tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91186012024-03-08T03:23:25.845-06:00The Blog of A Hopeless DreamerThis is the online journal of Celia Nancy Foster. All attempts at a full description cannot blossom into a complete body. Read and you will understand why.Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-51916593347806766162010-08-02T13:49:00.000-05:002010-08-02T17:49:03.572-05:00Celia Foster has such a cool profile! <a class="select" href="http://en.netlog.com/suaviterinmodo">Link</a> <!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-47353586030131943402008-12-04T16:11:00.001-06:002008-12-04T16:11:15.360-06:00Fear of my mother.<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Something that I've never been able to put my finger on happened between my mother and me in my teen years. I want to feel close to her, but I don't. Not that I haven't tried. I just can't explain things in the right way to her. I do love her, but much more than that, I have a deep fear of her. Why? I'll try and explain.<br/><br/>I get the feeling I really don't have her full acceptance of who I am. I'm not very decisive and I can take a while to do things. Everything I do or don't do depends on how I feel. I'm sensitive. If I don't feel like doing something right away, I won't. People mistake this for laziness. I beg to differ. It's called depression and it's also called I have a disability which makes it difficult to get things done. <br/><br/>Mom wants me to more than anything go back to college. I do too, but I'm being realistic about it. I want to go at my own pace and figure out how to pay my own way. That way, I owe no one money. Especially not mom. If I somehow failed a course or courses, she'd ask me to pay every cent back and be very disappointed in me and make darn sure I knew it. I don't need her money anyway. <br/><br/>I learned to know that when she called me, either it meant that someone died or I messed up money-wise. In the 3 years I lived in Corpus Christi, I became addicted to ebay and I often overspent what was in my bank account. It was a terrible compulsion. Mom would call to inform me and then tell me how disappointed she was in me, that what I was doing was illegal, etc. I felt horrible. I deserved it. She would bail me out everytime, something I never deserved nor asked for. <br/><br/>Well, all that changed in me when I met Ryan. At last, I had every reason to clean up and save money and I have. What I didn't know would happen was that I was still linked to the old Wellsfargo account and that Paypal would withdraw funds from that old account. It did, and I felt like the foolish girl I was in Corpus Christi a few years back because mom called. I owed her money again which I've paid her back. It's humiliating. She already sees me as irresponsible. I never intended to spend from that account. And so much slipped out of my mouth I wish I never said that night. I don't hate you mom, I'm just afraid of your judgement. Deathly afraid of it. I know I shouldn't care about it.<br/><br/>I long so much for the day when I can go with Mom to M.D. Anderson. Every family member has gone with her except for me. I want to go because I love her and support her and want her so much to be cancer free. Someday, I'll finally be allowed to go and I won't burden anyone by going.<br/><br/>Mom, I don't want to fear you anymore. I just want to love you. Someone please tell me I'm not crazy.<br/><br/><br /><br /><p class='scribefire-powered'>Powered by <a href='http://www.scribefire.com/'>ScribeFire</a>.</p></div>Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-80442188418348896682008-11-17T12:48:00.002-06:002008-12-01T16:13:55.842-06:006 random things about me...<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>My friend Amanda K. W. posted 6 "Random Things" about her in a blog post game. I decided to play, too, so here goes.<br/><br/><div style='text-align: center;'>6 random things about me<br/><br/><div style='text-align: left;'>1. As a child, before the age of 5 to the age of about 7, I knew exactly how to prepare a baked potato and would fix them for my parents and sister often. I stopped because I burned my hand badly and have completely forgotten how to fix them since.<br/><br/>2. I started to design and maintain websites at 15 when I had the whole 1997 Summer to kill. Only 2 of the 4 websites I started still exist.<br/><br/>3. I met my current boyfriend, Ryan, on one of the sites I helped start. He is the longest and best relationship I've ever had.<br/><br/>4. As a child, I had selective mutism, a rare anxiety disorder that would cause me to freeze up in school when a teacher called on me.<br/><br/>5. I have metal hooks all along my spine because of a spinal fusion surgery that was complicated. I nearly bled to death.<br/><br/>6. I have one of the largest collections of Heather O'Rourke, Judith Barsi, and Return to Oz (1985 movie) items that I've been collecting since 16 because I started sites on each of subjects.<br/></div></div><br /><br /><p class='scribefire-powered'>Powered by <a href='http://www.scribefire.com/'>ScribeFire</a>.</p></div>Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-90976961267520363902008-11-16T12:05:00.005-06:002008-12-01T16:13:41.462-06:00Old friends found again.<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>I owe the social networking site Facebook major kudos for allowing me to get back in touch with two of my favorite elementary school friends, Amanda K. W. and Dustin Tramel. Amanda is in graduate school as a scientist. Since I also live in Florida now, I will seize a chance sometime soon to see her again. I fondly remember her mom, her house, her brother and the playground games we made up. She was my best friend for 2 main reasons: 1. She took me as I was and liked me for me, 2. She was so wicked SMART for only 7 years old! In a lot of ways, even though I adored her and was ecstatic she was my best friend, I was jealous of her quick intelligence--especially in math, my worst subject. I kept that a secret, of course. I would always be fond of her and never dislike her for this. It made me wish I could be so much more. I wanted so desperately to do well in all subjects in school, but that was never to be. It wasn't that I was lazy even though teachers and students thought I was. It was just that school took so much effort and life out of me to the point of breakdown and exhaustion which happened several times in my academic career. It's not that I'm not smart enough. It's just that the pace of school is grueling for me.<br/><br/>I found Dustin last night. I wasn't too sure if it was he, but I took a shot. And, boom, suddenly, there he was. He remembered the dance contest at my birthday party in 1989 when I turned 7. Dustin's desk was very close to mine in Mrs. Wallace's first grade class. I thought he was so cute. I had a tremendous crush on him because he was very smart and quick. He was always among the first to be done with his work and on to that SRA kit because there was nothing left for him to do that day. I loved to talk to him whenever I got the chance (seriously, a child doesn't get the chance to talk to others they like in the first grade--90% of the time, it's NO TALKING). I even got a yellow light (pretty bad) from Mrs. Wallace one week for talking. I was normally a very shy 6 year old and never wanted to cause any trouble in class. But, that day, Mrs. Wallace had told us, her class, that we would be watching the movie "Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory" (1973), and that excited me beyond normal volume because I had seen it many times before and loved it. Dustin was sitting very close to me, so I had to talk to him about it. I did--too much. Mrs. Wallace shouted me down with "Miss Celia--BE QUIET!" and that was mortifying so I rarely talked that much again. But I had done it for Dustin because I liked him so very much. Was it worth that yellow? OH, YEAH!!! I'd probably do it again. It's rare you get your crush to talk to you like that--when they're just being themselves.