| A new beginning |
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| 10:22am 03/02/2007 |
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mood:  cold music: "Center of the Universe" by Kamelot
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I have a blog on my own server now. I gather that I will probably be using it much more than I will this one, as it's more versatile. Of course, the down side is, no friends lists over there. I may occasionally stop by LJ to read people's blogs and drop comments.
But if you're really interested in reading my ramblings, check out my new home:
http://blog.blood-alliance.com.
Slainte,
Kat |
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| First Update in a long time: DragonForce, driving long hours, and New Orleans |
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| 10:40am 18/08/2006 |
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mood:  ecstatic music: "Through the Fire and Flames" by DragonForce
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Yesterday has to be, seriously, the best day I have had in a long time.
To start this story from the beginning, someone messaged me on MySpace to tell me that DragonForce was coming to Atlanta. Imagine my excitement- a band that I never thought I'd see outside of going to Europe... right in my backyard. Naturally, we got tickets. Lacuna Coil was supposed to be there too, so, I thought, eh, hey, they're alright, why not see what they're like live?
Well... the day of the concert rolls around... and by the time we want to leave, Thomas and I can't find the damn tickets. Anywhere. He knows he didn't throw them out, because last time we did a paper cleanup after my rash of paper-writing for the summer, he checked every paper to make sure they weren't among the ones getting tossed. I know I didn't have them anywhere but in the apartment. So... Atlanta trip was a bust. I thought I was having the worst luck ever- it was the second time I had really wanted to go to a concert in Atlanta, and something had gone horribly wrong (last time, it was The Cruxshadows and a tanker overturned on the interstate going east that blocked up traffic so bad that by the time the concert started, we hadn't even gotten out of Alabama).
But, Thomas got on DF's website and found that, in fact, they would be making a tour stop in New Orleans in a week's time. That... was too much to resist. A chance to go back to NOLA for the first time since Hurricane Katrina, a chance to go back to that city that feels more home than home does to me, a chance to see one of my absolute, hands-down favorite bands in the world. So... tickets were purchased, and plans were made.
Yesterday, we set out around 10:15 to make the trip. It was a nice long drive, as it always is, about five hours or so of open highway, most of it rather rural in character. Around Hattiesburg, maybe a little before, we started to see trees that looked like this in shape: (. Some trees were snapped in half, forming great L's of pine. Road crews were in a lot of places, cleaning up the highway. As we passed from I-59 onto I-10, and started to get close to Slidell, I started to get a little nervous. There was a lot of damage. A lot. You could look off into certain areas and see... nothing. Just flattened land.
We crossed over Lake Ponchartrain, and I was awed by the fact that there were places on the bridge where the thick concrete barriers had been completely shorn off. They were replaced with just common concrete barriers like what you see on mainland highways. Part of the bridge was new, because, frighteningly enough, it had been torn apart and tossed into the waters below. But yesterday, they were navy and sparkling- looked a little choppy, but then everytime I've seen them, they have.
New Orleans East was a hard sight to see. We drove past two apartment complexes that were completely abandoned. One building had no roof. A sign on the side of it proclaimed "New Fitness Center," but the parking lots were empty. Passing by the neighborhoods, PODS sat out in droves at the edges of driveways, and some houses had obviously been abandoned, their windows still boarded up. By far the most nauseating sight I saw was one of the FEMA black X's painted on the house. It's one thing to see it on television or in the news pictures, and quite another to drive past it in real time. Looking over to the right as we drove into the city, I could see blue roof tarps everywhere, FEMA's 'piss off' to the great fuckjob that was New Orleans 'recovery.'
But too many people have thought of New Orleans, and looked the other way. No matter how much I may have wanted to close my eyes, I had to look, I had to see for myself the city where so many of my dreams have been centered since the first time I set foot within its borders. It was sad to see the French Quarter running at about 1/3 capacity. Sad to walk through the Riverwalk mall and see most of the stores and restaurants closed.
This trip, though, was not all about sadness. I was reminded of that when I saw construction crews buzzing all over the place. When I saw businesses and apartments for rent. When I saw people going in to repaint and refurbish businesses that Katrina had rendered useless. When we walked down Chartres Street after taking a picture of the Ursulines Convent, and walked into a favorite bookstore, Librairie... still run by the same people, still stocked with the same books. When we walked past the obligatory t-shirt and memorabilia stores and saw shirts reading "Make Levees, Not War" in the midst of a giant peace sign superimposed with a New Orleans fleur-de-lis. New Orleans is fully conscious that its people and its lovers have not abandoned it- that the government has abandoned it, that those who do not understand what it is to love the City of Sin and dichotomy have abandoned it. It is still, as always, the city where death and life are inextricable, where reminders of a painful past will always be present, whether from Katrina, the two great fires, or the yellow fever outbreaks. Driving in on Orleans Avenue, anyone in their right mind is reminded that in New Orleans, death is a part of life- seen as clear as day by the fact that when you drive down Basin Street toward the French Quarter, St. Louis Number One's tombs loom over the top of the walls enclosing it. New Orleans is still the same as it ever was- the epitome of a Southern city, so Southern that it is in fact alien from the rest of the country, as though it is a world of its own. It is at once the underbelly, the viscera of crime and sin, and a crowning achievement, a jewel in the crown of the South.
Those of you who believe what is said about the city being dead are wrong. Those of you who believe it is any more dangerous than it was before the storm have been lied to. Those of you who believe there is no police presence are deluded. But most importantly, those of you who believe that New Orleans should be abandoned, left to rot as a husk of itself on the banks of the raging Mississippi and the looming Ponchartrain... are wrong. Inextricably wrong.
And it was in this place that seemed so itself, but yet not itself that we went to see one of the best bands in the world. The House of Blues is possibly the coolest club I have ever been to- old building with hardwood floors converted into a restaurant/lounge/concert hall. A room with a stage that is standing room only, has two floors, and four bars, packed with people who were there to see an amazing metal band play an amazing fucking show.
I have honestly never been so into a concert. I have never screamed lyrics so loudly, raised fists with so much feeling. Maybe it was the setting, maybe it was the band. Whatever it was, and it was probably a combination of both, last night was one of the best nights I have had this entire year, if not one of the best nights of my entire life. The band was amazing, the energy of the crowd was amazing, the interplay, their taking energy and demanding more, the obvious technical skill and passion for their music... it was truly an amazing night, and in all honesty... it makes me completely, ridiculously in awe of how people can follow bands like Widespread Panic, and not DragonForce. I've seen a shitload of bands over the past ten years of going to concerts... none of them measure up. Not even Stone Temple Pilots. Not even Counting Crows. Not even Live. DragonForce is simply the best live band I have ever seen.
The night was amazing- even the five hour drive back home felt like nothing. We walked in at four, not drooping, not complaining, but grinning like Cheshire cats.
It was the perfect band in the perfect city. Nothing could get better than that- except maybe living there, amid the pungent, throbbing heat, and the throngs of people who are returning with a passion to this place which has intrigued our imaginations for nearly three hundred years.
DragonForce, I love you. New Orleans, I love you. There is much more to say, I'm sure, but there is not eloquence enough to describe the experience.
Slainte,
Kat |
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| Changes Again |
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| 08:39am 31/05/2006 |
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mood:  cheerful music: "Follow the Blind" by Tarot
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I'm going back to school today... for the first time, there's no little twinge of regret, or 'Oh my gods, no, my time!'
I actually want this. A semester off has enabled me to see nothing so clearly as I see the way that I am now: I have to have a goal to work towards, or I get nothing done. I have spent an entire semester mired in silly things, trying to pass the time until I could get back into class and start making progress toward those ever elusive BA's again.
Now, from where I'm sitting, it's two semesters until I have them, two semesters until I walk across a stage at Bartow Arena and receive what I've worked so hard to have. It will all be worth it, because even in the times when it has not been, I realized that this was my gateway to greater things. It will be my gateway to an MA, and hopefully, my gateway to a PhD... which is not so unattainable as I previously thought, since I already have an idea for what I want my dissertation to be about.
