Monday, January 30, 2006
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Tinnitus
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Linux Japes
Well, dear readers, I succeeded in partitioning the hard drive on my iBook, and managed to install both OS X Tiger and Fedora Core 4, however, the boot loader ended up b0rking everything, meaning I was left unable to access either OS X or Linux. Buggerybollocks.
I reformatted everything, repartitioned the drive, and reinstalled OS X. I will reattempt the Linux installation later when I am better informed and educated as to what I am doing. I need to research the proclivities of Apple's own boot loader, Bootstrap, and I may need to investigate the need for another add-on called Rawhide. Failing this, I may select an alternate Linux platform, as this could easily be a Fedora Core 4 and iBook issue. Oh Joy....
As for my university coursework, I received a very surprising first for my final British Politics essay, and a predicted 2:1 for my Sociology essay. I am now awaiting the results of my Social Policy essay, and the results of my British Politics and Core Skills exams.
Adieu for now, folks!
Rachael.... ♥
I reformatted everything, repartitioned the drive, and reinstalled OS X. I will reattempt the Linux installation later when I am better informed and educated as to what I am doing. I need to research the proclivities of Apple's own boot loader, Bootstrap, and I may need to investigate the need for another add-on called Rawhide. Failing this, I may select an alternate Linux platform, as this could easily be a Fedora Core 4 and iBook issue. Oh Joy....
As for my university coursework, I received a very surprising first for my final British Politics essay, and a predicted 2:1 for my Sociology essay. I am now awaiting the results of my Social Policy essay, and the results of my British Politics and Core Skills exams.
Adieu for now, folks!
Rachael.... ♥
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Well, my exams are now over for this semester, so on Friday, after an appointment with my audiologist, I'm going riding for a few hours. A new 16:2hh palomino gelding is in the offing so, all things being equal, I'll be grinning like Mr Lewis' proverbial cheshire cat on Friday evening. Before this, however, I need to format my iBook and reinstall all my software. I am keen to set up a dual-boot system with OS X in the primary partition and Fedora Core 4 in the other. This would enable to me print directly from my laptop to the printers at the University, as the print servers there are not compatible with Macs. Admittedly, I am having difficulty with the boot loader at the Linux installation stage, however, I hope to work this minor issue out. Having said that, I'm kinda screwed if I fail, as I have no idea who to ask for assistance.
Wish me luck, dear readers.
Rachael.... ♥
Wish me luck, dear readers.
Rachael.... ♥
Saturday, January 21, 2006
I just heard the neighbour in question talking to the other neighbour who lives above me. I took this opportunity to endeavour a reasonable conversation. My timing was poor, as said individual was so drunk as to bearly intelligible conversation. Said discussion did highlight some interesting issues, however.
It seems my poster did cause offence, hence its removal. The poster was what caused the neighbour below to talk with the neighbour above our apartment, as it was assumed to be his bike that was stolen. I took the opportunity of correcting them. The conversation was repeatedly attempted to gain favour and popularity to their issues and problems. I kept bringing the matter at hand back to the issue of the theft of my bike and unlocked doors, but with no successful outcome for today.
The one good thing is that there were no further issues of friction, potential or otherwise, although the matter does not end here. Having said that, loud music from below followed our discussion. Methinks this individual isn't too comfortable with being spoken to in a calm and professional manner by someone better placed to do so. Damn shame, that.
Watch this space, dear readers.
I hope you are all having a great weekend.
Rachael.... ♥
PS: I am revising still for my impending and final exam for this semester. I am trying to revise about deductive and inductive arguments, which is quite interesting for the most part, however, when it comes to revising about sound/unsound and valid/invalid arguments, I tend to lose interest rather rapidly. For example:
All toasters are items made of gold.
All items made of gold are time-travel devices.
Therefore, all toasters are time-travel devices.
See what I mean? Now, if I were reading philosophy, then maybe, just maybe, I might remain interested, but as it stands, I am not reading philosophy, and quite frankly, this stuff bores me.
It seems my poster did cause offence, hence its removal. The poster was what caused the neighbour below to talk with the neighbour above our apartment, as it was assumed to be his bike that was stolen. I took the opportunity of correcting them. The conversation was repeatedly attempted to gain favour and popularity to their issues and problems. I kept bringing the matter at hand back to the issue of the theft of my bike and unlocked doors, but with no successful outcome for today.
The one good thing is that there were no further issues of friction, potential or otherwise, although the matter does not end here. Having said that, loud music from below followed our discussion. Methinks this individual isn't too comfortable with being spoken to in a calm and professional manner by someone better placed to do so. Damn shame, that.
