Kick-Boxing Rhinos

Life Update

2012-01-17T20:34:00.000-08:00

1) Christmas and New Year celebrations were great! We sorely missed my sister and brother-in-law, but managed to have a lovely Christmas without them. New Year's Eve was spent in VA Beach with my dear friend Lauren whose birthday is on NYE.

2) I'm going back to Haiti for the first time in 13 years. Haiti had a major impact on my life. I went when I was about 14 years old and it shaped the course of my education. I am beyond excited to go back!

3) I'm moving! It's just down the road but, true to form, I've lived in this house for over a year and the time has come to move. I'm excited about living with some great girls and look forward to a new chapter. (The Landlord may be looking for tenents if you know of anyone who needs a place...).

4) Our marketing campaign is launching at work (just before I leave the country)! This is wonderful because it's been a lot of work and I'm ready to get it out and start getting more work in!

5) One of my photos will be blown up to a 60x40 gallery wrapped canvas and displayed in prominent view (it'll be the first thing clients see) in my office. I'm pretty excited about that!

Those are the major (internet OK) life updates. It's late and my eyes are watering which always means I should be sleeping.

Book readin'

2011-12-22T15:53:00.000-08:00

shamelessly stolen from @MbernadetteE

How Many Of These Books Have You Read?

Have you read 6 or more of these books?
Have you read more than 6 of these books? The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books listed here…
Bold those books you’ve read in their entirety.
Italicize the ones you started but didn’t finish or read only an excerpt.

1 Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series
5 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
11 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch – George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House – Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis
34 Emma – Jane Austen
35 Persuasion – Jane Austen36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne
41 Animal Farm – George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving
45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding
50 Atonement – Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi – Yann Martel
52 Dune – Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon
60 Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
62 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History – Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road – Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
72 Dracula – Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses – James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal – Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession – AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchel
83 The Color Purple – Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web – EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
94 Watership Down – Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet – William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

Hope

2011-12-09T07:59:00.001-08:00

Westminster Abbey

There's a funny story behind the creation of this photo. I've decided to share because 1) it's been a while since I blogged. 2) I really need to write something other than my boss's bio.

I was inspired by a conversation between myself , @fwoodbridge, and Dr. J of @Gormogons fame.

In the fall of 2007 (my final semester of college) I lived and studied in Edinburgh. My ancestry is Scottish so at Christmastime my family came over and we spent time in our ancestral town. It was a blast and I hope we do it again someday, but before we made our way north to Scotland we spent a few days in London.

While I'd been away at school (not just in Edi, while I was in Boston, too) my mom had thrown herself into Dave Ramsey's Money Makeover. I didn't experience much of the "Dave craze," but I poked fun at her about it asking when the shrine would be built, how many envelopes she had now, etc. Mom had been saving saving saving for this trip and my whole family was looking forward to it.

After I met them at Heathrow we went to our hotel, had obligatory (and delicious) fish and chips from a little shop in Chelsea, and the next day we were off to explore. Unfortunately we stopped short at Westminster Abbey when we saw that the price of admission was 15£ (at the time that was about $30.)* "Well," Mom said. "We don't all need to go in. Who would appreciate it most?" As we evaluated our respective levels of desire to go into the ancient Abbey a thought occurred to me: "Mom, didn't you budget for this?" I asked the woman who had an envelope for new toothbrushes. "Oh yeah!" She said, pulling out an envelop bursting with cash labelled "Day 1." "I guess we can all go in!" And so we did (everyone appreciated it.) For the remainder of our trip we got whatever we wanted. At 25 years old I'd never seen my parents throw around money like that. Mom had budgeted and saved so well that toward the end of our time in the UK she'd hand my sisters and I each a 50£ and say, "Think about what you'd like to use this for, it's yours to do with as you please."

Dave Ramsey has lots of followers. He also has lots of detractors, but one thing that no one can argue is that his method gives hope to thousands (millions?) of people who feel overwhelmed and suffocated by their debt.

Hopefully they'll all get to see the Westminster Abbey, too.

Guard Your Heart

2011-11-29T13:25:00.001-08:00

I stumbled upon this today while I was wasting time on pinterest. (link broke, this is the verse to which it referred. Thanks for the heads up, Fred! 12/4/11 )

I have to admit it kind of blew my mind. I went to Christian schools as a kid and once I got to college I immediately plugged into the Campus Crusade for Christ at my school. During all the years of "date talks," of "non-sex talks," of "being a Godly woman talks" never once did I hear the second part of this verse. Nor did I even know the "guard your heart" mantra was from a verse! (Shame on me for my lack of curiosity and lack of Biblical knowledge.)

"Guard your heart" when it stands alone means to me something completely different than it does when paired with "for everything you do flows from it." In the context of dating/guy talks throwing around "guard your heart" implies "against ne'er do well men."

Scripture is vital. Scripture is convicting. Scripture is healing. Out of context and in pieces Scripture can poison, confuse, and damage. Let's be a little more careful in making sure we're using whole passages, context and good theology when we talk to children, and teenagers especially, but young adults and adults as well.

Law

2011-11-17T18:41:00.001-08:00

For the past four months I've been helping out some friends with a legal issue. I have clerical experience in a variety of legal arenas and I've never seen something so convoluted and just plain messed up. Obviously I can't go into the whole story but it's made me seriously consider law school. (I may have mentioned it before - I'd love to study Constitutional Law.)

It shouldn't be possible for people to mess up other people's lives so epically - legally.

Anyway.

Sorry I haven't been posting much lately. I'll start up again sometime soon.

Quote - "Yalta: The Price of Peace"

2011-09-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

This quote deserves to be "unpacked," (is that a word only Pastors use about Scripture?) but I have to clean and do other things so you'll just get the quote. Maybe later I'll go into more detail about why I love this statement so very very much. (If anyone else wants to take a go at it, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts as well.Gormos, Fred, Professor, Mbern, GormoVenn? People I know in real life?)

Remember back when I asked for book suggestions all of 6 days ago? Well I decided to read Yalta: The Price of Peace (author S.M. Plokhy). This is the final sentence of the introduction:

While the plot of this book is complex and the narrative rich in detail, its main moral argument is quite simple: no matter how much effort is put into the preparation and conduct of an international conference, however skillful and resourceful its participants, and however promising its outcome (...) democratic leaders and societies should be prepared to pay a price for close involvement with those who do not share their values. The only way to reduce this price is to know one's ally at least as well as one knows the enemy. As the Yalta Conference and its aftermath show, in the absence of common values binding allies together, the difference between friend and foe can simply be a matter of time.

If I saw this on Twitter I'd RT it with a "THIS!!!eleventy!1!!one"

Red Sox Fan: An Origin Story

2011-09-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

In 2003 a Red Sox fan was born. The dorm I lived that first year of college was so close to Fenway you could hear the roar of the crowd when outs were made or homers flew into Landsdowne Street. The street outside my windows would fill with college students screaming "Let's go Red Sox," "Yankees Suck!" and other, more foul chants. (Not actually the mark of a great fan, but I was 18 and my family aren't into sports so it was all very new and exciting.)

When Aaron Boone hit that homer in game 7 of the ALCS I realized I'd never understood what it meant to be a fan before that moment. ("Never" includes the approximately 6 weeks I'd been actually watching baseball.) "How did Boston fans live like this year after year?! Where did they get the strength to endure such heartbreak?!" My young, sad mind wondered. (Sheltered, much? Yes. Yes I was.)

In 2004 during game 6 of the ALCS I ran from my dorm to Fenway, bought a Sox shirt and ran back to finish the game. When won the World Series I thought I was going to explode from joy. But I'd grown up, I was all of 19, and knew that the streets would be absurdly full and probably a little violent (I believe that's the year BPD used rubber bullets on crowds, no?) So I stayed home instead of joining the growing horde outside, went to bed, and went to Fenway earrrrrly the next morning to greet our boys when they came home. Youkilis, who until that series had not been one of the shining stars of the team, was drunk off his butt. He deboarded and ran over to the gates, slapping hands with all of us there to congratulate the team! It was an incredibly memorable moment!

The next time we won the series I lived in Scotland. I bought an MLBtv subscription and watched the ALCS games on my laptop with a Yankees fan and several Britons. During the World Series the games were played on British television and I was treated to ... uniquely British commentating.

I am, and always will be, a Red Sox fan. It's taken me a while, but I will confess this: I don't actually find watching baseball all that interesting. At least not during the regular season. But leading up to the play-offs? The ALCS? The World Series (when we're in it)? That I'm glued to. I realized something else, too. Though it sounds nuts, there's something about the community spirit baseball fosters that I find very appealing. I think that's what made me fall in love so quickly with the sport in Boston. It wasn't, perhaps, strictly about baseball; it was about Boston, about my college, about watching the game while pacing the floor with friends. I felt like I knew the 2003 Red Sox. Their wins and losses were personal to me. I think, though, when you don't watch during the regular season you lose some of that. (New goal: Next year watch/listen to as many Sox games as is feasible.) This sentiment was reiterated last night when I was at Camden Yards for the heartbreaking game against the Os.

I'll tackle that subject more in my post about last night.

Next Book

2011-09-25T16:41:00.000-07:00

Today I finished reading Sense and Sensibility. It's the first book I read on a Kindle, and I enjoyed the ease of carrying it around without concern for bending or mussing pages, but I do miss holding a book in my hands and flipping the page expectantly. Clicking on a button doesn't quite have the same appeal. However, as classics are free on the Kindle, I'm sure I'll continue to use it. But next I'd like to read an honest-to-goodness-tree-killing book.

In 2005 I was living and working in Washington, DC for my first of 3 co-ops. My Metro commute to work each day was significant, about 40+ minutes each way. During those six months I read some fantastic books. The Metro is unique in that, I think. In Boston and New York there are a higher number of people using iPods and staring than there are people reading. In DC it seemed like everyone was reading something. That was neat! Once I realized I had the time to read I set up a system for myself to determine what book I'd read next. The system was to read a book in each of these categories:

Major/school related (International Affairs/Poli Sci/History)
Religious
Classic
Candy/Fluff

I will implement that same schedule hereafter. (For the purists: I read a candy/fluff book before I read S&S, so next up will be a major/school related book.)

