Catholic Row

This doesn't end well for anybody.

I'm scared for the future of the Catholic church - the dark ages where the church could make these decisions FOR people are over. The church has essentially thrown the gaunlet down: 'You're IN or you're OUT. What'll it be?'

I'm worried that most people will realize that it isn't a question. In between the lines, the church seems to be saying, "We've already kicked you out - you just keep coming on Sunday for some reason."

The Dead Weather

Jack White's 3rd band - is pretty freaking awesome.

*And has anyone else noticed its like a Gretsch commercial in there? And I am totally okay with that. Catch the cutom BillyBo on the stand sporting the custom III pickguard? I'm betting it has three pickups in it soon.

Good things/Bad things

Whats Good:

Seeing RENT for the first time. It was killer! Much better than the movie, I thought. Made more sense. I really dug the way the whole thing was staged - as a single static backdrop setup with rotating pieces of focus in the foreground. It made for some cool subtleties, like when Roger refuses to come out of the apartment. He's on stage the whole time in the "apt" area, always sitting on the table or around the table and fire barrel with a guitar. He's there almost the entire first act, even if not lit up. RENT is now #2 in my musical list just behind Les Miserable.

While leaving the show at the Civic Center, we walked right by a guy on a knee proposing to a girl as they came out of just seeing RENT. He took the message of the play: 'No day but today,' to heart, apparently. There was a crowd and a guy getting it on a small camera. She said yes. So that's cool. Good luck, guys.

Got two SWEET jackets @ the Mall: One black peacoat from the Gap for a winter work coat. Staying classy. One hipster sweater in blue. (Most people--> shoes, Me--> jackets) I love jackets.

Finally signed up for NetFlicks. Free trial period! w00t! I've been meaning to get my own account for some time. I enjoy Middleson's movie picks, too - the Baliwood, the Independent films, etc. But now I don't have to feel bad about getting movies like Resident Evil: Extinction.

(Not Good:)

Had a pretty jaw-droppingly bad experience at a GPB, an allegedly upscale local restaurant. Great food. Crazy good food. Had a bad waiter. We come in as 5 and get two tiny tables put together. There's two other tables of people in this place. There's about 20 tables, plus bar. Its 6:15. The 5th of our party ended up not being able to come for legitimate reasons. The waiter asked us to get up, and separate the tables again so as not to take up and extra table. Presumably when the restaurant was... busier than 15 people. It was awkard getting up and rearranging. Plus the resulting table was crammed so that the girls couldn't fit their wine glasses on the table with their plates at the same time. One asked for ketchup, and he brought out a 6-condiment dispenser of relishes, pulling up a spare chair to the table and sitting it on that.

........I'm gonna let that sink in. Pulled a chair up to our too full table to set the thing on. The words, "was that your 2nd dropped piece of silverware tonight?" "no - that was... the other table." were spoken. Ben Folds - stick to playing piano. Thanks for making a fun night start awkward.