Jeez Jon

Smoke Gets In Your... Well, Everything

The wildfires that have been ravaging Southern California have left the bulk of Los Angeles alone for the time being. So, for all those who have inquired as per Tom's and my status, we're fine. The air quality, however, is awful. I got a cold a week ago, and all the crap in the air is not helping at all. I lost my voice over the weekend, and it started coming back Monday, when the fires kicked in in earnest. The cough has been lingering, as you can imagine. Like others, I've also been getting headaches, some congestion, and some lack of sleep. One of other weird effects of all the fires around us is that everyone now and then, I'll get an intense scent of burning wood. Other times, the sky will just be full of smoke and haze, and not just the usual LA smog. I think the red sunset we had on Tuesday was by far the eeriest sight I've seen in a while.

One side effect of the fires is that the farm where we get our weekly veggies is in the evacuation zone. So, no big bag of carrots, bok choy, and radishes this week. Obviously, I hope everyone on the farm is okay, and that there is no damage to it. If you guys want to help, the Los Angeles Times has great listing of organizations helping fire victims. That can be found here.

PC To The Nth Degree

You may have heard of a middle school in Illinois that recently banned hugging because the principal found it inappropriate and apparently, it was making kids late for class.  The salt in the wound here?  It's my middle school alma mater.  Talk about embarrassing. 

I mean, it's hugging, people.  Hugging.  Is hugging now considered the gateway gesture that leads to a slippery slope of side hugs, high fives and -- God forbid -- group hugs?  Seriously, there are more things to be worried about than kids hugging. 

(I'll finish up the tale of Evil Swine soon, I swear.)

Nina, Pretty Legal-ina

I was thinking about writing a long entry about traffic in Los Angeles, but I'm more concerned about Nina Totenberg.  Look, we've been friends for a while, right? It's time I come clean... I have a total platonic vocal crush on Nina Totenberg.  As the child of artistic moderate Democrats, I listened to a lot of classical music and NPR in my dad's office growing up.  While the classical music was all fine and good, it was NPR that I really got into... at the ripe old at of 15.  I can distinctly remember copying inspection reports for my dad in his large one-room office in the coach house above our garage as his cassette recorder boom box played NPR's reporting of the Iran-Contra Hearings and the business of the day. During my heady introduction to all things public radio, I relished the voices of the reporters the most: the intonations of Robert Siegal, the gravelly voice of Carl Castle, the improbable lisp of Peter Overbee, the slightly-nasal authority of Cory Flintoff (an awesome name if I ever heard one), and finally, the amazing inflections and legal gravitas of Nina Totenberg. 

During my drive home from Goofy Basic Cable Documentary Series, I listen to NPR's All Things Considered.   Today was like no other, and when I heard Michele Norris (pronounced MEE-shell) tease a story about a Supreme Court ruling about a naked protester in Florida had to pay attorney's fees, my heart lept a bit.  For me, no one else has the authority of legal proceedings like Nina Totenberg.  Her voice is feminine but firm, intelligent and erudite but not snobby.  She can inflect better than most actors I know, knowing perfectly when to raise or lower the notes in her voice to demonstrate, for example, Justice Scalia debating a ruling on Guantanamo or Justice Souter asking an attorney questions about eminent domain laws.  Without coloring the proceedings with personal slants, she merely presents the information in an easily digestible manner.  And, since the Supreme Court usually doesn't allow a lot of press recordings of their proceedings, Nina Totenberg will read exchanges from the court, playing all the parts.  She won't affect different voices or throw on wacky accents -- she just presents what people said, and does it with a hint of a smile in her voice.

So, back to the naked protester.  Nina starts the story and the spark?  Gone.  Her voice?  Kinda gravelly.  Instead of me paying rapt attention a story about nude protesters making peace signs with their bodies in Florida, all I can think of is "Oh gosh, Nina has a cold!  Maybe she has allergies... ragweed season must have started early in DC this year.  I hope she's okay."   I'm actually a bit worried.  Maybe she just needs to take some Claritin and just take it easy.  Rest, Nina!  Plenty of fluids.

Enjoying A Bit of Quiet

I never try to wish anyone dead.  I don't.  I don't think it's good.  I've wished people out of my face, I've wished people would get their comeuppance, I've wished people out of my way, but I've never wished anyone dead.  Even with my former manager Evil Swine, as much as I was hurt by his amazingly unprofessional ending of our working relationship, I never wished him dead.  So, you can imagine my mixed feelings when I caught the news of  Rev. Jerry Falwell's passing earlier this week.  He was such a hateful bigot, spreading such vitriol and ugliness in the world that, while obviously I feel for his family, I am glad that a voice of intolerance has been silenced, and I can enjoy the relative quiet.  bstewart has come up with a very pointed and thorough essay on the matter. 

If the Rev. Falwell has indeed moved on to another place, I hope the first words he hears are "Okay, THIS is what The Bible is about..."