Dixie Chicks - Not Ready to Make Nice

Probably everyone of you know that Dixie Chicks won 5 Grammy Awards this year including the Song and Album of the Year. But I'll still mention about it, because I have been listening and viewing their song video over and over. Sometimes simple things like watching a song or movie gives you lot of happiness, I want to register in blog the joy this song and video has given me for the moment. 'Not Ready to make Nice' is one of the nicest songs I have heard lately. If you haven't heard the song, listen to it right now, it's not worth missing.

See the original video below (they even performed at Grammy's)

In March 2003 just before the US invasion of Iraq, Natalie Maines (lead singer) provoked a controversy by stating publicly in a concert "and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas". Read the whole Political controversy on wikipedia.

This song is their response to the 12 words that erupted the controversy, anger, boycott, criticism and the death threats the band received and their nonacceptance of the war and their stand on Peace.

What I liked?
I like the passion and power with which they sing.
What I loved?
I love the statement, the courage, the music they play. Go Girls!

Where am I ?

This was between 12am - 12:30am on a Friday night (early Sat morning) in the city, I had missed the last bus from Port Authority to NJ. So had to come to the PATH train station at WTC to travel back home.

I had already forgotten/dropped my monkey cap in the SUBWAY train as I was sleep deprived and also had a full stomach (had Indian Chinese at Tangra Masala which was deliciooouuussss). Arriving at the PATH station I was a little surprised to see so many people at that time of the night. But than it's the CITY, the scene at the station ........

There was a bench under a big flood-light where some people were having a nap after a long week or may be after the Friday night revelry; some people were reading and some were just observing (like me). Lots of other people were standing under the light so that they can get little bit of warmth from the light on a cold night.

- Chinese/korean/japanese girl was sleeping and resting her head on her boyfriend's shoulder.
- A bald guy was enjoying this time with his wife/girl-friend as they were almost making out.
- 3 South-Indian guys were standing and discussing something really intellectual and fundamental.
- A lean guy had just got off his 12:00 am shift (probably a Doorman or a security guard) was observing everything.
- African-American teenagers (guy and a girl) were practicing/discussing some of the cool dance steps, may be they were part of a dance troupe.
- A middle-aged man was deeply engrossed in his news paper and was reading the market trends and graphs.
- Another Indian guy was just wandering aimlessly on the train station thinking something deep (atleast it looked that way)
- Another couple away from the bench and light were showing their affections to each other as they waited for the train.
- Couple of old Hispanic ladies (who again may have just got off their work) were wearing jackets, gloves were fully prepared for the cold weather and looked like frequent travellers on the train were talking animatedly.
- A tall woman (may be in her late 30's) was elegantly dressed with the NY style overcoat and was carrying the typical travel-bag with wheels was reading a novel as she waited.
- Another American (financial types) was busy doing some work on his black-berry.
Some others were either on the phone or were seeing everything around as they were waiting.

But there was this calm on the station which is so ephemeral and uncharacteristic of the city which is usually a circus, chaotic and a toal frenzy during the day. I guess people were a little detached as they were welcoming the weekend and getting ready to spend time with their family/friends.

On my earlier visits to the city, I came home motivated, energized, lively, spirited, zealous. But this time I brought home collected, restful, patience and relaxed feelings.

A different experience!

Quote of the day

Dr. Muhammad Yunus is the developer and founder of the concept of microcredit. He's a Bangladeshi banker and an economist who founded Grameen Bank.
Grameen Bank and Dr. Yunus were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this year (2006) for advancing economic and social opportunities for the poor, especially women, through their pioneering microcredit work.

On winning this prize in an interview he said "One day our grandchildren will go to museums to see what poverty was like and ask how we could have allowed such a terrible thing to go on for so long."

I was moved by reading this. Hope he achieves this goal. The world would be a much better place.

There was a lot of debate when he won the Nobel prize for Peace and not the Nobel prize in economics, but I feel the Peace prize is apt because by solving poverty he's fighting on two fronts. Not only is he solving the BIG economic problem but once this people who get economic freedom are less likely to get involved in terrorist activity, or other disturbances. They've something to look forward to in life, will work doubly hard to remain clean and will motivate their children and others in their society for a purposeful life.