In a White Room With Black Curtains

Just awful

kimsan — Sat, 17 May 2008 12:38:16 GMT

I read this today and it touched me so to think of this poor young girl. We still have a very long way to go in Iraq and as a human species. RIP Rand Abdel-Qader. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/11/iraq.humanrights

Earth Day

kimsan — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:37:29 GMT

Now is the time to take action to help improve our environment and the chances of our children to be able to continue to inhabit this beautiful blue jewel, our Mother Earth. We don't all have to have composting toilets and wind turbines in order to make a difference. Consider these figures: It takes 1.5 million barrels of oil -- enough to fuel 100,000 cars for a year -- to make the plastic bottles to meet Americans' demand for bottled water, according to the Earth Policy Institute. Furthermore, consumers recycle just one of every five bottles they drink. The average American contributes 1,859 pounds of air pollution to the atmosphere each year. Running a refrigerator and freezer for one year can produce as much pollution as driving a car from Chicago to Las Vegas. Each mile a person travels in an airplane accounts for 1.08 pounds of greenhouse gases. Every minute, 37,000 empty soft drink bottles are thrown away in the United States. Yard waste and food scraps make up 20% to 30% of garbage in landfills. Pesticides can be harmful to non-target organisms and have adverse effects on human health, wildlife and the environment. Misuses of pesticides, including overuses, may lead to chemical substances contaminating water, air and soil. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Americans spend more than $160 billion annually to heat, cool, light and live in their homes. A sizable portion of this is squandered by old, inefficient household appliances and outdated lighting technologies. This waste of energy not only consumes billions of dollars from already strained family budgets, it also contributes to power plant emissions that create soot, smog, acid rain and greenhouse gases. What can you do about it? Here are some simple ways to go green: * Get earth-friendly, reusable water bottles. www.mysigg.com * Walk, bike, take the bus, and make sure that you drive a vehicle that his good gas mileage. Keep you vehicle maintained. *Reduce and reuse: buy products with as little packaging as possible. Use cloth napkins and reuseable storage containers. Invest in reuseable bags for grocery shopping. * RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE! If you don't have pick-up, look for a recycling plant or drop-off near your home. We use the one at Center and Harvard. * Start a compost pile. It's easy! http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/deptmpl.asp?url=/content/dep/composting/easy.asp * Buy organic foods. Not only is it better for you but it also protects plants, soil, air, water, and wildlife. * Purchase energy-efficient appliances and use a smart strip. http://www.smarthomeusa.com/Shop/Smart-Energy/Item/LCG5/ * Use compact florescents instead of incandescent light bulbs. BE SURE TO RECYCLE THESE AS THEY CONTAIN MERCURY!. IKEA has drop-off bins located throughout their store. If a person even chooses 3 or 4 of these simple things to do, s/he can have a significant impact on our environment. GO GREEN! HAPPY EARTH DAY! LOVE YOUR MOTHER!

Senate 15 District Convention

kimsan — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 22:37:02 GMT

Holy crap! I just spent 10 hours at this crazy convention and I am worn out. Long story short, we had 1431 delegates (that's not counting the 1000 or so alternates who showed up). Out of those, we had 1056 votes for Obama and only 375 votes for Hillary. Go Obama!

I'm a delegate!

kimsan — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 05:02:22 GMT

Yup, I participated in the democratic process and now I'm a delegate to the senatorial district convention. This means that I have to go and vote delegates for Obama to go to the state convention. From there, 46 at-large delegates are chosen to go to the Democratic National Convention. The caucus went on for 3 hours, but I now understand how it works, whereas before I did not. I'm totally going to bed now.

Persepolis

kimsan — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 02:06:28 GMT

We went to see this today and it is one of the best films I've seen in a very long time. It is in French and subtitled, but it is so visual it doesn't really matter. The animation is fantastic and the story is told with grace and intelligence. It is about a girl during and after the Iranian revolution. Just phenomenal!

