Post 1: What are your issues?
Candidate 1: Katie McGinty
Candidate 2: Edward
Clifford III
Candidate 3: Everett Stern
Candidate 4: Kerith Strano Taylor
Candidate 5: Glenn
Thompson
Candidate 6: Pat Toomey
--------------------------------
Post 2: The environment:
Candidate 1: Glenn Thompson
Candidate 2: Pat Toomey
Candidate 3: Katie McGinty
Candidate 4: Edward Clifford III
Candidate 5: Everett Stern
Candidate 6: Kerith Strano Taylor
---------------------------------------
Post 3: The Economy
Candidate 1:Everett Stern
Candidate 2: Kerith Strano Taylor
Candidate 3: Glenn Thompson
Candidate 4: Pat Toomey
Candidate 5: Katie McGinty
Candidate 6: Edward Clifford III
------------------------------------
Post 4: Gun control / security
Candidate 1: Pat Toomey
Candidate 2: Glenn Thompson
Candidate 3: Kerith Strano Taylor
Candidate 4: Everett Stern
Candidate 5: Edward Clifford III
Candidate 6: Katie McGinty
--------------------------------
Post 5: What is your background?
Candidate 1: Edward Clifford III
Candidate 2: Katie McGinty
Candidate 3: Pat Toomey
Candidate 4: Glenn Thompson
Candidate 5: Kerith Strano Taylor
Candidate 6: Everett Stern
Total:
Katie McGinty (1, 3, 5, 6, 2)
Edward
Clifford III (2, 4, 6, 5, 1)
Everett Stern (3, 5, 1, 4, 6)
Kerith Strano Taylor (4, 6, 2, 3, 5)
Glenn
Thompson (5, 1, 3, 2, 4)
Pat Toomey (6, 2, 4, 1, 3)
Sunday, November 6, 2016
PA Electoral Choices 2016: What is your background?
Post 5: What is your background?
If someone is running for political office, I want to know what they've done for a day job. Have you owned your own business? Been a stay-at-home parent? Worked in a school or a hospital? Volunteered your time to any charities? More specifically than "how do you earn your money?" I want to know, "What have you done for the last 10 years of your life? How have you helped Pennsylvanians?" When I specifically searched for "biography" or "known for" or "background" they almost all started with what the candidate's father did for a living. Um... I get how this can affect a person's upbringing but is it THAT important? Still, I included it when I found it. I also included educational history (did this person go to college, if so, what was his or her major?) As far as I can find, one candidate is currently divorced. I finally had to bite the bullet and list who is an incumbent, because this is part of "what have you done for the last few years?" so I really feel like I may as well attach names to this, but there are two incumbents on this list, and four non-incumbents on this list. So I'll at least sort of keep you guessing.
Candidate 1: Accountant for a financial services firm. Lifelong resident of Pennsylvania. Worked with the Ron Paul campaigns in 2008 and 2012, doing community outreach and event planning.
Candidate 2: Father was a police officer in Philadelphia. Graduated college with a chemistry degree, then graduated law school. One marriage. Three kids. Was an advisor to Ed Rendell, is now chief of staff to Tom Wolf. Has campaigned for the environment and the elderly, attempting to expand Medicaid to include 600,000 Pennsylvanians.
Candidate 3: Father was a union worker. Graduated Harvard with a degree in government. One marriage. Three kids. Served as a US Representative for three terms recently, but did not run for a fourth term in the House because Candidate 3 campaigned with the promise of term limits. Is now running for Senate instead. Was part of the 2013 government shut-down, and voted against re-opening.
Candidate 4: Father was a Navy veteran. Graduated Penn State, then attended Temple for post-graduate work. Worked as physical therapist and rehab specialist. Volunteer firefighter, scoutmaster. Has served four terms and is up for re-election. Voted in favor of re-opening the government after the shut-down.
Candidate 5: Parents owned an auto shop together. Graduated high school at 16. Graduated Penn State, then graduated law school. Divorced. Two children. Serves on local school board. Practices law. Serves as a legal guardian for children in the foster care system.
Candidate 6: Graduated from a Florida university with a business degree, then attended another Florida university for masters in business. Worked for a financial firm. Uncovered a terrorist fund and informed the FBI. Was fired. Opened own business, is now CEO.
If someone is running for political office, I want to know what they've done for a day job. Have you owned your own business? Been a stay-at-home parent? Worked in a school or a hospital? Volunteered your time to any charities? More specifically than "how do you earn your money?" I want to know, "What have you done for the last 10 years of your life? How have you helped Pennsylvanians?" When I specifically searched for "biography" or "known for" or "background" they almost all started with what the candidate's father did for a living. Um... I get how this can affect a person's upbringing but is it THAT important? Still, I included it when I found it. I also included educational history (did this person go to college, if so, what was his or her major?) As far as I can find, one candidate is currently divorced. I finally had to bite the bullet and list who is an incumbent, because this is part of "what have you done for the last few years?" so I really feel like I may as well attach names to this, but there are two incumbents on this list, and four non-incumbents on this list. So I'll at least sort of keep you guessing.
Candidate 1: Accountant for a financial services firm. Lifelong resident of Pennsylvania. Worked with the Ron Paul campaigns in 2008 and 2012, doing community outreach and event planning.
Candidate 2: Father was a police officer in Philadelphia. Graduated college with a chemistry degree, then graduated law school. One marriage. Three kids. Was an advisor to Ed Rendell, is now chief of staff to Tom Wolf. Has campaigned for the environment and the elderly, attempting to expand Medicaid to include 600,000 Pennsylvanians.
Candidate 3: Father was a union worker. Graduated Harvard with a degree in government. One marriage. Three kids. Served as a US Representative for three terms recently, but did not run for a fourth term in the House because Candidate 3 campaigned with the promise of term limits. Is now running for Senate instead. Was part of the 2013 government shut-down, and voted against re-opening.
Candidate 4: Father was a Navy veteran. Graduated Penn State, then attended Temple for post-graduate work. Worked as physical therapist and rehab specialist. Volunteer firefighter, scoutmaster. Has served four terms and is up for re-election. Voted in favor of re-opening the government after the shut-down.
Candidate 5: Parents owned an auto shop together. Graduated high school at 16. Graduated Penn State, then graduated law school. Divorced. Two children. Serves on local school board. Practices law. Serves as a legal guardian for children in the foster care system.
Candidate 6: Graduated from a Florida university with a business degree, then attended another Florida university for masters in business. Worked for a financial firm. Uncovered a terrorist fund and informed the FBI. Was fired. Opened own business, is now CEO.
Saturday, November 5, 2016
PA Electoral Choices: Gun control and security
This is the touchiest subject I've handled yet.
If you think people in PA have strong feelings about coal, just mention the words 'gun control' and then you'll see what strong feelings look like.
As my friend John Acker said, "I've heard this from the people of Potter County since 2000. I'm sure it was prevalent well before. Al Gore was going to take their guns away, so was John Kerry and Barack Obama. It's strange how this claim that x candidate is going to take guns away seems to be the one of most long lasting and pernicious undercurrents in republican political persuasion. The even stranger thing is that it doesn't even need to be directly addressed in political ads or by the Republican candidates. It has become memetic. It's automatically assumed that whoever is running on a democratic ticket is going to not just restrict gun access, but physically come into homes and take guns away from citizens."
What do the candidates have to say? Let's see:
Candidate 1: [would] "require criminal background checks for those who purchase guns at gun shows and on the Internet—the same requirement on the books for purchases at gun stores." [would seek legislation that] "protected individual privacy by outlawing a federal gun registry."
Candidate 2: [would] "eliminate the requirement that a licensee must conduct business at a gun show only in the state that is specified on the licensee's license." and "loosen restrictions on inter-state gun purchases."
Candidate 3: [said] "...the Second Amendment should not be taken away...[but] some people should not be allowed to obtain one, such as anyone using a firearm to threaten another, domestic violence perpetrators, and people who have been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility."
Candidate 4: [would] "oppose all legislative actions that impose unnecessary burdens on law-abiding gun owners." "The Second Amendment is the original homeland security act. I will tirelessly fight to defend this basic Constitutional right."
Candidate 5: [said] "The federal government vastly exceeds its authority when it regulates guns. The regulations in place create victims of law-abiding citizens by restricting their ability to defend themselves." “The background checks in place now for purchasing a firearm are adequate."
Candidate 6: [said] "The Second Amendment is a protected individual right." "...I come from a family of hunters. Good sportsmen don't want to see terrorists able to buy weapons. They don't want to see criminals or the mentally infirmed have access to lethal weapons." "The need for commonsense gun safety measures has become clearer than ever."
I was incredibly surprised to find out who was who in this one. See who you side with, then check your answers on my "cheat sheet", posted tomorrow.
If you think people in PA have strong feelings about coal, just mention the words 'gun control' and then you'll see what strong feelings look like.
As my friend John Acker said, "I've heard this from the people of Potter County since 2000. I'm sure it was prevalent well before. Al Gore was going to take their guns away, so was John Kerry and Barack Obama. It's strange how this claim that x candidate is going to take guns away seems to be the one of most long lasting and pernicious undercurrents in republican political persuasion. The even stranger thing is that it doesn't even need to be directly addressed in political ads or by the Republican candidates. It has become memetic. It's automatically assumed that whoever is running on a democratic ticket is going to not just restrict gun access, but physically come into homes and take guns away from citizens."
