Quick note

I haven't been blogging much the last couple of weeks and won't be picking up again for a couple more. Summer term has started and I have two intense grad courses I'm immersed in. Actually, I'm much more occupied with the final details of conference planning but the courses take quite a bit of time also. The week after next is especially heinous-looking. Two ten page papers, two presentations, one five page paper, and the conference. Holy shit.

On top of that, my grandmother died today. I'm happy that she passed and I can feel that she's thrilled to be home. I'm sorry for my family because I know they're sad. These last couple of weeks have also stirred up family feelings that I'm struggling to cope with. I'm no longer the person they've known and I don't know how to let go of wanting to still be part of the family unit. We don't have a meaningful relationship anymore, they only relate to the physical body they see.

That's enough depressing family shit for now.

Fahrenheit 9/11

I saw the movie on opening day, a 2:00 show, and it was packed. I just returned from a Moveon.org house party/live phone conference with Michael. Portland had the largest house party in the nation with probably 800-900 people attending.

Because there's so much good commentary already, I won't add anything here except to say that I enjoyed the film immensely, cried a great deal, and am thinking I'll see it again. One thing I will say about the film is this: Regardless of whether you agree with his views (stated or implied), the film is at least getting people talking - talking about serious issues that they haven't been talking about before. It also runs the risk of polarizing but I don't know that things will get much more polarized than they already are. At worst, the film will probably bring some people to the Democratic side.

I did hear that the film sold out in Fayetteville, NC and Greensboro, NC. I was thrilled about Fayetteville because it's a big military town. Hopefully the film touched hearts and brought more people down on the liberal side of the fence. Thanks Michael - for giving the American public a good kick where it was needed.

Stupid, gross, and pointless

I would be offended AND angry if I thought this ad actually had a point other than empty, meaningless rhetoric. (click the webvideo to play) As it is, I'm only offended.

Death

My sister just got married and my grandmother is in the hospital, dying. I wasn't there for my sister's wedding and I won't be there for my grandmother's funeral.

What do these things say about the person that I am?

Quintuplets

"It's like trying to nail jello to a tree."
~Bob Chase to his son, Pearce.

Lying by implying

What bothers me about this article is that I believe the Bush administration lied mainly by implying and suggesting that there were connections that didn't exist. I don't remember their exact words & such, but I do know that people don't always listen closely, especially if they're listening from a carefully cultivated culture of fear.

As I said, I don't know the exact words that were used but I know what the message was - implicit or explicit. Although it's true that people should bear a certain amount of responsibility for thinking about what they're hearing (especially when it comes to war), they should also be able to trust their leaders. People trusted Bush and he took advantage of that trust. Splitting hairs and examining the exact words that were or weren't said is too little, too late. Too bad this kind of close examination wasn't being done originally.

doldrums

I found out yesterday that in order to get my financial aid I have to sign up for fulltime credits this summer. That effectively doubles my tuition, lowering my financial aid substantially. However, if I don't go fulltime, I get almost nothing and that's worse. The worst part is that I can't afford to ride for the next three months (at least). I realize that sounds stupid, greedy, and self-centered but riding is one of my passions - something I truly love - and it hurts to realize that, for now, I have to let it go.

Wanna see movies

Movies I'd like to see:

Supersize Me
Farenheit 9/11
The Prisoner of Azkaban
The Hunting of the President
The Stepford Wives

Pretty sad - three of the five movies I want to see are either political or social awareness movies. Entertainment isn't as entertaining as I used to think it was.

Oh yeah - I also have GOT to see at least one episode of Blue Collar TV.

politibittles

MotherJones rocks and this poll is pretty durn interesting!

Politicians continue to disgust me. How can we even use the word ethics in the same sentence as the word politician? Although I have some small appreciation for Bell, the charges are almost laughable. The 'truce' is laughable, a hysterical screaming gasp that means nothing except that people can do whatever they want without fear of public disclosure. What's also sick is that the polits have their very own, specially appointed 'Ethics Committee'. What a joke. If this committee is made up of non-polits and people outside the House, I might have some respect for it.

An interesting piece of writing on the "dime's worth of difference" between Kerry and Bush. I don't say whether it's accurate or not, just that it's worth a look.

geekiness resurfacing

I just checked out the IDblog and discovered wikis! What a great idea - especially for someone like me who's all about information sharing & using the web to connect to people. You can bet I'll be trying something out soon...

Also, as a tribute to all the *real* geeks out there, this site's for you.

What is a geek?

What constitutes fashionable geekiness?

taxpayer dollars in action

This is just stupid. Thanks CS.

catching up

I haven't posted in a few days, mainly because I haven't had much to post about. Ranting about the political state of the union has gotten a bit stale and I haven't felt motivated to talk about much of anything. I do have a funny story about the bdance class I'm teaching for the local YWCA but I'll write that up and post it later (it's kind of long). I had a wonderful time visiting the YWCA camp - it's on the Oregon coast at Cascade Head - and it's unbelievably gorgeous.

