Spontaneous Musings

Snow storm was a bit underwhelming in my neck of the woods. I don't think we got an inch - regardless of what the news states. It's pretty out now. Sun-streaked sky, with a hit of orange or pink across robin's egg blue. The rooftops just creasted with melting snow. As the branches are feathered against it.

I like the view outside my living room windows. It's calming. Watching the snow-storm today was equally calming.

Sleep Apnea and the CPAP Device

Community Surgical Supply called to arrange for my CPAP mask to be delivered and fitted this Saturday. I'm dreading it. ( Read more... )

Ugee Digital Art Device

So, I found out from Gabe awhile back that the digital art device I got for my birthday works with specific software - it's the hardware for the software. The software it works best with appears to be Adobe Photoshop. So I bought a $25 a month subscription to Adobe Photoshop. ( Read more... )

Diet & Exercise

Speaking of diet. ( Read more... )

Did exercises - several arm lifts with ten pound weights, they may be five pound weights, not certain. Squats. Plank. Wall pushups. Counter lifts. Shoulder rolls. Stretches. About thirty to forty minutes worth. I get bored quickly.

I'm looking for boxing and rock climbing courses in the area - considering trying that. Or something fun? Not finding anything. But who knows?

Writing

I'm thinking of giving up on my romance novel and starting something else.
Maybe a book about my grandmother, who wanted to become a nun and became a mother of eleven kids instead?

I keep second-guessing myself. There's this pseudo-psychology out there, which Streisand keeps talking about in her book - but I've heard it a lot before. Actually one my therapists (the reflexologist/actress/shaman) was really into it. Actors tend to be. All the actor bios go off on this. Actually it's the focus of Julie Cameron's The Artist's Way, and a lot of the lectures at my church. The theory is - "if you fully commit to your dream or what you wish to do - then everything will open up for you, and all of these opportunities will come your way." I feel like I haven't?
That maybe if I just did my writing full time and did nothing but send off query letters, and do art, and writing groups - this would happen?

OTOH - I'd starve, be homeless, have no healthcare, and...well...be unable to write. Also, I might just not be good enough?

At any rate - it's shutting me down creatively. This second-guessing and introspection. Maybe I should just stop thinking or worrying about it and write?

Work

I'm kind of glad I didn't go to work today. I didn't want to deal with people. I think I'm burned out? I feel like it doesn't matter what I do - my workplace won't care. I'm basically irrelevant. Or been rendered irrelevant, and because I'm in a union - they want to push me out. And there's nothing I can do. And I don't dare leave the union - or I will be pushed out.

It's depressing. My workplace is depressing me. So too is February.

International Politics

* It's not Taylor Swift's fault that the media is obsessed with her. I think the media just wants to focus on something pretty and positive for a change?

* The Seemingly Endless Israel/Palestine War. (If there was an area of the globe begging for a massive earthquake or natural disaster to get these nitwits heads in the right place - it was this one.) This thing has been going on forever. It was the main topic in the book "The People of Forever Are Not Afraid" - which I read somewhere between 2005-2012. And the book took place in the early 00s.

Per this Timeline this goes back to the 1800s.

( abbreviated timeline of events - depicting the Israel/Palestine conflict dating back to 1948. Yes, 1948 )

This is why I don't care any longer. That part of the world is just begging for a natural disaster - although nature may have given up on it too.

Also, in case you think this is the ONLY place in the world that this is happening or happened? Think again.

List of Genocides

Depressed? So am I.

In my quest to find something to watch today, I flitted through various Netflix shows, fell asleep during one (The Crown) and ended up becoming riveted by another (MA Rainey's Black Bottom) - both about real people.