Watch this space, dear readers.
I hope you are all having a great weekend.
Rachael.... ♥
PS: I am revising still for my impending and final exam for this semester. I am trying to revise about deductive and inductive arguments, which is quite interesting for the most part, however, when it comes to revising about sound/unsound and valid/invalid arguments, I tend to lose interest rather rapidly. For example:
All toasters are items made of gold.
All items made of gold are time-travel devices.
Therefore, all toasters are time-travel devices.
See what I mean? Now, if I were reading philosophy, then maybe, just maybe, I might remain interested, but as it stands, I am not reading philosophy, and quite frankly, this stuff bores me.
Friday, January 20, 2006
This is getting fucking stupid.
Having placed a suitably worded poster to the inside of the main entrance to this building, offering an amnesty for the return of my stolen mountain bike, I am now angered further to discover that not only has the notice been forcibly removed from the door, but that the door was left ajar once again. It is bad enough that I have become the victim of a motiveless crime, and an inside job at that, but that I now have to contend with at least one neighbour who gives the impression that not only are the communal areas theirs to command (by theirs, I am referring to one individual), but that said individual feels they are somehow superior enough to warrant the removal of my polite but firm notice. Just who do these c#nts think they are?
Right now, I am more annoyed and frustrated at feeling powerless to prevent this from continuing further. Resolution must be sought. And soon. The last two tenants in this apartment were pressured into leaving because of this neighbour, or so I have been informed by another party. I am left trying to ascertain why this person is allowed to remain living here when it is obvious we are dealing with an mentally unstable person here. I feel the removal of the notice is almost as bad as the theft of the bike, however, it does serve at least one useful purpose. Why would anyone innocent of the crime react in this way? There were no names on the notice - theirs or mine. In fact, I may consider uploading the notice to my host account later to see what other people think. There were no insulting remarks other than the obvious ones, and even these were worded as appropriately as I could. I feel as though I am being forced to 'put up and shut up' here, and it is not a nice place to be. The landlords have been made aware of the theft, and I am keen to find out all I can about this other tenant. Said individual is not going to bully us into vacating, particularly as we have done absolutely nothing to warrant this unacceptable behaviour. This individual referred to the last tenants as 'up themselves' from the very moment we were seen moving in. I found this rather interesting, to say the least. I then learned that this apartment was empty for over a year prior to us taking the tenancy. This is all getting too much, and I will not stand for it. I am not saying that the neighbour in question is directly responsible for the theft, but that a certain amount of collusion must have taken place. As stated in my previous post, I live on the first floor of the building, and the only people aware of the bike being there are the other two neighbours and any visitors they may have. It may well have been an opportunist incident, but whoever stole my bike must have known it was there to take the risk of entering the property, creeping up to the first floor, taking the bike and leaving. The bike is not visible from outside.
It looks like this is going to be one hell of a bumpy ride from hereonin, dear readers.
Subsequently, your suggestions would be most welcome. Obviously, I do not wish to fuel an already smouldering fire, as I am not even certain of what sparked this off in the first place. Suitable negotiations are unlikely too, as this person is most unapproachable, not to mention downright shifty. The past reputation of this character means I must tread carefully. We are dealing with an unstable person here.
Thank you in advance of your valuable time and energies.
Rachael.... ♥
Having placed a suitably worded poster to the inside of the main entrance to this building, offering an amnesty for the return of my stolen mountain bike, I am now angered further to discover that not only has the notice been forcibly removed from the door, but that the door was left ajar once again. It is bad enough that I have become the victim of a motiveless crime, and an inside job at that, but that I now have to contend with at least one neighbour who gives the impression that not only are the communal areas theirs to command (by theirs, I am referring to one individual), but that said individual feels they are somehow superior enough to warrant the removal of my polite but firm notice. Just who do these c#nts think they are?
