election year tactics
from the new york times:
U.S. REPORT, IN SHIFT, TURNS FOCUS TO GREENHOUSE GASES
In a striking shift in the way the Bush administration has portrayed thescience of climate change, a new report to Congress focuses on federalresearch indicating that emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases are the only likely explanation for global warming over thelast three decades.
In delivering the report to Congress yesterday, an administration official,Dr. James R Mahoney, said it reflected "the best possible scientificinformation" on climate change. Previously, President Bush and otherofficials had emphasized uncertainties in understanding the causes andconsequences of warming as a reason for rejecting binding restrictions onheat-trapping gases.
we know this is all because bush is trying to get re-elected and he has proven himself to have no qualms about backing out of campaign promises.
Thursday, August 26, 2004
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
first black tie wedding: check
i'm back from the wedding. got back today and decided to ditch the minority orientation program. i just didn't want to wake up at 5am so i could drive four house to meet a bunch of asians. and as my friend put it, i enjoyed the wedding fully -- mainly by consuming wine to my heart's content. as it was, i woke up kind of hung over and had this like really compact dense period of stupidness. i was at the bagel store and within five minutes i dropped my orange juice, royally screwed up my order, spilled coffee on myself, and forgot to put my car in gear when i was driving away. i'm lucky i didn't hit something with my car.
anyways, the wedding was FABULOUS! i had such a great time. i cried when my friend walked down the aisle, because there's just so much history in the friendship. i've known him a long time, went to his bar mitzvah, at which the guests were given ankle socks to dance in. no such thing last night. (and no champagne bottle full of fake m&m's either...) but it really was, as the rabbi said, this culmination of years of growth coming together for that exact moment of marriage, of their blessed union, of a lifetime of growth together. i think it was especially more striking because i had known the groom for so long, so when the rabbi talked about growth, i could think back to seventh grade, when his hair was frizzier and he was just a kid. aww. :)
tomorrow i start orientation, though it's only optional. volunteer day. i think i'm going to weed or something. i'm not even sure to be honest. and i'm REALLY nervous about school. i went with my friend to bc to buy his books ($554.96) and i started freaking out. those books are big, expensive and really BORING looking. what the hell have i gotten myself into?!
i'm back from the wedding. got back today and decided to ditch the minority orientation program. i just didn't want to wake up at 5am so i could drive four house to meet a bunch of asians. and as my friend put it, i enjoyed the wedding fully -- mainly by consuming wine to my heart's content. as it was, i woke up kind of hung over and had this like really compact dense period of stupidness. i was at the bagel store and within five minutes i dropped my orange juice, royally screwed up my order, spilled coffee on myself, and forgot to put my car in gear when i was driving away. i'm lucky i didn't hit something with my car.
anyways, the wedding was FABULOUS! i had such a great time. i cried when my friend walked down the aisle, because there's just so much history in the friendship. i've known him a long time, went to his bar mitzvah, at which the guests were given ankle socks to dance in. no such thing last night. (and no champagne bottle full of fake m&m's either...) but it really was, as the rabbi said, this culmination of years of growth coming together for that exact moment of marriage, of their blessed union, of a lifetime of growth together. i think it was especially more striking because i had known the groom for so long, so when the rabbi talked about growth, i could think back to seventh grade, when his hair was frizzier and he was just a kid. aww. :)
tomorrow i start orientation, though it's only optional. volunteer day. i think i'm going to weed or something. i'm not even sure to be honest. and i'm REALLY nervous about school. i went with my friend to bc to buy his books ($554.96) and i started freaking out. those books are big, expensive and really BORING looking. what the hell have i gotten myself into?!
Friday, August 20, 2004
so tired of driving
i hate driving. and the one between ny and boston is particularly tedious. probably because it's about 4 hours long. less than three and i can do it without stopping. four and i usually need a nap and a feeding. anyhow, i'm on my way back to jersey for august wedding #2 of 3. yeay for love and marriage!!
i hate driving. and the one between ny and boston is particularly tedious. probably because it's about 4 hours long. less than three and i can do it without stopping. four and i usually need a nap and a feeding. anyhow, i'm on my way back to jersey for august wedding #2 of 3. yeay for love and marriage!!
