So while I am not the biggest proponent of Thanksgiving food(don't really like turkey, mashed potatoes are just meh, I'll pass on the stuffing), I am a fan of the holiday and know that a ton of people LOVE it. Don't have to worry about gifts, just get after it family style, and eat your face off. Sounds like something to be appreciated. But recently, Ive discovered a disturbing trend in the retail world which completely screws Thanksgiving, much like the Pilgrims eventually screwed the Indians after a lovely start near Plymouth Rock. Namely, there are 3 seasons...Spring, Summer, and Christmas. Everything else is forgotten, collateral damage in the never ending quest to make you buy stupid shit you don't really need. And not awesome products like Bagel Guillotines. Dumb shit like the Jonas Brother's Christmas album.
I love Christmas, but for me, as a kid, the best part about Christmas was the sudden rush and swell mid-December and then that frenetic week leading up till December 24th-25th, and then all of a sudden, the sudden comedown and mild sadness on December 26th when you realize its all over. That made you crave more Christmas. That tease, that build-up, and then all of a sudden some hot passionate sex with the Christmas season, then all of a sudden it disappears like a thief in the night without staying to cuddle. That is what makes Christmas for me.
However, recently, that tease and buildup is getting deluded by department stores and radio stations excessive need to thrust Christmas upon me at the earliest damn moment. For example, the week before Halloween, I entered Macy's in Downtown Chicago and was i knocked back by the smell of Christmas scents, breathless and annoying Mariah Carey Christmas songs, and red and white as far as the eye could see. Let me remind you, its still October, and I expected to see spiders and ghouls and other appropriately themed Halloween decorations, or maybe, at the very worst, browns and oranges and turkeys all about for Thanksgiving. But noooooo, f-ing Christmas as far as the eye can see. And as I told my mom about it, and she informed me that at Chicos, where she works, they started the Christmas music on Oct. 1. October fucking first?!!? Are you kidding me? Its still like 70 degrees at that point. I am thankful my mother is a strong and resilient woman, otherwise I fear she would have lost her damn mind or been muttering Bing Crosby/Burl Ives impressions incessantly.
This year I have taken to just avoiding premature Christmas nonsense. Working in a predominantly Jewish office helps, except when they play Christmas music on the radio...is that a little...umm, odd to anyone else?
Quick hits from my blogging hiatus:
-With the release of The Fame Monster, Lady Gaga is no longer a peculiarity or intriguing figure to me as she once was. She is flat out one of my favorite artists around right now and I'll argue with anyone who tells me otherwise. Is she a little bit crazy? Yes. Eccentric? More than a little bit? Quite certainly. Absurdly talented with a vision that she continues to execute despite critics and haters not quite understanding or enjoying it? Damn right. Bitch is damn talented.
-The Jersey Shore is a train wreck of a television show but in the same vein, 5 times more compelling and intriguing. People love watching shows about shit that is completely foreign and strange to them...aka the mysterious and mind boggling world of guidos. Its like watching a show on the Discovery Channel. I mean, if my son or daughter even started hinting at tendancies of being a guido later in life, I'd probably bash them in the head with a rock and start over. However, from an outsider's perspective, I love watching the misguided and delusional hubris of all these clowns. Fist Pump!
-College basketball makes me happy. That is all.
-I hang out with a few kids that still are in school at Depaul. They are now on Winter Break for a month and a half or so. And pretty much all of them, with the exception of like 2 weeks or so, are staying in the city. The worst part about winter break was that after New Years, things got kind of boring till you went back to school. If I had been down in Oxford, its a damn ghost town, so that kind of sucks. And back home, I love being home and my family, but I get a bit stir crazy once my little sisters go back to school and my parents are busy during the day. If I had gotten to have 3 weeks of awesomeness essentially at school, but without the school work and responsibility? Kickass. Those lucky bastards. Meanwhile, I have to work on Christmas Eve and still haven't accrued much vacation to take days off. FML...and why you should avoid those damn college kids (life used to be so easy.)
So, Manchester Orchestra, I just can't say enough about this band. I've liked them for awhile, but when I saw them a little while back with Brand New, it was like I was hearing them for the first time. Such an electric stage presence, such intelligent melodies, cryptic lyrics, really the total package. One of those bands who finally got a little radio play recently, but ironically, it was not what I would consider anywhere near one of their best songs. I Can Feel a Hot One is hauntingly smooth and lyrically brilliant and may or may not be a song I've fallen asleep to multiple times. Shake It Out literally shakes you to musical consciousness. And finally, The River closes out their most recent cd and has some of the most appropriate and meaningful lyrics I've heard in awhile. I highly recommend you giving it a spin if you are a fan of the Backstreet Boys, Jay-Z, Led Zepplin, Abba, or badass music in general.
"I think I talk to you best when I sing, I sing about almost everything..."
JW
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
I was never much for popularity contests...
So searching for a job could be the most arduous, stressful, and mind twisting situation ever. It doesn't matter if you are unemployed or not fully satisfied and looking to switch it up, any way you paint it, it is about as much fun as a bag of dicks. I mean, piece by piece, every step of the process is obnoxious. I mean, the part that worries people the most, the interview, is the stage of the game where I am most comfortable and confident.
Actually finding available positions is wrought with pitfalls and epic wastes of time. For example, employers love dressing up awful jobs with clever names and euphemistic descriptions. When I still wanted to be in marketing and advertising, I was really looking for a creative position, or one involved with account due diligence and client contact. So naturally I was drawn to positions with names like "Account Executive". In reality, most companies should rename such a position "Cold-calling sales bitch". Now I understand that alot companies have you start in sales and work your way up to "better" positions, but don't attempt to decieve me as my mind is slowly turning to gelato from sitting on Monster.com all day. So if you are lucky enough to find jobs you actually want to apply for, then the real fun begins.
First of all, resumes. How awesome would it be if there was a standardized format for resumes that people could rely on? Blah blah resumes give you a chance to stand out and differentiate yourself blah blah. Or it is just another way for you to get screwed out of a job or interview you deserve because some anal retentive, gum smacking, HR professional doesn't enjoy your choice of font. Helvetica makes her wet but heaven forbid you dare use Geneva, that would march your resume down to the paper shredder like a fattened calf. Or she may get all bent out of shape because you put your academic information in the wrong portion of the page. Or maybe your work experience is just not sufficient for the position. Bottom line, you never fucking know. Thus, whenever you don't get a response or a denial, you begin tweaking your resume and before long, you have 17 different copies with your name presented in 12 different ways in order to keep all the files separate and uniquely tagged. Resumes...making normal people neurotic since then advent of the typewriter.
Whats the next step? Cover letters. Honestly, I would rather fellate a curling iron than continue to craft unique and special cover letters for each position I apply to. I would wager that 75% of cover letters flow straight into the trash heap completely negating the annoying amount of time painstakingly used with Word's thesaurus assuring your excellent verbal skills come across. And ask any HR or recruiter and they will tell you that you should create a different one for each position because a standard draft will easily be recognized and frowned upon. Well isnt that dandy? This is all secondary to the actual content of the letter which is basically informing the company why you are right for the position. Good luck writing that without sounding pompous, full of yourself, and like a cheesy asshat. Not to mention, all that you mentioned will be restated if and when you are granted the privilege of an interview. So cover letters can take a long walk off the shortest pier they can find.
If you find 10-15 positions you are interested in, you are lucky to get 1-2 interviews. So there is no excuse for not KILLING it. This job climate can bite me.
But when I start to get annoyed, I can at least fall back on my continual source of perspective and amusement, Chicago's homeless. They honestly continue to amazing and astound me on a daily basis. Last week, I saw a homeless dude on an Iphone. Swear to science. And I thought for a second that he might just be a grungy pseudo-hippie until I noticed his telltale cup and ratty sign. I mean, are you kidding me? I can't even afford an Iphone with my full time employement and this dude smells like Gary, IN and he's flipping through his apps. Homelessness...there's an app for that.
The new breed of quasi-homeless I see alot lately are the young-ish people with some sort of sign informing passers-by that they are travelling and ran out of money and can't get home. What the fuck? How does one do that? Were they on a meth tour of the Midwest and smoked their bankroll and now they can't get back to Grand Rapids? I mean, if/when I would be travelling to a large city, cross country, etc, my main concern would be "do I have enough $$ to get home or to my destination." But then again, that is just me and I've never sat in downtown stranger staring down annoyed businessmen for nickels.
Finally, I've noticed alot of assertive homeless lately too. I mean, beyond just asking for change or announcing that ever little bit helps. I'm talking about the guy who picks out individual people passing and tells them he is hungry or homeless.
"Hey man in the pink shirt, could you buy me some lunch?"
"Hey lady with the sweet ass, I'm homeless, got a dollar?"
Its a brazen but admirable attack. I mean, kudos for being proactive and not chilling in some fog. But then it can get annoying, such as the man rocking on his guitar in the subway. As he finished a song, he noticed that a girl nearby was swaying a bit. However, she had some headphones in so clearly she was rocking to her own jam. This didn't deter Subway Springsteen.
"I noticed you grooving to my tune, how about a donation?"
Really? She embarrasingly muttered something about not having any cash. I would have informed him I was actually grooving to the bridge from Lovestoned, but carrying on rocking out without regard for proper tuning or pitch. Then again, this man caused a few women with sensative olfactory systems to nearly seizure with his natural aromas, so he probably wasn't to be reasoned with.
So for the last 2-3 years or so, my favorite "indie" band has been Tegan and Sara. Interesting in make-up, they are identical twin sisters, Canadien, both lesbians, and both badass musicians on a variety of instruments. And they have managed to transition from an alt-folk sort of sound into power-indie goodness. The Con is one of my all time favorite songs, regardless of genre. Their vocals, lead and backing, compliment each other so comfortably and smoothly. Anyways, they just released Sainthood which is incredibly written. It just draws from all their previous work and just takes them to another level. I am still getting through it properly, but I recommend it to anyone that likes music that doesn't suck. Start with The Con; Nineteen; I Know I Know; Call It Off; and Walking with a Ghost. Then stumble upon the amazingness of Sainthood. Happy rocking.
"Calm down, I'm calling you to say. I'm capsized erring on the edge of safe..."
JW
Actually finding available positions is wrought with pitfalls and epic wastes of time. For example, employers love dressing up awful jobs with clever names and euphemistic descriptions. When I still wanted to be in marketing and advertising, I was really looking for a creative position, or one involved with account due diligence and client contact. So naturally I was drawn to positions with names like "Account Executive". In reality, most companies should rename such a position "Cold-calling sales bitch". Now I understand that alot companies have you start in sales and work your way up to "better" positions, but don't attempt to decieve me as my mind is slowly turning to gelato from sitting on Monster.com all day. So if you are lucky enough to find jobs you actually want to apply for, then the real fun begins.
First of all, resumes. How awesome would it be if there was a standardized format for resumes that people could rely on? Blah blah resumes give you a chance to stand out and differentiate yourself blah blah. Or it is just another way for you to get screwed out of a job or interview you deserve because some anal retentive, gum smacking, HR professional doesn't enjoy your choice of font. Helvetica makes her wet but heaven forbid you dare use Geneva, that would march your resume down to the paper shredder like a fattened calf. Or she may get all bent out of shape because you put your academic information in the wrong portion of the page. Or maybe your work experience is just not sufficient for the position. Bottom line, you never fucking know. Thus, whenever you don't get a response or a denial, you begin tweaking your resume and before long, you have 17 different copies with your name presented in 12 different ways in order to keep all the files separate and uniquely tagged. Resumes...making normal people neurotic since then advent of the typewriter.
Whats the next step? Cover letters. Honestly, I would rather fellate a curling iron than continue to craft unique and special cover letters for each position I apply to. I would wager that 75% of cover letters flow straight into the trash heap completely negating the annoying amount of time painstakingly used with Word's thesaurus assuring your excellent verbal skills come across. And ask any HR or recruiter and they will tell you that you should create a different one for each position because a standard draft will easily be recognized and frowned upon. Well isnt that dandy? This is all secondary to the actual content of the letter which is basically informing the company why you are right for the position. Good luck writing that without sounding pompous, full of yourself, and like a cheesy asshat. Not to mention, all that you mentioned will be restated if and when you are granted the privilege of an interview. So cover letters can take a long walk off the shortest pier they can find.
If you find 10-15 positions you are interested in, you are lucky to get 1-2 interviews. So there is no excuse for not KILLING it. This job climate can bite me.
But when I start to get annoyed, I can at least fall back on my continual source of perspective and amusement, Chicago's homeless. They honestly continue to amazing and astound me on a daily basis. Last week, I saw a homeless dude on an Iphone. Swear to science. And I thought for a second that he might just be a grungy pseudo-hippie until I noticed his telltale cup and ratty sign. I mean, are you kidding me? I can't even afford an Iphone with my full time employement and this dude smells like Gary, IN and he's flipping through his apps. Homelessness...there's an app for that.
The new breed of quasi-homeless I see alot lately are the young-ish people with some sort of sign informing passers-by that they are travelling and ran out of money and can't get home. What the fuck? How does one do that? Were they on a meth tour of the Midwest and smoked their bankroll and now they can't get back to Grand Rapids? I mean, if/when I would be travelling to a large city, cross country, etc, my main concern would be "do I have enough $$ to get home or to my destination." But then again, that is just me and I've never sat in downtown stranger staring down annoyed businessmen for nickels.
Finally, I've noticed alot of assertive homeless lately too. I mean, beyond just asking for change or announcing that ever little bit helps. I'm talking about the guy who picks out individual people passing and tells them he is hungry or homeless.
"Hey man in the pink shirt, could you buy me some lunch?"
"Hey lady with the sweet ass, I'm homeless, got a dollar?"
Its a brazen but admirable attack. I mean, kudos for being proactive and not chilling in some fog. But then it can get annoying, such as the man rocking on his guitar in the subway. As he finished a song, he noticed that a girl nearby was swaying a bit. However, she had some headphones in so clearly she was rocking to her own jam. This didn't deter Subway Springsteen.
"I noticed you grooving to my tune, how about a donation?"
Really? She embarrasingly muttered something about not having any cash. I would have informed him I was actually grooving to the bridge from Lovestoned, but carrying on rocking out without regard for proper tuning or pitch. Then again, this man caused a few women with sensative olfactory systems to nearly seizure with his natural aromas, so he probably wasn't to be reasoned with.
So for the last 2-3 years or so, my favorite "indie" band has been Tegan and Sara. Interesting in make-up, they are identical twin sisters, Canadien, both lesbians, and both badass musicians on a variety of instruments. And they have managed to transition from an alt-folk sort of sound into power-indie goodness. The Con is one of my all time favorite songs, regardless of genre. Their vocals, lead and backing, compliment each other so comfortably and smoothly. Anyways, they just released Sainthood which is incredibly written. It just draws from all their previous work and just takes them to another level. I am still getting through it properly, but I recommend it to anyone that likes music that doesn't suck. Start with The Con; Nineteen; I Know I Know; Call It Off; and Walking with a Ghost. Then stumble upon the amazingness of Sainthood. Happy rocking.
"Calm down, I'm calling you to say. I'm capsized erring on the edge of safe..."
JW
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Fuck boutonnieres
Oh early fall. The chill in the air, the High School football, the early days of the school year where things are still fresh and new and hearts are atwitter. It can only mean one thing...homecoming season. Having a sister who is a soph in HS, it has managed to make its way back in discussions I have with my family. Homecoming, the magical week of school spirit culminating in a dance where young bucks looking to hone their social skills can essentially ask out girls they otherwise wouldn't know how to. Show evidence of their interest while cautiously testing the temperature of the girl's reaction to their affection under the guise of a harmless dance.
Well, unfortunately, this grand tradition is a source of perma-shame and embarrassment whenever I make the mistake of calling upon my memories. Contrary to what my swagger and smoldering looks ripped from the pages of a GQ may convey, I was not always such the Don Juan. I had this false ideal in my head that any of the male-female shortcomings I endured in middle school would vanish in this vast new frontier that was HS. We had 2 middle schools that merged into one HS which basically afforded me a whole school of people who had no clue what a tremendous mullet-wearing fail I was in middle school. My longing for attention from the fair sex would finally be ended...
...or not. I approached the Homecoming season with unbridled enthusiasm. I eagerly started conversations with my friends and Cross Country teammates about potential dates, and pre-dance restaurants, and the street cred said dates would bring. I was positively stoked. Little did I know this time of year would frame my biggest fails.
Without further ado, the first of my 3 epic homecoming fails.I carefully picked out the lucky girl who was going to have the privilege of joining me on my first foray into the dating world, Samantha (Sam) R. She was the top runner on the girls CC team, adorable, and just an overall sweet girl. I couldn't think of a more perfect date. We had talked a bit at races and such, and I thought I could be in a decent spot. I had my good friend CJ, who was also a CC guy with me and also one of her good friends from middle school, to diplomatically talk to her on my behalf. Gauge my chances a bit. "No problem," he assures me.
The next day, he informs me that I am "good". I take this as a sign and immediately feel my confidence swell. I plot my next move. Now in those days, I lived for just seeing and saying hello to girls I liked. Yeah, how fucking weak is that. I would plan my walks to class, sometimes talking extra long, meandering routes just to pass a [articular hunny and hopefully catch her eye and get a greeting. Thus, I had figured out the perfect time when I passed Sam in a fairly empty hallway on my way to Bio. I already was looking forward to smugly informing my parents that not only did I have a date to HC, she was one of the top 10 CC runners in the state, booyah. So, without fear, as I approached her, I stopped her and hurriedly vomited out my impassioned plea:
J: "HeySamIknowCJtalkedtoyouaboutit, soIwaswonderingifyouwantedtogotoHomecomingwithme?"
*Yes, there was no breath and I can scarcely believe she understood what I even said.*
S: "Aww, thanks. But sorry, I am already going with someone. Sorry, Jason"
What...the...fuck! I wanted to eviscerate CJ. I'm good? Did he mean, I'm good in the sense that she knew who I was? Cause certainly having a date doesn't mean I'm good. And did she fucking call me Jason? Do I look like the leader of the Argonauts? She doesn't even know my real name? To make matters worse, in my frustrated confusion, I decided to kick the wall. In doing so, I managed to bruise my toe allowing me the honor of walking with a limp the rest of the day and sitting out of practice that afternoon. It would have been less embarrassing to just tell my coach I couldn't run cause I forgot my tampons.
Side note: Sam and I ended up being pretty good friends and she managed to tease me about this particular incident until graduation. You can't escape your past.
