Playing Around

I have been playing around today & came across this posting while adding to my links on this site. This is absolutely hilarious! It involves some military guys & is a classic example of too much testosterone. (link) Click on the site and be prepared to wonder about their insanity.

While scanning through this particular bloc, I read his comments about how lately, if a child goes missing, the cops are led to the body by a registered sexual offender who killed the child. He asks the same question I have. If these people are known sexual predators with histories of violence, then why are we letting them rejoin society? His language is a lot more colorful than mine, but I agree with him.

I can see the flip side of the argument - that not all registered sexual offenders are dangerous. There are all those poor schmucks out there who had sex when 1 or both were under the legal age. 1, if not both, now have records as sexual offenders. That strikes me as rather unfair because the only reason most of the USA would not fit in the same category is because we were smart enough not to get caught, you know?

Of course, there is the example of the teacher who just wed her student on national TV. Mary Kay Letourneau & Vili Fualaau got married May 20, 2005, 7 years after she went to jail for satisfying his wet dreams. Oops, I mean "sexually abused" him. Granted, they had to go through that small stuff like her jail term and such, but hey, they are now married and she is a registered sexual offender. While I think the couple are dangerous in the sense that they have no intelligence or taste, that's as far as it goes. I sincerely doubt if she will ever be a problem once all the media hype is over. I just am praying it ends soon because there is something sickening about the 2 of them together.

I keep trying to forget that the 2 have reproduced. I fear for the gene pool.

Fortunately, in the latest mags (Entertainment Weekly & People) , Brad Pitt tends to be included somewhere & that helps a lot. What made this batch of magazines especially tolerable was seeing Viggo Mortenson mentioned. He is in a new movie himself. Saw it in the latest Entertainment Weekly that he was in the movie A History of Violence. Now all I have to do is find it.

Today's Thougts

I have been reading - again. I am sure that is a shock to many. After all, I do work in a library. Anyway, I read 1 of Shannon McKenna's books and was rather impressed by 1 scene. And if every anyone bothers to read this, and also happens to be a man, remember that a major way to win brownie points is to warm the bed when it is cold. I read that in her book and fell in love with the male lead character myself. Any man who does that, even a fictional one, is well worth it.

Right now, I am reading a book called "Life at the Zoo," by Phillip T. Robinson. I am only on chapter 2, but I definitely can recommend it. The memories and factoids he relates are amazing. There are parts that had me crying, while others had me laughing. And that is only in the 1st 2 chapters!

Changing subjects, but of the 2 blogs I have linked to mine (so far) I just want to say that they really must stop making me feel so shallow. I know that I am reasonably intelligent and have a similair educational background. The problem is my insecurities and what I tend to focus on. I admit this. It does not help at all.

I watch a movie for escapism, not to make judgement calls on how it reflects society and what it says about the directors opinions. I just want to forget that I have nothing resembling a personal life or a while. And if I am watching a blow 'em up, shoot 'em up flick, it is because I have problems killing ants in real life, despite strong urges to drop kick various parents I have to deal with professionally.

I read books not only to gather information, but discover other view points on subjects. I tend to compare view points on actions and how people interpret their own actions as well as those taken by those around them. I would never think of asking a question like sfalphageek did in his post http://sfalphageek.blogspot.com/2005/05/and-correct-answer-is.html. I would never think of even asking that type of question, let alone getting feed back on it.

It drives me bonkers because I can follow the conversation, but my reference points are from conversations with, and readings of, the vets describing their experiences. I do not care to read all the specialized material out there describing the various weapons and battles. I want to know who did what and what they were, or were not, thinking. But it does not change the fact that I feel a serious disadvantage in these conversations and I am surrounded by the military in one fashion or another. It is extrememly disconcerting.

And going off on another tangent, it is extremely disconcerting to be surrounded by parents. I wish I could request that all parents, including my own, would stop with the comments about how marriage is not a bad thing and children are wonderful. Along with those comments, I'd also like to declare a moratorium on comments about how I can never understand the stresses of being a parent and so I am not properly empathetic enough to" their needs."

Gag!

I will be the first to agree that marriage can be a wonderful thing in its many forms. I encourage everyone to fall in love, have a period were courting is the best term to develop the relationship, and then get married and work on the relationship. However, I DO NOT WANT TO GET MARRIED! I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE CHILDREN! Please, accept this fact and stop with the digs because it just pisses me off.

