Thanksgave

I drove over the bridge and through the valley to Grandma's house for the holiday. I love my immediate-extended family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, first cousins), and I've enjoyed living within driving distance of them for the past 7 years. As a kid, we never lived in the same state as the rest of the family. Fortunately, we were able to fly cheaply and visit them on major holidays and over summer vacations - which allowed me to be closer to my grandparents then some kids who do live in the same town as theirs. And - I was also fortunate enough to miss out on the LARGER family dramas, and the obligation to like everybody whether we had anything in common or not. There are some wonderful folks in the further extensions of my family, but there are also folks - who would be comfortable on the set of Jerry Springer. Or may have BEEN on Jerry Springer, but I don't watch and wouldn't know them well enough to recognize them anyway. Is it wrong that I find it kinda cool and yet still appalling that I have a cousin who spent time in Folsom Prison? Makes me want to go see the Johnny Cash film... Seriously, though, some of these folks are a clear argument against both nature AND nurture because I just don't understand how we're from the same strings of DNA.

Endearingly Dorky

At least, I HOPE that's what my affection for the state quarters makes me. To be honest, I don't even understand why this IS dorky. I'm always surprised when other people are - well, surprised - that not only do I NOTICE state quarters, but I collect them enthusiastically. Today? KANSAS! And props to Kansas for a simple, elegant, appropriate design. Could've used more wheat, but I recognize that some states prefer to remain understated.

More Random Shark Jumps

I do not like the rubber charity bracelet craze. And I think this one is one of the silliest I've seen. Celebrating the environment by wearing a man-made silicate on your wrist?

I think the "Live Strong" bracelets were a fantastic marketing idea, and I'm sincerely glad they raised money for a worthy cause, but you can take them off now. Not wearing a rubber bracelet does not mean you've decided to support cancer instead of cancer research.

I was watching the Colbert Report last night, and Stephen Colbert was interviewing a politician from Colorado who said his goal was to disagree without being disagreeable. Colbert asked him to demonstrate by disagreeing with the following (approximate) statement - "I think the Nazis were wrong." I don't know if the show will last, and I don't feel particularly sad that it probably won't - but I gotta hand the guy some props. I love the way he introduces guests by running over to them and accepting the applause of the crowd as though it's for him running. Awesome.

In other non-related news, I finished reading The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, this month's book club selection at work. I didn't buy his theories, really. And the smoking argument was really irritating, because for the life of me I can't remember what the tipping point was actually supposed to BE regarding the recent rise in teen smoking rates. The basic argument seemed to be that kids smoke because smokers are cool - ohhhhkkkaaaaayyyy, but why was there EVER a decrease in smoking then? Why the resurgence? I'll have to admit, one of the reasons I can't take the author seriously is because - he has ridiculour hair. One of those poofy wild curly dos that make the person look like they're trying to emulate Einstein. That look just barely worked for Einstein, who at least had the benefit of being a freakin' bona fide genius. Emulating his hair to imply your own intelligence actually makes me infer the opposite.

Shark Jumping

Hard to tell who's jumping, exactly - Queer Eye or Kevin Bacon?

And in other link news - I will never be this desperate. Dying alone surrounded by cats waiting for me to die so they can eat my face doesn't seem as depressing as this.

Here's one that DODGED a vicious shark today - I know we've just met and all, but I LOVE the new Lostaways. Tonight's episode? Best episode ever. Well-timed, well-acted, sparse yet lush, filled in gaps while still leaving questions - WHERE have these people BEEN? Because I'm pretty sick of the folks on the other side of the island, with their lame little entanglements. Charlie and Claire? Uh, who died and made you Daddy? Mom doesn't seem all that thrilled about it... Kate and Sawyer, or Jack? Sawyer's TOO cartoonish, Jack's TOO full of himself, and Kate is - just trying TOO hard, I guess. And the Sayid and Shannon thing? AWFUL. No, really. AWFUL. He had just boarded a plane to reunite with the woman he'd tortured and loved and who had tortured his soul in return - and then ends up banging some 20-yr old blonde bee-yotch only 45 days later? I actually DID feel some sympathy for Shannon last week, until I read the timeline. She was wounded and abandoned just 2 years ago, and turned on the only family member who actually seemed to care about her 45 days ago?

