Theresa's Journal

Palin, Damon, and...

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 06:51:48 GMT

Palin's Couric CBS interview, which has already long been the talk of the town, caused long time Republican advisory to advise Palin to spend more time at home and step down, for the good of everyone; and various editorial personnel at NY Times gushed that 'Palin isn't ready' in light of this interview and a few other similar gaffes. I'm sure many people have much to say about this, from all of their places and walks. The actor Matt Damon's take has a freshness to it. For one, his talk has that pseudo-seriousness often seen in the best of his movies, such as 'Born Identity,' that endears him. He uses dinosours to explain Palin's creationist beliefs and he is so cute. In the end, isn't making a cute actor talk that matters? I mean, besides conscientious voting, election and all that.

Double Shmitzler

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 08:31:08 GMT

Long Week Ahead? How about a parade of adorable sets of pets, to comfort ya? Pictures coutesy of Cute Overload.

Harvest Moon Day

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 06:35:05 GMT

"Listen, listen to this one, here, ma."

"Which one?"

"This here, on the print...Let me read it to you.

God created me

to do him some definite service;

he has commited some work to me

which he has not committed to

another.

I have my mission -

I may never know it in this life,

but I shall be told it in the next...

Therefore, I will trust him...

If I am in sickness,

my sickness may serve him;

in perplexity,

my perplexity may serve him;

if I am in sorrow,

my sorrow may serve him...

He does nothing in vain;

he may prolong my life,

he may shorten it,

he knows what he is about.

...Isn't it beautiful, mother? To think someone could have such a wondrous faith."

"Oh," mother paused, looking straight ahead out into the car window. "That's such a nice writing. Is it a student's?" "No, mother, it's..." I looked at the missal, and read the name aloud, "of John Henry Newman, the late cardinal." "Oh, really? Hmm." Mother frowned her brow in perpexity. Touched by the message of faith, as many Catholics would be, I had my eyes warm, and expeted a similar response. I waited for her to say more. "It's really trusting. I.." And she told me genuinely, sincerely; "by the sound of it, I thought it a young teenaged girl's sentimental writing."

The same evening, at aunty Paula's house, who is a nun, mother reiterated her confession of how she felt about the writing. Aunt Paula showed no change of expression, sitting unmoved at the table. "Well, it's true, of course, that some fundamentalist Christians could learn a thing or two about maturity from Catholics." Mother yielded after my observation about how I felt the writing showed the maturity of the carfinal's faith, and his views on human knowledge, its limitations, and the all encompassing faith. "Those horrid graffiti and destroyed national treasure of buddha sculptures only have me hotly embarrassed to be one of Christians. There is no excuse for such a deed." "Koreans have always been Buddhists, and there is no reason to belittle one's culture, which they did." "Yes," I agreed. "That day, as we were walking past the national zoo, one of myfriends, whose family is 3 generations Buddhist, saw a dove whose wing was caught in bewteen the electric lines nearby. She refused to move until the bird was set free. So we brought in a very begruntled personnel, and he set it free as we watched." "Yes," aunt Paula recognized. "That the idea of mercy, in Buddhism, is a prevailing one. It's not all in vain." Mother argued. "But, I guess, there may be a point in those outrageous acts of destruction. If something is truly condeming, wouldn't you want to save someone from eternal condemnation, even through such an admonishing act?" "But one does not know if the someone is going to hell. Or heaven. Only God knows." Aunt Paula said. There was a bit of silence, and we all sat quietly, in peace, and shared the little, colorful Harvest Moon Day rice cakes.

Such Statement of Magnitude..And In My Neighborhood, TOO

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 23:08:22 GMT

The new cathedral being built near Lake Merrit seemingly has a new sriking feature aside from the cathedral's startlingly attractive exterior. It's a small garden, right outside of the cathedral, devoted to the victims of Catholic clergy abuse.

When I first heard about the new cathedral being built, I was giddy about the shining architectural glass dome shapes seen over the shinng horizontal lines of lake merrit. It was an art piece all right, and I'm always happy about new arts being built. Now that I read about the very same construction in NYT, I cannot help but think it certainly is an epoch-making piece; its significance is ethical, religious, societal, though the nature of the actual impact is debatable. However, the concrete, physical effort of recognition of the victims and the realities needs to be appreciated, not to mention having been rare so far. So it's significant all right.

Pygmy Anteater

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 06:38:36 GMT

Pygmy Anteater---such huggy forelimbs. Very touchable. Mmmm.

The Perfect Prescription for Sad Eyes

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 06:06:20 GMT

Cute, soft nosicles...

