Mental Housecleaning

Monday, October 31, 2011
I try to be honest with myself. It's not always easy, I'm not always successful, and sometimes I don't like what I find when I clean out my mind. But I do try. 

And here lately, I've had to do some mental housecleaning surrounding my perceptions of other people's motivations. For me, it's far too easy to assume that because an individual political conservative has loads of white privilege, is a person or a certain age, and has limited exposure to people of color that they oppose Barack Obama simply because he's black. It's usually far more complicated than that - after all, there are many, many reasons why someone would oppose the President's policies, none of which have anything to do with his color. I can disagree with these people's analysis without attributing nefarious motivations to them. To make the assumption that they're bigoted asshats is to engage in stereotyping - always a slippery turn of events, since even if the "general rule" is fair, the exceptions are usually legion.

So how do I apply the "general rule" to the group, without applying it to the individual? For example, I'm pretty convinced at this point that the Tea Party is a racist movement, and anti-American at its core. But that doesn't mean that a specific, individual member is a racist or anti-America. After all, I'm white, I enjoy tons of unearned privilege, I'm considered affluent by any reasonable measure, and only a small percentage of my family members and friends are people of color. By this measure, it might be reasonable to assume that I harbor bigotry in my heart. That assumption would be wrong, but I can see how someone who knows nothing about me might look at my life and see it that way. How would I feel about that judgement? Probably angry, and I'd start swinging the Shovel of Doom™ with abandon.


What makes this so tough is that there are cases where people really are motivated by bigotry, either about race or some other aspect of humanity, and their behavior should not be swept under the rug or excused for fear of giving offense by calling out their asshattery. Trying to determine which case represents a situation where people of good conscience can disagree about the political direction of our nation, and which case represents the rantings of bigoted asshats is the challenge. But I think I need to work harder at not assuming the worst because someone doesn't agree with me.

Free Shit Friday Winners...

Sunday, October 30, 2011
...of the Awesome Apple Butter of Awesomeness are Megan, with a random number of 15, and Carol Elaine, with a random number of 5.

Enjoy!

2011 Flower Pr0n - San Diego!

Saturday, October 29, 2011
Hm...figs. I need to make fig jam...

With Hot Bee on Flower Action!

Free Shit Friday - Awesome Apple Butter of Awesomeness

Friday, October 28, 2011
Today's Free Shit Friday giveaway is two jars of my Awesome Apple Butter of Awesomeness.*

This is always a particularly popular offering. Because it's so AWESOME, you see.

Da rules.


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*Disclaimer: This batch turned out a bit runnier than normal. I have no idea why, but you've been warned.

Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History - Ani Zonneveld

Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Ani Zonneveld is a Malaysian born singer and songwriter. She's a Muslim. She's co-founder for Muslims for Progressive Values (MPV). She leads prayers in her Mosque, a task normally reserved for men. And later this year, she plans on officiating at the Islamic wedding of two lesbians.

The MPV is one of the only Muslim organizations in the world that interprets the Q'uran in a way that  allows homosexuality within the context of Allah's law, and Ms. Zonneveld is working with other like-minded Muslims to spread the message. They also advocate the critical examination of the Q'uran in a more progressive light, and call out sections of the text that may lead to the radicalization of Muslims that may feel disenfranchised. She speaks out often about her thoughts and beliefs, regardless of what the majority of Imams believe about her faith and her interpretation.

Since Ms. Zonneveld lives in America, her actions and advocacy aren't as dangerous as they might be if she lived in a predominantly Muslim society. But it has to start somewhere - with a single person standing up for what they believe is right, and standing up for those who have been marginalized and can't speak for themselves. Thank you for standing up, Ms. Zonneveld.

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H/T to my Smart Man.

