More on Rainbow Grocery's boycott of Israeli made products A definition of anti-semitism from Thomas Friedman, a NY Times columnist, from his 10/16/2002 column on "Campus Hypocrisy."
"How is it that Egypt imprisons the leading democracy advocate in the Arab world, after a phony trial, and not a single student group in America calls for divestiture from Egypt? (I'm not calling for it, but the silence is telling.) How is it that Syria occupies Lebanon for 25 years, chokes the life out of its democracy, and not a single student group calls for divestiture from Syria? How is it that Saudi Arabia denies its women the most basic human rights, and bans any other religion from being practiced publicly on its soil, and not a single student group calls for divestiture from Saudi Arabia?
Criticizing Israel is not anti-Semitic, and saying so is vile. But singling out Israel for opprobrium and international sanction — out of all proportion to any other party in the Middle East — is anti-Semitic, and not saying so is dishonest."
This is exactly what Rainbow Grocery has done.
Monday, December 09, 2002
I need to trust my intuition more about people. I thought the janitor guy at work was really creepy, and I just didn’t feel like even saying hi to him. I felt really guilty about being snobby, then I find out that the guy is truly creepy. At my company party I was told that he made a pass at one of the women in the company. The woman was coming out of the bathroom, and the janitor guy was standing right outside the door and asking where his kiss was.
How creepy! And in front of the bathroom too. Was he expecting to kiss her in the bathroom? All she said she did was talk to him and be friendly to him. So darn creepy that some men think they can behave that sexually inappropriately with you just because you talk to them. Some other person saw the whole thing, and they both reported him to the building management people. The guy is still on the job, but he doesn’t lurk around the lobby like he used to. Now whenever I see him, I can't help but think “CREEP”.
How creepy! And in front of the bathroom too. Was he expecting to kiss her in the bathroom? All she said she did was talk to him and be friendly to him. So darn creepy that some men think they can behave that sexually inappropriately with you just because you talk to them. Some other person saw the whole thing, and they both reported him to the building management people. The guy is still on the job, but he doesn’t lurk around the lobby like he used to. Now whenever I see him, I can't help but think “CREEP”.
Before my kergyma bible study class on Wednesday nights, I attend a half an hour evening prayer service. The service calms me down, and I find it relaxes me enough so that I can sit in bible study and really ponder what the bible means for my life right now.
The evening prayer service on Wednesday varies from week to week, and last week there was incense burning and we read and sang psalms for half an hour.
This line from Psalm 17 struck me during the service, and it's been bouncing around my head all week and I can't figure out why. This is the line.
"Weigh my heart, summon me by night, melt me down; you will find no impurity in me."
I think I like the "melt me down" part, although it occurs to me that being melted down is probably very painful. Sometimes I feel like I am being melted down, but for what purpose and to what end is a big mystery.
The evening prayer service on Wednesday varies from week to week, and last week there was incense burning and we read and sang psalms for half an hour.
This line from Psalm 17 struck me during the service, and it's been bouncing around my head all week and I can't figure out why. This is the line.
"Weigh my heart, summon me by night, melt me down; you will find no impurity in me."
I think I like the "melt me down" part, although it occurs to me that being melted down is probably very painful. Sometimes I feel like I am being melted down, but for what purpose and to what end is a big mystery.
Sunday, December 08, 2002
If you've been wondering about the picture on the left, no that's not a picture of me, here's the scoop.
That's a picture of a "Hula Barbie", which was a christmas gift from the all-male finance group I worked for a long time ago. The gift was given to me before sexual harrassment in the office was such a big deal. The guys said they gave it me because 1) the Barbie reminded them of me and 2) I told them I liked Barbies and complained about never having a Barbie growing up that looked like me. When I was growing up, Barbies were all blonde and blue eyed.
At the time I thought how cute and flattering, that the guys thought I looked like a Barbie. Secondly these guys weren't the gift giving types, so for them to get together and buy me a christmas present was unusual.
A couple of girlfriends of mine thought the guys were insulting me by giving me the Barbie, but I thought it was given with good intentions. Besides, I worked with these guys and they were nice to me and I was the only woman in the group.
I don't think I look like a Barbie. One of my acting teachers called me a "giant Barbie" once, but what does he know, he's an acting teacher. A friend from NYC, while we were in Hawaii together, said I looked a "giant doll", and this guy from my jujitsu class called me "doll face". I love that name, "dollie face". I also used to use the Hula Barbie face when I would chat on AIM, with a friend of mine. He used Spider Man.
The Hula Barbie face has grown on me over the years, and it amuses me to no end that people think I look like a doll. I must be plastic looking or something, and have a vapid and shallow expression on my face. Whatever.
