Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
From The Horse's Mouth
Just read a very enlightening interview with Simpsons creator Matt Groening over at The A.V. Club, whose weekly review of Fox's "animation domination" block of Simpsons, King Of The Hill, Family Guy, and American Dad frequently consists of anti-Simpsons dreck, stuff like "it's not been good since season ten!" or "this plot element was recycled from this, this, and this episode!" or "the episode was too much plot and character development, why can't it just be jokes?"
One of the great pieces of wisdom I've heard from an unnamed professor is that there are bands out there we just loved when we were, say, 16. But now, at, say, age 22 we hear it again and wonder aloud what the big deal was; it's our own personal nostalgia that we associate with it. One major act that has endured this re-evaluation was the Finnish group HIM. It's good...but nothing Earth-shattering. Same with all that 80's music I was digging when I spent my nights playing GTA: Vice City in 10th grade. It happens. You evolve, your tastes and expectations change - and whatever connection you have to it is more along the lines of where you are taken mentally when you re-visit it.
With that in mind, read this passage of the interview:
"MG: Let’s see, how do I want to put this… The criticism of the show, that it’s not as good as the show you remember when you were 9 years old, is probably true, but then no show is as good as the one you thought was probably the greatest when you were 9 years old. It’s the nature of comparing something to the thing you loved the most at the time. If the show had been cancelled after five seasons, it would be forgotten.
AVC: Really? The “cut down in its prime” legacy always builds things up—look at Futurama.
MG: Well, let me approach it from a different direction. Getting back to the idea about humor, I was generalizing about humor and anxiety and hostility, but the fact is, styles in humor do change. Humor does depend on surprise, and the things that people remember as the funniest things in the world, you look at later and you go, “What? What was that all about?” I mean, I love Laurel and Hardy, but I show Laurel and Hardy movies to people, to friends, and they think they’re too slow. The pacing is something they’re just not used to. They’ve had it drilled into their minds that everything has to be very cutty and quick and gross. So the relatively elegant and subtle Laurel and Hardy movies—which I can’t believe I’m even saying “elegant” in relation to them, but compared to crass comedy these days, they are—I think they’re great. The style has changed, and I certainly don’t think that people who can’t appreciate the brilliance of Laurel and Hardy are wrong. It’s just different style.
If The Simpsons came on now, having never been seen before, with those original episodes, I don’t think anyone would give them a second look, because they’re so crude and primitive in their execution. But like I said, styles change, and all I ask of critics—of online critics of the show that say “Oh, it hasn’t been good since season X”—is that, in the opinion of people who work on the show, that’s simply not true. I’m not saying that every episode is better than the previous, but I’m saying that to completely out-of-hand condemn a decade of the show is a very easy position to take, and the fact is, the show has done absolutely brilliant stuff consistently throughout its history. Like I said, I’m not defending every single joke in every single episode, but if we didn’t like what we were doing, we wouldn’t keep doing it."
[Italics mine]
So, to all the too-cool for new Simpsons episodes who can quote every episode that came out when they were in middle school, I give you this:
The creator of the show has said what I've been thinking since I first heard people bitching about the show's lack of relevance. I mainly heard this from Family Guy viewers. They're all about 16 years of age, or at least mentally.
To you, I say consider yourself righteously owned.
Those of you who still dig The Simpsons like Shelley and myself: you have every right to be smug about this one. Plus, Mr. Groening is a Beefheart fan. And you all know I love having any excuse to post Beefheart on here.
The frequency of these postings should indicate that my free time has, well, been freed up significantly since my project is 97% done and the grad school apps are all finito.
It's good to be back. Hope you agree. If not, it's a big Internet. You can leave. I'll be here.
Alex
One of the great pieces of wisdom I've heard from an unnamed professor is that there are bands out there we just loved when we were, say, 16. But now, at, say, age 22 we hear it again and wonder aloud what the big deal was; it's our own personal nostalgia that we associate with it. One major act that has endured this re-evaluation was the Finnish group HIM. It's good...but nothing Earth-shattering. Same with all that 80's music I was digging when I spent my nights playing GTA: Vice City in 10th grade. It happens. You evolve, your tastes and expectations change - and whatever connection you have to it is more along the lines of where you are taken mentally when you re-visit it.
With that in mind, read this passage of the interview:
"MG: Let’s see, how do I want to put this… The criticism of the show, that it’s not as good as the show you remember when you were 9 years old, is probably true, but then no show is as good as the one you thought was probably the greatest when you were 9 years old. It’s the nature of comparing something to the thing you loved the most at the time. If the show had been cancelled after five seasons, it would be forgotten.
AVC: Really? The “cut down in its prime” legacy always builds things up—look at Futurama.
MG: Well, let me approach it from a different direction. Getting back to the idea about humor, I was generalizing about humor and anxiety and hostility, but the fact is, styles in humor do change. Humor does depend on surprise, and the things that people remember as the funniest things in the world, you look at later and you go, “What? What was that all about?” I mean, I love Laurel and Hardy, but I show Laurel and Hardy movies to people, to friends, and they think they’re too slow. The pacing is something they’re just not used to. They’ve had it drilled into their minds that everything has to be very cutty and quick and gross. So the relatively elegant and subtle Laurel and Hardy movies—which I can’t believe I’m even saying “elegant” in relation to them, but compared to crass comedy these days, they are—I think they’re great. The style has changed, and I certainly don’t think that people who can’t appreciate the brilliance of Laurel and Hardy are wrong. It’s just different style.
If The Simpsons came on now, having never been seen before, with those original episodes, I don’t think anyone would give them a second look, because they’re so crude and primitive in their execution. But like I said, styles change, and all I ask of critics—of online critics of the show that say “Oh, it hasn’t been good since season X”—is that, in the opinion of people who work on the show, that’s simply not true. I’m not saying that every episode is better than the previous, but I’m saying that to completely out-of-hand condemn a decade of the show is a very easy position to take, and the fact is, the show has done absolutely brilliant stuff consistently throughout its history. Like I said, I’m not defending every single joke in every single episode, but if we didn’t like what we were doing, we wouldn’t keep doing it."
[Italics mine]
So, to all the too-cool for new Simpsons episodes who can quote every episode that came out when they were in middle school, I give you this:
The creator of the show has said what I've been thinking since I first heard people bitching about the show's lack of relevance. I mainly heard this from Family Guy viewers. They're all about 16 years of age, or at least mentally.
To you, I say consider yourself righteously owned.
Those of you who still dig The Simpsons like Shelley and myself: you have every right to be smug about this one. Plus, Mr. Groening is a Beefheart fan. And you all know I love having any excuse to post Beefheart on here.
The frequency of these postings should indicate that my free time has, well, been freed up significantly since my project is 97% done and the grad school apps are all finito.
It's good to be back. Hope you agree. If not, it's a big Internet. You can leave. I'll be here.
Alex
The Neocons Want Another Terrorist Attack
I can't understand it. Obama has been in office for 65 days, and with the taste of sour grapes strong on their tongues - freshly removed from McCain's boots - the Neoconservatives, led by comedian Rush Limbaugh, are openly saying they hope Obama fails.
Our previous leader gets in due to one of the most egregious examples of nepotism in the history of American politics this side of the Kennedys, with the legitimacy of his first election still a hotly contested item among political scientists. Even his re-election is a topic of debate. But here it is, nine weeks into the Obama presidency, and people are hoping he falls flat on his face.
Before 9/11 and the subsequent revelation that we had a W.A.S.P. version of Fredo Corleone in the White House, the family idiot whose first decent gig was no less than the Presidency of the United States, Bush II sought policies that reeked of theocracy - the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act, spearheaded by private focus groups; faith-based initiatives; and a strict policy on stem cell research, preventing any major breakthroughs from occurring since the line of stem cells scientists were permitted to work with were tainted.
Yes, Bush's agenda of compassionate conservatism made him seem like a sawed-off Reagan, as if this country hadn't had enough of his ideologies. Furthermore, Bush withdrew us from participating in the Kyoto Protocol, and more sinisterly the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. Dubya wanted to protect this nation on a hill with an umbrella of weapons of mass death. As we have learned from history, brinksmanship is not the best way to manage foreign policy.
Then came 9/11. Everyone but the few who refused to sign the Patriot Act became ardent supporters of Bush. The only immediate reaction against our foreign policy came from the naysayer radicals, whose job is to constantly deride the actions of the US government, whoever is in charge. We rallied behind our President in the pursuit of evil, and so what if he gaffed and called it a "holy war?" Dammit, these colors don't run! There could be another attack - we have to stop them before they struck again. Our foreign policy became more like an action movie, where the bad guys with the nerve gas canisters had to be stopped - enter our charming lead actor - at all costs.
Wait, nerve gas? Who has nerve gas? Osama, right? No, no...but you know who does? That guy we gave nerve gas to in the 1980's when he was our puppet. What was his name, Saddam? Yeah, let's get him!
Summer of 2002 it started getting kicked around that the Iraqi government harbored terrorists, had something to do with 9/11, and was in possession of or seeking to develop weapons of mass destruction. Even then, I knew something smelled about this. Not to evoke imagery of a crackpot holding a "THE END IS NEAR SIGN," but dammit I was right! What followed was either the prime example of Reaganist foreign policy gone horribly, horribly wrong as we committed a colossal blunder, or one of the largest ruses committed in the free world this side of the electoral college.
The oppression would be televised, as we saw live images of Baghdad getting blasted to smithereens. It was called Operation Shock & Awe. Shocked? Somehow, in spite of my predictions coming true before my very eyes, the answer remained a resounding yes. Awe? No. Not in the least.
The man got away with murder until the midterm elections of 2006. Before that, the only sharp critics of the Bush Administration were members of what the media could dub "the liberal elite," the "leftist fringe." People like Cindy Sheehan, a sandal-wearing hippie who didn't stop her son from joining the Army but sure made a stink about it when he came back as freight draped in Old Glory. People like Michael Moore, a leading snake oil merchant of the bumper stickered station wagon set; he sharply criticized the war but owned stock in Halliburton, he couldn't stand to see his beloved hometown of Flint, Michigan fall into the trappings of the Rust Belt but lived in a mansion far away from the epicenter, oh yes - and he's fat. Even if you didn't see the exploitative speculative trash that was Fahrenheit 9/11, you could at least make a joke about Mr. Moore's girth.
Once the Republican majority in Congress disbanded after 12 long years of gridlock for Clinton and back-slapping approval for Bush Jr., it became fashionable to criticize the President. There were some folks who called for his impeachment - funny enough, none of them signed the Patriot Act. Perhaps it's no coincidence that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was quick to say impeachment was NOT on the Democratic agenda. I guess if Congressman Kucinich had had his way and held everyone accountable, the halls of Congress would have gotten mighty quiet.
But now Obama has ascended to office - in the single greatest decision my generation has made that didn't involve signing an online petition or joining a Facebook group - the younger people of America who got him elected have turned off. We got him in, now let's allow him to fix everything. Bolstering David Letterman's query on whether Bush is the greatest political strategist in history or the buffoon's buffoon, the situation in Iraq is a volatile one, seemingly impossible to make a step in any direction. Obama could have opted to escalate the war - should we pursue "victory" (as defined by standards steeped in Cold War paranoia, wherein the spread of a contrary viewpoint is shut down and a McDonald's is built in their town square), the right step would be to send more troops and get the job done.
Not in a million years.
But with the pullout will come criticism from Republicans that we've gone soft - the fear that we'll look vulnerable in the international community (if there's one thing that will make the United States look stupid, it will be ending a war founded on what George Galloway called "a pack of lies" - yeah, we'll be the laughingstock at the United Nations...), thus prompting another terrorist attack. Hell, Obama's pullout was blasted by Reid and Pelosi - Devil's advocates, never to be satisfied so long as someone with a last name other than Clinton sits in the White House.
