Reading: I wasn't really paying attention to it, but now I see that my little babe goddess girlfriend has had me helping her subscribe to the newspaper for many months now. The only problem with this is that the newspaper is a bunch of hooey anyway. I stopped doing 'newspaper news' because of the "hooey-ness"; and it took too much of my time. But here I am still digging through the paper for more than just comics and sales ads. This is taking some time away from my ability to read books. Also; with my current ear issues, or "earssues", I haven't been going to/reading at pocket money. Look at me making all these excuses; I haven't been reading, okay? I MEANT to be reading, I WANT to be reading; I've got books out the wazoo, and still I am just a lazy, charismatic drunk. Maybe I could read at the bar...Wait; I'm 100 pages into "This Present Darkness".
Watching: Scrubs moved from Thursday to Tuesday; I would make some cute comments, but Scrubs is IT, okay? It's the LAST quality sit-com with excellent writing and connected themes. I actually pushed the buttons to re-program my VCR for Tuesday nights. At 4 pm, Static Girl and I try to catch the beginning of the "Ellen" show. And, without football, PTI is not as emotional--but still an excellent sports show. Watching/Hearing; at the start of the Buick Open golf tourney on tv, the background music was Cake's "The Distance"; did you catch that? I was impressed.
Hearing: In my room; Perfect Circle, Tool, Crystal Method, Everclear, Sugar "Copper Blue", and Robert Miles "Dreamland".
I heard ARS at Big Lots; Stevie Winwood at Safeway, and Dire Straits/Sting at Safeway, then Dido at the New China buffet--and they have vegan choices, too, if you know any vegans.
At work, they have Pink Floyd's "Pigs" on a disc! Along with all of the fine mix discs they have, they also have a few instrumental discs that make excellent background noise for a good selling environment. My neat little sales job takes music seriously, and I appreciate that.
What I want today: I should expect more from the people around me. See; some really dumb crap is still happening near here, and I just quit expecting good decisions to be made--and quit expecting people to be thankful that they have me in their lives. What I did, folks, was to lower my expectations--and that was wrong. I need to raise back my expectations so that I can watch people fall far short, and LAUGH at them/make fun of them. Hey; I surpass my own expectations. Kiss it, or miss it; baby.
New stuff this month or so: Please, God, give me back my left ear. Music is different, my taste buds are still off, "drunk" doesn't even feel the same anymore. In February we were forced into some "no frills" living for awhile. And this "no frills" is going to continue--whether I like it or not.
I hit a bit of "accomplishment turmoil" in that I have already written a couple of good poems this year; it may be impossible to impress myself at this point. Bummer (say it with me; "awww"). And then I wrote a decent Valentine's poem; so have no pity on W.C.'s writing ability; I am still the greatest unknown writer ever. I can even change characters in mid-sentence.
Was it 2 years ago that I made the complete switch from "tighty whitey" underwear to boxer briefs? See; that's a pretty big step--when you change over something from your daily life. Well, we have 2 major changes from last month: NO more cow milk, and NO more mayo. I can do rice or soy milk ("Horchata" at the 99cent store is good, too), and I can do mustard just fine. Did you know (I didn't) that mustard is actually GOOD for you? If losing cow milk does make me shit all over myself, then I will laugh and buy new boxer briefs. By the way; trying to smoke only "no additive" cigarettes is going (fairly) well. Natural American Spirits sent me a nice Zippo lighter, too. I'm a fire hazard, baby.
New food; "Frankenslaw", and new band name "Gobs of Resin"; never mind.
Toward the end of February, we finally bought the new computer. The explanation is condensed to #17 in the doubly 2004-updated "About Me" section. This is a fast computer; I got tired of waiting for whatever I was waiting for, spent my saved/available $300, and put some people to work! Still have my savings account , too, for the moment. This is 1 reason why we're still poor; the other (having to call off work a few times) reason is that I don't know how to take my own medicine; literally (The explanation is below in "Life With Static Girl".).
What's different here than in college town: Saw a tv commercial for a place called "Cool Cuts" out here. Kids play video games while they sit and get their hair cut by cute teenage girls. Shit; sign me up for that--now.
Oh, and a 30-pack of Bud Light is just $15.77 at the new Albertsons.