Cascade Head is where the Salmon River meets the Pacific and it's stunning. The camp sits about 100 yrds up from the beach and overlooks a perfect little inlet with a white sandy beach and beautiful green hills surrounding the beach.

I also talked to a divorce lawyer about getting my divorce going and have decided to hold off for a couple of months, establish OR residency and file here in OR. That'll be *much* easier than trying to long distance it in NC. It's just sucky that I had to pay $50 to talk to this dork who basically suggested I file in OR. He's right, but lawyers in general gripe my ass and I hate that I even had to spend that little bit talking to one.

One other discussion I had yesterday was to determine my 'final' graduate program. I spoke with rmerc and have decided that I'm going to switch to the Master of Arts & Teaching program. It's similar to Interdisciplinary Studies but a bit looser and (probably) more unknown. It doesn't require a thesis or project but does require a written and oral examination. After looking at the curriculum I've worked on, it seems possible that I could complete my program in two years or with a only a term or two over.

I'm going to continue working with the advisors I've already selected, with the addition of one more person from the CR department. I'm hopeful that dwill will agree to be my Education advisor, that will mean btin, rgou (I have to ask him), and dwill will be my advisory committe (like a thesis committee) and that they will devise my oral and written exam. I feel better about the MAT program in that at least I'll get what I want - even if I don't get to do a project. I can probably do one, it just isn't required & I'm not sure how it'll count towards my degree.

The War, Peace, and Media conference is also just about ready to move into final ramp-up mode. I'm working on the program for the event now, final publicity push & planning will probably be full force in about two weeks.

I've talked to croed, parch, and jneal quite a bit this week and I miss them a great deal. When I talk to them, it's easy to forget how far apart we are physically. Emotionally and spiritually we're extremely close (energetically also), but I miss the face to face, physical interaction.

In addition to missing my buddies, I've lost my favorite watch. It's a Timex my mom gave me several years ago - has a light up face and a blue velcro strap. It's my barn watch - I have worn it riding for the last four or five years because I couldn't hurt it. It may seem stupid but I'm feeling really down because I can't find it. What's even more depressing is that I NEVER lose things! I remember wearing it to corph's place last Friday when we were practicing our bdance stuff. I took it off and laid it down on top of my stuff, I remember putting it back on and that's the last time I remember seeing it. I looked for it on Sunday and it was gone. I've checked all over my house, cleaned my car yesterday, and I can't find it. I'm really sad... :(

tidbittles

If you haven't heard about the Hunting of the President, check it out if there's a screening near you.

Super!! Financing for women as small business owners - how awesome!

So who's gonna rebrand South Carolina as a state worth living in?

Goddamn - how are these lying, cheating, bastards continuing to get away with their shit?

Again, the bleating herd of media sheep lead the rallying cries of "God Bless the Gipper" As I heard recently on Air America's interview with Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, the media shouldn't be a mouthpiece for whatever administration is in power - they're (unofficially) supposed to be one of the checks & balances of government.

Gee whiz - and democracy had such a STRONG foothold!

They have a point. It's not the sole responsibility of the advertiser, parents & the community are also responsible.

Where's the press?

So where the hell is the press? I thought there was a big moral journalistic crisis going on and all the 'big' media were swearing they'd do better. No one, NO ONE should be shocked to hear this man's story. After Abu Grhaib, no one should be shocked if stories like this come out of American prisons.

Although I know I didn't personally have anything to do with such corruption, horror, degradation, and inhumane activity, I feel responsible. The people who did these things are Americans, my taxes pay their salaries and the American government oversees them as it does me. I am ashamed to be an American and horrified at the atrocities that have been committed in my name.

I never wanted the war, I protested it and I've protested the way we've handled all our foreign affairs since 9/11. I feel that my voice hasn't been heard and that I now share the responsibility for all the grief and suffering that have resulted from this administration's decisions. I don't know what to do. Saying "I'm sorry" is so lame and useless. I cannot make amends to all those who have suffered, none of us can. "With great power comes great responsibility."

I feel so betrayed and used by our government. I thought it before but I feel it now - that they have taken the power we entrusted them with and abused it the most descpicable ways possible. They've betrayed the idea I had about America - that we were good and stood for something important. I realize the rest of the world has probably known this for a long time but there's always been a part of me that wanted to believe that America is truly a great country. I believed that we were different, that we had a better start and better foundations.

It hurts to have that belief shattered. It hurts to look around and see what's being done in the name of Americans. Things that most people would NEVER condone in a million years. Bush and his cohorts haven't only betrayed what little trust the rest of the world had in us, they've betrayed the American people. They've taken the belief we had in our goodness and our strength and blasted it to pieces. I can't blame only the Bushies, they're just the most recent, most obvious & blatant example of what we've allowed to happen.

The hardest thing to do is admit that this is partly my fault, but it is. It's the responsiblity of every American and we should never forget that.

