I watched an interesting movie this past weekend. It was called Happenstance (known in French as Le Battement d'ailes du papillon), and it starred Audrey Tautou, the same French actress of Amelie fame. The movie was similar to Sliding Doors, a movie starring Gwyneth Paltrow from the late 90s.
Both explore the idea of how the smallest, most insignificant things can have a huge affect on the outcome of our lives. It's an interesting idea, and one that has always intriged me. What if one moment in your life was timed just a bit differently? Would you be the same person that you are today, and if not, how would your life be different? It's an interesting question to ponder.
The two movies, while similar, explore the idea of fate a bit differently. In Sliding Doors, everything depends on whether or not Gwyneth Paltrow's character makes a particular train, and the movie shows how her life ends up in both situations. Happenstance, on the other hand, shows a series of connected events among several seemingly unrelated characters, all culminating in a final meeting of Audrey Tautou's character and her soul mate.
I'd definitely recommend seeing both of them. However, if you don't know French, or at least don't want to read subtitles, you may not really enjoy Happenstance.
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Saturday, September 25, 2004
Liberals want to ban the bible?
I heard something disturbing the other day. Apparently the republican national committee (RNC) has circulated ads in Arkansas and West Virgina promoting the idea that if liberals are elected (read between the lines: Kerry and Edwards are elected), the bible will be banned. They get this message across by showing an image of the bible with the word "banned" across it as well as showing two men in a marriage ceremony with the word "allowed" across it. Can I just ask one question - when the hell did the RNC start being run by second graders? It's like the return of cooties or something. "Ooooh, run away - they're k-i-s-s-i-n-g! Cooties for you!"
I feel like the world suddenly flipped upside down and normally rational people suddenly believe that the world is flat. Or in this case, that they at the very least believe that the world is black and white. Let me break it to you - the world ain't black and white, and if you think it is you have some serious growing up to do.
I'm extremely tired of the republican party trying to draw liberals as Godless souls from whom the country must be safeguarded by Christian crusaiders. I happen to be Christian and liberal - true story. Here's the thing - I believe in what I believe; however, I don't force my beliefs on anyone else because we have a little thing in this country called freedom of religion. That basically means that no one religion trumps any other, and that those who do not believe in anything are free to do so.
If someone is curious and asks me about being a Lutheran, I'll share with them. But I don't take out an ad and send it to everyone with what I believe. I let my actions speak by being a considerate person, treating other people with respect, caring for my family and friends, not judging people who are different from me, and being a good citizen. I'm not perfect, but God knows that doesn't expect perfection because I am human.
Encarta says, "the function of government is to secure the common welfare of the members of the social aggregate over which it exercises control." I tend to agree with that assessment, so I guess I just don't understand why our constitution has to be backed by conservative Christian beliefs. Why not Buddhist beliefs? Or how about Muslim beliefs? I hear that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world - so by democratic standards, wouldn't that make a majority?
The fact is that we have a large and diverse population in this country, and it isn't fair to impose one group's standards on every other group. I can go on living my life with my husband without fearing that a same sex couple next door is somehow going to derail existence as I know it. Likewise, although I couldn't go through with an abortion, I would never make that call for another woman because that's not my decision to make. Until that baby is developed enough to exist on it's own outside of the mother, it's none of my business - end of story.
I just wish people could get past moral issues like that and realize that those issues can't be governed by public policy. We have an ideal of separation of religion and state in this country, and that is a wonderful thing. We need to work to preserve that separation so that we don't end up with a theocracy - a fate which would put us in a government similar to Afghanistan under the Taliban and Iran under Khomeini. Um - no thanks - I think I'll stick with democracy. Oh, and I'll ask those people who tout their pride in America while trying to rule with religion to grow up and make the distinction that liberals aren't anti religion or anti American, or anything of the sort. We're just here trying to make this country a wonderful place for all Americans, regardless of age, race, religious affiliation, economic standing, gender, sexual preference, and so on.
I feel like the world suddenly flipped upside down and normally rational people suddenly believe that the world is flat. Or in this case, that they at the very least believe that the world is black and white. Let me break it to you - the world ain't black and white, and if you think it is you have some serious growing up to do.
I'm extremely tired of the republican party trying to draw liberals as Godless souls from whom the country must be safeguarded by Christian crusaiders. I happen to be Christian and liberal - true story. Here's the thing - I believe in what I believe; however, I don't force my beliefs on anyone else because we have a little thing in this country called freedom of religion. That basically means that no one religion trumps any other, and that those who do not believe in anything are free to do so.
