Well... My boy is a little bit blue these days about his job search in the coming months, what with all of the economic BS and post-2001 ridiculous clamping down on visas for foreigners...
(in my opinion, this guy is EXACTLY the type of person we want to be attracting to this country right now... The fact that getting a work visa can be so difficult even for someone who is so supremely qualified is just mind-boggling to me. Maybe its always been this way and I just didn't know it, but one way or another, seems to me that we've got our priorities ass-backward in this country.)
Anyway... Before I get to far out on a tangential rant, I actually know a whole bunch of folks who are out on the job market now, or will be shortly. So, I wanted to post a few helpful sample job interviews. Ya know, just to review the basics... The kind of questions that one might be asked... Appropriate responses... Whatev...
I'll cross my fingers and hope that this clip might just give one or two of you out there a leg-up in the stiff-times ahead. Its not perfect, cuz its a guy interviewing for a the job of voice-over for cartoons, but you never know what tomorrow may bring... We've all got to be flexible in these times!
Don't hesitate to pull out a pad of paper and take notes or anything!
:oP
Jonathan Goldstein
Length: 7:18
Original Show: WireTap - Come On, Get Happy
http://www.cbc.ca/wiretap/
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Pagan Poetry
So, given all of the holiday parties that have been rolling around recently, and a brief stint of my own into the realm of (bad) poetry. I was reminded of this little clip of a Christmas story that perhaps we can all relate to a bit more these days than those of Tiny Tim and Ralphie.
Length: 11:50
Original Show: #305 Holiday Special
www.thisamericanlife.org
Length: 11:50
Original Show: #305 Holiday Special
www.thisamericanlife.org
Monday, December 15, 2008
Let's Get Mortified!
Well... I am pretty much tapped out from writing a thesis, doing experiments, and trying to prepare for Christmas and my trip to Michigan these days, but want to keep up a blog with fun and interesting things. So, you might not be hearing much from me personally, but I'll try to sporadically update this with media that I have found to be particularly cute or intriguing.
One show that I stumbled across a while back was this show "Mortified". If anyone reading this has EVER kept a diary when you were younger, then stowed that diary away, only to stumble across it tucked amongst other objects from your childhood/adolescence, you will know how incredibly painful it can be to read these things. All too often, the pages of these things are just choked with angst, drama, and feel so unlike your current self that you want to curl up in a ball and hide. It seems impossible to reconcile these two different people into one space!
Enter Mortified. This show takes those journals, diaries, and all that bad poetry and pushes it out where it never belonged. On stage, in front of a live audience, where the original writer reads aloud their deepest childhood psychodramas, to laughter and ridicule. The show works because the material is so frank and one can usually identify with it instantly. We've all had these thoughts and embarrassing moments, its just that we are now adults and know better than to go around telling everyone about them!
This movie is an example. A bit young, and put to amusing visuals, but you get the idea!
One show that I stumbled across a while back was this show "Mortified". If anyone reading this has EVER kept a diary when you were younger, then stowed that diary away, only to stumble across it tucked amongst other objects from your childhood/adolescence, you will know how incredibly painful it can be to read these things. All too often, the pages of these things are just choked with angst, drama, and feel so unlike your current self that you want to curl up in a ball and hide. It seems impossible to reconcile these two different people into one space!
Enter Mortified. This show takes those journals, diaries, and all that bad poetry and pushes it out where it never belonged. On stage, in front of a live audience, where the original writer reads aloud their deepest childhood psychodramas, to laughter and ridicule. The show works because the material is so frank and one can usually identify with it instantly. We've all had these thoughts and embarrassing moments, its just that we are now adults and know better than to go around telling everyone about them!
This movie is an example. A bit young, and put to amusing visuals, but you get the idea!
More Couture Christmas Culture (CCC)
Apparently, Sedaris is not alone in his experience of an environment designed to pair a touching moment for a young child with a commercial enterprise.
Elna Baker shares her common experience of spoiled kids, grumpy parents, and miserable store employees dragged into role-play during the holiday season.
Length: 16:28
Original Show: #347 Matchmakers
www.thisamericanlife.org
Elna Baker shares her common experience of spoiled kids, grumpy parents, and miserable store employees dragged into role-play during the holiday season.
Length: 16:28
Original Show: #347 Matchmakers
www.thisamericanlife.org
Sunday, December 14, 2008
SantaLand Diaries Part 2
This is the second part of David's Story started in the last post, if I've still got your attention...
Length: 10:27
Original Show: #47 Christmas and Commerce - Part 2
www.thisamericanlife.org
Length: 10:27
Original Show: #47 Christmas and Commerce - Part 2
www.thisamericanlife.org
Back - Like Lazarus
Well, thanks largely to the generosity of a certain Timothy, I am fortunately with a functional laptop again and my files are recovered and happily backed up! My sanity thanks you!
Well, its that time of the year again; temperatures are falling... cheeks are rosy... hot chocolate and cider are back in vogue... my boyfriend is gushing over his acquired discount ribbons and wrapping paper... So, I figure it is time for a little bit more Holiday Storytelling!
This time our story comes from the intersection of Commerce, Culture, and Christmas and may be familiar to some of you who share a common love of all things David Sedaris. This story is arguably the work that catapulted David's career and has made him a popular comic writer and (nearly) household name. SantaLand Diaries chronicles David's brief stint as a commercial elf, working at Macy's.
Length: 20:25
Original Show: #47 Christmas and Commerce PART 1
www.thisamericanlife.org
Well, its that time of the year again; temperatures are falling... cheeks are rosy... hot chocolate and cider are back in vogue... my boyfriend is gushing over his acquired discount ribbons and wrapping paper... So, I figure it is time for a little bit more Holiday Storytelling!
This time our story comes from the intersection of Commerce, Culture, and Christmas and may be familiar to some of you who share a common love of all things David Sedaris. This story is arguably the work that catapulted David's career and has made him a popular comic writer and (nearly) household name. SantaLand Diaries chronicles David's brief stint as a commercial elf, working at Macy's.
Length: 20:25
Original Show: #47 Christmas and Commerce PART 1
www.thisamericanlife.org
Friday, December 5, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Prop 8
Well, I was saving up for my most ornery, cantankerous day so that I could write an appropriately scathing review of my thoughts on Prop 8 and its backers (i.e. the Mormons), but Usman pointed me towards this video and it seems to say it all!
And oh my Jebus, look at the cast!!!
