Friday’s Odds and Ends

Between the Winnsboro Center for the Arts and the Main Street Community Players in Sulphur Springs, Texas, I have been, and will continue to be very busy this month. We are planning a Mardi Gras party at the WCA, and at the theatre we are in rehearsals for a show to open early in March. In between, I do manage to get some writing done and play with my dog once in a while. She does love to chase the ball.

I was dismayed, but not the least bit surprised that as soon as the Republican’s took power in Washington, the XL Keystone pipeline was approved. Sadly, our government is manipulated by big business.

Hopefully, pressure from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Interior will have a positive effect. According to a press release from the Sierra Club, “… comments released by the Department of Interior indicate that EPA is not alone in its concerns about Keystone XL, and that agency input on the project is trending toward a rejection.”

Fighting the giant power of government and big business are American Indian tribes in the Midwest, and  DOI Secretary Sally Jewell has emphasized that tribal input must be taken seriously in this process.  The department expressed serious concerns about the pipeline’s potential impact on wildlife, stating that the project would result in “permanent impacts to wildlife” along the route, and finding that the conclusion that the project wouldn’t negatively impact endangered species appeared “unsupported.”

Now this is truly absurd.  Utah Rep. Brian Greene is trying keep a law in Utah from defining sex with an unconscious person as being rape. He is quoted as saying, “Having sex with an unconscious person should not be considered rape.” And for that he  received a most appropriate award.

FRIDAY’S FUNNIES

First from Baby Blues by Rick Kirkman and Jeremy Scott – Wanda is at a place of business with her kids in tow. She says to the lady behind a counter, “I have Zoe here for her eye exam.”

The woman gives her a look and goes, “Ummm”

Wanda says, “I’m pretty sure her appointment is today. Unless I got it mixed up with Hammie’s Karate class, or Wren’s play date with Sophie, or….

“Sigh, I have three kids. My life is a blur.”

To which the woman responds, “And this is a nail salon.”

This joke I stole er, borrowed from my friend LD Masterson. She had it on her blog for Hump Day this week and I choked on my coffee when I read it.

This is from an interview Hattie Mae MacDonald of Feague, Kentucky on her 101st birstday.

Reporter: Can you give us some health tips for reaching the age of 101?

Hattie: For better digestion, I drink beer. In the case of appetite loss, I drink white wine. For low blood pressure, I drink red wine. For high blood pressure, I drink scotch. And when I have a cold, I drink Schnapps.

Reporter: When do you drink water?

Hattie: I’ve never been that sick.

WRITING WISDOM

today comes from Diana Hurwitz who wrote a post at The Blood-Red Pencil this week, listing malignant memes about love that are perpetuated through modern storytelling. I’m only sharing the first one here, but if you have a moment, do hop over to the blog to read the rest. What she has to say about bad ass heroes and heroines is spot on.

1. My love will heal you syndrome.

Love cannot cure dysfunctional behavior. You can love someone through their recovery, but the journey is theirs to undertake. If the character is severely dysfunctional and verbally, physically, or emotionally abusive, your hero/heroine should run, not marry them.

There you have it. My humble offering for today. Please feel free to share a joke or a bit of writing wisdom, or a rant about something totally absurd in the world. Have a great weekend and I’ll be back on Monday.