Synchronicity

I am proud of the fact that I love Wait Wait Don't Tell Me (The NPR Newsquiz show, coming to you live from the Chase Auditorium in beautiful downtown Chicago, and here's your host, Peter Sagel...). I am less proud of the fact that, weekday mornings, I listen to Opie & Anthony. I'm sorry, but pre-coffee I can NOT handle news from Iraq and life during wartime, global warming, conspiracies and cronyism. Nope, pre-coffee, I want boob and fart jokes, please.

This week, O&A got suspended from XM following an off-color remark not made by them but certainly not censored by them on their show. They protested, saying, "It's not like we've got the same standards as NPR."

To which, Wait Wait replied, "NPR has standards? Uh Oh."

The dork in me grins.

Fear and Loathing in the USA

So, I'm late in catching up. But I was listening to On Point's newsweek round-up last night, covering the California Republican debate. I must confess, I did not watch the debate. I don't like any of the candidates - vehemently can't stand some of them - and, well, frankly I'd had a bad enough week as it was.

Still, I was stunned at what I heard.

Apparently, they set up a Dershowitz-type torture scenario. You know, ticking time bombs, people's lives in the balance, one guy tied to a chair. What do you do?

Short of John McCain (who as a former POW knows of what he speaks) all the candidates supported - what in essence amounted to - torture. They didn't call it that, of course. "Whatever it takes." "Enhanced interrogation techniques." "Every method they can think of."

The ironic thing here is that the people who know (wit John McCain) - generals, military experts, historians - all maintain that torture doesn't work. More importantly, it HURTS THE CAUSE.

We demean ourselves when we torture. When we do it, we subject our military boys and girls (and, let's face it, most of 'em aren't old enough to be men and women) to the possibility of torture. We create more terrorists and terrorist propoganda.

As written eloquently in The Washington Post:

"Worse, you'll have the other side effects of torture. It "endangers our soldiers on the battlefield by encouraging reciprocity." It does "damage to our country's image" and undermines our credibility in Iraq. That, in the long run, outweighs any theoretical benefit. Herrington's confidential Pentagon report, which he won't discuss but which was leaked to The Post a month ago, goes farther. In that document, he warned that members of an elite military and CIA task force were abusing detainees in Iraq, that their activities could be "making gratuitous enemies" and that prisoner abuse "is counterproductive to the Coalition's efforts to win the cooperation of the Iraqi citizenry." Far from rescuing Americans, in other words, the use of "special methods" might help explain why the war is going so badly."

What amazes me about all this is who this "Do What It Takes" rhetoric is coming from. This so-called Party of Life, Values Party. These are the people who are so damned afraid that they're willing to forgo the most important message of The Bible: Do Unto Others As You Would Have Others Do Unto You.

Hasn't history shown what this irrational level of fear can do? Didn't we all get forced to read The Crucible in grade school English class?

I don't know why I am still astounded by all of this, but I am. It just really scares me that so many people use their fear as a barometer and tune into their base desire, instead of actually listening to the facts and experts.

God Help America.

I Must Be Invisible

I think I'm invisible today.

This a.m., had to stop at Kinko's to OK a proof of a quick print job. Was pulling into the last remaining parking spot in front of the store when a big ass SUV starts backing up into it/me.

Waiting in line at the dreaded ABP, the guy in line behind me comes up to the register, puts down his food, and starts paying the cashier even before I had my own lunch bought and paid for.

Walking back to the office I was trailed all the way into the elevator - and this includes through the revolving door - by an old guy with cigar breath. (Yes, he was so close, I smelled the cigar.)

Stuck in traffic on Mem Drive, a car pulls out right in front of me and nearly takes off my front end.

Either I've been watching too much Supernatural or I really need to start wearing neon orange.
Oh, wait, maybe my Voicemail is coming true and the NSA is after me....

The Blues, The Reds, and The Blahs

Usually this month is a very happy one for me. (Cue the orchestra...) It's May, It's May, the Lusty Month of May. (Yes, yes, I do obsess about Camelot from time to time...) But this month has been a tough one.

Not for any specific reason. I've just had a general malaise hanging over my head these past few days/weeks. I haven't even blogged because I really haven't felt like I have anything to say.

I still don't necessarily feel any better, but I've decided that I'll heed the wise words of "what you look for, you will find." Or, as the poster on my cube says, we come to feel as we behave. So if I behave happy, well, just maybe...

Would you describe me as "green"?

I am completely wiped out. But, alas, I have already poured a cup of chamomile tea, so while I'm waiting for it to cool enough to drink ... I will subject you to more ranting.

Had my first meeting of my Taproot Foundation project group tonight. And it went really well. We've got our work cut out for us, but I feel really good about the nonprofit we're working with. What I don't feel great about was dinner. We went to Bertucci's. Normally, I really like Bertuccis. But this week I am especially poor. With that in mind, I ordered a salad. Nothing more. No soda, wine, or beer. No grilled steak. Water, (free) bread, salad. So when the bill came, I expected those who ordered wine, beer, or steak to pay their fair share while I paid mine. Alas.

Now, I know I could have spoken up. Should have. But I've just met these people and I will be working with them for several months. Which, of course, is precisely why I should have spoken up. Best to nip habits in the bud before they become habits. But I really wanted these people to like me. So, mum I stayed.

What's worse is this. This a.m., I learned one of my co-workers won $2000 in Keno last night. Keno. $2,000. And instead of being happy for her, I felt angry, jealous. I am really - REALLY - not proud of my immediate reaction. I should have been happy. I should have opened my heart to her good fortune. But I didn't.

Is it jealousy issues or money issues, or both? If I can figure that one out -- and what to do about it -- I'd be a much happier camper.