May 01, 2005
Not Enough Time
So, I know I promised you all updates about my trips to London and Iceland, but I've been really swamped. I've got too many things going on, I'm partly too depressed to do much writing, and I'm certainly not in a happy place to go through all the happy pictures I had planned on posting.
It sucks, but I will get to them. Just not in the next couple of weeks. I'm off to Toronto for a couple of days, mid-week.
Posted by Samer at 05:44 PM | Comments (0)
April 11, 2005
Sadly back
So I made it back last night. A nice trip back from Reykjavik and London. I don't want to be back. I don't want it to be in the 70s. And I really don't want to face the piles of laundry and mail.
I've got a few posts and a bunch of pictures to put up, so I will try to get to those over the next week and weekend.
Posted by Samer at 07:11 AM | Comments (0)
March 29, 2005
The Future
So we went to the Future on Saturday. Yes, the future is a shiny techno club, what of it?
The reason we went was to see an "old fashioned" burlesque show. The show itself was not too bad, but four sets over a three hour period was just not what I would call value for money. But the people who came out, well, they were the stars of the show.
There was "Bondage Pants" Man. He was wearing a nice pair of black pants with red accents to them. Oh, and they had buckles and belts between each of the legs, making it hard to move. He was dancing like your typical white male: flailing arms and legs going to different beats.
Then there was "Pseudo Army" Man. This guy was dressed in leather pants, an Iraq themed T-shirt and an Australian/desert-type leather hat. And he was dancing like a man possessed. Just not with the music we were listening to.
Of course, no techno party would be complete without a geek boy. Geek Boy was just that: geeky, tall and wearing jeans and a T-shirt. The T-shirt read "Foo" on the front and "Bar" (in big huge letters on the back). Go look it up, but suffice it to say, I'm not geeky enough to wear that.
Lastly, well, there was "Cane Man". Cane Man was walking around looking to all the world like a late 1800's dandy. Longish hair, tapestry for clothing, long coat, and, of course, a cane. He was walking around the entire time having a very long and involved conversation. With himself. It was hysterical, except that he kept swinging the cane and I was worried we'd get hit.
Fun night.
Posted by Samer at 05:57 PM | Comments (0)
March 28, 2005
No Flight Attendants
It must be Monday.
I'm at Hartsfield airport and I hear the following announcement:
"For those of you on Delta Flight 271 to Columbus, OH, I'm sure you are aware that we should be boarding right now. Unfortunately we don't have any flight attendants. As soon as we can locate some flight attendants and get them on the plane, we will begin boarding."
Just the thing you want hear when you've got an hour and half to catch your connecting flight.
A few minutes later: "The flight attendants are in the building. They are in concourse B and should be here [concourse A] in a few minutes."
Posted by Samer at 11:33 AM | Comments (1)
March 12, 2005
Eye Candy
Tiger is coming out soon and this is a really good example of it's power: an RSS reading screen saver. Download the video and watch it. It's really breathtaking.
Posted by Samer at 08:24 PM | Comments (0)
February 28, 2005
It's Coming
The snow is coming. Trust me. It's just started here in Arlington.
This is the first winter storm forecast that I've been confident in. There will be a minimum of three inches in the immediate area, but my hunch is we'll get more than that.
I'f you're home, settle in, light a fire and make some hot chocolate. That's what I'm doing!
Posted by Samer at 09:38 AM | Comments (0)
February 27, 2005
One of the Great Ones
Jef Raskin has passed away. He died of cancer last night.
Who is Raskin, you ask?
Raskin is probably the person who has had the most influence on your daily life with out you ever having heard of him. In the early 1980s, Raskin started a project at Apple Computer which he later named for his favorite apple, The Macintosh. That computer, along with Raskin's Human Interface Desgin guidelines, made computing accessible to everyday people.
Jef Raskin was one of the Great Ones. He will be missed.
Posted by Samer at 10:23 AM | Comments (0)
February 17, 2005
Life on Mars?
Space.com has an exclusive story about a couple of NASA scientists that have submitted a paper to the journal Nature on the existence of life on Mars currently:
WASHINGTON -- A pair of NASA scientists told a group of space officials at a private meeting here Sunday that they have found strong evidence that life may exist today on Mars, hidden away in caves and sustained by pockets of water.
The scientists, Carol Stoker and Larry Lemke of NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, told the group that they have submitted their findings to the journal Nature for publication in May, and their paper currently is being peer reviewed.
What Stoker and Lemke have found, according to several attendees of the private meeting, is not direct proof of life on Mars, but methane signatures and other signs of possible biological activity remarkably similar to those recently discovered in caves here on Earth.
I don't know what to make of this, but I can't wait to see if Nature publishes this and what the scientific community will have to say about it at that time.
Posted by Samer at 09:18 AM | Comments (0)
February 16, 2005
Mr. Lebanon
A couple of days ago, the former prime minster of Lebanon was killed by a huge car bomb. He was buried today, at a mosque that he built to replace one that had be destroyed by years of civil strife.
Rafik al-Hariri was, mostly, a good man. He put his money where his mouth was and built up the country and Beirut after the civil war. His billions were made in the construction industry and it seemed fitting that his money went into rebuilding.
No one is really sure of the motives for his killing. Responsibility for the assassination was taken by a little known group claiming to have murdered him for his support of the Saudis (his wealth and business got it's start in Saudi Arabia). But many also blame Syria and the Lebanese government.
Whatever the motives, whatever the reasons, the people who do these acts rarely think on their impact. They've got a target and they eliminated him. No thought is given to the grieving wife, the brother or sister, the four children. No thought is given to those relatives left mourning him. No thought is given to the hundreds of thousands that showed up for his funeral. No thought is given to the dreams and aspirations that this one man managed to bring back to defeated and torn country.
He was known as "Mr. Lebanon", a title fitting for a man who had the means to live anywhere he chose to, but came back to his country to help put it back on it's feet. Let's hope Mr. Lebanon's violent passing does not spell the end of the Lebanese dream.
Posted by Samer at 11:24 PM | Comments (0)
February 14, 2005
Doughnuts are too good for them
The lights at 14th and H streets were blinking red all the way around today. Maybe it was a Valentine's thing, but it didn't matter. I've got little love for the useless cop who was at the scene.
