On Polygyny

I’ve been trying to ignore this topic, but I can’t seem to let it go. I am a little disturbed by the raid on the Texas ranch. It seems overly aggressive and smacks of a witch hunt. My Mormon persecution complex has been reawakened after the Romney spectacle,* and I suspect that there is more than concern for the welfare of the children motivating Texas child protective services.

My thoughts on polygyny are a bit convoluted. Up until my early-twenties, I despised polygyny because I was trying to distance myself, as a Mormon, from our polygynist past. I thought all polygynists should be aggressively sought out and arrested, and I did not understand why the Utah attorney general largely ignored the polygynists living in Utah.

In law school, my opinion about polygyny and polyandry started to change. I now think that polygamy should be decriminalized. Consenting adults can already have sexual relations with more than one person, so I don’t think the state should criminalize consenting adults who marry more than one person. I realize that, in practice, polygamy is often accompanied by all kinds of abuse. However, there are adequate laws in existence to cover those issues. Child abuse, statutory rape, spousal rape (in most states), and welfare fraud are already illegal. Arrest people for those crimes, not for polygamy. That way, the happy, Big-Love-style polygamists can live openly and in peace. They are a minority, but they do exist. Not all polygamists are of the Warren Jeffs’ variety.

So, back to Texas. Is it really necessary to haul 401 children out of their homes for questioning? Doesn’t DHS usually investigate parents and children in their home before they authorize removal? I don’t believe that all 401 children were at risk of imminent harm, serious enough to warrant the state taking custody of them. I am sure Texas officials will find some serious abusive situations; however, I predict the majority of the children removed from their homes are not being abused and are not in danger. My guess is that the majority of the polygamist women, who had their children taken from them, are loving and adequate parents. I wager that some of the fathers are even loving, adequate parents. Was it really necessary to remove the children from their home? Can you imagine the trauma these kids are experiencing right now? Now they will be stuck in a foster care situation for weeks, if not months, while TDHS conducts it’s investigation.

I think the raid was over the top and unnecessary. It was motivated, in some part, by religious bigotry. Any Mormon, me included, will tell over and over that Mormons are not polygamists. We’re not. The LDS church officially discontinued that practice over 100 years ago. However, we are intimately connected with the FLDS (polygamist) church because both religions are an outgrowth of the teachings of Joseph Smith. We are triplets. The LDS church is the good triplet, the FLDS church is the bad triplet, and the Community of Christ (RLDS) is the cool triplet. Anyway, because we are connected, I can’t help but feel sympathetic for the women who had their children taken away from them on Monday. They may be crazy religious nut jobs, but I don’t doubt that the majority of the women love their children and provide them with adequate care.

This post is getting really long and rambling, but I have one last thing. I am totally annoyed with the fact that the state rented buses from the Baptists. Seriously? Were there not enough religiously neutral busses available? They had to use Baptist busses? I can just imagine the local Baptist pastor relishing the symbolism of it all. The Baptists busses are leading the crazy polygynists toward spiritual salvation. Nice.

* The media coverage surrounding Romney’s bid for president unearthed major anti-Mormon sentiment. Until then, I was blissfully unaware that Mormons were so despised by so many people.

UPDATE: Here is a great blog post about the affidavit that was used the justify the raid.

ANOTHER UPDATE: I removed the link to the CNN article. I didn't realize that CNN posts a link to all the blogs that link it's articles. I got a handful of interesting comments from strangers, and I had to delete a few that told me I was on my way to hell. I didn't take it personally--I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Baby Smiles

Xiao Mei is six weeks old. As you can see, she smiles now. I am totally and completely in love with this little girl.

Baby Gollum

One of my biggest worries prior to delivering Xiao Mei was how the cats would interact with the baby. Thankfully, that worry turned out to be a non-issue. The cats barely notice the XM is around. They are mildly curious about her and not at all hostile. Phew. However, Gollum seems to be a bit jealous of the attention we give XM. He no longer has exclusive rights to my lap, but has to wait his turn.

I went shopping one evening and left Xiao Mei with Yang. When I came home, Yang was bouncing on the exercise ball. I assumed he was holding XM. When I looked closer, I noticed that Yang was bouncing (and burping) Gollum, and that Xiao Mei was asleep in her swing. It was hilarious. Gollum’s expression conveyed that it was the most natural and normal thing for him to be bounced and burped—just like baby XM.

Holy Envy

Many Christians only go to church on Easter and Christmas. For me, I often want to skip church on Easter and Christmas. You see, we Mormons are a little too casual in our celebration. Like Kristine (my favorite mo-blogger), I have holy envy. I wish we had a bit more pomp and circumstance. I wish we had better music and more ceremony. I wish we were a bit more High Church, especially at Easter. Although it didn’t happen this Easter, several times over the years I have gone to church on Easter and the sacrament meeting theme was priesthood or tithing, or something very mundane for Mormons.

When I was a teenager, I used to go to Christmas mass as an act of rebellion. (Only in Utah is going to mass rebellious). Even though I was there for the wrong reason, I was always so impressed and moved with the service. It was beautiful, solemn, and important.

This Easter our sacrament meeting had an Easter theme (very good), the choir sang Easter songs (also good). Anyway, I teach Sunday school to the teenagers. I thought I would go over the western liturgical calendar. Specifically, we discussed Holy Week. I was a little disappointed, but not surprised, with how little my class knew about Holy Week. They didn’t know what was remembered on Palm Sunday. They didn’t know what was honored on Maundy Thursday (although they guessed correctly with a few hints). My class is really smart and scripturally savvy (especially for teenagers), but we Mormons have no exposure to some of the more beautiful celebrations in Christiandom. *Sigh*

Maybe I’ll become Catholic or Anglican for two days a year.

Cute Cousin

Check out XM's adorable cousin born 16 days after her. I am so excited to see these two together. Baby C lives in Utah, so, unfortunately, it may be a while before they can meet.

Bon Voyage

My parents moved to Beirut last week for a service mission for the LDS church. They will live there for the next 18 months. My father speaks French, and he and my mom will administer and distribute relief supplies in Lebanon.

My dad is thrilled with the assignment. He has an adventurous spirit. I think my mother is not thrilled, although she would never admit it. She is a home-body, and I know she would rather be surrounded by grandkids than traipsing around the streets of Beirut. She really loves my dad and I think she is doing this for him. I'm very proud of her.

I pray for their safety and speedy return.

Parenting. It's about. . . time.

Happy Birthday Xiao Mei! I can’t believe it has already been one month!

Xiao Mei usually gives me four or five hours a day, in one hour increments, to spend on myself. What should I do with my four hours today? Eat? Sleep? Laundry? Clean? Check my work email (shudder)? Watch TV? Read? Stare at the wall? Pack her up and run to the store? I am becoming amazingly discriminating in the way I use my time. Time is precious.