Ladysmith Black Mambazo...

kimsan — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 03:26:31 GMT

...was like listening to the melodic ocean waves. It almost lulled me to sleep it was so soul soothing. They have a really interesting history outside of the Graceland album. http://www.mambazo.com/biography.html

Texas Primaries and Caucuses

kimsan — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 19:48:40 GMT

I never knew that we had both. I just received this info from the Texans for Obama peeps, though the info is pertinant if you plan to vote in the democratic primary at all: A fellow Obama supporter provided me with this CRUCIAL information: If you live in Texas and are like me, you had no idea about the complex primary/caucus coming up for Texans Tuesday, March 4th. Normally the nomination is sealed up by then, but with Clinton and Obama virtually tied in delegates and votes, EVERY DEMOCRATIC VOTE is meaningful this time. Texas could become the deciding factor. At the least, it will be significant. Tonight I went to an informational meeting, sponsored by Democracy for Texas. Some things you might not know: 1. PRIMARY: You do not have to be a registered or "card-carrying" Democrat to vote in the Democratic primary. In Texas, any registered voter, regardless of your leanings or voting record, can choose to vote in either primary each voting season. The only restriction is that you cannot vote in both primaries in the same year. And your vote in the primary has no effect on your vote in the general election. You can (and should, of course!) vote in both. 2. The Primary polls are open Tuesday, March 4th, from 7 am-7 pm. There is also early voting if you can't make it that day, or want to beat the lines. 3. CAUCUS: Unlike other states, Texas has both a New Hampshire style Primary AND an Iowa-style Caucus. A portion of the state's delegates are chosen by each, and the two are separate from each other. A vote in the primary does count toward the caucus. 4. Anyone can vote in the '08 caucus who votes in that party's '08 primary. But you must vote in the primary to be eligible. 5. Each district's caucus begins at 7:15 pm on the same day as the primary (3/4), at the same location as your polling place for the primary. You should get there by 7:15 pm to make sure you can participate in the first round, which is the one that matters. When you show up, you will sign a sheet, giving your name, address, and your candidate of choice for the caucus. NOTE: Make sure you arrive as early as posibble to participate in the caucus, it is NOT held during early voting, it is only held in your PRIMARY DAY VOTING LOCATION ON PRIMARY DAY, MARCH 4TH AT 7PM. 6. You do not have to stay for the entire caucus. If you are busy or not interested in staying, you can leave as soon as you write your name down, and your vote will be counted. 7. The caucus typically has a smaller turnout than the primary, and so statistically, your vote at the caucus will count more than your vote in the primary. Plus, it should be a lot of fun to go to a caucus for the first time, and experience both styles of voting the same day. There are many more details about nominating delegates for your district as the caucus moves into its next stages, but you don't need to know the particulars to make your vote, and there will be plenty of trained people at the caucus to help guide you through the particulars if you choose to stay. The important thing is to go at 7:15 and sign that sheet. 8. Speaking as an Obama supporter... This caucus vote could be essential, as Clinton probably holds an edge in Texas (so far, anyway). Try to get as many Obama supporters as you can informed about the caucus and encourage them to go! If you're in the same district, I think it could be a pretty cool way to spend a Tuesday night.

four more...

