I'm sitting in "Connect Cafe" Fond du Lac's only and therefore finest wireless coffeehouse. It is also, a decidedly Christian coffeehouse. Like the kind where the tables have bible versus, everyone is a missionary and Christian Rock is blasting from the speakers. Truth is though, and its weird to admit this, but its not an altogether terrible coffee shop. In fact its quite reasonably comfortable, reasonably priced, and reasonably filled with atmosphere as long as I tune out the God music. And strangely enough for a place where I can eavesdrop on conversations about the last worship music session, the door is open until midnight. The barista even gave me some education on the healing powers of lemongrass (learned from a "witch doctor" while she lived in Nigeria doing missionary work of course). In any case, its the place to be when one is in Fond du Lac, in need of internet, and trying to escape the distracting antics of the two cats at the house. Who knows, maybe I've been a little too hard on these Christian folks, around Connect Cafe they sure do make a mean cup of tea.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
In the News
So after the last few highly sentimental posts its nice to get back to my usual running commentary on life as we know it. Tonight I am sitting in Green Bay, on a computer too slow to keep up with my typing finally reading some news and settling in for what will most definitely be another uneventful evening.
According to NYT, CARE, one of the world's largest charities, has decided to turn down $45 million in US funding because it can't tolerate the bullshit of US PL-490 and our other crazy schemes any longer. What may have been good policy in 1964 is, hopefully, thankfully, not going to fly for too much longer, hopefully. Time to get food to people instead of money to giant US farmers. Nothing against real US farmers, you know the small-time gigs who have a hard enough time but its time to balance the power of the giant farm conglomerates who put the little guys out of business, wield over politics and foreign with the need to get more food to more people in more constructive ways. (By, I don't know maybe letting people by the food produced in their own country?) Anyways here is the story: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/16/world/africa/16food.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
In other news, Green Bay now has a pretty sweet Broadway, after trying for like a gazillion years. Farmers market on Wednesday nights and interesting new restaurants that are not part of national chains? Holy shit its like a real city! Still doesn't give me much of a night life though...
According to NYT, CARE, one of the world's largest charities, has decided to turn down $45 million in US funding because it can't tolerate the bullshit of US PL-490 and our other crazy schemes any longer. What may have been good policy in 1964 is, hopefully, thankfully, not going to fly for too much longer, hopefully. Time to get food to people instead of money to giant US farmers. Nothing against real US farmers, you know the small-time gigs who have a hard enough time but its time to balance the power of the giant farm conglomerates who put the little guys out of business, wield over politics and foreign with the need to get more food to more people in more constructive ways. (By, I don't know maybe letting people by the food produced in their own country?) Anyways here is the story: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/16/world/africa/16food.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
In other news, Green Bay now has a pretty sweet Broadway, after trying for like a gazillion years. Farmers market on Wednesday nights and interesting new restaurants that are not part of national chains? Holy shit its like a real city! Still doesn't give me much of a night life though...
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Movin On
Today I started packing up my stuff to leave Madison next weekend.
I'm not usually a very materialistic person (I tend to break/lose/give away most things that come my way) but packing up my random assortment of knick-knacks, picture frames and coffee mugs its hard to realize that the next time I open these boxes won't be in this wonderful city but somewhere else I can't even know yet.
I packed up my assorted incense burners and candle holders that I lit too many times to count through late nights spent pounding away on a computer or deep in hushed conversation. Its weird to stash the things I so often turned to for comfort in a box and not know when I'm opening it next.
I threw cheesy Halloween lights and a Christmas-themed basket in the box with some reservation. Will grown up me use this stuff for sweet theme parties filled with new friends or find them tacky and childish?
In go the coffee cups into which messiah and me poured countless cups of tea last winter, that my roommates and I used for hot chocolate on cozy cold nights and that I passed dozens of times across the counter to friends waiting to tell their stories, to give, and take advice.
In goes the sleeping bag that Dan once tried to walk home in to hilarious effect, in goes a pathetic assortment of dvds and college-girl knick-knacks. In goes an A8 take out magnet from freshman year that I'm keeping despite realizing the superiority of Asian Kitchen long ago.
In fact, there is not that much to throw away after 3 years spent moving and trying to conserve money and belongings. Who knows what I'll need, where I'll be, what I'd be able to afford to replace anything I accidentally throw away? So in go the grimy vases and chipped glasses. The six remotes whose function and purpose I've never known. In goes the magazine rack stolen from work and all of the cords and cds and highlighters used or allowed to collect dust over the last few years. In go my books, in hopes of an expanding library at some date in the future.
At some point I know these boxes will open again somewhere as new and exciting to me as Madison once was. That's a good thing though because, for as much as I love this city, its time to find new haunts and new opportunities and new places to get embarrassingly lost in. Till then I have India and one last week to get in as much Ians and Union ice cream, drinks at Genna's, and walks out to Picnic Point as I can. Here's to Madison and all the great people I've met here.
I'm not usually a very materialistic person (I tend to break/lose/give away most things that come my way) but packing up my random assortment of knick-knacks, picture frames and coffee mugs its hard to realize that the next time I open these boxes won't be in this wonderful city but somewhere else I can't even know yet.
I packed up my assorted incense burners and candle holders that I lit too many times to count through late nights spent pounding away on a computer or deep in hushed conversation. Its weird to stash the things I so often turned to for comfort in a box and not know when I'm opening it next.
I threw cheesy Halloween lights and a Christmas-themed basket in the box with some reservation. Will grown up me use this stuff for sweet theme parties filled with new friends or find them tacky and childish?
In go the coffee cups into which messiah and me poured countless cups of tea last winter, that my roommates and I used for hot chocolate on cozy cold nights and that I passed dozens of times across the counter to friends waiting to tell their stories, to give, and take advice.
In goes the sleeping bag that Dan once tried to walk home in to hilarious effect, in goes a pathetic assortment of dvds and college-girl knick-knacks. In goes an A8 take out magnet from freshman year that I'm keeping despite realizing the superiority of Asian Kitchen long ago.
In fact, there is not that much to throw away after 3 years spent moving and trying to conserve money and belongings. Who knows what I'll need, where I'll be, what I'd be able to afford to replace anything I accidentally throw away? So in go the grimy vases and chipped glasses. The six remotes whose function and purpose I've never known. In goes the magazine rack stolen from work and all of the cords and cds and highlighters used or allowed to collect dust over the last few years. In go my books, in hopes of an expanding library at some date in the future.
At some point I know these boxes will open again somewhere as new and exciting to me as Madison once was. That's a good thing though because, for as much as I love this city, its time to find new haunts and new opportunities and new places to get embarrassingly lost in. Till then I have India and one last week to get in as much Ians and Union ice cream, drinks at Genna's, and walks out to Picnic Point as I can. Here's to Madison and all the great people I've met here.
