what i’m reading…

  from a review of the dresden files: “Harry Dresden, the series’ protagonist, is everything that’s great about the hardboiled anti-hero, with a twist: He’s a wizard trying to make a living working practical magic in a modern world that’s foolishly rejected the supernatural in favor of science and technology. Part average guy, part renaissance man, Harry’s got a dark side, a wicked sense of humor and a deeply rooted, personal code of honor that drives him to risk everything to fight the supernatural forces preying on his clients, an attitude that puts him at constant, dangerous odds with both the bad guys and the authorities alike.”

“there is no truer gauge of a man’s character than the way in which he employs his strength, his power.” - harry dresden

they’re quick easy reads and by golly i love every one of ‘em. 

Blogged, Just for Fun, books, Comments (0)
Tagged as: books,quotes January 09, 2009 @ 05:32 am

war is a failure.

i have no real point with this post, other than “war is a failure” came up in a conversation, which then led me on a rather rambling trip through the internet.  most interesting site of the day: history is a weapon - really very interesting site. 

i still adhere to the idea that war represents failure.  that we, as a species, are lazy.  we look to militaristic solutions, violence, aggression, rather than utilizing imagination and creativity to come up with alternatives.  the framing isn’t “violence” vs “do nothing”, there are other alternatives many times.  tho sometimes, doing nothing is one of the most effective things you can do.  not the easiest, but the most effective.  bullies bully precisely because they want a reaction from their chosen victim.  they want that power.  the power to make their chosen victim react.  sometimes the most effective means in dealing with a bully?  stand there and don’t react.  take the wind out of their sails.  not much fun to pick on someone who just looks at them.  will that work in ever bullying situation?  of course not.  each situation requires it’s own solution.

things which caught my attention…

Continue Reading...

Blogged, Politics,
Tagged as: politics,quotes,war,culture,links July 28, 2008 @ 08:35 am

harry dresden, wizard extraordinaire, speaks out against torture

- “it isn’t enough to stand up and fight the darkness.  you’ve got to stand apart from it, too.  you’ve got to be different from it.”

Blogged, Just for Fun, books, Writing, Quotes,
Tagged as: books,quotes July 08, 2008 @ 11:02 pm

the jim crowe museum

every now and again, you stumble upon something really special on the internet.  the jim crowe museum is one of those.  i’ve been reading the essays written by David Pilgrim, the museum’s curator, and find them incredibly touching.  several made me cry ;o

on being poor:

I don’t romanticize poverty and anyone who does has either never been poor or has not been poor in a long time. Poverty bites. Being poor means more than not having money; it means having people question your intelligence, your ambition, your morality, your “American-ness.” Don’t tell me that poverty builds character. Being poor means you die sooner, on average 10 years sooner, and your last years are not good: high blood pressure, diabetes, disease-related amputations. Poverty rots. Being poor means not having a dependable car, health insurance, or an emergency fund in the bank. I heard Reverend Ike say in one of his sermons, “Sisters and Brothers, don’t be poor, Americans don’t like poor people.” Even the Devil tells the truth sometimes.

My students, many middle-class, say of the poor, “Why should they get scholarships and we have to pay for school?” Just once, I would like to take a bus of our students, or any college students, to Prichard, Alabama. Take them to Highway 45 and let them see a level of poverty that will make any reasonable person throw up. Show them what words cannot explain. Then, I would ask, what is good for America? Is it good for America to begin and end every discussion with “what about me,” “what about mine?” Is it good for America to have people living like pigs? Patriotism is not having tears in your eyes when you stare at the flag; patriotism is loving your country enough to ask, “What is best for America?” It seems paradoxical—maybe hypocritical—to claim that the poor are lazy and lack ambition and then argue against programs that can help people escape poverty.

civility:

If you say, “Good morning. How are you? Have a pleasant day,” and then use your position to hurt others that is not civility; that is hypocrisy. Not cursing does not make one civil. If a man never says the S-word, but treats people like the S-word, he is a hypocrite and he makes my stomach hurt.

sisters:

I am a man, of this I feel neither pride nor shame. My maleness was a directive of God or an accident of nature, not my decision or achievement. But let’s not be naive, I benefit from being a man. Yes, I do.

