I love watching the Olympics, and when the various national anthems are played for the gold medalists, it always makes me realize just how magnificent our national anthem is. For one thing, those are some damn fine lyrics! For another thing, how cool is it that the music is an old British drinking song celebrating women, wine, and entertaining?! (Considering how difficult it is to actually sing the tune, perhaps drunkenness is more of a vocal help than a hindrance.)

Other patriotic songs of America are really great, too. America by Neil Diamond is probably one of my personal favorites (it’s on my iTunes!), although the traditional America the Beautiful and America (My Country, ‘Tis of Thee) are both amazingly moving. For a more martial mood, however, The Stars and Stripes Forever can’t be beat. (Although it does tend to make me think of calisthenics, as my mother used to work out to it. And hey, it does have a great tempo for leg-lifts!)

America’s patriotic music ranges from simply lovely to positively raucous — just like her citizens! *grin*

(Be sure to check out the rest of the Patriotic Journeyers… JimK, Scott, Larry, Drumwaster, and Doug. Ooh, looks like I’m the only girl! *really big grin*)

I have a migraine today, so I’m not going to write a whole lot…other than to say that America is a country that can laugh at itself, and that’s a very good thing. One example of this is the (in)famous Bill of No Rights written by Lewis Napper…

And now for something completely TMI…

I love the freedom of religion in the United States. I was raised without much religion — my mother took me & my sister to church only rarely (as far as I can tell, only when she felt we were getting unruly), and I don’t recall ever having a discussion about spirituality with any of my biological relatives. By the time I was in my early teens, I’d decided I was an atheist because Christianity made absolutely no sense to me, and virtually all of the outspoken Christians I’d encountered were asshats (with the notable exception of my favorite teacher, who was — unbeknownst to me for the first 2 years I knew her — a Catholic nun).

When I discovered Paganism, as a viable modern faith rather than a relic of the historical past, I was filled with wonder and delight. Several years after I began learning about it, I committed myself to my faith — and had no intentions of being secretive about it, although I hadn’t counted on my mother worriedly confronting me with, “Why are your daughters telling me you’re a witch, and that it’s not a joke?” (The kids were 7 and 3 at the time.)

In most nations, I could not be openly Pagan without risk to my safety — or even my life. In the United States, my religious practices are protected by law. What a wondrous thing that is!

(Incidentally, last night my family and I watched an episode of My Unique Family, which focused on a Wiccan family. It never fails to surprise me how every religious ritual or ceremony, whether of my faith or another’s, looks utterly silly to me unless I’m actually participating in it. I sure hope God has a sense of humor, is all I can think, because religion is far from rational. Just remember, “Reason has been part of organized religion ever since two nudists took dietary advice from a talking snake.”)

Day one of Patriot’s Journey –

Adlai E. Stevenson said, “A free society is one where it’s safe to be unpopular.”

I’ve never won any popularity contests. Amongst the many nationalities in my Honolulu grade school, I was the blond haole. Amongst rural kids in my Oregon high school, I was the ex-Navy brat from the big city. Amongst “nice” girls, I’ve always been the gal who refused to abide by double standards or think sex was something nasty or shameful. Amongst my family, I’ve always been the black sheep, the odd one, the mouthy daughter who refused to stay silent about our family’s dysfunctions and skeletons in the closet. Amongst Republicans, I’m the pro-choice, non-Christian & non-traditional weirdo. Amongst Democrats, I’m the pro-NRA, pro-military moderate who doesn’t believe in affirmative action or labeling some crimes as “hate crimes” (all crimes are hateful). Amongst the “good” mothers, I’m the mom who let her kids dye their hair weird colors and get body piercings and taught them to say “No!” to anyone who crossed their (reasonable) boundaries. Amongst the hippie/”modern” parents, I’m the oppressive mom who believes that spanking isn’t abuse, kids should respect their elders, and that a family is not a democracy. Amongst the “upstanding pillars” of society, I’m the Pagan weirdo with 5 tattoos and two boyfriends (who know about one another, and are even friends!). Amongst the “freaks” in society, I’m the vanilla “soccer mom” who works in an office and drives a station wagon and believes that using illegal drugs is wrong.

But that’s all okay, because the USA is — for the most part, and certainly in my experience — a place where it’s safe to be unpopular. I could not be all that I am, openly and matter-of-factly, in just about any other nation. But in the United States, I can have a bumper sticker that says, “The death penalty isn’t about making examples, it’s about making bad people dead,” and another that says, “Ethical Slut,” and not worry that my tires will get slashed because of it. And that’s one reason I love the USA.

(Happy Birthday, Dad!)