There was a bit of confusion, it seems not everyone learned that flashing red means stop. More importantly, it's hard to synchronize four or so lanes of traffic in one direction and three by three lanes on the other side. It's even harder when you add into the mix pedestrians who have the right of way at four way stops.
So, mid-morning (and this had been going on since before I got to the office at 10) I went out and was crossing the street. Lo! Over yonder! A police officer. He was a bicycle cop, and was dismounted and standing on the corner. He seemed to be watching the traffic, but not doing anything to direct it.
As I approached, I said, "nice job you're doing." He sorta smiled and went back to looking at the traffic. When I added, "really nice job," he turned, hopped on his bicycle and sped off. Thanks, Mr Policeman!
And, yeah, before any of you write in -- I don't care what branch he was with. If they are allowed to patrol DC streets looking to keep us safe, they can dismount and direct traffic. His outfit was yellow and said "police" on it. He could be DC or he could be Secret Service, I'm not sure and nor do I care. Part of patrolling a beat is that you make sure everything that needs police action gets police action, especially when you are just standing around doing nothing.
Posted by Samer at 10:39 PM | Comments (0)
Happy Valentine's Day
It's that time of year again. And, thankfully, we have the Onion to protect us.
They've created some pretty funny love coupons taking the piss out of traditional love coupons that people give out (or is it that marketers and sappy books hope people give out?).
.
Posted by Samer at 12:58 AM | Comments (0)
February 11, 2005
One by one
For years I've been singing the praises of the Macintosh and of Apple. Mostly no one listens, but when they do they tend to get religion. Recently, my boss (JCA) started listening. He asked a few questions here and there, and then watched the SteveNote from MacWorld. That renowned reality distortion field bit and he bought an iBook for his wife and daughter.
He loves it, as you can tell:
Well, there is nothing I don't like about it. It is the embodiment of
"living right" and the ease with which tasks are performed only
reinforces how idiotic the Windows world is.
There's no good place to start or finish, but I fired up iSync and it
did everything a sync utility should do. The first time. Using
Bluetooth. No questions asked.
For that matter, Bluetooth just works. No negotiating, no setup. It is
no wonder that BT had such a rocky start with 97% of first impressions
being on PCs. I almost gave up myself.
Safari rocks -- is is faster even that FireFox? And within 30 minutes
or so I got the feel of where settings were and how to customize.
The girls just LOVE the profile swapper. And trying that on XP is ...
well I promised myself I wouldn't cry.
There is a lot of junk on my sidewalk right now. It used by be my
Windows network. I'm definitly getting a Mac mini and might let [my daughter]
keep it.
And then I start thinking about me ...
And then I cound the days until Dashboard.
This from a man who was a diehard Windows user and could run circles around most people's daily use of that operating system. Why don't you join the Cult?
Posted by Samer at 08:19 AM | Comments (0)
January 26, 2005
Spam from Moran
Congressman Moran has deemed it necessary to send me spam. I thought I'd send him a friendly note and find out why.
Unsolicited e-mail from your office
Dear Mr Moran,
Today I received two e-mail messages from you that were identical and sent to different addresses that I own. I've never signed up for your newsletters, and the addresses are such that they indicate they were purchased or harvested from the ACLU and Consumer's Union.
Having never given your office permission to contact me via e-mail except, possibly, in reply to actions by the above organizations, I'm very disappointed that you and your office have chosen to engage in what can only be called Spam.
I'd ask you or your staff to please let me know exactly how you got my e-mail addresses (listed below), and what steps you are taking to prevent this from happening again.
The addresses are:
numberportability_consumersunion.org [munged]
aclu-action [munged]
I sincerely hope that this address is not going to wind up on your spam list, as well. And while Listrak seems to have a good reputation, I hope my addresses do not wind up with other spammers. If you purchased the addresses from a third party, I would request their name and contact information so I might remove myself from their clutches. If not, you might want to consider that people who contact you do not want your spam unless they've agreed to it.
Thank you for addressing this issue.
Samer
Let's see if my congressman responds.
Posted by Samer at 08:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 23, 2005
Snow!
Well, we finally got some snow yesterday. Sadly it wasn't as bad as predicted, only about four inches or so. Still, it was fun while it lasted. Now the cars are turning it into slush.
Posted by Samer at 07:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 19, 2005
This is your brain...
... This is your brain on Gmail.
A very interesting article from Digital Ocean about managing information in your life by creating a Gmail account strictly for the bits of info you need to do something with. Tag it with a reasonable tag and then have Gmail do the filtering. See something you want to read later, send an e-mail with "READ: something cool" and some information about what it is. Make a new contact, drop yourself a "CONTACT: " note.
A very interesting concept, and I think it might help me out a lot. Or it could give me a ton of snippets of stuff I will still have no time to look at.
Posted by Samer at 09:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Major Security or Major Headache?
Brian put together a nice summary of the insane levels of security being readied for the inauguration, but last night's massive interagency response took the cake. A man in a van threatened to blow himself up near the White House in what the FBI is calling a domestic disturbance. The entire assembled mights of the US Secret Service, the Park Police, the FBI and the Metropolitan Police Department descended on him and the area around 15th and Pennsylvania. For all I know, even the subway police were involved.
The response to this threat was what I would call "overwhelming", and that's a damn good thing. Tens if not hundreds of cops, three DC mobile command centers, robots, and tactical strike units. The closure of blocks of roads, obviously to protect people in case of an explosion, quickly turned Downtown into a gridlocked tangle of cars. I'd venture to say that within an hour, certainly by 5.00 PM or so, the threat was known to be limited, and MPD should have reopened roads. Maybe it was only known to a TV audience. I'm not going to second guess this, though, except to say that MPD should investigate if everything was done in as expedient a manner as it should have been.
The thing that does get my goat, though, are the lazy assholes that are the officers of the various departments. I'm pretty sure between SWAT, MPD's negotiators, the FBI and a few others, the need for every single cop to be in the area standing around doing nothing is just ridiculous. As I walked by the scene, I saw cop after cop sitting in their cars blocking roads as people gridlocked the streets. Why were these guys not out directing traffic? I, for one, don't buy the "We're Park Police, traffic is not what we do" argument. Traffic could have been kept flowing (albeit slowly) had these other cops, as well as MPD's traffic cops (who seemed to just vanish after a while), got off their lazy asses and got things moving.
