Sandy Andina: Blog

I've found myself in the past few days sharing NY Times links fast and furious on Facebook.  Knowing me by now as I'm sure you do, they are all by educated and experienced common-sense liberals who have fact-checked their asses off: Paul Krugman, who as a Nobel Prize winner knows more about economics than Glenn Beck or Dick Armey; and Nick Kristof and Tom Friedman, who have lived and traveled extensively in the Middle East and central Asia and have met with more Muslims and their imams than anyone else writing for a national audience.  So I tend to believe them, at least more than I would bloggers and blowhards whose attitudes spring from visceral resentment, xenophobia, and the prejudices with which they've been raised courtesy of their friends and families.  Now, 9/10 of the responses I've gotten have been either positive or wanting to know more. But the others?  When they disagree, it's more on the level of "I haven't heard anything (from a non-liberal source) to [...]

Last year at this time, during the GOP's carefully-choreographed Senate-vacation jihad against health care reform, we sat transfixed, with a mixture of bemusement and scorn, as "Teabagger Zero" (as I now call her in retrospect) blubbered the bigoted and xenophobic nonsense that Obama had ushered in "Socialism" and "death panels," crying in conclusion, "I want my country back!"  As her vision of "her" country was one in which racial minorities knew their place, Christianity perfused all aspects of public--including gov't--life, business ran unfettered (except as far as she was its victim), life was simple and the good guys always wore white, people like me dismissed her as a racist bigot who swallowed the right-wing cable news bullshit hook, line and sinker.  Look at her, we said, shaking our heads in disbelief--can such people exist in this country in this century; and if so, how could they be anything but an ignorant gullible minority, a relic of the past to which we had bid [...]

I am dismayed to learn that Pres. Obama's stance (echoing those of the NYC Zoning Board and Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg) favoring the construction of a mosque near (note--not AT) Ground Zero may be endangering both his and the Democratic Party's immediate futures. The group desiring to build the mosque already owns the land, and has been quietly worshiping there for several years. Moreover, closer to the site of the impact, there have opened discount shlock stores, porn and erotic lingerie shops, bars and several strip clubs...without objection.  Have we fallen so far morally that we believe quiet prayer is a less worthy neighbor of hallowed ground than are lap and pole dances, crotchless panty sets and half-price Long Island Iced Teas?  
Yes, the 9/11 perpetrators were Muslims. So what?  So were many of those who died in the Towers--office, custodial and food service workers.  I lost friends and nearly lost relatives there. Yes, reportedly "a majority" of this [...]

This is a momentous weekend ahead for the institution of marriage in this country. First, my friend Ron is marrying his soulmate Sunday (on Saturday--have I confused anyone yet? Good).  Both have experienced life and love (found, lost, found again) and against all odds found each other...hopefully, forever after.  Looking forward to raising a toast to them this weekend. (Jam before toast, tomorrow night in the hotel lobby).
Second, this will be the first weekend in our history since a Federal Court for the first time found (as a matter of fact and law) that a state is precluded by the Constitution from limiting marriage to heterosexuals.  Judge Vaughn courageously declared, after hearing "evidence" presented by the only two witnesses offered by those defending CA's Proposition 8, that gender roles in marriage mirrored gender roles in society...and those latter gender roles have changed irrevocably over the years. He dismissed the argument that marriage was devised in order [...]

No, not the answer to "How much of a brain does Sandy have left?" but rather random musings that I need (or think I need) to share.  This was inspired by the profound existential questions posed in last weekend's "Ask Uncle Fungus" on Penguin Shoeshine Theater. Herewith I channel my inner Andy Rooney.
1.  Why are shampoo and conditioner manufacturers suddenly using smaller and smaller type on their labels these days? Is it a generational barrier akin to the infamous near-ultrasonic "mosquito" ringtone? Yes, I have reading glasses. No, I don't wear them in the shower, when I need to read the bottles. (And which poltergeist has been swiping said glasses and weakening the prescription)?
2.  Why are restaurants so dark at night?  The better to confound us geezers with the small print on the menus (are they in cahoots with shampoo manufacturers)?  Nothing says "I'm still vital and relevant" like whipping a lighted magnifier out of my purse. (Say what you will, but you [...]