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"To Serve and Protect?" Save me from my police.
(or, way to go Saskatoon PD)
Not only do they drop off an Aboriginal teenager in the freezing cold to freeze to death, but now this:
Twelve people falsely accused of ritualistically abusing foster children
Except: SASKATOON - Twelve people who were falsely accused of ritualistically abusing three foster children more than a decade ago were themselves the victims of a malicious prosecution , a judge has ruled.
Richard Klassen and 11 others were charged in 1991 with abusing the children in bizarre and demonic ways - forcing them to eat eyeballs, drink blood, participate in orgies and watch newborn babies get skinned and buried.
Saskatoon police called it the "scandal of the century" at the time, but most of the cases never made it to trial. Charges were stayed and the children recanted their accusations. Klassen and the others sued the investigators and, today, Queen's Bench Justice George Baynton ruled in the plaintiffs' favour.
"The case was labelled by the media as the 'scandal of the century'," Baynton said in his ruling. "The real scandal, however, is the travesty of justice that was visited upon 12 of those individuals, the plaintiffs in the civil action, by branding them as pedophiles, even though each of them was innocent of the horrendous allegations and criminal offences charged against them."
The ruling applies to three of the four defendants in the civil lawsuit: The lead investigator - Saskatoon police Supt. Brian Dueck, who was a corporal when the case broke; a therapist, Carol Bunko-Ruys; and Crown prosecutor Matthew Miazga.
Baynton cited several reasons why the prosecution was malicious, including a lack of reasonable cause. "In my view, proceeding with charges in such an extraordinary case in the absence of reasonable and probable cause constitutes a strong presumption of malice," Baynton wrote.
He said evidence suggested Dueck was "blinded by his zeal to turn the wild allegations of the Ross children into a high-profile case that would portray him as a diligent and unrelenting protector of abused children.'' "It is almost beyond belief that none of those involved in the prosecution of the plaintiffs stood back, so to speak, and asked themselves if any of this made any sense and whether it could reasonably be true," Baynton wrote.
Satanic Ritual Abuse (SRA) allegations have been around since the 1980's. Growing up in the Christian church, I can remember hearing stories of these atrocities. I was fed the "real life" information concerning the evils of Satanism, Paganism, anything other than Christianity. I heard testimonies from people who were former Satanists, who told me the fascinating tales of their rituals and other activities they participated in -- as well as their conversion story.
One guy I saw in concert, Mike Warnke, turned out to be a complete (and proven) fraud.
Much of the paranoia caused by SRA fears have been proven false. The book that started most of this -- Michelle Remembers -- is full of lies, yet often accepted as the truth.
I can remember being both fascinated and horrified by stories I heard concerning Satanists, etc. growing up. It was almost addicting, hearing these scary stories -- while it also confirmed for me my own Christian faith, at that time.
Now that I've chosen a different spiritual path, I get angry when I think about how deceived I was. I'm angry that people still choose to believe these lies, even when evidence points them in a different direction.
I'm sure people in Saskatoon and Canada will remember the "scandal of the century", along with other people elsewhere who have heard similiar stories of SRA -- but will they remember the eventual vindication of the real victims, who were accused falsely? Somehow I don't think so.
A friend of mine is doing a rhetorical analysis of a book on cults, entitled Cults in our Midst. She made a really good point in her seminar presentation of it, last term. She talked about how the book purports to allievate and educate people about the dangers of cults -- yet at the same time, it engenders more of this same fear in its reader.
It all comes down to a process of identification. The more you can fear something and pin evils upon it (whether these evils are deserved or not), the more you can identify with your group -- falling into the ultimate "us versus them" mentality.
It's something that's applicable to areas other than fundamentalist religions. I think about how so many people here have demonized the Muslim faith, just because of the actions of some extremists. Or how so many belief structures have fallen prey to stereotyping.
It's something that frustrates me to no end, and fuels my desire to educate people otherwise.
But when I stop to take in the different forms of injustice in our world -- I'm overwhelmed and see how futile my weak attempts are.
Happy New Year.
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New Year's.
So I don't have any "real" plans for New Years this year, besides my annual standing date with Dick Clark. My little sister and her hubby are out in NYC, I'll watch tomorrow night to see if I see her.