If someone is curious and asks me about being a Lutheran, I'll share with them. But I don't take out an ad and send it to everyone with what I believe. I let my actions speak by being a considerate person, treating other people with respect, caring for my family and friends, not judging people who are different from me, and being a good citizen. I'm not perfect, but God knows that doesn't expect perfection because I am human.
Encarta says, "the function of government is to secure the common welfare of the members of the social aggregate over which it exercises control." I tend to agree with that assessment, so I guess I just don't understand why our constitution has to be backed by conservative Christian beliefs. Why not Buddhist beliefs? Or how about Muslim beliefs? I hear that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world - so by democratic standards, wouldn't that make a majority?
The fact is that we have a large and diverse population in this country, and it isn't fair to impose one group's standards on every other group. I can go on living my life with my husband without fearing that a same sex couple next door is somehow going to derail existence as I know it. Likewise, although I couldn't go through with an abortion, I would never make that call for another woman because that's not my decision to make. Until that baby is developed enough to exist on it's own outside of the mother, it's none of my business - end of story.
I just wish people could get past moral issues like that and realize that those issues can't be governed by public policy. We have an ideal of separation of religion and state in this country, and that is a wonderful thing. We need to work to preserve that separation so that we don't end up with a theocracy - a fate which would put us in a government similar to Afghanistan under the Taliban and Iran under Khomeini. Um - no thanks - I think I'll stick with democracy. Oh, and I'll ask those people who tout their pride in America while trying to rule with religion to grow up and make the distinction that liberals aren't anti religion or anti American, or anything of the sort. We're just here trying to make this country a wonderful place for all Americans, regardless of age, race, religious affiliation, economic standing, gender, sexual preference, and so on.
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Driving tips
Every morning as I'm driving to work, I'm mystified by the things I see people doing on the road. People seem to have lost all of their driving skills. I'm not saying that I'm Mario Andretti, but I at least try to be a courteous driver.
For your enjoyment, I've compiled a list of things that absolutely boggle my mind and I'm hoping you may read it and become a better, more enlightened driver.
1. Using blinkers. I swear that new cars come with blinkers; but to look at the general population on the road, you'd think car manufacturers stopped making them after the mid nineties. Not true! I, in fact, own a car made in 2001 and it has blinkers! And it's not even an expensive car. What's even more astounding than that is that I actually use my blinkers!!! So please, please, pretty-please-with-sugar-on-top: give me a signal so that I know what the hell you're doing; I have enough trouble trying to keep my life straight without trying to be a road psychic.
2. Planning ahead. I can't even fathom the number of times I've nearly had a collision at 50-or-so mph due to a knucklehead who can't plan ahead for the exit he or she needs to make. (On a side note, these are usually the people who aren't using blinkers either, or I would have realized their need to get over and actually let them in!) Believe me - your procrastination won't help you make up time if we collide.
3. Paying attention. When you're going 60 mph on the freeway, it's not the time to suddenly be a chicken. If you turn your blinker on, chances are that someone will take pity on your soul and let you in. So pay attention; I am a kind person and will let people in who use their blinkers, but I get ticked when people wait all day to get over.
4. Doing dangerous things while driving. I kid you not - several months ago on my way home from work, I was behind a person reading a newspaper while driving. Needless to say, I sped my butt up and got away from them as fast as possible. This should really go without saying, but I'm finding less and less people with the common sense to make rational decisions: if you didn't get up in time to shave, put on makeup, read the morning paper, or any of these other suddenly-dangerous-at-60-mph-tasks - FORGET ABOUT IT! People aren't going to die if you have a five o'clock shadow or your cheeks don't have that rosy glow; they may however die if you have to slam on your brakes and jam a mascara wand in your eye, causing a terrible chain reaction.
5. Talking on the phone. OK, I'm not totally against talking on the phone while driving, but it makes sense to mitigate the risk by doing a few very simple things. First - remember that you are in a moving vehicle near other moving vehicles and that is your first priority. Second - get a headset so that your hands are free to steer, and yes, use your blinker. Third - pull over if you're trying to get directions from someone on the phone so that you don't make any sudden dumb movements in front of the rest of us.
6. Attending to non-driving tasks. Here's a thought - pick out a small musical selection *before* getting on the road and have it in a convenient place in case you need to change CDs. This isn't the time to grab your gianormous book of CDs and start flipping through them. Likewise, when eating in the car, prepare the things you'll need ahead of time - before leaving the parking lot; put the straw in your drink, unwrap your burger and arrange it so that the wrapper catches the drippings, etc.
So, that's pretty much my list. It's amazing how such a small number of things can completely unravel me by the time I make it to the office. But I guess you have to multiply those 6 categories by the hundreds of people on the road and you catch my drift. So, don't be one of those people - just don't.
