El del شكري

Visions of Resource: Mr. Stephens 2010-2011

2010-09-21T16:43:00.000-07:00

Resource Specialists are teachers, counselors, case workers, consultants, and resources for other teachers. Our students are unique in that they span a broad cross section of the schools demographics (1^st through 5^th grade, black and Hispanic), but despite their diversity, they occupy a startlingly thin band on district administered state testing. All are Far Below Basic or Below Basic Proficiency in either math, reading, or both.

As a result of the gap between their classroom achievement and that of their friends and peers, resource students too often feel marginalized, forgotten, or worse, belittled and picked on. They very rarely feel success and often are rebuked for behaviors they sincerely struggle to control.

My vision is of a resource room that encourages student intellectual diversity, a safe place where students can expect to succeed and be praised for their truly good work at whatever level they find themselves.

This year, our resource program has several goals, the most prominent of which are Academic, related to reading growth and mastery of state math standards. These goals run parallel to the goals they have in their rigorous general education classrooms, namely 1.5 year of reading growth and 80% mastery of prioritized state math standards. However, I hope to help my students recognize the impossibility of achieving success in a vacuum. In other words, success does not just come out of nowhere. It is achieved by diligent, consistent hard work and discipline. We cannot succeed individually, we must succeed together.

My classroom will be a safe haven for students to make mistakes and be proud that they tried. It will be a place where students do not have to worry about getting a wrong answer and wondering what others will say behind their backs or what the teacher will think. It will be a place where they can flex the brain muscles they have without being embarrassed for those they do not have yet.

By the End of the year, I hope for my students to be self-aware, self-advocating, special education students who understand their own minds and have concrete tools to circumvent their own learning disabilities. They will understand that great minds do not learn alike, and that Special Education is not for dumb or retarded students who cannot learn. Rather it is for

SMART people who learn DIFFERENTLY.

Goethe

2009-10-23T07:26:00.000-07:00

"I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration, I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or dehumanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming."

First day in Berkeley

2009-06-23T07:03:00.001-07:00

June 22

Today was my first day as an official Teach For America corps member.

I left Charisse in Las Vegas yesterday at about 6:30pm and began my drive across the desert, into southern California towards LA and cut north via Bakersfield. I was pulling a large 5x8 U-haul with just about everything Charisse and I own behind the new Jeep Liberty that replaced our 95 jeep Cherokee (that died). The Jeep made it fine, even with its poor mpg (It got an avg of about 13 mpg). At about 12:30 I was some 40 miles from Bakersfield and i was really tired, so I pulled off the road, pulled out my bedding, locked the jeep and trailer, and slept uneasily for about 3 hours on top of the U-haul under the stars. At 4 am I woke up and began driving, stopping intermittently to eat and rest, and I was finally in the Bay area at about 10 am (1/2 hour ahead of schedule) when I all of the sudden found myself one lane too far to the left. Instead of finishing of the easy 10 or so miles into Berkeley, I was crossing a huge bay bridge. Which would not have been so bad (I've been lost before) if it were not for the toll booth, which, again, would not have been so bad had I been required to pay the 4 dollars. But no, the stars would not have it that easy. I was towing a trailer so it had to be 6 dollars, two more than I had on me. So, they lady said she would take a photo of the license plate and bill me the fine/fare (which of course cannot have worked considering the lack of a license plate on the jeep, it being new and all). So maybe I got off lucky?

I finally found my way back across the bridge and gunning toward Emeryville where I had reserved a self-storage unit to keep all of our junk out of our way as we passed our little 5-week sojourn in LA. Unfortunately, there was only me to unload the back of the jeep and the entire trailer which, I am sure, amounted to about 40 tons of stuff and a freaking heavy record player (which I moved by my lonesome). After about 3 hours of that, I was completely unloaded and ready to take the U-Haul back to the place. But apparently UHaul and Berkeley had some sort of falling out that they don't allow them in the city anymore (or something like that). Either way, the result of which caused a surprising lack of a convenient place to ditch it. I called about 4 people trying to find someone on the internet to look up a drop-off and my brutha Eric told me to get the Verizon gps directional thing on my phone. So I did, it cost $3, but the direction was not found so I was still up the river.

At this point I thought I was late for the Teach for America Induction week sign-in, so I decided to forget about the stupid UHaul and go to sign in. Which I did. and they were nice to me and gave me a super nice computer bag with TEACH FOR AMERICA embroidered on it. there was internet in the lobby, so i got directions to a UHaul in Oakland, snuck out of the hotel, and returned the cursed trailer. It feels great to not have it on the back of the jeep anymore.

I got back to the hotel in time to sit down as the opening ceremony (of sorts) began so I had to sit through like 4 hours of speeches and talks (which were good) in my sweaty, gross, stinky pants and shirt. Then the meetings finally ended and I went to check into my room and my keys did not work and when i went to exchange them, the line was long as the freaking Bible and so I said screw it and went to eat dinner, still stinking.

I thought my mysterious, unknown and unnamed roomate had my key, but as it turns out, The receptionist at the hotel just screwed up the numbers. SO! now I am in my room, showered, and my roommate has yet to appear. Maybe I'll have my own room. That would be just delightful (seriously, not sarcastically) since I am beat and tired and anti-social. Dinner was good though.

As it stands at the moment, I am sluffing the video/photograph scavenger hunt social for some much needed relaxation. Socialism is for communists anyways.

And that is my first day of TFA.

Wake up! Swoopo.com is Scamming You

2009-05-12T15:27:00.000-07:00

I took an Economics 101 course at BYU a couple of years ago taught by James Kearl. I admit, the class was stupid hard and required a ton of work, but at the same time, I learned a lot.

One of the lectures, Kearl managed to sell a $1 bill for like $1.25. Yeah seriously. He gave a kid a $1 bill and the kid gave him $1.25 for it. Incredible!? yes. I'll explain.

Kearl got up and said to the 800 or so people in the lecture hall, "We are going to have an auction today. i am going to auction off a $1 bill. but there is a catch. The person who wins the bill has to pay what he bid for it AS WELL AS the person who bidded just before him." Meanining, of course, if i bid $ .45 for the dollar and someone outbids me at $.50, the winner pays $.50 and I still have to pay my bid. So what do I do? I bid again because paying $.55 and getting $1 is better than losing my $.45. Well, the other guy knows that too, so he bids...then I bid...then he bids...$.60...$.65... and eventually, $.85 .... $.90 .... I bid $.95 and he bids $1.

So at this point, the dollar will be paid and a dollar will be recieved. Except that I also will have to pay my bid of $.95. I will LOSE $.95 if I dont win, so i decide to bid again, $1.05 because paying $1.05 and getting $1 back is better than losing $.95. But he does the same thing for the same reason. and so it goes, each person reasoning that paying $1.25 and getting back $1 is better than paying $1.20 and getting nothing.

I didn't bid, two other guys decided to go for it and sure enough, Kearl made about two dollars even after having to give up the dollar he was auctioning off.

Well, I really thought it was just a clever way to make to guys feel stupid in front of their peers, but I was amazed to find out it has a real world application. It is on www.swoopo.com. Here's the gig...

www.swoopo.com boasts that it is an online auction site (like ebay) that runs a little differently. It brags that it sells high end, brand new items (including brand new Apple macbooks) for pennies on the dollar. And it is true, they really have sold brand new apple notebooks for like, $255. But the gimmick is that the bidders have to pay $.75 for each bid, even if they do not end up winning. each bid also adds some 15 or 20 seconds to the auction. lets take the apple notebook scenario:

The auction starts at $.01 (one penny) and it is set up so each bid increases the price by another penny. When I started watching the auction, the price was up to $9.53 with some 3 min until the end of the auction. Curious, i waited until the auction got to about 20 seconds and sure enough, people started to bid and with each bid, the clock jumped up fifteen seconds, counted down, and popped back up to 15 seconds when someone else placed their bid. So i did the math after watching the auction get to about $10.35.

lets say the computer eventually sells at $255.35, a great deal for a computer that regularly costs $1200. so there were eventually 25,535 bids each costing the bidder $.75. The winner takes the computer home, adding up the selling price and however many bidding "credits" he used up in the auction, lets say he bid 200 times at $.75 each, add some 20 bucks for S/H, and the total he would pay for the computer would be some $420 saving $800. Nice.

Now lets look at swoopo.com's income they pay $1200 for the computer and they receive 255.35 from the winner, so they are in the hole som $800. But since there were 25,535 bids on the computer, they were able to pull in about $19,151.25. Add to that the $255 they received from the winner, $19,406.60 Yeah. thats correct. They sold a $1,200 computer for more than nineteen and a half THOUSAND dollars. and where did the extra money come from? the dozens of people who thought they actually purchase a brand new laptop for fifteen bucks.

It is dishonest and bad business. Shame on www.swoopo.com.

P.S. Check out the actual auction winner at http://www.swoopo.com/auction/apple-macbook-mb466ll-a-13-3-inch-laptop/139701.html

This is what it said to the winner...

Congratulations,
Koschili!

Savings: 0%

Savings:
Worth up to:	$1,299.00
Placed bids (2872):	$2,154.00
FreeBids (0):	$0.00
Final price:	$255.29

Savings:	$0.0

savings = he paid 85% more than if he had just walked down the street and bought it at the store. Summary, "take an economics class" and "don't be stupid"

Status Update

2009-03-08T23:53:00.000-07:00

Here is what is happening in life!

