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I will be writing a blog very soon and hope that you come and check it out... It's going to be called:
Why Arabic...why now?
I'm looking forward to reading your blog!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Friday, November 21, 2008
My opinion re: online voting...
Here's the deal. I'm not an expert when it comes to online voting. All I know is the following:
--I don't enjoy going to the polls. It would be super convenient to vote from home.
--People with disabilities can't always get out to vote. If people could vote online, many of those folks probably would.
--People who live out in the country, far from towns, would probably be more likely to vote if they could do it at home using the Internet.
--There's a lot of room for corruption....I think someone would be able to manipulate the results. Look at what George Bush did in the last election (2004)...imagine what could happen in the future!
Check out this quote:
Seriously, though, I don't know much about online voting. Is it a good idea--or not? I don't know...but you need to figure out where you stand on this issue so that you can be ready for Tuesday's test!
Can you guys help me a bit? Please leave some comments in which you educate me. Let's pretend I don't know anything at all...
What is online voting? How does it work?
Is it being used anywhere? If so, where, why and how?
What are some of the advantages of online voting
What are some of the disadvantages?
How would you like to vote in the next election (if you could)? Why?
Thanks!
PS--Feel free to ask a grammatical or word choice type of question, using a sentence you might want to put in your essay....
--I don't enjoy going to the polls. It would be super convenient to vote from home.
--People with disabilities can't always get out to vote. If people could vote online, many of those folks probably would.
--People who live out in the country, far from towns, would probably be more likely to vote if they could do it at home using the Internet.
--There's a lot of room for corruption....I think someone would be able to manipulate the results. Look at what George Bush did in the last election (2004)...imagine what could happen in the future!
Check out this quote:
"Those who cast the votes decide nothing.
Those who count the votes decide everything."-- Josef Stalin
Muy interesante, no?
Seriously, though, I don't know much about online voting. Is it a good idea--or not? I don't know...but you need to figure out where you stand on this issue so that you can be ready for Tuesday's test!
Can you guys help me a bit? Please leave some comments in which you educate me. Let's pretend I don't know anything at all...
What is online voting? How does it work?
Is it being used anywhere? If so, where, why and how?
What are some of the advantages of online voting
What are some of the disadvantages?
How would you like to vote in the next election (if you could)? Why?
Thanks!
PS--Feel free to ask a grammatical or word choice type of question, using a sentence you might want to put in your essay....
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Chat with Ethan Hawke...OR....Shop at Ikea?
I got a mysterious phone message from an old friend of mine, H, at 2 pm on Monday: "Call me...something cool might be happening tonight...something kind of exciting."
I was intrigued, of course. What possibly could be going on?
I immediately returned the call to H, who happens to drive a limo. "How would you like to meet Ethan Hawke?"
"Ethan Hawke? The actor?"
"Yes, him. For real. I'm picking him up tonight and taking him to a movie premiere in NJ....maybe I can arrange for some sort of meeting."
"How?"
"I don't know...maybe we can pretend you're dropping off some papers for me or something."
Faking it
Lame, I thought. He'd see right through it. But so what? Many had pulled the fake "I just sort of ran into you" thing in the past.
But then I remembered---I had a plan to go to Ikea. To look at furniture. Something very important that I've been putting off for far too long. And I'm not into celebrity worship, especially of Hollywood celebrities.
But...Ethan Hawke. Hmmm.... He was pretty wonderful in Gattaca, wasn't he? :)
While H was telling me more, I decided to google Ethan, to try to remember which movies he was in. I found a list and then realized I'd only seen two of them. Gattaca was one of them.
Divorcing Uma
And then I read about how he ended his marriage to Uma Thurman. He slept with their nanny. This bothered me. I'm a huge fan of Uma's. I think she's beautiful in an unconventional way and, more importantly, a versatile actress. How could he? You fool! I thought! LOL
And then, visions of Swedish meatballs began dancing in my head...and yummy mashed potatoes. And cool and sometimes cheap furniture that's often tricky-to-assemble. Suddenly, that sounded like more fun than meeting Ethan for a few minutes of fake spontaneity and pretend worship. I made my choice and went to Ikea. I figured I could always change my mind later if I wanted (even though I was quite sure I wouldn't.)
