Threads Of Being

Up North, one night when I lay down in the tent I was borrowing to watch the DVD playing on my laptop to rest just before going to bed. This was either Sunday night or Monday night. Happy comforting.

Thursday I went to a dating agency, and ended up joining it. When I went to leave, I got in my car and looked up. The woman I had just spent the last couple hours with came out, got in her car and left. I looked around, and it was all very familiar, the angled parking in a too narrow lot that only allowed for cars driving one way, the wierd street/sideway/parking lot corner, the buildings, even a tree. All from a dream from Years ago. It made me feel good.

This morning I went to ePrize to interview. And woah, not only was the inside just like the dream, but so much so. Down to colors (lots of purple), signs (they have a thing for swirlies with word that label what the room is used for), and wierd building arrangement: going up a floor to a common room, with a door in the back that went into a hall that lead into what seemed like the first floor of a whole other building where there was a high cieling and wierd offices a level up whose glass walls could be seen through but with no stairway up to them, a confusing non-stairway area behind me that seemed to somehow go up (because there's no way it could go backwards, that's where the common room is!), and beyond the high cieling area a small hall that lead to a little office.

Just listing out more dreams that have come true this year while I'm remember. (Will have to flesh these out later, but I'll probably forget to.)

- Scott's parents' house over Easter weekend.
- The strongest one turned out to be seeing "A Mid Summer Night's Dream" in an outdoor Arboretum and park in Ann Arbor. That was the first day I had my god-daughter by myself (before she was my god-daughter).
- Nick and Mitch's place.
- Sherrone and Ricky's new place, the dining room area (this last weekend).

http://www.brazilianartists.net/home/flags/index.htm

While I was going through seperating all the junk mail credit card offers and the like I get into the paper recycling bin and the trash can, I discovered in VERY small print on the back of one of the offers a notice telling me how I can stop these from coming! (I looked there because I discovered the secret hiding place for these such things at work while trying to figure out how to stop the junk faxes we get - ugh.)

Here's the phone number to opt out of getting pre-approved credit card, mortgague/home equity lines, insurance, student loan consolidation, and other such offers based on your credit report in the mail:

1-888-567-8688

Or they have a website you can use:

https://www.optoutprescreen.com/

This goes to the four major credit reporting companies, so one time will cover most everything! They do say it will take a couple months for the offers to stop coming, but then it's at least 5 years of not getting them.

Here's something my friend Sara mentioned on her blog. At her recommendation I went and saw/listened.

Me <-- New Fan

I liked it so much, I'm telling you that you should go take a look or listen as well:
"Feel Good Inc." by Gorillaz

"Canada denies refugee status to American Soldier"

Read the article

I'm not sure which way I'm leaning on this. On one hand, I feel people should not be forced to go to war. On the other hand, he was not drafted, he joined the Army because he wanted to join.

Side note: It blows my mind that people join the military or reserves, and then when a war occurs are shocked they have to go fight. Come on people, if you don't want to go to war, don't join the military! I already know if I'm ever drafted I will be shooting myself before I shoot anyone else (not that they'd let me fight, as my ankle is well known for unexpectedly giving out).

Back when Desert Storm started there were families with children where both parents were in the reserves. Why? Because for "only one weekend a month and one week a year", they pulled in extra money from the government. (There's a good example of advertising that worked.) Then the war - I'm sorry, "the conflict" - started, and sets of parents were called to fight. The response from many was: "You can't send us both! What about our children?" The answer was, of course, find someone to take care of them while you are gone. Many of the parents were outraged. But come on! Did they think they could get that money without someday having to serve the purpose it was for?

I had a friend join the reserves after 9/11, and when his unit received orders sending them to war he was surprised and afraid. My question was, "then why did you join?" His answer was, "because I wanted to help after 9/11 and this was the only way I could think of." To which I asked why he didn't expect once joining he would eventually be sent to war, especially knowing 9/11 had just happened and what people's reactions where. He couldn't answer. I'm sure he had never wanted to risk his life like that, but at the time of joining didn't think through what the consequences would be. All the reserves means is you aren't constantly on active duty in the military, but you are on call in case of war.

Back on topic: Now, this man appears to be just fine with going to war. It is only this specific war (on Iraq) he has objections to, because he feels it's not legal and he would be forced to commit war crimes if he were to go. I can agree with these objections, I think he's right in those statements. But I also agree with the Canadian judge that said he would not face cruel or unusual punishment in the U.S. for being a deserter (I will amend 'as a civilian' to this statement - there's no telling how the military will react to him). I believe there are enough of us that feel the war is wrong for him to be just fine here. And perhaps if he even told people what actually is happening in Iraq, and what was and was not found, he could convince others.

Yes, if he were to come back or be brought back to the U.S. he would have to go to jail for 5 years for deserting. But as I've already said, he joined the military willingly. Sometimes when your beliefs go against decisions you have made you have to live with the consequences.

I think he should be fighting the system on this one, but I feel he's fighting the wrong system. This man should be fighting the U.S. for his rights, not Canada. Draft dodgers and deserters are two different things. Canada should not be blamed for wrong doing in this case.

Now that I'm in a good place, I need to start being a better friend.