That's a picture of a "Hula Barbie", which was a christmas gift from the all-male finance group I worked for a long time ago. The gift was given to me before sexual harrassment in the office was such a big deal. The guys said they gave it me because 1) the Barbie reminded them of me and 2) I told them I liked Barbies and complained about never having a Barbie growing up that looked like me. When I was growing up, Barbies were all blonde and blue eyed.
At the time I thought how cute and flattering, that the guys thought I looked like a Barbie. Secondly these guys weren't the gift giving types, so for them to get together and buy me a christmas present was unusual.
A couple of girlfriends of mine thought the guys were insulting me by giving me the Barbie, but I thought it was given with good intentions. Besides, I worked with these guys and they were nice to me and I was the only woman in the group.
I don't think I look like a Barbie. One of my acting teachers called me a "giant Barbie" once, but what does he know, he's an acting teacher. A friend from NYC, while we were in Hawaii together, said I looked a "giant doll", and this guy from my jujitsu class called me "doll face". I love that name, "dollie face". I also used to use the Hula Barbie face when I would chat on AIM, with a friend of mine. He used Spider Man.
The Hula Barbie face has grown on me over the years, and it amuses me to no end that people think I look like a doll. I must be plastic looking or something, and have a vapid and shallow expression on my face. Whatever.
I saw "Die Another Day" yesterday. I haven't seen a James Bond movie in the theatre in a long time. I forgot how fun movies like this are. I loved the opening surfing scene! The beach scene looked a little familiar to me, and then I found out during the credits that part of the movie was filmed in Maui. I wonder if that opening scene was filmed in Maui. The last scene with the house may have been filmed in Maui as well.
I loved Halle Berry, and I loved the part where she was fighting with the english chick, and Halle Berry called her "bitch" before she killed her. Everyone in the theatre was clapping and laughing.
James Bond movies are so much fun. You know you're going to great special effects, pretty girls, fun spy gadgets, great cars and car chase scenes, and it always end happily with Bond saving the world. There's something very comforting about the whole Bond movie genre. In our ever increasingly complicated world, it's nice to spend a couple of hours in a world where issues are black and white, where there are bad guy and good guys, and where moral ambiguity is nonexistent. It's escapist entertainment at its best.
I wish I could write a movie script with special effects like a James Bond movie. I love special effects in a movie. I love the violence, the fast car chase scenes, and the daredevil stunts. Special effects makes spending the money to watch a movie totally worth it, because special effects on a big screen look so darn good. Unless you have a killer sound system and huge screen TV at home, you just can't have the same movie watching experience at home that you do at the theatre. You also don't get the audience reaction at home, which most of the time really adds to my movie viewing pleasure. It's fun to laugh out loud at a movie's jokes with people you know and don't know.
Die Another Day was definitely worth my money.
I loved Halle Berry, and I loved the part where she was fighting with the english chick, and Halle Berry called her "bitch" before she killed her. Everyone in the theatre was clapping and laughing.
James Bond movies are so much fun. You know you're going to great special effects, pretty girls, fun spy gadgets, great cars and car chase scenes, and it always end happily with Bond saving the world. There's something very comforting about the whole Bond movie genre. In our ever increasingly complicated world, it's nice to spend a couple of hours in a world where issues are black and white, where there are bad guy and good guys, and where moral ambiguity is nonexistent. It's escapist entertainment at its best.
I wish I could write a movie script with special effects like a James Bond movie. I love special effects in a movie. I love the violence, the fast car chase scenes, and the daredevil stunts. Special effects makes spending the money to watch a movie totally worth it, because special effects on a big screen look so darn good. Unless you have a killer sound system and huge screen TV at home, you just can't have the same movie watching experience at home that you do at the theatre. You also don't get the audience reaction at home, which most of the time really adds to my movie viewing pleasure. It's fun to laugh out loud at a movie's jokes with people you know and don't know.
Die Another Day was definitely worth my money.
Saturday, December 07, 2002
Below is a statement from the Jewish Community Relations Council on Rainbow Grocery's boycott of products made in Israel.
December 4, 2002
RAINBOW GROCERY ISRAEL BOYCOTT
The following statement was issued today by David Steirman, President of the Jewish Community Relations Council, which represents more than 80 synagogues and Jewish organizations in the Bay Area on public affairs issues of concern to the organized Jewish community.
The Jewish Community Relations Council is deeply disappointed and angered that Rainbow Grocery, which has been patronized by a significant number of our community members and has a strong reputation as a progressive institution, has chosen to boycott Israeli-made products.
The explanation on the store's website that only "two departments decided to remove the Israeli products that they carried from the shelf" and that they "allow our departments wide latitude in their purchasing decisions" is disingenuous at best. The store's leadership is permitting a boycott to take place on its premises and bears responsibility for that decision.
