"At the Library"

I was taking the trash to the curb this morning, so I looked in them to see whether or not to take both of them or one. The second one I checked (which had its lid tightly secured) had a possum in it. It looked up at me as if to say, “Hey Dude,” and went back to its business. I quickly put the lid back on and went in to tell Jeanne.

I looked at the trash can itself to see if it were the one with a crack on it. It was whole. I have no idea how it had gotten in except that it was next to the wood pile and maybe the other day when the lid had been off it had gotten in and had been living on trash for a couple of days.

I again checked to see that the lid was secured and that there were no holes and rolled it to the curb. Once there I opened the lid slightly and left. As I walked down the street I kept checking back but it hadn’t left yet. Hopefully the trash guys get a surprise.

I’ve been needing a massage for a while but not had $60 extra to do so. Since I’ve also had an extensive year of working out/toning out via Kung Fu/Tai-chi/bicycling I think it’s about time. Luckily we have several massage schools here that I can get it at $20/hr.

The Leavenworth bike lane deal apparently is approved and I’ve heard two sides to it. One being that the improvements and such are being done but it’s a ways away. The other is that it’s happening soon. Sooner the better…I’m tired of battling my way up that way with morons that can’t seem to realize that traffic isn’t that bad there and that I keep catching up to them at each red light and then passing them and that it’s their fault that they’re going to have to start losing lanes because of their ignorance and arrogance towards any other means of transportation other than driving.

That moron Herman Cain is all happy about his lead in the Florida straw polls. That’s guy’s such an idiot. I never knew much about him before this presidential candidacy, but the more I hear that guy talk the more I’m upset about that one time I ate at Godfather’s (mediocre) Pizza.

I’ve finished recently reading:

Playing Right Field: A Jew Grows in Greenwhich - Good book. I missed reading this guy's columns in MRR. It's funny how dismissive Americans - especially Christians - are about our dark past and how they think we're beyond all the racism, sexism, all that stuff and we're now infallible and we should never bring any of that stuff up again. This was a good read, great writing and stories, and shows how anti-Semetic people were and how hateful language and actions carry on through your kids who a lot of times don't understand the full extent of what it means, but know that it's hurtful and demeaning.

Also, made me remember how unfair it was growing up with the label of being a bad kid and how anyone's claim against me went unchallenged. Granted, a lot of times it was me, but there were lots of times I'd been unfairly victimized and my character was already deemed bad so therefore I was bad.

Like Hell - I've got a lot against Ben Weasel, but sometimes he makes a good point - like in this book. It's in his nature (and somewhat mine) to be argumentative, but in his case it's more often hypocritical and not just to make a point but he goes against everything all the time and it's all just what fits it. There are many examples I wrote down from "Weasel Radio" but Larry Livermore gave an example of Ben's ranting for the Tea Party antics and anti-government spending and whatnot and Larry explaining that Mrs. Weasel's government job and the health insurance it provides is exactly what Ben's rallying against. Then Ben banned Larry from his Twitter account saying that Larry couldn't get political without being personal. Then the Republican Governor got voted in and did what the Tea Party supporters had been rallying for and then Mrs. Weasel's job and benefits were being threatened and then Ben's all up in arms about that...that's just like most Americans. Until it affects them, no one gives a fuck.

This book, however, sums up a lot of what he is and why and, to a point, his some what hypocritical nature - SOMEWHAT. I could see crowd-baiting and such for fun or just playing on the political idiocy of punks, but in real life when it actually affects people and his character it's not the act it's his personality and integrity now.

The New Jim Crow - This is a good book, but hardly anything new, but it gives you some good examples for arguments. She knocks Obama for things in Audacity of Hope and in his campaign for the presidency and his current presidency and administration, but in that same book she references, he explained what she's saying he didn't. He gives a well laid out example about that guy in Chicago who owns a restaurant in an area that he's a big property owner and gives felons a new start at life and job opportunities.

But just like her book needed to prove a point which I feel is why she took that approach, it's the same reason that he does what he does in office and why he needs to do that until he gets re-elected. He can do a lot now, but he won't get re-elected and a lot has to do with the stupidity and easily-led mentality of our country. If he stood up more for Muslims the dumb argument of whether or not he's a Muslim (like it matters) comes up distracting from real issues...and on and on.

But also for people who say he's not strong enough and tough enough, he's tackling taxes and Israel, two things that are election killers. How is that not tough?

Girls to the Front - All right read. There are some aspects of Riot Grrrl that I could've done without. I know this book is for them, but to me it watered down the agnst and aggression that I like about the Riot Grrrl movement. It was a great read, though, especially the Omaha part only because the unmentioned boyfriend was Chris Murray.

Despite Everything - Always a good read. This one I just pick up every now and then and read portions. After reading Cometbus #54? In China with Green Day (which was a great one), it's great to see the then writings from the first Green Day tour to when they made it big along with Larry Livermore's accounts on that as well. Even Ben Weasel's articles about major labels, it makes it dumb why bands would want to go to one. Also why 1,000,000 units sold on a major label is considered a failure.

Punk is a Four-Letter Word - Ben Weasel columns from the MRR-era I read, but now it's in the context of where I'm at now, and it's great. Great stories about work and about being backstage at the Aragon Theatre when Jawbreaker opened for Nirvana with Mudhoney.

I think there may have been another book in there. Current reads are:

The Bible by Karen Armstrong. A biography of the Bible which explains how the New and Old Testaments were put together and how and why and why it can't be taken literally, how they were changed over years and writers, how during translations words were changed and context and original meanings changed the overall affect of the messages that are taken way wrong now...then this lady at the bus stop asked what I was reading and asked what church I go to and I told her I don't go to any church and she asked why not. I told her that I'm a good person and not judgmental nor imposing of my beliefs on anyone or anyone's lifestyle. She tells me that it's not enough to just be good you need to worship and blah, blah, blah.

She was a perfect example of what I see wrong with religious people. It's not for you to tell people how to worship or anything. What you do is up to you. That's it. As long as no one gets injured, oppressed, and you don't impose your beliefs on anyone, this world would be better. That's the core of most religions, especially the world's three biggest ones - it's plain and simply written in the current versions of them all...yet the fundamentalists see beyond those...or the abrigationists.

Journey Into American - Everybody should be reading this book. Basically it's the journey across America from a Muslim perspective but doesn't just talk to Muslims and go to Mosques. It's every aspect of America from immigrants, Muslims, Mormons, Nation of Islam, reformists, The head of the KKK and his daughter, etc. It's asking people of their thoughts of the Mayflower, Plymouth Rock, and what it means to be American. Greatly written, very intropective, and well balanced.

I'm trying to get through the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trilogy. I'm on "the Secret of the Ooze," and it's great. I don't know anything about the third one so I'm excited.