A list of options*:

The Challenge for Africa- by Wangari Maathai
The Age of Reagan: The Fall of the Old Liberal Order - Steven F. Hayward
Yalta: The Price of Peace - S.M. Plokhy (The book I'm leaning toward)
American Colossus: The Triumph of Capitalism 1865-1900 - H.W. Brands
The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris - David McCullough
The Creature From Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve - G. Edward Griffen (maybe read in conjunction w/ Yalta?)
Witness - Whittaker Chambers (a re-read... it's been a while and his autobiography is phenomenal.)

So if you have a suggestion with regard to the list, or think I should be made aware of a book not included on the list, please let me know!

*Borders, I'm sorry you died, but I'm happy to have a supply of cheap books!

Half Baked: Imagination

2011-09-22T08:46:00.000-07:00

A post by Professor Mondo, followed quickly by one from Dr. J, Gormogon, has inspired me to write a bit about literature and imagination.

My mother is an English teacher (now Professor) so I'm sure you can imagine the abundance of books we were treated to as children. (Make Way For Ducklings, an assortment of Jan Brett, The Little Princess, The Secret Garden, The Boxcar Kids, the collected works of Madeleine L'Engle (read her)*, the "Mandy" Series, James Herriot, The Narnia Series, Laura Ingalls Wilder... etc, etc.)

As children my sisters and I coerced the boys in the neighborhood to play Boxcar Kids with us in the giant pine tree at the bottom of our driveway. We built forts, climbed the tree's massive branches, and modified and added to the existing Boxcar Children stories (which I alone had read.)

Throughout middle and high school I continued to be a voracious reader, though my school library was sadly lacking. My diet consisted of (almost entirely bad) romantic Christian fiction. Thank goodness for To Kill a Mockingbird and A Tale of Two Cities.

Once I got to college reading for pleasure got tossed out the window (with a fair sized blip in the spring of 2005.) I'm now three years past graduation and reading again.** Thanks to the Professor and Dr. J for reminding me that reading is not only beneficial for increasing one's knowledge, but also to stretch one's imagination.

*I may write more about L'Engle's genius in the future.
** Most recently One Day by David Nicholls and Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Lion King

2011-09-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

I saw "Lion King" tonight in 3D. It was a lot of fun revisiting my childhood with friends. The best part though, had to be the kids at the show. One of my favorite comments was elicited by this scene.

Child: "It's a mouse!" A few moments pass, Scar traps the mouse in his paw. "It's dinner!"

The kids chattered throughout the movie. Not obnoxiously, just commenting on their favorite parts, making observations. It's been a while since I've watched a movie with a kid. This was a good reminder to do it more often.

Lion King is in theaters for another week (I believe.) It's worth the money to see it in theaters again. The 3D effects were really neat*! (Stampede scene, anyone?)

*Some of the action scenes were blurry. In particular when the hyenas wrestle each other at the end of the film. They almost melded into one. Other than that it was great!

Student Loan Forgiveness: Continuing Conversation

2011-09-15T16:20:00.000-07:00

Professor Mondo, one of the GormoVenn I follow on Twitter, wrote a blog discussing the whole "forgive student loans" thing. He's much more articulate than I am so I suggest you head over and read his insights rather than allow me summarize.

PS - I also suggest you click through to the blog he writes about adult responsibility vis-à-vis repaying debts.

Student Loans

2011-09-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

On March 30, 2010 I wrote this on my old blog

"I feel like I'm going in circles. I owe many thousands of dollars in federally held student loans. I don't have a great job. I've been unemployed for several months and have had to rely on the VERY generous and kind financial support of my parents to help me pay my loans for the last few months. Recently I've been hired at 3 separate places (I'll only be working at 2) and I find myself thinking, "Why bother?" The thought has crossed my mind: If the government bails out banks, car companies, Amtrak, home owners who are being foreclosed on, and homeowners whose homes are under water, how long will it be until students owing more than $X in federally held student loans are forgiven their debts? (Though more probable, it would be students who owe more than $X in privately held student loans.) The thought that such a thing is a possibility makes me not want to pay my loans. Why pay thousands of dollars to the federal government when a few months from now they may say that I will owe them a fraction of what I would have paid, or nothing at all? I will pay my loans, and I'll pay as much extra on them each month as I can because it's the wise, financially astute, RIGHT thing to do. However (as one oft heard commercial puts it) 'in a government bail-out era' it is the absolute last thing I want to do." (Bold added today.)

Recently I saw this.

“Forgiving the student loan debt of all Americans will have an immediate stimulative effect on our economy. With the stroke of the President's pen, millions of Americans would suddenly have hundreds, or in some cases, thousands of extra dollars in their pockets each and every month with which to spend on ailing sectors of the economy. As consumer spending increases, businesses will begin to hire, jobs will be created and a new era of innovation, entrepreneurship and prosperity will be ushered in for all. A rising tide does, in fact, lift all boats - forgiving student loan debt, rather than tax cuts for corporations, millionaires and billionaires, has a MUCH greater chance of helping to rise that tide in a MUCH shorter time-frame. The future economic success of this country is wholly dependent upon a well-educated, prosperous middle class. Instead of saddling entire generations with debt from which there is no escape, let's empower the American people to grow this economy on their own!
Therefore, we, the undersigned, strongly encourage Congress and the President to support H. Res 365, introduced by Rep. Hansen Clarke (D-MI), seeking student loan forgiveness as a means of economic stimulus.”

(It's worth noting that the number of signatures needed has increased as time wears on.)

Today I saw this.

As a 2008 College graduate who is making less than I ever imagined I would with a degree from a reputable, northeast, private college and with 1.5 years professional work experience (gotta love co-op!) I can empathize. I have had the good fortune of parents who have helped me out on a couple occasions, and I am willing to work as many jobs as it takes to make sure my parents don't need to help (though sometimes they do anyway. For which I am very grateful.)

This whole thing circles back to this: if we provide federal money for students to borrow for school, then schools will raise their tuition knowing full well the kids will be able to get the money to pay it. Until 18 year olds and their parents decide to balk the idea of "education at any price" tuition rates will rise and rise. Fortunately there are an increasing number of community colleges where students can go to complete their first (and second) year gen eds before moving to a larger state or private institution. Hopefully more students will gravitate toward that option.

As far as forgiving student loans goes. I don't know. Maybe it would stimulate the economy. But that isn't quite the point, is it? The point is, we did this. We need to get out of it by working hard, sucking it up and taking crap jobs, and being frugal with our dollars. And then encourage our children to find another means of paying for school besides graduating with $97,000 of debt.

2011-09-01T10:17:00.000-07:00

I mean, they're just words.

A (Half-Baked) Lesson in Panic

2011-09-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

I'm PA born and raised, my Dad is from farm stock, and my Mom hails from New England. In Pennsylvania we watch hurricane predictions with a critical eye. Year after year the damage was less than it was predicted to be, so we began to poke fun at the annual over-reaction and hype of the media.

This year I was in Maryland. In the early portion of the week, being the sort of person who pays attention to the news, I heard about Irene but paid no mind. Finally, on Thursday evening about 5pm my boss said something to me which caused me to think this could be a big deal. I think the words he used were, "This could be a big deal. They're talking power outtages up and down the East Coast." My Dad has a tendency to "panic first, think later." I'm sorry to say that in this instance I adopted that attitude.

Over the next few days I bought a generator, an UPS, canned food, filled the spa bathtub with water, cleaned the gutters, and had lengthy IM and text conversations with my landlord/housemate who was out of town.

I was surprised by the speed with which I degenerated from a New England/PA sensible person to a hurricane crazed Marylander. (I weep at that identifier.) I've taken some valuable lessons away from this experience.

1) Don't panic. Stressing yourself out it counterproductive. Plus you look like a spaz with no emotional self control.
2) Be prepared. I am glad that I was prepared for any eventuality. By Saturday morning I felt like I could take on the worst hurricane of all time. (Probably not actually true.) There is wisdom to that Boy Scout Motto: "Always be prepared." ...Next time I'll be prepared BEFORE I need to be prepared.
3) Don't become a Marylander. Just. Don't.

Also - my thoughts and prayers are with those whose lives and property were affected and damaged by Irene.

Paul Ryan...again

2011-08-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I wrote an e-mail to Czar over at yon Gormogons in response to a tweet he'd posted about the possibility of Paul Ryan entering the Presidential race. He responded to my concern with a blog of his own and while my inclination is to continue the conversation with a private e-mail that kind of defeats the purpose of the Interwebs, no? Also public discourse is good. So here goes. Prepare to be discoursed.

I'd like to make one thing clear at the outset: I want Paul Ryan to be the President of the United States. However, I want him to be the Representative for the 1st District of Wisconsin for a little while longer.

First head on over here to see the e-mail I wrote Czar and his response.

I want Paul Ryan to stay where he is because he's doing a fantastic job there. He is a beacon of hope on the fiscal front and seems to be focused like a laser on ensuring responsible, immediate and long-term solutions for our debt crisis. (Ick. I officially hate the phrase "debt crisis." Overused much?) Frankly, I fear that as President he would lose his ability to be a strong leader on that issue (or at least "as strong a leader"). Unfortunately I couldn't put my finger on why. I just knew that we need him where he is. As I expected Czar was able to articulate the source of my fear:

So while we might be all eager to elect Paul Ryan to end this economic nightmare of over-spending and orgiastic creation of federal positions, the Czar’s experience is that he will get side-tracked by some emergency in Iran, or some appointee of his will be exposed in a scandal, or a hurricane will somehow hit Lincoln, Nebraska, or something else out of the blue.

Presidents ought to be delegators who join the fray at the outset, set the tone and then trust that those they've appointed, conferred with, or negotiated with will accomplish the agreed upon goal. Some projects may require more Presidential oversight than others, but as a whole the President of the United States ought to have (as my boss is so fond of saying) a 30,000 foot view. I think Ryan is most useful to the nation right now right in the thick of things. He's the do-er. He's the go-to guy. He's motivational and positive and convincing. Why would we want to lose that? Incidentally, I'd like to make Paul Ryan the CFO of the USA and say, "Do what you will, and God speed!" (Is "God speed" a contraction? I'm never sure.)