I like those “word of the day” email lists, because on the rare occasion when I see a word that I didn’t know before, I get all excited. And if I can use it in a context for which it was completely unintended, even more so (a geologist once said I was spathic!).

It’s too bad I haven’t been able to find any “cool made-up word of the day” lists. This one would definitely belong on it, though:

polynogamy, n. [pol-ee-nog-uh-mee] 1. a relationship in which one party wants the freedom to be polyamorous but doesn’t feel comfortable with their partner doing the same

If I had a dollar for every couple in that situation that I met… *rolls eyes*

There’s a hilarious metaquotes post over at LJ, about the risk of underwire bras setting off airport security. I completely empathize with the thought of wearing bras without underwire: “I might as wear two damp paper towels on my tits for all the support I get.”

Most of the comments are damned amusing, too. My favorite comment is: “They’ll get my foundation garments when they pry them off my cold, dead body.”

Amongst the comments is a brief discussion about body piercings and the possibility of setting off metal detectors with those. I am just shameless enough to have commented on that: “I hope that someday my piercing sets off a metal detector. I will smile so brightly when they ask me what’s in my undies that makes the wand beep, and I’ll be disappointed if I don’t get at least a few blushes when I explain where I’m pierced. Loudly.”

Because you know what? Security settings that can be triggered by underwire bras and body piercings are NOT making our country safe. There are plenty of ways to kill someone without using weapons made of metal. A dangerous person is dangerous regardless of his (or her) lack of a gun or a knife.

My beloved made a big batch of yummy goodness (hashbrowns, country sausage, & cheddar cheese all cooked together) before I got home from work. What he didn’t eat, I added scrambled eggs to and gobbled down! Good thing I have nice low cholesterol. Because I really, really love sausage, eggs, and cheese cooked in butter.

I haven’t written a whole lot about my new job, mainly because I’m still in training and don’t have a lot to say about it yet, other than I think I’m really going to enjoy working there. And when I do write much about it, it’ll have to be over at my LJ and f-locked (so I don’t have to be quite as vague as I would in a non-locked post). But at this point, all I can say is that I suspect I’m going to be good at it, and as long as I don’t get stuck with swing shift every week, I’m fine with the rotating schedules. (It’s a union job, so I have to bid on a set schedule if and when one comes available — and currently I have the least seniority. But a set schedule isn’t necessarily a high priority to me, anyway.)

And that’s all the news that’s fit to print. More or less.

Here we go…this one was found at Morning Glory 2. (I admit, I added one author — Robert A. Heinlein — because I thought it was utterly ridiculous that Dan Brown & J.K. Rowling were on the list but not Heinlein. I did refrain from adding my most favorite author — Spider Robinson — as I believe I’ve read all the fiction he’s ever published, but sadly, most people have never heard of him.)

Using the list below the cut, bold all the titles that you’ve read. If you’ve read other titles by the same author, add them under that author.

Delete nothing! Play along, and leave a comment to let me know you did so I can check out your list.

My list:
And now for something completely TMI…

There are a few commonalities in all the men I deeply care about: they each have impressive intelligence, creative thought processes, a wicked sense of humor, and wonderfully witty conversational skills. Obviously I include my beloved Geoffrey and my terrific other boyfriend Karel in that group. But I’m also talking about my dear friend Larry.

Yesterday he made a post in his blog titled Patriot’s Journey: a challenge that really impressed me, and impressed upon me how much we Americans take our country for granted. Here’s the gist:

The challenge is to contemplate your patriotism. This is not one of those partisan political opportunities, where we claim one political stance or another is superior, it’s much easier and (should be) less contentious than that.

Every day between Memorial Day and Independence Day, express one unequivocally positive thing about our country. That’s it. That’s the challenge.

(This originated from Drumwaster, who is preparing for the Fourth Annual Patriot’s Journey!)

Counting both Memorial Day and Independence Day, that’s 38 days. I’m certain I can come up with 38 positive things about the United States of America — I’m certain that anyone who loves this country can come up with 38 positive things about the United States of America! There’s so much said about our nation — from both within, and without — that is negative and discouraging and just plain ugly. All too often, caught up in the (valid or not!) disparagements that seem to be fashionable in recent years, people forget what is good and right and worth celebrating about the USA.

Take the journey. And let me know where it leads you.

Thebastidge (a really sweet guy who seriously needs more contact/kudos from us lucky folks who aren’t in Iraq right now!) posted something absolutely priceless today:

The Ant and the Grasshopper, updated

Meanwhile, my day at work was better than the previous three, as — unlike the previous three — I was neither sent to walk all over freaking Marquam Hill, nor suffering a migraine. I still feel like I have shinsplints from the hill hikes of Monday & Wednesday afternoon, though.