<br/><br/>Dustin now lives in Oregon, has a wife, Katie, and two little girls. What a rush! I'm delighted for him! He's lived in several different places doing what appears to be mission work. He seems happy. I knew he could be anything he wanted to be with that mind of his, and he chose to help people with it. Sweet Dustin of the past certainly stayed sweet Dustin through the present.<br/><br/>And I, while I am not married and do not have children, will not say my life adventures have been any less than Amanda's or Dustin's. I have a beautiful boyfriend and sweet friends in Monica, Lisa, and Betty. Most importantly, I have a stable life now. That is all I could ever ask for.<br /><br /><p class='scribefire-powered'>Powered by <a href='http://www.scribefire.com/'>ScribeFire</a>.</p></div>Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-15366301778838739382008-09-04T14:15:00.000-05:002008-09-04T14:16:03.820-05:00"Leave her alone!"<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div id='ghostTags'><br /> <a alt='Click here to read more posts tagged HEAVEN SENT' title='Click here to read more posts tagged HEAVEN SENT' href='http://defamer.com/tag/heaven-sent/' class='topTag' id='tag_5039631' rel='nofollow'>Heaven sent</a><span style='visibility: hidden;'>, <a title='Click here to read more posts tagged POLTERGEIST' href='http://defamer.com/tag/poltergeist/' class='topTag' rel='nofollow'>poltergeist</a>, <a title='Click here to read more posts tagged HEATHER OROURKE' href='http://defamer.com/tag/heather-orourke/' class='topTag' rel='nofollow'>heather orourke</a>, <a title='Click here to read more posts tagged GOD' href='http://defamer.com/tag/god/' class='topTag' rel='nofollow'>god</a>, <a title='Click here to read more posts tagged MGM' href='http://defamer.com/tag/mgm/' class='topTag' rel='nofollow'>mgm</a>, <a title='Click here to read more posts tagged MARY PARENT' href='http://defamer.com/tag/mary-parent/' class='topTag' rel='nofollow'>mary parent</a>, <a title='Click here to read more posts tagged HARRY SLOAN' href='http://defamer.com/tag/harry-sloan/' class='topTag' rel='nofollow'>harry sloan</a>, <a title='Click here to read more posts tagged CALE BOYTER' href='http://defamer.com/tag/cale-boyter/' class='topTag' rel='nofollow'>cale boyter</a></span><br /> </div><br /> <h1><a href='http://defamer.com/5039631/late-child-star-heather-orourke-writes-outraged-memo-to-god-upon-learning-of-poltergeist-remake'>Late Child Star Heather O'Rourke Writes Outraged Memo to God Upon Learning of 'Poltergeist' Remake</a></h1><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p><img width='226' height='302' src='http://defamer.com/assets/images/defamer/2008/08/poltergeist.jpg'/><i>(Defamer<br />today obtained this memo currently making the rounds in Heaven's Third<br />District, Cloud Unit G — better known as "Sesame Heaven," or the Late<br />Child Stars Dept. Reliable afterlife sources have confirmed its<br />authenticity; we pass it along to you without further comment.)</i></p><br /><p>Dear God,</p><br /><p>Hi, God, it's me, Heather O'Rourke — the little girl from <i>Poltergeist</i>.<br />How's tricks? I know how busy you must be dealing with the whole Isaac<br />Hayes thing right now (my vote: let him in!), but when you get a<br />second, I was hoping I might ask you for just one tiny little favor. It<br />would really mean a lot, and I've been really good all these years and<br />haven't requested anything except for that pony, but that was, like, 20<br />years ago when I first got here, and you never got back to me. No<br />probs, though, God — I'm kinda glad it didn't work out, because now I<br />need you to do me a much more important solid: Can you please smite the<br />people responsible for this planned remake of <i>Poltergeist</i>?</p><br /> <br /> <p>I<br />don't quite know how these things work; Brad Renfro told me you helped<br />out with his dealer not too long ago, and that depending on my<br />grievance I could get some "real fucking payback" (his words not mine,<br />LOL). And I think I've got a pretty strong case. I'm sure you've heard<br />about all these movies MGM is recycling — <i>Red Dawn</i>, <i>RoboCop</i>,<br />etc. — which is all pretty tacky, if you ask me. Like, really, God,<br />aren't there any new ideas? Then I heard this morning that they hired<br />some writers to remake my movie <i>Poltergeist</i>. I couldn't believe<br />it! We had such a good thing going back in 1982, and now they're just<br />gonna go and unimaginatively squeeze another few dollars out of the<br />property. I'm practically spinning in my grave!</p><br /><p>Now listen, God: I have always minded my manners and been nice to<br />everyone, as per Your dictates. But this really ticks me off, and if<br />everyone else down on Earth gets to bomb, rape and kill each other with<br />impunity, I don't see why I can't just this once ask you to strike<br />someone with lightning or <a href='http://defamer.com/5035547/the-curse-of-billy-bob-thornton-overtakes-dark-knight-curse-in-hollywood-death-toll'>cast them opposite Billy Bob Thornton</a> or at least scare some honest-to-You sense into them. Have you <i>seen Poltergeist</i>,<br />God? I mean, I know you probably anticipated a lot of the twists, but<br />didn't we do a good job overall — good enough to be left alone, anyway?<br />It's not like we made <i>Short Circuit</i> (another <a href='http://defamer.com/376416/god-sheds-a-tear-shoots-self-at-news-of-short-circuit-remake'>forthcoming remake</a>, but that's not my problem) or anything.</p><br /><p>And frankly, God, You've already made enough trouble with the whole<br />curse that brought me and my on-screen sister Dominique Dunne here<br />prematurely. I think teaching these heathens a lesson would be a<br />healthy first step in rehabilitating Your image among us.</p><br /><p>Anyway, the people at MGM are named Harry Sloan, Mary Parent and<br />Cale Boyter. The writers' names are Stiles White and Juliet Snowden,<br />but I guess technically it's not their fault that this is happening, so<br />please go easy on them — maybe an extended power outage, or an erased<br />hard drive if they dare to revive my signature line, "They're <i>heeeeeere</i>."<br />I trust You to determine the punishment for the studio people, though,<br />especially with those other perversions they've wreaked of late. In<br />fact, if You could get <a href='http://defamer.com/5037200/'>Tom Cruise himself</a> to kill this project, I promise to clean my room and make my bed and eat my vegetables as long as I... well, You know.</p><br /><p>So how about it, God? I'm really a sweet girl, but isn't enough enough? Let me know...</p><br /><p>xo,</p><br /><p><em>Heather</em></p><br /><p>PS <a href='http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1593146/20080819/index.jhtml'>Leroi Moore</a>, God? Really? That's just mean.</p><p><br/></p><p>-------------</p><p><br/></p><p>I don't get this. Why did anyone have to write as if they were Heather? No one can speak for her anymore even if they were trying to be witty, humorous, and had the best intentions. <span style='font-style: italic;'>Poltergeist </span>will in all likelyhood, as cheap as Hollywood is, be remade. But leave what may or may not be Heather's opinion on this matter out of it. She couldn't do anything about it even if she was alive today. I wish people would stop speaking for the dead like this. It's not funny. Heather would never wish harm on anyone.<br/></p><p class='scribefire-powered'>Powered by <a href='http://www.scribefire.com/'>ScribeFire</a>.</p></div>Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-22588253374612110172008-07-14T18:52:00.001-05:002008-07-14T18:52:36.569-05:00Reflections on Yesterday Today<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><span style='font-weight: bold;'><br/><br/>What beautiful friends I have. They love me and they don't have to. Friends are chosen, never made. I felt so wonderful yesterday. I was here. I am here. Aware or not, I take everything and everyone with me. All of this all.