welcome.
crazyknee.com is:
a personal Web page launched Nov. 1, 2000,
the day Leanne had ACL/meniscus repair performed
on her right leg. Hence the "crazy knee."
This page will be updated in some weekly way.

31 march 2003 . 12:40 am PT
I'm sunburned. On one arm. This is what happens when you eat brunch on the deck in Tiburon, as boats spit spray below and boys in less than shirts sling Frisbees in the park behind you. Ahhhh, only my right arm was in the direct sun so when the burn set in later in the afternoon (after discussing war protests in the park) I thought it was a rash. Ha! Good-bye winter, hello sunny sunny spring. I hear you East Coasters are having a snowstorm today? Hmmm, well. You'll appreciate this shot then, from last weekend's trip into the high cold shores of Lake Tahoe:

Last week we sat through Thursday night's so-cheesy-and-theres-bad-dialogue-as-well-as-silly-dancing-gang-boys screening of "West Side Story" -- sing along. First of all, it was free (everyone in the packed theater had to have passes, like I did, to get in). And we got a bag of goodies, including but not limited to: a mirror (for "I feel pretty"), tearjerker tissues, bubbles, a little flashlight (people held these up like lighters during the romantic numbers), and tiny snappers. People loved these. Every time a Jet looked like he was gonna smash a Shark, the audience snap-snap-snapped away. And, oh boy, the singing! I'm a real expert at "Gee Officer Krupke," so rest assured, I did my part. Loudly.

I've been lax on the personalized license plate search. Thing is, I'm seeing MORE than ever now. Usually on the road, so no time to shoot. Recent fave: "2 SEX C." And this one:

Love: the new White Stripes album (I'm even going to stand by Meg's song. You heard me!). Learning to love: the new Stephen Malkmus. Deeply love while dancing around my room: that Zwan record. Billy Corgan gets happy!

Collect your own Psychedelic Republican trading cards!

21 march 2003 . 01:37 pm PT
Shock and awe, folks. I keep checking in on young Iraqi Salam's blog today -- he lives in Baghdad -- to find out if he still has electricity, TV, bread (the kid is real, probably). And the Love and Hate for Kuwait blog includes great on-the-spot posts ("I have never seen this type of large scale, intense bombarding.")

The best (and most frightening) argument I've found against this war is U.S. diplomat John Kiesling's resignation letter to Colin Powell, dated Feb. 27 (found via AndrewSullivan, who has lots of great stuff). And I quote:

"The policies we are now asked to advance are incompatible not only with American values but also with American interests. Our fervent pursuit of war with Iraq is driving us to squander the international legitimacy that has been America’s most potent weapon of both offense and defense since the days of Woodrow Wilson. We have begun to dismantle the largest and most effective web of international relationships the world has ever known. Our current course will bring instability and danger, not security. ...

We spread disproportionate terror and confusion in the public mind, arbitrarily linking the unrelated problems of terrorism and Iraq. The result, and perhaps the motive, is to justify a vast misallocation of shrinking public wealth to the military and to weaken the safeguards that protect American citizens from the heavy hand of government. September 11 did not do as much damage to the fabric of American society as we seem determined to so to ourselves." (NYTimes coverage here.)

Here in San Francisco, we've got the nation's most militant antiwar protesters tearing shit up. More than 1,400 people were arrested yesterday, as they blocked intersections, sprayed graffiti, chanted, danced, linked arms and steel pipes (firefighters had to get out the POWER SAWS to cut them apart!). Helicopters circled overhead late into the night, and this morning 100 more people were handcuffed and hauled away. Most creative form of protest: Pukers4Peace (7th item down). War makes me sick -- let's barf on the federal building. Brilliant! Some good photos of the melee here (sorry, no vomit pics).

One dude was so upset he leaped off the Golden Gate in protest and, uh, died.

I was surprised at this outpouring of well-planned and city-crippling protest. Does D.C. care one infinitesimal SMIDGE that Californians are puking in protest? As one cop says, "Bush must love to see this city shut down." *deep sigh*

One of our ace reporters was caught in the chaos, since it took over two hours to get to work Thursday (average commute time: 15 minutes). On-the-scene photos by GlassOnion:

If you'll be watching the Oscars Sunday night (minus the red-carpet pre-game show, boo!), pay attention to the funny new Yahoo! Personals ad (airtime, 7:11pm PT) marks the kick-off of a huge media campaign, one you won't be able to miss. Listen up singles, it's time to "Believe." And if you're online at the time, catch Whitney's live Oscar chat.