Posted by Samer at 08:33 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 06, 2005
Metro Sucks (Five in an Ongoing Series)
I'm walking home and feeling tired. I decide to hop on the Metro at Rosslyn. I noticed the train had some difficulty pulling out of the station, but then we were on our merry way to Court House. Two minutes, that's all it will take. Right.
The train stops in the tunnel. Not unusual, happens when there's a backup. But this was at 19.25 or so. No real reason for a backup. The train does the normal "unlock the breaks, roll backwards a couple of feet, engage the motors, move forward". Well, except for the move forward part.
The train was making all the right noises, but just kept rolling backwards. "We're experiencing some technical problems. We'll be moving shortly," says the driver. For values of shortly that include 15 minutes and another train. A couple of minutes later, he comes back on to tell us that "we're going to need some help."
This is the "Metro Sucks" part of this: There's no explanation of what is going on. Nothing other than those two announcements. I knew it was bad that I'd turned my iPod off so I could hear the announcements. And all this time, with every few feet we would slip backwards, the thought of what happened a couple of months ago, with one train slamming into another, kept entering my mind.
Eventually, I notice a light from behind our train, but I'm far enough away, I don't really know what's going on. Until the loud and jarring collision. Another train or vehicle of some sort was now connected to the rear of our train and was going to give us a push. After one or two false starts, and still no information, we get moving. Slowly. Really, really slowly. Eventually, I can feel the motors in my car catch and we move a little faster.
We enter Court House, but then have to wait another several minutes before the doors are opened. We step out and I saw something I was not expecting. The vehicle that was pushing us was another Metro Rail train. With passengers. I think it is pretty cool, and the obviously have a procedure for this sort of thing. I just hope that train driver told his folks what was up before pushing our train.
Posted by Samer at 11:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 04, 2005
The Million Year Old Cat
Meet Moe. He's a million years old.
Seventeen is a long time in cat years. It is also a long time in human years. A long time to get attached, a long time for the cute little kitten to become a best friend. Moe was LVH's friend.
I met Moe in 2003. It is safe to say I was not looking forward to it. I didn't like cats, and I was going to be staying with LVH for a few days. She had three cats and they would be checking me out.
Moe made me comfortable. He wasn't afraid of me, seemed to like me and want to be around me. I was smitten with the kitten.
He's had his rough spots over the time I've known him. Diabetic, he's needed shots every day, twice a day. He has to deal with two other cats that won't let him rest. He's been through a lot.
I saw him again on my trip out west. LVH was off teaching and I had an hour or so to kill. Surfing the web, Moe jumped up and sat next to me on the comfy chair. He laid there, comfortable with me, and me with him. Like two old souls, we sat in silence, enjoying the moments.
LVH called me yesterday to tell me she was going to have to put Moe down. He'd been unwell, and she took him with her to Ohio on her trip. His health had been deteriorating since Christmas, and there was nothing to be done. He was in pain, not eating and looking worse.
She had told me that Moe would let her know when he was ready to go. She'd be able to see it in his eyes. I asked her what she saw in his eyes. "I don't think I want to see what he's telling me."
She cried, of course. How could she not? He's been her cat for far too many years. He's been her buddy, always there for her, and she for him.
I'm going to miss that cat. In a way, he was my friend, too.
Posted by Samer at 09:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The New Year
So far, 2005 has been odder, if not better, than 2004.
I'm not sure what to make of it, really.
Posted by Samer at 09:17 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 31, 2004
"Annis Horribilis"
In 1997 Queen Elizabeth lamented her annis horribilis after Princess Diana's death. This year has been, in a way, my own annis horribilis.
It started off bad with a relationship gone sour in the ugliest of ways, followed quickly by my dad's bypass surgery. The year progressed at its glacial pace, adding heartbreak to sadness as a lovely neighbor, a former boss and my uncle passed away. Of course, the year ended with two resounding crashes as my job changed dramatically (never for the better) and a tsunami showed us that you really should live for the moment. I've not even made my annual pilgrimage to London and Iceland.
It wasn't all bad: that sour relationship is now a solid friendship; I got to go see the west coast by train; I got to know that in my heart I'm not just a drone.
And so I look towards 2005 with some hope and not a little trepidation. As bad as 2004 was, 2005 is going to be better. I think there are going to be good things on the relationship front, on the job front and on the location front. There's a lot brewing, maybe it winds up being nothing, but the journey is going to be worth taking this year.
Cheers to all of you, and may you all have a great new year.
Posted by Samer at 05:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Tsunami Relief
I'm sure you've all seen the destruction and loss of life that a 9.0 earthquake unleashed when it started a tsunami. That killer wave has claimed over 100,000 lives and destroyed cities, islands and communities.
If you've got a spare few dollars, I'd suggest helping out. Amazon is taking payments for the Red Cross, and Google and Apple have links on their home pages to disaster relief organizations.
A small donation might make someone's life a little better and end this awful year on a positive note.
Posted by Samer at 02:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
A book and a Phone Call
bOINGbOING publish the harrowing story of Pearl, a guy who is living in Thailand:
Our house was 150 feet from the beach, that is THE hardest hit beach in Thailand. As water rushed into our house and then ripped open the second story wall, I leapt off our second story roof and swam and swam and swam, riding the wave deep into the jungle, as it destroyed building after building, ripping up trees and spinning diesel trucks into the air.
It is a very moving tale of survival and quick thinking. A very personal look at the death and destruction wrought by this tsunami.
Pearl, an American citizen, tried to get the help of his government, our government, in an effort to get out of there:
The U.S. goverment offered me a phone call, a toothbrush, a paperback book and a temporary passport. No hotel, no food, no flight home. I was told that I could take out a loan if I could list three people who would vouch for me at home. The process would only take a few days. I was alone, injured (superficially - but I sure did look bad), no possesions, no money and my government offered my a book.
"A phone call, a toothbrush, a paperback book and a temporary passport." Seriously, is that the best we can do for our people? Ostensibly, even when you live overseas, you pay taxes with the idea that your government will come and help you when the shit hits the fan. A paperback novel is not help.
Maybe (hopefully) there's another reason for this than plain idiocy, but you never know.
Posted by Samer at 02:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 20, 2004
A little chill
Wow, this really is an Arctic cold front! Currently it is 11°F (-12°C) with a wind chill of -8°F (-22°C). Even I think that's cold. And we did get a dusting of snow, but I am sure it blew away.