You would think the Republicans wouldn't want a terrorist attack, as it would theoretically mean the nation will rally behind Obama as being the kind of leader who looks good behind a podium in front of a pile of rubble and dead Americans. But the media is ready - and so are the politicians - to call a domestic attack an extension of Obama's lack of experience. This would be their chance, and they wouldn't dare pass on it. They'll call for another election - not unlike the California elections for governor with the recall of votes and such - and token Governor Bobby Jindal, a trained seal of a politician, selling his soul in exchange for ascending the ranks of a white man's political organization, would become our next President.
After all, it is the Faustian governor who is quick to defend Limbaugh's open prayer that Obama bites the curb: "Make no mistake: Anything other than an immediate and compliant, 'Why no sir, I don't want the president to fail,' is treated as some sort of act of treason, civil disobedience or political obstructionism." Great. I had predicted this sort of thing would happen - the crooks who put this nation where it is today, the faded decadence of yore now a cracked facade as America's many wounds ooze out blood the color of money, these bastards are now playing the cornered minority card.
And who better to voice such sentiments than a man of Punjabi Indian descent? If Gov. Jindal retains any fragment of the spiritual self which he sold to the Republican National Committee once Sarah Palin became passe to become the GOP's darling, he needs to wise up to the fact that he is a pawn in an almighty game of race-baiting.
Another Jindal quote: "This is political correctness run amok." Oh, yes? And what was people yelling "KILL OBAMA!" at McCain's rallies late in the election? Or the cracks made on Fox News about lynching Michelle Obama? Or Hillary's attempt to win the primaries by assassination? I suppose that rationalizations exist for all of these instances - such is the nature of situational ethics.
Other than tendering his resignation, the only thing that will prove Obama's worth as a leader to the Republicans is the baptism of fire (pun fully intended) that would come with a terrorist attack. I'm not encouraging it to happen. God, no. What I saw that warm Tuesday morning was horrifying. This is one of those things my grandkids will ask me about - and I will not forget what I saw, because whether I was politically aloof, conservative, liberal, socialist, whatever. We were presented with images of our fellow man, dead, dying, or suffering.
Anyone who wants to play the blame game of whose fault it was can shove it up their ass. It is a senseless debate, one that will not be answered until documents become declassified. And even then, what satisfaction will that bring? It won't resurrect the 2,700 who died that day. The dead in our military won't rise from their graves in time for Wheel Of Fortune. All the murdered Iraqi citizens, who died simply because they were Iraqis (to crib once again from MP George Galloway), won't come back to see another morning.
We've grown so cynical since the Contra scandal, "read my lips: no new taxes," the Lewinsky affair, Columbine, 9/11, and Iraqi "Freedom" (right!) that we can't help but see Obama as a potentially corrupt politician; others wish to judge him simply because of what his name rhymes with - or his middle name. Should another terrorist attack occur, we must convince ourselves that Obama would not sell himself to the military-industrial complex that has been running this country since 1945.
At least we'll finally be able to prove to even the most bigoted of Americans that Obama truly has no terrorist connections.
Our previous leader gets in due to one of the most egregious examples of nepotism in the history of American politics this side of the Kennedys, with the legitimacy of his first election still a hotly contested item among political scientists. Even his re-election is a topic of debate. But here it is, nine weeks into the Obama presidency, and people are hoping he falls flat on his face.
Before 9/11 and the subsequent revelation that we had a W.A.S.P. version of Fredo Corleone in the White House, the family idiot whose first decent gig was no less than the Presidency of the United States, Bush II sought policies that reeked of theocracy - the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act, spearheaded by private focus groups; faith-based initiatives; and a strict policy on stem cell research, preventing any major breakthroughs from occurring since the line of stem cells scientists were permitted to work with were tainted.
Yes, Bush's agenda of compassionate conservatism made him seem like a sawed-off Reagan, as if this country hadn't had enough of his ideologies. Furthermore, Bush withdrew us from participating in the Kyoto Protocol, and more sinisterly the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. Dubya wanted to protect this nation on a hill with an umbrella of weapons of mass death. As we have learned from history, brinksmanship is not the best way to manage foreign policy.
Then came 9/11. Everyone but the few who refused to sign the Patriot Act became ardent supporters of Bush. The only immediate reaction against our foreign policy came from the naysayer radicals, whose job is to constantly deride the actions of the US government, whoever is in charge. We rallied behind our President in the pursuit of evil, and so what if he gaffed and called it a "holy war?" Dammit, these colors don't run! There could be another attack - we have to stop them before they struck again. Our foreign policy became more like an action movie, where the bad guys with the nerve gas canisters had to be stopped - enter our charming lead actor - at all costs.
Wait, nerve gas? Who has nerve gas? Osama, right? No, no...but you know who does? That guy we gave nerve gas to in the 1980's when he was our puppet. What was his name, Saddam? Yeah, let's get him!
Summer of 2002 it started getting kicked around that the Iraqi government harbored terrorists, had something to do with 9/11, and was in possession of or seeking to develop weapons of mass destruction. Even then, I knew something smelled about this. Not to evoke imagery of a crackpot holding a "THE END IS NEAR SIGN," but dammit I was right! What followed was either the prime example of Reaganist foreign policy gone horribly, horribly wrong as we committed a colossal blunder, or one of the largest ruses committed in the free world this side of the electoral college.
The oppression would be televised, as we saw live images of Baghdad getting blasted to smithereens. It was called Operation Shock & Awe. Shocked? Somehow, in spite of my predictions coming true before my very eyes, the answer remained a resounding yes. Awe? No. Not in the least.
The man got away with murder until the midterm elections of 2006. Before that, the only sharp critics of the Bush Administration were members of what the media could dub "the liberal elite," the "leftist fringe." People like Cindy Sheehan, a sandal-wearing hippie who didn't stop her son from joining the Army but sure made a stink about it when he came back as freight draped in Old Glory. People like Michael Moore, a leading snake oil merchant of the bumper stickered station wagon set; he sharply criticized the war but owned stock in Halliburton, he couldn't stand to see his beloved hometown of Flint, Michigan fall into the trappings of the Rust Belt but lived in a mansion far away from the epicenter, oh yes - and he's fat. Even if you didn't see the exploitative speculative trash that was Fahrenheit 9/11, you could at least make a joke about Mr. Moore's girth.
Once the Republican majority in Congress disbanded after 12 long years of gridlock for Clinton and back-slapping approval for Bush Jr., it became fashionable to criticize the President. There were some folks who called for his impeachment - funny enough, none of them signed the Patriot Act. Perhaps it's no coincidence that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was quick to say impeachment was NOT on the Democratic agenda. I guess if Congressman Kucinich had had his way and held everyone accountable, the halls of Congress would have gotten mighty quiet.
But now Obama has ascended to office - in the single greatest decision my generation has made that didn't involve signing an online petition or joining a Facebook group - the younger people of America who got him elected have turned off. We got him in, now let's allow him to fix everything. Bolstering David Letterman's query on whether Bush is the greatest political strategist in history or the buffoon's buffoon, the situation in Iraq is a volatile one, seemingly impossible to make a step in any direction. Obama could have opted to escalate the war - should we pursue "victory" (as defined by standards steeped in Cold War paranoia, wherein the spread of a contrary viewpoint is shut down and a McDonald's is built in their town square), the right step would be to send more troops and get the job done.
Not in a million years.
But with the pullout will come criticism from Republicans that we've gone soft - the fear that we'll look vulnerable in the international community (if there's one thing that will make the United States look stupid, it will be ending a war founded on what George Galloway called "a pack of lies" - yeah, we'll be the laughingstock at the United Nations...), thus prompting another terrorist attack. Hell, Obama's pullout was blasted by Reid and Pelosi - Devil's advocates, never to be satisfied so long as someone with a last name other than Clinton sits in the White House.
You would think the Republicans wouldn't want a terrorist attack, as it would theoretically mean the nation will rally behind Obama as being the kind of leader who looks good behind a podium in front of a pile of rubble and dead Americans. But the media is ready - and so are the politicians - to call a domestic attack an extension of Obama's lack of experience. This would be their chance, and they wouldn't dare pass on it. They'll call for another election - not unlike the California elections for governor with the recall of votes and such - and token Governor Bobby Jindal, a trained seal of a politician, selling his soul in exchange for ascending the ranks of a white man's political organization, would become our next President.
After all, it is the Faustian governor who is quick to defend Limbaugh's open prayer that Obama bites the curb: "Make no mistake: Anything other than an immediate and compliant, 'Why no sir, I don't want the president to fail,' is treated as some sort of act of treason, civil disobedience or political obstructionism." Great. I had predicted this sort of thing would happen - the crooks who put this nation where it is today, the faded decadence of yore now a cracked facade as America's many wounds ooze out blood the color of money, these bastards are now playing the cornered minority card.
And who better to voice such sentiments than a man of Punjabi Indian descent? If Gov. Jindal retains any fragment of the spiritual self which he sold to the Republican National Committee once Sarah Palin became passe to become the GOP's darling, he needs to wise up to the fact that he is a pawn in an almighty game of race-baiting.
Another Jindal quote: "This is political correctness run amok." Oh, yes? And what was people yelling "KILL OBAMA!" at McCain's rallies late in the election? Or the cracks made on Fox News about lynching Michelle Obama? Or Hillary's attempt to win the primaries by assassination? I suppose that rationalizations exist for all of these instances - such is the nature of situational ethics.
Other than tendering his resignation, the only thing that will prove Obama's worth as a leader to the Republicans is the baptism of fire (pun fully intended) that would come with a terrorist attack. I'm not encouraging it to happen. God, no. What I saw that warm Tuesday morning was horrifying. This is one of those things my grandkids will ask me about - and I will not forget what I saw, because whether I was politically aloof, conservative, liberal, socialist, whatever. We were presented with images of our fellow man, dead, dying, or suffering.
Anyone who wants to play the blame game of whose fault it was can shove it up their ass. It is a senseless debate, one that will not be answered until documents become declassified. And even then, what satisfaction will that bring? It won't resurrect the 2,700 who died that day. The dead in our military won't rise from their graves in time for Wheel Of Fortune. All the murdered Iraqi citizens, who died simply because they were Iraqis (to crib once again from MP George Galloway), won't come back to see another morning.
We've grown so cynical since the Contra scandal, "read my lips: no new taxes," the Lewinsky affair, Columbine, 9/11, and Iraqi "Freedom" (right!) that we can't help but see Obama as a potentially corrupt politician; others wish to judge him simply because of what his name rhymes with - or his middle name. Should another terrorist attack occur, we must convince ourselves that Obama would not sell himself to the military-industrial complex that has been running this country since 1945.
At least we'll finally be able to prove to even the most bigoted of Americans that Obama truly has no terrorist connections.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Been A While, Blah, Blah, Blah...
I had a great Spring Break. Wrote my final essay for my Kinks project. Had a bicycle accident that involved me not seeing a barricade. I flew - as did the bike. I'm pretty sure I'm ok.
On Wednesday, I got a call from Gill. He's grown up a lot and getting his priorities in order. It was great. Thank God.
Visited Nick in Muncie. We had a really fun time. I'm worried he's a bit lonely up there, but if he says he is happy then I believe him.
I spent most of the past day watching a shit-ton of Monty Python's Flying Circus, specifically season three and season four. I have officially decided that seasons one and two are the best.
This week I've had a lot of time to myself. Shelley won't be back until tomorrow, and even then I won't see her until after class. Anyway, between marathon writing sessions at the library and indulging in British surrealist comedy, I've done lots of pondering regarding my future. It didn't hurt that on the 13th (the day Shelley left; my first day of Break) I watched 'The Graduate' and wrote a paper on it.
William & Mary emailed me - they're not letting anyone in this time around, citing "financial restructuring." My registration fee will be refunded to me. I wonder if they'd be so kind as to pay back what I shilled out for postage. Anyway, it's now down to four schools. I've learned acceptance letters are mailed out before rejections - too much time has passed for me to remain hopeful about Case Western.
We'll see about the final three, which are the ones I've been rooting for all along: Bowling Green State University, Brooklyn College, and University of Massachusetts Boston.
Anyway, I've decided whatever comes my way will be for the best. If I don't get in - then I don't get in. It won't be the end of the world, I can always reapply again and again to the above mentioned schools and others.
