I had a mouse in my car yesterday. Actually it was somewhere under my hood. I was driving home from KBS going least 55 mph and I suddenly saw a mouse climb out from under my hood right next to my windshield. She ducked back under the hood again but about a 1/4 mile later popped out (maybe because the engine was getting hot?) and was blown off into the night. I just hope she wasn't chewing on any wires or anything under there. I'm guessing she came from my garage originally, because I have seen a mouse in there a couple times this fall.
Also, on the way home from MSU to KBS, Tom hit an owl. Well, really the owl flew into the car. There wasn't a whole lot Tom could do about it.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Monday, November 28, 2005
Why aren't you married yet?
An article for all my single friends out there. I have already been asked this question and the holidays are only beginning. Some advice on how to answer it:
Why aren't you married yet?
My favorite: ‘Johnny Depp is taken.’ ;-)
Why aren't you married yet?
My favorite: ‘Johnny Depp is taken.’ ;-)
Random thoughts at 4 AM
1. Why do I stay up late and sleep in every weekend and then get on a crazy schedule that I have to try to fix in time for my early morning departure on Tuesday?
2. If smoking were banned in public places (like bars) I would go out a lot more.
3. Our homework for Quantitatve Methods takes way too long and is way too involved to be worth only 10 points.
4. I procrastinate too much.
5. Grey's Anatomy is my favorite TV show by far.
6. It's 4 AM and I should be tired. But I'm not.
7. I have been playing fetch with Isis for like an hour and she is still into it. What a crazy cat.
8. TV is addicting.
9. Stores should carry bathing suits year round. People go on vacations in the winter and need to buy them!
2. If smoking were banned in public places (like bars) I would go out a lot more.
3. Our homework for Quantitatve Methods takes way too long and is way too involved to be worth only 10 points.
4. I procrastinate too much.
5. Grey's Anatomy is my favorite TV show by far.
6. It's 4 AM and I should be tired. But I'm not.
7. I have been playing fetch with Isis for like an hour and she is still into it. What a crazy cat.
8. TV is addicting.
9. Stores should carry bathing suits year round. People go on vacations in the winter and need to buy them!
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
I bought a snowshovel
Sadly, I bought a snowshovel yesterday, anticipating the snow we are supposed to get this weekend. Someone remind me why I live in this state again?
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Harry Potter 4 Review
I just got back from seeing Harry Potter 4 and it was great! It was surprisingly funny, and the end was nice and spooky. They cut out all of the unnecessary stuff that made the book so long, and I didn't miss any of it. Ralph Fiennes was a deliciously scary Voldemort, and Brendan Gleason was the perfect Mad Eye Moony. My only regret was not enough Sirius or Snape (my fav characters), but this book didn't feature them very much anyway, so I'll forgive it. I'll probably try to see the movie at least one more time in the theaters. When does it come out on DVD? ;-)
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Put it on your calendar!
For those of you who have extra morbid curiousity, okcupid.com has this test that tells you when you are likely to die based on a bunch of different statistics. Here's my results:
According to our research, you'll be dead by
August 2064
at age 83
- probable cause -
cancer
YOU DIE: 82.9 years
AVERAGE FEMALE LIFE SPAN: 77.1 years
As you can plainly see, you have more health & vitality than the average woman.
http://okcupid.com/death
According to our research, you'll be dead by
August 2064
at age 83
- probable cause -
cancer
YOU DIE: 82.9 years
AVERAGE FEMALE LIFE SPAN: 77.1 years
As you can plainly see, you have more health & vitality than the average woman.
http://okcupid.com/death
Monday, November 14, 2005
Who would Jesus torture?
I don't normally post political things on my blog, but I feel pretty strongly about this issue and so I encourage you to read and think/pray about the article I have pasted below. I cannot fathom why the Bush administration, or any Christain, would be opposed to this bill. Please note that this is not a partisan issue, as the bill has strong support from both Republicans and Democrats.
Who would Jesus torture?
by David Batstone
Christians of strong religious faith and sound moral conscience often end up in disagreement. Human affairs are a messy business, unfortunately, and even at the best of times we only see through a glass, darkly.
It is hard for that reason to call Christians to a universal standard of behavior. At this moment, however, we cannot afford to dilute the message of Jesus into meaningless ambiguity. There are certain acts that a follower of Jesus simply cannot accept. Here is one: A Christian cannot justify the torture of a human being.
The practice of torture by American soldiers is a hot topic at the Pentagon, in the Congress, and in the White House at the moment. The U.S. Senate already has passed 90-9 a bill that prohibits "cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment" of prisoners in U.S. custody. The lead advocate of the bill, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), was tortured by his captors during the Vietnam War. According to The New York Times, the Pentagon adopted a policy last Thursday to rein in interrogation techniques. The new policy uses much of the same language as the McCain amendment - drawn in large part from the Geneva Convention - to adopt standards for handling terror suspects.
