Gchat!

DS: i’m kind of starting to freak out.

Katherine: why whats up?

DS: more like, what’s down?

Katherine: whats going on?

DS: 777, the new 666.

Katherine: i’m on wall street and there’s like 20 news crews

Katherine: there was no accountability with that plan – it was right that it didnt go through

Katherine: the wallstreet guys thought it would because they have Bush in their pocket-

people panicked- it’s better in the long term

DS: There are so many provisions that were not in the current proposal that need to be there. and it is absolutely unacceptable for a man on the job for 18 days to walk away with 10 million. Why is it so hard to push through a bill that benefits the average American? Are these guys so selfish, and owe so many favors that they’re willing to let a huge chunk of this country to go down? And even if they are that slimy, don’t they want to get voted back in for their next term?

and you know something else? the estate tax should go way the f up so these bastards’ kids don’t in turn get to profit from this mess.

Katherine: hey the Dow is up 260 points

in the last hour

DS: excuse the rant. i just find the fact that this is happening unbelievable. i know, “believe it”. it just hasn’t totally sunk in yet. what concerns me is congress is in fact not going to fix this up right, unless ordinary people get really, really angry and start acting up

Katherine: i know- well i thik the bill not being passed is a step in the right direction

DS:  well, if we have to march on d.c., at least i’m an nysc member. which means i can use the gym there to take a shower. i’ll sleep in the sauna.

Katherine: but thats how the process works- honestly a bill is introduced and then the people accurately represented their consituents by voting against it– i think it shows some good old fashion democracy

i’m really proud that repubs and dems alike weren’t bullied into voting for it

DS: that bill was not adequate, for sure. i’m just concerned that it’s going to stall and stall you know? like come up with something f’ing fair to average americans already- not like, just for the top 1%. it can’t drag on indefinitely. and people are going to get really, really mad.

did you know f’ing mccain blamed obama for the last bill not getting passed? and in the same sentence he says “now is not the time to place blame”. ain’t that some shit.

Katherine: but think about it this way: it hasn’t worked- and people are going to hold off until there is a reasonable bill

i think that’s alomst inspiring

b/c it wouldnt have happened that way 2 years agp

 

Katherine: the Euro is falling b/c of Ireland

DS: are you watching cinderella talk on thursday at  *****?

Katherine: i think so- i dont know what the total plan is

Biden could seriously fuck this up for us

DS: oh i know. that makes me nervous too.

Katherine: well it is Rosh Hashanah – maybe yahweh will pull out a miracle

DS: blow that horn girl. blow that horn.

my boss just said “now if we could only have bob dylan singing blowin in the wind or these times are achanging.”

i said too bad we don’t have elliott smith anymore.

Katherine: ha

DS: guess we’ll have to rely on john mayer!!

Nooooo!!!!!!

Katherine: talib better come out with something soon

DS: where the f is r.e.m. during all this mess?

Katherine: i know!

what’s the deal Beck??

DS: oh dude i think beck is so out of touch these days.

Katherine: sorry my interent is going in and out at work

DS: I haven’t been this fidgety since age 5.

DS: so cross the irish off for my contingency plan.

Katherine: yeah

Katherine: canada is a viable option

DS: so. no irish, no english, ’cause london’s next to fall. france i’m still doing my homework on.

canada could work.

i’m down with vancouver.

Katherine: toronto is where all the new comedians are

DS: speaking of clowns, *** said come on over for the clown show thursday

Katherine: yeah she just told me

DS: you better believe….

i’m bringing my TIN FOIL HAT.

Katherine: hahaha

DS: if i make you one will you wear it?

Katherine: haha

sure

DS: tin foil hats for everyone.

Katherine: haha

exactly whats the hat for?

DS: it protects your brain from electromagnetic rays that are used for mind control. i don’t trust the mccain camp.

katherine.hartnett: gotcha

DS: oh. it seems that in some places, bitching gets the job done.

katherine.hartnett: whats up?

DS: because the ***** just reneged on an annual fee request.

katherine.hartnett: cool

DS: guess it’s ok to be f’ed up again!