<br/><br/>Yesterday comes to me in flashes and sound. And in emotions. In tactile brushes. I am aware. I am curious. <br/><br/>I see his expressive eyes. I see him want to taste the world. And he does. I see him moving. I see him fuss. I feel him explore. I am a child again.<br/><br/>I see her. She is graceful. I see her smile. I see her think. I feel her direction. She knows. She commands. She is care.<br/><br/>I see them, I see twins. One compass. And many children. I laugh. I grin. I jest. I laugh until I can barely speak. I can not this time. I will wait. Words will find me. <br/><br/>I hope. They may too. <br/><br/>I hold them. All of them. I will remember. They will too.<br/><br/><br/></span></div>Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-64641183421252702942008-07-05T13:21:00.002-05:002008-07-05T14:29:49.818-05:00Eddie<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Some days, I wish I didn't have a memory like mine. But then, I wouldn't have known the great times, either. He was always so ill. Just bones. Lanky. And quite nervous. But our conversations were priceless. And he gave great advice.<br /><br />Eddie wanted so much to get out and move away from there. I promised him I'd visit. He did get out. But I can't visit him where he is just yet. Time knows I will.<br /><br />I love him. He loves me, too. He's a sweet big brother.<br /><br />Illness is a horrible creature.<br /><br />He kept inviting me to his room. Something always kept me from going, but I wanted to. I like to imagine what it looks like. There are many colors inside. And no wall scrapes. And no one he doesn't want coming in. There's lots of music playing, too. His favorite trance rhythms.<br /><br />I wish I was less intimidated that night. Because of him, I know to keep in touch by staying on the line and getting back on it. Smart man. Very clever. And thank you, Elva. I love you always for what you did. Eddie thanks you for it too.<br /><br />Thank you, Grace. You are a good mom. Eddie loves you even when grumpy. He knew you deserved such a beautiful name. I miss you.<br /><br />I forgive you, Eddie. I know you have forgiven me as well. I long for your hellos, so I hear them often.<br /><br />I'm glad to still know you.<br /><br />Isn't it wonderful now that when we communicate, we don't have to wait 15 phone rings? (smiles fully)<br /><br />Sooner than later, big brother Eddie. (heart)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-48338920983042017762008-07-04T19:11:00.000-05:002008-07-04T19:14:16.021-05:00Windows XP: Dead or Just Resting?<meta equiv="CONTENT-TYPE" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title></title><meta name="GENERATOR" content="OpenOffice.org 2.4 (Win32)"><style type="text/css"> <!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } H1 { margin-bottom: 0.08in } H1.western { font-family: "Times New Roman", serif } H1.cjk { font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode" } H1.ctl { font-family: "Tahoma" } H2 { margin-bottom: 0.08in } --> </style> <h1 class="western" align="center">Windows XP: Dead or Just Resting?</h1> <h2>It seems XP -- like Bill Gates -- is still alive and kicking.</h2> <p>Robert X. Cringely, InfoWorld.com</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Jul 4, 2008 12:46 pm</p> <p align="center">It turns out the reports of XP's death may be slightly exaggerated.</p> <p>Sure, the obits have been posted and the <strong><a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/01/27NF-windows-xp-requiem_2.html">requiems are being sung</a></strong>. The fat lady has already packed up her girdle and gone home with a bucket of KFC. Yet it seems XP -- like Bill Gates -- is still alive and kicking, at least in some form.</p> <p>One day after XP's "demise", Dell SMB manager Jenni Doane posts a blog entry that details <strong><a href="http://direct2dell.com/smallbusiness/archive/2008/05/01/windows-vista-downgrade-service-amp-xp-end-of-life.aspx" target="_blank">how you can still get XP by exploiting some of the loopholes</a></strong> left open by <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/tags/Microsoft+Corporation.html">Microsoft</a>. (Essentially, you can buy a <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/tags/Microsoft+Windows+Vista.html">Vista</a> license but ask Dell to downgrade the system to XP, which they will continue to support. The catch? You have to buy it through Dell's Small Business sales operation, and you can only get XP Pro.) </p> <p>You know the PC biz has gotten weird when offering a 7-year-old OS becomes a marketing advantage. But the reason why is obvious. Vista is such a dog it qualifies for the Iditarod. Even <strong><a href="http://arstechnica.com/journals/microsoft.ars/2008/06/26/history-repeats-itself-intel-chooses-xp-over-vista" target="_blank">Intel won't let it in the door</a></strong>, lest it chew on the furniture and soil the carpets. </p> <p>In a BuzzDash poll posted by my erstwhile colleague Jeff Bertolucci, <strong><a href="http://www.buzzdash.com/index.php?page=buzzbite&BB_id=97279&position=1&buzzbitesPage=0&listType=search_results&buzzbitesSort=hits_d&pSearch=xp%20vista&back_url=%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3Dsearch_results%26pSearch%3Dxp%2520vista%26buzzbites_page%3D0%26buzzbites_sort%3Dhits_d" target="_blank">72 percent of respondents wanted Microsoft to "revive" XP</a></strong>, which is presumably encased in a glass coffin not dissimilar to Stalin's in the Kremlin. And of course, <strong><a href="http://weblog.infoworld.com/save-xp/archives/2008/06/sign_the_save_x.html">more than 210,000 InfoWorlders signed the Save XP petition</a></strong>, hoping Microsoft would grant clemency at the 11th hour. Instead, companies like Dell must come to the rescue. How humiliating is that? </p> <p>My feeling about the sudden surge in nostalgia for XP is that it's really more a) a reaction to the Big Headache (or at best, the Big Nothing) of Vista, and b) revisionist history. When Windows XP came out, it was <strong><a href="http://www.infoworld.com/articles/tc/xml/01/10/29/011029tcwinxp.html">panned for being slow and incompatible, just as Vista has been</a></strong> (in InfoWorld, no less). It was also woefully, almost laughably insecure. Imagine shipping an OS with the firewall turned off by default. Yet that was XP in 2001.</p> <p>It wasn't until Aug. 6, 2004, that XP began to grow up. That was the day <strong><a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/08/06/HNxpsp2_1.html">Microsoft finally released Service Pack 2 for XP</a></strong>, which closed a bunch of gaping security holes in the OS (including turning the firewall on by default). From that point on, XP was a viable OS, though it was still far from airtight. It also signaled that Microsoft finally "got it" when it comes to Net security. We've seen a real turnaround in how it responds to and handles security breaches and patches ever since (from horrible to adequate, at least). And now, of course, Vista has (some) security built in.</p> <p>But if this whole XP/Vista struggle means anything, I think it proves that Microsoft's approach to operating systems is fundamentally wrong. We don't need a brand-new-from-the-ground-up OS every three (four, five, six) years. We need incremental releases on a regular schedule, with fewer whizzy interface "improvements" and more bug fixes and performance boosts. In other words, more like a Linux distro. But I'll be selling snow cones in Hell -- or maybe Ballmer will be -- before we'll see that coming from Redmond.</p> <p>For more IT analysis and commentary on emerging technologies, visit <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/">InfoWorld.com</a>.</p> <p> Story copyright © 2007 InfoWorld Media Group. All rights reserved.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center">
