Keep it in your house

I have been reading more and more articles in the news about this religious group decrying that religious group and about evangelical-types who want to mold our society to their values and ideals. It hurts my stomach to read these news pieces. Why is it okay to air your religious views in public as if they were as important as other political and social ideas? Whether or not you do or don't believe in god or you do or don't want jesus to be your friend should have nothing to do with whether children should have health care, the price of a barrel of oil, or how I live my life. I think that most people will agree that on a human level, politicians, athletes, movie stars, teachers, plumbers etc. in America all subscribe to the basic tenets that keep our society running somewhat smoothly: don't hurt other people, be as honest as possible, don't take things that aren't yours. I'll even concede that these tenets came from a moral, call it religious, base. Okay, we all agree with these, now let's work on how to make things better for everyone. Let's work to bring more tolerance and acceptance. If I want to believe that when I die, my body becomes dust and returns back to the Earth and that's it (which I do believe), or I want to worship a rubber chicken (which I don't), but I am kind and respectful of others, what the fuck is it to another person???

Do people in America realize that this type of religious one-upmanship is what causes civil strife? It's not okay to kill someone because he steals your lawnmower, but if he believes in a different form of "god", it is okay to persecute, limit and judge him? I cry foul! Don't want Mitt Romney to be governor because his jesus isn't yours? Think that the state has to be "returned to jesus" because you don't like the fact that two people who think differently from you love one another can make it legal?
Put that shit down.
Look around at the realissues like unemployment, rampant child abuse, particularly through the state-run DSS system, the lack of books in urban classrooms where the students are expected to pass "standard" tests, the cost of oil because we would rather financially support a war in a country where we cannot (or did not) begin to understand the people's needs from a cultural perspective before depositing thousands of our fellow citizens, many of whom, at 18-22 years old, are literally the future of our country, there to "defend" our "way of life". Which is what? The right to believe and practice what we feel is best for ourselves, again within certain sensible societal constructs? I have NO problem with people who love god, jesus, allah, buddha, that ol' rubber chicken, but there are places called meetinghouses/churches/temples where similarly-minded people are allowed to gather to celebrate that love. Don't bring it to the public court, statehouse, school, classroom, icerink and tell me that I have> to love him/her/it too, because that is an affront to my beliefs, which thanks to years of shed blood and passionate debate, I am allowed to exercise as fully as you.

Thoughts for the week

The Red Sox need to stop losing. Schilling needs to stop talking and start pitching well.

Did L@nce Armstrong "dope" himself up? Yup, the day he lost his left nut he actually lost 1/2 his brain cells thus causing him to leave his pregnant wife (with twins no less) and take up with horsey-faced Crow. Is there an athlete not taking performance-enhancing substances?

Britney Spears had a baby shower and she got lots of "super cute things"!!! Oh. My. God. Is it too late to abort?

"Fall" allergies have begun. It's August. Did pollen get on the "let's start the season early" bandwagon practiced by department stores everywhere? WTF?

I read one of the most horrifying articles in the Boston Globe this week about an evangelical minister in Roxbury, MA by the name of Pastor Mir@nda who is gaining popularity among hispanics in the area. His mission: to reclaim the state of Mass for jesus christ. Did JC once own Massachusetts? Does he really need the whole state back? Couldn't we just give him Pastor Mir@nda's house?

My car has been in the auto body shop for nearly 2 weeks due to my stop-sign-running fellow motorist. As a result, I've been driving a 2005 Volvo S60, which is such a great vehicle. I'm going to suggest a trade - the body shop can give my '97 Toyota Avalon to the rental company and I'll just hold onto this baby.

