The 2012 Project: Where Does One Find The Time? (And If You Know, Call Me!)

There's a "Forest for the trees" message here somewhere...

To sum it up: "This week, I'm a movie reviewer who doesn't have time to watch a movie." I know this because my "One A Week Review" this week is going to be a day late and "One From The Vaults" (a backlog I was hoping to not have to tap into for a couple months yet...)

My 2012 Project got put on hold this week. I'm not proud of that. This attempt at taking the long view of my "New Years Resolutions" was supposed to ensure that "Slow and Steady" would "win the race." It isn't supposed to result in "um, this is just going to have to be done on Tuesday." It's now 10 PM on a Friday night and I'd love to unwind a bit. But I can't... instead, I'm straightening my head out with writing to explain how I made bold requests to be held publicly accountable for organizing and eating better lead to a week of silence.

Long story short, it got stuck this week and I'll be returning to documenting that first office project on Monday.

Long story long, I had some ups and downs this week: a couple great meetings - all with people whose company I genuinely enjoyed, some big disappointments, buggy software, and a jam-packed go-go-go set of errands and tasks to conquer. So busy in fact that I thought I was having a hallucination when I encountered this cross-walk light in Mt. Lookout that had been blocked by a pole, rendering it utterly useless. There's a "forest for the trees" message here somewhere, or at least a thuddingly good metaphor for the things that block our path in life. Excepting one evening in with my sweetie, I really have had no other downtime. Every other night this week has meant turning in late after working on this thing or that until 1AM or later.

I have work I want to do and work I need to do.While I'm not sharing details yet, I have several projects "simmering on the stove," and they're starting to come together. I have a real passion for the goals I have now. I've made promises to try and help friends accomplish goals as well, and I also want that to mean something. Each of these various goals, however, are making me work for it. (This is where, on Twitter, I'd plug in an emoticon. It's sad to realize that those will soon be acceptable in text to a large segment of the populace. Not my segment, but a segment.)  It's a lot of work,  but very positive. I'm also looking at a couple upcoming delivery deadlines.

Tomorrow night, after work, I'm going out with my sweetie to the Symphony. We got some free tickets as a Klout promotion, making for a classy (and affordable) evening of culture. The timing's also perfection as Sunday we mark an 18 month anniversary. (I've been busy enough that such a milestone nearly went by without my noticing. Catching it, I know I can still see the big picture.)

This is why, tonight, a half hour after I started writing this, I'm about to turn back to barreling through work. I'm mentally recharged now, and I thank you for taking the break with me. I'll keep going until midnight, or later, to serve my projects and goals. It's important I find the time and energy to accomplish that, because tomorrow night I want to be fully present. Isn't enjoying our time spent with loved ones what makes all this work worthwhile?

Straw Men, Cyphers, and Paper Tigers?

Nolan asked on Facebook today for responses for an art project he's starting:

What/who is a character from a movie/book/story/comic/tv show/etc. that for some reason you have always felt some weird connection with? Like you always felt you related to them on some strange level or knew how they felt. Or someone that represents who you are, how you feel or felt, etc. This doesn't have to be some well known character. It can even be a pee-on or some really minor, insignificant character.

My answer:

Rhoda Morgenstern?

When you watch "The Office" you always hope you're a Jim and not a Dwight
or a Michael... but you're not... kinda like hoping you don't relate to anyone
in "Shortbus"... but you do.

The only character in "Catcher in the Rye" that I could stand was Phoebe,
the little sister.

Virgins in slasher movies? The extras in shows who scream when the little
margarine tub airbags drop from the ceiling in scenes on airplanes? Henchmen in
jump suits working in Volcano hideouts for super-villains in Bond films?