So thanks, Paul Ryan for heeding my telepathic advise and not running in this presidential race. I'll happily volunteer for your campaign in another cycle, but I am glad you're sitting this one out. Do us proud. Stay strong. And continue your leadership in the House. It's refreshing and hope-giving. We need you where you are!

An aside: I love that people were approaching him about running. I think that's how all politicians should get started. When people start buzzing that this or that guy should run for office pay attention. That's the politician to watch. (I'm looking at you, disappointing GOP field.)

(I toldjaso)

Half Baked Thought: Founding Fathers

2011-08-10T18:42:00.000-07:00

As I was driving home from D.C. last night, I marveled (again) at the pride I feel every time I visit the city. I thought about our Founding Fathers. I thought about the London Riots which have startled the world with their intensity, if perhaps not their emergence. I thought about American Exceptionalism. I thought about the direction our nation is headed. About what I believe should be done to change course. About what could happen if we don't change course. I thought about government assistance and the role it plays in feeding events like those in London. And I thought about this:

I'm not a particularly exceptional person. I am well-educated and work hard. I've been unemployed for a few months and have worked more jobs for which I've been overqualified than I care to tally. While I drove home last night, I thought about the value of work. Of simply having a job. Even if it's not a job you particularly care for (or even hate), there's value in work. I think the Founders set up the American system of government based on the assumption that all people understand and value the importance of work. When I look at the riots in London and see how much is perpetrated by young people who've been handed everything they have (little though they may perceive it to be), I imagine Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and the rest shaking their heads and saying, "Well, duh, Britain. You shoulda seen that one coming!" (Only more 18th-century.)

I suppose my point is this: The great danger in enabling people to live life without pain or effort is that everything around them becomes worthless. When we disincentivize people to work by making it so easy for them to exist (I hesitate to say "live") on government assistance, we devalue everything. We devalue time. We devalue property. We devalue their lives. Work gives us purpose, passion, value. If one has never experienced the joy of earning, how can one understand the pain of losing?

Thanks to Confucius the Œcumenical Volgi of www.gormogons.com for proofing this! Be sure to check out the Gormogons on Twitter, too!

Thanks for the referral!

Half Baked Thought of the Day: Paul Ryan

2011-08-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

A friend linked to this Op-Ed written by Paul Ryan in today's Wall Street Journal.

I was startled as I read it, not because he provided new information, but because with each passing paragraph in addition to thinking, "Right on, man!" I thought, "If this was the approach Washington committed itself to I would be OK paying higher taxes."

I couldn't believe I thought it. But it makes sense. What's appealing about Ryan's proposal is that it has goals and it has a path to get there. The goals: Diminish or eliminate US debt, balance the US budget. We've all heard the speech about when things get tough Americans step up and "make the hard choices." Ryan doesn't invoke that at all in this article. He calls for a change in the structure of Medicare. It's bloated, inefficient and provides no incentives for top quality care for our seniors. That has to change and we all know it. He wants to make cuts by fundamentally changing the system. That's something I, and my tax dollars, can get behind.

TSA: Ricochet

2011-06-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you need more than 140 characters to respond to a tweet.

"...if TSA workers are programmed not to use common sense or discretion — surprise! — TSA workers won't use common sense or discretion." From Mollie Hemmingway's Editorial in Ricochet.

There is a decrease of common sense and basic critical thinking in every corner of life. Ought we be surprised that TSA agents are drones when as a society we've been making the same comments and jokes and complaints about government workers with whom we interact daily? (Post Office, DMV, etc). Now that modesty, privacy and decency are at stake perhaps we'll begin to rethink the entire culture of "government think" and begin to take action to change it.

Update

2011-02-15T19:52:00.000-08:00

Wow. It's been a while. Life has changed pretty significantly since I last wrote. I have no desire to bore you with little details so here's an overview.
I moved Halloween weekend.
I got a job at a bakery to supplement my job at Old Navy.
I worked a million hours. Was working 14+ hours/day between Thanksgiving and New Year's.
January 4 I was hired as the executive assistant for the President/Owner of a small, well-established landscape design firm.
I LOVE my job.
I hate Maryland politics/regulations. (The permitting process in my county is unreal. More on that later.)
I think I'll give it 2-3 years and then head to Texas where, I hear, taxes etc are much more...less.

And that's the long and short of it. I'll write the longer of it later. Maybe. :-)

Cholera

2010-10-24T07:02:00.000-07:00

This is a re-post from my college friend Keziah who has been in Haiti for several years. Please keep her and Haiti in your prayers.

Cholera

An outbreak of cholera has started in and around St Marc, a small city about 2 hours north of Port-au-Prince, along the coastal route to Gonaives. My collegue, Dr Joey Prosper, a Haitian physician, has been there for the past 2 days, helping to treat the 1000+ affected. He said that over a hundred people have died in 48 hours.

Don't panic.

Cholera is a disease that causes excessive diarrhea and sometimes vomiting as well. It is spread from feces to water and food, and thereby can affect large numbers of people very quickly, especially by contaminating a town's water source. Cholera's greatest danger is severe dehydration due to loss of fluids.

Don't panic.

The treatment is quite simple: rehydrate. Lots of fluids, rehydration salts, IV fluids in the more severe cases. Some drugs such as cipro, azithromycin, bactrim and erythromycin can help shorten the disease duration, but the most important actions are preventative: lots of hand washing, cleaning food, boiling or using treated water for drinking and cooking, careful disposal of human waste, and keeping healthy people away from those affected. In other words, we need to do a series of simple things that are going to be virtually impossible to do in the tent cities of Port-au-Prince.

Don't panic. But do pray. Please pray that the outbreak is contained before it ever reaches the capital. Because if it reaches the capital...

Don't panic.

Blog Pimpage

2010-07-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

Do you enjoy laughing? Is humor something you could use more of? Do you feel gladness in your heart when someone makes their point cleverly? Then this blog is for you. You're welcome. http://lettersfromlia.blogspot.com/

Old Hundred and.... Me??

2010-07-11T16:31:00.001-07:00

Say it Again:

My brother-in-law's band wants me to do the artwork for their new album. I'm basically really stoked. They especially liked this shot

This is a live recording from a year ago at The King House in Columbus Ohio.
The first song is "A Thousand Times" and the second is "Good Timing Man."

Grampy and the Korean War

2010-06-25T04:59:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid I was disappointed that no one in my immediate family fought in World War II. I took solace in the fact that Grampy was in the Korean War, even if he "only" loaded bombs and never saw fighting. I vaguely remember stumbling across photos from that era and clearly remember Mom saying she never heard Grampy talk about it. As a child I was a afraid of Grampy. He was a gruff man. Not prone to gentleness or to tenderness toward curious children. Don't get me wrong, he was never mean or cruel he was just - forthright. On Sunday my family went out to visit him for Father's Day. Grampy reads about 5 newspapers per day and is one of the most thoughtful, well read people I've ever met. Scratch that - without qualification he IS "the most thoughtful, well read person I've ever met." Today marks the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War (it has never officially ended) and Grampy had some things to say about it. Next thing we knew he went downstairs and got a photo album and a cigar box of letters he'd sent home during the War. My mom looked like someone who's approaching a rabbit in the wild. All gentle, slow movements and watching for any signs she might spook him. He flipped through the photo album naming nearly every person in the pictures and talking a bit about the car featured in them as well. She listened raptly, then asked if she could read some of the letters. Grampy said yes and she began. Impression #1 - My grandfather has not changed much in 60 years. The tone of the letters were so exactly what Grampy would say now. It was fascinating and hilarious. My grandfather never saw combat. As a child that was disappointing. Now I realize what a blessing that was.

The Korean War is also known as the Forgotten War - that much he did talk about when I was a child. Today, on the 60 Anniversary of the Forgotten War, remember.

Thunderstorms Are Beautiful

2010-06-24T12:25:00.001-07:00

Lightning strikes three of the tallest buildings in Chicago at the same time! from Craig Shimala on Vimeo.

Lightening, God, and Anberlin

2010-06-04T20:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight there was a lightening storm while I drove home. I was listening to Anberlin's "Unwinding Cable Car" and while the lyrics, "You're so brilliant, don't soon forget. You're so brilliant, Grace marks your heart" were being sung I was overwhelmed by the thought that the God who controls lightening in the sky thinks that of me. Sings that to me. And I began to cry. Thank you, Stephen, for reminding me of that. Whether or not you meant it to be taken that way, whether Zephaniah 3:17 was in your mind as you wrote those lyrics as it was in mine as I listened to them for the umpteenth time today, I was reminded, through your words, of Gods simultaneous power, majesty, mercy and gentle love. Thank you.

Lynchburg

2010-05-20T06:56:00.000-07:00

Winter

2010-03-14T22:17:00.000-07:00

It Makes No Sense

2010-02-22T10:54:00.000-08:00

I've been feeling gross lately. Since Columbus I've been sat in my bed, or in my room almost 24/7 doing almost nothing. I'll look up jobs on the computer. I'll watch TV online or movies. I am not reading. I've thought about various life-paths. Nursing, photography, something else. Nothing seems satisfactory. And I can't decide what to do. I feel paralyzed by debt, and angry at it to the point that I want to spite it by not dealing with it. I know that makes no sense. I make no sense. I hate that I make no sense. I'm tired of being unemployed. I don't want to be here, in this room, in this house, in this city, in this state, in this country. I want to be OUT. THERE. Doing something meaningful. Loving people, being loved. And I hate that I'm being too lazy to do it.

I am my own worst enemy and it makes no sense.

I sit here and I listen to Michael Giacchino and Bear McCreary and I want it to be better,
but it's just sadder and sadder. I want to make sense again.

Babysitting

2010-01-20T23:43:00.000-08:00

I was messing around with Olivia today. She'd stand on the arm of the love seat, hold my hands and squeal as I guided her drop down to the waiting pillows below. As we played airplane and throw-the-baby-on-the-couch I thought about those mothers in Haiti who've lost their children. I thought about how different their lives were from those of mothers and children here. I combed through Oli's closet today rejecting outfit after adorable outfit until I found one I REALLY liked. That wasn't an occurance for most families in Haiti before the 'quake let alone after. It surprised me how immediate those thoughts hit me upon my spending time with Olivia, who isn't even my child. I can't imagine the pain of losing a child. My prayers have been with Haiti since the 12th. Tonight they're particularly for the mothers.

