After trying the two on for size, I've decided to move my blog to wordpress.com. I like the set-up, it's a better fit for me. I appreciate those who have checked out Tough Girl in a Leather Jacket here on blogger.com and I hope you'll come see me at wordpress. Find me at http://toughgirlinaleatherjacket.wordpress.com/ . There's a little "Blog Info" widget at the upper right hand corner that you can use to subscribe or add to your blogroll.
I don't think there's way to delete Tough Girl from blogger, so I guess it'll just be here, floating through the inter-toobz. I can be capricious, so maybe you'll see me here again!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
I Have No Ambition
Well, not much.
I have a dream. My friend has one too. She's remodeling her home, converting the garage into an apartment. She plans to live in the converted garage and rent the house out. Coincidentally, I've been in the process of deciding to either do something similar or just outright selling the house and renting elsewhere.
We want to downsize (a lot) and enjoy our lives. A house full of Cheap Chinese Crap, outrageous car payments, impressing social contacts, back-stabbing career politics and a deadly dull work routine do not appeal to me.
I quit my wage slave job in May; who wants to keep working their ass off helping someone else live their dream while you just hope you can keep making enough money to continue paying the bills month after month, year after year, and getting no further ahead? Add insult to injury: And Then You Die. My girlfriend likens it to the donkey after a carrot, I call it the hamster wheel. A combination of savings and my "little business" (I am by no means rich or even well-off) are keeping me going and even though the situation is experimental and a little scary, I'm in Becca World right now. It's craaaaaazy and coooooool.
I ain't puttin' the pipe down (but I'll share with fellow dreamers).
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Oakland BART Cop Shoots and Kills Young Man
My God.
I've just watched two video accounts of the killing of a man on New Year's Eve. The young man was subdued, face down, struggling a bit, but in no position to do any harm to the police officer. Three police officers were present. One of the officers appeared to put his knee on Oscar Grant's head or neck, another officer stood, took out his gun and pulled the trigger, shooting Oscar Grant DEAD.
Oscar Grant was with relatives on New Year's eve. He was riding home on a BART train and apparently (allegedly) there was an altercation on the train. No one has stated that Oscar Grant was involved in the altercation.
The BART police took him and friends from the train. Multiple witnesses say that Oscar complied with police requests. In the video he appears to be struggling a bit, but this could be because they had him face down, with his face mashed into the cement. My viewing tells me that there was ABSOLUTELY NO REASON to pull ANY WEAPON OF ANY KIND out to deal with this young man.
I won't post the videos here, but they can be easily found on You Tube. Very, very disturbing. It appears that all of the young men removed from the train were black.
As far as I'm concerned, the cop MURDERED Oscar Grant. This is at the very least manslaughter. A young black man is dead, leaving his 4-year old child fatherless.
I'm goddamn sick of PIGS in this country acting like they are not PUBLIC SERVANTS and that they can do whatever the hell they want to the citizenry. Their job is to PROTECT and to SERVE, not terrorize, harass and KILL the folks who pay their salaries and who provide their benefits and retirement pay.
My sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Oscar Grant.
I've just watched two video accounts of the killing of a man on New Year's Eve. The young man was subdued, face down, struggling a bit, but in no position to do any harm to the police officer. Three police officers were present. One of the officers appeared to put his knee on Oscar Grant's head or neck, another officer stood, took out his gun and pulled the trigger, shooting Oscar Grant DEAD.
Oscar Grant was with relatives on New Year's eve. He was riding home on a BART train and apparently (allegedly) there was an altercation on the train. No one has stated that Oscar Grant was involved in the altercation.
The BART police took him and friends from the train. Multiple witnesses say that Oscar complied with police requests. In the video he appears to be struggling a bit, but this could be because they had him face down, with his face mashed into the cement. My viewing tells me that there was ABSOLUTELY NO REASON to pull ANY WEAPON OF ANY KIND out to deal with this young man.
I won't post the videos here, but they can be easily found on You Tube. Very, very disturbing. It appears that all of the young men removed from the train were black.
As far as I'm concerned, the cop MURDERED Oscar Grant. This is at the very least manslaughter. A young black man is dead, leaving his 4-year old child fatherless.
I'm goddamn sick of PIGS in this country acting like they are not PUBLIC SERVANTS and that they can do whatever the hell they want to the citizenry. Their job is to PROTECT and to SERVE, not terrorize, harass and KILL the folks who pay their salaries and who provide their benefits and retirement pay.
My sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Oscar Grant.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Bless the Beasts
This morning started off badly. After I dropped my son off at work, I decided to drive to the 7-11 for a quickie coffee, since I'm out at the house and have been too lazy to actually shop for groceries.
In the road, just ahead of me, were two pigeons. As I neared the pigeons, one walked away like pigeons always do; the other barely moved.