Well, deluded into thinking that the only reason I didn't have a date yet was because Sam already was spoken for, I readjusted my focus and figured I would still have no problems. So I zero'd in on another CC runner, this one whom I had talked to a TON, sat next to on bus rides to meets, and had a class with. Greylen wasn't my uber crush, but nonetheless, I would be really excited to go to HC with her. So on one of our typical walks after class, I nonchalantly popped the question and prepared for a positive response. She kind of stuttered for a second as I sat with a grin looking like the cat that ate the canary. "Umm, let me think about it for a bit"...oh shit. I quickly stated that it wasn't a problem and nearly sprinted away. My mind began to swirl
"This isn't good, if she wanted to go, she would have said yes."
'Maybe she just has another offer, and she needs to let the other fool down softly."
"Oh fuck, maybe she needs to think of a way to deny me and not be bitchy..."
"Maybe she just really likes me and is stunned so it has to set in! Yes, thats it, has to be it."
I twisted myself up mentally so intensely that next period I was as confident as ever. My friend Teddy asked me if I had a date to HC. "Oh yeah, I'm going with Greylen. It should be awesome," I quickly replied. What could go wrong?
Well I went to lunch next period and mildly dreaded the next point in which I would see her. Well after lunch, walking to class, my destiny called. She was walking behind me with her friends and as I turned down a hall, she called my name.
G:"Hey"
J: *with look of complete terror*"Whats up"
G:"I just don't feel I know you well enough to go to HC with you. Sorry..."
With that she quickly rejoined her friends. I promptly began looking for a garbage can cause little miss had punched me in the stomach and I felt like I was going to hurl. And it only got better the next day when Teddy asked me what was up cause he talked to her and she said she wasn't going HC with me...oh FML. With that I gave up on freshman HC and continued to perpetuate the lie to my parents that I just wasn't that into girls really.
Well the next two years, buttressed by my humiliation of freshman year, my fear of rejection pervaded everything. Oh I would still ask hot girls to HC, I just would be a tremendous pansy about it. Sophmore year, Ali, wow. This girl was and still is stunning. My memories of her at 15-16 is still the most gorgeous girl I've ever known at any point in my life. And I still had the stones to ask her to HC...via note. Oh yes, I gave her a note asking if she wanted to go to HC...which I put in her locker. There was no MTV Laguna Beach cute theatrics with a teddy bear holding it or any of that nonsense. I just slipped a note in her fucking locker. How I possibly could have envisioned this situation turning out well, I have no damn idea. Well, I wasn't the least bit surprised when she called later that night and thanked me, but no thanks. I mean, kudos to her for at least having the dignity to call, and not do something lame...like give me a note. Fortunately, she didn't go on to make my life a living hell like some teen movie, we actually were cool throughout the end of HS, but sweet lord, I had trouble looking her in the eye, and they were such pretty eyes too.
So junior year rolls along, and my confidence is melting like an iceberg. More like I was a polar bear stranded on one of said icebergs as it broke with teenage normalcy and floated off towards a vast sea populated by Dungeon and Dragon aficionados and those who wore "Im with Stupid" shirts. However, I had one last gasp in me. Hallie. This was my quintessential childhood crush. I had a solid, unwavering crush on this vixen from 4th grade straight through 8th grade. I'm talking "drawing initials in frost and quickly erasing them out of embarrassment" and "saying her name with my last name just to see how it sounds on a daily basis" level of infatuation. However, it waned a bit as I was a year older and when I went to HS, I got caught up in other stuff. Yet, it came roaring back after she had been in HS for a bit and we had hung out in groups like the golden years. So HC came around and I decided it was time to act on all those years of adoration and just ask her...by giving her a note. See a theme here?
This time, I decided to sink even lower. I crafted a cute and clever note with an all too familiar punchline...and gave it to my friend...to give to her...and this friend also happened to be her ex-bf from last year. I mean, kudos to him for being a good friend and helping me out. Even more kudos when he said "Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, are you sure you want to do it like this?" with concern, and hope I was kidding, in his eyes. I assured him I totally was and again I committed to an embarrassing legacy of pussification.
A group of us all went to dinner later that week and towards the end, my dearest angel pulled me aside into the hallway and sat me down. As she sweetly and kindly explained that I was a close friend but she was gonna have to say no, I began to feel like Lennie right as George was about to shoot him in the back of the head. The kiss on the cheek sealed my hatred for Homecoming for all time and taste in my mouth I would be brushing my teeth for years to rid myself of.
My sisters are both really pretty young girls and I have no doubt they will probably the girls who will be mentally scarring all these awkward young giraffes as they comically try to walk into adulthood. Especially the youngest, she has a mean streak and I could see her leading a merry band of dream wreckers that gain considerable strength around this time of the year. I weep at the thought of every freshman boy that is not already a ladykiller. Hopefully I will be able to arm my future sons with an arsenal of weaponry to avoid such humiliation, that my wounds are still fresh enough that my advice is useful and not all goofy fatherly awkwardness. Who wants a damn corsage anyways?
So Howie Day was my JAM in High School. I still listen to She Says, and More You Understand, and Morning After all the time. Then his second CD came out when I was a freshman, everyone got obsessed with Collide, and I thought he was about to explode. Well he kind of did. He got wasted on a plane and was kicking seats and got arrested. Ended up in rehab where I'm pretty sure he hooked up with Britney Spears if I recall. So, maybe he had the right plan all along. But he is back. And I am supremely glad cause in his "prime" his talent was undeniable. I saw him live and he was ridiculous. His use of looped guitar riffs, looped vocals, creating this insane melodies, he is awesome. At a time when all those "guys with guitars" were getting popular, I latched onto him cause he was unique and just had a different approach to it all. His new CD is hopefully evidence that he is back in the saddle and is ready to continue saucily seducing my ear drums. Be There is the first single and its a good place to start. Pretty cool video too. Enjoy it while reminiscing about how lame HS was...or if it was awesome for you...I hate you.
"If you're gonna be there, be there. If you're gonna stay, then stay tonight. Start living, out with the old. I'm all lit up, must be the good life..."
JW
Well, unfortunately, this grand tradition is a source of perma-shame and embarrassment whenever I make the mistake of calling upon my memories. Contrary to what my swagger and smoldering looks ripped from the pages of a GQ may convey, I was not always such the Don Juan. I had this false ideal in my head that any of the male-female shortcomings I endured in middle school would vanish in this vast new frontier that was HS. We had 2 middle schools that merged into one HS which basically afforded me a whole school of people who had no clue what a tremendous mullet-wearing fail I was in middle school. My longing for attention from the fair sex would finally be ended...
...or not. I approached the Homecoming season with unbridled enthusiasm. I eagerly started conversations with my friends and Cross Country teammates about potential dates, and pre-dance restaurants, and the street cred said dates would bring. I was positively stoked. Little did I know this time of year would frame my biggest fails.
Without further ado, the first of my 3 epic homecoming fails.I carefully picked out the lucky girl who was going to have the privilege of joining me on my first foray into the dating world, Samantha (Sam) R. She was the top runner on the girls CC team, adorable, and just an overall sweet girl. I couldn't think of a more perfect date. We had talked a bit at races and such, and I thought I could be in a decent spot. I had my good friend CJ, who was also a CC guy with me and also one of her good friends from middle school, to diplomatically talk to her on my behalf. Gauge my chances a bit. "No problem," he assures me.
The next day, he informs me that I am "good". I take this as a sign and immediately feel my confidence swell. I plot my next move. Now in those days, I lived for just seeing and saying hello to girls I liked. Yeah, how fucking weak is that. I would plan my walks to class, sometimes talking extra long, meandering routes just to pass a [articular hunny and hopefully catch her eye and get a greeting. Thus, I had figured out the perfect time when I passed Sam in a fairly empty hallway on my way to Bio. I already was looking forward to smugly informing my parents that not only did I have a date to HC, she was one of the top 10 CC runners in the state, booyah. So, without fear, as I approached her, I stopped her and hurriedly vomited out my impassioned plea:
J: "HeySamIknowCJtalkedtoyouaboutit, soIwaswonderingifyouwantedtogotoHomecomingwithme?"
*Yes, there was no breath and I can scarcely believe she understood what I even said.*
S: "Aww, thanks. But sorry, I am already going with someone. Sorry, Jason"
What...the...fuck! I wanted to eviscerate CJ. I'm good? Did he mean, I'm good in the sense that she knew who I was? Cause certainly having a date doesn't mean I'm good. And did she fucking call me Jason? Do I look like the leader of the Argonauts? She doesn't even know my real name? To make matters worse, in my frustrated confusion, I decided to kick the wall. In doing so, I managed to bruise my toe allowing me the honor of walking with a limp the rest of the day and sitting out of practice that afternoon. It would have been less embarrassing to just tell my coach I couldn't run cause I forgot my tampons.
Side note: Sam and I ended up being pretty good friends and she managed to tease me about this particular incident until graduation. You can't escape your past.
Well, deluded into thinking that the only reason I didn't have a date yet was because Sam already was spoken for, I readjusted my focus and figured I would still have no problems. So I zero'd in on another CC runner, this one whom I had talked to a TON, sat next to on bus rides to meets, and had a class with. Greylen wasn't my uber crush, but nonetheless, I would be really excited to go to HC with her. So on one of our typical walks after class, I nonchalantly popped the question and prepared for a positive response. She kind of stuttered for a second as I sat with a grin looking like the cat that ate the canary. "Umm, let me think about it for a bit"...oh shit. I quickly stated that it wasn't a problem and nearly sprinted away. My mind began to swirl
"This isn't good, if she wanted to go, she would have said yes."
'Maybe she just has another offer, and she needs to let the other fool down softly."
"Oh fuck, maybe she needs to think of a way to deny me and not be bitchy..."
"Maybe she just really likes me and is stunned so it has to set in! Yes, thats it, has to be it."
I twisted myself up mentally so intensely that next period I was as confident as ever. My friend Teddy asked me if I had a date to HC. "Oh yeah, I'm going with Greylen. It should be awesome," I quickly replied. What could go wrong?
Well I went to lunch next period and mildly dreaded the next point in which I would see her. Well after lunch, walking to class, my destiny called. She was walking behind me with her friends and as I turned down a hall, she called my name.
G:"Hey"
J: *with look of complete terror*"Whats up"
G:"I just don't feel I know you well enough to go to HC with you. Sorry..."
With that she quickly rejoined her friends. I promptly began looking for a garbage can cause little miss had punched me in the stomach and I felt like I was going to hurl. And it only got better the next day when Teddy asked me what was up cause he talked to her and she said she wasn't going HC with me...oh FML. With that I gave up on freshman HC and continued to perpetuate the lie to my parents that I just wasn't that into girls really.
Well the next two years, buttressed by my humiliation of freshman year, my fear of rejection pervaded everything. Oh I would still ask hot girls to HC, I just would be a tremendous pansy about it. Sophmore year, Ali, wow. This girl was and still is stunning. My memories of her at 15-16 is still the most gorgeous girl I've ever known at any point in my life. And I still had the stones to ask her to HC...via note. Oh yes, I gave her a note asking if she wanted to go to HC...which I put in her locker. There was no MTV Laguna Beach cute theatrics with a teddy bear holding it or any of that nonsense. I just slipped a note in her fucking locker. How I possibly could have envisioned this situation turning out well, I have no damn idea. Well, I wasn't the least bit surprised when she called later that night and thanked me, but no thanks. I mean, kudos to her for at least having the dignity to call, and not do something lame...like give me a note. Fortunately, she didn't go on to make my life a living hell like some teen movie, we actually were cool throughout the end of HS, but sweet lord, I had trouble looking her in the eye, and they were such pretty eyes too.
So junior year rolls along, and my confidence is melting like an iceberg. More like I was a polar bear stranded on one of said icebergs as it broke with teenage normalcy and floated off towards a vast sea populated by Dungeon and Dragon aficionados and those who wore "Im with Stupid" shirts. However, I had one last gasp in me. Hallie. This was my quintessential childhood crush. I had a solid, unwavering crush on this vixen from 4th grade straight through 8th grade. I'm talking "drawing initials in frost and quickly erasing them out of embarrassment" and "saying her name with my last name just to see how it sounds on a daily basis" level of infatuation. However, it waned a bit as I was a year older and when I went to HS, I got caught up in other stuff. Yet, it came roaring back after she had been in HS for a bit and we had hung out in groups like the golden years. So HC came around and I decided it was time to act on all those years of adoration and just ask her...by giving her a note. See a theme here?
This time, I decided to sink even lower. I crafted a cute and clever note with an all too familiar punchline...and gave it to my friend...to give to her...and this friend also happened to be her ex-bf from last year. I mean, kudos to him for being a good friend and helping me out. Even more kudos when he said "Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, are you sure you want to do it like this?" with concern, and hope I was kidding, in his eyes. I assured him I totally was and again I committed to an embarrassing legacy of pussification.
A group of us all went to dinner later that week and towards the end, my dearest angel pulled me aside into the hallway and sat me down. As she sweetly and kindly explained that I was a close friend but she was gonna have to say no, I began to feel like Lennie right as George was about to shoot him in the back of the head. The kiss on the cheek sealed my hatred for Homecoming for all time and taste in my mouth I would be brushing my teeth for years to rid myself of.
My sisters are both really pretty young girls and I have no doubt they will probably the girls who will be mentally scarring all these awkward young giraffes as they comically try to walk into adulthood. Especially the youngest, she has a mean streak and I could see her leading a merry band of dream wreckers that gain considerable strength around this time of the year. I weep at the thought of every freshman boy that is not already a ladykiller. Hopefully I will be able to arm my future sons with an arsenal of weaponry to avoid such humiliation, that my wounds are still fresh enough that my advice is useful and not all goofy fatherly awkwardness. Who wants a damn corsage anyways?
So Howie Day was my JAM in High School. I still listen to She Says, and More You Understand, and Morning After all the time. Then his second CD came out when I was a freshman, everyone got obsessed with Collide, and I thought he was about to explode. Well he kind of did. He got wasted on a plane and was kicking seats and got arrested. Ended up in rehab where I'm pretty sure he hooked up with Britney Spears if I recall. So, maybe he had the right plan all along. But he is back. And I am supremely glad cause in his "prime" his talent was undeniable. I saw him live and he was ridiculous. His use of looped guitar riffs, looped vocals, creating this insane melodies, he is awesome. At a time when all those "guys with guitars" were getting popular, I latched onto him cause he was unique and just had a different approach to it all. His new CD is hopefully evidence that he is back in the saddle and is ready to continue saucily seducing my ear drums. Be There is the first single and its a good place to start. Pretty cool video too. Enjoy it while reminiscing about how lame HS was...or if it was awesome for you...I hate you.
"If you're gonna be there, be there. If you're gonna stay, then stay tonight. Start living, out with the old. I'm all lit up, must be the good life..."
JW
Thursday, September 17, 2009
I do...well, maybe not yet
So this past weekend, I was out in Boston for my cousin's wedding. It was definitely an interesting, non-typical wedding for sure. Most weddings don't take place at a 300 year old house that also serves at a youth hostel. Most weddings don't have barbecue ribs as the main dinner course. Most weddings don't take place somewhere with no TVs. NO TVs! I saw none of the Michigan-ND or OSU-USC games. It was excruciating crouching in the corner trying to get a signal attempting to furiously text Google for score updates like Gollum worshiping the ring. All that being said, I had a blast. A few reasons come to mind.
First of all, weddings are just naturally predisposed to fun. Ample booze? Check. People drinking said booze that normally don't drink? Check. Music and people making asses of themselves on the dancefloor, convinced by the chardonnay that they are Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers? Check. And its just an inherently positive and upbeat event. Its just set up for a good time, you know something interesting is going to happen, like when you see that drunk girl in stilettos tottering down an icy sidewalk.
Drinking with relatives. This is something you don't really grasp until you are of drinking age. That uncle you always thought was kind of cool? He really has a wicked sense of humor that he was never relaxed enough to unleash cause he had to be all mature for his nieces and nephews, or some similar constraint ridiculously put on him by others. Really, you have not lived until you see your Grandparents drinking out of Das Boot. Yes, you read that right. A boot appeared and was being passed around and my Grandparents, both 80+, hit that shit like Floyd Mayweather. I was a bit misty-eyed. I was soo stunned I scarcely realized that both my parents were getting their sip on as well. Including my mother who hasn't drank a beer since Prince was on Apollonia. This also marked the first time I've truly been "feeling no pain" around my parents. I realized this with a sinking horror as I was drunkenly eating a bagel like an idiot at the hotel and listening to myself speak. The next morning my little sisters were questioning about my inebriated state last night. I kindly informed them that they were tripping and I was merely tired and hungry. Oh my, I'll miss when they aren't so easily mentally redirected. I actually cut myself off after I was beckoned to the dance floor by my cousin who asked to me teach them the Soulja Boy cause I'm a good dancer. However, I proceeded to execute an aborted version of the Dirty Bird. I then shamefully exited the dance floor cause I realized I was too drunk to execute a dance created by a 16 year old with the lyrical prowess of Sloth from the Goonies. I wanted to go back to Saturday and punch myself in the face.
Finally, weddings help me put my life into focus. As I caterwal haphazardly through my early 20s, I find myself examining my maturity and how I wish I was this and that, but yet I'm not really sure. Do I want a significant relationship or do I want to continue being a self-sufficient sort of fellow? Well examining weddings, I do like somethings. I mean, come on, I love being the center of attention, and there is no grander stage than being the groom in a wedding. Well besides your pesky bride. Plus there is an exquisite amount of control into making it your ideal day. Sweetness right? Then I am quickly drenched in the realization that no matter how much I have grown since college and how much more mature I may or not be, I am NOWHERE near ready to be joined in everlasting marital bliss. The thought of it all is staggering to me. Like when you are a kid and everything in the future seems so daunting, like high school, and driving, and not wetting the bed? Like that. But I am comfortable enough with myself to realize that like all the things I mentioned, this will come in time and I am perfectly content to wait. No need to hurry growth, right Peter Pan my friend and role model?
PS, if you have never had strawberry rhubarb pie, you need to have it immediately or hereby surrender your sense of taste cause you depriving yourself of heaven. And if you have had it and don't like it, go eat something you do like, probably brussel sprouts or vinegar ice cream...weirdos.
