Oh, you also have to take the risk of sucking in front of obsessives, which I wouldn't dare. But I have started to suck at crosswords. I was looking at my mother's cryptics last Christmas and I wanted to cry.

But you were brave and you didn't suck. Nice work!

Seriously, no one notices anyone sucking. The top 10 or so people finish each puzzle immediately, a bunch more finish at some point before the time limit, a bunch more work til the end. Meh. I understand not thinking it would be fun, but there is really no performance aspect if you aren't in the elite few.

Tom, spectators are supposed to pay, but I haven't seen anyone checking credentials at all. The three finals (on whiteboards before an audience) start at 11, if you're interested!

Crap, I have to go to bed -- have to be back down there by 9 tomorrow. Tom, text me if you're going to come by, so I can look for you!

Have fun tomorrow, Jesse!

ita, did that second song link in LJ work?

I was looking at my mother's cryptics last Christmas and I wanted to cry.

I'm utterly useless at cryptic crosswords.

Yeah, me too. Not how my brain brains, I guess. But I love the diagramless ones.

The second one did, Perkins--thanks!

I'm trying to watch American History X and I'm not sure I can make it all the way through. It's making me too anxious. Plus Ed Norton creeps me out since The Illusionist. And I keep thinking of what Ed Furlong looked like in CSI: NY, and that's kinda disturbing too.

that movie kind of scarred me

No worries, msbelle. I was at the movies and missed her reply. Part of the problem is that I have to do some stuff for our class reunion so all these idiots keep friending me on Facebook. I grew up in a very conservative, religious town and I just don't think these people remember what I was like. So they friend me, read something on my status and feel they have to opine.

I'm taking Allyson's advice and thinning the herd. I have a few conservatives as friends and I actually enjoy the give and take. We have respectful differences of opinions but I can't tolerate any of that Fox News/Rush Limbaugh/Sean Hannity "Liberals don't like anyone who has a difference of opinion" crap. Needless to say, I'm going to be a pariah at the reunion this summer.

Fuck 'em. The entire narrow minded lot of them.

that movie kind of scarred me

There are entire portions I won't look at the screen for, and one I muted proactively. I'm not sure I can make the whole way through it. But I need something to occupy my time, and I'm not feeling the other two Netflix movies either.