Self Determination and Dice Rolling

Monday, October 24, 2011
So the Republican candidates are once again frothing at the mouth, this time because the President has decided to entirely withdraw American troops from Iraq by December 31, 2011. Michele Bachmann is up in arms because she feels that America is being disrespected by the Iraqi people. Rick Santorum feels that we've "lost control" of Iraq. Herman Cain thinks it's going to "leave a vacuum." And all of them are (of course!) blaming the President for his "foreign policy failure."

Here's the thing. No responsible Commander in Chief is going to leave American troops in a foreign country without a Status of Forces Agreement. To do so would leave our men and women in uniform entirely vulnerable to the whims of whoever wanted to incarcerate or punish them as they saw fit. And our SOFA with Iraq expires on (surprise!) December 31, 2011. The Iraqi government has chosen not to enter into an acceptable agreement with the United States beyond that date, and by that legal act, has essentially told us to pack our shit and go home.

And they absolutely have the right to do so.

The bottom line is that Iraq is a sovereign nation, with the right of self determination in matters that pertain to their security and governance. If they choose to move forward without the help of the American military, then it's not really up to us to force the issue. Because doing so, you see, is called "Imperialism."

Which is not to say that the Administration should disengage. The region is still volatile, and it's in our interest to maintain relationships. But it's not in our interest to have a childish snit and demand that the Iraqi people reimburse us for the cost of our occupation (Bachmann's brilliant plan). They didn't ask us to come in and "liberate" them and poke the pooch so thoroughly on Day 2. As usual, the Republicans are allowing their hubris and exceptionalism to cloud the larger issue. Because that's worked out so WELL for the United States in the last ten years, don't you know.

The problem with liberating a people and allowing them to make their own decisions in a democratic fashion is that they may in fact choose to act against your interests in favor of their own. You rolls the dice, you takes your chances.

Free Shit Friday Winner...

Sunday, October 23, 2011
...of the Cranberry Walnut jam is Phiala, with a random number of 4*, and Thordr, with a random number of 21.

Philala, I have your address, but Thordr, I can't find yours from the last time you won, so please send it again.

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*Actually, the first two random numbers were 4 and 6, which were both Phiala, and I made an executive decision that the same reader couldn't win both items in the same contest. Sorry, Phiala.

2011 Flower Pr0n - San Diego Edition

Saturday, October 22, 2011


Free Shit Friday - Cranberry Walnut Jam

Friday, October 21, 2011


Do you know what season it is? It's fresh cranberry season, which means that today's Free Shit Friday offering is two jars of Cranberry Walnut jam.

I only make this in the fall, since getting the fresh cranberries at other times of year is problematic. So I buy enough cranberries to make four or more batches, and then stock up. Hm...cranberries.

Da rules.

Donors Choose, Science Rules!

Thursday, October 20, 2011
It's that time of year again - time for the annual Donors Choose Science Project fundraising extravaganza over at Discover Blogs. For the fourth year in a row, I'm supporting Cosmic Variance, because I think physics is cool and The Big Bang Theory makes me laugh. I like to pretend I'm encouraging a young Sheldon Cooper with my donation. Or at least a Howard Wolowitz.

It's a worthy cause, because science is cool, and our kids deserve a chance to excel in STEM. Please consider a donation if you can.

My Week, Part 2

Boogie the Giant Schnauzer is spending the day at the vet, having one of his lumps removed. Hopefully it won't be too bad for him, as his vet has found a sedative that seems not to knock him on his ass.
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I'll be mailing my ballot today for our state's November election. There are three seats on our school board that are up for grabs, and in researching the candidates I was struck more by what they didn't say than by what they did. All the interviews were about school vouchers, pay for performance, etc. And I think those issues are important. But NOBODY talked about the intersection between science and faith in public schools, not even Mr. "I teach dawn seminary classes in between solving world hunger and praying my way to salvation." I even tried a search on "evolution" and the candidates and came up empty. Since my county is SO VERY RED, this makes me suspicious, precious. Also? My county no longer springs for the postage on our mail-in ballots. WTF?
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You all know I support the Occupy Wall Street movement. What I don't support, however, is the marginalization of women under the thinly veiled guise of "seeing the light." Dude basically makes a "Hot Chicks of Wall Street" video and then tries to make it sound all noble and enabling. Whatever. As my Hot Daughter notes, "What a dipshit."
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My new work assignments have me feeling like I'm running around naked with my hair on fire at the moment. I don't particularly like feeling this way, but if it translates into me making a butt-ton of money this year, I think I can suck it up and make do. But if I don't make a butt-ton of money this year, then I'll probably be crankier than usual. I know, I know - what ELSE IS NEW.
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How come people can't be on time? Even to meetings THEY THEMSELVES CALLED? And why do I always take it personally?

