On decorum when faced with kink

I can't be sure, but I suspect the eye mask a recent patient of mine brought from home was actually intended for BDSM activities. It was black leather, with fleecy lining on the interior eye patches and little straps on the exterior eye patches. All night I kept looking at it in wonderment. I considered making a veiled reference to confirm and so he knew that I knew, but decided to stay scrupulously professional.

Pavement at Stubb's 9/28/10

Great show from a reformed Pavement tonight in front of a sold-out crowd. So nice to see lots of people smiling and mouthing along with the words. Or shouting, cause you kinda have to yell "40 million daggers!" along with Bob. I haven't read interviews with the band stating the reasons for reuniting, but financial compensation and the urging of Matador upon their anniversary are likely high on the list. Whatever, I was just glad to bask again in the fun that is a Pavement show. I didn't end up sweating and exhausted at the front of the stage like I used to for Pavement shows at Liberty Lunch, but I did attend with the same guys as back then. So glad you could go with me E & M! Wonderful to see so many other friends as well.

UPDATE: The setlist to remind myself.

1. Silence Kit Play Video
2. Frontwards Play Video
3. Box Elder Play Video
4. Date w/ Ikea Play Video
5. Unfair Play Video
6. Starlings of the Slipstream Play Video
7. Stereo Play Video
8. Rattled by the Rush Play Video
9. Grounded Play Video
10. Perfume-V Play Video
11. Shady Lane Play Video
12. Fin Play Video
13. Cut Your Hair Play Video
14. Spit On A Stranger Play Video
15. Nastonovich slide whistle solo Play Video
16. Zurich Is Stained Play Video
17. Gold Soundz Play Video
18. Fight This Generation Play Video
19. Trigger Cut Play Video
20. Conduit for Sale! Play Video
21. Range Life Play Video
22. Encore:
22. In the Mouth a Desert Play Video
23. Two States Play Video
24. Here Play Video
25. Encore 2:
25. Kennel District Play Video
26. Summer Babe (Winter Version) Play Video
27. Stop Breathin' Play Video
28. AT & T Play Video

So You Think You Can Dance? Tour, Houston 9/21

This is not the time to mount a detailed defense of my watching this show. Suffice to say the dancers and choreographers are talented and frequently breathtaking. I regret my early reluctance to watch during the first four seasons. Thankfully I came around. I've become a big enough fan of the show that this is the 2nd tour show I've seen.

Most of the clips I've included here come from the New Orleans or St. Louis live shows, where my comments pertain to the Houston one that I attended. Not sure why their clipped on the right side and frankly I'm too sleepy to figure it out. Just full-screen it for the best effect. Anyway, on with the show.

Introductory video, then the dancers one by one showing their stuff. Into the first routine, an adapted group piece that borrowed lots of bits from one of the first group routines on the TV show.

Dominic is a ham, but a good one. Cheesy banter flows. This is only the 2nd show of the tour so it isn't quite smooth yet. Choppy cheese. None of it was worth quoting.

Lauren & Russell (sub in for Twitch) – My Chick Bad

Russell did an admirable job, but I wish I could have seen Twitch. Excellent start to the evening.

Kent & Ade (sub in for Neil) – Shoeless Joe

This one was a little too "Broadway" for me on TV so I wasn't crazy about seeing it on tour. Decent though. Kent looked a little deer-in-the-headlights and Ade, while having plenty of power, is missing Neil's crispness.

Robert & Courtney – XXXOOO

Good. I barely remember this one from TV so it clearly wasn't a favorite of mine.

Dominic & Jose – the battle for a sword

Dominic is fantastic. Jose is a distant, over-the-horizon second. Tour clip below isn't great but shows how sloppy Jose is comparitively. Just watch the smaller guy with the bleached hair streak and ignore the other one. The superior TV version, click here.

Lauren & Billy – Boogie Shoes

Lauren is far more committed and professional than I would expect from most 18 year-olds. However, I do not like this routine. It is what I would show someone if I wanted to confirm their worst expectations of what the show was like. Boo.

Robert & Kathryn – Heaven Is A Place On Earth aka Off to the Army Dance

Why why why did they do this one instead of the great West Side Story routine from the TV show? It actually softened my visceral loathing of WSS. Why this? Because it's gooey as hell and the mom/teen girl matrix melt in their chairs for it. Awful cover, competent choreo. Meh.

By general consensus of the fans and judges, Alex & Twitch's Get Outta Your Mind routine is one of the best routines in any season of the show. Alex was injured quite badly on the show, torn Achilles tendon, and so couldn't even participate on the tour. However, knowing it makes for a nice break for the touring dancers, the producers just showed the video. Still killed. No embed again, watch here. And keep in mind Alex's (the Asian guy) training is mostly in ballet. Damn boy.

