I'm not big of a car person. I like them to run, but I'm more into their utility than their style. There have only been two exceptions to this. When I was very young (before I could drive), I though have a red Corvette would be da bomb. I grew out of that. My fave car as an adult was a red (yes, there's a theme here) Celica. I loved that car. But, it got drowned in the garage during a flood when I lived near Boston (sniff).
As you can imagine, little red sports cars aren't the rage in Beantown. I looked and looked for another red Celica. More importantly, a red CONVERTIBLE Celica. But, they were nowhere to be found. I wanted one then and I still do, though it's somewhat impracticle now.
So, this morning, I'm driving the HB to camp and find myself, you guessed it, right behind a red CONVERTIBLE Celica. Sigh...
When I got home, I searched on Craigslist and found one pretty quickly. I'm not sure if I can rationalize this, but I may try.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Family Justice
I have a friend, let's call him Matt. I've know him since we were teenagers. He went to a rival school, but his female bff (who he was totally crushing on) had the hots for my best friend, so our paths crossed. We became great friends and still stay in touch even though he's moved out of the LA area (more about that in a minute).
He went to a small christian college near here where he met his wife Lawryn (her real name is a common one that has an unusual spelling). They both were believers, but didn't let it interfere with them having partying (though, they were a little weird about the pre-marital sex thing). They eventually got married and pumped out two boys. He worked for an engineering company and she did some part time work for non-profits and did volunteer work. He remained a fairly low-key believer whereas she became more strident.
He decided to almost quit the rat race and began to take over his dad's business in a growing exurb in the southwest. He used his engineering skills to make the place run better. Lawryn cared for the kids (turns out that they both as Asberger's) and helped out with the books.
As she became more obsessed with god and he stayed as the same old Matt, they went through therapy, etc and got divorced. Financially, he really took it up the ass as the divorce settlement was based on the company's performance during what turned out to be the peak of the economic boom. They agreed on relatively shared custody since they still lived nearby and Matt is very close with the boys, particularly the older one. Matt's not a perfect guy, but he loves his kids, doesn't yell at them, supports them in what they do, etc.
Lawryn eventually found a guy two states over who obviously prefers praying over getting his dick sucked. So, Lawryn goes to court to change their divorce agreement so she can move the boys out of state and marry this guy.
As a general rule, I think that single mom's probably make better single parents than dads. 95% of the time, as you would think by how kids are handled in divorce settlements? No. 65-35? Yeah, probably. Given that Lawryn has the kids a majority of the time, I thought that Matt was going to be on the losing end of this.
But, I was WRONG! The judge denied the motion. Now Lawryn's calling him asking if she can take the younger one, she's going to appeal, blah, blah, blah. Well, this serves the bitch right. She's so fucking holy and christian and family values, but puts her own happiness ahead of her kids having a good relationship with their dad. I hope that she writes them nice cards at xmas. Heh!
He went to a small christian college near here where he met his wife Lawryn (her real name is a common one that has an unusual spelling). They both were believers, but didn't let it interfere with them having partying (though, they were a little weird about the pre-marital sex thing). They eventually got married and pumped out two boys. He worked for an engineering company and she did some part time work for non-profits and did volunteer work. He remained a fairly low-key believer whereas she became more strident.
He decided to almost quit the rat race and began to take over his dad's business in a growing exurb in the southwest. He used his engineering skills to make the place run better. Lawryn cared for the kids (turns out that they both as Asberger's) and helped out with the books.
As she became more obsessed with god and he stayed as the same old Matt, they went through therapy, etc and got divorced. Financially, he really took it up the ass as the divorce settlement was based on the company's performance during what turned out to be the peak of the economic boom. They agreed on relatively shared custody since they still lived nearby and Matt is very close with the boys, particularly the older one. Matt's not a perfect guy, but he loves his kids, doesn't yell at them, supports them in what they do, etc.
Lawryn eventually found a guy two states over who obviously prefers praying over getting his dick sucked. So, Lawryn goes to court to change their divorce agreement so she can move the boys out of state and marry this guy.
As a general rule, I think that single mom's probably make better single parents than dads. 95% of the time, as you would think by how kids are handled in divorce settlements? No. 65-35? Yeah, probably. Given that Lawryn has the kids a majority of the time, I thought that Matt was going to be on the losing end of this.
But, I was WRONG! The judge denied the motion. Now Lawryn's calling him asking if she can take the younger one, she's going to appeal, blah, blah, blah. Well, this serves the bitch right. She's so fucking holy and christian and family values, but puts her own happiness ahead of her kids having a good relationship with their dad. I hope that she writes them nice cards at xmas. Heh!
Favre and Vick
Brett Favre FINALLY called it quits yesterday. I think. Really, he means it this time. At least he told the Vikings that he wasn't going to play for them this season.
I feel for the guy and all athletes who are at the end of the road. I can see how their minds say "Yes" but their bodies say, "No." My empathy for Favre is somewhat tempered by the mean-spiritedness of this last "comeback." Sure, he knows the Minnesota coaches, but when you've been in the league as long as he has you know just about everyone. And it's not that a 39 year old quarterback is the Vikes' missing piece to the Super Bowl. Rather, he just wanted two shots a year to stick it to the Packers who eventually cut him loose after several off-seasons of him fucking with them with his "will he or won't he" retirement talk.
People tend forget great players' last gasps (Willie Mays with the Mets, Joe Namath with the Rams, Johnny Unitas with the Chargers) and they should. We can't blame athlete's for wanting to keep doing something they've mastered since they were a children. Hopefully Favre has gained some grace about this.
Yesterday, the NFL gave Michael Vick a conditional reinstatement. Basically, he can practice with the teams as soon as he's signed, play in two pre-season games and be elgible no later than week 6 (assuming he's on the straight and narrow). I wrote about Vick a couple of days ago, so I won't rehash my feeling about him. I can see how the commish would want to give some flex to the timeline for him coming back. Without deadline pressure, teams can take a longer look at Vick and their situation before making the decision to bring him onboard.
