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| (mis)Adventuring, part deux |
 After seeing off my folks and sis/bro-in-law en route to home, the three of us started out on our trek in the big city. Tim gave us a nifty pop-up map of Manhattan and the subway systems, so we found ourselves a quiet corner of Grand Central and plotted out our next stop: Rockefeller Center.
Who can go to New York City at Christmastime and not check out the massive tree? Besides, my mom really wanted to get a family shot of us there, and since she couldn't make it, I was determined to see and document it for her.
What was weird about our visit to NYC is that I had seen so many images and television shows/movies about the city, that it felt like dejavu when I was finally able to see the city in person.
The same was true about the Center itself -- though the ice skating rink in front of the tree is a lot smaller in person than it appears on TV or in films. And of course, there were massive amounts of people posing for smiling holiday pictures -- including, us.
 From Rockefeller Center, we walked up and down 5th Avenue, checking out the window displays and walking by Trump Tower. One thing that was interesting was seeing St. Patrick's Cathedral in the midst of all the skyscrapers and shops. We went inside of it, briefly, but decided against staying for the noon Mass -- though it was tempting.
We continued our trek downtown, and stopped in at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art (or, MoMA). My sister had scored us some free tickets inside, so we were able to check out some pretty random pieces of modern "art" along with some amazing masterpieces of Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet, and Pollock. Being inside the peaceful museum was a bit of a respite from the bustle of the rest of the city. The gallery itself is 6 floors big, but we mainly spent our time exploring the third and fourth floors -- though we briefly visited all six.
 From the MoMA, it was off to Central Park. I had no idea how big this park really was -- it's so big that if you walk far enough, you forget that there's a huge city surrounding it. We saw the horses and carriages that cost a small fortune per ride, and decided to have a New-Yorkish lunch in the park -- Hot dogs from a stand!
While we were eating our tubular cuisine, Andy inadvertently made a new four-legged friend. The dog's owner was busy doing something else, and the dog decided to snuggle up to Andy and watch him eat his lunch. It was hilarious, and I think the picture captures the moment quite well -- the two of them even have the same expression!
In the park, we saw the Bethesda fountain made famous by the mini-series Angels in America and we checked out the Lennon memorial over in Strawberry Fields. I loved being in Central Park -- and I think I needed this quick break from the city into nature. The park itself is clean, and quite beautiful in some spaces. I bet it's even more prettier when the trees still have leaves on them.
After wandering in the park for an hour or two, we caught the subway again and headed down to Chinatown. This is the part of the trip where we really started to experience New York City. The sidewalks were intensely crowded, and I was surrounded by open-air markets of produce, seafood, and unrecognizable meats. Every two steps someone would come up to me and whisper: "You want Prada? Coach?" and would wait for my answer (though I walked by, in traditional New York fashion, as if I didn't hear them). Andy bought us some "Chinese cakes" from a vendor, which tasted like a combination of fortune cookies and pancakes.
We must have walked down 20 something blocks, looking for the Mahayana Buddhist Temple -- which was, of course, at the very end of Chinatown. We finally made it into the temple, and I was pleased to see that we were in a very non-touristy (and peaceful) place. Again, another nice rest-break from the busyness of the city. I found a pretty tiger's eye bracelet in the shop, and Jerry bought it for me, as my own special souvenir of the trip.
 After our Chinatown visit, we walked down to the financial district, and saw the City Hall, the Brooklyn Bridge and Ground Zero. I wasn't as moved when I saw Ground Zero -- mainly because they had all these commericalized signs of what they're going to be building in its place, and the crowds didn't seem to note that this is a place any different from its surroundings. Part of me was glad that the city is moving on -- it's good to mourn and remember, but it's even better to pick up and move forward.
By this time, we are pretty tired. My brother had to work that night, so we went over to his apartment in Brooklyn to hang out before his shift. I think my brother is the only English-speaking person in his neighborhood. I thought I experienced New York City in Chinatown, but once I saw his neighborhood in Brooklyn, I knew I was deep in NYC. While I never really felt unsafe, I was surrounded by all sorts of loud noises and people while walking to his small apartment. We had supper at Tony's -- a walk-up Italian restaurant.