Communities

I love this idea but I'm afraid that huge portions of the population will be left out. Community is SO important and the Internet is a wonderful tool for building community but there are SO many people who not only don't have access but who don't even understand how it could help them.

Technology is great but we quickly forget that there are enormous numbers of people who either can't afford or don't understand its uses and benefits. When people are busy trying to put food on the table, keep a roof over their head, and keep their children in clothing they don't have much time to spend learning about new technology.

In reading through the article I referenced earlier, I realize that the research noted in the article is geared almost entirely to the academic world.

My idea of building community focuses on a much broader level. I think about our nation and how there is so much wealth and so much poverty co-existing but not living together. I think about the vast differences that separate so many people and how the efforts to bring them together seem so small. Effective in many ways, but still so little against the enormity of the struggle.

There is a lot of struggle and confusion about how to best incorporate technology into our lives and make it beneficial for all. I don't profess to have any solutions or even to an accurate description of the problem. There's quite a bit of discussion around how Internet technologies can be best used in undeveloped countries and such - my suggestion is that we funnel the money, time, and energy into helping people find sustainable ways of living instead of worrying about their internet access.

Cicadas

I was visiting at Pink Thunder's and just love her comments on cicadas. Bless the little creatures & I hope they're making it safely.

Who's surprised?

If Bushco won't release military records or gubnatorial docs, why on earth would we expect them to release a Pentagon memo of this importance? I was going to link to the Daily Misleader's story on this but can't find it on their website. In all honesty, I wouldn't be surprised if Bush was walking around hi-fiving people about his decision to 'show 'em who's boss' or some other such nonsense. Here's the text of the email:
======================================================================
BUSH CHANGING HIS STORY ON PRISON ABUSE SCANDAL

President Bush has claimed that the prison abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib was "disgraceful conduct by a few American troops,"[1] and had nothing to do with broader administration policy. But according to a March 2003 Pentagon memo, Bush administration lawyers issued legal justifications for torture, specifically claiming, "President Bush was not bound by either an international treaty prohibiting torture or by a federal anti-torture law."[2] The revelations have now forced the President to backtrack from his previous denials of culpability, with the White House yesterday admitting for the first time that Bush did, in fact, "set broad guidelines"[3] for interrogation in Iraq - a tacit admission that Bush himself "opened the door"[4] to the torture tactics in the first place.

Now, the U.S. Senate is demanding the full Pentagon memo from the Bush administration. But the President has refused, instead dispatching Attorney General John Ashcroft to tell "lawmakers he won't release or discuss"[5] the memo, even if he is cited for contempt of Congress. This is the same Ashcroft who "conveniently declassified"[6] internal Justice Department memos in an effort to slander 9/11 commissioner Jamie Gorelick. It is also the same Bush administration that leaked the classified name of a CIA officer[7] in an effort to intimidate a former ambassador who had debunked their false WMD claims.[8]

Sources:

1. Presidential Speech, White House Website, 5/24/04,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1155990&l=39670.
2. "Lawyers Decided Bans on Torture Didn't Bind Bush", The New York Times,
6/08/04, http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1155990&l=39671.
3. "Memo on Torture Draws Focus to Bush", The Washington Post, 6/09/04,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1155990&l=39672.
4. "The Roots of Torture", Newsweek, 5/24/04,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1155990&l=39673.
5. "U.S.'s Ashcroft Won't Release or Discuss Torture Memo (Update 2)",
Bloomberg.com, 6/08/04,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1155990&l=39674.
6. "Mr. Ashcroft's Smear", The Washington Post, 4/20/04,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1155990&l=39675.
7. "Mission to Niger", townhall.com, 7/14/03,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1155990&l=39676.
8. "White House "warned over Iraq claim", BBC News, 7/09/03,
http://daily.misleader.org/ctt.asp?u=1155990&l=39677.
========================================================

Religious goodies

I don't know much about Mormons, even though I worked for an ex-Mormon bishop and lived next door to a (large) Mormon family for several years. I never really thought of any of my friends or boss as 'Mormon', even though I knew that was their religion. however, I did once hear that Mormons, as a religious observance, wear a special type of undergarment. I wondered how they'd fit underneath clothing.

Isn't it funny how we have a tendency to label people like that? For some reason, we tend to pick out some defining characteristic (usually religion, ethnicity, political affiliation) and associate that label with the person.

A Jewish co-worker
My Muslim neighbor
An African preacher
That Republican baseball coach
Your child's Democratic fifth grade teacher
and so on.

Maybe we should look at more creative ways of labeling people such as:

Those Two-Armed circus freaks
My Car Driving best friend
A Skin Covered piano player
The Blood Filled tennis pro
Some Oxygen Breathing construction workers

I like it.

Could it work?

Why should death stop the Republican party? It doesn't seem to have affected their decision making so far.

Personal trainers? I think not!

