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April 29, 2006
Bono: the book, Love: the book, and other thoughts
The interview format is not as revealing as memoir. There aren't as many beautiful passages in this book as there are in Chronicles, Volume One. Still, it is a compelling read. It offers a way into the mind of An Artist that is accessible and understandable.
Most artists stray farther afield in their pursuit of art than Bono. At the heart of his life the same people remain: his high school sweetheart, their four kids, his high school band mates, and the two close friends from grade school. I've never heard the tale of such a provincial person having such a worldwide impact.
Then again, it is the personal that I look for in biographical material. So I'm left wondering how exactly his marriage works; what his wife is like; how his children feel about his extended absences.
Still, I used to believe it was important to cast aside the past to see the future. Certainly, you can't dwell too much on what's behind you. Bono certainly doesn't. And yet, he's maintained strong relationships with people from his childhood; how many of us can say that? And what is it about our society that pushes people to cast people aside?
Perhaps I'm over-generalizing. In my life, the only constant has been my family, a group of people I am more grateful for everyday. And my college mates are true pillars of friendship. Perhaps something about my restlessness and inability to stay still in the same city for longer than a few years is the reason I marvel at people whose ties are so long-lasting.
Harry Frankfurt, that professor who wrote On Bullshit just published a new book, The Reason of Love. His idea is that the pursuit of love is the key to life. Publisher's description:
This beautifully written book by one of the world's leading moral philosophers argues that the key to a fulfilled life is to pursue wholeheartedly what one cares about, that love is the most authoritative form of caring, and that the purest form of love is, in a complicated way, self-love.I read that description last week and it's been haunting me ever since. As U2 says, "but I still haven't found what I'm looking for." I like the path I'm on and I can see the future: it's still an Impressionist blur but it is bright and shiny and I'm full of excitement at bringing it to fruition.Harry Frankfurt writes that it is through caring that we infuse the world with meaning. Caring provides us with stable ambitions and concerns; it shapes the framework of aims and interests within which we lead our lives. The most basic and essential question for a person to raise about the conduct of his or her life is not what he or she should care about but what, in fact, he or she cannot help caring about.
The most important form of caring, Frankfurt writes, is love, a nonvoluntary, disinterested concern for the flourishing of what is loved. Love is so important because meaningful practical reasoning must be grounded in ends that we do not seek only to attain other ends, and because it is in loving that we become bound to final ends desired for their own sakes.
Frankfurt argues that the purest form of love is self-love. This sounds perverse, but self-love--as distinct from self-indulgence--is at heart a disinterested concern for whatever it is that the person loves. The most elementary form of self-love is nothing more than the desire of a person to love. Insofar as this is true, self-love is simply a commitment to finding meaning in our lives.
I watched BBC World News tonight and was amused at what they consider "world" sport. In their mind world = EU, emphasis on the UK. So congrats to Chelsea!
And poor Cubbies...they got their asses whooped today by the Milwaukee Brewers, 16 to 2. Maybe next year they'll have enough healthy players to have a shot at the big time...
Posted by cj at 11:15 PM | Comments (0)
not drunk anymore
Last night was amusing. Lessons learned:
1. Liars don't deserve your time.
2. The past is the past is the past.
3. The future is bright.
4. Breakfast wont make itself.
Posted by cj at 09:24 AM | Comments (0)
April 28, 2006
i've said this since the news broke
Presto Speaks! blogged about the real Hebrew word for princess - Sara.
I've been sayin the same thing since the media started chatterin about the Cult's newest offspring. It's not that I pay that much attention to celebrity news. It's that I HATE WHEN PPL MISAPPROPRIATE MY HERITAGE, ESPECIALLY MY OWN DAMN NAME!
Again, apologies for my tone (it's the wine damnit).
Sara is my name. It would be my English name if Sarah Jane Moore hadn't tried to assassinate Gerald Ford. So, instead, it's my Hebrew name and my folks picked another "s" sound...and ended up with Cynthia.
So, long before the Cult decided to name their offspring something, I knew that Sara meant princess in Hebrew. (And Cynthia, by the way, derives from moon goddess in Greek.)
Posted by cj at 10:14 PM | Comments (0)
The President is Resigning
No, not that one. President Diana Chapman Walsh of Wellesley College announced today that she plans to step down in June 2007. She accomplished her fundraising goal - setting a new record for any liberal arts school.
Note to self: (overheard online) "he said that he is at a point in his life where he is looking for a serious relationship and he is seriously feeling me."
Perhaps it's the half bottle of Cote du Rhone that I drank, but I think that's such a poetic line.
