I need to take a moment to vent about my week. It seems like everything that could have gone wrong this week, did. I try to be grateful every day, but this week was really, really difficult. I had two papers due on Wednesday, which I didn't finish until Wednesday afternoon, and only because I skipped my morning class. Wednesday night I had a blow out with a professor after class which was just awful. Then, the work study office informed me that I can't get paid for my first TWO pay periods, because my tax forms were not submitted, even though the financial aid office told me they were. And today, my ex-boyfriend who I haven't spoken with in six months decided to contact me, the day before a Policy midterm for which I still have not finished studying. Anyone know what it feels like to read the same sentence over and over for twenty minutes because you just can't concentrate? Not conducive to reading 200 pages of the history of social welfare. And I haven't even mentioned the totally depressing home visit in which my client started crying the second I arrived, the dream about my dad having cancer, that my parents informed me they're selling the house I grew up in, or the argument with my mother that ensued. Furthermore, I am flat broke.
Good things that happened this week:
1) Sold my car to Uncle Bob
2) Reunited with an old high school friend
3) Puppy-sat a Yorkie
4) Dinner with Maureen at Isabella's, on her boss
5) Asit bought my drink on Saturday
6) Discovered the beauty of Exercise on Demand
7) My co-workers were amazing, as usual
8) Matt brought me Ben & Jerry's
9) Saw a lot of friends and caught up with Lizzie
10) Cart coffee, every single day
Not so bad, eh? There's nothing like a little gratitude and perspective. I already feel better.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Saturday, October 07, 2006
There goes your man...
The wife and I went to see my man Damien Jurado at the Knitting Factory last night. Rosie Thomas opened the show, and she was awesome as well. She has a really, REALLY high speaking voice, like a little girl. Wife and I were surprised that her singing voice was significantly lower. After her performance, she greeted fans at the stage with hugs and kind words. She was an incredibly gracious performer!
And then came my boyfriend Damien. Turns out he's married with at least one kid, which broke my heart a little, but I got what I came for. At the end of the show, wife and I requested Letters and Drawings and he PLAYED IT for the encore. He was totally awesome about it, and actually talked to us a little from the stage. And then he forgot the lyrics like three times. He commented on being intimidated to be playing a NYC venue and the audience was all, "But we love you!" The venue was pretty full, but so small, and I realized that Damien is a lot more popular in my head than in reality. He's so friggin adorable, I just want to go pinch his cheeks. I'm reposting my favorite picture of him.
And then came my boyfriend Damien. Turns out he's married with at least one kid, which broke my heart a little, but I got what I came for. At the end of the show, wife and I requested Letters and Drawings and he PLAYED IT for the encore. He was totally awesome about it, and actually talked to us a little from the stage. And then he forgot the lyrics like three times. He commented on being intimidated to be playing a NYC venue and the audience was all, "But we love you!" The venue was pretty full, but so small, and I realized that Damien is a lot more popular in my head than in reality. He's so friggin adorable, I just want to go pinch his cheeks. I'm reposting my favorite picture of him.
We'd have really cute babies, I think. He definitely has a Ditu face to complement my own. (Only wifey will get that reference.) I'm going to post another, because I love him.
Isn't he the cuteness? Wifey and I had a blast. God I love the Knitting Factory.
In the words of Pee-Wee Herman, "And knitting, and knitting, and knitting...."
Thursday, September 21, 2006
ONLY two years?
Man jailed for decapitating cat
I read a story a few months ago about a step-father who, following an argument with his step-children, grabbed their pet goldfish out of its bowl, threw it to the ground and stomped on it. This man was sentenced to one year in prison.
I was so proud of our judicial system for honoring the emotional distress of the children and acknowledging the murder of a family pet, regardless of its size. If a man has no qualms about killing his children's pet in front of them, you have to wonder what he's capable of next time. I think a year in prison, hopefully coupled with therapy, will give him a good amount of time to think about the implications of what he's done. I can't imagine how traumatizing this event was for small children.
I'm not trying to say a fish's life is worth less than a kitten's, and I'm glad this Illinois man was sentenced to two years, but again here, what might this man be capable of next time? Certainly ripping the head off a kitten requires a great deal more strength, determination and apathy. To me, the squeamish factor is so important. When you stomp on a goldfish, it's not pretty, I'm sure. But to tear the head off a live kitten is to see and hear it struggle, and to witness the gruesomeness of a viable little body destroyed. A cat is too close to a human, physically, for this situation not to warrent concern over his sociopathic disregard for the well-being of a helpless animal. Not to mention his girlfriend's emotional state upon witnessing the murder of a kitten.
It's not the "worth" of an animal that should determine a sentence, but the implications of the murder. Is a man who stomps a goldfish to death less of a threat to society than a man who decapitates a kitten? Obviously I can't answer that, but my gut says yes. Or maybe these two men are just at different stages along the continuum of murderous capabilities. Just like Dahmer kept animal carcases and liked to touch dead things, such as roadkill, might this man too be on his way to bigger victims? Maybe that's an unfair comparison considering Dahmer's severe psychological issues...but I still have to wonder.
Would YOU want this guy back out on the streets after two years? I'm just glad I've got indoor cats.
I read a story a few months ago about a step-father who, following an argument with his step-children, grabbed their pet goldfish out of its bowl, threw it to the ground and stomped on it. This man was sentenced to one year in prison.
I was so proud of our judicial system for honoring the emotional distress of the children and acknowledging the murder of a family pet, regardless of its size. If a man has no qualms about killing his children's pet in front of them, you have to wonder what he's capable of next time. I think a year in prison, hopefully coupled with therapy, will give him a good amount of time to think about the implications of what he's done. I can't imagine how traumatizing this event was for small children.