So Hip-Hop decided to save my musical life yet again recently. As I found myself being bored with some of the music in my life, Kid Cudi and Jay-Z dropped their new discs. Hova's Blueprint 3 is predictably amazing with tight rhymes and sick beats. You really need to get all up in that. Empire State of Mind with Alicia Keys is just ridiculous and Off That has one of those undeniably Timbaland beats. That's a good start. But more importantly, Kid Cudi. This dude just kills his first disc. He has the Lupe feel to him and he is just a lyrical badass. I mean, Day and Night was a catch ass track, but this CD is just brilliant. Its indie, electronica, and hip-hop somehow blended into one. Soundtrack 2 My Life is one of the most honest, raw songs I've heard in ages. Its got a Matisyahu-like feel to the chorus. This is how you open up a CD? Just ballsy and exactly how you show you're about to throw down a nasty album. Up, Up, and Away is just amazing (would have been my summer jam if it dropped a bit earlier) and Pursuit of Happiness is creative as hell. So do yourself a favor and spin both of these while eating strawberry rhubarb pie and silently thank me for creating you a sensory utopia.
"I got 99 problems and they all bitches..."
JW
First of all, weddings are just naturally predisposed to fun. Ample booze? Check. People drinking said booze that normally don't drink? Check. Music and people making asses of themselves on the dancefloor, convinced by the chardonnay that they are Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers? Check. And its just an inherently positive and upbeat event. Its just set up for a good time, you know something interesting is going to happen, like when you see that drunk girl in stilettos tottering down an icy sidewalk.
Drinking with relatives. This is something you don't really grasp until you are of drinking age. That uncle you always thought was kind of cool? He really has a wicked sense of humor that he was never relaxed enough to unleash cause he had to be all mature for his nieces and nephews, or some similar constraint ridiculously put on him by others. Really, you have not lived until you see your Grandparents drinking out of Das Boot. Yes, you read that right. A boot appeared and was being passed around and my Grandparents, both 80+, hit that shit like Floyd Mayweather. I was a bit misty-eyed. I was soo stunned I scarcely realized that both my parents were getting their sip on as well. Including my mother who hasn't drank a beer since Prince was on Apollonia. This also marked the first time I've truly been "feeling no pain" around my parents. I realized this with a sinking horror as I was drunkenly eating a bagel like an idiot at the hotel and listening to myself speak. The next morning my little sisters were questioning about my inebriated state last night. I kindly informed them that they were tripping and I was merely tired and hungry. Oh my, I'll miss when they aren't so easily mentally redirected. I actually cut myself off after I was beckoned to the dance floor by my cousin who asked to me teach them the Soulja Boy cause I'm a good dancer. However, I proceeded to execute an aborted version of the Dirty Bird. I then shamefully exited the dance floor cause I realized I was too drunk to execute a dance created by a 16 year old with the lyrical prowess of Sloth from the Goonies. I wanted to go back to Saturday and punch myself in the face.
Finally, weddings help me put my life into focus. As I caterwal haphazardly through my early 20s, I find myself examining my maturity and how I wish I was this and that, but yet I'm not really sure. Do I want a significant relationship or do I want to continue being a self-sufficient sort of fellow? Well examining weddings, I do like somethings. I mean, come on, I love being the center of attention, and there is no grander stage than being the groom in a wedding. Well besides your pesky bride. Plus there is an exquisite amount of control into making it your ideal day. Sweetness right? Then I am quickly drenched in the realization that no matter how much I have grown since college and how much more mature I may or not be, I am NOWHERE near ready to be joined in everlasting marital bliss. The thought of it all is staggering to me. Like when you are a kid and everything in the future seems so daunting, like high school, and driving, and not wetting the bed? Like that. But I am comfortable enough with myself to realize that like all the things I mentioned, this will come in time and I am perfectly content to wait. No need to hurry growth, right Peter Pan my friend and role model?
PS, if you have never had strawberry rhubarb pie, you need to have it immediately or hereby surrender your sense of taste cause you depriving yourself of heaven. And if you have had it and don't like it, go eat something you do like, probably brussel sprouts or vinegar ice cream...weirdos.
So Hip-Hop decided to save my musical life yet again recently. As I found myself being bored with some of the music in my life, Kid Cudi and Jay-Z dropped their new discs. Hova's Blueprint 3 is predictably amazing with tight rhymes and sick beats. You really need to get all up in that. Empire State of Mind with Alicia Keys is just ridiculous and Off That has one of those undeniably Timbaland beats. That's a good start. But more importantly, Kid Cudi. This dude just kills his first disc. He has the Lupe feel to him and he is just a lyrical badass. I mean, Day and Night was a catch ass track, but this CD is just brilliant. Its indie, electronica, and hip-hop somehow blended into one. Soundtrack 2 My Life is one of the most honest, raw songs I've heard in ages. Its got a Matisyahu-like feel to the chorus. This is how you open up a CD? Just ballsy and exactly how you show you're about to throw down a nasty album. Up, Up, and Away is just amazing (would have been my summer jam if it dropped a bit earlier) and Pursuit of Happiness is creative as hell. So do yourself a favor and spin both of these while eating strawberry rhubarb pie and silently thank me for creating you a sensory utopia.
"I got 99 problems and they all bitches..."
JW
Friday, August 21, 2009
Crack is wack.
Its amazing how when you've had a bad/annoying day, the littlest thing can set you off. For example, coming home today, I was waiting for the Red Line. Now I have been subjected to countless performers in the Jackson station. The 3 young boys with tons of grease in their hair offering R&B renditions to the African-American gentleman playing covers of John Mayer and America, which is hilarious cause both artists are so quintessentially white. However, today, there was a black woman crooning a capella. Now she has been there before and its just meh. Today she was rocking Amazing Grace and then O Come All Ye Faithful (yes, bitch was singing Christmas hymns in the dead of August). However, shortly before the train arrived, she broke out in to Whitney Houston's badass "I Will Always Love You". Now this song is badass solely because of the difficultly and the killer pipes of Ms. Houston. This woman thought she could cover it. Now she has an alright voice with a decent register, but it was nowhere near the only awesome cover I have ever heard of this song. In fact, when she mangled the start of the chorus, I remarked "Oh hell no" loud enough that the girl next to me started laughing and commented that "She doesn't sound like Whitney, does she?" Oh she did...after Whitney had smoked enough crack that you could have used her as a chimney sweep.
I think of myself as a pretty even tempered person. I used to have quite the temper (enough that I wasn't able to play travelling club soccer cause my parents worried my temper would get me in trouble) but Ive grown up and usually internalize it, though its not always a good thing. However, this means I rarely have outbursts. Well at work today, that was not the case. I have the misfortune of sitting next to one of the more obnoxious trainees. Now I understand, a short time ago I was just like him, but I did a lot of listening and staying silent. This ass clown feels the need to jabber constantly. And its not pleasant conversation, its his need to comment on things you are doing or trying to endear himself to you by pretend we're all in it together...we're not. I try to tune him out, but its tough. We refer to him as "Fly" because, well, you can figure it out.
Anyways, I have been having a very rough week. Like, lost double what a good week usually is for me. So I'm stressed because Im disappointed in myself, the market sucks, knowing my heartless employers, I could be canned any day for all I know. So needless to say, Im a bit wired. Well I also have the tendancy to talk to stocks and current positions like they are petulant children. Well the following exchange occured to me and this new little insect-like minion:
(Warning, strong language ahead)
JW: "Come on, go. Get the fuck up. Son of a bitch, you fucking cock goblin."
Fly: Haha, that was really funny dude.
JW *looking straight ahead* "You know what else is funny? You shutting the fuck up"
I then continue to look straight ahead and blow a bubble for good measure.
Fly: "Relax, we're all having a rough time man. Market's crazy huh?"
I then proceed to shoot him an icy glare that states "You know nothing and I just lost more than you'll make in a month, so please shut the fuck up and in a few months, if you're still here, then maybe we can be buddies." Silence...booyah
Does this make me an ass? Perhaps, but I feel like I am do for a snap every once and awhile. Thank god its the weekend.
In other news...Oh man, so much random CTA/transit hilarity lately.
-Woman riding her bike down Wells and puts her hand out to make a turn signal, only to recieve a high five from a passerby sending her careening out of control, almost hitting a car and having to jump off her bike. I swear this is one of the funniest things Ive ever seen. I almost forgot to laugh it was so ridiculous.
-Gospel rapper on the subway singing a song with a chorus that went "We dont neeeeeeed guuuunnns". Think of whatever offbeat weird melody you can think of an it was pretty close.
-My personal favorite. I was on the train home yesterday when a little boy of about 7 was running amuck. I mean yelling, bouncing off people, being generally obnoxious. He tried to smack my phone out of my hands as I was simply trying to get a nice game of solitaire in during my commute. Well as this incorrigble little beast was terrorizing this train like a Poltergeist, his mother was on her phone gabbing like she was auditioning for the Hills. Well, her parenting abilities were clearly substandard. Though she was a dime, if I was looking for a Quiz Bowl partner, I would probably be better off using an actual dime I find in my pocket. Well I enacted my revenge shortly before I left the train. As we were coming to the stop, I bent down and tapped the retarded leprachaun on the shoulder as he was probably tying an old woman's shoelaces together or something. As he looked at me with a blank stare, I told him "Your mom is hot. Go tell her, she will understand cause she is." With that I exited the train and hoped that he would be tormented soon enough with the thought of his mom being some MILF lusted after by men all over Chicago. Unfortunately I then realize he was both 7 and probably with the intelligence of a lampost, so I just hope his mom felt weird.
So Matisyahu has a new single, One Day, out. And it kicks ass per usual. Now I could write 5 blog posts about how much I love this dude and his music. I remember the first time I heard King Without a Crown, I remember being a bit iffy on it. But it was intriguing and so I gave it and the rest of his CD some spins. And I was hooked. Now despite being a religious/spiritual person, I have never been much of a fan of Christian rock or the like, cause it always seems a bit off lyrically. Well Matisyahu is just as direct, but there is just this honesty and sincerity to it. Its hard to describe, but there is just this atmospheric cadence to his delivery, obviously a reflection of the traditional Jewish songs and chants in temple. His music honestly just makes me feel really damn good. Its so cheesy, but its utterly true. So gorgeous, so rhythmically diverse, so unique. I mean, a Hasidic Jew sing-rapping with a reggae influence intermixed with traditional Jewish chants and calls? That works? Really? Does it ever. If you have never listened try Jerusalem (what a fucking jam), Time of Your Song (just perfect), and Indestructible (even my Dad loves this song. And its so overtly religious but yet not overbearing). I dare you to not enjoy. I also saw him in concert last summer, and I still get goosebumps thinking about it. It was like a jam band concert mixed with the uplifting feel of gospel choir mixed with a giant mosh pit. He is such a unique dude you forget he is still some late 20s dude. Its that beard. When mixed with prayer curls, the traditional scarves, and for the show I was at, a cocked Packers hat, dude is a badass enigma. Alright, enough gushing like a fanboy, I'll go back to rocking back and forth and smiling thinking of the massive dance party I participated in onstage.
"Sometimes in my tears I drown, but I never let it get me down. So when negativity surrounds, I know some day it'll all turn around"
JW
I think of myself as a pretty even tempered person. I used to have quite the temper (enough that I wasn't able to play travelling club soccer cause my parents worried my temper would get me in trouble) but Ive grown up and usually internalize it, though its not always a good thing. However, this means I rarely have outbursts. Well at work today, that was not the case. I have the misfortune of sitting next to one of the more obnoxious trainees. Now I understand, a short time ago I was just like him, but I did a lot of listening and staying silent. This ass clown feels the need to jabber constantly. And its not pleasant conversation, its his need to comment on things you are doing or trying to endear himself to you by pretend we're all in it together...we're not. I try to tune him out, but its tough. We refer to him as "Fly" because, well, you can figure it out.
Anyways, I have been having a very rough week. Like, lost double what a good week usually is for me. So I'm stressed because Im disappointed in myself, the market sucks, knowing my heartless employers, I could be canned any day for all I know. So needless to say, Im a bit wired. Well I also have the tendancy to talk to stocks and current positions like they are petulant children. Well the following exchange occured to me and this new little insect-like minion:
(Warning, strong language ahead)
JW: "Come on, go. Get the fuck up. Son of a bitch, you fucking cock goblin."
Fly: Haha, that was really funny dude.
JW *looking straight ahead* "You know what else is funny? You shutting the fuck up"
I then continue to look straight ahead and blow a bubble for good measure.
Fly: "Relax, we're all having a rough time man. Market's crazy huh?"
I then proceed to shoot him an icy glare that states "You know nothing and I just lost more than you'll make in a month, so please shut the fuck up and in a few months, if you're still here, then maybe we can be buddies." Silence...booyah
Does this make me an ass? Perhaps, but I feel like I am do for a snap every once and awhile. Thank god its the weekend.
In other news...Oh man, so much random CTA/transit hilarity lately.
-Woman riding her bike down Wells and puts her hand out to make a turn signal, only to recieve a high five from a passerby sending her careening out of control, almost hitting a car and having to jump off her bike. I swear this is one of the funniest things Ive ever seen. I almost forgot to laugh it was so ridiculous.
-Gospel rapper on the subway singing a song with a chorus that went "We dont neeeeeeed guuuunnns". Think of whatever offbeat weird melody you can think of an it was pretty close.
-My personal favorite. I was on the train home yesterday when a little boy of about 7 was running amuck. I mean yelling, bouncing off people, being generally obnoxious. He tried to smack my phone out of my hands as I was simply trying to get a nice game of solitaire in during my commute. Well as this incorrigble little beast was terrorizing this train like a Poltergeist, his mother was on her phone gabbing like she was auditioning for the Hills. Well, her parenting abilities were clearly substandard. Though she was a dime, if I was looking for a Quiz Bowl partner, I would probably be better off using an actual dime I find in my pocket. Well I enacted my revenge shortly before I left the train. As we were coming to the stop, I bent down and tapped the retarded leprachaun on the shoulder as he was probably tying an old woman's shoelaces together or something. As he looked at me with a blank stare, I told him "Your mom is hot. Go tell her, she will understand cause she is." With that I exited the train and hoped that he would be tormented soon enough with the thought of his mom being some MILF lusted after by men all over Chicago. Unfortunately I then realize he was both 7 and probably with the intelligence of a lampost, so I just hope his mom felt weird.
So Matisyahu has a new single, One Day, out. And it kicks ass per usual. Now I could write 5 blog posts about how much I love this dude and his music. I remember the first time I heard King Without a Crown, I remember being a bit iffy on it. But it was intriguing and so I gave it and the rest of his CD some spins. And I was hooked. Now despite being a religious/spiritual person, I have never been much of a fan of Christian rock or the like, cause it always seems a bit off lyrically. Well Matisyahu is just as direct, but there is just this honesty and sincerity to it. Its hard to describe, but there is just this atmospheric cadence to his delivery, obviously a reflection of the traditional Jewish songs and chants in temple. His music honestly just makes me feel really damn good. Its so cheesy, but its utterly true. So gorgeous, so rhythmically diverse, so unique. I mean, a Hasidic Jew sing-rapping with a reggae influence intermixed with traditional Jewish chants and calls? That works? Really? Does it ever. If you have never listened try Jerusalem (what a fucking jam), Time of Your Song (just perfect), and Indestructible (even my Dad loves this song. And its so overtly religious but yet not overbearing). I dare you to not enjoy. I also saw him in concert last summer, and I still get goosebumps thinking about it. It was like a jam band concert mixed with the uplifting feel of gospel choir mixed with a giant mosh pit. He is such a unique dude you forget he is still some late 20s dude. Its that beard. When mixed with prayer curls, the traditional scarves, and for the show I was at, a cocked Packers hat, dude is a badass enigma. Alright, enough gushing like a fanboy, I'll go back to rocking back and forth and smiling thinking of the massive dance party I participated in onstage.
"Sometimes in my tears I drown, but I never let it get me down. So when negativity surrounds, I know some day it'll all turn around"
JW
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Its not a guilty pleasure if you don't feel guilty
So Ive widely admitted to be a music nerd. And not just "I like going to concerts" or "I have a bunch of random stuff on my Ipod", but more like, I obsess over random bridges or a 2 second snippet of melody that a lead singer did on CD but unfortunately will not do live. Genre, era, style, doesn't really matter. I've had conversations with people Ive just met, and they mention a favorite band, and I'll excitedly breakdown my favorite part of a certain song and they in turn give me a look like I'm a crazy cat lady showing pictures of the sweaters I knitted for Mittens and Fluffkins.
But its pretty ridiculous. Im not so much an elistist that I need to know and like bands people have never heard of. On the contrary, that gets obnoxious at times cause you want people to be familiar with your musical groups of choice, or at least I do, so you can discuss them or appreciate certain songs. For example, the emo/pop-punk/punk scene I was in in HS and college immediately turned on bands whenever they had success. It was just sooooo much cooler in their eyes to like bands that nobody had ever heard of. Don't get me wrong, its awesome to see bands in intimate venues, be ahead of the curve, etc... But I am not going to bash a band just because they got radio play or because people outside of this special bubble have heard their music now. Sure I get bummed when I have to see a band I love in an arena as opposed to the smaller club Im used to seeing them in, but I don't begrudge their success. Hell, I am happy for them. They busted their asses to get there, so I am not going to dislike them unless they give me a reason to (aka putting out recent awful music, Im looking at you No Doubt.)
I guess in this roundabout way, I was trying to make the point that 1) I have a semi-serious music obsession and 2) I am perfectly cool with popular or...*gasp* pop music. I began thinking about this as I was having a legit debate/discussion with a friend about female pop vocalists. Like hardcore breaking down songs and melody lines and how they picked songs/handled certain genres. Now outwardly, this may appear odd or to some of the aforementioned hipsters, abhorrent, but fuck it. I like female vocals alot actually. Its a fantastic change of pace from most of the vocals I listen to and usually add a certain elegant element. For example, when I first found Paramore my sophmore year of college, I was immediately hooked, mostly by the outrageously awesome female vocal element. Anyways, I got to thinking about female pop. Its a genre that I definitely appreciate, but it specific doses. I think its a matter of really really liking what I do like because its littered with so much garbage. Maybe its because my Mom loves Whitney Houston (hell so does my Dad) and that was always playing when I was growing up, i dont know where the affinity came from. And I love creating lists. So without further ado, my top 5 favorite female pop songs of the last 3-5 years (in no particular order)
Kelly Clarkson-Behind These Hazel Eyes: My sister bought Breakaway and I thus decided I would give it a spin cause I always was impressed by Kelly Clarkson vocally. Then I heard this song, and was like, holy shit. She just gets after it. It immediately supplanted Since You Been Gone as the best thing she had ever done. Towards the end, the last chorus, around 2:30 and onward, there are the INSANE vocal double tracks where she is just dominating these highnotes over top of the actual chorus. That to me is how you get it done as a producer.