 After eating, we took the subway again (we're now quite comfortable finding our way around, thankyouverymuch) and headed off to the bar where my brother works in West Chelsea. What a different world! To go from Brooklyn to West Chelsea feels like stepping into a different city altogether. We loved meeting Andy's coworkers, and liked even better some of the drinks they made for us!
Finally it was time to start our trek back home to Tuckahoe. We said our goodbyes, and worked our way back to Grand Central -- stopping to check out the lit-up Times Square at night. En route to the subway, we were crossing a street where we almost saw a taxicab driver hit a woman, dog, and man crossing the street (under a walk light!). It wasn't until we passed them that we saw the woman was blind, and the dog was her seeing-eye dog. Gotta love those taxicab drivers.
It was one whirlwind day where we probably did three day's worth of touring in one. We're hoping to go back later this year to see my sister and have a longer time checking out the sights.
While I loved visiting New York City, I don't think I could ever live there -- but it's a place everyone should experience at least once in their lives.
(More pictures of the day are here) |
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| (Mis)adventures in the Big Apple |
It's hard to believe that a week ago today I was in my sister's apartment, outside of New York City. We had just fully "experienced" the New Jersey Turnpike and the George Washington Bridge, in rush hour traffic, by driving my parents' old minivan. (Jerry gets big-time husband points for surviving this ordeal, especially in his first visit to my home country!)
At about this time last week, the four of us (me, Jerry, Suz, and her hubby Tim) were staying up late, catching up and watching It's a Wonderful Life. Jerry had never seen the movie before, and Christmas films are an inevitable part of the Bennetch family Christmas™.
After only a few hours sleep, on Friday morning we headed out to the city for our first adventure. My sister lives in Tuckahoe, NY -- a r eally cute suburb of the city, just outside the Bronx. We all (me, Jerry, Suz/Tim, and my mom/dad) headed out to the train station to catch the commuter train to Grand Central. On the way to the train, we caught our first sight/smell of New York. Of course, I had to document the occasion -- there's Jerry pointing out the pile of vomit in the train tunnel.
Our ride out to the city was fairly uneventful. We finally got to Grand Central Station -- and wow, is that ever a beautiful building! I wanted so much to look like a native New Yorker, and not gawk too much at my surroundings, but it's impossible when you're first taking in that building.
While the building itself houses many busy people rushing past you on their way to somewhere -- there are also moments of serene beauty that make the rushing world pause. I tried to capture some of this on film, but it just doesn't do it justice.
In the tr ain station, we finally met up with my little brother, Andy, who I haven't seen in a couple of years. We still keep in touch via the Internet, but that just doesn't replace personal contact. He's grown up a lot in the last two years of living on his own -- he's now in Brooklyn, working at a trendy bar in the Chelsea district. Being the caring brother that he is, he took the time out to show Jerry and me how to aggressively walk among the crowds and not be bowled over by fellow pedestrians.
From the train station, it was off to catch our first subway! We opted for an all-day Metro card, one gave us 24 hours of access to the freshly-running subway systems. It was hard to believe that these mammoth people movers were silent for a few days before our arrival -- and if they were still on strike last week, I'm sure we couldn't have gotten nearly all the things accomplished that we did.
First stop: Times Square.
Another jaw-dropper in all of its commercialized glory. We checked out the skylines, the steaming Cup O'Noodles (that replaced the Marlboro smoking man), and a few of the shops -- including the massively crowded Toys R' Us.
Yet by this time, my mom started feeling really out of sorts. She was afraid that a day full of massive touring would be too much for her system, so she -- along with my dad, Suzy, and Tim -- headed back for home, and to get her to a doctor for a check up. She insisted that Jerry and I stay with my brother to explore the city. While it wasn't easy to let her go on without us, we stayed in constant contact throughout the day -- and it turned out she had some type of virus that slowed her down. Thankfully, it wasn't anything serious.
So that left Jerry, me, and my brother out by ourselves in the big city. My sister and her husband are THE perennial tour guides -- so we were a little daunted by the idea of being left to our own purposes. But, Tim left us a handy pop-out NYC map, complete with a detailed map of Manhattan and the subway system -- so we set off.
Timidly.
(tune in for part II, sometime tomorrow)
Pictures of the trip are here.
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| A grammar lesson for the CBC |
When you mention anything regarding the hospital, make sure you use the definite article!!!