Right now, I am more annoyed and frustrated at feeling powerless to prevent this from continuing further. Resolution must be sought. And soon. The last two tenants in this apartment were pressured into leaving because of this neighbour, or so I have been informed by another party. I am left trying to ascertain why this person is allowed to remain living here when it is obvious we are dealing with an mentally unstable person here. I feel the removal of the notice is almost as bad as the theft of the bike, however, it does serve at least one useful purpose. Why would anyone innocent of the crime react in this way? There were no names on the notice - theirs or mine. In fact, I may consider uploading the notice to my host account later to see what other people think. There were no insulting remarks other than the obvious ones, and even these were worded as appropriately as I could. I feel as though I am being forced to 'put up and shut up' here, and it is not a nice place to be. The landlords have been made aware of the theft, and I am keen to find out all I can about this other tenant. Said individual is not going to bully us into vacating, particularly as we have done absolutely nothing to warrant this unacceptable behaviour. This individual referred to the last tenants as 'up themselves' from the very moment we were seen moving in. I found this rather interesting, to say the least. I then learned that this apartment was empty for over a year prior to us taking the tenancy. This is all getting too much, and I will not stand for it. I am not saying that the neighbour in question is directly responsible for the theft, but that a certain amount of collusion must have taken place. As stated in my previous post, I live on the first floor of the building, and the only people aware of the bike being there are the other two neighbours and any visitors they may have. It may well have been an opportunist incident, but whoever stole my bike must have known it was there to take the risk of entering the property, creeping up to the first floor, taking the bike and leaving. The bike is not visible from outside.
It looks like this is going to be one hell of a bumpy ride from hereonin, dear readers.
Subsequently, your suggestions would be most welcome. Obviously, I do not wish to fuel an already smouldering fire, as I am not even certain of what sparked this off in the first place. Suitable negotiations are unlikely too, as this person is most unapproachable, not to mention downright shifty. The past reputation of this character means I must tread carefully. We are dealing with an unstable person here.
Thank you in advance of your valuable time and energies.
Rachael.... ♥
I had my £700.00 mountain bike stolen at some point between 1am and 10am this morning. I live on the first floor of an apartment block, and it was taken from outside the door to my apartment. As the main door into the property is often left ajar by at least one other tenant in the building, this inevitability comes as absolutely no surprise. However, I cannot deny how fucking annoyed I am that some opportunist bastard(s) felt justified in stealing another person's property for reasons indeterminate. I could very easily cast many aspersions to the tenants above and below me, however, I will reserve judgement for now. I have reported this theft to the relevant authorities, and although I am not at all hopeful of its return, I have taken the liberty of posting a suitably worded poster on the inside of the main entrance informing the guilty party(s) of an amnesty lasting precisely one week from today with no questions asked. The bike is post-coded and data-tagged, and has been reported to the relevant authorities, but was not locked, as I thought, albeit naively, that my personal property would be secure where it was. This just proves how wrong we can be, doesn't it? Bellshiners. All of 'em.
Monday, January 16, 2006
Environment in Crisis: 'We Are Past the Point of No Return'
Published on Monday, January 16, 2006 by the Independent in the UK.
Thirty years ago, the scientist James Lovelock worked out that the Earth possessed a planetary-scale control system which kept the environment fit for life. He called it Gaia, and the theory has become widely accepted. Now, he believes mankind's abuse of the environment is making that mechanism work against us. His astonishing conclusion - that climate change is already insoluble, and life on Earth will never be the same again.
by Michael McCarthy.
The world has already passed the point of no return for climate change, and civilisation as we know it is now unlikely to survive, according to James Lovelock, the scientist and green guru who conceived the idea of Gaia - the Earth which keeps itself fit for life.
In a profoundly pessimistic new assessment, published in today's Independent, Professor Lovelock suggests that efforts to counter global warming cannot succeed, and that, in effect, it is already too late.
The world and human society face disaster to a worse extent, and on a faster timescale, than almost anybody realises, he believes. He writes: "Before this century is over, billions of us will die, and the few breeding pairs of people that survive will be in the Arctic where the climate remains tolerable."
In making such a statement, far gloomier than any yet made by a scientist of comparable international standing, Professor Lovelock accepts he is going out on a limb. But as the man who conceived the first wholly new way of looking at life on Earth since Charles Darwin, he feels his own analysis of what is happening leaves him no choice. He believes that it is the self-regulating mechanism of Gaia itself - increasingly accepted by other scientists worldwide, although they prefer to term it the Earth System - which, perversely, will ensure that the warming cannot be mastered.
This is because the system contains myriad feedback mechanisms which in the past have acted in concert to keep the Earth much cooler than it otherwise would be. Now, however, they will come together to amplify the warming being caused by human activities such as transport and industry through huge emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2).
It means that the harmful consequences of human beings damaging the living planet's ancient regulatory system will be non-linear - in other words, likely to accelerate uncontrollably.
He terms this phenomenon "The Revenge of Gaia" and examines it in detail in a new book with that title, to be published next month.
