Asleep at the wheel...

I don't think anything an artist does can undo the good stuff that he or she has already done. An image can be tarnished and character can be damaged but nothing can affect the random good stuff which has already happened in the past. Examples: OJ killed his wife but USC will always have his Heismen trophy, Michael Jackson may be weird but "Rock With You" will always be a good song, Dan Akroyd has made some questionable choices for movie roles but the brilliance of Ghostbusters can never be undone. Michael Richards had a public breakdown but he had some pretty memorable TV moments back in the day.



In the past, Guns n' Roses have made some awesome music but they haven't been around for a long time. The current version of Guns n' Roses is just a cover band. Recently The Eagles of Death Metal, one of my personal favorites, was tapped to support Guns n' Roses on their recent tour and were dropped very quickly. You can/should take a moment to read about it here. What bothers me most of all is that while driving back to my parent's for Thanksgiving last Wednesday I was falling asleep at the wheel, and Peace, Love and Death Metal woke me up. I listened to it front to back and was reminded of how awsome that album is, only to read that a wash-up like Axl Rose is talking down on another band, let alone a great band, as if anyone still cares what Axl Rose thinks.

Sweet Child of Mine will always be a fantasmo song but I hate Axl Rose, and his face lifts.

More to come...

Practice for the next thing...

The internet is down at work and it’s causing me to lose my mind a little. I wanted to check when the Hawkeyes play next but nothing doing. The problem is that I can’t ask anybody for help on the fear that they’ll ask, “What do you need the internet for?” I don’t need it for anything work related so here I am, sitting patiently, waiting for someone to fix it or for it to fix itself, which the internet may or may not be able to do. To be honest I don’t know much about computers and I’m a horrible typist. I’m one of those people who look at the keyboard while typing which makes my current situation even harder since being moved to a new workstation with an older computer. Most of the keys are worn out and the letters have gone missing, which is probably just fine for a temp but it makes it hard to search for Ultimate X-Men trades on half.com when one can’t find the god damn X.

You would think this could be a good time to do some other projects I’ve been asked to work on but I’m left sitting here wondering when I’ll be able to check my e-mail. This is a prime time for me to tell myself that I was about to work on some freelance stuff (I’m starting to get some actual assignments), or at least print out some material for the article I have due on Friday which I have yet to start, but I know that I’m only using the disabled internet as another excuse. When it’s back up and running I’ll tell myself that I need to check my e-mail or read something on Slate.com or some other excuse to prolong the work I should have done two weeks ago. For some reason this has never bothered me. For every time I’m up against a deadline like this I never once have said, “Next month will be different. I’m going to get things done early.” Nope. Instead I’ve reinforced my procrastination habits by saying, “Well, you waited until the last minute, but you got the job done on time and think about all that stuff you did (basically just day-to-day life experiences) that contributed to the final result.” I’m a firm believer that everything you do is practice for the next thing you do. Call it what you will, such as the circle of life or karma or some other example that I should reference but I’m unable to look anything up on Wikipedia because the internet is down, but everything is most definitely interrelated. This is a passage from today’s Daily OM:

“Yet our initial impressions of an experience may not wholly reveal the true significance of that occurrence because our full response to an experience is like an onion with many layers that all have disparate meanings. Consider that a sunrise may stun us visually while simultaneously evoking memories of childhood and reminding us that each new day is a rebirth.”

Am I setting myself up for a fall? Maybe. Only time will tell. Until then I’ll be inadvertently prepping for whatever comes next. I guess I’ll know it when it happens.

The racial elements are obvious...

By now everyone has heard the news about a former Seinfeld star who has been in the papers about some pretty racey material that was publicly broadcast. Well it wasn't very hard, but I found a clip of the material in question and posted it below. After watching this I don't know if I can watch my Seinfeld DVDs anymore. Use your discretion when watching this, it's pretty extreme stuff and the racial elements are obvious once you start the clip.

It isn't fair to judge...

I woke up tired and a little hung over this morning (four High Lifes turned into nine) and felt like a different person as I was getting ready for work, but I felt better after a shower and putting on my shoes, which for some reason helps me wake up. A little coffee also helped. Money is tight right now, which is fine, and brewing coffee at home is a nice way to save a couple of bucks instead of droping dimes at Starbucks, even though there are apparently some interesting yet very lame ways around that.

