yo.

30 january 2001 . 9:48 am PT
Salon profiles Matt Groening, reporting that Groening's musings about Life and The Simpsons tend to set off "fits of right-wing apoplexy," which really makes me feel all nice inside.

29 january 2001 . 11:14 am PT
Debb, the first "Survivor 2" loser, is engaged to her stepson! Oh how I love highly-produced television melodrama.

On Feb. 8, Disney's California Adventure themepark opens its doors. For $43 you can explore themed "districts" that bring "all the best California has to offer into one place." So if you're on a vacation to the West Coast, hang out at the Disneyland Resort and you won't miss a thing! But I should hold the sarcasm. I've been to Disney World in Florida at least 10 times (my parents love to go). Explains a lot, huh?

29 january 2001 . 12:46 am PT
Yay Ravens (says the Baltimore native), welcome back "Survivor." More important: another sunny day, and I walked the scenic route this afternoon, with camera in hand and a knee free of pain.

28 january 2001 . 1:15 am PT
Today? A Saturday afternoon, and we drive across the always-stunning Golden Gate Bridge and through the shimmering green of Marin County, on our way to a surprise birthday party (of a complete stranger to me, but that's beside the point). The point is: living in the Bay Area means that I am routinely shocked by the natural, gleaming beauty of the land around me. I mean, it's California.

28 january 2001 . 12:18 am PT
I'm downloading lots of wonderful (because it's free) music from Napster right now, and I want to highly reccommend the work of Boston trio Papas Fritas. Their stuff is straight-up joyful pop, hand claps and background "ah ah ahs" and the rest. What more do you need?! I would also encourage you to check out The Rentals, Stephen Malkmus's new solo work, Flin Flon, and Cinerama.

26 january 2001 . 5:13 pm PT
Do you realize that there is an organization called the Opossum Society of the United States??! Which seems to be in direct competition with the National Opossum Society. I'll tell you: the thing outside my window the other night looked like a giant rat. Our apartment opens up on a fenced-in yard bursting with lumps of weeds. There is nothing out there but weed bushes, the kind that a human could get lost in. Thing is, no humans ever go in this backyard. It is separated from our wall-sized window by a cement moat. I am not making this up. So I saw this opossum rooting around out there, and I leaned out the window to yell at it (for fun, I guess.). The thing did not acknowledge my presence in any way! That makes me so angry. The cats that live out there will often try to jump across the 10-foot high moat to visit me, but this opossum? turned up his dirty snout and waddled off into the dark underbelly of the weeds. His loss.

And loud cheers for fellow UD alum Catherine on her Bloggie nomination for "best pita-powered weblog." We always knew she'd go far!

23 january 2001 . 6:22 pm PT
There is an opossum outside my window!

20 january 2001 . 9:19 pm PT
Look! Lots of people in D.C. today did what we should have been doing: making obscene gestures as the presidential *ahem* motorcade went past. The protests rivaled those during the Vietnam war. The fact that some people burned an effigy of Bush in Dupont Circle makes a strong case. Ha!

20 january 2001 . 6:51 pm PT
I tried to buy one of those Cal t-shirts this afternoon, as I paraded around Telegraph Ave. disguised as a hungover Berkeley student. I bought four used books and no t-shirts, though. What is to become of me?

I watched "Road Trip" with my East Bay friends last night, and it is so FUNNY.

To continue the movie obsession, here's Roger Ebert's take on why "Yellow Submarine" is one of the greatest movies ever. We saw it last weekend (after the Ravens weasled their way into the Super Bowl. Yay home town spirit!) and it was all tripped out and silly, just like a movie that's really a music video should be. Maybe. But the songs were completely cleaned up and all bright and shiny. Happy. *claps hands*

19 january 2001 . 12:08 pm PT
Yeow, my horoscope today:

It will be a great day for you. Your energy is high and your creativity is flowing. It might be a good day to purchase a lottery ticket.

And you know what? I just got a new bed! Whee!

Beck tapes are being prepared for those of you who asked. Ahhhhhhh.

This AOL chat transcript, in which a Washington Post reporter raids a Britney Spears room to ask questions about George W., is hilarious. And sad, somehow. But isn't that the best way to be? Hilarious and a bit sad? Uh, whatever. [link stolen from Catherine who stole from someone else]

Saw "Traffic" the other day. Moral of the story: Freebasing cocaine in your parent's house is not recommended. But the film is epic, with amazing acting. It gets in your brain, and sticks there.

19 january 2001 . 11:24 am PT
Yes, I lived through a power blackout at the office yesterday. We got a bunch of red-exclamation-point emails in warning, and then zip, everything shut down. For awhile these ear-shattering seizure-inducing alarms were going off all over the place. Eventually that stopped. So I sat in the sun, on the patio, and read magazines for 1.5 hours while people played basketball, talked on their cell phones, or launched toy rockets in the parking lot. Back up here in the city, I read/hear news reports of the necessity of these rolling blackouts sweeping the area. There are just so many people, so much space, and no power ... our electric bills are soaring, and we have no choice. Don't we already pay too much for gasoline ($1.89/gallon, at least) over here? Where's Erin Brokovich when you need her?

