On Her Majesty's Service

A few weeks ago, I sent a letter to Tony Blair, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, with regards to allegations of human rights abuses by British troops in Kenya (when I wrote about it on this dealie, I'd said it was about abuses in Iraq, which was false). Consequently, I'd received a letter from Mr. Blair's office telling me that my letter would be forwarded to the Ministry of Defence. Today, I received this in the mail:

From: Mrs K Hall
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE - Adjutant General Secretariat

Dear Mr Sullivan

Thank you for your letter to the Prime Minister about the allegations of rape by British soldiers in Kenya, I have been asked to reply.

Clearly the Ministry of Defence takes these allegations extremely seriously and we are anxious to do all we can to discover the truth behind them. To this end the Royal Military Police Special Investigation Branch (SIB), with the permission and assistance of the local authorities, is currently engaged in a major criminal investigation and has visited Kenya on a number of occasions in the last few months to examine local police records and conduct interviews of alleged victims.

I am sure you will appreciate that the SIB investigation is complicated by a number of factors, principally: language, the potential number of alleged victims, the remoteness of the areas involved, the elapsed time since some of the alleged offences took place and the need to coordinate closely with the local Kenyan authorities. It may therefore be some time before the SIB can conclude their work and until they are able to do so it would be premature to consider the need for a public enquiry or to discuss the possibility for criminal prosecution.

Please be assured that the Prime Minister is taking a close personal interest in this matter, but the priority must for the moment be on allowing the SIB to carry forward their independent criminal investigation as they see fit.

I hope this explains the situation.

Yours sincerely

Kathleen Hall

It's official: I'm SO cool! Well, maybe not "cool," so much, as "lucky." Out of the hundreds of letters I'm sure the British government receives each day, Mrs Hall decided to respond to me, and probably a few others. There are no typists initials at the bottom either, so it seems that she wrote this herself (also, the entire letter is typed, except for the salutation and the closing). This makes international relations seem so personal, and goes to show that, as long as the post office goes there, a letter can reach anybody. Activism is for everybody; embrace it! It's so damn rewarding!

I about exploded when I picked up my mail today and saw the brown paper envelope with the words "In Her Majesty's Service" printed on it. I was elated, to say the least.

Well, now off to my weekly Amnesty International meeting. Time to save some lives and open some minds.

"Thanks to the support of AI members, I never felt alone."--Alpha Condé, prisoner of conscience, Guinea

Farewell, September

Well, it's the end of the month again. Time to say "Goodbye September", and "Hellooooooo October!"

October brings some great stuff. Autumn is here (though Sept. 21 is the first day of fall, October is when it's really noticeable). Baseball playoffs are here, which means the Series is just around the corner. We're right in the swing of football season, which is a great thing. Air's clean, crisp, and sometimes smells like burning leaves (smelled it today, as a matter of fact, leaving a class of mine). Oh, and the greatest holiday ever, Halloween, is at the end of this month. Thoughts of pumpkin patches and jack-o-lanterns and carving, not to mention caramel apples and hot cider. Mmmm.... oh man, imagine bobbing for caramel apples in hot cider!?! (Not too hot, mind you, just hot enough to be fun.) Maybe I'll make that a floor activity.

September was good to me, for the most part. Though my family experienced a tragedy of immense proportions, it was wondrous to see everybody. I was able to spend more time with my girlfriend, my parents, my sister, my friends, and, of course, my dog, than I had expected to, which was very awesome. At the end of September, my Huskers are 8th in the country, and rapidly ascending up the charts (GO BIG RED!). September brought my favorite girl's 19th, my very good buddy's 22nd, and another friend of mine's 19th birthdays. It also celebrated 4 years of my lucky life with a special someone, 4 unforgettable years.

The end of the month always leaves me feeling nostalgic. I don't like when things come to an end (except, of course, bad stuff). I start thinking about how I'm never going to have September 2003 again, and wondering if I spent it the best possible way. Did I accomplish alot? Did I do the things I wanted to do? Did I make too many mistakes? Did I learn from those mistakes?

Time's a funny thing. It doesn't really exist, yet it's something that's definitely there. Sort of an invention. A concept. But time would still exist, even if we didn't "invent" it. It just wouldn't have been recognized. So, it's sort of a recognition. I wonder who the first to recognize it was.... I wonder who the first person (or animal or plant or bacterium or whatever) it was that recognized that the sun was going to come up again tomorrow, that it was going to go down soon, etc.

Well, let's enjoy October together. Like I said, so many cool things in October to be happy about. Now let's all have pumpkin pie and ice cream!

"Since time is the one immaterial object which we cannot influence--neither speed up nor slow down, add to nor diminish--it is an imponderably valuable gift."--Maya Angelou

What is to Be Done.....

It's come out today that somebody has leaked the identity of a CIA agent to the news media (NBC reported it first). Strangely enough, the agent is the wife of a former U.S. ambassador to Gabon, the same ambassador who, more than a year and a half ago, sent a report to the CIA concluding that there was no evidence that Saddam Hussein had attempted to purchase uranium ore in Niger. As such, he's been very critical, recently, of the Bush administrations use of intelligence in the build-up to war, suggesting that Bush and Cheney exaggerated the threat in order to gauge popular support. The House Intelligence Committee are calling for an investigation, and, with nowhere else to turn, have left it in the hands of the Justice Department. It can be expected that, in his infinite wisdom, Attorney General John Ashcroft will probably have better things to do than investigate such a claim, one that may put the President (the man who appointed him, mind you) at political risk.

So, to run down the list, this administration, particularly President Bush, has:

1 - Effectively excommunicated America from the international community (or, rather, excommunicated the international community from America)
2 - Took our nation to war behind incomplete, faulty, or exaggerated evidence
3 - Exaggerated the evidence, which he then used to attack a weak nation
4 - Possibly committed an act of treason by releasing the identity of a United States covert agent to media outlets
5 - Cost our economy, in the last three years, approximately 3 million jobs
6 - Consistently set back much of the environmental progress our country had made under the Clinton administration
7 - Passed acts which have put in danger many basic civil liberties (see: USA PATRIOT Act)
8 - Publicly denounced regimes which violate human rights, while actively violating many of those very rights here at home.
9 - Eliminated many taxes, mostly for the wealthiest of Americans, while the poor and middle-class were left to fall by the wayside, generally
10 - Is working on a federal Constitutional amendment to define marriage as a union between heterosexual people, thus discriminating against millions of Americans who are currently unable to receive benefits, retain visiting rights, etc. He will ensure they never attain those rights and priveledges

So, it's obvious, this administration has certainly not been a great one. Not even a good one. It's been a very, very bad one, to be kind.

Now, here's the question I pose: If Bill Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives (albeit not by the Senate) for lying to the American people about his sexual activities, why isn't anybody even considering the impeachment of George W. Bush for lying to the American people, as well as Congress, about information his administration had regarding the immediate threat posed to the United States by Iraq? It seems to me that Bill Clinton was unfaithful to his wife, lied about it, and was punished (he's only the 2nd president in the history of our country to ever be officially impeached. Andrew Johnson was impeached, but not removed, Nixon probably would have been impeached and removed, but he resigned before anything could happen. Clinton wasn't removed). Bush attacked a nation, killing thousands of people, all on false pretenses, and the worst he's getting is a couple of questions here and there. The only thing that's sure right now is that Hussein was an evil, megalomaniacal human rights offender, as were his sons. Everything else, the WMDs, the ties to al-Queda, the immediate threat to America, is all in question, over 6 months after we began our official attack.