Posted by Samer at 08:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 18, 2004
Winter is Here
"ARCTIC COLD FRONT SWEEPS EAST OF THE CWA SUNDAY EVENING..." reads the long term forecast discussion, today. You know what that means? Cold. And lots of it. Teens for Monday morning.
Finally, winter is here.
Posted by Samer at 05:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 09, 2004
Law School
I have two good friends who are in law school. One, AB, recently started blogging on her PIEL blog, which I talked about a few days ago. The other, law-rah as she calls herself, also writes a blog called WonL. They've both been prepping for finals, and they are both a little stressed by the immersive experience of studying.
On WonL, law-rah's been keeping a list of things that she's learnt while studying (for the record: I love that word). An example or two:
4) my roommate really doesn't care about UCC 2-207..but found Williams v. Walker Thomas extremely interesting (could've been due to my theatrical performance of replevin...perhaps as an encore, I will throw large pieces of lumber off of the 2nd floor at my other roommate below)
11) I think I have an unhealthy obsession with collecting markers and highlighters
I've found the series amusing, myself. Check them all out. Of course, I think number 15's pretty good.
Good luck to both of them, and hope they kick some law school ass.
Posted by Samer at 12:07 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 04, 2004
"We're Moving"
I thought it slightly amusing and not a little bit ironic to get one of those "We're Moving" postcards. What's so amusing or ironic about it, you ask? It was from my post office. They are moving across the street. And while they are happy to tell you to give them a month's notice for moving, this arrived in my mailbox yesterday, and the move is today.
Posted by Samer at 12:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 02, 2004
The ABlog
One of the coolest and funnest people I know, my friend AB, has gone out and got herself a blog: "PielBlog...My Life In Interesting Tidbits". Piel, she explains in her first entry, is public interest environmental law, in case you were wondering.
I like the way she writes, and I like that I can keep up with her more often. If you like following someone through the trials of law school, reading about some law stuff and seeing how passionate she is about the things that matter to her, then take a look.
Posted by Samer at 09:58 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 27, 2004
Smoke
After being out on the west coast, where smokers are mostly shunned (or at least forbidden from smoking indoors), I've found my reaction to smoke to be rather strong. Last night, at Dr. Dremo, I couldn't take it as it made me feel ill. I had to leave, it was so bad.
The odd thing is, a few days ago in Vancouver, I went to a place called the Cambie which had a smoking room. We spent a good deal of the evening in the smoking room, and it didn't really have an affect.
And Dremo was not the only place where I had this... When I got back on Thanksgiving I went to Whitlow's and the smoke there really got to me. Wonder if this is a trend.
Posted by Samer at 07:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 23, 2004
Ed Crane
Here I was wandering the Pike Place Market in Seattle when I spotted a nice view out a window. I walked down there, and an affable older gentleman was sitting sipping on some coffee and reading the paper. He welcomed me with a booming voice. It was the sort of voice you don't forget, you know? Deep and authoritative. A broadcast voice.
He asked where I was from, and I told him "DC". He smiled and told me he knew DC quite well. He'd been the traffic reporter for a bunch of radio stations, including WTOP, WMAL and WRC. We talked for about ten minutes, and he shared the story of the closing of Pennsylvania Avenue, and how he basically broke that story that sad morning in 1995.
It was pretty cool to hear his stories and remember the old days in radio and TV. Thanks for the memories, Mr. Crane.
Posted by Samer at 03:01 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 21, 2004
Traveling Alone
I enjoy traveling alone, at least I have prior to this trip. I've met up with some friends on this trip and it's been a lot of fun. But as soon as they leave, I get a sad feeling.
I don't know why, but I'm really down when alone, lately. Probably has to do with all the stress recently, but I really have been craving human contact. In some ways, while this is a fun trip and I am enjoying myself, I sort of want to be home.
Posted by Samer at 11:50 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
November 14, 2004
One thing
If there's only one thing you should do before you die, well, I'd highly recommend putting walking across the Golden Gate Bridge up there.
I took a bus to Golden Gate Park on Saturday. Hopped on a different bus and wound up at the foot of the most magnificent piece of architecture and design, all in one. To see this monster of a bridge spanning across the Golden Gate is almost as moving as seeing the aurora. A living, breathing monument to what we, as a people, can do when we decide we need to. The whole thing was built in 52 months. It opened in 1937. 1937.
I walked across the bridge and took some good pictures, and when I got to the other side, I climbed up into the Marin County Headlands. I stood there, with most of the bridge beneath me. One of the most beautiful and amazing sites that I've ever seen.
Posted by Samer at 04:02 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 11, 2004
Fly Naked
Security was a breeze at Dulles. Well, the line moved quickly.
Honestly, there's just no dignity in flying anymore. You want to know why airlines are losing money? Just go to a major airport an see the cattle call that airport security is. "We recommend you take off your shoes because we're scanning for thickness," said the TSA drone. What the fuck does that mean? Is there an approved thickness for shoes? Did she mean we're scanning for explosives? Say what you mean, dammit.
So, shoes, jackets, sweatshirts, belts, laptops, keys, phones and everything else gets tossed on the belt. slowly, ever so slowly, it moves past the disinterested x-ray technician. Oooh! She's spotted something. A small keychain Swiss Army knife. These things are dangerous items. Very very dangerous. So much so, the supervisor had to be called over to explain to the fine gentleman what a grave danger to national security it was to bring that along. For crying out loud, you can't cut through duct tape with that thing, much less take over an airliner.
His options were to have it confiscated or to go back out and check it into the hold. Why is there not an option to fill out a card and have the item shipped to you, at your expense if need be? Why is there forfeiture without a trial, without a judicial order? Why are airports special?
Well, mostly it is because what I've heard referred to as "security theater". The visual of trained officials doing something, anything, is apparently what we want. Meanwhile, we're not any more secure, just a lot more harassed. Airlines are sinking into mounds of debt and when they go under, some of the blame surely has to go at the feet of the "security at any cost" crowd.
One woman, who was getting dressed after going through the line, noticed me doing the same and said, "we should come naked to the airport, next time." Not a pretty image.
Posted by Samer at 07:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 10, 2004
Whirlwind Vacation
I'm off to see the west tomorrow. I'm headed to San Francisco then to Eugene and Portland, OR and Seattle before winding up in Vancouver. All this, and I'll be home for a very late Thanksgiving day dinner.
