Red State Blues
October 31, 2006
posted by Gene Cowan at 10:40 am
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Odessa, Art, Tequila, Music, Dance
October 26, 2006
The art opening last night was a flurry of fun. Joe Ely, Butch Hancock, Ken Little, Joe Mancuso, Bale Allen, Terry Allen, so much art, so many artists, I can't remember them all at the moment. A wonderful poet named Alyce Guynn read her exquisite, funny, bawdy poetry while showing illustrations by Jesse "Guitar" Taylor. Great live music, too, with this post-punk-Blondie-meets-Devoesque dance due, a husband and wife team, named HyperBubble...she is a hypnotic black and white shirt, black skirt and tights, mini-boots and he dancing like some angular bad-boy, bouncing behind a layer of three keyboards, occassionally singing on a tiny, distorted mic, popping a finger on keys to make the sound of Leon the cat. Amusing, witty, fun flashbacks to high school!
After pizza and cokes, we all rode over to Dos Amigos where the artists made music and the musicians made music and everyone was making music and as this was my first time to come to Odessa, and I don't really do road-weary/party-type/college country sing-a-long songs, I was a bit nervous that my music would be too pop, but the crowd was wild and fun and cheering along and made me feel right at home in the midst of
what felt like an abandoned Mexican villa, complete with a bull ring to my left of stage. The sound guy had me cranked, and I used Joe Ely's bose system for my guitar, so it was SMOKING!!! Afterwards, we all sat around and exchanged songs, singing-along, fiddle and guitar solos and voices going raw from yodeling and laughing and Tequila in a flask...via a woman in a very short blue jean skirt holding a baggie full of cut limes.
Everyone crammed into the green room, under a pool table light and I realized I was the only woman musician jamming so I pulled out all the stops to say, "Here we are!" and, oh, what fun! Route 66 to California Stars to Patsy Cline to The Shins to old school blues.
I wish someone had filmed the whole shin-dig! Art happening bonanza x 12!
posted by Sara Hickman at 10:33 am
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My First Summer Crush
October 25, 2006
Well, we all jumped in the pool and were playing Marco-Polo, when this very handsome, very tan, very blonde boy who was probably 16, jumped in and started playing the game with us. It was love at first sight for me.
I could not stop staring at him. He looked kinda like the actor from "Blue Lagoon", only taller. He had twinkly blue eyes and the nicest smile.
I had short cropped hair and sun blisters on the right side of my face (sunburn). I was skinny and shy.
We were splashing in the water, and it became his turn to be "it". As I was laughing and attempting to swim away, he suddenly turned and reached out a hand that landed on my face and popped my blisters. The chlorinated pool water starting stinging the open blisters immediately. I was in tears, but didn't want him to see. He was excited he had caught someone and didn't see I was hurt. (I had turned the other cheek...)
Well, the song playing on the pool radio was, "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again"...and to this day, whenever I hear this song, my heart smiles.
Ah, the agony and the ecstasy of young love!!!
posted by Sara Hickman at 05:01 am
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One more reason to VOTE
October 24, 2006
Please vote...read the two notes someone sent me today, and you will be more compelled than ever to do so.
Love,
Sara
NOTE #1
Dear Karen,
Thank you for sending this, I'm sending it around to everyone (not just women). As I've observed the folly in Iraq, I've felt from the beginning that our efforts there would create more harm than good, because Deomcracy is not something that can be gift-wrapped and bestowed as a present upon a nation. It must be desired, craved, so deeply in the hearts of the people concerned that they are willing to die for it. If it is given without being hard-won (as the USA has tried to do a number of times since the dawn of the 20th century), it fails quickly. Democracy is a way of life, however imperfect, that is difficult and challenging because its success requires/demands that its participants (i.e., us, the voting public) pay attention, evaluate the performance of our chosen leaders, express our opinions in a constructive way and exercise our power to either continue their service or terminate them. The sad truth is that most of our leaders would have been fired long ago from any pri vate sector employment, but they are allowed to continue in their governing posts due largely to the indifference of the voting public, many of whom find 'more important' things to do on election day. There is NOTHING more important to do on Election Day than to get our bodies and brains to the polls and VOTE.
Why is Election Day held in early November? Because the harvest was over, and wagon-loads full of farmers could take an entire day off work to ride into town together for the expressed purpose of casting their votes in the elections for the coming year. Don't tell me, with all our modern conveniences, that we 'just can't get there.' I can live the next day without my dry-cleaning. I can eat a sandwich en route to the polls. And the kids can still make soccer practice. Or if they don't, they'll get a clue that voting is important. Go VOTE.
As for the misgiving that "my vote doesn't count," I would remind our entire population that the American Revolution succeeded with only 5% public support. The rest of the colonial population were happy to (or afraid not to) let Britain continue as their sovereign. And by our bizarre 18th century efforts, we inspired other nations to throw off the proverbial yoke of monarchical/imperial oppression, including France, India, Russia, China. No route to freedom is perfect, and the journeys are certainly never finished. For the moment we sleep, freedom can be taken away. Not always forcibly, often slowly, sweetly and cleverly. Let us not be lulled into a false, 'happy' sleep (e.g., via nice cold beer and cable TV). Stay alert, and do not let the loud pundits form our opinions for us. Dwight D. Eisenhower said very soberly during his presidency, "The only thing necessary for evil to succeed is for good [people] to do nothing." Pay attention, make informed choices. And pay honor to those who fought and died that we might have the privilege of voicing our opinions. Go VOTE.
Blessings to all,
Michala+
NOTE #2
HOW WE WOMEN GOT THE RIGHT TO VOTE:
by unknown
The women were innocent and defenseless. And by the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of "obstructing sidewalk traffic."
They beat Lucy Burn, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air. They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.
Thus unfolded the Night of Terror on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote.
For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms. When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.
So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this year because--why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?
Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO's movie "Iron Jawed Angels" It is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say.
I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder. All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But the actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote. Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege. Sometimes it was inconvenient.
My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied women's history, saw the HBO movie, too. When she stopped by my desk to talk about it, she looked angry. She was--with herself. "One thought kept coming back to me as I watched that movie," she said. "What would those women think of the way I use--or don't use--my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now, not just younger women, but those of us who did seek to learn." The right to vote, she said, had become valuable to her "all over again."