<br /></p> Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-39975929486242173452008-06-12T16:28:00.001-05:002008-06-12T16:28:46.344-05:00Dislecksia: The Movie<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="425"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" style="padding: 2px;" bgcolor="#333333" valign="middle"><a href="http://www.documentary.org/community/IDA-resources/fiscal_sponsorship_donate?film_id=2891" target="_top" name="2891"><img src="http://legacy.documentary.org/images/fsplink.gif" alt="Dislecksia: The Movie" border="0" height="15" hspace="5" width="15" /></a><font style="font-size: 16px; color: rgb(238, 238, 238); font-weight: bold;">Dislecksia: The Movie</font></td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding: 4px;" width="155"><img src="http://legacy.documentary.org/fsp/pics/Dyslecksia_1.jpg" border="0" /></td> <td style="padding: 4px;" align="left" valign="top"><b style="font-size: 12px;"><font style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold; font-size: 12px;">Director:</font> Harvey Hubbell V <br /><font style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Producer:</font> Andrea Haas Hubbell, Eric Gardner, Jeremy Brecher, Yvonne Reelick <br /><a href="http://www.capturedtimeproductions.com/" target="_blank">Film Website</a><br /></b> <div style="position: relative; top: 15px;"> <form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post"> <input name="cmd" value="_xclick" type="hidden"> <input name="business" value="fspd@documentary.org" type="hidden"> <input name="item_name" value="Dislecksia: The Movie" type="hidden"> <input name="item_number" value="2891" type="hidden"> <input name="no_shipping" value="1" type="hidden"> <input name="return" value="http://www.documentary.org/content/fiscal-sponsorship-thanks" type="hidden"> <input name="cancel_return" value="http://www.documentary.org/community/IDA-resources/fiscal_sponsorship_donate?film_id=2891" type="hidden"> <input name="no_note" value="1" type="hidden"> <input name="currency_code" value="USD" type="hidden"> <input name="tax" value="0" type="hidden"> <input name="bn" value="PP-DonationsBF" type="hidden"> <input src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/x-click-but21.gif" name="submit" alt="Make A Donation to IDA Fiscally Sponsored film Dislecksia: The Movie" border="0" type="image"> <img alt="" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" border="0" height="1" width="1" /> </form></div> </td> </tr> <tr><td colspan="2" style="padding: 6px; font-size: 13px;">About one American in seven has some degree of dyslexia. It's a condition that makes it hard to learn to read the same way other people do. With some special techniques, taught or self-invented, most dyslexics can learn to function normally. A lot of dyslexics are brilliant, talented, and successful. In the comic documentary Dislecksia: The Movie, dyslexic director Harvey Hubbell V with assistance from dyslexic writer Jeremy Brecher and several dyslexic crew members - will present the latest scientific knowledge about dyslexia and the experiences of dyslexics. Viewers will come to know dyslexics and those who teach them and study them not just as statistics or talking heads, but as people. And they'll know a lot about dyslexia: its causes, its effects, and what can be done about it.</td></tr></tbody></table>Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-42007269868509016722008-06-10T16:20:00.001-05:002008-06-10T16:20:20.354-05:00Ubuntu, or Humanism<font size="4"><b style="font-family: Georgia;">What is Ubuntu?</b></font><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> </span><br style="font-family: Georgia;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The word 'Ubuntu' originates from one of the Bantu dialects of Africa, and is pronounced as uu-Boon-too. </span><br style="font-family: Georgia;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia;">It is a traditional African philosophy that offers us an understanding of ourselves in relation with the world. According to Ubuntu, there exists a common bond between us all and it is through this bond, through our interaction with our fellow human beings, that we discover our own human qualities. Or as the Zulus would say, "Umuntu Ngumuntu Ngabantu", which means that a person is a person through other persons. We affirm our humanity when we acknowledge that of others. </span><br style="font-family: Georgia;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The South African Nobel Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu describes Ubuntu as: </span><br style="font-family: Georgia;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia;">"It is the essence of being human. It speaks of the fact that my humanity is caught up and is inextricably bound up in yours. I am human because I belong. It speaks about wholeness, it speaks about compassion. A person with Ubuntu is welcoming, hospitable, warm and generous, willing to share. Such people are open and available to others, willing to be vulnerable, affirming of others, do not feel threatened that others are able and good, for they have a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that they belong in a greater whole. They know that they are diminished when others are humiliated, diminished when others are oppressed, diminished when others are treated as if they were less than who they are. The quality of Ubuntu gives people resilience, enabling them to survive and emerge still human despite all efforts to dehumanize them." </span><br style="font-family: Georgia;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia;" /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: Georgia;"></span><hr style="width: 100%; height: 2px; font-family: Georgia;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Source:</span><br style="font-family: Georgia;" /><br style="font-family: Georgia;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia;">http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/7-22-2006-103206.asp</span><br style="font-family: Georgia;" /><font style="font-family: Georgia;" size="2"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>Sonal Panse<br /><br /></font><hr style="width: 100%; height: 2px; font-family: Georgia;" /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: Georgia;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">I love this philosophy. I encourage everyone to learn about it.</span><br style="font-family: Georgia;" />Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-73233095668072719552008-01-23T16:15:00.000-06:002008-01-23T17:10:58.708-06:00Look Homeward, Angel!I must apologize to my friend, Nancy Kelly, for what it's worth. I have posted about her story a bit before. Hers is complex, and there is still so much I do not understand, but I don't care. She is every man, woman and child that has ever struggled to live life; she is me. She is you, too. She is hope. She is life. And she will die. Dying, for her, has taken close to three years. God, damn you for giving her a life from HELL, for allowing her such abuse. She still to this very minute believes it to be her fault she's so sick. I won't believe in a God who allows that, so I don't. Thank you, God, you'll let her die so she can be free from this cruel joke that is humanity; you do not judge her for what she could not do. I am just one of many who loves her. We cannot save her body, but, hopefully, all of us together might just save her soul. Let me treat her as a living person.<br /><br />This is not a prayer to the Almighty, but a prayer to myself. Let me treat her as a living person. Let me give, let me not take.<br /><br />Let me ask ever so gently to all my friends: wish her well. In this, I ask you all, all of you: give. There is a paypal button on her xanga site, but even if you have nothing to give, please wish her well and read a bit of her story.