WolfWeave

SO glad I didn’t bother getting up on Saturday morning to wait in line (in the rain)! Walked into the Apple store around 8:35pm that evening and was the last person out of the store as they were locking the door at 9pm with my new iPad and cover. I love it. It is perfect for me; exactly what I wanted for travel and just general carrying around. The old laptop I have is way too heavy, drags down my rolling tote in the airport and makes it fall over and, if I didn’t want to read my email when we travel somewhere, I would never use it at all.

At home I use my desktop iMac. But the iPad does everything I need it to: it plays my songs; I can read my email; I can keep up with Facebook and twitter; I can watch movies from Netflix (and there are rumors of a hulu app soon); and I can read books on both iBooks and Kindle (including the books I had already purchased that were sitting on my inherited Kindle). I even found an app that let’s you download and save pdf files so that I can carry knitting patterns around with me to work on. Being used to the iPhone, I find it very intuitive to use. The keyboard isn’t bad but if I ever have any long document to type, I can always use my wireless keyboard. It downloaded my entire music library and my entire iPhoto library, all my contacts and calendars, plus I downloaded a bunch of apps (mostly free or low cost) for it and still have about 30 of the 64 gb left for movies, etc.

Amy Swenson (indigirl) provided a great personal review of the new iPad on her blog.

So far, I am very pleased. You could even say excited. Go ahead, say it!

Welcome to 2010! Happy New Year to everyone–let’s hope for a better year in 2010: a year of peace, happiness, friendships and family. A new year, a new decade (according to some). Today, January 1st, is traditionally Public Domain Day…but apparently the Europeans have a lot to celebrate today while we Americans have nothing at all to celebrate. Due to overweening copyright laws, no books, music or movies will see their copyright expire and be released to the public domain here in the USA today (or for the next 9 years!), thus further hampering artistic expression and personal creativity. Read a short treatise about the dismal state of the US public domain here!

Sounds like a good time for a contribution to Creative Commons!

Competing for my attention the last two weeks has been the nearly daily tension in the Congress on whether or not a strong public option will become part of the health care reform bill. Today’s battle is again coming from the successful BoldProgressives, who were instrumental earlier in the week in producing an ad pressuring Harry Reid into taking the stance he did of choosing to present to the full Senate the public option bill instead of the insurance industry-laden form excluding a public option, both of which came out of the Senate Finance Committee.

There’s now a new ad & petition from BoldProgressives’ lobbying group Progressive Change Campaign Committee pressuring President Obama to stick to his decision to support a strong public option in the health care reform bill (apparently the President is now more interested in bipartisan support for this bill than he is in keeping his promise to help the poor and uninsured). You can read all about the action on today’s Daily Kos.

Also today, Democrats.com announced a strike by donors to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). If you are a Democrat (and/or have contributed to any of these groups), you can sign the petition to join “together in a Democratic donor strike against the DNC, DSCC, and DCCC until the Democratic Congress passes – and President Obama signs – healthcare reform with a robust public option. Until then, we will only donate to individual Democrats who will truly fight for us.”

Finally, looking forward to the inevitable fighting/voting in the Senate and House of Representatives, it doesn’t hurt to send your opinion to the House Republican Leader, Representative John Boehner. This is what I wrote:

“Dear Congressman Boehner,

Even though I can afford my own health care, I VERY STRONGLY SUPPORT a public option in the health care reform bill because I believe it is incumbent upon every American of means, and upon the American government, to help out those in need…and it is simply unethical, immoral, and criminal to allow those people who have insufficient or no health insurance to suffer, especially in these difficult economic times.

There was a time in my life when I had to go without health insurance for a whole year so that my children could have it (because my husband and I could not find a policy that would include me–because of my pre-existing conditions). This was a very stressful year for me and now that I am no longer in that position and know what it was like, I don’t want anyone else to suffer that same fate.

Open your eyes and ears and listen to the American people–the majority of them support a public option. If the wealthy Republicans with whom you associate can’t bear to part with a few extra tax dollars, then I pity all of you. Keep taking your handouts from the insurance companies and stay smug in your insulated little world. You are not true Americans– Americans are compassionate people who have sympathy for the disadvantaged and try to help any way they can!”

Okay, I got a little strident there toward the end, but the fact that this issue should even be under discussion (let alone debated) makes me just insane. It is nothing more than a moral issue of doing what’s right and having simple human compassion for your fellow human being.

Did you know that, despite the fact that TNT renewed “Saving Grace” (starring Holly Hunter) for a 4th season, FOX Television and News decided (for financial reasons, I’m sure) not to produce any more episodes of the show, effectively canceling it for good? This was one of the most intelligent, challenging and enjoyable programs on television and Holly Hunter is such a great actress that its cancellation is a true shame. Especially as I’m sure it will be replaced with yet another reality show!

If you enjoyed the show at all, please go here to sign the petition to save it: Saving Saving Grace

Your Word is “Peace”

You see life as precious, and you wish everyone was safe, happy, and taken care of. Social justice, human rights, and peace for all nations are all important to you. While you can’t stop war, you try to be as calm and compassionate as possible in your everyday life. You promote harmony and cooperation. You’re always willing to meet someone a little more than halfway.

Well, oddly enough for such a short quiz, this was right on track. Weird.