Follow along here and over at the new photo blog to see where I am.
Posted by Samer at 09:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 08, 2004
Let Go
Again, clarity comes to me from a friend and a song. My friend Nikki gives me the best slaps of reality of anyone, and I sought her out and talked to her for a bit this weekend. And just as things were becoming clear(er), Frou Frou come along with the song "Let Go":
So, let go
Jump in
Oh well, what you waiting for?
It's all right
'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown
So, let go
Just get in
Oh, it's so amazing here
It's all right
'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown
There is beauty in everything. Sometimes, the breakdown is even more beautiful. Everything devolves, everything entropies, why not see the beauty in that?
Posted by Samer at 09:22 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 06, 2004
ecto
I've been blogging a lot, lately, and you might have wondered why. To be honest, it comes down to one thing: ease of use.
Blogging through a web interface can be tiresome: you have to log in, wait for the server to load stuff, etc. And, no matter how nice the tools you use are, like MovableType, the interface is still not all you would like it to be.
Enter ecto. This is a very well thought out and written application that lets you blog on your desktop and does the rest of the stuff in the background. It supports a number of blog publishing tools, it has a very simple and nice interface, it will do linking and images for you, it will let you add your own markup and HTML. I'm sure there's tons more features that I've just not figured out yet.
Ecto's got a free two week trial, so go try it out. I've been using mine for a week or so, since I noticed it on bOINGbOING, and I just paid the $18 for it. This software really rocks. Oh, it it even works on Windows.
Posted by Samer at 10:32 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 05, 2004
Too Low to Find My Way
This has been the week from hell. Without a doubt, this has been the worst week of my life.
I recently saw "Garden State", and I bought the soundtrack. On it is a great song from Thievery Corporation called "Lebanese Blonde". The first bit of the song is:
Too low to find my way
Too high to wonder why
I've touched this place before
Somewhere in another time
Now I can hear the sun
The clouds drifting through the blinds
A half a million thoughts
Are flowing through my mind
A half a million thoughts are flowing through my mind. What a shitty year.
Posted by Samer at 10:56 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Death in a connected world
On the DCRTV site the other day was a notice that a college buddy had passed away. If it wasn't for one of my coworkers seeing that someone at WJLA had passed away, we might not have known for a while.
Mike Bayus was a funny, great guy who really took his job, even when it was at a campus TV station, seriously. He always had a smile and he would sing various TV theme songs all the time. He was a great guy, and it is a loss to everyone that knows him.
The really sad thing is that I never really stayed in touch. I'd hear his news every now and again. But, while I knew he was at WJLA, which is only a mile down the road, I didn't even know he lived in Arlington. It is a shame that, in this interconnected world, we often don't have the time to stay in touch with the good people of the world.
Rest in peace, Mike.
Posted by Samer at 10:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
One Twelve
I really never thought that this week could get worse. It did. Tremendously worse.
There's some seriously bad work shit going on, and it is driving my stress levels very very high. How high? I went and saw the doctor today for a regular visit. He was a bit concerned that the nurse measured my resting heart rate at 120 and he got 100. He decided to do an EKG.
He found nothing wrong, but my resting heart rate was about 112. For those playing along at home, that's fucking high for resting. That's what it should be if you run.
His explanation, after I told him what had happened this week, was that it was stress. Stress from my job, my life and this election. In that order. That should tell you what a shitty week it has been.
Posted by Samer at 10:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
A few funny (sorta) links
They'd be really funny if they didn't sum up how I feel.
This site tries to apologize to the world in pictures. If that link fails, try this one.
You want to move to Canada? Did the sites I put up the other day not do it for you? Try marrying a Canadian. That could be fun, too.
Lastly, I saw this on Flickr the other day, and loved it. Kinda sums up this election.
Posted by Samer at 10:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 03, 2004
Where to?
Excellent tongue in cheek (or maybe not) article in Harper's on how to emigrate from the US and your options on November 3.
From "Electing to Leave":
Perhaps the most elegant solution is to join a country that exists only in one’s own—or someone else’s—imagination. Many such virtual nations can be found on the Internet, and citizenships in them are easy to acquire.
Kinda fun to consider. For those really looking at going to Canada, check out the CIC Canada site. Perhaps Scandinavia is more your speed? No problem.
Posted by Samer at 10:24 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Depressed and angry
This election has me depressed and angry. Why? From all accounts, it seems that a good portion of the country are bigots and want the government to be your nanny. Another large portion seem to be morons, easily frightened into voting for someone who has done more to make them insecure. There also seems to be a rather large and fanatical fundamentalist Christian population. You know what the difference is between Muslim and Christian fundamentalists? Let me know.
I also think there's some really bad stuff going on in various election locations, including vote rigging. No, I don't have proof and I don't know if it would have made a difference. But the story of the numbers remains to be told.
The one heartening thing is that a lot of people did go out and exercise their right to vote. Yay us.
Posted by Samer at 10:18 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
November 02, 2004
The Election
This is it. Time to vote. Do what you have to get to a polling place. Be heard.
Why? Because this is the most important election we're going to see in our lifetime. If Bush wins, the course of our government, and the world, is going to a turn for the worse. His party and the country will move to the right, the conservative Christian fundamentalist right. If Kerry wins, the Republicans will have an internal civil war. One the fundamentalists can't win. Oh, and this country might actually become secure and have a good name among our allies, again.
I'm heartened by the statistics that Electoral-Vote.com has up today. Kerry gets 298 votes, with 270 needed to win. I think his methods are fair enough, but polls are polls. We get the final poll tomorrow. The thing I did enjoy on EV today was finding out that the Votemaster was none other than Andrew Tanenbaum, famous for Minix and other computer science stuff.
He wrote a great piece on why he did this:
Let me tell you a short story. When I was in elementary school, the school was plagued by a bully. He was the biggest, strongest kid around and would beat up anyone he didn't like. We were all exceedingly polite to his face, but hated his guts behind his back. One day he was chasing some poor kid and he tripped and skidded a considerable distance, scraping his face on the rough asphalt of the playground. He was bleeding and in pain, screaming for help. But nobody came to help him. We all just walked away. George Bush is the world's playground bully. The world sees him--and by inference, America--as arrogant, self-centered, and mean. I spoke to Americans from dozens of countries at the DA caucus. Everyone told the same story--the world hates America. When talking to foreigners, I can tell them about the Bill of Rights or freedom or World War II, or whatever I want, but all they see is this big, stupid, arrogant, playground bully and a stolen election in Florida last time. I think America deserves better. I want America to be respected in the world again, and John Kerry can restore the respect America deserves.
