Read this funny piece in another blog so am reposting:
How to spot a terrorist
I really had no idea how to spot a terrorist until I studied the manuals published by the Phoenix FBI, the state employees of Virginia, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Now that I have absorbed these manuals, I not only know how to spot a terrorist, but I have discovered that I probably am a terrorist.
The Phoenix FBI manual was published while Clinton was still president. The Joint Terrorism Task Force was formed to "help preserve the American way of life." Its flyer requested that citizens contact the task force if they saw any of the following:
Defenders of the U.S. Constitution against federal government and the UNGroups of individuals engaging in para-military trainingThose who make numerous references to the U.S. ConstitutionThose who attempt to police the policeLone individualsRebelsThe Phoenix Sheriff's Office did not care for the flyer, and it had a short life.
On to Virginia...This manual tells us to beware of the following people:
Members of anti-government and militia movementsProperty rights activistsMembers of racist, separatist, and hate groupsEnvironmental and animal rights activistsReligious extremistsMembers of street gangsAccording to the authorities in Virginia, terrorists stand out in the crowd because of the stuff they carry:
Sketch pads or notebooksMaps or chartsStill or video camerasHand-held tape recordersSCUBA equipmentdisguisesAnd finally, there's Texas, whose manual shares with us some characteristics of terrorists:
Focused and committedTeam-oriented and disciplinedFamiliar with their physical environmentsEmploy a variety of vehicles and communicate by cell phone, email, or text messagingTry not to draw attention to themselvesLook like students, tourists, or businesspersonsTravel in a mixed group of men, women, and childrenAvoid confrontations with law enforcementUse disguises or undergo cosmetic surgeryWell, there you are. Could someone pick you out of the crowd as a terrorist? As an emailing, camera-toting, focused and committed animal rights activist who sometimes looks like a businesswoman, frequently references the Constitution, and still has some leftover costumes from my years in New Orleans, I'm as good as gone.
Friday, June 30, 2006
Thursday, June 22, 2006
New Orleans Abandonment
Emilie and I saw 'An Inconvenient Truth' a week or so ago - I highly recommend it.
We have been studying a great deal about New Orleans; not only the cause of the disaster after Katrina but also possible solutions. It is abundantly clear to me that electing George Bush is the absolute worst thing that could have happened to our country. In terms of New Orleans, he refuses to fund a plan that has been agreed is appropriate by just about everyone who knows - its cost, 14 billion (about 1 1/2 months in Iraq). He is putting the wetlands that surround New Orleans in jeopardy by blocking all funding for restoration that does not have corporate interests as its impetus. The wetlands that surround New Orleans (besides preserving wildlife (I know - only hippies care about that) help protect the city from storm surge. For every mile inland of wetland storm surge is reduced by a foot. To cite an example - the wetland loss that has occured between 1940 and the present would have reduced the Katrina storm surge about 7.5 feet, greatly reducing the impact of the storm.
The New Orleans issue fascinates me because I think it epitomizes a global current (or at least a national one). The disaster in New Orleans was/is the result of an attempt to control nature (levees), a willingness to neglect nature (wetlands), a feeling of human dominance over the natural world, and a lack of critical care for the region. I am continually amazed at the antics of the Bush Administration.
http://dir.salon.com/story/opinion/blumenthal/2005/08/31/disaster_preparation/index.html
We have been studying a great deal about New Orleans; not only the cause of the disaster after Katrina but also possible solutions. It is abundantly clear to me that electing George Bush is the absolute worst thing that could have happened to our country. In terms of New Orleans, he refuses to fund a plan that has been agreed is appropriate by just about everyone who knows - its cost, 14 billion (about 1 1/2 months in Iraq). He is putting the wetlands that surround New Orleans in jeopardy by blocking all funding for restoration that does not have corporate interests as its impetus. The wetlands that surround New Orleans (besides preserving wildlife (I know - only hippies care about that) help protect the city from storm surge. For every mile inland of wetland storm surge is reduced by a foot. To cite an example - the wetland loss that has occured between 1940 and the present would have reduced the Katrina storm surge about 7.5 feet, greatly reducing the impact of the storm.
