good break, but no luck

The geekend went great. The Indy movie was okay, not great, but okay. Balticon was fun in a low-key kind of way. The days of staying up all night are long gone. I enjoyed the panels, the movies and anime I saw, and just hanging out with friends and family. As usually happens when I go to Cons, I now have a renewed desire to write. It usually fades pretty quickly.

Problem is, my elbow isn't much better, despite the rest. I went to the doctor yesterday, to get my referral, and am going to the orthopedist today. But I pretty much know the drill-- rest,and type less. Right now, while I am feeling the urge to write (which I can only accomplish by typing, no longhand for me), this is particularly frustrating. And of course, I have huge projects looming at work, and no end of keyboard time in my future.

Still, I loved the break.

taking a break, geekstyle

I took a few days off, to rest my RSI-riddled elbow and fingers. So I have 5 and a half straight days of leave. Tonight, it's dinner with friends, followed by Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. Tomorrow afternoon, we take off for Hunt Valley and Balticon 42. WHOOO-HOOOO! Total geekfest. I'm gonna just take it easy, try not to do much with the computer for 5 straight days. Oh, and our WII FIT arrived yesterday...so I might do some pseudo-exercise/game playing with that.

good luck senator!

Send some good thoughts Teddy Kennedy's way. He hasn't always been a good guy. But he has always been a truly great Senator. He has tirelessly fought for the poor, for the disabled, for equal rights for all, for protection for the disenfranchised. He is a true "liberal", and I think that's high praise.

I wish him all the best as he battles cancer.

gray gray day

It is raining in Maryland again. This is the soggiest May we've ever had. I think it's really affecting my mood. Normally, I am a glass half-full kind of person. I think things work out, generally. Today, I was bummed enough to start looking at my short-term disabilities benefits.

The thing is, I have an RSI -- tennis elbow caused by typing. I am sitting in my office with a heat wrap on my elbow. Two days ago I had x-rays taken of my right hand. I also had lots and lots of blood tests, to look for arthritis, lupus, etc. Pretty much everything checked out fine. But I wake up every morning with the fingers of my right hand swollen at the joint, and very very sore. Guess what? Another RSI... seems my tendons dislike typing. A LOT.

So my work is hurting me. It's not damaging me. Nothing like carpal tunnel, where the affects get worse and can become permanent. Nope, this is just pain. But it is discouraging. I should really take a few weeks off, and let everything rest. But I don't want to burn sick leave for what is basically an owie. Ditto with short-term disability. I'd rather not use it for something this minor.

It's a gray, gray day.

got my new toy

I got my new toy -- an Asus EEE PC. It's a fully-functioning laptop, running Linux. It weighs less than two pounds, cost less than $300, and is about the size of a paper-back book. It has built-in wifi and a very small qwerty keyboard. I got it for checking email, surfing the web and taking notes in class. It will also be my main travel PC.

I can't do programming on it. It really isn't suited to photoshop, typing for long stretches of time, or really serious work. So it's perfect.

http://event.asus.com/eeepc/microsites/en/index.htm

that after the deadline feeling

I turned my paper in on time, although it truly sucked. No amount of extra time would have improved it though -- I just don't do fact-based research papers very well. I like philosophy, literature, stuff where I can spin theories and prove my point.

Now that the paper is turned in, I have that feeling -- the after the deadline feeling. Depleted, aimless. I can't really seem to focus on anything, just want to drift in the sea of "done". Read some trash. Watch bad TV. Sit on the front porch and have a beer in the sunshine.

I guess its nature's way of forcing a re-charge. You just don't have the energy or the impulse to do anything for a while.

happy mother's day

To all the moms -- happy mother's day!

Being a mom is one of the two smartest things I ever did (and yes, the other one was marrying my hubby). Beats out going to college, getting into computers, absolutely everything.

It's funny -- I don't see myself as traditional, and I'm definitely no girly-girl -- but wife and mother are my top two.

same old song

I am still working on my paper on greek mythology. When I first started studying the myths, I thought the greek gods were outrageous in their misbehavior. Larger than life figures with larger than life failings.

I thought so, but recent news articles made me re-think that. Recently, an Austrian man was arrested for keeping his daughter imprisoned for over 15 years, and fathering six children by her. Persephone, maybe? Olympian incest?

A Baltimore teen was just convicted of raping and murdering his 4 year old cousin. Truly a headline plucked from Greek tragedy.

A polygamous sect was raided, in trouble for their practice of forcibly marrying off young girls to older men. Again, right at home in Athens, 500 BCE....

So do we ever progress? Are we stuck in the same place as our Greek and Roman forbears? Do we sing the same old song, over and over and over?

its term-paper time, again

It's term paper time again. My paper is due on the 12th, so to my way of thinking, I am a little ahead. I have started on my "works cited", I have read a stack of journal articles and skimmed a pile of books. Just finished Sophocles "Trachaia" and Euripides "Children of Herakles"... the Euripides was awful, but the Sophocles was fairly good. I also re-read Hesiod's Theogony. But things haven't really gelled yet.