The world of breastfeeding is very satisfying, but also very frustrating. Unfortunately, we still don’t have it worked out. About half the time, there is a major battle at the breast. She screams and cries and chokes and roots and squirms. During those feedings, it usually takes me almost an hour to get XM ten minutes worth of milk. The other half the time, she nurses beautifully! After receiving tons of advice from lactation consultants, friends and family, I finally went to her pediatrician. I picked up some acid reflux medicine today. If that doesn’t help, I will eliminate dairy from my diet. If that doesn’t work, I’m out of luck for the next three months. God bless her…and me.

I have anxiety about leaving the house with XM. Last week, I packed her up and took her to work. I showed her off at work for about an hour. She did great, but once we got home she was hysterical. She threw up what seemed like gallons and couldn’t eat well to refill her belly. It took us over a day to recover from that little outing. Yikes. I don’t want to be a shut in, but it is so much easier that way.

I’ve started pumping. It is humiliating and hilarious. I am no longer human…my bovine name shall be Bessy. I bought a nice pump, so it works efficiently. I’ve been pumping once a day for about a week, but I haven’t given her a bottle yet. For some reason, I have major bottle anxiety. I’m afraid that if she starts using a bottle, she will never go back to the breast. (Yang has tried giving her a bottle once or twice with no real success). However, I was forced to seriously introduce the bottle today because I had to dissolve her acid reflux medicine in the milk. (I asked the Pharmacist if I could just eat the medicine and then breast feed her. The Pharmacist didn’t realize I was kidding and earnestly explained to me why that wouldn’t work). Thankfully, she did relatively well with the bottle. We’ll see if she now shuns the breast.

My hour is up.

UPDATE: I realize that my friends with more than one child are probably rolling their eyes at this post. Please humor me! Remember what is was like to be a new mama?

Also, I wanted to add some of the highlights of my first month with XM. First, her coo can melt my heart. It can erase the tenseness of an hour's worth of crying in an instant. Also, I love it when she is well fed and just about to fall asleep. She makes a series of funny faces and sounds. She smiles, sucks, yawns, sighs, then smiles again, makes fish lips, and finally relaxes to sleep. It is adorable.

She is up to several hours of quite alertness a day/night. There is nothing more fascinating than this time. She looks up at me, and I look down at her, and we stare at each other. She is so alert and attentive. I love it! This time is best spent on the exercise ball. XM love the bounce created by the exercise ball--all other bouncing pales in comparison. The quickest way to calm her down is to pop a squat on the exercise ball.

Finally, XM turned out to be longshanks after all! She has long legs and a skinny little body. She is almost too long for her newborn sleepers! She loves it when I massage her legs and feet.

My Labor and Delivery

As Yang announced below, Xiao Mei was born February 13, 2008. In anticipation of her arrival, I read five pregnancy books and three child care books. I completed a child care class and a labor and delivery class. I thought I was informed. I thought I was ready.

Nothing could have prepared me for the experience of giving birth.

Tuesday afternoon, around 2 pm, I started noticing regular contractions. They didn’t hurt, so I assumed they were “false labor.” I assumed they would last days, or at least a dozen hours or so. Experienced mothers confirmed my assumptions. I went about my work and started packing up for home at 5 pm. By then, my contractions were a bit more painful. By the time I pulled into my drive way, I was doubled over. I called Yang and suggested that he come home rather than going to his deputy training that night. By the time he got home (around 6 pm) my contractions were three minutes apart. We headed to the hospital.

When they checked me at the hospital, the nurse told me that I was only dilated to a one! A one! I could not believe it. I felt like I failed the first test of motherhood. I promise the contractions hurt. Thankfully, the nurse believed me and I was admitted. I went into the hot tub to help with the pain and stayed there for about 45 minutes. Then the nurse checked me again. I was at a five! I calmly asked (read: screamed) for an epidural. It was on its way. I waited. It was on its way. The anesthesiologist arrived just as I reached nine. The epidural kicked in just in time to start pushing. By then it was about 10 pm. Everyone assumed that the baby would be out in 20 minutes, but unfortunately I had to push for about 2 ½ hours. Ugh. Toward the end of pushing, her heart rate started dropping. The OB suggested assistance with forceps, and meanwhile they prepared a surgical bed for a cesarean. Thankfully, she came out with assistance.

The whole world melted away when they placed my Xiao Mei on my stomach.

Nothing could have prepared me for the experience of holding Xiao Mei for the first time.

That is my labor and delivery story. Let us never speak of it again.

Below are some pictures of Xiao Mei’s first bath and first car ride. My mother made my nursery set, and the quilt was too beautiful to use as a blanket so I hung it on the wall.

I also posted a picture that illustrates why we affectionately refer to her as "bug."

Xiao Mei

Meet our new addition, whose blog name will be Xiao Mei. Xiao Mei was born early this morning at 12:30, after about five hours of labor. Mom and daughter are doing well.

Xiao Mei is 6lbs 12oz, 20 inches long. Welcome to the world!

You're It

Chelle tagged me.

Here's the tag:

1. Pick up the nearest book (one of at least 123 pages)

2. Open the page to 123

3. Find the 5th sentence.

4. Post the next 3 sentences

5. Tag 5 people.

Here's my response:

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

"'Our whole business therefore in this life,' wrote Saint Augustine, rather Yogically, 'is to restore to health the eye of the heart whereby God may be seen.'
Like all great philosophical ideas, this one is simple to understand but virtually impossible to imbibe. OK--so we are all one, and divinity abides within us all equally."

I tag: Shelley, mellow-drama, H. Bartle, G, and M.

Really, Huckabee? Really?!

"I know the pundits, and I know what they say: The math doesn't work out," Huckabee said Saturday morning at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington. "Well, I didn't major in math; I majored in miracles. And I still believe in those, too."

Blech.

One Hundred Hours Until I Meet You

Or two weeks, or two days, or....

Wow. I'm still crying over this essay. Thinking about the moment I get to meet my "long lost friend" is consuming my mind. Thinking about two weeks later, when I am tired and confused is also on my mind. I am about to be tested and tried in a way I can't even imagine, but I am so excited to start.

Death, Birth, and the Whole Cycle of Life

I apologize in advance because this post is intentionally vague and obtuse. Two particular deaths in the last week have focused my thoughts on life and mortality. Last night, Yang commented that death comes in threes, so I should expect one more. I’m not superstitious, but I’m still a bit worried. I hope the Enforcer of Superstitious Rules bends the rule in this case or will allow Ella’s birth to substitute for the last death.

Death is a common topic of conversation in my line of work, so I am usually very matter-of-fact about it. It is natural and even beautiful. But, death is such a sharp contrast to the life growing inside of me that lately the thought of it stings. How can people be dying when life is just beginning for Eleanor and me? Throw pregnancy hormones in the mix, and I’m a big bundle of confusion, peace, fear, serenity, and tears.

I must admit, however, that nothing celebrates life more powerfully than juxtaposing it with death.

37 Weeks and Sympathy Nesting

Behold, the belly! Being 37 and a half weeks pregnant is not much fun. I hurt and I’m grouchy. Poor Yang. I did not want to post a picture, but 9 months (one year...two years) from now, when I’ve finally recovered (physically, at least), it may be interesting to look back at this time.

