stumbling my way through a digital life
Look up, what do you see?
All of you and all of me,
fluorescent and starry
Stome of them, they surprise
The bus ride,
I went to write this, 4:00am
This LETTER
Fields of poppies, little pearls
All the boys and all the girls
Each and everyone a little scary
I said your name…
Forty years ago today, marchers packed the National Mall in Washington to encourage the passage of the Civil Rights Act. It was the biggest political demonstration ever staged in the United States, and a day that would quickly become part of the national narrative.
Perhaps no other event has had more impact on more Americans than this moment in time. Dr. King’s words of admonition ring true today. On this the 40th anniversary of the famous speech, a memorial was held at the exact location. The gathering was much smaller than on August 28, 1963, and no speaker equaled the eloquence of Dr. King. Many speakers recalled Dr. King’s words not only to invoke the struggles of his day, but also to call attention to the unfinished tasks of this day.
Calling on young Americans to reject complacency and inaction, civil rights veteran Representative John Lewis, the only person alive who spoke at the 1963 march, said, “In spite of all the progress we have made, we still have a great distance to go.” But he cautioned against minimizing the earlier triumphs over segregation. “We live in a different world. If you don’t believe me, come and walk in my shoes,” he said.
I encourage everyone to take time out today to contemplate the magnitude of the events of 40 years ago. How much was accomplished on this day? How much more is left unfinished?
Here are a few resources, courtesy of the net.
Transcript of the Official Program
Downloadable PDF File of the Program
Last week, I faced the ominous chore of visiting the dentist. Yes, it’s true. Even the future dentists of America can think of a million other things they would rather do than get a filling. On the brightside, my dentist happens to be my lovely girlfriend, Misty. Finishing up her 4th and final year in dent school, she is really an amazing clinician. Wouldn’t you agree that what you want most in a dentist is someone who is gentle, reassuring and confident? She has quickly become all of those things.
As tooth #19 was being prepped for my future composite filling, one of the doctors snapped a picture of Misty doing what she does so well. It turns out that the doc is going to use this pic in his PowerPoint presentation next year when I take restorative dentistry. Pretty cool.
All went well with the filling and it truly is a work of art. Misty did a great job.
So, is your dentist hot, too?
Just a quick test of BloGTK 0.5 running on Red Hat Linux 9, kernel version 2.4.20-8.
More to come…
Last night, Misty and I ventured to Buca di Beppo in Claremont. We had never been to Bucca but had heard all the good reports and read all of the glowing reviews. We arrived around 8pm and waited only a few mintues for a table. Our waitress, Katy, called our names and welcomed us to Buca di Beppo. We followed her back to our table–or so we thought. Misty and I both stopped in our tracks as Katy headed down a white tiled corridor that lead to the kitchen.
She did know that we were here to eat, right?
Sensing our hesitation, Katy asked if this was our first time at Bucca. We assured her that it was and she quickly explained that the restaurant likes to establish a “family” atmosphere. As such, they like to take their guests through the kitchen to greet the cooks and get a preview of their meals. Pretty cool. As we walked through the kitchen, we said our hello’s to the cooks and caught a few sneak peaks of the beauty that awaited us.
As we were seated, we noticed that all of the menus were plastered across the walls. Quite a nice touch. We dined on Eggplant Parmesan, Baked Cheese Ravioli, Garlic Cheese bread and finally the biggest piece of Tiramisu we’d ever seen! We had a great time and I can’t give Buca di Beppo a higher recommendation. Here’s a couple of pics courtesy of the moblog.
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So, where have you been dining lately?
Last night was too much fun. Sarah and The Stone came over as promised. Instead of a full-fledged dinner, we just made a ton of appetizers. The cute couple also rented us The Recruit with Colin Farrell and Al Pacino. I enjoyed it and Misty and Sarah were glued to Colin’s every move.
Tonight, no dinner, but instead a trip to the local Cinema Star. We’re going to check out American Wedding and see if Stifler and crew are good for one more laugh. Check back tomorrow for my impressions. Until then, who’s up for dinner?
“…I’ve seen enough. I haven’t seen enough. Women and children first. TAKE the money and run. TAKE the money and run.”
To say the past few weeks have been busy would be an understatement. I am happy to report that things are once again returning to “normal”. So, what do a financially-strapped couple do on a Friday night in middle-class America? Simple. You invite your closest friends to cook dinner for you! Nice. We’re expecting The Stone and Ms. Sarah later this evening for a dinner extraordinaire. Should be good times as always. Plenty of pictures and posts will be available courtesy of the Moblog.
Until next time loyal readers…
Loyal readers, the Gallery has received a massive update. Albums now include photos that chronicle the 2003 Summer Tour as well as Misty and I’s birthday festivities. Enjoy.
Misty’s birthday was a huge success and after an awesome night out last night, we’re ready to finish up Birthday weekend with my birthday today! Misty and I’s birthday’s are only one day apart, so it makes for a fun couple of days. I’m expecting some family to drive down from Bako and we are all going to enjoy the day together.
Here’s to the start of my 26th year!
Misty’s big day went off perfectly. The party last night rocked! The party of the season–no doubt. Pictures are being downloaded from the Canon Elph as I speak–er, type. More to come.
UPDATE: Oh yeah, you can check out some pics right away courtesy of my Mobile Blog. The latest picture added will be displayed on the right hand column of this site. Click on the pic to head over to my photo blog or get their direct at jeffcarter.textamerica.com
As midnight nears, so does Misty’s birthday. The party event of the summer will be going down at Casa de Carter tomorrow night. What started as a small gathering has turned into an all out event. Awesome. That’s what’s great about parties as they get closer, they take on a life of their own. So, tomorrow we’ll attempt to cram 2 dozen of our closest friends into my humble student’s dwelling.
Plenty of pics will be available in the gallery tomorrow after the dust settles.
“Cows. I’m surrounded by millions and millions of cows.”
The I-5 North lays out before me as Dave pipes through my car stereo courtesy of the iPod. The trip from LA to San Francisco isn’t the shortest drive, but good company and sweet tunes help pass the time. It’s about 2:25pm and the show starts at 7pm. For tonight’s show, we’ve secured decent seating (thanks Warehouse Ticketing) but tomorrow finds us hanging in the lawn section–a Jeff and Misty first. With that in mind, as long as we make it to Shoreline Amphitheater by 6pm today, we’re cool.
So, I’m desperately behind on the show reviews and I’ve promised myself to write them as Misty cruises along nicely at 78 MPH. Check back in the next 24-48 hours for a full-recap. This year’s “Dave-Week” has been awesome but incredibly exhausting. Late nights followed by early mornings and even longer afternoons adds up to two tired DMB fanatics. Nonetheless, we’ve been re-energized for this road trip and are jazzed about seeing the guys back-to-back at Shoreline–another Jeff/Misty first. Indeed.
May I suggest spinning some “Listcener Supported” to commemorate the last CA stop?
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