Now, I'm not sure of the exact criteria which needs to be present for impeachment, but I'm sure committing a crime against humanity is up there, and if it's not, it ought to be. Bush has certainly done that.

This also goes to show just how partisan the Clinton impeachment was. To learn more about that, read "Blinded by the Right" by David Brock. Very enlightening as to that period in American politics.

No matter how angry I sound, I'm really in a good mood. As I was writing this post, I listened to "Crush," "The Dreaming Tree," and "Pig," all by Dave Matthews Band. They're, possibly, three of the most beautiful songs ever written. Now, "Spoon" is playing, easily the best song Alanis Morissette has ever worked on, and also including a gorgeous banjo solo by Béla Fleck and a very smooth guitar solo by Tim Reynolds. Go listen to "Before These Crowded Streets" right now. It's highly underrated.

"Maybe I'm a little crazy, but laughing out loud will make it all subside."--Dave Matthews

Football: Good News and Bad News

Well, the bad news is that my Pats lost today. They gave a valiant effort, but turned the ball over 4 times (ouch!). When I picked the game up, it was 20-3 Washington in the 3rd quarter. Then, the Patriots scored 14 unanswered points, came within a field goal, had the ball with about a minute to go, had decent field position, and Brady threw some INC's. It was disappointing, to say the least.

Now, on to the good news! Due to the way things panned out yesterday and Thursday night, the mighty Huskers are No. 8 in the nation!! (According to the ESPN/USA Today/Coaches Poll, 12th in the AP Poll) The weird thing is that I don't know that we're good enough to be ranked above USC, Michigan, K-State, Georgia, Texas.... but hey, we'll take it. I'm proud of my team, and we deserve the national recognition. (I've been capitalizing stuff way too much. For example, I just capitalized "National Recognition," but deleted it and changed it. As if "national recognition" is some official award or trophy or something) We're a good team with a strong running game and an ever-improving passing game. Oh, and a SOLID defense! Go Huskers!

'night.

"Individual commitment to a group effort -- that is what makes a team work a company work, a society work, a civilization work."--Vince Lombardi

Letter

Well, since the Boston Globe is probably not going to run my Op-Ed, and since the New York Times is probably not going to run my letter to the editor, I decided to go straight to the source. No more of this "beating around the bush" stuff. I modified my Op-Ed piece and mailed it directly to Governor Mitt Romney himself. I figure this is probably the most direct way to try to affect his actions, though the others were just trying to rally public opposition to his policy.

Anyway, that took most of my day. If you guys want to read the letter, just post up a comment and i'll be happy to email it to you. It's about 2 1/2 pages, single spaced.

Alrighty, I'm out. It's just about dinner time! Huzzah!!!!

Hasta.

"We say 'Let's save Mother Earth today because she made us who we are.'" But I say let's pray Mother Earth saves us, because we made her what she is."--Gavin Busath, from "One Degree"

Great news! And Why I'm So Happy About It, in Particular

On March 22, 2002, Amina Lawal, a Nigerian woman, was sentenced to death by stoning by a Sharia court (Sharia is, basically, Islamic law) for birthing a child out of wedlock. On Thursday, the Sharia Court of Appeals of Katsina State overturned her sentence largely on the basis of applications of Islamic law. There's a story in yesterday's New York Times about it, here (and it's an amazingly written article), as well as an Amnesty International press release, here.

(In case the method of execution is unclear, death by stoning is carried out by burying the condemned to the neck and bludgeoning his/her head with stones until that person ceases to live.)

I think the reason this particular case makes me so happy is because about a year ago I sent out an email to friends of mine, and email which had been sent to me through Amnesty International. I know I was one of the people who signed the petition and letter to the Nigerian government. Even though it was the court which ultimately saved this woman's life, the Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo, had stated that the Nigerian Constitution would save her life, a statement which alludes to his intentions to prevent her execution, regardless of the rulings of the courts. It was he to whom I wrote. I feel like I had a part in saving this woman, and, be it miniscule, it's still a part. I'm beaming with pride and exhiliration like I can't explain.

These are the rewards of activism.

"It's a matter of taking the side of the weak against the strong, something that the best people have always done."--Harriet Beecher Stowe

Cool Dealie, and another Happy Birthday

I just talked to Krys, and it seems that, since we're (unintentionally, and totally accidentally) taking the same Physical Anthropology class, we watched the same movie! I told her about this movie we watched on Wednesday (we caught the last 10 minutes today), and when she went to class she realized that she was watching the same one! I think that's so cool.... National Geographic must be pretty popular, eh?

A very happy birthday to Glenn Dupont, my very great friend back home. He's 22 today. Everybody wish him a happy birthday by hitting up his site: The 311 Fan Base. It's done very well. He's bringing people together and at the same time showing off a bit of his creativity. Rock on, Vallon!

Speaking of Glenn, we talked for about 3 1/2 hours tonight. It was great because I haven't spoken with him since before I left for school during the summer. That makes it about 2 months since we last shot the proverbial breeze. It was great to reminisce about the "good ol' days" (am I allowed to have those yet? i'm not even 19...) when we would promote bands we liked incessantly and talk about music as if it were the most important thing in the world. At the time, it was. Other interests fell by the wayside when we began on 311 or Grasshopper Takeover or Incubus or Dave Matthews Band or... or... you get the picture. Music was just about everything. Not to say that's changed, but priorities have. I kinda miss those days... I do. We spent so many days and nights working toward some great causes, and it brought us so close together, and has provided both of us with great, great memories. Thanks, man.

Well, off to bed. Since the Globe is probably not going to publish my Op-Ed, I'm just going to modify it (read: lengthen and strengthen) and mail it to Governor Romney myself. OH! Speaking of which, the speaker of the state House (I think it was him....) said he'd do anything he could to stop the bill from passing, regardless of anything. He's my kinda guy. Go dude! Go!

Off to bed soon.

"Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light."--Albert Schweitzer

Soooooo tired....

I'm working on this Spanish paper (yes, the very same one as before....). She returned them, with comments, and wanted us to revise them. I'm exhausted and really don't feel like doing this, but I kinda waited til tonight to do it, so it's my own fault. Anyways, sorry this isn't any kind of a deep thought or political rave. I'm too sleepy for politics right now. Solo Español y mi cama..... mmm.... cama....

Buenas noches

"Art is unquestionably one of the purest and highest elements in human happiness. It trains the mind through the eye, and the eye through the mind. As the sun colors flowers, so does art color life."--John Lubbock, Sr.

Beaten to the Punch

So, as I've written, I sent an Op-Ed piece to the Boston Globe yesterday, hoping they'd publish it soon. Well, today, it seems, one of the Globe's regular columnists, Joan Vennochi, wrote and published one of her own, regarding the exact same issue mine was pertaining to. Though "Romney's 'perfect' issue" doesn't argue the same point mine did, since it's of the same topic, I'm pretty positive mine won't be published now. Ah well, it was a good shot. Maybe my letter to the NYT will be, though!