Charisse was accepted to Duke University (Fully funded w/ stipend), University of Texas Austin (funded with an ok stipend), Vanderbilt (Funded and stipend comparable to Duke), and Berkeley (not funded for 2 years). She has declined U of T, Austin and recently Vanderbilt after visiting Duke and being very impressed. So she was flying home last weekend and missed a call from Berkeley encouraging her to come to the recruitment weekend because they are "confident the funding will work out" which is being translated as "you are number one on the alternate list." So they will likely offer funding and stipends comparable to Duke. SO! as it stands now, we are deciding whether to live in North Carolina (Duke) or Northern California (Berkeley).

We are visiting Berkeley this next weekend for a few days where Charisse will be able to meet the faculty and see campus/the area.

Charisse will be working on her PhD in English literature focusing on Eighteenth Century British works.

I am graduating from BYU in April in Middle East Studies/Arabic so my schedule is full of capstone, writing, religion, and politics classes and for those that were wondering, I am writing my capstone on Mark Twain and Theodore Herzl/Early Zionism.

For the past few weeks I have been going through the application process to become a corps member at Teach For America. TFA hires new college graduates and trains them to be public school teachers for 2 years in urban and rural struggling school districts all over the country. Since they have programs in Eastern North Carolina and the Bay Area, CA, I decided it would be a good fit. In addition to being a teach for 2 years, I will likely be able to earn my Master's degree in Education in the process.

I have passed the first round of cuts and was invited to participate in a phone interview which I completed last week. If I did well and they are still interested, I will be invited to a face to face interview at the end of march. I'll find out tomorrow (March 9) if I made it. From there, I attend the day long interview, and if I pass, they will give me an assignment to accept/decline.

So the sum of it all is we are in a crazy waiting period with big possibilities if they all pan out. And if they don't, the worst case scenario is Charisse being 100% funded for 5-6 years, getting her PhD, and myself finding a job that will set me up for my next jolt of schooling.

On a different note, Charisse and I just got back from Cedar City where we spent the weekend at her parent's house with her family. We played Swashbuckled, slept in, went to Zion National Park (looking for my great great grand father's grave but to no avail), ate at Golden Corral, visited Charisse's Grandmother in St. George, ordained her brother Brett to the Melchizedek Priesthood (he was called to be a missionary in Budapest...Buchapest....err....Bucharest! Romania), and ate a wonderful family dinner together. It was a delightful weekend.

We are living in my late great grandmother's condo in Orem which is going on the housing market this week. So we have a laundry list of tasks to complete during the 4 day interim between weekend jaunts. Grandpa Stephens and his brothers have been working with a realtor to fix the place up and get it on the market. So Charisse and I get to earn our stay by keeping the place spic-n-span and "lived in." It is a lot of work, but we are grateful for a place to live. We will be even more grateful if the economic downturn gives a a place to live for a few more months. It sure would suck to have to move out at the same time as finals...

All in all, Life has given us some tough decisions to make, but we can't really complain because the choices we have are evidence and consequences of some pretty spectacular blessings.

Belief o Matic tells me I'm a Mormon

2009-02-24T17:05:00.000-08:00

Hey this is cool. You answer a bunch of questions and the Belief o Matic tells me what religion I should be. Also, it is interesting to see how much I can relate to other faith systems! check it out Belief-o-Matic on Beliefnet.com.

To send your Belief-O-Matic Quiz results to a friend please click here.
Your Results

The top score on the list below represents the faith that Belief-O-Matic, in its less than infinite wisdom, thinks most closely matches your beliefs. However, even a score of 100% does not mean that your views are all shared by this faith, or vice versa.

Belief-O-Matic then lists another 26 faiths in order of how much they have in common with your professed beliefs. The higher a faith appears on this list, the more closely it aligns with your thinking.

1. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (100%)
2. Jehovah's Witness (87%)
3. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (74%)
4. Baha'i Faith (74%)
5. Sikhism (73%)
6. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (73%)
7. Orthodox Judaism (70%)
8. Islam (60%)
9. Orthodox Quaker (59%)
10. Liberal Quakers (55%)
11. Reform Judaism (49%)
12. Eastern Orthodox (47%)
13. Roman Catholic (47%)
14. Jainism (47%)
15. Unitarian Universalism (46%)
16. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (45%)
17. Hinduism (45%)
18. Seventh Day Adventist (45%)
19. Mahayana Buddhism (40%)
20. Theravada Buddhism (39%)
21. Neo-Pagan (34%)
22. Taoism (27%)
23. New Age (26%)
24. Secular Humanism (26%)
25. New Thought (24%)
26. Scientology (22%)
27. Nontheist (17%)

Mark Twain and Satan

2009-02-19T19:26:00.000-08:00

Mark Twain wrote:

"I have no special regard for Satan; but I can at least claim that I have no prejudice against him. It may even be that I lean a little his way, on account of his not having a fair show. All religions issue Bibles against him, and say the most injurious things about him, but we never hear his side. We have none but the evidence for the prosecution, and yet we have rendered the verdict. To my mind, this is irregular. It is un-English; it is un-American; it is French. Without this precedent Dreyfus could not have been condemned. Of course Satan has some kind of a case, it goes without saying. It may be a poor one, but that is nothing; that can be said about any of us. As soon as I can get at the facts I will undertake his rehabilitation myself, if I can find an unpolitic publisher. It is a thing which we ought to be willing to do for any one who is under a cloud. We may not pay Satan reverence, for that would be indiscreet, but we can at least respect his talents. A person who has during all time maintained the imposing position of spiritual head of four-fifths of the human race, and political head of the whole of it, must be granted the possession of executive abilities of the loftiest order. In his large presence the other popes and politicians shrink to midges for the microscope. I would like to see him. I would rather see him and shake him by the tail than any other member of the European Concert."

I just thought it was interesting!

Oh. and I have decided to write my capstone on late 17th Century Zionist writings (mostly Theodore Herzl) and the phrase from Twain:

"Speaking of concentration, Dr. Herzl has a clear insight into the value of that. Have you heard of his plan? He wishes to gather the Jews of the world together in Palestine, with a government of their own—under the suzerainty of the Sultan, I suppose. At the Convention of Berne, last year, there were delegates from everywhere, and the proposal was received with decided favour. I am not the Sultan, and I am not objecting; but if that concentration of the cunningest brains in the world were going to be made in a free country (bar Scotland), I think it would be politic to stop it. It will not be well to let that race find out its strength. If the horses knew theirs, we should not ride any more."

Interesting. At least I hope so.

Until Next timE! - Cory

PS Apple let me download the soundtrack to Rocky...so I will probably start working out finally.

Magnavox Cabinet! a picture tour

2009-01-28T12:03:00.000-08:00

As many likely know, Charisse and I live in my late Great Grandmother's condo in Orem. As we were cleaning one day, we discovered that the cabinet in the front room was not actually a cabinet, but rather a large cabinet radio, record player, and 8-track deck. Since then we have collected a few records and think it is probably the coolest thing ever. We were indeed very grateful when Aunty Sheila said we could have it as an inheritance. Sweet. To the best of my knowledge, it was top-o-the-line when it was made in 1974.

Even better, I was able to disconnect the 8-track and in its place I put a 3.5 mm Audio in cable so i can now play my iPod through the cabinet.

On a more recent note, I have a story! I decided to play the Beatles "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" when Charisse and I realized that it was playing painfully slow. So, using my highly developed problem solving skills, I took noted a point on the record as it passed the stabilizing bar and set my iPod stopwatch for 1 min. Counting, I found out that the table was only spinning at a meager 28rpm. I proceeded to take the face of the spinning table off, separate all of the washers and ball bearings, cleaned them up, sprayed some WD-40 throughout and put it back together. Great DAY! it was now at a notperfectbutacceptable speed of 32 rpm (of the correct 33 1/3 rpm). Sweet.

To my dismay, though, the speed soon decreased again. It was actually the reason I realized that the thermostat was out of whack and the room was only 55 degrees. I figured the cold was affecting the speed somehow. So in summary, the record player tipped me off that ir was freezing cold in my house.

Here are cool pictures:

Best website Award! goes to...

2009-01-28T09:30:00.001-08:00

Jackson Pollock!!

check this out - Click! JacksonPollock.org

So THAT is what marriage is about...

2009-01-20T16:45:00.000-08:00

Charisse to Cory:

"Home safe, phone charging, headphones waiting on your pillow.. wife madly in love with you. Oh. and enchiladas for dinner. :-)"

This is to get things Rolling again

2009-01-19T08:32:00.000-08:00

I stole this from Alan Neil Rosenhan, Esq. but I figure it will make people pay attention to my bloggity blog again.

5 TV Shows I Love to Watch:
1) Simpsons
2) Buffy The vampire slayer!
3) How I met Your Mother
4) Flight of the Conchords
5) 24, House,

5 Favorite Restaurants:
1) Nicolitalias
2) Carls Jr.
3) Five guys
4) In n Out
5) Starbux

5 Things That Happened Yesterday:
1) I went to Ward Conference, taught 12-13 year olds about agency
2) Family Dinner at the Stephens'
3) Friday I bought a NEW BIKE (Specialized)
4) Watched various episodes of the Simpsons and How I met Your Mother
5) Counted Tithing

5 Things I Love About Fall:
1) It is not winter
2) Walking through leaves in my blue boots
3) Beds
4) Thanksgiving
5) Trees

5 Things On My Wishlist:
1) Financial stability
2) Arabic mastery
3) A House
4) A Motorcycle
5) 40 acres and a mule. Oh yes.

(I copied most of the last one verbatim from Alan.... HAHAHA)

My Birth.....DAY!