Group of 7 competitors - Royal T

This wasn't a favorite of mine from the show, mostly because half of the competitors just can't pull off Sonya's choreography. Though to be fair it is off the beaten track. Robert is yet again the standout for the guys and Courtney shows why she's such a great match for Sonya.

Kathryn & Russell – I Can Transform Ya shaky on the power moves

This was the only performance from Season 6 (which sadly did not have it's own tour) and was included here because these were the only dancers representing that season. The choreographers NapTab were at a nadir that particular season, though it's an adequate routine. Thank goodness they recovered and turned in a largely fantastic body of work for Season 7. No decent live clip again, here's the show performance (which as I watch it now was much better than the tour one anyway).

Kent & Robert (sub in for Neil) – How It Ends

Loved this one on the show and was wary of Robert taking over for Neil, but he killed it. Kent was great as well. Kent's been pretty lackluster this show, appearing nervous and lacking in energy. He must have been saving it for this one or possibly just felt it more. I admit I teared up a little, partly because it was just well-danced but mostly because that DeVotchKa song is just heart-breakingly beautiful.

Stupid compilation video of "funny" bits of the judges. More dancing please.

Group routine – All That Jazz

Robert shone again here. By this time of the night, I started to understand how good he really is. Definitely the guy to cast in a touring show.

Ashley & Dominic – How Low aka ninjas

Ashley is sadly worse than on the show. Least improved which rather bummed me out. Couldn't find any live clips so here's the show version.

Lauren & Ade – Fever

Pretty dang good. Smoky. Can't find any clips of it though.

Kent & Allison – Sundrenched World

Muscular but frantic, powerful but missing the flow needed to really land this one.

Robert & Billy – Bollywood

A definite improvement from the show version. Robert just lit up the stage.

New Group Bollywood routine

This was fun, but geez some of those guys suck at Bollywood.

Group routine – Everything She Does is Magic

Lauren taking her place as was originally intended. On the TV show she was injured and Allison subbed in for her. Definitely more sweetly charming as it was obviously intended (at the time she was the only girl left going up against I think five guys). Still, on the show version Allison brought a strength and joy that Lauren didn't quite match. Also I'm biased because Allison is my ladycrush. This one really worked great in a live setting. Very happy they staged it.

Russell, Dominic, & Jose - New hip-hop routine

Unclear from my notes where this came in the order. It was fun and significantly better for Jose because it featured his skills worked into a routine. Dom & Russell were great as well.

Season recap video

Robert & Dominic – Scars aka scary clowns

Really looking forward to this one as I loved it on the show. Both guys had some flubs and an uncharacteristic streak of mushy movement that took it down a few pegs, but still pretty good.

Kent & Courtney – Amy

Headscratcher why this was included. Probably to give each dancer another routine. Kent still hasn’t lost that awshucks quality, but Courtney smoulders. She is seriously the sexiest lady I've seen in quite a while. I almost stayed after the show and got in the teenager-heavy autograph line just to talk to her up close. Woof, er...meow? Allison's my ladycrush but Courtney sets a fire.

Ashley & Ade – Drumming Song

Disappointingly off. The pair didn’t connect as one the show. The whole idea here is that Ashley is almost bonelessly being tossed about. She was great on the TV show but here she seemed to scale back, not trusting Ade to be there. C'mon Ashley this is your showcase. However, Ade is supa-hot. Dang, dude is ripped and when he does layout backflips my tummy flutters. Also, this is one of my favorite songs of last year. Florence got some serious pipes.

Adechike & Lauren (sub in for Comfort) – Fallin’

This was a good showcase for Adechike so of course they were going to perform it. Lauren's the best girl hip-hop dancer they have on the tour (and that's quite a compliment for this 18 yo) but she just didn’t live up to the passion of Comfort on the show. Still it works.

Kent & Kathyrn – Tightrope

Somewhere in here was also a group disco routine that incorporated all the best lifts from Doriana Sanchez’s routines over the past three or four seasons. It was high energy and fun. Robert, Ade, Allison, and Kathryn knocked it out here.

Billy & Ade – Mad World

I love this routine. Yes it's has a "socially relevant" theme and that usually bothers me on SYTYCD, but the beauty of it overcomes my knee-jerk objection. Still not sick of that song so it does some heavy lifting but geez the quality of movement from both of these guys is just breathtaking. Absolutely shows off their strengths.

Robert & Allison – Fix You

I like Travis Wall's choreography, he's particularly great at hitting the climax of a song with an energetic unison section. Still, he leans over the schmaltz line a bit here. I have a massive crush on Allison for the way she completely assumes the character in every piece she dances. In group routines my eyes were often drawn to her because of the passion and precision she exhibits. Really wish I'd seen her season start to finish. Robert continues his streak of fantastic work for the night here.

