August 1, 2004
"To be fair to the Catholic Church, no religion is a great friend of women," she told the Corriere della Sera newspaper. "They pay you a lot of compliments but when push comes to shove they ask you to stay in your place: wife, nurse, mother and grandmother." See article.
July 13, 2004
TO: President Bush, Senators, and Representatives
FROM: Beth Goodsell
SUBJECT: Marriage Equality
__________
Dear President Bush, Senators, and Representatives:
Our constitution is supposed to preserve rights, not take them away. There is no basis in amending the constitution when we take into account the separation of church and state. Our government should recognize marriage as no more than an economic relationship, never as a religious one. Please reconsider and show us some of that compassion you promised you would.
I urge you to reject the politics of hate and division.
Everyone has the same rights. There is no place in America for a Constitutional amendment denying marriage equality to anyone.
Sincerely,
Beth Goodsell
June 24, 2004
Changed the template back. What do you all think?
June 23, 2004
Yikes. Long time no write. I'm going to my transfer orientation on Saturday! I'm quite excited - it is just Jeremy and I going and we are going to learn so much. Too bad school doesn't start for another few months. Sigh. Of course, I doubt Jeremy feels that way as he is taking his last final tomorrow and is in for some summer school as well (to get ahead for next year).
We are also going to be taking a karate class with Jer's good friend, Daniel. Speaking of Daniel, visit www.unclean.org. Hehe. You'd better thank me man!!!
Oooh. It is officially the 24th now. Another day of work in like 10 hours.
June 6, 2004
Ok. I've been very lazy in my updates - but I haven't been too lazy otherwise. The job is going well - I'm pulling in $45 in tips per day (not amazing but it is nice spending money!). My friend Katelyn came to visit and we had fun, although I worked a lot while she was here.
What else? Jeremy and I celebrate our 14th month together on the 8th. He is currently pickling dilly beans and making a sour cherry pie (or was it blackberry?) with Daniel. I've just relaxing, waitressing is easy on the mind but tough on the body.
May 20, 2004
Well, I got a job at the Olive Garden as a server. Man it is crazy learning everything but I'm confident I'll eventually get the hang of it.
Check out this article about Mayor Giuliani - it is enlightening.
May 12, 2004
Well, I'm back. Settling into summer life. I got hired at the Olive Garden as a waitress. I'm so proud of myself (really modest, I know) because I talked myself into a serving position with minimum amount of experience and was hired on the spot, even though they typically have a second interview. The manager said he knew enthusiasm and talent when he saw it. Mmmm...ego trip.
Katelyn is coming down here Memorial day weekend, it should be pretty crazy but I am really looking forward to seeing her. It still hasn't quite hit me that this isn't some long weekend break that will eventually end with me returning to L&C and my roommate (shudder).
Speaking of roommate, I didn't get to say goodbye to Autumn. Probably for the best. We were barely on speaking terms most of the time and being in the room with her was very stressful. Still, I wish her the best and I know I have learned a lot from living with her as a roommate - but still, a single is hopefully in order next year. I like my space.
Jeremy is doing well - 13 months together now. He is still in the thick of it at Foothill - Calculus, Chemistry and Biology - but I'm confident he will get through it all. Right now we are working on a Calc quiz - I'm making inane suggestions and he is being very nice and pretending like they make sense. I knew there was a reason I went into the humanities.
May 5, 2004
I'm coming home today! See everyone soon!
May 3, 2004
My cousin and his wife have a wonderful new baby girl! Yay for them!
Two more days. That's it.
Mommy comes here tomorrow.
Done with IA now. Have my French final today at 6pm.
May 2, 2004
3 days. That's it. Oh me, oh my!
May 1, 2004
Oh my gosh! Only 4 more days. Yay. Yay! Heh, obviously my mind is on politics and finals and all...uhm, yeah. All I can seem to think about is packing but I haven't anything to pack with yet (woe is me) so basically I'm just puttering around (le bricolage). It is pretty ineffective. On the upside though I have gotten 2.4 of my Paul Powers essays done! The first is on Islamic fundamentalism, the second is on Hindu fundamentalism and the third is Christian fundamentalism! Actually, it wasn't required to be that comprehensive but it just worked out that way.
What else? Ali got into Cosmos - a program offered at UCSC. She will be doing math and chemistry for a month this summer. I know she will love it but BLECH! Heh. That would be absolute hell for "humanities-Bethie".
April 29, 2004
6 more days!!!
Dear Mr. President,
I frankly find it appalling that you refused to speak with the 9/11 panel and initially even opposed its creation. That you did testify today was the right thing to do but holding Cheney's hand and not speaking under oath implies you are either incapable of handling the situation or you are hiding something (perhaps both).