And oh my Jebus, look at the cast!!!
See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die
The Total Perspective Vortex
So... Unfortunately, not all can be fun and games... Tonight, if you have the time, I ask you to consider something a little deeper and darker...
What sort of actions do we perform thinking that the will live on in history? Both as individuals and as a community? State? Country? What parts of our lives and our actions to we delude ourselves into thinking will continue forward, outliving ourselves?
Or perhaps the better question in these times: What actions do we NOT perform, imagining that history will vindicate our positions? What sort of mentality do we tolerate in our midst, imagining that future generations will look back, declaring our ways to be "folly" and learning a vital lesson from our mistakes and capable of moving forward towards a Utopian future?
This soundbite is a both very interesting and quite scary also. What begins as a sort of playful romp through the history of language and ancient epic battles edges towards a more and more personal level. Before you know it, it is offering you a peek towards a truth that one's ego must flinch away from. A discomfiting glimpse into the void of past and future.
Length: 12:07
Original Show: #235 The Balloon Goes Up
www.thisamericanlife.org
What sort of actions do we perform thinking that the will live on in history? Both as individuals and as a community? State? Country? What parts of our lives and our actions to we delude ourselves into thinking will continue forward, outliving ourselves?
Or perhaps the better question in these times: What actions do we NOT perform, imagining that history will vindicate our positions? What sort of mentality do we tolerate in our midst, imagining that future generations will look back, declaring our ways to be "folly" and learning a vital lesson from our mistakes and capable of moving forward towards a Utopian future?
This soundbite is a both very interesting and quite scary also. What begins as a sort of playful romp through the history of language and ancient epic battles edges towards a more and more personal level. Before you know it, it is offering you a peek towards a truth that one's ego must flinch away from. A discomfiting glimpse into the void of past and future.
Length: 12:07
Original Show: #235 The Balloon Goes Up
www.thisamericanlife.org
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
A Little Spice
Okay. I can't deny it, I LOOOOOVE me some This American Life. But I wouldn't want you, dear reader, to imagine that I am in a terrible rut and only ever listen to just one show.
So, this day, I want to introduce you to something a little bit different. Another damn good show that is in it's infancy is Radio Lab from the public radio station WNYC.
The show combines science (one of my true loves) with humor to take a populist approach to some really interesting questions.
The episode that I am going to highlight is Musical Language. I'm just going to post the "teaser" and a little bit of the episode to give you a taste. The full episode can be found here. I dare you to listen to the first 5 minutes without getting hooked!
Interested yet?
Length - 17:12 (but the first 5:30 is pretty fun alone!! I swear!)
http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/
So, this day, I want to introduce you to something a little bit different. Another damn good show that is in it's infancy is Radio Lab from the public radio station WNYC.
The show combines science (one of my true loves) with humor to take a populist approach to some really interesting questions.
The episode that I am going to highlight is Musical Language. I'm just going to post the "teaser" and a little bit of the episode to give you a taste. The full episode can be found here. I dare you to listen to the first 5 minutes without getting hooked!
Interested yet?
Length - 17:12 (but the first 5:30 is pretty fun alone!! I swear!)
http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/
Monday, December 1, 2008
Fate and Stereotypes
This is the face of the dog that Usman would like to get next, if there is ever to be a dog that will follow Zook. Adorable isn't it?
We've been bandying about names that we'd like to name our imaginary future dog and Usman is adamant that it should be named "Momo". Which I thought was perfectly fine and everything, mostly because I associate that name with a book written by my favorite childhood author, Michael Ende.
Then we were toying around with last names, because... of course... you know... a dog can't have just one name in this day and age... right?...
I playfully threw out the name Moochkins on a lark, and the name actually stuck. Usman is all excited about our future-dog-to-be, Momo Moochkins. And I am too, I love dogs and puppies, and feel bad that I have to leave Zook alone all the time... But then again, I have to admit that every once in a while I do stop and think that its all a little much. I have visions of me walking Zook the Cairn Terrier and Momo Moochkins the Lhasa apso around Baltimore or my future Boston neighborhood. Cuz you know, I'm not exactly the most butch specimen of the male species and all...
Anyway, I was thinking of this and had a flashback to this story, which is hilarious and told by Dan Savage, who is a wonderful gay icon and also has some great sex advice, should you be looking for some...
Check it out. And if you see me in the streets, try not to point and laugh, okay?
Please?
Length: 14:29
Original Show: #328 What I Learned From Television
www.thisamericanlife.org
Its that Time of the Year Folks!
So... Its officially December... Black Friday has passed and Cyber Monday has rolled around. If you are lucky enough to be reading this and haven't been entirely trampled in a mad dash of gluttonous materialism, it just may be that you are ready to stop and reflect... To take a second to pause, breathe, and contemplate the true meaning of Christmas.
No... I don't mean family, nor friends. Not a kindly spirit of generosity nor good-will towards fellow men.
I mean the birth of our Lord, Baby Jesus.
Jonathan Goldstein reports:
Length: 8:31
Original Show: #305 This American Life Holiday Special
www.thisamericanlife.org
No... I don't mean family, nor friends. Not a kindly spirit of generosity nor good-will towards fellow men.
I mean the birth of our Lord, Baby Jesus.
Jonathan Goldstein reports:
Length: 8:31
Original Show: #305 This American Life Holiday Special
www.thisamericanlife.org
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Immersion Project
This picture comes from a visual artist whose work I stumbled across in Robbie Cooper's blog with regard to a new project that he is working on called the Immersion project. 7 photos from the project are featured in The New York Times.
About “Immersion”;
Immersion is a project that records video of people “through the screen” as they play games, use the internet and watch TV. There’s three of us involved in the actual production of the footage- Andrew Wiggins is a camera man based in London, whilst Charly Smith is a First Assistant Director, also based in London. In 2009 we’ll be working with the Media Center at Bournemouth University, on an 18 month study called “War and Leisure”, of teenagers and war in the media. Using the Facial Action Coding System, developed by Paul Ekman, we’ll be analysing the reactions of teenagers to war in video games, movies, news footage, documentaries and online video. Outside of this study we’re also filming people consuming a range of media- everything from the shopping channel, porn, sports, to programming created for babies.
As a gamer myself, the facial expression or premise of the whole project must have struck a chord. In many ways, the mind state that I enter (and I suspect most gamers enter) when playing a good game is so unlike that of my experience in any other context. I'm sure that there are researchers out there who are studying the effects of this "in the zone" state of being on imprinting and neural activation. I happen to know almost nothing about it, but thought it was interesting and will probably scrounge around on Cooper's blog for a bit to see if he can't enlighten me.
