They Say I Made A Difference

Thursday, June 30, 2005 | 0 Comments

Although many of you may have already heard the news, I thought that I would share it anyway- the budget cut that congress was considering for public broadcasting didn't go through! MoveOn.org sent me an email last Friday to let me know that I made a difference.

"In an unexpected move yesterday afternoon, the House of Representatives approved a measure to restore $100 million of funding for NPR, PBS and local public stations. Republican leaders were proposing to slash $200 million from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, but you helped stop them."

To any of you that also decided to take action on this matter, thanks! Because now that we don't have cable, we are going to need public broadcasting more than ever!

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Blogger Maria said...

Thank the Lord! What would I do without Frontline and Reading Rainbow?

June 30, 2005 1:15 AM

Blogger jac said...

Syl
You have your flowers, pretty, though it is from the wild.

June 30, 2005 3:45 AM

Blogger Lyvvie said...

Hooray! We get that on satellite! Thank you!

June 30, 2005 5:32 AM

Blogger The Doc said...

We get that on cable up here, so thanks! You helped save The Best Of The Joy Of Painting! Bob Ross is awesome. You're my hero.

June 30, 2005 3:37 PM

Blogger evilsciencechick said...

I made a difference, too!

June 30, 2005 11:10 PM

Blogger Sylvana said...

Maria- Educational things are almost always the first on the chopping block which is so sad.

Jac- you didn't even say they were for me in the post!

Lyvvie- thank goodness for technology, heh?

The Doc- My older brother and I used to watch that show together. It was one of the few times he wasn't punching me for something.

ESC- Yeah! We did it!! We did it!! Thanks so much!

July 01, 2005 8:02 AM

Blogger jac said...

Syl
I apologize, but plz watch my page on 3rd...it is just for you.

July 01, 2005 9:15 PM

Sy- What is it doing outside?
SSB- [stepping back in from the porch] Can you hear it? Can you hear that thunder?
Sy- Where women glow and men plunder?
SSB- Chunder.
Sy- Oh, is that what they do? They chunder? Thunder, chunder, plunder...Do they plunder?
SSB- Oh yes. They plunder and chunder. What does chunder mean?
Sy- OH! WAIT! I knew this one!--
SSB- Sounds like throwing up after drinking.--
Sy- someone told me once--
SSB- I chundered at that party.
Sy- I chundered in my sister's neighbor's yard that one time.
SSB- You left a chunder trail around the neighborhood.
Sy- [giggling] Where's Sy and SSB? Oh, they're around. Just follow the chunder trail.

(BTW: the reference here is a song from the eighties. I know you guys like games, so who sang it and what was it called? Also, chunder really does mean vomit!)

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Blogger Scott said...

That's Men at Work! Down Under. And ew about the chunder.

June 28, 2005 1:52 PM

Blogger Sylvana said...

Good work Scott! You mean chunder in general, or mine specifically? Ah! That was a fun night. Two words: Jägermeister shots.

June 28, 2005 2:36 PM

Blogger Lyvvie said...

I saw them on Solid Gold singing that song!!

I'm pretty sure chunder maens to barf too...

if it doesn't, it certainly should.

June 28, 2005 4:14 PM

Blogger evilsciencechick said...

gag me with a spoon!

June 28, 2005 4:14 PM

Blogger jac said...

I leave my brain here.

June 28, 2005 9:30 PM

Blogger OldRoses said...

I'm too old to recognize the reference. And it's been ages since I drank so much I chundered.

June 28, 2005 10:52 PM

Blogger Sylvana said...

Lyvvie- I remember Solid Gold. I can't believe that my dad actually watched that with the family. And it really DOES mean vomit! I looked it up on dictionary.com

ESC- Like, totally!

Jac- you almost always leave me scratching my head.

OldRoses- Here I was worried about people being too YOUNG! :)

June 29, 2005 7:23 AM

Blogger Irb said...

I believe chunder is the natural by-product of vegemite. Or possibly the other way around...

June 29, 2005 8:17 AM

Blogger Sylvana said...

Irb- that sounds about right. I've tried marmite which some people have told me is similar to vegemite, only better, and I thought it was rather disgusting- so what does that make vegemite?

June 29, 2005 9:00 AM

Blogger SierraBella said...

