Sunday, November 30, 2008

long live the queen

i find all sorts of cool things on notcot.org and recently the coolest thing i found was this video of the queen of jordan. sad to say i never thought of jordan much at all before (i mean, i think the fact that there is a place named jordan and that its near israel crossed my head, but thats all) but i never realized that it had a queen or that she was hot. so, due to the cleverness of the video it appeared on notcot and then i found it and now here we are. (disclaimer; i'm just saying she's very attractive, i'm secure in my femininity enough to say that. plus, smart clever women are attractive)
in other news i've read some varied articles on obama and such and i've come to realize - maybe you knew this already - that in order to succeed politicians need to be politicians. i mean, they have to be careful about saying this and not rubbing this person the wrong way or upsetting this faction. which i guess means that being the way we are makes it harder to get a really good president. because although things might be for the best s/he'd have to be careful about stepping on people's rights and being pc. i don't know if that makes any since, i'm tired and a little hungry and its been awhile since i read those articles. by the way, i'm pro dictatorship by melissa. so, there are my political views (my platform of no babies for anyone for 3 years or so seems to upset some people and i do not know why)
anyhoo what i'm trying to say is that people keep saying "he's such a politician" or "s/he lied/flipflopped" it seems to me that they all do that - especially the ones who succeed. they learn how to play the game and thats how they get far. except maybe a few oddballs like kucinich (a vegetarian president would be cool) and um, who was that constitution guy that a lot of younger people liked? r something...
let me know if any of that made any sense.

Friday, November 21, 2008

intimidated

for so long i've been a non-confrontationalist (similar i think to my dad and brother) but it has always bothered me. someone will say something rude or do something that is wrong and i don't respond and it simmers inside of me while i plot their doom. like including their car in my experiment to see if splenda equal and sweet and low have the same effects as sugar in a gas tank. but, i'm trying to speak up and out more lately.
but now the question arises, which is better? i suppose you could put a positive spin on not responding to insults etc and say i'm "turning the other cheek" or whatever. but what about people who litter? i'm building up the courage to speak up when people i know litter, but strangers? the guy at walgreens today who tossed his trash into a shopping cart when around the corner was a trash can?
my irrational fear is that if i do speak up i'll get yelled at or insulted or worse. i suppose if i am going to speak out more i need to not let people's responses get to me. of course, i shouldn't let what people say get to me at all, but i have a hard time with that - like when i get taunted at work (its hard being the lone tree hugging heathen).
also, if i guess i should be careful how i respond, or i could be percieved as a bully. like the whole christian debate - or the abortion debate. and perhaps its best to just be quiet and not let people know how you feel because maybe they won't like you so much if they know your a tree hugging pro choice liberal heathen. of course, if that turns them off why should i want to talk to them anyways.. i have conservative no-choice christian friends.
and, i like the debate - when its rational. if we can rationally debate evolution or abortion or gay rights thats cool - i like it.
and there is the delema of the internet. have some people not responded to my blog thing because they are busy, insulted, or haven't checked it?

Friday, November 14, 2008

chile relleno casserole

tonight i finally made the chile relleno casserole i found on for the love of cooking

here is the recipe with my changes:
3 eggs, 3 tbsp flour and 3 tbsp yogurt mixed together then add salt, pepper and a 3 oz can of sliced olives (not, like i did, chopped olives. i forgot that "chopped" olives means "minced to heck")
can of black beans rinsed
3 7oz cans of whole green chilies - or roast your own - my publix did not have 7oz cans so i used 4 4oz cans.
about 3/4 grated 8oz block of colby jack cheese
1 can enchilada sauce - publix only had red mild old el paso sauce
should have had chopped green onions for garnish

in a greased baking dish layer chilies (cut open, spread out), egg mixture, cheese, beans, and repeat until you've run out of ingredients. top with sauce and cheese and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

the original recipe is at the link (its also much tidier)

the verdict? i think it was yummy. should possibly go with a side salad (as suggested) to make it last longer, but i've got some for lunch at work tomorrow, so thats all that matters. also, i spilled the salt a little, so a little over salted....
and maybe more beans or something else added? but, you wouldn't want to add too much or i guess it wouldn't be chili relleno.
it was easy and quick though! (other than those dumb new pop top cans, and grating the cheeese) so i'm happy about that.
easy and fairly quick to prepare and one dish and mexican