HBO will run the movie periodically before releasing it on video and DVD. I wish all history, social studies and government teachers would include the movie in their curriculum. I want it shown on Bunko night, too, and anywhere else women gather. I realize this isn't our usual idea of socializing, but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think a little shock therapy is in order.
It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse.? Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy. The doctor admonished the men: "Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity."
Please pass this on to all the women you know. We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by these very courageous women.
posted by Sara Hickman at 12:37 pm
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This Beautiful Planet Earth
If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.
Carl Sagan
posted by Sara Hickman at 06:12 am
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The Miracle of Thoughts---Positive & Negative
http://www.life-enthusiast.com/twilight/research_emoto.htm
After viewing the site, see if you aren't feeling any different. If you were hopeful and happy before you went, you should be shining and joyous.
If you were sad or full of regret, perhaps now you are feeling hopeful and happy!
And, so, to continue with this thought, here is a prayer for the world:
My Prayer For The World Today
Today I found an old orange dog.
He could not hear, and he was very hungry.
I brought him home with me and gave him food.
I gave him water.
I stroked his fur.
I will give him a bath. He is very dirty.
I can tell he has been missing for some time,
and he is happy to receive attention.
He has no tag, so who can I call?
I will call the world:
Hello, world!
I have your dog!!!
Your dog is here.
And he is safe.
I am calling him "Big Galut".
He doesn't respond, but he likes my yard.
If you are missing your dog, please come bring him home.
He is missing you, I know.
This is how I see the world.
We are all looking for love.
We all desire attention.
We all need food and water and care and combing.
We need a backyard to play in.
We need kind hands to hug us and remind us
we matter.
I want to be a woman people can trust
And depend on.
I want to be a woman who shines
With love and
says,
"Yes, you can!"
I want to say,
"I love you!"
To everyone I meet.
Last night I saw a friend.
She was missing her husband.
He is in Germany.
He has a heart condition.
She looked worried.
I threw my arms around her,
"I love you!", I said.
She was very grateful and laid her
head on my shoulder and said,
"Oh, it has been so long since I have had a hug!"
Hug the people in your home.
Hug the neighbors on your street.
Hug your fellow workers, and your boss, and the strangers on the street.
Time is so short.
Why are we in such a hurry to get to the next
red light?
Amen.
posted by Sara Hickman at 05:24 am
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The Sport of Champions DVD
October 23, 2006
If you'd like a copy for your child (or yourself, or a neighbor, or a cousin, or a school library...whomever!), send $7.50 ($5 will go to the Round Rock library and the $2.50 is for postage/mailer)...to:
Sara Hickman Reading DVD
3005 S. Lamar D-109
#412
Austin, TX 78704
It's a hoot!
posted by Sara Hickman at 08:59 am
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Update on the Bull
Today, SOS has a 20 year vision to end childhood hunger in America and ensure that 14 million children facing hunger have access to nutritious food in the places they live, learn, play and pray. The Art Bulls are going to raise monies for this group to help children worldwide.
The Art Bull I've created (mentioned a few entries back) will be touring the country alongside these celebrities: Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith, Dr. Phil and Robin McGraw, Doug Savant, Angie Harmon, and famous chefs, architects, performing artists and fashion designers.
Here is the schedule of places the bulls will be shown:
NEW YORK
Oct 24-27
Queen Sofia Spanish Institute
DALLAS
November 3
Design on Dragon Street Gallery Walk
CHICAGO
November 28
River East Art Center
WASHINGTON D.C.
December 7
Jaleo Restaurant, Crystal City
SAN FRANCISCO
January 18-19, 2007
Vanguard Properties
Mission Street Bank Building
LOS ANGELES
February 1
Timothy Yarger Fine Art Gallery
MIAMI
February 22-25
South Beach Wine & Food Festival
I'm guessing after all the travels, the bulls will be auctioned off. I'll find out more about that and where/when that will be happening.
posted by Sara Hickman at 08:45 am
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Guerrilla Girls
I was recently reading their book again, talking with my girls about how women make 1/3 of a dollar for every dollar a man makes. You know, keeping them up to date about how some things work...and was struck by how poignant, hilarious and brilliant the Guerilla Girls were/are. I'm not sure if they are still active because in the book it says they "retired" after helping to increase awareness.
This is in no way a slight to any of my male friends out there, but I do want to share one of their posters with you...because I think the comments are still relevant, and not just in the art world...
THE ADVANTAGES OF BEING A WOMAN ARTIST
by the Guerilla Girls, Conscience of the Art World
Working without the pressures of success.
Not having to be in shows with men.
Having an escape from the art world in your 4 free-lance jobs.
Knowing your career might pick up after you're eighty.
Being reassured that whatever kind of art you make it will be labeled feminine.
Not being stuck in a tenured position.
Seeing your ideas live on in the work of others.
Having the opportunity to choose between career and motherhood.
Not having to choke on those big cigars or paint in Italian suits.
Having more time to work after your mate dumps you for someone younger.
Being included in revised versions of art history.
Not having to undergo the embarrassment of being called a genius.
Getting your picture in the art magazines wearing a gorilla suit.
This reminds me of a story...
When I was in college, I was taking a painting class with a world -revered artist. We were having a critique day, so all the students had popped their work up on the wall, and we were sharing our reactions with one another. My turn came up, and the teacher asked me to come to the front of the class and explain my idea.
I had done a gouache on deep black paper, so the colors were incredibly vibrant, and the painting was a "map" to my "dream". The teacher thought it was a brilliant concept, but then he proceeded to tell the entire class my work was too feminine.
I was shocked. I looked him in the eye and said, "So, you're saying I should paint more like you?"
To which he chuckled, smiled and said, "Touche'..."
I never forgot the burning in my face when he said those words. It was like a piercing in my heart. It made me want to explore MORE of my feminine side, and to discover why being "too feminine" was considered a poor approach.
Later, I sold 6 of my works to the University of North Texas, before I graduated. Somewhere in their collection are those feminine maps to my dreams, and it was an exciting moment when they handed me the check, took my picture, and I shook the dean's hand.
...and I continue to dream to this day.
posted by Sara Hickman at 08:02 am
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The Leaves Are Falling Down…Freak Out!
