I saw Ayn Rand

In a dream last night, Ayn Rand told me to speak up. She told me that her ideas were being misused and the people were being mislead. But then what does she know?

Our founding fathers revolutionized us into believing we had rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

At least some of us did. Back then, only some, but now everyone wants a piece of the pie, a serving of life, a portion of liberty and a huge helping of happiness. And right now, thank you very much.  And following only those rules I believe in. Until I don’t believe in them because there isn’t enough profit in it.

But all of that is human nature. Imagine for a moment being a gay child, who has not met anyone else like himself. Then meeting a gay person for the first time and discovering that you are not the only one? Or an atheist child (yes they exist, I was an atheist long before I discussed it with my parents who hid their own atheism from our family) finally finding out it wasn’t just the devil talking to her as so many had suggested.

Once you discover you are not abnormal you begin to realize what you have been missing. You begin to realize your differences are not your fault. And most recognize that those who organize and fight for their rights often gain them.

Any Rand would not argue the value of such endeavors, she would applaud it. But many of those speaking for her would like to draw those rights back to themselves alone, to give liberty only to those who have “earned” it, even when it has been looted and not earned at all.

I saw a Boy? A Girl? A Nerd?

<Warning: Horrible stereotypes used for humour below. If you find yourself offended, please stop reading immediately and find a comedy store.>

I believe Nerds may be a third sex. Please note I am not discussing sexuality. Gay, straight, lesbian, bi or transgender come in all three sexes.

Part of the difficulty of jocks with nerds is they can’t tell their sexuality so it is assumed to be a wrong one. Jocks seem to become quickly enraged in such encounters where the nerd is clearly making fun of them but the jocks don’t get their expected sexual identity vibe making it difficult to formulate comebacks. Hence fists so often fly instead…

Jocks can, however, be nerds as well. The third sex is found in every human dynamic.

People are clearly born nerds. I live in a family of them, myself. But in most cases they are a little rarer, isolated in many cases, which can breed a lack of self confidence usually masked by snarkiness and withdrawal from social situations.

I first noticed the phenomenon at High School Freshman Dances where the whole concept of “other sex” is first put to the test by incoming Freshmen, most barely awakening that identity they only wish was a secret. This is not to say they haven’t been struggling with it for a couple of years, but it becomes legitimized in High School. There are expectations in High School.

The boys lined up on one side of, in my case, the cafeteria. The girls all flocked to the window side like caged birds pushed against the glass. I couldn’t see myself on either side so I ended up near the podium where a small group of gangly boys stared only at their feet. But as I got closer I could hear them and the banter was sharp if not cutting edge. These self-effacing creatures were ripping up both sides of the room, scathing criticisms couched in rich sarcasm. They accepted me as soon as I offered my first jibe about the new cheerleader wannabes, forever cementing my position as the lone female to disprove the rule. Other girls joined us over time but until recently the female nerds were few and far between. I think they were just more in their shell than the boys, living those lives of quiet desperation as wallflowers whose wit just wasn’t shared.

But Revenge of the Nerds is very real. The coolest Nerd of them all just passed away and his company was declared the richest of any in the world. Between Jobs, Gates and Zuckerberg, Nerdom had reached its zenith and we are really just getting started.

Nerd centered holidays like ComicCon and Dragon*Con have become the hot ticket, no one is embarrassed to be a fangirl anymore. We have our very own TV shows, even a whole network (SyFy, please pardon the wrestling).

Anyway that’s how I see it. But I could be wrong.

I have seen Newt Gingrich eat puppies!

This little blog is in response to an email I received from Jesse Jackson who asked me to help him defend my President. Since they keep telling outlandish lies about Barack, I shall start a campaign of “possibilities” about the Republican’s candidates. Or the Manchurian Candidates, if you will. They are, after all, brainwashed.

But I have SEEN Newt eat puppies. Perhaps it was a dream, but it seemed very real at the time. And since he keeps dreaming up ridiculous accusations about the positions the very conservative Barack Obama has taken to improve the economy (and the world) I see no reason not to indulge my fantasies.