I can't get over how good it feels to finally be doing something with myself again. Today, I go to my first class at 10:20- American Woman Writers to 1900. I've never heard of any of the books in it, and that makes me unreasonably excited, hoping that I'll have a repeat of my good luck with last fall's Modern British Novel, and love most every book I read for the class. We'll see. Whatever the case, this is something I'm absolutely ready for, have been waiting for for a long, long time.
Additionally, I wanted to start work on a novel this semester, while I was off. I haven't made the progress that I wanted to make on it, as I had hoped that by the time I got back in school, I would already be in progress on it. But, I didn't have my recent idea until just a week or so ago, when I was thinking of high school, thinking of old friends and slightly romanticizing what must have happened to them, especially the ones that I haven't seen or heard from since graduation four years ago.
It made me kind of sad to realize that a lot of the dreams that we used to have when we were young have turned to dust in our hands, to realize that so many people have given up what they really wanted to do with their lives, maybe from fear, maybe from the lack of drive... from whatever, it doesn't matter.
But I don't think it's entirely our fault. There is so much in this world that, if we let ourself be subjected to it, it will tell us that we're not good enough to have what we dream of having, or have what we are passionate about. The strongest people are the ones that cling doggedly to their dreams and make something of them, no matter how unrealistic other people may tell them that they are.
I wanted to say something productive about this. And hopefully, I will- this idea is the basis for my novel, which I intend to be a female bildungsroman (or coming of age story, if you will)... add to that the dichotomy of living life in the south, trying to reconcile your own wants and desires which those you have been raised to believe are 'right'... and that's where it all starts. Right now, I'm working up character profiles, trying to dig a little deeper into who I want in the book before I dig into how I want it to start, and what I want to do with it.
It's a big, meaty project... and I like that. It has ambition.
Anyways, enough about me. I've got to finish getting ready anyway, so I'll skedaddle, and... maybe update later.
Slainte,
Kat |
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| Boiling Crawfish and the Beauty of Gray |
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| 09:00am 07/05/2006 |
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mood: ecstatic music: "The Sanctity of Dreams" by Live
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It's been a long ass time since I've been to any concerts, mostly because the ones that come here usually don't interest me, or of those that do (like Social Distortion), I've had something to do that kept me from going to the concert, like a late class, or something of that nature.
Being out of school this semester gave me a little bit of a break from always having something to do. And in a way, it's sucked, but in another way, I'm kind of grateful for it, because it means that I didn't have anything planned this weekend, and was able to go to the Crawfish Boil without any conflicts.
Thomas and I went on Friday with the sole intention of seeing the Gin Blossoms. We weren't disappointed, without a doubt. People in Planes, the opening band for the festival, was pretty... eh, non-descript. But the Gin Blossoms were on next, and they sound... pretty much exactly like they do on their albums, which is always cool. Moreover, their set was just a really positive experience, their singer was very engaging, and they were really just a lot of fun to watch. Sister Hazel, Cowboy Mouth and Blues Traveler were after that, but we actually decided not to stay, in favor of going to get some dinner, and coming back to the apartment to veg, since I wasn't feeling the best in the world.
That, as it turns out, was a pretty good plan, because it allowed us to save energy for Day 2. We got to Railroad Preservation Park at about at around 5pm or so, after skipping the day's earlier acts, which we didn't want to see. Surprisingly on time, Presidents of the USA came on, and played an hour's set that was really good. I didn't know a lot of the songs they did, because I've never had any of their albums, but they did all the standards you'd expect like Lump, Kitty, Dunebuggy, Volcano, The Postman, Peaches, a cover of Kick Out the Jams and, almost the best part, they opened with their cover of Video Killed the Radio Star. The set was overall really good, and really energetic. It was cool to see an alternative band get up there and kick ass like that, like an alternative band is supposed to do. They were really engaging, and got the crowd into what they were doing, too, which is sometimes hard to do that early in the day.
Better Than Ezra was on after that, and despite the fact that I was really looking forward to seeing them, I have to say that I'm a little bit disappointed, as I expected them to be better than they were. They played all the good songs that everyone knows like Desperately Wanting, Good, and that new song of theirs, which was all great to hear, but the singer was turned down a bit low, and the other songs weren't actually all that memorable. At least, though, they were better than POD, who came on next. In fact, could I just call them POS? I mean, first of all, what in the hell is a band like that doing in the middle of an alternative music festival?! In any case, I don't actively hate POD, I just think that they're kind of a cheesy, stupid band. Their set was pretty poorly chosen, as everything pretty much sounded like indiscriminate noise. Plus, seeing thirty-five year olds standing on stage singing "We are, we are, the youth of the nation" is... pretty sad. And in that "I'm laughing at your dumb ass" kind of way. Although at least, by this time, we'd run into Tami, so we could sit with her and her sorority sisters, et al and make fun of the band. :P
But... we were there to see Live, of course.
As always, well worth the wait. It had started raining in the middle of the thing, so a lot of Tami's friends had gone home, but... you know, why would you go all the way to the Crawfish Boil to see Live and go home because of a little rain? We journeyed closer to the front, where everyone was standing, and got a pretty good position somewhere in the middle of the crowd (carrying chairs on our backs, no less, which was at least a good way to beat people out of the way :P).
Before Live came on, the water started coming down something fierce, and everyone was pretty much drenched. And then Live came on, and it was like this was what we'd all been waiting for all night. They opened with "All Over You," and I can't really properly describe the beauty of hundreds of crazy fuckers soaked through and throwing their heads back to sing along with the words "Our love is like water, pinned down and abused for being strange."
The crowd was definitely live last night. A lot of people really did stay to see Live, and I could hear a lot of them singing along with the lyrics. The band was absolutely feeding off of the energy they were getting, and they were getting a fuckton of it. Here's their setlist, not in order, but as I remember what they played from which albums: Selling the Drama, I Alone, Iris, Lightning Crashes, All Over You, Shit Towne, White Discussion (Throwing Copper), Lakini's Juice (Secret Samadhi), The Dolphin's Cry, They Stood up for Love, Dance with You (The Distance to Here), Overcome (V), Heaven (Birds of Pray), their cover of Walk the Line, and then some songs from their new album... I didn't catch all of the names, but they did The River, Sophia, and at least two more, one of which was especially good, though I don't know the name of it.
A lot of people will say that a Live concert is a spiritual experience, and I'd really have to agree with that. This is about the fifth time I've seen them (every tour from Secret Samadhi on), and it's been a beautiful experience every single time (well, kind of, except for City Stages last year, where somebody screwed up Ed's mic and you couldn't hear him singing)... Anyways. It's something really powerful to have a band like Live who's all about love, and peace, and brotherhood, and have an entire concert full of people singing along with their lyrics. Something about the rain amplified that a little bit from my own perspective, because I find rain to be very spiritual. It was just... wow. They closed with Dance With You and a promise to come back here... and you can bet that when they do, we'll be there. Some things are worth cancelling whatever plans you had to go. Live's got not only the music but the message, kind of like 311, only they connect with me a little bit more.
Last night I slept like a rock. Today, I woke up exhausted, hoarse... and totally happy. :)
A beautiful blowout for Beltane weekend, all about positivity and love and connecting with the other spirits around us. I'm satisfied. :)
Slainte,
Kat |
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| Bible Baffled |
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| 10:50am 07/03/2006 |
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mood:  baffled music: "The Cage" by Sonata Arctica
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I woke up to my daily mail from the Washington Post... opened it up to see if there were any interesting articles inside today. Found one about the President's dropping approval numbers; since I've been hearing a lot about that on Fox "News" lately, I decided that I'd go check it out and see what the Post had to say in opposition to Faux.
After stumbling through the first page, which was replete with numbers, numbers, numbers, tumbling all one over the other and jumbling together nonsensically, I paused for a break. Maybe the morning isn't my best time to sit and read about numbers. I've never been a numbers person anyway, and this morning, they just weren't making sense. Blah, blah, people don't approve of Iraq anymore, blah, blah, people don't approve any more highly of Democrats or Republicans, blah, blah, blah.