I just got back from working out and I find I just can't keep quiet anymore - the vast majority of personal trainers I've seen at the gyms I've trained at are FOR SHIT! You heard me - they suck in a variety of apathetic and ineffective ways. I don't know what kind of job requirements they're supposed to meet but, other than my friend mthom & kaia, I've yet to see a trainer that could train a goldfish to float in the water.

You'd think that they would at least know which exercise is supposed to work which muscle and, more importantly, the correct way to perform the exercise!!! Can they not look at their 'clients' and see when they're doing an exercise so badly off form as to be unrecognizable??? There's a reason that exercises with free weights are designed to be done in specific ways - it's to protect the muscles/joints/etc, thus prolonging the health and safety of the person performing the exercise.

Obviously, I'm NOT talking about people who train themselves and adapt exercises to fit their needs. I'm also not talking about physical therapy patients who may do any number of variations on an exercise, depending on their specific physical issue. What I'm just stunned by is the complete lack of attention 'personal trainers' (those permanent fixtures in the gym's t-shirts who wander around aimlessly, refusing to make eye contact with anyone other than another trainer) seem to pay when it comes to making sure their 'clients' are performing exercises correctly.

It makes we want to go out and get a job as a personal trainer. I may not have any formalized training in the area but, OBVIOUSLY, neither do they!

Response to another blogger

I saw a a recent posting from AnalPhilosopher about the war in Iraq and decided to post a response to a couple of the issues he mentions. His point is this: Liberals talk all the time about the importance of preserving human life & such but they apparently forget about the brutal regime of Hussein during the two decades he was in power.

He talks about the following statement from Peter Singer: "[I]f it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening, without thereby sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we ought, morally, to do it" (Peter Singer, "Famine, Affluence, and Morality," Philosophy & Public Affairs 1 [spring 1972]: 229-43, at 231). AnalPhilosopher interprets this statement as "one is as responsible for what one allows as for what one does" and then applies that to 'corporate individuals (i.e. nations)' as well as human individuals. This means that the US, as a corporate individual, is as responsible for allowing Hussein to kill people as if it had killed all those people itself. According to this logic, he argues, liberals should have been asking for and supporting war a long time ago.

He's addressing Singer's ideas and I know nothing about Singer but there are two things I object to in AnalPhilosopher's argument: One is the double standard the surrounds coporate individualism and the second is that war is the only logical response to Hussein's dictatorship.

First: The idea that corporate individuals have the same responsibilities as humans. That's bunk. What's happened is that they've been accorded enough rights as 'citizens' to get them around some of the more odious (i.e. profit-reducing, worker-supportive) labor laws but they've not been held accountable, as citizens should be, for the resulting abuses of power. I would also argue that many, many hold MUCH more power than an individual citizen does - they affect more lives, have a greater impact on the environment, and impact more countries than most individuals ever could. In my mind, this means that they should be held to even greater standards of accountability - both for their actions and the results of those actions.

The lack of almost any sort of corporate (individual) accountability is one of the results of rampant capitalism. Valuing money over people, the environment, and the planet is not only encouraged, it is rewarded. I don't think I need to write more about this as it is a common topic addressed by many more knowledgeable than I. My point was simply that corporate 'individuals' are NOT held to the same standards of behavior as humans and his argument that 'one is as responsible for what one allows as for what one does' is NEVER applied to coporations in any other context. Applying it to the United States in the context that he is seems, to me, somewhat fallacious.

Secondly, the idea that liberals are hypocrites because they don't support the war. The only aspect of this idea I'm going to address is the fundamental belief that war (i.e. violence) is the only response to someone like Hussein. (I am on the way to becoming a peace/nonviolence scholar but I'm not quite there yet so bear with me) I agree that Hussein was a horrible, horrible man and that the Iraqi people are probably better off without him. I'm glad he's gone.

However, the reason we went to war was not to remove Hussein but to find WMD, removing Hussein was possibly part of a private agenda, but was not one of the *initial* reasons given for commencing the invasion. Fighting terrorism was also NOT one of the initial reasons given for the invasion - even though that's the ostensible reason we pounded the rubble of Afghanistan into even tinier bits of rubble. Removing Hussein and 'fighting terrorism' are two afterthought reasons, thrown to the press and the public after it was obvious no WMD were there to be found (and that Bushco wasn't going to openly acknowledge its obvious lust for Iraqi oil).

If the reason given to invade was the *true* reason we invaded (doubtful), then there were any number of nonviolent methods to that should have been used to accomplish those ends. If the (unstated)reason we were going to invade was to remove Hussein from power, why didn't we think about that so many years ago when we helped him gain power & supported him? It's true that we can't change the past, but our record with regard to Middle East politics is sorry and pathetic at best, abysmal and highly damaging at worst. I feel certain that invading an entire country should have been the last, MOST considered and LEAST desirable option. Instead, it seems to be the ONLY option that was even given a five-minute discussion.

