Writing progress
I've finished one story, put finishing touches on another, and am now currently stressing over a third. The goal is for a 'non-ending' story, always my favorite kind, especially in what I call 'slice of life' fiction. Still, getting to a non-ending is just as hard as getting to a coherent ending.
That's the other part of having taken a writing break: it's not as easy to get back into the swing of things. What used to be second-nature is now a deep struggle, and I find myself even more dissatisfied with what I've written than I might have been in the past. The internal editor is working full blast, full of criticism. Still, better than nothing, right? I should remember this, next time I decide to take a three-month writing break.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Saturday, September 17, 2005
So far
I'm on a roll today (g). This is what happens when you have to spend the day catching up on all the housework you haven't done in two weeks or so. So far, two loads of laundry done, dishes washed, plants watered, Drano dumped down the shower drain, and I read about a chapter in my latest book about Everest (no, you can never have too much Everest!). Also, did quite a bit of writing today -- all of it pretty pitiful, as if I've forgotten how to string words together into sentence. That's the problem with taking a break -- it's hard to get back into the rhythm again.
Meanwhile, here's an amusing link for all of y'all. This guy built all of his furniture out of FedEx boxes. While I wonder at the legality of using 'FedEx' as part of the domain name, I think the concept is funny and original, and seeing as it's been all over the media, the marketer in me thinks FedEx should do something with the idea. I'm still thinking what that would be though.
I'm on a roll today (g). This is what happens when you have to spend the day catching up on all the housework you haven't done in two weeks or so. So far, two loads of laundry done, dishes washed, plants watered, Drano dumped down the shower drain, and I read about a chapter in my latest book about Everest (no, you can never have too much Everest!). Also, did quite a bit of writing today -- all of it pretty pitiful, as if I've forgotten how to string words together into sentence. That's the problem with taking a break -- it's hard to get back into the rhythm again.
Meanwhile, here's an amusing link for all of y'all. This guy built all of his furniture out of FedEx boxes. While I wonder at the legality of using 'FedEx' as part of the domain name, I think the concept is funny and original, and seeing as it's been all over the media, the marketer in me thinks FedEx should do something with the idea. I'm still thinking what that would be though.
Saturday
I called maintenance to come look at the toilet and fix it. They came yesterday, while I was at work. I came home to find out the guy had caulked the bottom of the toilet. Somehow, he had totally missed the crack on the tank, despite the blue stuff leaking out of it (toilet's white, btw). So I walked down to the office and drew them a picture of where to look. Even with the picture, they were confused (did I mention my artistic abilities are limited to stick figures?). So now they want me to actually mark the crack with tape or something so when he comes back on Monday he can find it.
My dad was here briefly yesterday. His opinion is that the tank has to be replaced. Obviously, the saga is going to continue at least until Monday. Stay tuned.
Also, I think it's just wrong I woke up around 6:45 this morning and couldn't fall back asleep. On a positive note though, this is the first night I've slept completely since the beginning of the week, so that's good.
I called maintenance to come look at the toilet and fix it. They came yesterday, while I was at work. I came home to find out the guy had caulked the bottom of the toilet. Somehow, he had totally missed the crack on the tank, despite the blue stuff leaking out of it (toilet's white, btw). So I walked down to the office and drew them a picture of where to look. Even with the picture, they were confused (did I mention my artistic abilities are limited to stick figures?). So now they want me to actually mark the crack with tape or something so when he comes back on Monday he can find it.
My dad was here briefly yesterday. His opinion is that the tank has to be replaced. Obviously, the saga is going to continue at least until Monday. Stay tuned.
Also, I think it's just wrong I woke up around 6:45 this morning and couldn't fall back asleep. On a positive note though, this is the first night I've slept completely since the beginning of the week, so that's good.
Newsies
At some point, I plan to post my theory of media and audience, but it requires more thought and skill than one cup of java can provide, so it'll wait another day, possibly tomorrow. I thought, just for fun though, I'd list all of the publications I read on a daily basis. And when I say 'read', I don't mean an article here or there, I mean the whole dang thing. There are very few articles or sections I don't read; sports, though, I usually just scan headlines -- I'm only interested in tennis, the Olympics, ice-skating, gymnastics and how the home baseball team is doing. Just for fun, I'll even post in the order I read them in, because as some of you know, I'm a terrible creature of habit and I like routine. Very, very much.
Mainstream media
( I used to also read the LA Times, but browser problems have frakked up that site for me, so unless it comes across on an aggregate, for the most part, I can't read it. I also occasionally read the San Jose Mercury News, the Boston Globe, and the free sections of the Wall Street Journal).
Periodicals
Commentary
Aggregates
Just for Fun
I thought about listing some of the blogs I read here, but I very rarely define my opinions based on blogs because I've found -- regardless of leaning -- they inadvartently leave out huge chunks of the story to fit their point of view. I read conservative blogs to understand other points of view are, but I don't read liberal blogs hardly at all. I also asterisk a lot of things I find in "Salon", because it's left-leaning (that doesn't mean I don't agree with it, though, 9 times out of 10).
In my mind, it's not enough to read or one two newspapers a day to get an idea of what the world is all about, what the true story about what has happened is. Most peole don't have time to read more than a newspaper or watch a 30-minute broadcast on television; I'm lucky that my job requires me to be this in tune with what's going on and so I have to read at least this much every day (I purposely did not mention the trade publications/periodicals/newspapers I read to keep up with my industry).
Time constraints and sheer volume of information out there is probably among the reasons why opinions are so polarized right now. There simply isn't enough time to sift through all the variations on a story and come up with a basic understanding and/or truth of what happened, nor is there any way to even determine whether a source has any credibility or not. As I said, I tend to stick to mainstream media because in my eyes, they have more credibility and accountability to get a story right than the average blogger. I'll take Fox News any day over a liberal blogger's spin on the news, for instance.
But a lot of times, I think people just want to hear their opinions parroted back to them and it's easier to just go read something quickly that a reader doesn't have to question what they're reading. I admit, that's why I read "Salon" because I can go there and I know that 9 times out of 10, they're going to say what I'm already thinking and believing. But at least I know that and admit it. To balance "Salon" out, I occasionally read the "Washington Times" or drop by Michelle Malkin's. There's no excuse, mho, in not trying to at least hear/read what 'the opposition' is saying, if one is determined to read only partisan publications.
Maybe it's because I was once part of the great media, but I don't think it's enough to just be a reader or watcher of television news and just take what they're saying passively. It should be everyone's responsibility to actively question what is going on, what the people in power are doing, and if the media isn't asking those questions, they need to be held accountable. Those questions, btw, should cross partisan lines.
For instance, I still wonder to this day while people were more interested in Monica Lewinsky than taking Clinton to task for ignoring the genocide in Rwanda? And I certainly don't think it's unpatriotic to ask President Bush what the heck we're doing in Iraq and what's the plan. Without those questions and without willingness to move past the boundaries we've put ourselves into -- seeking answers we already intuitively want or require -- I don't think it's possible to move past polarization.
BTW, I freely admit to shutting down in the face of opposition, because it annoys to have to listen to other opinions that are different than your own. But I think it's necessary and I've been trying to become more open-minded lately and research before frothing at the mouth, which is why I refused to rush to judgement on President Bush before I had more information re his actions during Katrina.
At some point, I plan to post my theory of media and audience, but it requires more thought and skill than one cup of java can provide, so it'll wait another day, possibly tomorrow. I thought, just for fun though, I'd list all of the publications I read on a daily basis. And when I say 'read', I don't mean an article here or there, I mean the whole dang thing. There are very few articles or sections I don't read; sports, though, I usually just scan headlines -- I'm only interested in tennis, the Olympics, ice-skating, gymnastics and how the home baseball team is doing. Just for fun, I'll even post in the order I read them in, because as some of you know, I'm a terrible creature of habit and I like routine. Very, very much.
Mainstream media
- NY Times
- Washington Post
- CNN
- MSNBC
- Houston Chronicle
- USA Today
- Christian Science Monitor
- Bloomberg News
- ABC News
- BBC
( I used to also read the LA Times, but browser problems have frakked up that site for me, so unless it comes across on an aggregate, for the most part, I can't read it. I also occasionally read the San Jose Mercury News, the Boston Globe, and the free sections of the Wall Street Journal).
Periodicals
Commentary
Aggregates
- Yahoo News -- usually where I pick up the Reuters or Associated Press feed
- Google News -- usually where I pick up stories from world newspapers/sources like Al-Jeezera or the Financial Times of London etc
Just for Fun
I thought about listing some of the blogs I read here, but I very rarely define my opinions based on blogs because I've found -- regardless of leaning -- they inadvartently leave out huge chunks of the story to fit their point of view. I read conservative blogs to understand other points of view are, but I don't read liberal blogs hardly at all. I also asterisk a lot of things I find in "Salon", because it's left-leaning (that doesn't mean I don't agree with it, though, 9 times out of 10).
In my mind, it's not enough to read or one two newspapers a day to get an idea of what the world is all about, what the true story about what has happened is. Most peole don't have time to read more than a newspaper or watch a 30-minute broadcast on television; I'm lucky that my job requires me to be this in tune with what's going on and so I have to read at least this much every day (I purposely did not mention the trade publications/periodicals/newspapers I read to keep up with my industry).
Time constraints and sheer volume of information out there is probably among the reasons why opinions are so polarized right now. There simply isn't enough time to sift through all the variations on a story and come up with a basic understanding and/or truth of what happened, nor is there any way to even determine whether a source has any credibility or not. As I said, I tend to stick to mainstream media because in my eyes, they have more credibility and accountability to get a story right than the average blogger. I'll take Fox News any day over a liberal blogger's spin on the news, for instance.
But a lot of times, I think people just want to hear their opinions parroted back to them and it's easier to just go read something quickly that a reader doesn't have to question what they're reading. I admit, that's why I read "Salon" because I can go there and I know that 9 times out of 10, they're going to say what I'm already thinking and believing. But at least I know that and admit it. To balance "Salon" out, I occasionally read the "Washington Times" or drop by Michelle Malkin's. There's no excuse, mho, in not trying to at least hear/read what 'the opposition' is saying, if one is determined to read only partisan publications.
Maybe it's because I was once part of the great media, but I don't think it's enough to just be a reader or watcher of television news and just take what they're saying passively. It should be everyone's responsibility to actively question what is going on, what the people in power are doing, and if the media isn't asking those questions, they need to be held accountable. Those questions, btw, should cross partisan lines.
For instance, I still wonder to this day while people were more interested in Monica Lewinsky than taking Clinton to task for ignoring the genocide in Rwanda? And I certainly don't think it's unpatriotic to ask President Bush what the heck we're doing in Iraq and what's the plan. Without those questions and without willingness to move past the boundaries we've put ourselves into -- seeking answers we already intuitively want or require -- I don't think it's possible to move past polarization.
BTW, I freely admit to shutting down in the face of opposition, because it annoys to have to listen to other opinions that are different than your own. But I think it's necessary and I've been trying to become more open-minded lately and research before frothing at the mouth, which is why I refused to rush to judgement on President Bush before I had more information re his actions during Katrina.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Or maybe it's Monday
A couple months ago, I was having problems with my toilet. I was convinced it was leaking, so I called the apartment people to come fix it. They fixed it so well, it no longer flushed. So I called them again, and once again they fixed it. Today, I noticed a blue line across the white porcelein and a splash of blue on the tile floor -- probably from the inserts I drop into the tank. Turns out there's a hairline fracture in the tank, extending from where the tank is bolted to the stand, and then slowly creeping up the front of the tank.
::headdesk::
My guess is that when I asked them to fix the toilet, they tightened the bolts a little too much and now it's cracked. Thanks to my trusty friend Google, I now know this not a problem I can ignore, and sooner or later, the thing is going to burst open and spill all over the place. Add to that, it's not a fixable problem; they will have to replace the tank. I shouldn't worry about it, because it's so obviously not my fault ( I mean, really, do I look like someone who goes around bolting and unbolting toilet tanks?) and hopefully they have kept maintenance records. Even so, I like to worry -- it's a full-time hobby with me -- and I'm just unnerved at the prospect of having to cough up for this repair. Gah. Stay tuned.
A couple months ago, I was having problems with my toilet. I was convinced it was leaking, so I called the apartment people to come fix it. They fixed it so well, it no longer flushed. So I called them again, and once again they fixed it. Today, I noticed a blue line across the white porcelein and a splash of blue on the tile floor -- probably from the inserts I drop into the tank. Turns out there's a hairline fracture in the tank, extending from where the tank is bolted to the stand, and then slowly creeping up the front of the tank.
::headdesk::
My guess is that when I asked them to fix the toilet, they tightened the bolts a little too much and now it's cracked. Thanks to my trusty friend Google, I now know this not a problem I can ignore, and sooner or later, the thing is going to burst open and spill all over the place. Add to that, it's not a fixable problem; they will have to replace the tank. I shouldn't worry about it, because it's so obviously not my fault ( I mean, really, do I look like someone who goes around bolting and unbolting toilet tanks?) and hopefully they have kept maintenance records. Even so, I like to worry -- it's a full-time hobby with me -- and I'm just unnerved at the prospect of having to cough up for this repair. Gah. Stay tuned.
What was that again?
I don't know if this happens to any of you, but I'll be browsing along, happily, and then I'll think, "Oh, I haven't checked such and such. I should do that, right after I finish with the page I'm on." And then when I finish with the page I'm on, all I'm left with is a memory of there was something else I wanted to check; I just don't remember what it was.
The other thing that drives me nuts is I can never remember if I've locked my front door or not. Literally, two seconds after leaving my apartment, I stop and think about it and every now and then, I will actually turn around, check it and it's always locked; I just can never remember locking it. Granted, it's one of those unconcious activities, and possibly not as dangerous as driving somewhere and not remembering how you got there, but still.
Now to remember where I wanted to go...
I don't know if this happens to any of you, but I'll be browsing along, happily, and then I'll think, "Oh, I haven't checked such and such. I should do that, right after I finish with the page I'm on." And then when I finish with the page I'm on, all I'm left with is a memory of there was something else I wanted to check; I just don't remember what it was.
The other thing that drives me nuts is I can never remember if I've locked my front door or not. Literally, two seconds after leaving my apartment, I stop and think about it and every now and then, I will actually turn around, check it and it's always locked; I just can never remember locking it. Granted, it's one of those unconcious activities, and possibly not as dangerous as driving somewhere and not remembering how you got there, but still.
Now to remember where I wanted to go...
Is it Friday yet?
September was supposed to be a relaxing month. I purposely did not take dance lessons this month and still no return to the foreign language program and I just wanted to have some time to, y'know, chill. Ah those best laid plans! Hence, I've been a wee bit behind on the bloggity this week.
Right now I'm staring at a mountain of laundry, a mountain of dirty dishes, I haven't slept well in a few days (for reasons RL people know about), and today, ack, I left the refrigerator door open when I went to work. Honestly, some days I think I'd leave my head behind if it wasn't attached to my body. This weekend won't be the slummin' I'd hoped it'd be either. I'd like to put in some more volunteer hours, and either family is going to be visiting or I'm going to be visiting family. But next weekend, oh, next weekend, it's off to the BEACH.
Late Katrina related links: Everyone has a 'he said, she said' article this week, and the NY Times started off with a detailed litany of the breakdowns from the local to federal levels, Michael Brown speaks, while Newsweek wasn't too shy about proclaiming just how Bush blew it.
September was supposed to be a relaxing month. I purposely did not take dance lessons this month and still no return to the foreign language program and I just wanted to have some time to, y'know, chill. Ah those best laid plans! Hence, I've been a wee bit behind on the bloggity this week.
Right now I'm staring at a mountain of laundry, a mountain of dirty dishes, I haven't slept well in a few days (for reasons RL people know about), and today, ack, I left the refrigerator door open when I went to work. Honestly, some days I think I'd leave my head behind if it wasn't attached to my body. This weekend won't be the slummin' I'd hoped it'd be either. I'd like to put in some more volunteer hours, and either family is going to be visiting or I'm going to be visiting family. But next weekend, oh, next weekend, it's off to the BEACH.
Late Katrina related links: Everyone has a 'he said, she said' article this week, and the NY Times started off with a detailed litany of the breakdowns from the local to federal levels, Michael Brown speaks, while Newsweek wasn't too shy about proclaiming just how Bush blew it.
