it's august 31st. that makes tomorrow the beginning of september, which means in due time, fall will be upon us.
i fucking love fall! it is by far my favorite season of the year. there is so much awesomeness in fall... it's overwhelming... it's enough to make me forget all about this past summer.
summer's nice and i get it... the sun's out, it's warm, you hit the beach... it's the season of vacation for most (i usually vacation in fall but to each their own, i know i'm in the minority on this one).
but give me autumn! who needs all this heat? everything makes you a sweaty mess. anywhere i go in the summer that's not a beach is usually some place filled with insufferable cranks who are all bitchy and whiny because of how hot it is. i want the weather that's comfortable in just a flannel or a hoodie, not too cold but not too hot either... and a cool breeze is at it's most enjoyable in fall.
also, no more air conditioner. if you receive a monthly energy bill like i do, i'm sure you can appreciate the extra few bucks you save not having to turn your ac on.
fall has the 2 most awesome holidays, halloween and thanksgiving:
halloween is always one of the best nights of the year. everywhere you go you're surrounded by people in costume. it's the one day and one night of the year where it's totally acceptable for everyone to dress up. it's like a nonstop parade everywhere you go. and the parties are usually the craziest on halloween. and there's also the candy. from the kids to the grandmas, everyone loves pigging out on candy on halloween.
thanksgiving is so bad ass cuz it's like x-mas without the stress of gift exchange. it's the best meal of the year surrounded by the people you dig the most (for most people, i understand some people are forced to be around people they might not like so much, and to you i say, what a bummer man).
you get the fall foliage which is badass. it's such an awesome transitional season... it's like the opposite of spring... spring makes everything more colorful, but fall kinda makes things a little greyer (which i totally dig). also, no bee stings or allergies.
football's back! college and nfl. by far my favorite sport to watch on tv. every sunday is like a holiday with football!
also, nba and nhl start up in the fall. i know they don't really get into full swing until winter and spring, but it all begins in fall, so for that reason, it makes fall that much awesomer.
the kids go back to school. they get off the streets. i know i sound like a grump on this one... but kids in groups are fucking annoying. a new school year means having to deal with groups of kids in public places a lot less.
fall is a great time to grow a beard. i hate growing a beard in the summer. the heat + facial hair just gets on my nerves.
hot beverages kick ass again in the fall. i tend to enjoy a hot cup of tea, coffee, or hot chocolate a whole lot more when it's a little cooler outside.
fall is winter light. it's just enough cold but doesn't over do it. it's brisk when you first step out in it but bearable after a few minutes. it usually doesn't snow in the fall (based on geography of course, i'm talking from a jersey perspective) so you don't have to worry about that nonsense.
these are just some of the reasons why fall is awesome. see you in september.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
never slow down, never grow old
"i don't know, but i've been told, you never slow down, you never grow old." - tom petty
i've always thought tom petty was pretty fucking punk rock for saying that. and as much as i wish i could say that's how i'm living my life, i'm totally not. but i'm gonna try harder.
when i hear this line, i equate slowing down with 2 things....
slowing down equals boring. if you're doing something boring, then you should just stop doing it. it's a total waste of time to bore yourself at any moment, and time should be the last commodity you ever want to waste.
slowing down also equals over analyzing things. unfortunately, i'm the master of this! this is the part i suck at. i'm always over analyzing shit. i'm not saying you shouldn't give things a quick think through before doing them... but i don't really think there's much in life that needs to be over analyzed. over thinking shit leads to worry and stress.
so the way i see it... boredom, worry, and stress lead to getting old.
i know we all get old. but there's different ways to get old. you can get old and boring... tell yourself that you gotta slow it down a bit, be a little safer, a little more cautious, a little more logical and a little less passionate. and then you become an old person.
but if you just keep moving forward, no matter what life decides to throw at you... never let it deter you... never let it be an excuse to sit on the sidelines... then you're thinking "young." if you're still chasing dreams and good times and using your imagination and cracking jokes and laughing and smiling a lot... then you're letting your inner child shine.
i think everyone's got an inner child. it's just that some people put it in a cage at a certain point and never let it out. and then they frown upon you for letting yours out... they'll call you immature. but that's cuz they're super fucking jealous cuz they chose to go slow and boring and now they're old and worried and stressed out all the time... you decided to say fuck stress, fuck worry, just keep on keeping on with the living.
take it from tom petty, a dude who's still out there recording music and touring the world playing awesome rock music in front of crowds of thousands... you never slow down, you never grow old.
we all gotta go eventually. but if you gotta go out, why not go out with a childish smile on your face knowing that you went and juiced all the joy you could out of life with the amount of time you were given here.
i've always thought tom petty was pretty fucking punk rock for saying that. and as much as i wish i could say that's how i'm living my life, i'm totally not. but i'm gonna try harder.
when i hear this line, i equate slowing down with 2 things....
slowing down equals boring. if you're doing something boring, then you should just stop doing it. it's a total waste of time to bore yourself at any moment, and time should be the last commodity you ever want to waste.
slowing down also equals over analyzing things. unfortunately, i'm the master of this! this is the part i suck at. i'm always over analyzing shit. i'm not saying you shouldn't give things a quick think through before doing them... but i don't really think there's much in life that needs to be over analyzed. over thinking shit leads to worry and stress.
so the way i see it... boredom, worry, and stress lead to getting old.
i know we all get old. but there's different ways to get old. you can get old and boring... tell yourself that you gotta slow it down a bit, be a little safer, a little more cautious, a little more logical and a little less passionate. and then you become an old person.
but if you just keep moving forward, no matter what life decides to throw at you... never let it deter you... never let it be an excuse to sit on the sidelines... then you're thinking "young." if you're still chasing dreams and good times and using your imagination and cracking jokes and laughing and smiling a lot... then you're letting your inner child shine.
i think everyone's got an inner child. it's just that some people put it in a cage at a certain point and never let it out. and then they frown upon you for letting yours out... they'll call you immature. but that's cuz they're super fucking jealous cuz they chose to go slow and boring and now they're old and worried and stressed out all the time... you decided to say fuck stress, fuck worry, just keep on keeping on with the living.
take it from tom petty, a dude who's still out there recording music and touring the world playing awesome rock music in front of crowds of thousands... you never slow down, you never grow old.
we all gotta go eventually. but if you gotta go out, why not go out with a childish smile on your face knowing that you went and juiced all the joy you could out of life with the amount of time you were given here.
Monday, August 29, 2011
dear mtv (a love story with a sad ending)
dear mtv,
i'm on to you. i see what you're trying to do. i know we had a good thing for such a long time. but we both changed over time and you need to understand that the chemistry just isn't there anymore.
you do this about once a year now... you pretend to be something like you used to be when i still loved you. once a year you put on a big show, make a really big deal about it, and you get everyone talking. everyone takes you very serious. celebrities give it their all just for you. somehow, once a year, you pull out this trick where you become as popular and as respected for music as you once were.
but give it up mtv. you seem to have a lot of people fooled, but i see through it. tomorrow you'll go back to being your regular shallow self. you'll lure everyone in and your name will be on everyone's lips. but tomorrow it'll be the same disappointment. you're trying to build me up but i know the disappointment that would lie ahead if i came back to you.
mtv, i was a younger dude when i first fell in love with you. i loved you before i knew what being cool was. in a way, you helped teach me what was cool. i remember we used to spend countless hours together listening to all the tunes of the day. i'd never get tired of you. sometimes you'd repeat the same thing over and over and over and still i would sit by your side and listen.
you told me what was good for me. and we had some times. remember the motley crue phase? what about the vanilla ice/mc hammer phase? that was fun! and then you showed me what a tool i was by exposing me to grunge. and before i knew it, i was a flannel wearing teenage dirt bag.
somewhere around this time you started to change things up a bit, but i didn't mind. you gave me tv shows but who can't appreciate quality stuff like 'beavis and butthead,' and, 'the state?' we'd laugh and then rock out for 120 consecutive minutes.
sometimes you even tried to expose me to new things that i didn't understand... and i'd sit through 'YO MTV raps,' and think, 'y'know what mtv? that's pretty cool stuff right there. thank you!'
and then came 'the real world.' i didn't quite understand. we're gonna watch people live in a house together? i mean, i get it, puck's the fun loving troublemaker i sorta identify with... but i really don't wanna sit around and watch people live. y'know what mtv, i'll be right back.. i'm gonna go use up some of those free aol minutes i just got in the mail.
and then things got weird. i'd tell other people that i didn't understand this new, weird turn you were taking. but a lot of other people really liked it. what was wrong with me? mtv surely knew what was right and good... i mean after all these years, how could mtv steer me wrong? it has to be me?
and then i don't really know what happened. i started smoking pot, hanging out more, and watching tv less. i was downloading music on napster and making my own cd's. i could download music while i aim'd with friends and played games online.
i guess i was cheating on you mtv. i'm sorry about that. but you really threw me through a loop with the weird tv shows i wasn't enjoying. i felt weird around you and i went elsewhere to feel less weird.
but you reacted poorly. i guess your self esteem has always been low. you thought you were in it for the music, but what you were really chasing was mass acceptance and you were willing to sacrifice the cornerstones of who you were to get it.
i seen you the other day and there was no music. there were no countdowns. the good times of our past were gone and never coming back. all i saw was a bunch of weird shows of "real" people living in houses.
and yet once a year you still put on a show. you pretend you are what you once were. and for one night everyone seems to play along. but i won't sit through your charade. i'm not saying it sucks or it's not enjoyable to watch. but i don't wanna get caught up in the moment. i don't wanna sit through your 2-3 hours of music entertainment and think, 'she's coming back! mtv's all about the music again!' i know the awkward moment that comes as soon as your little show is over. the mask comes off and we see you for who you are, a channel that's willing to show the most shallow form of tv entertainment to keep the masses entertained. i'm sure you do good for ratings mtv, i'm sure you're loved by millions.
