EY's Rants and Raves

I am thankful for a great many things this holiday season. Yes, everyone says that. We're a society with a lot to be thankful for, even if Shrub will still be in office until Jan 2009. So here's my list....and following that, my "turkey" list.
1. God and my faith in him. I know you're thinking "But EY, you're so liberal and don't really strike me as a religious person". Yep, I know. I take the whole "pray in your closet at home, not in the streets, loudly like the Pharisees" verse seriously. It's still a very important part of my life that I don't do it "for show".
2. Family. Although that has been in danger of slipping a few points. Having a few of them around for a long weekend really made an impression. And not always a good one. I didn't realize how much F talked until this weekend. He talks non-stop. About not much. I've gotten quite adept at tuning him out, but it was still taxing to me. And DH doesn't do the "tune out what you don't like" trick very well, so he was in dire need of a break by Day 2. My poor SIL from The Big City has probably endured worse than dealing with F's joking, but I don't think she should HAVE to while on vacation. I'll be writing to apologize for that tomorrow. M should have been born a few hundred years ago so that she could work for the Spanish Inquisition. In one 5 minute span, she asked 5 questions. I think I hurt her feelings when I told her "Do not ask me another question for 30 minutes". Geez. If this is what having a 2 year old is like, I'll (still) pass. And while I'm glad she's enthusiastic about EVERYTHING, it still really comes off as insincere most of the time. Yes, I'm a decent cook, but a roast in the crockpot isn't a dinner at The French Laundry, so please don't gush as if it were. As usual, DH's family was normal, polite, and a joy to have over. And my fam wonders why I'd rather spend time with them. Doesn't mean they get much copy in the old blog, but truly, love them.
2A. DH. I love him. And he's been doing lots of nice things to get "DH Gold Stars" lately. Fixing a leaky faucet, not killing my family when they're intolerable, cleaning out the garage so that my car can fit in. And the whole love thing. (Sorry folks, I'm not getting mushy here in blogland.)
3. Friends. Not that I've seen any of mine since the fam invaded, but they're great and I love them. Quirky as all get out, nearly every one, but maybe I attract the odd ducks because it's my "natural environment" (see above). Saturday will be a lovely Christmas party with one group. There will be enough food to feed a small army....I should start fasting now, but I have too many leftovers.
4. Job/Country/etc. Even though the Big Faceless Corp is a bit of a mess and the land is ruled by Rethuglicans, the first is still paying the bills pretty well and the other is an OK place to be. I'm very blessed materially and while I should cut back a bit, I'm very appreciative of my stuff (hey, I've been thankful for all the people first).
5. Other cultures. That's right....even the folks who don't like us. I'm thankful for the different views on the world you get from other people. No matter who they are.
6. NFL football. As I watch KC and NE, not even teams I like, I'm happy. I so dread February thru August. My Sunday afternoons will suck.
Turkey List
1. The usual suspects on a liberal's list: GWB, Karl Rove, TO; everyone who thinks evolution and global warming are fake; people who don't believe the Holocaust happened (or that we're so much more advanced that it can't happen again, sadly); the thought that environmental protections are "too expensive" or not needed (we only get one planet, folks); Sony and their "people don't care if we put cloaked software on their PC's and leave them exposed to hackers if they remove it"; Target, you're supposed to be the ANTI- WalMart....remember?

I'm thankful for more than that and have more turkeys, but I need to clean up after the guests, iron and otherwise get ready for the week....oh, and my battery is down too.

So Heidi Fleiss's next big thing is a brothel, staffed by men, for a female clientle. (In compairison, Garth Brook's "next big thing" is Trisha Yearwood.) There has been quite a bit of discussion on whether this will work on Salon. I for one am all for it. Why not? When a lot of women have good jobs, run their households and need release from stress, why not seek professional assistance? Would I seek out such? I can't honestly say one way or another. I'm sure DH would prefer me to say "Oh, no, absolutely not", but there's something compelling about the transaction. I get what I want, as much of it as I want to pay for, from someone who knows what he's doing, who I can and should tell *exactly* what I want, then get it, and leave.

A lot of posters on Salon insisted that "women won't pay for sex" and "women can have sex anytime they want". From this woman's POV, "wrong" on the former and "whatever" on the latter. Many women like to shop. I'd imagine at Miss Heidi's, they bring the men out when you walk in and declare your intentions and then you get to shop. You get to size up the offerings and figure out which presents you with the value you require. I'd hope you get to ask about any specialties, preferences, etc. I can't imagine a guy working at a brothel who wasn't good at dining at the Y, but it's an important thing to know.

If I were in Vegas, won large at a casino and felt the need, I could see myself making a visit. The money is no small thing. I do OK for my area, education level and lifestyle, but a trip to Vegas isn't going to happen anytime soon, much less one where I'd have the money for a guy. So my issue isn't that I "won't" pay for sex, it's more that my current cash flow doesn't support such activities right this moment.

Now to the other fallacy...Can women get sex anytime they want it? Absolutely not. No more than men can. With a partner or without, it just doesn't happen everytime one wants it. Not pointing out anyone as a bad person, that's just the way it is. I'd be surprised to find any one person who has sex anytime he or she wants it...much less an entire gender.

So I wish you well on your endeavor, Heidi. Who knows, I might come visit some day.