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /><form><br /><table><br /><input src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/x-click-but21.gif" name="submit" alt="Make payments with PayPal - it's fast, free and secure!" border="0" type="image"><br /><input name="encrypted" value="-----BEGIN PKCS7-----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-----END PKCS7----- " type="hidden"><br /></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(156, 156, 99);font-size:78%;" ><b><b style="color: black; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Lycidas<br /><br /></b></b></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td><b style="color: black; background-color: rgb(153, 255, 153); font-weight: bold;">Look</b><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><b style="color: black; background-color: rgb(255, 153, 153); font-weight: bold;">homeward</b><span style="font-weight: bold;">, </span><b style="color: black; background-color: rgb(255, 102, 255); font-weight: bold;">Angel</b><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">now</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">,</span> and melt with ruth:</td><td><a name="163"></a></td></tr> <tr><td>And, O ye dolphins, waft the hapless youth.</td><td><a name="164"></a></td></tr> <tr><td> Weep no more, woeful shepherds, weep no more,</td><td align="right" valign="top"><span style=""><a name="165"><i> 165</i></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td>For <b style="color: black; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Lycidas</b>, your sorrow, is not dead,</td><td><a name="166"></a></td></tr> <tr><td>Sunk though he be beneath the watery floor.</td><td><a name="167"></a></td></tr> <tr><td>So sinks the day-star in the ocean bed,</td><td><a name="168"></a></td></tr> <tr><td>And yet anon repairs his drooping head,</td><td><a name="169"></a></td></tr> <tr><td>And tricks his beams, and with new-spangled ore</td><td align="right" valign="top"><span style=""><a name="170"><i> 170</i></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td>Flames in the forehead of the morning sky:</td><td><a name="171"></a></td></tr> <tr><td>So <b style="color: black; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Lycidas</b> sunk low, but mounted high,</td><td><a name="172"></a></td></tr> <tr><td>Through the dear might of Him that walked the waves,</td><td><a name="173"></a></td></tr> <tr><td>Where, other groves and other streams along,</td><td><a name="174"></a></td></tr> <tr><td>With nectar pure his oozy locks he laves,</td><td align="right" valign="top"><span style=""><a name="175"><i> 175</i></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td>And hears the unexpressive nuptial song,</td><td><a name="176"></a></td></tr> <tr><td>In the blest kingdoms meek of joy and love.</td><td><a name="177"></a></td></tr> <tr><td>There entertain him all the Saints above,</td><td><a name="178"></a></td></tr> <tr><td>In solemn troops, and sweet societies,</td><td><a name="179"></a></td></tr> <tr><td>That sing, and singing in their glory move,</td><td align="right" valign="top"><span style=""><a name="180"><i> 180</i></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td>And wipe the tears for ever from his eyes.</td><td><a name="181"></a></td></tr> <tr><td>Now, <b style="color: black; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Lycidas</b>, the Shepherds weep no more;</td><td><a name="182"></a></td></tr> <tr><td>Henceforth thou art the Genius of the shore,</td><td><a name="183"></a></td></tr> <tr><td>In thy large recompense, and shalt be good</td><td><a name="184"></a></td></tr> <tr><td>To all that wander in that perilous flood.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></form><div style="text-align: right; color: rgb(255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.xanga.com/Nancybratt">http://www.xanga.com/Nancybratt<br /></a></span></div><br /></div><br /><a href="http://www.xanga.com/Nancybratt"></a>Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-60734060133182369342006-11-17T12:38:00.000-06:002006-11-17T12:43:11.313-06:00Current Events of note:<br /><br /><br />Rumsfeld departure shakes Bush administration<br />By Paul Reynolds World Affairs correspondent, BBC News website<br /><br />President and Defence Secretary: parting company<br />The resignation of the US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld shows how much the Bush administration is in disarray about Iraq.<br />The president made it quite clear at a news conference after the election that he had decided beforehand that a "fresh perspective" was needed at the Pentagon.<br />This means that, win or lose the election, Mr Bush had decided that things were going badly enough to remove one of the architects of the war.<br />In fact, when Mr Bush told reporters last week that Mr Rumsfeld would be staying on, he had already spoken to Mr Rumsfeld about leaving. He said to the news conference that "win or lose, Bob Gates was going to become the nominee."<br />Whether Robert Gates, an ex CIA director, is the kind of man to provide much of a fresh perspective remains to be seen. Until now he has always been an establishment figure. But he seems to be about to be one of the pegs on which new hopes will be hung.<br />Significant moment<br />The departure of Donald Rumsfeld is a major moment in the history of the Bush administration and the war in Iraq.<br />Donald Rumsfeld felt himself to be the right man, in the right place, at the right time<br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3690341.stm">Profile: Dinald Rumsfeld</a><br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6130482.stm">In pictures: Rumsfeld's career</a> His resignation is a sign and an admission that the policy in Iraq has not worked, so far.<br />Apart from Vice-President Dick Cheney and President Bush himself, there was nobody who symbolised the administration's determination to wage the war on terror and to get rid of Saddam Hussein.<br />"We know they have weapons of mass destruction," he announced of the Iraqis at one stage. "We don't need any debate about it." His confidence and brusque dismissal of dissent was typical. For some, it amounted to arrogance.<br />Ambitions<br />Rumsfeld brought to the Pentagon years of ambition to stir up a department he had run as a much younger man under President Ford.<br />The recent book about the administration at war by Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward, State of Denial, tells of the blizzard of handwritten memos known as "snowflakes" with which he bombarded his officials.<br />He was determined to break what he saw as the old guard and to get control of policy himself, which he felt was too much in the hands of the generals and admirals.<br />He wanted a slimmer, more mobile military, one more capable of waging war on international terrorists and governments that supported them and less concentrated on the massive weapons systems that were being developed as if the Cold War had not ended.<br />Donald Rumsfeld felt himself to be the right man, in the right place, at the right time.<br />His direct, irascible, sometimes even folksy style appealed to many when things were going well. His famous dictum about there being "known unknowns" and "unknown unknowns", made pre-Iraq, was seen as quirky and "Rummy" at his most idiosyncratic.<br />In a resignation appearance with President Bush and his own successor in the Oval Office, Mr Rumsfeld referred. almost as if he had not been appreciated, to "this little understood, unfamiliar war, the first war of the 21st century... It is not well known, it was not well understood, it is complex for people to comprehend."<br />Downfall<br />However the very confidence that allowed him to make his mark on the Pentagon also led to his downfall.<br />It became overconfidence.<br />He ignored warnings that his reliance on hard-hitting, relatively small units would win the ground war in Iraq but would not win a guerrilla war.<br />Like most US policymakers, he simply did not believe that Iraqis would not welcome the invaders and take care of events for themselves from then on.<br />He was not a man of patience and did not in the end have the necessary patience for a long drawn out counter insurgency war. Nor did he show the flexibility of tactics needed to demonstrate to his commander-in-chief that he was going to deliver the victory the president believes is so necessary.<br />He had to go, whatever the results of the elections.