8.20.2006
It's best if you catch it mid-stream.
Q: Whatcha gonna do when you get out of jail?
A: I'm gonna have some fun!
Q: Are we not men?
A: We are Devo!
These are the only questions I could come up with when I asked myself about the basic inquires one might have about life.....
Stream of consciousness is interesting, I guess. The other things that came to mind were cod heads and pico-Pika...like, if Pikachu were diced, mixed with jalepenos and served as an ethnic salsa dish. It'd be an nice color, too...red and yellow....like the old Houston Rocket's uniforms.
One might dervive from this so-called "stream" that I'm obsessed, at least subconsciously, with food and pop culture. And, to this, I'd have to say:
Eh, probably.
On this note, I could probably go on a rant on why I *generally* despise the television...and, on a lesser level, the movies...and on a lesser level still, the music...but, it might as well all be the same giant mass of conglomerated soap bars as far as I'm concerned.
I take that back. I like music...even if it means having to deal with a fuck-load of stuff I don't like...and...oooookay...there's some television that I like, too....and probably some movies.
God damnit! I can stick to my guns...
Back to the stream...I really feel like singing Air Supply's "You're Every Woman in the World" in karaoke right now...and further down the stream, if you used a bamboo-rod with a decently crafted fly, you might be able to pull us back up to Devo.
That's a very strong IF.
So. De-evolution was the idea behind Devo...not too much thought should be spent on that, particularly....it's just that their music is so damn awesome and generally manages to follow this theme throughout their career. In their song "Gut Feeling", they use...what appears to be...a series of "figures of speech" or at least slight modifications of popular idioms...
I guess if you look at the song from this light, one might even conclude that the author can no longer express his feelings in his own words.
This is just my observation...but, I'm not trying to say that I'm the ONLY one that's thought this...I haven't done much research on the idea.
Why do I keep talking about this? Basically, I've spent the past 10 years (...maybe more...Gawd. I don't even know.) thinking about this shit...and, what still gets me about it, was that it was just allowed to happen.
It wasn't surrounded by media hype...multi-media reinforcement...product placement...celebrity endorcement, RIAA scrutiny, or consumer-end merchandising.
Devo's inception was pre-MTV. Pre-Star Wars. Pre-World Interweb...shit, pre-personal computer...And, sure, it's not that big of deal. But, what do you think would happen if some of their music were released today?
I guess that's what really worries me...that there will never again be any idea or a bit of imagination that doesn't draw attention before it's time...thereby, resulting in the death of a creation.
Yeah, a whole-lotta-angst with no perceivable action...including, a whole-lotta-streamy!! Just to rub it in, I'm not gonna spell check.
A: I'm gonna have some fun!
Q: Are we not men?
A: We are Devo!
These are the only questions I could come up with when I asked myself about the basic inquires one might have about life.....
Stream of consciousness is interesting, I guess. The other things that came to mind were cod heads and pico-Pika...like, if Pikachu were diced, mixed with jalepenos and served as an ethnic salsa dish. It'd be an nice color, too...red and yellow....like the old Houston Rocket's uniforms.
One might dervive from this so-called "stream" that I'm obsessed, at least subconsciously, with food and pop culture. And, to this, I'd have to say:
Eh, probably.
On this note, I could probably go on a rant on why I *generally* despise the television...and, on a lesser level, the movies...and on a lesser level still, the music...but, it might as well all be the same giant mass of conglomerated soap bars as far as I'm concerned.
I take that back. I like music...even if it means having to deal with a fuck-load of stuff I don't like...and...oooookay...there's some television that I like, too....and probably some movies.
God damnit! I can stick to my guns...
Back to the stream...I really feel like singing Air Supply's "You're Every Woman in the World" in karaoke right now...and further down the stream, if you used a bamboo-rod with a decently crafted fly, you might be able to pull us back up to Devo.
That's a very strong IF.
So. De-evolution was the idea behind Devo...not too much thought should be spent on that, particularly....it's just that their music is so damn awesome and generally manages to follow this theme throughout their career. In their song "Gut Feeling", they use...what appears to be...a series of "figures of speech" or at least slight modifications of popular idioms...
I guess if you look at the song from this light, one might even conclude that the author can no longer express his feelings in his own words.
This is just my observation...but, I'm not trying to say that I'm the ONLY one that's thought this...I haven't done much research on the idea.
Why do I keep talking about this? Basically, I've spent the past 10 years (...maybe more...Gawd. I don't even know.) thinking about this shit...and, what still gets me about it, was that it was just allowed to happen.
