Sunday, September 21, 2003
yesterday, as it was a home game day, millions of intoxicated football freaks descended upon my beloved home town and acted despicably in incredibly large numbers. usually, i just stay clear of these celebrations of stupidity, but yesterday i had to work, and that involved punching in at the Cambus office which is right in the shadow of Kinnick Stadium. in my singular idiocy, i decided to drive to work, which meant being in a traffic jam that took me 45 minutes to get through (a distance of about two blocks). and once i got to the office, i was faced with the hilarious problem of where to park. so i swindled my way to an incredibly great parking spot that was really damn close to the stadium, and i felt awesome for doing it. i mean, the people among whom i was parking were the people i had seen the night before when i went to the Cambus office, who had gone there a day early to ensure a good parking spot. i felt utterly immortal.
driving the bus was a bitch, i tell you what. since Hawkeye Interdorm, the route i was driving, goes right past the stadium, it took me 2 hours to drive a 1 hour round.
at one point, i was driving around these incredibly elderly Chinese people, and i stopped at one of the dorms, and about one hundred screamingly, vomitingly drunk underclassmen boarded the bus to go downtown and drink some more, chanting "fuck ASU!" at the top of their lungs. and when those frail old Chinese people got off the bus, the smiles wiped (probably permanently) from their faces, i felt crushing sorrow to have been a part of it.
sometimes i think college football brings out intolerance and erases sensitivity.
driving the bus was a bitch, i tell you what. since Hawkeye Interdorm, the route i was driving, goes right past the stadium, it took me 2 hours to drive a 1 hour round.
at one point, i was driving around these incredibly elderly Chinese people, and i stopped at one of the dorms, and about one hundred screamingly, vomitingly drunk underclassmen boarded the bus to go downtown and drink some more, chanting "fuck ASU!" at the top of their lungs. and when those frail old Chinese people got off the bus, the smiles wiped (probably permanently) from their faces, i felt crushing sorrow to have been a part of it.
sometimes i think college football brings out intolerance and erases sensitivity.
yesterday there was a football game. it was Iowa versus Arizona State, as seen on ESPN2. but to me, the competitors were nonconformity versus acceptance. that doesn't make any sense at all, i know. all i'm going to say is that i have a certain friend who does things which sadden me, and that's all i'm going to say.
Friday, September 19, 2003
i feel really, really good. possible reasons: 1) it's Friday. 2) i got plenty of sleep last night. 3) it's looking like i'm NOT going to be in debt the next two weeks 4) it's a BEAUTIFUL day. 5) i just bought a leather jacket for 20 bucks at Ragstock, my thrift store of choice. normallly, i am skeptical of leather jackets. the reason is that they cost like $150 new, and people who spend that kind of money on a jacket are idiots. but the one i just got was, as i said, cheap, and plus it is cool in a sort of 80s way... it looks like the jacket that Carl Sagan wore. which makes it perfect for an anticool person such as me.
fall is definitely coming. it's great. autumn and spring are probably the nicest times of year in Iowa. you've got your incredibly cold and bitter winters and your incredibly hot and humid summers, and the transitions between them tend to be the most enjoyable.
fall is definitely coming. it's great. autumn and spring are probably the nicest times of year in Iowa. you've got your incredibly cold and bitter winters and your incredibly hot and humid summers, and the transitions between them tend to be the most enjoyable.
Thursday, September 18, 2003
i've been working two shifts a day this entire week. except maybe monday. i don't know. it's all a blur.
i've been reading a book called Vagabonding by Rolf Potts. i got it at the library. it's awesome. it's an instructional book about wandering around the world for long periods of time. it's very transcendental.
i was reading this book under a tree behind the Iowa Memorial Union, and i sort of fell asleep. when i woke up about 20 minutes later, it had gone from sunny to incredibly cloudy and scary. then i went to work, and supervised a trainee driving Oakdale. after that i went to the barn and "helped out" with cleanup, although i didn't really do shit. it was kind of cool, i think, that i was on the clock from 5:20 until 8:32, and the only work i did the whole time was drive a single round of Oakdale and later hose a few buses down.
i've been reading a book called Vagabonding by Rolf Potts. i got it at the library. it's awesome. it's an instructional book about wandering around the world for long periods of time. it's very transcendental.
i was reading this book under a tree behind the Iowa Memorial Union, and i sort of fell asleep. when i woke up about 20 minutes later, it had gone from sunny to incredibly cloudy and scary. then i went to work, and supervised a trainee driving Oakdale. after that i went to the barn and "helped out" with cleanup, although i didn't really do shit. it was kind of cool, i think, that i was on the clock from 5:20 until 8:32, and the only work i did the whole time was drive a single round of Oakdale and later hose a few buses down.
