cheap thrills

Hey everyone, there is a HUGE Hollywood Park garage sale tomorrow, starting at 8 a.m.– about 50 houses are participating, I think. If you didn’t know already, Hollywood Park is the area between Sutterville & Fruitridge, 24th St and Freeport. Cory and I once had grand aspirations that we would also participate but, alas, we’ve yet to conquer the garage. So, instead I’ll participate by browsing the neighborhood, trying to juggle coffee and pocket change.

Also, there is a Land Park neighborhood sale – around the Riverside/13th Avenue area, I think. It’s in the Bee’s classified section if you need more info. It’s also tomorrow, starting at 8 a.m.

Now that I’m a broke homeowner, yard sales, thrift stores and flea markets are my official entertainment of choice. Actually, they were before we bought the house only now I really appreciate the cheap thrills. preciate the cheap thrills.

can i get another amen?

So, I need your help. As mentioned in an earlier post, we had some pretty bad pizza over the weekend. More precisely, it came from the Round Table on Freeport Blvd (across the street from McClatchy High School). Back when we lived in East Sac we always ordered in from Original Pete’s, but alas, that is no longer an option.
Often, we’ll just order a pizza for pick-up (Hello Original Pete’s, hello Zelda’s) but what do you do when you live in the 95822 and want pizza delivered to your door – preferably one that does not taste like ass.
Preferably one that does not taste like ass and then makes you literally throw up. (Seriously).
Any suggestions?

Moving on, the weekend approaches and I’m trying to decide whether I’ll go to tomorrow night’s Victoria Williams/Carolyn Marck/Two Sheds show at Old I. I’d like to go, but have a previous commitment that will run until 8 or 9 p.m. – which means that, theoretically, I could make it over in time to at least see Victoria Williams. I guess it just depends how much energy I do or don’t have by that point. Friday is Green Day and I’m very excited about this if only for the reason that the band nearly single-handedly got me through the summer. It seems, you see, that whenever I was driving and started to feel restless and bored with my CDs or NPR then it was safe to say that I could turn on the radio, randomly tune into a station and – voila! – a Green Day song. Or, more specifically, the song “Holiday.” This song, hands down, turned into my summer 2005 anthem – my head-nodding, foot-tapping, traffic-fighting sing-a-long. Now that I think about it, Green Day’s gotten me through many car moments – listening to Dookie while driving a (now very ex) boyfriend to work at 4 a.m.; the “(Good Riddance) Time of Your Life” cut Bobby put on my moving-to-New-York tape – before it became the clichéd song of such moments. And so on and so forth – so yeah, I’m very much looking forward to the show, even if it does mean braving hordes of American Idiots at Arco.…that said, it’ll be a good kick-off to the weekend and a nice rock’n’roll salve as I prep for next week – the week that should test my mettle, my social graces and my sanity.

Next week=crazymaking! Fun!

some mornings go to 11

Well, that was a let-down when it comes to thunderstorms. All thunder, very little storm. Boo on that, I wanted rain. This town could use a good soaking. Especially the part of town in which my dirty, dusty car resides.

And speaking of boo – Super boo on the Bush administration's decision to put Michael Brown - the guy who basically fucked up enough to get himself fired - as head of the committee to find out why FEMA screwed up so badly. On that note, it shouldn't even surprise anyone that Michael Brown places the blame on everyone - including Louisiana officials - but himself.

Brown in his opening statement said he had made several “specific mistakes” in dealing with the storm, and listed two.
One, he said, was not having more media briefings.
As to the other, he said: “I very strongly personally regret that I was unable to persuade Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin to sit down, get over their differences, and work together. I just couldn’t pull that off.”

I mean, really. What an ass.

the sound of the season

Thunder! Oh please let it rain. Then I won't mind so much that I feel as if I'm coming down with a cold. I'll just situate myself on the couch with a blanket and hot tea and happily call it a night.

would you believe ... ?

Don Adams died yesterday. When I was in a kid (5th grade, I think) I used to watch Get Smart re-runs and developed this weird little (mostly platonic) crush on the Maxwell Smart character. I used to fantasize that he and Agent 99 would move in next door to us and adopt me.


