Quote of the day

David Denby, writing in the New Yorker about the recently released films Bobby and Fast Food Nation:

"It's nice that liberals win elections now and then, but I'm not sure they should be allowed to make movies."

Discuss, with reference to these films, as well as others such as JFK and Dances With Wolves.

(Perhaps a friendly amendment to Denby's statement would change the ending to read "movies with Kevin Costner.")

Gotta get down to it ... shoulda been done long ago

This day last year my boss suggested my shyness was enough of an impediment to my job that I should consider seeing a therapist. I ended up following his advice. Ultimately, I ended up losing my job anyway -- I don't blame my boss for that, although I'm not sure whether I could've turned things around in enough time to save my job in any event.

So now I'm looking for work, but procrastinating like crazy just as I was while I was still employed. It's always hard to tell how much of the procrastination is because I'm nervous about talking to people. A large part of it is. I need to get back to my ex-boss, who spoke with me a couple of months back and gave me some useful advice. I need to contact a place that I was told a few months ago might be hiring. I need to call the woman who gave me her phone number last month. I'm scared that I've left things too late in all three cases. But I need to contact them anyway.

Today I learned that a guy who I went to university with died a couple of weeks ago. It was sudden -- an accident. He was probably around my age or a few years older. I understand the concept of people dying. My mom wasn't old by any stretch of the imagination. Still, people of my mom and dad's generation do get sick and die, and it's unusual but not quite as much of a shock as when it happens to people my age.

So, in case I needed any reminding, I need to start living. Not to mention getting my money's worth out of the therapy.