 

I Knew It Was the Solution to Everything

A man gets burned. Violently so. Again and again. But he finds the solution…

Favorite Music Video of the Week

Is this one. Death Cab for Cutie. Gorgeously lit, beautiful cinematography; video flows gracefully to and from the band and the intriguing journey of a young woman, who also happens to basically be living out my life long dream (and she gets to do it for a Death Cab video). A great late night watch- and worth watching the whole way through.

Bobby and Keith- Together Again!

I don’t know if that’s really true, like if, they were ever together, but it sounded like a good title and….

Whatever! Just got an offer for half price tickets for Bobby Brown and Keith “gonna make you” Sweat at the JPMorganChamu Theater!
Not biting, I don’t have $10 if I have $40. But I will keep the email, and hold out for them to just loan me the tickets. And pay them back when I can. If I can.

 

Retro Jam 2008

Starring Bobby Brown, Keith Sweat, KRS-ONE and Rakim

WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden

October 2 – NEXT WEEK!

Courtesy of CaribbeanFever.com, all tickets are now 50% off!

Retro Jam 2008 is a reunion of the best R&B and Hip-Hop artists staring Bobby Brown, in his first New York appearance in many years!

Keith Sweat, the Harlem-born R&B singer/songwriter, is known for such hits as “Make You Sweat”, “Merry Go Round”, “I’ll Give All My Love to You” and “Your Love, Pt. 2.”

Red State, Blue State, Increased Heart Rate

It’s not that I didn’t know. I did. Everyone does. But when you pull up that image again to remind yourself of what’s yet to be done…a picture really is worth a thousand words, isn’t it?
Admittedly, I’ve slacked on my homework as of late. Or at least, maintained a distance from its underlying implications. Because they’re unpleasant.
But you get to a point where you realize that if you don’t start facing the music and cramming for the big test, you are most certainly going to FAIL.
So today, I tackled geography. Time to pull up the goddamn map you’ve perhaps been subconsciously avoiding, IWJS.
Normally, I love maps.
This one, not so much.

I don’t think we need Captain Obvious flying in to say Holy Hell. That there is Alot of people to worry about.
Sometimes it takes pure, unadorned imagery to give a good old-fashioned jolt. Spelling it out so blatantly, this in-your-face color-by-numbers illustration makes what it represents, in the context of the present day, all the more sobering.
And undeniable.
It is impossible to skirt around the fact that there is alot of work to do.
Don’t count on logic and facts necessarily trumping the power of the security found in holding fast to deep-rooted tradition.
Naptime is over.

O Dear!

Dear Oprah-

I’m afraid I never will quite think like I’m in the boardroom, when it comes to those moments when one is blindsided by life’s little catastrophes. Not to say I’m not perfectly capable of shutting everything off when absolutely essential- I am. However, I reserve Automaton Mode for emergencies- a short window of time to complete a necessary task. However, I don’t promote walking around like an impassive robot on a regular basis and generally speaking, I am expressive and in touch with what’s doing in the emotions department. Sometimes, I even cry.  Guess it’s because I’m a GIRL…

Love and Heartfelt Responses,

IWJS

From JEZEBEL: 

“Oprah [has an] obsession with self-actualization and the idea that emotional messiness is akin to failure. In the October issue, Tim Jarvis writes about a new ‘technique’ called self-distancing. Apparently when you get horrible news (examples given include being fired, being dumped, and hearing a loved one has been in an accident) you’re supposed to take a ‘mental step back’ and process the information ‘from a distance’ instead of reacting to it. And to that I say: fuck off.”

“Sometimes, shit happens, and it is the human thing to do to have strong, maybe even unmanageable, emotional reactions. Jarvis quotes a study that says that people who ‘visualize moving a way from [a terrible] situation to a vantage point where they could watch themselves in the unfolding drama as if it were a video,’ had lower blood pressure. Maybe they had lower blood pressure because they were DEAD INSIDE. They also have someone from the Insight Meditation Society who recommends meditating in order to ‘detach yourself from your thoughts and feelings.’