It's somewhat unfair to Vick in that if he's in football shape and ready to go week 1 he's essentially being punished AGAIN for the same crime for which he's already been in the slam for two years. And he seriously needs the money to pay off his debts, etc. I still think someone will sign him, though for the life of me I can't think of who (hm...maybe the Vikings are still looking for a third quarterback). It may not happen until a quarteback (starter or second string) gets hurt during pre-season.
I feel for the guy and all athletes who are at the end of the road. I can see how their minds say "Yes" but their bodies say, "No." My empathy for Favre is somewhat tempered by the mean-spiritedness of this last "comeback." Sure, he knows the Minnesota coaches, but when you've been in the league as long as he has you know just about everyone. And it's not that a 39 year old quarterback is the Vikes' missing piece to the Super Bowl. Rather, he just wanted two shots a year to stick it to the Packers who eventually cut him loose after several off-seasons of him fucking with them with his "will he or won't he" retirement talk.
People tend forget great players' last gasps (Willie Mays with the Mets, Joe Namath with the Rams, Johnny Unitas with the Chargers) and they should. We can't blame athlete's for wanting to keep doing something they've mastered since they were a children. Hopefully Favre has gained some grace about this.
Yesterday, the NFL gave Michael Vick a conditional reinstatement. Basically, he can practice with the teams as soon as he's signed, play in two pre-season games and be elgible no later than week 6 (assuming he's on the straight and narrow). I wrote about Vick a couple of days ago, so I won't rehash my feeling about him. I can see how the commish would want to give some flex to the timeline for him coming back. Without deadline pressure, teams can take a longer look at Vick and their situation before making the decision to bring him onboard.
It's somewhat unfair to Vick in that if he's in football shape and ready to go week 1 he's essentially being punished AGAIN for the same crime for which he's already been in the slam for two years. And he seriously needs the money to pay off his debts, etc. I still think someone will sign him, though for the life of me I can't think of who (hm...maybe the Vikings are still looking for a third quarterback). It may not happen until a quarteback (starter or second string) gets hurt during pre-season.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Happy Birthday to Me...
Yup, the big day was today. Actually, we started celebrating on Sunday when we took the HB to his first rock concert (George Thorogood). It took him a while to get into it (he had the stereotypical drunk dude in front of him until we switched seats), but he thoroughly enjoyed himself.
Yesterday a friend gave me one of his season tix to see the Angels (they lost after Fuentes coughed up a two-run lead in the 9th). It was a beautiful night at the park (which reminds me, I still have to do that Angel Stadium vs. Dodger Stadium post one of these days) and we had a great time.
Today I had a full work plate. As an aside, right now the recession is an abstract concept for my business. I've gotten 3 calls to start projects in the last 48 hours. WTF? Doesn't matter...I'm gonna ride it as long as I can.
My parents joined us for dinner. Both the HB and the wife's allergies are acting up, so there was much sniffling. But the food was awesome and we had a tasty bottle of wine (Holus Bolus 2006 Syrah).
Overall, a fun weekend. I'm definitely one to embrace my birthday. Besides it being one of the few times I enjoy being an attention whore, it's a good excuse to hear from people and get caught up (yes, I did get bday greetings from Lynn). And, what the hell. I'm not feeling that old, yet.
Yesterday a friend gave me one of his season tix to see the Angels (they lost after Fuentes coughed up a two-run lead in the 9th). It was a beautiful night at the park (which reminds me, I still have to do that Angel Stadium vs. Dodger Stadium post one of these days) and we had a great time.
Today I had a full work plate. As an aside, right now the recession is an abstract concept for my business. I've gotten 3 calls to start projects in the last 48 hours. WTF? Doesn't matter...I'm gonna ride it as long as I can.
My parents joined us for dinner. Both the HB and the wife's allergies are acting up, so there was much sniffling. But the food was awesome and we had a tasty bottle of wine (Holus Bolus 2006 Syrah).
Overall, a fun weekend. I'm definitely one to embrace my birthday. Besides it being one of the few times I enjoy being an attention whore, it's a good excuse to hear from people and get caught up (yes, I did get bday greetings from Lynn). And, what the hell. I'm not feeling that old, yet.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Sweet 16
The wife and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary at the theater on Friday. Well, at the kids theater watching the HB's troupe. It was a fun night as the HB really enjoyed being the the play and he did well. My parents came to the show that night and back to the house for dessert. They left relatively early so we weren't cock blocked. The wife and I will have a bit of a delayed celebration next weekend as we're going to drive up the coast north of Santa Barbara for a weekend of wine tasting and Indian casino gambling.
I got some plans back from the contractor for redoing the kitchen in terms of options if we knock out a wall or two. Nothing big is really grabbing me, though there are a couple of minor options that may make a big difference. We gotta decide soon as I'd like for them to get going on this right after Labor Day. Of course, that assumes that the wife can make up her mind and stick with it, so Halloween may be a more accurate start date.
Been loving how the Angles have been playing. Winning 9 in a row and scoring a ton of runs. They've been coming from behind a lot as well. Now they just need to keep that up through the week and thump on Texas and put them out of the race.
With football training camps opening this week (yay!), I've been giving more thought to the whole Michael Vick situation. It seems weird that there are guys in the league who have plead guilty to vehicular manslaughter who have gotten lighter suspensions than Vick. Granted, it's a different commissioner and Vick was also involved in gambling and lying to the NFL. But, they guy plead guilty and served his time. Anything else the NFL throughs on top of him is just piling on and is unfair. Whether another team give him a chance is a completely different question. There's not way he's anywhere near football shape, and probably won't be for months. With all the shit a team's gonna get for signing him won't be worth it for this year. But next? Who knows?