kimsan — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:51:39 GMT

Four jobs I have had in my life: 1. Telemarketer 2. Grocery store cashier 3. Barista 4. Montessori teacher Four movies I've watched more than once: 1. Pulp Fiction 2. Raising Arizona 3. The Muppet Movie 4. Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood Four places I have lived: 1. Mobile, AL 2. Citronelle, AL 3. McLain, MS 4. Houston, TX Four TV shows that I watched: 1. The Simpsons 2. Frontline 3. Wife Swap 4. Independent Lens Four places I have been: 1. Muyil, Mexico 2. Chicago, IL 3. Lake Tahoe, NV/CA 4. San Francisco, CA four people who e-mail me: 1. Dana 2. Jeni 3. Zoe 4. my step-mom (Mary) four people I wish would email me: 1. Noam Chompski 2.Howard Zinn 3. Dalai Lama 4. Arundhati Roi four of my favorite foods: 1. Hamachi sushi 2. Thai green curry and coconut milk dishes 3. peaches off of the tree, still warm 4. homemade ice cream four places I would rather be right now: 1. Hill Country 2. Prague 3. Nepal (when safe) 4. Italy four things I am looking forward to in the next year: 1. more college credits 2. quitting my job 3. watching my beautiful little girl grow into a lovely young lady 4. continuing my spiritual growth and development four people who I think should take this survey: 1. Anyone 2. who 3. wants 4. to.

ALGEBRA....NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

kimsan — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:02:50 GMT

It's been a long time since I've felt truly at a disadvantage in a learning environment. Well, my time has come. This semester I am taking the dreaded Algebra. Yesterday's class was a nightmare. I had NO idea what the guy was talking about and teared up several times, trying not to look like a big doofus for crying over an equation. i cried all the way home and then I got hold of myself and realized that I was REALLY going to have to work hard to pull a passing grade in this class, which knocked me down a peg or 2 from last semester. After getting help w/ fractions and decimals from Zoe and spending 4 hours reviewing in my book, I can now successfully solve a linear equation. YAY!

Obama

kimsan — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 14:29:58 GMT

I'm a big fan and so stoked that a African-American person has finally won a statewide nomination, especially considering that the Iowan voting pool is 95 % Anglo. As much as I would like to see a woman in the White House, I cannot support Hillary. She is a corporate sellout and a liar. If the pattern of American civil rights can be trusted, a black man will win the presidency before a white woman. As the first black person and woman to be seriously considered, they become symbols for their race/gender. I don't want Hillary representing me, but I do hope that another, more principled woman will run for election soon...perhaps after 8 years of an Obama/Edwards presidency? Go Obama!

Guess who's going to see Stevie Wonder next Tuesday?

kimsan — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 23:36:41 GMT

Me!!!!! and Zoe and Brian. We're giving Zoe the tickets for her birthday. I can't wait, this is going to be sooooooo sweet; he's supposed to be playing a ton of pre 1980 material and lots from Innervisions.

Buy Nothing Day

kimsan — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 14:31:04 GMT

I hope you all will join me in buying nothing tomorrow. Enjoy your time w/ family and friends by finding more fufilling things to do besides joining the shopping frenzy happening tomorrow. Happy Turkey Day! Kim

Vote TOMORROW!!!

kimsan — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 02:14:42 GMT

O.K. guys, it's your civic duty AND these are mostly city elections which means, w/ the usual low voter turnout, your vote actually packs a punch. Don't know what we're voting for? Download the League of Women Voters voter guide at http://www.lwvhouston.org/ Don't know where to vote? Go to http://www.harrisvotes.com/ Now, unless you're not registered, you have NO EXCUSE! Participate in our psuedo-democracy dammit...VOTE, or don't complain! (stepping down from soapbox)

Stupid

kimsan — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 15:13:18 GMT

I saw this posted on one of the tribes and thought it was fucking histerical. If you ever need to call someone stupid... "May you choke on your own foolish opinions. You are a pusillanimous galactophage and you wear your sister's training bra. Don't bother opening the door when you leave - you should be able to slime your way out underneath. I hope that when you get home your mother runs out from under the porch and bites you. It is hard to believe how incredibly stupid you are. Stupid as a stone that the other stones make fun of. So stupid that you have traveled far beyond stupid as we know it and into a new dimension of stupid. Meta-stupid. Stupid cubed. Trans-stupid stupid. Stupid collapsed to a singularity where even the stupons have collapsed into stuponium. Stupid so dense that no intelligence can escape. Singularity stupid. Blazing hot summer day on Mercury stupid. You emit more stupid in one minute than our entire galaxy emits in a year. Quasar stupid. It cannot be possible that anything in our universe can really be this stupid. This is a primordial fragment from the original big stupid bang. A pure extract of stupid with absolute stupid purity. Stupid beyond the laws of nature. .." BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

