do ya feel like swimming?

I found this post on the consumerist just simply hilarious. Try mapping out a course from a city in the states to London, UK. Just try it. Try it. I will wait....you done yet? FUNNY HUH??!!

Here's the scoop:
It was found that when you map a route from Chicago to London, Google Maps suggests you SWIM 3,500 miles ACROSS the Atlantic Ocean to get there. The trip will take a whopping 29 days, 22 hours just to arrive in the UK...damn, there goes ALL of your vacation time. I heard of traveling on a budget, but c'mon!

food for thought

"Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime."
Aristotle

When did helping the homeless find a meal become a crime? Cities across the nation from Orlando to Las Vegas have begun penalizing local charities which are feeding the homeless on City property...simply because they think it will help lower crime rates and indirectly, increase tourism to their glorious cities. In Dallas, for instance, you have to get certified to handle food and apply for permits just to serve the homeless in city parks. Failure to follow this procedure can lead to a hefty $2,000 fine.

Wait a minute...isn't it obvious that further making poverty worse in your communities by denying people of the basic right to eat - won't lower crime rates, but increase them? And, obviously, if crime rates are up, people sure aren't going to be running over each other to visit your city.

This government falls victim to never seeing the big picture in deep seeded issues. They opt for the cosmetic fix, instead of trying to heal them at their source. Or maybe they just don't give a fuck?!

This country is disturbing on so many levels.



For those curious, the article can be found here.

i gotta spring in my step

It seems to me like this is the perfect start to the spring season. The sun has just come out and the scent of rain fills my nose thorugh the open window here in my office. And, for the first time this year this chica has actually worn a skirt to work. ahhhh, life is good.

wwjd ?

4 years after the war officially begun there have been:
~ 3,200 American troops killed
~ over 59,000 Iraqi civilians which have lost their lives
~ 23,000 American troops wounded
~ about 250 American allied troops killed
~ over $409,000,000,000 American tax dollars spent
~ Increased Iraqi pessimism about U.S. involvement in their country - with 82% expressing a lack of confidence in the U.S. coalition and 69% thinking the U.S. had even made the security situation even worse


and what for? what have we accomplished? I sit here on the anniversary of this cursed war and my heart aches. In these days and times it's hard to not become immune to what we see on the news day after day, but we have to come together and say "NOT ONE MORE DOLLAR SPENT...NOT ONE MORE LIVE TAKEN" and actually mean it.

book sluttin around town...

Within the past week and half I have read two wonderful books.

The sociologist in me thought Two in a Bed: The Social System of Couple Bed Sharing was a fascinating look into how couples deal with the complex task of sharing a bed (which by default is such a personal space). While sleeping is not usually considered something social in nature, the sheer act of sharing a bed/sleeping with someone else is a social interaction, albeit an extremely personal one. In any case, I think a lot of people can relate to the range of topics discussed: hogging the bed (or sheets), snoring, the overabundance of annoyances such as leaving the TV on, being a night person while your mate is a morning person...the list goes on and on. While the book doesn't offer any insights on how to solve these annoyances, it does report on how other couples do try to cope with their partners habits. The topic is so unique that I think I might actually write a paper on this for class.

The other book I had the joy of indulging in was The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream. This was such a feel good book that I read it in one night. Though the story line is a bit unbelievable (keep in mind - it is a fable), after reading it I felt compelled to do all the things I have been procrastinating on: re-writing my resume, cleaning out my closet, and selling my house. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a quick read that just emanates positive energy and re-affirms your belief in "destiny".

The next book on my list is Dream: Re-imagining Progressive Politics in an Age of Fantasy, which I just took out from the library. The premise is that politics has become "theatre" and that progressives need to get creative in order to grab the attention of American citizens, who hunger for and are attracted to a sort of fantasy life. He dubs this mentality "dreampolitik". Hopefully, I can get this book finished by the start of next semester, which starts next Wednesday.

spring is here

It's a whopping 72 degrees here in Chicago and for those who don't know - that's over 20 degrees above normal for this time of year. While most people are out enjoying the care-free summer like weather out there, I can't help but cringe just a little. This is Global Warming at it's finest.

Don't mean to sound cynical, but I'm just saying. Open your eyes and see what we are actually doing to this planet. While we are basking in the sunshine of warmer weather, ice caps are melting...

that is all...you can go back to sipping your mocha lattes now.

dog-napped !!

What type of world do we live in when you can't even let your dog out in the backyard for a few minutes without some crazy ass neighbor stealing him???!!!!

TRUE STORY: Taz was let out for not even 10 minutes before we noticed someone had opened up the back gate and let him out. Curiously enough: there was a half-eaten piece of polish sausage near the open gate. We KNEW both the gate was closed and that polish sausage was not there when we let him out just minutes before. After frantically searching for him in the alley, calling out his name, etc, some kids playing basketball at a garage a few houses down told us that a polish man who lives nearby came by and TOOK Taz. THE BALLS OF THAT MAN! Luring my dog with food to his house!!! Sure enough, when we knocked on the back door of the house in question, we saw Taz happy as a lark soaking up the attention of a polish family who couldn't even look us in the eyes. When confronted, the man who STOLE my dog pretended not to know English, only saying how friendly Taz was. We should have called the cops on him, but instead left him with a warning that if he comes near our yard or near our dog again, we would have him arrested. I mean, c'mon, if this was a kid in question he would be kidnapping! The man was lucky he was old, because my boyfriend was so upset he could have killed him.

All this happened and Taz had no idea how close he came to being stolen and never seeing me or Mike ever again. He was just happy to get attention and human food. I'm pist and just plain terrified that this could have even happened right in my own backyard! I still have no idea why the guy took him, cuz after a while I'm sure we would have noticed our dog in someone else's backyard. One theory was he was planning on selling him, or worse yet cooking him up in some kind of polish delicacy (do polish people even eat dog?). Either way, it was a close call and I am so thankful my pooch is safely at home. Needless to say, we are installing a locking feature on our gate to ensure this type of thing doesn't happen again.

CAN YOU BELIEVE THE CAJONES OF THAT OLD MAN!!! URGGGHHHH....