Big news in the NFL this week. First, TO is banish-ed from the Eagles, then two (now former) Panthers cheerleaders are arrested for allegedly having sex in a bathroom. Questions abound for me on this, Gentle Reader. Was there only one stall in the bathroom? If so, spending too much time in it--even time for love--is just rude. Should you punch out a bathroom patron for being impatient? For the most part, I have to say no. However, if there are other stalls and the person waiting is just being a bitch and you need a little love, I say it's justified.
How many times have you been drinking with the crew and gotten a little "friendly"? We all have. And everyone likes a "friendly drunk"....certainly MUCH better than an "angry drunk". So these ladies needed to express a little more comradery and wanted a little privacy? So what? They were in a BAR. It's not like this was the bathroom in a Chuckie Cheese where kids would be walking in. To reiterate, as long as there were other stalls for other patrons to use, what's the problem? Now I do realize there is the "and if everyone acted like this, there wouldn't be enough bathrooms" argument. Agreed. But I would counter with "if people would be cool with spontaneous expressions of love without judgement or hatred, neither these chicks nor anyone else would have to hide in a bathroom".
Should these ladies have been fired for their actions? Only because of the assault. Punching someone out--even if somewhat justified--never brings good attention to the folks you work for. Especially if that company is an NFL team. If the punch hadn't happened, I would be very opposed to firing. I love NFL football and I'm a chick. But I realize that the majority of NFL fans are straight men. If anything, having cheerleaders who sometimes make out could only bring LOTS of attention and money to the Carolina Panthers. Calendar sales alone would skyrocket.
So J, that's my take on the thing. Were they wrong? Possibly. Would the world be better where love was more prominent and didn't have to hide? Sure. But didn't we already know that?

I'm not surprised by this week's trials and travails in the NFL. I knew, long ago, that Terrell Owens would be a problem for any team desperate enough to take him from San Fran. Wide receivers are a loud, troublesome lot and he's the loudest and most troublesome. Keyshawn Johnson got sat down by Jon Gruden, but has been (for the most part) placid under Bill Parcells. Randy Moss spurned his teammates in MN several times, but has been OK for the Raiders (in both temperment and playing). Andy Reid is a good man who wants to believe in people (or so I keep reading). Why wouldn't he give TO a try? He's a good player. Having said that, however, in the Denver game he missed several balls that he--of all players--should have caught. Apparently, TO had his mind made up then that he needed to go on a crying spree to get attention. So he has. And I agree with Gregg Easterbrook that "He Who Must Not Be Named" is now "He Who Need Not Be Named". You made your bed. It's pretty freaking soft and cushy compared to the one the average fan snuggles into every night. And we're the ones who REALLY pay your salary.

In much better news, Gentle Reader, pictures are now hanging in my Humble Abode. It's on the list of things I need DH to do before our respective fams descend upon us for Turkey Day. Now if we can just get the mantle fixed up.

BFC is the same as always....A coworker is out for a bit to hang out with his new kiddo. I didn't realize how accustomed I am to being snarky and sarcastic about things....He and I usually vent that with each other. You have to be careful about being snarky and about your targets for sarcasm. I have to dice up conversations I could normally have with WH and try to find someone else who will agree. It's odd.

Oh well, it's late....

Had to go out and buy the November BA, but the December BA arrived right on schedule. And the same day as that sneaky friend of mine J's did. (OK, he's not all that sneaky--he's a really good guy and the only one who reads my blog on a semi-regular basis.) I'm quite pleased with both issues, although cooking for my and DH's rather traditional families means that I won't get to have much derring-do on Thanksgiving Day.
Had a busy and interesting week. I've spent 10 years working for the Big Faceless Corporation and only this week have I encountered outright pettiness with other co-workers. And in a way that didn't really matter. Does it matter that more people help a client? If the end result is that our client had a good feeling about their visit to BFC, is it THAT big a deal that they dealt with one more person than they would have otherwise? I think not. Fortunately, my boss is on my side. It's very much a "death by 10,000 papercuts" kind of thing, so unless it gets blatent, I'm not going whining to him. If he finds out from others, so be it.
Had two lovely meals this week. Each was nice cost-wise as well. Answered the trivia question from Lily's Dim Sum and Then Some, so that was $10 off. Got a $40 gift cert from a friend to Jasmine's and it was dearly needed. DH and I dropped nearly a BenF. App was good, but nothing special (other than the garnish of beet ribbons....which were WONDERFUL. Who knew beets were so good?) DH's ribeye was massive, but cooked to perfection and tasted wonderful. My pork in a Chinese-y, ginger-y, citrus-y sauce was absolutely delightful. Basmati rice and a nice steamed veggie (with plenty of baby corn--YUM) side made for a very nice meal indeed. We shouldn't have had dessert, either one of us, but most of my cake was quite good. Oddly enough, the chocolate cake was less interesting than the vanilla. The shot of Bailey's would have been a perfect dessert on it's own.
Got to put the guest room together today. Also need to clean, vacuum in a really bad way and clean off the counter top in the laundry room. Everything in our respective hands gets dumped there when we come in. Bank statements from months ago, receipts from who knows where, a hot pad I need to take back to DH's mom (who I also need to call).
Watching the Razorback game. At first, I was quite happy that it was only 7-0 (SC) and I'm still heartened that it's 10-7 (AR) going into halftime, but still. They're playing typical "red hot" and "ice cold" Hogs. Some spectacular plays, some stupid mistakes. Old Ball Coach (S. Spurrier) won't sit for this for long. It's a beautiful day for homecoming. I have a few friends who are there. I was about to text one of them to ask "WTH?" when we had some good plays. Then we went back to normal.