Then I saw a little link down at the bottom of the page that caught my interest. I can't quite remember what the text for it was, but I clicked on it. www.wordslastchance.com.
I've spent the last hour reading and attempting to corroborate the 'evidence' at this site. It is a bizarre little site. I sat here with an online Bible open, reading over the verses that they gave as their evidence. Of course, like all good (and when I say good, I mean crazy) Christians, they quoted a good few of them out of context, omitting the parts that would have changed the meaning they were trying to convey. In addition, they made a number of jumps- presuming from the verses that they read in the Bible historical facts that supposedly support 'God's prophecies' as given to Daniel in the Biblical book of the same name.
It's really easy to go back and make all of these visions conform to history in hindsight, isn't it? For example, anyone who is interested, go read Daniel 2, then Daniel 7, 8. These are the passages in question, which have now been made to conform to the empires of Nebuchadnezzar, the Medo-Persian Empire, Greece, and Rome. Funny how it fits in just perfectly like that.
I admit some veracity to their jumps here. I think I could 'buy' their interpretation of the dreams and visions in Daniel a lot easier than I could buy the next jump they make.
Seems like so many Christians make it a hobby of theirs to sit around and interpret Revelation. And, of course, these guys are no different. They pull out every armchair Bible scholar's favorite passage, the one about the beast arising from the sea, and the image of the beast, and the mark of the beast. So here, they pull out that passage (from Revelation 7, I believe), and go to town on it, yanking out a veritable who's who of the Apocalypse.
Their conclusion about who the Beast is? Hold on to your hats... Are you ready?...
The Roman Catholic Church.
At this point, my wheels came screeching to a halt. I wondered if I had read the page right. I wondered if I had gone insane and was totally making this up in my head. I wondered if maybe I had accidentally eaten some opium last night before I went to bed.
Unfortunately, not. They are quite serious. Even down to the point of claiming that the inscription on the Pope's staff (Vicarius Filii Dei) is Satanic. Let me unpack that one. They claim that if you take the latin letters in that statement, and add them up, they add up to 666. And, of course, they count the "u" as a "V" for 5, because in the Latin script, U's looked like V's. DOES ANYONE ELSE THINK THAT THEY'RE REACHING JUST A BIT HERE?!?!
Okay, so top that off with the fact that they also claim that the USA is the "image of the beast" mentioned in Revelation. Then, they identify the mark of the beast. I'm sure you're all waiting with baited breath now... It's worshipping on Sunday. That's right, the mark of the beast, which every good Christian says in his heart and mind 'I would avoid that if I were on earth when the time came'... is worshipping on Sunday. Why? Because the Roman Catholic Church legislated worshipping on Sunday, and Saturday is, obviously, the true holy day.
There are a few things I'd like to point out here. Despite the fact that I no longer associate myself with any sort of Christian thinking, there are a few things I remember from when I was younger... and if someone who is a former Christian and hasn't picked up a Bible in years can remember this... why is it that these crazy ass people can't see the inconsistencies in their own doctrine?
First of all, they make a big, sweeping proclamation about prophecies, quoting a Bible verse which supposedly says that prophecies do not come from men, and that all prophecies coming from men are false. (Of course, this verse is taken out of context, so it does say that, but eh... not really). So, like, all prophecies coming from men are false.
That leaves these tinfoil-hatters with some bigtime explaining to do, right? Well, no. Because, you see, they're not making prophecies. What they're doing is interpreting Biblical evidence, and that's obviously not making prophecies. Oh, and please disregard the fact that they're claiming to know exactly how this mark of the beast will be inflicted, because that's not prophecy either.
So, there's some big distinction here between making prophecies, and interpreting the Bible, which I find problematic and/or shaky at best.
Next up, their historical presumptions that supposedly 'corroborate' the Biblican prophecies are problematic. Referencing Daniel's dream, which I referred to above, they claim that out of the iron portion of the statue (representing Rome), ten nations will arise. The site claims that these ten nations are the same nations of "modern Europe" that stand where the Roman Empire once did. Okay, let me see if I can lay them out for you, just because I don't want to be crazy too. In the area where the Roman Empire once stood, there are now the following countries (and I'm using countries rather than empires, because that's what they refer to in their article):
Renaissance era (the first mention I can find of modern 'nation-states' so to speak): Mamluk Sultanate, Aragon, Castile, Navarre, Portugal, Burgundy, France, England, Wales, Habsburg Lands, Holy Roman Empire, Papel States, Bohemia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Rumella, Ottoman Empire, Moldavia, Poland, Lithuania, Crimea.
Oh Crap, that's way too many. Well, how about we try back in Rome, when Rome was split into principalities (of which they claim there are ten): (taken from a map circa 14-117 CE) Britain, Belgica, Lugdenensis, Gaul, Narbonensis, Tarraconensis, Lusitania, Baetica, Mauritania, Numidia, Cyrenaica, Egypt, Sinai Peninsula, Judaea, Meospotamia, Syria, Armenia, Cappadocia, Galatia, Achaea, Greece, Macedonia, Thrace, Dacia, Illyria, Regnum Bosporus, Noricum, Italy, Rhaetia, Germania, Britain.
I guess even that doesn't fit. Okay, well let's go to modern times. Since this is prophecy (right? right?!). Post WWI nation-states in Europe: Great Britain, Spain, France, Belgium, Neterhlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Romania, Bessarabia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Galicia.
Still not ten?! Well what about modern Europe, then. Post-WWII, modern-era map. The following countries are in the former territories of the Roman Empire: Portugal, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Sebria and Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, Egypt.
So, if we're supposed to presume that there are only ten countries rising out of the Roman Empire... Um... Well, to put it frankly, there have never been only ten countries emerging out of the Roman Empire. What initially emerged out of the Roman Empire was.. chaos. Not countries. Countries didn't emerge until around the late Middle Ages/early Renaissance, and when they emerged they were really more kingdoms than countries, arbitrary claims of royal families. What arose as 'countries'... well, you can see that there are a lot of them. Far more than ten. So does this article proclaim, then, that there are only ten important countries? And if that is the case, then who, presumably, is important? Are we to tell Albania or Serbia and Montenegro that they are not as important as France and Germany, because we've made some predetermined arbitrary division so that we can fit some bizarre Biblical criteria for ten countries after the fall of Rome?
Another big issue: they say that the Catholic Church, in its 1260 years in power, has persecuted Christians. This seems incredibly bizarre by most standards, and I think... that it is. Why would they persecute their own? Well, the claim on this website is that the Catholics persecuted anyone who wasn't Catholic... First of all, what was there besides Catholicism? Protestantism didn't come along until a long time after the Roman Empire fell. They claim that the Catholics forced people to be Catholic Christians, but WHAT OTHER SORT OF CHRISTIANS COULD THEY HAVE BEEN?! They claim that the Church persecuted people whose only crime was being "bible-believing Christians." Those are called heretics if you ask the Church. And whatever they were persecuted for was perceived as a then-threatening belief running counter to the dogma of the Church. Whether you want to believe the Catholic Church or the tinfoil hats is simply a matter of which crazy you choose to side with- the people who persecuted those contrary to their beliefs, or the people who claim that they did nothing but follow the "true" version of the Bible while the Catholic Church ran around trying to make everyone conform to their ideals.
Additionally, they pretty much crucify the traditional altar-boys of the Christian right- George W. Bush and Billy Graham surprisingly among them. Why? Because they advocate a "new world order," or a Protestant reconciliation with the Catholic Church. The Graham quotes they use were even more subtle than that- because Billy Graham considered John Paul II an inspirational figure, and advocated his teachings, he's suddenly in league with Satan and the Great Catholic Conspiracy to wreck God's creation.