I can't remember, did I mention our fallback plan? It involves relocating to a sunnier clime down in Austin, Texas and my pursuit of my stupid little pipe dreams of music/movies.
Though I've not been listening to music in the car lately - in fact, that car hasn't been doing much all around - I still decided to assemble a Spring Break 2009 mix.
SPRING BREAK 2009
01. "Mr. Soul" - Buffalo Springfield (Neil Young on vocals, pre-Crazy Horse.)
The band on some silly live variety program. Awful visual quality. Neil admits he cribbed that riff from The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction."
02. "Green Onions" - Booker T. & The MG's (Such a hot groove...and yet so simple.)
The house band from Memphis' Stax Records kicking ass on this number live, doing it faster than the original studio version. On a note of IU pride, Booker T. Jones attended Indiana University. Drummer Al Jackson is a perfect example of a feel-oriented. The guy's pocket reaches down to the floor.
03. "The Girl I Knew From Somewhere" - The Monkees (Been on a real Monkees kick lately; beautiful harpsichord solo)
Mind your ears - the volume on this one is a bit high.
04. "Subterranean Homesick Blues" - Bob Dylan (I'm still trying to memorize all 4,000 lines of lyrics to this one. Fantastic.)
That would be none other than Allen Ginsburg on the left side of the screen, looking like a priest. Shot by D.A. Pennebaker for the Don't Look Back documentary. Pennebaker would go on to direct the Monterey Pop doc on the legendary 1967 festival as well as David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust concert film.
05. "Dead End Street" - The Kinks (The topic of my final entry on The Kinks for the IMP. Beautiful song, hilarious promo film - see below.)
For some reason this was banned by the BBC...
06. "Don't Let It Go To Your Head" - Black Harmony (I thought this was a Blondie song when I first heard it. Great love song, to be played at our wedding.)
07. "Clowns & Jugglers" - Syd Barrett (I've discussed him before. Genius turned madman, and a testament to the dangers of drugs. This song was later reworked and titled "Octopus." It appeared on his debut solo record, The Madcap Laughs - the title being a lyric from both versions of this song.)
08. "Fool's Gold" - The Stone Roses (Another song that's cool and driven by a groove, though it's a rock band. They were touted to be the next big thing, but it didn't pan out. I'm really interested in hearing their first album. British critics still fawn over it - which I always take to be a good sign.)
This video screams early 90's, with all the saturated colors and such.
09. "World On A String" - Neil Young (From his super-depressing Tonight's The Night record. Something beautiful and macabre about this tune.)
Since Warner Music Group decided to clamp down on YouTube, preventing the exposure of potential customers to music they could enjoy online and then purchase at their friendly neighborhood record shop - but could download - I have had no luck finding Neil's version of this tune. Lots of covers, most of them awful.
Forrest - find this song. I think you'd like it.
10. "Circle Sky" - The Monkees (Written, along with track 3, by Michael Nesmith, whose talents as a musician/songwriter and role in the development of MTV is woefully overlooked. As for the song, two words: bad. ass.)
Compare this clip to that for "The Girl I Knew From Somewhere," which was taken from their TV show. This is from their 1968 film Head, written by a young Jack Nicholson. The band was obviously sick of being this sugar-coated hula hoop for twelve year old boys and girls, so they did this. As you'll see in this clip (especially at 1:37), the end result was a little off-putting to their original demographic. I think it's a great movie. On an unrelated note, Frank Zappa called them the most honest band in LA.
On another note, observe: THEY ARE PLAYING THEIR OWN INSTRUMENTS. I can't believe in this day and age of Pro Tools and pop singers this is still kicked around - no one complained about The Beach Boys not playing their instruments on Pet Sounds, they just sang.
I digress. Rock on.
11. "(I Got) So Much Trouble In My Mind" - Sir Joe Quarterman & Free Soul (1970's funk before it morphed into disco. Fuckin' Philly soul...anyway, yet another bumpin' groove. Lots of brass, some great guitar work - the solo at 3:27, GREAT production, more in line with hip hop than disco.)
12. "I Need Love" - Cheap Trick (One of their rarities, featured on their Sex, America boxed set. Rick Nielsen said he'd like to do this song one day with an orchestra. I see exactly what he means.)
The drone of this song predicted the rise of grunge in the 1990's. And check out that guitar solo for an example of how minimalist aesthetics can say so much more than virtuosic playing.
13. "Tired Of Being Alone" - Al Green (Beautiful soul, it sums up how sick I am of being alone in this cold, cold house.)
14. "Her Eyes Are A Blue Million Miles" - Captain Beefheart (Easily his most accessible song off of Clear Spot, which is easily his most accessible album.)
15. "Gangsters" - The Specials (Part of the English ska revival, late 1970's and early 1980's. This sounds like a Clash outtake. If I ever make another movie, I want to set a car chase to this song.)
16. "Knock On Wood" - Eddie Floyd (Another cool Memphis soul tune. Later reworked into a disco song...ugh...but this version is great, with those beefy horns and a great vocal performance.)
17. "Positively 4th Street" - Bob Dylan (The number of people I could dedicate this to is too long of a list. I'm already wasting enough of your time.)
18. "Success Story" - The Who (Nick was asking me about this song, which he knew best for its accompanying clip from The Kids Are Alright. Written by John Entwistle, whose songs are always fantastic. Great cynical lyrics about the music industry on this one. My favorite lines: "I gotta give up my day job / To become a heartthrob / I may go far / If I / Smash my guitar" - a reference to the band's past, sung perfectly by Entwistle - and "Take 276 / You know this used to be fun...")
The full song:
The Kids Are Alright clip:
19. "Jack The Ripper" [Live] - Link Wray (Bow down before your conquering guitar king. One of the nastiest sounding guitar features I've ever heard - that bastard axe hums and feeds back like no other. And how about those pictures - he even looks like a badass.)
20. "Leaving My Old Life Behind" / "I Am A Hermit" - Jonathan Halper (These are the only known recordings made by this folk singer; I can't find anything else about him. He sounds like a young Mick Jagger on a good day, but with an experimental edge - listen to that intro on the guitar. It sounds injured. Backwards guitar noise, double-tracked vocals...beautiful and haunting melody. And yes, I see how the lyrics of both tunes relate to me and my present situation. I really am leaving my old life behind, with or without graduate school.)
These two songs comprised the soundtrack for a six minute short film by American avant-garde filmmaker Kenneth Anger called Puce Moment. The film itself is an extract from an uncompleted feature called Puce Women. Beautiful use of colors in this one.
Let me know what you think.
In other news, another beach trip was planned for August 15th - 22nd. We're supposed to move out of our apartments by 8/15, so even if I wanted to go it would be difficult to sidestep the chaos of moving. I wouldn't go without Shelley, but since Eric's wonderful and charming girlfriend Sarah gave me her honest, heartfelt, and well-informed advice about my better half it's probably in everyone's better interests that I have moving as my [legitimate] excuse.
Refer to the latter half of this previous entry for more as to why. Apparently Eric read it - meaning Sarah probably did, too. So...chalk up one more excuse to duck out of the trip. Eric seems cool, though; any bad blood that created he seems to have let go. I don't really see Sarah as that type of person, though.
This feels like the Spanish Inquisition sketch: my one reason for not going is that I'm moving and that Shelley's not welcome - TWO reasons! Moving, Shelley's not welcome, and the inevitable cesspool of negativity - THREE reasons are moving, Shelley isn't welcome, too much negativity, and that they read my honest opinion on the matter - oh, damn!
Alex
On Wednesday, I got a call from Gill. He's grown up a lot and getting his priorities in order. It was great. Thank God.
Visited Nick in Muncie. We had a really fun time. I'm worried he's a bit lonely up there, but if he says he is happy then I believe him.
I spent most of the past day watching a shit-ton of Monty Python's Flying Circus, specifically season three and season four. I have officially decided that seasons one and two are the best.
This week I've had a lot of time to myself. Shelley won't be back until tomorrow, and even then I won't see her until after class. Anyway, between marathon writing sessions at the library and indulging in British surrealist comedy, I've done lots of pondering regarding my future. It didn't hurt that on the 13th (the day Shelley left; my first day of Break) I watched 'The Graduate' and wrote a paper on it.
William & Mary emailed me - they're not letting anyone in this time around, citing "financial restructuring." My registration fee will be refunded to me. I wonder if they'd be so kind as to pay back what I shilled out for postage. Anyway, it's now down to four schools. I've learned acceptance letters are mailed out before rejections - too much time has passed for me to remain hopeful about Case Western.
We'll see about the final three, which are the ones I've been rooting for all along: Bowling Green State University, Brooklyn College, and University of Massachusetts Boston.
Anyway, I've decided whatever comes my way will be for the best. If I don't get in - then I don't get in. It won't be the end of the world, I can always reapply again and again to the above mentioned schools and others.
I can't remember, did I mention our fallback plan? It involves relocating to a sunnier clime down in Austin, Texas and my pursuit of my stupid little pipe dreams of music/movies.
Though I've not been listening to music in the car lately - in fact, that car hasn't been doing much all around - I still decided to assemble a Spring Break 2009 mix.
SPRING BREAK 2009
01. "Mr. Soul" - Buffalo Springfield (Neil Young on vocals, pre-Crazy Horse.)
The band on some silly live variety program. Awful visual quality. Neil admits he cribbed that riff from The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction."
02. "Green Onions" - Booker T. & The MG's (Such a hot groove...and yet so simple.)
The house band from Memphis' Stax Records kicking ass on this number live, doing it faster than the original studio version. On a note of IU pride, Booker T. Jones attended Indiana University. Drummer Al Jackson is a perfect example of a feel-oriented. The guy's pocket reaches down to the floor.
03. "The Girl I Knew From Somewhere" - The Monkees (Been on a real Monkees kick lately; beautiful harpsichord solo)
Mind your ears - the volume on this one is a bit high.
04. "Subterranean Homesick Blues" - Bob Dylan (I'm still trying to memorize all 4,000 lines of lyrics to this one. Fantastic.)
That would be none other than Allen Ginsburg on the left side of the screen, looking like a priest. Shot by D.A. Pennebaker for the Don't Look Back documentary. Pennebaker would go on to direct the Monterey Pop doc on the legendary 1967 festival as well as David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust concert film.
05. "Dead End Street" - The Kinks (The topic of my final entry on The Kinks for the IMP. Beautiful song, hilarious promo film - see below.)
For some reason this was banned by the BBC...
06. "Don't Let It Go To Your Head" - Black Harmony (I thought this was a Blondie song when I first heard it. Great love song, to be played at our wedding.)
07. "Clowns & Jugglers" - Syd Barrett (I've discussed him before. Genius turned madman, and a testament to the dangers of drugs. This song was later reworked and titled "Octopus." It appeared on his debut solo record, The Madcap Laughs - the title being a lyric from both versions of this song.)
08. "Fool's Gold" - The Stone Roses (Another song that's cool and driven by a groove, though it's a rock band. They were touted to be the next big thing, but it didn't pan out. I'm really interested in hearing their first album. British critics still fawn over it - which I always take to be a good sign.)
This video screams early 90's, with all the saturated colors and such.
09. "World On A String" - Neil Young (From his super-depressing Tonight's The Night record. Something beautiful and macabre about this tune.)
Since Warner Music Group decided to clamp down on YouTube, preventing the exposure of potential customers to music they could enjoy online and then purchase at their friendly neighborhood record shop - but could download - I have had no luck finding Neil's version of this tune. Lots of covers, most of them awful.
Forrest - find this song. I think you'd like it.
10. "Circle Sky" - The Monkees (Written, along with track 3, by Michael Nesmith, whose talents as a musician/songwriter and role in the development of MTV is woefully overlooked. As for the song, two words: bad. ass.)
Compare this clip to that for "The Girl I Knew From Somewhere," which was taken from their TV show. This is from their 1968 film Head, written by a young Jack Nicholson. The band was obviously sick of being this sugar-coated hula hoop for twelve year old boys and girls, so they did this. As you'll see in this clip (especially at 1:37), the end result was a little off-putting to their original demographic. I think it's a great movie. On an unrelated note, Frank Zappa called them the most honest band in LA.