Please check out myhaitiankids.blogspot.com. My friend Keziah is doing incredible work in Haiti where she's lived and volunteered for a few years. She, too, could use your prayers.

Haiti: Where there is God, there is hope

2010-01-13T11:54:00.001-08:00

This morning as I got into the shower I began to think of and pray for the people of Haiti. I began imagining what it must be like there today. And I began to weep. It's been 10 years since I took my first (but hopefully not last) trip to Haiti. I was 14 years old at the time and the impact it had on my life is immeasurable. I chose my college major because of the impact Haiti had on my heart. All during school I would write papers about Haiti and it's diaspora in the US whenever I was afforded the opportunity. I went to Cap Hatien on the trip - a city at the northern most part of Haiti. The people I know there are all safe as far as we know and there was little damage to the area. However Port-au-Prince is another story. If you've been watching the news you know that the city was severely damaged. Having been to Haiti and seen the quality of the building structures I can imagine the kind of damage the earthquake caused. Port-au-Prince is HEAVILY populated. Cite-Soleil is the biggest slum in the area and people live one atop the other. I haven't been able to get to Haiti in 10 years, but my heart is there more often than I would have imagined possible before I took my trip.

One of the people upon whom I rely for information is Keziah F. We went to college together, she as a nursing student and I as an International Affairs major. Kez and a group of nurses went to Haiti during our sophomore or junior year and after graduation she returned there to work with orphans and anyone else she could find. She has been doing some of the most amazing work there - making connections in places one can only dream of. Please pray for her as she attempts to treat thousands of victims with limited resources. And please pray for Haiti. They are the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. Their government has a history of violence and dictatorships. Their land has been raped and ruined. All these things will contribute to making this a highly difficult rescue operation. That's not all that Haiti is, though. People often see only the darkness in Haiti, but I can tell you, and Kez can tell you there is hope in Haiti. This is an excerpt from her blog:

"Someone recently told me that Haiti has a sense of hopelessness. In some ways, I think he was right: if you look at the government, the trash, the traffic, the masses of unemployed people, the overwhelming feeling is despair. But on the other hand, when I walk down the street and chat with the ladies selling vegetables or when I watch my little neighbors making doll dinners with berries, leaves, and bottle caps or when I see a group of adults in the slum sharing a plate of food and laughing over a joke, I see hope. Lots of hope.

I took an informal poll of my Ravine families and to the person, everyone said that Haiti has hope. I asked why and one man answered, "Where there is God, there is hope.""

My tears this morning didn't last long. I prayed for my friends Maurice and Theophanie who will surely have friends in Port-au-Prince who are affected by the earthquake. And I prayed for Keziah - for strength and endurance and grace as she treats masses of people using highly limited resources. I prayed for her "Ravine families" whom I have never met but about whom Kez writes with such love. I prayed for the nameless, faceless people that I may never know but whom God knows. "Where there is God, there is hope."

Marriage

2010-01-03T00:22:00.001-08:00

My younger sister is getting married next month. On Thursday my youngest sister asked if it was weird for me that Patience was getting married before I am. I told her truthfully that it's not. I went to college in 2003 and Patience and I have only lived together since then for about 4 weeks. I think it's strange for me that it's NOT strange that she's getting married. I love my sister. She is one of the most imaginative, thoughtful, creative, FUNNY people I know. But I haven't lived with her in over 6 years. I think it's fascinating that in our nomadic lifestyles these days we are no longer necessarily noticing changes in our relationships with family upon entering into marriage, but a shift in relationships with roommates and friends. Where once there was a passage from family to husband there's now an exit from family to world to new family. I don't think it's a bad thing, but I wonder what the transition would be if the three of us were living together with our parents immediately before Patience and Jon were married. I love Fifer and Jon and wish them all the best. Can't wait to see what's in store!

ACORN Pt 1

2009-09-22T19:45:00.000-07:00

Almost a week ago I told you that I was working on a blog about the ACORN scandal. I hope by now you've all heard about it. For those of you who are reading this on Facebook I don't know how you could have NOT heard about it since I've posted at least 12,000 links per day since last Thursday or so. I've been talking about the scandal with friends, one named Kat in particular all week and there are a few themes that have emerged since the videos were initially released. (By the way. If you don't know what I'm talking about you can see all the videos here in reverse chronological order or here where there are now loads of articles and opinion pieces and information with historical context. I had planned on having this blog up this morning, but found myself distracted by the amount of information I could cover. I could recount the whole history of ACORN back to it's founding and do a play by play of where it could have led. I wanted to have a polished, possibly publishable post (not that I would have submitted it anywhere). Now I recognize that I am allowing myself to be paralyzed by my desire for perfection. So I'm just going to go ahead and do this in a few installments. The first one is my initial gut reaction followed by a question and what I believe to be a possible answer to that question.

Summary of events in the videos: James O'Keefe III (25) and Hannah Giles (20) dressed as a pimp and prostitute. This was their method -

1) Ask A Question: What if a “prostitute” and her alleged law school boyfriend walk into ACORN seeking housing for an underage brothel to fund his future congressional campaign?

2) Do Background Research:
Learn as much about ACORN housing procedures and protocol as possible.
History of ACORN and their effect on the United States

3) Construct a Hypothesis: ACORN is corrupt and it is in their nature to promote and disguise illegal behavior.

4) Experiment: Baltimore, DC, Brooklyn, San Bernardino, and…

5) Analyze and draw a conclusion.

(the above was written by Hannah Giles on 9/15/09 after videos of the 4th city were released)

Part 1:

I saw the videos when they first came out. I think that I was maybe a day behind. The Baltimore ones were first.
In the videos James and Hannah told the ACORN workers that in addition to Hannah working at the house as a prostitute the pair were planning on bringing 12-13 under age El Salvedorean girls to work as prostitutes also. Instead of verbalizing shock and outrage, or even an moment of ungaurded disgust, the ACORN employee suggested that they claim up to 3 of them as dependents on the falsified tax forms she was already working on.

I was horrified. Despite the fact that I knew that the girls mentioned by the pair were completely fictitious I couldn't help but think of all the REAL girls who are traded into sexual slavery every day around the globe and here in the United States. Before my eyes, I saw a woman who wasn't playing games, who believed that these girls existed and would be coming to her town and instead of suggesting to Hannah and James that they not bring the girls over, or calling the police, she told Hannah and James to claim three as dependents, but not more than that because it'll raise a red flag. From Baltimore it only got worse. DC, Brooklyn, NY, San Bernardino all were willing to aide these two in their attempts to 1) defraud the government and 2) cover up the importation of little girls to work as sex workers at this house which ACORN was helping Hannah get.

San Diego was worst of all (if that's possible.) The ACORN worker claimed to be a lawyer in Mexico. When he was told about the girls he wasn't very moved by the information. James asked where should they have the girls cross the border, "Tijuana or somewhere more inland?" "Tijuana." "Why?" James asked. "Because I have contacts there," the man replied.

It literally makes me sick to think of people who are willing to stand by when they come face-to-face with those who would injure and abuse little girls (or anyone) and then help them along in the process. That was my first reaction. Pure, gut-wrenching, horror and sadness and anger. I began to wonder, "How can this happen? Would I do the same thing if I were in their shoes?"

My conclusion was that there was a complete absence of an idea of personal responsibility on the part of the ACORN workers. Personal responsibility works internally – "I’m not going to do something. I’m going to restrain myself. Because I’m going to be held accountable for my actions." When you’re thinking all the time, “I’m going to be held accountable for MY ACTIONS” whether that be by myself, by my family, by society, or by God you behave in a certain way. You analyze everything you do. "How do my actions affect people? How does is affect and reflect on me?" When you, alternately, grow up and are ingrained with a victim mindset, whether you believe you are a victim, all women are victims, poor people are victims – your actions become irrelevant at worst and of nominal importance at best. Because nothing a victim has done or could do would have stopped them from being victimized. It’s the fault of the perpetrator.

The ACORN workers were faced with a conundrum. They were confronted by people working in an illegal business who had been denied the opportunity to get a housing loan. James and Hannah were therefore victims. Then they were confronted with the idea of victims in the underage girls James and Hannah said they were bringing over. The ACORN workers had a choice – who’s advocate would they be? Would they protect and help the victims right in front of them (who would also serve to add to the numbers they needed and would therefore be part of the incentive progam set up by ACORN)? Or the ACTUAL victims, a dozen underage girls being brought from a foreign country into a brothel where they would be sold into sex slavery. In EVERY case ACORN sided with the “victim” in front of them.

Hand in hand with this "victim" ideology is one of political correctness gone terribly awry. We are now told that, with a few specific exceptions, we cannot tell anyone they are wrong. One would have assumed that child slavery was one of those things you could call someone on the carpet for. But on at least one occasion an ACORN worker said she wouldn't do it (not because it was wrong, but because it was RISKY) but that "you wouldn't listen anyway." What happened to ‘be the change you want to see in the world’? If they believe that no one will listen when they speak, that nothing they do will affect anyone, then why were they even at ACORN in the first place?

Then again, maybe I give to much credit.
Perhaps all those ACORN people simply lack any kind of moral compass.

Part 2
- Corruption in government
(- Media complicity?)

More ACORN

2009-09-14T14:30:00.000-07:00

Another video by Giles and O'Keefe. The similarities between the advice given by the employees of three different, "isolated" incidents is hard to ignore.

ACORN

2009-09-11T19:18:00.001-07:00

I was going to write a big huge blog about ACORN, but I'll link to the original story and copy the text, then make some observations.