October 21, 2006
Yesterday I played at St. Matthews Episcopal Church Fall Festival for an hour and a half. I had no idea I have an hour and a half's worth of children's music up my sleeve, but lo and behold, I did it. I was in such a stupor at the end of the show! (Usually I just do 1/2 hour shows) The woman who hired me came up, tapped me on the shoulder, saying, "Why don't you go inside, now, and have a bite to eat?" She sounded like she thought my brain was mush. I must have looked frazzled. I asked her for the time. I couldn't believe it. I was done! It seemed like I had just started, but of course, the sun had gone down...it was a lot of fun, don't get me wrong! just wow. I'd been watching the kids running around this giant tree, running and running and my eyes were following them, round and round and round and the music just kept pouring out of me....Rizza rizza rizza! Loopy town!
Then, packed up, hopped in the car and raced over to OUR carnival that was in full swing at our school. Finally found my family in the throngs....Lily was getting her face painted, io was near the dunking booth, waiting to dunk her teacher. Lance and I stood on the sidelines and cheered as each kid picked up a bright yellow softball and aimed it at the metal circle. When one of the boys finally dunked the teacher, the whole crowd erupted in a unanimous chorus of "hooray!"
Standing there with Lance's hand in mine, I thought that I couldn't feel any happier than I do. This community of friends and families is so dear to me. My heart felt so much love standing there, gathering the array of colors and faces and costumes and sounds and smells (pizza, cotton candy, popcorn)...I love being a mom, I love being a wife.
Then, io and went into the Haunted House. Very good this year. A maze of giant cardboard walls leading me to a dead end with a werewolf puppet taped to a wall and a light bulb hanging ominously over his head (ooh...scary!) Crawling through small openings with black thread and strange rubber tubes hanging down, tickling my face and arms, io on the other side saying, "C'mon, mom! Hurry!" and chasing after her in her witchey outfit, momentarily lost, calling out her name; then, suddenly she calls back, "Over here!" and I swear if I wasn't disoriented and started calling back, "Where? Where are you?" while waiting for someone to jump out in some hideous costume and freak me out (I HATE haunted houses...eekola.) I see her face pop out from around a corner, and we run past a giant white ghost hanging from the basketball hoop, internal white christmas lights for intestines...not scary, but pretty, so I stop and bop it so it swoons in the darkness...Out the "exit" door into the crisp night air, laughing. That ate up our last 15 tickets (it was supposed to be 16, but they let us in, anyway. End of the night, they get lax.)
Today I sing at Pioneer Farms, always fun, and today it is sunny, thank goodness. When I have to play out there in the mud, as I have in years past, I end up feeling like I want to WRESTLE! Mud is so cool. And there are pigs out there. Who wouldn't want to try to tussle with a pig?
You know I love pigs. I used to collect them when I was a girl. Not real pigs, mind you. Tiny ceramic and glass pigs. That was when I was a teen. Before that I collected dinosaur models, toys, posters...anything to do with the prehistoric because I thought I was going to grow up to be a
paleontolgist (or an underwater architect.)
Once I was in a haunted house in Dallas with a boyfriend. This was one of those warehouse versions, where everyone looks like an axe murderer and the hallways get more and more narrow until you feel like you will burst. Anyhoo, my boyfriend thought it would be funny to take me in, knowing how nervous I get, and then, of course, what does he do but go on ahead and leave me BEHIND in the DARK in this open area that looked like a strangely lit kitchen. What do kitchens have? Yes. Stoves. And that is what was in the corner. One ugly mustard-colored stove. With a wierd-ass light behind it. So, I'm in this big open area, with a stove, and I start saying, "Sandy? Saaaaaaaaaaaaaandyyyy! Where are you?" when all of a sudden this.....thing....this gruesome, scary, freaky looking thing....it comes out from BEHIND THE STOVE and starts walking towards me with a big KNIFE (the other thing kitchens have!!!) and I totally lose it....now I'm screaming and crying and shaking...I can't see in the dark how to exit this big, horrifying room and the person approaching me rips off his skeletal, bloody mask and says, "Hey, lady...!
Lady! Look! I'm just a kid! Don't cry, lady! Look!" and I peek through my shivering tears, and sure enough! The kid is all of 11 years old!
He says, "I'll show you how to get out..." and he leads me to a secret emergency exit and out into the night I pour, gulping in the fresh air, happy to be alive, ready to kill my boyfriend.
Who appears moments later, laughing his head off.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN! There, I've said it!
I think this year I am going to be a giant banana.
posted by Sara Hickman at 07:50 am
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Ok! My Art Bull
October 20, 2006
It will tour the world and, finally, be auctioned off to help Share Our Strength.
Following is what I wrote and cut out and adhered to my "golden" bull, complete with a smaller, swinging golden bull that says "Your change" on one side and "Changes the World" on the other....here's what my bull now reads:
This is no bull. This is art. Art that will change the world. When you buy this art, your name will go here, in golden ink. Because when you buy this bull (which isn’t bull in the least), you’ll be helping children. And then you can say to your friends, “Hey, I paid _____ for this bull, so you better believe it.” Then continue telling them that the money you spent on this bull went to buy relief for others. In fact, if you spend $500 on this bull, you will help a village buy a cow AND a bull, and then they can create their own herd, to supply fresh milk and meat for children and their families. If you spent $1000 on this bull, you will have bought a cow, bull, chickens and a goat. If you are able to brag that you spent $10,000 on this bull, then you will have helped many villages have food for many years to come. So, as you serve dinner to your friends and celebrate your intelligent purchase, you can smile knowing your kindness will live on long after the party. And that’s no bull. Just like this art.
When the bulls are up and being displayed, I'll be sure to letcha know. Maybe you can go see all the bulls in your very city. I hope mine hangs next to Antonio Banderas' bull cuz I really enjoyed him in "Evita" and "Spy Kids".
posted by Sara Hickman at 01:26 pm
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The Raptor Center Benefit
October 19, 2006
I'm in a funky little hotel near the L.A. airport. The
carpet is a bit damp, but you know what? We're in L.A.
and always fun to come to this crazy town!