Theological talking point: In addition, they presume that the Church/USA combination is the 1-2 punch beast and image of the beast that appear in the book of Revelation. In that case, does that not presume that the faithful have already been taken to heaven in the Rapture? I didn't notice any wholesale disappearance of Christians lately. Did you? Did I miss it? (If anyone can confirm that my theology is correct here, I would appreciate it). So, are they saying that the Rapture, which I believe is also scriptural, does not occur, despite whatever Biblical basis that it may have? Even though they've made such a big deal about following Biblical evidence? And if, as they say, the beast and the image of the beast are already existing here on earth, then why are THEIR sorry asses still here, if they're the ones with the 'monopoly' on truth? And if worshipping on Sunday is the mark of the beast, then why are all those foofy-nutty Seventh Day Adventists still here? Why are the Jews still here?
I try to be open-minded, really I do. And I was hoping that these people could come up with some reasonable facts to 'prove' what they were seeking to prove. But for gods' sakes, it only got more crazy as the article went on, and despite the fact that in the beginning, I was trying to corroborate evidence and try to understand what they were saying, but by the end, I could only read on in stunned silence. I skipped a few parts at the end, because I wanted to get to the point where they tell you what church to join to save your eternal soul.
Surprisingly enough, they simply advocate that you leave your church and worship in the private confines of your home with other foofy nutty people who honestly believe that the Pope is carving Satanic sayings on his staff.
Their big thing is to spread the word. To 'save souls' by telling people to worship on Saturday before it's too late. Oh, and also... the reason we have to 'practice worshipping on Saturday now' is because... wait for it... in the 'near future' there will be legislation that says that we all have to worship on Sunday or face the death penalty.
COULD SOMEONE PUT DOWN THE LEFT BEHIND BOOKS FOR TEN SECONDS AND ATTEMPT TO HAVE A COHERENT THOUGHT WITHOUT CRAZY SHIT SPEWING THROUGH THEIR SYNAPSES?!
What the hell. This is sick shit they're trying to brainwash people with, sick shit that attempts to make everyone the victim of a paranoid police-state state of mind. It's spreading bigotry towards an entire sect which, whether I believe in everything the Catholic Church says or not, is simply unacceptable. Fuck, I'm not even a Christian, and I think this is asinine. It's a piss-poor excuse for some more Catholic hating, and a piss-poor excuse to try to terrify everyone into some batty form of Protestant Christianity. And it's not even a well-explained piss-poor excuse. I hope to god people don't actually start buying this insane shit.
Pardon my French when I say... Comment le foute?!
Slainte,
Kat |
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| AIIIEEEE!!! |
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| 06:05pm 05/03/2006 |
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mood: ecstatic music: "Revolution Deathsquad" by Dragonforce
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Holy CRAP~!
Dragonforce. US. First time ever.
I don't care if we have to drive all the way to Chicago, it is SO worth it to see them.
I smell a road trip. xD
Slainte,
Kat
P.S.- Any fantasy metal fans out there who wanna go? |
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| Republican Puppets |
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| 09:28am 17/02/2006 |
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mood:  annoyed music: "Champagne Bath" by Sonata Arctica
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Senate Rejects Wiretapping Probe
But Judge Orders Justice Department to Turn Over Documents
By Charles Babington and Carol D. Leonnig
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, February 17, 2006; Page A06
The Bush administration helped derail a Senate bid to investigate a warrantless eavesdropping program yesterday after signaling it would reject Congress's request to have former attorney general John D. Ashcroft and other officials testify about the program's legality. The actions underscored a dramatic and possibly permanent drop in momentum for a congressional inquiry, which had seemed likely two months ago.
Senate Democrats said the Republican-led Congress was abdicating its obligations to oversee a controversial program in which the National Security Agency has monitored perhaps thousands of phone calls and e-mails involving U.S. residents and foreign parties without obtaining warrants from a secret court that handles such matters.
"It is more than apparent to me that the White House has applied heavy pressure in recent days, in recent weeks, to prevent the committee from doing its job," Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), vice chairman of the intelligence committee, said after the panel voted along party lines not to consider his motion for an investigation.
There was one setback, however, to the administration's efforts to keep tight wraps on the NSA operation. Yesterday, a federal judge ordered the Justice Department to turn over its internal documents and legal opinions about the program within 20 days -- or explain its reasons for refusing.
Before yesterday's closed-door meeting of the intelligence panel began, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said that the NSA program does not require "congressional authorization" but that the administration is "open to ideas regarding legislation." Committee sources said such comments -- characterized as meaningful by Republicans but empty by Democrats -- apparently persuaded GOP moderates to back away from earlier calls for a congressional investigation into the program.
After the meeting, Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) told reporters: "The administration is now committed to legislation and has agreed to brief more intelligence committee members on the nature of the surveillance program. The details of this agreement will take some time to work out."
Democrats said the administration's overture is so vague that it amounts to nothing, calling it a stalling tactic to give Republican lawmakers political cover for rejecting a full inquiry. "For the past three years, the Senate intelligence committee has avoided carrying out its oversight of our nation's intelligence programs whenever the White House becomes uncomfortable with the questions being asked," Rockefeller told reporters. "The very independence of this committee is called into question."
In December, two Republicans on the committee -- Olympia J. Snowe (Maine) and Chuck Hagel (Neb.) -- called for a congressional investigation of the NSA program. Yesterday, they supported the move that adjourned the meeting without voting on Rockefeller's motion.
Snowe said in a statement: "The administration must demonstrate its commitment to avoiding a constitutional deadlock by engaging in good-faith negotiations."
McClellan and Roberts cited efforts by committee member Mike DeWine (R-Ohio). DeWine, who will face a tough reelection battle this fall, is drafting legislation that would exempt the NSA program from the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The law provides a mechanism for secret warrants for wiretaps in anti-terrorism investigations. But several key Republicans, including House intelligence committee member Heather A. Wilson (N.M.) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (Pa.), say the NSA program should fall under FISA guidelines.
In the House, the intelligence committee will ask administration officials to explain the NSA program and its legal justifications in closed hearings over the next few months, said Wilson, one of its subcommittee chairmen.
The committee "has begun a process to thoroughly review this program and the FISA law" through a series of yet-to-be-scheduled briefings and exchanges of letters that will unfold as part of the panel's "regular order," Wilson said in an interview in her office. "This is the way we do oversight," she said, adding that she has discussed the matter with the committee chairman, Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.).
Wilson indicated that the House hearings will not have the sharply investigative tone that Rockefeller sought in his motion, which would have required the administration to detail its reasons and rationale for starting the surveillance program in late 2001.
"Sometimes minority parties call for oversight" of government programs for strictly partisan reasons, said Wilson, who faces a potentially strong Democratic challenger this fall. "The intelligence committees in my view are an exception to that rule. This is not political theater. . . . We ask tough questions, and we expect straight answers."
Meanwhile yesterday on the Senate side, Specter released a day-old letter in which Assistant Attorney General William E. Moschella seemed to reject the senator's request for testimony from Ashcroft and former deputy attorney general James B. Comey. Comey had raised questions about the NSA program. Some senators want to know more about Ashcroft's response to Comey's concerns during a 2004 conversation with top administration officials while Ashcroft was hospitalized for pancreatitis.
"We do not believe that Messrs. Ashcroft and Comey would be in a position to provide any new information" to the Judiciary Committee, Moschella said in his letter Wednesday to Specter.
In a victory for three privacy advocacy groups seeking Justice Department records about the program, U.S. District Judge Henry H. Kennedy Jr. ruled yesterday that the department cannot decide on its own what documents it will provide, because news reports in December revealing the program's existence have created a substantial public dialogue about presidential powers and individual privacy rights. Kennedy rejected Justice's argument that, because so much of the surveillance program involves classified information, the agency alone can determine when it is feasible to review and possibly release documents.
"President Bush has invited meaningful debate about the warrantless surveillance program," Kennedy wrote, alluding to comments Bush has made at news conferences and speeches acknowledging public disagreement about domestic spying. "That can only occur if DOJ processes its requests in a timely fashion and releases the information sought."
Justice spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said the department "has been extremely forthcoming about documents and information about the legal authorities" for the surveillance program.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which had requested the records under the Freedom of Information Act along with the Electronic Privacy Information Center and the National Security Archive Fund, cheered the ruling.
