It's funny cause it's true.
Update: The page is a little out of whack -- be sure and scroll down.
Monday, February 28, 2005
Friday, February 25, 2005
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Sunday, February 20, 2005
Interesting: Polysyllabism
After reading this great book by Nick Hornby, I've decided to blog more about books. The book is a collection of his essays for The Believer magazine, in which he writes about the books he's read and bought that month. I'm notorious for buying books and not reading them, checking out four books and reading only two, swiping one of Cindy's books and reading it in one day, and scouring bargain bins for the perfect self-help book which will finally help me quit procrastinating. So, once February is done, I'll blatantly copy Nick Hornby and share my reading with you all. I can't wait!
Saturday, February 19, 2005
Old friends
Got to see Hitzy and Wachs tonight. Drank many $2 Jim Beam and sodas, drunk dialed Garv and Cody, and me and some kid from Russia won a game of pool for a round of shots. Abajo, arriba, al centro, va dentro, knowwahddimsayin?
Friday, February 18, 2005
Not interesting to me
But all you publishing freaks out there should go batty for this stuff. You know who you are...
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Scary!
Camera phones are fun.
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Wednesday, February 16, 2005
That's my Senator.
Dear Mr. Kuzma:
Thank you for your message regarding the nomination of Alberto Gonzales for Attorney General. I appreciate knowing your thoughts.
On February 3, 2005, the Senate voted to confirm Judge Gonzales by a vote of 60-36. After meeting with Mr. Gonzales, listening to his hearing testimony, reviewing his record, and carefully considering his nomination, I concluded that I could not support him for Attorney General.
** Click "Read and comment" to continue **
Alberto Gonzales is a skilled lawyer. His life story is nothing short of inspiring. I have the greatest respect for his success, for what he has achieved, and for the obstacles he has overcome.
However, the debate surrounding the nomination of Alberto Gonzales to be the Attorney General of the United States is not about his life story. Instead, it is about whether America will continue to be a nation based on the rule of law, or whether we, out of fear, will abandon our time-tested values.
History is written after every war, including stories of courage, compassion, and glory. Sadly, when the history of the war on terrorism is written, it will also tell the story of how some felt we could no longer afford to live by some of the principles that are at the foundation of what America stands for.
The horrible acts that occurred at Abu Ghraib cannot be dismissed as the conduct of only a few. They must be viewed as a foreseeable result of a process initiated in Washington. As Counsel to President Bush, Alberto Gonzales was at the center of that process, at the center of the Administration's effort to redefine what is legal and acceptable in the treatment of prisoners and detainees. He and Assistant Attorney General Jay Bybee found loopholes in the law to rationalize torture and inhumane treatment. At the very least, this helped create a permissive environment that made it more likely that abuses would occur.
Mr. Gonzales recommended to the President that the Geneva Conventions should not apply to the war on terrorism. The President accepted this view and issued a memo concluding that "new thinking in the law of war" was needed and that the Geneva Conventions do not apply to the war on terrorism. Mr. Gonzales then requested, approved, and disseminated the Justice Department torture memo, which adopted a new, very restrictive definition of torture and concluded that the torture statute, which makes torture a crime, does not apply to interrogations conducted under the President's authority as Commander-in-Chief.
Relying on this "new thinking" and the Justice Department's definition of torture, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld approved numerous abusive interrogation tactics for use against prisoners in Guantanamo Bay. Senior officials in Iraq heard of the tactics, and commanders and troops at Abu Ghraib were sent the signal that the "law of war" is an obstacle to overcome, not a bright line that cannot be crossed.
For decades, the United States led the world in ensuring the care of enemy prisoners. We knew that torture, in addition to being inhumane, produces unreliable information, makes it more difficult to win wars, and places our troops at risk. Now we are seeing the effects of redefining torture, as pictures from Abu Ghraib become recruiting posters for Al-Qaeda. The 9/11 Commission correctly concluded that the prisoner abuse scandal has damaged our ability to combat the terrorist threat. The message we send regarding our commitment to basic human rights affects the safety of our troops in the field and our citizens at home.
We can win the war on terrorism while respecting the values our nation represents. If we are to lead the world by example, we must not compromise the principles upon which our country was founded - the rule of law and a respect for human rights.
