Filed under: General
So, I had a pretty good weekend overall. Saturday I got to relax and unwind a bit, and then Emily and I headed up to Hartford for the DMB concert. It was a nice break from campus. They never disappoint. Although, I was really hoping to hear “Cortez, the Killer” (which is why I bought tickets for the night when Gov’t Mule was opening), so that was a bit of a downer. Overall, though, the setlist was pretty awesome:
So Much To Say *
Too Much *
Seek Up *
Crash Into Me
Break Free *
When The World Ends *
Say Goodbye
Last Stop *
Digging a Ditch *
Sister [Dave Solo]
Cant Stop
#41 *+
The Idea Of You *
Louisiana Bayou *
__________________Steady As We Go *
Pantala Naga Pampa *
Rapunzel *Show Notes:
* Rashawn Ross on Trumpet
+ Warren Haynes
indicates a segue into next song
That was my first time hearing “Seek Up” live, which happens to be my favorite song by the band (and one of my favorite songs overall), and they jammed on it for about 20 minutes, so I certainly wasn’t disappointed there. And Warren Haynes joined the band on “#41″ and rocked it out pretty hard.
The only real downside was that we didn’t get back to campus until 1:30 and we both had to be up relatively early the next morning for trips. Emily went to the Yankees game (!) and I went to Six Flags (#!@$). I planned on getting a lot of reading done while on the trip, and for some reason only read about 10 pages. It almost made me more angry than if I hadn’t gotten any reading done at all.
So, tonight is a chill night–just reading (hopefully lots of it), paying some bills, and getting to bed early if I can.
Filed under: In Memoriam
From the Free Lance-Star:
J. Rashad Frazier, 19, of Spotsylvania County, died Friday, July 28, 2006, at the University of Virginia Hospital. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at A. L. Bennett Funeral Home.
I didn’t know Rashad that well, but we shared a Latin class when he was a goofy freshman and I was a too-cool-for-school senior. We weren’t friends, so I won’t try to make it sound like we were, but I will say this: I’ll always remember his omnipresent smile. The kid couldn’t have frowned if he had wanted to, and even when he pushed my buttons, it was hard to really get angry at him.
Today, Courtland loses yet another son, and I am once again reminded of my own mortality. Rest in peace, Rashad.
Filed under: General
This isn’t much of a post.
Basically, I’ve been sick since the end of last week. It started last Thursday night with a scratchy throat. By Friday night my throat was killing me, but other than that, I felt OK. Working from 9:30 AM-3:30 AM on Friday didn’t help, and by Saturday, I felt pretty bad.
However, Saturday was a relatively light day, and I was able to take it easy. On Sunday, my throat felt better, though still a bit aggravated, and yesterday, I started losing my voice. For most of the day today, it was effectively gone. We will see what tomorrow brings.
I am, however, now addicted to peppermint tea, which I understand has homeopathic qualities. Whatever that means. All I know is it tastes good and is cheaper than hot chocolate.
Emily and I are seeing Dave Matthews Band and Gov’t Mule in Hartford on Saturday, which I am quite excited about. We’re getting to that part of the program where I need things to look forward to at the end of every day and even more so at the end of every week. This week, it’s the concert. Next week, it may be a trip into New York City, though I’m doubtful of the restorative powers of such a journey. The week after that, it will be returning home with my bank account restored.
Except that my credit card bill is a little high this month. Oops.
Filed under: Commentary
So, I think I’m finally ready to say something about the situation in Israel/Lebanon. Be forewarned: some of the things I say may offend you if you have a strong opinion about this issue. I hope we can still be friends.
It seems to me that Israel is way out of line here. I understand that they had two soldiers kidnapped (and others killed). This, particularly given the continued instability of the region, calls for a measured and careful response. And yet, what do they do? They fall prey to their massive inferiority complex, and they immediately show everyone that they have the biggest guns money can buy from the United States.
Launching missile strikes against a neighboring country? And then Hezbollah strikes back, so they blockade said country? And now you call up thousands of reservists and mass troops and tanks at the border?
Can you be any more provocative?
I am particularly incensed by the leaflets dropped by Israel informing Lebanese citizens that they will need to leave their homes and move north to stay ahead of the impending ground invasion. What right have they to say that? Maybe we should be appreciative of the “humanitarian warning.” I would respond that we should be appalled by their arrogance.
And just when I was beginning to think that only the United States had this sort of audacity. Democracy? More like democrazy.
And the worst part is, the legitimate Lebanese government, which has tried to remain above the fray, is now preparing itself for war against Israel in the event that it is invaded. And it is wholly justified in doing so.
In considering this situation, I see parallels to September 11, in which my opinion differed (i.e., I supported the invasion of Afghanistan). One nation is attacked by terrorists originating in another. The attacked nation attacks the nation of the attackers, and eventually topples the government of the terrorists’ “host nation.”
Perhaps it is self-righteous, but I think there is at least one major difference. Israel lost eight soldiers and had two others taken prisoner. The United States, on the other hand, lost just shy of 3000 civilians.
I point this out not because I wish to excuse the United States’ faults, but because this situation again makes me question seriously our long-term alliance with Israel. What exactly do we get from it? I understand that the United States will always support Israel, but why? I have my own theories about this (ones which I will keep to myself for now), but I wonder, no matter the reasons, do the benefits outweigh the costs? For what we do get, is it worth the wrath that we incur from other Middle Eastern nations? I can’t help but think that it is not.
Regarding the situation at hand (and bringing the situation much closer to home), the hardest thing about it for me personally is that we have students from both nations here for the summer. They have gotten along well with very few problems at all, but as the first session is coming to a close, many of them are unable to return home (the Lebanese kids in particular).
Most have made arrangements to stay with family or friends in the U.S., Canada, or France. I think the most heartbreaking story, though, is of two boys from Beirut. Their parents decided today (the day before they were originally to return home) not to bring them back to Lebanon and instead enroll them in a boarding school here in the United States. Can you imagine being sent to another country for a three week summer camp, and at the end you’re told that that you can’t go home, but that you will instead spend your senior year of high school in a foreign country where you have no friends. And all the while, your country (your neighborhood) is being devastated by war.
It makes me angry. It makes me sick. It makes me sad.