It is strange to me how you could continue to have the support of about half of the population when you and your fellow administration members continue to lie to the people, attempt to modify the constitution and do your best to take away their education and their job opportunities. But then again, the media today is more of an entertainment service than anything else. I'm just warning you, many, many Americans oppose your policies and we will do our best to see that you are not elected next term (I'd say reelected but, sorry, you weren't the first time).
April 28, 2004
Well, I finished up (FINALLY!) my last day of classes and now I'm just waiting around to take my finals and get OUT OF HERE! Wooooo. I did the entire year and now it is over. Go me. Go me.
And, obviously, I am very psyched because I just spent 10 minutes making all of those colorful 
.
April 27, 2004
So, it has been a few days since my last update. I'm coming home in 8 days now! Just one more day of class.
Uncky Bob is back safe from his trip with Global Exchange to Venezuela - check out his site.
April 22, 2004
Count em - 14 days until I am back in Mountain View!
Today I was reasonably productive and finished my IA essay entitled, "An Analysis of Japanese Socio-Economic Status in Mountain View, California". Go me? Go me.
Now, I also have a presentation tomorrow but I haven't done that one yet. Sigh. Ah well. I'll get to it eventually.
April 19, 2004
Well, I got my CRF paper back from Paul Powers. First B+ I've gotten this term. It irks me ( I wanted all A's. Sigh) but what makes it all better is his commentary! Read:
A pretty good effort - a thorough and accurate summary/analysis of motivating factors, drawing nicely on a range of sources. You fit a lot in yet remain pretty clear in presenting a unifying thread to your analysis - the implications of the Islamic world's encounter with a modern, secular, colonial west. The writing is good, though perhaps not the best I have seen from you but one can't always be at one's best, and your second-best is better than the best of many students. I'll admit, the Sunni/Shiite topic seems to stick out uncomfortable though. B+
Mmm. Not what I was hoping for but I really enjoy some of that commentary. (OOOH. ego bloatation 
)!!! Makes me feel really good. Yay! He was also very nice and asked me about what was happening next year. I told him UC Santa Cruz, woohoo and he congratulated me and was supportive when I asked about how hard it is to learn Arabic. Oh, Powers is probably the top on a very short list of things that I will miss about L&C.
April 18, 2004
An excerpt from Ted Rall (it is a bit long but interesting!):
As the 9/11 commission winds down, Republicans are arguing that Bill Clinton, whose presidency spanned eight years from the first World Trade Center bombing to the U.S.S. Cole, deserves far more blame for the attacks than Bush, who had only been in office eight months. But they've got it wrong when they criticize Clinton for not being aggressive enough in the fight against Muslim extremism. If we're to believe the August 2001 intelligence assessment and the word of the jihadis themselves, we know why 9/11 really took place.
It wasn't, as Bush says, because radical Islamists are evil or because they hate our freedom. It was vengeance for 1998, for cruise missile attacks that scarcely raised an eyebrow in the United States even as they convulsions of rage surged through millions of Muslims. It's perfectly reasonable, therefore, to blame Bill Clinton for 9/11, but not because he didn't do enough. What led to 9/11 was a clumsy application of excessive military power and arrogance.
It's a lesson that the United States, so accustomed to swinging a sledgehammer to kill a fly, should take to heart in its dealings with the rest of humanity.
April 17, 2004
Visit Daniel's website: www.unclean.org
Secondly, a young man who served in Iraq and who lives in the Bay Area has died of unknown health complications. Hmmm? Depleted Uranium or something hazardous maybe? The SJ Mercury News said:
After graduation, Mr. Martinez joined the military and served with the 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines. He was based at Camp Hansen in Okinawa, Japan, from July 2001 until January 2003.
He then went to Iraq before and during the U.S.-led invasion, from February to July 2003, and was in an artillery unit that assisted the charge from Kuwait to Baghdad. He had been based at Camp Pendleton in Southern California since his return to the United States.
Mr. Martinez was on leave and visiting his family in San Jose over the Easter holidays. He died after visiting a local health clinic and then San Jose Medical Center.
``After he returned from Iraq, he complained of headaches,'' said Raoul Martinez, his older brother. ``He went to get an MRI on Friday and then he died. This came as a surprise to us, as he was the healthiest young boy that anyone knew.''-SJ Mercury News Article - Link.
Scary, eh? What are they feeding these boys?