I could not in good conscience vote to elevate to the highest law enforcement position in the nation a man who ignored the rule of law and the demands of human decency and created the permissive environment that made Abu Ghraib possible.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator
Thank you for your message regarding the nomination of Alberto Gonzales for Attorney General. I appreciate knowing your thoughts.
On February 3, 2005, the Senate voted to confirm Judge Gonzales by a vote of 60-36. After meeting with Mr. Gonzales, listening to his hearing testimony, reviewing his record, and carefully considering his nomination, I concluded that I could not support him for Attorney General.
** Click "Read and comment" to continue **
Alberto Gonzales is a skilled lawyer. His life story is nothing short of inspiring. I have the greatest respect for his success, for what he has achieved, and for the obstacles he has overcome.
However, the debate surrounding the nomination of Alberto Gonzales to be the Attorney General of the United States is not about his life story. Instead, it is about whether America will continue to be a nation based on the rule of law, or whether we, out of fear, will abandon our time-tested values.
History is written after every war, including stories of courage, compassion, and glory. Sadly, when the history of the war on terrorism is written, it will also tell the story of how some felt we could no longer afford to live by some of the principles that are at the foundation of what America stands for.
The horrible acts that occurred at Abu Ghraib cannot be dismissed as the conduct of only a few. They must be viewed as a foreseeable result of a process initiated in Washington. As Counsel to President Bush, Alberto Gonzales was at the center of that process, at the center of the Administration's effort to redefine what is legal and acceptable in the treatment of prisoners and detainees. He and Assistant Attorney General Jay Bybee found loopholes in the law to rationalize torture and inhumane treatment. At the very least, this helped create a permissive environment that made it more likely that abuses would occur.
Mr. Gonzales recommended to the President that the Geneva Conventions should not apply to the war on terrorism. The President accepted this view and issued a memo concluding that "new thinking in the law of war" was needed and that the Geneva Conventions do not apply to the war on terrorism. Mr. Gonzales then requested, approved, and disseminated the Justice Department torture memo, which adopted a new, very restrictive definition of torture and concluded that the torture statute, which makes torture a crime, does not apply to interrogations conducted under the President's authority as Commander-in-Chief.
Relying on this "new thinking" and the Justice Department's definition of torture, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld approved numerous abusive interrogation tactics for use against prisoners in Guantanamo Bay. Senior officials in Iraq heard of the tactics, and commanders and troops at Abu Ghraib were sent the signal that the "law of war" is an obstacle to overcome, not a bright line that cannot be crossed.
For decades, the United States led the world in ensuring the care of enemy prisoners. We knew that torture, in addition to being inhumane, produces unreliable information, makes it more difficult to win wars, and places our troops at risk. Now we are seeing the effects of redefining torture, as pictures from Abu Ghraib become recruiting posters for Al-Qaeda. The 9/11 Commission correctly concluded that the prisoner abuse scandal has damaged our ability to combat the terrorist threat. The message we send regarding our commitment to basic human rights affects the safety of our troops in the field and our citizens at home.
We can win the war on terrorism while respecting the values our nation represents. If we are to lead the world by example, we must not compromise the principles upon which our country was founded - the rule of law and a respect for human rights.
I could not in good conscience vote to elevate to the highest law enforcement position in the nation a man who ignored the rule of law and the demands of human decency and created the permissive environment that made Abu Ghraib possible.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator
Good news
Word is that Phil might be back from Iraq in the next 2 months. Not sure if that means he'll be in Chicago then, but fingers crossed.
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
What a gal!
The way to a man's heart? through his bar. Looks like I made the right decision about what not to give up for lent...
** Update -- The Knob Creek bourbon is very tasty. Thank you, Valentine.
Sunday, February 13, 2005
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Thursday, February 10, 2005
More Lent stuff
The service last night was really cool. I had never done the ashes thing before, but it was pretty powerful. I may have to rethink my choice of discipline for these next six weeks.
Update: Apparently, Methodist churches are free to do Ash Wednesday services as they wish; our pastor just happened to choose to do the ashes on the forehead thing. I think that the big First UMC church downtown had a service "wit smudge" as well.
"Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
Heavy, man.