As for terrorism (and the AnalPhilosopher's statement that he hates hypocrites), America's motto should be changed to "Do as I say, not as I do." We're the biggest terrorist nation in the world, no one else is even remotely close, and yet American military elites act as if our current stockpile of death-dealing machinery is not even close to enough to protect us. We committed as many, if not more, terrorist acts as any other terrorist organization. Is it any wonder so many other nations/organizations/etc see us as a constant threat?

Instead of flexing our own military might (a.k.a. terrorist muscle) maybe our response should have been to take a long hard look at why these people hate & fear us SO MUCH. The kind of hatred/fear that prompts people to die, taking thousands of others along with them, is not just randomly created in a day. It is developed over time, as a response to an overwhelming feeling of oppression, helplessness, and lack of viable options.

That doesn't excuse terrorism, justify it, or in any way say it is an acceptable response in any way (including American terrorism). My argument is that our response to terrorism didn't have to be Strike Back, Harder! That type of violent response only intensifies and perpetuates the cycle of violence. It gives terrorists something more to respond to (note how Al Qeda recruitment has spiked?) and even more impetus & righteousness about their cause.

As long as America continues to try and maintain its prominent role in the world through military power, terrorism against the US will continue. Military might and violent response NEVER accomplish peaceful relations and sustainable living conditions for anyone, regardless of how good the intentions may be.

So that's my response, feel free to comment back.

Invading female bodies

As a female, I've been the subject of gynecological examinations for a long, long time. They are humiliating, degrading, uncomfortable, and cold. Men can NEVER understand what it's like to have your body invaded in such an intimate yet impersonal way. Because a male's genitals are on the exterior, there's no need for a doctor to shove a metal appendage into the opening of the penis, spread it, probe around inside, and then use a set of metal teeth or a metal scraper to take a tissue sample. That shit hurts.

Also, apparently, men's internal reproductive organs are not nearly as in need of inspection as women's. Is that because there is a convenient opening into a woman through which her reproductive organs can be viewed? Are men 'off the hook' because it's too inconvenient, painful, etc. to view anything that's not on blatent display? Yes, men go through the 'finger up the ass' check for hernias and such but who gives a fuck? Women have been having various implements, fingers included, shoved up both their asses & their vaginas for a LONG time.

My point is that if it were men who had the uterus other internal reproductive gizmos, you can goddamn well bet that there would be a comfortable and convenient way to be examined that didn't include spreading your legs and squatting down to the edge of a examining table. Men don't take well to feeling vulnerable and humiliated so I'm sure they would do something to assure they didn't feel that way.

Well, you fuckers, women don't like it either.

tidbittles

Beautiful pictures of the Venus Transit.

Because they're not content to stick with fucking up the fossil fuels, now they're gonna fuck up our body's fuels.

To quote the website, Size Matters! Guess what else? If Measure 339 passes, fast food companies will be sitting pretty, no matter what kind of shit they stir into the french fries they're selling! Of course, the other side to the story is that it isn't the responsibility of the food producers to tell people when to stop. I agree, but if they say they're selling healthy food, it should at least be recognizable as *real* food. By the way, the article I linked is a great interview with the film's producer, Morgan Spurlock.

Oh my god! What the fuck was that doctor DOING??

This is part of our history - something we should NEVER have forgotten but obviously have. Because we would like to forget, it seems that we are doomed to keep repeating our mistakes.

I've been skeptical about the usefulness of the NYT's critique of its reporting with regards to WMD. Here's their critique of their reporting. (you'll have to login or create an account) My next question is whether or not the current criticism of their reporting will actually effect any change.

I absolutely agree. Americans don't want to feel any pain - ever, about anything. Realizing that we've allowed these kinds of atrocities is unbearable for many and I'm sure they're more than ready to never see nor hear about Abu Ghraib again. They just want it to go away. Let someone else deal with it, as long as we don't have to suffer (hah) or hear about anyone else's suffering.

Is it irony that gay marriage is being roundly condemned at the same time that corporate America is racing to cash in on the gay market?

I swear, Chuck D is one of the most creative people in America these days. People in other professions should get a clue and look at some of the stuff he's doing in hip-hop and rap.

How to walk the line between advocating sexual freedom for women and advocating against sexuality being used to portray women as nothing but brainless sluts? Here's a clip from the article:
===============================
"...In the 1980's Madonna embodied sexual empowerment and fierce independence. Newer pop stars like Cristina Aguillera and Britney Spears just seem desperate to please..."
===============================

Another scary Bush (potential)appointee waits in the wings.

So who's lobbying to help protect the SOLDIERS?

Nervous nellie

I've started prepping for my first "Bellydance for Self-Esteem" workshop and I'm a bit nervous. I have only been a student/dancer for a short while, don't know *lots* of techniques, and am barely able to work up even the most simple choreography. I am convinced that this is absolutely something I can do but my brain keeps jumping in and saying things like "But you can't do this move" or "You've never choregraphed" or "You're not a professional dancer, haven't even been dancing that long" and so on.

