POLL TIME!!!

I've got about 20 free downloads from that new emusic.com website and I'm sending out an APB for music suggestions.

Any CD that you couldn't stop listening to recently? A new artist that you're smitten with? Let me know in the comments!

Sullivan's Travels

Charming comedy about John L. Sullivan a successful comedic director ready to take more serious turn. When his bosses inform he's never experienced any suffering that could inform a more dramatic turn, he sets on the road as a hobo...hilarity ensues.

Overall, I thought the film was very cute and entertaining. I'm not sure if it is any better or worse then some of the comedies that got kicked off - African Queen comes to mind. Again, the mere fact that is remains cute and entertaining almost 70 years ago is a testament but I'm beginning to realize that the movie industry loves nothing more than a movie about itself and that might be the real secret to this movie's critical acclaim.

Tuesday: Barbefu

Tuesday: Barbefu
Originally uploaded by SarahorNicholas.

Monday: Tacos

Monday: Tacos
Originally uploaded by SarahorNicholas.

Saturday: scallops and spinach fettuccine with red bell pepper cream sauce
Originally uploaded by SarahorNicholas.

The past few weeks have been crazy so Nicholas and I really enjoyed our nice weekend. On Friday, we went on our first date night in several weeks. We had a great dinner at Palena Cafe and went to see The Nanny Diaries. Despite the mediocre reviews, I felt required to see it because I'd read the book. Unfortunately, the reviews were correct, although Laura Linney was really great.

We had our friends Chris and Alice over for dinner on Saturday night. Chris and I were Moot Court partners this year and we both brought our significant others to the competition in Colonial Williamsburg. Needless to say, hanging out together was the highlight of our trip. So, we had them over for a little post-bar dinner for scallops and spinach fettuccine with red bell pepper cream sauce (recipe linked). Nicholas really outdid himself with this one. However, Chris and Alice were most excited about being featured on the blog. So, everyone wave to Chris and Alice! ;)

Sunday was for shopping. We went to C-Mart to get Nicholas some new shoes. Then drove all the way to Potomac Mills so I could finally see Sarah Jessica Parker's new clothing line. I bought a couple of cute things and was pretty impressed overall. We also stopped by my friend Guinevere's house where she was having her own little clothing sale and I got some great new work clothes.

The reason we had a car to drive all over God's creation to go shopping was we rented one to go see the Indigo Girls at Wolf Trap last night. This is my sixth time seeing them (counting performances at marches and on the Hill) and they never disappoint. This was our first time sitting on the lawn at Wolf Trap and it was really nice. We were a little late and had to squeeze in between a couple of other people. Nicholas was cursing me under his breath for being late, but then my stellar luck kicked in and we got a big patch of lawn after people went to their actual seats at the beginning of the concert. :)

I can NOT stop listening to this song

Cat Power – The Greatest

!!!!

Holy Ginger, Batman!!!

Little Rock, AR
Originally uploaded by SarahorNicholas.

Last week I traveled to Little Rock, AR, to work on the campaign's advance team. The team was preparing for the Senator's trip to Little Rock this past Monday. I was only a trainee, but it was a great experience. One I hope to replicate, which is why I won't be blogging in great detail about it. ;)

The best part of the trip was Mom and Mema drove down from Paducah to hang out in Little Rock with me over the weekend. We got VIP tours fo the Clinton Library and had birthday cake in celebration of the President's birthday, which was Sunday. We also went over to Central High School to learn about the desegregation battle there in the late 1950's. Pretty fascinating stuff I have to say. We had a great couple of days together and I'm so glad they were able to drive down.

What is the What

I just finished Dave Eggers's brilliant novel What is the What, based on the story of one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, Valentino Achak Deng. While the book came highly recommended from Nicholas and my good friend Dylan, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to connect to the story and might not finish it. I looked only at the surface and thought I could not relate to the story of an African male escaping genocide. This was not the only preconceived notion this book blew right open.

Now, after finishing the book, I've realized I was more afraid of connecting with the book then anything else. It is not an easy story to hear - the murder, the deprivation, the invisibility - and I think on some level I was really scared to hear it, scared of feeling helpless in the face of it. However, Eggers did a really brilliant thing by beginning the book with Valentino already in America. While his problems don't disappear once he's on American soil, as becomes abundantly clear in the first couple of pages, on some level you know he survived - you know he made it out of Sudan.

Of course, another perception the book destroyed is that escaping Sudan was the only goal for most refugees. Whatever the circumstance, home is home and it holds a powerful pull for all the characters in the book. The book not only shifted my perception of Sudan but also my perception of the refugee camps so many Sundanese live in to this day. The book makes clear that these are not temporary camps but permanent settlements where people live out their lives. It's not surprising I suppose but distressing all the same.

The book not only shifted my perceptions of the places in a refugees life but the refugees themselves. Either because of my own prejudices or what I believe would be my own reaction to the situation - I expected the Sundanese refugees, including Valentino, to be more than willing to ask for and accept help and aid where ever they could. But, of course, this was not the case. Just like any other group of people - some were embarrassed to ask for help, while others were willing to exploit it.

