book list and various bits of stuff

1) The Tent by Margaret Atwood
2) The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson
3) Alentejo Blue by Monica Ali
4) Riley's Fire by Lee Merrill Byrd
5) Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
6) Under the Feet of Jesus by Helena Maria Viramontes
7) War by Candlelight by Daniel Alarcon
8) The Girl with the Gallery: Edith Gregor Halpert and the making of the modern art market by Lindsay Pollack
9) Banker to the Poor: Micro-lending and the Battle against World Poverty by Muhammad Yunus (with Alan Jolis)


Wal-Mart's new software 'will make advance scheduling and reliable paychecks a thing of the past.' they have this new scheduling software that lets them gauge the surges (that word AGAIN!) and lulls so they can send employees home and call them back depending on the day's traffic. which means no reliable work scedule to hire childcare, and less hours altogether.

"Let us remember that we were not attacked by a nation on 9/11; we were attacked by extremists who acted in the name of the Islamic religion," Goode wrote. "I believe that if we do not stop illegal immigration totally, reduce legal immigration and end diversity visas, we are leaving ourselves vulnerable to infiltration by those who want to mold the United States into the image of their religion, rather than working within the Judeo-Christian principles that have made us a beacon for freedom-loving persons around the world." – virgil goode, virginia’s republican (duh!) representative - my jaw hit the floor when i read that.

keith olbermann is my new hero.

i've got my tickets to sarasota for the end of january and i'm looking forward to seeing my dad, but i'm a tad apprensive as well. he doesn't want to come to the airport to pick me up because he's afraid i wouldn't recognize him without his hair. i told him i'd do whatever made him the most comfortable. after the weekend i'll be doing a lot of thinking about his condition, prognosis and overall state of mind and then i'll decide if i should pick up stakes and move south. my brain hurts already.
steven has decided that he wants to move to philly with ray so that leaves me with no reason to hesitate. it will be awfully weird when he moves, but he's 21 and wants a change of scene, so good for him. (but he's my baby and i'll be sad!)
enough for now...