Monday, August 16, 2004
hello world
ok. i can finally sit down and breathe for a little while. i've been sort of out of the blogging world because my apartment is a mess, i haven't had an internet connection, and for five days i was in the (sort of) wilds of maine. but i'm back from a lovely trip to acadia national park and bar harbor, my dsl is on, and my apartment is starting to come together. whooppee!
two weeks until classes start, one week until orientation. in the meantime, i've got about 12 more boxes and one ikea trip standing between me and a complete apartment. come and visit!
oh, and in the rest of my spare time, i am ADDICTED to the olympics! go usa! go iraqi soccer team!
ok. i can finally sit down and breathe for a little while. i've been sort of out of the blogging world because my apartment is a mess, i haven't had an internet connection, and for five days i was in the (sort of) wilds of maine. but i'm back from a lovely trip to acadia national park and bar harbor, my dsl is on, and my apartment is starting to come together. whooppee!
two weeks until classes start, one week until orientation. in the meantime, i've got about 12 more boxes and one ikea trip standing between me and a complete apartment. come and visit!
oh, and in the rest of my spare time, i am ADDICTED to the olympics! go usa! go iraqi soccer team!
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
Thursday, July 29, 2004
righteous indignation
today has been a day of not speaking up enough. in the first incident, i stopped for lunch at quizno's to enjoy a yummy grilled sandwich. i love quizno's. i fell in love with quizno's in college, as there was one in town. but i digress. when i got there there were two people in front of me in line. the first guy was taking a long time to order. i couldn't hear what they were talking about but i think he was just really particular about his order. i got kind of annoyed, but it was only a minute. not long to wait, but something one is unaccustomed to in a fast-food type situation. when the same guy went to pay, the cashier, who i think was also the manager, asked for 99 cents more because the sandwich somehow required "extra meat". the customer was kind of making a fuss, not understanding why he was being charged extra. but the cashier dude was really obnoxious. he was essentially loudly berating the customer in front of a crowded store. do you want the sandwich? no? then he took it away and put it behind him and the customer was confused because he did want the sandwich. i felt sooooo bad for him because he was really being embarassed. it only occured to me later as i was "enjoying" my own lunch at a table next to this customer that i should have gone up to the cashier and asked him if it brought him satisfaction to embarass this guy in front of the whole store. because that's essentially what he was doing. he wasn't trying to make a point that the customer was mistaken or anything. the cashier just wanted to belittle the guy, and what the fuck is that about?
in situation number two, i went to ikea. during the checkout, i was wrapping some glass items i bought in plastic so i wasn't supervising the cashier. but i did notice him ask the people behind me if we were together. we weren't. when he told me the total, i thought it was a little high but didn't say anything because i can easily go into stores like ikea and target and spend more than i intended. but after i paid, as i was walking away, i looked at the receipt and noticed some items that really didn't seem like mine because they were more expensive than anything i had bought. after taking inventory, i realized that they really weren't mine, so i went back to the cashier and asked him about the items. he looked and within a few seconds explained that they were items of the customers behind me. he finished the transaction he was in the middle of, then asked me if i could wait five minutes while he rang up the next few customers in line. i said no. first of all, when was he going to stop and take care of me if the whole concept of checkout lines is that when one person is finished, another usually takes his place. second of all, it wasn't my mistake, i wasn't making an unnecessary fuss so i refused to wait. all i said, though, was no, i want to go home. but do you realize what happened? this guy scanned two items that were on the conveyor belt, asked the two guys if we were together, they said no, didn't cancel the items on my receipt, and then scanned the items again so the people behind me could pay for them!! and how do i know this, because i asked if i had paid for their stuff and he said no. so after taking my credit card, he turned around scanned the exact same items again and was going to let me walk out paying $50 more for stuff that i never bought. i mean, really, what nerve!!!!!!!!!!!!! it isn't THAT difficult to void an item or two. i know because i've worked at target as a cashier and it's just a few keystrokes. he just thought i wasn't going to notice or something?! grr!