I think there's a lot of characters we all see ourselves in/as/through. Different names came to me all day for different reasons. Dorothy Zbornak. The "Tales of the City" series made me empathize with Mary Ann Singleton and Michael Tolliver in equal amounts (though when I re-read it, I really wanted to be like DeeDee). Saffron Monsoon (possibly the most pathetic character ever on TV). Jim Halpert. Kitty Pryde was my favorite X-Man as an adolescent. When it comes to which of your friends is which "Sex and the City" character, I'm a Miranda through and through. I'm more Scully than Mulder, but I think I'm a Mulder. Heather Hudson from "Alpha Flight," but before she put on that fucking suit. Anyone who watched "Freaks and Geeks" and winced frequently can relate to this line of thinking. I was always exceedingly fond of Anya from "Buffy," mostly the overly literal dialogue that generally matched my blunt inner observations about others. That voice you never let out.

Mostly though, we are all everyman, and by everyman, I mean Charlie Brown.

The whole point of most narrative is to tell a story others can relate to. What is fiction for if not to learn something about the contents of your own mind (as that is where "The Human Condition" resides)?

I tip my hat to Nolan for inspiring a great day of reflection for me (so much nicer than actually attending to my work) and hope his project (a painting) will be a smashing success.

Sunday, and a game of "Grab Bag"

This week got hectic, but there have been a few things I set aside to post:

-The skywalks are coming down. They were a neat way to get around a few areas of downtown, although I always got a bit disoriented by them. They were handy getting from the Convention Center to the hotel to Tower Place during the Transformers convention this spring, though. Skywalks, I hardly knew ye.

-I know it's probably a cheap shot to even point it out, due to the gruesomeness of the story, but surely when kids are getting decapitated and losing their feet it's time to start questioning the safety of theme park rides in general. Admittedly, yes, he was where he wasn't supposed to be, and scaled security fences to get there, but the Superman ride snapped cables with enough (super?) force to slice through a human limb (one travelling at probably 60 mph, but still) and this Batman ride has killed people standing near it twice now. Six Flags and superhero rides are a dangerous combo. I saw "The Mangler," dude, it's time to put that machine down.

-"8 members of the baseball team?" 3 different molesty-teacher-chick accusation stories broke. The talking heads in the clip cover most of my hotpoints, so let's start with saying if it's true. Having said that, the 23 year old woman should have known better, much less the 60 year old.(What, did she see "A Night in Heaven" one time to many?) They should because they're adults. 15 year olds may talk tough and act like they own the world and know it all, but you know what? They kindas don't. They're kids. You're adults. Did you somehow forget yourselves and think you were peers or something? Not cool. The accused are however, female, so the whole double standard "Boys will be boys" thing may come into play. At least as a knee-jerk response. These teachers can at least relax in the knowledge that both presidential candidates and the Supreme Court won't put them to death.

There were rumors about 2 teachers at my high school. One was a teacher who was said to have made plays for at least 2 different girls, one who was pregnant. He was fired, so this one was validated. The other was rumors of a teacher who'd gotten it on with a student. She was female. Kids talked about it with a touch of awe and respect. It never came to anything.
To pose a question Carrie Bradshaw-style: "Are public school teachers the new Catholic priest?"

-I saw this ad on Perezhilton.com earlier this week and then the next day on both CNN.com and Salon.com in different stories about how it was yanked. I thought it was funny and the message very clear. The Heinz will make your sandwich taste like it came from a deli. They playfully present this in a manner that evidently a good chunk of the populace decided to ignore and instead focus on the act that is the "button" on the joke. Brit Dad (which pretty much translates as "stuffy") sharing a good ol' marital "See you tonight, dear" smooch with the big gruff NY Deli guy who's a stand in for Mum. It's cute. Also, according to the link in the Salon story, another even that proves that Bill O'Reilly really is dumb as a box of hair and quite the bully about it to boot. "It was obviously a gay thing." Really, Bill? How FUCKING STUPID are you. I mean, that's a cheap joke, and you're really just very, very thick. Moron. (Although, Bill does seem so tense that we should probably give him a referral to a masseur or something. I'm sure Ted Haggard knows one who'd be just perfect for him!)

Such a shame this charming commercial got pulled.