Remarkably, the White House opposes the Pentagon initiative, and threatens to veto any legislation to which the McCain bill gets attached. Vice President Dick Cheney has urged Republican senators to allow CIA counterterrorism operations internationally to be exempt from the ban on mistreatment of prisoners, major newspapers reported.
On Nov. 3, Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff for then-Secretary of State Colin Powell, said during an interview on NPR's "Morning Edition" that memos from Cheney's office practically encouraged abuse of Iraqi prisoners. Though in "carefully couched terms" that would allow for deniability, the message from Cheney's office conveyed the sentiment that interrogations of Iraqi prisoners were not providing the needed intelligence. Wilkerson said soldiers in the field would have concluded that to garner better intelligence they could resort to interrogation techniques that "were not in accordance with the spirit of the Geneva Conventions and the law of war."
Republican senators are among the strongest voices in the growing chorus of criticism. Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) said, "I think the administration is making a terrible mistake in opposing John McCain's amendment on detainees and torture." And Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and co-sponsor of McCain's measure, agreed: "I firmly believe that it's in the best interest of the Department of Defense, the men and women of the United States military that this manual be their guide."
When the existence of secret CIA detention centers became public this week, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) called for investigations - not about whether they violate laws governing human rights - but about how the information was leaked. But members of their own party are keeping the focus where it belongs. The Washington Post quoted Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) as saying, "Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees. The real story is those jails."
Admittedly, Christians of good faith part paths when political conflict leads us to consider what constitutes a just and righteous war - or if any war can be just. Though we may not consent on the means, we do consent on the need to confront the spread of evil in the world. Yet we can all affirm scripture when it says, "Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.... Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:17, 21). When we confront evil with its own means, those means mark our own character.
In that regard, the practice of torture so fully embraces evil it dehumanizes both the torturer and its victim. No just cause can be won if it relies on torture to succeed. Democracy and freedom cannot result from a war fueled by torture, which is why so many Americans were shocked and angered by the disturbing incidents that took place at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
All the more so, Christians must oppose torture under any circumstances. Consider this: Who would Jesus torture? I cannot imagine Jesus finding a single "exemption" that would justify such an abuse of any individual made in God's image.
Though I bristle whenever I hear someone refer to the United States as a Christian nation - it is such a loaded phrase - many in the Muslim world see us as such. How tragic it would be for Muslims to identify the message and mission of Jesus with torture and terror. We must not allow that to happen.
Action Alert: "Do not repay evil for evil...." (1 Peter 3:9).
Despite strong bipartisan support in the Senate, Republican leaders in the House - including Speaker Hastert - are using a procedural loophole to block an up or down House vote on Sen. McCain's anti-torture measure.
+ Click here to ask Speaker Hastert and your representative to stand up against torture
Who would Jesus torture?
by David Batstone
Christians of strong religious faith and sound moral conscience often end up in disagreement. Human affairs are a messy business, unfortunately, and even at the best of times we only see through a glass, darkly.
It is hard for that reason to call Christians to a universal standard of behavior. At this moment, however, we cannot afford to dilute the message of Jesus into meaningless ambiguity. There are certain acts that a follower of Jesus simply cannot accept. Here is one: A Christian cannot justify the torture of a human being.
The practice of torture by American soldiers is a hot topic at the Pentagon, in the Congress, and in the White House at the moment. The U.S. Senate already has passed 90-9 a bill that prohibits "cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment" of prisoners in U.S. custody. The lead advocate of the bill, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), was tortured by his captors during the Vietnam War. According to The New York Times, the Pentagon adopted a policy last Thursday to rein in interrogation techniques. The new policy uses much of the same language as the McCain amendment - drawn in large part from the Geneva Convention - to adopt standards for handling terror suspects.
Remarkably, the White House opposes the Pentagon initiative, and threatens to veto any legislation to which the McCain bill gets attached. Vice President Dick Cheney has urged Republican senators to allow CIA counterterrorism operations internationally to be exempt from the ban on mistreatment of prisoners, major newspapers reported.
On Nov. 3, Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff for then-Secretary of State Colin Powell, said during an interview on NPR's "Morning Edition" that memos from Cheney's office practically encouraged abuse of Iraqi prisoners. Though in "carefully couched terms" that would allow for deniability, the message from Cheney's office conveyed the sentiment that interrogations of Iraqi prisoners were not providing the needed intelligence. Wilkerson said soldiers in the field would have concluded that to garner better intelligence they could resort to interrogation techniques that "were not in accordance with the spirit of the Geneva Conventions and the law of war."