Barring that, the photo shoot is still a lot of fun.
Thanksgiving as parable for cultural evolution
Well, I have a moment again between incubations to consider the world outside these alabaster walls...
I was recently revisiting some of the work by Michael Pollan, an investigative journalist who has recently become an expert on the subject of the American Diet, industrial food production, and nutrition. In The Omnivore's Dilemma, Pollan revisits an old quandary regarding the decision that a omnivorous animal faces every time they "sit down" to dine. Particularly true for large mammals, omnivores have a range in diet that is unparalleled by most of their carnivorous or herbivorous cousins. This bounty of possible nibblets means that the gut of the animal must be more adaptable, able to process nutrition from a variety of different animal and plant sources. In exchange, the omnivore is granted a larger range in acceptable environments that they can live in and a somewhat relaxed sense of anxiety over acquiring enough calories since food is abundant all around them.
However, there is also a problem. The omnivore must somehow balance their intake of nutrients, as not all food sources are equally endowed. Unlike the koala or panda (of a few posts ago) who will eat only eucalyptus/bamboo (respectively) and are able to derive all of the proper nutrients from just that one source, most omnivores are less specialized and must somehow decide how to balance their diet in other ways. But how?!? Given the critical link between dietiary intake and the health of an individual, how are these choices made?
Okay. Now take a moment aside to consider your Thanksgiving table from this last Thursday - as well as the leftovers that are likely piled up in your refrigerator. Turkey, ham, potatoes, cornbread, cranberry, stuffing, beans, pumpkin pie... Yum! The food there comes from so many places... How is it that we decide to eat these foods and not others?
Pollan and others make the case that a large part of the brain needs to be dedicated to decisions related to diet. To recognize what is healthful and avoid the poisonous. Could it be that our impressive brain size owes its existence partly due to the wide range of foods that we can eat? In contrast, the koala has the smallest brain (about the size of a walnut) when compared to its less finicky cousin species. Furthermore, as we learn more about food and the nutrients that compose them, we often find that traditional diets across the world impose cultural standards that balance these inputs. For example, beans and rice are a common combo, and we have only recently been able to scientifically show that the amino acids contained in these two sources balance each other nicely.
Given the importance of food to all animals, it makes sense that culture should have many rules, customs, and taboos that are related to food. An interesting thought experiment is also to wonder how much role our diet had in our own evolution, biologically and culturally. A few studies have correlated a wider dietary availability and higher caloric intake with larger brain size. The brain is an energy-hungry organ, after all... Furthermore, in our species which has a long juvenile stage and a huge range of possible snacks, there is a much larger selective pressure to evolve additional methods to determine the correct foods to eat so that we can live to adulthood without eating that poison mushroom or contracting scurvy. Could culture be a large part of that link?
So the next time you sit down for a big meal on a holiday that is largely about giving thanks for the bounty of food that is available for us, maybe it also makes sense to thank your food itself as well. For without it, it is unlikely we'd ever have the brain power, or cultural advancement to be celebrating at all.
I was recently revisiting some of the work by Michael Pollan, an investigative journalist who has recently become an expert on the subject of the American Diet, industrial food production, and nutrition. In The Omnivore's Dilemma, Pollan revisits an old quandary regarding the decision that a omnivorous animal faces every time they "sit down" to dine. Particularly true for large mammals, omnivores have a range in diet that is unparalleled by most of their carnivorous or herbivorous cousins. This bounty of possible nibblets means that the gut of the animal must be more adaptable, able to process nutrition from a variety of different animal and plant sources. In exchange, the omnivore is granted a larger range in acceptable environments that they can live in and a somewhat relaxed sense of anxiety over acquiring enough calories since food is abundant all around them.
However, there is also a problem. The omnivore must somehow balance their intake of nutrients, as not all food sources are equally endowed. Unlike the koala or panda (of a few posts ago) who will eat only eucalyptus/bamboo (respectively) and are able to derive all of the proper nutrients from just that one source, most omnivores are less specialized and must somehow decide how to balance their diet in other ways. But how?!? Given the critical link between dietiary intake and the health of an individual, how are these choices made?
Okay. Now take a moment aside to consider your Thanksgiving table from this last Thursday - as well as the leftovers that are likely piled up in your refrigerator. Turkey, ham, potatoes, cornbread, cranberry, stuffing, beans, pumpkin pie... Yum! The food there comes from so many places... How is it that we decide to eat these foods and not others?
Pollan and others make the case that a large part of the brain needs to be dedicated to decisions related to diet. To recognize what is healthful and avoid the poisonous. Could it be that our impressive brain size owes its existence partly due to the wide range of foods that we can eat? In contrast, the koala has the smallest brain (about the size of a walnut) when compared to its less finicky cousin species. Furthermore, as we learn more about food and the nutrients that compose them, we often find that traditional diets across the world impose cultural standards that balance these inputs. For example, beans and rice are a common combo, and we have only recently been able to scientifically show that the amino acids contained in these two sources balance each other nicely.
Given the importance of food to all animals, it makes sense that culture should have many rules, customs, and taboos that are related to food. An interesting thought experiment is also to wonder how much role our diet had in our own evolution, biologically and culturally. A few studies have correlated a wider dietary availability and higher caloric intake with larger brain size. The brain is an energy-hungry organ, after all... Furthermore, in our species which has a long juvenile stage and a huge range of possible snacks, there is a much larger selective pressure to evolve additional methods to determine the correct foods to eat so that we can live to adulthood without eating that poison mushroom or contracting scurvy. Could culture be a large part of that link?
So the next time you sit down for a big meal on a holiday that is largely about giving thanks for the bounty of food that is available for us, maybe it also makes sense to thank your food itself as well. For without it, it is unlikely we'd ever have the brain power, or cultural advancement to be celebrating at all.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
l’esprit d’escalier
This one, not so short, but I think we can all identify with the sentiment, if not the precise conversations.
We've all been there, that moment, long after the fact, when we actually come up with the thing we wish we'd said in that conversation earlier that day... or last month... Well, what might it be like if we did have the power to go back and change the past? Or to stop the craziness of the moment, take stock of the situation and come up with a real zinger? What if we had the ability to deliberate as long as we wanted to serve up the perfect one-liner? Would it be a gift or a curse?