So, go out and vote. Do the right thing. I hope it does not end in court.
Posted by Samer at 12:11 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 31, 2004
Redskins Lose! Go Kerry!
So, apparently, for the last 80 years or so, if the Redskins lost the game before an election, the incumbent lost the election. I hope the Supreme Court sees it that way.
Posted by Samer at 04:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 12, 2004
Vote for Change Concert
Well, my ears are still ringing.
I got a call early yesterday from a friend of mine wanting to know if I wanted to go to the hottest ticket in town, America Coming Together's Vote For Change concert. This thing sold out in about 30 mins. Seats were $175 and down. And the talent on display was pretty amazing. Of course I wanted to go. And for free, too.
Our seats were great, just to the right of the stage and about 14 rows up. I could see the artists on stage without the need to squint, look through binoculars or at the big screens. And the speakers were right on top of my head.
It was, no doubt, the best assemblage of talent I've ever seen on one stage. I'm not the biggest fan of music out there, and, in fact, I dislike some of the bands that were to play. I was really there only for R.E.M.
The concert started at 7p with John Mellencamp, who really really rocked. He was quite strong and really brought the crowed up to cheering and chanting. He was followed by Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds who had the shortest set of the evening, singing "If I Could Change the World".
Jackson Brown, Bonnie Raitt and Keb' Mo' did a trio of songs together and were followed by hip-hopping Jurassic 5.
R.E.M. then hit the stage and just brought down the house. At one point they had Eddie Vedder come up and play a song with them, and followed that up with Bruce Springsteen singing along to "Man on the Moon". This was a great set and I was thrilled to see it and would have been happy to go home at this point. But there was more. Much more.
Pearl Jam, and their brand of grunge, was up next -- they had Tim Robbins (yeah, him) up on stage to sing. I am not a fan of Pearl Jam, but they did rock. I can't say I'll go out and buy any of their albums, but they were pretty damn good. Keb' Mo' on the other hand...
James Taylor came out for a couple of songs, but was not as good as I would have expected. He brought the Dixie Chicks up for a couple of duets, and then they took over solo. They were pretty good.
The Dave Matthews Band, another band that I'm not big on, blew the roof off the joint. They really rocked, and I was impressed by the quality of the musicians with him. Matthews was a bit drowned out and incomprehensible.
So, the concert is supposed to be over at 11.30, but around 11.10, the Boss came along. Springsteen and the E Street Band. Holy shit is he good. Still. I've always liked Springsteen, but never enough to be into his music or go to his concerts. I can see now why some people think him god-like. He did do a funny televangilist bit, exhorting people to "change". It was very good. He brought out John Fogarty for a couple of songs and then Michael Stipe. Amazing.
The concert finally ended a little after 12.30. It was broadcast on the Sundance channel, live, and will supposedly be run again. Worth catching if you have Sundance. If not, Rob Glaser was apparently kind enough to host it all on RealNetworks: vfcfinale.com
Not sure if it still plays, but it is worth watching if you like some of the musicians.
As a final note, Joe Lockheart, former Clinton spokesman, was sitting behind me and had a married woman hanging all over him (her husband did not seem to mind too much). And I ran into, literally, Ben Stiller as I was leaving the men's room and he was going in.
Thanks, PT!
Posted by Samer at 08:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 27, 2004
At the Car Wash
Took the car for a much needed wash today. It was a nice day -- cloudy, cool, nice breeze. The car goes into one end of the tunnel and by the time it comes out, clean as a whistle, the rain has started.
Story of my life!
Posted by Samer at 01:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 25, 2004
Regis Sings
So, I'm minding my own business, watching a nice little show on the television, when I am slapped across the face with an ad for something called "When You're Smiling".
Apparently, Regis Philbin, not content with his shtick in the morning or with harassing us with "Is that your final answer?", he's taken to crooning out 12 classics.
You know the best part of this $18.95 (+$4.95 s/h) offer is? The free gift, of course: "FREE Collectible Regis Philbin Photo (4" X 6") With Paid Order!"
Posted by Samer at 10:38 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
September 13, 2004
Life
My uncle, who was suffering from pancreatic cancer, passed away quickly and rather unexpectedly last night.
All signs had shown an improvement and a good response to the treatment. Over the weekend things started to deteriorate, and he passed away last night. Apparently he had a blood infection and could not fight it off.
He was a very kind man, and his family just wonderful people. I wish them the best in his absence. He will be missed.
Posted by Samer at 08:33 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
August 14, 2004
Thirty Five
Who would have thunk it?
Thirty five years old, and I never would have imagined making it this far. This last year has been filled with love, hope, despair, triumphs and tragedies. To good friends, new and old, a hearty thank you for keeping me sane (well, sane enough).
Cheers!
Posted by Samer at 02:13 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
August 11, 2004
After the last one, is Toronto really that far?
I met someone new last week. We met at a bar and we hit it off instantly. Lots of fun and games were had over the following week but, alas, she had to go back home.
Yes, that's right: Another long distance one. I know, I know. But, honestly, I did not go searching this time. I was just at a party when she hit me over the head. Apparently I also struck a chord, seeing that she decided to skip a couple more cities on her tour and hang out with me.
All this a mere week before I turn another year older.
Posted by Samer at 09:12 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
August 05, 2004
Spam via the mail
I'm going through the mail the other day, and in between the tons of advertisements for clothing stores and credit cards, I see a letter from India. It has a 400 Rupee stamp on it and the return address is obviously from a stamp and says "POST BOX No. 122, AJMER(INDIA)". The other side, the side that does not have the stamp, has my name, address and zip plus four, as well as a "BY SEA/PRINTED MATTER" stamp.
I open it up, curious as to what it might contain, as I no longer know anyone in India since my cousin moved back to London. Inside were four papers and an envelope. The envelope was addressed to "M. Syed Fakhar Rahman Burraqui Chisty" at the above address.
