Yeah, so enough about my three-hanky doctorate drama. Back to cool stuff. How about I lay some Schott’s on ya? (Thanks for the book, Helen! You are a goddess.)

The Mafia’s (Fifteen — *cRAsH* — I mean) Ten Commandments

From page 76: This document was found in a 2007 raid of the home of a Mafia boss in Sicily.

1. No one can present himself directly to another of our friends. There must be a third person to do it.
2. Never look at the wives of friends.
3. Never be seen with cops.
4. Don’t go to pubs and clubs.
5. Always being available to Cosa Nostra is a duty — even if your wife is about to give birth.
6. Appointments must absolutely be respected.
7. Wives must be treated with respect. (Then there’s that pesky #5…)
8. When asked for any information, the answer must be the truth. (Which, I suspect, is why #3 is in effect.)
9. Money cannot be appropriated if it belongs to other families.
10. People who cannot be part of Cosa Nostra: anyone who has a close relative in the police, anyone with a two-timing relative, and anyone who behaves badly and doesn’t hold to moral values.

Of course, racketeering, murder, prostitution…feh. Po-po get so worked up over little things.

Page 95: According to the 2000 Census, the most common surnames in America are:

1. Smith
2. Johnson
3. Williams
4. Brown
5. Jones
6. Miller
7. Davis
8. Garcia
9. Rodriguez
10. Wilson

*arms akimbo* Where’s Jackson on this list?

Page 103: Utah is the most (clinically/psychologically) “depressed state” in America, followed by West Virginia, Kentucky, Rhode Island and Nevada.

OK, I’m tired of reading now. I’ve been up since 3…*yawn*…I think I’ll take a nap.

FinkzZzzZZZZ

Source: Schott, Ben. Schott’s Miscellany 2009: An Almanac. Bloomsbury: New York, NY (2008).

kar·ma n. The total effect of a person’s actions and conduct during the successive phases of the person’s existence, regarded as determining the person’s destiny. ~American Heritage Dictionary

It may come as no surprise to you that I’ve been thinking a lot about that lately — and on several different levels. I’m coming to realize the effect of what I do on the people around me. One has to be very careful. Do you believe in the power of karma? I mean, how many of us have rattled off at one time or another the old adage, What goes around comes around ? The old pebble-in-the-pond thing. Or it could be a flavor of comeuppance: the bank robber who makes off with the cash, but later has it all stolen from him by another thief. That kind of stuff. Do you believe in it?

Regardless, if karma has anything to do with my recent travails, then I’m a believer. The steps I’ve taken, the series of events I’ve put in motion…they have all — while largely unbeknownst to me — pointed towards Thursday night’s landmark decision. What the “karmatic” effect will be of that, and of the future decisions I make, for that matter, remains to be seen.

Funny thing, though. The very top headline in Yahoo News this morning read, CEOs Without College Degrees. HA. Do I need a PhD to be a good high school choral director? Of course not; I knew that before. But this was like an affirmation of sorts. Karmic. I like that. I think I’ll keep looking for those signs.

OK, here’s your Unbelievably Cute Picture of the Day (I know, biased Grammie here). Justin, taking a nap yesterday, outside on the grass, under a tree in the warm breeze. It was a good day all around.

Happy weekend, all.

Finkarma

Well we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun…

I promise I’m going to stop talking about the Cavs. After this.

When asked about leaving Cleveland, LeBron said:

“I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it just yet. I’m just going to take time off from basketball and not think about contracts or the (Orlando) game, period. I’ll relax with my family, we’ll figure out once it comes from them.”

There you have it, fiends. The standard “manswer.” Non-committal, evasive…

I know, boys — lemme have it. I deserve it. Hehe. Anyway, no more Cavs posts for awhile. Promise.

Elsewhere in the non-basketball world:

• Kay and I had a fab rehearsal at my house (late) last night. I’m accompanying her on some great old hymns for her dad’s memorial service tonight.
• I have only two more days of students — and they have only two more days of me.
• I really, really really do not enjoy passive-aggressive people. There is a confrontation in my future. Bank on it.
• The Indians beat the Yankees yesterday, and I didn’t see it. Imagine that.
• Sometimes I wonder how a high school student who has been in choir since the 5th grade still doesn’t know the dress code for a performance. Is it me? Is it something I said?
• I am not looking forward to a summer of studying. There will be no garden this July.

Fink, mental

Today, I confess some things; it’s good for the soul every once in awhile. Behold, my partial list. Some may shock and offend. You have been warned.

1. I think Miley Cyrus is homely. Always have. Does that make me a mean person?

2. As pervasive and “fun” as it’s become recently, especially on the high school and undergrad circuit, I freaking cannot stand beat-boxing. Even when it’s done like this:

(This, however, is still an all-time favorite.)

3. My biggest hangup is the fear of looking old. I know; I am shallow and vain. And shallow.

4. After Johnny Carson retired in 1992, I never again watched the Tonight Show. Not even once.

5. I am a singer by profession, but I never, ever sing in the shower. I rarely sing at home.

6. If this is the best singing talent Britain can find, I think they need to look harder.

7. I have never seen the movie ET in its entirety. (But I have watched Sweeney Todd eleven times.)

And that’s all I will sing about today. All right — your turn. Let’s have ’em. Confession time (please keep them to the non-felonious variety).

The power of Fink compels you.

…where I’ve been, who I am, do I fit in? What song is that? “When I’m down and feeling blue…I close my eyes so I can be with you…”

Gak! Can’t remember. Anyway…

Life is unfair. Just sayin’.