Remembering 9/11

Today we mark the anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks at the Pentagon and World Trade Center. I was just nineteen years old on September 11, 2001 getting ready to head off to college.

Actually, September 11th was the day that I applied to The Evergreen State College after changing my mind on September 10th about wanting to attend Western Washington University. I left home a week later to move into the Capitol Hill Apartments where I later met Mr. Josh Reed that next spring.

Seven years later, I'm working on my second graduate degree at UMass and today I had the privilege of meeting one of our more famous alums, Ken Feinberg, the director and administrator of the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund set up by Congress.

Ken (2nd from the right) told us heart wrenching stories he heard during the hearings he held with family members and talked about the various dilemmas he faced during the process. Throughout his captivating lecture I was amazed by his ability to shoulder the grief of the victim's families for thirty-three long months. I don't think I am capable of such a task and have great respect for him for serving his country in this capacity on behalf of the American people during such a difficult time in our history.

The experience was one I never will forget. After the lecture there was a small reception where he autographed books and met people. My boss, the Dean, encouraged me to go introduce myself to Ken, which I was planning on doing after the crowd thinned out. He noted that Ken was currently talking to three of his former UMass professors who came to hear him speak, and whom he had acknowledged as greatly shaping his career during his lecture. I had my camera ready to snap a picture of Ken but was so moved by the conversation he was having with his former professors decided not to interrupt. Instead I asked the Provost if I could take a picture of Ken with his professors since the official UMass photographer had left and hadn't captured a picture of them as a group.

Tonight I can't say I have a photo with Ken Feinberg to add to my celebrity and political figures photo album, but I have something better. I have the satisfaction of bringing a genuine smile of thanks and happiness to his face as I captured a precious moment for him and three of his very special mentors. I've asked my boss, the Dean, to make sure each man gets a copy of the photo, because I'm sure it's a moment they'll never forget. I know I won't.

Veterans Video from the Convention

We watched this video at the Democratic Convention before Tammy Duckworth came out to speak to us. I really enjoyed the video, and still can't watch it without tearing up with pride for our troops and the unbelievable sacrifices they and their families have made for their country. Check it out:

Virginia Republicans for Obama

This morning you heard from a Cat for Obama. This video montage from the Obama campaign highlights the stories of some Virginia Republicans for Obama like the folks that Boots has been so busy talking to this weekend. Check it out:

Only 56 Days Until the Election!

Hi, my name is Boots Reed and I'm here to remind you that there are only 56 days left until the election. Scary isn't it? The race is very close so we all need to do out part. As an indoor cat I don't get out but that doesn't mean I can't help elect Barack Obama!

I don't know what you did this weekend but I logged onto Neighbor to Neighbor to make phone calls to voters to encourage them to support Barack Obama.

If anyone needed an absentee ballot or needed to register them to vote I directed them to the Obama campaign's Vote for Change website. On the vote for change website you can register to vote, find your polling location, request an absentee ballot and more. Check it out!

I'm just a cat and I know our country can't afford four more years of Republicans in the White House. Here's why all you cats out there need to help elect Barack Obama:

-If our owners don't have health insurance or are plagued with rising co-payments and prescription drug costs they might not be able to afford medical care for us if we get sick.
-If our homeowners loose their homes due to foreclosure we're out on the street too.
-The longer our troops are in Iraq the more the chances increase that our owners in uniform and their loved ones might not make it back in one piece.
-Our owners deserve affordable college educations. How else do you think that I learned how to read and write, all those textbooks lying around the house.
-Barack Obama will help promote alternative energy production and reduce our dependance on foreign oil which will mean our owners won't have to worry about conflicts in foreign countries affecting their heating oil prices so we'll be nice and warm all winter.

Tom Allen's New TV Commercial

Have you seen Tom Allen's new television commercial? If not you can watch it below. To support Tom and help keep this ad on the air click here to donate to his campaign: http://www.libertysecure.net/allen/tv_ad.asp.

The Moose Hat On TV

Today I found out that I appeared on TV during Mark Warners speech. If you look at this video I appear briefly 3:04 minutes into the speech. I'm clapping and just ready to grab one of those handy signs we're supposed to be holding from under my seat. Considering all of my enthusiastic cheering throughout the week it's too bad that this is the best shot my moose hat got but it's better than nothing!

Barack Says Give to the Red Cross!

I just received a text message from my buddy Barack, asking me to give five dollars to the Red Cross. To donate text GIVE to 24357 or give at www.redcross.org.

School Starts Tomorrow

Yesterday the little town of Amherst, Massachusetts got its annual influx of students. Our apartment complex had a tent put up outside to check in new residents and there were traffic cops posted at major intersections to help direct traffic.

On the airplane on my way back from Denver I was seated next to one of our bright eyed freshmen. My plane had a layover in Dallas, Texas and on my Dallas to Boston stretch I was seated next to an incoming freshman and her mother. Her step-father was already on his way to Massachusetts via truck with her belongings.

It should be a busy fall. Besides helping out on the Obama campaign I'm going to be taking a full class load, including an integrated studio with our landscape architecture program (I'm hoping this won't make doing my studio work more complicated and cut down on my campaign time), my research assistantship with the Dean, and a TA position helping out an autocad class.

Josh has committed to work overtime on the campaign to help mitigate the fact that I'm not going to be working full time due to my studio work. One thing is for certain, though, I'll be wearing an Obama shirt and pin every day through November 2nd (I have several now, don't worry), and registering and working to turn out every young person and faculty member I can on that campus.