Christmas came a day early for Americans this year, as the Senate voted down the Republican filibuster in order to permit full consideration of the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care" Act a bit after midnight. The last time the Senate voted on Christmas eve day was in 1895, when the issue was whether or not to provide federal benefits to U.S. military servicemen. I assume that the people we now call "Republicans," but back then probably were Southern democrats--anyhow, the same group that provides the core of ongoing political racism and opposition to federal government actions of any beneficial sort--were the "againsters" then as well. (Although I don't know that for sure; perhaps I will try to look it up).
I haven't posted for a week or so, being so busy with Christmas preparations. Our first holiday-related company may arrive today, on their way west to Vancouver. Christmas eve will be spent in Chicago (that's our big meal and gathering). Probably on Christmas day itself we will work on slightly overdue Christmas greeting cards.
I have to go to the dentist today. But I hate the dentist!
I just revisited this list. I have 26 items left to do by january 7, 2011. I'm especially proud of saving money for a down payment, having a golf lesson, learning Ruby on Rails, and finishing my book target. So now, the question is what will I want to do after having completed these things? I'm only unsure of how I'd manage ALL the travel I've listed. But that's ok. I'm fine with donating to charity as well.
I am so grateful for this past year, and all I've done. It's been incredibly difficult; there have been times when I've just broken down into tears for no reason, but I am amazed at how far I've come.
I haven't been blogging that much lately; life has intervened (as it does), and I've still been considering permanently switching to Tumblr. Last weekend I consolidated my two other experimental blogs, so just kept the single Tumblr blog, but I moved it to my own domain name (www.writebrained.org). Again, what I love about Tumblr is that you can have groups and followers just like on Vox. However, what I love about Vox is that the bloggers here are closer to my age, thoughtful, and write with a great deal of consideration about their lives. Tumblr is very popular among a much younger crowd (although I'm sure others will take it on eventually, because it's elegant and easy to use.) If any of you move over to Tumblr, please let me know so I can follow you!
read 50 books per year(54/50) --- I've read over 50 books this year.spend a weekend - or week in Paris-- went in July for a week!read ten non-fiction books this year (10+/10)-- more than 10, yay!learn Ruby on Rails- attended a workshop to learn this!
learn to play golfwith my dad - not with my dad, but took a golf lesson
save for a down-payment on a houseget rid of all my old makeup and jewelry -did this, but bought a lot of new makeup and jewelry- have rock solid abs - still working on it
- go to grad school - applying
- run in the hawaii or one of the wine country half/marathons
- visit India
- write a book
- build a Facebook app
- ride in a hot air balloon
- go hang gliding or scuba diving
- learn to draw again
- become fluent in Hindi
- plan an online serialized novel
- visit Turkey
- visit Thailand
- visit Greece
- visit all the places in Italy I haven't been to: Rome, Florence, and the Amalfi coast
- watch 25 of the top 100 movies of all time (13/25)
- start painting again (or designing)
- learn to paint with oils
- make some watercolors for gifts to family
- go to the dentist and doctor more regularly
- take a tango dancing class
- double my annual income
- get married
- donate $5 for every goal not finished after 1001 days
have a partner who is my equalbe with someone who is very caring- declutter all my belongings*
- go on a trip with girlfriends at least once a year*
write 50 poems per year (40/50)--- I stopped writing poems, but I did write 50k words. Good enough :)improve my credit rating- build a new website*
- partner with someone I really enjoy on a project
- exercise every other day
volunteer for an organization using my writing or design or marketing skillspaint my apartment wallsget my house cleaned once per monthlose 5 lbs
get renter's insurancehave fun business cardsset a budget for myselffollow it for two months! :)fall in love again
save six months of living expenseswork as an information architectrun a marathon or half-marathon
