Monday, March 19, 2007
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.
Friday, March 16, 2007
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.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
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.
Monday, March 12, 2007
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....
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
i'm a survivor
So much time has passed since my last entry on my compleximplicity that part of me was actually scared to come back to the world of blogging. I had started writing catch-up posts countless times only to delete them. Nothing seemed adequate enough; the words were meaningless and could not reflect...me. Many fluff posts had been started too, but they just seemed fake- not true representations of what I was thinking 95% of each day. No words can encapsulate everything that's happened in life the last few months so it's futile to even attempt it. All I can say is that I'm still here: surviving and trying my best to smile. Life is funny that way, when it seems you are on a downward spiral for too long and can't take it anymore, suddenly things stabilize, and suddenly, you can breathe again.
For those who have emailed me the last few months expressing concern and sending me & my family positive energy, I am thankful for your support. Even though we may never have met physically, it's nice to know I was missed and thought of. Mickie: I have been keeping up with you almost every day too (lurking in the background of course). Mexrician: I will be emailing you soon to catch up. Know my prayers are with you & your family as well. Keep your head up, chica. Yoli: thanks for your positive vibes and the email updates of politics/cultural activities in the city. One day soon we should meet up, since you live in the CHI. Somehow, I feel there's much to say. Everyone else who's dropped a note here and there, I'M BAAACKKKK!!!!
Now for the updates: I am happy to report my father is recovering from his stroke quicker than the doctors anticipated. After 3 months of suffering cabin fever, he has recently started work again, though he is still going to speech therapy twice a week. Though he may never be 100% again, he is strong in body & spirit and really seems to be happy to finally get out of the house. I must say, seeing him struggle and overcome all the hurdles he has over the last 3.5 months has shown me what a survivor he truly is and he has truly inspired me to overcome my own hurdles. And I have a lot of hurdles. In fact, it got to a point where I felt like I collected them for a while.
I started off the year saying I had no resolutions; however, almost 3 months into 2007, I seem to have made a list of them. Well, perhaps they aren't resolutions per se, but goals. This year is about me, dammit.
~ To start meditating again (this is a challenge since Mike actually sleeps with me now and he's not into "NEW AGE SHIT")
~ To sell my shit HOLE of a house (fuck this being a landlord thing, I'm going to end up killing somebody not wanting to pay me rent)
~ To finally move in with Mike (we keep putting it off and what for?)
~ To work out at least thrice a week (I'm actually going with a few co-workers during lunch starting tomorrow)
~ To visit my parents at least twice a week and spend at least 3 hours each visit (for obvious reasons)
~ To vacation as much as possible (already I have gone on 2 long weekends and have 3 more planned before the year is out)
~ To start my paper journal again (some thoughts are better left on paper...in private)
~ To actually have a social life...go to art galleries, lounges, and have dinner dates with people I love and miss (I've been much better at this the last few months)
~ Continue going to graduate school (despite the despair & panic attacks I get when people inquire what I can possibly do with a masters in sociology)
~ To stop being so nice to people who just don't deserve it
With a little determination and a smile, I know that these goals can be done. After all, I'm a survivor, just like my papi.
Monday, January 15, 2007
I refuse to think of the stresses bearing down on me...
I won't tend to wounds that continue to bleed
Instead
I pour my soul on paper and let things subside as they may
Tears fall apart at the seams of my eyes...like the reality that is falling around me
My loss of faith and patience has left me standing here alone
with
Head pounding
Wrist slashing thoughts
FUCK IT ALL
AND KISS IT ALL GOOD BYE
Though morbid thoughts wander in my mind...I know
Life is precious...
I could never come to that
Somehow, I am stronger than I appear
Yet I find myself screaming in dreams
My tears falling to the depths of earth...
My boyfriend's arms, once home to me
unable to chase demons that have me in choke holds
I stand alone
My emotions mixed through the blender of life
I stand afraid
I am tired
And angry and sad
Yet somehow...deep down I have hope
Hope for the future
Hope for happiness
Hope for anything but this...
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Lately, my life has been turned upside down...
Nothing is what it seems
And everything I believed has been shattered
In fact, these past two months have challenged me like nothing else ever
There's so much to tell yet my heart won't let me
My lips clench and my heart chokes each time I try
It's been hard...and I really don't want to give specifics...
Instead I will meditate my ass off
Light a candle
Drink a beer
And relish in the fact that for now,
I am on MUCH NEEDED vacation
Peace n love