2008-10-22T07:58:00.001-07:00

My birthday season has been very good. The festivities were diverse and awesome. First Karen and Bruce and Brett (Charisse's family!) came all the way up from Cedar and we had a great time eating Italian food from Macaroni grill. and Cake!! Next I got to chose family dinner last Sunday so we head big juicy steaks, Monday Charisse gave me several gifts like Season 2 of How I met your Mother, Starbucks, and others! With some birthday money I decided to get a set of small weights and a bench to put downstairs. My actual day was pretty rollercoastery. So most may know that my Grandmother Irma Stephens (she with whom Charisse and I have been living, 97) died last week. So the funeral was birthday morning in Ogden. The bad news is she died but the good news is I got to spend Monday night and all day Tuesday with my wife, dad, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends. Plus they bought Charisse and I dinner (Village Inn, I ate chicken fried chicken with biscuits and gravy!) and a movie (Ghost Town). So now it is wednesday, i have had about 35,000 people wish me a happy birthday on the facebook, and Charisse said that she was going to make me a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Oh, and she has let me win arguments for, like, 4 days now. Sweet. Ok, that was my birthday. In summary. It was awesome. Thank you everyone!

An anonymous man after my own HEART!

2008-10-08T07:16:00.000-07:00

It is like he (or she) can READ MY MIND!!!

A message to my mail from the... INTERNET!!!...follows:

You Ain't Gonna Like Losing

I know everyone has a different opinion on the war and our current President. But, this article makes a lot of sense,
take 2 minutes, read it and give it some thought.

When electing the next President, 'the only decision
you have to make is who you want sitting in that seat in
the White House when - not if - WHEN we get hit again and
millions of American lives are put at risk!'

This is from: 'You ain't gonna like losing.'

Author unknown.

President Bush did make a bad mistake in the war on
terrorism. But the mistake was not his decision to go to
war in Iraq . Bush's mistake came in his belief that
this country is the same one his father fought for in WWII.
It is not.

Back then, they had just come out of a vicious depression.
The country was steeled by the hardship of that depression,
but they still believed fervently in this country. They
knew

that the people had elected their leaders, so it was the
people's duty to back those leaders.

Therefore, when the war broke out the people came together,
rallied behind, and stuck with their leaders, whether they
had voted for them or not or whether the war was going
badly or not.

And war was just as distasteful and the anguish just as
great then as it is today. Often there were more casualties
in one day in WWII than we have had in the entire Iraq war.
But that did not matter. The people stuck with the
President because it was their patriotic duty. Americans
put aside their differences in WWII and worked together to
win that war.

Everyone from every strata of society, from young to old
pitched in. Small children pulled little wagons around to
gather scrap metal for the war effort. Grade school
students saved their pennies to buy stamps for war bonds to
help the effort.

Men who were too old or medically 4F lied about their age
or condition trying their best to join the military.

Women doubled their work to keep things going at home.
Harsh rationing of everything from gasoline to soap, to
butter was imposed, yet there was very little complaining.

You never heard prominent people on the radio belittling
the President. Interestingly enough in those days there
were no fat cat actors and entertainers who ran off to
visit and fawn over dictators of hostile countries and
complain to them about our President. Instead, they made
upbeat films and entertained our troops to help the
troops' morale. And a bunch even enlisted.

And imagine this: Teachers in schools actually started the
day off with a Pledge of Allegiance, and with prayers for
our country and our troops!

Back then, no newspaper would have dared point out certain
weak spots in our cities where bombs could be set off to
cause the maximum damage. No newspaper would have dared
complain about what we were doing to catch spies. A
newspaper would have been laughed out of existence if it
had complained that German or Japanese soldiers were being
'tortured' by being forced to wear women's
underwear, or subjected to interrogation by a woman, or
being scared by a dog or did not have air conditioning.

There were a lot of things different back then. We were not
subjected to a constant bombardment of pornography,
perversion and promiscuity in movies or on radio. We did
not have legions of crack heads, dope pushers and armed
gangs roaming our streets.

No, President Bush did not make a mistake in his handling
of terrorism. He made the mistake of believing that we
still had the courage and fortitude of our fathers. He
believed that this was still the country that our fathers
fought so dearly to preserve.

It is not the same country. It is now a cross between
Sodom and Gomorra and the land of Oz. We did unite for a
short while after 9/11, but our attitude changed when we
found out that defending our country would require some
sacrifices.

We are in great danger. The terrorists are fanatic
Muslims. They believe that it is okay, even their duty, to
kill anyone who will not convert to Islam. It has been
estimated that about one third or over three hundred
million Muslims are sympathetic to the terrorists cause...
Hitler and Tojo combined did not have nearly that many
potential recruits. So... We either win it - or lose it -
and you ain't gonna like losing.

America is not at war. The military is at war.

America is at the mall, or watching the movie stars.

(Remember Obama said in his book 'Audacity of
Hope', 'I will stand with the Muslims should the
political winds shift in an ugly direction'.....what
better place for the Muslins to control our country, than
in the office of the President of USA . If you ever
forwarded an e-mail, now's the time to do it!)

AHHHH!!! they were right...!
(maybe? Snopes.com article)

Responding to a message to Judah from Joseph

2008-09-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

This is my response I mailed to my Professor for my The Jews vs. The Mormons class. Some people call it Judaism and the gospel. But seriously, we know we are right...

(by the way, I believe President Benson was a prophet :)

"Speaking Today.....": A message to Judah from Joseph
By: President Ezra Taft Benson

Link!

What I Wrote: (!)

I am a Middle East Studies/Arabic student and I just returned from a study abroad visiting Palestine and Israel in the context of studying Arabic. The nature of my course of studies lends to skepticism and careful criticism of what I read especially as it pertains to the issues of conflict in the Arab/Israeli Palestine.
Bearing that in mind, certain passages in the message given by President Benson caught my attention. Understanding, of course, that it was not a political treatise, i could not help but to fill in the blanks as I read. For example, President Benson says, "Since 1948, the people of the world have witnessed a marvelous drama taking place before their eyes; and yet it is a miracle that has gone rather unnoticed and unappreciated. One of the greatest events in history is the literal gathering of Jews to their homeland from 'the four corners of the earth.' It is as Isaiah prophesied, 'a marvelous work and a wonder." Yet while the truth of an unnoticed and unappreciated drama rings to Jewish benefit, the same can be said of the unnoticed and unappreciated plight of those the land was taken from.
The difficulty of my position is my appreciation for how much the Palestinian people have suffered while still maintaining and nurturing my conviction in the fulfillment of prophesy. I am reminded of similar situations in our own history. The Book of Mormon clearly prophesies the downfall and destruction of the Lamanite people as a result of their iniquity. The fulfillment of this prophetic decree was actualized in the destruction of the Native American population with the spread of such Nationalistic doctrines as Manifest Destiny (one example). The realization of prophesy does not, however, cleanse our hands from the disgraceful trail of tears.
Therefore, in my opinion, there are two ways to address the badlands that lie between the Politics and Prophesy of the restoration of Israel to the Holy land. The first is an unfettered charge in which the flag of "It's God's Will" is flown foreword, justified by ancient scripture and a bilateral outcome of the restoration of the chosen and the displacement of the other. The second is a recognition of Christ's admonition to love the neighbor and the enemy, searching out every possibility to first live in peace, together. Our first charge as followers of Christ is to search out peace. If it ends up taking longer for scriptural prophecy to be fulfilled following such a doctrine, so be it. At least we will bring to pass the designs of God without staining our hands in the process.

A hole

2008-07-13T01:29:00.000-07:00

This is a hole that Indian Jones probably played in before dramatically riding away from the Petra Treasury!

Upon an inquiry: What did you think when..

2008-07-07T23:15:00.000-07:00

This is what Charisse told me when I asked her what she thought when i asked her to be my dance partner. It is a love story:

ok
well
I had noticed you pretty early on in the class
your name stuck because you actually seemed to have a personality
but the fact that you did have an apparent personality, and did seem outgoing and confident etc. etc.
meant that while I knew who you were, I didn't enter you into the realm of possibility as far as any kind of relationship with me (dance partner or otherwise)
"out of my league," I suppose
which is why I was shocked when you suddenly asked me to be your partner
(well when I say "out of my league" I don't mean necessarily that I thought you were in a Better league ;);) , just that you were in a league other than my own, whatever that is/was)
ok. so now tell me about when i asked you to be my date
ok
so I was walking to the testing center, having just gotten out of class
to my latin test
and I don't remember why I turned on my phone, but I did
and then it started vibrating in my hand, telling me there was a message
so I went to voicemail and the number was one I definitely didn't recognize
and then I heard your voice
you were like, "Hi Charisse, this is Cory, your DanceSport dancing partner, and I was wondering..."
and at this point I'm thinking, 'oh, he probably wants to get together to practice'
but then you continued to say something to the effect of "if you're free on Saturday night, and if you are, if you would like to go on a date with me"
and I didn't stop walking, but my brain kind of did.
and went, ?????
because again, this possibility had never occurred to me
nevermind that I had (I think) never before been straight-up asked out by someone I barely knew
I was impressed by your bluntness
and rather wished I hadn't missed your call
ok so I decided, my brain suddenly being in half-broken mode, that I would wait until after the test to call you back
so I took the test
was ridiculously distracted
kept getting this funny feeling in my stomach every time I thought about it
but finished the test nonetheless
and then...I don't remember the details of when I called you, whether I did it on my way back or waited until i was in the apt
but you didn't answer
(*looks at you*)
which was sort of a relief, sort of not
so I left a message (which I hate doing, as you may have noticed)
that night dinner group was at the other apartment
but I made sure to take my phone with me and keep it within hearing distance
I of course explained nothing to them beforehand, and then when you DID call back, in the middle of dinner, I (got a stupid grin on my face) and disappeared back to the bathroom to answer
which I did
and...it was slightly awkward, as I recall
but I figured it would work out, one way or another, and when you told me what you actually had PLANNED, you unfortunately couldn't see the grin on my face
I was like, Shakespeare? Seriously? Where did you COME from? (And will you take me there?)
and I don't really remember anything else about the conversation, to be honest
though I think you explained about Eric coming down with a girl he liked
yes well, when you asked if I knew much about Shakespeare and I said "yes" and then you asked "a lot?" and I said "yes" I wondered if you would think I was being pretentious...
and for some reason I decided to just be perfectly honest
kind of like I decided, as i was trying to figure out what to wear TO said date, that I wasn't going to worry about it, and I wasn't going to do a lot of makeup, because I wanted to be comfortable, and I wanted to look like the Normal Me.
and apparently it worked
so anyway, I after the phone call I went back to the dinner table (grinning, gosh darn it)
and announced that I had a date that weekend
and everyone was slightly shocked but appropriately happy for me
it was more along the lines of, 'when did THIS happen?'
i remember being nervous before class on Friday
wondering if anything was going to be different

(Cory: and it was! because you were in love)

which I...don't think it was? Blast me for not having recorded every detail as it occurred...