Though this is a bit disappointing and frustrating, I still encourage all of you to read Ms. Vennoshi's column. It's written superbly and brings up some points I hadn't considered. It's not clear to me what her position on capital punishment is from the article, but she still raises some great issues regarding Massachusett's current situation and their allegedly egotistic governor. It's here.

Hasta

"People need trouble -- a little frustration to sharpen the spirit on, toughen it. Artists do; I don't mean you need to live in a rat hole or gutter, but you have to learn fortitude, endurance. Only vegetables are happy."--William Faulkner (that's ironic, cuz there are lots of artists who actually do live in rat holes or gutters.)

Good Day

Today's been nice so far. I missed breakfast (d'oh!), but made up for it with a great big lunch. My first 2 classes went relatively well. International Relations is always interesting, and I was happy because I handed in a paper I'm kinda proud of. It's about "Lord of the Flies" and how the characters are quintessential examples of Realist and Liberal (or Idealist) actors (Jack is the Realist, Ralph is the Idealist). I think it was a good paper. I think I wrote it well and really said what I wanted to say. Stuff like that makes me happy.

Know what else makes me happy? Actually understanding (most of) what we went over in Calculus today. I wasn't too lost, which is very occasional in that class. So, hooray for me understanding some calc.

Well, time to do my next passive program before RA class. It's a "Free Speech Board." I'm posting up a large, white, mostly blank piece of paper with an issue written on it every week. There will be a pen attached to a string for residents to post up their opinions on these issues. I think this week I'll post up about Romney's decision to reinstate capital punishment (or at least his attempt to) in Massachusetts, just cuz it's current and tumultuous ($3 word!).

HUSKER GAME TONIGHT!! Vs. Southern Miss. Watch ESPN at 7:30 est or 6:30 cdt. Go big red!

Until next time....

"If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worthy reading, or do things worth the writing."--Benjamin Franklin

Well, jeez, they've figured it out....

Today in my Physical Anthropology class (we study evolution and primates and monkeys and bones and genes and stuff) we watched a film about chimpanzees. They're so cool! But the most interesting (and probably funniest) part of the show was that about the Bonobos. These are primates too, but they do something that's SO different...

alright so they get angry at times, just like any other animal, but, instead of fighting and being violent, they have sex! Crazy right? They take their aggression out in a sexual manner. From the film, it didn't look like very aggressive sex, but the whole point was to just kinda calm them down or whatever. The narrator (it was National Geographic) called it something like "the quinessential 'make love not war' society."

All I want to know is, what do they know that we don't? Imagine how many more people would be happy if, instead of attacking Iraq, everyone just made love? Smiles everywhere, guaranteed.

Have a great whatever-it-is-you're-having

"An intellectual is a person who has discovered something more interesting than sex."--Aldous Huxley

Op-Ed to the Boston Globe

so, I've just finished writing an Op-Ed column to the Boston Globe. I don't think they'll run it, but I hope they do. Not only because of how proud I'd be that my work was published in the Boston Globe, but because I wrote about an issue that I think people need to know about. So, it's along the same lines of the NYT Letter to the Editor, only more specific and much longer. I was going to post it up,but rather than have a 600-word post, if you're interesting in reading it, post up on the "Comments" part. If the comments aren't working, please email me (sullivan@bigred.unl.edu) and request the column, and, also, please let me know that the "comments" aren't working.

Probably another post later tonight.... maybe... probably...

"I will believe in the death penalty when you will prove to me the infallibility of human beings."--Marquis de Lafayette

Thanks For Thankless Act, and the New York Times "Letters to the Editor" Page

The other day I was in the restroom in the Union, and, unfortunately, found myself without toilet paper. I know, a difficult predicament that I should have avoided myself, but, alas, did not. Just as I was about to accept my fate and walk out to an even more frustrating day, I heard a knock and a "Hey Dude." I looked up, and there was a hand coming over the wall holding a bunch of toilet paper, just for me! I was thankful, to say the least.

The thing that strikes me so is that this man was invisible to me (hopefully I was just as invisible to him). He just up and did this for me. He didn't know me. I couldn't possibly know him. I couldn't see him or shake his hand afterword or anything. He just did it to help me out, a raving lunatic jerkface crazyman, for all he knows. It was amazing, and I appreciate it endlessly. So, if you're reading this, good sir, I want you to know that you made my day much better. Thanks a mil! (how come people say a "mil"? Are we that lazy? I sure am....)

Alright, on to less personal stuff. Today, in light of the article in the New York Times today (see post below entitled "Act!"), I wrote a letter to the editor. I doubt it will be published, but this is what it read:

To the Editor:

Re: "Push in Massachusetts for a Death Penalty" (news article, Sept. 23, page A14).

Governor Romney's decision to push for the reinstatement of Capital Punishment in Massachusetts, no matter what the condition, demoralizes our society and undermines the fundamental value of life attributed to every human being.

The Death Penalty is a poor example to set. It is a practice which breeds violence and promotes vengeance. From a taxpayers' point of view, according to Amnesty International, it costs approximately three times as much to execute a person than it does to imprison him or her for life without the possibility of parole. In addition, a New York Times survey, published in September of 2000, found that, in the previous 20 years, the homicide rate in states with the Death Penalty was 48 percent to 101 percent higher than those without, a statistic which hinders the view of the Death Penalty as an effective deterrent.

Should Governor Romney have his way, the people of Massachusetts, as well as the American people, will have relinquished the dream of a society which promotes justice, humanity, compassion, and an unwavering belief in basic, irrevocable human rights.

Collin W. Sullivan
Student, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE

If you see something like this appear in the New York Times Letters to the Editor section in the next couple of days, I was either published or ripped off. Oh, and it definitely won't be tomorrow, as they haven't contacted me yet (they do so before they publish letters, I'm told). If I feel like it (and have time tomorrow), maybe I'll try to write an Op-Ed for the Boston Globe. I highly doubt they'd publish that, but if they don't I'll just send it to Governor Romney myself, just so he knows how a fellow American feels about his policy.

Have a great morning/afternoon/evening/night!

"I am in earnest - I will not equivocate - I will not excuse - I will not retreat a single inch and I will be heard."--William Lloyd Garrison, The Liberator

Act!

Hey all,

check this out: Push in Massachusetts for a Death Penalty (sign up for the free thing.... whatever... it's worth it, and they don't bother you with frustrating emails if you don't want them to)

it's about how Mitt Romney, Governor of Massachusetts, is attempting to reinstate the Death Penalty through legislation.

Hey... let's stop him!

learn, then analyze, then act.

--Collin

"Wherever capital punishment is in place, crucial bounds to the conscience of a people are missing. Bounds against the criminal perversion to simply step over human life."--Professor Dr. Ferdinand Kadecka (1874 - 1964); Important Austrian lecturer of criminal law and judicial politician

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRYS!!!!

I'd just like to take this opportunity to wish my wonderfully lovely girlfriend, Krystyna, the happiest of birthdays. She deserves every gift, every phone call, and every thought. She's a beautiful girl, and an even more beautiful person, and I love every bit about her. I hope she's even happier now that she's 19.

