Good Morning.

I could think of no better way to summarize the foregoing topics. (If you can do better, please comment!)

I am kind of skeeved out because I revealed to my boss and another coworker the existence of this blog. My boss had asked me if I'd used the photo tool Picasa, and I said, "yes, just to post photos to my blog." I think I even said it was on Blogger. Stupid. I don't think they'd be able to find it, but who knows. I need to find the time and go back and erase anything even vaguely unpleasant I've said about anyone here. Dammit. Not posting doesn't lessen the likelihood of discovery, but anyway. I don't think anyone here truly comprehends what marmots mean to me, so I may be safe. If you know how I can see how many hits I'm getting, please let me know.

I watched "Dig!," a rockumentary by Ondi Timoner about two bands, the Dandy Warhols and the Brian Jonestown Massacre. It was very good, and got me all hot and bothered about the Dandys. I need to get their album "Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia." Which I bought in college and later sold. Kids, it ain't takin' up that much room. Don't sell that CD. Almost every CD I've sold, I've later regretted. So anyway, in “Dig!” they make it out like there was and still is a rivalry between the bands, but some 'net research would indicate it’s not as bitter as the filmmaker made it out to be, or perhaps there’s been some sort of rapprochement. On the Dandy Warhols’ website, there’s a notice about one of the band members “spinning records” (as the kids say) with Anton from the Brian Jonestown Massacre. On a particular date. Despite a short essay by Anton on the Brian Jonestown Massacre website denouncing the documentary film, on which Courtney Taylor, lead singer of the Dandys, did sardonically delivered voiceover. Whether the points Anton makes truly have merit or not, it's interesting to read it and think about the motives and narrative power of a documentary filmmaker with seven years of footage at her disposal. Which was not something I pondered while watching the film.

In other news, you may have heard that a court here in Seattle sentenced Ahmed Ressam, who was, per the New York Times "convicted of conspiring to detonate the explosives at Los Angeles International Airport during the 2000 New Year's travel season, among other charges." In his sentencing statement (or whatever they call that,) the judge made a point with which I find myself in heated agreement.

Lastnight I watched Monday's Daily Show, recorded on our DVR. On this show, due to machinations not revealed to the viewer, appeared Senator Rick Santorum (R-Penn.) As you may know, Senator Santorum is very conservative (ie, stridently anti-gay) and the Daily Show and Jon Stewart, well--my dad would say they (and I) are "so pink they glow in the dark." So, it was with great interest that I settled down in front of this episode with my steaming bowl of Annie's Organic Peace Pasta & Parmesan. Several things surprised me. I was expecting fireworks--I half expected the set to burst into flames when Santorum walked on, or maybe a whoopee cushion to go off under his bum. Also, Santorum was surprisingly handsome. Grinning. Freshly scrubbed. Hair looking a little like a Ken-doll, but still. Stupid, I guess, expecting him to look unpleasant just because his views are unpleasant to me. Having seen Jon take it to other conservative guests, recently Bernard Goldberg, author of 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America : (and Al Franken Is #37,) I was expecting he would really take Santorum to the mat. (Jon even hinted as such at the end of Thursday's show.) But actually, both Stewart and Santorum were on their best behavior. I take it Jon has been criticized on the internet for bringing weak sauce to this interview. (On the Tuesday episode, which I watched directly after, he said opinion on the interview was divided between "it sucked" and "it sUUUUUUCKED!") But I liked his approach. He didn't even make too many jokes at Santorum's expense (just the right amount.) Instead, Santorum put forward his view, and Stewart calmly, respectfully, and methodically argued with him. It made me realize that the left demonizes the right just as much as the right demonizes the left, and Mr. Santorum is just a human being who wants to do good and thinks differently than I do. So, I'm glad Jon did things the way he did. I still disagree with Senator Santorum's position on a great many things, and with his voting record.