it's over. move to somnia.

(prev) i kiss boys (next)

 
This Is, in Fact, Funny
peachy as always, Mike at 3:32 PM

 
Quick Update

The applications are done.
I'm dating again. (How did that happen?)
I still don't have a job.
My family is nuts.
I've tried bikram yoga (almost-passing-out ain't fun, kids).
Online forums are stealing my soul.
I've cleaned my room. (It's dirty again!)
I convinced a theoretically-depressed friend that she is in fact happy with her life...and now she's just puzzled.
Pumpkin and lentils have figured prominently in my diet.
I am about to do my taxes.
peachy as always, Mike at 2:40 AM

 
The California Quarter

The 20 semi-finalists for the official California Quarter have been selected and, accoring to the State Librarian (of course we have one; who do you think shows the Board of Equalization where the tax code is shelved?), the Governor wants our input! Us! The people of California! OK, the people of California and anyone else who happens to navigate over to www.ca.gov.

What are the big themes? The usual: gold, miners (well, panners, to be accurate), poppies, redwoods, the Golden Gate Bridge (in the lead with 10 depictions), agriculture, Athena, missions, Yosemite, grizzly bears, and...Hollywood. Um, no.

I may find it a little weird to shoulder in depictions of biotech and aerospace. I may not be a big fan of the design that looks like Microsoft clip-art. And I may be repulsed by the inclusion of ugly-ass fonts. But under no circumstances am I going to back the rolling film strip.

It's not just a cliche.* It's an affront. I don't want my home to be known as The Tacky State, or The Exploitative State, or The State That's Responsible for Giving the Rest of the World the Idea That Everyone Here Is Rich and Shallow (Except the Black People, Who Are Loud and Bad). Hollywood is synonymous in the public mind with falsehood and artistic compromise and cynicism and objectification. Unfortunately, it just might be seen as apt: what better symbol to put on legal tender than that of the industry that appeals to the bottom line (and the lowest common denominator), with nothing so much as pure profit in mind.

California is a large and diverse state; we amuse ourselves with trivia about the state's economy being larger than that of all but four of the world's nations.** Entertainment is an important part of the economy, and should not in itself be dismissable as unworthy of pride. But let's give America something a little less obvious: How many people know that California is the largest state in terms of agricultural production? Why not present a thing of beauty, or of intelligence? Why mar our representation with something so crass and problematic?

To my fellow natives and residents of the Golden State: Say no to Hollywood! Vote for any other design, but please leave the film out of it. Vote early and vote often! And tell your friends! Together, we can ensure that this unimportant non-issue becomes something we can all bitch about. Peace.


*(And an incorrect one at that: the movie industry doesn't even operate out of Hollywood anymore.)

**Those would be the rest of the US, Japan, Germany, and the UK. We've recently surpassed Italy and France.
peachy as always, Mike at 10:06 PM

 
You Take the Good, You Take the Bad...

The grad apps process is still going strong, but at least it's looking up: I located my missing reference and he sent all the letters to me (on time!), which was my biggest concern. Apart from finishing the essays for the remaining schools, the biggest challenge left is locating someone to evaluate my Spanish language abilities (stupid Georgetown, not taking applicants at their word). All well.

Oh, except for one little thing: on the one application I sent off last week, I made a teensy mistake. I was driving down to Fremont last night listening to NPR and suddenly it hit me: Did I actually refer to "Attorney General Donald Rumsfeld?" *&$%*#$!@*#!! Well, I'm sure they'll let it slide...it's just a public affairs program, anyway. And I didn't really want to go to Princeton. Who really wants to have all their financial need covered by the university? Not me!

On a slightly less miserable note, the online personal thing has actually yielded a couple of promising starts. One is a self-described dork whom I found to be an excellent conversationalist...and who has family ties to Modesto. Scary, but not too scary. In his manner of speaking, he actually reminds me a lot of my friend Nathan, who is now safely ensconced in Boston--but apart from that, he's someone I wouldn't mind getting to know a little better.The other is a Cuban (!) artist (!!) who sounds as though he likes spending a lot of time outdoors. A good sign. Haven't met him yet, but I'm looking forward to meeting over coffee* next week.

Otherwise, I'm back to my old habits. Getting back into shape (again), watching TV, reading crap on the Internet, looking for something to go out and see. I wonder what I'll do with the rest of my time after the apps are due next week.

Oh, right...fellowships.


*Yes, yes, I don't drink it. That hasn't changed. It's figurative coffee.
peachy as always, Mike at 5:26 PM

 
And the "Lamest Personal Ad Response Ever" Award Goes to...

Hi you came up as ideal match. are you interested?
peachy as always, Mike at 7:41 PM