A particularly incendiary topic :(
Yesterday, there were two events occurring on the quad in front of the Student Center. One was a Geology Club fundraiser, the other was a graphic anti-abortion demonstration. You know, the one where they display six foot posters of aborted fetuses.
The college received two emails regarding the fundraiser. The first was sent on Sunday afternoon. It reads as follows:
The weather is finally clearing! While enjoying the sunshine and greenery, enjoy a Geology Club Bronto-Burger on the quad of East Campus on Monday, March 28. We’ll start serving around 10 AM and serve until we run out (usually about 1:30).
Have a Bronto-Burger For Lunch!
The Geology Club using the proceeds to support students wishing to attend geology field studies at Modesto Junior College.
Thank you for your help!
The second email was sent on Monday at 4:45 PM, after the event(s).
On behalf of the Geology Club here at MJC, I want to thank everyone who came out and supported our program by buying a brontoburger. We deep appreciate your support.
We also want to apologize. Because of an e-mail snafu, we did not know that there would be a graphic anti-abortion demonstration on campus today (we thought it would be in April). Had we known, we would not have done our fundraiser at the same time. As it was, we had already purchased all the fresh food materials and arrived on campus to find them setting up. Although we know there are political and moral questions and controversy over abortion and choice, we found their demonstration disturbing and offensive, right down to the parents parading their four-and five-year-old children in front of the graphic posters. We had no association with these people and are sorry to have been anywhere near them.Thank you once again for your understanding and support.
Geology Club Advisor
Ok. I have a couple of reactions. First, I’m perplexed that the advisor thinks that ANYONE could have gotten the idea that the two events were somehow related. It’s a good thing he makes it clear that the Geology Club had no association with “these people”. Glad that got cleared up!
Second, I’m always surprised, vexed, and saddened that people take more offense at depictions of the act than at the act itself. Truly, I find the photos to be very offensive. I would prefer that they did not exist at all! That they can exist is the problem. This is not the first time that I’ve witnessed someone get very upset that people dare to show pictures of what happens 4000 times each day in the United States.
I’m not the first, nor the last, to wade into the abortion debate. I’m sure that most people are firmly in one camp or the other. Whether you, dear reader, are for or against abortion, I would ask one simple thing. Please acknowledge that for those of us who believe that life begins at conception, abortion is indistinguishable from murder. I’m not saying that you or anyone else believes that life begins at conception. I’m saying that I believe that.
Maybe we can agree on one more thing… Don’t we all want to reduce and prevent unwanted pregnancies? Let’s pray/act to see that desire become a reality.
Let me explain. No wait, there is too much. Let me sum up.
I really didn’t want to get up this morning. I lay in bed for 15 minutes trying to figure out if I felt poorly enough to call in sick. Alas, I felt ok.
I did get a few of the catalogs distributed today. But I only had a couple of boxes of the bound variety so I didn’t get far. We did get in all of the loose-leaf boxes and I’m told we’ll have 16 boxes of bound catalogs within a few days. Apart from that, I got Tuesday’s agenda finished. So I was able to get a couple of things done today.
I skipped my walk today because it was rainy.
After work I went to pick up my new glasses. This make three pairs that I can keep scattered around town for my use.
I was hurrying to get home because I had signed up to do a new three-man instance in LOTRO. I met up with Theo and another player and we gave it a try. Several tries. But without a real healer, we didn’t do too well. 🙁
I think I’ll try to go to bed early tonight.
Reenforcing a ‘thinking only of myself/my needs’ attitude
Watched a two-hour episode of The Event tonight. It was the first episode of the spring; the series having resumed after the winter hiatus. On the whole, meh. I’m not real excited about this series. But I’m not real excited about any television right now. Which is odd.