Yesterday, we played in Ojai for the Ojai Raptor
Center, and wow! The birds were so beautiful...owls,
falcons, turkey buzzards and a bald eagle (blind in
the right eye) named Juneo that will spend the rest of
it's life in captivity due to it's scarring. The eagle
was brought up on stage by it's handler at the end of
"We Are Each Others' Angels" and spread her beautiful
wings...The property the event was held on was
breathtaking...a view of the mountains, trees, a pool
with robotic fish swimming gracefully back and forth,
friendly folks, lots of wonderful goodies for the
silent auction, a funny comedian named Cary and Judge
Joe Brown (from a tv show?) who auctioned off the
items for the live bidding. Neat folks, much fun. I
hope they raised a ton of funding for these astounding
creatures.
I wish more people could get involved in hands-on or helping out by bartering with humanitarian/arts/animal organizations. Money is always beneficial, but when you see how many volunteers pitch in with certain organizations, you know that that sort of passion is really what creates the change and keeps the group alive. (Much like all
the foster "parents" and handlers for those birds...or mentors for children in schools...or mentors for
prison inmates...or people willing to go abroad and help build homes, churches, schools, teach , work on building gardens and small businesses to help
others...)
I know for sure that Amnesty International could not be as powerful as it is without all of us pitching in
to write letters. Many times the letters have helped to free prisoners that would have languished, perished
or continued in a cycle of torture without the pressure of thousands of letters appearing in protest. Money, like I said, is beneficial, but the power of people can not be understated.
Ok, gotta go....Sending gratitude to all of you for
the support you share.
Peacefully,
Sara
posted by Sara Hickman at 06:55 am
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A Letter from a Marine in Iraq
October 18, 2006
I hope you'll take a moment to read it. It's informative, and eye-opening, and very well written...
Love,
Sara
A Marine Intel Officer in Al Anbar Shares Some Thoughts Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine
Expeditionary Force
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
All: I haven't written very much from Iraq. There's really not much to write about. More exactly, there's not much I can write about
because practically everything I do, read or hear is classified military information or is depressing to the point that I'd rather just
forget about it, never mind write about it. The gaps in between all of that are filled with the pure tedium of daily life in an armed camp. So it's a
bit of a struggle to think of anything to put into a letter that's worth reading.
Worse, this place just consumes you. I work 18-20 hour days, every day. The quest to draw a clear picture of what the insurgents are up
to never ends. Problems and frictions crop up faster than solutions. Every challenge demands a response. It's like this every day. Before
I know it, I can't see straight, because it's 0400 and I've been at work for twenty hours straight, somehow missing dinner again in the process. And once again I haven't written to anyone. It starts all over again four hours later. It's not really like Ground Hog Day, it's more like a
level from Dante's Inferno.
Rather than attempting to sum up the last seven months, I figured I'd just hit the record setting highlights of 2006 in Iraq. These are
among the events and experiences I'll remember best.
Worst Case of Deja Vu
I thought I was familiar with the feeling of deja vu until I arrived back here in Fallujah in February. The moment I stepped off of the
helicopter, just as dawn broke, and saw the camp just as I had left it ten months before - that was deja vu. Kind of unnerving. It was as if I
had never left. Same work area, same busted desk, same chair, same computer, same room, same creaky rack, same...everything. Same everything for the next year. It was like entering a parallel universe. Home wasn't 10,000 milesaway, it was a different lifetime.
Most Surreal Moment
Watching Marines arrive at my detention facility and unload a truck load of flex-cuffed midgets, 26 to be exact. I had put the word out
earlier in the day to the Marines in Fallujah who we were looking for Bad Guy X, who was described as a midget. Little did I know that Fallujah was home to a small community of midgets, who banded together for support since they were considered as social outcasts. The Marines were anxious to get back to the midget colony to bring in the rest of the midget suspects, but I called off the search, figuring Bad Guy X was long gone on his short legs after seeing his companions rounded up by the giant infidels.
Most Profound Man in Iraq
An unidentified farmer in a fairly remote area who, after being asked by Reconnaissance Marines (searching for Syrians) if he had seen any
foreign fighters in the area replied "Yes, you."
Worst City in al-Anbar Province
Ramadi, hands down. The provincial capital of 400,000 people. Killed over 1,000 insurgents in there since we arrived in February. Every
day is a nasty gun battle. They blast us with giant bombs in the road, snipers, mortars and small arms. We blast them with tanks, attack
helicopters, artillery, our snipers (much better than theirs), and every weapon that an infantryman can carry. Every day. Incredibly, I rarely see
Ramadi in the news. We have as many attacks out here in the west as Baghdad. Yet, Baghdad has 7 million people, we have just 1.2 million. Per capita, al-Anbar province is the most violent place in Iraq by several orders of magnitude. I suppose it was no accident that the Marines were assigned this area in 2003.
Bravest Guy in al-Anbar Province
Any Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician (EOD Tech). How'd you like a job that required you to defuse bombs in a hole in the middle of
the road that very likely are booby-trapped or connected by wire to a bad guy who's just waiting for you to get close to the bomb before he clicks the detonator? Every day. Sanitation workers in New York City get paid more than these guys. Talk about courage and commitment.
Second Bravest Guy in al-Anbar Province
It's a 20,000 way tie among all the Marines and Soldiers who venture out on the highways and through the towns of al-Anbar every day, not
knowing if it will be their last - and for a couple of them, it will be.
Best Piece of U.S. Gear
new, bullet-proof flak jackets. O.K., they weigh 40 lbs and aren't exactly comfortable in 120 degree heat, but they've saved countless lives
out here.
Best Piece of Bad Guy Gear
Armor Piercing ammunition that goes right through the new flak jackets and the Marines and Soldiers inside them.
Worst E-Mail Message
"The Walking Blood Bank is Activated. We need blood type A+ stat." I always head down to the surgical unit as soon as I get these
messages, but I never give blood - there's always about 80 Marines in line, night or day.
Biggest Surprise
Iraqi Police. All local guys. I never figured that we'd get a police force established in the cities in al-Anbar. I estimated that
insurgents would kill the first few, scaring off the rest. Well, insurgents did kill the first few, but the cops kept on coming. The insurgents
continue to target the police, killing them in their homes and on the streets, but the cops won't give up. Absolutely incredible tenacity. The
insurgents know that the police are far better at finding them than we are - and they are finding them. Now, if we could just get them out of the habit of beating prisoners to a pulp...