Yang has been an ideal, supportive husband. No, really, I’m not just blowing smoke. He’s amazing. He has been so sympathetic and understanding for the last 37 weeks. Thankfully, his sympathy has never really veered into sympathy symptoms. His diet and weight have been consistent, his illnesses (legitimate and/or hypochondria-related) have never required more attention than my pregnancy caused illnesses, and most importantly, he has never complained of back pain in my presence.

Yang has, however, recently developed sympathy nesting. (The best symptom of all!). Two days ago, he decided to finish the remaining room in the house–the one we decided not to finish until sometime later this year. The last few nights, in his free time (between 10 pm and 2 am), he has removed trim and textured the walls. He still needs to paint, install hardwood floors, replace doors and closets, and add trim. Knowing Yang, this will be finished by Sunday afternoon.

Despite my grouchiness, I have been flooded with kindness from family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors. The proverbial village really does step up to help raise (gestate?) a child. I have had a few baby showers, and I have been overwhelmed with gifts and support. People are so generous at a time when the help is definitely needed. I am very grateful.

I’ll keep you all up to date. It is very likely that my next post will be an announcement!

Interesting

Check out this great essay on the intersection of Mormonism and politics.

Rats!

Chinese New Year is February 7, 2008. That date ushers in the Year of the Rat, and Ella will most likely be a Rat. According to Wikipedia, “being the first sign of the Chinese zodiac, rats are leaders, pioneers and conquerors. They are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking. Rat people are endowed with great leadership skills and are the most highly organized, meticulous, and systematic of the twelve signs.” Good so far. But wait,

“Behind the smiles and charm, rats can be terribly obstinate and controlling, insisting on having things their way no matter what the cost. These people tend to have immense control of their emotions, which they may use as a tool to manipulate and exploit others, both emotionally and mentally. Rats are masters of mind games and can be very dangerous, calculative and downright cruel if the need arises. Quick-tempered and aggressive, they will not think twice about exacting revenge on those that hurt them in any way. Rats need to learn to relax sometimes, as they can be quite obsessed with detail, intolerant and strict, demanding order, obedience, and perfection.”

Yikes! It gets even worse, “Traditionally, Rats should avoid Horses, but they can usually find their best friends. . . in Monkeys, Dragons, and Oxen.” Great. I’m a Horse and Yang is a Dragon. I knew she’d be a daddy’s girl.

Hmmm. Maybe I should hope for an early arrival. February 6, 2008 would be a great birthday. Then Ella would be a Pig.

“The Pig type is usually an honest, straightforward and patient person. They are a modest, shy character who prefers to work quietly behind the scenes. When others despair, they are often there to offer support. . . It is easy to put trust in pig type; they won't let you down and will never even attempt to do so.. . .”

“There is a tolerant and peaceful side to their character. Such people are never afraid to allow others their freedom of expression; they do not want to cause arguments and if there is any way to avoid arguing, they will probably take this option. However, they are not weak and if the situation forces them to fight these people will rise to the occasion, whether it is to defend themselves or those close to them.”

Rats or Pigs? I want a Pig.

Update

I feel like I should be in a Nationwide commercial, with Joel McHale playing the part of Eleanor. Life comes at you fast. This post is a random update on pregnancy and other issues.

First, I am 33 weeks along. Dang. I hoped I would still be cute pregnant at this point, but I most definitely am not. I am jabba-huge. My stomach is out of control—I keep expecting to tip over. Unfortunately, my butt and legs are out of control as well. It’s a whole body transition. My back aches, I can’t sleep well, and I run out of breath after walking more than 10 steps. My emotions aren’t totally out of control, but I do have a touch of the crazy. I am much more honest than I’ve ever been. I just don’t have the patience for social niceties and subtleties anymore. My back hurts too much to be polite.

My cats have discovered that my pregnant belly provides a nice cozy perch, so they jump up on my stomach every time I sit still. Ella isn’t quite sure what to think about the company. Sometimes she tolerates the squatters, but most times she kicks and punches them. Often, she moves enough to run the cats off the belly! I anticipate this battle will continue into the postpartum days. I suspect Gollum, in particular, will compete for my attention every time I hold Ella. Sorry Gollum. You will lose, but I’ll do my best to accommodate both cat and baby.

Of all the indignities of pregnancy, nothing is more humiliating than pregnancy aerobics. (Ok, um, there are several things more humiliating, but let me be dramatic for a moment). I recently started an aerobic routine because my hugeness is out of control. Wow, I must look very pathetic shuffling along and waving my arms. I used to run 10+ miles a week, now I get winded doing the mambo-cha-cha-cha. Thankfully I can do it in the privacy of my own home.

In non-pregnancy news, I am obsessed with the 2008 campaign. It all started with the Romney Mormon issue. I am not Republican, and would not vote for Romney if I were, but I am fascinated with his campaign. I must admit I am very surprised at how the whole Mormon issue has played out. I agree with what Ken Jennings said in a NY Daily News opinion (sorry, I can’t find a link).

“This is a strange season to be a Mormon,” Jennings begins. “During my lifetime, I thought The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had effectively mainstreamed itself. Being a Mormon was like being Canadian, or a vegetarian, or a unicyclist — it made you a bit of a conversation piece at dinner, but you didn’t come in for any lip-curling scorn.”

The news coverage in December was surprisingly vitriolic. I love the irony in religious people calling other religious people crazy, or southern Baptists calling Mormons racist, or journalists requesting that Romney summarize his faith in a political speech. I couldn’t fully explain the essence, basis, and nuance of my faith if I had a week.

I think Romney asked for the scrutiny when he cozied up to the religious right. Ugh. I just hate that our whole religion was dragged into it. I am the first to admit it is painfully easy to create a caricature of Mormonism. But I am also the first to claim that faith is something beautiful, complex, and worthy of respect (or at least tolerance).

In all honesty, I hope Romney loses in Iowa and drops out of the race because he is a Mormon. I guess that makes me a bigot.

Christmas update: Yang and I had a mellow, enjoyable Christmas. We both took some time off work and hung out at the house. For Yang, hanging out meant working on the house. He finished the trim in the kitchen and replaced the kitchen window. We opened our presents a few days early. He got me a video camera and I got him a police scanner. (I know, I know, I shouldn’t encourage him).

The next few weeks will be dedicated to wrapping up work in anticipation of my leave and preparing for baby. I start my childbirth prep classes next week, and I am sure Ella will be here before I am ready. I’m excited.

Labor and Delivery Play List

I am in week 29 of my pregnancy, and I cannot avoid thinking about labor and delivery any longer. I must be brave. Before I dive into the labor and delivery chapters in my pregnancy books, I want to start with a fun assignment--my labor and delivery play list.

I need some advice before I begin. Do you think I should have an up-tempo play list or a soothing play list? I have no idea. While we were at lunch today, G was telling me about his running play list. He has the Bourne Identity theme song on there, and he says it makes him run faster. Do you think fast songs will make my labor progress faster? Hmmm.