Anyway, during this episode a familiar, well-worn trope was used. A man was forced to facilitate a break-in of a government facility or else his family would be killed. He chose to help the bad guys and in the process, many, many people were killed. Call me a cold-hearted bastard, but I really take issue with the lack of moral fibre I see on display. It’s true that I have never been in such a situation, but what right would I have to decide that these people should possibly get killed so that I can save people whom I care more about? Either way, someone is going to get killed. I can choose to actively participate in that or not.
Frankly, I feel the same way about bumping rights at work. I believe it is morally wrong for me to be allowed to decide that it is more important that I get someone’s job than it is for him to keep it. Let me explain. If I have more seniority than my coworker and I have once upon a time worked in a position that has the same title/classification, if my position in my department is downsized, I can lay claim to my coworkers job and they are out of luck. Of course, they can dump on someone else less senior. It all rolls downhill, right? Gah! I have a real problem with this.
There was a story that I remember from elementary school about a new chick that was placed in the coop. He learned the first day that all the other chicks would painfully peck the less senior chicks. So #1 would peck #2, #2 would peck #3, and so on down the line until it got to our hero. Well, this chick thought that wasn’t right and resolved not to continue the practice. And sure enough, when newer chicks were introduced and all the older chicks would do their pecking thing, our hero wouldn’t pass it on. And eventually, when our hero was the most senior chick, nobody pecked anybody.
I must really have taken that particular lesson to heart, because I think this pecking bumping order thing sucks. Calling it a right doesn’t make it right. I will not do it.
With freedom and ease, combating ignorance, dust, and disease
Ok, finally getting back to thoughts on Archbishop Tutu’s speech.
After the speech, I went over to a reception in the Student Center. We had been told in a variety of ways that the Archbishop would not be present at the reception. Fine. Sadly, the reception was very dull and boring. There was some food but I did not partake. After being there 30-40 minutes, I took off.
I found out later that night that there was a ‘real’, exclusive reception for the college’s special people that the Archbishop did attend. Classism is alive and well at Modesto Junior College. On the one hand, we have the elites. They get shrimp, and a meet and greet with the Archbishop, and a full helping of the sense of superiority that goes with it. On the other hand, we have the commoners. They get fruit.
Fairness is very important to me. I realize that the idea of fairness really forms my attitudes and opinions of things. It does not seem fair that some people get invited to the First Class party and others are relegated to Steerage. As much as I might like some of the people who attended the exclusive reception, their attendance there causes me to lose respect for them.
In the days following the speech, I’ve heard many people express how great it was. Frankly, I was rather unimpressed. It reminded me A LOT of what I hear in 35-40% of the homilies on Sundays. It may be good stuff, but it’s nothing new. Note to all the gushing admirers of the speech, if you went to church once in a while, you might not be so impressed with what a clergyman has to say.
Anything else I might have wanted to say about all of this has been forgotten.
Going through the motions
Like many (most) people, I find that once I find an avenue for my pontification, the need to get it out on subsequent occasions is much diminished. My intention with this post was to write about my thoughts and impressions from the Board of Trustees meeting last night. But I’ve already had my rant about it, both last night and this morning, on Ustream. Nevertheless, I shall try to put it all down here so as to provide a more complete record of what has transpired to bring about The Sundering of MJC. (I’m trying out some epic sounding titles for what’s happening around here. Let me know what sounds best.)
The district’s Board of Trustees met last night in the MJC Auditorium. They agreed last week to move this meeting from Columbia College to MJC to accommodate the hoards that wanted the opportunity to appear in person to plead their cases about which program (in most cases, their own) should be spared from the cuts. All week, emails have been flying and plans have been forming about how to best defend each group’s area of interest. Security was on hand along with police to make sure that the situation didn’t get too out of hand and news crews from Sacramento were present to capture the drama. By 5:30, the room was full of a mixture of staff, faculty, students, and community members.
