UFOs seen over Red Bank, NJ

Posted on 31. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in history

I grew up thinking that UFOs were a Western phenomena, perhaps because of Roswell, NM. The recent sighting of UFOs in Stephensville, Texas confirmed that theory. I had no idea that UFOs had been spotted in my own (former) little corner of New Jersey, near Red Bank, on March 15, 1950.

I discovered this when I was poking around on Footnote.com. This site allows people to upload original, historical documents, adding them to an already existing archive of public and private collections. It’s searchable, and there are discussion forums about various topics.

My first searches centered on names. I quickly found some of my stepfather’s ancestors, but I haven’t found mine yet.

When I started typing in names of places I’ve lived, I quickly hit paydirt. A search for “Fair Haven” directed me to this 13-page document from the National Archives. It includes interviews and the results of an Army investigation into a UFO sighting by at least five people south of Red Bank, NJ. The people interviewed came from various towns and professions, but each claimed to have seen three flying objects with trails behind them. Several people said they looked round. Mrs. Lewis Prentiss of Rumson said she saw the following while driving on Ridge Road in Fair Haven:

Three port holes with lights behind them, or lights that might be viewed through a fog. The weather was very clear and early evening daylight. Around these three luminous round forms there seemed to be a density of ’sky-blue’ colored gas. The objects were not disc-like in form.

The Army concluded that the people probably saw contrails from high-flying aircraft.

Maybe. But it seems odd that they were round. I wonder what they really were? I wonder if they had a utopian vision of the future?

Mysterious Traveler Entrances Town With Utopian Vision Of The Future

Posted on 30. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in politics, videos

Here’s one visitor who won’t be returning. From The Onion News:

Mysterious Traveler Entrances Town With Utopian Vision Of The Future
An enigmatic man appeared in Hastings, NY, beckoning people to join his quest for a world free of despair as he shook hands and kissed newborns.

“He warned us that others would come to town after him, but that they would weave webs of lies and break their promises.”

“The traveller left suddenly, but people expect him to return soon, given the interest he showed in their little town.”

Artsy Russian umbrellas

Posted on 29. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in art, shopping

The next time it rains, it’d be cool to have this umbrella designed by Evgeny Kiselev from wisli.org:

Here are more patterns:

Too bad it’s a Russian website. I wonder if they ship to California? It costs 3500 rub, which equals $142. Ouch! It doesn’t rain here nearly enough to justify that. I’ll stick to my Monet umbrella.

Create your own Jackson Pollock-like painting

Posted on 28. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in art

I hate chaos. I either flee it or try to eradicate it. Therefore, it’s not surprising that the quick “painting” that I made at JacksonPollock.org is more orderly than most of Pollock’s paintings.

I once read a little story about a kindergarten teacher whose students consistently produced beautiful works of art. When someone asked her what her secret was, she said she knew when to take the crayons away from them. I tried to heed that advice in the above “painting.”

Caroline Kennedy endorses Barack Obama: “A President Like My Father”

Posted on 27. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in politics

I’ve heard many people compare Barack Obama to JFK, but now that Caroline Kennedy does so, it’s official. In today’s NYTimes editorial, “A President Like My Father,” Kennedy says that,

Over the years, I’ve been deeply moved by the people who’ve told me they wished they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way people did when my father was president. This sense is even more profound today. That is why I am supporting a presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama.

…

Most of us would prefer to base our voting decision on policy differences. However, the candidates’ goals are similar. They have all laid out detailed plans on everything from strengthening our middle class to investing in early childhood education. So qualities of leadership, character and judgment play a larger role than usual.

Senator Obama has demonstrated these qualities throughout his more than two decades of public service, not just in the United States Senate but in Illinois, where he helped turn around struggling communities, taught constitutional law and was an elected state official for eight years. And Senator Obama is showing the same qualities today.

…

I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president — not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans.

I have great respect for Caroline Kennedy, and I believe this endorsement carries great weight.

Trivia: Did you know that the Biography channel actually had a show that compared Obama and Kennedy? Click here for more info…that’s where the picture above comes from.

The stars in the bagpipe universe are aligning

Posted on 26. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in music, my life

Loyal blog readers will recall that on January 1st of this year, I stated that my New Year’s resolution was to try to learn to play the bagpipes. Today all signs suddenly pointed to doing it:

1. There was a great article in the Pasadena Star News about the Pasadena Scots, a local bagpiping group. I’ve lived in this area for over 20 years, and never knew they existed until today.
2. One of my clients surprised me by sending me a practice chanter (see picture) to help me decide if bagpiping is for me.
3. When I went to my office to retrieve my chanter to show my family, there was a picture of my son and his saxophone on my screensaver.

