operation: open-mind!

recently i was discussing with a student how democrats/liberals [sometimes] think they are much "further along" than republicans/conservatives, and vice versa. i shared with her that, in my experience, when two people promote their thoughts/beliefs, nothing is heard if each isn't open to the other's ideas. we talked about ways to reduce self-righteous attitudes and pride in these types of discussions. ultimately, i think it comes down to one of my favorite quotes, "what i believe is not what i say believe. what i believe is what i do." meaning, i can talk about conservative/liberal ideas all i want, but if i'm not living them out, then all that exits my mouth is useless garbage.

then i realized that i talk about being "open-minded" all the time, or at least wanting to be-- but, let's face it, i'm really not [surprise]. so, i'm going to start my own project- operation: open-mind! the goal: to consciously work at being better informed on multiple viewpoints (not just the ones i currently have), combined with doing unique, random, different, and ridiculous things to promote new ways of thinking about the world around us.

to work towards my goal i went to kqed's "you decide" site and learned from multiple sides on some pretty tough questions. the intention of you decide: "to foster critical thinking around issues of national debate. nothing about these subjects is black and white. you decide activities invite you to become part of the debate through a critical exploration of the issues. in the end, perhaps you will ask different -- and better -- questions than those presented here." and it definitely did that for me.

side note: i have a huge crush on the kennedy family. my crush just bigger. caroline and ted just endorsed barack. that's a blow to hillary if i've ever seen one. yikes.

happy birthday, lori lester, you are loved.

it has [briefly] stopped raining.

graffiti sucks. the house got tagged on wednesday and then again last night. hoooray for sweet neighbors who offer to sand and paint for you! here comes a plate of cookies for you, wonderful neighbor people. ahh, the joys of urban living.

one of my favorite feelings: paying off a credit card. seriously, so wonderful.

really enjoying fink's songs "this is the thing" and "if only"-- both from the distance and time album.

one happy baby.

i fully promote other people's children. ie: my brother's kids and the kids i babysit and the dog i walk. i'm so thankful for the joy that they bring; they make losing life a lot easier to understand.

riley is starting to crawl, samuel is rolling over, emma has fire in her belly, and ziggy plays dead for me. cheers for everyone in my life under the age of three.

i really want a diet coke. really bad.

i started school yesterday. love love love it. this semester will be harder than last semester, but i'm totally up for the challenge. i'm taking psychopathology (knowing the DSM-IV like the back of my hand), problem solving therapy and counseling (understanding cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy better), and law and ethics (the black and white details of what i can and cannot do).

i know i'm a little late, but what is up with huckabee's flagpole comment and his comparison of homosexuality to necrophillia and environmentalists to pornographers? has anyone read his book, "kids who kill"? i'm curious to hear about it.

recently, i'm obsessed with: alicia keys' song "no one", my fireplace, dreaming about my future scooter, watching john edwards look so cool/professional at the democratic debate in south carolina, taking ziggy up buena vista park, thinking about the yosemite spring break trip, tristan prettyman's single "madly", my new yoga pants from target, reading just one article from the economist because that's really all i have time for before the next one comes, and spinach salads with pine nuts, craisins, goat cheese, an apple and that strawberry vinaigrette that is so damn good.

questions: when will brothers&sisters and grey's anatomy come back on? when will my 1098s for my loans come in the mail? why is jamie making me read captivating? i hate that book. when will i get to see lori? when is miss america on? miss california is a westmont alum.

caffeine study.

kaiser permanente released a new study that shows newer, stronger evidence that caffeine during pregnancy increases miscarriage risk. thanks for the research kaiser, and for employing my mom, grandma, aunt, great aunt and cousin.

however, i'm just wondering... if caffeine is clearly bad for a fetus, shouldn't we be thinking about whether or not it is bad for us? here is an excerpt from the book, "skinny bitch," which i highly recommend: "caffeine can cause headaches, digestive problems, irritation of the stomach and bladder, peptic ulcers, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, anxiety and depression. it affects every organ system, from the nervous system to the skin. caffeine raises stress hormone levels, inhibits important enzyme systems that are responsible for cleaning the body, and sensitizes nerve reception sites."

all that to say... i'm going to do my own study. no caffeine for thirty days, starting january 22 (the last day to register to vote in the california primary) and ending february 20. we'll see what happens. here's to no coffee, tea, soda, or cocoa. cheers!

in celebration.