get a dishwasherget new glasses/contactsauthentically listen to peopleget a new jobbe amazingly confident for 10 minutes a dayreorganize my wardrobe and wear clothes that suit mebe more trustingtake care of myself firstattract 100 readers/subscribers to my blogs (100/100)learn compassion for myselfbe blissfully happy for at least 10 minutes a daybe 5 minutes early to everythingrehabilitate my knee (so it's strong enough to run)
start this list :)start a vox group for this (or see if there is one already)identify 100 things which make me happyget accepted to grad schoolstop caring what other people think of meovercome procrastinationupdate my blog every dayforgive everyone who has ever hurt mebe more assertivewrite to my LA-LA land writing friend every weekwrite a letter to myself about my life and writing at least once a monthwork for or invest in a startupadvise young startupslearn to make a good stir frylearn to make salads and sandwiches for lunch every dayeat oatmeal or protein for breakfast every daywrite down my dreams, secrets, wishes, and fearscontact one old friend from college once a monthcook dinner for friends at least once a monthgo for a walk at least once a weekmoisturize and use sunblock religiouslywear hats in the sunmeet with my writing soul buddies once a monthmake it a habit to be optimistictell my own truth every dayconnect with my professional network more oftenlet go of the pastget to know my friends' childrendon't buy anything which doesn't fit me perfectlydon't buy anything which isn't immensely flatteringdo a web art projectreveal myself more to peoplehave a suit that I absolutely adoreremove anyone dishonest or uncaring from my life-
be there for my friends -
be more in touch with my own feelings
On the 9th December 2009, in an historic and beautiful ceremony presided over by Dharmavidya at the Buddhist House, Narborough, the following good people took various vows, refuges, precepts, new responsibilities and spiritual commitments as follows:
Prasada became an Acharya;
Modgala became an Acharya;
Sujatin became an Acharya;
Rachel Abel became an Order Member and was ordained as a Ganko-sha with the name Amita Kuvalaya;
Orna Matri became an Order Member and was ordained as a Ganko-sha with the name Amita Pundarika;
Yaakov Matri became an Order Member and was ordained as a Ganko-sha with the name Amita Vimalashri;
Massimo D'Alessandro became a Postulant;
Simon Williams became a Postulant;
Madrakara Albiges became an Aspirant;
Tony Danford became an Aspirant;
Dawn Hart became an Aspirant;
Zee-Zee Heine became an Aspirant;
Madrakara Albiges took the Five Precepts;
Zee-Zee Heine took the Ten Precepts;
Annetta de Quaasteniet was admitted as a member of the Amida-shu;
Bruce Coleman took the Five Refuges;
Brandon Haywood took the Five Refuges;
Dean Haywood took the Five Refuges;
Richard Ollier took the Five Refuges.
On the following day, the 10th December 2009, in a ceremony at the Buddhist House presided over by Sujatin, the good person and new Postulant Simon Williams was admitted as a member of the Amida-shu.
Namo Amida Bu
::link
video of highlights
My rating: ★★★★✩
Very good, light read for the plane. An excellent apocalyptic setting, that held together well throughout the book.
In Plague Year, a "nanotech" virus got loose and reduces all warm-blooded creatures to mush. The catch? There is a governor that says it can't survive if at the standard air pressure at 10,000 feet. So everyone made a run for the mountains and small pockets of humanity survive, barely, with the occasional foray below the magic line, at a terrible physical cost. Cam and Sawyer lead one faction in California.
A capital of sorts is established in Leadville, Colorado, "the highest incorporated city", while the space station is still in orbit and Ruth is a leading nanotech engineer who pines to get back to Earth to help out. Finally, she finagles a landing and finds out all too much. She and Cam end up leading a party to recover important information from the creation lab.
This was a fun read and the premise held together remarkably well. The main characters were well drawn, if slightly wooden, as was much of the dialog. And some of the frictions that happened didn't always make sense, but the story went along so smoothly you hardly cared. If you like your apocalyptic novels to be hard sci-fi, then this is your book. See his Plague War for the sequel.