April 15, 2004
What is going on in the Arab Israeli Conflict this week? Bush lent his support to Israeli Prime Minister Sharon this week in what is an official U.S. policy shift. Sharon is planning
on dismantling some but not all settlements in the West Bank and withdrawing by the end of 2005. Bush fully endorsed this plan, lending Sharon his official support and the support of the U.S treasury.
What has so many people up in arms? President Bush also made a statement saying that the pre-1967 borders should not be restored and Palestinians do not have the right of return or compensation. Bush also argued that Palestinians could not return to the state of Israel once the Palestinian state is created. Essentially Bush’s statements reject the idea that Palestinians have a right to any of the land and very clearly take Israel’s side. Because the United States is the only country with enough leverage to mediate this conflict (we give billions of dollars in aid to Israel each year), Bush’s stance leaves Palestinians without hope for a resolution which would grant them some of what they lost in the 1967 war. Our administration has effectively left hundreds of thousands of men, women and children stranded in the occupied territories.
What are we going to do about it? Obviously there needs to be a fair solution which grants Palestinians a certain amount of land and Israel a certain amount. Both sides will need to bargain. This will not happen if the United States does not play fairly and continues to support Israel over Palestine. We cannot afford to take sides; it is not fair to those in Palestine. And our continuing anti-Arab, anti-Muslim foreign policy will have repercussions.
A quote from an essay Blair wrote (I added in the blue)
"We are locked in an historic struggle in Iraq, on its outcome hangs more than the fate of the Iraqi people. On its outcome hangs the fate of my job. Were we to fail, which we shall not, it is more than `the power of America' that would be defeated, I wouldn't EVER get reelected. The hope of freedom and religious tolerance would be snuffed out. Dictators would rejoice; fanatics and terrorists would be triumphant. And I would be fired."
April 14, 2004
Why don't people have more of a problem with a person who cannot publicly admit he made mistakes? Yup, that is what happened when Bush was asked a direct question. He just can't think of any! ALL officials in power need to be able to take responsibility for their actions, both good and bad. What am I saying? Bush does not understand his policy so how can he actually be repentent? Bush feeds us the same line that he has been fed by his administration:
'We are fighting evil and therefore everything should be justified, there is no reason why I or my administration should be questioned about anything. Duh, God's on our side and if you are against me you are against God!'
Check out the
White House for the real transcript/audio/video of the interview.
Ah, amusing. A post from Yahoo:
Republican: Bush floats above liberal's heads!
Democrat: Like a big, gas-filled balloon? Give me a pin.
Katelyn: She is a really, really good friend here at Lewis & Clark. I have finally managed to capture the elusive Katelyn on film, digital film, that is.
April 12, 2004
Geneive Abdo’s book, No God But God addresses the more moderate Islamist movement in Egypt. So often the moderates in the world are eclipsed by more vocal, violent radicals who are willing to push their agenda at any cost. We see this occultation within religious groups – pro-life Christians, for instance, who bomb abortion clinics or anti-Western Islamic terrorists groups like al-Qaeda. Those types of groups naturally make the news because the media seeks to “shock and awe” its subscribers.
The problem with unbalanced media coverage is that smaller, grass-roots groups are not put in the spotlight. Because of this the American public (especially, I would say, because our media is so bad right now) gets a very messy picture of the Middle East and Islam. We come to see Islam as being synonymous with violence when in reality it is just an edge, the “crust” if you will, which actually perpetrates these hostile acts. Yes, there are people in the Islamic world who sympathize with acts of violence but it is not everyone and Americans need to know that.
The importance of Abdo’s book is to illuminate movements which have renounced violence as an avenue for social change. These groups instead focus more on social work, re-Islamicization and changing society from the bottom up rather than attempting to wrest power from secular governments. She focuses on Egypt and the movements there – Egypt has a history of social reform movements, the Muslim Brotherhood is an enduring example, and harsh government repression from Nasser to Sadat to Mubarak.
From what I’ve read so far (the first 2 chapters) it is a very well balanced book which brings a human quality to societies which have constantly been vilified by our media. Try it out if you are interested and would like to learn something.
Jeremy and I have been together for 1 year and 4 days now. That's cool.
April 5, 2004
Jeremy's name means an "exalted male descendent of a wagon".
Check out an amusing song: http://www.molvania.com/images/Elektronik_Supersonik.mp3
"The progressively more ignorant public (my brilliant nieces the exceptions) which resulted from these cutbacks just can't get enough of a bad thing. " - Bob referenced me and Ali on his blog. Quite nicely I might add.
April 2, 2004
I was accepted to UCSC! Yay. My friends here are a bit down about it but being very supportive. Thank you all- Katelyn, Jessica, Sarah and Chloe!