OK, the last one isn’t a big deal. But if signs come in threes, I’ll count it.The last thing I need is to add another time commitment. (see yesterday’s post) But this might provide some much-needed relaxation for me. Besides, my family and Tom R. are completely behind it. My daughter just made me promise that I wouldn’t play at school assemblies or at church services. I think she’s still traumatized by a certain elementary school pep rally I sang the SpongeBob theme song at many years ago. At least I wasn’t the one dressed up like SpongeBob!

Now to learn some songs on the chanter.

In case you’re wondering, despite my married Hispanic surname, I have absolutely no Hispanic blood in me. My maiden name was Christie, which is Scottish, and many of my ancestors were Irish. Most people either love or hate the bagpipes. I think there’s something in my DNA that makes me love them.

Obama has more delegates and more votes

Posted on 26. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in politics

Wow! After today’s win in South Carolina, Barack Obama has more delegates and more votes than Clinton. Hopefully more Californians will come around to voting for him.

My husband says that today he decided to. He was an Edwards supporter until now.

I put up our yard sign the other day. It’s holding up pretty well in the rain. Having good yard sign exposure is one benefit to living on such a busy street.

Stress test stresses me out

Posted on 25. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in health, my life, religion

Considering that I fainted in anticipation of a Tine test in 5th grade, it’s not surprising that I nearly fainted when the nurse pumped the nuclear isotope into me at the start of today’s cardiac stress test. At least this time I had the opportunity to find out my blood pressure when I felt woozy: 90 / 52. Yikes!

According to Wikipedia,

A cardiac stress test is a medical test performed to evaluate arterial blood flow to (and indirectly the amount of oxygen that will reach) the myocardium (heart muscle) during physical exercise, compared to blood flow while at rest. As an exercise test, the results can also reflect overall physical fitness. These tests do not assess emotional stress or other connotations of the term.

After the nurse pumped the radioactive isotope into me, I lay on a table for 12 minutes while a nuclear camera went back and forth above me. I had to keep my hands clasped together above my head, which pinched the IV needle. From where I was lying, I could see the computer screen that showed the various scans of my heart. Too bad I didn’t understand them.

Next, I had lots of electrocardiogram (ECG) wires attached to me and ran on a treadmill for awhile. (10 minutes? more?) It seemed like they increased the speed and the angle a lot because I’m in pretty good shape. They wanted to get my heart rate up to a certain level. They took my blood pressure every few minutes, and at the end they pumped more nuclear goo into me.

I was eager for that to end so that I could break the fast I’d had since dinner last night. They had me sit in the waiting room for an hour and a half so that my heart could return to a resting state. I used the time to eat my snack, read a book, and try not to watch “The View” that was playing on the fuzzy tv in the corner.

Finally, I was brought back for more nuclear camera pictures. They asked if I’m flying anytime soon, because if I do, I might get stopped by airport security. Thankfully, I’m not.

I was happy when it was over, and hope to never have to do this again. I won’t know the results until Tuesday, but I’m optimistic that my heart is fine.

Actually, I suspect that the test that I really need is one that tests not how my heart responds to stress, but how much stress I’m already under. The Scientologists give such a test to potential recruits, but I’m not going down the path that my Googleganger did. If you’re ever curious about Scientology, the best and bravest article I’ve ever read on it was the one Mark Ebner wrote for Spy Magazine back in 1996. It should be required reading for anyone thinking of joining. Of course, saying this will probably put me on their enemies list. Whatever.

We’ll get used to it eventually

Posted on 24. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in animals, my life, parenting

About a minute after I let the dog out this morning, she was sprayed by a skunk. She rushed back to the door, and I hustled her into the shower. She smelled more like chemicals – like the New Jersey of my youth, if I may – than skunk. Thankfully, the human shampoo in that shower, Thermasilk by Helene Curtis, did the trick. I even used the conditioner, so she’s nice and soft now.

Even so, our whole house stinks. I’ve been boiling white vinegar, spraying Lysol, and lighting candles to get rid of the smell. I think it’s working, but maybe I’m just used to the stench. I’ll find out when I go out in a little while and see how people react to me. I’d open the windows, but it’s cold and rainy/hailing today.

I fetched my daughter from school because she wanted to come home and take a shower. The kids in her first period class were appalled at the odor. Luckily, they didn’t realize it emanated from her. I wonder what my son’s classmates think? Maybe the Tag he sprayed on his jeans on the way to school did the trick.