Lauren & Kent – Prom routine, then immediately into latin ballroom First Kiss

The screams, oh the screams. This looks like a good idea on paper, the winner and runner-up getting all lovey-dovey in back-to-back routines, but Kent looked tired at this point and frankly sucked the energy out of what was to be the climax of the show. Never cared for these routines myself anyway.

Group – You Can’t Stop the Beat

Best of the night accolades go to Robert, Lauren, Allison, and Dominic. Lackluster nods to Jose (of course!), Kent, and Ashley.

Overall it was a pretty good show, but suffered for not having ballroom experts Anja and Pasha on the tour. Lauren's tango with Pasha played a large part in her getting to the finale and likely winning. It clinched it for me anyway. Sad we didn't get to see much ballroom at all tonight. Also, I wish the Houston stop had come a little later on the tour. We got the second show and nerves were clearly present for some of the less-experienced dancers. It would nice to see a later show for comparison.

SXSW Film 2010 Day 2

Late start today so I sadly missed Thunder Soul. It should screen again post-festival in Austin and Houston as it has strong local roots.

BARRY MUNDAY

Munday (refuse to continue the all-caps silliness) is similar to Knocked Up in telling the story of a loser guy who is forced to grow-up when a one-night stand results in a pregnancy, though the source novel predates Knocked Up by several years. Despite "preceding" it, Munday suffers from the same problem; we are expected to cheer on the "rehab" of a douchey dude who is practically required to fall in love with the barely two-dimensional, harshly critical female lead as they form a happy, conservative-dream-of-family in time for the credits. Despite this glaring flaw, the film is enjoyable if taken as probably intended, a minor relationship comedy.

When it works, it's largely due to the talented cast who wring the comedy from the script. Judy Greer, hamstrung by stereotypical stringy-hair-and-glasses = ugly and the aforementioned stridency, manages to humanize Ginger and deliver sharp line readings. Patrick Wilson, underutilized as a comic actor in his career, shines here creating far more laughs than the dialogue provides. Wilson is slightly miscast in that he's far too attractive and muscular to really be this character, and yet he convinces.

And here's where we get to something I noticed in my years of SXSW attendance. There's a score-creep phenomenon that occurs. The audience is eager and the filmmakers are often in attendance which can lead to better appraisals than the film might otherwise warrant. That isn't to say Munday definitely falls into the category, but I did pick up on an early tendency for the audience to perhaps overreact to jokes and mugging. The writer-director Chris D'Arienzo also engaged in my favorite, always-charming SXSW Film cliche, walking out onto the Paramount stage and being gobsmacked by the theater itself and the idea of it full of people wanting to see his film. Yes, we likey the film and the people who make them in Austin.

Documentary Shorts

A very strong program this year.

Seltzer Works
A profile of the last seltzer bottler in New York City. Gorgeously filmed and tightly edited, this is a modest but beautifully done short.

6
Six-man football is a largely unknown phenomenon of small town Texas. Unable to field full teams but loving the game as much for entertainment as the way it holds communities together, rural high schools play a small team, high scoring version of football. 6 is the best short doc I've seen in a long time. From pre-title set-up to action footage to deeply-felt interviews, this is practically perfect top to bottom and the audience knew it. No attempt to stretch this into a feature but giving its subject a full presentation, this is what short doc-makers should aspire to make.

Big Birding Day
Lovely images, but a lack of focus in recording the attempt to set the record for most birds seen in 24 hours leaves this doc at the bottom of the pack.

Quadrangle
She-said, he-said story of a couple who embraced the "free spirit" of the late 60s/early 70s and formed a quasi-group marriage with another couple. Made by their daughter, the doc presents their stories simultaneously in split-screen. It's an effective device and elevates the film above run-of-the-mill family bio docs.

Mr. Hypnotism
Profile of con-man hypnotist Dr. Dante by SXSW alumni Brandon Beesley. Competently made, the oily charm of Dante holds your attention.

White Lines and The Fever: The Death of DJ Junebug
An early hip-hop prodigy, DJ Junebug increasingly chose cocaine over turntables which led to his early death. It felt like the filmmakers wanted this to be a feature, but correctly ascertained that the story didn't warrant the length. Great production value, great talking heads, great use of music.

