Tori Amos - Past the Mission, Now With More Statistics!

Sunday, January 31, 2010
I'm not trying to start a meme, but after Eric posted Tori Amos' Winter on his blog, I decided to post the video for my very favorite Tori Amos song, Past the Mission from Under the Pink.


I'll be buried in statistics for the rest of the day, as I need to complete the homework today or I'll have to take a penalty for late work. Since the work is getting harder, that means more hours per section, and I'm behind because we were out of town for Gram's service. Somehow I just couldn't bring myself to break out the Statistics book while we were in Holyoke.

If you don't hear from me by noon tomorrow, send in the Marines. Or the Actuaries. Or the Marine Actuaries.

Glad to Be Home

Saturday, January 30, 2010
We're home now, and Boogie the Giant Schnauzer has been sprung from doggy jail. He's most happy to be home, and I'm almost as happy as he is, bless his heart. The City Bark folks said he did really well, including actually socializing with other dogs without turning into a big old grump about it. He didn't smell bad or have stress dander when I picked him up, so I'm going to call this a "success" and keep them in mind if he needs a non-family baby-sitter in the future.

The service for my Gram was very nice, and all of her children and most of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were able to make it. I'm not a huge fan of religiously based ceremony (for what should be obvious reasons), but since her faith was important to her, I understood the choice and supported it completely.* The pastor did a very nice job, and I made it through without needing to punch anyone in the throat (much to my evil cousin's disappointment). My own Smart Twins and Smart Man made me extremely proud with their classy behavior and willingness to pitch in. I'm a lucky, lucky Hot Chick, and grateful for my little family.

The photo was taken on my Aunt and Uncle's small farm, as the moon was large and cool looking last night. I like to visit my ancestral region, but if I had to live there I think I really would punch someone in the throat. I'm just a city girl, I guess.

The only thing left to do is pay the bills, finish my statistics homework, and send a thank you card to the facility where my Gram lived her final years. She had a good quality of life there for a number of years in the assisted living facility until she became very ill and needed more intensive care from the nursing home facility. I'm very grateful they took such good care of her - my Gram, Bingo Shark. I hope my contribution to their Activity Fund will help fund many more Bingo games and Movie Nights for the residents who still enjoy them.

Many thanks to all of you who sent supportive thoughts and love my way. I appreciate being a member of a community that cares for and about its members.


*I'm a bit of an outlier in my family in terms of my lack of belief, and I try hard to make sure it's not an issue for the sake of family peace.

Boogie Blogging Friday, Doggy Jail Edition

Friday, January 29, 2010

While we're attending my Grandmother's service, the Incomparable Boogie™ is stuck in Doggy Jail at City Bark. Being the grumpy old man that he is, he will not be participating in doggy day care or any other reindeer games, but will instead enjoy time with the dog-friendly staff who will kiss him and love him and call him George.

Boogie is not very impressed with this turn of events, but I trust he'll be safe while there in spite of his emotional distress at having to sleep somewhere OTHER THAN THE FUTON, WHICH IS CLEARLY A VIOLATION OF HIS DOGGY RIGHTS, YOU KNOW.

Poor, abused Boogie.

Today I Remember My Gram

Thursday, January 28, 2010


I miss you, Gram.

A Long Life, A Good LIfe

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

 

For those who are interested, my Gram's funeral service will be Thursday, January 28th, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. at Gerk Funeral Home, 241 East Furry Street, Holyoke, CO 80734-1522

In lieu of flowers, donations will be accepted to the Regent Park Activity Fund in the name of Wink Fraley, 816 West Interocean Drive, Holyoke, CO 80734-2120 

Thanks for all your kind thoughts. My Gram was quite the matriarch, and left a sister, 7 children, 8 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. We'll get through it together.

Wilma Janiece "Wink" Fraley, August 12, 1919 - January 26, 2010

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

The Rose Beyond the Wall

Near shady wall a rose once grew,
Budded and blossomed in God’s free light,
Watered and fed by morning dew,
Shedding its sweetness day and night.

As it grew and blossomed fair and tall,
Slowly rising to loftier height,
It came to a crevice in the wall
Through which there shone a beam of light.

Onward it crept with added strength
With never a thought of fear or pride,
It followed the light through the crevice’s length
And unfolded itself on the other side.

The light, the dew, the broadening view
Were found the same as they were before,
And it lost itself in beauties new,
Breathing its fragrance more and more.

Shall claim of death cause us to grieve
And make our courage faint and fall?
Nay! Let us faith and hope receive --
The rose still grows beyond the wall,

Scattering fragrance far and wide
Just as it did in days of yore,
Just as it did on the other side,
Just as it will forevermore.

From the writings of A.L. Frink

I love you, Gram.

The Art of Being Attractive

Monday, January 25, 2010
Over the years, I've been exposed to a large variety of people in both my personal and professional lives. The Navy, of course, is a bastion of diversity (in spite of the evangelical's attempts to make it homogeneous), and I'm profoundly grateful to have been exposed to such a wide variety of people, with different beliefs, backgrounds and cultural norms. In my civilian career, I've been a member of several virtual teams, and so have had teammates on three continents.

