catch a bit of rock music

oh, dear. they look exactly like the Bargainville liner notes (thanks to JJR on FHDC for the hookup):



Reminds me, though, as did my conversation with Vid this past weekend, that there really isn't another band like them. And I miss them, I do. Not actively or passionately, like I used to, but they brought a lot of joy into my life and opened a lot of doors, and for that, I'll always be grateful--if a bit wistfully so anymore.

(But for the uninitiated? They didn't always look so ridiculous, promise.)

not saying not charmed at all

early morning blog! mostly because I zonked out at 11pm last night and tried to get up really early today to make up for it... but ended up snoozing 45 minutes anyway. (I think this always happens, honestly.) Wedding was beautiful. Seeing my college friends again was SO MUCH FUN. Annapolis was charming. And I'm absolutely terrified about how far behind in everything I am.

Nevertheless, here's a fantastic article/book review from Salon about iPod's 5th birthday and Steven Levy's new tome about its success. I find the article particularly resonating because I was literally saying this exact thing to Supermarj in the car yesterday:

"Listening to an album you've never heard before is work; it requires time, patience, and attention. You can't do it half-assed. But when you play your new album on your iPod, there's always the lure of all those other tracks, and your mind drifts to all that familiar music, all that stuff you know and don't need to work to appreciate. So you inevitably start playing the same stuff over and over."

This phenomenon (coupled with how relentlessly busy I am) is why I didn't have any new artists to tell my friends about when they asked at the wedding reception who they should be listening to. I sang the Decemberists' praises, of course, but what did I listen to on the plane on the way over? Why, Sufjan's "Majesty Snowbird," which is a new song but not a new artist (and not even released yet--it was a live cut--so it definitely didn't count), then R.E.M.'s "Make It All Okay" (listening to songs by alphebetical order), then I wanted to hear EFO's "Baltimore," given where I was flying, and it was followed shortly thereafter by Blur's "Bang" and R.E.M again ("Bang and Blame"), then four versions of "Crazy" (by Gnarls Barkley, R.E.M. a third time, Tori Amos and Seal)... and nothing remotely resembling an up-and-coming new artist to tell my friends about. Sigh. I truly fear that my musical attention span is shot, and there's not a thing I can do about it.

Time to go to class. Hard to believe it's the last week in October. The next month is going to be crazy-go-nuts, I fear.

think I'll write a book

oh, and in case you were wondering how hot my fellow college senior singing group ladies are, three years later?

SO hot:



Thank you, law firms, for paying for my plane ticket out there two weekends ago. I'm really, really glad I got to see everyone again. And since I might be back in New Haven for New Year's...? Any law firm want to pay for that ticket, too? Yeah, I didn't think so. Oh, well.

I'm not tired, I just sleep

I am so glad that for the first time in three weeks (and only the second time since Sept 1) I don't have to get up early Thursday morning and go to the airport.

(I have to get up early Friday morning and go to the airport... but my interview portfolio is staying behind, because I don't think anyone at my college suitemate's wedding wants my resume.)

Anyway, I'm constantly busy but I feel like I'm not doing anything interesting. That's not totally true: I saw two excellent but incredibly different concerts last weekend. Beck was Saturday, and he was awesome, puppets and all. I've had "Devil's Haircut" in my head all afternoon and the concert was days ago. So entertaining on so many levels. Sunday was Ellis Paul, who played and played (and played), and while I might've preferred a shorter, more cohesive setlist, he was incredibly entertaining (and since Schuba's pours such excellent Guinness, I treated myself and the Boy to a couple rounds). But I'm just so behind in everything that it's hard to feel any great sense of accomplishment about anything, so I suppose I ought to go get something done this evening (like more research for my journal comment, or staring off into space, or whatever).

[Oh, and confidential to Rimbo: no, I haven't forgotten about your CD review. But the editors of the law school newspaper are also 2Ls, and my guess is that they're too busy to put out a full issue right now. As soon as I get word that they're taking submissions, I'll get on it, promise.]

double dutch to a real double duchess

so, hi.

I haven't been around much lately, both literally and figuratively. I'm blogging now, in fact, from the worst hotel room in NYC. (That's probably an exaggeration, but my room is wee, there is ONE outlet, and the bathroom is so dim I had to go to my interview this morning wondering whether my blush looked appropriate or clownish, because I couldn't tell.)

