IPOD
RADIO
You know, I've now moved four times in the past five years, and every time I've sworn never to do so again.
So why don't I ever listen to myself? Is grad school really worth this shit>
What really gets me? I'm moving across the country to get my MFA in Creative Writing, so that I'll be good enough to find an agent and get published. Well now I actually have the ear of a literary agent who wants to read my full manuscript when it's done and wants me to keep her up to date on anything else I'm working on; I'm about a week's hard work away from finishing my book, but I haven't been able to write much at all lately because of this damn move.
You have to admire irony, even (especially?) when it kicks you in the ass.
And now for a special addendum -- a few things that made me scratch my head, grit my teeth, or contemplate slamming either my or someone else's head into a brick wall on this July 4th:
1.) Joanna and I went to see the fireworks in downtown Philadelphia tonight, but we left before they started because they had a fucking concert that lasted TWO HOURS. What's more, it was John Legend, an R&B guy, and he didn't play one patriotic song (not that I expected him to). Then, when they finally got to the fireworks (that we watched on TV), they played a bunch of new age, world, and borderline funk music before finally consenting to play some sort of American songs that I had never heard before. Where the fuck was the 1812 Overture? That song was made for fireworks. THIS IS PHILADELPHIA, THE PLACE WHERE AN EVENT OCCURED IN 1776 THAT HAPPENS TO BE THE ACTUAL REASON WE CELEBRATE THE 4TH OF JULY! And I'd say a good 60% of the people there were only there for the concert. Half of them probably don't even know why July 4th is celebrated. Seriously, people should pass a test to vote. Not a hard test; maybe some basic questions about the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the like. If they don't pass, they get their voting rights revoked. End of story. In annoyance I turned over the Boston Pops, recalling the numerous July 4th concerts that appropriately ended with Tchaikovsky's masterpiece, preceded by songs like "God Bless America," and "America the Beautiful" (which I personally much prefer to the "Star Spangled Banner" -- much more bold and inspiring). So what are the Pops playing over the final fireworks? Rascal Flatts. Country. I'm not even going to say anything else....
2.) Jessie Helms died today, and already people are saying it was appropriate that such a patriot should die on this day. Jessie Helms was not a patriot; Jessie Helms was a racist fuck who didn't even have the balls to come out and admit he was a racist. That's the worst kind: the type who starts off each sentence with, "I'm not racist, but..." You know, "I'm not racist, but I just don't like black people and think they would be better off as slaves." If he could have gotten away with it, Jessie Helms would have rounded up every homosexual and put them into concentration camps and turned on the gas. Calling him a champion of conservatism is an insult to reasoned, intelligent conservatives like my grandparents and several of their friends.
3.) President Bush gave a speech from Thomas Jefferson's home in Virginia equating the Iraq War with Jefferson's original vision of freedom for all. Say what you will for or against the Iraq War, but don't put it in the frame of the American Revolution. The Revolution began because people inside this country had reached the point where they decided to throw off their tyrant. They decided they were ready to form their own country. They got some help from the French, but ultimately they did the work themselves. What we did in Iraq is the equivalent of the French coming over here in 1740 and saying, "You know what? You need to be free from the British. We're going to kick them out and then help you start your own country." Would it have worked then? Hell no. Revolutions have to come from within, not without. If the French had done that, who here in America would have been smart enough and strong enough to form their own government? No one. And people wonder why democracy in Iraq hasn't coalesced yet....
4.) This is a weird keyboard and, while typing the title of this note, I accidentally said "4th of July Gropes" without even realizing it until it was nearly too late. While that would have been amusing, it's annoying that it almost happened. Even now, I'm constantly hitting "Backspace" because I keep hitting the wrong keys. Who designed this thing?
