wake me in 2008.

recent news just came out that 2 dispatchers ignored repeated calls reporting a forest fire in my home town of lake tahoe. apparently they told the first dozen people calling in that the smoke they saw was from a controlled burn and not to worry. this misinformation caused a ten minute delay in responding to the fire which ultimately destroyed over 250 homes and structures, cost millions to fight, and burned 1,300 acres of precious tahoe wilderness. who knows if an earlier response would have prevented the actual results but in such a treasured place that many people call home (or second home seeing that some 80% of homes in tahoe are rentals or vacation homes) one would think that any hint at a fire would be taken seriously, especially in such dry year (last winter's snow pack was only 26% of normal).

in other news , bush forbade former white house counsel, harriet miers from appearing to testify in front of congress for which she was subpoenaed. congress is now preparing to file for contempt of congress. this just a week after bush commuted scooter libby's sentence without ruling out the possibility for a full pardon. bush (or cheney, rather) is saying it's ok to break the law. i'll let you get away with it, i'll even force you to break the law. except for those dern terrrrrorists. they need to be stopped and we, as strong, patriotic americans, must do everything possible to stop them. by the way, iraq's prime minister said today that he has 'full confidence' that his country can reach a peaceful state without the u.s. we're just as evil as the terrorists. they don't like our ideas so they attack us. aren't we doing the same thing? with bush's disapproval rating up in the 70s, i'd say we should impeach him, but i don't think we'd be any better off with cheney in the full seat of power. i can only hope for a positive change in 2008. unfortunately, i'm not yet sure who is the proper person to do it.

paris: the city of rude?

in recent attempts to make the french capital more friendly to the millions of visitors the economy depends on, the mayor has instituted a paris tourist day. the project placed welcome wagons at five of the most popular attractions. city officials passed out parisian water, orange juice, and pamphlets. they are encouraging citizens to be more open, polite, welcoming, and english proficient with the guests. they encouraged visitors to openly embrace the french lifestyle instead of 'heading to the first starbucks.' there are so many things i see wrong with this i'm not even sure where to begin. i guess asking why the fuck there are starbucks in paris is a good place to start. the corporate hounds don't do enough damage in this country so they feel the need to spread their wings to suffocate the rest of the world. starbucks may have decent coffee, but i can guarantee that a coffee at any small cafe would be ten times better, and served in a real cup instead of a paper one. wow, save the earth and have better coffee, what a concept. i have traveled throughout france and several other european countries and have found that the people are very polite, hospitable, and helpful. sure they may get frustrated dealing with stuck up, incompetent fools, but so does everyone else. also, why on earth should french people be expected to learn english? it is not their native language and there is nothing mentioned in the new campaign for foreigners to learn french before they arrive. i guess i forgot about {or was hoping it has disappeared} the great american elitist attitude that anyone who immigrates to this country better damn well learn english and likewise, anywhere we travel the countrymen best learn english in order to meet my every beck and call. how about tourists learn some of the language, culture, customs and politics before visiting so that they can get a taste of the foreign land instead of traveling thousands of miles just to have their usual triple grande no whip latte. besides, isn't exploring and embracing the unknown what travel is all about?

pocket bible.

the other day a certain someone found it endearing that i happened to have my bible in my purse. this was a rare, if not the only time in recent memory that i felt truly respected and appreciated for my faith. i wasn't being thought of as stupid and a blind minion to what is in some minds, the most intellectually stifling scam of all time. i wasn't being forced to hold my tongue because i don't agree with every little detail or particular political leaning being preached. i wasn't killing the conversation by merely hinting at my spirituality. i wasn't being associated with the numerous wrong doings throughout history done in the name of God or religion. in actuality, discovering christianity has been one of the most complex, challenging processes i have ever pursued in my entire life. while some believers follow blindly and a few authority figures can easily lead their flock astray, i think to truly believe in Christ and applying his teachings to living is a personal decision that others cannot force upon you. it takes a strong will and deeply rooted belief to bear the many blows of criticism that are hurled at christianity. it is even more difficult when many prominent christians have failed to fully understand Christ's teachings of gentle love, understanding, and acceptance and therefore taint the rest of the world's perception. i can only hope that enough wise people are brave enough to speak up and reverse the fear and misgivings that are all too commonly associated with christianity.

c’est la vie.

i spend a lot of time {probably too much} thinking about life and its purpose. i’ve often come to the conclusion that we exist as a means to better the lives of future generations. but this seems all too hollow and empty and it doesn’t leave much hope or enjoyment for the present. i’ve also thought that maybe we are here to correct the injustices of the past. that we should somehow justify the acts of the past in their context, then correct them in order that whatever atrocity occurred never happens again. this idea loops back to making the world a better place for the future. this is a wonderful idea and i’m all for it but it still leaves the present out of the picture, beyond the thoughts and energy required to make change happen. i guess that can give a sense of accomplishment and hope in the moment, but there must be more. my latest conclusion is that we exist in order to love and be loved, in order to rescue each other from the difficulties that surround us, in order to find beauty in every life, in order to unite our collective spirits and truly come alive, in order to give our lives meaning through others when we can’t find meaning in ourselves. in the present, what better joy is there to know that you are loved and that you can freely give love unconditionally. love brings out our best and our worst, but what really counts is that those who love us, love beyond our faults and failings. why is it that we argue most with the ones closest to us? most likely, because we know they are the ones who will be there when the fires cool and will continue to love us regardless. we have all been loved in some capacity or another, from above, from our families, from our friends, from our significant others, so why not give purpose to the moment and show that love to someone else, even if you know you may not receive anything in return. {and it's not reserved for occasions like valentine's day or christmas}.

crocs.

are the ugliest things ever. they are in no way fashionable. they are apparently comfortable but i can think of many other shoes that are more comfortable and more attractive. they can be used for gardening and in the privacy of your own home, not mine. i would be very happy to never see anyone wearing them again. {my apologies if you are a crocs fan, but i just don't like them}.