So, as I've alluded to, I've been thinking about birthdays, probably because there have been two in as many days (seems like there are more and more people being born every day.... weird). I've been considering this social celebration and asking myself why we do it. It seems so trivial if we reword it. Like, what if, instead of saying "happy birthday!" to somebody, I said, "Congratulations on completing your 19th revolution around the Sun!" That would be weird, right? Because people just don't say that. But, essentially, that's what we're saying. Now, I am in NO way, shape, or form knocking the concept of birthdays. I say, if it gives you a reason to party, go for it (except for VJ and Columbus days... *shuddershuddershudder*). And I don't think birthday's are overrated.... I just think it's fascinating that we humans celebrate something so trivial. Maybe it's not trivial. It's a marker. A milestone. Many times, the higher the number, the wiser and more experienced you are at different things. Lots of people grow smarter with age. And without a system to tell people how long we've been around, how would we know?

It's also true that we set things up around age. There's a drinking age, a cigarettes-buying age, a pornography-buying age, a "Senior Citizen Discount" age, all kinds of ages. If there were no system, how would I know when I can get the discount on the bus?

Just rambling. Birthday parties are so fun! Especially with the hats and those things that are rolled up and then you put them in your mouth and blow in them and they unroll and go ZZZZOOOOOO! and then roll back up so you can do it all over again.

Today's Amendment to the Constitution: make Ice Cream the national food. And come up with a WonderDrug for those who are lactose intolerant (I know they have stuff out now, but I bet it could be improved....)

Alrighty. G'night.

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."--Abraham Lincoln

Why? Just Rethinking Social Norms Again....

Can somebody, anybody, who is openly homophobic please explain to me why it's a bad thing to be gay? I've been thinking about this, for no particular reason, but it upsets me that so many people hate so many other people, seemingly because they disagree, or because they're slightly different. Are people so afraid of straying from the status-quo that they refuse to stand up for other people's dignity?

How is it that something which originally meant "happy" or "brilliant in color" eventually came to mean "stupid," "disagreeable," or "ridiculous?" It's because, in between, it came to mean "homosexual." And homosexual, society teaches us, is very very bad. You're not supposed to be like that. The rest of us are not like that. Conform, damn you. Assimilate. We're afraid because we don't know, and we don't like being afraid. So, rather than informing ourselves, learning, and respecting and embracing differences, we will exploit, shun, and degrate. We will ostracize and excommunicate until those of you who are gay won't tell anybody. You will live a life of denial, trapped inside yourself, until you implode. But remember, stress-related implosions aren't society's fault. They're either genetic or self-imposed. So why don't you have any self-esteem? Go ahead, take the "society" scapegoat. Faggot.

Do me a favor. Next time you are about to say something is "gay" or "homosexual" or whatever other colloquialisms that people say, rethink it. Consider who you're stereotyping and why. And, to take it a step further, next time you hear somebody say something like that, confront them about it (in a constructive manner, of course).

I'm working on this myself. I'm pretty sure I have part one down, it's part two that's tricky.

(This went from an honest request [somebody telling me why] to a rant about how I see it, why I think it's so... sorry. It wasn't the intention, but it's my feeling and came out of raw emotion, so I'm going to keep it the way it is. I think it's more powerful and more "me.")

Have a social-order-changing day.

"You must remove the cloak of mystery before the rest of us can live in safety. Matthew was a loving, brilliant, kind, compassionate, caring (person). He was just like all of you. There was no difference. He just happened to be gay."--Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew Shepard, who was beaten and killed for his sexual orientation in 1998 in Laramie, Wy. To learn more about Matthew and Judy, please go to www.matthewshepard.org.

Happy Birthday to Sharon

Ooooh what to think, what to think.... Today I was stopped at a train crossing, as the train was crossing, and I noticed all the great art on the train (it was going slow, for a train). There was amazing street art, popularly called "graffiti," on a bunch of the cars. I started wondering how many people really appreciate this stuff for it's aesthetic value, and don't merely deride it for it's vandalistic quality.

Alright, on to other stuff. I'm desperately trying to catch up in school. I have 2 tests this week, Tuesday and Wednesday. Calculus and Spanish, respectively. It sucks because I don't really like my calculus class, and my Spanish class is very difficult. So earning strong, solid grades in these two classes in particular will be a challenge. But I'm up for it. Bring it, Spanish and Calc. Bring it.

I took a friend of mine out to lunch today. It's her birthday. She partied last night (in the traditional, college sense of the word). Surprisingly, she doesn't have a hangover. So that's good. We had a nice lunch.

From my window, I can see the Capitol. It's this tall, phallic, corn-stalk looking building. On top of it is this red light. There's also a building near it with another red light on it. THEN, there's yet ANOTHER building, US Bank, with 2 red lights on top. So, from my window, at night, I can see 4 red lights. Two of them flash on and off, slowly, intermittently, and at different speeds. It's really beautiful.

Tomorrow, remind me to talk about birthdays. I been thinking about these.

Have a great night! (and Happy Birthday to Sharon) (and Krys' Birthday is tomorrow!!!)

"Justice is truth in action."--Benjamin Disraeli

Today's Mail

Oh man so check this out. About two and a half weeks ago, our Amnesty International student group sent letters to Tony Blair, the Prime Minister of Great Britain. If I recall correctly, we urged him to investigate accusations that British troops were/are raping women during the occupation of in Iraq, as well as committing other war crimes. Whether these accusations are true or not, we don't know. But, as of yet, there has been no formal investigation.

Today, I received this letter in the mail:

"Dear Mr Sullivan

The Prime Minister has asked me to thank you for your recent letter, the contents of which will be carefully noted.

Mr Blair has asked that your letter be passed to the Ministry of Defence which has particular responsibility for the matter you raise so that they are also aware of your views.

Yours sincerely

JOHN O'CONNELL"

Now, I don't know exactly who John O'Connell is, but the header read that it came "From the Direct Communications Unit".

This is so cool! Let's look at the different levels upon which this is so cool. This means:
(1) ...that my letter reached England in satisfactory time (props to the American and British postal services, respectively).
(2) ...that Tony Blair, or somebody in his office, or somebody pretending to be Tony Blair read my letter.
(3) ...that the office of Tony Blair cared enough, or pretended to care enough, to respond to me. To ME!! An 18 year old college student from Rhode Island in Nebraska.... an American! Boggles my mind. Great Powers, I would expect, don't usually have time to respond to lowly college activists.
(4) ...that I apparently wrote my return address legibly enough to be read.
(5) ...This guy has a great signature. It either reads "JOC" (John O'Connell) or just "Joe." I can't really tell. It's probably "JOC", which isn't nearly as cool as "Joe", but still very cool.
(6) ...It's not an email. True, I did snail mail it, but email seems so impersonal, especially when from World Leaders. Not that I'd be upset with an email. But how can you show off an email? People don't want to look on your computer screen. They don't care. They want to hold the letter in their hand and read it, and be jealous :) Plus, it takes more effort and more money (much more money) to send a letter. And it's just plain better.
(7)...that ACTIVISM WORKS. Now, my receiving this letter does not mean there will be a formal investigation. But it does mean that, if even for a second, the Prime Minister, or somebody important to semi-important, considered it. That's powerful.

Well, I'm off to do whatever it is that people do after they receive a letter from the office from the Prime Minister of Great Britain.