Wednesday, September 17, 2003
i've been on TV twice so far this week. the first time was the Public Access broadcast of No Shame Theatre last night.
the second was just now on the KCRG six o'clock newscast. they showed a few seconds of footage of me driving a bus to go with a story about something that happened last night. some asshole threw a huge rock at a Cambus bus, shattering the windshield and hitting one of my coworkers in the face. best guess, it was probably some deranged guy who was upset because his bus was late one time and the driver wasn't very sympathetic.
this is an awesome game.
the second was just now on the KCRG six o'clock newscast. they showed a few seconds of footage of me driving a bus to go with a story about something that happened last night. some asshole threw a huge rock at a Cambus bus, shattering the windshield and hitting one of my coworkers in the face. best guess, it was probably some deranged guy who was upset because his bus was late one time and the driver wasn't very sympathetic.
this is an awesome game.
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
i respect the work that doctors do. and i mean it. i mean, they probably had to get up at five in the morning every day for however many years it took them to get through med school... and they must do some of the most difficult work there is to do. doctors, i applaud you.
but please, please, please stop telling the bus drivers how to do their job.
but please, please, please stop telling the bus drivers how to do their job.
Saturday, September 13, 2003
ok, i accidentally hit a key that somehow deleted everything i'd written.
both Johnny Cash and John Ritter died yesterday. it's a shame, i'm told, that i don't know any of Johnny Cash's music. but i do remember something i read in an interview with Cash (i think it was in Rolling Stone) that i found meaningful. in a response to a comment made by the interviewer about how Cash and Elvis are the only two people in both the Rock and Country halls of fame, Johnny responded by saying that he hates it when people pidgeonhole his music. he said that music should not be categorized as much as it is. and i agree. i think that one of the many, many problems with the culture of popular music, in this country anyway, is that consumers require all music to be divided neatly into genres. a person needs only to know what "kind" of music a band plays to know if they like that band or not -- hearing the actual music isn't even necessary!
thinking about it even more, i believe we can zoom out a little bit on this concept... the tendency to categorize applies not only to music but to PEOPLE as well. pretty much everyone i was surrounded with in high school endeavored to be a certain "kind" of person. jocks. skateboarders. art kids. nerds. the student body was pretty much sorted into a handful of huge inbred families. you make a covenant when you become a member of one of these cliques... you wear what the other people wear, you talk like they talk, and you listen to the music they listen to. music is one of the biggest tools people use to design themselves. i guess what i'm trying to say is that the way the system is set up, you can walk into the record store and buy a CD, and everyone is supposed to be able to know, judging by the band whose disc you just bought, exactly what kind of person you are, and whether or not you're cool. some bands serve as nothing but icons.
icons are really important to people, apparently. i have a peace sign on the back of my car. i also have a bumper sticker of a John Lennon quote: "I may be a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." i have another bumper sticker that i got from an art store in Albuquerque that i loved dearly: it says "Kiss an artist today!" apparently, these three items on my car combine to send the message that i'm a hippie and that i do drugs, and that i hate America. i've had people yell some pretty hateful things out their car windows at me because of this. i wasn't really thinking when i put those things on my car that they doomed me to a future of being stigmatized by my fellow motorists. i put the peace symbol on there because i think that world peace is something that humans should strive for. i put the John Lennon bumper sticker on because i like John Lennon, and i tend to be an idealist rather than a person who thinks that problems are best solved by political means. i put the art bumper sticker on because i wanted to support a local business. i didn't put these things on my car because i wanted to convey the exact kind of person i am, which is apparently why anybody in this world puts anything on the back of their car.
so i hope that people think about Johnny Cash and think for a little bit about conformity and stereotypes.
