2/8/09

university of rochester students in solidarity with people of gaza

Indymedia Rochester, NY, reported, "UR-SDS Occupies University of Rochester in Solidarity with People of Gaza"

"Students from the University of Rochester and members of the local Rochester community will be occupying the atrium of Goergen Hall on the River Campus of the University of Rochester (275 Hutchinson Road) today for peace and in solidarity with the people Gaza and in opposition to U.S. support for the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and the recent atrocities in Gaza. The action, organized by U of R Students for a Democratic Society (UR-SDS), will begin on the afternoon of Friday, February 6 and will last until the University of Rochester administration meets the demands.

The student occupation will feature a number of informational and peaceful consciousness raising events such as public talks, teach-ins, and sit-ins. The action was inspired by a wave of student occupations that occurred in 16 universities in England (1, 2) following the Israeli assault on Gaza."

2/2/09

no groundhog, just an opossum

Happy Groundhog day! The all powerful Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today, which means winter continues for six more weeks. In Minnesota that could mean a lot longer, groundhog or not.

Punxsutawney Phil, February 2, 2009
Photo from groundhog.org.

I feel sorry for Punxsutawney Phil, who was awakened from hibernation. It's like when your alarm clock goes off early and you realize that you have a half hour of sleep left. Poor Phil is thinking screw you, "let me sleep. I see my shadow now let me go the f--k back to bed." I empathize, I like hibernating in winter too.

In the northland, groundhogs (or woodchucks) are still hibernating. Or they should be. It's still bleeping cold here. Last weekend there were no groundhog appearances, but there was a Virginia Opossum foraging in the backyard. It's North America's only marsupial. Kind of cute.

Virgina Opossum, in backyard