March 2012
22 posts
The Big Adventure--VI2
VANCOUVER INTERLUDE TWO Last day of February—leap year. Rain with occasional flakes of snow mixed in but melting before they hit the ground. The floor of the bus is slick with rainy footprints and the windows are fogged up. Drive by the Shell station, past *my* corner store where I get water or beer or wine every night. Even if it’s only for a week and a half this is my ...
February 2012
32 posts
Van Halen's Tattoo--continuing
WEEK 2 OF WATCHING VAN HALEN’s “Tattoo” every day. DLR and Eddie look old. Older than mid 50s. What is like for Wolfgang—being 20 and in a world famous rock band…with his uncle and his Dad? He is constantly berated as Eddie’s “fat son who is a poor substitute for Michael Anthony.” David Lee Roth’s megalomania seeps from his pores, but this...
The ad I put up for my "Jim Morrison" project
I am looking for a drummer, a guitarist, and either second guitarist or—(dare to dream)—a keyboardist for an unusual “Jim Morrison tribute act.” I can easily arrange the second guitar parts to mimic the keyboard parts or at least play the same melodies. This is not a Doors tribute band so I don’t need “Ray, Robby, and John.” Basically I am going to...
“See, if I was clever, I would build a website with all my creative crap on it....”
– —sba
A Party in Decay
Tell me if this sounds familiar— I came up with this term maybe an hour ago: A party in decay. Everything decays—bridges, love, car seat fabric, and parties. Parties certainly decay. The decay usually sets in around midnight but I guess some parties begin to decay around 10 and some are going strong when someone suddenly looks up, sees it’s a quarter to two, and calls out for...
Marvin Gaye
I am cooking a chicken and listening to What’s Going On. It’s interesting how such f****d up human beings can create such amazing art. Picasso was supposed to be a complete asshole. John Lennon hit women, could be a dick, and ignored his first son. What’s Going On is as political as anything Lennon ever did, but MG is always seen as this smooth, soul balladeer. Both were gunned...
Minimalism as an art form
MINIMALISM AS AN ART FORM—I am guessing that living in a cluttered house had a profound effect on me. I am embracing minimalism. My goal is to make it so everything I own would fit in the back of a Volvo station wagon*. I just have no interest in “stuff” aside from my books and musical equipment. I have been living out of a suitcase the past seven weeks and it hasn’t...
Prep notes from a story I am working on
THE STORY I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON Thursday morning. A bus on Vancouver. There is a poster of Rosa Parks and some quote of hers that seems, well, a bit pompous. Dear Rosa, maybe things went to your head a bit. And then I thought, well, what if there was a character like Rosa Parks, a 21st century version—and then it kind of blew up. These are my rough notes scribbled down on bits of...
The Big Adventure: Surviving NE Portland
ADVENTURES IN NE PORTLAND aka How I Survived Room 205 of the Portland Airport Travelodge Friday. Six PM. Northeast Portland… I had a two evening gap between Mark’s and Shanna’s so I spent two nights in a motel. I had read some bad reviews of the motel so the first thing I did was what I call Pube Check. Basically you roll back the blankets and check for nasty stuff. Nasty stuff?...
Fridays have a different meaning when you're a...
When you are a temp Friday afternoons take on a different meaning. Will they call me before closing to say they have a position? If you have a position will you get the call at 5PM letting you know you got the axe four days into what was supposed to be a three month position. Temps don’t say TGIF, they say IFICBF (It’s Friday—I Could Be F***ed)
'Underwear bomber' sentenced to life in jail -... →
OK, this story misses what everyone wants to know: What happened to this guy’s junk? I mean, he set it on fire—that can’t be pretty.
The Big Adventure--The Big Adventure Ever Evolving
Thanks to the generosity of my aunt and uncle, I could go out and rent a room today. The challenge I face, though, is that—understandably—people are not going to want an unemployed roommate. This isn’t six years ago when if you got off your ass you could find some sort of job in a few days. No, it is brutal out there. I had a promising interview, but that was all it...
Jim Bomb3 aka More Karaoke
Third week in a row at Chopsticks II on Burnside near 28th. Did maybe eight songs. There was a “drunken girls night out” going on at one table. They were loud, having a good time, taking pictures of each other with their phones. We’ve all been there. I was singing a Morrissey song of all things when one of them came up and started grinding against me, taking my glasses and...
Scenes from an interview
Z you are an asshole—why did you stay up so late? Why did you mix gin and beer again?