Alicia Keys-No One: Alright, I really really like and respect Alicia Keys. I own Alicia Keys CDs and think she is an absurd talent and was just what that genre needed when Songs in A Minor came out. But I never really was all about any singular song till I heard this jam. After I heard it on whatever awful MTV awards show she debuted it at, I scoured the internet til I found the demo...and then I played it for a bunch of people. Those who didn't appreciate it drew my ire and when it blew up, I felt satisfied to be ahead of the curve. That run she makes down ward at the start of the second verse, just ridiculous.
Nelly Furtado-Maneater: Nelly Furtado was the first female "popstar" I ever really got into. I still listen to Whoa Nelly. On the Radio was my jam and if I lived in the 80s, I would have plastered posters of her all over my room cause I was, and still probably am, in love with her. Then even though her second cd was baller, she vanished from the collective popular line of sight. When Promiscuous came out, I was mildly amused, but I wasn't too into it. And then I found Maneater. I initially thought it was going to be a cover of this, which would have been amazing cause thats my absolute favorite song of the 80s, but thats another matter. Then I quickly heard it in ever bar I ever entered. And normally that makes me hate songs due to the Tim Tebow effect of overexposure. But oddly I didn't and I still get pumped to hear it. And Nelly Furtado is still a fox.
Lady Gaga-Paparazzi: Lady Gaga is beyond fascinating to me. When I heard Just Dance, I was like meh. But then when I heard Poker Face, I began to delve into this chica a bit more. She is so bizarre, but yet so musically talented. We've been over my respect of her musical abilities, but Ive begun to love the just absolute absurdity of her whole persona. Its become really cool to hate on her lately, but I think its just haters. I'm not old enough to have experienced his heyday, but I bet it was the same for David Bowie. Dude dressed and pretended to be a damn alien for an entire cd. He got insanely popular putting a fresh twist on a common genre and probably was mocked in the meantime. The chorus of this song is just haunting and etheral, and just so damn good. And this video, I mean, so fucked up, but captivating. And she reminds me of Alice in Wonderland, which is never a bad thing. That movie rules. Its gotten to the point where I watch anything Lady Gaga on TV. I'm not sure why but damn, its intriguing. She wins.
Leona Lewis-Better in Time: I put this one last, cause though I have no real ranking, this is just so epically good, that I think it rises like cream. I heard Bleeding Love and thought it was catchy as hell, and I was like who is this Leona Lewis character. So I went to YouTube and found this masterpiece. I mentioned the Whitney Houston thing before, so I was like, this dime has RIDICULOUS pipes and anyone can appreciate that. So I downloaded Spirit, and I'll be damned if I don't listen to that with regularity. And this song? Just awesome, I don't know why, but its fricken sweet. Its just really damn good. Simple but effective lyrically, excellent and understated backing track, all around solid.
So yeah, I'm sure some would scoff at my honest admittance of such "guilty pleasures", but I frankly don't give a damn. My favorite quote from Almost Famous is what I always use when people bash pop music because its on the radio or whatever. Especially all the douche hipsters like my old roommate, I keep alluding to (damn, I was around them too much):
I've studied the entire history of music. Most of the time, the best stuff is the popular stuff. It's much safer to say popularity sucks, because that allows you to forgive yourself if you suck. And I don't forgive myself. Do you?
I'm gonna go listen to Halo now cause I have no shame, do you?
"Thought I couldn't live without you. It's gonna hurt when it heals too, It'll all get better in time"
JW
But its pretty ridiculous. Im not so much an elistist that I need to know and like bands people have never heard of. On the contrary, that gets obnoxious at times cause you want people to be familiar with your musical groups of choice, or at least I do, so you can discuss them or appreciate certain songs. For example, the emo/pop-punk/punk scene I was in in HS and college immediately turned on bands whenever they had success. It was just sooooo much cooler in their eyes to like bands that nobody had ever heard of. Don't get me wrong, its awesome to see bands in intimate venues, be ahead of the curve, etc... But I am not going to bash a band just because they got radio play or because people outside of this special bubble have heard their music now. Sure I get bummed when I have to see a band I love in an arena as opposed to the smaller club Im used to seeing them in, but I don't begrudge their success. Hell, I am happy for them. They busted their asses to get there, so I am not going to dislike them unless they give me a reason to (aka putting out recent awful music, Im looking at you No Doubt.)
I guess in this roundabout way, I was trying to make the point that 1) I have a semi-serious music obsession and 2) I am perfectly cool with popular or...*gasp* pop music. I began thinking about this as I was having a legit debate/discussion with a friend about female pop vocalists. Like hardcore breaking down songs and melody lines and how they picked songs/handled certain genres. Now outwardly, this may appear odd or to some of the aforementioned hipsters, abhorrent, but fuck it. I like female vocals alot actually. Its a fantastic change of pace from most of the vocals I listen to and usually add a certain elegant element. For example, when I first found Paramore my sophmore year of college, I was immediately hooked, mostly by the outrageously awesome female vocal element. Anyways, I got to thinking about female pop. Its a genre that I definitely appreciate, but it specific doses. I think its a matter of really really liking what I do like because its littered with so much garbage. Maybe its because my Mom loves Whitney Houston (hell so does my Dad) and that was always playing when I was growing up, i dont know where the affinity came from. And I love creating lists. So without further ado, my top 5 favorite female pop songs of the last 3-5 years (in no particular order)
Kelly Clarkson-Behind These Hazel Eyes: My sister bought Breakaway and I thus decided I would give it a spin cause I always was impressed by Kelly Clarkson vocally. Then I heard this song, and was like, holy shit. She just gets after it. It immediately supplanted Since You Been Gone as the best thing she had ever done. Towards the end, the last chorus, around 2:30 and onward, there are the INSANE vocal double tracks where she is just dominating these highnotes over top of the actual chorus. That to me is how you get it done as a producer.
Alicia Keys-No One: Alright, I really really like and respect Alicia Keys. I own Alicia Keys CDs and think she is an absurd talent and was just what that genre needed when Songs in A Minor came out. But I never really was all about any singular song till I heard this jam. After I heard it on whatever awful MTV awards show she debuted it at, I scoured the internet til I found the demo...and then I played it for a bunch of people. Those who didn't appreciate it drew my ire and when it blew up, I felt satisfied to be ahead of the curve. That run she makes down ward at the start of the second verse, just ridiculous.
Nelly Furtado-Maneater: Nelly Furtado was the first female "popstar" I ever really got into. I still listen to Whoa Nelly. On the Radio was my jam and if I lived in the 80s, I would have plastered posters of her all over my room cause I was, and still probably am, in love with her. Then even though her second cd was baller, she vanished from the collective popular line of sight. When Promiscuous came out, I was mildly amused, but I wasn't too into it. And then I found Maneater. I initially thought it was going to be a cover of this, which would have been amazing cause thats my absolute favorite song of the 80s, but thats another matter. Then I quickly heard it in ever bar I ever entered. And normally that makes me hate songs due to the Tim Tebow effect of overexposure. But oddly I didn't and I still get pumped to hear it. And Nelly Furtado is still a fox.
Lady Gaga-Paparazzi: Lady Gaga is beyond fascinating to me. When I heard Just Dance, I was like meh. But then when I heard Poker Face, I began to delve into this chica a bit more. She is so bizarre, but yet so musically talented. We've been over my respect of her musical abilities, but Ive begun to love the just absolute absurdity of her whole persona. Its become really cool to hate on her lately, but I think its just haters. I'm not old enough to have experienced his heyday, but I bet it was the same for David Bowie. Dude dressed and pretended to be a damn alien for an entire cd. He got insanely popular putting a fresh twist on a common genre and probably was mocked in the meantime. The chorus of this song is just haunting and etheral, and just so damn good. And this video, I mean, so fucked up, but captivating. And she reminds me of Alice in Wonderland, which is never a bad thing. That movie rules. Its gotten to the point where I watch anything Lady Gaga on TV. I'm not sure why but damn, its intriguing. She wins.
Leona Lewis-Better in Time: I put this one last, cause though I have no real ranking, this is just so epically good, that I think it rises like cream. I heard Bleeding Love and thought it was catchy as hell, and I was like who is this Leona Lewis character. So I went to YouTube and found this masterpiece. I mentioned the Whitney Houston thing before, so I was like, this dime has RIDICULOUS pipes and anyone can appreciate that. So I downloaded Spirit, and I'll be damned if I don't listen to that with regularity. And this song? Just awesome, I don't know why, but its fricken sweet. Its just really damn good. Simple but effective lyrically, excellent and understated backing track, all around solid.
So yeah, I'm sure some would scoff at my honest admittance of such "guilty pleasures", but I frankly don't give a damn. My favorite quote from Almost Famous is what I always use when people bash pop music because its on the radio or whatever. Especially all the douche hipsters like my old roommate, I keep alluding to (damn, I was around them too much):
I've studied the entire history of music. Most of the time, the best stuff is the popular stuff. It's much safer to say popularity sucks, because that allows you to forgive yourself if you suck. And I don't forgive myself. Do you?
I'm gonna go listen to Halo now cause I have no shame, do you?
"Thought I couldn't live without you. It's gonna hurt when it heals too, It'll all get better in time"
JW
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Well I guess this is growing up...
Well, where to begin. So much has happened since I began slacking on my blog game.
Hmm, well, last week I turned 24. While many would scoff at the idea of feeling "old" at 24, bear with me for a precious few seconds. Its the first birthday where Ive sort of felt like I was stepping off the high dive into the murky waters of adulthood. My 23rd birthday was the cusp of moving to Chicago and other "adult" activities/landmarks, but I was still just 2 months removed from college graduation and still living at home, sorting out the job situation. Now I mean, 24 is almost halfway through this little 20s phase in my life, and while I still realized I'm "young" per se, there is still that feeling. On the flip side, thats one of my favorite things about being in the "real world" and such. Seeing as I took a satisfying 5 years to explore my way through college, by the time I graduated, I was somewhat of the "elder" statesmen. And I can tell you, that was foreign and quite odd. Being a summer birthday, I was always the youngest in my grade. On my dad's side, I had a bunch of older cousins. I liked being young. Felt like I had potential, tons of stuff ahead of me. Being the older one was odd. I was the oldest of the 4 kids in my family, that was enough. Now being the ripe old age of 24, I feel "old-ish" yet I am constantly reminded by co-workers, family members, and other people I run into, how young I am. Thats nice, suddenly I don't feel all old again. Im the young Turk with hopes and dreams and limitless horizon, hurrah!
So this past week I was in NYC. 2 summers ago, I interned on Long Island. Since my Dad is in the diamond business, his company naturally does ridiculous amounts of work in NYC. Thus, they have an apartment as it ends up being more cost effective than getting a hotel each time. So I had the priviledge of spending most of my weekends in Manhattan. However, I hadn't been back since that summer, so I was pretty stoked to return. My first thoughts were of the variety that I often had when I was there 2 years ago. For such a dynamic, enormous, seemingly impersonal city...sometimes it feels unchanged and oh so familiar. I was there for 30 min and felt like I never left. I saw the same dogs that I'd seen, stuff smelled the same, it was just kind of surreal. Maybe it was because I essentially lived there for 3 months. That also made it cool because I felt no need to specifically DO anything. I didn't need to see tourist attractions or get a ton of activities accomplished. I could just enjoy the city...and drink my face off. The whole bars are open till 4 is just awesome. Its not like Chicago where there are "late-night" bars that are open till 4. I mean, everything is open till 4 so it doesnt make it feel like you were out till some ungodly hour like it does when it get after in the Windy City. For that, I thank you New York. But it also makes me realize a pet peeve of mine: when people compare Chicago and New York. You just can't. There are pluses and minuses to both, but its apples to oranges. New York is a metropolis that you don't find anywhere else in the country, whereas Chicago is a big city. While there are similarities, the differences just make it non comparable. Maybe its just my completely separate love for both cities, idk, I just hate when people like to bash Chicago for the simple reason that its not NYC.
In my ongoing commentary about the CTA, the trip to the Big Apple did bring to light one difference. The Subway utterly kicks the EL's ass. Yes its dirty and mostly underground so its hot as hell and smells funky, but the trains are so much more efficient and on time and you normally don't have some ridiculous walk because the train routes are pretty narrow. I actually find it fast to take the subway at times to certain "far" places in Manhattan as opposed to taking a cab. Thats almost never true in Chicago.
Speaking of cabs, I always complain about Chicago cabs being sheisty and overpriced compared to NYC cabs. Well, my lauding of NYC cabs obviously came around to bite me this trip as I had the worst experiences ever. My cab from the airport tried to charge me $5 more plus a toll I didn't authorize. I had a cab that picked such a purposefully terrible route to get a higher fare as we sat in traffic that I got out and went to the nearest subway. And then my final cab back to the airport, the cabbie picked me up in the middle of Manhattan and then drove all the way to the west side in the complete opposite direction of the airport to "get a better route." No, fuck you sir! I will not authorize this charge of an extra 5 bucks as you drive me on some damn sightseeing tour of the Westside Highway. I definitely spent 10-15 min arguing with cabbies this weekend, which I didn't plan on. Thankfully, I seem to be quite intimidating, or just correct, thus I won everytime. I should be a cab negociator. I bet there is a market for that.
Just as I was thinking maybe I should just start trying to ride buses, the CTA bus system gently took me aside...and punched me right in the face. I get back to O'Hare around 6:15 and land at the brand new runway...which happens to be somewhere in Iowa. So after taxing for about 3 hours, we finally arrive at the gate and I trek over to the Blue Line station. After riding the crusty Blue Line for a good 40 min to the Division stop, I rise up from underground looking forward to getting quickly onto the Division bus and getting home to eat. However, as I stand at the stop, I look westward on Division for the bus and see nothing but tumbleweeds, a distant oasis, and some hipsters wearing flannel and black jeans though its 80 degrees out. So I figure I'll save some time and walk east a bit to the next stop as I wait for the bus to arrive. Well I start walking...and walking...and walking. I walked until a bus finally passed me and I got on...a block and a half from my intersection. As you can see by this excellent map, I treked across half of Chicago. CTA...can suck it. Not to mention, I was walking through an area that I later, when speaking to my mother, referred to as "the land Chicago forgot". There was no sign of life. Im pretty sure animals and bugs avoided this industrial wasteland as even they can't subsist on garbage, rusted metal and used condoms. Despite the fact that I could see the Chicago skyline nearby, I could of swore I was meadering through bombed out Sarajevo. So thank you CTA for having horrible bus schedules on Sunday's around 7 PM allowing me to work up a horrendous sweat while dragging luggage around urban hell.
On a positive note, Sherwood-For the Longest Time is a splendid song. It sounds like pop-punk mixed with the Beach Boys. Oddly enough, it works...and works so well. Ive found myself listening to it around 8 times per workday. And normally that dries songs out like a salted slug, but this stays fresh like a sealed bag of marshmellows. The rest of their catalog is pretty solid. Not as splendid, but definitely worth listening to. Yeah, I think I'm going to go listen to it again...
"Cause in the longest line, The front and the back are the same sometimes..."
JW
Hmm, well, last week I turned 24. While many would scoff at the idea of feeling "old" at 24, bear with me for a precious few seconds. Its the first birthday where Ive sort of felt like I was stepping off the high dive into the murky waters of adulthood. My 23rd birthday was the cusp of moving to Chicago and other "adult" activities/landmarks, but I was still just 2 months removed from college graduation and still living at home, sorting out the job situation. Now I mean, 24 is almost halfway through this little 20s phase in my life, and while I still realized I'm "young" per se, there is still that feeling. On the flip side, thats one of my favorite things about being in the "real world" and such. Seeing as I took a satisfying 5 years to explore my way through college, by the time I graduated, I was somewhat of the "elder" statesmen. And I can tell you, that was foreign and quite odd. Being a summer birthday, I was always the youngest in my grade. On my dad's side, I had a bunch of older cousins. I liked being young. Felt like I had potential, tons of stuff ahead of me. Being the older one was odd. I was the oldest of the 4 kids in my family, that was enough. Now being the ripe old age of 24, I feel "old-ish" yet I am constantly reminded by co-workers, family members, and other people I run into, how young I am. Thats nice, suddenly I don't feel all old again. Im the young Turk with hopes and dreams and limitless horizon, hurrah!
So this past week I was in NYC. 2 summers ago, I interned on Long Island. Since my Dad is in the diamond business, his company naturally does ridiculous amounts of work in NYC. Thus, they have an apartment as it ends up being more cost effective than getting a hotel each time. So I had the priviledge of spending most of my weekends in Manhattan. However, I hadn't been back since that summer, so I was pretty stoked to return. My first thoughts were of the variety that I often had when I was there 2 years ago. For such a dynamic, enormous, seemingly impersonal city...sometimes it feels unchanged and oh so familiar. I was there for 30 min and felt like I never left. I saw the same dogs that I'd seen, stuff smelled the same, it was just kind of surreal. Maybe it was because I essentially lived there for 3 months. That also made it cool because I felt no need to specifically DO anything. I didn't need to see tourist attractions or get a ton of activities accomplished. I could just enjoy the city...and drink my face off. The whole bars are open till 4 is just awesome. Its not like Chicago where there are "late-night" bars that are open till 4. I mean, everything is open till 4 so it doesnt make it feel like you were out till some ungodly hour like it does when it get after in the Windy City. For that, I thank you New York. But it also makes me realize a pet peeve of mine: when people compare Chicago and New York. You just can't. There are pluses and minuses to both, but its apples to oranges. New York is a metropolis that you don't find anywhere else in the country, whereas Chicago is a big city. While there are similarities, the differences just make it non comparable. Maybe its just my completely separate love for both cities, idk, I just hate when people like to bash Chicago for the simple reason that its not NYC.
In my ongoing commentary about the CTA, the trip to the Big Apple did bring to light one difference. The Subway utterly kicks the EL's ass. Yes its dirty and mostly underground so its hot as hell and smells funky, but the trains are so much more efficient and on time and you normally don't have some ridiculous walk because the train routes are pretty narrow. I actually find it fast to take the subway at times to certain "far" places in Manhattan as opposed to taking a cab. Thats almost never true in Chicago.
Speaking of cabs, I always complain about Chicago cabs being sheisty and overpriced compared to NYC cabs. Well, my lauding of NYC cabs obviously came around to bite me this trip as I had the worst experiences ever. My cab from the airport tried to charge me $5 more plus a toll I didn't authorize. I had a cab that picked such a purposefully terrible route to get a higher fare as we sat in traffic that I got out and went to the nearest subway. And then my final cab back to the airport, the cabbie picked me up in the middle of Manhattan and then drove all the way to the west side in the complete opposite direction of the airport to "get a better route." No, fuck you sir! I will not authorize this charge of an extra 5 bucks as you drive me on some damn sightseeing tour of the Westside Highway. I definitely spent 10-15 min arguing with cabbies this weekend, which I didn't plan on. Thankfully, I seem to be quite intimidating, or just correct, thus I won everytime. I should be a cab negociator. I bet there is a market for that.
