Some people don't like beauty pagaents because they present an objectified, skewed notion of what a woman should be. Others don't like them because the shows are campy and trite. I don't like them because they breed or attract criminals and lunatics. Seriously.

I didn't notice this till Carrie Prejean and Sarah Palin. I've said what I think of Palin at some length before this. Prejean I dislike because her loud crying about "freedom of speech" when she doesn't understand what the phrase means annoys me. (Notice that Palin and Prejean both love to play the victim card when they get into hot water because of their own actions. Coincidence?)

However, I have found that they aren't the only ex-pagaent queens that are irksome to society. Quite a few of them go from wearing a tiara to doing time. An unusually high number, it seems to me, considering the relatively few people who go the beauty paegent route. Kidnapping, gun running, murder, drug dealing and, of course, the ever-popular driving while under the influence all come up with even a cursory googling of beauty queen criminals.

Those who watch "America's Next Top Model" may recall the contestant who tearfully left the show because they wanted to cut her hair short. She flounced out saying: "I'd rather go back to pagaents. I think they help us develop as women while modeling is just a career." I haven't seen her in the public eye since then. I hope she didn't win Miss Artichoke, only to follow up by rampaging through a mall with a machete. Maybe all the Vaseline they slick on their teeth so they can smile easily does something to their brains.

It's well past time. I recently found out that since it was criminalized in the 1930s, both the DEA and FDA have, at separate times, recommended either legalizing it or at least treating it as a prescription drug. Both times, politicians ignored their recommendations.

Here in California, the notion is being taken seriously. Not because it makes sense, which it does, but because the state is so broke we can't afford to waste law enforcement chasing it and we could sure use the revenue from tax dollars. It is this state's number one cash crop, and that's saying something because California is the nation's top agricultural producer. Even so, marijuana procedes beat out wine, sugar beets, and almonds. When there is a news story about it, literally 98% of the comments are for legalization, liberals and conservative alike.

I find the points that come up to be interesting.

- Criminalization has done exactly what Prohibition did: opened the door to organized crime by forcing a desired product into the black market. People don't like that, even those who aren't consumers.
- People are aware it's not healthy but it's certainly no worse than alcohol and, in many ways, it's a good deal safer for society since people who are stoned don't do nearly so many stupid things as people who are drunk.
- People are afraid there wouldn't be tax revenue because everyone would just grow it at home. I don't think so. I can brew beer or grow tobacco here at home, too, but it takes more than throwing a seed at the ground to produce a quality product.

I had to laugh because after several articles on the subject and much discussion by many people, someone asked an important question no one else had considered: Why is California even discussing legalizing marijuana for recreational use when the feds have said states can't do that? Oh. Good point. I think we'll probably go ahead and do so anyway within the next few years. Hopefully, the federal government will get on board and do the same, or will at least ignore us till results have been observed. We'll see.

Here's an ad that has only been refused by a few TV stations, so most Californians will be seeing it soon:
http://www.mpp.org/states/california/we-want-to-pay-our-fair-share.html

I knew a drama queen like Palin would never go away quietly. I see this morning that she insists she is not a quitter. Yes, she is. She resigned from her elected duties when the going got tough. Ergo, she is a quitter. She is totally unfit for public duties and, possibly, quite insane. What worries me is that Hitler was quite insane, too, but that didn't stop his political career, did it?

I suppose the people who support this loopy woman disturb me more than she does. Nonsensical statements? They don't care. A disconnect with reality? They don't care. A shocking lack of knowledge about national politics? They don't care. What exactly would disqualify someone for further public office in their eyes? Does Palin have to put on a monkey suit and start swatting at Fokkers from the top of the Empire State building?

I do not like Sarah Palin's politics. I thought she ran the dirtiest campaign I've seen to date. Particularly irritating was her calling Obama a socialist while she bragged about taxing the oil companies in Alaska and giving the procedes out to citizens. Even more irritating was that her rather dense fan club didn't see any problem with that.

In my opinion, she lies as easily as breathing. A recently released email exchange shows her trying to pass off Todd's membership in the Alaskan Independence Party as a mistake -- he thought he was registering as independent. Remarkably, her campaign handler refused to lie and advised her to just smile and pass it off lightly if she was questioned during an interview. Reading notes from folks in Alaska, it seems unlikely Todd was mistakenly a member for fifteen years, especially when Sarah addressed one of that party's conferences, yet she expects people to swallow any bull she spins.

But what I like least about her is her desire to play the victim. After proving herself a vicious character assassin, she has the gall to boohoo over the media criticizing her. I've got news for her. The Bible does not advise her to cry: "Do as I say, not as I do." It advises "Do unto others as you would have done unto you." On that basis, she's been asking for all the criticism she's received, and then some. I wish she would just go away. I hear Alaskans feel the same way -- there hasn't been any crying about her departure. In fact, I get the sense from Alaskan news articles and the attached comments that there have been quite a few celebrations.

