NimbleNews

I don’t have anything interesting to write about today (do I ever, though, really?), so I’m just going to highlight some of the more wacked-out stories floating around the news. I feel like if you don't read internet news, you miss the good stuff! So, just in case you missed it . . .

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Richard Nixon’s comments on abortion: "There are times when an abortion is necessary. I know that. When you have a black and a white," he told an aide, before adding, "Or a rape." That man was just the king of sensitivity, wasn’t he? Stay classy, Dick.

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The governor of South Carolina disappeared for several days and has now reappeared. His staff told everyone he was “hiking the Appalachian Trail,” but it turns out he was actually in ARGENTINA. For a fun getaway, while his wife and kids hung out at the beach back in SC. He didn’t tell anyone where he was, and no one was really in charge during his absence. The Democrats smell blood in the water and are eating this story up (as are his Republican enemies, of which he seems to have many); I don’t care about that, though, I like it because it’s just kind of wacko. I also like the idea that “hiking the Appalachian Trail” could become a euphemism for untoward activities. So could “going to Argentina,” I suppose.

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Lancaster, PA: the most watched city in the country! Keith Olbermann, the Drudge Report, etc. have all picked this story up and apparently it’s gotten all kinds of reactions from the public, including a song, and a letter from a woman claiming she will never come here now.

I feel bad that I haven’t paid more attention to this—that I only had a vague idea this was happening. Our local newspaper finally got around to writing about the L.A. Times writing about Lancaster, and the general feeling on the newspaper comment boards (which are a nightmare, BTW) is that anyone who objects to this should quit being paranoid, because if you don’t have anything to hide, why do you care? It’s times like this when I’m almost tempted to register a name and start posting on those boards. The funny thing is, most of the people on the boards who are conservative and post conservative talking points regularly are the ones that are fine with this--talk about government intrusion!

Here’s the thing: I don’t really mind the cameras today, at this moment, but I’ve read enough dystopian books and watched enough movies to know that government surveillance is not a good thing. Authorities aren’t always the “good guys” –and if you think they are, well, Glenn Beck, THAT’s what called fascism.

Ranty McRanterson

I must say, because I can’t say it on Facebook, that some people’s status updates make me want to throw up. I hate the political ones that make me seethe quietly, but worse are the banal and very frequent updates from one of my “friends.”

“Going to the gym!”
“Having a good day!”
“Eating lunch!” :0)

I don’t know why these bug me so much, but I’ve actually hidden this person from my public view because I can’t figure out why she needs to post such things every few hours. If you’re going to post status updates, make them a) semi-interesting or b) infrequent. That way, even if they’re not exciting, they’re new and different and people will like to read them.

/rant

Oh, but wait! I have another rant. So, you know that the Obamas have planted an organic garden on the White House lawn. And, whether or not you like them, you’d have to say that this is a pretty good thing to do and a nice idea. I mean, even if it’s just nice b/c it’s saving taxpayers money on herbs and stuff for the White House dinners.

You would THINK that was the case, right?

Well, nope. I hate to break it to you, but there are people who don’t like the Obamas’ garden. What?! It’s true.

Of course, all these people have a financial interest in consumers buying not-fresh and not-local.

The quote, from this article in Slate:

"It's a charming idea and everything, but it's not practical," says Xavier Equihua, who represents the Chilean Exporters Association as well as the Chilean Avocado Committee. The main problem, he says, is that local food is seasonal. For example, avocadoes grow in California during the summer months. Same with grapes. "What happens if you want some grapes during the month of December?" says Equihua. "What are you going to do? Not eat grapes?"

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? NOT EAT GRAPES? OMGOMGIOEPHRJWPEJP! It’s like the craziest idea anyone’s ever possibly had or thought of. How could you NOT EAT GRAPES? You're telling me local food is SEASONAL? HUH? What are we going to DOOOOOO?!

Seriously, this quote about sent me over the edge. No, Xavier, we are NOT going to eat grapes in December. Because that’s not when they are in season. Because we don’t need to have every single fruit and vegetable available to us every (expletive) season of the (expletive) year!

/rant 2

I feel better now.

You oughta know

I have a bulletin board in my kitchen that’s full of wedding invitations and Save-the-Date cards. Just the other day I tacked up the first baby shower invite. I’ve gotten shower invites before, of course, but this is the first shower invite that made it to the board--and I have a feeling there will be a lot more to come.

I’ve been thinking a lot about babies lately. Probably because by the end of the year my family will have two new ones, who I fully intend to treat as my nephew (and as yet to be discovered) nephew or niece. (I vote niece!) Of course, neither of these kids will be actual nieces or nephews, but hey, I can pretend. Any actual nieces or nephews I ever get will probably grow up as Canadians.

Anyway, I’m thinking about it because here I am, going about my life, understanding so much at 30 about where I fit and what life is like in this world right now. There’s just so much information and context and what-have-you, and these kids will be born without any of it. And I know from experience that hearing your parents talk about the past is fun and good, but it doesn’t actually help you “get it.” I don’t know what the world was like when Beatles songs were being played on the radio for the first time, or when Lancaster was basically just a farm community with a city at its center. I don’t know what my parents were like when they were my age or what they talked about with their friends. I don't know what the extended family looked or sounded like before I was old enough to remember it.

I suppose this is just a factor of being born when you are, and maybe it’s nice that new children aren’t weighted down with the baggage of an 80-year-old woman, moaning about how things used to be. But I’m a context girl. When I discovered my strengths, context was in my top five. And since I feel like you can understand the present so much better when you understand the past, I want to give these new children some kind of information that will help them be wise from the beginning. To understand what’s happening now, while they’re not even really in the world. Here’s what came before you: this is why things are the way they are.

But it’s not possible for me to pass my so-called life of acquired wisdom on to anyone, let alone two babies who won’t be interested for a long time, if ever. So they’ll have to figure it out for themselves (mostly) and the rest of us will just be here in case they ever want to know.

Indiana Wants Me

I’m in Indiana this week to reconnect with the co-workers, attend some planning meetings, and just generally remind everybody that yes, I still work here. It’s fun to be here for a week, unlike my last six week stint, which just got really LONG. It’s nice to be able to go home on Saturday.

Tonight is the first night the sun’s really been shining since I arrived, and it’s freaking amazing . . . light until after 9 PM. I think the official sunset time is 9:12 or so these days, and my boss said in late June there will be light in the sky at 10:30. The state just started observing Daylight Savings Time, and my boss, a lifelong resident of Indiana, believes that’s just TOO much light time. Or at least, too much in the evening.

Speaking of my boss, tonight I had dinner with her and her husband, who are just a couple of hilarious nerds. They didn’t get married until they were in their late 30s, and they don’t have any kids, and they crack each other up with cynicism and goofiness. Since I am also a cynical and goofy nerd, I like hanging out with them. I made some jokes tonight that genuinely made them laugh, too, which always makes me pleased. My lifelong goal is to be the kind of person who cracks other people up—both fun AND funny—but I’m so not there yet.

However, today was a good day for my joke-to-flop ratio.

My boss also told me about sporcle.com, which is a trivia site full of categories, and all you do is type answers that fit within those. It’s so addicting. Can you name all the people, places, and things in the song We Didn’t Start the Fire? I would’ve said I could get most of them, but HA! Sporcle proved me wrong.

I’m done blogging! Off to play more Sporcle . . . .