On another note, observe: THEY ARE PLAYING THEIR OWN INSTRUMENTS. I can't believe in this day and age of Pro Tools and pop singers this is still kicked around - no one complained about The Beach Boys not playing their instruments on Pet Sounds, they just sang.
I digress. Rock on.
11. "(I Got) So Much Trouble In My Mind" - Sir Joe Quarterman & Free Soul (1970's funk before it morphed into disco. Fuckin' Philly soul...anyway, yet another bumpin' groove. Lots of brass, some great guitar work - the solo at 3:27, GREAT production, more in line with hip hop than disco.)
12. "I Need Love" - Cheap Trick (One of their rarities, featured on their Sex, America boxed set. Rick Nielsen said he'd like to do this song one day with an orchestra. I see exactly what he means.)
The drone of this song predicted the rise of grunge in the 1990's. And check out that guitar solo for an example of how minimalist aesthetics can say so much more than virtuosic playing.
13. "Tired Of Being Alone" - Al Green (Beautiful soul, it sums up how sick I am of being alone in this cold, cold house.)
14. "Her Eyes Are A Blue Million Miles" - Captain Beefheart (Easily his most accessible song off of Clear Spot, which is easily his most accessible album.)
15. "Gangsters" - The Specials (Part of the English ska revival, late 1970's and early 1980's. This sounds like a Clash outtake. If I ever make another movie, I want to set a car chase to this song.)
16. "Knock On Wood" - Eddie Floyd (Another cool Memphis soul tune. Later reworked into a disco song...ugh...but this version is great, with those beefy horns and a great vocal performance.)
17. "Positively 4th Street" - Bob Dylan (The number of people I could dedicate this to is too long of a list. I'm already wasting enough of your time.)
18. "Success Story" - The Who (Nick was asking me about this song, which he knew best for its accompanying clip from The Kids Are Alright. Written by John Entwistle, whose songs are always fantastic. Great cynical lyrics about the music industry on this one. My favorite lines: "I gotta give up my day job / To become a heartthrob / I may go far / If I / Smash my guitar" - a reference to the band's past, sung perfectly by Entwistle - and "Take 276 / You know this used to be fun...")
The full song:
The Kids Are Alright clip:
19. "Jack The Ripper" [Live] - Link Wray (Bow down before your conquering guitar king. One of the nastiest sounding guitar features I've ever heard - that bastard axe hums and feeds back like no other. And how about those pictures - he even looks like a badass.)
20. "Leaving My Old Life Behind" / "I Am A Hermit" - Jonathan Halper (These are the only known recordings made by this folk singer; I can't find anything else about him. He sounds like a young Mick Jagger on a good day, but with an experimental edge - listen to that intro on the guitar. It sounds injured. Backwards guitar noise, double-tracked vocals...beautiful and haunting melody. And yes, I see how the lyrics of both tunes relate to me and my present situation. I really am leaving my old life behind, with or without graduate school.)
These two songs comprised the soundtrack for a six minute short film by American avant-garde filmmaker Kenneth Anger called Puce Moment. The film itself is an extract from an uncompleted feature called Puce Women. Beautiful use of colors in this one.
Let me know what you think.
In other news, another beach trip was planned for August 15th - 22nd. We're supposed to move out of our apartments by 8/15, so even if I wanted to go it would be difficult to sidestep the chaos of moving. I wouldn't go without Shelley, but since Eric's wonderful and charming girlfriend Sarah gave me her honest, heartfelt, and well-informed advice about my better half it's probably in everyone's better interests that I have moving as my [legitimate] excuse.
Refer to the latter half of this previous entry for more as to why. Apparently Eric read it - meaning Sarah probably did, too. So...chalk up one more excuse to duck out of the trip. Eric seems cool, though; any bad blood that created he seems to have let go. I don't really see Sarah as that type of person, though.
This feels like the Spanish Inquisition sketch: my one reason for not going is that I'm moving and that Shelley's not welcome - TWO reasons! Moving, Shelley's not welcome, and the inevitable cesspool of negativity - THREE reasons are moving, Shelley isn't welcome, too much negativity, and that they read my honest opinion on the matter - oh, damn!
Alex
Friday, February 20, 2009
Another Survey
Have you ever made out in a bathroom?
Yes
Do you think the last person you kissed is nice?
Um, YES!
Who was the last person to call you?
Mom
What is the last non-alcoholic beverage you had?
Diet Ginger Ale
When is the last time you cried?
This morning, Dad left a voicemail wishing us the best with Shelley's father being in town and got choked up. It's now only happened 3 times, but when Dad gets choked up, so do I.
Are you scared of spiders?
No, but my GOD Shelley is!
Would you go back in time if you were given the chance?
It is the fourth thing I think about each morning and the third to last thing I think about before I go to bed. The first is "How can I keep sharp objects away from my junk?", the second is "Will I get pizza today, if so will it be free?", and the third involves whether or not I'll round second base.
What are your plans for this weekend?
Playing the waiting game, being diplomatic if necessary (Shelley's father is up - yeah...), then to Seymour for Mom's play. Tonight my friend Jordan and I are going to see Ben Kweller at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. I have no idea how good/bad it will be, but it was free.
Ever been swimming in a lake or river?
Yes.
What’s irritating you right now?
Grad school apps, undergrad work, parents (mine and hers)
What radio station(s) do you listen to?
KAIT - Alex's iTunes. It's better than the radio. Sometimes I'll listen to the streaming radio at Zappa.com, twice an hour they'll play stuff from the same album, but still. Zappa is Zappa.
Are you afraid of the dark?
Only when there's a murderer in the apartment.
Are you listening to music right now?
Graham and I were listening to Gregorian chants, but now he's watching Invader Zim.
Do you like Chinese food?
Oh, my sweet Lord YES.
What is the last movie you saw in theaters?
Zack and Miri Make A Porno - really stupid, I gave it a C-.
Is there anyone you wish was still in your life?
Eric Condon, Rick Chandler, Ian Hoopes, Adam Gratz, Matt Pariso, and Adam Duckworth.
Do you get distracted easily?
No, not at all - Oh, hey! A wikipedia entry on...
Um, YES. A LOT.
First time you kissed the last person you kissed?
November 2005. We were watching TV, and it just kind of happened. It was really sweet.
Who is your best friend?
Shelley. Honorable mention to Forrest, Eric (DiBlasi), Boxman, and Graham. Special honorable mentions to Eric Condon and Rick.
What was going through your mind during your last kiss?
"Is that a test tube in my pocket?" What a dumb question, this one.
Is it easier to forgive or forget?
Forget.
Are you jealous of someone?
I wouldn't be studying other people's lives if I wasn't.
Would you live with someone without marrying them?
Um...no, of course not...
Have you ever had a dream about people you love dying?
Yes, very scary.
Who was the last person you cried in front of?
Shelley.
Have you ever changed clothes in a vehicle?
I one time changed trousers while driving. Beat THAT.
Have you ever liked someone so much that it hurts?
Still do. :~)
Have you ever broken someone’s heart?
A few.
Do you believe that you are a good boyfriend or girlfriend?
I'm a better fiance.
What did you do yesterday?
Class, took a shit, played with the cat, HAD PIZZA!, and stuff.
Have you ever dated Someone Older Than You?
Yes.
What time did you go to bed at and when did you awake?
2:30 AM / 9:30 AM
Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?
Yes, but not much more.
12 TRUE & FALSE
1. I have a tattoo: False
2. I like skittles: True
3. I have plans for tomorrow: True
4. I play more than 2 sports: True (soccer and ping pong)
5. I love country music : True in some respects, false in a lot.
6. I am content with my life: Stepping back and looking at the painting instead of the brushstrokes, so, so True.
7. I drink water: True
8. I own an iPod: False
9. I have been to a school dance: True
10. I like winter: Mother Mary 'n Joseph FALSE!
11. I know someone who has passed away from a disease: True
12. I own more than 5 pairs of Shoes: False
11 HAVE YOU EVERS
1. Gone to the mall with a whole bunch of people: Yes
2. Taken pictures of yourself naked: No
3. Jumped off somewhere that was high: Yes
4. Eaten sushi: Yes
5. Cursed around an adult?: Yes
6. Killed something?: Yes, several frogs/toads...disgusting creatures, I can't abide them.
7. Cried your heart out: Yes
8. Kissed in the Rain: Yes
9. Pet a pig: Yes
10. Failed a class: Almost
11. Crapped standing up: Yes, three times. (I wrote this one.)
m@ - Don't worry about not keeping up with this, I'm worse than you at it.
Forrest - we'll be in town Saturday/Sunday, want to hang out and catch up?
Yes
Do you think the last person you kissed is nice?
Um, YES!
Who was the last person to call you?
Mom
What is the last non-alcoholic beverage you had?
Diet Ginger Ale
When is the last time you cried?
This morning, Dad left a voicemail wishing us the best with Shelley's father being in town and got choked up. It's now only happened 3 times, but when Dad gets choked up, so do I.
Are you scared of spiders?
No, but my GOD Shelley is!
Would you go back in time if you were given the chance?
It is the fourth thing I think about each morning and the third to last thing I think about before I go to bed. The first is "How can I keep sharp objects away from my junk?", the second is "Will I get pizza today, if so will it be free?", and the third involves whether or not I'll round second base.
What are your plans for this weekend?
Playing the waiting game, being diplomatic if necessary (Shelley's father is up - yeah...), then to Seymour for Mom's play. Tonight my friend Jordan and I are going to see Ben Kweller at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. I have no idea how good/bad it will be, but it was free.
Ever been swimming in a lake or river?
Yes.
What’s irritating you right now?
Grad school apps, undergrad work, parents (mine and hers)
What radio station(s) do you listen to?
KAIT - Alex's iTunes. It's better than the radio. Sometimes I'll listen to the streaming radio at Zappa.com, twice an hour they'll play stuff from the same album, but still. Zappa is Zappa.
Are you afraid of the dark?
Only when there's a murderer in the apartment.
Are you listening to music right now?
Graham and I were listening to Gregorian chants, but now he's watching Invader Zim.
Do you like Chinese food?
Oh, my sweet Lord YES.
What is the last movie you saw in theaters?
Zack and Miri Make A Porno - really stupid, I gave it a C-.
Is there anyone you wish was still in your life?
Eric Condon, Rick Chandler, Ian Hoopes, Adam Gratz, Matt Pariso, and Adam Duckworth.
Do you get distracted easily?
No, not at all - Oh, hey! A wikipedia entry on...
Um, YES. A LOT.
First time you kissed the last person you kissed?
November 2005. We were watching TV, and it just kind of happened. It was really sweet.
Who is your best friend?
Shelley. Honorable mention to Forrest, Eric (DiBlasi), Boxman, and Graham. Special honorable mentions to Eric Condon and Rick.
What was going through your mind during your last kiss?
"Is that a test tube in my pocket?" What a dumb question, this one.
Is it easier to forgive or forget?
Forget.
Are you jealous of someone?
I wouldn't be studying other people's lives if I wasn't.
Would you live with someone without marrying them?
Um...no, of course not...
Have you ever had a dream about people you love dying?
Yes, very scary.
Who was the last person you cried in front of?
Shelley.
Have you ever changed clothes in a vehicle?
I one time changed trousers while driving. Beat THAT.
Have you ever liked someone so much that it hurts?
Still do. :~)
Have you ever broken someone’s heart?
A few.
Do you believe that you are a good boyfriend or girlfriend?
I'm a better fiance.
What did you do yesterday?
Class, took a shit, played with the cat, HAD PIZZA!, and stuff.
Have you ever dated Someone Older Than You?
Yes.
What time did you go to bed at and when did you awake?
2:30 AM / 9:30 AM
Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?
Yes, but not much more.