I can remember laughing out loud at some of Shelley’s choices for her labor and delivery play list. Some girls are bigger than others, indeed. Ugh...I hope Ella is not a big girl.

Anyway, I would love your recommendations.

I'll bite, too

. . . a month late.

1. Name one person who made you laugh last night? Yang, as always. Gollum made me laugh, but he is not a person.
2. What were you doing at 0800? Sleeping in, but moving from the bed to the couch because my back was hurting.
3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Arriving at work to catch-up on some things before Monday. (Obviously, I haven’t started working yet).
4. What happened to you in 2006? I switched law firms, started golfing, said goodbye to a good friend that moved to another state, met up with my high school girlfriends in Las Vegas (it was the first time I had seen some of them in years), attended my friend’s wedding in California, and ran Hood to Coast.
5. What was the last thing you said out loud? Thank you to the gas attendant.
6. How many beverages did you have today? So far, some water and a cup of peppermint hot chocolate. I’ll have more milk and water before the day is up. I miss Diet Coke.
7. What color is your hairbrush? Black.
8. What was the last thing you paid for? Gasoline...Yikes. It was still shocking even though I drive a Honda Civic.
9. Where were you last night? On my new couch watching episodes of Rome.
10. What color is your front door? It still has the manufacturer’s primer on it. We will paint it when we install the new siding and brick work on the front of the house. I had a purple door at my last house and loved it.
11. Where do you keep your change? In my purse and car. I used to raid Yang’s change cup in his office (he always had lots of quarters) when there was a snack box at work. Now that the snack box is gone (employees at my firm took too many candy bars without paying), I rarely use my change.
12. What’s the weather like today? Cloudy and cool.
13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor? Cherry Garcia.
14. What excites you? Parenting books, walks in the forest, good food and good movies/TV.
15. Do you want to cut your hair? Not yet. I’ll cut it eventually.
16. Are you over the age of 25? Yes. I’m almost 29.
17. Do you talk a lot? Less than I used to.
18. Do you watch the O.C.? No, although I do love low brow television. The OC never made it into my schedule.
19. Do you know anyone named Steven? Yes.
20. Do you make up your own words? No. I like Colbert’s made up words.
21. Are you a jealous person? Yes, but mildly so.
22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘A’. Amber.
23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘K’. Kami.
24. Who’s the first person on your received call list? A friend.
25. What does the last text message you received say? Can’t remember. I deleted it.
26. Do you chew on your straw? Yes.
27. Do you have curly hair? No, but I am developing a few random curls because of the pregnancy.
28. Where’s the next place you’re going to? Someplace for lunch.
29. Who’s the rudest person in your life? Former opposing counsel on one of the few cases I had an opposing counsel.
30. What was the last thing you ate? Left over pumpkin pie! Yum.
31. Will you get married in the future? No, unless it’s some cheesy renewing of the vows type thing, which Yang will never agree to.
32. What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the past 2 weeks? Knocked Up. It is fun watching movies about pregnancy while pregnant because I seem so calm and collected when compared to Hollywood’s version of a pregnant woman.
33. Is there anyone you like right now? Yes.
34. When was the last time you did the dishes? Yesterday. Our kitchen was still a mess from thanksgiving cooking.
35. Are you currently depressed? Currently, no, but I am 100% at the mercy of pregnancy hormones. Ask me in 10 minutes.
36. Did you cry today? No.
37. Why did you answer and post this? Because SCM tagged me, and because my blog celebrates the mundane. Oh, and I’m avoiding work.
38. Tag 5 people who would do this survey. I don’t think I have five readers, and two of them have already done it. Skier Jess? M? G?

The Kitchen

When we learned I was pregnant, Yang agreed to have the house substantially completed by the beginning of February 2008. As always, Yang is an over-achiever. The house is substantially completed now. Here are some pictures of the kitchen, start to finish.

Eleanor the Longshanks

I am having a GIRL!!! My 20 week ultrasound was the first week of October, and the technician confirmed that our baby is a girl. I was convinced we were having a boy. My intuition is crap (big surprise), and the Chinese birth calendar is wrong. I am, nevertheless, very happy to be having a girl. In all honesty, I'm a little relieved as well. Yang claims he's known it was a girl all along.

Eleanor is the at the top of our short list of names. We love Eleanor and will call her Ella for short. We may change our minds before she is born, but for now she is Ella.

At my ultrasound appointment, I was also informed that Ella had long legs. I was so excited! I started making plans for her future career as a volley-ball player, US President, model, and/or Confident Woman with Commanding Presence. My daughter, the tall one. My dreams for her ended yesterday. I had a follow up ultrasound and learned that my baby is in the 50th percentile for height and weight. She is average. She is not tall. Sigh. At least she can still be president.

Comfort Blankets

I went home for lunch today (yes, I live that close to work—it’s heavenly). On my doorstep was a big box from my mother. The box was full of about 8 baby blankets, each one with a matching onesie. The onesies have cute little animals on them, and they are so small with tiny cap sleeves. (Am I really going to have a baby that small? Will s/he break?) The blankets are soft, small, whimsical and so cute that pre-pregnancy I might have gagged a little. But, I am so very pregnant, and I love the blankets so very much. I wanted to curl up under them all and take a nap. But I was ravenously hungry and went straightaway to make my lunch.

Pregnancy is like MSG for my emotions. It brings out the flavor. I am super-scared, super-excited, super-loving, super-irrational, and/or super-bitchy. But I’m always super-something. My first trimester, I felt overwhelmingly nervous, anxious, and scared. My second trimester has been totally different. I love being pregnant. I love my belly, I love the concept, I am indulging my nesting instinct (with super-human help from Yang), and I am so excited to be a mom. I wonder what the third trimester will bring.

This is the first time in my pregnancy that I have been so emotional over an object. I love those blankets. I love those onesies. Not just because my baby will soon be wrapped up in them, but because they are a comfort in and of themselves. They represent my fairytale concept of domestic tranquility and maternal bliss. The cynical, smarter half of me knows that there will be very few tranquil and blissful moments as new mom, so that is why I am soaking it all up right now. Those blankets represent the impressionistic painting of motherhood, with soft light streaming through the windows and a beautiful baby sleeping soundly in the arms of a calm, capable, loving mother. Heh, heh, heh. I can dream, can’t I?

High School Reunion

I went to my ten year high school reunion in Salt Lake City on June 9, 2007. I never thought I would be the kind of person that goes to her ten year high school reunion. You know the kind--the person who actually liked high school while she was there and can't wait to remind everyone of how cool she used to be (even if her coolness factor has significantly decreased since then). In fact, I intended to be the person that was TOO COOL to go to the reunion. Well, um, I went. I was never cool in high school and I'm still not. At least I had a law degree to brag about and I haven't gained 50 pounds. . . yet.

