Rogue Wave @ the Black Cat

Last night I went to check out Rogue Wave at the Black Cat. It was a great set; the highlight of which was "Sewn Up" - my fav. song. Unfortunatly, I don't have pictures to show y'all, but it was a tight show. The band is def. worth a listen and you can catch a live set of there's on KEXP Seattle's live performances (see music link on sidebar).

Areva's Ad Campaign is Mesmerizing

The drone of the Roberts confirmation hearings was in the background all day yesterday and I nearly had to tape my eyelids open and prop my chin up to look like a productive member of the workforce. That is, until something caught my ear...and then my eye...

Areva is a global company that offers nuclear power technology and solutions. In an effort to get their name out in the U.S. market, they've begun an ad campaign which is visually and musically mesmerizing to me. Maybe it's because the confirmation hearings are ruining my fragile mind, but check out the ad and let me know what you think.

It reminds me of a cross between these weird physics videos that I had to watch in highschool and the really old school version of Sim City for PC.

Fall is Like Sunday

Riding the Metro through the outskirts of DC last evening, I became aware of the fact that fall has arrived. It was only days ago that walking outside was like stepping into a sauna and the nights without air conditioning meant insomnia was a certainty.

Now the early mornings and late afternoons have cooled off, and the sun is already making its descent from the sky before I can get out of the office. For me, fall always brings a bittersweet feeling. The fall is my favorite time of the year. It means vibrant colors, bearable weather, pumpkin patches, light sweaters, football season, rugby season, Halloween, and a last hoorah before the long winter.

I approach fall the same way that I approach Sunday. I always look forward to Sunday because it's that last day off before getting back to the work week. It's often times the last chance I get to do the things I want to do before I have to get back to doing the things that I have to do. There's a bittersweet feeling wrapped up in Sunday because you know what's coming the next day, so you have to suck everything you can out of that one day just to keep yourself charged for the rest of the week.

Life looks different to me in the fall. I find myself consciously making an effort to enjoy everything and everyone around me before the winter takes that feeling away. I'm hoping that this fall brings lots of good times before I settle in for the long winter.

Welcome to the World Baby Girl!

This afternoon I became an Aunt...for the 10th time in my life. Welcome to the world Tessa Lynn (born 8lbs. 13oz...yikes)!! This now brings the count to 7 neices and 3 nephews.

The next generation of my family is now larger than my own generation (10 vs. 8), which is kind of scary to think about, but nice all the same.

Cntr. for Missing and Exploited Children

The National Center for Missing and Exploited children has set up a hotline to reunite victims of Hurricane Katrina with their families. While i've seen many sites dedicated to helping people find their loved ones, the NCMEC has extensive experience in locating individuals, and has the capability to handle missing persons on this great a scale.

The Katrina Missing Persons Hotline is: 1-888-544-5475
Website: www.missingkids.com

They have volunteers combing shelters and taking pictures and information from children and adults to help in this effort.

Please help me in passing along this important information to those who may need it.

Oregon Trail..possibly the best game ever

Preppy Identity Crisis

"Preppy is a lifestyle, not a clothing style," Bitsy sighed as she observed the West Coast girls trying to pull off Reds. Her friend Buffy nodded before they resumed their tennis game."

Since beginning my full time employment, i've been faced with the task of establishing a "work wardrobe." This has been an ongoing nightmare for me- I hate the entire shopping experience. My college wardrobe (if that's what you could even call it) consisted of left over t-shirts from highschool, torn jeans, and various rugby gear. Most or all of which I got second hand or by default if someone left it on my floor. What can I say, I like comfortable (and sometimes free) clothes and i'm finding that most professional work attire is about as comfortable as a burlap sack.

But then there are preppy clothes, which just squeeze by "professional attire" guidelines. Soft polo shirts and khakis with matching belts....I have to admit that i've fallen victim. As I sit here and fight the urge to pop my collar, I fear that my clothes are warping my mind. I may even stop by the bar to grab a mojito after work because after all, mojitos are the new cosmos! And shame on me for wearing white pants after labor day...tisk, tisk.

Somebody please save me from myself...

Hurricane Katrina Timeline...need I say more?

Friday, Aug. 26: Gov. Kathleen Blanco declares a state of emergency in Louisiana and requests troop assistance.

Saturday, Aug. 27: Gov. Blanco asks for federal state of emergency. A federal emergency is declared giving federal officials the authority to get involved.

Sunday, Aug. 28: Mayor Ray Nagin orders mandatory evacuation of New Orleans. President Bush warned of Levee failure by National Hurricane Center. National Weather Service predicts area will be "uninhabitable" after Hurricane arrives. First reports of water toppling over the levee appear in local paper.

Monday, Aug. 29: Levee breaches and New Orleans begins to fill with water, Bush travels to Arizona and California to discuss Medicare. FEMA chief finally responds to federal emergency, dispatching employees but giving them two days to arrive on site.

Tuesday, Aug. 30: Mass looting reported, security shortage cited in New Orleans. Pentagon says that local authorities have adequate National Guard units to handle hurricane needs despite governor's earlier request. Bush returns to Crawford for final day of vacation. TV coverage is around-the-clock Hurricane news.

Wednesday, Aug. 31: Tens of thousands trapped in New Orleans including at Convention Center and Superdome in "medieval" conditions. President Bush finally returns to Washington to establish a task force to coordinate federal response. Local authorities run out of food and water supplies.

Thursday, Sept. 1: New Orleans descends into anarchy. New Orleans Mayor issues a "Desperate SOS" to federal government. Bush claims nobody predicted the breach of the levees despite multiple warnings and his earlier briefing.

Friday, Sept. 2: Karl Rove begins Bush administration campaign to blame state and local officials—despite their repeated requests for help. Bush stages a photo-op—diverting Coast Guard helicopters and crew to act as backdrop for cameras. Levee repair work orchestrated for president's visit and White House press corps.

Saturday, Sept. 3: Bush blames state and local officials. Senior administration official (possibly Rove) caught in a lie claiming Gov. Blanco had not declared a state of emergency or asked for help.

Monday, Sept. 5: New Orleans officials begin to collect their dead.

The Currency of Human Lives

I've scrapped three different versions of this post in the last hour. I can't get it out. Knowing that the images on the TV aren't close to the worst of what's happening in the Southeast...knowing that people died AFTER the storm because they couldn't get help...the government finger pointing and blame shifting...and people's obsession with the f*cking gas prices...