Micmacs à tire-larigot
[English translation: The Slidewhistle Micmacs]

A return to director Jean-Pierre Jeunet's (Amelie) earlier madcap films like Delicatessen and City of Lost Children, Micmacs follows the pattern of most Jeunet films: lovable, down-on-his-luck "orphan" Bazil (Dany Boon) finds a new family and fights a powerful enemy—here the arms industry—using his wit and talents. After smartly establishing Bazil's history and motivation, Micmacs essentially becomes a heist film heavily colored with Jeunet's standard-yet-gorgeous visual flair and comic sensibility. Bursting with Tex Avery-esque action setpieces, outsize characters, and just a hint of sentimentality, Micmacs is a perfect introduction to Jeunet's body of work for newcomers and another winning entry for devotees who will especially appreciate the sly references to previous films.

The rest of my evening was a bust: too late to get into American Grindhouse, Centurion secret show cancelled.

SXSW Film 2010 Day 1

Worked 13 hours directing lines and dealing with minor problems at Registration while trying not to talk too much because of the canker sore on my tongue. So, super-awesome. Periodic "shots" of liquid benzocaine made it bearable and the day went well, no down-time on the computer network, no loud customer meltdowns (at least that I saw).

The one hiccup was a fire alarm where we had to clear the building. It was stressful but in retrospect it was kinda fun to use my best stentorian booming voice to overcome the general noise level. If it had been an actual fire, we might have lost the videogamers because the fire alarms went unnoticed in their room full of flashing lights and cacophonous bleepbooping. I had to take the mic away from the Rock Band participants and announce the evacuation.

With the 8 hours I worked yesterday adding to the general exhaustion, I didn't even have the energy to stay awake in a theater and watch American: The Bill Hicks Story. Oh well, it'll screen again this week.

Work then no work, food, a cop, Bruce, internet, this

I have no sensible reason for writing today when I so rarely do anymore. Eh.

Yesterday morning I called my boss to see if they needed more staff for Tuesday night. She enthusiastically agreed so I went in at 10:45 PM. Normally a shift starts at 6:45 PM but I wanted extra sleep and to watch So You Think You Can Dance (yes, I watch that great show and will defend it vociferously). I get to work and my boss failed to add me to the schedule. As we were overstaffed anyway—why did she said she needed me?—they won't let me work "overtime". It isn't overtime as I was out sick last week, but the lunkheads in scheduling cannot understand the concept of working extra this week to make up for being out last week (shakes lowered head in defeat).

On the walk home from the light rail station (we have that here and it's great), I stopped at Katz's to eat. My lunch was in my bag, but coffee and noodle kugel exerted a siren song I was unable to resist, there being no ship's mast available to which I could lash myself. Satiated, I continued home only to be lectured by a cop. It went something like this, my thoughts in brackets:

Me: [OK, cop car slowly coasting to a stop sign, I'm good to cross. Uh, is he gonna just roll through the sign and consequently me?! Way to set an example police officer. OK, let it go and just walk on.]

Cop: "Hey...hey! Come here.

Me: [What is *this* bullshit?]

Cop: That was dangerous man. I know you have the right of way, but I almost didn't see you and this car is 3000 pounds and you'd lose that fight. If I was you I'd at least make eye contact when you cross the street to make sure I see you.

Me: [It's dark and your headlights are creating glare so I can't see inside the car, while I am clearly lit. And how does searching for your eyes prevent you from running me over?] You were slowing down for the stop sign.

Cop: I'm looking over here (points) because there was an accident here earlier and I didn't see you.

Me: [Ah, so in your refuse-to-be-accountable mind, my not anticipating that you'd be distracted and therefore ignore street signs and what's right in front of you is somehow my fault. I need to get out of here right now.] OK.

Cop: (more lecturing consisting of what he's already said in various combinations) If I was you, I'd be more careful.

Me: OK. (turning to walk on, burning with anger, and fighting the impulse to shout "If I was you, Officer, I wouldn't blame pedestrians for my inattention and law-breaking. You know, if I was you.")

The part that make it tolerable in retrospect was that a drunk guy at the adjacent bar was catcalling the officer during the entire exchange. I really should have gone back to at least acknowledge his enthusiastic defense of me.

When I got home, I amused myself mightily by looking up the words and guitar chords to Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" and playing it in fast waltz time. If I transpose it into a minor key, ditch the signature keyboard line, add viola, and sing it in a Tom Waits-ian growl, it will likely wipe out the optimism of the narrator, transforming him into a defeated, sarcastic bastard. I'm thrilled to give it a try. In the video, instead of being pulled onto the stage to awkwardly dance, Courtney Cox is stared like it's all *her* fault until she bursts into tears and runs out.

Unfortunately (for me, Bruce, the world) a cursory reading of one website's Best of the Year/Decade lists turned into a multi-hour timesuck and nothing else was accomplished this night. Except for this post.

UPDATE: On his website, Bruce Springsteen has posted his support for marriage equality in New Jersey. Yay Bruce.