"Nothing is more powerful than an individual acting out their conscience, thus helping bring the collective conscience to life."--Norman Cousins

Blah Blah Blah....

(CAUTION: I'm exhausted. Read the following as if a drunken idiot is reciting it to you. That's what I'm sure I sound like.)

It's 1:51am right now. I just returned from my friend's dorm room. There I watched "Lord of the Flies" for my International Relations class. We need to answer questions regarding how the film could metaphorically represent larger political systems. Anyways, I'm ridiculously tired.

Since I'm so tired, I'm afraid to see any of my residents. You see, when I'm this tired, I tend to take on an air of drunkeness, I'm told. My eyes droop, my words are not perfectly chosen, my motor skills are less-than-par. This is the closest I've ever been to "drunk", as I don't drink. At all. The last thing I need now is a couple of residents spreading the word that "Collin stopped by my room last night and he said he was just tired but man he was totally wasted!" I'm an example-setter, right? Right. Moving on.

I bought a plant today. It's a "Pothos" plant. It's also known as a "Marble Queen Pothos" plant. Maybe that's because it's leaves turn splotchy white and look marblish. It cost me $4. The UNL Horticulture Club (I think) was selling them. I thought a plant would liven up my room. It's very nice. It's in a small green plant pot and it's sort of like ivy. It hangs down. It's a hanging plant.

I took money out of the ATM to buy a $4 plant. I walked by 3 different homeless people today and gave them no money or time.

OH! But this one guy, probably not homeless, as he seemed to be pretty well off and student-ish, accosted me today. He was this big strong built intimidating guy and he said, real discretely, "Hey man.... you lookin for a part-time job...." as if he had something crazy to hide. I explained to him, "Nope." Then told him that I'm an RA, and RA's can't have outside jobs, especially us newbies. I think he stereotyped me and assumed I wanted to sell drugs. That's what I think.

I have a cold. I'm congested. My nose hurts from using napkins to blow it (ran out of tissues). But my throat isn't as sore as it once was.

Week's over. Weekend's here. No football game this weekend. That's bad. But good 'cuz I'm on duty tomorrow night, so maybe there won't be so much drunken madness as on other Saturdays.

I think this post epitomizes the title: Random Thoughts and Rants.

Goodnight.

"Forty is the old age of youth; fifty is the youth of old age."--Victor Hugo

Greed, Guilt, and Privilege

So far today (and it's only 1:30 yet) I've seen two different homeless men on campus. This really isn't a strange occurrance, as there is at least one man who lives in our Union (his name is Brian, and he is very nice). But these are two different people, two I don't usually see around campus. One, a black man, was asleep on a concrete bench, next to his head were what appeared to be all of his belongings shoved into two large, colorful, garbage-sized plastic bags. The other man is sitting outside the library at a popular underpass holding a double-sided sign, which reads, "Homeless, hungry, anything will help. WWJD?", or something to that effect. He's wearing a camouflaged jacket and cap, and his beard is long and grey (reminiscent of Fidel Castro).

People of this social class make me question all sorts of things. Capitalism, socialism, incentive, reciprocity (did they get what was coming to them? Is that a doctrine I should follow?) Should I give to them? Of course I should. But what? I have no cash on me. Ah, but I have an NCard (my student ID, works like a credit card), and a debit/credit card. Should I offer to buy one of them a burger? Both of them? What if they're offended? Violent? Faking? What if they're incredibly appreciative, and it's the first time somebody's offered them anything in weeks? These things run through my head every time I pass them.

It's frustrating because I feel an obligation, as somebody priveledged to have a bank account, an automobile, and a job. I attend a University that costs (roughly) $15,000 a year for tuition alone. I'm a white male, the top of the social ladder here (I won't even get into "white priveledge", but if you want to look it up, I'm sure there's plenty written on it online. Try Google). I have all this, but what can I give? I considered (half-seriously, half-accidentally) giving one of my textbooks to one of the men and suggesting he try to sell it, but that wouldn't work. They wouldn't give him the money for it. He doesn't have the receipt, and my name's on the book.

What irks me even more is that I feel like I'm one of the few people who passed these men who considered this stuff. Most just kind of walk by, look away, lock their doors (if they're driving/riding in a car), put their hands over their wallets/pocketbooks, whatever. It's selfish, greedy, and breeds fear and hate (again, capitalism at it's best!). But I'm no better than any of them, because I didn't do anything to help, either. I just walked on by. Sure, I thought about it. But I still just walked on by.

"Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love."--Lao Tzu

Un papel mejor en Español

Lo siento. No va a ser una anotación anoche, pero mañana con toda certeza. Tengo que escribir una papel larga en Español ahora. Se necesita a ser 600 palabras, mas o menos, y es sobre la poésia. ¡Uf! (Poésia en español es muy bonita, muy muy bonita.)

Pues, ¡hasta mañana!

"En la vida, dos cosas ciertas son la muerte y el cambio."--Ozomatli

Last Night's Irony

So, as I've mentioned previously, last night was a waste with regards to getting much studying done (though this afternoon has salvaged that a bit). But I still had a great night.

One thing that happened last night, something I really found humorous, is this story. I met up with a friend of mine, Ryan, who happens to be gay, at the Union on campus. We met with the intentions of studying for Spanish, but, alas, ended up discussing polemics and politics, among other things. Anyways, one of the things we talked about was how he sort of disagreed with gay culture, I guess something he struggles with a bit from time to time (he also gave me his opinion of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy", which was incredibly interesting). So he sort of told me that he had problems with the cultural establishment and things like that. So we walked back to my building and we were parting ways, and we embraced, as we do when we part. But he pricked his hand on a button on my backpack. When I checked out which button it was (there are three), I smiled and said, "Ironically, you pricked yourself on the 'F#%k Homophobia' button." He burst out laughing, and chalked the karma up to his bashing of local gay culture. We both had a good laugh over that.

Anyway, off to write a paper for RA class.

"If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us."--Herman Hesse

Some new thinkers

Tonight was an interesting one. I went to work on a paper, got all the info for it, and never wrote it (it's optional). Then I went to study for Spanish with a friend of mine and we got to talking about America's problems, as we see them. Needless to say, I learned much tonight, but have nothing physical to show for it. That's..... weird.

One thing i was thinking about was a question one of my friends' teachers proposed to the class the first day, a "get to know you" question. This was it: If you could add one amendment to the U.S. Constitution, what would it be?

I'd have four (I know that's against the rules, but this is my blog, and I make the rules. One means four here.... at least right now).

1) Abolish the death penalty, once and for all, and declare a national moratorium on all outstanding sentences. Commute all sentences for current death row inmates to life without the possibility of parole, and ensure that those who were not given fair trials are afforded one.
2) Make sure the Bill of Rights, as well as all of the articles and the rest of the amendments, are officially extended to all persons. Do not mention anything like "...regardless of race, sex, national origin, sexual orientation...."blah blah blah no don't. Because differences change, and if we start defining something like that, it will make for more conflict in the future.
3) Add all of the articles from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UN Geneva Conventions, 1948) that are not already in the Constitution, such as the right to basic education, or the right to be considered innocent until proven guilty.
4) Finally, I'd put something in there about how the Constitution must be upheld and respected at all costs, no matter what.... What's that you say? There's already something in there about that? That's strange. I didnt' realize that. Apparently some of our leaders and government officials don't, either.