Jonathan Goldstein, contributor to my obsession, This American Life, takes a moment in time to explore this question.
Length: 17:17
Original Show: #257 What I Should Have Said
www.thisamericanlife.org
We've all been there, that moment, long after the fact, when we actually come up with the thing we wish we'd said in that conversation earlier that day... or last month... Well, what might it be like if we did have the power to go back and change the past? Or to stop the craziness of the moment, take stock of the situation and come up with a real zinger? What if we had the ability to deliberate as long as we wanted to serve up the perfect one-liner? Would it be a gift or a curse?
Jonathan Goldstein, contributor to my obsession, This American Life, takes a moment in time to explore this question.
Length: 17:17
Original Show: #257 What I Should Have Said
www.thisamericanlife.org
Super Villans
This short story was just too cute not to post. Plus, I can't stand seeing that dog as soon as you open up my blog page, so I am desperate to post anything that might bump it down a bit.
I have some (nerdy) Thanksgiving thoughts that I'd like to share at some point this weekend, but that might require more writing than I have time for at the moment.
So, instead, sit back, relax and enjoy. Don't worry, it has no squawking parrots and isn't terribly long!
Length: 5:32
Original Show: #241 20 Acts
www.thisamericanlife.org
I have some (nerdy) Thanksgiving thoughts that I'd like to share at some point this weekend, but that might require more writing than I have time for at the moment.
So, instead, sit back, relax and enjoy. Don't worry, it has no squawking parrots and isn't terribly long!
Length: 5:32
Original Show: #241 20 Acts
www.thisamericanlife.org
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Okay, Sorry....
Yeah... That last post was a bit raw and disturbing... Sorry 'bout that...
I did manage to import all of my posts from Live Journal, including some of the angsty ones, so I am pretty sure that my transition over to this forum is complete. However, the old posts didn't retain any of the formatting, and a number of the links are broken by now. So... I guess I'll just have to deal, because I don't really have much intent to go back and correct them right now.
For now, if I've just traumatized you with the last story, you can take a jog on over to Happy News:
http://www.happynews.com/index.aspx
Where they claim that every story has a positive spin.
I did manage to import all of my posts from Live Journal, including some of the angsty ones, so I am pretty sure that my transition over to this forum is complete. However, the old posts didn't retain any of the formatting, and a number of the links are broken by now. So... I guess I'll just have to deal, because I don't really have much intent to go back and correct them right now.
For now, if I've just traumatized you with the last story, you can take a jog on over to Happy News:
http://www.happynews.com/index.aspx
Where they claim that every story has a positive spin.
So Frickin Disturbed Right Now....
I had someone link me to a Facebook group that was claiming that live dogs were being used as shark bait on a French-controlled island off of the coast of Africa. I was disturbed by the thought, but figured that the story was just so much BS.
Apparently not. The story is reported here on National Geographic:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/10/1019_051019_dog_shark.html
They show it right alongside this completely disturbing photograph. Apparently the hooks are put in the animals through the snout or paw, and then they are dragged from the back of a boat for miles until they attract a shark, sometimes while they are still alive.
So... I'm basically at a loss for words here. I don't care what sort of dire economic situation you are in, there is no possible justification for this kind of thing. As a vegetarian, I realize my perspective might be a bit skewed relative to the general population, but someone who could do something like this must be inhuman. This story makes me want to donate a thousand dollars to some militant environmental "Greenpeace-esq" group, and then outfit them with heavy weaponry...
So frickin sad.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Another Look at Love
Well, a good portion of my afternoon is shot, but I did finally get the thing to post. Which I guess officially means that I have the tech-savy of your average 12-year-old...
Moving on up in the world! Woot!
So, this is another little fun story about what it means to be in love, told by one of my favorite authors: David Sedaris.
Length: 5:32
Original Show: #221 Fake ID
www.thisamericanlife.org
Moving on up in the world! Woot!
So, this is another little fun story about what it means to be in love, told by one of my favorite authors: David Sedaris.
Length: 5:32
Original Show: #221 Fake ID
www.thisamericanlife.org
New Look and New Audio - On the Meaning of Love
So... Part of the reason that I wish to swap over from LiveJournal, which was annoying me to no end, was that I could supposedly post audio files easily from this Blog. So here goes, my very first attempt to do so.
This story is one of many which I will feature from the absolutely fabulous radio show: This American Life. I have recently been listening to pretty much every episode that has ever been made for this show, and the vast majority of the programs are amazing. If you aren't someone who I've already gushed at regarding the show, it is a program with a simple premise: each week, take a look at the life of Americans as viewed through a particular prism or theme. Then bring a couple of real-life stories (and the occasional amusing short work of fiction) to shed light on that theme.
The story that I want to start out with is a cute little one about what it means to love and to be in love. And what that means to those around you, who love you in turn.
Length: 11:20
Full program is #228: You Are So Beautiful to Me
www.thisamericanlife.org
This story is one of many which I will feature from the absolutely fabulous radio show: This American Life. I have recently been listening to pretty much every episode that has ever been made for this show, and the vast majority of the programs are amazing. If you aren't someone who I've already gushed at regarding the show, it is a program with a simple premise: each week, take a look at the life of Americans as viewed through a particular prism or theme. Then bring a couple of real-life stories (and the occasional amusing short work of fiction) to shed light on that theme.
The story that I want to start out with is a cute little one about what it means to love and to be in love. And what that means to those around you, who love you in turn.
Length: 11:20
Full program is #228: You Are So Beautiful to Me
www.thisamericanlife.org
Pandas and Culture
So, I was bored at work and stumbled across this article on CNN:
Panda bites student seeking hug:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/22/panda.bites.man.china.ap/index.html
Apparently some 20 year old guy in China jumped a few fences and rushed up to this panda in the zoo, hoping to "cuddle". Instead, the panda bit him repeatedly on the arms and legs. Then security was called and chased the panda off. But my favorite part of this article comes is a quote from the park ranger when asked if the zoo would be putting up additional signs or fencing:
"We cannot make it like a prison. We already have signs up warning people not to climb in," he said. "There are no fences along roads but people know not to cross if there are cars. This is basic knowledge."
It just struck me as hilarious at the moment. It sorta feels like the entire difference between Chinese and American perception of public safety encapsulated in a moment.
And in this instance, who could blame them? In the US, that zoo would probably have raised the fence, put razor wire at the top, killed the panda and would still have a lawsuit to deal with.