Just as I was thinking maybe I should just start trying to ride buses, the CTA bus system gently took me aside...and punched me right in the face. I get back to O'Hare around 6:15 and land at the brand new runway...which happens to be somewhere in Iowa. So after taxing for about 3 hours, we finally arrive at the gate and I trek over to the Blue Line station. After riding the crusty Blue Line for a good 40 min to the Division stop, I rise up from underground looking forward to getting quickly onto the Division bus and getting home to eat. However, as I stand at the stop, I look westward on Division for the bus and see nothing but tumbleweeds, a distant oasis, and some hipsters wearing flannel and black jeans though its 80 degrees out. So I figure I'll save some time and walk east a bit to the next stop as I wait for the bus to arrive. Well I start walking...and walking...and walking. I walked until a bus finally passed me and I got on...a block and a half from my intersection. As you can see by this excellent map, I treked across half of Chicago. CTA...can suck it. Not to mention, I was walking through an area that I later, when speaking to my mother, referred to as "the land Chicago forgot". There was no sign of life. Im pretty sure animals and bugs avoided this industrial wasteland as even they can't subsist on garbage, rusted metal and used condoms. Despite the fact that I could see the Chicago skyline nearby, I could of swore I was meadering through bombed out Sarajevo. So thank you CTA for having horrible bus schedules on Sunday's around 7 PM allowing me to work up a horrendous sweat while dragging luggage around urban hell.
On a positive note, Sherwood-For the Longest Time is a splendid song. It sounds like pop-punk mixed with the Beach Boys. Oddly enough, it works...and works so well. Ive found myself listening to it around 8 times per workday. And normally that dries songs out like a salted slug, but this stays fresh like a sealed bag of marshmellows. The rest of their catalog is pretty solid. Not as splendid, but definitely worth listening to. Yeah, I think I'm going to go listen to it again...
"Cause in the longest line, The front and the back are the same sometimes..."
JW
Monday, July 6, 2009
Is this hotel pager friendly?
So last week, I came to the realization that for some reason, when it comes to the homeless, people needing random strangers, people selling random nonsense, I have a giant "I am kind and tolerating of your approach" bullseye on my face. But the thing is, I am not that individual. I have a certain inherent sadness and pity for the homeless, but seeing as I am currently not flush with monies and I value my quarters for the 25c vending and soda machines at work. Thus I cannot contribute to their malt liquor and cheeseburger fund.
Anyways, last Monday, I had no less than 6-8 specific direct approaches towards me, exempting all others around me. When I left my office to take a lunchtime walk, I passed a homeless man who I politely apologized to when he asked me for change. This prompted him to say "Come on man, I can tell you have money on you!" What? Seriously? How did he spot me out in a downtown crowd to accuse of holding back change?! And mind you, I have no dress code at work, so I was rocking a t-shirt, looking positively average. I left my Armani suit and Prada shoes home that day. Well anyways, mildly peturbed, I continue deeper into down coming to a fairly busy corner at Randolph and LaSalle. There a youngish blond girl was excitedly waving to someone. I kind of glanced behind me assuming she saw a friend. Then I realized she was motioning to me. Quickly ascertaining I had no clue who this chica was and noticing she had a clipboard, I shifted to thoughts of "You're kidding me, why me again?"
Girl: "Hey there."
Me: *placating half-smile*
Girl: "How old are you?!"
Me: "Not old enough, sorry."
Girl: "Just come over here!"
Me: "Thats not gonna happen."
I am rarely that brisk, normally giving a smile and a no thank you. But by this point, I'm getting peeved. I understand those people have a job to do (as do the homeless I guess), I was in sales once, I don't derive pleasure from blowing these people off. Yet I keep getting into these situations, and clearly I am going to deny them, so my patience is tested.
Later that night, I go to the Taste of Chicago with some friends. No sooner do I tell them about my unfortunate occurances, which naturally they found humorous (cause if it wasn't me it would be), then I am approached by a gentleman who asks me if I have any extra tickets. Now at the Taste, you buy 12 tickets for $8 and those tickets are your currency to purchase food. 4 tickets gets you some gazpacho and 6 gets you some goat meat with special rice from a Caribbean stand, etc... Well, I politely tell him no as I have not even gotten food yet while also ponder that its a pretty good gig for a homeless dude, or even someone who just feels like mooching some free food. Stand by the exit and pick off some leftover tix. Well over the next hour, I am approached directly, but not my friends, by 3-4 different people within the festival asking for my tix. This included a woman who got about 6 in from my face asking me "Are you using those tickets?" when I had about 8 in my hand. Of course I am, its not like I have 1 or 2. I didn't buy these just to make it rain on you and your friends like dollar bills at Scores. Yes, this woman was in a group of people, so its not like she was just hungry. She was there with a group of people and looking to scrounge up some free morsels...cheap skank. The most disturbing of these was a middle-aged gentleman kind of wandering around a center area awkwardly asking passers-by for tickets. He was wearing khakis and a horrendous button-down, but gave no impression of being impoverished. He was carrying a briefcase and just really acting in an odd fashion. I have no clue what was going on there, but of course he approached me and I chalked it up to the lunacy of my day.
So thinking the schenanigans were over, we left the Taste for the Red Line to travel home. Well as the 3 of us approach the train station, two, umm, urban youths sitting next to the entrance immediately hop up and make a beeline for us. Well, the one did. And by us, I mean...of course, me. Extending his hand, he offers "Hey man, hold up, let me talk to you for a minute." FML...No good can come of this situation, no matter how innocuous, so I just tell him sorry and that I have to catch my train. I am immediately peppered with insults.
"You didn't have to be rude man."
"Cheap ass motherfucker."
"Wearing that blue shirt you fucking faggot."
Just awesome, what a picture perfect ending to a picture perfect day. So all of you out there who are either looking for change, bus fare, donations...please leave me along for like 6 months and then I will have regained my patience and my monetary backing. Then I will be glad to entertain your spiel. Until then, please tell me what I can do facially to convey my lack of desire to hook you up. Thanks.
So other randomness:
-This song is currently my jam and I don't care what sort of social reprecussions it has. I think its baller and I am unashamed of my enjoyment of it.
-"I'm 'a go where I always go; Drinks are on the house,
Whiskey's on the rocks while your sister's on my mouth"
That is my favorite lyric of the moment, it has no deep meaning. Its just stuck in my hand and its pretty happily staying there.
-Frasier is a hilarious show that I don't think my demographic properly appreciates.
-A full year out of college, I have just finally started to master the puke and rally.
-I love Orbit's Sangria Fresca gum. Its delicious.
So on a monthly basis, I choose one of my favorite bands to just listen to repeatedly. I put their cd's in my work playlists in addition to whatever I'm feeling. This month its the Academy Is... Yet another band I started listening to in HS that suddenly appeared everywhere and then by the time I graduated college, on every teen playlist. But I still love this band. They do pop-punk as well as anyone. Their newest cd, Fast Times at Barrington High, pretty solid. Nothing like their debut, but a solid cd nonetheless. Listen to One More Weekend and thank me later. Attention, Same Blood, Almost Here, and Neighbors are also all worth spinning and getting an idea how baller they are.
"You'll go off, you'll forget, you'll grow out of hanging from the edges, breaking off the past..."
JW
Anyways, last Monday, I had no less than 6-8 specific direct approaches towards me, exempting all others around me. When I left my office to take a lunchtime walk, I passed a homeless man who I politely apologized to when he asked me for change. This prompted him to say "Come on man, I can tell you have money on you!" What? Seriously? How did he spot me out in a downtown crowd to accuse of holding back change?! And mind you, I have no dress code at work, so I was rocking a t-shirt, looking positively average. I left my Armani suit and Prada shoes home that day. Well anyways, mildly peturbed, I continue deeper into down coming to a fairly busy corner at Randolph and LaSalle. There a youngish blond girl was excitedly waving to someone. I kind of glanced behind me assuming she saw a friend. Then I realized she was motioning to me. Quickly ascertaining I had no clue who this chica was and noticing she had a clipboard, I shifted to thoughts of "You're kidding me, why me again?"
Girl: "Hey there."
Me: *placating half-smile*
Girl: "How old are you?!"
Me: "Not old enough, sorry."
Girl: "Just come over here!"
Me: "Thats not gonna happen."
I am rarely that brisk, normally giving a smile and a no thank you. But by this point, I'm getting peeved. I understand those people have a job to do (as do the homeless I guess), I was in sales once, I don't derive pleasure from blowing these people off. Yet I keep getting into these situations, and clearly I am going to deny them, so my patience is tested.
Later that night, I go to the Taste of Chicago with some friends. No sooner do I tell them about my unfortunate occurances, which naturally they found humorous (cause if it wasn't me it would be), then I am approached by a gentleman who asks me if I have any extra tickets. Now at the Taste, you buy 12 tickets for $8 and those tickets are your currency to purchase food. 4 tickets gets you some gazpacho and 6 gets you some goat meat with special rice from a Caribbean stand, etc... Well, I politely tell him no as I have not even gotten food yet while also ponder that its a pretty good gig for a homeless dude, or even someone who just feels like mooching some free food. Stand by the exit and pick off some leftover tix. Well over the next hour, I am approached directly, but not my friends, by 3-4 different people within the festival asking for my tix. This included a woman who got about 6 in from my face asking me "Are you using those tickets?" when I had about 8 in my hand. Of course I am, its not like I have 1 or 2. I didn't buy these just to make it rain on you and your friends like dollar bills at Scores. Yes, this woman was in a group of people, so its not like she was just hungry. She was there with a group of people and looking to scrounge up some free morsels...cheap skank. The most disturbing of these was a middle-aged gentleman kind of wandering around a center area awkwardly asking passers-by for tickets. He was wearing khakis and a horrendous button-down, but gave no impression of being impoverished. He was carrying a briefcase and just really acting in an odd fashion. I have no clue what was going on there, but of course he approached me and I chalked it up to the lunacy of my day.
So thinking the schenanigans were over, we left the Taste for the Red Line to travel home. Well as the 3 of us approach the train station, two, umm, urban youths sitting next to the entrance immediately hop up and make a beeline for us. Well, the one did. And by us, I mean...of course, me. Extending his hand, he offers "Hey man, hold up, let me talk to you for a minute." FML...No good can come of this situation, no matter how innocuous, so I just tell him sorry and that I have to catch my train. I am immediately peppered with insults.
"You didn't have to be rude man."
"Cheap ass motherfucker."
"Wearing that blue shirt you fucking faggot."
Just awesome, what a picture perfect ending to a picture perfect day. So all of you out there who are either looking for change, bus fare, donations...please leave me along for like 6 months and then I will have regained my patience and my monetary backing. Then I will be glad to entertain your spiel. Until then, please tell me what I can do facially to convey my lack of desire to hook you up. Thanks.
So other randomness:
-This song is currently my jam and I don't care what sort of social reprecussions it has. I think its baller and I am unashamed of my enjoyment of it.
-"I'm 'a go where I always go; Drinks are on the house,
Whiskey's on the rocks while your sister's on my mouth"
That is my favorite lyric of the moment, it has no deep meaning. Its just stuck in my hand and its pretty happily staying there.
-Frasier is a hilarious show that I don't think my demographic properly appreciates.
-A full year out of college, I have just finally started to master the puke and rally.
-I love Orbit's Sangria Fresca gum. Its delicious.
So on a monthly basis, I choose one of my favorite bands to just listen to repeatedly. I put their cd's in my work playlists in addition to whatever I'm feeling. This month its the Academy Is... Yet another band I started listening to in HS that suddenly appeared everywhere and then by the time I graduated college, on every teen playlist. But I still love this band. They do pop-punk as well as anyone. Their newest cd, Fast Times at Barrington High, pretty solid. Nothing like their debut, but a solid cd nonetheless. Listen to One More Weekend and thank me later. Attention, Same Blood, Almost Here, and Neighbors are also all worth spinning and getting an idea how baller they are.
"You'll go off, you'll forget, you'll grow out of hanging from the edges, breaking off the past..."
JW
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Am I Wrong?
"Well I talk too much to myself
And I turn my back on my faith
It's like glass when we Break
I wish no one in my place
I can't stand I can't see my way
I feel blind On my feet
I can't stay too long
Am I wrong?"
So Ive been pretty much driving myself crazy the last 2 weeks for really no reason what so ever. There is no real rhyme or reason to my angst or frustration, and it all feels pretty much misplaced. I mean, I try to look at it critically, but then it gets even more confusing. And sometimes people can tell, and they ask, "Whats wrong?" And honestly, I don't know what to tell them, cause outwardly I don't know if anything is...
1) Job: I love work. I have absolutely no job security, get paid next to nothing, and there is no guarantee everything is going to work out and I am going to be making it rain in 6 months, a year, whatever. But I still look forward to getting in to the office of everyday and I look at Monday morning with hope and promise instead of dread.
2) Friends: I have a great group of friends that have my pack and prove time and time again why I can count on them and why I am so thankful to have them in my life.
3) Location: Ive wanted to live in Chicago since I was a little kid, and now I am moving into a new place, in a cool new area of the city that will allow me to immerse myself even more into this crazy cool city.
So I mean, I look at 3 of the more important factors in my life and they are all pretty copasetic. For once, I don't have major gripes about the female gender. They still are spell binding and infuriating, but I have a temporary zen and am just letting them, like the rest of life, come at me at whatever pace is decided. But I can't shake this nagging feeling that there is something missing. Like I have the urge to be extraordinary or do something significant besides being a typical employed 23 year old college grad. One blatant factor is monetary. As much as I hate to let it keep coming back, when you work in a job and an industry thats completely centered on money, not having any is a smidge obnoxious. And that in turn makes it a bit hard to be patient. Not saying I need my mansion and my Ferrari right now, but I would love more disgressionary income. You create this faulty mental assumption that being out of college means having the means to do some awesome stuff you couldn't do when you were stretching your summer job money over the next 9 months. So readjusting that idea is a bit grating. I just want to go out and buy shit that Ive had my eye on for months, while instead I'm busy calculating how I am going to get out of the debt I accumulated when I had no income for months. Fuck me.
Maybe thats the problem, to escape the minor annoyances and inconveniences of daily life, I get wistful and expect something earth moving to come along and change the focus of my attention. But thats also tied in with my worry that I am one of those people that gets too bored too easily. I feel like I constantly need to be re-engaged. For example, one of my fears when it comes to relationships is that I get stir crazy. I am not a commitment-phobe persay, but sometimes I wonder if I am, because I like the new, the fresh, the something to watch for around the corner. So some people, when they get into relationships, like to settle in. They get comfortable with the other person and look for that stability. Thats what always shook me. Edges and quirks that initially drew me in get eroded over time, and suddenly the situation has changed and I'm looking at why I am in this in the first place. So Ive tried to pump the brakes a bit on the initial dalliances. I am notorious for falling into infatuation real quick, and then 2 weeks later when the other person has come around, I get the "oh shit I rushed into this" moment. So I need to mature there, and I feel like that could bleed elsewhere in my life. Being more content with the present and fully living in that. I don't know how thats gonna happy, but I'd like to believe I can try. I think thats why work is so fulfilling for me right now. Every day is a complete crap shoot as to whats going to happen, its completely dynamic, its IMPOSSIBLE to get bored. And if you are, you should have never been doing this to begin with.
So i really dont know what to say, I probably just should stop thinking about it so much. Ill have these spells where I am just on autopilot, zoning out cause my mind is going a mile a minute, planning, scheming, thinking, dreaming, etc... and the rest of my faculties are pretty much muted. And people always say when you find it, you'll know it; whether they are talking about the right job, the right relationship, etc... I wonder how that is. And I guess I fear I will be too dense or too preoccupied with stressing about my future to realize when its at my doorstep. So basically I stress about being stressed and worry about worrying about the future. I think I'm a fucking basket case. Reading back over this, it probably makes no real sense and is just the rambling thoughts of someone with an overactive mind. Welcome to my world, take a seat and be patient, we'll get this sorted out eventually...
Luckily, I can still escape into music. That never changes. I have decided the last week to revisit the awesomeness which is the Arctic Monkey's first CD. It never ceases to just jack my mood up a few notches. I still think I Bet That You Look Good on the Dance Floor is one of the best "radio singles" of the last 10 years. That song still blows my mind, its just brilliant. But the intro song, A View From the Afternoon, is what gets me. I bought the CD, put it on in my car, and I honestly replayed that song 3 times before even going any deeper into the CD. There is just something about the changes in tempo, the spring and pep to the chorus, the unsheltered awesome Britishness to the lyrics and melody. I am jealous I am not them, that I am. If your day needs a jolt, these lads will give it to you
"Anticipation has a habit to set you up, for disappointment in evening entertainment but, tonight there'll be some love, tonight there'll be a ruckus yeah..."
JW
And I turn my back on my faith
It's like glass when we Break
I wish no one in my place
I can't stand I can't see my way
I feel blind On my feet
I can't stay too long
Am I wrong?"
So Ive been pretty much driving myself crazy the last 2 weeks for really no reason what so ever. There is no real rhyme or reason to my angst or frustration, and it all feels pretty much misplaced. I mean, I try to look at it critically, but then it gets even more confusing. And sometimes people can tell, and they ask, "Whats wrong?" And honestly, I don't know what to tell them, cause outwardly I don't know if anything is...
1) Job: I love work. I have absolutely no job security, get paid next to nothing, and there is no guarantee everything is going to work out and I am going to be making it rain in 6 months, a year, whatever. But I still look forward to getting in to the office of everyday and I look at Monday morning with hope and promise instead of dread.
2) Friends: I have a great group of friends that have my pack and prove time and time again why I can count on them and why I am so thankful to have them in my life.
3) Location: Ive wanted to live in Chicago since I was a little kid, and now I am moving into a new place, in a cool new area of the city that will allow me to immerse myself even more into this crazy cool city.
So I mean, I look at 3 of the more important factors in my life and they are all pretty copasetic. For once, I don't have major gripes about the female gender. They still are spell binding and infuriating, but I have a temporary zen and am just letting them, like the rest of life, come at me at whatever pace is decided. But I can't shake this nagging feeling that there is something missing. Like I have the urge to be extraordinary or do something significant besides being a typical employed 23 year old college grad. One blatant factor is monetary. As much as I hate to let it keep coming back, when you work in a job and an industry thats completely centered on money, not having any is a smidge obnoxious. And that in turn makes it a bit hard to be patient. Not saying I need my mansion and my Ferrari right now, but I would love more disgressionary income. You create this faulty mental assumption that being out of college means having the means to do some awesome stuff you couldn't do when you were stretching your summer job money over the next 9 months. So readjusting that idea is a bit grating. I just want to go out and buy shit that Ive had my eye on for months, while instead I'm busy calculating how I am going to get out of the debt I accumulated when I had no income for months. Fuck me.
