making the rounds

The short answer: I am in of need of digital restart; Lent is a good time to do just such a thing.

I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic grade and high school. Though have not partook in Lent in any formal since the ending of the later.

It is a time to learn what it means to go without in some way. In the information/attention age giving up a part of web, it seems to be theory, a worthy sacrifice.

Reasons I am NOT doing this:

1. Too see if anyone misses me. Don’t worry, I know you’ll miss me. I’ll miss you too.
2. I am secretly a Luddite. Hardly; I wrote my library science application on the technology empowerment.
3. I dislike Facebook/ Twitter layout or features. I’ll save my boycott powers for something else.
4. I believe Facebook/Twitter has medium as the downfall of humanity. Listen- I am coming back.
5. It’ll cure my generationally inflicted ADD. Doubtful; the Internet is still a shiny blinky web that’ll still get caught in.

Reasons I might check in:

1. In the unfortunate event, that Washington DC becomes the victim of a cloud of doom, I’ll sign into Twitter to find my friends. In other words, emergency situations.
2. Speaking of events, I’ll still get forwarded invites to my email. But I’ll try not sign in; but I realize numbers are important to tabulate so….I might check in to message you that I can or cannot make it. So, from now until Easter my answer is to any invite will always be “maybe.”

There is probably I whole slew of things I am not taking in account. But that, will all apart of the learning process. I’ll document my experience here on this blog .

Will I realize how much I get out of FB/Twitter?
Or
Will I realize I can do just fine without?

Hopefully, both.

I can get pretty obsessive with pop songs for long periods of time. Pianist David Sides’s awesome instrumental covers help that feeling live on even longer.

Drake Best I Ever Had

Lupe Fiasco Superstar

Rihanna Run this Town

I’ve read this poem I wrote to Pookie and my Dad. The latter has been writing some of his own.

The Sherpa of the Moms

The sherpa of the moms says,
in a big country,
sweet dreams are made of beans.
Po-ta-toe, Po-ta-to
Suck on a tit , not a baby’s bottle.
A carrot and a stick will make your
infant not a toddler.
A pureee gourmet,
Cry in the morning and not for his father.
The sherpa of the moms says,
in a big country,
creams are made of pleas.

If it helps, I was inspired by these 2 songs while shopping at the Giant.

So I haven’t had full time work since September. Like %10 of Americans, I scour the Craigslist classifieds and look for work every single day. I’ve had few nibbles here and there but it didn’t lead anywhere permanent. Through a friend, I got hooked up with a one day a week waitressing and bartendering gig at a local waterhole.

So I calculated the math this morning, and it seems I’ll be making $3 less last week then if I was still on FT unemployment. I get %80 of unemployment plus my decent hourly wage and my first %25 tip payout.

If you’ve ever worked in the service industry, this is not easy shit. It is a lot of multitasking and smiling. Plus, my leg condition doesn’t make standing all day much fun. Moreover, cash in your pocket fluctuates greatly with amount and type of clientele. In my case, a warm weather day means you’ll get a spill over of soccer players and dog walkers. Cold weather means not many oh-just-out-for- a-stroll-lets- have- a- drink-and-some- waffles crowd. Very unreliable.

So, this scenario makes me seriously question the value of work in the current system. I generally enjoy being there. It gets me out of the house, I’m learning new things (which beers go in which glasses mostly) and making new friends. Plus I made a commitment I am going to keep. But if I was on a tighter budget – let’s say a single parent with babies to feed and clothe- why would work? That $3 buys a loaf of bread.

This first week’s earnings discourages and confuses me. I am putting my faith in the fact that in this economy any work holds more potential earning power then no work at all. That is to say, over time there is possibility of picking up more shifts over time and getting better tips. I tell myself this morning, that the long term benefits will outweigh the short term. Even if one of those short term gems dangled in my face, was going for broke and visiting with friends in Cairo.

PS. A day at the FDR memorial and a Krugman piece makes be daydream over the possibility of government sponsored employment program.

My housemate’s end of the semester thesis examines the power of art on social movements. She specifically describes Palestinian and Berlin wall graffiti. I got to thinking what are the musical anthems of the current national gay marriage movement in this country? The Prop 8 Musical and Regina Specktor’s Fidelity from the Courage campaign come to mind as strong contenders.

So, to the good folks suffering after a setback in Maine, here are my 2 of my favorite tunes that might help ‘kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight…’

Barenaked Ladies (Bruce Cockburn cover) – Lovers In A Dangerous Time

and

Cuz in the end they “… Will be laughed at the way you’re laughed at now”

Following on the heels of last year’s successful Rock n Roll chef puns series, I present to you this year’s food pun theme:

The Sporting Knife

Feel free to draw on your (or the Internet’s) knowledge of teams,players/celebrities,coaches,equipment, stadiums,sportscasters, and nicknames.

ESPN Sportzone menus, Arnold Palmers and Baby Ruths not withstanding these seem more perplexing to me. Maybe because unlike my brother Shreddie, I did not have the drive to watch 2 back-to-back Sportscenter episodes every morning growing up. Thanks to him for inspirational “Biscotti Pippen”:

All I could come up with at the moment is:
Hershey’s Susie Kolber Kisses

I discovered Jeffrey McDaniel from my dear ole pal Eddy this last trip home to Buffalo. I was on a mini-tour de Great Lakes, in search of Library Science grad programs. So, I found myself in great many conversations on the raising societial need for skilled digital sherpas in the information age. I offer up this as inverse mediation on love in such an epoch. McDaniel masters gritty imagery in a conversational style that I’m really quite taken by.

The Quiet World
Jeffrey McDaniel

In an effort to get people to look
into each other’s eyes more,
the government has decided to allot
each person exactly one hundred
and sixty-seven words, per day.

When the phone rings, I put it
to my ear without saying hello.
In the restaurant I point
at chicken noodle soup. I am
adjusting well to the new way.

Late at night, I call my long
distance lover and proudly say
I only used fifty-nine today.
I saved the rest for you.

When she doesn’t respond, I know
she’s used up all her words
so I slowly whisper I love you,
thirty-two and a third times.
After that, we just sit on the line
and listen to each other breathe.

I used to talk to my New Jack City hotshot friend Mr. Peter Kim almost every Sunday on the phone. This ritual has slowed down the last 6 months or so.

Around that time, I made him this wee lil mix . Peter, or what the people in BK call him POOKIE,  is one the finest people to help you pick out music at a jukebox. He can also help you campaign for local office and daydream about cross country road trips.

http://www.zshare.net/download/6334269746616ab4/

Songs Include:

The Zombies- This Will Be Our Year

Airwalker-Jeremy Jay

Micachu- Golden Phone

Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Hysteric