half my face is numb. which wouldn't normally be a problem, cept that i'm tryin to drink my coffee (thank god for the lid--like a sippy cup for grown-ups) and talk on the phone without havin a lisp. I'll put up a picture, but whatever it was my dentist did today was freakin weird and involved this rubber sheath that covered my whole mouth--which was great b/c the it stayed open magically on its own--but seriously reminded me of some torture device or horror movie where spiders or something crawl out of nowhere. (maybe that numbing stuff is workin on my brain too). Anyways, point being, that the last time i was having rounds of dental work done was about a year ago--during the war (the Israel-Lebanon one in case you are just tuning in)--when i would have to pull the car over on the way to the dentist's office b/c the air raid sirens would go off and there were rockets n stuff. Same general feeling about the numbness and the dentist, much different feeling about getting there. Somehow the tranquil walk two blocks with the fall leaves rustling and sun shining doesn't parallel the honking, sirens and dust that accompanied me last time.

 

We've been studying this thing in contracts (which i'm not going to get into) but that hinges on the idea of restitution to the extent that it prevents or remedies an injustice.  Prevents doesn't really mean prevent though, it means fix it after the fact.  The theory being that to figure out what exactly is "just" is really hard, but most 'reasonable' people know injustice when they see it. In case anyone needs a refresher course on what that looks like: Wrongful Imprisonment  There's this guy in GA who just got released after 22 years in jail for a crime he didn't committ. (fill in the rant on your own here folks and check out the Innocence Project) and what my Seattle micro-causm has been watching: DVOne's trial was this past week (Stranger blog). I could go on with the links here for days, but you get the point.

 

thing is this: When you find that there was an injustice done, how do you begin to attempt to quantify its value?  How do you decide the extent of the detriment?  In legal jargon, i get it..mostly...its about dollars and cents...how much is it going to cost to make you "whole" again. Problem is i think in terms of spiritual and emotional injustice and suffering. How on earth can anyone place a value on nobility and dignity? Money certainly doesn't make you whole, so how do you heal after you have suffered injustice at the hands of another person, government, institution, whatever? it seems like we're rapidly exhausting the retaliation theory worldwide (lord knows i have in my own life) and its not getting us much of anywhere cept in fits and starts.  My point is this: the law only looks to make right injustice (no one ends up in court unless something unfair went down) because its not equipped to rise to the higher level. I've lost my belief that the "justice system" is just--or has the capacity to be if people weren't tweaking it. However, its what we have, so i am going to learn to work the system for the sake of those without the resources to do it for themselves and SERIOUSLY hope that the kind of people who are the future leaders of our communities and nations are those who strive for the greater--the enigmatic concept, the something more, the real ish--the righting of systemic causes of injustice rather than bandaiding and buying them after they happen.  B/c the lesser leads to anger, or worse yet apathy and numbness. 

I'm looking for an alarm clock. Mine (much as i love the convenience of my cell phone = alarm clock) has seriously stopped waking me up or providing enough annoyance to motivate me to get out of bed at a reasonable time of the morning. We aren't going to talk about the rain, or how rainy days should equate with reading books in bed and drinking tea because otherwise everyone's goin to tell me i shouldn't have moved to seattle.  I need an alarm clock..its the alarmclock's fault i can't get up. And now i'm fixin to have this amazing plan to work out in the mornings--which means i have to get up n stuff.

 

Anyways. Point is that i am huntin for an alarm clock.  I want something phat (means cool, mama). Something that doesn't fly around the room or go rolling off to find a hiding spot (i dont' want to be angry, just awake).  So i thought i'd check out how much it would be to replace my FAVORITE alarm clock ever--b/c it rocked (literally) until it's unexpected beak diving accident.

 

THE DAMN THING COSTS over 150$USD. Holy MOLY!!  On continued hunting i discover there's another one going for 190$USD.  Who would have thought in 94 that my stupid, buy-you-at-Kerr-Drugs, alarm clock was going to become some object worthy of adoration and devotion?!?  If only i had known the value of the evil, "wake up baby, come and dance with me" hillbilly, singin' chicken before i smacked it to its perilous, three-foot plummet, demise!  Even more bizarre, i am not the only one lusting after it (my preciousssssss)!! Nah, for real, there is blog after blog about this damn chicken--EVERYONE loved it. EVERYONE wants thiers back!!  And NOBODY is willing to pay 150$USD for it. Hah. 

 

So the hunt continues, if you find phat alarms, let me know. In the meantime i will just continue being late and blaming the alarm for my laziness.