But, I gotta say, that panda is pretty damn cute. I think I need a hug too...
Friday, October 24, 2008
A little about my actual life...
So... Since it has been forever since I've posted, I guess a bit of update is in order.
I have about 5 months left in my program. It will be "crunch time" very soon. But on the plus side, I am ready to move on and up. I will be working with Dr. Pam Silver in Boston (http://silver.med.harvard.edu/) come April/May. I am excited about the move and looking forward to Boston.
Also in new news, I have been told that I have sleep apnea and have probably had it for quite some time. While hardly some awful disease, it can cause some major disruptions in sleep patterns and lead to a host of downstream, very much more serious conditions. So, I am now on a CPAP machine while I sleep, which is basically this mask that goes on your face and provides positive air pressure to keep your windpipe open while you are sleeping.
Its not so bad really... It looks like it would be more uncomfortable than it really is... See, here is a picture of me reading in bed with my new CPAP machine and mask on:
Actually, though it does make me feel like an old man to be wearing something like this, the effects have been IMMEDIATE! I just got the thing this Monday. Already, in the 3 different seminars that I have sat through, I have not had any trouble staying awake. I've read papers and books, all without even getting drowsy. Which, for the last 4 years or so, is basically unheard of. It is a god-send and I am so excited about it. I may even go attempt to read a book in the tub again! (Those who have known me for a while, will know that pretty much all of my older books suffer from major water damage).
But generally, I am so happy with it, and hope that it continues. I have missed casual reading in a major way for the last few years!
Anyone read any good books lately?
I have about 5 months left in my program. It will be "crunch time" very soon. But on the plus side, I am ready to move on and up. I will be working with Dr. Pam Silver in Boston (http://silver.med.harvard.edu/) come April/May. I am excited about the move and looking forward to Boston.
Also in new news, I have been told that I have sleep apnea and have probably had it for quite some time. While hardly some awful disease, it can cause some major disruptions in sleep patterns and lead to a host of downstream, very much more serious conditions. So, I am now on a CPAP machine while I sleep, which is basically this mask that goes on your face and provides positive air pressure to keep your windpipe open while you are sleeping.
Actually, though it does make me feel like an old man to be wearing something like this, the effects have been IMMEDIATE! I just got the thing this Monday. Already, in the 3 different seminars that I have sat through, I have not had any trouble staying awake. I've read papers and books, all without even getting drowsy. Which, for the last 4 years or so, is basically unheard of. It is a god-send and I am so excited about it. I may even go attempt to read a book in the tub again! (Those who have known me for a while, will know that pretty much all of my older books suffer from major water damage).
But generally, I am so happy with it, and hope that it continues. I have missed casual reading in a major way for the last few years!
Anyone read any good books lately?
A little spillover from my political angst
So.... Those of you who have been keeping tabs with me these days will probably know that I have been a little bit overly obsessed with all of the recent political coverage. I decided that rather than sound off on my friends, I would rant here, where folks can choose to ignore me if they so please... I've been meaning to get back into blogging a little bit too - hopefully I will also find a way to update this horrible color scheme.
So I was roaming around checking the headlines and stumbled across a political op ed article on CNN. See the full article here, if ya want...
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/23/navarrette.liberals/index.html
This article stunk so much that I just could not resist poking a bit of fun at it. I will be the first to admit that in the last few weeks, I have done my fair share of Palin bashing. Does this speak to my inherent subliminal sexism? Perhaps, but I don't think so, given that I was a pretty firm Clinton supporter before she lost the bid to Obama.
I started out by writing a counter response, but then just decided to scrap it and just go straight for the jugular. A cut and paste job. The original article is in italics, my comments interspersed.
By Ruben Navarrette Jr.
SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- I thought liberals were supposed to be good-hearted, open-minded and non-judgmental.
Tell that to the angry Left's favorite piñata, Sarah Palin. As far as liberals are concerned, Palin can do no right just as Barack Obama and Joe Biden can do no wrong. In fact, Biden is catching more passes than an NFL wide receiver.
As Palin herself pointed out in a recent CNN interview, imagine if she had been the one to imply that electing Obama would invite calamity. Biden does it, and the media shrug.
Actually... The reason that Biden is getting a "pass" on this one is that, even when trying your absolute hardest to rip Biden's comments out of context, you can still, at best, say that he is "implying" something. Go on to listen to/read the rest of the speech and what you'll actually find is that the real "implication" is that our foreign policy is at a rough spot right now and trouble could come from a number of places throughout the world. The reason us rabid liberals love to make fun of Palin so much is that she can manage to make herself seem idiotic and out of touch in half a sentence, no nuance or inferences needed. Furthermore, when placed in the full context of the paragraph of garbled "speech", these memorable quotes only become more precious.
I also thought the Democratic Party was supposed to go to bat for the little guy, the everyday Joe the Plumber.
I just do not get this whole "everyday Joe the Plumber". Tagging a common name to an uncommon person does not a populist argument make. "Sam the Janitor. Jane the Receptionist."
How about George the President? Or Sally-Sue the Albanian Arms Dealer?
I know everyday Kens who are middle class, then I know of Kens who swindle billions of dollars from corporate giants. I know everyday gay Craigs earning a normal wage, then I know closeted, sexually-repressed, self-hating senator Craigs, pulling down hundreds of thousands a year.
The truth is in the details, dearie.
Tell that to Joe Wurzelbacher, the Ohio resident who got his 15 minutes -- and 40 lashes -- because he dared question Obama about his tax plan. Obama insists that the plan would raise taxes only on those Americans earning more than $250,000 per year. It was then Obama made his clumsy "spread the wealth" comment.
Uhm... Sure its trite, but no really, how many plumbers do you know who make 250k each year? American median household income in 2007: $48,200.
My favorite populist BS moment was the whole "Sue the Teacher" moment from the McCain campaign.
Sue the 250k Teacher?!?!
I need say no more....
What was Joe thinking: that we live in a democracy where everyday Americans who pay the salaries of elected officials can dare question their policies? That just isn't done.
To prove it, the elites who run the Democratic Party -- along with their surrogates in the media and organized labor -- went after the plumber.
This argument is so tiresome. I'm real sure that Barrack Obama taped this interview, against the will of "Joe the Plumber", fed it to the Republicans and then forced John McCain to mention it at least a dozen times during the debates. McCain and his supporters are the ones making this an issue.