Kennedy agreed with the three groups that the Justice Department's decision to set its own time frame "would give the agency unchecked power to drag its feet and 'pay lip service' " to the law requiring the release of public information.
Staff writer Dan Eggen contributed to this report.
This begs the question: a few months ago, Republicans and Democrats alike were calling for a probe on this issue. But now, all of a sudden, it is once again a partisan issue. This seriously begs the question: how much arm-twisting is going on out of the public eye to get even moderate Republicans to shut the eff up about this issue so that the administration can go on with whatever the hell they want to do?
The thing that makes me sick is that by twisting a few arms, and making sure to make this into a party lines issue, the White House has successfully curtailed any public response to it by making sure that instead of the issue, the public has a knee-kerk response to this and sees "those bitter Democrats who can't get over losing the election."
There may be an idiot at the head of the government, but whoever's jerking his strings certainly isn't one. Congratulations, Herr Goebbels, another one bites the dust. o/
Is anyone here really, truly convinced that they're doing this for our safety? If so, can I have some of what you're smoking?
Slainte,
Kat |
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| Palestine |
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| 12:45pm 14/02/2006 |
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mood:  distressed music: n/a
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I was reading e-mail from my EuroPagan list, and someone linked to this video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7300497083557832322&q=The+Killing+Zone
I hadn't expected it to be what it was. It's about 50 minutes long, and I can say that I've been profoundly affected by this. Profoundly.
I find it hard to become as vitriolic about this situation as I normally might, because that documentary proved to be a rather sobering reality. I don't know how to cope with what I've seen. I don't know how to get angry about it, get active, because I still feel like there's an icy claw gripping me in the pit of my stomach.
Disgust would not be strong enough a word for these feelings. Neither would horror.
I do advise those of you who are interested in Palestine/Israel relations to take some time out to sit down and watch the video- but watch with an open mind. Don't watch with it having already chosen a side. Don't try to come up with reasons why one side or the other might act a certain way. Just watch, take it in. Think about the reality that this represents.
Slainte,
Kat |
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| Taking Stock |
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| 11:59am 02/02/2006 |
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mood:  giddy music: n/a
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So... our apartment complex is getting 'renovated' in favor of putting in a bunch of eyesores, AKA 66 condos, where currently, 40 year old apartments stand. We got a snarky letter yesterday from the new company, letting us know that we could talk to our current landlady and move into another property with the company, but they'd really like it if we'd buy one of their new ($90,000) condos. Oh, and by the way, Compass Bank would really like to help us finance one.
Hang on, let me get out my pocketbook.
This is one thing that I really hate about Birmingham right now- sure, a lot of great old places still exist here. And it's becoming "cool" to live in Birmingham again. So, developing companies come in and decide to leech some of the cool factor that's associated with living in a city, buy up apartment buildings that are older, and stand on prime real estate, gut them, and make them into fugly condos that no one in their right mind would pay as much money as the company wants them to pay to live there.
Oh sure, they'll offer us "before market" prices on the condos. What does that knock off, a couple thousand dollars? YAY!
What pisses me off the most is how many people absolutely love Rhodes View. How many people have lived here for years and years and years, without deciding that they wanted to move somewhere else, because they loved the property, loved the landladies, loved the low rent, and just loved being here in general. What happens to them? The man two doors down from us has lived in the same apartment for at least eight years. Now, guess what? He has to move. We have to move. The guy next to us has to move. The woman with the German shepherd? Out of here. The man on the third floor who walks everywhere? See ya.
In the name of progress, we will tear down everything of beauty in this city and make it into soulless "modern housing." Yes, our new condo would have all new kitchen appliances, a dishwasher, and a washer and dryer, none of which it currently has. But then again, where would be the soul of it?
Thomas and I have already given these soul-sucking developer leeches the middle finger. We spoke with our landlady, have already signed a lease on another apartment just down the street, and will begin the moving in process as soon as the power has been turned on. We're not packed; I don't even think we're going to attempt to pack, since we're just going down the street, less than a block.
The building that we're moving into is pretty old. I don't know how old, exactly, but definitely pre-1950. It's 2 bedrooms, one of which we will use as a study room... or perhaps the "Zen Room" if you will, a place to unwind and drink your morning tea. A place to think. There's also a dining room, which, thank god, will have room for the piano. And come hell or high water, I will haul it up three flights to get it there.
So life is looking up, once again. Somebody's definitely looking out for Thomas and I because we keep getting these spurts of luck, when everything seems to be falling apart. I can tell you one thing- at least part of it is being out of all the bad joo joo that was going on in that damned house in Pelham. After I get my renewed car decal from my mother, I'd rather eat cat brains than see her again. And after I get out the piano, the rest of my bedroom suit, etc... hopefully, I won't.
Life's stressful right now, really, but.. stressful in a good way. Stress lets you know you're alive, neh?
Going to go write a bit, read a bit, all such things. Hope today finds everyone in similar good cheer.
Slainte,
Kat |
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| Inane Quiz, Update to Follow |
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| 06:59pm 28/01/2006 |
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A - Accent: Eh... I'd say standard English with a splash of Suhthun belle because I'm around my grandmother a lot.
B - Breakfast Item: Um... I usually don't eat breakfast. But, when I do, I like cereal with fruit cut up in it. =D
C - Chore you hate: Cleaning dirty bathrooms.
D - Dad's Name: What is this father you speak of?
E - Essential everyday item: Wrist brace. ;_;
F - Flavour ice cream: Cookies 'n' Cream
G - Gold or Silver?: Silver
H - Hometown: I lived in Pelham for a long time, but I consider my hometown to be Birmingham, because it's where I love. :)
I - Insomnia: Nay.
J - Job Title: Um... "Assistant at interior design workroom" ?
K - Kids: They're cheap labor.
L - Living arrangements: Small apartment in Birmingham with my fiance.
M - Mom's birthplace: No mother.
N - Number of lovers you've had: If lover means people I've had sex with, then 1. If it means something else... well, that depends on what it means.
O - Overnight hospital stays: None.
P - Phobia: bugs, or more specifically roaches, some fear of heights
Q - Queer: Only halfway. Does that count?
R - Religious Affiliation: Pagan- somewhere in between Norse heathen and Celtic reconstructionism.
S - Siblings: None.
T - Time you wake up: Usually about 8.
U - Unnatural hair colors you've had: My natural is dark brown, so I've had... blonde, orange, burgundy, black, red, blue
V - Vegetable you refuse to eat: asparagus
W - Worst habit: Beating myself up for the past.
X - X-rays you've had: right ankle, left ankle, right foot, both wrists, too many dental x-rays to count.
Y - Yummy: Chocolate... especially warm chocolate. Pasta dishes, like manicotti or vegetarian lasagna. xD
Z - Zodiac sign: Sun sign is Capricorn, but close enough to Aquarius that a few traits spill over.
And more!
Slainte,
Kat
P.S.- New stuff coming soon. This is not just a place for inane memes anymore! |
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| Nothing up my sleeve |
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| 08:12am 25/01/2006 |
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mood:  sleepy music: none
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Senators Say White House Blocking Katrina Inquiry
By LARA JAKES JORDAN, AP
WASHINGTON (Jan. 25) - The White House is crippling a Senate inquiry into the government's sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina by barring administration officials from answering questions and failing to hand over documents, senators leading the investigation said Tuesday.
In some cases, staff at the White House and other federal agencies have refused to be interviewed by congressional investigators, said the top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. In addition, agency officials won't answer seemingly innocuous questions about times and dates of meetings and telephone calls with the White House, the senators said.
A White House spokesman said the administration is committed to working with separate Senate and House investigations of the Katrina response but wants to protect the confidentiality of presidential advisers.
"No one believes that the government responded adequately," said Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn. "And we can't put that story together if people feel they're under a gag order from the White House."
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the committee's Republican chair, said she respects the White House's reluctance to reveal advice to President Bush from his top aides, which is generally covered by executive privilege.