Maybe thats the problem, to escape the minor annoyances and inconveniences of daily life, I get wistful and expect something earth moving to come along and change the focus of my attention. But thats also tied in with my worry that I am one of those people that gets too bored too easily. I feel like I constantly need to be re-engaged. For example, one of my fears when it comes to relationships is that I get stir crazy. I am not a commitment-phobe persay, but sometimes I wonder if I am, because I like the new, the fresh, the something to watch for around the corner. So some people, when they get into relationships, like to settle in. They get comfortable with the other person and look for that stability. Thats what always shook me. Edges and quirks that initially drew me in get eroded over time, and suddenly the situation has changed and I'm looking at why I am in this in the first place. So Ive tried to pump the brakes a bit on the initial dalliances. I am notorious for falling into infatuation real quick, and then 2 weeks later when the other person has come around, I get the "oh shit I rushed into this" moment. So I need to mature there, and I feel like that could bleed elsewhere in my life. Being more content with the present and fully living in that. I don't know how thats gonna happy, but I'd like to believe I can try. I think thats why work is so fulfilling for me right now. Every day is a complete crap shoot as to whats going to happen, its completely dynamic, its IMPOSSIBLE to get bored. And if you are, you should have never been doing this to begin with.
So i really dont know what to say, I probably just should stop thinking about it so much. Ill have these spells where I am just on autopilot, zoning out cause my mind is going a mile a minute, planning, scheming, thinking, dreaming, etc... and the rest of my faculties are pretty much muted. And people always say when you find it, you'll know it; whether they are talking about the right job, the right relationship, etc... I wonder how that is. And I guess I fear I will be too dense or too preoccupied with stressing about my future to realize when its at my doorstep. So basically I stress about being stressed and worry about worrying about the future. I think I'm a fucking basket case. Reading back over this, it probably makes no real sense and is just the rambling thoughts of someone with an overactive mind. Welcome to my world, take a seat and be patient, we'll get this sorted out eventually...
Luckily, I can still escape into music. That never changes. I have decided the last week to revisit the awesomeness which is the Arctic Monkey's first CD. It never ceases to just jack my mood up a few notches. I still think I Bet That You Look Good on the Dance Floor is one of the best "radio singles" of the last 10 years. That song still blows my mind, its just brilliant. But the intro song, A View From the Afternoon, is what gets me. I bought the CD, put it on in my car, and I honestly replayed that song 3 times before even going any deeper into the CD. There is just something about the changes in tempo, the spring and pep to the chorus, the unsheltered awesome Britishness to the lyrics and melody. I am jealous I am not them, that I am. If your day needs a jolt, these lads will give it to you
"Anticipation has a habit to set you up, for disappointment in evening entertainment but, tonight there'll be some love, tonight there'll be a ruckus yeah..."
JW
Monday, June 22, 2009
Who needs running water? Pssh, obviously not me
So I am moving into a new apartment down in Old Town in July. I am pretty freaking excited, but my excitement has crescendoed at a rapid pace in the last month as "renovations" in my building have rendered all the common spaces with an appearnce to that of a bombed out Sarajevo in the mid-90s. I mean, be it the 8 foot by 5 foot hole in the wall in my hallway that is now boarded up like an abandoned warehouse? Or the piles of new and broken drywall taking up most of the lobby? Maybe the plastic tarping cutting a ghetto path through this same hallway since there is dust everywhere and they don't want the mid-40s era carpeting to be damaged. I was talking to a kid in the elevator and he said he has had trouble sleeping and is constantly coughing like he has tuberculosis cause of all the dust on his floor.
And that is just the common areas. In my apartment, everything related to plumbing is FUBAR. My bathroom sink is clogged, and Draino had no effect (maybe I should have just chugged it). One day I flushed my toilet and it kept on flushing...for 3 hours. Both my kitchen sink and shower shoot out random brown water for extended periods of time when I periodically turn them on. And now my shower flat out just doesn't work. It has a flow similar to an old man with an enlarged prostate. And when I contacted my building manager to administer Flomax to said shower? I was told someone will be by within the week. Are you serious?!?! Within the week? So I get to look forward to bathing in water droplets like some emaciated contestant on Survivor for the foreseeable future. My apartment once had an old-school, pre-war charm. Now it feels like its going to be condemned. This move can't arrive soon enough.
Seeing as yesterday was Father's Day, my family came down to Chi-city for the day, which was sweet as I didn't have to drive up 94 to MKE like I always do. We decided to go to the Shedd Aquarium aka The Best Place in the World. So we decided to CTA it up, for adventure's sake, and get on the Red Line down to Roosevelt. Now its an easy trip, you get off at Roosevelt, head due east and BAM, you're there. Well, my mother is one of the most outgoing and social people you will ever meet. So naturally, she starts chatting with people on the train. Well her gregarious nature was noticed by one of the Red Line's many resident crackheads. So as we depart the train, my mom is being approached/chatted up by a woman who I think starred in that leprechaun video. Well as we are trying to get away politely and expediently, I manage to point us due south and we start walking. All of a sudden, I realize that we are well into the South Loop and have walked way too far south, and not east at all. No big deal, except my dad is in a walking splint since he broke his leg a few weeks ago and it was not reacting well to all the walking. So I got a big fat dumbass label on my forehead and gifted my father an awesome inflamed leg for Father's Day. Love you Dad!
The Shedd was amazing per usual, except for the one thing I always neglect to recall when fondly remembering the joy of the Shedd...the horrible little children. Seeing as it was a Sunday afternoon, every exhibit looked a filming of Jon and Kate plus 8...plus another 25. Kids climbing the walls, and tables, and anything with a flat surface. All those cool interactive screens where you can scroll through fish names and facts and such to get an idea of what you are looking at? Pretty much all either malfunctioning due to being treated like a Whack-a-mole or occupied by grubby little beasts with one hand up their nose and the other smacking the LCD. It was a lesson in how not to parent. It was also an awesome unintentional ad for birth control. I could feel all my sperm committing suicide in my body's attempt to provide me with sterility to avoid such pint sized disasters. I literally had a kid pop up from between my arms as I was holding a railing and looking downward, scaring the hell out of me and nearly causing me to swat him like a fly. I did see one father pulling his son off a display and scolding him for acting like a savage. I wanted to go give the dude a hug or a high five or something. He clearly deserved to celebrate Father's Day, while the rest stood idly by like prison guards as the inmates brawl. But fear not, I still had an awesome time and think that fish are still cooler than most girls I knew in college.
So Ive had The Offspring- Half Truism stuck in my head for awhile now. The little rise he does in his voice in the verses "show in your eye-i-eyes" just really makes me happy for some reason. But it also made me realize that they were a band I love that I never really mention. Like everyone has a band or two that they know a million songs from and really crave from time to time, but never mention among their favorite bands and don't really own a CD from. My dad's band of this description? Scorpions. I can't even talk about how awesome that is especially if you know my dad. And I did find an old Scorpions album, but they didn't have ITunes back then, so it still fits. But yeah, ive always loved the Offspring, though I hate Pretty Fly for a White guy. The Kids Aren't Alright is one of the most badass intro riffs of the 90s and its just awesome and upbeat music. Not to mention the lead singer was once a PHD student in Molecular Biology at USC. How nuts is that? Most lead singers of punk bands have advanced degrees in regrettable tattoos and dropping out of High School, so booyah. So go figure out your fav band you never mention and rock out to their catalog.
"Your self-liberation will leave this behind, beyond slings and arrows, that rain on your minds..."
JW
And that is just the common areas. In my apartment, everything related to plumbing is FUBAR. My bathroom sink is clogged, and Draino had no effect (maybe I should have just chugged it). One day I flushed my toilet and it kept on flushing...for 3 hours. Both my kitchen sink and shower shoot out random brown water for extended periods of time when I periodically turn them on. And now my shower flat out just doesn't work. It has a flow similar to an old man with an enlarged prostate. And when I contacted my building manager to administer Flomax to said shower? I was told someone will be by within the week. Are you serious?!?! Within the week? So I get to look forward to bathing in water droplets like some emaciated contestant on Survivor for the foreseeable future. My apartment once had an old-school, pre-war charm. Now it feels like its going to be condemned. This move can't arrive soon enough.
Seeing as yesterday was Father's Day, my family came down to Chi-city for the day, which was sweet as I didn't have to drive up 94 to MKE like I always do. We decided to go to the Shedd Aquarium aka The Best Place in the World. So we decided to CTA it up, for adventure's sake, and get on the Red Line down to Roosevelt. Now its an easy trip, you get off at Roosevelt, head due east and BAM, you're there. Well, my mother is one of the most outgoing and social people you will ever meet. So naturally, she starts chatting with people on the train. Well her gregarious nature was noticed by one of the Red Line's many resident crackheads. So as we depart the train, my mom is being approached/chatted up by a woman who I think starred in that leprechaun video. Well as we are trying to get away politely and expediently, I manage to point us due south and we start walking. All of a sudden, I realize that we are well into the South Loop and have walked way too far south, and not east at all. No big deal, except my dad is in a walking splint since he broke his leg a few weeks ago and it was not reacting well to all the walking. So I got a big fat dumbass label on my forehead and gifted my father an awesome inflamed leg for Father's Day. Love you Dad!
The Shedd was amazing per usual, except for the one thing I always neglect to recall when fondly remembering the joy of the Shedd...the horrible little children. Seeing as it was a Sunday afternoon, every exhibit looked a filming of Jon and Kate plus 8...plus another 25. Kids climbing the walls, and tables, and anything with a flat surface. All those cool interactive screens where you can scroll through fish names and facts and such to get an idea of what you are looking at? Pretty much all either malfunctioning due to being treated like a Whack-a-mole or occupied by grubby little beasts with one hand up their nose and the other smacking the LCD. It was a lesson in how not to parent. It was also an awesome unintentional ad for birth control. I could feel all my sperm committing suicide in my body's attempt to provide me with sterility to avoid such pint sized disasters. I literally had a kid pop up from between my arms as I was holding a railing and looking downward, scaring the hell out of me and nearly causing me to swat him like a fly. I did see one father pulling his son off a display and scolding him for acting like a savage. I wanted to go give the dude a hug or a high five or something. He clearly deserved to celebrate Father's Day, while the rest stood idly by like prison guards as the inmates brawl. But fear not, I still had an awesome time and think that fish are still cooler than most girls I knew in college.
So Ive had The Offspring- Half Truism stuck in my head for awhile now. The little rise he does in his voice in the verses "show in your eye-i-eyes" just really makes me happy for some reason. But it also made me realize that they were a band I love that I never really mention. Like everyone has a band or two that they know a million songs from and really crave from time to time, but never mention among their favorite bands and don't really own a CD from. My dad's band of this description? Scorpions. I can't even talk about how awesome that is especially if you know my dad. And I did find an old Scorpions album, but they didn't have ITunes back then, so it still fits. But yeah, ive always loved the Offspring, though I hate Pretty Fly for a White guy. The Kids Aren't Alright is one of the most badass intro riffs of the 90s and its just awesome and upbeat music. Not to mention the lead singer was once a PHD student in Molecular Biology at USC. How nuts is that? Most lead singers of punk bands have advanced degrees in regrettable tattoos and dropping out of High School, so booyah. So go figure out your fav band you never mention and rock out to their catalog.
"Your self-liberation will leave this behind, beyond slings and arrows, that rain on your minds..."
JW
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Mother Nature? A word please...
So this has honestly been one of the worst Springs I can recall in a long time. Granted, the last 5 of them, I was a few hundred miles south, so the climate was a bit different, but still. Spring officially ends in less than a week, and I can't recall a stretch of nice weather that lasted more than a day or two. For instance this morning, I check weather.com at around 6:45, find that it is a BALMY 68 degrees, and immediately am pumped that I don't have to wear a jacket to work in the morning for once. Whilst riding the train, the sun is shining a bit and I am getting all ahead of myself planning on maybe doing a little reading on my building's horribly underutilized rooftop deck after work. Well, naturally, I leave work and its raining. I mean, come on. April showers bring May flowers. June showers bring an apathetic outlook on life and an insatiable desire to nap...which I did. Lame. Lets have some fun with analogies.
This year's spring is:
...the fiancée who pushed hard to get you to believe marriage was the right idea, and gradually you came around, against your better judgment, and got damn excited about the idea...then she left you at the alter like f-ing Julia Roberts.
...the delicious bag of peanuts that finally arrives on the plane's snack cart after 2 hours of a flight in which you are in front of a screaming baby and you are absolutely famished...but you are allergic to peanuts and you break into hives and other assorted unpleasantries.
...as much as it pains me to say it, the Cubs every fall.
So spring, you can suck it.
In other random news, I was riding a crowded train home last week and naturally I was wearing my bag since I was coming home from work. Well I accidentally brushed said bag against an older African-American woman's arm as she was sitting. As any sane and calm person would do, she aggressively pushed it as hard as she could and it nearly came off my arm and I stumbled a bit due to the shift in balance. I turned around to apologize and was met by a horrific glare.
"Im sorry, I didn't realize I bumped you, my bad."
Her response?
"You slammed it into my head you selfish idiot. This isn't your personal damn train."
I was so bewildered that I got off at the next stop, Sedgwick, and just waited for the next train. Fuck that noise, I don't need an angry ass BBW trying to beat my ass for accidentally occupying her plus size bubble for a moment. I love the CTA.
In case you hadn't heard, Blink-182 has reunited and a full concert tour is scheduled for the summer. Now I was not a huge Blink fan until much later than most. Enema of the State came out when I was a freshman in HS and to be honest, its my least favorite of all their releases. So Take Off Your Pants... came out a few years later, I liked it much more, so then I picked up Cheshire Cat, Buddha, and Dude Ranch, and then I suddenly understood the buzz. Its so rough, and out of key vocally, but yet so earnest and without pretension, and I think thats whats the best. Though, I don't know how I feel about seeing them in concert now playing songs they wrote 10-15 years ago about girls and bathroom humor when they are in their mid-30s with kids. But hey, as ridiculous as it sounds, they are the equivalent of the Ramones or Iggy and the Stooges for this generation, so rock on. I listened to Reckless Abandon today. That song rules and its pacing is just amazing. Just never lets up, pure musical energy.
"Nothing to hold on to, we'll use this song, to lead you on..."
JW
This year's spring is:
...the fiancée who pushed hard to get you to believe marriage was the right idea, and gradually you came around, against your better judgment, and got damn excited about the idea...then she left you at the alter like f-ing Julia Roberts.
...the delicious bag of peanuts that finally arrives on the plane's snack cart after 2 hours of a flight in which you are in front of a screaming baby and you are absolutely famished...but you are allergic to peanuts and you break into hives and other assorted unpleasantries.
...as much as it pains me to say it, the Cubs every fall.
So spring, you can suck it.
In other random news, I was riding a crowded train home last week and naturally I was wearing my bag since I was coming home from work. Well I accidentally brushed said bag against an older African-American woman's arm as she was sitting. As any sane and calm person would do, she aggressively pushed it as hard as she could and it nearly came off my arm and I stumbled a bit due to the shift in balance. I turned around to apologize and was met by a horrific glare.
"Im sorry, I didn't realize I bumped you, my bad."
Her response?
"You slammed it into my head you selfish idiot. This isn't your personal damn train."
I was so bewildered that I got off at the next stop, Sedgwick, and just waited for the next train. Fuck that noise, I don't need an angry ass BBW trying to beat my ass for accidentally occupying her plus size bubble for a moment. I love the CTA.
In case you hadn't heard, Blink-182 has reunited and a full concert tour is scheduled for the summer. Now I was not a huge Blink fan until much later than most. Enema of the State came out when I was a freshman in HS and to be honest, its my least favorite of all their releases. So Take Off Your Pants... came out a few years later, I liked it much more, so then I picked up Cheshire Cat, Buddha, and Dude Ranch, and then I suddenly understood the buzz. Its so rough, and out of key vocally, but yet so earnest and without pretension, and I think thats whats the best. Though, I don't know how I feel about seeing them in concert now playing songs they wrote 10-15 years ago about girls and bathroom humor when they are in their mid-30s with kids. But hey, as ridiculous as it sounds, they are the equivalent of the Ramones or Iggy and the Stooges for this generation, so rock on. I listened to Reckless Abandon today. That song rules and its pacing is just amazing. Just never lets up, pure musical energy.
"Nothing to hold on to, we'll use this song, to lead you on..."
JW
Monday, June 1, 2009
Funny the way it is, if you think about it
So I recently went home for Memorial Day and was hanging out with my sister and some of her friends. Being 20 years old and clearly not well versed in politics, the arts, and literature such as myself, they were talking, dare I say gossiping, about some others within their little circle of friendship, specifically the interesting dynamic between my sister and her ex. Now my sister and her ex, B, dated for a long ass time. From the end of 8th grade through the beginnings of their freshman year of college last year. As high school breakups normally do, it ended on sketchy terms and their relationship has been strained to say the least. They are cordial and hang out due to their copious amounts of mutual friends, but in the future, I don't see them frolicking in fields of daisies or playfully shoving in each other in a promo for TNT's newest show about best friends. Anyways, they were talking about how ex's can never be friends, too much history, blah blah. The struck me as patently immature and very much indicative of that black and white teen mindset. Its a mentality that never really resonated with me.
Maybe its because I didn't have my first serious relationship till I was 18 and a freshman in college, or maybe because by that time, I had created such a caricature of what I was looking for in a relationship that I couldn't help but be friends with who I was dating, regardless of the situation or outcome. Of the 4 significant relationships Ive been in (dating for 3+ months), I consider two of those ex's some of my closest friends. Now in both situations, it was not break-up and then... *poof*... we were homies.
One of the relationships was a long distance ordeal at the end so we had the, funny enough, benefit of not having to see or speak with each other except via phone or IM or whatever when someone really wanted to have something to say. It kind of eased the cooling off period and then allowed us to kind of test the proverbial friendship waters and enter at our own pace. Then it got to the point where we were talking a couple times a week and got past our history as an awkward point and realized we were invaluable to each other as friends as a result of the 9 month relationship and the transparency such a situation offered.