For your enjoyment, I've compiled a list of things that absolutely boggle my mind and I'm hoping you may read it and become a better, more enlightened driver.
1. Using blinkers. I swear that new cars come with blinkers; but to look at the general population on the road, you'd think car manufacturers stopped making them after the mid nineties. Not true! I, in fact, own a car made in 2001 and it has blinkers! And it's not even an expensive car. What's even more astounding than that is that I actually use my blinkers!!! So please, please, pretty-please-with-sugar-on-top: give me a signal so that I know what the hell you're doing; I have enough trouble trying to keep my life straight without trying to be a road psychic.
2. Planning ahead. I can't even fathom the number of times I've nearly had a collision at 50-or-so mph due to a knucklehead who can't plan ahead for the exit he or she needs to make. (On a side note, these are usually the people who aren't using blinkers either, or I would have realized their need to get over and actually let them in!) Believe me - your procrastination won't help you make up time if we collide.
3. Paying attention. When you're going 60 mph on the freeway, it's not the time to suddenly be a chicken. If you turn your blinker on, chances are that someone will take pity on your soul and let you in. So pay attention; I am a kind person and will let people in who use their blinkers, but I get ticked when people wait all day to get over.
4. Doing dangerous things while driving. I kid you not - several months ago on my way home from work, I was behind a person reading a newspaper while driving. Needless to say, I sped my butt up and got away from them as fast as possible. This should really go without saying, but I'm finding less and less people with the common sense to make rational decisions: if you didn't get up in time to shave, put on makeup, read the morning paper, or any of these other suddenly-dangerous-at-60-mph-tasks - FORGET ABOUT IT! People aren't going to die if you have a five o'clock shadow or your cheeks don't have that rosy glow; they may however die if you have to slam on your brakes and jam a mascara wand in your eye, causing a terrible chain reaction.
5. Talking on the phone. OK, I'm not totally against talking on the phone while driving, but it makes sense to mitigate the risk by doing a few very simple things. First - remember that you are in a moving vehicle near other moving vehicles and that is your first priority. Second - get a headset so that your hands are free to steer, and yes, use your blinker. Third - pull over if you're trying to get directions from someone on the phone so that you don't make any sudden dumb movements in front of the rest of us.
6. Attending to non-driving tasks. Here's a thought - pick out a small musical selection *before* getting on the road and have it in a convenient place in case you need to change CDs. This isn't the time to grab your gianormous book of CDs and start flipping through them. Likewise, when eating in the car, prepare the things you'll need ahead of time - before leaving the parking lot; put the straw in your drink, unwrap your burger and arrange it so that the wrapper catches the drippings, etc.
So, that's pretty much my list. It's amazing how such a small number of things can completely unravel me by the time I make it to the office. But I guess you have to multiply those 6 categories by the hundreds of people on the road and you catch my drift. So, don't be one of those people - just don't.
Sunday, September 12, 2004
Friends
When I look back through my life, I'm amazed at the amount of friends I've had. More than that though, I'm amazed at how many people I've lost track of over the years and wonder what's going on in their lives. I suppose that's what high school reunions are for, but what do you do about the people you didn't go to school with? What kind of a plan is there to reconnect with them? I mean, there are a lot of tools now to find people you've lost touch with and such, but for most people I've lost contact with it's more the curiousity than the actual drive to re-establish a relationship - not exactly something I'm going to pursue.
If I really look at the people with whom I'm friends now, I can see being friends with them for the rest of my life. This is especially true for the people who have stood the test of time and been able to satisfy my needs in many different phases of my life. Those are the truly special people. I'm not talking about acquaintances here; everyone has acquaintances, and I think we all know who those people are. They can move up to become full-fledged friends, but usually they are the ones who slip away quietly and one day we say to ourselves, "hmmm, wonder what's going on with so-and-so these days..." and the thought ends there.
But true friends are the ones who have been on the other end of the phone with you when you were crying about some boy; the ones who remind you that you're special even when you feel like crap on the bottom of a shoe; the ones who take you back even if you've been nasty on a bad day; the ones with whom you can share a hardy laugh about something that no one else on earth would understand; and certainly the ones who love you enough to put up with your shortcomings.
I may not see or speak to these people daily, weekly, or even monthly, but they are my soul mates. They are the people who remind me who I am, where I came from, and where I'm going. They represent many facets in my life and make things worthwhile. To those people, I'd like to say thank you and let you know that I appreciate everything you are to me.