Expel all my sadnezzz...zz.....zzZ...ZZZ...ZZZZZZ

UH OH! I didn't know drawsiness was a side effect ! ("Bugabugabuga!" Rubs nose in pile)

LOVE COMEDY AND CAN'T HELP MYSELF

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 08:18:44 GMT

For fun, I tried out a new set of schedule for myself: the schedule that would help the diligent, methodical dash toward my professional goals, hourly, and daily. I’ve seen its draft demonstrated, like at college orientations, sort of corporate-motivational style, building hour-by-hour list and the tips for motivating oneself to stick to it. And I suspect careful planning and determination, as many successful people have attested, in large part attribute to the success. Which means it’s something that could be learned and done by others.

So I tried trimming out some fats off my schedule, and this time was in the radar something very dear to my heart. It was in debate whether my great love of comedy would be a fattening factor! The truth is I watch comedy to wind off in the evening. It turns out that in different setting, such an act as laughing goofily at reruns on Comedy Central channel could be construed as barely constructive spending of time, and could possibly raise voices of concern; this as far as I am trying to develop my career in the field I want. Yes, I am a woman rapidly approaching the age of thirty. So what I am an old maid? What gives me pleasure cannot so quickly be cut off from my day, even if, oh, I don’t know, I am constantly advised to give it up by, say, mother, father, sister, uncle, aunt, that it isn’t of style, not for a woman in my condition.

But the inevitable depression caused by the lack of joy that comedy usually manages to give me isn’t an attractive prospect, and neither is it really a wise course of action for me since. I can work the best when I am happy, and watching comedy and other films is one of the few joys I have in my life. I am really happy that I have an outlet like this and I am happy when I am reading other people’s awesome work of the written art, fiction. My copy of The Best American Short Stories makes me feel the proud joy of the owner of a beloved and valuable collection of his favorite art; my affection and awe for each of these works probably equal that of theirs for those works of art. And I think this is a great thing, something healthy, and not the other way around. And someday I will produce a fiction of my own. Meanwhile, a happy balance of my leisure gained in fiction, written and films, and a driven striving in work is required. It took me a considerable time to figure out who I was, to know what I truly enjoy, and diverging from the hard found truth to fit myself into someone’s mystique of the perfect Asian maid of my age, would wind up being just that. I am spiritually a certain way. My passion in fiction is not just for the appearance, for conversations, and social situations, it is for me just like knitting for some people, a lifelong commitment, obsession, and intensively therapeutic engagement, and it informs all areas of my life. Efficiency comes when I am acting in harmony with who I am, and my enjoyment of fiction keeps me happy, whole and integrated. I guess, in the end, I just need to keep from others, especially the conservative, critical ones, the tidbit like how many times I’ve watched the “Harold and Kumar Visit the White Castle.” I won’t even disclose it here. I don’t want it forever engraved in the space of my unconscious, by pronouncing the number in the privacy of my mind and then onto the space in here. I guess I still have some qualms about being totally out with my comedic self. This is good, then, where I like it right here, where I find the fine balance between being true to my love and being approved by others and my critical, higher self.

Settling Means More MULA! Than Going to Trial

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 09:50:47 GMT

Based on the study of some 2,000 cases, done between 2002 and 2005, they found that setting is better than going to trial in terms of the monetary rewards. This in a lengthy queue of studies of the process of decision making, is yet another piece of evidence that a few brief, highly relevant, intuitive and penetrating facts--as layed down by Malcome Gladwell, in Blink,rather than numerous sets of increasing mounds of information , is very helpful in getting to the heart of the matter. Most crucial and telling information for court decisions surface at the beginning of the litigation process, I've heard, and, as the result, this. This is sort of like the way the book reads about experts, through some working of intuition and a few pieces of information on their conscious mind, know to reach the best strategic decision in a war machine, get the most expedient and accurate diagnosis of heart conditions, and whether to curate a supposedly highly valuable sixth-century statue. The power of the glance, Gladwell says. But to possess that kind of penetrating insight in your area of competence, wouldn't numerous experience be the only way? I'd have to finish the book and find out what Gladwell says. Such an interesting book.

RIP, Bernie Mac

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 08:56:47 GMT

You will be greatly missed. Especially by me.

Raucous Comedian Bernie Mac Dead at 50 - AOL News

This is Cute!

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 09:24:18 GMT

A touching story of reunion, in which the power of environmental enforcement overcomes nature. Wait, is this a good thing, then? Anyway, it is a heartwarming vid.