Monday, September 12, 2005
Movie rec
Too tired to blog, but I did want to note March of the Penguins is a lovely movie, filled with beautiful, sweeping images of Antarctica (though beautiful, Antarctica has not dislodged Everest as the object of my ice affection). It's incredibly heart-warming and sweet and honestly, I had no idea penguins were so affectionate or their chicks so incredibly adorable. I highly recommend this film, though I caution you: the cuteness factor is very, very high and if you're like me -- I don't even like animals -- you'll so want to bring home a baby penguin -- or heck, even a Mom or Pop penguin -- by the time this movie rolls its end credit. Excellent documentary, type you'd see at an IMAX theatre, and very definitely family friendly.
Too tired to blog, but I did want to note March of the Penguins is a lovely movie, filled with beautiful, sweeping images of Antarctica (though beautiful, Antarctica has not dislodged Everest as the object of my ice affection). It's incredibly heart-warming and sweet and honestly, I had no idea penguins were so affectionate or their chicks so incredibly adorable. I highly recommend this film, though I caution you: the cuteness factor is very, very high and if you're like me -- I don't even like animals -- you'll so want to bring home a baby penguin -- or heck, even a Mom or Pop penguin -- by the time this movie rolls its end credit. Excellent documentary, type you'd see at an IMAX theatre, and very definitely family friendly.
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Downward dog
I was looking for a yoga schedule for a studio here in the Big City to the West and came across Bush Yoga.
Jon Stewart has his say on Hurricane Katrina over here. You'll need WMP 9 to watch, but it's well-worth it. An excerpt:
Next week, I will try to be good and stick to my promise of only going after Tom DeLay rather than anyone else in the administration. However, when even Republicans are criticizing the President, it's not easy to keep my fingers quiet. All the same, I'll try to return this blog to its regular shallow programming next week. As in the past few years, this blog will observe a non-partisan day of silence tomorrow.
I was looking for a yoga schedule for a studio here in the Big City to the West and came across Bush Yoga.
Jon Stewart has his say on Hurricane Katrina over here. You'll need WMP 9 to watch, but it's well-worth it. An excerpt:
"Now, for you people who are saying "Well, stop pointing fingers at the president...left-wing...the media's being too hard. No. SHUT...UP! No! This is inarguably - inarguably - a failure of leadership from the top of the federal government. Remember when Bill Clinton went out with Monica Lewinsky? That was inarguably a failure of judgment at the top. Democrats had to come out and risk losing credibility if they did not condemn Bill Clinton for his behavior. I believe Republicans are in the same position right now. And I will say this: Hurricane Katrina is George Bush's Monica Lewinsky. The only difference is that tens of thousands of people weren't stranded in Monica Lewinsky's vagina."
Next week, I will try to be good and stick to my promise of only going after Tom DeLay rather than anyone else in the administration. However, when even Republicans are criticizing the President, it's not easy to keep my fingers quiet. All the same, I'll try to return this blog to its regular shallow programming next week. As in the past few years, this blog will observe a non-partisan day of silence tomorrow.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
More Bloggity
Triple play today!
I only made it somewhat through my timeline (next entry) due to ::ahem:: time constraints, but I found a timeline of Katrina events over here, with plenty of links to verify the events. They were even nice to excerpt relevant text (whereas I linked it and said, "Go read and find it on your own!). Time stamps are an added bonus.
Triple play today!
I only made it somewhat through my timeline (next entry) due to ::ahem:: time constraints, but I found a timeline of Katrina events over here, with plenty of links to verify the events. They were even nice to excerpt relevant text (whereas I linked it and said, "Go read and find it on your own!). Time stamps are an added bonus.
In which I flip-flop
Last week, I wrote of an incident where two Republicans were upset with Bush's performance, but I couldn't bring myself to agree with them. As I learn more and more, I become more disgusted and cannot for the life of me understand where all the Bush devotion comes from, especially in light of his most recent failure. After putting together a timeline of my own, I've come to the conclusion that Katrina's aftermath was a huge dereliction of duty and the President deserves a good chunk of that blame. Truth be told, it was the picture of Bush cavorting with a country music singer while New Orleans was drowning that was most the damning piece of evidence.
There's plenty of blame to go around, but the more I think about it, the more I wonder: where the hell was Bush and what took him so long to check out the Gulf Coast? What was going on in San Diego that was so important that he couldn't shift his attention to the Gulf Coast? Before, I was buying the line that maybe he hadn't been asked for help, that Louisiana had not authorized federal entry into the state. I now know, from reading Governor Blanco's letter, that that is wrong. Somehow, FEMA which delivered Florida for Bush last year couldn't get its act together and it never occurred to Bush to light a fire under these guys. The thing is, Bush is the ultimate guy in charge of this country. If he wants something done, he gets it done, come hell or high water (in this case, literally both). Yet, he didn't act. He still hasn't managed to get himself over to New Orleans to look at the damage; how sad is it that Harry Connick Jr., and Oprah Winfrey have been to the Superdome and other parts of New Orleans to help out, but Bush hasn't been? Meanwhile, while the Gulf Coast was burning, Condoleeza Rice was shopping for shoes and taking in a performance of 'Spamalot' in NYC. Dick Cheney was in an 'undisclosed location', and Karl Rove was buying real estate. And all of them knew a cat 4/5 hurricane was on its way. What does it take to get these guys to spring into action? Terri Schiavo?
I've had no use for the Bush administration since day one, but I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt in 2000. No longer; I'm thoroughly disgusted. Katrina was a 'gimme' for the President, a chance for him to regain his footing, the ability to act and look presidential, and restore confidence after the lies and misinformation -- which they continue to perpetuate -- about the Iraq War. He botched it dreadfully. Clinton may have lied about Monica Lewinsky, but no one died; all was lost was the dignity of the office, the self-respect of one man, and the trust his family had in him. Under Bush's watch, nearly 2,000 soldiers have died in Iraq for a cause he feels he owes us no explanation for. And now, thousands more dead in New Orleans simply because he was slow to act. And yet he still has his defenders. If this is the so-called ‘culture of life’, I want no part of it.
Last week, I wrote of an incident where two Republicans were upset with Bush's performance, but I couldn't bring myself to agree with them. As I learn more and more, I become more disgusted and cannot for the life of me understand where all the Bush devotion comes from, especially in light of his most recent failure. After putting together a timeline of my own, I've come to the conclusion that Katrina's aftermath was a huge dereliction of duty and the President deserves a good chunk of that blame. Truth be told, it was the picture of Bush cavorting with a country music singer while New Orleans was drowning that was most the damning piece of evidence.
- On Friday, August 26, Governor Blanco declared a state of emergency for Lousiana. You can read her statement here.
- On Saturday, August 27, responding to a request from Governor Blanco, President Bush declared a state of emergency for Louisiana, and commanded federal agencies to take charge along with local authorities. You can read the statement here.
- On Sunday, August 28, Governor Blanco wrote to Bush and asked him for federal assistance, claiming Louisiana simply did not have the resources to cope. You can read the letter here.
- On that same day, the Department of Homeland Security announced preparations for the storm. You can see the initial order here.
- Katrina hit in the early morning hours of August 29. New Orleans' levees hadn't been breached at that time, Mississippi and Alabama suffered grievous damage and loss of life.
- By Tuesday, August 30, New Orleans was starting to flood. On Tuesday, August 30, George Bush was in San Diego, giving a speech.
- On Wednesday, August 31, President Bush returned to DC, after ordering a flyover of the area in Air Force One. He did not actually visit the Gulf Coast until Friday, September 2 -- a full three days after the storm hit.
There's plenty of blame to go around, but the more I think about it, the more I wonder: where the hell was Bush and what took him so long to check out the Gulf Coast? What was going on in San Diego that was so important that he couldn't shift his attention to the Gulf Coast? Before, I was buying the line that maybe he hadn't been asked for help, that Louisiana had not authorized federal entry into the state. I now know, from reading Governor Blanco's letter, that that is wrong. Somehow, FEMA which delivered Florida for Bush last year couldn't get its act together and it never occurred to Bush to light a fire under these guys. The thing is, Bush is the ultimate guy in charge of this country. If he wants something done, he gets it done, come hell or high water (in this case, literally both). Yet, he didn't act. He still hasn't managed to get himself over to New Orleans to look at the damage; how sad is it that Harry Connick Jr., and Oprah Winfrey have been to the Superdome and other parts of New Orleans to help out, but Bush hasn't been? Meanwhile, while the Gulf Coast was burning, Condoleeza Rice was shopping for shoes and taking in a performance of 'Spamalot' in NYC. Dick Cheney was in an 'undisclosed location', and Karl Rove was buying real estate. And all of them knew a cat 4/5 hurricane was on its way. What does it take to get these guys to spring into action? Terri Schiavo?
I've had no use for the Bush administration since day one, but I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt in 2000. No longer; I'm thoroughly disgusted. Katrina was a 'gimme' for the President, a chance for him to regain his footing, the ability to act and look presidential, and restore confidence after the lies and misinformation -- which they continue to perpetuate -- about the Iraq War. He botched it dreadfully. Clinton may have lied about Monica Lewinsky, but no one died; all was lost was the dignity of the office, the self-respect of one man, and the trust his family had in him. Under Bush's watch, nearly 2,000 soldiers have died in Iraq for a cause he feels he owes us no explanation for. And now, thousands more dead in New Orleans simply because he was slow to act. And yet he still has his defenders. If this is the so-called ‘culture of life’, I want no part of it.
Katrina link round-up
This is a special double-edition of Unbound, mostly because I don't think I'll have time to rant and rave tomorrow night. Some of these are from yesterday, mea culpa.
This is a special double-edition of Unbound, mostly because I don't think I'll have time to rant and rave tomorrow night. Some of these are from yesterday, mea culpa.
- Katrina is turning into an ugly mess of partisan bickery, and I'll be honest and say I've taken sides too (though I do feel the local and state governments have some 'splainin' to do as well), so it's hard to know who to believe. Over at the Washington Post, they address facts and rumors surrounding the Katrina response.
- Speaking of local government, the Houston Chronicle talks about what went wrong in New Orleans over here. USA Today points to Houston as an example what happens if you have a plan and y'know, actually follow it.
- Despite knowing about the coming storm, despite having an order from the President to act, and a request (and permission!) from Governor Blanco, FEMA waited until roughly 5 hours after the storm hit to ask for help. You can read about it here. If that isn't bad enough, the Salt Lake City Tribune has a story about firefighters serving as PR props instead of using their skills, as per FEMA. And just to drive the point home, Salon goes on in more detail about what exactly went wrong with FEMA. I gotta say, if there was ever a case to outlaw cronyism in hiring decisions, Michael Brown would be exhibit 1. Someone needs to get fired and I suggest 'Brownie'.
- Apparently we have a National Response Plan. Did you know that? I didn't. And in the plan, the President is given power to assert control over major disasters. If this drowning of a major city and the wipe-out of the Gulf Coast isn't considered a major disaster, then, well, I'm at a loss.
- Slate had a couple of interesting articles. First, how race shaped Bush's response (it's not what you think) and is it really worth rebuilding New Orleans?
- Can someone give the Bush family a lesson in tact when it comes to speaking in public?
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Link dump
Lots of good stuff out there, so I thought I'd just point all of y'all to where it's at:
Lots of good stuff out there, so I thought I'd just point all of y'all to where it's at:
- These comments by Barbara Bush took me by surprise when I read about them today. I saw the evacuees myself on Sunday and I'm pretty sure they don't think they are better off living in a shelter compared to their own homes. I always think of Mrs. Bush as grandmotherly type and not prone to 'foot in mouth' disease like her son is. I'd like to assume she didn't mean what she said in the way it came out; we'll see how all this gets white-washed in the coming days. ETA Link now fixed.
- I said earlier I wasn't going to play the blame game, but now I'm flip-flopping on that position, thanks in part to Terry Neal's excellent questions to a variety of 'in charge' people here. As Neal's excellent analysis shows, there's plenty of blame to go around -- Democrats and Republicans -- local, state and federal governments. A massive and incomprehensible breakdown of communication, aid and planning. Also, it pains me to acknowledge Wal-Mart as an entity of good, but here's how they are helping out. I think it's significant they had more supplies waiting to truck in before FEMA did.
- The media is now becoming part of the story. Slate has a run-down on angry reporters over here and USA Today has more on this angle over here. And if what you're hearing from officials and what you're seeing on television don't match up, CNN has a comparison.
- Salon compares the response to last year's spat of hurricanes in Florida to the administration's response to Katrina over here. It's freaky, freaky stuff.
- A conservative and Bush supporter on the scene gets angry over here.
Monday, September 05, 2005
Labor Day round-up
The US government has appealed for help from Europe, which seems to have responded generously. More astonishing, Asian countries hit by the tsunami offer aid. Add it all in with the outpouring of private US aid -- which I witnessed first hand last night during my eight hours at a shelter -- and I have such a warm fuzzy feeling for people.
Slate had a good primer on rising fuel costs over here. I notice the President called for conservation last week, a move that surprised me, but at least he acknowledges that if we use less, prices will go down. It's simple supply and demand economics. Though, as I see shiny new Hummers on the road, I wish he'd be more forceful about his call, and not so 'folksy'.
I was surprised by Bush's nomination of Roberts for Chief Justice as I'd fully expected that nod go to Scalia -- who, mho, is rather scary. Roberts is more of a cipher but from what I've read, he seems like he is a fair, deliberate man, and not too much to the right. It's too much to hope the President will appoint a moderate or a liberal to the court, so I'll take what we can get. Still, put yet another 50-year old conservative white man on the Court and we'll be stuck with those decisions for a very long time.
The US government has appealed for help from Europe, which seems to have responded generously. More astonishing, Asian countries hit by the tsunami offer aid. Add it all in with the outpouring of private US aid -- which I witnessed first hand last night during my eight hours at a shelter -- and I have such a warm fuzzy feeling for people.
Slate had a good primer on rising fuel costs over here. I notice the President called for conservation last week, a move that surprised me, but at least he acknowledges that if we use less, prices will go down. It's simple supply and demand economics. Though, as I see shiny new Hummers on the road, I wish he'd be more forceful about his call, and not so 'folksy'.
I was surprised by Bush's nomination of Roberts for Chief Justice as I'd fully expected that nod go to Scalia -- who, mho, is rather scary. Roberts is more of a cipher but from what I've read, he seems like he is a fair, deliberate man, and not too much to the right. It's too much to hope the President will appoint a moderate or a liberal to the court, so I'll take what we can get. Still, put yet another 50-year old conservative white man on the Court and we'll be stuck with those decisions for a very long time.
Sunday, September 04, 2005
In between
The shoes are spread across the floor in three rows, divided by size. Some still have price tags on them. Beyond the shoes, there are racks and racks of clothes, separated by size, style, and type. And then tables and tables filled with coloring books, crayons, books, and board games. They call this area 'the store' and when you bring the evacuees -- or guests or clients, never refugees -- here, it's called 'shopping'. A small boy picks among the shoes. He reaches down and finds a pair of Nikes; they look practically brand new. He takes them, without trying them on. He smiles as he looks at them. I hope they fit.
I shift through the remains of someone's life. The smell of mildew is overwhelming. I'm wearing blue latex gloves. The items in the bags are nothing fancy: baby formula, tooth paste, toothbrush, smushed chocolate bars, underwear, baby clothes. Most of the items seem wet, but it's hard to be sure through the latex gloves. I feel vaguely guilty for going through someone's stuff like this; we don't even know their names, only number. "This goes to number 5," they'll say when they bring in the cart of garbage bags, or "This is number 4."
We shake out the blankets. We pat the pillows down. We search pockets. We try to fold the clothes the best we can, and we separate out the wet from the dry. Contraband -- like knives, drugs, lighters, guns -- get tossed into a box for the National Guard. A lot of the food gets thrown out; it may be contaminated. The garbage bag most of these possessions arrive in are thrown out as well; we replace the possessions into new, clear garbage bags. I repack a little boy's Spider Man backpack; I don't have the heart to dump his toys into a garbage bag. Eventually a family will straggle up, and identify themselves by number. We carry their bags to the cluster of cots where they'll spend their nights.
The shelter is probably the size of three football fields, maybe more; on another shift, I'm an usher and it's my job to take the evacuees from registration to wherever it is they want to go. By the end of the night, my feet hurt, my hip is stiff, and my knee is spazzing. But that's nothing, nothing, compared to what these people have endured. I greet each one: "My name is Seema. I'm your guide. Tell me where you want to go. We're so, so glad you're here." And sometimes they manage to smile. And I keep walking, the endless line of mattresses and cots covered with colorful blankets and sheets to my right, and the array of services and volunteers on my left. Over and over again, I hear those words: Welcome, we're so glad you're here.
