Adventures in Klein's world

I wish I was as fearless as these girls

2009-01-14T08:55:00.001-06:00

Afghan Schoolgirls Undeterred by Attack

Hopefully if the time comes, I will be.

I want to know how that's done

2008-12-30T14:05:00.002-06:00

Funny how one note played in a certain way can stir so many emotions. I want to know how that's done.

The last time I spoke to an artist about his craft, his reply was sterile, devoid of emotion, processed and to the point. It was his creation method. For me it felt like pulling back the curtain and finding a robot. But when I saw his paintings, they were provocative and compelling.

I was afraid, for a while, to ask another artist what went into their creation process. But now, I want to know. Because knowing is always better than not knowing.

I laugh, but I shouldn't

2008-12-16T09:04:00.001-06:00

"People who went through Merkin, they had to pay for the privilege of being stolen from." -WSJ article today.

Why do I laugh? 50Bn USD seems like such a ridiculous sum for someone to loose in the stock market. Fucking ridiculous.

Newness is strange, but most welcome

2008-11-05T02:18:00.002-06:00

It's strange, for someone of my generation, who has voted in the past three elections, to have the candidate you voted for come out as the victor. The reign of any one party for an extended period of time is dangerous. I'm glad the US came to its collective senses. And so overwhelmed that I could be part of such an historic election.

Often times, my parents have asked me: if I could be alive at any time in history, when would I want to be alive? never have I felt like answering 'the present'...until tonight.

Thank you for bringing the hope, mr. president elect.

Why can't elections be more like this?

2008-10-17T23:07:00.000-05:00

Dear Ms. Palin,

2008-10-02T21:53:00.002-05:00

I am watching your debate right now, and I would like to point something out: I am not a stupid person. I also put myself through college, worked nights and 14 hour waitressing shifts to pay tuition and rent. Except it seems I came out with an actual education and respect for people.

The world is made up of people, Sarah, PEOPLE. Don't talk down to me. Don't dodge the issues. Don't compare wall st and main st, when you have no idea what one is like. Don't talk about how much you love Americans, but never explore anywhere else. Don't speak to me like we're friends - I can tell you, we are not.

YOU'RE RUNNING FOR VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I ASK, NO, I DEMAND, THAT YOU ACT LIKE IT.

I demand that you respect me as a person. To me, this means thinking your answers through, knowing your position, and answering questions intelligently. Your answers tonight, Sarah, were very poor. Answer the questions given to you PLEASE! This is your only opportunity to tell me what you're about - and you sidestepped so many issues.

Sad. Very Sad.

Onion reports McCain's solution to the economic downturn

2008-10-02T12:40:00.001-05:00

McCainâ??s Economic Plan For Nation: 'Everyone Marry A Beer Heiress'

So this is what regression feels like

2008-09-29T18:24:00.002-05:00

The dow fell over 500 points in 3 seconds today. Congress, too afraid of not being re-elected, did not do their job. No one liked the bail out package, but without it, we will cease to be a great society - possibly even a society.

We have made money the means for our exchange. Therefore, it is the lifeblood of our country. We've placed our trust in a piece of paper that is not backed by anything - that only holds value because we believe it does.

Congress just used up any sort of cred they had with the financial sector. Now there is real urgency around passing a bailout package. And that desperation puts taxpayers at an even bigger disadvantage. We were given time to think. Last week, markets held out. This week, I don't think they'll be as patient. They certinely weren't forgiving today.

hilarious

2008-09-17T20:58:00.000-05:00

www.peteyandpetunia.com/VoteHere/VoteHere.htm

watch it. it'll change your life, in a funny way.

Let's find a good babysitter

2008-09-12T13:41:00.003-05:00

I know I don't have kids, but I thought this was a good analogy:

Elections are like finding a good babysitter. You have to trust them enough to leave them with your kid for a couple hours (like we leave the country in the hands of someone for a couple years), but we get to make a choice as to if they get to watch our kids again.

Let's choose someone responsible this time. I'm willing to pay for someone if they can guarantee they won't steal from me, will play educational games with my kids, and know basic emergency proceedures if something bad should happen (ie - someone who will use federal dollars responsibly, who has a realistic view of how to reform our failing education system, and who has the foresight, knowhow and smarts to deal with international and national crisies, natural disasters, and any other difficult thing thrown our way).

No matter who you choose - make sure you trust them. It's your future that's at stake.

I smiled today

2008-09-11T13:37:00.000-05:00

Its cold in the office, and I put my scarf over my nose. It smelled like winter. I smiled. I can't wait to see snow again.

Charlie Bit me!

2008-09-10T22:37:00.003-05:00

Hilarious!

In today's digital world, its amazing that we can share laughs and moments together. Even if we don't know who we're impacting.

