When the Presidential race started earlier this year, I was cheering on Delaware Senator Joe Biden. During the debates he continued to impress me with the answers he gave. I was sad when he left the race, but knew that I would see him again as Obama's VP.
Biden understands that we can't just pull out of Iraq right away, that it needs to be done carefully and in stages, otherwise chaos will ensue in that region... again. He grew up a regular middle-class kid and has worked so hard to get where he is. He brings a huge amount of experience to the Obama ticket.
He can be quite wordy, which takes away from what he has to say. However, being the same way, I know that he doesn't mean to. He just is trying to fit so much information into everything he says - both in order to get hiss ideas/answers out there and to seem smarter.
All in all, I think Biden was a great choice for VP. I'm excited for them to get into the White House and make some much needed changes.
It'll be interesting to see who McCain chooses as his VP.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
I'm Better Off Without You
So my ex from high school called me the other day. I was at work, and we ended up playing a nice game of phone tag. I finally was able to get back to him tonight, only to have him tell me that he never wants to talk to me again. John is ridiculously stupid, so it's not like it's that big a deal.
I clearly have no problem with this other than the fact that we never talk anyway. He went out of his way to call me for the first time in three or four months to tell me he doesn't want to talk to me... Literally, I've talked to him twice this year.
Apparently when I broke up with him the first time (yes, there was more than one), it really screwed him up. We had an honest conversation a few months back about his fiancee and how threatened I felt when we had been going out. One of the biggest reasons I broke up with him was because of the relationship that I could see beginning to form. I knew at some point that it would come down to her or me, and that I would be the one left out.
The funniest thing about this whole conversation was that I kept thinking about Theron - how much more eloquently he would put it, how there would be no phone call if I had broken his heart and he moved on, how ridiculous it all was.
It's amazing how someone from the past can remind you how good you have it right now.
I'm sure that it's embarrassing for Theron to read about himself and how wonderful I think he is, but I like embarrassing him. :) He really is amazingly wonderful. There might be days where I get annoyed with him, where I'm not as understanding of his needs, where I flirt with other people a little too much... But he is my dream man. He's everything that I've read and dreamed about since I was a little girl, and sometimes I forget that I went for so long without him. I love him more than he'll ever know, and I'm so excited for the rest of our lives to start.
I clearly have no problem with this other than the fact that we never talk anyway. He went out of his way to call me for the first time in three or four months to tell me he doesn't want to talk to me... Literally, I've talked to him twice this year.
Apparently when I broke up with him the first time (yes, there was more than one), it really screwed him up. We had an honest conversation a few months back about his fiancee and how threatened I felt when we had been going out. One of the biggest reasons I broke up with him was because of the relationship that I could see beginning to form. I knew at some point that it would come down to her or me, and that I would be the one left out.
The funniest thing about this whole conversation was that I kept thinking about Theron - how much more eloquently he would put it, how there would be no phone call if I had broken his heart and he moved on, how ridiculous it all was.
It's amazing how someone from the past can remind you how good you have it right now.
I'm sure that it's embarrassing for Theron to read about himself and how wonderful I think he is, but I like embarrassing him. :) He really is amazingly wonderful. There might be days where I get annoyed with him, where I'm not as understanding of his needs, where I flirt with other people a little too much... But he is my dream man. He's everything that I've read and dreamed about since I was a little girl, and sometimes I forget that I went for so long without him. I love him more than he'll ever know, and I'm so excited for the rest of our lives to start.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Bad Girl
No, loyal readers, this won't be about my latest series of comments on Brew Crew Ball. Instead, this is about physical discipline in our schools.
As a youngster, I attended Yujin Gakuen, a Japanese Immersion elementary school which has since set up programs in Colin Kelly Middle School and North Eugene High School. I only attended for kindergarten and a bit of first grade, mostly due to an illness, but also in part because of the way they handled me and the other children.
My illness, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (Still's Disease), has been so bad in the past that it has prevented me from doing things that normal children love to do physically. During first grade, we were required to sit "criss-cross-applesauce" in our Japanese classes. One day, after recess, I couldn't sit that way due to the amount of pain that it caused. I tried explaining to the teacher, but she wasn't listening and didn't care. She picked me up by the wrist, suspending me in mid-air as she spanked me several times. She put me down and then forced my legs into the criss-cross position.
