verbatim

Sing a Song of Karen

Last night Andy and I watched "Great Performances: A Tribute to James Taylor." We've been fans of his for many years; I told Andy I couldn't really imagine anyone who could honestly say they hated James Taylor. He has so many wonderful songs that everyone's sure to find something. (Right?) Anyhow, this was a much more successful tribute than the Leonard Cohen fiasco; all you need to know is that it featured performances from the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, Alison Krauss and Jerry Douglas, Taj Mahal and Dr. John, Sting, and many more. Of course some performances were better than others, but all in all it was really fun to watch. JT ended the whole thing with a rousing rendition of "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)," which seems like a fitting response to a tribute. He also said it was the first time he'd ever been in the audience hearing his own band, and that was a real treat. So, if you're a fan, try to catch the repeat on your local PBS station.

Meanwhile, when Alison Krauss started singing "Carolina in My Mind," I told Andy that that song was always special to me because it's the only song that features a girl named Karen ("Karen, she's a silver sun/You best walk her way and watch it shine"). He said, "How do you know it's the only one?" and I said, "I just know. No one writes songs with names like Karen anymore, and there weren't any others growing up." Well. Fast-forward to today, when I heard "Short Skirt / Long Jacket" by Cake. The last verse goes like this:

I want a girl with good dividends,
At Citibank we will meet accidentally,
We start to talk when she borrows my pen.

She wants a car with a cup-holder armrest,
She wants a car that will get her there.
She's changing her name from Kitty to Karen,
She's trading her MG for a white Chrysler LeBaron

I want a girl with a short skirt and a long jacket.

Now I know.

Open Letters to the People Who Honked at Me Today, Part Deux

(See first installment here.)

Dear Woman in Whole Foods Parking Lot Who Looks a Little Like Me and Drives the Same Color Honda Odyssey as Me,
We could be friends. You don't need to be so rude. I would never have dreamed of stealing the parking spot you were waiting for.
Karen

Dear Middle-Aged Guy in Pickup Truck Behind Me on Main Street,
I had no control over the person in front of me who was waiting to take a left into the Walgreen's parking lot. Honking at me and shaking your fist didn't help the situation at all.
Karen

Dear Really, Really Angry Woman in Ginormous SUV at the merge of Centre Street and Parker Street,
You need to take it easy. I saw you. I wasn't going to ram into you. You should consider hanging up your cellphone, cutting back on caffeine, and taking up yoga. Oh, and, I am not an asshole. Just ask anyone.
Karen

Wiki Wednesday

Time to learn something!

1. Go to Wikipedia.
2. Click on "Random article" in the left-hand sidebar box.
3. Post it!

Here's mine:

Bandar Dato' Onn is a new town in the Johor Bahru city area, Johor, Malaysia. It was named after Johor's former Dato' Menteri Besar (Chief Minister), Dato' Onn Jaafar.

I know that. That's so funny that you think I don't know that.

Is This Thing On?

Wow, the Internets sure are quiet these days. Anyone out there? Send some readers my way, wouldja?

Do It Again!

In case you ever need to make a seven-year-old boy laugh a lot, here's the trick:

Knock Knock!
      Who's there?
Interrupting cow.
      Interrupting c—
MOOOOOO!

He can be the knocker or the knockee, it doesn't matter. He will laugh. Again and again and again and again. Just trust me on this one.

It's really cute and fun when kids start getting jokes. As soon as they tell a joke, they say, "Get it?" and start explaining it, regardless. Up until that point, they just plain think it's funny to make up jokes (particularly Knock Knock jokes), regardless of whether they make any sense. (Think "No soap—radio!") Julie's still at that stage.

He's My Man

I approached "Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man" with great trepidation, because it didn't seem likely that a fitting tribute was even possible, but I still held out a hope-beyond-hope that it would be worthy of him. I was wrong. Really, really wrong.

Let me at least start off with the good stuff. There are numerous interview clips that are great—and most definitely worth the price of admission for Cohen fans. You really do get to know him a bit, and if you think you liked him before, you'll love him now.

