tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-112673702026-08-05T12:39:17.607-07:00Personal thoughts of middle-aged Portlander with a weird need to share on the Internet.Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-28997910864198630522025-02-25T15:53:00.000-08:002025-02-26T08:16:57.256-08:00

 Recently one of the quasi-Democratic Substack people I follow, Noah Smith, whose Substack is called "Noahpinion," wrote an article about whether Elon Musk was smart, or not. And I read Noah's articles, because he is usually a pretty thoughtful thinker. I think he was way, way off the mark on this one.The article explained that Musk was not a dumb-dumb, because he had an IQ of over 130,

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-62840958513472543222025-01-29T08:38:00.000-08:002025-01-29T08:38:01.752-08:00

 I have always been a politically active and aware person, but I am extremely frustrated with left-of-center political activism right now. I am also extremely frustrated with nonprofit fundraising.I donate now and will donate forever to various nonprofits about issues I care about. But some of them have earned a blanket ban from my wallet because of their predatory fundraising tactics. 

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-19557191054394598172025-01-21T11:32:00.000-08:002025-01-21T11:32:40.919-08:00

I feel like there is not enough discourse out there about immigration to the United States being a good thing for all concerned.  There is clear research showing this.  One of the few programs that most people, if questioned closely, would support is our small (compared to other Western democracies) program to resettle refugees and asylees. I know I can't do anything about national

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-64880573436616406262025-01-10T16:37:00.000-08:002025-01-10T16:45:06.416-08:00

This week, I did some things I normally would not do.  I made a major purchase, and then I canceled it.I'm trying to do a number of things with my house to make it a better place to live, more affordable, and also more sellable should I need to downsize at retirement, which I currently hope will be in less than ten years.  One of those things has always been getting solar panels.My

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-55358604579956186322024-12-17T11:41:00.000-08:002024-12-20T08:21:33.250-08:00

 My husband Chris died in February. My son and I are not Christian. He is agnostic / culturally Muslim and I am Sufi Muslim. Chris loved Christmas and its pomp and circumstance with all his heart, and made it a wonderful time for everybody who lived with, near or around him.  This time of year was so festive with him in the world.  He loved the Chieftains' old Christmas album "

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-32816523111129743392024-11-26T13:25:00.002-08:002024-11-26T13:25:14.818-08:00

 I am one of those people who keeps track of charities even though I have not deducted them on taxes since the "Tax cuts and jobs act" of 2017 that raised the standard deduction so high.  I give to a lot of people-oriented charities, including some local ones, and a lot of environmental charities, again including some local ones. But my favorite charity by far for the enjoyment it gives

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-16648767745898014192024-11-08T11:00:00.001-08:002024-11-08T11:00:14.419-08:00

This is Buzz. Buzz is gone.Buzz was a tuxedo cat we adopted as a kitten for my stepson's 16th birthday. My stepson turned 29 this year.Buzz was sleek, playful and had the prettiest tuxedo cat markings ever (a blaze on his nose, a white tail tip, white feet and a small white bib).Buzz was also a problem sprayer all of his life.  I went through three couches and three easy chairs because of

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-88618098880350348622024-11-07T10:43:00.002-08:002024-11-07T14:13:33.488-08:00

Chris, 1958-2024Starting from now, I am making myself yet another promise to get back to blogging here, because I feel like I have things to say and not enough people to say them to.  I lost my husband in February. He had a lot of health issues, many of which were from his lifestyle, and one big one that was a rare genetic disorder. The lifestyle health issues contributed, but the big

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-53518696430687209312022-01-06T16:53:00.002-08:002022-01-06T16:53:57.709-08:00

It's been more than a decade since my last post. I got married. I bought a house. My kids grew up. I have three grandchildren. Here we still are. I miss writing things that aren't emails for work. so, I've managed to log back in here. love and light.

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-49604773254437506512010-07-01T14:51:00.000-07:002010-07-01T15:00:22.463-07:00

LibraryThing Review Link:http://www.librarything.com/work/9037676/reviews/61133627I picked this book up in a mall. I had not seen the YouTube video that the author had made prior to publishing the book, but I'd heard of it. I leafed through it and was caught up in reading about computer metals and how they are produced, used, and disposed of, when I realized I needed to leave. I bought the book.I

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-21554624952631542392009-07-02T13:35:00.001-07:002009-07-02T13:36:25.538-07:00

I just got done reading a great book by the fabulous teller of tales, E.T.A. Hoffman: The Life and Opinions of the Tomcat Murr. Below is my review, which I also posted to Library Thing:When I was in college, majoring in Spanish literature, I had to read several works and poems that used a style I’d call “fierce satire.” They were, not to put too fine a point on it, mean. There were two Spanish

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-87011544630459507202009-04-07T11:43:00.000-07:002009-04-07T11:44:23.971-07:00

It's been forever since I have used this blog. I will post a longer story later, but for now I am just glad to be back on Blogger. It took me forever to remember how to sign in!

