Saturday, May 31, 2003
MR. P AT LARGE
A couple of years ago the LA Times started running this comic strip called Get Fuzzy by Darby Conley. I checked it out at first, it had quirky, edgy characters - a smart-ass cat, a dumb-ass dog - but I never really laughed. It reminded me of my old friend Hackett and how he used to challenge people to watch Gilligan's Island and point out one good honest-to-god laugh. Then you'd watch it and realize, damn, Hackett was right. Gilligan's Island had the theme music, the memorable characters, the wacky premise but the show itself was dreadfully unfunny. If it had been funny it may have lasted more than two seasons, I don't know. All I know is that I kept up with Get Fuzzy faithfully, everyday, for a full year, praying for a laugh and not just an absurd situation with more text than cartoon. It never happened, I gave up. Threw it on the junkheap with all the other comics I don't read like Garfield and Baby Blues and For Better Or Worse. You see, I'm a big comics snob, it's about the only thing I'm qualified to spout off on, and I have my favorites and I have my despised quarry. And it's not at all based on merit, no sir. I hate Baby Blues, for instance, because it replaced a comic I did like that, The Buckets, which I remember as being quirky and passably funny, and it barely got a chance, two weeks or something. I said "Phooey!" on that. I hear Baby Blues is very popular, but I ain't never gonna read it. Anyhow, it just shows you what I know. Get Fuzzy just won some award for funniest comic of the year or something and I'm like, how could this possibly happen? Just for comparisons sake let's take the comic right next to Get Fuzzy in the LA Times, The Wizard of Id. Now, The Wizard of Id has been around for about a billion years and I know that there any many "serious" comics readers that wonder how the hell it keeps getting printed, since it relies mostly on tired gags and puns and is achingly out-of-date, as is its already banished (for good reason) relic of a soulmate B.C. But there is a reason that The Wiz endures, and that's because it's simple, a vital element I feel, in comics, and most of the time, funny, which you know, is important too. I say it's way funnier than Get Fuzzy, and I can prove it. Here are the strips from May 28. You be the judge:
GET FUZZY
Panel one: Guy in cap peers down at talking cat.
The talking cat: "This is your lucky day, Robert. I'm liquidating the wardrobe from my recent photo shoot."
Panel two: The cat is holding something so small you can't tell what it is.
The talking cat: "I have been authorized to sell you this unique, one-of-a-kind chicken suit. It's a size 'Dog'. It's in near mint condition, and it's made of 100% real feathers hand gathered from over six road-kills, and its price is a low- BUT FIRM - $1,000."
Panel three: Guy in cap peers down at talking cat.
Guy in cap: "I'll give you 50 cents to throw that thing out."
The talking cat: "OK, now would that be a lump sum?"
THE WIZARD OF ID
Panel one: Peasant at bar speaks to rough-hewn bartender.
Peasant: "The wife left me for another man."
Bartender: "You're not going to do anything foolish, are you?"
Panel two: Peasant replies.
Peasant: "You mean like look for her?"
Really, I think it's a Wizard of Id slam dunk. If the links still work, look at the animation for one thing. Get Fuzzy is all dark and the characters indistinguishable. Plus, they are all squished because there is so much text! Plus, it's a continuation strip - it makes sense only if you've read the strip the day before. Or maybe you just chuckle at the sight of a deranged cat holding a chicken suit, I don't know, whatever works for you. By contrast, The Wiz is brightly lit, the characters are wholly distinguishable, you don't need to know any prior history to the comic, it's not necessary. And so what if the joke is stupid - look at the peasant's beer in the second panel, it's doing something, bubbling or something - where it wasn't in the first. And the peasant is having some issues too, with tiny balls falling from his cap. And the bartender, c'mon! That's good stuff!
In any case, I don't really even like The Wizard of Id that much, let's face it, it has very little modern appeal. However, there are so many other younger, hipper, edgier cartoonists out there that could learn well the lessons of the old guard:
Don't make things too complicated
Learn how to tell a joke
Weird doesn't always translate into funny
And most importatnt - animation counts!
If you can do those things, it doesn't matter what you're filling the frame with. There you have it - the Mr. P 4-step program for emerging cartoonists. (And from what I can see of The Buckets, it could a spitshine itself, but what the hell do I know?)
