Ecosystem or Egosystem?

For months now I have been a Marauding Marsupial in the TTLB Blogosphere Ecosystem. Suddenly this evening I have gone from a Flabby Bird to an Insignificant Microbe in a matter of minutes. All the while my blog traffic has remained the same. I sometimes wonder if I ought to forget about displaying my ecosystem ranking just to keep my ego from feeling deflated. It feels like high school all over again! Life sometimes seems to be about a popularity contest. I was never popular, but everyone knew who I was since I was the only student in a wheelchair! LOL if you got it, flaunt it!

It's Beginning to Feel like the Holidays

It was actually cold today here in lovely Scottsdale. We left for church this morning at 10 a.m. and it was only 51° and when we went to lunch after church it was only 56°. Much too cold for this sun lover! It was clear and crisp, and in the sun it didn't feel too bad except when the wind caught you with its chilly fingers. Definitely didn't get my Sunday afternoon nap in the backyard like I usually do when it's mild and sunny this time of year. Norm brought me hot chocolate from Starbucks and my favorite Madeleine cookies for our late afternoon treat. Until today I haven't really felt like being in the holiday spirit. With this crispy cool weather is certainly helps. I think I'll start decorating my blog for Christmas since I won't be decorating my house. We'll be celebrating the holidays with my family in San Diego, but that's a few weeks away. I just heard on the news that it's going to be even colder early tomorrow morning -- around 38° -- yikes! One thing about the cold weather that I do like is that my cats love to snuggle when they come in from the cold. Miss Ellie, my 13 year old calico Tabby, spent most of the evening curled up in my lap while we watched the Hallmark Hall of Fame Silver Bells movie. I'm sure she will be curled up next to me all through the night.

Thanksgiving Eve Fun

Bubble wrap -- oh the pleasures! (click the link to play with bubble wrap on your computer) Who knew baby powder could be so much fun? (Click the link to play a one minute video that is sure to make you laugh!) Want a free personal organizer? Get the PocketMod.

My suggestion for turkey leftovers: TAC Grilled Sandwich Delicious! ~sourdough Parmesan bread ~cheddar cheese ~turkey breast ~sliced avocado ~cranberry mayo Enjoy and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Hit Him Again!

Watched a recording Friday night of last week's Alias episode. Junior spy agent, Rachel, encounters her former boss who is now her arch enemy with no gun and no backup insight. They get into a fight and he obviously is going to overpower her. Resourceful person that she is, she finds a shovel when he thinks she has fallen for the last time. She comes up behind him and bangs him on the head. Her mentor Sidney reaches her via radio: SYDNEY: Rachel, where are you? RACHEL: I just hit Dean on the head with a shovel. SYDNEY: Is he dead? RACHEL: I don't think so. SYDNEY: Hit him again! Norm and I have a similar conversation whenever he hits a cockroach! LOL

Television, Culture Wars & My Inner Dialogue

Found this great article today by one of my favorite bloggers, Ambra of Nykola.com, entitled The Dangers of Ugg Theory. Really, she is just talking about culture wars and I couldn't agree more with her assessment. Here's an excerpt from her article:

Television, movies and music don't follow the culture. Instead, they dictate, prophesy, and cast vision and ideology to the culture. We become what we eat. Television is quite clever really. Every week, in 30-minute or 1-hour increments, philosophy and worldview can be disseminated to the masses, one channel, one reality show, and one series at a time. I am not now nor have I ever been a conspiracy theorist. I like my television and tune in regularly to get my unnecessary fix. Will my children be doing the same on a regular basis? Not under my hawk-eye watch. I am increasingly concerned by the suspicious and subliminal doctrine that consistently hits our airwaves.

I couldn't agree more! She goes on to talk about a recent episode of The Apprentice and how Trump criticizes a man named Adam, one of the show contestants, for his lack of "sexual experience" and his uncomfortableness with the subject of sex. (Adam is Jewish and, though it is not clear through the episode, one can pick up on the fact that he is probably abstaining from sex for religious reasons.)

TRUMP: "Listen, Adam isn't good with sex. You might be in ten years, but right now, you don't feel comfortable with sex. Do you agree with that?" ADAM: I agree with you sir. TRUMP: You will. Someday, you will. It's gotten me into a lot of trouble, Adam. It's cost me a lot of money. You understand that? You'll probably be there. In many respects, I hope you are. Because there's nothing else like it.