Chaos for Glory: My Time With ACORN

by James O'Keefe

A famous community organizer once said, “The only way to upset the power structure in your communities is to goad them, confuse them, irritate them and, most of all, make them live by their own rules. If you make them live by their own rules, you destroy them.” Impossible demands can irritate modern leftists in ways nothing else can, whether it’s by banning Lucky Charms cereal because it’s racist against Irish people, calling Planned Parenthood saying you want to donate money for black abortions in the name of Margaret Sanger, or making Sen. Snowe sign an oversized bailout check for a billion dollars to Amtrak, in her own office.

embedded by Embedded Video

The scenario we posed the ACORN Housing employees in Baltimore is due to the application of similar power tactics. We gave ACORN a taste of its own medicine. ACORN was alleged to be thug-like, criminal, and nefarious. This criminal behavior was evidenced by a video of Baltimore ACORN community organizers breaking the locks on foreclosed homes. Instead of railing against their radicalism, it is best to bring out this type of radicalism. Hannah Giles and I took advantage of ACORN’s regard for thug criminality by posing the most ridiculous criminal scenario we could think of and seeing if they would comply–which they did without hesitation.

Additionally, instead of focusing on foreclosure itself, which has become seemingly as politicized as abortion, we focused on crimes more difficult for the left to defend: trafficking of young helpless girls and tax evasion. The first group represents the severely disadvantaged, the second a threat to the distribution of wealth.

While manipulation or entrapment occurs when people are encouraged to do things they otherwise wouldn’t, the pre-set trap is their own. These tactics allow the viewer to see ACORN’s soul; their playing field and their morality, out in the open. Their system is based on conflict and change for its own sake. This system is based on totalitarian principles and class war techniques. These people understand pressure, power and self-interest. When the Baltimore employees saw we were shady dealers, their instincts clicked in, as we were prime recruits.

ACORN has ascended. They elect our politicians and receive billions in tax money. Their world is a revolutionary, socialistic, atheistic world, where all means are justifiable. And they create chaos, again, for it’s own sake. It is time for us to be studying and applying their tactics, many of which are ideologically neutral. It is time, as Hannah said as we walked out of the ACORN facility, for conservative activists to “create chaos for glory.”

Listen to the complete audio here.

View the complete transcript here.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Check out the transcripts. The thing that infuriates me the most is that these women were not shocked, or hesitant at all about how to help a pimp and prostitute not only commit tax fraud but also cover up UNDERAGE SEX WORKERS from El Salvador they claimed would be arriving in "2-3 months"! The only thing they said was "cover your ass." "Make sure the girls go to school so you can cover your ass." That is SO VERY SAD to me. ACORN keeps saying that these are isolated incidents, but the wealth of knowledge the "volunteers" had about evading taxes and "covering your ass" COMPLETELY debunks that.

They also said repeatedly "I'm not hearing this." And, "I don't know anything about this."

I am so sick about this. To think that our tax money has been used to help people evade federal taxes and/or protect sex traffickers is mind blowing.

This is a link to a video of the second incident

RiP! A Remix Manifesto

2009-09-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

I watched an interesting and thought provoking documentary tonight. The film centers around "GirlTalk" an artist who remixes and mashes popular songs to make new and sometimes surprising music. The obvious issue is that he's infringing on the copyrights of hundreds of artists... or at least that's what some would say.

I'm a firm (though perhaps not so firm as I once was) believer that if you make something you ought to be paid for it. This film challenges that philosophy by suggesting that if you put something out into the world it ought to become public domain and that other people can use it as a creative outlet themselves and so on and so on. It's an interesting question, one that I'll continue to wrestle with. I come away with it thinking a couple of things.

1) What GirlTalk does is art. There's a clip that shows the documentarian playing a video of GirlTalk making one of his mashups for the head of the US Copyright Agency. She's clearly impressed (as was I) by the way he made his songs.
2) I'm tempted to think "big corporations are bad." But I don't actually believe they are bad. I do believe they are rigid. I think record labels, and publishing companies are boxing themselves into an unnecessarily sticky situation. Clearly the music industry is changing. Instead of tightening your grip and squeezing out really talented artists they need to adapt. (I know none of that is particularly revelatory.)
3) It's an artist's perogative. If a singer or band had the philosophy that their music is made just so people can hear it and they have no problem with illegal downloading, and music sharing and mashups - great. Fantastic. But if an artist or band feels that their copyrights are being infringed upon and that they want royalties for their music, isn't that their right?
4) I'm pretty much as confused as ever.

One last note. I found the explanation of the expansion of copyright laws fascinating.

What do YOU think?

Autumn

2009-08-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

Picture taken in Edinburgh by myself in fall '07

I think "autumn" is such a pretty word.

It was cool out Monday morning. I'd hoped it was a harbinger of cooler weather to come, but not so. I'm ready for it to be fall. I'm ready to run in cool weather, wear layers, and sweaters and scarves. Yay scarves! And cute hats. I'm ready ready ready.

2009-08-25T22:32:00.000-07:00

The universe is part of this one cry,
That every life is noted and cherished,
And nothing loved is ever lost or perished.

Madeleine L'Engle

2009-06-20T19:25:00.000-07:00

Iran

2009-06-18T19:29:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you have been following the Iranian election this past week, but I have found the whole thing astounding.

I joined twitter about a month ago after swearing never to do so. (Note to self: Never swear not to do something, you seem always to do it.) Last friday I saw that Iran and several Iran-related topics were high on the trending topics list so I clicked on it. I learned that there had been an election there on Friday and despite all expectations Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won the election. Among other things Ahmadinejad denies the Holocaust, calls for the destruction of the Israeli and American states, pursues nuclear "energy" power and other assorted dubious things. The official results stated that he won over 60% of the vote. The way government works in Iran is (as far as I can tell it) like this: The Assembly of Experts who are religious scholars, choose a Supreme Leader who is head of the Guardian Council which chooses who may run to be President. So in the election the people vote for their president, then the Guardian Council, lead by the current Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei actually makes the choice and declares the winner.

The issue at stake seems not to be which leader won, although that certainly sparked it, the issue seems to be that the people of Iran (or at least those protesting) are offended that their government would try to pull the wool over their eyes in such a blatant manner. "Whatever the short-term political outcome, for me, this is no longer about who wins the election. It is about growth, about grass roots, about the green. Suppressed for 30 years, some of the people of Iran have decided they have had enough and are demanding change." Charlotte Safavi.

I have been fascinated during the past week, at the support from the world via twitter (and mostly just twitter, everything else is shut down). Such solidarity is a rare thing, and I think we've got it right. Mousavi (the de facto opposition) will not be the best leader for Iran. There is a consensus that he is the lesser of two evils (remember the Guardian Council OKs every candidate) but it's encouraging that there have been days of (mostly) peaceful protests with support from people all over the globe and from multiple governments as well (thought not ours.)

Please forgive me for the disjointed nature of the post - it's been a while since I've attempted to write anything of substance.

Peter Schiff

2009-06-10T18:46:00.000-07:00

Teleprompter

2009-06-08T16:08:00.001-07:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Twirling Dervish

2009-05-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

Prescient?

2009-05-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

About 3 days ago I was in the kitchen with my mom and had this conversation with her.
"Hey, Mom. You know C?"
"Your friend from college?"
"Yeah. I think her boyfriend is going to propose to her."
"Really? Why?"
"I'm not sure. I've had the feeling for a while but I just feel like it's going to happen soon." "When?"
"Certainly within the year but probably a few weeks."
"Huh. Well I guess we'll see."

My friend and her boyfriend got engaged today. I have spoken with her in at least 2 months.

I think I'm prescient.

expendable

2009-04-15T05:26:00.000-07:00

my job is pretty boring. and i'm a rather unimportant cog it the machinery there. i'm basically only needed 1 week a month. so today when i called in to work to ask if i could stay home a few hours because i have to fill out some tax paperwork for massachusetts that I didn't realize i had to do i wasn't surprised when my boss said "Sure!" I was surprised when she said, "take your time." They really don't need me. Noon it is.

**Edited at 6:03pm**

I got to work at 1:30pm today. MUCH later than I'd anticipated. I had all my work done by 3:30. My day is officially over at 4:30. Oi.

Southwest Airlines for the Win

2009-03-18T15:12:00.001-07:00

2009-03-03T20:13:00.000-08:00

i feel like i'm getting on top of life. and that feels good.

2009-02-28T22:45:00.001-08:00

sometimes keeping secrets is fun. but I'm really bad at it. so I have to write cryptic blog entries.

Apparently there have been some tea parties around the country recently. I hadn't realized. Wow.

My mom has been reading "Atlas Shrugged" recently and she said that when she was speaking to my aunt (who now lives in Canada) about politics tonight she had to remember what was real life and what was from "Atlas Shrugged."

Santelli

2009-02-19T14:28:00.001-08:00

(I'm totally flaking and if you read my xanga then this is a repeat and I apologize.)

On our way home from work my dad turned off the British audiobook he was listening to and switched to our local talk radio station WSBA. Sean Hannity is on during our drive home and dad and I have a running joke about how long I'll be in the car before Hannity mentions the Heritage Foundation (average 45seconds). Among some of the clips he played was a clip from this exchange between Rick Santelli and his co-anchors at CNBC. I didn't fully realize the extent to which the other voices in the clip are the voices of stock traders on the floor of Wall Street from which Santelli was reporting. If this Chicago Tea Party thing really does happen, count me in.

It really continues to floor me that anyone can imagine this "stimulus package" is anything but a bad idea. I hope that as the American people continue to learn more about it they will continue to speak up and that their representatives in congress will LISTEN to them and do as their constituents ask.

He's Just Not that Into You

2009-01-29T20:50:00.001-08:00

I so badly want to see this movie. This is possibly the best movie ad of all time.

International Relations

2009-01-25T17:35:00.000-08:00

I had a chat with my dear friend Matt tonight. We haven't spoken since right around Christmas, and that was short because I had no voice at the time. A lot of the time we spoke tonight was spent talking about Obama and why I disagree with him. Matt thinks I'm a little crazy with my political beliefs, but I think he understands my reasoning a bit more now after our hour + long conversation.