Charlie - thanks for the laugh.

The girl effect

2008-09-04T20:36:00.003-05:00

I like this...I wonder if the facts back it up. In my international econ classes, we talked about micro loans being given only to women in the brazillian favallas, because most men didn't use it in ways that improved the economy. When women are given a dollar, children had a higher percentage of staying in school, eating, and being clothed. Interesting. Watch and make your own opinion.

The last time a pic like this was taken in my fam, I was the newborn

2008-09-04T20:16:00.001-05:00

The torch has been passed.

White House Unveils $1 Billion Georgia Aid Plan (NYT article)

2008-09-04T09:44:00.002-05:00

Piss me off, man.

I understand the need for stable international relations - hell, it was one of my majors. However, do we have $1 billion just lying around? I don't think so...

So, we're going to borrow $1 billion from China and ship it off to Georgia so that Russia doesn't install an undemocratic leader. Then American tax payers can foot the bill for democracy in Georgia, where there will probably be termoil for some time to come because the region will believe that the President of Georgia is just a puppet for the US, and Russia will learn it can just bleed the dollars of the US by creating skirmishes on the outskirts of a region it once dominated.

Yup, my tax dollars hard at work for someone else who doesn't pay taxes and sees their use as manipulative to an entire country's population.

This is imperialsm masked by a moral arguement to "do the right thing". Somebody shoudl define "the right thing" for me really freaking soon.

too amazing for words

2008-09-01T23:22:00.002-05:00

The gorge was beautiful, healing. the concerts were just icing on the cake. the band rocked, but the view took my breath away...literally. i didn't have much to say to anyone all weekend, just kept staring at the mountains, the desert, the river. i feel so lucky to have had a moment like this weekend. Its inspired me to really go for this change i want and need...slow and steady.

Steady as we go...

2008-08-20T12:58:00.002-05:00

RIP LeRoi

The gorge will be emotional.

A collective dream falling short?

2008-08-14T20:39:00.004-05:00

After a long day at work, the commute home can be a nice time of solitude. I'm talking about the isolation you feel in a crowd moving in the same direction, thinking the same things, not speaking, moving in a jumbled unison.

Every time it gets me, and I wonder if this is what I want - if this is all I want...or how could I want anything else? In a world where 1+1 is supposed to add up to more than 2, is our collective dream all we can achieve?

This is how highschool and college mix

2008-08-12T09:40:00.002-05:00

When you surround yourself with awesome people

2008-08-08T09:12:00.002-05:00

...you get to feel cool just by association.

A good friend of mine won an essay contest in the NYTimes Magazine. Here's her article.

Keep rockin the pen, lady!

I'll be your Tine Moenster

2008-08-07T08:30:00.002-05:00

I love people from Sweden. This name came across my desk today: Tine Moenster.

I just happened to pronounce it Tiny Monster.

I'm still laughing.

If you don't make it about the money, it'll be about the money

2008-08-05T09:21:00.002-05:00

As I venture out on my own in this big world, I've been learning through trial and error, how best to manage money. And as I learn what works for me, and what most certainly does not, I've begun to wonder about our nation's spending habits.

Not the spending of regular, ordinary people, but the government. I pay extrordinary taxes in this country(just over 35%), and somehow we have trillions in debt. How can this be?

What in fuck sake does the government spend so much on? At least I can pinpoint my spending habits, thanks to www.mint.com. (its pretty cool, try it out!) Maybe there should be some sort of tracking like this. Perhaps some transparent way of finding out how we went from a surplus to a record deficit in about three years.

And why doesn't anyone care? Worse yet - why aren't people taking notice? As long as things keep trucking along, and people don't really have to worry about macro problems, things will never really change.

The irony of this is that things will change if we continute like this - and most definitely for the worse. Where are the americans I read about in history class? The americans of the revolution or the boston tea party?

We live in such a delicate bubble, one that shields our nakedness. If we don't make it about the money - the spending on wars or bailing companies out that have failed because of bad decisions - it'll end up being all about the money. And that's very un-american.

I wanna go camping!! (said in a whiney voice)

2008-07-31T09:36:00.002-05:00

I can't wait for the dave concert - me, the desert, some cousins and really freaking good music...oh, and a tent. Flippin - A! I can't wait!

People should dare to live up to their own expectations of others

2008-07-29T20:01:00.001-05:00

Is it a crazy thought? We expect so much from others - perhaps we should include ourselves.

In training

2008-07-29T09:25:00.002-05:00

Today marks the month marker - one month until the Dave concert at the gorge. A weekend in the desert. Good food. Camping. Big skies. The Gorge.

To prepare myself for the awesomeness, I'm in training - Dave is the only thing I'll be listening to from here on out. Contrary to other training, this won't be the least bit painful.