(in the dark) the shine of small things

For those who are interested in getting in on the happenings at dreamwidth but haven't yet received an invite (does this even apply to anyone on my f-list?), Denise posted the following over at dw_news last week:

Rest assured, as soon as April 30 rolls around, everyone with a Dreamwidth account will have a ton of invite codes to give out, everyone who's subscribed to one of our mailing lists or has set and validated an email address on their OpenID account will get an invite code that they can use if they want to, and if you absolutely can't find an invite code to use, you'll be able to create a paid account for as little as $3 for one month (and, if you choose not to keep paying us after that, the account will continue to exist as a free account after it expires).

To the generous soul who recently gifted me some paid time: thanks :) I don't know when I'll get around to it, but I'm looking forward to doing an overhaul of my layout.

While I wasn't looking, the Republicans named Michael Steele (former MD Lt. Gov.) as the chair of their National Committee. Steele is the first African American elected to that position. And last month Colorado saw the only two African American members of its General Assembly sworn in as the heads of both chambers. Which - you guessed it - makes them the first African Americans to head both chambers of a state legislature...ever. So, that's different. (One day stuff like this will happen and it won't be newsworthy, but today is not that day.)

- [Bad username or site: johnnybvo / @ livejournal.com] and I talked about our immediate impressions of the inaugural on Tuesday afternoon, and then I came across this: the NYT gathered speechwriters from several past administrations to critique President Obama's inaugural. If you're interested in the use of language and perspectives on the same, it's a good read.

- When President Barack Obama was sworn in on Tuesday, he was surrounded by an extended clan that would have shocked past generations of Americans and instantly redrew the image of a first family for future ones....The family that produced Barack and Michelle Obama is black and white and Asian, Christian, Muslim and Jewish. They speak English; Indonesian; French; Cantonese; German; Hebrew; African languages including Swahili, Luo and Igbo; and even a few phrases of Gullah, the Creole dialect of the South Carolina Lowcountry.

I love that this is the most emailed story on NYT.com: The Nation’s Many Faces in Extended First Family.

- Is anyone watching the new season of 24? I need someone to !!!@#&&&&???? with, however belatedly, over the nopenotdeadness of Tony Almeida.

+ I can't quite put my finger on it, but at some point in watching episode 1x09 of The Mentalist, I was struck by the realization that I like and am starting to feel invested in the supporting cast. This makes me happy, since Lord knows I don't really watch this show for the cases.

( what's this? supporting cast-induced squee? )

I've also graduated to fic for the show - just Palm, Switch, Steal so far. It's short, but good. Spoilers for 1x10 if you haven't watched that yet.

+ God rest Eartha Kitt. She had a long and brilliant career as an entertainer in several mediums, but I loved her most of all as Yzma in Disney's The Emperor's New Groove. (If you've never seen that, you're missing out. It is hilarious. I haven't seen it in about a year, so it's due for a re-watch.)

+ Saw The Spirit with [Bad username or site: johnnybvo / @ livejournal.com]. I laughed a lot, mostly at it, but occasionally with it. It was really weird, you know, humor-wise? Like Snakes On A Plane weird, although I'm guessing, since I didn't see that movie. It was...I don't know, just really over the top - most often when Sam Jackson was on screen. It had its moments but I wouldn't recommend it. [Bad username or site: johnnybvo / @ livejournal.com] liked it, although he agrees it's a weird movie. So, make of that what you will. Before the film, we got several crappy trailers. Two of them were for slasher flicks, and what do you know, Jared was in one (um, Jason 13 or some such) and Jensen in the other (My Bloody Valentine, I think). So that was kinda amusing, and kinda sad.

+ My mom straightened my hair this morning :/ I'm really perfectly fine with people not taking hot irons to my head, but she was very keen to. I don't know why some people are so concerned about how I wear my hair.

I passed the MPRE! I hope everyone else who took the November exam woke up to such pleasant news.

In more sobering developments, what a heartbreaking resolution to the search for CNET's James Kim and his family.

eta: President of the D-Backs, Derrick Hall, in a chat on the team's web-site yesterday ~

rereit: What happened with the rumored Mark Mulder deal?
Hall: Our staff is still considering. As you know, this is a player with a medical history, so all of the necessary due diligence needs to take place.

And since everyone knows front office people NEVER RARELY give fans a straight and honest answer to a simple question, I am only more convinced the problem is that the D-Backs won't guarantee anywhere near what Mark's people want to see in a deal without incentives. Yes. And this story from Tuesday talks about the hurdles created by their stupid policy of not wanting to pay people. Except it's a good policy from where I'm sitting, because I don't want to see him sign with Arizona. So. You know. Keep shooting yourselves in the foot, guys.

