9.25.2006

A Great Escape

Music is one of those things that help me escape to my own personal nirvana, no matter the circumstance, setting or situation. I've been finding some lovely escape in some wicked tunes lately and thought I'd pass them along for your enjoyment.

Songs:
The Wood Brothers, Chocolate on My Tounge
Brenden Benson, Cold Hands Warm Heart

CDs:
Damien Marley, Welcome to Jamrock
Jose Gonzalez, Veneer
Emiliana Torrini, Fisherman's Daughters


Soundtracks:
The Last Kiss Soundtrack
Gray's Anatomy Soundtrack

9.11.2006

Five years later we are still asking, "What happened?"

I've been thinking a lot this past week about the events of September 11th, five years ago. Has it really been so long ago? Does it feel long for those who lost a family member or loved one on that day?

I remember waking up to the radio early that horrible morning to hear frantic voices saying over and over, "We've been attacked." I rushed up to the university and sat with dozens of my peers staring with blank disbelieving faces at the televisions in the student union. I cried as we all cried, I feared as we all feared, I was angry as we were all angry.

I battled with the emotions of such an affront and tried to work them out on paper. Here are some of my reflections written in the first few days after in the midst of the confusion:

"I feel the loss of thousands I do not know. I cry with them and share their feelings of loss for something that we share. The desire to be happy, healthy and safe."

"The world has cried for so long and now we join in, creating a tear that engulfs all hurt and sorrow and loss. It is a time for healing. It is a time for understanding."

"Only now that we are able to relate to universal loss , can the world finally begin to understand each other."

"How could we believe we were immune to human suffering when so many times we have been the dispenser of it?"

"Stopping the hatred must begin with every citizen. It must begin with me."

This is a picture of all but 92 of the victims killed in on September 11, 2001. It was used by the government in their prosecution of Zacarias Moussaoui.

9.05.2006

A Cause for Celebration


In honor of my husband's birthday I would like to reminisce a bit over some of the memories of the last year spent in our new home, Minnesota:

* Loading up everything we own (and then some) and making the 1,200 mile trek to the Midwest with a car and a diesel truck, and a chocolate lab in the back seat.
* Carlos the gangster moving our piano into our apartment in 14 minutes flat after trying unsuccessfully for several hours and trying to give the piano away
* Adding new words to our vocabulary, such as "Countermajoritarianism" (thanks law school) and "Oof-da" (thanks Swedes)
* Spitting in the Mississippi
* Surviving the foot of snow dumped on us in one day in March
* Swedish Waffle Day at the American Swedish Institute
* Joining in the immigrant rallies taking place across the street
* Hanging out with my best friend and perfect husband

Happy Birthday Babe - Party hard. You deserve it.

9.02.2006

Wigging Out


The polygamous leader Warren Jeffs was arrested this week just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, after two years of running from the FBI and making their top 10 most wanted list.
When I was reading the initial news report, I came across the list of items found along with him, his brother-in-law and one of his polygamous wives when they were apprehended in their red 2007 Cadillac Escalade:
"Inside, they found more than $54,000 in cash, 15 cellphones, four portable radios, three wigs, numerous sunglasses, a duffle bag full of envelopes, laptop
computers, a GPS device, a police scanner and cash cards worth $10,000." (Read the USA Today article here.)

Wow. I love that he was sporting wigs and sunglasses while hiding out from authorities. It kind of makes the whole episode seem more like they captured a spy than an extremist religious leader. And I just have to ask - if he was really trying to lay low, why would he drive around in a brand new flashy red expensive SUV that you can't help but notice?