we can walk to the curb from here: April 2007

the new southwestern stef

so! phoenix! update time!

it's beautiful here, guys. mountains and clear blue skies and palm trees everywhere. my job is fantastic beyond all measure - really interesting, cutting-edge work, really wonderful and supportive colleagues. my condo is pure glamour - granite countertops! a balcony!

of course, there have been major adjustments. it's hot all the time! it was in the mid-80s, at least, almost every day in april. i have to put a sunshade in my windshield, those things i used to think were so tacky and a total overreaction, every time i leave it for more than half an hour - it's a necessity here unless you want your hands to actually melt and fuse into the surface of your steering wheel. my former favorite perfume smells completely different on the southwestern version of me. sunglasses and sunscreen, every day, all the time. i have to wear so much moisturizer that i'm considering buying stock in kiss my face.

also, i CANNOT stop listening to The Meadowlands by The Wrens. i'm not sure if this is phoenix-related or not but goddamn, is that a good album.

as soon as i replace my camera usb cable, i'm going to post like 4 million pictures. i'm not kidding! 4 million!

second amendment, schmecond amendment.

My philosophical question of the day: As a result of the Virginia Tech shooting last week, I read today that Congress is considering a bill that would keep people with "a history of mental illness" from getting a gun. Now, this is an interesting issue for me, because I think we need stricter gun control, and I don't think the framers of the constitution had semi-automatics in mind when they composed the 2nd amendment. But, if we insist on sticking to the letter of the 2nd amendment and letting anyone who wants an Uzi own one, is it really fair to prohibit someone with depression from exercising their 2nd amendment right? I mean, it will all depend on the language of the bill, but these people are legislators, not mental health professionals, and I'm thinking the wording will probably end up a little muddy. Anyway, my point is, I hope someone eventually realizes that the best way to keep semi-automatic weapons out of the hands of the unbalanced is to keep semi-automatic weapons out of the hands of everyone.

i hope no one falls on the speed switch.

man, guys, i went to see the shins on wednesday! it was one of the best shows i've ever seen. it was at this place in phoenix called the celebrity theatre, and the venue totally ruled. it's in the round - the stage is a circle in the middle - and the stage revolves! it was wicked as hell. when the stage started revolving they were all kind of like, hey, whoa, this is bizarre, and james mercer (the lead singer) said, "i hope no one falls on the speed switch." adorable. the show was fantastic - they performed all three songs i really hoped they'd perform (australia, turn on me, and caring is creepy) and they also covered dark side of the moon - just the song, not the whole album. i think james mercer might be my favorite performer of all time. just glorious. moral of this story: go see the shins! it will change your life.

kurt is up in heaven now.

before you think i've lost it...here's an excerpt from Kurt Vonnegut's "Man Without A Country" about Isaac Asimov's funeral:

"We had a memorial service for Isaac a few years back, and I spoke and said at one point, 'Isaac is up in heaven now.' It was the funniest thing I could have said to an audience of humanists. I rolled them in the aisles. It was several minutes before order could be restored. And if I should ever die, God forbid, I hope you will say, 'Kurt is up in heaven now.' That's my favorite joke."