Most of those experiences have been positive, and some have been negative, but they've all been educational and served to expand my world view.

One thing, however, I've never been able to wrap my brain around, and that's the idea that a woman is more attractive if she's less intelligent than the man she's trying to win over.

Hiding my intelligence has never been a tactic I've been interested in pursuing, regardless of how much I liked the man in question. I could just never see the point - why try to be less than you are? The result of such a strategy is surely either a stifling of your true self, a resentment in holding yourself back, or the discovery by the man that really, you're a lot smarter than he thought you were. Probably all three.

Now don't get me wrong - during my emotional adolescence (which lasted until I was about 30 - go, me), I was as guilty as the next confused woman about compromising who I was for what I perceived to be the needs or wants of my partner. I just never found it necessary to compromise my intellect. Perhaps because the kind of man I've historically been interested in have also valued intelligence.

But I just don't get the attraction in discovering the object of your affections needs a scientific calculator to discover the square root of "4" or needs access to Wikipedia to determine the three branches of our government. While I recognize that there are many, many other qualities that might make someone a desirable mate besides intellect, from my point of view a stunted intellect is something that would need to be overlooked rather than something that was desirable.

Is it simply an urban myth that some women have bought into that men want a mate who aren't smarter than them? Or is this something that men would actually want? Snarkiness aside, I just don't get it, and would be interested in the insights of you Smart Men out there. 

“We are each our own devil, and we make this world our Hell.”

Sunday, January 24, 2010
Updated 1/24/2010, 1:15 p.m. Thanks to the most fabulous Random Michelle, my box has been plotted, and my project nears completion. Thanks, Michelle!

UCF Howard - Activate!  

***********************

Thank you for the insight, Oscar Wilde - I've decided to inhabit my personal hell with my new personal nemesis: Box Plots in Excel.

I've been trying to create a box plot in excel from the data I gathered for my statistics project that you all so kindly contributed to. I've been trying to do it based on the instructions found here, but my output does not in fact resemble the output given in the example. I only have one series of values, so you'd think the process would be easier, not harder, but when I try to add the "whiskers," the wheels come off the bus and I get something...else.

Stupid statistics. Stupid Excel.

If anyone has instructions on how to create box plots in Excel, I'd appreciate you sending it along to hotchicksdigsmartmen at comcast dot net, or leaving a link in the comments.Obviously I need some assistance in beating back the darkness, so to speak.

Happy Sunday, Hot Chicks and Smart Men.

They're Gifted. Yes, They Are.

Saturday, January 23, 2010
I got some sucky news about a meat friend today, and I'm not really interested in writing fabulous content for the faceless Internet. I'm sure all you faceless Internet people understand.

So instead I shall introduce you to two fabulous acoustic guitar players from Mexico City called Rodrigo y Gabriela. I checked out their self-titled CD from my fabulous library, and loved it so much I had to buy on iTunes just so I could support the cause. Gifted, they are. Enjoy -

And the Jam (Not Toe) Goes TO...

Friday, January 22, 2010
Skatĉjo and Wendy!

I selected the winners by using a random number generator after assigning a numerical value to each participant as your answers came in.

So congratulations, jam winners. Wendy, I have your snail-mail, but Skatĉjo, I don't have yours. Please send it along to hotchicksdigsmartmen at comast dot net, and I'll get you guys' samplers out in the next week or two.

Thanks to all who participated!

"I Shall Get You...Someday"


It's been awhile since we observed Boogie Blogging Friday around here, so here's my boy being tormented by his nemesis, the Damn Squirrel™, who lives in the evergreen tree that is out of frame in this photo. She's called the "Damn Squirrel™" because she takes great pleasure in running along the fence while Boogie runs along helplessly, chittering at him from the branches of the big Maple while he stares on in frustration, and teasing him from the safety of her nest in the evergreen while he hops around in helpless frustration.

Boogie hates the Damn Squirrel™, and I suspect wishes she would die a most painful death. Boogie resembles Dug from the movie Up in many ways:

"Hey I know a joke! A squirrel walks up to a tree and says "I forgot to store acorns for winter and now I am dead." Ha! It is funny because the squirrel gets dead."

Western Union Makes Good

Thursday, January 21, 2010
So the day after I blew a gasket at the folks at Western Union, I received an e:mail from one of their "Consumer Advocate Specialists." I don't have permission to use her full name, so we'll call her "Linda."

Linda sent me an e:mail asking for the details of my transaction, as she had read my blog entry and wanted to investigate my exceedingly poor experience. I provided those details, and today we spoke on the phone. She was able to track down each of my customer contacts, and has assured me that corrective action will be taken.

Additionally, she has agreed to refund the entire transaction fee, which should arrive here at the Big Yellow House on Saturday via FedEx.*

This is the wonder of the Internet, folks. I had a profoundly poor customer experience, complained about it, and the company in question found out (I assume through some sort of vanity search) and made good.

