Couldn't Be

So another Iranian physicist was assassinated today. As a civilian, this act clearly has to be classified as terrorism. I don’t see how you could possibly argue otherwise; it’s a targeted act of violence by a political group intended to intimidate others.

Clearly, there’s only two nations with the motivation and means to pull off such an operation: the U.S. & Israel. Either possibility is disconcerting.

America hates terrorism. It obviously wouldn’t engage in a terrorist act against a civilian in a nation not at war with America. After all, such an act would undermine its moral high ground in its war on terror. If it justified the ability to kill whomever it wished in the world, while insisting that the reverse was utterly heinous, that would imply all other nations of the world are just America’s vassals. We're not that narcissistic.

America wouldn’t engage in such an act for pragmatic purposes either. After all, such an egregious act of violence would push even the most moderate, secular, pro-Western, anti-mullah Iranians to support nuclear armament. Persecution breeds solidarity as we Americans are keenly aware, and the bomb is the surest means of Iran deterring such future acts of aggression.

America wouldn’t give Israel tacit approval of such an action or give such an action public approval after the fact. After all, America is Israel’s greatest friend, and friends don’t just unconditionally approve of any action their friend might take. A friend would be seriously concerned about immoral, violent, and dangerous actions in his/her friend. A friend would confront them and have a serious discussion to help them. To give approval or stay silent would ultimately do the friend a disservice.

Not to mention, wouldn't approving such an action constitute "material support of a terrorist group"? America would definitely never break its own laws.

B.E.A-utiful!

I found this on Pinterest today and it reminded me of all the beautiful people I have in my life. Here's to all you beautiful people I know!!

There's an App for That!

So I just found out there an Blogger App for the iPhone!! You might just see a few more pictures and short blogs from this Dent now...

Thanks for the Reminder!

I've been doing a fair amount of "thinking" about lots of things lately. I saw this on Pintrest (yep, there is more that just cool crafts and yummy food on there) and felt like it was good reminder. So if you are like me and inherited the worrying gene from your Nana (or from anyone else for that matter) this one is for you.

Teenage Tuesday

Since its almost 3am and I can't sleep I decided I needed to write down the thoughts just running through my head.... maybe that will help. In all truth LOTS of things have been running through my head, with little time to document so let's begin.


Working with teenagers is sheer joy to me. Yes, its not all roses and there are hard moments in my line of work. Like yesterday, I had to sit with a student for several hours and jump through some red tape to make a report because she disclosed suicidal ideations to me in group. And sometimes like today, I am IN AWE (and not the good kind) of the things they know and will share with me (like the concept of what a grenade is ... proceed with caution to the link, it IS urban dictionary afterall...) But even in the hard and trying times, I can feel the warmth from the strong ray of light shinning from the hope that is our future in the these kids.

Because there IS hope.

Picture shout out to the talented Candina!

There is hope in the fact that after those hours I spent with that young girl, we ended our conversation with a plan and the words, " I feel better now." Was it fixed. Not completely. But there was hope.

There is hope in the moment that I witnessed my middle school guys engaged in an activity where they use chairs to construct images of power and time and time again they have AMAZING insights. I was in awe (the good kind, this time) of one guy today who arranged his 4 chairs with 3 stacked on top of each other and one standing by the stack. I asked him what it was and it hold me it was a father holding his baby. He told me that the dad had power over the son because it was his job to take care of him, to provide and protect him and to use his power wisely....to use his power to love his son. To me, there is hope in that young man's awareness.

There is hope in the eyes of those kids who say silly things, but stop and realize that their words and actions matter. In that moment of pondering and self-awareness, I see the hope.

Maybe I am just an odd duck and have just arrived quickly at Erickson's life stage of "Generativity vs. Stagnation" earlier than intended, but really I think it is more than that. I think that, even though this work I do is not blatantly spiritual, God is in it. I can't always see it or understand it, but deep down I know, there is work being done. And that gives me hope to deal with another day.