I had the Men at Work album-
Does anyone even know what an album is anymore?
God I feel so old...

June 29, 2005 10:16 AM

Blogger Sask 1 said...

i think i need to chunder.:)

June 29, 2005 10:30 AM

Blogger DrMax said...

Watching Solid Gold is nothing to be ashamed of. It was at a time when there were fewer channel choices and a lot fewer remote controls. It is surprising what we would watch back then, just because we didn't want to bother getting out of a chair to change the channel. It also explains why I know more about Hee Haw than I care to admit. Chunder indeed.

June 29, 2005 3:27 PM

Blogger Sylvana said...

Sierrabella- know? I have some!

June- Ug. I'm feeling the same way right now.

DrMax- I can't believe how much of my life Ihave wasted watching TV. But I gave up cable TV. Now I do most of my life wasting on the internet!

June 30, 2005 12:10 AM

3000!

Tuesday, June 28, 2005 | 0 Comments

WooHoo! Yeah, baby! I JUST hit 3000 visitors to my site! I'm so excited. I feel like I'm in the big league now. Tonight, I will celebrate by going to the Mexican restaurant. Ummmmmm...good, authentic Mexican food! YU-MMY! Thank you everyone for visiting my blog and especially a HUGE thank you to all of you that leave comments!!! I LOVE COMMENTS!! Even short "heys" excite me. What can I say, I'm easily amused and flattered.

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Blogger Sask 1 said...

Well done.You have a great blog Sylvana.
June

June 28, 2005 9:39 AM

Blogger evilsciencechick said...

hey!

June 28, 2005 10:38 AM

Blogger Irb said...

hey!

Aw, dammit! That comedy vein has been mined, hasn't it?

Congrats on the big three-oh-oh-oh, Sy!!!

June 28, 2005 10:44 AM

Blogger SierraBella said...

3,000- very nice!

June 28, 2005 10:45 AM

Blogger Tayster said...

Congrats and I'll see you at the restaurant. (That was an invitation to all of us to join you for dinner, wasn't it?)

June 28, 2005 11:37 AM

Blogger Sylvana said...

June- Thanks. I'm glad people like it, cause that you like me, you really, really like me!

ESC- *giggling with immense satisfation*

Irb- ESC is a quick-draw! She is almost always first to comment here. We keep each other entertained. And thanks! I left some flattery on your blog too!

Sierrabella- :) I know

Tayster- Ok, you go down 2nd street until you hit the 1st National Bank. Then you turn right and then left and you can't miss it!

June 28, 2005 12:22 PM

Blogger jac said...

Congrats ! Flowers, lots of it.
There are many who visit you every day, but do you reciprocate, I just wonder ?

June 28, 2005 12:39 PM

Blogger Sylvana said...

jac- Thanks! I want to see my flowers on your site.
As far as your question goes--is that a dig, you cheeky devil? If so, your complaint is unfounded. I have commented on your blog quite a few times since I have found it (I like your pictures, but I'm not big on poetry in general- sorry, nothing personal).
To answer the question further- I comment on other people's blogs about as much as, and more than often more than, they comment on mine. In fact, I comment on people's blogs that never even comment here. Any other questions?

June 28, 2005 1:10 PM

Blogger Lyvvie said...

Congratulations!!

June 28, 2005 4:15 PM

Blogger jac said...

I give up. lol, that was not meant to be a dig.

June 28, 2005 9:17 PM

Blogger OldRoses said...

Hey!

And congrats!

June 28, 2005 10:51 PM

Blogger The Doc said...

Good work. With such a wide fan base, you can start putting in secret messages to the proletariat...

June 28, 2005 11:53 PM

Blogger Astrid said...

Sylvana, now your Blog is no longer in diapers, it has grown up! 3000 visitors and rising, let's pour some Whiskey to celebrate!

June 29, 2005 7:18 AM

Blogger Sylvana said...

Lyvvie- always a pleasure to see your mischievious smile

Jac- I hope that at least answered your question

OldRoses- Hey to you too! THanks.

The Doc- I know, I KNOW! ;)

Astrid- Where did all the time go? I remember like it was just yesterday when it was just a little blog, struggling to get on its feet... what kind of whisky did you have in mind? I'm more of a rum girl. Captains Spiced Rum. Mmmmm!

