Today’s my brother’s birthday. He’s, let’s see, let me do the math here…. He’s old. A lot older than I am, so that makes him really old. Also, if you’re bored, looking for something to do tonight, and happen to live within 50 miles of the State Theatre in Ithaca, NY, you should go and see a young man by the name of Marc Maron. I understand he’s quite a funny fellow. Also appearing will be Eugene Mirman, and Kurt Braunohler. I guess with a name like “brown holer” your career choices are pretty much either comedian or mass murderer. At least if you attended any of the schools I did, growing up.
Sadly, I live about 53 miles from the State Theatre, and therefore will not be attending (which is pretty shameful, considering how I once upon a time whined that Maron would never come near Central NY, but, well, money is tight, and I feel bad that I haven’t listened to WTF in a long time, being forced to give it up as one of those luxuries I can no longer afford – on the bright side, by not going to something I wasn’t going to go to anyway, I saved more than enough money to order a Jawstand that will quite nicely complement my Jawhorse). And, well, Maron and I really aren’t as close as we used to be anyway.
There was a time we’d sit and chat over coffee pretty much every weekday morning (oh, sure, they were kind of one-sided conversations, and I always got the feeling he never really heard what I was saying, but, what the hell, being married I’ve gotten used to that sorta thing). Alas, those days are long gone. More than five years gone, if you can believe it. And then he started referring to people as “his stalkers,” and I don’t want to make him nervous or uncomfortable or anything and I’m really not the type to bring cookies (though if I thought I could get away with it, I’d stuff a cat or two in his backpack while he wasn’t looking).
Just ‘cuz I’m not going tonight doesn’t mean you shouldn’t, though (or your brother, if he happens to live in Ithaca – not mine; he lives in Florida). I advise you to get there early, too, since it’s going to be very warm today (already 50’ish), and even at this time of year with the trees naked of leaves, it’s a beautiful area. “Ithaca is gorges” as they say, and it’s a nice little commie/socialist enclave that everybody should feel welcome at.
I mean, people like Rod Serling taught at Ithaca College (which houses the Rod Serling archives and is home to the annual Rod Serling Conference), and of course we all know that Cornell turned out such wild-eyed radicals as Keith Olbermann, Kurt Vonnegut, Bill Maher, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Ann Coulter and Paul Wolfowitz, too, I’m sorry to say – but the dark side is just too strong in some people).
I must warn you, however, that, what with the weekend coming and all, today’s warm weather is supposed to turn to shit at some point overnight, with cold air from Canada (stupid Canadians) smacking into the warm air and leading to fierce winds and snow. So watch out you don’t get caught in some shitty weather.
Still, spring was nice while it lasted, and I’m just grateful that I was able to spend most of it sitting at a desk in a windowless office.
Speaking of which, time to get going.
NYC Mayor Bloomberg doesn’t like seniority. He wants the ability to lay off teachers in any order that he decides. Of course, if one is worried about budgets, laying off the most senior and therefore highest paid teachers makes sense. Bloomy is trying to persuade Cuomo to include such a provision in his budget. So far, Cuomo is saying no. Perhaps if he looks at Wisconsin he’ll firm up his resolve to buck Bloomberg.
Yesterday, Andrea Peyser, a malignant right winger, criticized Bloomberg’s pick of Cathy Black for School chancellor. The Post is a reliable Bloomy supporter.
Kudos to those Wisconsin Democrats. Let’s hope there are more such folks around the country.
As I recall, a similar thing happened in Texas, wasn’t it? Where Democratic legislators left the state for a while to thwart some move or other by Republicans. But then they eventually had to come back, and Republicans got their way.
Interesting that the “news” seem to be reporting this all as the WI Gov needing to close a budget gap, yet there would have been a surplus when he took over had he not rammed through tax cuts. That part seems to get left out.
Tom Delay made illegal use of Federal Aviation to try to track them down. I don’t remember exactly what he did but I believe he got into trouble for it. But, they redistricted Texas in favor of the Rethugs anyway.
I’m ready to move to Canada…or anyplace else where insanity and stupidity are not the most common attribute of the gummint.
How exactly is WTF unaffordable? I thought it was free, or at least for a penance to ease your conscience. Unless you can’t afford to invest the time, which is understandable.