time to announce the winner of the quote game!
4th place is...
sarah with 3 right answers.
3rd place is....
leah with 4 right answers.
2nd place is...
beth with five right answers.
and the winner is...
my friend from high school, emily! with EIGHT answers right! amazing. her husband is in the navy. just thought i'd add that. she has a cooking blog, and an etsy with really cute jewelry and other crafts.
so here are the quotes, matched with my margin notes. and a brief explanation, if necessary.
"Before concluding our narrative, we offer a reminder, and an explanation, of the one period in which the government as a whole seemed to be acting in concert to deal with terrorism - the last weeks of December 1999 preceding the millennium." - quote
Y2K. come on. aren't we all kind of embarrassed by the frenzy/fear/irrational behavior that was displayed during that time? and it's being used as an example of how the government did something well. so...
"what a great example of how rational our government is" - note.
"In chapter 4, we mentioned officials worriedly discussing, in 1998, reports that Bin Ladin's associates thought their leader was intent on carrying out a 'Hiroshima.'" - report
"what incredible irony" - note
the terrorist was modeling his behavior after the united states government. read that a few times. just...think about that.
"Vague goals match an amorphous picture of the enemy. Al Qaeda and its affiliates are popularly described as being all over the world, adaptable, resilient, needing little higher-level organization, and capable of anything. The American people are thus given the picture of an omnipotent, unslayable hydra of destruction." - report
"and who painted that picture?" - note
i have not the words.
"...the administration, and the CIA in particular, was in the midst of intense scrutiny and criticism in May 1999 because faulty intelligence had just led the United States to mistakenly bomb the Chinese embassy in Belgrade during the NATO war against Serbia." - report
"? wow." - note
is it really that shocking that people in the world want to attack us?
this next one is painful.
"American foreign policy is part of the message. America's policy choices have consequences. Right or wrong, it is simply a fact that American policy regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and American actions in Iraq are dominant staples of popular commentary across the Arab and Muslim world. That does not mean U.S. choices have been wrong." - report
"oh, so close" - note
any war against any enemy will be LOST if the diagnosis of the problem is incorrect. i was following the train of thought until that last line. this country does not rule the world. we have to consider what other nations think of our actions. we can't do whatever we want.
oh wait, this one is pretty painful too:
"...Berger recalled that to go to war, a president needs to be able to say that his senior intelligence and law enforcement officers have concluded who is responsible." - report
"YES" - note
berger recalled. berger RECALLED???????? as an afterthought? a fleeting thought?
oh he recalled that, did he.
seems.
sort of.
essential.
moving on.
"In the nearly three years since 9/11, Americans have become better protected against terrorist attack. Some of the changes are due to government action, such as new precautions to protect aircraft. A portion can be attributed to the sheer scale of spending and effort. Publicity and the vigilance of ordinary Americans also make a difference. But the President and other officials acknowledge that although Americans may be safer, they are not safe." - report
"this makes me want to puke in someone's face." - note
once again, in order to keep support for the wars going, people have to be made to be afraid. as long as people are afraid...they'll submit to anything. any TSA regulations. any kind of discrimination of people. profiling. etc. this makes me want to puke in someone's face.
"Officers at the CIA had worried that giving him a green light might cross the line into violation of the assassination ban." - report
"ahh, i miss the days when we frowned on assassinations." - note
because, if you didn't know, there are some u.s. citizens targeted for assassinations. without a trial. does it strike anyone else as odd that we'd deny our own citizens basic rights, while deeming it our responsibility to spread democracy to every corner of the earth?
"Allegations that the United States abused prisoners in its custody make it harder to build the diplomatic, political, and military alliances the government will need." - report
"to put it mildly." - note
sweet, humanitarian, moral leader of the world, united states government...abuser of prisoners...
huh?
