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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Author Archives: Pat Greene
Odds ‘n’ ends.
No, I don’t want to discuss the NLCS. Go Tigers. I now have 32 complete soundtracks: in addition to the original Broadway production of Follies, I now have South Pacific in Concert, with Reba McEntire, Alec Baldwin and *swoon* Brian … Continue reading
Honoring the fallen…
I have just stumbled across this tribute to soldiers and veterans buried in Arlington National Cemetery and elsewhere. I find it profoundly moving, and thought I would pass it along.
The view from the stands….
Some observations from tonight’s band competition: I’m sorry, but no matter how well they do it, seeing girls in harem outfits toss rifles just looks weird. “Look, a harem girl! And she’s armed!” Those drum major salutes are getting perilously … Continue reading
Today, at the elementary school, they had the “fall festival.” Part neighborhood meetup and part PTA fundraiser, they had all the sorts of things you find at events like this: ring tosses, raffles, a silent auction (whoever had put together … Continue reading
Cataloging the collection
According to my iTunes, I have 825 songs (3.08 GB, 0r 1.8 days worth) in my “Explicit Broadway” playlist.* (My “Clean Broadway” playlist is the same set, minus part of Rent and a lot of Hair and the odd song … Continue reading
The water and the stone.
Can we be like drops of water falling on the stone Splashing, breaking Disbursing in air Weaker than the stone by far but be aware that as time goes by the rock will wear away “The Rock Will Wear Away,” … Continue reading
By this vote we honor…
Most states have instituted a “Vote in Honor of a Veteran” program. People decide to vote in memory and to honor the service of specific members of the armed forces who have served overseas. This is a great idea: men … Continue reading
Persecution complexes
I thought of blogging about the horrific situation of Christians in Iraq, but then Mad Priest already did that. You hear some American fundamentalists whine about how Christians are “persecuted” in America. Do they even fathom what that word means? … Continue reading
Absence makes the heart grow fonder… and the ballot is just as important
Just in case you can’t make it to the polls — or, in many states, don’t want to actually go to the polls — on November 7th, absentee ballots and early voting are just the ticket. Some states allow any … Continue reading
Baseball, hurrah!
The real baseball season is over. Now the playoffs begin. My beloved Mets* are in there, starting out against the Dodgers. They smoked the regular season, but as the other adult in my house can tell you, regular season performance … Continue reading
A Random Act of Kindness…
Yesterday was Jeffrey’s birthday. Yes, that Jeffrey. Toys’ R’ Us’s giant giraffe mascot. To celebrate Jeffrey’s birthday, the TRU near us had several events, handed out noisemakers, and had a special Pokémon giveway. Mew. No, not meow. Mew. It’s a … Continue reading
This morning, in several different places, I have been faced with people who have scorned the grief I and others have felt over yesterday’s Military Commissions vote. America has never lived up to “ideals,” they say — usually followed a … Continue reading
My husband left this morning for Spain. First stop, Madrid. I wish I were going with him. Things are good, for the most part, in my world. I have a roof over my head. I have food to eat, clothes … Continue reading
No retreat, baby…
I post other people’s words, sometimes, but I don’t post song lyrics. Today, though, these words resonate with me: Well, we bursted out of classHad to get away from those foolsWe learned more from a 3-minute record, babyThan we ever … Continue reading
Authenticity
You have seen pictures of this painting, or maybe the real thing, the formal name of which is The Company of Captain Frans Cocq. It was a group portrait by Rembrandt of one of the militia companies responsible for Amsterdam’s … Continue reading
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