It wasn't surrounded by media hype...multi-media reinforcement...product placement...celebrity endorcement, RIAA scrutiny, or consumer-end merchandising.
Devo's inception was pre-MTV. Pre-Star Wars. Pre-World Interweb...shit, pre-personal computer...And, sure, it's not that big of deal. But, what do you think would happen if some of their music were released today?
I guess that's what really worries me...that there will never again be any idea or a bit of imagination that doesn't draw attention before it's time...thereby, resulting in the death of a creation.
Yeah, a whole-lotta-angst with no perceivable action...including, a whole-lotta-streamy!! Just to rub it in, I'm not gonna spell check.
8.18.2006
Muther-fuker...I'm tired today.
Probably not as tired as Tiny Robot right now, but still...validly tired.
I spent six muther-fukin' hours in a muther-funkin' movie theater last night watching Snakes on a Plane doubled-billed with a variety of SOAP spoofs.
It was a good time, but...by the end...I was ready for my parents to come pick me up from this Key Club lock-in. I can't handle six hours of ANYTHING...
So...that alone doesn't really answer why I'm tired today. I'm partially employed..I can basically sleep in whenever I choose. But, in reality, my roommate and her boyfriend are apparently going through a (yet another) breakup.
This sucks for many reason, obviously, outside of my selfish issues...but, inside of me, I was awoken a total of three times in the wee hours of the morning to violent banging on the front door followed by angry tire screeches...
Yes...I believe I've been fully desensitized to living in the ghetto because even the first time didn't really scare me...I just wanted to sleep.
In other news:
-Peace Corps sent me back my dental records yesterday. Final Decision--->my wisdom teeth need to come out. Anyone know a good discount oral surgeon?
-my brother's getting married. It's so cute...of course, I'll be out of the country whenever it happens...but, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it
-it's hot outside...all the time...my truck has no A/C...how long can this go on?
-the School District started classes last week. So, instead of being partially employed, I really need to step up and start working the two jobs again. Gee...that just sounds like too much fun. Plus, because my truck has no A/C, I'm basically going to have to change into my work clothes when I arrive on campus or become confident enough to go to work drenched in sweat....and lace...
Ok...no lace.
-I'm going to Florida next week. Holida-ay! Celebra-ate! Gainsville, specifically...to chill out with my wily astrophysicist friend and her law school sidekick.
-many other things too...1) I'm moving, in a sense, but still going to be dealing with this house....I should be more packed than I am. 2) My head hurts...I've been an asshole in breaking up with my lady friend...my conscious tells me it's the right thing to do, but it doesn't suck any less.
Well, I'm going to read...I'm determined to finish this 500 page book before it's due at the library on Tuesday...I'm preoccupied with it, and if I don't finish it, I think I'm going to enter an OCD fit.
Probably not as tired as Tiny Robot right now, but still...validly tired.
I spent six muther-fukin' hours in a muther-funkin' movie theater last night watching Snakes on a Plane doubled-billed with a variety of SOAP spoofs.
It was a good time, but...by the end...I was ready for my parents to come pick me up from this Key Club lock-in. I can't handle six hours of ANYTHING...
So...that alone doesn't really answer why I'm tired today. I'm partially employed..I can basically sleep in whenever I choose. But, in reality, my roommate and her boyfriend are apparently going through a (yet another) breakup.
This sucks for many reason, obviously, outside of my selfish issues...but, inside of me, I was awoken a total of three times in the wee hours of the morning to violent banging on the front door followed by angry tire screeches...
Yes...I believe I've been fully desensitized to living in the ghetto because even the first time didn't really scare me...I just wanted to sleep.
In other news:
-Peace Corps sent me back my dental records yesterday. Final Decision--->my wisdom teeth need to come out. Anyone know a good discount oral surgeon?
-my brother's getting married. It's so cute...of course, I'll be out of the country whenever it happens...but, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it
-it's hot outside...all the time...my truck has no A/C...how long can this go on?
-the School District started classes last week. So, instead of being partially employed, I really need to step up and start working the two jobs again. Gee...that just sounds like too much fun. Plus, because my truck has no A/C, I'm basically going to have to change into my work clothes when I arrive on campus or become confident enough to go to work drenched in sweat....and lace...
Ok...no lace.
-I'm going to Florida next week. Holida-ay! Celebra-ate! Gainsville, specifically...to chill out with my wily astrophysicist friend and her law school sidekick.
-many other things too...1) I'm moving, in a sense, but still going to be dealing with this house....I should be more packed than I am. 2) My head hurts...I've been an asshole in breaking up with my lady friend...my conscious tells me it's the right thing to do, but it doesn't suck any less.
