Prequels (or the Evolution of Justin Timberlake)

Which is the new playlist that I added to Windows Media Player this morning, consisting of "Justified", "Future Sex/Love Sounds" and *NSYNC's "Celebrity" (in which we get to see Jizzy and JC do their song-writing thing). Just further proof why Jizzy hit it and JC didn't. (Justin's credits include "Pop", "Celebrity", "Girlfriend" and "Gone" among others, while JC got to put pen to staff paper on "The Two of Us" and "The Game Is Over". They collaborated for "Up Against the Wall".) Someday I will write the post comparing JC and Jizzy's "successes" and just why Jizzy blew him out of the water.

After a convo with Heather last night on the way home from watching the second quarter of the first season of Dark Angel (aka Part Of My Soul), I decided I needed to rewatch the NSYNC "Dirty Pop" music vid. I remember about 2 years ago I loved this video, now I think I'm seeing it more for what it is with all of the absurd video and editing acrobatics. I guess this is proof that Boy Bands are officially "out" bc I do like their last CD. Of course I'll post the video here, mostly for Heather who oft-quotes the "Ice around my neck" line.

Here are some things to keep in mind while watching:
1. There is a large possibility that the crazy camerawork is used to distract from the fact that some of the "band" members can't in fact dance as well as others.
2. Speaking of dancing, Joey Fatone broke his knee for this shoot. What does that mean? While JC and Justin are walking through the club, Joey is sitting with a group of fans trying real hard to raise the roof from the comfort of his ass. Also, their choreographer took Joey's place in the dance sets. (Not that you can tell from the crappy web-resolution.)
3. I know. Justin needs a solo career. Bc 5 men dancing in unison has somehow lost its allure. It just gets worse when they collectively hump the ground.
4. Contrary to popular assumption, I was not 10 when "Celebrity" came out and still enjoy parts of the hit-frought CD.



If anyone catches the "Gone" music vid (or wants to admit to remembering it), the frame around the song is just about the most subversive thing I've ever seen. Justin (and the guys) doing a Chaplin-esque parody and moving into the black-and-white-yearning-for-the-lost-g-friend (or in Lance's case b-friend) portion of the vid. I did laugh through the first verse of the song uncontrollably bc of the framing. Yay for undermining your own serious ballads with vaudeville!

Speaking of subversive, Here's the lyrics for the Hugh Laurie "Protest Song" he performed on this weekend's SNL. It has a similar effect to the "Gone" vid in that you watch it and it's funny, then you slowly get this horrible feeling of pending doom as you find yourself taking it seriously. So, by the end you're stuck in the bittersweet place that many of us have come to know as LIFE. To quote from one of Laura's "profs". . . Funny, yet Serious.

This is a protest song. [ blows on a harmonica attached to his neck ]

[ singing ]

"Well, the poor keep getting hungry, and the rich keep getting fat
Politicians change, but they're never gonna change that.
Girl, we got the answer, it's so easy you won't believe
All we gotta do is.. [ mumbles incoherently ]

Well, the winds of war are blowin', and the tide is comin' in
Don't you be hopin' for the good times, because the good times have already been.
But, girl, we got the answer, it's so easy you won't believe
All we gotta do is.. [ mumbles incoherently ]

It's so easy, to see
If only they'd listen, to you and me.
We got to.. [ mumbles incoherently ] as fast as we can
We got to.. [ mumbles incoherently ] every woman, every man
We got to.. [ mumbles incoherently ] time after time
We got to.. [ mumbles incoherently ] vodka and lime.

Well, the world is gettin' weary, and it wants to go to bed
Everybody's dyin', except the ones who are already dead.
Girl, we got the answer, starin' us right in the face
All we gotta do is
All we gotta do is
All we gotta do is."

[ pauses, then blows on the harmonica and finishes ]

Follow the Colons to Freedom

The state of things one week before this Fall ’06 semester began: I was excited, jubilant even. I had spent the whole summer working (Where did those planned trips to the pool go? Those impromptu bar-b-cues? My avid reading list?) and applying to every grad assistantship that made my heart pitter-pat even a smidge faster than usual. Rejection after rejection, then came the e-mail—my bastion of hope. This is what I’d been waiting for: the chance to teach 2 sections of Writing 101.

An observation from Spring ’06 semester: I saw all of those 101 teachers complaining, nursing their wounded egos over pints of lager. I didn’t listen. Part of me was jealous.

The state of things one week after this Fall ’06 semester began: I began my weekly cycle of anxiety, accomplishment, failure, spiraling uncontrollably into despair, anxiety again, with a healthy dose of crying over the phone to my mother on Thursdays. The last time I remember crying before this was during the first scene of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (which I say the night after going to see Rent), about 9 months before.

The state of things Mid-October of Fall ’06 semester: Yay! Emily is here! We’re watching the end of Buffy and Angel! I can escape into the Whedonverse! Oh wait, the Whedonverse does this pesky thing where it makes you confront your own shortcomings by presented characters in a fictional setting with problems that are almost too real, too like yours. Emily helps me tally grades for group presentations! Callou-Callay! The pending wait of the coming next half of the semester weighs on me in the mornings until I can stuff it back in the box in brain where it came from. I am inattentive and distracted when trying to play well with others.

The state of things as of tomorrow night: How do I teach these things? Wait! WTF is a stasiss grrid? I have 50 papers to grade after Monday. . . noooooo.

What I did to prevent the return of this detrimental cycle in Spring ’07 semester: I made contact with the Creative Writing “people” and let them know: I am willing to teach creative writing or fiction workshop (which I threw in second, because I knew it was a hope-beyond-hope whim) in the spring. I’ve taught 2 sections of 101. I am experienced. (please help)

I made sure that they knew: that I was aware that things might not work out. I was told a little before mid-October that things may just workout to teach creative writing. (The fiction workshop would be taught by full-time faculty.)

The state of things last Tuesday: My friend Ken had his teaching assignment in-hand. (It had already been slated in stone that he would teach the fiction workshop since the beginning of time.) I was told, “You have the 0101 section.” Ken was so proud! I’d gotten the other fiction workshop! I looked at him pensively. “No,” I said, “it’s the Creative Writing one.”

The state of things at the end of this week: I found my classes for the fall, and my name under the fiction workshop list of teachers. But I haven’t signed a contract, so there is still time to continue the cycle.

The state of things now: hoping and hoping and hoping and hoping.

And for those of you still keeping track: The Countdown

No official countdown for these guys. Why are they so happy? Bones comes back this Wednesday! Bom-digi-bom da-dang-da-dang digi-digi!

Countdown until Hugh Laurie hosts SNL: about 8 minutes.