Dennis Kucinich, National Hero
I guess that's the nice thing about trailing in the polls--you're free not to pander.


PHILADELPHIA - Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich questioned President Bush's mental health in light of comments he made about a nuclear Iran precipitating World War III.

"I seriously believe we have to start asking questions about his mental health," Kucinich, an Ohio congressman, said in an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer's editorial board on Tuesday. "There's something wrong. He does not seem to understand his words have real impact."

Kucinich, known for his liberal views, trails far behind the leading candidates in most Democratic polls. He was in Philadelphia for a debate at Drexel University.

Bush made the remarks at a news conference earlier this month.

He said: "I've told people that if you're interested in avoiding World War III, it seems like you ought to be interested in preventing them (Iran) from having the knowledge necessary to make a nuclear weapon."

Kucinich said he doesn't believe his comments about the president's mental health are irresponsible, according to a story posted on the newspaper's Web site.

"You cannot be a president of the United States who's wanton in his expression of violence," Kucinich said. "There's a lot of people who need care. He might be one of them. If there isn't something wrong with him, then there's something wrong with us. This, to me, is a very serious question."
- posted by k @ 4:21 PM

 
So, my library
Is a pretty good library in terms of amenities. It has good study furniture in different shapes depending on whether you need to sit up straight and write things, or slouch and read things; it has scrap paper in the right places; it has lots of computers and printers and outlets for laptops and things like that. AND I found out this week that it also has free feminine hygiene products in its (women's, at least) bathrooms. I was idly staring at the silver dispenser the other day when I noticed the word "free" where in most places it says "50 cents." Those things usually don't work, anyway! So, out of shock and curiousity I pulled the knob and it dispensed me a free maxi pad. You coulda knocked me over with a feather. I wonder if they're not worried about people abusing free stuff since they figure people will only turn to it in genuine emergencies? But what a shocking development. I mean, where on this earth do you find free feminine hygiene products in a public bathroom? It makes too much sense. Like universal healthcare. Is this a step toward communism? Or toward a person you have to tip in the bathroom?
- posted by k @ 5:46 PM

 
Snack Find of the Week
So, I shop at Shaw's, which is like Safeway, mostly because the location is convenient to public transit and between where I live and where I work. Usually I even walk home with my groceries. Anyway, I have mixed feelings about Shaw's, but for now it's there and it gets the job done; to its credit it, it has a 2-3 aisle "organic ghetto" where you can find Amy's products, etc.

Anyway, I was in the checkout on Sunday and I saw these.
Shaw's Baked Cheese Curls. And I am eating them now. They taste like cheesy poofs! They look and have the texture of cheesy poofs! And they are baked, so they won't kill you as fast! But the best part? 5 for $1. Yes, that means the packet I bought was 20 cents. What can you get for 20 cents anymore? It won't even get you a gumball. And here is a tasty and satisfying food-like snack item. Baked (120 calories/bag, but it's not like I'm going to eat the whole bag at once).

In other bargain snacking news, there were individual serving packets of roasted almonds (brand-name, not store-name) for a quarter each! So I got two. What can you get for a quarter anymore? I had just come from the nuts aisle where all the available sizes of almonds were too expensive for me and more than I wanted. I don't know if these cheap individual servings were a promotional thing or a regular thing.
- posted by k @ 5:17 PM

 
Saw a poster for this
(click link to see what. Safe for work)

• Thinking about going.

• But wait, will it be uncool like Beatlemania? Or, even worse, like We Will Rock You?
  

• But even if so, it would probably be a step toward coolness for me and I might have fun at it and get out of the house on a Sat night?

• I mean, for me the all-ukelele version of Ziggy Stardust was a definite move toward some kind of hipness.
  

- posted by k @ 9:41 PM

 
So much to say, so little time
For example, I have at least two posts that are only partly done over in saved drafts.

But I thought I would take some time to focus on the important things.

• In a cafe, you can eat and study, but you can't keep people from talking (and sometimes you can't turn off the awful piped-in muzak). In a library, you can study and give people dirty looks if they talk much, but you can't eat. Is a puzzlement. There IS a very nice patio in the building that has our library, and when the weather's nice you can eat and study there and there is not as much conversation as in other places with food, but of course the weather is not going to allow that for several months now.

• So, just to make it clear since my previous position was ambiguous, I am against anyone eating in a lecture hall. I don't want to smell your food, first of all, and second of all I don't want to hear you eating it. If you have an odor-free food like saltines and you eat them by dissolving them slowly in your mouth and not chewing until they're soggy, then that's ok, I guess. An additional reason I personally am refraining from eating in class is because it distracts me from taking notes and asking questions or offering comments, which I enjoy doing.

• Other things you should not do if you are sitting near my in a lecture are chat (WTF??) and kick or push on my chair. Also you should not chew gum unless it is undetectable.

• And in fact, the popping of gum, as far as I'm concerned, is a serious offense in any setting where there is more than one person. So if you're at home by yourself, I don't care. But if you are on the subway, on the street, in a cafe, god forbid in the library, and all the gods and goddesses forbid in a class sitting behind me....you're just lucky I don't believe violence solves anything because I would really like to inflict some violence on you in those situations.
  

- posted by k @ 11:01 AM

 
You know what I don't like?
Those commercials for The Saw movie. Even the first time I saw it/them I knew it was just some new edgy marketing thing, but I still don't like it. I wish it were for something stupid like doritos or a new razor or hi-def radio, but even then I wouldn't like it, but at least I could feel contempt for it.

I mean, if I *wanted* to be creeped out, I would go to a creepy/gore movie, but since I clearly don't want to (as indicated by my not going to or renting or watching on TV such movies), I don't think it's fair for me to be creeped out in the name of marketing. It's not like a TV show where you can change the channel if you don't like it.

Yes, it creeps me out and makes me uncomfortable. I don't feel embarrassed admitting that--that's it's goal, and I'm sure thousands of dollars of market research and blah blah blah went into ensuring that it would creep me out.

Whoa, I just got deja vu. That normally wouldn't creep me out, but I've had it a couple of times this week, and you know, deja vu is an ictal phenomenon, so in other words it's sort of like a seizure. And you know, I've been feeling like I've been having odd olfactory sensations in the last couple of weeks, too. You know what that means, of course: brain tumor!

What? Yes, I just bought some decaf tea today. Ok, I'll have some now.
- posted by k @ 5:07 PM