not much

i would probably be considered “rootless” as well if i ran for president. i grew up in seven different states, went to 9 different schools, 3 different colleges (one in italy) and then finally landed here in new york. not that im running for president, but please. the way i see it, when obama became an adult, he chose where he wanted to be (chicago) and stayed there. up until then he didnt really have a choice.

also, im a little sick of people talking about hawaii as if it’s some exotic, utopian, foreign locale with no connection to america. hawaii is a state, folks. we are (oops, THEY are) as american as anyone else. there are local customs and foods that maybe youre unfamiliar with, but try introducing grits or black-eyed peas to any yankee and you’ll see that that holds true for any region in the US. we grew up taking civics classes and social studies classes and learned the constitution the same way people in iowa did. we had racial tensions. we had poverty and wealth. we had all the problems that everybody else had, just the weather was better. and the surfing.

also, i went to the same school he did in hawaii and it’s a fantastic school. it’s also probably the whitest, most elitist school in hawaii so people who are freaking out about the foreign-ness should rest assured, he grew up just as (over)privileged as any other presidential candidate.

im starting to wonder if the american public cares as much about these issues as the media do. i mean, maybe it makes for more exciting stories. it does, actually. but the way i look at it, it makes him a more interesting, more worldly man, with more advantages in that respect than mccain. it assures me that obama is more likely to be reasonable and open-minded. his diverse upbringing should be touted as a positive advantage to his candidacy, not something to be down-played.

there are some fucking lizards or something outside my window at my parents’ house that chirp, squeak, or whatever they do every night as im trying to go to sleep. it’s really annoying, not to mention the fact that i just think about them crawling over me while i sleep.

anyhoo–im down in dallas, hanging out with the family, seeing a couple of friends, basically just chillaxin’. and part of my chillaxin’ includes interweb surfing. since i am a) slightly nerdy b) completely obsessive and c) totally a dork, part of that web surfing includes looking up when the x-files movie is coming on DVD. oh, but can i just say that i am not actually TOTALLY a dork, because despite my being a huge fan of the show and its minutia(e?) and being one of those people who would cross her fingers every week that finally mulder and scully would admit their undying live for one another and live happily ever after, always being rescued at the last second with a mysterious vaccine and never being fatally wounded despite getting shot about every other episode (here she pauses for a breath before continuing to type) i never knew that there is a term for people like me and actually people had internet groups and stuff when the show was on and would go discuss the episodes on list serves or something like that. apparently that term is “shippers” ( deriving from “relationshippers” i assume.) i am actually pretty glad i didnt know about all of this because while i am enjoying reading the episode guides written by “shippers”–and please note i refrain from calling them “fellow ’shippers”‘ because i cant quite go so far as to lump myself in with these superfans–i think it would have possibly turned me off of the show if i realized other people spent more time thinking about it than i did. i think it would have highlighted the absurdity and convolutedness of it all and made it less of my world and more of a world in which other people could come up with alternate dialogue exchanges or a better final scene. i dont know if im explaining this well, but it would have opened up this relationship between mulder, scully, and just me and i would have had to share it with strangers. okay, fine. mulder, scully, me, michelle, and duncan. anyway it’s weird, im not sure what that says about me.

but, i digress. the point of all of this is to say that i went to look up on netflix if the release date was published yet, it wasnt, but i noticed the section of the page that says “this movie was enjoyed by people who enjoyed”

and along with the series DVDs and a couple of i guess horror movies, is “Curly Sue” a movie from which the most memorable quote, according to IMDB, is “These tights itch!… These things stick to your butt!” sigh.

oh, i found out that apparently the show “Bones” has “shippers” too. i really enjoy that show, and i do like the relationship between booth and bones, but please. after three seasons theyre nowhere near the level of sexual tension that mulder and scully had from day one.

it’s weird to be in the position of applying for jobs again. ive always been pretty fortunate and fallen into good jobs. well, job. now i am trying to sell myself for entry level positions that i am in some respects way over-qualified, but in others, entirely UNDER-qualified. i find myself applying to jobs that require a lot of customer service and answering phones. not THAT kind of phone assistance, sheesh. although that probably pays pretty well. im trying to avoid anything with “sales” in the job description. maybe i should never have seen “glengarry glen ross” when i was in high school. or listened to lloyd dobler’s job diatribe in junior high (that i still know pretty much by heart.)

whatever, it’s all just a way to pay rent and tuition. it’s funny. i feel like it was a breeze when i was 19 but now that im 33 it seems so much more daunting. of course, in 1994 my rent was 337.50.

so today i saw this article in the times and it reminded me of my newest favorite video clip. john c reilly may well be a genius.

uh…yeah, so i decided to start writing again. why? maybe ive been watching too much 90s TV, maybe ive been too surprised by an actual readership? maybe ive just realized if i dont write i have no excuse to be bored? who knows.

