Who I am…
I am a lawyer, former mother of teenagers, and a quixotic seeker after and champion of factual truth.
I make the best damn brownies you have ever had that are not regulated by the federal government.
I love movies, Broadway, and intelligent conversation.
I think in song lyrics and movie and television quotes.
I believe in the use of proper spelling, punctuation, and grammar even in text messages. I am willing to debate the use of the Oxford comma, if you know what the Oxford comma is. It also makes me very happy if people use the subjunctive mood when appropriate.
I have been told I intimidate people. I am really just a fluffy-centered teddy bear. Really.
- It's all my fault. No, really. The views expressed in this blog are mine and mine alone and in no way whatsoever represent the views of anyone else, including any past, present, or future employer.
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Words to live by ….
“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8.
“Pray for the dead, fight like hell for the living.” Mary Harris (“Mother Jones”).
“Don’t boo. Vote.” Barack Obama.
“Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.” Reinhold Niebuhr.
“No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We’re always one of Us. It’s Them that do the bad things.” Sir Terry Pratchett.
“Damning facts are still facts.” Steven C. Holtzman.
“If you don’t stick to your values when they’re tested, they’re not values — they’re hobbies.” Jon Stewart.
“Darkness never sustains, even though it sometimes seems it will.” Doctor Who.
“Writing is a form of mischief.” Stephen Sondheim.
“An idea is not responsible for the people who believe it.” Don Marquis.
“If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know it’s not your path. Your own path you make with every step you take. That’s why it’s your path.” Joseph Campbell.
“Truth is our strongest ally, our biggest weapon, and our best defense.” Me.
“Reality has a well-known liberal bias.” Stephen Colbert.
“The opposite of war isn’t peace, it’s creation.” Jonathan Larson.
“We live through times when hate and fear seem stronger.
We rise and fall, and light from dying embers
Remembrances that hope and love last longer.
And love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love;
Cannot be killed or swept aside.”
Lin-Manuel Miranda.“If I can’t dance, I don’t want to be part of your revolution.” Emma Goldman.
“No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” Samuel Beckett.
“I believe that the God who made (among other things) light, and space, and number, and time, and the spiral curve of Fibonacci numbers, must be acknowledged to understand more than I do about why there’s pain in the world.” Teresa Neilsen Hayden.
“No, it’s not fair. You’re in the wrong universe for fair.” John Scalzi.
“Liberals got women the right to vote. Liberals got African-Americans the right to vote. Liberals created Social Security and lifted millions of elderly people out of poverty. Liberals ended segregation. Liberals passed the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act. Liberals created Medicare. Liberals passed the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act. So when you try to hurl that label at my feet, ‘Liberal,’ as if it were something to be ashamed of, something dirty, something to run away from, it won’t work, because I will pick up that label and I will wear it as a badge of honor.” Lawrence O’Donnell
“So keep fightin’ for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don’t you forget to have fun doin’ it. Lord, let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce. And when you get through kickin’ ass and celebratin’ the sheer joy of a good fight, be sure to tell those who come after how much fun it was.” Molly Ivins.
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Monthly Archives: November 2013
End of the month tally.
I did not make the fifty thousand words. It’s a shame really — but I resisted the temptation to go back and edit former posts to make them longer. I suppose that if I had chosen to do so last … Continue reading
On this day, I give thanks for… [50 things, in no particular order]
Starbucks Venti Nonfat No Whip Decaf Salted Carmel Mochas. That I do not have to worry about having a roof over my head. That I have enough food to eat on a regular basis. Turkey sandwiches with stuffing and cranberry … Continue reading
Down from the attic.
There really is no other way to begin this post than… Hello, my name is Pat. I have bipolar disorder. I am not alone in this: an estimated one to five per cent of people in the United States are … Continue reading
More thoughts on my Voice obsession
Last night’s show (the top 8 performances) was terrific. This group seems to be more talent deep than last season. There were no performances that were bad, although there were a couple that were less than stellar. I’m sorry, but … Continue reading
Architecture and privacy.
The Economist recently had an article titled “Every Step You Take: Google Glass, Ubiquitous Cameras And The Threat To Privacy.” I got to thinking about privacy, and how in some sense it is a twentieth-century, suburban phenomenon. In small towns, … Continue reading
Theme song for geeks
Raise your glass If you are wrong in all the right ways “Raise Your Glass,” Pink “Do It Anyway” is one of two songs I have been playing in heavy rotation to motivate me. The other is “Raise Your Glass.” … Continue reading
Today’s miscellany.
I think I am getting sick. I have felt cold and achy all day. I just hurt. Of course, both my eldest son and my most affectionate coworker — the one who enveloped me in a big hug when a … Continue reading
How can you not love a band like that?
I have written about my fanaticism for The Voice, the NBC singing talent show. My favorites — James Wolpert, the uber-geeky former Apple Store employee and TessAnne Chin, the former backup singer for Jimmy Cliff — are still on the … Continue reading
I am sitting contemplating the evolutionary advantages of boredom. I can’t think of any, but that might simply be because right at this moment I am bored out of my skull. Edited to add, later: I might have written more, … Continue reading
An open letter to Alexander Coward
Dear Dr. Coward: I found your letter to your students about why you would not be participating in the one-day strike by workers at the University of California intriguing. Like them, I am a product of top-tier educational systems. Like … Continue reading
It’s that time again!
Ah, Thanksgiving. That means… cooking. A lot of cooking. I rather enjoy it, provided I am organized (ha!) and spread the work over several days. I’m putting this here because it is easy for me to access regardless whichever computer … Continue reading
The “I have done nothing of note with my life” virus is running strong through my veins this evening. It is a weird combination of green-eyed envy, deep sadness, great shame, and and a surprising amount of guilt. The combination … Continue reading
I have been worried about the increasing influence of churches in America in the past few years. This may seem odd, since religion — particularly Christianity, particularly Protestantism — has always had some level of influence in America. I find … Continue reading
Medical outrage.
Another entry into the “what has our government turned into” category. It doesn’t revolve around law enforcement or terrorism, even though both of those are bad enough. No, this is an appointment to a position of power by a person … Continue reading
Criminally Minded.
I’m watching 48 Hours, a show I almost never watch. I am usually quite skeptical of shows dissecting unpopular acquittals in criminal cases. Often such shows are simplistic and sensationalistic. The television producers take a single case, present as much … Continue reading
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