Last night, I was having a vivid dream in which I was to fly to China for some business meetings. At the airport, the people who hired me discovered I don't speak any Chinese dialects. Not one word. They were chewing me out about not mentioning this when I told them: "I don't think it matters. I don't think I can go because my leg hurts too much." It did, too. I kept shifting positions trying to make the pain slack up but it wouldn't. My pelvic bone hurt and my right leg bone all the way down to the knee. I woke up it hurt so much and found that part of the dream was real.

I don't know what's going on with it. It's not arthritis because it's not the joint but the bones themselves. This is the second time it's happened in the last two weeks. It feels like the pelvic bone is flexing a bit when I sleep too long on one side. It's not really supposed to do that, so I'm going to up my calcium intake. I am at the age where my bones will get frail if I don't prevent it.

I recently read an article about the autumn of life. In summer, you may have someone you know die and you may have health problems but these events are unusual and usually interspersed with long periods of goodness. Not so in autumn. In the fall of a lifespan, you get to the point where someone you know dies frequently and health problems are a part of breathing. I don't like it much but the article reinforced there's no avoiding it. Either you deal with it or you're miserable with it but, either way, that's the way it is. Personally, I find Vicodin helps with the pain quite a bit. Even more than personal fortitude.

Yay! Sunny doesn't have diabetes or hyperthyroidism. In fact, her bloodwork showed her to be healthy. So, we're still faced with a few mysteries but it's not any of the usual suspects. The vet said he has to just plain take a look down her throat, so she's scheduled for an exam next week. They have to drug her for it as cats don't like tubes threaded down their throat. I've had that done, and I can't say I blame them.

I have to take Sunny to the vet today. She is all skin and bones. I had thought she just had an upset stomach. We've had cats with that before. But for a week and a half, I've been feeding her small amounts on the hour for a total that should have had her packing on weight. Instead, she still lost more weight. The poor thing.

I looked up her problem. It seems most likely it's hyperthyroidism, with a chance it's diabetes or cancer, instead. I think her appetite would be off if it was cancer, though, and she will eat as much as I give her. And she's not been drinking like crazy, as she would with diabetes. On the bright side, they can treat hyperthyroidism with either hormones or by just surgically removing the thyroid glands. No fun but still, not usually fatal. I hope they don't want to keep her when I bring her in, though I guess they might if there are good odds she'll be scheduled for surgery tomorrow morning.

I am dreading the trip. I've only made the run from here to Angel's Camp a couple of times since I took Joanie in and she was put to sleep. Ever since then, I have horrendous panic attacks the whole way. And each time the trip is difficult, it makes the next one worse. I am going to try taking a quarter of a tranquilizer beforehand. I doubt I'll feel it but it might well tone down the jitters, just a little. I hope so. It would be so much better if Steve and I could make the trip together but he can't get any vacation time right now and Sunny can't wait, so that's that. Fingers crossed I do OK. I'm glad it's a podunk road with little traffic on it. That helps.

Since Sacramento will be very short of fire coverage, The Powers That Be decided it would be a good idea to also lay off Sheriff's Deputies. Two-hundred-and-thirty of them.

The Sheriff's Department had tried to scare people into avoiding this by mentioning that if it happened, they would issue many more concealed weapon permits so that private citizens could defend themselves against crime. I talk to people in Sacramento. Trust me, the ones who want concealed weapon permits are exactly the people who shouldn't have them. I can only hope this was an empty bargaining chip on the part of the Sheriff's Department and they won't really arm the vigilantes.

So, inadequate fire and crime protection, closed libraries, faltering schools. I could be wrong but I think this is what a decadent society looks like. I don't think we'll like living in it as it decays.

Sacramento has decided to layoff about 86 firefighters. Remember that California is regularly swept by wildfires, every single year.

Politicians being idiots is one thing but reading people's comments at the local news station site is enough to make me think we get what we deserve. There are working class people saying Unions are bad -- they're not really sure why, except Republicans have said so, so they think it must be true. There are people who live in the community who think the layoffs affect only the firefighters and not the next person whose house catches on fire. There are people who took pay cuts at their job and so rejoice that firefighters have to, as well. Nevermind that a firefighter risks his life every time he goes out on a call while most of us just risk paper cuts. And there's one guy who owns a private ambulance service who is bad mouthing the firefighters because he thinks he can make an extra buck off disaster if they are gone. And there are people swallowing every word he says as truth.

I am once again beginning to think our species is FAIL. How much intelligence does it take to know fast response by professionals when your house is burning down is a good thing?

"You and I must make a pact.
We must bring salvation back.
Where there is love,
I'll be there..."

Far-Right Shootings Raise Fear of Hate Offensive in America

I truly loathe shock jocks and Faux News because I believe they incite these type actions. And since our free speech does not give us the right to incite crowds to violence and the things they are reporting as "news" are often flat-out lies, I don't understand why it's allowed to go on. It's done unspeakable harm to our nation.

California sure has had a lot of discussion about legalizing gay marriage. I find myself confronted with the same mistakes again and again.

