confessions of a red-headed stepchild: November 2004

Monday, November 29, 2004

turkey, dogs and a fender bender

We began the weekend at a cocktail party drinking spanish coffees with a few of Tom's co-workers. My Dad was on his way into town, so I had to be home at 10:00 to meet him. I felt like a teenager again, like if I wasn't home on time I would get into trouble. The spanish coffees were to die for and I met a really awesome girl I hope to see again.

We invited a hodgepodge of people over for Thanksgiving dinner including: my old co-worker and friend Barb (from BCTI), my Dad and his long time girlfriend, my aunt on my Mom's side, and Tom's friend Steve. I would like to note that Steve has two dogs, Booker T and Suarte. They are very large and should count as two additional people.

and the dogs waited patiently for turkey...

tryptophan comma

The rest of the weekend consisted of me drinking a lot of red wine, singing kareoke at a lesbian bar and "brushing" up against a parked car, denting the fuck out of my passenger side doors. I will be at home behaving myself for the next week, knitting, playing soccer and reading Eats, Shoots and Leaves.

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

busier than a one armed paper hanger with hives

Tom and I are hosting our first Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. We originally had 6 guests and it has quickly become 8. I am making turkey, stuffing, cranberries, mashed potatoes, gravy and candied yams. I am wondering if I have bitten off more than I can chew.

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

the time of your life

In the time of your life, live—so that in that good time there shall be no ugliness or death for yourself or for any life your life touches. Seek goodness everywhere, and when it is found, bring it out of its hiding place and let it be free and unashamed.

Place in matter and in flesh the least of the values, for these are the things that hold death and must pass away. Discover in all things that which shines and is beyond corruption. Encourage virtue in whatever heart it may have been driven into secrecy and sorrow by the shame and terror of the world. Ignore the obvious, for it is unworthy of the clear eye and the kindly heart.

Be the inferior of no man, or of any men be superior. Remember that every man is a variation of yourself. No man's guilt is not yours, nor is any man's innocence a thing apart. Despise evil and ungodliness, but not men of ungodliness or evil. These, understand. Have no shame in being kindly and gentle but if the time comes in the time of your life to kill, kill and have no regret.

In the time of your life, live—so that in that wondrous time you shall not add to the misery and sorrow of the world, but shall smile to the infinite delight and mystery of it.

William Saroyan

Saturday, November 20, 2004

always ahead of myself

I finished my first knitting project today, a scarf for a friend's birthday. I was in such a rush to get it done and mailed in time that I forgot to take a picture of it in it's completion. So now it sits in a sealed and addressed box on my table.

Today is Saturday.
The birthday is Sunday.
It is going to New York and will be late no matter what.
I am asking myself why I insisted on sealing the box.

jackalicious

jack likes sit in the back window while we drive.

Friday, November 19, 2004

I just don't get it

Leaf Blowing.

It is that time of year again. The time of year when people like you and I wonder what the fuck the guy with the leaf blower thinks he is doing, other than making a lot of noise. What happened to raking? Is it a lost art? I used to rake. I would rake the leaves into piles. I would jump into the piles and then bag them. I remember the blisters I used to get from raking between the index finger and thumb. Is the rake getting decommissioned?

Thursday, November 18, 2004

stand by me

I am finding out day by day that nothing can be accomplished without friends, without the backing and support of like minded people who are brave and willing to stand up for what they believe in. I have been very fortunate to have faithful friends and co-workers that have, through the ups and downs, remained at my side.

I haven't really told the story about blowing the whistle on BCTI but I think that now is the perfect time, as everything is unraveling in a fashion I never dreamed possible.

I used to work at Business Computer Training Institute. I previously wrote about why I left and my attempt to make them correct their illegal business practices here.

After three years of employment at this company, their lack of ethical treatment in dealing with staff and students began to touch me personally. My students and co-workers were my friends and I became protective of them.

The Oregon Department of Education is totally awesome. They know me by name and were the only organization that treated my allegations seriously. Since the beginning of this investigation the place has lit up like a wild fire. There are things bubbling to the surface that no one could have ever imagined.

3 employees are filing charges against them for discrimination. They were fired when it became apparent that they didn't share the same religious views as upper management (they wouldn't participate in a prayer circle at work). They are also being investigated for breaking Washington law by recruiting students from outside the welfare office. Read more about it here.

3 campuses have shut down (two in Oregon, one in Washington) during the investigation. The Washington campus that shut down was caught cheating on federal assessment tests, tests that would indicate if a student had the necessary skills to benefit from the program. Read more about that here.

I just want to give a shout out to the students and staff that were brave enough to stand up with me to tell this company that they can no longer take advantage of the disadvantaged. That there are people who look out for others in this world and will not tolerate unethical practices, especially in the name of the Lord (BCTI owners are founders of a church, smells like a tax shelter to me). This all reminds me of one of the best movies of all time, Stand by Me, when Gordie tells the story about the big "Barf-o-rama". Yes the fat boy started it, but it turned out to be the masterpiece it was because everyone else joined in.