There are these 2 big gas-only gas stations out here; AM/PM, and QT. And they both usually have the lowest priced gas around...unless you do some driving + checking. It turns out that there's an Exxon fairly close that consistently sells their gas for a few cents less than even AM/PM. And this Exxon also does car repairs. I have a new gas station. Gas is $2 a gallon again. Athens always has such inexpensive gas.
Life with Static Girl: I haven't thanked her in a Sidebar yet for the wonderful care she has taken of me during my earssues. Thank you, baby. She doesn't jump up + down and scream about how great I am; she doesn't have to (I already know). But I DO have to jump up + down and scream about how great she is--because she still doesn't believe it.
Static Girl is the one who finally got my new computer sound running; her, and her alone. TPG got everything but the sound going. 1 real, live, "expert" could only point out what wasn't right--heck even I can do that. Her computer skills are to be commended.
Late in February, I found out that many of my ear complications are of my own doing; too much medicine, wrong times, showering right afterwards, sleeping on it, etc. I had to call off work 2 days in a row, 4 days total in February; and even with my explanations, Static Girl was not happy with me. I have been downgraded past "pet rock" all the way down to "room-mate" for only the 2nd time ever. Let's hope I can crawl out of this doghouse by mid-March. And, yes, let's hope my ear continues to heal--regardless of how badly I abuse it. It looks like my brush with being poor will be continuing until (forever) at least March 15th. And this little tidbit leads to a nice quote:
A thought to take with you: "It does the body and even the soul good to go without "luxury" sometimes. Just when you think you hit a rough spot you find out you don't have it so bad after all."--my brilliant FCP.
Reading: The newspaper, and not much else.
Watching: The Shield soon; March 9th, I think. I'll tell you about it; NOT! Scrubs, PTI, a little March Madness. And my newest tv trainwreck is "2 and a half Men"; where Charlie Sheen gets paid to act like the charismatic drunk he used to be--that's my Dreamjob, baby.
Hearing: At work, they play a Santana disc--not JUST "Black Magic Woman"; the whole disc is sweet. And Primus; "Jerry was a race car driver". Can your job do this?
Have I burned a CD yet? Oh I'm so excited. (Yes; we've burned a few CD's now. Whole CD's, mainly for my FCP; I haven't figured out how to make the Overnight "'Gasms" (O-gasms) from multi-discs yet. We'll get there. The Cure, Smashing Pumpkins, and Buddy Guy compilations are coming soon.)
On tv--in commercials; "Pictures of You" by the Cure, "Blitzkrieg Pop" by the Ramones, "Ballroom Blitz" by Sweet, "Surrender" by Cheap Trick--but it's not Cheap Trick playing the song in the tv commercial (I guess Cheap Trick did not give final approval; good for them. And in their honor, I sat in my room and listened to every note of their "At Budokan" concert.). Similarly, K-Mart is now trashing a non-Jesus Jones version of "Right Here, Right Now" in a stupid new commercial.
Other music played in my room; wait, I have it on tape, but how do I NOT have the Cure's "Disintegration" on disc? Static Girl doesn't either? I live in a house with no "Disintegration" on disc? Kill me now. Improvise; the Cure's "Bloodflowers" is excellent (but it ain't no Disintegration), and the Cure's "Wish" is always fantastic. I own more Cure discs than anybody else I know, but I don't have the big "D" (I am officially on a Cure binge now; Sideshow, Galore, Paris.), also played the Depeche Mode tribute CD, and TPG's "Before X" disc. Yawn. How can I look at so many CD's and not know what I want to hear?
On the radio; "Last Train Home"--Lost Prophets; "Until the Day I Die"--Story of the Year. And 311 has their own excellent version of the Cure's "Lovesong". In a radio commercial for the new Jim Carrey "Eternal Sunshine..." movie, ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky" was the background noise; I was impressed (ELO will never get erased from MY memory.). Same day, I heard Boston's "More Than A Feeling" at my bank. Can your bank do that?
