Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Fugly.
Are my toes cold? No, but my ankles are a wee bit chilly.
Do NOT like this new trend in summer footware. Ick.
More please!
It looks like two more states are one the way to passing same-sex marriage legislation:
New Hampshire & Maine.
New Hampshire & Maine.
Happy May!
It finally seems as if we're getting good weather. Aside from another month or so of questionable temp drops and heavy duty thunderstorms...it's almost summer! Sort of.
I'm enjoying all the tulips and plants starting to sprout -- but on the blog front, its all about torture. The last couple of weeks has been eye-opening to say the least. The left is calling for criminal prosecutions and accountability and the right (including former Bushies) is saying they changed the laws, so it wasn't illegal, and that it is justifiable because it worked. One guess which side I fall on.
Here are a couple of things that caught my eye:
*DB Watch - The Deluxe Edition.
*Andrew Sullivan's Quote of the Day for April 23rd:
"I call on all governments to join with the United States and the community of law-abiding nations in prohibiting, investigating, and prosecuting all acts of torture..." - Official proclamation by President Bush, June 26, 2003.
*A New York Times op-ed by Ali Soufan, former FBI interrogator on why torture does not provide "actionable intelligence" -- here.
*Another quote - from a Greg Mitchell piece on the Huffington Post. Former Army Sgt Kayla Williams on being in "over the line" interrogations in Mosul.
In general, interrogation is not fun, even if you follow the rules. And I didn't see any good intelligence being gained. The other problem is that, in situations like that, you have people that are not terrorists being picked up, and being questioned. And, if you treat an innocent person like that, they walk out a terrorist.
*Urban Word of the Day - April 25th.
April 25: tolerance juice
Any concoction of alcohol used to help tolerate a person, a place, or a situation.
In theory, the more tolerance juice you consume, the less annoyed you will be.
Without tolerance juice the person, place, or situation is quite simply, well, intolerable and you could potentially slip into a rage blackout.
Warning: Excessive consumption of tolerance juice may result in memory loss and/or loss of clothing.
Can we find a way to distribute in local water supplies?
*A quote from Condi (via The Dish). Almost Nixonian.
"The president instructed us that nothing we would do would be outside of our obligations, legal obligations under the Convention Against Torture... The United States was told, we were told, nothing that violates our obligations under the Convention Against Torture, and so by definition, if it was authorized by the president, it did not violate our obligations under the Convention Against Torture," - Condi Rice.
I'm enjoying all the tulips and plants starting to sprout -- but on the blog front, its all about torture. The last couple of weeks has been eye-opening to say the least. The left is calling for criminal prosecutions and accountability and the right (including former Bushies) is saying they changed the laws, so it wasn't illegal, and that it is justifiable because it worked. One guess which side I fall on.
Here are a couple of things that caught my eye:
*DB Watch - The Deluxe Edition.
*Andrew Sullivan's Quote of the Day for April 23rd:
"I call on all governments to join with the United States and the community of law-abiding nations in prohibiting, investigating, and prosecuting all acts of torture..." - Official proclamation by President Bush, June 26, 2003.
*A New York Times op-ed by Ali Soufan, former FBI interrogator on why torture does not provide "actionable intelligence" -- here.
*Another quote - from a Greg Mitchell piece on the Huffington Post. Former Army Sgt Kayla Williams on being in "over the line" interrogations in Mosul.
In general, interrogation is not fun, even if you follow the rules. And I didn't see any good intelligence being gained. The other problem is that, in situations like that, you have people that are not terrorists being picked up, and being questioned. And, if you treat an innocent person like that, they walk out a terrorist.
*Urban Word of the Day - April 25th.
April 25: tolerance juice
Any concoction of alcohol used to help tolerate a person, a place, or a situation.
In theory, the more tolerance juice you consume, the less annoyed you will be.
Without tolerance juice the person, place, or situation is quite simply, well, intolerable and you could potentially slip into a rage blackout.
Warning: Excessive consumption of tolerance juice may result in memory loss and/or loss of clothing.
