20080124 Literati Jan 2008 - 1

PRESS RELEASE

dered to direct a local asset to execute the assassination in question, to resolve this matter. He will be working in cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and local law enforcement. More details are not known at this time, and the intelligence community wishes to make no comment on these matters, except for what is stated explicitly above. Thank you.

For more information regarding this matter, though you will most likely not get any information whatsoever, and you will most likely end up on a list somewhere, JASPER LAUDERDALE, Deputy Director, Langley, please contact: Virginia CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Office of Public Affairs The Central Intelligence Agency, along with the reWashington, DC 20505 mainder of the American Intelligence community, wishes to dispel rumors about certain suspected CIA activities regarding experimental interrogation and extortion, as well as presumed lethal action, within the United States of America. The CIA exists for the sole purpose of collecting and analyzing international intelligence. Any accusation that it is doing otherwise, especially when involving US Citizens, is fallacy. Therefore, there was no body found in the hot springs below Montezuma Castle in Montezuma, New Mexico, only a few miles from the urban metropolis that is Las Vegas, New Mexico. The body was not later identified as Connor O’Shady, an Irish-American union organizer and instigator. Mr. O’Shady was an American Citizen, and therefore was not a target or an enemy of the Central Intelligence Agency. He was not assassinated by a Company asset based in Albuquerque. His body was not left to swell beyond recognition after trauma to the head and two gunshot wounds to the upper torso. The two gunshot wounds did not come from a silenced 9mm Sig Sauer SigPro handgun, the standard-issue sidearm of many CIA black ops assets. Local law enforcement resources in Las Vegas were not then influenced by the intelligence community to stand down investigations, as there was nothing to investigate. Mystery shrouds this assassination that did not happen. Affluent, uniformed students at the nearby elite preparatory school based in Montezuma Castle have speculated wildly after an informal press release, often called a “mass email,” was issued by President Lisa Darling. The Central Intelligence Agency wishes to ensure that she will not be targeted for compromising an operation by making it public to these international students. The CIA has dedicated its regional office in Albuquerque, as well as its regional director, who was not or-

14,000 miles Walking to Iraq and back

When looking at blogs you can find the weirdest and most random things ever, like the “Let’s learn English for free” blog, or the “What do you know about toasters?” blog. Still, the one that most caught my attention was the blog “14,000 miles”. This blog was started by the friend of a woman called Christine. He was talking to her one time and she said, “You know how people need motivations to exercise, well now I have a motivation for you and me.” Her motivation was this: I have purchased a spinning bike to maintain my fitness next year. With my gym membership expiring and you guys keeping me busy it was the best choice for me and I love it so I will do it....if I bought a treadmill that might gather dust, KWIM? Anyhow it is just over 7,000 miles to get to Iraq from where I am and I want to bike to Iraq and back, since the hubby is heading over in June. That would be 14,000 miles and I could use some help! So her friend started a blog to invite people to join this trip. At the beginning they were two, but now they are 31. They have 725.13 miles done, only 13274.9 to go. So, if you want to check this blog the web page is http://tallyiraqandback.blogspot.com/ . It’s also quite interesting because they post new motivations every day and songs for the team to listen to. Besides the man who uploads the blog has been a soldier in Iraq, so from time to time he posts memories of those days and pictures of Iraq. It’s worth it to check it out.

Friendship “Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival." ~C.S. Lewis

Many people's understanding of friendship in modern societies is rather thin. Let’s explore some classical views of friendship, the development of theory and practice in 'modern' societies, and some key aspects of the current experience of friendship.