This boycott is not only deeply offensive; it is also misguided. Economic warfare against Israel in the form of boycotts is a failed tactic that has been employed by Israel's detractors and enemies since the establishment of the State of Israel. According to Rainbow Grocery's public relations department, the store is not boycotting products from any other country, even though there are dozens of countries whose human rights records are, by any objective standard, abysmal.
The singling out of the democratic state of Israel is nothing short of an antagonistic and discriminatory act. The damage cannot be mitigated simply by stating, as the store has, that it will continue to carry kosher and other Jewish products from other countries or that other departments within the store do not support the boycott.
We call upon Rainbow Grocery to rescind its boycott immediately. We have offered to meet with the management of the store to convey our concerns. Until such time that the store eliminates its double-standard against Israel, we urge members of the community - Jewish and non-Jewish - to contact the store by telephone, email and fax to send a strong message of protest.
Jewish Community Relations Council of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, Sonoma and Alameda Counties
121 Steuart Street, Suite 301 San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 957-1551 www.jcrc.org
December 4, 2002
RAINBOW GROCERY ISRAEL BOYCOTT
The following statement was issued today by David Steirman, President of the Jewish Community Relations Council, which represents more than 80 synagogues and Jewish organizations in the Bay Area on public affairs issues of concern to the organized Jewish community.
The Jewish Community Relations Council is deeply disappointed and angered that Rainbow Grocery, which has been patronized by a significant number of our community members and has a strong reputation as a progressive institution, has chosen to boycott Israeli-made products.
The explanation on the store's website that only "two departments decided to remove the Israeli products that they carried from the shelf" and that they "allow our departments wide latitude in their purchasing decisions" is disingenuous at best. The store's leadership is permitting a boycott to take place on its premises and bears responsibility for that decision.
This boycott is not only deeply offensive; it is also misguided. Economic warfare against Israel in the form of boycotts is a failed tactic that has been employed by Israel's detractors and enemies since the establishment of the State of Israel. According to Rainbow Grocery's public relations department, the store is not boycotting products from any other country, even though there are dozens of countries whose human rights records are, by any objective standard, abysmal.
The singling out of the democratic state of Israel is nothing short of an antagonistic and discriminatory act. The damage cannot be mitigated simply by stating, as the store has, that it will continue to carry kosher and other Jewish products from other countries or that other departments within the store do not support the boycott.
We call upon Rainbow Grocery to rescind its boycott immediately. We have offered to meet with the management of the store to convey our concerns. Until such time that the store eliminates its double-standard against Israel, we urge members of the community - Jewish and non-Jewish - to contact the store by telephone, email and fax to send a strong message of protest.
Jewish Community Relations Council of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, Sonoma and Alameda Counties
121 Steuart Street, Suite 301 San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 957-1551 www.jcrc.org
Friday, December 06, 2002
Below is an email I received from Rainbow Grocery about the boycott of Israeli products. Rainbow Grocery says there is no boycott, but what they don't say is that individual departments are independently run and can choose to not sell Israeli products, which they have done by not selling gelt, the gold coins for Hannukah. Why don't they just say this? Why lie or skirt around the truth? They really need to get a better PR person.
Dear Customers and Concerned Neighbors,
We apologize for those of you who may be receiving a second mass mailing. Unfortunately, we are simply unable to respond individually to all who have emailed, called or faxed letters to us. We would like to set the record straight for those of you who have heard conflicting stories about this issue.
There is no boycott at Rainbow Grocery Cooperative against Israeli products. At no time did a boycott of Israeli products come up for a vote by the Membership. Our policy requires 51% of the membership to approve a boycott.
We want to emphasize the following point: in no way do we tolerate any workers at Rainbow Grocery who support hatred, racism or any form of religious oppression in or outside of our workplace.
We feel compassion for all parties in the Middle East, intense pain for the losses suffered and dreams unfulfilled. Our ultimate and paramount hope is and has always been peace in the Middle East.
It is dialogue that ultimately will provide the avenue for resolution of the difficult and complex issues in the Middle East. Your feedback and commentary are important to us. We hope that the outpouring of intense communication in the past week can be a step in the process of peace, not a step towards the escalation of conflict.
Sincerely,
Board of Directors
Rainbow Grocery Cooperative
Dear Customers and Concerned Neighbors,
We apologize for those of you who may be receiving a second mass mailing. Unfortunately, we are simply unable to respond individually to all who have emailed, called or faxed letters to us. We would like to set the record straight for those of you who have heard conflicting stories about this issue.
There is no boycott at Rainbow Grocery Cooperative against Israeli products. At no time did a boycott of Israeli products come up for a vote by the Membership. Our policy requires 51% of the membership to approve a boycott.
