Thursday, September 29, 2005

You Owe It To Yourselves......

In all seriousness, if you have not checked out the link on my blog to "Defenseless Ephemera", you really must. Don't miss the weekly updates.

Excerpt from Conversation Yesterday at Work

Meg: Hey XXXX did you hear about Tom DeLay?

XXXX: Tom DeLay was framed.

No comment.

Monday, September 26, 2005

Not Just "America, America, America.....

"He said it was an honor to receive it without having to work hard and study". (do people get how funny this man is?)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Dalai Lama told 36,000 people at Rutgers Stadium that the concept of war was outdated and young people have a responsibility to make this century one of peace.


"This whole planet is just us," the 70-year-old exiled monk said Sunday. "Therefore, destruction of another area essentially is destruction of yourself."

Tibet's spiritual leader also urged the audience to develop a wider world perspective, not just focus on "America, America, America."

"His quiet mind is the kind of serenity New Jersey, home of strip malls, could use," Arielle Gomberg said.

The speech was the largest nonathletic event in Rutgers history, topping visits by former President Clinton and former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno.

A row of monks, wearing traditional gold and maroon, sat near the stage on blankets, pillows or mats spread across the 10- and 20-yard lines on the football field.

The Dalai Lama, who won the 1989 Nobel peace prize, accepted an honorary degree from Rutgers President Richard McCormick. He said it was an honor to receive it without having to work hard and study.

In his lecture, "Peace, War and Reconciliation," the Dalai Lama said society's dream should be a world free of nuclear and biological weapons.

He noted their danger — and their expense, saying some African states have an abundance of weapons, but not enough food.

Also Sunday, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave the Dalai Lama the key to the city, calling him "a moral beacon to millions around the world, with a clear and constant voice for human rights."

The Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 following an aborted uprising against Chinese rule in the territory and now keeps an office in exile in the Himalayan town of Dharmsala, India.

Excerpt from Saturday Night Phone Conversation

Laura: Oh yeah, I sent your post about your conversation with your neighbor about the the gameshow gig to Mitchell. (followed by longish conversation about reason for this forward.)

Meg: Oh man, Wade has really been on a roll - just full of real gems. The other night I found him on the front porch as I was on my way to the Handimart to pick up some ice cream and he went into a tirade about organic produce. He said he didn't want his vegetables all brown and full of holes and spiderwebs and that he LOVED PESTICIDES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

(Laura and Meg laugh hysterically.)

Earlier in conversation Laura tells me about a conference for librarians that she has been helping to organize for next year which is scheduled to be held in New Orleans. She says they've actually been receiving all these queries from people who were registered wondering if they could get their money back. No comment.

Thursday, September 22, 2005

Excerpt from Wednesday Porch Conversation

Ahh, the things one learns when infirmed and hanging out with neighbors. I also missed a whole trauma-drama about a "perv" who was peeping into windows and finally got busted. Even out old neighbor knew about that one. She went to his arraignment (sp)!

Wade: Oh My God!!! You know my friend Michael.

Meg: Yes, of course, I know Michael. How is he?

Wade: He got on "You Want to be a Millionaire"!! (note: I may have this title wrong since I tend to get such things wrong and don't even get PBS in my apartment, it's some network game show though.)

Meg: Wow. We should have a party to watch him.

Wade: We should have a party to send him off!

Meg: Oh right, of course. How'd he get on?

Wade: Oh he completely had the right profile. You know the sensitive gay prison guard from Iowa thing.

Laughed so hard I actually felt better.

No Comment

From: Tsunoni
Subject: The latest wave in Weight Loss
Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2005 13:04:00 EST



Picture that was attached: bone thin, bikini-clad woman on a very stormy beach.

No comment.

Monday, September 19, 2005

Let Me Clarify on the Tomato Thing

Moody said nothing about tomatoes on NPR, just to clarify. I was only half listening to the content of his piece because I so surprised by the frenetic tenor of his voice. I shouldn't have been but I was. Anyway, my friend was using the tomato thing as an analogy it went right over my literal-minded head. I'm the girl who has decried the forces of deconstructionist theory in art, literature and culture and I seem to be losing my ability to grasp anything out of context. Oh my Goddess, I sound like.....well, you know.

Once T Breaks Through

Okay, I have signed up for Michael Manning's fan club. See previous post comment and follow the link. A primary reason is the delightfully honest counter example it provides to the faux-humility master manipulator who has captured America's attention. You got it, John "shucks who ME" Roberts.

It's been hysterical to watch all the culture vulture, media slicksters I know in Iowa City line up and follow suit. All of the sudden they're so practiced in the art of humility (isn't that a Joni Mitchell line?)it's like they've had personality transplants. Well, I hear Mr. T is making a comeback. Once Roberts is no longer making headlines and T breaks through these folks will be back to their former, it's all about me selves. Personalities don't really change all that much, only actions and only after a lot of work and, for most people, a lot of time.

On a "lighter" note, I was in the Handimart near my apartment the other night and I heard a guy talking to a friend on his cellphone while he was waiting to purchase a microwavable pizza (who'd have ever thought such a thing would be possible - wouldn't it be really soggy?). I guess he was talking to a friend about going home to visit his family for the weekend. He said, "Oh it won't be so bad, I don't have a girlfriend going with me or anything, so there's no chance I'll be totally humiliated if my father pulls a knife on somebody at the dinner table."

Oh yeah, I highly recommend Chris Merrill's Things of the Hidden Gods. It's beautiful and also much funnier than I'd anticipated.

Sunday, September 11, 2005

Seems Fitting

well. sunday night. i finally banged out my column. it was a day late due which i'm chosing to forgive myself for. i also forgot andy's birthday which is another thing i'm forgiving myself for. i've had a lot on my mind.

i did a really embarassing thing. i'm having some health problems and one evening i was at the library and i started to panic about dying alone. i know a bunch of people who do this internet dating service. i actually filled out a profile and posted it. i checked it a couple of times but never responded to anyone who responded to my ad (note: it's amazing how many nibbles you get w/out so much as a snapshot.) i deleted the thing tonight. i'm praying no one i know saw it but if they did, i plead coltrane "So What". anyway, the whole affair (bad pun) has given me a rather interesting idea for an article. it's probably more complicated than it needs to be. what else is new?

anyway, i had to admit this cyber-dating thing to cyberspace. seems fitting.

well, i'm laughing at myself now. i'm off to get some ice cream.

Saturday, September 03, 2005

Halliburton Profits from Katrina Victims/Damage

Halliburton gets contract to repair damage from Hurricane Katrina (HalliburtonWatch.org) 02 Sep 2005

The US Navy asked Halliburton to repair naval facilities damaged by Hurricane Katrina, the Houston Chronicle reported today. The work was assigned to Halliburton's KBR subsidiary under the Navy's $500 million CONCAP contract awarded to KBR in 2001 and renewed in 2004. The repairs will take place in Louisiana and Mississippi. In March, the former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is tasked with responding to hurricane disasters, became a lobbyist for KBR.

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