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-1164996298567206392006-12-01T10:00:00.000-08:002006-12-01T10:04:58.580-08:00

I am very pleased to report an initiative started by some Muslim women I am acquainted with over the Internet - a petition stating that we would like other people to basically leave us alone to dress how we choose. As the three or four readers of this blog know, this is already my position, so I was happy to sign (I was the third person!) and if anyone happens to hear of it first here, please

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-1164919087621336742006-11-30T12:33:00.000-08:002006-11-30T12:38:07.636-08:00

OK, I promise the next post is going to actually be a piece of writing by me.Really.I just could not resist this one (via Eerie at Aqoul): ....Loveable, yes, yes, cuddly... Oh, that's me to a T! /Peter Ustinov's Prince John

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-1164849538184766802006-11-29T17:18:00.000-08:002006-11-29T17:18:58.196-08:00

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm Book Snob Literate Good Citizen Non-Reader Fad Reader What Kind of Reader Are You?Create Your Own Quiz

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-1164225690340893882006-11-22T11:46:00.000-08:002006-11-22T12:11:56.933-08:00

Periodically, I get involved in the everlasting discussions about what Muslim women wear or don't wear or should wear or should not wear. My position is very simple. We are adults. Leave us alone. That message is for everyone. Liberals who hate the "veil." Muslims who hate to see women showing their hair. Non-Muslim women who want us to look and act more like them. Non-Muslim men who make

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-1163188590536899352006-11-10T11:39:00.000-08:002006-11-10T12:13:00.656-08:00

For several years, I taught management training workshops in Egypt for AMIDEAST. I had a favorite workshop, Creative Problem Solving.The Creative Problem Solving workshop introduces involving various problem-solving techniques and tools to participants. One of them is the very interesting and eye-opening exercise of "questioning assumptions". I always spent a lot of time on it because trainees

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-1162172909694589972006-10-29T17:31:00.000-08:002006-10-29T17:48:29.790-08:00

I did a long post about the Taj Mahal earlier today but Blogger went down and it got lost. This is the first time that ever happened to me. Anyhow, it's hard to get the energy to type the whole thing again. In a nutshell, I had heard from my kids, who had learned it in their Islamic history classes, that the guy who had the Taj Mahaj built, Shah Jahan, a Moghul emperor, killed the architect

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-1161719448972411822006-10-24T12:12:00.000-07:002006-10-24T12:50:49.083-07:00

One of the first things I did when moving to Portland was to get a PO box (as I moved here without a job and assumed I would be moving around a fair amount for the next couple of years). The box is in a "Post Net" store in a mall. Next to it is the local recruiting office for the military.As I was walking by the recruiting office I noticed a sign in the window entitled "Air Force Mission

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-1160517702346097032006-10-10T15:00:00.000-07:002006-10-10T15:01:42.356-07:00

I have moved to the US and have been offline for the past several months. I will try to start blogging again.I found this map program to be really interesting (and educational).

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-1160333729356235032006-10-08T11:54:00.000-07:002006-10-08T11:55:29.380-07:00

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-1143033511639066372006-03-22T05:14:00.000-08:002006-03-22T05:18:31.656-08:00

Yesterday was Egyptian Mother's Day. My son, who is in the first year of high school and is 15 years old, wrote me a poem. I asked him if I could post it at the blog and he said this was OK. As you can see, although it may not be Shakespeare, from the rhythm and scanning and all that stuff point of view, it has the advantage of being a pretty honest view of his relationship with me. Although

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-1142161712519276272006-03-12T03:05:00.000-08:002006-03-12T03:08:32.520-08:00

Well, I am re-reading some Idries Shah books in order to do a really super good essay on him. It's daunting. I also have a lot of thoughts on the "Danish Cartoon Controversy" that, now that it has quieted down, I wanted to put down in this space and elicit some discussion on. But, I am going crazy at work and home, so all of these promised goodies are currently still figments of my imagination

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-1142161524273307322006-03-12T02:07:00.000-08:002006-03-12T03:05:24.320-08:00

Mark Alexander asked me in the last post about Chomsky whether he had ever admitted to a mistake, and raised the bar extremely high on what he considered a legitimate example: It had to be when he was grown, it had to be something he had advocated passionately, and a bunch of other qualifiers.So I decided that given that I don't know Chomsky personally and most of what I have read by him are

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11267370.post-1138819810679920252006-02-01T10:47:00.000-08:002006-02-01T10:50:10.696-08:00

Now, Noam is, in a lot of ways, like Richard Mitchell. I think this may be because he is a linguist.Everyone who knows of Noam Chomsky as a public figure is vaguely aware that he is a linguist. I actually have a linguistics degree – in foreign language literature. Don’t ask me how that can be. Ask the university. I really do have a Bachelor of Science in Language Arts and my major was French

Anna in PDXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10504654721318983043noreply@blogger.com12