We want to emphasize the following point: in no way do we tolerate any workers at Rainbow Grocery who support hatred, racism or any form of religious oppression in or outside of our workplace.
We feel compassion for all parties in the Middle East, intense pain for the losses suffered and dreams unfulfilled. Our ultimate and paramount hope is and has always been peace in the Middle East.
It is dialogue that ultimately will provide the avenue for resolution of the difficult and complex issues in the Middle East. Your feedback and commentary are important to us. We hope that the outpouring of intense communication in the past week can be a step in the process of peace, not a step towards the escalation of conflict.
Sincerely,
Board of Directors
Rainbow Grocery Cooperative
Berkeley Politics at its best. The mayor of Berkeley has admitted to stealing and throwing away copies of the UC-Berkeley student newspaper that endorsed his opponent, Berkeley Mayor Admits Stealing Newspapers.
Now if the guy was republican there'd be major honking protests on Shattuck Avenue calling for the guy's resignation. But in the messed up way politics works in the SF Bay Area, the Berkeley City Council are trying to play down what the mayor did. It's so ironic to me because Berkeley is the birthplace of the free speech movement, but obviously that's not the case anymore and I don't think has been for a very long time. One Berkeley Council member said he was stressed out, and wasn't responsible for his actions. The guy destroyed property! Come on! He should resign.
Normally I wouldn't care, it's Berkeley after all and they're a political joke around the country as well as in the SF Bay Area, but I can't help but think that if the Mayor of Berkeley was a republican, the Berkeley Council member would impeach him in a serious nanosecond. Now that a republican would ever stand a chance of getting in Berkeley, but it's the hypocrisy of the Berkeley Council that really gets to me. It's really sad too because Berkeley used to be such a relevant politcal force, and now the city has become such joke and they don't even know it. They've protested themselves into irrelevancy, like the rest of the extreme radical left.
Here's the story from the Daily Cal, the Berkeley paper that broke the story, Police Say Mayor Stole Newspapers, Bates Apologizes to Daily Cal for Role in Pre-Election Day Theft.
Now if the guy was republican there'd be major honking protests on Shattuck Avenue calling for the guy's resignation. But in the messed up way politics works in the SF Bay Area, the Berkeley City Council are trying to play down what the mayor did. It's so ironic to me because Berkeley is the birthplace of the free speech movement, but obviously that's not the case anymore and I don't think has been for a very long time. One Berkeley Council member said he was stressed out, and wasn't responsible for his actions. The guy destroyed property! Come on! He should resign.
Normally I wouldn't care, it's Berkeley after all and they're a political joke around the country as well as in the SF Bay Area, but I can't help but think that if the Mayor of Berkeley was a republican, the Berkeley Council member would impeach him in a serious nanosecond. Now that a republican would ever stand a chance of getting in Berkeley, but it's the hypocrisy of the Berkeley Council that really gets to me. It's really sad too because Berkeley used to be such a relevant politcal force, and now the city has become such joke and they don't even know it. They've protested themselves into irrelevancy, like the rest of the extreme radical left.
Here's the story from the Daily Cal, the Berkeley paper that broke the story, Police Say Mayor Stole Newspapers, Bates Apologizes to Daily Cal for Role in Pre-Election Day Theft.
I popped over to Sears at lunchtime, because I received a flyer in the mail from Lands End saying that they were selling their clothes at Sears. I've been wearing Lands End forever, and I love their clothes.
I tried on a size 12 pairs of pants, and they were comfortable in the waist but way too loose in the seat and thighs. Then I went over the petite section, and on a whim tried on a size 10 petite pair of pants. I have worn size 10 pants, in about 5 years. And OH MY GOD, they fit. The pants was a little snug in the waist, but fit in the seat and thighs. In fact, the seat and thighs were still a little loose. I can't believe it. I'm like WOW! I was tempted to buy the pants, but I'm afraid if I buy the pants now, in a few months they'll be too loose.
The weight loss thing is so working, even though it's going extremely slow. I'm going ot take the weight loss stats off the bloggie, because I decided after Thanksgiving that I'm going to eat 1,400 calories per day and not worry too much about trying to lose a certain amount of weight every week. At 1,400 calories my weight loss is going to be so exceedingly slow, that it's probably not worth tracking my progress on my bloggie right now.
I'm a total wussy! It's really hard for me eat less than 1,400 calories. I can do it, but then I go into major deprivation mode and I start binging. It's a huge problem, and I don't where it's coming from, and until I figure it out I'm sticking to 1,400 calories a day. I can eat 1,400 calories a day with no problem. 1,400 calories a day is probably close to the amount I'd like to eat on daily basis for the rest of my life. Binging is not good for me, because when I binge I end up binging for a few days.
