venerdì, dicembre 15, 2006

I bet you write wonderful letters

There's this Spencer Tracy/Katharine Hepburn vehicle called Desk Set which was striking all sorts of chords with me - about a research department that thinks it's getting replaced by an International Business Machine 'electronic brain' (though I'm not sure how much I'd mind getting replaced by an electronic brain). Uber-aggressive product placement aside, it's really cute - especially cute if you care about the human and organic organization of information, have to put up with arrogantly incompetent tech departments at your office, and if you're curious about how people thought about computers before they were called computers and before acronyms.

My point is that I'm going to stop calling them computers and start calling them electronic brains. Also that I love Spencer Tracy . . . and . . right. Finally, that arsing off in an office situation should be both allowed and encouraged.

Tonight we're seeing the Nutcracker, my not-so-surprising Christmas present to the F-word. Seeing the Nutcracker is going to be my annual Christmas tradition, no matter where I am in the world, and if that does mean Qatar on a lousy pay package I'll just make some Fisher Price action figures dance it out. A child's hallucination of a ballet to that pretty, pretty music - good God, I love the Russians. So pagan - the death and regeneration of the warrior prince! That's the true fucking spirit of Christmas and we all know it when we watch the Nutcracker . . . anyways, I hope that's the case, because I'm so not in the Christmas spirit at the moment. More in the weekend spirit. I wish I was allowed to drink at work.

12 commenti:

Anonimo ha detto...

The new look looks really nice.

One good thing about teaching children is that showing up tipsy to work won't affect your performance (isn't teaching bit like acting?) at all, and it might even help it a bit. And in your last post you wrote about going to Europe and going back to English teaching.

And you've inspired me to put on the single CD by Tchaikovsky I have.

cali ha detto...

Hey Jess!

I love the Nutcracker—except I don't love when one of my co-workers blasts the sountrack from her office every damn day!

Can you do me a favour? Can you email me and tell me how to make that yumalicious baked pasta we had at your house that one night? Do you remember? I looked on the internet but I don't trust recipes only tested by strangers. Gracias!

Mistress La Spliffe ha detto...

Thanks Jiri! It's true that English teaching is the only job I was comfortable showing up drunk for. What Tchaikovsky CD do you have?

Sure, Artemis - part of the thing with that was that the sausage was homemade, but you can get a lovely effect with simple ground beef. I'll send it to you this morning.

Sugarplum ha detto...

I was torn between going to the Nutcracker and Messiah and I let the dude pick - he chose Messiah but I can change his mind. You think the Nutcracker is far Christmasier? Maybe I should change my mind...

Mistress La Spliffe ha detto...

I gave Figaro the same choice and was SOOOO HAPPY when he chose the Nutcracker. But that's just me. The Messiah is lovely too. A little too Christian for me since I'm already planning on going to Midnight Mass.

Sugarplum ha detto...

It is such a difficult decision. I wish I could get him to go to both but I haven't seen the Nutcracker so maybe we should see it.

Anonimo ha detto...

I have the Suite fron Nutcracker...

Messiah is indeed very nice. But I've never seen the Nutcracker...

Mistress La Spliffe ha detto...

The Nutcracker is a real spectacle. I reccommend seeing it if you possibly can.

cali ha detto...

Thanks! I figured I would have to use ground beef (or something else besides those yummy sausages) anyway. You're the best!

Melbine ha detto...

I love the Spencer Tracy/Katharine Hepburn love story. I love the Nutcracker! And I've never had the luck to show up at work drunk, just hungover. Boo.

Mistress La Spliffe ha detto...

No probs, Artemis! Mel, now that your work is Sam Craig (or Tink, if you prefer) I guess you're drunk on the job whenever you're drunk at home! Lucky you!

Melbine ha detto...

Yeah, I guess if I was going to do that I might get fired from my job by Children's Aid!

Ah yes, Sam Craig - I like that alias too!