My favorite thing in the envelope was the small yellow piece of paper. On one side is some Arabic script text that I still can't make out and the other side has, well, it has this:
Why Delay on your Problems & Miseries ? If you are worldly unhappy like loss of business, not getting success in your family life by shortage of love & peace or your children misguided by your relative and enemies and not successful in Education or Driving and you suffered from disease and any type of Jadu, Tona, Bhoot Aseb not marriage of your children any suit is going on court against you, you may kindly contact me in Telephone in connection of your problems and tell me your full details. My Phone are :- 0091-145-2431849 & 0091-145-2423759 Mobile No. 0091-98290-09817. I shall do the needfull and try to solve you all problem by prayer, strong Tawiz and type of purified treatment to follow the path of Islam. as my ancestral who solved all problems of suffering people since long time through the meditation and spiritual blessings of Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (R.A). If you are ignored by children please let me know.
I was quite amused by this and for reasons I don't quite get. I might frame that little paper, too. I wonder how many times it ran through Babelfish before it came out that poor?
Posted by Samer at 08:51 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
July 13, 2004
Offline
I got hit by a massive blog-spam attack a week and a half ago. My host's server was choked by the attack and they locked me out of my blog.
I finally got everything running again today, and deleted the spam. But it is a pretty big problem.
Of course, in the time I was offline, I had a bunch of stuff to write and now I can't remember what any of it was. Bah!
Posted by Samer at 09:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 23, 2004
A Special Person
There are people who enter our lives daily. Some are there for a fleeting moment. Others make a lasting impression. Some are mere acquaintances, others the closest of friends.
But every now and then, someone enters your life and you know they are a special someone. The mere mention of their name makes you smile. And the longer you go without direct contact, the more you crave it.
Last Summer I met just such a person. We dated for the three weeks she was in town, and then we tried a long distance relationship. She expanded my mind. Hell, she blew my mind.
She showed me that I could love again. She made me see that a long distance relationship should not be feared. She was a challenge to my routine, in the best way possible. She was astonishing. She was "crazy fun".
Why do I bring this up? Well, I was having a shitty day. Nothing seems to be going right in a lot of ways. Then, out of the blue, someone IMs me to tell me that we know someone in common.
They make me guess at who it is, and eventually I figure it out. And this person mentioned that she had been talking about me, saying nice things about me, recently. We've been out of touch, and apparently this conversation happened when we hadn't talked in months.
I know it is silly and strange, but this cheered me right up. I everyone can have someone like that in their lives. Someone that brings a smile to your face at the mere mention of their name.
Thanks 'A'.
Posted by Samer at 09:02 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Pancreatic Cancer
I found out yesterday that my uncle has pancreatic cancer. I'm very saddened by this news.
I just wanted to share a great site, which has helped me as I learn more about this type of cancer. It is the Pancreatic Cancer pages from Johns Hopkins Pathology. The site really has a lot of very good information for those who need it.
I'm keeping my uncle and family in my thoughts.
Posted by Samer at 12:19 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 11, 2004
Potential
A piece of paper
A slice of nothing
Wood, pulped and bleached
Thinner than a millimeter
Wider than all of history
Longer than the breath you take
Ink slices the white
Laying down the path
The story begins
The paper holds it all
Every possibility
Every feeling
You ask me
What I see in you
Why I love you so
You are my paper
I am your ink
The potential is great
Posted by Samer at 10:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 07, 2004
Joy and Sorrow
Gibran Khalil Gibran is probably best known for writing The Prophet. That book, and his others, are very moving, spiritual books.
What most people don't know about Gibran, though, is that he was also an artist. A painter. In 1997, I made the pilgrimage to Bsharri, where his museum is located. There, I saw his manuscripts, his artifacts, his tomb. But what struck me most was his art.
It was striking and beautiful and disturbed. It was obvious some of it was done by a man in love, maybe broken hearted. Or, just possibly, I was trying to read something into it. One particular art work resonated deeply with me.
The painting is called "Joy and Sorrow". It features two people, a man and a woman, sitting on a rock, a boulder. The sky is a mix of blue clarity and grey cloudiness. The earth is made of the darker tones of blues, blacks and browns. The two are possibly on a beach.
The woman sits on the right of the rock. She faces us, comfortable on a reddish blanket. She leans on the man, her right shoulder on his, her red hair almost touching his head. She is mostly white with some grey in the shadows. She is smiling, happy as can be.
The man sits on the left side of the image, looking crowded onto his sliver of rock. His left shoulder faces us, his face looks down with a sad expression. The dark brown hair is the most color this man has seen, he is more grey than white. More sad than happy.
The two of them are bound together. Tied at the wrist. Joy and Sorrow, Sorrow and Joy. Inseparable. That hit me like a ton of bricks.
Today, I look at that painting every now and then. It mirrors how I feel often. Chained to the red headed "Joy", waiting for my stint as "Sorrow" to be over. Those bonds will never break, but I keep hoping that joy will find its way to the other side of the rock.
But does that mean sorrow will have to move over, as well?
Posted by Samer at 12:01 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 06, 2004
The Good Doctor
My good friend 'L' did her dissertation defense on Friday and she passed.
For the last few weeks, I have been helping her with her data and giving her constant encouragement. I've seen her become giddy with joy when some complicated test on her data resulted in something unexpected. I've seen her become morose when she would see the enormity of the task ahead of her.
But I believed in her. I knew she had the data, she had the knowledge. And I knew she could put the two together. I stayed up with her, sometimes until 5a, sometimes until 8a. I wrote programs for her, encouraged her. Many a sleepless night ensued.
But all of it was worth it. Worth it to see the text message saying "I passed!". Worth it to know I had a small role in helping a friend conquer a big challenge. But what really made it worth it was talking to her the last couple of nights. She not only thanked me for the help with the data, saying that words cannot describe how much she was thankful for my help and for me being in her life.
She told me she could not have done it without my help. As flattered as I am, I doubt she's right on that count. But then she said the most unexpected, most emotional thing. She told me that she took strength from my encouragement. That she was able to continue when she thought all was lost, in part, because I believed in her.
I don't know about you, but that is a powerful statement. That's something amazing to me. Someone, my friend, on the verge of giving up, took strength from what I could offer her. That's just too powerful for words.
I wish, still wish, I could have been there on Friday. She did a great job without my being there, but I wish I could have witnessed it. The culmination of 28 years of education.
Congratulations, Dr. Van. Congratulations, my friend.