both Johnny Cash and John Ritter died yesterday. it's a shame, i'm told, that i don't know any of Johnny Cash's music. but i do remember something i read in an interview with Cash (i think it was in Rolling Stone) that i found meaningful. in a response to a comment made by the interviewer about how Cash and Elvis are the only two people in both the Rock and Country halls of fame, Johnny responded by saying that he hates it when people pidgeonhole his music. he said that music should not be categorized as much as it is. and i agree. i think that one of the many, many problems with the culture of popular music, in this country anyway, is that consumers require all music to be divided neatly into genres. a person needs only to know what "kind" of music a band plays to know if they like that band or not -- hearing the actual music isn't even necessary!
thinking about it even more, i believe we can zoom out a little bit on this concept... the tendency to categorize applies not only to music but to PEOPLE as well. pretty much everyone i was surrounded with in high school endeavored to be a certain "kind" of person. jocks. skateboarders. art kids. nerds. the student body was pretty much sorted into a handful of huge inbred families. you make a covenant when you become a member of one of these cliques... you wear what the other people wear, you talk like they talk, and you listen to the music they listen to. music is one of the biggest tools people use to design themselves. i guess what i'm trying to say is that the way the system is set up, you can walk into the record store and buy a CD, and everyone is supposed to be able to know, judging by the band whose disc you just bought, exactly what kind of person you are, and whether or not you're cool. some bands serve as nothing but icons.
icons are really important to people, apparently. i have a peace sign on the back of my car. i also have a bumper sticker of a John Lennon quote: "I may be a dreamer, but I'm not the only one." i have another bumper sticker that i got from an art store in Albuquerque that i loved dearly: it says "Kiss an artist today!" apparently, these three items on my car combine to send the message that i'm a hippie and that i do drugs, and that i hate America. i've had people yell some pretty hateful things out their car windows at me because of this. i wasn't really thinking when i put those things on my car that they doomed me to a future of being stigmatized by my fellow motorists. i put the peace symbol on there because i think that world peace is something that humans should strive for. i put the John Lennon bumper sticker on because i like John Lennon, and i tend to be an idealist rather than a person who thinks that problems are best solved by political means. i put the art bumper sticker on because i wanted to support a local business. i didn't put these things on my car because i wanted to convey the exact kind of person i am, which is apparently why anybody in this world puts anything on the back of their car.
so i hope that people think about Johnny Cash and think for a little bit about conformity and stereotypes.
Friday, September 12, 2003
last night was great. let me tell you about it.
the Hackensaw Boys were the band that opened. they played a kind of Appalachian bluegrass, and were later joined by this Grand Ole Opry star (i don't remember his name, but apparently he's one of the old country greats. i dunno). i kind of felt sorry for them that the audience, at that point, consisted of about fifteen people. because they were probably one of the best folk groups i've ever heard live.
after the Hackensaws this band called the Detroit Cobras came on. i don't know what to say about them. they were playing their instruments and playing them well, i guess, but there was really nothing going on. there was no cool guitar stuff. there were no memorable melodies. the songs were identical. the drummer twirled his sticks once or twice, and that was about it.
well, then Cheap Trick came out. now they were amazing. but LOUD. anyway, they played all of their hits, and it was fun. i get the idea that the lead guitarist, Rick Nielsen, is incredibly obsessed with himself. he played a different guitar on pretty much every song, including this scary five-necked guitar on Surrender. i mean, five necks. what the shit. he didn't even play all of them. the whole point of that guitar is to get applause. although it was kind of cool.
but the whole time, Rick kept throwing his guitar pick into the audience and then plucking a new one from his mic stand (they seemed to be growing there like mushrooms), as if he was sure that everyone wanted a guitar pick used by the great Rick Nielsen. and i guess i secretly did. but eventually he was grabbing handfuls of them and throwing them into the audience. by the end of their set, the band was basically barfing guitar picks all over the club... i got one. jake got two. it just seemed kind of pathetic, like they were making ABSOLUTELY damn sure that we knew they were awesome, as if they were trying to compensate for the music (and the music was really, really good, don't get me wrong).