What do the candidates have to say? Let's see:
Candidate 1: [would] "require criminal background checks for those who purchase guns at gun shows and on the Internet—the same requirement on the books for purchases at gun stores." [would seek legislation that] "protected individual privacy by outlawing a federal gun registry."
Candidate 2: [would] "eliminate the requirement that a licensee must conduct business at a gun show only in the state that is specified on the licensee's license." and "loosen restrictions on inter-state gun purchases."
Candidate 3: [said] "...the Second Amendment should not be taken away...[but] some people should not be allowed to obtain one, such as anyone using a firearm to threaten another, domestic violence perpetrators, and people who have been involuntarily committed to a mental health facility."
Candidate 4: [would] "oppose all legislative actions that impose unnecessary burdens on law-abiding gun owners." "The Second Amendment is the original homeland security act. I will tirelessly fight to defend this basic Constitutional right."
Candidate 5: [said] "The federal government vastly exceeds its authority when it regulates guns. The regulations in place create victims of law-abiding citizens by restricting their ability to defend themselves." “The background checks in place now for purchasing a firearm are adequate."
Candidate 6: [said] "The Second Amendment is a protected individual right." "...I come from a family of hunters. Good sportsmen don't want to see terrorists able to buy weapons. They don't want to see criminals or the mentally infirmed have access to lethal weapons." "The need for commonsense gun safety measures has become clearer than ever."
I was incredibly surprised to find out who was who in this one. See who you side with, then check your answers on my "cheat sheet", posted tomorrow.
Friday, October 28, 2016
PA Electoral Choices, 2016: The Economy
As with yesterday's post, this is a "double blind" study. The candidates are once again mixed around. I tried to boil the sometimes pages-long statements down to the most relevant parts. I tried to be fair and give each candidate the same amount of space. But this could only be approximate. As with the last two posts, I will reveal who is who when this series is over.
Candidate 1: "The current tax code is over 80,000 pages and it is written by Washington insiders...I want to eliminate the convoluted, lobbyist-created loopholes in the code." "Pennsylvania small business has been under assault...I will increase jobs in Pennsylvania by lifting federal impediments to small business development..."
Candidate 2: "Raise the minimum wage to a living wage...and tie it to inflation...There is no reason that someone working full time in the United States of America should not be able to support themselves." "We can rebuild America rather than spend trillions on foreign wars...We can employ Americans, retrain Americans instead of watching American workers train their foreign replacements..."
Candidate 3: [no statement on website specifically concerning the economy, budget, or jobs]
Candidate 4: "For the sake of our economy, job growth, and future generations, Washington's overspending and rising debt must be fixed." "Millions of Pennsylvania families live within their means every day; it’s time to make the federal government do the same."
Candidate 5: [congress should] "...advance policies that enable families to get ahead — like expanding tax credits that make child care more affordable." "I support boosting the minimum wage to $15 an hour...We need to celebrate and support hard work." [I believe in] "closing the unfair tax loopholes that incentivize sending jobs overseas and put small businesses at a disadvantage."
Candidate 6: “Congress can strengthen the economy by rolling back the hundreds of thousands of regulations in place for small businesses." [I am] "against unbalanced budgets, all tax increases, and all increases in government spending" "I am against the federal minimum wage. The federal minimum wage interferes with an individual’s ability to negotiate their own agreement."
Coming next: Gun control, the second amendment, security, and terrorism.
Candidate 1: "The current tax code is over 80,000 pages and it is written by Washington insiders...I want to eliminate the convoluted, lobbyist-created loopholes in the code." "Pennsylvania small business has been under assault...I will increase jobs in Pennsylvania by lifting federal impediments to small business development..."
Candidate 2: "Raise the minimum wage to a living wage...and tie it to inflation...There is no reason that someone working full time in the United States of America should not be able to support themselves." "We can rebuild America rather than spend trillions on foreign wars...We can employ Americans, retrain Americans instead of watching American workers train their foreign replacements..."
Candidate 3: [no statement on website specifically concerning the economy, budget, or jobs]
Candidate 4: "For the sake of our economy, job growth, and future generations, Washington's overspending and rising debt must be fixed." "Millions of Pennsylvania families live within their means every day; it’s time to make the federal government do the same."
Candidate 5: [congress should] "...advance policies that enable families to get ahead — like expanding tax credits that make child care more affordable." "I support boosting the minimum wage to $15 an hour...We need to celebrate and support hard work." [I believe in] "closing the unfair tax loopholes that incentivize sending jobs overseas and put small businesses at a disadvantage."
Candidate 6: “Congress can strengthen the economy by rolling back the hundreds of thousands of regulations in place for small businesses." [I am] "against unbalanced budgets, all tax increases, and all increases in government spending" "I am against the federal minimum wage. The federal minimum wage interferes with an individual’s ability to negotiate their own agreement."
Coming next: Gun control, the second amendment, security, and terrorism.
Thursday, October 27, 2016
PA Electoral Choices, 2016: Environmental issues
So there's a lot at stake when you start talking environmental issues. I, personally, was a Girl Scout, and was taught to "always leave a place better than you found it." I would love to see our country switch to clean energy. But I also know that the issue of energy dependence is like a many-pronged brain tumor: Yes, we know it's bad. Yes, we know it's killing us. But can we remove it without also killing ourselves? Our dependence on coal and oil is not just an environmental concern; it's economic and social as well. Coal is jobs in PA. It's entire towns. Since this is such a 'touchy' issue, it's a good one to compare the candidates on. So without further ado, your candidates for congress:
Candidate 1: "I will...advocate for increases in domestic production of fossil fuels... I believe that it is essential that we utilize more of our own domestic supplies of traditional energy sources..."
Candidate 2: [would like] "...to repeal a variety of subsidies and credits for ... alternative sources of energy." and "supports allowing more oil exploration in Alaska, the Outer Continental Shelf, and the vast oil shale reserves in America's western states."
Candidate 3: [would like] " to pass commonsense climate protections with investments in energy efficiency and clean energy." and "...support innovations in clean energy technologies."
Candidate 4: [no statement on environmental issues]
Candidate 5: [would like to] "lift federal restrictions on developing natural resources...including but not limited to hydraulic fracturing." [says] Pennsylvania has a wealth of natural resources such as coal, oil, and natural gas that must be harnessed."
Candidate 6: "We should be investing resources in becoming more energy independent; solar and wind." "Many of our citizens are descended from miners and oil workers who proudly supported their families with jobs in energy production...[they] will happily take on jobs created by investment in cleaner energy production...should we get the opportunity."
P.S. In case you were wondering, I wasn't kidding about this "double blind" study - I've shifted which one is which from yesterday's post. I've kept all the answers in my cheat sheet, which I will post when all of this is said and done.
Candidate 1: "I will...advocate for increases in domestic production of fossil fuels... I believe that it is essential that we utilize more of our own domestic supplies of traditional energy sources..."
Candidate 2: [would like] "...to repeal a variety of subsidies and credits for ... alternative sources of energy." and "supports allowing more oil exploration in Alaska, the Outer Continental Shelf, and the vast oil shale reserves in America's western states."
Candidate 3: [would like] " to pass commonsense climate protections with investments in energy efficiency and clean energy." and "...support innovations in clean energy technologies."
Candidate 4: [no statement on environmental issues]
Candidate 5: [would like to] "lift federal restrictions on developing natural resources...including but not limited to hydraulic fracturing." [says] Pennsylvania has a wealth of natural resources such as coal, oil, and natural gas that must be harnessed."
Candidate 6: "We should be investing resources in becoming more energy independent; solar and wind." "Many of our citizens are descended from miners and oil workers who proudly supported their families with jobs in energy production...[they] will happily take on jobs created by investment in cleaner energy production...should we get the opportunity."
P.S. In case you were wondering, I wasn't kidding about this "double blind" study - I've shifted which one is which from yesterday's post. I've kept all the answers in my cheat sheet, which I will post when all of this is said and done.
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
PA Electoral Choices, 2016: What are *your* issues?
So apparently PA has this "reputation" in other states. I'm not sure if we deserve it or not, but here it is: Supposedly, we in PA tend to vote for a party, rather than a candidate. As such, we look at whether that person has a "D" or an "R" or an "I" next to his or her name, rather than educate ourselves on the issues. Only the candidates with money get any kind of pull, since they can campaign, flooding our real and virtual mailboxes with unwanted ads. But what would it look like if this was a "double blind" study? Who would you vote for if you didn't see those ads? So I'm going to do a series of blog posts, covering the issues without naming names. At the end of this series, I'm going to post a cheat sheet, saying which candidate is which.
First thing's first: what does this candidate THINK the issues are in this election? What do Americans, specifically Pennsylvanians, REALLY care about? So all I did for this first post was go to the websites of these people. All of the websites had an "issues" header. Some of the websites had "immediate concerns" or "main issues" on the front page. For those candidates, I have shown "main issues" and "issues". As you can see, there is a lot of overlap.