Most of the movie, however, consists of footage from a tribute concert staged in Australia in 2005. There are a couple of good performances, but most of it is utter crap. I don't know where they dug up these performers, but it was a disgrace to hear them butcher those gorgeous songs the way they did. Rufus Wainwright does several songs; he has an amazing voice and really does justice to "Hallelujah"—that is, until his sister Martha Wainwright joins in and ruins it. It barely sounded like the same song. She sings another song too, and it's nearly unlistenable. Rufus also sang "Everybody Knows," but he looked like he was having way too much fun with it. There was none of that darkness that the lyrics demand. But at least it was listenable. I found myself fast-forwarding (Is that still the right word for DVDs?) through Antony, the McGarrigles (Rufus and Martha's mom and aunt), Jarvis Cocker, the Handsome Family, and many more. I did watch Nick Cave, but mostly to laugh at his lounge-lizard act (think Bill Murray from the early SNL years). Oh, and I did like (Richard and Linda Thompson's son) Teddy Thompson's version of "Tonight Will Be Fine."

When you think you've had enough and are ready to turn the damn thing off, don't. The movie ends with a studio clip of the 71-year-old Cohen singing "Tower of Song" with Bono and Edge (when they were done with their pompous soliloquies of praise) that was wonderful. Hearing him sing, "Well my friends are gone and my hair is grey,  I ache in the places where I used to play" some 20 years after he wrote those words is quite moving.

So, to recap: Watch the movie for the interviews. Ignore the music as best you can. There have been so, so many wonderful covers of Leonard Cohen's songs over the years (Jennifer Warnes comes to mind), it seems downright criminal that these magnificent song-poems were given to this bunch. And I blame Mel Gibson, who was a producer of this movie! That's right! How did that happen? Does he actually have good taste? Did he not realize Cohen was Jewish? Did he owe someone a favor? This does not compute.

Update: Oh, and I forgot to mention the bizarre sparkly red lights and repeated audio and all the other weird and highly distracting techniques inflicted on this poor movie.

D'oh!

TVLand has compiled a list of the 100 Greatest TV Catchphrases. They're just what you'd expect, ranging from "Book 'em, Danno" to "I can't believe I ate the whole thing" to "We are two wild and crazy guys" and everything in between. Of the list, here are the ones that mean absolutely nothing to me—and why:

_"Denny Crane" (Denny Crane, "Boston Legal") (Never saw the show.)

_"Do you believe in miracles?" (Al Michaels, 1980 Winter Olympics) (I saw the Olympics, I just don't recall him saying that.)

_"Don't make me angry ..." (David Banner, "The Incredible Hulk")  (Never saw the show.)

_"God'll get you for that" (Maude, "Maude") (I saw the show plenty of times, I just don't recall her saying that.)

_"Have you no sense of decency?" (Joseph Welch to Sen. McCarthy) (I guess I know this one in a historical sense, but I never saw it.)

_"Holy crap!" (Frank Barone, "Everybody Loves Raymond") (I've seen the show a few times but don't recall him saying that. Or who he is, for that matter. The brother, maybe?)

_"How you doin'?" (Joey Tribbiani, "Friends") (I saw the show plenty of times, I just don't recall him saying that—or at least not often en0ugh to qualify it as a "catchphrase.")  

_"I love it when a plan comes together" (Hannibal, "The A-Team") (Never saw the show.)

_"I'm Rick James, bitch!" (Dave Chappelle as Rick James, "Chappelle's Show") (Never saw the show.)

_"If it weren't for you meddling kids!" (Various villains, "Scooby Doo, Where Are You?") (I probably saw every single one in the '70s, but did they really say that line that often?)

_"Just one more thing ..." (Columbo, "Columbo") (Never saw the show.)

_"Let's get ready to rumble!" (Michael Buffer, various sports events) (No idea who he is.)

_"Never assume ..." (Felix Unger, "The Odd Couple") (I saw every one of these, but I don't recall this line.)

