in honor of resistance 01/04/2010
Posted by karkalec05 in curls and kuffiyehs, kisses are a far better fate than wisdom.add a comment
mcdonalds memorial hospital 01/03/2010
Posted by karkalec05 in healthcare happy meals.add a comment
welcome to mcdonalds memorial hospital. thanks for choosing our hospital this evening. my name is parker and i will be your waiter. what would you like today? great. would you like narcotics with that?
so, i arrived to work on 12/31/09 and again tonight to receive a thorough reprimand for patient satisfaction scores that were well below par. i have to say that i am already tired of being treated like a child, and accused of not caring for my patients. according to the survey, which only about 2.3 % of the patient’s seen in the e.r. actually returned a survey during a week, states that we are lowsy nurses and not adequately taking care of our patients. i see even less of that, since i am only here for 3 days and i am only located in a certain part of the e.r. frankly, i am very frustrated that they are basing our care off a survey that is not adequately representing the population of opinion out there. i guarantee you that the majority of people that were happy with their care didn’t fill out a survey, and all the people that were pissed off did which makes us look bad. these surveys are a joke and the expectations that patients have while they should be high, are more than often unrealistic and outside of our ability. i could do everything in the world for my patients and they would still be upset about having to wait in the e.r. for 8 hrs. or not being a priority at the moment because someone else is dying. most of the patients come in here pissed off already and there ain’t a thing in the world that one could do for them that would make them happy.
now granted, i do not want my patients to be unhappy, but this is not mcdonalds. there is no drive thru. you come to receive your medical care, not to socialize and eat. i work my ass off to make sure they receive their medical care in a timely fashion. i receive very little affirmation from patients for working hard for them, and i don’t ever ask or expect it from them. this is my work. what i don’t appreciate it, is being accused of not doing it.
i don’t like this press ganey.
anniversary of a massacre 12/31/2009
Posted by karkalec05 in american (subvert) Empire, curls and kuffiyehs.add a comment
this really isn’t an anniversary that i would celebrate, even though there are a number of american politicians, evangelical Christians and elites that would probably consider it a victory in the name of democracy against terrorism. i beg to differ. slaughter is never a thing to celebrate, neither is it ever a victory for anyone.
instead, it is a date to mourn. as i think about the brutal occupation that the people of gaza have endured for the past 60 years, i wonder how many more massacres and how many more funerals of innocent civilians and people forced into extremism we are going to have to remember until some one, and i mean the united states government, christian evangelicals, and the establishment figure out that oppressing and collectively punishing the people of gaza is not good policy. frankly, it isn’t good humanity.
let us recall, and i was in the palestinian territories during the beginning of these events, that israel began another siege (which i should say extended) of inhuman conditions, cutting off foreign aid in the form of food, water, and fuel (the basic things these people need to survive) to the people of gaza. naturely, hamas decided that they had had enough and began to fire rockets, effectively breaking a cease fire in the minds of the west (which had been broken already by israel with the siege and assassinations unreported in the western media). thus began another cycle of violence where hamas desperately fired homemade and many times ineffective rockets over into surrounding villages while israel continually escalated its aggressive violence by dropping its bombs and firing its guns, paid for by the u.s., from afar, killing over a thousand inhabitants and injuring much more.
the world cried out in anger and sadness, protesting around the world against the injustice of “operation cast lead.” yet, our cries fell on deaf ears. i myself participated in one of the biggest demonstrations against the massacre in washington d.c. blocking traffic and making a ruckus for the sake of the people that were subjected to air raids, tank attacks, white phosphorus, and targeting of civilians. however, the washington post didn’t even cover the demonstration. i was so angry, but also inspired to see so many demonstrations popping up all over the united states, a country of people that get a bad rap for its run of bad government (a long run at that).