I got some plans back from the contractor for redoing the kitchen in terms of options if we knock out a wall or two. Nothing big is really grabbing me, though there are a couple of minor options that may make a big difference. We gotta decide soon as I'd like for them to get going on this right after Labor Day. Of course, that assumes that the wife can make up her mind and stick with it, so Halloween may be a more accurate start date.
Been loving how the Angles have been playing. Winning 9 in a row and scoring a ton of runs. They've been coming from behind a lot as well. Now they just need to keep that up through the week and thump on Texas and put them out of the race.
With football training camps opening this week (yay!), I've been giving more thought to the whole Michael Vick situation. It seems weird that there are guys in the league who have plead guilty to vehicular manslaughter who have gotten lighter suspensions than Vick. Granted, it's a different commissioner and Vick was also involved in gambling and lying to the NFL. But, they guy plead guilty and served his time. Anything else the NFL throughs on top of him is just piling on and is unfair. Whether another team give him a chance is a completely different question. There's not way he's anywhere near football shape, and probably won't be for months. With all the shit a team's gonna get for signing him won't be worth it for this year. But next? Who knows?
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Budget Breakthrough?
Well, Ahnald and the CA legislative leaders have come up with a budget fix. Note that neither the state senate or assembly have voted on it yet.
Somehow, they've come up with $23b of cuts, raids on local government and accounting tricks to close the gap. Some of the proposals will be lasting while others merely push the problem into the future.
As a Libertarian, I like shrinking the state government and pushing services to the cities. This way the cities can implement the programs their citizens want and tax them appropriately. But, I hate the extra borrowing as that will hamstring the budget for the foreseeable future.
Of course now there is going to be tons of screaming and lawsuits about the cuts. Every government program has passionate sponsors who feel that life as we know it and modern civilization will collapse if it's cut or eliminated. However, right now the citizens of the state (or, at least the minority that elects republicans, who have outsized power over the state given their numbers) have proven unwilling to pay more for state services. This will change the reach of the state in terms of providing programs and subsidizing college education.
What will be interesting is how much individuals and the private sector will make up the difference. Will more parents volunteer at their kids' schools?; Boy Scout troops clean up state parks? Large companies develop more welfare-to-work opportunities?; People quit having kids they can't afford?
I know that we'll definitely keep the HB in private school. And I'll continue to tutor at the local public school.
Somehow, they've come up with $23b of cuts, raids on local government and accounting tricks to close the gap. Some of the proposals will be lasting while others merely push the problem into the future.
As a Libertarian, I like shrinking the state government and pushing services to the cities. This way the cities can implement the programs their citizens want and tax them appropriately. But, I hate the extra borrowing as that will hamstring the budget for the foreseeable future.
Of course now there is going to be tons of screaming and lawsuits about the cuts. Every government program has passionate sponsors who feel that life as we know it and modern civilization will collapse if it's cut or eliminated. However, right now the citizens of the state (or, at least the minority that elects republicans, who have outsized power over the state given their numbers) have proven unwilling to pay more for state services. This will change the reach of the state in terms of providing programs and subsidizing college education.
What will be interesting is how much individuals and the private sector will make up the difference. Will more parents volunteer at their kids' schools?; Boy Scout troops clean up state parks? Large companies develop more welfare-to-work opportunities?; People quit having kids they can't afford?
I know that we'll definitely keep the HB in private school. And I'll continue to tutor at the local public school.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Like Changing Socks
Several months ago when writing about the presumed kitchen remodel I mentioned how the plan will change several times due to the wife's inability to make up her mind. We're at that point.
As her mom's house has been sold and we'll be coming into some money from the proceeds, she's thinking a bit grander. So, we talked about blowing out some walls and redesigning the front part of the house and expanding the kitchen. So, I do a bunch of measurements and send them to our contractor (who's thrilled with the prospect). The wife and I sat down and talked about how we would rearrange things. I bring up a few options, none of which she likes. Now she's thinking that we'll just leave it the same size. I suspect that this will change a few more times before we do anything. And we ahven't even picked out appliances, colors, etc yet.
Also, much to my surprise, the wife announced that she's not really that interested in going to NZ next spring. Never mind that we've talked about this a hundred times. WTF? What's not to like about NZ? The plane trip from here is only 2 hours more than London, it's beautiful there and we have a ton of friends we can stay with. I think that I need to find out about continuing education programs/conferences sponsored by the NZ Psychological Society and come up with a boondoggle.
As her mom's house has been sold and we'll be coming into some money from the proceeds, she's thinking a bit grander. So, we talked about blowing out some walls and redesigning the front part of the house and expanding the kitchen. So, I do a bunch of measurements and send them to our contractor (who's thrilled with the prospect). The wife and I sat down and talked about how we would rearrange things. I bring up a few options, none of which she likes. Now she's thinking that we'll just leave it the same size. I suspect that this will change a few more times before we do anything. And we ahven't even picked out appliances, colors, etc yet.
Also, much to my surprise, the wife announced that she's not really that interested in going to NZ next spring. Never mind that we've talked about this a hundred times. WTF? What's not to like about NZ? The plane trip from here is only 2 hours more than London, it's beautiful there and we have a ton of friends we can stay with. I think that I need to find out about continuing education programs/conferences sponsored by the NZ Psychological Society and come up with a boondoggle.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Drip, Drip, Drip
Had a great time with the two exchange students. We went to the Dodger game (more about going to Dodger Stadium versus Angel Stadium in another post) and they really enjoyed it (the HB read a book). I got them on their planes yesterday. I heard from the Argentinian, but not the Belgian yet.
Yesterday we went to my in-law's house for one more "party". As it turned out, it was mostly a cleaning party (the house gets its inspection tomorrow) and a mini-bday party for me (I got a very cool red peppermill). I cannot get over how OCD they are about the house and its contents. They can't throw hardly anything out. My oldest s-i-l, who has the amount of shit in her place normally found in the homes of the mentally ill, keeps deciding what more crap she wants to add to her collection. Stuff gets moved back and forth. We finally put some in our car to take to Goodwill today. This whole process went from 3pm until 7:30pm. That's when went to see the new Harry Potter movie.