Well, I'm going to read...I'm determined to finish this 500 page book before it's due at the library on Tuesday...I'm preoccupied with it, and if I don't finish it, I think I'm going to enter an OCD fit.
8.14.2006
I am sooooo out of touch...
Brief story:
I was at the grocery store today.
While I bathed in the warmth of florescent lights--mind entranced by the rhythmic BEEP.....BEEP.....BEEP.....of the cashier's barcode scanner--I perused the impulse-buy library that's so conveniently placed next to the checkout counter.
Usually, nothing catches my conscious eye..."LOSE WEIGHT! No diet or exercise..in 3 hours!" "TomKat's baby Suri...is she a hoax?"....Oprah's O magazine had something to say about how we treat our partners in a relationship...and then I see: "Sharon is dead!"
Suddenly, I snapped out of it, and I though, "Oh my GOD! Ariel Sharon is dead?!? How can this be?...I just read the news a few hours ago...or...maybe he was already dead and I'm thinking of another controversial leader on the brink of expiring...OR maybe.....wait, hold on a second...."
Upon closer inspection of my choice of informational media, I saw that I was actually reading the cover of a Soap Opera digest. Apparently, Sharon from TV's "Young and the Restless" is dead...or dying...or missing and presumed dead.
I honestly can't say I investigated any further.
My fears quelled, I laughed a bit and realized that I really should be watching more TV if I expect to keep up with the events that surround my life.
I was at the grocery store today.
While I bathed in the warmth of florescent lights--mind entranced by the rhythmic BEEP.....BEEP.....BEEP.....of the cashier's barcode scanner--I perused the impulse-buy library that's so conveniently placed next to the checkout counter.
Usually, nothing catches my conscious eye..."LOSE WEIGHT! No diet or exercise..in 3 hours!" "TomKat's baby Suri...is she a hoax?"....Oprah's O magazine had something to say about how we treat our partners in a relationship...and then I see: "Sharon is dead!"
Suddenly, I snapped out of it, and I though, "Oh my GOD! Ariel Sharon is dead?!? How can this be?...I just read the news a few hours ago...or...maybe he was already dead and I'm thinking of another controversial leader on the brink of expiring...OR maybe.....wait, hold on a second...."
Upon closer inspection of my choice of informational media, I saw that I was actually reading the cover of a Soap Opera digest. Apparently, Sharon from TV's "Young and the Restless" is dead...or dying...or missing and presumed dead.
I honestly can't say I investigated any further.
My fears quelled, I laughed a bit and realized that I really should be watching more TV if I expect to keep up with the events that surround my life.
8.06.2006
Break it down again...
I'd like to get out of town.
I dread going into work...all twenty hours that I put in a week. I spend most of it reading and karaoke-singing/cleaning to BOB FM.
Yes, I still work at a pizzeria...and, no, the basic functioning of this type of restaurant hasn't changed since the last time you visited...
It's just that business is s-l-o-w this time of year. As opposed to this time LAST year, when I was working at a restaurant that was crazy-busy in the summer.
A time for reflection...I suppose. But, no...not really. I...NEED to get out of town.
I've been feeling this for several weeks.
The Peace Corps stuff has come to a lull while I await the very last, tiny test result to come in (and even after that, it's more waiting...), school is about to start and I can't decide whether I'm really looking forward to working as a costumed-prison-warden again...or dreading my non-educator employment...
Gah. Moving. There's that too....I'd like it to just happen. Like, one day I'm at my house, and the next day, I'm not! And...if I play my cards right, it just might work out that way...
...all this, and I still feel like the future is Jell-O...and not your fun-lovin' Bill Cosby puddin' pop Jell-O...but, rather, the scary pear-cube-laden-molds that rest upon a table of less thanks and more giving (Christ. Use your imagination..).
..and, I'm just starting to believe that...sure, I don't have it that bad, but it's hard to get a genuine smile on my face.
Eh. Mediocrity works. I'm still alive, right?
I worked for six hours tonight, but it felt like nine...or at least seven and a half. Again, I pretty much just read and hung out...by the end of the night, all "work" had been done and there were a few bike-riding-customers hanging around the shop come closing time.
Nice guys, they were....asked me to give them and their bikes a ride home for a ten dollar bill in my favor. I didn't really see how it could hurt...I have a truck, the bikes fit and so did they...so yeah. Why not?
I checked out of work and casually mentioned to my shift-leader that she should probably tell someone if I didn't show up to work in the next few days, but, really, not to worry...these three guys had just put down an equal number of pizzas...and couldn't have been any older than 20...maybe.