To Mexico I Go...

kimsan — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:20:07 GMT

Well guys and dolls, Brian and I are off to the Yucatan peninsula tomorrow at the buttcrack of dawn. We'll be gone till Monday evening and I'll be sure to post tons of photos upon our return. We plan to see as many ruins as possible, definately Tulum and Coba and hopefully a few more as well. We also plan to try and see some Spanish missions and of course commune with nature and the locals. I never got my passport, but hopefully everything will be O.K. Wish us luck! Adios amigos y amigas!

Midsummer Night Eve Faerie Party

kimsan — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 19:17:48 GMT

To stave off the doldrums from being quarantined for chicken pox, Z decided we should have a Midsummer Night Eve Faerie Party. According to her faerie book, this is one of the best nights to see faeries, as long as you do the right things. We made faerie food: angel food cakes w/ strawberries and cream, orange-cream cheese sandwiches w/ raspberries on top, a green salad w/ tiny tomatoes, chamomile-honey-vanilla-mint tea, and faerie punch. We made a special plate for the faeries and put it near the ivy on our back fence, the likliest place for faeries, and then had a nighttime picnic surrounded by tea lights and sweet smelling incence. Z was SURE that she saw faeries and we got some pretty cool pictures of streaks of lights, proof positive in the mind of a 10 year old. More proof? The faerie food we left out over night and in the morning MOST OF IT WAS GONE, a very exciting development. We also left a dish of milk and honey out for them and this morning about 1/2 of that was gone and there was a rose petal in the dish! Z asked the faeries to help make her chicken pox go away and miraculously there were no new spots this morning and most of the spots were dried up! Faerie magic???

Yea for Brian!

kimsan — Wed, 02 May 2007 12:24:18 GMT

I know I've posted about this before, but today is the big day! Brian turns in his last assignment and is GRADUATED! I am sooooo proud of him. I met him his first year of college when he was 19 and this summer he turns 29. He's worked his way through college, many semesters only being able to take 1 or 2 clases at a time, still he's managed to keep his GPA above 3.0. Brian will be the first person in his family to graduate from college and I have a tremendous amount of respect for his accomplishments. So, if you see Brian anytime soon, pat him on the back and congratulate him. He deserves it!

Vargos

kimsan — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 15:04:49 GMT

Apparently I'm the only person in Houston who has never heard of this place? Well, let me tell you, it was perty fancy. Zoe's friend had her Bat Mitzvah party there last night. When we drove up, there was a male peacock perched on the roof of the building, tail feathers draped over the side. They had a complementary valet (oo-la-la) and the party was held in a large room downstairs with a balcony overlooking what seemed to be part of the bayou, but well-kempt and relatively clean looking. Lovely gardens with swans, more peacocks, and ducks, little bridges, blossoming flowers, idyllic. Apparently it was prom night because all of these debutante looking teens were strolling about in designer gowns with their dates and their MOTHERS who were taking pictures of them. One lady asked me to stop on the path so that she could get a shot of her daughter and proceeded to take about 5 minutes taking the photo. This was my second Bat Mitzvah and it was tantamont to a wedding reception. The food was pretty good, though I was a little disappointed that it wasn't more creatively cooked or displayed. The ballroom was attractive, chairs festooned with white satin and tulle bows and had stairs coming down into it so one can make an entrance. Z had a fun time and loved getting dressed up all fancy with me.

