Welcome to the Lincolndome.

I am giggly like a schoolgirl. The legendary Chuck D is speaking in Lincoln next month! Besides having a huge crush on him back in the day (those guns for arms, that booming voice), I've always liked what he says in his music. If I want to feel pissed off or worked up, I listen to PE.

It's a free symposium, Wednesday, Sept. 12 at Wesleyan. Who's in?

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I'm no big Jim Carrey fan (except for "Spotless Mind"), but I'm a HUGE fan of Aung San Su Kyi, the Burmese rights activist who has been imprisoned for some 20 years now. So I'm glad to see some mass support being organized to try and finally secure her release.

I can't get the YouTube video to post properly, but here's a link.

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Andrew Sullivan has a good blog at The Atlantic on the Larry Craig brouhaha.

What makes me so angry about Craig is that here is someone who typecasts gays as The Other, instead of supporting equality. He has built a career on promoting "family values" -- unless, of course, you're gay, because then you don't have a right to marry or share benefits or, really, come out of the closet (or the bathroom stall, as the case may be).

If he and others had used their congressional power to support equal rights for all, then perhaps repeated generations of men wouldn't feel so ashamed of who they are that they feel forced to resort to anonymous bathroom sex. Instead, he's perpetuating the exact stereotype that got him into the hot water in which he now finds himself.

While I hurt for those who feel they have to hide their real selves, I can't dredge up much sympathy for someone who held the power to change that, for himself and for others, and failed to exercise it.

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Couldn't' sleep last night (second night in a row), so I popped "Stranger Than Fiction" into the DVD player. It didn't get good reviews when it came out, but I found it enchanting. (Maybe because I was in and out of sleep/dreams as I was watching?) Definitely a film that captures the short story form. And not your typical Will Ferrell flick, though I like those, too ...

Dismal revisited.

Here, courtesy photog extraordinaire Mark Davis, is a shot of Korb and me shooting the "rapids" on the Dismal a couple of weeks ago. It wasn't exactly the 30-foot waterfall I'd been envisioning.


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I've updated links to the left. 'Specially want to direct y'all to Miz K's new blog from Tucsonland. Send some love her way!

http://kristaniles.wordpress.com/

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Currently hearing: "Electric Version," New Pornographers

The new Rilo Kiley made me think to drag out this 4-year-old disc. I didn't like it much when I bought it, either ... mostly because it was so poppy and didn't make nearly enough use of Neko's haunting voice. So maybe there'll be hope for "Under the Blacklight" making my rotation eventually ... I'm just not loving it right now ...

Shake yur "Moneymaker."

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The best part of buying the new Rilo Kiley was discovering that Charlie Burton now works at the Homer's out by Gateway. I'd worried about him when the downtown store closed.

No, wait -- the best part was when Charlie Burton tossed in a free 45 of "Moneymaker." I'll have to drag out my turntable!

"Dreamworld" sounds a bit Garbage-y to me; "Moneymaker" is downright Top 40. I knew going in that it was more polished/poppy than their earlier discs ... but it also feels a bit less passionate. Even so, that Jenny Lewis voice ... it's one of those that's tied, in my mind, to a difficult period, and even though the music is new, I'm still finding her a bit difficult to hear ... when, exactly, does all this mental linkage stop?

The pic, btw, is by Al Schaben, who I believe was a few years behind me at UNL's illustrious J-School. If only I hadn't done so badly in Photojournalism 1 ... maybe I too could be photographer to the celebrity indie stars! ...

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Before Monday night's storm, the big backyard bed looked like this:


Now the morning glories are no more ... dragged down by the heavy winds, killing the copper trellis as well and smushing coleus and grasses in the process of falling over. Lucky that's the extent of my damage; Miz C lost a pretty young maple in her front yard. We'll see what the current storm does ... a sonic boom of thunder just now ... power was out for about an hour ... the rain itself is gentle and cool, though ...

In other garden news: No more tomaters: The battered plant has died back. They were purty -- and sweet! -- while they lasted ...


