I think that probably a lot of people will be blogging about Sept 11th today, most of whom are more qualified than I am to do so.
I will say one thing, though... my friend had her baby right as the WTC collapsed. So for her, today is a celebration... sort of. How must it feel to be celebrating something while the rest of the world is in mourning, I wonder? I'd ask her but I don't know her phone number anymore.
At any rate, I feel an extra measure of heaviness today. I think it involves the sadness of so many lives lost, so many people who served their country that day suffering physical difficulty as a result of what they did, so many families left behind, etc.
They're singing the song, "all you need is love" in central park today as a memorial.
I love that song. I wish I could be there to sing it with them. I think that the very best way to memorialze someone or something important to you is to have an extra measure of love and understanding for those around you.
Sep 11, 2006
Sep 10, 2006
Fair??
Ok, I am so sad.
I don't know Dr. Steven Jones, BYU Physics faculty member, at all.
But my sister does. She worked for him for a year. I sent her all of the stuff I had found on him and his research on the WTC bombings, and she was puzzled, and a little wierded out by it, because she said it's not like him to be off on tangents like that.
She described him as a soft-spoken, kind, scholarly man who she enjoyed working for. She was surprised at how his paper read... She told me that his use of italics and bold, as well as his turn of phrase in certain places, sounded less than professional, and that this didn't impress her... But as a student of physics, his arguments sounded valid.
I watched this interview when I was studying up on this stuff a few weeks ago. It left me with a bad taste in my mouth-- not toward the professor, but because of how he is being treated.
From how my sister has described him, I can't help but think that this man truly believes in what he is doing. He doesn't have anything against any particular person-- he hasn't pointed fingers in any of his publications.
Why is BYU letting him go? Isn't he supposed to be doing research? Isn't he supposed to get passionate about stuff? See the world in a slightly different way from the mainstream? As a scientist, isn't he supposed to be skeptical of everything?
Now, I know that a chief argument is that he has not put his research through the canonized method of publication. And his affiliation with 9/11 truth may possibly be considered to be against the honor code, if you classify this group as apostate.
But why would you? Is it apostatizing to wonder if there was something more to this significant event in our history, an event which has changed so much of how we view the world, and has incited war and the use of massive amounts of OUR (taxpayers') funds?
I understand that emotions run high on this whole topic... So much patriotism, grief, a feeling of being violated, the shock of losing so many Americans etc...
but should we let emotion lead us to exclude some of the possibilities as we look back? How are we going to prevent this from happening again if we aren't willing to examine all of the alternatives?
I'm not saying I believe Dr. Jones' theory. What I'm saying is that people should not vilify him... He is a scientist (albeit an imperfect one), and he is passionate about his subject matter. He is doing his job...
and being put on leave for it.
You can't really get an education if you've decided already what your education ought to be... A real education goes to the person who is open minded. Who is willing to examine possibilities. Who is unafraid of what he or she may find. Who continues to do what he or she believes in even if it makes him or her unpopular.
Even if it gets him or her fired.
I'm sorry, professor Jones.
I don't know Dr. Steven Jones, BYU Physics faculty member, at all.
But my sister does. She worked for him for a year. I sent her all of the stuff I had found on him and his research on the WTC bombings, and she was puzzled, and a little wierded out by it, because she said it's not like him to be off on tangents like that.
She described him as a soft-spoken, kind, scholarly man who she enjoyed working for. She was surprised at how his paper read... She told me that his use of italics and bold, as well as his turn of phrase in certain places, sounded less than professional, and that this didn't impress her... But as a student of physics, his arguments sounded valid.
I watched this interview when I was studying up on this stuff a few weeks ago. It left me with a bad taste in my mouth-- not toward the professor, but because of how he is being treated.
From how my sister has described him, I can't help but think that this man truly believes in what he is doing. He doesn't have anything against any particular person-- he hasn't pointed fingers in any of his publications.
Why is BYU letting him go? Isn't he supposed to be doing research? Isn't he supposed to get passionate about stuff? See the world in a slightly different way from the mainstream? As a scientist, isn't he supposed to be skeptical of everything?
Now, I know that a chief argument is that he has not put his research through the canonized method of publication. And his affiliation with 9/11 truth may possibly be considered to be against the honor code, if you classify this group as apostate.