delegates even went into gaza to determine what took place, resulting in the goldstone report to the u.n. which was considered a biased document because it left out hamas’ abuses. i read the document and it equally considered hamas’ actions to be against international law and in violation of human rights. i even read goldstone’s rebuttal of false accusations against the document, but i don’t think our government read it. instead, they voted to reject the document produced by a american jewish lawyer who had kids that had lived in israel for a while as anti-israel and anti-american. (i hate that our government can’t take any criticism. are we above the laws we agreed with other international governments to prevent such crimes from ever being committed again? i would say, in the name of empire and imperial interests, yes.) also, i would like to note that he also served on other delegations in bosnia and south africa where similar atrocities were committed and exposed. i do also believe that doctors without borders entered gaza as well after the conflict, or before, i can’t remember, and were disgusted at what they found.
during these days of remembrance, i mourn for the lives lost and for my governments involvement in the perpetuation of terrorism and violence throughout the world. but, i am not just thinking about gaza, i am also thinking about iraq and afghanistan and the criminal acts we have committed there. i also remember those who suffered under american imperialism in chile, argentina, brazil, bolivia, panama, guatemala, nicaragua, and el salvador. i also remember new orleans, sri lanka, tiananmen square, indonesia and the way governments manipulated natural disasters to impose their policies of friedmanite free markets. i have not forgotten the massacres that have taken place in the united states, especially of the native americans.
so, today, as i work and take care of the sick, i think about how sick my government is, and will continue to speak out and intervene for the disease of empire.
work and avatar 12/21/2009
Posted by karkalec05 in Uncategorized.add a comment
i had two very busy nights at work. i am feeling much more comfortable with my responsibilities and the flow of traffic in the e.r. i am very tired at the end of the night though. i hardly have time to sit down, but i am thoroughly enjoying especially that the population is much more linguistically and ethnically diverse than northeast tennessee. not sure if i like working up trauma’s all by myself with no monitor. yeah, they definitely dropped the ball on that patient the other day. she should have gone to acute care. oh well.
i am getting to know co-workers more, and starting to make new friends. i went to the movies last night to watch avatar with them. we went out to eat first, and then caught the 2+ hour film.
the film was incredible. the visual effects were spectacular, and the world that cameron created was amazing. i knew the film was going to be anti-colonial and anti-imperialistic, but it took on much more of these feelings than i had initially realized, which i appreciated. the na’vi reminded me (which i think was the intent) of native americans and what the early settlers had done to the americas. tragically, the native americans weren’t the slightest bit as successful as the na’vi. regardless, i was emotionally moved and happy to see some media in the united states which proposes such attitudes and creates a medium in which one can sympathize with those who are subject to empire and greed.
it was hard not to identify with the na’vi, to respect their customs and postures towards the world around them, and i would be hardpressed not to say that most americans would feel the same, if they saw the film. this leads me to believe that americans are still capable (much more than the world realizes) to respect and appreciate people who disagree or live differently. i don’t think a person in the theater would have agreed with earthling imperialism and urged the na’vi to just give up and migrate to somewhere else. just wonder if this sentiment translates to the real world: iraq, afghanistan, palestine.
cathartic discoveries 12/16/2009
Posted by karkalec05 in american (subvert) Empire.add a comment
i just finished two of noam chomsky’s excellent books concerning the empire of the united states: hegemony or survival and failed states. before that, i finished naomi klein’s the shock doctrine and howard zinn’s a people’s history of the united states. all books i strongly recommend for their excellent research, opinions, and perspectives on economics, foreign affairs, war, labor, human rights, international laws, etc.
while, i can’t fully express the extent of frustration and anger i feel towards the establishment (the wealthy elites, corporations, and the aligned political powers) for what they have done in my name, i have also discovered, to my great surprise and relief, that many americans feel the same, something i think i knew before at least on a smaller level, but didn’t realize the full extent. i admit that i fell prey to the poor coverage of opinion on major domestic and foreign issues: that americans were politically stupid, supported their government unquestionably, and didn’t care what happened to the people subjected to the militaristic horrors of an arrogant empire extending its greedy and power hunger tentacles across the globe in the name of “democracy” or that all americans are imperialistic, power hungry, excessively greedy, and have no inclination to consider the opinions of the rest of the world. (i also do not run or work in any circles that give me a broad perspective of american opinion.) unfortunately, that is what the world sees as well, and that is how the establishment portrays us. but, i am learning something different.
