Note for the Day

And just because I'm into being morbid about famous dates in recent history, the Berlin wall fell today. (Despite so many people thinking that the Cold War would end with nuclear exchange. ) Happy birthday, Germany! Happy birthday everyone! I'm glad we're all alive!

Keep it real.

The other day, someone at work was getting rid of a stack of slick magazines. I don't look at these very often, and I am curious about things I don't do, so I took some.

In the back of one of these there was a full page advertisement for Renewable Accessories. These were things like bracelets made out of old newspapers and cloth shopping bags with slogans about Green being Hip.

This amused me for three reasons. First, the magazine this ad was in was very mainstream and very entirely about movie stars- except in Illinois the people who I mostly see reading about movie stars- well, they don't care about the environment very much, to put it nicely. 2)As far as I know, newsprint would make terrible jewelry because the ink would rub off into your skin and give you blood poisoning or something, and "If You Were a Real Hippy/Punk You Would Make Your Own Newsprint Jewelry" And of course, 3) in the same magazine was a blurb about how people were reporting their clothing bags were much more unsanitary than disposable ones. The solution offered? Wash them between use, like you would any other soiled cloth article. Apparently the Star Chasing Get Hip Get Green crowd doesn't understand how to renew their own personal resources. I am forced to wonder what they know about the world's resources.

Now, I know there are die-hard recyclers out there who actually know what they are doing, and I am entirely in favor of not expending the environment for the sake of our petty and all consuming obsession with comfort. The popularized version of Green, though, that seems to be the rage right now is really getting on my nerves (Noooooo!!!!!! I sound like a Goth whining about Hot Topic!!!!!!!!). Its a fad like any other; a disguise used by people who don't care but want to appear attractive; and this particular fad/disguise is the disguise of caring about about something.

Tomorrow is the 20th anniversery of Tianamen Square.

If you happen to go walking in Tianamen square tomorrow, you can wear white- the color of mourning- and the police will arrest you.

Give to Caesar

"Responding to the news, Patrick J. Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition told LifeNews.com that Obama's making taxpayers fund abortion takes away from his claims to want to govern from the center and find common ground on abortion.

Mahoney said "it would greatly increase abortions around the world. It would also create a scenario in which American evangelicals and Catholics would be paying for abortion referrals through their tax dollars."

"If President-elect Obama reverses this policy, it would show a complete and blatant disregard for the faith values of millions of American Christians as well as expanding the violence and tragedy of abortion worldwide. America should be exporting justice and human rights, not brutality and violence," he said."

http://www.lifenews.com/nat4559.html

I don't know what I think of this article. On the one hand, its hard to figure out if America is ever not exporting violence. Everyone seems to have their own least favorite form of violence, (wars, abortion, an imperialistic consumer mindset, violent video games, movies, whatever) and to them that is the real evil that America should be blasted by lighting from heaven for exporting. People who can justify the other guy's least favorite kind are perfectly willing to condemn him for liking their own least favorite. Was Patrick J. Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition this angry about Gitmo? If you listen to them all, we're just sunk- but maybe listening to everyone is too simplistic.

(But what makes 'them all' assume that violence is bad? I... am not sure.)

On the other hand, since I believe abortion is a form of disrespect for human life, and that human life ultimately should not be disrespected, more funding for it seems like a bad thing. Also, making people who believe that abortion is an evil against humanity (and God!) help pay for it, forcing them to go against their conscience and actually participate it what they believe to be wrong, seems like nothing short of oppressive ideology at work.

Then again, along with pet peeves about evil violence, anyone who gets into power and acts on their beliefs seems to have an ideology that oppresses someone else. For instance, many people feel the wars we are fighting now aren't right, and their tax dollars are paying for that. I almost wish there was some way of conscientious objection- so the individual could work for the perceived good of the community without taking part in its perceived evil. Of course, in practice, that would probably turn into either slave labor camps or terrorist acts against the state, so scratch that idea.

On the fourth and final hand, I wonder if funding for abortion really matters. All the funding in the world could only offer abortions. If no one wanted them, the abortion clinics would be the best funded empty places in the world. I don't believe this justifies abortion- since Saddam Hussein and his sons wanted to torture and kill dissidents and naysayers, and apparently so did we. Those things aren't justified. But are there CNA's at the nursing home where I work who aborted because they felt abandoned and that they didn't have a future? I honestly don't know. Of course, whether or not you believe you have a future is a choice I can't make for you. But if I knew I had done everything in my power to serve the people around me, born and unborn- if I knew that there was no need for abortion clinics, I would with a clean conscious give them any amount of taxes (though not with a very happy wallet!). If I have given to God what is God's, what can Caesar do?

But I have to ask, have I given it? That's the million dollar question.

Home again!

Hello! I'm back from Germany! Just a few notes, because life is short.

1) In Germany, people don't cross when the crosswalk light is red- even if there are no cars. I suspect this is a metaphor for all of German culture, although the Germans were somewhat dismissive of the phenomena.

2)The Dom in Bamberg(?) is currently my favorite church building ever.

3)It was lovely to see Eugene people again, even for a couple days

4) Trollywood. Eisley.

5) My current plan is to find some way to make money, and to continue the War against Crickets.

6)If it is true that people are criticizing Palin for keeping her Downs baby (if its true she had a Downs baby), I think I'll vote for McCain. (my current level of political thought)(sad really. I should try to care)

That's all for now.

After not blogging all summer, I am about to go to Germany. Today, I mean. I just wanted to tell you all that I will not blog in Germany either. Just so you know. When I get back though...

Worry

I feel a need to study German very hard over the summer, fueled by sheer panic. I am going to Germany this fall, and I am really afraid of not being able to communicate over there. Not with the Germans really- but the Junior class, which is mostly who's going. I feel like I speak a different language when I talk to them in English. Seeing we're only supposed to talk German while we're there, I am rather worried.

?

How wierd is it that music as we generally experience it is disassociated from a person actually performing?