And what do I consider a first-class comic strip? Well, just about all the good ones that I liked - Calvin and Hobbes, Bloom County, Far Side - quit, but Mutts might still be my favorite out of them all. Did you ever see his Janis Joplin or Captain Beefheart re-creations? Genius!
Next time on Mr. P at Large: Mr. P's 12-step program for a successful real estate career!
A couple of years ago the LA Times started running this comic strip called Get Fuzzy by Darby Conley. I checked it out at first, it had quirky, edgy characters - a smart-ass cat, a dumb-ass dog - but I never really laughed. It reminded me of my old friend Hackett and how he used to challenge people to watch Gilligan's Island and point out one good honest-to-god laugh. Then you'd watch it and realize, damn, Hackett was right. Gilligan's Island had the theme music, the memorable characters, the wacky premise but the show itself was dreadfully unfunny. If it had been funny it may have lasted more than two seasons, I don't know. All I know is that I kept up with Get Fuzzy faithfully, everyday, for a full year, praying for a laugh and not just an absurd situation with more text than cartoon. It never happened, I gave up. Threw it on the junkheap with all the other comics I don't read like Garfield and Baby Blues and For Better Or Worse. You see, I'm a big comics snob, it's about the only thing I'm qualified to spout off on, and I have my favorites and I have my despised quarry. And it's not at all based on merit, no sir. I hate Baby Blues, for instance, because it replaced a comic I did like that, The Buckets, which I remember as being quirky and passably funny, and it barely got a chance, two weeks or something. I said "Phooey!" on that. I hear Baby Blues is very popular, but I ain't never gonna read it. Anyhow, it just shows you what I know. Get Fuzzy just won some award for funniest comic of the year or something and I'm like, how could this possibly happen? Just for comparisons sake let's take the comic right next to Get Fuzzy in the LA Times, The Wizard of Id. Now, The Wizard of Id has been around for about a billion years and I know that there any many "serious" comics readers that wonder how the hell it keeps getting printed, since it relies mostly on tired gags and puns and is achingly out-of-date, as is its already banished (for good reason) relic of a soulmate B.C. But there is a reason that The Wiz endures, and that's because it's simple, a vital element I feel, in comics, and most of the time, funny, which you know, is important too. I say it's way funnier than Get Fuzzy, and I can prove it. Here are the strips from May 28. You be the judge:
GET FUZZY
Panel one: Guy in cap peers down at talking cat.
The talking cat: "This is your lucky day, Robert. I'm liquidating the wardrobe from my recent photo shoot."
Panel two: The cat is holding something so small you can't tell what it is.
The talking cat: "I have been authorized to sell you this unique, one-of-a-kind chicken suit. It's a size 'Dog'. It's in near mint condition, and it's made of 100% real feathers hand gathered from over six road-kills, and its price is a low- BUT FIRM - $1,000."
Panel three: Guy in cap peers down at talking cat.
Guy in cap: "I'll give you 50 cents to throw that thing out."
The talking cat: "OK, now would that be a lump sum?"
THE WIZARD OF ID
Panel one: Peasant at bar speaks to rough-hewn bartender.
Peasant: "The wife left me for another man."
Bartender: "You're not going to do anything foolish, are you?"
Panel two: Peasant replies.
Peasant: "You mean like look for her?"
Really, I think it's a Wizard of Id slam dunk. If the links still work, look at the animation for one thing. Get Fuzzy is all dark and the characters indistinguishable. Plus, they are all squished because there is so much text! Plus, it's a continuation strip - it makes sense only if you've read the strip the day before. Or maybe you just chuckle at the sight of a deranged cat holding a chicken suit, I don't know, whatever works for you. By contrast, The Wiz is brightly lit, the characters are wholly distinguishable, you don't need to know any prior history to the comic, it's not necessary. And so what if the joke is stupid - look at the peasant's beer in the second panel, it's doing something, bubbling or something - where it wasn't in the first. And the peasant is having some issues too, with tiny balls falling from his cap. And the bartender, c'mon! That's good stuff!
In any case, I don't really even like The Wizard of Id that much, let's face it, it has very little modern appeal. However, there are so many other younger, hipper, edgier cartoonists out there that could learn well the lessons of the old guard:
Don't make things too complicated
Learn how to tell a joke
Weird doesn't always translate into funny
And most importatnt - animation counts!
