Karaoke is a harsh mistress.

There is only an occassional need in me these days to get up in front of people and yalp into a microphone. It was sort of, um, bludgeoned out of me some time ago along with a lot of other stuff. But it’s there, and I guess I’m glad for it. Having a birthday, that’s an excuse to drag some people who actually know and respect you somewhat along with you so you can drive that foolish notion out of them altogether.

The Hut has a pretty good karaoke, something I’m sure Alice never would have had the stomach for but that Larry seems quite comfortable with. Larry even gets to leave the bar for a song occassionally; last night it was “Particle Man.” I sang “My Life” and “Authority Song” and couldn’t help but mosey to the stage again while Jay was singing Croce’s “Operator.” Harmonies. I can’t sit there and not do harmonies when they’re there and not being sung.

I wore one of my presents, my new “Howard 100” T, with the Stern Fist logo and everything. Awesome, awesome, thanks to my woman for indulging me so completely. Hey now.

We came home and watched the Big Premiere even though we were dawgtired. Even this morning, I said, maybe it was just that we were tired and it was late or that we’d been looking forward to it for so many months, or maybe it’s because it’s on Thursday and not Sunday. Or maybe, she added, it was just plain bad. I had to agree. Why isn’t Izzie in jail? Why is so much hinging on the ‘Oh My God, They Killed Denny’ plot point? Denny was apparently so special he can make Bailey lose it? Why isn’t Izzie in jail? Baby dumping? Seriously? And, finally, why isn’t Izzie in jail? Something was off, completely off. They forgot to be funny and they tipped too much off with the flashback sequences. Some backstory should remain in the back. And why isn’t Izzie in jail?