so in that regard, Cake (the band that i had REALLY come there to see), was a breath of fresh air. Cake has three guitarists, and they used three guitars. John McCrea's (the lead man) guitar looks exactly like it sounds on the records: old. acoustic. held together in places with duct tape. John was wearing a baseball cap and a t-shirt. he looked like some guy you'd see in the grocery store. he thanked us for coming. and their set was absolutely thrilling. let's see, they played (not in this order) Stickshifts and Safetybelts, Comfort Eagle, Haze of Love, Love You Madly, The Distance, It's Coming Down, Never There, Comanche, Ruby Sees All, Frank Sinatra, Sheep Go To Heaven, You Part the Waters, a new song that's going to be on their next album, and encored with a 10-minute long, interactive version of their masterpiece Jolene. each song was performed with near studio-quality. and wow, John loves to play that vibraslap.
and then we drove all the way back home from Minneapolis after the show. on one tank of gas, too. i got home at 5:30 AM.
the Hackensaw Boys were the band that opened. they played a kind of Appalachian bluegrass, and were later joined by this Grand Ole Opry star (i don't remember his name, but apparently he's one of the old country greats. i dunno). i kind of felt sorry for them that the audience, at that point, consisted of about fifteen people. because they were probably one of the best folk groups i've ever heard live.
after the Hackensaws this band called the Detroit Cobras came on. i don't know what to say about them. they were playing their instruments and playing them well, i guess, but there was really nothing going on. there was no cool guitar stuff. there were no memorable melodies. the songs were identical. the drummer twirled his sticks once or twice, and that was about it.
well, then Cheap Trick came out. now they were amazing. but LOUD. anyway, they played all of their hits, and it was fun. i get the idea that the lead guitarist, Rick Nielsen, is incredibly obsessed with himself. he played a different guitar on pretty much every song, including this scary five-necked guitar on Surrender. i mean, five necks. what the shit. he didn't even play all of them. the whole point of that guitar is to get applause. although it was kind of cool.
but the whole time, Rick kept throwing his guitar pick into the audience and then plucking a new one from his mic stand (they seemed to be growing there like mushrooms), as if he was sure that everyone wanted a guitar pick used by the great Rick Nielsen. and i guess i secretly did. but eventually he was grabbing handfuls of them and throwing them into the audience. by the end of their set, the band was basically barfing guitar picks all over the club... i got one. jake got two. it just seemed kind of pathetic, like they were making ABSOLUTELY damn sure that we knew they were awesome, as if they were trying to compensate for the music (and the music was really, really good, don't get me wrong).
so in that regard, Cake (the band that i had REALLY come there to see), was a breath of fresh air. Cake has three guitarists, and they used three guitars. John McCrea's (the lead man) guitar looks exactly like it sounds on the records: old. acoustic. held together in places with duct tape. John was wearing a baseball cap and a t-shirt. he looked like some guy you'd see in the grocery store. he thanked us for coming. and their set was absolutely thrilling. let's see, they played (not in this order) Stickshifts and Safetybelts, Comfort Eagle, Haze of Love, Love You Madly, The Distance, It's Coming Down, Never There, Comanche, Ruby Sees All, Frank Sinatra, Sheep Go To Heaven, You Part the Waters, a new song that's going to be on their next album, and encored with a 10-minute long, interactive version of their masterpiece Jolene. each song was performed with near studio-quality. and wow, John loves to play that vibraslap.
and then we drove all the way back home from Minneapolis after the show. on one tank of gas, too. i got home at 5:30 AM.
Thursday, September 11, 2003
my car is parked right in front of my building. RIGHT in front. and it's parked there LEGALLY!
it's almost a shame, then, that i am now going to have to move it. oh well. Minneapolis will be fun. let's hope we DON'T die on the interstate.
it's almost a shame, then, that i am now going to have to move it. oh well. Minneapolis will be fun. let's hope we DON'T die on the interstate.