If Obama had discussed the unicorns and leprechauns that populate his backyard, but mentioned them so many times during the debate so as to make it sound like fact, would Fox News just throw its hands up in defeat, never to question it?
We now know that Samuel Joe Wurzelbacher owes back taxes, doesn't have a plumbing license (he told the Associated Press he doesn't need one because he works for someone else's company), and may not be registered to vote.
Sheeit! And ma jest tole me there ain't no Santa Clas neither!
Commenting on a CNN.com story, one condescending reader wrote that Joe the Plumber should pipe down and "get back in my bathroom and unclog the toilet."
Oh my... How awful and mean... Good thing online public message boards and chat rooms are usually known for their well-informed commentary and sweet sentimentality:
"McCain is a Hero. Obama was/still is a Terrorist." cubelynn of Florida -FoxNews.com
"Obama's plan will save thousands of dollars for every nursing home and hospitals. Under this exclusive coverage, any senior citizen who reaches the minimum age of 70 years old will be required to be detained and taken to one of the Soylent Green Program Plants to be processed into little green crackers that are edible, packaged and sent back to area hospitals and nursing homes, where they will be given to existing senior citizens to eat." spankythemonkey -FoxNews.com
"fuck you techies r such fag char" 69Satan666 to me. - Battle.net
Even Biden and Obama got in a few licks. Biden quipped to Jay Leno that Democrats wanted to take care of "Joe-the-real-plumber-with-a-license," and Obama sarcastically asked supporters, "how many plumbers do you know making $250,000 a year?" The implication being that Joe the Plumber isn't who he pretends to be.
I refer you to your own statement. You know, the one two sentences back. ("We now know that Samuel Joe Wurzelbacher owes back taxes, doesn't have a plumbing license (he told the Associated Press he doesn't need one because he works for someone else's company), and may not be registered to vote.")
Oh yeah. Also, he doesn't make 250k, nor will he if he buys the small business he was mentioning. So yeah, I guess Obama was probably "implying" something like that.
What worries me is that the Democrats aren't what they pretend to be.
Obama supporters like to talk about how the Democratic presidential nominee has lived the American Dream. So why is it to so hard for them to conceive of a situation where someone dreams of earning more money a few years from now than they earn today. Has Barack Obama consumed all the social mobility this country has to offer, so there isn't any left for the rest of us?
This argument is so bankrupt I don't even know where to begin.
Now, the Obama-Biden boosters have refocused their attention on their earlier irritant, Sarah Palin.
The latest media template is that the vice presidential nominee is a drag on the GOP ticket. Pundits detect a backlash, not just among Democrats who love to hate Sarah Palin but also among women, independents and seniors. They cite polls showing Palin with an unfavorable rating of 50 percent.
So what? We're in the post-Clinton, post-Bush era of polarization where any politician with a pulse -- Sorry, Joe Biden -- will be loved by half the country and hated by the other half.
Wait... Was that a dig at Biden's age? Lets take a poll: Raise your hand if you think Navarrette was "implying" that Biden is too old to potentially be president. Oh... Sorry McCain, I didn't see you standing there.
It's surreal. Before McCain put Palin on the ticket, he was getting 200 people at campaign rallies, and now, when he appears when Palin, he gets 20,000. Yes, definitely a drag.
McCain oversold it when he said Palin was the most qualified vice presidential candidate in recent history.
You think?
Better than Dick Cheney?
Please dear Baby Jebus...
Could she be worse?
... for the love of all that is holy....
Obama might have paid Biden the same compliment if his running mate hadn't already told supporters that Hillary Clinton would have been a better choice.
Yeah.... Too bad that Obama didn't let the DNCC make his decision for him. I gotta say, McCain really showed how "maverick-y" he could be in picking Palin. Nothing says 'independence of thought' like picking a VP whom you've never met, but whom just happens to be a veritable second-coming for the ultra-religious Right. Especially when its a demographic you've decried as toxic to the Republican party throughout your career.
Then there is the faux-scandal that the Republican National Committee shelled out $150,000 in the past several weeks on Palin and her family for campaign wardrobe, accessories, makeup, etc.
Many Americans don't see why it's a story. Fellow hockey mom Page Growney of New Canaan, Conn., asked The Associated Press, "What did you want to see her in, a turtleneck from L.L. Bean?"
Who the hell is Page Growney? But no, taken at face value, not much of a story. But when you are running on a platform of fierce "maverick" reform and "substance over style", it becomes a bit more significant. Let the woman be herself for goodness sake. The woman is a self-proclaimed "bulldog with lipstick", a "Barracuda". Don't primp her up like your life-size porcelain doll. We're already apparently holding her hand when it comes to talking aloud* (see below), do we really need to teach her how to dress herself too? I mean, this is the second-in-command for the most powerful position in the world, we can expect some basic life skills beyond that of potty training, right?
Sexism cuts both ways. It is as stupid and backward to shield Palin like she is too fragile or too incompetent to handle herself as it is to judge her on her looks and housekeeping skills. My political dream woman is to be both seen AND heard.
Still, we're told, this tempest in a Gucci bag has some Republicans worrying that shopping sprees at Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue might undermine Palin's everywoman image. To think, just last month, the criticism was that Sarah the Moose Hunter wasn't sufficiently sophisticated or glamorous. Now her wardrobe signals the hockey mom is high-maintenance.
Just how many more caricatures -- some of them contradictory -- can we expect the left to throw at Sarah Palin before time runs out on this election?
Not many, it is to be hoped. Time, thankfully, has grown very short.
-D
*As of Sept 26, here are a few stats. These figures are old, but Palin has still not held any news conferences and has only appeared on a couple more interviews, usually with McCain in tow or with very conservative-friendly hosts. (http://www.usnews.com/articles/opinion/2008/09/26/data-points-sarah-palin-in-the-media.html) Biden, in stark contrast, is well over a hundred interviews by now, and they aren't all with Michael Moore.
0 : Number of news conferences Sarah Palin has held since her selection as Republican VP nominee on August 29
3 : Number of interviews Palin has granted (with Charles Gibson, Sean Hannity, and Katie Couric)
1: Number of times Palin has answered questions from the reporters who follow her on the campaign trail
4: Number of news conferences Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden has held since August 29
89: Number of interviews Biden has granted since August 29
So I was roaming around checking the headlines and stumbled across a political op ed article on CNN. See the full article here, if ya want...