I also reviewed a list of 50 to 100 Netflix series rec'd by internet critics, only to realize I'd tried or watched 90% of them already, and most of them hadn't made it past the first, second or fourth seasons. Some I actually made it to the fifth, sixth or tenth season - but they were also on an ungodly length of time. In short, I think I watched a portion of most of them - and remain uncertain, if I picked them up again - where to start. (The was my difficulty with both the Magicians and Chronicles of Shanara - the Magicians - I'd seen the first season, except for the last ten minutes of the last episode of the last season. Chronicles of Shanara - I'd seen the first season. Both of which about five years ago.)

Perhaps I should just leap-frog over to HBO? Can't quite figure out how to access HBO Max, although Amazon assures me that I have access to it - along with my HBO subscription.

In case you haven't figured it out via the above? I spent most of today watching television, napping, snacking, and not doing altogether much.
Which is okay - considering I've two weeks of vacation or rather staycation in my apartment and nieghborhood to fitter about with.

Yawn.

The prospect makes me tired.

I fell asleep during the first episode of The Crown S5? Or whatever the current season is - I think it's five, it may be six? I informed my mother via the phone (there really is no other way to inform her) of this.
She wasn't surprised. She said it was not the best of seasons, rather slow, and neither actor portraying Charles nor Diana worked. Nor does Gillian Anderson's Thatcher - who feels a bit like a caricature. I'd been told she was rather good in the part - but I found her take on the character annoyingly mannered, difficult to understand, and somewhat jarring. Like watching a marionette. Also, it was hard to care about any of the characters - hence the dozing.

To be fair - to the writers - this season is bound to be difficult, considering a good portion of the audience are a wee bit familiar with the events and characters from actual news reels, and other films. Armstrong has to fight Meryl Streep's take on Thatcher. And Olivia Coleman has to fight Helen Mirren's on the Queen. (And let's face it - Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep were both brilliant and won academy awards for their achievements.) Plus we have the real life Diana and Charles still clear in our heads.

At any rate from the first episode (which put me to sleep), I can sort of see why the Brits were upset by it. It may not help, that I am not a fan of Thatcher. (Kind of despised her - she set my teeth on edge. Britain's version of the Regans or Nancy and Ronald combined, and I despised the Regans.) I also remember Thatcher - better than the other British Primes. The only one who didn't set my teeth on edge was Tony Blair (I wasn't alive during Churchill). ( my personal escapades with political debates in the 1980s )

The show that did not put me to sleep and I heartily recommend is Ma Rainey's Black Bottom - although it is rough going. ( Read more... )

***

Last night I'd watched "A California Christmas" - as did Mother, and we both had the same reaction - it's basically a boilerplate Hallmark Christmas movie. About a rich playboy who is tasked with getting a gal to sell her family's ranch, but falls in love with her instead. Predictable and kind of bland. The best thing in it is the male lead, who is on a soap - mother and I watch. And the only one in the cast who will get many roles. My father tried to watch it and left the room - according to mother, stating that it was a 100 ways of pointless. True. But also fluffy like cotton candy for the brain.

I'd recommend you skip it and watch Ma Rainey's Black Bottom instead.

***

In other news? I baked pumpkin muffins today - which are okay. Breads by Anna. The best by far were the banana muffins. The pumpkin ones seem a little denser - of course I did put walnuts in them. I don't know - only had one so far - so we shall see.

Apparently Brooklyn Botantica had a Winter Solistice Walk tonight - which people who have cars and families were able to do. (It's a bit far for me to do it safely. Two friends posted pics of themselves doing it on FB. Regarding FB - why people feel the need to continuously post pictures of "themselves" and "their families" is beyond me. Granted it is called Facebook - so kind of the whole point of the platform.

I think I'm going to do a winter solistice walk around Greenwood Cemetery tomorrow when it is a bit warmer.

[I'm ignoring the news today. I'm tired of it. I need a break. There doesn't appear to be any good news...just more and more and more of the same.]

Note, if you made it thus far, and have a really good and compelling television series to recommend - feel free. Can't promise I'll try it.