I'm still floored that I fit into a size 10 petite pants. Okay, the waist was snug, but I could still button it. And the thighs. The thighs of the pants on me were so loose, and I am so not used to seeing pants fit on my like this. It's so totally wild!
I know I have to keep going with my eating plan. I'm starting to seriously think that I will fit into a size 8 pants in a couple of months. And if I keep going, maybe I'll go back to my college size which was size 4-6. That would be hot!
On another somewhat sour note for me, I tried on a petite large cardigan sweater and it fit just right. It's my rack! The sweater was loose all over, except for over my chest. I hate that! I know, I know, there are women out there paying big bucks to be the size rack I am, but to me it's kind of depressing in a way. A way too big rack totally spoils your line when it comes to clothes. Don't those women getting plastic racks know this about clothes?
A size 10 petite pants. It's my christmas present to myself.
I tried on a size 12 pairs of pants, and they were comfortable in the waist but way too loose in the seat and thighs. Then I went over the petite section, and on a whim tried on a size 10 petite pair of pants. I have worn size 10 pants, in about 5 years. And OH MY GOD, they fit. The pants was a little snug in the waist, but fit in the seat and thighs. In fact, the seat and thighs were still a little loose. I can't believe it. I'm like WOW! I was tempted to buy the pants, but I'm afraid if I buy the pants now, in a few months they'll be too loose.
The weight loss thing is so working, even though it's going extremely slow. I'm going ot take the weight loss stats off the bloggie, because I decided after Thanksgiving that I'm going to eat 1,400 calories per day and not worry too much about trying to lose a certain amount of weight every week. At 1,400 calories my weight loss is going to be so exceedingly slow, that it's probably not worth tracking my progress on my bloggie right now.
I'm a total wussy! It's really hard for me eat less than 1,400 calories. I can do it, but then I go into major deprivation mode and I start binging. It's a huge problem, and I don't where it's coming from, and until I figure it out I'm sticking to 1,400 calories a day. I can eat 1,400 calories a day with no problem. 1,400 calories a day is probably close to the amount I'd like to eat on daily basis for the rest of my life. Binging is not good for me, because when I binge I end up binging for a few days.
I'm still floored that I fit into a size 10 petite pants. Okay, the waist was snug, but I could still button it. And the thighs. The thighs of the pants on me were so loose, and I am so not used to seeing pants fit on my like this. It's so totally wild!
I know I have to keep going with my eating plan. I'm starting to seriously think that I will fit into a size 8 pants in a couple of months. And if I keep going, maybe I'll go back to my college size which was size 4-6. That would be hot!
On another somewhat sour note for me, I tried on a petite large cardigan sweater and it fit just right. It's my rack! The sweater was loose all over, except for over my chest. I hate that! I know, I know, there are women out there paying big bucks to be the size rack I am, but to me it's kind of depressing in a way. A way too big rack totally spoils your line when it comes to clothes. Don't those women getting plastic racks know this about clothes?
A size 10 petite pants. It's my christmas present to myself.
I've been trying to update the look of my blog for the holiday season, but I can't seem to get colours that I like or that look good.
I just installed Front Page 2000 on my pc at home, and I'm going to try and come up with a new template and new look for my bloggie over the weekend. I should probably just stick with one colour scheme, and decorate my bloggie with seasonal holiday images since I've finally figured out how to have images show up. I'd love to have some holly and candy cane stripped letters on my bloggie for Christmas. I love being festive for the holidays!
I just installed Front Page 2000 on my pc at home, and I'm going to try and come up with a new template and new look for my bloggie over the weekend. I should probably just stick with one colour scheme, and decorate my bloggie with seasonal holiday images since I've finally figured out how to have images show up. I'd love to have some holly and candy cane stripped letters on my bloggie for Christmas. I love being festive for the holidays!
Thursday, December 05, 2002
The following is from the SFChroicle/SFGATE.com's only "conservative" columinst, Debra J. Saunders, Food fight in tofu-land.
This is the second time I've agreed with her. That's spooky! What's interesting is how it was started by one angry consumer; talk about the power of one person. Who says your one voice doesn't count in our country?
This is the second time I've agreed with her. That's spooky! What's interesting is how it was started by one angry consumer; talk about the power of one person. Who says your one voice doesn't count in our country?
The day after reaction on the Rainbow Grocery Coop's ban on Israeli products,Ban on Israeli goods has shoppers in uproar Some demand Rainbow co-op end boycott .
I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees Rainbow's decision as anti-semitic. These are the same people, who after 9/11, said that the terrorists had a right to crash commercial jets into the World Trade Center because of America's international policies. These are the same people who approve of and justify the use of terrorism to kill innocent civilians to make a political point.