To the right is a picture of our dog after her shower. Poor girl! She freaked out afterwards, and rubbed herself all over our carpets trying to dry off. She’s sound asleep now.

POSTSCRIPT: It’s not completely working. When I was out I even smelled myself, and Connie B. was honest enough to let me know that I do smell. When I returned home, the stench hit hard as soon as I opened the door. So, avoid direct contact with me today. Stick to email.Â

The oldest thing I own: photo book published in 1892

Posted on 20. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in art, books, history, international

Many years ago, my grandfather asked me whether there was anything of his that I’d like when he dies. I told him I’d love to have some photographs, and would be happy to scan them for everyone else. He laughed and said I’m just like my mother.

Perhaps that’s why, despite moving nearly twenty times in my life, I’ve somehow managed to hang on to “Glimpses of the World: My Portfolio of Photographs, Prepared Under the Supervision of John L. Stoddard.” It was published in 1892, and my copy says “Lizzie J. Brown, 1894″ on the cover page. To the best of my knowledge, it’s the oldest thing that I own. What a testimony to the fleeting nature of possessions.

This 549-page book is entrancing. It has photos from all over the world, and under each one there’s a paragraph describing the picture. The explanations are just as fascinating as the photos, as they reflect the author’s perspective and biases.

This book is pretty big – 11.5″ x 14″ – so it was hard to scan without breaking the binding. Here are a few of the most fascinating pictures and descriptions from the book. If you click on them, you’ll see larger versions and be able to read the text.

Here’s the “Royal Palace, Honolulu, Sandwich Islands.” The caption talks about how much progress has been made in the islands since Honolulu harbor was “discovered less than a hundred years ago.” The picture includes King Kalakua, his wife, his daughter, and Col. Judd, his Secretary of State. At the time, Honolulu had a population of 14,000.

Here’s a picture taken in San Francisco’s Chinatown. According to Stoddard, “a trip to Chinatown” was “an essential feature of a visit to the Pacific coast.” Click on the picture to see the caption. It’s completely politically incorrect for our times.

Here are some straw cottages in Salamanca, Mexico. The author was more sympathetic towards these Mexican villagers, though his analysis again errs on the side of political incorrectness. “These Indians are said to be generally happy and contented, but it is hard to believe it in view of their condition. Many of them certainly have a hopeless and even timid look, like that of a well-meaning dog that had been beaten and abused.”

No photo book would be complete without some Yosemite pictures, and Stoddard obliges. It’s mind-boggling to think that these pictures were taken before Ansel Adams was even born! Here’s a horse drawn carriage driving through a tree in Mariposa Grove. I think I’ve seen postcards with cars doing the same thing.

I think this book was pretty popular in its time. My freshman roommate had one at her house, and there are some available for sale on the internet. It’s no wonder people have kept them: it’s a window into another time and many other places.

Isn’t church for sinners?

Posted on 18. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in religion, things that bug me

Maybe I’ve been a Presbyterian for too long, as I was stunned to read in today’s Wall St. Journal article “Banned From Church: Reviving an ancient practice, churches are exposing sinners and shunning those who won’t repent,” that there are pastors and churches that actually kick people out for sinning.

Sounds backwards to me. Shouldn’t churches want sinners, so they can be saved? Aren’t we all sinners? I’m not surprised that the sins people were accused of weren’t all of the adultery sort: some were booted for questioning church authority and wanting to see financial records.

I guess that the people kicking their brethren out of church must be perfect themselves. What an amazing feat! We should try to do the best we can, but I believe that the only human who’s ever been perfect was Jesus. I think that churches should be willing to give advice on how to live as Christ wants us to, but God’s the judge, not the church.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7)

“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye. (Luke 6:42)

When did “R” become “PG-13″?

Posted on 16. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in movies, parenting

Have you noticed how many new movies that are rated PG-13 would have been rated R 15 years ago? Apparently I’m not the only one who’s noticed: CommonSense Media nominated the MPAA for a 2007 “OFFul” Award for “Gaming the System.”

The nominees included:

• The MPAA for changing its standards behind closed doors and with no explanation so that a movie that would have gotten an R rating a decade ago gets a PG-13 rating today.
• Broadcast networks for tinkering with their own standards and practices and allowing ads for erectile dysfunction drugs and condoms during afternoon and primetime shows when kids are watching.

And the winner is:

• Rockstar Games for resubmitting Manhunt 2 to the ESRB and getting the rating reduced from “Adults Only” to “Mature,” ensuring that the game will be widely accessible to teens.

You can see more of their award categories, including awards for merit, on the CommonSense Media website.

