Culled this first one from my daily email from a comedy site; I like to think if it wasn't exam season I might have gotten it "right," but who knows? Exams on Monday and Thursday, so I might be scarce in real life until next Friday.
The Bathtub Test
During a visit to the mental asylum, a visitor asked the Director how do you determine whether or not a patient should be institutionalized.
'Well,' said the Director, 'we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub.'
'Oh, I understand,' said the visitor. 'A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup.'
'No' said the Director, 'A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a bed near the window?'
*****
"Barack Obama was in Germany today. He's like a rock star over there... which is impressive until you hear that David Hasselhoff is also like a rock star over there." -- Jimmy Kimmel
Do good!
26 July 2008
24 July 2008
From Time Magazine
Thursday, Jul. 24, 2008
Israel: New West Bank Settlement
By AP/LAURIE COPANS
(JERUSALEM) — A key committee has approved construction of the first new Jewish settlement in the West Bank in a decade, an Israeli official said Thursday. The news infuriated Palestinians, who said the decision could cripple peace efforts.
The only hurdle that remains is Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who plans to approve the Maskiot settlement within weeks, the official said. Barak had signaled to the national planning committee that it should authorize the plan, the official said.
The offficial spoke on condition of anonymity because the Defense Ministry did not officially announce the settlement would be built in the Jordan Valley Rift, an arid north-south strip that forms Israel's eastern flank with Jordan.
Asked why Israel was moving ahead with the politically charged plan, the official said that it has been in the pipeline for years.
Israel originally announced in 2006 that it would build Maskiot, then froze the plan after international outcry. But earlier this year, nine Israeli families settled in mobile homes at the site, which Palestinians claim as part of a future state.
Settlers say around two dozen more families are waiting to join them.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat accused Israel of undermining U.S.-backed peace talks.
"This is destroying the process of a two-state solution," Erekat said. "I hope the Americans will make the Israelis revoke the decision. I think they can make the Israelis do this."
When talks renewed last year after a seven-year breakdown, Israel promised not to establish new settlements in the West Bank. The two sides set a goal of reaching a final peace accord by the end of the year, but have since scaled back their ambitions, in part because disputes over Israeli settlement have impeded progress on peacemaking.
Palestinians want the final deal to outline the formation of a Palestinian state in most of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. Israel captured those territories in the 1967 Mideast war.
Asked to comment on the revival of the plan to build Maskiot, Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said, "Israel will stand by its commitments," and noted that Barak has not yet given final approval for the construction.
He would not elaborate. But Israel historically has interpreted its commitments on halting settlement expansion differently from the rest of the international community.
The Maskiot community is made up of settlers Israel evacuated from Gaza when it left the territory three years ago. When it withdrew from Gaza, Israel promised not to relocate evacuated settlers to the West Bank.
Earlier this year, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas briefly called off peace talks over continued Israeli construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has sharply criticized the building, saying it hampers peace efforts, but the U.S. has not penalized Israel.
Maskiot had decades ago been established as a military base, and four years ago a religious school was set up there. But no one had lived at the site until February.
Many Israeli settlements have been established in precisely that manner, beginning as military points that are gradually converted into fledgling communities that gradually grow.
Like many settlers, those at Maskiot are Orthodox Jews who believe God gave the West Bank to the Jewish people.
Click to Print Find this article at:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1826112,00.html
Israel: New West Bank Settlement
By AP/LAURIE COPANS
(JERUSALEM) — A key committee has approved construction of the first new Jewish settlement in the West Bank in a decade, an Israeli official said Thursday. The news infuriated Palestinians, who said the decision could cripple peace efforts.
The only hurdle that remains is Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who plans to approve the Maskiot settlement within weeks, the official said. Barak had signaled to the national planning committee that it should authorize the plan, the official said.
The offficial spoke on condition of anonymity because the Defense Ministry did not officially announce the settlement would be built in the Jordan Valley Rift, an arid north-south strip that forms Israel's eastern flank with Jordan.
Asked why Israel was moving ahead with the politically charged plan, the official said that it has been in the pipeline for years.
Israel originally announced in 2006 that it would build Maskiot, then froze the plan after international outcry. But earlier this year, nine Israeli families settled in mobile homes at the site, which Palestinians claim as part of a future state.
Settlers say around two dozen more families are waiting to join them.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat accused Israel of undermining U.S.-backed peace talks.
"This is destroying the process of a two-state solution," Erekat said. "I hope the Americans will make the Israelis revoke the decision. I think they can make the Israelis do this."
When talks renewed last year after a seven-year breakdown, Israel promised not to establish new settlements in the West Bank. The two sides set a goal of reaching a final peace accord by the end of the year, but have since scaled back their ambitions, in part because disputes over Israeli settlement have impeded progress on peacemaking.
Palestinians want the final deal to outline the formation of a Palestinian state in most of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. Israel captured those territories in the 1967 Mideast war.
Asked to comment on the revival of the plan to build Maskiot, Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said, "Israel will stand by its commitments," and noted that Barak has not yet given final approval for the construction.