Still, she criticized the dearth of information from agency officials about their contacts with the White House.
"We are entitled to know if someone from the Department of Homeland Security calls someone at the White House during this whole crisis period," Collins said. "So I think the White House has gone too far in restricting basic information about who called whom on what day."
She added, "It is completely inappropriate" for the White House to bar agency officials from talking to the Senate committee.
White House spokesman Trent Duffy said the administration's deputy homeland security adviser, Ken Rapuano, has briefed House and Senate lawmakers on the federal response. A "lessons learned" report from Homeland Security Adviser Frances Fragos Townsend also is expected in coming weeks, Duffy said.
But he defended the administration's decision to prohibit White House staffers or other presidential advisers from testifying before Congress.
"There is a deliberate process, and the White House has always said it wants to cooperate with the committee but preserve any president's ability to get advice from advisers on a confidential basis," Duffy said. "And that's a critical need for any U.S. president and that is continuing to influence how we cooperate with the committees."
Collins and Lieberman sidestepped questions about whether they plan to subpoena the White House to get the information they seek, though Collins said she does not believe subpoenaing the Homeland Security Department is necessary.
The Senate inquiry is scheduled to conclude in March with a report detailing steps the federal government took - and didn't take - to prepare for the Aug. 29 storm.
Investigators have interviewed about 260 witnesses from federal, state and local governments and the private sector. Additionally, the committee has received an estimated 500,000 documents _ including e-mails, memos, supply orders and emergency operation plans - outlining Katrina -related communications among all levels of government.
But Lieberman said the Justice and Health and Human Services departments "have essentially ignored our document requests for months" while HHS has refused to allow interviews of its staff. He described the Homeland Security response as "too little, too late."
Christina Pearson, spokeswoman for Health and Human Services, disputed Liberman's characterization of the agency's response. "We've produced an extensive range of documents in response to the committee's request, well over 40,000 pages," she said. As for witnesses, Pearson was vague. "We're working with them," she said.
Collins offered a rosier view of Homeland Security's cooperation, noting that Deputy Secretary Michael Jackson and department chief of staff John Wood were scheduled to talk to investigators later this week.
A special House committee created to review the government's readiness for Katrina is to release its findings by Feb. 15. Although Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., the panel's chairman, earlier considered subpoenaing the White House, the panel backed away after the Rapuano briefing.
The panel ultimately did subpoena the Pentagon for Katrina documents, but one lawmaker, Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-La., said he believes Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has not handed over enough to fully comply with the legal order.
But in a letter to Melancon on Tuesday, Davis said he is satisfied the Pentagon has complied with the subpoena, which yielded "massive mounds of documents," including classified materials from Rumsfeld.
01-25-06 04:47 EST
Sure, we swear we're not hiding anything.
Slainte,
Kat |
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| Rock. On. |
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| 12:53am 22/01/2006 |
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mood:  chipper music: "Forever" by Kamelot
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In honor of my being twenty-two and completely avoiding LJ for almost a month...
- The Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter is made entirely of morrigansraven.
- There are 336 dimples on morrigansraven!
- More people are killed by morrigansraven each year than die in aeroplane accidents.
- Carnivorous animals will not eat another animal that has been hit by morrigansraven!
- Morrigansraven is the only king without a moustache on the standard pack of cards.
- Morrigansraven can be found on a Cluedo board between the Library and the Conservatory.
- The International Space Station weighs about 500 tons and is the same size as morrigansraven.
- About 100 people choke to death on morrigansraven each year!
- Morrigansravenology is the study of morrigansraven!
- The only planet that rotates on its side is morrigansraven.
Spam!
Slainte,
Kat |
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| New Yearish Stuff |
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| 12:34am 01/01/2006 |
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mood:  tipsy music: n/a
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Tonight is the first New Years' Eve I've ever spent away from my parents' house.
It was fairly low-key. Thomas and I had a low-impact night, watched some of Animal House on TV, and then at midnight, went up on the third floor of the apartment complex to watch the fireworks.
I've never been so enthralled by anything before. From where we live, on one of the higher points of Southside, there were fireworks everywhere across the horizon. Reds, greens, blues, glittering silvers, exploding all over the city. And underneath that, the pops and crackles of a new year being born, and people screaming happily all over the place.
The city just seemed so alive, noisy, flickering with people who were happy to ring in a brand new year, full of brand new chances and new meanings and new happiness and new trials.
Sure, New Years may be kind of stupid, and not even the traditional new year's celebration... But it's awfully fun. And this year, it was such a positive, wonderful thing. The city seemed to be vibrating with life, and everyone, at one moment, seemed to be united with hope for a year better than the last.
Anyone who says Birmingham is a dead place isn't looking hard enough. Tonight was one of the most wonderful things I've ever seen.
Slainte,
Health and happiness to you, and your kith n kin this year,
Kat |
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| A Thought |
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| 10:25am 30/12/2005 |
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mood:  productive music: Iron Chef music (in my head)
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An interesting speculation that I just read while sifting through my mail from the Solitary Asatru list:
Someone said something to the effect of "a culture that believes in only a male deity is bound to suffer from the consequences of said deity not having a female counterpart to balance him."
This is interesting to consider, and perhaps not something that had really ever crossed my mind.
The Judeo-Christian ethos, the "one God, and He is responsible for everything good in this world; every other God is a pretender," ethos seems to be suffering from just that.
To use just US culture as an example, despite the gains of feminism in the 1960's and 1970's, there are new counter-movements: the term "feminazi" comes to mind. Every woman feels like she has to be a feminist, but she doesn't want to take those gains so far that she all of a sudden becomes a "feminazi." Of course, the problem with that term is that it doesn't refer to any specific value system, it's just a term that's tossed around at various feminists, depending on the user's level of discomfort with a set of beliefs. For example, in one set, "feminazi" means those women who actually believe the opposite of feminine equality, and believe instead in a feminine ascendancy, where women are more valuable than men, and should be treated as such (and this, I believe, is a bit more of an accurate use of the term). In more closed circles (usually with more closed minds to correspond) a "feminazi" can be a woman who believes she deserves equal pay as a man on her job- the man finds this threatening, because a woman is competing for his resources, and a woman is, of course, a "lower" being and thus deserving of "lower" pay.
So why can feminism only go so far? In my opinion, part of the problem is just what was brought up on the Solitary Asatru list. People can always go back to their Bible and pick it up, and read that woman is supposed to be subordinate to man. The Christian viewpoint is so pervasive in the US that rather than come up with their own value system, many people choose to simply read what's in the Bible and accept it as "right." Of course, no one can blame them for that, since many of us have been brought up with such dogmatism that what is in the Bible is unquestionably correct. Thus, to many people, if the Bible says that women are to be subordinate creatures to men, then the Bible must be right- and that must be how women are supposed to live their lives. After all, there's only one God, and that God... well, he's a man. And did God send his only daughter to save the world? Well, no, he sent his son. Even the rhetoric in that passage- "for God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son..."- implies that sons are much more valuable than daughters. Who cares about daughters? God didn't have any of those- and presuming that God is indeed all-powerful, one must presume that he could have had daughters if he'd wanted to. Never send a woman to do a man's work, eh?
But what would Christianity be like if it had a female counterpart to balance the male God? Would she be balancing the destructive aspects? Would she be the one who had come in and told God "hey, I really don't think that you should destroy this world, after all, you promised these people you'd take care of them, and you really shouldn't get any do-overs because you think your creations screwed up" ? Would she try to convince God that Armageddon didn't need to happen? Or would she be the female destructive force, the one who brought about the end of the world, much like Kali Ma in Hindu belief?
Such speculation seems irrelevant, however, because it's more useful for Christianity to subjugate women.
I suppose that's another rant for another time, because the point is really that because of the structure of Christianity, and the favoring of male over female in the Bible (think about how many "wicked women"
it mentions- now how many truly good ones are there?), it's easy to find justification for oppressing women. They're not as valuable, because the Bible says they're not.
This leads, of course, to a fundamental imbalance. If one being is not as important as the other being, how can you justify giving the less important being equal rights with the more important one?
