pagan scientist

I found these coincidences intriguing:

The last post I made on my livejournal received a comment from a former co-worker/acquaintance that I haven't seen, spoken to or in any other way communicated with in years. In the comment she revealed some of her pagan beliefs.

A few days ago my friend Ryan show me this video on youtube:





Now, understandably I had to see this movie. It looks horrible. And everything I've read about it online says it's horrible, but I had to know; why is Nicolas Cage punching women? Not just women, but young women. It also looks like he's slapping around little girls. And when he runs up in a bear costume, winds up and cold cocks a girl in the face, I thought, "what the fuck is going on in this movie?"

As it turns out what I read was true. This was one of the dumbest, worst fucking movies I've ever seen. It was borderline infuriating it was so poorly written and executed. However, when talking about this movie with a coworker, she tells me that the original "Wicker Man" made in 1973 is a good movie. She loves it. It's full of sex and paganism and music. It's great. So I watched the 1973 version. And I loved it.

It was a great story, well acted (Christopher Lee plays the main pagan guy), and the music and film quality had that 70's charm. The pacing, cinematography, stylized camera shots, psychedelic musical numbers all built to a compelling climax of christian vs. pagan beliefs. However, It did make the pagans look savage and superstitious and that got me to thinking, "Is it possible to practice paganism with modern scientific discoveries?"

I may have found the religion I've been looking for.

Happy New Year!

Ringing in the new year in only a way that Abba can provide. Trivia question: how many um-lots are in all the band member's names? 60 seconds. . .

Have a safe and happy new year's eve everybody! I was hoping to go visit Michigan for NYE and see Nomo and Jamie's last show for a while, but sadly I have to work tomorrow. Well, not too sadly. I will get time and a half on the slowest day of the year. Whoooo! Money!

I may complain about those Goddamned 6am meetings all the time, but Whole Foods isn't such a bad employer. I can't think of many other places that give full time benefits to all employees that work 30 or more hours a week. Yes, they do mercilessly fire people all the time for breaking even minor rules. A guy just got fired last week. Not only that, he was taken away by the cops in the middle of his shift. I probably shouldn't be writing this. I'm liable to get fired myself for leaking information.

I quit the diner job this week. Yesterday was my last double, thank God! I worked from 9 in the morning to 12 at night. From here on out it's 8 hour shifts(well, 8 and a half). I think it's for the best considering I'm still not vegetarian and I couldn't tell you more than two things on the menu. How did I get away with that?

With all the money I have saved up I bought a new computer. . . and it's a mac. A macbook pro. Hello professionalism!

Speaking of professionalism, I went out to the bar with some co-workers on Christmas day and sank to a new low, or reached a new height depending on how you look at it. I got cut off! I remember being told no more drinks and being walked home shortly afterword, but I guess I had my sweater tied around my head on my last trip up to the bar. Thank God I got cut off when I did. The hangover the next day was wicked. I think it was the cigarettes. Not smoking all week and then smoking half a pack in two hours would make anyone puke.

Okay, new year's resolutions. I will make an effort to feel good all or most of the time by either: exercising, stretching, eating better, accomplishing tasks set for myself, and/or continuing to realize more fully that love is all there is and every day trivial matters cannot cause any permanent damage to the constantly evolving love that resides in us all and connects us in more ways than we can perceive. I love you all. Happy New You! (yes, I was stoned when I thought of this)

happy holidays!

Today is winter solstice eve! And I've never felt the shortest days of the year as much as I do here in Chicago. It's just after 4:30 in the afternoon and it's pitch black outside. Weeeeeeee depression!

In other news, I may have told you that I work at a diner in the gay part of town, but you may be wondering just how gay. Well, here's part of an email that was sent out to everyone after the holiday party:

Hey guys....

Did anyone pick up a purple t-shirt with a Fairy on it and a scarf at the party sunday night? If so please let me know.....

THANKS!!

How this man left his t-shirt behind I can only imagine. Unfortunately I didn't go because of having to work at Whole Foods. Their holiday party is Jan. 8th. I think I should go to that one. It will be all the stores in Chicago together. There are people I don't know at my own store. Now there will be hundreds more! Ass of myself? You know it!

Happy holidays to all!

the latest from mike and dave

This past weekend I went to Ann Arbor for a "going away" party hosted by Dave of "Mike and Dave" and during the party we filmed another short. Here it is:





Like any comedy series running low on ideas it ends with two men having sex. Classic! I was really hoping to not do that this time. Oh well. (lisping) Boys will be boys.

The party was a lot of fun. I got really drunk. What? Really drunk? You? Yeah, I did. In the morning I woke up on a couch I didn't remember sitting on. I couldn't eat my breakfast until late Saturday evening (I got it to go). I was great to see the folks from back home again. I hope they realize that the reason I got so drunk and I can only assume made an ass of myself is because I miss them.

insanity

Last week, I was on my way home on the train and an old man a few seats in front of me started singing. I didn't think much of that. People sing sometimes. A little while later he noticed his own reflection in the window opposite his seat. It was then that he started to have a conversation with himself. At first there was lots of laughing, winking, a very animated discussion. With his reflection! Gradually it evolved into what looked like a sincere apology that lasted the rest of the ride home. (maybe 15 min.)