If the guy in the article organizes a protest, I am so there! When I was interning in Washington, DC, I loved going to protests! There hasn't been anything to me worth protesting about since I left college, but this issue is definitely worth it. It will be my way of honoring the people who died on 9/11, and to say that terrorists acts where innocent people are killed to prove a political point, is SO WRONG!
And if you disagree, think about what your reaction would be if you were to read in the paper one day, that a terrorist went into a busy mall or on a commuter bus somewhere in the US and blew themselves up to protest American policies abroad. Or, if a terrorist blew themselves at a church on a Sunday. This is what Israelis have to read about practically every day in their papers, see on their televisions, hear on their radios, talk about in their places of worship, sermonize about at their endless funerals.
Think about it really hard, then tell me if you still support the Palestinian cause. Think about it really hard, beacuse if all the reports are true, then we in the US will one day live just like the people in Israel. And I'm afraid that day is not that far away.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees Rainbow's decision as anti-semitic. These are the same people, who after 9/11, said that the terrorists had a right to crash commercial jets into the World Trade Center because of America's international policies. These are the same people who approve of and justify the use of terrorism to kill innocent civilians to make a political point.
If the guy in the article organizes a protest, I am so there! When I was interning in Washington, DC, I loved going to protests! There hasn't been anything to me worth protesting about since I left college, but this issue is definitely worth it. It will be my way of honoring the people who died on 9/11, and to say that terrorists acts where innocent people are killed to prove a political point, is SO WRONG!
And if you disagree, think about what your reaction would be if you were to read in the paper one day, that a terrorist went into a busy mall or on a commuter bus somewhere in the US and blew themselves up to protest American policies abroad. Or, if a terrorist blew themselves at a church on a Sunday. This is what Israelis have to read about practically every day in their papers, see on their televisions, hear on their radios, talk about in their places of worship, sermonize about at their endless funerals.
Think about it really hard, then tell me if you still support the Palestinian cause. Think about it really hard, beacuse if all the reports are true, then we in the US will one day live just like the people in Israel. And I'm afraid that day is not that far away.
Wednesday, December 04, 2002
I'm not sure what to think of all these scandalous catholic church priest sexual abuse stories. I just read in Cleveland, they indicted all these people including a catholic priest on a child pornagraphy ring. So scary! What is is with the attraction to children for sex with some people? It's sick, sick, sick! It's beyond sick. It's pure evil, nothing more and nothing less. And I don't care what kind of psychological crap people are giving for justifying sex with children; it's just pure EVIL.
Then there was that story over the weekend about the Boston Diocese thinking about declaring bankruptcy, because of all the lawsuits being filed against them from people who were sexually abused by priests.
Everyone doing their tell all about catholic priests, so I may have to do my own blog tell all since I have four of my own catholic priest scandal stories.
This first one is benign at least. I put an relationship ad in the Bay Guardian, a SF bay area weekly paper. This was before online dating, and all my friends were doing it and meeting really cute guys to date, so naturally I had to put an ad in too.
One of the guys who answered my ad said he was ex-catholic priest. Of course, I had to go out with him. I was one of those typical catholic young girls who used to have crushes on priests and fantasize about dating one, so this guy was my chance to fulfill my sick teeny girl fantasy. Now who knows if he really was an ex-catholic priest because as I was to find out later, people totally lie about themselves like crazy when they answer personal ads for relationships. But that was his rap.
We met for dinner at a greek restaurant on Polk Street, and we didn't really hit it off which was fine, but I had to just ask him why he left the priesthood. He wasn't embarrassed at all, and told me that he found some things about how the catholic church put together bible which freaked him out enough to leave the church. He was like some kind of biblical scholar type priest, and he was doing research on the bible. He said he found out things, which so rocked his faith, he had to leave. He wouldn't say what he found, only saying that the Catholic Church withheld information in the bible that was supposed to be there.
At the end of dinner, I wished him luck in his new profession of therapist and we said goodbye. But what he said has always intrigued me. I mean what did the guy find that he wouldn't even talk to me about and was so serious that he would leave his chosen profession, a profession and faith that he said he loved, still loved very much?
More Catholic Church priest scandal stories later.
Then there was that story over the weekend about the Boston Diocese thinking about declaring bankruptcy, because of all the lawsuits being filed against them from people who were sexually abused by priests.
Everyone doing their tell all about catholic priests, so I may have to do my own blog tell all since I have four of my own catholic priest scandal stories.
This first one is benign at least. I put an relationship ad in the Bay Guardian, a SF bay area weekly paper. This was before online dating, and all my friends were doing it and meeting really cute guys to date, so naturally I had to put an ad in too.
One of the guys who answered my ad said he was ex-catholic priest. Of course, I had to go out with him. I was one of those typical catholic young girls who used to have crushes on priests and fantasize about dating one, so this guy was my chance to fulfill my sick teeny girl fantasy. Now who knows if he really was an ex-catholic priest because as I was to find out later, people totally lie about themselves like crazy when they answer personal ads for relationships. But that was his rap.