I am writing about Herakles, not because I have a particular affinity, but because that's the slip I drew out of the envelope. I already did my oral presentation, which went fairly well. What we do with the subject is up to us. I am focusing on apotheosis, since it's a fascinating aspect of the myth.

Heracles is born of mortal mother (Alcmene) and an immortal father (Zeus). He lives his life as a mortal, albeit an extraordinary one. At the end of his life, when it is clear he is dying (accidentally and painfully poisoned by his wife), he has his own pyre built. He climbs in while still alive, and is burned alive. Zeus zaps the pyre with a thunderbolt, and the "mortal" part of Heracles is burned away. His mortal soul goes down to Hades, and his immortal self is swept away to Olympia, where he joins the host of Immortals.

He was worshipped by the Greeks as a hero, and as a diety, with separate shrines for both and separate forms of ritual for each of his roles.

My paper focuses on this transformation from man to god, after a horrible and painful death (sound like anything familiar?) and what purposes it served for the Greeks/what it said about them. Or it will focus on this, once I actually manage to get it all down on paper. Probably on the 11th, if I follow the usual pattern...

found a new acronym

I love this one -- HIPPO

an acronym for Highest Paid Person's Opinion... ie, I can't actually order this yet, I'm waiting for the HIPPO to decide

*snarf*

what do you think...

about what's going on in Texas at the FDLS compound? We have a duty as a society to protect children. And so part of me says, YAY for the authorities stepping in and doing something. But it also feels like religious persecution... these folks do not live like us. They believe things we don't. And it makes us uncomfortable.

But where do we draw the line? I'm an atheist, more or less. And many folks in this country feel that is not only wrong, but intolerable. Should I be arrested for depriving my child of the BIBLE? There are folks that would argue YES, that I am endangering his well-being, and his soul.

I don't happen to have a problem with polygamy. I don't think it really works well for most folks, and it certainly wouldn't work for me, but if all the parties are consenting adults, go for it.

I don't agree with the FDLS stance on husband's rights, either. But if the adult women, and the adult men agree that the husband is ruler; again, go for it. I don't have to live that way, so no skin off my nose.

The issue comes down to choices and freedom, and how much we allow. My gut says adults should have all the freedom they want, as long as it doesn't bump into anybody else's rights. And children have the right to be protected from wrong-headed adults, until they are old enough to make their own choices.

as a side note, and I mean way aside the freedom issues, does anybody but me wonder where the FDLS folks get the money to support all those kids, and do all that building???

never too old to rock, apparently

Apparently, you are never too old to rock. My family and I just attended a screening of Shine a Light, the Scorcese Rolling Stones concert documentary. WOW!! The guys in the band are all over 60 now. Mick is a dynamo on stage, un-freaking-believable in his energy and charisma. And for those who like Mick, yes, he is still HOT!!! Ron Wood was astounding on guitar. And Keith Richards, well, he has aged into a charming, charming, kick-ass rock-n-roller. Charlie Watts is solid and stolid on drums, just like always.

The show had a few guest performers -- Jack White, Christina Aguilerra and Buddy Guy. They were all terrific, and playing with the band seemed to energize them into better performances.

Scorcese did a great job of interspersing old interviews and media images of the band with the current concert footage. Age has not been physically kind to Mick or Keith, really; both look like they have had a hard hard road travel. But they have aged well. And they clearly still love what they do. You could tell how much they enjoy performing and being together on-stage. It's like they have found the fountain of youth -- and it's ROCK.

seen on the streets

a new business near work:

The Jesus Christ Bail Bond Company

I guess he's got to diversify, what with the economy and all ;-)

leave the olympics alone

OK. I think China has a terrible record for human rights. Of course, I don't think we've been stellar in recent years either. That said, the Olympics are a chance for the world to get together, not for politics, but for sport. The world needs more events like this, more opportunities to unite, to see what we have in common, not what separates us.

So let it alone. We can protest China's behavior another way. We can put political pressure to bear without touching the Olympics. Let the world athletes who have struggled and trained for this event have their chance to perform on a world stage.

now I know why we're called the middle class

How does it feel to be squeezed, stuck in the middle between a rock and a hard place? Gas is up. Oil is up. Healthcare is up. Groceries are up. Tuition is up. And our income, well it's up too, but not so much. I just got my annual review (outstanding in all categories!) and my raise. Which was the maximum allowed, at 2.5%. I have no complaints about my job. And no complaints about my general income. It's just that it seems I'm losing ground all the time.

I make more each year, but my expenses always increase at about 3 times the rate of my salary increases. And I'm one of the truly lucky ones. I get the max amount of raise every time. And because my base is so high, the percentage actually means I get a measurable increase.

What the hell would we do if we made the median income for Baltimore City for a family? Right now, that median income is somewhere around $39,000 a year. 2.5% of that is $975. At 24 pay periods a year, that comes to $40 a paycheck before taxes. That doesn't even cover a tank of gas every two weeks. How will people live? What the hell happens to the local economy if the largest employer in the state is handing out 2.5% raises, leaving the bulk of their employees poorer than the year before?

Most folks are not sitting on large saving accounts. If they are lucky they have a house, with a mortgage, and a car, with a loan. For the last few years, people counted on home equity to cover them in a pinch. Now it is possible that their house is worth less than they owe.

