Things that Robert is thinking about that keep him from accomplishing anything.

 
Decision '04
Alright, the perseverating is over: I've decided to stay in Nashville and pass up the job in NYC. I decided finishing the Ph.D. is too important not to do. Even a chronic procrastinator has to finish eventually, right? A procrastinator who doesn't finish is just a loser, and I don't need that.

While I will be staying, it will mean a whole bunch of changes here to reorganize my life around getting finished. We'll see where blogging ends up in the sorting process, but for now, it's still o.k. because I haven't made my lists yet.

So, onto that other campaign...I think the best I can hope for is that Kerry's performance over the past few weeks has been so uniformly awful that by being even marginally better than he has been the perception will be that he has done tremendously, giving him a boost in the buzz factor. If I get greedy, maybe he will have actually improved his speaking style and clarity. Sadly, I think we're likely to see a reinforcement of everyone's perceptions. Sigh.

posted by RSaunders at 2:53 PM ⇒ (0) comments

 
Back for More
Hey, I'm back for a bit. Kind of overloaded with "what am I doing with my life" questions over whether to take this job in NY. Leaning towards going, but not 100% committed.

On the bright side, some new freelance stuff may be in the offing come January.

On the campaign, I have the following suggestion for the Kerry-Edwards ad team. Try the slogan, "This is Success?" in t.v. ads, with an avalanche of negative images of the past 4 years (sans 9/11), including Abu Ghraib, snapshots from the beheadings (pre-beheading), newspaper headlines with "no WMD" and job layoffs and deficit rising, GAO reports about the secret energy meetings, the Medicare Rx boondoggle, etc. Then cut to, "I can't think of any mistakes I've made" from that press conference. Then some happy music showing Kerry-Edwards, a brief v.o. of how they will lead America forward (blah-blah), and the slogan, "This is SUCCESS!"

posted by RSaunders at 3:34 PM ⇒ (0) comments

 
Wish I'd Thought of It
Some people think of great ideas, some people have money, some people do both. An investment banker bought blocks of tickets for the Dodgers-Giants game and is reselling them with a stipulation that he gets Bonds' 700th home run ball (if it's hit there) and he gets to resell the ball and split the proceeds 50-50. At $10 a ticket he only has to sell about 2260 of the 6458 seats to make back his purchase.

posted by RSaunders at 11:37 AM ⇒ (0) comments

 
Willkommen, Herr Jefferson
The U.S. Mint continues its currency makeover with new nickels unveiled yesterday. Instead of Jefferson's profile, the Mint substituted a publicity still from his starring role in a Colonial production of Cabaret. For the back of the nickel, which currently features Jefferson's home, Monticello, the Mint chose two alternate images, a buffalo and scene of the Pacific Ocean. The images will remind Americans of the natural beauty buried under the nation's Super Wal-Marts and strip malls.

posted by RSaunders at 8:06 AM ⇒ (0) comments

 
McGreevey Effect
Kerry seems to be fulfilling my McGreevey Prophecy. Newsweek said in this week's issue that NJ is back in play, as Kerry's double-digit lead tumbles to single digits. The LATimes' poll synthesis concurs. It is interesting though to see the discrepancies between the maps, particularly all the "no recent poll" information in the LAT.

posted by RSaunders at 1:31 PM ⇒ (0) comments

 
Life After Seinfeld
I was at least as annoyed about all the Father of the Pride promos on NBC during the Olympics. However, I gave the show a shot based on reviews about how funny Siegfried and Roy were, even though they aren't the stars. The reviews are correct about them, and the show is good enough to keep you around until S&R reappear.

I noticed during the intro credits that Peter Mehlman wrote the episode. Mehlman was a Seinfeld writer, who put together the Virgin episode (starring a pre-Frasier Jane Leeves and JFK, Jr.), the Implants (starring the pre-Superman Teri Hatcher), and the Yada Yada episode (a pre-Will & Grace Debra Messing...also a post-Ned & Stacy Debra Messing). That alone should be sufficient incentive for you to give the show a shot.

posted by RSaunders at 6:03 AM ⇒ (0) comments

 
When I'm the All-Being, Master of Time, Space and Dimension^*...
I will do away with GEICO advertisements. The sheer volume of ads, on both t.v. and radio, is obnoxious enough; but, to have such a variety of shitty ads is overwhelming.

I wonder if this is a Tennessee thing, because in addition to GEICO, the next most common set of ads is for 1-800-Safe-Auto, followed by Direct Insurance. I know Tennessee only recently mandated universal car insurance, but sheesh...it's like televised spam.

Rapidly rising the charts of advertising annoyance, however, is the Tennessee Lotto's new Cash 5 game, featuring Elvis impersonators singing an Elvis-inspired lottery jingle. Happy for the jingle industry, but ready to decapitate myself to spare myself from further exposure.

^* Courtesy: Mr. Steve Martin.

posted by RSaunders at 10:50 PM ⇒ (0) comments

 
Ready...Set...Panic!!!
Well, it looks like I will get the offer in NYC. Now I have to decide whether I really want to move to NYC and figure out how to find someplace cheap (o.k., affordable) to live. Craziness. Feel free to email ideas and leads. The job is on the Upper East Side (90's).

posted by RSaunders at 3:54 PM ⇒ (0) comments

 
Retail Nation
As you know from your occasional visits to this site, I am facing the prospect of a possible move from Nashville to New York City. Whether I go or not, I am taking the opportunity to clear out a bunch of crap from my apartment. For example, I gave away about 40 t-shirts and dress shirts to Goodwill. Yes, I have a lot of crap.

It has also been an opportunity for me to learn the magic of online retailing. I set up my PayPal eBay account, but haven't listed anything there yet. I also set some books out for sale at Amazon.com:

• All the books listed together and separately below;
• Massage for Dummies;
• The Practical Dreamer's Handbook;
• Pilates: The Way Forward;
• Time Management for Dummies.

It's amazing what you learn about a person when you go through their books.


posted by RSaunders at 8:51 AM ⇒ (0) comments

 
It's Over
I looked at the electoral map in this week's Newsweek, and it's official: Kerry's fucked! (Scroll down in the link to the map. You can safely Donna Brazile's associated advice column, not simply because she led the terrible Gore2000 campaign, but because she offers no real insights...but read it if you must.)

With the exception of New Mexico, Kerry will have successfully marginalized himself and the party, restricting his electoral votes to the North Atlantic and Pacific coasts and parts of the Great Lakes. Great work, guys!

(I shouldn't blog this early in the morning...I'm awfully cranky!...And prone to using exclamation points!)

posted by RSaunders at 6:19 AM ⇒ (0) comments

 
Don't You See? It Was Consensual Because I Consented
Good Lord! After reading Kobe's statement after his case was dismissed, it's a good thing Kobe has terrific lawyers. Could you imagine if he had to use a public defender and ended up testifying? Is this not tantamount to an admission of guilt? This should give new hope to rapists and date rapists across America. "Gee, your honor, I sure thought it was consensual. I guess I misinterpreted her muffled cries from beneath the gag and her sluggishness from the gallon of vodka she drank, and the Rohypnol I gave her before I knew how drunk she'd get, as signs she was getting into it." Congratulations, Kobe!

posted by RSaunders at 6:10 AM ⇒ (0) comments