I shopped around, saw lots of cool stuff and bought nothing. I was sort of in pre-buying mode. I did eat the meatballs and mashed potatoes, though. A great meal, for sure. And by then, I sort of forgot about the possible meeting. I got home a little while ago and began writing this blog...
Then, about 10 minutes ago, I got a call from H, who didn't know that I'd pretty much opted not to meet Ethan (I figured I'd let him know once he did call.)
"Things have gotten screwed up," he said. "It won't just be him in the car. His wife (the former nanny) and publicist will also be there."
"I see," I said.
"Want him to call you?" H asked.
"Call me?"
"Yes. Maybe I can convince him to leave you a phone message...you know, 'This is Ethan Hawke calling' or something."
"But...I wonder if would be better if I answered the phone?"
"That's up to you"
To answer or not to answer--that is the question
A couple hours later, I was sitting here, wondering if I'd be receiving a call from Ethan Hawke, a movie star. It was not what I thought Monday night in my world would be like!
Truthfully...it wasn't that important to me. Instead, I was thinking about the $49 table and $19.99 (each) chairs I saw and the pricey but perfect couch I saw at the Macy's Furniture Outlet that matches everything in my living room perfectly (but would mean no winter vacation for me).
I kept thinking--if that phone rings, I may or may not answer it. Somehow, I thought it might be more fun not to. It would be cool, somehow, to let him go to voicemail.
He is, after all, just a person....subject to my cellphone voice mail system like anyone else.
:)
Of course, if he were Val Kilmer or Russell Crowe...OR...Johnny Depp.... I might have answered....or driven over and sneak a peek! :)
*****************
PS--A couple hours later, my friend H called. It turns out that Ethan's publicist wouldn't let him make the call. So, I did not have my chance to chat with Ethan. Oh well.
I was intrigued, of course. What possibly could be going on?
I immediately returned the call to H, who happens to drive a limo. "How would you like to meet Ethan Hawke?"
"Ethan Hawke? The actor?"
"Yes, him. For real. I'm picking him up tonight and taking him to a movie premiere in NJ....maybe I can arrange for some sort of meeting."
"How?"
"I don't know...maybe we can pretend you're dropping off some papers for me or something."
Faking it
Lame, I thought. He'd see right through it. But so what? Many had pulled the fake "I just sort of ran into you" thing in the past.
But then I remembered---I had a plan to go to Ikea. To look at furniture. Something very important that I've been putting off for far too long. And I'm not into celebrity worship, especially of Hollywood celebrities.
But...Ethan Hawke. Hmmm.... He was pretty wonderful in Gattaca, wasn't he? :)
While H was telling me more, I decided to google Ethan, to try to remember which movies he was in. I found a list and then realized I'd only seen two of them. Gattaca was one of them.
Divorcing Uma
And then I read about how he ended his marriage to Uma Thurman. He slept with their nanny. This bothered me. I'm a huge fan of Uma's. I think she's beautiful in an unconventional way and, more importantly, a versatile actress. How could he? You fool! I thought! LOL
And then, visions of Swedish meatballs began dancing in my head...and yummy mashed potatoes. And cool and sometimes cheap furniture that's often tricky-to-assemble. Suddenly, that sounded like more fun than meeting Ethan for a few minutes of fake spontaneity and pretend worship. I made my choice and went to Ikea. I figured I could always change my mind later if I wanted (even though I was quite sure I wouldn't.)
I shopped around, saw lots of cool stuff and bought nothing. I was sort of in pre-buying mode. I did eat the meatballs and mashed potatoes, though. A great meal, for sure. And by then, I sort of forgot about the possible meeting. I got home a little while ago and began writing this blog...
Then, about 10 minutes ago, I got a call from H, who didn't know that I'd pretty much opted not to meet Ethan (I figured I'd let him know once he did call.)
"Things have gotten screwed up," he said. "It won't just be him in the car. His wife (the former nanny) and publicist will also be there."
"I see," I said.
"Want him to call you?" H asked.
"Call me?"
"Yes. Maybe I can convince him to leave you a phone message...you know, 'This is Ethan Hawke calling' or something."
"But...I wonder if would be better if I answered the phone?"