My Week, Part 1

Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Is it just me, or are the Republican candidates* for President just Chock Full O' Nuts? They all think they've been called by god to serve, and their tax plans run from the ridiculous to the obscene. 9-9-9? Because what the rich need is a lighter tax burden, and what the working poor need is a larger one? Really? 

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Honesty in professional relationships is important. Seriously. I'm never going to be mad at someone for being honest. Who knows? I may even make an effort to change my support model based on your input.
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Robert Bork has informed me that women are no longer discriminated against in this country. I'm so glad that's settled, especially by an old, privileged white dude. Because nobody would know more about being discriminated against than him. I guess now I can quit bitching about my imaginary status as the only woman in the room and that whole "equal pay for equal work" thing.**
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If I offer to do work for you, and you refuse based on the idea that you can do it oh-so-much-better than me, don't expect to land on the top of my to-do list when your broke-ass shit isn't working the way you think it should. Yes, I realize that makes me petty. So?
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Boogie the Giant Schnauzer got a haircut yesterday, this time with the benefit of arthritis medication. While he still needed frequent breaks, he was more comfortable. He'll be ten next month, so I think that's probably the best outcome we can hope for, and I'm okay with that. I love my Boogie-Dog, and I don't want him to suffer if we can help him avoid it.
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I am becoming profoundly bored with my University studies. I don't know if that means I need to take better classes or take a break. I only have nine classes to go in my degree program, so I think I should just suck it up, buttercup. But I'll probably still bitch and cry about it.

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*With the possible exception of Jon Huntsman, but we all know he'll never get nominated.

**I do in fact earn comparable pay for my work, but there are many, many women who do not, regardless of what Robert Bork thinks.

Triple Threat

Monday, October 17, 2011
When I was on active duty, my promotion trajectory was quite fast. Due to a now defunct program called "accelerated advancement," my ability to test well, and a sufficient number of openings in my job title, I was able to achieve the rank of First Class Petty Officer (E-6) in 4.5 years, at the age of 23.

And I took no end of shit for my accomplishment.

Nearly every non-commissioned officer with whom I had contact had the following opinion:
  1. I was far too young to have been awarded the rank I had achieved.
  2. I had not been in the Navy long enough to have been awarded the rank I had achieved.
  3. A woman should not have been awarded the rank I had achieved ahead of a man.
  4. The rank I had been awarded was obviously the result of my looks, or who I had slept with, or some other non-merit based criteria. 
  5. Some combination of 1, 2, 3, and always 4.
I was promoted because I was smart, and worked hard, and learned the technical knowledge I needed in order to do well on the advancement exam. But I didn't "deserve" it because I was young, female, and attractive. And people - both men and women - felt perfectly comfortable saying this to my face, secure in the knowledge that their behavior was acceptable in  the culture in which we lived and worked.

And it made me think, "I wonder if their attitude would have been different if I'd had a penis?" I think you can guess the answer. Because there was a man in my command who was equally smart, worked just as hard, learned just as much, and got promoted almost as fast. And he was described as "ambitious," "someone to watch," and a "triple threat." I can guarantee I wasn't described in those terms by my peers, even though we shared the attributes that made him praiseworthy. Yeah.