Basically I told him that my issues with Obama are character and judgment related. Obama has not made a good impression in several areas. The designation of Geithner as head of the IRS, (a former IMF consultant who failed to claim some taxes for four years, and then, when found out he danced his way around questions about the incidents, and who also then paid only 2 of the four years of back taxes) Clinton as Secretary of State (her husband's organizations received millions of dollars from various international nations with whom she will be negotiating in the years to come,) and Mr Lynn (chosen to oversee military spending and who is a former Raytheon lobbyist*) strikes me as poor judgement, and in the case of Mr. Lynn a complete disconnect with the promise President Obama made in his inaugural address that none of his administrative members would be lobbyists, or be allowed to lobby his administration after they left their post. Obama promised change, I guess he's delivering. He seems to be changing his policy from one day to the next.

I went into this election with many reservations. But I hoped that he would do a few things: his promise of increased transparency is certainly a positive, but somewhat tempered by his unwillingness to give up personal means of communication. (BarackBerry?) and I genuinely hoped that he would be a good and decent man, but it seems that he is hoping all will go smoothly for him, and isn't prepared to deal with some of the challenges of the Presidency. For example: answering questions put to him by the press. Really?

I don't know. I just... the term I will use to describe myself is a bastardization of the phrase "cautiously optimistic." I am pessimistically hopeful.

* I have no problem with Mr. Lynn on prinicpal. I think it's fine that he be a member of Obama's administration. But if you're going to make a rule then stick to it! My problem is with Obama wanting to make sweeping ethical statements and then adding waivers so that he can go around his own rules. If you want to do that then simply don't make the rule!

++After writing this blog I read this article. So scary. Check out Witness by Whitaker Chambers. I'll be rereading it, for sure.

I Pledge - To serve you alone... creeepy

2009-01-22T21:45:00.001-08:00

MySpace Celebrity and Katalyst present The Presidential Pledge

I got this from this blog. Scroll down - the picture from Italy is particularly frightening.

2009-01-12T20:22:00.001-08:00

AP Podcast, where have you been all my life?

random

2009-01-01T09:11:00.001-08:00

I'm listening to "This American Life" and they're talking about the economy and lending issues. This popped in my head. Is this lending crisis affecting micro-lending charities? And if so, to what degree?

John Adams

2008-12-30T18:38:00.000-08:00

If you're not watching this mini-series you really ought to start.

2008-12-28T15:17:00.000-08:00

I am not entirely certain that a picture of all three Lastname girls was taken this Christmas. That makes me sad.

Otherwise Christmas was great. :-)

clothes

2008-12-16T21:03:00.000-08:00

I've needed work clothes for a while now, but I could never stomach paying the money they cost. Well, thank you, Economic Crisis! Today I bought 5 tops ($10 from $20, $17 from $29, $27 from $46, $23 from $48, $16 from $34) , 2 pairs of pants ($22 and $27 down from $54 and $64), 2 hats ($10 each down from $29.50 and $12.99), and a sweatshirt ($16 down from $49.50) for $140. (Which is an approximate savings of $246.99

Wow. I feel good about that.

* * * *

2008-12-06T17:11:00.001-08:00

It's snowing! I love snow.

Forward

2008-11-30T20:23:00.001-08:00

I bought a US News & World Report Grad School Catalog. I need to do something to give myself an edge. This job hunting thing is kicking my butt.

The Lion Fell in Love with the Lamb

2008-11-29T04:04:00.000-08:00

I think these couple of songs are so soothing.

The Fall (A Coherent Review)

2008-11-18T17:46:00.001-08:00

Last night I watched what turned out to be the most interesting and stunning film I've seen in a long time. I'd seen the trailer ages ago and had never taken the opportunity to see it. I'm glad I finally did. I think I'll be buying it soon.

For those of you who are "Pushing Daisies" fans, you'll recognize the lead male character (Lee Pace). He plays Ned. (Pace was also in "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" another of my favorites for the year.) This movie is unlike anything I'd seen before. Watch the trailer and you'll get a taste of the visual merits of the movie. It's bold and hot. That is the colors are incredibly vivid. I don't know if this is an anomaly of my own biology, but when I'm in really intense heat I get goosebumps and feel chilly. That's kind of how I felt through much of this film. Though the colors seem like they should be warm - they're almost too warm. Though the characters seem benign - there's an undercurrent of danger. The acting seems so real. The little girl in the movie is incredible throughout, and if you watch the extras on the DVD you find out why. Overall it was a really beautiful, hot/cold, suspenseful, fantastic tale. It's rated R, not for language or sex... there really seemed to be no overt reason for the R rating. The only thing I can come up with is that the feeling of danger was so pervasive that it warranted an R rating. Check it out.

The Fall

2008-11-17T16:04:00.001-08:00

I'm 25 seconds into "The Fall" and I already love it. It's visually stunning. Everything is crystal clear. It starts in black and white. it's in slow motion. The shots of the water are incredible. It's like you can see every molecule

And now we have color.

Ooh! Julia Bertram. I haven't seen her in much else.

Wow. This movie is seriously gorgeous. The colors are vibrant and all the lines are crisp. I love that dappled horse.

Oh! and him! The guy from Love Actually. Oh. Nope. But they look similar. Love Actually guy and The Fall guy.

The way the little girl speaks English. it's so naturally second language English. It's kind of amazing.

Have I mentioned the colors? Incredible.

Recurring theme - train tracks?

So funny. The girl is imagining an Asian Indian and the narrator is describing an American Indian.

Where was this filmed? (Or what multiple places?)

LOL Darwin and Wallace the monkey.

Oh wow. The transition from the butterfly to butterfly reef. Gorgeous.

So, Spain. it was shot in Spain.

Man, that water is gorgeous.

Swimming elephants. Holy cow. What a thing.

Despite all the brightness and beauty... there is an ominous undertone, isn't there. It's not a warm film.

Whoops! He fell.

Ew. those false teeth get me every time.

I love Lee Pace. Loooove.

Wow. I love the way they made that red seep up the white sheet. That's really gorgeous... and kinda creepy.

WHERE DID THEY FILM THIS??

That poor guy who plays Darwin. What a ridiculous coat.

Man. To have the kind of imagination it would take to write this and then visualize and make it happen. I'm jealous.

Lee Pace. You are marvelous.

Oh I'm going to run out of battery power.

OK. That was easily the most interesting film I've seen in a long time.

The acting was fantastic, the cinematography was gorgeous, and the plot was really original and interesting.

Little Things

2008-11-15T21:22:00.000-08:00

I don't like basics. Like eating and sleeping. Can't be bothered. Which is why I was up till 5 last night for no good reason.

Made good money at work today... More today than I made all week at my "real job" (granted, I was out for several days last week.) As Christmas draws nigh-er we'll get busier. I'm so down with that.

Really should sleep. If I go to sleep now I could catch 10 and a half hours. (See, now I don't want to sleep because that's such a waste of time!)

But I will. So I can function tomorrow.

Type A

2008-11-13T23:00:00.001-08:00

My friend told me last night that she's going to go back to some of her Type-A traits after deserting them for a couple years. I talked to her tonight and it seems she's accomplished a lot in a day.

I could use a Type-A side.

Anyone want to lend me theirs?

Em and Mal Say Goodnight

2008-11-13T22:36:00.001-08:00

Emily: ok friend, for realz we should sleep
1:30 AM
see i'm yawning
1:30 AM
Mal
yes we should
1:30 AM
goodnight!!!
1:30 AM
i cant see
1:30 AM
but i believe.
1:30 AM
in you.
1:30 AM
and that love is the answer
1:30 AM
Emily
gooodnnniiiightttt my someone, good night my love
1:30 AM
Mal
and that love will find a way.
1:31 AM
and we've both officially lost it
1:31 AM
Emily
sleep TIGHT my someone sleep tight, my love
1:31 AM
Mal
seriously. just happened.
1:31 AM
Emily
i WISH i may and i wish i might
1:31 AM
Mal
brains fell out
1:31 AM
Emily
so good night my SOMEone goodNIGHT
1:31 AM
Mal
gei schluff.
1:31 AM
Emily
lol
1:31 AM
Mal
night!

The Talk

2008-11-12T18:06:00.000-08:00

Well, J and I had a talk tonight about the books. I think she heard me. She definitely told me her opinion, too. I think it really meant a lot to her that I read the books in the first place. And that I read 5 in 5 days... she was pretty psyched. So I guess mission accomplished. I feel like I should get the girls in my group some good books for Christmas. I kind of wish we had 2 hours to meet instead of one. One hour for Christy and related chatter and another for discussing a book. But that's probably pushing it. Ah well. I had 3 of the 5 girls over for pizza. Tonight was our last official meeting until January, but I'd love for us all to hang out. I really enjoy these kids. It's funny seeing them growing up. Especially J. I started babysitting her before she even spoke. That is SO not an issue now. Anyway, it's nice to know these girls want me in their lives. Especially after the day I had today. I felt like a complete failure so it was nice to make and eat pizza, watch a movie and totally girl out for a few hours.

New Moon/Eclipse

2008-11-10T19:27:00.000-08:00

So since my last post I've finished Twilight and New Moon and begun Eclipse.

SPOILER ALERT

I've decided what I'm going to say to the girl who inspired this who escapade. For me the biggest issues are not the vampires or the werewolves. Those are fantastical creatures that can be easily dismissed. What's most troublesome to me is the weakness of the main character herself. She is completely dependent upon other people. Specifically one of two boys, depending upon the circumstances. I find it more dangerous that J. should be so attached to a character with such little self-respect and strength. When Edward leaves Bella she falls completely to pieces for four months plus. She is a self-defined zombie. I know that breaking up with someone is really difficult and that different people have different methods of coping, but Bella's complete meltdown is only half the problem. She only begins to "heal" with the help of another boy who has a huge crush on her. She doesn't return the feelings... at first, but she certainly has a strong connection to him and is only able to begin getting back to normal with his help. I am not one of those people who pushes womens' agendas or believes that women should be macho. I do, however, believe that a woman is capable and able to be independent and, as a Christian woman, I believe that seeking strength in God is far more helpful and healthy than seeking it in another person. I'm not suggesting that this book ought to have portrayed Bella's "recovery" (that word seems far to heavy for the reaction a girl ought to have after breaking up) from a Christian perspective. The book is secular. I do, however, wonder that Bella is so desperately needy. The author relys heavily on imagery (and to some extent plaigerism) from Romeo and Juliet in books one and two and from Wuthering Heights in book three. The characters in these works are all weak, selfish, and whiny. Why not use someone like Jane Eyre, or one of the Dashwood girls (Elinor in particular) or any number of strong female characters to strengthen the image girls can have of themselves? Women of character. Women who deeply feel both love and loss, but who know that their lives must and will go on. They perservere through both heartache and joy. These are women our pre- and teenagers should look up to. Not an emotionally crippled, incapacitated young woman who is only able to see herself in the context of belonging to one or another boy.

twilight

2008-11-09T16:48:00.000-08:00

so one of the girls i teach in my Wednesday night bible study read "twilight" which is a book about a girl who falls in love with a vampire (and possibly a werewolf, though I'm not sure about that). Her mom isn't thrilled about her reading it, and my mom thinks her mom is right on. So I volunteered to read the book so the girl and I could talk about it and I could explain to her why it's bad. I'm finding myself actually liking the book. I'm not sure it's appropriate for a 13 year old (it's a bit sexual, not graphic, but still).