The shoes are spread across the floor in three rows, divided by size. Some still have price tags on them. Beyond the shoes, there are racks and racks of clothes, separated by size, style, and type. And then tables and tables filled with coloring books, crayons, books, and board games. They call this area 'the store' and when you bring the evacuees -- or guests or clients, never refugees -- here, it's called 'shopping'. A small boy picks among the shoes. He reaches down and finds a pair of Nikes; they look practically brand new. He takes them, without trying them on. He smiles as he looks at them. I hope they fit.
I shift through the remains of someone's life. The smell of mildew is overwhelming. I'm wearing blue latex gloves. The items in the bags are nothing fancy: baby formula, tooth paste, toothbrush, smushed chocolate bars, underwear, baby clothes. Most of the items seem wet, but it's hard to be sure through the latex gloves. I feel vaguely guilty for going through someone's stuff like this; we don't even know their names, only number. "This goes to number 5," they'll say when they bring in the cart of garbage bags, or "This is number 4."
We shake out the blankets. We pat the pillows down. We search pockets. We try to fold the clothes the best we can, and we separate out the wet from the dry. Contraband -- like knives, drugs, lighters, guns -- get tossed into a box for the National Guard. A lot of the food gets thrown out; it may be contaminated. The garbage bag most of these possessions arrive in are thrown out as well; we replace the possessions into new, clear garbage bags. I repack a little boy's Spider Man backpack; I don't have the heart to dump his toys into a garbage bag. Eventually a family will straggle up, and identify themselves by number. We carry their bags to the cluster of cots where they'll spend their nights.
The shelter is probably the size of three football fields, maybe more; on another shift, I'm an usher and it's my job to take the evacuees from registration to wherever it is they want to go. By the end of the night, my feet hurt, my hip is stiff, and my knee is spazzing. But that's nothing, nothing, compared to what these people have endured. I greet each one: "My name is Seema. I'm your guide. Tell me where you want to go. We're so, so glad you're here." And sometimes they manage to smile. And I keep walking, the endless line of mattresses and cots covered with colorful blankets and sheets to my right, and the array of services and volunteers on my left. Over and over again, I hear those words: Welcome, we're so glad you're here.
Saturday, September 03, 2005
Addendum
I also have no patience for fundamentalists who claim New Orleans' destruction is because of its 'sin' nor am I impressed by fellow liberals who refuse to give because the affected states voted for Bush and hence, deserve what they got. People are people, regardless of who they voted for, and my God doesn't go around drowning and destroying people because of some vague 'sin'. Both points of view, I'm sorry, are incredibly ridiculous and are certainly not reflected in the overwhelming out-pouring I've been seeing here at home and hearing about in the media.
I also have no patience for fundamentalists who claim New Orleans' destruction is because of its 'sin' nor am I impressed by fellow liberals who refuse to give because the affected states voted for Bush and hence, deserve what they got. People are people, regardless of who they voted for, and my God doesn't go around drowning and destroying people because of some vague 'sin'. Both points of view, I'm sorry, are incredibly ridiculous and are certainly not reflected in the overwhelming out-pouring I've been seeing here at home and hearing about in the media.
Forecast: Flying pigs
The other day, I listened to two Bush supporters bash the president over his handling of Hurricane Katrina. It was... strange. I didn't jump on the bandwagon, deciding instead to direct my anger towards FEMA. One of the Republicans I was talking to said, "Well, Bush is FEMA." Touche, but I still refuse to play.
The blame game makes me uncomfortable. I think it's obvious New Orleans was a disaster waiting to happen and that over several decades, many people covering the entire political spectrum didn't take proper responsibility for establishing a proper evacuation route or protocols or even address the folly of living in a bowl-shaped city below sea level.
I'd rather focus my energies on helping Katrina victims get back on their feet. Whether it's my time or money, I'd rather do that than harping on what someone should have done or shouldn't have done. There so many angles, so many things to focus on, but what's important are the survivors. They need to come first.
Man. I can't believe I passed on a chance on Bush-bashing. What's the matter with me?
The other day, I listened to two Bush supporters bash the president over his handling of Hurricane Katrina. It was... strange. I didn't jump on the bandwagon, deciding instead to direct my anger towards FEMA. One of the Republicans I was talking to said, "Well, Bush is FEMA." Touche, but I still refuse to play.
The blame game makes me uncomfortable. I think it's obvious New Orleans was a disaster waiting to happen and that over several decades, many people covering the entire political spectrum didn't take proper responsibility for establishing a proper evacuation route or protocols or even address the folly of living in a bowl-shaped city below sea level.
I'd rather focus my energies on helping Katrina victims get back on their feet. Whether it's my time or money, I'd rather do that than harping on what someone should have done or shouldn't have done. There so many angles, so many things to focus on, but what's important are the survivors. They need to come first.
Man. I can't believe I passed on a chance on Bush-bashing. What's the matter with me?
Friday, September 02, 2005
A Walk
My eyes already touch the sunny hill.
going far ahead of the road I have begun.
So we are grasped by what we cannot grasp;
it has inner light, even from a distance-
and charges us, even if we do not reach it,
into something else, which, hardly sensing it,
we already are; a gesture waves us on
answering our own wave...
but what we feel is the wind in our faces.
-- Rainer Maria Rilke
-- Translated by Robert Bly
My eyes already touch the sunny hill.
going far ahead of the road I have begun.
So we are grasped by what we cannot grasp;
it has inner light, even from a distance-
and charges us, even if we do not reach it,
into something else, which, hardly sensing it,
we already are; a gesture waves us on
answering our own wave...
but what we feel is the wind in our faces.
-- Rainer Maria Rilke
-- Translated by Robert Bly
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Charity
Amazon.com has set up a relief fund for the Red Cross over here and Network for Good has a list of relief organizations providing aid to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The devastation is amazing and of long duration and in fact, some call it one of the worst natural disasters ever.
These people need all the help we can provide. The LA/MS/AL area is among the poorest and the country and many of the people who have lost everything in New Orleans are also among the poorest in the country. It will be months, at least, before the area recovers, and years before some of these people will get back on their feet.
Also, here's a change: State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said earlier on Wednesday 10 to 12 foreign governments have offered general assistance to the United States to deal with the hurricane aftermath but no decision had been made about how these offers might be used. I always feel so proud when Americans rush to help other people, and it's amazing to me how generous and open people can be in times of crisis. It just feels weird to know other people are looking at Katrina's devastation and wondering how they can help us.
Amazon.com has set up a relief fund for the Red Cross over here and Network for Good has a list of relief organizations providing aid to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The devastation is amazing and of long duration and in fact, some call it one of the worst natural disasters ever.
These people need all the help we can provide. The LA/MS/AL area is among the poorest and the country and many of the people who have lost everything in New Orleans are also among the poorest in the country. It will be months, at least, before the area recovers, and years before some of these people will get back on their feet.
Also, here's a change: State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said earlier on Wednesday 10 to 12 foreign governments have offered general assistance to the United States to deal with the hurricane aftermath but no decision had been made about how these offers might be used. I always feel so proud when Americans rush to help other people, and it's amazing to me how generous and open people can be in times of crisis. It just feels weird to know other people are looking at Katrina's devastation and wondering how they can help us.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Katrina
The devastation in New Orleans and Biloxi and other Gulf Coast communities is heartbreaking. It's hard not to put myself in their shoes and know, if not for the vicissitudes of upper level high pressure troughs, we -- also sitting at sea level -- could have been the ones smacked hard. As it is, we got a brief taste of the outer bands yesterday. Nothing serious, of course, just similar to the usual violent thunderstorms that roll through here every afternoon, but just a reminder of what might have been. As usual, the Red Cross is accepting donations.
The devastation in New Orleans and Biloxi and other Gulf Coast communities is heartbreaking. It's hard not to put myself in their shoes and know, if not for the vicissitudes of upper level high pressure troughs, we -- also sitting at sea level -- could have been the ones smacked hard. As it is, we got a brief taste of the outer bands yesterday. Nothing serious, of course, just similar to the usual violent thunderstorms that roll through here every afternoon, but just a reminder of what might have been. As usual, the Red Cross is accepting donations.
Friday, August 26, 2005
Because it's there
If Mt. Everest was a fandom, I'd certainly be among its number one fangirls. There's just something so heart-stopping about that peak. I'm not so much into the thin air bit, something about needing oxygen, but I do very much admire those who scale that peak. It's not easy, it's not safe, and it's hard, hard work, and when you get to the tiny tip of the summit, you get all of 5 minutes to admire the view. Because, as it's commonly said, anyone can get up that hill; it's coming down that's the problem.
National Geographic has some links on Everest over here and NOVA has a page on the mountain here.
Meanwhile, the Washington Post had an article on military recruiting and affluence that's well worth reading.
There's a review of Amazon's new Short Stories program over here.
That's it for me, fanboys and fangirls. I'll see you on the other side of the weekend. Hope you have a good and safe one.
If Mt. Everest was a fandom, I'd certainly be among its number one fangirls. There's just something so heart-stopping about that peak. I'm not so much into the thin air bit, something about needing oxygen, but I do very much admire those who scale that peak. It's not easy, it's not safe, and it's hard, hard work, and when you get to the tiny tip of the summit, you get all of 5 minutes to admire the view. Because, as it's commonly said, anyone can get up that hill; it's coming down that's the problem.
National Geographic has some links on Everest over here and NOVA has a page on the mountain here.
Meanwhile, the Washington Post had an article on military recruiting and affluence that's well worth reading.
There's a review of Amazon's new Short Stories program over here.
That's it for me, fanboys and fangirls. I'll see you on the other side of the weekend. Hope you have a good and safe one.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Things to read!
Some links I collected over the last few days that some of you might find interesting.
I've developed an obsession with Everest lately, and high altitude mountaineering in general. If you haven't already, I recommend Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air", but you can also read about the ill-fated 1996 Everest Expedition here, including the lengthy article that eventually became "Into Thin Air" and the dispatches filed from base camp and other articles.
Apparently, August 31 is blog day. I've got to find five blogs to recommend. If you have any ideas, email me or post a comment.
Does FOX News have any bearing on the outcome of the elections? Apparently not, according to this NY Times article. It also fits in with my current media theory, which I will expand up on a day that is not today.
Some links I collected over the last few days that some of you might find interesting.
I've developed an obsession with Everest lately, and high altitude mountaineering in general. If you haven't already, I recommend Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air", but you can also read about the ill-fated 1996 Everest Expedition here, including the lengthy article that eventually became "Into Thin Air" and the dispatches filed from base camp and other articles.
Apparently, August 31 is blog day. I've got to find five blogs to recommend. If you have any ideas, email me or post a comment.
Does FOX News have any bearing on the outcome of the elections? Apparently not, according to this NY Times article. It also fits in with my current media theory, which I will expand up on a day that is not today.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Hip, hip hooray!
After three years, two doctors, and one physical therapist, I finally have a diagnosis on my hip problem and as jemima observed, I'm entirely too cheerful about the fact I probably have a labral tear. It took them a while to diagnosis, but the fact I can pop my right hip out was very interesting to them. I was crushed, absolutely crushed, that what I thought was increased flexibility in my right leg is actually due to the labral tear and my recalcitrant left leg is what my right leg -- sans labral tear -- is supposed to look like. I'm just glad to finally, finally have a diagnosis and know now there wasn't anything I personally could do to make the pain and stiffness go away.
After three years, two doctors, and one physical therapist, I finally have a diagnosis on my hip problem and as jemima observed, I'm entirely too cheerful about the fact I probably have a labral tear. It took them a while to diagnosis, but the fact I can pop my right hip out was very interesting to them. I was crushed, absolutely crushed, that what I thought was increased flexibility in my right leg is actually due to the labral tear and my recalcitrant left leg is what my right leg -- sans labral tear -- is supposed to look like. I'm just glad to finally, finally have a diagnosis and know now there wasn't anything I personally could do to make the pain and stiffness go away.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
you and me collide
So I was reading Jaggie's comment in this post about how she met her husband and thought it was incredibly sweet. I love reading all the "How we met" stories published in Dear Abbey, so I thought maybe, just maybe, I should ask all of you about 'the click'. So how about it? Tell me -- us! -- about how you met your significant other or heck, your best friend etc. Inquiring minds -- mine! -- want to know.
So I was reading Jaggie's comment in this post about how she met her husband and thought it was incredibly sweet. I love reading all the "How we met" stories published in Dear Abbey, so I thought maybe, just maybe, I should ask all of you about 'the click'. So how about it? Tell me -- us! -- about how you met your significant other or heck, your best friend etc. Inquiring minds -- mine! -- want to know.
Monday, August 22, 2005
The end of oil
The NY Times has a terrific article on oil which is well worth reading. I've been reading a lot lately about people wanting to boycott gasoline pumps for a day in order to 'teach' the oil companies a lesson. News flash: the only way prices are going to come down is for demand to decrease. A one-day boycott isn't going to do it. What will do it is a change in behavior and most people (read: Americans) are unwilling to give up the luxury of driving their own vehicles or gas-guzzling vehicles or do much in the way of 'sacrificing' in order to bring down the price of oil. The general attitude is, "Oh, we can always get more from Alaska." Um, no.
Global demand is 84 million barrels of oil a day, and the US alone consumes more than 20 million of that total a day. Nearly 50 percent of the crude consumed in the US is in gasoline. Demand is projected to grow by approximately 1.8 million barrels a day, and non-OPEC production will grow at a rate of 0.7 million barrels a day. I think you can see the problem, yes? It's easy to make OPEC the bad guys in this scenario, but really, they are doing all they can. The only OPEC country with spare capacity is Saudi Arabia (Iraq, while a member of OPEC, hasn't been counted in the quota since 1998). In June, OPEC raised its quotas by half a million barrels a day, and theoretically, that should have sent prices down except for the fact the market suspects OPEC has been exceeding its production quotas all along and the declarations of increases only legitimitized what they were already doing. (Also, it should be noted the US's top suppliers are the non-OPEC producers, Canada and Mexico. OPEC producers Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and Nigeria round out the top five).
Alaska is touted as America's saving grace, but at current consumption, the estimated 10 billion barrels of oil in Alaska aren't going to last very long. Also, what people don't realize is that it takes a really, really, really long time to get oil to market. If drilling in ANWR is approved today, it will still take another 7 to 10 years for that oil to hit the pipe -- providing the global majors (who have pulled out of Alaska) bite, and the infrastructure is in place to allow for transportation. And anyone who thinks all of that Alaska oil is going to benefit only the US is dreaming. Given Alaska's location and transportation logistics and costs, chances are (MHO) that most of that crude is going to go the West Coast or across the Pacific to China and Japan, both major consumers of crude (the other alternatives are transport the oil by tanker down to the Panama Canal and up to the Gulf Coast, where the majority of refineries are or build a pipeline across Canada into the US; I don't know whether the latter is even on the table, but the former will certainly add to the cost of fuel -- making any savings due to increased supply non-existent)). By the time Alaska oil comes on line, consumption will have risen to a point that Alaska's drop in the barrel won't make a difference (and it really is a drop -- which is why the global majors are more interested in West African oil fields than Alaskan).
Another issue is capacity. Even if by some miracle, another Saudi Arabia is discovered in Russia or Indonesia or Nigeria, who's going to refine the crude? There hasn't been a new refinery built in the US for 30 years or so (I think 1976 was the last time a new one came online) and capacity during the summer driving season is around 96 percent. If you can't turn the crude into something you can use, then there's no point in spare production. Some people say, "Well, build a refinery then." Well, sure, except for the fact no one wants to live near a refinery. They are foul, foul things, prone to explosions and stink and pollute the air, and are eyesores. Really, be honest: would you be willing to live next to one?
Someone mentioned the 700 million some odd barrels in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Even if President Bush released that oil, we're once again talking about a very short term solution. At a consumption rate of 30 million barrels a day, we're not talking about something that's going to slow the market down much. There are other issues that go along with supply: capacity, war, terrorism, outages, declining fields, and demand. Once the reserve is depleted, the high prices will be back, and it'll be necessary to once again fill that reserve with high prices.
The rub is very simple: we are never ever going to get all that oil we've consumed. You can drill all you want, but at the end of the day, there are 84 million barrels of oil less than there were the day before. It doesn't matter when oil production peaks (and some people say it already has). Technology doesn't matter either. Oil is a finite resource and the sooner people realize that, the better. It'll last longer and will cost less if we use less.