Thanks, Western Union. I appreciate you proactively working this issue and doing what needed to be done to retain me as a customer.

Rest assured - it matters.


*Note to the UCF: I will simply deposit the refund into the UCF Benevolent Fund for the next time, unless someone has a better idea.

Is "Lazy Creep" Similar to "Mission Creep?"

I'm sure you're all familiar with "mission creep," especially you project managers out there. It's essentially the phenomenon whereby additional goals are added to an existing project or mission, usually as a result of the project or mission team having a good amount of success. In other words, if that horse runs, run it until it drops dead of exhaustion. What could go wrong?

I've been a presales system engineer since 2001, and I've found that in my own work, the danger is not so much mission creep as "lazy creep." After you've done a job for so many years, it's easy to cut corners. It's easy to try and keep specifications in your head, instead of documenting requirements and following an established process. It's easy to assume that those around you are just as familiar with the solution or product as you are.

After nine years of this, what I've discovered is that this way lies ruin.

Documentation, process and communication are the building blocks of successful technology deployment, and I cut corners in these areas at my peril. I know this. I've lived the consequences of cutting corners. And yet, every couple of years, I have to kick myself in the ass to ensure I don't get lazy and sabotage my own efforts.

Here's what I need to remember:

Taking the time to document and prepare my deliverables in a deliberate, methodical manner is not only to my benefit, but to the benefit of everyone involved in the project. It takes me longer to do it right and document everything - that's just the way it is. And the extra time I take leads to customers bitching and crying about how long it takes me to provide the deliverable. But really, I'd rather listen to them whining about speed than to give them legitimate reason to complain about the quality of what I provide if I miss something, or if an incomplete deliverable leads to another team member missing something.

You can have it fast, or you can have it right. You can't have both, and the occasions when I've allowed myself to be pressured into doing it fast usually result in my being sorry for having done so.

Learning lessons over and over and over - it's like I live and work in Groundhog Day...

Busy Human, Because I'm Not Independently Wealthy, Which Seems MOST UNFAIR

Wednesday, January 20, 2010


So instead of actual original content today, you get the new single Boy Lilikoi from Jónsi's upcoming solo album Go.

Adventures in Customer Service - Western Union

Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Updated 1/21/2010: Western Union has resolved this issue to my satisfaction. Details may be found here.

******************

As you all know, my friend and fellow UCFer Shawn Powers' house burned out on Sunday.

Of course our AWESOME BLOG CIRCLE wanted to help Shawn and his family, so we immediately activated the UCF Benevolent Fund. As the official Keeper of the Fund, I accepted donations from everyone who wanted to contribute, and then talked to Shawn about how best to get the money to him and his family. We decided that wiring the money would be fastest, as Shawn had an errand to run near the pick-up location nearest his town.

Easy-peasy, right?

Wrong.

CHRIST, what a nightmare.  The entire event left me wanting to hit Western Union's Vice President of Customer Service in the face with a shovel. Repeatedly. And without remorse. Here's what went down:

1. I tried to wire the money via the Western Union website. I've wired money internationally from this site, and found the user experience fairly manageable. Well, I went through all the rigmarole surrounding the transfer, and at the very end of the transaction, I received a notice that my transaction couldn't be completed. Lovely.

2. I called the toll-free number. I went through the IVR prompts for five minutes, then finally got to an agent, who took another 5 minutes gathering the details he needed. While we were waiting for the credit card transaction to go through, the Western Union telephone system dropped my call.

3. I called the toll-free number again. I was unable to "zero out" to an agent, so I got to start over with the process. I finally got to an agent, and after we waited for the transaction to be completed, he discovered that he was "unable to confirm my identity." I guess my Colorado Driver's License and my U.S. Passport number were insufficient proof, but I don't know, as the agent was unable to tell me what the problem was. The agent informed me I would have to complete my transaction in person at an agent location, who would accept either cash or a debit card.

4. I transferred enough money to my checking account to cover the expense, found a local agent location, and hit the road. When I got to the agent location (a local bank, as it turned out), I went through the process to begin my transaction. This consists of using a "hotline" phone to place my order with a Western Union agent. Because I was at an agent location instead of placing my transaction via the web or via phone, the fee increased by 1.5%, even though Western Union's IVR indicated that using an agent usually means the fee decreases. I'm not sure why that was, and again, the agent didn't know shit. At the end of my call, the agent informs me that I should now take my cash to the teller and pay. I ask about the debit option, since the previous agent indicated I could pay that way. The new agent informed me that I could only pay via debit card with a Western Union verified card, and that doing so would increase my fee (AGAIN), which was already at 7% due to the mysterious increase noted above.

5. Seething, I take my transaction number and go to my credit union to withdraw the money to pay for the transfer. Upon returning to the bank, I take the transaction number to the teller. The teller, being a careful kind of gal, verified my details before taking my money, and informs me the Western Union agent had the transfer going to Shawn Howard, rather than Shawn Powers.

Grrr.