Yes, I know, it kind of goes without saying, but I was a strange child.

what the nothinghead said

this weekend's turning into a big ol' pile of nothing - and that's not necessarily a bad thing...it's just O.C. on DVD, bad pizza, yard sales, catching up on CDs, a sunny afternoon nap with the boy and the cats, reading, quiet, watching birds snack at the bird feeder, mindless eBay shopping and (to make up for the bad pizza) dinner plans for Andy Nguyens. Tomorrow: San Francisco for record and clothes shopping and maybe good vegan food at Herbivore.

It's such a nothing kind of weekend, i can barely bring myself to use capital letters much less hypertext links....

the post that wouldn't die...

First I meant to post Monday and actually started writing but then got caught up in the very Monday-ness of everything. Then I was really going to post Tuesday night but Blogger was all wonky and then, I was going to post yesterday afternoon but Blogger was "down for maintenence" and it ate half of my freaking post so here I am and you can call this the post that wouldn't die.
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The past weekend helped, in part, to do away with the blah feeling. Friday night was chill with some take-out Mexican and The O.C. Saturday got my hair cut - two inches chopped and it just feels much better. Saturday night was a birthday party and then the Baby Grand show - at both events I had the chance to catch up with many friends I haven't seen for a while. Sunday was the farmer's market where I indulged in, among many other things, avocados and heirloom tomatoes. I've just had the most incredible cravings lately for
both...Then Sunday afternoon, a nifty clothing swap at which I procured many amazing new-to-me items. Then, the evening: a hearty pasta dinner (that included crisp yellow wax beans fresh from the farmer's market) and the Emmy awards. The show was, of course, super-boring. I never even liked Everyone
Loves Raymond to begin with, now I truly despise it - or at least all the smarmy, smug actors who appeared in it.

OK, moving on.
Monday night I was watching CNN when a commercial for Girls Go Tech came on. I think organizations like that are really important for the ways they promote the idea that young girls should be encouraged to pursue and explore study math, science and technology.

Great idea. Fabulous. Most definitely.

But the ad/public service announcement created to convey this idea? Pissed me off.

Specifically, it was this line that had me shouting at the TV:

"Studies show that by age 12, most girls lose interest in math, science and technology and their chance at most future jobs."

Because if you aren't interested in - or aren't any good at - math, science and technology you can just kiss your future good-bye. I'll be sure to tell that to all my (female) friends who struggled through math but now enjoy careers in art, writing, public relations, food, design, management, etc. etc.

Believe me, I'm neither proud of nor happy with the fact that I had a really hard time in math when I was in high school and I wish there'd been organizations such as Girls Go Tech to encourage me to literally work
through those damn word problems (I did enjoy science but obviously ands stupidly chose writing as a career instead) but such wordage is not only overly generalized and broad - it's insulting.

By the way, you can view the ad here (the link is on the right-hand side of the page, it's the one titled "Bedtime stories").
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OK, it is now approximately 72 hours after this post's initial inception and I'll close by reminding you about tonight's Hurricane Katrina Relief Benefit Show at Old Ironsides:

Cake is playing a brief set around 10:50. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and there is a minimum $10 donation. Also playing: Spider Silk Dress, Jonah Matranga, Deathray, Nevada Backwards, Crazy Ballhead, Las Pesadillas and more.

day by night

Listening to the new Sun Kil Moon album - i.e. Red House Painters' Mark Kozeleck doing Modest Mouse covers. My guess is you have to be either (or both) a RHP/MK or Modest Mouse fan to enjoy this album, seeing as how both are either acquired tastes or best suited to those with certain personalities. I happen to dig it...it's kind of exactly what you'd expect from such a union - Kozeleck's slow, sleepy delivery matched with Isaac Brock's fast, herky-jerky delivery and surrealistic, stream-of-conscious lyrics.

Also been listening to the new Kanye West record. Don't like it as much as the last if only because it doesn't have the immediate grab factor, no "Jesus Walks," etc, but I'm trying to spend more time with it, to see if it's a slow burn.

