Saturday, October 29, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Vail and Dictatorship
My wife was born in the Soviet Union and last night we were discussing living in communal apartments. It came up that I had this experience, as did all of us who lived at Vail. Then, we decided to detail each Vail housemate individually to determine what exactly what would have happened to us had we lived in the Soviet Union, probably during the 70s Brezhnev neo-Stalinist period.
Ian: I'll start with myself. I was "work manager", a job that entailed no work but a sort of overseer tattler position. It was awful, but I conceived a good understanding of different comrades' work ethics. This made me privy to information that I might not have wanted to know; that is, information that might have made me a liability. That plus my association with a Tarek Dika would have sealed my fate for sure.
Tarek: A self-proclaimed revolutionary, Tarek would never submit to the bureaucratic state. He made this clear with his dish-washing habits (or lack thereof) and his ideologico-philosophically induced spasms of activity, such as when he defied time by breaking our clock. His anti-science position during that time would also have been a problem. I think he would have gone pretty fast and we would have been asked not ever to speak of him again.
Dax: A loyal party member, Dax also knew his way around the system. However, he played down his leadership role which would have saved him for a while. I think he would have survived longer than most.
Brian: Brian was an Old Bolshevik, like an Old Believer, more dedicated to the original principles of the Revolution than any of his contemporaries. That plus his background in science would make him a liability on the scale of a Sakharov. He would have to be removed.
Graham: Graham was committed just enough but also remained aloof enough not to raise too much suspicion. However, that itself might raise suspicion with this paranoid state. At this point, it's important to bring up the fact that most everybody who had any affiliation at all with Vail would most likely be liquidated. Graham loved all his comrades, he worked and sweated by our sides. So, he would likely join us either in the gulag or the grave.
Adam: Adam might have survived. He knew the Communist world, but, as Food Steward, he was able to maneuver his way around the markets of the Capitalist world. This could very well be his salvation. However, not even friends in the West with whom he had constant contact through trade might have been able to save him from the rest of us undesirables and counter-revolutionaries dragging him down. If he would have gotten out, he would have to have left us behind - something which would have left him a depressed, hollow-hearted man for the rest of his days in the West, unable to enjoy all the blessings of that life.
Paul: Paul's personality is, by nature, subversive. The "time capsule" prank alone would likely have landed Paul in a gulag. Humor at the expense of the reigning ideology is more dangerous than an atomic bomb. Paul's level of intelligence would allow him to manipulate any ideological attacks against him, diverting them onto others or simply diffusing them. The only answer for this would have to be the "Control Shot", as they call it. Sorry, Paul.
Justin: Justin was our best worker and, likely, this would have created a problem. He could go the path of a state hero, like Yuri Gagarin, but he would then have a venue and soapbox in front of the whole world. If he were unhappy with something, it would be very difficult to prevent him from making an international stink. And, given his hard-working credentials, the state would be in a weak position to discredit him.
Colin: Smart and principled, but given to strange habits. Also, a cartoonist: the humor thing.
Ross: Involved in the entertainment industry. Very dangerous.
Stefan: Like Paul, able to maneuver his way through the ideology. But Stefan may have legitimate belief in the system that would sustain him, as long as he was willing to bend as far as they would like.
Okay, I'm sure you're all sick of this by now. I know I didn't cover everyone, but many of you lived there when I didn't, so I can't really say what would have happened.
Ian: I'll start with myself. I was "work manager", a job that entailed no work but a sort of overseer tattler position. It was awful, but I conceived a good understanding of different comrades' work ethics. This made me privy to information that I might not have wanted to know; that is, information that might have made me a liability. That plus my association with a Tarek Dika would have sealed my fate for sure.
Tarek: A self-proclaimed revolutionary, Tarek would never submit to the bureaucratic state. He made this clear with his dish-washing habits (or lack thereof) and his ideologico-philosophically induced spasms of activity, such as when he defied time by breaking our clock. His anti-science position during that time would also have been a problem. I think he would have gone pretty fast and we would have been asked not ever to speak of him again.
Dax: A loyal party member, Dax also knew his way around the system. However, he played down his leadership role which would have saved him for a while. I think he would have survived longer than most.
Brian: Brian was an Old Bolshevik, like an Old Believer, more dedicated to the original principles of the Revolution than any of his contemporaries. That plus his background in science would make him a liability on the scale of a Sakharov. He would have to be removed.
Graham: Graham was committed just enough but also remained aloof enough not to raise too much suspicion. However, that itself might raise suspicion with this paranoid state. At this point, it's important to bring up the fact that most everybody who had any affiliation at all with Vail would most likely be liquidated. Graham loved all his comrades, he worked and sweated by our sides. So, he would likely join us either in the gulag or the grave.
