Doing my part for Philly

Last night I exercised my authority as a democratic citizen of the city of Philadelphia and voted in the Municipal Primaries. They'll most importantly decide who will run for District Attorney and Controller.

While I'm not going to pretend that all my information came from the morning's Metro (and that I made my decision that morning based on a one-page feature), I will say that it made me feel important and proud to walk into that booth and do my civic duty. Especially since not many people vote in the primaries, let alone even know that they're occurring unless they've been paying attention to local news. (American Idol fans take note - there is more to life than that banshee Adam Lambert.)

Preliminary results

Ever since the presidential primaries, I've made it a point to keep up on news and politics. It's something I never did before, but it is truly empowering and makes me feel like I'm an involved citizen of the country, rather than just a resident who never really cared to know how things worked. Not to mention it gives me great fuel for starting conversations, though it probably makes me seem a little pretentious if other people have no idea what I'm talking about. Oh well. A little confidence never hurt anyone, did it?

Today, though, I read about how the president is likely to sign a bill that would allow concealed weapons in national parks. Not so Obama-like, I know. But it makes more sense when you know that this measure is tagged onto a larger bill that regulates credit card companies - something that Obama's been pushing for a few days now.

I guess that's what's known as an "earmark". It would be like if your mom announced she was going to the store to get diapers, and your dad chirped after her, "Can you also go to the liquor store and get me a handle of vodka?" The actions are competely unrelated, yet your dad knows your mom is likely to go out and buy things, so he just figured he'd put in a good word for vodka.

Even as I try to understand politics, I realize there will still be things that puzzle me. But one thing I understand more and more is that politics does not exist as a straightforward, regulated entity, rather it's an intricate game people have to learn to play in order to be successful.

Delighting in grammar!

Those of you who know me know I am a stickler for correct spelling and grammar. I frequently take pleasure in pointing out mistakes in the New York Times or other venerable publications, and when I make a mistake myself I'm often quick to correct it lest I end up looking foolish in front of the literati with which I keep company.

In today's world, however, inventions such as texting and Twitter seem to dumb-down our lanugage abilities and turn communication into something that is done in short, carelessly abbreviated bursts (u gng 2 movi 2nite?). It makes me a little bit depressed to think that proper language and all it's beautiful intricacies may be flushed down the toilet. I mean people are writing NOVELS on their CELL PHONES... Dickens must be turning over in his grave!

Amidst all the semantic turmoil, I was happy to stumble across this website: English Grammar Revolution. It's all about learning parts of speech and diagramming sentences--I know it was tedious in elementary school but for adults it's a great way to procrastinate and do your part to perpetuate language correctness.

So please don't let words become obsolete in favor of three-letter abbreviations. Don't let commas become a thing of the past. Don't wait until it's so bad that you get a letter (or more likely, a text) from your child at summer camp that looks like this:
omg mom plz snd sox feet stnk fuds gud mis u

Instead, go here and diagram a sentence. Encourage your kids/friends/illiterate neighbors to do the same.

Oh, and check out the preposition song, it's pretty sweet.

Philadelphia mom has been seriously busy

I know that these scammy Internet marketers want to grab my attention with something relevant, but honestly! I'd rather hear that "Philadelphia homeless man finds a mortgage" or "Philadelphia cheese shop owner discovers low-fat, delicious cheese." It seems Philadelphia mom has really gotten her life back on track, so I think it's time we start hearing about someone else.

Spamerific!

I get some really awesome spam emails at work. Most of them are in Chinese or some weird computer language with funky symbols, but the ones in English are extremely amusing. Today, one asked me this:

"Tired of sunbathing in clothes because you are too fat?"

I felt that was a little harsh, and it really did a number on my self-esteem. I mean they could have just told me I could lose weight easily with a miracle-inducing Acai berry mixture. They didn't have to go ahead and draw attention to my uber-obesity*, which often causes me to lounge around in 90 degree weather with full fabric coverage from head to toe. Seriously, spam. You're breaking my heart.


*Ok. I'm not really uber-obese. But if I were, you could bet that email would drive me to chow down on krumpets and inhale a 2-liter bottle of coke.