What I want today: I'm about ready to kick my 3 jobs in the ass. Being an assistant loan officer is okay--and fairly dependable low income. Being a Note Broker is trickier (and requires study--booo), but has better financial rewards from the very first deal. Being an IBO in the dream-building business is going to take the longest--but reward the most. I want to get all 3 of them cooking! It's not me that's holding back here; when the morons of my immediate present start paying me back--it will gel. That's what I want, okay? "Gel". We just have to get this money "lack" turned into a money "a-bundance" ("bun dance"? Did you like that?), and then everything else will be...a..."bun dance". Damn I'm creative. And speaking of "bun dance";
What I want today? As mentioned in a few e-mails to a few people I e-mail too, I would like to have MORE sex and LESS beer in my life; I'm not an alcoholic by CHOICE. There! I said it, and I feel better. Bite me. "Smoke" is an ongoing issue with no easy solution; but I could easily trade half of my beer consumption for some more naked frequencies. "Naked Frequencies" would be a great band name, too. I'm spittin' diamonds over here.
It's Sidebar 60, and I want a 60GB hard drive. Coincidence?
New stuff this month or so: New computer--with a 90GB hard drive, fixed ear (well, sort of), worker's comp lawyers(?), still broke. I am no longer the kind of guy who can smoke stems and resin all night; this "discovery" caused me to rethink my views on partying, and began what I now call the "upgrade" of myself. Health trick of the month; eliminating excess sugar. I'm drinking these "Mad River" fruit fusions with lunch at work (no more Mountain Dew). Bought some blue packets to mix into my coffee. And we're going to stop eating chocolate at night. This should make a difference. 4 sets of sit-ups in the workout, not just 3.
What's different here than in college town: Beer is cheaper, and gas is more expensive. These 99cent stores are the greatest things ever--and they sure don't have 'em in Georgia.
Life with Static Girl: She broke up with me for like, a week, and I couldn't buy a date. So I cooked and cleaned, and did mad mood swings to bring her back (I'm such a girl). Then I made that discovery of who I no longer am--and she broke up with me AGAIN; so she helped to force me into the "upgrade". Hey; she's fantastic. She's been very helpful with my new ear/computer, and continues to set the finest example imaginable for an adult vegan female that ANYBODY would be proud to know. It's too bad that she hates people, because she could easily be president. Lucky for me; I get her ALL to myself. Nyaaa.
A thought to take with you: "Life isn't like a box of chocolates...it's more like a jar of jalapenos. What you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow." That came in an e-mail from STT.
We also have a bumper sticker right here in our apartments that I have fallen in love with--even though I hate children. With a backdrop of buidings built side-by-side it says "Mommy, what were trees?" On this same car is a variation of a previous winner "Can't feed 'em, Don't breed 'em", and beside that sticker (just to piss my girlfriend off) is one that says "Vegetarians taste better".
On an old Volvo, tricked out to be a cool car for a college-aged kid, parked next to me at Walgreens, there was a sticker that said "Stupidity should be Painful". I couldn't agree more.
On "Scrubs"; Dr. Cox was frustrated with J.D., and said to him "Let me go ahead and tee this up for you there, Annika; we are ALL going to die someday. For the lucky few of us it will be nice and fast. But for most of us it will be just as long and slow and painful as a conversation with you."
Okay, okay; one quote from a smart guy: "It is my view that the vegetarian manner of living...would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind."--Albert Einstein
Reading: I haven't forgotten how to read, I just don't read much other than the paper right now. And my memory is fading out. And the paper sucks. We just subscribe to it so the guinea pigs can have bedding. I need to get back into my "Darkness" book.
Watching: Comedy Central, the only tv channel with occaisional episodes of "Sportsnight", is doing a 5-part special on the 100 best stand-up comics of all time. I enjoyed a couple hours of it. They'll have to repeat it.
Hearing: In my room, the latest and greatest addition is the Crystal Method compilation sent to me by my FCP. She must really like me alot!
At work; 2wice now I have heard Lindsey Buckingham's "Trouble", which I have always loved. I've also heard dance mixes of: Stevie Nicks' "Stand Back", Bryan Adams' "Heaven", and APP's "Games People Play"; even a dancey do-over of "Strawberry Letter 22", and Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody to Love".
On the radio: (everybody's favorite college band) Modest Mouse now has a song (Float On) in rotation at my Independent 103.9 radio station; you've heard it by now. It ain't no "Doin' the Cockroach", but it's good. Go Modest Mouse!