I hadn’t planned to attend this meeting. I had no particular cause to advance and didn’t imagine that my presence would count for anything. Also, I suspected that the meeting would be long and frustrating. But my friend Yolanda contacted me the day before and suggested that I attend and that we could go for coffee or a drink afterwards. Ok, I had nothing much else to do so I agreed to meet up with her. Well, spoiler alert! I wasn’t able to find her before the proceedings commenced. I did see her a bit later, but she was seated and I was more than ready to go. Anyway, back to the meeting.
At 5:30, things were called to order and after some preliminary business, people with a comment for the Board were invited to line up on either side of the room to take turns addressing the Trustees. A three-minute time limit per person was established and the speakers began. The second person to speak was my buddy Rob, an Art instructor.
The fourth person to speak was a woman who brought her two children to the microphone with her. She introduced herself and had her son do the same. Of course, being a little boy of 3 meant that he took about 30 seconds (of the 3 minutes allowed) to say who he was. The mother spoke passionately about the Wawona Child Development Center. When she was told by Board chairperson that her time was up, the woman shot back that she was entitled to twice as much time because both she and her son were students. Never mind that everyone had been told that transferring of time was not allowed. Never mind that there was a process by which speakers alternated microphones. No, this woman was entitled! Well, the chairperson cut her off apologizing that more time couldn’t be given, but that there were many, many people who were waiting their turn to speak. The woman needed to get in one final dig. She asked her son if he had anything further to say as this mean, mean woman was taking away his right to speak. Lord, help us. This was all that I needed to see how the night was going to go.
I stuck around through two more speakers before heading home.
Fast forward, 3 hours later. I saw a posting on facebook from my buddy, James; something to the effect that he was witnessing the dismantling of MJC. This sounded very intriguing and I was surprised that the meeting was still going! I quickly moved to tune into the web broadcast. I connected and saw a man in a military (Army?) uniform yelling and screaming, shouting profanities at the Board. My first reaction was that I was about to witness a riot. The chairperson told him his time was up and he shouted back that HE would decide when his time was up! Other young men, apparently looking for trouble, had joined him up front and when security came up to escort the soldier off, these other guys interposed themselves. Police soon joined them and the man and his guards were escorted away. Personally, I feel that, by his behavior, this guy dishonored the uniform he wore. He was obnoxious and rude. All of my coworkers (that I’ve spoken to) agree that he made it very hard, if not impossible, to take him seriously. However, some of the people I know through facebook consider this guy a hero! Incroyable! People are celebrating bad behavior. Very sad. Anyway, watching this for two minutes was all I could take; I switched off.
Ultimately, after everyone said all that they wanted to say (4½ hours!), the Board voted. They were unanimous in support of the proposal put forth by President. They took turns reading prepared statements defending their votes. Prepared statements?? If they knew which way they’d vote, why go through the pretense of listening to all the people who’d come to speak? I wish that they could have conveyed the impression that all this testimony counted for something! As it is, it appears not. 🙁
Anglo-files
When I was in seventh grade, a girl and her family moved to Modesto. Her father worked for Shell Development, as did the father of my buddy, David. If I remember the origin story correctly, David attended a company picnic and there became aware of this girl, Carolyn Grayson. Carolyn and her family were from England. Now to this point, I’d never met someone from England (or anywhere in Europe) and foreign countries seemed so exotic. Also, it was a time when my friends and I were fully into James Bond and spy stuff. So it amused me to joke and pretend that Carolyn was a spy from the UK that was undercover a grade ahead of me at school. I don’t think I ever actually spoke to her, but we (I) had a grand time running all over school and the local neighborhood pretending to spy on her and also avoid her being able to spy on me. Look, it all made sense when I was 13.
I think her family moved away after that year. Or maybe the next. Either way, when I went into eighth grade, she went to a different school and I never saw her again. Here’s the incredibly dorky and embarrassing (and possibly alarming and worrying part). For some time thereafter, to continue my little espionage fantasy game, I would wave at passing aircraft as if it were Carolyn (or one of her agents) in the plane doing a fly over reconnaissance. God! how lame I was (and still am I suppose)!