I say, amen brother! You better do right by my girl. And I hope there's more like you out in the world...for when I'm ready to settle down.
Posted by cj at 09:39 PM | Comments (0)
April 26, 2006
Who do you blog for?
Molly dot com asked the question. I provided my answer in her comments. As of this writing, my comment is awaiting moderation.
Perhaps I shouldn't have been so blunt in my answer. Makes me sound like a free loader who can't hold onto a job. In reality, I'm a passionate woman who wont settle for second best. But since I no longer want to free load off my rents, I'm stickin around my current job so I can be financially independent (and live in Chi-town instead of LaLa land).
This is the link to my comment, in case it's been moderated by the time you read this post.
[Aside: Why can't I get myself off this darn computer before midnight these days?!?!]
Posted by cj at 11:46 PM | Comments (0)
Why the Obsession with Celebs?
Bitch, Ph.D posted about the ubiquitous inquiry into Britney Spear uterus and asked readers to comment on why everyone seems to care. Here was my response:
People have always been interested in celebrity gossip, but the fascination is at an all time high. I believe it is fueled by media coverage, especially the proliferation of celebrity gossip rags like US Weekly, Star, Hello, and OK!
Celebrity magazines have a higher growth rate (in readers and ad dollars) than almost any other category.
Now, as to why people are so fascinated with Britney and Angelina's wombs, I think it is relaxing to crawl under a rock and fill one's mind with useless detritus from celeb lives rather than deal with the reality of increasing gas prices, illegal occupation of foreign countries, and death from the mumps.
Posted by cj at 10:54 PM | Comments (1)
April 24, 2006
quotes and life
I don't remember where I picked up this quote that resides on my refrigerator:
You can't have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time. --Charles F. KetteringMost of the time, it is a highly useful reminder on how to follow the other bit of advice on my fridge:
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. --ThoreauAnd yet, today, I'm realizing that sometimes it's really good to look into yesterday. Not every day should be spent reflecting on the past; but right now I'm re-reading papers I wrote in college to gleam a hint of an understanding to my future direction. Here's what I know for sure: I knew many bigger words back then, and I threw them around unconsciously (historiography anyone?) I also read some really interesting stuff back then; and I'm starting to appreciate that college-level material now since only reading articles written in simple language leaves out a lot of the analysis and connecting the dots that academics do so well.
I guess it's time for me to start using my brain a bit more. to be continued...
Posted by cj at 09:53 PM | Comments (0)
April 22, 2006
Random Boingo Links
Inspired by this post, here's a small collection of music links:
Oingo Boingo's "official" site. Appears to just be shilling unrealistic t-shirts and the site has nothing really to do with the band.
boingo.org The delightfully old-skool fan-supported site.
Wikipedia entry featuring a lovely pic of the band.
Dead Man's Party the tribute band that includes an original band member.
Johnny Vatos' Tribute to Halloween last year featured many of the original band members as they commemorating the 10 year anniversary of the death of Boingo.
Site that explained the difference between Boingo drummer Vatos' tribute and the DMP tribute band
MySpace profile of the creator of above website. Strangely, he too lives in Chi-town. Can I just add here how annoying the music bits on MySpace profiles are? I'm listenin to U2 on my computer and it keeps getting mixed with random songs.
The U2 fest in my apt is due to me pickin up a copy of Bono: in conversation with Michka Assayas last night. It's a quick read. So far, not quite as good as Chronicles, Volume One but then really, how can anything be as good as delving into Dylan's mind?
Posted by cj at 05:15 PM | Comments (0)
What My Birthday Says About Me...
I found this quiz lurking on someone from my past's blog...maybe it explains why it's so difficult for me to decide what to do when I grow up...
| Your Birthdate: March 23 |
 You're good at so much - you never know what to do. Change is in your blood, and you don't stick to much for long. You are destined for a life of travel and fun. Your strength: Your likeability Your weakness: You never feel satisfied Your power color: Bright yellow Your power symbol: Asterisk Your power month: May |
Posted by cj at 02:55 PM | Comments (0)
April 19, 2006
Snark and Poorly Dressed Boys
Esquire's search for the Best Dressed Real Man came to Chi-town last night. It was a night filled with Bud Select (and Chardonnay) and a few shrimp.
The contestants were a rag tag bunch. Most of them clearly never read an Esquire mag - they didn't know the first thing about being a truly elegant man of style. There were men who didn't bother to tailor their pant legs - high waters and draggin on the floor abounded. Plus, too many old shoes were bein worn with shiny news suits and no one seemed to understand how to accessorize.