What I want today: Money, drugs, a new queen-sized bed, and an anti-gravity propulsion space ship like on that "Black Vault" website (And here I've been, saying for 30 years that perpetual motion is a given. And I'm right; it IS a given, duh. However, I'm stuck down here on terra firma; THESE cats have been doing remote-viewing and mental text transfers, setting up to create a fuel-less space ship. Wow. I don't know why my brain didn't move on to the new battlefield--like theirs did. Maybe I'm still looking for solutions HERE, on the EARTH, before I go Wal-Marting into space travel.)
New stuff this month or so: Speaking of, the super Wal-Mart that put the Crooked Sky Garden out of business opened up; 8000 people applied for the 525 jobs available. Side note; this IS your big example, okay? The organic hippie Garden was levelled, and will be paved over to create an over-flow parking lot for the Wal-Mart. Do you hear that Counting Crows song playing in the background? I do.
It ain't bragging if you can do it: I've had 3.1 and 2.8 billion as the top 2 scores on A-13 pinball for over a month. Then I got 669 million for #1 on Southpark pinball. I also had a -20 game (on the card) of Golden Tee 2005.
In mid-April, I got 4 next-day Leads on 1 Sunday (that's pretty good). Nobody else in the room even had 3 total.
What's different here than in college town: College town life is a beautiful little fake picture of a temporary world where everybody is young, cute, drunk, and frisky. I didn't know how good I had it. Or maybe I did.
Life with Static Girl: She is always there for me. All I have to do is just look at her, and all of a sudden I'm not so disappointed anymore. She's the only reason I haven't started killing yet. And she's forgiving, too. She has to constantly forgive me, and listen to me make those SOP alcoholic lies: "I am not a drunk!". Oh man; hers is a rough road to run.
A thought to take with you: "Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body; but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming,'Wow! What a Ride!'"--unknown (This is an e-mail forwarded quote--I live for shit like this!)
On PTI, after coming back from a commercial, TK said "Put down those horse tranquilizers, kiddies, it's time for heads on sticks." I am so easily amused.
Reading: Back into "This Present Darkness"; it's a great read. I've kind of missed it. And then I got to borrow Michael Moore's latest book, "Dude, Where's My Country?".
Watching: Hockey and basketball playoffs at the bar. I only watch baseball as complete background crap--usually Diamondbacks losses; I don't even care that Griffey Jr. is on a streak. Scrubs went away for sweeps; why? The Shield, PTI, and the Ellen show. Sat and watched almost all of "Tootsie" with my girl--that was fun. Watched "Rush" alone; people who do coke are funny.
Watching and Hearing: PBS' May 27th "Frontline: The Way the Music Died" was excellent. I feel even more sorry for recording artists now than I do for downsized radio personalities; at least we have comedy and phone sales. We've all now learned the hard way that choosing music as a profession is a bad idea. If I could go back and do it all again, I'd choose physical therapy as my life's work.
Hearing: At work, ELO's "Don't Bring Me Down", Cheap Trick's "The Flame", Meatloaf and Megadeth.
On the radio; Hoobastank's "The Reason", the Cure's new "End of the World" song, Audioslave is up to single #5 from their debut album now, Velvet Revolver (1 of the 2 artists profiled in that Frontline show) is Guns + Roses with Scott Weiland (former frontman for Stone Temple Pilots) singing--that should pretty much be the band to end all bands; they're all rich, famous, and um, junkies--they know how to get it done; they have 2 songs on the radio now. My independent Alternative station is doing another "grass roots" weekend, with lots of early 90's music that I know well.
Big Country at the 99cent store, and me saying 'hey this was only 19 years ago'--oops. This just in; I'm old.
In my room; both "A Perfect Circle" albums, Stabbing Westward's "Ungod", the Eletronic tribute to Pink Floyd, and that same Crystal Method disc (more thanks to my FCP) about 9 thousand times.
What I want today: To rant, apparently. If things aren't working out the way you planned, then maybe you need to change what you're doing. I had a whole new revelation of how people are stupid; and I figured out that the 2 most important things in your daily routine are your bed, and your water. And then there's this guy who owes me money who has now also started lying to me every time he opens his mouth; so what'd I do? I stopped talking to him. That was easy.