But I've had some pretty great run-ins with PA music recently, so that's what I'm going to blather on about:

First--Quizno's. I've said it before and I'll say it again: this sub chain plays good freaking music. I walked in on Tegan and Sara and walked out on Tracy Bonham's gorgeous "Something Beautiful," smoked turkey-on-focaccia-no-onions-and-half-sauce-please in hand.

Next--Starbucks at 53rd (?) and 8th. They had some kind of bizarre trip-hop going when I walked in, but they switched it to Elvis Costello and XTC's "Senses Working Overtime" right before I left for my interview, which I (rightly) took as an auspicious sign for how my day would turn out.

Finally--my hotel room might suck, but the lobby is posh as hell, and in the elevator? Kaiser Chiefs' "I Was Born to Be a Dancer." Not my fave song on the album, but it did remind me that I haven't listened to them in awhile and I could stand to do so. Like, right now.

Also, I'm totally tipsy on one glass of wine. I'm the world's cheapest date.

Goodbye, New York. We'll see each other again next summer, I'm sure, or possibly sooner, if I decide I need to "meet more people" someplace prior to Dec. 1. Now, the hard part of deciding begins, and I don't know what I'm going to do. Sigh.

he's got a dirty mind

Grey's Anatomy? Playing the Pipettes right now.

Supermarj is right--the producers of this show and I seem to be on the exact same musical wavelength.

Also? I give really punchy interviews on 3 hours of sleep. Here's to hoping it's seen as "endearing" and not "bizarre."

mc escher's my favorite mc

Since Weird Al's enjoying his highest Billboard debut ever with Straight Outta Lynwood, I figured it was as good a time as any to redirect you to one person's take on The 10 Best Weird Al Videos of All Time.

Oh, and for something completely different:



(can you tell I turned in my paper and actually get to spend time hanging out with friends this weekend? hooray!)

filibuster vigilantly

It's late, I'm tired, and I have miles to go (well, at least a half-mile, give or take a few yards) on my Supreme Court paper before I sleep. But I thought you would all be pleased to know that the LaGuardia mouse is still alive! Though upon closer inspection I'm pretty sure it was a different mouse, because I think tonight's mousie was a little smaller. But still. The wildlife is definitely the best part of flying out of an empty terminal on American's last flight of the day (though it actually left on time at 8:20pm, not a delightfully delayed 11:30pm).

The not-so-best part of flying American? When your 6:05 am flight is cancelled but you only find out when you arrive at the airport, after having woken up at 4. Ugh. I can't believe I'm not in bed right now.

the hardest part

You win some, you lose some. From today's rollingstone.com mailer:

* COLDPLAY is contemplating a five-year break so that members of the band can focus on their families. "It's going to be a long, long time before you hear a new album from us," frontman CHRIS MARTIN told reporters. "We've done a few things, but we're all enjoying having families at the moment."

* All the rumors and broken promises regarding GUNS N' ROSES' long-delayed "Chinese Democracy" may soon result in an actual record. A press release announcing dates for the band's North American fall tour (which kicks off October 20th in Jacksonville, Florida) alluded to a possible release before the end of the year. "The only comment at this time is that there are thirteen Tuesdays left between now and the end of the year," the statement read cryptically.

Also, you may or may not notice that last night's rant is missing. I'm not in the habit of deleting posts, really, but it felt bitchier than necessary, so it's gone. I'm feeling a little more in control of things, too, though the paper's still not done and will probably have to be worked on tomorrow while I travel, which will SUCK. guh. Anyway. Happy monday--hope it's not pouring down rain where you are.

trading her MG for a white Chrysler LeBaron

I'm really starting to get used to this high-roller lifestyle.

In the past week, thanks to a law firm reception and 3 alumni weekend events here at the law school, I've had so much good wine, good hors d'oeuvres, good entrees and AMAZING desserts that I'm not sure I'm going to be able to return to my microwaved-veggie-burger-and-space-rice monotony without some kicking and screaming. Seriously, there was a chocolate fountain last night. One of the 1Ls working the event with me commented that he felt like he'd crashed somebody's wedding. It's always a little awkward as a student volunteer wandering around the alumni reunion--the alums are almost universally way more interested in talking with their former classmates than with you, but you're there anyway, eating their stuffed chicken and lemon tarts and drinking their wine and cocktails. Hard to beat a free meal and a $15 gift card to Barnes & Noble, though (even if it does mean that the short paper I intended to have done by this afternoon has yet to really get off the ground. Sigh).