UCSC teaches Arabic - which I'm considering adding to my courseload.
March 30, 2004
Ooops, it has been a while since I last updated. Sorry, people. I was on spring break down in California with my family and boyfriend.
Anyway, Spring Break was fun. Although Jeremy was in the middle of his finals week, we managed to see each other on a daily basis. We rode our bikes, purchased another plate from a garage sale (25 cents!) to add to our collection and had a lot of fun just hanging out. I also bought a paint by numbers kit which I am about 1/2 done with. I'll finish it sometime in May, most likely - when I get home.
On two up-notes, 1) I got an "A" on my Islamist Thinkers Reaction Essay - go me! and 2) I was accepted to the University of the Pacific in a record 8 days. Woohoo. Go me.
On another up-note, the White House has finally agreed to allow Condy to testify publicly - which they should ALL do. I hope she slips up, although she will probably lie under oath anyway. Erm!
March 15, 2004
I made my first quiz on quizilla today! Take it!
Jeremy did: Apparently he defies standards and is most attracted to men who can accept that and enjoy his intelligence. Beautiful on both the inside and outside but not accepted by society, he is a bombshell ahead of his time. Good to know! Hehe
My brain almost got the better of me this morning. It was trying to keep me asleep through French. You see, I hadn't quite reached my sleep quota due to massive amounts of procrastination conducted during the weekend which resulted in a mad dash to write a paper on Islamist thinkers Mawdudi, Turabi and Qutb. But I fought my brain and I won! (Mainly due to the fact that I promised said brain sleep on Friday because I'll be in CA).
Anyway, I went to French class in my PJs. My teacher saw me and, in her typical French fashion, looked at my attire with contempt (of course, by 'attire' I mean that she was judging the strength of my soul). I do suppose though that powder blue PJ pants covered in moons and stars paired with a bright orange T-shirt might offend some people.
On an upside, I got an A- on my in class Inventing America Essay. This semester seems to be plodding on rather well. Yay!
March 11, 2004
Jeremy and I have been together for over 11 months now!
I added 5 new essays (the majority in Spanish) to the Written Literature page. Check them out.
Something interesting was released by salon.com on pre-war intelligence and manipulation. A quote:
"The one I remember most specifically is when they dropped the bullet that said one of Saddam's intelligence operatives had met with Mohammad Atta in Prague, supposedly salient proof that Saddam was in part responsible for the 9/11 attack. That claim had lasted through a number of revisions, but after the media reported the claim as unsubstantiated by U.S. intelligence, denied by the Czech government, and that Atta's location had been confirmed by the FBI to be elsewhere, that particular bullet was dropped entirely from our "advice on things to say" to senior Pentagon officials when they met with guests or outsiders." Check it out!
March 3rd, 2004
Yay! They are marrying gays in both my home state and my college town! Support SF, Portland, some parts of New York and Massachusetts! It is time to end the discrimination!
"This is about the government recognizing gay and lesbian couples who live in Oregon, who contribute to the community, who pay taxes and are a part of the fabric of Oregon," she said. "For the first time in Oregon history, under law, gay couples are not seen as strangers."
From Ted Rall: Amazingly, Bush's spokesman argues that there's nothing undemocratic about deposing a popularly elected president. "There are times when people lose faith in the ability of their leaders to govern effectively, and this is what happened," says Scott McClellan. He called the coup "a democratic and constitutional solution that we achieved working with our international partners."
March 1st, 2004
So, Haiti is a mess. Their first democratically elected President was forced to flee the other day because of armed rebels (who constitute just a small percentage of the population). Let me rephrase: The US is supporting anti-democratic government in Haiti - we are on the side of heavily armed men who have been killing, looting and stopping humanitarian aid from being delivered to the poor in Haiti. The US is applauding these people for overthrowing a DEMOCRACY and implementing military rule. Can we say dictatorship? And we are letting our government do this.
The United States, Powell said, has "ways of talking to the various rebel leaders and [is] pleased that at least so far they've said they're not interested in violence any more and will put down their arms." Doesn't it make you wonder why we are so close with these people? I thought we didn't cooperate with terrorists!
Secondly, I'm coming home on Friday! Yay. Just for the weekend though.
February 20th
Please check out this website and post your own response. It's important.
February 18th
Bush, regarding the Gay marriages going on in CA and whether or not he will support a consitutional amendment:
"People need to be involved in this decision," Bush said. "Marriage ought to be defined by the people not by the courts. And I'm watching it carefully."
