29 September 2009

Leslie Simon Is Awesome

I guess I've seen this name somewhere. Probably Alternative Press magazine. But she's the real deal. She's smarter than me about music - so, so much smarter, and I'm a total musical snob. So I appreciate, and am annoyed by, those smarter than me. Reading through her first book, Everybody Hurts. It's funny, insigtful, quirky and fun. Looks like she blogs from time to time as well, Leslie-Simon.com. I'll get to her second book soon enough but I'll read anything this cat writes. Leslie Simon, check her out.

Lack of motivation, lack of mental jewelry

I love thinking I'm smarter than others, knowing exactly that I am not. A couple words or a small phrase from a film or song you think is obscure but the sadder issue is thinking it's obscure, when someone smarter - everyone - knows the subtle little nugget, knows it, forgot it, has already nothing-ed it. Bugger.

I seldom write here because 1) It's just a diary really and those are girly and silly; 2) I simply haven't anything to say/write/type, which is dangerously close to assuming I have nothing to think/share/give. Hmmm.

Still it's difficult pill to swallow, knowing there's maybe four, five people on the planet with less sense than oneself. Odd, sad, interesting, and simple, that's the beauty of it.

15 September 2009

Gregory Barsamian, artist

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This guy is amazing. I saw an installation 10 years ago, saw it 4 times. Impossible to forget. The link shows tiny video clips of many of his works.

14 September 2009

the ugly shirt



Here's one. I love "the ugly shirt". I have 12 or 14 shirts I'd consider "the ugly shirt". Can't get enough of them. Many are silk, most are very loud. Some are from the 70's, most from thrift stores, many likely cost someone over $100, while I get them for under $5 at cheap secondhand shops. Some are orange, pink, vivid bright colors. Others are more subtle in their ugliness. Some stripes, some paisley, even a pink polkadot number I cannot wear in public. I do love the ugly shirt. So very comfortable inside and out

12 September 2009

importance of seeing live music

It's ironic (or maybe just silly and pitiful) that I'd write this tonight, the night after a good show I bailed on. Wouldn't have been a life changing or great event. But that's the point. You force yourself to do this. And it's almost always worth it. Even if the band or the music is subpar, the effort and intention always makes it worth your two hours and usually ten bucks or less. As a music lover, you feel a good show in your heart. The music hopefully is good, but it's the live performance that's the necessity. Seeing them on a stage, doing what they do. And standing in the crowd, beer in hand, slowing headbopping and shoegazing and thinking this really is important to be here. To experience that, well, you either love it or you don't. A good show is just what we must do. Once in a while. It hits a tiny part of your being that otherwise sits dormant. Touching that tiny part of you, it makes other things so much more beautiful. Passion breeds more passion. Yes, this is lame. But my aim is true.