I love you now
and I was pretty darn close by Monday morning
ok. Saturday.
I was getting ready and at one point realized I had ANOTHER message on my phone
which was from you
and my heart fluttered and slightly sank at the same time, half giddy that you'd called again and half afraid there was some kind of problem
and then you asked me what kind of pizza I preferred, and informed me that if I didn't respond, you would derive my pizza tastes from my dancing
...and I think that is actually the point where I realized that I could totally fall for you.
so I went on grinning as I got ready (letting you derive pizza tastes as you would)
and then I fought with myself and was all antsy over when to actually leave, since I was, as always, ready too early and had to wait until I could leave and arrive at a more appropriate time
so then I did leave, and I parked on the stupid street that wraps around the complex
and then called you to say I'd arrived and to ask you where in the heck your apartment actually was
I remember seeing you come around the corner where the sign is
and then there was probably some semi-awkward exchange at this point, but it has disappeared from my memory
not least by the fact that I then got to meet your Jeep for the first time!
and you opened my door for me
which was major points for you
and then we headed for Nick's
I think it was on the way there that I asked if your Jeep had a name, to which you responded in the negative
and you were pleased when I said that I never understood the fetish for naming inanimate objects
So we went to Nick's, and you introduced me to Nick himself
who informed me how lucky I was to be on a date with you
I agreed with him, of course
so we sat down at a table to wait for the pizza to actually be ready, and we talked for a bit
about where you went on your mission
and about the random languages we spoke
our majors, where we were from, etc.
I remember (because I was embarrassed) telling you about Harvard too, since you asked where I learned Irish
and wouldn't let me dodge by just saying "Boston"
ok so I don't remember anything else we said specifically
but then we got the pizza and headed back to the apt
so, more about that
all the food/drinks stuff was out on the coffee table, and you and I claimed the smaller couch
and I went straight for the Dr Pepper
and the pizza was amazing
and I remember your red mug was on the table
which is how I learned how you spelled your name

(Cory: did you think of me when we were watching the movie? or were you otherwise diverted?)

Dear, you were sitting about a foot away from me
I was HYPER-aware of you

(Cory: i was curled in a ball most of the time. eating pizza off my knees)

not the entire time
because I remember noticing distinct opportunities when you could possibly have done something like, oh, taken my hand...
and of course I was sitting there wondering whether or not to make it available... always a trick
by the way, I think I've mentioned this before, and it's not because I would do this with anyone (past experience proves otherwise), but I would totally have kissed you that first date
...if you asked, that is
anyway
so we finished watching the movie
and i had to jet off to (stupid stupid) work
and you were up doing something or other and I didn't really know how to leave without it being awkward so I thought, ok, I'm just going to do it like it's the most normal thing in the world, so as everyone was starting in on the clean-up thing I went to the door and said bye
and you were like, "are you off to work?" and I said "yeah"
and no, we didn't talk again until monday
which I distinctly recall because I agonized all day Sunday
so Saturday night at work I spent the whole time resisting the urge to announce to everyone that I'd just had a fabulous first date
Sunday's agony revolved around the fact that I was in serious danger of falling for you
but I had no idea if you were actually interested in me
if the date had just been a for-fun and favor-for-your-brother thing
and if you'd only called me because you conveniently already had my number
having acquired it in an entirely different context
so I called Emily and flailed a bit, told her about the date and how cool you were
and how I very much wanted you to like me and very much hoped you would call again...
oh, Sunday I also consulted stalker-net to find out what your last name was
I went through the list of every Cory at BYU to see which one was from Maryland
so that I could see if you were on facebook
subsequently friend you
and thereby hint that I was interested in getting to know you better
and then Monday came
anyway, Monday, which is possibly my favorite part
so I went to class, still internally flailing over what (if anything) was going to happen between us
and I didn't really know if it would be ok / I could convince myself to go right up and start talking to you
I think you came to class after I did anyway
but then YOU came up to ME
and you gave me a daisy
and all my anxiety completely disappeared

(Cory: and then you had no idea what to do with it! so you put it in your pocket!)

well I didn't want to go stick it in/on my bag
since even though it would have been safer for the daisy, I wanted to keep it with me
like, RIGHT with me
so I had the daisy in my pocket, proof that you WERE in fact interested in me
and I was really genuinely disappointed and sad when it ended up decapitated
but I subsequently immortalized it with a sketch in my journal
ok
so the rest of Monday is a blur until my phone rang that night
and it was you (your name was entered by then, so the phone told me so before I answered, which means I was smiling before I answered)
and said you wanted to go to Starbucks, and wanted to know if I wanted to go with you
so I answered honestly with an "I would love to."
so then you came and picked me up, and you opened my door for me again :):), and we went and actually...didn't get hot chocolate
we both got the caramel apple cider
was it raining?
because there was some reason why the outside tables weren't satisfactory in relation to the weather
so we went back in
only to discover there were no open tables...
ah
yes, it being February and all
so we ended up grabbing a couple chairs that were stacked against the wall
and sat there and talked about Rembrandt and music and concerts we'd been to...
and a bunch of other stuff I can't list off the top of my head
but by the way, the Starbucks itself also earned you serious points
as you may recall me saying in my livjournal, "Shakespeare AND Starbucks? Have I fallen into some kind of alternate universe? One that actually likes me?"
I was really happy
and the more we talked the more excited I was to talk to you, and to learn more about you
and the easier it was to talk to you
surprisingly so, in fact
but then pretty much everything about you was delightfully surprising
and it's so strange now to imagine us ever not knowing each other
and then Tuesday morning when you left that message for me on facebook...
I was more than a little bit thrilled
and more than a little bit endeared by your exempting yourself from any possible rules that might have prevented you from contacting me again so soon
it gave me enough time to come to the conclusion that i absolutely without question DID want to see you again
and when I went to bed Monday night I was really disappointed knowing that the next day was Tuesday
because that meant I had no guarantee of seeing you
and I was afraid I was going to have to wait all the way until class on Wednesday
it was going to be a very long Tuesday if that were the case
but!
then you showed up in my inbox
saying "tuesdays aren't that bad" in response to my status and then suggesting we do dinner.
and suddenly Tuesday was a glorious thing
and I worked up the nerve to ask if you would come to the Welsh movie with me
and I remember going to your place that evening, and tasting your aunt's cooking for the first time
(enchiladas)
and we talked about our families and what our parents did for a living
ok so skipping to my favorite part of the evening
the part however-long into the long depressing Welsh film
where you leaned over and asked if you could hold my hand
and you remember what I said?

(Cory: yes, but i want to know what you said in your mind)

I'm pretty sure those were the exact and first words in my head
"do you really have to ask"
but emotion-wise, I was non-linguistically thinking, Finally...
because I really couldn't imagine it wasn't BLATANTLY obvious by then that something like that would be more than acceptable
and you looked away for a second and then looked back and said, "Yes."
So I smiled and said, "Then yes."
And then you did.
(my heart goes fluttery thinking about it even now)
(that first time our hands touched)
my second most favorite part of the evening
was as we were walking out of the movie
and before we were even out of the building, you'd taken my hand again like it was the most natural thing in the world
and it surprised me
in yet another are-you-sure-this-can-get-any-better kind of way
I thought it was perfect
it perhaps meant more than it should have, but it really meant a lot
(we totally skipped over the you-falling-down-the-stairs-after-Starbucks, but the way)
ok so I'm in the apartment grinning having just shut the door after you and a few seconds later there's this THUD.
Audrey is sitting on the couch and I stare at her for a minute, and I'm like...'was that...?'
so I open the door and lean over the railing
and there you were
and to be honest, I'm laughing at you again right now
because it was freaking hilarious
though I did feel a little bad that I couldn't even stop laughing long enough to ask if you were ok, so it came out all hilarified
but again, as always, i was endeared
there you were at the bottom of the stairs and I don't remember exactly what it looked like because I was laughing so hard there were tears in my eyes making everything kind of blurry
yes, that
maybe it was the "bloody hell" that made me laugh so hard
ok anything else we need to go over about Monday night or can I tell you the other important thing about Tuesday?
(yes. i want to know if you were thinking of me when you were lying in bed trying to sleep. that night)
I missed you.
And it was the weirdest thing, because we'd really only known each other TWO DAYS and only barely that
but I was dying to see you again
ok
so when you dropped me off Tuesday night, we had our first real hug
we kind of hugged Monday night, but it was an awkward not-sure-how-to-deal-with-this-exactly kind of hug
Tuesday night all that was gone
and I got to really feel your arms around me for the first time

Fred and Floe

2008-04-25T23:57:00.000-07:00

I wrote this when I was young. It is perhaps not a coincidence that I found it, stuffed in a file in my parents house, when I did. I duly dedicate it to the girl I love on the eve of my adventure in Arabia. I love you Charisse...