Apropos of nothing: Went to my first Hollywood Park Neighborhood Association meeting on Wednesday and it was something straight out of the Gilmore Girls, complete with our own resident Taylor Dosey. Mayor Heather Fargo was the guest of honor, only she was more than a half-hour late which forced everyone to stall for time. I know the mayor's a busy woman, but still, she didn't even really apologize for her tardiness. And when she finally started talking it just seemed like this very canned speech about flood preparedness - and the Kings arena that wouldn't die.

Seriously. She brought up the goddamned arena because she knew "we all wanted to know about its progress" (there hasn't been any). WTF? Just let it go already. I mean, no don't let it go, I'd like to keep the Kings around as much as the next person, but obviously, Ms. Fargo, all of your ideas and efforts are dead in the water so it's time to move on.

I wasn't able to stick around for the Q&A session so I don't know how far she strayed from her script or if she talked about anything Hollywood Park/Curtis Park/Land Park-related...

Anyhoo...it's been an odd week if only because I've been feeling a bit blah and strangely disconnected and maybe more than a little disappointed in certain people, but hopefully that's passing now and there's a Baby Grand show at Old Ironsides in a few hours so I've got something to which to look forward: Friends and a little rock/pop.

Also: Happy birthday Marcus. You wear it well.

For Harry Potter nerds (like me), via McSweeney's by way of Rebecca's Pocket:

Things Hagrid the Half-Giant Would Say if He Served Jesus Instead of Harry Potter.

note to self:

Don't ever, EVER again get on Hwy 99 between 5 and 6:30pm on a weekday. This is the only thing I do not like about the location of our new house, the path between it and Trader Joe's is ridiculously convoluted and the trip takes way to long. Does anyone know of a better route between East Sac and Hollywood Park?

I know it's a stupid thing to complain about but after a long-ass day at work (following a night during which I drank too much wine and then a mixed drink and then couldn't sleep for more than three hours), well it just kind of makes me grouchy.

Of course, it doesn't take much these days to make me grouchy. Approaching (encroaching) old age, I suppose.

On Anderson Cooper and crepes ...

First day back at work after a week off = hectic, tiring, etc....but anyway ....

The good today: As the New York Times has reported CNN's Anderson Cooper is going prime-time to co-anchor the news with Aaron Brown (free reg. required):

Mr. Cooper's Sept. 1 interview with Senator Mary L. Landrieu, Democrat of Louisiana, marked a turning point in the tone of hurricane coverage as he snapped when she began thanking federal officials for their recovery efforts.

"Excuse me, Senator, I'm sorry for interrupting," Mr. Cooper interjected. "I haven't heard that, because, for the last four days, I've been seeing dead bodies in the streets here in Mississippi. And to listen to politicians thanking each other and complimenting each other, you know, I got to tell you, there are a lot of people here who are very upset, and very angry, and very frustrated.

"And when they hear politicians slap - you know, thanking one another, it just, you know, it kind of cuts them the wrong way right now, because literally there was a body on the streets of this town yesterday being eaten by rats because this woman had been laying in the street for 48 hours."

His comments pushed right up to the line between tough questioning and confrontational advocacy journalism, but viewers responded.

I'm not a huge Aaron Brown fan and I actually have sort of mixed feelings on this because it'll keep Anderson Cooper out of the trenches so to speak - at least he ostensibly won't have as much time to do field reporting. But because he, to me, epitomizes everything that is good about TV journalism (and in my view, there isn't a whole lot that it is good), I think it's terrific that CNN has this kind of faith in his talent and professionalism. So, kudos. Now, if they'd only push Nancy Grace out the same door through which they shoved Tucker Carlson...
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And then on the not-related, but nonetheless crap side, as previously reported by Postcards from Sac and Heckasac, Cafe Melange is going Crepeville on us. Which pretty much sucks because, even though I have a love-hate relationship with the place (mostly because of the one or two really rude employees) it is nonetheless my favorite place to go read or write on a Sunday afternoon. I was there this Sunday - both reading and writing - enjoying the sun and quiet in the loft. I really hope they don't remodel the hell out of the place and take away the loft or discourage people from using the space for such things. I mean, I like crepes, but I don't like them that much and does Sac really need all these stupid crepe restaurants? Remember when there was a smoothie or bagel joint on every corner? Yeah, where are all those places now?