in zinn’s historical account of popular people’s movements, i became so encouraged and inspired to read about the everyday laborer rising up to resist oppressive policies, women speaking out for more rights, blacks taking to the streets, native americans speaking out against ethnic cleansing and imperialism elsewhere in the world, simple men exposing and speaking out against complex machinations of government, etc. etc. a lot of these movements are well known, such as the resistance to vietnam, but many are also unknown due to america’s attempt to erase history. while it threw more fire on my anger at the establishment, it also allowed me to see the great numbers of americans, more than i had initially realized, who resisted such evils, aggressions, and deceptions to the cost of their freedoms, and in many cases, their own lives. american hegemony and tyranny has been in business for a long time, but resistant to it has been chugging along as well.
chomsky has done the same. while i have been resistant to the imperialism and arrogance of the united states for quite some time, chomsky has brought my understanding of it to a whole new level, one that has helped me to see the gravity of such policies and dispositions. more than increasing my anger and galvinizing my criticisms of the united states government, i was also enlightened to learn that the government and the wealthy neocons not only stand apart from most of the world, which i knew, but also from the general domestic population in america evidenced by many opinion polls, reported and unreported in the media, on such issues as the iraqi war, health care, and accountability under international law, etc. etc. which show that a majority of americans “believe that the United States should accept the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court and the World Court, sign the Kyoto protocols, allow the United Nations to take the lead in international crises, and rely on diplomatic and economic measures more than military ones in the “war on terror”…Overwhelming majorities favor expansion of government programs: primarily health care (80 percent), but also funding for education and Social Security.” And the list goes on and on…
i strongly recommend his two books and suggest checking out www.americanempireproject.com for more information.
in my encounters abroad with friends and strangers, i was often subject to these stereotypical generalizations and criticisms of americans for the things that their government was doing. after all, the united states is a democracy, right? previously, all i could do was agree with them, and tell them that not all americans thought like that, referencing my friends in johnson city and in other cities who had done much to shape and influence my thinking about such issues, but realizing they were a small community. but, what i didn’t take into account, was the great divide between the establishment (the world knows their opinions very well), and a majority of the american people (who often go unheard).
i used to think that the majority of americans liked the privatized health care model. i thought it was due to a fear of socialism or communism that had been engrained in them, but i have learned that isn’t the case. i thought that they were opposed to higher taxes for a universal health care program, but that isn’t the case. yes, these are opinions of the wealthy elite, disciples of friedman’s free market economy and one of its pillars of privatization, but they are not generalizations that can be subjected to the overwhelmingly majority of americans who want everyone to have health care. many of these same americans are also deeply concerned about the degradation and decay of social programs, Social Security, education, etc. under the bush 2 regime. health care and social programs aren’t the only issues where their is a huge difference in opinion. the post world war 2 american (which i am not glorifying at all just referencing) is quite different than the america of the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century, and this has a lot to do with the fact that the government just does these things with only the permission of a small wealthy minority (which they have done throughout america’s entire history).
i am deeply ashamed to have caught on so late, even though, i have been resistant for quite some time. american tyranny has not only been destructive to democracy abroad, but here as well. a lot of money has been spent in order to deceive the public and shield them from the mischievous behavior of the government. it has been quite effective at making people feeling impotent in the affairs of government which has led to a lot of people just not caring. presidential elections for quite some time have been choosing the worst of two evils. i don’t blame people either. i thought the same as well. for the longest time, i held all things political with such contempt (partially because i don’t think i fully understood them), but also because i didn’t have any influence or say. my contempt led to withdrawal. i obviously think differently now. i realize that i can’t ignore what the united states government and its vast corporate cronies are doing to the citizens of the world because i don’t like it. i believe there are more issues that have caused the erosion of our political participation, but i won’t discuss it here.
