Study Hall

This past Monday I went back to school for the first time in about 7 years. I'm taking a few of those accelerated courses so I can get this over with a little quicker. I'm in classes Monday and Wednesday night for about 3 hours and then Saturday morning for 4 hours. The first night I quickly realized that things were going to be much different for me this time around. I not only have a full time 40+ hour a week job, I'm also taking 10 hours of classes per week for the next 18 weeks or so. This means homework is on a heavier than usual scale because we still have the same amount of course work to get through but we only have a few weeks in which to do it.

Monday night at about 10:15 while I was "trying" to read 3 chapters of homework and answer 5 pages of vocabulary questions, I realized that this was going to be tough. I not only have a ton of homework to get through I also have a cat to entertain. My books fascinated Benelli. He normally likes to sit on the desk with me while I'm on the computer, but now he had a huge hardbound book he could try to sink his incisors into. Between dodging a swishing tail in my face and peeking through this mass of hair lounging over my books I successfully got half way through the first of 3 chapters of required reading. I thought I was doing really well until I realized that it had taken me about 20 minutes to read 5 or 6 pages. At this rate I'll still be reading these chapters this time next week. I can’t imagine what it would be like to try this with a 2 year old needing my constant attention.

I have the greatest respect for student/parents. I have enough trouble juggling my job, school and house work. I’d probably have to throw my hands up in utter despair if I had a couple of sets of tiny feet running around to throw into the mix as well.

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My Uncle passed along one of those e-mails that everyone will get from 4-5 of the people on their e-mail list. I thought instead of passing it along to "my group" I'd just post it here in it's entirety.
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Wonderful!

Please read! You will be glad you did! An Article from England.

No matter what your views on President Bush's statement of upcoming war, this, from an English journalist, is very interesting. Just a word of background, for those of you who aren't familiar with the UK's Daily Mirror.

This is a notoriously left-wing daily that is normally not supportive of the Colonials across the Atlantic.

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One year ago, the world witnessed a unique kind of broadcasting - * the mass murder of thousands, live on television. As a lesson in the pitiless cruelty of the human race, September 11 was up there with Pol Pot's Mountain of Skulls in Cambodia, or the skeletal bodies stacked like garbage in the Nazi concentration camps.

An unspeakable act so cruel, so calculated and so utterly merciless that surely the world could agree on one thing - nobody deserves this fate. Surely there could be consensus: The victims were truly innocent, the perpetrators truly evil.

But to the world's eternal shame, 9/11 is increasingly seen as America's comeuppance. Incredibly, anti-Americanism has increased over the last year. There has always been a simmering resentment to the USA in this country; too loud, too rich, too full of themselves, and so much happier than Europeans - but it has become an epidemic. And it seems incredible to me. More than that, it turns my stomach.

America is this country's greatest friend and our staunchest ally. We are bonded to the US by culture, language and blood. A little over half a century ago, around half a million Americans died for our freedoms, as well as their own. Have we forgotten so soon? And exactly a year ago, thousands of ordinary men, women and children - not just Americans, but from dozens of countries, were butchered by a small group of religious fanatics. Are we so quick to betray them?

What touched the heart about those who died in the Twin Towers and on the planes, was that we recognized them. Young fathers and mothers, somebody's son and somebody's daughter, husbands, wives, and children, some unborn.

And these people brought it on themselves? Their nation is to blame for their meticulously planned slaughter?

These days you don't have to be some dust-encrusted nut job in Kabul or Karachi or Finsbury Park to see America as the Great Satan. The anti-American alliance is made up of self-loathing liberals who blame the Americans for every ill in the Third World, and conservatives suffering from power-envy, bitter that the world's only superpower can
do what it likes without having to ask permission.

The truth is that America has behaved with enormous restraint since September 11. Remember, remember - Remember the gut-wrenching tapes of weeping men phoning their wives to say, "I love you," before they were burned alive.

Remember those people leaping to their deaths from the top of burning skyscrapers.