I'm not trying to say a fish's life is worth less than a kitten's, and I'm glad this Illinois man was sentenced to two years, but again here, what might this man be capable of next time? Certainly ripping the head off a kitten requires a great deal more strength, determination and apathy. To me, the squeamish factor is so important. When you stomp on a goldfish, it's not pretty, I'm sure. But to tear the head off a live kitten is to see and hear it struggle, and to witness the gruesomeness of a viable little body destroyed. A cat is too close to a human, physically, for this situation not to warrent concern over his sociopathic disregard for the well-being of a helpless animal. Not to mention his girlfriend's emotional state upon witnessing the murder of a kitten.
It's not the "worth" of an animal that should determine a sentence, but the implications of the murder. Is a man who stomps a goldfish to death less of a threat to society than a man who decapitates a kitten? Obviously I can't answer that, but my gut says yes. Or maybe these two men are just at different stages along the continuum of murderous capabilities. Just like Dahmer kept animal carcases and liked to touch dead things, such as roadkill, might this man too be on his way to bigger victims? Maybe that's an unfair comparison considering Dahmer's severe psychological issues...but I still have to wonder.
Would YOU want this guy back out on the streets after two years? I'm just glad I've got indoor cats.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
That's not a roach...
...nope, that's a small mouse.
L came over to my desk today and asked if one of my jobs as an intern was to catch mice. I asked her what she was talking about, and she informed me that there was a mouse stuck on fly paper (but the kind for roaches) in the kitchen and it was still alive.
I went in, and sure enough, there's the tiniest little gray mouse in the death grip of the most vicious glue you can imagine, struggling to get free but clearly losing his moxie and his will to live.
I told them (it was early, there were only about 4 of us in the office at the time) that I'd take care of it, which took them by surprise. Being an ex-rodent owner, I have no problem with the little guys and wanted to see if I could set him free.
Armed with a Bic pen and the fly paper, I marched little Mickey out to the park where I managed successfully to get his tail free, but wasn't having much luck with the rest of him. One side of his face was glued (quite fatally) to the paper, and the eye on the side facing up was bulging out of it's socket, from what looked like terrible exertion.
As I tried to pry his body free, he started squeaking in pain, and it was at that point that I started on his head and realized that he wasn't getting out of this alive.
A man who had been watching me came over and asked what I was doing. (I'm applying for a library card, sir.) "Trying to free this mouse," I responded. "His eye is bulging."
"Yeah, he's dying. Hold that paper still." The man picked up a wooden pole that was lying in the grass and tried to pry him free with that, but the pole was thicker than the mouse was wide, and he was being too forceful.
Mickey started squealing again, this time even louder, and the man told me not to look. I started crying. I knew he was going to kill the mouse before he managed to free it, and here I was holding the fly paper and letting it happen, because I knew that the faster it was over, the better. The man told me that the mouse got free, and that he ran away. When I turned to look, he told me not too.
Clearly Mickey had not run away.
I walked back in to the office and was so clearly shaken that L came over to see if I was alright and asked if I needed anything. I told her no, I was fine, but at this point there were several more people in the office and I was suddenly embarrassed at being in a room full of people who had just seen me cry over a mouse. And for those who didn't get to see the theatrics of my rodent liberation demonstration, V announced to the office later that day that, "Corinne cried over a mouse!" It was all in good fun, and they were sweet to me about it. But it's only the second day, and already I'm known as weird mouse girl.
I also made my first client contact today and you'll be happy to know that it was awful. I never want to get old.
I have class tomorrow which I'm so grateful for. It's so much happier than being in that office. I had to cancel plans with Janey tonight because I was so worn out, but I did get a lot of reading done. I think I really have to go to bed. I haven't slept well because I've been so anxious, but I'm calmer now that I don't have to go to work until Friday.
L came over to my desk today and asked if one of my jobs as an intern was to catch mice. I asked her what she was talking about, and she informed me that there was a mouse stuck on fly paper (but the kind for roaches) in the kitchen and it was still alive.
I went in, and sure enough, there's the tiniest little gray mouse in the death grip of the most vicious glue you can imagine, struggling to get free but clearly losing his moxie and his will to live.
I told them (it was early, there were only about 4 of us in the office at the time) that I'd take care of it, which took them by surprise. Being an ex-rodent owner, I have no problem with the little guys and wanted to see if I could set him free.
Armed with a Bic pen and the fly paper, I marched little Mickey out to the park where I managed successfully to get his tail free, but wasn't having much luck with the rest of him. One side of his face was glued (quite fatally) to the paper, and the eye on the side facing up was bulging out of it's socket, from what looked like terrible exertion.
As I tried to pry his body free, he started squeaking in pain, and it was at that point that I started on his head and realized that he wasn't getting out of this alive.
A man who had been watching me came over and asked what I was doing. (I'm applying for a library card, sir.) "Trying to free this mouse," I responded. "His eye is bulging."
"Yeah, he's dying. Hold that paper still." The man picked up a wooden pole that was lying in the grass and tried to pry him free with that, but the pole was thicker than the mouse was wide, and he was being too forceful.
Mickey started squealing again, this time even louder, and the man told me not to look. I started crying. I knew he was going to kill the mouse before he managed to free it, and here I was holding the fly paper and letting it happen, because I knew that the faster it was over, the better. The man told me that the mouse got free, and that he ran away. When I turned to look, he told me not too.