So why don't I ever listen to myself? Is grad school really worth this shit>
What really gets me? I'm moving across the country to get my MFA in Creative Writing, so that I'll be good enough to find an agent and get published. Well now I actually have the ear of a literary agent who wants to read my full manuscript when it's done and wants me to keep her up to date on anything else I'm working on; I'm about a week's hard work away from finishing my book, but I haven't been able to write much at all lately because of this damn move.
You have to admire irony, even (especially?) when it kicks you in the ass.
And now for a special addendum -- a few things that made me scratch my head, grit my teeth, or contemplate slamming either my or someone else's head into a brick wall on this July 4th:
1.) Joanna and I went to see the fireworks in downtown Philadelphia tonight, but we left before they started because they had a fucking concert that lasted TWO HOURS. What's more, it was John Legend, an R&B guy, and he didn't play one patriotic song (not that I expected him to). Then, when they finally got to the fireworks (that we watched on TV), they played a bunch of new age, world, and borderline funk music before finally consenting to play some sort of American songs that I had never heard before. Where the fuck was the 1812 Overture? That song was made for fireworks. THIS IS PHILADELPHIA, THE PLACE WHERE AN EVENT OCCURED IN 1776 THAT HAPPENS TO BE THE ACTUAL REASON WE CELEBRATE THE 4TH OF JULY! And I'd say a good 60% of the people there were only there for the concert. Half of them probably don't even know why July 4th is celebrated. Seriously, people should pass a test to vote. Not a hard test; maybe some basic questions about the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the like. If they don't pass, they get their voting rights revoked. End of story. In annoyance I turned over the Boston Pops, recalling the numerous July 4th concerts that appropriately ended with Tchaikovsky's masterpiece, preceded by songs like "God Bless America," and "America the Beautiful" (which I personally much prefer to the "Star Spangled Banner" -- much more bold and inspiring). So what are the Pops playing over the final fireworks? Rascal Flatts. Country. I'm not even going to say anything else....
2.) Jessie Helms died today, and already people are saying it was appropriate that such a patriot should die on this day. Jessie Helms was not a patriot; Jessie Helms was a racist fuck who didn't even have the balls to come out and admit he was a racist. That's the worst kind: the type who starts off each sentence with, "I'm not racist, but..." You know, "I'm not racist, but I just don't like black people and think they would be better off as slaves." If he could have gotten away with it, Jessie Helms would have rounded up every homosexual and put them into concentration camps and turned on the gas. Calling him a champion of conservatism is an insult to reasoned, intelligent conservatives like my grandparents and several of their friends.
3.) President Bush gave a speech from Thomas Jefferson's home in Virginia equating the Iraq War with Jefferson's original vision of freedom for all. Say what you will for or against the Iraq War, but don't put it in the frame of the American Revolution. The Revolution began because people inside this country had reached the point where they decided to throw off their tyrant. They decided they were ready to form their own country. They got some help from the French, but ultimately they did the work themselves. What we did in Iraq is the equivalent of the French coming over here in 1740 and saying, "You know what? You need to be free from the British. We're going to kick them out and then help you start your own country." Would it have worked then? Hell no. Revolutions have to come from within, not without. If the French had done that, who here in America would have been smart enough and strong enough to form their own government? No one. And people wonder why democracy in Iraq hasn't coalesced yet....
4.) This is a weird keyboard and, while typing the title of this note, I accidentally said "4th of July Gropes" without even realizing it until it was nearly too late. While that would have been amusing, it's annoying that it almost happened. Even now, I'm constantly hitting "Backspace" because I keep hitting the wrong keys. Who designed this thing?
JUL 08, 2008 12:35 PM
I always used to wonder back in grade school typing class why the keys didnt go in alphabetical order so that I could at least remember where the hell they were on the keypad. I dunno who designed this thing, but I at least HOPE they designed it to where the letters that were put together the MOST were close together or easily accessible or .. developed in SOME way by logic and not just some randomness.
Youve made a lot of killer points in this journal, I love when you get all philosophical on us 
SEPTEMBER 2008