Inspired by lists everywhere and life in general, Bryan and his friends have come up with a new project: seven of us are compiling lists of the top 25 songs (in our opinion). We will each burn our selections onto a CD (or 2) and distribute them to one another, at which time each of us will listen to the suggested 150 songs, in addition to our own 25, and we will nominate the top 50. Stats will work his magic and report to us the hallowed songs that land on this esteemed list. Therefore, I have been listening to a lot of music lately and have reconnected with some old favorites like Under the Pink by Tori Amos and Living in Clip, a live Ani Difranco album. I've also sifted through so many memories of phases of my life where one song perfectly evoked the emotion and tension of the situation. Fun. I'll be sure to post my contribution when I've made my final determinations.

consciousness bristling

among the ashes of other tv shows rose a brilliant phoenix. actors with the uncanny ability to wear the skin of a character thus transporting viewers into their world of death and life and more death. writers intelligent, smart, philosophical, brave enough to delve into the scariest abyss known to the thinking mammal. a creator courageous enough to breathe life into his idea for a show that explored, exploited, and exalted death and what it means to die, and live. it all equaled a welcome hour reprieve from the drivel clogging the tv air waves (yes, i mean every reality show, even the ones you swear are really good and really realistic). six feet under ran for 5 seasons and ended last night with a show that made me cry, laugh and dream of better days when all programs created for the public aimed at the high level of thought and raw emotional catharsis brought on by spending an hour with the fishers. death remains one of the most elusive and terrifying ideas for humans, and it is so often couched in terms of lightness: angels and fluffy clouds and all the chocolate you can eat FOREVER. but death is messy and complex and can be treated reverently while not being taken too seriously. it happens, and if you worry about it all the time, you become an automaton, going through the motions thrust upon you by birth, class, or environment. yet you can't forget that it's coming because then the wonder and joy and amazingness of living can be taken for granted. one theme that drew me to this show was that of risk and redemption. if you take a chance, on love, marriage, career change, leaving your house every morning, whatever, you will experience the totality of being alive and that will save you. not from death, of course, but from being dead while still moving and interacting with other people, while existing in this form for the time you're given.

so, all that from a tv show? pretty fucking amazing tv show.

Thoughts on the week

Well, I really pushed this "on vacation, can't blog" thing pretty far. So now, there's lots to say and probably few of you who actually care. Short version=rode in the car, met lots of family, saw, joked about and ate corn, ate lots of other foods, drank lots of spirits, repeated for 6 days, rested on Sunday. Returned to work. For more detail, please, read on...

Highlights
*Cooperstown: in the middle of cornfields (yes, cornfields in upstate NY, besides Bryan and every member of his family, who knew?) lies a picturesque town existing on the collective memory of a nation enthralled with the sound, sight and stats of a wooden bat and leather ball in the hands of amazing athletes teaming up for over 120 years to play this game called baseball. I fell in love with the place and enjoyed every minute of our visit. I didn't get to see the library as it's closed on weekends, but I did buy a few baseball books for the kiddies in the museum bookstore. And I had the chance to walk among the hallowed hall of greats who added to the mystique and character of the game I worship.

*Wedding: in the middle of the state of NY (aka nowhere) gathered a group of people many of whom and to whom I will soon be kin. There was drinking, groove-thing shaking and much merriment, and I enjoyed both meeting unmet family members and every joke about corn.

*Saratoga: back to civilization (no corn here), enjoyed our first trip of the year to the track though no one walked out a winner. We'll be back on Labor Day weekend so maybe our luck was just saving itself 'til then. We did get to sit on the beautifully refurbished Carey deck and watch Lauren eat a chocolate pudding pop. Mmmmm...pudding.

*Maine: got out of the car from NY just to get back in and drive to an idyllic spot just outside of Augusta on Lake Cobbosseecontee (I didn't actually look up the spelling so I don't want to hear about it if it's wrong - there are too many letters in this word anyway). Got to cavort once again with many members of Bryan's dad's family which affirmed my initial impression: this is one fun family, and they like to eat (full lobster, corn on the cob dinner) and drink as much as my own family. Give us 5 years of marriage and we'll be rolling one another to family events.

*Gloucester: showed off the church and reception site to Bryan's parents, ran into no one uncomfortable, and daydreamed about owning a house so close to the ocean. No corn in the ocean.