We met for dinner at a greek restaurant on Polk Street, and we didn't really hit it off which was fine, but I had to just ask him why he left the priesthood. He wasn't embarrassed at all, and told me that he found some things about how the catholic church put together bible which freaked him out enough to leave the church. He was like some kind of biblical scholar type priest, and he was doing research on the bible. He said he found out things, which so rocked his faith, he had to leave. He wouldn't say what he found, only saying that the Catholic Church withheld information in the bible that was supposed to be there.
At the end of dinner, I wished him luck in his new profession of therapist and we said goodbye. But what he said has always intrigued me. I mean what did the guy find that he wouldn't even talk to me about and was so serious that he would leave his chosen profession, a profession and faith that he said he loved, still loved very much?
More Catholic Church priest scandal stories later.
I'm boycotting one of my favorite health food stores in San Francisco, Rainbow Grocery Coop, because some of their departments have stopped selling products made in Israel. Here's the article, Middle East unrest hits grocery store.
I've been shopping at Rainbow for years. They're one of the best stores for vegetarians in San Francisco, and since I've been an off and on vegetarian for most of my adult life, I spend at least $300-$500 there a year. Now I know that's not a lot of money, but in this competitive tight economy, every dollar accounts.
As soon as I read the article, I sent an email to Rainbow telling them their politics disturb me and that I will no longer be shopping at their store. The destruction of the Jews at the hands of Hitler's Nazi party, started with the boycott of jewish products. What's next? Yellow Stars of David on stores that sell jewish products? Anti-semitism scare me, and what Rainbow is doing freaks me out.
The best thing about capitalism is you can vote with your economic dollars. If you don't like something, you don't buy it. Now my $300-500 might seem like teeny weeny sum, but it's a large sum of money to me. I'm also telling all my friends to boycott Rainbow Grocery, and if they do it, then that's more voting economic dollars. And since the San Francisco Bay Area is in a recession, maybe me and people who think like me will have an effect. It's not like Rainbow Grocery is the only health food store in San Francisco.
Now I'm not the kind of person who boycotts stores, but this whole anti-semitism thing so disturbs me. They make me think of Nazis and the Holocaust. They make me think of friends' relatives who were in the Nazi death camps during World War II, and had unbelievably horrifying stories to tell. They make me think of how the world just watched as six million jews were systematically killed. They make me pay attention to all the articles I read about the rise of anti-semitism. They make me think that if I don't individually act to stop it now, then I am as guilty of anti-semtism as the Nazis were.
I've been shopping at Rainbow for years. They're one of the best stores for vegetarians in San Francisco, and since I've been an off and on vegetarian for most of my adult life, I spend at least $300-$500 there a year. Now I know that's not a lot of money, but in this competitive tight economy, every dollar accounts.
As soon as I read the article, I sent an email to Rainbow telling them their politics disturb me and that I will no longer be shopping at their store. The destruction of the Jews at the hands of Hitler's Nazi party, started with the boycott of jewish products. What's next? Yellow Stars of David on stores that sell jewish products? Anti-semitism scare me, and what Rainbow is doing freaks me out.
The best thing about capitalism is you can vote with your economic dollars. If you don't like something, you don't buy it. Now my $300-500 might seem like teeny weeny sum, but it's a large sum of money to me. I'm also telling all my friends to boycott Rainbow Grocery, and if they do it, then that's more voting economic dollars. And since the San Francisco Bay Area is in a recession, maybe me and people who think like me will have an effect. It's not like Rainbow Grocery is the only health food store in San Francisco.
Now I'm not the kind of person who boycotts stores, but this whole anti-semitism thing so disturbs me. They make me think of Nazis and the Holocaust. They make me think of friends' relatives who were in the Nazi death camps during World War II, and had unbelievably horrifying stories to tell. They make me think of how the world just watched as six million jews were systematically killed. They make me pay attention to all the articles I read about the rise of anti-semitism. They make me think that if I don't individually act to stop it now, then I am as guilty of anti-semtism as the Nazis were.
Tuesday, December 03, 2002
The "Taken" series on the SciFi channel by Steven Spielberg was hyped so much in the paper here, that I decided to watch it. I'm hooked. The sets are wonderful and so is the acting. Plus, it's all about alien abductions, government black ops, conspiracy theory, psychic powers, reversed engineered alien technology, etc. These subjects are so fascinating to me only because if it's not real, you've got to hand it to the fantastic imaginations of the people coming up with this stuff. I wish I had their imagination, and could write books about it because I could totally make bucko loads of cash.
