THE FACTS OF LIFE OVER THREE DECADES

It's all about the HAVE VS. THE HAVE NOTS

sick of this brave new world

I don't care if the Vivian Girls are overhyped and overplayed...

This picture alone makes me love them MORE

PSA: OH SHIT LOOK WHO'S COMING BACK

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Awesome is making a comeback in the Philadelphia region from his tour of East Africa. Y'all better shower him with love and kisses. Also, be sure to congratulate him on his MBA from the University of Phoenix. He'll be managing a Verizon Superstore near you. 

Dear 2009

I know we got off to a rough start, but can we be friends now for the rest of the year? You've been fast and furious, and I've been unyielding and cold as usual. Anyway, let's make up!  I'll buy you dinner, maybe take you to the beach. Or maybe I'll make you a mix tape of all my favorite songs. Let's get over our grudges and talk about our feelings. Let's cry on each other's shoulders. Just please don't be mean to me anymore. 

Love,

Yours Truly

radio free Michael Jackson

The only thing I have to say about the death of Michael Jackson is how I found out. It was not someone's Facebook status nor TMZ, but I heard about it from something as antiquated as the radio. Yes, I still listen to the radio because I still like an element of surprise in my life. I scan the dial in search of the perfect soundtrack of the moment.

Funny that Michael Jackson didn't fit on the track list yesterday. I like him just as much as anyone but usually in the context of last call, last dance on the dance floor. So when I kept hitting scan, one by one each station started playing Michael Jackson songs back to back.

It's amusing to call it viral because anything viral in the media you usually think of the internet, i.e. Twitter. Though it was one of those creepy moments when you suddenly feel claustrophobic as you're forced to pay tribute to a man you didn't know. Yes, I agree, he is quite iconoclastic for changing pop music and inflating celebrity to a higher degree. Blah Blah Blah. But do we need to escalate this news to emergency broadcasting levels? Is it an emergency that I should feel obligated to pay respects because "Thriller" was playing when I sloppily made out with someone forgettable at a party? I'm not heartless, my thoughts are with his family. But when comes to entertainment, really I was in the mood to hear Madonna on the radio that day, not MJ.

Other thoughts:

1. If the radio is going to play back to back MJ songs, then MTV should definitely pay their respects by playing his videos on one of their 10+ channels. Each party brought the other much success; though it is curious to see how both brands devolved at the turn of this century.
2. My grandmother wants to me to write an expository essay on why Michael Jackson is such an pivitol figure in our society, which due is for discussion upon our Saturday evening PIZZA PARTY.

SUMMER OF SENTIMENTALITY

I'm sorry but 2009 has been a total let down. So I'm declaring that this summer be a SUMMER OF SENTIMENTALITY. This means indulging romcom marathons, bad grammar, blogging Web 1.0 style, talking about feelings with hearts on the sleeve, crocheting said hearts on twitter feeds, and tuning into DELIAH ON THE RADIO.

I've come to this conclusion after listening to the following on repeat

Now, someone please give me a radio show.

MENTAL THERAPY

I often let things stew or marinate for too long, which is to say I've been slow with coming to terms with the emotional toll from my bike accident. Probably it's because the incident itself happened too fast. I remember that my internal monologue went from something like, "fuck where did this car come from I hope I can wing it" to "holy shit am I paralyzed bleeding where are my glasses?" But it's the middle sequence that haunts me. The part where my thoughts are silenced, and I'm flying through the air, ending up on the other side of the car that hit me. The only footage I have resembles what would happen if someone flipped a camcorder in the air.

I suppose I'm also a visual thinker as well. I'm not exactly sure what that exactly means, but something familiar registers while I was watching Ghost tonight. Towards the end of the film, Sam's (Patrick Swayze's) killer runs into traffic and gets hit by a bus. He meets his death by flying unto the hood of another oncoming vehicle. 

I could finally capture my own flight path from the initial impact to air and then to the crash landing. My memory adds a few more seconds to the playback and cuts to a POV shot at a side angle.  This new sequence, however,  begs more questions than answers 

SAYING WHAT I AM THINKING WITHOUT REALLY SAYING MUCH

I am two more days away from sharing the same mentality.