"My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad indeed; my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right. Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off." - Proverbs 23: 15-18

"Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." - James 1:16-17

So Jonny's Alway's Gotta be Topical....

I need not remind you that it’s the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. It has garnered a huge amount of attention over the past week with ceremonies across America and special programs running one after another on television. Leaving aside the chicken or the egg question of whether the media drives the priority of public attention or vice versa, the public consciousness of America is clearly and heavily focused on this event.

Of course, I completely understand the sentiment driving this attention. It was a horrific tragedy, and any event in which nearly 3,000 people die is worth remembering and the lives lost worth commemorating. The inclination we all have as Americans to identify with the deceased and bereaved in New York even if we are not personally acquainted with them is perfectly natural. We mourn those with which we share a group affiliation more keenly than those with whom we have none. But I doubt many would argue that our grief is inherently more important, or our lives inherently more valuable than those of others.

I am always drawn to view such events in a historical context being the nerd I am, and as such, I am always drawn to the fact that the attacks on 9/11 were not an isolated event which originated and terminated in a vacuum. If one is capable of separating the all-too-often erroneously entangled notions of justification and causation, it is very clear that there were many events in the chain preceding and following the attacks in New York all caught up in the same web. It may be uncomfortable to consider or even unpopular to mention, but tens of thousands of other human lives have been lost in the wake of 9/11, and I cannot help but to publicly declare that the loss of those lives is no less tragic, no matter the difference in circumstances.

I was struck by this photo of a grieving family in Iraq:
(copyright Kate Brooks)

Looking at it, I am clearly reminded of my own feelings of anguish at the untimely loss of my own father. If we focus solely on ourselves and our group, we invite the dangerous temptation to dismiss and dehumanize those outside our range, or even in time grow to hate them. God created us all however, and commanded that we love each other, even those outside of our group. I am reminded of the words of Christ:

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.”

So on 9/11, I urge us to not spend all our attention on watching replays of the violence, or have our focus go no further than the emotional stimulus of the carnage. Had my own father met his end through foul play rather than a car accident, I think those around me would be justifiably concerned about me if I watched the tape of his murder several times on the anniversary of his death. With this in mind, my plea to all of us observing this anniversary is to expand the scope of our vision. Let us invite context into our narrative, let us reflect on the circumstances and consequences of this chain of events, and let us attempt to empathize with those who are as bereaved as we are on the other side of the world.

Kabodie Headband! Kabodie Headband!

I don't approve of his actions, but I do appreciate his methods....

Out of the Mouth of Babes

Amid the mountains of curriculum writing and the side-helpings of sports, there has been little time for much else for this Dent. Oh and don't forget the LOTS of sleepy tired moments. Today though, my co-workers and I told some family-children stories. I of course had to share the recent gem that was the rating-of-the-baboons by our very own AG. I enjoyed a much needed laugh with this and the other stories that were shared, what can I say, I love kiddos!! If we were to have the same discussion just a day later I would have to share what I witnessed at the Racetrack just a bit ago.

Picture it, as you walk into your local gas station you can help but see and hear the Dad with his two children, both under the age of 8, at the movie kisok. The dad is trying to make his selections while his daughter, in her swimsuit.... at 9pm.... swings from side to side and his son, clearly upset yells "YOU CAN'T GET ANYMORE MOVIES! YOU CAN'T GET ANY MORE MOVIES!!" The dad calmly asks "what?" (How he could not hear him not sure, but hey) The little boy answers "YOU CAN'T GET ANYMORE MOVIES!!"

"why not?"

"BECAUSE YOU ALREADY HAVE TWO!"

"so..."

"YOU ALREADY HAVE TWO AND WE CANT GET ANY MORE!!"

"why not?"

"BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE TWO AND NOW WE CAN'T GET ANYMORE!!"

"Who told you that?"

(long pause) "I don't know...we can get more?"

"Yes, we can get as many as we want"

...And all was right with the world again for this little guy. The dad never missed a beat and stayed so calm. So, hears to you little-gas-station-man. I hope you enjoy as many movies as you possible can!