I'll leave you with that. More tomorrow (if there's time... I have so much to do!)

"Fear is not the natural state of civilized people."--Aung Sung Suu Kyi (Nobel Peace Prize winner, currently being detained for her political views)

Coming Soon! New Thoughts Aplenty

Sorry I didn't post last night. I was studying for a test (History of American Jazz), so I didnt have time to. But I definitely had lots to think about. Death penalty news, our president, war, and how so many people look like other people. It's kinda funny....

More on that later. Now I gotta go take a test.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."--Margaret Mead

A People's History

I started A People's History of the United States today. It's so amazing. Howard Zinn (the author) writes so well and is so well informed. He uses all kinds of primary sources, cites everything, quotes correctly... it's definitely opinionated, but all history is. He even explains. Check this out:

"I don't want to invent stories for people's movements. But to think that history-writing must aim to recapitulate the failures that dominate the past is to make historians collaborators in an endless cycle of defeat. If history is to be creative, to anticipate a possible future without denying the past, it should, I believe, emphasize new possibilities by disclosing those hidden episodes of the past when, even if in brief flashes, people showed their ability to resist, to join together, occasionally to win. I am supposing, or perhaps only hoping, that our future may be found in the pasts fugitive moments of compassion rather than in its solid centuries of warfare.

That, being as blunt as I can, is my approach to the history of the United States. The reader may as well know that before going on." (Zinn, 10-11)

A girl in my Physical Anthropology class said her high school history teacher petitioned and fought for this to be her textbook. I think that'd be awesome, but I also think she missed out on part of the allure of the book. See, part of the reason it's so appealing is because it's based upon things you were tought in elementary, middle, and high schools, but is a deeper analysis of what really happened, you know, the sad stuff you don't learn (like genocide and class warfare). I don't know if she ever really had the solid basis for which the book was written. I don't even know if I ever received the most solid of foundations (we only studied up to World War II in American History). Anyways, I know I love this book. I've read half of it, put it down, and now I'm picking it back up again, starting over. I really want to learn it, and it's enjoyable. I'll let you know what I think (I promise endless praise, though).

'til tomorrow....

"History is written by the victors."--Winston Churchill

Lazy Days/Daze

Today seemed kinda useless. I didn't get too much accomplished. I studied a bit in the library, but I'm a little overwhelmed. and not quite sure exactly what I need to do, and really won't be until I can get to class (tomorrow).

I watched some TV, which is something I don't too that often, and I spent time online..... very boring night. Dinner was probably the highlight, cuz I spent it with friends. I was even gonna start reading a book today, but I was too bored. Weird huh?

Speaking of starting a book, I have this terrible habit of starting books and not finishing them. Thus, Anne Frank. Thus, "Political Economy of Human Rights." Thus, "A People's History of the United States 1492-Present" (the book I'm about to re-start). I don't know why I do it, I just do. I need to stop. I'll stop after I finish this one (for real).

Oh, good news. Yesterday I drove over to Best Buy and bought a new mouse for my computer. The other one was being really crappy. This new one is so cool! It's a stationary mouse with the ball on the top, laser deal inside. It's got the scroll wheel and the two main buttons by the thumb, but what's real cool about it is that there're two other buttons, by the ring and pinkie fingers. The ring finger button serves as a "Back" button for web pages, the pinkie button as a "Forward" button. It's so cool!

Alright, off to... nothingness. And be, eventually.

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going."--Jim Rohn

Victory!

I think our friends from Penn State learned a valuable lesson about life tonight:

Reciprocity is a bitch.

Yeah, they about creamed us last year (40-7, you'll recall), and 18-10 ain't no whoopin, as they say here, but we really did manhandle the ol' Nittany Lions tonight. We rushed for over 300 yards! They barely made half of that in total yards! (we passed for about 60.... not bad) The reason the score was so low is because (a) Our defense kept them on the right side of the field, their own, and (b) our offense is horrendous in the Red Zone. I know.... ironic isn't it? Big Red is terrible in the "red" zone. Ah well. Can't be awesome at everything.

I'm just glad we're awesome at something. And that's winning. We made lotsa mistakes, but pulled through. That's what I like about this team. We don't have many big plays, or huge playmakers, but as a team, we're very solid (especially our defense).

Oh, something else I like about this team is their sportsmanship and the fans. Tonight, after the win, the Huskers gathered at the 50-yard-line for a prayer, as they always do. But this week there were like 6 or 7 Penn State players within the huddled mass. It was so cool! They coulda been all like "no way man this is our prayer" but nope. Not here. Here we welcome peeps.

And the fans. Here's an example of how great they are: As we were leaving the game (we sat SKYBOX by the way!!), a man was shaking the hands of everyone about to pass through this door, saying "Thanks for helping us win!" That's the mentality here. The crowd is as much a part of the team as the players are. It's true, too. Two weeks ago, the crowd was so loud at time, we caused about 5 Oklahoma State penalties!! Yeah, we do our part.

Talk soon.

"People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defences, or the problems of modern society."--Vince Lombardi

Game Soon

Well, I'm pretty pumped for the Penn State / Nebraska game tonight. We're going like 3 hours early. Gonna check out the Husker Nation Pavilion and try to steal some great seats. Wish us luck!

Also, comments are (should be....) working now, so please, post!

Hasta.

""Not the victory but the action; Not the goal but the game; In the deed the glory."--Hartley Burr Alexander (most famous and notorious of the three quotes engraved upon Memorial Stadium)

Thinking and Thanks

There's so much I've been thinking about.... Take, for instance, just on the drive back from Omaha to Lincoln. I was listening to "Evolver", the new 311 album (one that I HIGHLY recommend), and some of the lyrics really got me thinking. Take this one (from "Seems Uncertain"):

"In times of trouble / Everyone joins a team / No one waves a flag / For all human beings"

Two years after the infamous 9/11, those words still ring so true. The last time I heard somebody talk about "human rights" (outside of UNL Amnesty chapter members, or Krys) or "humanity" or "mankind" was... jeez I don't even know. It's a very perceptive line worth thinking about. Or oh how about this one, from the same song:

"Your denomination / Should be a private thing / How about a spirit / For all human beings / How could something well guided / Turn out to be divisive? / Mostly wondering / It seems uncertain"

I follow the news pretty closely, and every single day I read something about Israel and Palestine, or Islamic fundamentalists, or Christian fundamentalists, or jihad, or supremacy, or something. Every single day! Islam and Christianity are not only two of the worlds major religions, but also two of the most peaceful and welcoming. That's the "well guided" part. They're the literalists, the fundamentalists, the vengeful ones who are blemishing the faith in the eyes of many people. Because of them, now all Arabs are terrorists, or all Muslims are suicide bombers, or anyone with a beard and turban knows bin Laden, or all Catholic priests are child molesters, or whatever. It's so frustrating to me, not only that people can be so ignorant to classify and generalize people like that, but that anybody gives them any reason to. They're not necessarily good reasons, but these stereotypes don't just pop out of nowhere. They're based on something, usually isolated incidents, sometimes more numerous ones. It's very scary.