If you can do those things, it doesn't matter what you're filling the frame with. There you have it - the Mr. P 4-step program for emerging cartoonists. (And from what I can see of The Buckets, it could a spitshine itself, but what the hell do I know?)
And what do I consider a first-class comic strip? Well, just about all the good ones that I liked - Calvin and Hobbes, Bloom County, Far Side - quit, but Mutts might still be my favorite out of them all. Did you ever see his Janis Joplin or Captain Beefheart re-creations? Genius!
Next time on Mr. P at Large: Mr. P's 12-step program for a successful real estate career!
Friday, May 30, 2003
D-SQUAD RETURNS TO HOLLYWOOD
We had gathered over at Laura's house and the question was whether we should leave at 7:15 or 7:30. I said earlier is better, because you never know what's going to happen once you get on the road. The show started at "8:00 sharp" and I figured we should have it all loaded in by the time the doors open. And until we got off the freeway everything was peachy. When I saw the "Road Closed" sign posted, however, I knew there was going to be trouble - lots of trouble.
The road was indeed closed, why I had no idea, except that Qtopia's is located right in the heart of the entertainment sector near the so-called "Gower Gulch" . After some nifty manuevering I parked in a mini-mall and surveyed the scene. I saw a huge crowd of people lined up and I said to myself, "That couldn't be our show." And it wasn't, it was for Jack Johnson at the Henry Ford Theatre. Also, I would find out later, it was the opening of "The Producers" as well as being the Bob Hope 100th birthday celebration. Situation: screwed. Initially, I honestly thought it was some kind of Orange Alert measure. Whatever it was it changed the whole game plan - from finding the venue to merely finding a free parking space (I'm too cheap to pay). I finally found one - way down past Sunset off El Centro. Since I don't carry a phone I couldn't contact the other band members, so I no idea of their status. Suddenly, it was like 8:20 and I thought, "Great, no matter what we do, every gig is a disaster." However, I also knew that everyone was in the same boat, so I held out the hope that the show would go on late.
After walking a mile, I finally found Qtopia's - and my band - and sure enough the doors were not open and they were still loading equipment in. Somehow, the band literally blundered into the right parking lot. Even then there were a ton of kids waiting to get in. This allowed me the chance to wander off again to get something to eat. There's a Tommy's right next door, but tempting as it was I just couldn't justify a chili cheeseburger so close to gig time. A little further down was a 7-11 so I treated myself to a Ham & Cheese sandwich. When I got back they were just getting around to kicking everyone out so they could re-admit them and search everyone for weapons of mass destruction. Just Jones and his wife Jane were there along with Tim Allyn, although Tim wussied out and left right as we were ready to go back in. This is after I had just last week supported Tim and Jones' band The Hickmen at Highland Grounds. The nerve!
We were on the main stage. I really have to give Mike Odd of Rosemary's Billygoat a million thanks for throwing us on this gig. I continually bitch and complain when I see cool shows that we can't get on, and suddenly here we are on this huge stage in a huge room playing in front of hundreds of people. And we did not let them down. I am here to tell you that Desperation Squad is back, baby, rocking people's nuts off in a big way. It was simply an amazing show. Here is a rock and roll truism: any time you are on an elevated stage, people naturally think you are very important. We started with "Homo" , which is more of a poem than a song, and it gets a few laughs while grabbing people's attention. Lately, after playing the same seven songs for two years straight, we've been mixing it up, doing different things. So we do a cover of Pere Ubu's "Non-Alignment Pact" to get the place shaking. I fall down alot during this song and that always seems to impress people. Plus I hurdled a monitor and did a wonderful stage dive. Now we have a new song, very appropriate for this gig called "You Suck!" The song is about how at college I couldn't get one stinking decent gig. I will post some lyrics at a later date but the chorus goes,
YOU SUCK! SUCK, SUCK, SUCK, SUCK, SUCK, SUCK!