Adam: Adam might have survived. He knew the Communist world, but, as Food Steward, he was able to maneuver his way around the markets of the Capitalist world. This could very well be his salvation. However, not even friends in the West with whom he had constant contact through trade might have been able to save him from the rest of us undesirables and counter-revolutionaries dragging him down. If he would have gotten out, he would have to have left us behind - something which would have left him a depressed, hollow-hearted man for the rest of his days in the West, unable to enjoy all the blessings of that life.
Paul: Paul's personality is, by nature, subversive. The "time capsule" prank alone would likely have landed Paul in a gulag. Humor at the expense of the reigning ideology is more dangerous than an atomic bomb. Paul's level of intelligence would allow him to manipulate any ideological attacks against him, diverting them onto others or simply diffusing them. The only answer for this would have to be the "Control Shot", as they call it. Sorry, Paul.
Justin: Justin was our best worker and, likely, this would have created a problem. He could go the path of a state hero, like Yuri Gagarin, but he would then have a venue and soapbox in front of the whole world. If he were unhappy with something, it would be very difficult to prevent him from making an international stink. And, given his hard-working credentials, the state would be in a weak position to discredit him.
Colin: Smart and principled, but given to strange habits. Also, a cartoonist: the humor thing.
Ross: Involved in the entertainment industry. Very dangerous.
Stefan: Like Paul, able to maneuver his way through the ideology. But Stefan may have legitimate belief in the system that would sustain him, as long as he was willing to bend as far as they would like.
Okay, I'm sure you're all sick of this by now. I know I didn't cover everyone, but many of you lived there when I didn't, so I can't really say what would have happened.
Monday, October 24, 2011
My Job
I wrote this very short chapter: http://www.cic.nyu.edu/politicalmissions/docs_missions_11/notes/latinamerica.pdf in this big boring book: http://www.cic.nyu.edu/politicalmissions/index.html. Cool, right?
The Return of Mazzy Star
There are a few Mazzy Star fans here, right? Anybody jazzed for their new album?
The Adventures of Brian and Ian
Brian and I saw Shellac on Saturday night. Despite being older, I still really love this band and this kind of music. It's intelligent but it gets the job done in terms of rocking me out. On the other hand, my hearing wasn't damaged too badly.
Brian really liked the song "Copper" about the element. He yelled out copper several times after the song had ended and everything had quieted down. The lyrics go:
Copper I want to take you
to a furnace where I'll break you
And another verse is:
plated or anodized
you even fool a layman's eyes
Then the chorus:
Copper - you'll never be gold
You might remember me singing one of their songs "Prayer to God" by the fire back when we traveled up to the UP at the end of the summer in 2004. Watching a bunch of people head-banging to the end of this song and singing the final lyrics, "Kill him, just fucking kill him," was kind of strange. I stopped singing and just watched the crowd and I became a little disturbed.
We also slam-danced pretty seriously. I have a sore neck.
I told the bassist Bob Weston after the show that Brian was a chemist and a big fan of "Copper". Bob said, "Make it quick, drunk guys."
I wished they had played this song:
We'll keep you guys updated about more Adventures of Brian and Ian.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Saturday Love
UPDATE 10/25/11: I disembedded the video since it was auto-playing when the webpage loaded. You can watch it here.
My buddy Steven was playing around with his new camera and made a video; I'm in some footage from a grill-out this past weekend.
My buddy Steven was playing around with his new camera and made a video; I'm in some footage from a grill-out this past weekend.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Social Media Methodology
I've been less engaged with the blog over the Summer, but am trying to get back in the habit of it. I try to make all my web presences mutually exclusive, and have recently begun using Google+ and Twitter. As such, you may locate me on the platforms below for the following content:
FACEBOOK: activities, books, albums, concerts, cultural detritus.
TWITTER: private thoughts, fragmented sentences, and out-of-context quotes.
GOOGLE+: videos, articles.
SCSF: I plan to write more in-depth anecdotes that might give a more intimate view of what's happening in my life than in any of the above Dax-streams. I've enjoyed those sorts of things by Tarek, Josh, et al., and I think it's the most meaningful thing the blog can do. From hereon out, my criteria for posting non-self-generated content within these hallowed walls will be if, and only if, I believe this particular group would find it to be of interest.
I've also taken to using GCHAT since forsaking Lycos Mail.
I'm curious to know how others organize their cyber-presence!
FACEBOOK: activities, books, albums, concerts, cultural detritus.
TWITTER: private thoughts, fragmented sentences, and out-of-context quotes.
GOOGLE+: videos, articles.