I did flirt with the following:
( Read more... )
I need something higher quality than Hallmark, which is a shame - there was a time in which Hallmark was high quality, now, it feels like the television equivalent of Harlequinn Romance novels that one buys in grocery stores.

I may go back to Tiny Pretty Things and Spinning Out - because I have a very strong story kink for "Entertainment" workplace relationship drama - and in particular dance, music, and figure skating. Also may try Ghost Bride - I read the book, so may hunt down the television series - which I think is Chinese. The book took place in China. I'm tempted to try Korean Dramas again - I like Korean Dramas. I think I may be burned out on anime and cartoons, however.

Or just jumpt to HBO and watch His Dark Material and the Undoing. The problem with too many content choices - is it makes it hard to commit to and choose things.

If you have rec's, I'm open to them. I can't do anything too violent though. And I'm burned out on cartoons. I skipped away from Hannibal for example, and Mindhunters. And while I keep flirting with Kipo, I couldn't get all the way through She-Rah, I'm stuck in the third season. And I'm stuck in the first season of Steven Universe. There may be a return during the winter months, we'll see.

It was a lovely day to vote. Clear blue sky, no clouds, plenty of sunshine, mild temperatures. If it weren't for my headache, I'd have taken a walk to Greenwood Cemetary afterwards. Voting itself was rather uneventful. Due to the district that I was in or my last name, there was no line for ballots and a relatively short line for scanning. The way it works is you go to your district's table, they find your name, you sign next to it, and get a ballot. The ballot is a legal size piece of white paper with the candidate's names and little bubbles next to each name to fill in. Easy to read, and the directions are in five different languages. If you mark more than one box in the selected category -- your ballot will be invalid. If you attempt to vote for a candidate twice, your ballot will be invalidated. And you will get a chance to try again. They will provide you with a new ballot.

Each person gets to go to a privacy booth, which is basically a table with a white privacy shield in front and to the sides of it. They fill out their ballot, then stand in line for a scanner. Once you get to the scanner, you slide your ballot into the machine. It takes the ballot and states your vote has been counted. And the volunteer gives you a nifty little sticker stating that you have voted. [It's important to note this is how voting is done in New York State, each State does it a little differently, but the rules are generally the same. Everyone who is registered must be permitted to vote. No one can vote twice, your vote is only counted once. And no electioneering, loitering, or promoting of a specific candidate can happen near or at the polls. You can't wear Hillary or Trump t-shirts at the polling station.]

This is the first time that I've voted for a female candidate for the position of President of the United States. While other countries around the globe have had female presidents and prime ministers, the US is woefully behind the curve. While this is a wonderful moment in history, some of that is tainted by the fact that most people did it to ensure the world class idiot doesn't get elected and destroys our country and the world.

Anyhow..pictures:

In case you haven't heard the news by now, Hillary Clinton won the Democratic Nomination.

This is fascinating, but Hillary Clinton is MUCH further ahead of Sanders than Obama was with Hillary back in 2008.

And the Washington Post exposes the social media pundits who are spouting false information on Twitter and Facebook about the contest.

I may not have voted in the Presidential primaries, but apparently Everyone else did.

And this is just weird, but Trump got more votes for and against him than anyone running on the GOP ticket ever had, while Hillary won more votes in 2008 in the race she lost than in the race she won

By the numbers,

2008 Democratic Presidential Primary Popular Vote:


State Date Obama Clinton Spread

Popular Vote Total 17,535,458 48.1% 17,493,836 48.0% Obama +41,622 +0.1%

Estimate w/IA, NV, ME, WA* 17,869,542 48.2% 17,717,698 47.8% Obama +151,844 +0.4%

Popular Vote (w/MI)** 17,535,458 47.4% 17,822,145 48.1% Clinton +286,687 +0.8%

Estimate w/IA, NV, ME, WA* 17,869,542 47.4% 18,046,007 47.9% Clinton +176,465 +0.5%

Obama was at 17,869,543 and Clinton at 17,535,458. He had 48.2% and she had 47.4% when he won the nomination on June 7, 2008.
(Source: RealClear Politics)

And here's the popular vote as of today, 2016 in the contest between Clinton vs. Bernie Sanders:

State Date ▴ Clinton Sanders Spread
RCP Total - 15,729,913 12,009,562 Clinton +3,720,351

As of today June 9, 2016, Clinton is at roughly 15,729,913 vs. Sanders at 12,009,562 popular votes.
That's a much bigger spread than Obama had when Clinton caved to Obama.

