What you don't learn you are condemned to repeat...

"Send Francie. The last time I asked for sauerkraut he chased me out of the store," complained Neeley.

"You've got to ask for Liberty Cabbage now, you dope," said Francie.

"Don't call each other names," chided Katie absendmindedly.

"Did you know they changed Hamburg Avenue to Wilson Avenue?" asked Francie.

"War makes people do funny things," sighed Katie.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith.


Remember the "Freedom Fries"?

Cover bands don’t change the world

I stole that. From the Accidental Creative. I think that might actually be ironic instead of just coincidental, but coming from the Alanis Morrissette generation, I've always been confused. I downloaded a podcast of his some time ago and finally got around to listening to it on Sunday. His tag line – that cover bands don’t change the world – reminded me of Douglas Coupland's Microserfs striving to, one day, be 1.0. I hope I’m remembering that right since it’s been years since I read that book.

Incidentally, right now I’m reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. It’s keeping me up at night…I can’t seem to put it down. Very well written.

But what I bothered to stay up for last night, again foolishly, was Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. It used to be good. Now it’s dry. I keep waiting for something compelling to happen. It hasn't for the last two episodes. What I liked about it originally was the same thing I liked about the West Wing (aside from the subject matter) , that being the dialogue. Again, very well written. But not so much anymore it seems. I guess the comparison isn’t surprising because it comes from the creator of the West Wing trying to hit it big for a second time. With the same stuff. Which maybe isn’t a terrible idea, but you can’t forget that cover bands just don’t change the world.

i (heart) valentines?