Candidate 1: Main issues: creating new jobs, caring for our communities, protecting the rights of our citizens.
Issues: Creating Jobs/Improving the Economy, Improving Education, Clean Energy, Ensuring Affordable Healthcare, Strengthening National Security, Preserving Democracy, Standing up for Women's Rights, Fighting for Equality, Protecting Social Security and Medicare, Gun Safety
Candidate 2: Main issues: Limit federal government, support individual's rights, Economic Growth.
Issues: Reduce the federal debt, Help small businesses more than big business, no Iran Deal, no new gun regulations, no federal minimum wage increase
Candidate 3: Main issues: Security, Economy.
Issues: The Second Amendment, National Security, Economy, PA Energy, Border Security, Healthcare, Education, Troops & Veterans
Candidate 4: Issues: Healthcare, Campaign Finance Reform, Environment, Jobs/Wages.
Candidate 5: Issues: Agriculture, Forestry, Education, Energy, Marcellus Shale, Natural Gas, Healthcare, Military & Veterans
Candidate 6: Main issues: Against [opponent] Issues: Agriculture, Budget, Children/Families, Education, Energy, Healthcare, The Middle East, National Security, Public Safety, Transportation, Veterans
Just this cursory examination of the candidates' websites... what do they think is important to me? So here's what stands out: A lot of talk about guns and security, but only candidate 3 considers 'security' a number 1 priority. A lot of talk about the economy, but only candidate 1 specifically mentions social security. And a lot of talk about the environment, but only candidate 5 specifically mentions Marcellus Shale.
So these give me a starting point for tomorrow's post: Coming next: PA is big into coal and oil, and 'round here, you get people with VERY strong opinions about wind farms and solar panels. How do these 6 candidates feel about PA's energy crisis?
After that, I'll do some digging and find out economic plans, and include some quotes from the candidates on various economic proposals.
Update: Here is my post about Energy and the Environment
First thing's first: what does this candidate THINK the issues are in this election? What do Americans, specifically Pennsylvanians, REALLY care about? So all I did for this first post was go to the websites of these people. All of the websites had an "issues" header. Some of the websites had "immediate concerns" or "main issues" on the front page. For those candidates, I have shown "main issues" and "issues". As you can see, there is a lot of overlap.
Candidate 1: Main issues: creating new jobs, caring for our communities, protecting the rights of our citizens.
Issues: Creating Jobs/Improving the Economy, Improving Education, Clean Energy, Ensuring Affordable Healthcare, Strengthening National Security, Preserving Democracy, Standing up for Women's Rights, Fighting for Equality, Protecting Social Security and Medicare, Gun Safety
Candidate 2: Main issues: Limit federal government, support individual's rights, Economic Growth.
Issues: Reduce the federal debt, Help small businesses more than big business, no Iran Deal, no new gun regulations, no federal minimum wage increase
Candidate 3: Main issues: Security, Economy.
Issues: The Second Amendment, National Security, Economy, PA Energy, Border Security, Healthcare, Education, Troops & Veterans
Candidate 4: Issues: Healthcare, Campaign Finance Reform, Environment, Jobs/Wages.
Candidate 5: Issues: Agriculture, Forestry, Education, Energy, Marcellus Shale, Natural Gas, Healthcare, Military & Veterans
Candidate 6: Main issues: Against [opponent] Issues: Agriculture, Budget, Children/Families, Education, Energy, Healthcare, The Middle East, National Security, Public Safety, Transportation, Veterans
Just this cursory examination of the candidates' websites... what do they think is important to me? So here's what stands out: A lot of talk about guns and security, but only candidate 3 considers 'security' a number 1 priority. A lot of talk about the economy, but only candidate 1 specifically mentions social security. And a lot of talk about the environment, but only candidate 5 specifically mentions Marcellus Shale.
So these give me a starting point for tomorrow's post: Coming next: PA is big into coal and oil, and 'round here, you get people with VERY strong opinions about wind farms and solar panels. How do these 6 candidates feel about PA's energy crisis?
After that, I'll do some digging and find out economic plans, and include some quotes from the candidates on various economic proposals.
Update: Here is my post about Energy and the Environment
Sunday, August 21, 2016
You asked me why I dislike Donald Trump
You're right - you don't know me. We've only had a few conversations. So here: A few allegories - stories from my past - parables, if you will....
When I was in high school I was well-known, but not well-liked. I heard a lot of "she's book smart, but not street smart". At one point during these "best years of my life", a group of students blocked the hallway by the stairs each day in order to purposely make me late for class. Not one of the boys in my own school dated me. My brother teased me mercilessly and called me "whale". I weighed a whopping 130 lbs. I remember overhearing a group of girls talking about me and saying, "If she ever took drugs, I bet she'd be normal." Another time, an older girl convinced me that a boy had a crush on me but that he was shy and I should make the first move. He rejected me publicly and they all laughed. It was part of the game. But I worked hard. I earned good grades. I told myself I didn't care about popularity. I only had to be happy, and my happiness would never come at the expense of others. I could gain satisfaction from a job well done, and that would be enough. Looking back, those are conservative ideals. I work hard for what I get, and I get what I work for. Nothing was handed to me. Except, in reality, it was. In reality, a lot of the scholarships and grants I got for school WERE handed to me. And I was privileged, if not with money, then in having two parents who were madly in love. Having two parents who were high school sweethearts with ten acres of land, where I could spend my childhood building tree forts instead of dodging bullets. I had a lot of bad experiences in school, but my home life more than made up for it, and all in all I could say that I had a happy childhood, and living here was a big part of that.
Fast forward, and I've graduated high school and am working at OIP as a waitress. I am in college at Mansfield, waiting tables on weekends and holidays, and a local police officer comes in with his family. He was one of my best customers but I hadn't seen him in months. I ask him why he hasn't been in for a while and he said that he didn't like the pizza boy - he mentioned him by name. That kid had only worked there a week and hadn't been in there since, but the customer wouldn't know that, because he also hadn't been in there since. Likewise, I bumped into a stranger while still in my OIP shirt and she said, "Oh, I love the food there but this one time it took over an hour and it was just too much. I'll never go back." Both of those people formed strong negative opinions based on a single experience. I never wanted to do that. When I went through a bad breakup, I told my best friend, "I don't hate all men with beards, or all men born in February, just because I had some bad experiences with guys like that." I vowed to never be that judgemental.
Fast forward again - I'm married and working at Sweden Valley Manor. Well, technically married. I'm in the process of divorce. My oldest son is 5 years old, the youngest is still nursing, and my husband has just left me - run off with the 23-year-old babysitter. My oldest son has just been diagnosed with multiple mental disabilities (Autism, Mentally Retarded, ADHD, seizure disorder), they're telling me that my daughter probably has Autism, too (a diagnosis that they later took back, she was just delayed), and I'm trying to hold down a job but it's hard to find a babysitter qualified to work with a special needs child (or 2) but willing to watch the kids on weekends at 7am. The state has a program in place to find qualified sitters and day care centers. They said there's a center "near me" and I can get grant money to help pay for it. It's not near me. It's over an hour each way. People ask why my mom can't watch the kids - she died eight months before. Why not my dad? He's working full time at Pure Carbon. I switch to part time, so I can take the kids to Alliance Day Care. But I can't work weekends or holidays. I lose my medical benefits. I lose my paid vacation days. I lose half my income. I apply for child support and am ordered to receive a whopping $55/month. I don't want to apply for welfare because of the stigma, because I want to give a good example for my children, because I want them to see a mom who still works hard for everything she's got. but begrudgingly, I do so, because not having my children die of malnutrition and lack of medical care is more important than my ingrained Republican Rural Pride. My brother-in-law convinces me that it's the right thing to do. I apply, and a woman at the local welfare office asks me if all 3 kids have the same dad. I get it. My first-born looks like a carbon copy of his father but my youngest takes after my side of the family. In other words, my oldest is dark, and my youngest is glaringly white. It stings, because my ex is the one who cheated, and later I can't help but remember that time that he had asked if we could move back down south, where he would encounter less racism. I'm going to repeat that. He wanted to move SOUTH, because he encountered LESS racism living outside Pittsburgh than he did in Coudersport. When I tell my boss that I need an unexpected morning off because that's when they'd scheduled my interview for SSI, she scoffed and said - to my face - "I've MET your son. He's not disabled." A few two-minute interactions does not constitute knowing someone. In the course of a few months, I've had my first run-in with governmental racism, I've had my first exposure to the bigotry and judgement that comes with applying for welfare, and I've experienced the first bit of judgement that I'm one of 'them'. The lazy, good-for-nothing people who just wants a handout.