And While I'm At it....

I LOVE THIS, so if you haven't seen this either... You. Are. Welcome!

I Can't Get This Out of My Head

Enjoy/Re-enjoy!

Being Silly and in Love

There are lots of reasons why I love Jonny Dent.... I'm telling you LOTS. Here is just one of the many reasons why....




I love his silliness. I love his smile. And I love how all it takes is a few spare minutes, a iPhone camera and his company to give me a warm heart, tears of joys running down my face and sweet memories. I. am. blessed!!

I Heart Spring!!

It's no secret that the Dents love them some fall: relief from the southern blistering temps and of course, college football's long-waited arrival are a few things we long for every fall. As awesome as these wonderful things are, I have to admit that spring is a very, very close second for this Dent. Yes, with spring comes yucky sinus problems, but come on! Bluebirds and robins. Sweet families playing in the front yard together. End-of-the-day bike rides on your favorite neighborhood trail...

Pretty pink and blue sunsets...


And the smell of fresh honeysuckles and the memory that smell evokes of afternoon drives home from school with my dad, with the window down and stopping on the side of the road to pick those sweet flowers to my hearts delight. What's not to love? Hope you are able to soak up some of the beauty of this spring!

Spring is the Period
Express from God.
Among the other seasons
Himself abide,

But during March and April
None stir abroad
Without a cordial interview
With God.

"Spring is the Period" by Emily Dickinson

The Makings of an Axis I: 300.01

For those of you who don't speak DSM-IV TR, 300.01 is the clinical diagnosis code for Panic Disorder without Agoraphobia. Often the symptoms of this disorder come on rapidly and without an identifiable stressor. Even though it may feel like it, I guess I don't quite fit the criteria because my stressor is VERY identifiable... I sit for my state licensing exam on April 19th!!! Today at work I went to schedule something for later in April and I realized just how close I am to my test date and I started to freak out a bit. I got all kinds of worried and I felt like Jessie on the classic episode of Saved By The Bell....



I realize I need to spend A LOT more time with my new best friend (Thank you Mr. Rosenthal!!) Ultimately, I realize that it's kinda scary to think that everything I have been working for over the past couple of years all comes down to this. I do feel a little peace knowing that I on the right path, but I recognize that I am a first born-achiever and I don't have a good track record with standardized test (seriously, do NOT ask me about taking the ACT) Thank God that our potential children have at least half a chance of getting their father's standardized test taking skills! So, really all of this is to ask one little favor: if you think about me over the next 20 or so days, I would love a thought or prayer offered on my behalf.

Thanks for listening to my venting.... now I have to get back to my purple friend (and my DC...let's just be honest I'm gonna need several of these over the next 20 days :)

A Sewing We Will Go

Self Discovery #1492 : I like sewing.... A Lot! I've dibbled here and there, but when I got my Kindle for graduation, I looked on Etsy and saw some really cute covers and thought I can so do that. So I tried. Since then I've have very much enjoyed my creative expression (read: sewing binge).

Since I made myself like 4 different cases, I figured my Kindle had a large enough wardrobe but Jonny's... well his Kindle needed some clothes. So he got a case.


















Then, I found some cute fabric to help our living room feel more cozy. I made two valances and a matching pillow, complete WITH a zipper. This is a pretty big accomplishment for me seeing as how its the first zipper I've ever done. Never-mind, that it killed not one but TWO of my needles on my machine. I still won that battle! I have one more pillow to make but I'm letting my last needle live a bit longer before its inevitably made to walk the plank as well.

This is my latest project: A wrist pincushion.

One month in to 2011 and I have 5 projects finished. I don't know why I have spent so much of my free time using this means of expression. Maybe it is really relaxing to come home and create something, especially on days when I have a student come share a difficult situation with me after a presentation. Regardless, I am enjoying myself. Now off to go finish my college t-shirt quilt that I started almost 3 years ago... I have a strange feeling it will actually get finished this time :)

WOW!

