I Ain't Afraid of No Daleks

I'm off in a while. A co-worker works in a little South Street pub, and they are having a young limbo champion from the Carribbean there tonight, and it's free, so I told my co-worker I'd pop 'round to have a look in. Can't afford to buy a drink, so won't be staying long, but it's a nice early evening here--sun's shining and it's in the upper 70's F--- for a bike ride downtown, I reckon. And, I've never actually seen a live limbo demonstration...there's going to be a real Carribbean steel drum band there, as well. Should be a bit of fun, even if I am going by myself...again. Well, I shouldn't moan, I know. No one's forcing me to be an old maid, it's my own choice.

After coming back from the laundromat, I spent the remainder of the day, tidying the living room, reading, chatting online with one of my British friends, and adding/deleting some music from main playlist player (on Roasting David). Yawn. Not exactly an exciting day.

Long days the next two days, where I'll be working double shifts--something I've not done in over a year. I used to work both day and night and weekend shifts all week long, till' I took ill. Didn't bother me, really, but it obviously can take its toll on you, if you're not careful (or don't have good healthcare).

So, I'll be offline for a bit. Cheers.

I thought this was rather mean. Doing it once, fine. But to deliberately keep upsetting your pet, just to entertain the masses on YouTube...that is just--

1.what is one thing that will put a great big ole smile on your face?

Oh, lots of things. Off the top of my head, Dr Who. Dr Who always makes me smile--even the sad stuff leaves me happy--cos' I was without it for so long, to have it back again is something I truly cherish. Never felt this way about a mere television programme before, but then, there's nothing "mere" about Dr Who, to me. It came back into my life, pretty much at the darkest hours of my entire life, so maybe that's why I cherish it so, I don't know.

2.You're walking down the street toward a very familiar face. As you get closer you realize you do not remember this persons name at all. Do you speak with the chance that they'll want to stop and chat or do you pretend that you don't see the person?

I've had this happen before. I will smile and nod, of course. It would be churlish not to. And, up here in the north country where I'm living, we sometimes (depending on the other person's attitude/mood) will smile and nod at each other as we pass on the street, anyway, even if we're strangers.

3. Are you the Rock or the sponge of your household?
Bit of both, I suppose, since I'm the only one in my household (well, besides my three cats--they're a bit of both as well, I reckon).

4. You have gone over to a friends for dinner. You look down at your plate and notice a great big ole hair hanging out from inside your sandwich. What do you do. ?

I don't get invited to dinners or parties. The few times I've gone over to my friend's farm, I'm expected to make my own sandwiches, so it would be my hair. Hypothetically speaking though, I'd just pick the hair off the thing and have done with it. Saying something would be tacky and excessively ill-mannered.

5. If you HAD to name one....who would you say is your role model?

My mum, I guess.

6. Food: what did you eat yesterday?

Always the query in these memes, about my eating habits. Sheesh.

Well, on Saturday, breakfast was a slice of Swiss cheese melted on some toast. Lunch was a double cheeseburger and small fries from the dollar menu at the in-store McDonalds inside of Walmart. Dinner consisted of some lightly buttered slices of freshly baked (as in still warm) French bread, and some broccolli-cheddar soup.

7. When you shop at the supermarket, do you always shop exactly by a list or just go helter skelter and hope that you get home with most of what you need?

I go in looking for bargains in meats and main meals first, and plan my shopping for everything else, based on what dinners I'll be having. Sometimes I'll have a list, but often I find that what I wanted to have wasn't practical finacially, so I just sort of play it by ear, and see what sort of cheap meals I can scratch up for the month...tho' about two or three times a month, I'll buy something specific that I may want to make--new recipe I want to try, or an old favourite recipe or even a ready meal I'm fond of, then I'll bring a list, to remind me that I need to get stuff.

8. Six things you feel passionate about:

(Not listed in any sort of order, by the way)

1--The selfish, greedy, unjust and totally inhumane American health care system, that we presently have in this country.

2--Dr Who

3--horses/old saddles

4---writing/reading

5--courtesy

6--self-expression

9. Last four books you've read:

(not necessarily in order)

Guns of the Timberlands
Dr Who: Beautiful Chaos
Walden
Dark Horse

10. Last four songs you listened to:

Ask by The Smiths
Northwest Passage by Stan Rogers
In Love by The Proclaimers
Le Freak by Chic

I have to trundle off to the laundromat after a late breakfast. Dull Sunday. I bought a used lunch tote for 25 cents from my neighbour's lawn sale (that's where someone puts a lot of their unwanted stuff out on in their front yard, for people to buy)...tomorrow is a long shift at work, so I'll have to bring a packed lunch...'cept I just realized I've nothing to wrap my sandwich in. Well, I'll find something. Maybe I can dig up a plastic shopping bag.

The insulated lunch bag is a tad dusty, but the inside seems alright. I will rinse it out in soapy water later.

Boots is contentedly sitting on the chair on my balcony, people watching, and Flame is sitting in the sun, with her bad eye closed against the brightness soaking up the warmth..she loves sunbathing, she's such a girl.

Big ol' fat Charlie, my white and ginger cat that looks like a ten-pin bowling ball with fur, was sitting below the window. I said to him, "don't you want to go out?" He just looked up at me with an expression that said, "Yeah, but then I'll actually have to move off my arse and jump through a window, mum." So I picked him up and put him out there. He went and looked through the railing at the activity next door--then came back, plopped his bottom below the sliding window, and stared up me with his pale soulful eyes...."OK yeah mum, it's fresh air, that's nice. Can I come in now, please?"

According to scientists, human males may be fading out of the picture.