Fred and Floe
by Cory Stephens
2/29/ (year unknown)

Immediately the doctor rushed in. Everyone was having mixed feelings about the birth. Some were happy, some were worried, but all were excited.

After the longest six hours of all their lives, Fred was born.

After the delivery everyone was silent, in the room there was no movement, except for the murmur of a muffled cry. The child was born with no mouth.

As Fred grew up it was very difficult. He had to get very painful shots, for nutrients, every day, he couldn't laugh, he had very much trouble communicating, and on top of all that, the other snobby kids laughed at poor mouthless Fred.

When he was a decade old he had a very tense surgery. It dragged on for about one very long week.

And after that hard, long, wait, it all failed (and costed A LOT of money).

One day when Fred was seventeen he fell desperately in love with a girl named Floe. It took her an awful long to figure out that she was desperately in love also. All during this period of time her peers picked on her because she dated Fred.

After about one or two years passed, Fred took Floe out to eat and said in sign language, "Floe, will you marry me?"

In partial astonishment Floe said, "What took you so long, of course I will!" They set a wedding date for six months later.

Finally the weddings eve arrived. Everyone was in sparkling tears. They are all so happily proud of both Fred Alexander and soon to be Mrs. Floe Alexander! The wedding day arrived and after the "I do" part, the reverend said, "You may try to kiss the bride."

About a year after their marriage doctors heard of the awkward wedding and decided to help Fred free of charge! Fred and Floe soon agreed to do it.

Two weeks later Fred found himself in an operating chair being gassed. A few hours later Fred woke up.

He could feel hard things, TEETH, a squishy thing, a tongue, and a little thing that dangles in the back of his throat. The surgery had succeeded!!

After a month of hard training Fred could eat with utinsels, talk, and KISS!!

For the first time in his life no one stares, he can eat, he can be a normal person. Best of all, he won't owe the doctor a billion dollars!

The Myopic Commenting on the Myopic

2008-04-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

Letter to the Editor regarding the article on the Jerusalem dividing wall link

Ok, so I am disappointed that the Daily Universe decided not to address the bias and racial undertones of Abigail Shaha's article on the division wall. But to publish a letter to the editor which repeats the exact same prejudice and ignorance to the situation? "how myopic and distorted" indeed.

"Intimating that "trash-littered, crumbling" East Jerusalem is the wall's fault again shows a lack of understanding. The sad condition of many Palestinian communities lies solely at their own government's feet. First, successive Palestinian governments have alternately supported and turned a blind eye to terrorism, which was the impetus for the wall in the first place. Second, these regimes' corruption and mismanagement have led to the sorry state of the West Bank's economy. While we wish a better life for the Palestinian people, their plight is their own doing - not Israel's and certainly not Israel's wall." - Taylor, Blasucci

Again, I would challenge, strongly, the moral high ground that Taylor and Blasucci award Israel. A simple internet search will produce the evidence that outside of the comfortable sphere of our college lives, seemingly obvious truths of Israeli innocence against Palestinian hostility is widely and hotly debated example. I do not claim that the tables are turned, a Palestinian angel verses an Israeli devil, but rather hope that the studious and critical reader of the news will understand that there is a war going on that has no right or reason to claim to be a battle of moral verses amoral, right verses wrong, or one-sided self defense against an incomprehensible and chaotic aggressor. Just like every other war in history, it is a matter of opposing political entities struggling to legitimize and expand their influence where someone else thinks they shouldn't. Both sides are virtuous and justified and both sides have historically and repeatedly commited gross violations of human rights and decency.

The solution to this whole ordeal is not the assignation of blame and name calling. It is the struggle to legitimize and recognize the grievances of both parties and work toward a mutual respect and for the rights of each to exist. Unfortunately, this has been made monumentally more difficult as each side progressively losses confidence in the integrity of the other due to skewed reality, broken promises, hidden agendas, and fruitless political dances. The future of the region doesn't seem bright when even our university can't see past the rhetoric.

Jerusalem in a nutshell?

2008-04-09T11:02:00.000-07:00

Excerpt taken from The Daily Universe, April 8, 2008 link

BYU Students Experience Tension of the Middle East
By Abigail Shaha - 8 Apr 2008

She said it was cold, even under the hot desert sun. All 436 feet of it - like a cold scar on the landscape.

"There was this ancient world and then a new wall, with hate and malice splashed across it," said Kira Dockum, a junior from Kennewick, Wash. "It looks so abrasive, so big and imposing. The people on either side are exactly the same."

...

City Divisions

Within the city itself, Jerusalem is divided into East Jerusalem, the trash-littered crumbling portion of the city inhabited mostly by Palestinians, and West Jerusalem, the Israeli side with modern buildings and clean streets. Locals call the street straddling the divide "no man's land." The entire country follows a similar separation pattern.

BYU associate professor of geography Chad Emmett said the separation is more than a physical distinction.

"They're segregated, not intentionally but by the people's choice," Emmett said. "[Areas controlled by Israel] have more parks, play grounds, community service organizations, they're just nicer towns - it's where the money is spent."

Laker said there was never trash in West Jerusalem, while in East Jerusalem "we were constantly trudging through garbage." East Jerusalem reminded Merrell of a dysfunctional society, while West Jerusalem felt like an American city.

"You can just feel the tension," said Trevor Tuttle, a sophomore from Orem. "They never interact."

The agitation spilled into other areas too. Hunt had locals stare at her unashamed for her blonde hair. Mike Infanger, a junior from Gooding, Idaho, had fruit thrown at him by Palestinian children who mistook him for an Israeli. Brooklyn Roeller, a sophomore from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, was shunned by local shopkeepers for being a woman. Emily Hixson, a junior from Los Banos, Calif., even had to dodge stray donkeys roaming the streets.

But students said the clear divisions and obvious tension didn't scare them.

"They take really good care of you at the Jerusalem Center," Hixson said. "I felt more unsafe living in Long Beach than in Jerusalem."

... [end excerpt]

So what confuses me is the disjointed feeling I got when I read this article in The Daily Universe about student reactions to the Holy City on their sojourn to the BYU Jerusalem Center. In the beginning Shaha quotes Dockum who describes this wall with "hate and malice splashed across it..." and then notices that the people on either side are exactly the same.

So with this idea of hate and malice, Shaha continues to describe the two divisions, "East Jerusalem, the trash-littered crumbling portion of the city inhabited mostly by Palestinians" and "West Jerusalem, the Israeli side with modern buildings and clean streets." She continues to note reactions from several people. Emmett, "[Areas controlled by Israel] have more parks, play grounds, community service organizations, they're just nicer towns - it's where the money is spent" and Laker mentioned that he never had to trudge through garbage in West Jerusalem and the apparent dysfunction that plagued East Jerusalem. This is in addition to the local Palestinians who stare at the blonde American and throw fruit at another, not to mention the rampant sexism and stray donkeys. But at least the Israeli soldiers are there to protect them from the hate and malice of the other.

To put it bluntly, Shaha comes off as very one sided and surprising content to assign the blame to the "dysfunctional" Palestinian society without regard to the political complexity of the situation. Some things she, her interviewees, and her readers may consider:

What are the political undertones of a story such as this?

Where does Israel's money come from?

What effect does international recognition of a country's government have on basic social services such as trash collection?

What biases do American students and faculty have when they enter the Middle East?

What effect does one-sided journalism have on perpetuating the demonization of "the other"

In a conflict lasting more than half a century, can either side justifiably claim the "morally high ground"?

If "the people on either side are exactly the same," why would one produce seeming chaos and the other pleasant organization?

Each of these may be loaded questions, but I hope we recognize that there are two sides to every war, and every commentary has a bias and an agenda. Unfortunately we cannot assign recitude according to who has the nicer park.

CNN Arabic Logo

2008-04-03T14:39:00.000-07:00

this is cool

Charisse!

2008-03-31T22:00:00.000-07:00

This is a video of Charisse (she is my favorite girlfriend) playing the piano at her recital in 2003! She is playing "Jardins sous la Pluie" by Debussy. Listen for the robots!

Web Premier of "Days of Our College Lives"

2008-03-30T23:09:00.000-07:00

This is my first film appearance. The film "Days of our College Lives" premiered at Oscar Night and won best coryography and best foreign film. Enjoy. (This is a shortened version for the web) Full Video

And the Outtakes... coming soon

Hot Singles!

2008-03-25T16:28:00.000-07:00

...and afterwards, join tens of thousands of HOT SINGLES at the CLXXVIIIth Annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the LDS Conference Center listening to the church leaders across from Temple Square. HOT SINGLES!!

P.S. Hot singles, please remember that the conference center does not allow bare midriffs or miniskirts. Please dress accordingly.

Some thoughts spurred by Obama's Speech

2008-03-19T11:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Barack Obama gave what many are calling a historic speech on the state and role of race in America. While it struck many chords with me, one seems to stand out.

Obama said in his speech:

"The fact that so many people are surprised to hear that anger in some of Reverend Wright's sermons simply reminds us of the old truism that the most segregated hour in American life occurs on Sunday morning. That anger is not always productive; indeed, all too often it distracts attention from solving real problems; it keeps us from squarely facing our own complicity in our condition, and prevents the African-American community from forging the alliances it needs to bring about real change. But the anger is real; it is powerful; and to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races.

