In The News

Tonight for the first time in a while I watched NBC Nightly News. My thoughts...

Iraq: It seems like a giant CYA lately. Everyone wants to be right. I would love to hear some truth about the situation. I know I won't watch Bush's address tomorrow night, because he will have an agenda to prove he and his policy are right. I won't watch the Democratic response either, for the same reasons. Why can't we know what's really going on over there? I realize there's a difference between an experience and an agenda, but I wonder if those who have the bully pulpit see that difference as well. Until the powers that be have this realization, I'm afraid we're screwed. But not nearly as badly as those who still live in Iraq.

Cars: Apparently there's been a lawsuit between some states and the automobile companies regarding the states' ability to create their own emission guidelines. Why is this a suit? Hasn't this issue already been decided? California requires standards for cars imported and sold into it. So why is there a suit? Suddenly other states figured out that they have some power over big industry as well. I do understand that 50 states with 50 different requirements is a nightmare. So what's the harm in picking the most stringent and going with it?

Black Family Reunion Celebration

I've been watching commercials on my TV for a bit about this event. I have to ask, though, what's going on? I'm afraid of seeming racist or being a bigot. That's not who I am. But still ... why does there need to be a separate event for black families? It makes me sad if we, as a country, still need this event. It makes me think that we all bow down to the lowest denominator in order not to look bad.

Here's the website:

Black Family Reunion Celebration

Goth

When I went to high school in California, I was a card-carrying, black-eyeliner-wearing, Robert-Smith worshipping, super-pretentious goth. I read far too much into lyrics, never knowing that they were mostly about a) hard rock metal sex or b) the fact that the singers were not getting hard rock metal sex.

Gawd, it's embarrassing now. But if I had a picture of me with my purple (dark, dark purple, not punk purple) hair and my Cure t-shirt on, I'd post it for all to laugh.

So I was reading the AV Club part of the Onion, and came across an addition to its Permanent Records Hall of Fame: The Sky's Gone Out by Bauhaus. I was not a Bauhaus fan. I didn't get the genius, and to be honest, outside of Bela Lugosi's Dead and the Bowie cover, I actively avoid listening to the band.

But the interesting part of the article was the comments. I am a major music junkie, and it's been a long time since I've read people's comments who were as knowledgeable, and in most cases more so, as I am about 80s goth music. Man, I miss talking about music the way I did as a teenager. Music evolution was my soap opera addiction.

Anyway, here's the link:

http://www.avclub.com/content/node/65119

Blogger.com

One of my favorite time wasters is looking at other people's blogs. I go to the main page and then use the "Next Blog" button to randomly surf about.

There are 2 problems with this little hobby.

1. I can't limit my searches to blogs that are only in English. I don't think all blogs should be in English, but unfortunately I don't speak any other language and I can only read a smidgen of Spanish anymore.

2. I keep getting caught in either a) porn sites; b) advertising sites; or c) blogs without the "Next Blog" button.

You can see how this could rapidly get annoying.

New Rule

This is my proposed new rule:

If you use a television cable service, you should not be subjected to advertisements about said service.

Cripes! Cox Cable is tiring out my TiVo.

Love,
C

The Board

This morning, as I was lounging in bed, my phone rang. Now, I am old school, and I believe that the phone is for my convenience and no-one else's. So, as I am wont to do, I didn't answer it. It was my father, leaving me a lengthy message. He rarely calls, so I figured something had to be up. I waited until he was done, then checked my message.

The Virginia Board of Bar Examiners had called! This is the worst call I've gotten all month. Even worse, the person couldn't find my local number so she called my parents' house. And got my dad!

First things first - turns out that the software Virginia uses for its bar forms had a glitch and my employment history never made it to the board. After freaking out, I figured out how to use my new fax machine and sent the paperwork to the board. Phew. Let's hope I don't hear from the board again. No news is good news.

Next - the lady I called said, "I enjoyed speaking with your father." Damnit, damnit, damnit. My dad is nosy and long-winded and very apt to provide people with information they do not need. When she commented on my dad, all I could think was, "That's it, I'll never get admitted to the bar."

I asked her not to hold my father against me. Here's hoping.

News v. Fox News

News:

There are wildfires racing across Greece. Officials suspect arson, and are looking into the possibility of charging the suspected arsonists with terrorism.

Fox news:

Terrorists set wildfires in Greece.

Interesting, no?