I'm happy to say that the Navy has made some progress in changing the culture so that the assumptions that were made about me are not necessarily the norm anymore. The fact that women are equal in fact rather than only in policy helps tremendously, as did the post Tailhook house-cleaning. But I wonder...how many high quality sailors were run off because staying wasn't worth the grief they took whenever they excelled? Being constantly marginalized - especially as a result of excellence - wears a person down, and I can't blame my sisters-in-arms who made the choice to leave rather than continue to deal with that bullshit indefinitely. I personally consider my experience worth it, and I don't regret it. But that doesn't mean it doesn't still piss me the hell off.

Photo Scavenger Hunt - Four Letters Destroyed Edition

Saturday, October 15, 2011
The Photo Scavenger Hunt over at Random Michelle's was themed "Four Letters Destroyed" this week, and I tried to participate. Here are my offerings, all taken with my cell phone.


Bird


Hole

Wind

Ring

Flat

Destroyed

Boogie Blogging Friday

Friday, October 14, 2011
Peel me a grape.

Here's the Incomparable Boogie™ attempting to convince me that the grapes I had with my lunch SURE WOULD TASTE GOOD. While I know grapes are contra-indicated with canines, sometimes he manages to convince me that just one won't hurt him. C'mon, Mom, JUST ONE. He's never experienced any distress as a result, so I guess his 100lb frame manages to digest the single grape just fine.

In other Boogie-related news, he's going back in for surgery on Thursday the 20th to have another lump removed under a local anesthetic and a tranquilizer. It's been oozing and such, and needs to be removed. He's such a lumpy dog that we don't have them surgically removed unless they cause him discomfort, but this one now qualifies. Poor Boogie.

Gay is Good

Thursday, October 13, 2011
Frank Kameny, a pioneer in the civil rights struggle for the LGBT community, died Tuesday at the age of 86.

Dr. Kameny was an amazing human being. A World War II vet and a Harvard Ph.D in astronomy, he was fired from his job at the U.S. Army Map Service in 1957 because he was gay. So he sued the federal government, taking his case all the way to the Supreme Court. In 1961. He lost, but spent the rest of his life working for civil rights for the LGBT community.

I can't tell you how grateful I am to this man and his cohort. Because of him, my Hot Daughter's Lesbianism isn't considered a "psychiatric disorder." Because of him, my Hot Daughter can live openly and honestly, not being forced to hide who she is on a fundamental level because the society in which she lives looks at her with disgust.

Can you imagine how centered, how profoundly comfortable in his skin he must have been? When he sued the federal government, being gay was a psychiatric disorder, no one would admit to knowing someone who was gay, it was accepted practice in every community in the Union to denigrate, belittle and discriminate against its gay members. And yet Dr. Kameny stood up for himself. He was treated unfairly, so he did something about it, and then spent the rest of his life doing something about it.

Gay is indeed good, Dr. Kameny. Fair winds and following seas - and thank you.

Occupied

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

"Taxes are what we pay for a civilized society." Trying to take advantage of the civilization part without forking over an equitable share of the payment part - which is what the Wall Street bigwigs do - is inherently unfair. More and more people are realizing that, which is why the Plutocrats are panicking.

I find their fear quite satisfying - it tastes like cake.

Colorado Adventures - The Historic Stanley Hotel

Monday, October 10, 2011
The weather -it's conspiring
This weekend's Colorado Adventure was a stay at the Historic Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado.

We left on Saturday at about noon, and once again, the weather did not cooperate. It snowed/rained during the entire drive, which meant I had to pay attention to the road instead of the scenery. Since Estes Park is the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, this was no small sacrifice, thank-you-very-much.

Once we arrived, we checked into our room in The Manor House, which is in a separate building than the actual hotel. The room was a bit small, but this was the view:


Sorry for the quality - the window was a bit dirty due to weather.
We could live with that.