I also raced for the cure yesterday morning, which was a ton of fun--I've never participated in a 5K race before, and oh, the swag you get afterwards! The downside was, of course, the fact that I'm pretty sure the last time I went running was before CEDARPOINT OMG, and I didn't pace myself very well. I was all GO GO GO at the start of the race, but after passing the first mile marker I felt like I was going to throw up and had to cut waaaay back. Averaged a 10-min mile, which is nothing to scream from the rooftops, but it's still an accomplishment in my book.

Need to hit the store if I want soda to drink and lunchmeat to eat in the coming week... though I suppose I'm going to be gone so much that it probably doesn't matter whether I stock up or not. It was so nice just being HOME this weekend. I don't want to go to the airport again! I don't want to! I have classes and papers and out of class work and the new TV season to watch and and and... gah. Being a 2L sucks. Someone tell me how it came to be October already? *sigh*

bring it on, bring it on, yeah

Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, I watched the season premiere of Veronica Mars at tv.msn.com at, um, school today. It requires Internet Explorer (....), so rather than go through the hassle of connecting one of my old PCs to the internet, I took a pair of headphones and used one of the (snazzy new) computers in the Lexis Lab. While I know better than to spoil things for those amongst you who watch the show (which should be ALL OF YOU, boys included, because what's not to like about a hot blonde girl who kicks ass and solves crimes?), I will say that I'm so glad to have the characters back again, but I worry that it's not enough to snag those folks out there who aren't already fans. I mean, the Keith storyline confused me and I haven't missed a single episode of this darn show (I'm hoping the TWoP recap will enlighten me). Oh, well--my fingers are crossed. If woxy can experience rebirth, why not our beloved Veronica on her spiffy new network, eh?

sunshine and chocolate

I just got brownies in the mail! From a law firm! Brownies by mail! I realize they probably do this for everyone, and I shudder to think what their recruitment budgets are (I remember chipping in to buy brownies-by-mail for my college suitemate five years ago, and they were Not Cheap), but boy, do I feel special. And with NALP deadlines for holding offers open fast approaching, I'm going to have to start paring my list of firms down, but this process becomes all the more difficult when there's chocolate involved. Brownies! Wow. I could really get used to this whole being-recruited thing.

in a/v club and glee club and even the chess team

So, I posted this on our group blog, but since I've watched it, oh, seven times in the last 24 hours, I feel compelled to post about it here, as well. Go on, check it out--it's pretty much the best video ever made.

in your own world

It's been awhile since I posted about music, which sucks, because that was one of the primary intents behind this blog initially. And having just heard really, really fantastic sample tracks from the new Joseph Arthur and Now It's Overhead albums, I felt obliged to point you guys in that general direction and say, "Go! Go and get!" Joseph Arthur is just all-around amazing, both as musical collaborator and as musician in his own right, so I'm really excited to hear more of his new stuff. I have a soft spot in my heart for Now It's Overhead, though, as it's thanks to them that I saw R.E.M. a second time--for free! on a guest list!--so I'm happy to endorse their new album without reservation. They sound more mature--there are more layers to their songs, but they still retain the haunting musical aesthetic that I associate with Andy LeMaster's work. Both albums are out now, so nothing's stopping you from getting them IMMEDIATELY. Go. Shoo.

Back so soon? Well, I realized that I never wrote about the end of woxy's broadcasts, but maybe that's for the best, as Bill Nguyen is in talks with the owners to resurrect it. Woxy's a phoenix, no doubt. It would be amazing if things work out to keep it afloat, but I'm not getting my hopes up until the audio stream is online again.

Now, if you'll pardon me, I have a journal outline to finish (narrgh) and a burgeoning head cold to nurse. *snif*

don't know when I'll be back again

Another first: blogging from the airport. Five hours ago I balked at the thought of paying $8 for wi fi here at LaGuardia; however, now that my plane has been delayed from 6:45 until 10:30 (and we'll probably sit on the runway for a couple of hours before we're allowed to take off, since every other flight out of Chicago this evening has done so), the $8 seems like money well spent. At this point, I'm hoping my stupid flight home doesn't turn into a red eye, for crying out loud.

