http://www.cartoonlabs.com/comics/index.php?date=2010-01-08&show=sinfest

Sinfest
Tatsuya Ishida

We're a little short on book reviews at the moment, so when I found out last night that Julie Powell — author of Julie & Julia — put out a new one a month ago: Cleaving: A Story Of Marriage, Meat, And Obsession. It's largely about her apprenticeship in a butcher shop, and sleeping around on her husband. I thought "Oh, I'll go pick that up this morning before work, read it over the weekend, and write a review for Monday. There's a Borders right next to an el station a couple stops south of the office; I'll just nip down before work and grab it."

Famous last words. I got into Borders and wandered all over the new books section and couldn't find it. Not in new memoirs, not in new non-fiction, not on the "new and notable" tables, not nowhere. Finally I found a computer and tried to look it up. Maybe Amazon had the release date wrong; it's happened before. Then a staffer buttonholed me and asked what I was looking for. I told him. "Oh, I think I've heard of that. It's called Cleaver or something. It'd be in the food section upstairs. I'll call up." And he did, and I waited, and they said they couldn't find it. So he said it was probably in the new non-fiction section, and he looked, and I waited, and he couldn't find it. Finally, he looked it up on the computer again and said "Oh, we don't have it here."

So I wound up trudging through the snow to Michigan Avenue and taking a bus to another Borders a couple of miles away, thinking "Well, if Borders is sold out, it must really be a huge hit, and we really should cover it, so I really should get it today. Except… it's funny how the sales guy got the title wrong, and neither he nor the food-books guy upstairs knew that it was such a big seller that they'd had a lot of demand for it. And it's funny that even though it's only a month old, it was listed as being off in the food corner upstairs instead of in the new books section downstairs, even though they have prominently-placed stuff down there that's a couple of years old at this point."

So I got to the other, even bigger Borders, and checked the new book section. Nothing. I looked it up on the computer; it said I should check "Food Reference." I trekked upstairs to the food section; I found about 50 copies of Julie And Julia (literally: shelf displays in two different sections, two different table displays, and then several massive stacks of them on the floor under the tables), but no copies of the new book. At this point, I was thinking, "Wow, this must REALLY be a hot seller." Except, again, for the part where the computer said it was in Food Reference instead of the new-books section.

And the part where when someone asked me what I was looking for — there were more employees in the bookstore than customers, and they were apparently bored — and she didn't know what it was called either. Given the butchery angle, she suggested it might be in the Chicken & Beef section. (There's a chicken and beef section in the food section?) No luck. She finally called downstairs, and found someone who claimed he knew where it was. And he beelined to the front of the store… where it wasn't. Finally he disappeared for five or 10 minutes and then emerged from the stockroom with a couple copies. I took one and skeedadled. It didn't have a discount tag on it, but it was 50% off, which strikes me as weird all over again — in my experience at Borders, 30% off means a bestseller, 40% off means a Twilight-level mega-bestseller, and 50% off means a clearance book.

So I remain confused as to whether this book is selling so well that they can't keep it on the floor, or so poorly (or it's such a minor release) that they've barely put it out at all. The fact that no one seemed to know about it leans me in the latter direction — I've normally found librarians and bookstore employees to be REALLY familiar with any recent book that's in high demand. And the reviews I've found are sparse, and universally negative. And I started it on the way home today, and hoo boy, the first few chapters are pretty terrible — mostly just very overwritten, with gushy, purple descriptions on top of fairly lame attempts to make her life sound far more exciting than it is. (No, Julie, working at a butcher shop and walking around with blood on your hands and apron does not make you mysterious, compelling, and possibly just a little… frightening, dum dum DUM, no matter how much you wish it did.)

Or maybe it was just The Invisible Book because nobody cares. Either way, I didn't get into the office til past 11, and I felt like I'd either been on a scavenger hunt, or a snipe hunt.

And unlocked. Please respect that. :)



It is meet that someone who's spent so many years in the Catholic Hierarchy should, these last few days, be having an Epiphany.

I just wrote one of the most insightful, most honest, and most painful emails in my entire life to a relative stranger. And I feel great for doing it.

The last year has been about pain. About losing something I didn't even know I was looking for, and coping with the aftereffects. Something I had had so many years ago, well before anyone today knew me. Losing it, over and again, in clumsy grabs for that revelation to be made anew. A revelation made so that who I am deep inside, and where the world, La Belle Dame sans Merci, could meet.

And so, my sin, my Original Flaw is what she claimed it was. It is Hubris, that and Lust. Is to have put people through pain, and changes, and horrors because I keep not accepting who I am, what I am, and what I'm capable of. Accepting that my fate is far more in my hands than I've ever dared allow myself to think. Accepting that this is a Gift, and as much a joy as a burden, and that I can have both, if I'm wiser than I've been to-date, and more open that I've ever been before about this.

I remain, on some level, afraid to accept all that. I remain humbled by those who still count me as friends.

I am a work in progress. And I hope that progress will start anew.

(and maybe, someday, I'll stop being bloody cryptic as well.)

i took half of this week off from work.

growing up, my family would pretty much always end up doing some damned project when everyone was around for some holiday dinner. to the point where it was a running joke in my family that "you can tell it's a holiday because the $MY_SURNAME's are out working." it was just one of the ways my dad was.

given that background, maybe it's not too surprising that much of my plans for my vacation involve doing stuff around the house. i mean, there's a couple of things i *needed* to do, but the rest is just me on a productivity roll.

the trick, however, is to not actually bite off more than i can chew, project-wise, for a short vacation. because then there's the risk of losing focus on a project or running out of time and then things linger along half-done and half-assed for days, weeks, months, sometimes years. (this is another habit i picked up from my dad.)

i view that lesson -- don't get too wound up in stuff and risk that lingering half-done-ness -- as a life triumph of learning curve.