HAPPY NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP to you all :) It's great to be an Auburn Tiger!!! So Fun and Enough Said!!

Welcome to the Family

Today our little Dent family grew from three to four as we decided to adopt a one year old yellow lab.

Here's the story: Wednesday I got two calls from both my aunt and uncle, neither knowing the other had called at the time, asking if we might want a dog. Earlier that day, my uncle had gone to Cafe Brazil which was located next to Petland and decided to go in. There he found a very sweet, very large, one year old lab puppy who had been in and out of not one, not two, but THREE homes. This sounds like a red flag, but each of the previous owners knew little about labs and had either not enough space or some sort of other condition that made keeping the dog too difficult. He has all his shots and is fixed and only cost $30. They were also throwing in some free, at-home-training just to make sure he didn't have to leave yet another home. So, with peaked interest we loaded up the car with Reilly and went to meet Max. Reilly was a little skittish (and in other news the sky is blue... this dog is frequently afraid of his own shadow) and Max was bigger than I expected, so we took the night to think... as well as the next day.... and all day Friday. I decided to go visit him after work again on Thursday and slowly I began to realize I had, without knowing how, become attached to the guy. Jonny and I discussed and discussed and then discussed some more. I didn't want to take him just because we felt sorry for him. Ultimately we decided to go get him tonight after dinner. As my uncle said, this addition to our family was probably thought out much longer and harder than some children who have entered this world, but when he and Reilly met I could tell they were instant brothers.

Here's to no buyers remorse, doggie brothers and a new lab friend!

How big of a stick is too big?

I'm not a university professor, or any sort of acknowledged expert in the area of foreign affairs or defense spending, but I still would gladly have added my signature to the open letter below that the real experts recently sent to Obama's deficit commission:

"Dear Co-chairman Bowles and Co-chairman Simpson:

We are writing to you as experts in national security and defense economics to convey our views on the national security implications of the Commission's work and especially the need for achieving responsible reductions in military spending. In this regard, we appreciate the initiative you have taken in your 10 November 2010 draft proposal to the Commission. It begins a necessary process of serious reflection, debate, and action.

The vitality of our economy is the cornerstone of our nation's strength. We share the Commission's desire to bring our financial house into order. Doing so is not merely a question of economics. Reducing the national debt is also a national security imperative.

To date, the Obama administration has exempted the Defense Department from any budget reductions. This is short-sighted: It makes it more difficult to accomplish the task of restoring our economic strength, which is the underpinning of our military power.

As the rest of the nation labors to reduce its debt burden, the current plan is to boost the base DOD budget by 10 percent in real terms over the next decade. This would come on top of the nearly 52 percent real increase in base military spending since 1998. (When war costs are included the increase has been much greater: 95 percent.)

We appreciate Secretary Gates' efforts to reform the Pentagon's business and acquisition practices. However, even if his reforms fulfill their promise, the current plan does not translate them into budgetary savings that contribute to solving our deficit problem. Their explicit aim is to free funds for other uses inside the Pentagon. This is not good enough.

Granting defense a special dispensation puts at risk the entire deficit reduction effort. Defense spending today constitutes over 55 percent of discretionary spending and 23 percent of the federal budget. An exemption for defense not only undermines the broader call for fiscal responsibility, but also makes overall budget restraint much harder as a practical economic and political matter.

We need not put our economic power at risk in this way. Today the United States possesses a wide margin of global military superiority. The defense budget can bear significant reduction without compromising our essential security.

We recognize that larger military adversaries may rise to face us in the future. But the best hedge against this possibility is vigilance and a vibrant economy supporting a military able to adapt to new challenges as they emerge.

We can achieve greater defense economy today in several ways, all of which we urge you to consider seriously. We need to be more realistic in the goals we set for our armed forces and more selective in our choices regarding their use abroad. We should focus our military on core security goals and on those current and emerging threats that most directly affect us.