Enough is enough.

I'm just sayin' ...

Via Sky News:



Edited to add that someone else I know posted this pic, but I just now saw it and I'm not linking to her because her journal is private but I still wanted to kind of give credit where credit is (sort of) due.

go ahead, let the door hit you on the way out

FEMA's Michael Brown officially "relieved" of his duties.

Not fired exactly, but sent packing nonetheless.

It's about goddamned time.

goats go to heaven

It feels like the start of fall today: Brisk, chilly and slightly melancholy. Who knows, it could be 100 degrees again by this weekend...but to me, everything that's happened in the 10 days, has been in some ways, about the end of one season and the start of a new one, a new era -- much in the way that 9/11 symbolized a transition in 2001.

So, in brief, last Tuesday, before the magnitude of everything hit me, I was going to post something about the State Fair. Now, it's too late and feels kind of pointless except to tell you that I nearly got sick after riding the Zipper and have decided that I'm officially done with all amusement park rides - unless they are at a boardwalk or Disneyland.

Oh, and I made friends with the animals and even though I only had my crappy camera phone along to document the happenings, it seems like we could all use a good, friendly goat picture right about now.

sifting through the debris

I don't know why I'm so damned tired right now but I am. Maybe it's just a generalized fatigue, combining the emotional with the physical...

Just got back from the local Red Cross chapter where I did not answer phones after all. Instead I worked as a "greeter"/"runner" - which basically meant I figured out what people needed as they arrived and then ran all over the building to take them to said place or get the answers needed. It all seemed very chaotic to me with a steady flow of traffic, but according to one of the directors there, today is pretty quiet compared to how it was late last week. They're also starting to get some evacuees - at least half a dozen arrived over the course of my shift, including a woman from the eastern side of New Orleans who was pretty damn cheery and nice and polite for someone who spent almost two days trapped in her attic.

And honestly, except for the one rude, haughty woman who came in and demanded to speak to a particular person - regardless of the growing group of people who also needed attention - I left there impressed with the general kindness of strangers. Who knows, these are very well the same people who cut you off on the freeway, litter on your front lawn or talk on their cell phones (loudly) at the restaurant, but today (and yesterday and the day before and so on) they came in and donated money (cash, checks - always apologizing that it's not more), picked up donation cans, tried to figure out what they needed to know to be deployed to the disaster areas or simply walked up to the front desk and said put me to work, I'll do anything.

Elsewhere, there is a growing debate on the use of the word "refugees" to describe those who have been displaced by Hurricane Katrina:

"It is racist to call American citizens refugees," the Rev. Jesse Jackson said, visiting the Houston Astrodome on Monday. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus have expressed similar sentiments.

Others have countered that the terms "evacuees" or even "displaced" are too clinical and not sufficiently dramatic to convey the dire situation that confronts many of Katrina's survivors.

President Bush, who has spent days trying to deflect criticism that he responded sluggishly to the disaster, weighed in on Tuesday. "The people we're talking about are not refugees," he said. "They are Americans and they need the help and love and compassion of our fellow citizens."

The 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention describes a refugee as someone who has fled across an international border to escape violence or persecution. But the Webster's New World Dictionary defines it more broadly as "a person who flees from home or country to seek refuge elsewhere, as in a time of war or of political or religious persecution."

The criticism has led several news organizations to ban the word in their Katrina coverage. Among them are The Washington Post and the Boston Globe.

"We haven't used the word since the beginning of the crisis," said Kenneth Cooper, the Globe's national editor. "Some of us had different reasons, but we all came to the same conclusion: not to use it."

The AP and The New York Times are among those continuing to use the word where it is deemed appropriate.