I thought the movie was OK. The cinematography is great and some of the characters are fleshed out a bit more. Alan Rickman continues to be great as Snape. But, at the end of the day (and it's a 2.5 hour film) it's a bridge movie. Nothing that important happens (until the very end). It's all about setting up the last two.
Lots of housework and looking for new counter tops today. Oh, and after two years the wife says that she really doesn't want to go to NZ afterall. Anyone up for a trip with me?
Yesterday we went to my in-law's house for one more "party". As it turned out, it was mostly a cleaning party (the house gets its inspection tomorrow) and a mini-bday party for me (I got a very cool red peppermill). I cannot get over how OCD they are about the house and its contents. They can't throw hardly anything out. My oldest s-i-l, who has the amount of shit in her place normally found in the homes of the mentally ill, keeps deciding what more crap she wants to add to her collection. Stuff gets moved back and forth. We finally put some in our car to take to Goodwill today. This whole process went from 3pm until 7:30pm. That's when went to see the new Harry Potter movie.
I thought the movie was OK. The cinematography is great and some of the characters are fleshed out a bit more. Alan Rickman continues to be great as Snape. But, at the end of the day (and it's a 2.5 hour film) it's a bridge movie. Nothing that important happens (until the very end). It's all about setting up the last two.
Lots of housework and looking for new counter tops today. Oh, and after two years the wife says that she really doesn't want to go to NZ afterall. Anyone up for a trip with me?
Friday, July 17, 2009
Exchange Student Day
The NZS2 and his compatriots arrived back from their train tour today. Lots of tears as they said goodbye to their new found friends. It was quite sweet.
By plan, the NZS2's parents have a 24 hour layover here on their way to Europe. The wife, HB and I had dinner with them last night and it was good fun. When I picked up the NZS2, I took him to their hotel so that they can hang out for a bit.
But, now I have 2 more exchange students with me. Don't worry, it's only for one night. They both had their exchanges in Hawaii (you can begin to dry your tears now). The girl is from northern Belgium and the boy is from Argentina (5 hours west of Buenos Aires). They both speak good English, so this won't be a problem. I think tonight we'll go to a baseball game so they can have their last taste of America.
Sometime this afternoon we'll move the NSZ2 to his second host family. They're close (<1 mile), so it shouldn't be a problem. I think now that he's back, but moving out, the HB's gonna be a bit sad, again. But tonight will be fun.
By plan, the NZS2's parents have a 24 hour layover here on their way to Europe. The wife, HB and I had dinner with them last night and it was good fun. When I picked up the NZS2, I took him to their hotel so that they can hang out for a bit.
But, now I have 2 more exchange students with me. Don't worry, it's only for one night. They both had their exchanges in Hawaii (you can begin to dry your tears now). The girl is from northern Belgium and the boy is from Argentina (5 hours west of Buenos Aires). They both speak good English, so this won't be a problem. I think tonight we'll go to a baseball game so they can have their last taste of America.
Sometime this afternoon we'll move the NSZ2 to his second host family. They're close (<1 mile), so it shouldn't be a problem. I think now that he's back, but moving out, the HB's gonna be a bit sad, again. But tonight will be fun.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Sir Cranky-a-Lot
The HB's been a bit surly of late. This has earned him a major sunburn (not remembering sunscreen before a bday beach party) and a cold shoulder from the nephew (being argumentative). I'm sure he'll snap out of it after a few more consequences for his behavior.
We took the boys to see Spamalot this afternoon. They loved it on B'way two years ago, and seemed to enjoy it just as much today. We were trying to keep it a secret from the HB, but the wife spilled the beans yesterday because he was upset about something. So, he and I spent a good chunk of dinner last night reciting lines from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. All good fun.
The wife and I enjoyed the play as well. I thought that John O'Hurley was the weak link. But, the staging and other actors were quite good. I can't imagine seeing it for a 4th time (the wife and I saw the original cast 4 years ago), unless there's someone special (read: new) in the cast. As today we saw the touring company, I don't see that happening.
Now for something completely different: Lynn and THE ONE have broken up. I was quite shocked by this revelation. I got a, "Chat, I hope that your still in my corner, I've been a shitty friend" e-mail from her, to which I have not responded. My reaction to the news was emotionally very flat. This doesn't really change her or anything between us. I doubt that I'll hear from her for a long while.
We took the boys to see Spamalot this afternoon. They loved it on B'way two years ago, and seemed to enjoy it just as much today. We were trying to keep it a secret from the HB, but the wife spilled the beans yesterday because he was upset about something. So, he and I spent a good chunk of dinner last night reciting lines from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. All good fun.
The wife and I enjoyed the play as well. I thought that John O'Hurley was the weak link. But, the staging and other actors were quite good. I can't imagine seeing it for a 4th time (the wife and I saw the original cast 4 years ago), unless there's someone special (read: new) in the cast. As today we saw the touring company, I don't see that happening.
Now for something completely different: Lynn and THE ONE have broken up. I was quite shocked by this revelation. I got a, "Chat, I hope that your still in my corner, I've been a shitty friend" e-mail from her, to which I have not responded. My reaction to the news was emotionally very flat. This doesn't really change her or anything between us. I doubt that I'll hear from her for a long while.
Friday, July 10, 2009
They're Just Not That Into You
Since a former Nazi-youth pope was elected, you have to figure things would get rocky between the Vatican and the Jewish community. Well, at least those who pay attention to every word of what they write/say about each other. Sure, the pope welcomed back a holocaust denier, but anyone could make that mistake...not.