New stuff this month or so: It's my 3-year anniversary of pocket money, and with it a good physical. A new bed, a queen-sized back-supporter this time, and with a frame that won't let it sag. A real savings account is now mine (soon), as well. And my weight had gotten back under that pesky 208 barrier--for awhile, now we need to get back into the gym. Got my 2nd epideral shot; that, along with the bed, and my back should be as good as it will get. Hey; I didn't work even 1 of the 5 Mondays in May--how cool is that? From 7.7 down to 2.6 billion, I have all 6 high scores on A-13 pinball (again).
What's different here than in college town: Liquor stores don't cash paychecks out here. And that's really weird because most drug stores sell liquor, so do most supermarkets. Hell, Wal-Mart even sells liquor out here. Booze is very prominent in Arizona. Pot and pills are pretty easy to get, too. What was I talking about? From Athens, I miss: Steverino's, Taco Stand, downtown, Guthries, and China Boat. More later.
Life with Static Girl: She's been pretty impressed with me 80% of the time--she likes the improvement stages I go through. It's like the lyrics of that song "The Reason"; she makes me want to be better. You can't ask for more than that from a girlfriend. Let me say that again: "She makes me want to be better. You can't ask for more than that from a girlfriend.". I do keep screwing up with the partying, but at least I want to do better (I used to not give a shit what other people think--remember?).
A thought to take with you: "I'll take requests soon, but until then, this is a professional fucking rock show." -Art Alexakis (Everclear frontman, onstage, during a concert).
Watching: On Sci-fi, a 2-hour show on the science of crop circles had multiple visual footage of the 'intelligent acting' "balls of light" that coincide with crop circle formation. Eerie, weird; fucking neat-o, dude!
Regular tv; PTI, Ellen re-runs; when does football season start?
Movies: watched "Bicentennial Man" on the warped tour with my girlfriend (wow), "28 Days Later" sucked indie ass, we will get through all 3 Jurassic Park movies soon.
Movies on the big screen: Farenheit 911 (it's so good that it'scary)
Hearing:
At work; Crystal Method; my disc, and music from the "Blade" soundtrack, Tom Petty's "Boys of Summer" (sung by Don H.), Zeppelin's "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You", assorted Joe Satriani, "Tom Sawyer" by Rush, lots of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Molly Hatchet, some kind of full-length jazzy instrumental album (that I love), and Herbie Hancock's "Rocket", too. Can your job do this?
At the 99cent store; Smashing Pumpkins "Tonight Tonight"
On the radio; Dashboard Confessional's "Vindicated", new 311 "First Straw", new Bad Religion that sounds like every other Bad Religion song, "Time is Running Out" by Muse,
In my room; Robert Schimmel comedy, Evanescence, Fig Dish
Oh by the way: Speaking of Fig Dish (now "Caviar"), E-Rock assures that the new Caviar CD will be released on his Aezra record label in late July. So it's only a year late? Cool; that's just like a real record label.
From the Aezra website: "Caviar are gearing up for their first exciting release on Aezra records; an album with a vibe every bit as luxurious as their culinary namesake. Entitled “The Thin Mercury Sound”, Caviar’s music is complimented with smooth, clean graphics currently being finalized for the July 27th release."
This year's Lollapalooza has been cancelled, due to low ticket sales. Bummer. But without Jane's Addiction and Smashing Pumpkins, what is the show?
What I want today: I'm having concerns about my employment situation; it doesn't do anything for the future. But then again, the future is not well-anticipated either.
New stuff this month or so: New? Shit, man, whatever.
What's different here than in college town: I drove by this bar, way down south on my 7th st., it's called "Waynes", and they brag about opening at 6 am. What kind of alcoholic do you need to be to start drinking at 6 am? Wait; I used to do that. Never mind. 3 6-packs of Bud sell for less than $12 at a "Clerks" store near my Medieval Madness landromat; but why not just go ahead and buy a case for $15?
Life with Static Girl: I've been cooking with lemon juice--she loves that.
A thought to take with you: Many! It starts with 2 book quotes from a different book, quoting them! Confused? Don't be; from Michael Moore's book "Dude Where's My Country?", he references Orwell's "1984" many times, here are 2 good ones to help you sleep at night:
1. "The two aims of the Party are to conquer the whole surface of the earth and to extinguish once and for all the possibility of independent thought."
and
2. "All that was required of them (us) was a primitive patriotism which could be appealed to whenever it was necessary to make them (us) accept longer working hours or shorter rations."