If I really look at the people with whom I'm friends now, I can see being friends with them for the rest of my life. This is especially true for the people who have stood the test of time and been able to satisfy my needs in many different phases of my life. Those are the truly special people. I'm not talking about acquaintances here; everyone has acquaintances, and I think we all know who those people are. They can move up to become full-fledged friends, but usually they are the ones who slip away quietly and one day we say to ourselves, "hmmm, wonder what's going on with so-and-so these days..." and the thought ends there.
But true friends are the ones who have been on the other end of the phone with you when you were crying about some boy; the ones who remind you that you're special even when you feel like crap on the bottom of a shoe; the ones who take you back even if you've been nasty on a bad day; the ones with whom you can share a hardy laugh about something that no one else on earth would understand; and certainly the ones who love you enough to put up with your shortcomings.
I may not see or speak to these people daily, weekly, or even monthly, but they are my soul mates. They are the people who remind me who I am, where I came from, and where I'm going. They represent many facets in my life and make things worthwhile. To those people, I'd like to say thank you and let you know that I appreciate everything you are to me.
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
The Dave Matthews Band Rocks!
One of the things I did over the three day weekend was to head out to the Gorge Amphitheater in George, Washington, to see the Dave Matthews Band.
It was my first time seeing a concert there, in part thanks to my mom, who was just a little bit overly frantic about concerts at the Gorge when I was a teen. I recall my cousin getting tickets for us to go see Lollapalooza when we were in high school. I was quite excited about the prospect, especially since my favorite band, Smashing Pumpkins, would be playing and it was right after the release of Siamese Dream (my favorite album). It just so happened that the concert took place on the first day of school, and no matter how many times I begged, there was no winning her over.
So, fast forward to labor day weekend. The traffic really wasn't bad at all, despite the reports on the local news channels that there would be a lot of construction on I-90 and to leave a lot of time for being stuck in traffic. We only went for the Saturday show, but that was certainly expensive enough (who can afford $55 each for three nights?). Jem and Jason Mraz were the opening acts, and they were both great. It was nice that the wind died down by the time DMB came out to play. The sound was wonderful, and the view was beautiful; if you've never been to the Gorge, it's a plateau on top of a river canyon looking over the Columbia River, which makes a lovely view.
For me, the highlight was when DMB played "Crash", which is really the song that got me into DMB in the first place. The set list was: The Stone, Best of What's Around, So Much To Say, Seek Up, Joy Ride, I Did It, Help Myself, Song That Jane Likes, Sugar Will, Stay, Crash, Lie In Our Graves, Fool To Think, Typical Situation, and Too Much. Then they came out for an encore and played Don't Drink the Water, and Everyday. I'd definitely recommend that anyone see them live, since they are such a great band and sound wonderful in person.
It was my first time seeing a concert there, in part thanks to my mom, who was just a little bit overly frantic about concerts at the Gorge when I was a teen. I recall my cousin getting tickets for us to go see Lollapalooza when we were in high school. I was quite excited about the prospect, especially since my favorite band, Smashing Pumpkins, would be playing and it was right after the release of Siamese Dream (my favorite album). It just so happened that the concert took place on the first day of school, and no matter how many times I begged, there was no winning her over.
So, fast forward to labor day weekend. The traffic really wasn't bad at all, despite the reports on the local news channels that there would be a lot of construction on I-90 and to leave a lot of time for being stuck in traffic. We only went for the Saturday show, but that was certainly expensive enough (who can afford $55 each for three nights?). Jem and Jason Mraz were the opening acts, and they were both great. It was nice that the wind died down by the time DMB came out to play. The sound was wonderful, and the view was beautiful; if you've never been to the Gorge, it's a plateau on top of a river canyon looking over the Columbia River, which makes a lovely view.
For me, the highlight was when DMB played "Crash", which is really the song that got me into DMB in the first place. The set list was: The Stone, Best of What's Around, So Much To Say, Seek Up, Joy Ride, I Did It, Help Myself, Song That Jane Likes, Sugar Will, Stay, Crash, Lie In Our Graves, Fool To Think, Typical Situation, and Too Much. Then they came out for an encore and played Don't Drink the Water, and Everyday. I'd definitely recommend that anyone see them live, since they are such a great band and sound wonderful in person.
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
The Political Compass
A friend sent me a link to a site called The Political Compass earlier today. The basic premise on this site is that we have over simplified how we view politics. They propose that rather than a simple spectrum from left to right, it is more accurate to look at politics in a quadrant. They have a lot of information about how they ended up with this idea, and you can take a quiz on their site to figure out what quadrant you fit into. I ended up in the one occupied by Nelson Mandela, Ghandi, and the Dalai Lama, which is pretty friggin cool (if you ask me). Try it yourself and find out all of the people you align with politically :)
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