"The United States should rebuild the scholarship, exchange, and library programs that reach out to young people and offer them knowledge and hope. Where such assistance is provided, it should be identified as coming from the citizens of the United States." - report
"for crying out loud, is this a PR campaign or a genuine desire for change?" - note
the end.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
this one's for you, mom.
today i was on the phone, and i received an instant message type thing from a male coworker, asking me to take a look at something.
in response, i typed:
SEX.
it was supposed to be "SEC"
.........
thankfully, i noticed before i hit "enter" and changed it.
phew.
world's most awkward moment avoided.
this was not a freudian slip. C and X are located right next to each other on the keyboard. i had only one free hand.
that'll be it for today.
in response, i typed:
SEX.
it was supposed to be "SEC"
.........
thankfully, i noticed before i hit "enter" and changed it.
phew.
world's most awkward moment avoided.
this was not a freudian slip. C and X are located right next to each other on the keyboard. i had only one free hand.
that'll be it for today.
Monday, April 4, 2011
we're all losers in this scenario.
i finished the 9/11 commission report. so now it's time to play a game. there will be an actual winner. with an actual prize.
i wrote a lot of things in the margins of this book. it started out with substantial criticism. toward the end of the book, i was so worn out and frustrated i started writing things like "UGH" instead of "this is a phrase used to justify new and creative ways of bending the constitution to the will of the executive."
so here's the game. can you match my vague margin note with the quote that inspired it? whoever wins gets to choose from this selection of prizes:
1) an edible american treat
2) a book on a political topic you'd like to learn more about but don't know where to start
3) a conversation with me about THIS book
if i was you, i'd pick number two. i tried to come up with a few options for different personality types. you have people that like to read. people that like to talk. and people that just like to win and want a treat. plus, i want to include those outside my baking radius.
let's play.
first, the margin notes:
1) ? wow.
2) ahh, i miss the days when we frowned on assassinations.
3) YES
4) what a great example of how rational our government is
5) and who painted that picture?
6) oh, so close
7) for crying out loud, is this a PR campaign or a genuine desire for change?
8) to put it mildly.
9) what incredible irony
10) this makes me want to puke in someone's face.
and the quotes to match them with...
A) "Before concluding our narrative, we offer a reminder, and an explanation, of the one period in which the government as a whole seemed to be acting in concert to deal with terrorism - the last weeks of December 1999 preceding the millennium."
B) "In chapter 4, we mentioned officials worriedly discussing, in 1998, reports that Bin Ladin's associates thought their leader was intent on carrying out a 'Hiroshima.'"
C) "Vague goals match an amorphous picture of the enemy. Al Qaeda and its affiliates are popularly described as being all over the world, adaptable, resilient, needing little higher-level organization, and capable of anything. The American people are thus given the picture of an omnipotent, unslayable hydra of destruction."
D) "...the administration, and the CIA in particular, was in the midst of intense scrutiny and criticism in May 1999 because faulty intelligence had just led the United States to mistakenly bomb the Chinese embassy in Belgrade during the NATO war against Serbia."
E) "American foreign policy is part of the message. America's policy choices have consequences. Right or wrong, it is simply a fact that American policy regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and American actions in Iraq are dominant staples of popular commentary across the Arab and Muslim world. That does not mean U.S. choices have been wrong."
F) "...Berger recalled that to go to war, a president needs to be able to say that his senior intelligence and law enforcement officers have concluded who is responsible."
G) "In the nearly three years since 9/11, Americans have become better protected against terrorist attack. Some of the changes are due to government action, such as new precautions to protect aircraft. A portion can be attributed to the sheer scale of spending and effort. Publicity and the vigilance of ordinary Americans also make a difference. But the President and other officials acknowledge that although Americans may be safer, they are not safe."
H) "Officers at the CIA had worried that giving him a green light might cross the line into violation of the assassination ban."
I) "Allegations that the United States abused prisoners in its custody make it harder to build the diplomatic, political, and military alliances the government will need."