Mitt Romney has 13 wives and keeps his hundreds of offspring on a compound in Utah. Why not? He IS a Mormon, even admits to it. He is also much more of a communist than Barack and started on that path a lot earlier. For him, communism means funneling millions into his own pocket, but at least he shares it with his whole family.

Ron Paul eats human babies. Often and with relish. Mostly pickle relish but he also has been known to use that horrible hotdog relish mix that has mustard in it. Gross. He learned it from Ayn Rand. I have seen photos of Rand eating babies. She trains her acolytes well.

Rick Santorum brainwashes his followers. He calls it Baptism, but he holds them under his spell a lot longer than any trickle of water can achieve. If you had seen the Stepford wives parading in front of my precinct on Election Day you would know this is accurate.

Rick Perry = George W. Bush. What else can I say?

Michele Bachmann is a lovely lady who have never done one wrong thing. Only one of the things I have written on this blog is true. That isn’t it.

What is true is that Barack Obama has disappointed me, but he would seem to be more pragmatic than I and less impatient. But in comparison to the frightening possibilities offered from the other side he is our only hope.

Best things in life

It would seem (from my experience) which regarding these topics is quite limitless, that the are 2 things in life that keep getting better. Those things are Dragon*Con and Doctor Who. I really wanted to hate Matt Smith for thinking he could play the Doctor after David Tennent. But as has been pointed out by none other than the head Nerdist, he was born to play the Doctor and he has certainly not let us down. 

Now I could go on and on about Matt, but as any fan knows, half the show is the Doctor’s Companion and with the latest regeneration we get a couple in place of just the one. A couple so fabulous they should have their own show. A couple with a story line love story that simply surpasses all other love stories, up to and including The Princess Bride. He waited 2000 years for her. I tear up just thinking about it. 

And each year at the end of Dragon*Con I think about the experience and the money spent and I try really hard to decide not to go the following year because it is a lot of money but every year some new exciting amazing thing is scheduled and every year is better than the year before. 

 

Why can’t everything be like that?

Clutter

We live in constant conflict as humans. We are self-aware, observant and needy and this sad combination creates a dynamic of cross-purpose. Even as we fulfill that intense desire to acquire, whether great wealth or in substitution, great hordes of objects, yet we cannot find solace in clutter.

Most of us are indecisive creatures, at best, immobilized by fear of the consequence of a wrong decision at worst, and so find ourselves twirling dervishly trying to find a way out of the clutter of our amassed fortunes.

We can never do enough, there is always a new pile to be sorted, because even once all the things are put away, still the documentation for those things sits waiting to be filed. For it is not enough just to have, we must also be able to prove that we have.

But we watch a photojournalists trek through Japan’s elegant paper houses and yearn for the pristine simplicity wondering how one lives without closets. We read the NYTimes articles about 80 sq ft houses and relish the fantasy of shedding all the crap we have to drag to every outing.

I know I am not the only one or the NYTimes wouldn’t be publishing the stupid articles.

So I look around me at my house o’clutter, take a deep breath and … Start a list. No, wait, all these lovely words running through my head, I should write a blog.

I really don’t have anything I might not need some day anyway.

Before and After

I have been very busy this weekend. I set 8 cubic yards of base sand, 15 cubic yards of leveling sand and 88 square feet of pavers on my front patio. I am trying to create a tiny Italian Piazza with tropical garden and checkerboard pavers. I think it came out brilliant! My hands and back shall suffer the workout for several days, however.

The patio began with a horrible green mildewed indoor/outdoor carpet abomination, but I loved being in my little white picket fenced garden with my dogs. Fixing the floor has been something I’ve been pondering and finally decided to tackle.

Here is the results of the new paver floor. I decided against tile because it rains a lot in Florida and tile can be so slick when wet and I really don’t like the feel of the nonskid additives on my feet. These pavers are 2 inches thick and very smooth but water doesn’t stay on the surface so it has no effect.

