Haha, lest you think I'm turning all puppies and rainbows on you -- you know I can't go too many days without complaining.

Leonard Cohen is touring. And he's playing the gorgeous Paramount Theatre in downtown Oakland. Guess how much tickets are?

$100-$251.

Jeebus.

Unless, of course, you want a nosebleed seat. Those are $70. And I think I'd only pay that if it was general admission.

I am all about someone getting paid, but the prices of shows are really ridiculous. But I suppose someone like Cohen isn't making his money from merchandise, so a higher ticket price is a little more understandable. However, I won't excuse $251 for anybody. Boo.

Looks like I'll be putting on Songs of... and drinking bourbon at home that night, for free, instead of dropping nearly $100 after fees. Hell, it's probably better than a seat where you need opera glasses!

I'm on a high of goodness:

Miami Banker Gives Out $60 Million in Bonuses

This actually brought tears to my eyes. This man worked hard and seemed to make good decisions his whole life. He treated his employees well, and they were loyal (57 years!) and in turn most likely were part of the reason for his success. Talk about giving back! It feels good to know that there are still people like this in the world, a true role model.

This is the type of person I wish to emulate, even on my own meager economic level. Meager means most of my giving back is along the lines of sweat equity, tipping well, sharing a bottle, or buying someone dinner. But even these little things can make a difference in someone's day.

I've posted links to Operation Nice before, but I think it's time to do so again. We can't all give someone we appreciate $50K, but there are plenty of easy ways to give back to those who deserve it -- and maybe every now and then to folks who might just need it. And you might just get some good juju yourself in the process.

Just want to pimp this:

S. F. Zipcar Lets Charity Workers Drive for Free

The nonprofit organization I work for is already in negotiations to use Zipcar to pick up our clients for their medical appointments, but I didn't know this was part of a broader plan on the part of Zipcar.

It is this type of social entrepreneurship that makes me feel like we're on our way to a better world.

Louis C. K. is awesome.



"Give it a second! It's going to space!" -- brilliant.

And he's so right about rotary phones. Oi, those phone numbers with zeros! I used a rotary phone until I moved out of my parents' house. I remember going to the pay phone so I could use a touch-tone phone to register for my community college classes.

I think I love this guy.

Went to Bourbon and Branch Friday night to celebrate a friend's birthday. Always a nice time, though pricey. Had a fantastic classic cocktail that may be my new favorite, The Aviation.

Everything about Bourbon and Branch screams class: gorgeous and immaculate pressed tin ceiling, flocked velvet walls, waitresses dressed like they're ready for a starring role in a cabaret performance, and the dimly lit rooms -- including the black-clad restrooms.

However...

Maybe it's just because I am a woman and take care of business sitting down, but this always weirds me out:



















It's like a black hole. Couple this with the dim lighting, and you don't know what you're getting yourself into.

So I did it. I up and joined Facebook.

I thought that this time I should take full advantage and join a social networking site before it becomes uncool.

And I've been pleasantly surprised: not only is it a better interface with better privacy controls than MySpace, but I'm connecting with folks I've looked for online in the past with out success. Righteous.

Anyway, enough of the advert. Look me up if you are so inclined.

Oi, and I saw Slumdog Millionaire over the weekend. What a great film! I think it's going to win Best Picture this weekend. But not because it deserves it.

Maybe this is a longshot, but I think it will win because, for one, India is fast becoming a global economic force to be reckoned with, and the West is always curious about seeing the underbelly of anything that is the other, or could be perceived as a threat (see China's meteoric rise in the 80s and The Last Emperor). But the bigger influence is the recession. People want to escape into something that puts their problems into perspective, as well as believe that hope can prevail.

Well, okay, that last bit might just be me.

Blowing your mind all over your face.

Trevor has work in the second issue of Mrs. Maybe.

Very excited to see this, mainly because, 1) I had never seen this poem before it was published, and 2) he totally name-checks me. :)

Also glad to see the man writing again.

Mark, you'll be happy to know I'm halfway there.

You've got to be kidding me.

Wow, sometimes I am totally stoked to be living in the 21st century:

Google Earth to allow Exploration of Oceans, Mars

YES! How exciting.

But sometimes, I am both stoked and totally frightened:

'Fantastic Voyage' Revisited: The Pill That Navigates

Philips Research in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, has developed a prototype for a pill that can be programmed to navigate toward a specific trouble spot in the body and deposit its medicine there, radioing dispatches to the doctor as it travels.

This is HUGE. But eek, scary implications for things like biological weapons, suicide bombers, privacy, and personal freedom.

On a side note about personal freedom, oy vey, guess which catalog arrived for me at my generally gun-shy workplace?

Trevor and I also got one at home a few days ago, and I was wracking my brain thinking about how we could have gotten on their list, until I got the one at work today. We had bought each other these sweet tactical flashlights last year (I shipped his to my work), so it's obvious Surefire thinks we are militia members and our names got sold to into proper channels!

But truth be told, as someone who loves authentic (and vintage) military equipment, cheap ammo, and shooting mad guns, the catalog is RAD. But there are some creepy things in there. Like the Kuwait Liberation Medal, "awarded to members of the U. S. Armed Forces who participated in the liberation of Kuwait from Iraqi forces between 1990 and 1993."

I suppose there are collectors of that kind of stuff, but c'mon, you just know who else, among others, is buying this stuff and why. Thinking about it makes me do the wince and squirm that I do when other people are embarrassing themselves!

The Honorable Barbara Lee promoting her new book, Renegade for Peace and Justice: Congresswoman Barbara Lee Speaks for Me, at Diesel, A Bookstore, 2.1.2009



















In case you didn't know...

Lee gained national attention in 2001 as the only member of congress to vote "No" on the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists (AUMF), stating that she voted no not because she opposed military action but because she believed the AUMF, as written, granted overly-broad powers to wage war to the president at a time when the facts regarding the situation were not yet clear.

I am so proud to have Congresswoman Lee represent my district. What a true public servant, and an amazing woman.

(BTW, check out the background painting by my good friend, the inimitable Jon Stich)