_"Nip it!" (Barney Fife, "The Andy Griffith Show") (I probably saw most of these, but I don't recall this line.)

_"Now cut that out!" (Jack Benny, "The Jack Benny Program") (Never saw the show.)

_"Oh, my God! They killed Kenny!" (Stan and Kyle, "South Park") (Never saw the show.)

_"Suit up!" (Barney Stinson, "How I Met Your Mother") (Never saw the show.)

_"Tell me what you don't like about yourself" (Dr. McNamara and Dr. Troy, "Nip/Tuck") (Never saw the show.)

_"That's hot" (Paris Hilton, "The Simple Life") (Never saw the show.)

_"The tribe has spoken" (Jeff Probst, "Survivor") (Never saw the show.)

_"This is the city ..." (Sgt. Joe Friday, "Dragnet") (Never saw the show.)

_"Welcome to the O.C., bitch" (Luke, "The O.C.") (Never saw the show.)

_"Whassup?" (Budweiser ad) (Don't remember this at all.)

_"Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Willis?" (Arnold Drummond, "Diff'rent Strokes") (Never saw the show.)

_"You eeeediot!" (Ren, "Ren & Stimpy") (Never saw the show.)

_"You're fired!" (Donald Trump, "The Apprentice") (Never saw the show.)

Punctuation, the Julie Way!

Julie's very interested in what "they" call prereading and prewriting activities these days; she frequently asks what signs and packages say and she loves to practice writing words (I dictate each letter to her). Today she was looking at something and asked, "Mom, does an upside-down i mean you're screaming?" I had to think for a moment until I realized what she was getting at.

EEEIIIWOOOOOWWWWQZAAW!

Clearly, Ze Frank has witnessed far too many of our family Scrabble games.

More Statistics

This site is similar to one I posted about last month; you plug in your ZIP code and out pops all kinds of statistical info about your community. But this one comes with lists! I love lists! Who'da thunk that 8 of the top 20 Least Racially Diverse Cities would be in Pennsylvania, or that 31 of the top 100 Safest Cities were right here in Mass.? Can you name the 10 Biggest Cities in the U.S. (population-wise)?

Hated It!

Premiere Magazine has come out with a list of the 20 Most Overrated Films of All Time. Drumroll, please:

1. American Beauty - I liked this one.
2. Chicago - This was enjoyable light, fluffy stuff but not even close to "Best Picture" material.
3. Clerks - I liked this and thought it was clever and innovative; I don't think it's so highly rated as to be considered overrated, though, do you? It's still pretty much an underground film to most of mainstream America.
4. Fantasia - Saw it a hundred years ago, recall being somewhat bored.
5. Field of Dreams - I hate Amy Maddigan so much, it's hard to get past that. This was a nice enough movie—really, you'd have to be a Scrooge to think otherwise, no?
6. Chariots of Fire - I thought it was OK when I saw it but never had any inclination to see it again. Lauren calls it "Chariots of Stupid." 'Nuff said.
7. Good Will Hunting - I liked this a lot, except for Robin Williams as a Southie denizen: NO WAY.
8. Forrest Gump - Horrible. Horrible. Horrible.
9. Jules and Jim - Never saw it.
10. A Beautiful Mind - From my own review: "I was surprised that I liked 'A Beautiful Mind' as much as I did. I guess I'm starting to think Russell Crowe can act. The movie was way too slow, but I liked the story and found myself sobbing heavily at the end."
11. Monster's Ball - Unwatchable.
12. Moonstruck - Loved it.
13. Mystic River - From my own review: "I have to admit, I was a little disappointed, probably because I'd been just dying to see this movie for so long. The performances were pretty good, but it just wasn't all it was cracked up to be. It was a little too 'twisty' at the end, and it doesn't give away much to say that Laura Linney's character was a big zero throughout the movie and then had this major soliloquy at the end that just didn't fit. I also continue to be disappointed with all these actors who feel the need to put on a phony Boston accent and mess it up. Just don't bother, guys!"
14. Nashville - We won't be dissing Robert Altman less than a week after his death, my friends.
15. The Wizard of Oz - Overrated? Are you serious?
16. An American in Paris - Don't remember ever seeing it.
17. Easy Rider - This is a classic, and should remain so. Yes, it gets boring in parts, but it's a crucial piece of Americana now.
18. The Red Shoes - Never even heard of it.
19. 2001: A Space Odyssey - B-O-R-I-N-G.
20. Gone with the Wind - Loved it.