Greatest Vindication
Stocking up on outrageous quantities of Diet Coke from the chow hall in spite of the derision from my men on such hoarding, then having a
122mm rocket blast apart the giant shipping container that held all of the soda for the chow hall. Yep, you can't buy experience.
Biggest Mystery
How some people can gain weight out here. I'm down to 165 lbs.
Who has time to eat?
Second Biggest Mystery
If there's no atheists in foxholes, then why aren't there more people at Mass every Sunday?
Favorite Iraqi TV Show
Oprah. I had no idea. They all have satellite TV.
Coolest Insurgent Act
Stealing almost $7 million from the main bank in Ramadi in broad daylight, then, upon exiting, waving to the Marines in the combat outpost
right next to the bank, who had no clue of what was going on. The Marines waved back.Too cool.
Most Memorable Scene
In the middle of the night, on a dusty airfield, watching the better part of a battalion of Marines packed up and ready to go home after six
months in al-Anbar, the relief etched in their young faces even in the moonlight. Then watching these same Marines exchange glances with a similar number of grunts loaded down with gear file past - their replacements. Nothing was said. Nothing needed to be said.
Highest Unit Re-enlistment Rate
Any outfit that has been in Iraq recently. All the danger, all the hardship, all the time away from home, all the horror, all the frustrations
with the fight here - all are outweighed by the desire for young men to be part of a 'Band of Brothers' who will die for one another. They
found what they were looking for when they enlisted out of high school. Man for man, they now have more combat experience than any Marines in the history of our Corps.
Most Surprising Thing I Don't Miss
Beer. Perhaps being half-stunned by lack of sleep makes up for it.
Worst Smell
Porta-johns in 120 degree heat, and that's 120 degrees outside of
the porta-john.
Highest Temperature
I don't know exactly, but it was in the porta-johns. Needed to re-hydrate after each trip to the loo.
Biggest Hassle
High-ranking visitors. More disruptive to work than a rocket attack. VIPs demand briefs and "battlefield" tours (we take them to quiet
sections of Fallujah, which is plenty scary for them). Our briefs and commentary seem to have no affect on their preconceived notions of what's going on in Iraq.Their trips allow them to say that they've been to Fallujah, which gives them an unfortunate degree of credibility in perpetuating their fantasies about the insurgency here.
Biggest Outrage
Practically anything said by talking heads on TV about the war in Iraq, not that I get to watch much TV. Their thoughts are consistently both
grossly simplistic and politically slanted. Biggest offender - Bill O'Reilly -what a buffoon.
Best Intel Work
Finding Jill Carroll's kidnappers - all of them. I was mighty proud of my guys that day. I figured we'd all get the Christian Science
Monitor for free after this, but none have showed up yet. Talk about ingratitude.
Saddest Moment
Having the battalion commander from 1st Battalion, 1st Marines hand me the dog tags of one of my Marines who had just been killed while on a
mission with his unit. Hit by a 60mm mortar. Cpl Bachar was a great Marine. I felt crushed for a long time afterward. His picture now hangs at
the entrance to the Intelligence Section. We'll carry it home with us when we leave in February.
Biggest Ass-Chewing
10 July immediately following a visit by the Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, Dr. Zobai. The Deputy Prime Minister brought along an American
security contractor (read mercenary), who told my Commanding General that he was there to act as a mediator between us and the Bad Guys. I immediately told him what I thought of him and his asinine ideas in terms that made clear my disgust and which, unfortunately, are unrepeatable here. I thought my boss was going to have a heart attack. Fortunately, the translator couldn't figure out the best Arabic words to convey my meaning for the Deputy Prime Minister. Later, the boss had no difficulty in conveying his meaning to me in English regarding my Irish temper, even though he agreed with me. At least the guy from the State Department thought it was hilarious. We never saw the mercenary again.
Best Chuck Norris Moment
13 May. Bad Guys arrived at the government center in the small town of Kubaysah to kidnap the town mayor, since they have a problem with
any form of government that does not include regular beheadings and women wearing burqahs. There were seven of them. As they brought the mayor out to put him in a pick-up truck to take him off to be beheaded (on video, as usual), one of the bad Guys put down his machinegun so that he could tie the mayor's hands. The mayor took the opportunity to pick up the machinegun and drill five of the Bad Guys. The other two ran away. One of the dead Bad Guys was on our top twenty wanted list. Like they say, you can't fight City Hall.
Worst Sound
That crack-boom off in the distance that means an IED or mine just went off. You just wonder who got it, hoping that it was a near miss
rather than a direct hit. Hear it every day.
Second Worst Sound
Our artillery firing without warning. The howitzers are pretty close to where I work. Believe me, outgoing sounds a lot like incoming
when our guns are firing right over our heads. They'd about knock the fillings out of your teeth.
Only Thing Better in Iraq Than in the U.S.
Sunsets. Spectacular. It's from all the dust in the air.
Proudest Moment
It's a tie every day, watching my Marines produce phenomenal intelligence products that go pretty far in teasing apart Bad Guy operations in
al-Anbar. Every night Marines and Soldiers are kicking in doors and grabbing Bad Guys based on intelligence developed by my guys. We
rarely lose a Marine during these raids, they are so well-informed of the objective. A bunch of kids right out of high school shouldn't be
able to work so well, but they do.
Happiest Moment
Well, it wasn't in Iraq. There are no truly happy moments here.
It was back in California when I was able to hold my family again while home on leave during July.
Most Common Thought
Home. Always thinking of home, of Kathleen and the kids.
Wondering how everyone else is getting along. Regretting that I don't write more. Yep, always thinking of home. I hope you all are doing well. If you want to do something for me, kiss a cop, flush a toilet, and drink a beer.
I'll try to write again before too long - I promise. Semper Fi
posted by Sara Hickman at 09:08 am
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Merger of AT&T and BellSouth
October 13, 2006
In advance, thank you for taking action to stop the FCC from rubber stamping the AT&T merger.