Clearly Mickey had not run away.
I walked back in to the office and was so clearly shaken that L came over to see if I was alright and asked if I needed anything. I told her no, I was fine, but at this point there were several more people in the office and I was suddenly embarrassed at being in a room full of people who had just seen me cry over a mouse. And for those who didn't get to see the theatrics of my rodent liberation demonstration, V announced to the office later that day that, "Corinne cried over a mouse!" It was all in good fun, and they were sweet to me about it. But it's only the second day, and already I'm known as weird mouse girl.
I also made my first client contact today and you'll be happy to know that it was awful. I never want to get old.
I have class tomorrow which I'm so grateful for. It's so much happier than being in that office. I had to cancel plans with Janey tonight because I was so worn out, but I did get a lot of reading done. I think I really have to go to bed. I haven't slept well because I've been so anxious, but I'm calmer now that I don't have to go to work until Friday.
I survived!
Well, despite the best efforts of the devil, I managed to survive my first day as a case manager for the elderly. Home visits. Wow. It's wild man. I thought it would be my least favorite part of the job, but as it turns out, it's the most fun and certainly the most fascinating. Going into an older person's home is like stepping through the magical door to Narnia. But once I get used to walking into a stranger's home, sitting down at their kitchen table and finding the politest way to ask if they can still bathe themselves, I'm going to rock it out with the old folks. We are going to have some good times together. This might not be so bad after all.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Starting fresh
Tomorrow is my first day of field work, and I'm incredibly nervous and curious and anxious. I haven't started a new job in a new environment with new people in three years. I feel like a little kid on the eve of the first day of school, but the stakes are so much higher. I know this job will yank me right out of my comfort zone the minute I make my first contact with a client. I think what it all comes down to is that I'm scared. It's hard for me to put myself out there with new people, even in an exchange where I have the upper-hand. I don't know what I'm so afraid of, but I can tell without investigating this fear much further that it's completely superficial and irrational.
I have no idea yet what I'll really be doing, but the framework consists of intake, assessment, home visits and the elderly. I met with my supervisor on Friday and was introduced to the staff. The office scares me a little. It's definitely the picture that pops into your head upon hearing the word "non-profit." It's only about two times the size of my apartment, and everything looks at least 10 years out-of-date. Coming from a four-floor, state of the art law office with a view to die for, it's going to be interesting. My office is the conference room. I hope they at least brew coffee. I'm trying to shift my perspective from anxious to excited, but it's not easy. In the end, the people I will deal with in my new office can't be anywhere near as bad as the people at Milberg. Let me rephrase that. I think the people in my new office will be incredibly warm and helpful as I ease into the mix. They are, after all, social workers.
Anyway, the really exciting news is that I applied and interviewed for a position on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Student Social Work, and was accepted! This is something that I wanted so badly, so that I could continue to use my undergrad work as I grew into the social work profession. I never wanted to let my English degree get dusty, and I'm really greatful for the opportunity to combine the two. In a way, I really feel as though Columbia is making up for my lack of love for James Madison. My undergraduate experience was not what I hoped it would be; I didn't get involved much and stuck to my group of friends. (I got a Lizzie and a Moo out of the deal, so it was worth it in the end!) But now I feel like I've finally found my niche, like this is definitely where I'm supposed to be in my life right now. I love what I'm doing, and aside from the financial stress, I'm really happy with the way things are taking shape.
Plus, I just bought a new pair of maroon boots and adorable red Mary Jane type shoes (but without the strap...so not really Mary Jane-ish at all...) for my foray into the school year. Hot.
Time to read about welfare policy until I fall asleep.
I have no idea yet what I'll really be doing, but the framework consists of intake, assessment, home visits and the elderly. I met with my supervisor on Friday and was introduced to the staff. The office scares me a little. It's definitely the picture that pops into your head upon hearing the word "non-profit." It's only about two times the size of my apartment, and everything looks at least 10 years out-of-date. Coming from a four-floor, state of the art law office with a view to die for, it's going to be interesting. My office is the conference room. I hope they at least brew coffee. I'm trying to shift my perspective from anxious to excited, but it's not easy. In the end, the people I will deal with in my new office can't be anywhere near as bad as the people at Milberg. Let me rephrase that. I think the people in my new office will be incredibly warm and helpful as I ease into the mix. They are, after all, social workers.
Anyway, the really exciting news is that I applied and interviewed for a position on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Student Social Work, and was accepted! This is something that I wanted so badly, so that I could continue to use my undergrad work as I grew into the social work profession. I never wanted to let my English degree get dusty, and I'm really greatful for the opportunity to combine the two. In a way, I really feel as though Columbia is making up for my lack of love for James Madison. My undergraduate experience was not what I hoped it would be; I didn't get involved much and stuck to my group of friends. (I got a Lizzie and a Moo out of the deal, so it was worth it in the end!) But now I feel like I've finally found my niche, like this is definitely where I'm supposed to be in my life right now. I love what I'm doing, and aside from the financial stress, I'm really happy with the way things are taking shape.
Plus, I just bought a new pair of maroon boots and adorable red Mary Jane type shoes (but without the strap...so not really Mary Jane-ish at all...) for my foray into the school year. Hot.
Time to read about welfare policy until I fall asleep.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
We live to hear the slack-jawed gasping
I just keep letting the quirks and nuances of daily life slip through the cracks! Which is probably better for y'all. I've been such a blog truant and I'm sorry. I've received several (2) complaints about my lack of blogging so I'll try harder to get shit out of my head and into cyberspace.