Pretty catchy, no? Still, the anticipation was building for our tour de force, "Taco Truck" and the rain of tortillas. New rule: people should get in the habit of bringing tortillas to our shows. I bring some but they cost a lot of money. We got the whole idea of throwing tortillas from the Incredibly Strange Wrestlers from San Francisco. The song went so well that people were applauding the breaks in the song. Then we were going to play "Stop Being A Dick" but since the show was already running late, and wanting to keep up the momentum, we went straight into "Best Ass In Rock and Roll". To the uninitiated, this might seem like wishful thinking, but it's true, the Panda Man truly does have the best ass in all of rock and roll and is not shy about sharing it. Here is the truly bizarre part: dudes love this song. Don't ask me why. I could see it not working for just about any other band, but for us, I guess we just have a "regular dude" look about us. So instead of getting jeered, we get cheered. No one minds looking at my ass. It's a good thing too, because immediately following is "Me and My Drug Problem" - the cake icing/chocolate syrup/whipped cream song, except when I reached down for my supplies they were gone. I'm going, "Where's my bag? Where's my bag?" and then some dude comes up - he had grabbed my bag from the stage and already uncapped the lids. I thanked him and then doused him with icing - this time it was blue and orange - and did the whole "He's nuts" routine, which segues into "Your Girlfriend's Ugly" in which Panda Man makes his appearance in stylish mask and Panda G-string. I was wondering how that would look - after all, we were playing with all bands that wear masks and costumes - my outfit is relatively spartan. But, again, there is something about being 98% naked and lathered up good in chocolate and tortillas that really seems to appeal to people. Maybe it's their fantasy too, I don't know. It doesn't hurt one bit that Laura, Squad bass player, is wearing nothing but a bikini and spends the whole song tormenting the Panda Man - jumping, bashing, sticking things in inappropriate places - it's a real gas. I also took a stage dive that was absolutely phenomenal - it wasn't a dive, I just fell off, and it was at least a two or three foot drop. Eat your heart out, Jackass.
Then that was it. Panda-monium ensued. I immediately was besieged with offers for more gigs, so the D-Squad LA prognosis is suddenly much brighter. That's good - LA has never really embraced us. The best part was Mike Odd kindly asking us to "clean up" our mess and we did for a minute. But there is nothing quite like watching a band having to take the stage after us, picking through tortilla shards and slippery whipped cream soaked wet spots. You really know that you've made a difference.
And that was just the show. There's more that happened after, but I'll wait a day or two, my eyes are getting bleary and I feel like taking a run.
We had gathered over at Laura's house and the question was whether we should leave at 7:15 or 7:30. I said earlier is better, because you never know what's going to happen once you get on the road. The show started at "8:00 sharp" and I figured we should have it all loaded in by the time the doors open. And until we got off the freeway everything was peachy. When I saw the "Road Closed" sign posted, however, I knew there was going to be trouble - lots of trouble.
The road was indeed closed, why I had no idea, except that Qtopia's is located right in the heart of the entertainment sector near the so-called "Gower Gulch" . After some nifty manuevering I parked in a mini-mall and surveyed the scene. I saw a huge crowd of people lined up and I said to myself, "That couldn't be our show." And it wasn't, it was for Jack Johnson at the Henry Ford Theatre. Also, I would find out later, it was the opening of "The Producers" as well as being the Bob Hope 100th birthday celebration. Situation: screwed. Initially, I honestly thought it was some kind of Orange Alert measure. Whatever it was it changed the whole game plan - from finding the venue to merely finding a free parking space (I'm too cheap to pay). I finally found one - way down past Sunset off El Centro. Since I don't carry a phone I couldn't contact the other band members, so I no idea of their status. Suddenly, it was like 8:20 and I thought, "Great, no matter what we do, every gig is a disaster." However, I also knew that everyone was in the same boat, so I held out the hope that the show would go on late.
After walking a mile, I finally found Qtopia's - and my band - and sure enough the doors were not open and they were still loading equipment in. Somehow, the band literally blundered into the right parking lot. Even then there were a ton of kids waiting to get in. This allowed me the chance to wander off again to get something to eat. There's a Tommy's right next door, but tempting as it was I just couldn't justify a chili cheeseburger so close to gig time. A little further down was a 7-11 so I treated myself to a Ham & Cheese sandwich. When I got back they were just getting around to kicking everyone out so they could re-admit them and search everyone for weapons of mass destruction. Just Jones and his wife Jane were there along with Tim Allyn, although Tim wussied out and left right as we were ready to go back in. This is after I had just last week supported Tim and Jones' band The Hickmen at Highland Grounds. The nerve!