Come to think of it, I've never really done any big New Years type grown-up party before. I do, however, have good memories of past New Years celebrations.
I remember being little and having the privilege of staying up until midnight to see the official New Years. Usually I'd fall asleep before the ball officially fell, but having the parent-sanctioned opportunity to stay up past 9pm was well worth it.
Sometimes we'd go to my parents' church to see the New Year come in. I remember one year we watched a movie (from a projector, even) and then had a pancake breakfast right after midnight. I remember thinking how cool it was to eat breakfast at 1am, and then going to bed later that morning, only to wake up already full from eating hours before. I know, it didn't take much to amuse me.
Other New Years memories revolve around parties at my friend Doug's house. From the ages of 11 to high school, we'd have these great parties. I can remember drinking sparkling grape juice and running outside with pots and pans to make noise at the stroke of midnight. That, or chasing each other around the backyard with Roman Candles.
It makes me a little sad, remembering these moments. I'm glad I have those memories though.
Tell me your grand plans, so I can be appropriately jealous!
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From this week's Harper's Review:
Mad cow disease was discovered in the United States for the
first time, in a Holstein cow that was too sick to walk but
was nonetheless slaughtered and sold for meat. The mad
Holstein's brain and spinal column were sent to a rendering
plant somewhere, possibly to be turned into dog or chicken
food; there was no word on whether the cow's blood was
processed to be fed to young calves as a milk supplement.
Secretary of Agriculture Ann Venemen, a former lobbyist for
the beef industry, insisted that even meat from a mad cow is
safe to eat, and she promised to feed beef to her family for
Christmas. Government and other beef industry officials
claimed that there were "firewalls" in place to prevent
infectious prions from reaching American hamburgers; Dr.
Stanley Prusiner, the Nobel laureate who discovered prions,
contradicted those claims and explained that he believes the
disease is already widespread in the United States. "They
treat the disease as if it were an infection that you can
contain by quarantining animals on farms," he said. "It's as
though my work of the last 20 years did not exist." Ten
thousand pounds of beef were recalled in eight states, and
about 100 people called hot lines to say they might have
eaten some of the meat. President Bush, a spokesman said,
"continued to eat beef," and agriculture officials were
hoping to blame Canada. British health officials reported
the first possible transmission of mad cow disease to a
human via blood transfusion, and China reported a new SARS
case.
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The 10 Dumbest Quotes of 2003:
#10: "I think that gay marriage should be between a man and a woman." —Arnold Schwarzenegger, during the California recall campaign
#9: When U.S. interrogators asked Saddam Hussein how he was, he responded: "I am sad because my people are in bondage." When offered a glass of water, he replied: "If I drink water I will have to go to the bathroom and how can I use the bathroom when my people are in bondage?"
#8: "You think you are big enough to make me, you little wimp? Come on, come over here and make me, I dare you…You little fruitcake. You little fruitcake. I said you are a fruitcake." —Rep. Peter Stark (D-Calif.) to Rep. Scott McInnis (R-Colo.), after McInnis told him to "shut up" during a legislative dispute
#7: "George Bush was not elected by a majority of the voters in the United States. He was appointed by God." —Lt. Gen. William Boykin, the defense undersecretary in charge of hunting down top terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan
#6: "My vision is to make the most diverse state on earth, and we have people from every planet on the earth in this state. We have the sons and daughters of every, of people from every planet, of every country on earth." —Former California Gov. Gray Davis, during the recall campaign
#5: "I still want to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks." —Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean
#4: "Maybe we need a very small nuke thrown off on Foggy Bottom to shake things up like Newt Gingrich wants to do." —Television evangelist and Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson, on wiping out the State Department
#3: "My answer is bring 'em on." —President George W. Bush, challenging militants attacking U.S. forces in Iraq
#2: "Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don't know we don't know." —Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
And the award for the Dumbest Quote of 2003:
"I triple guarantee you. There are no American infidels in Baghdad." —Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf (AKA "Baghdad Bob")
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Kitty WWF
Headed back to Savannah later this morning.
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My parents' backyard
Come with me and visit New Hope, Virginia (or at least pictures of it, anyway).
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Usually I avoid discussing "the news" here, mainly due to how upsetting and the skewed coverage of some of the stories are. But there's been some stories recently that just can't be avoided.