I leave you with the words of OutKast, circa 2000:
Don't pull the thang out, unless you plan to bang
Bombs over Baghdad!
Yeah! Ha ha yeah!
Don't even bang unless you plan to hit something
Bombs over Baghdad!
Yeah! Uhh-huh

16 march 2003 . 11:00 pm PT
It's spring now, and even though our camping trip was rained out this weekend (boo!), adventures were had. But I don't have pictures (yet).

Instead: Views from a (way too long) hike in the environs behind the Yahoo! complex in Sunnyvale, California:

09 march 2003 . 10:54 pm PT
Dunno, really, what to share. Saw "Old School" and it was, as the critics say, "fitfully funny." Which means that any time Will Ferrell is on screen, you laugh until it breaks. What breaks, you ask? I dunno. But it hurts. And Vince Vaughn is pretty fricking hilarious as well. Other than that, it's a substandard situation comedy. Yes that's RIGHT.

Also, I'm still very against war. So sign this petition. I might not be the most articulate person on the reasons WHY I oppose war and bloody deaths, but I do think that $2.30 gas/gallon in the Bay Area (at the least!) is unquestionably OUT OF CONTROL.

I can't write more. Something ... dangerous is stopping me. Please don't quote me.

HA. Oh YEAH and check out this guy's personal ad. If you're interested in trying him out, just let me know.

Uh, I don't know. Except we did just have that SANGRIA at Cha Cha Cha. Yes, it's the sangria.

02 march 2003 . 11:04 pm PT
My purse was stolen yesterday, in Blondie's pizza on Powell. That's in Union Square, a bustling hotbed for identity theft according to the SF police. Yup, and whoever got my purse, my wallet, my insulin, credit cards, train pass, $40, ID, pens, book, pickle bookmark, journal, john's sunglasses, house keys, cell phone ... also has more than enough info to open bogus bank accounts in my name, or whatever else people do with your social security number and birth date. *deep tragic sigh* The cop tells me I'll need to check up on this for the next few years. Sweet.

So the book that was stolen? Daniel Handler's first novel "The Basic Eight." (Handler is a.k.a. Lemony Snicket, the funny funny man we met at some literary party this summer. You know, that party with Dave Eggers and Vanessa Carlton?) I was really excited to read this book, given the man's rep. It's the diary of a senior in high school who gets in big trouble (I'm talking about murder!) with her sarcastic and hip friends. Crushes go awry, calc tests are failed, and a teacher fatally overdoses on absinthe. Riiiiiiiight. Despite my thumbs-down recommendation, I really WANT to FINISH reading this BOOK! I had 100 pages left. And it's gone. Poof.

Despite Saturday's purse theft, the weekend was lovely and warm. We celebrated Kristina's 27th with girl scout cookies and beer beer beer. No sleep till 5am! Who knew I could still hang.

Today was the Mountain Goats at Bottom of the Hill. Awesome. Amazing acoustic guitaring (it's just this one guy John Darnielle, and sometimes a bass) and song stories about crazy personalities. Recommended. (Not recommended: being the indie rocker chick with braided pigtails in the front row absolutely pretending she knew all the words. She was faking! She was always a beat or two BEHIND! Sure, she knew some songs, but JESUS just accept it when you can't sing along and don't open your mouth. She was in my line of view the entire set so I know what I'm talking about here.) Check for their latest album to join the Glassonion.net offerings in the near future.

Also saw Best Picture nominee "The Pianist." Boy, that Holocaust is BAD news. You watch the film and you just can NOT believe this kind of horror could ever occur. Throw in some beautiful piano playing, and it's art. Based on a true story.

Oh, yeah, and 25 years ago "Pianist" director (nominated for an Oscar) Roman Polanski gave Quaaludes and champagne to a 13-year-old girl before having sex with her. Her family pressed charges, he pleaded guilty and then fled the country, never to return. Last week the girl, now a happily married mother of three, wrote an editorial in the L.A. Times about the crime and his nomination. "I don't really have any hard feelings toward him, or any sympathy, either. He is a stranger to me."