After all, I start school full time tomorrow. This is a whole new phase of my life, I might as well record it. I'll be in classes all day Wednesday, and will have fieldwork with the aging population of the UWS on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, and my fantastic part-time job will fill in the gaps. Thursdays are free!
But let's get back to this part-time job. It couldn't be more suited to me if I invented it myself. I'd pay myself more, but that's a given. It's off the books, and all I do is Trivial Pursuit-type research on Lexis, and then write up all these funky statistics in the form of quizzes and games and fun trivial facts for various types of publications. I get to work from home, in my PJs, and compile useless trivia while sipping coffee and involuntarily (but quite gainfully!) becoming a Trivial Pursuit guru. My official title can be finally and officially be Reclusive Nerd. I couldn't be happier with this gig.
So, I finished The Unbearable Lightness of Being which I admittedly plowed through while pretty baked. It might be the best (or worst) way to read Orwellian post-Communist political and social philosophy. And for fun, I just flipped through the publishing details and discovered that this book was in fact published in 1984. Coincidence? I enjoyed the book until the end when the dog died and I sat in my living room sobbing through 10 pages. That was a rough ending. For a book about unbearable lightness, this one was pretty f'ing tragic.
And I just want to mention, as an aside, that I was like, totally in the audience of the Ellen season premiere in Central Park. My boy Matty picked me up at 9:30 a.m. and we stood and then sat around all day waiting for the taping to start, only to find out that we were being surprised with a second taping! It was a little tiring and pretty dehydrating but so much fun. Ellen is my hero, and we got to see Justin Timberlake and Beyonce perform, so it was totally worth it. I wasn't really into JT or Beyonce before the show, and yet somehow, since then, my iPod brought sexy back. Yeah...
Alright, my brain needs to go rest up for the next two years of knowledge. Peace!
After all, I start school full time tomorrow. This is a whole new phase of my life, I might as well record it. I'll be in classes all day Wednesday, and will have fieldwork with the aging population of the UWS on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, and my fantastic part-time job will fill in the gaps. Thursdays are free!
But let's get back to this part-time job. It couldn't be more suited to me if I invented it myself. I'd pay myself more, but that's a given. It's off the books, and all I do is Trivial Pursuit-type research on Lexis, and then write up all these funky statistics in the form of quizzes and games and fun trivial facts for various types of publications. I get to work from home, in my PJs, and compile useless trivia while sipping coffee and involuntarily (but quite gainfully!) becoming a Trivial Pursuit guru. My official title can be finally and officially be Reclusive Nerd. I couldn't be happier with this gig.
So, I finished The Unbearable Lightness of Being which I admittedly plowed through while pretty baked. It might be the best (or worst) way to read Orwellian post-Communist political and social philosophy. And for fun, I just flipped through the publishing details and discovered that this book was in fact published in 1984. Coincidence? I enjoyed the book until the end when the dog died and I sat in my living room sobbing through 10 pages. That was a rough ending. For a book about unbearable lightness, this one was pretty f'ing tragic.
And I just want to mention, as an aside, that I was like, totally in the audience of the Ellen season premiere in Central Park. My boy Matty picked me up at 9:30 a.m. and we stood and then sat around all day waiting for the taping to start, only to find out that we were being surprised with a second taping! It was a little tiring and pretty dehydrating but so much fun. Ellen is my hero, and we got to see Justin Timberlake and Beyonce perform, so it was totally worth it. I wasn't really into JT or Beyonce before the show, and yet somehow, since then, my iPod brought sexy back. Yeah...
Alright, my brain needs to go rest up for the next two years of knowledge. Peace!
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Are any of you surprised by this?
These are the results of a poll on my favorite website, CrimeLibrary.com
Is pushing democracy in the Arab world a waste of time?
Yes. 84.35%
No. 11.74%
Don't know. 3.91%
Even though I voted yes, and even though most people are now at least relatively anti-War in Iraq, I was really surprised that a staggering 84% of respondents think spreading democracy in the Arab world is a waste of time. I happen to be of the opinion that spreading American democracy is just one facet of spreading American culture, and therefore geocentric and kind of confusing (culturally and politically) to those on the other end of things. But I was also under the impression that Americans in general are big fans of democracy, and happy to spread it like fairy dust across the planet. Which makes me think that the people who responded to this poll are not necessarily against the idea of spreading democracy in the Arab world, but against our three-year-long and seemingly unending involvement in the Middle East.
Which left me wondering, is CrimeLibrary and/or its readers particularly left-leaning? I read CrimeLibrary every day, and it has never struck me as politically liberal, or politically anything. Just straight facts. It's possible that its readers are largely leftist, but I can't come up with a reason why, since it's affiliated with Court TV, which to me would likely grab the attention of people from across the political spectrum.
Aaaanyway, I'd be interested to get feedback from other people.
Is pushing democracy in the Arab world a waste of time?
Yes. 84.35%
No. 11.74%
Don't know. 3.91%
Even though I voted yes, and even though most people are now at least relatively anti-War in Iraq, I was really surprised that a staggering 84% of respondents think spreading democracy in the Arab world is a waste of time. I happen to be of the opinion that spreading American democracy is just one facet of spreading American culture, and therefore geocentric and kind of confusing (culturally and politically) to those on the other end of things. But I was also under the impression that Americans in general are big fans of democracy, and happy to spread it like fairy dust across the planet. Which makes me think that the people who responded to this poll are not necessarily against the idea of spreading democracy in the Arab world, but against our three-year-long and seemingly unending involvement in the Middle East.