but i want what i can't have... what i'll never have, what's never coming back...
i want my...
i want my...
i want my mtv.
i'm on to you. i see what you're trying to do. i know we had a good thing for such a long time. but we both changed over time and you need to understand that the chemistry just isn't there anymore.
you do this about once a year now... you pretend to be something like you used to be when i still loved you. once a year you put on a big show, make a really big deal about it, and you get everyone talking. everyone takes you very serious. celebrities give it their all just for you. somehow, once a year, you pull out this trick where you become as popular and as respected for music as you once were.
but give it up mtv. you seem to have a lot of people fooled, but i see through it. tomorrow you'll go back to being your regular shallow self. you'll lure everyone in and your name will be on everyone's lips. but tomorrow it'll be the same disappointment. you're trying to build me up but i know the disappointment that would lie ahead if i came back to you.
mtv, i was a younger dude when i first fell in love with you. i loved you before i knew what being cool was. in a way, you helped teach me what was cool. i remember we used to spend countless hours together listening to all the tunes of the day. i'd never get tired of you. sometimes you'd repeat the same thing over and over and over and still i would sit by your side and listen.
you told me what was good for me. and we had some times. remember the motley crue phase? what about the vanilla ice/mc hammer phase? that was fun! and then you showed me what a tool i was by exposing me to grunge. and before i knew it, i was a flannel wearing teenage dirt bag.
somewhere around this time you started to change things up a bit, but i didn't mind. you gave me tv shows but who can't appreciate quality stuff like 'beavis and butthead,' and, 'the state?' we'd laugh and then rock out for 120 consecutive minutes.
sometimes you even tried to expose me to new things that i didn't understand... and i'd sit through 'YO MTV raps,' and think, 'y'know what mtv? that's pretty cool stuff right there. thank you!'
and then came 'the real world.' i didn't quite understand. we're gonna watch people live in a house together? i mean, i get it, puck's the fun loving troublemaker i sorta identify with... but i really don't wanna sit around and watch people live. y'know what mtv, i'll be right back.. i'm gonna go use up some of those free aol minutes i just got in the mail.
and then things got weird. i'd tell other people that i didn't understand this new, weird turn you were taking. but a lot of other people really liked it. what was wrong with me? mtv surely knew what was right and good... i mean after all these years, how could mtv steer me wrong? it has to be me?
and then i don't really know what happened. i started smoking pot, hanging out more, and watching tv less. i was downloading music on napster and making my own cd's. i could download music while i aim'd with friends and played games online.
i guess i was cheating on you mtv. i'm sorry about that. but you really threw me through a loop with the weird tv shows i wasn't enjoying. i felt weird around you and i went elsewhere to feel less weird.
but you reacted poorly. i guess your self esteem has always been low. you thought you were in it for the music, but what you were really chasing was mass acceptance and you were willing to sacrifice the cornerstones of who you were to get it.
i seen you the other day and there was no music. there were no countdowns. the good times of our past were gone and never coming back. all i saw was a bunch of weird shows of "real" people living in houses.
and yet once a year you still put on a show. you pretend you are what you once were. and for one night everyone seems to play along. but i won't sit through your charade. i'm not saying it sucks or it's not enjoyable to watch. but i don't wanna get caught up in the moment. i don't wanna sit through your 2-3 hours of music entertainment and think, 'she's coming back! mtv's all about the music again!' i know the awkward moment that comes as soon as your little show is over. the mask comes off and we see you for who you are, a channel that's willing to show the most shallow form of tv entertainment to keep the masses entertained. i'm sure you do good for ratings mtv, i'm sure you're loved by millions.
but i want what i can't have... what i'll never have, what's never coming back...
i want my...
i want my...
i want my mtv.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
hurricanes kill politics
the only joy i'm getting out of all this hurricane business is that it seems untouchable from being politicized. getting people ready for a hurricane is nothing you can squeeze into either a democrat or republican box. it's a human thing, it's beyond politics.
too bad it's only in instances like this that our politicians can get it together and properly prioritize what is really important. there's no time for lengthy debates and filibusters. time to get to business and get results. time for dems and repubs to work together. time for both sides to feel the anguish of sleepless nights fueled by several cups of coffee to keep them going to make sure they can get the best results possible.
and if there's failure, the blame will be shared. it's great to know that when it comes to the possible loss of life that finally there's a form of failure that is too much of a burden for any politician anywhere to bare.
it takes a hurricane to get them all on the same level. and i'm glad that at least in a time of extreme crisis, our politicians are able to act cohesively and effectively. it'd just be nice if they could be this efficient at all times.
too bad it's only in instances like this that our politicians can get it together and properly prioritize what is really important. there's no time for lengthy debates and filibusters. time to get to business and get results. time for dems and repubs to work together. time for both sides to feel the anguish of sleepless nights fueled by several cups of coffee to keep them going to make sure they can get the best results possible.
and if there's failure, the blame will be shared. it's great to know that when it comes to the possible loss of life that finally there's a form of failure that is too much of a burden for any politician anywhere to bare.
it takes a hurricane to get them all on the same level. and i'm glad that at least in a time of extreme crisis, our politicians are able to act cohesively and effectively. it'd just be nice if they could be this efficient at all times.
Friday, August 26, 2011
hurricane irene and why you need to get busy living
hurricane irene is coming and there's nothing we can do about it. we can only prepare ourselves and hope for the best outcome. but hurricanes, much like all other forms of natural disaster, cannot be reasoned with. they don't speak our language. and we damn sure don't speak their language.
to hurricanes, we don't even exist. we're insignificant and hurricanes are cruel and apathetic. hurricanes don't care about our adorable babies and our sweet ol' grandma and grandpa who can't move around so quickly these days. any amazing thing you can think of in your whole existence is the same as dirt in the eye of hurricane irene.
this universe can and will take you out in less than a blink of its eye. your story will be forgotten even if it takes centuries to make it disappear. your footprints will vanish. your tombstone will crumble.
so don't take yourself too seriously. it's a big disservice to yourself and it's a waste of a lot of useful energy that you could probably be using to focus on something more productive. you can feel as important as you like, but the universe around you will never revolve around you and hurricane irene is proof. so lighten up.
your legacy doesn't belong to the future long after you die. your legacy is in the here and now. grab life in the moment and milk whatever you can out of that motherfucker. your life will never be as real as it is right now in this present moment. past and future don't exist.
this, right now, is your life. get busy living cuz hurricanes and the like will continue to take us out regardless of what we do.
to hurricanes, we don't even exist. we're insignificant and hurricanes are cruel and apathetic. hurricanes don't care about our adorable babies and our sweet ol' grandma and grandpa who can't move around so quickly these days. any amazing thing you can think of in your whole existence is the same as dirt in the eye of hurricane irene.
this universe can and will take you out in less than a blink of its eye. your story will be forgotten even if it takes centuries to make it disappear. your footprints will vanish. your tombstone will crumble.
so don't take yourself too seriously. it's a big disservice to yourself and it's a waste of a lot of useful energy that you could probably be using to focus on something more productive. you can feel as important as you like, but the universe around you will never revolve around you and hurricane irene is proof. so lighten up.
your legacy doesn't belong to the future long after you die. your legacy is in the here and now. grab life in the moment and milk whatever you can out of that motherfucker. your life will never be as real as it is right now in this present moment. past and future don't exist.
this, right now, is your life. get busy living cuz hurricanes and the like will continue to take us out regardless of what we do.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
the hurricane tough guy solution
hurricane irene is coming to the east coast. jersey's already declared a state of emergency for a storm that's 3 days away. taking that into consideration, it got me thinking... and that thinking has lead to the following...
y'know tough guys, right? the dudes who always wanna prove how tough they are. the dudes who are always looking for a fight. a lot of them think they can pretty much take on all comers. most of these dudes were probably bullies in school. we all know or knew tough guys at some point.
let's give the tough guys the toughest challenge of their life! if they think they're so damn tough, why don't they all get together, form one big tough guy gang, and challenge hurricane irene to a fight.
no one fucks with the tough guys without paying the price! well, i'd say this hurricane is fucking with all of you right about now. it's talking shit all the way from the bahamas. hurricane irene thinks you're all a bunch of bitches and there's not a goddamn thing you can do about it cuz when hurricane irene gets here, she's gonna kick your fucking asses like they've never been kicked before.
so c'mon tough guys! don't take that kinda guff from no one... especially a GIRL!!
do your thing! meet irene out on the streets and show her what you're made of.
and when it's all said and done and hurricane irene whoops all your asses and leaves you bloodied and embarrassed, finally someone will have done something about this problem.
finally a solution... not a solution that gets rid of hurricanes, but a solution that gets rid of tough guys, which if you ask me, is infinitely better.
y'know tough guys, right? the dudes who always wanna prove how tough they are. the dudes who are always looking for a fight. a lot of them think they can pretty much take on all comers. most of these dudes were probably bullies in school. we all know or knew tough guys at some point.
let's give the tough guys the toughest challenge of their life! if they think they're so damn tough, why don't they all get together, form one big tough guy gang, and challenge hurricane irene to a fight.
no one fucks with the tough guys without paying the price! well, i'd say this hurricane is fucking with all of you right about now. it's talking shit all the way from the bahamas. hurricane irene thinks you're all a bunch of bitches and there's not a goddamn thing you can do about it cuz when hurricane irene gets here, she's gonna kick your fucking asses like they've never been kicked before.
so c'mon tough guys! don't take that kinda guff from no one... especially a GIRL!!
do your thing! meet irene out on the streets and show her what you're made of.