And I am not talking about Mark Mulder any more this week.

This is so incredibly surreal.

When I surfed across CNN.com during class earlier, and saw the breaking news banner about a plane hitting a building in New York, my heart froze in my chest.

And then when I turned on ESPN after getting out of class just now my heart stopped a second time.

How awful.

(And I feel terrible because my second thought was "Thank God it wasn't Moose, or someone else I care about.")

I was at the game in Philly where they announced that he and Bobby Abreu had been traded to the Yankees. It's so weird to think I saw him a few months ago reluctantly tipping his cap to fans. And now he's dead. I know hundreds upon hundreds of people die every day...but this is so surreal.

Pittsburgh was fab. I mean, the Cardinals sucked (shocker! :P), but the game was still fun, and the Chappelle show on Sunday was hilarious. Took some pics at the game with the camera I bought to tide me over 'til I could replace my dearly departed 6490. I wasn't thrilled with the picture quality at all, but happily, I noted some damage to the camera that hadn't been mentioned in the ebay listing, and the seller has a return and refund policy. She's already said she'll refund me, hopefully she'll follow through. And when I got home today, my replacement 6490 had arrived! Seems to be in great working condition, and it looks like the seller actually overstated the one minor defect that he mentioned in the listing, which is always a pleasant surprise.

Also, arrived in the mail today: My July/August A's Magazine! Oh happy day. Haren's the cover story, with Urban basically telling us Oakland will be okay when Zito flies the coop, because he's left us his only begotten son. Btw, I would like to submit Urban's transition into talking about Dan's relationship with Z as Exhibit #452 that Mychael Urban is a slasher at heart.

I finally figured out how to get our scanner to capture magazine pages in color in good resolution, so if you're interested, I scanned the article on Dan, as well as Urban's short piece on Kotsay. And a three page thing on the Swisher/Blanton/Harden/OnceAlsoStreetButNoLonger house. I figure the pieces for this issue were put together in mid to late June, which I guess means Huston's only moved out in the last month >.> Curiouser and curiouser. Anyway, the gallery is (here). I left the scans fairly big, but if anyone needs them smaller and can't do the resizing, lemme know. There was also a pretty interesting piece on Adam Melhuse that I didn't scan, since scanning is a bit of a pain in my ass. BUT, if anyone would be interested in reading it, holla.

(  + more on the Chappelle performance )

[Bad username or site: trailer_spot / @ livejournal.com] linked me to this, a VF article that breaks down NORAD's reaction to the events on the morning of September 11th, complete with some clips from control room audio recordings of that morning. Fascinating, among other things, to read and listen to.

On the news last night, they said that the elm tree that went down at the White House during the storms? Is one of the trees featured on the 20 dollar bill. It's the tree on the right. Sadness. That tree has totally been a part of my life and I didn't even know it. I mean, I have a twenty in my pocket right now. Maybe I'll frame it. In Memoriam, 100 Year Old Elm Tree That Was Felled During Ridiculous Rain Spell of 2006.

So the story about Warren Buffett committing to donate 1.5 billion a year to the Gates Foundation? Like. I dunno. It makes me happy in my soul. I think it's a tremendous gesture and it's all about the potential for people to be decent in the world. I am rather verklempt. (Sorry, I'm a Gemini, and my emo side has been totally dominating this birth month.)

I love when Robert Stansbury 'Buster' Olney III is on Mike & Mike.

The story on the Orioles in the Washington Post this morning oh so casually mentions Miguel Tejada and Jason Grimsley's affidavit in the same breath. It's been quite the topic of discussion on Mike & Mike this morning.

Some interesting stuff from the story:

Those who have spoken to Tejada recently about the subject said he is happy and does not want to be traded. But Orioles executives and Manager Sam Perlozzo have met several times, though not in the past month, to discuss how to deal with Tejada's tardiness in arriving for games.

"I can't sit here and say we haven't talked about it," Orioles Vice President Jim Duquette said. "It's a topic we've talked about with Sam."

In a game earlier this season in New York, Tejada arrived less than one hour prior to the scheduled start time. Most Orioles are in the clubhouse three hours before game time. One player, speaking off the record, said that Tejada is still popular among his teammates but that his tardiness is an issue.

One team source said Baltimore has tried to fine Tejada, but those fines have been ignored. The source said it was possible team officials had not pushed Tejada to pay the fines or disciplined Tejada publicly because they did not want to risk alienating him or hurting his trade value.