When in doubt, check CommonSense Media or one of the other sites that reviews movies with kids in mind. We were saved by Screenit.com recently. My husband and son wanted to see “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” and I objected because it’s rated R. My husband didn’t think it could be too bad, but when I looked up the Screenit review it mentioned some things I won’t mention in this blog and he instantly nixxed the idea. Of course, then I made the mistake of renting the PG-13-rated “I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry” for my son at Blockbuster, only to discover some pretty inappropriate scenes in that, too. Ugh. At least I watched it with him and could comment on it. Too bad Blockbuster doesn’t have an in-store kiosk with a parental review site on it.

Why I won’t subscribe to Fitness

Posted on 15. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in advertising

“Love your body at any size?” That’s what the Fitness magazine mailer I received says…right next to the picture of the utterly thin model. If they really meant it, they’d dare to have a plus-size model.

(If I was Justin on Ugly Betty, I’d be able to tell you what size she is.)

Speaking of Ugly Betty, I liked their “normal” woman fashion show at the end. Nice!

I didn’t need any more magazines anyway. I already wonder how many trees are sacrificed for my voracious reading habits.

Why I can’t turn in my absentee ballot: Even the Official Voter Information Guide is confused!

Posted on 13. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in politics, things that bug me

I was so excited when I received my California absentee ballot in the mail last Monday that I grabbed the nearest pen and quickly proceeded to fill in the little circle for “Obama.” Then, I noticed that the ballot included much more than the presidential candidates, and I froze. I haven’t thawed since.

I have no idea how to vote on Measures 94-97, all of which concern Indian gaming. Each one focuses on a different tribe or tribes. (see below) I figure that how I vote on one will be how I vote on the rest, since I don’t have a preference for one tribe over another. The earnest young man in the Pechanga commercial I saw recently said, “Today we live off the land and we share with our neighbors.” I’m sure that’s true, and I’m all for Indians finally getting some financial independence after so many years of injustice, but I’m not keen on more gambling that effectively functions as a regressive tax and I’m not convinced that the tribe members all benefit from the funds raised.

I’m completely confused by the Official Voter Information Guide information for Prop. 91. The Argument in Favor of Proposition 91 says to vote NO on Prop. 91. They even say that on their website:

Am I misreading something? HELP!!!

What your toys do when you’re asleep

Posted on 12. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in art

Remember how active the toys in Toy Story were when humans weren’t around?

Well it’s all true. Toys really do have their own lives. “” gallery on Flickr proves it.

I took a day off and finished a good book: “Dogface”

Posted on 12. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in books

Hopefully no one who reads this blog needed me to do anything for them today. Instead of working, I took a Saturday off and finished reading my advance copy of Jeff Garigliano’s “.”

I had a hard time putting the book down. The characters were endearing, and there were no slow parts. Here’s the Publisher’s Weekly review:

A 14-year-old boy with an affinity for all things military makes for an extremely likable protagonist in former naval officer Garigliano’s dark, wonderfully twisted debut. Habitually uprooted by his beautiful mother, Cecile, Loren despises her ever-revolving carousel of dolt boyfriends, so he revolts by torching the golf course where Cecile’s latest dish, golf pro Tom, tees off. Loren gets caught, and Cecile reluctantly ships him off to Camp Ascend!—a six-week rehabilitation program for young miscreants headed by Ray Kellogg, aka the Colonel, an ex-con scam artist who charges a $7,000 fee for treatment at the ramshackle campground staffed by the Colonel’s suntanned, heavily coiffed wife, Kitty, and Kitty’s sadistic, malevolent brother Donovan, who likes to play drill sergeant and torture kids. Loren, clever and smitten with pretty fellow inmate Liz, uses the skills of the seasoned operative to navigate and, eventually, defuse the escalating dangers at Camp Ascend! in a thrilling denouement. What initially seems like a wacky teenage romp morphs into a harrowing story about resilience, redemption and the will to survive. Garigliano excels with this sinister, superlative debut.

At first, I was afraid that the book would be a rip-off of Louis Sachar’s , which also follows an enterprising boy at a questionable juvenile rehabilitation camp. That’s where the similarity ended, however, and I enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed Holes. I can’t believe this is Garigliano’s first book, and I look forward to seeing more of his work in the future. Also, like Holes, I hope this becomes a movie. I think it has the makings of a very good one.

From what I can tell, this book is being marketed to adults, not teens. I think that’s a good thing, as there’s one scene (p. 159) involving a prostitute that isn’t appropriate for teens. (or me) Even so, it’s not incredibly graphic, and in the end, the bad guy looks that much more stupid for being there. I think if you explain that to a kid before you hand him the book, this book would be fine for a mature teen boy.