Hemingway's Island Paradise

A little over a week ago I went to Key West for a week-long vacation, and I figure I should write about it just in case you're debating whether or not to go to Key West (don't deny it, you totally are). 

First off, let me just say that it's hot. And sometimes uncomfortably hot. But there are nice beaches and it's near the equator, so if you want to lie in the sand and soak up the sun while waves tumble gently in the background, it's ideal. And there's a lot more to do there besides tanning - the island has a literary (Hemingway, Frost), military (lots of forts to see), and presidential history that's represented through several museums, plus there are lots of day trips to take that will satisfy the wildlife/watersporting enthusiast, and tons of bars and restaurants for the foodies/drunkies. And everything is walkable since the island is small, so you won't need transportation. 

The island's mishmash of activities is also something that made it a little strange, since it seemed there was no coherent message that Key West was broadcasting. Often at night, we'd be walking down the main drag (Duval Street, Key West's idea of Bourbon Street) and we'd pass drag queens, nudie bars, raging drunks, and families with small children - all in one block. That was a bit startling, but I guess it's better to have something for everyone than a niche no one will appreciate. 

So that's my oh-so-short review of Key West. I would like to add, though, that the sunsets are unbeatable: 

and you really can't deny the attraction of views like this:

So if you're in the mood for some Jimmy Buffet-worthy margaritas and a day at the beach, head on down to Key West. 

In local news, last night the Phils beat the Nationals in a game that included not one, but TWO grand slams. And I was there for one of them!

 

No, you are not excused

Today I received an email from a colleague with this "disclaimer" at the bottom:

Please excuse any typos as this was sent from my blackberry

Apparently the standard (and sickeningly promotional) "Sent from my BlackBerry Hurricane-or-whatever-its-called" is not enough anymore. Now we must make excuses for our inability to take correspondence seriously, and our impatience that leads us to send emails from our phones rather that waiting until we are at a computer and in a good position to communicate.

Of course, I know smart phones aren't all bad. We live in a fast paced world. Sometimes you really need to close that deal before noon, and your phone is the only communication device you've got on hand. Smart phones help businesses run smoothly and keep us in touch with people we otherwise wouldn't be able to get a hold of, and I'm all for that.

What makes me angry is that I'm being asked to excuse your behavior, when you really have no right to demand that of me. If the disclaimer had said, "Sent from my thingamajigger; may contain typos," I'd be okay with that. You're simply warning me. But to take it one step further and ask me to to go ahead and overlook the fact that I'm not important enough for you to spell-check or use proper punctuation, well that's going too far.

What's next? "Please excuse my use of annoying abbreviations?" Or "Please excuse the fact that I can't take enough time to actually type out a complete sentence?" Maybe just a blank email with "Please excuse this email, as something in my bag hit the send button accidentally and I don't actually have anything to say to you."

Oh to live back in the day when people wrote long, emotion-filled letters to each other. Now that's correspondence.

Merits of my roommate... I mean... boyfriend

Today started out as a sorry excuse for a Sunday - rainy, muggy, and generally bleak. But as I was standing in the Gap checkout line, eagerly waiting to purchase two new bikinis for my upcoming vacation to Key West, I heard the girl at the cash register say, "Is that the sun I see?" And sure enough, I turned around to discover a bright yellow beacon shining through the dissipating cloud cover. And for the rest of the day, it's been gorgeous and warm. I also made several more purchases at H&M and Old Navy which satisfied my need to have cute summery dresses for the trip. And did I mention it was warm?

But I've had no one to share the beautiful day with, which is a little disappointing. Will is at work doing some last minute stuff before his busy season is over, and who knows when he'll be home. I had to go grocery shopping by myself, and I have to admit that maneuvering through the grocery store is tough and carrying heavy bags home is even harder when you're on your own. And don't get me started on how hard it is to get out your keys and open the heavy front door while holding three large bags. I know sometimes I need my alone time, but the simple act of food shopping makes me grateful that I don't have to settle for just one set of hands... and it helps that the other two hands helping me are the hands of someone I love. :)