My girl friends and I used it as an excuse to get together; thereby allowing Yang an "out." My best friend A is in Georgia, J is in Utah, and S is in California. I lost contact with the girls during my late college and early law school years, but we've since reconnected. I'll take any reason I can get to have a girls' weekend. I also used the reunion as an excuse to go to Moab, Utah. I really miss Moab, and I think it may be the most beautiful place on earth. We went hiking and river rafting for two days before the reunion. The hikes were awesome, especially the one to Delicate Arch. The river rafting was FREEZING, but thankfully we didn't get dumped. We ate at fun resort-town-restaurants each night and had an amazing time.

The reunion was on Saturday. I was a class officer (gag), so I had to help plan the damn thing. We did it on the cheap and still had a pretty decent turn out. There were about 10 people I was excited to see. About half of them showed up, and it was great catching up. I spent the rest of the night making small talk with people I didn't know, care about, or enjoy. It was great practice in the art of inane social small talk, but it was excruciating none the less. In retrospect, I should have skipped the reunion and met up with the girls in Vegas. Although, Moab was worth it.

GOOD NEWS

Yang and I are expecting our first child on February 17, 2008. Hooray! We are both so excited (and nervous) to be starting this crazy journey.

My pregnancy has been pretty mild so far. (I realize that the pregnancy gods will make up for it in the third trimester). I was fairly sick for about a month during my first trimester. I was also amazingly exhausted and spacey. It didn’t help that I cut out caffeine. Now I am in week 16, and things are better than before. I’m over the morning sickness, and some of my energy and focus has returned.

I posted some of my thoughts on pregnancy at Feminist Mormon Housewives. (For my non-mormon readers: fMh is a mormon-themed blog (as you can tell from the title). Therefore, keep in mind that my comments there are written for a mostly mormon audience.)

By the way, if you read this SCM, I was dying to tell you at your shower. However, I bit my tongue because I didn’t want to take any focus away from you and Ed!

Curiosity

Gollum decided to help us paint. He is such a good helper.

The Rose City

My parents came to visit us the first weekend in June. I love having company because it gives us an excuse to do all the touristy things in Portland we would otherwise never do. For example, we went to the International Rose Testing Garden on June 2. The timing was PERFECT. All the rose bushes were in bloom, and most of the flowers were at their peak. It was beautiful.

We also went to Cannon Beach and had dinner at Mo’s. We ate lunch at Hot Lips Pizza in the Pearl and went on a Portland Spirit dinner cruise. The dinner cruise was better than I expected, but I could have done without the waiting staff breaking into song every 20 minutes. Ugh. The cruise allowed me to view all the river-side property in Lake Oswego I will one day acquire. (Yang, start working harder).

We had a great time showing the best of Portland to my parents.

Top 5 Concerts

We had a construction dumpster delivered to our house today. After work, I started making trips from the back yard to the dumpster in the driveway with arms full of cabinets, scrap wood, and tree branches. I listened to my ipod the whole time, and I got super excited every time a Killers song came on. Yang, G, M and I are going the Killers concert in Portland this Saturday. I can’t wait! I have not been to a rock concert in a really long time. I started thinking of the last concert I went to and all the concerts before that. So, dear readers, please indulge me as I take a trip down rock concert memory lane.

The last concert I went to was Indigo Girls in SLC with Jenn (I've been to three other IG shows). Before that I went to see Psychedelic Furs with K and G in Baltimore. The first concert I ever went to was The Cure (Wish tour) when I was 13 (I’m not counting MC Hammer because my friend gave me those tickets and I didn’t really want to go). I also saw The Cure’s Wild Mood Swings tour. I’ve seen Depeche Mode three times (Devoted, Ultra, and a Singles tour in London in 1998). K won front row tickets and back stage passes to the Devoted tour in 1994. Being the best sister ever, she invited me to go with her.

I’ve seen Everclear, Howard Jones, Eve 6, U2 (Popmart tour—worst U2 tour ever), Toad the Wet Sprocket, B-52s, Semisonic, and Matchbox 20. I had to lie to my mom and/or sneak out in order to see the following concerts: Tool, Marilyn Manson, and 311. I should have gone to the following shows, but didn’t because of various conflicts/problems: Sarah McLoughlin, Dave Matthews Band, and The Cranberries.

My top 5:

1. Depeche Mode Devoted (ahhh, Dave Gahan)
2. The Cure Wild Mood Swings (oh so very fun)
3. Indigo Girls (each concert was like an arena campfire sing along)
4. B-52s (I had a girl crush on Kate Pierson)
5. Matchbox 20 (not a great show, but my first concert with Yang)

The youths

The Church asks me to assist with the youth. In both this ward and the last ward. I am more than happy to do so. I sometimes wonder why they pick me, I don't consider myself a role model. I am fairly adept at the camping/carving/hiking/etc. . . that is typical with the youth programs, but quite honestly, I prefer those activities alone, not with half a dozen teenagers in tow. There are a lot of others who I think would be better at it than me. Anyway, in addition to outdoor stuff and Sunday meetings, we meet once a week and do the typical church/youth program things. Sometimes its fun, sometimes its something civic or service related. To be fair, with the bunch I left in the last ward, I actually had a lot of fun. Perhaps with a little more time, this bunch will be the same way.

Earlier this evening I had a typical activity which went well enough, but when it was over, the kids run off and try to get in some typical teenage clownery before their parents come to pick them up. I try to keep a lid on this to some degree, so nothing gets burned down. Tonight I was distracted for a few minutes by one of the other adults, and the youths slipped away. During this time, one of the boys decided it would be funny to give one of the younger boys a wedgie. Well, the wedgie was delivered with enough purpose that it actually ripped the choneys right off the poor kid. He was fairly upset, understandably.

I really don't know exactly how best to discipline a kid who super-wedgies another. Perhaps there isn't a good way.

My TV Addiction

I was a teaching assistant in law school. In addition to grading writing assignments, the TAs were supposed to offer, if requested, quasi-counseling to the 1Ls that had difficulty adjusting to the demands of law school. To help us in that regard, the writing department distributed pamphlets to all TAs discussing inappropriate stress management/coping strategies. At the time, I was convinced all my coping strategies were proper, and I looked forward to helping those with improper ones. I started reading the list of items that were not my problem: excessive alcohol use, illicit drug use, overeating, gambling, sex addiction, excessive television watching...wha? Wait a minute. What do they mean by excessive? I don’t watch THAT much TV. I don’t have a problem. I can quit anytime I want to. Well if I do have a problem, it’s law school’s fault. Leave me alone.

I realized at that point that I was addicted to TV. I still am. Network shows are my drug of choice (with a little E! and Discovery on the weekends) and Tivo is my enabler.

Now that I’ve admitted my problem, I’d like to discuss the shows I watched last night. Heroes. Best. Show. On. Television. ‘Nuff said.

I also watched the first half of PBS’s documentary called The Mormons. As a mormon, I was really impressed with the show. I thought it was relatively balanced and respectful. I think it presented mormon history as complex, disturbing, heroic and extraordinary, which is how I view our history. It did a good job of providing context to events such as the Mountain Meadows Massacre and polygamy. I’m excited to watch the second installment tonight.