I saw this part of The Apprentice episode, and like Ambra, I was astounded. It seemed ironic to me that Trump was lecturing and scolding Adam on his weakness over the subject of sex. Trump is the weaker person on that issue if you ask me! Isn't it just like those who are truly miserable to want other people to join their misery? They will tell you they are happy but the truth is they are not. Those who abstain from sex do so because they want something better. Now that is an example of strength. Anyhow, I enjoy TV but I do find it often about a culture war. Generally when I watch TV I have this inner dialogue (and sometimes it is loud enough for my husband to hear) on why I disagree with what's being shown to me. I find it makes TV a more enjoyable experience if I can tell them why they're wrong! If I argue with the premise being shown or the myth being foisted on me as fact, I protect myself from the subliminal influence. It's the same with reading the newspaper or magazine articles or listening to the news. Question everything! Know your stuff and know the truth and point out aberrations whenever possible. Otherwise you might be sucked in to the boob tube!

Star Trek & Dr. Seuss?

Could you imagine if Dr. Seuss wrote Star Trek? Almost as great a combination as chocolate and peanut butter! Happened across this little tidbit of Star Trek fun today from Mister Snitch!:

It really does not sound so wrong. In fact, it moves the plot along! With all that tech from stem to stern, And such a fevered quest to learn, There's one thing that seems quite unfair- How come Picard can't get some hair?

Read the whole thing here -- it's hilarious!

If Seuss wrote Star Trek, by Dave Fuller

Enjoy! Hat tip to The Royal Flush.

Citizen digitalKaren Rolls through the Grass-Roots

I became part of a grass-roots campaign today when I signed a petition to stop the city of Scottsdale from paying for the installation of photo radar on the State Highway Loop 101 which runs through our city. It was only a month or two ago when I heard about this plan by Mayor Manross and her cronies to stop people from speeding on the freeway.

I opposed this move by the city and e-mailed the city council and mayor requesting them to not go through with this plan. The reasons why I oppose this plan are:

• This is a state-owned highway and is the responsibility of the State of Arizona not the City of Scottsdale.
• We'll be spending nearly $700,000 to install photo radar and yet there is no guarantee that we will recoup any of the money through speeding tickets because the state could decide that they are the ones who should receive that money.
• Photo radar on a highway has not been done anywhere else in the country and the city would be liable for any lawsuits that arise because of flashes of light that hit drivers in the eye and cause an accident.

Obviously I don't carry much weight with the city council or the mayor because they ignored my request along with a number of outspoken citizens who came to the city Council meeting on October 25. After hearing only one person in favor of the proposal and many people speak against it, the council voted 5 to 2 in favor of proceeding with the plan to spend nearly $700,000 to put photo radar on a section of a state-owned freeway that runs through our city. From what I understand, the section of the freeway that is the most dangerous (traffic fatalities) is not the section where they will put the photo radar. So much for what they said about trying to protect us!

When I signed the petition asking the council to put the decision of the photo radar to the vote of the citizens, I learned of an interesting web site www.ScottsdaleActivist.com. I'm glad to find out that such a web site exists so that I can learn more about what's going on to fight City Hall! After reading this web site I discovered a few other reasons to oppose the city paying for photo radar on our freeway.

• The most dangerous portion of the Loop 101 is between the Route 202 and 90th St and that portion of the freeway will not and cannot be controlled by the photo radar system.
• Photo radar tickets are mailed to owners of the vehicle, not necessarily the driver, and they are not required to be paid unless they are served in person within 120 days of the ticket being issued. Since most of the people who drive our freeways during the winter season are snowbirds from out-of-state it is unlikely that the state will put money into serving tickets to out-of-state drivers. Thus residents of Arizona will be unfairly discriminated against simply because they can be served a ticket during the 120 day time limit.
• Citizens of Scottsdale will have to pay Redflex (the company installing the photo radar) if there are not enough fines collected from tickets to cover their costs. That can mean as high as $22 million coming out of taxpayer's pockets.
• The state of Arizona owns this highway and yet they will not be putting any of the costs of installing the photo radar nor will there be any personnel costs accrued by them on the project.

If you live in Scottsdale please sign the petition so that this issue can be put on the ballot in March for the citizens of Scottsdale to decide. You can find out where the petitions are at the Scottsdale Activist web site.

Time Warp

I'm completely dumbfounded by this feeling that time has just passed me by. It is as though I'm on an episode of Star Trek where they have been through a time warp. I keep asking myself, "Where has the week gone? Where has October gone? What happened to September? Is it really November?" I know I have been busy on a big project but this feeling is ridiculous. It seems like it was just Sunday and I had all these great ideas for blog posts. Now it's Friday night and I look at my blog and nothing has been written. Maybe I was waiting for those little blog fairies to do all the work? When I figure out what happened I'll get back to you! Better yet, if you know what happened let me know.