A New Record!

I did today's SET puzzle in 39 seconds! And all the while I was grousing that I'm not as fast with my trackpad as with a mouse. w00t!

Pucker Up

I thought my Thanksgiving cranberry relish was too tart this year; other people adored it and demanded the recipe. For those who are a little tart like things a little tart too, here you go:

Cranberry and Dried-Cherry Relish

In a large saucepan, combine 1 12-oz. package fresh (or frozen, unthawed) cranberries, 1 cup dried cherries (I used dried Bing cherries from Trader Joe's), 1 cup sugar, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until most berries have burst and liquid is syrupy, 20–25 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Cover, pressing plastic wrap directly on surface of relish; refrigerate.

Andy 3, Boxes 0

First came the cereal box.
Then the CD box.
Now it's the cracker box:

[Did he think that "OPEN OTHER END" was a mistake? Or a trick? We'll never know.]

Parsley Bounty

A couple of days before Thanksgiving, Cosmo and Madeline called in a panic because a frost was predicted; would I please take some of their last parsley harvest? Certainly! I will just chop up the leaves in my Cuisinart and store it in the freezer, so I can have "fresh" parsley year-round.

Liquid Gold

(That's 9 quarts of turkey stock, made yesterday and popped into the freezer for future enjoyment.)

Continued Email Woes

Comcast still can't figure out why some of my incoming email is getting bounced back by their spam blockers. If you are having trouble sending a message to me, please replace the "comcast.net" part of my address with "gmail.com" and I'll get it that way. I seem to be getting all of my blog comments from TypePad, so hallelujah for that!

Good Nibble for Cocktail Hour

Spicy Cheese Crisps

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4–1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper. (I used a rounded 1/4 teaspoonful, and that had just enough "kick" for me.) Add 8 ounces (2 cups) finely grated cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened unsalted butter; work with hands until a dough forms.

Transfer to a sheet of waxed paper. Form into 1 1/2-inch-diameter log; roll up tightly in paper. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours (or cover wrapped log in plastic and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month—no need to thaw before continuing).

Preheat oven to 400°. Slice dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds (discard ends if desired); arrange 1 inch apart on baking sheets. Bake until edges are golden, 16–18 minutes; transfer crisps to a rack to cool. (I stored them in an airtight container between layers of paper towels to absorb excess grease.)

Friday iPod Random Ten

1. The Finer Things - Steve Winwood
2. Friend of the Devil - Chris Smither
3. Dead Egyptian Blues - Michael Smith
4. The Guns of Brixton - The Clash
5. Nite Klub - The Specials
6. Redemption Song - Bob Marley & The Wailers
7. Push Button - Paul Weller
8. Wild Horses (live) - Elvis Costello & Lucinda Williams
9. Darling Pretty - Mark Knopfler
10. Return of the Grievous Angel - Lucinda Williams & David Crosby

Friday's Feast

The first two questions were ones I submitted (although I didn't win the Amazon gift card)!

Appetizer: Have you ever changed a flat tire by yourself?
No.

Soup: Do you have an "innie" or an "outie" belly button?
Innie.

Salad: Name a new paint color and describe it.
Squash—light, bright orange. (Sorry, still eating leftovers here!)

Main Course: What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Eating Thanksgiving dinner with family.

Dessert: If you were a cookie, what kind of cookie would you be, and why?
I'd be a chocolate-chip cookie, because everyone would love me best.

