Before we start ...

Browsing through an old notebook (early summer 07) I discovered some scrawled, early morning notes on what I consider to be the finest dream I've ever had:

I'm sitting in the lobby of a college dormitory. It's the first day of fall semester and students are checking in, moving boxes, nervously getting acquainted. I'm sitting with a friend (who?) watching the freshman and discussing which new friendships and relationships will last and which are destined to be forgotten by mid-semester.

The whole scene makes me very, very sad and I wander off by myself and sit on the tile floor. I continue watching the students move in and I notice a girl sitting on the opposite side of the lobby.

Just sitting. All moved in? Bored?

Long, unruly brown hair hides her face. I can only see her mouth; she half smiles and waves me over. I get up and walk towards her. We're both standing now and I reach up to touch her face. She stops my hand but keeps smiling (same half smile).


Then she says, "before we start, touch my lips and whisper 'cigarette'"

Parrot-Speak

I've taken a fancy to talking parrots as of late. Here are a few of my favorite talking parrot clips:

#1.


#2:


#3. (not quite talking, but definitely rocking)

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today is the 40th anniversary of his death and this is his final speech.

ted.com

i'm just putting a link here - http://www.ted.com/index.php - that has some pretty interesting videos on it. TED stands for a conference held every year in California where 1000 different "brilliant minds" in a variety of fields are challenged to give the most inspiring / incredible speech of their lives. the website linked above started the past couple years and is attempting to catalog videos of all the speeches given since the conference started in the 80s. i recently saw one by Bill Clinton, talking about his efforts to institute a health care system in Rwanda and then using the same model in every developing country. he's had the system working in Rwanda for some time and says it's been a great success so far (i recommend listening to the talk - just search for bill clinton - it's from last year).