I'm so tired of hearing "so-and-so was checked into hospital" -- it's "the hospital." (has anyone else noticed this? I can't be the only person in Canada alone in my annoyance.)
Angsty exhausted girl out.
EDIT: Okay, I forgive you, CBC -- only because you're playing Breakfast at Tiffany's right now. Sigh, I can't stay angry long.
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| Be it ever so humble... |
We're home again! Home as in Saskatoon, though I think part of me may still be back in the States.
Theoretically, we were supposed to be back on the 27th -- but due to some airport woes, we were bumped and put on the next day's flight. Let's just say I'll be writing a letter to Northwest Airlines in the very NEAR future.
We got to the airport yesterday with plenty of time -- and then we were told it was going to cost us the price of 2 new fares to board the plane (about $2600!). It was at this point I nearly lost it. Thankfully that was all eventually straightened out, and the rest of the trip was blissfully uneventful. We even ran into some friends at the Minneapolis airport.
It's funny getting used to being "home" and then having to get used to being "home" once more. I realized on the plane ride over, that Jerry and I will always be divided (in some way) no matter what country we live in. I don't see us staying in Canada forever, nor do I see us making the States our final destination, either. All of this means that wherever we live in North America, one of us will have to negotiate homesickness for their country and family left behind, along with adjusting to life wherever we are at.
Sobering thoughts for a holiday, I guess. (I'll be writing about our NY and VA experiences later today, hopefully. I don't want my holidays to end on this type of note!) |
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| Where's Santa's sleigh when you need it?! |
We've been bumped from our flight home -- due to overbooked flights, miscommunication, manic holiday traffic, a faulty time schedule, and one very tacky ticketing agent. (and a partridge in a pear tree)
So, we're officially in Virginia another day. I'll post more when I'm not so frustrated. |
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| Gather around the yule log |
It's been a lazy morning so far -- while channel surfing, we discovered the "Yule Log" channel!
These are my dad and Jerry's feet, warming themselves by the fire!
Merry Christmas, everyone. |
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| Anticipation |
 When I was growing up, I can remember how LONG Christmas Eve nights used to seem -- as kids were always allowed to open one gift on Christmas Eve, but then we had to wait for the morning to open up the rest. The hours would tick by ever so slowly on those Christmas Eves, in eager anticipation of the next morning.
Tonight I'm feeling a different sort of anticipation. I'm having such an amazing time with my family that I'm starting to dread this time coming to an end -- and it will be ending, long before I want it to.
It's the same feeling you get when you're drawing to the close of a really good book. You know you want to find out what happens to all the characters, but you also aren't looking forward to turning that last page.
Because we're so spread out all over the country (and Canada), the times when we are able to come together are rare -- and cherished. We've already had a mini-scare this trip, when my mom started feeling really bad and had to make a trip to the Emergency Room. Thankfully, nothing was found to be wrong with her -- but it only confirmed for us all how much we need to preserve this time and the memories we can make with each other, while we can.
So, while I know in my mind that I still have 2 more days to enjoy my family's company, my heart is dreading the goodbyes and distance that'll soon be put (geographically) between us all.
The tricky part will be not allowing this to interfere with the festivities of tomorrow!
If you're able to be with your close family and friends tomorrow, hug them tight and give the extra effort that'll make this holiday one to remember. That's exactly what I plan on doing.
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| How to find religion |
 I don't care how agnostic or atheistic you are, drive the New Jersey Turnpike into NYC during rush-hour and you will FIND GOD. (or you'll at least have one long conversation with him/her)
Oy, I was playing the navigator, and I was terrified. Jerry drove my parents Star Trek-esque minivan, and did an amazing job changing lanes -- much to many tacky Yankee drivers' chagrin.
Tomorrow: tourist central. My sister's husband assures me that there are three Trader Joe's near their apartment. My sister is the ultimate tour guide, so I really have no clue what to expect. (but I'm very excited)
And -- the strike is over, so the car can stay put while we transit all over the place. After our drive into the city tonight, I'm willing to forgo private transportation for a while.
Stay tuned.
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| Christmas in the city |
Tomorrow we're leaving the mountains of Virginia for the flashy lights and now-silenced subways of New York City! (so not looking forward to driving in backlogged traffic due to the strike)
It'll be my first time in the Big Apple, and I'm really looking forward to it! We've got no money to spend shopping, but I do have 128MB photo card to take pictures of all the things I wish I could be spending money on.
