Cataloging the Detritus of my Life
…end up, fantasizing, about the long, drawn out, descent to, the underworld…
Scattered
is how i find
myself
so often
My mind shakes
and trembles
standing
alone in a
sterilized
hall with a walker
and dirty shift
An image
that comes
to mind
only because
it’s true
and the
intent of this work
Shifts every
three lines
wanting to write
to say how
hard it is
to think
to create
and you
end up
fantasizing
about the long
drawn out
descent to
the underworld
Dead
Long before you
ever arrive
I asked my family for a Flip Mino for the Holidays not quite knowing what I wanted to do with it. The idea of having a video recorder available at any time though was appealing. It’s been two months now though and I’ve yet to use the thing. It isn’t as if I’m intimidated by the thing it is easier to use than a point and shoot camera. There is only a big record button on the back that also stops it. Simple. I’ve just not thought about recording anything. I spent last weekend in Mendocino, a perfect spot for filming little bits of my life, but forgot to throw the thing into my pocket. I’ve also thought of carrying in my car to record random things I see around me. I don’t know how useful this is unless I come across a case of police misconduct or a crime in action. So far though I’ve been lucky enough to not experience these things.
So I’ll just throw out the question: If you had a compact recording device what would you record with it? How would you use it effectively?
…or the destitute
Joshua leaves
all his memories
at the bottom
of empty bottles…
You never forget
the words of
a hobo prophet
a junkie messiah
anointed in the
castoffs of the
world, spiced
by the ramvod
smell of
rotting teeth
No
you never forget
nevermind
that he’s mad
consumed by
a hunger
nothing
her can
now provide
“The world opens
and shopping
carts fall in, then
you
will know
the time of
garbage has
come, the
rise of
the refused!”
powerful words
even when
they mean
nothing
for a pittance
morewsdom
can be ha
for a bottle
of Trader Vic’s
an Apocolyptica’s
worth is yours
reasonable rates
Just remember
the given word
is your’s alone
for the destitute
Joshua leaves
all his memories
at the bottom
of empty bottles
What things in your own life have you found yourself taking the easy route by collecting stuff instead of time and energy? For me it’s been writing and illustration. I’ve collected piles of stuff that should be used to better my craft but have still yet to put the effort into it.
What happened?! My last post was months ago and since then the world has become a different place entirely. New President, new Economy, new Job, new Year. Let’s take those in order: I’m hopeful, but not too much. I’m grateful I have a job and thinking about what positive experiences I can have in a down economy. I’m excited about it and looking forward to working hard. New year’s are much like the ones before them, except I’m older.
I’m back at the Capitol working in the Speaker’s Office as a legislative consultant for the Democratic Caucus. I’m also been appointed to a city commission here in Davis. The Historical Resources Commission reviews the historical assets of the city and reviews petitions to change and alter them before they go to the city council. This is the first time I’ve actively pursued civic duty and it’ll be interesting to see how the city’s commissions work and interact with the city council and community.
As I have the time I’ll be making some changes to the site, updating the various sections in an attempt to give the site a more centralized theme and purpose. Since my interests are so eclectic, you can still expect to see peculiar posts here at times. Don’t get your expectations up, this is going to happen slowly. I’m pretty busy with work and living my life. Anyway on to the actual reason for this post: Dilettantism!
I’ve commented multiple times over on Gamestooge about music rhythm games, Wii Music, Guitar Hero, and Rock Band, and how they don’t help people learn how to play or appreciate music more. If anything introducing these games to children and young adults will distract them from learning the skills necessary to play music and/or turn them off to the difficulty inherent in the task as the games will difficult are easy enough to master and memorize while learning piano, guitar, drums, any instrument really is a difficult endeavor. I’ve been having trouble putting these thoughts into words but I’ve found a great article by Rob Horning about the very same topic that is worth the read. The problem as he sees it and the one that I completely missed is that in our consumerist world is that we’ve largely replaced mastering of a topic or area with collecting stuff regarding it! We’ve replaced personal accomplishment with personal collections. Instead of learning the ins and outs of music, we just collect music. Instead of absorbing and mastering philosophy, or history, or calligraphy, or anything, we buy things that are about them and then point to these collections of stuff as a sign of our mastery/expertise without ever having to invest the time and energy that is necessary to actually master them.
Just a thought. What do you think? Are these just games? Or indicators of a decline in our culture’s ability to commit? What things in your own life have you found yourself taking the easy route by collecting stuff instead of time and energy? For me it’s been writing and illustration. I’ve collected piles of stuff that should be used to better my craft but have still yet to put the effort into it.