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/23/navarrette.liberals/index.html
This article stunk so much that I just could not resist poking a bit of fun at it. I will be the first to admit that in the last few weeks, I have done my fair share of Palin bashing. Does this speak to my inherent subliminal sexism? Perhaps, but I don't think so, given that I was a pretty firm Clinton supporter before she lost the bid to Obama.
I started out by writing a counter response, but then just decided to scrap it and just go straight for the jugular. A cut and paste job. The original article is in italics, my comments interspersed.
By Ruben Navarrette Jr.
SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- I thought liberals were supposed to be good-hearted, open-minded and non-judgmental.
Tell that to the angry Left's favorite piñata, Sarah Palin. As far as liberals are concerned, Palin can do no right just as Barack Obama and Joe Biden can do no wrong. In fact, Biden is catching more passes than an NFL wide receiver.
As Palin herself pointed out in a recent CNN interview, imagine if she had been the one to imply that electing Obama would invite calamity. Biden does it, and the media shrug.
Actually... The reason that Biden is getting a "pass" on this one is that, even when trying your absolute hardest to rip Biden's comments out of context, you can still, at best, say that he is "implying" something. Go on to listen to/read the rest of the speech and what you'll actually find is that the real "implication" is that our foreign policy is at a rough spot right now and trouble could come from a number of places throughout the world. The reason us rabid liberals love to make fun of Palin so much is that she can manage to make herself seem idiotic and out of touch in half a sentence, no nuance or inferences needed. Furthermore, when placed in the full context of the paragraph of garbled "speech", these memorable quotes only become more precious.
I also thought the Democratic Party was supposed to go to bat for the little guy, the everyday Joe the Plumber.
I just do not get this whole "everyday Joe the Plumber". Tagging a common name to an uncommon person does not a populist argument make. "Sam the Janitor. Jane the Receptionist."
How about George the President? Or Sally-Sue the Albanian Arms Dealer?
I know everyday Kens who are middle class, then I know of Kens who swindle billions of dollars from corporate giants. I know everyday gay Craigs earning a normal wage, then I know closeted, sexually-repressed, self-hating senator Craigs, pulling down hundreds of thousands a year.
The truth is in the details, dearie.
Tell that to Joe Wurzelbacher, the Ohio resident who got his 15 minutes -- and 40 lashes -- because he dared question Obama about his tax plan. Obama insists that the plan would raise taxes only on those Americans earning more than $250,000 per year. It was then Obama made his clumsy "spread the wealth" comment.
Uhm... Sure its trite, but no really, how many plumbers do you know who make 250k each year? American median household income in 2007: $48,200.
My favorite populist BS moment was the whole "Sue the Teacher" moment from the McCain campaign.
Sue the 250k Teacher?!?!
I need say no more....
What was Joe thinking: that we live in a democracy where everyday Americans who pay the salaries of elected officials can dare question their policies? That just isn't done.
To prove it, the elites who run the Democratic Party -- along with their surrogates in the media and organized labor -- went after the plumber.
This argument is so tiresome. I'm real sure that Barrack Obama taped this interview, against the will of "Joe the Plumber", fed it to the Republicans and then forced John McCain to mention it at least a dozen times during the debates. McCain and his supporters are the ones making this an issue.
If Obama had discussed the unicorns and leprechauns that populate his backyard, but mentioned them so many times during the debate so as to make it sound like fact, would Fox News just throw its hands up in defeat, never to question it?
We now know that Samuel Joe Wurzelbacher owes back taxes, doesn't have a plumbing license (he told the Associated Press he doesn't need one because he works for someone else's company), and may not be registered to vote.
Sheeit! And ma jest tole me there ain't no Santa Clas neither!
Commenting on a CNN.com story, one condescending reader wrote that Joe the Plumber should pipe down and "get back in my bathroom and unclog the toilet."
Oh my... How awful and mean... Good thing online public message boards and chat rooms are usually known for their well-informed commentary and sweet sentimentality:
"McCain is a Hero. Obama was/still is a Terrorist." cubelynn of Florida -FoxNews.com
"Obama's plan will save thousands of dollars for every nursing home and hospitals. Under this exclusive coverage, any senior citizen who reaches the minimum age of 70 years old will be required to be detained and taken to one of the Soylent Green Program Plants to be processed into little green crackers that are edible, packaged and sent back to area hospitals and nursing homes, where they will be given to existing senior citizens to eat." spankythemonkey -FoxNews.com
"fuck you techies r such fag char" 69Satan666 to me. - Battle.net
Even Biden and Obama got in a few licks. Biden quipped to Jay Leno that Democrats wanted to take care of "Joe-the-real-plumber-with-a-license," and Obama sarcastically asked supporters, "how many plumbers do you know making $250,000 a year?" The implication being that Joe the Plumber isn't who he pretends to be.
I refer you to your own statement. You know, the one two sentences back. ("We now know that Samuel Joe Wurzelbacher owes back taxes, doesn't have a plumbing license (he told the Associated Press he doesn't need one because he works for someone else's company), and may not be registered to vote.")
Oh yeah. Also, he doesn't make 250k, nor will he if he buys the small business he was mentioning. So yeah, I guess Obama was probably "implying" something like that.
What worries me is that the Democrats aren't what they pretend to be.
Obama supporters like to talk about how the Democratic presidential nominee has lived the American Dream. So why is it to so hard for them to conceive of a situation where someone dreams of earning more money a few years from now than they earn today. Has Barack Obama consumed all the social mobility this country has to offer, so there isn't any left for the rest of us?
This argument is so bankrupt I don't even know where to begin.
Now, the Obama-Biden boosters have refocused their attention on their earlier irritant, Sarah Palin.
The latest media template is that the vice presidential nominee is a drag on the GOP ticket. Pundits detect a backlash, not just among Democrats who love to hate Sarah Palin but also among women, independents and seniors. They cite polls showing Palin with an unfavorable rating of 50 percent.
So what? We're in the post-Clinton, post-Bush era of polarization where any politician with a pulse -- Sorry, Joe Biden -- will be loved by half the country and hated by the other half.
Wait... Was that a dig at Biden's age? Lets take a poll: Raise your hand if you think Navarrette was "implying" that Biden is too old to potentially be president. Oh... Sorry McCain, I didn't see you standing there.
It's surreal. Before McCain put Palin on the ticket, he was getting 200 people at campaign rallies, and now, when he appears when Palin, he gets 20,000. Yes, definitely a drag.
McCain oversold it when he said Palin was the most qualified vice presidential candidate in recent history.
