I updated my side bar links. I deleted “on activism” because it’s outdated, the language is too academic (it was part of an old class project), and it could be improved significantly. I updated the content in the “about” and “me stuff” sections. I just updated the information and added/deleted some stuff. It was time.
I deleted my calendar section because I stopped paying attention to it. Maybe I’ll rekindle it in the near future. The post catagory, “local events,” should cover that stuff anyway.
I also added a “before you comment” section, which is two posts down….saved for posterity!
Sometimes, what is common sense to one person is very hard for others to comprehend. I’m learning to accept this. Every now and then, I have to repost this because it is easier than reminding individuals.
The rules for commenting on this site are simple:
1. Make your comment relevant to the topic in the post. 2. Do not directly attack another through name-calling or threats. 3. Think before you click “submit comment.” Ask yourself if your comment meaningfully addresses any of the issues brought up in my post or any of the comments. If the comment functions only to waste my time and yours, don’t submit it (see 3a for further explanation) 4. I am free to break any of these rules as I see fit.
If you break rule #2, I will delete your comment. If any of your comments break these rules, I’ll probably give you a break and merely make you look like a jackass. If you become a repeat problem, I will block your IP address altogether.
3a. I’m so so so tired of comments that attempt to turn complex issues into “liberal” v. “conservative” problems. The world is not that easy. Sorry. I am not a liberal. I hate that word and I hate when people use it. Phrases like “you people,” or “you liberals” are clear indications of this. If I don’t identify with the word, than it is name-calling and that is how I take it (see #2 again).
If you’re not cool with any of this, go somewhere else. There are zillions of blogs that love that kind of discourse. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me. I think difference of perspective is great. I do, however, expect everyone to be respectful. Even my 18-year-old students understand this.
Ahmadinejad, who is to arrive in New York on Sunday to address the United Nations General Assembly, is scheduled to speak at a Columbia question-and-answer forum on Monday. His request to lay a wreath at the World Trade Center site was denied and condemned by Sept. 11 family members and politicians.
I will not admit to being a fan of this guy, but I do think it is a good idea on his part to come here to speak. The media and our government has long propagated a smear campaign against this man. One of the most obvious hoaxes perpetrated on the American people is the idea that he wants to “whip Israel off the map.” Ahmadinejad is planning to address the way in which he was misquoted and that, he, like Bush, favors the spread of democracy in the Middle East.
In preparation for his trip here, many others are doing their part to dispel this myth. In short, he never said he wants to “wipe Israel off the map.”
He said, “”Imam ghoft een rezhim-e ishghalgar-e qods bayad az safheh-ye ruzgar mahv shavad.”
Translated, this means: “The Imam said this regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time”.
He is talking about the removal of their government, which he believes is “a false government” because of the atrocities it has and continues to wage against Palestine. He has nothing against the people or the State. Before everyone gets defensive, realize that this is the way much of the world views our government. Not only was he misquoted, but it was also completely taken out of context. Again, I’m not defending this guy. Though his emphasis is on the Israeli government and their military against the Palestinians, I do think his rhetoric does promote racism against the Israeli people.
For example, (in this video) when he speaks of the atrocities and occupation perpetrated in Israel, the crowd of people chants “death to Israel.” When he speaks of the Native Americans and the atrocities and occupation perpetrated by our government, the crowd chants, “death to America.” So there might be a disconnect between what the president is saying and how the people react to it or there might be a translation/cultural gap that gives a different meaning to “death to…” than the way we perceive it. The point is, the emphasis is on the atrocities perpetrated by the government, not on the people or the existence of that country.
I’ve written many times about my frustration with those touting global warming alleviations as solutions. An article titled, “Garlic and Cow Belching: A Global Warming Cure?” further propagates this mindset.
Belching farm animals account for 16% of our planet’s methane, a gas even more responsible for global warming than carbon dioxide.Apparently, feeding garlic to cows minimizes their release of methane.
Further, and I’ve been trying to emphasize this a lot lately, global warming is just one of many environmental problems. Granted it’s an important and significant problem, but it is certainly not the only one. Focusing on this issue to the extent that we have detracts from all the others.
Help guarantee that your tax dollars do not support abusive labor practices.
Tonight, City Hall, 7:30pm.
Come to this city council meeting, where organizers Ryan and Keith will be speaking on the subject of banning clothing from Flagstaff that is made in sweat shops. I’m planning on going.
UPDATE: So when I peddled my ass on over to City Hall tonight, the lights were all off and the doors were all locked. I saw some of you there, equally perplexed. I’m not sure what the score is either… If I find out, info will be in the comments.
The focus of this demonstration is how this weapon will be used in military situations, but you know it won’t be long before this machine shows up at protests. I apologize for the lame intro for this video.
Many of the last several protests, such as the recent APEC demonstrations, were a joke. Protesters are gated off, sometimes as much as a mile or so from what they’re protesting. Now they’ve got this thing?! Exactly how can anyone meaningfully protest anymore? How can anyone be surprised when riots break out?
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”
John F. Kennedy
“….I just finished writing my column for the Oct. ish of The Noise. I wrote about water, why I love monsoon season, and how we should stop killing The Verde River….with references to Nick Drake, Modest Mouse, Mozart, and Napalm Death. Trust me, it all comes together beautifully.”
As soon as Chuck tells me it’s October-worthy, I’ll post it here.
Listen here to the history of Columbus Day and why it is celebrated.
Columbus was a slave-trading-Indian-killer and we have no reason to celebrate him. It has nothing to do with Italian pride. It has nothing to do with the “birth of our nation,” or Christian ethics.
Columbus stole, he murdered, he raped; there is nothing virtuous about him or his life. Read anything about him in any text, beyond elementary school history books, and they all confirm this. They don’t celebrate him in Portugal; they don’t celebrate him in Italy. Why do we? Columbus Day is nothing more than propaganda build around mythology and a false sense of patriotism. It is a celebration of the legacy of colonialism and imperialism.
You’ve stumbled upon the adventures of an English teacher and writer, peddling deeper connections to a physical and emotional reality in Northern Arizona.