6. I used the hotline phone once again and get another agent. I explain my trouble, and being unable to fix the previous transaction, WE START OVER AGAIN, verifying the details carefully. Finally, I'm able to give my cash to the teller and get a confirmation number, which I texted to Shawn so he can finally get the damn money.

Really, Western Union? Really? It took you six fucking tries to get this transaction completed, when essentially all you had to do was move a few electrons around? That's quite the racket - you charged me a 7% transaction fee for making me run around naked with my hair on fire.

I can guaren-fucking-tee you will never get another dollar from me, even if that means I have to drive the fucking money to the recipient myownself rather than use your fucking "service." I can't believe how much you SUCK.

Wall of Shame - January 19, 2010



Yes, driver of the Ford Expedition who parked in the Handicapped parking at the TCF Bank in the Parker Pavilion at 1:00 p.m. on January 19, 2010, I did in fact see you walk into the bank with no visible indicator of a handicap. I also noticed that you had no handicap tags or placards on your vehicle.

You know what else I noticed? You're an ASS.

I Told You Statistics Was the Devil's Work

Updated 1/19/2010 6:50 a.m.: I still need about 5 more samples for this project. C'mon, all you lurkers - send me an e:mail. :-)

********************

So I've decided my methodology for my statistics project blew big chunks, and so now I'm going to start over.

I know, I know. All you RSS folks clicked through and participated, and now I CAN'T USE YOUR DATA. I SUCK.

Sorry. Still learning and all that. Here's what I need: Specific ages of all participants, so that I can manipulate the data in cool graphs and charts.

Please either leave your age in the comments, or send me an e:mail at hotchicksdigsmartmen at comcast dot net and tell me your age. I need between 40 and 50 responses to complete my project, and every comment or e:mail will be entered in the random drawing for the jam sampler.

Thanks again, Hot Chicks and Smart Men, and I'm sorry for the run-around.

The Unbroken Thread

Monday, January 18, 2010
I love the Symphonies of Science remixes. The newest is called The Unbroken Thread, and it's about what some have described as "the greatest idea in the history of the world" - evolution. It features three scientists and educators for whom I have the highest respect: Carl Sagan, David Attenborough and Jane Goodall.

Today, on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s remembrance, let's hope we continue to evolve in ways that bring out the very best in us, rather than the worst.



H/T to my celebrity boyfriend, Phil Plait, The Bad Astronomer.

Get Thee Behind Me, Statistics!

Updated 1/18/2010: I have the required sample for this project, so I'll be closing the poll and removing the entry from the top of the blog. Thanks to all who participated.

***************

So you all know I'm taking a statistics class this quarter. So far I've been doing pretty well, but I think that has more to do with me spending more time on the work than I have in previous courses than any native ability. I'm okay with that, actually, although I do wish I knew more about Excel.

In any event, I'm required to do a project as part of my coursework. The project work itself is just the application of basic statistical operations on a data set, but first...I need a data set.

This is where you guys come in. I'm posting a poll below to collect a data set on the ages of my readers here at Hot Chicks Dig Smart Men. I'd greatly appreciate it if everyone would please participate so that I get a large enough sample for my project. Yes, lurkers and RSS feed readers, I am looking at you. IT WON'T KILL YOU THIS ONE TIME TO CLICK THROUGH AND PARTICIPATE IN THIS POLL.

Thanks, all. I'll be leaving this post at the top of the page for a bit to give the poll the best chance of gathering a representative sample. As an impetus to encourage people to vote, I will be giving away a homemade jam sampler to two randomly selected participants after the poll closes. If you want to be included in the "drawing" for that, please leave a comment on this post.


On a somewhat related note, am I the only one who snickers like a 12 year old boy when I see the term "standard deviation?" ::snirk::

You Think You Had a Bad Day?

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Fellow UCFer, Linux Wizard and all-around good guy Shawn Powers is having a truly crappy day. Through the UCF grapevine, I've learned that Shawn's home has burned down. The family is safe, but they lost their pets in the fire.

I can't imagine how Shawn and his family are feeling right now, but I do know they need help. If you're interested, donations can be made here.

Stay strong, my brother. We're here for you.

Hey, Gold's! SUCK MUCH?

I have a friend. We met 20 years ago when we were both serving in the U.S. Navy. We've kept in touch over the years, and she's now living in Utah with her two teen girls, her partner, and their toddler son.

Yes, I said "partner." She's a lesbian*, and she and her partner are married in their own eyes, and have had a commitment ceremony. They have a child together, and share parental rights and responsibilities equally for him.

They also have a "family membership" at Gold's Gym. Except guess what? Gold's Gym won't honor their family membership because evidently gay and lesbian families aren't real families. The fact that they live together, own a home together, hold each others' medical power of attorney and have a child together evidently means they are not in fact a family, but instead are some strange conglomeration of unrelated personages who are CLEARLY TRYING TO GET OVER ON GOLD'S.

Seriously, Gold's. Get a fucking grip and join the 21st century, won't you? They're a family, and they deserve the same consideration that other families get. You're being complete tools, and YOU SUCK.