and when it's all said and done and hurricane irene whoops all your asses and leaves you bloodied and embarrassed, finally someone will have done something about this problem.
finally a solution... not a solution that gets rid of hurricanes, but a solution that gets rid of tough guys, which if you ask me, is infinitely better.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
31 days of sobriety
31 days ago i decided that i wanted to take a break from drinking. i wasn't sure for how long, but i was gonna try and go at least 30 days.
i had my doubts those first few days. but as the days turned into a week and that turned into weeks, it got easier and i found myself enjoying sobriety more.
i haven't known for a while what it's like to be sober for so long. i've always had drinking to break up the monotony of sobriety. i think that's why it was hardest in the beginning. it used to be if i was stressed at work or elsewhere i'd tell myself, "no worries, we'll drink this all away a little later." i didn't have that anymore. a shitty day at work turned into a shitty night of me sitting around my house bored and sober and thinking about my shitty day.
but that's part of the lesson here. i've always ran from dealing with shit. when things got shitty, josh got drunk. it got me away for a little while. sure i always had to go back to it, but i didn't need to worry about that till the buzz wore off.
when i first started the sobriety thing, i posted on facebook that i was gonna go a while without drinking cuz i wanted to prove life is awesome without it. this took some time to find. life wasn't awesome at all that first week. a part of me thought i had cast awesome away as long as i decided to stay sober.
but then i found myself having to deal with my issues and my bullshit. i had to have a lot of internal dialogue with myself and figure things out. i never much worried about being awesome sober cuz the awesome times came later at night. but now i was stuck with my sober self and i had to find the awesome in that.
that's the realization that had the effect of a light switch on me. i was suddenly on and bright and looking for what's awesome about me and what's awesome about life. i wasn't gonna just accept that there was no awesome without drinking. fuck that! it's there! i'll find it!
and i think i have. i feel more awesome today sober than i did 31 days ago. there's a part of myself that i was running away from through drinking. the running stopped. i dealt with that part of me i ran from and kicked him around a bit. he needed to get roughed up cuz that was the part of me that held me back, that was afraid to be myself and to constantly be on an adventure to keep creating who i was.
i was stagnant with the booze. but life's a fluid motion that demands your fluidity if you wanna truly feel how awesome this ride can be.
(okay, i'm abusing the word awesome and it may seem cheesy at this point...)
i used to feel shitty a lot more than i do now. a whole lot more actually. that's the bottom line. i could write and write and write for hours to try and explain it away, but it's as simple as i tried to stop drinking, did for at least 31 days, and feel better for it.
and don't get it twisted. sobriety's not all sunshine and rainbows. alcohol helped numb a part of my brain... a part that sometimes i think may have been better numb. cuz my tolerance for assholes and douche bags has severely decreased. and now that i'm sober, i've noticed there's a helluva lot more assholes and douche bags out there. i've come to realize life is a fucking bitch sometimes... shit ain't easy.
but now that i know all of this, it's like i gotta learn to deal with it. i gotta toughen up. no more hiding in my fortress of booze. this world's gonna scar me one way or the other, gotta learn to deal with shit as it happens, learn my lessons, and keep moving forward.
i do miss hanging out. that's probably the hardest part of all of this. my social life has declined a little bit. i don't go out as much. i pass up invitations to go out to bars with friends. but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. i've noticed i'm not spending money as recklessly. and when i do go out now, it's outside a bar. and anything outside a bar seems new and adventurous to me at this point cuz the bar was the crutch of my social life.
and i've done some cool shit sober! been to shows, movies, bowling, hosted open mics. i went to the beach and i finally rode the cyclone at coney island.
and i jog a lot more now. i started jogging during lunch at the gym in my office. i'm now running 5-7 times a week (i run in the park on the weekends if i'm up to it). i didn't really need to quit drinking to start doing this, but i'm sure it helps.
i don't know when i'm gonna drink again. if you ask me right now at this very moment, i feel like i could go a really long time without a drink. i've already confessed here how i feel better for not drinking... by that logic, why would i wanna drink?
and i'm not trying to come across as preachy. this is my blog so this is all about me. i'm not gonna tell anyone else to quit drinking or even that drinking is a bad thing. i was in a place personally where i felt like i could use a change and that change was drinking. but that's cuz i let it tear away at other parts of my life. people handle shit differently. so to each their own. we all got our own unique drumbeat we gotta follow.
i had my doubts those first few days. but as the days turned into a week and that turned into weeks, it got easier and i found myself enjoying sobriety more.
i haven't known for a while what it's like to be sober for so long. i've always had drinking to break up the monotony of sobriety. i think that's why it was hardest in the beginning. it used to be if i was stressed at work or elsewhere i'd tell myself, "no worries, we'll drink this all away a little later." i didn't have that anymore. a shitty day at work turned into a shitty night of me sitting around my house bored and sober and thinking about my shitty day.
but that's part of the lesson here. i've always ran from dealing with shit. when things got shitty, josh got drunk. it got me away for a little while. sure i always had to go back to it, but i didn't need to worry about that till the buzz wore off.
when i first started the sobriety thing, i posted on facebook that i was gonna go a while without drinking cuz i wanted to prove life is awesome without it. this took some time to find. life wasn't awesome at all that first week. a part of me thought i had cast awesome away as long as i decided to stay sober.
but then i found myself having to deal with my issues and my bullshit. i had to have a lot of internal dialogue with myself and figure things out. i never much worried about being awesome sober cuz the awesome times came later at night. but now i was stuck with my sober self and i had to find the awesome in that.
that's the realization that had the effect of a light switch on me. i was suddenly on and bright and looking for what's awesome about me and what's awesome about life. i wasn't gonna just accept that there was no awesome without drinking. fuck that! it's there! i'll find it!
and i think i have. i feel more awesome today sober than i did 31 days ago. there's a part of myself that i was running away from through drinking. the running stopped. i dealt with that part of me i ran from and kicked him around a bit. he needed to get roughed up cuz that was the part of me that held me back, that was afraid to be myself and to constantly be on an adventure to keep creating who i was.
i was stagnant with the booze. but life's a fluid motion that demands your fluidity if you wanna truly feel how awesome this ride can be.
(okay, i'm abusing the word awesome and it may seem cheesy at this point...)
i used to feel shitty a lot more than i do now. a whole lot more actually. that's the bottom line. i could write and write and write for hours to try and explain it away, but it's as simple as i tried to stop drinking, did for at least 31 days, and feel better for it.
and don't get it twisted. sobriety's not all sunshine and rainbows. alcohol helped numb a part of my brain... a part that sometimes i think may have been better numb. cuz my tolerance for assholes and douche bags has severely decreased. and now that i'm sober, i've noticed there's a helluva lot more assholes and douche bags out there. i've come to realize life is a fucking bitch sometimes... shit ain't easy.
but now that i know all of this, it's like i gotta learn to deal with it. i gotta toughen up. no more hiding in my fortress of booze. this world's gonna scar me one way or the other, gotta learn to deal with shit as it happens, learn my lessons, and keep moving forward.
i do miss hanging out. that's probably the hardest part of all of this. my social life has declined a little bit. i don't go out as much. i pass up invitations to go out to bars with friends. but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. i've noticed i'm not spending money as recklessly. and when i do go out now, it's outside a bar. and anything outside a bar seems new and adventurous to me at this point cuz the bar was the crutch of my social life.
and i've done some cool shit sober! been to shows, movies, bowling, hosted open mics. i went to the beach and i finally rode the cyclone at coney island.
and i jog a lot more now. i started jogging during lunch at the gym in my office. i'm now running 5-7 times a week (i run in the park on the weekends if i'm up to it). i didn't really need to quit drinking to start doing this, but i'm sure it helps.
i don't know when i'm gonna drink again. if you ask me right now at this very moment, i feel like i could go a really long time without a drink. i've already confessed here how i feel better for not drinking... by that logic, why would i wanna drink?
and i'm not trying to come across as preachy. this is my blog so this is all about me. i'm not gonna tell anyone else to quit drinking or even that drinking is a bad thing. i was in a place personally where i felt like i could use a change and that change was drinking. but that's cuz i let it tear away at other parts of my life. people handle shit differently. so to each their own. we all got our own unique drumbeat we gotta follow.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
earthquake survivor
there was an earthquake today while i was at work.
it was a really weak earthquake that did no damage. but still, the whole thing is pretty fucking surreal in hindsight.
it was the last thing i was expecting. the office i was in shook a little bit and everyone in the office was a little bewildered. the first reaction for the most part seemed to be, 'what the fuck was that?' no one felt it and then said, 'that's an earthquake.'
it only lasted for a few seconds. the shaking ended before thoughts were fully processed. but once it was over, that's when the evacuation went into gear. we all left the building saying amongst ourselves, 'damn, guess that was an earthquake.' it was the only explanation that made sense for what we just experienced.
it caused no harm though and that's awesome.
after the building stopped shaking, i remember looking around the office and for the most part people were frozen and bewildered. what do we do in this situation? leave? run? wait for someone to tell us something factual?
we work on the 3rd floor and i'm glad that nothing awful happened. i can't help but think that if it could've been worse. the floor could've fell out from under us, we all could've fell as the building fell around us...a 5 story building... if it all fell at once, i don't see much survival happening.
so i'm just glad to be alive. glad everyone i know is alive. glad the earthquake didn't fuck anybody up.
i was watching cnn shortly after it happened and the anchors are interviewing people and you could almost smell the disappointment of the tv media machine that no blood was shed. i caught an interview with a dude who worked in a nuclear power plant near the epicenter of the quake and he was pretty relaxed saying, 'everything's okay, we got it all under control.' and the reporter kept prodding as if she was hoping something was gonna go wrong.
