Wednesday, April 23, 2008

BIZ-TIC, SNAFU, & DARFUR

DARFUR
.....There was some excitement on campus (IVC) today—though not as much as there should be—owing to Amnesty International's booth in front of the Student Services Center, former home of "flags of the world" (but no longer, cuz, well, extortion works). Amnesty is promoting a petition that will be given to Condoleeza Rice to pressure her to help get UN troops in Darfur.
.....The young women in charge of the booth weren't getting a lot of business, though at least they weren't as lonely as the Bible ladies fifteen yards north. All those neatly arranged Bibles! They just couldn't give 'em away!
.....Want to sign the petition? Drop by Reb & Chunk’s office (A239). Or go to Eyes on Darfur.


ATEP
.....I ran into a friend today who was growing concerned about the ATEP project (the Advanced Technology and Education Park in Tustin). It turns out that this thing is going to be WAY bigger than faculty realize—“WAY WAY,” she said. And yet faculty, who are the only group authorized to develop instructional programs, are doing nothing to prepare. Based on what my friend told me, it sounds like we ought to be planning, among other things, the hire of full-time instructors and experts to develop programs that, for the most part, just don’t exist at the college.
.....I pointed out the obvious: that faculty are not preparing because, from the start, Chancellor Mathur and his Top-Downers have made a point of leaving faculty entirely out of the loop, ATEP-development-wise—and pretty much EVERY-WAY-wise.
.....“Well, yeah,” said the friend. Her voice trailed off.
.....SNAFU!” I shouted.




BIZ-TIC
.....As you know, yet another major building is under construction at Irvine Valley College. It’s the $23+ million Business, Sciences, and Technology Innovation Center (BIZ-TIC), a 53,000 square foot structure that is supposed to be completed this semester, I think. They’ve got the “shell” up, anyway, and some of the rooms are dry-walled. (I looked inside.)
.....I took a few pics. Check 'em out.
.....I perused some old newspaper articles about BIZ-TIC. Officials are quoted saying the usual thing—about how it “will open business opportunities to students and the community, and help the college grow.”
....."This particular building,” said President Roquemore, “will be at the cutting edge of technology."
.....Looks pretty impressive, I guess. Very modern, stucco-and-quonset-hut construction. Makes me wanna get a tetanus shot.



13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pressure Rice to do what? Grow the military so we can support another overseas mission?

Anonymous said...

They want UN troops in Darfur.
All you've gotta do is click on the link. It's all spelled out.

Anonymous said...

"BIZ-TIC"
I hope that name sticks.

Anonymous said...

Quonset hut! That's it!

Anonymous said...

To break in, all you'd need is a pair of tin snips.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the post!

---Amnesty IVC Chapter

Anonymous said...

You'd be wise to get yourself one of those free bible's, Chunk. Read it and learn.

Anonymous said...

I always like your photos Chunk. You take the best pictures of IVC.

Anonymous said...

Yes, Chunk--learn to smite your enemies--the main theme of the OT!

Anonymous said...

I read the Bible a lot when I was a kid. I still have my big Bible with the leather cover. It's not like I don't know what's in it. I suppose some people think that some sort of occult force kicks in when you "read" the Bible, that it's not enough to have an idea of what gets said in it. To such people I say, why should I listen to you and not, say, Shirley McLaine? -CW

Anonymous said...

Bibles - plural

bible's - possessive?

torabora said...

Har Har Har. The U.N. har har is going to save Darfur.

Sheesh folks.

That rabid pack of self serving hyenas?

If you want to stop the genocide you need the U.S. military, occupation, and ethnic cleansing/separation. That lesson was learned in Bosnia. You use the "U.N." to give the operation the patina of legitimacy, if you can... and you must be willing to go it alone.

Now that said, I have consistently wanted intervention in the most egregious examples of human suffering. Darfur, Rwanda,Bosnia, and Iraq all come to mind. However Congress only took action on that latter two and over the past twenty years has cut back on the necessary "boots on the ground" so that our effective occupation capacity is limited.

"Let every nation know,whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and success of liberty."

And of course, the U.effing N. isn't mentioned...he said "we"...meaning the United States of America. And he clearly wasn't talking about just liberty here at home. This was the finest jingoistic speech of all time. Of course it cost him his life too.

That is why, despite my deep reservations about their overall policies as Presidents, I can't fault Bubba's or W's intentions in their respective interventions.

You want liberty in Darfur? The price is blood and treasure. The only reward is their liberty.

Anonymous said...

The U.N. was founded on the principle of "never again"...

Roy's obituary in LA Times and Register: "we were lucky to have you while we did"

  This ran in the Sunday December 24, 2023 edition of the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register : July 14, 1955 - November 20, 2...