I should serve a nice, ripe brie to go with this whiney post

[asimplechord]

1. I thought more than once about extending my visit to NYC when I got the NDP notice and then the pre-sale code for the Discos' show at the Bowery, but I seriously cannot spend that time off without consequences - the day and a half I'm taking are being made up by working MLK Jr Day and the thirteen hours I spent in lab on Tuesday. (As an aside, J is going to be in town that weekend too. Cling-time! :D :D :D)

2. New post-doc arrived. SO TIRED OF ANSWERING QUESTIONS. It would be okay if it were just her, but I have literally spent hours the last three days showing other people how to do things. It's not like I have, you know, shit of my own to do.

3. I keep thinking about writing something, anything, but by the time I get home from work, I can't be bothered to think straight.

4. Almost through S2 of The West Wing. It's funny in a sad way how a decade after these episodes aired, NONE of the issues they confront have altered significantly. (And I still love CJ like burning.) [ETA: The more I watch, the less I care for Bartlet. To me he comes off as a predictable, pompous ass who relies on a bottomless well of useless trivia, his own opinion, and the bible more than anything else.]

5. Rise Against's new album comes out the same week as GD's Awesome As Fuck? Good music week. Actually, I think that's the week of SXSW, so it'll be a FABULOUS music week. :D :D :D (Also, did I ever flail here about Another Station; Another Mile? My heart eyes over them, I can't even explain.)

6. I was earwormed today by Wisdom, Justice, and Love. First when Tavis Smiley & Amy Goodman got into it on Democracy Now this morning (and wasn't that a total lovefest?) and then when my iPod kept cycling through A Thousand Suns. [There was a thought somewhere about violent political rhetoric and the long war and the political assassinations of the 60s, but I'm too tired to connect the dots now.]

7. A reminder from J had me all excited: the new Mercy Gunderson novel is out! And Amazon said that my copy had been delivered. But there is no package on my doorstep, in my mailbox, or in my neighbor's house. The USPS is not being particularly helpful at the moment, but I suppose that's because it's after hours. *sigh* I guess I'll keep slogging through Aftermath and Learning To Eat Soup With A Knife in the meantime.

8. Fuck yes! (PLEASE, BILL WHITE, RUN FOR HER SEAT.)

9. 30Jan shows of American Idiot are/will be sold out b/c it's BJA as St. Jimmy and it's most likely Michael Esper's last show, y/n?

10. Fanta orange soda + Dripping Springs vodka = A+ supper choice

Comments

[harriet-vane.livejournal.com]

Let me know when you're around and not booked; I know you have shows and whatnot, right? We can catch a meal or a museum or something. Yay!

I am also worried about it being the first show in like, years. Because Brendon gets nervous and weird on stage, and I LOVE that kid, but he's already a little squirrely. I don't know. It's very watching-through-your-fingers for me.

The couple reviews we have say it's more like the first album, right? I think PO was more Jon and Ryan's sound, and Brendon and Spencer are a lot more rooted in pop music. I hope, anyway. Butch will use the magic of his name to make it awesome.

Hey, can I ask you something about the Foo Fighters, since you know way more than I do? I was a fan of their music and then someone pointed me toward the AIDS denialist shit they were raising money for/handing out info about at their concerts a while back, and I was like, OH WELL. >:( Have they stopped that, so I can go back to listening to them again? Because I remember thinking they were pretty much the shit.

[asimplechord.livejournal.com]

The last few times I saw them they were at festivals that policed all the non-profit info given out, so there was none of that happening. My understanding is that that was a charity that the bassist supported, and the band itself no longer allows their name to be used to endorse it. But Grohl said things in support of it early on, and he's the front-man, so clearly it wasn't ONLY Mendel. Ugh, I had forgotten about that, tbh. Why are people so stupid sometimes? Oh, yeah, because we're PEOPLE.

[harriet-vane.livejournal.com]

Ha. People are my least favorite kind of humans, honestly. (It wouldn't be that big a deal to me, just something to be annoyed about, but since my sister works in AIDS research and awareness it's the kind of thing that sets her off with the fuming and the shouting and the waving of the hands. So I try to be supportive.)

[asimplechord.livejournal.com]

Oh, hey. Because I'm working out the household budget for this year... our budget each year includes various donations that A usually leaves to my discretion, and usually I give to AmFAR. Is that a good one, or is there a better/different organization your sister would recommend?

[harriet-vane.livejournal.com]

Uh, she says:

AmFar is definitely the best for research (they're the ones working on the Berlin patient thing, I believe) (and also their social media coordinator is super nice, I met him in Vienna, small world). If she wants to donate directly to care services, there are organizations all over the country and she should be able to find one near her -- we also run asofinder.com, and basically all ASOs are desperate for money right now.

[asimplechord.livejournal.com]

Sunday, maybe? I'm seeing AI with J that evening, but I was thinking of heading up to the Met earlier in the day and actually making it up to the second floor galleries this time. I could meet you there, or for brunch or something? :D?

[harriet-vane.livejournal.com]

That sounds good! I'll pencil you in and if we can swing it that would be great, but if you're busy or whatever it's fine. It would be cool to see you when you're around. :)