Those things are all true. But I've been a woman all my life and I am exquisitely familiar woith feeling nothing but negativity towards my body. I've struggled with my feelings about my physical appearance for a long, long time and that alone gives me ground to stand on. I feel that I'm finally coming through my lifelong struggle with self-esteem, or the lack of, and that there might be some of what I've learned that could help someone else.

If not, then they'll learn how to do a couple of moves, hear some good music, and hang out with some other fabulous women for an hour or so. I emailed my dance teacher and she told me this: "...Your spirit knows that when you move from her place, you simply can't go "wrong", no matter what you do or do not do..." That's why I love her so much - she is the kind of teacher I am working on becoming - who supports the work itself, and doesn't focus on a specific end result. Thank you, Fariba.

Cold rain water in my boots

A pretty doggone funny thing happened today - wanna hear it,here it goes:

I'd put up an ad on Craigslist asking for potential motorcyle riding buddies. I heard back from a couple of people and two of us decided to take a ride today. I was a bit skeptical as it was showering off & on but figured a sprinkle or two was bearable. My riding buddy suggested we meet in a town a bit east of here, about 3-4 miles from where I live. There were some raindrops on my way to the meeting but I ignored them.

We met, he rides a Suzuki Katana and had on all the racing gear. I ride a Honda Shadow and had on only my leather jacket. Although I'd packed my chaps & gloves, I didn't want to put them on unless absolutely necessary.

He suggested a place to ride, I didn't know it but was willing to check it out. As we were riding towards the freeway, I noticed a *big* black cloud a bit eastward and had a nagging suspicion that we might be riding towards it. I pulled up & asked him if we were riding in that direction and he said no. We continued riding & got to the freeway and, sure enough, we were riding right into that lovely stormcloud.

The *second* we got on the freeway we ran into rain - cold, hard, driving rain & lots of it. I was almost immediately extremely wet - the raindrops felt like little glass knives on my hands - so I started looking for an exit. The driving heavy rain was also making it difficult see, especially because my helmet was fogging up. I saw my riding buddy happily toodling off into the distance as I raced off the interstate, looking for some relief. I was pretty far from home and the fun was only beginning.

It rained the entire way home. A lot. It rained a lot, cold, with some wind added in for giggles. I was completely soaked in about five minutes. My pants were dripping and there was about an inch of water in my boots. I was hoping like mad that no one would pull out in front of me because my reflexes were pretty slow, in addition to my fog & rain-limited vision. I kind of thought that a spill wouldn't be too bad because I wouldn't feel any of it.

One important difference I've noticed between here and North Carolina - when the sun is behind the clouds out here, it's cold. The air does NOT get warm, so it doesn't feel warm after the sun is gone. That's why it feels so chilly at night. While I was riding home in the rain, the sun was NOT out.

Long story longer, I got home safely, although my fingers barely worked enough to turn the key in the door. I was laughing pretty much the entire way home because it just doesn't get much worse than that. I wasn't sure I'd even be able to peel off my jeans but I manged, along with wringing out my socks! I have since decided that I will not be riding unless the predictions call for sunshine all day. I will not be riding if I can even feel water droplets from a neighbor's sprinkler...

CBT

Jneal just told me about a psychological field called Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). I've only read a teensy bit so far, but it looks interesting. The ideas behind this type of therapy are remarkably similar to much of what I've learned in my Asatti work, with what appears to be a major exception: CBT doesn't seem to incorporate the spiritual aspect.

I wonder if anyone has integrated his ideas with Rogers' ideas? It would be interesting to see therapy based on CBT ideas about changing learned behaviors & responses and Rogers' thoughts on the process of becoming a person.

Somber reflection

This post is a reflection on my thoughts when I saw the World Trade Center buildings fall. My first thought was "Our government knew about this" and my second thought was "Our government was involved in this". It says a lot about the type of person I was that I didn't think about the victims first or weep at the incredible loss of life and the demonstration of hatred towards America. I don't particularly miss that person but it pains me to realize that at least some of what I thought may be correct.

If someone like me, not terribly politically sophisticated, saw that and immediately began questioning what happened, why has it taken our government so long to uncover any of the facts? If a political neophyte like myself thought it was obvious that there was NO connection between 9/11 and Iraq, how is it that our political representatives, media, and other leaders were so willing to believe?

So many mistakes, lies, misdirections, and denials. So much sorrow, grief, anger, hatred, and guilt. I know that peace is here, that it is constantly with us, but it seems far far away from our country and our world right now. I know that our planet and our race are at a turning point, a chance to move forward - with a new perspective and new way of relating - but we could also choose to keep in the path we're taking now. I believe that path leads to despair and darkness.

Pray peace, pray love, pray joy

Not-so-subtle misdirection

I want to stand back in awe and admiration of BushCo's amazing abilities at redirection. Note that news of Tenet's resignation was announced just in time to distract most people from the Bush/CIA lawyer story. Actually, it's possible that the head of the CIA resigning is a bit more newsworthy than the quote/unquote president of the United States talking to a lawyer about the blown cover of a CIA operative. Who knows?