The publisher sent it to me because I maintain a list of books that you wouldn’t normally think of for teens but that they’d like. There’s a special section of the list with books that boys would probably like. It’s easy to find teen chick-lit books for girls, but there aren’t as many options for boys, so I try to highlight what’s available. Please let me know if you have any books to add to the list.
Relaxation’s over! Back to work!!

Read this if you think Obama is a radical Muslim

Posted on 11. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in cool websites, politics, things that bug me

Someone’s scamming you: he’s not a radical Muslim. He’s not Muslim, and he’s not radical. (Unless you’re so far to the other end of the spectrum that you think all Democrats are radicals.)

Respected non-partisan myth-busting website Snopes.com debunks an email I’ve received several times that claims that Barack Obama is a radical Muslim. I figure if I’ve received it, then it must really be making its way around the internet.

Here are a few of the major points, and how Snopes debunks them:

• Email: Obama’s father was a Muslim and his mother was an atheist.
  Snopes: Obama’s father had all but abandoned Islam by the time he’d met Obama’s mother, and Obama’s mother was not an atheist.
• Email: Obama attended a Muslim school in Indonesia for several years when he was young.
  Snopes: “The school Barack Obama attended in Indonesia was “Muslim” primarily in the sense that the preponderance of its student body was Muslim (because Indonesia is a predominantly Muslim country), but both the Muslim and Catholic schools he attended in Indonesia offered a few hours of religious instruction each week.”
• Email: “Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a Muslim. He is quick to point out that, “He was once a Muslim, but that he also attended Catholic school.”
  Snopes: “Barack Obama never stated that he “was once a Muslim” (radical or otherwise), so his “handlers” have nothing to “conceal.” Obama communications director Robert Gibbs noted that “Senator Obama has never been a Muslim. As a six-year-old in Catholic school, he studied the catechism.” Barack Obama has been associated with the United Church of Christ since the mid-1980s, describes himself as a Christian, and says that he is “rooted in the Christian tradition.”
• Email: “ALSO, keep in mind that when he was sworn into office he DID NOT use the Holy Bible, but instead the Koran.”
  Snopes: “This statement is completely false. It is a mistaken reference to a different politician, Minnesota congressman Keith Ellison, not Barack Obama.”
• Email: “Barack Hussein Obama will NOT recite the Pledge of Allegiance nor will he show any reverence for our flag. While others place their hands over their hearts, Obama turns his back to the flag and slouches.”
  Snopes: “Senator Obama drew some criticism over a that showed him standing without his hand over his heart during the playing of the U.S. national anthem, but the claim that he “will NOT recite the Pledge of Allegiance” is false.”

Some versions of the email say that it has been verified at Snopes.com, in hopes that people will just believe that too and not check it out. How reprehensible!

Next time you get an email with “factual” information, check it out on Snopes. You may be amazed at how often it turns out to be false.

Be a good internet citizen and don’t spread lies. And if you inadvertently do, or have, humbly email everyone you spread that inaccurate email to and let them know it was false. They’ll respect you for it. If someone sends you an email that you can verify doesn’t check out, gently let them know, and encourage them to email a retraction to everyone they sent it to.

Let’s stop the lies.

Sponsor a Bible verse translation for under $30

Posted on 10. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in books, cool websites, religion

This morning I was looking at Design Meltdown’s list of notable religious websites when I happened upon OneVerse. I love innovative internet applications, and since it relates to last night’s “Bibles are born in China but can’t return home” post, I thought I’d share this with you.

OneVerse offers people the opportunity to sponsor Bible translations by the verse. According to its About page,

Through OneVerse, you can join with a team of prayer and financial partners to support local Bible translators. OneVerse empowers you to help translate one verse into one language for under $30. Because each language project of The Seed Company has different funding needs, the price breakdown will vary from project to project. Your donation will support local men and women who are sacrificing to see the Word of God in their heart language.

You can choose which People Group you want to sponsor the translation for, and then choose the exact verse(s) you want to sponsor. I chose to sponsor one of my faves, John 1:5, for the Irigwe in Nigeria. (“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”) Then I felt bad, like I’d taken the most perfect piece of cake at a birthday party, so I also sponsored the most boring verse I could find. (Matthew 1:10: “Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh. Manasseh was the father of Amon. Amon was the father of Josiah.”) I hope no one’s offended by the sponsorship comment I left for the second one. (“boring but important”)

This would be a great confirmation, Christmas or graduation gift. Or just do it because you think it’s cool.

