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2月17日 Open-minds please!Last night on the Daily Show I saw something that added to my mind's inability to turn off at night. It was a clip for a movie called Valley of the Wolves-Iraq. I don't know how many of you out there have heard about it, so I shall offer you a summary of what the movie is about. I've taken this article from the Internation Herald Tribune: Europe :
The crowd cheered, clapped and whistled as the Turkish agent plunged the knife into the chest of the enemy commander.
"Valley of the Wolves - Iraq," which opened last week in movie theaters in Turkey, Austria and Germany, is a Rambo-like action story involving, in this case, Turkish gunmen who seek revenge against a tyrannical occupying army. But in this version, the most expensive movie ever made in Turkey, the enemy is no oppressive third-world dictatorship. The commander's name is "Sam" - as in Uncle - and the opposing forces are Americans, who are being punished for offenses against Turkish as well as Iraqi pride and honor. Sam William Marshall, played by Billy Zane, is portrayed as a sociopath, killing people without a second thought and claiming that he is doing God's will, a thinly veiled reference to statements by President George W. Bush about America's "crusade" for democracy in Iraq and the Middle East. Indeed, while fictional, some of the movie is based on real events. The opening sequence portrays an incident that made headlines in 2003, when a group of Turkish special forces soldiers in Iraq was taken into custody by American marines. The Turks, mistaken for insurgents, were handcuffed and held with hoods over their heads. The incident angered many Turks. Other scenes show ruthless marines killing Iraqis and soldiers mistreating inmates at Abu Ghraib prison. A Jewish-American doctor, played by Gary Busey, is shown as shipping inmates' organs to New York, London and Israel. All these, according to the screenwriter, Bahadir Ozdener, were inspired by real events. Zane said he was not bothered by the movie's anti-American tone, adding that the horrors of war should be exposed. "I acted in this movie because I'm a pacifist," he said in a televised interview. "I'm against all kinds of war." Whatever its artistic merits, the movie, which has already broken Turkish box office records, has highlighted a growing discrepancy in how America is seen in Turkey. Officially, the two governments have been enjoying much-improved relations after a low point in 2003, when Turkey refused to allow American troops to cross the country to invade Iraq. On the street, however, public opinion of America has been steadily declining since the invasion of Iraq, the revelations about the abuse at Abu Ghraib and the suspected transferring of Al Qaeda suspects to foreign countries to be tortured in secret prisons. Yet since the invasion, Turkey has provided logistical support to American troops in Iraq from Incirlik Air Base and has contributed military personnel to the American-led mission in Afghanistan. Washington has reciprocated by vocally supporting Turkey's bid for membership in the European Union and efforts to resolve the Cyprus conflict. The issue becomes complicated, however, when it comes to the war on terror. Outwardly, the two countries are committed partners in fighting terrorism of all kinds. But Turkey has been fighting with Kurdish separatists seeking independence since the 1980s. Since the invasion of Iraq, the U.S. military has been reluctant to act against the Kurdish Workers Party and has allowed it to operate in northern Iraq, which has distressed many in Turkey. Essentially, Washington tolerates a de facto Kurdish state in northern Iraq. "People think that the U.S. supports an independent Kurdish state in northern Iraq and therefore threatens the unity of Turkish land," said Nilufer Narli, a sociology professor at Bahcesehir University in Istanbul. Popular opinion of the United States and its allies, including Israel, seems to be steadily declining. Anti-American novels, including one that portrayed a war between the United States and Turkey, have been selling briskly; Hitler's "Mein Kampf" became a best seller last year. Narli believes that the perceived U.S. support for the Kurds is at the heart of this decline. Despite its popularity, however, "Valley of the Wolves - Iraq" neither triggered widespread anti-American violence in the country nor urged people to take to the streets to protest the war in Iraq. "It doesn't show anything that we did not already know," said Fahri Kaya, a 22-year-old security guard. "It was more like a group therapy that gave people a chance to let go of their negative feelings against what's been happening in Iraq as they shouted, clapped and cried." The U.S. ambassador to Turkey, Robert Wilson, in a televised interview on NTV last week, acknowledged that it was only a movie made for entertainment, but he said he still was not pleased with the way America was portrayed. He highlighted the good relations that the two countries have shared. Egemen Bagis, the former head of the Turkish American Businessmen's Association, agreed. "Our alliance with the U.S. has very strong roots," he said. "A movie or a book just cannot destroy it."
My first reaction to the clip was one of outrage in seeing Americans being portrayed in such a way. But, the Daily Show also offered up a mini montage of American movies where the roles are completely reversed. This caused me to pause and rethink my initial reaction. Was it fair of me to be so outraged when I have watched, and enjoyed, movies where the bad guys are Muslim terrorists. The more I thought about it, the more I had to agree that my initial feelings toward the movie were a bit unfair and biased. So instead I took the time to research the movie and to see what others might be thinking about the movie. I checked out IMDB's forum on the movie and read through the many posts. There is of course many varied reactions to the movie, and alot of debate going on (Not of all it pretty). I also read many news articles about the movie, and visited the movie's official site.
