perks....

of adulthood:). last week I played in the rain without anyone telling me, "you'll catch your death of cold." is that how the expression goes? and no one telling me it was too late to be out in the dark, past my bedtime, etc etc. I know it's been awhile since I had to answer to my parents, but it's little moments like those last when I don't mind paying bills and such if it means being the boss of my life. I like freedom.

no word from La Caravana yet. I'm looking at other volunteer opps, and I will contact them soon to check. but I'm also considering shorter term options and the possiblity of staying in the ATL for the time being. I found a group that I totally jive with (or at least so far;)): Inspiring Futures. they're sponsoring the second annual Bioneers forum.

is it true?

Is it true that San Francisco weather feels like this all year long? I LOVE this weather!!!! I've never been, but I think should visit and maybe move there.

Andre 3000+Tori Amos+Marilyn Monroe

Yeah, the Nellie McKay and The Brilliant Inventions show at Variety Playhouse was fantastic!! Nellie's rap songs were hilarious and thought-provoking, especially when she'd miss a word and have to re-do a verse. Lots of cool activist elements to the show. Her range was out of this world!! Initially, I thought, "wow, very mellow, deep voice." But then. She did her Broadway number and a few others with very impressive upper vocals. Her voice was strong all over the place. The piano ablility never fell behind. I'd say it's a toss up as to where she has more talent: voice or piano.

Then there's her stage personality: phenomenal!! That's what reminded me of Marilyn Monroe: the coy adultness (some would say tarnished innocence, but I don't like that expression) along with the high energy and in her words, "schizophrenic set list." Spicy, well-rounded, and diverse would be my description. The combination of talent, passion, and charm made her entirely adorable. And she looked so tired at the end, but she couldn't say no to the audience. She seemed so childlike, but you'd never think childish. Not with the amazing depth of her lyrics and her obvious drive to use her talents for positive change.

I'm always interested to see where The Brilliant Inventions are headed. They're certainly branching out of their established venues: Redlight Cafe and Eddie's Attic. Tough to do, but critical to a local band's potential growth beyond its own city. Nellie McKay was a much better match for them than Bobby Yang. And their set list matched her style very well, just the right mix of irony and depth.

I miss the full band sound from the one show at The Five Spot awhile back. I hope they give it another whirl at a better venue. It added major sustenance to the overall sound. Last night was my favorite intro to the "Angry Lesbian" song. Eliot, don't change strings the day of a show!! (especially the whole set of strings?!! are you kidding me?!!) At least, please don't admit it in the middle of a show. Blame it on the weather! The underwear bit was hilarious. I actually believed for a moment that Josh was either going to put them on or throw them to the audience. Gross and DOUBLE gross, and therefore spectacular slapstick humor.

ooooh, a new musician!

Nellie McKay. never heard of her, but she's headlining at Variety Playhouse 2mro night. The Brilliant Inventions caught my eye, but I'm listening to her Morning Edition interview (Bob Edwards has the sexiest voice ever!!) and songs on the NPR site. ok....wow!!! blues, piano the way my Granddad plays:), rap, ballads, witty lyrics, she's 19 yo?!! mellow and humorous, that's the quirky combo that I love:). so, I'm dragging my CL date to a show because I wanna go, and I don't want to be rude and cancel our plans.

woowoo, and last night I had an AWESOME first experience. I got to "lay tracks" for a friend's band. it was such a blast! I got to hear myself "dueting" with myself:). and I played cello, too.....shhhh, don't tell any cellists, they'd probably shoot me. not really, but my attempt was quite poor. but it gave him what he needed. or I guess so anyway, they both said they liked it. "hypnotic" was their word. yes, that's what i go for, lol. anywho, I had fun, and it made me want to join a band, or at least lay some more tracks at some point in my life.

oh, and I have another new neighbor (plus her gf who may not live here, but she's around A LOT). so now I have three new neighbors, all in my small apt bldg. and they're all very cool.

lots of smiles in this blog:). I got a friendly note this morning, and I have had a great day all around. life is good:)

goofy fun:)

I found this on myspace and yes, I get a kick out of quizzes that attempt to sum up my approach to life or love in a candy heart phrase. Is it accurate? Whatever, does it matter?

Your Candy Heart Says "Get Real"

You're a bit of a cynic when it comes to love. You don't lose your head, and hardly anyone penetrates your heart. Your ideal Valentine's Day date: is all about the person you're seeing (with no mentions of v-day!) Your flirting style: honest and even slightly sarcastic What turns you off: romantic expectations and "greeting card" holidays Why you're hot: you don't just play hard to get - you are hard to get

What Does Your Candy Heart Say?

Wow!!!

Thanks for the comments!! Very helpful. I've decided for the time being to stick with the one p/t job and hope that I'll be leaving for Brazil soon.

Anyone who likes drumming should check out the Rhythm of Peace Drumming Circle on Decatur Square Friday, Sept. 15, 7-9 pm. It's FREE!!!

Too many choices?

As far as jobs go, I've never found myself in a tough position of choosing....until now. I've got the temporary part-time job that's going well. Now I'm applying for a full-time position at the same nonprofit, but I'm also interviewing for a part-time job as Admin. Asst. with a friend (acquaintance, really) who has his own small business that's bursting at the seams.

The huge downer about the nonprofit full-time job is that I don't jive w/ my would-be boss. That's a pretty important element in my job satisfaction. The Admin. Asst. job totally has that going for it. My potential boss has a ton of positive energy and passion for his business, and wants me to be a team member with him. The job has MAJOR growth potential. My qualm with it is the idea of actually working for a business, especially a globalization enterprise. I asked him about labor practices of his suppliers network in Asia, and I was comfortable with his response. But still, my knee-jerk reaction is to resist globalization. Anyone have insight on this? I've tried googling "downsides of globalization," but I don't get much from the results.

I know the issues with inhumane labor practies and wages, and Mr. Man sees his company as a flagship in the business to prove that globalization can be done with ethics and social-consciousness. Then there's the issue of taking jobs away from the USA, but that's kind of a non-issue to me b/c his clients already do business with manufacturers in South America, so whatever. And I'm not even sure I care about keeping jobs in USA when a market's a market. Competition seems to be the loudest voice in business.

It's so weird. Part of me is so morally opposed to business and capitalism? Am I? I'm not sure. But part of me is really excited about the opportunity to get in with someone who is sooooo passionate about his work and building a team. He seems uber-liberal in most of the same ways as me. I mean, he's a businessman with a fuckin' MSW! How bizarre is that? LOL At least, I've never heard of any entrepreneurs with a background in Social Work.

Or, I could just get a part-time job at a coffee shop where I'm not contributing to globalization, but I'm enabling people's addictions to caffeine:).