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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Category Archives: Culture (popular and otherwise)
Seriously? No.
Dear Ken Burns, The National Parks were a great idea. I can’t really think what America would be without sanctuaries for our souls like Yosemite and Yellowstone and the Everglades. Not to mention the best of all — the Grand … Continue reading
Today’s post about culture.
…not the “culture wars,” which are a different thing altogether, but actual culture. (Not yogurt, either.) It’s kind of a throwaway post — I seem to be a bear of little brain this week. ********* I adore the Kenneth Branagh … Continue reading
[Downton Abbey spoilers, just so you know.] What with one thing and another, I was sick for a about ten days straight (including a charming six-hour stint in the ER for intravenous fluids). Reading my computer was hard (although I did re-read … Continue reading
Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat included a very lovely Terry Pratchett shout out in Sherlock: The Abominable Bride. When Sherlock is tossing out names for the case, he suggests “The Adventure of the Invisible Army? The League of Furies? The … Continue reading
First random post of 2016.
One of the advantages of being more mature older is that it’s easier to resist the temptation to drink to excess on New Year’s Eve. Besides, the champagne wasn’t that good. Far too dry for my tastes. The half-bottle of Shiraz I … Continue reading
The Force Awakens: Questions abound.
[Spoilers, more or less.] Having seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens more than once* now, I can honestly say I like it. A lot. It’s the movie A New Hope should have been: more interesting plot, better acting**, and much, … Continue reading
The Voice Finale.
By the time I write this, The Voice finale will have begun. Being in PST, I won’t see it for another three hours. Part of me thinks they should just give it to Jordan Smith based on his performance last … Continue reading
I can hardly wait. That was sarcasm, folks.
The Republican candidates for president take the stage in Las Vegas this evening to tell all the world how horrible they are. Okay, so some of them seem merely bad, such as Jeb Bush. One or two I would find … Continue reading
Movie Tally.
It’s time for the fall/winter movie tally. Since October, I have seen: Three movies set at least partly in Massachusetts: Black Mass, Spotlight, and In the Heart of the Sea. Two movies about communism: Bridge of Spies and Trumbo. One movie … Continue reading
“Lightin’ up my lawn like downtown Las Vegas…”
Here’s my 2015 Christmas music playlist — there’s a lot of overlap with previous years, although there are songs I’ve had for years that for some reason this year I just can’t get enough of: “All I Want For Christmas Is … Continue reading
Victor Frankenstein: fifteen second review.
Victor Frankenstein is the prettiest stupid movie I’ve ever seen.
Comfort.
I do not know where I fit, religion-wise. I feel sometimes I have walked so long in the darkness that God has stopped looking for me. (Note to my more faith-filled friends: please don’t tell me how wrong I am. I … Continue reading
The Martian: a review.
“The story is such a ripping good ride and so gorgeous to watch that you don’t merely want to suspend your disbelief, you want to tie it to a parking meter outside the theater and order it not to disturb … Continue reading
Our long national nightmare is over. Judge George H. King, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California, ruled this week that the copyrights claimed for the lyrics to “Happy Birthday” were invalid. Hurrah! No … Continue reading
Oh, well.
I saw John Scalzi in conversation with Tad Williams tonight. Scalzi was funny, and charming, and gave one of the better explanations of the Puppies phenomenon I’ve heard or read (namely, jealously, but it’s a lot more than that) and … Continue reading
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