1. Beautiful day. Felt like spring, finally. In the 70s, clear blue skies, and soft breeze. Trees in bloom. Sprigs of soft yellowish green, white, pink, purple, and red flowers.

Had a lovely brunch with U and her boyfriend at a place in Brooklyn Heights. Was considering seeing the movie Batman vs. Superman afterwards, but chose to pick up food instead. Besides no time.

Me: Was considering Batman vs. Superman, but it's far too pretty a day to sit in a movie theater-
U: Why? Why would you want to see that movie? Why do that to yourself?
Me: Well, yes, it would most likely give me a headache.
U: It's had horrible reviews. As much as I love Caville, he's horrible as Superman...
Me: True. (We'd seen Man of Steel together and despised it.)

My mother asked me the same question on the phone.

Methinks I'll watch it on demand or HBO or something instead.

Proud of myself for nixes the Gluten-free Buckwheat pancakes with maple syrup and whipped butter and blueberries, and opting for the healthier burger and lettuce instead. I'm on a no grains, sugar, dairy, soy, potatoes, chocolate...diet for the foreseeable future. It gets easier every day. Just have to deal with it, with a sense of humor.

2. Once Upon a Time

This show at times feels like I'm watching cross-over slash fanfic for children's stories. This week's episode focused on, of all things, a romance between Red Riding Hood and Dorothy (yes, that Dorothy from OZ). Darn, I was shipping Red Riding Hood aka Ruby and Mulan. Although admittedly she had better chemistry with Dorothy. The Wicked Witch puts Dorothy under a sleeping kiss and Ruby aka Red Riding Hood, kisses her and she wakes.

So...so far, we have the following cross-over romances:

The Evil Queen from Snow White/ Robin Hood
Captain Hook/Emma Swan (daughter of Snow White/Charming)
Belle/Rumplestilskin
Wicked Witch/Hades
Red Riding Hood/Dorothy...

3.Haunting rendition of the Simon and Garfunkle Song - "The Sounds of Silence"



Also, oddly apropos...for what is happening at the moment in NYC and other urban areas...

4. Interesting New Yorker article on how Northern Europe views Bernie Sanders views. He gets his ideas from Northern Europe of the 70s and 80s, but even Northern Europe has drifted away from those policies towards a more pragmatic system. (Also, Northern Europe doesn't have the same cultural, economic, and government that the US does. This is important. There is a huge difference between a centralized parliamentary/constitutional monarchy and a joint federal constitutional republic with three balanced branches of government plus individualized and separate state governments. Trying to pull the socialist policies of Northern Europe, which didn't entirely work for Northern Europe into a country that is governed like the US is...
( Sample section or quotes from the article )

Good luck understanding the crazy electoral system in the US. I don't totally understand it and I went to law school, studied political science, history, and have a bit of a background in it.

1. Each State runs its own electoral system, yes, they have to follow the Federal Laws to an extent.
But when it comes to primaries, zoning, and districting...that's more or less left up to the States. The Voting Rights Act, which basically flipped the Southern Democrats to Southern Republicans when it was passed in the 1960s, took away a little of that power, insisting that the States not discriminate against people based on where they lived, education, or race.