This is why, I think, many feminists have abandoned Christianity by the time their beliefs are fully formed. Christianity (and the other Judeo-Christian religions) is, in many fundamental ways, incompatible with truly advancing feminism the way that it must be advanced in order to provide equal rights for half of the world's population.
And is the world any better for this imbalance? Women in more oppressed countries can be killed for not behaving in subservient manners. Women in "freer" countries often develop self-esteem issues to the point where it's difficult to function in day-to-day life. But then again, what does it matter, if women are less important than men? Their main function is to care for the house, and have babies. Of course... in a world with growing expenses, a woman also needs to have a successful career (even though many of the highest-paying, most 'successful' jobs will go only to men). Thus, a man is expected to have a successful career, and bring home the most money. A woman is expected to bring home a pittance to support a man, but to be successful at her job at the same time (and God help you if a woman brings home more than her husband, because that's another complex right there). On top of her career, she must also be a successful wife, anticipating her husband's needs, and keeping a clean house for him, fixing good meals every night, and making sure that he is spiritually and emotionally supported. She must also be a good mother, making sure that her children have everything they need as they're growing up- food, clothes, and shelter are only part of it. They must also be nurtured, loved, encouraged, and eventually, allowed to fly on their own, while all the time mother must be there to offer a sympathetic and encouraging hand when they fall. On top of this, a woman must somehow find the time to have a life of her own- to squeeze in a visit with friends here and there, to take care of extended family- and this means entertaining at her house, which is also solely the woman's responsibility, to cook for the event, clean for the event, be a bright, shining, happy beacon of light as a hostess, and then clean up afterwards.
What time does a woman have to herself, to learn about herself, to learn to love herself? And even the time that she has with other female friends is cheapened, cheapened by men who act as though woman-to-woman relationships are so trivial and "boring" that they can't be bothered to bear it- the very definition of "girl time" and "guy time," the reason that girls go to the mall and chat over coffee, and guys go stare at power tools or go to a bar and watch football, the reason that on holidays, the men sit in the living room and watch sports and snore, and the women slave and sweat in the kitchen, sit down long enough to eat, and then get up to clean up the carnage afterwards.
You can't tell me there's no imbalance here. And, if you're a Christian, I'd invite you to try and show me that the Bible does not have the same values, the same rhetoric that invites the favoring of men over women. And I don't mean just quoting one Bible verse, I mean taking the Bible, as a whole, examining what it says about women, as a whole, and coming up with conclusions from there.
Personally, I cannot abide by such beliefs in a religious system. This is why the "warrior paths," as I'll call them, have a strong appeal to me. Viking wives, for example, weren't chosen on their abilities to sit meekly in the hof and cook for their husbands. They were chosen because of their biting intelligent wit, their humour, and their ability to wield an axe. Celtic women were just as much warriors as the men were, and in battle, the women fought right alongside the men (on the front, mind you). As well, I don't want to hear that "it's what men are suited for" nonsense, because women actually have the advantage of greater tendon strength and a lower center of gravity, which makes up for whatever they lack in muscle mass.
But, the end point is... Many (Judeo-Christian) religions devalue women. This creates a fundamental gender imbalance in the belief system- many ancient religions believed in the idea of balance between one extreme and another, but without a balance to the male side of things, male values can reign unchecked. This in turn creates a fundamental gender imbalance in society, which means that women will never be as important as men are, because there are always people who will use the religion's gender imbalance as a way to justify their unfair treatment of women.
This is one of the many reasons that I am satisfied with my choice to follow another path. I believe that I have found a folkway that will not devalue me based on my genitalia and child-bearing capabilities. I can believe in that- because I don't believe that women are inferior to men, in any way. I believe male and female balance one another out; without one, we certainly would not have the other. Any belief system that is incompatible with the belief of gender equality is not only incompatible with me, but also incompatible of creating a truly just society.
Slainte,
Kat |
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| Hm. |
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| 12:26am 30/12/2005 |
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mood: cheerful music: n/a
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I will not be going to school next semester.
Unfortunate, but true- my school loan didn't go through in time, and resulting, I will be working this semester.
All in all, though, that's almost good news, because coming on top of not being able to go to school, and working instead, I have the more encouraging news that I'll be putting all this towards getting married. The date's pushed back a bit- moved to November instead of May or March of 2006 like we'd wanted.
But November will be our 5-year anniversary. And it will give us plenty of time to save up for a nice wedding, and a nice honeymoon. Europe in the winter. :)
I'm in a surprisingly good mood, when everyone in my family seems to think I'm just having a terrible go of it. I remain optimistic, despite my little ordeal over Christmas. Today, I spoke to my father via e-mail for what will likely be the last time. I don't expect him to respond to me. I don't expect my mother will ever call me again either.
It's tempting to let them know exactly where I'm working, if only to ensure that they will never be able to contact me again.
But rather than that, I will conduct a cleansing ritual this New Year's, and that will be the end of it for me. I'm making a promise to myself to do what a lot of people have said in my journal- to take care of what's best for me right now, because my parents are not prepared to be parents.
I think I'm off to bed. There is much warmth and happiness to be had there.
Slainte,
Kat |
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| It's things like this... |
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| 10:55am 28/12/2005 |
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mood:  thoughtful music: The Sims for PS2
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Warning: This stuff is behind a cut because it is very emotional, heavy stuff. It has the potential to be triggery for people who have dealt with depression or bi-polar disorder, or abuse. Please be warned before you click.
( The last time... ) |
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| Gods, I'm bored. |
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| 09:59am 26/12/2005 |
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mood:  calm music: Um...
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Yeah, so... I'm trying to wake up. I'm going to do it with a stupid quiz.
There should be more meaningful entries later, after I've had time to do said waking up and clean up the trail of wrapping paper that's all over the living room floor.
A - AGE: 21
B - BAND LISTENING TO MOST RECENTLY: Mm... that would have probably been... Dimmu Borgir?
C - CRUSH: Does being engaged really count as a crush anymore? I'm gonna assume that anyone who's reading this knows the answer.
D - DAD'S NAME: I claim no parentage.
E - EASIEST PEOPLE TO TALK TO: Thomas, Sean, James, my aunt
F - FAVORITE BAND: I've got a lot, but I'd have to say my favorites are Nightwish, Alice in Chains, Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir, Live, 311... Tori Amos. Yeah.
G - GUMMY BEARS OR WORMS: bears. The worms are good too, but the bears are the o-riginal.
H - HOMETOWN: Pelham. Although I guess I wouldn't really call Pelham a hometown so much as I'd call it a place that I lived for a while and then moved.
I - INSTRUMENT: If it comes down to which one to play, piano. What I'd like to play, probably cello. What I like to listen to other people play, guitar.
J - JUICE: cranberry
K - KIDS: Haven't quite made up my mind yet on them.
L - LONGEST RIDE IN A PLANE,CAR,ETC: going to Dallas on a bus.
M - MOM'S NAME: I claim no parentage.
N - NUMBER OF SIBLINGS: 0
O - ONE WISH: That I'll have time to make a difference before I die.
P - PHOBIA(S): roaches, heights (fairly mild)
Q - (FAVORITE) QUOTE: "Once there was a town with one hundred dissidents.
Then the police came to town.
They lined the one hundred dissidents up against the wall
and shot them all.
Now there is a town with one thousand dissidents."
-Russian Proverb
R - REASON TO SMILE: Waking up next to someone I care about every morning.
T - TIME YOU WAKE UP: 9-10... earlier if I sleep earlier.
U - UNKNOWN FACT ABOUT ME:
V - VEGETABLE YOU HATE: asparagus
W - weakness(es): I feel guilty about everything.
X - X-RAYS YOU'VE HAD: wrist and ankle
Y - YUMMY FOOD: manicotti
Z - ZODIAC SIGN: Capricorn/Aquarius cusp
Boredom is... sort of passing. Awake is not happening yet.
