Mark made a delicious, unbelievably good roast the other day. It was a mushroom and leek soup recipe that really sucked, so he added a big ol' piece of beef to it, which, when simmered for a few hours, made a delicious meal that we ate about 5 times in a week. What was also funny about this was that I just *knew* Mago would love to eat some of this, and after giving him a taste on Day 231 at the table, he became the perfect little gentleman, awaiting more.
I, of course, indulged him because it was SO cute, and after I finished dinner, I let my dog lick my plate. It was adorable. He's better than our dishwasher.
As a side note, I am aware of the mundane-ness of these New Things as of late. I'm thinking I should have waited to either do the whole Atlanta Yoga Scene thing later, or do this blog later, but it is hard "doing" for both. I still feel like I need to justify it, as if anyone else could really manage a full time job, adventurous blog and future yoga phenomenon any better/worse than I've done. I'm hoping, maybe sometime later in the year or in the next couple of years, that I could really give this all the gusto it deserves.
Such is life.
Day 230: OFF THE COUCH
Duh.
15 treats later, we decided there was no use...and Mago is allowed on the couch again.
Day 229: Osama bin Laden is Dead
On Day 229, Mark woke me up saying "So apparently the U.S. just killed Osama bin Laden." Ho-lee, mo-lee. That's a first...and a last.
My first reaction was just kind of "wow." What to say? I mean, his death doesn't mean all that much, really. It's largely symbolic, seeing as how al-Qaeda can certainly function without their fearless leader. It was set up to do just that. He was the mastermind behind rallying the terrorist 'troops' to action, sure, but the hierarchy of leaders and cells and even financing are still largely a mystery. It's most likely organized chaos.
Killing a symbol in this case is probably even worse than killing a real leader, because these unorganized groups of people don't need his marching orders to carry out future terrorist attacks in the name of revenge. It's like killing the Queen of England in a way. She doesn't DO hardly anything, but it's an attack on a sacred symbol and institution that people will respond to.
I also haven't decided how I feel about the US having killed him. There are people on both sides of the argument, and their points are valid according to their worldview--"all killing is bad" and "he caused the most horrendous act our country has seen in modern history so he deserves the ultimate punishment."
I guess I look at differently. The benefits I see on keeping him alive include intelligence that we could have gathered...but that's about where it ends.
I think that killing anyone is a horrendous thing to do, however, why hold him captive and waste more money and effort on keeping him alive? He's already cost our country trillions of dollars and thousands of lives. Why risk him getting out of whatever institution we would otherwise put him in? I've heard of people in maximum security prisons still managing to get drugs smuggled in to them...who knows what kind of communique he might still manage to convey.
Again, I'm conflicted. I certainly won't rally in the streets about his death (it's a really unique sight to see our country do that!), but I don't know if capturing him without killing him would've been any more effective or impactful.
At the end of the day, this news means surprisingly little. We'll probably still be hunting terrorists in the middle east for the rest of my life (and probably the lives of my children, too), and we'll never, ever, ever "conquer terrorism." So long as one terrorist lives, be they from the hundreds of terrorist groups like al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, the Taliban, the Irish Republican Army, the USDF of Colombia or what have you we've failed that mission..and always will.
Should we keep fighting? That's another question with ideological answers based on your experience and worldview--a post for a different day and a different blog.
But day 226 brought this very, very, very interesting piece of news.
My first reaction was just kind of "wow." What to say? I mean, his death doesn't mean all that much, really. It's largely symbolic, seeing as how al-Qaeda can certainly function without their fearless leader. It was set up to do just that. He was the mastermind behind rallying the terrorist 'troops' to action, sure, but the hierarchy of leaders and cells and even financing are still largely a mystery. It's most likely organized chaos.
Killing a symbol in this case is probably even worse than killing a real leader, because these unorganized groups of people don't need his marching orders to carry out future terrorist attacks in the name of revenge. It's like killing the Queen of England in a way. She doesn't DO hardly anything, but it's an attack on a sacred symbol and institution that people will respond to.
I also haven't decided how I feel about the US having killed him. There are people on both sides of the argument, and their points are valid according to their worldview--"all killing is bad" and "he caused the most horrendous act our country has seen in modern history so he deserves the ultimate punishment."
I guess I look at differently. The benefits I see on keeping him alive include intelligence that we could have gathered...but that's about where it ends.
I think that killing anyone is a horrendous thing to do, however, why hold him captive and waste more money and effort on keeping him alive? He's already cost our country trillions of dollars and thousands of lives. Why risk him getting out of whatever institution we would otherwise put him in? I've heard of people in maximum security prisons still managing to get drugs smuggled in to them...who knows what kind of communique he might still manage to convey.
Again, I'm conflicted. I certainly won't rally in the streets about his death (it's a really unique sight to see our country do that!), but I don't know if capturing him without killing him would've been any more effective or impactful.
At the end of the day, this news means surprisingly little. We'll probably still be hunting terrorists in the middle east for the rest of my life (and probably the lives of my children, too), and we'll never, ever, ever "conquer terrorism." So long as one terrorist lives, be they from the hundreds of terrorist groups like al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, the Taliban, the Irish Republican Army, the USDF of Colombia or what have you we've failed that mission..and always will.
Should we keep fighting? That's another question with ideological answers based on your experience and worldview--a post for a different day and a different blog.
But day 226 brought this very, very, very interesting piece of news.
Day 228: Whistle while you work...
I remember in first grade, my friend Elizabeth and I had a pact that I would teach her how to blow a bubble if she would teach me how to whistle. I taught her how to blow a bubble and she NEVER taught me how to whistle. I've been in a rut ever since.
So I made it one of my missions to whistle a tune for the blog, and Day 228 (after numerous practice days before it) was supposed to be the day. For my tune, I selected Frere Jaques, because I thought the ease of the song would play in my favor. Fewer notes, less complicated refrain, simple note transitions--should've been a piece of cake...but the day has come and gone, and all I have is a very irritated dog. I debated putting up a video, but it would be a pretty pathetic show, and I would rather you see me drain water through my nose than whistle pathetically.
Day 227: Herb
One of my original "New Things I want to do" was to plant an herb garden, not kill it, and eat the herbs in real food. It's one small step towards farming my own food one day, so that when peak oil strikes and no one can get around and lettuce costs $20 a head, I am prepared with my own stock.
Well, I didn't exactly plant my own herb garden, but Mark and I bought an herb garden (from the Sandy Springs Farmer's market, no less) with 5 herbs in it--cilantro, parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano and basil. On Day 227, I picked basil and used it in a a caprese salad, meaning I picked and ate my own herbs!
Well, I didn't exactly plant my own herb garden, but Mark and I bought an herb garden (from the Sandy Springs Farmer's market, no less) with 5 herbs in it--cilantro, parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano and basil. On Day 227, I picked basil and used it in a a caprese salad, meaning I picked and ate my own herbs!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)