thoughts on everything

captivated by the statue of liberty poem. here it goes:

New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

am a little upset that borders will be gone soon. as i picked up several books, cards, and a cd, i reminisced those hours spent on reading the magazines, replying to emails, and browsing through cookbooks while sipping a cup of iced vanilla latte (the better coffee out of starbucks and seattle's best coffee). the future of brick and mortar bookstore is so bleak that i am pessimistic even b&n shall survive in a couple of years. i myself am a part of the society that abuses the air conditioned store while just browsing through the collection. i am so ashamed that i'd choose to go to library if i don't necessarily want to get the coffee. adios to borders and hope b&n shall last. (didn't regret getting the 3g kindle. the new nook looks exactly like kindle, except for the oddly shaped interface. why would the designers do that?)

i'm also getting a new pair of glasses. not near-sightedness issue, but it's astigmatism. we'll see how i'll cope with the 2 extra pair of eyes by this week.

summer has been brutally hot. i myself have been brutally going to dc every week to get a few glimpses of places i have never been before. the more i roam around the city, the more i embrace it. such a beautiful place with not too many crowds and a sense of sophistication.

alas, yellowstone, i'll see you in 10 days! can't wait!