Wednesday, September 10, 2003
work today was crazed. crazed.
i got on my bus, and there was a trainee. so i basically just sat there as he drove for two rounds. that was awesome. plus, he's a very cool guy. it's not too often that i can have a good, long conversation with somebody whom i've never met before. then, as soon as the trainee alighted from the bus, a trainER, Todd, got on. it was time for my 6 month evaluation! so i drove for one round, while Todd made ominous notes on my driving. it turned out that i passed with a pretty good score. although, i was obsessed with my spedometer, and should have spent more time looking at the mirrors. anyway, as part of being evaluated, i got a round off while the trainer discussed things with me, and the rest of the time i spent riding my bike in circles around the pentacrest before settling in front of MacBride hall, where i talked to Jen, another Cambus person, for a little bit, and finally got my watch back from Danny, who had been driving in my place. and for all of this i was paid, right out of John Q. Taxpayer's pocket! total rounds driven = 1 (as compared to a normal shift's 4).
and then i had lunch at Quizno's with my dad. it was fun catching up. i think he was scared when i told him i'm going to Minneapolis tomorrow.
and THEN, i went to Dick Blick, where John Q. Taxpayer's $16 was spent, very justifiably, on a sable brush and a tube of jet black Gouache. according to the Dick Blick employee, gouache can be mixed to create ink. what a wonderful concept. i can't wait to try.
i got on my bus, and there was a trainee. so i basically just sat there as he drove for two rounds. that was awesome. plus, he's a very cool guy. it's not too often that i can have a good, long conversation with somebody whom i've never met before. then, as soon as the trainee alighted from the bus, a trainER, Todd, got on. it was time for my 6 month evaluation! so i drove for one round, while Todd made ominous notes on my driving. it turned out that i passed with a pretty good score. although, i was obsessed with my spedometer, and should have spent more time looking at the mirrors. anyway, as part of being evaluated, i got a round off while the trainer discussed things with me, and the rest of the time i spent riding my bike in circles around the pentacrest before settling in front of MacBride hall, where i talked to Jen, another Cambus person, for a little bit, and finally got my watch back from Danny, who had been driving in my place. and for all of this i was paid, right out of John Q. Taxpayer's pocket! total rounds driven = 1 (as compared to a normal shift's 4).
and then i had lunch at Quizno's with my dad. it was fun catching up. i think he was scared when i told him i'm going to Minneapolis tomorrow.
and THEN, i went to Dick Blick, where John Q. Taxpayer's $16 was spent, very justifiably, on a sable brush and a tube of jet black Gouache. according to the Dick Blick employee, gouache can be mixed to create ink. what a wonderful concept. i can't wait to try.
Monday, September 08, 2003
boringest weekend ever. i drove Blue Route for darn near 7 hours today, as i am destined to every Sunday until December. people at Mayflower residence hall are really dumb. they don't know yet that Blue Route does NOT take them directly downtown and that Red Route DOES. they think that Mayflower and Downtown are the only two places on campus that people go, and therefore the only possible bus is one that just shuttles people constantly between the two places.
here are the three good things that happened this weekend: 1) danny and i performed in No Shame Theatre 2) the sketch we performed got rave reviews later on the NST message boards (and will be broadcast Tuesday on public access) and 3) there was a guy tailgating me on Dodge street, and i got my revenge by pulling into a parking lot right before the red light on Church st, turning ONTO Church st, and then turning back onto Dodge, leaving the bastard stuck at the red light, as i continued on my merry way.
here are the three good things that happened this weekend: 1) danny and i performed in No Shame Theatre 2) the sketch we performed got rave reviews later on the NST message boards (and will be broadcast Tuesday on public access) and 3) there was a guy tailgating me on Dodge street, and i got my revenge by pulling into a parking lot right before the red light on Church st, turning ONTO Church st, and then turning back onto Dodge, leaving the bastard stuck at the red light, as i continued on my merry way.
Sunday, September 07, 2003
shittiest day ever. my self esteem is plummeting to near record lows.
Saturday, September 06, 2003
they talk about Iowa City in the "Women of the Big 10" thing at www.playboy.com. here's the link: http://www.playboy.com/on-campus/features/big10/iowa.html
apparently, this is nakedtown USA. apparently, Iowa City is a city that never sleeps. but that's not true: despite it being a college town, IC usually does get a few hours of sleep on weeknights.
anyway, the article also mentions No Shame Theatre, which is amazing. i don't recall the Butterfinger bar sketch that they talk about; it must have been before my time.
apparently, this is nakedtown USA. apparently, Iowa City is a city that never sleeps. but that's not true: despite it being a college town, IC usually does get a few hours of sleep on weeknights.
anyway, the article also mentions No Shame Theatre, which is amazing. i don't recall the Butterfinger bar sketch that they talk about; it must have been before my time.
what a crazy day! worked at 6 AM, took a nap, went back to work, had an Orchestra rehearsal, went BACK to work, went to No Shame, did more things on top of that, finally getting home at 2:30 AM.
tonight, Danny and I performed dan's NoShame sketch. it went very well. and we got some big laughs! the video will be broadcast on Public Access on wednesday, i think. wow, i need to go to bed.
tonight, Danny and I performed dan's NoShame sketch. it went very well. and we got some big laughs! the video will be broadcast on Public Access on wednesday, i think. wow, i need to go to bed.
