tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51139702011-12-14T20:04:44.801-07:00What I strive for, what I believe, what I do, what I want....shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.comBlogger271100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-1117097347314513002005-05-26T01:04:00.000-06:002005-06-21T03:36:55.163-06:00

There've been a lot of disturbing things happening in the name of seurity, lately. Two of the biggest:congress okayed Real ID cards, a probable precursor to national ID cards, as a measure to guard against illegal immigrants, and the Naperville, IL public library system has decided to spend a huge chunk of money "securing" public computer access.Over $40,000 - that's more than $300 per computer -

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-1112784207398135122005-04-06T01:15:00.000-06:002005-04-08T16:12:41.836-06:00

Few would deny the legacy of Karol Józef Wojtyla, Pope John Paul II (May 18, 1920-April 02, 2005). He was a man who was able to help the world through the major crises of the late 20th century, a man whose strength and presence helped reassure and inspire.Lech Walesa, founder of Solidarity, credits the Pope’s visit to Poland, in 1979, with inspiring many to join the movement against communism.

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-1112305223145410842005-03-31T14:04:00.000-07:002005-03-31T14:44:31.180-07:00

Gorbachev, former leader of the Soviet Union, will be speaking at CSU on April 14. On the day tickets were made available, before noon, I hopped online and placed my order. I received an e-mail that the tickets were sold out. I was wait-listed.Yesterday I received notice that I had made it off the list. There were tickets waiting for me. After a job interview this morning, I drove to CSU. Not

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-1111792828319408612005-03-25T16:17:00.000-07:002005-03-25T16:30:57.756-07:00

Just a quick note to whoever is watching. . .The comment function really is available now. Apparently I was lying before.

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-1111706574369550902005-03-24T14:21:00.000-07:002005-03-24T17:22:12.450-07:00

Bobby Fisher is going home. Home for Fischer, though, is no longer the United States. He's headed to Iceland, the country in which he won the world championship in 1972. That championship is, in many ways, what has made him the fugitive he is today, chased from his motherland by an overzealous government.In 1972 Fischer defeated Soviet Boris Spassky and catapulted himself to fame. An American

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-1088454340014195532004-06-28T14:20:00.000-06:002005-03-24T14:21:06.470-07:00

Fahrenheit 9/11 - America's MovieWhat a feeling of solidarity! It was a rush being part of a sold-out auditorium full of people who don't believe that it is anti-American to question and speak out against members and actions of our government. In some ways it was more empowering than the protests and demonstrations I've been involved with against "Operation Iraqi Freedom." Sheer numbers? Perhaps.

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-1086915071305364742004-06-10T17:23:00.000-06:002004-06-11T13:08:31.453-06:00

Ray Charles, absolute father of soul, died today. I’m saddened. How many musicians truly deserve the tag “artist?” He was one. His record company’s name, Crossover, says it all. This was a man who had crossover appeal. He sang songs for people, not for gender, not for race. He sang songs in the musical genre he felt most suited what he wanted to say: country and western, rhythm and blues, jazz.

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-1077930642302115602004-02-25T15:27:00.000-07:002005-03-24T18:08:25.323-07:00

What is the Kerry-Bush connection? Is there one? They were both at Yale at the same time (Kerry: class of 1966, Bush: class of 1968). They were both members of that ultra-secret society, Skull and Bones. But does that really mean anything? Who knows? Since neither will speak about the society, we have no way of knowing if the conspiracy theorists are correct that Skull and Bones is the power

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-1077658228393806362004-02-24T17:08:00.000-07:002005-03-24T18:09:27.866-07:00

Many people have been telling me that I should vote against George W. Bush this Novemeber. I should vote for the leading democrat, whether or not I believe in what he stands for. If I vote for a third party candidate, I am throwing away my vote. Strangely, these are often the people who voted third party during the last election. Do they now regret voting their consciences? Do they believe that

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-1077588592368147012004-02-23T19:09:00.000-07:002005-03-24T18:09:50.506-07:00

For quite a while I lost this. Now, close to a year later, I'm back. But do I have anything to say? I guess we'll find out.According to an article in the British Medical Journal, treating homosexuality as an illness has a negative effect on patients. Glenn Smith, Annie Bartlett, and Michael King interviewed 29 people who had, between 1950 and the time of the study, undergone treatment to be cured

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-928062702003-04-17T17:31:00.000-06:002005-03-24T18:06:17.056-07:00

I haven't written about Desmond Tutu's speech. It was just over a week ago (April 10). My friend Scott and I left with plenty of time to spare. We stopped at Gib's Bagels (they have fantastic bagels) on the way, since Scott hadn't had time to eat lunch. He ordered a sandwich with bacon (vegetarians eat bacon? silly Scott), and I, not hungry, just ordered a toasted egg bagel, lightly buttered. I

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-923916962003-04-10T17:36:00.000-06:002005-03-24T18:10:52.816-07:00

The weather is warming, and that means hiking and camping. I'm putting together a calendar of hikes, leading up to a fourteener in midsummer. Some of the people who will be hiking are very out of shape, so I'm starting out with some easy hikes - hikes that just about anyone can do. There are plenty of easy and moderate hikes nearby - and Rocky Mountain National Park isn't all that far, either.My

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-922441742003-04-08T14:57:00.000-06:002005-03-24T18:11:24.990-07:00

This is interesting. Maureen Hawke, a therapist in Australia, has stated that the upswing in ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) most likely stems from parents being taught to lay their infants face up. SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) was found, several years ago, to have a much higher incidence in infants who lay on their stomachs, so the medical community recommended that

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-921822732003-04-07T17:41:00.000-06:002005-03-24T18:12:11.963-07:00