I may end up having a conversation about honoring parents instead of "this book is bad and here's why."

Today

2008-11-05T14:45:00.000-08:00

Ok. So there have been a few thing going through my mind the past day. I don't know how coherent this will be so please forgive me.

I didn't watch any election coverage last night. I cast my vote at 6:30 am, watched some morning talk shows, became annoyed and went upstairs. The rest of the day I went down to MD to see Allyson and her baby which was relaxing and wonderful. On the way home I was rear-ended which was neither relaxing nor wonderful. Last night I drank some bedtime tea and went to sleep about 20 minutes before they called the election (which I learned this morning.)

When I woke up I knew Obama had won. It was dark and grey out, the world was weeping. Just kidding.

In fact I had two text messages. One from my conservative Boston friend bemoaning her surroundings and the second from a colleague which read, "PRESIDENT OBAMA!!!!!!" And I promptly pulled the covers back over myself.

As I heard people celebrate, read some news stories from both conservative and liberal media sources I began to think a bit more about what just happened. I can't help but wonder if, in two years, the people who elected Senator Obama to be our President will be happy with what he's done. Especially those who simply cast a vote. Who didn't do any research or check any facts. Will they get in their President what they hoped for? When someone has been so vague in his speeches and campaign it's inevitable that expectations are attached and assumptions are made that could be inaccurate. You've made your bed, America, and now we're all going to lie in it.

Anberlin

2008-11-02T19:04:00.000-08:00

This is a brief version of a more extensive post:

Set list (as best we can remember):

- disappear (new, opened with - really nice. i'm really digging the new CD)

- day late (always fantastic)

- never take friendship personal (ditto)

- paperthin hymn (ditto)

- adelaide (crowd pleaser - everyone sings to this)

- retrace (realllly like this)

- breaking (great)

- resistance (great)

- unwinding cable car (if the set consisted of nothing but this song I would be a happy camper.)

- stephen telling us how awesome we are/it is to be in boston: so the one and only (well ok, maybe there were a couple other ones) faux pas was after Unwinding. The crowd was totally into it and singing back and it was great. So Stephen starts telling us about how right before the show they'd been talking and how it was so incredible that they were in Boston receiving such a warm welcome and it was so great and keeps going and going. Meanwhile Joey, Deon and Christian are all trying to let him know he'd said the wrong city. Finally he realized and he goes, "Did I say Boston? Why did I say Boston?" (Because you were there last night, thought I.) And he's all embarrassed, "I just ruined my own moment! Let's go back." And he speed sings the end of the song, "You'resobrilliantgracemarksyourheart." And then as the crowd, "Oh wow that was so great, yay." And then as himself again, "Oh wow. Thanks guy's you're awesome. Philly is so great." Poor guy. He recovered pretty well, I thought. And the show was so good I don't think anyone minded too much. (Also - I think the past-tense of "minded" should be "mound.")

- feel good drag

- dismantle repair - another one of my faves

- godspeed

- hello alone

- inevitable

- (the symphony of) blase

- fin - Beautiful and chilling every time.

Upon Threat of Expungement...

2008-10-31T17:39:00.000-07:00

I'm afraid I'll be expunged, therefore I'll post. Random things:
- Sarah Palin is in town tonight. I am not going as I worked an 8 hour day at the courthouse and headed immediately over to job #2.
- I am SO VERY ready for this election to be over.
- I'll be heading into Philly tomorrow to see a concert and I'm quite nervous as I believe there will be a Phillies celebration in town. Hopefully the crowds will have dispersed by the time we roll in for the show.
- I'm seeing Anberlin tomorrow night!!! (Chris, if you've already seen them I will have mixed emotions.) I haven't been to a concert in agggeeessss. If I recall correctly I believe my last concert was Vampire Weekend and The Shins in Glasgow about this time last year... oh wait! I saw Brooksie in June.

I was going to try to be creative but I am just too exhausted.

Chops, I hope this will suffice, you exact a high price for linkage, my friend!

Once again, mad props to Chops

2008-09-30T14:04:00.001-07:00

My friend "Chops" wrote this and I think it's wonderful so I'm re-posting it.

Dear Madame Representative,

Thank you for keeping the interests of the 99th District in mind in your consideration of the various Wall Street bailout proposals.

As a local taxpayer and economist by profession, I am concerned that Congress has been deceived by Wall Street. Wall Street and the finance industry claim that lending is crucial to American businesses everywhere. This is true enough. They also claim that an enormous bailout would solve the problem. This claim is not true.

If Congress gives $700 billion to Wall Street in exchange for worthless assets, where is the $700 billion going to come from? In the long run, from taxpayers like me. In the short run, it has to come from lenders. If the Federal Government is sucking $700 billion out of lending markets in the next year, lenders won't be able to loan that money to businesses that create jobs! What's more, the move will raise interest rates, making borrowing more expensive and dampening lending further.

Even if the government did not have to borrow the $700 billion in the short run, the bailout would probably not prevent a recession. Remember, what brought on this crisis was exuberant lending. No amount of bailing out is going to make bad loans look good to bankers now. An unsound business model is still going to be unsound, even if a government handout allows it to be solvent for a few extra weeks or months.

Suppose I am wrong. Suppose a $700 billion bailout really could prevent a recession. The most severe recession since World War II was the 1973-1975 recession. How much did the economy shrink? By about 5%. In today’s economy, a 5% contraction would be about $700 billion. Spending $700 billion to avoid a recession of less than $700 billion seems like a losing proposition to me – even if the bailout works.

Please vote against any resolutions that will use tax revenues or borrowing to bail out Wall Street.

Thank you for your time and your efforts.

Sincerely,

- S***** F*****
Department of Economics
***** University

www.globalreview.blogspot.com

Credit Card

2008-09-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

Here's my issue. I am living at home, carless and basically stranded. I would love to rent a car and go to NJ, Boston, or DC at some point in the near future. However - I don't have a credit card because of a fierce aversion to debt and credit cards in general. But the car rental company won't allow me to rent a car without a credit card. So I went to a website that allows you to compare credit cards hoping a side-by-side comparison would be helpful.
At first I thought, "simple, straightforward, something with my name and "credit card" written on it. I only want to use this for car rentals." But then I looked at points and travel points etc and I'm getting sucked in. The notion of earning points by using my card and therefore being able to travel more cheaply is very appealing (you can use them on flights or car rentals). But in order to earn those points I would have to expand my purchasing scope to include more everyday things. Which makes me nervous. ... Until I think about this program I heard of whereby you connect your banking and credit accounts which will essentially convert your credit card into a debit card (because the bank account, upon seeing a purchase on the credit card, immediately pays it off.) And I have a tendency to use my debit card more than cash anyway (I don't like to carry cash because I spend it like whoa and I don't use my debit card THAT much because I'm never certain of how much money I have in my account.) So I'm in a quandry. Do I get the simple, straightforward card and use it only for rentals, or do I get the fancier card and do a little finagling and hopefully save more later? Thoughts??

Debate

2008-09-27T06:13:00.000-07:00

I only watched 20 minutes of the debate last night. It was all I could handle. There were a few things that really bothered me. First - I watched the sections about energy, about taxes, about the war, and about what gov't programs or spending each candidate would be willing to cut. I realize 20 minutes is not a lot of time. Don't worry, i'm going to read transcripts - I just couldn't handle watching them argue.

1. Answer the question. This was particularly true of Obama. (Possibly only true) and it's something that was an issue even in the Saddleback Forum. When Obama answers a question he goes to his talking points. He doesn't address the question as stated. This was particularly true in the question about gov't spending cuts. Instead of naming areas where he'd be willing to cut spending, he talked about places he identified as vital and would NOT cut, and programs he would add. McCain was vague the first time round, but addressed the question in a broad sense. Lehrer wasn't happy with the answers they gave so he put it to them again. And Obama said the same thing again. And McCain said, "How about a freeze on all government spending except National Defense and Veterans Affairs." And Lehrer AGAIN said neither of them answered the question. So Obama went off again on the programs he wanted while McCain more specifically identified bloated areas of government.

2. Address your opponent professionally. Here's looking at you, Obama. I could not believe that Obama insisted on calling McCain "John." It was completely unprofessional, and not receiprocated. I was floored.

3. Obama kept interrupting - which I thought was not really allowed. I also thought it showed a lack of maturity, to be honest. OK, it's a debate. You know that your oponent is going to say things about you that you disagree with, it's part of the job. You don't get to defend yourself immediately! There are set times for self-defense! And sometimes you don't get to defend yourself that's the nature of a debate. You agreed to it and to the rules, so follow them. If you can't handle someone sayiing things about you that you believe to be false (or want others to believe to be false) then don't debate. So annoying.

4. The moderator was less than adept at doing his job.

I'm getting angry just thinking about it. So that's my take on the debate. Feel free to talk back. I'm just ready for Nov 4th already and this will be over. Also - I have the day off work.

i'm tired of feeling obligated

2008-09-23T19:41:00.000-07:00

Voting

2008-09-13T20:27:00.001-07:00

Spot on. Watch to the end

Palin

2008-08-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

Now I feel good about voting for McCain.