The New Orleans issue fascinates me because I think it epitomizes a global current (or at least a national one). The disaster in New Orleans was/is the result of an attempt to control nature (levees), a willingness to neglect nature (wetlands), a feeling of human dominance over the natural world, and a lack of critical care for the region. I am continually amazed at the antics of the Bush Administration.
http://dir.salon.com/story/opinion/blumenthal/2005/08/31/disaster_preparation/index.html
Friday, June 09, 2006
Monday, May 22, 2006
Venice Biennale
Just catching up. Semester finished up nicely - final review went very well. Have been invited to the Venice Biennale (http://www.labiennale.org/en/index.html) team at UT. The project is a study of the situation in New Orleans and surrounding region and an attempt at possible solutions. Have learned a lot already. Trying to get a free trip to Venice, Italy out of it - we'll see.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Monday, April 24, 2006
100 million loose screws
Bush's approval ratings slide to new low
Poll: Only one-third say he's handling his job well
Poll: Only one-third say he's handling his job well
Sunday, April 23, 2006
hm.
A retired CIA official has accused the Bush administration of ignoring intelligence indicating that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction and no active nuclear program before the United States-led coalition invaded it.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/23/cia.iraq/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/23/cia.iraq/index.html
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Friday, April 07, 2006
citycraft
citycraft products available for the entire family at http://www.cafepress.com/nspress/1341302.
get yours while they last!
get yours while they last!
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Your Democracy
Great article by Bill Moyers.
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/02/24/restoring_the_public_trust.php
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/02/24/restoring_the_public_trust.php
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
George Bush is talking alternative energy - we're screwed
You know when oil lover George Bush is harping on alternative forms of energy (finally) that there is an energy crisis in the works. We're screwed.
Saturday, February 18, 2006
CITYCRAFT
Had a good meeting with my client (first official) today about the house addition I am working on for them. They loved the plans I put together (though we changed 50% of them) and we had a good schematic design working session. I think I enjoy smaller, more personal jobs. I have heard, and know from experience that they are more difficult and you make less money but there is something about the satisfaction you see on people's faces or their excitement that makes it worth my while. That is not to say that I won't get sued by these people (Logan reading this licking his chops) but still - for now it is fun. My company name is 'Citycraft' unofficially - Chi and I are not taking it too seriously and just seeing where it goes. Spread the word - the ship is afloat.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
The Trials of Teaching
As many of you know I am TAing for a class called Architecture and Society. My duties include teaching a seminar to two different classes each week. It is interesting how different one class can be from another. I have the same amount of students (27) in each class but it seems to be a lot harder to run a good section on thursday night. I have three students in the class that are 'bad apples' and they seem to be tarnishing the bunch. One of them came to me at the end of today's session and asked if we could get an evening study group together to prepare for the quiz (it's no coincidence that he was late for class and had not read the material). I told him that we had just finished with our study session - it in fact is the whole point of the seminar. I am having fun however and the majority of the students are interested and are there to learn.
In other news:
It has been four days since the vice-president shot anyone in the face. Yeah!!
Benny got his hair buzzed! Cutie.
Christopher is a creative genius I think - scary.
Emilie is wonderful at just about everything - and even loves me a little still.
Saw Brokeback Mountain - was good but I sensed some homosexual overtones (hehehe - jk) - no really, it was very good. Now I know why cowboys wear tight pants.
In other news:
It has been four days since the vice-president shot anyone in the face. Yeah!!
Benny got his hair buzzed! Cutie.
Christopher is a creative genius I think - scary.
Emilie is wonderful at just about everything - and even loves me a little still.
Saw Brokeback Mountain - was good but I sensed some homosexual overtones (hehehe - jk) - no really, it was very good. Now I know why cowboys wear tight pants.
Friday, February 10, 2006
Communism - and Presidential Blow Jobs
I am doing a tremendous amount of reading for 'Soviet Architecture, Art, and Film'. Consequently, I think I am becoming a communist. I learned for instance that Lenin, on his deathbed (early death too, 42 I think) wrote a letter to the soviet governmental council begging that they be careful and not elect Stalin as the next president. Stalin intercepted that letter and the rest is history. Trotsky would have taken over the presidency from Lenin (Trotsky's views were more in line with Lenin's) had the letter not been intercepted and Russia would have had an entirely different history. To put it in distinctly American terms:
Lenin was a good guy (who did what he felt was right for his country)
Stalin was a bad guy (who killed a lot of people)
Trotsky was a good guy (similar to Lenin)
No communism ever existed in Russia - what they had was a dictatorship that was a modified capitalist system (similar to what we presently have but with more concern for the working poor).
