Nothing of Note

I don't have much to say these days. I'm not sure why. It's not that there's been any lack of activity. It's probably more to do with the fact that I spend most of my work week writing, so when it comes to putting things down here, it's hard to think of things to write, my fingers start to pre-ache and I doubt my ability to write anything more compelling than what sets one law firm apart from the crowd (in truth, very little sets one law firm apart from another - they are either compassionate, aggressive, or professional, or slight variations on these three). So why am I sitting in front of my computer now? Why am I typing? I've no idea. Well, partly it's because when I drove over to MCAD to see if I could still access the computer room and log in to work on Photoshop, I found a class going on in there. I ended up over at the Spyhouse Coffee Shop on Nicollet. I've been coming to this place over the last couple weeks. I like it. I even bought one of their super cool retro mugs. Last month I was writing furiously to finish a short mystery I'd begun last spring. Overall, it's not bad, but it needs a lot of molding - the atmosphere is not right yet. I also need to develop it further. I think I might try and work it into a mystery novel and pitch it to one of the publishers that print off millions of mass market mysteries. I made the story local so it could perhaps be sold locally - all those Summit / Grand Ladies could sit in their coffee and tea shops reading my conventional drivel and smile with recognition of the local places I mention.

Another thing that has been fun is that I've gotten a bit Ghetto with my (still minimal) TV watching. The station of choice these days is "The CW" (Ooh! It sounds just like "The O.C."). I watch it for two reasons:

1st: I like watching "People's Court" with Judge Marilyn Milian - "The Hottest Judge on TV" so her show's intro says.

I like watching her because there is something comforting about seeing someone who has all the answers and is so sure of herself that she even shouts it. I admire people who can think through things quickly and clearly - I've never learned how to do this. I waiver and worry too much about reactions to my opinions. I like her cuz she's not crusty like Judge Judy. I think I take comfort in watching people open their mouths in disbelief when they realize that all their emotions and feelings don't have anything to do with justice. What they are looking for is mercy.

This reminds me of a quote by the late, great forgotten, Atheist turned Catholic apologist, G.K. Chesterton: "Children are innocent and love justice, while most adults are wicked and prefer mercy." I wonder if it's true. I think the first part is. The part I keep coming back to is "most adults are wicked." Who of us wants to be defined in this way? Yet, these things go through my head cuz I'm not quite comfortable with the notion that we are all basically good. Given the opportunity, I think that I generally will act in a self-serving manner. I've had to be taught to be less so. Hopefully those of us with wicked streaks can find justice tempered by mercy.

At any rate, I didn't plan on writing all that.

2nd: Thank Allah for a good new show! I've gotten hooked on the CW's Monday night show "Aliens in America" about a Wisconsin family and the Pakistani exchange student who lives with them - they thought they were getting a European jock.

This show is one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time. Raja is quite possibly one of the most sincerly charming, most hysterical characters I've seen in a while. Here's a preview clip:

I was going to try and end this blog by drawing some comparison between these two shows, between Marilyn and Raja and their views of the world, but that would get a bit too much like a sermon. And while I enjoy a good sermon (having grown up listening to my father in the pulpit at church every Sunday.), I am not a preacher and not good at composing sermons.

Channeling My Inner Child

I think there are some albums written for children that end up transcending their original purpose and appealing to a broader audience. Take the soundtrack to "A Charlie Brown Christmas." I'm not sure if it was Charles Schultz's stroke of genius to use jazz artists to create the soundtrack for this animated special, but whoever's idea it was, it was a brilliant idea. Vince Guaraldi created the "Linus and Lucy" theme and "Christmastime is Here," now both classics.

In the same way, I think Jack Johnson's Curious George soundtrack is one of those albums whose tunes are so catchy and fun, that the parents who put the CD in for their kids get just as much fun out of it as their kids.

For me, my favorite transcendent kids album has to be Carole King's "Really Rosie." I remember first being shown the film of this in grade school - yes it was shown on a reel-to-reel projector complete with flying dust particles giving shape to the beam extending from the projector to the screen, and the strangely comforting flap of the film running through the projector. I think we watched it in first grade and soon after, my sister and I got the record at the library and listened to it over and over. This kids album has everything - Carole King's amazing, scratchy voice and New York accent (and great 70s era rock/folk piano playing), and illustrations and lyrics by artist extraordinaire, Maurice Sendak. To this day, my sister and I still listen to this unendingly listenable album and now that my sister has a little baby, she sings songs from this album to my niece.

Luckily, someone else on YouTube thought the children's special from which this album comes was important enough to share. Here's a clip from my one of my favorite songs on the album:

"Pierre"

Wish Me Luck!

I'm off to an interview this afternoon at Kelly Law Registry. I hope I get the job, as I would like to be making more money so that I can finally pay off bills, get an apartment, and work close to Schai Schai again.

I'll let y'all know how it goes.

See ya.

P.S. I'm watching the first season of "Bewitched" on DVD. This show is just as funny as it was when I watched re-runs of it as a kid. Elizabeth Montgomery is dead sexy.

This Show ROCKS!

Penguin Diversion

I've had a fairly productive morning so far after having a fairly unproductive evening (thesis-wise). Instead of working on the chapter that's been plaguing me for a couple weeks now, I watched SCTV with Chadley. We laughed ourselves silly and then I read Abeng until I fell asleep on the Kuyper couch - thanks for letting me crash at su casa again amigo.

Well my brother's blog is up and running, so I've added him to my list of ween dogs - Welcome aboard, Brew Guru. I checked his site this morning and found this fun little entry. Tired of school? Stressed out? Work got you down? Bat a few penguins; you'll feel much better.

Satisfactorally Unsatisfactory

I had a conversation with Jess Lang (who is one of the most intelligent people in our department). She also did not complete a self-assessment. When I asked her about the unsatisfactory, she reminded me that in the last e-mail Randall sent out, neither of our names were included on the list of people needing to complete the assessment. It still sucks to have an unsatisfactory, and they should have included an n/a among the options, but I'm just glad not to have to write the damned thing.

In honor of not having to write the damned thing, I am going to include another picture of an SCTV character:

Lola Heatherton wants to bear your children.

Unsatisfactory - Not submitted

That is what appeared on my goldenrod performance review that I received today. I forgot to submit my self-assessment report.

It was due February first.

What is up with me this semester? I am having the hardest time remembering things, keeping deadlines, and maintaining an interest in academics. I feel like I'm slogging along, just barely keeping up. It's not like I don't have the time, but once I get back up to the cities, it gets hard to keep focused. I'm also working three days a week at Cafe Latte, which leaves me completely tired after every shift. So now I have to lick Randall's boots to get him to let me submit this stupid assessment late. Then I have to explain it in a letter that will go with the review to the dean. I wish I could get a job watching episodes of SCTV on dvd.


Meh...

Why?

Because it's Edith Prickley