Birthday Karaoke, The Hidden Cameras at Emo's 11/14

What a glorious intersection of events this weekend contained. I traveled up to Austin on Friday for Margaret's initial birthday festivities which consisted of dinner, bowling, and karaoke at The Highball. Dinner was good and reasonably priced, bowling was great (beautiful, vintage lanes rescued from New Orlean's Rock and Bowl), and karaoke in the Xanadu room was...enthusiastically drunken? Tipsily cacophonous? The highlight for me was witnessing three inebriated lovelies blast through the birthday girl's titular song, "This Corrosion" by Sisters of Mercy. The word committed (both definitions) comes to mind.

Saturday afternoon, friends came together again for Margaret Birthday Party, Chapter II at the Carousel Lounge. Karaoke Apocalypse, whom I highly recommend, backed us up as our already raw throats were again put to the test. I feel I acquitted myself well on Heart's "Alone", but missed the mark a bit on The Cure's "In Between Days". Next time I'll tackle Devo's "Uncontrollable Urge". The band was fantastic, well-rehearsed and very supportive of the singers. I headed home early and exhausted to catch a nap before heading out that night to see one of my favorite bands, The Hidden Cameras.

It was their third time in town and I was ready to enjoy the show, but not be blown away mostly because they'd set the bar so high when they played SXSW several years ago. Still, I quickly was into it, dancing and singing along with the small, but loyal audience. After a great main set, they tore it up in the encore. For the last song, they once again pulled people up on stage to play tambourine, me included. So much fun to bang out the beat on a crowded stage hyped up on great audience energy.

Setlist:
Ratify the New
Follow These Eyes
Pencil Case
Heji/Bboy
Mind, Matter and Waste
Death of a Tune
Hump From Bending
Kingdom Come
Fear Is On
Walk On
A Miracle
Zine
Doot Doot Plot/Do I Belong/In the NA
The Little Bit/Underage/Silence Can Be a Headline

Encore:
Breathe On It
Smells Like Happiness
Music Is My Boyfriend



This night will live in my memory not for just the band's performance, but for a very enjoyable post-show outing that was facilitated by several very cool people. Laura, Lief, and especially John, thank you so much.

Colbert praises Alpha Dog nurse

Just watch and enjoy.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Alpha Dog of the Week - Betty Lichtenstein
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Meryl Streep

Now I have to call my Aunt and Uncle who live in Norwalk, CT.

Patients, like customers, are not always right

Are you familiar with the website Not Always Right? I just became aware of it a week ago and have been making my way through their massive archive of retail hell stories that seek to "level the playing field for those of us who toil and sweat every day trying to juggle demanding customers and often unreasonable corporate expectations." Pretty funny stuff and I recommend it, though if you read too much in one sitting your contempt for humanity might poison your soul a bit.

I wish it had been around when I was working at a certain large electronics chain in the music/DVD/video game department. It would have soothed. Once after closing, encouraged by my co-workers, I performed a rant about customers being confused or even angered by the concept of alphabetizing which ended with me making the case for tearing out all the CD racks, digging a giant hole, and dumping in the CDs just so we could say things like, "Oh I think there's a rich vein of Celine Dion thereabouts."

That reminds me of the time that a middle-aged guy came up to me with a vague request for mood music. After a couple failed attempts to find what I thought he was looking for, Windham Hill-type music or cool jazz was what everyone else wanted, he leaned in close to me and murmured, "Mood music, you know, like for sex?" More than a little put off, and being the snarky little music snob I was, I marched over to the compilations section and put an Excursions in Ambience volume in his hands nodding portentously. Sure I was messing with him, but in all honesty, I think Seefeel, Air, and Spacetime Continuum provide a great soundtrack for doing it.

Anyway, I was especially excited/trepidacious to come across several medical stories on Not Always Right.

Story 1
Story 2
Story 3
Story 4
Story 5
Story 6

That last one reminded me of my patient who had had their aorta repaired just the day before. Since it was the part of the aorta that passes by and supplies blood to the stomach and intestines, she was NPO (no eating or drinking). She asked for ice chips and I explained that she couldn't have any.

"Your digestive system is not up to speed yet and taking in fluid could cause nausea and vomiting might cause your repair to bleed."

"The last nurse let me have ice chips!"

"Well she shouldn't have. The doctor has ordered nothing by mouth, I'm bound to follow his orders, and I've explained why it's detrimental to your health."

"But I've already had ice today," she whined loudly.

I told her politely but firmly that she could wet her mouth with oral swabs, but no more ice. What I really wanted to say was,

"Do you really want to risk massive internal bleeding for the ephemeral treat of ice chips?! Would you let your child eat candy until they writhed on the floor with a searing stomach ache just because Grandma let them go hog wild on a bag of Jolly Ranchers? Lady, get your priorities straight."