1) Free speech means you will not be censored by the government unless you incite crowds to riot or pass around kiddy porn. It does not mean you can say any foolish thing you want and no one is allowed to object or disagree. If you are on a commercial broadcast, it does not mean your employer must allow you to say anything that pops into your head, no matter how hateful. It does not mean people are not allowed to boycott your sponsors. If you are in a beauty pageant where you know you are being judged, it is quite appropriate for the judges to make decisions about you based on your speech.

In fact, free speech means it is the responsibility of citizens to judge the merits of what you say, since the government does not.

2) It does not matter what the Bible says or what you believe it says -- it is the duty of the government to protect the rights of all citizens. We should not confuse government for a church.

3) If you are going to use the Bible to justify legal discrimination in modern times, please also pay attention to the line when Jesus forbade divorce, when Leviticus said blasphemers must be stoned to death, and when Paul insisted women must cover their heads. If you do not, you cannot use the Bible to support prejudice because you are just picking and choosing the lines that support what you want them to. You are not doing God's work when you promote intolerance.

4) People who want gay marriage to be legalized are not intolerant of heterosexuals. No one wants to stop straight people from being married. No one wants to limit the legal rights of heterosexuals. No one wants to force your church to perform same-sex marriages -- there are plenty of churches who are welcoming, so there is no need. It is not intolerant to disagree with bigotry. Tolerance means letting you lead your life in peace, not allowing you to meddle in the lives of others.

5) Yes, "bigot" is the right word for people who want the law to discriminate against a peaceful, law-abiding, tax-paying minority group. American ideals say that every person is entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If you want to exclude some people from that because of their skin color, their religion, or their sexual orientation, you are practicing bigotry. If the word fits uncomfortably, reconsider your position.

A rake swept over stone,
a pebble snatched from a fast hand:
"Now, it is time for you to leave."
Goodbye, Grasshopper.

I just heard from my cousin. Her brother died this weekend after a long struggle with MS. This is shaping up to be one of the worst. days. ever.

http://www.kcra.com/politics/19568547/detail.html

Don't agree that the government has the right to legally define marriage as only between a man and a woman? Take five seconds to go to the page above, click on the poll and vote disapproval of the California Supreme Court's decision today. It won't do a thing but make you feel better but a lot of us can use all the feel-better we can get right now.

Darn it, I am comfort eating again. This happened after Dad's death, too, and I put on weight I'm still trying to lose. Though I find it easy to maintain the same weight, it's been really hard to shed pounds. Apparently, my metabolism is now such that I burn about two calories an hour. I do not want to add more pounds because I'm sad about Joanie. I should not make pineapple-upside-down cake today but I bet I will. Oh, well. Maybe extra time on the exercise bike will compensate...

Mom's cat, Joanie, just had a stroke and died. It was relatively fast, as dying goes. She started crying and I found her lying on her side panting. She was to the vet as quick as I could get her there, they diagnosed stroke and put her to sleep immediately. About an hour of suffering for her, all told. She was fine at breakfast time, to all outward appearances, but that's how strokes go, I suppose.

I have no idea how I'm going to tell Mom. Joanie was only nine, so this was unexpected. The vet said there was probably an underlying heart condition for a long time that just didn't show symptoms. I'm glad she went quickly but there's a hole in the house now.

We're going "into town" to buy a fridge today. No choice about it -- our thirteen-year-old fridge is trying to freeze everything, whether it's in the freezer or not. I've been online comparison shopping but have mainly learned that they all look alike inside. It is nice that a current model will use a fraction of the energy our current appliance uses.

I do not like the stainless steel that is the current trend. To me, it seems cold and I'm not that interested in pretending my home holds an industrial kitchen. I think it's like avocado-colored appliances in the 70s -- all the rage for awhile and then no one ever wanted to see it again. I may go for black, though. We'll see what they have.

What I really want (but can't afford) is the Northstar model that's been in the store's window for over a year. How cool is this?

As we drove home last night, we saw something taped to our neighbor's gate. Though they worked in this area when we first met, both lost their jobs a year or so ago and the husband had to go to the Bay Area to find work. That's not really a commutable distance and they've been having a hellova time ever since. They've been trying to sell their home for over twelve months. Last month, they moved away even though the house hadn't sold. Alas, the notice on their gate yesterday was a foreclosure notice.

I feel bad for them. They were good folks who worked hard. One more family that's slipped out of the working middle class into bankruptcy. Even though he's retired to his plush mansion, I still get angry at G.W. Bush every time something like this happens. And all the neocons who so vigorously supported the theories that "Greed is good" and "Let the rich do as they want and we all prosper." The next time someone tries to tell me self-interest is the sole human motivator and economic policies that benefit 3% of our population help us all, I'm going to whack him or her with an umbrella until their self-interest tells them it's a good idea not to preach such extremist nonsense.

Steve is 52 today. Time keeps sliding along and just like a seal on a slide, it accelerates as it goes. I can close my eyes and see him at nineteen and that seems like such a short time ago...