"That's up to you"
To answer or not to answer--that is the question
A couple hours later, I was sitting here, wondering if I'd be receiving a call from Ethan Hawke, a movie star. It was not what I thought Monday night in my world would be like!
Truthfully...it wasn't that important to me. Instead, I was thinking about the $49 table and $19.99 (each) chairs I saw and the pricey but perfect couch I saw at the Macy's Furniture Outlet that matches everything in my living room perfectly (but would mean no winter vacation for me).
I kept thinking--if that phone rings, I may or may not answer it. Somehow, I thought it might be more fun not to. It would be cool, somehow, to let him go to voicemail.
He is, after all, just a person....subject to my cellphone voice mail system like anyone else.
:)
Of course, if he were Val Kilmer or Russell Crowe...OR...Johnny Depp.... I might have answered....or driven over and sneak a peek! :)
*****************
PS--A couple hours later, my friend H called. It turns out that Ethan's publicist wouldn't let him make the call. So, I did not have my chance to chat with Ethan. Oh well.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
What makes us happy?
How do you see yourself? As an optimist? Pessimist? Realist? Blind optimist? Optimistic pessimist? An optimistic realist? All of the above? None of the above?
Wherever you are/however you see things, you might enjoy this movie--Happy Go Lucky. It gets you to look at what it means to be happy, you own reactions to someone who's happy/optimistic, how people react to each other based on their own experiences/filter, etc., and what it's like for a positive person to be around someone negative---and vice versa. It's funny and deep, entertaining and thought-provoking, and quite an experience to watch.
Here's a link to the trailer, and a short review of it (compliments of apple.com and miramax):
Review from apple.com/miramax:
Just how hard is it to be happy? In the effervescent new comedy from writer/director Mike Leigh (“Vera Drake,” “Secrets & Lies”), Sally Hawkins stars as Poppy, an irrepressibly free-spirited school teacher who brings an infectious laugh and an unsinkable sense of optimism to every situation she encounters, offering us a touching, truthful and deeply life-affirming exploration of one of the most mysterious and often the most elusive of all human qualities: happiness. Poppy’s ability to maintain her perspective is tested as the story begins and her commuter bike is stolen. However, she enthusiastically signs up for driving lessons with Scott (Eddie Marsan), who turns out to be her nemesis — a fuming, uptight cynic. As the tension of their weekly lessons builds, Poppy encounters even more challenges to her positive state of mind: a fiery flamenco instructor, her bitter pregnant sister, a troubled homeless man and a young bully in her class, not to mention that she has also thrown out her back. How this affects not only Poppy’s world view but also the outlook of those around her begs the question, “glass half full or half empty?”
Another review can be found here.
If you get a chance to see this film, I'd love to hear from you. Did you like it? What did you think of Poppy? How about her driving instructor? What was your general reaction to the film?
Wherever you are/however you see things, you might enjoy this movie--Happy Go Lucky. It gets you to look at what it means to be happy, you own reactions to someone who's happy/optimistic, how people react to each other based on their own experiences/filter, etc., and what it's like for a positive person to be around someone negative---and vice versa. It's funny and deep, entertaining and thought-provoking, and quite an experience to watch.
Here's a link to the trailer, and a short review of it (compliments of apple.com and miramax):
Review from apple.com/miramax:
Just how hard is it to be happy? In the effervescent new comedy from writer/director Mike Leigh (“Vera Drake,” “Secrets & Lies”), Sally Hawkins stars as Poppy, an irrepressibly free-spirited school teacher who brings an infectious laugh and an unsinkable sense of optimism to every situation she encounters, offering us a touching, truthful and deeply life-affirming exploration of one of the most mysterious and often the most elusive of all human qualities: happiness. Poppy’s ability to maintain her perspective is tested as the story begins and her commuter bike is stolen. However, she enthusiastically signs up for driving lessons with Scott (Eddie Marsan), who turns out to be her nemesis — a fuming, uptight cynic. As the tension of their weekly lessons builds, Poppy encounters even more challenges to her positive state of mind: a fiery flamenco instructor, her bitter pregnant sister, a troubled homeless man and a young bully in her class, not to mention that she has also thrown out her back. How this affects not only Poppy’s world view but also the outlook of those around her begs the question, “glass half full or half empty?”
