More Awesome Stuff

Another awesome person is Jen Lancaster.  I'm probably as bitchy as she is, but she's much more clever about it than I am.  She also thinks that bad grammar and poor spelling are to be snarked about.  I've only read the first two of her books, mostly because I only buy books if I need to add something to my Amazon order to get free shipping and I have shelf loads of books I haven't read, but those two were awesome and when I buy another book it will be one of hers.  I don't know how she feels about PETA, but since she owns two pit bulls and PETA wants to kill all pits, I'm pretty sure she feels that PETA sucks.  (If I'm wrong, don't tell me.  I want to believe that Jen is awesome.)

For some good entertainment go visit her blog-Jennsylvania.  I'll be willing to bet it makes you want to buy some books.

PETA Sucks!

Douglas Anthony Cooper is awesome.  For one thing, he's very intelligent.  Also, he knows the truth about PETA.  Here's a link to his latest article at Huffington Post.  Read it, and then click the link at the bottom for previous articles.

Failure to Disclose? Not Good!

Did anyone catch the latest IHOP commercial?  Apparently they're proud of the fact that people didn't know that they put pancake batter in their omelets.  I hope that unsuspecting gluten intolerant people who ordered omelets thinking that they were gluten free and had bad reactions can find a good lawyer.

Sometimes Googling old boyfriends isn't a good idea.

Something reminded me of an ex (in case anyone remembers my story about the string of crazy boyfriends, he was the first-thought that people were following him all over the country) so I googled him.  I didn't expect to find anything, since when I knew him he used an alias because he wasn't supposed to have left Texas.  I shouldn't have been surprised.  Up pops his real name, with a mug shot.  Arrested for "public consumption of alcohol."  It was about ten years old, but he was still pretty good looking, if a bit disheveled.  (The link and photo are not being posted, unnecessary to reveal his true identity here.)

Lies, and other made up stuff

Tonight 20/20 had an episode about liars.  They were big ass lies-someone saying they had cancer and getting mega-donations, etc.

I'm wondering.  Is a big lie worse than  a "little" lie? Is telling someone that you're dying of cancer any worse than telling someone that you "forgot" to bring back a borrowed camera when the truth is that you hadn't used it yet?

Is there a degree of fault in lies?  Or  are all liars to be judged the same whether or not the lie resulted in financial loss to the person who was lied to?

My inclination, because I've had the misfortune to be involved with a person who claimed to be my friend, but lied to me and about me, is that there is no "degree" of lying.  Unless there is a fudging of the truth when truth would cause unnecessary harm, lying is lying.  And, I hate liars.

Fiction Presented as Fact

I'm always amused by people who state things as fact that aren't facts at all.  Here's one that makes me chuckle.  Someone once stated to me that "sauvignon" means "sausage" in French.  Therefore, according to that made up fact and faulty logic, Sauvignon Blanc is just a bunch of left over white grapes made into wine, like sausage is made up of left over pig parts.

First of all, there are several words for "sausage" in French, none of which are "sauvignon": 

boudin - chair - gendarme - merguez - saucisse - saucisson  

Sauvignon Blanc description   Savage is just a little different than sausage.  

I'm now enjoying a glass of white savage wine.  I've been told that the same person who made up the sausage story is telling people that I'm an alcoholic.  I guess that fits, if her definition of "raging alcoholic" is someone who enjoys a few glasses of wine in an evening.

Random thoughts about funerals...

I recently read something about someone who attended the funeral of a loved one who had strong religious beliefs that differed from the beliefs (or lack of) of the poster.  He was disturbed by the funeral.  Most people agree that a funeral is for the living, but is there some obligation to honor the beliefs of the deceased even if you are violently opposed to them?  I knew someone who went so far as to lie to her family members about the disposition of her mother's remains to avoid a ceremony that she found abhorrent but was part of her mother's religion.  Was that honorable, or selfish? 

Fortunately my mother has expressed that she's to be cremated, ashes spread somewhere (although if it's from the top of Stonewall Mountain someone else can do it because I have unpleasant memories of forced hikes to the top of that thing from my childhood) and no religious frivolity will be involved.  My mother will most likely cling to life until she spends all of her money so that she can achieve her stated goal of leaving nothing to her children so I doubt we'll have to deal with this any time soon.

Myself?  I don't care what you do with the shell.  Perhaps I can go be one of my anatomy professor friend's teaching tools.  Imagine the surprise of the students when they cut open a cadaver and can't find the sternum.