To truth and justice!

Sunday, November 14, 2004

I, Anonymous

There is a section in a local newspaper here in Portland called "I, Anonymous". People send in unsigned letters that they would like published. They are usually pretty amusing and this weeks seemed to have taken the words straight from my mouth.

Dear Bin Laden: I'm sorry. You were right. After the election, well what can I say? We as a nation obviously ARE a bunch of mindless sheep, grown fat with consumerism and easily led down the primrose path into corruption. After 60% of eligible voters turned out and 51% of those voted for Bush, I can't do anything but concede your point: there are no innocents left in America.

All I ask is this: give New York a break, okay? And leave New England, California, and the rest of the West Coast out of it as well. We're on your side already! Please, stay focused and plan your next attack against the real enemy: those "red states" in the middle of the map.

Fly a Cessna into the stands of a Nascar Rally. Put a suicide bomber on the arch in St. Louis. Drive a truck-bomb into the Grand Ole Opry. Release anthrax at an Astros game. It's all good! I see your point--I'm with you now. They've got it coming. I'm just sorry it took me so long to figure out how very right you were. Can you ever forgive me?--Anonymous

Monday, November 08, 2004

not much has changed

"How like a paradise the world would be, flourishing in joy and rest, if men would cheerfully conspire in affection, and helpfully contribute to each other's content: and how like a savage wilderness now it is, when, like wild beasts, they vex and persecute, worry and devour each other."

Isaac Barlow - 1683

I hope that as the government is alienating us, we can remember to look after and care for each other. I recently finished The Grapes of Wrath which is a reminder that people can not survive on their own, there is a constant need for community and we must give to others in an effort to create that community.

I am beginning to feel less devastated, and more hopeful that this re-election is not the end of the world, yet.

bush is a great president

for me to poop on.

If you haven't seen Triumph the Insult Comic Dog you are really missing out. He is my kind of mutt.

Sunday, November 07, 2004

cry baby

I was driving along minding my own business when the craziest thing happened. What seemed like nearly a hundred vehicles covered in Bush/Cheney stickers and American Flags, came parading down the middle lane, of a FUCKING FREEWAY! There were army vehicles, the ever popular suv (one had more than 50 support our troop magnets on it) and tons of classic cars. There were people at every overpass waving flags as if they knew this sick parade was going to take place. I was fine until I saw the banners that read "freedom has a price", and others held by young kids that said "thank you!", to the troops I guess even though the troops aren't here to read the signs.

Now don't get me wrong. I didn't start crying hysterically because I don't support our troops (the taxes are taken from my check bi-weekly, so I am forced to support them), it was because I felt so scared and hurt that so many people have been brainwashed into believing that this war in Iraq has a single iota to do with OUR freedom.

I kept thinking back to that news article I read yesterday about 50 people dying in combat and I just wanted to scream. I called Tom as I was blubbering, and tried to explain to him what I was seeing and how sick it was. And then as if that wasn't bad enough I saw a woman throw her empty cigarette pack out of her car window. I decided I needed to get home in a hurry before I started beating the shit out of someone.

Saturday, November 06, 2004

my kind of politician

This guy is a total bad ass. Watch this video clip: Tim Ryan Speech.

Wednesday, November 03, 2004

quote of the day

"Naturally, the common people don't want war, but after all, it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag people along whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. This is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country."

-Hermann Goering. Hitler's Reich-Marshall at the Nuremberg Trials after WWII

time stands still

I am going to turn into one of those conspiracy theorist, paranoid about mind controlling substances in my drinking water, stockpiling dried food and ammunition, because I can't really think of anything else sane to do.

i still hate my country

I told my Dad when I was a teenager that I hated my country. That I would like to live anywhere else. He told me that was a normal teenager feeling, and as I got older and understood more about the world that feeling would change. Dad, I still hate my country. The more I know the more I hate. I am so angry and so sad. I am at work and my eyes are welling with tears. I have a meeting about an intranet project I am supposed to care about and it seems so irrelevant right now. I am scared.

As a young child, before I started hating my country, I had nightmares about a big uprising like World War III. Except the enemies were our own people, the police and the army of my own country. I didn't understand much about war, or nuclear weapons, but these things kept me awake at night shaking with fear.

Tuesday, November 02, 2004

my dad is cooler than yours

So my dad finished his second 100 mile endurance run last weekend. This picture is of the sunrise in Scottsdale, AZ where the Javelina Jundred takes place.

For those of you who don't know, that is running straight, with no sleep, you eat while you are moving and it takes longer than 24 hours if you are not completely insane.

He finished two hours quicker than his time last year at 27:04:13!

My dad is in the orange shirt.

You can read more about the Javelina Jundred here.