Posted by Samer at 11:07 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 03, 2004
Googlewar/Googlefight
When you search with Google they tell you about how many results there are. Well, there are two sites that take that information and let you find out the winner between two choices.
Who wins between Googlewar and GoogleFight? Why don't you go and find out...
Posted by Samer at 09:52 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
June 01, 2004
A Giant Has Passed
I found out today that Joe Rizzo passed away May 27.
Joe was the News Operations Manager at WTTG's "Ten O'Clock News" when I was working for Fox News Network. When Fox laid us off, Rizzo, as he was known, immediately offered to hire me as a freelance editor.
He was a joy to work for: sarcastic, funny, a great teacher and occasionally hot headed. He took pride in helping out people new to the world of television, guiding them and bringing out the best in them. Rizzo, more than anyone, taught me how to get it done under pressure.
He was a master at everything he did, winning a couple of Emmys as a producer. He started his at WTTG when it was still part of the DuMont Network and worked there for over 40 years. He produced, he edited, he kept that station on the air through sheer will power.
No one who knew Joe could imagine anything going wrong that he could not fix. I thought of him often, though I've not talked to him in years. He was a great force in my life, and I will miss him.
Posted by Samer at 11:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Hives
I'm covered in hives. Apparently an allergic reaction to something. No clue what that something is.
For food, I had pineapple, cashews, mint chocolates and a fried chicken sandwich. I ate pineapple all last week. Cashews I love and eat regularly, but this was a new brand. The same thing with the chocolates, never had these before. And I have that chicken sandwich once a week from the same place.
I also had a couple of Advil because my back hurt like hell. Not been a good day for me.
The doctor said it does not have to be something I ate, but I can't imagine what else it might be. There's nothing that I can think of that is different in my atmosphere. Or anything that I came in touch with that I've not been in touch with before.
This is a miserable way to spend the day.
Posted by Samer at 10:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 27, 2004
Brood X
That's what they call the cicadas that come out every 17 years.
They are finally here. Not quite as massive and impressive as I was expecting. I still want the skies to darken with the critters. And I want to hear their singing.
At least I am not cicada obsessed like some people are.
Posted by Samer at 10:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 19, 2004
Metro Sucks (four in a continuing series)
Heard a new Metro ad on the radio. A guy is obviously agitated about his date being late. She tells him a sob story about not finding parking. When he says he had no problems getting there, she says something about him having magical powers.
So the guy responds that he took Metro and got there early. Fine so far. Then he adds, "I wouldn't call it magic". Right. Cause it sucks.
Why, when they are millions in debt, are they spending money on these awful ads? And why are they spending money adding a holding bar on the second generation Breda trains?
The new trains have these holding bars that stretch from the pole closest to the inside of the car at the far doors for about three feet. So, since we don't want cars that don't have the same aesthetic, it seems they are now retrofitting the older cars.
If they are going to make changes, they should be changes that make getting on and off the train easier. Like moving the poles away from the doors. And putting poles on the backs of ever seat so people will move inside.
Sigh.
Posted by Samer at 08:19 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 16, 2004
Cicada Watch
Well, I've just seen my first live one. It is hanging on the screen of my window. Has been for hours.
Prepare for Armageddon folks. The cicadas are here.
Posted by Samer at 02:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 14, 2004
Directions
I went to a BBQ joint this evening for some fine pulled pork. I got messy as all hell, covered in sauce. To the rescue comes the moist towelette. Or, as the packaging says, in three places, it is a "MOIST TOWELETTE". Huh, it actually looks better in all caps.
But, the thing that bugs me about the MOIST TOWELETTE is not the caps. Nor is it the thanks they give for my patronage (how does one patronize a MOIST TOWELETTE anyway?), or the reason to use the MOIST TOWELETTE, nor even the "pleasing lemon scented lotion".
What gets my ire is that they have to put directions on it. I quote: "Tear open packet, unfold MOIST TOWELETTE and use." Really. Honest, that's what it says. I mean, if I need those sorts of instructions, I could probably use some help in figuring out how to use a MOIST TOWELETTE to begin with.
Posted by Samer at 08:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 12, 2004
Missing A
We dated for a very short while, a couple of months. But 'A' opened my heart and she touched my soul. Her smile was infectious and her concern for her causes was very deep.
I don't talk to her a lot these days, her law schooling and all these time zones make it a bit difficult. And I miss her, because of it.
Posted by Samer at 08:42 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Metro Sucks (three in a continuing series)
So I see this ad on the side of a Metro Bus. It has a woman checking out some information on some sort of hand held device. The tag line is something along the lines of "She's Making Sure Her Red Line Train is Running On Time."
Shouldn't people expect that the trains will just run on time. Why should we need to check? Having to advertise that people do this, seems to imply that the trains don't actually run on time a good deal of the time.
Oh. Right. They don't.
Posted by Samer at 08:38 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 25, 2004
March for Women's Lives
I went to the March for Women's Lives today. I've not seen anything like this in the 17 years I've lived in DC. It was pretty amazing. The organizers claim 1,150,000 people. I think it was higher than the 500,000 they were expecting, just not that high.
I spotted a guy there who was wearing a T-shirt that said "I'm only here for the ladies". It was the best slogan, because it really did explain why I was there. I was there for the women in my life. The women who may need an abortion one day. The ones who might become the victims of violence.
But I was there for the ones that have been through these things. I have a couple of friends that have had abortions and far too many who were raped or assaulted. I was there for them: to honor them, their choices and their pain.
I was there to help ensure that when others go through what they did, they will not find it as difficult. That they will be able to get the treatments they want without the stigma. That they can find help when they need it, not after it is too late. That they can get honest answers from practitioners that care about them, not about staying on the right side of the law.
I hope the people who were there today remember one thing: they must vote. Protests marches are great at raising awareness and letting people know you are pissed off. But nothing changes unless people vote. And if it means getting rid of a popular local congressman, so be it. If it means dumping a president in the middle of a war, so be it.
Vote so that other don't have to go through the pain my friends went through.
Posted by Samer at 11:28 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
April 21, 2004
Death
One of my neighbors passed away last night.
A stroke. While she slept.
We talked every now and again. She lived on the other side of the building. I had not seen her since December. She had been in California, wintering. Ran into her a couple of weeks ago.
We had a meandering conversation. Like all of our conversations, it was about n