The Act contains numerous provisions that regulate election administration. The Act's "general provisions" provide nationwide protections for voting rights. Section 2 is a general provision that prohibits every state and local government from imposing any voting law that results in discrimination against racial or language minorities. Other general provisions specifically outlaw literacy tests and similar devices that were historically used to disenfranchise racial minorities.

The Act also contains "special provisions" that apply to only certain jurisdictions. A core special provision is the Section 5 preclearance requirement, which prohibits certain jurisdictions from implementing any change affecting voting without receiving preapproval from the U.S. Attorney General or the U.S. District Court for D.C. that the change does not discriminate against protected minorities. Another special provision requires jurisdictions containing significant language minority populations to provide bilingual ballots and other election materials.

Section 5 and most other special provisions apply to jurisdictions encompassed by the "coverage formula" prescribed in Section 4(b). The coverage formula was originally designed to encompass jurisdictions that engaged in egregious voting discrimination in 1965, and Congress updated the formula in 1970 and 1975. In Shelby County v. Holder (2013), the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the coverage formula as unconstitutional, reasoning that it was no longer responsive to current conditions. The Court did not strike down Section 5, but without a coverage formula, Section 5 is unenforceable.


So that's the extent that the Federal Government can interfere.

2. Presidential Candidates are chosen by a lengthy and somewhat complex process of caucuses, primaries, write in ballots, conventions, leading to a general election, which in turn is not decided by a popular vote but by electoral votes. In other words, the US is a Republic not a straight Democracy. That's the meaning of the phrase, "and the Republic for which we stand". It's not a secret, we do state it in various songs, hyms, and the pledge of allegiance. "Battle Hymn of the Republic" for example. I mean, if you've ever learned the pledge of allegiance, you know the US is a Republic.

Each State's Primaries are different. Iowa for example doesn't have a primary, it has a caucus. Some states have "superdelegates" which aren't necessarily decided by majority vote. Some don't. Some states have what is called a "closed" primary.

A closed primary is a type of primary election used to choose candidates who will run in the general election.[1]

In a closed primary, only voters registered for the party which is holding the primary may vote. For example, if the Republican Party is holding a closed primary, then only voters registered as Republicans are permitted to vote in the primary.[2]

In some states, parties may have the option to invite unaffiliated voters to participate in a closed primary. Generally, unaffiliated voters will not be permitted to participate in a closed primary unless they choose to give up their unaffiliated status.[3]

The Following States Utilize a Closed Primary or Caucus System:

( states utilizing closed primary or caucus system )

New York and Arizona have closed-shut primaries, apparently. A closed-shut system means that the state does not invite unaffiliated members to vote in the primary or caucus. In other words, if you live in NY and are NOT registered as Democrat, you cannot vote in the Democrat Primary.

3. Delegates and Superdelegates

In order to become the Republican party's 2016 presidential nominee, hopefuls need to win the support of a majority of the 2,472 delegates to the GOP National Convention. The Democratic nominee will need to win a majority of the 4,765 delegates to the Democratic National Convention. The total number of delegates includes those who are pledged and unpledged. Each state party determines how each of type of delegate is allocated within the state. In cases where states use local caucuses or primaries to elect delegates to a state or congressional district convention, the AP projects how many delegates each candidate will be awarded. The AP interviews unpledged delegates to learn their preferences, which are also reflected in the delegate totals.

Here is the Delegate Tracker

Superdelegates:

Superdelegates are "unpledged" in the sense that they themselves decide which candidate to support. (In other words, they are not allocated according to voter preferences as the majority of delegates are.) Pledged delegates can change their vote if no candidate is elected on the first ballot and can even vote for a different candidate on the first ballot if they are "released" by the candidate they are pledged to. Superdelegates, on the other hand, can change their vote purely of their own volition. With the exception of the eight DNC members from the Democrats Abroad, who each receive a half-vote, all superdelegates are entitled to one vote (including when a sitting official or distinguished party leader is also a DNC member). Consistent with DNC rules,[3] throughout this page those who may fall into two categories are considered as DNC members first, then as sitting officials, and as DPLs last. (For example, a sitting senator who is also a DNC member is listed as a DNC member).