-There was always a really neat thrill to going and catching some band you've never heard of from halfway across the county pop up at a bar. You'd never hear them again unless you went up to talk to them and buy their tape, but maybe, just maybe they'd make it big one day. Now they can't afford to go on tour. They can play around home, but not travel to those far off college towns to commune with the kids who can make them. They can't make it to a big city to get seen by a rep who'll sign 'em and make them. I just hope they keep playing until this all maybe blows over. They can always distribute their work over the Internet, but that is in no way the same thing. I think the last regional (as opposed to local) band I saw was when Dave came up years ago and we saw Forget Cassettes in Newport one night and up in Dayton the next. They were awesome, too.

A Jay Update

Jay:

-needs to have a "come to Jesus" with his realtor about just what I'm expecting for this percentage he'll get should the house ever sell. Per Brad's suggestion I'm going to create my own Zillow and Craigslist ads for the house. I'm not quite ready to take up Seth's suggestion to "can his ass," but that's mostly as I haven't yet dug up the contract to see what the penalties might be.

-needs more time in the day as his blog and Facebook and poor, neglected Flickr page- and, mostly, getting back in touch with his friends- is giving him more pleasure than work is.

-needs either discipline or a housekeeper. Keeping this joint "show-ready" is exhausting.

-could use "fixing up" as he's completely "cocking it up" on a regular basis and wouldn't mind a dinner date...

-needs to go out shopping for clothes this weekend.

-is going to get off of here and go watch "The Office" Season 3, Disc 1 - which he got out of the library today - and looks forward to finding out what the rest of America learned about Jim and Pam two years ago...

(I don't want to feel like I'm not showing a personal side here on a heavy-linkies day)

Heavy Stuff

Regardless of where your opinion lands in this debate, we can't go back to this kind of butchery.

With the laws and restrictions in some states, we're probably already turning to it.

Jay does linkies!

Fun with CNN.com

I think this is a dumb-ass question. I'm not a parent - and I'm the first to admit that - but I have amazing respect for anyone who is. It's a tough job regardless of whether your child's a boy or a girl. Boys can have shitty self-esteem just like girls can, and girls can be a handful to discipline. Perhaps the members of the target audience should get together and commiserate on how hard it is, then congratulate themselves on the successes and joys they have with their children.

This goes against everything I represent in life. I do try and do the "smile at the world" suggestion, as it tends to short-circuit my urge to call other drivers in traffic or slow people in lines ahead of me words that could get me thrown off a ship filled with Merchant Marines. That said, even when the glass is half-full, it's usually with a brand I don't like the taste of, anyhow.
(of course that attitude means I'm not being an optimist.)

I'm taking notes... I'm pretty good with these except for number 3. I always blank in an interview if I'm asked if I have any questions for them. Usually I go into this uncharacteristic "happy puppy" mode where I'm so glad I've been asked to be there and get to show off answering their questions that everything I had planned out asking totally goes away. Tabula Rasa.

George Carlin

Shit.
Piss.
Cunt.
Fuck.
Cocksucker.
Motherfucker.
Tits.

(and the also rans: fart, turd, and twat)

Now that that's out of the way, I was thrown and surprisingly upset to hear of the death of George Carlin. Everyone likes a good swearing. Everyone likes observational humor. Everyone likes "angry" humor.

I liked his love of language. I have always admired his comedy and devoured his books. I have a couple CDs of his performances and have both rented and sought out the many, many specials he did on HBO. His willingness to parse language and get to what we mean and how it hides inside what we say was bold and daring. He was willing to call it like he saw it, and point out the bullshit. Even when it's the question of how one boards a plane (you get IN the plane, not ON the plane), he always cleared it up.

He was one of those few people who could swear and be angry and make it feel almost cuddly. He felt like a friend on a good rant.

I like George Carlin. I admired George Carlin. Like many, many people cluttering up the internet pipeline today, I don't have anything original to say about the man... to which I'm sure he'd say "If you don't have anything to say, shut up until you do."

I'm gonna miss George Carlin.

She Blinded Me With Science!

Now, THIS is research guys can get behind!

Oh, wait, if you read that it's actually about birds...

Thought for the day

Thought for the day* while listening to my co-workers have a discussion about politics:

Why does everyone call the Veep ticket idea "Obama-Clinton" when discussing them when it's so much more fun to call it "Barack-illy"?


*(Hey, I never said my thoughts were deep)