How did I miss Kay Hanley's latest gig?

I'm behind the times.

I never saw Boston-based band Letters to Cleo in concert but I always liked their pop melodies. About 13 years ago, I bought their 1994 album, "Aurora Gory Alice," which I uploaded to iTunes last spring.

As I listen to it now, I wondered what happened to lead singer Kay Hanley. I found this Boston Globe article from last December that highlights Hanley as a backup singer to Miley Cyrus.

If I was a bigger Letters to Cleo fan, I suppose I would have known this. But it goes to the bigger issue that I'm out of touch with today's music scene.

As a college student, I belonged to BMG, Columbia House, CDNow, and other music "clubs" that sent packages of free CDs if I agreed to buy so many more at jacked-up prices. That's how I built up most of my collection of 500+ CDs over the years.

But now? Do I buy a CD or do I download it off iTunes Music Store? I used to buy CDs for no reason than the cover art looked pretty or a song sample sounded good; it's too easy to buy music these days and there are a billion and a half more music concerts today than 10 years ago, so how am I supposed to choose what I like?

Ikea looms this weekend

As I head south to the family abode this weekend for Mother's Day, I'll stop off en route at Ikea and buy this desk. With a birch enamel color over the particleboard, it will fit in nicely in an area of my to-be home office.

One of the first stories I'll be writing will be an essay comparing the past eight months living in Newburyport versus about two years in Somerville.

I started brewing a story idea earlier today while eating lunch beside the Rowley River in said town, and how the outdoor sounds were eerily quiet until an MBTA train rumbled by. I thought of many afternoons walking around South Boston's Castle Island and hearing and seeing the planes land at Logan across the harbor. Then, my mind shifted to downtown Newburyport and surrendering my senses to the tranquility of mildly moving powerboats on the Merrimack River.

Once complete, I plan to pitch this story to the Boston Globe.

Desk hunting

Last week, I wrote about wanting to buy a writing desk.

Easier written than done.

Over the past few days, I walked into downtown antique and used furniture stores, drove to similar stores in the region, and even checked department stores like Staples and Homegoods.

Everything is either too expensive, too heavy, too many accessories (shelves, drawers, and the like) or not the right color.

On the tip of a former colleague, I'll visit two more places tomorrow that may stock used furniture for what I want. If I can't find anything in my style and price range, I'll wind up buying one of three desks online:

A desk from Staples:


A desk from Target:


Or a desk from Ikea:


Ikea would probably be my choice.

Cartooning me

Looking back over the better part of 25 years, I've enjoyed watching TV cartoon shows and animated films and reading newspaper comic strips, but I never got into reading comic books.

While my peers collected comic books and shared graphic novels, I devoted my childhood to matchbox cars, Star Wars creatures, and Lego sets.

Considering I always read more than other kids my age, leading to high scores on read-a-thons and book reports, it's ironic I never got into comic books.

Never say never.

After listening to Lauren Weinstein talk about her cartoon book, "Girl Stories," at the recent Newburyport Literary Festival, and in reaction to yesterday's national celebration of Free Comic Book Day, I looked up the nearest participating comic book retailer and drove to the Toy Soldier in Amesbury.

In lieu of stereotypical superhero comic books, I asked Mick for suggestions. He seemed about my age and knew the genre.

I ultimately walked away with three free books, provided by different publishers specifically for the national day:

1. A Marvel Adventures story about Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, and Spider-Man

2. A preview of four comic strips to be published this year converted from bestselling novels by Jim Butcher, George R.R. Martin and Dean Koontz

3. Atomic Robo

I wonder if I'll like the comic books...

Chinese steel

I shot this picture on May 11, 2006 in Beijing.

With the Olympic Games beginning on August 8, the Chinese spent many man hours over several years constructing structures, including this one.

The Olympic torch arrived today in Macao, and makes its way to the mainland. Over the next three months, the torch will relay through every Chinese province. I wonder how much of the relay will be on foot, as much of the nation is desolate.

I wonder if my above picture is for an athletic venue or a peripheral lodging structure.

Foray into iTunes music store

Nearly two years after purchasing an iPod and storing my music on iTunes, and about a year after buying a CD, I finally downloaded two songs from the iTunes music store.

It seems Starbucks has a 'Pick of the Week' featuring a different song each week, where patrons can walk out of the physical store with free cards that specify redeemable codes to download songs.

This week's song is "So Many People to Love" by Carly Simon.

I don't own any (other) songs by Carly Simon, but a free song is a free song, no?

Around the same time I was looking at the iTunes music store website, I saw the music video for "Famous Last Words" by My Chemical Romance on Comcast's alternative music channel... so bought the 99-cent song on impulse.

It's convenient, for sure. But how often will I be playing songs on my computer or listening on my iPod?

P&G says no

Not even 48 hours after applying for a management position at Procter & Gamble and filling out an exhaustive 67-question multiple choice test, P&G sends me a generic email and says it's a no go.

How much time did they really spend looking at me, or did they just look at how I answered their leadership survey questions?

I think it's humorous how they suggest I try again in 12 months.

Dear Ari,

Thank you for applying to [position title here]. We appreciate your interest in Procter & Gamble.

We have reviewed your qualifications and, unfortunately, are not able to pursue your application further. We encourage you to apply again in 12 months and consider the available opportunities at that time.

Thanks for the time you have invested in applying to Procter & Gamble. We wish you every success in finding an excellent career opportunity.

Sincerely,

P&G Recruitment

Taking a tip from H.G. Wells

In his classic, "The Time Machine," H.G. Wells writes about a scientist who builds a time machine and travels hundreds of thousands of years into Earth's future.