Thanks

Every Thanksgiving I post the same thing:

I am thankful for my loving family and our (generally) good health. I am thankful for my comfortable home and caring friends. I am thankful for peace in my corner of the planet.

And thanks to all my friends in the blogosphere, who inspire me every day. Best wishes to all.

Erev Thanksgiving

I know I haven't been terribly helpful with Thanksgiving recipes this year, but that's because I'm mostly recycling last year's favorites. There are a few new ones—I'll let you tomorrow know how they turned out! All I can say now is that when Turkey #1 came out of the oven today all brown and beautiful, I heaved a sigh of relief. Even if Turkey #2 is a disaster tomorrow, everyone will get a taste of turkey.

Wiki Wednesday

Time to learn something!

1. Go to Wikipedia.
2. Click on "Random article" in the left-hand sidebar box.
3. Post it!

Here's mine:

Prabha Atre (b. 1932, Pune) is an eminent Indian vocalist of Kirana Gharana of music. Her contribution to music has gained her several awards, including Padma Bhushan (2002), which is among the highest civilian awards of the Republic of India.

RIP, Robert Altman

No more new movies from Robert Altman—now there's a sad thought. I'm way overdue to rewatch "The Player" and "Short Cuts." I think he was a genius.

The Last Days of Truffletown

We met last night at Sara's to admire her many cats, eat chocolate-covered pretzels and chocolate-coated shortbread and chocolate truffles (Oh. My. God.), and . . . something else . . . what was it? Oh yes, it was our book group!

We read The Last Days of Dogtown by Anita Diamant. One person liked the book very much, one person disliked it very much, and the rest of us were somewhere in the middle. It's more a series of scenes and vignettes than a true novel; that is, it doesn't have one major plotline or even one major theme. It mostly just provides a slice of life during the early nineteenth century in a desolate coastal area of northern Massachusetts. The community is dying, and we get to know its last few residents: freed slaves (presented and treated in an overly PC way), prostitutes, hard-working families, scoundrels, and so on. The characters are extremely two-dimensional; the bad people are irredeemably so (and they all die badly) and the good people nearly angelic (and they all survive or at least die in loving arms). So: not the most compelling reading around, but certainly not a waste of time. And those truffles! Heavens to Betsy.

Next up: Waiting by Ha Jin.

Dear Judith Regan

Dear Judith Regan:

I'm leaning toward believing your explanation for why you would publish that murderer's confession. Please consider putting your money where your mouth is and donate ALL NET PROCEEDS from the sale of OJ Simpson's book to organizations that help women escape from living in abusive relationships.

[If you agree, please send an email in support of this idea to Regan in care of the NY Post. Props to Roxanne and Amanda for the idea.]

Update: The book and the Fox TV show have been canceled! This is a stunningly unprecedented development. Wow. (Hat tip to James for letting me know.)

Movies

"Liam" is a good, small movie, about anti-Jewish and anti-Irish sentiment in Depression-era England. Really strong performances and a tight little plot make this a solid winner, although terribly sad. Anne Reid has a nice role as a Catholic school teacher, who is surprisingly kind but woefully misguided.

You know exactly what you're getting if you rent "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism": a scathing expose of Fox and all its lovely personalities. No big news or surprises here, but it makes for interesting viewing if you're of a particular persuasion. Like me.

Harvey Keitel must have been playing Mother Theresa all these years, because now I've seen him in "Bad Lieutenant" and I'm afraid. Holy shit. Not for the weak of heart or stomach.

I fell asleep during "Postmen in the Mountains" and felt no need to watch the rest the next day. It's about a rural Chinese postman. Nice, but not even remotely compelling.

I'm Just a Girl Who Can't Say No

What could possibly have possessed me take on a freelance project during a weekend (bad enough, just for starters) when I haven't yet begun my book club book for the meeting on Monday (totally unlike me), and I'm scrambling to get ready for Thanksgiving dinner for 20 on Thursday (silent scream)? What was I thinking?

What Classic Movie Are You?

I am . . .