To stay up to date on the latest on this campaign and other news, sign up for the "Media Reform Daily" at:
http://www.freepress.net/news/subscribe.php
Commissioner Robert McDowell
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20554
Dear Commissioner McDowell,
I am writing to register my strong opposition to the merger of
AT&T and BellSouth without a permanent Network Neutrality
requirement.
We are witnessing a wave of concentration in the
telecommunications market that threatens to sweep away the free
and open Internet. A nondiscriminatory platform for online
communications and commerce has given us the greatest engine of
democratic communication and entrepreneurial innovation in
modern times. Permitting the further consolidation of the
broadband market without meaningful, enforceable Net Neutrality
protections would be irresponsible policymaking.
The federal government must not permit the reconstitution of Ma
Bell without first protecting consumers and the public against
anti-competitive activities and market failure. No public
interest goals are served by handing out favors to large
corporations without any safeguards to maximize public benefit.
The future of the Internet is at stake. I urge you to take this
opportunity to serve the public interest by making
nondiscrimination on the Internet a permanent condition of the
AT&T-BellSouth merger.
Sincerely,
Sara Hickman
Austin, Texas
posted by Sara Hickman at 07:56 am
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The Day More Space for Music Lovers Died
October 12, 2006
46-year-old music retailer has been sold to a liquidator that will close all the stores.
"I feel very sad about it," said Ladd Fraternale, shopping in the country section at Tower's East Village store in Manhattan this week. "I think
they have a great selection here and the service is good."
A federal bankruptcy judge in Wilmington, Del., last Friday approved the sale of Tower to Los Angeles-based liquidator Great American Group for $134.3 million.
While no firm date has been set for the stores to close, "Going Out of Business" signs went up this week at Tower's 89 stores in 20 states and
the chain's 3,000 employees have been told they will be laid off.
The company owes creditors about $200 million and filed for Chapter 11 reorganization in August. In its filing, Tower said it has been hurt by
an industrywide decline in music sales, downloading of online music and competition from big-box stores such as Wal-Mart.
CDs were 10 percent off this week, still not a bargain. At 10 percent off the list price of $18.99, Beyonce's "B'day" was selling for $17.09,
compared with $9.99 on Amazon. Great American President Andy Gumaer said the discount will increase over the six to eight weeks it takes to close the stores.
At the New York store, Larry Kirwan, lead singer of the Irish band Black 47, was scouring the rock bins and mourning Tower's imminent loss.
"It's a bad day for music," Kirwan said. "It's a bad day for independent bands. ... Right from the beginning, even before we were signed with
labels they carried us. They've been good to musicians."
Kirwan said taking music off the Internet is not the same as buying a vinyl LP or even a CD.
"It's something real that's not virtual," he said. "It's like music itself. I'm not sure music is virtual. It's real and it's powerful, and I don't
think you quite get the same thing from downloading."
Russ Solomon founded Tower in Sacramento, Calif., in 1960 and opened the company's landmark store on Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard in 1969. As part of the bankruptcy auction, the Sunset property will be sold for $12 million.
Outside the Sunset Boulevard store, a marquee with a message and REM lyrics said it all: "It's the end of the world as we know it. Thanks for your loyalty." A mock gravestone and Halloween decoration had a single word scratched into it: "Tower."
Norman Labby, who for 20 years drove across town to go to Tower for jazz and classical albums, said he was "frustrated, angry and depressed" that Tower was closing.
"I don't own a computer, I don't know how to work one and don't plan to buy one," he said, holding a bag full of CD's and tapes. "I'm
disenfranchised for the umpteenth time."
News of Tower's sale to Great American plunged workers into "immediate sadness," said Ramsey Jones, manning the third-floor cash register at the New York store.
"Business hasn't been great," Jones said. "Downloading, competition from Virgin and your Best Buys and your Wal-Marts. But the thing that people will miss is the deep catalog that Tower has. They can come here and find anything they want."
Jones, a 15-year Tower employee who also plays the drums and has worked with musicians including Vernon Reid of Living Colour, said he has made connections at Tower and met famous customers like Carlos Santana and jazz great Ornette Coleman.
"Customers are going to miss walking into a store and speaking to someone that is knowledgeable," he said. "It's like losing a family member, working here for so long."
Rock critic Robert Christgau said Tower often attracted workers who knew about music because they were musicians themselves.
"It doesn't make me happy to see places like Best Buy and Circuit City selling records," he said in a telephone interview. "I'd much rather
records were sold at a music store."
posted by Sara Hickman at 05:34 pm
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My Response to Andy
> weblog: http://www.zenlala.com
> The title of the entry is:
> Response to Vigilante
>
> There are many (including the other Sara) who say that using violence to
> deal with violence is a self-perpetrating circle and no answer to one group
> inflicting suffering on another, more helpless one.
> I wish genocide did not exist, but it does and it is a crime against all
> humanity and when it occurs
> it must be stopped, at any cost.
>
>
...you ended with "at any cost", so let me pick up there, again...
... sadly, when you are dealing with people with machetes, guns, rape and unbalanced minds, the only way to protect oneself is with something that can stop those people from attacking you, killing you, maiming and raping you and your fellow human beings.
words will not work.
prayer will not always work. (think of all the rwandans burned alive in their very own church, praying for help. think of all the jews in concentration camps tortured and killed as they cried out to god. think of the american indians (the native people) forced to march hundreds of miles in the snow, starving and dropping like flies, connected to this very earth they cherished but that had become mud from tears and dirt colliding.)
the reality is that a circle must be formed to protect the innocent. the circle must be calm, rational people who do not irritate or antagonize those insane intruders, but stand tall and at the ready to help those within the circle, until those in the circle can grow in strength and numbers, able to protect themselves.
you know what is the worst part of war? it is that children start becoming imitators of the world around them.
when a child is indoctrinated into the thinking of being a mass murderer, it is painstakingly slow to unwind their mind, to rehabilitate them, if you
are able to remove them from the setting in which they reside.
we must take action...when a child is taught prejudice because it is all they see and hear.
we must take action...when a child acts out from imitating those around themselves.
otherwise, when a child becomes a monster, how do we remove the monster and restore the child's innocence?
the Lords Resistance Army in Uganda is full of kidnapped and brainwashed children, forced to kill and rape other children. they are lead down a horrific path to insanity, where no one and nothing makes sense, until they grow to "trust" their captors, and do whatever they say for fear of being attacked and killed themselves.
