Saturday, September 25
in the morning i went to university city to hear john kerry speak, because it seemed like a thing worth doing. was it? it still seems so, although i can't really tell you that i'm the better for it. in a small way he reminded me of bruce grant, sort of the feebleness of his fisted gestures. what he said seemed to be right, but it didn't make me surprised or excited. i enjoyed seeing the other famous politicians too - john street, ed rendell, other people i may or may not have heard of - and hearing what they had to say.
in the evening i was at the point to see my friends and relatives jim's big ego, which is more like me. they are funny, but there was some politics there of course, specifically the song cautionary tale, and also a new, snarkier, not so cute one, which was almost chilling. the animators also played one song which they described as political, but i couldn't quite follow it.
in between i was at the act office, where i had an interview, so that i could follow in the footsteps of a bunch of other swatties who have been working there lately. i don't know the proper three-or-four word name for what a.c.t. is/does, i usually say "progressive voter mobilization organization" or something like that. anyway, they were (as promised) very nice to me, and seemingly very interested in hiring me even though they couldn't really tell me what kind of work they would want me to do, but also very much interested in me working for them for upwards of fifty or sixty hours per week.
which seems like a lot, although that's not to say i wouldn't or won't do it. actually it's less the amount of time/week that i'm concerned with (although 90ish hours, which is what some folks i know are working, i think i am not okay with) as some degree of flexibility in scheduling - i'd like, for instance, to be able to take off an evening to go to a concert without facing too much hassle or guilt.
there's something a little offputting about an organization that considers forty hours to be so small a contribution that they might not even want to accept it. (it would be one thing if there was something in the nature of the job that meant long hours were necessary to its proper execution - but they don't even know what the work is!)
and, as nice and as my-demographic as i'm sure most of the people are, i know that i will feel strange, at least initially, about spending most of my time with people who care deeply about politics. obviously i think it is pretty important that george bush not win this election. do people really think that this is "the most important election of the last 100 years"? that's what they were saying at the rally. i'm not being sarcastic, i'm just asking.
anyway - at this point the job would only be five weeks anyway, and the idea of doing something massive, albeit potentially life-draining, for five weeks, is definitely appealing. on the other hand, it is my favorite month we're talking about, and i do want to be able to properly appreciate all the wonders october has to offer. man, i saw some candy corn in cvs today and got unreasonably excited.
i want to spend next weekend with my parents (i almost started crying last night thinking about my dad.) i want to see yo la tengo on the 12th, and have people over for my birthday on the 13th, or even potentially go to new york. i want to make my house into a home. (more on that later.)
so i'm waiting - in a day or two i should be hearing back with more specifics. and if dave ever calls me back we'll find a time to talk about what it's like working there. okay.
also in between i registered to vote, just like i said i would.
as for today, i've written most of a review of the (not-so-new-anymore) daedelus album for dusted (hooray!), which i'll also post here probably. i did some good work on my room. i went out and did some walking and shopping, mostly for the sake of being outside. initially went to look at a bunch of stoop sales, but it was too late or i just didn't feel like buying those things. i bought some stuff for myself and the house - to wit, all the items on the "shared" staples-and-supplies shopping list i initiated (salt, water filters, trash bags.) and i bought protection for cheap, but mostly because the title track has been in my head ever since i saw the gondry video.
it is ridiculous how perfect that song is. and how it sounds so simple at the same time. it's pretty much the ultimate insecurity song (for or about). tracey thorn sounds so sexy and platonic at the same time. kind of like thorn in bone.
this girl i know
needs some shelter...
[there's more to this entry, about loneliness and homelife, but it's not finished yet, and i'll probably just post it as a separate entry when i get a chance. so just keep "protection" in your head til then.]