Weekend Update

On Friday, I had a sleepover with J.M. and M.D. III in Palo Alto. The next morning, we went over to meet S. & S.'s new baby, who is an adorable little peanut. She was asleep, so we didn't pick her up and fuss with her - but I look forward to playing with her soon.

We were talking about a conflict of social events I have in December - one event is a party in honor of 2 of my favorite people, and the other is a party at my band's drummer's house, with all new people. It would be geographically difficult to go to both, and since the band is going to play at the 2nd party, that's where I will end up. J.M. said I SHOULD go to that one, since all of the parties my college friends have feature lots of married couples or gay men. And boy ain't that the truth.

I recently got a new journal, "The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Journal", which features illustrations and brief tips from the well-known "Worst-Case" series. I've found that sometimes these tips inspire me to create new ways to frame my own experiences. For instance, "Blizzards: If you're in a car and caught in a blizzard, do not drive. Only run the motor every ten minutes for warmth, crack open the windows for ventilation, and wait until the blizzard subsides." A clear parallel for my love life. I should only think about it sporadically, for short periods of time, just so I don't die. But mostly, I need to just hang out until the drought ends.

I liked this one, too, because it taps into my overly active flight response: "Killer Bees: If bees begin flying around you, do not freeze; do not swat them. Run away."

They Might Be AWESOME

If you have not yet seen They Might Be Giants in concert, and you are not yet dead, then it should be on the list of things to do before you die. 2nd. Best. Concert. Ever! (Peter Gabriel's "Us" tour is still the penultimate.) I saw them at Bimbo's, which is a really cool venue, on Friday night. L. and R. and I went to Kennedy's beforehand, for a pitcher of Kingfisher beer and a curry, and some air hockey.

John and John (we're close) opened with a preview of their "Venue Songs" CD. I had heard the "Anaheim House of Blues" song before, but all the others were unfamiliar. AND IT WAS STILL GREAT!!! WHO can play songs you don't know and they're still great? They Might Be Giants, THAT'S who.

Another thing to put on your "must do" list, watch Born into Brothels on DVD. If you saw it in the theaters (I didn't), it would still be worth watching on DVD because of the extra material and follow-up with the kids. The subject matter is dark, and yet the story is uplifting. I love those kids.

If you blog it, they will read...

You know how you enjoy a blog, and then you keep it bookmarked, and you feel sort of let down when nothing new has been posted for days or even weeks? Like Rabbit Blog, which sort of falls off my radar screen until I try to think of blogs I used to read regularly but they never updated.

I would hate to do that to you.

Fall has been - well, lengthy - at work. This was the first night this week I needed a cab voucher, and I am home before The Daily Show, so that's a good thing. The case has a deadline on Friday night but I have made it clear I am going to the They Might Be Giants show and They Might Have to Seek Medical Attention if they try to stop me. I have loved this band for YEARS, and actually can't believe it's taken me this long to go see them.

This morning I went back to the 6th grade classroom where I will be volunteering for the year. It was not quite as scary this time, because I worked with a small group of kids and largely ignored the chaos of the room around me. When I say chaos, and when I say scary - I mean it. This was like no classroom I'd ever been in. Kids shouting out, walking around, throwing pencils, passing notes to each other in plain sight, and totally disregarding assignments. It felt like a sitcom version of a classroom, or a scene from a movie BEFORE a renegade teacher comes in and "makes a difference". I'll be here one day a week, and I gotta tell ya - it may help, but these kids are screwed.

You know what I need? Some large evil corporation to give me a grant so I can go back to the classroom. Because it appears I've made it my mission to suck money out of large evil corporations, and I would at least like it to do someone good besides myself.