Fast-forward one last time. It's 2016 and I'm coming back from a week at the beach. I've seen your facebook pics of your Carribean cruise, your posts that you've seen the latest movies, the pics of your daughters attending concerts and your sons on roller coasters. My kids wanted LegoLand in FL. I had less than $200 for vacation. I told them LegoLand could wait until my youngest was taller. Instead, I took them tent-camping in upstate NY for 3 days, and then tent-camping to a state park in DE for 5. I spent less in a week than I would in one day at a theme park, but still my budget is stretched to the limit. But at least they got a vacation. They got to see a bit more of the world. My oldest son's birthday is the next week and I'm passing by a point where I'll only be an hour away from my ex and his mother. I call and arrange a visit - go an hour out of my way each way, and specifically tell my ex what Andrew wants for his birthday. The only thing he wants is a copy of Zootopia - out on DVD a few weeks before. He's already seen it because a good friend had gotten it on DVD, and let us all watch it at her house. We had to rent a local campsite and spend an extra $30 but it's worth it because the kids haven't seen their dad in over a year. He hasn't sent so much as a 30 cent card in at least five years. I'm not even sure if he knows when the kids' birthdays are. But his mother does. She loves the kids, calls and talks to them, sends them gifts. So we go. And he buys the DVD and watches it with the kids. Part-way through, as I'm telling him about a part that I like, he tells me, "I know. I saw it in the theater." It didn't register at the time. Two weeks later, in a pre-scheduled court hearing about his child support, he asks for a decrease because he's "saving up to buy a car". This is when I remember that he'd already seen Zootopia. In the theater. If you are a single, grown man, spending money to see a Disney movie without your kids, then you don't understand the meaning of the word "saving". But I'm at the point in my life where I don't live for his approval. I work hard, and I am relatively happy, and it is family that makes me happy. My dad, my kids, my siblings, my grandma, my aunt. It should be enough.
And yet, it isn't. Because this is 2016. Because the same year that I commend Coudersport on its acceptance and kind treatment of my disabled son, I also find myself repeatedly confronted with open and public bigotry. I have former classmates and coworkers who were always kind to me, posting memes filled with opponent-bashing rhetoric. So now, you ask me why I dislike Donald Trump. Because I've seen and overheard far, far too much bigotry and hatred in my life. Because "a leopard doesn't change his spots." Because the KIND of man who would mock a reporter with disabilities, the KIND of man who would deny asylum to refugees and would desire to halt immigration, the KIND of man who says, "I'm not racist. The blacks love me." without realizing how racist that is... The kind of man who, yes, donates, but has to be told to do so... That's the same kind of person who assumes that my kids have different dads because of their skin tone, who assumes that Andrew's not disabled because they've seen him on a good day - or worse, that none of "those" kids are really disabled. They just need more discipline. They just need a good whoopin.
Yes, I have become the customer who stays away even though that particular pizza cook is long gone. Yes, I have become a person who says, "Never Trump", and means it. But it wasn't just one bad experience that put me in that place. It was many. And no, Donald Trump himself is not the cause of my bad experiences. But Barack Obama is not the cause of yours. And yet, there's been so much local hate for the man. Why? Because he's a Democrat? A Liberal? There were insinuations during his campaign that he was *gasp* a Muslim. (Not true, but it didn't stop the rumors) Well so the fuck what if he was? Kennedy was Catholic, and there were whispered insinuations that if he was elected, he would turn control over to the Pope. Do you know what I overheard in 2008? In Potter County? "I'm not worried. Someone will assassinate that N- before the year is out." The exact same people who insist that I need to get a full-time job and work for a living (without bothering to listen when I say that I have one already) are the same staunch Republicans who block congressional consideration of Barack Obama's supreme court nominee. Ironically, the same congress who tells me to get a job was refusing to do theirs.
So listen, there is statistically no chance that I will ever, in my entire life, meet one of the presidential candidates face-to-face. There is statistically no chance that my single vote will change the outcome of this election, or any election on a federal level. (See link https://fee.org/articles/how-not-to-waste-your-vote-a-mathematical-analysis/ )
But I don't need a reporter to tell me that the outcome of this election won't just be a president. The campaign in and of itself is changing America ( http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/14/opinion/sunday/donald-trump-is-making-america-meaner.html?_r=0 ) You talk about research. I CANNOT research Trump the same way I would research Hilary Clinton or Gary Johnson, and form an opinion based on previous political experience, because he doesn't have any. So not having met any of the candidates in person, not having any political background for me to fact-check, what am I left with? A mound of hateful rhetoric and verbal attacks on anyone who isn't just like him. On people like me. On people like my son.
You ask me why. Because 8 years ago, I became one of "them". When I sat in the breakroom at the manor, and people talked about "all those people on welfare", when one particular aide used the word "retarded" over, and over and over... when I would speak up, they were always quick to say, "Well I wasn't talking about you." or "I didn't mean it like that." I could have kept silent. Speaking up didn't change anything. They had the same conversations again and again, and that same aide continued to use the R-word. I could stay silent now, because despite your claims of open-minded-ness, you will not change your mind, and mathematically speaking, it doesn't really matter who you vote for. Neither will Mr. Majot (although I have daydreamed about going all Martin Luthor and nailing my thesis to his sign), nor those who have covered their lawns with "Hilary for Prison 2016". I don't speak up for your benefit, because you won't change your mind. I don't speak up for my benefit, because this only garners more unwanted attention. I just want to live my life, love my kids, give them the same happy PoCo childhood I had. So my daughter's in scouts. My son's in the choir. My youngest plays T-ball. I go on FB once a day and chat with friends.
The town that I love - the one I want to give my kids - is the town that comes together in times of need. It's the town that gives whatever it has when someone's house burns down, or someone's got cancer, or someone was in a bad motorcycle accident. It's a town that supports and cares for all of its citizens, but none more so than the ones who are most in need. I've seen that town. I've had a spattering few bad experiences, where I've encountered bigotry and wrong assumptions, but then somehow, the SHtF last year, and I've seen old friends and new friends alike who take the other side - who, when prompted with the headline 'Gov Wolf announces that PA will accept Syrian Refugees' - respond with 'Better get my shotgun ready.'
My vote, your vote, they don't matter mathematically. Not in this election. But our words matter. Our behaviors matter. Our beliefs and our actions can change this town for the better. I speak up for the same reason I work 40 hours a week. I speak up for the same reason I signed up for welfare despite my pride. I do it all out of love for my children. Nothing more, nothing less. I have a voice, and they do not. And if they could speak, with their brown skin and their disabilities and their free healthcare, who in Trump's America would listen?
When I was in high school I was well-known, but not well-liked. I heard a lot of "she's book smart, but not street smart". At one point during these "best years of my life", a group of students blocked the hallway by the stairs each day in order to purposely make me late for class. Not one of the boys in my own school dated me. My brother teased me mercilessly and called me "whale". I weighed a whopping 130 lbs. I remember overhearing a group of girls talking about me and saying, "If she ever took drugs, I bet she'd be normal." Another time, an older girl convinced me that a boy had a crush on me but that he was shy and I should make the first move. He rejected me publicly and they all laughed. It was part of the game. But I worked hard. I earned good grades. I told myself I didn't care about popularity. I only had to be happy, and my happiness would never come at the expense of others. I could gain satisfaction from a job well done, and that would be enough. Looking back, those are conservative ideals. I work hard for what I get, and I get what I work for. Nothing was handed to me. Except, in reality, it was. In reality, a lot of the scholarships and grants I got for school WERE handed to me. And I was privileged, if not with money, then in having two parents who were madly in love. Having two parents who were high school sweethearts with ten acres of land, where I could spend my childhood building tree forts instead of dodging bullets. I had a lot of bad experiences in school, but my home life more than made up for it, and all in all I could say that I had a happy childhood, and living here was a big part of that.
Fast forward, and I've graduated high school and am working at OIP as a waitress. I am in college at Mansfield, waiting tables on weekends and holidays, and a local police officer comes in with his family. He was one of my best customers but I hadn't seen him in months. I ask him why he hasn't been in for a while and he said that he didn't like the pizza boy - he mentioned him by name. That kid had only worked there a week and hadn't been in there since, but the customer wouldn't know that, because he also hadn't been in there since. Likewise, I bumped into a stranger while still in my OIP shirt and she said, "Oh, I love the food there but this one time it took over an hour and it was just too much. I'll never go back." Both of those people formed strong negative opinions based on a single experience. I never wanted to do that. When I went through a bad breakup, I told my best friend, "I don't hate all men with beards, or all men born in February, just because I had some bad experiences with guys like that." I vowed to never be that judgemental.
Fast forward again - I'm married and working at Sweden Valley Manor. Well, technically married. I'm in the process of divorce. My oldest son is 5 years old, the youngest is still nursing, and my husband has just left me - run off with the 23-year-old babysitter. My oldest son has just been diagnosed with multiple mental disabilities (Autism, Mentally Retarded, ADHD, seizure disorder), they're telling me that my daughter probably has Autism, too (a diagnosis that they later took back, she was just delayed), and I'm trying to hold down a job but it's hard to find a babysitter qualified to work with a special needs child (or 2) but willing to watch the kids on weekends at 7am. The state has a program in place to find qualified sitters and day care centers. They said there's a center "near me" and I can get grant money to help pay for it. It's not near me. It's over an hour each way. People ask why my mom can't watch the kids - she died eight months before. Why not my dad? He's working full time at Pure Carbon. I switch to part time, so I can take the kids to Alliance Day Care. But I can't work weekends or holidays. I lose my medical benefits. I lose my paid vacation days. I lose half my income. I apply for child support and am ordered to receive a whopping $55/month. I don't want to apply for welfare because of the stigma, because I want to give a good example for my children, because I want them to see a mom who still works hard for everything she's got. but begrudgingly, I do so, because not having my children die of malnutrition and lack of medical care is more important than my ingrained Republican Rural Pride. My brother-in-law convinces me that it's the right thing to do. I apply, and a woman at the local welfare office asks me if all 3 kids have the same dad. I get it. My first-born looks like a carbon copy of his father but my youngest takes after my side of the family. In other words, my oldest is dark, and my youngest is glaringly white. It stings, because my ex is the one who cheated, and later I can't help but remember that time that he had asked if we could move back down south, where he would encounter less racism. I'm going to repeat that. He wanted to move SOUTH, because he encountered LESS racism living outside Pittsburgh than he did in Coudersport. When I tell my boss that I need an unexpected morning off because that's when they'd scheduled my interview for SSI, she scoffed and said - to my face - "I've MET your son. He's not disabled." A few two-minute interactions does not constitute knowing someone. In the course of a few months, I've had my first run-in with governmental racism, I've had my first exposure to the bigotry and judgement that comes with applying for welfare, and I've experienced the first bit of judgement that I'm one of 'them'. The lazy, good-for-nothing people who just wants a handout.