I'm broke as a joke and want to try and donate my eggs. Has anyone else on here done it? I would like to hear some testimonials on whether it was worth it, how much you made, if you were accepted/rejected, etc. Thanks!

Ever had one of those moments where you make what's supposed to be a conversational joke, but the person or people you're talking to just look at you blankly and then move on, and while they're moving on you think "Well, that was weird. Wait, what I just said could be misinterpreted in this way, and if he/she/they thought that… wow, that's awkward. Should I explain?" And by that time everyone's talking about something else, and it seems profoundly awkward to try to drag the conversation back a couple of minutes to say "Uh, when I said THIS, it was meant to be interpreted THIS way, you know, like *I* was the cow and the BIRDS had the whipped cream, see?" Especially since it's possible that they DIDN'T completely misinterpret you, they just didn't think what you said was particularly funny. And then you get to chose between being the person explaining a joke, which is always bad, and being the person that said That Awkward Thing that confused everyone.

I sometimes think that the difference between Geeks and Cool People has nothing to do with manners of dress, taste in entertainment, taped-up glasses and pocket protectors, computer aptitude, or anything else. It's just that Cool People either live in the present and never have these moments of self-doubt, or when they do, they casually know what to do, because, you know, they have advanced social skills instead of just basic ones.

http://www.cartoonlabs.com/comics/index.php?date=2010-01-07&show=sinfest

Sinfest
Tatsuya Ishida

So I really want to see this. REALLY want to see this. I'm probably jinxing it with high expectations, but it just looks COOL and very very pretty. Sadly, I don't know if I can before I go, since it opens on Friday night, the night before I fly out to the east coast, which is traditionally a night of panicking and late hours for me, but I think I'm gonna try.

The weird, and annoying, thing, is that it really isn't playing at very many theaters in Seattle. I'm shocked really, but maybe I shouldn't be? Hmmmm.

It's only playing at 6 theaters within an even vaguely reasonable distance and only at 3 I would consider going to. The Metro (bah, tiny screens!), Regal Meridian 16 (downtown, decent screens), and the Regal Cinemas Thorton Place, which I don't think I've ever even been to!

Hmmmmmm. I guess I'll play it by ear, see if I even have the time to go, which I may very well not. If not, I can always wait and catch it in Boston. :)

Dearest Seattle-

I am moving shortly, and unfortunately have to change my son's daycare.

He's currently in a full day Headstart class, which I'd really like to continue with, but that doesn't seem to be an option after I move. He's not really "special needs", but does kind of need some extra attention. He has a speech delay, and as a result his social skills are a little behind others of his age. Headstart has been AMAZING for him, so that or something similar would really be ideal. I'll settle for an in-home daycare if I have to, but would strongly prefer something more like a preschool. Also need some place that takes state child care subsidy payments.

I'm moving from White Center to Lakecity/Shoreline, and work in Ballard. I work Mon-Fri 8a-5p. He's almost 4.

I checked the memories back to '06, and this isn't really the sort of thing you Google.

Thanks!

Here's a .zip of "Long Songs," widely regarded (by 10 people) as the best Deathmøle album. It does have my favorite song I've ever written on it ("Pelicans").

Klicken Sie Bitte

I quote rollick:

"Oh, and speaking of om nom nom, I only recently realized that it came from Cookie Monster, and that's why it became so instantly universal — half of us grew up watching him nom things. Here he is talking about it in a surprisingly erudite and philosophical recent interview:"

( You've gotta see this, srsly )

HEE. I hadn't remembered that that's where it came from, either. It makes so much sense!

Where is the best place to get free/cheap scraps of materials such as wires, tech-y things, colorful objects, cloth, textures, etc.?
This will be glued to paper, so I need small scraps, or things that can be destroyed further to make smaller, somewhat glue-able things.
The more interesting textures the better, but anything goes.
thanks.

The student athletes on the Seattle U swim team are offering private lessons to anyone who wants to learn to swim or improve their existing swimming skills.

Each class costs $20 for up to three people, and all proceeds benefit the swim team's travel and training budget. Coach Kat Cuevas tells me they've taught people from ages 14 months up to middle age.

Classes are held Mondays and Wednesdays between 3:30 and 5:30pm at Seattle U's Connolly Center at 14th & Cherry. To sign up or get more info, contact Kat Cuevas at cuevask@seattleu.edu

Tom Shear is kicking off A23's Compass tour on March 29th at El Corazon. None of my friends are going, so I was wondering if anyone else was planning to go and see it. And whether or not you wanna go together.

I know it's a bit early but can never be too early. ;)

I am working on a photography project for a class and need recommendations for churches that are magnificent (in or out)... I'm thinking massive stained glass windows, elaborate worship areas, paintings, statues, etc.  Does not have to be a Christian church... any place of worship.

Thanks in advance.

I find it mildly ironic that Mary Daly refused to teach male students at Boston College in the 90s when it was the (all-male) student body in the 60s who supported her receiving tenure when, after she published The Church and the Second Sex , the College wanted to give her a terminal contract. (Unless Wikipedia is full of shit.) Oh my head.