12 TRUE & FALSE
1. I have a tattoo: False
2. I like skittles: True
3. I have plans for tomorrow: True
4. I play more than 2 sports: True (soccer and ping pong)
5. I love country music : True in some respects, false in a lot.
6. I am content with my life: Stepping back and looking at the painting instead of the brushstrokes, so, so True.
7. I drink water: True
8. I own an iPod: False
9. I have been to a school dance: True
10. I like winter: Mother Mary 'n Joseph FALSE!
11. I know someone who has passed away from a disease: True
12. I own more than 5 pairs of Shoes: False
11 HAVE YOU EVERS
1. Gone to the mall with a whole bunch of people: Yes
2. Taken pictures of yourself naked: No
3. Jumped off somewhere that was high: Yes
4. Eaten sushi: Yes
5. Cursed around an adult?: Yes
6. Killed something?: Yes, several frogs/toads...disgusting creatures, I can't abide them.
7. Cried your heart out: Yes
8. Kissed in the Rain: Yes
9. Pet a pig: Yes
10. Failed a class: Almost
11. Crapped standing up: Yes, three times. (I wrote this one.)
m@ - Don't worry about not keeping up with this, I'm worse than you at it.
Forrest - we'll be in town Saturday/Sunday, want to hang out and catch up?
Monday, February 9, 2009
Lessons Learned, Realities Faced
I left my job at Spencer Gifts on Saturday. Lots of behind-the-scenes drama, but I had taken some shifts off to meet with the guy who did DJ'ed Eric's wedding back in October. My original plan was to work three jobs this summer, with the gig at Spencer's being something to keep me occupied during the week. Pete and I had a 20 minute talk at the beginning of my shift - he had circulated a memo directed at me and another employee - and everything seemed fine. Then my other supervisor said Pete decided if I didn't come in on Valentine's Day I was fired.
So I wrote my two weeks notice.
It's fine. Don't worry about it, the reason on paper and in all reality is that I was sick of dealing with all these local schmucks. You guys all know I'm not one to play up my intelligence, but as someone 7/8ths of the way done with college and bound for graduate school I deserve better treatment than what I get at that job simply because I'm a dumbass on the other side of a counter. On moral grounds, I saw people bitch about the economy only to spend $80 on hats, a purse, and some other stupid item.
The combined total of mine and Shelley's groceries was just under that at $79. Ridiculous.
With today and yesterday being the warmest days so far this year - and to actually be in the threshold of comfort as opposed to this Arctic bullshit we had a month ago - my spirit has been lifted. When Shelley gets back from class I'm probably going to insist we go for a walk.
Never mind - I just called her. She doesn't want to. She has a paper due. Can't put something off...no. And it's not like her writing a paper just means we can't go for a walk. It means I can't talk to her, I can't listen to music, I can't play video games...
Sometimes I wonder if solitude, in spite of its overall depressing, has some curative properties in moderation.
Anyway, the cabin fever that comes with the cold months has faded. Yesterday I went for a long drive in the car. I went all around the region west of Bloomington and Monroe County. I wasn't going anywhere, I didn't have any music to listen to...but it was great. I did a little bit of brainstorming for my Kinks project, which I in turn made into an outline this afternoon. Once I wrapped up my chapter, I talked to myself about some recent events.
Don't be fooled - talking to yourself is probably one of the best things you can do. Like masturbation, it's just one of those things the public scorns. Get caught in public doing it, even once, and you're branded a weirdo. (Satire)
I learned some things about myself.
A long time ago, when things had gone sour with my parents regarding religion, Kelley Lindstrom told me I needed to pick my own battles. It pissed me off at the time that someone would do something other than just let me vent, bloviate, and victimize myself to no end. (The nerve of that woman, I know!) This advice has constantly been on my mind these past few months. I could have fought with Andy over my dismissal - but I would have lost.
I could have made a big deal about quitting on Saturday and reported some regularly broken rules to corporate as an act of spite...but I didn't. Moreover, I couldn't. Just because someone has wronged me - intentionally or not, for real or in my own mind - doesn't mean I need to get back at them. I learned back in April when I pranked David one step too far that working for the Karma Police is not something you do on your own. Sometimes people have a hard enough time waking up in the morning and realizing they're still them. That's punishment enough.
However, if the opportunity lands in your lap to administer some justice to someone who has it coming, as I did with Laura, DON'T PASS IT UP.
That all said, I have reconnected with Joel and Nicole over Facebook. With all the loss I've had, I learned what the real definition of a terrible friend is. It's not Joel - he might have been an odd duck, but at least he gave a shit and always wanted to hang out. Don't get me wrong, I approach Nicole with a bit of distance and a lot of caution. But I learned I should never be anti-anybody. Or anti-anything other than racism, pedophilia, animal abuse, and intolerance. I learned this dealing with Andy. Yes, I was furious, but at no point could I ever come out and say, "He's not even that good at his job!" Because he's terrific at it.
I don't know if this weekend would work out, but I wouldn't mind getting in touch with him to hang out. I apologized to him for being so quick to blow him off, and that life was too short for grudges.
Believe me, I see the parallels here. I'm doing what I was hoping others would do: apologize and extend the proverbial olive branch.
Anyway, his response didn't smack of "I told you so" arrogance or "well, I don't know...", no. He responded, "No worries." Water under the bridge. He's a better man than I.
I know, this doesn't translate well into words. My own personal experiences, like feeling the presence of a higher power - the presence of God - none of this crap makes for interesting reading. At least not to me. The point is I'm continuing to grow and learn. If I may actually say something positive about myself, but this is something I will never stop doing.
Here are two songs from Neil Young's yet-to-be-released-on-CD album Time Fades Away, released in 1973.
Time Fades Away
Don't Be Denied
I also finally sat down and listened to all 17 minutes of Miles Davis' "Spanish Key" off Bitches Brew. It felt like it went on forever, but in a good way. My mind doesn't get blown as much as it used to, but it did last night.
Going out for a walk, alone, and not at all bothered by that idea,
Alex
So I wrote my two weeks notice.
It's fine. Don't worry about it, the reason on paper and in all reality is that I was sick of dealing with all these local schmucks. You guys all know I'm not one to play up my intelligence, but as someone 7/8ths of the way done with college and bound for graduate school I deserve better treatment than what I get at that job simply because I'm a dumbass on the other side of a counter. On moral grounds, I saw people bitch about the economy only to spend $80 on hats, a purse, and some other stupid item.
The combined total of mine and Shelley's groceries was just under that at $79. Ridiculous.
With today and yesterday being the warmest days so far this year - and to actually be in the threshold of comfort as opposed to this Arctic bullshit we had a month ago - my spirit has been lifted. When Shelley gets back from class I'm probably going to insist we go for a walk.
Never mind - I just called her. She doesn't want to. She has a paper due. Can't put something off...no. And it's not like her writing a paper just means we can't go for a walk. It means I can't talk to her, I can't listen to music, I can't play video games...
Sometimes I wonder if solitude, in spite of its overall depressing, has some curative properties in moderation.
Anyway, the cabin fever that comes with the cold months has faded. Yesterday I went for a long drive in the car. I went all around the region west of Bloomington and Monroe County. I wasn't going anywhere, I didn't have any music to listen to...but it was great. I did a little bit of brainstorming for my Kinks project, which I in turn made into an outline this afternoon. Once I wrapped up my chapter, I talked to myself about some recent events.
Don't be fooled - talking to yourself is probably one of the best things you can do. Like masturbation, it's just one of those things the public scorns. Get caught in public doing it, even once, and you're branded a weirdo. (Satire)
I learned some things about myself.
A long time ago, when things had gone sour with my parents regarding religion, Kelley Lindstrom told me I needed to pick my own battles. It pissed me off at the time that someone would do something other than just let me vent, bloviate, and victimize myself to no end. (The nerve of that woman, I know!) This advice has constantly been on my mind these past few months. I could have fought with Andy over my dismissal - but I would have lost.
I could have made a big deal about quitting on Saturday and reported some regularly broken rules to corporate as an act of spite...but I didn't. Moreover, I couldn't. Just because someone has wronged me - intentionally or not, for real or in my own mind - doesn't mean I need to get back at them. I learned back in April when I pranked David one step too far that working for the Karma Police is not something you do on your own. Sometimes people have a hard enough time waking up in the morning and realizing they're still them. That's punishment enough.
However, if the opportunity lands in your lap to administer some justice to someone who has it coming, as I did with Laura, DON'T PASS IT UP.
That all said, I have reconnected with Joel and Nicole over Facebook. With all the loss I've had, I learned what the real definition of a terrible friend is. It's not Joel - he might have been an odd duck, but at least he gave a shit and always wanted to hang out. Don't get me wrong, I approach Nicole with a bit of distance and a lot of caution. But I learned I should never be anti-anybody. Or anti-anything other than racism, pedophilia, animal abuse, and intolerance. I learned this dealing with Andy. Yes, I was furious, but at no point could I ever come out and say, "He's not even that good at his job!" Because he's terrific at it.
I don't know if this weekend would work out, but I wouldn't mind getting in touch with him to hang out. I apologized to him for being so quick to blow him off, and that life was too short for grudges.
Believe me, I see the parallels here. I'm doing what I was hoping others would do: apologize and extend the proverbial olive branch.
Anyway, his response didn't smack of "I told you so" arrogance or "well, I don't know...", no. He responded, "No worries." Water under the bridge. He's a better man than I.
I know, this doesn't translate well into words. My own personal experiences, like feeling the presence of a higher power - the presence of God - none of this crap makes for interesting reading. At least not to me. The point is I'm continuing to grow and learn. If I may actually say something positive about myself, but this is something I will never stop doing.
Here are two songs from Neil Young's yet-to-be-released-on-CD album Time Fades Away, released in 1973.
Time Fades Away
Don't Be Denied
I also finally sat down and listened to all 17 minutes of Miles Davis' "Spanish Key" off Bitches Brew. It felt like it went on forever, but in a good way. My mind doesn't get blown as much as it used to, but it did last night.
Going out for a walk, alone, and not at all bothered by that idea,
Alex
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
How I Feel About The Situation(s) Previously Mentioned
There are things that I'd like to say
But I'm never talking to you again
There's things I'd like to phrase some way
But I'm never talking to you again
I'm never talking to you again
I'm never talking to you
I'm tired of wasting all my time
Trying to talk to you
I'd put you down where you belong
But I'm never talking to you again
I'd show you everywhere you're wrong
But I'm never talking to you again
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Eight Days A Week
One thing I love about being a college student is the fact that a week can either feel like two hours or six months. This was a long week, and you know how there were lots of peaks and valleys last year? Well, let's just hope this Grand Canyon of a week I just had is it for the rest of the semester.
Shelley hasn't told her parents yet that we are back together. Up until break I really didn't care. However, up came one of those unexpected game-changers: her brother Jared has met his own Miss Right, and some serious long-term plans have been made. As in, he's planning on proposing in March and marrying her in June. With that I told Shelley, "All right, party's over. You've got to tell them as soon as you feel comfortable. I know I have sat back and told you this is your thing, but this changes a lot of things."
Her plan of telling her parents in person with her mentor Ellen present has been scrapped. There were some key reasons as to why we reached this decision: her parents don't come up here often. They're both very busy with their jobs to take a whole weekend off and deal with air travel (to Indy), driving to Bloomington, etc. unless it's important. They have come up here for move-ins, move-outs, and last year they came up for her birthday. In all practicality, having your parents travel 900 miles for your birthday only to dump some mighty news on them is...well, shitty.
Never mind the whole home court advantage factor of Bloomington. They'll be here, out of their element...I know, it's weird that I'm exhibiting some consideration for people who are (I'll just go ahead and use the word) discriminant and prejudiced against me. Don't worry, if you haven't noticed I've been surprising myself lately with a lot of things for the better, like actually caring about my GPA and actually trying, thus earning A's where I might get B's normally.
In short, 1. Shelley will be telling her parents next weekend. It will be in the form of a letter - you can't interrupt a letter. You won't stumble over your words with a letter. You can say in three succinct pages what might have been a two hour debate/argument with a letter. I'm totally behind this idea. I'm also completely understanding of the fact that Shelley wants me to read it only after she's sent it. She wants it to be genuinely hers.