The uniqueness of the Lovelock viewpoint is that it is holistic, rather than reductionist. Although he is a committed supporter of current research into climate change, especially at Britain's Hadley Centre, he is not looking at individual facets of how the climate behaves, as other scientists inevitably are. Rather, he is looking at how the whole control system of the Earth behaves when put under stress.
Professor Lovelock, who conceived the idea of Gaia in the 1970s while examining the possibility of life on Mars for Nasa in the US, has been warning of the dangers of climate change since major concerns about it first began nearly 20 years ago.
He was one of a select group of scientists who gave an initial briefing on global warming to Margaret Thatcher's Cabinet at 10 Downing Street in April 1989.
His concerns have increased steadily since then, as evidence of a warming climate has mounted. For example, he shared the alarm of many scientists at the news last September that the ice covering the Arctic Ocean is now melting so fast that in 2005 it reached a historic low point.
Two years ago he sparked a major controversy with an article in The Independent calling on environmentalists to drop their long-standing opposition to nuclear power, which does not produce the greenhouses gases of conventional power stations.
Global warming was proceeding so fast that only a major expansion of nuclear power could bring it under control, he said. Most of the Green movement roundly rejected his call, and does so still.
Now his concerns have reached a peak - and have a new emphasis. Rather than calling for further ways of countering climate change, he is calling on governments in Britain and elsewhere to begin large-scale preparations for surviving what he now sees as inevitable - in his own phrase today, "a hell of a climate", likely to be in Europe up to 8C hotter than it is today.
In his book's concluding chapter, he writes: "What should a sensible European government be doing now? I think we have little option but to prepare for the worst, and assume that we have passed the threshold."
And in today's Independent he writes: "We will do our best to survive, but sadly I cannot see the United States or the emerging economies of China and India cutting back in time, and they are the main source of [CO2] emissions. The worst will happen...."
He goes on: "We have to keep in mind the awesome pace of change and realise how little time is left to act, and then each community and nation must find the best use of the resources they have to sustain civilisation for as long as they can." He believes that the world's governments should plan to secure energy and food supplies in the global hothouse, and defences against the expected rise in sea levels. The scientist's vision of what human society may ultimately be reduced to through climate change is " a broken rabble led by brutal warlords."
Professor Lovelock draws attention to one aspect of the warming threat in particular, which is that the expected temperature rise is currently being held back artificially by a global aerosol - a layer of dust in the atmosphere right around the planet's northern hemisphere - which is the product of the world's industry.
This shields us from some of the sun's radiation in a phenomenon which is known as "global dimming" and is thought to be holding the global temperature down by several degrees. But with a severe industrial downturn, the aerosol could fall out of the atmosphere in a very short time, and the global temperature could take a sudden enormous leap upwards.
One of the most striking ideas in his book is that of "a guidebook for global warming survivors" aimed at the humans who would still be struggling to exist after a total societal collapse.
Written, not in electronic form, but "on durable paper with long-lasting print", it would contain the basic accumulated scientific knowledge of humanity, much of it utterly taken for granted by us now, but originally won only after a hard struggle - such as our place in the solar system, or the fact that bacteria and viruses cause infectious diseases.
Rough guide to a planet in jeopardy:
Global warming, caused principally by the large-scale emissions of industrial gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), is almost certainly the greatest threat that mankind has ever faced, because it puts a question mark over the very habitability of the Earth.
Over the coming decades soaring temperatures will mean agriculture may become unviable over huge areas of the world where people are already poor and hungry; water supplies for millions or even billions may fail. Rising sea levels will destroy substantial coastal areas in low-lying countries such as Bangladesh, at the very moment when their populations are mushrooming. Numberless environmental refugees will overwhelm the capacity of any agency, or indeed any country, to cope, while modern urban infrastructure will face devastation from powerful extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Katrina which hit New Orleans last summer.
The international community accepts the reality of global warming, supported by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In its last report, in 2001, the IPCC said global average temperatures were likely to rise by up to 5.8 degrees Celsius by 2100. In high latitudes, such as Britain, the rise is likely to be much higher, perhaps 8 degrees Celsius. The warming seems to be proceeding faster than anticipated and in the IPCC's next report, 2007, the timescale may be shortened. Yet there still remains an assumption that climate change is controllable, if CO2 emissions can be curbed. Lovelock is warning: think again.
© 2006 Independent News and Media Limited.
Thirty years ago, the scientist James Lovelock worked out that the Earth possessed a planetary-scale control system which kept the environment fit for life. He called it Gaia, and the theory has become widely accepted. Now, he believes mankind's abuse of the environment is making that mechanism work against us. His astonishing conclusion - that climate change is already insoluble, and life on Earth will never be the same again.
by Michael McCarthy.