For those friends & family who might read this, understand that I would like to have a relationship with someone I can bring home to "meet the folks" and actually live with. Well, living with someone is stretching it but I will try to be flexible, trusting, and open to discussion if I ever get into a relationship and the relationship develops to the point it is a valid point for conversation. Maybe. I hope. I promise to try. OK?

That is as far as I am willing to go. So if the world wouyld drop the commentary about how I do not want children, I would appreciate it. I am actually able to understand the comments made in "Dear Abby" about the nosy comments strangers make. I have people saying that all it will take is a good man and I'll want children of my own.

Keep dreaming.

I never have & never hope to even have dreams of having children. I do not have a mothering instinct. What I do have is serious control and trust issues. I treasure them and do my best to develop them in to major parts of my personality daily. Why would I want to let go enough to trust a child? Or the world with my child? For that matter, why should I trust another person enough to have a child with them? Why should I trust another person to be there for our child? Why should I trust the medical profession not to screw something up? Cripes, why should I trust anyone given whats broadcast in the media?

And I repeat, I have strong trust and control issues.

Going off on a tangent based on what the media is broadcasting, I was listening to NPR May 24th while driving in to work. There was a piece about a girl who was going to Stanford. That part is great, especially since the girl comes from a strictly blue collar background. What bothers me is that her tuition is over $40,000 a year! There are teachers out there who do not make that much! I don't make that much and I have 3 feaking degrees! What is wrong with this scenario!

Oh well. It is time to go home. Later!

Todays Random Thoughts

I have just watched a few movies and read several books & figured I'd share my opinion.

I watched the movie "Ray" and it was absolutely incredible. Whatever his name is who played Ray deserves every single award that he got. The sound track was absolutely fantastic. This is a movie definitely worth seeing.

BUT (surprised?) the problem that I had is the creators focused so strongly on the drugs & affairs, that all the rest of his life were almost forgotten. This is a man who went from the middle of nowhere with nothing but all sorts of strikes against him to but the movie focused on his drug addiction and affairs.

The other movie I have a "BUT" about is "The Flight of the Pheonix." I definitely enjoyed the movie. Some of the scenes were surprisingly funny and I loved the interaction between the actors. And the way they react to those little set backs are so incredibly accurate!

BUT! They were trapped in the middle of the Gobi desert, with limited amounts of food and water. Yet they were still reasonably clean, shaved, their clothes in decent shape despite being in a plane crash, 2 sandstorms, and working on a jury rigged plane construction. REALITY CHECK PLEASE! there is no way!

I also have been reading - a lot - and I am pleased to say that I have managed to add to my personal book collection. My Jayne Ann Krentz collection is about half finished. I am almost up to date on my Mercedes Lackey collection. The Jim Butcher collection is as up to date as possible. I have added to my Alan Dean Foster's. And I FINALLY have found a complete list of all of Christina Skye's work. I am slowly completing that set as well. And thats just from this past week's shopping expedition.

I have also managed to have 2 interviews for 2 jobs I think I would enjoy and am praying I will get. Say some prayers for me!

People!

Yesterday, I had yet more reminders of all the reasons why people can be such idiots. First, there was a family of 3 adult women and 2 children who came in to were I work. The grandmother stayed with the 2 children while the mother & her sister(?) went to the other side of the building to do online research on the police records of various friends & relatives.

In & of itself, that is not a problem. The problem came when the 2 children became so loud & obnoxious that not only could I hear them from the other side of the building, but others were complaining. When the grandmother was asked to quiet the 2 to a more acceptable level, the real trouble began. Instead of telling the kids to speak in their "inside voices," she huffed and demanded to know how I expected her 2 darlings to be quiet because they were kids after all. But, she agreed to take them outside.

Once the mother was informed of the change of plans, things really went down hill. Apparently, I am stupid and a "rude bitch." For some strange reason, I actually feel complimented.

The other stupidity I ran across yesterday was how people can't seem to realize that when there is an "Out of Order" sign on a bathroom stall, and the door is locked, then that means don't go in there! What I found in there is really disgusting but what is it about people? I know the literacy rate is going downhill, but common sense should rise up and smack somneone in the face when the door is locked for heavens sake!