“I think this sort of technique is worthwhile with minor upsets. You shouldn’t be having a hysterical breakdown just because you dropped coffee on your blouse. But with the major stuff? It’s far healthier, I think, to get out those visceral emotional responses than it is to process them immediately. You can, and will, process them eventually. “

I Have a Blog- You’re Welcome!

I think IWJS should count as community service.

Now, community service is by definition that which enhances the quality of life for a- well- community, that the provider is not monetarily compensated for. And loves, I daresay this thing is that thing- IWJS being, arguably, a quality-of-life-enhancing source of enjoyment and curiosity satiation for the online community that I don’t make a dime off of! As far as what we get out of this lil’ game I’ve got going, we know you read it for entertainment in the form of snappy writing all wrapped up pretty in my unique brand of quirk, or (if ya know me in the real) insight as to what’s doing in the life of (if nothing else) an anything-but-dull lovely lady, benefiting from the convenience of not actually having to ask, and I in turn do it out of… altruistic satisfaction? Compulsion? Penance? Oh Jesus H. Christ the Hell if I know.

Talk about art imitating life.

Well anyway, at any time feel free to say “hey thanks for the good read” or you know, “i read your blog”. Something like that. You can even be an anonymous comment donor, just- you know- some reciprocal love is good literary fuel and therefore always welcome, LEECHES. Just kidding.

Onward!

I went to the roller rink the other day on the Coney Island boardwalk.

Now, it’s not perfect, it’s got its flaws (namely, linoleum rather than wood for flooring), but um- that’s Coney Island! We wouldn’t love her if she was anything else but a bedraggled old queen who’s seen better days but somehow, she’s still got it. Anyway the DJs were solid and the crowd was cute and I mean really- how can you not have a good time cruising around on 4 wheels. Well, I did anyway. Granted, my expectations were a bit high in that taking a few turns on the floor was going to solve all that weighs on my mind, but it did help me ignore it for a few hours! It’s quite freeing to get around that quickly, by the power of your own quads, groovin’ to Kool and the Gang. I mean I’m no pro-roller derby chick, but I get around. To put it in the words of a fellow skater, “Girl even ya shadow’s fun to watch.”

Well that was a first.

XO,

Yes, mine.

Oh, you’re so welcome.

The Night I Met My Idol

I went to see James at Radio City Music Hall last night. I’m not going to bother getting into “who they are” and whatnot because you can just Wikipedia that or something. This is the first time they’ve played in the States in like, 11 years. Anyway, the band was in top form, and Tim Booth sounded just like he always has. It was just incredible to finally hear live songs I’ve fallen in love to, nursed a broken heart to, that have soundtracked (new word!) achievements and failures, played in the background to some of the most beautiful moments of my life- both joyful and sad. In a nutshell, James’ music for whatever reason has been music that has completely resonated with me ever since the day I discovered them on some college radio station where I grew up- like when someone puts into words something you just couldn’t, but it was exactly what you were thinking.

I know I sound schmaltzy but give me a break here. How often do you hear me go on like that.

Anyway! Of course, it’s been a dream of mine to meet Tim Booth, but you know, I’m chicken about these things….but Andrea isn’t!

Andrea was my fellow concert-goer, who has no bones about asking the lighting guy if he can hook it up. Who incidentally says, “Why certainly”. Or maybe it was “Perhaps”. Whatever. It was enough to spark hope.

So after the show (at which we noticed that the lighting was actually pretty good), we wait for the lighting dude to come around. Because when you have the chance to meet the man behind the lyrics that have consistently struck a chord with you since back when you wore flannels, you don’t fuck around, and pride all of a sudden becomes a non-issue. And you find yourself doing things like sadly sitting on a bukkit in front of a delivery truck, waiting….

You remind yourself that there are those who do this all the time for a living for people they don’t even deeply admire, all just to send the documentation that they “were there” to TMZ. And that you can count on one hand how many people you’d hang around for like this and that this guy happens to be Number #1 on that list.

So you soldier on. You are lucky to have your comrade there who’s willing to stick it out, too.

It turns out we didn’t need the lighting guy. Because the door opens and Oh What Do You Know. It seems the rock star idol I’ve only wanted to meet for HALF MY LIFE has left the building….Oh. My. God.