This brings me to my next point. Laura has become an increasingly frustrating person to deal with, starting back in April 2008 when she ditched us to go smoke pot - we didn't hear from her the rest of that night, by the way. Her mantra of being a conservative Christian who is "saving herself" for marriage was broken not soon after that when she had sex with a guy who gave her amphetamines. Then I overheard her telling a friend in Z201 that I "stole" her idea for the Rock History IMP. Out of respect for her and Shelley's friendship (and to save face), I said nothing of how I at least have aspirations for the future. She, by her own admission, hasn't the foggiest.
When I got in hot water, accused of stealing hours from the school, nothing happened to her for logging hours she spent not in class, not grading exams, and not consulting students. Near semester's end she got her long hair chopped off and got a perm, to make herself look like Bob Dylan circa 1966. Visually, I consider this symbolic of the new Laura, right on down to having the same sunglasses as him.
Being a woman and having a significantly rounder head means she looks less like Dylan and more like Tina Turner. Stupid. That would be like me growing Zappa's signature facial hair to express my fandom. Shelley officially declared to me she didn't like Laura when she realized she only made conversation when I was around.
Then I learned she's not smoking pot on a recreational basis - she's doing it three times a day. She told me she can't write a paper unless she smokes out first. But it gets better with the big teenage soap opera she found herself in before finals week: she was "in love" with her boyfriend's roommate (though admitted she had no idea how he felt about her - I'm telling you, "love" is more dangerous than any other four letter word), but only because he was the guy holding...hence the feelings of love. Much like how Phyllis loves us because we are the ones who feed her and shovel her shit into the garbage.
So she breaks up with this guy, hoping to get in with his roommate. That works like a charm, since the guy she was with is completely heartbroken, thus preventing his roommate from thinking of Laura as anything other than his friend's ex.
Finals week Andy asked me if I would proofread her essay for the IMP. Her final project is all of 12 pages long (the bare minimum length for a project), and it was pretty much the worst thing I've read written by anyone over the age of 10. At least kids have the excuses of poor vocabulary, syntax, and grammar for writing the way they do. It was definitely written by someone perpetually high...and it seems like she picked it at about once a week all semester long. Disjointed, confusing...it was awful. I would have easily given it a D+ or C- if I'd been grading it.
Andy's reasons were twofold: 1.) in his words I'm "a great writer." 2.) As the instructor who will be grading her essay, it doesn't make any sense for him to be the one proofreading it. This isn't high school English, where you can turn in your paper early, get tips from the teacher, and turn it back in later. We're in college.
Oh, but it gets better. The night of one of our finals I hear her telling a classmate that I'm proofreading her paper because Andy is "lazy" and "doesn't feel like doing his job," before calling him an "asshole" who "doesn't care about his IMP students." Then I learn from her that her GPA is higher than mine, and that she herself can't believe it.
During break, she published a blog post on MySpace saying how she's content with everything in life and she's just a natural at everything, that everything comes easy to her (school, making friends, etc.). Everything except boys. *rolls eyes*
A random Facebook wall post reads: "ALEX! How r u? How's your break? Miss you!" I delete her post, right back, "Um, ok."
Three days later, I see a similar post on Shelley's wall. I write on Shelley's wall "My immediate response to the below post," adding a YouTube video:
I get a message asking "Are u mad at me?" from Laura...completely ignore it.
My first time seeing her after break, I update her on how everything has been going. When I tell her about Shelley writing a letter to her parents, she fucking laughed at it. I wasn't telling her this in a jocular manner, either. Nor was this a slight chuckle. This was a full-on laugh. I knew she was baked off her ass. I told I didn't quite see the humor in it and stopped talking. She later said she was sorry she hurt my feelings. I barely acknowledged her.
That did it for me. Had this been an isolated incident I still would have been mad about it. This is a very serious subject for me and Shelley. Especially for her. To have someone laugh at that is so inconceivably malicious and insensitive. With that, I thought to myself, 2. I am so fucking done with Laura at this point. We are not friends. I don't use this word often, but I hate her. I sent Andy an email saying that while I'm flattered that he would ask me to proofread and help Laura write an academic paper, I had to reject his offer. I kept it short and sweet, saying she had pissed me off with her insensitivity to something I said about Shelley and her parents. Because of that, I didn't think it would be fair for me to grade her paper with bad feelings toward her. She's just a junkie in the making, and I don't need to wish her the absolute worst, because I'm sure she'll do a fine job of that herself.
3. Then I had a major crisis with my recommendation letters for my grad school applications. They went missing in a departmental office's mail room. I freaked out - those forms had my Social Security Number, my address, my email, and my phone number on them. Props to Shelley for cooling me down - I got a hold of Andy, expressing in no small terms the urgency of the situation and asking if he'd write two recs for me. I gave him my CV and the forms. The next morning I met him at his office and filled out my part of the forms. He asked what was up with Laura, and I spilled everything, from what she said about him to why I'm so pissed at her...I told him if he decided to talk to her about it, I didn't care if he informed her where all this information came from. It's arguably one of the dirtiest things I've ever done, but given the circumstances I ask that I not be judged too harshly.
How clear do you have to make it to somebody that they are not a welcome presence in your life, nor are they your friend? It's like when a stray dog follows you - how mean do you have to be before it runs off?
The recommendation forms turned back up - they were in the wrong mailbox - so Case Western Reserve and the College of William & Mary will be getting 4 recommendations for me, not three. Hardly the worst thing in the world.
The list of Seymour people I've stayed in good touch with over the years is limited to Boxman and Forrest. Those guys are the real deal. It doesn't seem like every time we talk all we do is sit back and reminisce about "Hey, remember that one time?". It's also not a mental time warp for either of us, where we have to revert to the way we were at age 18. In their own ways, Boxman and Forrest have grown to an emotional maturity compatible to mine. They're smarter and more worldly wise. I can talk literature, movies, music (maybe to a lesser degree with Forrest, but he's still a remarkably open-minded individual) with these guys.
Maybe this is all happening at once so that the rest of the year can be a nice, smooth ride.
Wait a second - this is me we're talking about. It would make too much sense for me to have a nice, smooth ride this year. At least I've got a wedding to look forward to. (Mine.)
Oh, yeah, and there's three graduate school applications left. I've got two done. I hope that in applying to five I get in to one. At least this time around I know what I'm doing.
4. It seems that no matter what, my insomnia will always be there to greet me at the onset of stress.
How do I get past all this? I've lost some friends. One friendship was never all that strong, but we at least had enough in common to get along, no matter how shallow she was with everyone else. I've definitely lost one to drugs (I'm aware one cannot truly be addicted to pot, but if you're doing it three times a day forgive me if the phrase "dependency issue" gets brought up).
It's all kind of a blow. There's some songs in all this, but as I'm sure you can imagine with all this pretty much still going on that that's hardly the first thing on my mind: "Let's see, how can I turn this around for my own gain?"
That would make me just as bad as them.
Alex
Shelley hasn't told her parents yet that we are back together. Up until break I really didn't care. However, up came one of those unexpected game-changers: her brother Jared has met his own Miss Right, and some serious long-term plans have been made. As in, he's planning on proposing in March and marrying her in June. With that I told Shelley, "All right, party's over. You've got to tell them as soon as you feel comfortable. I know I have sat back and told you this is your thing, but this changes a lot of things."
Her plan of telling her parents in person with her mentor Ellen present has been scrapped. There were some key reasons as to why we reached this decision: her parents don't come up here often. They're both very busy with their jobs to take a whole weekend off and deal with air travel (to Indy), driving to Bloomington, etc. unless it's important. They have come up here for move-ins, move-outs, and last year they came up for her birthday. In all practicality, having your parents travel 900 miles for your birthday only to dump some mighty news on them is...well, shitty.
Never mind the whole home court advantage factor of Bloomington. They'll be here, out of their element...I know, it's weird that I'm exhibiting some consideration for people who are (I'll just go ahead and use the word) discriminant and prejudiced against me. Don't worry, if you haven't noticed I've been surprising myself lately with a lot of things for the better, like actually caring about my GPA and actually trying, thus earning A's where I might get B's normally.
In short, 1. Shelley will be telling her parents next weekend. It will be in the form of a letter - you can't interrupt a letter. You won't stumble over your words with a letter. You can say in three succinct pages what might have been a two hour debate/argument with a letter. I'm totally behind this idea. I'm also completely understanding of the fact that Shelley wants me to read it only after she's sent it. She wants it to be genuinely hers.
This brings me to my next point. Laura has become an increasingly frustrating person to deal with, starting back in April 2008 when she ditched us to go smoke pot - we didn't hear from her the rest of that night, by the way. Her mantra of being a conservative Christian who is "saving herself" for marriage was broken not soon after that when she had sex with a guy who gave her amphetamines. Then I overheard her telling a friend in Z201 that I "stole" her idea for the Rock History IMP. Out of respect for her and Shelley's friendship (and to save face), I said nothing of how I at least have aspirations for the future. She, by her own admission, hasn't the foggiest.
When I got in hot water, accused of stealing hours from the school, nothing happened to her for logging hours she spent not in class, not grading exams, and not consulting students. Near semester's end she got her long hair chopped off and got a perm, to make herself look like Bob Dylan circa 1966. Visually, I consider this symbolic of the new Laura, right on down to having the same sunglasses as him.
Being a woman and having a significantly rounder head means she looks less like Dylan and more like Tina Turner. Stupid. That would be like me growing Zappa's signature facial hair to express my fandom. Shelley officially declared to me she didn't like Laura when she realized she only made conversation when I was around.
Then I learned she's not smoking pot on a recreational basis - she's doing it three times a day. She told me she can't write a paper unless she smokes out first. But it gets better with the big teenage soap opera she found herself in before finals week: she was "in love" with her boyfriend's roommate (though admitted she had no idea how he felt about her - I'm telling you, "love" is more dangerous than any other four letter word), but only because he was the guy holding...hence the feelings of love. Much like how Phyllis loves us because we are the ones who feed her and shovel her shit into the garbage.
So she breaks up with this guy, hoping to get in with his roommate. That works like a charm, since the guy she was with is completely heartbroken, thus preventing his roommate from thinking of Laura as anything other than his friend's ex.
Finals week Andy asked me if I would proofread her essay for the IMP. Her final project is all of 12 pages long (the bare minimum length for a project), and it was pretty much the worst thing I've read written by anyone over the age of 10. At least kids have the excuses of poor vocabulary, syntax, and grammar for writing the way they do. It was definitely written by someone perpetually high...and it seems like she picked it at about once a week all semester long. Disjointed, confusing...it was awful. I would have easily given it a D+ or C- if I'd been grading it.
Andy's reasons were twofold: 1.) in his words I'm "a great writer." 2.) As the instructor who will be grading her essay, it doesn't make any sense for him to be the one proofreading it. This isn't high school English, where you can turn in your paper early, get tips from the teacher, and turn it back in later. We're in college.
Oh, but it gets better. The night of one of our finals I hear her telling a classmate that I'm proofreading her paper because Andy is "lazy" and "doesn't feel like doing his job," before calling him an "asshole" who "doesn't care about his IMP students." Then I learn from her that her GPA is higher than mine, and that she herself can't believe it.
During break, she published a blog post on MySpace saying how she's content with everything in life and she's just a natural at everything, that everything comes easy to her (school, making friends, etc.). Everything except boys. *rolls eyes*
A random Facebook wall post reads: "ALEX! How r u? How's your break? Miss you!" I delete her post, right back, "Um, ok."
Three days later, I see a similar post on Shelley's wall. I write on Shelley's wall "My immediate response to the below post," adding a YouTube video:
I get a message asking "Are u mad at me?" from Laura...completely ignore it.
My first time seeing her after break, I update her on how everything has been going. When I tell her about Shelley writing a letter to her parents, she fucking laughed at it. I wasn't telling her this in a jocular manner, either. Nor was this a slight chuckle. This was a full-on laugh. I knew she was baked off her ass. I told I didn't quite see the humor in it and stopped talking. She later said she was sorry she hurt my feelings. I barely acknowledged her.