I think this is the house where she lived while in Modesto.
The college-wide Planning & Budget Committee meeting was this morning. It was for staff and students to give testimony about their reaction to the proposed cuts for next year. For the most part, I was VERY impressed with the speeches that were given. One after another, people spoke for up to three minutes, offering evidence and arguments about why this or that program or position should be spared. It certainly gave me a lot to think about. I really appreciated the civil tone of most of the people.
Until this one student, speaking in a British accent (that I’m not entirely convinced was real) took his turn and really was pretty rude. He was even admonished by the co-chair of the committee to keep things civil. Well, his attitude was a real turn off. Honestly, it caused me to stop listening, both to him and to everyone who followed him.
I ask the question: Do we think that such incivility (tempting though it may be) helps or hurts the causes for which we fight?
Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end
Ok, I’m moved to this new site now. It’s not ‘done’, but it’s far enough along that I shall delay no further.
I’m having a tough time at work this week. Not as tough as many others; I’m not slated to lose my job. I feel bad for those who are staring down the barrel of unemployment, particularly my friends. But that’s not what’s getting to me. At least I think it not what’s getting to me….
No, I’m experiencing what I think are panic or anxiety attacks. It’s all the fracking commotion around me and the fact that there are numerous times throughout the week that I can hear (and not shut out) no fewer than 4 or 5 gorram conversations happening at once. And Lordy! the way people yell and shout at each other. It’s maddening! (Did I spell that right??)
I’m think I’m going to see about getting a prescription for some anxiety medication. But I won’t be doing that soon. Got lots of other stuff to spend money on over the next few months.
You can’t take the sky from me
Firefly was one of my favorite television shows. I am forever upset with Fox for cancelling this show. To this day, I refuse to begin watching new shows on Fox because I have no faith that this idiot network will give the show time to find an audience. If a new show makes it past the first year, I’ll consider watching it on dvd or Netflix.
Here’s some recent news about Firefly.
Browncoats rejoice: Firefly is returning to basic cable — and Nathan Fillion has something to say about it.
The Science Channel has acquired the rights to the cult-hit and will air the series in its short-lived entirety, plus some new extras. Science Channel will wrap each episode with interstitial segments starring renowned physicist Dr. Michio Kaku, who will discuss the theoretical science behind the show’s sci-fi concepts
Read the full story:
‘Firefly’ returning to cable; Fillion says he’d play Mal again — EXCLUSIVE | Inside TV | EW.com.
What a lovely outfit, Your Imperial Majesty
Saw Another Year tonight. It didn’t suck. There were a couple of chuckles.
Here’s my problem. I just do not understand why some of these movies, actors, etc. are getting nominated. I am coming to believe that the Academy is hopelessly out of touch with normal people. By what standard exactly are these selections being made? In category after category there are nominees that are missing and/or I don’t understand why they are there. What is it that the nominators see, and why can’t I see it?
Harrumph! You kids get out of my yard!
In general I consider myself an animal lover. Well, a dog lover anyway. I always try to say hello and give lots of attention to dogs when I encounter them. But I am really tired of dog owners afflicting their pets on me out in public. What is it that happens to people when they have pets? So many of them have no concern whatsoever about their dogs running up to me, barking, pawing at me, maybe biting. When my former roommate, Letitia got a dog, we used to walk Micky to the park. She thought nothing of letting Micky run free in unfenced areas. Who cares if he runs up on people or other animals? Hahaha! Just laugh it off. After all, Letitia knew that Micky meant no harm, and other people are supposed to read her mind and know that too, right? It always annoyed me. I’m a rather high self monitor I think. I often seem to be overly aware and concerned about how my actions may be affecting others around me. If only I could be truly anti-social and just not care.
Anyway, I hope I wasn’t like that when I had my dog, Chloe.