*Yes, there are gays and lesbians in the military. Some of them are even exemplary service members. Shocking, isn't it?

The U.S. Military Represents in Haiti

Saturday, January 16, 2010

As the death toll mounts in Haiti, I find I'm incredibly proud of my shippies whose units are assisting with relief efforts.

The Haitian Airport is dysfunctional due to damage and an inability to offload supplies from aircraft, so the USS CARL VINSON is currently anchored providing "floating airport" services to the island nation.

The hospitals have been damaged or destroyed, so the USNS COMFORT, a Naval Service hospital ship, is departing this morning from Baltimore to provide hospital services.

Security and supply distribution is in chaos, so members of the 82nd Airborne and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit have deployed to assist the United Nations peacekeeping force to provide security and assistance.

Haiti's infrastructure is in ruins, so the US Coast Guard has deployed cutters and helicopters to help evacuate the wounded and provide airlift support where feasible.

Well done, my brothers and sisters. Well done.

Equal Parts Love and Hate

Friday, January 15, 2010
As I get older, I'm finding that the maturing process is equal parts love and hate. It's the natural order of things, of course - everything's a trade off, and in order to enjoy the benefits, you must make the required sacrifices.

So here are the things I love and hate about getting older:

I love the fact that I've finally matured into myself, content with who I am, without the need to wish I had more, could do more, was more.

But I hate the fact that it takes me weeks and weeks to heal when I slip and fall on the ice.

I love the fact that I'm financially stable, and can enjoy a level of disposable income that allows me to do what I want within reason.


But I hate that every winter the mysterious cracks in the skin on my hands get worse and more numerous.

I love that my kids are growing into fine adults, and that they're making good decisions that will lead to them becoming contributing members of society.

But I hate that I can throw my back out just by sneezing.

I love that I have finally learned how to be diplomatic when I determine it's required.*

But I hate that it took me over 30 years to pull my head out of my ass and make smart life decisions.

I love that now, in my mid-life, I value my friends more than I ever have, and realize that while my romantic relationship is a cornerstone of my daily life, my friends are the keystones.

But I hate that I get occasional hot flashes, lovely precursors to the wonderful world of menopause.

I love that my values are slowly realigning themselves to place a higher value on those who are kind, considerate and generous, rather than those who are smart and accomplished.

But I hate that my mind, which used to resemble a steel trap, now more closely resembles a colander, or perhaps a sieve. Stupid Mad Cow.

And I really really hate the fact that my metabolism has slowed to the point where deciding to have donuts or not has a profound impact on my clothing budget.

Since I don't have much choice about growing older, I suppose I should revel in its delights rather than wallowing in its hardships. But still - stupid cellular degeneration. 


*I just usually determine it's not required.

Haiti and that Fucknut Pat Robertson

Thursday, January 14, 2010
First let me say that my heart goes out to the victims of Haiti's earthquake. If you'd like to donate to some decent charities providing services to those poor folks, there are links to the right that will take you directly to the donation pages of the American Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders. They're both class acts with a high percentage of donations going directly to program costs.

And now on to Pat Robertson, that embarrassment to Christians everywhere.

What an ass. What a presumptuious ass. Don't you just wish God would revert back to his old wrathful Old Testament self just long enough to strike this dickwad down in some spectacular fashion? Yeah. Me, too.

For a good analysis by a REAL Christian, check out my friend Vince's entry on the subject.

In the meantime, Pat Robertson - fuck off and die a horrible death, won't you?

'Tard of the Week - Chuck Norris

Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Fellow Americans, we should be dropping to our knees and thanking the Baby Jesus that we have a defender such as CHUCK NORRIS. Who else but CHUCK NORRIS could have figured out that President Obama's decision to sign an executive order extending standard law enforcement courtesies to Interpol is actually a SECRET PLOT to allow Interpol to lock away SECRET EVIDENCE of terrorist activities from the AMERICAN PUBLIC.

It's all due to the President's pro-Muslim stance, of course. Obviously he's using this executive order as an excuse to hide his secret pro-Muslim agenda from the American public and erode our Constitution and sovereign status. OBVIOUSLY.

Of course, CHUCK NORRIS' conclusions are being repudiated by left-wing fascist-communists such as the National Rifle Association. BECAUSE CLEARLY NO ONE HAS AMERICA'S INTERESTS AT HEART LIKE CHUCK NORRIS. ONLY HE CAN SEE THE TRUTH.

I think ole Chuck has lost his fucking mind. I mean, really and truly lost it. Call in a whole team of psychiatrists.

Or he could just be an incredible 'tard with no critical thinking skills. Reader's choice.


P.S. Am I the only one who thinks the World Net Daily, "A Free Press for a Free People," is the gift that keeps on giving? It's like the Weekly World News for politics!

Still Busy, and Still Hopeful

Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Unless you live under a rock, you know that there is currently a very important case before the U.S. District Court in San Francisco, challenging the constitutionality of that state's passage of Proposition 8, a law banning same-sex marriage under the California Consititution.