In the grocery store men don’t pretend that their packages are dropping so that they can brush against me. They don’t try to smell my hair. I’m a man. I’m not encouraged to walk with my head held high, with long strides, and keys in my hand, lest I appear vulnerable to some attacker. Men don’t follow me, just out of my vision, playing mind games, hoping to scare me—to entice me. When was the last time you heard a man say he couldn’t stay late because he was afraid to walk home after dark? If you are a man you don’t need to know all the safe places between your home and work. You can go get potato chips at 3:00 in the morning, well, maybe not in Big Rapids, Michigan. If you are a man who can park in a ramp, you don’t worry. I don’t worry.
....

Women are not the opposite sex. Women are not the opposite of me. The opposite of me is a tree, a dead Maple tree. Women are not the opposite sex; they are, for me, the complementary sex.
....

No woman is a bitch. War is a bitch. Poverty is a bitch.

brothers:

Every man is my brother. It doesn’t matter if I want it or not. In a moment, the idle thought became a truth, a matter-of-fact truth, absolute. I am the only male born from my mother’s womb but every man is my brother: white elementary school principals who deny me, prisoners who robbed, preachers who leave big churches to help the helpless, every man. This kinship is not based on shared wombs, common ancestors, similar skin, communal beliefs, or brotherly love. We are brothers because we spring from the same fountain—and that water flows one way.

other people’s money:

George Santayana, the philosopher and poet, wrote: “Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.” It is uncomfortable to study our mistakes, and there is a part of us that naively says, “If only we stop talking about racism the problem will go away.” It won’t, trust me. We should never stop talking about race and racism, but we must always look for new, creative, and productive ways to discuss it. I believe that Americans—Blacks, Whites, Reds, Browns, and Yellows—want to talk about racism; indeed, they need to talk openly and honestly about race and racism. They are afraid. Whites are afraid they will “say the wrong thing,” and be called bigoted. Americans of color are afraid they will sound angry, bitter, lost and locked in the past. It is okay to be afraid.

commencement speech 2004:

When I look at you I see greatness. If no one has told you let me be the first: you can do great things. Greatness is nothing more than a vision, hard work, and service. The world is full of people saying, “You can’t do this; you can’t do that—you’re too black or you’re too new or you’re too poor or you’re too old.” Do not listen to them. They are not simply wrong, they are thieves. Anyone who tells you that you cannot be great has forfeited the right to advise you. Give them a piece of candy and walk away. There is a part of each of you that knows that I am telling the truth, a part that longs to make a difference, to take a stand, to touch greatness. I’m not talking about making money, anyone can make money, I need you, and the world needs you, to make a difference in the lives of others. When I look at you I see greatness, but you have to see it, and some of you will. You will you do great things; you will help us build that shining city on the top of the hill.

Blogged, Life,
Tagged as: quotes,culture,racism,links,bigotry June 13, 2008 @ 05:49 am

yay @ eli stone - immigration

from abc’s new eli stone show:

“it would have been easier to go through the naturalization process, instead they doused themselves with water so they wouldn’t dehydrate when they were crammed into a hidden compartment of a pick up truck… and they didn’t do it, so they could come and pick strawberries, they did it because they believed in america. 

in russia, iraq, afghanistan, we’re seeing, first hand, the seeds of democracy… they don’t grow on every patch of earth.  the freedom we have here is unique, it’s special.  they were willing to risk their lives for it.  i’m not saying that citizenship should be a prize for making it over the border.  i’m not saying that immigration isn’t a major issue facing this country.  but they’re not a policy, they’re people… and if this truly is the home of the brave, then they’re just as american as anyone in this country.”

Blogged,
Tagged as: quotes,tv,culture,immigration February 09, 2008 @ 02:15 pm