i think what i am trying to say, despite the fact that i am strongly opposed (put gently and mildly) to the policies of the united states at home and abroad, is that the process of discovering the masses before and with me on such opinions has been overwhelmingly cathartic. i was never so arrogant to think that i was the only one who was resistant in the united states, something i consider to be absurd, especially since i am deeply grateful for all my friends like andrew, hannah, r.j., phil, andy, tim, david, sarah, sara, adam, joel, shanna, irena (well she is now), lee, pat, etc. etc. (who are all american) who have enlightened and taught me so much about these things. i have never thought that i was alone, i just didn’t realize how many of us there were (which i think may be due to fact that i am joining the game late), and i never thought to look for confirmation of that. this makes me happy, and doesn’t depress me as much to be considered american.
slam. bam. thank you ma’am. 12/05/2009
Posted by karkalec05 in Uncategorized.add a comment
so, the other day, i was driving home from a long evening at work around 7 in the morning. during my wait in traffic, i was listening to 104.1 on the radio. some girl had called into this radio station because she was concerned about her current relationship with a guy she had been dating for a while who was attending another university long distance from hers. he was supposed to come home for the holidays, but was absent due to a football game and some other unexplained event. the girl, her name is heather, stated that there had been rumors that her boyfriend had been hanging out with this other girl, and she wanted to get the truth, sabotage style. so, the radio station called the guy and pretended to be a new flower company promoting themselves with free flowers. after she explained what their company was, and the guy consented to going along with the offer, she asked him, “who would you like to send the flowers to?”
the guy responded, “umm…could you send them to a dorm?”
she responded, “yes. no problem.”
“great.” at this point, i am thinking he is going to send the flowers to heather. he asked if he could send them to a dorm, and heather lived in the dorms at a university.
“send the flowers to kelsea.” yeah. not heather.
“what do want the card with the flowers to say?”
“ummm…write…at least the football game was not a total waste.” oh shit.
at this moment, the radio station interrupted the guy and revealed their true identity and the true purpose of the phone call.
busted! busted! oh my gosh, you douchebag, you got busted!
then, heather chimes in and just tears into this cat. “who the f*#% do you think you are? why couldn’t you just tell me? did you kiss her? i don’t even know who you are.”
the guy had no defense. he tried desperately, “heather…you know i love you…i didn’t come home because i was hungover after the football game…i was drunk…we just kissed…etc…etc.” then, he started cussing at the radio dj’s because they made a few comments, and at that point, he got very defensive. which i don’t blame him.
i was shocked. it was devilish, fiendish, but brilliant cause you know the guy would not have admitted that the relationship was on the rocks.
lesson: don’t cheat on your girlfriend…and don’t accept any free flower offers.
u got jesus? 11/18/2009
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as i was driving through missouri, i came across a road sign that said in big bold letters, “u got jesus?” immediately, i scoffed at the question, an automatic reflex of my distaste for the religious theology and language of american evangelical christianity, but to acquiesce to their request, i checked my pockets, shifted some bags around in the front seat, and glanced into the back of my car. well, shit. i don’t have him.
this question is such a terrible result of the influence, and in many cases the dominance, of capitalism and consumerism on the modern linguistic devices and metaphors we use to refer to our relationship to the divine, and let us not forget all things earthly. think about it. when people use the verb “to get” (which i would argue is interchangeable with the verb “to have” in our colloquial usage) it more than often refers to something that we obtain or of which we are in possession. you got your keys? you got your jacket? do you have your child? did you get this piece of information?
is this how christians in america view their relationship with jesus? do we think that we own him? do we even view our relationships with our friends, co-workers, strangers, and families in such a fashion?
there is a dangerous metaphor at work here. when we speak about jesus in such economic terms, we begin to transform him into something else. more simply put, we transform a person into a product. think about it. when such questions are advertised on billboards (which is the setting for advertising products) it sounds like we are advertising jesus as an energy drink or a pair of nike’s. now, i am aware of what people are attempting to ask when they post this question on billboards across america, but since when did the person of jesus become the equivalent of purchasing white liquid squeezed from the utters of a cow? “got milk?” how about jesus?