We also need to be more judicious in our choice of security instruments when dealing with international challenges. Our armed forces are a uniquely expensive asset and for some tasks no other instrument will do. For many challenges, however, the military is not the most cost-effective choice. We can achieve greater efficiency today without diminishing our security by better discriminating between vital, desirable, and unnecessary military missions and capabilities.

There is a variety of specific options that would produce savings, some of which we describe below. The important point, however, is a firm commitment to seek savings through a reassessment of our defense strategy, our global posture, and our means of producing and managing military power.

Since the end of the Cold War, we have required our military to prepare for and conduct more types of missions in more places around the world. The Pentagon's task list now includes not only preventive war, regime change, and nation building, but also vague efforts to "shape the strategic environment" and stem the emergence of threats. It is time to prune some of these missions and restore an emphasis on defense and deterrence.

U.S. combat power dramatically exceeds that of any plausible combination of conventional adversaries. To cite just one example, Secretary Gates has observed that the U.S. Navy is today as capable as the next 13 navies combined, most of which are operated by our allies. We can safely save by trimming our current margin of superiority.

America's permanent peacetime military presence abroad is largely a legacy of the Cold War. It can be reduced without undermining the essential security of the United States or its allies.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have revealed the limits of military power. Avoiding these types of operation globally would allow us to roll back the recent increase in the size of our Army and Marine Corps.

The Pentagon's acquisition process has repeatedly failed, routinely delivering weapons and equipment late, over cost, and less capable than promised. Some of the most expensive systems correspond to threats that are least prominent today and unlikely to regain prominence soon. In these cases, savings can be safely realized by cancelling, delaying, or reducing procurement or by seeking less costly alternatives.

Recent efforts to reform Defense Department financial management and acquisition practices must be strengthened. And we must impose budget discipline to trim service redundancies and streamline command, support systems, and infrastructure.

Change along these lines is bound to be controversial. Budget reductions are never easy - no less for defense than in any area of government. However, fiscal realities call on us to strike a new balance between investing in military power and attending to the fundamentals of national strength on which our true power rests. We can achieve safe savings in defense if we are willing to rethink how we produce military power and how, why, and where we put it to use.

Sincerely,

Gordon Adams, American University
Robert Art, Brandeis University
Deborah Avant, UC Irvine
Andrew Bacevich, Boston University
Richard Betts, Columbia University
Linda Bilmes, Kennedy School, Harvard University
Steven Clemons, New America Foundation
Joshua Cohen, Stanford University and Boston Review
Carl Conetta, Project on Defense Alternatives
Owen R. Cote Jr., Security Studies Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Michael Desch, University of Notre Dame
Matthew Evangelista, Cornell University
Benjamin H. Friedman, Cato Institute
Lt. Gen. (USA, Ret.) Robert G. Gard, Jr., Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
David Gold, Graduate Program in International Affairs, The New School
William Hartung, Arms and Security Initiative, New America Foundation
David Hendrickson, Colorado College
Michael Intriligator, UCLA and Milken Institute
Robert Jervis, Columbia University
Sean Kay, Ohio Wesleyan University
Elizabeth Kier, University of Washington
Charles Knight, Project on Defense Alternatives
Lawrence Korb, Center for American Progress
Peter Krogh, Georgetown University
Walter LaFeber, Cornell University
Richard Ned Lebow, Dartmouth College
Col. (USA, Ret.) Douglas Macgregor
Scott McConnell, The American Conservative
John Mearsheimer, University of Chicago
Steven Metz, national security analyst and writer
Janne Nolan, American Security Project
Robert Paarlberg, Wellesley College and Harvard University
Paul Pillar, Georgetown University
Barry Posen, Security Studies Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Christopher Preble, Cato Institute"

Details Details

You may have notice, via facebook, that a minor change has occurred for the Dent's last night.

I GOT A BIG GIRL JOB!!! WOO HOO!!!

So for all you inquiring minds out there who want to know the details here they are:

Where? The Turning Point You can click HERE check out the website, but it is a local non-profit, rape crisis center that offers counseling, legal advocacy and prevention education to Collin County.

