No, no. Not the one where the loony old white man talks down to the invisible black man in the chair. Although #Eastwooding provided some interesting performance art as well as a glimpse into the mindset of the 2012 Republican National Convention (RNC), the larger picture and the movie it called… Read full post »

I woke up this morning to learn from Facebook friends that a friend and his wife had been killed in an automobile accident in Peru. Lee was a great guy - funny, smart and genuine. Here is a blog post from one of his Microsoft colleagues and friends - savas: RIP… Read full post »

“Fuck, I need to outlive Dick Cheney,” flitted among the random thoughts streaming through my brain this past weekend. No, I don’t start all of my sentences with expletives and no, I don’t have a morbid fascination with death or with his evilness (ok, that’s debatable).… Read full post »

“Damn it – they didn’t get the memo!” my best friend says to me on the phone last night. Perhaps it’s the lingering effects of the anesthesia or that I really am on the brink, but I find this inexplicably hilarious.

As I laugh through my… Read full post »

^{Note: In honor of Opening Day & my not-so-little-boy's birthday today, I am reprising this post. As much as I would love to be at Nationals Park watching President Obama throw out the first pitch, I am instead taking Gatorade to his 30 classmates. Woot!}

 Baseball’s Opening Day holds… Read full post »

... & other dinner table conversation

Art Nouveau Mermaid by themadwashu at deviantart.com

Family dinners are important. Numerous studies, magazine articles, and WebMD tell me so:

Web MD: Family Dinners are Important

You Are Not Alone: Article Summary

Eating dinner regularly as a fa… Read full post »

Sunday night, the House of Representatives passed landmark legislation that moves us closer to reforming our health care system. Is it flawed? Yes. Does it go far enough? No. But if it passes, it will be a major accomplishment.

For the record, I favor single-payer health care (yes, a government-run o… Read full post »

Drew Brees Associated Press

The New Orleans Saints eked out their 13th victory of the NFL season over division rival Atlanta on Sunday. In case you’ve been living under a rock, this is BIG NEWS for several reasons:

• The win set a Saints franchise record for/
… Read full post »

If you listen to the Republicans (OR Chris Matthews, for that matter), you’d think that Obama is using Health Care Reform to develop a not-so-stealth government program that dictates when, how, and how long we should all live and die.  The Obama Bill is just another cover for the liberals&… Read full post »

Or Dear Barry: I Hate People, Too!

When Bill Clinton was President, people said of him that he liked to “compartmentalize.” It struck me as a perjorative and I’d think, “well, what’s so wrong with THAT?” You know, before the whole Monica-thing. Compartmentali… Read full post »

So, this is what a slow news week looks like in July. Yes, we are all weary of the incessant (insipid? ridiculous?) media coverage and analysis of Michael Jackson’s death and Sarah Palin’s resignation.

There is an aspect of it that fascinates me, though. I have taken to calling it… Read full post »

I’m trying something new this year. I signed my family up for a share in a CSA Farm.  Inspired by reading Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food and Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I thought it the least we could do to try to eat more healthily and make our own… Read full post »

Although I am an ardent (& sometimes strident) feminist, I don’t accept the notion nor usually argue that someone’s gender should be the primary determinant for appointing someone to a job. Any job. Exhibit A: Palin, Sarah.

However, my reading of the Supreme Court Justices’ react… Read full post »

In the spirit of celebrating OS anniversary and Joan's need for a new hat -

I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone, so to speak...

so this one's for you, Joan, you crazy left-wing loon!

 Salut!

Ok, my Washington, DC OS friends - I've been looking, but so far haven't seen any posts about a D.C. meetup - or even a Maryland, Virginia, Beltway one.

 So, I thought I'd throw it out there & see if anyone is interested. I'm thinking Thursday???, Happy Hour-ish, although I can't… Read full post »

Baseball’s Opening Day holds a special sentimental place in my heart.

My son was born on Opening Day.

A year later, my daddy died on Opening Day.

I’m not sure why I mark these events by the opening of the baseball season, but for some reason… Read full post »

So...all you In Treatment fans...therapists, former therapists, patients, former patients, hairdressers, wanna-be hairdressers, and anyone having just a bad hair day...

What's the verdict on Paul's new hair-cut? 

I know, I know...I watch too much TV and YES, I AM AWARE THAT IT IS A TV SHOW and… Read full post »

Socialism has been quite the big news recently. “We Are All Socialists Now,” screamed the Newsweek headline. Salon’s Mike Madden writes, “Here Comes Socialism” just last week  and a New York Times Reporter asked President Obama if he’s a Socialist.

It’s… Read full post »

If you have not yet taken the quiz, please go back and take your best shot.

If you have taken the quiz, here's how it will be scored:

Please give yourself:

• 1 pt. for every correct answer to questions 1-10
• 
  
• 2 pts. for correct answers to
… Read full post »

Please indulge me for a few moments while I rant. Yes, this is a RANT and yes, it is somewhat Meta (a first for me on OS).

But, good news, I am not going to rant about OS. I’m going to rant about Twitter. Well, not Twitter itself but… Read full post »

Dave Cullen has a new iPhone. He told us so! And marytkelly has one;  Julie Delio loves hers!  Since Dave called us OS Mac fanatics out  (in a good way for pushing him over the cliff), I thought I’d return the favor. So, Dave (and other new iPhone or iPod Touch… Read full post »

The Pages are my Friends

a poem by Barrett Smith, age 12

My pen slides along the pages
As they absorb the ink
Taking in my words
Never to forget
These words I write are the truth
The things never to be spoken
These pages I can trust
They never spread, they never/… Read full post »

As I write this, the stimulus package has passed both Houses of Congress to the tune of $787 Billion. I’m no economist, but as a citizen, I am both relieved and worried. My progressive side is relieved that long-ignored infrastructure and energy projects are getting attention. I am also… Read full post »

per Kerry’s Calendar post for this week, "David Bowie: Space Oddity" releases on DVD. Come with us, won't you, on a genderbending journey through the seventies with Aladdin Sane... I submit my own Bowie journey through the 70s (and 80s)

First things first – I love Bowie. (pronounced boh… Read full post »