June 29, 2005 7:31 AM

Sy is SEETHING!

Monday, June 27, 2005 | 0 Comments

I heard about the Kelo decision on the morning news the other day, and let me tell you I AM PISSED! For those of you that are unfamiliar with this case that went to the Supreme Court, it has to do with a developer that wanted a chunk of land on the water to put in a marina and upscale businesses and homes. Problem was there were already people that owned the land, lived there, and weren't interested in selling. The woman who the case was named for, "Susette Kelo dreamed of owning a home that looked out over the water. She purchased and lovingly restored her little pink house where the Thames River meets the Long Island Sound in 1997, and has enjoyed the great view from its windows ever since." SO LONG American Dream for Susette Kelo. You're not worthy enough to own the property that you scrimped and saved and sweated and bled for. So what if you spent years bringing it back to living conditions and getting it just the way that you wanted. The city can't make as much money off you, so you're out and big business is in. Too bad for you. Go live somewhere less appealing. That's where you really belong. Only the wealthy deserve nice things.

Susette of course wasn't the only person affected by this decision. "The Dery family, down the street from Susette, has lived in Fort Trumbull since 1895; Matt Dery and his family live next door to his mother and father, whose parents purchased their house when William McKinley was president. The richness and vibrancy of this neighborhood reflects the American ideal of community and the dream of homeownership."

And then of course there is the most maddening story of heartache: "One petitioner Wilhelmina Dery was born in her house in the neighborhood in 1918 and still lives there, along with her husband of fifty years and the rest of her family." That's heritage, down the shitter. They have held on to that house this long just to be booted out on a whim. That was property that the family obviously was going to leave to their future generations. They would have the stories of their family in that house- now it is being taken away from them because someone more important wants it.

Those in support of this activity say that it's fine because the people are compensated for their properties. I argue that they are not. The law only requires that they be given the fair market value of the property. They are not compensated for the lost heritage and family memories. They are not compensated for all the love and hard work that went into getting the home just as they wanted it. They aren't compensated for their moving expenses. They aren't compensated for the new work that will go into finding a new home and most likely having to pay a higher mortgage. BESIDES, I'd like to hear them say that if someone were to come up and tell them that THEY had to move because they weren't good enough to live there.

But they can feel safe supporting it because they will probably never suffer from this. All of the properties that I know of that are taken under eminent domain are lower class, lower income areas. These people are living there because it is the only place that they can afford to live. If their homes are taken, where do they go? What about those that work in the area because they can't afford transportation? What about neighborhoods where families live near each other in order to stay close and help each other out? Will they be able to all move into another neighborhood together? Most likely not. Will any of this be compensated or made right in any way for these people? NO!

The lower priced homes are the first to go under eminent domain because they are the cheapest for the city to buy and they don't bring in much revenue for the city. They condemn the houses even though they are perfectly livable and not violating any codes. This case was claimed to be the first where a private developer was getting the land under eminent domain, but I remember quite a few years ago in the Twin Cities the same thing happened to a lower class neighborhood. Someone had lived there less than a month and then were given a notice that they were being basically evicted from their property. The people interviewed had no idea where they would live, how they would get to work, what they were going to do for daycare now that they would have to move- these people are already living under day to day stress wondering how they are going to pay their bills and feed their family. Then their lives are forcibly turned upside down, without warning because why? What was the reason that the city gave for booting these people out? They were giving the land to a developer so that they could put nicer homes in. The city planners were actually on the news saying that people should be happy because there would be nicer homes to move into and the neighborhood would be so much nicer. The starting cost of a townhome was $150,000! Right, like the people being forced out of their homes would have enough to afford to live there. It was like robbing from the poor and giving to the rich. These developers even got a sweet deal on the land from the city. Just like in New London where the developer is going to be leasing the land for $1 a year. Yeah, you read that right. $1 a year.