SCSF: I plan to write more in-depth anecdotes that might give a more intimate view of what's happening in my life than in any of the above Dax-streams. I've enjoyed those sorts of things by Tarek, Josh, et al., and I think it's the most meaningful thing the blog can do. From hereon out, my criteria for posting non-self-generated content within these hallowed walls will be if, and only if, I believe this particular group would find it to be of interest.
I've also taken to using GCHAT since forsaking Lycos Mail.
I'm curious to know how others organize their cyber-presence!
Improv 101 @ UCB
After taking a yearlong hiatus from continuing ed classes to pursue online dating and lap swimming (both to mixed results), I was looking to get into something again but wasn't sure what. I wasn't able to sustain a commitment to screenwriting, being a working stiff and also finally having developed an active social life after four years living in NYC. After having improv recommended to me both by Graham (who knows me well) and a stranger at a party (who didn't know me at all), I took the plunge and registered at the Upright Citizens Brigade.
I went into every class nervous but wound up having fun! It was a good group of people -- I break them down into Theater People who have been told by their agents to take improv, Funny People who have been told by their friends they should take improv, and Normal People who aren't sure if they will continue with it but want to dip their toes in. In the Aristotelian model, all three have skills and drawbacks due to their innate qualities. Theater People are good at doing characters, but lose some individuality. Funny People can get a quick laugh, but often stop scenes from progressing. Normal People are the most interesting to watch due to their individuality if they are fully committed, but frequently are afraid to do so.
I also came to the realization that, on some level, improv is a synthesis of two long-standing interests of mine which I have not excelled at independent of each other: writing and acting (you write the lines as you speak them). Without getting too into the method, I think that improv COMEDY is misleading -- the funny thing about it is that it works better if you're NOT trying to be funny. There are only a few basic rules, but they're easy to break -- but if you don't break them, funny stuff will inadvertently pop up just because of the way the human mind works... Not to toot my own horn, but I think I have some knack for it so I'll keep taking classes as long as I'm enjoying them. I was disappointed in the choices I made in my graduation show, but it was fun to perform in front of a (skimpy) crowd, and there's always room for improvement!
I went into every class nervous but wound up having fun! It was a good group of people -- I break them down into Theater People who have been told by their agents to take improv, Funny People who have been told by their friends they should take improv, and Normal People who aren't sure if they will continue with it but want to dip their toes in. In the Aristotelian model, all three have skills and drawbacks due to their innate qualities. Theater People are good at doing characters, but lose some individuality. Funny People can get a quick laugh, but often stop scenes from progressing. Normal People are the most interesting to watch due to their individuality if they are fully committed, but frequently are afraid to do so.
I also came to the realization that, on some level, improv is a synthesis of two long-standing interests of mine which I have not excelled at independent of each other: writing and acting (you write the lines as you speak them). Without getting too into the method, I think that improv COMEDY is misleading -- the funny thing about it is that it works better if you're NOT trying to be funny. There are only a few basic rules, but they're easy to break -- but if you don't break them, funny stuff will inadvertently pop up just because of the way the human mind works... Not to toot my own horn, but I think I have some knack for it so I'll keep taking classes as long as I'm enjoying them. I was disappointed in the choices I made in my graduation show, but it was fun to perform in front of a (skimpy) crowd, and there's always room for improvement!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Eddy J Lemberger
A legend performs an intimate version of one of the great football polkas ever written.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Michigan Connection
I bought a couple really old books of bowling tips at a stoop sale for someone at work who organizes a league; the other day she told me how much she's enjoying them -- both for the tips and the old ads. "There were even some old receipts in one of them..." she said, and pulled out a carbon paper receipt from 1976 for lessons with diagrams and checklists on it. The place was Mike's Pro Shop in Lansing, Michigan!
Michigan Vacation
I went home for a full six days last week. My grandma was visiting and my dad was recuperating from shoulder surgery. It's also my first visit home since my sister has moved back from Chicago. Below are some highlights.
pasties
help Dad in the garden
take Chicha on trails at a county park
Woody's Oasis
Flat, Black & Circular
Altu's Ethiopian
Tasty Twist
Black Jake & The Carnies @ Mac's Bar
MSU Dairy Store
downtown Lansing
outlet shopping
Old Town Oktoberfest
dancing at Dublin's
gummi bear brats
Uncle John's Cider Mill
applie pie à la française w/ Padrino
pasties
help Dad in the garden
take Chicha on trails at a county park
Woody's Oasis
Flat, Black & Circular
Altu's Ethiopian
Tasty Twist
Black Jake & The Carnies @ Mac's Bar
MSU Dairy Store
downtown Lansing
outlet shopping
Old Town Oktoberfest
dancing at Dublin's
gummi bear brats
Uncle John's Cider Mill
applie pie à la française w/ Padrino
Sunday, October 09, 2011
Friday, October 07, 2011
Old Gray Lady Visits College Town
Hey, the New York Times did a travel piece on Ann Arbor! I haven't been to a good portion of the places they mention, and it evens recommends boring cookie-cutter Italian restaurant Palio. It tells you how to avoid the provincial riff-raff: "Avoid South University and State Street (student hubs) and head to the more civilized Main Street." Also, excellent advice on where to eat "if it is ethnic food you crave!"