J) "The United States should rebuild the scholarship, exchange, and library programs that reach out to young people and offer them knowledge and hope. Where such assistance is provided, it should be identified as coming from the citizens of the United States."
isn't this so fun?
if people tie, whoever answered first wins.
i wrote a lot of things in the margins of this book. it started out with substantial criticism. toward the end of the book, i was so worn out and frustrated i started writing things like "UGH" instead of "this is a phrase used to justify new and creative ways of bending the constitution to the will of the executive."
so here's the game. can you match my vague margin note with the quote that inspired it? whoever wins gets to choose from this selection of prizes:
1) an edible american treat
2) a book on a political topic you'd like to learn more about but don't know where to start
3) a conversation with me about THIS book
if i was you, i'd pick number two. i tried to come up with a few options for different personality types. you have people that like to read. people that like to talk. and people that just like to win and want a treat. plus, i want to include those outside my baking radius.
let's play.
first, the margin notes:
1) ? wow.
2) ahh, i miss the days when we frowned on assassinations.
3) YES
4) what a great example of how rational our government is
5) and who painted that picture?
6) oh, so close
7) for crying out loud, is this a PR campaign or a genuine desire for change?
8) to put it mildly.
9) what incredible irony
10) this makes me want to puke in someone's face.
and the quotes to match them with...
A) "Before concluding our narrative, we offer a reminder, and an explanation, of the one period in which the government as a whole seemed to be acting in concert to deal with terrorism - the last weeks of December 1999 preceding the millennium."
B) "In chapter 4, we mentioned officials worriedly discussing, in 1998, reports that Bin Ladin's associates thought their leader was intent on carrying out a 'Hiroshima.'"
C) "Vague goals match an amorphous picture of the enemy. Al Qaeda and its affiliates are popularly described as being all over the world, adaptable, resilient, needing little higher-level organization, and capable of anything. The American people are thus given the picture of an omnipotent, unslayable hydra of destruction."
D) "...the administration, and the CIA in particular, was in the midst of intense scrutiny and criticism in May 1999 because faulty intelligence had just led the United States to mistakenly bomb the Chinese embassy in Belgrade during the NATO war against Serbia."
E) "American foreign policy is part of the message. America's policy choices have consequences. Right or wrong, it is simply a fact that American policy regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and American actions in Iraq are dominant staples of popular commentary across the Arab and Muslim world. That does not mean U.S. choices have been wrong."
F) "...Berger recalled that to go to war, a president needs to be able to say that his senior intelligence and law enforcement officers have concluded who is responsible."
G) "In the nearly three years since 9/11, Americans have become better protected against terrorist attack. Some of the changes are due to government action, such as new precautions to protect aircraft. A portion can be attributed to the sheer scale of spending and effort. Publicity and the vigilance of ordinary Americans also make a difference. But the President and other officials acknowledge that although Americans may be safer, they are not safe."
H) "Officers at the CIA had worried that giving him a green light might cross the line into violation of the assassination ban."
I) "Allegations that the United States abused prisoners in its custody make it harder to build the diplomatic, political, and military alliances the government will need."
J) "The United States should rebuild the scholarship, exchange, and library programs that reach out to young people and offer them knowledge and hope. Where such assistance is provided, it should be identified as coming from the citizens of the United States."
isn't this so fun?
if people tie, whoever answered first wins.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
this is what the decline of an empire looks like.
i posted a version of this in december, but deleted it. some of you with google reader can still read it. because google reader defies the laws of the internet, and doesn’t delete anything.
i deleted it because i want my blog to be a circus of insanity. it’s how i relieve life’s tension. but now i realize that my silence on this issue…is my consent.
mostly because i read an article that said "silence is consent."
so here we go.
who remembers eric volz? an american living and working in nicaragua, falsely accused of murder. in jail for an extended period of time...i think over a year. i don't remember the exact details.
remember how outrageous it seemed? how unjust?
or maybe over the past couple of years you've read about how slavery is still alive around the world. child slaves. sex slaves. international justice mission works hard to free those slaves from the people and governments that oppress them.
those kinds of stories get us all riled up, don't they. those sorts of stories are so obviously wrong. those crazy corrupt governments out there...they're just out of control, aren't they.
unfortunately,
it's not just the governments "out there" that are corrupt. it's not just the people "over there" that turn a blind eye to justice.
i don't really know how to jump into this story. it's not my story to tell. i'm hoping you've read about it yourself. because it's important. but just in case your local news station failed to let you know...