But why would you? Is it apostatizing to wonder if there was something more to this significant event in our history, an event which has changed so much of how we view the world, and has incited war and the use of massive amounts of OUR (taxpayers') funds?
I understand that emotions run high on this whole topic... So much patriotism, grief, a feeling of being violated, the shock of losing so many Americans etc...
but should we let emotion lead us to exclude some of the possibilities as we look back? How are we going to prevent this from happening again if we aren't willing to examine all of the alternatives?
I'm not saying I believe Dr. Jones' theory. What I'm saying is that people should not vilify him... He is a scientist (albeit an imperfect one), and he is passionate about his subject matter. He is doing his job...
and being put on leave for it.
You can't really get an education if you've decided already what your education ought to be... A real education goes to the person who is open minded. Who is willing to examine possibilities. Who is unafraid of what he or she may find. Who continues to do what he or she believes in even if it makes him or her unpopular.
Even if it gets him or her fired.
I'm sorry, professor Jones.
Sep 9, 2006
Ethiopian political history
I just read another book about Ethiopia and learned some neat stuff about the History of Ethiopia. Here is the basic political timeline:
a) Prehistoric peoples. They found a human skeleton that was purported to be between 2.9 and 3.6 million years old in the great rift valley. The discovery was made by Donald Johanson in 1974, the woman nicknamed "Lucy" because they were listening to a certain Beatles song at the time they discovered her. Because of this discovery, Ethiopia was thought to be possibly the place where humans originated.
b) 5,000 BC: Hunters and Gatherers.
c) 1,000 BC: Semitic Immigration-- people from across the sea on the Arabian peninsula settled in parts of what is now Eritrea/Ethiopia.
d) 900 BC: The legendary meeting of Sheba and Solomon, which resulted in a Son Menelik I, who became King and the first ruler in the Askumite Kingdom. According to legend, he visited his father, King Solomon, when he became of age, and Solomon sent a son of all of the temple priests back with Menelik to Ethiopia, along with a replica of the Ark of the Covenant, which the Ethiopians claim is the real ark, because the disgruntled priests' sons exchanged them before they left.
the Jewish people of Ethiopia are called Falasha, and practiced a unique form of Judaism that only incorporate the first 5 books of the Old Testament.
e) 4,5,6th centuries: Christianity introduced into Ethiopia. It becomes the State Religion of Askum.
f) 615 AD: Islam comes to Ethiopia. They flee from the Arabian Rulers at the suggestion of Mohammed, who declares Ethiopia to be "a land of righteousness where no one is wronged." The Ethiopian Ruler refuses to give these refugees up to the Arabian leaders.
g) between 7-800 AD Yudith (Judith), an Agew Falasha princess, takes over and destroys some churches, as well as the city of Askum.
h) The Zagwe rule for about 150 years. They stay with Christianity, and king Labiela has several churches carved out of rock. These churches are one of those things that are said to be an 8th wonder of the world.
I) In 1270, the Amhara people revolt and instated a new king, Yekutmo Amlak, who claims descent from Solomon and Makeda, the Queen of Sheba.
J)16th century- Muslims come in from the east, The Oromo come in from the south. The portugese assist the Amhara to hold off the Muslim invaders and stop Agew revolts. Emperor Fasiladas builds a new capital city, Gondar.
K) There is a period where separate Ethiopian provinces are ruled and peopled by different cultures/tribes. In 1855, a series of Amhara kings, Theodore II, Yohannes, and Menelik II attempted to unite Ethiopia under one government. Menelik II succeeded. His Nephew, Haille Sellassie, ruled Ethiopia as emperor until 1934 when Mussolini lead the Italian invasion.
L) At the advent of WWII, British soldiers assisted Ethiopian soldiers in reclaiming Ethiopia, and Sellassie came back to rule in 1941. He ruled until 1974 when the Derg took over the government. As a result of some governmental policy combined with drought, Ethiopia was considered one of the poorest countries in the world at this point.
The Derg was a Marxist-Leninist group. The leader, Colonel Mengistu Hile Meriam, executed enemies of the government and instated government farms, forcing farmers to move onto these government-run facilities.
