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the Obsession Chroniclesposted 6 July 2003 | |
last era obsessions: constants & changesThe first item on the first list below is the inspiration for this page of lists. There are lots of links mixed in on my lists -- if I could find a good link on any item, I included it. Some links go straight to Amazon.com or the IMDb but watch that bottom status bar because there are some other great links hidden in there. If you're interested in a little history, the story behind this page follows (otherwise, click on). constants & changesI guess we can all admit that the world changed one September day a couple of years ago. I happened to be in Spain & maybe that gave me a more global perspective on our ...comeuppance. Believe me, I watched in horror... & when we saw some graffiti saying abajo con las torres I felt quite a mix of emotions... & relief when we went back by a couple hours later & it had been wiped clean. That was the only piece of hatefulness we saw, mostly we met sympathetic sorrow -- & that has brought a tear or ten to my eye... to think that the rest of the war-weary world still feels sympathy for our upstart, unbelievably lucky nation... we are sooo lucky (no streak lasts forever).
I was never so happy to get home at the end of that month -- I do love my country, that's why I keep speaking up... because I do not like what has happened as our leaders have taken their "reactions" farther & farther. My first obsessions page became a peace rant & as I worked it, I could feel my attitude changing (or maybe just changing back to my non-human-centric perspective). It's not that I stopped caring about peace, but it became more & more clear to me that all that war talk was just to keep our attention while a much greater war rages on our own soil...
You see, I can go on & on, which is why when the peace rant got tiresome I thought, 'It's time for some new obsessions!' Since I'm always up for a good rant, I've continued that tradition below. I must say that I'm quite content -- it's just hard to say that without a nod toward current events. | ||
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movies that stay with me:
other goodies
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names that are all i need to convince me to watch a movie (the first 3 -- okay 5... 6! -- with no hesitation, possibly even with a little yip of impatience at the half-second delay on the remote):
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tv shows i have been known to watch:
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what i watched last night:
fortunately for summer there's baseball (& fishing) * love my M's * my fave pitcher is Piñeiro & of course ya gotta love the Gar & Ichiro & the quiet reliable Olerud & ...ya just gotta love these guys, like the ads say * after the game we finally watched Vanilla Sky * little Tom Cruise was my first movie love & Penelope really is lovely, but it's Jason Lee who has my heart (or at least my eyes) *
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authors whose every book i must one day own:
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what i am reading now:
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birds at my feeders:
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musicians who rock me:
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weaknesses:
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things i collect:
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my ever-evolving rantlast updated 6 July 2003 Wow... summer! It's hot & sunny again in OlyWA (shhh! don't tell anybody!). I almost never complain about the rain but there is nothing quite like walking out of the house/gym/outside into a bright blue day.
Not that it always saves me from a bad mood...
like the other lovely Saturday morning when I read an article about yet another thoughtless assault by our government against our wildlands. There are so many battles slipping under the radar while the peace protesters are busy protesting war in wherever the big threat is this week (pardon my indifference -- I do care, I do, but...). Meanwhile nobody notices the gradual theft of our national parks & forests, the devastation of the few large roadless areas remaining in this gorgeous land, the creatures falling by the wayside in our endless march toward (beneath?) the almighty dollar...Earth Day (every day): On Earth Day I found out that a wildlife rescue program nearby is probably going to have to put down all the animals & shut its doors because our Pres is wasting our money in a war against our land for short-term profit... I am ashamed that I paid my taxes this year. I would like to take that money back & send it all to The Nature Conservancy or Oceana or the Sarvey Wildlife Center instead.
I remember my high school humanities professor (I was very lucky to have at least 2 excellent teachers in high school -- both of them taught us to seek the truth & to think for ourselves) quoting somebody or other: "if you're not crying at least once a month, you're not paying attention." I could cry every day but I try to concentrate on the little things, the little plants I care for, the birds I feed & shelter, the links to all the wonderful organizations out there working for me & for the creatures & other beings who can't speak (that war I would give my life for)... | |
Peace: Boy, that war kinda stumped me for a while. It broke out (publicly, anyway) right before my birthday & the spring equinox, threatening to eclipse those important events (as it does the war on our own land, rivers & even people -- Bob likes to quote somebody's brilliant protest sign: "Drunken Frat Boy Drives Nation Into Ditch, Covers Up With War"). Not for me. As on many other birthdays & equinoxes, I was on the river without even a good radio station to listen to. Now that's bliss (& it's not ignorance).
It was not lost on me that I have the freedom to ignore this war for a few days while people in other countries -- many other countries -- do not have that luxury. As I said, I do not feel that I am innocent of the crimes of my government & I want to do what I can to be part of the balance of good. I write to my representatives about "people issues", but I am more concerned about the trees, fish, birds, critters, rivers, air & countless wildlands that are threatened in my own beautiful corner of the country (& all over the world). That's a war I'd sooner lay my peace-waging life down for than any other. I do my small bits of good (random acts of kindness) outside, on my own small plot of land, as well as for the mountains, rivers & forests that I love.
But... since peace is obviously still an obsession of mine (& then I'll move on, I swear!), I do want to say that this horror feels a lot better than it has at other times. I remember when I thought Iran-Contra was all in the Middle East. I recognized the Spanish word, but I had no idea at the time of the last Bush/Reagan (what's-the-difference?) administration of the events taking place in Nicaragua. Now there are so many people paying attention to (& beginning to loudly disagree with!) what our government is doing -- not just in Iraq but also in Latin America & in our wildernesses. There are so many ways to learn & participate that I cannot help but feel a growing hope.
I put up a candle in my window & just the ever-burning presence of that wish for peace is having some effect on me which I hope will spread a bit. | ||
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