Free-form bouquet of zinnias and shastas from the backyard:


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I found Miz Em's story on my computer ... the one she was writing while we were hanging out at the Blue Line in Omaha a few weeks ago. I think you'll agree it's a compelling read:

One scary night a dog named carmel went to a coffee shop to see what is going on in there. So he saw his own brother doing he did not see me because I am small for his age his brother stood up and he went to the boys room. He came in and said hi,to his brother His brother was mad at him so they talked until they had to go home. So his brother telled his mom what happened at the coffee shop when Carmel went to bed. In the morning he tried to beat his brother to the paper and he did. He saw a cat so he chased it. He saw his friend Budderball, Rosebud, and there brother LUCA.Budderball was here for Carmel. Rosebud was here for Alana. LUCA was here for D.C. CARMEL and Budderball were spying on the girls and the boys. Carmel spyed on the Girls. Budderball spyed on the boys. The girls were playing with Alanas dolls. The boys were hearing Gwen Stephani. Then they went to Carmels room to play. Then they all went to the park then Carmel and everyone got into a circle so they told everyone what they did at home. When they went to school they told everyone almost in the entire school

... To be continued?

Meanwhile, she came back from our weekend all jazzed about going vegetarian -- with no prompting from me, I swear. Her folks have their hands full, raising an 8-year-old full of opinions and convictions ...

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Just passing this info along, folks ...

Solidarity March And Vigil To Be Held For Injured Lincoln Activist
Alex Svoboda

This Sunday, August 26, 2007, the Nebraska Coalition for Peace and Nebraskans for Peace will be sponsoring a march and vigil in solidarity for Alexandra Svoboda starting at 12:30 PM on the north steps of the Nebraska State Capitol.

Svoboda, formerly of Lincoln, was seriously injured on August 11, 2007 while being arrested by the North Providence, Rhode Island Police Department during a peaceful protest against labor practices of a New York food distributor used by a local restaurant.

She suffered severe injuries, which have required three vascular surgeries thus far to save her left leg. Orthopedic surgery is on hold to repair her knee ligaments.

The march in Lincoln coincides with a similar peaceful rally in North Providence the same day. Family members and local labor activists will speak briefly before the rally heads north on Centennial Mall to the south side of the federal building on “O” Street where a vigil in support of Alex will be held.

“We need to stand up in support of Alexandra and other peaceful activists who are victimized while exercising their first amendment rights,” said Nick Svoboda, brother of Alexandra.

Svoboda’s injury while peacefully protesting highlights the struggle still faced by many citizens in our nation. The Nebraska Coalition for Peace and Nebraskans for Peace urge all communities of activists to join in supporting peaceful demonstrations and actions by citizen activists.

nfpOmaha@NebraskansForPeace.org
www.NebraskansForPeace.org

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Just passing this along, as well ...

U.S. Out of Iraq march and rally
11 a.m. Sept. 15
15th and P streets
www.fmclincoln.org/Coalition_for_peace.htm

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I have a blog I want y'all to read. An old friend/former coworker is in the military and has been serving in Kandahar. (Actually, she's on her way home right now but expects either to be sent back to Kandahar or to go to Iraq soon.)

psychosomatic sunburn

As you can imagine, she needs to be fairly anonymous/circumspect in any criticism of the government/military. But she makes some astute points about how things are working (or not). And she's a phenomenal photographer and has posted several heartbreaking stories about what she's seen/documented. You'll learn from her -- trust me.

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Currently reading: Moloka'i by Alan Brennert

Currently hearing: "You Are Free" by Cat Power (at Meadowlark Coffee, which just proves how very hipster they are 'round her!)

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Traveling backward.

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Here's a good look at the oil flares in Nigeria, the environmental destruction they cause and the villagers desperately seeking to eke out a dollar or two from the pipelines that bring us the energy behind our overbuilt SUV lifestyle:

A free-for-all over oil money in Nigeria

Meanwhile, it doesn't sound as if Oaxaca has recovered from the state's smackdown on teachers and tourism of a couple of years ago:

Oaxaca Journal: Amid conflict hype, the southern Mexico city's tourist trade is hit hard

Check out these photos of the local folk arts, and help out if you feel the call:

Friends of Oaxacan Folk Art

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In case you haven't been following the story of Alex Svoboda, the former Lincolnite whose leg was badly broken by police during a labor protest in Rhode Island, here's a link to the International Workers of the World posting on the protest. It's a bad break -- you can see from the pictures that her calf was bent backward at the kneecap. She doesn't have health insurance.

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Question of the day:

So do you suppose Bush is using his vacation time to get fitted for a new fist? Or is Karl Rove using his newfound free time to get his fist fitted for a new, um, puppet?

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Creepy ad of the day:

The way-too-happy circle of men strumming guitars and crooning "Viva Viagra!" to each other completely icks me out. BSOJC is back in town in a couple of weeks ... their version of "Viva Las Vegas" is one of my favorites, but I don't think I'll be clamoring for it this time ...