If you think this is undemocratic, remember, Republic not Democracy.

According to Wiki:

there are 719 unpledged delegates (commonly known as superdelegates) who will cast a vote at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, to be held July 25–28 in Philadelphia. The 8 unpledged delegates from Democrats Abroad carry half-votes at the convention, yielding a total of 715 votes. Unpledged delegates represent about 15% of the overall convention votes (4,770 delegates, 4,766 votes) and come from several categories of prominent Democratic Party members:

450 elected members (with 446 votes) from the Democratic National Committee (including the chairs and vice-chairs of each state's Democratic Party)
186 Democratic members of the United States House of Representatives (including non-voting delegates from DC and territories)
45 Democratic members of the United States Senate (including Washington, DC shadow senators)
18 Democratic governors (including territorial governors and the Mayor of the District of Columbia)
20 distinguished party leaders (DPL), consisting of current and former presidents, current and former vice-presidents, former congressional leaders, and former DNC chairs.


This site has an in-depth take on Superdelegates

They make up 15 percent of all delegates (714 out of 4,765) - down from 20 percent in 2008. And they are free to support the presidential candidate of their choice at the convention. According to NBC News' latest count, Clinton leads Sanders in superdelegates, 460-38. One catch: Superdelegates have to be present at the convention for their vote to count.

Among pledged delegates, Clinton leads 1,288 to 1,042.

Can superdelegates switch sides?

Yes. And this is one of the arguments that Sanders' campaign has made - that the superdelegates who are supporting Clinton now might back Sanders later. "We think some of these superdelegates who have now supported Hillary Clinton can come over to us," Sanders told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow last month. But some caution here: In the 2008 race, no more than about 30 superdelegates switched from Clinton to Barack Obama before Clinton dropped out of the race in early June 2008, according to former Obama campaign officials. And that is after Obama took the lead in pledged delegates.

Do they reflect the will of how their states voted?

No. Superdelegates can support whomever they want, despite how their state voted. Sanders and his campaign have argued that superdelegates should be mindful of these voters' preferences. "In … states where we've won by 25 or even 30 points, I think it is not unreasonable for the people of those states to say to their super delegates, 'Hey, how about representing the people of our state and the outcome of the caucus or the primary?'" Sanders also told Maddow. Yet even under such a system - where superdelegate support goes to the candidate who won the state or territory - Clinton would still top Sanders in superdelegate pledges, 260 to 138.

And only the Democratic Party does "superdelegates", the Republican's to my knowledged don't. And the idea/concept was established in 1984 during the Regan Era, when the Republicans had an iron grip on the White House. (Remember what I said, the two parties don't have the same rules. Nor do all the states. It varies.)

They were established beginning in the 1984 presidential cycle as a way to give party leaders more say in the process, superdelegates have never changed the outcome of the primary season. "The superdelgates are politicians, and politicians generally try to agree with voters and follow the will of the voters," said Elaine Kamarck of the Brookings Institution, who was on the 1980s commission creating the superdelegates. But Kamarck - who happens to be a superdelegate supporting Clinton - says they view that voter will with more of a national than state-by-state focus.

And that's just the primary process...we haven't even gotten to the Conventions and Electoral College yet.

Seriously, could this be any more complicated?

[ETA: Apologies - apparently I spelled Bernie Sanders, last name wrong. But hey at least I was consistent about it.]

After Book Club and work, where we skirted around the topic and then skirted back again, I'm curious as to where the political landmines lie on my livejournal flist and the degree to which I should avoid all things political. (Book club was doing a better job of skirting, work not so much -- cubical mate likes to rant about Trump on a daily basis.) I already know where they lie at work and on Facebook, and with family. The people on Facebook are pro-Bernie Saunders, the people at work are either pro-Trump, Clinton, Saunders or staying quiet. And the book club seems to be leaning towards Cruz or no one. Meanwhile my mother is actively campaigning for Clinton.