Another review can be found here.
If you get a chance to see this film, I'd love to hear from you. Did you like it? What did you think of Poppy? How about her driving instructor? What was your general reaction to the film?
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Obama on Myspace and Facebook? Yes, he is!
Check it out...the President-Elect Obama has a Myspace page. He's also on Facebook. You can read about him, watch videos and even leave a comment for him. Most likely, he's too busy to get back to you. Still, it's cool to know that you could write him if you wanted. :)
Here are the links: Myspace and Facebook.
Enjoy...
By the way...I just became friends with Obama on Facebook. Well, actually, I became a "supporter." I don't think that's exactly the same, but hey....so what? :)
Anti-immigrant/Racist--beware!
Mijail just wrote a short blog about a man named Hal Turner. He linked to a video of this man who spoke of the "collapse of the dollar," a form of money called the "monero" and a few other things. Until he posted this, I had never even heard of the guy. I listened to some of the video and thought, "He's a bit intense...maybe even sort of fanatical." I then figured I'd try to get some info about him. By the way, he's from New Jersey!
Here’s some info about the man, according to Wikipedia:
“Harold "Hal" Turner is an American white nationalist and white supremacist from North Bergen, New Jersey. He ran his program, The Hal Turner Show, as a webcast from his home once a week and depended on donations by his listeners. He quit the show in July 2008 for good. In August his website also closed down though he retains a blog.
Turner has often made news for his extreme right-wing views. He promotes antisemitism (including rounding up and killing Jews)[1] and opposes the existence of the state of Israel.[2] He also denies the Holocaust.[3] In 2005, Turner organized what he billed as a "rally against violence" after a white student was beaten by a black student at a high school. In 2006, he got in a fight with Jaime Vazquez, a former Jersey City deputy mayor, after Vazquez called him a racist coward. Turner has made numerous threats against political figures on his website and in other forums.”
Looks like he's a white supremicist who hates African-Americans and immigrants. Look what I found in his blog:
“America committed national suicide tonight because we turned control of this nation over to inferior people who, in the history of the world, have never created or maintained the kind of advanced nation that we White people created here.
America committed national suicide by allowing millions of illegal aliens and other non-citizens, to vote and get away with it. Again, republicans were afraid to be called racists by demanding enforcement of the law while socialist democrats were willing to lie, cheat and multiple-register ineligible people to steal the election.”
****************************
Not sure what you all think, but I find this guy a bit scary.
Here’s some info about the man, according to Wikipedia:
“Harold "Hal" Turner is an American white nationalist and white supremacist from North Bergen, New Jersey. He ran his program, The Hal Turner Show, as a webcast from his home once a week and depended on donations by his listeners. He quit the show in July 2008 for good. In August his website also closed down though he retains a blog.
Turner has often made news for his extreme right-wing views. He promotes antisemitism (including rounding up and killing Jews)[1] and opposes the existence of the state of Israel.[2] He also denies the Holocaust.[3] In 2005, Turner organized what he billed as a "rally against violence" after a white student was beaten by a black student at a high school. In 2006, he got in a fight with Jaime Vazquez, a former Jersey City deputy mayor, after Vazquez called him a racist coward. Turner has made numerous threats against political figures on his website and in other forums.”
Looks like he's a white supremicist who hates African-Americans and immigrants. Look what I found in his blog:
“America committed national suicide tonight because we turned control of this nation over to inferior people who, in the history of the world, have never created or maintained the kind of advanced nation that we White people created here.
America committed national suicide by allowing millions of illegal aliens and other non-citizens, to vote and get away with it. Again, republicans were afraid to be called racists by demanding enforcement of the law while socialist democrats were willing to lie, cheat and multiple-register ineligible people to steal the election.”
****************************
Not sure what you all think, but I find this guy a bit scary.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Obama really won!!!
I am so excited about the news. Obama won!! He's now going to be our 44th president.
It's incredible, and the timing is excellent. He's just what we need right now.
I have so much more to say, but....it's almost 1 a.m. I have a class tomorrow morning at 8:55 and need to get some sleep.
Anyway, all I want to say is YAY!!! YES, WE CAN!
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