Bibles are born in China, but can’t return home

Posted on 09. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in books, international, religion, sports

From Salon.com’s How the World Works column:

Nanjing will soon be home to the world’s biggest Bible factory, reports The China Post.

“The aircraft hangar-sized plant on an industrial park outside the eastern city of Nanjing will be capable of producing more than one Bible every second and is expected to supply one quarter of all the world’s Bibles by 2009.”

Let’s hope our Olympic athletes aren’t looking for spiritual comfort. Here’s what the Chinese government has posted on the Official Beijing Olympics website:

Bringing in the following articles is prohibited:

…

4. Manuscripts, printed matter, films, photographs, gramophone records, cinematographic films, loaded recording tapes and videotapes, etc. which are detrimental to China’s politics, economy, culture, and ethics.

Apparently I’m not the only one who sees the hypocrisy here. According to The China Post,

There is a massive irony in China becoming the leading exporter of Bibles at a time when religious freedoms in the nation of 1.3 billion remain tightly restricted and smuggling of unauthorized Bibles can still lead to a jail sentence.

Earlier this year, one of the leaders of China’s underground Protestant church was released after serving three years hard labor for possessing thousands of unauthorized Bibles. He reportedly spent his sentence making soccer balls for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Wow. Between bad air and regressive human rights, what was the Olympic committee thinking?

(And, does writing posts like this and others severely restrict my chances of getting travel visas in the future??? That trip to the Pacific Northwest is looking better and better…)

Cute little old man gorilla baby

Posted on 08. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in animals, environment

Here’s proof that apes can be old souls too. This month’s National Geographic Magazine (p. 97) shows this little western gorilla baby being cradled by its mother. Way too cute.

When I graduated from college over 20 years ago, my grandparents gave me some money. I used it to purchase a Sony television and a subscription to National Geographic. The television is still working fine, and I still subscribe to National Geographic.

Too bad I don’t always find time to read it. At least my daughter makes sure I don’t miss pictures of little old man apes.

Yes, I’m sad.

Posted on 08. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in politics

Obama. Boohoohoo!!!

Well, it’s just one state.

With apologies to Anthony, when will Edwards drop out of the race so his supporters can pitch tents in Obama’s camp?

Will the Dems realize that Obama is more likely to win in November than Clinton?

Stay tuned. I am.

Should teens see “Juno”?

Posted on 07. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in movies, parenting

When my daughter and I approached the Laemmle Playhouse 7 theater in Pasadena yesterday, we were surprised to see a “Junoverse” truck parked out front. The bright orange truck promoted the movie we were there to see, Juno, and included a replica of Juno’s bedroom inside. Pretty cool! (see picture below)
It was a great movie. In case you don’t already know, it’s about a 16-year-old girl who gets pregnant and decides to give the baby up for adoption. I wasn’t completely sure it would be a good one to take my 16-year-old to see, but I’m glad we did.

Juno’s a tough girl, and she really wants to do what’s right. She wants to make sure her baby goes to a good home, and she’s good at looking at what a person’s like inside instead of outside. I really liked how much her parents supported her. Even though they’re disappointed (there’s a funny line about how it would have been easier if she’d just been doing hard drugs) they make sure to meet the adoptive parents and accompany her to the doctor. Her stepmother even sews elastic on her jeans. I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen a kind stepmother in a movie.

So does the movie encourage girls to get pregnant? Let’s hope not! But I think that people who watch it should remember that Juno’s probably much better able to endure the behind-the-back comments and stares than most teen girls. She was already a rebellious outsider at school, so she’s somewhat insulated from what others say. I think it’d much tougher for most girls to endure the social and personal implications of pregnancy than it was for Juno.

Also, the movie compresses a nine-month pregnancy into two hours, so it leaves out details like whether Juno has to miss school at the end of her pregnancy or after she gives birth. Not all pregnancies go as well as Juno’s did, and even when they do, they can be very tiring at the end or during recovery. It’d be tough for many girls to keep up with classwork.

So should teens see the movie? I think so, but I recommend that they see it with a parent who can discuss it with them afterwards.

Fans of “The Office” will LOVE seeing Rainn Wilson (Dwight) as the snarky store clerk, Rollo. Also, the movie has a wonderful soundtrack, with lots of great music by Kimya Dawson. It’s available on iTunes.

Bloggers who made extreme sacrifices

Posted on 06. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in inspirational people, international, politics

There are few things I cherish more than my freedom. I’m free to go where I want, wear what I want, do what I want and say what I want. I try never to take it for granted.

One of the results of being free to express ourselves is that we’re able to share information, and I believe that usually we all grow by learning more about others and the truth about what’s happening.