isn’t this only another form of slavery: the whole business of making a person into a possession?
a foretaste of things to come… 11/12/2009
Posted by karkalec05 in curls and kuffiyehs.add a comment
On November 6th, in remembrance of the dismantling of the separation wall in Berlin and as an act of their own resistance, Palestinians in Qalandiya and Nil’in dismantled portions of a ugly and illegal concrete wall. Declared illegal according to the International Court of Justice in 2004, “the barrier, in reality a network of walls, fences, watchtowers and checkpoints, snakes through the interior of the West Bank, looping around Israeli settlements and fragmenting Palestinian communities” by separating them from their land, olive trees, families, and their jobs inside of Israel.
I have seen this wall, and I have grown to detest it.
Sometimes, this wall seems unassailable. Sometimes, this wall seems to assert its permanence. Sometimes, I despair. When will we learn to stop building these structures on this earth and in our hearts, aimed to separate, fragment, and disconnect us from each other? Will the people of this world be able to see this wall for what it really is?
But, that is only sometimes because I know that one day this wall will be a thing of the past. I know that one day concrete will fall and crumble from the weight of human flesh and the strength of human spirit. It is only a matter of time, as it was for the Berlin Wall, and on November 6th, the Palestinians demonstrated just how weak these walls really are. While this act remains simply symbolic and hasn’t changed the situation on the ground, it is a small victory with great significance. It is a foretaste of things to come, when prison barriers will fall, and the Palestinians can roam free on their homeland.
The Israelis can and will try to cage in these people, but their spirits have always soared, and it will only be so long until their bodies will climb and crush concrete to catch up.
Until then…let’s continue to work for peace.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article10881.shtml
bosnia and hercegovina 10/02/2009
Posted by karkalec05 in a case of wander lust.add a comment
boy was i exhausted after albania, but i had a fantastic time. i traveled back up to montenegro to spend a day and a half of rest. i really needed it and my time in bosnia has been more enjoyable for it.
i have only been to two cities in bosnia i hercegovina, but it has been an incredible and educational journey. i had a fabulous tour in mostar that was basically the best tour i have ever had. sarajevo has been very incredible as well. these people have endured a lot during the past two, three decades.
my trip is coming to an end. i have mixed feelings about returning to the states, but looking forward to visiting with friends and family.
tungjatjeta. mirupafshim. 09/22/2009
Posted by karkalec05 in a case of wander lust.1 comment so far
i had a great time with besard, a new albanian friend, in tirane. i didn’t do much, but we saw the sites, walked around and watched people, and i even got to catch up with a friend that i met in costa rica three years ago. tirane is a weird city. it isn’t very attractive, but the people are very good-looking…well…at least a lot of them. ha, ha. albania is such a poor country, but everyone seems to be driving a mercedes or bmw. let us not forget how well dressed everyone is.
the landscape is very beautiful too, but i found myself having difficulty enjoying it, especially on the drive from shokdra to tirane, and tirane to gjirokastra. i think i have just been really bothered by the poverty and poor living conditions here. it is a completely different world than in croatia or montenegro. albania has really been hit hard by the past.
gjirokastra is absolutely gorgeous though. atop the city sits a beautiful but poorly groomed castle with cobblestone streets weaving in and out of old houses underneath. it was a beautiful day today. i was able to appreciate the scenary much more today. i went to a few old houses and had a little tour. fascinating. i stayed in this little guesthouse with some very friendly albanians.
right now, i am in sarande and it is deserted. ha, ha. offseason. what can i do? tomorrow, i will travel to butrint to see the old city, hang out in ksamili, and then head up north, maybe to berat.
i am surprised at how much albanian i remember (even though i know very little). it is nice to be eating byrek and albanian cheese again. yummy. i missed it.
albanian really is the land of bunkers. they are everywhere!!! what were the commi’s thinking?
