Sometimes news stories take hold of me in ways I can't explain, I hear them and can't get enough information on the circumstances. For whatever reason, as I was listening to The Diane Rehm show yesterday the story of Benazir Bhutto's death shook me in that way. I even turned on Jim Lehrer last night, marking the first time I've watched TV news since the WGA strike stole my beloved Jon Stewart away from me. (not that I begrudge them; fight the power!) I guess part of it is that I just finished Valerie Plame Wilson's book and am feeling particularly bitter about the outlook of the world right now. As a consequence of my car not having a CD player and my lack of casette tapes, I probably know slightly more than Joe American about Bhutto. I know that she was a corrupt politician and I am by no means advocating that Pakastan would be a utopian society should she have been elected in the coming weeks, but I was unexpectedly melancholy about the news.

I think Bhutto had a very interesting life and circumstance; I know that she had a fascinating voice, the kind that can capture you as only a politician can. Her tone always implied a challenge to the status quo. I admit that I was intrigued with her, the fact that she was a woman in a position of power in a predominantly Muslim country. (My intrigue was only furthered after reading Ayaan Hirsi Ali's book; part of my shock was a fear that one day I will turn on the news and she too will have been assassinated.) I guess I'm feeling bitter because if our glorious war on terror had been in any way successful this may not have happened.

Oh well, off to study more about assessing medical patients.

When I eventually take the MCAT, I can so see this happening to me.

I just got into Podcasts, anyone want to suggest some good ones?

My little beast, my eyes, my favorite stolen egg. Listen. To live is to be marked. To live is to change, to acquire the words of a story, and that is the only celebration we mortals really know. In perfect stillness, frankly, I've only found sorrow.

- The Poisonwood Bible

SAT tomorrow: FREAKING OUT!

stephen colbert has the worst korean ever. XD

So I'm sitting in bed last night, 4 a.m., bright full moon outside, reading Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, at last I get to the final chapter, part IV and I decide, hey: it's 4 in the morning; I'll go to bed now. Here I am, alone in my alertness, brooding over the murder of this family, the almost-raping of the little 17 year old girl, and I lie down in bed. All of the sudden I hear a tap on my window. I shoot up; I look at the window. Is that a person or the twisted shadow of someone's car? A creek in the house. Was it settling or is it the bitter irony of reading In Cold Blood just before being robbed and murdered in my own home?


Never read true crime books into the early morning. The end.

my two all-time favorite cereals: Sprinkle Spangles and Hidden Treasures haha.

I think I want to make a community about book-to-movie's, talking about movies that butchered the books, books that were only made more wonderful by movies, etc, but I dunno if that's a good concept for a community or if there already is one. Thoughts?

regulars on my ipod & rarely, cd player:

01. Nickel Creek Out of the Woods ; Back when Alison Krauss produced their vocals, they were amazing. Unfortunately on Why Should the Fire Die? Sarah's voice is not exactly the greatest, but this remains one of my absolute favorites on the first album, just barely under Reasons Why and When You Come Back Down. A good one to sing to in the car.

02. Iron & Wine The Trapeze Swinger ; This was the song that made me fall in love with Iron & Wine, and is so much more wonderful than his cover of Such Great Heights could ever be. A nine-minute tribute to childhood friendship, love, and an all-around coming-of-age song, it's the one song that's never, never forgotten on ipod playlists, mix cds, and late night car rides.

03. Coldplay Don't Panic ; In my opinion, Coldplay's most forgotten and most amazing song. First song, first album, this song makes me wistful for what they could've been if they had stuck with the beautiful sound of Parachutes, to quote Steve: "I hate when a band thinks they've chosen their 'sound' and it's the wrong one." I love the refrence to Hitchhiker's, I love the actually low key beautiful sound, I love the amazing lyrics, I love that it never wears out to my ears.

04. Kings of Convenience Toxic Girl ; The beautiful melody that makes me desperately wish I could play guitar. The beautiful acoustic guitars in the song make it feel so full and quixotic. The lyrics, sme of my favorite on unrequited love, and Oye's voice is so wonderfully low-key it gives me chills. This is the sound of amazing songwriting.

05. David Gray Say Hello, Wave Goodbye ; When I bought White Ladder, I bought two other albums: Alien Ant Farm and Dizzy Up the Girl. There's only one I still listen to religiously, and that is Gray. I wish I could tap into whatever muse or thought he had during writing this album, because his lyrics, his music is so amazing and lyrically powerful it sticks with me. Strangely enough, when I listen to this song I wish I had a relationship I could feel this about.

06. Beck Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime ; I love that Beck is just.. able to get away with anything in a culture that the maximum of accepted crossovers is Singer-Actress. (omigawd? lindsey lohan?) I heard this song on NPR before I ever picked up Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and its place in that movie just reinforces my love of the whole Sea Change album.

07. Iron & Wine Bird Stealing Bread ; This song might have even better lyrics than The Trapeze Swinger.

08. Bill Worthington Just the Two of Us ; More recently an ipod add-on, this has been one of my favorites for as long as I can remember. When my parents were getting divorced, my dad and I took a trip to New York City. During our eight-hour trip we heard this song several times, and he told me we heard it so much it was kind of our song. I like that, it's sweet. We look for love, no time for tears / wasted water's all that is / and it don't make no flowers grow..". Another reason: I feel akward putting Al Green's Let's Stay Together as a mutual friend of steve & me sang this for open mic and I don't want flack for putting it on my ipod. I still need some soulfulness.

09. Astrud Gilberto Agua de Beber ; My single favorite Astrud Gilberto song.

10. Simon and Garfunkel America ; Just beautiful. Makes me want to take a road trip. Even before I saw Almost Famous.

11. Coldplay A Rush of Blood to the Head ; Even though the album lacks the cohesiveness of Parachutes, I like it. It feels like a singles collection just because of all the songs that did come off the album. This song is my favorite. A staple of whenever I'm sad, depressed, or angry.

12. Kings of Convenience Gold for the Price of Silver (acoustic) ; My favorite KoC song, the melody is not quite as good as Toxic Girl, but the lyrics, harmonies, and emotion are even better.

13. Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong Summertime ; I'm a sucker for any Ella / Louis collaberation, and this is the one that most often makes it onto my ipod, although They Can't Take that Away from Me is a close rival. I love the dark, broody sound of this song, perfect for nighttime.