This man got me to thinking. He didn't look crazy when he got on the train. I talk to myself sometimes. Well, kind of a lot. I don't do it if other people can hear, but how far away am I from not caring about that? Is this my future? When you're old and don't have many friends around, living in a city full of strangers, how long can you take it before you just start making up the conversations you wish you could have?

The main reason I'm wondering if I'm insane is that at the Whole Foods meeting last week there was a point where I was laughing loudly at something and no one else was. They played music to introduce each department leader and I guess the woman who ran one of the departments was gone so a man was introduced with the song "she works hard for the money". I laughed my ass off until another grocery person standing next to me made me realize it was too loud. I was really tired. I used to be able to get away with that at the co-op. Not in the corporate giant that is "Asswhole Foods". I coined that term.

work, schmurk!

It's 2am. I worked until 11 tonight and I have to go in at 6 to a Whole Foods all store meeting. In addition to that I have to work tomorrow at 2:30. How will I sleep? I can go to sleep now and wake up at 5 to go to the meeting, then come home and sleep for 3 more hours until I have to go back to work. Adding those together I can get a reasonable 6 hours of sleep. But I don't feel like sleeping now. I feel like making a huge pancake breakfast for myself and drinking coffee.

It's times like these that make me think that this is the worst job I've ever had. In other respects it's an okay job, but this type of shit is re-Goddamn-diculous! I can't believe that other employees who have to do this put up less of a fuss than I do. Are jobs really that bad out there? In a first world country like ours? For legal citizens?

I've been writing new song material, thinking about acting and my friend Wan told me about interning at her PBS type station. All of this amounts to nothing so far, but I'm still hopeful to do something creative and enjoyable. Somewhat soonish.

The fake wake party at Ryan's was a big success. I can't believe it was the first time I've experienced the deliciousness of whiskey and ginger ale together. I was shitfaced. Not shitfaced enough to accept the awkward and blatant proposals of a certain psychotic co-worker, but shitfaced enough to have a great time. Unfortunately, she was the only person so far to engage me in interesting conversations at work. So that's over. All along there was an undercurrent of something, but now that's she's spelled it out I don't really even want to talk to her anymore. Creepy and insane.

Oh, and a compliment on a waitress's new hairstyle at the diner turned into a "you remind me of a girl I used to fuck back in Michigan" when one of the other smart ass bussers chimed in. I am so awkward sometimes. Like when I talk to people.

fire department

I recently found out through a friend of a friend who has a friend in the Ann Arbor fire department that a video I have on youtube about the Tech Center fire has gained quite the following at that same fire department. (and the award for worst run-on sentence goes to. . .) Here it is:





Apparently they watch it over and over. I can't begin to explain how flattering this is. I've always thought that firemen had it in for me after the infamous first date fire truck accident I had. You haven't heard the story? Well it goes a little like this:

A woman I worked with at the Plaza Cinemas in Jackson set me up on a date with her friend's niece. Everything went fine. We ate dinner at the Olive Garden. (total fucking class!) After dinner we decided to just drive around, talk and get to know each other better. This was not the wisest idea on my part due to the poor driving conditions, icy roads, flurries, etc. This wasn't a problem until we were on our way back to her car which was parked at the Olive Garden. A moment's distraction while driving on I-94 caused me to fail to recognize a long line of cars ahead at a dead stop on the highway. I applied the brakes as soon as it registered and the GMC Sonoma truck I was driving started to skid. I have no idea what went through my mind at the time, but in retrospect I assume that in order to avoid plowing into several cars in front of me, I attempted to aim the sliding shopping cart of a vehicle towards the shoulder on the right. That did not work out. My path was initially blocked by a parked car and then ultimately by a fire truck on the scene of the accident. Whammy! "What the fuck just happend?", was the first thought in my head. Then I asked my date if she was alright. She was fine. Then we both sat there and watched several men exit the fire truck and begin shouting obsenities at me. They crowded around both windows and I just sat there petrified until one man walked over to my window and asked me if I was alright. I said yes and immediately after hearing this the man opened my door, yanked me out by my jacket and started pulling me in the direction of a police car up ahead. He was yelling at me the whole way. "You fucking idiot! You dumb motherfucker! You're a loser! You know that? You're a loser! Say it!", etc. etc. all the while I was slipping and sliding on the ice in my loafers. Upon reaching the police car he opened the door and roughly pushed me inside. My head was reeling. My only thoughts were, "Jesus Fucking Christ! Now what is this cop going to do?" Confusing me further was the way the policeman was completely calm. He took my information and quietly sat there filling out paperwork. Finally I mustered the courage to say, "What just happened? Did I kill someone?" The policeman replied, "No, but if someone had been on the back of the truck when you hit it, you could have." This statement seemed to make sense at the time, but later I thought, "wouldn't it be possible to kill anyone who was in my path? What the fuck?" He wrote me a ticket for driving too fast for conditions, took me and my date back to her car and that was it. I never called her back for a second date. I didn't think her seeing me dragged along the road by firemen was such a good first impression. Oh yeah, and they called me a loser. She must have heard that. So that's the gist of that one. I found out a few weeks later that the fire department tried to claim the "damage" I did to their solid steel platform as a reason to pass a millage for more funding. The citizens of Parma had me to thank for that one. Ha!

Anyway, I think this story shows just what this small victory means to me after such a bad experience with the fire department. Flame on!