<br />Note created November 8, 2006<a class="AttributeUrl" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6130514.stm">BBC NEWS Americas Rumsfeld departure shakes Bush administration</a> - news.bbc.co.uk/...<br />EditDelete<br /><a href="http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-11-09T205310Z_01_N09270468_RTRUKOC_0_US-RIGHTS-GAYS.xml&src=rss">http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2006-11-09T205310Z_01_N09270468_RTRUKOC_0_US-RIGHTS-GAYS.xml&src=rss</a><br />Battle over gay marriage deepens<br />Thu Nov 9, 2006 2:54pm ET<br />By Jason Szep<br />BOSTON (Reuters) - Hundreds of protesters carrying placards, chanting slogans and singing rallied outside the Massachusetts statehouse on Thursday as lawmakers debated a state constitutional amendment that would give voters power to ban gay marriage.<br />Protesters on both sides of the debate gathered outside the gold-domed statehouse, with some waving signs reading "Let The People Vote." Gay rights activists sang songs and chanted slogans.<br />The latest developments in the divisive state-by-state battle over homosexual unions came two days after seven states voted to limit marriage to a man and a woman in ballot initiatives, effectively banning gay marriage.<br />Note created November 9, 2006<br />EditDelete<br />BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Maha Nidal's voice is tinged with bitterness and sorrow as she looks around the campus courtyard at her fellow students milling around. The sight is a blend of Iraq's various religious sects --some girls in headscarves, others looking like they walked out of the pages of a fashion magazine.<br />"The future? The future is a dream. We only live in the now. There is no future," the 21-year-old student says.<br />This university, with its sprawling green campus, once was abuzz with activity. Now it is covered in the layer of grime and dust that seems to blanket all of Baghdad.<br />Like most of the students at Baghdad University, Maha lives in fear. But now, after the mass kidnapping at the Ministry of Higher Education this week, she lives not only in fear of the violence, but in fear of losing the one thing that will determine her future -- her education. (<a href="javascript:void(0);">Watch Maha describe the lack of hope Iraqi students have -- 2:17</a> <a href="javascript:void(0);"></a>)<br />When she heard that the education ministry was thinking of shutting down the university, her world -- already shattered -- crumbled.<br />"You can't imagine what we felt, I saw our future destroyed," she says. "How do you know that a future of a country ... has been destroyed? It's when there is no justice, no security, and no education, if you reach the stage of no studies and no education. And when you lose that, that's it, the people are finished.<br />"There is no future."<br />With frustration reverberating in her voice, her cousin, 19-year-old Afraa adds, "Each day it just gets worse. Like last year we had maybe 50 percent hope, but now nothing, it's zero percent. There is nothing that is happening that makes us think, yes, they [the government] are doing something."<br />The two girls live in the same home now. Afraa's family fled sectarian violence in a violent western Baghdad neighborhood and moved in with Maha's family. The two girls are like many here, hungry for an education, showing up each day despite the risks and their families' protests, and hoping that their classes will be in session.<br />Maha, in her headscarf, is the more conservative of the two, but the more talkative. She says that sometimes she is simply just overcome with anger.<br />"I want to continue on to get my masters," she says. "I have good grades; I am in the top 10 of my class, but now what am I supposed to do?"<br />The university is all that these girls and others have left. The streets outside are petrifying. They don't go out, even the simplest thing like walking in the street, grabbing a cup of coffee with friends, shopping, the things that most university students do without a thought in other parts of the world, are impossible here.<br />Their world is one of gunfire, explosions, concertina wire, blast walls and uncertainty.<br />"We don't know if we will be alive the next minute," Maha says.<br />The university, even after the mass kidnapping, provides little in terms of actual security. Most of the guards are students themselves. The ministry and the university have asked the government for additional security, but the girls have no delusions that their government is going to come through for them.<br />"They can't do anything," Afraa says. "Because if they could, they would have done it from the start. But they are too obsessed with themselves."<br />Maha is harsher.<br />"They say that they can't provide security for teachers and students," she laments. "Well then, how is it that they can provide security for themselves? They each have hundreds of guards surrounding them."<br />One does not have to look further than the empty hallways and deserted classrooms to see the toll that the violence is taking on Iraq's educated moderate minds. The students say that on a good day, 40 percent of their classmates show up. More often than not, their professors are not around. Most of the senior professors have fled the country or have been killed.<br />"The head of my department was killed last year," Maha says. "Gunmen came to his house and killed him. And that was hard for us. He was like one of the students; he kept us strong."<br />He also gave her hope.<br />Many of the students here are aware that extremist elements want to divide Iraqi society and drive out secular moderates.<br />"This is what they want -- the gunmen, the terrorists, any force right now with its hands in destruction wants this -- no education," Maha says. "No learning, no future, for ignorance to rule so that they can have control."<br />The impact of the academic destruction, as one Iraqi education official put it, could kill this struggling nation.<br />Note created November 16, 2006<a class="AttributeUrl" href="http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/11/16/damon.educationcrisis/index.html?eref=rss_topstories">Iraqi students fear death of education system - CNN.com</a> - www.cnn.com/...<br />EditDelete<br />Most Recent Casualties<br />Theater: All <a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/iraq/">Iraq</a> <a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/afghanistan/">Afghanistan</a><br />11/9<a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/dates/2006/nov/09/rudy-a-salcido/"></a><br />11/9<a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/dates/2006/nov/09/courtland-a-kennard/"></a><br />11/9<a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/dates/2006/nov/09/gregory-w-mccoy/"></a><br />11/9<a 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href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/dates/2006/oct/14/leebernard-e-chavis/"></a><br />10/14<a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/dates/2006/oct/14/jonathan-j-simpson/"></a><br />10/14<a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/dates/2006/oct/14/keith-j-moore/"></a><br />10/14<a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/dates/2006/oct/14/charles-m-king/"></a><br />10/14<a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/dates/2006/oct/14/joseph-m-kane/"></a><br />10/14<a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/dates/2006/oct/14/timothy-j-lauer/"></a><br />10/13<a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/dates/2006/oct/13/thomas-j-hewett/"></a><br />10/13<a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/dates/2006/oct/13/jason-a-lucas/"></a><br />10/13<a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/dates/2006/oct/13/kenny-f-stanton-jr/"></a><br />10/13<a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/dates/2006/oct/13/johnny-k-craver/"></a><br />10/12<a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/dates/2006/oct/12/gene-a-hawkins/"></a><br />10/11<a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/dates/2006/oct/11/scott-w-dyer/"></a><br />10/11<a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/dates/2006/oct/11/shane-t-adcock/"></a><br />10/11<a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/dates/2006/oct/11/justin-t-walsh/"></a><br />10/11<a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/dates/2006/oct/11/nicholas-r-sowinski/"></a>Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-1160664257757713432006-10-12T10:16:00.000-05:002006-10-12T09:44:17.860-05:00The numbers do add upThe numbers do add up<br />The attempts to rubbish the Lancet study on the massive Iraqi death toll are devious hack-work.