Friday, September 05, 2003
i just worked another Friday A-shift. 5:55-8:55. i'm beginning to think i'm going to be screwed with those every Friday until this hours emergency is over.
then i took a nap, and then i fired up the old electronic guitar machine. i was able to actually tune it! sure, it's been in tune before. but never THIS in tune. it's in tune like a brilliant ray of morning sunshine striking a well-dressed man. too bad i can't play it. too bad i have to go be busy in half an hour.
tonight Danny and I shall premiere Dan's No Shame sketch.
then i took a nap, and then i fired up the old electronic guitar machine. i was able to actually tune it! sure, it's been in tune before. but never THIS in tune. it's in tune like a brilliant ray of morning sunshine striking a well-dressed man. too bad i can't play it. too bad i have to go be busy in half an hour.
tonight Danny and I shall premiere Dan's No Shame sketch.
Wednesday, September 03, 2003
Monday was the beginning of a new pay period, and i'm going for a $400+ paycheck. it's not going to be too hard to attain such a thing, either. it'll be nice.
All About Black Holes has ground to a halt, sad to say. here's my plan: i'm currently working on a batch of new comic strips to submit to the Daily Iowan. if they need a cartoonist and if the position hasn't been filled, and if they accept my submission, hopefully i'll have a job. and if it doesn't pan out like that, then i will go back to AABH and endeavor to finish that behemoth of a story. if i DO get a job doing strips, i will put AABH on an extended hiatus and will finish it when i get tired of doing comic strips, which will likely be less than a year, and probably more like five months, knowing me. either way, i pledge to finish AABH one sunny day, as i believe (as i mentioned before) it to be the most original and awesome child of my creative mind. i'll make a formal announcement about this on the page as soon as i know for sure what's going to happen.
All About Black Holes has ground to a halt, sad to say. here's my plan: i'm currently working on a batch of new comic strips to submit to the Daily Iowan. if they need a cartoonist and if the position hasn't been filled, and if they accept my submission, hopefully i'll have a job. and if it doesn't pan out like that, then i will go back to AABH and endeavor to finish that behemoth of a story. if i DO get a job doing strips, i will put AABH on an extended hiatus and will finish it when i get tired of doing comic strips, which will likely be less than a year, and probably more like five months, knowing me. either way, i pledge to finish AABH one sunny day, as i believe (as i mentioned before) it to be the most original and awesome child of my creative mind. i'll make a formal announcement about this on the page as soon as i know for sure what's going to happen.
i think i've pinpointed my problem. like, my problem with EVERYTHING. school, art, relating to people, etc. and here it is: i'm lazy. a lot of the time i really can't be bothered to stand up and do anything useful, or to finish a project or whatnot so i spend my life just sitting around making farty noises.
so i've been trying to figure out ways to make myself more productive, and less afraid of work. lord knows i have been a lot more busy the last few weeks, both with work and school. hmm.
so i've been trying to figure out ways to make myself more productive, and less afraid of work. lord knows i have been a lot more busy the last few weeks, both with work and school. hmm.
Monday, September 01, 2003
Jethro fucking Tull! it was so amazing!!! they played well! after the show, danny and jesse and I went down to the stage to try to meet some of the band guys. although Ian Anderson never showed up, Martin Barre (lead guitarist) DID, and even signed my hand!!
it really doesn't look like anything that would indicate that a person named Martin Barre wrote it, but i promise you he did. i was REALLY hoping to get Ian on the other hand, but it wasn't to be.
the point is, we heard them play, and they made amazing and wonderful music.
it really doesn't look like anything that would indicate that a person named Martin Barre wrote it, but i promise you he did. i was REALLY hoping to get Ian on the other hand, but it wasn't to be.
the point is, we heard them play, and they made amazing and wonderful music.
