Archive for » February, 2006 «

23
Feb 2006

Honesty

Me Missy

A trait that I think is essential to good writing is honesty. There is something about an honest work that is recognizable and makes that work — whatever the genre — amazing. Take Maya Angelou‘s book, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. She admits to pulling a gun on a teenager in a gang that was bullying her son. Or another of my favorite authors — Anne LaMott, who wrote Traveling Mercies. If all psycho-christians were as honest and forthright as Anne and did not continually use “church-speak” and say things like, “George Bush prays every night so I trust him,” or take Ann Coulter seriously, then, well, I might actually listen to them.

But they don’t. People, in general, are not honest.

I say people, and that certainly includes me. more »

Share
Category: Links  Tags: , ,  One Comment
16
Feb 2006

Red Meat

Me Missy

Recently Marti has introduced me to a new way of procrastinating: the McVideo game. This is a game where the player gets to learn how to succeed as a fast food restaurant. Players must raise cattle (preferably by clearcutting rainforests — it’s cheaper) add industrial waste, hormones and animal byproducts to fodder, buy off politicians and nutritionists, and market to kids and hippies. It’s actually very difficult to play — neither of us have made it much past about 12 years or so. We don’t compare to the 50 years of most fast food restaurants. This game, of course, is to illustrate how awful the industry is — mad cows must be shot, epidemics stopped, health inspectors paid off, etc. It should encourage me to stop eating red meat. more »

Share
Category: Links, Politics  Tags: , ,  Leave a Comment
10
Feb 2006

Criminal

Me Missy

Recently I went through a training course where I learned how to be, if possible, even nosier than I actually am. This means I discovered how and where to access public records and to see if anyone I know has ever been convicted of anything. Please imagine me writing these words with an evil, evil grin.

Of course, the first thing I did was look up myself, and, whew! my record is completely clear. The one perk of having a husband who is a computer guy. Just kidding. Really. We didn’t leave the body in the trunk. We buried it in the desert, like decent people, and do not plan to carry the head around in a suitcase anytime soon.

However, I noticed there are a lot of people with names similar to myself who, incidentally, also live in Arizona. So I decided to pick one and see what I came up with. Of course, the one I picked had been arrested for…prostitution. This made me laugh out loud.

Marti wonders how we managed to have such a nice Christmas.

Share
Category: Links  Tags:  One Comment
06
Feb 2006

Growing up

Me Missy

Recently, I’ve started admitting something that I’ve tried to hide (unsuccessfully) for many years now.

I’m having a hard time growing up.

I like to think that just admitting that will help me to, you know, get up in the morning and go to the same place. Every. Day. And work. And come home. And not eat a sandwich over the sink, but actually make a real meal.

But probably not.

One of the things about having children is that it forces you to grow up. Well, at least it should force you to grow up. This doesn’t always work. Sometimes parents skip out or check out. Sometimes they end up fighting with their kids…like kids. But, I think that for most people, there is a realization that, essentially, the party is somehow over, and there is the tiny being that now depends on you and nobody but you. This is a horribly difficult thing.

more »

Share
Category: Links  Tags: , , , ,  Leave a Comment
« Previous Entries