However, I'm still confused as to why Tenet resigned. At least he has some dignity, or maybe he's just the scapegoat. Personally, I don't think the resignation of a guy most people have never heard of is even close to a true rendering of justice. What a show of nothing.

Fight the Wal-Mart!

Wal-Mart is *not* the best place to shop, mainly because they treat their employees extremely poorly. They also tend to invade small towns, running local shopowners out of business and convincing people to buy lots of stuff they probably don't need. The Employee Free Choice Act is about workers' right to unionize without interference from employers.

Fusion fitness

I've been going to a Body Flow class for the last couple of months and I LOVE it! It's a combination of tai chi, yoga, and Pilates moves, set to (usually) really great music. I should also note that part of the reason I'm enjoying the class so much is because I've got a phenomenal instructor. She's just incredible and has amazing energy. I've had a couple of classes with other instructors and they're good, but it's just not the same.

I couldn't find specifics about Flow, but I found a good article that also talks a little about the 'fusion fitness' craze. I hadn't heard that phrase before but it's fitting (pun intended).

Although this website has nothing to do with what I've posted about, it's got a huge list of workout/fitness/health articles by a variety of people. It looks like you can find an article about almost anything here!

Undoing damage

Although I appreciate the NY Times retraction/explanation/backtracking (and subsequent explanations by other papers), I have to seriously question its worth. At this point, other than trying to re-establish their own credibilty as a news source, what good is it going to do? If people based their support for the war on these articles, how can the NYT and those other papers ever repair the harm their inadequate, sloppy, and careless journalism caused?

My favorite quote of late has been from Peter Parker's Uncle Ben "With great power comes great responsibilty." I wonder if these media organizations truly realize the incredible amount of power and influence they have - not only over what people buy, but over what people actually think and the decisions they make. They obviously realize this on some level (hence the birth of advertising) but I wonder if it's hit home yet - that the media was one of the biggest participants/collaboraters in the rush to invade Iraq (and possibly Afghanistan).

The lack of true journalistic endeavor with regard to seriously investigating these stories has become apparent and I'm curious if they realize now that they helped precipitate the deaths of thousands of people, the rise of global mistrust and antagonism towards the US, the increase in terrorist recruits, and the rest of the growing list of negative repercussions from the war. I wouldn't want to be anyone on the NYT staff who worked on those articles...

tidbittles

the skinny on the rumor about the draft getting reinstated

Is Tenent resigning? it's a breaking story so my post is possibly premature.

The corruption goes on and on and on and on and on.....

Sometimes, I'd rather hear positive general statements instead of negative stupid statements...

For those of you who are interested in having your vote actually counted this election and not accidentally discarded by an electronic voting machine, , sign this petition!

Find out if there's social justice at work near you. Nominate your favorite group for listing.

Language does matter, don't listen to people who say it doesn't.

People in Portland, go see Supersize Me

I could be wrong, but I thought journalism used to mean something that included researching information and checking sources.

doubts and questions

I was talking one of my teachers (I'll call this person Teach) yesterday about my quest to design my own program and, although I'm sure it wasn't meant this way, got an earful of 'other options' to consider such as a double master's (already considered) and another type of education degree, in addition to a master's in CR. I was talking about wanting to take the peace/nonviolence courses as my core work, instead of the CR curriculum as designed and Teach mentioned that his/her thoughts were that the CR program as designed DOES offer an excellent education in peacework.

I respect Teach a great deal, as a teacher, friend, and peaceworker, and am now feeling all sorts of doubts & such. I think I'm just disappointed because I thought Teach would be really supportive. If Teach's first response was to suggest alternative routes, could there be something wrong with what I've decided to do?

If you know me at all, you'll realize that that question was mainly rhetorical. I'm pressing ahead with my decision, it was just a bit of a shock to not get the support I'd expected from Teach. Support from others isn't exactly necessary but it sure is welcome :) There's no way I'm not doing the program I want but even I struggle with being educationally empowered sometimes!

I don't know what to say

I came across this piece of writing at Progressive Review and feel it warrants more than just a link. I am profoundly moved by this one person's openness and honesty, although I feel it my generation's fault also for allowing apathy, ingratitude, neglect, and cynicism to become our watchwords.

Even though the previous generation does hold a great deal of power and responsibility, it is irresponsible for the rest of us to simply sit around, whine, and blame them. No one but ourselves has stopped us from being involved, educated, and caring participants in our society. We've had the same or better chances than they did and also had their mistakes to learn from. For the most part, I believe we've let most of that learning languish for want of interest and that's on nobody's shoulders but ours.

