Friday, September 26, 2008

Plan Is Working!

I'm trying to end all my sentences with the phrase "in these dark times" and it's working to great effect.
Such as, "We'd better go to the store today. We don't want to run out of milk in these dark times." And, "Z, paint while you can. This may be the end of expensive crayola paints in these dark times." "Extra butter on my English Muffin. You can't fatten up too much in these dark times." This sentence changes it up a bit: "The house can stay messy. In these dark times, the dirt and dust may be the only thing we actually own." "Dear Students, You've asked and I've finally agreed. In these dark times, you don't need to be on time, turn in your papers on time, or participate in workshop. The University may not even be here by the end of the semester."
You get the drift. See how much more fun this is than talk like a pirate day? Talking like a doomsayer comes more naturally to me. And has I hope a cathartic more than a prophetic effect.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Freaking out

IN general, I'm just feeling the panic of a new job, no accessible friends, the constant panting for the emails of acceptance, the sharp personalities of graduate students, and the pressing day-to-day business of trying to eat at home, get out onto the trails or into the mountains during this gorgeous season, hit the farmer's market and try to make my own cheese to go with my new-found ability to make bread.
But the main panic is the Obama. The news today claimed that the level of racism in this country suggests that Obama just can't win. He'd be 6% higher in the polls if he wasn't black. As it is, he's dead even. And that's a poll of people willing to admit that they have "negative thoughts about black people." I imagine people fully planning on voting for Barack going into the voting booth and just not being able to do it.
I hope I'm wrong. I'm trying to force myself to call swing state voters but it makes me very nervous to do that kind thing. But if I don't, and he loses, I'll kick myself for doing nothing except sending a few bucks Obama's way. Because while I can't talk people out of being racist, maybe I can talk them into putting their racism last on their list of priorities. Saving the environment, providing health insurance for the 46 million without, fixing this suddenly socialist economy from further capitalistic greed, finding our way back to some kind of global honor, protecting the Endagered Species Act, letting women choose what happens to their own bodies--these things have to be more important than the judgement of someon'es race, don't they?
God I hate to cold call.

Edited to Add: Called 10 numbers. 6 not homes. 2 refusals to talk to me. 2 all for McCain. I think I'll be done for now.

Monday, September 08, 2008

Robato

I am finishing an essay and thought, hm, I'd better change the names to protect the innocent, etc. So I go through the essay in Word and replace "Tom" with "Rob." Sadly, this essay is about tomatoes. So now, there's a lot of Robatoes that need fixing.

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Sarah Palin is

the new George W. Bush.
She scares me. Like Bush, you'd think, she's too crazy (no sex education?) and too evil (did you hear what she said about Obama?) and too dumb (or fake dumb) to win. And you'd be wrong.
McCain is old. Palin's giving him a flat tire standing so close on his heel.
Ack.