Let nobody give you the impression that the problem of racial injustice will work itself out. Let nobody give you the impression that only time will solve the problem. That is a myth, and it is a myth because time is neutral. It can be used either constructively or destructively. And I'm absolutely convinced that the people of ill will in our nation - the extreme rightists - the forces committed to negative ends - have used time much more effectively than the people of good will. It may well be that we will have to repent in this generation, not merely for the vitriolic works and violent actions of the bad people who bomb a church in Birmingham, Alabama, or shoot down a civil rights worker in Selma, but for the appalling silence and indifference of the good people who sit around and say, "Wait on time." Somewhere we must come to see that human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and the persistent work of dedicated individuals. Without this hard work, time becomes an ally of the primitive forces of social stagnation. So we must help time and realize that the time is always right to do right.

There is another reason why we must get rid of racial injustice. Not merely because it is sociologically untenable or because it is politically unsound, not merely to meet the communist challenge or to create a good image in the world or to appeal to African and Asian peoples, as important as that happens to be. In the final analysis racial injustice must be uprooted from American society because it is morally wrong. Segregation is morally wrong, to use the words of the great Jewish philosopher, Martin Buber, because it substitutes an I-it relationship for the I-thou relationship. Or to use the thinking of Saint Thomas Aquinas, segregation is wrong because it is based on human laws that are out of harmony with the eternal natural and moral laws of the universe. The great Protestant theologian, Paul Tillich, said that sin is separation. And what is segregation but an existential expression of man's tragic estrangement - his awful segregation, his terrible sinfulness? And so in order to rise to our full moral maturity as a nation, we must get rid of segregation whether it is in housing, whether it is a de facto segregation in the public schools, whether it is segregation in public accommodations, or whether it is segregation in the church. We must see that it is morally wrong. We must see that it is a national problem. And no section of our country can boast of clean hands in the area of brotherhood. We strengthen our nation, above all we strengthen our moral commitment; as we work to get rid of this problem.

Thank you, Martin Luther King, Jr.

the new crew.

katie, christie, katelyn, cari, mikie, allison, katey, kerstin, danielle, molly, meghan, nikki, jamie, sarah, kristen, hannah, paula, haley, and chad.

eighteen ladies, one guy...
lots of estrogen.
lots of laughing.
lots of adventures.
lots of cookie dough.
lots of crying.
lots of thinkers (only 4 Fs!).
lots of questions.

so far, so good.

finished my j-term course yesterday.
watched the nevada debate on youtube.
joined goodreads thanks to lesley.

meet ziggy.

how cute is he? ziggy is my neighbor's dog that i get to take on walks a few times through out the week. he is a chocolate labradoodle. that's right. lab + poodle = labradoodle.

currently...

had dinner with my friends michele and chris this past weekend. michele reminded me that it feels good to be known. chris reminded me that i can be morally republican and socially democrat. (independent?) love love love them.

a new coffee shop opened close to my house. want them to hire me for 2 days a week. it is the cutest place you'll ever see.

church on sunday pushed my buttons. this is the latest class being offered: "finding the right partner: this course will explore issues of the head and heart when it comes to choosing a spouse. the first half of the course deals with "head knowledge" and explains the importance of building safe relationships while knowing what to look for in a dating partner. it also deals with key areas to explore in a partner in order to have an accurate understanding of what that person would be like in a long term relationship. the second half of the course deals with issues of "heart knowledge"- the dynamics of trust, reliance, commitment and sexuality".

don't get me wrong, i think this could be useful and beneficial to some people. perhaps even me! but there is a whole group of people who are being left out: the single people. instead of viewing them as second class citizens, why isn't a course on being single, whole and happy being offered? tell me, do you really believe that one could actually be single, whole AND happy (AND christian)? ultimately, i believe these courses would be more beneficial if offered in conjunction with one another. thoughts?

*thanks to westmont's tuesdays with morals program for the idea of "single, whole and happy"

she is so spicy.

and he is such a good lil' guy.

willem (4.5) and emma (2.5).