First of all, there's the latest earthquake in Iran. They're estimating anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 people dead. Unbelievable. It's hard for my mind to comprehend such devastation -- my thoughts are over there, and I wish that there was something more tangible that I could do. One of the sad things about this tragedy is that I know it will be out of the news in a few days -- while the Iranian people will be recovering from this for months, if not years.
In other tragic news, Attacks by Iraq Rebels Kill 13, Wound 172. So much for the "end of conflict" in Iraq. Today, while drinking overpriced/hyped coffee at a Starbucks, I shared my view of the Bush administration to my mom and a new friend. I cannot stress enough how much I place the blame of these soldiers' deaths in the hands of my leaders. I also cannot stress enough that I will be fighting for someone else (anyone) to take the place of the next administration.
Here's a story for all my Canadian friends: Investigators Trace Diseased Cow to Canada. Excerpt: Investigators tentatively traced the first U.S. cow with mad cow disease to Canada, which could help determine the scope of the outbreak and might even limit the economic damage to the American beef industry.
Hmmm, interesting. My ears perked up tonight, in hearing this PR gem from the US Beef Industry. Nothing like pushing the blame on someone else, quickly, in order to avoid scandal and save potentially lost money. I bet the beef farmers in Alberta are seething about now. It's a good thing I already avoid eating red meat.
In other not-so-bleak news:
Top Ten Word Lists of 2003. Including such gems as the top 10 words, personal names, "youthspeak", and phrases of 2003. Another great list is the top 5 mispronounced words by the Head Shrub himself. Here you'll also find out the most frequently spoken word on the planet.
Oh, and someone else out there remembers an old tape I used to listen to as a kid: Ants Hillvania. Anyone else remember this? Or Music Machine or Bullfrogs and Butterflies? I had all these tapes as a kid. One of my favorite online distractions, Pop Culture Junk Mail, has a nice post on it. As a connoisseur of pop culture, PCJM is a site not to miss.
I'm finishing watching the Two Towers Special Edition with my mom. Seeing this again makes me want to go see Return again -- maybe a Sunday afternoon matinee will be in order!
ttfn.
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The terror alert system that is now part of a healthy breakfast:
(via boing boing and Jordon ) |
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Like any good American grrrl who just so happens to call Canada her home -- I went out and celebrated Boxing Day!
I came away with a new watch, a new shirt, plus a couple new belts to hold up my now-saggy pants.
My sister, brother-in-law, and brother all left early this morning. I had a good visit with them, despite the inevitable troubles that arise when living in a small space (less than 1000 sq. feet). My mom made an interesting comment today -- she said that whenever we all reunite (which sadly happens only once a year or so), all of us kids revert back to our birth order role. This means I act like the proverbial "older sister" and my sister and brother fall into their roles as well (middle sister and baby brother). I never noticed this before, but I think she's got a point. Then again, I was just born crabby and bossy.
Here's our family picture for this year, taken via my camera's timer. I don't look so bad, considering I had to run into the picture in less than 10 seconds.
Tomorrow I plan on walking around in the country with my camera -- it's so beautiful and quiet out here.
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you are deeppink
#FF1493 |
Your dominant hues are red and magenta. You love doing your own thing and going on your own adventures, but there are close friends you know you just can't leave behind. You can influence others on days when you're patient, but most times you just want to go out, have fun, and do your own thing.
Your saturation level is high - you get into life and have a strong personality. Everyone you meet will either love you or hate you - either way, your goal is to get them to change the world with you. You are very hard working and don't have much patience for people without your initiative.
Your outlook on life is very bright. You are sunny and optimistic about life and others find it very encouraging, but remember to tone it down if you sense irritation.
| | the spacefem.com html color quiz |
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FROM THE DESK 0F S. CLAUS
I regret to inform you that, effective immediately, I will no longer serve the
states of Georgia, Florida, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee,
Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and Arkansas on Christmas Eve. Due to the
overwhelming current population of the earth, my contract was renegotiated by
North American Fairies and Elves Local 209. As part of the new and better
contract I also get longer breaks for milk and cookies so Keep that in mind.
However, I'm certain that your children will be in good hands with your local
replacement, who happens to be my third cousin, Bubba Joe Claus. His side of the
family is from the South Pole. He shares my goal of delivering toys to all the
good boys and girls; however, there are a few differences between us:
1. There is no danger of the Grinch stealing your presents from Bubba Joe Claus
because he has a gun rack on his sleigh and a bumper sticker that reads, "These
toys insured by Smith and Wesson".
