Category Archives: Personal Life

Pink Bananna Boat Dream Mellons

I don’t particularly like Paul Simon, and of his work, “You Can Call Me Al,” is not my favorite. However, there is one line from that song that I really like:

Don’t wanna end up a cartoon in a cartoon graveyard…

Which leads me to the larger dilemma. Sometimes I feel like a modernist born into a post-modern world. My generation, we have no real feature. We are not a war generation, and we have not radicaly re-defined social customs in any great way. We weren’t even responsible for the birthing of the computer age. Sure, we benefit from all these previous generations’ contributions, but I’m hard pressed to put my finger on our contribution. We don’t even have an acceptable name… I mean, the Y Generation? Generation Next??

I think more than ever, our lives are an assemblage of other realities. Note the constant co-opting of other clothing styles. It was first the flare jeans and “That 70’s Show,” and it is now pastel polo shrits and “That 80’s Show.” Not that I’m averse to such or other trends, but what fun would “That 00’s Show” be if it was just of us watching its predecessors?

But TV is only a convenient metaphor. Take race relations, multi-culturalism. I think we (people my age) have had these terms, as abstractions, mushed down our throats more than any previous generation. But we don’t really talk about them because we are afraid to offend. Thus the entire concept becomes self-defeating; the fears are left to fester, but the politicaly correct sugarcoating sells. What’s scary about all this is that instead of fostering an appreciation for difference, we’re really just opening up the familiar to new consumers. We can have gay themed TV shows in primetime because enough auto companies will pay for 30 second spots between scriped situations.

More than ever we are defined by what we own. And as guilty as I am in liking my things, I am beginning to fear that our great need of Platinum and Premium is just a new way of buying that mental space for our “whites only” water fountains. And we are ALL guilty. Egalitarianism is a great concept, but if our worth must be measured tangibly, I see little possibility for a future more prosperous to all.

I love the cartoon graveyard. In it we find identities that help constitute ours.
I hate the cartoon graveyard. It is nothing as a whole but a graveyard.

Marathon

Saturday:

12 Noon – Wake Up

4:00 p.m. – Go to work.

9:00 p.m. – Finish work.

9:45 p.m. – Depart for Hartford

11:15 p.m. – Arrive in Hartford for M’s party.

Sunday:

4:30 a.m. – Depart M’s house for Goldroc Diner w/ Cohn and Tree.

6:30 a.m. – Depart Hartford for Massachusetts

10:00 a.m. – Begin Work

5:00 p.m. – Finish Work

7:00 p.m. – Sit in front of computer typing this

soon – Crash big time.

Yellow Tie

Had a good time this weekend in NJ again. Cousin #3, Jen, finally got married to her longtime boyfriend, Jay. A nice open bar, decent food and a few good songs – all in all a good time was had. It was interesting, though, the difference between the two families. Our side is pretty well educated, mostly white collar individuals. On the other side was a group that was made up of mostly blue-collar, union affiliated skilled tradesmen. Although we were all enjoying the event together, the gulf between us was palpable. I don’t want to sound snobby saying this, but there was definitely a difference in class between the two halves. One guy in the groom’s party decided to buck the trend and just come in jeans and a t-shirt. Now, I can understand not wearing a tux, but a t-shirt? In my opinion, that an extremely disrespectful way to grab some free grub and booze. On a sadder note, the parents of the groom were obviously not even close to near to speaking terms. I wonder how it is to be celebrating your wedding w/ your divorced parents who hate each other in the same room.

I decided not to go campaign for Kerry today. Not because I’m totally lazy, but because if someone hasn’t made up their mind yet, he or she must be an idiot. With three debates down, and one to go, people should know who they support. I’m not even asking people to make a decision regarding the issues; I don’t care if the choice is made based just on style, looks, presentation, or whatever inane yardstick people use to judge the most important person in our government. I gave the DNC $50, one afternoon of canvassing in NH a few weeks ago and I intend to vote, though it don’t matter (MA,) and rant on my blog at fairly regular intervals. Thus, I feel as if I’ve done my job as an active citizen.

On another note, I went to the much hated mall today and bought a new jacket. It looks kinda like those two toned black/grey northface fleeces, but it doesn’t have that dumb logo and the connotations that come with it. Me look pretty!!!

Glum

Eeeh, my mood is the color of this website. I’m feeling rather stagnant now and I just can’t stand it. I enjoy the comforts of living at home, but I feel like I’m back in High School, and that’s not somewhere I want to be back at. At TC there were always some good folks around, but here I feel pretty solo. I have no idea how to meet new people especialy that I am living at home… sigh. I guess the real problem is that I have no gay friends here. Don’t get me wrong, I love my straight friends, but it is different. There are some things you just have to be to understand. I try talking to people online, but find it endless chatter that leads to nothing (if not quick hookups – which I don’t want.) Plus that’s no real fun. I’m thinking about going to a club this thursday, but I never seem to have a good time at them, and I’ve never really gone by myself. So even though I’m feeling pretty smart and that I look good (been working out hard) it’s like there is no way for me to show it off a little. I think I understand why people do drugs… but I won’t be going there, even if that makes things harder in the short term. Well, that’s it for my first glum entry.