I'll blog about it another time, but I am an animal lover and have rescued many animals throughout my life. It doesn't matter what kind of animal they are, I simply cannot pass by a creature in distress and do nothing.
I didn't want to see that pigeon: I had a strange summer full of animals in need of help, and oftentimes it's very distressing and time-consuming. I told myself, "I'm not going to do anything about that pigeon". I went into the 7-11 and got the coffee, thinking of the pigeon the entire time. When I walked outside, I was hoping it had moved out of the road, flown away, whatever. It hadn't.
I drove out into the street and pulled my car over to get the pigeon. One look at it was enough to know that there was no way I was going to leave it there, it was injured badly, though it was still standing up and put up a bit of a fight when I grabbed it.
Went home, left the pigeon on the dashboard of my car (which is where it had planted itself), got a box, managed to get the bird into the box, ran back in, washed my hands, got back into my car and drove to the West Side to the Wildlife Rescue. That organization is a god-send to those of us who can't look away.
Pigeons are tough birds. I guess they've got to be to live in the city, so close to humans. Maybe the veterinarian I handed it over to will be able to save it. Or maybe they had to put it down. Either way, it's no longer standing in the middle of the street, suffering.
Man, that poor bird bummed me out.
In the road, just ahead of me, were two pigeons. As I neared the pigeons, one walked away like pigeons always do; the other barely moved.
I'll blog about it another time, but I am an animal lover and have rescued many animals throughout my life. It doesn't matter what kind of animal they are, I simply cannot pass by a creature in distress and do nothing.
I didn't want to see that pigeon: I had a strange summer full of animals in need of help, and oftentimes it's very distressing and time-consuming. I told myself, "I'm not going to do anything about that pigeon". I went into the 7-11 and got the coffee, thinking of the pigeon the entire time. When I walked outside, I was hoping it had moved out of the road, flown away, whatever. It hadn't.
I drove out into the street and pulled my car over to get the pigeon. One look at it was enough to know that there was no way I was going to leave it there, it was injured badly, though it was still standing up and put up a bit of a fight when I grabbed it.
Went home, left the pigeon on the dashboard of my car (which is where it had planted itself), got a box, managed to get the bird into the box, ran back in, washed my hands, got back into my car and drove to the West Side to the Wildlife Rescue. That organization is a god-send to those of us who can't look away.
Pigeons are tough birds. I guess they've got to be to live in the city, so close to humans. Maybe the veterinarian I handed it over to will be able to save it. Or maybe they had to put it down. Either way, it's no longer standing in the middle of the street, suffering.
Man, that poor bird bummed me out.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Hot Italian Priests
My sister is living in Italy right now (soooo jealous!) and for Christmas she sent me a calendar depicting priests in Rome. She said, "I knew you would enjoy it". And I do. Two of my favorites:
Possibly the most adorable priest evah. The Italian version of the All-American Boy, a la Matt Damon. He grins with forgiving delight in the confessional upon hearing the naughty things you've been up to. So approachable, you could confess the things you've been thinking about him, he'd duck his head and blush a bit and have you recite only one Our Father. He looks forward to your weekly visits. So do you.
Mysterious, with a touch of danger, just the priest you need when you're looking to do some REAL penance for being SO BAD. His is a tortured past and he fights his demons (and a few of his worshipful parishoners) daily. His smouldering eyes pierce your, um, soul, and he knows that you, just like Samantha in Sex & the City, only want to kneel before him and offer canned goods to the poor.
I just googled "Hot Priests" and see I am several years behind the curve on these guys. Furthermore, it remains a mystery which of the men in the calendar are actually priests. I, however, am not one to let reality get in the way of a good fantasy.
The calendar isn't worth a damn for keeping track of anything, but it'll look perfect on the ceiling over my bed. I mean on my night stand. You can get one of your very own at www.veneziaoro.org.
Happy New Year!
Possibly the most adorable priest evah. The Italian version of the All-American Boy, a la Matt Damon. He grins with forgiving delight in the confessional upon hearing the naughty things you've been up to. So approachable, you could confess the things you've been thinking about him, he'd duck his head and blush a bit and have you recite only one Our Father. He looks forward to your weekly visits. So do you.
Mysterious, with a touch of danger, just the priest you need when you're looking to do some REAL penance for being SO BAD. His is a tortured past and he fights his demons (and a few of his worshipful parishoners) daily. His smouldering eyes pierce your, um, soul, and he knows that you, just like Samantha in Sex & the City, only want to kneel before him and offer canned goods to the poor.
I just googled "Hot Priests" and see I am several years behind the curve on these guys. Furthermore, it remains a mystery which of the men in the calendar are actually priests. I, however, am not one to let reality get in the way of a good fantasy.
The calendar isn't worth a damn for keeping track of anything, but it'll look perfect on the ceiling over my bed. I mean on my night stand. You can get one of your very own at www.veneziaoro.org.
Happy New Year!
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