some got the blood lust. not me. any situation that ends with, 'hey, everything's gonna be okay,' is a good situation. hallelujah and all that jazz.
it was a really weak earthquake that did no damage. but still, the whole thing is pretty fucking surreal in hindsight.
it was the last thing i was expecting. the office i was in shook a little bit and everyone in the office was a little bewildered. the first reaction for the most part seemed to be, 'what the fuck was that?' no one felt it and then said, 'that's an earthquake.'
it only lasted for a few seconds. the shaking ended before thoughts were fully processed. but once it was over, that's when the evacuation went into gear. we all left the building saying amongst ourselves, 'damn, guess that was an earthquake.' it was the only explanation that made sense for what we just experienced.
it caused no harm though and that's awesome.
after the building stopped shaking, i remember looking around the office and for the most part people were frozen and bewildered. what do we do in this situation? leave? run? wait for someone to tell us something factual?
we work on the 3rd floor and i'm glad that nothing awful happened. i can't help but think that if it could've been worse. the floor could've fell out from under us, we all could've fell as the building fell around us...a 5 story building... if it all fell at once, i don't see much survival happening.
so i'm just glad to be alive. glad everyone i know is alive. glad the earthquake didn't fuck anybody up.
i was watching cnn shortly after it happened and the anchors are interviewing people and you could almost smell the disappointment of the tv media machine that no blood was shed. i caught an interview with a dude who worked in a nuclear power plant near the epicenter of the quake and he was pretty relaxed saying, 'everything's okay, we got it all under control.' and the reporter kept prodding as if she was hoping something was gonna go wrong.
some got the blood lust. not me. any situation that ends with, 'hey, everything's gonna be okay,' is a good situation. hallelujah and all that jazz.
Monday, August 22, 2011
the falling sky always inspires giving a fuck
there was an incident at work today where a tile fell from the ceiling in a co worker's office. it was very random. i was filling up on water at the water cooler and in the office left to me, it just happened without warning. there were 3 people in the office at the time but luckily none of them got hurt. not only did a square tile fall, but a steel object of some sort fell as well.
across the hall is an executive's office. and today was a really crazy day at the office and there just happened to be a whole lot of management in his office at the time. they all stopped what they were doing and ran over to make sure everyone was okay.
it was this odd little moment that struck me. here was an office full of management probably up to their ears in inner office issues trying to resolve the crisis of the day. but just like that, they all dropped the management motif and became a little more human than usual. it was instantly more important to make sure everyone was okay, that nobody got hurt.
and i'm not faulting our management for having a meeting or being too manager-ish. it comes with the position. but it's odd how compassion comes out of people when bad shit's happening. it's not like the management team walks around all day making sure every one's okay and feeling good.
and that just kinda sparked a chain reaction of thought in my brain where i thought how it's odd that most people start giving a fuck usually when it's almost too late to give a fuck. when a tragedy happens, then we care. then we're charitable and volunteering.
but giving a fuck is usually unfashionable till that moment. most people rush through life not giving a fuck about anything... well except for maybe themselves and their own personal gains. but otherwise it's a whole lotta 'fuck the world around you.' dog eat dog. every man/woman for him/herself.
and not giving a fuck about anything is great until shit happens in your yard. when it's your family, your close friends, your own self that you find suffering, who will come out and show some compassion? we all hit lows where sometimes something as simple and stupid as a hug could change the mood of the moment.
i can't get mad at people who choose not to give a fuck 100% of the time. but i don't think those people are out there. if there are, they're few and far between. i think everyone's got that ability to give a fuck. so why not let it shine? why not loudly and proudly give a fuck about stuff?
why isn't giving a fuck cooler than it is? if giving a fuck matters when the sky is falling, i think giving a fuck should always matter.
i guess what i'm really trying to say, to sum it up in 4 words:
go give a fuck.
across the hall is an executive's office. and today was a really crazy day at the office and there just happened to be a whole lot of management in his office at the time. they all stopped what they were doing and ran over to make sure everyone was okay.
it was this odd little moment that struck me. here was an office full of management probably up to their ears in inner office issues trying to resolve the crisis of the day. but just like that, they all dropped the management motif and became a little more human than usual. it was instantly more important to make sure everyone was okay, that nobody got hurt.
and i'm not faulting our management for having a meeting or being too manager-ish. it comes with the position. but it's odd how compassion comes out of people when bad shit's happening. it's not like the management team walks around all day making sure every one's okay and feeling good.
and that just kinda sparked a chain reaction of thought in my brain where i thought how it's odd that most people start giving a fuck usually when it's almost too late to give a fuck. when a tragedy happens, then we care. then we're charitable and volunteering.
but giving a fuck is usually unfashionable till that moment. most people rush through life not giving a fuck about anything... well except for maybe themselves and their own personal gains. but otherwise it's a whole lotta 'fuck the world around you.' dog eat dog. every man/woman for him/herself.
and not giving a fuck about anything is great until shit happens in your yard. when it's your family, your close friends, your own self that you find suffering, who will come out and show some compassion? we all hit lows where sometimes something as simple and stupid as a hug could change the mood of the moment.
i can't get mad at people who choose not to give a fuck 100% of the time. but i don't think those people are out there. if there are, they're few and far between. i think everyone's got that ability to give a fuck. so why not let it shine? why not loudly and proudly give a fuck about stuff?
why isn't giving a fuck cooler than it is? if giving a fuck matters when the sky is falling, i think giving a fuck should always matter.
i guess what i'm really trying to say, to sum it up in 4 words:
go give a fuck.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
running sucks
i was jogging at the park by my apartment today and there was another dude jogging in the opposite direction and he had a black shirt on that read in bright neon green letters, "RUNNING SUCKS."
and it does. there's no lie about it. i'd love to try and romanticize my jogging. but the fact is, there is a lot about it that sucks. it hurts. it wears me out. i'm a sweaty mess at the end of it. there's nothing fun about it. sure, there's the rewarding feeling when it's all over, but that's when it ends... the whole during part is just a lot of me thinking, 'i'm gonna be so glad when this is over.' and i am... but i don't know if i'm more glad that i just did something that's good for my health or just glad it's finally fucking over.
so if i can read these words, "RUNNING SUCKS," and totally agree with it, why do something that sucks?
cuz the alternative sucks worse. while i'm jogging, i know deep down that it's for the greater good. that it's good for me and my health. i work in an office at a desk. i do nothing active throughout my work day. if it wasn't for jogging, the only exercise i'd get is catching the bus back and forth. i like to snack and my diet's not the healthiest. if it wasn't for the jogging, i'd probably be an out of shape mess... the type that feels defeated after climbing a staircase. i don't wanna be that dude.
i was that dude. i was lazy. shit, i still am lazy, i'm a lazy dude who jogs. but before the jogging, all i did was a lot of nothing. i'd come home from work and most nights i did one of two things, watch tv or hit a bar. at some point i got fed up with it. it was comfortable and easy and fun, but a part of me felt like crap.
and now i don't feel crappy like that anymore. i used to feel like a fat lump. now i don't feel like that and that feels great. the only trade off to not feel like that is to dedicate a decent amount of my free time to something that outright sucks.
it's gotta suck cuz it's good for you. jogging's the asparagus of activities. it'd be too easy if this shit was enjoyable. everyone would do it and i wouldn't have to write this blog.
and it does. there's no lie about it. i'd love to try and romanticize my jogging. but the fact is, there is a lot about it that sucks. it hurts. it wears me out. i'm a sweaty mess at the end of it. there's nothing fun about it. sure, there's the rewarding feeling when it's all over, but that's when it ends... the whole during part is just a lot of me thinking, 'i'm gonna be so glad when this is over.' and i am... but i don't know if i'm more glad that i just did something that's good for my health or just glad it's finally fucking over.
so if i can read these words, "RUNNING SUCKS," and totally agree with it, why do something that sucks?
cuz the alternative sucks worse. while i'm jogging, i know deep down that it's for the greater good. that it's good for me and my health. i work in an office at a desk. i do nothing active throughout my work day. if it wasn't for jogging, the only exercise i'd get is catching the bus back and forth. i like to snack and my diet's not the healthiest. if it wasn't for the jogging, i'd probably be an out of shape mess... the type that feels defeated after climbing a staircase. i don't wanna be that dude.
i was that dude. i was lazy. shit, i still am lazy, i'm a lazy dude who jogs. but before the jogging, all i did was a lot of nothing. i'd come home from work and most nights i did one of two things, watch tv or hit a bar. at some point i got fed up with it. it was comfortable and easy and fun, but a part of me felt like crap.
and now i don't feel crappy like that anymore. i used to feel like a fat lump. now i don't feel like that and that feels great. the only trade off to not feel like that is to dedicate a decent amount of my free time to something that outright sucks.
it's gotta suck cuz it's good for you. jogging's the asparagus of activities. it'd be too easy if this shit was enjoyable. everyone would do it and i wouldn't have to write this blog.