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Phooey—I'm not entirely sure I ever saw that one; if I did, I don't remember it at all.

Friday iPod Random Ten

1. Bertha - Los Lobos            
2. Take a Look at My Heart -  John Prine
3. Cryin' Shame - Lyle Lovett 
4. Child of the Wild Blue Yonder - John Hiatt
5. Clampdown - The Clash
6. Blue Skies (live) - Eva Cassidy
7. Goodbye Girl - Squeeze
8. I'd Rather Be Lonely (live) - Loudon Wainwright III
9. Vx Fx Dx - Michelle Shocked
10. The Beast in Me - Martin Sexton

Friday's Feast

Appetizer: Do you believe there is intelligent life on other planets?
Not in our solar system, but probably elsewhere.

Soup: What is one thing you said you'd never do, but you eventually did?
Well, I don't think I ever used the word "never," but I did have doubts about having kids—and now look at me!

Salad: Who is the teacher that influenced you the most in school?
In high school my senior AP English teacher, Mr. James, treated us like adults and made me want to be an English major in college. He said, "I don't take attendance here. If you want to skip my class, it's your loss." He didn't make us sign out our books either; he said, "If you love one of these books so much that you want to keep it, then I've done my job and you're welcome to it." Very refreshing, at least in those days!

Main Course: If you could trade places with anyone for one day, who would it be and why?
I suppose it would be Johnny Depp's wife, and I don't think we need to go into the details on why.

Dessert: What is your favorite dish to prepare?
Oh, I have no idea. I love trying new recipes.

Photos Not Taken

Julie at Mental Tesserae did an interesting meme today: Name 13 photos you wish you had taken when you had the chance. Most of mine are from my childhood, since my parents were not much in the way of shutterbugs.

1. A nice clear shot of the teenaged me with Grandma Dora.
2. A nice clear shot of the teenaged me with Grandpa.
3. Photos of me in all my various childhood Halloween costumes.
4. A from-the-doorway view of every bedroom I've ever lived in, from childhood through college and various apartments, right up till now.
5. Discreet photos of me nursing the kids. There's only one, and it's not really a good one. That was such a huge part of my life for years, and I like to be reminded of it now and again. I remember the first time I nursed Julie in her room. I shut the door and sat down in the rocking chair, then gasped because I hadn't realized there was a full-length mirror on the back or the door, so I was startled by the reflection. I gazed at us in that mirror for many, many hours over those 18 months or so.

Well, even though that's only 5, categories 3, 4, and 5 would total well more than 13.

Parenting Strategies Observed at Disney World

1. Child picks up toy at gift shop. Dad says, "Put that back. You already have that at home." Child throws tantrum. Dad buys toy.

2. Mom gets out camera and pushes small child toward Mickey Mouse. Child says, "I don't want to go." Mom says brightly, "Oh, come on, it'll be great!" Child refuses. Mom continues to try to persuade, although in ever-testier voice. Child finally pleads, "But I don't want to!" Mom snaps, tersely, "Fine. Then don't." and takes child by hand and stomps off.

3. Child with Princess Hairdo starts to pull on hoodie sweatshirt. Mom says, "Don't do that. You'll mess up your hair."

A Few Vacation Photos of the Kids

Imprisoned with Zurg:

The obligatory shot with Mickey and Minnie:

Excellent face-painting:

Email Problems?

Sorry if you've been trying to email me the last day or two; Comcast seems to be activating some kind of spamware that bounces everything back. Which explains why I had practically no messages waiting for me after vacation!

Wiki Wednesday

Time to learn something!

1. Go to Wikipedia.
2. Click on "Random article" in the left-hand sidebar box.
3. Post it!

Here's what turned up today:

The 1977 San Juan earthquake was a major seismic movement that took place in the province of San Juan, Argentina, on 23 November 1977, at 09:26:23 AM. It recorded magnitude 7.4 in the Richter scale. Its epicenter was at 31°02′23″S, 67°45′36″W, and at a depth of 17 km. It was felt with grade IX in the Mercalli intensity scale.

