You know what I like? When a random happy memory pops up out of the blue. Somehow yesterday, this chinese dive restaurant I walked past triggered wading in the ocean at night last fall.

Of course, I suspect the same mechanism that drives those pleasant nonsensical reminders is also responsible for the "Stupid Shit I Did" ones that pop up when you need them least.

What is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?

Well, a bunch of people here helped fund my move to SF and caught me when I landed. I think that's pretty damn nice.

Vengence -- I can't really think of anyone. Although Ican think of one or two people who might wish vengence on me (let's just say that mania occasionally makes you do mean things).

And I can think of the time I was closest to death, but I'm not going to really elaborate. The only other thing I can think of -- I was alone and started choking on a piece of food. Luckily I was able to dislodge it and start breathing, but I definitly thought I might die.

There's an excellent photo essay on Offbeat Polling Places in Chicago from the Chicago Tribune today. From an Original Pancake House and a pool hall to the International Museum of Surgical Science, Chicagoans vote early (and often?).

Christ, why?

Martial arts superstar Bruce Lee is set to be the subject of a new Broadway musical featuring music provided by David Bowie. Theatre bosses want the show to be ready to premiere in 2008. According to Variety.com, Tony Award-winner David Henry Hwang has been hired to write the musical and Matthew Warchus is reportedly onboard to direct. Bowie has been linked to project because he was recently spotted chatting with Wachus in Toronto, Canada - where Warchus is poised to launch his new The Lord Of The Rings musical. The Bruce Lee musical follows hot in the footsteps of plans for a musical based on kung fu movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Huh. The whole vengence bit upthread just made me realize. The folks who made me the most miserable back in the day just aren't on my radar anymore. And considering the whole drama queen/attention whore components to their make-up*, that would probably bother them more than anything I could do to them. 'Cause you don't bother with the stakes, honey, and fire-ants unless it matters.

 * Seriously. Someone on the perephery of our circle committed suicide and they decided it was all due to a psychic attack aimed at them that had missed. That was part of what made me go Uh, I think I have a thing . . . over there . . . buh-buy.

Actually ita, that paragraph inspires three whole different "Christ, why?"s. Sure they're all connected by medium, but they each deserve their own seperate reactions.

I always have a hard time with saying "the best thing anyone did for me " because I don't agood way of ranking anythign. There are lots of good things I have recieved ,that were perfect due to the time, but sound vaguely silly looking back. the best things to me are always the intangibles. and are continuous. I think Matt has given me more than anyone else, because he has given me room to be me without compromising what he is. I just tried to put examples here - but they don't really capture what I mean .

So the best thing I observed this week:

I see a lot of famlies at the libraries - and most of the dynamics familiar - and you like to just reach out to giv ethe parent and child each a tweak - so they see what they are doing to each other.on rare occassion I can actually help them reach a compromise. yesterday I saw one of the really good working families. mom , 14 yr old son and 8 yr old son - they were looking for a book that was out. Turns out, they were looking for a book that the three of them could read together. now the boys weren't jumping up and down with excitment, but they were listening to suggestions, with a little prodding they were giving opinions about the books I suggested. It is so nice to see families that seem , at least in part, to be working together.

Oh I totally forgot the time I fell down my friend's narrow, carpeted basement stairs while carrying our drummer's bass drum and felt like my neck was twisting under me. Maybe not close to death but paralysis? yes. Fortunately I pulled out a landing that just left me bruised. And then the bass drum fell on top of me. We've had a love/hate relationship ever since. And I won't ever carry it again.

A lovely bit of IMDB snippetting:

A psychologist at Harvard Medical School has heatedly criticized Sesame Workshop for producing a DVD aimed at babies and toddlers aged 6 months to 2 years. In an interview with today's (Tuesday) Washington Post, Susan Linn, who is also founder of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, called the DVD "a betrayal of babies and families" and added, "There is no evidence that media is beneficial for babies, and they are starting to find evidence that it may be harmful. Until we know for sure, we shouldn't risk putting them in front of the television." But Rosemarie Truglio of Sesame Workshop, which produced the DVD with the child-development group Zero to Three, insisted that the Workshop, which also is responsible for PBS's Sesame Street, "did a lot of research and preparation" for the video. However, Zero to Three cofounder T. Berry Brazelton is lending his name to the opposition, urging that "children under two be kept away from screen media. It's too expensive for them physically as well as psychologically," he said.

So what does it do to kids? Cancer? Immolation? What?