*Ahem* Now that that's out of my system, I want to thank my friends here. I just returned about 40 minutes ago, and under my door was a card wishing me peace and offering condolences. It was signed by a number of people I know here. It was so thoughtful and unnecessary, but greatly appreciated. It's already up on my bulletin board. You guys are great.

I don't know how I can be so lucky to have such great friends in so many places. Last Sunday, my friends back home threw myself, Krys, Scott, and Kate a very nice breakfast celebrating 4 years of togetherness, as well as however long of knowing everybody. Now I return, and I find more people going out of their way to make me feel warm. It's strange and comforting to know that this many people care for me. It's wonderful.

Have a great night.

(2 quotes tonight)

"Fantastic doctrines (like Christianity or Islam or Marxism) require unanimity of belief. One dissenter casts doubt on the creed of millions. Thus the fear and the hate; thus the torture chamber, the iron stake, the gallows, the labor camp, the psychiatric ward."--Edward Abbey

"What if the truth is that there is no truth
The only thing I can prove is there is no proof
Don’t be so sure that your source is correct
People believed it before, before they had checked"
--Nicholas Hexum, from "Reconsider Everything" by 311

Grrrr....

So, it appears my "comments" function has decided to crap out on me. Hopefully this doesn't become a habit. I'll do what I can to fix it when I get back to Nebraska.

I'm on my way tonight. It sucks, but its nice all at the same time. I know I'm going to have lots to do, and lots of people to comfort me when I get back. They know this wasn't easy to do. And, of course, it's always difficult saying goodbye to Krys when I go to school. No matter how short a time it'll be 'til we see each other again (few weeks, right!?!?!), it's always hard. It was tough when I went to Connecticut for a couple days while I was here (basically the reason I stayed so long). But we'll pull through. We always do :)

Love to all, talk to you soon (from the Midwest, no doubt).

"Let him who would enjoy a good future waste none of his present."--Roger Babson

9/11 for Grandpa

We buried Grandpa today. It was a very sad time, but a happy one too. I'm so sad to see him go, but he's not suffering any more, so that's excellent. He was in lots of pain, and so when there's no more pain, hes gotta feel better, right?

I didn't know Grandpa was a veteran. He served in World War II as a medic (or something to that effect). So he did his time, serving his country, helping those who were hurt, doing good work.

Today, flags were at half-mast. I know why they were, it being September 11th and all, but I like to think it was because today we buried an amazing man, who happened to be an American. So today, we buried an amazing American. The country, and the world, lost a great person.

Sleep well, Grandpa.

"Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood."--Marie Curie

Family Life

Today I attended services for my grandfather. He passed away early Sunday morning, and I'm currently in Connecticut with my family (the Sullivan side). Today was a... it was a strange day.

I was on an emotional rollercoaster. It was a very sad thing to attend services for a man who was so great to so many people. I loved him very much, and he reciprocated that love back to me. So, it sucked being there. But, in all honesty, I think I smiled more than I frowned. I saw my family. I spent the day with my father. I joked with my uncles and aunt. I helped my grandmother. I met relatives and told them how I was doing, asked them how they were doing, heard endless stories, and so on. It was great.

So why was such a terrible, feared event such a smiley one? It seems that tragedy brings people together. Funerals certainly bring families together. I met some people today I've never seen before in my life. My father, aunt, and uncles met some people today they've only heard stories about. Oh, and remember September 11? We were all united after that (except for Arab-Americans.... but that's for another post). It seems to be a proven fact that terrible events mean people have something incredibly emotional in common. When that happens, people come together, and smiles start popping up.

At the risk of being (accurately) labeled a hypocrite, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that people shouldn't wait for tragedy to occur before they call up an old friend. We shouldn't wait for a relative's death to see our siblings. We all need to start putting more stock in family reunions. The family is the basis of our society, and besides, everyone in ya family gots the same blood, ya know?

Basically, today was a strange day. It's like we've all been saying all day: "It's great to see you!... I'm just so sorry it had to be under these circumstances."

Be well.

"He that raises a large family does, indeed, while he lives to observe them, stands a broader mark for sorrow; but then he stands a broader mark for pleasure, too."--Benjamin Franklin

Thinking About Stuff

The death of a loved one always makes you rethink things. In this case, much of yesterday I was thinking about the life I'd like to live. I think I'd like it to be much like my grandfather's. Although I don't aspire to be a medical doctor, earning a doctorate (in my case, it'd be a PhD) would really set the pace for the things I'd like to do. He was multilingual. He spoke English, some Spanish, some French, some Italian, probably German (I'd guess), and last I'd heard he was attempting to learn Russian. There were books all over the house. Now, I'm sure the weren't all his, but I'm also sure he probably read more than 60% of them. He'd been to all kinds of countries, was up on news always, and was loved by all kinds of people. I think I'd like my life to be something similar to that.

"Life is like music; it must be composed by ear, feeling, and instinct, not by rule."--Samuel Butler

Staying....

I'll be in New England for a few more days. My grandfather Sullivan passed away early this morning. The funeral is this week. I'll be back in Nebraska on Friday.

I'll keep Grandpa's memory alive forever. He was an amazing man, and I love him and will miss him dearly.

"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."--Buddha

Breakfast

This morning proved just what great friends I have. Today is mine and Krys' 4-year anniversary, and yesterday was Scott's and Kate's 4-year, so a group of our closest friends made us breakfast and we all (11 of us, I think?) had crepes and fruit and muffins and cookies and juice and milk and mmm all kinds of stuff.

Not everyone has people who care this much about them to do something like this. I think the four of us were flattered, I know I was. Thanks guys.

"The happiest moments my heart knows are those in which it is pouring forth its affections to a few esteemed characters."--Thomas Jefferson

New Stuff

Alright, so I'm gonna see if this "comments" deal works, cuz if it does, i think it'd be sweet. Feedback is always a good thing, and I've been told that some people would find a comments area useful. Besides.... everybody elses weblog has a comment dealie (word to muh Blurty's).....

Anyways, so if this look ridiculous, don't sweat it. I'm still tweaking it.

Later!

"Insert interesting quote here."--me

Homeward Bound

So I'm off tomorrow (Friday) afternoon. Can't wait to see everyone, friends and family! We're all gonna have a blast, I promise that.

This evening was good. Jets lost. That put me in a good mood. That means the Patriots are already a half game up. They haven't even played yet. A good start to the season.

So I'm only going to 2 classes tomorrow, but I have so much to do. Finish packing, have breakfast, off to Spanish class, stop by a Residence Directors office to get an assignment, sell a football ticket to a friend, have lunch, go to History of American Jazz class (should I refer to that in shorthand as "History class" or "Jazz class"?.... I say "Jazz"... yeah), over to the Union to sell some books back (last day for full refund), get some last-minute shopping done, and then make the hour trek to Omaha. I take off at 5, figure I'll leave here by 3, check in around 4, oughtta be golden.

I really am pumped about this trip. I'm gonna get some homework done on the plane, then maybe sleep a bit. I'll eat in Chicago, hopefully using the money given to me for the football ticket. Back on another (longer) flight, more homework, more reading, then..... HOORAY! 11:03pm I'll be at the mercy of the greatest (yet smallest) state in the entire union. Can't wait to be on Rhode Island :)

See you tomorrow!!!