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
Interview: Nick Cave, Shane MacGowan, Mark E. Smith 1989 NME Unreal
SM: "It seems to me that in your songs, Nick, you're doing a
Jung-style trip of examining your shadow, all the dark things you don't
want to be. A lot of your songs are like trips into the subconscious and
are therefore nightmarish."
NC: "Possibly."
SM: "You're exploring the world through the subconscious. I've done that on occasions for various reasons, whether it be illness or self abuse, or whatever. Once things start to look grotesque I don't write them or sing them. I couldn't write them the way you do, I couldn't - making nightmares into living daylight..."
NC: "I think you do a pretty good job of it in some of your songs."
SM: "The minute it gets dark I shoot back, retreat. I haven't always but I do now 'cos..."
MES: "Don't give too much away Shane, don't tell them. Hold a bit back."
NC: "Possibly."
SM: "You're exploring the world through the subconscious. I've done that on occasions for various reasons, whether it be illness or self abuse, or whatever. Once things start to look grotesque I don't write them or sing them. I couldn't write them the way you do, I couldn't - making nightmares into living daylight..."
NC: "I think you do a pretty good job of it in some of your songs."
SM: "The minute it gets dark I shoot back, retreat. I haven't always but I do now 'cos..."
MES: "Don't give too much away Shane, don't tell them. Hold a bit back."
Saturday, October 01, 2011
Wrestling, and a dream, and an update
I have a secret Twitter where I post quotes from WWE wrestling:
http://twitter.com/#!/conchairtos
You twitterers should follow if you like.
A couple nights ago I dreamed that I was waiting for a Greyhound bus and when it pulled up Tarek was driving. You were wearing a very dapper outfit (as usual) and told me that you like the job because you can make $18 an hour doing the route from Pittsburgh to Boston and it only takes you 5 hours each trip, leaving you enough time for scholarly pursuits.
Where do our brains get this kind of stuff? It does not take 5 hours to get from Pittsburgh to Boston.
I've been working at my new job for 3 months now. I think I made it through my customary 2-month disappointment phase. I think I like it and will do it for awhile. I have headaches though, so I have to wear dorky reading glasses when I work on the computer (which is all day) and I think I'm going to go get acupuncture. I don't appreciate having to spend some of my weekends representing my employer at resource fairs, but that's the price of rolling with the big dogs I guess. Personal sacrifices and free mystery meat lunches in Holiday Inn conference rooms. And a never-ending list of tasks that are all "top-priority". It's good to feel like what I'm doing matters, but sometimes I do miss the days of slacking off at work.
I am super into yoga and baroque music and military sci-fi. These are the things that mostly occupy what little free time I have. Making more money is nice because I can finally buy tickets to go see musical performances and visiting yogis. I bought numerous fancy lady pants for work only to somehow grow out of them in a couple weeks. I guess that's a sign that things are going well.
http://twitter.com/#!/conchairtos
You twitterers should follow if you like.
A couple nights ago I dreamed that I was waiting for a Greyhound bus and when it pulled up Tarek was driving. You were wearing a very dapper outfit (as usual) and told me that you like the job because you can make $18 an hour doing the route from Pittsburgh to Boston and it only takes you 5 hours each trip, leaving you enough time for scholarly pursuits.
Where do our brains get this kind of stuff? It does not take 5 hours to get from Pittsburgh to Boston.
I've been working at my new job for 3 months now. I think I made it through my customary 2-month disappointment phase. I think I like it and will do it for awhile. I have headaches though, so I have to wear dorky reading glasses when I work on the computer (which is all day) and I think I'm going to go get acupuncture. I don't appreciate having to spend some of my weekends representing my employer at resource fairs, but that's the price of rolling with the big dogs I guess. Personal sacrifices and free mystery meat lunches in Holiday Inn conference rooms. And a never-ending list of tasks that are all "top-priority". It's good to feel like what I'm doing matters, but sometimes I do miss the days of slacking off at work.
I am super into yoga and baroque music and military sci-fi. These are the things that mostly occupy what little free time I have. Making more money is nice because I can finally buy tickets to go see musical performances and visiting yogis. I bought numerous fancy lady pants for work only to somehow grow out of them in a couple weeks. I guess that's a sign that things are going well.
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