In fact, a similar anger exists within segments of the white community. Most working- and middle-class white Americans don't feel that they have been particularly privileged by their race. Their experience is the immigrant experience - as far as they're concerned, no one's handed them anything, they've built it from scratch. They've worked hard all their lives, many times only to see their jobs shipped overseas or their pension dumped after a lifetime of labor. They are anxious about their futures, and feel their dreams slipping away; in an era of stagnant wages and global competition, opportunity comes to be seen as a zero sum game, in which your dreams come at my expense. So when they are told to bus their children to a school across town; when they hear that an African American is getting an advantage in landing a good job or a spot in a good college because of an injustice that they themselves never committed; when they're told that their fears about crime in urban neighborhoods are somehow prejudiced, resentment builds over time." (text)

In the weeks following the attacks of September 11, 2001, President Bush said on one occasion:

Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated. (Applause.) Americans are asking, why do they hate us? They hate what we see right here in this chamber -- a democratically elected government. Their leaders are self-appointed. They hate our freedoms -- our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other. (Sept 2001 text)

And on another occasion:

"...how do I respond when I see that in some Islamic countries there is vitriolic hatred for America? I'll tell you how I respond: I'm amazed. I'm amazed that there is such misunderstanding of what our country is about, that people would hate us. I am, I am -- like most Americans, I just can't believe it. Because I know how good we are, and we've go to do a better job of making our case. We've got to do a better job of explaining to the people in the Middle East, for example, that we don't fight a war against Islam or Muslims. We don't hold any religion accountable. We're fighting evil. And these murderers have hijacked a great religion in order to justify their evil deeds. And we cannot let it stand." (Oct 2001 text)

The way I see it, there are two responses to hatred. As a white, middle-class male I can look at the black American critique of white America and declare "they are wrong about me." I never sent their children to poor schools. I never owned a slave. I never prevented them from getting loans or providing for their family. Their anger toward me is irrational and unfounded. They are fanatics.

I can look toward the East and declare, "they are wrong about me." President Bush and I could stand up and emphasize how unfounded their hatred is toward us. We know how good America is. We know how much good we do in the world and how much we care about freedom and democracy and human rights. They are fanatics. I just can't believe that they are so misinformed about us.

This dangerous path is traveled far too often, and it is dangerous. A husband would never say to his angry wife "you are wrong about me. I know how good a husband I am." Nor would he turn his back, go to his buddy's house and explain, "oh, well this is why she is angry." Not if he valued peace in his home. So what would he say? He would drop his defenses and ask, "Why?" he would seek to understand why the anger exists and then retrospectively consider the sources of her anger. Hopefully, if he loves her, he will lend legitimacy to her concerns and validity to her frustration. When she calms down and understands that he is willing to work through the conflict, she will follow.

This leads to the second option for responding to hatred and anger. I can admit that their concerns may be founded on legitimate concerns. Do radical Islamists really hate America and her Ideals? do they hate democracy and freedom and technology? or is their frustration the result of disappointment that American foreign policy has progressively paralleled the European imperialism that has plagued the region for centuries? Do they hate me, an American student struggling to pay for my education and situate myself into my community, or do they resent American foreign policy that continually inserts itself into the equally sovereign governments and politics in order to secure its own material wealth and military might?

Are black Americans mad at me for holding them down or are they frustrated that for hundreds of years the issue of race in America has not been resolved, but rather pushed under the rug or delegitimized by activists "unmasking bogus claims of racism while dismissing legitimate discussions of racial injustice and inequality as mere political correctness or reverse racism."

Obama is right. "The anger is real; it is powerful; and to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races." He is right not only on our home front, but on the international. He has consistently proposed policy that takes into consideration the possibility that we do no understand why people are angry. He has opposed actions that oversimplify the complexity of foreign policy and anti- American and anti- Israeli sentiment.

I don't think there is an easy way to improve our Middle East adventure, and I don't believe that the issue of race can be solved by one person. But as I look toward the elections in November, I am continually impressed with the manner Obama presents the issues and his stances. I am simultaneously distraught by McCain repeating Bush's policy of shoot now and keep shooting until they stop hating America.

Barack Obama on Race

2008-03-18T17:39:00.000-07:00

A story from the life of my g-g-grandpa Alexander Nephi Stephens

2008-03-14T12:26:00.000-07:00

This is a story recorded in Stephens Family Histories, as remembered by John Nephi Stephens, my great-grandfather, about his dad, Alexander:

"Another story he told was that he went into Ogden one winter day. Later in the afternoon he was coming out of the Ogden Theater, the theater was about half way up the hill on 25th street. As he came out he saw a very large negro lady carefully coming down the icy sidewalk. Suddenly both of her feet slipped out from under her and she slid down to where Dad was and knocked both his feet out from under him and he landed sitting up in her lap and thus they continued down the hill until they came to a sudden stop against a telephone pole on the main corner of Washington Avenue and 25th Street. Then the colored lady said, 'White boy, you all got to get a transfer, this is as far as I go.' "

Lifesize Globe

2008-03-14T11:44:00.000-07:00

So Krystyna told me a story:

A student walked into the BYU Harold B Lee Library and walked up to the security desk.

"I heard there was a life-size globe here?" she asked.

To which he replied:

"You are standing on it."

(and for your viewing pleasure, this is the globe she was talking about, on the second floor of the HBLL)

a Conversation between my dad and I

2008-03-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

Jacknimbl: she plays in an all girl D&D group...

Metacoder: lynz played a hobbit version of D&D at the mall the other week and she really got off on it

Jacknimbl: so yeah, any ammo she has against me, i have that
Jacknimbl: hehe
Jacknimbl: you do realize that d and d kills pretty much all aspect of a social life, right
JackNimbl: ?

Metacoder: oh yeah, i know all about it...

Jacknimbl: so she will have to stop when she is 21

Metacoder: did you hear that gary gygax the developer of D&D passed away last week?

Jakcnimbl: yeah i think i did hear that somewhere
Jakcnimbl: how did he go? a spear? an ogre? a pit with spikes?
Jakcnimbl: or maybe a doppleganger?

Metacoder: lol.... some evil spore in a cave maybe

JackNimbl: hehe
JackNimbl: a lance shooting out of a wall and impaling him

Metacoder: yeah! thats it! i kinda miss those games....

on nathanial hawthorne...

2008-03-13T08:20:00.000-07:00

When I was in high school, we read "The Scarlet Letter" By Nathanial Hawthorne. As a project, we created a period newspaper with articles about the characters etc. I got to do the Comics section... (it is easier to see if you click on it)

More rummaging

2008-03-12T11:09:00.000-07:00

Ok, so wrote this in Nov 2006

Dear God

my ipod broke.
first date.
middle east confusion
Please don't exact 8 hours of sleep tonight
economics test
loneliness
my roommate is struggling
how will i pay for school?
failing a test
not enough food
roommates play xbox
devotionals (prophet)
is the tango a sin

just wondering,
Cory

I was rummaging

2008-03-12T11:05:00.000-07:00

So, I was cleaning out my random documents folder and found these things that I thought would be nice to post.

شعر عميق وفصيح:

Haiku

Keys

Damn, I've lost my keys.
hiding somewhere, out of sight.
I should buy a spare...

Breathe

Are we just God's Breath
On a cold winter morning
To exist, then fade?

Dream

I dream'd you last night
in my arms and in my sight.
but then I woke up.

Danny's Kids and the Vandals

2008-03-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

This is a slide show of Danny and Naomi's Children, Bella, Trip, and Maeve. The song was chosen arbitrarily because the slide show ended up being exactly the same length. The song is by The Vandals. Enjoy my unclehood!

Ted Lee on BYUSA

2008-03-04T16:34:00.000-08:00

Considering it's length and some good insights, I decided to post this reply as its own post. Ted Lee says:

My biggest problem with the BYUSA candidates is how it feels they are lying to you through their teeth (though, this is standard fare for most political campaigns).

I often hear the argument from aforementioned campaigners that if we do not vote, we lose the chance to choose a representative for us on campus. I have even heard candidates tell me that from time to time. Yet they fully understand that they are not that liason between the administration and the student body on important student issues, merely a member of (in my eyes) an overexagerated ward activities committee.

When you press them on serious issues, such as how the new BYU approved housing policy restricting it to a two mile radius around campus is going to affect the already dishonest housing market here in Provo (and cause an economic bubble), they back down and say, "We are a service organization. We don't deal with that kind of stuff."

So which is it? Are you a serious representative or just an elected activities planner? Don't say you're something when you're not. The buzz word this year, I hear, is accountability. Too many people, they tell me, don't know what BYUSA is and thus the disillusionment.

I would propose a counter argument. Instead of shunting the accountability to us students, why not take accountability to yourselves, as candidates, who falsify what you really do and promise ridiculous things in order to get voted into a position that you essentially plan to use to pad your resume?

There have been many grumblings among various circles I associate with about how BYU is treating their students, from parking to housing to departments to book prices and so forth. They feel that theirs is a role of reactive rather than proactive. BYU comes out with a new policy without consulting many students. The students then are forced to adjust to policies which they have had no say or representation in. Do not tell me that these policies are inspired. There is a difference between prophetic edicts in interpreting doctrine and providing direction and spiritual counsel for the church and the decisions dealing with the earthly. Remember that the prophet Joseph Smith started an anti-bank - and it failed. We are not insulated against bad judgement calls or unexpected results from decisions when we leave the realm of the spiritual.