our government...
the government of the united states of america...
the one that boasts of liberty, freedom, and justice for all...
is (among other unspeakable acts) currently detaining and torturing an army private for being a whistleblower. he let the world know that civilians (including children) were attacked and killed overseas. not as a result of a bomb, or an attack on an enemy army. but directly attacked and killed while walking down the street. the report about the incident, filed by our military, was not truthful. there is a video of the incident. that's what he leaked.
it was an important and brave thing to do. people vote in elections based on their feelings about the war. if the information we have about what is going on in that war is not accurate, or not even shared with us, then i'm going to go ahead and label that as a problem.
he has been in solitary confinement for months. it might be a year now. alone in his cell for 23 hours a day. this man is being tortured by a government for trying to do what was right. for trying to expose things that could foster debate and discussion, and change this society. bring it back to what we pretend to be.
he's being tortured and punished and he hasn't even been on trial yet, y'all.
hasn’t even been on trial. here we are, parading around the world in the name of securing democracy for everyone, and not even abiding by it ourselves.
i encourage you to read more about this. this is your government. your own freedoms are at stake even in issues that don't seem to effect you. here
is an article that speaks more about the physical and mental effects of what's going on with bradley manning. it explains why his treatment is torture.
and if you’re not sufficiently unsettled,
a friend of mine recently posted an article
on facebook about a soldier who intentionally murdered civilians in afghanistan. our moral, righteous, humanitarian government has decided he will be eligible for parole after 7 years.
so let’s recap.
murderer: will most likely be a free man in 7 years.
man who tried to expose this type of despicable behavior: being tortured by our government, without a trial.
are you sufficiently unsettled?
do something.
i deleted it because i want my blog to be a circus of insanity. it’s how i relieve life’s tension. but now i realize that my silence on this issue…is my consent.
mostly because i read an article that said "silence is consent."
so here we go.
who remembers eric volz? an american living and working in nicaragua, falsely accused of murder. in jail for an extended period of time...i think over a year. i don't remember the exact details.
remember how outrageous it seemed? how unjust?
or maybe over the past couple of years you've read about how slavery is still alive around the world. child slaves. sex slaves. international justice mission works hard to free those slaves from the people and governments that oppress them.
those kinds of stories get us all riled up, don't they. those sorts of stories are so obviously wrong. those crazy corrupt governments out there...they're just out of control, aren't they.
unfortunately,
it's not just the governments "out there" that are corrupt. it's not just the people "over there" that turn a blind eye to justice.
i don't really know how to jump into this story. it's not my story to tell. i'm hoping you've read about it yourself. because it's important. but just in case your local news station failed to let you know...
our government...
the government of the united states of america...
the one that boasts of liberty, freedom, and justice for all...
is (among other unspeakable acts) currently detaining and torturing an army private for being a whistleblower. he let the world know that civilians (including children) were attacked and killed overseas. not as a result of a bomb, or an attack on an enemy army. but directly attacked and killed while walking down the street. the report about the incident, filed by our military, was not truthful. there is a video of the incident. that's what he leaked.
it was an important and brave thing to do. people vote in elections based on their feelings about the war. if the information we have about what is going on in that war is not accurate, or not even shared with us, then i'm going to go ahead and label that as a problem.
he has been in solitary confinement for months. it might be a year now. alone in his cell for 23 hours a day. this man is being tortured by a government for trying to do what was right. for trying to expose things that could foster debate and discussion, and change this society. bring it back to what we pretend to be.
he's being tortured and punished and he hasn't even been on trial yet, y'all.
hasn’t even been on trial. here we are, parading around the world in the name of securing democracy for everyone, and not even abiding by it ourselves.
i encourage you to read more about this. this is your government. your own freedoms are at stake even in issues that don't seem to effect you. here
is an article that speaks more about the physical and mental effects of what's going on with bradley manning. it explains why his treatment is torture.
