If I kiss you where it's sore...

Regina Spektor's new album was released on Tuesday, and I must say I'm impressed. What this woman can do with her voice is nothing short of fantastic. If anyone else can sing with her conviction and truth I have yet to hear them.

I am moved.

haiku for you

only night offers
dreams of purest clarity.
it is time for bed

So many reasons to remember today.

Today my Canadian friend Chanda left to join the Peace Corps for two years in the Cameroon so I'm going to throw a few photos of us up here on the blog. I haven't really known her that long; maybe three months, but we hit it off as friends right away. I'm glad to know her; hopefully we'll meet again.


at the crossdressing party


on our redneck fishing adventure with José


in some stranger's bathroom

Each of these pictures has a pretty good story behind it and could easily fill up this blog, but I'll save that to another day.

Today is my friend Julia's birthday. She's on the road to New York City, so I can't wish her a happy birthday in person, but I can in the virtual world.

Also today Germany's soccer team defeated Poland in the 2006 World cup. I wonder what would happen if they were to win. As you may know, most Germans have no sense of nationalism. Very much the opposite of the United States where we celebrate for a week if our Olypic curling team were to take home the bronze. What was that? Did you say something? Sorry, I couldn't hear you over all these flags flapping in my face. This is only exacerbated by the fact that we actually have a holiday to celebrate flags. It's called Flag Day. And it's today, actually.

But Germany has been very different from us ever since the end of the Second World War. I have several German friends who can attest that waving their flag in the street to celebrate victory is thought of as a shameful act. Some think that it's time to put the humiliation of WWII behind them. I think winning the World Cup on your own soil would be reason enough for any country to celebrate.

Not that we (the US of A) really have to worry about looking like fools dancing in the streets, though. It's not like we're going to win the cup. We were shut out by the Czech Republic.

***

Ok, so I haven't done laundry in a laundromat in four years. And now I remember how nice it is to have a washer and dryer. I'm actually sitting in my car typing this on my laptop because there are so many mosquitos in the stupid building that I can't even sit down. Said laundromat is next to a corner liquor store, and I'm watching someone standing outside smoking a cigarette in violent, jerky motions. I can't imagine this person working in the store, so the only explanation I can give for him standing outside if is that he's going to finish the pack of cigarettes he just bought so that he can go right back inside and buy another.

Now he's coughing and spitting on the ground.

I can't imagine what it must be like to be addicted to something that kills you as slowly as cigarettes do.

Happy Flag Day, everyone.

I share a birthday with Rufus Wainwright...

...although he's exactly 7 years older than I am.

Regarding this blog, I've decided to post every day until I return to Blacksburg. It may not be much, but it will at least be something... with the exceptions of days that I'm unavailalbe due to adventure excurions or unable to put together coherent sentences.

So last week I joined a gym, perfectly situated between work and my apartment. Because it's located outside of Lowell, I have no excuses to skip going. In fact, if I go at 5:30 when I get off work, I'll have a niceworkout and miss the crazy rush hour traffic. I'll buy dinner to the person that correctly guesses my current weight. A hint: I'm 6'3" for those who don't know.

Ok, so it's been a slow day; not much to talk about, I know. I'll find something better to write about tomorrow. I'll try to post some pictures soon. Until then...

Just about the only thing still made in the US is flags

I just read an article about iPod factories in China. Basically 200,000 workers (all women) work 15 hour days for $50/month. Although using Chinese facilities isn't anything new, it just shows that Apple is yet another company to outsource domestic workers for cheap labor overseas in order to sell a product at a reduced price.

Which reminds me of my wardrobe shopping spree of recent. When I moved to Mass, I realized that none of my clothes work without a suit or sports jacket, and the job I have isn't the type to require suck high-class attire. So I went shopping. Finding a decent dress shirt that fits me is such arduous task that you may be surprised how much I would spend for one. When I disovered that Banana Republic's online store sells dress shirts in the tall-medium size, I almost cried. They fit perfectly, and despite their price (even on sale) I picked up a couple.

Then I saw the tags: Made in China.

This didn't surprise me. Not really. But I was still disappointed by it. Particularly because of how much retailers charge for these items, pocketing huge profits for the image that they portray. Companies like Express, Gap, & Banana Republic do this so efficiently it scares me (actually, these are all the same company; this self-competition perpetuates the idea of bargain shopping by instilling into the buyer an artificial sense of reward when a "sale" is found). The commonality between companies like Banana Republic, Wal-Mart, and even Apple is astounding.

But should I really feel guilty about supporting these companies? It seems as though most US consumer products are made overseas. In fact, I would be hard-pressed to find a comparable product (such as a dress shirt that fits so well I almost cried) that is of domestic origin.

It kinda reminds me of shopping for organic produce in grocery stores. No f***ing way am I spending $3/lb. for zucchini. Not when I have a choice to pay half as much for squash that's nearly as good. Sure, I would like to support organic farming, but I'll do so at my local farmer's market if what I'm looking for is in season. I do realize that food isn't a novelty item; I have many more options than I do something like a portable media player or clothing. The outsourcing of food suppliers is different, but still redolent of consumer products.

And after all this I still haven't drawn any concrete conclusions about the system. I drool at the thought of a new iPod (mine's been flaking out on me), but is it really worth it? Part of this issue comes from the fact that I do actually have a job now and am making a decent bit of money, so things I normally wouldn't be able to afford are now within reach.

Par for the course

So today was the first day of decent weather we've had in weeks. Actually, it was gorgeous. I spent the majority of it, however, driving around eastern Massachusetts trying to find the closest disc golf course in a town called Topsfield. The link should take you to its pdga.com info page where the course is described as having "some water hazards." Now I know eastern Mass has had trouble with flooding, and we have had two straight weeks of rain... but I swear there were water hazards on half the holes there. One actually involved throwing your disc across a pond. With the hole surrounded by trees and water. From 250 ft. Yeah. Don't believe me? Here's a picture (please forgive the suckiness of my camera phone):



I strategically skipped that hole. And about 5 others that were equally ludicrous. In fact, the majority of the course was in knee-high grass, so you'd need a tracking device to find even a good throw. I was lucky a few times. My archangel flew into the brush and it took me half an hour to find it.

But all things considered it was a good day. I got some sun, and familiarized myself with the area. One thing I forgot to mention in a previous post: none of the roads are labeled, and random forks are, erm... par for the course.