More pressingly, however, there's a little grey mouse running around the empty concourse. The floor's pretty gross--lots of food debris, ergo lots of good pickins for the little fella--and he's so skittish. He's probably not long for this world, but maybe he's a fighter. I'd probably be freaked if he were in my apartment, but in this big, empty airport terminal, I don't mind the company. You keep on truckin', li'l brudder. Keep on truckin'.

the waiters are all stars

Greetings from NYC! I'm paying $12.95 for the privilege of having internet access in my room (grr), so I figured I may as well blog it up to make the most of it. I have an interview this afternoon--well, in an hour--so I can't stay long, but a conversation with a friend in the airport while wating for my plane to board got me thinking about the food I'm expensing to firms. With four interviews under my belt (though one was local, which means they got off really cheaply), I've sent in receipts for:
3 tall Starbucks Awake teas
2 Starbucks lowfat lemon muffins
1 Starbucks espresso brownie
2 Pretzel Time pretzels, one with cheddar cheese
1 lowfat cranberry muffin (possibly the best muffin I've had in recent memory)
1 ABP mediterranean salad (purchased outside the sterile zone, but the packet o' salad dressing was still allowed through the x-ray machines. SUSPICIOUS. Vinaigrette bombs are next, mark my words.)
...and assorted beverages (diet coke, vitamin water, etc.).

I was kind of worried that they'd take one look at my carb-heavy diet and deny me an offer simply on the basis of potentially-diabetes-related insurance costs, but it's really not as bad as I thought (though I foresee several more Awake teas and lemon muffins in my future). Also, since this hotel provides no free continental breakfast (boo--it's probably really gauche that I prefer Fairfield Inn and Suites to gussied-up places like this, but at least there the internet is free and the cereal is plentiful), I'm probably going to order up room service tomorrow morning. I think I've only had room service once in my life, and that was so long ago I'm fairly sure my age was still in single digits.

And a final food-related thought: I have a really difficult time sleeping on planes, partly because I have to be a vigilant ear-popper on ascent/descent, and that takes up a good hour of the flight. But more importantly, I just can't stand to miss out on my free drink and snack. Seriously. I will wake myself up if I hear the flight attendants rattling around on the cart nearby. Those Biscoff cookies or bbq soy nut snack packs will NOT pass me by, no sirree, even if it means curtailing some much-needed shut-eye.

(Oh, and I have two offers now. Hooray! Not only do I have a job, but I have a choice!)

loud and clear we all shout and cheer

I'm increasingly impressed at what a small world the internet really is.

See, in my efforts not to read this long article for my Supreme Court class tomorrow, I breezed by the 2 Skinnee J's message boards, as I do from time to time, just to see if there was anything new about the band's status. Instead, I find a link to this message board talking about "Nerdcore in '04" and how the Js were at the front of a movement (kind of). So I scroll down, and lo and behold, there I am. Er, I mean, there's a link to my website, in reference to the fact that I alerted friend Misch to their musical goodness via my college radio show. Crazy. Maybe not WHOA-unheard-of crazy, but weird enough.

And if you're looking for music to work out to, it doesn't get much better than Volumizer, really. I intend to make a kick-ass workout playlist for the 5k run I'm doing in two weeks (am I training? not so much. It'll be a big ol' character-building test of will), and "Horns of Destruction" is going to be front and center, no question.

maybe I'm crazy, maybe diminished

Things I can't deal with right now:

1) Comcast. I clearly spoke too soon last week when I was all elated at the repairman coming early. The LINE TECHNICIANS can't seem to get their act together, because my cable's still unwatchable, and I've spent an hour on the phone today trying to get that information through to someone on their end. FINALLY got a helpful person on the other end of the line who promised to call me tomorrow with more info, because their computer system is down right now. *headdesk* I just want to watch The Office without fuzz! Is that too much to ask? (NBC's the worst. The other channels aren't great, but NBC is absolutely unwatchable. Sigh.)

2) My bathtub. It keeps backing up, but not when I'm using it. Random times. And it's sewer water, so it smells like sewer and leaves little black hunks of stuff in the tub. I shudder to think what those little black hunks are. My whole apartment smells like sewer when this happens, and it's not pleasant and DEFINITELY not sanitary, and maintenance won't be back till monday, but it's SO GROSS AND I CAN'T DEAL WITH IT.