The earthquake caused fatal victims and grave damages to buildings throughout the province, especially in the city of Caucete, where 65 people died. It also caused slight damage in the north of the Greater Mendoza metropolitan area.

I'm thinking hoping this one wasn't written by a native English speaker.

Quick Trip Recap

I promise more details later (but not too many details); here are the key points for now:

• We had a terrific vacation.
• The weather was perfect every day.
• The kids turned out to be very good travelers.
• We all had a blast.
• We generated an obscene amount of laundry.
• The bills didn't stop coming just because we were away.
• There is no food in the house.
• We are all going to bed early.

Back atcha tomorrow!

That's Odd, She Never Misses a Day of Blogging...

Sorry I haven't been blogging this weekend. Did I mention what we did on Friday? Here's your first clue:

No idea? How about this:

And if that doesn't give it away, this will:

Yes! We went away on a trip! Where? This ought to make it pretty clear:

You got it: We're at Disney World! And we're having a spectacular time. The kids are out of their minds: first time flying, first time staying in a hotel, first time going anywhere even remotely as cool as this! Right now they're swimming in our sand-bottom pool with Daddy while I sneak in a little online time. More details to come.

Friday iPod Random Ten

1. Baby James - Casey Dienel
2. The Beast in Me - Martin Sexton
3. Stir It Up (live) - Dave Matthews
4. Clay Pigeons - John Prine
5. Eyes of a Painter (live) - Kate Wolf
6. Moondance (live) - Greg Brown
7. You Don't Want to Know - Loudon Wainwright III
8. Nobody But You - Cormac McCarthy
9. Sweet Is the Melody - Iris Dement
10. Walkin' Man - Guy Clark

What He Said

I wanted to say a bunch more stuff about Bush and the election results, but Ricky said it all, and well, so just go here.

Belated Wiki Wednesday

I was so busy basking in the election afterglow yesterday that I neglected my own meme! So, without further ado:

Time to learn something!

1. Go to Wikipedia.
2. Click on "Random article" in the left-hand sidebar box.
3. Post it!

Mine is a "stub":

Friction Drive or Friction Engine is a type of motor that instead of a chain uses 2 wheels on the engine to spin the main wheel. This kind of engine is often used on scooters, mainly go-peds, in place of a chain.

This technology-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

What, do I have to do everything around here?

B'Bye, Macaca!

That was fast! I was prepared for a few weeks—or even months—of recounts.

I'm stunned. Almost every single race for Governor, Senator, and Representative went to a Dem. I can barely believe it. (Updated 11/9 to say "almost"—thanks, Leah!)

Some huge disappointments, however, with ballot questions. Worst of all were Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin, which all voted to amend their state constitutions to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. For shame! For shame! (Arizona is still too close to call—c'mon people, do something right over there! And Colorado, which already has such a law in place, has gone a step further and refused to legalize domestic partnerships, which would give same-sex couples the same legal protections as married couples.)

More bad news: Florida will amend the state constitution to require notification of the parent or guardian of a minor before an abortion. (California and Oregon voters rejected a similar ballot initiative, and South Dakota rejected a measure that would ban all abortions.)

And good old Arizona felt the need to pass a law to make English the official language of the state. Well, good, I feel better about that now. </heavy sarcasm>

For My Mac-Lovin' Democrat Friends

(via Boing Boing)

Love Is Blue

I'm positively giddy today! Where to begin...?

1. My guy, Deval Patrick, handily beat that horrible Kerry Healey for governor of Mass. We now have our first black governor, and I like him. A LOT!
2. Patrick is only part of the nationwide sweep of governorships—more are blue than red now!
3. We got the House back! We got the House back! We got the House back! And we have a woman for Speaker!
4. I'm still holding out hope that we'll get the Senate too, but from what I can gather, it could be weeks before we know. I'm doubly hoping for Webb to win—the other reason is that Allen is so very despicable.
5. B'bye, Santorum! B'bye!

and a drumroll please:

6. So long, Rumsfeld! Clean out your desk and get lost! Yee-Ha!

Woo-Hoo!