<br />Daniel Davies<br /><br />Articles<br />Latest <br />Show all <br />Profile<br /><br />All Daniel Davies articles <br />About Webfeeds October 12, 2006 02:00 PM | Printable version<br /><br />As Richard Horton's post says, the latest Johns Hopkins University study of mortality in Iraq, published in the Lancet is horrible news. When the previous study was published, a horrendous chorus of hacks sprung up and suddenly discovered a new-found expertise in epidemiological statistics. <br /><br />Tim Lambert, the Australian science-blogger, and I ended up spending a lot of time and energy fighting on the online front of this Campaign For Real Statistics, and so it is with heavy heart that I see that President Bush - who is probably a better statistician that many of his online supporters as he has at least been to business school - has already expressed an uninformed opinion on the matter.<br /><br />There will be a concerted attempt to persuade people that the statistical issues involved in this study are difficult. They aren't. The correct way to think about this is as follows:<br /><br />First, don't concentrate on the number 600,000 (or 655,000, depending on where you read). This is a point estimate of the number of excess Iraqi deaths - it's basically equal to the change in the death rate since the invasion, multiplied by the population of Iraq, multiplied by three-and-a-quarter years. Point estimates are almost never the important results of statistical studies and I wish the statistics profession would stop printing them as headlines.<br /><br />The question that this study was set up to answer was: as a result of the invasion, have things got better or worse in Iraq? And if they have got worse, have they got a little bit worse or a lot worse. Point estimates are only interesting in so far as they demonstrate or dramatise the answer to this question.<br /><br />The results speak for themselves. There was a sample of 12,801 individuals in 1,849 households, in 47 geographical locations. That is a big sample, not a small one. The opinion polls from Mori and such which measure political support use a sample size of about 2,000 individuals, and they have a margin of error of +/- 3%. If Margaret Beckett looks at the Labour party's rating in the polls, she presumably considers this to be reasonably reliable, so she should not contribute to public ignorance by allowing her department to disparage "small samples extrapolated to the whole country". The Iraq Body Count website and the Iraqi government statistics are not better measures than the survey results, because one of the things we know about war zones is that casualties are under-reported, usually by a factor of more than five.<br /><br />And the results were shocking. In the 18 months before the invasion, the sample reported 82 deaths, two of them from violence. In the 39 months since the invasion, the sample households had seen 547 deaths, 300 of them from violence. The death rate expressed as deaths per 1,000 per year had gone up from 5.5 to 13.3.<br /><br />Talk of confidence intervals becomes frankly irrelevant at this point. If you want to pick a figure for the precise number of excess deaths, then (1.33% - 0.55%) x 26,000,000 x 3.25 = 659,000 is as good as any, multiplying out the difference between the death rates by the population of Iraq and the time since the invasion. But we're interested in the qualitative conclusion here.<br /><br />That qualitative conclusion is this: things have got worse, and they have got a lot worse, not a little bit worse. Whatever detailed criticisms one might make of the methodology of the study (and I have searched assiduously for the last two years, with the assistance of a lot of partisans of the Iraq war who have tried to pick holes in the study, and not found any), the numbers are too big. If you go out and ask 12,000 people whether a family member has died and get reports of 300 deaths from violence, then that is not consistent with there being only 60,000 deaths from violence in a country of 26 million. It is not even nearly consistent.<br /><br />This is the question to always keep at the front of your mind when arguments are being slung around (and it is the general question one should always be thinking of when people talk statistics). How Would One Get This Sample, If The Facts Were Not This Way? There is really only one answer - that the study was fraudulent.[1] It really could not have happened by chance. If a Mori poll puts the Labour party on 40% support, then we know that there is some inaccuracy in the poll, but we also know that there is basically zero chance that the true level of support is 2% or 96%, and for the Lancet survey to have delivered the results it did if the true body count is 60,000 would be about as improbable as this. Anyone who wants to dispute the important conclusion of the study has to be prepared to accuse the authors of fraud, and presumably to accept the legal consequences of doing so. <br /><br />So what? This is always the other line from the people who want to ignore this study. Even if we accept that the invasion has been a disaster (in the strictest sense, the doubling of the civilian death-rate is usually taken to constitute a humanitarian crisis) for the Iraqi people, what should we do differently? The majority of the deaths by violence are a result of action by the insurgents, so we can't just pull the troops home. Isn't this kind of study just "picking over the rubble", to quote the Euston Manifesto and a distraction from the real debate about humanitarian intervention?<br /><br />Well, there is something that we can do. We can ensure that the people responsible for this outrage suffer the consequences of their actions. A particularly disgusting theme of some right-wing American critics of the study as been to impugn it by talking about it being "conveniently" released before the November congressional elections. As if a war that doubled the death rate in Iraq was not the sort of thing that ought to be a political issue. Nobody is doing anything about this disaster, and nobody will do until people start suffering some kind of consequences for their actions (for example, no British politician, soldier or spy has lost his job over the handling of the Iraq war and no senior member of the Bush administration either). <br /><br />There has to be some accountability here. It is not good enough for the pro-intervention community to shrug their shoulders and say that the fatalities caused by the insurgents are not our fault and not part of the moral calculus. I would surely like to see the insurgents in the ICC on war crimes charges, but the Nuremberg convention was also correct to say that aggression was "the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole". The people who started this war of aggression need to face up to the fact, and that is a political issue.<br /><br />[1] In the context of the 2004 study, I was prepared to countenance another explanation: that the Iraqis were lying and systematically exaggerating the number of deaths. But in the 2006 study, death certificates were checked and found in 92% of cases.