For heaven rest us, I'm not asbestos!
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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in the "Jared" journal:[<< Previous 20 entries]
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08:49 am
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ARGH!
One of the finalist captions for this week's New Yorker Caption Contest (cartoon of a politician giving a speech to woodland creatures):
"Read my lips -- no new taxidermy."
My submitted caption:
"Read my lips -- no new axes."
SO CLOSE! Grar.
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11:32 am
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Election Predictions (first entry in more than a year)
And probably the last one for another.
Obama: 53.9 percent and 382 EV
Dems get 10 senate seats for 61
Dems get 35 house seats for 268
I am much, much more nervous than these predictions indicate.
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07:45 am
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A and H
Who would have thunk it?
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08:12 am
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Like yabbyfink, a dream entry
So last night I had a dream in which George Bush and I had a lengthy discussion about The Death of Artemio Cruz, a book which I have never read. I have to say dream-Bush really impressed me with his literary side.
Also, tons of good things keep happening. You probably know about most of them.
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11:13 pm
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If you've been wondering where I've been....
I've just arrived this evening at my aunt and uncle's beautiful house in Napa, after five days in Bethesda, four in Seattle, and about two and a half in San Francisco. I'm here (with the exception of a brief trip to Sonoma) until Sunday, when I return to Chicago. A more extensive post-mortem (or should I say post-modem?) is forthcoming. Suffice it to say for now that I am having an absolutely incredible vacation. San Francisco was particularly fabulous. I miss you all.
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11:38 pm
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Back in Bethesda
I'm not sure which I was more surprised by as I listened to the radio on the way to the bank and the dentist this afternoon: the resignation of Attorney General Gonzales, or that Z104 (home to the boy bands and Natalie Imbruglia-types back in the day), which had become WGMS (all classical, all the time) is now Praise 104.1, playing exclusively gospel music.
Note to Bonneville: Stop screwing with my radio stations!
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06:00 pm
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My Job
I love it.
Happy raving that might transcend into slight boasting below, so I've cut so you have fair warning.
( Read more... )
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10:36 am
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The Comeback
Long, potentially boring post about the most amazing baseball game ever below. If you don't care about baseball, this will undoubtedly be a yawner. So I've cut to spare you.
( Read more... )
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11:33 pm
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I must have really found my passion
This afternoon I got assigned a 2000 word story on boric acid lubricants. With a deadline of next Wednesday. And I was PUMPED.
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08:24 pm
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Today
Today I lost my debit card, had a terribly blocked up ear canal, and had a nearly impossible time finding shirts with 36/37 sleeves at the various department stores on State Street, and yet it was still a pretty good day. I got to write a story on a gypsy moth infestation on the Argonne site, which was much more exciting than you might think.
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01:47 am
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Graduation Day
Well guys, it's been fun.
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11:46 am
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Sorry for this meaningless post
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09:28 pm
[Link] | RIP Matt Gribbin (1985-2007).
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11:45 am
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"Rabbit, Rabbit!"
As I was getting a milkshake yesterday with
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) twisby, she informed me of a superstition which holds that if you say "rabbit, rabbit" on the first day of the month, the rest of that month is sure to turn out splendidly. As a person susceptible to these sorts of tricks, I immediately proceeded to utter the fateful words. "No," she then said, "you've got to do it as soon as you wake up in the morning." However, if things continue for the rest of June in the way the first 36 hours of the month have indicated, I will continue to believe in whole-heartedly in the superstition. Yesterday I found out that I won the Fishbein Prize, which is awarded by the HIPS department for the best undergrad thesis. It also comes with $500, which combined with my very-very-late tax refund should see me through till next month when I get my first Argonne paycheck. Then, I found out that somehow I pulled off my best academic quarter ever, which is strange because this is the quarter in which I feel I did the least work and was crippled by senioritis.
Then, last night!
richardfan, her friend Benno, and I went to see Dave Brubeck at Symphony Center. It was probably the greatest musical experience of my life. A group of Brubeck's students, all younger than I, opened for him. They were pretty excellent, especially given their age, although for their final number they rushed through "Blue Rondo a la Turk," which is a real tragedy. I know the piece moves quickly, but they were going at such a breakneck speed that all the notes sounded flat -- not that they sounded off-pitch, but that they were just so expressionless. If you ever hear the recording of that piece on Time Out, one of the things you notice is that despite the fact that they play the A section in a fast and ridiculously complicated 9/8, Paul Desmond really puts a lot of nuance into his alto. Sorry, this is incredible snobbery, but it has to be said. They were just kids, they were great kids, but they got shown up by the masters. When Brubeck took the stage, the difference in quality was immediately apparent. One thing worth noting -- his saxophonist, Bobby Militello, played with a sound much much closer to Charlie Parker than to Desmond. Militello was a virtuoso, not just technically but emotionally as well -- so much so that it didn't really bother me that he didn't sound at all like Desmond, who is my favorite musician.