Since the destination was actually the hotel for this trip, we decided to take our meals at the hotel restaurant, the Cascades. Dinner was a Bison Rib-eye followed by Goat Cheesecake with Huckleberry Compote for the Smart Man and Crab Cakes with Risotto followed by Pumpkin Crème brûlée with candied pecans for me. Everything was delicious, although the cost was a bit steep for a restaurant that was situated RIGHT NEXT TO THE BAR.* But I'm sold on the flavored Crème brûlée at this point.

The Stanley - Wooo!
The Stanley is famous for being "haunted," and was the inspiration for the Stephen King book The Shining. The hotel makes full use of this, of course, offering "ghost tours" and even has a resident psychic named "Vera." Needless to say, the Smart Man and I skipped the woo tour, but made sure we cracked jokes throughout about how the static on the clock radio was CLEARLY caused by a ghost rather than by the proximity to a cell phone, how a small bug bite on my leg was OBVIOUSLY the result of being bitten by a poltergeist rather than a bug, etc. Hilarity ensued. 

Each room also had a registry of Historic hotels, and the Smart Man and I got several new ideas for future adventures. 

All in all it was a successful adventure, especially since the Smart Man got his Huckleberry fix. Next month: The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa in downtown Denver.

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*If the bill for two people to eat a meal is going to exceed $100, I better not be able to see a television from my table. Just sayin'.

Free Shit Friday Winner...

Sunday, October 9, 2011
...of the handmade hat and scarf is Wendy, with a random number of 4. Wendy, let me know the following:
  • Acrylic yarn or natural fiber
  • Color scheme
  • Size
  • Hat type (folded brim or scallop)
  • Pom-pom yes or no
I'll then run over and get the yarn and get started.

2011 Flower Pr0n - San Diego!

Saturday, October 8, 2011


Free Shit Friday - Hat and Scarf

Friday, October 7, 2011
Today's Free Shit Friday offering is a home-made knitted cap and scarf, in the colors of the winner's choosing. These hats and scarves tend to be on the warm side, which puts people in Northern Climes at a bit of an advantage, but hey, sometimes life isn't fair.

Da Rules.

Heeee-eeere's Johnny!

Thursday, October 6, 2011
After my busy week AT THE SUMMIT, the Smart Man and I will be hitting Estes Park on Saturday as part of our Colorado Adventures. We'll be staying at the Stanley Hotel, of The Shining fame.

I'm looking forward to it, but if the Smart Man starts showing any kind of interest in axes, I'm getting out of there while the getting's good.

Miscellania

Wednesday, October 5, 2011
I really need to determine what I want to be when I grow up. Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief? Okay, not Indian Chief. I don't think I'm racist enough. But I think it would cool to be wildly passionate about my work again. I suspect that this is the price I have to pay for not being consumed by work.
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My Hot Daughter is a Junior this year, and she's taking eighteen hours at college and working 25-30 hours a week, as well. At first I was concerned that she was doing too much, but then it occurred to me - what the hell was I doing when I was twenty? 1-1-1 & 32 or 2-2-2 & 80,* that's what. She'll be just fine.
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I spoke to my Smart Sailor last week. He's now at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi, attending Calibration School. I guess someone there implied that winters in Mississippi were "cold." After wintering at NTC Great Lakes outside of Chicago last year, I'm afraid he laughed in their face.
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I have no jam on hand (other than the family stash). None. I've just had other fish to fry on the weekends for the month of September, plus I've been giving it away on a pretty regular basis. I expect I'll try and put up a batch my Awesome, Awesome Apple Butter sometime mid-month. So expect a Free Shit Friday offering with Apple Butter coming soonish.
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I got re-botoxed last week, as my scowl lines had returned after 7-8 weeks. The RN who injects me tells me it should last longer this time, as my facial muscles will eventually give up in despair. Botox: it's like the Pit of Despair for wrinkles!
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I went shopping on Saturday (because evidently my credit card didn't take enough of a beating while I was in San Diego). DUDES - I found the most AWESOME WORK PANTS at Eddie Bauer. These make me happy, happy, happy, even though I paid more per item than I typically do. The reason I got new pants: I died a little inside every time I put on the old pants because they fit poorly, were not flattering and the legs were too wide (you couldn't see my fabulous shoes). Sometimes paying $75.00 for a single pair of pants that actually fits instead of $30.00 for a pair that makes you cry is totally worth it. Bonus: Found awesome shirts at JCP in the Petite section. I never thought of myself as "petite," but Sister from Another Mister The Mechanicky Gal convinced me to give it a go, and it totally worked. 