Where's your mandate now, George?

Geeks Who Can't Spell

Would it have killed the Geek Squad to run a spell-check? Sheesh.

And nowhere on their site can I find an email address, so I guess I'll have to call....

The Platinum Rule

Many years ago, I attended a two-week-long management training seminar. A lot of it was surprisingly worthwhile, and I still remember some of it. Here's my favorite bit: The instructor said that we'd all been brought up with The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Right? Well, what if someone doesn't want to be treated the way you want to be treated, what then? She told us to consider The Platinum Rule: Do unto others as they would have you do unto them. Think about it.

Here are some examples from the workplace:

1. You always like to be given an opportunity to speak at meetings, so you assume others do too. You thus call on someone else to give her opinion, and this person did not wish to speak, so she blushes and sputters something. She prefers to wait and think about everything she's heard before giving her opinion, and you've really put her on the spot and made her uncomfortable.

2. You like to be kept apprised of every little detail of what your subordinates are doing, so you assume that your boss does too. You tell him every little thing, until he's ready to tear his hair out. He'd prefer to just hear about the big things, or at least just the problems. He feels you're wasting his time.

3. When given a new project, you like to dive right in and discuss it with your boss. One of your subordinates, however, prefers to spend an hour or two alone, going over the files and jotting down questions, before discussing it with you. So when you plunk a project down on his desk and say, "Let's talk about this," he's caught off guard.

4. You keep your door open and welcome anyone who wants to walk right and ask you something. One of your colleagues, on the other hand, would much prefer a knock on the door before being interrupted.

And so on. You get the picture.

But here's the cool part: It applies to life too! Try these on for size:

1. You buy your friend a pair of long, wild, dangly earrings for her birthday. You wish you had them yourself! However, she usually wears pearls.

2. When you come home from work, you'd like a few minutes to decompress alone with the mail and a drink. So when your spouse comes home, you likewise give her some peace and quiet. However, she would prefer to start chatting and catching up right away, so she feels miffed.

3. You think it would be so much fun to have a surprise birthday party, so you plan one for your brother. But oops! He is the last person on earth who wants to be surprised about anything.

4. When you're sick, you want to be left alone. Period. So when your spouse is sick, you leave him alone. He, however, would prefer to be coddled and cared for.

See? It's easy. Now, granted, The Golden Rule still pretty much works for kids ("You wouldn't like to be called 'stupid,' so don't call him stupid." "You wouldn't like to be pinched, so don't pinch her."), but grownups need this new and improved rule. Treat people they way they want to be treated. Makes sense, no?

Who Will Be 44?

I'm having such fun learning all the U.S. presidents in order, thanks to Deb. See her original post here and the latest installment here. I do love mnemonic devices of all kinds, and so far these work. I'd like to contribute one myself but so far haven't come up with anything worthy.

I Can Vote

DontVote.org's mission is to combat the "Get out the Vote" movement that is pushed by organizations that would like to increase the number of uneducated voters to help their cause. DontVote.org encourages people to Vote, but only AFTER they have educated themselves on the policies and individuals for which they are voting. Voting should be considered a privilege and exercised with responsibility and discretion. Just like a final exam, responsible voting requires self-education and thought. When the time comes to cast your ballot, if you don't know for what or whom you're voting, then DON'T VOTE.

You scored 318 out of 350 possible points, or 90.86%

You should definitely vote.

In truth, I took educated guesses on a couple. One I got entirely wrong (both parts) and two I got just the second part wrong. How'd you do? (Via Susan)

Because Enquiring Minds Want to Know

The Nag on the Lake should change her handle to The Best Link-Finder on the Lake. My latest steal from her: Seen Reading. Here's what happens: A blogger observes people reading in public, makes a note of approximately where the book is opened to, goes to a bookstore to find the relevant passage, and gives us a clever little bio of each person. I love this.