Physical discipline in Eugene (as well as the whole state of Oregon I believe) is illegal. She did not ever get reprimanded for her actions towards me, but she did later reprimand several other students and resigned.
I can confirm what the CNN article indicates - physical discipline does not help children act better. It simply makes them afraid of their parent/guardian/teacher/etc. And, as in my case, it's not always warranted punishment. It doesn't really help anyone to understand the reasoning behind why they are being punished. Honestly, detention helps kids understand and avoid repeating their actions more effectively.
I vote that physical discipline in our public schools should be banned. Private schools already don't have to follow the same rules, and it would be hard to demand they follow this one as well.
As a youngster, I attended Yujin Gakuen, a Japanese Immersion elementary school which has since set up programs in Colin Kelly Middle School and North Eugene High School. I only attended for kindergarten and a bit of first grade, mostly due to an illness, but also in part because of the way they handled me and the other children.
My illness, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (Still's Disease), has been so bad in the past that it has prevented me from doing things that normal children love to do physically. During first grade, we were required to sit "criss-cross-applesauce" in our Japanese classes. One day, after recess, I couldn't sit that way due to the amount of pain that it caused. I tried explaining to the teacher, but she wasn't listening and didn't care. She picked me up by the wrist, suspending me in mid-air as she spanked me several times. She put me down and then forced my legs into the criss-cross position.
Physical discipline in Eugene (as well as the whole state of Oregon I believe) is illegal. She did not ever get reprimanded for her actions towards me, but she did later reprimand several other students and resigned.
I can confirm what the CNN article indicates - physical discipline does not help children act better. It simply makes them afraid of their parent/guardian/teacher/etc. And, as in my case, it's not always warranted punishment. It doesn't really help anyone to understand the reasoning behind why they are being punished. Honestly, detention helps kids understand and avoid repeating their actions more effectively.
I vote that physical discipline in our public schools should be banned. Private schools already don't have to follow the same rules, and it would be hard to demand they follow this one as well.
Monday, August 18, 2008
I Now Know All Of Downtown Milwaukee
Not too long after admitting to the world that nobody really likes me and I didn't have any friends, the ones that paid attention more than I thought stepped up to help cheer me up.
I went to Milwaukee with Ali yesterday, after eating tasty Culvers kids meals for lunch. We parked not super far away from where we wanted to go, but we weren't paying attention and we pretty much ended up walking all the way out to the lake, then all the way back over to the river. We took a boat tour, which was pretty fun. Although we had planned on going shopping a little, we didn't end up getting to because of how long we walked.
We watched part of "21" which ended up being a lot better than I thought it would.
Then another friend called me and we ended up going bowling over at AMF. I made a couple of new friends there.
We went back to the Bergs, a set of dorms at Carroll. One of my new friends is an RA, so we got to hang out in her room... and she showed me where I'll be in September. It could be because of the lighting, but that room looks terrible. :( It felt like a prison cell, and I am definitely not excited about that. Next year, I'm aiming for Charles House or being an RA.
It was a fun day, but I'm definitely paying for it right now. My calves are aching something terrible and I STILL have the headache that I had yesterday afternoon.
I went to Milwaukee with Ali yesterday, after eating tasty Culvers kids meals for lunch. We parked not super far away from where we wanted to go, but we weren't paying attention and we pretty much ended up walking all the way out to the lake, then all the way back over to the river. We took a boat tour, which was pretty fun. Although we had planned on going shopping a little, we didn't end up getting to because of how long we walked.
We watched part of "21" which ended up being a lot better than I thought it would.
Then another friend called me and we ended up going bowling over at AMF. I made a couple of new friends there.
We went back to the Bergs, a set of dorms at Carroll. One of my new friends is an RA, so we got to hang out in her room... and she showed me where I'll be in September. It could be because of the lighting, but that room looks terrible. :( It felt like a prison cell, and I am definitely not excited about that. Next year, I'm aiming for Charles House or being an RA.
It was a fun day, but I'm definitely paying for it right now. My calves are aching something terrible and I STILL have the headache that I had yesterday afternoon.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
World War III?
Militarily, the United States is already stretched thin. We're in both Iraq and Afghanistan, with an invasion of Iran possible in the not-so-distant future. For the most part, our issues with North Korea have been resolved - or rather, it's not an issue at the moment. Add to that the millions of men and women stationed all around the world in strategic places (or just military bases) and it's even worse. Now imagine that Russia doesn't accept our demands regarding Georgia... or that Russia doesn't appreciate us choosing Georgia over them.