Some new books which I would like to read are on the shelves and the Onion A.V. Club has articles relating to two of them. The first is Random Rules with Marisha Pessl. Her book sounds good and the photo doesn't hurt. The only thing better than a pretty girl who can write a good story is an astronaut who gives you free ice cream. I almost hate to bring that up because it isn't fair to judge her book by her own looks but she's definately easier on the eyes than some authors.

An interview with Chuck Klosterman talks a lot about his writing process and that’s the stuff I personally really enjoy, especially after applying to some publications and recently hearing back about possibly hearing back. Reading stuff like this helps me stay patient, which is difficult knowing that there are people in the world dressed just like me accomplishing more with less time…



Side note: Microsoft Word didn’t recognize the word Klosterman and suggested I replace it with Lobsterman. Lobsterman made me laugh more than I care to admit, which is perfect for a Friday.

More to come…

Along with a lot of pizzas...

On the train ride home from the first night of my new nights/weekend job I mapped out a fantastic outline to write about, but after catching up on episode four of the current season of Battlestar Galactica and four High Lifes, I'm too sleepy. I'll save it for tomorrow, so as I nod off I'll leave you with this:

Various midwestern libraries...

Do you like Stephen King? Me too, though I'm starting to think I'll never read any of his books. There is an increasing number of writers who, I’m sad to say, I just won’t get around to reading. Chuck Palahniuk, Hunter S. Thompson, Cormack McCarthy and especially Michael Chabon have been on my list for years, some of their books are even on my shelf, but I’ve yet to read a single word. I dream of a time when all I'll do is catch up on stuff I've been meaning to consume over the past few years, but it won't happen and that's frustrating, almost maddening. What’s interesting about the media is how it can provide such a great appreciation for authors without you having to reading their material. When Hunter S. Thompson died, Rolling Stone put out a pretty amazing tribute issue which I continue to go back and look at from time to time giving me a real admiration of his life and adventures, and he was always amazing when he was on Late Night.
Have I read any of his books? Nope. On the same note, I’ve probably checked The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay out from various midwestern libraries a half dozen times over the last couple of years, but I have yet to crack the cover.

Anyway, back to Stephen King and my point, I’ve read his stuff in Entertainment Weekly and I had a writing teacher in college who always talked about him (rumor is he spent time at the University of Iowa Writer’s Workshop) and I think he’s obviously great though I’ve never read his novels. The New York Times (which is free online is you take a moment to sign up) ran a really cool article recently which referenced a lot of good writers, whom I probably won't read, and talked about the changing landscape. It’s worth checking out when you have a moment, but the site will probably expire in a few days.

On a similar note, there are a lot of movies I would like to watch but will probably just never see like Jaws and The Godfather. I’m pretty sure I’ll never see 2001: A Space Odyssey. This belief was strengthened yesterday when I returned the DVD to the Chicago Public Library a day late having never even taken the disc out of my bag. It’s nice to be busy but a $2 fine is more of an insult than anything. That’s the first time I’ve ever walked out of a library pissed off at myself but probably not the last.

Any movies or books you don’t think you’ll ever see either due to time or because you just refuse? Type them in the comment section, maybe we have some of the same stuff on our lists.

More to come…

Give or take a couple of words...

In the midst of my temp job I’ve been trying to get some writing work and I received my first official “maybe” the other day. I’ve been trying to get into the ground floor at an entertainment publication in Chicago which will remain vague, and this wouldn’t just be freelance but I would be on an actual staff. I had a solid contact in the company and was doing my best not to get over excited incase it fell through, but that’s plenty easier said than done. Monday I heard back that I’m a possibility for a spot opening in January. Nice right? You would think, but my optimism must have slept through the alarm clock that morning because I started to question what results I had to show for today? I immediately got bummed and thought about how far January was and how much I wanted the job right then. Then I took a drink of my coffee and it was ice cold. “Ice cold? How long was it sitting there? Have I been so wrapped up in my morning that I let my coffee go cold? I haven’t even done anything this morning. What the hell is wrong with me? I’m not drinking alcohol anymore. Not for a while at least. I haven’t earned it. I need to get something done. I need to produce some results. Something worth telling people about at my parent’s Christmas party.” Give or take a couple of words, that’s how my random depressed moments always start. I guess everyone has their own style.