When do you start? My first day will begin at 9:00 am on Monday, November 29th.

What will you be doing? My official title is Primary Prevention Coordinator. I will responsible for organizing and providing prevention-education to the community. This will include presentations, leading groups, working with volunteers, collecting and organizing data/research and a whole bunch of other things. Basically, I'm gonna get paid to build relationships and talk with/help people! AWESOME!

Any perks? Of course getting paid. There are benefits (I'm still waiting for the paperwork for all the details on this) I'm also pretty excited that I get PTO for holidays and the week between Christmas and New Years, as well as two additional weeks throughout the year.

All in all I am pretty excited about it. I feel really affirmed not only because of what I will be getting to do but also how it happened. It was very serendipitous. One day I have never heard of the Turning Point, the next day I am volunteering, and now I WORK there. I found a job that will pay me to help people and be helpful with my additional pursuit to obtain my counseling license. Very happy indeed!!!

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas....

....All around the Dent home. Despite my LOVE for all things Christmas, I am normally VERY adamant that no Christmas music or decoration make an appearance until the day after Thanksgiving. Not a day earlier or later. But this year, I felt... different. I was ready to embrace the Christmas spirit. I needed it. So on Friday, I decided it was time and the Dent home went from this :

No Christmas AND messy. BOO!!! To ....

I love Christmas! I love the family time, the memories, the reverence, the music, the beauty, the joy, the peace on earth and good will towards men that seems to fill everyone's spirit, even if it is just for one month a year. I love Christmas so much for so many reasons, but most of all because of this last picture because that is what it is all about. I can't help but think the love and peace and hope experienced each December represents a small fraction of what it will be like when there is no more suffering. I am thankful, every year for this little bit of what I feel is "thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven". So, can you blame me for wanting to celebrate early?

Who's Next?

So normally, if I get my political undies in a wad over something I read, I give a little synopsis of whatever I read, maybe because I expect the American attention span is all of 30 seconds long these days. This time, I'm not doing it. Click the link and read it. I'm personally asking you a favor, please. Click this and read the whole thing.

Being an advocate for civil liberties isn't very popular. If you're really enthusiastic about the fourth amendment, most people don't really understand why. Why should we care about the unchecked growth of executive power? What a boring topic. Tell me about the latest celebrity hook-up instead.

My line of reasoning when I have to explain why I do care is that its a slippery slope. First, the executive branch goes after "them" over "there". And we don't care. They're not Americans anyway. Then they go after the guy "over there" who may be American, but he's probably a terrorist. And we don't care. He doesn't love his country like us anyway. Then they go after the guy who tried to tell the truth about all the things the executive had to do to continue his fight with "them, over there." And we don't care. He's probably endangering troops anyway. And then they go after the guys who tries to help the guy who tries to tell the truth about what the executive had to do to continue to fight "them over there." Is it starting to sound like the old lady who swallowed a fly yet? Who's next? Your humble blogger perhaps?

Maybe you think wikileaks is an abomination. Maybe you think Bradley Manning is a monster. That's fine by me. I feel the same way about the KKK. But if someone wants to support the KKK, verbally or financially, we'd all agree they have a constitutional right to do so without having their property confiscated and their persons detained and interrogated by Federal armed officers without charges or warrants or the right to a lawyer.

Maybe the Orwellian nightmare where absolutely no dissenting opinion to Federal power is tolerated won't be seen in our lifetime, but I'm not sure sure about our children. They may very well grow up in a country where they can't speak their mind without fear of political intimidation and violence.

When I was a kid, I never really understood why Jesus kept saying in the gospel of Matthew, "let those who have ears hear!" Why did he keep saying that? It seemed so simplistic it was almost meaningless. And now I feel like I know EXACTLY what he meant. Take your head out of the sand, look around you, and use the brain God gave you. Some $&*%^ is going down and if you're not outraged, you're not paying attention!