I am swamped with work, and should not be blogging. But I really couldn't resist a quick round of applause for DOVE. Their REAL WOMEN ad campaign is wonderful! Actual, real people, with perfectly imperfect bodies, in all their beauty. We were watching Ghostrider the other day, and saw one of their advertisements on the big screen. I actually watched the commercial.
It is amazingly refreshing to see these women held up as beautiful -- instead of the usual anorexic, model-perfect folks we usually see.
visit http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/ for more on this...
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Friday, February 23, 2007
35 days until vacation
I have 35 days until we leave for a family vacation. I am actually counting down the days. Once again, I have let myself get depleted and exhausted to the point that my vacation becomes my light at the end of the tunnel -- the only way I keep moving.
This year is very different. We are going on a family vacation, just my husband, son and I. We have rented a beautiful cabin [indoor jacuzzi, hottub, pool table, plasma tv, granite counter kitchen, so cabin seems a misnomer], in the Smokey Mountains. So, in an improbably turn of events, we are heading to Tennessee for vacation. Specifically Gatlinburg. I intend to read, rest, read, rest, eat a ton, get lots of fresh air and exercise, spend lots of time canoodling, and get to know my kid better while he still talks to me.
I also hope to figure out why I keep repeating the same old work patterns. I find a job that suits me. I settle in and proceed to turn it into a larger and larger job until it becomes more than one person can handle. I start out being useful, and end up indispensable, in a really not good sort of way. In that "I don't know how we will get through a week without you here" kind of way. The stress becomes too much, and then I start looking for another job. Then I repeat the whole damn cycle again. And again. I really think I need to figure this out, or end up repeating it forever.
This year is very different. We are going on a family vacation, just my husband, son and I. We have rented a beautiful cabin [indoor jacuzzi, hottub, pool table, plasma tv, granite counter kitchen, so cabin seems a misnomer], in the Smokey Mountains. So, in an improbably turn of events, we are heading to Tennessee for vacation. Specifically Gatlinburg. I intend to read, rest, read, rest, eat a ton, get lots of fresh air and exercise, spend lots of time canoodling, and get to know my kid better while he still talks to me.
I also hope to figure out why I keep repeating the same old work patterns. I find a job that suits me. I settle in and proceed to turn it into a larger and larger job until it becomes more than one person can handle. I start out being useful, and end up indispensable, in a really not good sort of way. In that "I don't know how we will get through a week without you here" kind of way. The stress becomes too much, and then I start looking for another job. Then I repeat the whole damn cycle again. And again. I really think I need to figure this out, or end up repeating it forever.
Monday, February 19, 2007
still breathing
Yes, I am still breathing. I have been so busy, I haven't been able to think, much less blog. So what's been going on...
My new work website launches next week. For a sneak peek, go to beta.hopkinscme.net I am going crazy with beta testing, data cleaning and the other hundred million things that go into launching a website.
I am still struggling with the dreaded Hopkins One. For those that don't know, Johns Hopkins just converted a huge number of disparate legacy systems into SAP. This affects all of our financial operations, our human resources, payroll, all that good stuff. And it has not been a mega-success, at least not yet.
School is under way. My class is Theories of Ethics, and our textbook is Moral Philosophy. It is really interesting, but the reading is a struggle (Hobbes, Plato, Socrates, Rand, Herodotus so far). All lecture, with two papers to do.
We've been busy with our son's social life, our dog's social life, our own stuff. At least we're not bored.
My new work website launches next week. For a sneak peek, go to beta.hopkinscme.net I am going crazy with beta testing, data cleaning and the other hundred million things that go into launching a website.
I am still struggling with the dreaded Hopkins One. For those that don't know, Johns Hopkins just converted a huge number of disparate legacy systems into SAP. This affects all of our financial operations, our human resources, payroll, all that good stuff. And it has not been a mega-success, at least not yet.
School is under way. My class is Theories of Ethics, and our textbook is Moral Philosophy. It is really interesting, but the reading is a struggle (Hobbes, Plato, Socrates, Rand, Herodotus so far). All lecture, with two papers to do.
We've been busy with our son's social life, our dog's social life, our own stuff. At least we're not bored.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
the Watada case
I have been following with interest the case of Lieutenant Ehren Watada. He has refused to go to Iraq, and is the first officer to do so. Initially, I felt he was completely in the wrong -- he is employed by the military and can't pick and choose his assignments.
But on further reflection, I have done a complete reversal. Officer Watada feels the war is illegal, as it was based on faulty and inflated intelligence information. As an officer, he committed to among other things, "refusing to participate in illegal military actions". We expect our soldiers to refuse any order that is illegal. Nuremburg pretty much ended the "just following orders" defense, and made it an obligation of all soldiers to consider their orders in view of their legality.
Officer Watada offered to serve in Afghanistan, so he is not using this as a dodge to avoid combat. He also offered to resign. Both offers were rejected. A military tribunal also refuses to hear any defense that involves using the legality of the war as a basis, effectively convicting Officer Watada before trial. He has vowed to fight all the way to the Supreme Court. But in the meantime, he will most likely serve 4 years in a military prison -- for doing his duty and taking his pledge seriously.
But on further reflection, I have done a complete reversal. Officer Watada feels the war is illegal, as it was based on faulty and inflated intelligence information. As an officer, he committed to among other things, "refusing to participate in illegal military actions". We expect our soldiers to refuse any order that is illegal. Nuremburg pretty much ended the "just following orders" defense, and made it an obligation of all soldiers to consider their orders in view of their legality.
Officer Watada offered to serve in Afghanistan, so he is not using this as a dodge to avoid combat. He also offered to resign. Both offers were rejected. A military tribunal also refuses to hear any defense that involves using the legality of the war as a basis, effectively convicting Officer Watada before trial. He has vowed to fight all the way to the Supreme Court. But in the meantime, he will most likely serve 4 years in a military prison -- for doing his duty and taking his pledge seriously.
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