Blogging is the perfect medium for communicating the truth freely. It’s tragic, then, when blogs are cut short by violence or by those who don’t appreciate truth.

Andrew Olmsted also believed in blogging. He’d always had an interest in politics, so when this 38-year-old soldier was stationed in Iraq, it was only natural that he’d turn to blogging to share the magnitude of what he saw. When the military asked him to tone it down last spring, he complied and started writing for the Rocky Mountain News. Unfortunately, Andrew was the first American casualty of the war for 2008. Always prepared, he’d pre-written a final post to go up after his death. In it, he asks people not to cry. It’s hard not to.

Fouad al-Farhan is one of the rare Saudi bloggers who dares to use his real name. His writings about political prisoners angered the Saudi government, which arrested him nearly a month ago. According to the Washington Post,

Farhan, who was educated in the United States and owns a computer programming company, was arrested at his office in Jiddah and then brought home, where his laptop was confiscated, said his wife, who spoke on condition that her name not be published to protect her privacy. “They arrested him because of his blog. I haven’t seen him since. We don’t know where he is,” she said.

Not surprisingly, a 2006 Washington Post article about Fouad said that he craved the freedom he tasted in his time in the U.S., and found it hard to find in Saudia Arabia except through blogging.
The U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists is urging the Saudi government to release Fouad. The Saudis, who speak of reforms and open expression, still haven’t said why they’re holding Fouad, who is the first blogger they’ve arrested. Unfortunately, other countries are arresting bloggers also: two Egyptian bloggers and one Tunisian blogger are also behind bars.

For all our faults, at least our country truly believes in freedom of the press. And hopefully, we ultimately become better for it.

I totally admire the courage of Andrew, Fouad, and others like them who make sacrifices so that others may be free and learn.

Thanks for sharing Andrew’s story, MotherPie.

Am I just burying my head in the sand?

Posted on 05. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in books, environment, international, politics, religion, things that bug me

At lunch today, my kids and I discussed the legacy my generation is leaving theirs. In some ways, it’s pretty grim. In fact, if I think about it too much, it’s downright depressing.

I recently read that if we don’t take some serious steps to conserve our resources and stop global warming (or the term I prefer “global weirding“) by 2012, it’ll be too late. I do my little bit, like trying to recycle everything that I can, but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to what’s needed. The mere fact that I’m an American means that I’m consuming an outsize share of earth’s resources. And I doubt that developing nations want to be told that the consumption party’s over just as they have enough money to join in.

Besides global warming, the West needs to make peace with radical Islam. Or maybe, vice versa. There’s a small subset radical Muslims who won’t be happy unless non-Muslims don’t have any influence. They’re not at all tolerant of beliefs other than their own. For example, read about what’s happening in Europe, or how the Dakar Rally was canceled for the first time since it started 30 years ago due to terrorist threats, or about all the books about Islam in this weekend’s NYTimes Book Review (see below). I think we need to find more ways to bridge our cultures, but I’m afraid that we may be the only side who wants to build that bridge.

I could stress out and lose sleep over these things, but amazingly enough, I don’t. I can’t solve these problems on my own, so it’s not productive to stress out over them. Am I burying my head in the sand? Perhaps. And if so, perhaps that’s the healthiest reaction I can have, as long as I do what little I can to solve these problems. I wasn’t able to do that after 9/11 – I didn’t sleep well for a long time after that. Never again, hopefully.
Links:

• Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s NYTimes review of “The Suicide Of Reason: Radical Islam’s Threat to the Enlightenment, By Lee Harris
• Fouad Ajami’s reflections on “The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order” by Samuel P. Huntington
• “Islam’s Silent Moderates” by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
• “The People We Have Been Waiting For” by Thomas Friedmann

Here’s who I’m not: my Googlegangers

Posted on 04. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in my life

Admit it: you’ve Googled your own name. When you did, you were probably amazed at how many people shared your name. These people are your Googlegangers. “Googleganger” is a play on the German word “doppelganger,” which means “double-goer” and refers to a physical twin who may not share your personality or lifestyle.

I’ve been on the internet for so long that I usually wind up at the top of a Google search for any permutation of my name. But if you look at the entries after that, you’ll see some of my Googlegangers.

In case my Googlegangers are confusing you, here’s a partial list of who or what I’m NOT:

• I’m not a Scientologist or a preacher
• My son’s neither a brutal killer nor a military casualty
• I didn’t receive the “Excellence in Riparian Management” award
• I don’t sleep during the day and lie awake at night
• I’m married in California, not divorced in New York
• I definitely didn’t give to the California Republican Party
• I don’t sell real estate in Texas, heal people in Wisconsin, do PR in Florida, or attend Darien High School reunions
• You’re all lucky I didn’t sing with Philip Wang in the UCSD talent show
• I’m not a Tasmanian Polynesian dancer

Who are your Googlegangers?