A good idea:
I think as an apology to Bill Clinton the republicans should allow him to take office for a third term. The republicans can make deals with him like, "if you balance the budget for us like you did in your first presidency we will allow you 5 free blow jobs", or "if you help us pay down this outrageous national debt that Bush has created we will allow you ten free blow jobs etc." Imagine what he could accomplish!!
Lenin was a good guy (who did what he felt was right for his country)
Stalin was a bad guy (who killed a lot of people)
Trotsky was a good guy (similar to Lenin)
No communism ever existed in Russia - what they had was a dictatorship that was a modified capitalist system (similar to what we presently have but with more concern for the working poor).
A good idea:
I think as an apology to Bill Clinton the republicans should allow him to take office for a third term. The republicans can make deals with him like, "if you balance the budget for us like you did in your first presidency we will allow you 5 free blow jobs", or "if you help us pay down this outrageous national debt that Bush has created we will allow you ten free blow jobs etc." Imagine what he could accomplish!!
Monday, February 06, 2006
Barcelona and Bush Bashing
Been a long while. Saw Francie this weekend and she inspired me to write in the blog again.
Quick update since last we spoke: Texas won football national championship (due to my influence as a student of course), I am a teacher's assistant and have two classes of 27 that i'm responsible for (I know what you're thinking - "HIM?"), did well last semester, 4.0 for those interested - first time since 3rd grade I think (I was also class president then!! I am on a ten year cycle of achievement), I just got my first 'big/little' job as an independent practicioner of architecture, I am in the Barcelona studio here at school - segway...
We traveled to Spain for 8 days tromping through the wonderful streets of Barcelona. By our estimations we walked btwn 15-20 mi/day...my old bones felt it - but I kept up with the younguns. We are working on a project for the 'Mies van der Rohe Foundation' across from the Barcelona Pavilion, a famous and instrumental work of the early 20th century. Hard project. A little america bashing is in order here - we are very very far behind socially. A professor told us an interesting statistic the other day: 98% of America's wealth is held by 2% of its population. Of course, I think he is a communist (not sure). That just blew my mind.
Made two books over the christmas holidays - still a goal of 500 books before death. School and work are getting in my way though.
Bush wants another 70 billion for Iraq. I thought his initial estimate was 80 billion total. Aren't we at 300 billion now - and counting? I would like a list of the people who voted for him - they should be paying for this war. So much for the liberals being the spenders. Republican Americans are a strange lot - they seem to care more about eliminating adulterous sex then about mass murder and violence. and they thought there were 'rape rooms' in Iraq before we invaded........
Quick update since last we spoke: Texas won football national championship (due to my influence as a student of course), I am a teacher's assistant and have two classes of 27 that i'm responsible for (I know what you're thinking - "HIM?"), did well last semester, 4.0 for those interested - first time since 3rd grade I think (I was also class president then!! I am on a ten year cycle of achievement), I just got my first 'big/little' job as an independent practicioner of architecture, I am in the Barcelona studio here at school - segway...
We traveled to Spain for 8 days tromping through the wonderful streets of Barcelona. By our estimations we walked btwn 15-20 mi/day...my old bones felt it - but I kept up with the younguns. We are working on a project for the 'Mies van der Rohe Foundation' across from the Barcelona Pavilion, a famous and instrumental work of the early 20th century. Hard project. A little america bashing is in order here - we are very very far behind socially. A professor told us an interesting statistic the other day: 98% of America's wealth is held by 2% of its population. Of course, I think he is a communist (not sure). That just blew my mind.
Made two books over the christmas holidays - still a goal of 500 books before death. School and work are getting in my way though.
Bush wants another 70 billion for Iraq. I thought his initial estimate was 80 billion total. Aren't we at 300 billion now - and counting? I would like a list of the people who voted for him - they should be paying for this war. So much for the liberals being the spenders. Republican Americans are a strange lot - they seem to care more about eliminating adulterous sex then about mass murder and violence. and they thought there were 'rape rooms' in Iraq before we invaded........
Friday, September 02, 2005
Mayor of New Orleans
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4207628.stm#
Listen to the mayor of New Orleans explain the situation in his city. Click on the link and navigate to the upper right hand corner.
The director of FEMA said yesterday that the federal government was not aware there were people without food and water in the superdome until yesterday. He needs to resign or be fired.
The president of the united states finally has appeared from his ranch in crawford. he apparently had to cut his vacation short by three days, poor guy. president Bush should offer his resignation, he is a poor leader.
And believe this - if these were rich white people stranded in that city, help would have arrived sooner. Shame on them, and shame on those who still can't see the truth.
