OK Seriously.

I just got a call from Bank of America.

(a side note here – I’m not a fan of B of A. But they keep buying my credit cards. I had a card with Fleet when I was in college, and have never closed the account and we keep it for emergencies. Now owned by B of A. I got the JoAnn rewards card with MBNA for Wallypop. Now owned by B of A. I can’t escape them!!!)

Anyway. They wanted to verify some charges. *sigh* Flashbacks to a similar call I received in April. No, the charges were not mine. $1000 and some $500 charges. Websites.

Ugh. I think I’ve narrowed down where the security breech is, though, so that’s good news. The completely scary thing is knowing that there really ARE bad people out there doing this sort of stuff!

Children’s Movie Reviews: Kung Fu, the Series

No, it’s not a Children’s show, and it’s not a movie, but we watch this show together.

What I like: One could do far worse than a show that imparts moral values with every episode.

What I don’t like: Uh, Caine is so white, yet everyone calls him a “Chinaman.” Now, I know he is from China, but there’s no reason anyone looking at him would think he was Chinese. Because he’s not. (But of course this was the 70s and we couldn’t have Chinese people in TV shows, right?)

Willing Suspension of Disbelief Becomes Challenging:
Well, that would be pretty much every episode.

What Wally could learn: The value of life. All the little Shaolin truisms.
What Wally probably is learning: Kung Fu.More on the series here.

A few quotes:

If you worry, will the future change?

Avoid, rather than check. Check, rather than hurt. Hurt, rather than maim. Maim, rather than kill. For all life is precious, nor can any be replaced.

“‘All life is sacred. Thus the joining together of man and woman is always honored. Apart there is no life. But from such union, life may proceed.’ -Master Kan
‘Then life must be always defended.’ -Young Caine
‘The thorn defends the rose. It harms only those who would steal the blossom from the plant.'” -Master Kan

Weakness prevails over strength. Gentleness conquers. Become the calm and restful breeze that tames the violent sea.
“A child cannot be made ugly by the unhappiness that begins it.” -Caine

Kahn: What the eye sees disappears with a blink, or a wandering puff of breath. Where there was light, the eye denied sees nothing (he blows out a candle).
KCC: My eye is denied (Kahn leads KCC to another room with a candle in it).
Kahn: That is what the eye sees. What the souls sees cannot be denied.
KCC: Will not the soul, too, be denied when death blinks its eye?
Kahn: No. The soul sees always.
KCC: Yet the body dies.
Kahn: Does the sun die?
KCC: It does not shine at night.
Kahn: It shines, somewhere, you do not see it

KCC: Mater, do we seek victory in contention?
Kahn: Seek rather not to contend.
KCC: Then, will we not then be defeated?
Kahn: We know that where there is no contention, there is neither defeat nor victory. The supple willow does not contend against the storm, yet it survives.

Them Dems are Whack, man

First, Bill Clinton on Fox News Sunday.  I started giggling even before Clinton got all malignant, when he was talking about how when you’re President, you can focus on many initiatives, such as stopping genocide in Somolia and bringing peace to the Middle East. (Uh, what?) But when you’re a former President, you have to focus on fewer things, then he named like 6 things including empowering the poor and bringing together people of different political persusasions, and said that he can make all of those things happen.

(It so happens that I do believe that there is almost no person capable of being less effective than a sitting President. Regular people, who are not President, have such a greater capacity to do great things, because they don’t have all the drawbacks of being President. The press always in your face, having to worry about Global politics, having to worry about being re-elected, etc.)

But then when he started insulting Chris Matthews…wow. I mean, that’s really professional and becoming of a former President. Makes me proud. Did I ever mention that I would have voted for him his first term had I been old enough?

OK, and then all the debate in Congress about the proposed law to require photo ID to vote. Now, I think this is a no-brainer, and something I’ve been in favor of since I voted the first time and realized that I didn’t have to show anybody any form of identification. Then we have some Dem woman – Barbara Boxer? I can’t rememer – carrying on about how this would harm people who lost their birth certificates in Hurricane Katrina, as well as those born with a midwife. What?? Could she be any less educated about this? Everyone – everyone – has to apply for a birth certificate. Hospital, home, midwife, doctor, unassisted. Everyone has to apply. EVERYONE. So if you’re at the hospital, the app is just mixed in with the other paperwork you fill out while you’re there and they do the actual filing for you. If you’re at home or whatever, you have to actually go do it all yourself, but I don’t think it’s that big of a deal…

And Pelosi is all talking that many people can’t afford the $97 for a passport to prove their citizenship…uh, since when does a birth certificate not qualify as proof of citizenship? If you were born here, you’re a citizen. And if you weren’t born here, you get paperwork when you become a citizen. No passport required. See? Easy Peasy.

I personally don’t see the problems with requiring identification. They’re carrying on like it’s going to disenfranchise millions, but the required paperwork they were talking about is the exact same stuff I’ve had to provide every single time I’ve ever applied for a job – so this seems like it would only potentially harm nondrivers who have never applied for a job or government benefits. And the bill has built-in provisions to pay for the paperwork for those who can’t afford it.

So what’s the big deal, people??