I'd love to see the President stand up and say, "I haven't asked you to sacrifice anything since 9/11, but now I'm asking you to take measures to reduce your oil consumption. Each of us Americans consumes approximately 3 gallons of oil a day apiece. If we reduce that even by a third, we'll have reduced our dependence on foreign oil. We won't have to worry about what will happen to us the next time Chavez in Venezeula throws a fit, or when terrorists attack an Iraqi pipeline. If we carpool more, we won't have to worry about what happens when Putin decides to take control of Yukos or when civil unrest breaks out in Nigeria." But he won't say that, and instead, he'll give tax breaks to the global majors -- already making record profits and with no incentives for further E&P -- and we'll keep on keeping on.
Further reading: The Energy Information Administration has plenty of information on US and global markets and you can track futures prices at NYMEX and spot prices at ICE.
The NY Times has a terrific article on oil which is well worth reading. I've been reading a lot lately about people wanting to boycott gasoline pumps for a day in order to 'teach' the oil companies a lesson. News flash: the only way prices are going to come down is for demand to decrease. A one-day boycott isn't going to do it. What will do it is a change in behavior and most people (read: Americans) are unwilling to give up the luxury of driving their own vehicles or gas-guzzling vehicles or do much in the way of 'sacrificing' in order to bring down the price of oil. The general attitude is, "Oh, we can always get more from Alaska." Um, no.
Global demand is 84 million barrels of oil a day, and the US alone consumes more than 20 million of that total a day. Nearly 50 percent of the crude consumed in the US is in gasoline. Demand is projected to grow by approximately 1.8 million barrels a day, and non-OPEC production will grow at a rate of 0.7 million barrels a day. I think you can see the problem, yes? It's easy to make OPEC the bad guys in this scenario, but really, they are doing all they can. The only OPEC country with spare capacity is Saudi Arabia (Iraq, while a member of OPEC, hasn't been counted in the quota since 1998). In June, OPEC raised its quotas by half a million barrels a day, and theoretically, that should have sent prices down except for the fact the market suspects OPEC has been exceeding its production quotas all along and the declarations of increases only legitimitized what they were already doing. (Also, it should be noted the US's top suppliers are the non-OPEC producers, Canada and Mexico. OPEC producers Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and Nigeria round out the top five).
Alaska is touted as America's saving grace, but at current consumption, the estimated 10 billion barrels of oil in Alaska aren't going to last very long. Also, what people don't realize is that it takes a really, really, really long time to get oil to market. If drilling in ANWR is approved today, it will still take another 7 to 10 years for that oil to hit the pipe -- providing the global majors (who have pulled out of Alaska) bite, and the infrastructure is in place to allow for transportation. And anyone who thinks all of that Alaska oil is going to benefit only the US is dreaming. Given Alaska's location and transportation logistics and costs, chances are (MHO) that most of that crude is going to go the West Coast or across the Pacific to China and Japan, both major consumers of crude (the other alternatives are transport the oil by tanker down to the Panama Canal and up to the Gulf Coast, where the majority of refineries are or build a pipeline across Canada into the US; I don't know whether the latter is even on the table, but the former will certainly add to the cost of fuel -- making any savings due to increased supply non-existent)). By the time Alaska oil comes on line, consumption will have risen to a point that Alaska's drop in the barrel won't make a difference (and it really is a drop -- which is why the global majors are more interested in West African oil fields than Alaskan).
Another issue is capacity. Even if by some miracle, another Saudi Arabia is discovered in Russia or Indonesia or Nigeria, who's going to refine the crude? There hasn't been a new refinery built in the US for 30 years or so (I think 1976 was the last time a new one came online) and capacity during the summer driving season is around 96 percent. If you can't turn the crude into something you can use, then there's no point in spare production. Some people say, "Well, build a refinery then." Well, sure, except for the fact no one wants to live near a refinery. They are foul, foul things, prone to explosions and stink and pollute the air, and are eyesores. Really, be honest: would you be willing to live next to one?
Someone mentioned the 700 million some odd barrels in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Even if President Bush released that oil, we're once again talking about a very short term solution. At a consumption rate of 30 million barrels a day, we're not talking about something that's going to slow the market down much. There are other issues that go along with supply: capacity, war, terrorism, outages, declining fields, and demand. Once the reserve is depleted, the high prices will be back, and it'll be necessary to once again fill that reserve with high prices.
The rub is very simple: we are never ever going to get all that oil we've consumed. You can drill all you want, but at the end of the day, there are 84 million barrels of oil less than there were the day before. It doesn't matter when oil production peaks (and some people say it already has). Technology doesn't matter either. Oil is a finite resource and the sooner people realize that, the better. It'll last longer and will cost less if we use less.
I'd love to see the President stand up and say, "I haven't asked you to sacrifice anything since 9/11, but now I'm asking you to take measures to reduce your oil consumption. Each of us Americans consumes approximately 3 gallons of oil a day apiece. If we reduce that even by a third, we'll have reduced our dependence on foreign oil. We won't have to worry about what will happen to us the next time Chavez in Venezeula throws a fit, or when terrorists attack an Iraqi pipeline. If we carpool more, we won't have to worry about what happens when Putin decides to take control of Yukos or when civil unrest breaks out in Nigeria." But he won't say that, and instead, he'll give tax breaks to the global majors -- already making record profits and with no incentives for further E&P -- and we'll keep on keeping on.
Further reading: The Energy Information Administration has plenty of information on US and global markets and you can track futures prices at NYMEX and spot prices at ICE.
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Dog days
It's incredibly hot out. I walked to Walgreens around 11 today, stopping at the mailbox and an open house on my way there and the apartment office on my way back, and I thought I was going to melt. The Walgreens is just at the end of the block, so we're not talking huge walking distance by any means, but the heat makes it feel as if it's miles, and miles away. Of course, I was wearing the most ridiculous shoes too, and my feet were blistering and by the time I collapsed in one of the comfy chairs in the apartment office, I was done for. If it wasn't so darn hot, I'd go down to the pool. Pretty ironic, huh?
It's incredibly hot out. I walked to Walgreens around 11 today, stopping at the mailbox and an open house on my way there and the apartment office on my way back, and I thought I was going to melt. The Walgreens is just at the end of the block, so we're not talking huge walking distance by any means, but the heat makes it feel as if it's miles, and miles away. Of course, I was wearing the most ridiculous shoes too, and my feet were blistering and by the time I collapsed in one of the comfy chairs in the apartment office, I was done for. If it wasn't so darn hot, I'd go down to the pool. Pretty ironic, huh?
Thursday, August 18, 2005
there's you and me and all of the people
When you talk to people about how they ended up with the people they did, they always say something like, "I just knew" or "there was an instant click." I envy that certainty something fierce. I can't help but wondering if that click really existed at a moment in time or is it revisionist history? The romantic in me wants to believe the click is possible, but so far, there have been no shooting stars or neon arrows pointing the right direction. Why can't there be a sign that points out very clearly: "This is where you should go, this is where you should do, this is what you should be, this is who you should love and you should never ever let go."
When you talk to people about how they ended up with the people they did, they always say something like, "I just knew" or "there was an instant click." I envy that certainty something fierce. I can't help but wondering if that click really existed at a moment in time or is it revisionist history? The romantic in me wants to believe the click is possible, but so far, there have been no shooting stars or neon arrows pointing the right direction. Why can't there be a sign that points out very clearly: "This is where you should go, this is where you should do, this is what you should be, this is who you should love and you should never ever let go."
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
The fruits of google
A little bit of a discussion on writers' groups over here -- well worth reading for anyone and everyone. Credit for today's LotD goes to my partner-in-crime when it comes to not writing: jemima. The misused colon? It's just for her (anyone else wanting to wage war on punctuation should visit the War Department chez jemima; unbound proudly supports all punctuation).
A little bit of a discussion on writers' groups over here -- well worth reading for anyone and everyone. Credit for today's LotD goes to my partner-in-crime when it comes to not writing: jemima. The misused colon? It's just for her (anyone else wanting to wage war on punctuation should visit the War Department chez jemima; unbound proudly supports all punctuation).
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
He really didn't say that, did he?
The President, in reference to Cindy Sheehan:
Sometimes, it's really best just to say nothing at all. Saying "I've got a life to live and will do so" when confronted with a grieving mother is just crass and stupid. This president is no great orator, but I never expected him to say something some completely insensitive and self-centered. Sheesh.
The President, in reference to Cindy Sheehan:
"I think it's important for me to be thoughtful and sensitive to those who have got something to say. But I think it's also important for me to go on with my life, to keep a balanced life ... I think the people want the president to be in a position to make good, crisp decisions and to stay healthy. And part of my being is to be outside exercising. So I'm mindful of what goes on around me. On the other hand, I'm also mindful that I've got a life to live and will do so."
Sometimes, it's really best just to say nothing at all. Saying "I've got a life to live and will do so" when confronted with a grieving mother is just crass and stupid. This president is no great orator, but I never expected him to say something some completely insensitive and self-centered. Sheesh.
Monday, August 15, 2005
Geek LotDs
I had written up a post yesterday for today, but then my computer had a hissy fit, and I lost most of it, and you guys know how this story ends: I was way, way too lazy to resurrect it. And so I give you a geek link: How to install Yahoo! DSL without the CD.
Also, Massachusetts readers might get a kick of this article: Where in the World is Whitey Bulger?. If you want to avoid registering/logging-in, you can use bugmenot.com.
Also, as part of tonight's geek theme, I was reviewing my site stats and I KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU ARE COMING FROM*. I'm still very weirded out by the number of people who are coming to this site from both my undergrad and grad schools. Do they even KNOW I'm one of them? Inquiring minds want to know, but not so much so I'm going to out myself.
That is all.
Well, sort of. Some of you are easier to figure out than others.
I had written up a post yesterday for today, but then my computer had a hissy fit, and I lost most of it, and you guys know how this story ends: I was way, way too lazy to resurrect it. And so I give you a geek link: How to install Yahoo! DSL without the CD.
Also, Massachusetts readers might get a kick of this article: Where in the World is Whitey Bulger?. If you want to avoid registering/logging-in, you can use bugmenot.com.
Also, as part of tonight's geek theme, I was reviewing my site stats and I KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU ARE COMING FROM*. I'm still very weirded out by the number of people who are coming to this site from both my undergrad and grad schools. Do they even KNOW I'm one of them? Inquiring minds want to know, but not so much so I'm going to out myself.
That is all.
Well, sort of. Some of you are easier to figure out than others.
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Writing blahs
I'm feeling so incredibly unmotivated to write anything at all. It's been months since I've written anything not bloggy in nature and I have no idea how to account for the lack of motivation. I freely admit I'm one of those people who doesn't force herself to write; I always feel when I force it, the reader can tell. Plus, I have no ideas and now that I know more about writing than I did five or six years ago, I'm find it way harder. Now when I look at a story idea, I think okay, what's the plot? What's the crisis? What is the climax, and what's the resolution? If I can't fit all of those pieces in, I don't start at all. Currently, I have what I think is a great opening for a story, but I'm completely at a loss as to what happens in the story. It's not enough to know how a story begins; gotta know how it ends too. These days, I'm just not willing to wing it and go plotless.
Recommendations: Sue Grafton, who writes the Kinsey Milhone series, does a great job with description and bringing the reader vividly into a setting. Even if mystery isn't your thing, I recommend picking up one or two of the Grafton books just to see how it's done. Also, Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" -- whatever else you might think of it -- does a terrific job in creating and building suspense. It's not so much great writing as he has figured out the mystery of pacing and how to keep a reader's attention from chapter to chapter. He also does some good work with description, but Grafton's descriptive work is a little less esoteric.
I'm feeling so incredibly unmotivated to write anything at all. It's been months since I've written anything not bloggy in nature and I have no idea how to account for the lack of motivation. I freely admit I'm one of those people who doesn't force herself to write; I always feel when I force it, the reader can tell. Plus, I have no ideas and now that I know more about writing than I did five or six years ago, I'm find it way harder. Now when I look at a story idea, I think okay, what's the plot? What's the crisis? What is the climax, and what's the resolution? If I can't fit all of those pieces in, I don't start at all. Currently, I have what I think is a great opening for a story, but I'm completely at a loss as to what happens in the story. It's not enough to know how a story begins; gotta know how it ends too. These days, I'm just not willing to wing it and go plotless.
Recommendations: Sue Grafton, who writes the Kinsey Milhone series, does a great job with description and bringing the reader vividly into a setting. Even if mystery isn't your thing, I recommend picking up one or two of the Grafton books just to see how it's done. Also, Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" -- whatever else you might think of it -- does a terrific job in creating and building suspense. It's not so much great writing as he has figured out the mystery of pacing and how to keep a reader's attention from chapter to chapter. He also does some good work with description, but Grafton's descriptive work is a little less esoteric.
Friday, August 12, 2005
LoTD
If Rosa Parks moved to the front of the bus, the Fox News Channel would have this to say.
ETA: In theory, link should work now.
If Rosa Parks moved to the front of the bus, the Fox News Channel would have this to say.
ETA: In theory, link should work now.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Talking heads
I don't know much about Cindy Sheehan except what I'm reading in the newspapers and in some venues, the obviously partisan spins. You're going to get a different angle on Sheehan if you visit Michelle Malkin* than what you get when you read Daily Kos. Here's the thing though: I think military families should get a free pass when they talk about the war. I don't care if they are pro or anti, but they've made sacrifices the rest of us haven't been asked to make. The vast majority of Americans are sitting around, enjoying life, and not at all acting as if there's a war on. People are still tooling around in their Hummers -- which is doing nothing to reduce our dependence on foreign oil -- and very few people from the middle-class are packing it in to head to Iraq. Every now and then, someone will tie a yellow ribbon around a tree, or organize a "Support Our Troops" bash, but really, what have you done for the war movement lately? I'll be honest -- I haven't sacrificed a dang thing.
Sheehan is doing more for the anti-war movement than most of us who thought this war was a Very Bad Idea (tm) from the beginning have. She is holding the President responsible for Iraq in a way that most of us haven't even tried to. The Democrats have rolled over (and only recently are finding a backbone again) and the press seemingly has given the President a free ride. Only Cindy Sheehan has the guts to say what should have been said a long time ago.
The chances of Bush actually meeting with her are next to nil. It's literally a no-win situation. He hasn't got a good reason to tell her why her son died in Iraq; all of his reasons for going to war are now proven false. And if he doesn't talk to her, then he comes across as a cold-hearted bastard. It's a PR problem of staggering proportions, but if he asked me, I'd tell him, "You said you were a compassionate conservative. Show that you are."
* I deliberately did not link to Malkin's site as there's considerable bad language in the post about Cindy Sheehan -- not by Michelle, incidentally -- and because I didn't link to Malkin, out of fairness, I also did not link to Daily Kos. However, all posts on the subject are easily found in both blogs.
I don't know much about Cindy Sheehan except what I'm reading in the newspapers and in some venues, the obviously partisan spins. You're going to get a different angle on Sheehan if you visit Michelle Malkin* than what you get when you read Daily Kos. Here's the thing though: I think military families should get a free pass when they talk about the war. I don't care if they are pro or anti, but they've made sacrifices the rest of us haven't been asked to make. The vast majority of Americans are sitting around, enjoying life, and not at all acting as if there's a war on. People are still tooling around in their Hummers -- which is doing nothing to reduce our dependence on foreign oil -- and very few people from the middle-class are packing it in to head to Iraq. Every now and then, someone will tie a yellow ribbon around a tree, or organize a "Support Our Troops" bash, but really, what have you done for the war movement lately? I'll be honest -- I haven't sacrificed a dang thing.
Sheehan is doing more for the anti-war movement than most of us who thought this war was a Very Bad Idea (tm) from the beginning have. She is holding the President responsible for Iraq in a way that most of us haven't even tried to. The Democrats have rolled over (and only recently are finding a backbone again) and the press seemingly has given the President a free ride. Only Cindy Sheehan has the guts to say what should have been said a long time ago.
The chances of Bush actually meeting with her are next to nil. It's literally a no-win situation. He hasn't got a good reason to tell her why her son died in Iraq; all of his reasons for going to war are now proven false. And if he doesn't talk to her, then he comes across as a cold-hearted bastard. It's a PR problem of staggering proportions, but if he asked me, I'd tell him, "You said you were a compassionate conservative. Show that you are."
* I deliberately did not link to Malkin's site as there's considerable bad language in the post about Cindy Sheehan -- not by Michelle, incidentally -- and because I didn't link to Malkin, out of fairness, I also did not link to Daily Kos. However, all posts on the subject are easily found in both blogs.
Hmm
I came across this letter in my journeys across the Internet and it makes some very good points. Too bad the people who need to read it the most never will.
For those of you who reduce sexual orientation to a simple choice, a character issue, a bad habit or something that can be changed by a 10-step program, I'm puzzled. Are you saying that your own sexual orientation is nothing more than something you have chosen, that you could change it at will?