Yes, marriage should be defined by the people and THOUSANDS of couples are defining it as OKAY to marry a person of the same sex. We should respect their definition and make it legal throughout the union. Because of the whole separation of church and state it is clearly unconstitutional to define marriage based upon your religious beliefs.
February 12, 2004
This Friday is the 13th. Oooh. Only happens twice this year. Ever wonder why the 13th has such bad connotations? I'm making a little page about it, probably to be added to my page on feminism. Yes, a lot of information suggests that there is a relation to the vilification the number of 13 and Friday dating back a couple thousand years. (Read the Da Vinci Code, if you are interested in that stuff - it's interesting).
Secondly, a quote from Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The wonderful thing about her work is that it can still be applied to causes today. Think of this quote in relation to both the continuing women's rights movement and also gay rights.
"To deny political equality is to rob the ostracised of all self-repect...What a picture of woman's position. Robbed of her natural rights, handicapped by law and custom at every turn, yet compelled to fight her own battles and in the emergencies of life to fall back on herself for protection." The Solitude of Self (1892)
February 11, 2004
Three things: Better keep an eye and a voice on what is going on in Massachusetts with gay marriage. What is so important to realize is this: if you oppose gay marriage on religious grounds, you have to take into account the fact that we have a separation of church and state. Religious grounds should have nothing to do with this fight - (of course they do but that is not ok when we are talking about legislation).
Secondly, Kevin Cooper received a stay of execution just 4 hours before he was to die by lethal injection. Recently a large amount of evidence has arisen which suggests that the police may have planted/tampered with evidence. Regardless of your views on capital punishment (I oppose it - strongly) if there is any chance this man is innocent we need to find it out before we execute him.
Thirdly, school was fun today, I studied in the library a lot. Yay!
February 7, 2004
Oh yeah! Tomorrow is 10 months!
Secondly, 5 page essay is coming along nicely- in that abstract, undone sense.
February 4, 2004
Mmmm. Jeremy is perfect. Haha. He isn't your boyfriend.
February 3, 2004
I made the Dean's list. Go me.
"Admire me I am a violet! Dote upon me I am a primrose!"
-- john keats
From Dad (don't know where he got it):
"While suturing a laceration on the hand of a 70-year-old Texas rancher
(whose hand had caught in a gate while working cattle), a doctor and the old
man were talking about George W. Bush being in the White House. The old
Texan said, "Well, ya know, Bush is a 'post turtle'."
Not knowing what the old man meant, the doctor asked him what a post turtle
was. The old man said, "When you're driving down a country road, and you
come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a post
turtle. The old man saw a puzzled look on the doctor's face, so he continued
to explain, "You know he didn't get there by himself, he doesn't belong
there, he can't get anything done while he's up there, and you just want to
help the poor dumb thing get down."
February 1, 2004
This is my sister. She's a knockout.
December 26, 2003
Wow, it has been quite a long time since my last update. I'm back in the bay area having a wonderful Christmas season and being happily busy. Christmas was nice but, as usual, very consumer oriented (that makes me sad). One really nice gift I got was a donation from Jeremy's parents to Heifer International. Their donation helped families around the world by providing them with bees to use for earning supplementary income. It made me happy.
On a less happy note, Dad totalled his car. He was fine and everyone else was too but that sucks. On an up-note he is considering a Hybid - Prius 2004! They are so cool. Check them out. Gas mileage is an average of 55 mpg. 51 Highway, 60 city! Yay!
December 13, 2003
America. Sigh. Why don't our people have more of a problem with the government? Here is Ridge calmy explaining to the public our color-coded terrorist system. Because, of course, the American people cannot understand anything else!
December 7, 2003
"Dr. Seuss never used phrases like "son of a bitch", "dirty ho" or "burns my ass", and I don't think a film based on his works should either. The second worst scene has the cat showing his butt crack and farting. Another scene has the cat opening a centerfold picture of the two children's mother, and his hat gets an erection. This film is several notches below Jim Carrey's "Grinch", and is a much lower budgeted film, with none of the charm, warmth or humor necessary to make it a success. This movie was a big disappointment and I will not be adding this to my video collection. The MPAA and Universal pictures should be reprimanded for giving this a mere PG rating, and targeting young children with this trash." - (taken from imdb.com.) Gotta love the movies!
December 6, 2003
Guns aren't really an issue in Europe, so when I'm traveling abroad, my first question usually relates to barnyard animals. "What do your roosters say?" is a good icebreaker, as every country has its own unique interpretation. In Germany, where dogs bark "vow vow" and both the frog and the duck say "quack," the rooster greets the dawn with a hearty "kik-a-ricki." Greek roosters crow "kiri-a-kee," and in France they scream "coco-rico," which sounds like one of those horrible premixed cocktails with a pirate on the label. When told that an American rooster says "cock-a-doodle-doo," my hosts look at me with disbelief and pity. --- Six to Eight Black Men.
