India Rising

Yesterday afternoon instead of the usual Wyoming Public Radio "Open Spaces" program, I listened to a special program called "India Rising." Now, I cannot, more than 24 hours later, recall the exact words, but let me paraphrase for you here the words the reporter used that just made me laugh because they were so ridiculous, how could I not? Essentially:

India is a rising nation, economically and democratically, but can a nation rise to a position of world superpower, and leave so many of its citizens behind in poverty and squalor?

hahahahahaha
What the hell; the US did it.

Why People Go Postal?

It is just not OK that I cannot mail a book to someone from the comfort of my own home if I have the book, a big envelope, a roll of tape and plenty of postage stamps and a mailbox right outside the door, if the book weighs more than 13 ounces. No; I am required to take the package to the post office and say, "I am not a terrorist, and inside this package that is labeled 'Media Mail' and looks from the outside, and feels if you touch it, like a book, is a book."

However, I could stick a little anthrax, or some other minute killer, into a regular envelope, attach a regular postage stamp, mail it from my home like a regular letter, by placing the envelope in my mailbox and raising the little red flag, and TADAAAA! People could die.

This is just not OK, all around.

U.S. to Drop Case Against Ex-Senator From Alaska
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/us/politics/02stevens.html?nl=pol&emc=pola1

Who Are You?

There is this e-mail that goes around, with pictures of various foods that have been, let's say artistically arranged. It's titled "International Disturbed People's Day" or something like that. Sheila sent me the latest version, with this picture. I thought it was pretty nice of her to recognize my disturbity and to attempt to feed that.

I also realized within the same day or so that since moving to Wyoming 6 years ago, if nothing else, I am now more cognizant than ever of my noncoformist nature and concomitant resourcefulness. I don't know if that's good or not, whatever "good" is, because it hasn't made me rich or famous or even able to travel the world as I dream- yet, anyway. But the realization has helped me get my head around this funding for grad school thing and to get creative.

I think an appropriate mantra these days to quell the anxiety would be, "I eat cauliflower."