M) by 1985, more than half a million Ethiopian people starved. In 1991, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front began to attack government troops, and had much success. Four months later, President Mengistu resigned, and one week later, these troops seized the capital. They promised to set up a provisional government that included fair representation for all ethnic groups in Ethiopia.
At the same time, The Eritrean Liberation Front set up a government in Eritrea, and asked the UN to vote for Eritrean independence from Ethiopia. They eventually won this independence.
N) In 1994, a constitution was drafted. Ethiopia is now governed by a President (Chief of State) and a Prime Minister (head of government), a 108-seat Council of the Federation who represent regional interests, and a 547-seat Council of People's Representatives who are popularly elected and who are responsible for electing the president. The Prime minister is elected by the party in power.
a) Prehistoric peoples. They found a human skeleton that was purported to be between 2.9 and 3.6 million years old in the great rift valley. The discovery was made by Donald Johanson in 1974, the woman nicknamed "Lucy" because they were listening to a certain Beatles song at the time they discovered her. Because of this discovery, Ethiopia was thought to be possibly the place where humans originated.
b) 5,000 BC: Hunters and Gatherers.
c) 1,000 BC: Semitic Immigration-- people from across the sea on the Arabian peninsula settled in parts of what is now Eritrea/Ethiopia.
d) 900 BC: The legendary meeting of Sheba and Solomon, which resulted in a Son Menelik I, who became King and the first ruler in the Askumite Kingdom. According to legend, he visited his father, King Solomon, when he became of age, and Solomon sent a son of all of the temple priests back with Menelik to Ethiopia, along with a replica of the Ark of the Covenant, which the Ethiopians claim is the real ark, because the disgruntled priests' sons exchanged them before they left.
the Jewish people of Ethiopia are called Falasha, and practiced a unique form of Judaism that only incorporate the first 5 books of the Old Testament.
e) 4,5,6th centuries: Christianity introduced into Ethiopia. It becomes the State Religion of Askum.
f) 615 AD: Islam comes to Ethiopia. They flee from the Arabian Rulers at the suggestion of Mohammed, who declares Ethiopia to be "a land of righteousness where no one is wronged." The Ethiopian Ruler refuses to give these refugees up to the Arabian leaders.
g) between 7-800 AD Yudith (Judith), an Agew Falasha princess, takes over and destroys some churches, as well as the city of Askum.
h) The Zagwe rule for about 150 years. They stay with Christianity, and king Labiela has several churches carved out of rock. These churches are one of those things that are said to be an 8th wonder of the world.
I) In 1270, the Amhara people revolt and instated a new king, Yekutmo Amlak, who claims descent from Solomon and Makeda, the Queen of Sheba.
J)16th century- Muslims come in from the east, The Oromo come in from the south. The portugese assist the Amhara to hold off the Muslim invaders and stop Agew revolts. Emperor Fasiladas builds a new capital city, Gondar.
K) There is a period where separate Ethiopian provinces are ruled and peopled by different cultures/tribes. In 1855, a series of Amhara kings, Theodore II, Yohannes, and Menelik II attempted to unite Ethiopia under one government. Menelik II succeeded. His Nephew, Haille Sellassie, ruled Ethiopia as emperor until 1934 when Mussolini lead the Italian invasion.
L) At the advent of WWII, British soldiers assisted Ethiopian soldiers in reclaiming Ethiopia, and Sellassie came back to rule in 1941. He ruled until 1974 when the Derg took over the government. As a result of some governmental policy combined with drought, Ethiopia was considered one of the poorest countries in the world at this point.
The Derg was a Marxist-Leninist group. The leader, Colonel Mengistu Hile Meriam, executed enemies of the government and instated government farms, forcing farmers to move onto these government-run facilities.
M) by 1985, more than half a million Ethiopian people starved. In 1991, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front began to attack government troops, and had much success. Four months later, President Mengistu resigned, and one week later, these troops seized the capital. They promised to set up a provisional government that included fair representation for all ethnic groups in Ethiopia.
At the same time, The Eritrean Liberation Front set up a government in Eritrea, and asked the UN to vote for Eritrean independence from Ethiopia. They eventually won this independence.
