After a long stretch sitting in an office with an excellent view, I’m moving into a new workspace Friday without a window.
A solo act all these years, my new assignment includes sharing work responsibilities with a human being seated just a few feet away.
The change in scenery and office dynamic comes as my newly-merged employer moves closer to integrating what were two distinctly separate companies before the combination.
While I feel some anxiety about it all, I’m trying to be optimistic. I’m trying to hang onto this gig for another 19 years or so if possible. With 18 years at this job under my belt, I’m almost halfway home.
-It’s one thing to be a richly talented actor at the age of 26, but what Lena Dunham is doing as the creative, do-all force behind the HBO series “Girls” is pretty amazing. I’m glued to the show seven episodes in. I’m probably not in the target audience but Dunham’s character is great. It’s an extension of the one at the center of Dunham’s excellent directorial debut on the big screen “Tiny Furniture.” Fresh out of college, Dunham’s character in Girls is named Hannah. She’s living in Brooklyn with her best friend and not sure how or where to get a job that matches her talents. Hannah’s life missteps and routine city adventures form the basis of the show but regular interactions with a surrounding cast of friends is compelling too. Dunham is the primary writer and director of Girls. There have been some moments of serious brilliance. The closing scene on the episode that took Hannah back to her hometown in Michigan was great as was the conversational sequence Hannah had with Tako during a party at a Bushwick warehouse. The on-demand episodes end with Dunham offering taped explanations of the show just concluded.
-WFAN’s entertaining weekday evening show host Steve Somers has remained on the air despite temporarily acquiring a pretty serious speech impediment after undergoing major dental work. It almost sounds as if Somers had a stroke. When he came on the radio a week ago, he blamed his enunciation struggles on oral surgery that included a tooth extraction and stitches. A week later, the Schmoozer is still slurring his words. As a loyal Somers listener going back nearly 15 years, it has been quite jarring to hear his tongue so tangled but I suppose it’s a good sign his wit remains strong.
-Never before has Cassie Ramone performed in both of her current bands on the same night but that will change in mid-July when The Babies and Vivian Girls are on the same live music bill. Saying via Twitter it will “probably be the only time ever” she’ll play in the two bands at same place on the same evening, Ramone will accomplish the feat on Friday, July 13 at The Casbah in San Diego.
-With the stress of the Stanley Cup playoffs behind him, Rangers head coach John Tortorella went on Francesa’s show Wednesday afternoon and was thoughtful and engaged for the duration of a 23-minute interview. It was a sharp contrast to the aloof and uncooperative Tortorella who showed up to speak to the media after playoff games against the Sens, Caps and Devs. Torts expressed regret for the way he conducted himself during some of those sessions but said he’s reluctant to “give too much information” to writers when his team is playing the same team for as many as seven games in a row. Tortorella remains bothered that his squad’s courageous commitment to blocking shots was deemed by some observers to be an unfair tactic. Said Torts: “It’s disrespecting our players…It (the shot block) is part of playing defense. This has to be part of your game if you’re gonna defend correctly.” Given Francesa’s indifference to the sport of hockey during the regular season, it came as a surprise that Tortorella appeared on Mike’s show. But I suppose Francesa’s strong connections with some of the Garden’s top executives came in handy in this instance.
-My favorite “Mike’s On” caller Mike from Montclair (not to be confused with Steelers fan Mike – also from Montclair) said he went to game six of the NHL’s Eastern Conference finals in Newark last Friday. Mike said he sat with SI football writer Peter King. The takeaway from the maiden voyage to a postseason Devils game was classic Mike from Montclair: He said the annoying non-stop music and video board nonsense between whistles sabotaged the experience.