio
in chilling the writing -- and the READING -- of political dissent.
Specifically, Andrew Thomas and Sherrif Joe have issued grand jury subpoenae for "Every note, tape, and record from every story written about Sheriff Arpaio by every reporter over a period of years" AND "the identity, purchasing habits, and browsing proclivities of our online readership."
Before I'm barraged with "I don't have anything to hide" comments from the same people who would waltz naked through TSA airport screeening to show what good Americans they are, I remind you all of our high school literature classes, in which we were subjected to the warnings about this type of invasion of our privacy and right to free expression:
We all should be disgusted and outraged about these grand jury subpoenae and arrests. Stay tuned...
 |
Currently
listening
:
The Very Best of the Stone Roses
By
The Stone Roses
Release date: 18 March, 2003
|
9:02 AM
-
8 Comments - 10 Kudos
- Add Comment
|
|
|