And, rumor has it that my sister found us some free tickets to the MoMA, that'll go with the free tickeys for the Empire State building my brother was able to score -- so those activities, combined with a visit to the Rockafeller Center Christmas tree and Central Park (free!), should make for some photographic moments.
Any suggestions of (cheap) things to do in the City? Any requests for a piece of commercialized Americana?
Take care, chickens. Next time I post, I'll be in the middle of Yankee-land!
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| d'oh! |
I just got an email from my Oxfam group in Saskatoon. We're busy planning activities for an International Development week in February. I just found out in an email, that we invited Peter Mansbridge to come talk to us, and he accepted!!
... and then the CBC told him he had to go cover the Winter Olympics in Turin, instead. Dammit!
I just came THIS close to meeting the Mansbridge, and it was squashed. D'oh.
I'll be feeling resentful while watching the luge this year. |
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| Oh, Canada! |
"Anybody with any ambition at all, or intelligence, has left Canada and is now living in New York," [bowtied-conservative pundit Tucker Carlson] said. "Canada is a sweet country. It is like your retarded cousin you see at Thanksgiving and sort of pat him on the head. You know, he's nice but you don't take him seriously. That's Canada." Carlson also said it's pointless to tell Canada to stop criticizing the United States. "It only eggs them on. Canada is essentially a stalker, stalking the United States, right? Canada has little pictures of us in its bedroom, right?" "It's unrequited love between Canada and the United States. We, meanwhile, don't even know Canada's name. We pay no attention at all," he said. link
If the nuts on the right wing are attacking you, then you must be doing something right (to piss them off). |
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| Changing the vocabulary of the reproductive rights debate |
(long rant ahead)
I've been on both sides of the aisle when it comes to this controversial issue. As a teenager, I was there, holding protest signs on a "Life Chain" on the side of a busy road -- but now, 10+ years later, I'm more fully aware of the complexity of this debate. Today I find myself on the other side, supporting the rights of women to have choices when it comes to reproducing -- be it in the use of various contraceptives, or if absolutely necessary, an abortion.
Now before my email box is filled with hate mail, or worse yet, letters of "concern" that essentially mask the hate with false religious placates -- allow me to explain my position. Personally, I think abortion is the last resort when it comes to contraceptive measures. I wouldn't want to get one myself -- but it doesn't mean I think it should be outlawed for all by the government. For one, outlawing its practice will not work to stop abortions from happening. Abortions will still be performed, be it by inept drive-through doctors or self-inflicted injuries by desperate women.
But the issue behind the whole pro-choice/pro-life movement goes beyond the practice of abortions. It encompasses the right to allow women to other forms of contraceptives -- from condoms to birth control pills to access to the morning after pill. All of these are part of the debate, despite the overshadowing resort of abortion.
Which is where this article by David Morris comes in, "The Pro-Life Continuum". Like Morris, I've long thought the label "pro-life" was misleading -- particularly when a lot of radical pro-lifers were the ones shooting, maiming, or bombing doctors and clinic workers. Not to mention, the label pro-life itself implies that the other side isn't for life -- which is definitely misleading. Many people that advocate access to reproductive choices aren't bloodthirsty, heartless people who deny the value of life and tally their abortions by scorecard. (and you don't want to get me started on the whole conundrum of pro-lifers that are against abortion, yet are wholehearted supporters of the DEATH penalty)
But back to Morris' article. In it, he advocates bringing precision to the positions and language behind the reproductive rights debate. He divides supporters into pro-sperm, pro-zygote, pro-fetus, and pro-baby categories. The entire article is fascinating, but I'll only quote a few interesting bits here:
Let's begin with sperm. Many "pro-lifers" are really pro-sperm. Basically, they insist that the sperm has an inalienable right to try to get to the egg. Joe Scheidler, founder of the Pro-Life Action League once even flatly announced that he thought contraception was "disgusting." [... yet] The vast majority of the U.S. population are not pro-sperm. Despite admonitions about the sinfulness of contraception by the last dozen popes, two-thirds of all American Catholic women now practice birth control. The pro-sperm side of the debate are extreme cases, yes. But keep in mind the Catholic church still maintains an official position of being against all forms of birth control -- including the use of condoms. In Africa, where there is an ongoing pandemic of AIDS, this doctrine is an unacceptable position.