The second was completely different. Took place at school, break actually occurred just before school reconvened and we had tons of mutual friends and obligations which put us in contact almost daily. To say it was tense and awkward at times is an understatement. It was ugly at points, but again, once you approach the whole situation with the understanding that there is a transition period and it doesn't always have to be this ridiculous, then strangely enough, things improve greatly as the weeks pass. Rarely is one side completely vindicated of any "wrongdoing" (there was no cheating involved in either of these situations) and thus both parties are equal in blame for whatever fallouts occur. So while I felt I was handling everything with grace and poise and maturity, my inability to end a relationship properly at that time in my life probably caused most of the riffs that happened early in the school year. But then again, as in the previous situation, we realized our value as friends and that really helped get on and frankly, I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.
Now this whole little spiel isn't to seem all philosophical and it does seem awfully contrived with the talk of "friendship value" and such, but its more the idea that good friends are hard to come by, its something I value tremendously and deeply as anything, and to let one go for something as trivial, in the grand scheme, as you once dated, seems like a waste. Now extenuating circumstances are of course divorces, infidelity, breaking off of engagements. Thankfully I've never experienced those, so I don't feel qualified to comment for or against anything related to that. I just feel like if you are close enough to date someone for a period of time, you obviously like spending time with them and you have enough in common, it has to stretch past just the romance. You can't date someone you aren't friends with, am I wrong? Well, idk, you could, I dont want to get into that, haha.
But the whole reason I address the question is that Ive found it to be quite a point of contention. Some people either find it completely foreign and abnormal, or are completely turned off or threatened by it. For example, I had a relationship, about 6 months after the second break up I referenced, where the new gf was so completely against any friendship I had with my ex that it became a stressor on the relationship and was one of the reasons for the eventual dissolution of the relationship. And to clarify, at this point, we were both dating other people, and were still starting to explore the whole being good friends thing. It was not a BFF situation where we were going to dinner and spending tons of time 1 on 1. We were simply talking, being cordial, hanging out when mutual friends were together, etc... Well the new gf just couldn't take it. It was not a hatred of my ex, maybe it was jealousy (I don't know of what?), but she just was baffled as to why we were friends. I found nothing wrong with it, and her outrage to be strange, especially since I never put her second to the ex, but who knows. And then recently, this mentioned ex just got out of a pretty long (in college terms) relationship in which we didn't speak much unfortunately. However, upon their break-up, she called me and apologized for the recent distance between us and mentioned how her bf during that time really didn't like the thought of us talking and being friends, so she scaled it back for his sake, and then realized the utter stupidity of it all post break up. And for clarifications sake, this whole time they were dating, they were in Oxford, OH, at Miami...and I was living in Chicago. I wasn't even around?!!? Are people really this insecure and scared? Im not some Lothario who was making an impassioned attempt to get her back, just ridiculous. Add it to the list of relationship issues and problems I never will understand and hopefully can manage to dance around the rest of my romantic life...bah
Speaking of ridiculous, time for some CTA gems. I have compiled my top 5 from my recent blogging absence:
5) Girl on the train today actually:
"If a bitch wants to sell her p****y for cash, thats her damn choice. If a playa is gonna give me some green to tap this, then hell yeah."
Umm, seriously? This is why the Red Line frightens me, cause this shit is normal.
4) I have not been keeping stats, but I imagine I am batting about 85% in terms of winning the fucking "Being the first person chose to sit next to on the entire train, leading to an awkward ass ride home" lottery. I guess I have kind eyes or because I'm thin, but I have no idea. Without fail, whenever people get on the train and there are no open double seats, they make a beeline for me, its absurd...and uncomfortable cause sometimes when I have a rough trading day, the last thing I want is my bubble being awkwardly popped.
3) Couple on the Purple Line home last week. Probably around 19-20, most likely Depaul students. Managed to make out for about 10 min straight from Merchandise Mart to Fullerton. I almost wanted to give them a standing O as they left. I guess the smell of masses of people and flatulence turns some people on.
2) Older woman reading the paper. To her left and directly in front of me, a man of Middle Eastern descent was talking on his phone, probably in Arabic, at a low level, completely non-invasive. She remarks to nobody in particular, but quite audibly:
"Damn towel heads. Always blabbing in Hindu or some shit. Speak fucking English."
Hooray intolerance! This man wasn't wearing a turban or being obnoxious. What an old skank.
1) Finally, a similarly aged couple to the one mentioned below were talking about YouTube videos. The girl excitedly remembers one she had seen but can't remember the title:
Girl: "Have you seen the one about the city in Ohio? Its like talking about how bad it is. I don't know which one, its not Columbus. But its all dirty and broken down, like Gary."
Guy: "Cincinnati?"
Girl: "No, its way worse than that..."
I almost wet myself holding my laughter in. Of course she was talking about the brilliant Cleveland Tourism videos, but her frank and horrible comparison of Cleveland to Gary fucking Indiana was hilarious, only because of the tremendous amount of crap my friends from Cleveland get even before this video.
So Dave Matthews Band's new CD comes out tomorrow. The whole thing is streaming here www.pandora.com/davematthewsband . Give it a listen for sure if you are even a casual fan. Its awesome, but it got me thinking. They were my fav band in early HS and I listened to tons of other stuff in that genre. The Ben Harpers and the like. But then I heard a couple of songs that basically turned me into the pop-punk/emo kid fiend I am today. Like, people always joke about a song "changing your life" but these songs literally did. Turned me on to a completely different scene and got me going to concerts all the time, instead of the DMB show every summer. The one that stands out to me cause I hadn't heard it in awhile, but then I heard a month ago and play it all the time now, is The Juliana Theory-If I Told You This Was Killing Me... I still remember the first time I heard it. When that first line comes blasting in, I was just floored. I was never the same. So thank you TJT, and Brand New, and TBS, and Alkaline Trio for making me the music junkie I am today. But also, thanks DMB for making me love music that wasn't on the radio for the first time.
"Watch your mouth, hold your tongue boy, because you're running out of breath, running out of time before every callous word that you utter, renders you utterly useless..."
JW
Maybe its because I didn't have my first serious relationship till I was 18 and a freshman in college, or maybe because by that time, I had created such a caricature of what I was looking for in a relationship that I couldn't help but be friends with who I was dating, regardless of the situation or outcome. Of the 4 significant relationships Ive been in (dating for 3+ months), I consider two of those ex's some of my closest friends. Now in both situations, it was not break-up and then... *poof*... we were homies.
One of the relationships was a long distance ordeal at the end so we had the, funny enough, benefit of not having to see or speak with each other except via phone or IM or whatever when someone really wanted to have something to say. It kind of eased the cooling off period and then allowed us to kind of test the proverbial friendship waters and enter at our own pace. Then it got to the point where we were talking a couple times a week and got past our history as an awkward point and realized we were invaluable to each other as friends as a result of the 9 month relationship and the transparency such a situation offered.
The second was completely different. Took place at school, break actually occurred just before school reconvened and we had tons of mutual friends and obligations which put us in contact almost daily. To say it was tense and awkward at times is an understatement. It was ugly at points, but again, once you approach the whole situation with the understanding that there is a transition period and it doesn't always have to be this ridiculous, then strangely enough, things improve greatly as the weeks pass. Rarely is one side completely vindicated of any "wrongdoing" (there was no cheating involved in either of these situations) and thus both parties are equal in blame for whatever fallouts occur. So while I felt I was handling everything with grace and poise and maturity, my inability to end a relationship properly at that time in my life probably caused most of the riffs that happened early in the school year. But then again, as in the previous situation, we realized our value as friends and that really helped get on and frankly, I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.
Now this whole little spiel isn't to seem all philosophical and it does seem awfully contrived with the talk of "friendship value" and such, but its more the idea that good friends are hard to come by, its something I value tremendously and deeply as anything, and to let one go for something as trivial, in the grand scheme, as you once dated, seems like a waste. Now extenuating circumstances are of course divorces, infidelity, breaking off of engagements. Thankfully I've never experienced those, so I don't feel qualified to comment for or against anything related to that. I just feel like if you are close enough to date someone for a period of time, you obviously like spending time with them and you have enough in common, it has to stretch past just the romance. You can't date someone you aren't friends with, am I wrong? Well, idk, you could, I dont want to get into that, haha.
But the whole reason I address the question is that Ive found it to be quite a point of contention. Some people either find it completely foreign and abnormal, or are completely turned off or threatened by it. For example, I had a relationship, about 6 months after the second break up I referenced, where the new gf was so completely against any friendship I had with my ex that it became a stressor on the relationship and was one of the reasons for the eventual dissolution of the relationship. And to clarify, at this point, we were both dating other people, and were still starting to explore the whole being good friends thing. It was not a BFF situation where we were going to dinner and spending tons of time 1 on 1. We were simply talking, being cordial, hanging out when mutual friends were together, etc... Well the new gf just couldn't take it. It was not a hatred of my ex, maybe it was jealousy (I don't know of what?), but she just was baffled as to why we were friends. I found nothing wrong with it, and her outrage to be strange, especially since I never put her second to the ex, but who knows. And then recently, this mentioned ex just got out of a pretty long (in college terms) relationship in which we didn't speak much unfortunately. However, upon their break-up, she called me and apologized for the recent distance between us and mentioned how her bf during that time really didn't like the thought of us talking and being friends, so she scaled it back for his sake, and then realized the utter stupidity of it all post break up. And for clarifications sake, this whole time they were dating, they were in Oxford, OH, at Miami...and I was living in Chicago. I wasn't even around?!!? Are people really this insecure and scared? Im not some Lothario who was making an impassioned attempt to get her back, just ridiculous. Add it to the list of relationship issues and problems I never will understand and hopefully can manage to dance around the rest of my romantic life...bah
Speaking of ridiculous, time for some CTA gems. I have compiled my top 5 from my recent blogging absence:
5) Girl on the train today actually:
"If a bitch wants to sell her p****y for cash, thats her damn choice. If a playa is gonna give me some green to tap this, then hell yeah."
Umm, seriously? This is why the Red Line frightens me, cause this shit is normal.
4) I have not been keeping stats, but I imagine I am batting about 85% in terms of winning the fucking "Being the first person chose to sit next to on the entire train, leading to an awkward ass ride home" lottery. I guess I have kind eyes or because I'm thin, but I have no idea. Without fail, whenever people get on the train and there are no open double seats, they make a beeline for me, its absurd...and uncomfortable cause sometimes when I have a rough trading day, the last thing I want is my bubble being awkwardly popped.
3) Couple on the Purple Line home last week. Probably around 19-20, most likely Depaul students. Managed to make out for about 10 min straight from Merchandise Mart to Fullerton. I almost wanted to give them a standing O as they left. I guess the smell of masses of people and flatulence turns some people on.
2) Older woman reading the paper. To her left and directly in front of me, a man of Middle Eastern descent was talking on his phone, probably in Arabic, at a low level, completely non-invasive. She remarks to nobody in particular, but quite audibly:
"Damn towel heads. Always blabbing in Hindu or some shit. Speak fucking English."
Hooray intolerance! This man wasn't wearing a turban or being obnoxious. What an old skank.
1) Finally, a similarly aged couple to the one mentioned below were talking about YouTube videos. The girl excitedly remembers one she had seen but can't remember the title:
Girl: "Have you seen the one about the city in Ohio? Its like talking about how bad it is. I don't know which one, its not Columbus. But its all dirty and broken down, like Gary."
Guy: "Cincinnati?"
Girl: "No, its way worse than that..."
I almost wet myself holding my laughter in. Of course she was talking about the brilliant Cleveland Tourism videos, but her frank and horrible comparison of Cleveland to Gary fucking Indiana was hilarious, only because of the tremendous amount of crap my friends from Cleveland get even before this video.
So Dave Matthews Band's new CD comes out tomorrow. The whole thing is streaming here www.pandora.com/davematthewsband . Give it a listen for sure if you are even a casual fan. Its awesome, but it got me thinking. They were my fav band in early HS and I listened to tons of other stuff in that genre. The Ben Harpers and the like. But then I heard a couple of songs that basically turned me into the pop-punk/emo kid fiend I am today. Like, people always joke about a song "changing your life" but these songs literally did. Turned me on to a completely different scene and got me going to concerts all the time, instead of the DMB show every summer. The one that stands out to me cause I hadn't heard it in awhile, but then I heard a month ago and play it all the time now, is The Juliana Theory-If I Told You This Was Killing Me... I still remember the first time I heard it. When that first line comes blasting in, I was just floored. I was never the same. So thank you TJT, and Brand New, and TBS, and Alkaline Trio for making me the music junkie I am today. But also, thanks DMB for making me love music that wasn't on the radio for the first time.
"Watch your mouth, hold your tongue boy, because you're running out of breath, running out of time before every callous word that you utter, renders you utterly useless..."
JW
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Playing for Keeps
So this past weekend was the 1 year anniversary of my college graduation. Getting texts from people, seeing related Facebook messages, all the assorted paraphernalia. Needless to say I started thinking initially about how I missed college, but then more so about how the past year has went.
It seems almost surreal thinking its been a year. I vividly remember sitting in that graduation ceremony being terrified. I wasn't excited, I wasn't necessarily nervous, I was just scared. For some reason, the gravity and "accomplishment" aspect of graduating never really hit me. I hate to say I took it for granted, but I guess I always assumed it was given, the next step in a process. So when people were offering congrats, I just kind of shrugged it off and said I would accept it once I got a job. But I was scared because for all intensive purposes, college went EXTREMELY well. I came in a complete blank slate ready to reinvent myself and leave my old high school self behind. And I did. I crafted a social circle I never had before and basically got after it in other aspects of life that I wanted to. But now I was leaving it all behind and worry began creeping into my head about whether or not I would be able to continue this "good streak" outside of the friendly confines of Oxford and Mother Miami. All I knew was that if you stripped away the fear, I was ready to go.
So now here I am, a year later, and honestly, it has flown by. I spent the first 2 months post graduation looking for a job. It was horrible and indescribably frustrating. Here I am ready to move on, put college behind me in a positive way, and Im just spinning my wheels. But since then, Ive gotten a job, moved to Chicago, gotten laid off, went jobless for 2 months, got a job doing exactly what I wanted to do post college, and now here I am 1 year later. In some ways it still hasn't clicked yet. I get up to go to work everyday, and once I wake up, I can't wait to get in there. Even during my internships which were fun and fresh, it was still work and I didn't relish going in daily. Now with this job, I get excited in a way I sure as hell never did for class. That makes leaving college behind that much easier. The other day I was walking in Wrigleyville and I was stopped to talk a picture of some tourists in front of Wrigley Field. I got hit with that "Wow, Im actually living in Chicago, I always thought about this when I was a kid" sort of feeling. I still get that incredulous child-like wonder about random things in life. I don't know when that stops as you get older, but frankly I hope it never does, cause its kind of cool. The whole idea of going to work everyday and "living in the big city" still kind of feels foreign; natural and routine, but foreign.
So in all this change and time flying by, and how everything still feels new, I wonder if I really am any different cause my "college self" would still think this whole post college life in Chicago was pretty crazy and whimsical too. Well for one, I think I am alot more comfortable with myself as a person. I don't mean in a cheesy "I love myself so much!" sort of way, but the fact that you find out different things about yourself pretty quick after college. For one, everything slows down a bit. I mean your life progresses as normal, but unlike in college, everything isn't broken up into 3-4 month chunks where your schedule and social circles are changing constantly. So you can really figure out what you're all about and what you need from others in your life to be most successful. I don't crave monotony or excessive structure, but I love the whole idea that if something is working or going well, it doesn't have to end because its the end of a semester, or summer, or someone is graduating. Everything has a feeling of pseudo stability, that is if you want it to, thus you can really focus on it and make it happen. Or if something is wrong, you address it in a timely fashion otherwise it can persist as long as you let it. You can't be saved by the semester bell. I guess the bottom line is there is an accountability and an empowerment I didn't necessarily feel in college. If I'm not happy with something currently, being it socially, professionally, entertainment wise...I live in the 3rd largest city in the best damn country in the world. Its my own damn fault if I am unhappy. Thats a tough lesson to learn, but once I did and I realized the resources at my disposal, it really made it tough to get bummed out about anything or feel sorry for myself. Those were two qualities I perfect in spells at Miami usually blaming them on a stagnant social scene or the shackles of living in a college town. No excuses now, so now regrets.
I guess the bottom line, as weird as it is to say, I am loving being a "real adult" and am as happy overall as I ever was when I was in college. Yeah bills suck, I stress over money, things don't always go as planned (for the first time in my life I sit awake at night thinking about the future and what I really want for myself and how to do it), but I seem to be able to find silver linings to every storm cloud alot easier than I did in college. I would give anything to do freshman year of college over, but in terms of just going back to college in general? I honestly will take where I am now and how I am doing in a second. And that realization is probably one of the most refreshing and goosebump giving thoughts Ive ever had. The fear is gone and its been replaced by optimism and hope...
Speaking of college, at work today I had a song pop into my head I literally had not heard/listened to since I left Miami. I listened to The Sounds-Night after Night all the time before I went out cause it just seemed to resonate with me. I guess the chorus seemed to speak to my mindset about alot of things and how I wanted to move forward. Then I listened to the piano version when studying cause its chill and just awesome. Its rare for a song to be in two forms, both of which are significantly different, but nonetheless moving. Plus I love her voice, its not perfect and clean, but it works perfectly.
"Night after night, you say you move on. Tomorrow, tomorrow, Now whats holding you back?"
JW
It seems almost surreal thinking its been a year. I vividly remember sitting in that graduation ceremony being terrified. I wasn't excited, I wasn't necessarily nervous, I was just scared. For some reason, the gravity and "accomplishment" aspect of graduating never really hit me. I hate to say I took it for granted, but I guess I always assumed it was given, the next step in a process. So when people were offering congrats, I just kind of shrugged it off and said I would accept it once I got a job. But I was scared because for all intensive purposes, college went EXTREMELY well. I came in a complete blank slate ready to reinvent myself and leave my old high school self behind. And I did. I crafted a social circle I never had before and basically got after it in other aspects of life that I wanted to. But now I was leaving it all behind and worry began creeping into my head about whether or not I would be able to continue this "good streak" outside of the friendly confines of Oxford and Mother Miami. All I knew was that if you stripped away the fear, I was ready to go.
So now here I am, a year later, and honestly, it has flown by. I spent the first 2 months post graduation looking for a job. It was horrible and indescribably frustrating. Here I am ready to move on, put college behind me in a positive way, and Im just spinning my wheels. But since then, Ive gotten a job, moved to Chicago, gotten laid off, went jobless for 2 months, got a job doing exactly what I wanted to do post college, and now here I am 1 year later. In some ways it still hasn't clicked yet. I get up to go to work everyday, and once I wake up, I can't wait to get in there. Even during my internships which were fun and fresh, it was still work and I didn't relish going in daily. Now with this job, I get excited in a way I sure as hell never did for class. That makes leaving college behind that much easier. The other day I was walking in Wrigleyville and I was stopped to talk a picture of some tourists in front of Wrigley Field. I got hit with that "Wow, Im actually living in Chicago, I always thought about this when I was a kid" sort of feeling. I still get that incredulous child-like wonder about random things in life. I don't know when that stops as you get older, but frankly I hope it never does, cause its kind of cool. The whole idea of going to work everyday and "living in the big city" still kind of feels foreign; natural and routine, but foreign.
