Sunday Stealing

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Conversation Starters

1. What are some small things that make your day better?

Absurdity. Laughing about silly things. When you realize you're on a roll/in the zone. Hugs. Getting a big, looming project finished.

2. What shows are you into?

I mostly only watch reruns of M*A*S*H and Criminal Minds, and (when I remember) Live PD these days. Most of my sitting-around time is currently spent on listening to podcasts. I'm afraid I've become rather addicted.

3. What TV channel doesn’t exist but really should?

You mean we haven't covered all the aspects of the world yet? Because it certainly feels like, at it's all boring.

4. Who has impressed you most with what they’ve accomplished?

Lots and lots of people. Frankly, most people I know. I would say that anyone over the age of 50 with a sense of humor, and anyone over the age of 75 who is kind and not 100% self-involved; those people are amazing.

5. What age do you wish you could permanently be?

8 was good. Can I add just a dash more self-confidence to me at that age, though?

6. What TV show or movie do you refuse to watch?

I can't get through A Clockwork Orange; I can't even get through the first 10 minutes. Also ANY horror movie. Just NOPE.

7. What is something that is considered a luxury, but you don’t think you could live without?

Seriously, literally, could not live without? I don't actually have anything luxurious that I couldn't, indeed haven't, lived without. Also, who is doing the considering here? I mean, I see a lot of homeless people at work would probably would love to have my "luxurious" furnace currently warming my house to a temperature that means I don't have to worry about frostbite on my naked hands.

8. What’s your claim to fame?

Speaking too soon.

9. What’s something you like to do the old-fashioned way?

The age I'm at now, I guess mashing potatoes with an electric mixer is "old-fashioned" right? Otherwise, I guess it's probably something like not buying things on credit.

10. What’s your favorite genre of book or movie?

Mysteries. I love me some mysteries. Give me a good mysterious dead body with a clever and interesting detective in the vicinity, and I'm in.

11. How often do you people-watch?

Every day. People are fascinating. There's no getting around that fact.

12. What have you only recently formed an opinion about?

My part in furthering racism. I'd like to say it's nothing to do with me, but I gotta get real: I've benefited from the ingrained unfairness of our current system, at least as much as it has harmed me.

13. What are you interested in that most people haven’t heard of?

Very early Christian history, like the years between Jesus' birth and the first time any of the New Testament was actually written down.

14. What’s the farthest you’ve ever been from home?

Beijing.

15. What is the most heartwarming thing you’ve ever seen?

On a regular basis, interactions between dogs and their human family/ies make my heart happy.

16. What is the most annoying question that people ask you?

At work: "I'm looking for a book...." (first of all, it's not a question; second of all, I am surrounded by 154,000 of them so WTF really?)
Outside of work: "How's Beast?" from people who are within half an hour of where he's living and haven't bothered to visit him in the past 6 weeks.

17. What could you give a 40-minute presentation on with absolutely no preparation?

Assorted podcasts, the Dewey Decimal system, MARC cataloging rules, the medical/insurance/healthcare situation in our country, how awesome kids are (and by kids, I mean anyone my son's age and younger).

18. If you were dictator of a small island nation, what crazy dictator stuff would you do?

I'd probably enforce a Drop Everything And Read period for the entire population every day for like at least 20 minutes. Quiet, and reading, everyday. Fines if you don't do it. I could set it up like the IRS, only in reverse: you can earn credits for reading more regularly, and trade them in for coffee and chocolate.

19. What is something you think everyone should do at least once in their lives?

As an adult, be completely dependent on someone else (preferably someone you love who loves you) for at least 3-4 days. And the obverse: have another adult be completely dependent on YOU for some period of time. Both are deeply moving and eye-opening experiences.

The Queen's Meme

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The What's Trending Meme

1. Political ticker: Santorum said "bull***t" on the campaign trail. Do you think this was necessary?

Oh for FUCK's sake! Of course it wasn't "necessary," but sometimes profanity just FEELS so damn good, y'know? I find it hysterical that it's such a big freakin' deal; nice to know he uses that mouth for something besides ... uh, yeah ... kissing his wife.

2. Entertainment: How hungry are you for The Hunger Games?

I am hoping to see it at the theater ... eventually. Soon, obviously.

3. What is trending on the blogging front is the death of blogging. Do you agree? And if so, have you made funeral arrangements for your blog?

My main blog has been in hospice care for some time now. I'm not really fussed; hospice does a nice job and they generally have access to good drugs. Frankly and in all seriousness, if all the stupid, misspelled, random, music- and flash-heavy blogs disappeared from the net, I wouldn't call it a loss.

4. Facebook: Do you like the new timeline?

I don't have it on my account yet, and no, I don't like it. It's hard to track what's going on. Why the timeline in the middle? Why not at one side? Oooohhhh, because then it would pretty much look like my current homepage!

5. Nationally: The tragic Trayvon Martin story and vigilante Neighborhood Watch citizens with guns ready to shoot anything that moves. Do you think we should have Neighborhood Watch groups?

