Country mouse, city mouse

Ok, so I'm not exactly a 'country mouse' anymore, but I still get a giddy feeling when I head to a city--especially if said city has been horribly corrupt at any/all moments and has a storied history in animal slaughter. If you guessed Chicago, you're on the money! Of course the picture of the skyline probably helped. My favorite building from the skyline? The diamond one that is featured in the movie Adventures in Babysitting, a fabulous 80's affair starring an early Elisabeth Shue.

But back to my point, I'm heading to Chicago to see the most talented artist in the Midwest's art opening. You of course know that I am referencing Jenn Cooper. Always on the cutting edge, always experimenting Ms. Cooper always gets a 'Wow' from me. I'm bringing back pics, so fear not! You too shall witness the glory. Until then, my little chickadees, fear not. I shall return to you all very soon!

PS: Props to my main man for getting his groove on last night with a cute young thing! It was so hot, even I had an erection!

I don't think I'm going to heaven!

Your classification is:
Communist/Marxist/Socialist/Secular Humanist Worldview Thinker

Your score is: -48 points of 170 possible, -28%



Scoring/Ratings Chart

Strong Biblical Worldview Thinker
75% - 100%

Moderate Biblical Worldview Thinker
50% - 74%

Secular Humanist Worldview Thinker
25% - 49%

Socialist Worldview Thinker
0% - 24%

Communist/Marxist/Socialist/Secular Humanist Worldview Thinker
under 0%

I scare myself

Which Absurd Cat are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Derranged Cat. Wow. . . lay off the halucinogenics and brush your hair once in a while. You're one sick, derranged s.o.b.

Which Absurd Cat are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

MELISSA: Getting sick, getting tired.

Dear universe at large,
Supposedly the I'm-still-alive-but-decomposing-before-your-very-eyes Pope John Paul has written a book all on his very own. From what I read about the book on CNN, its full of tired anti-human rights bullshit, with the ante upped just a bit for drama. He compares abortion to the Holocaust, which of course drew outcries from the Jewish sector. But everything gets compared to the Holocaust at some point, am I right?**(See interesting follow-up story about the Holocaust and Melissa)

What really pissed me off as a lapsed Catholic was the language he used in reference to homosexuality. I'm not sure how this trend got started as legitimate, but it harkens back to W's language. Witness: "It is legitimate and necessary to ask oneself if this is not perhaps part of a new IDEOLOGY OF EVIL, perhaps more insidious and hidden, which attempts to pit human rights against the family and against man," he writes.This author does indeed hope that this doesn't mean that the Pope is planning pre-emptive strikes against San Francisco or South Beach.

But I digress. An ide-fuckin-ology of evil? I see. I didn't realize that the hate crimes perpetrated against homosexuals were really attempts at winning divine favor against such an insidious enemy. I didn't realize that stamping out homosexuality is what REALLY proves a person's devotion to god. Thank GOD we don't need to worry about helping the poor, the starving, or the weak anymore. It was really a very tired religious campaign, you have to admit. Besides, in our society nowadays, our desperate grab for money and power (I mean American society as a whole, not just our president) is now acceptable if all we have to do to maintain our good Christian souls is stamp out the homosexuals. This will be easier, after all, if we haven't given our money away to the starving wretches.

Oh, geez! It just hit me though, the inevitable solution that the Pope is implying. We must kill all the homosexuals. I mean, we can't have an Ideology of Evil out there on the streets. My god man! And if something is really an IDEOLOGY OF EVIL, it must be stamped out a la the (very incomplete) War on Hunger. But we have a new enemy now, and like all enemies, it must be purged from our society. So back to the concentration camps the homosexuals must go. The pope must be obeyed as an emissary of god. So, be a good little christian, and kill yourself a homosexual today. Its the only way to cast off this yoke of evil.

Yours truly,

Melissa

**PS--To indicate to you how insane Catholics are, I will tell you a story from Sunday school. I was in jr. high at the time, and a fledgling initiate in the world of human rights. But i did have a basic grasp of the major concepts. Imagine my complete dismay when my sunday school teacher said the holocaust was god's punishment of the jews for killing jesus. I immediately said that this could not be true and that was a horrible thing to say. (Forgive me, but i've forgotten the verbatim discussion, but this is the gist) My fucking parents, trying to instill respect for my elders in me, insisted I apologize and that I was in the wrong. Remind me to bring this up w/ them the next time I see them. I think we know who should be getting the apology this time! Give me a shout out if you're sensibly irate.

Free Mojtaba and Arish!