But, moving onto the next classification, "pro-zygote":
I suspect that most conservatives aren't pro-sperm, either. They belong in the next chronological category: pro-zygote. They believe that once fertilized, the egg must be protected at all costs. The furor over the morning-after pill has thrust the pro-zygoters onto center stage in the reproductive rights debate.
Last July, when Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney vetoed legislation that would have allowed Plan B, the morning-after pill, to be sold without a prescription, he insisted, "If it only dealt with contraception, I wouldn't have a problem with it." In other words, if the morning-after pill prevented fertilization, he would support it. But it doesn't. Rather, it prevents the fertilized egg from attaching to the uterine wall. Romney intervened to protect the zygote
Those who would invoke the name of the Lord to justify protecting the zygote run up against a challenging reality. Over 50 percent of all fertilized eggs are spontaneously aborted, washed out before they attach to the womb. Some 15 percent of the attached eggs themselves are aborted spontaneously. It is hard to figure out God's will in all of this. I'm still at a loss when it comes to understanding why the morning-after pill is still not readily available here in the US. But by breaking down the "pro-life" position like this, the author is helping me to see a little more clearly where these folks are coming from.
The last paragraph is especially enlightening, as there are many (pro-life) people I know that are on the pill, and don't realize that this form of birth control could be disallowing fertilized zygotes from attaching themselves to the uterine wall.
If life begins at conception, then can you in good conscience be on birth control pills, patches, or shots?
The next category is pro-fetus -- and here's where the article gets interesting. Morris talks about the different definitions the Church has used to define when the embryo is considered to be human. It wasn't until the nineteenth and twentieth centuries that the Church decided life begins at conception.
Another interesting fact that the article brings up (and that I've seen/read in other publications) is that the majority of abortions take place before the 12th week. Only 1% take place after the 12th week -- despite all the information I was fed when I was being nurtured in the pro-life camp, of heartless women sacrificing whole babies due to convenience.
But the most damning part of the article is its closing paragraph, which describes a pro-baby stance:
One more category should be added to our pro-life continuum: pro-baby. Regrettably, many religious conservatives act as if life begins at conception and ends at birth. It is remarkable how closely pro-life and anti-baby policies track one another. A comprehensive review of abortion and child welfare policies in all 50 states found that states with the most restrictive abortion laws spend the least on education, facilitating adoption and nurturing poor babies. That is the crux of the issue.
Today the US House of Representatives passed several budget cuts that include cutting many welfare, Medicare, and education programs. It seems that many politicians and religious right leaders of today (*coughGOPJamesDobsonJerryFalwellcough*) are more concerned with tax cuts and conservative judicial appointments, than they are about tackling actual issues addressed in the Gospels: (from this Washington Post article)
Conservative Christian groups such as Focus on the Family say it is a matter of priorities, and their priorities are abortion, same-sex marriage and seating judges who will back their position against those practices. "It's not a question of the poor not being important or that meeting their needs is not important," said Paul Hetrick, a spokesman for Focus on the Family, Dobson's influential, Colorado-based Christian organization. "But whether or not a baby is killed in the seventh or eighth month of pregnancy, that is less important than help for the poor? We would respectfully disagree with that." [again, remember that 1% statistic -- and that the majority of the later-term abortions are performed because of health issues with the mother]
Jim Wallis, editor of the liberal Christian journal Sojourners and an organizer of today's protest, was not buying it. Such conservative religious leaders "have agreed to support cutting food stamps for poor people if Republicans support them on judicial nominees," he said. "They are trading the lives of poor people for their agenda. They're being, and this is the worst insult, unbiblical." At issue is a House-passed budget-cutting measure that would save $50 billion over five years by trimming food stamp rolls, imposing new fees on Medicaid recipients, squeezing student lenders, cutting child-support enforcement funds and paring agriculture programs. House negotiators are trying to reach accord with senators who passed a more modest $35 billion bill that largely spares programs for the poor.
(Jim Wallis, you're one of my heroes.)