today has been a day of not speaking up enough. in the first incident, i stopped for lunch at quizno's to enjoy a yummy grilled sandwich. i love quizno's. i fell in love with quizno's in college, as there was one in town. but i digress. when i got there there were two people in front of me in line. the first guy was taking a long time to order. i couldn't hear what they were talking about but i think he was just really particular about his order. i got kind of annoyed, but it was only a minute. not long to wait, but something one is unaccustomed to in a fast-food type situation. when the same guy went to pay, the cashier, who i think was also the manager, asked for 99 cents more because the sandwich somehow required "extra meat". the customer was kind of making a fuss, not understanding why he was being charged extra. but the cashier dude was really obnoxious. he was essentially loudly berating the customer in front of a crowded store. do you want the sandwich? no? then he took it away and put it behind him and the customer was confused because he did want the sandwich. i felt sooooo bad for him because he was really being embarassed. it only occured to me later as i was "enjoying" my own lunch at a table next to this customer that i should have gone up to the cashier and asked him if it brought him satisfaction to embarass this guy in front of the whole store. because that's essentially what he was doing. he wasn't trying to make a point that the customer was mistaken or anything. the cashier just wanted to belittle the guy, and what the fuck is that about?
in situation number two, i went to ikea. during the checkout, i was wrapping some glass items i bought in plastic so i wasn't supervising the cashier. but i did notice him ask the people behind me if we were together. we weren't. when he told me the total, i thought it was a little high but didn't say anything because i can easily go into stores like ikea and target and spend more than i intended. but after i paid, as i was walking away, i looked at the receipt and noticed some items that really didn't seem like mine because they were more expensive than anything i had bought. after taking inventory, i realized that they really weren't mine, so i went back to the cashier and asked him about the items. he looked and within a few seconds explained that they were items of the customers behind me. he finished the transaction he was in the middle of, then asked me if i could wait five minutes while he rang up the next few customers in line. i said no. first of all, when was he going to stop and take care of me if the whole concept of checkout lines is that when one person is finished, another usually takes his place. second of all, it wasn't my mistake, i wasn't making an unnecessary fuss so i refused to wait. all i said, though, was no, i want to go home. but do you realize what happened? this guy scanned two items that were on the conveyor belt, asked the two guys if we were together, they said no, didn't cancel the items on my receipt, and then scanned the items again so the people behind me could pay for them!! and how do i know this, because i asked if i had paid for their stuff and he said no. so after taking my credit card, he turned around scanned the exact same items again and was going to let me walk out paying $50 more for stuff that i never bought. i mean, really, what nerve!!!!!!!!!!!!! it isn't THAT difficult to void an item or two. i know because i've worked at target as a cashier and it's just a few keystrokes. he just thought i wasn't going to notice or something?! grr!
Monday, July 26, 2004
more politics
just watched clinton's speech at the democratic national convention. he was far less slimy than i remember him being when i watched one of his state of the union addresses. but then on the news, the reporter said that george w. bush "scraped his knee" after falling off his bike at his ranch. two things. one: yet again, bush is at his ranch. b: isn't this the second time he's fallen off his bike?! do we really want a guy who can't ride a freaking bicycle to be president?!!??!!!
speaking of bicycles, i just bought a new one today (with help from dad, thanks!). i was really interested in the trek navigator 300 because it rides so smoothly and comfortably. but a guy at another bike shop said, uhh, well, i usually sell those to "older" customers. you're young, he continued, so i went with a more rugged bike. today, when i went to pick my lovely shiny new blue bike up, there was an "older" woman picking up her navigator 300 from a tune-up...
just watched clinton's speech at the democratic national convention. he was far less slimy than i remember him being when i watched one of his state of the union addresses. but then on the news, the reporter said that george w. bush "scraped his knee" after falling off his bike at his ranch. two things. one: yet again, bush is at his ranch. b: isn't this the second time he's fallen off his bike?! do we really want a guy who can't ride a freaking bicycle to be president?!!??!!!
speaking of bicycles, i just bought a new one today (with help from dad, thanks!). i was really interested in the trek navigator 300 because it rides so smoothly and comfortably. but a guy at another bike shop said, uhh, well, i usually sell those to "older" customers. you're young, he continued, so i went with a more rugged bike. today, when i went to pick my lovely shiny new blue bike up, there was an "older" woman picking up her navigator 300 from a tune-up...