So, if good economic times "lift all boats" as the Republicans like to claim, what do bad times do? Are we all gonna sink together? I'm guessing that yachts have life rafts....

everything has a price

We have entered the Age of Whores. Everything has a price. The answer to almost any question that begins "for a million dollars, would you...?" is a resounding YES.

WTF??? How did we get to this?

Parents are letting their 6 year olds participate in Ultimate Fighting -- for money. Pimp out their 12 year old daughters to commercials and TV, for money. Let a camera follow them around, as they behave badly -- for money. Sell pictures they shouldn't have taken in the first place -- for money.

Where is the outrage? Why doesn't this piss us off? Why do we watch the shows (and yes, we do, in astounding numbers) and buy the products?

It's not a crisis in faith. That's crap. I have none, and I try to lead an ethical life. It's not a failure to spend time with our children. We spend more time with our kids now than any generation before us. And yet, we have become an unethical society. We have become a nation for sale.

How do we fix it?

still a slacker....

Last night, we were talking about our term-papers. I mentioned that I didn't have a topic yet, but that it was fine, because it's not due for weeks... Bad move. Apparently, I am still a slacker. I am still of the mindset where I think it's hugely impressive that I actually show up for class. And do the reading.

Sigh. Really, I'm just not a "true" scholar. I am interested in stuff. Lots of different stuff. And I like to read a lot. But I hate being forced to focus, and research, and write an ordered, logical paper. I can do it, but I put it off as long as possible. I get distracted by more interesting articles than the one I am currently reading, on un-related topics that suddenly become fascinating to me. I have been known to switch paper topics two or three times before I'm done, often after doing quite a bit of the legwork. To work on one idea for weeks is a huge strain. I don't know how anyone ever writes a thesis or a dissertation. You have to focus for months, for years on the same thing.

I am going to go email my professor and see if any of the grab-bag of ideas I've got will make an acceptable topic.

the results are in: my week at home

Tomorrow is the last day of my vacation. On the whole, I prefer travel vacations. It turns out that I am not the kind of person who can just let go and relax. I need to remove myself from the phone, the laptop, the chores, the daily routine, since I apparently can't ignore it all.

This is not to say the week was without its pleasures. Baltimore has great food, and we tried to eat all of it. This week we went out to eat at least once per day. We went to Los Amigos for Mexican food, to Salt for high-end cuisine. We went to Dogwood, where we combined good food with doing good (Dogwood trains ex addicts, the homeless, ex cons, so they can find employment in the food service industry). We ate at Austin Grill, at Na Do Ji, at the Towson Diner. Oh, and ate crabcakes at Faidley's in Lexington Market (and yes, they are as good as they say).

We also went out a bit. We saw the Map exhibit at the Walters Museum, along with spectacular photos from the Hubble space telescope. We visited Cylburn Arboretum and the National Arboretum (in DC). We spent Easter with my family and my mother-in-law.

I saw a few movies: a documentary on the Amish called Devil's Playground, a terrible chop socky movie called The Five Venoms. I am seeing American Gangster tonight.

I read a few books. I particulary enjoyed Bastard out of Carolina, and Aunt Dimity and the Next of Kin. Yes, they have absolutely nothing in common, except that I enjoyed them.

Other than that: I cleaned the oven. I cleaned the fridge. I did laundry. Took my son for haircut. Got my hair cut and dyed. Went to the eye doctor. Worked (yes, I know I shouldn't have, but I really had to). Went to class. Did homework. Grocery shopped. Took the dog for walks, and played ball in the backyard with him. Paid bills. Cleaned out the junk drawer.

So, would I do it again? Yeah, probably. But I still think it's more relaxing to go away. Still any vacation is better than NO vacation, know what I mean?

do I have to separate you two??

I emailed the Democratic National Committee yesterday. I asked them to use their influence with Obama and Clinton to get them to STOP bickering and focus on defeating the Republicans. The problem is that neither one of them is willing to forgo their personal ambitions in order to present a united front in the election.

We have two promising candidates, and we could still lose to McCain, because our candidates are too busy tearing each other down to notice the opposition. A political analyst I saw on TV yesterday said that Clinton's only chance at winning is to "win ugly". That she can only come out on top if she pulls every dirty trick out of the bag to throw at Obama. If she does this, by the time the general election comes around, no one will have the stomach to vote Democratic. People will either stay home, sick of the whole process, or vote McCain.

Either way, we will lose out.

ruminations

I went to the optician today. First time in ten years that I have had my eyes checked. Ten years ago, I had Lasik, correcting my life-long nearsightedness. Today, I discovered that one of my eyes is now near-sighted again, and one is far-sighted. This is why my drugstore reading glasses were giving me headaches... So, in ten days, I will have bifocals. Okay, nice modern bifocals with no tell-tale line through them... but bifocals.

Tomorrow, I go to the salon for a color touch-up and a haircut. My hair is mostly white now, so the color is being provided by modern chemistry.

I feel the same age I always have. I really do. But bifocals and hair color?? Time is definitely passing, whether I want to acknowledge it or not.