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states may ban cross burnings. The ruling says that crosses that are burnt with the intent to intimidate may be banned. The ruling was passed on a case heard in December of last year. How does a court go about deciding what the intent of the crossburner was? Yes, it often appears to be intimidation, I won't argue with that. And often times some of the

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-921766712003-04-07T15:58:00.000-06:002005-03-24T18:12:41.106-07:00

I'm having trouble finding much information about the "riot" in Oakland today. A peaceful protest, blocking the entrance to a private business with government contracts, was broken up when police fired so-called rubber bullets into the crowd. According to the little I have found, protestors said that they did not hear any warnings from police. Police claim they gave warnings and allowed ample

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-921730422003-04-07T14:58:00.001-06:002005-03-24T18:13:05.130-07:00

More photos from the war. Some of these images are quite graphic and may be emotionally difficult to view. I think it's important that they are seen, and hope that people will look at them. See the children who are being liberated. See the better lives they'll lead.Photo Essay 1:Who Is Responsible For This Abuse?Photo Essay 2:Who Is Responsible For This Abuse?Photo Essay 3:British Invasion of

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-920144132003-04-04T17:50:00.000-07:002005-03-24T18:13:43.466-07:00

***WARNING: THIS IS A RANT. THIS IS ONLY A RANT. HAD IT BEEN SOMETHING OF SUBSTANCE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE INTERESTING.***Last Saturday I was supposed to participate in a "public dialogue." Small groups of local citizens were formed, the intention being that we get together with our group and discuss how major events have affected our community, how to live as a community now and in the

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-919479402003-04-03T17:41:00.000-07:002005-03-24T18:14:22.010-07:00

Have you noticed that people around you seem to feel not-quite-right? Minor illnesses, (headaches, stomach problems, indigestion, sore throats...), or feeling blah, or feeling depressed. A lot of people I know don't feel like themselves lately. And a lot of the people who come to where I work have had the same types of complaints - more than usual. Is there a corrolation with the US being at war?

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-917971352003-04-01T14:59:00.000-07:002005-03-24T18:14:42.833-07:00

On the lighter side (also an old story that's been much circulated): Andrew Carlssin. Not only a Weekly World News story, but hard to swallow anyway. Yes, I know that, according to Men In Black, tabloids are the only sources of true news, but the movie never claimed to be non-fiction. Still... it's a fun idea. I've always wanted to travel through time, so this story goes straight to the dreamer

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-917960222003-04-01T14:42:00.000-07:002005-03-24T18:15:43.943-07:00

Okay, so I'm posting this news a bit late, and everyone has probably heard it already, but that's okay. It needs to be put out there in as my venues as possible. The House of Representatives has put forth a bill calling for a national day of fasting and prayer. Get that, kids? Fasting and prayer. Ummm... have I missed something? Do we no longer believe in the seperation of church and state?

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-915166622003-03-27T18:53:00.000-07:002005-03-24T18:16:10.050-07:00

Simmon went to a local rally and protest Tuesday morning. I didn't make it. He said that there were a lot of people, and felt really good about the energy coming from it. He got interviewed by the Loveland paper, Daily Reporter-Herald. He had to go to work before it was over, so he gave his sign (NO BU$H WAR) to another protestor. That paper doesn't have a link to the article, but the local

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-913070302003-03-24T15:58:00.000-07:002005-03-24T18:16:43.390-07:00

I went to a belated Saint Patrick's Day party Saturday night. It was fun, but I was ready to go home by 2:30. My ride wasn't ready until nearly 5:00. Normally I don't mind being out till 5 a.m. What else am I going to be doing, anyway? But Sunday there was a protest at noon in Boulder. That meant being ready to leave by 10:30 since some roads are still iffy from the snow.I was awake at 9:30, and

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-911531712003-03-21T17:04:00.000-07:002005-03-24T18:17:41.556-07:00

The blizzard made it impossible for me to go to the "day after" protest rallies yesterday. I had wanted to go to Denver, but the state had issued a request that all drivers stay off the streets unless absolutely necessary. My car was still trapped by walls of snow, anyway. I wasn't going anywhere unless it was close to my home; 60 miles isn't close. I didn't make it to the local one, either.

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-911482542003-03-21T15:12:00.000-07:002005-03-24T18:20:38.246-07:00

A blizzard shut down my town for the past three days. The local public schools are having their fourth snow day today. My nephew is loving it. Most of my friends have been going stir-crazy: the streets were blocked in, cars were plowed under, businesses were closed, the university was closed (not good when some classes still have mid-terms to give). Most businesses are open today - though several

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-901691842003-03-05T03:46:00.000-07:002005-03-24T18:21:15.466-07:00

Arghh! Some of my friends don't know who the Archbishop Desmond TuTu is. He's coming to town to speak next month, and I managed to snag five tickets. I felt so proud and full of myself. I just knew that everyone would want to hear him speak. After all, how many opportunities like this are there? I was quickly deflated when, one after another, my friends' responses to my stellar news were, "Who?"

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-900864242003-03-03T19:41:00.000-07:002005-03-24T18:21:40.046-07:00

A former teacher put together a seminar entitled Wages of War on Women and Children. It was presented today, kicking off Women's History Month. I was supposed to speak, but when I arrived I discovered that my time had been usurped and given to someone else (speaking on the same subject). The other speaker wasn't well prepared, and simply read pages that she had printed from the Net. She presented

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5113970.post-899221812003-02-28T14:29:00.000-07:002005-03-24T18:22:01.563-07:00

This is my first attempt at blogging, though many of my friends have been doing this for years. I'm not certain what will come from it, but hopefully more than just rants about my life. My goal is to use this proactively, to think and learn and grow. But who knows. Maybe I'll have nothing to say (nah - I'm too opinionated for that).

shmoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01093693728478395118noreply@blogger.com0