I had begun placing the base sand and test setting the Pavers to confirm the spacing. They are closer together going away from the house because I had just 4′ to work with but are over 3/8′ apart lengthwise to make up a 2-1/2″ overage as the patio is an odd 19′- 8-1/2″. I used 12 x 12 and 6 x 6 tiles, a combination of rustic and sharp that lends a very Medieval feel as well as a variety that is appealing to the eye. I did sacrifice just a bit in levelness because the border tiles are rougher surfaced. I bought additional pavers to set in the garden soil to better contain my tropical plants.

I also had the groomer come to tend to my dogs. Here is the before shot of Digit the Maltese:

And here is the whole pack posing in my Dragon’s Chapel:

Why Buy American? We can’t afford NOT to!

I am going to start with a less obvious reason: quality! Has anyone else noticed that China made goods are simply inferior? They have no concerns over quality because the US has been WalMarted into believing more is better regardless of how poorly made.

Take hair ties for instance. I have a lot because I wear them every day. I can no longer find any made in the US. But one hair tie used to last 6 months or more. Now I am lucky if they hold their stretch for a week. I have several dozen and must constantly buy more as they loose their stretch and die a sad lonely hair tie death.

The same with clothing and it doesn’t matter how much I pay for garments, American made are better quality materials and production. Every time. Whether I buy at Macy’s or Target, the results are the same. It is very hard to find US made garments and impossible to find shoes.

Now there are also the political and economic factors, which are truly paramount. I just wanted to get your attention with the quality bit. The economy of shipping crap around the globe is not a stable one. The “global” economy is a good model only for a slave economy where the masses work for very little and have no economic alternatives. This is the box we currently find ourselves in.

Corporations have no boundaries, no social conscience, no incentive except obscene profit. They prefer to not only exploit workers, they also feel the need to exploit consumers and fight to prevent any consumer protections from their predations.

When things are manufactured near where they are consumed, local transporters can find more work. The manufacturer and the worker can make incomes that can afford those goods and services.

And really, don’t we all need a lot less crap in our lives? ALl that junk we buy from China would be better left there for their own consumers but they don’t really want it either. ANd it all ultimately ends up in the landfill.

But I am taking the pledge. I pledge to NOT buy anything made in China. I already won’t buy any food products (especially dog treats!) but I am from this day forward buying NOTHING from China until our economy is back up and running and social justice prevails.

Please note that buying from Africa, South America and Europe are fine with me. The first two countries really need the money and there are somethings that are only made in Europe. If you can tell me of something of real value that is made in China and no where else I would love to know about it. And DON’T say Hello Kitty.

An American in Paris (review)

After watching Brigadoon and Singing in the Rain serendipitously on Turner Movie Classics, I have become fascinated with musicals and Gene Kelly. So of course I had to watch An American in Paris and was almost giddy when it arrived on Blu-Ray!

Now this is an American Musical, with people breaking out in song and dance whimsically and at random (Just like Bollywood only less sitars) so the storyline is very subservient to the musical numbers. Or so it would seem. In a musical with talent of this caliber, however, it is the music, dance, voice and intricate choreography that makes it so beautiful.

All movies that feature a boy meets girl fantasy have the same elements and Director Vincent Minnelli simply chose to tell the tale in dance and song, like ballet and opera.

So when the incomparable tones of Georges Guetary ring out completely overshadowing Gene Kelly’s soft strained tenor it makes perfect sense for Kelly to break bad in dance so there is this beautiful juxtaposition of dance and song, showcasing the strong points of each participant in perfect harmony.

This ability to get everything out of his subject is also reflected in the lovely introduction of Leslie Caron’s character where she changes from lively to sultry to studious to vivacious causing Oscar Levant’s character to ask for a do over.

And then there is Oscar Levant, who’s brilliant spectacular An American in Paris fantasy scene is one of the finest musical scores ever on tape, but presented whimsically with Oscar assuming every showcase role, a beautiful parody of himself generously bestowed upon his fans.

But it is the finale, the Dance Macabre, a rare gift of visual beauty, audacious innovation, as the fates thrust this couple to and fro, who cares if the ending is unlikely? It was a fantasy! They needed an ending that satisfied the heart, not the mind.