N) In 1994, a constitution was drafted. Ethiopia is now governed by a President (Chief of State) and a Prime Minister (head of government), a 108-seat Council of the Federation who represent regional interests, and a 547-seat Council of People's Representatives who are popularly elected and who are responsible for electing the president. The Prime minister is elected by the party in power.
Sep 8, 2006
I thought this was funny...
mostly because I have recently locked myself out of my car twice.
Homestarrunner
dude, I know it's idiotic entertainment, but... well, it's funny.
Homestarrunner
dude, I know it's idiotic entertainment, but... well, it's funny.
Ethiopian Adoption 1
I got my homestudy paperwork in the mail in the middle of last week. I'm going to start gathering materials next Monday; that's my plan. My only real concerns are these:
1) The letters of reference. Not that We don't have people that like us and thing we'd be good adoptive parents, just that I can't think of many people in that category who aren't insanely busy or, well, a tad flaky.
2) I'm scared of social workers. Just a little scared. But I'll have to get over that fast, won't I?
3) Our house. We're renting. According to the info that AFAA sent us, this will not be an impediment to our adopting. But will it be a mark against us that could add up with other marks against us and possibly make us a less-desirable adoptive family? And our house has only 3 bedrooms, and by the time the adoption is complete, we'll most likely have 5 kids (including the two we're planning to adopt). Is our house too small for 5? I don't think so. But will They think so?
4) The Moola. I found out that the first half of the fees are due before we're put on the waiting list, which we'd like to accomplish by January, or February if un-anticipated things happen. We still have to pay back BIL 4,500, so that means we need to have saved a total of around 10,000 by January (Inc. the 4,500). I think we could possibly do it, but it will be close. I personally do not want to go into debt for this, if we can help it... We're not hugely well off,and if our economy is as in trouble as it seems, I don't want to be in a vulnerable position, economically.
1) The letters of reference. Not that We don't have people that like us and thing we'd be good adoptive parents, just that I can't think of many people in that category who aren't insanely busy or, well, a tad flaky.
2) I'm scared of social workers. Just a little scared. But I'll have to get over that fast, won't I?
3) Our house. We're renting. According to the info that AFAA sent us, this will not be an impediment to our adopting. But will it be a mark against us that could add up with other marks against us and possibly make us a less-desirable adoptive family? And our house has only 3 bedrooms, and by the time the adoption is complete, we'll most likely have 5 kids (including the two we're planning to adopt). Is our house too small for 5? I don't think so. But will They think so?
4) The Moola. I found out that the first half of the fees are due before we're put on the waiting list, which we'd like to accomplish by January, or February if un-anticipated things happen. We still have to pay back BIL 4,500, so that means we need to have saved a total of around 10,000 by January (Inc. the 4,500). I think we could possibly do it, but it will be close. I personally do not want to go into debt for this, if we can help it... We're not hugely well off,and if our economy is as in trouble as it seems, I don't want to be in a vulnerable position, economically.
The Art of Sprouting Isn't Hard to Master
So, I have this piece of paper taped to my computer. It says "Rinse Sprouts."
This is because I have ruined one batch of seeds, and nearly another in the last two days because I'm trying a new thing with my sprouts. I'm putting them in the pantry as they grow so that, hopefully, they'll grow longer. Particularly the sunflower sprouts... They were only about an inch long last time. I want long sunflower sprouts!!
Sprouting is So Neat. You can sprout any seed, including but not limited to alfalfa, clover, broccoli, any green veggie pretty much,
and grains such as wheat, barley, or any other that you wish. And they're SO GOOD FOR YOU.
and they make a kick-butt addition to a salad. MMMM.
One Caution- be careful to rinse often as you sprout, and remove matter that looks as if it's no longer growing. Salmonella can grow in sprouts. Alfalfa, in particular, has been shown to have this problem.
This is because I have ruined one batch of seeds, and nearly another in the last two days because I'm trying a new thing with my sprouts. I'm putting them in the pantry as they grow so that, hopefully, they'll grow longer. Particularly the sunflower sprouts... They were only about an inch long last time. I want long sunflower sprouts!!
Sprouting is So Neat. You can sprout any seed, including but not limited to alfalfa, clover, broccoli, any green veggie pretty much,
and grains such as wheat, barley, or any other that you wish. And they're SO GOOD FOR YOU.
and they make a kick-butt addition to a salad. MMMM.
