Human Right #5: No Torture

"No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment." That is the text of Article 5 of the UDHR.

When I was originally thinking about this article, I thought I might write about Guantanamo Bay and how it ought to be closed. If you haven't heard, Guantanamo Bay is a detention facility for militant folks and is basically a huge violation of international human rights law. Happily, Barack Obama signed in a plan to close the facility in 120 days within the first few hours of his presidency. Another reason I am glad he's my president. Anyways, I digress.

As the video implies, Article 5 is not just about treatment of prisoners or enemies in war. It includes cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. Domestic violence is in there. Child abuse. Even prejudices. Slavery. It's remarkable yet unsurprising how interconnected they are all. The line between human rights and the right to be human is a bit blurry if you ask me.

Good stuff. I'm glad to have these back on my mind. Odd that I am less depressed when thinking about depressing things?

Shoes for Special Occasions.

It's a little odd, I'll admit it, but I strongly dislike new shoes. Not because they are uncomfortable and not for any hippie reason you might expect from me, rather because they are TOO CLEAN. I feel so goofy walking around in a pair of shiny new shoes. Further evidence that I am a bum to the core. My favorite shoes are getting holes in them, so I ended up buying a pair that is exactly the same (which, by the way, I had to go to Seattle to do). I am trying to gradually wear in the new ones by wearing them on warm days when it's extra mucky outside. At the same time, I don't want my old ones to become unwearable before the new ones stop looking so clean. So right now the old ones are only for special occasions. I'm wearing them to the Anberlin concert tonight. Overthinking things? I most definitely am. But that's what happens when you have Mondays off and little to do but wait for your friend to come home so you can go see a sweet concert. Can you tell the difference?

(P.S. You can look forward to human right #5 on Friday! I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm out of my unmotivated funk, but I'm getting there...)

Where have all the human rights gone?

Yeah, I was going to start posting on these again at the beginning of the month...  Do you ever get in a funk and just have zero motivation for all of the things that are usually really important to you?  That's me these days.

Stomp was amazing.

Stomp was seriously the greatest thing. I'd like to see it over and over. Maybe even dedicate my life to dancing and drumming so I can be in the show. So good. If it ever comes to a city near you, fork out the cash and go see it.

Today is a good day.

www.whitehouse.gov

YC... again?

So last year I volunteered at YC (that's Albertan Christian code for Youth Conference) and, I'm not gonna lie, it was kind of lame.  After it was all done, I said, "That was lame. I'm never doing that again."

Then the other day they released all the info for this year and it looked way cool.

Not only are Newsboys NOT the headline concert (they won't be there at all), Relient K IS going to be there and I REALLY want to see them. They were here in Calgary for Warped Tour over the summer, but I missed it because I was in Brazil. There are a few other bands I'd really like to see, too, so I'm pretty much ready to call myself a liar and get my application in.

So I think I'm gonna do it again. Based on the incentive, I think know I have a friend who will do it with me if she happens to not be on practicum that weekend. I have to think of something better to volunteer for, though, because "Games and Activities" was an absolute gong show, and I don't mean that it a good way.

STOMP! And other events.

Wow. I am so excited to go see Stomp on Sunday. I like Broadway musicals, but I don't think I'm as huge a fan as Sam, probably because I've never actually seen one live. But if I could choose any musical to see first, it would be the one I'm going to see on Sunday... I am SO excited. I have wanted to see this show for as long as I've known that it exists.

I'm way more excited than Sam, and she's really really excited, too, you know. Actually, I almost bought Sam tickets to the show for her birthday last month. I wasn't even sure if she'd like them, but I knew she'd take me with her so I didn't really care. Then I found Anberlin tickets, and I knew she'd like those, and that she'd take me with her, so I got them instead. Then she called on Christmas to tell me she got tickets to Stomp and was taking me with her! I was and still am elated!

So we get to go to Stomp on Sunday. Then Anberlin 8 days after that. Then in February we get to go to a Hitmen game and sit in the greatest seats ever! Sam got me tickets for Christmas and the seats are AMAZING.

All of our tickets are living on Sam's magnet board in her room. It's way too exciting.

Austin

I have a favorite person and his name is Austin J. Neitch. He is my brother and I love him. This is his grade 1 picture. I like how he's missing his front teeth, he has a rash on his mouth from eating too much sugar, and he has a scab over his right eye from falling off his bike. For some strange reason I have a vivid memory of his picture day from that year. 

I also remember when he was born. I was in grade 2 and my mom brought him in for my show and tell that week. Later on in grade 2, when Austin was a few months old, I remember playing with him before I went for school. He puked all over me and I had to change my clothes, so I was late that day.

I remember when he started talking, and how my sister Jacquelyn and I taught him to quote A Goofy Movie. "Smiley Wiley!" "It's the leaning tower of cheese-a."

I remember when, in my grade 5 year, my friend Haley and I dressed him up like a girl and put body glitter all over him. My mom never really liked Haley after that.

Anyways, tomorrow is his birthday. He'll be 16. He's really great.

Sam and her hobbies...

So I have been lacking in inspiration on the blog front lately, and apparently Sam really loves blogging now. So my new plan is to write responses to whatever Sam writes. I asked for permission to do this, just in case she did not want our blogs to be associated. She said the dissociation of our blogs is a lost cause and then gave me her blessing. So, here we go.

Apparently Sam wants some new hobbies and she seems pretty set on snowboarding. So, today I ask her if she wants to go to the ski hill in town after church on Sunday because it's supposed to be nice out.

Her response?

"Pshhh... No way am I going to C.O.P. on a weekend."

Haha, what a funny friend I have. I don't know when or where she thinks she's going to learn to board, or who she thinks is going to teach her, but her attitude sure does suck.

Turns out I actually start classes on Tuesday. Glad I double checked!

Meh

I never feel like blogging anymore, but I guess I'll let you know that I live with Sam and her parents and a girl from Japan, I look after Sam's 4-year-old cousin Annie, and I start class on Monday at Ambrose.

To finish off, here is a glimpse into my day to day life...