Byvshyj CCCP

[ Monday, June 30, 2003 ]

 
When I dogsit I watch a lot of MTV and VH1 because I don't normally have access to these channels. I was even deprived of them in my youth. It's that viewing that inspires this post.

I love The Real World. Beautiful people, beautiful lodgings, drama. It's the only reality tv that I make an effort to see. The first season I followed was San Francisco. Definitely a classic. After that my viewing was spotty, mostly done as catch up during marathons. My hands down favorite is New Orleans. Absoulement les gens les plus beaux. Ah, mon coeur bat pour toi, DR.

VH1's Inside series just aired one on The Real World which I'll try to tape.

I also saw Gideon Yago's The Wrap. He totally has the news presenter's verbal style down. He could go on to be a real anchor. I wish, though, they would cover up that circle tattoo on his forearm. It's distracting. It's high contrast against his pale skin--that time in the desert apparently did nothing (he covered the war). It wouldn't be difficult to cake some makeup over it; he's nearly hairless.
S [2:45 PM]

[ Tuesday, June 24, 2003 ]

 
I just checked Google: my blog's now indexed there. The cached page has June 10 as the top entry.

I've been checking for its appearance there using two pairs of words I thought would make my site alone pop up--you know a googlewack. Alas, their ever widening sweep has now found other sites for my queries which used to return nothing. I'll have to find a different pair.
S [11:55 PM]

 
The girl doing my security clearance has just about finished. Nicholas met her today and she came to the house to speak with my Mom and a neighbor. I went off to the library then. It seemed just too weird to stick around.
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Today's Matt's birthday. Hopefully it's the only one he has to celebrate in the blazing Kuwaiti desert.

S [11:24 PM]

[ Tuesday, June 10, 2003 ]

 
I had my security clearance interview today. I was 15 minutes late. Actually, I don't think that really matters too much. She just has to check my background, not rate my timeliness.

All we did was go over the SF-86 I filled out. I gave a couple more names and numbers for people who know me. And no, I have not tried to overthrow the government. Nor have I left my bags unattended at any time.

I thought it would be done by the FBI. But it's this girl a few years out of college working for the Office of Personnel Management, Investigations Service. She was nice enough. We were finished in half an hour.

She wasted no time. When I checked my e-mail a few hours later my old manager informed me that the investigator had set an appointment for Monday to speak to the three people I mentioned knew me there.

I'm not the slightest bit concerned about this process. Nobody's got any dirt on me.

In unrelated news, I’ve discovered eBay. Not that I’ve bought anything (nor do I like their policy of surrendering customer info when law enforcement faxes a request—like letterhead is hard to fake) and I did visit once in the past. I wanted to see if they had any handwritten diaries. They sure do. What interesting glimpses into the lives of others.

I thought to check eBay after visiting the homepages of various archives, which set me up for a kind of disappointment. The sellers think like capitalists, not like archivists. Some of them split up collections to maximize their profit. I understand that, but it offends my desire for completeness and historical integrity.

I certainly don’t want mine sectioned into numbered lots after I die. The clearest picture is provided by the whole. And yet, if it’s through a series of auctions that the traces of someone’s life perdure, then. . . .

It’s just so imperfect.



S [8:19 PM]

[ Sunday, June 08, 2003 ]

 
Pentecost Sunday. The cantor who's moving out of town made a surprise appearance at Liturgy. His car needs some repairs before he leaves. But the young guy didn't show. For shame; he should see his church needs him. He was asked, he won't be begged.
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We celebrated my birthday today. Yippee.
It just doesn't mean that much anymore.
I am glad that my family is able to gather; that's all I expect for it.

In a surprise, my brother-in-law called from Kuwait to wish me happy birthday. His father and sister also have birthdays right around now.

S [9:54 PM]

[ Wednesday, June 04, 2003 ]

 
Father called--not my dad, my priest--and told me he'd spoken to the long-absent cantor and that we can expect to see him at least on some Sundays. Good. Father wasn't able to sleep the night after he heard the bombshell.

A parish needs at least two cantors. With one there's no safety margin.
S [11:16 PM]

[ Tuesday, June 03, 2003 ]

 
Today was the drug test in the drawn-out application for the federal position. There was an inordinate amount of waiting and the doctor (!) didn't strictly follow the procedure that supports integrity of the process, i.e. having me sign that statement and initialing the seal after the sample is taken. Hard to believe they were smoother at Concentra.
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Got a call last night from the other cantor. Due to a severe deterioration in his living situation he may have to move. . . out of state. This sux0rz. It can't all fall to me. The other young guy better get his butt back to the parish (he's taken time off since his kids were born).


S [8:47 PM]