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The Birth of an Idea

On the way to Disneyland last night I looked out the window and saw one of the things I love most about LA. The freeways of Los Angeles and their overpasses, underpasses, highways, and byways (I have no clue what the fuck a byway is). There is a section of the 710 freeway that goes under several other connecting ramps like separate directions of the 105 and some others that I don’t know because I’ve never been on them.

I love the way the freeways are lit up at night when everything around is dark you can’t see the graffiti, the debris along the shoulder and in the landscaping, the broken windows of abandoned factories along the freeway. You only see the dance of the red and white lights and how they glide along in formation. It’s like a dance, a ballet, a circuit board alive with the sparks of a million connections per second. Like a group of wild mustangs galloping through the last unclaimed lands of the Midwest… altogether with speed and grace, one fluid movement.

The inventors of the automobile…
It must have been so exciting for them to be on the brink of inventing a machine that would change the face of transportation forever. How did it take for a car to be parked in the driveway of almost every house in America? And more in others to compensate for those without? What would they say if they would see what cars and exhaust have done to the environment? If they could see the list of names of people killed by drunk drivers? or even those killed in car accidents not related to alcohol? If they could see what happens to drunk college girls in the back of a van full of drunk college guys? If they could see the trash thrown out of car windows as they speed through cities on their way to work? The cigarette butts, the empty bottles and cans, the used napkins?

What would they say? Would they even care? These devices of modern society could not have been their intentions…and could not have been foreseen…but what would they have to say about it now, if they could see this?

Working at a car dealership I see people buy cars all the time. They walk out with smiles on their faces…well, if they got a good deal. Most of the patrons of this dealership are pretty well off, these are Mercedes-Benzes after all. Everyone always says “Congratulations on your new purchase”. They leave in their new cars and drive away. It seems so weird to me to congratulate someone on buying a car…nobody ever does it for buying clothes…or toilet paper.

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Can I Get Off This Ride Now?

This is the time when I realize I should not have procrastinated again. This is when I think back on all I have done for the past three weeks and realize I have not done ANY work at all.

This is also the time when I must fill my days with reading, studying and writing. I must not have any fun for the next week to make up for all the bullshit that I have been up to in the past.

And what am I going to school for anyway? To get a fabulous degree that will help me get an O.K. job which I’ll most likely hate and will make me miserable and I’ll just wish I was in middle school again when life was easy and I didn’t have to worry about things like rent, taxes, deadlines, and relations. I’ll be working for the proverbial man and getting nothing out of it just so that I can continue life on this planet and die with nothing.

I could work hard but what would I be working for? what would be the trophy at the end of my obstacle course? a party? working hard for a month so that I can go to Disneyland? or some high priced restaurant? getting my hair done? is that all life is about? it’s crap!

please kill me now.

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Inland Invasion + Shag Signing Recap

I went to KROQ’s Inland Invasion yesterday and I was supposed to be going with SGLA but my plans got messes up.

I woke up at 6:30 yesterday because Shag was going to be signing merchandise at Disneyland that he designed in commemoration of The Enchanted Tiki Room’s 40th anniversary. I figured it would be good to get there early. SHAG was to arrive at 10 a.m. and the park opened at 8, so I’m thinking we get there right when the park opens and we’ll be the first ones in line. Of course, we are late.  We get there at 8:30 and there are already at least 250+ people in line… great.

Keep in mind that somewhere between 11 and 12 Daniel and I are supposed to be heading over to Portfolio in the Long Beach to meet up with the kids from SGLA who are heading to the concert.

So for some unknown reason they are taking FOREVER to ring people up with their merchandise. This is all before 10 so SHAG isn’t even there to sign anything yet. This is the SLOWEST line to ever grace the planet. It took 6 hours to finally get inside the store, pay for my stuff and meet SHAG again. What did he say about my tattoo? “Neat,” just as I thought. Luckily I wasn’t as disappointed as I had imagined I would be. Maybe it was because I was so pissed that I waited for 6 hours and totally flaked out on my friends in SGLA who were waiting for me and Daniel to get to Inland Invasion.

Luckily SHAG agreed to stay until 3 to sign merchandise of leaving at 1 which was what had been scheduled. I didn’t get to buy the purse that I had been so excited about. I was actually going to get to own a SHAG purse but noooo, people bought two each and now they are selling them on eBay for $70+ (original price: $37) same with the limited edition mugs and serigraphs. Jerks!