People who don't have a lot of money are continually being taken advantage of in this country. This in turn keeps them poor or even makes them poorer. It reminds me of the episode of The Simpsons where the air traffic is redirected over the suburb where the Simpsons live and they fight to have it redirected somewhere else. Bart:"At last those planes are flying where they belong." Homer: "That's right, over the homes of poor people." They are an easy target because they do not have the education, money, or connections to defend themselves. People in this country also tend to think badly of the poor as if they are where they are because they are lazy and aren't trying hard enough. You can only try so hard to overcome, and when people with more power are laying more on your shoulders to deal with every day, well, it becomes impossible to overcome. "Justice O'connor wrote, ‘Any property may now be taken for the benefit of another private party, but the fallout from this decision will not be random. The beneficiaries are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process, including large corporations and development firms.'"

Justice O'Connor was joined by Justices Rehnquist, Scalia, and Thomas in her opposition to the bill. THAT'S RIGHT! The only two Democrats on the damn Supreme Court ruled in favor of giving the government control over who can own what land. I do want to add here that it did take 5 to win the case for greedy bastards everywhere and that one of the Democrats is actually a conservative- John Paul Stevens (may I remind you that Zell Miller claims that he is a Democrat, too. Right. Keep telling yourself that Zell.).

The real problem with this case goes beyond those few home owners fighting for their properties and lives as they know them. I feel like the very core of what this country was founded on is being threatened. I feel that now, more than ever, the wealthy and connected have more say in what happens in this country than others even though we are ALL supposed to have ONE VOTE. We are all at risk with a decision such as this; but lets not kid ourselves. Those that have the least will continue to be fed on first. Scott on his blog mentioned that a major problem is that there is no law against discriminating against the poor. Oh, what easy targets they do make.

Here are a list of the current Supreme Court Justices. Ooo, and you even get some pretty juicy bios on them! http://www.oyez.org/oyez/portlet/justices/

Wikipedia has the whole story of the case here.

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Blogger evilsciencechick said...

that so pissed me off, too.

and if that ever happened to us...watch out. We will SO be the ones sitting on the front porch holding shot guns, daring the bulldozers to move one foot closer.

June 27, 2005 1:11 PM

Blogger SierraBella said...

My grandmother lived on an old cobblestone street in a declining area in the 1960s.
The city decided to build a freeway through the neighborhood, and bought out the homes at their supposedly fair market value.
The homes were liveable, and not worth much... so where could these people go?
This kind of thing has to stop!
You save or inherit a home, pay your property taxes and still have it taken away?
And it can happen to any one of us!

June 27, 2005 1:41 PM

Blogger sideshow bob said...

Yes, that was an excellent episode...and thanks for the excedrin.

June 27, 2005 4:33 PM

Blogger OldRoses said...

I want to comment but I am just too upset about this issue and the way our country is headed.

June 27, 2005 10:38 PM

Blogger Sylvana said...

ESC- I think that is definitely the thing that would get me to bear arms! I really love this country and what it is supposed to be. It pisses me off that people are trying to change things to make it run by someone other than the people. Our freedoms are being given away to the highest bidder.

Sierrabella- Exactly!! Those homes mean far more to the person than an asset. They are the center of people's very lives!

SSB- I needed some after hearing about this! Stupid, stupid, stupid judges!

OldRoses- I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN! I actually heard about this last Thursday but was just too pissed to get anything reasonable down until yesterday. The post would have mainly consisted of "Assholes, Bastards, Fucking Assholes, Fucking Bastards"...and something about lots of ammo and grenades up people's asses if they ever tried this with me.

June 28, 2005 12:15 PM

Conversations At Our House

Saturday, June 25, 2005 | 0 Comments

SSB- I think we have to go to Sam's Club for Excedrin
Sy- Hang on. I have some places where I hide it. Did you check the upper cabinet? [gets up to go into the bathroom with SSB]
SSB- No I checked-
Sy- Hang on. There are someplaces I put things that we don't need right away. [opens tall cabinet in bathroom]
SSB- I didn't see any in here [looking over Sy's shoulder]
Sy- What's this?
SSB- Conditioner.
Sy- Oh great! I think I can use this. [setting it aside] By the way, what does "holla back" mean?
SSB- I don't know.
Sy- Oh, no. You're supposed to be the one to tell me what that means. [stepping up on toilet to look in upper cabinet]
SSB- I don't know. [still looking in tall cabinet]
Sy- How can you say what a great song that is if you don't even know what "holla back" means? [dropping Pamprin box on the toilet seat]"oh, that song is sooo great! why don't you like it? It--"
SSB- Are you working for Fox News now? [handing Pamprin box back to Sy]
Sy- Oh. That was a low blow. [Putting box back and closing cabinet] Is that what you're going to say now every time I disagree with you?
SSB- No, I mean that you take my words and twist them into something different.
Sy- [giggling] I was not. You said you liked it. You were trying to tell me--
SSB- Nooo. I said that it had its good qualities.
Sy- Riiiight. [still giggling] You're right. We do need Excedrin. [exit bathroom]

Here is a very entertaining breakdown of what Gwen is actually trying to say in "Hollaback Girl".