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*If you don't know what that means, then congratulations - you've never been on a shore-based watch bill at a Naval Communications Station. Trust me, that schedule is not for the faint of heart. Or the insomniac. Or anyone over 25. Or anyone interested in maintaining some semblance of mental or physical health. You get the idea.

Insert Racist, Politically Incorrect Joke HERE

Tuesday, October 4, 2011
So I was listening to NPR's Tell Me More a couple of weeks ago, and a story came on regarding the recent scandal surrounding the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and their treatment of their so-called "Freedmen." The guest was Professor Tiya Miles, a 2011 MacArthur Fellow and expert on the Cherokee Freedmen.

It seems that during the Civil War the Cherokee National Council who supported the Union decided to abolish slavery along with the United States. After the Civil War was over, and in accordance with a treaty made with the United States government in 1866, the Cherokee granted the Cherokee Freedmen full citizenship in the Cherokee Nation, with voting rights and equal sharing in annuities and land settlements. Those who left would become United States citizens, under its constitutional amendments following the Civil War. Good for everyone, right?

Wrong.

The Freedmen and their descendants were Cherokee citizens until the early 1980's, when the Cherokee Nation amended membership rules to require direct descent from an ancestor listed in the "Cherokee By Blood" section of the Dawes Rolls. This effectively stripped the Freedmen and their descendants of citizenship, since the Dawes Rolls were heavily biased against the Freedmen and not very accurate to begin with.

Naturally the Freedmen didn't appreciate this much, and challenged the decision in both the Cherokee Supreme Court and United States Federal Court - and in 2006 the Cherokee Supreme Court ruled that the Freedmen were unconstitutionally kept from enrolling as citizens. So a wrong was righted, and everyone went home happy, right?

Wrong.

The Nation then amended their Constitution in an effort to strip Freedmen of their status.

As near as I can tell, the issue is still up in the air, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has frozen $33 million in funding while they review the legal issues, and the Cherokee Nation has a huge black eye for being sanctimonious, racist tools.

I'm not a Native American. I have no insight into the internal politics of the Cherokee Nation, nor do I have any opinion on their desire to preserve their culture. But stripping members of your community of their status - members that have been included for almost 150 years - because they can't pass a blood test? Because even though they've been raised in your community their whole lives they can't pass a racial purity test? Really? Really? THAT's the legacy you want to leave for your community, your children? THAT's what you want other communities to know you for?

Nice job, there. Cherokee Nation. Really stellar behavior.

To the Summit!

Monday, October 3, 2011
This week I'll be attending something called a "Contact Center Summit" here in Denver. Leaving aside the incredibly pretentious name (a "Summit?" Really? We're not establishing peace in the Middle East, you know), this event is actually a pretty decent opportunity to learn new technologies and trends in my field. The days are long, though - 7:30 or so until 6:00 p.m. in session, followed by the usual schmooze-festing in the evening.

I've tried to pre-post some original, scintillating content for you continuing amusement - just don't burn the place down while I'm gone.

Free Shit Friday Winner...

Sunday, October 2, 2011
...of the mini Coach bag is Nathan, with a random number of 8. He says he's going to give the bag to his Anonymous Girlfriend, wink, wink, nod, nod.

Enjoy!

2011 Flower Pr0n - San Diego!

Saturday, October 1, 2011