If you'll recall, 52% of California voters ended up being the Hot Chicks Dig Smart Men 'Tard of the Year for 2008 (in spite of Eric's attempt to slide a douchebag in at the 13th hour). Now those who think that legislation is awful and wrong are attempting to correct the injustice.

I have no opinion on how effective this will be. As I've mentioned, I've been (and will continue to be) busy for the first part of this year, so I haven't had much time to research the case except on the most cursary basis.

But I hope.

I hope the Federal Court will find in favor of the same-sex couples who brought the suit, and I hope the decision gets challenged all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where I hope the decision is upheld in the spirit of Brown v Board of Education, so we can put this issue to bed once and for all.

Most everyone who reads Hot Chicks Dig Smart Men on a regular basis already knows how I feel about equal rights for the LGBT community. I don't want to waste time and space reiterating my position, other than to say outlawing this institutionalized discrimination is THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

Let's hope the U.S. District Court (and ultimately the SCOTUS) agrees.

Irony, Thy Name is Barbara Loe Fisher

Monday, January 11, 2010


This REALLY had me scratching my head, and I'm happy to let noted Skepchick and new expatriate Rebecca Watson express my own thoughts on this. The eradication of polio has been one of the greatest achievements of science in the last century, and for an anti-vaxxer to try and use FDR as a means to achieve their anti-vax NONSENSE is the height of irony.

::snort::


I'm going to be a busy, busy human this week, due to a variety of meetings as well as about 5873728579027 hours of required professional training that I have to complete by May 15th. Okay, that figure may be an exaggeration. It's actually 584 hours. No, I'm not kidding. No, really - that's the figure.

So my time is going to be at a premium for the first part of this year, since I'm also bravely tackling my statistics class with a stout heart. Fair warning, and all that.

Goofing Off versus Getting the Crap Scared Out of Me

Sunday, January 10, 2010
After I finished my statistics homework today, I was going to spend the rest of the afternoon goofing off and making homemade mac-n-cheese with kielbasa for dinner.  Hmm...mac-n-cheese.

Well, that's not how it turned out. Instead I ended up at Animal Emergency with Boogie the Giant Schnauzer.

You see, he's been eating these new snacks - pig skin rawhides wrapped around a sweet potato center. And today he choked on one to the point where the Smart Man was quite concerned about him being able to clear the rawhide on his own. He finally did so, but the rawhide that came out was coated in blood, and then he promptly vomited bloody saliva.

Well, we all know how incredibly soft I am when it comes to my silly Boogie-Dog. So it was off to Animal Emergency, in order to ensure he hadn't perforated his esophagus or some such.

As near as the vet could tell without scoping him, he hasn't. We'll be keeping an eye on him for a week or so, and for the next several hours he's off food and water. He's also taking a couple of medications that will help the irritation heal.

He's quite upset about the "off food and water" bit. He keeps pawing at his food area, trying to make the dense-ass humans know that he would really like a drink, now, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

To help with that healing, he'll be eating a "bland diet" for a week or so, which consists of boiled chicken mixed with rice. My only fear is that once his digestive track heals and he has to go back to his regular Science Diet, he's going to turn his nose up at that nasty kibble and ask where the hell the chicken went.

And So it Begins...

Saturday, January 9, 2010
I've started my class in statistics, and so far I'm not ready to kill anyone yet. That may change once we get past the "mean," the "median" and the "mode," but so far, so good.


In other news, I gained .2 pounds over the last two weeks, so it's time to get a bit more disciplined about tracking my food intake now that the holidays are officially OVER. Back to the grind, in order to achieve my goals. I'm okay with that, of course, but I sure will miss donuts. Homer's got nothing on me when it comes to the donuts - I can seriously do some damage. Hmm...DONUTS.

We've also decided to start spring cleaning around here. We're not losing our minds or anything, but we're choosing one area of the house each weekend and we're trying to CLEAR OUT THE JUNK. The accumulation of 'stuff' is not something that's been a problem in the past, since I moved so often there was a regular purge. But we've been in the Big Yellow House for almost eight years now, and the stuff, it's ACCUMULATING. I'd really rather take care of it before it takes over the house, so we're on a mission until it's addressed. Today was the storage area under the basement stairs, and next weekend it'll be the coat closet. The big job is the unfinished storage area in the basement. That particular area is going to be a bear, as it has mysteriously GROWN over the years we've lived here. Where does all this shit come from?

Scary basement.

The Value of Time

Friday, January 8, 2010
Time is the only truly limited resource. With every other resource, you can find another way to do things (solar/wind energy versus carbon fuels), but with time, there's simply no other way to get more. Every person is limited to 24 hours in a day, and how they use those hours helps to define them as people, and determines what they can accomplish.

Which is why it PISSES ME THE HELL OFF WHEN PEOPLE ARE CHRONICALLY LATE.

Seriously. If you call a meeting for purposes of your own, please make sure you actually SHOW UP. ON TIME. When you don't, you're sending a message to the individuals you've included that you don't value their time, and that your own idiosyncrasies are more important than their limited resources. No one likes to feel disrespected, and make no mistake, by failing to show up when you've said you will, you're disrespecting the people to whom you've made the commitment.