Yes, I do think Neighborhood Watch is a good idea. Whether people should be armed is a completely different matter.

I'm of two minds about this: it's a tragedy and I'm glad the apparent inequities are being publicized (again--in case we missed the last, I dunno, kabillion times), but I feel rather sorry for the guy who shot him only because he's become the whipping boy (check the history of THAT phrase, yo) for something that probably happens every day in this country. He should be punished for killing someone, no doubt, but so should those people who didn't properly train him to handle the situation.

6. Tweeters on Twitter are currently discussing the #IWasStupidEnoughTo hashtag. What were you stupid enough to do? Do tell.

I was stupid enough to use my real name and location for about a month when I started blogging. I am NOT stupid enough to tell you what I consider the real stupid stuff I've done!

7. On the Health Watch: Did you know that popcorn is full of antioxidants? Now that it's healthy, will you still eat it?

I barely eat it now. I probably should eat it; don't know why I stopped.

8. (Yes, I said 8!) The whole world is freaking out about fracking. Can you explain it to me?

The freaking out over it? Or the actual fracking itself? If the latter, here is a decent place to start reading up on it. If the former, see agar on apples, fen-phen, HRT, or any other of the myriad of other Panic Attacks force-fed to us by the media. Not that we shouldn't be aware of what fracking is and the reality of what long-term effects it has on us, our communities and so forth, but freaking out is not helpful.

Patrick's Place

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Saturday 6

1. You’re in church, listening to a sermon, when your pastor begins a diatribe that you strongly disagree with. Which are you more likely to do: sit through the sermon and confront the pastor privately afterwards, get up and leave in the middle of the sermon, or say nothing at all?

Based on my current pastor, if this happened I'd be too shocked to do anything more than sit transfixed until the end of the sermon. I'd probably leave then and spend the remainder of the service in the bathroom. Or the car. And yeah, I'd definitely be calling to chat with him later. The first question out of my mouth would be "Are you feeling ok?"

The key word here for me is "diatribe." In the 6 years he has been at our church--during which I've served on Session, worked as a youth leader and done a great deal of miscellaneous behind-the-scenes volunteering, and also gone to Presbytery meetings which he moderated--I've never seen him approach "diatribe." Don't get me wrong: if he disagrees, or is cranky, it's obvious. He's just not someone who goes off half-cocked; he thinks everything through. EVERY. thing. Every-damn-thing. ;-)

2. Regardless of your response to question #1, how likely would you be to return to the same church with the same level of enthusiasm the following week?

I'd actually be more enthusiastic the following week; one does love to see "what happens next." However, to be clear: I don't attend church as a follower of the pastor. I attend church as a follower of Christ.

3. Based on how well you know your particular belief system's main principles, how much do you agree with them overall?

I'm in full concord with well over 95% of the PCUSA beliefs and doctrines, and its stand on most of the social issues we face daily. My only issue is that the TF on PUP didn't go far enough...this time. Yet. Soon, though, very soon. Please, Lord Jesus, soon.

4. Based on how well you know your pastor or the person from whom you take the most spiritual advice (or the person who has influenced your beliefs the most if not a pastor), how much do you think you agree with this person overall and how much do you disagree?

I think my current pastor and I are fairly close, though we haven't gotten into the nitty-gritty on the Big Scary Issues in detail. I don't really have one spiritual advisor. That's a heavy load for one person--I rely on the teachings of all my previous pastor and teachers, and read a lot.

5. How important is it to you that the people with whom you associate most often have views on spirituality that closely mirror your own?

I actually don't have a lot of tight friendships within my church--anymore. Most of my friends are either non-Christian or we just don't talk about it. I'm not overtly trying to save them, and they are not overtly trying to rescue me. However, I have a great deal of difficulty with anyone who thinks they've got all the answers figured out for everyone on earth, be they Christian, Muslim, or crazy-ass nutcake. Sorry, I'm just not an evangelizer, and I expect the same courtesy in return.

6. To what extent do you believe spirited rallies about racism actually opens the door to improve race relations in this country, as opposed to merely maintaining a level of anger that blocks such attempts to improve things?

I'm not sure what is meant by "spirited rallies." If they are designed and used as a safe place to discuss race inclusively, then they are great. If they are designed as use as a place to vent, then they are probably not very helpful in the long term.

That's not to say that venting is appropriate. I just don't think it should be done if the program is to come to some sort of conclusion, to give directed, concrete plans for what needs to be addressed.

The same thing goes for feminism. Nothing pisses me off more than a feminist rally that has turned into man-bashing. I like men. I don't always like the actions of some men, but to castigate 50% of the race because some of that 50% is intellectually retarded isn't fair, isn't helpful, isn't healthy, and isn't forward-thinking at all.

Rock on, Obama, for trying to keep the conversation focused on the positives without being ignorant of the past and current real, serious, major issues we face in dealing with racism!