If that's not the case, then why would you suggest that someone else can?
I came across this letter in my journeys across the Internet and it makes some very good points. Too bad the people who need to read it the most never will.
For those of you who reduce sexual orientation to a simple choice, a character issue, a bad habit or something that can be changed by a 10-step program, I'm puzzled. Are you saying that your own sexual orientation is nothing more than something you have chosen, that you could change it at will?
If that's not the case, then why would you suggest that someone else can?
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Oink, oink
President Bush signed the transportation bill today, and if you're really masochistic, you can read the whole thing over here, but my favorite part is the appropriation by bill sponsor Representative Don Young (AK) over here. To summarize:
(a) Designation- The Knik Arm bridge in Alaska to be planned, designed, and constructed pursuant to section 117 of title 23, United States Code, as high priority project number 2465 under section 1702 of this Act, is designated as `Don Young's Way'.
In case you didn't want to go look for section 1702, here's the relevant text: Planning, design, and construction of a bridge joining the Island of Gravina to the Community of Ketchikan.
The Island of Gravina has a population of approximately 50 people, and Ketchikan is a bustling community of 8,000. The cost of the bridge is going to be approximately $230 million. The icing on the cake is the fact Don Young is naming the damn thing after himself. Truly our tax dollars at work.
President Bush signed the transportation bill today, and if you're really masochistic, you can read the whole thing over here, but my favorite part is the appropriation by bill sponsor Representative Don Young (AK) over here. To summarize:
(a) Designation- The Knik Arm bridge in Alaska to be planned, designed, and constructed pursuant to section 117 of title 23, United States Code, as high priority project number 2465 under section 1702 of this Act, is designated as `Don Young's Way'.
In case you didn't want to go look for section 1702, here's the relevant text: Planning, design, and construction of a bridge joining the Island of Gravina to the Community of Ketchikan.
The Island of Gravina has a population of approximately 50 people, and Ketchikan is a bustling community of 8,000. The cost of the bridge is going to be approximately $230 million. The icing on the cake is the fact Don Young is naming the damn thing after himself. Truly our tax dollars at work.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
The laws of attraction
This is the post I've been meaning to write forever and ever -- okay, well since last Tuesday, when the Fainter and I came to our "He's just not into you" epiphanies. Given that we had a double-header of the "Gilmore" Girls and Mexican food, it was amazing it took us that long to stop making excuses for the various romantic situations we've put ourselves into and realize the ultimate truth: when a guy is really, really into you, he'll drop everything and rush to your side and generally make a nuisance of himself. Half the time you don't want to see or understand that truth -- especially when it's a friend -- because you want to believe everyone's motives are just as uncomplicated and pure as your own.
A while ago, the Fainter mentioned it was amazing anyone got together at all these days. "How many things have to go right?" she wondered out-loud. There has to be mutual attraction, the ability to talk on both the trivial and the serious, the ability to open up emotionally, to work out problems, the willingness to forgive and understand, and about 80 gazillion other things. Only when all the pieces fit together, then do you have something that can work and that's worth looking for. The search though, let's be quite honest, sucks rocks. Thank God for Lorelei, Rory, and margaritas.
This is the post I've been meaning to write forever and ever -- okay, well since last Tuesday, when the Fainter and I came to our "He's just not into you" epiphanies. Given that we had a double-header of the "Gilmore" Girls and Mexican food, it was amazing it took us that long to stop making excuses for the various romantic situations we've put ourselves into and realize the ultimate truth: when a guy is really, really into you, he'll drop everything and rush to your side and generally make a nuisance of himself. Half the time you don't want to see or understand that truth -- especially when it's a friend -- because you want to believe everyone's motives are just as uncomplicated and pure as your own.
A while ago, the Fainter mentioned it was amazing anyone got together at all these days. "How many things have to go right?" she wondered out-loud. There has to be mutual attraction, the ability to talk on both the trivial and the serious, the ability to open up emotionally, to work out problems, the willingness to forgive and understand, and about 80 gazillion other things. Only when all the pieces fit together, then do you have something that can work and that's worth looking for. The search though, let's be quite honest, sucks rocks. Thank God for Lorelei, Rory, and margaritas.
Monday, August 08, 2005
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Gratitude
When I was driving home this evening, around 7:30 I got a flat. I'm really lucky that I didn't get into an accident -- I was after all on a highway and going 70 miles an hour and at that point, I was actually in the left lane. There were no cars to my right, so I was able to pull immediately over to the side and assess the situation. The front driver's side tire was very, very, very flat, the flabby rubber bulging out at the bottoms. I just stared at the tire and then walked to my trunk and hauled out the jack, the stand, and my spare tire. Then I picked up my cell, called my dad, and then after talking to him briefly, found the number for roadside assistance on the back of my driver's license.
The number to roadside assistance didn't work for some reason, and I decided I was going to have to try and change the tire myself. I was about an hour away from my uncle's, and two hours from my parents. Added to that, my flat happened in between two towns and so there wasn't a gas station around for miles. I pulled my car further to the right to give me more space to work on the tire. Meanwhile cars were whizzing by me, and no state trooper in sight. Usually the highways here are lousy with state troopers, but not on Sunday evening. Anyway, I pulled up my parking brake when I saw a white Sienna mini van pull up and a husband and wife got out.
"We will help you," the wife said. And her husband, very expertly, got my tire off and the spare tire back on. Meanwhile, we were standing at the side of the road, watching the sun melt into the horizon, the golden rays melting into white over the tree line. It was a beautiful evening, not too hot, and if it weren't for the situation, I would have greatly enjoyed it. I made small talk with the wife, learned they lived in the upcoming town, and they were on their way home from grocery shopping. She spoke with a Spanish accent. I never asked their names. I offered the husband money, but he smiled and shook his head. They got into their van, I got into my car, and we were off. The whole incident lasted about six minutes.
I wish I had gotten that couple's name and address so I could send them a thank-you card. I didn't panic or have a Seema!melt-down when I saw the flat because of the car class I'd recently taken and I knew I could change the tire; it might take me a while, but I could do it. I also knew, thanks to the car class, that my spare was actually full of air and not flat after seven years of riding around in my trunk. For those two things and the couple, I'm very, very grateful.
The ironic part of this story is when I was leaving my brother's house, I told him and Jessica -- because it was so late, quarter to six -- "Watch, tonight I'll get a flat." And then half-heartedly, I rapped my knuckles on the side of the door. Today was also the first time I didn't check the air in my tires before I left the house; my mother even mentioned that to me on the phone, that I always panic and take the car to Costco before leaving town just to make sure the car is ship-shape. Funny how it all came together tonight. I'm just very, very grateful that it turned out for the best and somewhere out there, there's a Spanish-speaking couple in a white Toyota Sienna mini-van whom I owe a big thank you to.
When I was driving home this evening, around 7:30 I got a flat. I'm really lucky that I didn't get into an accident -- I was after all on a highway and going 70 miles an hour and at that point, I was actually in the left lane. There were no cars to my right, so I was able to pull immediately over to the side and assess the situation. The front driver's side tire was very, very, very flat, the flabby rubber bulging out at the bottoms. I just stared at the tire and then walked to my trunk and hauled out the jack, the stand, and my spare tire. Then I picked up my cell, called my dad, and then after talking to him briefly, found the number for roadside assistance on the back of my driver's license.
The number to roadside assistance didn't work for some reason, and I decided I was going to have to try and change the tire myself. I was about an hour away from my uncle's, and two hours from my parents. Added to that, my flat happened in between two towns and so there wasn't a gas station around for miles. I pulled my car further to the right to give me more space to work on the tire. Meanwhile cars were whizzing by me, and no state trooper in sight. Usually the highways here are lousy with state troopers, but not on Sunday evening. Anyway, I pulled up my parking brake when I saw a white Sienna mini van pull up and a husband and wife got out.
"We will help you," the wife said. And her husband, very expertly, got my tire off and the spare tire back on. Meanwhile, we were standing at the side of the road, watching the sun melt into the horizon, the golden rays melting into white over the tree line. It was a beautiful evening, not too hot, and if it weren't for the situation, I would have greatly enjoyed it. I made small talk with the wife, learned they lived in the upcoming town, and they were on their way home from grocery shopping. She spoke with a Spanish accent. I never asked their names. I offered the husband money, but he smiled and shook his head. They got into their van, I got into my car, and we were off. The whole incident lasted about six minutes.
I wish I had gotten that couple's name and address so I could send them a thank-you card. I didn't panic or have a Seema!melt-down when I saw the flat because of the car class I'd recently taken and I knew I could change the tire; it might take me a while, but I could do it. I also knew, thanks to the car class, that my spare was actually full of air and not flat after seven years of riding around in my trunk. For those two things and the couple, I'm very, very grateful.
The ironic part of this story is when I was leaving my brother's house, I told him and Jessica -- because it was so late, quarter to six -- "Watch, tonight I'll get a flat." And then half-heartedly, I rapped my knuckles on the side of the door. Today was also the first time I didn't check the air in my tires before I left the house; my mother even mentioned that to me on the phone, that I always panic and take the car to Costco before leaving town just to make sure the car is ship-shape. Funny how it all came together tonight. I'm just very, very grateful that it turned out for the best and somewhere out there, there's a Spanish-speaking couple in a white Toyota Sienna mini-van whom I owe a big thank you to.
Saturday, August 06, 2005
You unsexy thing
You know you're in Redneck country when:
How this scenario ends, I do not know, as I could see the dark clouds gathering in my rearview mirror and the sunshine ahead, and I sure as heck didn't want to be on the road with a massive truck carrying at least seven guys and enough beer to satiate a frat party.
You know you're in Redneck country when:
- You pull into a gas station behind a hulking white Ford F350
- With three guys in muscle-Ts sitting in the truck bed
- And then two guys come out carrying -- between them -- three cases of beer
- And then all five guys sit in the back of the truck
- Pop a can of beer open right there and then
- And then two more guys -- also in muscle-Ts -- come out, with two bags of ice
How this scenario ends, I do not know, as I could see the dark clouds gathering in my rearview mirror and the sunshine ahead, and I sure as heck didn't want to be on the road with a massive truck carrying at least seven guys and enough beer to satiate a frat party.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
A good cause
The regular scheduled bloggity planned for today is being pre-empted for something way more important -- the famine in Niger, caused in part by locusts and droughts that ruined their crops and of course, abject poverty, is killing millions. The pictures of the children who are starving to death are absolutely heartbreaking. You can help by donating to the various relief funds, including Save the Children and Mercy Corps.
The regular scheduled bloggity planned for today is being pre-empted for something way more important -- the famine in Niger, caused in part by locusts and droughts that ruined their crops and of course, abject poverty, is killing millions. The pictures of the children who are starving to death are absolutely heartbreaking. You can help by donating to the various relief funds, including Save the Children and Mercy Corps.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
On writing
I wasn't planning to write about writing actually, but rather about a conversation I had with a friend last night, which stretched until past 11 pm -- which is why there was no bloggity last night -- but seeing a recent discussion prompted me to switch topics. You will have to wait another day to know what the Fainter and I spent hours discussing over Mexican food.
In another forum, I've been watching a writer reach out for feedback on ideas and debating the ideas in public. I'm all about discussing ideas with other people because it can help turn an idea into something tangible, something you can actually write about. But I think there's a point when you have to stop talking and start writing. I've never been a big fan of writing by committee or having more than two people look over a piece. I also think there's such a thing as over-editing and the only way to get over the hump is to produce several drafts of a story, have them looked over by one or two people you trust, and then send/post it somewhere.
Endless discussion on whether an idea actually works or not isn't going to get anyone anywhere. Ideas that may seem to work in concept may not work once it's time to write and something that may seem like a bad idea may turn out to be fantastic. The point is, you're never going to know if you muddy up the writing waters with multiple cooks. And now that I've mixed metaphors, I've got some writing to do (g).
I wasn't planning to write about writing actually, but rather about a conversation I had with a friend last night, which stretched until past 11 pm -- which is why there was no bloggity last night -- but seeing a recent discussion prompted me to switch topics. You will have to wait another day to know what the Fainter and I spent hours discussing over Mexican food.
In another forum, I've been watching a writer reach out for feedback on ideas and debating the ideas in public. I'm all about discussing ideas with other people because it can help turn an idea into something tangible, something you can actually write about. But I think there's a point when you have to stop talking and start writing. I've never been a big fan of writing by committee or having more than two people look over a piece. I also think there's such a thing as over-editing and the only way to get over the hump is to produce several drafts of a story, have them looked over by one or two people you trust, and then send/post it somewhere.
Endless discussion on whether an idea actually works or not isn't going to get anyone anywhere. Ideas that may seem to work in concept may not work once it's time to write and something that may seem like a bad idea may turn out to be fantastic. The point is, you're never going to know if you muddy up the writing waters with multiple cooks. And now that I've mixed metaphors, I've got some writing to do (g).
Monday, August 01, 2005
Link
The NY Times had an interesting article about the media here. If you don't already have a free registration there and want to read the article, may I suggest bugmenot.com?
The NY Times had an interesting article about the media here. If you don't already have a free registration there and want to read the article, may I suggest bugmenot.com?
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Conversations with Florida Girl
Florida Girl, for those of you may not know, is one of my closest and dearest friends in the whole wide world. We went to college together, and despite the fact we live nowhere near each other, we talk pretty often and are probably just as close as we were then. About five years ago, we went to London together for 10 days and I wrote down one of our inane flights of fantasy in my travel journal and it went something like: we were going to buy a sheep farm in Ireland and we were going to buy a 1,000 sheep and sell sweaters. There were other things, but I remember the sheep farm thing the most because a) I don't like animals, b) I know nothing about sheep, c) I know nothing about making sweaters and d) I'm not so big into dirt and manure.
I didn't say we always made sense.
Case in point. Today, Florida Girl called me just as I was walking out the door for a lunch date and because it was Florida Girl, I dawdled just a few minutes so I could hear all the particulars of her busy Sunday morning. She was talking about having to edge the lawn, mow the lawn, and was planning to buy gravel and plant some bushes.
"You know," she said, "you should buy a house and then we could talk about these things. You could give me pointers."
"You want me to buy a house so I can tell you what to do with your house?"
"You're such an over-achiever, you'll probably figure out the best way to do everything and then you can tell me all about it, and it'll be easier for me."
"So let me get this straight: in order to make your life easier, you want me to buy a house?"
"It'll be so much fun."
In case you're wondering, I currently have no plans to buy a house. Even if I do so covet the red-brick townhouses springing up like weeds on my street.
Florida Girl, for those of you may not know, is one of my closest and dearest friends in the whole wide world. We went to college together, and despite the fact we live nowhere near each other, we talk pretty often and are probably just as close as we were then. About five years ago, we went to London together for 10 days and I wrote down one of our inane flights of fantasy in my travel journal and it went something like: we were going to buy a sheep farm in Ireland and we were going to buy a 1,000 sheep and sell sweaters. There were other things, but I remember the sheep farm thing the most because a) I don't like animals, b) I know nothing about sheep, c) I know nothing about making sweaters and d) I'm not so big into dirt and manure.
I didn't say we always made sense.
Case in point. Today, Florida Girl called me just as I was walking out the door for a lunch date and because it was Florida Girl, I dawdled just a few minutes so I could hear all the particulars of her busy Sunday morning. She was talking about having to edge the lawn, mow the lawn, and was planning to buy gravel and plant some bushes.
"You know," she said, "you should buy a house and then we could talk about these things. You could give me pointers."
"You want me to buy a house so I can tell you what to do with your house?"
"You're such an over-achiever, you'll probably figure out the best way to do everything and then you can tell me all about it, and it'll be easier for me."
"So let me get this straight: in order to make your life easier, you want me to buy a house?"
"It'll be so much fun."
In case you're wondering, I currently have no plans to buy a house. Even if I do so covet the red-brick townhouses springing up like weeds on my street.
Saturday, July 30, 2005
A strange, sweet music
Last night, I scored tickets to "Phantom of the Opera" very unexpectedly and very last minute. I'd been fully prepared to spend my Friday night watching BSG and installing DSL, but a friend called around 7 pm. "Are you free? Do you want to go see Phantom? Meet me at the theater. It starts at 8." Since I only live minutes away from the theater, it wasn't a big deal and I managed to get there on time.
I first saw "Phantom" more than ten years ago in Montreal. It was February, bitterly cold, and I'd never been quite so grateful as when we sat down in our plush seats to watch the show. I didn't quite 'feel' the show until "Angel of Music/The Phantom of the Opera/Music of the Night" and then, as I watched the 'boat' slide across the stage in a misty blue fog, illuminated by candles, my breath caught in my throat. I felt a thrill then that has never been duplicated or so profoundly felt. Yesterday, I'm happy to say I felt that same shiver go down my throat as I watched the Phantom lead Christine down into his dungeon.