Can we find a way to distribute in local water supplies?
*A quote from Condi (via The Dish). Almost Nixonian.
"The president instructed us that nothing we would do would be outside of our obligations, legal obligations under the Convention Against Torture... The United States was told, we were told, nothing that violates our obligations under the Convention Against Torture, and so by definition, if it was authorized by the president, it did not violate our obligations under the Convention Against Torture," - Condi Rice.
Going Home
What is it about going back home that freaks me out? I finally gotten to the point, at 40, where I don't revert back into an 8-year-old every time I visit my parents (although that is my preferred maturity level). A couple of weeks ago I went to a wedding down in Springfield, my home for some relatively formative years -- work, teaching, dancing, finishing college and a broken heart (or 2) -- it was an experience.
I haven't been back to visit in probably 5 or 6 years. Not for any particular reason, just life. So, going back now had me a little nervous. One: the dynamic between all the ballerina personalities is always tricky. Two: I'm about 15 pounds heavier and way out of shape. Three: I'm the only one not married and without kids. Four...let's just deal with those three.
Well, I received quite a welcome. My former director, a couple of old roomates..all ballerinas at one point, all jumped up to hug me. They didn't care about any of the stuff I was worried about. They were just happy to see me. Since they were all in the wedding party -- oh, by the way, I bought the happy couple a lovely bottle of Veuve for a gift not knowing that the groom is a Mormon and doesn't drink!! -- I sat in the cynical pew with a couple more Springfield Ballet Co (SBC) vets. While forcefully chewing gum and trying not to "comment" on the sappy, crying freak show that was happening on the alter, I heard one of my friends whisper "Make me puke!". I'm not alone...
Don't get me wrong. I'm glad the bride has found love (again) and I wish her all the happiness in the world -- I just have an aversion to the over-the-top PDA that was the wedding. The entire thing was overproduced IMHO (way theatrical), but what do I know. I'm missing that gene (maybe I am a dude?).
After much drinking - on the ballerina side of the reception, the reception came to an end (oh yeah, it was cash bar! Two things to always mention when inviting someone to your wedding...1. Mormon 2. Cash Bar), but we didn't stop drinking. Ending the night at some random hall in Sherman, IL with a live band, I had officially survived the day. The hungover drive home -- which ended up taking 2+ extra hours because I missed an exit and went to Indiana -- is another story.
I haven't been back to visit in probably 5 or 6 years. Not for any particular reason, just life. So, going back now had me a little nervous. One: the dynamic between all the ballerina personalities is always tricky. Two: I'm about 15 pounds heavier and way out of shape. Three: I'm the only one not married and without kids. Four...let's just deal with those three.
Well, I received quite a welcome. My former director, a couple of old roomates..all ballerinas at one point, all jumped up to hug me. They didn't care about any of the stuff I was worried about. They were just happy to see me. Since they were all in the wedding party -- oh, by the way, I bought the happy couple a lovely bottle of Veuve for a gift not knowing that the groom is a Mormon and doesn't drink!! -- I sat in the cynical pew with a couple more Springfield Ballet Co (SBC) vets. While forcefully chewing gum and trying not to "comment" on the sappy, crying freak show that was happening on the alter, I heard one of my friends whisper "Make me puke!". I'm not alone...
Don't get me wrong. I'm glad the bride has found love (again) and I wish her all the happiness in the world -- I just have an aversion to the over-the-top PDA that was the wedding. The entire thing was overproduced IMHO (way theatrical), but what do I know. I'm missing that gene (maybe I am a dude?).
After much drinking - on the ballerina side of the reception, the reception came to an end (oh yeah, it was cash bar! Two things to always mention when inviting someone to your wedding...1. Mormon 2. Cash Bar), but we didn't stop drinking. Ending the night at some random hall in Sherman, IL with a live band, I had officially survived the day. The hungover drive home -- which ended up taking 2+ extra hours because I missed an exit and went to Indiana -- is another story.
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