Listen to the mayor of New Orleans explain the situation in his city. Click on the link and navigate to the upper right hand corner.
The director of FEMA said yesterday that the federal government was not aware there were people without food and water in the superdome until yesterday. He needs to resign or be fired.
The president of the united states finally has appeared from his ranch in crawford. he apparently had to cut his vacation short by three days, poor guy. president Bush should offer his resignation, he is a poor leader.
And believe this - if these were rich white people stranded in that city, help would have arrived sooner. Shame on them, and shame on those who still can't see the truth.
Monday, August 29, 2005
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Downing Street Memo
I have a hard time believing that over half the people in our country voted for George Bush. The worst are those with the black 'W' stickers on their cars, they're a group unto themselves - still ignorant enough to be proud of their decision to vote for him. Is Dick Cheney still alive? Is there a more sinister group on the planet than those we put into the white house (twice)...let's name the 'evil doers' in order of their 'evil doerishness':
1. Karl Rove
2. Donald Rumsfeld
3. John Ashcroft
4. Dick Cheney
5. George Bush
What a group of characters to be proud of. And the fact that the company that Dick Cheney was once CEO of is now making millions off of the murder and disaster we've made in Iraq? Perfect. And with Pat Robertson and the 666 clubs help we will soon unify America and be one big Christian RighttotheHummerdealership country. Read the Downing Street Memo, think about what the reasons were for this war, think if any of it makes sense. Bill Clinton lied about a blow job and was impeached - George Bush lied to get us into war and seems to be surviving quite nicely...must be the liberal press.
Why is 'Wedding Crashers' rated R, and 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' rated PG-13? Has the christian right so twisted the minds of the people in this country that they worry more about their children seeing nudity then they do about their children shooting each other at random.
Where is the legitimacy in the story of King David and Bathsheba? The king kills the husband of the woman he sees bathing nude and his punishment by god is the loss of his first born son. That doesnt seem like just punishment, why not disallow his marriage to Bathsheba? Or castrate him? The punishment chosen is actually inflicted on the innocent child. Isn't the punishment chosen by god just a form of abortion? Is god, in this case, condoning abortion for special circumstances?
And the Jacob and Esau story seems contradictory as well. Jacob fools his blind father, with the help of his deceptive mother, and steals the birthright from his hard working brother. And then, as a reward for doing what was right, Esau and his lineage is basically forgotten by posterity. It is Jacob's lineage that becomes the basis for the continuation of the bible.
Poem: "Eve's Argument"
The devil didn't need much deceit
to make me eat,
It was God
that made the fruit look sweet.
Warning: The facts in this blog may be deceptive and there may be attempts in this blog to start a war that my friends and I will handsomely profit from.
1. Karl Rove
2. Donald Rumsfeld
3. John Ashcroft
4. Dick Cheney
5. George Bush
What a group of characters to be proud of. And the fact that the company that Dick Cheney was once CEO of is now making millions off of the murder and disaster we've made in Iraq? Perfect. And with Pat Robertson and the 666 clubs help we will soon unify America and be one big Christian RighttotheHummerdealership country. Read the Downing Street Memo, think about what the reasons were for this war, think if any of it makes sense. Bill Clinton lied about a blow job and was impeached - George Bush lied to get us into war and seems to be surviving quite nicely...must be the liberal press.
Why is 'Wedding Crashers' rated R, and 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' rated PG-13? Has the christian right so twisted the minds of the people in this country that they worry more about their children seeing nudity then they do about their children shooting each other at random.
Where is the legitimacy in the story of King David and Bathsheba? The king kills the husband of the woman he sees bathing nude and his punishment by god is the loss of his first born son. That doesnt seem like just punishment, why not disallow his marriage to Bathsheba? Or castrate him? The punishment chosen is actually inflicted on the innocent child. Isn't the punishment chosen by god just a form of abortion? Is god, in this case, condoning abortion for special circumstances?
And the Jacob and Esau story seems contradictory as well. Jacob fools his blind father, with the help of his deceptive mother, and steals the birthright from his hard working brother. And then, as a reward for doing what was right, Esau and his lineage is basically forgotten by posterity. It is Jacob's lineage that becomes the basis for the continuation of the bible.
Poem: "Eve's Argument"
The devil didn't need much deceit
to make me eat,
It was God
that made the fruit look sweet.
Warning: The facts in this blog may be deceptive and there may be attempts in this blog to start a war that my friends and I will handsomely profit from.
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