My favorite musical sequence still remains "Angel of Music/Phantom of the Opera/Music of the Night", but this time I also appreciated the intricacy and color of the set, the fine detail to attention, and the pyrotechniques. When I saw the show in Montreal, I was seated in the last row of the theater, and there was half a pillar in my way, and so I definitely missed some things. This time, I saw and appreciated it all. It was truly a beautiful and spectacular production, and I am so glad to see that it after all these years, it still managed to retain its romantic spot in my heart.
Music rec: Celtic Woman -- I heard these guys on PBS and oh, such beautiful voices, such lovely arrangements of music, and just really calming and lovely music. Do check your local PBS stations to see when the concert will air in your area.
Last night, I scored tickets to "Phantom of the Opera" very unexpectedly and very last minute. I'd been fully prepared to spend my Friday night watching BSG and installing DSL, but a friend called around 7 pm. "Are you free? Do you want to go see Phantom? Meet me at the theater. It starts at 8." Since I only live minutes away from the theater, it wasn't a big deal and I managed to get there on time.
I first saw "Phantom" more than ten years ago in Montreal. It was February, bitterly cold, and I'd never been quite so grateful as when we sat down in our plush seats to watch the show. I didn't quite 'feel' the show until "Angel of Music/The Phantom of the Opera/Music of the Night" and then, as I watched the 'boat' slide across the stage in a misty blue fog, illuminated by candles, my breath caught in my throat. I felt a thrill then that has never been duplicated or so profoundly felt. Yesterday, I'm happy to say I felt that same shiver go down my throat as I watched the Phantom lead Christine down into his dungeon.
My favorite musical sequence still remains "Angel of Music/Phantom of the Opera/Music of the Night", but this time I also appreciated the intricacy and color of the set, the fine detail to attention, and the pyrotechniques. When I saw the show in Montreal, I was seated in the last row of the theater, and there was half a pillar in my way, and so I definitely missed some things. This time, I saw and appreciated it all. It was truly a beautiful and spectacular production, and I am so glad to see that it after all these years, it still managed to retain its romantic spot in my heart.
Music rec: Celtic Woman -- I heard these guys on PBS and oh, such beautiful voices, such lovely arrangements of music, and just really calming and lovely music. Do check your local PBS stations to see when the concert will air in your area.
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Your Tax Dollars At Work
You know how that saying goes? You can't always get what you want, but sometimes, you can, and today I got my wish: the Bush Administration has done away with the phrase 'war on terror' and replaced it with the catchier 'global struggle against violent extremism'. The NY Times trumpets this Wag the Dog moment with their headline: "U.S. Officials Retool Slogan for Terror War". I don't know about you all, but knowing the Bush administration's marketing department is working overtime to develop a slogan that properly describes current events makes me feel so much safer. Now if we just get Willie Nelson to write us a theme song, I'm sure the Al-Qaeda weenies will run for the hills, their AK-47s and machetes tucked between their legs.
You know how that saying goes? You can't always get what you want, but sometimes, you can, and today I got my wish: the Bush Administration has done away with the phrase 'war on terror' and replaced it with the catchier 'global struggle against violent extremism'. The NY Times trumpets this Wag the Dog moment with their headline: "U.S. Officials Retool Slogan for Terror War". I don't know about you all, but knowing the Bush administration's marketing department is working overtime to develop a slogan that properly describes current events makes me feel so much safer. Now if we just get Willie Nelson to write us a theme song, I'm sure the Al-Qaeda weenies will run for the hills, their AK-47s and machetes tucked between their legs.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Oh, the humanity!
I was knocked off line because my phone line went kaput. I came home to discover not only was my phone ringing off the hook -- because it was crossed with a home builder's line -- but also everytime I called out, it helpfully dialed the same number I was calling twice. Which meant when I was on the phone with Ma Bell, I was talking to a representative, while in the background I could hear, "Your call is important to us. Please continue to hold." And when Ma Bell called me back, in the background was the operator, admonishing Ma Bell telling her to hang up and please try the call again because the line was busy. Ma Bell then told me the quickest she could get someone to fix my phone was 7 pm on Wednesday.
People, I was looking at more than FORTY EIGHT HOURS WITHOUT THE INTERNET. The phone, not such a big deal, because most people call me on my cell these days. But without the Internet? Monday, I was fine, because I only had about 30 minutes between the time I came home from work to when I had to leave for my swing dance class, and then I didn't come home until close to 10, and ended up chatting with the Maternal Unit and eating chocolate covered coffee beans until about 10:30. Just for the record: eating chocolate covered coffee beans at that hour is a Very Bad Idea (tm) and should not be attempted at home. And then, because I was WIRED, I ended up watching the second half of a Dominion War arc and then when I couldn't sleep that night, I woke up around 2 am and watched another Dominion War arc ep. I tell you, people, there is NOTHING like a DS9 bedtime story when the sheep just refuse to do their job.
Anyway, the whole sleepness night IS relevant, as starting early this morning, the phone started ringing off the hook for the home builder. And as I was fast asleep (finally), it was rather annoying. Especially because of the whole dual phone thing -- I'd pick it up, and get the busy signal and some confused person asking for the home builder; needless to say, they couldn't hear me over the busy signal. Around 6:50, I gave up on the possibility of an extra 10 minutes of sleep and got up. I also ignored the phone which kept ringing through MY THIRTY MINUTES WITH KATIE AND MATT.
During the day, I kept checking Ma Bell's website, and it kept saying there was a repair report out on my line and that it would be fixed by 7 pm Wednesday. I fully intended to come home tonight, absolutely antsy and pulling my hair out and then, of course, curling up in a ball on the floor in withdrawal. But I went to yoga first, so when I came home, I was actually pretty well relaxed and oxygenated. And hungry. And what do you know, Ma Bell had called and said she fixed my line! Of course, my voice mail was full of hang-ups of busy dial tones, but that didn't matter, because Ma Bell had come through, had delivered MORE THAN SHE PROMISED, and my line was fixed, and I didn't have to worry about another 24 hours without Internet and I'm glad it got straightened out before my DSL ordered arrived. Sheesh.
I was knocked off line because my phone line went kaput. I came home to discover not only was my phone ringing off the hook -- because it was crossed with a home builder's line -- but also everytime I called out, it helpfully dialed the same number I was calling twice. Which meant when I was on the phone with Ma Bell, I was talking to a representative, while in the background I could hear, "Your call is important to us. Please continue to hold." And when Ma Bell called me back, in the background was the operator, admonishing Ma Bell telling her to hang up and please try the call again because the line was busy. Ma Bell then told me the quickest she could get someone to fix my phone was 7 pm on Wednesday.
People, I was looking at more than FORTY EIGHT HOURS WITHOUT THE INTERNET. The phone, not such a big deal, because most people call me on my cell these days. But without the Internet? Monday, I was fine, because I only had about 30 minutes between the time I came home from work to when I had to leave for my swing dance class, and then I didn't come home until close to 10, and ended up chatting with the Maternal Unit and eating chocolate covered coffee beans until about 10:30. Just for the record: eating chocolate covered coffee beans at that hour is a Very Bad Idea (tm) and should not be attempted at home. And then, because I was WIRED, I ended up watching the second half of a Dominion War arc and then when I couldn't sleep that night, I woke up around 2 am and watched another Dominion War arc ep. I tell you, people, there is NOTHING like a DS9 bedtime story when the sheep just refuse to do their job.
Anyway, the whole sleepness night IS relevant, as starting early this morning, the phone started ringing off the hook for the home builder. And as I was fast asleep (finally), it was rather annoying. Especially because of the whole dual phone thing -- I'd pick it up, and get the busy signal and some confused person asking for the home builder; needless to say, they couldn't hear me over the busy signal. Around 6:50, I gave up on the possibility of an extra 10 minutes of sleep and got up. I also ignored the phone which kept ringing through MY THIRTY MINUTES WITH KATIE AND MATT.
During the day, I kept checking Ma Bell's website, and it kept saying there was a repair report out on my line and that it would be fixed by 7 pm Wednesday. I fully intended to come home tonight, absolutely antsy and pulling my hair out and then, of course, curling up in a ball on the floor in withdrawal. But I went to yoga first, so when I came home, I was actually pretty well relaxed and oxygenated. And hungry. And what do you know, Ma Bell had called and said she fixed my line! Of course, my voice mail was full of hang-ups of busy dial tones, but that didn't matter, because Ma Bell had come through, had delivered MORE THAN SHE PROMISED, and my line was fixed, and I didn't have to worry about another 24 hours without Internet and I'm glad it got straightened out before my DSL ordered arrived. Sheesh.
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Word play
The editing continues, and the sheer amount of 'saidisms' is driving me absolutely nuts. On a single page, I've used: confirmed, ventured, confessed, interrupted, pointed out, warned, charged, reasoned and commented. Oh, the sheer pain of it. This is an easy enough edit to make -- I'm just taking the 'saidisms' out and when I go back through, I'll fix the actions/dialogue to make it flow better.
The other issue coming up (other than bad grammar) is the liberal use of adverbs. My current line of thinking is that adverbs should be used sparingly and that the action/dialogue should reveal the information instead of relying on the adverb to convey what the feeling/emotion/action/etc is. So I'm taking the adverbs out across the board -- again another easy edit to make.
A high school teacher once marked us down half a letter grade if we used the verb 'to be' more than twice on a page. At first I disagreed very strongly, especially when I got my first red-lettered D. But over time, I came around to his way of thinking. When I was sitting there, trying to eliminate 'to be' from my writing, I discovered how to construct stronger, shorter, more active sentences. I still try to limit my use of the verb and I may use that same rule for adverbs -- no more than two per page -- and see what happens. As for 'saidisms', I don't know if there's a rule of thumb -- maybe just a couple times throughout the entire story (this is a short story, about 12,000 words) -- or do away with them entirely. Anyone have an idea?
The editing continues, and the sheer amount of 'saidisms' is driving me absolutely nuts. On a single page, I've used: confirmed, ventured, confessed, interrupted, pointed out, warned, charged, reasoned and commented. Oh, the sheer pain of it. This is an easy enough edit to make -- I'm just taking the 'saidisms' out and when I go back through, I'll fix the actions/dialogue to make it flow better.
The other issue coming up (other than bad grammar) is the liberal use of adverbs. My current line of thinking is that adverbs should be used sparingly and that the action/dialogue should reveal the information instead of relying on the adverb to convey what the feeling/emotion/action/etc is. So I'm taking the adverbs out across the board -- again another easy edit to make.
A high school teacher once marked us down half a letter grade if we used the verb 'to be' more than twice on a page. At first I disagreed very strongly, especially when I got my first red-lettered D. But over time, I came around to his way of thinking. When I was sitting there, trying to eliminate 'to be' from my writing, I discovered how to construct stronger, shorter, more active sentences. I still try to limit my use of the verb and I may use that same rule for adverbs -- no more than two per page -- and see what happens. As for 'saidisms', I don't know if there's a rule of thumb -- maybe just a couple times throughout the entire story (this is a short story, about 12,000 words) -- or do away with them entirely. Anyone have an idea?
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Last post of the day
Really, I'm in a bloggy mood -- I haven't blogged this much in nearly year, I don't think. But I swear, this is the last post of the day as I have to go to dinner and there's a whole funny story associated with that plans that probably wouldn't translate well in virtual life, otherwise I'd tell you all about it. That's the problem with virtual life and real life sometimes -- the people don't always know each other and the nuances of both are missed on the other. But really, what I was coming back to say -- even though I should be in my car DRIVING -- that this here is an interesting article on how some major publishers are using the Internet to publicize their authors. Also, on a scary note, Nora Roberts has just completed her 159th novel and unlike Danielle Steele, her books are actually good.
And now really, you guys are somehow going to have to get through the rest of Saturday without a post from me.
Really, I'm in a bloggy mood -- I haven't blogged this much in nearly year, I don't think. But I swear, this is the last post of the day as I have to go to dinner and there's a whole funny story associated with that plans that probably wouldn't translate well in virtual life, otherwise I'd tell you all about it. That's the problem with virtual life and real life sometimes -- the people don't always know each other and the nuances of both are missed on the other. But really, what I was coming back to say -- even though I should be in my car DRIVING -- that this here is an interesting article on how some major publishers are using the Internet to publicize their authors. Also, on a scary note, Nora Roberts has just completed her 159th novel and unlike Danielle Steele, her books are actually good.
And now really, you guys are somehow going to have to get through the rest of Saturday without a post from me.
Here I am, once again*
The previously aforementioned completed first draft (now if that isn't a mouthful!) has inspired me to go back and edit an older piece, a favorite of mine, and reading through it, it reminds exactly why I don't like re-reading. I just find it amazing how in several years my punctuation, grammar and style can change so drastically; I do think I'm more correct now than I was then and thank GOODNESS, I have discovered the goodness of contractions. So in a nutshell, here are the 'mistakes' I picked out during the editing of this story:
1. Contractions good. Very, very good. There are situations where contractions won't make sense, but in general, not using them stilts the dialogue.
2. Someone is speaking, the comma only comes after the 'said' or the 'saidism', and not after something like: He laughed, "You know what I mean." There should be no comma after laughed.
3. And speaking of 'saidisms', get rid of them. Eviscrete them. 'Said' is a perfectly good word to use and should be used many, many times.
4. Sometimes less dialogue is more, especially when chunks of dialogue are whiny. Whiny gets old after a while. Characters ought to be flawed, but there's a fine line there.
5. I'm the queen of redundancy and while I've gotten better at it, going through this story leaves me feeling tired, as if I were writing memos for Very Big Insurance Company, where the style was very often: This is what we're going to tell you, now we're telling you, this is what we've told you.
* Pop culture quiz! What's the reference?
The previously aforementioned completed first draft (now if that isn't a mouthful!) has inspired me to go back and edit an older piece, a favorite of mine, and reading through it, it reminds exactly why I don't like re-reading. I just find it amazing how in several years my punctuation, grammar and style can change so drastically; I do think I'm more correct now than I was then and thank GOODNESS, I have discovered the goodness of contractions. So in a nutshell, here are the 'mistakes' I picked out during the editing of this story:
1. Contractions good. Very, very good. There are situations where contractions won't make sense, but in general, not using them stilts the dialogue.
2. Someone is speaking, the comma only comes after the 'said' or the 'saidism', and not after something like: He laughed, "You know what I mean." There should be no comma after laughed.
3. And speaking of 'saidisms', get rid of them. Eviscrete them. 'Said' is a perfectly good word to use and should be used many, many times.
4. Sometimes less dialogue is more, especially when chunks of dialogue are whiny. Whiny gets old after a while. Characters ought to be flawed, but there's a fine line there.
5. I'm the queen of redundancy and while I've gotten better at it, going through this story leaves me feeling tired, as if I were writing memos for Very Big Insurance Company, where the style was very often: This is what we're going to tell you, now we're telling you, this is what we've told you.
* Pop culture quiz! What's the reference?
Le weekend
It's Saturday and I woke up at 6:35, just like that. Why can't I wake up during the week feeling that wide-eyed and bushy tailed? It is a mystery. I managed to get a story finished and off for comments this morning. I was feeling procrastinatory (is that a word?) but I put myself on a timer and ended up just writing until the time ran out. At the end of the session, I had a completed first draft.
The hard part about writing, I think, is getting started. First drafts are never pretty or easy; I don't believe anyone who says they are. First drafts mean getting the stuff out there, ignoring the inconsistencies, the weird sentence formations and imagery, and wildly out of character moments. First drafts have a lot to do with swallowing pride and just getting the words and gist of the story out there. Draft two is the nuts and bolts, fixing the major plot issues and refining the prose. Draft three, I think, is where everything needs to come together and draft four is the final. Of course, not everyone works this way -- I think writing is very individual and some people are happy with just two drafts. I'm never happy. It's a big reason why I don't re-read my older stuff -- I see Bad Things (tm).
That being said, I feel good about having a first draft of a story that I could think about submitting for a sale. I really want to concentrate on writing professionally and that may mean I can't spend as much time writing for fun. It's a weird shift in mindset, but I think it's a necessary one and I've noticed other fanficcers taking that step -- to focus on professional publication versus spending time writing stories that won't sell. I've learned a lot from fanfic and it's a far cry to say I'm retiring; I refuse to say that. If a fic comes to mind and I have to write it and it doesn't take time from my professional aspirations, then yes, I will write it; it's just no longer going to be my focus.