and if you’re not sufficiently unsettled,
a friend of mine recently posted an article
on facebook about a soldier who intentionally murdered civilians in afghanistan. our moral, righteous, humanitarian government has decided he will be eligible for parole after 7 years.
so let’s recap.
murderer: will most likely be a free man in 7 years.
man who tried to expose this type of despicable behavior: being tortured by our government, without a trial.
are you sufficiently unsettled?
do something.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
facts.
it's nice to have a clean apartment. i have been living like an animal for too long. i actually had to turn town 2 fun things tonight, just because i needed to clean. i've been too busy having fun.
i'm not a fan of prescription medicine. which is ironic because my dad is a pharmacist.
luna bars are...delicious.
sunshine makes everything right.
no, that's Jesus.
emotions, confusion, using the past to make sense of the present. even though it's different this time. hm.
i found an online tuner for my guitar. i'm one step closer to becoming friends with it again.
libya...no. just NO, america. NO. case in point: IRAQ. you wanted it then, you were wrong. NOOOOOOOOO. listen to me. two letters. N. O. no. i read some things. i know some things....and, NO.
i'm not a fan of prescription medicine. which is ironic because my dad is a pharmacist.
luna bars are...delicious.
sunshine makes everything right.
no, that's Jesus.
emotions, confusion, using the past to make sense of the present. even though it's different this time. hm.
i found an online tuner for my guitar. i'm one step closer to becoming friends with it again.
libya...no. just NO, america. NO. case in point: IRAQ. you wanted it then, you were wrong. NOOOOOOOOO. listen to me. two letters. N. O. no. i read some things. i know some things....and, NO.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
i don't like roast beef.
so many things going on.
i am really enjoying learning my way around a corporate office. i love that my job requires me to use a legal pad. i like to take my break at 1:30, with the other book readers. it still thrills me to get up and use the bathroom whenever the need arises. i can just...go. no questions asked. and, yes, that means questions were asked about my bathroom activities at my last job. i would actually have to explain WHY i needed to go the bathroom NOW.
so demeaning!
i was just informed that my shift will have to be an hour later every day now. due to the fact that i make a lot of phone calls to the west coast. it kind of sucks. but then...not really. i don't even feel upset. this job is so great. who knows how long they'll keep me around. i'd love to be hired. it's so different working for people that are respectful and kind. i will work overtime. i will work late. they make it easy.
i think about how awful my last job was almost every week. the fact that i'm still thinking about it, 7 weeks later, goes to show how awful it really was. working late is a breeze compared to everything i put up with before. that place had serious problems. not just annoyances, or things i didn't like, or stress. serious. problems. i can't explain it. i'd rather work until 8 or 9 pm (and i only have to work until 6:30...) than EVER, EVER, EVER work a day in that place again. i feel like i've been rescued and delivered.
someone asked me if i liked my new work, and i started rambling about how i love it. it was a lot like this post, actually. and then the person said "oh, good, i was afraid you wouldn't like this one either."
i don't know how to explain...my decision to quit my job wasn't about not liking it. this wasn't about a preference, or wanting to do something different, or feeling bored with it, etc. i was in danger at that place. i had to pray for protection. thats what was going on.
verses i accidentally memorized at my last job from repeating them every day to myself...
Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me
Fight against those who fight against me
Take up shield and buckler, arise and come to my aid
brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me
say to my soul, "I am your salvation"
my whole being will exclaim
"Who is like You, O LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them."
and i DO exclaim it. can't exclaim it enough. what kind of job leads a person to pray that????
a very bad one.
other things going on:
still reading the 9/11 commission report. still shocked and appalled.
had to try some home remedies for some things. are you surprised to learn that a cranberry juice/baking soda combination did not heal me and i had to go see an actual doctor? i'll eat or drink anything to avoid going to the doctor. if someone told me to eat a toad and it would heal me, i'd do it. give me the toad.
thats something you don't hear...ever.
my sweet little sister is ENGAGED. i don't think she's taking any of my wedding planning suggestions seriously.
trying not to drink dr. pepper ever again in my life. i've decided to treat it like any other idol/addiction. gotta get rid of it. what a ridiculous addiction. i could have at least gone with heroine. at least people respect that.