So, what's the latest? Well, christians of all ilks seem to think it's their duty to convert others (by force, if necessary) so that these ignorant infidels can be granted access to heaven. Jews, like others who have firm belief in their own version of the afterlife, of which they're guaranteed the good spots, aren't so wild about this. The argument (something akin to how many letters can be written on the head of a pin) is whether or not in the recently reinstated mass or a 2002 memo the catholic hierarchy has reverted back to wanting to convert jews.
To those in the Jewish community who are concerned about this, allow me to make it clear: Those in the catholic hierarchy do not think you are getting into heaven until you accept jesus. At best, this makes you naiive in their eyes. They take pity on you (at best) and want to help you see the light--they feel it's their mission and have felt this way for 2000 years. Like the scorpion, it is their nature. They may talk nice to your face and don't raise armies to destroy you, but they aren't into you, except as potential dues paying converts. To think otherwise is what makes you naiive.
So, what's the latest? Well, christians of all ilks seem to think it's their duty to convert others (by force, if necessary) so that these ignorant infidels can be granted access to heaven. Jews, like others who have firm belief in their own version of the afterlife, of which they're guaranteed the good spots, aren't so wild about this. The argument (something akin to how many letters can be written on the head of a pin) is whether or not in the recently reinstated mass or a 2002 memo the catholic hierarchy has reverted back to wanting to convert jews.
To those in the Jewish community who are concerned about this, allow me to make it clear: Those in the catholic hierarchy do not think you are getting into heaven until you accept jesus. At best, this makes you naiive in their eyes. They take pity on you (at best) and want to help you see the light--they feel it's their mission and have felt this way for 2000 years. Like the scorpion, it is their nature. They may talk nice to your face and don't raise armies to destroy you, but they aren't into you, except as potential dues paying converts. To think otherwise is what makes you naiive.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Jackson's Funeral
Fortunately, I didn't have to go anywhere near downtown LA today. Man, that musta been a headache.
Something I forgot in my previous Michael Jackson post--when we were in college, a buddy of mine had a Michael Jackson bong (MJB, for short). It was a regular bong with cutout pictures of him. He wasn't into his music (like me he was into metal), so I never figured out why he had an MJB. I'm sure it was a gift. I miss the MJB more than MJ.
Something I forgot in my previous Michael Jackson post--when we were in college, a buddy of mine had a Michael Jackson bong (MJB, for short). It was a regular bong with cutout pictures of him. He wasn't into his music (like me he was into metal), so I never figured out why he had an MJB. I'm sure it was a gift. I miss the MJB more than MJ.
Monday, July 6, 2009
A Catholic's Epiphany:
No, not mine, silly. Rather, this from a overseas scholar who is being sponsored by my Rotary club. She attends a Jesuit university and it going to be working on her master's in Britain. She's currently traveling in Europe before beginning her studies. Below is a very insightful look into how one Catholic feminist views her religion
Today, I stumbled upon L'Eglise Evangelique Lutherienne de Geneve, also known as:
I spent the hour of service both nearly moved to tears by how progressive and inclusive it was (and HAS BEEN since back in the day), and laughing so hard and out loud at my "Oh, thaaaat's why the reformation happened..." epiphanies.
This was defintely coming. You don't understand, this city is bleeding with Jean Calvin right now. It's the 500th anniversary of his birth and the 450th anniversary of the birth of the Universite de Geneve, that he was instrumental in helping found. Every day there's a play in the Vielle Ville, a faire in Parc de Bastions, a debate in the Village Huguenot, etc.
I attend the Universite of Geneve, and I also lived IN the hostel of the Cathedrale St. Pierre, where Calvin preached five centuries ago.
The first days were slightly awkward as a Catholic. "Oh...right...when my people were selling tickets to heaven...yeah...those gangster pimp Popes...sorry 'bout that...well, what's done is done, it's 2009 now and my Jesuit school is super social-justicey, whee! =)"
But I'd always pick up those Calvin: Geneve en Flammes flyers because I like theatre and I like debates. Plus, I couldn't resist the hilarious cartoon version of Calvin on the flyer:
I landed on this Lutheran mass sort of accidentally, when my new friend invited me to come to "church" on Sunday. I love inter-religious dialogue, and it's sort of my academic field, so I didn't bother to ask whether or not it was Catholic.
Panic suddenly overcame me when I realized how little I knew about the particularities of a Lutheran mass. Is it even called a mass? A service? Do I kneel? Will they be offended if I make the sign of the cross? Cuz I do it instinctively. Is there holy communion? Am I supposed to take it? Crap, is it gonna be real bread I have to chew? Do I go up and cross my hands on my chest like people do in the Catholic Church?
It was too late, the mass or service or whatever it was had begun before I could ask Heidi for instructions. First moment of choque (shock): "OMG, is that a woman priest? I've never heard a sermon by a woman priest." Lutherans: 1 Catholics: -1
The very jolly pianist taught us some lines so we could sing along, and the woman priest spoke to some kids before she began the service. She welcomes the regulars, the visitors, and the summer interns and students (that's us!), and tells us we will introduce ourselves at the end. How kind.
"The Lord Be With You."
I closed my eyes and nearly cried when I realized the only female voice I had ever heard say that was my own, when describing to non-Catholic friends what a Catholic mass looks like.
Then I realized: Wow, we suck. I laughed and shook my head in shame. I can't believe how backwards we still are 500 years after the reformation.
I want to say "Well, we stay in the Catholic Church to create change from within the system (just like I've heard many progressive Jesuits say). It'll take time, but it'll be institutional change from within." Um, except that it's been FIVE HUNDRED YEARS.
FIVE HUNDRED YEARS.
I started laughing out loud at the ridiculosity of the claim of "making change from the inside." I really got nothin' there. It's not like the Catholic Church is a democracy; and the US doesn't use its military might to fight for liberal democracy within the Catholic Church (should I ask? but I'm nonviolent...).