*Parental pow wow: friday's lunch was phase one of "meeting the parents" as o'connors met daddy jeffrey and LJ2 - delicious food and Smithwick's made their usual appearance and everyone got along swimmingly. Friday's dinner moved us into the 2nd and final phase as o'connors met momma j. et al. Again, eating, drinking and merriment ensued and by the end of the night all parental units had not only met, but seemingly liked one another. Mission accomplished. Not one mention of corn.

*Tax-free fun: Suffering from car lag, we roused ourselves on Saturday to travel the short distance to the mall to spend obscene amounts of taxless dollars. Wedding bands, an upgraded ipod and a receiver and speakers were all acquired by team O'Connfrey. We also saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which was disappointing. I liked the actor who played Charlie, but Depp was disconcerting as Wonka and I felt plain uncomfortable watching him traipse through his factory dispensing naughty children up various pipes and down various holes. Ending was corny.

So, our first official vacation is over; it went by too quickly and brought a whirlwind of introductions and laughter (did I mention enough food (corn) and drink to feed a small nation?). It's now time to turn an eye toward the fall and the start of school and PS programs.

Congrats Colleen - we look forward to having you in the area!

on vacation...

So, the loose ends are indeed tied off in a neat knot and I am ready to vacate the office for the next 9 days. I am looking forward to the oconnor family wedding, to meeting those family members I've not yet met at aunt sue's. I did find the perfect outfit (opting for a dress/shirt combo rather then a dress) and managed to get the hair cut and the gift bought. I am also looking forward to sleeping a little more than usual and to not risking life and car doors at the Newton corner rotary for a week. And of course, to taking a peek at the library at the Baseball Hall of Fame, if only Cooperstown weren't in the middle of NOwhere...

I think I hear my first beer calling me...don't worry sweet can of liquid vacation, only 4 more hours.

I may blog next week, I may not, do try to carry on without me.

Plans schmans

So, I recovered quickly from my night with Andre - for some reason 6 bottles of champagne split among three women over 6 hours did not have the anticipated effect and I was able to not only drive myself home with ease, but to drop Kate off on the way. It was a lovely night that confirmed my already pretty rock-solid belief that time spent in the company of other amazing women is vital to a healthy psyche.

This week has been Sox-tastic. Sunday, Bryan and I visited McCoy Stadium for the first time with my dad and brothers (and their significants) to watch a PawSox game. Though the home team didn't win, we did score bronze-like Wade Boggs statuettes (commemorating his Hall of Fame induction the night previous), drink $4 beers, and park easily for next to nothing. Then, last night, as I was preparing to leave work, I got a call from my younger brother asking about my plans for the evening. Having only a half-hearted plan to go shopping for a dress for the wedding I'm going to this weekend, I was open to creating a new plan. He had free tickets to the Sox game and I'm not sure there are plans I wouldn't cancel for an opportunity to sit in a tiny hot seat, surrounded by the screaming, cheering swell of humanity all focused on the same end: not spilling our beer as we clap for our favorite boys of summer at the hometown park. To make the night sweeter, the Sox pulled out a victory as Wakefield got the birthday W and we met up with Kate and Matt, who were also at the park, for a post-game brew.

Course, I still need to find a @&#$! dress for the wedding, and I need to get a haircut, tidy up the house in preparation for 4 days away (and the return home with a few members of Bryan's family in tow), and pull all of the loose ends together at work so I can vacate the office for a week without worry.

In a short follow-up to my car saga, written about at length two weeks ago (July 21st post): I got my car back from the auto shop with the brake lights fully operational, pulled into a parking lot, and was RAMMED INTO by a young girl who neglected to stop at the funny-shaped, red sign in front of her. So, I lost a piece of my headlight and have quite a pathetic dent on my front, right fender (at least it off-sets the dent on my driver's side door acquired the very first day I drove the car courtesy of an unfortunately placed pole in my office parking lot). At least she had insurance, and I have an appointment to have both the fender and the door fixed. Ah, the joy!

So, in closing, congrats to the once and future inhabitants of Vin@l Avenue - can't wait to be invited over to "your" place for couple-like things. Happy first tooth to my 9-month old niece, may the rest follow in as painless a manner possible, and to her mother, my lovely sister-in-law, Happy Bday to you!