Flat Stanley

My niece sent me Flat Stanley in the mail. She asked me to take pictures of Stanley's adventures in Portland for a class project (she is in the second grade). Here is a picture of Stanley on a boat dock at Willamette Park. The Portland skyline is in the background.

Earth Intruders

Bjork’s appearance on SNL last Saturday refreshed my recollection of how absolutely awesome Bjork is. She performed Earth Intruders. I purchased this song from itunes tonight, and I have listened to it at least ten times so far. It is wonderfully addictive. Toe-tapping, futuristic, and tribal all at the same time. I can picture her stomping and dancing as I listen to it. She is an Icelandic oddity, as is this song. I love it; however, I have no idea what it means.

We are the earth intruders, we are the earth intruders, muddy with twigs and branches. Turmoil. Carnage. We are the earth intruders, we are the paratroopers. . . Here are the earth intruders, with our feet thumping, with our feet marching, grinding the skeptics into the soil. Shower of goodness coming to end the doubt—pouring out. . . Necessary voodoo.

Whoops

As we just recently started blogging again after a long break, we moved temporarily to a new URL. All was going well until one of our friends pointed out that there was a very similarly titled website with material on it that we may not want our blog to be too closely related to-- (think cross dressing, and other various trans-gender goodies, Portland style). We changed the url quickly, and decided to stick with the old one. Hence the back and forth for those of you who are paying attention.

I'm a Lumberjack and I'm OK

A pine tree in our yard died, so we had to chop it down. The tree was 36 years old (we counted the rings) and about 40 feet tall. The actual chopping (felling?) was quite a spectacle, and it brought out the neighbors to watch. Yang bought a brand new Husqvarna chainsaw for the occasion.

It reminded me of the Lumberjack Monty Python skit.

I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK,
I sleep all night and I work all day.

He's a lumberjack and he's OK,
He sleeps all night and works all day.

I cut down trees, I eat my lunch,
I go to the lavatory.
On Wednesdays I go shopping,
And have buttered scones for tea.

I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK,
I sleep all night and I work all day.

He's a lumberjack and he's OK,
He sleeps all night and works all day.

I cut down trees, I skip and jump,
I like to press wild flowers,
I put on women's clothing,
And hang around in bars.

I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK,
I sleep all night and I work all day.

He's a lumberjack and he's OK,
He sleeps all night and works all day.

The Cat Crapper

Yang hates cat litter. (Does anyone really like litter?) In our old house, we kept the cat litter in the upstairs guest bathroom. Despite the fact that I cleaned it out daily, we could still smell the litter. Yang vowed that in our next house, the litter would go outside. I pointed out that our cats wouldn't use a litter box that was located in a cold place and would likely find someplace inside to do their business. Thus, the cat crapper came about. Yang built a cat house in the garage for the litter, complete with carpet and drywall. To top it off, he put a heat lamp inside so it is nice and warm for the cats. They love it.

Some Introductions

This is Freya and Gollum

A League of Our Own

Yang took me bowling for one of our first dates back in March or April of 1998. I bowled somewhere around 160, which was very uncharacteristic. (I’m usually happy if I break 100). Unfortunately, Yang did not know that was uncharacteristic and felt threatened when he scored less than I did.

We have bowled many times since then, and Yang has beaten me every time. However, the first impression stuck. He thinks I am a fierce bowling competitor. Whenever we go bowling with friends, Yang talks about how I’m an expert bowler and everyone should watch out. Sadly for me, I usually place last or close to last in the group. Ah, good times.

Here is a picture of us at the bowling alley with our friends, the Melansons. Yang scored 168 and I scored 115.

The Great Home Remodel Project

Yang and I bought a new home in February. It is an old fixer-upper. Yang is a home remodel pro. He has already tackled the plumbing (replacing the galvanized pipe with copper), the main bathroom, and the guest bedroom. I try to help, but I mostly get in the way.

The house is located much closer to work and downtown. We used to have a 35-45 minute commute. Now we have a five minute commute. The shorter commute has really improved my quality of life. It is lovely.

Back in Business

Yin and I are now the proud owners of two hairless cats. I remarked to Yin after the untimely demise of our last pet, tiger, that I really wasn't interested in having another animal with fur. I figured that lined us up for a pleasant life of fish or maybe here and there a bird. Never one to settle for a challenge, Yin came up with the hairless cat idea. Gollum, a male, is all blue/grey and quite active. Freya, a female tortie, is less active, but still full of personality. Hairless cats, aside from their nearly prohibitive cost, are quite good pets. No hair on the couch when you sit down, and so far our allergic friends have not reacted to the cats in any way shape or form. They are also quite personable, unlike other cats we have had in the past that would just as soon scratch out your eyes and hang out.

We constructed a "kitty condo" for them when we first got them because I'll be damned if I'm going to pay 150 bucks for some scrap lumber and carpet. They enjoy playing on that. They can really jump, although not so much lately because we got them fixed. Freya has to wear an Elizabethan collar so she doesn't chew out her staples. She looks like an Austrailian frilled neck lizard. Its funny in a tragic sort of way.

A Day at the Derby

The Tillamook demolition derby, that is. Because I agreed to attend the derby Saturday night, Yang agreed to spend the day at the beach with me. It is a perfect deal because, despite my moans and groans, I love the demolition derby. It is an unadulterated celebration of white trash. It is like watching a train wreck ten times over, without serious bodily injury (usually). Here are the highlights:

• Duct-taping on a neck brace before the round began
• Reading a list of sponsors (usually about five) for each car, and then proudly announcing the grand prize of $700.00.
• The respectful round of applause for the car that only made it half way to the starting line-up before it died.
• The saying on the side of the “Sponge-bob” car that read “Support are Troops.”
• The car that caught fire.
• The other car that caught fire.
• The fat, short man in a red tu-tu.
• The uninterested lady next to me reading “Psychic Self-Defense.”
• The overpriced caramel apples and elephant ears.
• The hilarious spectacle of 15 cars smashing into each other until only one car remains running.

Funny Stuff

If you haven't already, you must watch the Bush-Kerry "This Land" Spoof at Jib Jab.

Me too, me too!

After reading all the other results (here, here, and here), I couldn't resist.

Wackiness: 10/100
Rationality: 4/100
Constructiveness: 16/100
Leadership: 0/100


You are an SEDF--Sober Emotional Destructive Follower. This makes you an evil genius. You are extremely focused and difficult to distract from your tasks. With luck, you have learned to channel your energies into improving your intellect, rather than destroying the weak and unsuspecting.

Your friends may find you remote and a hard nut to crack. Few of your peers know you very well--even those you have known a long time--because you have expert control of the face you put forth to the world. You prefer to observe, calculate, discern and decide. Your decisions are final, and your desire to be right is impenetrable.

You are not to be messed with. You may explode.

Take this Quiz.

Harry Potter, the Hooligan.