But the sheer artistry, the art direction, costumes, juxtapositions, interwoven storylines and tone changes come together to engage your imagination to embrace this unlikely end.

I understand not all can embrace this sort of tale, step out of reality and just see and experience the lights, sounds and scope of the screen, but for lovers of dance and music this is the cornucopia of film.

The twin Gods of Coffee and Chocolate and their Half brother Mocha

To my amazement my 10 second search on Google resulted in no definitive results for: The God of Coffee.

I specified The God rather than just God because so many faiths take their God to be the God of everything, coffee included, but I wanted to find out if there existed, in the mythology of, say, the ancient Egyptians or an African Tribe, a diety reflecting a strong link to my favorite things. But alas, none was to be found for Coffee.

But persistent in my path to a Faith in the One True God, I sought the name and history of the God of Chocolate and here I was quite successful. In the ancient culture of the Mayan people as well as the modern botanical name, Theobroma cacao, Chocolate translates to Food of the Gods. Bingo!

So there may be one true god, but what is the name?

Now the Mayan’s god bore the name Ykchaua, which I don’t know how to pronounce, is probably misspelled in English anyway and reminds me of the names of Lovecraft’s gods. I think it should be pronounced as ick-cha-ooah. I hope that serves as a guide to assist you when you come across the word. Although it could be Yick-cha ooah, too. It might even be Yike-cha-ooah.

Now this Mayan God, Ykchaua, was not actually placed in dominion over Chocolate, but ruled its marketing, as benefactor to Chocolate traders and merchants. So I wasn’t certain this really qualified him as the GOD of Chocolate, an honor reserved for the most worthy deity only.

There is also Mayan Goddess Ixcacao, aka the Goddess of Chocolate. Her name is quite similar to the God of Chocolate Marketing, but she was a fertility goddess, who may have given the blessed substance her name, but had far too many other concerns to be its benefactor.

Then I found and borrowed this from a Miramax Press Release for the movie Chocolat (my all time favorite film):

· The Maya were the first to invent a cocoa drink, a hot, mostly bitter beverage made up of ground cocoa pods and spices.
· Later, the Aztec Indians improved upon the recipe, sweetening it with vanilla and honey. They called their drink “xocoati” (pronounced similar to Chocolatl), meaning “bitter water.”
· In Aztec myth, the god of agriculture, Questzalcoatl, traveled to earth carrying the cocoa tree from Paradise, because it would bring humans wisdom and power.
· Chocolate became so highly regarded by the Aztecs that it was used as a form of currency along with gold dust.

But it would then have been Questzalcoatl who qualified as the God of Chocolate because he brought it to earth. I assume everyone knows how to pronounce Questzalcoatl, right? Its a bit like Myxlplyx except one more syllable.

Anyway, what do you think could have happened in Paradise to cause Questzalcoatl to bring the cocoa tree to earth? Is it truly the Food of the Gods? Does it bring Wisdom and Power? Or is it the Food of the God’s enslavement to Chocolate? Did he try it, could not resist it and had to bring it back to see the effect on his people? And on a side note, are all of the useful plants transplanted from Paradise or did he start some here just to have a little diversity?

Well as it turns out, good old Questzalcoatl was not trying to enslave us, because it was only available to the rulers for a very long time. It really wasn’t until the Europeans discovered it, and refined and created what is now enjoyed as chocolate. In fact, again from Miramax:

· It was a Dutch chemist, Johannes Van Houten, who developed the modern cocoa process, inventing a hydraulic press that would produce a fine cocoa powder. Thus began the era of mass-produced chocolate.

So I guess I am back to believing in Science.

German food

What is it about German food? Tasty, colorful, tangy and filling, the more you get the more you want. Unlike German music which has its limits. And German cinema which is incomprehensible. But the Germans have a knack for tasty dining, magnificent feasts worthy of royalty.

So here sits my royalty, from my son, Dustin, his lovely bride, her mom, her fiance, ME, my Danish cousin, my mom and my other cousin from Danmark. As I am queen of this sashay, we are all as high and mighty as I decree. I just wanted an excuse to post the photo. and remember the weiner snitzel. And rrrred cabbage.