Score 1 for the little people!

kimsan — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 01:49:05 GMT

I am super excited because I just got a call from some head honcho at Ford Motor Co. giving me his personal cell phone number promising to take my call 24/7. He will be in Houston tomorrow and wants to meet with me personally. I seriously can't believe iit! The school where I work has been in business for 30 years this summer. Twenty years ago, some idiot built a body shop adjoining our property, namely our parking lot and playground. We have had issues with this business the whole time, mostly regarding paint fumes on our playground. We have had City of Houston out dozens of times to no avail. They have been cited a few times for violations regarding their painting practices and filtering system. They were forced to raise their stack, the place where the fumes come out, in the 80's to comply with clean air laws (a total joke in Houston). The smell of paint fumes has been a nusience and, in my opinion, a health hazard to the children and staff for the entire time the body shop has been there. Why were they allowed to build a body shop next to a preschool and elementary you may ask? Because, as my Houstonian friends are well aware, there are NO ZONING LAWS in the city of Houston, yes seriously. Several years ago, the body shop became a Volvo body shop. I have been amazed the whole 5 years I've been teaching at my school that Volvo would buy a body shop next to a school. Then I had an awesome idea. A month or so ago I wrote to public relations for Volvo in Sweden, the main international office. I explained the situation, expressed my surprise that Volvo, with their purported commitment to safety and the environment, would continue to be afilliated with a business that puts children's health at risk. I also said that I would be forced to contact he media if nothing is done. Two weeks later, we got a call from someone in Ford Motor Co. Apparently my letter bounced around the corporate offices in Sweden, other European countries, and finally to the U.S. main corporate offices. I guess Volvo must be owned by or must operate through Ford in the U.S. Are they owned by Ford? I'll have to do some research before tomorrow. Anywho, the guy said that they were looking into the matter and that they were contacting the body shop. Amazingly the next day the manager of the body shop was at our school, wanting to smell the paint fumes and offering to raise their stack even higher. We told him we didn't think that the stack raising would do very much good as it hadn't helped in the 80's. This afternoon though, an NEW honcho called. The old manager of the body shop is apparently being replaced and Mr. Big Boss is coming to the school to MEET WITH ME tomorrow. He also asked if we needed any big dollar improvements on our school. It sounds like a bribe to me, or hush money or whatever, but if they solve the problems with the fumes AND the school benefits somehow, hey WHATEVS! I'm not really sure what to say tomorrow and I think I'm coming down with strep throat, but I am going to do my best to change one shitty thing about the world and it feels great! BTW, the trees behind the bbuilding in the pic above are the trees on our playground. Nice huh?

We're Going to MEXICO!

kimsan — Mon, 25 Dec 2006 16:43:11 GMT

Brian and I received an AWESOME Christmas present! We will be staying 5 days at the Grand Sirenis Mayan Beach Resort near the ruins of Tulum and Coba!!!!!!!! I've pictured Tulum here. THis is Brian's graduation present - HAPPY GRADUATION!!!!!!!!

Look Ma - No Cavities!

kimsan — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 17:24:01 GMT

I went to the dentist for a cleaning today for the 1st time in 7 years and to my utter amazement had no cavities! I ask the dentist for a sticker, but he just gave me a toothbrush - oh well.

Home Stretch!

kimsan — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 04:15:41 GMT

Here is my college man sleep-studying, a common problem for him. The B-man is almost done with this semester - only 2 more assignments to go! Then he'll only have 2 more classes left until he gets his BFA (NOT his BA ;~) ). I am extremely proud of him - he has worked so very hard to make it through school. In May he'll be done and will be the first person in his family to ever graduate from college. YEA!!!!!

Trick or Treat!

kimsan — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 13:59:01 GMT

Among the various chocolates and candies my daughter received, she also got this message from Gawd. I particularly like the 2 rows of teeth on the shark and the "General Mills" copyright mark. HI-LARIOUS! Praise Jeebus.

VOODOO VICTORY DANCE

kimsan — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 14:37:06 GMT

The offending teeth have been pulled and now the recovery begins. I kept the teeth, maybe a voodoo ritual is in order?

haiku madness

kimsan — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 12:50:37 GMT

I decided to post my favorite ever haiku, O.K., here goes: One day you will die Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Ha ha ha ha ha