Students don't care if we have doughnuts before devotionals. That's not something that really matters to them. We come to this great university to learn and, as the phrase goes, "Go forth and serve" and be a light unto those around us. How can we learn to become examples, when there is little chance to do so? How can we learn to use the proper channels of democracy to affect the world around us when we live in a campus that treats us as children that cannot govern themselves? How is it that BYU can say they prepare people not only so that they can get a job but to be productive citizens when we ourselves do not have the proper ability to voice our opinion, whether in the newspaper or in student organizations?

BYU could afford to give some transparency and self-goverance, or at least a voice, to the student body. It is a win-win situation. Not only do they provide students with a legitimate channel to voice concerns, but they provide opportunities for students to learn first hand how government can be utilized effectively in bringing about benificial change, as well as the dangers of neglecting community politics or studying issues in choosing good candidates. Students, it seems, are becoming frustrated with the fact that they do deal with a non-government that props itself as a government. Our university paper is nothing more than a glorified ward newsletter, not the public forum of public opinion journalism is taught as here in the university. A student government, even a limited one, would help students feel they have some say and control as to the various policies BYU conjurs up that affect our immediate lives. Instead, it seems BYU doesn't really care about us students, and more on projecting a favorable image to the world, gaining more honors, rankings and accolades. And why not? In a pragmatic stance, there's so many clamouring to get in here, what's the loss of a disgruntled student who decides to pursue his education elsewhere?

But I digress.

Conquistador, Part IV: Defeat

2008-03-03T21:11:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the final installment, Conquistador

Defeat

“Mo-o-o-o-m! Where’s my shoe?”

“Keep looking! You must’ve put it somewhere.”

“I need it now! I’ll be late to Jimmy’s party!”

“Why don’t these kids just put things back where they belong?” my mother asked herself, “This room is pathetic. You can’t even see the floor! How do they live like this?”

She reached beneath the bed in search of the lost shoe.

“What is this…what the…JACK!! Get over here right now! What is this?” she interrogated fiercely.

“Nothing.” HA! I tricked her. Yet another victory for he who is mighty to conquer.

“Sit down! You’re not leaving.”

“But the party!”

“How long has this pepperoni been here?”

“I don’t know.” Hahaha! She’ll never break me. I’ve an iron will!

“You’re grounded for a week.”

“But I…but…how can...I need…”

Death. Death by cornering. That’s why I’m here today. No I didn’t go to the party. I sat in that corner for an hour. I haven’t even been out of this stupid house in a week.

Perhaps even a knight has to ask permission.

Conquered.

The End

BYU Student Association Elections

2008-03-03T14:52:00.000-08:00

I sat down this afternoon to write a scything, witty, and probably a little cynical response to the BYU Student Service Association's election season, but as I looked a bit into it, I must say I was taken aback.

My plan consisted of a series of questions to ask the candidates that would expose their self-aggrandizing efforts to put one more thing on their resume at the expense of general peace of several public areas on campus.

Among others, these are some of the questions I have asked several of the BYUSA candidates:

What is your opinion of the current tax system in the US?
What is your opinion of the education system today? Should it be reformed?
War in Iraq - stay or go?
Who are you voting for in the US elections?
Are you a democrat or republican

After each, I asked, "So, do any of these questions have anything to do with your candidacy for the presidency of BYUSA?"

For the most part, each looked at me with a wry eye and was convinced that I was not serious. But I was, so they answered. Out of obligation, I must say that I was not impressed by the majority of the responses in most cases, but after it was all said and done (and an inquiry into the election manual written for potential candidates and published by BYUSA), I learned at least two things.

1-) To his credit, Chance (of the Adam/Chance campaign {site} emphasized one point that I thought was worth noting here. The BYUSA is not a student government in the same mold as other college student governments. Chris Giovarelli, the BYUSA Elections Committee Chair, said in an introduction to the "Elections Handbook:"

Created in 1988 with a model centered on student-service rather than student-governance, BYUSA is not a typical university student association. BYUSA’s vision articulates that members of the organization should aim to be leaders centered on Jesus Christ who seek to build Zion communities among students.

In that sense, it is absurd to consider the organization and its elections in terms (or as a scaled down model) of the presidential elections we are facing as a nation. The college is not nor does it purport to be a democracy. With that in mind, I reconsidered each set of initiatives, and surely invite others to follow {BYUSA Election Page}.

Be that as it may, the organization itself has a power structure and politics rule the process. In the end, it is still an attempt for individuals to obtain power over initiatives and policies of a constituency. Considering this perspective, the election process, seemingly farcical given the power structure of the university, is still valid. Therefore, I found it necessary to actually consider carefully who I would vote for.

2) Yet, as I review each candidates initiatives, I increasingly find that I do not care about free food (particularly when I am obligated to accept a six inch ruler to measure my neckline), DJs, parties, and other trinket initiatives that create superficial warm-fuzzies on campus.

The exception to this, in my opinion, is the agenda regarding the voice of BYU students in the local government. On this issue, I support Roman/Johnson {website}. While speaking with him regarding my questions, he emphasized his initiative for voter registration campaigns at BYU in order to create a student voice in the local government.

We are 30 thousand strong and we live under a government whose policy affects how we live. Yet too many are not even registered in our own city. Even if we are transients, we hold the obligation and right to promote and vote for public policy that favors our community. The silent majority never wins because no one cares about what they are not saying. I mention this only in passing.

In summary, the BYUSA is a good organization, but its potential seems to be untapped as it tries to open "new entrances to the library" and create programs that are unreasonable given the scope of the organization and the length of the terms. Hopefully every candidate will read this and consider why there is such disillusionment about the student non-government.

If enough people are interested in the individual responses to the questions, I will post them as I compile them. Let me know.

Conquistador, Part III: Re-entry

2008-03-03T11:02:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the third instalment of four, Conquistador

Re-entry

Silence. A worthy companion yet, in treacherous defiance, she abandons her master at the slightest sound. Betrayal is her game and quick is her flight. If, though, her loyalty one does win, secret successful passage is his. Silence be a lady tonight. Silence, if you’ve ever been a lady to begin with, Silence be a lady with me.

Ever so gently I drew to the gate, my movement soft and my steps silent. The great knob turned, breaching the portal. I slithered through the darkness as a serpent in the marsh. Nothing disturbed. Nothing heard and nothing seen, but the flicker of a flame hovering upon the wall.

My hoard rests deep beneath the roots of trees. Nowhere but below the soil lies the lair where mighty Knights their weariness show. Thus descended I, in the middle of the night, to my room.

To Be Continued...

Stay tuned for Conquistador, Part IV: Defeat

Conquistador, Part II: Treasure

2008-02-29T07:59:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Second installment of four, Conquistador

Treasure

“Special! $.99 Green Giant Green Beans”

Swoosh. The mystical door slid open. I immediately sprang into action with the agility of a cat, penetrating the foreign realm. I slipped into the corner and concealed myself in the “shopping carts for your convenience” jungle of steel. It’s quiet. Why is it so quiet? I don’t like the feeling here. Something is wrong! Run! Run now!

“Thank you for Shopping Wilson’s. We are glad you have chosen us as your neighborhood grocer.”

The Gods! The Gods are speaking to m…Crash!

“Oh my dear! I am sorry! I didn’t even see you! Are you all right? You’re not a day over six, where is your mother? Come with me, we’ll go find he-he-HEY! Come back!”

With the instincts of a jaguar and the strength of a bear I tore free from the terrible grasp that held me hostage. None may conquer! Now on to the prize.

There. There it was. Not even guarded. A mountain of that which is most precious and pure above all other bounty! More desirable than any fair maiden. Not that they are fair in the first place. Eeeew. I don’t even like thinking about ‘em. Cooties.

I solemnly approached that which was mine to be had. Nothing stood in my way. I inched closer. I reached up to grasp the long shrink-wrapped tube. Reeeeeeach. Streeeeetch. Tippy tippidy tip toes….Blasted giants. I will construct a mighty tower! This pickle bucket will do. VICTORY!!!

I could feel my mouth salivate as I held in reverence the blazing red tube of fresh pepperoni. My hands trembled at the sacred possession. In my soul stirred the ardent passions felt—I imagine—only by those valiant knights of old who, in search of glory, sought the carpenter’s cup. I gazed, mesmerized with anticipation of breaking the seal and releasing the sharp aroma of divinely peppered pork and beef. I resisted.

Warily I traversed the aisles seeking my retreat. Perched upon a wall, the keeper of the gate towered over my own height, vigilant. I approached and in a knightly voice declared my intention of departure, with the pepperoni.

“Two dollars and seventy-eight cents, Son.” His voice warbled with age. He must be as ancient as the sages. I emptied my purse.

“That’s quite a bit of change you got there, boy.”

Question not the heart of he who is mighty to conquer lest your head you wish to lose!

Ne’er before had the moon so shone.
The stars but mild specks in the firmament
were. Valor had no name, nor chivalry a face,
before the day, the noble Knight, for his home did race.

To Be Continued...

Stay tuned for Conquistador, Part III: Re-entry

Conquistador, Part I: Departure

2008-02-28T18:27:00.000-08:00

And now, in the first installment of four, Conquistador

Departure

Thump thump…. Thump thump. Tip… toe… peeer. Nothing. Creeeaaaak. Sliiide. Cloooose the door. A slight breeze. A dark night. Stop! Just for a moment. Someone is coming... wait, no. It’s nobody. Pitter patter pitter patter pitter patter... squiiiish... Stupid mud. Destination. My faithful steed, TAKE ME AWAY!

It was defiance. I had escaped. No one had seen. No one had heard. My Huffy and me, a lone knight rider and his stallion disappearing into the night with nothing but a thick trail of dust following the champion. I looked back just once, only to witness the vanishing castle of my sleeping kin beyond the horizon. They would not have understood. This quest must be done alone.