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Blogger immixmarketer said...

This is quality humor.
Usually if anyone was out of something at my house, my mom would pull a rediculous amount of whatever you needed from her purse.

June 25, 2005 12:43 PM

Blogger evilsciencechick said...

I believe that a "holla back girl" is a girl that hooks up with a guy, and then waits around for him to "holla back" at her...which I assume means she pathetically waits by the phone, waiting for him to call.

I am not at all cool, so I could be totally wrong about this. However...THAT SONG ROCKS!

Did SSB ever get his excedrin?

June 25, 2005 12:58 PM

Blogger Sylvana said...

Immixmarketer- I take that as a compliment as I just visited your blog today. Good stuff! I was sort of like your mom except I always had whatever you might need in my car. Need some gum? It's in my car. Need a fresh shirt? It's in my car. Need a hatchet? It's in my car.

ESC- I think that term has multiple meanings and yours is one of them. I think it basically means that she is in charge.
I personally think the song is trying to be a tough, modern girl version of "Hey Mickey". I think some of the music is OK, but it's so schizophrenic.
SSB and I are leaving for Sam's Club in about 20 minutes. Mega bottle of Excedrin, here we come! Oh and 10 lbs of popcorn too! Oh yeah, we need a new VCR and pool table, and....

June 25, 2005 2:14 PM

Blogger immixmarketer said...

I think evilscience has hit it on the head.
Sylvana, I like the Hey Mickey comparision...Gwen Stefani (I know I misspelled that) is super creative though, so you gotta like whatever she comes out with.

June 25, 2005 7:12 PM

Blogger Sylvana said...

Oh oops. I meant because she says she's NOT a hollaback girl that it means that she's saying she's in charge.

June 25, 2005 7:48 PM

Blogger evilsciencechick said...

hey, can you get me a 5 gallon drum of ketchup?

thanks.

June 25, 2005 9:34 PM

Blogger Maria said...

You two should get you own sitcom.

June 26, 2005 1:10 PM

Blogger Shannon said...

This is hilarious. The best thing about not blogging in a while is coming back and reading your blog! Love it.

June 26, 2005 1:19 PM

Blogger sideshow bob said...

Afetr we got back home, I found the Excedrin...right in the front row of the cabinet. Must be a pranksta ghost. You got polter-punked!

June 26, 2005 9:16 PM

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This post has been removed by a blog administrator.

June 26, 2005 11:03 PM

Blogger Sylvana said...

ESC- **five gallon drum of ketchup** Got it on my list.

Maria- We're workin on a deal with CBS. They need something to fill the ELR slot.

Shannon- **blush** Well, uh, awe shucks! Thanks. I like to entertain.

SSB- I took practically everything out of that cupboard looking for it too. Spooky.

June 27, 2005 7:58 AM

Blogger Irb said...

I think a "Hollaback Girl" is a girl who has a large hole or cavity in her back, right between the shoulder blades, where she keeps things like Excedrin.

But I could be wrong. I have absolutely no street cred, despite the fact that I'm constantly validating my homeys by giving them props and assuring them that they are "da man."

BTW, thanks for moving me off of the guilt-ridden link list and up to the blogs you dig. I feel all warm and squishy now :)

June 27, 2005 9:51 AM

Blogger Sylvana said...

Oh yeah, Irb, I think you may have something there. Also known as a Little Susie Stores-a-Lot.

Ah! My guilt-ridden list is working! I already have been able to take two of you off since I put it up! And I'm so glad I coaxed you out of the Blogosphere. LOL- you so funny :))

June 27, 2005 11:34 AM

Blogger Randi said...

sounds much like the coversations in my house.....

June 30, 2005 9:01 PM

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