ARDIRI

Lord, Save Us (and U.S.) from Huckabee

(Image credit: ubrgk.com; found via Digg.com)

Alright, all kidding aside--Huckabee won the Iowa straw poll and I have just got to say:

Lord, Ishvara, Zeus, Allah, Lakshmi-Vishnu, and any and every possible god, please save us from the mistake-that-will-be (if elected President) Huckabee.

Come on, republicans, Ron Paul is the TRUE Republican in every sense of the word.  Why the hell are you supporting some huckster like Huckabee?  Do we really need another man in the presidential office who believes God speaks directly in his left ear (and sends him false messages like we should go attack Iraq to revenge being attacked by Saudis on 9/11?)

As for the Democrats, I'm glad that Obama won.  But I wonder if  America is capable of electing a black man to the oval office?  I hope so, but I do worry about the strong undercurrents of racial prejudice flowing throughout our fine fifty states.

Outsourcing Sucks!

Outsourcing Simply Sucks!

1)  When trying to change my travel plans with Travelocity over the phone, I could understand only a 1/3 of what was being said due to molasses-thick, Indian accents.  Furthermore, the agent was unable to explain to me why my cancellation fee would cost exactly the same, if not more,than the actual cost of the ticket!

2) Outsourcing has screwed over American industry!

Bush-Whacked!...Yet Again!

The commutation of Scooter Libby's prison sentence is JUST WRONG! 

If Martha Stewart was sent to jail for hindering a government probe on insider trading, Scooter's butt should be scooted and swatted straight to jail as well!

At this moment, this is how I feel about Bush:

(Photo courtesy)

I ALMOST just got SCAMMED!

Holy shit!  I almost just got seriously scammed (and screwed) by a fake "Paypal" site! 

I was contacted via email by quote--Paypal--unquote to update my info and was only made aware that it was a scam when they asked for my damn ATM PIN and Social Security at the bottom of the page!!!

Bloody Buggers!  Watch out for them!

The Slrog

• April 21, Saturday--8.93 miles; 9 to 9 1/2 minute mile pace--wahoo!  This is good.  Not uber-good and definitely nowhere near professional or elite, but good for someone who's going from basically 0 miles to almost 9 and is working to avoid knee injuries.

I signed up for a gym membership today after my run because I need to work on building up the muscles that support my knees, as well as those muscles that aren't used so much during running.  I found it quite annoying and irritating when the registration guy wanted me to list all the body parts I felt like I needed to work on--my problem spots, the things I was unhappy with.  I basically told him--"Uh, yeah, I'm a woman in America so basically there's plenty of body parts I have issue with, but I don't feel the need to list them for you so you can mark them down on your little registration form."  His response was to just circle all the body parts!  Bastard!  Like I really need a reminder that as a woman in Western Culture--America especially--I "need" to be worried about the cellulite on my ass and thighs, the pooch of fat on my belly.  Bloody hell!  I just ran nine miles and am more concerned about preventing injuries than worrying about looking like a woman on the cover of Shape Magazine or America's Next Top Model.  Frack-off, buddy, is all I have to say!

• Runagogo Round II: Total mileage 44.58 miles (only counting actual runs, not counting cycling, walking, etc)

P.S. Gu Energy Gel rocks for instant energy and hydration on long runs, but tastes pretty gross (as I imagine they all do!).

P.P.S.   I will soon have a knitting update!  Peekaboo fingerless gloves are almost finished and I have two squares for Noolie Knits collection for  Betty's Blanket.

Notes From the Underground*

Why is it that *everytime* I take the BART (during the non-commute afternoon hours) there inevitably happens to be someone clipping their fingernails?  I hear that sharp click-click and then see with my eyes that undeniable proof of grossness: an individual blithely conducting very personal and private hygiene in a very public place.  To make matters worse, so many of these cootie-dumbheads leave their fingernail clippings on the seat and the floor when they depart the train.  GROSS!

(*All apologies to Mr. Dostoevsky for the appropriation of his novel title)

I'm Anemic. Again.

Ugh.  And double ugh.  I've dealt with iron-deficiency anemia since basically puberty,with it sometimes being okay and sometimes super-bad.  The worst period of anemia for me was when I ran cross-country in junior college and my doctor threatened to have me hospitalized for blood transfusions if I didn't quit running so much and eat better.  Nothing that extreme right now, but still annoyed to be tired and run down.  I also find it irritating to be short of breath (one of the symptoms/side effects of anemia) when trying to read a good chunk of a novel or story to my students.  I am also en fuego about the fact that it takes at least six weeks to bring up the iron in your blood to a healthy level.  *Insert your own whining sounds here as an accompaniment to my whiny-ass self*

If a Blind Man Can...

To get to my evening job tutoring, I ride my bicycle on a trail along a canal—a piece of wild beauty in the midst of the suburbs. On a normal day I will see ducks, geese, and various types of other fowls, beautiful flowers both wild and cultured (from a few of the houses near the trail). I sometimes see heron and on one occasion I even saw a rat (exciting to me b/c I’ve never seen a rat that wasn’t in a pet shop or someone’s pet)! I’ve had raccoons wander naïvely straight into the speeding path of my bike and have petted a few regular cats from nearby houses that think the trail is their local affection connection. There are also, of course, other cyclists, runners, stroller moms*, gossiping teenagers, a few rollerbladers, and a ton of walkers. A good number of those out walking are with their dogs and for some reason—despite their being multiple bag dispensers for doggie doo-doo—far too many of these dog owners consciously fail to clean up after the dogs. However, there is a man I often see with his golden retriever who never fails to clean up after his dog doo-doos. No big deal, right? That is what one would expect. However, what really amazes me is the fact that the man is blind—he carries a white, red-tipped cane and his dog wears the identifying parka of a guide dog—and yet he, unlike so many sighted dog owners, never fails to clean up his dog’s doo-doo. I can’t help but wonder—if a blind man can, why can’t the others?

*Stroller Moms defined: women who believe that the entire sidewalk—especially in urban spaces—belongs to them and their stroller alone. They would have any other pedestrian risk their life by having to jump out into speeding traffic rather than share the sidewalk. Oof! I do NOT heart stroller moms.