A compare/contrast between Palin and the other members in the race from Global Review

Ugh

2008-08-28T10:15:00.001-07:00

Nooooooooo

Ignorance

2008-08-26T14:41:00.000-07:00

For your information: If you ever find yourself on a hung jury go ahead and be hung! It's better than this!

There was a couple on trial last week and the week before. The wife was charged with 1st and 3rd degree murder and involuntary manslaughter and the man was charged with... 3rd degree murder I think. So the story is: the mom's wife was in a nursing home. Against doctor's wishes they take her out of the NH. They force mom to sign over power of attorney to the wife. They clean out mom's bank accounts and sell her house. Then then set mom up in the attic where she dies. She is found with bedsores to the bones and maggots in her sores. The jury lets the man go free and the wife is found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Apparently they had a hung jury. The jurors thought that if they came out hung the charges would all be dismissed and they wanted to find them both guilty of the highest possible offenses but decided to find one guilty of involuntary manslaughter and the other not guilty of all charges as a compromise to the juror(s) who didn't want to convict of anything harsher. They were hoping that then the court would (somehow) be able to continue the trial. IDIOTS. So now, because both defendants spent 17 month in jail they're off scott free. It's a first offense for both of them. The highest the woman could be sentenced to is 12mo confinement but as she's already served 17mo she gets time served. So the jurors read the paper the next day, realized what they'd done and wanted to come back and make a statement or see if it could be a mistrial. Um, no. That's what we call "double jeopardy." So now 2 murderers are off scott free. Makes me sick.

Phelps...again

2008-08-15T20:40:00.001-07:00

Loving this kid.

Unabashed lust-fest

2008-08-14T20:53:00.000-07:00

Me: Did we really need to see Phelps get rubbed down?
Friend: Hell yes.
Me: I feel so dirty.
Friend: Yum. I would lick things off his stomach.
Me: Me too. But not with people around.

And that about sums that up.

Brillhart

2008-08-04T17:22:00.001-07:00

This is the guy I'm working for. I'm kind of excited. :-)

**So apparently that site's something of a local "The Onion." Ah well. Still funny!

Here we go again

2008-07-31T06:59:00.000-07:00

I'm really ready to move out. Ughhh. C'mon jobs! Hire me!

Pronunciation

2008-07-28T13:17:00.000-07:00

people in my town say the word "salty" as "sawldy."

that kind of bugs me.

The Dark Knight (SPOILERS)

2008-07-18T07:17:00.000-07:00

Last night Mallary and I saw "The Dark Knight." Within minutes I was covering my eyes and the tension remained throughout the entire film. I don't know if it's possible to even touch on how twisted, insightful, moving and beautiful this movie is, but I'll do my best.
1. Batman/Bruce Wayne: I just read a review which accused (director) Nolan of taking the conflict out of Wayne/Batman's head and putting it on external rivals (Dent - rival in love, Joker - rival in war.) But I don't think that reaches the real issue, especially as concerns the Joker. The Joker's actions push Wayne to evaluate his own strength, fortitude and limits. On the surface it may seem that his war is with the Joker, but this is something which he would have had to deal with at some point. The Joker in some ways is simply a tool. The review also accuses Batman of becoming a sidekick to the Joker. Again, I think that's somewhat simpleminded.
2. Rachel: Maggie Gyllenhaal vs Katie Holmes? Maggie, please. She's fiery, smart and actually has chemistry with both Bale and Eckhart.
3. Harvey Dent: The best performance Eckhart has given to date. His transformation from Dent to Two Face is hinted at in a scene with Batman where Dent has captured one of Joker's men and is flipping coin to determine the man's fate. When Batman intervenes Dent screams at him, transforming for an instant into the villain he later becomes.
4. Lt. Gordon: Gary Oldman is spot on again. Touching, immovable, and a staunch ally for Batman and Gotham.
5. The Joker: Heath Ledger is STUNNING in this performance. And by "stunning" I mean creepy, twisted, malevolent, evil, and darkly funny. I could hardly watch him because I was so creeped out by him. It is so sad to me that Ledger will never hear how well reviewd his performance in this movie is. He absolutely deserves an Oscar for this performance. And deserves so because he's excellent, not because we're sad he's gone. His mannerisms and twitches are perfectly twisted. His tongue darts in and out, his limbs flop about and he slouches just so and swaggers cockide. It's an incredible performance.
6. The score. I love the Batman score. And I can't believe that I'd forgotten how magnificent it is. Epic.
There were three moments in the film wherein the themes were explicitly laid out
7. Alfred (again warmly and thoughfully portrayed by Michael Cain) is talking to Bruce who is on the brink of giving up is alter-identity. Aflred reminds Bruce that sometime a hero is hated for the choices he makes. But that those choices are ones that only the hero can make. And if he is reviled, he is reviled. But he mus rest assured that he has made the best choice - even if others can't see it. It was much more eloquent in the movie. Really important though.
8. On the ferries. Neither ferry blowing the other up. And the Joker's face when neither exploded. The reminder that people can be, and often are strong and courageous in the darkest hours was a really excellent one. It was a bright spot in a really dark film.
9. And finally the montage at the end. Batman becomes the fall man. He literally takes on the sins of the "better men" who fell and becomes hunted and persecuted so the city will have a fighting chance to be whole. I kept thinking of this verse: "But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed."

Go see this movie. It is dark and depressing at times but possibly one of the most theologically rich and deepest social commentaries in film today (or maybe ever). EXCELLENT movie. I can't wait to see it again

considering

2008-07-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

so i've been looking for a jobs for a while now. i realize that it's not been as long for me as for some people but i'm honestly getting tired of looking and frustrated at getting no responses. so i'm looking at working in iraq.

here are my reasons
1. good pay
2. i would like to support our troops and the effort in iraq in a more tangible way than just over the dinner table.

soo... yeah. that's what i'm thinking

art

2008-07-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

I'm not an 'arty' person. As in I'm not particularly creative... but I can dig art. Here's some I've recently stumbled upon.

http://www.verdurestudio.com

Beautiful

2008-07-11T22:38:00.001-07:00

The Luxury

2008-07-10T22:42:00.000-07:00

an email i got from a friend. Help them out (yes this is legit. I'm actual flesh and blood friends with this guy)

HOLY SHIT - we are INCHES from winning!
To members of Help The Luxury open for Coldplay in Boston

OK, this is actually far past reasonable levels of awesome and I feel like I'm the 16-year old girl that Coldplay counts as their target demographic.

We're now in fourth place. FOURTH! That means you people actually stood up for us and made this happen. I don't know what to say. We HAVEN'T WON YET but we're so damn close.

If I really have to remind you, if were 3rd or higher then our video gets submitted to the huge-ass band themselves to vote for their favorite, and that winner gets to play with them at the Garden.

So PLEASE, if you haven't done it yet, become a believer all of a sudden and go there, make it happen - CLICK http://www.coldplayontour.com/wfnx and vote for the SECOND VIDEO on the page - the Malcontent video. And then TELL TWO OTHER PEOPLE TO HELP.

Do it! You can actually, quite literally, make us win this thing. That doesn't happen that often! Like, remember maybe something you voted for, where you lost and you were all like "what the hell just happened?"

Don't let it come to that!

Heh.

I write funny emails.

OK, seriously, get the word out and make this happen! You can actually do this.

mistake

2008-07-10T15:11:00.000-07:00

i've been sending out resumes almost indiscriminately (though if you asked my mother i'm sure she'd argue i'm being much to discriminate.) In anycase - I sent out a coverletter and resume today and did a quick glance through. About 45 seconds after hitting the "send" button I realized I had probably left the name of another company in the letter. crap. So I checked and sure enough, instead of the name of the journalist who is hiring a research assistant I had in the three letter abbreviation of another company for whom "I look forward to putting my skills to use." Ugh.

Anyone want to hire me?? (echoes through the blogosphere - by which i mean into the rooms of the aproximately 4 people who read this thing.)

cover letter

2008-06-30T23:37:00.000-07:00

this may sound weird coming from someone who blogs (an incredibly self-indulgent past time, really) but i hate talking myself up. which is possibly why i am crap at job hunting (or at least that's what i'm running with.) i find it uncomfortable to tell someone why they should hire you. hire me because i need the money and i want to work for you! i'd be a much bigger fan of a trial period than of an interview. i'm the kind of person who always asks what else needs to be done. (at least in other peoples homes/the workplace.)

So c'mon future employer: Pick me! Choose me! Love me!

It's quarter to 3am. I'm entitled to some mild delirium.

question:

2008-06-25T09:55:00.000-07:00

what does it say about me that the thought, just the thought that I may have to commit to 1-2 years makes me all antsy and icked out?

I've been ruined by 6 month increments of life.

money

2008-06-13T07:08:00.000-07:00

i effing HATE money.

die, money, die

Scotland redux

2008-05-19T10:20:00.000-07:00

And I'm going back to Scotland :-) I leave today!

day 2

2008-05-16T10:34:00.001-07:00

2nd day home and the lectures have started.

swimming

2008-05-15T17:55:00.001-07:00

i was in florida last weekend. i got to swim. it was great. but it was at an "active adults community" so we couldn't swim at night... and now i really want to go night swimming...nekked!

Bipolar Week

2008-04-20T13:52:00.001-07:00

Sometimes it's insane to me how much can happen in a week. There were some really excellent moments in my life this week and also some incredibly crappy ones.

...In Your Mouth

2008-04-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

add that phrase ^^^ to one of these sentences. It's a cheap laugh, but it's a laugh.

Tension

2008-04-12T13:01:00.001-07:00

Tension sucks.

That is all

Attention Span

2008-04-05T13:47:00.000-07:00

So I've been noticing this trend in my reading habits over the last few months, but it's really begun to be a problem. I have a decreasing attention span. Like I get 1/2 way down a page on the NYTimes and I often find myself bored with the article. It's really not OK. So I've been trying to force myself to finish reading articles even if I'm bored with the article. Ok. That's my two cents.

Date

2008-04-04T12:31:00.000-07:00

Lena: "Boys need to become firm believers in the date, which they are not."