| Random Thoughts From a Confused Mind | ||||
| ,
Saturday, September 13, 2003 ( 1:10 PM ) MB Barry Column Turns Table on Telemarketers (links in this and the following post were found via Opinion Journal) The American Teleservices Association isn't laughing at Dave Barry, not after the Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist for The Miami Herald listed the group's telephone number in his Aug. 31 column and sparked a flood of phone calls to the group's offices. Barry told his readers to call and "tell them what you think." "I'm sure they'd love to hear your constitutionally protected views! Be sure to wipe your mouthpiece afterward," Barry wrote. Thousands of Barry's readers have done as they were told, forcing the association to stop answering its phones. Callers now hear a recording, which says that because of "overwhelming positive response to recent media events, we are unable to take your call at this time." Positive response? "It's difficult not to see some malice in Mr. Barry's intent," said Tim Searcy, executive director of the ATA, who said the added calls will be costly to his group because of toll charges and staffing issues. Staffing issues? I thought they were complaining that they were going to have to layoff people because of the no call lists. There's still email: info@ataconnect.org Permalink ( 1:01 PM ) MB I usually have little sympathy for people who get in trouble with homeowner associations. If you want to paint your house unusual colors, radically change the architectural style, or whatever, you know before you move in whether that change is something that is allowed in that community. If you don't like it, don't move there. Those people have a right not to have someone move in and create, what in their opinion, is an eyesore. This article is about the one time I'm going to disagree. Defiant flag flier George Andres once again is facing the prospect of losing his Jupiter home after a Palm Beach County judge ruled Wednesday that his homeowners association could go forward with a foreclosure sale next month to collect legal fees. ...Andres' homeowners association prohibits flagpoles, and Andres has a 12-foot flagpole in his front yard. Another judge ruled that Andres didn't have a right to put up the flagpole, and the association filed a lien on the property to collect roughly $21,000 in attorneys' fees and legal costs expended in winning the case. The article in the Florida Sun-Sentinel doesn't have a photo of this Jupiter, Florida home so it's hard to form a definite opinion but I have a hard time agreeing with a homeowners association that wants to punish a man for flying the American flag. Is anyone winning besides the lawyers? Permalink Friday, September 12, 2003 ( 12:59 PM ) MB PBS's 9/11 Crime via Instapundit In the two years since 9/11, we have heard small anti-American voices here and there try to turn this crime on us. They say we should ask why they hate us, as if there could be any justification for this act, as if the blame should fall to the victims, not the criminals. That is abhorrent. It is no different from saying that the Jews should ask why Hitler hated them. But, of course, it does not matter. I think asking why they hate us is a legitimate question but it should be part of the larger question, why do they hate everyone who is not one of them?. Not because it implies there is something we are doing to deserve their hatred but because when someone chooses to make themselves your enemy, knowing what they think and how they think may help you protect yourself. Permalink Thursday, September 11, 2003 ( 9:16 AM ) MB Ways to honor the day: 1. Give blood. Remember the long lines at the Red Cross immediately after the attacks? The need now isn't as dire as it was then but it is constant. 2. Phone a friend or relative that you haven't spoken to in a while. We always think there will be time later to this but today should remind us that life is uncertain. 3. Bake cookies and take them to your local fire station. If you don't bake, get cookies from the bakery or make a gift basket of candy or other snacks. What you give isn't important. What is important is letting these people know that you appreciate them. Permalink ( 8:40 AM ) MB September 11th Photo Blog Rob Salzman wrote: I've been thinking about September 11th. I've been thinking about the United States response - The Patriot Act. Invading Afganastan & Iraq. Death. Fear. Oppression. It seems to me that this is NOT the America I want the world to know. So I propose a blogwide Photoblog your Life day on September 11th. Take your camera with you. Take pictures. Show the world your life. Show the world your daily delights. Show the world that we choose life, happiness and freedom. On September 11th, I'll be carrying my camera with me. I'll snap pictures of my day - the good, the bad, the mundane. And I'm gonna post them here for the world to see. Let's make September 11th a day of affirmation and life. I don't feel oppressed and I think the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq relieved oppression of their citizens. I do think, though, that this is an interesting project. Not because it will help those who hate us to change their views but because it will help the rest of us see the things that are common in all our lives and the things that are unique to each individual. Let the mundane things of daily life that we all share help bring us together and cherish the freedom you have to be different, to make your own choices in your life. Say a prayer for the service people who are trying to bring that freedom to people who have suffered under oppressive regimes and remember those who died in the terror attacks two years ago today. Permalink Wednesday, September 10, 2003 ( 1:49 AM ) MB The current issue of Psychology Today has an article about food cravings and eating habits. The thing that I found most interesting was in a sidebar to the article. It discussed a study that showed that girls who had limited access to snacks and sweets at home were more likely to "pig out" when given the chance than girls who had more freedom in choosing what they wanted to eat at home. The main reason I liked it was because it agrees with my own theory. I let my kids have snacks when they want. No one has to clean their plate to get dessert. (It also mentioned that making kids eat their veggies to get dessert just makes the kids hate veggies more.) None of them are over weight. When they go to the doctor for their physicals, everything is always fine, they're healthy and growing well. (Sometimes too well, my oldest son is only 14 and is almost a foot taller than I am...not really that hard to do since I'm only 5'2".) MY two youngest will actually try new foods, including vegetables. The oldest only tries new things rarely, he's always been a picky eater, but even he is trying more new foods...teenage metabolism wins out over pickiness. I'm not recommending a total junk food diet, just saying that when things aren't forbidden (within reason) they aren't as attractive. Besides, with three kids, you have to pick your battles and as long as they're healthy, controlling everything they eat isn't a battle I would want to fight. Permalink ( 1:08 AM ) MB It's been almost 20 years since I graduated from college. Is it too late to change my major? Permalink Tuesday, September 09, 2003 ( 10:55 PM ) MB Make Sock Monkeys! It's going to be time for my Brownie troop to begin meeting again soon so I was looking for craft ideas. One of my favorite resources for both crafts and recipes is AZCentral.com. I did get some ideas but most of them were for things to try at home. Permalink Monday, September 08, 2003 ( 9:08 AM ) MB The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time How can a list that starts out so right (Jimi Hendrix is first) go so wrong? I agree with many of the selections but not the order in which they are listed. If Peter Frampton had been ugly, would he have made the list? For anyone who doesn't remember the 1970s, Frampton released an album, Frampton Comes Alive, that became the best selling live album ever (16 million copies). He was named Rolling Stone's "Artist of the Year". He was also teen-idol cute. Any interest in his talent got pushed out of the way by the media focus on his looks. I never bought the album nor did I consider myself a fan but I do think he deserves a place on the list more than some of the other choices that are there. Permalink Sunday, September 07, 2003 ( 12:05 AM ) MB I used to have Amazon.com shopping links on my recipe site. Then I read Clayton Cramer's post about his boycott of Amazon. I followed the link he has to Amazon's page for the book and decided that I no longer want to promote any part of their site through my own. Permalink |
| |||