Females have two x chromosomes, and males have an x and a y. Put simply, the "y" chromosome in men, is where the 'design' for their repoductive system originates from.

Unfortunately for the guys, the y chromosome seems to be deteriorating. In a few million or billion years...depending on evolution, the male of our species may no longer be able to reproduce.

Seems the male y chromosome used to contain as many genes as the x chromosome, but now, whereas the x still has 1000 genes, the y now has less than 80. Ouch. Someone call Viagra and tell them to send the truck.

Of course, if the human race is still around, they'll probably get around that with cloning or sperm implants, or some futuristic equivilent.

Scientists stress that it's far too early to tell if there is anything truly significant to the deteriorating of the y chromosome, and aren't even sure exactly what this occurance means, other than it's probably the result of mutations, deletions and anomolies. The y chromosome is different from other chomosomes, in that it can't swap genes, like x chromosomes can.

Will this mean that in future, women will rule the genetic roost? Or will this result in a strong natural selection, possibly ensuring a balanced population of male and female? Only time will tell, and by then, all of us reading this, will be dust, beyond memories, we will be considered ancient people--so does all of this really matter?

My palm was quite itchy, tonight.

There's an old superstition that an itchy palm means one is coming into money.

In my case, it just means that I got bitten by an insect.

A tiny moth, at that.

Moths bite?

Who knew?

This one does, anyway. Stings a wee bit, too.

Itches slightly, as well.

Bleurgh! I hate moths. Don't know why, but they creep me out.

Time to get out the fly swatter...or should I say, moth swatter?

One of America's best journalist's in its entire history, has just passed away.

Walter Cronkite, long-time CBS news anchor and well-respected journalist, died this week, at the age of 92.

As far as I'm concerned, Cronkite's passing is the end of journalism as it should be, as it must be.

Cronkite retired 28 years ago, after many decades as one of the best reporters in the United States. It was Cronkite's grave voice I heard, when I was merely a toddler, announcing the death of President John F. Kennedy.

That's the difference between Walter Cronkite and most TV news anchors and reporters: nearly every news story was delivered in a grave and sincere manner. There was none of this shallow crap, where the reporter or anchor austerly delivers a horrendous news story, then smiles and goes on to the next story in a chipper and upbeat manner, as if the bad news beforehand, meant absolutely nothing.

In a nutshell, Walter Cronkite took the news seriously. It wasn't about ratings, promoting political agendas, pandering to advertisers or keeping the masses entertained, it was about telling the unvarnished truth, in a businesslike and unbiased manner. Period.

Cronkite was one the biggest champions of democracy this country has ever known, since the days of Jefferson, Adams and Thomas Paine.

That's something America will never get from cable; CNN, Fox News, MSNBC or any of the four commerical networks. Never. That's what I thought, when I read of Cronkite's passing: Never will we Americans hear the unvarnished truth again.

Farewell Walter, bless.

And if you must know, tho' I'm sorry they both passed on, truth is--no disrespect to the dead star, but to me and the rest of humanity, one Walter Cronkite was worth 100,000 Michael Jackson's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Cronkite

I just now read where David Tennant is rumoured to be in the running to play the lead in the next Hobbit film, Bilbo Baggins.

Erm--isn't Tennant just a tad tall, to be a Hobbit? How the hell are they going to make that plasuable?

I mean, I can see him doing the character, that's not the problem. The problem is that a Hobbit is supposed to be SHORT. From his photos and on film, I'd say Tennant is a bit of a long drink of water---what would he do, play the whole role on his blinking knees?

I guess this new speculation came about 'cos the guy who makes the Hobbit films will be at the same convention as Tennant, next Sunday, in San Diego, CA.

This convention has sparked all sorts of rumours: Tennant's going to be Bilbo, he's going to make a feature-length Who film, etc...but--couldn't it just be a simple convention appearence? Couldn't he really be only just promoting the BBC series?

Sigh.

OK, Washington is asking other nations for help fighting terrorism.

The politicians say that they want to battle terrorists to save innocent Americans lives.

If this were really true, if politicians really cared about preserving American lives--why don't we have NHS? Why are they fighting health care reform so hard?

What's the difference between Americans suffering and dying from terrorist bombs, and Americans suffering and dying from lack of proper medical care?

Would someone care to explain that to me?

To me, through the eyes of my own life experiences, and the experiences of others I've been acquainted with, the difference between an American suffering from a terror attack and an American suffering from lack of proper (or any) health care, is that the person in the terror attack will be 100 times more likely to either die faster, or get help quicker. No prolonged deaths or months of suffering horrendous pain, like those not fortunate enough to afford private care.

To me, those that fight against health care for those that don't have it or can't get comprehensive treatment (medical/dental/optical/prescriptions, etc.)...how are these selfish greedy and shallow bastards, any different than some terrorist?

Under our present broken health care system, millions of Americans would be better off at the hands of a terrorist. America, a great nation? Horse pucky.

I got some junkmail--well, I get a lot of junk mail--in my e-mail box. This one was trying to be clever: "your friend wants you to visit "bodypilates.whatever."

No, any friend of mine knows that I'd stop talking to her, if she tried to push pilates on me. Even if I wasn't disabled (I can just walk, and cannot run at all), I would rather suck on a dead toad, than be caught out doing some stinking trendy exercise.

Playwrite27 doesn't do trendy, yeah? By now, most of my friends should know that.

And as for exercise, well, I walk or ride my bike to work everyday, pedal or walk to the laundromat, went horseback riding last Sunday...and, since I don't own a car, I generally walk or pedal to wherever I've got to go, unless I take a cab or bus--and even with a bus, I still have to do some walking, as a general rule.

Pilates....pfft. No way.