Averygoodun's Personal File

Fuck this past decade, actually. Even if it has been a relatively good one for me.

Here's an interesting article about mass shootings in the US, however (with a quick aside about one of the author's points here). What's most interesting is how unclear the answer to this violence is.

Well, except for better mental health care. That seems patently obvious. And perhaps a good, long look at the national psyche itself. The individuals committing these heinous crimes are not a product of themselves alone, after all. Despite what Individualists will have you believe.

*shakes head*

I'm tempted to go pick Page up from after-school just so I can hug him. But on the other hand, school (and his incredibly upbeat after-school teachers) might be a better place for him right now.

But... I truly can't fathom how someone could do that (the killing of the kids, that is). The why, I actually can (though my hypothetical reasons are probably not the killer's reasons, i.e. killing as a matter of [really fucked-up, ill-thought-out] compassion), but not the how.

As I said, fuck today.

• After trying to read chapter 46 of Semantics three times and zoning out each time with a shrug, I think I'm going to give the rest of the story a miss.  Snape is too... unremittingly unreasonable AND pathetic.  Way too close to the worst of DH canon for my taste.  And Hermione is... she just is.  She isn't the main character and although she seems fairly reasonable and likable, I just can't bring myself to care, except to think that she's better suited to Draco and deserves a hell of a lot better than that Snape.  Assuming coffeeonthepatio ever does put them together.  Draco was the only one worth reading about, and he's off the charts OOC now that he's gone all sappy with Aideen.

• This is worth checking out.  It's a talk on TED by a brain specialist about her personal experience with a stroke. Very moving.

• I made brownies to go with my tea today.  I overcooked them slightly, so they would be better with whipped cream and berries, but they're still mighty good alone.  (I know I posted a link to these previously, but it seems I didn't tag it, and I can't be bothered looking for it.)

• I really need to start exercising again.  I hate, loathe and despise the chest-and-leg raises - which I term the quartered-airplane (exercise 6).  The full airplane is even worse, and that's basically what I've got to look forward to as I progress.  Should that ever happen.  (/well founded cynicism)  Instead of running in place, which is one of the many ways I've injured myself over the last ten months, I do heel lifts (walking in place without foot leaving the ground).  Or, at least I will, next time I actually start exercising.  I also do squats instead of hops, for the same injury-reducing reasons.  (It's actually a lot more difficult to fit all of those into the *checks* 3 minutes allowed? Hell.  That's easy.  For now.  (I thought it was 2 minutes)

• I have been indulging in Ezekiel 4:9 (which Babe can eat) toast this past week, and my skin is a mess because of it.  Itchy, nasty eczema for the fail.  I suspect the lentils even more than the barley.  I shall abstain henceforth.

• I had an intuitive math win yesterday at the store. It was a cash only store (Costco), and while I had counted up the cost of the bigger ticket items (meat) in my head (2/3 of my cash), I just estimated the rest.   I had four dollars to spare when all was said and done.

Aaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnd, considering I just spent an hour and a half on this post when I should have been exercising, sanding, cleaning, napping or playing with Babe, I think I really ought to go.  *sheepishly waves*

Cheers!


ETA: Quote of the day: "We are investigating all our options - including legal ones," [Rand] Paul spokesman Jesse Benton told Politico. 

So Geoff is sick. He's come down with a cold that has everyone commenting: "You sound like crap." Especially tragic because Geoff has one of those yummy voices and knows how to use it (most of the time). When he isn't self-conscious.

But that's not what I wanted to write about. No.

( I went shopping today, but this isn't really about that, either. )


Oh, and PS: The leaves are starting to turn already. The burning bushes up north were a glorious fuchia. Beautiful!