Barack Obama Wins Iowa Caucuses

Posted on 03. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in politics

Love this New York Times news alert!

Barack Obama Wins Iowa Caucuses

Senator Barack Obama won a closely contested battle with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Senator John Edwards in the Iowa caucuses.

See more.

YouTube video shows inspirational El Salvadoran Rose Parade band

Posted on 03. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in inspirational people, international, local news, music, my life, videos

On New Year’s Day my family enjoyed watching the Rose Parade from the balcony of my husband’s law office. We had a bird’s eye view from nine stories up, so it was a different perspective than most spectators had. I took with my new Flip Video Ultra and posted them on YouTube that afternoon.

The results from one of the videos in particular have been astounding. As of this blog posting, my has had nearly 6,000 views, has 124 comments, has been favorited 77 times and has received 11 honors. I uploaded the original video files to my server to accommodate the many people who asked me for them, and I hope that the guy who’s making the documentary about the band finds funding and uses my video. I’ve had many comments thanking me, and even fielded a phone call from a very nice person who thanked me profusely for posting the video. My daughter has helped me translate some of the comments, as about half of them are in Spanish.

It’s no surprise that the Nuestros Angeles de El Salvador band has inspired so many people. The LA Times story, , tells about how the band’s airfare funding fell through, so they took a five-day bus ride to get here.

Saul Perez, one of the band’s directors, said it would have been a crushing defeat if the group had not made it to Pasadena. The youth members practiced for more than a year, went through a rigorous selection process and were poised to represent their country on the world’s stage at Tuesday’s parade.

But problems began when 30 members of the group could not even begin the journey because they didn’t receive visas. Then the band canceled their flights because their budget was still short $200,000. They set out instead in a caravan of five buses on Christmas Day.

“When we left, we thought the trip would take three days,” Perez said. “It was a tale of many difficulties.”

When the band played at the corner of Lake and Colorado, the crowd went wild. No other band or float evoked such an enthusiastic reaction. Many of the spectators waved Salvadoran flags, and it was clear that they were inspired not just by the tough journey the band made to get here, but by the positive image the band was reflecting for El Salvador and Latinos everywhere.

My grandfather’s brother, Corbett, married a woman from Colonia Las Mercedes, San Salvador long, long ago. I used to send her Christmas cards, but after not hearing from her for many years I assumed she’d passed away. I wonder if she did? If any one of you El Salvador folks knows Maria Zuniga de Long, please let me know!

Find anyone at ZabaSearch

Posted on 02. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in cool websites

Two years ago I blogged about how I wanted to track down my 7th grade French teacher and tell her how wonderful she was. All the online searches I’d done looking for her had turned up dry. ZabaSearch changed that. Last night I searched for her on ZabaSearch.com, and I’m confident that I’ve found her. I’ll send her a letter this week and tell her how much she impacted my life.

ZabaSearch should change its name to “BigBrother.” The only two people I couldn’t find when searching were my reclusive uncle and a friend who’d been stalked. I’m happy for both of them. My mom had fun entering names of people she hasn’t seen in 40 years and discovering several potential mailing addresses for them. I printed them out for her, and she’ll send them letters too.

Unless you’ve taken extraordinary means to hide, I bet you’re on ZabaSearch too. I wonder what the families that wanted to stay out of this year’s high school directory would say if they knew I found them all online within seconds?

Track your New Year’s resolutions and other goals on 43Things

Posted on 01. Jan, 2008 by kchristieh in cool websites, inspirational people, music, my life

Happy New Year! Do you have any New Year’s resolutions? If so, check out 43Things.com. You can see if other people have the same goal that you do, and join them in trying to achieve that goal. 43Things will send you an email in the future when you say you want to be reminded of your goal, and in the meantime you can see comments others have left about how they’re doing in achieving that goal. It’s inspirational to see that it’s possible to achieve what you want. If no one else has chosen your goal, you can create a new one yourself.

I’ve always been a sucker for bagpipes, so last week I decided to see what it would take to learn how to play bagpipes. That’s how I found 43Things. It turns out 149 other people also want to learn how to play bagpipes. I’m not sure I’ll ever learn, since bagpipes are expensive and I don’t know any bagpipe teachers, but maybe I will someday.
Here are some of the goals people have listed on 43Things. The bigger the font, the more people share that goal.