For the last number, they played Take Five (as everyone anticipated they would). The one part of it that was just amazing was a five minute drum solo that was actually the first drum solo that I have ever gotten into. Before they seemed unnecessary and random -- this one made sense and was absolutely incredible. At one point the drummer, Randy Jones, is just whaling to a ridiculously fast 5/4 (hence, take five) on his drums, just going berserk, and then he starts just throwing at the cymbal -- right on five every time. I mean, it was inhuman, how fast and accurately he was playing. He got a standing ovation when he finished.
The only downer of the evening was that Brubeck came back onstage -- very reticently -- for a second encore, played a few bars of Brahms' Lullaby, and then stopped and took his final bows. I would have paid another twenty dollars just to see what he would have made of that -- just as a solo pianist. I'm sure it would have been incredible -- but he had already done so much. It was just a spectacular performance all around.
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02:13 am
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The pinnacle of human history
If there is only one memento of humanity preserved after our alien overlords destroy the world in the year 2265, I hope that it is this Youtube video.
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11:46 pm
[Link] | Congratulations myamphigory and dwar_e!
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02:33 pm
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Graduation Tickets For Sale
I've got two tickets for sale, $25/apiece takes 'em first come first serve. If you have any friends who are looking for extra tickets, let them know that I've got some extras.
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08:33 pm
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Graduation Meal Suggestions?
So my parents and sister are coming into town Thursday of graduation week and leaving on Sunday. This means that I'll probably be able to get 3 or 4 nice meals off of them, but the only question is where? Right now the only thing that seems really appealing is brunch at the Bongo Room, but I'm looking for more suggestions for lunch or dinner places. I'm looking for something in the moderate price range (say, $14-$24 entrees) that is absolutely excellent and somewhat exotic. A little more expensive than that might also be ok, as are cheaper places if they're great.
Let me know, foodie friends!
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09:03 am
[Link] | I haven't been posting much these past few weeks because not much interesting has happened. My grandmother (not the one we had the party for) passed away a couple weeks ago just shy of her 93rd birthday, but the fact that it was so expected I think blunted the emotional impact a little. I went to Madison two weekends ago for College Bowl and to see nightphoenix and to a party in the Loop last weekend that was particularly fun and different, but none of these events really provoked me to write about them.
What happened to me on Friday, however, is an entirely different matter. I'd agreed to help my friend Jamie by driving her to pick up a couple of chairs that she had bought on craigslist from a woman who lives at 167th and Cicero, deep in the heart of the south suburbs. Now I was already feeling that this was already kind of a surreal experience, since I was sure the numbers only went as high as 159th and I found myself driving down this interminable suburban street on which sat split-level after split-level in stereotypical midwestern suburban fashion.
Eventualy, we arrived at this woman's house, which on the surface looked no different from any of the others. A slightly-frumpy blonde 40-something, she came out and showed us these two very retro orange plush chairs that sat in her driveway. Before Jamie could pay her, however, I noticed in the (quite large) backyard that there was a long chain-link fence that penned in about a quarter-acre, in which stood several dog-like animals. Except, as far as I could see, they weren't exactly dogs.
"Are those...wolves?" I asked, not quite believing my eyes.
"Actually, no!" she replied, "They're coyotes. And they're perfectly domesticated, I raised them basically from birth myself, fed them from a bottle I held in my own hand."
COYOTES!
She took us into the yard and showed us her three coyotes, two males and a female. They were majestic, beautiful animals, and truly tame -- one even licked my hand. I think she's one to take things a little too far, however, since she claimed that in the deep of winter she'd occasionally let one of them sleep in her bed with her. I remind you, we're talking about coyotes. Has the woman, as Katie suggested, never read Call of the Wild?
In a completely unrelated but similarly cool occurrence on Friday, I found a copy of the Greatest Hits of Paul and Paula selling for $1.99 at a music store in Belmont. I had to buy it, because who doesn't want to own Bill O'Reilly's favorite band of all time?
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08:54 pm
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So, I'm 22
So far, it's been the least exciting birthday ever, but we're about to go to Jimmy's for drinks. However, I think it's incredibly appropriate that it's not exciting, and I've enjoyed myself thoroughly. But sheesh, I am really getting old. Twenty-two!
Also, being home for my grandmother's birthday was absolutely wonderful, if criminally short.
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