Update: Apparently, Methodist churches are free to do Ash Wednesday services as they wish; our pastor just happened to choose to do the ashes on the forehead thing. I think that the big First UMC church downtown had a service "wit smudge" as well.
"Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
Heavy, man.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Interesting: Getting better
I played much better poker last night. I played tight/aggressive and won quite a few hands. In the second hour, we were down to 5 players, and 4 of us went all in (I had the most chips of the four.) I had AJ, against K9, Q7 and 55.
Flop 10 7 6, then a J, then a 2, which gave me the big ass pot.
Final hand, heads up with the "ref" of the poker league who was a pro for 4 years:
I had about 4000 chips left, he had 6000. Big blind 100.
My hole cards were 9 6 suited. He raised to 300. I called.
Flop J 9 6
He went all in, I called.
He turns over 9 7, not happy to see my 9 6.
Turn -- 7.
Crap.
In other getting better news, the chiropractic stuff is kind of nice. I kind of get the feeling that the guy is convince me more than treat me, but we'll see. I have 8 visits to go.
Flop 10 7 6, then a J, then a 2, which gave me the big ass pot.
Final hand, heads up with the "ref" of the poker league who was a pro for 4 years:
I had about 4000 chips left, he had 6000. Big blind 100.
My hole cards were 9 6 suited. He raised to 300. I called.
Flop J 9 6
He went all in, I called.
He turns over 9 7, not happy to see my 9 6.
Turn -- 7.
Crap.
In other getting better news, the chiropractic stuff is kind of nice. I kind of get the feeling that the guy is convince me more than treat me, but we'll see. I have 8 visits to go.
Helpful: Give it up
I'm trying to figure out what to do about Lent. Catholics do this a lot more than Methodists do, but I feel like I should think seriously about it this year. People abstain from eating chocolate or meat (and yes Jair, french fries,) stop drinking, swearing or smoking, etc. A friend at work even said that her other Catholic friends make a big deal about not eating white bread or candy, then cheat the whole time (especially on Sundays, when "Lent doesn't count.") Sometimes it feels like it's all for show.
My old pastor once said that a sacrifice for Lent only meant something if the time or energy you had been spending on the "vice" was then going to be used for something holy, like prayer, meditation, or reading scripture. I'm not sure that I would go that far, but I see his point: controlling your body and mind or overcoming a bad habit might be a good thing to do, but the context of Lent is religious preparation for the high holy day of the entire Christian year: Easter.
So, since it starts tomorrow, I have to make up my mind now. Here goes:
No video games for Lent. The time I would have played video games I will spend reading (Bible or otherwise.) It's not a huge sacrifice, but it's something.
My old pastor once said that a sacrifice for Lent only meant something if the time or energy you had been spending on the "vice" was then going to be used for something holy, like prayer, meditation, or reading scripture. I'm not sure that I would go that far, but I see his point: controlling your body and mind or overcoming a bad habit might be a good thing to do, but the context of Lent is religious preparation for the high holy day of the entire Christian year: Easter.
So, since it starts tomorrow, I have to make up my mind now. Here goes:
No video games for Lent. The time I would have played video games I will spend reading (Bible or otherwise.) It's not a huge sacrifice, but it's something.
Sunday, February 06, 2005
Friday, February 04, 2005
Helpful adjustments
I went to the chiropractor this morning. We'll see how it works out. I've had a pinched nerve in my shoulder with numbness in my neck, shoulder and arm off and on for a year and a half. Blogging is a risky bizness, man.
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
Helpful: eMac
Yes, we're sticking with Macs, and the cheapest one they've got is already twice as good as the IBook that just died. Anyone need an external CD Burner?
Poker, Round 2
Another night of double goose eggs. But tonight I played more aggressively, won seven hands, and had a lot more fun. Plus, I'm getting to know some the people I'm playing with, so I might end up making some acquaintances out of this whole thing too.
After playing with some friends on Friday and then in the group last night, I'm realizing my weaknesses and which bluffing techniques work or don't work. Oh, and I really should pay more attention to my opponents.
After playing with some friends on Friday and then in the group last night, I'm realizing my weaknesses and which bluffing techniques work or don't work. Oh, and I really should pay more attention to my opponents.
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