There is a cease-fire in effect, but we'll see how long that lasts.
According to Mikhail Gorbachev, Georgia surely started the conflict. But, according to the Georgian president, Russia started it, so who knows. Perspective is the name of the game.
I don't really have that much more to say on the subject. I don't know the history of either country that well, aside from during the wars of this century.
There is a cease-fire in effect, but we'll see how long that lasts.
According to Mikhail Gorbachev, Georgia surely started the conflict. But, according to the Georgian president, Russia started it, so who knows. Perspective is the name of the game.
I don't really have that much more to say on the subject. I don't know the history of either country that well, aside from during the wars of this century.
Yet Another Way to Screw Our Soldiers
I know it's happened to most of us - you go to the airport, getting ready to fly someplace where sunblock is gonna be your biggest worry... and then your bag is too heavy, so you have to pay extra fees. A minor inconvenience for us can turn into a major pain in the ass for our soldiers.
Imagine, if you will, that you're getting deployed to Iraq. You've said goodbye to your sobbing family and made it through security before nearly having a mini-breakdown in the bathroom. You've been told the items that you need to bring with you, and really the only extra things you have are a mini photo album of your family and friends, and drawings by your kids. You're flying on American to get to the base where you'll depart, so you know that, unlike on other airlines, you'll get to check more bags for free. The only problem is you have three bags, and American only lets you check two for free or up to 190 pounds worth of luggage.
Now, if you don't have a voucher from the military, you have to pay anywhere from $15 to $250 before you can board the plane. You might get reimbursed at the end, but that's not a guarantee since not every 'business expense' is refunded.
And what about coming home? The trip is the same, only maybe you lost some stuff while in Iraq, along with picking up some souvenirs for your family in Germany during your time there.
Why not make an exception for our men and women in uniform? Let's make it so that they don't have to have a wavier or pay the extra money for necessities that they'll need going off to war. I don't think that's too much to ask for these people putting their lives on the line, whatever your view on the reasoning behind it may be.
Imagine, if you will, that you're getting deployed to Iraq. You've said goodbye to your sobbing family and made it through security before nearly having a mini-breakdown in the bathroom. You've been told the items that you need to bring with you, and really the only extra things you have are a mini photo album of your family and friends, and drawings by your kids. You're flying on American to get to the base where you'll depart, so you know that, unlike on other airlines, you'll get to check more bags for free. The only problem is you have three bags, and American only lets you check two for free or up to 190 pounds worth of luggage.
Now, if you don't have a voucher from the military, you have to pay anywhere from $15 to $250 before you can board the plane. You might get reimbursed at the end, but that's not a guarantee since not every 'business expense' is refunded.
And what about coming home? The trip is the same, only maybe you lost some stuff while in Iraq, along with picking up some souvenirs for your family in Germany during your time there.
Why not make an exception for our men and women in uniform? Let's make it so that they don't have to have a wavier or pay the extra money for necessities that they'll need going off to war. I don't think that's too much to ask for these people putting their lives on the line, whatever your view on the reasoning behind it may be.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Comedic Tragedies
In the past two days, two seriously funny people have passed away suddenly.
Bernie Mac, 50, passed away Saturday from complications related to pneumonia that forced him to be hospitalized. The last statement before notifying the world of his death actually said that he was responding well to treatment and recovering. Sadly, we all know that everything can change in a millisecond.
And today, at 65, singer Issac Hayes was found unconscious in his Tennessee home near a still running treadmill. I suspect, due to the treadmill still being on, that the cause of death is probably going to have been a heart attack. A little more than two years after leaving South Park over issues pertaining to Scientology (Hayes' religion and the famous subject of the South Park episode "Trapped in the Closet"), it seems as though Chef will never return to any screen.
Bernie Mac, 50, passed away Saturday from complications related to pneumonia that forced him to be hospitalized. The last statement before notifying the world of his death actually said that he was responding well to treatment and recovering. Sadly, we all know that everything can change in a millisecond.
And today, at 65, singer Issac Hayes was found unconscious in his Tennessee home near a still running treadmill. I suspect, due to the treadmill still being on, that the cause of death is probably going to have been a heart attack. A little more than two years after leaving South Park over issues pertaining to Scientology (Hayes' religion and the famous subject of the South Park episode "Trapped in the Closet"), it seems as though Chef will never return to any screen.
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