Republican senators are among the strongest voices in the growing chorus of criticism. Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) said, "I think the administration is making a terrible mistake in opposing John McCain's amendment on detainees and torture." And Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and co-sponsor of McCain's measure, agreed: "I firmly believe that it's in the best interest of the Department of Defense, the men and women of the United States military that this manual be their guide."
When the existence of secret CIA detention centers became public this week, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) called for investigations - not about whether they violate laws governing human rights - but about how the information was leaked. But members of their own party are keeping the focus where it belongs. The Washington Post quoted Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) as saying, "Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees. The real story is those jails."
Admittedly, Christians of good faith part paths when political conflict leads us to consider what constitutes a just and righteous war - or if any war can be just. Though we may not consent on the means, we do consent on the need to confront the spread of evil in the world. Yet we can all affirm scripture when it says, "Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.... Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:17, 21). When we confront evil with its own means, those means mark our own character.
In that regard, the practice of torture so fully embraces evil it dehumanizes both the torturer and its victim. No just cause can be won if it relies on torture to succeed. Democracy and freedom cannot result from a war fueled by torture, which is why so many Americans were shocked and angered by the disturbing incidents that took place at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
All the more so, Christians must oppose torture under any circumstances. Consider this: Who would Jesus torture? I cannot imagine Jesus finding a single "exemption" that would justify such an abuse of any individual made in God's image.
Though I bristle whenever I hear someone refer to the United States as a Christian nation - it is such a loaded phrase - many in the Muslim world see us as such. How tragic it would be for Muslims to identify the message and mission of Jesus with torture and terror. We must not allow that to happen.
Action Alert: "Do not repay evil for evil...." (1 Peter 3:9).
Despite strong bipartisan support in the Senate, Republican leaders in the House - including Speaker Hastert - are using a procedural loophole to block an up or down House vote on Sen. McCain's anti-torture measure.
+ Click here to ask Speaker Hastert and your representative to stand up against torture
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Done!
"Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try."~Homer
After a very stressful period, I have finally finished my comps, and I am now an official Ph.D. candidate! Orals did not go well at all, but I did pass.
Thanks to everyone who came to my post-comps party! I had 15 people in my house, so it was crowded but a lot of fun! Carl, Rob, Katie W, Anne, Todd, Eva, Ben, and Yi all made the trip down from Lansing, and Nicole, Wendy, Kurt, Amy, Terry, Katie L, and Aaron came from significantly closer locations. Rob even brought his dog Angel, and Isis was relatively calm, so that was great. Much gaming occured, and I actually won Ticket to Ride for the first time ever! So all in all it was a good day, which helped make up for yesterday's miserableness. Thanks guys! :-)
After a very stressful period, I have finally finished my comps, and I am now an official Ph.D. candidate! Orals did not go well at all, but I did pass.
Thanks to everyone who came to my post-comps party! I had 15 people in my house, so it was crowded but a lot of fun! Carl, Rob, Katie W, Anne, Todd, Eva, Ben, and Yi all made the trip down from Lansing, and Nicole, Wendy, Kurt, Amy, Terry, Katie L, and Aaron came from significantly closer locations. Rob even brought his dog Angel, and Isis was relatively calm, so that was great. Much gaming occured, and I actually won Ticket to Ride for the first time ever! So all in all it was a good day, which helped make up for yesterday's miserableness. Thanks guys! :-)
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Funny things heard in ZOL 851
So the professor in my Quantitative Methods class says some really funny things sometimes, but nobody ever laughs besides me. Here is a sample:
"Pay particular attention to the importance of sex."
"It is a very loose spline." (Anyone ever play the Sims??? Anyone? Reticulating splines!)
"Those serious error messages are another hint that something is wrong."
Maybe I just have a weird sense of humor.
"Pay particular attention to the importance of sex."
"It is a very loose spline." (Anyone ever play the Sims??? Anyone? Reticulating splines!)
"Those serious error messages are another hint that something is wrong."
Maybe I just have a weird sense of humor.
Monday, November 07, 2005
Some Like it Hot!
I just netflixed the 1959 movie "Some Like it Hot" starring Marylin Monroe, Jack Lemmon, and Tony Curtis. While watching it, I realized that I had been to the hotel featured in the movie. It is supposed to be in Florida, but the actual hotel is the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego. Jim brought Katie, Anne, Roz, and I there on Thanksgiving last year when we were visiting him. We knew they had filmed a movie there, but not which one, so it was a total surprsie to me when I saw it in the movie. (The picture on the left is from the hotel's webpage, I took the one below.)
Thursday, November 03, 2005
One hoop down, one to go
I am finished with my written comps! Woohoo! I sent the last one off last night at about 4 AM. Wow they were a pain in the butt and I am glad they are over. Now I just have to do my oral exam on Nov 11 (next Friday) and then if I pass I will be an official Ph.D. candidate.
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