Monday, September 17, 2007

Still Plugging Along

School week 4 – I have no idea what I am doing and I am super tired. I am really wishing I had had a proper vacation before all of this started . . .

On Saturday, my friend J and I walked a 5K. It was very much fun, but neither of us has done anything like that in a while and I am still very sore today. Instead of T-shirts, the 5K organizers gave out these awesome nalgene water bottles with the 5K logo on them. I’m now keeping it at my desk at work to remind me to drink at least one 32 ounce bottle or more a day.

Meanwhile, Mr. Random went to the anti-war protests downtown to record what was going on for grad school assignment. He taped a lot of interesting footage and got some interesting interviews with some of both the “pro-war” and the “anti-war” folks there.

The thing that annoys me about protest marches these days are . . . they are usually such an unfocused mess. I mean, there are always random people there with their “Drums for Peace” and the odd “puppets of elected figures walking on stilts” and the random people on the podium railing about things that have nothing to do with the topic at hand. Mr. Random told me that the protest events started a half-hour late because the yoga guy who was going to offer the beginning “blessing” was late. First of all, a yoga guy? Secondly, are you trying NOT to have people take you seriously? I know the movement is all about inclusiveness and all, but please . . . can’t we introduce a little rigor and professionalism into the proceedings. Are puppets REALLY effective as a protest tool? There is so much unfocused dissatisfaction out there, why can’t we have a grassroots organization that actually harnesses all of that energy into something a bit more productive and that affects real change. I don’t know what that organization would look like, but it would help if it banned the stupid puppets and drums, and just focused on getting masses of people to speak with one voice . . .

Ok, that’s enough of my ranting . . . It’s also a bit disappointing that more people weren’t there, but I believe there is a bit of protest fatigue going on, and there are thoughts of whether anyone really pays attention to those things anymore anyway. All I want is for my little sister to come home, safe and sound . . .

Wednesday will mark the 9th wedding anniversary for Mr. Random and me. I think we are going out to dinner . . .

Did everyone have good weekends? The weather was so lovely here . . .

4 comments:

Eric Grubbs said...

My weekend: big family reunion with a wedding fit in there. Sunday was a recovery day, complete with a screening of Animal House.

Virginia Gal said...

First happy anniversary!!

Second protest fatigue indeed - what's the point, no one listens, not Bush et al. and now not the new Democrats.

mommanator said...

Happy Anniversary!
If protests didnt work- we wouldn't be living in a democracy, have women rights etc

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