I suppose this was the ultimate lesson of the book. By telling Valentino's story with such honesty Eggers does an excellent job of illustrating that, despite everything, the Lost Boys are just human beings. Human beings put through an extraordinary situation - some survived, some didn't, some thrived, some didn't. But at the end of the day, they are just like us and we have a larger connection then I expected.

WHAT THEN!?!?!

Much better...

Thanks to all of you who reached out to me after my down in the dumps "Confession" posting a week ago. I can't tell you how much it means to me to have such an incredible support group of people who love me so unconditionally. It felt so good to hear your words of encouragement and, not surprisingly, your reassurances that things would eventually change were true. Almost a week after I wrote that post a really exciting opportunity opened up at the campaign and I am currently out on the road. I promise to post all of the details when I get home on Tuesday. :)

Mindblowing

Every time you think this administration can't possibly be more ridiculous...

The Return

It is so WRONG how much joy I get from The Hills. I mean this show is just too wonderful. Their clothes, their jobs, their apartments. Yet, beyond all that, the same struggles we all face. Career insecurity, psychopath boyfriends, cat fights! I mean MTV has really raised the editing hear to an art form.

But what I love the most are the little pearls of wisdom that manage to escape their mouths. Lauren - "I think every girl wants to be that girl - the girl he changes for."

Whew! - truer words were never said.

Holy crap!

This dude cut his iPod in half!

The General

This film was amazing. Most of the oldest films on the list are interesting only because of what they contributed. They don't really entertain on their own. They are only interesting for their historical importance.
However, this film was both - interesting for it's historical importance AND entertaining in its own right. Buster Keaton is amazing. It's amazing how much humor he portrays with no sound. The most impressive part is not his face but the stunts. The whole time I kept thinking, "He did this with no stunt man! No CGI!" Actually now that I think about, maybe it's historically important because it's still entertaining.

Thursday: Rolling Lettuce Tofu

Thursday: Rolling Lettuce Tofu
Originally uploaded by SarahorNicholas.

Monday: Gnocchi in Pesto with Tomatoes

Monday: Gnocchi in Pesto with Tomatoes
Originally uploaded by SarahorNicholas.

Confession

So here it is...

My one major flaw...

What keeps my from the perfection of personality we all strive for (and my mother claims she's achieved)...

I suck at transitions. S-U-C-K. I can't handle it. They transform me from a strong, confident woman into a big ole weepy ball of confusion. And it happens every stinkin time.

You'd think I'd be better at it by now. I mean I've spent almost my entire life as a student, where transition is the name of the game. But no.

Now, for example, I am interning at Hillaryland and trying desperately to find a job. And frankly, it's not going so well. I try to tell give myself little pep talks. "I am employable. I will not work for free forever." I ask myself, "What would Oprah say?" And I know what Oprah would say. She'd probably have Dr. Robin give me a good dose of "get over yourself" - followed up by a solid helping of "get going."

My logical self knows all that. However, my illogical self worries that I'll never get a job, that I've messed up my life, or (the scariest one of all) that this "transition" will never transition and that I'll be stuck here forever.

Big Surprise

You Are 96% Feminist

You are a total feminist. This doesn't mean you're a man hater (in fact, you may be a man). You just think that men and women should be treated equally. It's a simple idea but somehow complicated for the world to put into action.

Are You a Feminist?

It's a cruel, cruel summer...

Seriously, this heat is oppressive!

If at first you don't succeed...

Bookmark v.2
Originally uploaded by SarahorNicholas.

knit knack

Bookmark
Originally uploaded by SarahorNicholas.

Please let me first say that I realize this is the ugliest bookmark in the history of bookmarks - but ya'll I MADE it! I learned to knit and then I knitted this with my own - very clumsy - two hands. Also, I would like to clarify that knitting is not anywhere near as easy as it looks. I was so frustrated I almost quit several times but after searching down a couple of web videos I finally got the hang of it - well, sort of...

Sunday: Perfectly Grilled Corn with Chipotle Mayonnaise, Cotija Cheese & Lime

Sunday: Perfectly Grilled Corn with Chipotle Mayonnaise, Cotija Cheese & Lime
Originally uploaded by SarahorNicholas.

I saw Bobby Flay make this corn on CBS Sunday Morning almost a month ago and I've been obsessed with it every since. I've been begging Nicholas to make it forever and he finally caved after we picked up corn at the beach last weekend and can I just say - YUM!

Thursday: Pasta with Marinated Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Thursday: Pasta with Marinated Tomatoes and Mozzarella
Originally uploaded by SarahorNicholas.

Birth

Birth: A Surprising History of How We Are Born should really be titled Birth: An Infuriating History of How We Are Born. Chapter after chapter author Tina Cassidy chronicles the way in which laboring women have been mistreated, ignored, experimented on, and even killed. What makes the history even more enraging is that most often the people doing the maiming, torturing, or whatever were there to "help." Most often those there to help were male doctors trying to take that care away from female midwives - and doing a large amount of damage in the process.

