read with me/vote with me

Al Qaeda endores McCain:

"Yet the endorsement of Mr. McCain by a Qaeda-affiliated Web site isn’t a surprise to security specialists. Richard Clarke, the former White House counterterrorism director, and Joseph Nye, the former chairman of the National Intelligence Council, have both suggested that Al Qaeda prefers Mr. McCain and might even try to use terror attacks in the coming days to tip the election to him.

“From their perspective, a continuation of Bush policies is best for recruiting,” said Professor Nye, adding that Mr. McCain is far more likely to continue those policies."

Are there any reasons left to vote for McCain? Honestly?

Okay, I do still agree with him on two things: (1) corn subsidies tied to ethanol production are no good at all since it takes more energy to produce ethanol than ethanol provides; there are things like, you know, the sun and the wind which cost NOTHING that we could subsidize instead; and corn is, well, still good for eating--especially in the middle of a global food crisis (though in an election year, I forgive Obama for sidestepping the issue entirely); (2) nuclear power is an energy option that needs to be seriously considered--the current methods of its production disallow nuclear meltdown, and they are insanely efficient, hence better, than crap options like clean coal. "Clean" coal? More like "what's going to happen when those hydrogen-filled caverns break through the earth and kill me" coal. And again, the sun, the wind ...

But notice that is two subpoints of energy policy. The man has left me gaping with everything else he says.

I don't like abortion but I want to run as far away from legislating "moral choices" about people's bodies as possible; I don't like either candidates' take on gay marriage (I want more equality, if you were wondering); I'm not convinced that any options for health care reform and economic crisis-averting are going to work.

But good god I'm ready to vote. But I think I'll wait until the 4th. Voting early sounds like a hoax.

smells like coffee after using the grinder at Trader Joe's for her folks' Costa Rican blend and subsequently collecting coffee particulate on her splints and splint liners.

has put a grill pan on her wish list.

has eaten meat everyday for something like two weeks. she's a carnivore.

(in facebook status format)

is convinced her nightly healing imagery therapy is working good things on her canker sore.

is still in stl.

is sweeping up the remains of her shattered neti pot.

is now using a new, all-plastic neti pot and breathing free.

is now smelling that whiff of death that comes from inside her head when her sinuses are clear.

is a little sick of passive voice, oh well.

is also sick of resting her elbows, wrists, hands, and arms.

is glad to have taught some really great poetry students who are pursuing poetry in various ways. she's getting interested in creative writing pedagogy again.

is almost definitely moving to chicago.

is praying that republicans don't steal the election again.

Still Alive

Sometime next week I will find out if, in November, I will be paid 66% of 25% of what I normally am (since I'm 25% work-restricted and compensated at 66% of that), or 66% of my normal pay.

It's a weekend of repurposing, folks ... from pantry ingredients to things stashed in the closet to NEVER BUYING ANYTHING EVER AGAIN. Also, have you heard we're in a recession? And this whole financial crisis too? And that if worries about money were something you or I had before, those worries could triple now and that would be a reasonable amount of worry?

However, within the next few weeks, Noah will finish some interviews and decide on a future job and a city to move to, and with all that comes a different sort of salary. Did you know engineers and editors make different amounts of money? They do. And so while these tripled worries are reasonable, they will also pass in a very definite time frame.

To end, I will tell you I am still alive, figuring out ways to manage pain, letting Noah do kind of everything our house needs, and thinking thoughts of reduced inflammation and the opening of nerve tunnels (folks now say I have carpal and cubital tunnel syndrome, and bilateral tendinitis in wrists and elbows).

Also, a brief list of awesome RSI prevention/recovery things:

for PC's--Workpace is a free customizable break timer and activity tracker, and it is awesome. It includes stretches to do on breaks, a "lock my computer" thing to do in one click if you get up and walk away ... really good for offices.

For Macs--Time Out is also a free break timer, though with no activity timer, and has a very pleasing transparency/opaque thing to indicate break time.

Honestly, anyone and everyone who is reading this should install either, or both, if you use a PC at work and a Mac at home like me.

I'm doing some new stretches for shoulder, neck and upper back muscles ... if anyone is interested, let me know, and I'll make some PDFs of them to circulate. I'm doing easy stretches every hour and hard ones four times a day ... and they feel good. My OT is pretty sure that if I can loosen the insanely tight muscles I have there, I'll reduce nerve pinching throughout and feel generally better.