So a poll. For this poll - I attempted to list all the presidential candidates currently running, but got tired after listing over 20 of them. Most of which, I'd never heard of. I thought, geeze, there's a lot of presidential candidates. And here, I thought only ten people were running, turns out I was wrong. In case you are remotely interested - the complete list of currently registered Independent Candidates running for President on the Independent Ticket, can be found HERE:

[Poll #2035065]

I forgot to list undecided. Damn it.

I tend to stay away from this topic, because...blood pressure inducing. But I'm curious to see where my flist falls. Are you all Bernie Saunder's fans? Or are you all Trump fans? (Ghod, I really really hope not. But one never knows...Honestly I can't imagine a Trump fan reading and enjoying my journal, but stranger things have happened.)

Currently, I don't feel strongly about any of the candidates...except that I'll probably have to move to New Zealand if Trump wins. The man has dead eyes.

[ETA: Apparently there is 1524 people who are running for president of the US. As an aside? This sort of reminds me of scrolling through television channels hunting for something to watch, over a thousand channels, and still, nothing is on!]

[Well I signed the petition for whatever good it will do. Broad copyright infringement laws...worry me. It will cost us millions to put into effect and could cost millions for internet providers and jobs, and cut into free speech. I'm sorry but there's a better way to protect intellectual property owners than this. Oh currently watching the State of the Union Address (that is until it flipped off, because I had scheduled Lost Girl and Justified to tape at the same time)...love this comment: "Most of the people watching are thinking nothing is going to be done in Washington this year or next year or the year after. [Pause] Can you blame them? Last year the biggest argument we had that lasted for months was how America was going to pay its bills on time." LOL! (He's not wrong). Also the applause meter is interesting.
He got thunderous applause for a lot of things, but not for that bit and not for: "No longer are going to let Wall Street abide by its own rules and go unrestrained" - the applause for that was decidedly tepid. And we wonder why people no confidence in government?]

Originally posted by lk737 at U.S. Petition to prevent ACTA


[Yawn, not about the address, I'm just tired. As an aside about all this copyright law stuff? I am so glad I'm not in that field any longer. Confusing is an understatement. And I thought the DMCA, World Copyright Act and Internet Act of 1999 was a pain. Good times. Or the Napster Case and the Tasini cases were annoying.
Or that...the Sono Bono Act was well irritating. Apparently those were the good old days. Can't say I'm all that surprised...it was only a matter of time, before they started to do something about it. The TV/Film and Publishing industry has been
paranoid about the internet for years now. Heck, the Actors Strike and the Writer's Strikes were mainly about the internet.]

Finished watching Hugh Laurie's New Orleans special on PBS, which was disappointing. He's a better piano player than singer, I think.

In other news, am rather amused by sudden postings on lj regarding Occupy Wall Street - I'm guessing they finally made the international news? Certainly took them long enough.

This has been going on for about three to four weeks now (or about a month - that's a long time to be camping out in a park, those mattresses are getting soggy.). ( Read more... )

[Dear Charitable organization...while I do support your cause (in this case Breast Cancer), the way to get me to contribute funds to it is not by bullying me over the phone with a guilt trip after I've politely requested that you take me off your list. It is none of your business what charities I choose to support or why. How would you feel if I called you and bullied you to send money to Alzthemiers or Food Bank?]

Wow last post was popular. The comments are actually more interesting then the post.

Anyhow here is President Obama's Speech in Tuscon via YouTube, in case, like me - you couldn't see it because you were stuck at work.



Also as an aside, The Good Wife rocked last night. It is hands down the best tv show on right now, the only one that has no weak episodes and rich characters, both male and female, and all races and creeds. Also a top-notch cast, both guest-starring and starring. And top-notch writing and production.