Its time for me to return from exile, as I have a noble cause to champion. (And who can resist a noble cause? This might be the one that gets me canonized in the Catholic church.) Here's the problem: Two men are imprisoned in Iran for their blogs. A spokesman for Amnesty International said: "Just as the internet is a tool for freedom, so it is being used as an excuse for repression." Friends, I call to you on this day of action to post this on your blog as well. Everyone we know must be reached. Do not think that we are safe here in America from retribution for that which we post on our online journals. (You've heard about that stewardess, right?) Bloggers must stand together, stand strong for the right of their brethren to put online anything. This includes those who only use their blog as a baby scrap book, as well as those who post a detailed guide to their sexcapades with the ghosts of slain military leaders. ("Oh, Sun Tzu, you're so BIG! How will I ever be able to accommodate someone so well endowed?" and "Custer, your moustache tickles! Especially when its wet!")

So, my online audience, do your part! Stand up to oppression. Say yes to freedom. For further inspiration, I leave you with a quote from Independence Day which is oddly fitting.

"We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. Perhaps it's fate that today is the Fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom... Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution... but from annihilation. We are fighting for our right to live. To exist. And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day the world declared in one voice: "We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight!" We're going to live on! We're going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!"

Now that I've rallied my troops, here’s what you can do. This all comes straight off of the Committee to Protect Bloggers website.

First, download the "Free Mojtaba and Arash" banner to your blog and link it back to the Committee's post. No one in the blogosphere should be unaware of Mojtaba and Arish.


Second, if you are in the United States, contact either the Representative at the Iranian Interest Section of the Pakistani Embassy or the Ambassador to Iran’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations. (Iran has no embassy in the United States.) Here is the contact information.

Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif
Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran
622 Third Ave. New York, NY 10017
Tel: (212) 687-2020 / Fax: (212) 867-7086
E-mail: Email the ambassador


Iranian Representative
Embassy of Pakistan
Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran
2209 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W.Washington, D.C. 20007
Email the Interests Section

Godspeed, mes amis!

I was just sort of guessing and hoping that it would be.

You Are the Very Gay Velma!

She might not even realize it... But Velma is all about Daphne ... not Fred!

What Gay Childhood Icon Are You?

This Rollercoaster Never Ends

You Are an Animal Print Bra! Wild, zany, and even a little crazy. You make every date an unpredictable adventure. You want a guy who will constantly surprise you. A relationship that's the most insane ride of your life. What Kind of Bra Are You? Take This Quiz :-) Find the Love of Your Life (and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance.

A Day at the Park

To celebrate the unseasonably warm weather, Brent and I took Molly to Lake Lemon for a walk. The lake was still frozen, so Molly had a grand old time walking on it. (Brent did as well, now that I think about it.) Here are a handful of pictures that capture the spirit of her day. She humbly hopes they bring you great joy.













We hope you enjoyed the show!

Through the years.

15 years ago today I would have been...
a) In Brent's mother's 3rd grade class pretending (w/ my best friend Katrina) that George H.W. Bush was our grandfather.
b) Freaking out because Katrina's plans to steal a treasure map from some classmates had gone horribly awry and that the referral we got as a result would keep me out of college.
c) Visiting my sister in the cancer ward at children's hospital.

10 years ago today I would have been...
a) In the 8th grade and longing to escape my image as a nerd/dork/nerd-dork-lesbian.
b) Having endless sleepovers with my best friend Elizabeth. (See picture below)

Originally uploaded by mmoster.

c) Preparing to go to an all-girls catholic boarding school. (You can imagine how this affected my answer for part A)

5 years ago today I would have been...
a) A First-year at Knox College.
b) A fantastical and obsessed costume-designer, where once I had dreams of being an actress.
c) Experimenting...lets just leave it at that.

1 year ago today I would have been...
a) Working with poor kids at Indianapolis Public Schools.
b) Studying like mad for the math portion of the GRE. (See picture for visual proof)

Originally uploaded by mmoster.

c) Talking on the phone a lot, as we never really made any friends in Indy.

This year I am...
a) Hanging out with real, live human beings!
b) not going to finish the Master's in public affairs...I'm going for that Ph.D in Lit, if I can get accepted somewhere!
c) Looking forward to moving out of Indiana.

Yesterday I...
a) Started my new job at the day care.
b) Read more of "I, Claudius."
c) Felt badly for a friend in need. (EVERYONE, SEND OUT YOUR GOOD KARMA TO CHICAGO!)

Today I...
a) Will be heading to the Y.
b) Will hopefully join Allison on her Mexican adventure.
c) Will hopefully finish "I, Claudius."

Tomorrow I will...
a) Soak in the feeling of spring.
b) Laugh at something funny my husband will say.
c) Check everyone's blog to see if they have done this timeline, or at least updated.

Supporting the arts on a limited budget.