According to the Chicago Tribune:

Sara Lee to close South Side meat-processing plant, laying off 185 workers

By Mike Hughlett | Tribune reporter November 20, 2008

Sara Lee Corp. said Wednesday that it intends to shutter its kosher hot dog and meat-processing facility on Chicago’s South Side by Jan. 30, which will cost 185 workers their jobs as the consumer-products giant exits the kosher meat business.

Downers Grove-based Sara Lee will also close an outlet store at the facility at 1000 W. Pershing Rd. The company will stop producing kosher brands, including its Best’s Kosher, Sinai Kosher, Shofar and Wilno nameplates.

It did not disclose sales figures for the business.

“They’re pretty small brands,” said Sara Lee spokesman Mike Cummins. Kosher meat, he said, is a “niche business” for Sara Lee.

Sara Lee plans to put the kosher meat plant and accompanying property up for sale.

The company has owned the South Side plant since 1993, when it bought Bessin Corp., which at the time had 580 workers and annual sales of $85 million. Bessin’s roots in Chicago go back to 1925, when Best’s Kosher Sausage Co. opened. Best merged with Sinai Kosher in 1983 and changed the firm’s name to Bessin.

Because of the deterioration of the kosher business’ value, Sara Lee has taken a non-cash impairment charge of $20 million to $25 million, according to a July filing with securities regulators.

Sara Lee said Wednesday that the charge refers to the kosher operation. Tribune reporter James P. Miller contributed to this report.

SO, in other words, 15 years ago, Sara Lee bought up the once thriving business (annual sales of $85 million) of Best’s Kosher (think salami and hotdogs) which employed 580 workers and now they’re shutting down a business that has somehow dwindled to only 185 employees (despite the fact that its products are in every grocery store here in the Chicago area at least)…BUT they’re declaring a securities loss (tax loss, stock profit?)—”non-cash impairment charge”— of $20 to $25 million while permanently putting out of business a 103-year-old company and household name in the kosher food industry.

Nice work Sara Lee. Quite cavalier of you. Of course, I can remember when “The Kitchens of Sara Lee” was just a little (Jewish-owned) Chicago-based “niche business” and not the huge corporate giant it is today (after being purchased by Consolidated Foods, which eventually changed the company name to Sara Lee Foods for “brand recognition”)Wikipedia.

How about if Jewish people across the United States start a boycott of Sara Lee products and see what that does for your stock value?
That wouldn’t be quite so funny now would it, Sara Lee? “Nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee?” Think again!

This website stands out amid the many, many websites and emails that have sprung up and been passed around in the past few months. But my favorite of all the notices that I have received (and I am afraid that I do not know the original author) would have to be the following email. It is succinct; it is to the point; it makes you think:

Election Racial Issues—You Make the Call

What if things were switched around? Think about it. Would the  country’s collective point of view be different? Could racism be the culprit????  [This most certainly must be a rhetorical question!]

What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the stage, following the debate, including a three month-old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?

What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?

What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his college graduating class?

What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was a divorcee?

What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married?

What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to pain killers but also acquired them illegally through her  charitable organization?

What if Cindy McCain had graduated from Harvard?

What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five? (The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the  larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)

What if Obama couldn’t read from a teleprompter?

What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included discipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes?

What if Obama was the one who was known to publicly display a serious anger management problem?

What if Michelle Obama’s family had made their money from beer distribution?

You could easily add to this list. If these questions reflected a reality; if the tables were turned; do you really believe the election   numbers would be as close as they are?

This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative characteristics in another when there is a color difference.

And, think of this – the candidates’ educational backgrounds:

Barack Obama: Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in International Relations; Harvard University - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude

Joseph Biden: University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science; Syracuse University College of Law – Juris Doctor (J.D.)

John McCain: United States Naval Academy – Class rank: 894 out of 899

Sarah Palin: Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester; North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study; University of Idaho - 2 semesters – journalism; Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester; University of Idaho – 3 semesters – B.A. in Journalism

Education isn’t everything, but this election is about the two highest  offices in the land, as well as our standing in the world.

You make the call.

Today we made the difficult decision to let go of our loving Kipster. Five and one-half years ago, we adopted him as a fluffy kitten from Orphans of the Storm animal shelter for my youngest son’s birthday present…or, rather, he adopted us: He jumped onto my back, snuggled up into my neck and wouldn’t let go. Kip’s antics, affection, and love of treats such as turkey or corn on the cob were all legendary. He was king of the castle, even when we adopted Mitzi a year later. Kip slept on Ben’s bed, waited at the window for us when we left home, begged for treats at the table, snuggled up on my computer keyboard. When his health declined three years ago, we discovered that he had been born with barely functioning kidneys so his kind and knowledgeable kidney specialist Dr. Jerry Thornhill began aggressive treatment. With a course of subcutaneous fluids and many pills (which Kip was very good about taking), we were able to raise Kip’s kidney function from a low of 5% to nearly 20% and keep it there until the past month, when Kip went into a sudden decline. He stopped eating, lost weight, spent his days sleeping and grew irritable. Then he refused to leave his spot near the back door (cold though it was) and eventually lost control of his bladder. He was miserable and, as much as we loved him and couldn’t bear to part with him (especially as we had just lost our father/grandfather), we finally decided to do what was the best thing for Kip. He was clearly suffering and had no quality of life. We took him to the vet this evening and, after 2 hours of holding him and crying, finally had him put to sleep. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to put one of my beloved felines to sleep, but it was the hardest. We miss you, Kipster.