That did it for me. Had this been an isolated incident I still would have been mad about it. This is a very serious subject for me and Shelley. Especially for her. To have someone laugh at that is so inconceivably malicious and insensitive. With that, I thought to myself, 2. I am so fucking done with Laura at this point. We are not friends. I don't use this word often, but I hate her. I sent Andy an email saying that while I'm flattered that he would ask me to proofread and help Laura write an academic paper, I had to reject his offer. I kept it short and sweet, saying she had pissed me off with her insensitivity to something I said about Shelley and her parents. Because of that, I didn't think it would be fair for me to grade her paper with bad feelings toward her. She's just a junkie in the making, and I don't need to wish her the absolute worst, because I'm sure she'll do a fine job of that herself.
3. Then I had a major crisis with my recommendation letters for my grad school applications. They went missing in a departmental office's mail room. I freaked out - those forms had my Social Security Number, my address, my email, and my phone number on them. Props to Shelley for cooling me down - I got a hold of Andy, expressing in no small terms the urgency of the situation and asking if he'd write two recs for me. I gave him my CV and the forms. The next morning I met him at his office and filled out my part of the forms. He asked what was up with Laura, and I spilled everything, from what she said about him to why I'm so pissed at her...I told him if he decided to talk to her about it, I didn't care if he informed her where all this information came from. It's arguably one of the dirtiest things I've ever done, but given the circumstances I ask that I not be judged too harshly.
How clear do you have to make it to somebody that they are not a welcome presence in your life, nor are they your friend? It's like when a stray dog follows you - how mean do you have to be before it runs off?
The recommendation forms turned back up - they were in the wrong mailbox - so Case Western Reserve and the College of William & Mary will be getting 4 recommendations for me, not three. Hardly the worst thing in the world.
The list of Seymour people I've stayed in good touch with over the years is limited to Boxman and Forrest. Those guys are the real deal. It doesn't seem like every time we talk all we do is sit back and reminisce about "Hey, remember that one time?". It's also not a mental time warp for either of us, where we have to revert to the way we were at age 18. In their own ways, Boxman and Forrest have grown to an emotional maturity compatible to mine. They're smarter and more worldly wise. I can talk literature, movies, music (maybe to a lesser degree with Forrest, but he's still a remarkably open-minded individual) with these guys.
Maybe this is all happening at once so that the rest of the year can be a nice, smooth ride.
Wait a second - this is me we're talking about. It would make too much sense for me to have a nice, smooth ride this year. At least I've got a wedding to look forward to. (Mine.)
Oh, yeah, and there's three graduate school applications left. I've got two done. I hope that in applying to five I get in to one. At least this time around I know what I'm doing.
4. It seems that no matter what, my insomnia will always be there to greet me at the onset of stress.
How do I get past all this? I've lost some friends. One friendship was never all that strong, but we at least had enough in common to get along, no matter how shallow she was with everyone else. I've definitely lost one to drugs (I'm aware one cannot truly be addicted to pot, but if you're doing it three times a day forgive me if the phrase "dependency issue" gets brought up).
It's all kind of a blow. There's some songs in all this, but as I'm sure you can imagine with all this pretty much still going on that that's hardly the first thing on my mind: "Let's see, how can I turn this around for my own gain?"
That would make me just as bad as them.
Alex
Sunday, January 11, 2009
The Stupidest Quote I Will Probably See All Year
"Rosa sat so Martin could walk. Martin walked so Obama could run. Obama ran so our generation could fly."
Um, what?
Don't get me wrong - I'm so proud of my generation for getting up off its collective ass and giving this nation its highest voter turnout ever (and you know what? I truly don't care who you voted for; what matters to me is that we as a generation participated in the maintenance of our nation) - but I'd just like to remind everyone of these cold, hard facts:
+ Barack Obama is not Jesus. Nor does he purport to be. That's all your doing.
+ Things are not going to turn around for America twenty minutes after Obama takes office. He will be held up to the same checks and balances that George W. Bush was supposed to be held up to as well.
+ Ending the war will not involve our troops throwing down their guns and our opposition doing the same.
+ We probably won't go to war with Iran. But we might need to go to war with Pakistan.
+ Fox News is not going to go away. In fact, since their point of view will be considered the minority, they're going to play the underdog for at least four years.
+ Our new President, believe it or not, will have to worry more about his own party than the Republicans. Political scandals (Edwards, Blagojevich), petty squabbling (HARRY FUCKING REID!), and the looming thought that if Obama is unable to turn water into wine or feed the masses with two fish and five loaves of bread we will see dear old Hillary make one last stab in 2012 are all on the horizon.
That said, I have faith that Obama will do great things. However, given his predecessors (note the plural) if he spent four years undoing one of their fuck-ups (I'm looking at you, NAFTA!) he would qualify as one of the best all-around Presidents ever alongside Lincoln, both Roosevelts, and Lyndon Johnson. (Note the absences of JFK and Reagan. We have one to thank for Vietnam and one to thank for the war on terror.)
In all fairness, I did just stumble across this little piece, which could end up qualifying as the greatest news story of 2009. Certainly the most surprising, as this is easily the smartest thing George W. Bush has ever done.
Yes - Bush did something smart. Congratulations universe, you win.
In other news, Shelley is back. School starts Monday. And my applications for Case Western Reserve and The College of William & Mary are one mailing away from being done. SUNY Stony Brook got scratched off the list once their grad secretary told me yes, they do require classical training for entry into their program.
I'm still very paranoid and nervous I won't get in anywhere. All I keep thinking of as I work on my applications are Shelley, Seymour, and any number of my friends who have earned Bachelor's degrees and gone on to shitty jobs completely unrelated to their major. Another visit to Bowling Green State might be in the works, I'll need to touch base with both some professors and Rick to make sure everything can work out. We'll see.
Nick has been added as a fourth groomsman, Maddie being the fourth bridesmaid (obviously she'll be walking down the aisle with Eric).
Also - Happy 2009. My New Year's was great. As it would turn out, Richmond Indiana is a neat little town.
Alex
Um, what?
Don't get me wrong - I'm so proud of my generation for getting up off its collective ass and giving this nation its highest voter turnout ever (and you know what? I truly don't care who you voted for; what matters to me is that we as a generation participated in the maintenance of our nation) - but I'd just like to remind everyone of these cold, hard facts:
+ Barack Obama is not Jesus. Nor does he purport to be. That's all your doing.
+ Things are not going to turn around for America twenty minutes after Obama takes office. He will be held up to the same checks and balances that George W. Bush was supposed to be held up to as well.
+ Ending the war will not involve our troops throwing down their guns and our opposition doing the same.
+ We probably won't go to war with Iran. But we might need to go to war with Pakistan.
+ Fox News is not going to go away. In fact, since their point of view will be considered the minority, they're going to play the underdog for at least four years.
+ Our new President, believe it or not, will have to worry more about his own party than the Republicans. Political scandals (Edwards, Blagojevich), petty squabbling (HARRY FUCKING REID!), and the looming thought that if Obama is unable to turn water into wine or feed the masses with two fish and five loaves of bread we will see dear old Hillary make one last stab in 2012 are all on the horizon.
That said, I have faith that Obama will do great things. However, given his predecessors (note the plural) if he spent four years undoing one of their fuck-ups (I'm looking at you, NAFTA!) he would qualify as one of the best all-around Presidents ever alongside Lincoln, both Roosevelts, and Lyndon Johnson. (Note the absences of JFK and Reagan. We have one to thank for Vietnam and one to thank for the war on terror.)
In all fairness, I did just stumble across this little piece, which could end up qualifying as the greatest news story of 2009. Certainly the most surprising, as this is easily the smartest thing George W. Bush has ever done.
Yes - Bush did something smart. Congratulations universe, you win.
In other news, Shelley is back. School starts Monday. And my applications for Case Western Reserve and The College of William & Mary are one mailing away from being done. SUNY Stony Brook got scratched off the list once their grad secretary told me yes, they do require classical training for entry into their program.
I'm still very paranoid and nervous I won't get in anywhere. All I keep thinking of as I work on my applications are Shelley, Seymour, and any number of my friends who have earned Bachelor's degrees and gone on to shitty jobs completely unrelated to their major. Another visit to Bowling Green State might be in the works, I'll need to touch base with both some professors and Rick to make sure everything can work out. We'll see.
Nick has been added as a fourth groomsman, Maddie being the fourth bridesmaid (obviously she'll be walking down the aisle with Eric).
Also - Happy 2009. My New Year's was great. As it would turn out, Richmond Indiana is a neat little town.
Alex
Sunday, December 28, 2008
2008 Denouement
All right, for all you gossip columnists out there, I have found a best man (Joe Boxman) and my groomsmen (Forrest and my brother Eric). I've asked Nick to sing "In My Life" by The Beatles. He claims to be learning it without sheet music, which means he'll learn it in the wrong key and then insist he's right. Oh, well. At least the lyrics will come through clearly.
Is it weird for me to say it didn't quite feel like Christmas for me this year? Maybe it's because I was so busy with work and school (and the lack of a television, meaning I didn't see any Christmas commercials), or the fact that I was in Bloomington until the night of 12/24, and back within 48 hours. I don't quite know what it was - probably all of the above factors.
Regardless, with this being the first year ever that I bought Christmas presents with my own money, I learned a new meaning to the Holiday. I got used CD's and DVD's for my family, but I made sure it was something they would love.
Perfect example: Any time a song by Three Dog Night would come on the radio, Mom ALWAYS mentioned how this was the first band she ever saw in concert and how the song takes her back to 8th grade. So I got her the best of Three Dog Night. See? Thoughtful!
On an unrelated note, Kieth Buchanan (Graham's ex-boyfriend and my former roommate) has left Bloomington. He didn't have everything quite as ready as I'd thought he would for move-out day, so between that and the awful ice storm we had on 12/23, I couldn't take him up to the Greyhound station in Indianapolis. Thankfully, a friend of his came over from Cincinnati to help him pack. He took him up there, so everything worked out.
I don't know if I mentioned this, but Kieth was gone from just before Thanksgiving to 12/18. He originally thought it was going to be a week long excursion to be there for his mother in the wake of his parents' divorce. It turned into a month because of the infrequency of buses going through his corner of Oklahoma.
Meanwhile, Graham has been dating a new guy since before finals. One night Graham was having him over and had a table and wine glasses and candles set up. It was really sweet. He asked me not to tell Kieth about it. Unfortunately, Graham is such a damned slob that all the dishes and the candles and EVERYTHING was still out, including a wine spill on the tablecloth. It would have been a little difficult to convince Kieth that what he saw was my mess since I'm never over there for recreational purposes.
Since Graham left the entire place looking as though the Rapture had occurred in the middle of a dinner party I had no problem telling him what had gone on in his absence.
Graham is now moving into a new phase of his life: he has started going to church. Anyone else I would be happy for them. For Graham, I don't know - something doesn't smell right about this.
I don't want to go into too many details, but Graham was scheduled to fly out 12/22. When he heard Kieth was going to be back on the 18th, he rescheduled for a flight on 12/17 so that he didn't have to see him. He also took a piece of Kieth's luggage and his modem. Graham also left Kieth a very impersonal note saying "I hope you find what it is you're looking for in life. Please don't take anything that isn't yours. Happy Holidays! --- g "
I'll admit, my first impressions of Kieth weren't good. But in the time I got to know him, I really came to like him a lot. Hey, hey, my, my, how the tables have turned.
There is a sense of melancholy about all this in that I may never see him again. Life has taken him to Colorado, and for me, well, that's still yet to be decided.
An acquaintance of mine on Facebook had this posted on her profile as a note. I figured this would make for a better year-end recap than any sort of uber-verbose rant:
Q: What did you do in 2008 that you had never done before?
A: Visited Bowling Green, OH. I worked as the grading assistant for Zappa, Hendrix, and (in a limited capacity) Beatles. I also got engaged to the right woman.