The world has already passed the point of no return for climate change, and civilisation as we know it is now unlikely to survive, according to James Lovelock, the scientist and green guru who conceived the idea of Gaia - the Earth which keeps itself fit for life.
In a profoundly pessimistic new assessment, published in today's Independent, Professor Lovelock suggests that efforts to counter global warming cannot succeed, and that, in effect, it is already too late.
The world and human society face disaster to a worse extent, and on a faster timescale, than almost anybody realises, he believes. He writes: "Before this century is over, billions of us will die, and the few breeding pairs of people that survive will be in the Arctic where the climate remains tolerable."
In making such a statement, far gloomier than any yet made by a scientist of comparable international standing, Professor Lovelock accepts he is going out on a limb. But as the man who conceived the first wholly new way of looking at life on Earth since Charles Darwin, he feels his own analysis of what is happening leaves him no choice. He believes that it is the self-regulating mechanism of Gaia itself - increasingly accepted by other scientists worldwide, although they prefer to term it the Earth System - which, perversely, will ensure that the warming cannot be mastered.
This is because the system contains myriad feedback mechanisms which in the past have acted in concert to keep the Earth much cooler than it otherwise would be. Now, however, they will come together to amplify the warming being caused by human activities such as transport and industry through huge emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2).
It means that the harmful consequences of human beings damaging the living planet's ancient regulatory system will be non-linear - in other words, likely to accelerate uncontrollably.
He terms this phenomenon "The Revenge of Gaia" and examines it in detail in a new book with that title, to be published next month.
The uniqueness of the Lovelock viewpoint is that it is holistic, rather than reductionist. Although he is a committed supporter of current research into climate change, especially at Britain's Hadley Centre, he is not looking at individual facets of how the climate behaves, as other scientists inevitably are. Rather, he is looking at how the whole control system of the Earth behaves when put under stress.
Professor Lovelock, who conceived the idea of Gaia in the 1970s while examining the possibility of life on Mars for Nasa in the US, has been warning of the dangers of climate change since major concerns about it first began nearly 20 years ago.
He was one of a select group of scientists who gave an initial briefing on global warming to Margaret Thatcher's Cabinet at 10 Downing Street in April 1989.
His concerns have increased steadily since then, as evidence of a warming climate has mounted. For example, he shared the alarm of many scientists at the news last September that the ice covering the Arctic Ocean is now melting so fast that in 2005 it reached a historic low point.
Two years ago he sparked a major controversy with an article in The Independent calling on environmentalists to drop their long-standing opposition to nuclear power, which does not produce the greenhouses gases of conventional power stations.
Global warming was proceeding so fast that only a major expansion of nuclear power could bring it under control, he said. Most of the Green movement roundly rejected his call, and does so still.
Now his concerns have reached a peak - and have a new emphasis. Rather than calling for further ways of countering climate change, he is calling on governments in Britain and elsewhere to begin large-scale preparations for surviving what he now sees as inevitable - in his own phrase today, "a hell of a climate", likely to be in Europe up to 8C hotter than it is today.
In his book's concluding chapter, he writes: "What should a sensible European government be doing now? I think we have little option but to prepare for the worst, and assume that we have passed the threshold."
And in today's Independent he writes: "We will do our best to survive, but sadly I cannot see the United States or the emerging economies of China and India cutting back in time, and they are the main source of [CO2] emissions. The worst will happen...."
He goes on: "We have to keep in mind the awesome pace of change and realise how little time is left to act, and then each community and nation must find the best use of the resources they have to sustain civilisation for as long as they can." He believes that the world's governments should plan to secure energy and food supplies in the global hothouse, and defences against the expected rise in sea levels. The scientist's vision of what human society may ultimately be reduced to through climate change is " a broken rabble led by brutal warlords."
Professor Lovelock draws attention to one aspect of the warming threat in particular, which is that the expected temperature rise is currently being held back artificially by a global aerosol - a layer of dust in the atmosphere right around the planet's northern hemisphere - which is the product of the world's industry.
This shields us from some of the sun's radiation in a phenomenon which is known as "global dimming" and is thought to be holding the global temperature down by several degrees. But with a severe industrial downturn, the aerosol could fall out of the atmosphere in a very short time, and the global temperature could take a sudden enormous leap upwards.
One of the most striking ideas in his book is that of "a guidebook for global warming survivors" aimed at the humans who would still be struggling to exist after a total societal collapse.