But like I said earlier in this post, this budget-cut bill was passed today in the House. While this budget-cut bill may seem unrelated to the reproductive rights debate, it's not. What I'm talking about is our emphasis on priorities. What is the greater priority we should be expending our energy and resources on, as a country, as members of a religious community, as individuals?
This rant could indefinitely continue -- but seeing that it's already past 2AM, I'll stop for now. I'm curious to hear what y'all think (and yes, even if you disagree with me).
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| Christmas quiz: |
Via my dad, here's a holiday quiz that'll leave you scratching your head:
A customer left this in the print shop. At the top it says: "Each of these will translate into a common Xmas saying or song."
1. Move hitherward the entire assembly of those who are loyal in their belief.
2. Listen, the celestial messengers produce harmonious sounds.
3. Nocturnal timespan of unbroken quietness.
4. An emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good given to the terrestrial sphere.
5. Embellish the interior passageways.
6. Twelve o'clock on a clement night witnessed its arrival.
7. The Christmas preceding all others.
8. Small municipality in Judea southwest of Jerusalem.
9. Diminutive masculine master of skin-covered percussionistic cylinder.
10. Omnipotent supreme being who elicits respite to ecstatic distinguished males.
11. Tranquility upon the terrestrial sphere.
12. Expectations of arrival to populated area by mythical, masculine perennial gift-giver.
13. Natal celebration devoid of color.
14. In awe of the nocturnal time span characterized by religiosity.
15. Geographic state of fantasy during the season of mother nature's dormancy.
16. The first person plural of a triumvirate of far eastern heads of state.
17. Tintinnabulation of vaccillating pendulums in inverted metallic resonant cups.
18. In a distant location the existence of an improvised unit of newborn children's slumber furniture.
19. Proceed forth declaring upon a specific geological alpine formation.
20. Jovial yuletide desired for the second person singular or plural by us.
For example, #1 = "O Come All Ye Faithful."
I've figured out all of them except #15 -- how many can you guess? I'll post what I think the answers are, later tonight. |
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| You really can go home again. |
"You can never go home again, but the truth is you can never leave home, so it's all right." (Maya Angelou)
"Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the strongest conjuration." (Charles Dickens)
"Home is the place where, when you have to go there, They have to take you in." (Robert Frost)
"My home is not a place, it is people." (Lois McMaster Bujold)
"Home" is such an interesting concept. I'm sitting here in my mom's office, in Virginia, presumably at home -- and yet I'm not really home.
Isn't it funny how the heart works? I spend most of my time in Canada missing "home," and when I'm finally able to go there -- it doesn't feel like it, because I miss my other home.
I'm just a fickle girl, I suppose. I look back on the days when all of our family lived in the same city, not to mention state and country -- and I miss them. We'll all be together this Christmas, for the first time in a couple of years. I'm looking forward to seeing them all -- and just getting used to waking up in the morning, and getting a hug from my mom. Or having my dad pour me a cup of his coffee specialty drink "jumpy monkey." Or argue with my little sister over who gets to put the star on top of the tree. Or tease my little brother about something.
It's all these little things you miss the most -- the familiarity of it all, the things I always took advantage of when we all lived under the same roof. Things are so different now -- different, but good. Still, part of me gets nostaglic when I think of how things used to be, compared to how (and where) we all are now.
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| Whoops. |
In making my momma RSS-saavy tonight, I realized that my newish blog design is lacking my own site's feed -- so, here you go:
Syndicate me, baby! |
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| She's baaaa-ack. |
What's the first store I see when walking into the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport? Not one, but two separate FOX NEWS stores. Welcome home, indeed!
We got into Virginia yesterday afternoon, after 2 fairly unremarkable flights. After staying awake for 2 straight days with little sleep, last night I was either a zombie or sleeping like rock.
But I'm home again, and that's a good thing.
If posting is sparse the next 10 days, blame it on all the catching up I plan on doing. |
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| Look who's coming to Saskatoon --- |
Mr. Bill Clinton. (and look who can't afford tickets!)
Bill Clinton is coming to Saskatoon. Rob Jones, manager of the Centennial Auditorium, confirms the former U.S. president will speak to a crowd of about 2,000 on the evening of March 8. "I think it will be one of the best events we've ever had," Jones said. "I'm pumped up." It will be the first time the former president has visited Saskatchewan, McCreath said.
