Vagabond

Pretty much all of my friends smoke like 1-4 times a month and I dunno, I've been kind of on edge lately. It seems like at high school the people who don't smoke at all are all grades-obsessed preps, not people I'd want to hang out with. The people I do hang out with are mostly musicians, and some of them are pretty heavy stoners (4 times a week counts as heavy to me). I'm more aiming to be a 1-4 times a month person.

Hey everyone. It's been a while, hasn't it?

I'm on school vacation, working on my novella (aiming for 4000 words total by the end of the night).

Shit's pretty good with me, still no girlfriend, but can't really complain.

I got a garage rock band together, sort of, still need a drummer.

Smoking weed for the first time Thursday, I know, a bit behind the curve, but whatever.

Post convention-- no idea, suppose Obama in a huge landslide.

Pre convention-- they'd probably end up with Romney or something

Congrats.

I started a band.

Me on banjo, this indie kid I know who lives a few blocks away on guitar.

Basically he's one of those types who knows chord progressions and counterpoint and all that music stuff and guitar techniques. And I can fingerpick like 10 chords.

Anyway some of you (pricks) have said some pretty mean shit about my lyrics but people not from the internet like them a lot so I'm not worried at all. The Desperate Kids are going places.

I try.

The kind without any friends who hope they get chosen for jury duty. Not you.

I just wear straight cut blue jeans and a basic t shirt almost all the time, with a flannel or leather jacket if it's chilly. Is that immediately recognizable?

Yeah, pretty sure I'll be checking people's names off a list and handing them a ballot before they vote.

Or possibly, checking their names off a list after they vote.

From what I can tell, people with hearing and good vision are given the things with any importance here.

Man, from what I've seen on the BBC you look pretty typical for a middle aged Englishman, but here in the US you'd really stand out as looking sketchy. Can English people spot Americans in London (not including maps and baseball hats and such)?

Nice pics, Red.

Is that performance art, Venkman?

I was at a 2 and a half a hour session and I'm now a licensed poll worker. I'll be helping people cast votes election day. That's nice. But Jesus Christ, it's not good if I'm the best looking person in the room. The volunteers for poll working are like either losers in their 40s or people in their 80s, all white. It should be a mix of the population -- a lot more blacks and latinos.

And my god they make it hard to vote, even in Massachusetts.

Congratulations, LostSophia and Chief.

I faked sick yesterday and spent the whole day writing. Did a complete rewrite of a story and it's one scene away from done. Is it wrong that I feel really responsible for doing this?

I'll be working the polls at my local voting district.

It's going to be long and boring and full of old people, but old people shouldn't be poll workers-- it should be a mix of people-- particularly ones who can intuitively use technology.

I'm one of the first two people at my high school to do this. Dunno what the deal is in the rest of the state.

Finished the other volumes of Alec.

Loved How to Be an Artist, mostly, but I dunno, I can't hugely relate to the middle-aged bits taht dominated Three Piece Suit.

Still, great stuff.

I thought of the Pogues' Bastard Landlord myself.

It's not a Macgowan, but the lyrics are pretty.

Oh Lord won't you tell me I'm sure I don't know,

Who makes the plans that change our lives so,

From a place in the country so peaceful and calm,

We moved up to London as the bombs fell around,

To a house by the river where the rent it was cheap,

The Landlord he told us 'Its yours to keep',

For regular payment week after week,

You'll always have a roof under which you can sleep.

 

The years past by, the war came to an end,

We lived out our lives did nothing to offend,

But the Landlord's conditions yearly they grew,

With the size of his gut and his housing values,

He'd kneel on a Sunday and pray to the Lord,

For the deals of love his world cannot afford,

When the Bastard he came round to put up our rent,

We swallowed our pride and we smiled our best.

 

Bricks and mortar, Kingdom of Stone,

Where do you go when you're all alone,

They'll carve your name where you lie,

And I for one no tears will cry.

 

Greed knows no boundaries, greed doesn't feel,

I'm damned if I'll die for a profiting deal,

The woman next door she just passed away,

'Cause the rent got so high that she just couldn't pay.,

And there in the bed she closed up her eyes,

The last time she gazed on this world of lies,

With nowhere to go and nothing to say,

She went to the next world and the Bastard he smiled.

 

Bricks and mortar, Kingdom of Stone,

Where do you go when you're all alone,

They'll carve your name where you lie,

And I for one no tears will cry.

 

Oh Lord won't you tell me I'm sure I don't know,

What makes some people so callous and cold,

I've lived in this house for forty-four years,

My children were born here, its here I'll grow old,

A curse on you, Bastard Landlord be damned,

Who needs one more house like a beach needs more sand,

I'll stay here till I'm done only nobody knows,

How God can let one man treat others so.

I read somewhere that the first panel of The New Gods is meant to be all the dead Asgardian gods. The New Gods is extremely one of the best comics ever. Therefore I side with Mark.

Christ, best of luck.

Are motel sixes still six dollars a night?

Oh that is a good one.

Reading Blake's Milton: A Poem.

I dunno, I feel really shitty that I don't understand around half of the symbolism (probably more) and the best I can do is one page every 6 minutes, but it's so amazingly good.

Also reading some Brecht stuff-- that is an amazing writer.

Hey guys, if I had a few short stories (2000-5000 words), slice of life style, what would be the best way to sell them? I'm sure they're good enough to get published, they're better than my songs or posts or really things I do in general.

I've heard from you guys that Scalped is really good, could I get a comparison?

Bought Jamie Delano's 2020 Visions at a used book store that just opened not 20 minutes walk from my house (I'm extremely thrilled about that). It's in black and white, but I kinda like that. The writing's kinda like Transmet minus humor plus good pacing. A lot like his HB run really. Good stuff.

Is that a pokemon?

Once Upon a Time in the West - Great, not his best.

Exactly.

The last two hours on the Friday before a 3 day weekend were a mandatory assembly on drunk driving. Caught 10 minutes of it before I biked home -- only went at all because my journalism teacher wanted us to cover it so I had to show up.

The weird thing is, it was for freshmen and sophomores, and most of them were staying. High school kids are pretty dumb.

More Hunter S Thompson-- a collection of letters and a shit book about the 92 campaign.

The letters are fascinating, it's from 68-76, and you see his style fully develop, but the book is total shit, like most of his later stuff.

Guys, how old were you when your beard started coming in?

I've got decent thick sideburns but fuckall else.

Oh, completely forgot about that.

Anyone know why it takes a few hours for the avatar to update? Is it the forum software?