how do you stop an army of children? do you walk in with flowers and words? do you say, "this is inappropriate, stop now!!!" while they are
taking a machete to your daughter's hands?
i am not for war. i am not for violence.
and i DO believe in god, i DO believe in the power of prayer.
but i know that there are times when we must be the eyes, ears, body and heart of god, we must have the courage to be the ones willing to step in and take the piercing arrow to protect those who are unable to protect themselves. we must be the answered prayer.
and though it may seem futile, writing letters, making phone calls, marching in demonstrations, sending missionaries, teachers, artists, therapists, musicians, doctors,engineers and others who can help build infrastructure and give people a calling, a purpose...it can change
the way people think. these ARE the means by which we must proliferate HOPE because where despair is allowed to grow, it will tangle the minds of those bored and desperate who will eventually lash out and band with others who are of a like mind.
(still, should we send these people into a violent area without any means of protection?...this is the true calling of a soldier. not to start a war, but to end it. not to invade, but to protect....)
we must ALL work towards being pro-active in preventive ways to encourage ALL people to have a purpose.
we must ALL help one another with shelter, food, medicine, schooling. whether you are working in urban or rural settings, someone needs you to be a part of their life.
the one true path to ending violence is to sow knowledge, understanding and opportunity for each human in each community...to allow each person to feel that their existence here on this planet surely matters...for each person to know they have gifts to share, a purpose for being...and all this must occur BEFORE the trigger of violence cascades into tentacles of iron around those very hearts.
posted by Sara Hickman at 06:35 am
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Awesome jewelry site!!!
October 11, 2006
Judi Patson
designer
http://www.evendesigninc.com
posted by Sara Hickman at 09:24 am
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From Marcia Ball / Instruments Needed
The school across the street from Charmaine Neville's house in New Orleans
has finally re-opened. They need musical instruments. If you have or know
someone who has an unused band instrument in good repair, please contact me
at this email address.
Also, if you could forward this to your lists and spread the word, I'd
appreciate it. You never can tell who played flute in high school and still
has one under the bed. We'll pick them up or they can be dropped off at my
office. We are going to New Orleans in December and will take whatever we
gather then.
If an instrument is located in another area, NOLA Relief may be able to help
with shipping and the instrument could be sent directly to Charmaine.
Donations of money would also be appreciated and then we could send our
pawnshop crew out to work their magic.
The need, like the beat, goes on. If we were buried under a mountain of
instruments, we could place them all over the Gulf Coast. NOLA Relief is
still sending money to New Orleans musicians through your generous
contributions. Thank you so much.
Marcia Ball
posted by Sara Hickman at 07:19 am
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Response to Vigilante
Yes, I would send troops because that is the real
cause for troops...to stop violence where violence is
running amuck and causing terror and human misery.
I think the U.N. should organize a large group of
soldiers derived of many countries. And we, the United
States, the Peace Corps, Doctors without Borders,
therapists, teachers, engineers and any other groups
that can help in the healing and rejuvenation of
people should also go, to provide therapeutic
services, medical aid and rebuilding while the troops
do their best to form a protective circle around the
camps.
Personally, I would like to go...although I only have
music and art training, and I'm not sure I would have
any thing to bring to these people...except hope,
faith and love.
Genocide can not be allowed to thrive because that is
what it does. It spreads into an even greater posion
of those doling out the terror, causing evil to
expand, and those helpless in it's path to be wiped
out.
I do not agree with war, but in cases of horror, like
this, I agree that those with weapons who can protect
those who have no way to protect themselves should be
assigned to bring aid.
Thank you for your comment,
Sara
posted by Sara Hickman at 06:34 am
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Molly Ivans Roast? Hell, no! It’s a BBQ!
October 09, 2006
But I got dressed up last night in a beautiful Sue Wong black cocktail dress with tiny pink roses and shiny black beading. I even wore HOSE.
And black, pointy shoes. And let my hair do it's curly thing. Yes, if I don't brush it, it dries curly. Like barbed wire on a windy ranch!
Lance had on some nice striped pants and his green wedding shirt, and off we went to honor one of the greatest women I know: Molly Ivans.
Sassy, smart, full of vim and vigor, quick and witty, and a mind like a sharpened steel trap....Molly knows politics forwards and backwards, and it is only a shame that she and Ann Richards were never President and Vice President of this country. But they were too smart to tangle with
that mess of goo.
Molly has had cancer for quite some time now, and her bald head was proudly shining at the shin-dig. Dan Rather, Garrison Keillor, Joe Ely, Sarah Bird, Granny D (who walked across the country at the age of 90 to get people to wake up to campaign reform),
and a host of other literary, journalistic and political big wigs were present. The jokes were big and hilarious; it was a good thing we weren't eating while folks were sharing their stories on Molly because most of us would have choked on laughter. The fun thing about this event was everyone was up and talking with everyone....until the event started...and then when it was time to eat, everyone was up out of their seats, chatting again.
It was a swirl of enthusiasm, with Molly at the center of it all.
Yum!
I'm off to Corpus Christi today to play at the Burning Bush Coffee House.
And when I get back I am going to start painting a bull for the Art Bulls for Charity, a charge against hunger. I'll write another entry about it when I get back, but the painted bulls will be traveling to New York, Dallas, Chicago, Washington, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Miami before being auctioned off.
posted by Sara Hickman at 05:33 am
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Women United (And A Wee Bit Tipsy!!!)
October 08, 2006
Margaret went beyond the call of duty as a hostess...she provided wine and amazing edibles via a caterer....and had chairs surrounding the throne in a circular pattern. Women started arriving around 8 pm, and by then, Kristin and I had warmed up in the bathroom with the beautiful sunken tub
and giant mirror. (Margaret's place has lots of fung and shway!)
I would guess there were about 60 women in all, including the Vicker's Moms, all the moms who hang out together from our kindegarten class last year...They were bubbly , and dressed up, and ready for adventure...Jenny, Kathy, Sharon (and her baby, Pico, who will be born end of the month), Sarah, Katherine, Kelly and Lori. I don't know how I can express what an awesome group of women they are...each has such a strong, beautiful personality, loving personality...so you bring them all together, and mischief will ensue! Especially since it was such a relaxed atmosphere and the wine was a -flowin'!