December 4, 2003
Jeremy rocks as a boyfriend. He is the bestest. I don't say that often enough. ;)
I changed the caption. Thanks Daniel.
December 3, 2003
Jeremy is reading a book called Cold Mountain for English. I was under the impression that the character's name was Timmy so I've been calling him that. But it turns out his name is actually Inman. Don't even ask how my mind came up with that one.
On a side note, Daniel is dressing up as Santa Claus for his mother's German class. Apparently German Santa is not round and jolly. He is skinny and carries a switch.
I got an A on my Camp David paper as well. It is online under written lit. Too lazy to make hyperlink.
I got a 100% on my Gitanos essay! I also started filming my Spanish video. Urgh.
December 1, 2003
15 days until I go home again! And I just got back this morning too! Yay. Merg. Had to wake up at 4:45 am to take the plane. Yucketh! So please pardon my poor writing for the day.
The weekend was fun. Lots of fresh made food - virtually all the prepared food was prepared by us. Go us! Here is the menu:
Thursday:
To start there were fresh hand-made corn tortillas. They were pressed and thrown on a hot pan. On the side was Spanish rice topped with tomatoes, fresh pico de gallo, guacamole and black or refried beans covered in melted cheese. For dessert we had brownies a la mode and blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream.
Friday:
This menu started with a fresh zucchini, mint and tomato salad. We also served Teriyaki broccoli with tofu and super-duper garlic bread. But the main dish was fresh pasta, made from scratch and divided into little spaghetti strands by our pasta maker. To finish there were warm crepes filled with either melted milk chocolate and whipped cream or flambéd peaches in cognac.
Sound good? Totally vegetarian! And lots of organic, healthy food (save the crepes). Probably the best Thanksgiving I've ever had, of course, Jeremy could have influenced that a bit.
On Sunday night Jeremy and I decorated the Christmas tree at his house. Very enjoyable, actually. Hehe - his sister and I ordered him around but overall it was a nice, relaxing atmosphere. Man, I'm tired. That already feels like a week ago!
What else? A Rumsfeld quote!
"We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know."
Thank you, thank you very much. I'll update later. To bed!
November 30, 2003
I'm coming back to L&C tomorrow, Monday...I'll update more there.
It has been a fun weekend...with lots of yummy food.
Too much yummy food.
Oooh. Gotta go! - Bethie
November 26, 2003
Well, almost the 26th...I'm flying home today/morrow! Woohoo!
Lookee here - Is this for real or not? Can you tell?
If you want to reach me over the weekend I'll be staying with my mommy! Look me up friends!
November 25, 2003
Some pictures I drew. Warning - there is a nude (albeit a poorly drawn one). Thanks!
November 23, 2003
Quotes of the day:
La Guerra Mundial del poderoso quiere convertir al planeta tierra en un club exclusivo donde él se reserva el derecho de admisión." - Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos
The ESEA [No Child Left Behind Act] is like a Russian novel. That's because it's long, it's complicated, and in the end, everybody gets killed. --Scott Howard, former superintendent, Perry, Ohio, public schools
If the reaction of the big-business community is any barometer, the new "FTAA à la carte" approach is good news for free-trade critics.
November 22, 2003
Here is an article I wrote on Iraq. Meh. It's ok but I'm proud of it. I also updated the site map.
November 19, 2003
It's snowing in Portland! My birthday present to Mom. (Happy B-day Mommy!)
November 12, 2003
Sorry it has been a while! Let's see - just got back from taking a Spanish test. Yummy. I think I did alright. Ended up writing about Iraq (Irak, en español) and the Iraqi power system. I also had to write a bunch of stuff using comparative, imperative, past and present subjunctive! Ick - but suprisingly not too bad. I'm going for high B or low A. Yay!
What else? I registered for a class called Comparing Fundamentalisms: Islamic, Hindu and Christian. It should be very interesting! This is the same teacher I have for my Middle East in Modern Times Class. All I have to do now is make sure it transfers...
Anything else? Mmmmm. Gotta love our country. 25 more soldiers were just killed in Iraq. Come on Bush! Get them out of there!
November 4, 2003
Hey there everyone! I returned to CA for the weekend and had a nice time - but as usual, too short. A lot of stuff is up for me right now - classes are going relatively well; I expect reasonable grades. Hehe. But I've no idea how to use punctuation.