Finally we leave Disneyland and make out way into the boondocks that is the Inland Empire. How can people live there? I step out of the car to get some money from the gas station and this uncomfortably hot breeze rises from the dirt on the ground and sweeps over my body… gross.

So we get into THEE Worst Venure Ever (a.k.a. The Glen Helen Hyndai Pavilion), and Interpol is playing. I wanted to see them. We’ve already missed Berlin, Bow Wow Wow, Drama Rama, General Public and Fountains of Wayne. Well, we also missed Dashboard Confessional but I coudn’t care less about that. People are hot and sticky, I have a huge plastic totebag with pointy corners (not good for walking though crowds), and we can’t find the rest of the SGLA crew because my phone doesn’t get very good reception in the boonies. But we do see Daniel’s cousin, et al. so we hang out with them.

So, “lawn seating” is possibly one of the worst concepts ever contrived. I hate lawn seating. The only thing good about it is that you can dance without falling over chairs, other than that you are sitting on a blanket on top of damp grass among empty cups and plates with some food still on them that bees and flys are buzzing around while trying to look around the people standing in front of you to see the screen because you are too far away from the stage to even see the performers. Oh, this is just a few of the reasons why I will not be attending another event at the Glen Helen Hyndai Pavillion… unless it is the demolition of the venue.

Oh, and another thing, I was watching The Cure play and for some reason unbeknown to me this guy stands five inches behind me. Now at this point of the night a lot of people had gone home and there were a lot of open spaces on the lawn where this guy could stand. For example, I had a HUGE space in front of me because I wanted room to dance and to let Billy the Drunk (aka Billy the Dancing Machine) go crazy with his funky moves. Right, so Robert Smith & Co. start playing “Just Like Heaven” and I’m dancing and I keep hitting the guy. Wouldn’t you take this as a hint to take a step back? I certainly would!

Unfortunately, he just stands there. So I try to fix the problem by moving forward more, and the idiot follows me! He actually moves up! So this goes on for another 20 minutes before Daniel and I switch spaces and Daniel stands a two feet behind me as a buffer. Finally the asshole and his friend go up closer and stand two inches behind someone else. Thank you, Baby Jesus!
Just so I don’t sound like Captain Complain McWhiney I’ll tell you some things I did enjoy yesterday.

  • I enjoyed seeing SHAG again…I enjoyed getting my mini print signed and asking him about tattoo flashes.
  • I enjoyed listening to some of Interpol’s set.
  • I enjoyed accidently socking Daniel in the nose. I did not enjoy him getting mad at me for it. Sorry!
  • I enjoyed meeting Shalome and finally finding the SGLA gang.
  • I enjoyed Duran Duran’s set.
  • I enjoyed getting closer to the stage so I could actually SEE the stage but still just stared at the screens the whole time.
  • I enjoyed dancing and singing my head off to Hot Hot Heat’s Set.
  • I enjoyed getting a Hot Hot Heat shirt, even though it’s kinda small. Well, maybe I’ll shrink into it.
  • I enjoyed The Cure’s set, especially when they played “Pictures of You” and “Boys Don’t Cry”
  • I enjoyed the three encores that The Cure played.
  • I enjoyed telling people about how I had been up since 6:30 and how I had waited in a line for 6 hours
  • I enjoyed finally getting to take my contacts and makeup off. I think I need to buy new make-up that doesn’t make me want to scratch my face off after 10+ hours.

That’s plenty for now.

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I Met Shag Last Night

I got my first tattoo last night. Shag was doing a gallery opening and signing at Wacko’s Gallery in Hollywood. I got in line and didn’t have anything for him to sign so like some fangirl I had him sign me.

Then promptly left and went to Big Daddy’s and had it tattooed on by some Japanese artist from NY. His portfolio boasted a picture with him and NAS with Nas’s THUG LIFE tattoo on his stomach.

So like I said, first tattoo ever. Goodbye virgin skin,
hello pangs of regret and “OH MY GOD, I’M SO STUPID!”

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A Lesson For You

did you know
discreet = prudent, unnoticeable
and
discrete = separate or distinct?

also
fortunate = lucky (obviously)
but fortuitous = by chance, accidental….not related to fortunate

Anyone who says “ATM machine” (automatic teller machine machine?) or “PIN number” should be shot. Also, “free gift”… what’s that about? A gift should be free by definition.

tortuous = winding, crooked
torturous = unpleasant, painful (think “torture”)
don’t mix those up kids.

I’m a freak.