I know this is a little Oprah-y, but read it anyway

Akeelah and the Bee is bringing some attention to this from Marianne Williamson's Our Deepest Fear in "A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles."

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." --Marianne Williamson

I hate the NBC promo monkeys

So I was all geared up to watch the episode "Requiem" of West Wing on Sunday night. According to the promos for the episode it was going to be an entire ep dedicated to the life and passing of one of the most central characters, Leo.

Yeah, not so much.

It was a beautiful teaser, with the six core characters, CJ, Toby, Josh, Donna, the president and first lady all preparing to go to the funeral, and then at the funeral we hear the liturgy and pan over almost all of the characters who have been affected by Leo. That was lovely. Cut to credits.

Then, we get about a third of the remaining episode including reminiscences about him (much of which, interestingly enough, I think was actually John Spencer memories that they were bringing up, b/c they were new to us and sounded more like things he'd do and not Leo), but the rest was about CJ and Danny, Donna and Josh, and the SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE. Almost ten minutes of what should have been an entirely Leo-centric episode spent on who would be the new SOH. So. Disappointing. We don't need three new tertiary characters introduced, writers, and we sure as hell don't need to spend ten minutes on them, kay? We've got four fucking episodes left. God.

If I'd been prepared to expect an episode that in part dealt with the death of Leo, but the rest of which was business as usual, I probably could have enjoyed the episode more -- especially the stuff with CJ and Danny and getting to see Amy (ever-fabulous Mary Louise Parker) stir things up one last time with Josh and Donna. But because of those damned promo monkeys, all I could think during those scenes was "get back to the Leo stuff, get back to LEO."

So, in place of what this episode could have been:
Noel
Bartlet for America
Crackpots and These Women
He Shall from Time to Time
Running Mates
Guns Not Butter

And from the pilot:
Donna: And what was the cause of the accident?
Leo: What are you, from State Farm? Go. Do a job, would ya?
Donna: I’m just...
Leo: He was swerving to avoid a tree.
Donna: And what happened?
Leo: He was unsuccessful.

Indie bands are cool, Indie rockumentaries about indie bands are coolest

So, my friends Andrea, Brady, Kurt and Shane worked on this rockumentary called Last Dispatch, and now they're getting to see the fruits of their labor -- or some rock analogy I'm too musically illiterate to know. (Trailer)

Basically, the film is the story of the last concert of the band Dispatch, one of the most successfull un-signed (to a major label) bands of all time. The concert was in Boston summer 2004, they had over 100,000 kids show up. Anyway, it's the lead up to the concert and where these guys are in their careers and relationships with one another.

I got to see it (finally, Andrea) a couple of weeks ago, and as a lot of you already know, I loved it. (Isn't that the hugest relief ever when a friend is working on a project and they ask you to evaluate it? Trust me, it totally is.)

I'd never heard of the band, and I immediately fell in love with them. I can't imagine how satisfying the film would be for people who have heard of them, much less hardcore fans (can you say DVD sales? yeah, all 100,000 of those kids are watching for this DVD to go on sale).

Anyway. I love parenthesies.

But my point is that they're screening Last Dispatch in New York and Chicago in the next couple of weeks. If you're in the area, check it out, it's well worth the price of admission. See screening info below.

And once you do see it, come back and let me know what you thought.

"LAST DISPATCH" SCREENING DATES:
New York City
APRIL 21-27, 2006
The Village East Cinemas
181 Second Ave. (at 12th Street)
Ph: (212) 529-6998
(Weeklong engagement)

Chicago
APRIL 28, 2006
Park West Theater
8pm
(One show)

I asked if she thanked him for taking one for the team

This is a surreal world I'm living in. My sister (Republican Jenny) was working this morning and she looked up to see Andy Card standing in her doorway. Apparently he was saying his good-byes to WH staff. It's just weird to call my sister while I'm commuting to work and that's the answer to: "Guess who was in my office this morning."

It's the truth

Sent to me from my similarly displaced sister (living in DC):

"I have said that Texas is a state of mind, but I think it is more than that. It is a mystique closely approximating a religion. And this is true to the extent that people either passionately love Texas or passionately hate it ... For all its enormous range of space, climate, and physical appearance, and for all the internal squabbles, contentions, and strivings, Texas has a tight cohesiveness perhaps stronger than any other section of America. Rich, poor, Panhandle, Gulf, city, country, Texas is the obsession, the proper study and the passionate possession of all Texans." - John Steinbeck, 1962

I'm off-book! ... sort of

Okay. Let's see if I can get this from memory:

I don't know anything about love. I don't want to know anything. I hate love. [Can you believe that's my first line?!]

It's what you asked me when you were on leave a year ago, isn't it? [Oops, the line's "It's what you asked a year ago when you were on leave, isn't it?" Damnit.]

I can't marry anyone, Peter. I've got to stay at home. Father needs me.

He needs me more! I'm sorry, Peter.

I know it's what girls always say in books, but, I do love you as a brother, Peter. I wouldn't lose you as a brother for anything. We've been like that ever since we were little and started playing together, you and Orin and Hazel and I. So please don't let this come between us. [I always leave the "ever" out of this speech.]

Don't be stupid, Peter.

Do you think I care about that -- that --

Folks say more than their prayers. [I have know idea what this means, and hold no hope that I will be able to in any way sell it.]

No one around here, that's sure. He comes from out west. Grandfather Hamel happened to meet him in NY, and took a fancy to him. And Mother met him at Grandfather's house. [Rarely remember the "happened" here.]

I don't know as much about him as you think. Oh, he did tell me the story of his life to make himself out romantic, but I didn't pay much attention. He went to sea when he was young, and was in California for the Gold Rush. He's sailed all over the world. He's lived on a South Sea island once, so he says. [This speech KICKS MY ASS. This is the first time I've screwed up the very simple first sentence. It's supposed to be "I don't know much about him in spite of what you think. Great. New places to screw up. I always get stuck at "He went to sea... ]

That's his job -- being romantic. [My favorite line.] But I don't want to talk anymore about him.