Fast-forward one last time. It's 2016 and I'm coming back from a week at the beach. I've seen your facebook pics of your Carribean cruise, your posts that you've seen the latest movies, the pics of your daughters attending concerts and your sons on roller coasters. My kids wanted LegoLand in FL. I had less than $200 for vacation. I told them LegoLand could wait until my youngest was taller. Instead, I took them tent-camping in upstate NY for 3 days, and then tent-camping to a state park in DE for 5. I spent less in a week than I would in one day at a theme park, but still my budget is stretched to the limit. But at least they got a vacation. They got to see a bit more of the world. My oldest son's birthday is the next week and I'm passing by a point where I'll only be an hour away from my ex and his mother. I call and arrange a visit - go an hour out of my way each way, and specifically tell my ex what Andrew wants for his birthday. The only thing he wants is a copy of Zootopia - out on DVD a few weeks before. He's already seen it because a good friend had gotten it on DVD, and let us all watch it at her house. We had to rent a local campsite and spend an extra $30 but it's worth it because the kids haven't seen their dad in over a year. He hasn't sent so much as a 30 cent card in at least five years. I'm not even sure if he knows when the kids' birthdays are. But his mother does. She loves the kids, calls and talks to them, sends them gifts. So we go. And he buys the DVD and watches it with the kids. Part-way through, as I'm telling him about a part that I like, he tells me, "I know. I saw it in the theater." It didn't register at the time. Two weeks later, in a pre-scheduled court hearing about his child support, he asks for a decrease because he's "saving up to buy a car". This is when I remember that he'd already seen Zootopia. In the theater. If you are a single, grown man, spending money to see a Disney movie without your kids, then you don't understand the meaning of the word "saving". But I'm at the point in my life where I don't live for his approval. I work hard, and I am relatively happy, and it is family that makes me happy. My dad, my kids, my siblings, my grandma, my aunt. It should be enough.
And yet, it isn't. Because this is 2016. Because the same year that I commend Coudersport on its acceptance and kind treatment of my disabled son, I also find myself repeatedly confronted with open and public bigotry. I have former classmates and coworkers who were always kind to me, posting memes filled with opponent-bashing rhetoric. So now, you ask me why I dislike Donald Trump. Because I've seen and overheard far, far too much bigotry and hatred in my life. Because "a leopard doesn't change his spots." Because the KIND of man who would mock a reporter with disabilities, the KIND of man who would deny asylum to refugees and would desire to halt immigration, the KIND of man who says, "I'm not racist. The blacks love me." without realizing how racist that is... The kind of man who, yes, donates, but has to be told to do so... That's the same kind of person who assumes that my kids have different dads because of their skin tone, who assumes that Andrew's not disabled because they've seen him on a good day - or worse, that none of "those" kids are really disabled. They just need more discipline. They just need a good whoopin.
Yes, I have become the customer who stays away even though that particular pizza cook is long gone. Yes, I have become a person who says, "Never Trump", and means it. But it wasn't just one bad experience that put me in that place. It was many. And no, Donald Trump himself is not the cause of my bad experiences. But Barack Obama is not the cause of yours. And yet, there's been so much local hate for the man. Why? Because he's a Democrat? A Liberal? There were insinuations during his campaign that he was *gasp* a Muslim. (Not true, but it didn't stop the rumors) Well so the fuck what if he was? Kennedy was Catholic, and there were whispered insinuations that if he was elected, he would turn control over to the Pope. Do you know what I overheard in 2008? In Potter County? "I'm not worried. Someone will assassinate that N- before the year is out." The exact same people who insist that I need to get a full-time job and work for a living (without bothering to listen when I say that I have one already) are the same staunch Republicans who block congressional consideration of Barack Obama's supreme court nominee. Ironically, the same congress who tells me to get a job was refusing to do theirs.
So listen, there is statistically no chance that I will ever, in my entire life, meet one of the presidential candidates face-to-face. There is statistically no chance that my single vote will change the outcome of this election, or any election on a federal level. (See link https://fee.org/articles/how-not-to-waste-your-vote-a-mathematical-analysis/ )
But I don't need a reporter to tell me that the outcome of this election won't just be a president. The campaign in and of itself is changing America ( http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/14/opinion/sunday/donald-trump-is-making-america-meaner.html?_r=0 ) You talk about research. I CANNOT research Trump the same way I would research Hilary Clinton or Gary Johnson, and form an opinion based on previous political experience, because he doesn't have any. So not having met any of the candidates in person, not having any political background for me to fact-check, what am I left with? A mound of hateful rhetoric and verbal attacks on anyone who isn't just like him. On people like me. On people like my son.
You ask me why. Because 8 years ago, I became one of "them". When I sat in the breakroom at the manor, and people talked about "all those people on welfare", when one particular aide used the word "retarded" over, and over and over... when I would speak up, they were always quick to say, "Well I wasn't talking about you." or "I didn't mean it like that." I could have kept silent. Speaking up didn't change anything. They had the same conversations again and again, and that same aide continued to use the R-word. I could stay silent now, because despite your claims of open-minded-ness, you will not change your mind, and mathematically speaking, it doesn't really matter who you vote for. Neither will Mr. Majot (although I have daydreamed about going all Martin Luthor and nailing my thesis to his sign), nor those who have covered their lawns with "Hilary for Prison 2016". I don't speak up for your benefit, because you won't change your mind. I don't speak up for my benefit, because this only garners more unwanted attention. I just want to live my life, love my kids, give them the same happy PoCo childhood I had. So my daughter's in scouts. My son's in the choir. My youngest plays T-ball. I go on FB once a day and chat with friends.
The town that I love - the one I want to give my kids - is the town that comes together in times of need. It's the town that gives whatever it has when someone's house burns down, or someone's got cancer, or someone was in a bad motorcycle accident. It's a town that supports and cares for all of its citizens, but none more so than the ones who are most in need. I've seen that town. I've had a spattering few bad experiences, where I've encountered bigotry and wrong assumptions, but then somehow, the SHtF last year, and I've seen old friends and new friends alike who take the other side - who, when prompted with the headline 'Gov Wolf announces that PA will accept Syrian Refugees' - respond with 'Better get my shotgun ready.'
My vote, your vote, they don't matter mathematically. Not in this election. But our words matter. Our behaviors matter. Our beliefs and our actions can change this town for the better. I speak up for the same reason I work 40 hours a week. I speak up for the same reason I signed up for welfare despite my pride. I do it all out of love for my children. Nothing more, nothing less. I have a voice, and they do not. And if they could speak, with their brown skin and their disabilities and their free healthcare, who in Trump's America would listen?
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
"You learn something new every day." Today's lesson: Swai.
I was visiting with my grandmother, and we were watching "Chopped", a game show on the food network that she likes. They were cooking with char, and she asked me a two-word question: "What's that?"
Now, this, I actually already knew. During Lent this year, I had purchased whatever fish happened to be cheapest. At our local grocery store, that included char. I told her that it tasted very good. It was pink, like salmon, but that it tasted more like trout.
Then came the three-word question: "Can fish cross-breed?" This time, I had no idea. I told Granner that I would go down to the grocery store, and see if they still had Char in stock. They did not. They did have swai, which I purchased and cooked for her. She asked me to use my research skills and find out, for our discussion tomorrow, if fish could cross-breed.
(Posting the answer here will not spoil the surprise in any way, since Granner doesn't use the internet.)
So, swai is also known as the Iridescent Shark, although it is actually a catfish that lives in the rivers of Southeast Asia. Char, also called Arctic Char, is found in freshwater northern lakes, including Loch Ness. It is a memeber of the family Salmonidae, which includes whitefish, salmon, and trout. I felt rather proud of my unofficial, uneducated comment that it was "between a salmon and a trout", after I found out that, yeah, it pretty much is.
So although Char is considered its own fish, the answer is a surprising yes: breeds within the same species are capable of cross-breeding. The reason that we don't see much cross-breeding in the wild is because the offspring don't always survive. Even when they do, they would almost always be so outnumbered by the "normal" fish that they aren't often discovered. If, for example, a whitefish and a trout cross-breed, and 20 of the eggs survive and grow to adulthood, in a lake system with hundreds of purebred whitefish and purebred trout, chances are slim that one of these 20 is caught by a fisherman who doesn't just call it a trout.
