weekend tidbits: new yorker festival weekend

the new yorker festival was this weekend. i went to the david remnick interview with sy hersh and the denby interview judd apatow and seth rogen. i'll do full posts on those in the coming days when i can get my notes together. both were excellent.

i went to the lucinda williams concert at town hall on thursday. i'm not all that familiar with her work but my good friend from law school (and my mentor in all things political) flew in from houston for the concert and asked me with. that woman is hip as hell. she told dozens of stories in a way that was honest, a bit self-depreciating and rebellious all at the same time. updating to make a comment on cousin's comment below: she started several songs several times over because there was something minute about it that she didn't like. "i'm sorry guys but they're taping this! i don't want to have to look at it later and be annoyed that my voice cracked in the wrong place!" and she'd say it in a kind "feel bad for me that i have OCD" kind of way and it was always funny and charming. also, at one point she was tuning and started singing and realized she was in the wrong key. tuned some more. started again. "no, that's not right either." then she stood hopelessly in the middle of the stage and in desperation she childishly whined, "somebody help me!" and she hopped up and down a bit. and on ran a stagehand, pulling off her capo and writing on her music stand a big "D" to let he know what key she was supposed to be in. it was so cute. she is just so cute.

alex balk has left gawker. i fell into my gawker addiction right about the time he started over there. i fell into my internet crush of him not long thereafter. he reveals a lot about himself in his posts and i, rightly or not, feel like i know the guy. and i adore him. i'm also not afraid to admit i teared up at his "farewell post" and felt a bit mopey for a couple hours after i left work. it's strange, that feeling you've lost a friend you never had to begin with. regardless, i wish him the best of luck over at radar. i suppose i'll have to add the rss into my feed reader now...

SWAG. there will be an entire post devoted to the free things i got this weekend. it was christmas in october!

saturday night was a bbq at em's. i'm getting tired of the hedge funders. sunday was brunch with my beloved gorgonzola fondue at extra virgin.

the yankees continue to hang by a thread. but at least, AT LEAST mariano pulled himself together last night. i was starting to lose my faith in the man.