Remember the hundreds of firemen buried alive.

Remember the smiling face of that beautiful little girl who was on one of the planes with her mum.

Remember, remember - And realize that America has never retaliated for 9/11 in anything like the way it could have.

So a few al-Qaeda tourists got locked up without a trial in Camp X-ray? Pass the Kleenex.

So some Afghan wedding receptions were shot up after they merrily fired their semi-automatics in a sky full of American planes? A shame, but maybe next time they should stick to confetti.

AMERICA could have turned a large chunk of the world into a parking lot. That it didn't is a sign of strength. American voices are already being raised against attacking Iraq - that's what a democracy is for. How many in the Islamic world will have a minute's silence for the slaughtered innocents of 9/11? How many Islamic leaders will have the guts to say that the mass murder of 9/11 was an abomination?

When the news of 9/11 broke on the West Bank, those freedom- loving Palestinians were dancing in the street. America watched all of that - and didn't push the button. We should thank the stars that America is the most powerful nation in the world. I still find it incredible that 9/11 did not provoke all-out war. Not a "war on terrorism." A real war.

The fundamentalist dudes are talking about "opening the gates of hell," if America attacks Iraq. Well, America could have opened the gates of hell like you wouldn't believe.

The US is the most militarily powerful nation that ever strode the face of the earth. The campaign in Afghanistan may have been less than perfect and the planned war on Iraq may be misconceived.

But don't blame America for not bringing peace and light to these wretched countries. How many democracies are there in the Middle East, or in the Muslim world? You can count them on the fingers of one hand - assuming you haven't had any chopped off for minor shoplifting.

I love America, yet America is hated. I guess that makes me Bush's poodle. But I would rather be a dog in New York City than a Prince in Riyadh. Above all, America is hated because it is what every country wants to be - rich, free, strong, open, optimistic. Not ground down by the past, or religion, or some caste system. America is the best friend this country ever had and we should start remembering that.

Or do you really think the USA is the root of all evil? Tell it to the loved ones of the men and women who leaped to their death from the burning towers.

Tell it to the nursing mothers whose husbands died on one of the hijacked planes, or were ripped apart in a collapsing skyscraper. And tell it to the hundreds of young widows whose husbands worked for the New York Fire Department.

To our shame, George Bush gets a worse press than Saddam Hussein. Once we were told that Saddam gassed the Kurds, tortured his own people and set up rape-camps in Kuwait. Now we are told he likes Quality Street. Save me the range center, Oh Mighty One!

Remember, remember, September 11 - One of the greatest atrocities in human history was committed against America.

No, do more than remember. Never forget.
Do consider passing this on.

T.F.

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Back in September of 2001, just after 9/11, I knew that our current situation in Iraq would be inevitable. I didn’t talk about that fact much back then, but it was never really far from my mind. Knowing that things were not any better over there than they had been back in 1991, I was very realistic about the whole situation. I felt that if we were going to Afghanistan to try to help the people over there, that Baghdad would not be far away.

Even in September of 2001 I was talking about the fact that I did not want to go to war but that I would support our men and women in the armed forces. I fell the same way today. I don’t want us to be over there anymore than the anti-war protesters do but I know that our friends and neighbors have a job to do over there. A job that should have and could have been taken care of even after our troops had returned home from Desert Storm.

I had a very interesting discussion with my Sister-in-law back in early February regarding this situation. I had seen a program on the history channel about The CIA and Counter Terrorism in the 1980’s and 1990’s. The program was about an ex-CIA operative named Robert Baer. He has written a book about his career and consequent frustration with The CIA. The book is called See No Evil: The True Story Of A Ground Soldier In The CIA's War Against Terrorism. “ The show was fascinating and scary at the same time. I found myself frustrated not only with the CIA, but also with Washington in the mid 1990’s as well.