Which left me wondering, is CrimeLibrary and/or its readers particularly left-leaning? I read CrimeLibrary every day, and it has never struck me as politically liberal, or politically anything. Just straight facts. It's possible that its readers are largely leftist, but I can't come up with a reason why, since it's affiliated with Court TV, which to me would likely grab the attention of people from across the political spectrum.
Aaaanyway, I'd be interested to get feedback from other people.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
My Irish blood's a'boilin'
I have a bone to pick with Trader Joe's Wine Store, Union Square, Manhattan.
I am 25 years old, and was carded upon trying to buy three bottles of Two Buck Chuck (of course, in Manhattan it's three bucks). Fine. I understand that. (Technically I COULD pass for under 21, but most people with eyeballs would guess closer to my actual age.) But then I realized I didn't have my licence on me because I thought a bartender had accidentally kept it one night when I had a tab running. Turns out, no, I'm just blind. So upon further inspection of my wallet, I finally found it, and walked pointedly back to the counter, ID in hand. But now, the chick doesn't believe it's me, obviously, and in addition to that, my licence is from New Jersey, and unfortunately, expired. So they still won't let me buy it. They also will not allow My Wife to buy it, even if I'm not present. Suffice it to say, I was not a happy camper.
I'm sure that if anyone's reading this (unless it's My Wife), they're thinking, "It's your own fault for not having a current licence." And to those people, I say "Fuck you!" No, seriously, I understand that part. But the point is, the cashier and the manager knew I was 25, I had valid government ID to back it up, and a supplemental university ID card with my photo, name and birth date on it. But noooo, my supplemental ID had to be government-issued as well. So my question to you is, "What kind of idiot carries around 2 or more forms of government identification?" Yeah, I regularly walk around with my social security card and birth certificate, just in case I've got a bunch of Trader Joe bitches going all Doubting Thomas on my ass.
But what really chaps my ass is the fact that, as a free human being in a free country, I can't have a fucking glass of wine!! 18 year old boys can be sent to fight and die for our country in a frivolous war, but a 25 year-old woman can't drink alcohol? What kind of logic is that? I'm sure if there was a draft and my little brother showed up without his ID they'd still force his ass to spread almighty democracy all over the world. You know what? I'll just go home and toke up on all the grass I bought last night, which was infinitely easier to access than a bottle of wine.
"Loyalty to the country always. Loyalty to the government when it deserves it." - Mark Twain
**Steps off soapbox**
I am 25 years old, and was carded upon trying to buy three bottles of Two Buck Chuck (of course, in Manhattan it's three bucks). Fine. I understand that. (Technically I COULD pass for under 21, but most people with eyeballs would guess closer to my actual age.) But then I realized I didn't have my licence on me because I thought a bartender had accidentally kept it one night when I had a tab running. Turns out, no, I'm just blind. So upon further inspection of my wallet, I finally found it, and walked pointedly back to the counter, ID in hand. But now, the chick doesn't believe it's me, obviously, and in addition to that, my licence is from New Jersey, and unfortunately, expired. So they still won't let me buy it. They also will not allow My Wife to buy it, even if I'm not present. Suffice it to say, I was not a happy camper.
I'm sure that if anyone's reading this (unless it's My Wife), they're thinking, "It's your own fault for not having a current licence." And to those people, I say "Fuck you!" No, seriously, I understand that part. But the point is, the cashier and the manager knew I was 25, I had valid government ID to back it up, and a supplemental university ID card with my photo, name and birth date on it. But noooo, my supplemental ID had to be government-issued as well. So my question to you is, "What kind of idiot carries around 2 or more forms of government identification?" Yeah, I regularly walk around with my social security card and birth certificate, just in case I've got a bunch of Trader Joe bitches going all Doubting Thomas on my ass.
But what really chaps my ass is the fact that, as a free human being in a free country, I can't have a fucking glass of wine!! 18 year old boys can be sent to fight and die for our country in a frivolous war, but a 25 year-old woman can't drink alcohol? What kind of logic is that? I'm sure if there was a draft and my little brother showed up without his ID they'd still force his ass to spread almighty democracy all over the world. You know what? I'll just go home and toke up on all the grass I bought last night, which was infinitely easier to access than a bottle of wine.
"Loyalty to the country always. Loyalty to the government when it deserves it." - Mark Twain
**Steps off soapbox**
Friday, July 14, 2006
Summer Stage
Last night the wife and I went to see Ani DiFranco at SummerStage, after a year-long hiatus from touring. I was really sad when it hit me that I'm no longer all that interested in her specific politics. Her feminist rantings have become hackneyed. She felt the need to define feminism for the crowd, which is the second time I've seen her do this in concert. The people she's speaking to are all women who fully understand the implications of the movement, and vagina-friendly men who know that feminism is about equality of the sexes, and that the definition doesn't even consist of the words woman, female, radical, etc. I understand the need for speaking out for our political priorities, but you're just preaching to the choir, sister!
Anyway, she played a great setlist with some new songs, and I enjoyed the hell out of her cuteness, anyway. But even more than that, I enjoyed one of her opening acts, Toshi Reagon. I heard the voice of an angel as I walked into the venue, only to peer onstage and realize that the source of the voice was nothing like what I was expecting. Nevertheless, I'm totally picking up her CD.
This lady has some serious musical talent. Check her out!
Anyway, she played a great setlist with some new songs, and I enjoyed the hell out of her cuteness, anyway. But even more than that, I enjoyed one of her opening acts, Toshi Reagon. I heard the voice of an angel as I walked into the venue, only to peer onstage and realize that the source of the voice was nothing like what I was expecting. Nevertheless, I'm totally picking up her CD.