I hadn't thought about the political implications of the term until yesterday when Cory told me he'd heard a similar story on the news. I'm honestly not sure how I feel about it - because in the strictest sense of the word, these people are seeking refuge and thus, refugees. But in a climate that's already fraught with race/class-related controversies and questions - well, add it to the list of things that are making this whole situation more than just a natural disaster. This is, I'd say, about the times and how they need to be changing.

Sorry all you people who don't want to say that this hurricane and its after-effects are political. It is, they are.

And they're all going to become increasingly more so as we sift through the debris.

one-half of one-millionth percent

Waiting for a call back from the Red Cross. I can't go to the South but I can work the phones like a motherfucker. With that and some cash, even then my contributions won't add up to one-half of one-millionth percent of what is needed, but it's what I've got so I'm giving it.

Also, a relieving end to the question of Alex Chilton's whereabouts. According to the Posies message board, the Coast Guard rescued the Box Tops/Big Star singer-songwriter yesterday.

But, somewhat emotionally closer to home, at least half of the employees for the Tower Records New Orleans store have yet to be accounted for. A million fervernt wishes of hope for all of them and all the others who have yet to be found.

detours...

I met a friend in Stockton today for coffee. And we sat outside and talked for a few hours and the sun was really nice and the conversation good. Then on the way out of town I hit up a thrift store and then I stopped at the convenience store for bottled water and then hopped on the freeway. And, only 15 minutes into the drive home - and two songs in to the new Echo & the Bunnymen CD - I hit a major traffic snag.

Near standstill, with no clear reason as to why.

It was hot, even with the air-conditioning, and the bottled water went fast and growing restless, I switched off the CD and listened to talk radio news and then became angry listening to a Louisiana senator talk about the reasons why it took so long to get the helicopters in for relief - because they were waiting for permission and each agency had a different answer as to exactly whom could grant said permission. Finally when I got to the point of wanting to scream - more than an hour after I left Stockton - I inched my way to the Walnut Grove exit, veered my car towards the escape and took off.

Seven miles to the River Road and from there I told myself it was OK to breathe a little bit and I switched off the talk radio in favor of the Bunnymen once again and by the time reached Courtland, with its orchards of pear trees - maturing fruit turning golden in the sun - I felt just the tiniest bit better about life once again.

Because sometimes sudden actions and detours are the best options possible.

soapbox ...

I was going to post some thoughts, but, if you’re interested, you can just check the comments attached to this post instead, because that’s where I got on my soapbox this morning. And what’s left to say now except that I’m just really angry and upset for many different reasons – not the least of which being how I’m stunned at the general apathy I’m encountering in regards to the situation in New Orleans. Are people really that jaded? I guess people are.

I called the local Red Cross chapter today to talk about volunteer efforts. They’re offering one-day training courses that, upon completion, qualify you to be deployed for a three-week volunteer mission. Now, three weeks is a pretty unrealistic time commitment for people who work. For example, I’m already taking a week of vacation starting Monday – ostensibly to work on my house – but could I get two more weeks off with barely a day’s notice? It’s not very likely. And even if it were, I have many commitments here – some of which could easily be rescheduled or canceled, but others that could not. Also, it is not clear if volunteers need to pay for their own transportation, which could be quite costly in addition to any missed wages.

In any case, the very nice Red Cross volunteer who answered the phones agreed to try and find out about one-week deployments – she said there’ve been many requests for such from would-be volunteers – and that there are local volunteer needs as well.

Also, despite what I wrote in my last comments to the afore-mentioned post, I had to stop watching the TV news last night. At about 10 pm I finally shut off the TV. My head hurt, I felt sick to my stomach and I was more than a little grateful for the fact that I can turn off the noise and have some quiet.

start the presses

After three days of publishing an online-only edition of its paper, the New Orleans Times-Picayune is reporting that it will resume printing its paper tonight. (Via Lost Remote).

I recommend you check out the Times-Picayune site for some clearly-written, objective and compelling coverage. Some of the stories are first-person accounts, some of them are analytical overviews, other articles could merely be filed away under the "public service announcement" banner - most are superb examples of service journalism created under some of the worst-possible circumstances.