So, Kristin and I sang songs about love and mothers and heartache. I brought photos of my trip to Romania, and talked about the children, and then passed out little slips of paper with the names of 7 different countries, and at the end of the song, "Romania", women stood silently when their country's name was called...By the end of the song, everyone was standing and saying a silent prayer on behalf of the people of the country they represented. The song complete, the last note left my lips and we all stood and absorbed the stillness, heads bowed in reverie.
It was one of the most moving momentsI have ever experienced. No one clapped. No one coughed. No one moved. Just the hope being sent out around the world...a group of women, willing the best for others they will never meet.
posted by Sara Hickman at 06:48 am
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Save the People of Darfur--Send this Letter To The President
October 07, 2006
Also, you can make copies to distribute at work, church, temple, to neighbors, at community meetings, schools...wherever you think people will sign up and help by adding their voices to the cause.
Thank you,
Love,
Sara
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Bush,
I am deeply concerned about the tragic events currently unfolding in Darfur, Sudan. I believe that the United States must do everything possible to end the genocide and provide humanitarian relief to the more than three million people who are suffering, affected and devastated by this crisis.
In September 2004, your Administration rightfully recognized that the crisis in Darfur
constitutes genocide. As the death toll in Darfur continues to mount, it is clear that nothing short of international intervention can protect the people of Darfur. I am writing to implore that you assert U.S. leadership to ensure an international intervention takes place. Please use your tremendous power and moral authority to end this genocide and provide security to the men, women and children of Darfur.
I appreciate your support for a U.N. take over of the African Union Mission in Sudan, and hope that you will very strongly follow through with this. Please continue to call for this transfer, and vocalize your support for further funding and stronger forces to protect
these innocent people.
Sincerely,
posted by Sara Hickman at 08:08 am
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Naked Calendar for 2007
October 06, 2006
The new "Naked" calendar release party was scheduled to be a fundraiser, but now there's more of a sense of urgency. Our main sponsor
pulled out (they were bought by a bigger, more conservative company opposed to the whole naked idea) leaving us with a pretty hefty hole in our printing budget. And so, to cover our butts (but not the musicians') we're selling a very limited number of tickets (100) at a minimum donation of $40 each. The show features Jon Dee Graham, James McMurtry, Abra Moore, South Austin Jug Band, Ain't Misbehavin' (my husband's band!) and many others.
The $40 includes snacks, beer, music, a calendar, and a chance to bid on prints of the pictures in the calendar. I thought I could sell those 100 slots really fast, word of mouth, but sales have been slow. I've only sold about 20 tickets. I was going to put a poster up but I still want to wait a
little bit and see if I can just sell this out on my own. So if you know of any list serve or groupI could email the details to to target the right audience, please let me know. Oh, and the tickets are tax deductible because we're a non-profit, umbrella-ed by Women & Their Work.
October 27th, 6 til 10 p.m. in Hyde Park.
Love,
Spike
Hi, everybody...me, Sara, again...
Just as an aside, yesterday I was invited to speak as a guest lecturer to an Ethics and Leadership class at the University of Texas. The students and I really enjoyed ourselves, and I have already been asked to return for two more series next year! I'm thinking I need to start sporting a corderouy jacket with patches on the elbows....
posted by Sara Hickman at 12:12 pm
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Sameness Across the World
from me, Sara Hickman
When I think of breakfast, I think of fresh scrambled eggs, hot, steaming coffee, and, of course, scintillating conversation.
I definately do not think of McDonald's.
As an art student at University of North Texas, I can vividly remember cramming into a booth at Jim's Diner each morning to talk with friends about politics, history, art, music, sex, you name it. The faces in the restaurant were like family to me...from the waiters to the owners to my friends. There was always a "Mornin'" and a cuppa joe waiting just for me.
Sadly, fellowship isn't something you can share in a drive through, where human faces rarely see one another. And with more mom and pop shops put out of business by corporate greed, the more there is a lack of connection in every community---locally, and globally. Less and less of the good ol' American Dream can flourish---where we all want to succeed through hard work, honesty, integrity, and the hope that we will be passing the dream of individual success on to our own children.
Looking back now, I can also tell stories of performing on stage at the Library, where I learned my craft of playing the guitar and wooing an audience; or buying tchotckes at Voertman's, just because I had a couple of extra bucks and someone's birthday was on the horizon; jumping up and down at the Sami house in a toga, sweat thick as pea soup, everyone's laughter drowning out the band on the front porch as we prayed the wooden floor beneath our barefeet wouldn't cave in from the enthusiastic bouncing. (I know the Sami house is gone---but not the memories.)
To think that Fry Street could become another bland, corporate run
mini-mall is very disturbing to me. Let me tell you why:
Who in their right mind would want to fly to Hawaii and eat a taco from Taco Bell? And wear a Hawaiian shirt they bought at the JCPenney in Maui? Isn't that the whole point of travel? That we get to experience the local flora and fauna and food and handmade clothing and hear people speak in their native tongue? Who wants to come to Denton and have it look just like Tulsa or London? Each and every location should always have it's own personality...And, yet, this is what is happening all over the world. Your opportunity to experience something wonderful and new is being replaced with blandness and sameness. We all drink Coke. We all watch American Idol. We all wear the same slave-labor clothing from Wal-Mart. With the demise of town personalities follows the demise of our own personalities.
When people ask me of my memories from college, I can talk for hours about my experiences in Denton, and not one of them includes, "Remember that time we were at Jack in the Box?" or, "Gosh, I remember that time at the mall..." No. My memories are treasures I've collected from mom and pop establishments where my friends and I liked to hang out.
So, do you want Denton to stay unique? All it takes is for you to say, "No!" to further development. Support your neighbors', and your own!, dreams. Keep Denton a place for locals, students and visitors to build one of a kind treasured memories.
On A Quest to Save Fry Street,
Sara Hickman
posted by Sara Hickman at 06:58 am
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sarahickman.com | Bio | Music | Shows | Press | Store | Community | Zooks
Copyright © 1993-2008 Sara Hickman/Sleeveless, LLC | 471224
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