by way of ScienceBlogs...
In case you were wondering what I did for Christmas as a heathen atheist (or agnostic anyway)
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
All Is Calm (finally!)
I slept for 12 hours last night. Incredible.
Work was insane for the past few days. Hopes that I'd use the quiet week to catch up on overdue projects were dashed and bashed repeatedly and violently by the demands of sales teams making the end of quarter work around the holidays. Glad to be of help, but gave me an insane headache yesterday, which I slept off for a luxurious 12 hours.
Not to say I didn't work a little today, but! I woke up so refreshed, I finally moved some money around and made some year-end donations to a few charities: ACLU, Planned Parenthood Golden Gate, Donors Choose, and SPCA East Bay. Got a few bucks extra at the end of the year? The ACLU and PPGG are being matched by outside donors if you donate by the end of this year. Donors Choose has a lot of projects which are being matched by corporate donors too.
I tried this year to do a lot of handmade, with mixed results. Today I had a few projects left, which, if I'd run errands last night or this morning, I totally could have finished. However, I would have been a mess of stress and I really don't think Paul deserves much more of me being like that. So I decided to accept where I was and take it easy today. From cards and cookies to gifts and (half-finished) decorations, it's been fun, but it's time to accept our flaws and move on to the "peace" part of the holiday!
I love you all and hope you are having a wonderful holiday of choice, or if you choose no holiday at all, a merry merry Thursday!
Work was insane for the past few days. Hopes that I'd use the quiet week to catch up on overdue projects were dashed and bashed repeatedly and violently by the demands of sales teams making the end of quarter work around the holidays. Glad to be of help, but gave me an insane headache yesterday, which I slept off for a luxurious 12 hours.
Not to say I didn't work a little today, but! I woke up so refreshed, I finally moved some money around and made some year-end donations to a few charities: ACLU, Planned Parenthood Golden Gate, Donors Choose, and SPCA East Bay. Got a few bucks extra at the end of the year? The ACLU and PPGG are being matched by outside donors if you donate by the end of this year. Donors Choose has a lot of projects which are being matched by corporate donors too.
I tried this year to do a lot of handmade, with mixed results. Today I had a few projects left, which, if I'd run errands last night or this morning, I totally could have finished. However, I would have been a mess of stress and I really don't think Paul deserves much more of me being like that. So I decided to accept where I was and take it easy today. From cards and cookies to gifts and (half-finished) decorations, it's been fun, but it's time to accept our flaws and move on to the "peace" part of the holiday!
I love you all and hope you are having a wonderful holiday of choice, or if you choose no holiday at all, a merry merry Thursday!
Friday, December 15, 2006
First Christmas Tree!
It's almost that time, and, well I'm a sucker for Christmas. Really any excuse to hang out with my family is a good time, but Christmas is just more. I have spent the past few weeks listening to Christmas music non-stop, baking the hell out of some Christmas cookies (we baked double batches of 12 kinds of cookies two weekends ago at the Turner Compound), and wondering what to get for the people in my life. When people tell me they hate Christmas, it makes me angry. I don't want to hear that. If you aren't enjoying it, you're not doing it right, and that's a personal problem, not Christmas' fault.So Paul and I got a Christmas tree (a first!) and decorated it at his house. The cat hasn't knocked it over yet, and it has yet to catch fire.
Last weekend we had dinner with the folks (mine and Paul's mom) at Priya, the oh-so-yummy Indian restaurant near Paul's house. Sunday, we went to the International Motorcycle Show in San Mateo. Which was bigger than last year, but a lot of it was crap. I witnessed the ugliest motorcycle I have ever seen, and wouldn't you know, it had a little sign next to it saying that it had been voted #1 best in show? The most offensively ugly motorcycle I've ever seen in my life, hands down. The best thing was a 50cc cafe racer a guy had made so his two-year-old son could have a bike that matched daddy's restoration project bike. So cute. And, well, a whole lot of fun stuff over at the Husqevarna booth! We entertained the idea of dual-sport sidehack riding again for a bit, then jumped around on some ATVs and a Honda Ruckus. I got some stickers and signed up to win all kinds of crap. Which I never win. We saw people, and that was nice.
I'm pretty sure one of those Husky motards will be in my Christmas stocking? Or maybe that's why Paul put the tree on a table, so bike could fit under it...
I, of course, never got around to making Christmas cards, so consider this yours.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, quit your complaining.
Friday, January 06, 2006
Epiphany
My left thumb was bruised, so Paul came over and played Katamari Damacy for me last night. It was downright pleasant having him around.
My brother and his wife are in town for the weekend, for the Epiphany party tonight.
For those of you who don’t know, Epiphany is the 12th day of Christmas. There, so now you know where that annoying song came from. As a kid, we would celebrate “Little Christmas,” by leaving our shoes out or having the “wise men” filling our Christmas stockings. For the past many years, my family has had a party on January 6th. I can’t wait to get the hell out of work and go see my family.
