Karaoke Lineup

Thursday is karaoke night at The Thirsty Ear, and as staff, I am sometimes called on to get the action going. Also, I was born to be a rock star.

Tonight's selections:

"On the Road Again" - Willie Nelson
"Runaround Sue" - Dion and the Belmonts
"He Ain't Heavy, He's my Brother" - The Hollies
"Sex and Candy" - Marcy Playground

suggestions for future performances will be accepted with gratitude

Harbor

My most recent profligate spending event was a heavy-duty backpack for my inflatable kayak. The thing weighs like 40 lbs dry, so getting it to water and back was originally a challenge, and tended to prevent me from using the boat due to the pain-in-the-ass factor. Now, I can comfortably cart the beast around, both on foot and astride my bike. There's even room in the pack for a pfd, the paddle, and the pump. I took my kayak out onto Boston Harbor this weekend, starting from Carson Beach in Southie and paddling around the old Harbor and over to the JFK library. I wanted to cross the channel over to Thompson Island, but it was Sunday afternoon and sunny, and I was afraid of getting cut in half by all the drunk Kennedys in 30 ft pleasure yachts. My little craft is admirably stable in chop, so maybe next time I'll bring a whistle with me and try to sprint across without getting killed. I looked around online, and as far as I can tell, there aren't any rules at all. I can go anywhere I want, and the bigger powered craft are obliged to stay out of my way. I know - small comfort.

Part of my big plan for the afternoon was to pick up chicks by inflating and putting in at a public beach. It worked, as long as you replace "pick up chicks" with "attract a hoard of small children who all want a turn stepping on the foot pump". It was sweet though. Additionally, I was approached by a couple of guys who were interested in the whole inflatable kayak system for themselves. Gratifying, but not really. Where were you ladies? Maybe for next time I'll get a T-shirt that says "This could all be yours".

"Ok, now look coy!"

I like it when I see people I know in the city and they don't see me. Especially when they're doing something unusual like a photo shoot. You get to cheat the Heisenberg Principle.

The Blues

I just this morning discovered the internet radio feature on iTunes. Give it to me, Mr. Pickett.

Red Wine and Work

Grad school has a funny way of blurring the line between work and life. The absence of any restrictions at all on the hours I work leads to any number of inappropriate daytime excursions, as well as a lot of late nights and weekends at the office. A couple Saturdays ago, I was working into the evening, and I went to Trader Joe's and bought a baguette and red wine for dinner, which I consumed at my desk. Moderate drinker that I am, there was still 2/3 of a bottle left. It's been on my desk behind one of my computers ever since. Alcohol is a part of the professional culture at MIT, so it's not as though it's presence is particularly frowned on, and yet there's a certain unease I feel about having booze at my desk. I guess I better drink it pretty soon....

Cost / Benefit

Sometimes living in a big city is a little depressing, and for dumb reasons. I spent an hour and change this morning in a wonderful little bakery/coffeeshop with an exposed brick wall and high ceilings over in Central Square. I read a book, and started my Saturday nice and slow. I even had a pleasant conversation with a girl I know who came in to do some reading of her own. So enjoyable! The upshot, however, is that I spent $4 and consumed nothing but coffee. Now, I can afford to spend $4 on coffee, and my budget isn't suffering for it, but it would seem almost immorally wasteful to make it a habit to blow 4 bucks on something I can brew at home for 30 cents. So I won't make it a habit. But what a nice habit it'd be!

Don't strain your elbow

The "I Give me a high-five!" award goes to MIT for showing Good Will Hunting this weekend at the $3 movie thing. In other appalling news, the Texas native at the desk next to mine just burst out with a hearty "Dadgummit!"

AC

Naturally, the day after I return from New Hampshire, sunburnt to all hell, the office AC snuffs it. My suffering is acute, I tell you.

Heart and Soul

I think it's great when people set out to create a product, and start with the question, "What aching hole in people's lives can we fill, so that our entrepreneurial effort will be about more than crass capitalism?"

UPDATE: I guess you don't have to think too hard about your destiny when your name is Creflo. Creflo A. Dollar