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Top two reasons to look forward to Tuesday:

1. The new Rilo Kiley release is out! It sounds a little poppier than their earlier CDs. Here's a review.

2. I'm on vacation the rest of the week ... finishing up my PC app; gardening if it's not too hot; accepting drink dates from friends ...

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Far from Dismal.

No, I didn't drown ... not on the river, anyway. (Feel like I'm being sucked back in by the undertow of daily life, but that's another long, boring story.)

Here I am taking the last swig of the blackberry brandy* my Uncle Mike ordered me to bring as an offering to the river gods (which immediately endeared me to the group):

*tastes like cough syrup -- ick!

And a couple of shots of Jeff that completely crack me up:


Not bad for a disposable waterproof camera, but most of my shots are blurry and badly composed. Hoping the others might have better stuff to share; especially Mark with his fancy schmancy camera that I hope wasn't permanently ruined. Mine are on my Flickr page (see left) if you're interested.

Once I slipped out from under the high-stress anxiety that had been building up over several weeks, I was able to truly relax last weekend. And once Korb woke up and taught me how to paddle, I seem to have done a pretty dang good job, if measured by the fact that we didn't dump once all weekend.

The river was beautiful -- slow-paced and meandering, the occasional excitement of dodging downed trees, navigating switchbacks or pushing our way off of sandbars. Very pretty, bouncy rapids late in the first day; several numbingly cold springs that I couldn't bring myself to sink into. The cliffs maybe not as pretty as the Niobrara's, but it still feels like such different country than the Nebraska I've always known. My legs are pretty scratched up, but I think most of that is from blazing various pee trails along the bank.

Weathered a mother of a storm Friday night -- the others have been canoeing for 17 years and said it was by far the biggest storm they've had to ride out. Barrage of lightning-streaked, wind-rattling downpour from about 9 p.m. to 2 or 3 a.m. My tent stayed dry except for where the wind drove the wet in under my rainfly. And I've always cursed my wide-mouthed, dribble-inducing Nalgene bottles, but now I understand just what genius they are, as the storm forced me to learn how to pee in a cup. That wide mouth turns out to be the perfect size for full coverage.

Next up: My snowboarding cousin has just moved from Vail to Fort Collins and wants to know if I want to come hike a "14er" with them. I have no idea what that is, but I think that yes, I do want.

And, of course, Tucson late this fall!

Quote of the day (courtesy Miz K):

"Happiness isn't something you experience; it's something you remember." -- Oscar Levant

How's that new president working out, anyway?

For those of you wondering how the new government in Nigeria is working, here's a good article, from AP of all places:

Nigeria's new leader faces uncertainties


Cinching the corn belt.

If you're interested in food issues -- such as the choice between feeding the world or creating subsidies for ethanol and corn syrup for the all-American environmentally unsound and physically unhealthy lifestyle -- you might want to keep an eye on the current farm bill negotiations.

Here's a good mini resource for contacting your elected representatives.



My kind of blonde joke.

A lawyer and a blonde woman are sitting next to each other on a long flight. The lawyer asks if she would like to play a game. The blonde just wants to take a nap, so she politely declines.

The lawyer persists: "I ask you a question, and if you don't know the answer, you pay me $5; you ask me one, and if I don't know the answer, I'll pay you $500."

This catches the blonde's attention; to keep him quiet, she agrees to play.

The lawyer asks the first question: "What's the distance from the earth to the moon?"

The blonde doesn't say a word, reaches into her purse, pulls out a five-dollar bill and hands it to the lawyer.

Now, it's the blonde's turn. She asks the lawyer: "What goes up a hill with three legs and comes down with four?" The lawyer uses his laptop to search references. He uses the Air phone; he surfs the Web and e-mails his smartest friends, all to no avail.

After an hour of searching, he gives up. He wakes the blonde and hands her $500. Desperate to know the answer to her riddle, he asks: "Well, so what goes up a hill with three legs and comes down with four?"

The blonde reaches into her purse, hands the lawyer $5 and goes back to sleep.

Where in the world have I been?

Review of the Kingsolver book was in Sunday's Journal Star; check it out here. And if you happened to see the print version, please know that I neither designed the page nor have any control over it. Yegads ... a junior high yearbook editor would be embarrassed by that page!

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Next few days will be filled by packing and grocery-shopping for the canoe trip this weekend.

So many blog topics, so little time ... I'll get back on track soon. If I don't drown.

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