My brother and his wife are in town for the weekend, for the Epiphany party tonight.
For those of you who don’t know, Epiphany is the 12th day of Christmas. There, so now you know where that annoying song came from. As a kid, we would celebrate “Little Christmas,” by leaving our shoes out or having the “wise men” filling our Christmas stockings. For the past many years, my family has had a party on January 6th. I can’t wait to get the hell out of work and go see my family.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
today
A few random things:
1.) I love Christmas Music. Right now, a few recommendations:
-Christmas With the Rat Pack. I know, it's a bit obvious.
-Esquivel: Merry Xmas From the Space-Age Bachelor Pad
-Klezmonauts: Oy to the World. I just got this a couple of weeks ago, and it is OMIGOD great.
2.) Pass Left, Move Right. Or, if that's too ambiguous for you "Keep Right Except to Pass." I think this "Slower Traffic Keep Right" crap we have in CA leaves too much judgement to be made by idiot drivers. No one wants to think of themselves as slower traffic. Well guess what? You ARE. Beep Beep!
3.) Chocolate for breakfast.
4.) I need ideas: We have about a week in Ireland. Where should we go? We will probably travel sans car.
5.) Paul has the entire week off of work, and I am totally jealous.
1.) I love Christmas Music. Right now, a few recommendations:
-Christmas With the Rat Pack. I know, it's a bit obvious.
-Esquivel: Merry Xmas From the Space-Age Bachelor Pad
-Klezmonauts: Oy to the World. I just got this a couple of weeks ago, and it is OMIGOD great.
2.) Pass Left, Move Right. Or, if that's too ambiguous for you "Keep Right Except to Pass." I think this "Slower Traffic Keep Right" crap we have in CA leaves too much judgement to be made by idiot drivers. No one wants to think of themselves as slower traffic. Well guess what? You ARE. Beep Beep!
3.) Chocolate for breakfast.
4.) I need ideas: We have about a week in Ireland. Where should we go? We will probably travel sans car.
5.) Paul has the entire week off of work, and I am totally jealous.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Lookit me, I'm tough on crime!
So today I called in sick for the second day in a row. they were like “are you on vacation?” Sadly, no, but thanks for discouraging my staying home and keeping me germs away from you.
Being that it’s just before Christmas, I wish I weren’t sick, so I could call in and use my time off for important Christmas things like figuring out what to give the people in my life. What is exactly the right thing to tell you how important you are to me, how well I know you and your quirks and dreams, that I thought of you all year? Shit, I don’t know, in many cases, but the meaning is still there? I thought I would make all the gifts this year, but in the end, didn’t find the time to do that at all. I’m lame. I’ve felt fairly frantic, hardly any down time to just be at home, take care of the things that need to be done.
The Chinese class has been a challenge, and I’m not sure I rose very well to the challenge. I could have been a better student. It’s fucking hard. Tonight it will be over. I’m still not sure what to enroll in for next semester. Conversational Chinese B? Chinese (written and all) A? Something entirely different? I scoped out classes about Islam and American Government, and some ballroom dancing class.
But I think I ought to stick with the Chinese. I don’t want another thing I started but didn’t follow through. I would like to get a strong basic grasp on some of this. But I can’t decide if that needs to include characters or not. That seems like all too much sometimes. Anyone have any suggestions?
I think whatever class I take will be alone. Paul was a great help in getting through the semester, but I don’t think he can fit it in next semester. Besides, there are other things that make more sense for him to take, for his career and all that.
What’s in the news? We put another man to death this week. I can’t say anything new about this that you haven’t already heard before. I’ll just say I don’t believe in the death penalty. It’s barbaric and pointless, and REALLY. FUCKING. EXPENSIVE. I’m a pragmatist at least. If you want to argue about the morality (which is difficult, since I don’t think arguments can change people’s morals) fine, but one thing we do know, is it costs a LOT more to do the death penalty than imprison someone for life. I don’t think Tookie Williams was innocent, and I wince to read that the witnesses to the execution shouted that when they left the execution. I don’t even know that he was “reformed” especially. It’s all media and conjecture. He belonged in prison. But I don’t need the blood on my hands, and the state could sure use the money we’d save by just housing the guy.
But.
But.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT “CULTURE OF LIFE” that I heard so much about last year? The entire fucking government gets involved in keeping a vegetable propped up on a feeding tube, and those same people are glad to kill someone else? I do not understand it. Fuck you. Jesus was VERY clear about the death penalty. There are a lot of things that are open to interpretation in the bible, but where is the interpretation in “he who is without sin may cast the first stone?” Where is the interpretation in a story about Jesus coming forth to spare a woman who is about to be stoned to death? There’s no mention of whether she’s reformed or not, that’s not the point. The point is for each of us, not dependent on the criminal, to look into our own hearts and lives, and become more human by treating others with compassion and forgiveness.