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... it has no survival value; rather, it is one of those things that give value to survival."--C.S. Lewis

Capital Punishment in a Nation Which Attacked Another Largely on the Pretenses of Human Rights Violations

Does anybody else see this? I mean, I don't know if I'm the only one, but this just seems kind of backwards to me. One of the fundamental (and completely undisputed) reasons America attacked and is occupying Iraq was that of Saddam Hussein's incredible human rights abuses. America attacked Iraq, like bombed them and stuff, largely because he violated the human rights of many people.

Now, it would appear that the country doing the attacking is taking some sort of humanitarian high ground, and, generally speaking, America is considered more of a protector of human rights. But how can this be when the American government has put to death over 870 people since the reinstitution of the death penalty in 1973? That's an average of about 8 deaths every 5 weeks. 873 murders legally carried out by the American government, alleged protector of human rights.

The reason I bring this up is because of recent news regarding capital punishment. There are two hot stories right now that ought to give people reason enough to question the merits of the death penalty.

The first is regarding the retrial of 111 death sentences in Arizona, Idaho, and Montana, as per the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. According to them, judges cannot give death sentences, but juries can. This precedent was set by the Supreme Court decision in the case known as "Ring". The reason Ring was decided so was because the man sentenced to death was sentenced by a judge who had admitted to using marijuana very heavily around the time of the case, he mixed Ring's case up with somebody elses, and, if those weren't reasons enough, the prosecuting and defending attorneys are accused of having an affair during the trial.

So, just to recap so far, a man was sentenced to die by a judge who was under the influence of mind-altering drugs. The defendant's attorney was probably in cahoots with the prosecutor. AND the judge mixed the man's case up with another. I'd say that's a fair way to end one's life.

Now, the sencond, and most enraging reason people ought to start re-thinking this whole state-murder thing, is the case of Paul Jennings Hill. Mr. Hill, a former minister, was executed last night by way of lethal injection for the 1993 murder of Dr. John Baynard Britton, a doctor who frequently performed abortions in Pensacola, Florida. Many of Hill's supporters have recognized that he's now a martyr, and many others (including myself) fear that this will inspire a string of new killings, as some have already threatened.

Now, all abortion views aside, murder is wrong. This is a generally accepted belief, I think. But, what the state of Florida has so ingeniously done is to make a hero of a killer. This man, this murderer, whose last words while laying on the gurney were "If you believe abortion is an evil force, you should oppose the force and do what you have to, to stop it", whose supporters held signs that read things such as "Dead Doctors Can't Kill" and "Killing Baby Killers is Justifiable Homicide", he is now likened to people like John Brown (a white man hanged in the 1800's for attempting to lead a slave insurrection at Harper's Ferry).

So this system has sentenced people incorrectly and made martyrs of murderers, all in the same week. Is this a just system? Is it possible for a system as this one to be fair, balanced, unbiased, blind, or just?

Remember, all this and more has happened in America. America, who is allegedly fighting for human rights abroad, yet tearing them down at home.

"Capital punishment is a good way of making miscarriages of justice irrevocable while reducing murder rates not at all."--C.D. Hare

Home Class Igby

I'm very much anticipating this Friday. I'm going home! Just until Monday... but still! Almost 3 whole days in the Northeast! Huzzah! I can't wait to see everyone! My family, my girlfriend, my dog, my friends, Spike's, everyone/thing!

So class was alright today. We watched a movie on evolution and how it has been supressed and about the theory of Natural Selection and stuff. This was in Physical Anthropology, by the way, a very cool science. It's much cooler than Chemistry or Biology or Physics. We get to investigate monkey skulls. Ohoh and I get to watch a monkey "be" for approx. 5 hours. Fascinating.

International Relations and History of American Jazz are by far the two greatest classes ever bestowed upon man (maybe we'll discuss that in physical anthro). They're the most interesting, most rewarding, and most fun classes I've taken yet, and I've got 32 credits under my belt! I can only imagine what other awesome courses I'll get to take. Right now, it seems they can't get any better.

Oh yeah. Then there's Math 104. Calculus for Management and Social Sciences. Business Calc. It's easy thus far, except right now I don't have a calculator. Where is it? Beats me. But my roommate from last year had a few extras lying around, so maybe he'll let me borrow one for this, the last math class I may ever take (GASP!!!). Well.... maybe a personal finance course. Or economics. Can't be a political scientist if you don't know economics.

(Quick "Igby Goes Down" Reference:

Girl: Columbia, huh? What's your major?
Igby: He's majoring in Neofascism.
Igby's Brother (rather angrily): Economics.

See the movie. It's great. Depressing, dark, but great.)

Anyways. I have laundry to finish, a newspaper to read (for class), and some sleep to get.

Be well. (See you soon, Taz!!!)

"Happiness is a warm puppy."--Charles Schulz

Word.

Man, today was a great day. I dreaded my friend David's hair. It took all day, but it was worth it. he's wanted them done since last semester, and he's been waiting patiently. It was tough to find a day we were both free, but Labor Day ended up being a perfect one. Kinda sucked we were inside all day, but meh....

I finished "Media Control" by Noam Chomsky this morning. Very good book. The thing about Chomsky (at least in this, the first book I've ever read by him [more of a pamphlet]) is that he's very sarcastic and very cynical, but definitely never classified as humor. There were times when I chuckled, but they were few and far between. Sort of a comic relief deal. Anyways, he knows how to get a point across. In this book, he argued for us to reassess our notions of democracy. Are we an informed many who are willing and able to run the country to the will of the people? Or are we a confuddled herd run by a powerful few (who trick us into believing that democracy is the former)? Which is better? Which is practical? Which is going on right now? It's only a 100 page book. Read it. It took me about 2 hours altogether (and as I've said, I'm not a very fast reader).

Now I've started "Political Economy of Human Rights", another Chomsky book. I'm only a page or two into the preface, so I have no opinion of the book yet. I'll let you know, though. Don't fret.

Off to bed. Four classes tomorrow and little time for much else. Amnesty meeting tomorrow night! Huzzah!

"The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, but he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them."--George Orwell, "Notes on Nationalism", 1945

The Latest Paradox

Yesterday we were at the Huskers game (GO BIG RED), and Sam(antha), a friend of mine, who frequently tells me what a terrible person I am and how I'm always wrong (in a playful way.... it's a thing we have), told me I was always wrong.

Now, this was after I admitted I had been wrong just moments before.... hold on this is getting confusing. Here's the dialogue (or something like it):

Me: I was wrong.
Sam: You're always wrong!

This is completely impossible. I had to be right at some point. Just by my saying "I was wrong" makes me right somehow. If I was wrong when I said "I was wrong", then I was right about whatever it was I'd said I was wrong about. But if I was wrong originally, my saying "I was wrong" was totally right. You follow?

Think about that. I'll rap at you again in the morning (maybe).

Homework: Find other paradoxes. They're so damn cool! Ohoh and palindromes. Like: "Mr. Owl is a basil worm", "Sh! Tom sees moths", and "Yo! Banana boy!" (and, of course, the classic, "Rise to vote, sir.")

Tomorrow: Anagrams! Hurray!

Now off to read (a.k.a. "nerdify"), then to sleep. Goodnight.

"Language is not only the vehicle of thought, it is a great and efficient instrument in thinking."--Humphrey Davy