A quick post . . .

. . . between organizing the Carleton New York Cares Day project on Saturday and editing a novel for the next hour before going to bed

• to remark that anyone who wants to gets a postcard from Germany needs to make a comment by Friday if s/he hasn't already. I welcome totally random comments that have nothing to do with anything on the blog; God knows that would actually be in keeping with the overall tone of this thing.
• to note that I love Modest Mouse's "Good News for People Who Love Bad News," even though the lyrics describe a worldview much more pessimistic and negative than my own; I usually try to avoid depressing lyrics, but the music itself here is so good that I can ignore the words
• to observe that I am listening to "Sunday in the Park with George" right now, and it is giving me goosebumps even coming out of my pathetic laptop speakers
• to post a link to a fascinating article about differences between black and white children's names: http://www.slate.com/id/2116449/ (There is something ungrammatical in that sentence but I won't worry about it right now.)
• to confess that I shoplifted a Lonely Planet guidebook to Germany from my local Barnes & Noble today -- entirely inadvertently; I took a large novel out of my really large purse and put it down while I was digging for my notebook, then, after I had finished writing down all the information I needed out of the guidebook, I put the equally large guidebook in my purse instead of the novel and walked out with it. I was approaching my apartment, rummaging for my keys, when I realized what I'd done, so I ran the five blocks back to the B&N, put the guidebook back on its shelf, and reclaimed the novel, which thankfully was sitting exactly where I'd left it. This is the second or third time in my life I've stolen things out of complete absentmindedness; I accidentally absconded with a pocket calendar from the Brooklyn Museum gift shop a few years ago (and then knocked over the entire rack of pocket calendars while surreptitiously returning it a few days later). Crime would be so much cooler and more transgressive if I were actually aware I was doing it.
• to recommend "Head-On" highly, and "Hitch" if you need a few easy laughs and eye candy. Rachel and I went to see "Hitch" together and much of it was shot in Soho, around Spring Street, so I kept nudging her to point out locations that are about seven blocks from where we work. There is probably something interesting to say about its view of men, women, relationships, and the New York dating scene, but I'm barely thinking coherently at the moment, so my enormously insightful analysis (ha) will have to wait. But "Head-On" is brilliant. Go see it when it comes to a theatre near you.
• to wish my father a happy birthday, not that he has any clue that I have a blog, or even what a blog is. But nonetheless: Happy birthday, Dad!
• to procrastinate, in essence. Don't tell Arthur.