Written, not in electronic form, but "on durable paper with long-lasting print", it would contain the basic accumulated scientific knowledge of humanity, much of it utterly taken for granted by us now, but originally won only after a hard struggle - such as our place in the solar system, or the fact that bacteria and viruses cause infectious diseases.
Rough guide to a planet in jeopardy:
Global warming, caused principally by the large-scale emissions of industrial gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), is almost certainly the greatest threat that mankind has ever faced, because it puts a question mark over the very habitability of the Earth.
Over the coming decades soaring temperatures will mean agriculture may become unviable over huge areas of the world where people are already poor and hungry; water supplies for millions or even billions may fail. Rising sea levels will destroy substantial coastal areas in low-lying countries such as Bangladesh, at the very moment when their populations are mushrooming. Numberless environmental refugees will overwhelm the capacity of any agency, or indeed any country, to cope, while modern urban infrastructure will face devastation from powerful extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Katrina which hit New Orleans last summer.
The international community accepts the reality of global warming, supported by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In its last report, in 2001, the IPCC said global average temperatures were likely to rise by up to 5.8 degrees Celsius by 2100. In high latitudes, such as Britain, the rise is likely to be much higher, perhaps 8 degrees Celsius. The warming seems to be proceeding faster than anticipated and in the IPCC's next report, 2007, the timescale may be shortened. Yet there still remains an assumption that climate change is controllable, if CO2 emissions can be curbed. Lovelock is warning: think again.
© 2006 Independent News and Media Limited.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Messages of Hope
MESSAGES OF HOPE
"I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the sun, one's feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lay defeat and death." ~ Nelson Mandela.
"Hope is believing in spite of the evidence, then watching the evidence change." ~ Jim Wallis.
"Only a new wave of vision, courage, and hope can keep us sane - and preserve the decency and dignity requisite to revitalize our organizational energy for the work to be done. To live is to wrestle with despair yet never to allow despair to have the last word." ~ Cornel West.
"We have to be part of something larger than ourselves, because our dreams are often bigger than our lifetimes." ~ Sister Rosalie Bertell.
"If tackling critical common problems seems a fool's errand, it's only because we're looking at life through too narrow a lens. History shows that the proverbial rock can be rolled, if not to the top of the mountain, then at least to successive plateaus. And, more important, simply pushing the rock in the right direction is cause for celebration. History also shows that even seemingly miraculous advances are in fact the result of many people taking small steps together over a long period of time." ~ Paul Rogat Loeb.
"Another world is not only possible, she's on her way. If I listen very carefully, I can hear her breathing." ~ Arundhati Roy.
"Hope is not prognostication. It is an orientation of the spirit, an orientation of the heart." ~ Václav Havel.
"There is always a moment in any kind of struggle when one feels in full bloom. Vivid. Alive. One might be blown to bits in such a moment and still be at peace. Martin Luther King, Jr., at the mountaintop. Gandhi dying with the name of God on his lips. Sojourner Truth baring her breasts at a women's rights convention in 1851. Harriet Tubman exposing her revolver to some of the slaves she had freed, who, fearing an unknown freedom, looked longingly backward to their captivity, thereby endangering the freedom of all. To be such a person or to witness anyone at this moment of transcendent presence is to know that what is human is linked, by a daring compassion, to what is divine." ~ Alice Walker.
"With our lives we make our answers all the time, to this ravenous, beautiful, mutilated, gorgeous world." ~ Victoria Safford.
"This is a moment in history that needs us to begin, each of us every day at her or his own pace, slowly and surely rediscovering how to be politically active, how to organize our disparate energies into effective group action - and I choose to believe we will do what is required." ~ Tony Kushner.
"The officials thought it was a cruel joke to leave us stranded in the desert with no way to get home. What they didn't realize was that we were home, soul-centered and strong, women who recognized the sweet smell of sage as fuel for our spirits." ~ Terry Tempest Williams.
"Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and persistent work of men willing to be co-workers with God, and without this hard work time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
"If nothing else is left, one must scream. Silence is the real crime against humanity." ~ Nadezhda Mandelstam.
"Let us begin to imagine the worlds we would like to inhabit, the long lives we will share, and the many futures in our hands." ~ Susan Griffin.
"Somehow, on this chasm between the conquerors and those who resist being finally conquered, the bridges and connections and meetings are happening that can tear down the walls of separation." ~ Starhawk.
"Throughout history people have felt powerless before authority, but that at certain times these powerless people, by organizing, acting, risking, persisting, have created enough power to change the world around them, even if a little." ~ Howard Zinn.