Hey everyone, in the interest of fun, you should check this out! My friend's brother has a fantastic movie that he and his posse created, which is uploaded here. Its not overly long, so there will be no excuses for not watching it/supporting the arts. The movie "Free for all" is a comedy, so its a great pick me up for those seeking a smile. Since this is my forum and I've already seen the movie, I'm gonna give a shout of appreciation out to Nick Wagner and co. on a film well done. Kudos, and keep 'em coming! Obviously, I was impressed, but let me know what you think.

Reading: to keep kids off drugs.

Via Jalehla, Via Allison
Following the leader, here is the list of the BBC's top 100 novels (as nominated by those delightful Brits.) In keeping with tradition, that which I have read has been highlighted.

· 1984 George Orwell

· The Alchemist Paulo Coelho

· Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Lewis Carroll

· Animal Farm George Orwell

· Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy

· Anne of Green Gables LM Montgomery

· Artemis Fowl Eoin Colfer

· The BFG Roald Dahl

· Birdsong Sebastian Faulks

· Black Beauty Anna Sewell

· Bleak House Charles Dickens

· Brave New World Aldous Huxley

· Brideshead Revisited Evelyn Waugh

· Bridget Jones’ Diary Helen Fielding

· Captain Corelli’s Mandolin Louis de Bernières

· Catch-22 Joseph Heller

· The Catcher in the Rye JD Salinger

· Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Roald Dahl

· A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens

· The Clan of the Cave Bear Jean M Auel

· Cold Comfort Farm Stella Gibbons

· The Colour of Magic Terry Pratchett

· The Count of Monte Cristo Alexandre Dumas

· Crime and Punishment Fyodor Dostoyevsky

· David Copperfield Charles Dickens

· Double Act Jacqueline Wilson

· Dune Frank Herbert

· Emma Jane Austen

· Far From the Madding Crowd Thomas Hardy

· Girls in Love Jacqueline Wilson

· The God of Small Things Arundhati Roy

· The Godfather Mario Puzo

· Gone with the Wind Margaret Mitchell

· Good Omens Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman

· Goodnight Mr Tom Michelle Magorian

· Gormenghast Mervyn Peake

· The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck

· Great Expectations Charles Dickens

· The Great Gatsby F Scott Fitzgerald

· Guards! Guards! Terry Pratchett

· Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets JK Rowling

· Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire JK Rowling

· Harry Potter & the Philosopher’s Stone JK Rowling

· Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban JK Rowling

· His Dark Materials trilogy Philip Pullman

· The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams

· The Hobbit JRR Tolkien

· Holes Louis Sacher

· I Capture the Castle Dodie Smith

· Jane Eyre Charlotte Brontë

· Kane and Abel Jeffrey Archer

· Katherine Anya Seton

· The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe CS Lewis

· Little Women Louisa May Alcott

· Lord of the Flies William Golding

· The Lord of the Rings JRR Tolkien

· Love in the Time of Cholera Gabriel Garcia Marquez

· The Magic Faraway Tree Enid Blyton

· Magician Raymond E Feist

· The Magus John Fowles

· Matilda Roald Dahl

· Memoirs of a Geisha Arthur Golden

· Middlemarch George Eliot

· Midnight’s Children Salman Rushdie

· Mort Terry Pratchett

· Nightwatch Terry Pratchett

· Noughts and Crosses Malorie Blackman

· Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck

· On the Road Jack Kerouac

· One Hundred Years of Solitude Gabriel Garcia Marquez

· Perfume Patrick Süskind

· Persuasion Jane Austen

· The Pillars of the Earth Ken Follett

· A Prayer for Owen Meaney John Irving

· Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen

· The Princess Diaries Meg Cabot

· The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists Robert Tressell

· Rebecca Daphne du Maurier

· The Secret Garden Frances Hodgson Burnett

· The Secret History Donna Tartt

· The Shell Seekers Rosamund Pilcher

· The Stand Stephen King

· The Story of Tracy Beaker Jacqueline Wilson

· A Suitable Boy Vikram Seth

· Swallows and Amazons Arthur Ransome

· A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens

· Tess of the D’Urbervilles Thomas Hardy

· The Thorn Birds Colleen McCollough

· To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee

· A Town Like Alice Nevil Shute

· Treasure Island Robert Louis Stevenson

· The Twits Roald Dahl

· Ulysses James Joyce

· Vicky Angel Jacqueline Wilson

· War and Peace Leo Tolstoy

· Watership Down Richard Adams

· The Wind in the Willows Kenneth Grahame

· Winnie the Pooh AA Milne

· The Woman in White Wilkie Collins

· Wuthering Heights Emily Brontë