He would not elaborate. But Israel historically has interpreted its commitments on halting settlement expansion differently from the rest of the international community.
The Maskiot community is made up of settlers Israel evacuated from Gaza when it left the territory three years ago. When it withdrew from Gaza, Israel promised not to relocate evacuated settlers to the West Bank.
Earlier this year, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas briefly called off peace talks over continued Israeli construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has sharply criticized the building, saying it hampers peace efforts, but the U.S. has not penalized Israel.
Maskiot had decades ago been established as a military base, and four years ago a religious school was set up there. But no one had lived at the site until February.
Many Israeli settlements have been established in precisely that manner, beginning as military points that are gradually converted into fledgling communities that gradually grow.
Like many settlers, those at Maskiot are Orthodox Jews who believe God gave the West Bank to the Jewish people.
Click to Print Find this article at:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1826112,00.html
22 July 2008
Field Trip!
So we took our second field trip today for the summer Environmental Law class. (The first was to a doodoo plant, where they took dirty water and made it less dirty) This trip was to a clean drinking water plant. The 30-million gallons of water a day that leave this plant head to our homes for use. It was pretty amazing. In case you didn't click the title link above, I'm imbedding the map/satellite view of it. The tanks hold 60 million gallons of water.
View Larger Map
Now I'm in the library. For some reason, I kept thinking I had to be in class at 6. This field trip, however, was that class, so now I'm reading and playing around with this blogspot until my next class, which starts at 7:45pm. (I really need this time to read though, since I haven't done so yet for this evening.)
We have a tenative concert set for October 4th. I'm a little concerned we won't actually perform then, but it's probably just my own sort of paranoia about it. The Ascension wants to start Compline services the first Sunday of the month, and Encore! has been asked to consider leading them. I'm very excited about the standing gig opportunity, but I hope the guys don't start to take it for granted after a while. This could be a good opportunity to develop a bit of an audience.
I know I've posted this before, but these guys are so much better than the last set; the group dynamic really clicks well too. I'm gonna go out there now and say this: if you miss us performing "O my Love's like a red, red rose," you might as well consider yourself to have missed one of the best songs ever. And I'm really looking forawrd to the Milonga piece.
I'm goinng to read a little now. I've got tunes rolling on my phone (finally figured out how to use the media card!) and a diet coke.
Do good.
View Larger Map
Now I'm in the library. For some reason, I kept thinking I had to be in class at 6. This field trip, however, was that class, so now I'm reading and playing around with this blogspot until my next class, which starts at 7:45pm. (I really need this time to read though, since I haven't done so yet for this evening.)
We have a tenative concert set for October 4th. I'm a little concerned we won't actually perform then, but it's probably just my own sort of paranoia about it. The Ascension wants to start Compline services the first Sunday of the month, and Encore! has been asked to consider leading them. I'm very excited about the standing gig opportunity, but I hope the guys don't start to take it for granted after a while. This could be a good opportunity to develop a bit of an audience.
I know I've posted this before, but these guys are so much better than the last set; the group dynamic really clicks well too. I'm gonna go out there now and say this: if you miss us performing "O my Love's like a red, red rose," you might as well consider yourself to have missed one of the best songs ever. And I'm really looking forawrd to the Milonga piece.
I'm goinng to read a little now. I've got tunes rolling on my phone (finally figured out how to use the media card!) and a diet coke.
Do good.
in honour of friends....
matt and the thompsons have inspired me to post a little blurb here.
I made a few layout changes--hadn't checked this in solong I didn't even know there were changes like this to be made!
Sort of a life update, i suppose:
Married. Just passed one year mark. Got a new job two days after the wedding. Lost it in October, basically. Started school also that August. Happily lost the job, got a new one I really liked in March. (Still have that one, though money is tight, and I may be leaving it for a better paying one that I don't like as much.)
Part time classes are wearing me down. Wanted to go full time, but that may not be feasible yet.
Singing more now than I was last year at this time. The men's ensemble started again. Very talented group: Matt, Alex, Daniel, John, Steven, Mike, David, Bill and William. Current group operates mostly without Daniel (cause he's going to grad school!), Mike and Steven. But it is summer, so maybe they'll pick it up again later. Tenative concert date set for October 4. Be there! We're much better than the last group!
That's about it for now.
Do good.
I made a few layout changes--hadn't checked this in solong I didn't even know there were changes like this to be made!
Sort of a life update, i suppose:
Married. Just passed one year mark. Got a new job two days after the wedding. Lost it in October, basically. Started school also that August. Happily lost the job, got a new one I really liked in March. (Still have that one, though money is tight, and I may be leaving it for a better paying one that I don't like as much.)
Part time classes are wearing me down. Wanted to go full time, but that may not be feasible yet.
Singing more now than I was last year at this time. The men's ensemble started again. Very talented group: Matt, Alex, Daniel, John, Steven, Mike, David, Bill and William. Current group operates mostly without Daniel (cause he's going to grad school!), Mike and Steven. But it is summer, so maybe they'll pick it up again later. Tenative concert date set for October 4. Be there! We're much better than the last group!
That's about it for now.
Do good.
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