I still missed the familiarities of a Catholic mass, the hymns that I associated with life-giving times at school, and the way in which I could predict exactly what was going to happen next. The things that didn't suck about the Catholic Church were preserved through the reformation. I did like their different Prayer of Confession better though. And again, upon hearing a woman's voice say these humbling words, I was nearly moved to tears:
When we surround our lives with the noise of this world, so we no longer hear your word, God,
forgive us.
When we prefer the comfortable deception to the difficult truth,
forgive us.
When our ears have become deaf so they no longer hear your voice, nor the cries of your people,
forgive us.
When we hear your word, but fail to heed it,
forgive us.
When your word is vibrant, but we become afraid,
forgive us.
When your word doesn't liberate us anymore,
forgive us.
Next came the moment I had been fearing for the first 38 minutes: holy communion. This is such an awkward moment in the Catholic Church when I have to tell my muslim friend what she is to do. "Okaaay, um, like, you don't hafta kneel when we kneel, and you don't hafta stand when we stand, but I guess you don't wanna be standing when we're sitting, so um...well if you wanna go up and cross your arms...umph, hang on this man is pushing me into the line..."
And in another moment of total shock, I heard the woman's voice say "Because this is the table of the Lord, all are welcome. This is the body of Christ, given up for you. This is the blood of Christ, poured for you."
Me??? Even though I never sat through two years of painstaiking "confirmation" courses confirming that I'm faking belief for everything your man-made institution stands for, including exclusion??? Lutherans: 2 Catholics: -2
On one hand, I couldn't believe it. "Because this is the table of the Lord, all are welcome." But on the other hand: duh! Clearly, all are welcome. It's the table of the Lord!
This reminds me of a conversation I had with my mentor, who attended a Jesuit high school. He's in this thirties, and he looked at me and said, "Catholics believe other people can't go to heaven??" "Um, technically." "What?? I never knew that!"
And perhaps my favorite moment of the mass was when she said, "And now we say the Lord's prayer, in our own languages." To my left, German, to my right, English, and me: Indonesian. It had been so long since I had been allowed to do that, I seriously nearly cried.
"Bapa kami yang ada di surga, dimuliakanlah namaMu, datanglah kerajaan mu, jadilah kehendak mu, di atas bumi seperti di dalam surga. Berilah kami rejeki pada hari ini. Ampunilah dosa kami seperti kamipun mengampuni yang bersalah kepada kami. Jangan masukkan kami dalam cobaan, tapi bebaskan kami dari yang jahat. Sebab Tuhanlah raja yang mulia dan berkuasa untuk selama lamanya. Amin."
When I commented on it after mass, one man said, "Yes, we all always look forward to that." Lutherans: 3 Catholics: -2 I won't take off a point for that one, Catholics. They just went above and beyond because they're in Geneva, city of peace and multiculturalism.
And finally, end of mass: snacks. Free snacks. This is also the reason my mother claims to be a "die hard Catholic" but NEVER goes to Catholic mass and prefers wherever there are donuts. Final score: Lutherans: 10 Catholics: -2
Hmmm. I just can't believe it. 500 years and we've made little progress. Ironically enough, the homily was about how we are never "done becoming", and how we are always forced to choose what to keep and what to let go from our past in order to not deny our process of becoming.
There's always a moment that makes a cause more personal. This was mine. I've been on the Women's Ordination Conference mailing list (for the Catholic Church) since I attended the School of the Americas Ignatian Teach-In and Protest at the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia. And I recently enlisted my friend Sam to read and summarize whatever is going on to me and sign online petitions on my behalf. I know it's important, but I just don't have the time. Between them and the Not for Sale Campaign and the Living Wage Campaign, I just don't have time to read and sign all these petitions.
But in that most private, quiet, moment of faith led by a woman, I felt how hurtful it would be to be denied of that opportunity to serve God and God's people in that capacity within the Catholic Church, a community from which I get a great sense of belonging, familiarity, home, and faith. It's a space that has "cultural efficacy" for me. Cultural efficacy refers to how integral and useful a particular cultural practice is in contributing to one's wholeness and sense of self in a social context, despite the potentially oppressive nature of the practice. But it doesn't suggest that we ought to preserve the cultural practice as it is because it has efficacy. Cultures undergo change, and when they do, they haven't died. They've simply undergone...reform.
Now, THAT is the value of studying abroad. I wrote to her (we've met on several occasions) not to question her faith (or her questioning of her faith), but to let her know that doing so is hard and valuable. We can't see things through other people's eyes unless we try to see EVERYTHING from their perspective. She seems to be well on her way.
Today, I stumbled upon L'Eglise Evangelique Lutherienne de Geneve, also known as:
I spent the hour of service both nearly moved to tears by how progressive and inclusive it was (and HAS BEEN since back in the day), and laughing so hard and out loud at my "Oh, thaaaat's why the reformation happened..." epiphanies.
This was defintely coming. You don't understand, this city is bleeding with Jean Calvin right now. It's the 500th anniversary of his birth and the 450th anniversary of the birth of the Universite de Geneve, that he was instrumental in helping found. Every day there's a play in the Vielle Ville, a faire in Parc de Bastions, a debate in the Village Huguenot, etc.
I attend the Universite of Geneve, and I also lived IN the hostel of the Cathedrale St. Pierre, where Calvin preached five centuries ago.
The first days were slightly awkward as a Catholic. "Oh...right...when my people were selling tickets to heaven...yeah...those gangster pimp Popes...sorry 'bout that...well, what's done is done, it's 2009 now and my Jesuit school is super social-justicey, whee! =)"
But I'd always pick up those Calvin: Geneve en Flammes flyers because I like theatre and I like debates. Plus, I couldn't resist the hilarious cartoon version of Calvin on the flyer:
I landed on this Lutheran mass sort of accidentally, when my new friend invited me to come to "church" on Sunday. I love inter-religious dialogue, and it's sort of my academic field, so I didn't bother to ask whether or not it was Catholic.
