Huzzah! Torchwood returns Saturday night for its second season on BBC America.
I almost gave up on this Doctor Who spinoff after the first few episodes. It took almost half the first season before I got really hooked, but hooked I be.
I think that one of the reasons I don’t get things done is that I focus too much on the things didn’t get done.
I sit and stew and go “Crap. I didn’t do that thing I was gonna do. I suck.” And this just leads to being so depressed about not accomplishing anything that I don’t have any engergy left to get off my ass and do it. Plus, when I don’t do something I planned on doing, I stew about it instead of doing something else.
Well, my wife’s best friend presented her with a solution that is devilishly simple. Instead of making a list and checking things off after you do them, make your list after you do them.
Don’t say “I’m going to clean the kitchen, mow the lawn, pay the bills, make dinner, write an essay, help a little old lady across the street…” then whine about only getting to one or two of those things. Wait until you get around to cleaning the kitchen and say “Cleaned kitchen. Check.”
I’m sure this is not news to anyone. There’s probably a bazillion books and seminars on looking back on your accomplishments instead of forward to your goals (though just writing that sounded backwards to me). It is definitely a flip-flop of the way my ultra list making self usually does it, and it’s kinda fun.
It doesn’t seem like a week has passed since we went looking for a car for Pepperkat on a whim. I hate it when the week is so busy and yet nothing interesting happens. Mostly, I’ve just been running around doing stuff and junk (none of it songwriting related, unfortunately). This morning I’ve been wasting time scrolling through the thousands of photos put on Flickr by the Library of Congress thanks to Linkmeister.
Anyway, she got a 2002 Saturn with just 45,000 miles on it for herself (with a little co-signing action from daddy), and I’m jealous. My ’94 Saturn is still holding together, but it won’t be long before I start looking for another car.
Another rite of passage. Pepperkat has enough money for a down payment (and makes enough working) to afford a decent used car. We’re off to take a gander at them this evening.
Here it comes…
One thing that bugs the hell out of me when the health care “debate” gets going is the knee-jerk reaction that if it’s a government program it obviously will suck.
The government has never gotten anything right, don’tcha know. Just look at how many things it’s mucked up! I mean, sure, there were a few things it’s done well–the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe after WWII, the Voting Rights Act, the Civil Rights Act, defeating polio and smallpox, making sure we have safe meat and drinking water, the interstate highway system, labor standards like the 40-hour work week and minimum wage, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, landing on the moon and exploring the solar system, creating the internet, regulating commerce and banking so that we haven’t had a major depression in 70 years as opposed to once every 20 years prior to Roosevelt–but other than that? Government sucks.
John at Thudfactor has an excellent rebuttal to one of those knee-jerk questions (“When was the last time something you got for free was better quality than something you paid for?”).
I’m not saying that the government will automatically be better at managing the health care system of the country than the private sector has been, but at least let’s not start out with the ridiculous argument that it’s not even possible.
It’s the oddest things that creep up on you and make you feel old.
This is the first time since 1995 that we haven’t been consumed with the activity of selling Girl Scout cookies.
Now, I’m gonna have to get my Peanut Butter Patty fix from the street dealers just like everyone else!
This is the 100th birthday of the original Doctor Who, William Hartnell.
While not my favorite Doc, he was the one who got to introduce the character and shape some of the continuing themes that have stayed with him over 40 years and 9 actors later.
Ack. I’m utterly conflicted about the impending return of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report tonight.
On the one hand, I have missed them so much and, like it or not, they have become the main source of common sense in the media over the past couple of years. They are our modern versions of Mark Twain and Jonathan Swift.
On the other, I feel awful for the striking writers. If Stewart and Colbert come back strong, then the cry will be “who needs writers?” (On the third hand, I really hope they don’t suck.)
Despite the title of this post, I’m not going to get all judgey judge on them for coming back. It’s more complicated than simply refusing to cross picket lines for them. Much like David Letterman, I’m sure they’re thinking about the rest of their starving staffs…not to mention their own wallets. They don’t own the game ball, like Letterman does, so it’s hard to pick it up and take it home with them if they don’t like the rules.
It would be nice if the idiots at Viacom, et al, would open up their Grinchy hearts a bit, but I’m not holding my breath. Unfortunately for the writers, I think the return of these shows is a huge win for the production companies and a blow to the union.
Well, I missed the first Saturday of my 52 weeks of songs. Nice way to start things off, eh?
At least I have a tune in mind. Now if I can just think of some more words.
What rhymes with “torpid”?