I am forced to listen to the beginnings of nearly 2000 answering machine messages a week at work. The fact that it has taken over a year for just ONE of them to be memorable enough to mention here shows how boring you idiots are: "Hey this is Jason, and the SLUT doesn't live here anymore! Leave a message." Go Jason.
"The great mass of people...will more readily fall victim to a big lie than to a small one."--Adolph Hitler
Reading: The Fred website, the newspaper, and a new sales book "The Art of Closing Any Deal" by James W. Pickens (I THOUGHT it was the book that 1 of my new bosses recommended, but it's just a very similarly titled one. However, it's a great book, and I score points with the boss for making the effort to act on his suggestion.)
Watching: VH-1 is catching all kinds of feedback for their newest series "I Love the 90's". I've seen 3 of them; they're not bad. Denis Leary's "Rescue Me" on cable's F/X is excellent--when I remember to tape it. Network tv makes me shudder. I missed a Scrubs marathon? Oops. See; I just shuddered again.
Hearing: In my room; Everclear, Freddy Jones, Knapsack, where's my Secret World Peter Gabriel? Got it. "Just give me some steam!" Yeah, baby. I even did a Deftones dance, too. (Writing or not writing, I'm still listening to some great music.) With 4 Crystal Method discs to choose from, eeny-meeny...Smashing Pumpkins "Machina", and both of my Caviar CD's. (While we're waiting on the new "official" Caviar CD to come out, an e-mailer who claims to be the Aunt of a 3PN band member told me to get ready for a new 3 Penny Needle CD as well. Yeah baby! Shit; it's like 1996 all over again. I wonder if Crumb also has a new release planned.) So we'll have to play the Brand New Worries 3PN CD now.
I heard some Boz Skaggs at Sweet Tomatos, Toto at Big Lots, and different ARS--"Imaginary Lover" while eating a bacon and guacamole $6 burger at Carl's Jr.!
8 of the next 10 big acts to come and play in Phoenix are 80's bands. Wait; I forgot the B-52's; that's 9 of the next 11. Re-runs-R-US. Get-R-Done.
The radio is alive with many good things. My Independent Edge 103.9 is going DJ-hush now, with promos about how they're going to start all over from scratch. Maybe I should let them know I'm still available. Or not; I don't know--I'm certainly not going to live my life out of a radio station again.
What I want today: I want some meaning, or a big sack of money.
New stuff this month or so: My illustrious phone job at MIC had 10 months to re-promote me after the last time, and they did not. I'm a commodity; remember that--if you want to keep me around, then you're going to have to recognize me. So I quit! And I did it on my terms--I didn't wait for a tap on the shoulder. The old place is suffering, too. I was the most entertaining person on their floor (big shock); I bet they regret it now. The new job has greater potential, is inbound, has better hours, no Sundays, and is in a better building. As soon as I get the motions down, look out! They actually need a trainer of new employees, and all of the guys read self-help and sales books.
I mentioned the new Caviar CD, and hopefully a new 3PN CD, as well. That counts as new stuff, right?
Brett Hull, who turns 40 on August 9th, hmmm, may wind up playing for Phoenix next year--that's IF there IS a next year for hockey.
What's different here than in college town: I may have had it right--before the millenium. If life really is doomed, as it does appear to be, then living at Steverino's in Athens, GA with no direction was a pretty good idea. Georgia doesn't have 2000 illegal immigrants invading it everyday, and Steverino's possibly has the best wings ever, a 50-inch Zenith tv, pinball and Golden Tee.
Life with Static Girl: I offered to wash her car.
A thought to take with you: From my new hero, Fred, I put quotes on the brilliance, and then repeat it. He was listing reasons why we're all screwed up here in America.
(11) Finally, people do not want freedom. They want comfort, two hundred channels on the cable, sex, drugs, rock-and-roll, an easy job and an SUV. "No country with really elaborate home-theater has ever risen in revolt." An awful lot of people secretly like being told what to do. We would probably be happier with a king.
"No country with really elaborate home-theater has ever risen in revolt."