3) Laundry. Why can't it wash itself? I don't have three hours to spend messing with you tomorrow, Laundry, but I must, or I won't have shirts to wear to interviews, sheets to lie on, or towels to dry off with. Fie on you, laundry. Fie.
[See also (3a) Ironing--but we'll cross that complaint once the clothes are clean and dry, thanks.]

4) Snow Patrol. Damnit, your concert was supposed to be THREE MONTHS AGO, when I had TIME to go to concerts. I DO NOT WANT TO SPEND ALL NIGHT SEEING YOU TONIGHT, but I spent the money and I'm not missing it. I might have a (begrudgingly) good time. But I would be a lot happier if this were June 10, like it was supposed to be, rather than Sept. 16.

5) Dinner. I'm FREAKING HUNGRY which is probably why I'm so pissed off. Grrrrrrrowl.

joyful and triumphant

For once, I can honestly say that today was one of those good days that everyone blogs about now and again:

I got a job offer! hooray! Now I can proceed through the arduous callback process knowing that I've got SOMEplace to work (and a pretty darn nice place to work, too). I also had a really fun (seriously!) callback yesterday, so even if that offer doesn't come through, I met some supernice people and had a tasty meal. If only I knew how to make mushroom paella myself--I think I might eat it all the time. yum.

We were delayed on the tarmac at LaGuardia this morning (yeah, yeah, when AREN'T you delayed on the tarmac there), and traffic was HORRENDOUS on the way out of O'Hare, so I was really, really worried that I wouldn't get back in time to do my (videotaped!) 3pm negotiation with my classmate. The cab? Rolled up in front of school at 3:04pm. Nearly perfect. (Also, the negotiation went pretty well--I pretended I'd just flown in from a big meeting with a client. Heh heh. whooo. Anyway.)

And perhaps most importantly, today marks a year for The Boy and I! (Coincidentally, we aren't the only ones celebrating an anniversary today. Congrats, you two!) I honestly can't imagine struggling through the highs and lows of law student life without him, mostly because I only struggled through a very little bit of it before he came along. We're going out for tapas tonight to mark the occasion, which is good, because what better way to be festive than to enjoy some dates wrapped in bacon? mmm. bacon.

Tomorrow I research, I read, I write email and work the Lexis lab and get caught up, but I'm taking tonight off. I do believe I've earned it.

the clouds came tumbling down

So, I've said before I'm big on anniversaries. And I've felt, on past anniversaries of this treacherous day, that I genuinely had something to say, that I felt something that I needed to share.

It's odd, then, that today, I'm spent. I've got nothing.

I haven't watched any of the news recaps. I sure as hell didn't watch "The Path to 9/11." I felt no need to see United 93 or World Trade Center earlier this year. I haven't forgotten where I was that morning (German class), what I did that day (voted, under the clearest, emptiest blue sky), even whose music I listened to (Ben Folds), though the intense feelings I had initially have faded, as feelings tend to do. I do still get angry at times, still feel a twinge whenever I see an old photo with the towers spiraling over lower Manhattan, looking so stoic and constant.

But what can I say? We were never as safe as we thought we were, and we're probably not as safe as we think we are now. We re-elected a president who made a mess of our foreign policy in the wake of the tragedies. We accept regulation after regulation of our air travel, as though suffering these minor indignities will somehow atone for those four doomed aircraft on that bright September morning. We live in a different world, perhaps--but in many ways, it's the same world with the veil pulled back. I wish, as we all undoubtedly do, that our nation didn't have to suffer tragic loss to achieve such jaded understanding.

The worst part, though, the part that is keeping me from focusing much on the memories of today, is that I fear the way we've changed is exactly wrong. I worry that I'm not the only one who has lost the big picture, and that really, really frightens me. Saddens me. Drives me to think about other things, most of the time.

But right now, I'm thinking about five years ago, how I stayed up all night with the other Glee Club officers deliberating on our roster and our feelings. How I was lucky not to lose a loved one. How maybe, just maybe, the worst was over, but wondering if, really, the worst was yet to come.

Goodnight, America. Tomorrow's a new day. Tonight, we sleep.