The CCP banned the release of Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban in an effort to strengthen the morals of Chinese children. Ten bucks says 90% of all Chinese kids, at least those living in urban areas, already own a pirated PoA DVD. Nice try, CCP.

Thanks to mugglenet for the link.

Great.

Farenheit 9/11 to become first imported documentary in China. This will just add to their collective, "unbaised" education about America.

Oh, How the Mighty Fall

I received very disturbing news yesterday. My faithful, reliable car is only worth $1300. It is worth much more than that to me. I imagine the feeling I had looking at Kelley’s blue book value for the Tracer is similar to the way I’d feel if someone told me my pet is ugly or my child is stupid. I felt so sad. After all, I have been driving that car for nine years.

I was interested in its value because it was rear-ended about a week ago. A punk kid didn’t see me stopped in the road, waiting to turn left (with my signal on, of course), and he crashed into me. We were both okay, but the Tracer was a little beat up. Thankfully the other driver was insured, and the appraiser wrote us a check for $1350 for repairs. We deposited the check because, even with the repairs, we couldn’t sell the Tracer for that much money. Yang took his blow torch and tools to the bumper and trunk last night, and the car is almost as good as before.

The Beginning of the Hijack

The New York Times reports about the investigation into the beginning of the September 11 attacks. It is a sobering read. In 1999, I was living in Beijing. In 1999, Bin Laden was planning to crash planes. Apparently, his organizational skills aren't quite as impressive as some originally believed, but he accomplished his horribly amazing plan in the end.

We're In!

We moved in over the weekend. Every room is full of boxes and unsettled furniture, but we’re in. We can take our time unpacking. Paint is on the walls and carpet on the floor. It looks fantastic. Even our furniture looks better because it is in our house.

I have a confession (now that I am done painting and don’t have to maintain a positive mental attitude): I hate painting. I don’t like it one bit. We saved loads of money, but I lost a week of my life to pain, tears, and anguish. Yang doesn’t mind painting- he is really good at it. To his credit, he did the lion’s share of the work. Nonetheless, I still don’t like it. To all of you considering painting your own house to save money: choose wisely. Unless you have Yang helping you, I would advise against it. In fact, even if you have Yang helping you, I would still advise against it.

More good news: it only took 35 minutes to commute to work! I worried it would take closer to an hour. Hooray!

Infrastructure -- The Great Satan . . .

. . . or wait, maybe it is China. They are, after all, Godless communists. The New York Times reports on the Chinese engineers and construction workers who were killed in Afghanistan by the Taliban. The Chinese were building a road.

A senior Afghan military commander in southern Afghanistan, Hajji Mir Wali, said Mullah Dadullah, one of the top Taliban commanders, recently issued orders to his fighters to strike at road builders. "His orders were: 'First, you have to kill engineers to stop the building of the roads. Second, you have to burn schools and spread out leaflets. Third, you have to put mines and attack government officials; and fourth, if you can, you have to attack American forces,' " Mr. Wali said. He said he was told of the orders by a member of the Taliban who was present at the meeting in which they were issued.

Well, I'm Back.

I have been waiting for things to slow down, and for life to return to its normal routine, before I started summer blogging. However, after almost a month of waiting, I have learned that there is no routine (and there probably won’t be for quite a while).

WORK–Work is lovely. I like my office and I like my work. That is why I returned this summer.

CHINA–Amazing! It was so nice to see my parents and to traipse around Hong Kong. The city is very impressive, but unfortunately, the food was nothing special. (It must be the British influence). The food in Beijing didn’t disappoint us–it was worth flying half way around the world to eat at our favorite Chinese restaurant. And, as always, the shopping was great. We also went to Macau. Macau was relaxed, but still exciting. Beautiful Portugese buildings dot the hills (in between the Casinos).

HOUSE–We have one! We received our keys on Saturday. Closing was a nightmare, but all’s well that ends well. We have been furiously painting ever since Saturday. Late nights every night. Poor Yang- I don’t think he has received more than three hours of sleep a night. He pulled an all-nighter last night. I left the house after 11 pm, and he was planning to work a few more hours. A few more hours turned into all night, and he is welcoming the carpet installers as I write. (And we thought law school was hard). So, here is our tentative schedule: carpet in today; finish painting doors and bathrooms tomorrow (and put all the fixtures back on the walls), and finish cleaning the new house tomorrow; pack up our apartment and move on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday; clean the apartment on Tuesday. Hooray! Last Sunday was our last day at church. I said good-bye to all our friends there (sniff).

My life has been our new house lately. I haven’t been reading the news, I haven’t turned on the television in weeks (that is a good thing), and I feel very disconnected to everything outside the move. A friend at work told me that Fantasia won American Idol days after it happened (I can’t believe I missed the finale!). My A Paper re-write and research assistant responsibilities are hanging over my head–I think I’ll have time to get to them later. I hope everything will calm down a bit in another week or two.

Cheers everyone, and thanks J for the strawberries!

American Underdog

La Toya London got voted off American Idol this week. That is so strange. She was supposed to win. America loves to rally for the underdog. If America thinks someone is going to go home, they all vote for her (*cough* Jasmine). Unfortunately, that has an unwanted side effect–a good singer goes home because everyone thought she was safe and didn’t vote for her. Jasmine is a doll, but she can’t sing very well at all. Strange–she might end up winning.

3L

I finished my second year of law school! I will enjoy the next few weeks of ignorant bliss–the time after finals but before my grades come out. (When an A in criminal law is still within the realm of possibility).

This Friday Yang and I are leaving for a vacation to Hong Kong and Beijing. I am very excited, but it is not the type of vacation I need right now. I need to go someplace warm and quiet. I would love to lounge for a week or so. But alas, lounging is not in store for us. We will tromp all over China, seeing the sights, hearing the sounds, smelling the smells, and eating the delicious food. Chinese opera is the antithesis of quiet, but I guess I’ll take Chinese opera!

B Paper is IN

I just turned in my B paper. I am going to leave it in the box this time. (I turned in for the first time last week, but took it out of the box a few hours later because I panicked. But now, I have revised it for the last time).

That leaves Business Associations (probably Monday) and Substantive Criminal Law (Thursday or Friday). The end is near.

You Mean We Don't Have Greater Bargaining Power?

The bank is working us. We are in a bidding war for the house. At least, that is what the bank is telling us. We offered our third offer (or would this be our second counter-offer?). If they don't accept, we have nothing left to give. I would be much more upset about all this if I didn't have to focus on my exams.

LOTR Parody

This parody made me laugh out loud in the library. (Laughter was very much needed at that point). I found it via TORN.

Aragorn and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

Memo to Self...

...the sun will still shine after finals. Focus!

Ready...set...Study!

Let the games begin. Classes ended yesterday, and tests begin Wednesday (some ambitious souls may even begin testing on Monday). Ahh, finals time. You can smell the stress in the air and cut the tension in the library with a knife. Good luck everyone!