I like my patients, but sometimes...

HawthoRNe, not improving

I finally got around to watching the 2nd episode of HawthoRNe. The fact that it sat on my Tivo for two weeks, and that I forgot to record the 3rd ep, tells us both that I wasn't looking forward to it all that much. Still, I said I'd stick with it for at least two more episodes.

"Healing Time" has a couple of name guest stars in Cloris Leachman and Malcom-Jamal Warner. Ms. Leachman's subplot, about a cantakerous, demanding patient who abuses the nursing staff led to a nice little speech by title character Christina Hawthorne, "Nurses are not servants. They are professionals. They should be treated with respect." Right on, superladynurse on a mission! No seriously, I loved that.

Warner's subplot was much worse in it's sentimentality, unrealistic medicine, and giant ethical no-no. He played a man with a cerebral aneurysm that initially caused decreased level of consciousness and impaired mentation (believable) that caused him to think Hawthorne was his wife (dubious), which she did not refute and in fact "used" to comfort him (not cool at all). Later when the doctors offer him with two treatment options—why they were asking him, a man they know cannot provide informed consent rather than his wife who's already been called by phone, is left unexplored—and the patient defers to his "wife's" judgement, she still acts the part and gives her opinion. Massive ethical violation, off-the-charts lose-your-license kind of violation. Boo superladynurse. Booooo.

So then...uh, no I've completely lost interest in continuing. Suffice to say the writing is still treacly, the humor tepid, the direction and acting pedestrian. If the next ep is equally as poor, I won't bother to write it up. Fingers crossed!

Simpsons + monkey ≠ Mr. Teeny, at least in this case

Before I tell a couple stories from work, I have to explain that in medicine, D/C means discontinue. So when a doctor writes "d/c heparin", it means "stop administering the medication heparin from now on." OK, now that's defined.

The other night at work I went over to talk to a colleague and was startled by her patient's severe jaundice. I blurted, "She looks like a Simpsons character."

Thankfully the patient was sedated and didn't catch my rude comment. Later, the nurse came up to me, "After you left, I kept trying to think of which person on The Simpsons she looks like. Then I realized you meant all of them."

The same night another patient's chest tubes were draining a copious amount of clotting blood. The nurse had to manipulate the tubes frequently to ensure the blood passed into the collection chamber instead of clogging the tubes. It's rather mindless work and takes away from other aspects of patient care, but it's still necessary to perform. I suggested that a trained monkey with dextrous hands would really free her up, "Dressed up in little scrubs just squeezing and twisting away."

"And possibly making a mess I'd have to clean up, not to mention the chattering and infection risk," she countered, "In the morning Dr. Never Smiles would come by, annoyed, and write d/c monkey!"

You may disagree, but at 4 AM, "d/c monkey" is very, very funny. I ended up in tears stifling my laughter so I wouldn't wake the patients.

Houston Pride Parade & intermittent dance party

I really had no excuse not to attend the parade since A) it happens at night when I'm awake anyway and B) the parade route is one block away from my apartment. Plus at least once a year I like to see my peoples all glittery and stuff. Unfortunately there was what I consider to be a serious dearth of glitter/feather/hi NRG silliness. Too many staid oil company employees and church groups, not enough gyrating. Also, I didn't check my camera batteries before I walked out the door and so no pictures.

The highlights for me were:

- PFLAG, cause parents in their 50s, 60s, and 70s marching in support their gay kids is a beautiful sight to see

- Lesbians Over Age Fifty, or LOAFers mostly because of the awesome elderly lady waving out the window of the car. I know it's wrong to infantalize old folks, but she was adorable and inspiring.

- The Asians & Friends group who all held giant Hello Kitty head placards. Kawaii indeed.

Afterwards, I met up with some Austin friends for an intermittent dance party. No one had the energy to stay out on the floor the whole time, so intermittent it was. Yay for poorly conceived "sexy" photos, putting a certain inebriated lady to bed, and fantasizing about band reunions (Smiths, Jawbreaker, Archers of Loaf, Afghan Whigs).

6 Months, 60 Minutes, 16 Songs

So I made a compilation of songs I've been particularly fond of the last six months and wanted to share it. Enjoy, hate, or be suffused with dispassion.

UPDATE: If you register with imeem, you can full versions of almost all the songs. It's a nifty site.