Clinton's also scheduled to talk in Edmonton. In Saskatoon, Clinton will speak for an hour on Canada-U.S. relations, then take part in a question and answer session with 650 CKOM radio host John Gormley, McCreath said. Thanks for the heads-up, Hoff.
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A student note left on a final exam:
It was great, thanks for all the lernin and smartt sttuff yoou taut us.
And yes, the misspellings (in this case) were funny and intentional.
The end of marking is near -- I feel it in the water, I feel it in the Earth, I smell it in the air.
EDIT:
D-O-N-E.
Now I can scurry around and run last minute errands and get packed. |
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| Politics, Religion, and Women |
To prevent my mind from a complete marking melt-down, I'm momentarily allowing myself to be distracted by this online discussion on Politics, Religion, and Feminism-- topics I'm all very passionate about. (found via Clancy)
It's an online discussion taking place over the next hour:
Over the past year, a debate over moral values and politics has grown increasingly prominent and divisive. Since 2003, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) has been exploring how women think about values and politics, particularly in religious organizations. IWPR’s research finds that many religious progressives are committed to a set of moral concepts that include responsibility for the well-being of others and interconnectedness with the most disadvantaged in society.
IWPR has convened a Working Group on Women’s Public Vision, made up of women leaders in politics, religion, social justice, and feminist organizing, who are working to promote women’s perspectives in conversations about values and politics. The group is also working to build stronger connections between religious women activists and feminist movements. Although the two groups share many goals, they only rarely collaborate. There is potential for collaborations that will help build a strong, new movement of women from diverse backgrounds.
Talk with Amy Caiazza and Rita Nakashima Brock about the rift between religious women activists and feminist movements, how we can bridge this rift and how issues of race, ethnicity, and class both contribute to the rift and point to ways to overcome it.
It's unfortunate that my mind is so centered in communication theory right now -- I'm sure I could think of a couple of questions, otherwise.
Follow the questions and discussion here. |
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| You better watch out... there really is a war on Christmas! |
Church Lady: Hello, I'm the Church Lady, and this is "Church Chat". Well, you know, the holiday season has arrived. And, with it, a little letter from Toledo, Ohio. Let's read that, shall we?
[ reading ] "Dear Church Lady: I am shocked at the number of people who bring their children to total strangers in Santa suits, and allow them to hold their young ones firmly on their pelvic regions, offer them candy and whisper, 'Don't be afraid to tell me what you really want!' What causes this mass hysteria?" Signed, Elaine.
Well, Elaine, let's examine thew word "Santa", shall we? [ holds up board with "SANTA" spelled across it in removeable letters ] Santa. Let's see, what have we got here? We've got an S and an A, an N, a T, and another A. Hmm.. [ rearranges the letters ] Who could be causing all those laps to bounce up and down curiously? Who would help grown men peel the focus from the baby Jesus on his birthday? Who could it be, I just don't know. Could it be.. [ echo ] Satan!! [ the letters now spell "SATAN" ]
link
Scared of Santa Gallery
  
(pictures link via Christy) |
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| Moral lesson for the day: |
She that procrastinates on finishing her marking -- feels the pain the day before the final grades are due.
Somehow due to last-minute shopping, car repairs, doctors appointments, Brownie meetings, holiday gatherings, infections, political coverage, Survivor finales, last-minute Christmas craft making, family-coming-over-to-your-house gatherings, long distance phone calls, packing, sleep, and eating
... I still haven't finished my 20+ exams or reports. How'd that happen?
And so, tonight, and for the next 24 hours, I will be doing the 100-yard dash to fervently attempt to finish my grading by 3pm tomorrow. I've got a pot of Fair Trade coffee on, and some holiday music playing (with hopes it'll make me feel more generous than usual).
Onward!
I love deadlines. I especially like the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by. (Douglas Adams) |
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| Now that's debatable! |
While I am *so excited* to be going home on Friday, I'm going to be missing the first of 2 political debates back here at home. I'm pretty much a politics junkie, whether or not I can participate in the process. I was already invited over by one of my fellow pundits to watch the follies on Friday -- but alas, I'll be over 2,000 miles away when they're on ... and it's highly doubtful I'll be able to watch them on Virginia cable.
But in the spirit of | | | | | |