This is true in social engagements, also. In fact, I would argue that it's MORE important to be on time for people with whom you have a personal relationship. When I have a friend who can't be on time when we make plans, the result ends up being that I don't make plans with that person as often. Their lateness offends me and pisses me off, and I can't see why I should set myself up for that grief.  

My birth family is pretty obsessive about being on time (the legacy of a Marine father). We're almost always early, and if I actually show up on time, I FEEL like I'm late.

Why is this so hard?

If You Read Only One Thing This Year...

Thursday, January 7, 2010
...let it be this book.

Remember back in November when I said that one of the great tragedies of our age was the disconnect between the armed forces and the people they serve? This book does a remarkable job of closing that gap, and it should be required reading for every American who lives in freedom as the result of the sacrifices made by those who serve.

The author, Jim Sheeler, won the Pulitzer Prize for the material contained in this volume. The series was published in the Rocky Mountain News in 2006:
Rocky Mountain News reporter Jim Sheeler and photographer Todd Heisler spent a year with the Marines stationed at Aurora's Buckley Air Force Base who have found themselves called upon to notify families of the deaths of their sons in Iraq. In each case in this story, the families agreed to let Sheeler and Heisler chronicle their loss and grief. They wanted people to know their sons, the men and women who brought them home, and the bond of traditions more than 200 years old that unite them.
This narrative is profoundly moving. I have performed aspects of this duty, and yet I still find myself choking up as the author describes the heartache and devastation left by the loss of my brothers-in-arms.

Most people in this country will never know the grief associated with losing a child, spouse or parent in the service of our country. But if you can understand the process, and realize what the families and the service members are going through as a result of this sacrifice, you begin to address the isolation associated with the life of a professional soldier, sailor, airman or Marine.

You can find a slide show of the photographs taken by Todd Heisler here, and you can order the book at Amazon or from your local library. Do yourself a favor, and take the time to expose yourself to the incredible experience of this book. It's not for the faint of heart, but it's probably the most important book I've read in a decade.

'Tard of the Year - 2009

Wednesday, January 6, 2010
So it's 2010, and I'm joining the rest of the country in fervently wishing it's a better year (and a better decade) that what's come before. But before I can put 2009 to bed, we need to determine who will win the much-sought-after "'Tard of the Year" award.

This year's candidates:
  • Dale and Leilani Neumann, whose belief in superstitious nonsense cost their daughter her life; 
  • Scott Renfroe and Dave Schultheis, who believe being gay is comparable to being a murderer and that babies of HIV-positive mothers deserve to get AIDS;
  • Genine Compton, who believes breast feeding her child while talking on the phone and driving her other children to school is no more risky than walking down the street; 
  • Michele Bachmann, who is making a new career of being Dumb in Public;
  • Thomas and Manju Sam, whose belief in the stupidity that is homeopathy cost their daughter her life; 
  • Pat Buchanan, whose sense of entitlement is excelled only by his dumbassery; 
  • Major Stefen Frederick Cook, who volunteered to deploy to a combat zone only so that he could "legitimately" expose himself as a "birther;" 
  • Sarah Palin, who is so fucking stupid she has been formally retired from the 2010 contest; 
  • Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who really is just bugfuck crazy;
  • The Oath Keepers, those treasonous motherfuckers who think only THEY are real Americans (the rest of us are apparently just PRETENDING);
  • Swiss Voters, who have taken institutionalized bigotry to a whole new level;
  • The Family Research Council, who thinks obfuscating in the name of terrifying their base is the way to keep TEH GAYZ, OH NOES! from having equal rights in this country.
What say you, Hot Chicks and Smart Men?

And Stay Away From My Balls!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010
I'm in an all day meeting today*, so won't be around much to keep you yahoos in line. Please don't burn the place down, and STAY AWAY FROM MY BALLS.


*8 HOURS OF ACCOUNT PLANNING. KILL ME. KILL ME NOW. IF YOU KILL ME NOW, I WILL SHARE MY BALLS.

Loot! Loot! LOOT FOR ME!

Monday, January 4, 2010

I get mail. Sometimes it's even PERSONAL MAIL. And sometimes it's LOOT. Loot for ME.

Today's offering was from the lovely Random Michelle, who thought I could use a pick-me-up. So she sent me a cool wooden bookmark, a nifty West-by-God-Virginia magnet and GOODIES. GOODIES in the form of her famous rum and bourbon balls. Hmm...rum balls.

She advises that the treats will keep for weeks and weeks, so I can integrate them into my Weight Watchers program without guilt. Thanks, Michelle. As usual, you rawk the house.

December 'Tard of the Month

Boy, did I slack off in December. There are only two candidates for the December 'Tard of the Month this time. The first is the so-called "Family Research Council," who thinks obfuscating in the name of terrifying their base is the way to keep TEH GAYZ, OH NOES! from having equal rights in this country; and us, the American Public, for having the naivete to believe that "health care reform" might actually result in something other than K Street Lobbyists and their clients lining their pockets.