After alot of thought on the subject, my main feeling about the movie is one of concern. I worry that movie could possibly be throwing gasoline on the fire (the fire being the anti-American sentiment). I for one hate the war going on in Iraq, and worry for our men and women over there everyday. I would hate for anything to spark more violence in a situation that is already so volatile.
I'd love to hear what anyone else has to say on the subject, though I only ask that you keep an open mind. If it is your intention to simply lash out without giving any proper thought to subject, then please keep your opinions to yourselves. Otherwise, please feel free to leave comments on the subject. If you'd like to visit the movie's official web page the address is: http://www.valleyofthewolvesiraq.com/high/main.html
2月14日 Happy Valentine's Day! Lending Out Books
Hal Sirowitz
You're always giving, my therapist said.
You have to learn to take. Whenever
You meet a woman, the first thing you do
is lend her your books. You think she'll
have to see you again in order to return them.
But what happens is, she doesn't have the time
to read them, & she's afraid if she sees you again
you'll expect her to talk about them, & will
want to lend her even more. So she
cancels the date. You end up losing
a lot of books. You should borrow hers.
The Changed Man
Robert Philips
If you were to hear me imitating Pavarotti
in the showr every morning, you would know
how much you have changed my life.
If you were to see me stride across the park,
waving to strangers, then you would know
I am a changed man--like Scrooge
awakened from his bad dreams feeling feather-
light, angel-happy, laughing the father
of a long line of bright laughs--
"It is still not too late to change my life!"
It is changed. Me, who felt short-changed
Because of you I no longer hate my body.
Because of you I buy new clothes.
Because of you I'm a warrior of joy.
Because of you and me. Drop by
this Saturday morning and discover me
fiercely pulling weeds gladly, dedicated
as a born-again gardener.
Drop by on Sundy--I'll Turtlewax
your sky-blue sports car, no sweat. I'll greet
enemies with a handshake, forgive debtors.
with a papal largesse. It's all because
of you. Because of you and me,
I've become one changed man.
 The Orange
Wendy Cope
At lunchtime I bought a huge orange--
The size of it made us all laugh.
I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave--
They got quarters and I had a half.
And that orange, it made me so happy,
As ordinary things often do
Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park.
This is peace and contentment. It's new.
The rest of the day was quite easy.
I did all the jobs on my list
And enjoyed them and had some time over.
I love you. I'm glad I exist.
This Is Just To Say
William Carlos Williams
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
This Is Just To Say
Erica-Lynn Gambino
(For William Carlos Williams)
I have just
asked you to
get out of my
apartment
even though
you never
thought
I would
Forgive me
you were
driving
me insane.
The Best-and worse-of V-Day
By Matt Christensen
(Click the link to see the full article.)
Best:
Smart cookie “I didn’t have a girlfriend on Valentine’s Day last year. My mom knew that I’d just broken up with the woman I’d been dating, so she sent me a whole box full of her special chocolate chip cookies to make me feel better. It worked—in more ways than one. Not only were the cookies great, but I shared them with my neighbor next door. She was alone on Valentine’s Day too, and said she hadn’t had a home-baked cookie in a long time. She also said she was really glad I came to talk to her, because she’d noticed me around our street but didn’t have the nerve to talk to me. The next night, she and I went out to dinner, and ended up dating... I love those cookies.” -Mark, Westlake, OH Worst:
No reading between the lines necessary
“A few years ago, I’d been casually dating a guy for several months, and I was ready for a more serious relationship. Valentine's Day was coming, and I thought maybe the time was finally here. I really worked hard finding him a cool gift—a rare black-and-white picture of one of his favorite musicians. He got me a gift too, and a card. I opened the card and it said, ‘Happy Valentine’s Day—can we just be friends?’ I never found out what the gift was, because I promptly threw it at him and left.” -Alli, Philadelphia, PA  2月13日 Very Random Valentine's Day PostIn honor of Valentine's Day, here is a very random post about a few things associated with the day.