We were on the main stage. I really have to give Mike Odd of Rosemary's Billygoat a million thanks for throwing us on this gig. I continually bitch and complain when I see cool shows that we can't get on, and suddenly here we are on this huge stage in a huge room playing in front of hundreds of people. And we did not let them down. I am here to tell you that Desperation Squad is back, baby, rocking people's nuts off in a big way. It was simply an amazing show. Here is a rock and roll truism: any time you are on an elevated stage, people naturally think you are very important. We started with "Homo" , which is more of a poem than a song, and it gets a few laughs while grabbing people's attention. Lately, after playing the same seven songs for two years straight, we've been mixing it up, doing different things. So we do a cover of Pere Ubu's "Non-Alignment Pact" to get the place shaking. I fall down alot during this song and that always seems to impress people. Plus I hurdled a monitor and did a wonderful stage dive. Now we have a new song, very appropriate for this gig called "You Suck!" The song is about how at college I couldn't get one stinking decent gig. I will post some lyrics at a later date but the chorus goes,
YOU SUCK! SUCK, SUCK, SUCK, SUCK, SUCK, SUCK!
Pretty catchy, no? Still, the anticipation was building for our tour de force, "Taco Truck" and the rain of tortillas. New rule: people should get in the habit of bringing tortillas to our shows. I bring some but they cost a lot of money. We got the whole idea of throwing tortillas from the Incredibly Strange Wrestlers from San Francisco. The song went so well that people were applauding the breaks in the song. Then we were going to play "Stop Being A Dick" but since the show was already running late, and wanting to keep up the momentum, we went straight into "Best Ass In Rock and Roll". To the uninitiated, this might seem like wishful thinking, but it's true, the Panda Man truly does have the best ass in all of rock and roll and is not shy about sharing it. Here is the truly bizarre part: dudes love this song. Don't ask me why. I could see it not working for just about any other band, but for us, I guess we just have a "regular dude" look about us. So instead of getting jeered, we get cheered. No one minds looking at my ass. It's a good thing too, because immediately following is "Me and My Drug Problem" - the cake icing/chocolate syrup/whipped cream song, except when I reached down for my supplies they were gone. I'm going, "Where's my bag? Where's my bag?" and then some dude comes up - he had grabbed my bag from the stage and already uncapped the lids. I thanked him and then doused him with icing - this time it was blue and orange - and did the whole "He's nuts" routine, which segues into "Your Girlfriend's Ugly" in which Panda Man makes his appearance in stylish mask and Panda G-string. I was wondering how that would look - after all, we were playing with all bands that wear masks and costumes - my outfit is relatively spartan. But, again, there is something about being 98% naked and lathered up good in chocolate and tortillas that really seems to appeal to people. Maybe it's their fantasy too, I don't know. It doesn't hurt one bit that Laura, Squad bass player, is wearing nothing but a bikini and spends the whole song tormenting the Panda Man - jumping, bashing, sticking things in inappropriate places - it's a real gas. I also took a stage dive that was absolutely phenomenal - it wasn't a dive, I just fell off, and it was at least a two or three foot drop. Eat your heart out, Jackass.
Then that was it. Panda-monium ensued. I immediately was besieged with offers for more gigs, so the D-Squad LA prognosis is suddenly much brighter. That's good - LA has never really embraced us. The best part was Mike Odd kindly asking us to "clean up" our mess and we did for a minute. But there is nothing quite like watching a band having to take the stage after us, picking through tortilla shards and slippery whipped cream soaked wet spots. You really know that you've made a difference.
And that was just the show. There's more that happened after, but I'll wait a day or two, my eyes are getting bleary and I feel like taking a run.
MY COMPLETELY RANDOM LIFE
I got called into work because one of the Japanese students needed to go to the post office and pick up some packages - four big old huge boxes. I helped her carry them into her apartment and while wandering around ran into my friend Jessica from work - hadn't seen her in two months. It will probably be the last time I see her too because she's moving away. Another day, another random meeting. Who's next?
I got called into work because one of the Japanese students needed to go to the post office and pick up some packages - four big old huge boxes. I helped her carry them into her apartment and while wandering around ran into my friend Jessica from work - hadn't seen her in two months. It will probably be the last time I see her too because she's moving away. Another day, another random meeting. Who's next?