13 january 2001 . 06:28 pm PT
Today was probably the very first day that I walked without a limp, without conscious thought put to the left right left. This would the first time I've employed a normal gait in, jesus christ, four months. And I'm not completely there yet, oh no. The weak, healing leg is still stiff and sore, but she's getting there. Slowly but surely. Do you realize the mechanics it takes for each forward step? Your foot swings out on the knee's hinge, propelled by a kick off and up from the other foot, right before your quad muscle tightens and pulls the swinging appendage back. Boys were playing rugby in the park, and they were running. I have not been able to run for over THREE years. Can you imagine? Soon, though. Soon.

On today's walk I plugged in a tape I like to call the Advanced Beck Mix. I think only a few (special) people have this compilation. I have this advanced mix, and a beginner's mix of Beck Hits. And they are damn good. Sometimes I let myself forget why I worship Beck as a musical god. It's just easier, sometimes, to not worry about it. But I'm back on the podium today, and prepared to send a Beck mix - an updated one - to anyone who asks. Just send me word. Do it!

I hope everyone who reads this page knows about IT, and realizes what IT is. IT is going to change the world! Yeow!

To be filed under Random Findings in Random Notebooks: When I flew home for Thanksgiving, with my crutches and wheelchair-assistance at the gate, I had this anonymous feeling of doom & gloom. Perhaps it was the crippledom, who knows. But I wrote a semi-last will and testament that night. I reread it today for the first time. I just want everyone out there, who reads this page, to know that almost all of you were namedropped. In my final letter! Everything I do, I do it for you.

12 january 2001 . 02:38 pm PT
Are there too many pictures on this page, or what? I just can't control myself when the digital camera is in my sweaty hands. Last night, instead of going out and socializing (which is kinda overrated, at times? maybe.), I shot self-portraits. An activity that is way too narcissistic for me to be happy about. But I'm admitting it to you, which is kind of like a confession, right?, purging me of my sins. And I'm sure you'll eventually see the pictures, up in that right-hand corner. I also did things like read, work on a collage, and write another novel. Oh, ha ha. I'm just too ridiculous. I'm going to search for answers now.

11 january 2001 . 12:19 pm PT
So I missed Selby & Aronofsky the other night, because, dammit, City Lights is a very small bookstore and a lot of people wanted to see these guys. Which means I did not. But I peeked in the window, and Selby looked kinda old & feeble. Maybe that's what The Drugs do to you? Heh.

But we went to see "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" as a consolation prize. DON'T MISS IT! It's amazing, kick ass. Hi-YAH.

I'm listening to new music (for me, at least) right now. Pavement's "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain" is what's rocking me. And I didn't think I would ever get those guys. But I am, and I'm glad. In other news, it's all rainy and cold outside, but I must brave it soon, for things like money, food, and 34-cent stamps.

08 january 2001 . 04:36 pm PT
I'm about to leave my home office (ahem) to head to North Beach, for coffee, and to see Darren Aronofsky (director of "Requiem for a Dream") and Hubert Selby Jr. (author of "Requiem" and "Last Exit to Brooklyn) at City Lights Bookstore. "Last Exit to Brooklyn" is one of the most exciting, scary, hard, gritty, real books I've ever read. It rests on my bookshelf next to Irvine Welsh's "Trainspotting." I love the high, sad drama in these books. And the drugs, death, and decay. Yeehaw.

I'm not sure what else I have to report. Unless you want to know that my recent trip to the Cat Club was surprisingly chill, with lots of im-not-thinking-about-my-weak-knee dancing. Or that "O Brother, Where Art Thou" was extremely disappointing. Or that one of my New Year's resolutions requires me to finally finish a series of 26 poems. Or that it was sunny and in the mid-50s today (take that, Midwest/East Coast!).

02 january 2001 . 11:54 pm PT
Hiya. I return. To this Web page, to the West, to my cold apartment. Except now my crap is strewn across that (small) expanse between my old room and my new one, the one recently vacated by Bonnie. Yes, we did it, we drove her and her possessions and me and Jon and our fast-emptied coffee cups through the mountains and the snow and that flat flat state called Kansas. I updated this page a few times from the car (see below), even though the flickering light bothered the driver (complain, complain). But there is so much more to add. Christmas carols in New Haven, parental support in Bel Air Md., shopping & drag queens in NYC (and all those other Web kids! hello!!), hotel suites & the Dismemberment Plan at the Black Cat in DC, pizza parties in Raleigh, GBV & new year's in Chapel Hill ... and I have pictures. Of all of you! But guess who has to go in to the "office" tomorrow? Shit, man.

So. Hi. 2000 and ONE!

>>> Read the old knees: December, or November. Too much fun. Or not. <<<<