Panic suddenly overcame me when I realized how little I knew about the particularities of a Lutheran mass. Is it even called a mass? A service? Do I kneel? Will they be offended if I make the sign of the cross? Cuz I do it instinctively. Is there holy communion? Am I supposed to take it? Crap, is it gonna be real bread I have to chew? Do I go up and cross my hands on my chest like people do in the Catholic Church?
It was too late, the mass or service or whatever it was had begun before I could ask Heidi for instructions. First moment of choque (shock): "OMG, is that a woman priest? I've never heard a sermon by a woman priest." Lutherans: 1 Catholics: -1
The very jolly pianist taught us some lines so we could sing along, and the woman priest spoke to some kids before she began the service. She welcomes the regulars, the visitors, and the summer interns and students (that's us!), and tells us we will introduce ourselves at the end. How kind.
"The Lord Be With You."
I closed my eyes and nearly cried when I realized the only female voice I had ever heard say that was my own, when describing to non-Catholic friends what a Catholic mass looks like.
Then I realized: Wow, we suck. I laughed and shook my head in shame. I can't believe how backwards we still are 500 years after the reformation.
I want to say "Well, we stay in the Catholic Church to create change from within the system (just like I've heard many progressive Jesuits say). It'll take time, but it'll be institutional change from within." Um, except that it's been FIVE HUNDRED YEARS.
FIVE HUNDRED YEARS.
I started laughing out loud at the ridiculosity of the claim of "making change from the inside." I really got nothin' there. It's not like the Catholic Church is a democracy; and the US doesn't use its military might to fight for liberal democracy within the Catholic Church (should I ask? but I'm nonviolent...).
I still missed the familiarities of a Catholic mass, the hymns that I associated with life-giving times at school, and the way in which I could predict exactly what was going to happen next. The things that didn't suck about the Catholic Church were preserved through the reformation. I did like their different Prayer of Confession better though. And again, upon hearing a woman's voice say these humbling words, I was nearly moved to tears:
When we surround our lives with the noise of this world, so we no longer hear your word, God,
forgive us.
When we prefer the comfortable deception to the difficult truth,
forgive us.
When our ears have become deaf so they no longer hear your voice, nor the cries of your people,
forgive us.
When we hear your word, but fail to heed it,
forgive us.
When your word is vibrant, but we become afraid,
forgive us.
When your word doesn't liberate us anymore,
forgive us.
Next came the moment I had been fearing for the first 38 minutes: holy communion. This is such an awkward moment in the Catholic Church when I have to tell my muslim friend what she is to do. "Okaaay, um, like, you don't hafta kneel when we kneel, and you don't hafta stand when we stand, but I guess you don't wanna be standing when we're sitting, so um...well if you wanna go up and cross your arms...umph, hang on this man is pushing me into the line..."
And in another moment of total shock, I heard the woman's voice say "Because this is the table of the Lord, all are welcome. This is the body of Christ, given up for you. This is the blood of Christ, poured for you."
Me??? Even though I never sat through two years of painstaiking "confirmation" courses confirming that I'm faking belief for everything your man-made institution stands for, including exclusion??? Lutherans: 2 Catholics: -2
On one hand, I couldn't believe it. "Because this is the table of the Lord, all are welcome." But on the other hand: duh! Clearly, all are welcome. It's the table of the Lord!
This reminds me of a conversation I had with my mentor, who attended a Jesuit high school. He's in this thirties, and he looked at me and said, "Catholics believe other people can't go to heaven??" "Um, technically." "What?? I never knew that!"
And perhaps my favorite moment of the mass was when she said, "And now we say the Lord's prayer, in our own languages." To my left, German, to my right, English, and me: Indonesian. It had been so long since I had been allowed to do that, I seriously nearly cried.
"Bapa kami yang ada di surga, dimuliakanlah namaMu, datanglah kerajaan mu, jadilah kehendak mu, di atas bumi seperti di dalam surga. Berilah kami rejeki pada hari ini. Ampunilah dosa kami seperti kamipun mengampuni yang bersalah kepada kami. Jangan masukkan kami dalam cobaan, tapi bebaskan kami dari yang jahat. Sebab Tuhanlah raja yang mulia dan berkuasa untuk selama lamanya. Amin."
When I commented on it after mass, one man said, "Yes, we all always look forward to that." Lutherans: 3 Catholics: -2 I won't take off a point for that one, Catholics. They just went above and beyond because they're in Geneva, city of peace and multiculturalism.
And finally, end of mass: snacks. Free snacks. This is also the reason my mother claims to be a "die hard Catholic" but NEVER goes to Catholic mass and prefers wherever there are donuts. Final score: Lutherans: 10 Catholics: -2
Hmmm. I just can't believe it. 500 years and we've made little progress. Ironically enough, the homily was about how we are never "done becoming", and how we are always forced to choose what to keep and what to let go from our past in order to not deny our process of becoming.
There's always a moment that makes a cause more personal. This was mine. I've been on the Women's Ordination Conference mailing list (for the Catholic Church) since I attended the School of the Americas Ignatian Teach-In and Protest at the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia. And I recently enlisted my friend Sam to read and summarize whatever is going on to me and sign online petitions on my behalf. I know it's important, but I just don't have the time. Between them and the Not for Sale Campaign and the Living Wage Campaign, I just don't have time to read and sign all these petitions.
But in that most private, quiet, moment of faith led by a woman, I felt how hurtful it would be to be denied of that opportunity to serve God and God's people in that capacity within the Catholic Church, a community from which I get a great sense of belonging, familiarity, home, and faith. It's a space that has "cultural efficacy" for me. Cultural efficacy refers to how integral and useful a particular cultural practice is in contributing to one's wholeness and sense of self in a social context, despite the potentially oppressive nature of the practice. But it doesn't suggest that we ought to preserve the cultural practice as it is because it has efficacy. Cultures undergo change, and when they do, they haven't died. They've simply undergone...reform.
