Today was a rough day. I work at a veterinary hospital as a technician's assistant, and we had some pretty nasty cases. But what stood out to me and said "write an entry!" was the nature of two of the patients there today, with such similar stories to ones I've seen in the past. The first was a little dog with hideous recurring ear infections and a n
Hey there, iamheather, just wanted to let you know that I haven't forgotten you and your prize entry is coming soon! Many thanks for playing, and for your patience. --LL
I understand your frustration, yet don't entirely agree. I have always wanted a cultural "home", a basis of traditions and community that I simply don't have here. You have to admit that that kind of thing, in the way it was in days past, is pretty unheard of now. I'm sure other countries, especially in Western Europe, have also experienced this change. However, I don't see that same set of...shall we say, community values, springing up here. Yes, Amer
This details my essential problems with Kerry. And I started watching the debates LOOKING for reasons to vote for him! I don't like Bush, and I don't like a lot of what he's done, but you can't deny that he does have actual, real, plans of action. My real problem with both of the major parties, however, is that their platforms (at least, last I saw) read like incomprehensible masses of buzzwords, amply woven with lots of political advertising for their
Interesting stuff! I really think that people are drastically overreacting to the terrorism thing, but there's no such thing as useless knowledge. And if it saves some lives down the road, well, there you go. Still, I think there are better things we could be putting our tax dollars towards right now--or at least, if we feel it necessary to research defense, then to perhaps not divert SO much funding towards it. I am rather reminded of Regan's disastar
And thus is a happy balance found between the joy of ranting and the joy of crafting a beautiful piece! A healthy blogging diet includes both, for all the essential commentary and scoring. Yum! --LL
Conservative and liberal have not just become synonyms for the major political parties, but what the real political fuss is over these days. More importantly, it's become small-town and rural America vs. big city America, in my opinion, more so than it has ever been previously. I think that's what this past election was about, and I think it's what they'll continue to be about for a long time yet. It most likely will not change until someone comes up w
Actually, I find myself wondering if this has to do with our huge turn from a goods-producing type of economy to a service-producing type of economy. Is our dollar becoming weaker because we produce nothing for ourselves? Would other countries see us as a more reliable investment if we ourselves became self-reliant once more? Regardless, I still think that it would be a smart idea for average American citizens to learn to do more for themselves, becaus
Freedom of the press is essential to a healthy democracy. It's a statement that might emit some "duhs" when I say it, but think over it. Why is freedom of the press so important? News sources--where we get our information. And absolutely vital, because if we don't know the issues, events, and candidates of our day, we cannot make an informed vote. N
Well, I don't know--maybe I'll start getting the Steeler bug too. Certainly you've already taught me the football one. Ah, the things I can share with my Dad! Anyhow, well-told. I can completely relate to moving to a new town and feeling like it's a foreign country. Though as a child I only moved to a town an hour away, I was treated like I came from a far away and terrible place where crime and other nasty things ran high. Aren't kids the worst? --LL<
Oh, finally, someone who hates those stupid diamond jewelry ads as much as I do! I really despise how they imply that your love isn't real if you don't have a fat gem. Consider the ad where the man and woman are running through some city in Europe (Prague?), and the man shouts "I love this woman!" When she is embarassed, he quietly presents her with a ring, whereupon her disgust melts away and is replaced by a deep smile and her whispers of "I love thi
Football these days! If the past year or so's worth of discussions are to be believed, it's certainly not about football anymore. A topic whose greatest controversy used to be the dads glued to the screen on Sundays has suddenly become a showcase for "what's wrong with ___?" Fill in the blank: America, the media/television, today's values, liberals, young people, secu
Thank you for playing! Sorry, but any comments posted after this one are inelligible for this game. --LL
I absolutely agree with you. As someone who very much dislikes Bush and his policies, I watched the debates and so forth actively *looking* for reasons to like Kerry. What was his message? What could I tell my Republican friends about his good points? What was "his plan" for America? All I really heard from him, though, was a lot of "Bush sucks" and "I could do it better". He didn't even promise to be a different president from Bush, he just promised t
Hello, and welcome all to this week's Radio Challenge! For those who didn't catch my prior entry (The Radio Challenge!) please read over it so you know how to play. For everyone else, let's get started! And please, do give feedback--are these clues too hard, too easy, or just too much fun?! ;-) Reminders: --You have until midnight, November 18 to respo
Return...of the Radio Challenge! Welcome! For those of you who didn't read my prior diary (aka, ALL of you!), The Radio Challenge is the super-popular feature where YOU, the reader, get to compete to show your Musical Godhood and win a cool prize! Here's how it works: --Each week (or each week I feel like running it, heheh!) I will post a *new*, shin
Grim! Thanks for the appology. No hurt feelings here! Hey, if you appreciate Robert Anton Wilson, then perhaps you will appreciate some of my potential alternate usernames/names for the Llama Log: SemiconsciousLlamaArmy Llama_Agglomerate Society_for_Freellamas "Why Llamas Like Golden Apples" "The Llaminatus Trilogy" etc etc etc Poe is actually a relative of mine. A cousin on my mother's side.
Superb! I've heard plenty of others who felt this way, but she puts it into an eloquent, touching letter that makes me question some of my own opinions. I've always been afraid of people like Christian Fundamentalists and extreme conservatives, but I think that those who have fears on both sides are turning those fears into hurtful insults without realizing the pain they cause people of those leanings. Previously, I made myself promise to try to stop m
Foreign policy-wise, I am definitely against the idea that it is our perrogative to police the world. I'm not saying we should be totally isolationist, but it is not up to us to decide what governments are in power in other countries or what other countries should be allowed to do. I also balk at anything which resembles one-world government (anything from the WTO to the UN taking more power to the US policing other nations.) I believe a one-world gove
Patriot Act--Absolutely! If knowing my every purchase and movement helps you catch those insidious bad guys, then please, put me under serveillance! *Agh* Must restrain self...must not use to...flame...idiots! Mayhaps we have more in common than we thought? --LL
For a brief time I was an early childhood education major before I decided this was not the field for me. My mother has a degree in this field and is a Head Start center supervisor/teacher. Education has always been a big issue in my family. When I look at the NCLB, I see that even though it is an attempt to clean up failing public schools, it is really just a bandaid soulution. I'll elaborate: --I was actually in high school to take one of t
I'm not entirely sure what makes a person one or the other. You can be conservative and hate Bush. You can be liberal and in favor of the war on Iraq. You could be either one and be pro-life or pro-choice. Has anyone ever written anything on what makes you definitively conservative or liberal? Because both espouse change, just change in different directions. <BR
You know, I was watching the SuperBowl when the infamous Janet Jackson incident happened. I was sitting around the TV with my father, my grandmother, and her sister, my aunt. These are all three adults 40 and over who live in a moderately-sized town. One is a staunch Republican, one is a very conservative Democrat, and all three are very religious Christians. And "The Moment" was over so fast, that not one of the four of us really knew that anything ha
Ah yes, but do you believe that 2008 will find us with a Clinton/Rice race? I have heard this speculation from a couple news channels lately. I don't want to contemplate that election; this prior one was bad enough. "If the gods had wanted us to vote..." etc.
Grim Xiozan, --It is not necessary to like Bush to be a political independent. I am not a Democrat, nor have I ever been. If you like, I can give a post detailing what I see as the major failings of each party. --I was not referring to Bush's current presidency, but rather, his upcoming term, as "lame duck". As you may know, this term usually refers to the end of a second term. Because the president at that time cannot be re-elected,
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