Anyway. It's not that exciting. I gave them a cautious ride home (as I get a little nervous when there's live cargo in my pickup bed) and dropped them off at the Chili's on 45th street. One of the guys handed me the promised bill...we exchanged a few chatty words and then parted ways.
So, I get home and empty my pockets only to discover that they had given me a twenty instead of a ten! Well...damn. I felt kinda guilty...I should've looked at the money and offered them change...or something...but, I didn't. I just pocketed the bill...as it's habit.
A three mile ride is hardly worth twenty bucks but, I didn't really know what to do. I had a brief exchange of first names with these guys...but, I'm pretty bad about paying attention to that kind of shit. I'm a third-meeting-gets-the-name-down kind of person.
So, I did what any thoughtful, twenty-something Austinite would do: I posted a Missed Connection on Craigslist...
I figured that would suffice...at least, for my consciences' well-being. But, hey! Next thing I know, I done got a reply!
His email..I just thought this was so damn cute....or, maybe, a reaffirmation of humanity:
hey how funny... dont worry about the change we all decided it was worth
the extra ten.
we had eaten a bunch of ganja food earlier and were way fucked up.. we
werent looking forward to the ride at all.
thanx a bunch for the ride, nice to know theres still nice people in austin.
Anyway. It put one of those things on my face that appears without forethought...oh yeah! A genuine smile...
I dread going into work...all twenty hours that I put in a week. I spend most of it reading and karaoke-singing/cleaning to BOB FM.
Yes, I still work at a pizzeria...and, no, the basic functioning of this type of restaurant hasn't changed since the last time you visited...
It's just that business is s-l-o-w this time of year. As opposed to this time LAST year, when I was working at a restaurant that was crazy-busy in the summer.
A time for reflection...I suppose. But, no...not really. I...NEED to get out of town.
I've been feeling this for several weeks.
The Peace Corps stuff has come to a lull while I await the very last, tiny test result to come in (and even after that, it's more waiting...), school is about to start and I can't decide whether I'm really looking forward to working as a costumed-prison-warden again...or dreading my non-educator employment...
Gah. Moving. There's that too....I'd like it to just happen. Like, one day I'm at my house, and the next day, I'm not! And...if I play my cards right, it just might work out that way...
...all this, and I still feel like the future is Jell-O...and not your fun-lovin' Bill Cosby puddin' pop Jell-O...but, rather, the scary pear-cube-laden-molds that rest upon a table of less thanks and more giving (Christ. Use your imagination..).
..and, I'm just starting to believe that...sure, I don't have it that bad, but it's hard to get a genuine smile on my face.
Eh. Mediocrity works. I'm still alive, right?
I worked for six hours tonight, but it felt like nine...or at least seven and a half. Again, I pretty much just read and hung out...by the end of the night, all "work" had been done and there were a few bike-riding-customers hanging around the shop come closing time.
Nice guys, they were....asked me to give them and their bikes a ride home for a ten dollar bill in my favor. I didn't really see how it could hurt...I have a truck, the bikes fit and so did they...so yeah. Why not?
I checked out of work and casually mentioned to my shift-leader that she should probably tell someone if I didn't show up to work in the next few days, but, really, not to worry...these three guys had just put down an equal number of pizzas...and couldn't have been any older than 20...maybe.
Anyway. It's not that exciting. I gave them a cautious ride home (as I get a little nervous when there's live cargo in my pickup bed) and dropped them off at the Chili's on 45th street. One of the guys handed me the promised bill...we exchanged a few chatty words and then parted ways.
So, I get home and empty my pockets only to discover that they had given me a twenty instead of a ten! Well...damn. I felt kinda guilty...I should've looked at the money and offered them change...or something...but, I didn't. I just pocketed the bill...as it's habit.
A three mile ride is hardly worth twenty bucks but, I didn't really know what to do. I had a brief exchange of first names with these guys...but, I'm pretty bad about paying attention to that kind of shit. I'm a third-meeting-gets-the-name-down kind of person.
So, I did what any thoughtful, twenty-something Austinite would do: I posted a Missed Connection on Craigslist...
I figured that would suffice...at least, for my consciences' well-being. But, hey! Next thing I know, I done got a reply!
His email..I just thought this was so damn cute....or, maybe, a reaffirmation of humanity:
hey how funny... dont worry about the change we all decided it was worth
the extra ten.
we had eaten a bunch of ganja food earlier and were way fucked up.. we
werent looking forward to the ride at all.
thanx a bunch for the ride, nice to know theres still nice people in austin.
Anyway. It put one of those things on my face that appears without forethought...oh yeah! A genuine smile...
