Saturday, September 30, 2006

Political Heroes, Heroines



Political Heroes & Heroines
1. Eleanor Roosevelt
2. Abraham Lincoln
3. Martin Luther King
4. Harriet Tubman
5. Matahama Ganhdi
6.Queen Elizabeth I
7. Hillary Rodham Clinton

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Intellectual Heroes, Heroines




Intellectual Heroes, Heroines
A few of my intellectual heroes & heroines:

1. Carol Gilligan
2. Carl Jung
3. Henry David Thoreau
4. Joseph Campbell
5. Jared Diamond
6. Virginia Woolf
7. Buddha


Monday, September 25, 2006

Le Baron Von Trapp Das Poopsmitten

Another Alter Ego has inexorably emerged: Le Baron Von Trapp Das Poopsmitten. Le Baron has been seen tooling around the neighborhood on his 150cc Jet Black, 4-stroke, Bajaj scooter. What can we expect from Le Baron?
*Will rescue damsels in distress
*will cut off SUVs at 20 mph
*will smirk at the gas station, when filling up for 2 dollars
*will do pop-a-wheelies over potholes
*will take selected ladies for rides
*will wink & beep hello to small children
*will give the thumbs up to the Harley boys
*will come to an emotional rescue (per pre-arrangement)

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Who Killed the Electric Car?


The Zap Xebra is an electric car. It goes up to 40 mph. It goes about 40 miles per charge. It is under 10,000. Would you buy a Xebra?

Yes. Cool.

No. Impractical.

Maybe. I would have to think about it.

Create Free Polls

Take my poll! http://www.vizu.com/poll-vote.html?n=13565

Saturday, September 23, 2006

My Amish Man Meez

Here's one of my alter ego meezes---
Amish Man

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

My Meez


Yes, you can create a computer animated
version of yourself (or others). Here's mine.

To make your own Meez, go to:

http://www.meez.com/

Wicked Pissah! How Massachusetts R You?

Dude! You're 100% from Massachusetts!

Dude! Me and Sully and Fitzie and Sean are gonna hit Landsdowne tonight after the game, hang out at the Beerworks. I'll pick you up at the Coop at 6.

How Massachusetts are you?
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Alright. I'm 100% Massachusetts, & proud of it! I took the quiz to prove it.
Take the Quiz. You friends from New Jersey & Connecticut, forget about it!!!!

Monday, September 18, 2006

Watch Out Boys, She's Got a Gun!

Much to the amusement (& amazement) of my friends, family, & people I meet, I eventually reveal to them that I am a Civil War reenactor. Though the subject usually doesn’t come up in the first teet ta tee, eventually people who get to know me well will wonder why there’s a reproduction 1858 Enfield Musket leaning up against my entertainment console, & a scratchy, flea-bitten, wool suit hanging in my closet.

A Civil War Reenactor indeed! Why would any self-respecting, liberal, New England gal get involved in messy, bloody, mock battles, with GUNS even!

First & foremost reenacting nearly helps me fulfill my childhood dream of ' going back in time.’ Of course we reenactors do not actually step back in time, but at some events it feels as darn real as it possibly can be. The hungry, historical imagination (if you have one) is quite satisfied in getting a picture of what it was like to live in the 1800's.

Secondly, I have always had an interest in history, and have read over the years a few good books about the Civil War. Once I discovered that many women (about 600) fought in the Civil War, many disguised as soldiers, I wanted to step forward & portray such a woman. Not to overlook the fact that thousands of men from all walks of life died in this horrible war, but to just help in revealing to the public the largely untold female side of the story.

Thirdly as a reenactor I have learned a great deal about history in the past 5 years. Not the dry, textbook history about names, dates, & battles, but the history of real people that lived at the time. My great-grandfather, great-grandmother, and your great-grandfather & great grandmother lived at this time. (Or perhaps great-great) Even if in a foreign country in 1863, the events of the Civil War trickled down to affect the lives of every American living now.

The latest event I attended was this past weekend at the Oak Grove farm in Millis, Massachusetts. I am a private in the 22nd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. (& proud of it!) Of course no actual Civil War battles occurred in Massachusetts, so it is a bit ridiculous to portray a battle or even a skirmish. But it speaks to the passion of the people involved. Though I have nothing else in common with many of the middle-aged, overweight, balding male veterans I battle with, they treat me with respect. (Mostly) Any gal willing to don a scratchy wool uniform in 90 degrees & carry a 25lb. gun all day is okay in their book. Huzzaah!

I suspect the REAL Civil War soldiers of 1863 thought much in the same way about their REAL female counterparts.

Sunday, September 17, 2006

A Few of My Artistic Heroes, Heroines

A few of my artistic heroes & heroines
1. Janet Frame
2. Frederick Chopin
3. Emily Dickinson
4. Vincent Van Gogh
5. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
6. Alanis Morissette

*note that all are dead except Alanis. If any should be alive, my vote is Alanis...


Friday, September 8, 2006

You Can't Keep A Good Woman Down

You Can't Keep A Good Woman Down

Having recently visited Mt. Rainier National Park, I learned a few things about its history. The first woman* to climb Mt. Rainier was Fay Fuller (1869-1958). She was a teacher and journalist originally from the East. As a youngster she moved to Tacoma, Washington, and developed a love of the outdoors. In the summer of 1887 Fay did some hiking in the Rainier National Park and was struck by the beauty of the mountain. She vowed to “climb the summit of the great peak.”

In August 1890, just before Fay’s 21st birthday, she managed to summit Mt. Rainier (14, 410 ft.) on her first attempt with a group of mountaineers. Most interesting to the media of the time was a description of what she wore: flannel bloomers, woolen hose, a straw hat, & flannel underwear. It was considered “immodest.” Ms. Fuller also blackened her face with charcoal and wore goggles. As there were no climbing boots for women in those days, she wore heavy calfskin boy’s shoes (see below).

After her first summit Fay continued an interest in mountaineering. She founded the Washington Alpine Club in 1891, and was a member of the Tacoma Alpine Club. She also wrote a column in her father’s newspaper called “Mountain Murmurs.” Fay scaled Mt. Rainier again in 1897 and also climbed Mt. Hood. Throughout her life she championed the capabilities of women and climbing.

*The Native Americans called the mountain "Tah-ho-ma. These tribes--Nisqually, Yakama, & Payallup--lived in the area for hundreds of years. A Native American woman possibly climbed the mountain before Fay, but there's no documented history.

Monday, September 4, 2006

They're Rebelling Already!


They're Rebelling Already!
Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be bikers.....

Saturday, September 2, 2006

Kittens!


Kittens!
Just got two kittens! They're running around just now. The kitties are both female, & have a tiger pattern. (in fact it's difficult to tell them a-part) One has more orange on her nose, & is smaller. (the runt of the litter). Don't know what to call them yet...