Thursday, May 29, 2003
ROCK AND ROLL TONIGHT
Tonight is the big Odd Art Show down at Qtopia's in Hollywood (Hollywood and Gower). It features Rosemary's Billygoat, Green Jello and Babyland as music headliners but also a fine array of arty, theatrical bands of various repute, including the illustrious Desperation Squad. We haven't played Hollywood since a lame-ass Goldfinger's show almost three years ago. I remember we met these dunk conventioneers from the east coast who were, in all likelihood, looking for hookers and found us instead. They were nice guys, invited us out to steak dinner should we ever make it out their way. I put one of them on the email list but several months later he was begging me to take him off and I kept forgetting to do so. I probably got him fired because of it. Oh well. Shoulda stayed at the hotel like a good boy!
The Odd Art Show will feature amazing art from a multitude of artists, headlined by Oderus from GWAR, who is apparently bringing everything. There are two stages - a big one and a small one - and we will play at 8:30 sharp on the big one. Please bring tortillas. Also on the bill are Joe and the Chickenheads, The Leeches, Insecto Circus, Organic Junk Fude, and DJ Don Bolles.
That should give you enough to chew on. And, of course, a thorough review of the proceedings will follow in future posts.
Chow.
Tonight is the big Odd Art Show down at Qtopia's in Hollywood (Hollywood and Gower). It features Rosemary's Billygoat, Green Jello and Babyland as music headliners but also a fine array of arty, theatrical bands of various repute, including the illustrious Desperation Squad. We haven't played Hollywood since a lame-ass Goldfinger's show almost three years ago. I remember we met these dunk conventioneers from the east coast who were, in all likelihood, looking for hookers and found us instead. They were nice guys, invited us out to steak dinner should we ever make it out their way. I put one of them on the email list but several months later he was begging me to take him off and I kept forgetting to do so. I probably got him fired because of it. Oh well. Shoulda stayed at the hotel like a good boy!
The Odd Art Show will feature amazing art from a multitude of artists, headlined by Oderus from GWAR, who is apparently bringing everything. There are two stages - a big one and a small one - and we will play at 8:30 sharp on the big one. Please bring tortillas. Also on the bill are Joe and the Chickenheads, The Leeches, Insecto Circus, Organic Junk Fude, and DJ Don Bolles.
That should give you enough to chew on. And, of course, a thorough review of the proceedings will follow in future posts.
Chow.
MY COMPLETELY RANDOM LIFE
This is how it works. Last night I was walking home from the library at school and I'm just about to cut through the construction area when a car beeps at me and it's a couple of friends from Pitzer who just graduated. "What are you doing here?" they asked me. Hell, I live here, I told them, this is what I do everyday. My friends don't live here, they live way out in the San Fernando Valley. They were here to go out to the Red Lobster or somewhere, but that's nowhere near the colleges. It turns out they just cruised by for the sake of nostalgia! They've been graduated all of a week and a half now! It doesn't take long, especially since there are no jobs out there for graduates. And that's for kids. Imagine what it's like for geezers like myself. Good thing I have a band. What's that? Oh, right, that doesn't pay either.
So I bade them farewell and walked on. Who will I run into next?
This is how it works. Last night I was walking home from the library at school and I'm just about to cut through the construction area when a car beeps at me and it's a couple of friends from Pitzer who just graduated. "What are you doing here?" they asked me. Hell, I live here, I told them, this is what I do everyday. My friends don't live here, they live way out in the San Fernando Valley. They were here to go out to the Red Lobster or somewhere, but that's nowhere near the colleges. It turns out they just cruised by for the sake of nostalgia! They've been graduated all of a week and a half now! It doesn't take long, especially since there are no jobs out there for graduates. And that's for kids. Imagine what it's like for geezers like myself. Good thing I have a band. What's that? Oh, right, that doesn't pay either.
So I bade them farewell and walked on. Who will I run into next?