This lady has some serious musical talent. Check her out!
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Seriously, folks
My wife just sent me this picture, and I kid you not, there is one of me just like it in one of our family albums. Mine, however, is not censored for child pornography as this one seems to be. I let it all hang out.
Columbine Journals
I know this is old news by now, but I'm just now getting around to writing about it. Personally, I believe that Dylan Klebold's and Eric Harris's parents are, at least in some part, to blame for the 12 deaths and 25 injuries sustained in Littleton that day. I haven't gotten a chance to read the 1,000 pages of journal entries and drawings yet, but I'm in the process of downloading them as I write this. What good parent could have allowed all of this to go on? Why were they not more vigilant? Their sons were filled with 10 lifetimes of anger and hate that no 18-year-old child should have to shoulder. And now with the new information that Eric's parents knew about the pipe bomb building, how could they not have stopped them? How could they not poke around in their own basements to see what their sons were up to? How could they not see how badly their children were hurting? How could they not ask for help?
It's a long time before I'll ever be a parent myself, but I hope that I am more in tune to my children's feelings and needs than Dylan and Eric's parents. I mean, what happened to a mother's instinct? In any event, I'm attaching an article that I read this morning:
Columbine Documents Reveal Gunmen's Anger
Rick SallingerReporting
(CBS4) LITTLETON, Colo. Nearly 1,000 pages of information about the Columbine High School gunmen were released Thursday morning including drawings and journal entries.
The writings of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold revealed the anger they had and the extent of planning that went into their shooting rampage that killed 12 people on April 20, 1999.
Among the documents was a journal kept by Harris' father Wayne Harris. One of his passages read "Brooks Brown is out to get Eric."
Brown was a onetime friend of Klebold and Harris.
"The more I read of what Eric's father wrote the more astounded I am at exactly how poorly he knew his son," Brown said.
Brown and his family have been going through the documents since they were released.
"I think that these writings will still surprise people who are the most jaded and will assume they were full of hate because they say the most evil things," Brooks said. "And the more I read this I go 'God, they were completely off their nut.'"
When Wayne Harris described Eric in his journal, he wrote "idle threats of physical harm, property damage, over reaction to minor incidents."
Brian Rohrbough whose son Daniel was killed in the shootings said something could've been done to prevent the deadly rampage.
"There really is a mountain of red flags and Columbine should have never happened," said Brian Rohrbough whose son Daniel was killed in the shootings. "In my opinion (Wayne) was aware of just how dangerous his son was."
Klebold wrote in a 1998 passage that his parents knew he had been involved with pipe bombs."I never knew until this moment that the Klebolds were aware of the pipe bomb building," said Judy Brown, Brooks' mother.
The documents also showed how the gunmen prepared a minute by minute detail for their attack. In another passage, Klebold wrote "I know I will die soon … so will you and everyone else."
The anger inside Klebold and Harris was also spelled on out on the pages of their yearbooks that read "killing enemies, killing cops and creating hell on earth."
"There are numerous writings where they talk about in some form that they are going to attack the school," Rohrbough said. "There's numerous writings where they talk about how they want to murder innocent people."
The "basement tapes" in which the killers described on video their plans for the attack and the reason behind it, weren't released with the documents. Jefferson County Sheriff Ted Mink thought releasing the tape to the public could inspire copycat violence.
(© MMVI CBS Television Stations, Inc.
It's a long time before I'll ever be a parent myself, but I hope that I am more in tune to my children's feelings and needs than Dylan and Eric's parents. I mean, what happened to a mother's instinct? In any event, I'm attaching an article that I read this morning:
Columbine Documents Reveal Gunmen's Anger
Rick SallingerReporting
(CBS4) LITTLETON, Colo. Nearly 1,000 pages of information about the Columbine High School gunmen were released Thursday morning including drawings and journal entries.
The writings of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold revealed the anger they had and the extent of planning that went into their shooting rampage that killed 12 people on April 20, 1999.
Among the documents was a journal kept by Harris' father Wayne Harris. One of his passages read "Brooks Brown is out to get Eric."
Brown was a onetime friend of Klebold and Harris.
"The more I read of what Eric's father wrote the more astounded I am at exactly how poorly he knew his son," Brown said.
Brown and his family have been going through the documents since they were released.
"I think that these writings will still surprise people who are the most jaded and will assume they were full of hate because they say the most evil things," Brooks said. "And the more I read this I go 'God, they were completely off their nut.'"
When Wayne Harris described Eric in his journal, he wrote "idle threats of physical harm, property damage, over reaction to minor incidents."
Brian Rohrbough whose son Daniel was killed in the shootings said something could've been done to prevent the deadly rampage.
"There really is a mountain of red flags and Columbine should have never happened," said Brian Rohrbough whose son Daniel was killed in the shootings. "In my opinion (Wayne) was aware of just how dangerous his son was."
Klebold wrote in a 1998 passage that his parents knew he had been involved with pipe bombs."I never knew until this moment that the Klebolds were aware of the pipe bomb building," said Judy Brown, Brooks' mother.
The documents also showed how the gunmen prepared a minute by minute detail for their attack. In another passage, Klebold wrote "I know I will die soon … so will you and everyone else."
The anger inside Klebold and Harris was also spelled on out on the pages of their yearbooks that read "killing enemies, killing cops and creating hell on earth."
"There are numerous writings where they talk about in some form that they are going to attack the school," Rohrbough said. "There's numerous writings where they talk about how they want to murder innocent people."