i am really enjoying learning my way around a corporate office. i love that my job requires me to use a legal pad. i like to take my break at 1:30, with the other book readers. it still thrills me to get up and use the bathroom whenever the need arises. i can just...go. no questions asked. and, yes, that means questions were asked about my bathroom activities at my last job. i would actually have to explain WHY i needed to go the bathroom NOW.
so demeaning!
i was just informed that my shift will have to be an hour later every day now. due to the fact that i make a lot of phone calls to the west coast. it kind of sucks. but then...not really. i don't even feel upset. this job is so great. who knows how long they'll keep me around. i'd love to be hired. it's so different working for people that are respectful and kind. i will work overtime. i will work late. they make it easy.
i think about how awful my last job was almost every week. the fact that i'm still thinking about it, 7 weeks later, goes to show how awful it really was. working late is a breeze compared to everything i put up with before. that place had serious problems. not just annoyances, or things i didn't like, or stress. serious. problems. i can't explain it. i'd rather work until 8 or 9 pm (and i only have to work until 6:30...) than EVER, EVER, EVER work a day in that place again. i feel like i've been rescued and delivered.
someone asked me if i liked my new work, and i started rambling about how i love it. it was a lot like this post, actually. and then the person said "oh, good, i was afraid you wouldn't like this one either."
i don't know how to explain...my decision to quit my job wasn't about not liking it. this wasn't about a preference, or wanting to do something different, or feeling bored with it, etc. i was in danger at that place. i had to pray for protection. thats what was going on.
verses i accidentally memorized at my last job from repeating them every day to myself...
Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me
Fight against those who fight against me
Take up shield and buckler, arise and come to my aid
brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me
say to my soul, "I am your salvation"
my whole being will exclaim
"Who is like You, O LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them."
and i DO exclaim it. can't exclaim it enough. what kind of job leads a person to pray that????
a very bad one.
other things going on:
still reading the 9/11 commission report. still shocked and appalled.
had to try some home remedies for some things. are you surprised to learn that a cranberry juice/baking soda combination did not heal me and i had to go see an actual doctor? i'll eat or drink anything to avoid going to the doctor. if someone told me to eat a toad and it would heal me, i'd do it. give me the toad.
thats something you don't hear...ever.
my sweet little sister is ENGAGED. i don't think she's taking any of my wedding planning suggestions seriously.
trying not to drink dr. pepper ever again in my life. i've decided to treat it like any other idol/addiction. gotta get rid of it. what a ridiculous addiction. i could have at least gone with heroine. at least people respect that.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
things to chronicle.
kalamata olive hummus is really, really tasty.
if you make your obsessions known, people will indulge them. i got a free bag of dried green mango tonight from a friend. for no reason!
started running again. i've been afraid of the dark, but i decided not to be anymore.
i almost threw the 9/11 commission report across the room when it stated the founders drafted an ambiguous constitution on purpose, because they wanted later generations to interpret it however they wanted.
its hard for me to write that. i just...
can't even talk about it.
at some point i'm going to do chapter summaries on my book blog, because it's so full of outrageosity, that some things need to be said. by me. to the world. i also recognize the duplicity of reading something like "the 9/11 commission report" and making up words like "outrageosity."
my sister is engaged.
so is one of my best high school friends.
twins are being born tomorrow.
that'll do for now.
if you make your obsessions known, people will indulge them. i got a free bag of dried green mango tonight from a friend. for no reason!
started running again. i've been afraid of the dark, but i decided not to be anymore.
i almost threw the 9/11 commission report across the room when it stated the founders drafted an ambiguous constitution on purpose, because they wanted later generations to interpret it however they wanted.
its hard for me to write that. i just...
can't even talk about it.
at some point i'm going to do chapter summaries on my book blog, because it's so full of outrageosity, that some things need to be said. by me. to the world. i also recognize the duplicity of reading something like "the 9/11 commission report" and making up words like "outrageosity."
my sister is engaged.
so is one of my best high school friends.
twins are being born tomorrow.
that'll do for now.
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