It's Saturday and I woke up at 6:35, just like that. Why can't I wake up during the week feeling that wide-eyed and bushy tailed? It is a mystery. I managed to get a story finished and off for comments this morning. I was feeling procrastinatory (is that a word?) but I put myself on a timer and ended up just writing until the time ran out. At the end of the session, I had a completed first draft.
The hard part about writing, I think, is getting started. First drafts are never pretty or easy; I don't believe anyone who says they are. First drafts mean getting the stuff out there, ignoring the inconsistencies, the weird sentence formations and imagery, and wildly out of character moments. First drafts have a lot to do with swallowing pride and just getting the words and gist of the story out there. Draft two is the nuts and bolts, fixing the major plot issues and refining the prose. Draft three, I think, is where everything needs to come together and draft four is the final. Of course, not everyone works this way -- I think writing is very individual and some people are happy with just two drafts. I'm never happy. It's a big reason why I don't re-read my older stuff -- I see Bad Things (tm).
That being said, I feel good about having a first draft of a story that I could think about submitting for a sale. I really want to concentrate on writing professionally and that may mean I can't spend as much time writing for fun. It's a weird shift in mindset, but I think it's a necessary one and I've noticed other fanficcers taking that step -- to focus on professional publication versus spending time writing stories that won't sell. I've learned a lot from fanfic and it's a far cry to say I'm retiring; I refuse to say that. If a fic comes to mind and I have to write it and it doesn't take time from my professional aspirations, then yes, I will write it; it's just no longer going to be my focus.
Friday, July 22, 2005
A spoonful of sugar
In the fall of 1997, I was starting my senior year of college. It was supposed to be the best year ever, but it started in the most horrible way and it felt suddenly like there was this world moving around me and I couldn't bring myself to be a part of it. It was the year I entered school as a size 10 and left as a size 2. It was the year I learned what grief was all about and how it can rip your heart out and turn you inside out.
During all of that time, Florida Girl was -- as always -- there, but it was another friend -- Bean -- who seemed to know exactly how I was feeling. She had gone through something similar only a couple years earlier and around her, I didn't have to explain. I clung to her during that first semester. During the holiday break, my grandmother passed away and then a few weeks later, Bean's father passed away suddenly. She came back to school, and this time our positions were reversed. We spent time together, away from the others, because as helpful as all our friends were and no matter how caring and loving, we had this thing -- this massive amount of grief -- that they could not understand and to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure we even wanted to share.
On one of those occasions, we went to the grocery store. It was a bitterly cold day in February and we took the bus. I don't know if we couldn't find Florida Girl -- our usual ride -- or if we just decided it would be a trip just for the two of us. I'm guessing it was the former, as grocery store trips were always a big deal and a group activity. Anyway, that day, we ended up at Stop and Shop and as we were standing to check out, I noticed some cupcakes in the bakery. They were the typical grocery store cupcakes -- 75 percent frosting, 25 percent cake. The frosting was bright blue and swirled up to a little point at the top. I knew at that moment I had to have one. Bean considered just for a moment and then she picked one up too.
We stood out in the cold, with snow about shin deep, and the wind beating at us. The grocery bags were at our feet, and we couldn't see the bus. We stood there and licked the frosting off the cupcakes, and I'm pretty sure we both had frosting all over our faces. We laughed that day, and it's one of the few clear recollections I have of that year -- the two us, beneath the gray sky, eating the scariest looking cupcakes on the face of the earth, and suddenly all the things that were eating away at us were far, far away.
Yesterday, Bean emailed me to say she's bought a plane ticket and she's coming to see me in October. At the end of her note, she wrote, "We should make cupcakes." Over the years, 'cupcakes' have become our code word, our shared secret message to each other when we need to just be and not be fussed over. I think in that moment, we were truly content because we didn't have to pretend we were fine -- we were -- and we weren't thinking about anything else except how ridiculous it was for two twenty-somethings, just months away from graduation, to be licking frosting off cupcakes. And when Bean wrote "We should make cupcakes", it made me smile, because it's one thing to have a memory you cherish; it's another when you realize the other person holds that same moment with similar regard.
In the fall of 1997, I was starting my senior year of college. It was supposed to be the best year ever, but it started in the most horrible way and it felt suddenly like there was this world moving around me and I couldn't bring myself to be a part of it. It was the year I entered school as a size 10 and left as a size 2. It was the year I learned what grief was all about and how it can rip your heart out and turn you inside out.
During all of that time, Florida Girl was -- as always -- there, but it was another friend -- Bean -- who seemed to know exactly how I was feeling. She had gone through something similar only a couple years earlier and around her, I didn't have to explain. I clung to her during that first semester. During the holiday break, my grandmother passed away and then a few weeks later, Bean's father passed away suddenly. She came back to school, and this time our positions were reversed. We spent time together, away from the others, because as helpful as all our friends were and no matter how caring and loving, we had this thing -- this massive amount of grief -- that they could not understand and to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure we even wanted to share.
On one of those occasions, we went to the grocery store. It was a bitterly cold day in February and we took the bus. I don't know if we couldn't find Florida Girl -- our usual ride -- or if we just decided it would be a trip just for the two of us. I'm guessing it was the former, as grocery store trips were always a big deal and a group activity. Anyway, that day, we ended up at Stop and Shop and as we were standing to check out, I noticed some cupcakes in the bakery. They were the typical grocery store cupcakes -- 75 percent frosting, 25 percent cake. The frosting was bright blue and swirled up to a little point at the top. I knew at that moment I had to have one. Bean considered just for a moment and then she picked one up too.
We stood out in the cold, with snow about shin deep, and the wind beating at us. The grocery bags were at our feet, and we couldn't see the bus. We stood there and licked the frosting off the cupcakes, and I'm pretty sure we both had frosting all over our faces. We laughed that day, and it's one of the few clear recollections I have of that year -- the two us, beneath the gray sky, eating the scariest looking cupcakes on the face of the earth, and suddenly all the things that were eating away at us were far, far away.
Yesterday, Bean emailed me to say she's bought a plane ticket and she's coming to see me in October. At the end of her note, she wrote, "We should make cupcakes." Over the years, 'cupcakes' have become our code word, our shared secret message to each other when we need to just be and not be fussed over. I think in that moment, we were truly content because we didn't have to pretend we were fine -- we were -- and we weren't thinking about anything else except how ridiculous it was for two twenty-somethings, just months away from graduation, to be licking frosting off cupcakes. And when Bean wrote "We should make cupcakes", it made me smile, because it's one thing to have a memory you cherish; it's another when you realize the other person holds that same moment with similar regard.
Taking the plunge
Today, I picked up the phone and I called the DSL people, and even though I strenuously -- STRENUOUSLY -- object to some of their policies, I ordered DSL. People, I'm gonna be SO on the INFORMATION SUPER HIGHWAY*. I know you guys are sitting there saying, "Well, what took you so long?" Would you believe it was FEAR? FEAR OF TECHNOLOGY? Last year, I actually ordered DSL, and then the box came, and the box was as big as my television and I just PANICKED. I opened the box and there were instructions about taking your computer apart, about buying this piece of hardware, of installing this kind of software, and I swear, every geek cell in my body just IMPLODED. I grabbed the UPS shipping labels out of the box, sealed it back up and sent the whole kit and caboodle back to whatever Tech Hell it had come from.
This time though, no such luck. I am being forced to adapt because my father has made the decision to drop dial-up and go to DSL. How does this affect me, given that the parental units live three hours to the west of me? For the last few years, I've been piggy-backing on their dial-up connection. For me it was a great deal, as I got to zip along at a rather speedy 50.6 bps. For my parents, not so fast -- top cruising speed for them was around 26.8 bps. My father finally decided he could not take the slowness anymore and dumped the dial-up and ordered DSL. Which meant I could either stay with his ISP and switch it over to my name, or face my fears and order DSL (which now costs the same -- $14.95/month -- as the ISP). So despite the fact I'm frequently irrational, I did the rational thing and ordered the DSL. If there's one thing that conquers my fear of anything, it's finding a good bargain.
*Another phrase that also needs to be banned from the lexicon, and I will try not to use it in my blog again.
Today, I picked up the phone and I called the DSL people, and even though I strenuously -- STRENUOUSLY -- object to some of their policies, I ordered DSL. People, I'm gonna be SO on the INFORMATION SUPER HIGHWAY*. I know you guys are sitting there saying, "Well, what took you so long?" Would you believe it was FEAR? FEAR OF TECHNOLOGY? Last year, I actually ordered DSL, and then the box came, and the box was as big as my television and I just PANICKED. I opened the box and there were instructions about taking your computer apart, about buying this piece of hardware, of installing this kind of software, and I swear, every geek cell in my body just IMPLODED. I grabbed the UPS shipping labels out of the box, sealed it back up and sent the whole kit and caboodle back to whatever Tech Hell it had come from.
This time though, no such luck. I am being forced to adapt because my father has made the decision to drop dial-up and go to DSL. How does this affect me, given that the parental units live three hours to the west of me? For the last few years, I've been piggy-backing on their dial-up connection. For me it was a great deal, as I got to zip along at a rather speedy 50.6 bps. For my parents, not so fast -- top cruising speed for them was around 26.8 bps. My father finally decided he could not take the slowness anymore and dumped the dial-up and ordered DSL. Which meant I could either stay with his ISP and switch it over to my name, or face my fears and order DSL (which now costs the same -- $14.95/month -- as the ISP). So despite the fact I'm frequently irrational, I did the rational thing and ordered the DSL. If there's one thing that conquers my fear of anything, it's finding a good bargain.
*Another phrase that also needs to be banned from the lexicon, and I will try not to use it in my blog again.
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
As the press turns
I'm about 400 pages into Harry Potter, but while I've been reading like a mad woman, Stuff (tm) has been happening in the world, apparently. I hear Karl Rove got kicked off the front pages because the President has nominated John Roberts to the Supreme Court. I don't actually have an opinion on Roberts yet, because I don't know enough about him to form one. I do admit to not understanding what "legislating from the bench" or "activist judge" means; those phrases are starting to grate on me, much the same way as "weapons of mass destruction" and "war on terror" do; begone from the lexicon already!
Also, at dinner tonight, my attention kept getting drawn to the flat screen television mounted above the diners. It was tuned to ABC, and "Brat Camp" came on and I got a kick out of the labels slapped onto each of the kids: 'Angry Punk' 'Self-Destructive Teen', 'Steals from Mom'. I was greatly amused, but no one else seemed to share my amusement. They were too busy outing me as a liberal Democrat (I 'fessed as my undergrad alma mater pretty much blows my cover), but then they pronounced me "good people anyway." By that pronouncement, there is more than one of me. Now tell me, what is scarier than two Seemas? Not much, I don't think.
I'm about 400 pages into Harry Potter, but while I've been reading like a mad woman, Stuff (tm) has been happening in the world, apparently. I hear Karl Rove got kicked off the front pages because the President has nominated John Roberts to the Supreme Court. I don't actually have an opinion on Roberts yet, because I don't know enough about him to form one. I do admit to not understanding what "legislating from the bench" or "activist judge" means; those phrases are starting to grate on me, much the same way as "weapons of mass destruction" and "war on terror" do; begone from the lexicon already!
Also, at dinner tonight, my attention kept getting drawn to the flat screen television mounted above the diners. It was tuned to ABC, and "Brat Camp" came on and I got a kick out of the labels slapped onto each of the kids: 'Angry Punk' 'Self-Destructive Teen', 'Steals from Mom'. I was greatly amused, but no one else seemed to share my amusement. They were too busy outing me as a liberal Democrat (I 'fessed as my undergrad alma mater pretty much blows my cover), but then they pronounced me "good people anyway." By that pronouncement, there is more than one of me. Now tell me, what is scarier than two Seemas? Not much, I don't think.
Monday, July 18, 2005
The real magic
When I got my futon, I moved my IKEA chair into an unused corner of my bedroom. Along with a halogen lamp and a foot rest thingy, it made up my 'reading corner'. At one point, I even had a green basket (a gift from The Fainter) filled with magazines at the foot of the IKEA chair. It looked very nice; I just never actually sat down and read it in.
This past weekend, I've on a reading binge. I've always loved to read, but the last few years, it's been more like a book a month -- reading time has been reduced to a few pages every night just before I fall asleep. But something sparked in me last week. I think it was when I was putting my name on the waiting list for the latest Harry Potter and I realized I could peruse the whole library catalog from the comfort of my home office and have the books waiting for me when I got to the library. I went a little insane :-)
Today, I picked up my copy of Harry Potter from the library. Amazingly, for being 274th on the waiting list, I got the email notice on Saturday itself. But before there was Harry, I ran through The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold and The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler. Both books, btw, are well worth reading as the prose and character nuances are amazing. At any rate, since Thursday, I've sat in my reading corner, read two novels and the first two chapters of the new HP and it's been fun and wondered, why don't I do this more often?
Here's the other thing: I don't remember much about the fifth HP book and I'm afraid to look up a summary in case of spoilers. So if someone knows where there's a fifth book synopsis without spoilers and will tell me about it, I will love you forever and ever. And now, Muggles, I'm off to see just how much of a dent I can make in the latest Hogwarts hijinks before I'm forced to call it a night.
When I got my futon, I moved my IKEA chair into an unused corner of my bedroom. Along with a halogen lamp and a foot rest thingy, it made up my 'reading corner'. At one point, I even had a green basket (a gift from The Fainter) filled with magazines at the foot of the IKEA chair. It looked very nice; I just never actually sat down and read it in.
This past weekend, I've on a reading binge. I've always loved to read, but the last few years, it's been more like a book a month -- reading time has been reduced to a few pages every night just before I fall asleep. But something sparked in me last week. I think it was when I was putting my name on the waiting list for the latest Harry Potter and I realized I could peruse the whole library catalog from the comfort of my home office and have the books waiting for me when I got to the library. I went a little insane :-)
Today, I picked up my copy of Harry Potter from the library. Amazingly, for being 274th on the waiting list, I got the email notice on Saturday itself. But before there was Harry, I ran through The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold and The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler. Both books, btw, are well worth reading as the prose and character nuances are amazing. At any rate, since Thursday, I've sat in my reading corner, read two novels and the first two chapters of the new HP and it's been fun and wondered, why don't I do this more often?
Here's the other thing: I don't remember much about the fifth HP book and I'm afraid to look up a summary in case of spoilers. So if someone knows where there's a fifth book synopsis without spoilers and will tell me about it, I will love you forever and ever. And now, Muggles, I'm off to see just how much of a dent I can make in the latest Hogwarts hijinks before I'm forced to call it a night.
Saturday, July 16, 2005
Holy left foot, Batman!
Thanks to the efforts of my uncle -- for saving the article -- and Kiran - for scanning the picture -- I hereby present to you the infamous foot picture. Yes, people, you are reading the blog of possibly the only person in the world who has had her foot and ONLY her foot published in the Small Business section of the newspaper. You got to love Sweat Sock City Chronicle.
Thanks to the efforts of my uncle -- for saving the article -- and Kiran - for scanning the picture -- I hereby present to you the infamous foot picture. Yes, people, you are reading the blog of possibly the only person in the world who has had her foot and ONLY her foot published in the Small Business section of the newspaper. You got to love Sweat Sock City Chronicle.
Friday, July 15, 2005
Don't it always seem to go*
Wednesday night, some of us went out for tapas at this really popular restaurant in this really popular part of Sweat Sock City. I was SO excited because I managed to score a parking spot right across the street from the restaurant, and I snagged the spot even though the sign said "For Arcade Customers Only. All Others Will Be Towed At Their Own Expense." In retrospect, a tow sign isn't half as scary as the one on the Brandenburg Gate, warning you away from the East Berlin. But I digress.
I was able to watch my car from the window of the tapas restaurant, and prepared my friend for the possibility that I'd have to jump up from my seat and run after a tow truck. Obviously, I didn't get towed, and the evening ended well at a faux-French bakery where we enjoyed dessert and coffee. The story really begins the next morning when I pulled into work and realized that my wonderful, choice parking spot had also been the wonderful, choice spot for birds. So off I went at lunch to a nearby gas station to get a car wash. I paid $6 for 'the works' wash, which, incidentally cost the same as the 'express' wash; I think the marketing at Exxon needs a little work. I'm just saying. Either way, I wasn't terribly happy with the wash as it left some bird souveniers on the hood.