"I can't remember the last time I heard anything about it at all," Orioles Executive Vice President Mike Flanagan said. "Sometimes this business of being late is a matter of interpretation."

Flanagan said Duquette spoke with Tejada on Sunday and "felt really good" about the conversation. But Tejada arrived at 12:10 p.m. for Sunday's 1:35 game against the Washington Nationals.

Several team sources said they have noticed Tejada sulking some of late, perhaps stemming from his name being linked to the investigation into an affidavit from former Oriole Jason Grimsley, which appears to link several of his ex-teammates to the use of amphetamines and perhaps other substances. (The names in the affidavit have been redacted.) Since it became public on June 7, Tejada is hitting just .236 (17 for 72).

I don't have much to say. I definitely remember how much Miggy changed after Palmeiro name-dropped him, and to hear stuff like this would have wrecked me last year. If Miggy is attached to or among those named in the affidavit, I'm sorry for those of you who actually still found it in your heart to root for this guy after his no-show to Ellie's memorial service, while finding time to make his trade demands that same week :/

So Scott McClellan stepped down....and I am seriously surprised he lasted this long. Ari lied with conviction, he acted like he believed it and if you didn't believe what he was telling you, then you were just a moron, weren't you? He had this whole Scalia approach to press briefings. I remember in undergrad, one of my friends sent him a Valentine's Day card. She's probably on a list somewhere. Like, he was the Scorpius of the Bush White House. You hated him, right? But he was SO COMPELLING. He used to get into these little tiffs with Les Kinsolving, oh man. Hilarity. Well, as hilarious as anything involving the Bush Administration can get. McClellan, on the other hand, I swear, when I first started watching his briefings? I felt kinda sorry for him. The guy couldn't have sold me on the sky being blue, let alone GOP spin. Anyway, peace out, Scott. You were, like, the least memorable press secretary ever, which, I dunno, that will probably be in your best interest when all is said and done.

[Bad username or site: offspeed / @ livejournal.com] linked to this piece on Greinke, which reminded me that MLB.com ran this two days ago. I really have so much respect for the Royals organization, and the way they gave this kid his space and have been willing to let him work things through. And I have a lot of respect for this kid, too, to recognize that he's got issues that need addressing. Respect all around, what the hell.

Yesterday it also occurred to me that it's been, like, MONTHS since Alex Rodriguez has done something for me to make fun of. WHAT GIVES. On the plus side, [Bad username or site: rickenbacker / @ livejournal.com] posted caps of sadface!A-Rod post the Team USA loss, so, you know, that's something.

Speaking of [Bad username or site: rickenbacker / @ livejournal.com], she ripped the BDSSP appearance, in mpeg. In four parts, for easier downloading, since each part is 30mbs here. Um, if you grabbed the thing I ripped from the BDSSP site, then you have all of 1, all of 2, and all but 40 seconds of 3. Part 4 is the guys failing at knowing the trivia about each other, and I imagine fangirls everywhere rolled their eyes at the fact that Chavvy didn't know who Z's uncle was ^_~

Part 1 of 4 ++ Part 2 of 4 ++ Part 3 of 4 ++ Part 4 of 4

She also took a crapload of caps, available here.

And via [Bad username or site: roxybritain / @ livejournal.com]: ahahahahah. Now, if they could just find a way to balance this being adorkable business with WINNING BALLGAMES, I think my friends would all be happier people.

Joe tore the baby fish a new one. Which, you know what? GOOD. Because the frantic throws to first to blow ballgames late? WERE PISSING ME OFF. Also, Mikey can start hitting any day now, because seriously, there could be nothing more embarassing than getting benched by the Marlins.

Btw, Cubs fans, my heart goes out to you, man. I'm headed to the Richmond Braves game on Saturday (in lieu of the Wilco concert, because baseball > Wilco) with my friend Amy, who's a huge Cubs fan, and she's taking this D-Lee thing kinda hard. I imagine it'll be my job to keep the beers coming.

My eyes.

Did they make the rookies sing? See, I can get with making rookies sing. Anyway, somewhere, RuPaul cries.

In less distressing news: confirmed word that Brad Whitford has signed on to Sorkin's new show. ^_^

ETA: LOL, they did make their rookies sing. That's funny.
( San Francisco Giants rookie Brian Wilson portrays musician Billy Idol while participating in a rookie hazing spoof of the hit television show American Idol prior to a Major League Baseball spring training workout, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2006, in Scottsdale, Ariz. )

Dude, your name is BRIAN WILSON. There was a whole joke there.