2. Instead of milk and cookies, Bubba Joe Claus prefers that children leave an
RC Cola and pork rinds [or a moon pie] on the fireplace. And Bubba Joe Claus
doesn't smoke a pipe. He dips a little snuff though, so please have an empty
spit can handy.
3. Bubba Joe Claus' sleigh is pulled by floppy-eared, flyin' coon dogs instead
of reindeer. I made the mistake of loaning him a couple of my reindeer one time,
and Blitzen's head now overlooks Bubba Joe Claus' fireplace.
4. You won't hear, "On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen" when Bubba Joe
Claus arrives. Instead, you'll hear, "On Earnhardt, Andretti, on Elliott and
Petty
5. "Ho, Ho, Ho!" has been replaced by "Yee Haw!" You also are likely to hear
Bubba Joe Claus' elves respond, "I her'd dat!"
6. As required by Southern highway laws, Bubba Joe Claus' sleigh does have a
Yosemite Sam safety triangle on the back with the words, "Back Off".
7. The usual Christmas movie classics such as "Miracle on 34th Street" and
"It's a Wonderful Life" will not be shown in your negotiated viewing area.
Instead, you'll see "Boss Hogg Saves Christmas" and " Smokey and the Bandit IV"
featuring Burt Reynolds as Bubba Joe Claus and dozens of state patrol cars
crashing into each other And Finally,
8. Bubba Joe Claus doesn't wear a belt. If I were you, I'd make sure your wife
and kids turn the other way when he bends over to put presents under the tree.
(thanks L, I miss ya!)
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Merry Christmas to all of y'all.
(pictures of the 2003 Bennetch Festivus celebration here)
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A few things you'll never see on my webpage, if I can help it:
-- A donations/PayPal link to give me money. Granted, I am a broke student, but asking money from my 3 readers won't be enough to buy my food supply of KD and peanut butter.
-- Audio posts. I hate the way my voice sounds already, why would I want to call and hear it here?
-- A wish list. I don't need stuff, and my blog is selfish enough already without asking for handouts.
-- Early morning posts (besides in the early early AM like now). I'm not a morning person.
-- Ads. Yeah, I know there's the occasional pop-up because of my TagBoard, but I'm not going to willingly place ads in my space.
-- A few key search terms. It's bad enough people access my site looking for timeless questions/phrases such as "Is Vern Yip Gay?" or "revealing cloths" [sic]. Not to mention I also have the fortunate distinction of having part of my name be a part of a Portuguese porn site.
-- Believe it or not, there are some aspects of my life that will never appear here. There's a few reasons behind this -- some things I have a hard enough time vocalizing in my head, much less in audible/readable words. My mom reads this (hi!), so that limits me. Plus some things just don't belong floating out in cyberspace. I've read over entries from the past, and I'm frightened sometimes at how honest (and therefore vulnerable) I can be in this space.
It's late. Maybe for New Years I should resolve to get more sleep, at decent hours for once!
Merry Xmas eve!
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The perspective of a present
Pictures of the pre-Festivus celebration at the Bennetch household here.
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After visiting my sister in Tennessee for the weekend, I'm finally at my parents' place in Virginia. It's warm here, and all the snow has melted. I was sort of looking forward to a white Christmas, but then again -- I know I'll have plenty of white when I finally get back home in January. I think for now I'll enjoy being outside in short sleeves.
My parents' place is in a little town called "New Hope." It's on "Battlefield Road," the site of a huge Civil War battle. Maybe it's the power of suggestive thinking, but it always seems extra quiet and peaceful outside. Granted, it is in the middle of the country and our neighbors are some quiet folks and cows -- but the peace seems pervasive. I'm looking forward to having a country Christmas.
Tomorrow there's a good chance of my aunt, uncle, and grandmother coming to visit. As with many family experiences, this is both good and bad. I'm glad to be with my family again, so I'll let those positive thoughts dictate my experiences I think.
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Terror Alert level:
(beats the current system and the "elevated" level of orange)
Merry Christmas -- and we could have a terrorist attack. Oh, and be sure to vote Bush 2004. 