Friday, August 19, 2011
faking it forward for 9/11
i'm starting to see facebook invites for an event to pay it forward on 9/11 this year since it's the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
while i'm cool with this concept and it's nice to hear that possibly thousands of people will go out of their way to do nice things for each other, i just don't understand why we need a specific day to inspire us to do so.
if you're cool with the idea of paying it forward (y'know, someone does something nice for you so you in turn do something nice for someone else) then you should be on the pay it forward tip every day of your life. it's not a way of remembering a tragic event, it's a way to live your life.
i don't think we need special days to inspire us to be better people. we should just want to be better people everyday. if that's not the case and you don't wanna be a better person, than why try and fake it for one day? pay it forward on 9/11, return to douchebaggery on 9/12.
it's like being nice to people you can't stand on their birthdays... that person is the same asshole they were the day before. why fake it?
or christmas... some people go around and say, 'tis the season....' and that should be enough to inspire you to be real nice to everybody. but that's something that should be trendy for ALL seasons.
if you pay it forward with me on 9/11, just know that i'll be a little weary of your tactics. it's like when most people go on a first date and they act as nice and charming as possible. but that's not really you!! that's you pretending to be better than you are so you can trick whoever it is you're dating into accepting you. and if they do, they're only gonna learn about the real you soon enough and be disappointed that they fell for it.
don't be a fake on date 1. don't be a fake on 9/11. take that person you're pretending to be in those instances and make some steps to become that person everyday instead.
that'd be some real paying it forward type shit right there.
while i'm cool with this concept and it's nice to hear that possibly thousands of people will go out of their way to do nice things for each other, i just don't understand why we need a specific day to inspire us to do so.
if you're cool with the idea of paying it forward (y'know, someone does something nice for you so you in turn do something nice for someone else) then you should be on the pay it forward tip every day of your life. it's not a way of remembering a tragic event, it's a way to live your life.
i don't think we need special days to inspire us to be better people. we should just want to be better people everyday. if that's not the case and you don't wanna be a better person, than why try and fake it for one day? pay it forward on 9/11, return to douchebaggery on 9/12.
it's like being nice to people you can't stand on their birthdays... that person is the same asshole they were the day before. why fake it?
or christmas... some people go around and say, 'tis the season....' and that should be enough to inspire you to be real nice to everybody. but that's something that should be trendy for ALL seasons.
if you pay it forward with me on 9/11, just know that i'll be a little weary of your tactics. it's like when most people go on a first date and they act as nice and charming as possible. but that's not really you!! that's you pretending to be better than you are so you can trick whoever it is you're dating into accepting you. and if they do, they're only gonna learn about the real you soon enough and be disappointed that they fell for it.
don't be a fake on date 1. don't be a fake on 9/11. take that person you're pretending to be in those instances and make some steps to become that person everyday instead.
that'd be some real paying it forward type shit right there.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
pay ALL the college athletes
so there's this big scandal going on about some dude who gave a lot of football athletes at miami university (or as the d-bags call it, 'THE U') money, cars, and other crazy stuff (i even heard 'paid for an abortion' on one news channel). he apparently has been doing this for years, decades even... i heard one report that said there's a list with 70 something names on it...
i'm not gonna sit here and disapprove of college athletes taking free stuff. the NCAA has something to say about it, and that's their rules, not mine. i can't really blame athletes who are awesome at what they do for taking free stuff. that's just the american way right there.
i think paying college athletes would be a good start to try and put a fix to this problem. most of these athletes don't have any spending money. they spend too much time at practice and are unable to get jobs. i think they should get some sort of allowance.
and i'm talking all college athletes here. not just the football players cuz that's who america loves the most. i'm talking about the field hockey players and the track and fielders. give them all a little something to live on. it doesn't have to be multimillion dollar contracts, but something that puts a little change in their pocket.
it's not like colleges are starving for cash. i'm sure they'd like us all to believe they are but when you charge students $100's at the bookstore alone, it's hard to take you serious when you cry poor. i'm sure they could fit that in to their budgets. if not, i'm sure your alumni would be more than happy to do their part and donate some extra cash (i'm looking at you professional athletes who go on espn and cnn and agree with what i'm saying here).
every college student should have the ability to go to the movies every so often or buy a six pack and a pizza. help these kids out! i know this won't eliminate the problem completely. there will still be people out there who want to give the most talented of athletes money and other stuff that is packed full of ulterior motives. but at least give your students a fighting chance to turn it down.
i'm not gonna sit here and disapprove of college athletes taking free stuff. the NCAA has something to say about it, and that's their rules, not mine. i can't really blame athletes who are awesome at what they do for taking free stuff. that's just the american way right there.
i think paying college athletes would be a good start to try and put a fix to this problem. most of these athletes don't have any spending money. they spend too much time at practice and are unable to get jobs. i think they should get some sort of allowance.
and i'm talking all college athletes here. not just the football players cuz that's who america loves the most. i'm talking about the field hockey players and the track and fielders. give them all a little something to live on. it doesn't have to be multimillion dollar contracts, but something that puts a little change in their pocket.
it's not like colleges are starving for cash. i'm sure they'd like us all to believe they are but when you charge students $100's at the bookstore alone, it's hard to take you serious when you cry poor. i'm sure they could fit that in to their budgets. if not, i'm sure your alumni would be more than happy to do their part and donate some extra cash (i'm looking at you professional athletes who go on espn and cnn and agree with what i'm saying here).
every college student should have the ability to go to the movies every so often or buy a six pack and a pizza. help these kids out! i know this won't eliminate the problem completely. there will still be people out there who want to give the most talented of athletes money and other stuff that is packed full of ulterior motives. but at least give your students a fighting chance to turn it down.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
things that suck about drinking at bars
i'm going to preface this with a full force acknowledgement that i know what a hypocrite i come across as for writing this. i'm writing this on my 24th day of an at least 30 day long break from consuming alcohol. i have hung out at bars more than i've probably done anything else in life. when my break from drinking is over i will probably go back to hanging out at bars cuz i don't know where else to go when i'm bored and in need of socializing. i assure you everything i'm about to write is nothing new in my brain. it's not the sudden creation of 24 days of sobriety. it just took 24 days of sobriety to gather my thoughts on the topic and put it all together. it's all stuff i've thought for years, most of it is probably the result of hanging out at bars as much as i have.
this is in no way an attack on drinking alcoholic beverages. drink if you like to drink. just don't pee on my porch and it's all good.
preface done.
these are some of the things that suck about drinking at bars:
1a- bars are expensive, even the cheap ones. compare the prices at any bar to the prices at the liquor store. compare those prices per drink. think about how many drinks you'll have in a night and multiply. that's how much money you'll save. you'll also save on other expenses like tipping, jukeboxes, and pool tables. not to mention the cab you're probably going to need cuz you really shouldn't drive in that condition.
and if you do find a bar that's cheap enough to compete with the liquor store, it's probably a joint that's jammed with people wall to wall. the kind of place that turns going to the bathroom into a 20 minute adventure through body heat and back fat. these places are called dives and the reason people love them so much is cuz deep down inside their disgusted with how much the other bars gouge them for their money.
if you found a cheap place that isn't crowded, good for you. it's probably the kind of place where old people who hate their spouses go to die. enjoy!
1b- bars are making a serious killing. consider the bar staff. bar staffs usually make crappy base salaries. owners pay them a little something, and the rest is based on your tips. they bust their ass for the bar and the bar owner doesn't even have to pay the majority of their wages (i know this fluctuates from place to place and there are exceptions here and there).
i know a lot of bartenders make a killing off of tips. but it's the principle of the matter. bars don't happen without bartenders, bar backs, etc... i can't remember the last time a bar tender told me about their benefits package.
and don't get me wrong, this ISN'T an anti-tipping rant. you gotta tip. you better tip! don't go to a bar unless you're planning on tipping. not tipping makes you a douchebag! that's at bars, restaurants, everywhere. fucking tip!
2- music. in most places you have to pay to listen to music you want to hear. and while you're paying for it, you're also begrudgingly listening to what everyone else in the bar paid for. oh great, another black eyed peas song! i'd complain but that's better than the back-to-back meatloaf tracks i just wasted the last 18 minutes of my life listening to.
and then there's some bars where the jukebox is not even an option. there might be a dj there or maybe the hip douche bartender brought their ipod to work for everyone to listen to. this can be hit or miss. on the one hand, you don't have to pay for it. on the other hand, it's totally out of your control.
3-idiots. bars attract idiots. all sorts. some are looking for trouble. some have extremely bad breath and are just looking to corner you into a convo about something you don't care about.
idiots come in all shapes and sizes and there is no such thing as an idiot free bar.
4- awkward situations.
like the girl who wants to take you home but you have no interest in (for women, the guy who wants to take you home. i know for a fact this happens to women more than men). but she's nice so you feel bad and you humor her conversation. but for most of the night, you're in the back of your own mind trying to plan an escape.
or maybe you spill a drink on someone. i have.. a few times. i didn't mean to. i'm clumsy. i tripped. you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. i feel hella bad about it and i'm gonna buy you a drink, but for the rest of the night we have to go back and forth and look at each other.
or when the music's too loud and you can't hear what someone is saying to you. so you give them a quick, 'yea,' or you nod your head approvingly but have no idea what just came out of their mouth. you just wanna look like you're listening. how many times can you tell someone, "I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" until you finally give in and pretend you heard them? (i'd say the average is on try 4 or 5) and this works both ways cuz i've been in conversations where i know the other person is giving me a fake, 'yea,' but i just let it happen cuz there's nothing you can do, the music is just too fucking loud.
here's some other quick things that suck about bars (but don't necessarily apply to all bars):
1- dress codes
2- asshole bouncers
3- skunked beer
4- lack of cleanliness
5- lack of buybacks (the accepted unwritten rule that some drinks should be free)
if i've forgotten anything, feel free to make your own list at home.
this is in no way an attack on drinking alcoholic beverages. drink if you like to drink. just don't pee on my porch and it's all good.
preface done.
these are some of the things that suck about drinking at bars:
1a- bars are expensive, even the cheap ones. compare the prices at any bar to the prices at the liquor store. compare those prices per drink. think about how many drinks you'll have in a night and multiply. that's how much money you'll save. you'll also save on other expenses like tipping, jukeboxes, and pool tables. not to mention the cab you're probably going to need cuz you really shouldn't drive in that condition.
and if you do find a bar that's cheap enough to compete with the liquor store, it's probably a joint that's jammed with people wall to wall. the kind of place that turns going to the bathroom into a 20 minute adventure through body heat and back fat. these places are called dives and the reason people love them so much is cuz deep down inside their disgusted with how much the other bars gouge them for their money.
if you found a cheap place that isn't crowded, good for you. it's probably the kind of place where old people who hate their spouses go to die. enjoy!