Now, THAT is the value of studying abroad. I wrote to her (we've met on several occasions) not to question her faith (or her questioning of her faith), but to let her know that doing so is hard and valuable. We can't see things through other people's eyes unless we try to see EVERYTHING from their perspective. She seems to be well on her way.
Death of a War Monger
The NY Times is reporting that Robert McNamara died yesterday. For those of you under 45, think of him as the Donald Rumsfeld of his day as he was the lightning rod for Vietnam. Also, like Rumsfeld, he was a super smart guy who would have been a great defense secretary had he not had a war to fight.
What made him unusual is that he clearly struggled with the morality of war, even while fighting it. What made him disgusting was that he didn't act on these thoughts when he had the opportunity to change the course of Vietnam. I remember when going through the LBJ library in Austin and reading a letter he wrote to Johnson right after JFK died saying the the war was unwinnable. But, he still fought the war.
There was a huge shit storm when his autobiography came out (and the subsequent documentary by Errol Morris). This was because his admissions seemed too little and too late. For some things, saying "I'm sorry" just isn't enough.
Obviously, that lesson was wasted on Rumsfeld, Bush, Cheney and Rice when it came to Iraq. Hopefully the war mongers of the future will heed his warnings.
What made him unusual is that he clearly struggled with the morality of war, even while fighting it. What made him disgusting was that he didn't act on these thoughts when he had the opportunity to change the course of Vietnam. I remember when going through the LBJ library in Austin and reading a letter he wrote to Johnson right after JFK died saying the the war was unwinnable. But, he still fought the war.
There was a huge shit storm when his autobiography came out (and the subsequent documentary by Errol Morris). This was because his admissions seemed too little and too late. For some things, saying "I'm sorry" just isn't enough.
Obviously, that lesson was wasted on Rumsfeld, Bush, Cheney and Rice when it came to Iraq. Hopefully the war mongers of the future will heed his warnings.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
I Have to Quit in Order to Lead
I've never been a big Sara Palin fan. She's not book smart and appears to have a disdain for those who are. Oh, and she's a big fucking hypocrite when it comes to her family and she's not afraid to whore them out for her political career.
Listening to her rambling quitter speech yesterday was off the charts. It's like she's channeling Richard Nixon's paranoia. She's obviously made a lot of enemies in Alaska, or else there wouldn't be so many ethics charges against her. Now she's seeing them around every corner. I go the sense from her remarks that there's a big charge looming that she doesn't want to deal with.
Also, remember how she chided Obama for not being a decision maker? Now she's going to try and convince us (oh, yes, she is DEFINITELY going to run for prez--her PAC's website is begging for donations as I type this) that being mayor of a tiny town and governor of Alaska for less than two years qualifies her for the highest office in the land. I don't think so.
The worst part of her speech was it shows how much of a quitter she is. The people of Alaska voted for her to do a job and she's being pretty cavalier about blowing them off. I don't mind her deciding not to run in 2010 so that she can focus on 2012. But, this idea that she can't be effective as a lame duck is ridiculous. She could have used that freedom to push for things that are politically unpopular as she wouldn't have to run again. Her message? If you can't have things your way in the statehouse, just leave. I loved how she said that the service people she visited inspired her to do this. What, they're living in a hellhole and they inspired you to quit when things were tough? Hunh?
She also has a very inflated view of how seriously people take her. She says she can affect change on security and energy independence by not being in the governor's mansion. Really? And what are these ideas, cuz I missed them during the campaign. And, considering that her supporters in the lower 48 are anti-choice gun nuts, do they really care what she has to say about anything else? I don't think there are too many people who don't already support her who give a shit about what she has to say.
She obviously didn't consider that front runners did retty poorly in 2008. If I asked you a year before the election who'd be competing for it, you would probably have said Romney and Clinton. If she's doing this to make a ton of cash on the speaking circuit (which I think she is) and position herself in 2010 (which she definitely is). As usual, she needs to be careful what she's wishing for. Or, to put a more religious spin on things, if you want to see god laugh, tell him your plans.
Listening to her rambling quitter speech yesterday was off the charts. It's like she's channeling Richard Nixon's paranoia. She's obviously made a lot of enemies in Alaska, or else there wouldn't be so many ethics charges against her. Now she's seeing them around every corner. I go the sense from her remarks that there's a big charge looming that she doesn't want to deal with.
Also, remember how she chided Obama for not being a decision maker? Now she's going to try and convince us (oh, yes, she is DEFINITELY going to run for prez--her PAC's website is begging for donations as I type this) that being mayor of a tiny town and governor of Alaska for less than two years qualifies her for the highest office in the land. I don't think so.
The worst part of her speech was it shows how much of a quitter she is. The people of Alaska voted for her to do a job and she's being pretty cavalier about blowing them off. I don't mind her deciding not to run in 2010 so that she can focus on 2012. But, this idea that she can't be effective as a lame duck is ridiculous. She could have used that freedom to push for things that are politically unpopular as she wouldn't have to run again. Her message? If you can't have things your way in the statehouse, just leave. I loved how she said that the service people she visited inspired her to do this. What, they're living in a hellhole and they inspired you to quit when things were tough? Hunh?
She also has a very inflated view of how seriously people take her. She says she can affect change on security and energy independence by not being in the governor's mansion. Really? And what are these ideas, cuz I missed them during the campaign. And, considering that her supporters in the lower 48 are anti-choice gun nuts, do they really care what she has to say about anything else? I don't think there are too many people who don't already support her who give a shit about what she has to say.
She obviously didn't consider that front runners did retty poorly in 2008. If I asked you a year before the election who'd be competing for it, you would probably have said Romney and Clinton. If she's doing this to make a ton of cash on the speaking circuit (which I think she is) and position herself in 2010 (which she definitely is). As usual, she needs to be careful what she's wishing for. Or, to put a more religious spin on things, if you want to see god laugh, tell him your plans.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