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(more pictures of Keanu the sandman here)
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Becky has a new toy.
Gather 'round everyone and look at my new laptop.
I've got around $400 in rebates, headed my way eventually. That, combined with the 3 year service plan and 18-months no interest, means I can actually (somewhat) afford it. To be truthful, I have to afford it -- I can't have a laptop that 1. has no working screen and 2. shuts off randomly.
The last laptop was named Annabel Lee, after the Poe poem. This laptop is named "Slug." There's a story there, maybe I'll get into it later.
Right now I've got a list of errands to accomplish before heading to Tennessee tomorrow.
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I've done it.
I'm a director.
Here's my movie debut.
I'm not Peter Jackson, but it's a start. Here, go make your own.
EDIT: Todd and Jeff made their own films. Maybe we should start our own Saskatchewan Filmmakers Guild. Hmmm. |
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Frodo: I can’t do this, Sam.
Sam: I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are.
It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened?
But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come.
And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. They kept going because they were holding on to something.
Frodo: What are we holding on to, Sam?
Sam: There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.
(TTT transcript via my old internet haunt, The Council of Elrond)
Save ME!
I've finally watched the extended version of The Two Towers. (and it's in my possession!) Amazing film -- a completely different movie and so much better with these extra 40+ minutes.
So I think I'm ready for Return of the King, now.
Then again, maybe not. I'm definitely ready for some more of this. There's something about an epic hero that gets me every time. There's not enough of them in the world, I'm convinced.
But it's like reaching the end of a really good book -- you want to see what is going to happen, but then you don't want the experience to end, either. I hate that I can't look forward to another chapter of the film, next Christmas.
Then again, I can't wait to be whisked away to middle-Earth for a couple hours tomorrow. I just hope that this doesn't happen again.
ttfn.
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Hallelujah, this reformed-Revolve grrrl is finally on her conclusion.
The end is in sight!
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The perils of procrastination.
I can't tell if it's the Southern "comfort food" I had for supper or the various gems of Revolve that make me feel sick to my stomach.
Should I include this illustration
in my paper? Gems such as: Reading the Bible is not as scary as it seems. The Bible is God’s love letter to us and an instruction manual and answer book for life, so we should read it with the same passion we’d have when we read a letter from our biggest crush.
Or, Spiritual cleaning is like facial cleaning. The fire of God’s love burns out the sin the same way the hot steam routs the dirt out of your pores.
My personal favorite of the night: God made guys to be the leaders. That means they lead in relationships. They tell you they like you. It is just an all around bad idea for girls to take on the guys' responsibility.
ARGH. Sometimes it is really hard to be objective about something when it riles you up so much. I think my paper is headed on the right track -- I just know that by this time tomorrow, the only thing I'll have to worry about is how much further I can get into my reading-for-fun-not-school book.
[p.s. Before any of your photoshopping gods and goddesses mock my picture, keep in mind I'm on a borrowed computer without the beloved Photoshop. That, and I doubt it would have been any better if I had access to it anyway!  ]
Yes, I am easily amused.
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[Don't look, Mom.]
Not only am I an insomniac, but I'm also
The Spark.com
I also took the Online Personality Test (touted as the "most popular online test of all time")
That one told me I'm a POLITICIAN (Dominant Extrovert Abstract Thinker )
Like just 5% of the population you are a POLITICIAN (DEAT)--forceful, outgoing, and forward-looking. You are strong-willed and extroverted, so you enjoy interacting with other people. You aggressively pursue your goals.
Your creative style of thinking allows you to come up with unusual arguments and original ideas that appeal to others, but behind it all is an analytical mind that never forgets the bottom line. While some might see you as manipulative, your close friends know you are a talented person who deserves the best in life.
Whatever. You *are* manipulative. Whether you use your power for "good" or "bad", it's up to you. If you're confused what good or bad means, ask a HEALER. Like EXPERIMENTERS, you have a propensity for cheating.
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For the Bumbles fans -- (are there any out there, besides myself?)
The Abominable Snowman -- a company that will not pay their bills!
I can see the sign now.