So in all this change and time flying by, and how everything still feels new, I wonder if I really am any different cause my "college self" would still think this whole post college life in Chicago was pretty crazy and whimsical too. Well for one, I think I am alot more comfortable with myself as a person. I don't mean in a cheesy "I love myself so much!" sort of way, but the fact that you find out different things about yourself pretty quick after college. For one, everything slows down a bit. I mean your life progresses as normal, but unlike in college, everything isn't broken up into 3-4 month chunks where your schedule and social circles are changing constantly. So you can really figure out what you're all about and what you need from others in your life to be most successful. I don't crave monotony or excessive structure, but I love the whole idea that if something is working or going well, it doesn't have to end because its the end of a semester, or summer, or someone is graduating. Everything has a feeling of pseudo stability, that is if you want it to, thus you can really focus on it and make it happen. Or if something is wrong, you address it in a timely fashion otherwise it can persist as long as you let it. You can't be saved by the semester bell. I guess the bottom line is there is an accountability and an empowerment I didn't necessarily feel in college. If I'm not happy with something currently, being it socially, professionally, entertainment wise...I live in the 3rd largest city in the best damn country in the world. Its my own damn fault if I am unhappy. Thats a tough lesson to learn, but once I did and I realized the resources at my disposal, it really made it tough to get bummed out about anything or feel sorry for myself. Those were two qualities I perfect in spells at Miami usually blaming them on a stagnant social scene or the shackles of living in a college town. No excuses now, so now regrets.
I guess the bottom line, as weird as it is to say, I am loving being a "real adult" and am as happy overall as I ever was when I was in college. Yeah bills suck, I stress over money, things don't always go as planned (for the first time in my life I sit awake at night thinking about the future and what I really want for myself and how to do it), but I seem to be able to find silver linings to every storm cloud alot easier than I did in college. I would give anything to do freshman year of college over, but in terms of just going back to college in general? I honestly will take where I am now and how I am doing in a second. And that realization is probably one of the most refreshing and goosebump giving thoughts Ive ever had. The fear is gone and its been replaced by optimism and hope...
Speaking of college, at work today I had a song pop into my head I literally had not heard/listened to since I left Miami. I listened to The Sounds-Night after Night all the time before I went out cause it just seemed to resonate with me. I guess the chorus seemed to speak to my mindset about alot of things and how I wanted to move forward. Then I listened to the piano version when studying cause its chill and just awesome. Its rare for a song to be in two forms, both of which are significantly different, but nonetheless moving. Plus I love her voice, its not perfect and clean, but it works perfectly.
"Night after night, you say you move on. Tomorrow, tomorrow, Now whats holding you back?"
JW
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Rantin' and Ravin' Storytime
So I don't really have any particular topic, but there were some things that left an impression on me in the last 24 hours.
Rant:
I am SICK of this swine flu garbage. I understand its potentially serious, but the hysteria they are putting people in by calling this much attention to it is insane. There are 91 cases in the US. 91 among 400 million people. And even more so, the only fatalities and risk to fatalities are young children and the elderly. What does that sound like? Idk...the normal flu? At work, all I hear on CNBC is swine flu reports all day. Its now about 75% swine flu and 25% financial news...awesome. Wash your hands and be smart, don't panic. Bah.
Next, I was reading the Red Eye this morning and their was a whole article about how to get arms like Michelle Obama. Hold on...what? Are there really women across the country lusting after Michelle Obama's arms and shoulders? This is just ridiculous. First we had to hear about Michelle Obama the style maven and how you can copy her style, and now she is a fitness icon? This transcends politics. I mean, support Obama, he is our president and he became a rock star in the campaign, etc etc... But now the hero worship has moved on to the first lady? Excuse me while I throw up on my copy of US Weekly. I must have missed the articles in the past about Barbara Bush's creamy athletic calves and Hilary Clinton's toned mid section. Ive been feeling a bit out of shape lately, I think I will look to Barney Frank's work out routine since he has been in the headlines for bank related political news.
Rave:
I somehow slept through my alarm today and didnt wake up til 7:18. Now I normally leave my apartment between 7:20-7:30. And I still did. Thats right, I took a shower, made a sandwich for lunch, and ate breakfast in less than 15 minutes. Needless to say, I was feeling quite smug and proud of myself on the train this morning.
So storytime. First was the man I encountered leaving the train yesterday morning. He, while disheveled, didn't have the appearance of being homeless. But he was horribly slurring his words and stumbling a bit while yelling this at various commuters:
"Hey man, can you spare a dollar or so? I need to buy a rubber. I have to practice safe sex."
I was so stunned I couldn't even chuckle. If he indeed was drunk, at 730 in the morning, to this extent, then that is quite the feat. And I applaud him for seeking protection before engaging in also sorts of vigorous outdoor vagrant sex, it probably runs a high risk of swine flu or something. On the other hand, I am more inclined to believe that he mentally was just not right, and that is kind of sombering and sad. I think Ill go with the former and chuckle at the disturbing aspects of fornicating street urchins.
Then, later, on my commute home, I overheard this amazing conversation between two mid 20s fratty young professionals.
Fratty 1: Hey dude, wanna hit the gym?
Fratty 2: No man, I gotta go tanning.
*Editors note: Normally this would not be a big deal, guys tan, I know this, I went to Miami, just wait*
Fratty 1: You tan dude? Thats kind of gay, haha.
Fratty 2: Man, my girl makes me do it. She won't hook up with me otherwise. She said pale skin is a complete turn off.
Fratty 1: Oh alright, thats completely legit. You're definitely not pale now.
I almost choked on my own saliva I was laughing so hard while remaining silent as I looked out the window. It was just too priceless. I love the CTA.
Ive been listening to The Shower Scene by Brand New all day, you should too.
"Go tell him how my wrist is sore, from pulling out your insides. Nothing that you do is new to anything or anyone but you..."
JW
Rant:
I am SICK of this swine flu garbage. I understand its potentially serious, but the hysteria they are putting people in by calling this much attention to it is insane. There are 91 cases in the US. 91 among 400 million people. And even more so, the only fatalities and risk to fatalities are young children and the elderly. What does that sound like? Idk...the normal flu? At work, all I hear on CNBC is swine flu reports all day. Its now about 75% swine flu and 25% financial news...awesome. Wash your hands and be smart, don't panic. Bah.
Next, I was reading the Red Eye this morning and their was a whole article about how to get arms like Michelle Obama. Hold on...what? Are there really women across the country lusting after Michelle Obama's arms and shoulders? This is just ridiculous. First we had to hear about Michelle Obama the style maven and how you can copy her style, and now she is a fitness icon? This transcends politics. I mean, support Obama, he is our president and he became a rock star in the campaign, etc etc... But now the hero worship has moved on to the first lady? Excuse me while I throw up on my copy of US Weekly. I must have missed the articles in the past about Barbara Bush's creamy athletic calves and Hilary Clinton's toned mid section. Ive been feeling a bit out of shape lately, I think I will look to Barney Frank's work out routine since he has been in the headlines for bank related political news.
Rave:
I somehow slept through my alarm today and didnt wake up til 7:18. Now I normally leave my apartment between 7:20-7:30. And I still did. Thats right, I took a shower, made a sandwich for lunch, and ate breakfast in less than 15 minutes. Needless to say, I was feeling quite smug and proud of myself on the train this morning.
So storytime. First was the man I encountered leaving the train yesterday morning. He, while disheveled, didn't have the appearance of being homeless. But he was horribly slurring his words and stumbling a bit while yelling this at various commuters:
"Hey man, can you spare a dollar or so? I need to buy a rubber. I have to practice safe sex."
I was so stunned I couldn't even chuckle. If he indeed was drunk, at 730 in the morning, to this extent, then that is quite the feat. And I applaud him for seeking protection before engaging in also sorts of vigorous outdoor vagrant sex, it probably runs a high risk of swine flu or something. On the other hand, I am more inclined to believe that he mentally was just not right, and that is kind of sombering and sad. I think Ill go with the former and chuckle at the disturbing aspects of fornicating street urchins.
Then, later, on my commute home, I overheard this amazing conversation between two mid 20s fratty young professionals.
Fratty 1: Hey dude, wanna hit the gym?
Fratty 2: No man, I gotta go tanning.
*Editors note: Normally this would not be a big deal, guys tan, I know this, I went to Miami, just wait*
Fratty 1: You tan dude? Thats kind of gay, haha.
Fratty 2: Man, my girl makes me do it. She won't hook up with me otherwise. She said pale skin is a complete turn off.
Fratty 1: Oh alright, thats completely legit. You're definitely not pale now.
I almost choked on my own saliva I was laughing so hard while remaining silent as I looked out the window. It was just too priceless. I love the CTA.
Ive been listening to The Shower Scene by Brand New all day, you should too.
"Go tell him how my wrist is sore, from pulling out your insides. Nothing that you do is new to anything or anyone but you..."
JW
Monday, April 27, 2009
Summertime and Setlists
Forgive me readers, I have sinned. It has been a week plus since my last blog post. Anyways, I was thinking today on the train home about pros and cons. But you know what? Negativity can suck it. I realized over the last 2 days about the two things that never cease to put me in a positive mood, aphrodisiacs for life: Concerts and warm weather...as they never cease to turn me on, huzzah!
But seriously, this upturn in the temperature has just had put such an overwhelmingly positive sheen on my daily activities, its ridiculous. Last Friday, for example, my daily dance with the market left me as the awkward wallflower while she grinded seductively with the star quarterback. But I stepped outside and Mother Nature gave me a flirty 75 degree smack on the ass and suddenly all was right with the world. As I sat around with a few other traders, sipping beers on an outdoor patio, I realized how completely the weather can elevate mood. When I was younger, I was always a "fan" of winter, probably cause my dad always boasts about how Wisconsin gets all 4 seasons and he loves the cold temperatures. Then on a family trip to San Diego when I was a teen, it hit me...I hate the cold. I love fall, and 50 degrees (aka light jacket weather) is baller, but cold is just a dirty biatch. However, I think the only side benefit of the cold is the positively euphoric feeling that washes over you when the temperature starts to warm up. When you suddenly feel overheated walking down the street in your winter coat or when you suddenly crave the wind cause its not that caustic bitter maelstrom that comes busting up your fun in December. Though I do wonder how people in Hawaii or Florida feel when its nice every day. Does it ever get boring? Ill remember to look at that statement in February of next year when I suddenly remember that the cold relishes kicking me firmly in the groin. The difference between summer and winter is just so marked. Probably because, for example, I woke up this morning at 6:30 and it was sunny and nice outside. Contrast this with waking up at 6:30 in winter in complete darkness and howling winds, feeling like an extra in the Nightmare Before Christmas. No wonder everyone is just in a better mood. Don't believe me? Just pay attention this weekend or even during the week when you are out and about. There is just a tangible buzz in the air and everything just feels so much more positive, its pretty hard to explain, but easily to feel.
So last Tuesday I went to see Alkaline Trio and Saves the Day at the Metro. First off, it was an incredible show. Alkaline Trio has actively battled with Brand New as my favorite band for years now, and Saves the Day is one of the bands I honestly grew up with. I can remember listening to both of these bands when I was like 15. And the Metro is by far my favorite venue in Chicago. Just an awesome smaller venue, no thrills, awesome sound, and tons of history. So needless to say, it was an incredible show, one of the better ones I have seen in awhile. And this also cause me to contemplate how unbelievably pivotal live music is in my life. Besides my whole performing background, just being at shows is one of my zen "happy places" and can pull me out of whatever funk I may happen to be in. I think I realized it when I saw Fall Out Boy in HS. I was like 17, just old enough to drive around on my own (after my Dad's personal year probation period...lame) and I convinced my friends to let me go by myself. None of my friends could go/wanted to go, so I said fuck it and went by myself. I had such a blast that I would say I probably go to 50% of the concerts I see by myself. I mean, I welcome the company, but I love music enough that I get just as much out of it when it is me and the music. Well I left the show, and jogged the almost mile home, in the cold/pseudo rain, just buzzing. And the "high", if you will, last for the next two days, conveniently until the warm weather arrived. I don't know if its the emotion on stage, the sensory overload, or whatever, but I could go see a country concert and still probably walk away pumped up and pleased...and country music and I don't always get along.
So, to be brief and simple, if you are feeling morose, and its not warm out...go see a concert and you are going to be good to go. And like Levar Burton, you don't have to take my word for it!
So speaking of Saves the Day, they are a band I have listened to for close to 10 years, which is ridiculous to think about. And they have totally changed as a band in the time, seeing as they were still in HS when they formed. But it has always been upbeat, energy filled music, with ridiculous lyrics. And when I say ridiculous, I mean thoughtful, introspective, stirringly on point with common emotion and situations, and for a time, borderline disturbingly morbid. Every guy has wanted to change his physical appearance to please some teenager girl at some point, but not many are clever enough to write about removing their blue eyes because said girl has a crush on a guy with brown eyes. Like I said, kind of disturbing, but oh so awesome. And these lyrics are always saturate with melodies you won't soon stop humming and suddenly you will be singing these morbid lyrics when you are happy and in a good mood, cause thats just how upbeat and awesome these songs are. Chris Conely's voice takes a bit of getting used to for some people, but it fits the music so perfectly, anything else just wouldn't work. I could listen about 20 awesome songs, but Ill give you my top 3 favorites: Sell My Old Clothes I'm Off to Heaven; See You; and my all time favorite, the lyrical masterpiece, Rocks Tonic Juice Magic. Saves the Day is also the reason I still give Jersey some props even though everything I have every seen about the Jersey Shore makes me think the state is not deserving of props...zing!
"Cause you're beautiful, just not on the inside, yea. Light comes from within, your beaming eyes don't seem so bright..."
JW
But seriously, this upturn in the temperature has just had put such an overwhelmingly positive sheen on my daily activities, its ridiculous. Last Friday, for example, my daily dance with the market left me as the awkward wallflower while she grinded seductively with the star quarterback. But I stepped outside and Mother Nature gave me a flirty 75 degree smack on the ass and suddenly all was right with the world. As I sat around with a few other traders, sipping beers on an outdoor patio, I realized how completely the weather can elevate mood. When I was younger, I was always a "fan" of winter, probably cause my dad always boasts about how Wisconsin gets all 4 seasons and he loves the cold temperatures. Then on a family trip to San Diego when I was a teen, it hit me...I hate the cold. I love fall, and 50 degrees (aka light jacket weather) is baller, but cold is just a dirty biatch. However, I think the only side benefit of the cold is the positively euphoric feeling that washes over you when the temperature starts to warm up. When you suddenly feel overheated walking down the street in your winter coat or when you suddenly crave the wind cause its not that caustic bitter maelstrom that comes busting up your fun in December. Though I do wonder how people in Hawaii or Florida feel when its nice every day. Does it ever get boring? Ill remember to look at that statement in February of next year when I suddenly remember that the cold relishes kicking me firmly in the groin. The difference between summer and winter is just so marked. Probably because, for example, I woke up this morning at 6:30 and it was sunny and nice outside. Contrast this with waking up at 6:30 in winter in complete darkness and howling winds, feeling like an extra in the Nightmare Before Christmas. No wonder everyone is just in a better mood. Don't believe me? Just pay attention this weekend or even during the week when you are out and about. There is just a tangible buzz in the air and everything just feels so much more positive, its pretty hard to explain, but easily to feel.
So last Tuesday I went to see Alkaline Trio and Saves the Day at the Metro. First off, it was an incredible show. Alkaline Trio has actively battled with Brand New as my favorite band for years now, and Saves the Day is one of the bands I honestly grew up with. I can remember listening to both of these bands when I was like 15. And the Metro is by far my favorite venue in Chicago. Just an awesome smaller venue, no thrills, awesome sound, and tons of history. So needless to say, it was an incredible show, one of the better ones I have seen in awhile. And this also cause me to contemplate how unbelievably pivotal live music is in my life. Besides my whole performing background, just being at shows is one of my zen "happy places" and can pull me out of whatever funk I may happen to be in. I think I realized it when I saw Fall Out Boy in HS. I was like 17, just old enough to drive around on my own (after my Dad's personal year probation period...lame) and I convinced my friends to let me go by myself. None of my friends could go/wanted to go, so I said fuck it and went by myself. I had such a blast that I would say I probably go to 50% of the concerts I see by myself. I mean, I welcome the company, but I love music enough that I get just as much out of it when it is me and the music. Well I left the show, and jogged the almost mile home, in the cold/pseudo rain, just buzzing. And the "high", if you will, last for the next two days, conveniently until the warm weather arrived. I don't know if its the emotion on stage, the sensory overload, or whatever, but I could go see a country concert and still probably walk away pumped up and pleased...and country music and I don't always get along.
So, to be brief and simple, if you are feeling morose, and its not warm out...go see a concert and you are going to be good to go. And like Levar Burton, you don't have to take my word for it!
So speaking of Saves the Day, they are a band I have listened to for close to 10 years, which is ridiculous to think about. And they have totally changed as a band in the time, seeing as they were still in HS when they formed. But it has always been upbeat, energy filled music, with ridiculous lyrics. And when I say ridiculous, I mean thoughtful, introspective, stirringly on point with common emotion and situations, and for a time, borderline disturbingly morbid. Every guy has wanted to change his physical appearance to please some teenager girl at some point, but not many are clever enough to write about removing their blue eyes because said girl has a crush on a guy with brown eyes. Like I said, kind of disturbing, but oh so awesome. And these lyrics are always saturate with melodies you won't soon stop humming and suddenly you will be singing these morbid lyrics when you are happy and in a good mood, cause thats just how upbeat and awesome these songs are. Chris Conely's voice takes a bit of getting used to for some people, but it fits the music so perfectly, anything else just wouldn't work. I could listen about 20 awesome songs, but Ill give you my top 3 favorites: Sell My Old Clothes I'm Off to Heaven; See You; and my all time favorite, the lyrical masterpiece, Rocks Tonic Juice Magic. Saves the Day is also the reason I still give Jersey some props even though everything I have every seen about the Jersey Shore makes me think the state is not deserving of props...zing!
"Cause you're beautiful, just not on the inside, yea. Light comes from within, your beaming eyes don't seem so bright..."
JW
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