 Desire: (Taken from Vital Statistics By Paul Grobman)
 -- Percentage of male college students in a recent study who answered yes when an attractive female approached them and asked them to have sex: 75%
-- Percentage of female college students who answered yes when an attractive male asked them to have sex: 0%
--Percentage of woman older than 75 who say they "Would be quite happy to never have sex again": 36%
--Percentage of 75-year-old men who say the same: 5%
--Percentage of males who say they would be flattered if a coworker asked them to have sex: 66%
--Percentage of females who would be insulted if a coworker did the same: 66%
Diamonds:(Taken from Vital Statistics)
 -- Number of carats mined worldwide annually: 120 million
--Amount charged for these uncut diamonds by producers: $7 billion
--Value of these diamonds in finished jewelry: $58 billion
--Year the first diamond engagement ring was given: 1477 (Archduke Maximilian of Austria presented Mary of Burgundy with a gold band crowned with a piece of sparkling carbon. The ring was placed on the third finger of Mary's left hand, the finger that ancient Egyptians believed helf the vein of love, coursing directly to the heart.)
--Average size of an American diamond engagement ring: 0.8 carats
--Odds that an American Woman recieves a diamond engagement ring: 8 in 10
--Largest rough diamond ever found on Earth: 3,106 carats
(Called the Cullinan, the 3,106-carat hunk was discovered on Jan. 26, 1905 in the Premier mine of South Africa. It was cut into nine major diamonds and hundreds of smaller ones, including the Great Star of Africa--the largest cut diamond in existence at the 530.2 carats, now in the royal scepter of the British Crown Jewels.)
Candy: (Taken from Vital Statistics)
 --First heart-shaped box of chocolates: 1861
(Sometimes attributed to 1868, though there is no dispute that the first heart-shaped box of chocolate was made by Richard Cadbury, and featured a picture of his daughter holding a kitten.)
Kissing: (Taken from That Book of Perfectly Useless Information By Mitchell Symons)
 --A study by a Canadian anthropologist demonstrated that 97% of women shut their eyes during a kiss but only 37% of men did.
--Kissing on the lips is something the Romans started. A husband returning from work would kiss his wife's lips to see if she'd been drinking during the day. (Until the Romans invaded, the British had no word for kissing.)
--The French kiss itself, toungues and all, was invented in the Brittany village fo Pays de Mont as a substitute for sex because the population was growing too fast.
--In writing, particularly in greeting cards and in love letters, we us XXXXs to represent kisses. The origins of this go back to the days when people who couldn't write signed their name with an X. To emphasize their sincerity, they would then kiss their mark-in the same way that they would have kissed a Bible when swearing an oath on it. This practice of kissing the X led to the X's representing a kiss. The Romans also sealed the signing of contracts with a kiss.
--The Anti-Kissing League was formed in 1909 in America by people who considered kissing unhealthy.
--A really tongue-twisting kissing session exercises 39 different facial muscles and can burn up 150 calories-more tha a 15-minute swim. An ordinary peck uses up just 3 calories.
11月25日 Home Sweet HomeWell, I'm home a day early from our Disneyland trip. We accidentally booked our flight home for a day earlier than planned. Oh well, it turned out good actually cause I don't think any of us could of made it another day. Walking all day wears you down quick. I had an awsome time and I'll be posting a longer update either tomorrow or the next day about the trip. Hope everyone had a good holiday and I'll talk to you later!!!!
  The holiday season has officially begun for me. Let's hope I make it through it
 .11月18日 Power Thought Cards (Louise L. Hay)My aunt gave me these power thought cards, and I thought I'd share a few with you all....
I NOW GO BEYOND OTHER PEOPLE'S FEARS AND LIMITATIONS:
It is my mind that creates my experiences. I am unlimited in my own ability to create the good in my life.
 AS I SAY YES TO LIFE, LIFE SAYS YES TO ME:
Life mirrors my every thought. As I keep my thoughts positive, life brings to me only good experiences.
 I TRUST THE PROCESS OF LIFE:
There is a rhythm and flow to life, and I am part of it. Life supports me and brings to me only good and positive experiences. I trust the process of Life to bring me my highest good.
 And just for humor's sake (Stuart Smalley):
I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggonit, people like me.
 11月7日 A PoemHope
by: Lisel Mueller
 It hovers in dark corners
before the lights are turned on,
it shakes sleep from its eyes
and drops from mushroom gills,
it explodes in the starry heads
of dandelions turned sages,
it sticks to the wings of green angels
that sail from the tops of maples.
It sprouts in each occluded eye
of the many-eyed potato,
it lives in each earthworm segment
surviving cruelty,
it is the motion that runs
from the eyes to the tail of a dog,
it is the mouth that inflates the lungs
of the child that has just been born.
It is the singular gift
we cannot destroy in ourselves,
the argument that refutes death,
the genius that invents the future,
all we know of God.
It is the serum which makes us swear
not to betray one another;
it is in this poem, trying to speak.
11月1日 Schott's Miscellany
I don't know how many of you out there have ever heard of Schott's Original Miscellany. If you haven't you just want to check it out. It's a pretty fun little book just filled with miscellanious things. Here's one of them.  Proverbally You Can't
A Few Contradictory Proverbs
Oft Confused Words
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