You see, nothing like this had been done before. No one would have dared to do it. It was too brazen, too daring, too dangerous. Peril lurked around every block, across every street. Bolting across the asphalt sea, home only to barren horseless chariots of steel, I pursued my course. The silence pierced the alley only to be disturbed by the quick click of a ten-speed shifting into high gear. Speeeed. No, no one had ever done this before. Defiance, Rebellion is my name. And in this world, I am King.

There! Off yonder horizon! There awaits my boon. There it lies, in a cold, deserted, artificially lighted keep.

To Be Continued...

Stay tuned for Conquistador, Part II: Treasure

Every lamb we lose

2008-02-25T11:22:00.000-08:00

Today is the beginning of the Women's Services and Resources annual Body Acceptance Week on the Brigham Young University Provo Campus. To kick off the week, the center is hosting "Mirrorless Monday," whose stated purpose reads:

Women's Services and Resources will host Body Acceptance Week through Friday on campus. The week will begin with "Mirrorless Monday," where the mirrors in the WSC will be covered to encourage students to not rely on appearance for acceptance.

Sadly, however, my personal experience with the commencement events have been bittersweet. As I multi-taskingly considered the various forms of acceptance I have at my disposal upon which to rely for acceptance, I entered the WSC second floor men's room and stopped in my tracks. The initiative to cover all mirrors in the restrooms had, indeed, been thwarted. I slowly moved toward the sinks to confirm the scene. I was right. An entire third of the mirror's protective cover had been carefully untaped, and was now hanging loosly from the wall.

I staggered slightly as I realized the implication. Sure, it could have been a mistake on the Center's part. Maybe they did not use enough tape to carry the weight of the veil. But even as I considered this, my heart sank as a fellow student exited one stall and approached the sink and mirror. He was a peer. He was a student, and a brother. Yet I watched as he looked himself straight in the eye, and walked out.

I don't know if he was the one who was so reliant upon his own image that he removed the veil, but I do know the hurt of knowing that even one lamb out of one-hundred who strays is a tragic loss.

In this Iblog post, my heart goes out to that anonymous brother who could not look away from what everyone else saw. I miss him, and hope he finds his way home. Fortunatley, this forum's purpose is twofold. Not only to call, but to reach out. Therefore, in a spirit of remembrance for the one lost I call out, "Please, BYU Women's Service and Resource center, consider other alternatives that will help each of us look past how we look. The current programs are noble, they do unimaginable good, but they could be better, stronger."

Please consider, for next year the following alternatives to "Mirrorless Monday" which I believe to be fool safe. Lets not loose a single lamb next year.

1) Turn each of us to Vampires. As extensively documented by Joss Whedon, vampires do not have reflections. PROS: No reflection = no reliance on appearance for acceptance; less material cost as large sheets of paper are no longer needed to block reflection. CONS: Vampires have no souls.

2) Veils. Veils have been a successful cure to body image issues ever since the Jahalian era of pre-Islamic Arabia. PROS: Not only will we not judge ourselves, others will be forced to rely on our personality to decide if we are ugly. CONS: Terrorism.

3) Remove Restrooms from Wilk entirely. No Bathrooms = No Mirrors = No body image issues. PROS: Reduced labor costs for Wilkenson Janitorial staff. CONS: Various forms of excretory ailments for a large percentage of BYU students, staff, and administration.

Remembering the Lost... - شكري

For more information on Body Acceptance Week (which, all humor aside, I support) and the Initiatives of the Women's Services and Resource Center, please visit their site: BYU Women's Services and Resource Center.

from two books that changed my life

2008-02-15T02:28:00.000-08:00

"You know that song 'If a body catch a body comin' through the rye'? I'd like — "

"It's 'If a body meet a body coming through the rye'!" old Phoebe said. "It's a poem. By Robert Burns."

"I know it's a poem by Robert Burns."

She was right, though. It is "If a body meet a body coming through the rye." I didn't know it then, though.

"I thought it was 'If a body catch a body,'" I said. "Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around — nobody big, I mean — except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff — I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. I know it's crazy."

Holden to Pheobe
' The Cather in the Rye' --By JD Salinger

That afternoon there was a party of tourists at the Terrace and looking down in the water among the empty beer cans and dead barracudas a woman saw a great long white spine with a huge tail at the end that lifted and swung with the tide while the east wind blew a heavy steady sea outside the entrance to the harbour"

"What's that?" she asked a waiter and pointed to the long backbone of the great fish that was now just garbage waiting to go out with the tide.

"Tiburon," the waiter said. "Eshark." He was meaning to explain what had happened.

"I didn't know sharks had such handsome, beautifully formed tails."

"I didn't either," her male companion said.

Up the road, in his shack, the old man was sleeping again. He was still sleeping on his face and the boy was sitting by him watching. The old man was dreaming about the lions.

'The Old Man and the Sea' --Ernest Hemmingway

Terror on the Walk ways of Brigham Young University

2008-02-13T00:53:00.000-08:00

Terrorism sometimes hits close to home....

Today as I was settling in for the evening, my roomate Alan Niel Rosenhan, esq. jumped up and shouted from the adjacent room, "Cory! want to help the police interpret some arabic?!?"

Naturally, indeed almost instinctively, I pulled on my pants and tripped out the door grabbing my Hanz Wehr Dictionary of Arabic on the way.

Alan (an Arabic 102 student) and myself (an Arabic 202 student) waited on the corner of University Avenue and 940 N. in Provo at about 22:45 hours (in the pm) until a sleek Provo City Police car pulled up to the curb. We looked around to make sure there were no terrorists watching, and quickly and quietly slipped into the vehicle.

The officer briefed us on the way, occasionally interrupted by the police radio.

"We recieved a call of suspicious Arabic writing on the sidewalk on the south side of the HCB. A concerned student called it in, so we are going to go check it out."

My heart was racing. I couldn't believe I was really a part of an actual investigation of a terror threat here in Utah. I waited patiently as the police officer wound his way through the roads on 800 North and eventually onto the campus sidewalks themselves.

We slowly stepped from the car and cautiously approached the sidewalk. The student was right. Cement block after cement block was covered, literally riddled with foreign text. On some it was blue sidewalk chalk. On others, yellow. I strained my eyes to make out the words illuminated by the headlights of the patrol car.

Alan and I, with the officer listening, read aloud...

I see I saw
he sees he saw
she sees she saw
you see you saw (m)
you see (f) you saw (f)
they see they saw
you all see you all saw
we see we saw

I love I brought
he loves he brought
she loves she brought

The terror went on for blocks, only interrupted by a sidewalk chalk sketch of a kitty cat and....a flower. Indeed, the only solace each of us could muster was the quite assurance that the obscenity and fear would be washed away. Soon. by the next snowfall.

While it smells of mystery and intrigue, this is truly a story of heroes. American Heroes. Four of them. Two were Arabic Students. One was a cop. And ... the other ... a student, with, thankfully, an acute knowledge of current events and who was brave enough to make a phone call.

John McCain on the Muslim Extremists

2008-02-13T00:07:00.000-08:00

I read today John McCain's web page. A couple sections stand out.

It said:

"He recognizes the dangers posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, violent Islamist extremists and their terrorist tactics, and the ever present threat of regional conflict that can spill into broader wars that endanger allies and destabilize areas of the world vital to American security. He knows that to protect our homeland, our interests, and our values - and to keep the peace - America must have the best manned, best equipped, and best supported military in the world."
(http://www.johnmccain.com/Undecided/WhyMcCain.htm)

Why is the answer always the military? Why is it that whenever we see a threatening situation arise we all panic and decide to give the president unfettered power to flood our military with money. Are there alternatives to killing people we disagree with and/or don't understand?

Proposition: Fund (try) diplomacy. Perhaps if we spent 600 billion dollars on hiring international diplomats, linguists, and negotiators we could work something out without shouting (in words that rarely cross the language gap) and shooting and bombing. Do we even know, as a community, why they have attacked our embassies, our battleships, and our World Trade Centers? do we make the effort to listen to their justifications? Or are we content to believe that they are simple-minded, ignorant barbarians that hate us because we have white picket fences, apple pie, and American Idol?

Compare to The stated foreign policy goals of another presidential hopeful, Barack Obama:

"The United States is trapped by the Bush-Cheney approach to diplomacy that refuses to talk to leaders we don't like. Not talking doesn't make us look tough – it makes us look arrogant, it denies us opportunities to make progress, and it makes it harder for America to rally international support for our leadership. On challenges ranging from terrorism to disease, nuclear weapons to climate change, we cannot make progress unless we can draw on strong international support...
"Obama is willing to meet with the leaders of all nations, friend and foe. He will do the careful preparation necessary, but will signal that America is ready to come to the table, and that he is willing to lead. And if America is willing to come to the table, the world will be more willing to rally behind American leadership to deal with challenges like terrorism, and Iran and North Korea's nuclear programs."
(http://www.barackobama.com/issues/foreignpolicy/#diplomacy)

Multi-Lingual! , Multi-cultural! , bicameral! and 100% American!

2007-11-16T11:22:00.000-08:00

Just when you thought the zionists won, America gets better!

The Official WebLog (or, more accurately, IBlog) of Cory "شكري" Stephens is now is session. Hang on the your hankercheifs, burkas, sombreros, berets, and/or lederhosen, because you may just lose your socks at the straight-forward, no-holds-barred, political and social commentary from one of the silent majority's finest.

Stay tuned for posts regarding the latest of pop-culture phenomenon, politics, and laissez-faire societal intrigue.

Lonelyblogger15,
Mr. Stephens.