The "basement tapes" in which the killers described on video their plans for the attack and the reason behind it, weren't released with the documents. Jefferson County Sheriff Ted Mink thought releasing the tape to the public could inspire copycat violence.
(© MMVI CBS Television Stations, Inc.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
How to Deal With Being in Prison
I found this on WikiHow.
You broke the law and after a trial, you were found guilty and given prison time. You will spend most of your time in a locked building with people that have done as bad or worse than you. If you behave, it might go easier on you. Nonetheless, you will have to make the best of it if you are going to survive.
Steps
1. Do not cry, show fear, or a vulnerability publicly. Doing so will quickly make you a target for other prisoners.
2. Learn to play spades, chess, or hoops as it makes the time go by faster.
3. Get a prison job which will keep you occupied as the days pass by. 0
4. Read a lot. They have a library there so use it. Catch up on your reading.
5. Consider writing as well. Letters to friends and family, fictional short-stories, and poetry can make time pass a bit faster.
6. Brace yourself for the social dynamics of prison. There are certain ways to behave towards others if you want to get by:
--Do not become a 'punk' (girlfriend). While becoming a punk might give you some fleeting, temporary protection from other inmates, you will be a virtual slave to one. Punks are used and abused. They are traded away in card games and sold for cigarettes. It is not a path to long term survival in prison.
--Do not snitch. If you see something illegal or violent, walk away and do not divulge any information if questioned later. Being known as a snitch will make bad things happen to you. (Of course, you have to decide whether your fellow inmates or the authorities are more dangerous. If you're questioned and lie to the jailkeepers, you can get in serious legal trouble.)
--Stick up for yourself or you will be turned into a punk. It's better to get into a fight and lose than to be seen cowering or placating. Your reputation is more important than your desire to avoid pain, so guard it with your life. Ultimately you should avoid any confrontation if you can, but if you can't avoid one, react quickly and with aggression.
--Stay to yourself, keep your mouth shut and don't tell anyone about your personal life or family. Do not discuss either religion or politics. In other words, don't put your business out on the street. At the same time, don't get involved in other inmate's business.
7. Recognize that nights are the worst. You will miss your family, and freedom. You will probably cry, so stifle it into your pillow so no one will hear.
Tips
--Tear up the return address from your incoming mail. Other inmates will write to your friends and family if given a chance.
--Don't get caught up in a jailhouse romance. The last thing you need is to be getting involved in a relationship.
Warnings
--Do not admit or discuss any crime against a minor. Child molesters, abusers and murderers are considered the lowest forms of life in prison and subject to frequent attacks. If you are convicted of a crime against a child, insist on being placed in Protective Custody immediately. You won't be able to hide the nature of your crime in a general population prison for long. You risk your life when (not if) other prisoners find out.
--Do not gamble, unless you can pay your debts. They will use violence and stop at almost nothing to get what is due to them.
--Remember, you are in a house of thieves and liars, and should not believe very much of anything you hear. Do not trust other inmates except in cases where there would not be serious consequences for doing so. I.e. make careful choices regarding your "friends" and your location at any given moment of the day.
--Avoid drug use in prison. Drugs use while providing a temporary escape will lead to other problems.
You broke the law and after a trial, you were found guilty and given prison time. You will spend most of your time in a locked building with people that have done as bad or worse than you. If you behave, it might go easier on you. Nonetheless, you will have to make the best of it if you are going to survive.
Steps
1. Do not cry, show fear, or a vulnerability publicly. Doing so will quickly make you a target for other prisoners.
2. Learn to play spades, chess, or hoops as it makes the time go by faster.
3. Get a prison job which will keep you occupied as the days pass by. 0
4. Read a lot. They have a library there so use it. Catch up on your reading.
5. Consider writing as well. Letters to friends and family, fictional short-stories, and poetry can make time pass a bit faster.
6. Brace yourself for the social dynamics of prison. There are certain ways to behave towards others if you want to get by:
--Do not become a 'punk' (girlfriend). While becoming a punk might give you some fleeting, temporary protection from other inmates, you will be a virtual slave to one. Punks are used and abused. They are traded away in card games and sold for cigarettes. It is not a path to long term survival in prison.
--Do not snitch. If you see something illegal or violent, walk away and do not divulge any information if questioned later. Being known as a snitch will make bad things happen to you. (Of course, you have to decide whether your fellow inmates or the authorities are more dangerous. If you're questioned and lie to the jailkeepers, you can get in serious legal trouble.)
--Stick up for yourself or you will be turned into a punk. It's better to get into a fight and lose than to be seen cowering or placating. Your reputation is more important than your desire to avoid pain, so guard it with your life. Ultimately you should avoid any confrontation if you can, but if you can't avoid one, react quickly and with aggression.
--Stay to yourself, keep your mouth shut and don't tell anyone about your personal life or family. Do not discuss either religion or politics. In other words, don't put your business out on the street. At the same time, don't get involved in other inmate's business.
7. Recognize that nights are the worst. You will miss your family, and freedom. You will probably cry, so stifle it into your pillow so no one will hear.
Tips
--Tear up the return address from your incoming mail. Other inmates will write to your friends and family if given a chance.
--Don't get caught up in a jailhouse romance. The last thing you need is to be getting involved in a relationship.
Warnings
--Do not admit or discuss any crime against a minor. Child molesters, abusers and murderers are considered the lowest forms of life in prison and subject to frequent attacks. If you are convicted of a crime against a child, insist on being placed in Protective Custody immediately. You won't be able to hide the nature of your crime in a general population prison for long. You risk your life when (not if) other prisoners find out.