"Nothing cripples the will like isolation. By the same token, nothing buoys the spirit and fosters hope like the knowledge that others faced equal or greater challenges in the past and continued on to bequeath us a better world. Even in a seemingly losing cause, one person may unknowingly inspire another, and that person yet a third, who could go on to change the world, or at least a small corner of it." ~ Paul Rogat Loeb.
"I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the sun, one's feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lay defeat and death." ~ Nelson Mandela.
"Hope is believing in spite of the evidence, then watching the evidence change." ~ Jim Wallis.
"Only a new wave of vision, courage, and hope can keep us sane - and preserve the decency and dignity requisite to revitalize our organizational energy for the work to be done. To live is to wrestle with despair yet never to allow despair to have the last word." ~ Cornel West.
"We have to be part of something larger than ourselves, because our dreams are often bigger than our lifetimes." ~ Sister Rosalie Bertell.
"If tackling critical common problems seems a fool's errand, it's only because we're looking at life through too narrow a lens. History shows that the proverbial rock can be rolled, if not to the top of the mountain, then at least to successive plateaus. And, more important, simply pushing the rock in the right direction is cause for celebration. History also shows that even seemingly miraculous advances are in fact the result of many people taking small steps together over a long period of time." ~ Paul Rogat Loeb.
"Another world is not only possible, she's on her way. If I listen very carefully, I can hear her breathing." ~ Arundhati Roy.
"Hope is not prognostication. It is an orientation of the spirit, an orientation of the heart." ~ Václav Havel.
"There is always a moment in any kind of struggle when one feels in full bloom. Vivid. Alive. One might be blown to bits in such a moment and still be at peace. Martin Luther King, Jr., at the mountaintop. Gandhi dying with the name of God on his lips. Sojourner Truth baring her breasts at a women's rights convention in 1851. Harriet Tubman exposing her revolver to some of the slaves she had freed, who, fearing an unknown freedom, looked longingly backward to their captivity, thereby endangering the freedom of all. To be such a person or to witness anyone at this moment of transcendent presence is to know that what is human is linked, by a daring compassion, to what is divine." ~ Alice Walker.
"With our lives we make our answers all the time, to this ravenous, beautiful, mutilated, gorgeous world." ~ Victoria Safford.
"This is a moment in history that needs us to begin, each of us every day at her or his own pace, slowly and surely rediscovering how to be politically active, how to organize our disparate energies into effective group action - and I choose to believe we will do what is required." ~ Tony Kushner.
"The officials thought it was a cruel joke to leave us stranded in the desert with no way to get home. What they didn't realize was that we were home, soul-centered and strong, women who recognized the sweet smell of sage as fuel for our spirits." ~ Terry Tempest Williams.
"Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and persistent work of men willing to be co-workers with God, and without this hard work time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
"If nothing else is left, one must scream. Silence is the real crime against humanity." ~ Nadezhda Mandelstam.
"Let us begin to imagine the worlds we would like to inhabit, the long lives we will share, and the many futures in our hands." ~ Susan Griffin.
"Somehow, on this chasm between the conquerors and those who resist being finally conquered, the bridges and connections and meetings are happening that can tear down the walls of separation." ~ Starhawk.
"Throughout history people have felt powerless before authority, but that at certain times these powerless people, by organizing, acting, risking, persisting, have created enough power to change the world around them, even if a little." ~ Howard Zinn.
"Nothing cripples the will like isolation. By the same token, nothing buoys the spirit and fosters hope like the knowledge that others faced equal or greater challenges in the past and continued on to bequeath us a better world. Even in a seemingly losing cause, one person may unknowingly inspire another, and that person yet a third, who could go on to change the world, or at least a small corner of it." ~ Paul Rogat Loeb.
Friday, January 06, 2006
Hallo, dear readers.
I hope you all had a great holiday period, and an equally fabulous New Year. Let's make 2006 a good one, shall we?
As my presence is required on campus again over the next few days, and again at the start of the second semester and onward, I would like to take this opportunity to mention the fact that I have a significant hearing loss, and that as such, I am registered as severely deafened. As a result of this, I wear behind-the-ear hearing aids (BTEs) in both ears. Although these help me in many many ways, they are not perfect, and in no way replace or return what I have lost in the way of my residual hearing. Without the hearing aids, I am screwed.
My reasons for posting this are varied. Allow me to explain:
If I am hollered at from across campus, and I do not respond, I am not ignoring you. It is becfause I cannot hear you. Throw something, preferably light, or else come over to me. It can't be that difficult.