Alison is coming up Friday! That should be a lot of fun. Just have to remember to pick her up...yeah, that would make mom angry if I forgot. Hehe.
Becky's B-day is this weekend. We are going to do something for her, I think. Probably not ice cream. Too cold!
If my luck holds today I will be adding a few essays I've written recently and some pictures around the site. Surf!
October 26, 2003
Ooooh. Continuing. I just finished - Something Wicked this Way Comes by Rad Bradbury. Really well done piece of work. If you can't quite place his name this is the guy who wrote Fareinheit 451. Amazing author. Pick up the book and give it 50 pages - you won't be able to put it down afterward. Something Wicked was really creepy and the word choice will make you ill (in a good, disgusting, literary way).
Claire wanted a picture online. So here we are. Happy times! She certainly looks like she is in agony. Hehe.
Look for Claire - she is crazy. Don't let her sneak up behind you! You might find yourself a victim!
October 23, 2003
Ok. Ok. It has been a while since I've updated. Sorry! But things have been rather crazy.
Letter to Bon Appetit. Server of food that makes me ill:
Dear lord,
Please vary your menu. I know they have cut the budget but please! I cannot take this anymore. Always the same food - or very close...Just make cheap but high-quality foods - staples: rice, garbanzos, pastas etc and spend the money on SPICES and vegetables and HOT tofu. Also increase the quantity - the Bon often seems to run out of the best foods or refuses to offer enough to vegetarians/vegans who have very limited diets.
I'd be willing to VOLUNTEER my time if the quality of the food would improve. I'm sorry - whoever is reading this - it probably isn't your fault! Just please, every time I enter the Bon I become slightly ill from smelling flavors I've smelled every day for 8 weeks.
Lastly, anything you could do to vary the entrees offered for vegetarians would be wonderful. Maybe higher quality pasta sauce?
Thanks, Beth Goodsell.
So what's up? I had midterms...Did ok on one of them - the Middle East in Modern Times (the midterm covered 632AD-1973. Ick!). I get the next midterm back tomorrow. Ieee!
Yup. The world is still screwed up. If you have an extra $5 please take the opportunity to donate it to a good cause. $5 helps. Hell, $1 helps. I'd say an AIDS initiative would be a good idea or possibly some sort of hunger project. They are all out there - just take the time to look! If you don't have the money volunteer an hour of your time or at the very least talk to another person about the issues. The absolute WORST thing that could happen would be for the American public (people with considerable power, wealth and freedom) to forget the world and its needs)...of course, many would argue that has already happened. Sadness. Help out!
L&C is going pretty well - lots of debating. I like that. Also I'm learning French relatively quickly, which I'm quite proud of - I may get a tutor next semester just to be able to practice more. Sound nerdy? I certainly hope so!
Random Fact:
More people are killed annually by donkeys than die in air crashes.
This is something I need to take to heart. Stupid fear of airplanes! PS. Hmmmm? Just HOW many people die by the donkey?
October 14, 2003
A message from the Raelians in favor of genetically modified foods. Yes, they are naked and believe aliens created humanity.
October 13, 2003
Well, I went to California for the break. Saw Mom and Ali and Dad and - of course! Jeremy! We had a lot of fun hanging out. TOO many burritos. Good Chinese food. The world's best brownies!!! Brownies with melted kisses and toffee bits are AmAzInG! And ice cream, of course. ;) Also, there was a nice little fire that Jeremy got going. Yay for Eagle Scouting.
Overall I wish I had had more time - of course. 3 months wouldn't have been sufficient. Such is life. I AM going down on October 31, or that is the plan. That will be nice. Claire is turning 18. Hmmmm...must think of super-cool present. Will do this weekend, I think.
What else? Kucinich announced his official bid for the presidency. Look him up and vote for him! Yay.
Just finished another essay (draft) and will have that up soon. I promise. ;) Have a great day! - Bethie.
October 6, 2003
Oh man. I really must be a masochist. I spent about 30 minutes today on the Yahoo message boards rebutting the argument that to be homosexual is a sin etc etc. There was a study announced today that there is a relation between blinking and sexual orientation. Rolls eyes.
What I wrote:
"Americans seem to have a superiority complex. All of 'us' think we know exactly what is right and wrong and that because of this we can hate people who don't fit the definition. Well, wake up people! The world is a changing place and right and wrong is a relative concept. So stop hating what you don't understand or what freaks you out a little because you were raised differently and start questioning. Why? Could YOU possibly be wrong? Could the reason you are finding something abhorrent be cultural or religious rather than fundamentally wrong?
