Ted Stevens: old *and* corrupt

Since every other Alaskan Republican seems to be indicted on various corruption-related charges, I wasn't particularly surprised to see Ted Stevens accused of failing to disclose gifts he received from the oil industry. I'd personally love to see that old-ass, out of touch Senator lose this reelection bid. Lest we forget, this is the man who, while the Chairman of the Commerce Committee which regulates the internet, described it as not being a dump truck, but rather "a series of tubes".

My new jobbie-job

I didn't want to jinx myself, so I haven't posted anything yet about my new job. But, since I start on Monday and am taking this week off, here goes!

I'm going to be the new VP Business Development at the Cablevision-owned network Fuse. It's quite the dream job for me for a number of reasons. It's the role and responsibility I was looking for, and as an added bonus it's for a music-focused cable network. On a very high level, any non-advertising, non-affiliate revenue falls under me. This could be anything from partnerships for merchandising or travel, to launching entirely new lines of business. From a corporate perspective, Fuse combines the feel of a start-up, in that it's now getting a fresh focus on programming and marketing, with the stability and infrastructure of a real business. Plus, I'm working for a guy I know well from TV One, and the entire management team is excited and energized.

My consulting gig at BET Digital wrapped up on Friday, and it was a great experience all around. I left on a very high note. They were sad to see me go, and have promised I'll have a place there if Fuse doesn't work out.

I've got really high hopes for this new position. I can't remember ever wanting a job so badly, and I'm really fired up to do some great things! If only there are crazy sign-leavers, my life will be complete.

Spoonbridge and Cherry, Minneapolis

My sister just bought what sounds like a fabulous new condo in Minneapolis. Mom and Dad went to visit her last weekend, and sent this postcard. The sculpture is in a lovely park near the apartment Jessie had been living in.

Girl in Landscape

Girl in Landscape is the second novel by Jonathan Lethem that I've read. Lethem gained mainstream recognition for his fantastic 1999 novel Motherless Brooklyn, but he'd been writing science fiction for a number of years before that. I actually found Girl in Landscape, written in 1998, to be more akin to the western genre than sci-fi, in that the landscape itself is a primary character.

The book starts a little slowly, with 13-year-old protagonist Pella's family preparing to move from Brooklyn to the planet of the Archbuilders light years away. Once they arrive, the story that unfolds is a character-driven coming-of-age meets pioneers-on-the-frontier. Pella's family and the other settlers from Earth have to co-exist with the indigenous Archbuilders, whose mannerisms, language, even food and shelter are barely understood by the humans. More important to Pella are the personal battles they are facing. Her father is a failed politician trying in vain to regain something of his former glory. Her younger brothers are dealing poorly with their mother's death. She herself is going through puberty. And surrounding them is a supporting cast of Earth's (and the Archbuilders') rejects.

About halfway through this book, I became convinced that Lethem is one of the most brilliant contemporary authors out there. His ability to create characters with incredible depths of emotion through his spare writing style lifts him above the fray of ordinary writers. I am enthusiastically looking forward to reading more.

Another courtesy lesson

For those of you who have passed Remedial Courtesy and Courtesy 101, yet another sign appeared in the ladies' room yesterday that you might find helpful:


Again I will reiterate, this is not an unpleasant bathroom. It is apparently just frequented by crazy people.

My new night terrors

I've always been a very weird sleeper. As a child, I would walk and talk in my sleep. After college, I'd wake up in the middle of the night doing some very bizarre things. Once, I was on my hands and knees in my closet, I'd taken out all of my shoes and piled them in the middle of the floor, and I was searching for the hole that the gnomes came through. Another time, I had removed all of the framed pictures from the wall and leaned them against my bed. Since I've been married, my "night terrors" have been more along the lines of thinking I see giant spiders on the ceiling, or that there are things hanging from the shelves or lamps.

The last week or so, I haven't slept well at all. Each night, I've woken up with the frantic realization that I've lost the Bug somewhere in my room. Like I was supposed to be watching her but then she disappeared. I look in the covers, under the bed, under the desk, in the bathroom. Mind you, she's still sleeping soundly in her crib in her room. I read in the Times that this is fairly common for new mothers to experience. But the Bug's a year old... so why now?

A belated shout-out

I realized that I was delinquent in wishing a congratulations to my sister's good college friends, Carly and Dave, in the birth of their daughter Samantha Lee Brantz. Sam arrived on July 3, while we were in DC. I've been following Sam's in utero experiences via Carly's blog, which has been a pleasure to read... and I'm looking forward to staying tuned!