What makes a person a friend??? The traditional idea of friendship has three components: 'Friends must enjoy each other's company, they must be useful to one another, and they must share a mutual commitment for self purpose ’. What we understand is the third component, shared commitment, which seems to us quite new to the idea of friendship. We practice and associate the third component the most with friendship. And it is this component which appears to be the most selfish. In a culture dominated by expressive and utilitarian individualism, it is easy for us to understand the components of pleasure and usefulness, but we have difficulty seeing the point of considering friendship in terms of common moral commitments. Aristotle on friendship: Friendship... is a kind of virtue, or implies virtue, and it is also most necessary for living. Nobody would choose to live without friends even if he had all the other good things.... There are, however, not a few divergent views about friendship. Some hold that it is a matter of similarity: that our friends are those who are like us... Others take the contrary view.... Cicero on friendship: In friendship and relationship, just as those who possess any superiority must put themselves on an equal footing with those who are less fortunate, so these latter must not be annoyed at being surpassed in genius, fortune, or rank. Friendship can be viewed as personal and freely entered into - but it is formed in particular social, economic and cultural circumstances and this has a very significant impact upon the people we meet, and our ability to engage in different activities. It is of profound social as well as individual significance. Through friendship we gain practical and emotional support and an important contribution to our personal identities. Friendship also helps us to integrate us into the public realm and 'act as a resource for managing some of the contradicting and exceptional events' that confront us in our lives. ~Kinley

How to enjoy dinner and have fun on Saturday night Written By Katie with input from Camilla, Eldar, and Krystnell Step 4: Sit down and enjoy your meal. The spicy chicken had just the right amount of spice and the lettuce and tomatoes were very fresh. However, the cheese Step 1: Choose a restaurant from the many, many fast on the bacon cheeseburger looked sweaty and there food chains in Las Vegas, NM. Don’t be confused. De- were too many pickles on the double cheeseburger. spite what the sign indicates, this is not Wen. It is Fries were fresh. Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers, next to Pizza Hut.

Step 5: Dessert. We tried the new twisted Frosty, both with Oreos and M&Ms and we recommend the original. The new version was runny, looked unappetizing, and Step 2: Order from the lengthy, well-priced menu. We cost $1.00 more. The original Frosty also had the best chose a spicy chicken sandwich, a double cheeseburger, flavor and cost $1.29. However, being served in soda and a bacon cheeseburger. Average price for a sandcups took away from the appeal. wich: $6.00 (fries and drink included). We recommend getting your ketchup and napkins while waiting for your food. There is a ketchup pump that is very entertaining.

Step 6: Happy customers who are ready to face the cold with a good meal in their stomachs to wait for the bus. Step 3: Choose a place to sit in the warm, clean, well lit and furnished dining room. Enjoy the stylish lights and ceiling plants. However, we advise not to sit next to the windows because it is rather chilly.

Departure Our student body was shocked by the seemingly sudden departure of Chris and Aldo. Various mass emails and discussions lead to people blaming themselves for their departure or blaming others. The fact is that nobody went out of their way to hurt either of them and those who are happy to say that we are a bunch of mean spirited hateful people are...well...wrong. Nobody gets up in the morning wondering how best to hurt the people around them. Perhaps we do need to examine ourselves and see where things went wrong but we shouldn't take all of the blame upon ourselves. At the end of the day it was their decision not ours and at the end of the day they're happy where they are. There is little point in self deprecation if they're better off for it. There is no doubt in my mind that wherever they go they will succeed. When Denali went bowling at the end of last year, Aldo was one of the people in our group. After doing reasonably well, he walked up to bowl his next game. He cradled the ball in his arms in an odd way, and then he gently placed the ball and gave it a spin. The ball veered to the left gutter, then the right gutter, and he got a strike. Our expressions changed from amusement to shock, which only increased when he managed the same feat twice more using the same technique. We should appreciate the time he spent with us, view it as a privilege and understand that now the people back home have the privilege of knowing him again. The first time I seriously met Chris was when a practical joke was played on him and his reaction to it was amazing. He took it in his stride and laughed it off. Other than that, I’ve only seen him in cricket where he appears to be a brilliant player. He helped coach the players every so often and he did an excellent job. I always thought that it was a shame that he was stuck here when back home in Australia he could be developing his cricket skills and seriously consider playing professional cricket. However, one thing that I feel needs the most analysis is how we jumped to show our love for them once they were gone. It was after they were gone that they were remembered, their qualities exuberated, and that we began to appreciate them. Of course it is important to show respect but now isn’t the time to focus on the people who have already left. It is instead a time to look within the school and to see how we can prevent this from happening to others. There are several people on campus who face the situation that Chris and Aldo did. Instead of focusing on their departure, perhaps it is time to see how we can integrate some outsiders into our community in better ways. Perhaps if we can learn to accept everybody before we see problems arise then we won’t have to go through this again, not only in this school but in our future lives. Ankit