Sunday, July 25, 2004
a moment in history
is this a turning point in american politics, where people are no longer disillusioned or apathetic? here's an article in the new york times about politics dividing familes and igniting lunch counters everywhere (or at least in new jersey). will this result in a higher voter turnout? not in my family, because i'm going to do everything in my power to keep my parents from voting for the first time in their lives. because they want to vote for bush. i know, i'm evil.
is this a turning point in american politics, where people are no longer disillusioned or apathetic? here's an article in the new york times about politics dividing familes and igniting lunch counters everywhere (or at least in new jersey). will this result in a higher voter turnout? not in my family, because i'm going to do everything in my power to keep my parents from voting for the first time in their lives. because they want to vote for bush. i know, i'm evil.
Thursday, July 22, 2004
e-bola
i woke up this morning with the aches and pains of someone with the flu. i think i have e-bola, or maybe it's motaba. either way, today was one of the hardest days of my life, as i still had to do 6 hours of day camp with 6 crazy kids, one of which was snotnosed and gave me this disease. oooh tomorrow is friday and i am so joyful!
i woke up this morning with the aches and pains of someone with the flu. i think i have e-bola, or maybe it's motaba. either way, today was one of the hardest days of my life, as i still had to do 6 hours of day camp with 6 crazy kids, one of which was snotnosed and gave me this disease. oooh tomorrow is friday and i am so joyful!
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
grass is greener part the 4th
i can't wait until i have nothing dramatic to talk about in my life. no crap from work, no crap from my family. just the mundane study stuff of law school. HA! fat chance.
today, my boss' brother-in-law passed away after a long illness. i feel badly, but for me, this meant having to teach some afternoon classes, after a long day of daycamp. thankfully, the kids were remarkably well-behaved. it made my heart hurt. i love how excited the little kids get about learning taekwondo.
so i missed sleepaway camp. it finished this past saturday. but a friend who worked for a week told me a story of a little girl named taylor. she's a lovely, sweet girl, but has some emotional issues. she started coming about 3 or 4 years ago, when i was still a lifeguard. taylor absolutely hated the water. she was petrified of it, actually. if took all summer to get her just to jump into the water, and as soon as she did she somehow managed to paddle so hard as to levitate herself right back out. last summer, i remember her being able to talk herself into the lake. it was totally mind-over-matter. the fish will go away as soon as you jump in, scared by the splash, and will leave you alone if you keep moving. these were the lies we gave the girls to get them to swim. just like water snakes won't bite you in the water because they'll drown if they open their mouths. anyways, my friend told me that this summer, taylor was talking other girls into the water, telling them the same encouragements we told her. my heart burst with love as soon as i heard the story. it's for moments like that that i love camp so much, although they get lost in all the bullshit and drama of 50 girls stuck in the woods together.
i can't wait until i have nothing dramatic to talk about in my life. no crap from work, no crap from my family. just the mundane study stuff of law school. HA! fat chance.
today, my boss' brother-in-law passed away after a long illness. i feel badly, but for me, this meant having to teach some afternoon classes, after a long day of daycamp. thankfully, the kids were remarkably well-behaved. it made my heart hurt. i love how excited the little kids get about learning taekwondo.
so i missed sleepaway camp. it finished this past saturday. but a friend who worked for a week told me a story of a little girl named taylor. she's a lovely, sweet girl, but has some emotional issues. she started coming about 3 or 4 years ago, when i was still a lifeguard. taylor absolutely hated the water. she was petrified of it, actually. if took all summer to get her just to jump into the water, and as soon as she did she somehow managed to paddle so hard as to levitate herself right back out. last summer, i remember her being able to talk herself into the lake. it was totally mind-over-matter. the fish will go away as soon as you jump in, scared by the splash, and will leave you alone if you keep moving. these were the lies we gave the girls to get them to swim. just like water snakes won't bite you in the water because they'll drown if they open their mouths. anyways, my friend told me that this summer, taylor was talking other girls into the water, telling them the same encouragements we told her. my heart burst with love as soon as i heard the story. it's for moments like that that i love camp so much, although they get lost in all the bullshit and drama of 50 girls stuck in the woods together.
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