In aquariums, fish within the same species will often interbreed. The result is goldfish with a remarkable range of colorings.
One traveler of the information highway put it this way: "If you want to know if two fish can inter-breed, look at the Latin name of each. If the first word in the Latin name is the same, then cross-breeding is possible." Surprisingly, Wikipedia notes that Swai, the "Iridescent Shark", may not actually be a separate species of catfish, but may, in fact, be a sub-species, the result of cross-breeding from two different types of catfish.
So, I have an answer for my grandmother, and I have learned something new today. Fish can cross-breed, but it is not extremely common.
Now, this, I actually already knew. During Lent this year, I had purchased whatever fish happened to be cheapest. At our local grocery store, that included char. I told her that it tasted very good. It was pink, like salmon, but that it tasted more like trout.
Then came the three-word question: "Can fish cross-breed?" This time, I had no idea. I told Granner that I would go down to the grocery store, and see if they still had Char in stock. They did not. They did have swai, which I purchased and cooked for her. She asked me to use my research skills and find out, for our discussion tomorrow, if fish could cross-breed.
(Posting the answer here will not spoil the surprise in any way, since Granner doesn't use the internet.)
So, swai is also known as the Iridescent Shark, although it is actually a catfish that lives in the rivers of Southeast Asia. Char, also called Arctic Char, is found in freshwater northern lakes, including Loch Ness. It is a memeber of the family Salmonidae, which includes whitefish, salmon, and trout. I felt rather proud of my unofficial, uneducated comment that it was "between a salmon and a trout", after I found out that, yeah, it pretty much is.
So although Char is considered its own fish, the answer is a surprising yes: breeds within the same species are capable of cross-breeding. The reason that we don't see much cross-breeding in the wild is because the offspring don't always survive. Even when they do, they would almost always be so outnumbered by the "normal" fish that they aren't often discovered. If, for example, a whitefish and a trout cross-breed, and 20 of the eggs survive and grow to adulthood, in a lake system with hundreds of purebred whitefish and purebred trout, chances are slim that one of these 20 is caught by a fisherman who doesn't just call it a trout.
In aquariums, fish within the same species will often interbreed. The result is goldfish with a remarkable range of colorings.
One traveler of the information highway put it this way: "If you want to know if two fish can inter-breed, look at the Latin name of each. If the first word in the Latin name is the same, then cross-breeding is possible." Surprisingly, Wikipedia notes that Swai, the "Iridescent Shark", may not actually be a separate species of catfish, but may, in fact, be a sub-species, the result of cross-breeding from two different types of catfish.
So, I have an answer for my grandmother, and I have learned something new today. Fish can cross-breed, but it is not extremely common.
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
How would you rate your pain?
"On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the worst pain you've ever experienced, how would you rate your pain?"
No, I haven't been in the hospital lately, but I recall thinking how unscientific, how unlike me, to rate my current pain based on previous pain. I would quip, "I've had three children, so no pain could be as bad as that." Even if I were in the midst of a blinding migraine, or suffering from a painfully infected tooth, nothing could be above a "nine". And scientifically, if I were counting each childbirth separately, then 8, 9, and 10 would all be claimed. But, like most mothers, I have literally forgotten the physical pain of childbirth.
What I haven't forgotten is that time in 8th grade shop class, when I knicked off the tip of one finger with a router. I still feel phantom pain in that fingertip when bad weather is coming in, or when I clip my nails. There's no real way to describe it. It's a "needling" sensation. As I was in shock, and only remember coming to in the nurse's office, I don't exactly remember the pain itself. However, the whole time it was healing, it throbbed, and I could feel my pulse in that fingertip.
I've also had two bad tooth infections in my life. One was in college; I got thrown from the back of a mule (the horses were all taken) and landed on my face. Two days later, I had an abscess so bad that I literally woke up blind, with both eyes swollen shut from the infection, and I had to feel my way to my phone to call my parents and come get me. By the time my mom got there, the swelling had gone down enough that I wasn't completely blind. The dentist was only able to do part of the emergency root canal, and I had to return to college for a few days before going back for the rest. In the meantime, I sat in class sucking on ice chips to numb my teeth.
I also had a wisdom tooth come in while pregnant, and no dentist wanted to give me anesthesia, so after a week or so of pain I finally got in to see a dental surgeon who would do the deed. I wasn't even thinking about that one.
The second infection that I was thinking of came a few years later. I had a bad cavity - that root canal in college had killed all the nerves in my teeth, so I didn't feel the pain from the cavity. But when it got so bad that the jaggedness of the tooth cut my tongue, that hurt. The dentist pulled the tooth, but I got dry socket. I didn't smoke. I didn't drink with a straw. I don't know how it happened. It just did. That hurt.
So, thinking about pain, I've got to admire the "smiley face" pain scale in the pediatrician's office. It's at least moderately more scientific, more quantifiable, to say, "It's not a six unless you're grimacing. It's not a ten unless you're crying." So I thought I'd list some of the painful things I've experienced, and where I would rate them, on a scale of one to ten...
1. Phantom pain in missing fingertip
2. Purell in a papercut
3. Deep cut on my hand
4. Falling on ice and landing hard
5. Waking up with a leg cramp while pregnant
6. Waiting on a dentist to pull my wisdom tooth while pregnant
7. The worst migraine I ever had
8. Giving Birth
9. Waiting on a two-part root canal in college
10. Dry rot
I know some of you might disagree with my rankings, but part of the positioning, for me anyway, is how long the pain lasted, combined with how intense it was.
I'm curious to know about your painful experiences. Where do they fall on a 1-10 scale? What's the most painful moment you've ever had? The least painful moment that still qualifies as "pain"?
No, I haven't been in the hospital lately, but I recall thinking how unscientific, how unlike me, to rate my current pain based on previous pain. I would quip, "I've had three children, so no pain could be as bad as that." Even if I were in the midst of a blinding migraine, or suffering from a painfully infected tooth, nothing could be above a "nine". And scientifically, if I were counting each childbirth separately, then 8, 9, and 10 would all be claimed. But, like most mothers, I have literally forgotten the physical pain of childbirth.
What I haven't forgotten is that time in 8th grade shop class, when I knicked off the tip of one finger with a router. I still feel phantom pain in that fingertip when bad weather is coming in, or when I clip my nails. There's no real way to describe it. It's a "needling" sensation. As I was in shock, and only remember coming to in the nurse's office, I don't exactly remember the pain itself. However, the whole time it was healing, it throbbed, and I could feel my pulse in that fingertip.
I've also had two bad tooth infections in my life. One was in college; I got thrown from the back of a mule (the horses were all taken) and landed on my face. Two days later, I had an abscess so bad that I literally woke up blind, with both eyes swollen shut from the infection, and I had to feel my way to my phone to call my parents and come get me. By the time my mom got there, the swelling had gone down enough that I wasn't completely blind. The dentist was only able to do part of the emergency root canal, and I had to return to college for a few days before going back for the rest. In the meantime, I sat in class sucking on ice chips to numb my teeth.
I also had a wisdom tooth come in while pregnant, and no dentist wanted to give me anesthesia, so after a week or so of pain I finally got in to see a dental surgeon who would do the deed. I wasn't even thinking about that one.
The second infection that I was thinking of came a few years later. I had a bad cavity - that root canal in college had killed all the nerves in my teeth, so I didn't feel the pain from the cavity. But when it got so bad that the jaggedness of the tooth cut my tongue, that hurt. The dentist pulled the tooth, but I got dry socket. I didn't smoke. I didn't drink with a straw. I don't know how it happened. It just did. That hurt.
So, thinking about pain, I've got to admire the "smiley face" pain scale in the pediatrician's office. It's at least moderately more scientific, more quantifiable, to say, "It's not a six unless you're grimacing. It's not a ten unless you're crying." So I thought I'd list some of the painful things I've experienced, and where I would rate them, on a scale of one to ten...
1. Phantom pain in missing fingertip
2. Purell in a papercut
3. Deep cut on my hand
4. Falling on ice and landing hard
5. Waking up with a leg cramp while pregnant
6. Waiting on a dentist to pull my wisdom tooth while pregnant
7. The worst migraine I ever had
8. Giving Birth
9. Waiting on a two-part root canal in college
10. Dry rot
I know some of you might disagree with my rankings, but part of the positioning, for me anyway, is how long the pain lasted, combined with how intense it was.
I'm curious to know about your painful experiences. Where do they fall on a 1-10 scale? What's the most painful moment you've ever had? The least painful moment that still qualifies as "pain"?
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Yet another writing project
So my kids have said some unusual things over the course of their lives. Most of the time, the things that they say are adorable. When I share said "adorable" quotes with family and friends on social media, I invariably get the same comment. "I hope you're writing these down."
Honestly, not often. However, I could work on this as yet another writing project. See, the usual advice is "write every day." However, I'm not always in the mood to write every day. I had trouble explaining this to my sister, who is a physical artist. She teaches high school art, and has no trouble creating something every day. I don't want to insult her, but it seems to me that it's impossible to just "crank out" something of quality, a piece of my soul, unless I feel the muse.
