All the things that burn in hell are fashionable

There is nothing quite like spontaneously blowing off yr late-afternoon commitments to bake chocolate chip cookies. I used dark brown sugar and mint chocolate chips even though my recipe warned that this could only end in biblical-style wailing with a high likelihood of teeth-gnashing, garment-rending and the tearing of hair. But now they’s done and they tastes six kinds of awesome. So take that, Nestle. I only used yr chips b/c they were a gift, anyway. Death to the Corporate Cookie Ogre, etc.

Updates. This weekend I am going to Chicago. Please pray, everyone, that I do not get overwhelmed and emotionally ass-wonked in the manner of three months ago. Yesterday I took off on my bike like Miss Gulch reborn, jury-rigged rear metal basket crashing and bouncing all the way to the field in front of Splash Zone, where they do the fireworks show. These f-works are the best ever, DC pride be damned. While watching I developed a complicated theory about how this event is Oberlin’s pyrotechnic equivalent of a Sleater-Kinney show (something about precious semi-annual community bonding, transcendence, awe, and faith in humanity restored) but now I can’t articulate it too well.

My jobs continue to be ridiculous squared. Job #1 involves disassembling scrapbooks, reading The National Enquirer and listening to novels on cassette. Job #2 requires me to look at huge amounts of ancient Greek & Roman porn and to take notes such as, “men courting boys; satyrs; hermaphrodites; orgies; man fellating woman; terracotta plate w/ 69.”

I have heard three excellent records recently, two new, one not: Electrelane, “Axes.” The Books, “Lost & Safe.” The Need, “The Need Is Dead.” Axes is like this really amazing love affair between a guitar and a piano. They meet, they get together despite cynical, phobic naysayers (“A guitar and a piano?! On a dance-pop album? That never works!”); they consummate their love in track 4, are led astray by a nefarious saxophone in track 6, and finally break up in track 8. Who says this is supposed to be dance-pop? Lost & Safe is so good I don’t want to talk about it. And The Need Is Dead is THE NEED. Enough said, really.

***Track 4 of Axes is called “If Not Now, When?” Track 9 of Lost & Safe is called “If Not Now, Whenever.” Huh.