<br />--------------------------------<br />Okay, so I am not a statistition here, but when 92% of it checks out, I'm a believer. You always have to have a margin of error. I really am in utter disbelief that people ARE debating this because this is a DEATH TOLL, not some philosophy or ideaology. Politics aside, these people are DEAD. And what is the explaination? The war on terror? Iraqi freedom and democracy? This could go on for another decade. Numbers do lie, but to lie about the dead--who would be so devious? And the exchange rate of human bodies--a few thousand US soldiers compared to hundreds of thousands of Iraqies--that blows my mind. Historically, when U.S. soldiers and citizens die, the country blamed for it suffers tenfold. Remember Japan? Yes, it is true that "our" men and women are dying over there, but what about Iraq? What about the civilians who have nothing to do with "terrorism"? What do the dead and injured have to do with political affiliations? This is not political. This is the truth...and it hurts, doesn't it?Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-1159588290513480562006-09-29T22:49:00.000-05:002006-09-29T22:51:30.526-05:00Steve, it's not goodbye, it's just see you later!<embed style="width:400px; height:326px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-6344506678641907015&hl=en"> </embed>Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-1159031928709136472006-09-23T12:17:00.000-05:002006-09-23T12:18:48.723-05:00ENFP<table width=350 align=center border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2><tr><td bgcolor="#DDDDDD" align=center><font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" style='color:black; font-size: 14pt;'><b>You Are An ENFP</b></font></td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#EEEEEE"><font color="#000000"><br />The Inspirer<br /><br />You love being around people, and you are deeply committed to your friends.<br />You are also unconventional, irreverant, and unimpressed by authority and rules.<br />Incredibly perceptive, you can usually sense if someone has hidden motives.<br />You use lots of colorful language and expressions. You're qutie the storyteller!<br /><br />You would make an excellent entrepreneur, politician, or journalist.</font></td></tr></table><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyourpersonalitytypequiz/">What's Your Personality Type?</a></div>Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-1155885923031990832006-08-18T02:23:00.000-05:002006-08-18T02:25:23.046-05:00Edited George W. Bush speech<embed style="width:400px; height:326px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=5752494390378871865&hl=en"> </embed>Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-1153677703523877242006-07-23T13:01:00.000-05:002006-07-23T13:01:43.583-05:00<b>Bill O'Reilly SLANDERS Senator Joe Biden- Al Franken Exposes</b><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://youtube.com/v/hCDkC-Ce56M"></param><embed src="http://youtube.com/v/hCDkC-Ce56M" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br>Bill will never learn.Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-1152642368852795522006-07-11T13:25:00.000-05:002006-07-11T13:26:08.870-05:00My eyes reveal...<a href="http://web.tickle.com/rd/51291/tests/eyesreveal/index.jsp?testname=eyesrevealogt&resultid=B" target="_blank"><img src="http://web.tickle.com/cv/51291/http://i.emode.com/tests/eyesreveal/images/result_s.gif" width="120" height="115" border="0" alt="Take this test at Tickle" /></a><br/><br/> <br /> Your eyes say you're Naturally Stunning<br/><br/> <br /> <a href="http://web.tickle.com/rd/51292/tests/eyesreveal/index.jsp?testname=eyesrevealogt&resultid=B" target="_blank">What Do Your Eyes Reveal?</a><br><br /> Brought to you by <a href="http://web.tickle.com/rd/50631/" target="_blank">Tickle</a>Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-1152307973333609372006-07-07T16:31:00.000-05:002006-07-07T16:32:53.346-05:00My soul looks like...<table width=350 align=center border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2><tr><td bgcolor="#EECDB5" align=center><font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" style='color:black; font-size: 14pt;'><b>What Your Soul Really Looks Like</b></font></td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#F1DED0"><center><img src="http://images.blogthings.com/insidetheroomofyoursoulquiz/room.jpg" height="100" width="100"></center><font color="#000000"><br />You are quite expressive and thoughtful. You see the world in a way that others are blind to.<br /><br />You are a grounded person, but you also leave room for imagination and dreams. You feet may be on the ground, but you're head is in the clouds.<br /><br />You believe that people see you as larger than life and important. While this is true, they also think you're a bit full of yourself.<br /><br />Your near future is a lot like the present, and as far as you're concerned, that's a very good thing.<br /><br />For you, falling in love is all about flirting and feeling playful. You couldn't fall in love with someone who took life too seriously.</font></td></tr></table><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogthings.com/insidetheroomofyoursoulquiz/">Inside the Room of Your Soul</a></div>Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-1152307126548197242006-07-07T16:16:00.000-05:002006-07-07T16:18:46.563-05:00My brain's pattern.<table width="350" align="center" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2"><tr><td bg align="center" style="color:#999999;"><span style="'color:black;font-family:Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif;"><b>Your Brain's Pattern</b></span></td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#CCCCCC"><center><img src="http://images.blogthings.com/whatpatternisyourbrainquiz/7.jpg" height="100" width="100" /></center><span style="color:#000000;">Your mind is a multi dimensional wonderland, with many layers.You're the type that always has multiple streams of though going.And you can keep these thoughts going at any time.You're very likely to be engaged in deep thought - and deep conversation.</span></td></tr></table><div align="center"><a href="http://www.blogthings.com/whatpatternisyourbrainquiz/">What Pattern Is Your Brain?</a></div>Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-1152197612576023232006-07-06T09:51:00.000-05:002006-07-06T09:53:32.576-05:00Poor Pope John Paul II...<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6196/650/1600/bush_santa.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6196/650/400/bush_santa.jpg" border="0" /></a>Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-1152197496547841162006-07-06T09:49:00.000-05:002006-07-06T09:51:36.570-05:00What blogthings.com thinks I think of my friends...<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6196/650/1600/thinkoffriends.0.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6196/650/400/thinkoffriends.0.jpg" border="0" /></a>Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-1151953241449702282006-07-03T13:56:00.000-05:002006-07-03T14:00:41.470-05:00Compassion.<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6196/650/1600/compassion.gif"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6196/650/320/compassion.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Cute image, huh? It's name is compassion.Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-1151597958500166142006-06-29T11:18:00.000-05:002006-06-29T11:19:18.520-05:00Carebear<a href="http://www.blinkyou.com/glitters.php" target="_blank"><img src="http://image.blinkyou.com/glitter_images/carebearpurplerainbow.gif" border="0" alt="Check Out Blinkyou.com for thousands of custom glitters and layouts" /></a>Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9118601.post-1150341950319722372006-06-14T22:25:00.000-05:002006-06-14T22:25:50.326-05:00<a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/184/2326/1024/kerrmit.jpg'><img border='0' style='border:1px solid #660066; margin:2px' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/hello/184/2326/400/kerrmit.jpg'></a><br />Funny comic. Poor Kermit! :-(<br /><span style='font-size: 8pt;'>Posted by <a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'>Picasa</a></span>Celia N. Fosterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18127853767497685410noreply@blogger.com0