So, the half-assed pseudo-actress Sharon Stone thinks she knows how Karma works? Must be because she's SUCH good friends with the Dalai Lama


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcRiAytaD6w 

 

The Price of Addiction

 

The first hit had made her skin itch.

Darby told her that might happen – would probably happen. As she had drifted in and out of consciousness, it occurred to her that this couldn’t be what everyone talked about. So, she took another. And another.

OK, so I'm taking this creative writing class which basically amounts to me paying a few hundred dollars to participate in a critique workshop that's less helpful that posting my stuff on FF.net ... but that's beside the point for the moment.

One of the benefits of my job is the opportunity to meet people like Nobel Peace Prize recipient Jody Williams.

“I won the Peace Prize, but I’m not a pacifist.”

This is a lady after my own heart.

She talks about being pursued by death squads in El Salvador and of an “unpleasant sexual encounter” with a member of those death squads – but only to point out that these men were trained by the United States government. She calls Bush and Cheney war criminals and says that this is the worst administration, ever, in the history of her country.

She gave her e-mail address to a packed theatre and told the audience to contact her, to talk to her – but only if they weren’t going to complain. “Don’t whine to me about what’s bothering you unless you can also tell me what you’re doing about it,” she said. “Otherwise shut up and move over, and just let me take care of it.”

Which leaves me wondering, how do I choose just one thing to devote my efforts to? There are so many things that PISS ME THE HELL OFF! *sigh*

The things that speak to my heart – environment, animal welfare – and the things that speak to my mind – the corruption of media, global equity – and on and on and on….seem insurmountable. Williams talks about her own country, the U.S., as the biggest arms dealer on the planet, the biggest bully, the most corrupt system, the antithesis of real democracy where the most “greedy of corporate bastards” have no concept of enlightened self-interest.

How do you fight that? How do you stand up to that? I'm left feeling over-awed and yet still helpless. What have I done? What can I do?

In her case, how did she face death threats, rape, overwhelming governmental conspiracy – to make the difference in the world that she did? The very fact that she came from the U.S. gives me hope. If a country can produce her, it can be saved, can’t it? And if the U.S. can be saved, can’t we all?

More about my conversation with Jody Williams. http://www.expressnews.ualberta.ca/print.cfm?id=9043