Well, well, well…looks like my assumptions were not too far off base:

E.M. Swift: Finally, proof that gymnastics scoring needs an overhaul

These people need to get their act together and come up with a better and smarter scoring system wherein people do not get screwed and judges are scrutinized more closely.

And why does Alex Despatie, the Quebecian diver, look like he is smuggling a small Himalayan child in his crotch.  I mean seriously, it’s inhuman and obscene and just frightening.

So, four years ago, commentators bandied about the phrase “The China Syndrome” when discussing Chinese gymnasts who just fell apart under the pressure of competing.

Fast forward 4 years to Beijing and they are sweeeeeeeeping the gymnastics events (give or take some of them cracking, but nothing like 4 years prior).  However, this year they should change the syndrome to reflect the Americans who, frankly, just sucked this year.  I have always thought the Russians and Romanians were the ones who exemplified perfection in the sport (and who does not love bad girl Khorkhina).  I never really thought the Americans were superb (outside of Retton and Strugg).  And granted, the Chinese genetically are much more easily matched to a sport like gymnastics thanks to their lean bodies and freakish flexibility (just watch diving for the same comparison – the more solid divers just lack grace and lines).

I always feel bad for Chinese athletes who don’t meet with the Chinese national standards of gold or nothing because I know there is so much at stake for them than for many other countries.  I don’t even want to assume what penalties get inflicted on them by the government if they don’t step up to the plate.

Some weird turnabouts are in the men’s horse (which I think is just some Germanic torture event to have to put on someone) and a UK gymnast ( a sport virtually ignored in the UK…they probably think it is too twee for them) wins a medal…as does a Croatian.  Talk about odd odds.

I don’t get the same thrill watching gymnastics as I used to.  There are no real personalities or on-fire folk.  I used to hate swimming and have no fallen in love with it; most probably because of Phelps-mania.

And what’s with the digitally enhanced fireworks for opening ceremonies…really now???

Ok, I bit the bullet and I transferring to WordPress which means changes, and slow ones at that, are ot be expected over the next week or so as I acclimate to the new WP tech and re-design my blog (again) as blogger designs don’t carry over too well and I don’t feel much like mucking with what I did.  Even though I loved that new green-city design.

I can feel it now. I have avoided this for many, many years after my first unsuccessful attempt to integrate a new blog system for my blog.

I feel the urge to move to WordPress…..and for no good reason, really. Yeah, it’s more customizable, but that is pretty much the only reason.

To be honest, the only reason I have not yet is because I am too damn busy (lazy) to go through and code everything and make it pretty and manageable. I know how to do it, but just don’t feel like spending the time.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?

That works, right?

Well, this is by far the longest hiatus that I have taken from my blog since it’s inception oh so many years ago, but today seemed like the right day as I am celebrating an event 18-years in the waiting and making.

Today, I became an American citizen…

…and it’s about bloody time.

Of course, the first thing that happened to me soon after was that I left my wallet in a cab. Yeah….four hours later…I managed to get it back. I guess I should be lucky some other passenger did not pick it up.

I officially corrected the spelling of my middle name and changed my last name. And the ensuing insanity of now having to change everything else in my life around the name change should prove to be hi-la-rious.

The new site design needs a few tweaks and fixes, but I figured it appropos for the new beginning and frontier.

The swearing in ceremony was a laborious bore that tested every ounce of my patience. The poorly organized security checks were not a good sign as I was shuttled around the outside of the building with some confused foreigners to go through a different security check…which was as crowded.

Then I began the long process of waiting while line by line we were taken up to the front of the jury assembly room and “checked in.” Then some more waiting. Then a delay as the judge was busy sentencing some miscreant nearby. Then after three hours of waiting, checking and delaying, the judge enters.

Irony reared its ugly head when we were told to repeat the oath…of course…it was being spoken by someone with a HEAVY accent who could barely be understood. I think maybe a quarter of the people in the room actually repeated the oath word for word. People to my left and right mumbled and looked confused. I just shook my head and repeated what key words I could hear.

The judge then gives a long speech signifying nothing in its over-sentimentality (maybe waiting 18 years has made me jaded….I was a lot more excited to get my green card…not that I am not thankful). Then we spoke the pledge (this time understood). Soon after the judge departed and they called out names – a la high school graduation – and we went up to collect our certificates and get the hell out. I have never heard such butchery of names in my life, and I just thought: SURELY someone knew this would happen.

I was a little bothered by just how many people in the room did not speak English, but more on that in a later post.

So there it is. I don’t feel any different, although I am excited about the prospect of getting to vacation outside of the country. I get to vote (woo?). And should I ever want to get a government job I am sure I will die of waiting before even being interviewed.

Days like this in federal buildings with marshals as old as Methuselah , security guards who bark orders as if we were in an internment camp, and long periods of waiting make me better understand why the war “over there” has lasted as long as it has.

The wheels of justice may grind slow, but that’s because no one has figured out how to properly organize and plan the bloody thing.

So, America, here I am….

So the resolution passed.

And now we wait for a full house vote. As expected Bush and Rice are shitting in their pants, Turkey is whining and pissed off, and I could not be happier.

I don’t know if this speaks to the sly smarminess or the sheer stupidity of our president, but he labels the event as: historic mass killings. Hello? That is what a genocide is.