1b- bars are making a serious killing. consider the bar staff. bar staffs usually make crappy base salaries. owners pay them a little something, and the rest is based on your tips. they bust their ass for the bar and the bar owner doesn't even have to pay the majority of their wages (i know this fluctuates from place to place and there are exceptions here and there).
i know a lot of bartenders make a killing off of tips. but it's the principle of the matter. bars don't happen without bartenders, bar backs, etc... i can't remember the last time a bar tender told me about their benefits package.
and don't get me wrong, this ISN'T an anti-tipping rant. you gotta tip. you better tip! don't go to a bar unless you're planning on tipping. not tipping makes you a douchebag! that's at bars, restaurants, everywhere. fucking tip!
2- music. in most places you have to pay to listen to music you want to hear. and while you're paying for it, you're also begrudgingly listening to what everyone else in the bar paid for. oh great, another black eyed peas song! i'd complain but that's better than the back-to-back meatloaf tracks i just wasted the last 18 minutes of my life listening to.
and then there's some bars where the jukebox is not even an option. there might be a dj there or maybe the hip douche bartender brought their ipod to work for everyone to listen to. this can be hit or miss. on the one hand, you don't have to pay for it. on the other hand, it's totally out of your control.
3-idiots. bars attract idiots. all sorts. some are looking for trouble. some have extremely bad breath and are just looking to corner you into a convo about something you don't care about.
idiots come in all shapes and sizes and there is no such thing as an idiot free bar.
4- awkward situations.
like the girl who wants to take you home but you have no interest in (for women, the guy who wants to take you home. i know for a fact this happens to women more than men). but she's nice so you feel bad and you humor her conversation. but for most of the night, you're in the back of your own mind trying to plan an escape.
or maybe you spill a drink on someone. i have.. a few times. i didn't mean to. i'm clumsy. i tripped. you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. i feel hella bad about it and i'm gonna buy you a drink, but for the rest of the night we have to go back and forth and look at each other.
or when the music's too loud and you can't hear what someone is saying to you. so you give them a quick, 'yea,' or you nod your head approvingly but have no idea what just came out of their mouth. you just wanna look like you're listening. how many times can you tell someone, "I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" until you finally give in and pretend you heard them? (i'd say the average is on try 4 or 5) and this works both ways cuz i've been in conversations where i know the other person is giving me a fake, 'yea,' but i just let it happen cuz there's nothing you can do, the music is just too fucking loud.
here's some other quick things that suck about bars (but don't necessarily apply to all bars):
1- dress codes
2- asshole bouncers
3- skunked beer
4- lack of cleanliness
5- lack of buybacks (the accepted unwritten rule that some drinks should be free)
if i've forgotten anything, feel free to make your own list at home.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
i don't hate dentists anymore
i used to hate dentists. it was irrational of me but it was there in my mind and i didn't want anything to do with trying to rectify that hate. i just wanted to let that little irrational monster live on in my head.
and i felt i had my reasons. the biggest reason being that at the age of 17 i went to a dentist and for some reason the novacane wouldn't work. i'd tell my dentist i wasn't numb and he'd inject more... i still wouldn't get numb so he'd inject more. eventually it got ridiculous and the dentist said we were gonna have to get to business with the filling.
and all i remember is pain. lots of pain.
and before that experience, before it bloomed into full blown hatred, i already sorta didn't like dentists. before that day, i considered them a necessary evil that made me angry. i'd here stats like, 'dentists have the highest suicide rate of all occupations,' (no idea if this was true, it was just people talking so who knows for sure) and it would make perfect sense to me. why wouldn't dentists hate themselves? i don't like them. other people don't like them. and i didn't see anything to like about them.
so fast forward the clock some 14 years. 14 years of my life that saw some consistent boozing, junk food consuming, and for 9 of those years, cigarette smoking. i didn't make one trip to the dentist. i just couldn't do it. for a lot of those years i didn't worry. i figured brushing and flossing would see me through.
somewhere around age 28 (i'm 31 now) things started to hurt, especially my wisdom teeth. but for 3 years i played it off like it was no big deal. i'd lie to myself and say that eventually my wisdom teeth would settle in and the pain would disappear.
and then all of the sudden it was 2011. i was watching tv and a 1-800-DENTIST commercial comes on tv. they showed a person who was scared to go to the dentist and a calm, supportive friend talking them into calling that number, i didn't call that number the next day. but that's the moment the seed got planted.
i saw that commercial and i started to feel ridiculous about how long i avoided dental treatment. i felt awful about it and that lead to me feeling self conscious about my mouth. then i found myself in social situations where i would try to be slick and come up with ways that i could talk to people without letting them have direct eye contact with my teeth... and i was suddenly obsessed with other people's teeth. (sounds weird, i know). i was sizing myself up against everyone else's mouth and it turned out just about everyone i knew had better looking teeth than me. i couldn't take it anymore. i went to the 1-800-DENTIST website, filled out a form and next thing i knew, i had an appointment with a local dentist emailed to me.
and that was it. too late to go back now. josh wells can't make an appointment and back out like some coward. i convinced myself that i had to go, that this was for the greater good. what's the big deal anyways? all i have to do is show up and sit in a chair. this is going to be easy.
and it was. i found a great dentist. she and her whole staff were super friendly. and the novacane worked. i had so much work done to my mouth in a matter of months. and through it all i never felt much pain. i'd leave the office with a numb jaw for hours, but no pain. the most pain i ever felt was during a cleaning cuz they really get to poking at your gums. but even that wasn't really painful, it was just the most painful part of the whole experience that i remember.
and now my whole view on dentistry has changed. i think it's a highly noble profession. i personally wouldn't wanna do it. i couldn't have my hands in other people's mouths for the rest of my life. but some people can and they do. and the dentist i had did it all with a smile and patience. i think about all the days i show up to my job with a bad attitude and i let it affect me. and here was my dentist who deals with people like me who walk in here saying, 'i can't stand dentists!' and she handles it all with a smile. all she wants to do is improve your oral health.
also, the technology in dentistry is amazing. i can't imagine what going to the dentist was like 30 years ago, 75 years ago, shit the 1800's! so many people probably went through some REAL fucking pain that is all avoided today. if there was ever a time to go to a dentist, it's in 2011. if you think the world sucks, look at the world of dentistry. it's never been better.
dentists, i gave you a bad wrap. my bad. not only do i not hate you, but i think you're pretty cool. thanks for the hard work and i'll be seeing you every 6 months from now on.
and i felt i had my reasons. the biggest reason being that at the age of 17 i went to a dentist and for some reason the novacane wouldn't work. i'd tell my dentist i wasn't numb and he'd inject more... i still wouldn't get numb so he'd inject more. eventually it got ridiculous and the dentist said we were gonna have to get to business with the filling.
and all i remember is pain. lots of pain.
and before that experience, before it bloomed into full blown hatred, i already sorta didn't like dentists. before that day, i considered them a necessary evil that made me angry. i'd here stats like, 'dentists have the highest suicide rate of all occupations,' (no idea if this was true, it was just people talking so who knows for sure) and it would make perfect sense to me. why wouldn't dentists hate themselves? i don't like them. other people don't like them. and i didn't see anything to like about them.
so fast forward the clock some 14 years. 14 years of my life that saw some consistent boozing, junk food consuming, and for 9 of those years, cigarette smoking. i didn't make one trip to the dentist. i just couldn't do it. for a lot of those years i didn't worry. i figured brushing and flossing would see me through.
somewhere around age 28 (i'm 31 now) things started to hurt, especially my wisdom teeth. but for 3 years i played it off like it was no big deal. i'd lie to myself and say that eventually my wisdom teeth would settle in and the pain would disappear.
and then all of the sudden it was 2011. i was watching tv and a 1-800-DENTIST commercial comes on tv. they showed a person who was scared to go to the dentist and a calm, supportive friend talking them into calling that number, i didn't call that number the next day. but that's the moment the seed got planted.
i saw that commercial and i started to feel ridiculous about how long i avoided dental treatment. i felt awful about it and that lead to me feeling self conscious about my mouth. then i found myself in social situations where i would try to be slick and come up with ways that i could talk to people without letting them have direct eye contact with my teeth... and i was suddenly obsessed with other people's teeth. (sounds weird, i know). i was sizing myself up against everyone else's mouth and it turned out just about everyone i knew had better looking teeth than me. i couldn't take it anymore. i went to the 1-800-DENTIST website, filled out a form and next thing i knew, i had an appointment with a local dentist emailed to me.
and that was it. too late to go back now. josh wells can't make an appointment and back out like some coward. i convinced myself that i had to go, that this was for the greater good. what's the big deal anyways? all i have to do is show up and sit in a chair. this is going to be easy.
and it was. i found a great dentist. she and her whole staff were super friendly. and the novacane worked. i had so much work done to my mouth in a matter of months. and through it all i never felt much pain. i'd leave the office with a numb jaw for hours, but no pain. the most pain i ever felt was during a cleaning cuz they really get to poking at your gums. but even that wasn't really painful, it was just the most painful part of the whole experience that i remember.
and now my whole view on dentistry has changed. i think it's a highly noble profession. i personally wouldn't wanna do it. i couldn't have my hands in other people's mouths for the rest of my life. but some people can and they do. and the dentist i had did it all with a smile and patience. i think about all the days i show up to my job with a bad attitude and i let it affect me. and here was my dentist who deals with people like me who walk in here saying, 'i can't stand dentists!' and she handles it all with a smile. all she wants to do is improve your oral health.
