This sign is posted outside of a 7-11 that I go to with some regularity. Somehow, I had not noticed the sign until this morning. It's the eyes that really get me. The graphic designers involved in making this clearly decided to go for the classic dystopian future look.
If anyone has finds other images in this vein, please send 'em this way. I'd like to put together a whole gallery.
While house/cat-sitting this week, I spent a bit of time importing some music into my iTunes -- much of it 80's pop and rock. A good deal of that is stuff I've gotten on vinyl but hadn't until now bothered to track down digital versions. One of the things I imported was Darwin's Theory Of Pelvic Revolution by Urban Guerrillas -- a fairly obscure Minneapolis new-wave-ish band from the early-80's. My friends Kelly and Laura, who I am house/cat-sitting for, introduced me to them many, many years ago -- probably somewhat around the previous time I house-sat for them (which was, I believe, the summer of 1997). The album was not, to my knowledge, ever released on CD -- the copy I imported was a rip of the vinyl. Speaking of which, I was so overjoyed at being reminded about this band that I had to see if anyone had a copy of the vinyl on Ebay -- and indeed there were a few floating around. I managed to find one cheap one, so we'll see what the condition is like when it shows up in the mail sometime this week. Someone remind me that I need to pester my friend (and fellow midwesterner and music geek) if he remembers these guys. I'm willing to bet he does.
UPDATED: Here's the link to download the whole album.
A crazy person on the L train mumbled the following statement to another rider, and I was lucky enough to overhear:
Man, you gots to learn yo' math-a-matics, 'cuz you ain't no Casanova.
Words of wisdom, to be sure. In fact, later that evening, in his address to the joint session of Congress, Obama said:
And so tonight, I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training... dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It’s not just quitting on yourself, it’s quitting on your country – and this country needs and values the talents of every American.
It's basically two different approaches to saying the same thing. That's right, America -- you ain't no Casanova.
I've been having an exceptionally difficult time writing lately. More specifically, it's been problematic trying to translate the barrage of noise in my head into anything more tangible. I can't really tell which is worse -- having no ideas or having a ton of ideas, none of which are shouting loudly enough to get the proper attention.
I've tried to write this post (and many others) a number of times, but I genuinely worry about this blog becoming a diary of artistic and personal meltdown. It's also exceptionally hard to communicate about creative struggles and internal processes and so forth without sounding, well, angst-y. I suppose it's always going to be hard to not come across as angst-y when you're a homeless (only technically) chronic depressive in the midst of artistic crisis. It's a shame, really. I've got quite a good sense of humor about it all.
No matter the medium, I tend to start working from fragments that seem interesting to me -- an interesting sound or tone that I play around with until there's a song; a color in a photograph that inspires a piece of design; a phrase that appears in my head while driving that becomes the foundation for a chorus. I don't like thinking about what a piece is about until the end of the process, if not well after it is completed. The best work I've done has been that which pours out of me without much active thinking until its time for editing. Lately, I seem to be thinking the opposite way: wanting to create something about X, about Y. I suppose for some people, that's the right way to work. Nice and linear. For me, I find it is stifling. It means I find myself upset when I can't find a sound that feels like X, a phrase that sums up Y. I'm pretty solidly an abstract-random. Linear rarely works for me.
Ultimately, I have to remember to keep my eyes open. I've got to find interesting haystacks, rather than hoping there's needles in the one I happen to be near -- especially since I have a fear of needles.
Unrelated: The image above was taken a few minutes ago, while I was sitting on the front steps of my friends' house. It's nice to be able to sit outside without needing the warmth of a wool pea coat.
I know I just posted an M83 track, but this one also seems appropriate.
Above: a little winter wonderland on Super Bowl Sunday. Below: a little fragment of noise, complete with guitar tracked through the USB microphone that comes with the Rock Band game. I'm recording demos by any means necessary at the moment. I miss my ProTools set-up.
I am working away at something. I dislike my own impatience, but I have a sense where things will start heading. All things in time.
UPDATE: Below is a piece of something that is being worked on. Sadly it contains none of the guitar parts, as I'm not really able to fully record right now. However, it's a hint at what is in the works.
I've been having an incredibly difficult type writing anything lately. It has nothing to do with the broken laptop key that I can't be bothered to fix. I believe it's mainly a result of being out of practice, but I am starting to get incredibly frustrated with the difficulty I am having of getting things out of my brain and into, say, words.
I'm finding myself at one of those mind-racing-with-things-except-for-when-I'm-near-a-writing-implement sorts of places.
Winter turns me far too useless.
Excuses, excuses. Bullshit.
I am having trouble telling if everything in my brain is simmering and getting ready to turn into something, or if there's just smoke but no fire -- I'm mixing my heat-related metaphors here. I'm having a fair amount of anxiety around, well, actually all my creative processes, and I tend to deal with that badly. There's a lot of second-guessing and a lack of drawing meaningful or interesting connections.
I was very excited for the inauguration festivites today -- though was thwarted from watching the affair live by a faltering internet connection that has just only recently started working again. We listened to Obama's swearing in and speech over a crackling radio. Very retro.
That all was followed by record shopping and Chinese food.
Both images above are of Lake Como in Saint Paul, taken in the fall. They are thoroughly unrelated to inauguration day, Le Tigre reissues or broccoli beef, but Como Park is a place I love and I'd like to think about good things today.
Bush is really gone now. That's certainly a good thought.
I apologize for the excessive cuteness, but I do love these cats so much. Kenobi is the one in the foreground; Solomon is the ball of fur in the background. The image above is now the background on my cell phone, which brings me joy every time I look at it.
In addition to being adorable, they also make nice feet/leg warmers while I sleep.
I should also mention, mainly for Seth, that it will be quite some time before the word 'cat' appears in the subject of one of my posts. I know he will appreciate that. Unrelated, the music that happens to be in my head at the moment is below:
I was planning on writing something longer and more essay-ish for the first real post on this blog. I'll get to that eventually. For the moment, here's a bit of cell phone photography.
The weather out in Boston has been a little bit crazy for the last few days, resulting in canceled flights and huge amounts of time on hold while waiting to talk to a customer service representative. Above: views from the apartment of my friends, Anna and Aaron, shortly before learning that my flight was definitely not happening. Below: the street view in the evening, shortly after I managed to get my new flight details confirmed.
I'm not sure why, but for some reason I can't stop listening to Aqueduct's Power Ballads album this evening.
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