One excerpt from Mr. Baer’s book talks about his time in Iraq in 1995 when he was working with the Iraqi people to over throw Saddam. He was following orders and working very closely with the rebel leaders. He reported back to Washington on a regular basis with his progress. As the agreed upon date for the over throw approached Baer had still not heard anything from Washington. He continued working with the rebels assuring them that the US was still supporting the rebels. Just days before the plan was to unfold, Baer finally received word from Washington that he was to stop the revolt and that the US could not back the plan. Baer had to go to his allies and give them the bad news. The US would not support this overthrow and Baer was asked to leave Iraq immediately. The Iraqi rebels were left on their own with no “official” US backing. Baer was branded a “cowboy” and was soon on the black list at The CIA.

Just think what could have possibly happened if this man had been allowed to do his job. All the rebels wanted was a show of support and a nod from the US. We let them down and as a result their lives have been no better for it. If this “revolt” had been successful we very well would not have our own men and women fighting for the freedom of the Iraqi people in Iraq today. And today we are back in Iraq asking for the rebel armies help to over throw Saddam.

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Thanks to everyone that responded with your answer to last weeks question.
The answer was: What is a bottle of Oyzo that my sister brought back for me from her adventures in Greece last summer, Alec?

I love the way the Oyzo form these tiny little crystals in the fridge. I shook the bottle up really well just before I took the photo.

We'll probably try this again in a week or so just for fun.
And remember to keep your answers in the form of a question. ;-)

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Let's play a game. Can you guess what this is?

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my heart smiles again...

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Sometimes I think cats really have the right attitude towards life. I guess it's their ability to take things as they come. They always seem to land on their feet no matter what mess they get into and their "You're here to serve me" attitude hasn't hurt them thus far.

I was always such a dog person. I loved the way a dog came to you when you whistled or spoke their name. A dog always acted like when you arrived back home, even from a trip to the corner market, that they had held their breath the entire time you were away and only dared to breathe again upon your return. To me it seemed like dogs were always more free with their love. It was an unconditional love that would never end. Cats on the other hand seemed more of a challenge and therefore in my uneducated opinion they were not as loving as dogs. Lets face it, a cat doesn't care if you've just come back from a year at sea, as long as someone was there to feed them, they were perfectly content to continue on with their day to day. It was not until I had a cat of my own that I actually came to understand this complex relationship and accepted the challenge of "the taming the shrew" or cat in this case.

We started out slowly by giving Benelli plenty of time to check out his new environment. He found all the cool places to hide and Gianni and I eventually discovered his favorite hangouts. We tried to acclimate our new little friend by spending an hour or so playing ball with him every night. Eventually his internal clock adjusted and we soon found him coming out on his own to play with us each night about the same time. Sleeping was a different story. It took him a few weeks but eventually he started to sleep on the bed with us. First at the foot of the bed and then on my pillow all snuggled up right next to my head. Now he has the run of the bed and sleep where ever and whenever he likes.

Our next quest was to see if we could actually train him to come when we called his name...we're still working on that one. He does play fetch rather well, for a cat that is. His favorite time to play fetch is about 6:30 or 7:00 in the morning on one of our days off. In other words if we have not gotten out of bed by 7:00 he jumps up on the bed with a ball in his mouth and drops it between our pillows. We are supposed to then wake up and throw the ball off of the bed into the hallway for him to retrieve for us. This goes on for about 10 minutes until Benelli has decided we are not getting up and he starts bouncing back and forth off the bed onto the floor and back onto the bed. On the days he actually brings us the little ball with the bell inside it we usually get up after 1 or 2 tosses of the ball into the hallway.

So you could say that we have successfully trained Benelli to play catch. Of course there might be some who would say that actually HE has successfully trained us to get up before 7:00 on one of our very rare days off.

The more that I’m around Benelli, the more I realize just how special it is when a cat shows you love in return. When he meows at me because I have not picked him up and he wants to be cuddled…I know that I must have done something right. I feel like a very special person because my cat wants my love. When we started out with Benelli he didn’t really like being picked up all that much, today he lets us know exactly when he wants loving.

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