The logical part of me understand the political machinations at work here and why this is still an issue. However, the human part of me thinks the whole denial is ridiculous. No one had a problem being up in arms when the denials of the Jewish Holocaust were pouring out in waves. Granted the Jewish population is ten times that of the Armenian and the American Jewish presence was/is a lot more prevalent than the Armenian.

I hope this keeps pushing forward and the Armenian Genocide finally gets the recognition it deserves.

The Armenian Resolution

So I have been following a series of articles about the House resolution calling for the recognition of the mass Armenian killings in Turkey at the turn of the century as a genocide.

Any literate moron who reads about the history and see the pictures would know it was a genocide and not some by-product of the WWI, as the Turkish government claims. Mind you, their original claims for the denial of the naming was because the Armenians had it coming because they were trouble-makers.

But good ‘ol Bush and his house slave Rice lobbied against the resolution on the grounds that it would destroy the important political relationship with Turkey which is necessary for the war on terrorism.

Mind you the real reason is what it is always about: money and gas. The terrorism scapegoat is become such a hackneyed excuse and the fact that 100 years later they still will not call it a genocide pisses me off beyond imagination.

Wat makes it worse is that WHILE it was happening, both in the early stages in the late 1890s and during the 1920s, the American press called it a genocide. In fact, that was when the term first came into use in regards to mass killings. They sent aid, reporters, ambassadors, negotiators. Everything pointed to it being a genocide. Oh the heads turn when all of a sudden the US refuses to say that is what it was.

Why Turkey wants to still deny it is pointless when everyone else knows better, including several European countries who have publicly criticized the denial. Once again, Bush just does nothing but to further the coloring of the US as a bunch of ethnocentric morons.

I am just so livid right now.

My apologies to Sara for taking so long to get this up. I have no excuse really. But before I get to the random facts…

Things are hectic, but good. Although, I have put writing to the backburner right now, I am working on several projects that are keeping me busy.

Proofing for Kensington is a tremendous help to my income and I like the work. It’s easy for me. And I get paid essentially for reading. I consider it free classes in writing too…good or bad.

I got another gig writing resumes and cover letters. It is amazing how much people will pay to have someone else do it for them. Oh well, good for me. LOL Again, I find this easy work and fun to do. It feeds into my anal retentive organization skills and love of formatting. It also feeds into my font addiction.

Getting ready to launch an awesome site with 6 other friends. Not sure where it will go, but I do know it has a lot going for it.

Claudia Black….I love her. She’s amazing. She was a guest on SG-1 and I instantly fell in love with her. GIVE HER MORE WORK!

FINALLY catching up on all the missed SG-1 episodes. On season 9 right now and while I am not looking forward to having the whole thing end because I love the series and the actors the episodes got a little weird from the 6th season on. Not sure what was going on other than actor salary disputes, but it looks like people were scattered. I think they should have ended with season 8 because the whole Ori thing seems like old news-new package. I am curious to see how the whole show ends. Richard Dean Anderson leaving is, or rather, was, a bad sign (like Michael Shanks). Starting on SG-Atlantis, which I hope is better. I do love the series despite all the weirdness.

And now….the facts:

1) Having grown up in a desert country, it was not easy to foster a green thumb. But I loved the idea of growing things and would always plant little seeds in wet cotton. Thanks mom!

2) I have always longed for a little garden of my own, but do not think I have the thumb for it like my fore bearers. Every time I try, it ends miserably. Like the time I was thrilled at my from-seed oregano and basil that died mercilessly after I cut some off to cook with. It was sad. The next day, all the stems were blackended and withered.

3) I firmly support organically grown everything. I just wish I did not mean cost is higher. It’s odd, we pay more for losing ingredients. Being healthy comes at a price it would seem.

4) I love cooking with fresh and not dried. I think it adds more flavor. And it’s fun. Except for the time I froze some purple basil and it died on me. Badly.

5) Fresh rosemary is one of my fave garden scents. Especially the crop from my Aunt’s garden. She is the one with the green thumb, planting anything and everything and making it all grow. I envy her ability.

6) I think there is nothing more human than working with and in nature. It reminds me of what our humanity really is divorced of circuits and wires. I think people who disregard the importance of nature are fools who will realize only too late the effect of screwing and raping nature.

7) I say all this fully admitting that I cannot STAND soil under my fingernails.

What in the hell is up with this weather???

This is summer? It was like 58 yesterday and like 60 something today.

And we are back to the 90s by Saturday.

And people say there is no global warming.

Pshaw, I say. Pshaw.

In other news, there is no other news. I have nothing new to offer.

So I forced myself to stay up until 2 am this morning finishing the last Harry Potter book. I forced myself not to read at my usual speed so I could prolong the ending (re-read book 6 in two days) and so I could enjoy every moment.

It was definitely sad. I enjoy books. I love losing myself in them. And I found myself on edge and loving it throughout this one.

Of course, when the book first came out, I would have NOTHING to do with it. I refused to read a children’s book until Sara told me I was missing out. I devoured the four released books in about a month and became part of the manic fold. I even went the midnight release parties for books 5 and 6. I did not go to the one for this book preferring to avoid the insanity of a NY book party.

So….yeah…I admit it. I am a fan and I love the books. They may not be the highest form of literature, but they do what literature is supposed to do: Tell a story and move us.

Now…how they turn this final book into a movie should be interesting. It is a bloodbath and by far darker than any of the other books.