It makes me question my decision to attempt professional writing.
Writing as release, however... That I can do.
So now I have a lot of different projects, each one with a different "mood". I finished my first sci-fi novel last October, edited until February, and sent it off to DAW. They rejected it, which leaves me with "Plan B": Send out query letters to agents in the hopes of getting signed. So project #1 is that. Some of the best advice that I've found about query letters is that a typical letter is the writer's resume, so include any awards that you've won, or any other works that have previously been published. If this is your first novel, say so, but also add that you are working on another. And make it so. Therefore, project #2 is my second novel. I intended to work on magazine articles and newspaper articles. If either of these were published, then I would not only have something to add to my resume; I would have the money earned from these published works. However, my first magazine article was a flop; I did three weeks of research only to find out that Slate had already published a thorough article on this same topic. Their article was a five-part series, very well written. I gave up and lost 3 weeks with the valuable lesson that my first research should be to see if such an article already exists. Project #3, magazine or newspaper articles, got left by the wayside. Project #4 is somewhat "top secret" at the moment... but I am excited about it. And when I'm excited, I write. Project #5 is to gather all those sayings that my kids had, that I had posted to social media, and to put them together into some sort of digital scrapbook. Not a story, per se. Just a string of one-liners. #5 might also be the kind of thing that I spend 3 weeks on and then let it fall, but #1, #2, and #4... those projects have my passion right now. They will either be published within five years, or I'll eat my hat.
Well, not really. That's hyperbole, dear. But that's my only goal for now. Even if it's "self-publication". Even if I have to pay someone to publish my work. It will be done. Because I won't just let these novels languish in my computer drive. They will see the light of day. And that is not exaggeration.
See, I had "weekly writing goals" on my other blog, but I only counted words on the new novel. It was frustrating to see that it was taking me so long to meet my self-imposed goals. Well, no more! I'm done counting. My new goal is simply to write every day. Even if it's just a silly blog post where I write about writing.
And just for the record, I'm no longer writing with the goal of becoming a career novelist. I will stop comparing myself to Rowling (who was also a single mother who wrote in her spare time, and took ten years to finish her magnum opus) or King (who was quoted as saying that he writes 2000 words a day). I may become internationally famous someday, but it will likely be a happy accident, and not by design and hard work.
Because I am writing for passion.
I am writing because I must.
This is my release. This is how I find my truth.
Honestly, not often. However, I could work on this as yet another writing project. See, the usual advice is "write every day." However, I'm not always in the mood to write every day. I had trouble explaining this to my sister, who is a physical artist. She teaches high school art, and has no trouble creating something every day. I don't want to insult her, but it seems to me that it's impossible to just "crank out" something of quality, a piece of my soul, unless I feel the muse.
It makes me question my decision to attempt professional writing.
Writing as release, however... That I can do.
So now I have a lot of different projects, each one with a different "mood". I finished my first sci-fi novel last October, edited until February, and sent it off to DAW. They rejected it, which leaves me with "Plan B": Send out query letters to agents in the hopes of getting signed. So project #1 is that. Some of the best advice that I've found about query letters is that a typical letter is the writer's resume, so include any awards that you've won, or any other works that have previously been published. If this is your first novel, say so, but also add that you are working on another. And make it so. Therefore, project #2 is my second novel. I intended to work on magazine articles and newspaper articles. If either of these were published, then I would not only have something to add to my resume; I would have the money earned from these published works. However, my first magazine article was a flop; I did three weeks of research only to find out that Slate had already published a thorough article on this same topic. Their article was a five-part series, very well written. I gave up and lost 3 weeks with the valuable lesson that my first research should be to see if such an article already exists. Project #3, magazine or newspaper articles, got left by the wayside. Project #4 is somewhat "top secret" at the moment... but I am excited about it. And when I'm excited, I write. Project #5 is to gather all those sayings that my kids had, that I had posted to social media, and to put them together into some sort of digital scrapbook. Not a story, per se. Just a string of one-liners. #5 might also be the kind of thing that I spend 3 weeks on and then let it fall, but #1, #2, and #4... those projects have my passion right now. They will either be published within five years, or I'll eat my hat.
Well, not really. That's hyperbole, dear. But that's my only goal for now. Even if it's "self-publication". Even if I have to pay someone to publish my work. It will be done. Because I won't just let these novels languish in my computer drive. They will see the light of day. And that is not exaggeration.
See, I had "weekly writing goals" on my other blog, but I only counted words on the new novel. It was frustrating to see that it was taking me so long to meet my self-imposed goals. Well, no more! I'm done counting. My new goal is simply to write every day. Even if it's just a silly blog post where I write about writing.
And just for the record, I'm no longer writing with the goal of becoming a career novelist. I will stop comparing myself to Rowling (who was also a single mother who wrote in her spare time, and took ten years to finish her magnum opus) or King (who was quoted as saying that he writes 2000 words a day). I may become internationally famous someday, but it will likely be a happy accident, and not by design and hard work.
Because I am writing for passion.
I am writing because I must.
This is my release. This is how I find my truth.
Thursday, May 12, 2016
The beginning and the end
I was reading a mystery book recently from the public library. The book was in good condition; it looked maybe ten years old. It was just a mystery that I picked up so that I would have something to read on my breaks at work. In it, the main character was on vacation, and had taken along his camera. Everything was so picturesque, and he wanted to take photos of everything, but he felt like he had to save a few. He didn't want to use up all his photos in one day. What? I asked myself. When was this published? I flipped to the front of the book. 1992. 24 years ago. It can't be that old. I can't be that old. I remember 1992. I don't have to Google it. I remember Perot being a major contender. I remember that floral dress with the poofy sleeves that made me feel like Anne of Avonlea. I remember Zach teasing me that I looked "like someone's living room couch". I remember VHS tapes and cassette tapes and making a mixed tape for vacation, but my dad playing the radio in the Bronco, even though we had a tape deck, and even though the same top 40 songs were on every station. I remember The Babysitter's Club and My Teacher is an Alien. I remember 1992. It can't have been 24 years ago. It just can't. But it was. And before I read more of that mystery book, I started thinking about my camera. The camera that I had in 1992.
Do you remember the time before digital pics? When you could only take so many pictures, so they had to be good ones? Do you remember the disappointment of paying $6-10, and those were 1992 dollars mind you, only to find out that sometimes the flash didn't go off, and all you took was shadow? Do you remember the thrill of taking a really good picture, and getting to show all of your friends?
I have a plastic bin full of photos in the attic, but I haven't added to it in nearly a decade. I've made scrapbooks with the best ones, and those are just the rejects. Some are bad photos, like the one I took of all of my nieces and nephews with my own kids at the last time we were all together and happy. I had the kids line up against a picturesque sunset, and all that came out was the sunset and their silhouettes. But still, I didn't want to throw it away. It was the last time that we were all together, and happy. Some of the photos in that bin are painful memories. Many are the duplicate shots of my wedding photos that the photographer gave to me as part of our package. We got 2 prints of each photo, plus negatives. Some are vacation photos with my now ex-husband. I've been divorced 8 years now, and most of my physical photos were taken in my married days, or before. There are pictures from elementary school, when I got my first Kodak camera as a Christmas gift. There are pics from high school, when my friends and I went to a Jewel concert where Rusted Root was the opening act. Thanks to my awesome older sister, I knew who Rusted Root was.
Don't get me wrong. There are times when I am grateful for modern convenience. When my kid has questions and it's easier to show them a You-tube video than to try to explain who Prince was... When my kid is doing a report on endangered species and I want a list from 2016, not 2006 or 1996... But sometimes, I don't WANT to Google the answer. Sometimes, I WANT to look through photo albums. Sometimes, I wish we didn't have all of these "modern conveniences." I don't want to only look through photos when someone dies, and we have to make "the pamphlet".
I haven't been to a class reunion since my 5-year. 2014 should have been 15 for me, and I don't even think we had one. I know I didn't get an invite in the mail. But maybe nobody sent any out. Why bother, when everyone's online? I know who's got teenagers and who's got infants. I know who's got elementary school kids. I know who's still in my small town and who's moved to the city. And if I don't know, I can Google you and find out.
A good friend of mine has valiantly resisted joining FB. Last year, she went to Cancun. She visited me at Christmas and showed me her vacation pictures (true, they were on her phone, but still...) We spent over an hour catching up, before she went to visit a few other folks. She also visited me at Thanksgiving.
I got a temp job a month ago. It's over now - don't cry for me, Argentina - that's what "temp" means. I didn't post about it online. I told random friends that I bumped into at the school or the store, some members of the school staff (since I wouldn't be picking the kids up until 5, and they needed to go to the after-school program), and, of course, family. The temp job had a computer at the desk, and no wi-fi in the building. I was allowed to use the computer for email and Google, to look up things that I needed to know, but I was not allowed to use it for social media. That's okay. And, because of my busy home life, I didn't check my social media very much when I got home. I kept up with my online games of Scrabble, or as it's known in the modern world, "Words With Friends". For one month, I posted very little. I ran into another "Facebook recluse" in a local bar. It was someone who had created an account, literally posted twice, and then stopped logging in. I'm sure if he remembers the password that he used six years ago, his notification icon would be through the roof, and it would be 85% "Happy Birthday" messages from people who didn't seem to notice that he didn't use his page anymore. 14% would be Candy Crush and Farmville invites. Or maybe it would be the other way around, since we tend to be selfish creatures wanting to score points in some virtual game by inviting more friends.