Japanese Public Opinion

Wow. I had no idea the Japanese public blamed the social workers who were held hostage in Iraq. As the New York Times reports,

"You got what you deserve!" one Japanese held up a hand-written sign at the airport where they landed. "You are Japan's shame," another wrote on the Web site of one of the hostages. They had "caused trouble" for everybody. The government, not to be outdone, announced it would bill them $6,000 for airfare

Hmm. One of the hostages was in Iraq to help the children. She got what she deserved? The government is going to bill them for the airfare? That is so harsh. Even we don’t always bill stupid, careless hikers who get stranded for the search and rescue efforts (although we should).

To the angry Japanese, the first three hostages — Nahoko Takato, 34, who started her own non-profit organization to help Iraqi street children; Soichiro Koriyama, 32, a freelance photographer; and Noriaki Imai, 18, a freelance writer also interested in the issue of depleted uranium munitions — had acted selfishly. Two others kidnapped and released in a separate incident — Junpei Yasuda, 30, a freelance journalist, and Nobutaka Watanabe, 36, a member of a pro-peace non-governmental organization — were equally guilty.

Pursuing individual goals by defying the government and causing trouble for Japan was simply unforgivable. So the single government official to praise them was, not surprisingly, an American one.

"Well, everybody should understand the risk they are taking by going into dangerous areas," said Secretary of State Colin Powell. "But if nobody was willing to take a risk, then we would never move forward. We would never move our world forward.

Amen, Colin.

Um, yeah. America is crazy.

Fantasia and La Toya in the bottom three? Jennifer voted out? I don't know what to say. Maybe I should start voting and counterbalance the massive voting power of the thirteen year olds. Nah - I don't care that much. But still, it defies all logic that John was not sent packing last night. He knows he shouldn't be there, poor kid.

And We Have a Counter

Yang and I put our mad contract reviewing skills to work today—we received a counter-offer on *the house*! We have a few minor issues to work out, but this deal may actually happen. To be continued . . .

23 Children Killed

New York Times reports about the latest killings in Iraq.

Three car bombs exploded in front of Iraqi police stations in the southern city of Basra this morning, killing 68 people and wounding 98, the governor of Basra, Waei Abdul Latif, said. The toll included 23 schoolchildren and 9 police officers.

Mr. Latif said he believed the attacks were the work of an alliance between Al Qaeda and extremists in Iraq. He said that the attacks were simultaneous.

"The attacks have the hallmark of al Qaeda," he told reporters in Basra, adding that he expected more violence as the June 30 date for the handover of sovereignty in Iraq nears.
Samir Sumaitey, the Iraqi interior minister, condemned the killings at a news conference in Baghdad.

"The terrorists want to lead Iraq down the path of darkness and chaos," he said. "The Iraqi government condemns this and is determined to find these people and bring them to justice and bring an end to this cancer that is invading the body of Iraq.

"Every child that has been lost represents the future of Iraq."

I wonder what the majority of Iraqis think about this. Who do they blame? What do they want to have happen? Do they blame America for the death of their children? Should they? I wonder how many Iraqis sympathize with Al Qaeda. If they do, will they still sympathize after the death of children today?

In Your Heart You Know He is Right

The title of this post is what Time wrote about Simon Cowell in naming him one of the most influential people of our day. Yes Simon, we know you are right.

Well it is official--I am a fair weather friend. I am leaving the George Huff train because it derailed last night. I thought John did better than George (yeah…John was terrible too). So, unless George pulls himself together next week, American Idol will become the showdown of the divas.

I am starting to be a Fantasia believer. She was undoubtedly the best performer last night. That girl can sing. I am a bit surprised that the judges didn’t mention that Jasmine and La Toya WERE FLAT on the big notes they belted out. Rather, they praised them and threw flowers at their feet. Is it possible that the performance sounds different in the studio than on TV? I promise- those two ladies didn’t hit their high notes and the judges didn’t say a word about it. Hmmm. My prediction is that John is leaving tonight and George or Diana will leave next week.

Which New York Times Columnist are You?

You are Nicholas D. Kristof! You enjoy travelling,
going as far as China, Africa, Alaska, and
Central America for a good story. You use a lot
of quotes and references in your stories. You
tackle tough issues like AIDS and religion,
which makes you controversial among Christians.
You're a good man, Nicholas D. Kristof.


Which New York Times Op-Ed Columnist Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

That is Not Censorship!

Chinese officials responded to criticisms that the national media censored Cheney's speech. They didn't censor Cheney-they just edited his remarks! Rather than "rising prosperity and expanded political freedom" the transcripts simply stated "rising prosperity." That is not censorship. That is editing. They "edited" out discussion of Taiwan, North Korea, and numerous references to political freedom. See the NY Times report here. And the response here.

"Plan of Attack"

I am really excited to read Woodward's new book, "Plan of Attack." Unfortunately, I can't (and shouldn't) read it until I am finished with finals. I watched Woodward's 60 Minutes interview last night and it was fascinating. I am not sure if his account of the days leading to war in Iraq will ultimately help or hurt Bush, but it seems like Cheney has no chance of surviving unscathed. Read the review here.

Weekend Update

Surprise! We are still here. At the encouragement of Shelley, we will post while the details of our move are ironed out.

Legal Writing is over for the year. It ended on a high note at the Multnomah County Courthouse Tuesday and Wednesday. I was nervous about judging the advocates, but I warmed right up to it once things started. I must say, judging is much more fun than arguing.

American Idol
Finally, JPL was sent packing. John, you are next. Many of my fellow “I watch American Idol” friends have expressed their opinion that Fantasia is the best. I disagree. She does have a refreshingly edgy quality; however, I cannot get over George. (Despite his average performance last week).

Tonight is the JSEBL Banquet. Yang has graciously agreed to accompany me. I am not sure I’ll be welcome because I am dropping law review next year, but I am not one to pass up free food.

Yang and I offered to buy a lovely house in Aloha. I have thought of little else since Tuesday. Unfortunately, the owners have yet to respond to our offer, even though we asked them to do so by Thursday at 8 A.M. Yesterday our realtor told us to mentally move on. (Easier said than done). I refuse to give up hope. It is still a live issue (like a split in the circuits). Maybe next week they will accept our offer without condition! (Yeah, right). *Ohh, house-o, I’ve never really lived there so I don’t really know.* (Sung to the tune of Mexico by James Taylor).

What now?

Following up on Yin's post, I am fairly disturbed by what has happened in Iraq. I won't post the links, but the pictures are out there.

I can understand there are some in Iraq who feel the need to be Guerrillas. I can respect that. I can respect someone who for whatever reason feels the need to fight against what they consider an occupying force. I may not agree with it, but I can most certainly respect it.

However, what kind of sick individual takes pride in dragging a dead body through the streets, and then hacking at it with shovels and hoes? There is nothing respectable about that. That is animal savagery. Part of me is beginning to wonder if a culture that accepts/condones/promotes that kind of mentality is worth the time. What a mess we have got ourselves into.

Psychological warfare is certainly an effective element of any conflict. I don't credit the Iraqis with being that organized, but it is possible that this is exactly the reaction they wanted.