Didn't matter though. They were all fodder for snarky comments and my coworkers and I came through in a pinch. I wasn't sure the judges would be able to find a top ten, but they did. And when the top ten was announced, I picked the winner - a skinny black guy in a grey suit with a light purple shirt and a bright purple tie that really popped with his skin tone.
Things I learned from the experience:
1. ironing counts. (damnit - and I so abhor it)
2. accessories count (check, got that down)
3. shoes count (check, got more than I can count)
4. tailor ur pants (dude, I've never felt like I had the money...)
5. people will notice every detail, so when it counts, make sure ur lookin picture perfect
6. there aren't enough metro-sexuals in Chi-town. Either that, or they just don't show up for cheezy pageants.
7. always be on the look out for amusing entertainment that includes free booze. They happen more often than you think.
If you're in Boston, Philly, Miami, or NYC there's still time to register for the search!
More info:
Official Site: Search for the Best Dressed Real Man
Posted by cj at 11:25 PM | Comments (0)
April 18, 2006
the view from the cheap seats
There's something that ties together the three cities I've lived in the longest: baseball. My dad had dugout season passes when I was little at Dodger Stadium - the same place where the Dodgers and Cubs are currently tied in the ninth. I spent five years in Boston with the Sox. Two summers were spent on MIT frat row (cheapest housing to be found), which is in walking distance from Fenway. One summer, I was in LA and went to several games with my sister who is a huge Dodger fan. And for the last two years, I've been livin on Chicago's North Side. My first summer was a charmed experience: my roommate worked at Wrigley and my ex-boyfriend kept getting free tickets. I was on WGN kissing behind the first base line. I learned what a true Chicago dog is (different, not better than a Dodger dog). I look forward to finding more baseball fans to enjoy cheap beer and hot summer days with. And I agree with Tommy Craggs that baseball is waging a war on the cheap seats and that's not a good thing.
Posted by cj at 11:38 PM | Comments (0)
April 17, 2006
reunion?
Wonderin if my high school class is having a ten year reunion...I would think it would be coming up and that I didn't miss the invite. After all, my folks still have the same address even if I'm in Chi-town.
In my search for an answer (none found), I found the Wikipedia entry for my ol' haunts...I think the father of the internet listed was a member of my mom's graduating class.
I do love how LA has "areas" - they aint cities, they aint nothin legal, and yet your US mail goes to the area, not LA...(As I often explain to ppl, I grew up in LA since my mayor was the mayor of LA, even though I was in Northridge in the Valley)...
Posted by cj at 11:10 PM | Comments (0)
life in perspective
I went home for Passover last week. It just so happens that the holiday started at a very important time for me to be with my family.
Someone very close to me was diagnosed with a disease that though not fatal, has no cure. It's been a scary and sad and anxiety-ridden week. It puts my paltry problems into clear perspective. It forces me to reconsider things that I thought I had figured out - namely, that I didn't want to move anywhere near home.
It's not just because someone is sick that I'm considering moving home. Sickness reminds us who and what is important in life - health and happiness, clearly, but also the peace of mind that comes from being surrounded by loved ones. As my cousin put it, you don't have to move back to L.A. to be close enough to find strength from your family. I could move to San Diego...or Phoenix and be near my brother and nephews...or Vegas and be near my folks when they retire. It's just that I've always felt like a square peg in a round hole in those places. True, it's not exactly like I've found my place here just yet, but there's so much I love about Chicago - the neighborhood festivals in the summer; Millennium Park; Lake Shore Drive; riding public trans to work everyday....I've never felt this way about a city before. So I dunno. I've got some more thinking to do. And reading on many subjects - from career paths to disease info...
on the bright side, I'm getting a new laptop! Woohoo! I hope I have the arm strength to carry the beast...and, I brought my computer speakers back from L.A., so I'm able to listen to my mp3's with better clarity. So life isn't all bad; it's just in perspective.
Posted by cj at 08:38 PM | Comments (0)
April 04, 2006
The Switch is Complete...
And my purse is already feeling fuller.
The Comcast cable box is packed into one DSL box.
The Comcast modem is packed into the other DSL box.
An AT&T phone and modem are connected to the (one) phone line in my flat.
A crappy antenna is attached to my tv, valiently trying to receive edited versions of a cancelled HBO series on WGN.
And I merged my Yahoo account with this "I'm AT&T but your email address is going to say SBG Global" account.
Thank goodness for Netflix - it was the reason I was able to give up the cable chord. And save $70 a month. Woohoo! Too bad I wont be able to follow Entourage when it starts in June...
Posted by cj at 10:18 PM | Comments (0)