True, social media can be useful. I know people who read the local news blog religiously - and others who scorn it. Part of my recent temp job was to scan editions of our local newspaper. I hadn't actually read the newspaper in years. I didn't know that it had a new editor, if you can call her "new" since she's been editing the paper for three years. It actually reads very well, and I recommend it. The old paper was full of errors, and since it only published once a week, and gossip ran rampant in this small town, most people knew everybody's business before the paper came out. Still, the paper I remembered had national editorials, and quality writing was hard to come by when I was in high school. Now, I can log into Good Reads and see what the internet recommends for someone of my tastes, or survey for suggestions on my Facebook page. The last great book I read was at the suggestion of an old college friend, someone I've stayed connected to through social media. If he hadn't recommended it, I don't know if I would have read it.
I tell myself that I need FB and other social media to keep track of my babysitters, if nothing else. (I have a special needs child who needs qualified babysitters, not the 14-year-old who lives down the street. Not even the 16-year-old who lives down the street. If you're not a parent - and I mean a real parent - if you don't "get it", then you don't get to care for my kids. I have very few people that I trust with my kids. One of them lives two towns over, and I will drive 25 minutes to take my kids to her house on a day that my regular sitter is not available.) But now I'm unemployed, if only technically - between temp jobs again, which doesn't make me truly "unemployed". It makes me a full-time mother without a second job.
I guess what I'm leading up to is, I'm considering leaving FB. I didn't want to make an announcement on FB, since I don't want to be viewed as a "drama queen". I also didn't want to leave it completely, since it makes me wonder if I'll ever see those people again.
The classmate who moved to New York City, who has a little boy now, no more than 2 years old...
The high school friend who moved before graduation, who is now pregnant with her first child...
The college friends who were there for me during the best and worst years of my life...
The friends from my old job, where I worked for nearly nine years before I left in 2015...
My ex-husband's relatives, some of whom send Christmas cards, but some of whom I only see once every few years...
Part of me wants to plan a family reunion, but I don't even know who to invite. How much time would it take? Where is everybody living? Which branch of the family tree should be the basis for this? And do I have the stamina to take on this project? I'm a single mom with 3 kids. Yesterday was the science fair; tomorrow is the Special Olympics. My youngest has a big project due on Monday and my oldest is gearing up for his class trip. My daughter got invited to two birthday parties on the same day, and I'm trying to plan for summer vacation but I don't want to make too many plans in case things change. Life is speeding up, and there's just not enough time.
Whoa. Breathe. Calm. Yes, it's true. Life moves pretty fast sometimes. And in the words of Ferris Buller, if you don't slow down once in a while, you just might miss it.
So look through your photos. Get some of those digital ones developed and make an album. Call up an old friend.
This is Frasier Crane, signing off.
Do you remember the time before digital pics? When you could only take so many pictures, so they had to be good ones? Do you remember the disappointment of paying $6-10, and those were 1992 dollars mind you, only to find out that sometimes the flash didn't go off, and all you took was shadow? Do you remember the thrill of taking a really good picture, and getting to show all of your friends?
I have a plastic bin full of photos in the attic, but I haven't added to it in nearly a decade. I've made scrapbooks with the best ones, and those are just the rejects. Some are bad photos, like the one I took of all of my nieces and nephews with my own kids at the last time we were all together and happy. I had the kids line up against a picturesque sunset, and all that came out was the sunset and their silhouettes. But still, I didn't want to throw it away. It was the last time that we were all together, and happy. Some of the photos in that bin are painful memories. Many are the duplicate shots of my wedding photos that the photographer gave to me as part of our package. We got 2 prints of each photo, plus negatives. Some are vacation photos with my now ex-husband. I've been divorced 8 years now, and most of my physical photos were taken in my married days, or before. There are pictures from elementary school, when I got my first Kodak camera as a Christmas gift. There are pics from high school, when my friends and I went to a Jewel concert where Rusted Root was the opening act. Thanks to my awesome older sister, I knew who Rusted Root was.
Don't get me wrong. There are times when I am grateful for modern convenience. When my kid has questions and it's easier to show them a You-tube video than to try to explain who Prince was... When my kid is doing a report on endangered species and I want a list from 2016, not 2006 or 1996... But sometimes, I don't WANT to Google the answer. Sometimes, I WANT to look through photo albums. Sometimes, I wish we didn't have all of these "modern conveniences." I don't want to only look through photos when someone dies, and we have to make "the pamphlet".
I haven't been to a class reunion since my 5-year. 2014 should have been 15 for me, and I don't even think we had one. I know I didn't get an invite in the mail. But maybe nobody sent any out. Why bother, when everyone's online? I know who's got teenagers and who's got infants. I know who's got elementary school kids. I know who's still in my small town and who's moved to the city. And if I don't know, I can Google you and find out.
A good friend of mine has valiantly resisted joining FB. Last year, she went to Cancun. She visited me at Christmas and showed me her vacation pictures (true, they were on her phone, but still...) We spent over an hour catching up, before she went to visit a few other folks. She also visited me at Thanksgiving.
I got a temp job a month ago. It's over now - don't cry for me, Argentina - that's what "temp" means. I didn't post about it online. I told random friends that I bumped into at the school or the store, some members of the school staff (since I wouldn't be picking the kids up until 5, and they needed to go to the after-school program), and, of course, family. The temp job had a computer at the desk, and no wi-fi in the building. I was allowed to use the computer for email and Google, to look up things that I needed to know, but I was not allowed to use it for social media. That's okay. And, because of my busy home life, I didn't check my social media very much when I got home. I kept up with my online games of Scrabble, or as it's known in the modern world, "Words With Friends". For one month, I posted very little. I ran into another "Facebook recluse" in a local bar. It was someone who had created an account, literally posted twice, and then stopped logging in. I'm sure if he remembers the password that he used six years ago, his notification icon would be through the roof, and it would be 85% "Happy Birthday" messages from people who didn't seem to notice that he didn't use his page anymore. 14% would be Candy Crush and Farmville invites. Or maybe it would be the other way around, since we tend to be selfish creatures wanting to score points in some virtual game by inviting more friends.
True, social media can be useful. I know people who read the local news blog religiously - and others who scorn it. Part of my recent temp job was to scan editions of our local newspaper. I hadn't actually read the newspaper in years. I didn't know that it had a new editor, if you can call her "new" since she's been editing the paper for three years. It actually reads very well, and I recommend it. The old paper was full of errors, and since it only published once a week, and gossip ran rampant in this small town, most people knew everybody's business before the paper came out. Still, the paper I remembered had national editorials, and quality writing was hard to come by when I was in high school. Now, I can log into Good Reads and see what the internet recommends for someone of my tastes, or survey for suggestions on my Facebook page. The last great book I read was at the suggestion of an old college friend, someone I've stayed connected to through social media. If he hadn't recommended it, I don't know if I would have read it.
I tell myself that I need FB and other social media to keep track of my babysitters, if nothing else. (I have a special needs child who needs qualified babysitters, not the 14-year-old who lives down the street. Not even the 16-year-old who lives down the street. If you're not a parent - and I mean a real parent - if you don't "get it", then you don't get to care for my kids. I have very few people that I trust with my kids. One of them lives two towns over, and I will drive 25 minutes to take my kids to her house on a day that my regular sitter is not available.) But now I'm unemployed, if only technically - between temp jobs again, which doesn't make me truly "unemployed". It makes me a full-time mother without a second job.
I guess what I'm leading up to is, I'm considering leaving FB. I didn't want to make an announcement on FB, since I don't want to be viewed as a "drama queen". I also didn't want to leave it completely, since it makes me wonder if I'll ever see those people again.
The classmate who moved to New York City, who has a little boy now, no more than 2 years old...
The high school friend who moved before graduation, who is now pregnant with her first child...
The college friends who were there for me during the best and worst years of my life...
The friends from my old job, where I worked for nearly nine years before I left in 2015...
My ex-husband's relatives, some of whom send Christmas cards, but some of whom I only see once every few years...
Part of me wants to plan a family reunion, but I don't even know who to invite. How much time would it take? Where is everybody living? Which branch of the family tree should be the basis for this? And do I have the stamina to take on this project? I'm a single mom with 3 kids. Yesterday was the science fair; tomorrow is the Special Olympics. My youngest has a big project due on Monday and my oldest is gearing up for his class trip. My daughter got invited to two birthday parties on the same day, and I'm trying to plan for summer vacation but I don't want to make too many plans in case things change. Life is speeding up, and there's just not enough time.
Whoa. Breathe. Calm. Yes, it's true. Life moves pretty fast sometimes. And in the words of Ferris Buller, if you don't slow down once in a while, you just might miss it.
So look through your photos. Get some of those digital ones developed and make an album. Call up an old friend.
This is Frasier Crane, signing off.
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