Busyness, Round 45892
It's been a long time since I updated - just too busy.
Here's the rundown on my classes:
Company:
Finally finished the company assignment - and hopefully we didn't fail. I think it went okay. Also nice to know that we only have an hour long final because we did the projects.
Negotiaton and Mediation:
About to start the big final negotiation - its Monday - hopefully Coyle will be nice to us. I'm not too concerned about that class. The only problem is the reflective journal - seems like something we would do in elementary school.
Administrative:
100% final on Dec. 8th. It's going okay - I'm feeling fairly good about it, and it seems fairly straightforward - but I'll say more furhter after I get my mark back.
Intellectual Property:
Professor likes me - and he played the IP related video clip I sent him in class. He's also "taking another look at my midterm" - which he asked for about an hour after I sent him the clip. Coincidence? The final is worth 65% - again, not too worried.
Lots of people tell me my problem is I'm not worried enough - I just respond that they worry too much.
We're off to the CLF Christmas Dinner at Fraser Milner Casgrain in TO tomorrow - that should be a lot of fun. If anyone still wants to go - its 15 bucks flat - and we leave around 3 tomorrow. Let me know. The only prereq is that you need to be in law school. Which is probably about half of my readership - if anyone actually still reads this anymore because I never post. But I promise that will change.
Fire alarm in the library today - pretty sad that it was unclear exactly what it was.
Calvin & Hobbes
Good ol' Calvin & Hobbes dancing to uber-fast Beethoven. What a classic cartoon strip.
I've been on a real Calvin & Hobbes kick recently. I was talking to someone how I was disappointed that Watterson ended the strip, but they correctly pointed out - at least he went out on the top of his game. Good point. Unlike some other cartoons (see Garfield), Watterson knew when he could retire with a classic strip, and did so. I need to get some more of his collections - maybe I should add this to my wish list.
Another thing that has really ticked me off is the people who take Calvin pics and put them in poses that really destroy the purpose of the strip (Calvin giving the middle finger/Calvin urinating on symbols). Anyone who thinks these are "funny" because it's Calvin has obviously never read the strip, and shouldn't consider themselves fans.
And that's my rant/rap for the day.
Letter to the Gazette
Well, while we continue to wait for M. Anonymous 1 to finish whatever point s/he was trying to make during his/her off-topic comments in the
Scott Peterson blog, and while we continue to debate the merits of whether or not the "
dumb crook" was really dumb or not...I'm going to assume that since there has been 3 issues of the Gazette printed since I sent them a letter, that they're not going to print my letter. Therefore, I'll get my letter into publication via a partisan service - ie., this blog. What follows is the "article", and then my response.
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Canada must keep peace
By:
Sarvenaz Kermanshahi
At this time of year, we wear red poppies in commemoration of those who fought in the name of peace — those who gave their lives so that we wouldn’t have to. This message is one that has eluded many, and we need not look far beyond our borders to see this.
The five wars that characterized the 20th century took innumerable lives and affected countless more. They tore apart families who saw their sons, fathers and brothers go away never to return, or to come back broken and weary. War is nothing to be glorified, Agatha Christie once said; to win a war is as disastrous as to lose one.
A woman’s understanding of war is that it is essentially a man’s exploit, born out of masculine drives and priorities without regard for the human costs. This underappreciation for life and this call to aggression are threats to our existence that may be closer than we think.
Currently, Canadian troops are deployed in peacekeeping missions around the world. But it wasn’t too long ago that a bellicose neighbour to the south exhorted us to join a war that continues today with no end in sight. Our response to them was a noble one, but one that may have been different under the current administration. Today, Canadians are living under a new leadership, one that has already shown more hawkish tendencies.
These include taking a less balanced stance in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, taking little action in deterring the conflict in Darfur and flirting with the idea of a missile defense system. These actions serve to undermine Canada’s role as a proponent of peace in the fragile world system.
Every year on Nov. 11, millions around the world promise never to forget. Yet war still rages in the veins of men from Fallujah to the Ivory Coast, to Nepal to Colombia. Canada must ensure its role in future conflicts is one of peace-building. A lack of commitment to peace on the part of our leaders is a betrayal of the sacrifice and legacy of those who have perished.
Link to web article.
Gazette HomePage.