--Do not gamble, unless you can pay your debts. They will use violence and stop at almost nothing to get what is due to them.
--Remember, you are in a house of thieves and liars, and should not believe very much of anything you hear. Do not trust other inmates except in cases where there would not be serious consequences for doing so. I.e. make careful choices regarding your "friends" and your location at any given moment of the day.
--Avoid drug use in prison. Drugs use while providing a temporary escape will lead to other problems.
Friday, June 23, 2006
No DP in NJ
New Jersey halts all executions!
In January, New Jersey lawmakers passed legislation requiring an immediate moratorium on all executions in the state and the creation of a study commission to examine the state’s death penalty system. This is the first time in U.S. history that a state has enacted legislation imposing a moratorium on the death penalty.
The 13- member study commission will have until November 15, 2006 to report its findings. All executions will be suspended while the study is being conducted. There are currently 10 people on New Jersey’s death row. No executions have taken place since 1963.
New Jersey now joins Illinois as the only states with a moratorium on executions. In Illinois, a moratorium was imposed by Governor George Ryan in 2000 and has been upheld ever since.
This victory in New Jersey should give confidence to abolitionists nationwide that they can fight--and win--a moratorium on executions in their own states. On to abolition!
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Women in Prison
Prison: The Link Between Incarceration and Violence
Over 90% of women in prison have experienced violence int heir lives. (Women in Prison Project, 2005)
One-third of incarcerated women report child sexual abuse and 20% to 34% report abuse by an adult intimate partner; they have multiple abuse histories and are three to four times more likely than male prisoners to have abuse histories. (Gilfus, Mary. “Women’s Experiences of Abuse as a Risk Factor for Incarceration.” VAWnet Applied Research Forum. (December 2002)
An estimated 56% of the abused women in prison said that their abuse had included a rape, and another 13% reported an attempted rape. (Trace L. Snell, Women in Prison, Survey of State Prison Inmates, 1991. Bureau of Statistics: March 1994, p.6.)
The women in prison who reported abuse were more likely to be in prison for a violent offense (42% reported prior abuse) and less likely to be serving a sentence for a drug offense (25%) or a property offense (25%). (Tracy L. Snell, Women in Prison, Survey of State Prison Inmates, 1991 Bureau of Justice Statistics: March 1994, p.6)
As many as 90% of the women in jail today for killing men had been battered by those men. (Allison Bass, “Women far less likely to kill than men; no one sure why,” The Boston Globe, February 24, 1992, p. 2)
Over 90% of women in prison have experienced violence int heir lives. (Women in Prison Project, 2005)
One-third of incarcerated women report child sexual abuse and 20% to 34% report abuse by an adult intimate partner; they have multiple abuse histories and are three to four times more likely than male prisoners to have abuse histories. (Gilfus, Mary. “Women’s Experiences of Abuse as a Risk Factor for Incarceration.” VAWnet Applied Research Forum. (December 2002)
An estimated 56% of the abused women in prison said that their abuse had included a rape, and another 13% reported an attempted rape. (Trace L. Snell, Women in Prison, Survey of State Prison Inmates, 1991. Bureau of Statistics: March 1994, p.6.)
The women in prison who reported abuse were more likely to be in prison for a violent offense (42% reported prior abuse) and less likely to be serving a sentence for a drug offense (25%) or a property offense (25%). (Tracy L. Snell, Women in Prison, Survey of State Prison Inmates, 1991 Bureau of Justice Statistics: March 1994, p.6)
As many as 90% of the women in jail today for killing men had been battered by those men. (Allison Bass, “Women far less likely to kill than men; no one sure why,” The Boston Globe, February 24, 1992, p. 2)
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Miami Beach!
I know, I sound so sophomoric and Kappa Phi right now, but at least we're not going over spring break! We'll probably come back 10 lbs. lighter after frying in the sun in mid-July, but I'm down. I don't plan on getting out of the pool/ocean long enough to care. All I need is my bikini, my sun block, a book and some liquor. Seriously, I think I'm just taking a carry-on. The wife and I just booked our trip to the resort below from July 23rd-26th.
Now all that's left to figure out is... Who is going to take care of our kitties??
Now all that's left to figure out is... Who is going to take care of our kitties??
Overheard in New York Quote of the Day
Little girl: Keep your legs closed and your books open. My mommy says a girl can get a boyfriend and then she has to drop out of school.
--uptown A train
Programming Language Inventor or Serial Killer?
Test your serial killer moxie with this quiz! It's harder than you'd think...http://www.malevole.com/mv/misc/killerquiz/
Ringling Brothers leave trash behind
Woman Cited for Exposing Herself in Store
By Associated Press
June 10, 2006, 9:28 PM EDT
CEDAR CITY, Utah — A 28-year-old woman has been cited for lewdness for exposing herself inside a store. The woman was riding a motorized cart inside Lin's Market Place on Thursday with her pants around her ankles and not wearing underwear.
Customers didn't notice the woman until she would stand up from the cart and bend over to look at items on the shelf, exposing her buttocks.
The woman told police she arrived in Cedar City with a circus but was left behind.
By Associated Press
June 10, 2006, 9:28 PM EDT
CEDAR CITY, Utah — A 28-year-old woman has been cited for lewdness for exposing herself inside a store. The woman was riding a motorized cart inside Lin's Market Place on Thursday with her pants around her ankles and not wearing underwear.
Customers didn't notice the woman until she would stand up from the cart and bend over to look at items on the shelf, exposing her buttocks.
The woman told police she arrived in Cedar City with a circus but was left behind.
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