Anyway, an hour after I got my car washed, the skies went black, and opened up like no one's business. I stood there at the windows, completely aghast, as rain PELTED the pavement, the rain drops smacking up from the puddles, and thunder and lightening boomed and crackled. And this went on for HOURS. Parts of Sweat Sock City flooded. We hadn't seen rain in a month and then all of a sudden, gallons and gallons overflowed the streets and pushed the manhole covers up from the road. When I went home, the rain had slowed to a light sprinkle, and I checked out the hood of my car; the rainstorm had pretty much finished the job Exxon had started. Man. For $6, I could have had a burrito.
* Bonus points to anyone who figured out today's pop culture reference
Wednesday night, some of us went out for tapas at this really popular restaurant in this really popular part of Sweat Sock City. I was SO excited because I managed to score a parking spot right across the street from the restaurant, and I snagged the spot even though the sign said "For Arcade Customers Only. All Others Will Be Towed At Their Own Expense." In retrospect, a tow sign isn't half as scary as the one on the Brandenburg Gate, warning you away from the East Berlin. But I digress.
I was able to watch my car from the window of the tapas restaurant, and prepared my friend for the possibility that I'd have to jump up from my seat and run after a tow truck. Obviously, I didn't get towed, and the evening ended well at a faux-French bakery where we enjoyed dessert and coffee. The story really begins the next morning when I pulled into work and realized that my wonderful, choice parking spot had also been the wonderful, choice spot for birds. So off I went at lunch to a nearby gas station to get a car wash. I paid $6 for 'the works' wash, which, incidentally cost the same as the 'express' wash; I think the marketing at Exxon needs a little work. I'm just saying. Either way, I wasn't terribly happy with the wash as it left some bird souveniers on the hood.
Anyway, an hour after I got my car washed, the skies went black, and opened up like no one's business. I stood there at the windows, completely aghast, as rain PELTED the pavement, the rain drops smacking up from the puddles, and thunder and lightening boomed and crackled. And this went on for HOURS. Parts of Sweat Sock City flooded. We hadn't seen rain in a month and then all of a sudden, gallons and gallons overflowed the streets and pushed the manhole covers up from the road. When I went home, the rain had slowed to a light sprinkle, and I checked out the hood of my car; the rainstorm had pretty much finished the job Exxon had started. Man. For $6, I could have had a burrito.
* Bonus points to anyone who figured out today's pop culture reference
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Hodgepotch
Thing the First: The Fainter now has me on 24/7 Judith Miller/Matt Cooper/Robert Novak/Karl Rove 'duty'. In the course of fulfilling my obligations, I came across the transcript of Scott McClellan's press briefing from yesterday. It's possibly the most unintentionally hilarious thing I've read in a long time. Poor Scott. He's either been caught in a lie or he has been duped by people he trusted.
Thing the Second: I really, really, really don't like the phrase 'first annual'. I mean, really, how anything that's happening for the first time be 'annual'? It's only annual if it happens a year after the first time. When you stick the word 'annual' after 'first', it implies a hope and a promise that this event is indeed going to happen next year (and nowhere is there ever an asterisk with the words 'unless we bomb'). Call me a pessimist, but I think 'annual' should start with 'second' and go from there.
Thing the Third: I have a confession to make. Watch this space. No, not THAT kind of confession. Sheesh, people. I'll give you a hint. It's where I've been spending my free time. No, no, not there either. Man. You people.
Thing the First: The Fainter now has me on 24/7 Judith Miller/Matt Cooper/Robert Novak/Karl Rove 'duty'. In the course of fulfilling my obligations, I came across the transcript of Scott McClellan's press briefing from yesterday. It's possibly the most unintentionally hilarious thing I've read in a long time. Poor Scott. He's either been caught in a lie or he has been duped by people he trusted.
Thing the Second: I really, really, really don't like the phrase 'first annual'. I mean, really, how anything that's happening for the first time be 'annual'? It's only annual if it happens a year after the first time. When you stick the word 'annual' after 'first', it implies a hope and a promise that this event is indeed going to happen next year (and nowhere is there ever an asterisk with the words 'unless we bomb'). Call me a pessimist, but I think 'annual' should start with 'second' and go from there.
Thing the Third: I have a confession to make. Watch this space. No, not THAT kind of confession. Sheesh, people. I'll give you a hint. It's where I've been spending my free time. No, no, not there either. Man. You people.
Sunday, July 10, 2005
On a lighter note
It feels weird to abruptly switch gears and go from talking about Al-Qaeda to movies, but A-Q already gets more attention -- and legitimacy -- than they deserve, so I'm going to talk about the movies.
This weekend, I finished watching one of my favorite Hindi movies, Guide. This is just one of those films I've always adored, and even though I've seen it several times prior to this weekend, this is the first time I really understood what was going on. It's a more complex storyline than most Bollywood pictures, and a good chunk of the movie is in flashback -- which I never realized until now -- but I've always been struck by the lead actors and oh that musical score. I love Waheeda Rehman's youthful exuberance as she dances in the temple -- barefoot! -- in Aaj Phir Jeene ki Tamanna Hai. It's the ultimate sign of freedom -- she doesn't care what society thinks, she just wants to be herself. My other favorite song is the ballad, Gaata Rahe Mera Dil, with the lovely scenary and possibly in that song, both Dev Anand and Rehman are in full bloom. I also like that the usual conventions of Bollywood films are turned upside down in this movie and the ending isn't typical whatsoever in that the hero, Raju, dies.
Dev Anand's Raju is complex and flawed; he starts off as a good guy and then gets drunk -- literally -- on success as Rehman's Nalini/Rosie's career takes off. In the ultimate act of redemption, he sacrifices himself to end a drought for a starving village. That he dies in Nalini's arms is about as romantic an ending as this film is going to give. In a typical Bollywood film, he would miraculously rise from his deathbed, proclaim his love for Nalini, and then they would dance off into the sunset together. The ending also takes on a spiritual and philosophical bent as Raju gets closer and closer to death and in the process, exorcises his own demons.
I understand I've probably spoiled the movie now for anyone who wants to see it, but it is over 40 years old (g) and yes, it has its cinematic and storytelling weakenesses. That being said it's an amazing film, and really, just that one scene of Rehman in her sky blue sari, running through the temple, with Lata Mangeshkar's voice soaring (surely in its heydey -- the only other Mangeshkar song I think is more perfect than Aaj Phir Jeene... is Khabi Khabi from the film of the same name) is worth the 3 hour viewing time.
It feels weird to abruptly switch gears and go from talking about Al-Qaeda to movies, but A-Q already gets more attention -- and legitimacy -- than they deserve, so I'm going to talk about the movies.
This weekend, I finished watching one of my favorite Hindi movies, Guide. This is just one of those films I've always adored, and even though I've seen it several times prior to this weekend, this is the first time I really understood what was going on. It's a more complex storyline than most Bollywood pictures, and a good chunk of the movie is in flashback -- which I never realized until now -- but I've always been struck by the lead actors and oh that musical score. I love Waheeda Rehman's youthful exuberance as she dances in the temple -- barefoot! -- in Aaj Phir Jeene ki Tamanna Hai. It's the ultimate sign of freedom -- she doesn't care what society thinks, she just wants to be herself. My other favorite song is the ballad, Gaata Rahe Mera Dil, with the lovely scenary and possibly in that song, both Dev Anand and Rehman are in full bloom. I also like that the usual conventions of Bollywood films are turned upside down in this movie and the ending isn't typical whatsoever in that the hero, Raju, dies.
Dev Anand's Raju is complex and flawed; he starts off as a good guy and then gets drunk -- literally -- on success as Rehman's Nalini/Rosie's career takes off. In the ultimate act of redemption, he sacrifices himself to end a drought for a starving village. That he dies in Nalini's arms is about as romantic an ending as this film is going to give. In a typical Bollywood film, he would miraculously rise from his deathbed, proclaim his love for Nalini, and then they would dance off into the sunset together. The ending also takes on a spiritual and philosophical bent as Raju gets closer and closer to death and in the process, exorcises his own demons.
I understand I've probably spoiled the movie now for anyone who wants to see it, but it is over 40 years old (g) and yes, it has its cinematic and storytelling weakenesses. That being said it's an amazing film, and really, just that one scene of Rehman in her sky blue sari, running through the temple, with Lata Mangeshkar's voice soaring (surely in its heydey -- the only other Mangeshkar song I think is more perfect than Aaj Phir Jeene... is Khabi Khabi from the film of the same name) is worth the 3 hour viewing time.
Friday, July 08, 2005
Attack of the weenies
The thing about Al-Qaeda that is seriously annoying -- I mean, other than the mass murdering aspect of the organization -- is that they don't actually seem to have any goals in life other than to end up in a blissful place where many, many virgins wait on them hand and foot. And since they don't have any goals in life, they're bent on disrupting everyone around them who might be trying to make a change for the better. Forget the jihad on the 'infidels', apparently fellow Muslims are fair game too as evidenced by the execution of the top Egyptian envoy to Iraq.
If I had a chance to sit down with Osama Bin-Laden and his goons, I'd ask them straight out, "What is it that you're actually trying to gain by killing all of these people?" I don't buy the whole "we hate America" argument and I'm not particularly enamoured of the President's "they hate freedom" argument. It's not necessarily that Al-Qaeda hates freedom or America, but rather that they don't have anything else to do. I mean, how bored do you have to be to have lost all love for humankind, and hell, your own life that you are willing to strap on explosives, get on a crowded bus, and blow yourself up? Especially if you don't actually accomplish anything? To me, that's not a fight against 'freedom' or America or anything else -- those people who are pissed off because they don't have any other way to be.
Other terrorist organizations like the PLO and IRA blew things up, but they also had a political wing, and an aim in mind. Al-Qaeda doesn't have a list of demands and it doesn't seem like they want anyone else to have an opportunity to better themselves; hence, they're attacking Iraqis who are training to be soldiers and police; Osama, dude, if you keep killing Iraqis off, we Americans aren't going to be leaving any time soon, which no doubt, is gonna make you even more purple-faced than you already are. But logic isn't the name of the game here. AQ may be many things, but rational isn't one of them.
Wanton destruction without a list of demands, well, that's just a waste of resources -- expending energy, capital and skill sets in missions that don't actually produce a return of any kind. Acting all pompous and "We bring the infidels to their knees", well, that's bravado. Newsflash AQ: Western civilization is still here. Maybe Al-Qaeda just likes chaos, maybe they like playing David to what they see as Goliath -- Western Civilization -- or maybe they just like getting attention. They're probably high fiving right now over the bombings in London saying, "Ha! We did it again! We terrorized people."
Sorry, Osama. Sorry, Zarqawi. Hate to disappoint you, but you don't scare me because you are all a bunch of weenies. If you're gonna fight a battle, at least be man enough to show your face in public and heck, maybe even think about pulling up a chair to the negotiating table and telling us just what it is we need to do to make you go away. Stop with all of this cave-hopping nonsense. The fact that you can haul butt through Afghanistan and Pakistan tells me you've got some game in those frail bones of yours, but honestly, Osama, I think you're lazy and it shows in your 'work'.
Al-Qaeda goes after soft targets because it's easy and they don't even make a pretense of wanting anything of all the murder, mischief and mayhem. They have beheaded many people, and in some cases, made demands that were obviously not going to be met by various governments. Al-Qaeda in those cases was either optimistic or just plain bent on spilling blood that it just kept on kidnapping and killing. It wouldn't have matter if President Bush had said, "Let's go home, boys," after the first American was captured. Al-Qaeda would have killed him anyway and then found something else to get pissed off about, because that's what they do.
I'm still a firm opponent of the war in Iraq. I don't think the war in Iraq has made us safer. Rather, it has moved Americans to a place where they can be easier targets for the jihadists who clearly don't want to have to work at making their non-point and who have nothing to lose and nothing to gain. You can bet Al-Qaeda is thrilled to pieces to have so many of the infidels in their midst, making it so easy for them to find something to do. It doesn't occur to Al-Qaeda that maybe they ought to take up bridge-building or figure ways to restore water and electricity. Progress isn't what Al-Qaeda is all about and until they find a hobby that doesn't involve killing and maiming, we're stuck with them.
The sad fact of the situation is, our brave men and women over there are taking the heat for us. Sign up for the Army these days and you're essentially volunteering to be a target for Al-Qaeda. But there's a courage in deciding that something must be done and working towards a goal and regardless of my feelings about the Iraqi war, I admire those people who are over there shouldering the burden for the rest of us. Working towards change means something. Fighting against change because you're too scared to accept the premise that you might be actually benefit from opportunity and new ways of thinking, well, that's not a quality that's attractive to virgins. I'm just saying.
The thing about Al-Qaeda that is seriously annoying -- I mean, other than the mass murdering aspect of the organization -- is that they don't actually seem to have any goals in life other than to end up in a blissful place where many, many virgins wait on them hand and foot. And since they don't have any goals in life, they're bent on disrupting everyone around them who might be trying to make a change for the better. Forget the jihad on the 'infidels', apparently fellow Muslims are fair game too as evidenced by the execution of the top Egyptian envoy to Iraq.
If I had a chance to sit down with Osama Bin-Laden and his goons, I'd ask them straight out, "What is it that you're actually trying to gain by killing all of these people?" I don't buy the whole "we hate America" argument and I'm not particularly enamoured of the President's "they hate freedom" argument. It's not necessarily that Al-Qaeda hates freedom or America, but rather that they don't have anything else to do. I mean, how bored do you have to be to have lost all love for humankind, and hell, your own life that you are willing to strap on explosives, get on a crowded bus, and blow yourself up? Especially if you don't actually accomplish anything? To me, that's not a fight against 'freedom' or America or anything else -- those people who are pissed off because they don't have any other way to be.
Other terrorist organizations like the PLO and IRA blew things up, but they also had a political wing, and an aim in mind. Al-Qaeda doesn't have a list of demands and it doesn't seem like they want anyone else to have an opportunity to better themselves; hence, they're attacking Iraqis who are training to be soldiers and police; Osama, dude, if you keep killing Iraqis off, we Americans aren't going to be leaving any time soon, which no doubt, is gonna make you even more purple-faced than you already are. But logic isn't the name of the game here. AQ may be many things, but rational isn't one of them.
Wanton destruction without a list of demands, well, that's just a waste of resources -- expending energy, capital and skill sets in missions that don't actually produce a return of any kind. Acting all pompous and "We bring the infidels to their knees", well, that's bravado. Newsflash AQ: Western civilization is still here. Maybe Al-Qaeda just likes chaos, maybe they like playing David to what they see as Goliath -- Western Civilization -- or maybe they just like getting attention. They're probably high fiving right now over the bombings in London saying, "Ha! We did it again! We terrorized people."
Sorry, Osama. Sorry, Zarqawi. Hate to disappoint you, but you don't scare me because you are all a bunch of weenies. If you're gonna fight a battle, at least be man enough to show your face in public and heck, maybe even think about pulling up a chair to the negotiating table and telling us just what it is we need to do to make you go away. Stop with all of this cave-hopping nonsense. The fact that you can haul butt through Afghanistan and Pakistan tells me you've got some game in those frail bones of yours, but honestly, Osama, I think you're lazy and it shows in your 'work'.
Al-Qaeda goes after soft targets because it's easy and they don't even make a pretense of wanting anything of all the murder, mischief and mayhem. They have beheaded many people, and in some cases, made demands that were obviously not going to be met by various governments. Al-Qaeda in those cases was either optimistic or just plain bent on spilling blood that it just kept on kidnapping and killing. It wouldn't have matter if President Bush had said, "Let's go home, boys," after the first American was captured. Al-Qaeda would have killed him anyway and then found something else to get pissed off about, because that's what they do.
I'm still a firm opponent of the war in Iraq. I don't think the war in Iraq has made us safer. Rather, it has moved Americans to a place where they can be easier targets for the jihadists who clearly don't want to have to work at making their non-point and who have nothing to lose and nothing to gain. You can bet Al-Qaeda is thrilled to pieces to have so many of the infidels in their midst, making it so easy for them to find something to do. It doesn't occur to Al-Qaeda that maybe they ought to take up bridge-building or figure ways to restore water and electricity. Progress isn't what Al-Qaeda is all about and until they find a hobby that doesn't involve killing and maiming, we're stuck with them.
The sad fact of the situation is, our brave men and women over there are taking the heat for us. Sign up for the Army these days and you're essentially volunteering to be a target for Al-Qaeda. But there's a courage in deciding that something must be done and working towards a goal and regardless of my feelings about the Iraqi war, I admire those people who are over there shouldering the burden for the rest of us. Working towards change means something. Fighting against change because you're too scared to accept the premise that you might be actually benefit from opportunity and new ways of thinking, well, that's not a quality that's attractive to virgins. I'm just saying.
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