Q: Did you keep your new years resolutions?
A: My secret resolution was to win Shelley back, but that stemmed all the way to November after Kate and I broke up. Still, it was only 6 days into the new year that it happened. So, yes. I did.
Q: What would you like to have in 09 that you didn't have in 08?
A: A career in a graduate program somewhere. Anywhere but here. That and a wife.
Q: What dates in 08 will remain etched upon your memory?
A: January 6th, June 13th and 14th, October 31st (for good and awful reasons), November 20th - 22nd, and December 13th.
Q: Did you suffer from any injury?
A: Broken spirits and crushed egos count, right? Then yes.
Q: Best thing someone bought for you as a gift?
A: Shelley got me The Boondocks DVD back in January. It made me really happy.
Q: Where did most of your money go?
A: An engagement ring, CD's, the occasional DVD, groceries, pizza, gas, Alabama...
Q: What did you get really excited about?
A: The prospect of asking Shelley to marry me (I started making payments in July), working at Spencer's, working at the school (yeah, I know...), my senior year as an IMP student, going up to Bowling Green and seeing Rick again, living off-campus, buying a cat.
Q: What song will always remind you of 08?
A: Oh, yeah, right, this will be a brief answer...
JANUARY - "The Boondocks Theme" by Asheru, "Cinnamon Girl" by Neil Young (I just saw - I had this for January of 2008 when I wrote my 2007 recap! Care to know why? The song reminded me of Shelley!)
FEBRUARY - "Mammon" by Todd Rundgren, "King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown" by Augustus Pablo
MARCH - "A Day In The Life" by Jeff Beck, all of Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart
APRIL - "Swastikas On Parade" by The Residents
MAY - "Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues" by Skip James, "Killing Floor (Live)" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
JUNE - "Mama Talk To Your Daughter" by J.B. Lenoir, "Changes" by Band Of Gypsys
JULY - "Orange Claw Hammer (Acoustic)" by Captain Beefheart & Frank Zappa, "Morphine Song" by Ray Davies
AUGUST - The entire After The Gold Rush album by Neil Young
SEPTEMBER - "Like A Hurricane" by Neil Young, "King's Lead Hat" by Brian Eno
OCTOBER - "Hey, Hey, My, My (Into The Black)" by Neil Young, "The Train Kept A-Rollin'" by The Johnny Burnette Rock 'N Roll Trio, "Susie Q" by Dale Hawkins
NOVEMBER - , "Kick Out The Jams" by The MC5, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" by Gil Scott Heron
DECEMBER - "Ever Fallen In Love?" by The Buzzcocks, "Everything I Own" by Ken Boothe
Q: Favorite TV programs of 08?
A: The Office
Q: What was your greatest musical discovery?
A: Um...Neil Young, Captain Beefheart, and The Residents
Q: Best book you read this year?
A: Ray Davies: Not Like Everybody Else by Tom Kitts
Q: Favorite Film of this year?
A: Burn After Reading and Harold
Q: How would I describe my fashion concept of 08?
A: Hmm...I invested in a Che shirt and a hammer and sickle shirt early on this calendar year. I'd say that set the stage fairly well. Seeing as we now have a Socialist president. (Oh, and by the way, I'm BEING sarcastic!)
Q: Which celebs did you fancy the most in 08?
A: Ray Davies, Jimmy Carl Black (RIP fellow drummer), and Neil Young
Q: Who do you miss?
A: Rick Chandler and Eric Condon. Easily.
Q: What countries did you visit in 08?
A: Papua New Guinea, Equitorial Guinea, New Guinea
Q: Biggest achievement?
A: Engagement.
Q: Did you fall in love in 08?
A: Yes. And it's a beautiful thing.
Q: What's one thing that would have made your year more satisfying?
A: For Condon to put his violin down and apply himself, for Sarah to butt out of things she knows nothing about like people's relationships, for Gill to break up with Amanda, for Johnson to get his license, for Shelley to be assertive and honest with her parents, for Mom to mind her own damn business, for Mary to cheer up and be happy knowing she is alive, for Andy to have not jumped to such asinine conclusions and not written me off as a thief and liar, for Joel to have been a better bandleader, and for Laura to stop being a crotch-hopping pothead who flirts with any guy she sees.
Q: Did you learn anything valuable?
A: I learned not to waste people's time with blogs and emails and shit.
"A very Merry Christmas, and a happy New Year. Let's hope it's a good one, without any tears." Or is it "fear"? Whatever, I like "tears" better.
(No, seriously. This year kind of sucked. I really don't know how I could have gotten through it without Shelley. I wish I was kidding.)
Alex
Is it weird for me to say it didn't quite feel like Christmas for me this year? Maybe it's because I was so busy with work and school (and the lack of a television, meaning I didn't see any Christmas commercials), or the fact that I was in Bloomington until the night of 12/24, and back within 48 hours. I don't quite know what it was - probably all of the above factors.
Regardless, with this being the first year ever that I bought Christmas presents with my own money, I learned a new meaning to the Holiday. I got used CD's and DVD's for my family, but I made sure it was something they would love.
Perfect example: Any time a song by Three Dog Night would come on the radio, Mom ALWAYS mentioned how this was the first band she ever saw in concert and how the song takes her back to 8th grade. So I got her the best of Three Dog Night. See? Thoughtful!
On an unrelated note, Kieth Buchanan (Graham's ex-boyfriend and my former roommate) has left Bloomington. He didn't have everything quite as ready as I'd thought he would for move-out day, so between that and the awful ice storm we had on 12/23, I couldn't take him up to the Greyhound station in Indianapolis. Thankfully, a friend of his came over from Cincinnati to help him pack. He took him up there, so everything worked out.
I don't know if I mentioned this, but Kieth was gone from just before Thanksgiving to 12/18. He originally thought it was going to be a week long excursion to be there for his mother in the wake of his parents' divorce. It turned into a month because of the infrequency of buses going through his corner of Oklahoma.
Meanwhile, Graham has been dating a new guy since before finals. One night Graham was having him over and had a table and wine glasses and candles set up. It was really sweet. He asked me not to tell Kieth about it. Unfortunately, Graham is such a damned slob that all the dishes and the candles and EVERYTHING was still out, including a wine spill on the tablecloth. It would have been a little difficult to convince Kieth that what he saw was my mess since I'm never over there for recreational purposes.
Since Graham left the entire place looking as though the Rapture had occurred in the middle of a dinner party I had no problem telling him what had gone on in his absence.
Graham is now moving into a new phase of his life: he has started going to church. Anyone else I would be happy for them. For Graham, I don't know - something doesn't smell right about this.
I don't want to go into too many details, but Graham was scheduled to fly out 12/22. When he heard Kieth was going to be back on the 18th, he rescheduled for a flight on 12/17 so that he didn't have to see him. He also took a piece of Kieth's luggage and his modem. Graham also left Kieth a very impersonal note saying "I hope you find what it is you're looking for in life. Please don't take anything that isn't yours. Happy Holidays! --- g "
I'll admit, my first impressions of Kieth weren't good. But in the time I got to know him, I really came to like him a lot. Hey, hey, my, my, how the tables have turned.
There is a sense of melancholy about all this in that I may never see him again. Life has taken him to Colorado, and for me, well, that's still yet to be decided.
An acquaintance of mine on Facebook had this posted on her profile as a note. I figured this would make for a better year-end recap than any sort of uber-verbose rant:
Q: What did you do in 2008 that you had never done before?
A: Visited Bowling Green, OH. I worked as the grading assistant for Zappa, Hendrix, and (in a limited capacity) Beatles. I also got engaged to the right woman.
Q: Did you keep your new years resolutions?
A: My secret resolution was to win Shelley back, but that stemmed all the way to November after Kate and I broke up. Still, it was only 6 days into the new year that it happened. So, yes. I did.
Q: What would you like to have in 09 that you didn't have in 08?
A: A career in a graduate program somewhere. Anywhere but here. That and a wife.
Q: What dates in 08 will remain etched upon your memory?
A: January 6th, June 13th and 14th, October 31st (for good and awful reasons), November 20th - 22nd, and December 13th.
Q: Did you suffer from any injury?
A: Broken spirits and crushed egos count, right? Then yes.
Q: Best thing someone bought for you as a gift?
A: Shelley got me The Boondocks DVD back in January. It made me really happy.
Q: Where did most of your money go?
A: An engagement ring, CD's, the occasional DVD, groceries, pizza, gas, Alabama...
Q: What did you get really excited about?
A: The prospect of asking Shelley to marry me (I started making payments in July), working at Spencer's, working at the school (yeah, I know...), my senior year as an IMP student, going up to Bowling Green and seeing Rick again, living off-campus, buying a cat.
Q: What song will always remind you of 08?
A: Oh, yeah, right, this will be a brief answer...
JANUARY - "The Boondocks Theme" by Asheru, "Cinnamon Girl" by Neil Young (I just saw - I had this for January of 2008 when I wrote my 2007 recap! Care to know why? The song reminded me of Shelley!)
FEBRUARY - "Mammon" by Todd Rundgren, "King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown" by Augustus Pablo
MARCH - "A Day In The Life" by Jeff Beck, all of Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart
APRIL - "Swastikas On Parade" by The Residents
MAY - "Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues" by Skip James, "Killing Floor (Live)" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
JUNE - "Mama Talk To Your Daughter" by J.B. Lenoir, "Changes" by Band Of Gypsys
JULY - "Orange Claw Hammer (Acoustic)" by Captain Beefheart & Frank Zappa, "Morphine Song" by Ray Davies
AUGUST - The entire After The Gold Rush album by Neil Young
SEPTEMBER - "Like A Hurricane" by Neil Young, "King's Lead Hat" by Brian Eno
OCTOBER - "Hey, Hey, My, My (Into The Black)" by Neil Young, "The Train Kept A-Rollin'" by The Johnny Burnette Rock 'N Roll Trio, "Susie Q" by Dale Hawkins
NOVEMBER - , "Kick Out The Jams" by The MC5, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" by Gil Scott Heron
DECEMBER - "Ever Fallen In Love?" by The Buzzcocks, "Everything I Own" by Ken Boothe
Q: Favorite TV programs of 08?
A: The Office
Q: What was your greatest musical discovery?
A: Um...Neil Young, Captain Beefheart, and The Residents
Q: Best book you read this year?
A: Ray Davies: Not Like Everybody Else by Tom Kitts
Q: Favorite Film of this year?
A: Burn After Reading and Harold
Q: How would I describe my fashion concept of 08?
A: Hmm...I invested in a Che shirt and a hammer and sickle shirt early on this calendar year. I'd say that set the stage fairly well. Seeing as we now have a Socialist president. (Oh, and by the way, I'm BEING sarcastic!)
Q: Which celebs did you fancy the most in 08?
A: Ray Davies, Jimmy Carl Black (RIP fellow drummer), and Neil Young
Q: Who do you miss?
A: Rick Chandler and Eric Condon. Easily.
Q: What countries did you visit in 08?
A: Papua New Guinea, Equitorial Guinea, New Guinea
Q: Biggest achievement?
A: Engagement.
Q: Did you fall in love in 08?
A: Yes. And it's a beautiful thing.
Q: What's one thing that would have made your year more satisfying?
A: For Condon to put his violin down and apply himself, for Sarah to butt out of things she knows nothing about like people's relationships, for Gill to break up with Amanda, for Johnson to get his license, for Shelley to be assertive and honest with her parents, for Mom to mind her own damn business, for Mary to cheer up and be happy knowing she is alive, for Andy to have not jumped to such asinine conclusions and not written me off as a thief and liar, for Joel to have been a better bandleader, and for Laura to stop being a crotch-hopping pothead who flirts with any guy she sees.
Q: Did you learn anything valuable?
A: I learned not to waste people's time with blogs and emails and shit.
"A very Merry Christmas, and a happy New Year. Let's hope it's a good one, without any tears." Or is it "fear"? Whatever, I like "tears" better.
(No, seriously. This year kind of sucked. I really don't know how I could have gotten through it without Shelley. I wish I was kidding.)
Alex
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