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And my response:
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Re: “Canada Must Keep Peace” – November 11, 2004
This article initially seemed to have been another one in a ‘series’ by many Gazette writers blithely pumping our “peacekeeping” and bashing the Americans “hawkishness” (with exception to the refreshing alternative view of Ms. O’Toole – many thanks), but I then stumbled across the last sentence:
“A lack of commitment to peace on the part of our leaders is a betrayal of the sacrifice and legacy of those who have perished.”
Surprisingly, I agree. I therefore assume that the author is fully supportive of a massive infusion of funds into our military. Massive. The real betrayal of our military is the fact that we send them on these supposed “peacekeeping” missions with faulty subs or helicopters. Isn’t it sad that more of our men and women in uniform now die from faulty equipment than from “peace-keeping”?
Canada is now officially a joke on the world stage. Why? Because we blindly – yet proudly – state “We are peacekeepers! Committed to a world system! Focused on an international order…” etc. Sorry, it’s just not so. Truth is? NOBODY CARES. We ask why the USA fails to listen to us, their “closest allies” – we get offended when they “forget” to mention us. What good HAVE we done on the world stage recently? Forget what we didn’t do – everyone knows we didn’t go into Iraq – but tell me what we HAVE done. How can our military perform these grand “peace-keeping” missions when they are simply trying to survive on burning submarines that Britain tossed on the junk heap 10 years ago? Maybe if one of these authors in support of “peace-keeping” could explain what they would do to support our armed forces, I could realize they’re doing more than just watching Michael Moore before writing articles.
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Alas, I was limited to 300 words (the letter is 298). I could go further, but maybe I'll wait to see what the reaction is. It's always amusing.
Dumb Crooks
Here's the number 1 time not to rob a grocery store cashier.
1. When there's a
police officer in line behind you.
What. A. Moron.
Scott Peterson
I'm a little concerned with what I've been hearing about the Scott Peterson case. I'm always leery about highly-publicized, tabloid trials. What actually happened? I'm even more concerned because a man is likely about to be sentenced to death after being convicted purely on circumstantial evidence.
Does anyone know anything more than this?
Always Remember
Lest We Forget.
May we always remember, and never forget. Thank you, to all our veterans who have made the world a safer place, and may we never forget their sacrifice.
BBBW
October 31, 2003. Dressing up as my company prof.
This pics over a year old, but I figured I should put one up from law school once in a while. This was when we dressed up in honour of my prof who loves to surf.
Posting is down a bit - about to go into exams. Very busy right now.
The Incredibles is a good movie. A bit slow at parts, but overall excellent. Lots of fun, interesting characters, and a overall good plot. And Pixar very rarely does poor work. Anyone with any enjoyment of superhero or animated movies should watch it - it's very entertaining.
Waterfall
Robson Square. Again, downtown Vancouver. But I'm running out of pics from here, so I'll be starting in with some of my others soon.
In Pursuit of Excellence
Vancouver Airport. Sculpture that now adorns the Canadian $20.
The Election Heard 'Round The World
U.S.A. President George W. Bush.
As of right now, it looks like we are in for another 4 years with Big George W. As nobody should be surprised to find out, I'm a fairly happy camper. Although it would have been ironic had W won the popular vote, but lost the Electoral College (as Gore managed to do 4 years ago), as of right now it looks like George will hang onto the Electoral College (he won the popular vote "convincingly" - if 3% is convincingly).
But here's a couple of myths, debunked:
1) John Kerry was not going to save the world. Please. If anything, John Kerry was more like Stephen Harper than he was like Jack Layton. Sorry to disappoint all you socialists. He supported the "Star Wars" missile defense system. He is still against gay marriage. He still likes guns. Seems like that makes him kinda different to Jack Layton, or many socialists.
2) George W. Bush is not going to destroy the world. You would think that George Bush is akin to a terrorist, the way people have been talking about him. Or a ruthless dictator, intent on brutally murdering all people opposed to him. And if anyone says that's what's currently happening in Iraq right now...give me a break. Saddam was the ruthless dictator. To link Bush with someone like that is ridiculous.
George Bush has done nothing to "destroy the world". If anything, the world is a safer place. And the fewer "terrorists" and "Saddams" and "Osamas" out there, the better. To the removal of those REAL threats to world safety, I say cheers. Go Bush Go.
I'm sure that there will be some heated comments from my less-Bush-friendly friends on this blog, and I welcome that. Fire away. Hopefully some of my newfound American readership might have something to say on the issue as well.
Congratulations to George Bush. Here. We. Go.