Twenty hours of a series. That's alot of TV. I was thinking about taping it, but that's alot of TV to tape, so thank god the SciFi channel is repeating all the shows so I can get caught up if I miss a show.
The SciFi channel is also advertising a new movie, Frank Herbert's "Children of Dune". I so love The Dune Series by Frank Herbert, and wish I could create such strange and beautiful worlds the way he does.
Twenty hours of a series. That's alot of TV. I was thinking about taping it, but that's alot of TV to tape, so thank god the SciFi channel is repeating all the shows so I can get caught up if I miss a show.
The SciFi channel is also advertising a new movie, Frank Herbert's "Children of Dune". I so love The Dune Series by Frank Herbert, and wish I could create such strange and beautiful worlds the way he does.
I watched Monsters Inc on video last night. I wish I'd seen it on the big screen because it's a great movie. The monsters were so cute. I loved how Sullie, the big blue monster, was so hairy. If I was a little girl, I'd think he was a kitty too. I loved the woman who had the snake hair like Medusa, only her snake hair was so cute.
One of the funniest parts of the movie was when Mike, the one eyed monster, was asking Sullie for cologne and he put on "wet dog." Wet dog is one of the worst smells in the world.
I don't remember if I had any monster out of the closet fears when I was a kid. If I did, those memories are gone now.
One of the funniest parts of the movie was when Mike, the one eyed monster, was asking Sullie for cologne and he put on "wet dog." Wet dog is one of the worst smells in the world.
I don't remember if I had any monster out of the closet fears when I was a kid. If I did, those memories are gone now.
Monday, December 02, 2002
It's Christmas and I totally love Christmas music! I have this really old version of Handel's Messiah, that's sung in english and not german by the London Symphony Orchestra, that I'm listening to right now. It came with this 5-cd set I bought of Christmas music a long time ago.
The sound quality is really bad, like I'm listening to some old TV program, but it's kind of cool and so cheesy because maybe you're supposed to pretend it's Christmas eve and you have the TV on and some choir is doing Handel's Messiah. Only who needs to wait till Christmas eve and TV, when I have the CD. And it's not my stereo, because my little baby has great sound.
I definitely need a new version of Handel's Messiah in stereo.
The sound quality is really bad, like I'm listening to some old TV program, but it's kind of cool and so cheesy because maybe you're supposed to pretend it's Christmas eve and you have the TV on and some choir is doing Handel's Messiah. Only who needs to wait till Christmas eve and TV, when I have the CD. And it's not my stereo, because my little baby has great sound.
I definitely need a new version of Handel's Messiah in stereo.
Sunday, December 01, 2002
I love these long weekends. They really make me feel like I've gotten away from the office, even though I didn't leave town.
I've got the "I finished my writing project" blues. I always feel so "blah and bleh", after I finish a writing project. That sense of urgency to complete my writing total for the day is gone now, and I've stopped living in that heightened sense of every day is a deadline. It's kind of an emotional let down really. Writing that intensely for me is like being on some kind of weird drug and when I stop, it's like I've crashed down to earth with a big thump and I can't get up again. Maybe the best thing is keep writing, or at least plan to start another writing project as soon as I finish one.
I know I should enjoy my writing time off when I have them, because there's the screenplay to finish before December 14. But it's hard not to feel like I've ground to a halt, because I've stopped writing. I wonder if I'm one of those people who has to be in perpetual motion to feel worthwhile.
I know I used to feel that way sometimes at work, that if I wasn't getting promoted every year there was seriously something wrong with me and I was failing at my job. Because what I'm going through right now, which is a vague sense of dissatisfaction, is sort of how I used to feel after I got my promotions. It's not exactly like I'm dissatisfied, but there's definitely a feeling of some kind of letdown. It's hard to explain.
I've got the "I finished my writing project" blues. I always feel so "blah and bleh", after I finish a writing project. That sense of urgency to complete my writing total for the day is gone now, and I've stopped living in that heightened sense of every day is a deadline. It's kind of an emotional let down really. Writing that intensely for me is like being on some kind of weird drug and when I stop, it's like I've crashed down to earth with a big thump and I can't get up again. Maybe the best thing is keep writing, or at least plan to start another writing project as soon as I finish one.
I know I should enjoy my writing time off when I have them, because there's the screenplay to finish before December 14. But it's hard not to feel like I've ground to a halt, because I've stopped writing. I wonder if I'm one of those people who has to be in perpetual motion to feel worthwhile.
I know I used to feel that way sometimes at work, that if I wasn't getting promoted every year there was seriously something wrong with me and I was failing at my job. Because what I'm going through right now, which is a vague sense of dissatisfaction, is sort of how I used to feel after I got my promotions. It's not exactly like I'm dissatisfied, but there's definitely a feeling of some kind of letdown. It's hard to explain.
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