The Ministry of Cats

With thanks to CJ (Confessions of a Middle-Aged Suburban Diva: Alert the Media. It’s Meme Monday.).

1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
   Oh, gods, not YOU again. And put some clothes on, for goodness’ sake. You’ll frighten the cats.
2. How much cash do you have on you?
   $100: 10 ones, one ten, four twenties.
3. What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR?
   Moor.
4. Favorite planet?
   Sevardin, though it’s not exactly a planet.
5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone?
   No one—I haven’t saved any missed calls.
6. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone?
   The violin music from Young Frankenstein.
7. What shirt are you wearing?
   Blue ribbed Henley-style short sleeved shirt. Sort of a darkish blue.
8. Do you label yourself?
   Frequently!
9. Name the brand of the shoes you’re currently wearing?
   Uh… they are shoes. Docksiders? I’m not sure; they are about ten years old now.
10. Bright or Dark Room?
    Bright. It is easier to see my victer, friends that way.
11. What do you think about the person who took this survey before you?
    Smart, sassy, fascinating, someone well worth getting to know better.
12. What does your watch look like?
    It’s a Swatch® with a blue face, silver symbols and chrome-plated band.
13. What were you doing at midnight last night?
    Sleeping–and probably snoring up a storm.
14. What did your last text message you received on your cell say?
    “Happy New Year!!!”
15. Where is your nearest 7-11?
    From home? About 4 km away on route 29 headed toward Fairfax. From the office? I really do not know. I never go to one.
16. What’s a word that you say a lot?
    “A.”
17. Who told you he/she loved you last?
    Mom.
18. Last furry thing you touched?
    Alexandra.
19. How many drugs have you done in the last three days?
    Unique medications? Five. To find out more, you have to ask better questions…
20. How many rolls of film do you need developed?
    None. Who uses film anymore outside of Art Institutes?
21. Favorite age you have been so far?
    I cannot think of one, sadly.
22. Your worst enemy?
    Myself, without doubt.
23. What is your current desktop picture?
    At home I use a rotating desktop image software so I am not sure what it is. At work one screen displays president-elect Obama and the other someone who was once very close to me but who seems determined to cut me off from his life.
24. What was the last thing you said to someone?
    “Yeah, they collect dust like there’s no tomorrow.”
25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be?
    The money. Flying is what airplanes are for.
26. Do you like someone?
    I like a lot of someones.
27. The last song you listened to?
    Some Mozart, but I forget which piece.
28. What time of day were you born?
    Very early in the morning.
29. What’s your favorite number?
    I do not have one, though I suppose π.
30. Where did you live in 1987?
    Centreville, VA.
31. Are you jealous of anyone?
    Yes, very.
32. Is anyone jealous of you?
    I cannot imagine why anyone would be.
33. Where were you when 9/11 happened?
    Driving to GMU to register for classes.
34. What do you do when vending machines steal your money?
    Swear in a few different languages and consider the possibility of successful assault on its corpus.
35. Do you consider yourself kind?
    Yes.
36. If you had to get a tattoo, where would it be?
    I honestly cannot say. I am not a fan of tattoos so I do not think I would ever consider one.
37. If you could be fluent in any other language, what would it be?
    German.
38. Would you move for the person you loved?
    I think so.
39. Are you touchy feely?
    I used to be, but it has been slowly beaten out of me.
40. What’s your life motto?
    “Wer die Schönheit mit Augen angeschaut ist dem Tode anheim gegeben”—I remember it as being from Goethe but others have told me no. Regardless, “Who has seen Beauty with their own eyes is already in the realm of Death” is pretty deep. I am also a fan of the Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear.
41. Name three things that you have on you at all times?
    If I strictly interpret this I suppose I’d have to say nothing, because there are times I do not sport clothing or other decoration (scary, I know). In general, however, I wear glasses, carry my wallet, and have a watch on.
42. What’s your favorite town/city?
    Wow, that is difficult to say. London, perhaps, because it’s European and everyone speaks English; but Amsterdam and München are close behind.
43. What was the last thing you paid for with cash?
    Breakfast (not at Tiffany’s).
44. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it?
    I cannot remember.
45. Can you change the oil on a car?
    Please: do I look butch to you?
46. Your first love: what is the last thing you heard about him/her?
    He was incarcerated in a military jail in Kansas for getting an underage girl pregnant.
47. How far back do you know about your ancestry?
    Vaguely? All the way back to the Nine Kings of Ireland. Directly? Three generations.
48. The last time you dressed fancy, what did you wear and why did you dress fancy?
    I had to wear a suit a few weeks ago for an important breakfast meeting in Bethesda (hi, Sprezz!).
49. Does anything hurt on your body right now?
    My back and, to a lesser degree, my emotions.
50. Have you been burned by love?
    Absolutely. Too damn many times.

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xkcd’s brilliance shines through again. This is not only funny, but actually useful!

I’m not going to rehash all the disasters (or happy things) from 2008—just wish everyone a happy, prosperous 2009.

Bob Ostertag: Why Gay Marriage is the Wrong Issue.

A friend of mine sent me to this article today. On first reading, I have to say that I agree with Bob’s points. There should be a lot more to the “queer experience” than whether or not we have the right to marry and divorce like straight people do. Although I disagree with people who claim that “marriage” is an exclusively religious institution, there’s no denying that the religious have a significant claim to the term and its conflation with religion hampers efforts to extend rights (and responsibilities) to everyone in committed relationships.