also, the technology in dentistry is amazing. i can't imagine what going to the dentist was like 30 years ago, 75 years ago, shit the 1800's! so many people probably went through some REAL fucking pain that is all avoided today. if there was ever a time to go to a dentist, it's in 2011. if you think the world sucks, look at the world of dentistry. it's never been better.
dentists, i gave you a bad wrap. my bad. not only do i not hate you, but i think you're pretty cool. thanks for the hard work and i'll be seeing you every 6 months from now on.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
aliens get a bad wrap
i saw the movie 'cowboys vs. aliens,' today. and without spoiling it too much for anybody, i'll just say it doesn't paint a pretty picture for aliens.
if anyone is scared of aliens or an alien invasion, the movies we make about them doesn't help alleviate that fear at all. you hardly hear anything about peaceful aliens. maybe E.T., but for the most part aliens from outer space are something to be scared of.
that's why if there are aliens that can get to earth, they're gonna be pissed when they get here! they're gonna see that we already demonized them before we met them. we didn't even give them the benefit of the doubt. if they don't show up pissed off, they will be once they catch wind of their reputation around these parts.
imagine some sort of alien envoy sent to earth to try and broker peace with us and to grant access to some sort of universal alliance of planets. if they see what we're saying about them, the deal would be off before it began. they'd either leave and ban us forever from their awesome universal alliance or destroy us and see it as a necessary and overall good thing for the safety of the universe.
c'mon hollywood. let's see some cool aliens. and i'm not talking about alf. dude ate cats. not cool.
somewhere out in the unknown depths of the universe, there's a kick ass intergalactic kegger going on. and for all we know, we're the only ones not invited. maybe aliens are watching our planet. maybe they've been watching and they already decided human beings are a buzz kill and no one wants them at their party.
if anyone is scared of aliens or an alien invasion, the movies we make about them doesn't help alleviate that fear at all. you hardly hear anything about peaceful aliens. maybe E.T., but for the most part aliens from outer space are something to be scared of.
that's why if there are aliens that can get to earth, they're gonna be pissed when they get here! they're gonna see that we already demonized them before we met them. we didn't even give them the benefit of the doubt. if they don't show up pissed off, they will be once they catch wind of their reputation around these parts.
imagine some sort of alien envoy sent to earth to try and broker peace with us and to grant access to some sort of universal alliance of planets. if they see what we're saying about them, the deal would be off before it began. they'd either leave and ban us forever from their awesome universal alliance or destroy us and see it as a necessary and overall good thing for the safety of the universe.
c'mon hollywood. let's see some cool aliens. and i'm not talking about alf. dude ate cats. not cool.
somewhere out in the unknown depths of the universe, there's a kick ass intergalactic kegger going on. and for all we know, we're the only ones not invited. maybe aliens are watching our planet. maybe they've been watching and they already decided human beings are a buzz kill and no one wants them at their party.
lots and lots of props to all the indie wrestlers
last night i attended an ACE pro wrestling show. (for more info, click on this site- http://aceprowrestling.com/ )
i am blown away by these dudes doing their thing in what seems to be a hot warehouse with a wrestling ring in the middle of it. there must have been a crowd of 60-80 people, not even enough to have seats around the whole ring. just one side of the ring had fans. and here were these dudes coming out and giving it their all.
i'll watch WWE in a totally different manner after last night. WWE is the hollywood of pro wrestling. everyone wants in, but only a very select few will make the cut. if i had to guesstimate, i'd say WWE rotates a roster of the same 40-50 wrestlers at any given time.
that's 40-50 spots on the top of the mountain. below that peak is indie wrestling. i must have seen approximately 30 wrestlers last night alone in one indie show. 1 of them was from WWE wrestling of the past (savio vega).
the odds are so unlikely to ever reach that pinnacle. and i don't say that as a knock against the wrestlers i saw last night. most of them amazed me with their enthusiasm and in ring performance. how much must they love this sport? (that's right, i called it a sport)
i found myself comparing them to bands, actors, writers, and comedians. no matter how much effort anyone puts into any of these genres, they'll never sacrifice what wrestlers are sacrificing. these dudes really get hurt, really get injured, sometimes the blood is even real. they beat themselves up night after night in spandex just because they fucking love to put on a show.
that's fucking beautiful to me.
at first i found myself reluctant to boo anybody. how could i? if i go out to see some local bands, i never boo them, and i've seen some sucky bands. no way i'm gonna boo a dude who knows how to sell a suplex to a crowd.
but i eased in eventually. when a heel made a strong declaration to the crowd that they were a heel, you boo that motherfucker! why? cuz they want you to! heels get off on the jeering. booing is the ultimate way to let a bad guy know he's doing a great job being a bad dude.
i think heels actually play well to a crowd of about 60 people. it's almost like they can get into a direct conversation with the audience. so when a heel turns around and tells the whole crowd to shut up, someone from the crowd could shout something like, 'you suck!' and then that wrestler can actually go one on one verbally for a second with that dude and retort with something like, 'your mom sucks!' very intimate, very personal, and if you're gonna give someone shit, you better bring it cuz you're not an anonymous poster holder in a WWE crowd.
so a big 'fuck yea' for all the indie wrestlers out there. beating each other up in hot warehouses just so i have something to cheer and jeer about on a saturday night. helluva show.
and to anyone who wants to take anything away from wrestling, i leave you with this. pro wrestling (indie and the kind you see on tv) is a sport in my book. these dudes are athletes and their gig demands that they stay in great shape. they come out and run around, beat each other up, sweat, bleed, break stuff, and take injuries. the whole time they also act as entertainers, trying to make sure the crowd is enjoying themselves. it's a hybrid sport that borders on theatrics. and the outline of the plots is simple, but it never gets old. it's always good vs. evil, bad vs. good. sometimes it's david vs. goliath. it's the honorable vs. the not-so-honorable. it's the very core of all drama, a conflict that will never be settled. all the while all players are in quest for the same exact thing, that shiny championship belt.
and also the entrances kick ass. hit the music.
i am blown away by these dudes doing their thing in what seems to be a hot warehouse with a wrestling ring in the middle of it. there must have been a crowd of 60-80 people, not even enough to have seats around the whole ring. just one side of the ring had fans. and here were these dudes coming out and giving it their all.
i'll watch WWE in a totally different manner after last night. WWE is the hollywood of pro wrestling. everyone wants in, but only a very select few will make the cut. if i had to guesstimate, i'd say WWE rotates a roster of the same 40-50 wrestlers at any given time.
that's 40-50 spots on the top of the mountain. below that peak is indie wrestling. i must have seen approximately 30 wrestlers last night alone in one indie show. 1 of them was from WWE wrestling of the past (savio vega).
the odds are so unlikely to ever reach that pinnacle. and i don't say that as a knock against the wrestlers i saw last night. most of them amazed me with their enthusiasm and in ring performance. how much must they love this sport? (that's right, i called it a sport)
i found myself comparing them to bands, actors, writers, and comedians. no matter how much effort anyone puts into any of these genres, they'll never sacrifice what wrestlers are sacrificing. these dudes really get hurt, really get injured, sometimes the blood is even real. they beat themselves up night after night in spandex just because they fucking love to put on a show.
that's fucking beautiful to me.
at first i found myself reluctant to boo anybody. how could i? if i go out to see some local bands, i never boo them, and i've seen some sucky bands. no way i'm gonna boo a dude who knows how to sell a suplex to a crowd.
but i eased in eventually. when a heel made a strong declaration to the crowd that they were a heel, you boo that motherfucker! why? cuz they want you to! heels get off on the jeering. booing is the ultimate way to let a bad guy know he's doing a great job being a bad dude.
i think heels actually play well to a crowd of about 60 people. it's almost like they can get into a direct conversation with the audience. so when a heel turns around and tells the whole crowd to shut up, someone from the crowd could shout something like, 'you suck!' and then that wrestler can actually go one on one verbally for a second with that dude and retort with something like, 'your mom sucks!' very intimate, very personal, and if you're gonna give someone shit, you better bring it cuz you're not an anonymous poster holder in a WWE crowd.
so a big 'fuck yea' for all the indie wrestlers out there. beating each other up in hot warehouses just so i have something to cheer and jeer about on a saturday night. helluva show.
and to anyone who wants to take anything away from wrestling, i leave you with this. pro wrestling (indie and the kind you see on tv) is a sport in my book. these dudes are athletes and their gig demands that they stay in great shape. they come out and run around, beat each other up, sweat, bleed, break stuff, and take injuries. the whole time they also act as entertainers, trying to make sure the crowd is enjoying themselves. it's a hybrid sport that borders on theatrics. and the outline of the plots is simple, but it never gets old. it's always good vs. evil, bad vs. good. sometimes it's david vs. goliath. it's the honorable vs. the not-so-honorable. it's the very core of all drama, a conflict that will never be settled. all the while all players are in quest for the same exact thing, that shiny championship belt.
and also the entrances kick ass. hit the music.
Friday, August 12, 2011
sobriety makes me angry
19 days ago i decided to take a break from drinking. i don't think i'm a raging alcoholic, but i do enjoy drinking fairly regularly... to the point where 2-3 days in row without drinking were usually the longest breaks i ever gave myself. from time to time i like to test myself and see if i can stop drinking for a certain amount of time. i usually shoot for 30 days. it's a nice, round figure and it's something i can brag about until i do it again next year... "hey everybody, i know i like to drink, but i took a month off so y'know, i'm ok."
it's also nice to clear my head and save some money. also, the beer gut gets a break. damn you beer gut! go away!
what i've noticed over the past 19 days is that being sober makes me angry. or maybe it's better to word it as, i get angry easier. i find shit pissing me off way more than usual and now that i've noticed, i tell myself that i'm gonna try real hard not to be so pissy about stuff, but sometimes i just can't help it... i get angry, i gotta do something with it, so i complain out loud.
i could try and turn this into a positive and say that it helps with the comedy. cuz the root of comedy is complaining... that's all comedy is really doing, complaining in a certain type formula that somehow results in others laughing.
but i don't wanna be an angry dude. i encounter other angry dudes and i just think, 'what a douche bag! i don't wanna be anything like that!'
so here i am, faced with a dilemma... what can i do? i figure i got 3 options:
1- be angry josh. just be a pissed off dude. let the transformation complete itself. i'll get so used to being angry and pissy that it'll become standard practice.