What say you, Hot Chicks and Smart Men?

Ookymmas is Over

Sunday, January 3, 2010
So Ookymmas is officially over for 2009. Today was our annual Biscuits and Gravy Breakfast with accompanying present-palooza. The biscuits and gravy were, of course, outstanding. That's not braggadocio - my maple sausage gravy is truly a religious experience. Which is why I only make it a couple times a year.

The present-palooza was good, too - I surprised most of my family members with little gifts that had not been expecting, which makes me happy. And they surprised me, too, with some cool loot and unexpected goodies.

One of my gifties that I'm really looking forward to is a book given to me by my Hot Sister entitled The Dreaded Feast; Writers on Enduring the Holidays. It's a holiday anthology for people who aren't so crazy about the holidays, and it begins, "Do you (or someone you know) face Christmastime with a mixture of dread and obligation?" Um, yeah, That would be me. I'm debating whether or not I should save it for the 2010 holidays or read it now. Since my Hot Sister has already asked to borrow it, the courteous thing to do would be to read it now so she can borrow it. That's probably not going to happen, though.

After we cleaned up the present mess, we took down the holiday decorations, so the house is somewhat back to normal. Hopefully that means I'll be able to shake off the Ookymmas blues and get on with it. My inability to do so is starting to bore me.

Duh-Duh-DUH!

Saturday, January 2, 2010

My new quarter starts on Monday, and I have signed up for a required statistics class.

I'm not a huge fan of mathematics in general, and while I recognize that statistics isn't really a discipline of mathematics, the fact that numbers are involved is a bit intimidating to me. I suspect my discomfort can be directly attributed to the fact that I've just never put in sufficient effort to be successful in mathematics, and then convinced myself that I didn't "get it." I know I have the native ability to do the work - my father completed master's level work in mathematics before settling into economics, for Christ's sake, and thought statistics was the cat's pajamas. Surely I can do college level mathematics with that kind of legacy. Can't I?

I'm planning on spending more time on this class than I have on the "softer" classes I've taken to date, in the hopes that additional effort on my part might lead to an outcome of which I can be proud. I keep telling myself that stretching myself in this manner is a good thing. One of the points of my continuing education is to push my mind in an effort to stave off the Mad Cow, and taking courses that are easy for me doesn't really suit that purpose. Statistics, however...statistics fits the bill.

I recognize that I'm just nervous because intellectual vulnerability is not a feeling I'm very familiar with, and it really kind of blows. But I'll never know what I'm capable of if I don't try.

Duh, duh, duh!


Cartoon by Ben Shabad.

This I Believe - 2010

Friday, January 1, 2010
I believe in service.

I was raised in a family with a tradition of service, in every sense of the word. Before his death, my father served in the United States Marine Corps and in law enforcement, and donated thousands of volunteer hours to the various youth groups to which I belonged. My mother has donated tens of thousands of hours to youth groups, ESL programs, senior computer literacy, and dozens of others community groups, and continues to do so. They raised me to serve others, and started me at an early age, working in various youth groups to serve underprivileged children. I was encouraged to pay for my patch of earth in the only coin that mattered - helping and serving others who needed it.

As I grew older, I had to determine the value of service for myself. As a young woman, I assumed that service to others meant making a large difference in the world. That if I didn't shape my life to touch thousands of people, then my service would not have value.

Now, at a midpoint in my life, I believe that when I serve others, I serve myself. The number of people I serve does not govern the value of my contribution. Instead, giving my time and effort to others, no matter how few, makes my influence on the world larger, and gives my life greater value. I cannot imagine a worse fate than that of reaching the end of my life and realizing that I have had no positive impact, no influence on those I leave behind, whether that's one or one thousand.

I believe to ask whether or not others "deserve" my service is to miss the point of serving. My decision to serve others is not predicated on whether or not the person served shares my worldview, or my religious beliefs, or my politics. Because service is its own reward, the decision to serve is a gift I give myself, in the form of the satisfaction of knowing the world is a slightly better place for my having been here.

I believe service can come in many forms, and it's not my place to judge the value of someone else's contribution. A single parent working to support their family, struggling to break the cycle of poverty, makes a far greater contribution to our society than my meager contributions. Because things are never as simple as they appear, I believe my service should be given without judgment, as I never know when I will be the one who needs the service of others.

I'm not always successful in living this belief. There are times when I feel too selfish, too overwhelmed by life, too isolated to serve others in the way they need and deserve. What this failure has taught me is that sometimes, it's okay to serve myself, in order to ensure I have what it takes to serve others in the future. And sometimes, I just need to pull myself up by the bootstraps and do what I need to do, because I won't get another chance.

I freely admit and embrace my ignorance about what will happen to the unique essence that is "me" when I die. Because of this, I try to serve others in this life so that when I'm gone, my influence will live on. If I serve others now, perhaps they will, in turn, serve still more people when they're able. I believe that in the act of serving others, I ensure my immortality.