so, unemployment. the first two months were kind of great. beginning the third month…doubt, second-guessing, fear all have started to set in. i find that i have no problem reading stephen king books, watching X-Files DVDs, or going to the post office once a day but i have major problems actually looking for a job. im pretty sure i will be in school by the spring, what im not sure of is how i will pay for it or how i will pay my rent while im in school.

i’ll try not to make this space reflect how i feel about Spaced on DVD or waiting for the new X-files movie to come out on DVD or anything else about DVDs. in fact, i will try not to talk about any kind of DVD except duncan did manage to get me a copy of Arizona Dream on DVD and i havent watched it yet but i most certainly will want to say something about that.

i did go to the movies today. well, i actually went to three movies today. God bless the AMC 25. we paid for mamma mia (ugh, i know. but it gets better) and stayed for pineapple express and the x-files movie.

anyway–moving forward. i took a break, i dont even know when the last thing i wrote was. now im back. later, bitches.

i am dying to see this movie.

i just registered to take the jeopardy test online

when i was 12 i kicked ass on commodore 64 jeopardy. hopefully the years have been kind.  although lately ive been watching jeopardy while i work out and it seems like my brain might be degenerating already…the test is on the 29th but you dont know if you pass unless they call you.  is this going to be one of those things that i forget about by the time they contact me?  like entering a raffle or buying a box for some sports championship at a bar?

fingers crossed.  now i just have to think of my quirky story for when they come back from the first commercial.  suggestions anyone?

take 10 minutes and watch this video.

tom cruise: scientologist.

i hate scientology.  i freely admit that i am biased.  i cant stand the smugness of it, the arrogance of it, the we’re #1 mentality.  and watching this video of tom cruise does nothing to change my mind about it.  it always, always makes me think of the fountainhead and that cold-hearted snake ayn rand. 

two things that get me about scientology.  1) why are they so secretive?  if scientology is so great and they want to bring it to everyone then why is everything done behind closed doors? 2) there’s no room for doubt or questions in scientology, you either swallow it whole or spit it out.  you know how in education they always say that learning by rote isnt really knowledge?  well they should say that. 

contrary to the gawker commenters, this video actually makes me lean towards the tom cruise is NOT crazy end of the spectrum.  he’s a believer, that doesnt make him crazy. 

so ive been contemplating–no, in the words of art brut “considering a move to LA.”  i have some things ive been thinking about that have made me wonder if maybe it would be better to be out there.  you know, i like new york, but i dont have a lot of responsibilities or duties that would keep me here either.  it’s not like id have to pull my cat out of school and uproot her from all of her friends at a really vulnerable time in her life.  (in reality, she doesnt have any friends but me.  poor little kitty)

but a couple of things happened this weekend that made me realize i really do want to stay in new york.  first of all, i realized that baseball starts again pretty soon.  i dont know enough about baseball to switch teams just yet.  i need a few more seasons under my belt before i can realistically adopt a whole new team, if ever.  i feel guilty already.   besides, what am i, going to root for the dodgers?  please.  dodger blue is not my color. 

secondly i walked across the williamsburg bridge to the angelika yesterday to see persepolis (walked back too.  i thought my butt would hurt today, but nope.  just my feet still.  somethings wrong there).  as i was walking across i realized i really do love new york.  i love the concrete and steel and cracking paint and cold, dirty water, i love the persistent graffitti, the look of purpose on people’s faces, the tired-looking babies in strollers with raincurtains, the way you see people that you wouldnt see if it werent so everything on top of each other. 

i feel like a lot of people have these “I heart NY” days.  if you dont, maybe you should try walking.  i find that it happens to me more often above ground than below.  although the subways are a pretty great leveller.

and persepolis was really really really good.

this guardian advice column (found via gawker, duh. i dont do my own research) is interesting because i myself have wondered why kaffiyehs have been so popular the past few years. i was pretty sure these kids werent that political. anyway, why is it trendy? oh yeah, balenciaga made some. fashion is such a co-opting business. the columnist makes reference to zoolander but not the part i would have, the line based on “homeless chic” that mugatu is premiering called “derelicte” didnt really feel too off the mark.

also, i liked the advice that hadley gave re the wearing of pajamas for men (or pyjamas–the english are so cute.) i am 100% in favor of pajamas for men. im in favor of pajamas for everyone. They make the night special and separate from the day. They make it luxurious to spend the morning or day lounging aorund in them. If you just sleep in a tshirt, it’s not quite the same. unless it’s a sleep only tshirt. but it’s still not quite as special. if you wear pajamas you know what i mean. if you dont, you can either trust me on this or try it for yourself. maybe next year everyone will get pajamas for christmas.

first gig on the LEVY tour tonight in London. im excited for them.  18 dates at this point with more being added.  hopefully the kids buy Tshirts.