Strickland Fundraiser

Reminder: Fundraiser for Ted Strickland is today from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Highland Theater in Highland Square in West Akron. For young Dems, cost is $10; for everyone else, $25. Pizza and beer and politics -- can you go wrong?

Lazy people

An update to my "I hate lazy people" post. Really, I don't hate lazy people. I can be quite lazy myself. What I hate is when someone's laziness affects me -- like makes it difficult to do my job or makes me look like a fool or impacts my life in any way. Be lazy on your own time, bitch.

Weekends

Some people look forward to weekends in order to do "stuff." I look forward to weekends in order to sleep in. What does that say about me?

The future of our country

I observed an eighth grade history class today. The teacher was talking about the 1920s and was trying to orient the class to what was going on in the rest of the world. Anyhow, she asked where the Pilgrims came from, and she got responses like the following:

• Russia (wtf?!)
• Africa
• Plymouth Rock
• Spain

It took some coaxing to get England. While that's disturbing, it was also very funny. I prefer to ignore the scary part. She's a good teacher, too!

Is this really me?!

What Famous Leader Are You?
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What Classic Movie Are You?
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Way to test my patience, bitch!

I've realized that I'm turning into a very negative person and a downright bitchy person when it comes to a certain individual (one I can't escape for the time being). Need to suck it up. Need to put on the fake smile. Need to not hate myself for the fake smile.

It's all temporary.

But let's just say: I hate two-faced people, and I hate lazy people ... This person is both — to an extreme. Testing. My. Patience.

New White House Douchebag

Fox News host Tony Snow was named the new WH press secretary this morning. I'm not surprised -- I mean, how perfect? -- but still, I can't help but be annoyed. He worked in the first Bush administration as a speechwriter.

As you would expect, Tony Snow is an ass. Go to Media Matters to read about his many falsehoods. So don't expect him to get anything right as press secretary.

He says things like this:

[T]he Kerry campaign is not criticizing the president here. They're criticizing our troops.

Yeah, that's what Kerry was doing. (Sarcasm, guys.)

Media Matters' list of suggested questions for Snow is great. Hee!

America Votes

So I went to a day-long America Votes training on Saturday. It was really great -- helped pump me up and gave me good information on getting involved and, hopefully, helping to fix things.

I met people from the Summit County Progressive Democrats, and I'm going to their next meeting the first week of May. I'm really looking forward to that. I should also start getting involved w/ the Summit Young Democrats (I have 5 years left to be eligible!). I'm already on the mailing list, and there's a fundraiser on Sunday for Ted Strickland's campaign. It's at the Highland Theater, I do believe. It's Sunday, April 30 from 5 to 8 p.m. at 826 West Market Street. It's $10 for Young Democrat members and $25 for everyone else. If anyone wants to go, let me know and we'll hook up!

I was able to learn more about fundraising, communications (though I'm pretty comfortable w/ that area) and field work. Plus, I found out more information about the efforts to raise the pitiful minimum wage in Ohio that will -- it is hoped -- be on the ballot in November. Which is also when we hopefully get a good person -- not an asshole like Blackwell -- in office as governor.

So voting on May 2 -- school levy's on the ballot, along w/ primary races for Congressional seats and the like. Get out and vote -- I know I will!

Fake Planned Parenthood Clinics

I hate, hate, hate when people use God/religion to justify immoral, unethical and illegal action. It's truly disgusting, and the story below freaks me out and makes me sick at the same time.

Information from Planned Parenthood:

An Indiana mother and daughter thought they were going to a Planned Parenthood clinic, but they actually went into a "crisis pregnancy center" run by an anti-abortion gorup. The group acted as though it was Planned Parenthood and set up an appointment for an abortion. On the day of the allegedly scheduled abortion, the girl and her mother returned and were told to go across the way for the procedure.

When she arrived for her appointment, not only did the Planned Parenthood staff have no record of her, but the police were there. The "crisis pregnancy center" had called them, claiming that a minor was being forced to have an abortion against her will.