You think?
Better than Dick Cheney?
Please dear Baby Jebus...
Could she be worse?
... for the love of all that is holy....
Obama might have paid Biden the same compliment if his running mate hadn't already told supporters that Hillary Clinton would have been a better choice.
Yeah.... Too bad that Obama didn't let the DNCC make his decision for him. I gotta say, McCain really showed how "maverick-y" he could be in picking Palin. Nothing says 'independence of thought' like picking a VP whom you've never met, but whom just happens to be a veritable second-coming for the ultra-religious Right. Especially when its a demographic you've decried as toxic to the Republican party throughout your career.
Then there is the faux-scandal that the Republican National Committee shelled out $150,000 in the past several weeks on Palin and her family for campaign wardrobe, accessories, makeup, etc.
Many Americans don't see why it's a story. Fellow hockey mom Page Growney of New Canaan, Conn., asked The Associated Press, "What did you want to see her in, a turtleneck from L.L. Bean?"
Who the hell is Page Growney? But no, taken at face value, not much of a story. But when you are running on a platform of fierce "maverick" reform and "substance over style", it becomes a bit more significant. Let the woman be herself for goodness sake. The woman is a self-proclaimed "bulldog with lipstick", a "Barracuda". Don't primp her up like your life-size porcelain doll. We're already apparently holding her hand when it comes to talking aloud* (see below), do we really need to teach her how to dress herself too? I mean, this is the second-in-command for the most powerful position in the world, we can expect some basic life skills beyond that of potty training, right?
Sexism cuts both ways. It is as stupid and backward to shield Palin like she is too fragile or too incompetent to handle herself as it is to judge her on her looks and housekeeping skills. My political dream woman is to be both seen AND heard.
Still, we're told, this tempest in a Gucci bag has some Republicans worrying that shopping sprees at Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue might undermine Palin's everywoman image. To think, just last month, the criticism was that Sarah the Moose Hunter wasn't sufficiently sophisticated or glamorous. Now her wardrobe signals the hockey mom is high-maintenance.
Just how many more caricatures -- some of them contradictory -- can we expect the left to throw at Sarah Palin before time runs out on this election?
Not many, it is to be hoped. Time, thankfully, has grown very short.
-D
*As of Sept 26, here are a few stats. These figures are old, but Palin has still not held any news conferences and has only appeared on a couple more interviews, usually with McCain in tow or with very conservative-friendly hosts. (http://www.usnews.com/articles/opinion/2008/09/26/data-points-sarah-palin-in-the-media.html) Biden, in stark contrast, is well over a hundred interviews by now, and they aren't all with Michael Moore.
0 : Number of news conferences Sarah Palin has held since her selection as Republican VP nominee on August 29
3 : Number of interviews Palin has granted (with Charles Gibson, Sean Hannity, and Katie Couric)
1: Number of times Palin has answered questions from the reporters who follow her on the campaign trail
4: Number of news conferences Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden has held since August 29
89: Number of interviews Biden has granted since August 29
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The Best of Times
Life is just really great right now...
I don't have too much to say about it (I guess that is the difference, when one is content there seems little need to rant about it), but right now everything is just coming up roses!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Long time.. No write
So... I was browsing some of my old haunts of other people's live journals and looked up Charlie's (my ex) journal - which I told him that I wouldn't be looking at anymore about 3 years ago when he rejected my offer to take him to see Wicked along with Usman. At the time I was pretty pissed at some of the things he wrote about me and what he suspected my motives were and I decided just to stop reading about him and his life so that I wouldn't get tangled up in any drama. I can see his point in retrospect, though it makes me sad that he could think I am such a manipulative bitch.
so... I did stop reading for a long time, until about 6 months ago when I wondered what was going on with him and snuck a peek at his journal - cuz, lets be honest, once you've been that involved with someone, you never really will ever stop thinking and wondering about them.
So, just now I ran across a post of his that was talking about a lousy night that he had and how in a moment of vulnerability he remembered some of his exes (including me) and was feeling forgettable and unlovable. I decided to take a chance on a potential storm of drama and write something in his journal (which he probably doesn't think that I read anymore and would therefore be safe to post potentially embarassing thoughts). I guess I wanted just to let him know that we're all human here and that we all have moments like that. And most of all, that he is certainly not a forgettable sort of fellow.
So, although I posted anonymously and he might not figure out that it is from me, I wanted to post something equally telling and vulnerable on my journal. That way I don't feel like such a cad for still trying to eavesdrop in on his life after all of this time.
So here it is. This little "gem" of a short writing comes from about 3 weeks ago when I woke up at 4am from a dream where I glimpsed Charlie in a crowd or in a passing car window or something. So it isn't even like we had a conversation or did anything, yet I was so riled up from the memories that it brought to my mind that I couldn't get back to sleep. I decided to write a little something (at 4am, mind you) in case I want some "human" material for that novel I am going to write some day. (ha ha)
So I guess I was trying to be poetic or something at the time... See if you can't crack my 'insidious code' for who "C" and "Him" represent. Its a toughy!
"It was no longer the urgency of violent dreams that pulled Him from his sleep but the persistent uncertainty that followed recall of an old friend or lover. Having been cast back into the past during an unguarded moment by his treacherous mind, He found it difficult to detach himself from the thoughts that bubbled to the surface. Memories dislodged from the mud beneath normally stagnant waters.
Had he properly atoned for some grievance committed? Did he owe another the forgiveness withheld from him? But most of all, He found he could not shake the bitter-sweet blend of anger and nostalgia that followed from his memory of his former lover. Had he been justified in his betrayal of C?
He felt a self-righteous rage at such thoughts of accountability. Of course He had His reasons. Every betrayal is but a mirror of trespasses that went before it. Yet a life training His mind for scientific objectivity left him suspicious of his own emotions and even His memories. The truth could be buried beneath a weave of tangled neurons. The past could be lost in the maze of connections, obscured by the glittery explosion of a thousand synapses firing. The inner working of His own mind was obscure, oddly apart for something so intimate.
Did C wake at night tormented by such dreams? Did His face, merely glimpsed in a crowd or through the window of a passing car, wrench C from his slumber? This was perhaps the most insidious thought of them all..."
Anyway, "C", you were, and never will be, "easily forgotten" or "so easily cast aside". I wouldn't ever want to forget or be able to completely cast off someone who was so important to me for such a long time in my life, no matter how lousy the ending was for both of us.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