As for Rick Warren, I just can’t find the energy to whip myself up into a froth over Obama’s choice of him for the Inaugural invocation. Yes, he’s got some pretty bass-ackward beliefs about GLBT people, but he’s right-wing religious—duh, of course he is going to have some wacky views about us. Call me a self-hater if you must, but I think there are some much larger issues We the Species face: like global warming, environmental pillage, dwindling resources, and more… oddly enough, Warren has pretty decent views on many of them. It doesn’t mean I’m going to like the guy, but I’d be willing to work with him on common causes.

Working with someone on common causes… isn’t that something we non-straights are supposed to be good at? Instead it seems like we’re gathering all our resources to throw at a pretty narrow topic, one that plays into the hands of those who oppose us and want to polarize the majority against us. Frankly, it does no good if Johnny and Paul can legally marry if the world around them is falling to pieces.

Confessions of a Middle-Aged Suburban Diva: A Word from the Domestic Goddess.

What might it look like if someone wanted to treat Christians the way gay people are treated? posted on the Trans-cendental blog.

A friend of mine on Plurk alerted me to this article. It raises some interesting points about the seemingly endless battle between some Christians and people who aren’t heterosexual. In light of the pope’s recent comparison of homosexuality (using the smoke screen of “gender studies”) to the destruction of the rain forests’ contribution to the degradation of the plant, it seems to me as though the comparisons listed in the post are fairly apt.

I was raised Missouri Synod Lutheran, a protestant sect jokingly referred to as “the Frozen Chosen” for its biblical literalism and lack of flexibility when it comes to viewing the world. I left the church (and Christianity in general) during adolescence as I started to perceive that the divisive, dismissive, and dogmatic viewpoints of that church did nothing to improve the human condition. As I grew older and my own sexual identity began to form, my rejection of all things Christian only grew, fueled by (the) religion’s brutal rejection of gay people and the “hate the sin, not the sinner” mantra many other Christians hid their bigotry behind.

Although today my list of hot topics no longer has equal rights for queer folk at the top of the list (if we are all submerged underwater from melting ice caps, it’s not going to matter much whether the dead body next to me is gay or not), I still think it’s important that all people on this tiny planet are accorded the same basic human rights as those who wield majority power. And while Christians have made some positive strides forward in rejecting heterosexism and other forms of bigotry, they (and every other major organized religion) have a long way to go in my book.

Sock and Awe!.

Tell me about yourself…

You have probably seen this game before, but if not the rules are simple: copy my questions and answers, replace my answers with yours, and either post on your blog or in comments.

Edit (2008-12-16): This was originally sent to me via e-mail, which hopefully explains some of the “send/sent” bits.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
   My middle name comes from my father’s best friend, who was killed during the Vietnam war.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
   I don’t recall, though I came pretty close several times after getting the news that my paternal grandmother died.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
   Yes.
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
   Roast Beef.
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
   Never.
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
   I’d like to think so.
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
   No, never.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS
   Yes
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
   Not without being under the influence of mind-altering substances.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
    I can’t say that I have one since I almost never eat it.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
    When I wear shoes with laces, sure.
12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
    Mint chocolate chip.
13. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
    Their face.
14. RED OR PINK?
    No, thanks.
15. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
    Just one? I’m too self-deprecating.
16. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
    Jozef.
17. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
    If they post to the list, sure, I’ll see them all. I never forward things like this so I never expect any replies
18. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
    Shades of grey.
19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
    Homemade white chicken chili
20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
    WETA
21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
    Teal.
22. FAVORITE SMELLS?
    There are many things I enjoy smelling, but as far as flowers go wild honeysuckle is up there.
23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
    Mom
24. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
    I don’t have a personal relationship with my server… Yes, I like Teri.
25. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
    Where’s the remote so I can change the channel to Discovery or History?
26. Hair Color?
    Pretty much grey at this point.
27. EYE COLOR?
    Don’t listen to my mother, they are grey.
28. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
    No.
29. FAVORITE FOOD?
    Pizza, probably.
30. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
    Happy Endings.
31. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
    Wall•E
32. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
    Grey-green
33. SUMMER OR WINTER?
    Autumn.
34. Hugs or kisses?
    I could go either way.
35. FAVORITE DESSERT?
    I don’t have a favorite, but anything sweet or tart.
36. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
    Don’t know.
37. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND
    Don’t know.
38. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
    Nothing at the moment, though I have a pile to read at home.
39. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
    An ad for an office systems service bureau.
40. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
    Didn’t watch TV last night.
41. FAVORITE SOUND?
    “I love you.”
42. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
    Beatles
43. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
    München, DE
44. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
    Aren’t all talents special?
45. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
    Manistee, MI
46. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
    Everyone’s

Cranberry Jell-O® Salad

INGREDIENTS

1 large package sugar-free Raspberry or Cranberry Jell-O gelatin dessert (or two small ones)
1 bag frozen cranberries (roughly 16 ounces)
3/4 C crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 C finely-chopped walnuts (OPTIONAL)
1/2 C sugar
1 C cold water
2 C boiling water

DIRECTIONS

Empty cranberries into a food processor or blender and process until chopped into small pieces (some berries may remain whole, but most should be chopped into pieces around 2mm in size).
Prepare Jell-O as directed on box with two cups’ boiling water. Use only one cup of cold water instead of the two listed on the package. Pour in cranberries, pineapple, and optional walnuts after gelatin and sugar have dissolved. Stir until thoroughly mixed.

Place mixture in refrigerator for approximately one-half hour, or until partially set. Stir again to distribute contents evenly. Refrigerate overnight.

I’ve prepared this dish with less cold water and included the pineapple juice and it came out just fine. Using cranberry-flavored Jell-O will intensify the cranberry taste but raspberry is just as fine. You could also add (or use to replace pineapple, but make sure there’s enough liquid) orange zest, finely chopped oranges, or mandarin orange slices for a bit of a twist.