The "crisis pregnancy center" staff then proceeded to wage a campaign of intimidation and harassment over the following days, showing up at the girl's home and calling her father's workplace. Our clinic director reports that the girl was "scared to death to leave her house." They even went to her school and urged classmates to pressure her not to have an abortion.

The anti-choice movement is setting up these "crisis pregnancy centers" across the country. Some of them have neutral-sounding names and run ads that falsely promise the full range of reproductive health services, but they dispense anti-choice propaganda and intimidation instead. And according to a recent article in The New York Times, there are currently more of these centers in the U.S. than there are actual abortion providers. What's more, these centers have received $60 million in government grants. They're being funded by our tax dollars.

A bill has just been introduced in Congress to stop the fraudulent practices of fake clinics, but it desperately needs more support. Tell your representative to take a stand: anti-choice extremists must not get away with this any longer!

Go to: http://www.ppaction.org/campaign/fakeclinics

A poet, huh?

You Should Be A Poet

You craft words well, in creative and unexpected ways. And you have a great talent for evoking beautiful imagery... Or describing the most intense heartbreak ever. You're already naturally a poet, even if you've never written a poem.

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

A new member of the family

Valentino
Originally uploaded by adrienna.

Fate intervened yesterday, and instead of just leftovers, Aaron and I left his parents' house w/ this lovely little kitty. Right now, Valentino Rossi is staying in the mudroom, just in case he's infected w/ anything that he could pass on to my biggies. We go to the vet tomorrow, and hopefully, the official introduction will happen tomorrow night.

Dallas isn't all that happy, but I think it'll be OK. Valentino is appropriately scared of her, at least he was when Dallas bulldozed her way out the door this morning. Winston seems pretty cool, maybe even a little afraid of the new kitty. Too. Much. Kitty.

God, were it not for Aaron, I really would be the crazy cat lady, huh?

Another note on YYYs

Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Show Your Bones - 09 Apr 2006 - Lifestyle & Leisure: "Although it's good, it's nothing as special as they were. In places it sounds like Canadian duo Tegan and Sara - and while there's nothing wrong with that, you want the YYY's to be far more feisty. "

Have they ever heard Tegan and Sara? I've seen them live, and it was the most boring experience of my life. Show Your Bones sounds nothing like anything T&S performed when they toured w/ Cake, that's for sure.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Why don't people realize that a lead that goes something like "Just say yes, yes, yes to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs" or "no, no, no to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs" is contrived, cliche and lame. So very lame.

That said, the show last night was a lot of fun. Lots of Karen O wannabes and hipsters and the like. Awesome for people-watching. The sound wasn't great, but the band sounded good from what I could tell. Plus, Karen O is dramatic and entertaining, a true performer; she loves it.

And they started with "Phenomena" -- one of my favorite songs!

Veronica

How does UPN think that Veronica's audience is going to grow when it keeps airing repeats instead of new episodes? Current fans are losing interest. If it weren't for DVR, I can't say for certain that I'd be watching regularly.

That said, I am an episode or two behind still. Doesn't matter, though, because ... repeat tonight.

I won't be home anyhow. I have the Yeah Yeah Yeahs tonight!

A concerned artist

Concerned Artist

Karma?

So this one person is wasted and drives on the highway and flips his car and is ejected from the vehicle ... then run over by another drunk person.

Lovely.

Don't sleep with your baby

I've always thought it unsafe to sleep with your baby, and I guess it is. I've had friends say, "Oh, it's fine. I would never roll over onto him." Whatever -- you're asleep! How can you really say what you would or would not do?!

Baby falling into hole? Getting stuck between the mattress and the footboard. Freaky and scary.

Donkeys better than housewives

AP Wire | 04/04/2006 | Textbook: Donkeys better than housewives: "A textbook used in western India compares housewives to donkeys - and concludes that the pack animals make more loyal companions, a newspaper reported Tuesday."

While this doesn't surprise me, it DOES depress me.