Wells' hero meets the Eloi and the Morlocks, two human species evolved from different genetics. The Eloi, a pretty species, are the bourgeoisie who spend their days singing and dancing amid the gardens. The Morlocks, an ugly group, are the proletariat who build things and live underground with no distractions.

As I seek a means to maximize an approximate 64 square foot section of my apartment into a home office, I think I'll work like a Morlock. That is, the nearest windows are a good 12 to 14 feet away, adjacent to my now living room and TV. I currently sit on a couch during work; another distraction.

Feng shui dogma dictates that office space should be near windows to extend positive energy. Since I like the outdoors, wouldn't working next to a window be a distraction?

I can always re-arrange things later... but for the time being, I'll find a simple desk and chair that I can sit down at, put my laptop computer on and other paperwork, and do work without the distraction of a TV or window next to me or a couch under my butt.

67 questions about leadership

I just applied for a management job on the Procter & Gamble website.

After filling out a 6-page online application, including uploading my resume, references, and cover letter, I was prompted to submit to the "Success Drivers Management Assessment," a set of 67 multiple choice questions about leadership.

A sampling of some of the questions and choices:

Do you tend to focus more of your attention on the issues of the present or on the potential issues of the future?

A. Much more focus on the present
B. More focus on the present
C. Just as likely to focus on the present as on the future
D. More focus on the future
E. Much more focus on the future

I chose B.

How have you been able to take ideas in your work and turn them into reality?

A. By using my unique strengths
B. By removing barriers
C. By being patient
D. By being assertive
E. By ensuring everyone is engaged in the vision

I chose E.

Which of these do you consider to be the most important in trying to solve problems?

A. Analyzing information
B. Formulating alternative actions
C. Being well-informed
D. Challenging assumptions
E. Taking a broad view
F. Creating innovative solutions
G. Focusing on the key issues
H. Probing for more information
I. Something else

I chose G.

Which of the following would you find least attractive in a job?

A. Keeping a tight, planned schedule each day
B. Working an extra hour or two many weekday evenings
C. Working weekends whenever the need arises
D. Working by yourself most of the time
E. Starting very early most mornings
F. Working over 50 hours most every week
G. Starting at the bottom, working your way up

I chose E.

Apparently there are no correct answers, but HR should be able to determine my management ability presuming my responses were consistent.

The fact that the test took about an hour to complete, I hope I hear back in a timely manner.

Twelve

A unique collaboration of 12 Boston area directors and starring a local ensemble cast of relative unknowns or actors with limited professional experience, the Boston International Film Festival debuted the world premiere of "Twelve" last night at the Somerville Theater.

This eclectic but unified collection of 12 short stories—each about a different month of the year—forms both a love letter both to Boston and an impressive showcase for the area’s burgeoning indie filmmaking scene, said the indie festival's website when I booked my weekend festival tickets.

Last Friday night, I watched three festival films but the highlight was "Phoebe in Wonderland," an amazing drama starring 9-year-old Elle Fanning as a girl with behavioral issues who reluctantly joins her school production of "Alice in Wonderland" and creates a fantasy world to cope with her troubled life. If/when this is distributed nationwide, I'll be back to see it.

The other two films I saw were "Natural Causes," a well-performed though poorly constructed romantic drama that follows a college couple through flirtation, into a relationship, and break-up; and "Nerdcore Rising," a pioneering and humorous documentary in the form of a concert roadtrip with MC Frontalot, the so-called father of nerdcore hip hop, known to nerds and geeks around the country (if not beyond) for inventing raps about nerdy subjects like "Star Wars," PalmPilots, and comic strips.

But back to "Twelve."

Co-producers Scott Masterson and Steve Oare hand-picked 12 directors to shoot a 10-minute short during a different month of 2007. Each director had creative license to explain a story any way he/she wanted.

The films were directed by Scott Masterson, Seanbaker Carter, Andy McCarthy, Garth Donovan, Luke Poling, Noah Lydiard, Megan Summers, Brynmore Williams, Joan Meister, Marc Colucci, Jared Goodman, and Vladmir Minuty.

Individually, the 12 short films were shot in and around Boston and focus on love, friendship, despair, addiction, and violence using elements of comedy, romance, song, and documentary. I liked each film in a different way, but my favorites include:

• "March" - about a serial murderer and the police detective who tracks him down in a very funny way.
  
• "June" - following the inventive exploits of a teenage boy who builds a flying contraption to escape his alcoholic stepmother.
  
• "August" - an educational documentary about bees and the hive sounds they make.
  
• "November" - a jarring look at inner-city youth who live a life of drugs, guns, and violence.

Together, the 12 films are linked by a tree that changes appearance as the months of the year unfold in each successive short film.

My friend Katie and I thankfully bought our tickets in advance, as the premiere sold out for all 900 seats of theater 1. (Due to demand, the festival is showing an encore presentation tonight.) We enjoyed the film from the sixth row of the balcony.

Searching the web, I see that Justin of Lonely Reviewer also attended last night's show, calling it alarmingly cohesive and effective, and that the 12 directors demonstrated a love of filmmaking. These 12 talents behind the film showed that given something as seemingly simple as telling a story in or about a month can be something more than just a simple story about a month.

For comparison, see Erin Trahan's profile earlier this month of "January" director and co-producer Scott Masterson at NewEnglandFilm.com, and last December's story in The Phoenix when Caitlin Curran interviewed "July" director Megan Summers.