Wednesday, May 28, 2003
Last night I had to take the bus home. This isn't so bad but I was caught without a newspaper and I didn't feel like reading the copy of Hard Times by Studs Terkel I've been carrying around with me (not exactly the best book you would want to read right after graduating). Not that I didn't think it was appropriate, it's just that I get kind of queasy on the bus, you know? Not so bad with a paper but with a book, forget it. Anyhow, I was just sitting there at the bus stop. For a while I amused myself with a fallen cracker on the sidewalk, besieged by ants, next to it a cigarette butt. Actually, it kind of grossed me out. Just then these two guys come up, talking to each other and smoking cigarettes, and stop just on the other side of the bus bench. They looked drunk, probably. One of them was wearing a Mighty Ducks t-shirt and the other had a Dodgers cap on, you know, regular guys. I really didn't want to listen to them but I had no choice, they were right next to me, and it was the Mighty Ducks guy, he was doing all the talking and it was all bad. So of course I suddenly wanted nothing but to listen to these guys, without drawing attention, and it was hard to do because the passing cars would drown out about half the conversation. Then the Mighty Ducks guy said, "I love my wife, pero. . . she just kicked me out of the house. I just moved out." And the other guy, the one in the Dodger cap, he didn't say much, usually just a low, murmured assent. The Mighty Ducks guy, I don't know, maybe he was upset over the game or something, he kept going back and forth in English and Spanish. But in any language the impression I got was: loser! "I'm suffering here! What can I do? I try to do things around the house, whatever I can do. What can I do?" He really had no idea what to do, to save his marriage. I was too paralyzed with apathy to suggest anything to him.
Okay, now I am being silly, but hey, it's my first day.
In any case, the bus came and the party broke up. Me and the guy in the Dodger cap hopped on, on our way to another destination.
Okay, now I am being silly, but hey, it's my first day.
In any case, the bus came and the party broke up. Me and the guy in the Dodger cap hopped on, on our way to another destination.
Hello, my name is Mr. P and this is my blog. Welcome.
Here is my deal:
I just graduated from Pitzer College in Claremont, California, with a BA in Media Studies (with honors). I have also been, for the last 20 years (or thereabouts) in a band called Desperation Squad. Before that, I was associated with a punk rock group called Nixon's Revenge. Lately I have been known as Panda Man. Alas, it turns out there is another Panda Man in the Blogspot universe, but I wagered correctly that there was no other Nixon's Revengers out there. Hence the name.
In my final year of college, I kept journal notes. At first it was just to keep a running document of my schooling. However, it soon became apparent that school was one of at least five different worlds that I lived in that smacked up against each other like tectonic plates. Also, through keeping a journal, I realized that a great deal of my life hinged on the most random of events - not planned events but spontaneous ones, like running into someone you haven't seen for 10 years and having that lead to a gig, which leads to something else, and so on. No matter how many plans I make for myself, in the end a random event will win out. That's why I hardly ever make plans.
Well, running a blog is a bit of a plan. On this blog I plan to share events of my random life and the postings will reflect the randomness that envelops my life. Mostly the postings will concern some aspect of my band life, either current shows or past hijinks. Yes, I am trying to increase the D-Squad's profile. But there will also be plenty of room for my patented rants - which members of the band email list have been subjected to for years. But mass email is a hassle now (more on that later) and blogs are where it's at! So we'll see where this goes. One of the things I like best about blogs are the links. I hope to share some wacky web sites as well.
That's good enough for now.
Cheers.
Here is my deal:
I just graduated from Pitzer College in Claremont, California, with a BA in Media Studies (with honors). I have also been, for the last 20 years (or thereabouts) in a band called Desperation Squad. Before that, I was associated with a punk rock group called Nixon's Revenge. Lately I have been known as Panda Man. Alas, it turns out there is another Panda Man in the Blogspot universe, but I wagered correctly that there was no other Nixon's Revengers out there. Hence the name.
In my final year of college, I kept journal notes. At first it was just to keep a running document of my schooling. However, it soon became apparent that school was one of at least five different worlds that I lived in that smacked up against each other like tectonic plates. Also, through keeping a journal, I realized that a great deal of my life hinged on the most random of events - not planned events but spontaneous ones, like running into someone you haven't seen for 10 years and having that lead to a gig, which leads to something else, and so on. No matter how many plans I make for myself, in the end a random event will win out. That's why I hardly ever make plans.
Well, running a blog is a bit of a plan. On this blog I plan to share events of my random life and the postings will reflect the randomness that envelops my life. Mostly the postings will concern some aspect of my band life, either current shows or past hijinks. Yes, I am trying to increase the D-Squad's profile. But there will also be plenty of room for my patented rants - which members of the band email list have been subjected to for years. But mass email is a hassle now (more on that later) and blogs are where it's at! So we'll see where this goes. One of the things I like best about blogs are the links. I hope to share some wacky web sites as well.
That's good enough for now.
Cheers.
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