Wow...

...all day I've been thinking about blogging. I'm so glad I started again. And hopefully soon I'll have a real idea I want to write about and not just chit chat. It's hard to get into a deep discussion with myself about something this week, as I am preparing to leave for Romania on Saturday. My brother is getting married to his girlfriend. He has been living in the Czech Republic for several years and his fiance (Cristina) is a fellow English teacher at the school in Prague where Paul teaches. She is Romanian, has never lived in an English-speaking country, but speaks English so well that she is certified to teach other English teachers. If you knew my brother, it would make sense to you that his girlfriend/wife is so together. Opposites attract.

I've been obsessed with pop music again lately. This time the 2nd generation riot girl kind. In my head I keep writing an essay about Kathleen Hanna's solo album, Julie Ruin, which didn't get much attention, but I think it is much more compelling than the majority of work that she has produced before and after it. I have a feeling I'll just have to write this essay. It seems important to me in the history of underground rock music. And I'm in love with Mirah's new album C'mon Miracle. It's a little darker than her first two albums -- there's heartbreak in these songs, but her positve punk rock hippie 'everything is going to be all right' sentiments resurface by the end of the album. It's like listening to experience try to take someone's spirit down but fail. And her voice...it's so hauntingly beautiful. It sounds like love. If only it could whisper into your ear as you lie in the grass staring into the night sky. I want to invite Mirah over for a cup of tea. Buy this record. It will be such great comfort to you. And I just heard Tracy and the Plastics, though I've seen her live once for five minutes. It's genius. But I have to listen to it one more time very carefully before I have anything useful to say about it. But it makes Le Tigre look like Pong. It's the X-Box of girl digital. I'm sure all of you know all about it already. But I'm always behind the beat. I didn't get NEVERMIND until Kurt Cobain was dead.

I have a feeling I'll be blogging until I go. I love you again. The picture is of my brother and his future wife.