Well, anyway, it’s upsetting, but didn’t exactly surprise me. Politicians like to pretend to be tough on crime. I’m curious how killing a man who’s already locked up actually cuts down on crime.
Also in the news this week: a report that SFPD has a really shitty record for dealing with homicide. The homicide rate is up this year. (which may have to do with another story about how the poor are getting left WAY behind in San Francisco, or possibly the story about the appalling conditions in public housing in SF) Meanwhile, SFPD has only made arrests in 20% of homicides. Great job, guys! Now I know SFPD has a lot to do. It’s big ugly city, but we need to get more done here. 20% leaves pretty good odds. It’s better than going to vegas!
The flak about the videos, well, the only thing I find REALLY offensive is the fact that these cops are morons. The FIRST rule of doing stuff you’re not supposed to do, is DON’T TAKE PICTURES. I can’t tell you how many times this has gotten people caught. It’s idiotic to document something that is going to bite you in the ass later. Sorry, but I’ve known that since high school. The videos were borderline offensive (at least what I saw) but what really bothers me is how dumb you are. You’re dumb, and you haven’t arrested any murderers. Please try again.
Being that it’s just before Christmas, I wish I weren’t sick, so I could call in and use my time off for important Christmas things like figuring out what to give the people in my life. What is exactly the right thing to tell you how important you are to me, how well I know you and your quirks and dreams, that I thought of you all year? Shit, I don’t know, in many cases, but the meaning is still there? I thought I would make all the gifts this year, but in the end, didn’t find the time to do that at all. I’m lame. I’ve felt fairly frantic, hardly any down time to just be at home, take care of the things that need to be done.
The Chinese class has been a challenge, and I’m not sure I rose very well to the challenge. I could have been a better student. It’s fucking hard. Tonight it will be over. I’m still not sure what to enroll in for next semester. Conversational Chinese B? Chinese (written and all) A? Something entirely different? I scoped out classes about Islam and American Government, and some ballroom dancing class.
But I think I ought to stick with the Chinese. I don’t want another thing I started but didn’t follow through. I would like to get a strong basic grasp on some of this. But I can’t decide if that needs to include characters or not. That seems like all too much sometimes. Anyone have any suggestions?
I think whatever class I take will be alone. Paul was a great help in getting through the semester, but I don’t think he can fit it in next semester. Besides, there are other things that make more sense for him to take, for his career and all that.
What’s in the news? We put another man to death this week. I can’t say anything new about this that you haven’t already heard before. I’ll just say I don’t believe in the death penalty. It’s barbaric and pointless, and REALLY. FUCKING. EXPENSIVE. I’m a pragmatist at least. If you want to argue about the morality (which is difficult, since I don’t think arguments can change people’s morals) fine, but one thing we do know, is it costs a LOT more to do the death penalty than imprison someone for life. I don’t think Tookie Williams was innocent, and I wince to read that the witnesses to the execution shouted that when they left the execution. I don’t even know that he was “reformed” especially. It’s all media and conjecture. He belonged in prison. But I don’t need the blood on my hands, and the state could sure use the money we’d save by just housing the guy.
But.
But.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT “CULTURE OF LIFE” that I heard so much about last year? The entire fucking government gets involved in keeping a vegetable propped up on a feeding tube, and those same people are glad to kill someone else? I do not understand it. Fuck you. Jesus was VERY clear about the death penalty. There are a lot of things that are open to interpretation in the bible, but where is the interpretation in “he who is without sin may cast the first stone?” Where is the interpretation in a story about Jesus coming forth to spare a woman who is about to be stoned to death? There’s no mention of whether she’s reformed or not, that’s not the point. The point is for each of us, not dependent on the criminal, to look into our own hearts and lives, and become more human by treating others with compassion and forgiveness.
Well, anyway, it’s upsetting, but didn’t exactly surprise me. Politicians like to pretend to be tough on crime. I’m curious how killing a man who’s already locked up actually cuts down on crime.
Also in the news this week: a report that SFPD has a really shitty record for dealing with homicide. The homicide rate is up this year. (which may have to do with another story about how the poor are getting left WAY behind in San Francisco, or possibly the story about the appalling conditions in public housing in SF) Meanwhile, SFPD has only made arrests in 20% of homicides. Great job, guys! Now I know SFPD has a lot to do. It’s big ugly city, but we need to get more done here. 20% leaves pretty good odds. It’s better than going to vegas!
The flak about the videos, well, the only thing I find REALLY offensive is the fact that these cops are morons. The FIRST rule of doing stuff you’re not supposed to do, is DON’T TAKE PICTURES. I can’t tell you how many times this has gotten people caught. It’s idiotic to document something that is going to bite you in the ass later. Sorry, but I’ve known that since high school. The videos were borderline offensive (at least what I saw) but what really bothers me is how dumb you are. You’re dumb, and you haven’t arrested any murderers. Please try again.
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