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Power Point Makes You Dumb -- at least according to the New York Times and my rhetoric prof. (user name/password for article: grrrlmeets, grrrlmeets)
From article: In August, the Columbia Accident Investigation Board at NASA released Volume 1 of its report on why the space shuttle crashed. As expected, the ship's foam insulation was the main cause of the disaster. But the board also fingered another unusual culprit: PowerPoint, Microsoft's well-known ''slideware'' program.
NASA, the board argued, had become too reliant on presenting complex information via PowerPoint, instead of by means of traditional ink-and-paper technical reports. When NASA engineers assessed possible wing damage during the mission, they presented the findings in a confusing PowerPoint slide -- so crammed with nested bullet points and irregular short forms that it was nearly impossible to untangle. ''It is easy to understand how a senior manager might read this PowerPoint slide and not realize that it addresses a life-threatening situation,'' the board sternly noted.
PowerPoint is the world's most popular tool for presenting information. There are 400 million copies in circulation, and almost no corporate decision takes place without it. But what if PowerPoint is actually making us stupider?
Interesting.
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Heh, okay, I am going to start writing my paper. But first, here's a great graphic from Ang's page:
Think of that next time you shop -- for her sake! (she's got quite a story and hatred concerning that store)
To paper writing!
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How to have an amazing sleep, by Becky Bennetch. A recipe, of sorts.
First, only get about 10 or so hours of sleep in about 3 days.
Second, add a splash of traveling around 2500 miles, on three flights, in about 9 hours.
And finally, curl up in a soft bed, with clean sheets and your pillows you've packed from home.
Sleep until you wake up.
Yay, I finally got some sleep! I'm back in Savannah for a couple of days -- hopefully by Thursday or Friday I'll be headed up to Tennessee or Virginia to see family. I've missed them so much!
My flights yesterday were okay. I left S'toon around 6:45AM, when it was snowy and around -10. I flew to Minneapolis, then Detroit, and finally to Jacksonville. Two of the three of those destinations were cold and snowy. Jax was cloudy, green, and around 18C (in the 60's F). Big difference.
I don't mind traveling so much, but I hate that most of my trips are alone. The last time I flew with someone was in 1996. I just want someone there so I don't get stuck to the oversized, smelly hunter from S'toon to Minneapolis (because I get stuck by a person like that EVERY time). Plus it would be nice to have someone's shoulder to lean on, rather than the cold window.
The next time I fly (other than going home in Jan), it'll be to Toronto for Reading Week in February. And that time I'll be accompanied by a roommate, so I won't be alone!
Today I'm supposed to write (and hopefully finish) my paper for Rhetorical Criticism. I'm really looking forward to being DONE, so I can enjoy the holidays and reading for fun again.
I did receive this in an email from my prof, yesterday: I've not yet finished *marking* the exams but have read your essay answer, which is very fine. I won't put final grades on the exams til everyone's written, but I can tell you to relax and enjoy your Christmas! It's all going to turn out fine. I will e-mail you your grade when I've done with the marking.
This makes me feel better.
Considering the fact I'm on dial-up now, I better post this long diatribe before a tragic disconnection.
It's good to be home, though I already miss the prairie sky.
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[in about 5 and a half hours, I'm making like a tree and getting out of here!]
Leaving On A Jet Plane
John Denver
All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go
I'm standing here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin', it's early morn
The taxi's waiting, he's blowin' his horn
Already I'm so lonesome I could cry.
So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go.
I'm leavin' on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go.
There's so many times I've let you down
So many times I've played around
I tell you now, they don't mean a thing
Every place I go, I think of you
Every song I sing, I sing for you
When I come back, I'll wear your wedding ring.
So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go.
I'm leavin' on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go.
Now the time has come to leave you
One more time let me kiss you
Then close your eyes, I'll be on my way.
Dream about the days to come
When I won't have to leave alone
About the times, I won't have to say,
So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go.
I'm leavin' on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go.
I still have a paper to finish marking, bags to finish packing, and other odds and ends to finish. Who needs sleep?
I'm going to miss home, even though I'm going home. Paradox, that.
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Let's see, I went to bed around 3-something last night, and here I am -- wide awake -- a little after 9. I must be transcending the human need for sleep. I honestly tried to go back to sleep after initially waking up, but I think my mind knows I have too much to do before tomorrow's flight to let me sleep peacefully.
The party last night was a huge success! At one point, we had over 15 people in my small apartment. The turkey was divine (a la Angela being the amazing cook she is), we had tons of food and drink, plus great conversations. It was great that everyone got along so well.