[ed. note: The actual El Goodo track I wanted, "Aren't You Grand" wasn't available on imeem so I swapped in another good (but not as good) track. I wasn't able to find any tracks from Handsome Family's new, great album Honey Moon on imeem, which is why the playlist only has fifteen tracks. So after the Matt & Kim song, pause and go here to listen to a short clip of "The Loneliness of Magnets" and just imagine that old-timey sound continuing, then go back and resume this playlist. Or you could just skip this whole suggestion and destroy the integrity of this carefully curated flow.

6 Months, 60 Minutes, 16 Songs

Who's up for Six Flags?

Friends,

I will be going to Six Flags in Arlington on Sunday 8/23 if you'd like to join me. It's the last day before the local school systems start up and the park is practically empty. As others who've joined me in the past can attest, it's glorious. No lines and on many of the rides, the employees will let you ride multiple times in a row. The park's open from 11 - 7, but I usually leave around 5 because I've ridden everything multiple times by then.

Spread the word and let me know so I can start planning carpools, etc.

Oh, and Joolie gets a free ticket from me because years ago it was my fault that she was denied rollercoasters and had to settle for the Stockyards.

HawthoRNe review

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A trip to see Grizzly Bear

After their fantastic performance during SXSW, I couldn't miss seeing Grizzly Bear again when they came to Austin on Tuesday night. Thirty minutes outside Austin, I realized that I'd left my wallet in Houston. Slightly troubling as I had no cash, ATM card, credit card, or ID to get into the show. Counting on the good graces of my credit union, the venue staff, and my own earned music karma, I wasn't overly concerned. First, I went to my beloved credit union, who helpfully explained that they could give me $100 after asking some security questions. So pleasant.

Then I called Joolie to set up dinner plans and then was off to trade in some CDs. Waterloo Records was staunch in their no-Texas-ID-no-trading-in-IDs policy, so I headed to End of an Ear which was second on my list only due to geography. Having no ID policy and by virtue of the owners knowing me, I traded in some unwanted music for the new Vaselines compilation (Remastered! Live versions! Naïve, superfun pop!), Baby Loves a Funny Bunny by Fuck (in a wonderfully designed matchbook package), and classic album that will end up as a gift for a friend and therefore will not be mentioned by name here. And I still have an $ 0.80 credit! While at the store, I happened into an in-store for Here We Are Magic, who were opening for Grizzly Bear that night. I liked them well enough.

A call to a Walgreen's in Houston confirmed that I hadn't left my wallet on their counter which meant it was probably sitting in my apartment. "No worries! Everything will work out fine!" he fervently said out loud to no one.

Arrived at House Pizzeria to find a pleasantly designed restaurant with a nicely stocked jukebox. The music's a mix of classic country and whatever we're calling Elvis Costello-Wire-Lou Reed-The Pixies-etc. and I passed the time waiting for Joolie and Mr. Joolie thinking of a setlist that would drive out the abrasively loud and demanding children over there in the corner, not the sweet little thing that eventually sat next to us. Between us we ordered Potato & Goat Cheese, Pepperoni, and Olives & Capers pizzas. Another friend and boyfriend showed up to my delight, and we gorged on yummy pizza while chatting amiably.

I realize now that when Joolie asked me about work and I shrugged it off with a "same old thing, nothing interesting" that I was being a bit too dismissive. Of course interesting stuff happens at work, I guess I just wanted to talk about something else. Sorry Joolie! I'll work on some stories for you.

From there I was off to a quick hello to my poker buddies who had just started the regular Tuesday game (it's been so long since I played, sigh) before heading down to The Parish for the show. I barely started my woeful shpiel about the forgotten ID, when the list guy said, "Yeah he's here," and the ID guy looked at me for about 10 seconds before slapping the drink band on my wrist. It's good not to look anywhere close to 21 sometimes. Oftentimes.

I have excellent music karma which has aided me in the past and will likely continue to do so (does citing music karma cause one to lose some?). I recall one extreme example at my only time seeing New Order. My friends and I had lawn seats at whatever their calling Starplex in Dallas these days, but having laid in a surfeit of good relations with the security staff, we were able to slip up to the front section for the openers (808 State, Stereo MCs) and then neglected to leave. When New Order hit the stage, we had managed to worm our way up to 3rd row from which seats we were never kicked (silly non-showing up ticket holders). After a pretty good show, which ended slightly early in that Bernard Sumner stalked off stage before the (according to the setlist we snatched from the stage) final song of the encore "Blue Monday" (my heart breaks), we were too hopped up to just leave. So I and one friend ran around the back of the venue, crawled under a gate, and insinuated ourselves with a group of lucky people escorted backstage to meet the band.

This was back in the days when I'd pursue autographs, so we got Gillian and had joined the throng around Bernard when my friend was discovered not sporting the required sticker and was rudely propelled out the gate. I had thought to drape a shirt over the spot where the sticker should have been and so went undiscovered. Sure Bernard sometimes is a jerk to his bandmates, but kudus to him for standing there for 30 minutes politely asking each fan their name so he could personalize the autographs. Nice guy.