Here's one of my favorite examples, where Cassidy quotes a mid-nieteenth century doctor complaining about the midwife and women helpers who were still present at the birth, even if they were forced to call in a doctor.
"Nothing is more common than for the patient's friends to object to [bloodletting], urging as a reason, that 'she has lost enough blood.' Of this they are in no respect suitable judges."

And if they weren't blaming the women in the room, they were blaming the actual laboring mother:
When doctors were spreading infection in the late 1700's before sanitary practices, the "blamed the mother for creating her own infection...a woman, upset because her husband was abroad she went into labor at the Rotunda, became infected. The head of the hospital blamed her fretting."

The entire time I was reading about how doctors intimidated women and bullied them out of their own better instincts I couldn't help but think of a recent conversation with my aunt. I mentioned that I was interested in a home birth with a midwife and she told me that her female OB-GYN had told her she gets so upset when she sees "smart, educated women doing something stupid like having their baby at home."

So, let's settle this once and for all:
- "In America, those women attended by midwives ultimately have lower cesarean rates, fewer interventions such as labor induction and episiotomies, and lower infant mortality, than those attended by doctors."

- "Deliveries at home and in birth centers have been statistically proven to be as safe as those in hospitals, where, not incidentally, one's chance of having a cesarean soar just because you walk through the door."

- "One study has shown that epidurals increase the likelihood of the baby presenting in the posterior position - in other words, not fully rotated. Such a presentation does lead to higher cesarean rates."

You're not a dumb hippie because you want to have natural childbirth, even in your own home, and I just wish in 2007 most people understood that. It's not the answer for everyone - but if I learned anything from this books, it's that every woman should have the right to figure out that answer for herself.

Life Made Easy

People always say life should come with an owner's manual...Well I have to say this blog post might come pretty close.

The Bourne Ultimatum

We just saw it. There are a lot of great reviews out there, so I'm not sure I can add much except to say ...

"Y'know, I always thought that Matt Damon was like a Streisand, but he's rocking the shit in this one!"

Queen for a Day

One of my LexisNexis purchases (see below) was a book called No One Cares What You Had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for your blog. I thought it might be interesting to expand the subject area of this blog beyond food, travel, and how cute Maggie is. The author's first idea is what you would change about the world if you were Queen for a Day?

And can I just say - I've been waiting a LONG time for someone to ask me that question. ;)

First, people would stop chewing their fingernails in public...scratch that, people would stop chewing their fingernails period. You know why? Because it's disgusting. It's disgusting to do and it is certainly disgusting to watch. I hate watching someone stick their nasty fingers in their mouth then shove it in either further because clearly they've already chewed that nail down to almost nothing. YUCK!

Second, people would stop bossing other grown-ass adults on the metro. Look, mass transit can get ugly and sometimes people don't act like the upright walking homosapiens they are and that sucks. However, you screaming at people to "Walk faster - people are trying to get on!" or "People would do well to remember their bags are an extension of themselves!" is NOT HELPING ANYTHING.

Third, men would stop with the street harassment. I'm glad you think I have a fine ass. Really I am - I'll be able to look myself in the mirror now that you have officially solved all my insecurities. But just the same - keep it to your dang self. It's insulting and scary and just plain rude.

Also, if I was queen for day, everyone would wear lovely, flattering clothes and the planet would be stricken of capri pants, ill-fitting bras, and graphic T's. I would never have to wait in line and it would be Free for the Queen day at Nordstrom and Cityzen. Oh and Oprah would be my Lady in Waiting! ;)

Don't Break the Chain

Over the weekend Nicholas and I stopped at our favorite crab shack in Rehoboth called Lazy Susan's. Sitting next to us were two couples engaging in lively conversation. Once this conversation turned to Harry Potter, I couldn't help but interject. Well, over the course of dinner, we talked about a lot of other thing, including my favorite subject - politics. The woman sitting next to me was particularly interested in my work for Hillary and how I felt about her. I told her all about how great Hillary was in person and how she totally inspired me. She told me about how she had voted for George Bush two times and how she was becoming increasingly disturbed by him and the Republican party. At the end of dinner, she asked for my email address and I gave it her, not expecting much from it. However, today I got this email.

Sarah,
Thanks for the inspiration .. I added my name to the Hilary e-mail list and changed my voter registration from independent to democrat.
It was nice to meet you .. it was so refereshing to listen to the voice of our youth.
Have a great day,
Deb

So, that's pretty awesome. I guess engaging in "pointless" political discussions isn't always pointless. :)

Sunrise

Silent films were never my favorite when going through the list the first time. I found them long and a bit tedious. However, this film was really engaging and beautifully done. I can't help but think talking might actually have sullied it up a bit. The director F.W. Murnau was a leading German Expressionism and that style, the distorted images, the symbolism, were so apparent in the film. What I thought was so really interesting is how it really seemed like a fairy tale come to life, like the film industry was exploring what types of stories to tell. I'd highly recommend it, especially if you're interested in early film.