If you are sat behind me on the bus, and endeavour to attract my attention by talking to me, again, my lack of response is because I cannot hear you. I am not ignoring you.
If we are having a conversation, I read lips. My lip reading skills are actually better than my organic hearing. Please do not be offended or irritated if I ask you to repeat what you have said, or if I ask that you look at me when talking, preferably without covering your mouth. If this is too hard, learn BSL (British Sign Language). I am proficient up to Level 2 and often interpret for other Deaf/deafened people.
If I politely ask you to be quiet in a lecture or other situation where I am supposed to be listening to the lecturer, please do not be offended. Often, the lecturers are not microphone users, and my hearing aids have microphones to the rear as well as to the front. This means that I can hear people talking behind me better than the person at the front, who is often several metres away, even though I sit on the front row. Even though I cannot actually hear what is being said behind me, it is not what I am there to listen to. Also, please do not whinge about me behind my back because I had the temerity to ask you calmly and politely to please be quiet. I have hearing friends who report back to me. You know who you are. I am certain this would benefit other people too, and not just those with hearing impairments.
I apologise for the overall pissy tone of this entry, however, I am stuck as to what else to do. I can see why people assume that I am hearing, as my lip-reading skills are good, and the fact that I have long hair often disguises my hearing aids, however, jumping to the wrong conclusions isn't going to help anybody, least of all me. If this entry has offended anyone, then I apologise, for this is not my intention at all.
Thank you all for your time in this matter.
Kind regards,
Rachael.... ♥
I hope you all had a great holiday period, and an equally fabulous New Year. Let's make 2006 a good one, shall we?
As my presence is required on campus again over the next few days, and again at the start of the second semester and onward, I would like to take this opportunity to mention the fact that I have a significant hearing loss, and that as such, I am registered as severely deafened. As a result of this, I wear behind-the-ear hearing aids (BTEs) in both ears. Although these help me in many many ways, they are not perfect, and in no way replace or return what I have lost in the way of my residual hearing. Without the hearing aids, I am screwed.
My reasons for posting this are varied. Allow me to explain:
If I am hollered at from across campus, and I do not respond, I am not ignoring you. It is becfause I cannot hear you. Throw something, preferably light, or else come over to me. It can't be that difficult.
If you are sat behind me on the bus, and endeavour to attract my attention by talking to me, again, my lack of response is because I cannot hear you. I am not ignoring you.
If we are having a conversation, I read lips. My lip reading skills are actually better than my organic hearing. Please do not be offended or irritated if I ask you to repeat what you have said, or if I ask that you look at me when talking, preferably without covering your mouth. If this is too hard, learn BSL (British Sign Language). I am proficient up to Level 2 and often interpret for other Deaf/deafened people.
If I politely ask you to be quiet in a lecture or other situation where I am supposed to be listening to the lecturer, please do not be offended. Often, the lecturers are not microphone users, and my hearing aids have microphones to the rear as well as to the front. This means that I can hear people talking behind me better than the person at the front, who is often several metres away, even though I sit on the front row. Even though I cannot actually hear what is being said behind me, it is not what I am there to listen to. Also, please do not whinge about me behind my back because I had the temerity to ask you calmly and politely to please be quiet. I have hearing friends who report back to me. You know who you are. I am certain this would benefit other people too, and not just those with hearing impairments.
I apologise for the overall pissy tone of this entry, however, I am stuck as to what else to do. I can see why people assume that I am hearing, as my lip-reading skills are good, and the fact that I have long hair often disguises my hearing aids, however, jumping to the wrong conclusions isn't going to help anybody, least of all me. If this entry has offended anyone, then I apologise, for this is not my intention at all.
Thank you all for your time in this matter.
Kind regards,
Rachael.... ♥
Thursday, January 05, 2006
You're David Bowie...and every guy wants to be you,
every girls wants to be in your pants. Or vice
versa, or both! You are innovative, always
weird, and aesthetically pleasing. Your lyrics
are literate, and your music is unlike any
other. You are always unique, no matter what
situation you are in. Everyone tries to bite
off your style, but no one can be you because
you are funky fresh. Be careful to keep your
mental health in check, because you have a
tendency to flip out. But hey, being borderline
crazy makes you even more alluring! You are
skilled at manipulating everyone: the press,
your fans, and even your closest friends. You
are beautiful and strange, and you allow
yourself to change and grow.
Which rad old school 70's glam icon are you? (with pics)
brought to you by Quizilla