The best part of the night had to be the gag gift exchange. It was a lot of fun to watch people open the silly presents and then steal others' away! I think the gifts of the evening had to be the magic-8 ball keychain, the box of "bodice-ripping" romance novels, and the 59 minute 1980's-esque Kids and Hockey Tips video. I walked away with a cell phone/pager set that has enough annoying pre-programmed sounds to drive anyone crazy.
For my first-ever "grown-up" party, it was a huge hit -- this only means I'll have to throw another one, some time soon.
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Good party.
Pictures here.
Need sleep but I'll watch a little bit of White Christmas first.
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I've done pretty well, working on 3 or so hours of sleep.
Our apartment looks and smells amazing.
We've got lots of egg nog (light on the egg, heavy on the nog).
A gazillion Christmas mp3s.
Good friends on the way.
Christmas spirit!
If you're in Saskatoon, c'mon by. The party starts at 7.
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I was hoping tonight to have a great sleep-of-the-exhausted. Now I just feel exhausted and can't sleep!
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New book I must own: The Elements of Expression: Putting Thoughts into Words by Arthur Plotnik.
Excerpt: Something moves you to express your thoughts. The subject is love. Or beauty. Mortality. Some poignant experience.
You hesitate -- and well you should. Launching ideas as messages is not exactly blowing kisses from a train. You are putting thoughts into words, which is more like flapping the tongue to escape gravity. We work our tongues endlessly, but lift-off is so rare it's a miracle we don't keel over like some NASA dud.
Yet we go on flapping rather than fall silent or simply moo at one another. We struggle with words because they separate us from the lowing beasts and tell the world who we are, what we want, and why.
[...] We ache for the radiance of expressiveness -- of vivid expression. We grope for words to light up the cosmos or the written page or the face across the table. But the harder we try, the more we seem to darken the waters, like a squid in its ink.
Reacting to life's non-generic stimuli, we find ourselves grossly unprepared. So many thoughts and passions stampede inside us, as mad for release as the bulls of Pamplona. But open the gates and see how our puny words scatter, overwhelmed and impotent. We gasp for the telling language and we choke. We rant. We go mute. We claim linguistic fifth amendments: "Words fail me." "It defies description." We buy sympathy cards the size of tombstones just to say, "WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS..."
Unable to express the nuances of experience, we fall back on generic language in ways that mock our humanity.
Wow.
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Yeah, so I was hoping this time tonight I could post a triumphant entry on how I rocked my Rhetorical Criticism final. And you know, I felt like I could, up until 5 minutes after handing in my exam.
Turns out I misread the instructions.
I received an email from the prof early this morning, informing our class that she was reducing the amount of things we had to write on for the exam. Originally the exam had 20 matching, 2 essays (1 compulsory), 2 significant passages, and a sight-analysis of an artifact. The email she sent us this morning told us that we'd have choices on the essays (none compulsory) and only 1 significant passage to write on (along with the matching and analysis).
I get to class and somehow convince myself I only had to write ONE essay -- not the two she'd assigned. So, I spent a good hour and some writing a terrific essay on the differences between literary and rhetorical criticism, and moved my way through the rest of the exam.
5 minutes after handing it in, I asked the other girl in the class what she wrote on, and she told me her two topics. I oh-so-innocently asked her why she wrote on TWO essays -- and then realized that yes, I am an idiot and cannot read instructions.
Luckily the instructor was very nice about the whole ordeal. And also, very luckily, I didn't break down into pieces after finding out I royally screwed up. My prof even told me a very suitable anecdote of a similar experience she had when writing her comps.
But still, I felt/still do feel awful.
I should be able to read and follow instructions. Hell, I have a degree in English literature, for crying out loud! But on my very first grad exam I screw up. Sigh.
Now I'm supposed to go out for drinks and I just feel like going to bed. I've got so much to do in the next 2 days before I go home. So much.
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While watching tonight's Daily Show, I snapped some more pics of my Christmas tree. I'm really going to miss not having it in the living room, come January. There's nothing like sitting in a dark room and just watching a lit Christmas tree. Well, maybe watching it with someone special.
Go look at 'em here.
Back to my endless outlining for tomorrow's (ack, today's!) exam.
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