I think I'm going to do some stuff... like start learning to belly-dance. With this DVD thingy. Wearing a pair of Happy Bunny pajama pants.
~!
Slainte,
Kat |
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| Dear Christians: |
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| 07:25pm 24/12/2005 |
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mood:  content music: n/a
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There is no need to shout CHRISTmas. Other people celebrate this holiday for other reasons. And it began as a winter solstice celebration.
I don't care if you celebrate Christ's birthday. But recognize that shouting Christ every time you say the word makes you seem like a presumptuous ass.
So when I say Happy Yule... don't take offense.
Learn to share.
Other than that- I'm looking forward to some kith and kin tomorrow. And some Thomas tonight.
Slainte,
and Hyvää Joulu,
Kat |
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| War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. We have always been at war with Eastasia. |
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| 10:58am 20/12/2005 |
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mood: cold music: "Gethsemane" by Nightwish
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Bush Addresses Uproar Over Spying
'This Is a Different Era, a Different War,' He Says as Some Lawmakers Seek Probe
By Peter Baker and Charles Babington
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, December 20, 2005; Page A01
The political uproar over President Bush's secret domestic spying program escalated yesterday as the president denied overstepping his constitutional bounds while congressional critics from both parties stepped up their attack and vowed a full investigation.
Bush mounted a vigorous defense of his order authorizing warrantless eavesdropping on overseas telephone calls and e-mail of U.S. citizens with suspected ties to terrorists. He contended that his "obligation to protect you" against attack justified a circumvention of the traditional process in a fast-moving, high-tech battle with a shadowy enemy.
"This is a different era, a different war," the president said at a year-end news conference in the East Room. "People are changing phone numbers and phone calls, and they're moving quick. And we've got to be able to detect and prevent. I keep saying that, but this . . . requires quick action."
But Democrats and some key Republicans on Capitol Hill were unconvinced, and they questioned whether Bush has violated a law intended to prevent the government from spying on its citizens without court approval.
Voicing "grave doubts" over the legality of the National Security Agency program, Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) said he will conduct hearings next month on the issue. To rebut suggestions of congressional acquiescence, Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) released a handwritten letter he secretly sent Vice President Cheney in July 2003 objecting to the program.
The dispute further fueled the debate over the USA Patriot Act, the measure bolstering the powers of law enforcement agencies that was passed shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The Senate yesterday again failed to muster the votes to end Democrat-led efforts to block legislation renewing the law, which expires Dec. 31. Bush angrily branded the filibuster "inexcusable" three times at his news conference but refused to accept a temporary extension.
"I want senators from New York or Los Angeles or Las Vegas to go home and explain why these cities are safer," Bush said. "It is inexcusable to say, on the one hand, 'connect the dots' and not give us a chance to do so."
The meeting with reporters was the latest effort in a presidential communications barrage intended to calm public nerves about the war in Iraq and woo back disaffected supporters; it came the morning after a prime-time Oval Office address and followed four other speeches, congressional briefings and a surprise trip to Iraq by Cheney. Bush once again counseled patience, saying that "2 1/2 years seems like an eternity, but in the march of history it's not all that long."
In the wide-ranging news conference, Bush demanded that the Senate confirm Samuel A. Alito Jr. to the Supreme Court by Jan. 20, even as Democrats vowed to question the nominee on his view of the NSA program. Bush acknowledged that the bungled intelligence on Iraq has made it harder to pressure Iran to drop any nuclear weapons aspirations. Looking ahead to 2006, he listed as a priority rebuilding the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast, and he expressed regret that some question whether he cares enough about black victims.
But the 56-minute session became dominated by the four-year-old NSA surveillance program, which was revealed last week by the New York Times. While generally relaxed and sometimes joking, Bush grew testy when asked if he is presiding over the expansion of "unchecked power" by the executive branch. "To say 'unchecked power' basically is ascribing some kind of dictatorial position to the president, which I strongly reject," he responded sharply, waving his finger.
Asked what limits he sees on a president's power in a time of war, Bush said a few key congressional leaders were briefed on the domestic spying program and his administration reviews its own actions periodically. "I just described limits on this particular program," he said. "That's what's important for the American people to understand. I am doing what you expect me to do, and at the same time safeguarding the civil liberties of the country."
Bush's remarks left many critics unassuaged and many questions unanswered. The president offered no details about how many people are under surveillance, what standard must be met to intercept communications or what terrorist plots have been disrupted as a result of the program.
Nor did he explain why the current system is not quick enough to meet the needs of the fight against terrorism. Under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the NSA in urgent situations can already eavesdrop on international telephone calls for 72 hours without a warrant, as long as it goes to a secret intelligence court by the end of that period for retroactive permission. Since the law was passed in 1978 after intelligence scandals, the court has rejected just five of 18,748 requests for wiretaps and search warrants, according to the government.
Air Force Gen. Michael V. Hayden, who was NSA director when the surveillance began and now serves as Bush's deputy director of national intelligence, said the secret- court process was intended for long-term surveillance of agents of an enemy power, not the current hunt for elusive terrorist cells.
"The whole key here is agility," he said at a White House briefing before Bush's news conference. According to Hayden, most warrantless surveillance conducted under Bush's authorization lasts just days or weeks, and requires only the approval of a shift supervisor. Hayden said getting retroactive court approval is inefficient because it "involves marshaling arguments" and "looping paperwork around."
In asserting the legality of the program, Bush cited his power under Article II of the Constitution as well as the resolution authorizing force passed by Congress after the Sept. 11 attacks. The resolution never mentions such surveillance, but Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales said it is implicit and cited last year's Supreme Court decision in Hamdi vs. Rumsfeld , which found that the force resolution effectively authorized Bush to detain U.S. citizens indefinitely as enemy combatants. But the same ruling held that detainees are entitled to challenge their imprisonment in court.
"This is not a backdoor approach," Gonzales said at the White House. "We believe Congress has authorized this kind of surveillance." He acknowledged that the administration discussed introducing legislation explicitly permitting such domestic spying but decided against it because it "would be difficult, if not impossible" to pass.
Bush and Gonzales maintained that the program is not unchecked because select congressional leaders have been briefed on it more than a dozen times. But several of those who received classified briefings objected yesterday that it hardly constituted oversight. In fact, those lawmakers said they were sworn to secrecy, barred from disclosing the program even to their colleagues and staff, and therefore unable to block the president's actions.
Rockefeller, ranking Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, released his 2003 letter to Cheney to make the point that he had "profound" concerns at the time but could not act on them. He said he kept a copy in a sealed envelope ever since to preserve a record of his views. Complaining about seeing Bush and his aides "repeatedly misrepresent the facts," he demanded "a full investigation" by his panel.
Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) and his predecessor, Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.), said yesterday that they had been briefed on the program and were not asked for their advice or consent.
Reid added that "key details about the program apparently were not provided to me," and Daschle said he voiced concern at the time. "I am surprised and disappointed that the White House would now suggest that none of us informed of the program objected," he said in a statement.
Specter was briefed for the first time by Gonzales on Sunday night and vowed to seek more information. "I have grave doubts about the wide scope of executive power claimed by Attorney General Gonzales," he said in an interview. Despite Gonzales's reassurances, Specter said, "I'm far from being satisfied."
Several senators pressed the matter further. Specter and Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) sent letters to Alito promising to grill the nominee on the issue at confirmation hearings next month. Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.) raised the prospect of a special prosecutor investigation and said Gonzales would have to recuse himself. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) sent an inquiry to presidential scholars asking if they agree with John Dean, the White House counsel during Watergate, who she quoted as saying that Bush has admitted to an impeachable offense.
But Bush had a different investigation in mind. At his news conference, he said that although he had not issued an order, he presumed the Justice Department has opened an inquiry into who leaked the information about the NSA program. "It was a shameful act for someone to disclose this very important program in a time of war," he said. "The fact that we're discussing this program is helping the enemy."
Staff writer Jim VandeHei and researcher Julie Tate contributed to this report.
Does anyone else find it slightly strange that the President's only concern over this is stomping his foot because he got found out?
Slainte,
Kat |
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