Asshole.
My inner voice always calls me an asshole. I am pretty used to it, but that isn’t part of this story.
I put on my one pair of dress pants and hopped on the 15 going downtown. I was nervous and the combination of nervousness and the things I drank last night, not quantity which...
How we made: Jah Wobble and Keith Levene on Public... →
It’s shame they couldn’t put all the bullshit behind and reunite in the current incarnation of PiL. I would suspect it more John Lydon’s thing/old grudges; these guys are amazing, instinctive musicians
“Obama versus Santorum, hmmm, tough choice. Let’s see, on one hand you...”
– —sba
Boring living in Portland two paragraphs
Still no word from my aunt about my staying with her and my uncle until I can save up for first/last on a room. I have decided, though, if I get this job I am staying in Portland. I have no idea how, I have no idea how I will make that work, but I have been thinking on my feet the past four weeks and I can do it some more
Even if I landed a job where I made enough money, I would still want...
“What is a slut? First off, a slut can be a man or a woman. I think how many...”
– —sba
“I will, most likely, never own a house and I am okay with that. What I do is not...”
– —sba
“Open letter to the missionaries knocking on my door or approaching me on the...”
– —sba
“I do not cause trouble. The trouble already exists, I just harness it. Nor do I...”
– —sba
“The other night, I was walking back from the store and this guy approached me on...”
– sba
“People don’t die before their time. When you die, it’s your time. ...”
– —sba
Like a Shark in Still Waters
Every street has a beat To either charge or retreat Building strange mirrors when the rain falls Seeing faces in the cracked and brooding walls Your eyes open wide as you glide Like poison through the blood Like a saint in a stained neighborhood Like a shark through still waters Glisten like a ghost you believe The best pose is with heart on sleeve Your eyes open wide as you glide Different depths...
If You've Ever Wondered What a Job Listing Scam...
Hello, I am Ross Sidney,and yes i asked her to introduce to me anyone who will like to work as part-time,since she has gotten someone,actually i am from the states,but currently based in united kingdom working with Lewis Steel Co,We make lots of supplies to some of our clients in the USA/Canada for which i do come to USA/Canada to receive payments via cashier’s check and US money...
“Karaoke tonight aka Jim Bomb II. Though I am not going to lean on the Doors too...”
– —sba
Find You
When your footsteps echo in a strange city And loneliness is a perilous and armored enemy When doubt becomes another word for wisdom And solace an anachronism I have faith as sure as weather warms And death is the counterpoint to being born The thing you whisper when the day is through When’s someone gonna find you? When isolation feels all that’s true When’s someone gonna find...
It Could All End Here/Smoke Me to the Filter
Smoke me to the filter Ride me like a fable falling From dream to disaster Are we sure we know— That promise isn’t just a seven letter word? I don’t flicker, I burn Between your greedy lips So suck me in Relinquish Extinguish Beautiful anguish At your lips Burn you in two Understand and love you Death is a horse shying outside Some days we bar the door Some days we want to ride...
Side Streets
You may know my name or you may not I may be a shape down a side street But I know what’s like to be alone In a room full of people Deep amber nights cool than burning Your head spinning Too many nights becoming mornings Too many times I closed the door only to throw it open again And you were the most beautiful figment of my imagination Starring in films in my head on the long cold, walk...
“I have a gift for naming babies and have done it for my friends in the past. Oh,...”
– —SBA
Electrick Carz
I don’t know, I see electric cars as part of the problem and not part of the solution. They pollute less than internal combustion cars, but they still require roads made out of asphalt (oil). They require AC power generated by coal fired power plants, (coal being a whole other can of worms). Most importantly in my mind, it feels like we are clinging to a way of life that is not...
I need an evil twin to blame things on
Not that I ever do anything remotely bad. Maybe questionable, but not bad see…
That wasn’t me peeping in your window tonight. No no, Thursday is my night. If I had known you planted a cactus outside your window I would have worn trousers.
I could write a mean spirited but fantastic pop song right now but I am too languid to plug the guitar into the amp.
I was the lounge singer...
I think I need to write another Liam book as an...
File under: Human sexuality is a complex, multi-shaded thing.
I struggle with dealing with it. No, I am not gay. If that were all it was, I’d be okay: “Wow, guess I like boys after all.” No, it’s not a question of orientation, it is a lot more complicated than that.
I may have to start a blog specific to this, one that I would reveal to few if any people I know.
I...