We meet.

We talk a bit. I tell him- well I’m not saying because…I don’t totally remember. Actually no, I just don’t want to tell you.

I’m so glad Andrea thought to snap this photo.

And then the photo for the camera. You know how some girls still look real pretty after they’ve shed a tear or two that rests delicately on their cheek? Not this one!

I’ll not often post a not so flattering photo. (I’m the one who, if you put up some clearly unappealing photo of me on FB I will detag that shit immediately). But with this? Um, seriously, who cares:

And then we said goodbye, and I got it together, and Andrea and I had wine and pasta, and then I went home, and to sleep with a smile.

Babies

I had to shop for a baby shower. When you don’t ever shop for baby showers and have no clue what to get, you have half a mind to be like a guy and buy a gift certificate and be done with it. I resisted. I’m well aware from the showers I attended as a child (my siblings are considerably older) that part of the tradition of the whole thing is slowing pulling tiny, often delicate things from pastel-colored packaging, cooing and oohing and ahhing, displaying said item to your guests, as we all project how Baby will look in said outfit/towel/bathtub/etc.

Also when you don’t ever shop for baby showers and have no clue what to get, you go to Babies-R-Us ’cause you figure they’ve gotta have something in that whole store that looks good.

Indeed they do have something. They have alot of things. Which is kind of a curse. Because there is so much Baby-merch in this place, it’s overwhelming, to where you wish mommy-to-be had a registry, which of course you kind of can’t do because baby showers are often a surprise. 

But the other overwhelming aspect of being in this store is starting to comprehend how much crap Baby needs for their well-being. Or- should have for their well-being? Or- will give you peace of mind if you do have it for their well-being? Um, I’m suspicious.

They say the bridal industry is bad. And it is- because the bridal industry taps into two major aspects of the female psyche- ego, and fantasy. However, the baby industry has an even more effective strategy, because they play dirty and work on something even more deep-seated- your guilt. Meaning, if you don’t get all the things that Baby needs for his or her health, safety, development, happiness, etc….well, we’re not telling your business but you wouldn’t ever want anyone to think you’re a bad mommy, do you?  No one wants that. 

Did you know there’s an entire aisle devoted to safety products?

And an entire aisle devoted to bottles and bottle accessories….

And then two aisles with the wrapping paper and gift bags and bells and whistles to dress it all up in.

Well, that’s what I’m about. IWJS is one of those arty types, so while utility is certainly important for the sake of not looking like a highly impractical out-to-lunch flake in front of fellow shower attendees, just as important is that the gift is well-designed, colorful, has a nice feel to it, and is awwwwwww-worthy cute.

Also I like to stand out (“oh, really? that’s news!”), so instead of doing pink like everyone else, and figuring mommy-to-be who isn’t particularly pink-obsessed herself was going to kind of get bored with it after a while, I worked with a neutral green and yellow color scheme.

Can you believe I’m blogging about this shit? I sound like I’m from Iowa, don’t I? Oh, shut up. This qualifies as blog-worthy because it’s something I’ve never done before and anything I’ve never done before that employs my creative flair qualifies as an adventure, which is automatically blog-worthy. Put that in your bottle and suck on it. Anyway, while I didn’t think to hold up on display for you the darling little bathtime accroutements I got, by way of a photo for you to coo and oooh and ahh over, I did however get one of the final product:

How a-dor-able is that?  LOOK AT THAT FROG! It’s a rattle. It’s quite possibly the softest stuffed animal thing I have ever laid my hands on, so much that I kind of want one too.

Needless to say, the packaging part was by far the biggest kick I got out of this whole process.

Well that, and the fact that look out, ’cause I slayed everyone at Baby Word Scramble.

Nationalization

Colin McEnroe made a good point today.

If we must nationalize something, can we make it something not crappy, like debt? Can we make it something we can actually enjoy? How about something like- oil? Like in Venezuela. That might be good. Healthcare? Perhaps something that would be fun….Pixar! That’d be pretty neat.

Wait- porn! Nationalize porn- call it AmeriPorn!

Brilliant.