One Caution- be careful to rinse often as you sprout, and remove matter that looks as if it's no longer growing. Salmonella can grow in sprouts. Alfalfa, in particular, has been shown to have this problem.
Um, Really??
I know that a blog is typically considered to be the arena in which one reveals oneself in much the same way one reveals oneself in a journal. You're supposed to be vulnerable and if something is bugging me a lot, typically I would talk about it here. But the thing is, I have a policy where I don't really discuss the things that I'm dealing with that are also personal to other people, particularly if they're my family or may come across this blog (which is always possible). So... I will not vent today about what I wish to vent about. Instead, I will pick an extremely easy target for my venting.
I was listening to NPR the other day randomly while driving to the library (Loli needed more books to feed her interest in bees, ants, and flowers, as well as another Sesame English Video. Actually, she doesn't care all that much one way or another about the Sesame English videos, I'm the one who loves those. Yet another guilty mom secret.) Anyway, en route to the library, they were broadcasting Bush's address to congress wherein he revealed that there are, in fact, secret CIA prisons.
Link
and
Link
particularly disturbing to me are these quotes:
“It has been necessary to move these individuals to an environment where they can be held secretly, questioned by experts and, when appropriate, prosecuted for terrorist acts,” Bush said in a White House speech.
and
Though Bush said the United States never tortures suspects, "alternative" interrogation methods are used to glean information from them. These procedures "were tough, and they were safe and lawful and necessary," he said.
Also on Wednesday, the Pentagon issued a revised Army Field Manual that requires detainees be "treated humanely and in accordance with U.S. law, the law of war and applicable U.S. policy." (Watch how nudity, duct tape and electric shock are now banned -- 2:28)
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that tribunals convened at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, were unconstitutional.
The High Court also ruled that al Qaeda operatives were protected by the Geneva Conventions, which ban "humiliating and degrading treatment." Bush called that mandate "vague."
Ok, What???? You have got to be kidding me.
The funny thing is (well, not really funny), as I was listening to Our President on the radio, the thought that kept running through my head was He Likes His Cattle Branded.
I dunno why. Why do you think I was thinking that?
Also I don't like this man, I don't like this man, I really don't like this man.
Good thing I can do something about it, right? I don't like it when people vent about our government or leaders and then say that they're not going to even vote because they feel such contempt and hopelessness at the situation. C'mon! If you want things to be better, you need to be a part of the System. Make the government an appendage of you!
GO MITT!!!
I was listening to NPR the other day randomly while driving to the library (Loli needed more books to feed her interest in bees, ants, and flowers, as well as another Sesame English Video. Actually, she doesn't care all that much one way or another about the Sesame English videos, I'm the one who loves those. Yet another guilty mom secret.) Anyway, en route to the library, they were broadcasting Bush's address to congress wherein he revealed that there are, in fact, secret CIA prisons.
Link
and
Link
particularly disturbing to me are these quotes:
“It has been necessary to move these individuals to an environment where they can be held secretly, questioned by experts and, when appropriate, prosecuted for terrorist acts,” Bush said in a White House speech.
and
Though Bush said the United States never tortures suspects, "alternative" interrogation methods are used to glean information from them. These procedures "were tough, and they were safe and lawful and necessary," he said.
Also on Wednesday, the Pentagon issued a revised Army Field Manual that requires detainees be "treated humanely and in accordance with U.S. law, the law of war and applicable U.S. policy." (Watch how nudity, duct tape and electric shock are now banned -- 2:28)
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that tribunals convened at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, were unconstitutional.
The High Court also ruled that al Qaeda operatives were protected by the Geneva Conventions, which ban "humiliating and degrading treatment." Bush called that mandate "vague."
Ok, What???? You have got to be kidding me.
The funny thing is (well, not really funny), as I was listening to Our President on the radio, the thought that kept running through my head was He Likes His Cattle Branded.
I dunno why. Why do you think I was thinking that?
Also I don't like this man, I don't like this man, I really don't like this man.
Good thing I can do something about it, right? I don't like it when people vent about our government or leaders and then say that they're not going to even vote because they feel such contempt and hopelessness at the situation. C'mon! If you want things to be better, you need to be a part of the System. Make the government an appendage of you!
GO MITT!!!
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