christians

I am told that perhaps my "yes we can" post may have sounded rude to some christians. i do not understand why. by saying the bible argument does not work with my i was simply trying to state that i am not a christian so that argument does not work. because, how could i believe something based on a book i believe is a work of fiction. and why not bring on the apocalypse if accepting people is a forerunner of it? my very amiable brother and father think it is incendiary.
i have several christian friends and family members (haven't heard from them since that post/e-mail so who knows how that friend thing is going) who i do not think know i am agnostic. i guess they assume i am like them. i tend to do the same. if i read a blog i assume the reader is a youngish white female until i read otherwise. and if i meet someone i assume they think as i do. i haven't brought up my absence of christian beliefs because it tends to be met with "no! your not" - this from a co-worker (something along those lines) and i think my grandmother ignores it when i mention it. i don't know what they think when they realize i'm not christian. what do they suddenly assume? other than that i am going to hell. plus, how do you bring it up?
if i meet someone and find out they are christian, i guess i generally apply my stereotypes to them. although of course there are many degrees and many types of christians. from the lady i work with who is very nice and accepting of people, to the vietnamese guy who is a decon or something but is not very accepting.
so, christians, if any read this, whats up? have i insulted you somehow? do you not like being called christians?

in other news, i've got to get my camera back or get a camera phone, so i can start taking pictures of dinner and writing about that. otherwise, its going to be all bitching.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

i love this

mccain's concession

so, i have finally watched john McCain's concession speech
http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/president/speeches/mccain-concession-speech.html
it was good and i am glad that he hit the key points that everyone should be happy for - what it means for americans, and the fact that obama inspired so many people.
does john mccain really not know give palin any of the blame? or does he not realize how diry his campaign was? and, will his speech inspire some bitter angry republicans to move on and appreciate how monumental this is?
i am not as moved by mccain's speech, but it was a good speech and honorable.
if the tide was turned, and mccain somehow broke a barrier - ok, say palin was running... well, i think i woman will be president someday, so i think it is not as monumental as a black man winning. and, if more people voted than ever before for a palin/mccain campaign, could i still find that inspiring despite the fact that i hate palin so?
its not the same! obama is all that is good, palin is the dark side of the force.
in other news, looks like i'll be sleeping with ear plugs again tonight. thank you annoying damn neighbors. ear plugs are the best thing. i keep a pair on my nightstand. i wish i had known about them years ago. nights trying to fall asleep with a pillow over my head could have been easily solved with rubbery bits shoved in my ears. not the most comfortable thing - but they do the trick. - just be careful though, it feels weird if you scratch your head while wearing them, and freaky if you brush your teeth with them in.
damn, now i remember i meant to get mouthwash at target.....

Yes We Can!

for the first time i am really excited to be an american. that may sound bad to so many patriotic americans out there, but i question whether we are the best. it sounds too arrogant to me. whats wrong with an EU nation or canada?
but now, i am living in an exciting time in america. we have finally moved forward. we will have a black president. i was too young to appreciate the berlin wall and while the twin towers was momentous - is that something you want to live through (plus, i was in germany at the time). so, THIS is an amazing piece of hitory.
i wish now that i had paid more attention to the election, that i'd gone to the rally in orlando.
I don't think i really paid much attention to the clinton administration, but after 8 years there is a president who is more in line with my views. I suppose i am a late bloomer but at the tender age of nearly 30 i am getting slightly more interested in politics. - in so much as it affects me and the environment. honestly, i'm much more interested in plants and food and nature than i am in the government. just like chemistry.
so, what is all this rambling?
I'M JUST EXCITED!! so much hope lies in barack obama. president elect.
if you have not seen his victory speech please watch it (full screen)
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4572578n

the only thing that makes me sad now? that others do not share my joy at this great time (worse that some people heartily dislike, hate obama - why???????) and because gay rights are so far behind. why can't they be married? why can't they have children? there also is so much hate and false reasoning. i do not think marriage straight or otherwise was in the mind of our founding fathers - as is some people's logic - and the bible argument does not work with me. nor of course does the "its not natural" (i've heard some stories about the boy mini dolphin whatevers at aquatica! wooee! [let me tell you, dolphins are dirty perverts]). a guy at work told me that when gay people are accepted it would be a sign of the apocalypse or some such. (i wouldn't know, something god related) so, BRING IT ON!

just thought i'd share.
Barack Obama has made ME excited about government and america. that is amazing.

testing, one, two...

ok, so this will be my rambling spot.... maybe i'll just use this space to complain about my bastard loud neighbors.

which is more important? i.e. which would you choose at the exclusion of the other?