PS. This study seems to me to be on pretty shaky legs. Not a very big sample study, the experiment had a lot of variables which could have affected the outcome of the data and from the data they seemed to have interpreted way more than was actually there."
October 5, 2003
Jeremy came up for the weekend. We had a great time touring Portland (I probably saw more of Portland in two days than I've seen in the last month...ie EVER). We went to Powell's, took lots of buses, went on the max, went to a bunch of restaurants, toured L&C etc etc. Lots of walking. In the end I think he liked Portland - it really is a nice city in terms of public transportation, cleanliness and life. The city is both posh and eclectic and just a fun place to be in general - unlike say, San Francisco where you don't always feel safe. In terms of life - so much stuff was going on during the weekend - L&C had their homecoming dance, there was the women's world cup, the Portland marathon and, of course, Saturday market. Yay!
Side note: the only downside to Jeremy's trip was that it was only two days and the sky didn't want to be friendly. It was overcast. Aargh!
On another happy note - I'm coming down on Wednesday! Yay. Return to Jeremy, my family, my cats and sleepdom. Mmmmm. Need sleep. I like my roommate but it isn't the same as having your own room.
Lastly, Bush wrote a poem! Laura recited it Friday at the National Book Festival as he watched quietly:
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Oh my, lump in the bed
How I've missed you.
Roses are redder
Bluer am I
Seeing you kissed by that charming French guy.
The dogs and the cat, they missed you too
Barney's still mad you dropped him, he ate your shoe
The distance, my dear, has been such a barrier
Next time you want an adventure, just land on a carrier.
Notes on the poem: Laura had just returned from a solo trip to France where she was kissed by Chirac. Barney is their dog - she dropped him a while back. ouchies.
Laura says that the American people may not be aware of her husband's knack for poetry. But have you ever seen such a painful poem. I mean - roses are red? It would be nice if our President could come up with something a bit more original! Really - is this the education one receives at Yale?
September 29, 2003
I am sick. Argh. Don't know what I have but I hope I will get over it soon!
Things are going well for me in terms of grades and life and all but I'm ready for a break!
In not so happy news a guy died here at Lewis & Clark today. His name was Oliver Zlonis and he was from Minnesota. He will be missed. Bad times.
September 23, 2003
What I've added today is a new article that was published in the Guardian a couple years back. Think Bush is a feminist? Think again. What I like most about this article is how it outlines the parallels between the British Lord Cromer who took control of Egypt and Bush. Both of these men called themselves feminists who wanted to liberate the women of Islam but at home and in all their policies they did no such thing:
Colonial patriarchs like Cromer believed that middle-class Victorian mores represented the pinnacle of civilization, and set about implementing this model wherever they went - with women in their rightful, subservient place, of course. They wanted merely to replace eastern misogyny with western misogyny. But, like Bush, they stole feminist language in order to denounce the indigenous culture; and, says Ahmed, feminism thus served as a "handmaid to colonialism". "Whether in the hands of patriarchal men or feminists," she writes, "the ideas of western feminism essentially functioned to morally justify the attack on native societies and to support the notion of comprehensive superiority of Europe."
Really, check the article out. It is quite interesting and may bring to light certain stereotypes/prejudices you have of Islamic culture.
September 21, 2003
I spoke with my cousin - who is in a really cool band called Calling Marvin (you should check out the music and if you likee tell me/them and you can buy a CD!)...It's good to support non-corporate music.
What else? Hrm...not working like a bee here. It is 7pm on Sunday and I have not really done my homework yet. That's gonna get me later. Sigh.
Lastly, stupid USA! Ok, glad I got that out of my system. Oh, and stupid Hobbes too.
September 14, 2003
Well, Jeremy and some other people have gone off to Lake Mono for the weekend so I'm forced to sit here playing with Adobe Photoshop..
Yeah, so you can see what I've done to the picture below - strangely enough the picture to the right is NOT edited! It is my one relatively good photo! Hehe. I'm very proud of it - actually it is a cropped version of my prom picture and Jeremy is standing next to me. I love this picture of us and will soon upload it to the site.
What else is going on? Well, the WTO meeting in Cancun collapsed and nothing has been resolved because of a bunch of wealthy nations not caring one bit about impoverished ones. Ick!
Hrm...so I've just finished reading Antigone - a play by Sophocles. Nice and unhappy. Woohoo! You too should read this and benefit from the wonders of depressing and sexist work. Yaay!
La La La. Get back soon Jeremy! And as for everyone else CALL ME or somethin' I need some contact with the outside world! :) goodsell@lclark.edu... for your information. Bye!
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