Everyone gets dpressed and it's nothing new, and I recover pretty quick. The problem I've been considering recently is figuring out when my brain will have had too much? At this point I’m pretty sure the question isn’t, “Will I have a breakdown one day?” but rather, “When will my bat-shit breakdown happen?” I’m thinking of starting a pool like March Madness and letting people place bets. At least that way someone can make a little money while I’m sitting in a hospital bed staring out the window (I’m not sure if I’ll be drooling or not, but probably). Maybe if I keep writing through it all when it happens I’ll be able to salvage something. It’s worked for others. I don’t mean this to sound pessimistic in the, “Poor me, I’m doomed,” kind or way but instead I’m trying to confront it with humor like David Brent would.
It definitely won’t happen for a long time, not until a little later in my life. Ironically, it probably won’t be an issue until I have a more grounded lifestyle. Maybe when a wife leaves me. That would be a legit reason for a mental crash and burn.

Like I said, the depression is fleeting. It’s usually gone in a few minutes thanks to my optimism, which may or may not be a Midwest thing, and if it was that big a deal it would be way more hard to reflect on like I’m doing here. I’ll probably just grab something to drink on the way home from work and evaluate my options. That sounds like pretty good motivation to make it through another day of work.

So much for keeping these entries short. More to come…

Definately wouldn't be able to talk...

I'm watching Studio 60 and as much as I hate to admit it I was getting kind of bored until who should pop up but the girl who played Dawn on The Office, whom I definately have a crush on which means I definately wouldn't be able to talk to her if I ever met her. She was also on Shawn of the Dead which is one of my favorite movies.

Somehow I ended up on YouTube and was watching clips of an old show called LateWorld with Zach which aired on VH1 for a very short time a very long time ago. It was hosted by Zach Galifianakis and they always had great music.

Helping Me Crawl...

Since this blog 'o mine is pretty much about my search for motivation in life which sounds over dramatic but that's the best way I can put it, I thought I would share some samples of things which get me through the day. Today is particularly strange at work and my short list for things to do tonight is helping me crawl through the afternoon, and there are two things in particular.

#1. Studio 60...
It's a TV show on the Sunset Strip on NBC. I really, really like this show. For years my mom was telling me to check out the West Wing and I just never got around to it so there was no way I was going to miss this show. The fact that it's subject matter is sketch comedy is just icing on the cake. I'm willing to bet that most people who are ragging on this show, even though it just got picked up into a full season, aren't even watching it. There are plenty of people who would rally against something in pop culture just because it's popular, and everyone who liked the Strokes after their first album and then all of the sudden said they didn't like the Strokes, I'm looking at you.

#2. Condiments
I'm currently crashing on a couch, a futon actually, as I hunt trough the streets of Chicago in search of an address of my own, hopefully with hardwood floors and big windows and the previous tenant left behind a bunch of bookshelves. Of course, when I say "hunt through the streets" I mean to say sit on the couch and look through Craigslist. My temp home is provided by a couple of friends I met through college friends a long time ago and with whom I have since become good friends. Got that? They have both been in Chicago a while and their refrigerator has acquired a healthy amount of condiments and sauces and other random good stuff. I bought some chicken the other night (very boring) cooked it (also boring) and then realized that I hadn't bought anything to put on top of it. In Iowa there is a fantastic barbecue sauce called Cookies, which you can't find in Chicago but it's pretty much my favorite. As the oven timer buzzed I started to feel a weird sense of homesick and missed the simplicity of having my own fridge with my own bottles in it and my own bed instead of a futon in a living room and so on and instead of using that as motivation to find an apartment where I could have my own bed and fridge with honey mustard I instead started to mope. However, this was over fast because as I opened the refrigerator door I began a new and surprising adventure in condiments which I'll continue tonight. Simple Pleasures. If anyone out there has a favorite condiment, I would love for the recommendation. Turns out there is a Trader Joe's near my temp house and I'm guessing they have something worth investigating, though I've never been to Trader Joe's but I've seen it on Food Network.

I need to figure out how to put substantial content into this blog rather than numbing rambles. Maybe I'll find inspiration in some condiments tonight. Thanks for reading. More to come.

Something to do...

Here starts my new adventure in blogging. Finally I'll have something to do at work.