Blah, blah, blah. The Grizzly Bear show was very good. I'd write a review, but just read this as I completely agree.

From there I dropped by some night owl friends' place to chat for a bit that turned into a couple hours, before heading over to the Joolie and Mr. Joolie house for some leftover pizza and a much needed nap. I crept out again at 6 AM to hit the road back to Houston where I found my wallet right next to my computer.

So happy ending all around.

RIP Leigh Boone

A couple weeks ago I was walking home deep into the early morning hours when I was brought up short by this memorial.



The bicyclist who was injured in the multi-firetruck crash I wrote about here died twelve days later.

I find specific, handmade public memorials like this beautiful and moving. Though they are often not as cleanly designed as the Oklahoma City National Memorial or the Vietnam Veterans Memorial for example, they are as conceptually loaded and resonant. Austinites, think of the tribute to Ivan on the Lamar at 5th St underpass. Have you ever wondered who Ivan was? Or who renewed his memorial from time to time?

No surprise that there's a book that speaks to this phenomenon.

UPDATE:

My friend Patricia clued me in to the Ghost Bikes phenomenon. Boone's memorial is included on the website.

National Nurses Day

Today is National Nurses Day, though the party doesn't stop here. National Nurses Week continues through May 12th, Florence Nightingale's birthday. To all my fellow nurses, we are teh awesome, the bee's knees, the cat's pajamas, the snake's hips, the caregivers par excellence, the sine qua non and other such terms of wonderfulness. Woooo!

A couple years ago at the last National Student Nursing Association convention I attended, the keynote speaker whipped up our professional egos by insisting that we think of ourselves as "a treasure". Being the kind of smartypants we were, my group started exploiting this immediately. For the rest of the day it was, "Fetch me a drink, I'm a treasure!" and "I don't see why I have to finish this 30 page care plan, after all, I'm a treasure." So, this is me, thinking I'm all treasury at least for the next few days.

Black Crystal Goatwolfdeerbear

This list of goat-monikered metal bands recalled an impromptu contest we had in the SXSW badge print room this year. The question was, "How many bands playing this year have 'black' as the first word in their name? As long as 'black' is first everything counts, i.e. Blackie." I guessed 12, the winner guessed 15, it was actually 18. Dang.

Then I remembered one of the games at a Saucony-sponsored day party. It was Pin the Crystal on the Overused-in-Band-Names Animal. Blindfolded (w/ Saucony shirts) contestants attempted to place a crystal magnet in the target area of a wolf, deer, or bear. Who knew the Saucony people were capable of such wit?

Birthdays and Morrissey

After finishing up my Advanced Cardiac Life Support class on Saturday, I hopped a bus to Austin for Mybloodyself's birthday party. It had all the classic elements: good people, food, alcohol, dancing. This year brought the added element of shirtlessness whilst dancing. There is photographic evidence somewhere out there.

Sunday was laid back for the most part. Dinner at Titaya, so that we wouldn't become hungry on our subsequent emotional journey, then off to see Morrissey at Bass Concert Hall. Of the times I've seen him, this was the most aggressive and rocking. Didn't tear up for "How Soon is Now?" like the first time, but it was certainly affecting. Would have liked more early solo work, but I'm not going to argue. Thanks to Mybloody for getting tickets and this setlist.

1. This Charming Man (Smiths)
2. Billy Budd (Vauxhall)
3. Black Cloud (Years of Refusal)
4. How Soon is Now? (Smiths)
5. Irish Blood, English Heart (Quarry)
6. When I Last Spoke to Carol (Years of Refusal)
7. How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel? (Quarry)
8. I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris (Years of Refusal)
9. Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others (Smiths)
10. Something is Squeezing My Skull (Years of Refusal)
11. Seasick, Yet Still Docked (Your Arsenal)
12. The Loop (World of Morrissey)
13. The World is Full of Crashing Bores (Quarry)
14. Death of a Disco Dancer (Smiths)
15. One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell (Years of Refusal)
16. I Keep Mine Hidden (Smiths, a B-side to a single)
17. Sorry Doesn't Help (Years of Refusal)
18. Ask (Smiths)
19. Let Me Kiss You (Quarry)
20. I'm OK By Myself (Years of Refusal)

21. First of the Gang to Die (Quarry) -> Swingin' on a Star (cover)

Monday I was back on the bus to Houston. The flip over from being awake during the day to at night occupied Monday night (there is a process) and now I'm off to work. Oh and Happy 15th anniversary Turner Classic Movies, you are a great TV channel.