Thank you, Sam Smith.
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AN APOLOGY TO YOUNGER AMERICANS

BY SAM SMITH

In observance of the approaching 66th anniversary of my arrival on this planet I would like to apologize to you on behalf of my generation. Even members of Confederacy had the grace to secede from the union; my generation has remained within like a deadly virus, subverting it, shaming it, screwing it, stealing from it, and finally strangling it. It will likely be known as the worst generation - the one that brought the First American Republic down - unmatched in the damage it has done to the Constitution, the environment, and a two century struggle to create a society democratic and decent in its politics, economics, and social concourse.

To be sure, when we were young we were, as we said then, somethin' else. We launched the civil rights, women's, gay, and environmental movements, not to mention creating some memorable music before descending into disco. Soon other things started to go downhill rapidly. We became not only the generation that invented the phrase, 'never trust anyone over thirty,' we proved it.

My lawyer assures me that my personal liability in all this is limited to a few missteps including energy inefficiency, chronic ineffectiveness, owning a minivan, and occasionally listening to Don Imus. But he agrees that a public apology would be helpful in the event of a war crimes tribunal or in determining reparations owed by my heirs to future generations.

Besides, it is unlikely that any of my cohorts will apologize as it is against their principles to do so absent pending court action or especially poor media. And as my attorney notes, there are plenty of things worthy of contrition, such as the New York Times' publishing Tom Friedman, which do not actually constitute a criminal offense.

For purposes of public remorse, incidentally, I define my generation as consisting of anyone who reached 40 after Watergate and who was at least 40 on September 11, 2001. I choose these dates because the resignation of Nixon was about the last good thing to happen to America and September 11 ended most hope that anything good would happen soon again.

And so, on behalf of all my fellow members of America's crummiest generation, I make this humble confession, begging forgiveness from those who follow:

I apologize for Bhopal and Three Mile Island and, in advance, for all the biological, chemical or nuclear disasters that will occur thanks to economic rapaciousness and without the slightest help from a terrorist.

I am truly sorry for Martha Stewart, the Washington Post, Howard Stern, the Brookings Institution, and Bill O'Reilly,

I regret any lasting infirmities - such as the lost of the republic - that occurred unnoticed while the country's elite was sedated by "Morning Edition," C-SPAN, Jim Lehrer, and Ted Koppel.

I am profoundly embarrassed by the way we destroyed the public school system of our country.

I regret that we got the Muslim world so mad at us and that we couldn't come up with any better solution than to get it madder.

I am sorry about all the extra hurricanes, tornados, and heat waves that have occurred while we continued to debate whether there was anything called global warming.

I apologize for any inconvenience, such as prison time, that may have occurred as a result of criminalizing the use of marijuana while keeping legal the far more dangerous drugs we enjoyed such as vodka and Marlboros.

I also regret that the war on drugs helped lay the groundwork for the end of constitutional government and proved more deadly to young black urban males than serving in Vietnam was to their fathers.

I am sorry that the so many leading graduates of our leading universities seem mainly to have learned an arrogance that gives theory invulnerability to fact.

I apologize for those scientists who thought coming up with new ways to destroy humanity was a good use of their time.

I am sorry about increasing crowding on the roads, at events, and while getting services, but overpopulation was one subject we just didn't want to talk about.

I regret that we helped to redefine 'cool' from being an inner state of grace and rebellion to being an outward display of consumption and compliance.

I would like to say how sad I am about your increased likelihood of getting skin cancer because of the environmental changes we created in the atmosphere.

I am really sorry that we inflicted upon you the likes of George Bush and Bill Clinton.

I apologize for the Council on Foreign Relations and the ten percent of its members who pretend to be objective journalists. And I apologize for any other 'objective journalists' moonlighting for the CIA.

I really feel remorse for having for having replaced movie plots with multiple explosions, and for using sexual attractiveness as a substitute for all other forms of talent.

I apologize for the Harvard Business School and the Yale Law School and all the deplorable effluvia from the same, including the transformation of the Organization Man into a sex symbol.

I apologize for managerial revolutions, mission statements, synergy, cutting edges, proactive and world class entrepreneurs, strategic planning, bottom lines, and exit interviews.

I am truly sorry we could make no greater contribution to philosophy than the justification of greed in the guise of free market economics, the sanctification of imperialism in the name of nation building, and the notion that it takes only 12 steps to solve all your problems.

I apologize for the damage we have done to the English language including the use of nouns as verbs, abstractions as replacement for facts, the pointless compoundingofwords, and placing CapiTaLs wherever we feel like it.

I regret our having passed more new laws in the past three decades than during the first two hundred years of the American nation.

I regret that you are now regarded as a potential terrorist, addict, or sexual predator more often than you are considered a valued citizen.

I am truly sorry for what we have done to childhood, including over-scheduling it, replacing Kermit with Barney, teaching children excessive fear and absurd competitiveness, diagnosing them into drug dependency, and punishing them for drawing 'inappropriate' pictures in the margins of their textbooks.

And now that we've gotten all that out of the way, it is time to move on and put it all behind us. After all, while we may have created this mess, it is your task to clean it up. Of course, if you need any advice, don't hesitate to ask.
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