2- stop being angry! fight the anger somehow... how? i don't know, that's something i'll have to figure out. maybe surround myself with stuff i enjoy, maybe try and challenge myself to see the best in everything, which is something i thought i was a natural at before i tried this whole 'sober for 30 days' thing.
3- drink! cuz if i drank i'd probably lighten up immediately. i know that drinking numbs me. i had become so accustomed to numbing myself that it carried over into my sober life. drinking fills me full of, "i don't give a fuck," and, "who gives a shit?" and, "life is a party dude!" but now that shit's worn off. the party sucks when you're dry. all you see around you are a bunch of assholes and you're always worried cuz you have work tomorrow.
i'm not gonna give up on sobriety and drink... not at least till day 30. so who knows, maybe angry josh has just gotta keep busy for 11 more days.. and on day 30 i send that fucker packing.
but goddamn if i didn't want it all to be different. i learned 2 things which i want so bad to be untrue:
1- the world's a tough place filled with assholes that make life hard.
2- sober people (at least the ones i know) are boring. what do you guys do with your free time?
now i know why i started drinking in the first place.
ps- no potheads, i will not start smoking pot. that's more boring than sobriety.
it's also nice to clear my head and save some money. also, the beer gut gets a break. damn you beer gut! go away!
what i've noticed over the past 19 days is that being sober makes me angry. or maybe it's better to word it as, i get angry easier. i find shit pissing me off way more than usual and now that i've noticed, i tell myself that i'm gonna try real hard not to be so pissy about stuff, but sometimes i just can't help it... i get angry, i gotta do something with it, so i complain out loud.
i could try and turn this into a positive and say that it helps with the comedy. cuz the root of comedy is complaining... that's all comedy is really doing, complaining in a certain type formula that somehow results in others laughing.
but i don't wanna be an angry dude. i encounter other angry dudes and i just think, 'what a douche bag! i don't wanna be anything like that!'
so here i am, faced with a dilemma... what can i do? i figure i got 3 options:
1- be angry josh. just be a pissed off dude. let the transformation complete itself. i'll get so used to being angry and pissy that it'll become standard practice.
2- stop being angry! fight the anger somehow... how? i don't know, that's something i'll have to figure out. maybe surround myself with stuff i enjoy, maybe try and challenge myself to see the best in everything, which is something i thought i was a natural at before i tried this whole 'sober for 30 days' thing.
3- drink! cuz if i drank i'd probably lighten up immediately. i know that drinking numbs me. i had become so accustomed to numbing myself that it carried over into my sober life. drinking fills me full of, "i don't give a fuck," and, "who gives a shit?" and, "life is a party dude!" but now that shit's worn off. the party sucks when you're dry. all you see around you are a bunch of assholes and you're always worried cuz you have work tomorrow.
i'm not gonna give up on sobriety and drink... not at least till day 30. so who knows, maybe angry josh has just gotta keep busy for 11 more days.. and on day 30 i send that fucker packing.
but goddamn if i didn't want it all to be different. i learned 2 things which i want so bad to be untrue:
1- the world's a tough place filled with assholes that make life hard.
2- sober people (at least the ones i know) are boring. what do you guys do with your free time?
now i know why i started drinking in the first place.
ps- no potheads, i will not start smoking pot. that's more boring than sobriety.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
making money without really trying
i wanna be able to bullshit everyone and say that i never think of easy money. that i've always been and always will be about earning shit the hard way. i do think that is the way things should be, but i'll be damned if i don't have pipe dreams myself about sudden fortunes without much sacrifice.
and i've google'd it. and i'm not alone. there's countless websites dedicated to get rich quick schemes with promo lines like, 'do you want to make a ton of money with little to no effort? find out more now!'
and get rich quick schemes precede the internet. i'm sure as long as there's been currency, there's been a get rich quick scheme.
but the only get rich scheme i can think of is to start your own get rich quick scheme. tell people to give you money so you can educate them on how to make money quickly. sure, you don't teach them shit, but the lesson's practically in the transaction when said sucker gives you their loot.
but you have to be a douche bag to start one. you have to willingly lie and rip people off on a regular basis in order to be successful. and that goes against my whole anti-douche bag protocol.
but goddamn if the idea of getting rich quickly isn't an insanely popular concept. look at the lottery. they gotta rake in millions to award millions. that's millions (possibly billions) of people with a dollar and a dream out there.
i'd dare to say making money without really trying is one of the most popular topics our brains devote time to. it's gotta be up there with sex and death (not that death is enjoyable to think about, but we're all thinking about it so that makes it popular).
cuz life is a bitch sometimes... for some, all of the time. what wouldn't be easier with more money? i'm not a total soulless materialist, but i can admit that having more money would probably make my life a lot more enjoyable to live. and that's what it's really all about.... it's wanting a shortcut to a more enjoyable and therefore happier life.
it's the warp zone in super mario bros. and the cheat code in contra. if you played these games, you knew about it and you took advantage of it. you'd only not use these shortcuts if you were bored of them. but that's a video game you get to play over and over and over and over. life's a one time thing. we'd hop in the green tube that takes us closer to level 8, the princess, and hopefully sex and riches in an instant.
and i've google'd it. and i'm not alone. there's countless websites dedicated to get rich quick schemes with promo lines like, 'do you want to make a ton of money with little to no effort? find out more now!'
and get rich quick schemes precede the internet. i'm sure as long as there's been currency, there's been a get rich quick scheme.
but the only get rich scheme i can think of is to start your own get rich quick scheme. tell people to give you money so you can educate them on how to make money quickly. sure, you don't teach them shit, but the lesson's practically in the transaction when said sucker gives you their loot.
but you have to be a douche bag to start one. you have to willingly lie and rip people off on a regular basis in order to be successful. and that goes against my whole anti-douche bag protocol.
but goddamn if the idea of getting rich quickly isn't an insanely popular concept. look at the lottery. they gotta rake in millions to award millions. that's millions (possibly billions) of people with a dollar and a dream out there.
i'd dare to say making money without really trying is one of the most popular topics our brains devote time to. it's gotta be up there with sex and death (not that death is enjoyable to think about, but we're all thinking about it so that makes it popular).
cuz life is a bitch sometimes... for some, all of the time. what wouldn't be easier with more money? i'm not a total soulless materialist, but i can admit that having more money would probably make my life a lot more enjoyable to live. and that's what it's really all about.... it's wanting a shortcut to a more enjoyable and therefore happier life.
it's the warp zone in super mario bros. and the cheat code in contra. if you played these games, you knew about it and you took advantage of it. you'd only not use these shortcuts if you were bored of them. but that's a video game you get to play over and over and over and over. life's a one time thing. we'd hop in the green tube that takes us closer to level 8, the princess, and hopefully sex and riches in an instant.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
superheroes, supervillians, and the lottery
i get the allure of comic books and superheroes. who wouldn't enjoy having a secret power? like the ability to shoot laser beams out of my hands! fuck fighting! i don't need to fight. i just shoot and BLAM!!! you get it!!
just having a super power is a little like receiving something both awesome and powerful without having to sacrifice for it. Who isn't into that? getting awesome shit without earning it?? that's why people play the lottery.
it's all very similar to the lottery actually. we all wanna be millionaires. we just don't wanna do what millionaires have to do to become millionaires. (work hard, save money, etc etc).
even the conversations about super powers and winning the lottery are awfully similar. people can go on and on talking about what they would do if they did have either. ask almost anyone either question, "what superpower would you want and why?," or, "what would you do if you won the lottery?" and you'll most likely receive a response soaked in joy, authored by an imagination run wild.
comics also offer the super villain option as well. so if your imagination takes you down that darker path, that option remains available.
you can learn a lot about a person through comic books. who do they root for? which characters are they into? the hero? the villain? the loner? the leader? the funny one? or the awkward, brainy genius?
you can almost see in people what they see in themselves through comics. and you can also see inside yourself.
what are you all about?
are you saving the world?
or are you trying to take it over?
here's something i drew right before i wrote this. i call this piece, 'laser beam hand dude.':
just having a super power is a little like receiving something both awesome and powerful without having to sacrifice for it. Who isn't into that? getting awesome shit without earning it?? that's why people play the lottery.
it's all very similar to the lottery actually. we all wanna be millionaires. we just don't wanna do what millionaires have to do to become millionaires. (work hard, save money, etc etc).
even the conversations about super powers and winning the lottery are awfully similar. people can go on and on talking about what they would do if they did have either. ask almost anyone either question, "what superpower would you want and why?," or, "what would you do if you won the lottery?" and you'll most likely receive a response soaked in joy, authored by an imagination run wild.
comics also offer the super villain option as well. so if your imagination takes you down that darker path, that option remains available.
you can learn a lot about a person through comic books. who do they root for? which characters are they into? the hero? the villain? the loner? the leader? the funny one? or the awkward, brainy genius?
you can almost see in people what they see in themselves through comics. and you can also see inside yourself.
what are you all about?
are you saving the world?
or are you trying to take it over?
here's something i drew right before i wrote this. i call this piece, 'laser beam hand dude.':
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