The Only Thing I Saw (But It was Enough)

Reading: The Elegance of the Hedgehog, and Lady Chatterly's Lover. (D.H. Lawrence does not seem to be all that, but apparently this is not his best work)

Watching: 30 Rock - at long last! What a brilliant half-hour. Also, Two Lovers (Joaquin, stick with acting! You are astounding!) and Monsters v. Aliens, which was good old-fashioned non-Pixar fun (i.e., I did not cry).

Listening: Coconut Records, the new Spoon ( you all know I love the Spoon), old Vic Chesnutt, natch, and this, over and over and over again:

Sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry in advance. I don't want to bum you all out anymore than I know you already are - but the home supported by the church where I work and am a member supports the St. Joseph's Home for Boys as I've said. These pictures were perhaps more elucidating for me than any:

Before.


After.

Our emergency response team leaves in early March to help with the boys, then another team will go in June to help rebuild. My friend's dad leaves Monday to work triage. Go, with peace and blessings.

Richard Morse, musician and hotel owner in Haiti's tweets are astounding and perhaps life-saving at this point.

The Times Twitter list.

Google Earth imagery of the disaster.

Régine from Arcade Fire is Haitian. Their web site has constant updates and ways to help.

Locally:

MERCI center

Stop Hunger Now

Hearts With Haiti (My boss and a team from the church where I work and am a member will be heading to Haiti within 6 weeks to the St. Joseph's boys ((no longer the "home for boys")) so I can update anyone interested in sending SUPPLIES at that time - money is basically useless at this point)

Hearts and Hands for Haiti (my friend and co-worker left with a group from this mission at 2 p.m. Tuesday. TWO P.M. She was very close to...what...I don't know. She's in shock right now.)

I Found Vic Chesnutt's Postcard, So More Whilst For You

(But my scanner is not hooked up to the WiFi or whatever - so it will be posted later)

"Read my lips" -- this commercial basially made my Christmas season.



Hilarious commentary at Don't Do Dumb Things. (dot com). A highlight:

"Seriously? They’re spending Christmas together, they’re blissfully in love and he doesn’t know how to do sign language? What are they going to do for the rest of the day?"

Twenty Ten

Happy Birthday Mr. Stipe!


















Welcome home, Obamas! We think all of your activities in Hawai'i were lovely. Sorry about the mess upon your return.

Congratulations, Tim Tebow! I am totally obsessed with you. My young son does not share my obsession, though he praised my attention span whilst watching your entire game versus Cincinatti...especially since you buried them. Ephesians 4:11 indeed!!! Or whatever verse was on your eye paint for the bowl game...I wasn't looking too closely at your eyes....




Rest in peace, Vic Chesnutt. Oh, this is the saddest loss of 2009 for me. I met him once, in Chapel Hill, following a riveting concert. A concert where, instead of a "thank you and goodnight!" the audience heard upon his exit a "I gotta take a dump". But that was Mr. Chesnutt. I had THE FLU. But I still went to see him - and thank goodness. He was so nice, so excited that a couple of Maconites had ventured out to see him with THE FLU even. He had written me a postcard after I sent him a complimentary letter about one of his songs. I have temporarily misplaced this postcard, and will not post again until I find it. It had a self-portrait of him on it. He was amazing. His death reminds me that quality, affordable health care for all is not a reality. Yet. His life and music remind me of my past, my family, my South, my own mind.